The Voice of the Lehigh Valley Jewish Community
www.jewishlehighvalley.org
| Issue No. 496 | April 2026 | Nissan/Iyar 5786 AWARD-WINNING PUBLICATION EST. 1977
Maimonides Society
th
Anniversary
40 years of Maimonides! As celebration day nears, a founder tells the origin story of this, the very first, Maimonides Society. And more. p12-13
Our annual Passover section: See what Jewish Family Service, JCC, day school, and synagogues are up to for the holiday. Special Section
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FROM THE DESK OF JERI ZIMMERMAN p3 LVJF TRIBUTES p8 JEWISH DAY SCHOOL p9 JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER p10-11 JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE p15 COMMUNITY CALENDAR p22-23
HaZikaron event to highlight heroes who fell saving lives By Carl Zebrowski Editor This year’s community commemoration of Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, will have a special focus: honoring those who lost their lives while saving the lives of others. Israeli singer-songwriter and documentarian Gilad Segev of Project Heroes will visit to perform his music and present a powerful, immersive experience in tribute to Israel’s fallen heroes. Organized by the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley in partnership with the Jewish Community Center of the Lehigh Valley, the commemoration of fallen IDF soldiers and Israeli victims of terrorism will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, April 20, in the JCC Kline Auditorium. The evening will transition into the Project Heroes pro-
gram after about half an hour, with Segev’s music giving voice to memory, resilience, and the enduring human spirit as his multimedia stage experience blends video and on-screen artwork, effects, and lighting. “I’m very moved to arrive in the Allentown community to share the stories of our heroes, especially on the special day of Yom HaZikaron,” Segev told Hakol. “I look forward to reflecting together on the light of heroism. By doing so, we hope to be part of a much bigger change: shifting our people’s narrative from victimhood to heroism.” Segev founded the nonprofit Project Heroes, also known as Jewish Heroism Experience for Humanity, after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel to foster a greater sense of Jewish pride. The initiative’s website ex-
plains that its mission is “to construct a narrative of heroism, emphasizing the accounts of individuals who played pivotal roles throughout our history. From the days of Abraham, to our contemporary heroes, sacrificing their lives to save others on October 7th.” Since its launch, Project Heroes has spread farther outward from Israel. Its October 7th Heroes Commemoration program has drawn media attention everywhere it’s gone. Audiences in Israel and across North America have experienced its powerful stories of heroes, moving stage performances, and educational programs. As the face of Project Heroes, Segev came to the initiative with millions of fans in
Israel and around the world, boasting chart-topping hits, including 10 No. 1s in Israel, and having toured extensively to promote his Passerby travel, music, and lifestyle brand. He was in the middle of a global tour on October 7, 2023, and returned home, launching Project Heroes. His inspiration includes his mother, a Holocaust survivor, and brother, a fallen
IDF soldier who inspired his song “Achshav Tov.” This hit song has reemerged as an anthem of unity and resilience in response to Israel’s current challenges. It will likely be on his playlist for April 20. Registration is required to attend this Yom HaZikaron commemoration. Sign up at jewishlehighvalley.regfox. com/yom-hazikaron-2026.
Coming soon: Judy Gold’s dark, silly, smart, Jewish comedy By Gia Jones Unity in the Community 2.0 Committee Member Judy Gold has never been shy about who she is—or where she comes from. A proud Jewish comedian with a razor-sharp wit, she has spent decades turning family and faith into her brand of fearless comedy. Gold has a long list of credits that include stand-up specials on HBO and Comedy Central, writing and starring in “25 Questions for a Jewish Mother” and another off-Broadway hit, and
two Emmy awards for her writing and producing for “The Rosie O’Donnell Show.” On Thursday evening, May 28, Gold will kick off the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley’s Unity in the Community 2.0: A Broadway Celebration of Hope, Resilience, and Togetherness at the Muhlenberg College Empie Theatre. She’s also instrumental in how this event came to be. She talked with Hakol about all that not long before this issue went to press. After the June 2025 attack in Boulder, Colorado, targetNon-Profit Organization
of the Lehigh Valley 702 North 22nd Street Allentown, PA 18104
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ing a peaceful rally to raise awareness for hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, you spoke with your friend and agent Wayne Gmitter. That exchange ultimately led to Unity in the Community 2.0. Can you walk us through that conversation and tell us what you remember most about it? I was stuck in Israel during the last Iran war and had to escape. The boulder attack had happened, and he called me and he said, “I don’t know what to do. I want to do something,” and he was very emotional. He was expressing this deep, deep sadness and despair for the Jewish community. A lot of us in the Jewish community who are dealing with this unbelievable uptick in antisemitism and ignorance don’t allow ourselves to have those feelings because we have to protect ourselves. And he was so raw and sort of expressing all his sorrow, and I was really moved by it. I said, “Reach out to someone in your community who is a Jewish person. And
Judy Gold
at this time, there were still hostages, so people were meeting on Sundays (Run for Their Lives). I said, “Go to one of those meetups. Call a Jewish friend. See how they are doing.” And he did. And the other thing I said was, “You need to get your DNA done because there’s a Jew in there! But Wayne is an anomaly. To have someone emote these feelings and not even—he
hasn’t lived as a Jew. He hasn’t experienced antisemitism. And for him to be able to express himself like that, it was overwhelming in a good way. I thought, people ask you “What can I do?” But he got off the phone and did it, and he went to one of the meetups, and he took action.
Judy Gold continues on page 7