The Voice of the Lehigh Valley Jewish Community
www.jewishlehighvalley.org
| Issue No. 468 | September 2023 | Elul 5783/Tishrei 5784 AWARD-WINNING PUBLICATION EST. 1977
Author will pose tough questions about ‘modern antisemtism’ to Lions and Poms at fall event. p4
Check out our New Year special section for High Holidays schedules, local clergy messages, recipes and more!
FROM THE DESK OF JERI ZIMMERMAN p3 WOMEN’S PHILANTHROPY p4 LVJF TRIBUTES p8 JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER p14-15 JEWISH DAY SCHOOL p16 JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE p17 COMMUNITY CALENDAR p23
Federation hires army vet to direct community security
The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, along with the Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg and the Secure Community Network (SCN), the official security organization for the Jewish community in North America, have hired military and police veteran Tim Brooks to the newly created position of regional security advisor. Brooks, a veteran of the U.S. Army, Pennsylvania National Guard and Bethlehem Police Department, will launch and direct a security program that will cover the Jewish communities in the Lehigh Valley and Greater Harrisburg. The program is designed to increase safety and security for all who participate in synagogues, day schools, camps, service organizations and other centers of Jewish life across the region. “The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is pleased
to be in partnership with SCN and formally welcome Brooks to our team,” said Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley Executive Director Jeri Zimmerman. “As America faces dramatic increases in antisemitic threats and incidents, Jewish communal security has never been more important. Tim has extensive experience and knowledge of safety and security issues, making him an enormous asset to our community.” Brooks will launch and oversee SCN’s partnered security program with the two Federations. The program is based on an “all threats, all hazards” approach to preparedness, safety, security and resiliency. It is connected to SCN’s national operations, providing direct access to its National Jewish Security Operations Command Center and Duty Desk as well as to bestpractice security resources and
support related to policies, procedures, physical security, facility assessments, training and incident response. The joint security initiative is being made possible through professional support from the Federations and SCN; funding through the collaborative efforts of local Federation donors and community partner organizations; and national donor support from LiveSecure, the historic partnership between the SCN and the umbrella organization Jewish Federations of North America to fund and create a collective security framework for every Jewish community across the continent. Julie Platt, chair of the Jewish Federations of North America, said, “In our journey to ensure that every Jewish community has the strong security initiative necessary for flourishing Jewish life, we’re thrilled to see that Lehigh
Valley and Harrisburg are taking steps to grow their security programs. I look forward to working with the communities to raise the necessary matching funds as we continue on our journey to secure the Jewish community.” Brooks comes to the initiative with over 35 years of experience in the military and in law enforcement. He Tim Brooks. began his military career vania National Guard. as an enlisted soldier in the He also spent 20 years as a 402nd Military Police Comcivilian police officer with the pany and went on to hold Bethlehem Police Department positions such as commander before retiring in 2014. and battle captain for base “It is an honor for me to operations in Afghanistan, and work with SCN and use my deputy support operations experience to contribute to the officer in Iraq as part of Opsafety and security of all the eration Iraqi Freedom. He has Jewish communities under my received numerous military jurisdiction,” he said. “I look awards, including the Legion forward to this partnership of Merit and the Bronze Star and building a strong security Medal. He is currently chief program here and helping of the Joint Staff, Joint Forces these Jewish communities Headquarters, for the Pennsyl- thrive.”
By Carl Zebrowski Editor
to safeguard Israel and to support general global security. The dinner event is the official kickoff of the Federation’s 2024 Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs. Weiss has made an impact in the areas of air-to-air missiles and ballistic missile defenses as well as in cyber security and surveillance drones. Rafael is renowned for its groundbreaking defense contributions to Israel, for pioneering critical systems such as Iron Dome, with its ability to intercept and destroy short-range
missiles. Since its deployment in 2011, the renowned mobile air defense system has saved thousands of lives by neutralizing missiles headed toward Israeli targets. Rafael is currently working with the American defense contractor Raytheon on David’s Sling, a network similar to Iron Dome that is able to defend against enemy planes and long-range missiles. It will also deal with drones, which have become a terrorist weapon of choice. With new threats being developed all the time, Weiss will delve into how Rafael works to keep up and try to get ahead. “It’s always a struggle,” he said in a recent interview with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. “It’s always the ability not just to see the next threat, but also to see how we can utilize the systems that we have already fielded and upgrade them.” He offered the Iron Dome as an example of a continually
evolving technology. “The Iron Dome system has been gradually maturing and getting more capabilities,” he told AIPAC. Weiss’ discussion at the major donor event is likely to include some of the newest defense weaponry. One potential topic is the Trophy tank defense system. Weiss said “it’s like an Iron Dome for a tank,” responding immediately with a countermeasure when it detects an incoming threat. Another is the Iron Beam laser system. “We now plan to put it below the Iron Dome,” Weiss said, “to be able to get smaller threats and be able to reduce the cost of interception.” Weiss’ close contact with defense technology began back in the 1980s, when he earned his pilot wings from the Israeli Air Force Flight Academy. Weiss went on to log 2,500 total flight hours in the cockpit of fighters, mostly American F-15s, before retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 2011. The major donor event, at
Expert to brief top donors on Israel’s defenses
Gideon Weiss, vice president of international business development at Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, will bring decades of experience working with Israel’s defense with him when he comes to the Lehigh Valley on Thursday, October 12, to talk to the major donors of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. Weiss will discuss the cutting-edge technology currently deployed and in development
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Gideon Weiss.
the Muhlenberg College Hillel, will begin with appetizers and drinks at 6:30 p.m. Dinner and Weiss’ presentation will follow. The event is open to donors whose households are pledging $5,000 or more to the Federation’s 2024 campaign. RSVP by September 28 by clicking on the event on the calendar at jewishlehighvalley.org/calendar.