The Voice of the Lehigh Valley Jewish Community
www.jewishlehighvalley.org
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Issue No. 457
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September 2022
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Elul/Tishrei 5783
AWARD-WINNING PUBLICATION EST. 1977
Tour diary: Unity and renewal in Israel p12-14
SEPTEMBER 2022 | ELUL/TISHREI 5783
Get ready for the High Holidays with our New Year section
FROM THE DESK OF JERI ZIMMERMAN p3 LVJF TRIBUTES p8 CLERGY COLUMN p10 JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE p11 JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER p16-17 JEWISH DAY SCHOOL p18
New year, new president, new chapter for the Federation By Robby Wax President Leading up to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley Community Celebration and Annual Meeting on June 9, 2022, I spent considerable time pondering the start of my presidency of the Federation. Over the past few years, immediate past president Gary Fromer and I have had a number of conversations about our community, the state of Israel, and the efforts of the Federation to support both. Gary has been a mentor to me for years, and it’s clear that as president, he performed as expected — with tremendous skill and vision. When he asked me to consider being his successor, I felt some trepidation, since he set the bar pretty high. Once the evening began, though, I was captivated by the commitment and passion of the award recipients. They are such an impressive group of caring and dedicated leaders. I thought about the tour of the Jewish community that my wife and I provided to Dr. Doron and Lauren Rabin 12 years ago, and I was so proud to watch Lauren receive the George Feldman Achievement Award for Young Leadership. I enjoyed listening to Shari Spark pres-
ent Debbie Zoller with the Mark L. Goldstein Award for Outstanding Jewish Professionals and next invite up Michele Willner Levy, Ed Posner, Marcel Guindine and Eva Derby for the Mortimer S. Schiff Award for Prejudice Reduction. Another highlight was the announcement of nearly $10.5 million pledged to the Life and Legacy Campaign, with those who led the effort holding up signs with the actual amount raised to date. As I was called to the podium to give some closing remarks, the apprehension I previously felt was replaced by the enthusiasm and excitement created by these tremendous community leaders. As the new year arrives and we begin the next chapter of the Federation, I need to start by thanking some people who have made it possible for me to take the position of president. My wife, Laurie, realizes that these types of commitments take me away from spending time at home, but she supports me in all my endeavors. I was proud to have my older son, Ben, in the crowd, too. I even announced his Federation presidency, which begins in 2047! Our family’s connection to the Federation began in the late 1960s with my mom,
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who continues to be an ardent supporter of our organization, most recently serving as my cochair for our 2022 Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs. Is there anyone who has a better time soliciting money than my mom? Can anyone say no to her? Our joint receipt of the Kobrovsky Award for Campaign Leadership is certainly a proud family moment, and we are deserving of the award solely because of her efforts. As I was contemplating my remarks for the evening a few weeks prior, my mom handed me my father’s speech from his installment as Federation president in 1996. I found great nuggets of wisdom, as well as some wonderful comments to pro-
Robby Wax was elected president at the Federation’s annual meeting, where he also won an award with his mom, Vicky Wax, for leading the Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs.
vide historical perspective. In his speech, my father spoke of the teamwork required for the Federation to be successful. He thanked his dear friend, Dr. Michael “Mickey” Ufberg (z”l), who
preceded him as president and guided the Federation masterfully. My father next thanked a number of other local legends, including Mort New president Continues on page 4
Veteran Israeli military reporter to speak at major donor event Alon Ben-David has seen a lot more than most people, up close and in person. Just as important for us, he’s talked and written about much of it. On September 21, he’ll share some of his experiences and thoughts at the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley Major Donor Reception. Ben-David has been reporting the news for Israeli TV, radio and print for 30 years. As a specialist in military issues, he’s covered most of the big Israel defense and security stories during that time, from the Intifadas to the recent Gaza conflicts. In September 2001, he was in New York City to report on the 9/11 attacks. Currently Ben-David is senior defense correspondent for Channel 13 TV. He con-
tributes to international publications and travels the globe to lecture about the Middle East. The major donor reception starts at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, the 21st, under a tent outside private home in Allentown. It’s
open to households that pledge $5,000 or more to the 2023 Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs. RSVP by September 14 to 610-821-5500 or mailbox@jflv. org.