HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY The Voice of the Lehigh Valley Jewish Community
SEPTEMBER 2014 | TISHREI 5775
ROCKETS ABATE, NEEDS PERSIST
Yoav endures summer of sirens Unable to go outdoors as rockets from Hamas rained down, children in Yoav, Israel, spent the summer in sweaty basements. The elderly struggled to reach shelters that were too far away or inaccessible. Through the Israel Emergency Campaign Shelter Rehabilitation Project, we can help make sure that next time – whenever that may be – things are safer and less stressful. Here is a look at what life was like in Yoav this summer. By Yonit Waldner Peleg Resident of Yoav, LV-Israel Partner Region
COMIC ARTIST illustrates lost love. See page 4.
On July 8 normal stopped. I had to explain to my kids what the sirens mean and that there will be no more camp or any other activity until further notice. I had to explain to my kids what to do if the siren goes off while they are outside (which did not happen often the first week) - lie on the ground face down and put your hands over your head. My 12-year-old was playing basketball with his friends when the first siren went off. The one we weren’t expecting. They ran to the far wall and
took cover as four Iron Dome Missile interceptions exploded above their heads. Our lives have a radius now and its length is 45 seconds from shelter. It is difficult to explain what it feels like when you tell your 8-year-old that he can go invite his friend from across the street to come over and play and as he finishes crossing the street, a siren goes off and you watch him turn back to you, his face panicked, and start running and you run to him and you
YOAV
Continues on page 3
YOU CAN HELP.
RELIGIOUS SCHOOL starts this month. See page 12.
As children across Israel have had to learn the routine of sirens and safe rooms, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, a partner agency of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, is providing comfort through the Hibuki program. Hibuki – a friendly looking stuffed animal with long arms – offers children a sense of security and the means to express their thoughts and fears through times of danger and in months following. The program trains staff and parents to support their children – especially those who were already vulnerable due to disadvantaged backgrounds.
Donate now to the Israel Emergency Campaign Shelter Rehabilitation Project. JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY 610.821.5500 www.jewishlehighvalley.org
In face of BDS challenge to Israel’s legitimacy ‘Teach about the Israel you know and love’ By Stephanie Smartschan JFLV Director of Marketing
FRENCH JEWS RESPOND Anti-Semitism at the forefront in Europe. See pages 16-17.
No. 368 com.UNITY with Mark Goldstein 2 Women’s Division
4
LVJF Tributes
8
Jewish Family Service
18
Jewish Day School
19
Jewish Community Center 20-21 Community Calendar
30-31
We all had favorite books as kids – Harry Potter, the Berenstein Bears. They stay with us because we relate to the characters. Making Israel’s story relatable – putting a human face on it – is the best way to advocate to those who may be inclined to buy in to delegitimization campaigns, said Noam Gilboord of the Israel Action Network during a presentation at the JCC on Aug. 21. “Humans are hard-wired to remember stories, so what we have to try and do is tell Israel’s story,” Gilboord told the more than 70 people in attendance. Gilboord’s talk focused on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement, a global network of individuals and organizations who aim to isolate Israel politically, economically and culturally. Their overall objective is to challenge Israel’s right to exist as the sovereign homeland of the Jewish people. Like any political campaign, the BDS
Movement has tried to tailor its extreme message as far into the center as possible, Gilboord said. “That risks the funding every year to Israel, that risks American support in general to Israel, and that’s really dangerous,” he said. The best thing we can do to combat BDS, he said, is teach people “about the Israel you know and the Israel you love from a very personal perspective.” But the way to do this is not by maintaining Israel is perfect, or by demonizing the Palestinians. It is important to show you are open-minded and ready to have a conversation, he said. The event was sponsored by the Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. See pages 16-17 of this issue for more information about the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement and look for more in-depth coverage about this important issue in the coming months. To learn more, you can also visit www.israelactionnetwork.org.
Federation President Mark H. Scoblionko with Noam Gilboord of the Israel Action Network, a strategic initiative of The Jewish Federations of North America, in partnership with the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, created to counter assaults made on Israel’s legitimacy.
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THE SHOFAR SOUNDS, calls for reflection. See our New Year Special Section.
com.UNITY I challenge you. Well, I did it. Unlike some in my family, I don’t dwell on social media. But one day I came home from work and saw on Facebook that my daughter challenged me to the ALS Association Ice Bucket Challenge. In case you have been living under a rock for the past month or so, or are just returning from a trip to Mars, let me explain. In the ALS challenge, someone challenges a few friends to dump a bucket of ice water over their heads and donate money to the ALS Association. If you don’t accept the challenge, you donate a larger amount. If you do accept the challenge, you dump the ice water on your head, make the donation and challenge others. And all of this is captured on video and placed on Facebook and other social media. So, my daughter was challenged by someone, dumped ice water on her head and challenged her father to do the same. So I did the same with my wife capturing it all on video. I challenged four friends, dumped the ice water on myself, sent in my donation and posted it all on Facebook. The fundraising success
FROM THE DESK OF MARK L. GOLDSTEIN
Executive Director | Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley markg@jflv.org
for the ALS Association is unprecedented. Much has been written already about the efficacy of this type of fundraising, about whether it creates lasting relationships or whether the donors’ relationships with ALS will melt as quickly as the ice. But I am fascinated by the power of our relationships with each other. The ALS Association is a wonderful organization, but it does not make my top list of charities to which I donate each year. Were I to add a new “disease” recipient for money, I am not certain it would be the ALS Association. I might choose one related to Alzheimer’s, diabetes, heart disease or mental illness. Not taking away from ALS, but these other diseases affect so many more people. Nevertheless, I did not think twice about dumping a bucket of ice cold water over my head and sending a donation to ALS. I did it because my daughter asked me. But I also recognize the novelty in all of this. It became “cool” (no pun intended) to support this charity. I can only imagine the impact in this world if people who feel a serious and sincere
passion for a cause address that passion by reaching out to their friends to encourage them to join in. I did what I did because my daughter asked me. Imagine how I would have felt if I did so also knowing that she had a particular passion for the cause and dedicated her time and resources to supporting this cause, not just for the 40 seconds of the Facebook video. So, I challenge you! Not to dump ice water on your head. Not to shave your head. Not for any flash gimmick. But to join me in a cause for which I am passionate. I challenge you to join in the efforts to support the Jewish Federation’s Annual Campaign or Israel Emergency Campaign. My passion transcends the fact that I work for the Jewish Federation. I wholeheartedly believe in the value of community and I think a lot about what we do and what more we can do. I lay awake at night wondering how we can send more kids to Jewish summer camps, or grow the enrollment at the Jewish Day School, or create programs in Israel that link Jews and Arabs in creating a productive society.
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Readers, This month we bring you up close and personal experiences that speak to our view of world events. Many of you spent time in Israel this summer despite the conflict in Gaza and representatives of one congregation spent time there because of it. Congregation Sons of Israel’s Rabbi David Wilensky allows us to look over his shoulder as he and seven congregants travel to Israel on a solidarity mission, taking us to visit soldiers and into the homes of two families that lost young
men. Teen David Zahn writes to us from a bomb shelter and, just back from France, college student Rachel Level shows us what lies beneath the surface of pro-Palestinian rallies in that country. These and other young people carry with them their experiences as they return to school. Here in the Valley, religious school begins at eight Lehigh Valley synagogues, and classes resume at the Jewish Day School and the JCC. And, after this busy startup, our New Year special section
LEHIGH VALLEY HAKOL is published 11 times per year for the Jewish communities of Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton and vicinity by the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley.
COMMUNITY SUBMISSIONS Submissions to HAKOL must be of interest to the entire Jewish community. HAKOL reserves all editorial rights including, but not limited to, the decision to print any submitted materials, the editing of submissions to conform to style and length requirements, and the placement of any printed material. Articles should be submitted by e-mail or presented as typed copy; “Community Calendar” listings must be submitted by e-mail to hakol@jflv.org or online at www. jewishlehighvalley.org. Please include your name and a daytime telephone number where you can be contacted in the event questions arise. We cannot guarantee publication or placement of submissions.
Phone: (610) 821-5500 Fax: (610) 821-8946 E-mail: hakol@jflv.org
how much more we can accomplish when I ask you to share in the passion, and then you ask others to do the same. True, the only ice water involved will be to drink. But I can promise you the lingering benefit, good will and great feelings will last longer than the 40-second Facebook video. As we begin a new year, may we all be blessed with peace, happiness, fulfillment and health. Shanah Tovah.
HAKOL STAFF Jennifer Lader Editor
Allison Meyers
Graphic Designer
Diane McKee
Advertising Representative TEL: 610-515-1391 hakolads@jflv.org
JFLV EXECUTIVE STAFF Mark L. Goldstein Executive Director
Judy Diamondstein
Assistant Executive Director
Temple Coldren
Director of Finance & Administration
Stephanie Smartschan Director of Marketing
Jim Mueth
Director of Planned Giving & Endowments
Aaron Gorodzinsky
Director of Outreach & Community Relations
Taffi Ney
Donor Development Officer
Mark H. Scoblionko President, JFLV
EDITORIAL BOARD
Monica Friess, Acting Chair Barbara Reisner Judith Rodwin Sara Vigneri
Member American Jewish Press Association
will help you slow down and prepare for the upcoming High Holidays. Shalom and Shanah Tovah, Jennifer Lader
We gratefully acknowledge those individuals who have offered expressions of friendship by requesting that trees be planted in the Yoav--Lehigh Valley Partnership Park. IN MEMORY AARON JOSEPH (Nephew of Israel and Valeska Zighelboim) Eileen and Roberto Fischmann ARLINE SCHWARTZ (Mother of Diane Lemberg) The Jeffery Family DEBORAH SIMON (Mother of Roger Simon) Roberto and Eileen Fischmann IDF STAFF SERGEANT AMIT YEORI (Nephew of Ossy Halachmy Nir) Jeff and Jill Blinder
TO ORDER TREES, call the JFLV at 610-821-5500 or visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org. 2 SEPTEMBER 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
HAKOL
Mail, fax, or e-mail to: JFLV ATTN: HAKOL 702 N. 22nd St. Allentown, PA 18104
JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY IN HONOR JEANETTE AND EDUARDO EICHENWALD Birth of granddaughter, Miriam Hazel Ed and Beth Posner ELLIOT GOOTMAN Happy 70th Birthday Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald
I think about the tenuous situation for Ukrainian Jews, certain South American Jews and European Jews. I feel uncomfortable when I think about Jews in the Lehigh Valley and in Lithuania who go to bed hungry. This challenge that I throw down is not just about money. I challenge you to experience the passion that I feel, learn more about our cause and utilize the power of relationships to ask others to get involved. Please join us on Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 7:30 p.m. as we launch our 2015 Annual Campaign. (More information about the event is on page 3.) The power of our community lies in the power of our relationships. Imagine
All advertising is subject to review and approval by The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley (JFLV). JFLV reserves the right to decline, withdraw and/ or edit any ad. The appearance of any advertising in HAKOL does not represent an endorsement or kashrut certification. Paid political advertisements that appear in HAKOL do not represent an endorsement of any candidate by the JFLV.
JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY MISSION STATEMENT In order to unite, sustain, and enhance the Lehigh Valley Jewish community, and support Jewish communities in Israel and around the world, the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is dedicated to the following core values:
• Supporting Jews in need wherever they may be. • Supporting Israel as a Jewish homeland. • Supporting and encouraging Jewish education in the Lehigh Valley as a means of strengthening Jewish life for individuals and families. • Supporting programs and services of organizations whose values and mission meet local Jewish needs. To accomplish this mission the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is committed to the following operating guidelines: • Raising and distributing funds to support the core values. • Developing Jewish leaders. • Building endowments to support implementation of core values. • Committing to ongoing Jewish community strategic planning. • Fostering cooperation among organizations and community building. • Evaluating all decisions with respect to fiscal responsibility. • Identifying unmet needs and investing in community initiatives to help get them started. • Coordinating and convening a community response as an issue or need arises. • Setting priorities for allocation and distribution of funds. • Acting as a central address for communication about events, programs and services of the Jewish community as a whole. Approved by the JFLV Board of Directors on November 15, 2000
YOAV Continues from page 1
pray that a car won’t kill us both because he is running without looking around and I have to get to him and I grab him and we run inside to the shelter. And in all this you keep thinking – how do I help them grow up to be loving human beings? Not to hate because they are scared, not to generalize? In this reality how do we help them stay kind and humane and believe in the inherent good of people? How do I teach them to look at the destruction of Gaza and be sad? (For more on speaking with children on this topic, see story page 10.) But most days are just days. The community has organized respite activities for the kids for four hours a day in shelters and kids play and argue and get on each other’s’ nerves because they are in each other’s faces most of the time. Most days when I come to pick them up around noon, they will be playing soccer with their friend in or near the communal shelter. They had fun on the respite days that the Jewish Agency provided with the help of JFNA and other organizations. They
went to water parks in the north and museums and had fun. We even dared go to the pool one day after we noticed fewer rockets were being fired in our direction (you get there and look around and decide together the best strategy if the sirens go off – thankfully they didn’t). I work mostly from home because the kids are home and my husband can’t be here. My parents help out when they can so that I can keep some of my meetings. Concentrating on work is not easy, but it is important because this is just temporary. We will get over this and it will get better and we will find a way to make it better both for us and for the Palestinians. I truly believe that and that is why working is important, because life doesn’t stop and we need to look ahead and plan for the future and know that a better one is in our hands to build. Many shelters in Yoav are ill-equipped for long-term occupancy. Help us provide our family in Yoav with safety and comfort the next time the sirens sound. Visit www. jewishlehighvalley.org to donate now to the Israel Emergency Campaign Shelter Rehabilitation Project and help us meet our overall goal of $250,000 for needs today and tomorrow.
TAKE THE
North American Jewish communities provide much-needed relief in Israel By JFLV Staff From the earliest moments of Operation Protective Edge, which began in Israel on July 8 and drew on for 50 long days, the Jewish communities of North America have stood in solidarity with our brothers and sisters. Like other Jewish communities, the Lehigh Valley was able to provide immediate relief for those in need thanks to the generosity of our donors to the Annual Campaign. Because of the money we raise every year, our overseas partners the Jewish Agency for Israel, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and World ORT were ready and able to provide emergency support on the ground from Day 1. As the conflict continued, needs were assessed on an ongoing basis and are right now believed to total $30 million, including the emotional, physical and economic needs that remain in the aftermath of war. The Lehigh Valley has already committed over $200,000 to this effort, and, with your help, we are well on our way to meeting our $250,000 goal. The money we have raised has already done so much good for so many: Immediate relief from the line of fire for thousands of children For the price of dinner for two - $53 - we provided a critical day of relief for children living closest to the line of fire. A day away from the front lines – in summer camps, youth villages and enrichment classes – was more than a day in the country. It was a respite from the confines of
the indoor playgrounds that, for more than 13 years, have become their “normal” play spaces. Other programs provided enrichment classes for teens and activity kits to distract children confined to shelters as sirens blare outside. Help for Israel’s most vulnerable citizens In normal times, Federationsupported senior centers provide thousands of seniors living in poverty – many of them Holocaust survivors – with food and comfort. During the conflict, it was too dangerous for them to travel, and many lived within the walls of their apartment bunkers. Our partners deployed more caseworkers to bring food, medicine and comfort to the elderly - and other vulnerable groups like the disabled - in their homes. Crews also installed equipment, like air conditioners, to make them more comfortable, and Internet connections to give them access to the outside world. Extended trauma support When sirens blare, tens of thousands of Israelis take cover.
backbone
With your help, we will continue to provide support wherever it is needed. That includes rehabilitating shelters in our sister community of Yoav, where 70 percent of people don’t have shelters and only 51 out of a possible 89 are in working order. To learn more about our work in Israel or to donate now, visit www. jewishlehighvalley.org.
be there
of all that we do
Coming this Rosh Hashanah.
Flexible assistance for communities hit hardest by the conflict Local municipalities are at the forefront of managing community services and responses to attacks. Targeted local assistance is helping to bridge the gap between government aid and needs, enhancing the resilience of individual communities.
2015 Campaign Launch
Volunteers are the
New and seasoned volunteers welcome
But when the all-clear sounds, many continue to suffer from trauma that may not be as visible as a physical injury, but is just as real. Partner programs are providing psychological assistance to help civilians and first responders weather the current storm.
to hear how you can inspire others to support our community like you do
Your time + your energy
Guaranteed strategies to conclude your conversations by Thanksgiving!
changes lives Wednesday, September 17 7:30 p.m., JCC of Allentown
Dessert reception with DAVID SAGINAW of Philanthropic Strategies RSVP by September 10 to Judy Diamondstein, 610-821-5500, judy@jflv.org
Iris Epstein
Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs
Campaign Chairperson
Mark H. Scoblionko
President
www.jewishlehighvalley.org
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2014 3
Comic artist to speak in Easton Interview by Jennifer Lader The Jewish Book Council is pleased to announce that Liana Finck will speak at Temple Covenant of Peace in Easton on Sunday, Sept. 7, at 11 a.m. The event is sponsored by Temple Covenant of Peace, Bnai Abraham Synagogue and the Easton Leadership Council of Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. Your graphic novel illustrates excerpts from the book “A Bintel Brief,” which included correspondence between the editor of The Forward and Eastern European Jewish immigrants seeking advice. How did you happen upon this treasure and which letter is your favorite?
Above, Liana Finck’s comic “Father” and, below, “A Mad (?) Barber” [sic]. She will appear in Easton on Sept. 7 at an Easton Book Council event.
I was looking for a Jewish project with which to apply for a Six Points Fellowship for Emerging Jewish Artists and my parents suggested the Bintel Brief. This was something everyone had heard of until maybe 30 years ago. I was pretty jaded about the project -- it was just a grant application to me -- until I started reading the book. And then everything changed; I changed into the kind of person who would make a Jewish-themed graphic novel, which was quite a turn-around. My favorite letter is the first one, maybe, by the woman whose neighbor stole her watch. It is so layered with different feelings. It is not my favorite adaptation, though. I prefer the way I drew ‘Born Out of Wedlock’ and ‘The Barber’ and ‘A Faithful Reader.’ There seem to be some common threads among the stories – a New York Times review says the letter writers sought courage. With the thought that art is in some way a self-portrait of the artist, how does this theme resonate with you? I definitely seek courage, but don’t remember hearing that about my book and haven’t thought about it before. I consciously chose letters that had the theme of lost love. I didn’t know that was the theme until I decided to include the etchings I made of the ‘Gallery of Missing Husbands’ in the middle of my book. If you had the chance, what additional letter would you add and why? There was one I discarded because my editor
wasn’t satisfied with it. I still feel responsible for it – I don’t think it was worse than some of the others – and wish I’d included it. It began with the line ‘my husband really is not a mensch.’ Who inspires you? I didn’t become a comics artist because I loved comics as a kid (I grew up at a time when comics in America were mostly for nerdy boys, and I wasn’t a nerdy boy, and I wasn’t a girl who wanted to be a nerdy boy, and I’m proud that I wasn’t). But my family was big on art and books and I’ve been drawing since I was a baby, so I decided I wanted to be a cartoonist or illustrator. My favorites in this field were Roz Chast, Maira Kalman, Saul Steinberg, Jules Feiffer, Maurice Sendak, William Steig. But I also feel driven to tell longer stories than you can tell in a panel or a page, and the world of indie comics is a very exciting thing to be a part of right now, so I decided to try the medium out. It’s difficult for me, like a language I am not fluent in, but I love the challenge and I love the community and the work that my peers are making. I love art and books, too. People who break boundaries between mediums -- artists who decide to write a novel, dancers who give up dance and become artists, etc. -- inspire me a lot. I wish I had that kind of freedom. Your work appears in The Forward and Tablet. What aspect of Jewish life today might you be drawn to turn into a book-length project? My love of literature comes from early exposure to the Torah and Jewish stories. I have never been particularly religious but still feel like my life’s purpose of telling stories is very tied up with these old stories. One day I’d like to obtain permission to adapt Joseph Mitchell’s translation of ‘Tao Te Ching’ into a comic. Now that we know all this, why is still important to come and hear you talk in Easton on Sept. 7? Talk? I can sing! For more information on this or other Jewish Book Council events, contact Temple Covenant of Peace at 610-253-2031 or Bnai Abraham Synagogue at 610258-5343 or rabbi@bnaiabraham.org.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29 Imagining Jews Presents Jewish Feminism: Religious and Secular 7 p.m., Muhlenberg College Hillel Jewish studies professors Dr. Vanessa Ochs and Dr. Laura Levitt will take on the topic of Jewish feminism from both the religious and secular perspectives at an upcoming panel discussion, part of a series about the portrayal of Jews in different medium. The event is sponsored by the Philip and Muriel Berman Center for Jewish Studies at Lehigh University, the Jewish Studies program at Muhlenberg College, the Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding at Muhlenberg College and the Women’s Division of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. Program is free and open to the public thanks to a generous grant from the Legacy Heritage Jewish Studies Project. SPONSORED BY THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY’S WOMEN’S DIVISION
WELCOMING NEW BABIES to the Lehigh Valley If you’re expecting, know someone who is, or have a new baby, PLEASE LET US KNOW! Contact Abby Trachtman, 610-821-5500 | abbyt@jflv.org 4 SEPTEMBER 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
Handmade Afghans BY EVA LEVITT
All proceeds benefit projects in Israel:
Food Banks in Israel Neve Michael Youth Village
For prices or to place an order, call Eva 610-398-1376. All payments are made payable to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley
Yoav teens say ‘l’hitraot’ Four visiting teens from Yoav, Israel, enjoy a sweet send-off on Aug. 7 at a reception with host families at Menchies Frozen Yogurt. Roy Barkai, Amir Gordon, Aviv Kotler and Noa Peleg spent six weeks working at Camp JCC Kochavim, bringing Israel to the Lehigh Valley and enriching the lives of all the campers. Our community thanks them for a wonderful summer and wishes them well.
Thank you to our 2014 Host Families Scott Brenner & Cheryl Figlin-Brenner Ofer & Dana Cohen Jonathan & Iris Epstein Peter Fisher & Kathy Zimmerman Andrew & Rhonda Flagg Mark Goldstein & Shari Spark Jay & Phyllis Kaufman Frank & Tama Tamarkin Mark & Abby Trachtman Ryan & Carah Tenzer Mike & Miriam Zager Bruce & Alicia Zahn Marc Diamondstein, P2G chair & chauffeur Lisa Kirshner, host families coordinator
Summer in Israel, sirens unforeseen By David Zahn Special to HAKOL Thanks to the VISIT program and the generosity of the JFLV Maggie Levine Scholarship Fund, I was able to experience the Alexander Muss High School in Israel program this summer. This summer learning course taught the history of the Jewish people by physically engaging students through numerous field trips across Israel. Our classroom was the entire country, from discussions on top of Masada to a political debate on the Lebanon border. Because viewing complicated issues from multiple perspectives was encouraged, I want to continue the pursuit of meaningful and interactive learning opportunities, as well as the sharing of different viewpoints with others. Before leaving for Israel, I knew I would be learning history, but never imagined that I would be really living it. Soon after arriving, the situation with Gaza began to escalate until the conflict was noticeably impacting our program. At first it was just that we were being given daily updates about the escalation, and then our scheduled trip to an Arab town was cancelled. The situation became very real to us when suddenly one of our madrichim (counselors) was called up and had to immediately leave our program to serve in the IDF’s Operation Protective Edge. One night, another madrich sat us down and explained
the rocket attacks and the bomb shelters, but assured us that in his 40 years in Hod HaSharon, where our campus in located just outside Tel Aviv, he had never heard a siren. After all, we were not in Sderot or very close to Gaza. Everyone was stunned when, in the next moment, the sirens went off and we saw our madrich’s jaw drop and a look of terror came into his eyes. We all scrambled to the bomb shelters which had just been pointed out to us as the sirens we thought could never happen near us instantly became a frightening reality. Initially, kids were scared, but we quickly realized that the safety of its people was Israel’s number one priority. The fact is that that the Iron Dome and other Israeli defensive technology is truly miraculous and we saw this firsthand. Still, our adrenaline was pumping when we heard sirens letting us know we had 90 seconds. During subsequent siren warnings, someone brought down a guitar, we sang songs of peace and what was at first a terrifying event, became almost commonplace after our third, fifth, 10th time in the bomb shelter. No longer could we venture off campus during our free time. No longer could we take a nap without letting a friend know. Our Bedouin adventure was cancelled, along with our outing in Tel Aviv. We still took many trips, but our bus had to be rerouted to stay safe. And our discussions on the bus began to turn to Israeli current events and soon into political debates. I am concluding now because I am writing this in a
David Zahn on a teen experience in Israel bomb shelter. It is 8:37 a.m. and the sirens went off just as I was thinking of how to complete this article. Some kids were interrupted in the showers; others, still in bed, came out wearing next to nothing. Still, just as Israel doesn’t miss a step with chaos looming, our program strives to not stray off beat. We are always rolling. I wouldn’t have missed this experience for the world, with my beloved friends, in my beloved country.
Open to members of households who are contributing a combined $1,800 or more to the 2015 Campaign for Jewish Needs
DIETARY LAWS OBSERVED
be there for the first ever
COMMUNITY PATRONS RECEPTION Celebrating our most generous supporters
Monday, September 29, 2014 7:00 p.m., JCC of Allentown
Wine and Cheese Reception
Guest speaker Alina Spaulding will share her story of emigration from the former Soviet Union Nicole & Jarrod Rosenthal and Lisa & Barnet Fraenkel, EVENT CO-CHAIRS
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2014 5
ON THIS DATE
By Rafael Medoff JNS.org This year marks the 100th anniversary of the expulsion of thousands of Jews from Turkish-ruled Palestine to Egypt, in a dramatic reversal of the historic exodus from the Land of the Pharaohs to the Land of Israel. But from that tragic episode in 1914 would emerge a Jewish fighting force that would help liberate the Holy Land from the Turks. Turkey entered World War I in October 1914, joining Germany in its fight against Russia, England and France. In Turkey’s eyes, all Russian citizens, including the many Russian-born Jews living in Palestine, were now enemy nationals. Fueled by wartime hysteria and Muslim religious sentiment, the Turkish authorities in the Holy Land turned against the country’s foreign-born Jews. On Dec. 17, the Turkish governor of Jaffa, Beha A-Din, ordered the mass expulsion of the 6,000 Russianborn Jewish residents of that city. Over the course of the next three months, thousands more Russian-born Jews were expelled from Palestine or fled
just ahead of the deportations. By the spring of 1915, more than 11,000 Russian Jewish exiles were living in Britishoccupied Egypt. Yaakov and Frieda Brodetzky were among the deportees. “My parents were newlyweds when the expulsion was ordered,” Moshe Brodetzky, 88, of Los Angeles, told JNS. org. “They spent their ‘honeymoon’—and the next three years—in exile in Egypt.” With generous support from the Egyptian Jewish community, the exiled family built a new life for itself in the Mafruza and Gabbari refugee camps near Alexandria. “My father earned a living by becoming a teacher in a Talmud Torah that the refugees established for their children,” Brodetzky said. Meanwhile, back in Turkish Palestine, the rest of the Jewish community struggled to survive. Some, including two of Frieda’s brothers went into hiding to avoid being inducted into the Turkish army, where anti-Jewish discrimination was rife. Others, such as future Israel prime minister Moshe Shertok (Sharett), sought to ingratiate themselves with the authorities by volunteering to serve in the armed forces. Frieda’s father devised a unique way to elude the Turkish censors and communicate with his exiled daughter. “He would write a message on the inside of a bandage, which would be wrapped around the arm of someone who was traveling from Jerusalem to Egypt,” Moshe Brodetzky explained. “My mother saved those bandages for the rest of her life. When she passed away more than a half-century later, we found some of them among her treasured
6 SEPTEMBER 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
possessions.” A number of Palestine’s Jews were forced into Turkish labor brigades, where they paved roads and worked in stone quarries without pay, barely subsisting on meager food rations. Zionist political parties were outlawed and newspapers were shut down. When David Ben-Gurion— who would later become Israel’s first prime minister— protested these measures, he too was deported to Egypt. With thousands of Palestine’s Jewish farmers trapped in Egypt, their crops back home withered on the vine. To make matters worse, wartime naval blockades prevented the importation of many foods. As a result, in 1915-16, thousands of Jews in Palestine died of starvation or diseases aggravated by the lack of food. Henry Morgenthau, Sr., America’s ambassador to Turkey, played a critical role in rescuing Palestine Jewry from utter devastation. He persuaded President Woodrow Wilson to let U.S. ships bring food and medicine to the Palestine Jewish community, even though that technically meant providing supplies to a country with which the U.S. was at war. By contrast, his son, Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau, Jr., was unsuccessful in his attempt, 25 years later, to convince President Franklin D. Roosevelt to permit food shipments to Jews who were starving in the Warsaw Ghetto and elsewhere in Nazi-occupied Europe. The Roosevelt administration said it could not permit shipping supplies to a country with which the U.S. was at war. In a remarkable historical twist, the Jewish refugee camps in Egypt became the birthplace of a Jewish armed
COURTESY OF THE GOVERNMENT PRESS OFFICE OF ISRAEL
Exodus to Egypt: 100 years since Turkish expulsion of the Jews from Palestine
David Ben Gurion and Yitzhak Ben Zvi, right, as law students in Turkey. In 1914, Turkey expelled Jewish residents to Egypt, which became the birthplace of a Jewish armed force that would help take back the Land of Israel from the Turks.
force that would help take back the Land of Israel from the Turks. Advocates of the creation of a modern-day Jewish army found large numbers of eager volunteers among those exiled. These recruiting efforts were spearheaded by Russian Zionist leader Vladimir Ze’ev Jabotinsky, war hero and Zionist pioneer Yosef Trumpeldor, and a fervent Christian Zionist, the famous British lion-hunter Col. John Henry Patterson. The latter personally signed up the first 500 volunteers in the Gabbari camp. “Even many years later, my father still vividly recalled, and told me about, the stirring speeches that Jabotinsky gave, to inspire the refugees to sign up,” Brodetzky recalled. The British agreed to create a relatively small unit known as the Zion Mule Corps, then expanded it into the Jewish Legion, consisting of five full battalions. It was the first Jewish army in nearly 2,000 years. The legion played an important role in the battles that brought about the liberation of Palestine from the Turks in 1918. Jabotinsky served as a lieutenant in the Jewish Legion. Other legionnaires included David Ben-Gurion; future prime minister Levi Eshkol;
Zionist leader Berl Katznelson; and future Jerusalem mayor Gershon Agron. Jewish Legion members took part in the defense of Jerusalem against Arab rioters in 1920. After the British disbanded the legion, some of its veterans joined up with the Jewish underground militias that ultimately fought for the creation of Israel. The Brodetzky family, for its part, in the 1920s lived in Michigan City (Indiana), Chicago and Brooklyn, where young Moshe became active in Hashomer Hadati, the youth wing of the Mizrachi movement (today known as the Religious Zionists of America). The family returned to British Palestine in 1934, and Moshe later served with the Irgun Zvai Leumi, headed by Menachem Begin, in Israel’s 1948 War of Independence. It was historical irony, twice over: the first generation of Jews exiled to Egypt had helped bring about the liberation of Palestine from the Turks, and the second generation played its own part in freeing the Land of Israel from the British three decades later. Dr. Rafael Medoff is director of The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies (www. WymanInstitute.org).
Brith Sholom welcomes new rabbi
HADAS PARUSH/FLASH90/JTA
Ceasefire marks end to Israel’s longest, bloodiest war in Gaza
Israeli soldiers attending a ceremony at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem honoring Lee Matt, who died in July while fighting in Gaza. By Ben Sales Jewish Telegraphic Agency A rocket barrage fell on Israel, a boom sounded over Tel Aviv and then it was over — at least for now. After 50 days of missiles, airstrikes, ground operations, tunnel incursions, truce talks, cease-fire proposals, death and destruction, Israel and Hamas agreed to an open-ended truce on Aug. 26. The ceasefire announced by Egypt stipulates that Israel and Egypt will open all border crossings to allow international humanitarian aid and construction materials to enter the Gaza Strip. The agreement requires Israel and Hamas to cease hostilities but, according to reports, does not include commitments to allow an international airport and seaport in Gaza. After a month, should the quiet hold, Israel and Hamas will restart indirect negotiations in Cairo on easing Israel’s blockade of the coastal strip and disarming the enclave. The end of the operation should not include "any significant political achievements for Hamas, which is a terrorist organization which doesn't accept our existence here,” said Tzipi Livni, Israel’s justice minister. Livni added that the truce should be "part of an overall accord with those who seek peace." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel had not spoken publicly or released a statement about the ceasefire as of press time. Two days prior, though, during a Cabinet meeting, he said: "We embarked on Operation Protective Edge in order to restore quiet and security to you and to all Israeli citizens. The more determined and patient we are, the more our enemies will understand that they will not succeed in wearing us down." The agreement is the culmination of Egyptian-led ceasefire efforts that have been ongoing throughout the conflict. Earlier in August, Israel and Hamas had agreed to a string of temporary ceasefires. The lulls ended with Hamas rocket fire on Israel. The fighting is Israel’s third major conflict with Hamas since 2008, following conflicts in 2008–09 and 2012. This one, however, was the longest and costliest between the sides since Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005. More than 2,000 Palestinians and 70 Israelis died in the latest conflict, which wounded more than 10,000 Gazans and 500 Israelis, according to Israel's Foreign Ministry. Also, 20 Palestinians died in protests in the West Bank against Israel's operation, accord-
ing to a report in the Guardian. The fighting created ghost towns across Israel's South and devastated Gaza, destroying thousands of homes. Israeli forces delivered a punishing blow to Hamas during the conflict, with airstrikes destroying thousands of rockets and ground troops eliminating much of its tunnel infrastructure both under the Israel-Gaza border and across Gaza. In mid-August, an Israeli airstrike killed three senior Hamas commanders. The chief of Hamas’ military wing, Mohammed Deif, may have been killed in a separate attack. Israel’s aggressive military tactics, along with a high Palestinian civilian death toll, drew widespread international criticism. Last month, the United Nations Human Rights Council said it would send a fact-finding mission to investigate possible war crimes committed during the fighting. Israel has indicated that it likely would not cooperate with the investigation, alleging anti-Israel bias. Even the United States, an Israel ally, issued harsh criticism following an Israeli airstrike that hit a United Nations school on Aug. 3, and tightened its controls on weapons shipments to Israel. American assistance to Israel continued during the conflict, though, as the U.S. approved an added $225 million for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. On Aug. 26, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the U.S.
“strongly supports” the ceasefire. "We view this as an opportunity, not a certainty," Psaki said, according to reports. "Today's agreement comes after many hours and days of negotiations and discussions. But certainly there's a long road ahead. And we're aware of that and we're going into this eyes wide open." Hamas saw many of its attempted attacks on Israel frustrated. Iron Dome intercepted nearly all of the rockets Hamas aimed at city centers, and the Israel Defense Forces stopped Hamas’ infiltrations into Israel close to the border. Nevertheless, Hamas killed 64 Israeli soldiers in Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza -- the highest death toll for Israel since the Second Lebanon War in 2006 -- in addition to six civilians. Despite being ineffective, Hamas rockets proved to have an increasingly long range — mortar fire reached nearly all of Israel for the first time. While residents of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem were able to largely carry on with life under the protection of Iron Dome, they found themselves running for shelter daily at the sound of warning sirens, an experience that had previously been largely confined to southern Israel. And Hamas rocket fire last month
CEASEFIRE
Continues on page 11
Congregation Brith Sholom is set to install Rabbi Michael Singer as religious leader of its Conservative synagogue located in Bethlehem. The entire Jewish community is invited to attend the installation, which will also feature a community barbecue at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 7, at the synagogue. Singer has a bachelor’s degree with honors from Rutgers College and was ordained from Jewish Theological Seminary in 2003, with additional coursework in pastoral counseling. He comes to Brith Sholom after nine years as spiritual leader of Temple Beth David in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and, previously, four years with Malverne Jewish Center in Malverne, New York. In addition to his pulpit experience, Singer was chaplain to the Malverne police and fire departments and served as a lieutenant in the U. S. Naval Reserve. He brings with him his wife Alexis, their daughter Miriam and son Mordechai. Even as Singer embarks on his first objective of getting to know all of the members of Brith Sholom, he is spearheading the purchase of a new set of the Rabbinical Assembly High Holiday Mahzor, Lev Shalem, in an initiative that is getting an enthusiastic response. Singer was a rabbinic editor of the mahzor. For more information or to sign up for the installation, contact the synagogue office at 610866-8009.
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2014 7
Community endowment fund reaches record high form of Philanthropic Donor Advised Funds, bequests through wills and trusts, supporting foundations, endowed Lion of Judah (LOJE) funds, Perpetual Annual Campaign Endowments (PACE), charitable gift annuities and charitable remainder trusts. Of course once a contribution is made, it is imperative that it is properly invested and managed. The LVJF is fortunate to have a dedicated and committed Investment Committee, chaired by Stan Wax, to oversee asset management. Investment management services are provided by Goldman Sachs Investment Management Division. The LVJF has reached the remarkable value of $24,266,843 through the generosity of people like you. In a world where needs continue to grow, however, we cannot stop here. Anyone can be a philanthropist and there are myriad ways you can support our Jewish community and achieve your philanthropic goals. For more information, please contact me at 610821-5500 or jim@jflv.org or visit www. lvjfgiving.org.
By Jim Mueth Director of Planned Giving and Endowments $24,266,843. This isn’t a number that falls trippingly from the tongue, but it is an important number to remember. Why is it important? It is the market value of our community’s investment in the Lehigh Valley Jewish Foundation endowment fund as of June 30, 2014, and it is the highest market value the fund has ever had. What is the reason for this all-time high? In one word, the reason is YOU! The LVJF has grown to its current size through the generosity and foresight of the members of our Jewish community. Donors to the LVJF realize their gifts will support Jewish needs everywhere, now and forever. The assets in the LVJF have been contributed by numerous people and organizations. Thirteen local Jewish organizations have entrusted more than $8 million of their assets with the LVJF. The remaining $16 million has been contributed by people just like you. The contributions came in the
election2014 THE BALANCE OF POWER Tuesday, October 28, 2014 7:30 p.m. CONGREGATION BRITH SHOLOM
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8 SEPTEMBER 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
IN MEMORY (Mother of Sheila Berg) Arthur and Barbara Weinrach MICHAEL DANILEWITZ (Brother-in-law of Sylvia Bub) Stan and Vicki Wax B. DANZIGER (Mother of Margot Brozost) Audrey and Arthur Sosis JEFF KLEIN (Son of Mark and Patty Klein) Wendy and Ross Born Nate and Marilyn Braunstein Sam and Sylvia Bub Marlene and Arnan Finkelstein Lisa and Barnet Fraenkel Stewart and Carol Furmansky Gloria and Jerry Ginsburg Stuart and Janice Schwartz Diane and Howard Silverman Stan and Vicki Wax LINDA LASDAY (Sister of Bill Berger) Sam and Sylvia Bub Elaine and Leon Papir Arthur and Audrey Sosis Vicki and Stan Wax ROBERT LEIFER (Son of Alan Leifer) Syril and Martin Weinberg RUTH PORTER ROSENBLOOM (Mother of Barbara Reisner) Wendy and Ross Born Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald Sandra and Harold Goldfarb Jeannie and Holmes Miller GERALDINE SCHONFELD (Mother of Ivan Schonfeld) Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald ARLINE SCHWARTZ (Mother of Diane Lemberg) Marylee and Stuart Alperin Laurie, Robby, Ben, and Danny Wax Vicki and Stan Wax ELLIOT STEIN (Brother of David and Scott Stein) Adam and Penny Roth Selma Roth RAE TUFFIASH (Wife of Bill Tuffiash) Flossie and Jerry Zales CATHERINE VACARRIO (Sister of Jerry Farris) Sandra and Harold Goldfarb IN HONOR MARC AND ALIETTE ABO Birth of granddaughter Ross and Wendy Born MARA BAUMGARTEN AND JOSHUA FORCE
Mazel Tov on their marriage Alice and Mark Notis MARC AND LAURIE BERSON Graduation of children Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald LEONARD BLOCH Speedy Recovery Renee Schwartz SHERYL BLOCK Speedy Recovery Vicki and Stan Wax WENDY AND ROSS BORN Birth of grandson, Benjamin Born Pascal Marc and Aliette Abo Lisa and Ellis Block Ellen and Phil Hof Evelyn and Jay Lipschutz Arthur and Barbara Weinrach SAM AND SYLVIA BUB Birth of granddaughter, Ariana Leah Bub Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald HELEN COOK Happy ‘Special’ Birthday Lisa and Ellis Block JEANETTE AND EDUARDO EICHENWALD Birth of their granddaughter, Miriam Hazel Vicki and Stan Wax Syril and Martin Weinberg Barbara and Arthur Weinrach SHIRLEY AND LOU FURMANSKY Happy 65th Anniversary Happy ‘Special’ Birthday to Shirley Marilyn and Elwood Kolb RUTH AND IVAN GABEL Happy 60th Anniversary Teri, Josh, Sydney, and Blair Krassen MARK GOLDSTEIN AND SHARI SPARK Happy 30th Anniversary Eydie and Neil Glickstein RABBI YAACOV AND DEVORAH HALPERIN Bar mitzvah of son, Mendy Ross and Wendy Born ELLEN AND PHIL HOF Marriage of son, Isaac Lisa and Ellis Block DEBBIE AND MARC KARASU Mazel Tov on their new home Lisa and Barnet Fraenkel HAROLD AND LINDA KREITHEN Bar mitzvah of their grandson, Sam Marlene and Arnan Finkelstein ROBERT AND CINDY LEVINE Marriage of son, Andrew Laura and Bob Black
JUDY LINDEN Happy ‘Special’ Birthday The Tamarkin Family MARYLOU LORDI Schiff Award for Prejudice Reduction Eydie and Neil Glickstein SHERI MANTZOOR Happy ‘Special’ Birthday The Tamarkin Family JUDD ROTH Happy Birthday Selma Roth LYNDA SOMACH Happy ‘Special’ Birthday Arthur and Audrey Sosis FRED AND BARBARA SUSSMAN Marriage of grandson David Elayne and Leon Dubin DALE AND TED WALLACE Marriage of son, Bradley Bob and Laura Black ARTHUR AND BARBARA WEINRACH Birth of granddaughter Wendy and Ross Born KAREN WENDKOS Happy ‘Special’ Birthday Marilyn and Elwood Kolb ISRAEL EMERGENCY CAMPAIGN IN MEMORY ERIC BOE OUTWATER (Husband of Myra Outwater) Sandra and Harold Goldfarb Ferne Kushner Ruth Meislin HELEN & SOL KRAWITZ HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL FUND IN MEMORY GERALDINE SCHONFELD (Mother of Ivan Schonfeld) Joani Lesavoy and Sid Greenberg IN HONOR ELAINE LERNER Happy ‘Special’ Birthday Joani Lesavoy and Sid Greenberg MARVIN WINELL Happy Birthday Mark and Marsha Krawitz We gratefully acknowledge those individuals who have offered expressions of friendship through recent gifts to the Lehigh Valley Jewish Foundation. The minimum contribution for an Endowment Card is $10. Call 610-821-5500 or visit www. jewishlehighvalley.org to place your card requests. Thank you for your continued support.
Maimonides Society welcomes Israeli visiting physician The Maimonides Society will welcome the next participant in its visiting physician exchange program on October 23, 2014. Dr. Dov Engelstein, head of the Department of Urology at Western Galilee Medical Center in Nahriya, Israel, will spend two weeks in the Lehigh Valley. His academic schedule will be coordinated by Dr. Jeff Gevirtz, urologist and longtime coordinator of the exchange program and Dr. Frank Tamarkin, Maimonides Society president and practicing urologist. During his visit, members of the community are encouraged to get to know Dr. Engelstein, who looks forward to meeting as many people as possible during the evenings and weekends. The
Maimonides Society will sponsor a reception at which Dr. Engelstein will share information about his practice of urology and other insights into the Israeli medical system and life in the north of Israel. Dr. Engelstein has strong interest in the areas of onco-urology, pediatric urology and endourology. Dr. Engelstein received his doctor of medicine from the University of Bologna. He resides with his wife Cynthia in Nahariya, Israel. For more information about the Maimonides Society of Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley or opportunities to meet Dr. Engelstein, call the Federation office at 610-821-5500.
Agencies and congregations review security measures
Every year, the Community Relation Council of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, alongside its communal institutions and partners, come together with law enforcement officials and security experts to review the proper procedures to respond to certain emergencies. This year, our community was briefed by Nancy Baron-Baer, regional director of the ADL, Thomas Marakovits, supervisory senior agent of the FBI, and Captain Gail Struss of the Allentown Police Department, who emphasized the importance of preparing our institutions, staff, volunteers and members as to how to best respond to different emergency situations that might arise in the future. Pictured are the law enforcement representatives with Federation Executive Director Mark L. Goldstein.
Want to learn more about the Jewish community?
www.jewishlehighvalley.org
JewishLehighValley.org 610.821.5500 | mailbox@jflv.org
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2014 9
OP-ED
As school resumes, how to talk to children about the Gaza war By Jack Wertheimer Jewish Telegraphic Agency With the new school year upon us, Jewish educational leaders are scrambling to prepare their teachers to discuss this summer’s Gaza war. The most pressing challenge is to design age-appropriate conversations: At which grade level might classroom discussions include potentially frightening topics, such as the wounding of non-combatants, kidnapping of young Israelis and sirens warning of incoming rockets? And how should teachers address the tough issues of civilian casualties in Gaza and the flagrant hostility toward Jews and Israel that has erupted in many parts of the world? These questions are difficult enough, but are especially freighted with anxiety because they hold the potential to revive stereotypes of Israel that North American Jewish schools have been trying to counter. When Israel was forced to wage three major wars during its first quarter century, its image as an embattled enclave overshadowed everything else about its existence. In recent decades, though, Jewish schools have endeavored to present a more rounded picture of Israeli life. Without denying the existential challenges facing the Jewish state, teachers have drawn attention to the rich tapestry of Israeli culture — its diverse inhabitants, culinary treats and eclectic music, for example — and, of course, its technological wizardry. School trips to Israel have highlighted the country’s natural beauty and its enjoyable recreational scene, even while exploring the strong connections between the land and the Jewish religion. Educators are understandably loath to resurrect the ear-
lier imagery that simplistically portrayed Israel as a country permanently on war footing. Responses to the Gaza war require North American Jewish schools to address a second topic that had been pushed to the background in recent years — antiSemitism. Students in all likelihood are not oblivious to the virulent hostility toward Israel and Jews surfacing in the media and on the web. It’s not clear how prepared schools are to address this issue. The dilemma facing schools in addressing the new anti-Semitism is how to avoid reviving what historian Salo Baron once described as “the lachrymose [tearful] conception of Jewish history.” The saga of the Jews is about a great deal more than persecution. Yet with the barely concealed animosity toward Jews evident in some quarters here in America and abroad, alas, the need to teach young people about the insidious nature of anti-Semitism has become pertinent again. As they formulate a school response to the war, educators might consider three important lessons derived from “Hearts and Minds,” a recent report on Israel education in North American Jewish schools: First, one size does not fit all students. Classrooms this September will contain some students who are largely ignorant about the Gaza war and others who have been exposed to it up close. Students who spent part of the summer in Israel undoubtedly will attest to what it was like to run to bomb shelters or sense the fear aroused in Israel’s populace by Hamas tunnels. Teachers will face the daunting task of bridging differences in what students heard from their parents and absorbed elsewhere about the war. Second, when teaching about Israel,
it is imperative to work with students’ minds as well as their hearts. Jewish schools have focused their attention especially on the latter, an understandable approach with younger children. But by their middle school and high school years, students deserve to be exposed not only to the joyous dimensions of the Jewish state, but also to the complexities within Israeli society and outside of it in the tough neighborhood of the Middle East. And third, teaching about other Jewish communities — their achievements and challenges — does not detract from a connection to Israel but strengthens the ties of students to the Jewish people and also Israel. In some parts of the world, notably in several European countries, Jewish communities are under siege. American Jewish students should not be shielded
from these ugly realities. This is the time to teach students about the interconnectedness of all Jews, a lesson that will also strengthen their engagement with Israel and its people. The Gaza war presents Jewish schools with a teachable moment, a time to explore with their students in an age-appropriate manner the asymmetrical struggle in which Israel is engaged and the surge in hatred confronting Jews — including children — in many parts of the world. Jack Wertheimer, a professor at the Jewish Theological Seminary, co-authored “Hearts and Minds: Israel in North American Jewish Day Schools,” published last spring by the AVI CHAI Foundation. Download the report at http://avichai.org/knowledge_base/heartsand-minds-israel-in-north-american-jewishday-schools/.
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10 SEPTEMBER 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
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WRITINGS FROM THE
CLERGY
RABBI MOSHE RE’EM Temple Beth El Crying is not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the Jewish New Year. The original biblical name for Rosh Hashanah is yom teruah, the “day for the shofar sound.” The sounding of the shofar is the essential mitzvah of Rosh Hashanah and comes more readily to mind than tears. The ancient Aramaic translation of the term yom teruah, however, is yom yabava, “the day of weeping.” Why? The verb yabava is associated with another biblical story, Judges 5:28. There, in the Book of Judges, the Bible describes how the mother of Sisera, the Canaanite general who opposed Israel and was defeated by the prophetess Devorah, looked out her window in anticipation of Sisera’s return from battle vateyabev, “And she wept.” So yom
CEASEFIRE Continues from page 7
on central Israel led a number of international airlines to cancel flights to and from Israel for two days, leaving Israelis feeling isolated. The U.S. Federal Aviation Authority instituted a 24-hour ban on flights to Israel, which some criticized as unwarranted. Hamas celebrated the cancellations in a statement Aug. 26 as an “air blockade.” The conflict began on July 8 following a barrage of Hamas rockets on Israel. Tensions between the sides had risen after Hamas operatives in the West Bank kidnapped and murdered three Israeli teens on June 12. Israeli troops swept the West Bank in the ensuing weeks, arresting hundreds of Hamas members, according to Israel. The July 2 kidnapping and murder of a Palestinian teen, who was burned alive by a group of Israeli extremists in a likely revenge attack, further stoked the flames. Israel began its campaign with airstrikes across Gaza, targeting Hamas weapons and infrastructure but also killing hundreds of civilians. But following Hamas attempts to infiltrate Israel by tunnel and sea, Israel launched a ground invasion of Gaza on July 17 that lasted two weeks. The ground operation ended as Israel and Hamas agreed to the first in a string of temporary ceasefires. During the calm, the sides engaged in Egyptian-mediated
ROSH HASHANAH: Tears shed above and below
teruah, the day on which the shofar is sounded, is called yom yabava, the “day on which the weeping sound is made with the Shofar.” But many questions remain. Why would the rabbis associate Rosh Hashanah with the pain and suffering of this Canaanite mother? Is it G-d who is meant to hear the cry of the mother or is the cry directed at us? Many years ago, Rabbi Milton Steinberg suggested that the shofar is a call to people to hear the sound of weeping humanity, to feel the unspeakable pain of the world, and to resolve to do battle against all those forces working toward human oppression and subjugation, to the end that the day may come when the tear is wiped from every cheek and the sigh from every lip. Rabbi Edward Feld built on this theme and noted how, “on Rosh Hashanah we are to feel not only the pride of victory but the pain that was caused the mother of our enemy (Sisera), even when we fought in a righteous cause.” When faced with so much pain and suffering in Israel and Gaza, in Iraq, in Ukraine and other parts of the world, how can we not weep for the loss of human life and the realization that extremists threaten innocents and endanger our world? “There is a time to laugh and a time to cry,” wrote Ecclesiastes. What response to the loss of life could be more human than
that of weeping? The world has witnessed too many funerals this past year. Rabbi Zalman SchachterShalomi, z”l, a major figure in the Jewish Renewal movement, who died this past year, noted the importance of recognizing the shofar as a cry or a scream. Psychologists, wrote Reb Zalman, “would say that unless you get to the place that evokes the ‘primal scream,’ you haven’t gotten to the true source of the broken heart. In other words, ego will not let us reach our ‘primal scream,’ and so the shofar tries to get us to that place.” But Rosh Hashanah is not a lachrymose holiday. Expression of sorrow, while important, is not the essence of Rosh Hashanah. Our cries of sadness must not be interpreted as loss of hope. That is precisely the point of the Haftorah (Jer. 31) recited on Rosh Hashanah: “A cry is heard in Ramah – wailing, bitter weeping – Rachel weeping for her children.” G-d, however, responds and says, “Restrain your voice from weeping, your eyes from shedding tears; for there is a reward for your labor. They shall return from the enemy’s land. And there is hope – yesh tikvah – for your future.” On Rosh Hashanah we reflect on the past year. We cry, we weep, for the loss of human life, but we do not lose hope to struggle and fight for a better future.
negotiations begun early in the conflict on a long-term truce. But the talks ended Aug. 19 without an agreement as Hamas resumed rocket fire. As in previous conflicts, a vast majority of Israelis supported the operation, with 95 percent of Israeli Jews in favor, according to the Israel Democracy Institute. But the conflict also opened divisions within Israel’s governing coalition, as more hawkish ministers called for the IDF to deal
a harsher blow to Hamas and opposed the various ceasefires. Residents of the South, who have withstood rocket fire for more than a decade, also have called for a continued operation. "Any concession to Hamas is a surrender to terrorism," Ashkelon Mayor Itamar Shimoni said Aug. 26, according to Haaretz. "The residents of the South wanted to see this campaign resolved, but that will probably not happen."
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HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2014 11
Bnai Abraham – Brith Sholom Religious School gears up By Rabbi Daniel Stein Bnai Abraham Synagogue As the rabbi of a small synagogue, one learns to wear many hats. Often times, this can be one of the most rewarding aspects of the profession – my days are filled with variety. At the same time, when one strives to be a jack of all trades, as the saying goes, one risks being the master of none. In my admittedly short time in the rabbinate, I’ve learned (I hope!) to recognize my shortcomings and seek out improvement. Recently, my focus has been on providing the best possible religious education to our students from Bnai Abraham here in Easton and from Congregation Brith Sholom in Bethlehem. This past summer, I participated in the Matan Institute for Religious School Directors. I was joined by educators from across the country, including Alicia Zahn, director of the religious school at Temple Beth El in Allentown. We were all committed to the same goal: creating religious educational experiences that were accommodating to all learners. Perhaps the most valuable lesson I took away from the training was that, if we succeed, there should be nothing “special” about how we treat any student. Instead, the goal of education should be to create experiences that are tailored to the individual needs, skills, talents and passions of a given student. Every child deserves this attention. Of course, individualized attention is not always possible. We are fortunate at the Bnai Abraham-Brith Sholom
A Sunday morning scene at Bnai Abraham in Easton. Bnai Abraham and Congregation Brith Sholom of Bethlehem have partnered in offering religious school for kindergarten through seventh grade. Religious School to be small enough to be flexible. As we planned for our coming year, we have made some cosmetic changes – we painted the rooms a subtle blue, changed the seating arrangements and will be installing a smart board. But the real changes are philosophical. Matan helped me to realize that for our community to be real, the learning environment has to
be welcoming and inclusive to all. We’re just at the beginning, but we’ll accept nothing less than achieving this goal. For more information about the Bnai Abraham-Brith Sholom Religious School, contact Rabbi Daniel Stein at rabbi@bnaiabraham.org or Rabbi Michael Singer at rabbisinger@brithsholom.net or 610-866-8009.
IJCU to celebrate 25 years of ‘building wisdom on understanding’ The Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding (IJCU) of Muhlenberg College will celebrate its 25th anniversary of service on Sunday, Sept. 14, with a free lecture and anniversary reception as well as a festive dinner. Founded in 1989 under the leadership of Dr. Darrell Jodock, professor of religion at the college, the institute has become well-known in the Lehigh Valley for its prejudice reduction program with local schools, its monthly topical forum series “First Friday,” its regular Day of Dialogue program, and its leadership in working with the Jewish and Christian communities in times of stress and crisis. The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley has been a strong partner of the IJCU from its early days, providing both financial support and programmatic cooperation. The observance on Sept. 14 will begin at 3 p.m. in the Baker Theatre of Trexler Pavilion with the 30th Annual Wallenberg Tribute lecture. Dr. Ruth Langer of Boston College and Dr. Mary Boys of Union Theological Seminary will jointly present on “Overhearing Our Own Prayers: Jewish and Christian Worship in an Age of Religious Pluralism.” Dr. Langer is an expert on Jewish liturgy and currently chairs the Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations (CCJR) and co-edits the Council’s online journal, Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations. Dr. Boys is academic dean of Union Theological Seminary in New York City and the author of two seminal works in Jewish-Christian relations, “Has God Only One Blessing?” and “Redeeming Our Sacred Story.” She formerly chaired the CCJR and, with Dr. Sara Lee of the Rhea Hirsch School of Education at HUCJIR in Los Angeles, created the “Educating for Religious Particularity and Pluralism” project. The Wallenberg tribute lecture will be followed by an anniversary reception at 4:15 p.m. in the Butz Lobby of Trexler Pavilion, which will feature a display of photos and memorabilia from the Institute’s first 25 years. Both events are free and open to the public. An anniversary dinner will take place beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the Great Room of Seegers Union. It will include recognition of the 2014 Jeanette Eichenwald Interfaith Understanding award, Mira Biller ’14; a scene from the play “Face Forward,” that anchors the IJCU’s prejudice reduction conference for high school students; reminiscences of those who were involved in founding the Institute; and a look forward to the Institute’s coming years and plans. Paid reservations at $50 per person are required by Sept. 5 and can be made by contacting the IJCU at 484-664-3470 or ijcu@muhlenberg.edu.
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By Shelley Drozd Special to Hakol After nine months and a search that attracted an outstanding group of rabbis, Jewish educators and youth professionals from across the nation, Rabbi Danielle Stillman has been named the new director of Jewish student life at Lehigh University. Stillman comes to Lehigh by way of Ursinus College, where she was the Hillel director and campus rabbi for six years. She previously served the Harvard Hillel for two years, as program director for the Netivot Fellowship. The position marked a return to Stillman’s alma mater, where three years earlier she earned a master of theological studies from Harvard Divinity School. Stillman views her new position as an exciting way to build on the work she has been doing on campuses throughout the years. “I love working with students because they are at a point in their life where they are really deciding what kind of life they want and what kind of community they want to live in,” Stillman said. “Judaism has a lot to say about that.”
A journey that began at that same point in Stillman’s life inspired her path to the rabbinate. After earning a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College, the new graduate received a prestigious scholarship to study Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal and India. Along the way, she met many fellow Jewish travelers who were searching for a new path in Eastern religions. Resolving to bring a new spiritual relevance to the Jews of her generation, Stillman enrolled in the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and was ordained in 2009. As she considers her priorities for the new academic year, community involvement and partnership-building rank highly among the new director’s ambitions. “I’ve already met some of the advisers from Moravian and Lafayette, as well as Muhlenberg’s new director,” Stillman said. “I’m excited to work with all the Hillels across the Lehigh Valley.” For inspired ideas on collaborative projects, Stillman can start with her Hillel resume. Current aspirations include holding seminars for college students teaching religious school and joint Shabbaton with other
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Lehigh U. welcomes new director of Jewish student life
Hillels. “I love anything that gets students together off campus – something that gets them away from the pressures of their work,” she said. Back in Bethlehem, Stillman will begin a mindfulness meditation group on campus at the start of the new school year. Bringing a Jewish lens to the work under way around Lehigh is another priority. “Maybe Jewish students are doing community service without thinking about it Jewishly. In those cases, a short text on social justice
might be a nice way to collaborate with what’s already going on.” Hartley Lachter, Lehigh’s incoming director of the Berman Center for Jewish Studies, shares Stillman’s desire to cultivate fruitful partnerships. “The Jewish Studies program and the activities of the Berman Center offer exciting possibilities for collaboration with Hillel. I hope to further the mission of the Berman Center as a valuable resource that provides world-class lectures and events for the
Lehigh community and the broader Lehigh Valley, and look forward to working with many institutional partners, especially Hillel, to accomplish that goal.” Stillman comes to our green Lehigh Valley on the cusp of the biblical shmita (sabbatical) year in Israel, a timely arrival for a rabbi with a personal passion for local food, agriculture, and sustainability. Although the land may get its rest, Rabbi Stillman will surely be busy, sowing seeds and establishing her roots at Lehigh University for the harvests to come.
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THE VIEW FROM HA’ARETZ
Israelis send thanks for solidarity By Rabbi David Wilensky Congregation Sons of Israel In August, Congregation Sons of Israel’s Rabbi David Wilensky and seven congregants made a spontaneous trip to Israel to show their solidarity. Below are excerpts from two of Rabbi Wilensky’s daily letters to the congregation. Many Israelis feel that the world is against them, and people coming from outside Israel to visit, specifically to show solidarity, has been very meaningful. One morning, we paid a shiva call to the family of Hadar Goldin in Kfar Saba (the soldier who was initially thought to have been abducted). While there, the brother of slain Sergeant Turjeman also came to pay a shiva call. I mentioned to him that we spoke about his brother in shul the previous Shabbat; he was deeply touched and wanted me to say thank you to our community for perpetuating the memory of his brother. We visited injured soldiers in Be’er Sheva and delivered our shul’s hand written letters. One of the soldiers we visited was sitting next to the mother of his comrade who was killed in the same blast that sent this soldier to the hospital. They nearly started crying when we told them that we came from America to wish them well. They specifically wanted me to relate to our whole community that it gave them great chizuk (strength). We also visited two army bases and delivered care packages to the soldiers. I couldn’t believe how appreciative they were. In the middle of our visit they spontaneously broke out in dancing. They specifically wanted us to say to everyone
at home, “Am Yisrael Chai.” I spent Shabbos in the town of Ariel, on the West Bank, that is home to some of our former Allentonians. The residents were so touched that our shul specifically sent a group in solidarity that they asked me to deliver the Shabbos morning sermon to talk about perspectives on the war from outside of Israel. The entire shul asked me to relay their thanks for supporting Israel during this time. On Sunday, our shul arranged for a bus to take children from the south to have a fun-filled day in an amusement park in Yerushalayim, and with our funds, they also sent a children’s theater to the south. These initiatives both gave these children a full day of “non-bomb shelter” fun and give businesses in the south some needed customers. We did this together with the national Young Israel movement, and both the organizers from the south as well as the Young Israel leadership send their profound thanks to our shul for substantively helping these Southern residents. Later that day we paid a shiva visit to the family of the young man who was killed in the tractor terror incident. It is difficult for me to adequately describe the emotions that were felt at the shiva house when I told them that our shul was visiting Israel for the specific purpose of showing solidarity at this time. This family is deeply Chassidic without much connection to American society, yet, they pleaded with me to tell our shul that even though our communities may be quite different – that is only on the outside, but internally we are all one – and they thanked us greatly for this tremendous show of unity and love. Sadly, this family
Congregation Sons of Israel representatives visit Israel in August in show of solidarity. From right, John Hollander on his first trip to Israel, Rabbi David Wilensky, Peter Cooper, Itzik and Rachel Yablonski and their children, and Karen Cooper. The Yablonskis are former teachers at the Jewish Day School in Allentown. The couple now works at Mechinat Yonatan, a kibbutz located just outside Gaza. now has five orphans and one widow – needless to say – our shul assisted as we could in establishing a fund for both the family’s short and long term needs. We then visited the Nachal Chareidi army base outside of Yerushalayim. This unit is comprised of chareidim who are serving in the military helping to protect our country. Once again, the soldiers were extremely touched to see the support all the way from Allentown, Pennsylvania. One of the soldiers specifically pulled me to the side and told me to ask everyone to continue sending letters to soldiers.
He said that whenever he receives one of these letters it changes his day and gives him extra strength to carry on. This trip has been transformative in many ways, and it is my hope that everyone in our shul senses the deep feelings of love, thanks and unity shared by the people of Israel with our Allentown community. May we only grow in our connection with the people of Israel, and may the current ceasefire turn into a time of everlasting peace and tranquility for the nation of Israel and Jews the world over.
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Cartoonist Steve Greenberg's take on the upsurge of anti-Semitic incidents in Europe, including several refusals to serve Jews – which shopkeepers said was out of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza – and gains at the polls by rightwing and outspoken anti-Semites in countries such as Hungary, Romania and Greece.
European anti-Semitism is focus as Jewish leaders, Democratic senators meet By Ron Kampeas Jewish Telegraphic Agency Talk at the annual meeting between Democratic senators and Jewish groups kept coming back to anti-Semitism in Europe. The recurring theme, which the 24 senators who attended and the Jewish leaders both raised, was a measure of the anxiety aroused by recent reports of attacks on European Jews, according to participants at the meeting, held on July 23. “There was almost more energy around anti-Semitism than around Gaza,” said a participant who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the meeting in the Capitol’s stately Mansfield Room was off the record. JTA spoke to eight meeting participants from Jewish groups. Some spoke on the record to describe their own statements, which was allowed under the meeting’s rules. The dialogue, which went 15 minutes over its allotted time of an hour, touched on the range of issues typical to these discussions, which have taken place every year since early in the administration of President George W. Bush: Israel, with a focus on the Gaza war; Iran; women’s rights; immigration and religious freedoms. Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), the majority leader who convened the meeting, set the tone with his opening remarks, which referred to a return to “old-fashioned antiSemitism” on the continent. He specifically mentioned anxieties in Hungary. The delegation attending the
meeting with Democratic senators also met that day with GOP lawmakers, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), as well as administration officials. In all the meetings, the outbreak of anti-Semitism was a lead issue. “There are things that senators can do to shine a light on how unacceptable it is,” in meetings with constituents, diplomats and when they travel abroad, he said. “We talked about how disturbing it is and how the anti-Semitic feature seems to be getting obscured by virtue of the conflict between Israel and Hamas.” At the session with the senators, Daniel Mariaschin, the executive vice president of B’nai B’rith International, outlined a litany of recent events including the firebombing of a synagogue in Sarcelles in France, German and Dutch pro-Palestinian demonstrations where protesters shouted threats against Jews and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s likening of Israel to the Nazis. “We asked them to use diplomatic and parliamentary contacts to raise the issue and urge European officials to crack down on anti-Semitic incidents,” he said. Other topics addressed included Israel’s war with Hamas, with Bob Cohen, the president of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), and Jeremy Ben-Ami, the president of J Street, each beginning their remarks with expressions of regret for the casualties on both sides. Cohen squarely blamed Hamas for the conflict, while Ben-Ami
backed U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s bid for an immediate ceasefire. Cohen of AIPAC said the lobbying group did not oppose the extension of nuclear talks between Iran and major world powers, although earlier in the week AIPAC had said it was “deeply disappointed” in the agreement governing the four-month extension to Nov. 24. He said the group would oppose any deal that would allow Iran to advance to a nuclear weapon. Cohen said AIPAC would back new Iran sanctions at the “appropriate time,” according to sources. The previous effort foundered earlier this year when Democrats in the Senate quashed the legislation, heeding protests from President Obama, who said the new sanctions could scuttle the talks. AIPAC, while maintaining its support for such legislation, has backed away from pressing for a vote on the issue. Other topics raised at the meeting included the immigration crisis. Mark Hetfield, the president of HIAS, the Jewish immigrant advocacy and aid group, called for funds to assist the tens of thousands of undocumented Central American children who have arrived at the border and to hire more judges to hear their cases. Other speakers at the meeting backed passage of bills that would enhance law enforcement capabilities in combating violence against women and that would reverse a recent Supreme Court decision that struck down parts of the Voting Rights Act.
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Ontario students’ organization passes BDS resolution Jewish Telegraphic Agency The Ontario branch of the Canadian Federation of Students unanimously passed a resolution to boycott Israel. One of the group’s executive members, Anna Goldfinch, said the resolution “endorses a number of solidarity tactics that have been called for by Palestinian civil society,” according to the Canadian Press. She said it represents an
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endorsement of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, or BDS. The Ontario organization represents 300,000 students. The resolution was put forward by the Students’ Union at Ryerson University. Rajean Hoilett, the union’s president, said Ontario schools should not “remain complicit” with what he called “Israeli war crimes,” according to the Canadian Press. Hoilett said the union
has planned a series of panel discussions on the current conflict between Israel and Hamas, and will not allow space for anti-Semitism or Islamophobia. Elsewhere, the Times of Israel reported in August that the University of Cape Town Student Representative Council in South Africa voted to adopt a resolution supporting BDS, although university officials had yet to vote on whether to adopt the policy.
THE VIEW FROM FRANCE
French Jews shaken but rallying
Center, the Pro-Palestinian response as 5,000 people gather peacefully in Paris this summer in support of Israel. Right and left, Supporters of Israel carry signs denouncing Hamas for their use of human shields and criticize the French media for biased reporting. The Israel supporters observed one minute of silence in memory of the soldiers that had fallen for Israel and then, in the presence of French journalists, listed their names and their ages. By Rachel Level Special to HAKOL I was 3 years old when my parents, Jews born and raised in France, decided to immigrate to the United States. Although they never looked back on their decision, every summer we try to spend a month in France with our relatives. I was always aware that there was anti-Semitism present in France, but this summer I witnessed the situation first hand. Over the years, I had noticed that the Muslim population is very large and seemingly becoming more observant. The Jewish community witnesses repeatedly the French media blaming Israel for its policy toward the Palestinians, but until recently it seemed that, although French Jews live in a rather proArab country, anti-Semitism was not a real threat. Of course, there have been several anti-Semitic attacks, the worst being the one at a Jewish school in Toulouse, but these incidents involved Arab extremists and were largely condemned by the French. This summer, however, the situation and the tension worsened, at least from my point of view while visiting my grandparents, who live in Lyon. Every radio and television station reported the conflict in Gaza by portraying the Palestinians as victims and Israel in a criminal light. Journalists never spoke of the rockets launched by Hamas into Israel and never expressed the justification Israel had in defending itself. Hamas’ use of schools and mosques to build tunnels was never reported, while Israel’s defense against these same schools and mosques was always condemned. By always portraying Israel as the culprit and the Palestinians as the victims, the media contributed to the anti-Semitism that has showed its ugly head in France this last summer by spitting oil into the already-burning flames. Incensed by the situation in Gaza, rallies were organized in several French cities to show the support of the people toward the Palestinians. Although the majority of the people attending the rallies where French Arabs, many French “liberals” were there as well, to show their solidarity with Palestine. These rallies quickly revealed
that the real goal of these protestors was not to support the Palestinians, but rather to express their hatred of Israel and the Jews in general. Signs with “Freedom for Palestine” were displayed alongside “Gas the Jews” and other clearly anti-Semitic slogans. A lot of people even displayed the “quenelle,” viewed as a Nazi salute. Even worse, synagogues and Jewish shops were attacked and burned in a violent raid by the protestors. The French government acted swiftly and denounced the anti-Semitism of these rallies, forbidding others to take place. But the French Jews were shocked by the virulence of these attacks and the open antiSemitism of the people behind it. Their message: Not only is it Israel that these people blame, but the Jews as well. In response, some French Jews have decided to leave the country; the vast majority of these go to Israel. Others have decided to fight back and protect synagogues and Jewish centers. They formed a new organization, the SPCJ (the Society for the Protection of the Jewish Community), of which the goal is to physically protect
the French Jewish community. But mostly, on a day to day basis, I have seen how the younger generation has become closer to Israel and Judaism. Instead of ‘hiding” their Judaism, people my age tend to become more observant, very supportive of Israel and ready to fight for their identity. On July 31, the Union of French Students for Israel (l’ Union des étudiants juifs de France) organized the first pro-Israel rally in Paris since the beginning of the conflict in Gaza. After weeks of dangerous proPalestinian rallies that resulted in violent anti-Semitic actions, 5,000 people peacefully gathered around the center of Paris. Signs and chants denounced the terrorist group Hamas for its use of human shields and criticized the French media for biased reporting. The crowd observed one minute of silence in memory of the soldiers that had fallen for Israel before listing their names and their ages in front of French journalists. Although there have been many pro-Palestinian rallies where hatred against Jews was heard very strongly, there was an absence of anger expressed toward the Palestinians that day.
According to Roger Cukierman, one of the leaders of the Union of French Students for Israel, the demonstrators focused their anger on the terroristic group that sought the destruction of Israel and expressed their sympathies for the human losses on both sides of the conflict. This rally in support of Israel was certainly not unique. In Lyon, about 1,000 people gathered in front of the city’s largest synagogue in support of the Jewish state. A few days before the rally in Paris, another 4,000 people gathered in Marseilles in support of Israel. All three peaceful demonstrations were met with hostility by a few dozen pro-Palestinian activists who attempted to brutally disrupt the rallies. These aggressors injured at least a dozen protestors in total and expressed themselves by mimicking the Nazi salute and chanting “Gas the Jews.” Even after these aggressions, the French Jewish community’s support in Israel did not waiver thanks to the help of the individuals who have the most at stake for the future. These are the Jewish teenagers who have grown up in France and will
inherit it after their parents. Many French Jewish teenagers feel free to be themselves at home and with their friends, but have learned to be cautious in showing signs of their Jewish identity in public. For them, the danger is never out in the open; the French government is strict in working toward limiting anti-Semitic dialogue and action. Nevertheless, these efforts do not negate the tension between the Jewish and Arab communities. The Society for the Protection of the Jewish Community’s figures suggest that anti-Jewish violence in France is seven times higher than in the 1990s and that 40 percent of racist violence is against Jews, despite making up just 1 percent of the population. As a result, Jewish teenagers are aware of the risk of being Jewish in a pro-Palestinian environment. For many, this very risk awakens a passion for Israel. To them, Israel is much more than a promised land; it’s an escape from the tension and antiSemitism that they face at home. Rachel Level hails from the Lehigh Valley and is a student at Vassar College.
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In shadow of Ferguson, group builds ties across racial and cultural lines On the evening of Aug. 12, after two consecutive nights of clashes between police and protesters in Ferguson, Missouri, Mikal Smith rose to address a community meeting in the neighboring city of Florissant. In front of Gov. Jay Nixon, Obama administration officials and community leaders, Smith spoke off the cuff about his own experiences as a young black man — of the constant need to be aware of his surroundings, for example, and the indignity of being questioned by the police for no apparent reason. At the end of his speech, Smith, an incoming freshman at Saint Louis University, received a standing ovation. Smith, 18, is a recent alumnus of Cultural Leadership, a St. Louis-area organization that educates high school students about discrimination and social injustice
through an intensive, yearlong study of Jewish and AfricanAmerican history and culture. The program, which in August celebrated its 10th anniversary, teaches how to work across racial and cultural boundaries to address social inequalities. With Ferguson now a flashpoint in the wake of the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, Cultural Leadership's curriculum is being played out in the national headlines. Meanwhile, its alumni are on the front lines in organizing a response. "Our students are trained to be what we call 'troublemakers of the very best kind,' " said Holly Ingraham, the executive director of Cultural Leadership. "They have been taking action, standing up and speaking out before, during and after Michael Brown was shot in Ferguson." Aaron Johnson, a Cultural Leadership alumnus from its class of 2010, organized a training
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session for voter registration in St. Louis and will lead a registration drive in Ferguson. Mary Blair, a member of the incoming class of 32 students, organized a walkout and silent protest at Metro High School in St. Louis that made the local news. Other alumni, who now number in the hundreds, have acted as runners for the community dialogue portion of the meeting in Florissant. "I don't think I would be the person I am today had I not experienced Cultural Leadership," said Johnson, an organizer for Grassroots Organizing in Columbia, Missouri., who is working toward a master's degree in public policy at the University of Missouri. "It was fundamental for becoming a social activist in this way." Cultural Leadership recruits many of its students through local houses of worship, as well as schools and youth groups. The organization has close ties with St. Louis-area rabbis, ministers and school administrators, and those leaders often identify talented students and connect them with Cultural Leadership. The program was founded by Karen Kalish and modeled after a similar initiative, Operation Understanding, in
COURTESY CULTURAL LEADERSHIP
By Anthony Weiss Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Mikal Smith, left, and other Cultural Leadership participants visiting the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Alabama. Philadelphia, Norfolk/Virginia Beach and Washington, D.C. Cultural Leadership was designed originally to bring together black and Jewish students to revive the historic black-Jewish alliance, which was particularly strong during the civil rights movement. It has since been expanded to include students of all faiths and backgrounds, though a significant number continue to be black and Jewish. The curriculum, however, has remained consistent. Over the course of a year, students study black and Jewish culture, history and contemporary issues. They also learn the history of social justice movements and community organizing basics. Students attend one another's
schools and houses of worship, and gather for a three-week trip to New York, Washington and civil rights landmarks throughout the South. On past trips, students have met Supreme Court justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Clarence Thomas, and Georgia Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights leader. Even the students who are neither black nor Jewish say the focus on those two groups gives the curriculum a powerful perspective on injustice. "You find those stories in a lot of other identities' history, and of course one huge part of it is in the partnership between Jews and African-Americans," said Wynn Hawker-Boehnke, a Cultural Leadership alumna who is white and Christian.
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By Dina Weinstein Jewish Telegraphic Agency At the Freedom Summer anniversary conference in Jackson, Mississippi, the activists who registered black voters and taught in Freedom Schools under the threat of violence 50 years ago stood up to introduce themselves. It took three hours to hear what they did in the Magnolia State back in 1964 and have gone on to do in the half-century since. “Almost everyone had a social justice connection,” said Heather Booth, who went to Mississippi as a college freshman from New York before moving on to a career as a nationally prominent liberal activist. “The former volunteers went on to work as teachers, environmental activists and in the field of health care.” Organized by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, or SNCC, Freedom Summer sent mostly white college students to Mississippi to confront the violent racism in the state. In the summer of 1964, some 1,500 volunteers worked registering blacks to vote, teaching in Freedom Schools and organizing the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, which aimed to challenge the state’s all-white delegation at the Democratic National Convention that year. Jews were represented among the young civil rights volunteers in numbers far exceeding their share of the population. Debra Schultz, the author of “Going South: Jewish Women in the Civil Rights
Movement,” said that like other SNCC activists, Jewish Freedom Summer volunteers were motivated by a desire to hold the country to its full promise of democracy. Many were inspired as well by their Jewish and often left-leaning backgrounds. “Among particularly ‘Jewish’ motivations, we can cite: an identification with another racialized people and a passion for racial justice, born of the recent experience with the Holocaust,” Schultz told JTA via e-mail. Booth said that she came to Mississippi a year after visiting Israel, where she made a commitment at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial to struggle for justice. Schultz noted that her synagogue had funded the $500 bail money required to participate in Freedom Summer in the case of an arrest. The first days of Freedom Summer saw the murder of three civil rights workers — Jewish New Yorkers Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner and black Mississippian James Chaney, who had been investigating the burning of a black church. During the weeks-long search for the workers, the bodies of eight murdered black men were found in the Mississippi countryside before the discovery of Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner’s remains. Tension and danger lurked throughout the summer. There were another four people critically wounded, 80 activists beaten, 1,000 arrests, 37 churches and 30 black homes or businesses bombed
or burned. Booth recalls feeling frightened all the time that summer. “But it was also very exhilarating,” Booth said. “There were nightly meetings at black churches, with a lot of singing.” In Shaw, Mississippi, where blacks were neglected, Booth said she felt honored that her hosts generously gave up their beds for her and three other volunteers. “In the black part of town, there were no toilets, no sewers and no street lights,” Booth said. At the anniversary conference in late June, Booth was one of more than 200 former Freedom Summer volunteers in attendance. They met with nearly 2,000 younger activists. But while many volunteers were Jewish, their backgrounds were not necessarily at the forefront within the movement. “In the 1960s we didn’t discuss being Jewish, and we didn’t bring up our motivation for getting involved in the movement,” Rubin said. “There was no space to discuss Jewishness.” At the anniversary gathering, however, it was a topic of discussion, with a breakout session focused on Jewish participation. Freedom Summer volunteer Annie Popkin said her family was very aware of discrimination because her father was shut out of Harvard Medical School due to quotas that limited the numbers of Jewish students. At times her family embraced their Jewishness. Other times they turned away from it,
WALLACE ROBERTS
Fifty years after Freedom Summer, civil rights volunteers reflect on activist lives
Heather Booth protesting for voting rights in Mississippi during the 1964 Freedom Summer.
seeing it as a painful liability, she said. Popkin remembers feeling optimistic as hundreds of black and white SNCC volunteers locked arms, held hands and sang “We Shall Overcome.” “There’s been a media emphasis on leaders in the civil rights movement and not the individuals who participated,” Popkin said. “All of our stories can be inspiration. If we could make change at 18, 19, 20, so can others today.”
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2014 23
GIVE A MITZVAH, DO A MITZVAH
Bar Mitzvah raises funds for pediatric cancer research
Zev Gould, a seventh grade student at Springhouse Middle School, became a Bar Mitzvah at Temple Beth El on August 30. Two of Zev’s favorite books are “Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie” and the sequel, “After Ever After” by Jordan Sonnenblick. The first book is about an older brother learning that his younger brother has leukemia. The older brother is depressed and tries to cope with the idea that his little brother might die. In the sequel, you see the world through the younger brother’s eyes. The author, currently a Lehigh Valley resident, was a middle school teacher in Staten Island, New York, when a student in his class named Emily was going through a rough time because her younger brother was diagnosed with cancer. Sonneblick asked Emily’s mom whether it would be helpful if he found a book for Emily to read about a teen going through a similar situation. Emily’s mom said yes, but he couldn’t find a novel that he thought would be just right for Emily, so he wrote one. Inspired by these two books and having had a neighbor who was diagnosed with cancer at age 6, Zev has decided to raise money for Pediatric Cancer Research as his mitzvah project through the Christopher Court Foundation. “Chris Court was a regular 6-year-old boy who loved karate and Legos just like I did when I
was 6,” Zev said. “One big difference was that Chris was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Almost immediately after his diagnosis, Chris went through chemotherapy. He was unable to continue to enjoy the things that I do as a teenager and he will never be able to because his lost his battle with cancer. I would like to make sure that other children are able to grow up and enjoy all of the things that I do.” If you would like to help Zev in his effort to raise funds for Pediatric Cancer Research, you can make a donation to the Christopher Court Foundation, www.christopher-court.org. All proceeds go directly to pediatric cancer research. Or you can send a check made out to the Christopher Court Foundation directly to Zev Gould and he will send all the checks to the foundation. “I would like to raise $1,800 in honor of my bar mitzvah and in memory of Chris. If you make a donation of $5 or more, I have a special wristband for you.” Zev added. “I am very impressed with Zev’s dedication to raising money for such an important cause,” Zev’s mom, Allison Post, said. “When Zev first read ‘Drums’, he was so moved and wanted to find a way to help children with cancer. He was upset after reading the first book, but needed to read the second, even though he knew that this was a sad topic and he has encouraged many others to read these meaningful books.” The foundation was set up by Christopher’s parents to provide a focal point for all the groups and individuals that expressed an interest in raising money in Christopher’s name. It is very important to Christopher’s family and friends that the tragedy of his death be turned into something positive and to do whatever they can to help prevent this from happening to other children in the future In addition to his mitzvah project, Zev has made his first adult gift of tzedakah to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs. For help developing your mitzvah project, contact Abby Trachtman, program coordinator, at abbyt@jflv.org or 610-821-5500.
Baseball fan becomes an ‘angel’
Brenden Fraley loves baseball. He loves everything about the game, playing it, watching it, and all the statistics that go with the game. When it came time to plan his bar mitzvah, he knew the theme of his party and of his mitzvah project from the start: Baseball. Brenden will become a Bar Mitzvah on September 6 at Temple Beth El in Allentown. “I’ve always been passionate about baseball,” Brenden said. “I just figured I could share my passion with kids who need a little help to play. I found The Miracle League of the Lehigh Valley.” The Miracle League of the Lehigh Valley was founded in 2006, dedicated to providing children with special needs and other developmental disabilities an opportunity to play baseball. The Miracle League is a unique league where kids with special needs get together and play baseball on a foam field. The rules are a little different from a typical baseball game. Everyone gets to hit the ball. Fouls and strikes don’t count toward an out. Also everyone gets to score a run. At the end of the game, the score is always tied. So everyone wins! Plus all players have an “angel” to help them when they need it. Brenden will become a Miracle League Angel when the season begins again this month. Brenden’s parents, Randi and Keith Fraley, are taking his passion for baseball one step further. “We are planning everything with an eye for baseball and for what is useful to donate to the Miracle League. All the centerpieces and the bima decorations will actually be baseball equipment that our family will then donate to the Miracle League of the Lehigh Valley, “ Randi said. “We are so proud of him,” added Keith, “he found a way to help others while doing something he loves.” While the Miracle League has a specially designed, state of the art, playing field in Schnecksville, it can always use monetary donations to keep the field in good shape and to keep the league running. “Brenden will be donating a portion of his Bar Mitzvah money to the Miracle League,” Randi added, “He felt it was an important part of his mitzvah project. I don’t even know why we need to call it a mitzvah project, it’s just something he loves and he loves helping others find the joy in baseball.” To make a donation to the Miracle League of the Lehigh Valley, visit www.miracleleaguelv.org. In addition to his mitzvah project, Brenden has made his first adult gift of tzedakah to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs. For help developing your mitzvah project, contact Abby Trachtman, program coordinator at abbyt@jflv. org or call her at the Federation office at 610-821-5500.
24 SEPTEMBER 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
PJ families dine al fresco PJ Library families got by with a little help from their friends on July 25 at an early Shabbat dinner at Camp JCC Kochavim. They sang songs and read PJ stories at the Beatles-themed event.
PJ LIBRARY Family of the Month: THE MORSES We love PJ Library! Over the years, we have read to our kids about G-d, taught them about our holidays, laughed about Baxter, the pig who wanted to be kosher and so much more. Plus, you can’t beat how excited the kids get when the big blue and white envelope shows up in the mailbox. Thank you, PJ Library! - SARAH AND TOM MORSE
“Finally we realized that while change is hard, not changing is even harder.”
To learn more about PJ Library and register to receive free Jewish-themed books for children from 6 months through 8 years, visit www.pjlibrary.org.
PJ LIBRARY
Fly Off to the New Year with Aladdin Enjoy a delicious family-friendly breakfast with Aladdin on his magic carpet. We’ll have Rosh Hashanah crafts, face painting, photos with Aladdin and, of course, a PJ Library story. COME DRESSED AS YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER!
DATE: Sunday, September 21, 2014 TIME: 10 to 11:30 a.m. LOCATION: JCC of Allentown $6 JCC member child/one free adult per child/ $3 additional adults $11 non JCC member child/ $3 non JCC member adult Breakfast LVKC supervised
For years, Matt could see his parents struggling to get up the steps and do simple maintenance on their home, but couldn’t seem to convince them that there was a better way to live. So Matt asked us for advice. We gave him tips on how to approach the subject of change and then worked out a plan for an easier transition than any of them had imagined. Now their disagreements are what they should be, like if the Pirates™ or Phillies™ will make the playoffs this year. From independent living and personal care to rehabilitation services and specialized memory care, we have many solutions to help your loved ones—all on a vibrant campus with activities, social events and individualized services. Call us to find out how we can help, or learn more at CountryMeadows.com.
For more information, please contact Brenda at 610-435-3571 or bfinberg@lvjcc.org. To register, contact the JCC Welcome Desk at 610-435-3571.
JCC OF ALLENTOWN 702 N. 22nd St., Allentown, PA 18104
410 Krocks Road, Allentown (minutes from Routes 22 & I-78) • 610-395-7160 4035 Green Pond Road, Bethlehem (close to Routes 22 & 33) • 610-865-5580
Independent Living | Personal Care | Memory Care | Restorative Care Skilled Nursing* | In-Home Services *Skilled nursing is available at our Bethlehem campus only. Country Meadows offers services and housing without regard to race, color, religion, disability, marital status, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation or gender.
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2014 25 Hakol_Change is Hard_4x10.indd 1
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66th Emmys produce several Jewish winners
Jewish Telegraphic Agency Lauren Bacall, a film legend best known for her sultry onscreen presence and her Hollywood romance with actor Humphrey Bogart, has died. Bacall, the daughter of Jewish immigrants from Poland and Romania, died August 12 in New York. She suffered a massive stroke in her apartment on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, TMZ.com reported, citing sources in Bacall’s family. Bacall was 89. Born Betty Joan Perske in the Bronx, Bacall was a relative of former Israeli President Shimon Peres (nee Szymon Perski), although they did not meet until they were both famous adults, according to the Los Angeles Jewish Journal. After her parents’ divorce, when she was 6, she took the second half of her mother’s maiden name, Bacal, later adding an “l.” Her big break was a role, at age 19, in the film “To Have and Have Not,” where she played opposite Bogart. The two married in 1945. Bacall went on to perform in more than 40 films,
including “The Big Sleep” and “How to Marry a Millionaire.” She also performed on stage, winning Tony Awards for her starring roles in the musicals “Applause” and “Woman of the Year.” Her 1980 autobiography, “Lauren Bacall: By Myself,” won a National Book Award. According to her New York Times obituary, Bacall wrote that she felt “totally Jewish and always would.” However, she wrote that she and Bogart, an Episcopalian, had their two children christened in an Episcopal church in deference to Bogart’s concern that “with discrimination still rampant in the world, it would give them one less hurdle to jump in life’s Olympics.” The Times reported that during her romance with Bogart, Bacall asked him if it mattered to him that she was Jewish. His answer, she wrote, was “Hell, no — what mattered to him was me, how I thought, how I felt, what kind of person I was, not my religion, he couldn’t care less — why did I even ask?” Bogart died in 1957. Bacall later married actor Jason Robards, with whom she had a son.
Above, The Normal Heart stars Jim Parsons, Matt Bomer and Taylor Kitsch. Right, Jewish comedian Sarah Silverman JNS.org
Several Jewish entertainers took home honors at the television industry's 66th Emmy Awards, held Aug. 25 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. Comedian Sarah Silverman won in the Best Writing category for her HBO comedy special “Sarah Silverman: We Are Miracles.” Silverman thanked “my Jews at CAA,” referring to her talent agency, as she accepted her award barefoot on stage. Actress Julianna Margulies won an Emmy for her role as Alicia Florrick on CBS’s “The Good Wife.” The HBO movie “The Normal Heart,” based on the 1985 play by Jewish writer and AIDS activist Larry Kramer, won for Outstanding TV Movie. Jewish comedian Billy Crystal gave a tribute during the awards to Robin Williams, who died in August.
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L’Shana Tova 26 SEPTEMBER 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
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Sultry film legend Lauren Bacall dies at 89
Robin Williams’ passing shines light on ‘ugly truth’ By Mike Schlossberg Editor’s Note: This article also appeared in the Morning Call on August 12. Reprinted by permission of the author. It was October of 2001 when I began my journey with depression. A freshman at Muhlenberg College, I had been “sad” before, but never like this. It was a hopelessness which felt like a black cloud that smothered everything I did. It felt like my future was a wall – that there would never be any brighter days. I didn’t know I was suffering from depression at the time, but I do remember I couldn’t see any hope. The words of friends and parents were largely irrelevant, and I didn’t understand how I would ever feel OK again. After suffering through that cloud for many weeks and months, I began to contemplate whether suicide wasn’t the better option. The recent and tragic suicide of Robin Williams has left millions of Americans baffled. How could a man of such talent, humor and power choose to end his own life? The sad and tragic truth is that mental illness, depression and suicide know no boundaries. The black dog, as Winston Churchill put it, doesn’t discriminate by race, religion, education, wealth or success. It can touch any of us. In 2011, one in every five Americans, or more than 45 million people, suffered from some form of mental illness. One in every 20 Americans suffer from a mental illness, which causes them to become seriously disabled. In 2011, 39,518 Americans took their own lives, making suicide the 10th leading cause of death in this country. That year, more Americans killed themselves than were killed in car accidents.
The tragedy of Williams’ death has also shined a light on an ugly truth: Mental illness remains a tragically stigmatized disease. Hours after the suicide of Williams went public, I saw a Facebook status lament that since Robin Williams committed suicide, it was clear he had lived and died without faith in God. It is comments like this that highlight everything wrong with how we see mental illness in this country. Mental illness, depression and suicide aren’t about faith, weakness or courage any more than is catching a cold or the flu. It’s about a combination of factors, including a strong biological component, predisposing you to this terrible disease. And it is comments like the one above that keep people hiding their illness in shame, and that lead to more pain and wasted life. Mental illness isn’t a weakness; it’s a disease, and one that can be overcome. My path to recovery began with Rick at the Muhlenberg College counseling center, who helped teach me how to change my thinking, cope with the stress of a new school and deal with a breakup with my girlfriend from home. When it became clear words weren’t enough and the anxiety attacks began getting stronger, he referred me to a psychiatrist who put me on an anti-depressant and antianxiety pill, which I still take to this day. I type these words without any shame. Why would I be ashamed? Are any of you embarrassed to be taking Lipitor for your cholesterol or Prilosec for your heartburn? My point is this: Millions of Americans suffer from mental illness. Millions recover. There is no shame in saying you are depressed, you are anxious and you need help. Robin Williams’ suicide is a very public example
of the most extreme way someone can deal with inner demons, but it doesn’t have to be like this. If you are in pain, there are so many who want to help, to be a voice, to be that light in the darkness. As so many can testify, including me, as long as you breathe, there is hope. Mike Schlossberg of Allentown is state representative from the 132nd District, Lehigh County.
Help and hope available for treatment of depression By Debbie Zoller JFS-LV Executive Director When an individual like Robin Williams takes his own life, it’s hard to believe that someone with so many gifts and resources would feel the need to take this action. Robin Williams was loved by so many and this still did not seem to make a difference. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, you may have depression if you are tired and irritable all the time, have lost interest in your work, family or hobbies, or are feeling angry, aggressive or worthless for weeks or months. Some of the symptoms may be overeating or not wanting to eat at all, thoughts of suicide, aches or pains, headaches, cramps or digestive problems, loss of interest in what was once pleasurable and not being able to concentrate or remember details. Depression can be attributed to your genes, brain chemistry and hormones, and stress.
It usually occurs due to a combination of these factors. Research shows that getting treatment sooner rather than later can relieve symptoms more quickly and reduce the length of time treatment is needed. Once you recognize that you need help, arrange an appointment with your doctor and/or a mental health professional. A physician can rule out other conditions that may have the same symptoms as depression. Medications called antidepressants can be prescribed to treat depression. While they can take several weeks to work and may have side effects, outcomes are more effective than not dealing with the depression. In addition to a physician’s exam, treatment by a mental health professional can be extremely beneficial. At Jewish Family Service, our social workers frequently work with individuals who are suffering from depression. Cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal
therapy are two evidence-based psychotherapies which have documented success in treating people with depression in clinical trials. Exercise, nutrition, spirituality and support from family members all play a part in the treatment of depression. Every individual needs to be assessed to come up with a treatment plan that is a good “fit.” As technology has improved, we are transported via our screens to other places within seconds and we can see the impact of tragedies and disasters. I do believe this technology revolution has an influence on our vulnerability. When we are
exposed to watching natural disasters and wars, we might internalize some of the suffering that we see on our screens. Our individual response to these events will vary. We need to pay attention to warning signs and changes in behavioral patterns. When I think about the vast topic of depression, I think immediately of one of the most influential books in history, “Man's Search for Meaning.” This 1946 book by Viktor Frankl chronicles his experiences as an Auschwitz concentration camp inmate during World War II, and describes his psychotherapeutic method, which involved
identifying a purpose in life to feel positively about and then immersively imagining that outcome. According to Frankl, the way a prisoner imagined the future affected his longevity. I could hardly believe that Frankl could find something positive in all his suffering. Yet, this was the only way that he could stay alive. Depression does not have to be an end; it can be a beginning. If you feel you might need help because you are experiencing some of the symptoms described in this article, please call your physician or call us at Jewish Family Service of the Lehigh Valley at 610-821-8722.
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2014 27
and other Jewish Scrabble moves By Julie Wiener Jewish Telegraphic Agency Next time you’re playing Scrabble, you can put down “schmutz,” “schtum” or even “tuchus” without fear of being challenged. (“Tuchuses,” the plural, is also acceptable.) These are just some of the new Yiddish words to be added to MerriamWebster’s “Official Scrabble Players’ Dictionary.” The dictionary’s fifth edition, published in August, includes more than 5,000 new words in total, many of them recently coined ones like “beatbox,” “hashtag” and “chillax.” But “schmutz” is one of the few newcomers to be highlighted in a promotional video on MerriamWebster’s YouTube channel. In it, Jewish comedian Judy Gold, laying
on a thick Long Island accent, shares several examples of how the word — which means dirt — might appear in a sentence. The new additions are hardly the only playable Yiddish and Hebrew words. Even players still relying on the fourth edition, published in 2005, will find each letter in the Hebrew aleph bet (transliterated into English, of course) — except, oddly, for the word “alephbet” itself. Meanwhile, various spellings of shadchan (matchmaker), mitzvah (commandment), aliyah (immigration to Israel) and tallis (prayer shawl) are accepted. And virtually every word you can think of that starts with a “sh” — shlub, shlep, even shmuck — is not only accepted, but can be spelled with or without a “c” in between.
BY SANDI TEPLITZ THIS RECIPE IS SOMETHING THAT MY SISTER, MARGIE RIFKIN, MAKES ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS. EVERYONE DEVOURS IT! IT IS EASY AND IS A MEAL BY ITSELF WHEN VEGETABLES ARE ADDED. Place a large brisket in a foil-covered pan. Top with lots of ketchup and surround it with sliced onions -on the bottom, sides, and top. Cover and cook at 350 degrees for two hours. Uncover, baste, add cut up potatoes, carrots and mushrooms and re-cover, adding more ketchup if gravy is too thin. Cook for 45 minutes longer. Serve with freshly cooked green beans.
Calling all single Jewish Baby Boomers Are you looking to meet other single Jewish Boomers? Jewish Family Service is hosting a network of boomers, with opportunities to socialize through fun activities, cultural events, educational forums and community service projects. Whether you are traditional, Conservative,
Reform, Reconstructionist or culturally Jewish but not practicing, all are welcome. We are a diverse group and want to be sensitive to our members. If you are interested in joining our group, go to www.meetup.com. Our group's name is Lehigh Valley Jewish Single
Baby Boomers Network. The site will ask you for a photo (optional) and a short bio, then just RSVP to any event that has been posted. As a member, you will automatically get e-mails about upcoming events. For more information, contact Jewish Family Service at 610-821-8722.
Are You Becoming a Parent to Your Parents? Don’t delay getting the services that can help your loved one remain independent. Senior Solutions’ certified care managers are experts at: • Ongoing care management • Care plan development and placement • Crisis intervention • Care assessments • Nutritional assistance • Discharge planning after hospitalization
• Monitoring and arranging home care assistance • Planning for home bound elderly • Determining eligibility for available programs • Arranging for financial planning and health care power of attorney
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ALLENTOWN, PA • WWW.SENIOR-SOLUTIONS.COM • 610.435.6677 28 SEPTEMBER 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
The Jerusalem Post Crossword Puzzle By David Benkof Special to HAKOL Designing puzzles with the knowledgeable but not necessarily bilingual Jew in mind,
David Benkof says, “No more than a very few clues per puzzle expect the solver to simply translate between Hebrew and English.” Note that some answers may actually be two
words written as one, without a space between them. For answers to the crossword puzzle, visit the Federation website at www.jewishleighvalley.org.
Have a SWEET New Year! Fresh custom-made yogurt pies Gift cards for any celebration
Self-serve frozen yogurt All natural with live & active cultures Endless toppings • all kosher certified yogurt brands • no sugar added • dairy free • lowfat & nonfat • gluten free
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484.866.6464 Free WiFi • Open 7 days a week
ACROSS
1. Pairs of tefillin are often kept in them 5. Zeydie, in Israel 9. Phobia of Hitler's 13. Penzias who helped identify the Big Bang 14. The fact he's a doctor, to many potential mother-in-laws 15. One way to access jewishvirtuallibrary. org 16. Broadway's Bloom of 2001 18. Keep the mezuzah from your previous house, e.g. 19. Call it a day? 20. Source of joy for Matt Drudge 21. Taught the Torah portion in a boring manner 22. Robert who's president of the American Jewish University 24. Finds intimidating, as conversion to Judaism 25. "All-of-a-Kind Family" loc. 26. Mel Gibson, on July 28, 2006 27. "The Promised Land" autobiographer Mary 30. The third one lasted 12 years 31. "Party" for Sen. Bernie Sanders 34. Patriarch or president 35. SodaStream factory location ___ Adumim 36. AIPAC and J Street have one 37. Tchelet, e.g. 38. Famous black convert of 1961 39. "___ the Jewish people suffered enough?" 40. Yiddish word that goes with shep, not shlep 42. "Family ___" (Alex Borstein show) 43. Garden type in a 1991 Broadway musical starring Mandy Patinkin 44. Some builders of the Holy Temple 47. Something to cover at a shiva house 48. Israeli oasis Ein ___ 49. "___ Crowd" (book about prominent 19th century Jewish New Yorkers) 51. "Let's Make ___" (game show of Canadian Jew Monty Hall) 52. It may contain poppy seeds 54. Streisand role of 1983 55. Dog food whose spokesman was once Lorne Greene 56. It was once known as the "Jewish Lake" 57. "Gimme ___" (Cry from a Brandeis cheerleader) 58. "Mila 18" author Uris 59. Riding on the Altalena
9. "We ___" (old UJA slogan) 10. Israel and Egypt 11. Stops being usable as dough for matzah 12. Died like Beatles manager Brian Epstein 15. The Wall Street Journal called her "a cross between Henry Kissinger and Minnie Mouse" 17. Emmy host who famously referred to her audience as "a room full of Jews" 21. Salsa or Hora 23. Year BCE that Tiberius began to rule Rome 24. Forward quality 26. Measurement of the records the Nazis kept about the Holocaust 27. "___ thou shalt love the Lord thy God..." (part of the Sh'ma) 28. Knesset vote 29. Many Hasidic women learned about the Torah through it 30. Kibbutz ___ Rachel 32. Second-worst dreidel spin 33. Substance unfortunately sprayed on new Moroccan-born Israelis in the 1950s 35. "Religulous" star Bill
36. St. Louis-born mystery writer Kellerman 38. Torah, e.g. 39. Part of the Talmud that deals with kosher slaughter 41. "Make ___ that has room for a mattress" (line from a Jewish Moroccan folk tale) 42. Kind of Bible 43. Picked a view on the "Who is a Jew?" controversy 44. Philip Glass concern 45. Acts like the MGM lion 46. Essman who shared a first name with her character on "Curb Your Enthusiasm" 47. Poet Angelou who served on the board of the U.S. Holocaust museum 48. Jewish Olympian swimmer Garret Weber-___ 50. Reform Judaism's ___ Hirsch School of Education 52. Stanley Kubrick computer that asked, "What are you doing, Dave?" 53. Brooklyn kosher restaurant "___ for Two Lite"
DOWN
1. Moses, in the basket 2. Lag Ba'Omer projectile 3. "Shalom Jewish ___" (actual name of a lawn ornament) 4. The esoteric way to interpret a Jewish text 5. Shootings like the one in Overland Park, Kansas on April 13, 2014 6. "An evildoer hearkens to the language of violence; ___ lends an ear to destructive language." (Proverbs 17:4) 7. Shekel alternative 8. Solicit for Federation
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2014 29
Community Calendar To list an event in the Community Calendar, submit your information on our website, www.jewishlehighvalley.org, under the “Upcoming Events” menu. All events listed in the Community Calendar are open to the public and free of charge, unless otherwise noted. Programs listed in HAKOL are provided as a service to the community. They do not necessarily reflect the endorsement of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. The JFLV reserves the right to accept, reject or modify listings.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 TBE Healing Service 7 p.m., Temple Beth El. We will be creating a safe space to bring our pain, our questions, and our yearning. This one-hour service will be held in the Hammel Family Chapel. The service will include music, silent meditation, traditional prayers and Torah study. The entire community is invited to participate. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 IJCU First Friday Luncheon Discussion 12 p.m., Muhlenberg College, Seegers Union, Rooms 111-112. Ukraine: A Brief History and Personal Perspective with Alex and Iryna Levytska, Ukrainian Nationals. Free and open to the public. To learn more, visit www.ijcu.org. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 Jewish Book Council Presents ‘A Bintel Brief: Love and Longing in Old New York’ 11 a.m., Temple Covenant of Peace. “A Bintel Brief” by Liana Finck will stimulate your imagination to read comparable letters to American immigrant newspapers around the country right now. Liana Finck is a former Fullbright fellow and recipient of a Six Points Fellowship for Emerging Jewish Artists. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Forward and Tablet. Sponsored by Temple Covenant of Peace, Bnai Abraham Synagogue and the Easton Leadership Council of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. To learn more, contact Bnai Abraham Synagogue, 610-2585343. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 Young Adult Division Summer BBQ 3:30 p.m., home of Ben Grossman, Allentown. Join the Federation’s Young Adult Division for an afternoon of hamburgers, hotdogs, games and prizes! KIDS WELCOME! Food provided by The Noshery at Muhlenberg, prepared on site not under direct supervision. RSVP required to Aaron Gorodzinsky at 610821-5500 or aaron@jflv.org or register online at www. jewishlehighvalley.org. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 CBS Installation of Rabbi Michael Singer 4 p.m., Congregation Brith Sholom. Join Congregation Brith Sholom to celebrate the installation of Rabbi Michael Singer.The installation will be followed by a community cookout. Everyone is invited. The event is free, but, donations are encouraged. (Donors of $100 or more will be listed on a special donor sheet.) Reservations are required. To RSVP or learn more, contact tammy@brithsholom.net. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 TBE Sisterhood Mah Jongg 6:30 p.m,, Temple Beth El. We will begin to play promptly at 6:45 p.m. Please be there by 6:30 p.m. to register. We play for about three hours. If you are a Mah Jongg player, please come and join us for sisterhood, laughter, and a great bunch of fun. $10 per player donation to TBE Sisterhood. New faces always welcome to play. For questions or to RSVP, contact Ilene Rubel, 610-776-1577 or IRUBEL@aol.com. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 TBE Sisterhood Wine Sale 10 a.m., Temple Beth El. The wine sale has various selections of wine to enhances your holidays. Any questions, call the temple office at 610-435-3521. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 IJCU 25th Anniversary and Wallenberg Tribute 3 p.m., Baker Theatre, Trexler Pavilion. Dr. Ruth Langer of Boston College and Dr. Mary Boys of Union Theological Seminary will jointly present on “Overhearing Our Own Prayers: Jewish and Christian Worship in an Age of Religious Pluralism” at the 30th Annual Wallenberg Tribute lecture. The lecture will be followed by an 30 SEPTEMBER 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
anniversary reception at 4:15 p.m. in the Butz Lobby of Trexler Pavilion, which will feature a display of photos and memorabilia from the Institute’s first 25 years. Both events are free and open to the public. An anniversary dinner will take place beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the Great Room of Seegers Union. Paid reservations at $50 per person are required by September 5 and can be made by contacting the IJCU at 484-6643470 or ijcu@muhlenberg.edu. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 2015 JFLV Campaign Launch 7:30 p.m., JCC of Allentown. Calling all volunteers: Get inspired! Campaign launch and dessert reception with David Saginaw of Philanthropic Strategies. Get a sneak peak of the 2015 campaign and learn how you can motivate others to help Jews at home, in Israel and around the world. New and seasoned volunteers welcome. RSVP to Judy Diamondstein, 610-821-5500 or judy@jflv.org or register at www. jewishlehighvalley.org. FRIDAY-SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19-20 Scholar-in-Residence Weekend with Judge Dan Butler Congregation Sons of Israel. We are happy to invite you to participate in our program as we host Judge Dan Butler. Audiences all over North America have enjoyed Dan’s personal and professional perspectives, his whirlwind delivery, gentle humor, and remarkable insights into the human condition. He has been a judicial law clerk, a prosecutor, a family court hearing officer and a family court mediator, successfully settling over 1,100 custody cases. Shabbat dinner, Friday, 7:30 p.m., “Finding Sparks of Kedusha in a WiFi World.” Dinner catered by Boscov’s, cost $20/adult, $10/child, $50 max/family. Babysitting will be available. Call April 610-434-4648 prior to September 16. Shabbat Morning, “What Has Happened to the Jewish People in the Last 3,000 Years?” SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 Community Selichot Service 9 p.m., JCC of Allentown. Join the community for selichot services and a program open to all. Judge Dan Butler will present on: “My Son Has a Half Hour to Live and They’re Towing My Car: Making the Most of a Bad Day.” Services will begin at 10 p.m., followed by a coffee and dessert reception. (There will be separate Orthodox services conducted by clergy at the JCC.) SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 PJ Library Fly Off to the New Year with Aladdin 10 a.m., JCC of Allentown. Enjoy a delicious familyfriendly breakfast with Aladdin on his magic carpet. We’ll have Rosh Hashanah crafts, face painting, photos with Aladdin and a PJ Library story. Come dressed as your favorite character! $6 JCC member child, one free adult per child; $3 additional adults; $11 non-JCC member child, $3 non-JCC member adult. To register, visit the JCC Welcome Desk or call 610-435-3571. For more information please contact Brenda Finberg at bfinberg@lvjcc.org. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 JFLV Community Patrons Reception 7 p.m., JCC of Allentown. BE THERE for the first ever Community Patrons Reception, celebrating households that have made a minimum commitment of $1,800 to the Jewish Federation’s 2015 Campaign for Jewish Needs. Wine and cheese reception featuring guest speaker Alina Spaulding, who will share her moving story of emigration from the former Soviet Union. Dietary laws observed. Please RSVP by Monday, September 22, by calling 610-821-5500, e-mailing judy@jflv.org, or registering at www.jewishlehighvalley.org.
FRIDAYS 8 - 9:30 AM WMUH 91.7 Featuring Cantor Wartell muhlenberg.edu/wmuh
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2 TBE Healing Service 7 p.m., Temple Beth El. We will be creating a safe space to bring our pain, our questions and our yearning. This one-hour service will be held in the Hammel Family Chapel. The service will include music, silent meditation, traditional prayers and Torah study. The entire community is invited to participate. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3 IJCU First Friday Luncheon Discussion 12 p.m., Muhlenberg College, Seegers Union, Rooms 111-112. Genetic testing and its ethical implications with Dena Davis, professor of bioethics at Lehigh University. Free and open to the public. To learn more, visit www.ijcu.org. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4 Gateway to the New Year: A PJ Library Family Neilah Program for Yom Kippur 6:45 p.m., Temple Beth El. Let’s go, Jonah! Travel along with Jonah on his journey. Your passport will be your guide from station to station on this Yom Kippur journey. Held concurrently with the main Neilah service, including family activity for adults WITH their children: Interactive for all ages! Procession to main sanctuary for Havdallah with light sticks. RSVP REQUESTED. Additional info or questions? Contact: Shari Spark, 610-435-3521, shari@bethelallentown.org. Concludes with shofar blowing at 7:30 p.m. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28 Election Forum: The Balance of Power 7:30 p.m., Congregation Brith Sholom. Get insight into the upcoming gubernatorial contest and what issues will have the greatest impact and learn how gerrymandering has affected the election system. Congregation Brith Sholom’s Adult Education Committee and the JFLV Community Relations Council are pleased to host a conversation on the upcoming elections with Dr. Chris Borick, director of the Institute of Public Opinion, Muhlenberg College, and Dr. Gordon Goldberg, professor emeritus of history, Kutztown University. Free and open to the community. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29 Imagining Jews Presents Jewish Feminism: Religious and Secular 7 p.m., Muhlenberg College Hillel. Jewish studies professors Dr. Vanessa Ochs and Dr. Laura Levitt will take on the topic of Jewish feminism from both the religious and secular perspectives at an upcoming panel discussion, part of the “Imagining Jews” series about the portrayal of Jews in different medium. The event is sponsored by the Philip and Muriel Berman Center for Jewish Studies at Lehigh University, the Jewish Studies program at Muhlenberg College, the Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding at Muhlenberg College and the Women’s Division of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. Program is free and open to the public thanks to a generous grant from the Legacy Heritage Jewish Studies Project. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29 ‘What’s So Moral About Making Money’ with Rabbi Daniel Lapin 7:30 p.m., Moravian College, Foy Hall. The Economics & Business Department and Institutional Advancement are sponsoring a lecture by Rabbi Daniel Lapin entitled “What’s So Moral About Making Money.” The event is free and open to the public. Following the program, there will be a book signing and reception with Rabbi Lapin and two of his best-selling and influential books “Thou Shall Prosper” and “Business Secrets from the Bible” at 9:15 p.m. in the art gallery.
Celebrate the beauty of Shabbat
Shabbat & Yom Tov Candlelighting Times Friday, Sept. 5
7:09 pm
Friday, Sept. 26
6:33 pm
Friday, Sept. 12
6:57 pm
Friday, Oct. 3
6:22 pm
Friday, Sept. 19
6:45 pm
Friday, Oct. 10
6:11 pm
Community Calendar Ongoing Events SUNDAY to FRIDAY DAF YOMI 7:30 a.m., Congregation Sons of Israel Are you intrigued by thought-provoking, stimulating and provocative religious discussion? Are you enamored by the depth and scope of the Jewish legal system? Are you curious about Judaism’s perspective on marriage, tort law, Jewish burial, holiday observance, prayer, blessings and, for that matter, nearly any Jewish topic? Then Sons of Israel’s daily “Daf Yomi” class is for you. Meeting all year long, this class covers the gamut of Talmudic law, studying one page of the talmud each day, and completing the talmud over the course of seven and a half years. Basic Jewish background is recommended. SUNDAYS JEWISH WAR VETERANS POST 239 2nd Sunday of the month, 10 a.m., JCC of Allentown Veterans and their significant others are invited as the guest of the Ladies Auxiliary. Come and enjoy comradeship; we’ll even listen to your “war stories.” A brunch follows each meeting. Questions? Contact Commander Sheila Berg at 610-285-2729 or sh-berg1@hotmail.com. TEFILLIN CLUB & ADULT HEBREW SCHOOL 9:30 a.m. Tefillin; 10 to 11 a.m. Adult Hebrew, Chabad Tefillin is for Jewish men and boys over the age of Bar Mitzvah, to learn about, and gain appreciation for, the rich and enriching Jewish practice - the mitzvah - of donning Tefillin. Adult Hebrew is an opportunity for you to learn about your heritage and expand your Jewish knowledge so that you can keep up with your child. Contact 610-351-6511. TSS HEBREW & ADULT EDUCATION CLASSES 10 a.m., JCC of Allentown Interested in learning Hebrew for the first time or brushing up your skills? Marcia Berkow teaches adult Hebrew beginning at 10 a.m., followed at 11 a.m. by David Vaida, who will you take you through the great moments across all 5,774 years of Jewish history. Free and open to all. RSVP at learnwithus@templeshiratshalom.org or 610-820-7666. TALMUD CLASS FOR BEGINNERS! 10 to 11 a.m., Congregation Beth Avraham of Bethlehem-Easton For information,contact Rabbi Yitzchok I. Yagod at 610-905-2166. MONDAYS FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., JCC of Allentown Friendship Circle is a place for people to meet, make new friends and enjoy each other’s company. We welcome all adults over 50. Friendship Circle meets weekly for lively and enjoyable programs and a delicious lunch. Annual dues $25; paid up members are treated to two major programs with a catered luncheon. Regular weekly meetings and lunch - $6. First visit - NO CHARGE. THE RHYTHM OF JEWISH LIVING 8 to 9 p.m., Temple Beth El Taught by Rabbi Moshe Re’em. This course will examine the ideas, beliefs and practices that define and shape Jewish life through daily, weekly, annual and lifecycle observances. The is designed as a year-long course for those wishing to learn more about the religious observances of Judaism, theology of the holidays and ritual practices. The course is organized around the Jewish calendar, but includes other daily Jewish rituals. TUESDAYS THE EVOLUTION OF JEWISH PRAYER 10:45 a.m., JCC of Allentown Rabbi Wilensky takes this class through time and space as he traces the development of Tefillah from antiquity to modern times. Sponsored by Congregation Sons of Israel. YACHAD TORAH STUDY GROUP 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., JCC of Allentown It doesn’t matter how much you know, it matters how much you want to know. Bring your curiosity to thet Yachad Torah study group and discover the wonders, adventures and meaning of the Torah. Each FREE session is taught by one of our dedicated clergy members or a respected Jewish educator. Held in the Teachers’ Learning Center/Holocaust Resource Room (lower level, JCC). Call 610-435-3571 for information about individual sessions.
JFS-LV’S YIDDISH CLUB 1:30 p.m., Jewish Family Service Kibbitz in the mama loshen! You don’t need to be fluent — just come and enjoy! Call 610-821-8722 for more information.
ORTHODOX JEWISH LIVING: WHAT IS IT & HOW? 8 p.m. To learn more, contact Rabbi Yizchok I. Yagod, 610-905-2166 or rabbiyagod1@gmail.com
100,000 MILES/YR FOR KOSHER! First Tuesday of the month, 7 p.m., Congregation Beth Avraham Open to all. Fascinating vignettes from a mashgiach who drives approximately 100,000 miles/year (yes, per year!) to keep the kosher supply chain intact. From rural Arkansas to frigid Nova Scotia, winter and summer, the demands are always there. Contact Rabbi Yitzchok I. Yagod, Kashruth Hotline (24/6), 610-905-2166, rabbiyagod1@gmail.com.
THURSDAYS
LATTE & LEARN 8 to 9 p.m., Starbucks, Schoenersville Road, Bethlehem Grab your favorite Starbucks quaff and jump right in as we relate the weekly Torah portion to world events, western civilization and even our own relationships. No Hebrew is required, but a spirit of inquiry and a sense of humor might come in handy! Contact Rabbi Mizrachi 207-404-0474; opshiloh@gmail.com; www.torahovereasy. blogspot.com.
MOMMY & ME 10:30 to 11:15 a.m., Chabad Led by Morah Devorah Halperin and Mrs. Alli Lipson, Mommy & Me is an innovative program for babies and toddlers to experience Jewish traditions in a stimulating, fun and creative atmosphere. Cost is $10 per class, $40 for full session. For information and to register, morahdevorah@chabadlehighvalley.com.
WEDNESDAYS FOOD AROUND THE WORLD: ITS IMPACT ON HISTORY AND CULTURE 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Congregation Brith Sholom A new course on the history of food and its connection to culture and belief. The course will be presented through watching Professor Ken Albala (PhD Columbia University) deliver two half-hour lectures each session (via DVD), interrupted by supplementary presentations and discussion. Tuition for the course is $18 (make check payable to Congregation Brith Sholom) which covers 18 class sessions this spring and next fall along with all supplementary donations of food samples and invitations to a variety of lunches following most classes. Register with Tammy at Brith Sholom: 610-866-8009. Questions? Call Rabbi Gerard at 610-248-1588. Rabbi Gerard will moderate the course. JEWISH CURRENT EVENTS First Wednesday of the Month, 1:15 p.m., Country Meadows, Bethlehem Rabbi Stein conducts a current events class at Country Meadows. Residents express their opinions and have the opportunity to ask questions. Sponsored by Bnai Abraham Synagogue. For more information, call 610-258-5343. HADASSAH STUDY GROUP Every other Wednesday, 1:30 p.m., Temple Beth El Allentown Hadassah presents a stimulating series of short story seminars. All are welcome to attend these free sessions in the Temple Beth El library. The group will be reading selections from anthologies available from Amazon.com. For dates and stories, e-mail Lolly Siegel at spscomm@ aol.com or call 610-439-1851. BETH AVRAHAM TORAH STUDY 7 p.m., Congregation Beth Avraham Torah: It is the common heritage that binds all Jews together. Explore the ancient healing wisdom of Torah together. All are welcome. Who knows? It might even be fun! RSVP: Rabbi Yitzchok I. Yagod, 610-905-2166, rabbiyagod1@gmail.com. EXPLORATIONS IN SHOFTIM (JUDGES) 7 p.m., Sons of Israel Facilitated by Mrs. Abby Weiner, this is one of the Allentown’s most popular classes and a continuation of last year’s Explorations in Yehoshua. This class provides in-depth study of the text, and provides critical historical context for the events that follow in Jewish history. HUSBANDS ANONYMOUS First Wednesday of the month, 7:30 p.m., location provided upon signup Calling all wives! Send your husbands to this class! Rabbi WIlensky guides us on how to become more attentive, caring, sensitive partners, and how to strengthen and deepen our spousal relationships in the context of Torah. Contact Sons of Israel for exact dates and locations. TORAH STUDIES: A WEEKLY JOURNEY INTO THE SOUL OF TORAH 7:30 p.m., Chabad Torah Studies by JLI presents: Season Four: A 12-part series. Cost is $36 for the complete 12-week series (textbook included). For more information contact 610-3516511 or Rabbi@chabadlehighvalley.com.
ADULT EDUCATION CLASS 10:15 to 11:15 a.m., Bnai Abraham Synagogue No preparation or prior knowledge is required. Rabbi Daniel Stein leads an eager-to-learn group. We examine the Torah, Judaism, the holidays, Hebrew and Yiddish literature, well-known stories and poetry. Cost: $10 each semester. Contact 610-258-5343, office@bnaiabraham.org.
WHERE CHRISTIANITY & JUDAISM DIFFER 10:45 a.m., JCC of Allentown Have you ever had to explain Judaism to non-Jewish co-workers? With sensitivity and tact, Rabbi Wilensky discusses both the commonalities and divergences between the Jewish and Christian faith systems. Sponsored by Congregation Sons of Israel.
Congregations BNAI ABRAHAM SYNAGOGUE 1545 Bushkill St., Easton – 610.258.5343 Rabbi Daniel Stein, Conservative MORNING MINYAN services are Thursday mornings at 7:25 a.m., SHABBAT EVENING services are Fridays at 8 p.m., SHABBAT MORNING services are Saturdays at 9:30 a.m., RELIGIOUS SCHOOL classes are Wednesdays at 4:15 p.m. and Sundays at 9:30 a.m.. CHABAD OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY 4457 Crackersport Rd., Allentown – 610.336.6603 Rabbi Yaacov Halperin, Chabad Lubavitch SHABBAT EVENING services are held once a month seasonally, SHABBAT MORNING services are held Saturdays at 10 a.m., RELIGIOUS SCHOOL classes are held Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. and Sundays at 10 a.m. CONGREGATION AM HASKALAH 1190 W. Macada Rd., Bethlehem – 610.435.3775 Student Rabbi Leiah Moser, Reconstructionist Weekly Shabbat services and a monthly family service with potluck dinner. Religious school meets Sunday mornings. Email am.haskalah.office@gmail.com to learn more. CONGREGATION BETH AVRAHAM 439 South Nulton Ave., Palmer Township – 610.905.2166 | Rabbi Yitzchok Yagod, Orthodox SHABBAT EVENING starts half an hour after candle lighting. SHABBAT MORNING starts at 9:30 a.m., followed by a hot kiddish.
FRIDAYS
CONGREGATION BRITH SHOLOM 1190 W. Macada Rd., Bethlehem – 610.866.8009 Rabbi Michael Singer, Conservative MINYAN is at 7:45 a.m. on Mondays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. on Saturdays and holidays. RELIGIOUS SCHOOL classes every Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. at Brith Sholom and Sundays at 9:30 a.m. at Bnai Abraham Synagogue.
TCP TOT SHABBAT SERVICE 4th Friday of the month, 5 p.m., Temple Covenant of Peace This wonderful program introduces children to Shabbat ritual and songs with activities designed especially for our youngest congregants and their families. Arts and crafts, stories and prayer round out the children’s activities.
CONGREGATION KENESETH ISRAEL 2227 Chew St., Allentown – 610.435.9074 Rabbi Seth D. Phillips | Cantor Jennifer Duretz Peled, Reform Services begin at 7:30 p.m. every Friday night. The first Friday of the month is a FAMILY SERVICE and celebration of birthdays and anniversaries. RELIGIOUS SCHOOL classes are held Wednesdays at 4 p.m. and Sundays at 9:30 a.m.
SIMCHA SHABBAT 1st Friday of the month, 6:30 p.m., Bnai Abraham Synagogue Please join us for our musical Simcha Shabbat and stay for a special oneg to follow. For more information please call Bnai Abraham Synagogue at 610-2585343.
CONGREGATION SONS OF ISRAEL 2715 Tilghman St., Allentown – 610.433.6089 Rabbi David Wilensky, Orthodox SHACHARIT: Sundays at 8:30 a.m., Mondays and Thursdays at 6:30 a.m., Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 6:45 a.m. MINCHAH/MAARIV: 20 minutes before sunset. FRIDAY EVENING: 20 minutes before sunset, 7 p.m. in the summer. SHABBAT MORNING: 9 a.m. SHABBAT AFTERNOON: 90 minutes before dark.
TORAH ON TILGHMAN 12:15 p.m., Allentown Wegmans Cantor Ellen Sussman of Temple Shirat Shalom leads a lunch and learn on the Torah. Shopping is optional. RSVP to contactus@ templeshiratshalom.com or 610-820-7666.
SHABBAT BEGINNER’S GEMARA 8 a.m., Congregation Sons of Israel Facilitated by Dr. Henry Grossbard, this is an excellent primer for developing the analytical tools necessary for in-depth study of the Talmud. Dr. Grossbard, a dynamic and erudite scholar in his own right, helps students understand the argumentbehind-the-argument, using Rashi, Tosafos and commentaries. JAVA AND JEANS 4th Saturday of the month, 10 a.m., Bnai Abraham Synagogue Join us for our monthly Shabbat service to discuss current topics of interest as they relate to Jewish laws and practices. For more detailed information, call 610-2585343. CHAVURAT TORAH STUDY Each Shabbat following kiddush lunch, Temple Beth El No sign-up needed for this class. Taught by Shari Spark. Enrich your Shabbat experience by studying the parashat hashavua, the weekly Torah portion, with other congregants, each Shabbat in the library at approximately 12:45 p.m. No previous knowledge or longterm commitments are required to participate as we discuss Torah together.
TEMPLE BETH EL 1305 Springhouse Rd., Allentown – 610.435.3521 Rabbi Moshe Re’em | Cantor Kevin Wartell Conservative Weekday morning minyan services at 7:45 a.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m. Shabbat evening services at 7:30 p.m. with the last Friday evening of the month featuring our Shira Chadasha Service . Shabbat morning services at 9 a.m. followed by Kiddush. Religious school classes every Tuesday/ Thursday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 10 a.m. Midrasha school classes Monday at 7 p.m. Shalshelet — Temple Beth El’s new innovative high school program — meets bi-monthly on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. Shalshelet (the chain) is open to ALL 10th-, 11th- and 12th-grade students in the Lehigh Valley. For more information contact Alicia Zahn, religlious school director, at school at bethelallentown.org.
ISSUES IN CONTEMPORARY HALACHAH 12 p.m., Congregation Sons of Israel Applying the ancient wisdom of Jewish Law to modern challenges is one of the most fascinating aspects of Jewish life. Join Rabbi Wilensky as he takes Halachah from the weekly Torah portion and brings it to bear on some of the most pressing issues of our time.
TEMPLE COVENANT OF PEACE 1451 Northampton St., Easton – 610.253.2031 Tcp@rcn.com; tcopeace.org Rabbi Melody Davis | Cantor Jill Pakman Reform TCP holds Shabbat evening services every Friday night at 7:30 p.m. and a Renewal Style Shabbat morning service on the 4th Saturday of the month at 10:30 a.m. A Family Shabbat Service is held on the second Friday night of each month at 6:30 p.m. Our services reflect a diverse culture of traditional, innovative and musical experiences with a Reform Jewish context. Religious School meets on Sunday mornings from 9:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. We have a Family Game / Movie night on the first Saturday of every month at 6 p.m. For more information about our Temple and activities, see our website at www.tcopeace.org or look us up on Facebook.
BNEI AKIVA 5:45 p.m., Congregation Sons of Israel An Israel-centered fun program for kids ages eight to 14. This program is free and open to the public. For information and to RSVP, call 610-433-6089.
TEMPLE SHIRAT SHALOM Cantor Ellen Sussman Friday night SHABBAT WORSHIP SERVICES held at 7 p.m. at The Swain School, 1100 South 24th St., Allentown. For more information, Contact Us at templeshiratshalom.org or 610-820-7666.
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2014 31
weis L’Shana Tova! quality since 1912
Weis Markets extends to you and your family a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!
David Elliot Fresh Kosher Whole or Cut-up Chicken
2.69 $2.99 $13.99
$ per pound
Whole Frozen Kosher Turkeys
Chicken Breast Fillet $4.99 per lb
U
per pound
Fresh Beef Brisket
U
per pound
Round Challah
3.29
Plain or w/ raisins - each
$ Rokeach Memorial Candles
99 Each
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Manischewitz Potato Pancake Mix - 6 ounce
2/ 6 $
Kedem Apple Juice
Golden Blintzes
$
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Kosher Parve
PAS YISRAEL
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Manischewitz Gefilte Fish
8.99 2/ 6 12 ounce
24 ounce
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Tabatchnick Soups
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Weis Proudly Accepts
Prices Effective September 14 through October 18, 2014.
We also carry many of your favorite Kosher deli, dairy, frozen and grocery products.
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