The Voice of the Lehigh Valley Jewish Community
www.jewishlehighvalley.org
| Issue No. 474 | March 2024 | Adar I / Adar II 5784 AWARD-WINNING PUBLICATION EST. 1977
Easton company sends its math games to ORT schools in Ukraine. p4
Get to know 3 of our new Lions and Poms in the interview that opens our Celebrating Women section. p18-21
FROM THE DESK OF JERI ZIMMERMAN p3 LVJF TRIBUTES p9 JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER p12-13 JEWISH DAY SCHOOL p14 JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE p15 COMMUNITY CALENDAR p22
The Main Event
A night of storytelling and reflections with Joel Chasnoff, author of ‘Israel 201’ By Carl Zebrowski Editor Joel Chasnoff has written or cowritten four best-selling books. More than 1,500 audiences in 10 countries have gathered to hear his partly serious, partly light take on Israel and American Jewish
life. Yet, as he likes to say, his mother still dreams he’ll go to law school. The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is bringing Chasnoff to the JCC on on Thursday, April 4, for its Main Event: An evening of storytelling, reflections, and conversation about our magical relationship with Israel. Chasnoff will get into some of the subject matter of the book he coauthored with Benji Lovitt, “Israel 201: Your Next-Level Guide to the Magic, Mystery, and Chaos of Life in the Holy Land,” an informative, personal, and light-hearted guide to Israel directed at the not-
Passover primaries
quite beginner. A blurb on organic. And therapeutic for the book’s back cover from the audience. Especially in former Prime Minister Ehud challenging times like these, Barak reads, “This wonderful I truly believe that when book will show you the Israel we laugh together, we are you didn’t know you didn’t together.” vote.pa.gov know.” Jewish celebrities Chasnoff lives in Israel such as actress Mayim Bialik these days, but he grew up and singer-songwriter David right outside Chicago, atBroza have also lauded the tending Jewish day school in book. Skokie, Illinois, and summer Passover begins at sundown on Monday, April 22, 2024 and The tone of the educatorthroughout the MidPennsylvania’s camps primary election is Tuesday, April 23, 2024. comedian’s shows has been west. After high school, he headed east for college and modified a bit to make it APRIL more appropriate for the graduated from the Univerpost-October 7 world. There sity of Pennsylvania. 2024 1 He 2 didn’t 3 4 go5 on 6after that are now more reflections and his law stories about his Jewish up- 7 to8 fulfill 9 10 11mother’s 12 13 dream, but he did bringing and his life in Israel. 14 school 15 16 17 18 19 20 fulfill another one: serving “There are still laughs,” he 24 25 26 27 Defense Forces. says, “but it’s less jokey, more 21 in22 the23 Israel
Passover and the Primary
to obtain and return your filled-out ballot, as well as for registering to vote. Federation staffers provided help filling out these forms to anyone who wanted it. The problem with the election date is that Jewish people, depending on their particular religious beliefs, may be restricted from taking part in certain activities, including voting-related activites, on certain holidays. The first two days of Passover—beginning at sundown on Monday, April 22, and continuing through sundown on Wednesday, April 24—would be included. Four states originally had primaries scheduled for April
Non-Profit Organization
of the Lehigh Valley 702 North 22nd Street Allentown, PA 18104
of the Lehigh Valley
of the Lehigh Valley
U.S. POSTAGE PAID Lehigh Valley, PA Permit No. 64
28
PASSOVER BEGINS
PRIMARY DAY
29
30
DON’T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO VOTE! JOIN US TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2024
23. But Delaware, Rhode 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m., JCC Lobby Island, and Maryland all to register for your mail-in ballot! were persuaded to move Can’t make it? You can register for a mail-in ballot yourself their elections to different by scanning the QR code, or visiting the link below! Apply for a Mail Ballot dates. Pennsylvania is the הגש בקשה להצבעה בדואר only state with a primary vote.pa.gov/MailBallot or call 1-877-868-3772 still scheduled on that day. from going to the polls on “It’s frustrating the legisPassover also could affect poll lature never settled on a date workers and polling places. that’s not in conflict,” said SecSince there’s no simple way to retary of the Commonwealth find out whether individual Al Schmidt, an appointee of voting sites would be missing Governor Josh Shapiro, who poll workers, Schmidt said, is Jewish. “The governor is the government has to make determined to do all we can inquiries, and then try to find to make sure Jewish voters replacements as needed. and all voters can make their If polling places need to be voices heard on election day.” closed, at a JCC, for example, The same restrictions that the county would find an could keep a Jewish voter alternative location. “It would
send a mailing to every voter letting them know that their polling place has moved,” said Schmidt. “It would also post at the former location to let them know that their polling location has moved.” Anyone with questions about the election or who requires help with voting and mail-in ballots should contact the Department of State at 877-VOTESPA.
The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley recognizes and appreciates our local women leaders, including HAKOL advertisers. Please patronize them and say thank you for their support of our nonprofit. In this March HAKOL issue, you’ll find these women professionals and owners: ART GALLERY & LEHIGH VALLEY LEHIGH VALLEY FRAME SHOP Cheryl Baran
BOUTIQUE TO GO Elena Pascal COLD NOSE LODGE Rayne Reitnauer HAKIM HEALTH PARTNERS Melissa Hakim, MD
of the Lehigh Valley
The Main Event begins at 7 p.m. on April 4 in the JCC Kline Auditorium. Registration is required and tickets are $36 each at jewishlehighvalley.org/mainevent. All proceeds from the evening will go to the Jewish Federation’s Israel Emergency Campaign.
DEADLINE TO APPLY
Don’t miss voting. Request a mail-in ballot
After Pennsylvania lawmakers failed to change the date of its primary elections from the first day of Passover, April 23, Jewish agencies in the state focused their efforts on getting the word out to make sure members of the Jewish community request mail-in ballots and mail in their votes on time. The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley had a table set up in the JCC lobby all day on February 27 to help community members request mail-in ballots. State government forms were available for requesting a ballot and for designating someone as your legal agent to help you
Assigned to Battalion 71 of the Armored Corps, he was a tank gunner in the Golan Heights and South Lebanon, an experience he chronicles in his humorous memoir “The 188th Crybaby Brigade.”
BREASTFEEDING CENTER Laurie Cohen, DO FAAP IBCLC, Lydia Boateng, MD FAAP IBCLC Ronee Welch, BS IBCLC Megan Carnes, RN IBCLC
CENTER FOR SIGHT Irena Cherfas, MD Kelsey Paciotti, OD Lindsay Tilghman, OD Magi Labib, OD Amanda Hadeed, OD JANE RONCORONI FINE CLOTHING Jane Roncoroni