The two-day Jewish holiday of Shavuot, that begins this year at sunset Thursday, May 28, tells story of the Jewish people, our Torah, and welcoming others into the tribe. Shavuot is also a time when we read the Book of Ruth – honoring a woman of deep faith, who adopted not only a Jewish identity but a Jewish destiny, whose story is one of love and devotion, and whose legacy echoes through the generations. PAGE 12
The Face of Tikkun
High School science teacher Zach Towne, head of the New England Jewish Academy’s Curtis Robinson Center for Business and Innovation, produces reusable face shields using the CRC’s 3D printers and laser cutters.
Mamaloschen!
Tired of sitting at home on shiplkes? So, nu, why not get off your tuches and learn a bisseleh Yiddish?
Former Vice President Joe Biden, the 2020 presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, calls on Israel to “stop the threat of annexation and stop settlement activity because it’ll choke off any hope of peace.”
Shavuot on the Table
Shavuot is known as the holiday on which we eat dairy foods. But there is another ingredient associated with Shavuot that, while less familiar to Ashkenazi Jews, has a long and storied history in Sephardic Jewish cuisine: rosewater.
SHAVUOT, 1ST NIGHT THURSDAY, MAY 28
Hartford: 7:59 p.m.
New Haven: 7:59 p.m.
Bridgeport: 8:00 p.m. Stamford: 8:01 p.m.
SHABBAT & SHAVUOT, 2ND NIGHT, FRIDAY, MAY 29
(Light candles from a pre-exiting flame)
Hartford: 8:00 p.m.
New Haven: 8:00 p.m.
Bridgeport: 8:01 p.m.
Stamford: 8:02 p.m.
To determine the time for Havdalah, add one hour and 10 minutes (to be safe) to candle lighting time.
Olam
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UP FRONT
CONNECTICUT JEWISH LEDGER | SINCE 1929 | MAY 29, 2020 | 6 SIVAN 5780
New England Jewish Academy teacher creates 3D face shields in school’s innovation center
BY STACEY DRESNER
WEST HARTFORD – In an effort to offer aid to first responders and medical personnel dealing with the COVID-19 crisis, several New England Jewish Academy (NEJA) students have been creating disposable face shields using clear binder covers, weather-stripping, and ribbon.
While the students were working hard at home on their face shields, Zach Towne, a NEJA upper school science teacher and head of the school’s Curtis Robinson Center (CRC) for Business and Innovation –which is described on the school’s website as “a space to explore entrepreneurship, creativity, innovation and non-linear thinking with state-of-the-art resources and tools” – worked to create reusable face shields using the CRC’s 3D printers and laser cutters.
“Originally, the school saw the global efforts to help and felt a strong need to support both the Jewish community and the community at large. Since opening the Curtis Robinson Center, the idea of tikkun olam has been a central tenet that we’ve been looking to develop, and this presented the right moment,” said Towne, a biology, AP biology and anatomy teacher at the Jewish high school, which is located in West Hartford, and serves the Jewish communities of West Hartford and New Haven in Connecticut and Springfield in Massachusetts.
“My specific motivations were to contribute to the pandemic in a thoughtful and intentional way. We certainly have a privilege in our access to the CRC and we wanted to leverage that to the benefit of everyone around us,” he told the Ledger Towne had learned that Prusa, a company in the Czech Republic, had designed templates for sturdy, reusable face shields using 3D printers and laser cutters. He was able to get the templates free from Prusa, which like many companies and universities, are sharing their plans for different products globally in the interest of serving the greater community, especially in this time of crisis.
“It’s all an open source,” Towne said. “It’s all free and everyone is pretty collaborative. That is sort of the spirit of the
whole thing. It’s a way that everyone can contribute right now.”
Although NEJA has been closed since mid-March, Towne has had permission to access its Curtis Robinson Center, so after getting the template for the face shields from Prusa, he got to work.
“The laser cutter uses a laser to cut specific shapes out of materials, so we used a laser cutter to cut the shields out of a sheet of plexiglass,” he explained. “The plexiglass has to be relatively thin in order to bend to the contour of your face, and it has to be flexible and not just shatter when you try to put any pressure on to it.”
The 3D printer came into play when making the orange plastic headbands that sit on the forehead. The template for the headbands is sent from a computer to the 3D printer where plastic filament melts and then is shaped into the headband form.
An adjustable elastic band is also attached to the shield, which goes around the back of the head to make it tighter. Each face shield costs about $5 to make and is one-size-fits-all.
It wasn’t always smooth sailing. Town encountered a roadblock at the beginning of the project when he found that the supply
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ELECTION 2020
Joe Biden
to
Jewish
donors:
‘I do not support annexation’
BY RON KAMPEAS
(JTA) – Joe Biden said that as president he would reverse Trump administration policies that have led to Israeli plans to annex parts of the West Bank.
“I do not support annexation,” the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee told Jewish donors on Tuesday during a fundraising webinar. “I’m going to reverse Trump administration steps which I think significantly undercut the prospects of peace.”
Biden, the former vice president, was referring to the Trump administration’s vision for peace released earlier this year that would allow Israel to annex parts of the West Bank. As a result, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he plans to extend Israeli sovereignty to areas of Jewish settlement as early as July 1.
Biden’s aides have said that he opposed annexation, but this was the first time Biden himself expressed it, and that he pledged to undo Trump administration policies. He has said elsewhere that one policy of President Donald Trump he would not change is moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem.
At another point in the webinar, Biden said Israel needs to “stop the threat of annexation and stop settlement activity because it’ll choke off any hope of peace.”
Biden repeated a pledge not to leverage assistance to Israel to influence its policy. Some on the Democratic Party’s left have pressed party leaders to adopt that policy.
“I’m not going to place conditions on security assistance given the serious threats they face. I think it would be irresponsible,” he said.
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THE ORANGE PLASTIC HEADBANDS CREATED USING NEJA’S 3D PRINTER.
NEJA
of local plexiglass had been depleted. “Even the Home Depot was completely empty,” Towne noted.
He was finally managed to secure 100 sheets of the plexiglass from a company in California.
Getting the plastic filament was easier.
“The company that makes 3D printers has been pretty good about keeping the filament in stock,” he said. “We’ve gone through one two-pound roll, which is enough to make roughly 20 of those bands, so we just ordered four more, which should make about 100 bands.”
Towne says he made a few mistakes at first.
“I had to redesign the face shield to fit properly to the bands. It took me a while to get the measurement exactly right. So, I went through 15 of the plexiglass sheets because they kept cracking, and if they crack you can’t use them because that’s a surface for bacteria or virus to get through,” he said.
Towne was able to share his accomplishment with his NEJA students online.
“[During the quarantine] I have held a lot of my classes in the CRC and walked my students through the steps [for creating the shields],” he says. “While I decided to make the shields before showing the process to the kids, I thought it was important to highlight that we can all take action right now, even if we’re stuck at home…I
especially remember showing the students the first mask where the pieces fit together because I thought I was going insane after a few failures.”
Towne says that NEJA students soon will be involved in the production process.
When he spoke with the Ledger late last week, Towne reported that he was getting ready to train a student to make the printed masks at the school, “so that we can increase output and get the students further involved,” he said.
Dr. Isaac “Yitz” Moss, co-president of NEJA, said told the Ledger that the school is currently looking into where they can donate the face shields. One recipient will be UConn Health in Farmington, where Moss is an assistant professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, and where Towne himself will be entering medical school in September.
Moss said he is also hoping that they can donate some of the shields to other community organizations that might need them, like Hebrew Healthcare.
“The purpose of the Curtis Robinson Center for Business and Innovation is, first, [to serve] students, but we also realize that NEJA is a community organization and this is a very tangible way that we can give back to the community during this crisis,” Moss told the Ledger. “We are excited that we have the resources in our school and the ability to provide this service to the community.”
Election
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
Biden said he would resume assistance to the Palestinians, but comply with laws passed by Congress that withholds aid unless the Palestinian Authority ceases payments to imprisoned Palestinians who have killed Israelis and Americans.
Biden said he was an advocate during the Obama administration for pressing the Palestinians for accountability at times that others in the administration sought to pressure Israel. Chatting with Dan Shapiro, the former U.S. ambassador to Israel and a member of the Obama National Security Council, he recalled a meeting in which others present said “‘we’ve really got to take on the Israelis
for doing A, B, C and D’ and I said ‘yeah, but what about the Palestinians?’”
He told Deborah Lipstadt, the Holocaust historian who joined the webinar to probe Biden on his views about anti-Semitism, that at times criticism of Israel on the left, including his party’s left, could cross into antiSemitism.
“We have to condemn it and that’s what I’ve got in trouble for doing,” he said. Criticism of Israel is legitimate, but “too often that criticism from the left morphs into anti-Semitism, blaming Israel for all the wrongs in the Middle East, questioning Israel’s right to exist.”
SOME OF THE REUSABLE FACE SHIELDS NEJA IS DONATING TO MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS DEALING WITH THE COVID-19 CRISIS.
NEJA SCIENCE TEACHER ZACH TOWNE.
Briefs
GWU defends appointment of BDS-supporter as interim dean
(JNS) George Washington University released a statement on Monday, May 18, dis-approving the anti-Israel BDS movement, while also defending the appointment earlier this month of the interim dean of its Elliott School of International Affairs. Ilana Feldman, vice dean of the Elliott School and professor of anthropology, history and international affairs, will serve as the school’s interim dean while a search is underway for a permanent successor to veteran U.S. diplomat Reuben Brigety II, announced GW provost Brian Blake on May 11.
Her appointment came under fire from members of the pro-Israel community, including the GW pro-Israel student group, GW for Israel.
In a university statement, Blake said: “We have listened and heard the concerns from some members of our community about the appointment of Dr. Ilana Feldman as interim Dean of the Elliott School of International Affairs and personal views she has ex-pressed about the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
“The university’s policy on the BDS movement is very clear – GW does not support divestment or other actions called for by BDS. While the University supports academic freedom for all, members of the administration – including those in an acting or interim capacity – are required to comply with all University policies or actions, including those on BDS, and foster an atmosphere that allows all voices to be equally heard. As vice dean, and now as interim dean, Dr. Feldman has and will adhere to all of our policies and specifically committed to adhering to GWU’s policy regarding freedom of expression.
“The University also prioritizes the safety and security of everyone in our community. We do not tolerate discrimination in any form, including anti-Semitism and racism. We believe in an inclusive and robust community that respects all points of view.”
Prayer services get the OK in NYC, but some Orthodox rabbis say to wait (JTA) – Despite Wednesday’s announcement that New York state will now allow religious services to resume with up to 10 people, some Orthodox rabbis are saying not so fast. A group of 27 Orthodox rabbis on suburban Long Island announced last night that they will not immediately resume in-person services. “Please continue to show
the patience and respect that has enabled us to get to this point and continue to maintain proper social distancing,” the rabbis wrote in an email distributed to at least one of the rabbi’s synagogues. “We anticipate being able to start Minyanim in the very near future, and we look forward to sending out that information when appropriate.”
The announcement comes on the heels of tensions in Orthodox communities on Long Island and across the country over when and how to resume services as infection rates drop and the country reopens. While some rabbis in the haredi parts of the Orthodox community have allowed services to resume outdoors in recent weeks, many Modern Orthodox rabbis have continued to discourage them.
The decision by the Long Island rabbis is in line with guidance that the Orthodox Union, an organization representing mostly Modern Orthodox synagogues, offered earlier this month cautioning that services should not resume until 14 days after gatherings of 10 people were allowed.
Cyberattack on Israeli websites: ‘countdown to Israel’s destruction has begun’
(JTA) – A number of Israeli websites were victims of a cyberattack on Thursday morning, May 21, by a group of hackers to mark Al-Quds Day. “The countdown of Israel destruction has begun since a long time ago,” reads the warning message in Hebrew and broken English. The words are accompanied with images of a destroyed Tel Aviv, links to anti-Israel YouTube videos and more threatening phrases. Some Israeli re-ports said hundreds of websites were attacked on the eve of Jerusalem Day, though the National Cyber Bureau said that “a host of Israeli websites were hacked in the morning hours in a suspected Iranian cyberattack.”
Al-Quds Day, which was first declared by Iran in 1979, is marked throughout the Arab world with demonstrations against Israel and expressing support for Palestinians. It is held on the last Friday of Ramadan. Jerusalem Day marks the reunification of Israel’s capital in 1967. The handful of hackers, calling themselves Hackers of Saviour, are from Turkey, North Africa and the Gaza Strip and have been active since last month, the information security firm Check Point told Israel’s Kan public broadcaster.
Government websites were not attacked, according to the National Cyber Bureau. The bureau said it was notified last week that there were likely to be cyberattacks on Israel to mark Al-Quds Day, as there have been in previous years.
The affected websites appear to come from private servers of one private company, according to the bureau, which Ynet’s Calcalist business website identified
as Upress.
The hacking comes after back-and-forth attacks alleged to be between Israel and Iran. In April, Iran launched a cyberattack on Israel’s civilian water system. Israel has been blamed for a cyberattack earlier this month on Iran’s Shahid Rajaee port, which snarled cargo traffic for days.
Hungary, Austria, warn EU against ‘double standard’ on Israel
(Israel Hayom via JNS) Hungary and Austria on Wednesday , May 20, warned their counterparts in the European Union against endorsing a double standard against Israel with regard to E.U. resolutions. Budapest and Vienna have consistently been the sole opponents of the harsh criticism expressed by E.U. foreign policy chief Josep Borrell against the Jewish state since Israel’s government said it plans to go ahead with plans to apply Israeli law to large parts of Judea and Samaria. Borrell said last week that he will explore the option of imposing sanctions on Israel if it goes through with the move, which is endorsed by the United States.
The 27-nation European Union decides on foreign policy moves by consensus, but Borrell has repeatedly disregarded the opposition of a minority of member states to his threats against and condemnations of Israel. On Monday night, May 18, Borrell, with the support of 25 E.U. member states, issued a statement saying, “We strongly urge Israel to refrain from any unilateral decision that would lead to the annexation of any occupied Palestinian territory and would be, as such, contrary to International Law.”
Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said his country rejects “prejudice” against Israel and called to hold a dialogue with the new government. According to The Jerusalem Post, Austria and Hungary urged Borrell to invite Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi to the E.U. Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Friday, May 22. The Israeli Foreign Ministry criticized Borrell’s belligerent rhetoric, saying, it does a disservice to the European Union, especially if it wants to be taken seriously by Israel and the United States. Hungary and Austria opposed Borrell’s previous statements against Israel.
U.S. Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft called on Israelis and Palestinians to return to the negotiating table. “This council cannot dictate the end to this conflict,” she said. “We can only encourage the parties to sit down together to determine how they wish to make progress.”
Israeli inventors create face mask with slot for eating in public
(JTA) – Israeli restaurants will reopen this
week and require about 5 feet between pa-trons, but what about people who aren’t ready to take off their masks when they eat in public? Some Israeli inventors have created a face mask for the coronavirus age that will allow wearers to eat food without removing it. The mask has a slot that opens with a hand remote lever to allow food to go through, Reuters first reported. Drippy dishes might not fare very well, the story said, but solid foods “can be gobbled up in a flash a la Pac-Man.” The developer, Tel Aviv-area based Avtipus Patents and Inventions, told Reuters that it has already submitted a patent for the mask and plans to start manufacturing in the next few months.
U.S. names deputy special envoy to combat antisemitism
(JNS) David Peyman has been tapped as the U.S. State Department’s deputy special envoy to combat antisemitism for BDS, Eurasia and special projects. “We are pleased to announce that David Peyman joined the Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism (SEAS) as the Assistant Special Envoy for Eurasian Affairs and Strategic Projects,” a State Department spokesperson told JNS on Tuesday. “In this role, he is the lead on antisemitism occurring in Europe and much of Asia. David will also serve as the lead on certain strategic projects, including the global Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel.”
Previously, Peyman, a lawyer, served as deputy assistant secretary of state for counter-threat finance and sanctions – a term that concluded on April 5, according to the State Department’s website. He served as Jewish affairs and outreach director for the 2016 Trump-Pence campaign and on the presidential transition team.
Led by Elan Carr, SEAS includes Ellie Cohanim, deputy special envoy to combat anti-Semitism, “who focuses on Middle Eastern and Latin American affairs, and assistant special envoy Efraim Cohen, who addresses the issue of antisemitism on the Internet and social media,” according to the State Department.
Most Israelis with COVID-19 had strain that originated in U.S.
(JTA) – Most Israelis who had the COVID19 virus were infected with a strain that originated in the United States. About 70% of the infected patients were infected by Americans visiting Israel or by Israelis who brought the virus back with them from the United States, according to research from Tel Aviv University. This could be because visitors from the U.S. have more contact with native Israelis. Most of the other 30% who got the virus were infected with a strain
that came from Europe. No cases in Israel originated directly from China or other Asian countries, according to the study, which was widely reported in the Israeli media. The genetic study was led by Dr. Adi Stern of the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology in the George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences at Tel Aviv University. The study also found that a small number of “super spreaders” were responsible for most of the infections.
Some 212 Israelis who contracted the coronavirus participated in the study.
Objects hidden by Auschwitz prisoners discovered (JTA) – Utensils, tools and scraps of leather were found in a prisoners’ block at Auschwitz during renovation and restoration work. The objects were discovered last month hidden beneath a chimney flue in block 17 of the main camp, Austria’s National Fund for Victims of National Socialism told the AFP news service. The fund’s secretary general, Hannah Lessing, told AFP that the objects – knives, forks and spoons, scissors, hooks, pieces of leather and parts of shoes – could mean that the prisoners were planning an escape or they were used to survive the Nazi camp. They have been handed over to the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum for conservation.
Items still occasionally turn up when work is done on the Auschwitz buildings.
Teen who had virtual ‘Friends’ bar mitzvah gets visit from Courteney Cox (JTA) – A British teen got more than he bargained for with his virtual “Friends”themed bar mitzvah – a video visit two months later from one of the hit sitcom’s stars. Naftali Arden invited dozens of family and friends from England, Israel and the United States to attend his virtual rite in March, but some 4,000 fans of the show logged on as well, the London-based Jewish Chronicle reported. The bar mitzvah was believed to be the first virtual celebration to come out of the United Kingdom. The response landed Naftali an appearance via video chat on “The Late Late Show” with James Corden, a fellow “Friends” fanatic, on Monday night, May 18. (Naftali says he has seen the entire series seven times.) After Corden recapped the bar mitzvah, he invited a second guest to the video chat, saying “A friend of mine was also impressed by your whole bar mitzvah and she wanted to pop in and say hi, too.” Courteney Cox, who played Monica Geller, then appeared on a split screen. “Oh my gosh, hello!” Naftali said.
Plans for his bar mitzvah had called for tables to be named after each of the six main characters in the series and would
have included a foosball table like the one in Joey and Chandler’s apartment. Cox announced that she would be sending Naftali a foosball table as a bar mitzvah gift.
The sitcom ended in May 2004, some two years before Naftali was born.
Many more Ramah camps cancel their 2020 summers
(JTA) – A growing number of Ramah summer camps have canceled their sessions, the latest in a lengthening list of Jewish camps that will not run this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Six are sleepaway camps and one is a day camp. The camps, which are affiliated with Conservative Judaism. Among those closed are Ramah in New England and its associated day camp, and Ramah Sports Academy, an athletics camp in Connecticut. The decisions mean all of Ramah’s 10 overnight camps will almost certainly be closed this summer. Collectively, the camps serve thousands of campers. They join dozens of other Jewish camps, including other Ramahs, that have canceled their summers due to the pandemic. In some cases, government regulations prohibit the camps from opening, while some camps have decided that opening would pose an unreasonable health risk.
Only a few Jewish camps have announced that they intend to open.
Orthodox camps cancel summer 2020
(JTA) – Two Orthodox overnight camps have canceled their 2020 summers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They appear to be the first two of that denomination to do so.
Camp Morasha in Pennsylvania, a Modern Orthodox camp, announced in an email Wednesday, May 20, that it had come to the decision following “months of deliberation, alternative planning, reviewing all available policies from the CDC, ACA and the State of Pennsylvania, in addition to receiving guidance from medical experts and Rabbinic poskim,” or Jewish legal authorities.
Camp Moshava Ennismore, which is also Modern Orthodox, announced its 2020 closure on Wednesday after the government of Ontario, the Canadian province where it is located, announced that overnight camps would not be allowed to operate in 2020.
“The health and safety of our campers, staff, and families will always be our top priority and we fully understand why Ontario camps cannot run this summer,” the camp said in a message posted on its website. “This, of course, does not make it any easier to process.”
Over the past few weeks, dozens of nonOrthodox camps have announced that they will not be running in 2020.
Joint
List head: Uprising ‘a matter of time’ if Israel imposes sovereignty plans (JNS) Israel’s Joint Arab List head Ayman Odeh said on Thursday , May 21, that if Israel goes forward with its plan to apply its law to parts of Judea and Samaria, a violent uprising would only be “a matter of time.” “Every person who wants peace and believes in the rights of all peoples – both Palestinians and Jews – says that every nation has the right to self-determination,” Odeh told Ynet in an interview. “The Jews exercised this right in 1948, but there is a nation fighting for its independence. The Palestinians deserve a place under the sun. But the Israeli government acts to not only deepen the occupation, but also the hatred. It keeps the prospect of peace away from us,” said Odeh.
Asked what would happen if Israel applied its law to parts of Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley, he responded: “There have been warnings for several years about taking further steps [in this direction], the question is when will it finally reach its tipping point. It’s a matter of time.” Violence, said Odeh, was “a natural response to any occupation. What can you do? These are the laws of nature.”
NYPD disperses crowd at Brooklyn shul
(JTA) – In the latest dustup between New York authorities and Orthodox Jews in Brooklyn, police broke up a gathering of at least several dozen men at a Hasidic synagogue on Wednesday morning, May 20. Videos circulating on the messaging app WhatsApp showed police officers holding the doors of a synagogue on South 8th Street in Williamsburg as dozens of men exited the building. An NYPD spokesperson confirmed that officers responded to a tip and observed a large group at the synagogue at around 8 a.m. The group dispersed peacefully and there were no arrests or summonses issued. It is unclear if the men had gathered for services or for yeshiva studies, but several of the men carried tefillin, a ritual object used during morning prayers. Both kinds of gatherings are barred under an executive order.
This week, Mayor Bill de Blasio called out Jewish violators of distancing rules for a second time in a tweet that his political adversaries, including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, are criticizing as unfairly targeting Jews at a time when many New Yorkers are breaking the rules. The mayor also vowed Tuesday, May 19 to shut down underground schools that he said tipsters had been warning city officials about.
‘Eva.Stories’ wins 2 Webbys
(JTA) – An Instagram story series about a Hungarian teenager who died during the Holocaust won two Webby Awards,
the internet Oscars. “Eva.Stories” won for best use of stories and for best campaigns on social media. The series was created by Israeli tech executive Mati Kochavi and his daughter Maya. The Webbys were awarded Tuesday,May 19, in an online ceremony. For 24 hours last year on Yom Hashoah, Israel’s Holocaust Memorial Day, the Kochavis put up a dramatized version of Eva’s life on the social media site. The stories are based on a diary kept by Eva prior to her deportation and death. The stories appear as if 13-year-old Eva owned a smartphone and was connected on social media during the Holocaust. The Kochavis had hoped their initiative would help spread awareness about Eva’s life and the Holocaust to a younger generation. “Eva.Stories,” which has won several other awards, has 1.3 million followers.
Mass. rabbis: Shuls should not rush to reopen
(JTA) – Rabbis in Massachusetts say they are not rushing to open their synagogues even though the state’s governor has said houses of worship may resume services.
Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, included houses of worship in the first phase of Massachusetts’ plan to resume operations after bringing coronavirus infections under control. He announced Monday, May 18, that churches, synagogues and mosques could reopen immediately. A handful of religious leaders said they would reopen quickly, but as in other states that have begun to allow gatherings, rabbis are not among them. Instead, the Massachusetts Board of Rabbis, a membership organization for rabbis in the state, issued a statement urging caution both among Jewish congregations and government officials
The statement from the Massachusetts Board of Rabbis read in part:
“Jewish tradition teaches that the value of pikuach nefesh, saving a life, comes before all else. The state’s new safety standards raise many questions for clergy, lay leaders, and synagogues. We know our synagogue members are saddened that we cannot gather together for communal worship. We understand the disappointment when life cycle events cannot happen as planned. At the same time, the health and safety of synagogue members, clergy, and staff must be the preeminent Jewish value as we chart a new way forward.
Churches in at least two states where houses of worship are now permitted to operate, Georgia and Texas, have closed again after people who attended them developed the coronavirus. Studies have shown that religious services, where people sing together in close quarters for sustained periods of time, are prime vectors for transmission.
These 10 Yiddish words will get you through quarantine
BY ELLEN SCOLNNIC AND JOYCE EISENBERG • THIS STORY ORIGINALLY APPEARED ON KVELLER
We’ve been selfquarantining for more than 40 days and 40 nights and, quite frankly, we’re running out of steam. Still, we can’t escape all the social media posts and articles (and our mother’s voices in our heads) telling us to make good use of this time.
Friends, editors, and even country singer Roseanne Cash reminded us that Shakespeare wrote “King Lear” when he was quarantined during the Great Plague. Actress – no, sorry, lifestyle expert Gwyneth Paltrow urged us to write a book, teach ourselves to code online and learn a language. Teen idol Harry Styles upped the ante when he told us he’s learning sign language and Italian.
But in between cooking every single meal and motivating our kids to stay focused on their distance learning assignments, just how are we supposed to find the time to learn a new language?
We not. But we could all learn just a few words of a new language. Why not spend part of your “free time” at home brushing up on some of your bubbe and zayde’s favorite Yiddish words?
In the shtetl, Yiddish was the language that allowed Eastern European Jews to talk freely among themselves without fear of reprisals. In American Jewish homes, it was the language that grandparents spoke when they didn’t want the kinder to know what they were talking about. Now, if your kids are literally all over you 24/7, wouldn’t it be nice to have a secret language when you want to have a discreet chat with your partner?
So now it’s time to get off your tuchas and start using your keppe (head)! These 10 Yiddish words – each one loaded with emotion and angst, and boy do we have plenty of that! – will come in handy to describe this pandemic mishegas (craziness).
1. Tsedrayte
adj. (tsuh-DRATE) All mixed up, confused. Before the COVID-19 virus, tsedrayte meant we couldn’t remember if we promised to meet a friend for lunch on Thursday or Friday. Now we don’t know what day of the week it is. These days, just getting the mail
makes us tsedrayte. Do we leave the letters on the floor for 24 hours? Do we wipe the package before we put it on the floor or wash our hands and then wipe the package? And what do we do after we open it?
2. Shpilkes (SHPILL-kiss) Impatience, restlessness. Before COVID-19, when our young kids had “ants in their pants,” we’d tell them to go outside and play. Now, however, we have to mask them up first, and watch them carefully so they stay six feet away from all the other kids who are also trying to get their shpilkes out. We used to go out to a yoga class; now when our little ones have shpilkes, we watch Cosmic Kids Yoga and do downward facing dogs right along with them.
3. Shlub n. (SHLUB) A slob; some who dresses sloppily.
All this self-quarantining has made shlubs even shlubbier. Sweatpants and torn T-shirts have gone from weekend wear to all day, everyday wear – unless you’re one of those people who dons business casual from the waist up for your Zoom conference calls. If we’ve learned any fashion sense while being self-quarantined, it’s that a bra is optional.
4. Pulkes pl. n. (PULL-keys) Thighs. The word usually refers to cute, chubby baby thighs, but it can also mean those belonging to poultry. And with all the freezer diving we’re doing, we’ve discovered and eaten our fair share of pulkes in the last month. We’re counting the days till we can swap out our sweatpants for shorts and attend a summer barbecue, but we’re not certain our pulkes will be ready for public viewing after all we’ve eaten.
5. Sekhel n. (SEH-khul) Common sense; good judgment.
Advice used to flow downstream. Our parents would nag us: “Have a little sekhel; do you really have to fly when you’re pregnant?” Now the tables have turned and we nag our parents: “Wash your hands. Wear a mask. You’re going to the
supermarket? You’re old. Stay home!” And our kids? They have the computer sekhel we need: They’ve taught us how to complete the online school attendance form and how to limit our Facebook posts to “friends only” so we don’t embarrass them in front of “the whole world!” They’ve also taught us that there’s nothing wrong with eating ice cream twice a day.
6. Eyngeshparter
n. (AYN-guh-shpar-ter) A stubborn person; someone who cannot be convinced with logic.
These are the people who are protesting to end the shutdown before it’s safe, ordering “cures” on the Internet, and claiming the pandemic is all a hoax.
7. Bubkes
n. (BUP-kiss) Literally beans, nothing. Something that’s worthless or that falls short of expectations. In this new normal, we’re getting used to bubkes in the toilet paper aisle.
8. Ongeblozen
adj. (un-geh-BLUH-zin) Sulky, pouty; a sourpuss.
Our kids used to get ongeblozzen when we said we couldn’t go out for pizza. Now everyone’s ongeblozzen because we spent all afternoon making dough from scratch.
9. Tsuris
n. (TSORE-iss) troubles and worries; problems.
We can’t help worrying when our sister tells us she had a suspicious mammogram or our son hints that someone bullied him in school. But these days, instead of worrying about illness or money or school or our family or the future – we’re worried about all of it. Tsuris has gone from personal to universal.
10. Oy int. (OY)
Perhaps the most popular Yiddish expression, oy conveys dozens of emotions, from surprise, joy, and relief to pain, fear and grief. Bubbe Mitzi used to say that just groaning “a good oy” could make you feel better.
Samuel Neusner, Founder (1929-1960) Rabbi Abraham J. Feldman, Co-Founder and Editor (1929-1977) Berthold Gaster, Editor (1977-1992) N. Richard Greenfield, Publisher (1994-2014)
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Jewish Ledger (USPS # 131 - 150) is published 24 times per year by JHL Ledger LLC from our office at: Jewish Ledger
Across the Jewish diaspora, Shavuot is known as the holiday on which we eat dairy foods. But there is another ingredient associated with Shavuot that, while less familiar to Ashkenazi Jews, has a long and storied history in Sephardic Jewish cuisine: rosewater.
As Shavuot is an agricultural holiday, it must have seemed natural to include plants and flowers in the celebration. And falling as it does in late spring, it is a time when trees and flowers are in full bloom. As a result, since at least as far back as the Middle Ages, many Jewish communities have decorated their homes and houses of worship – and even Torah scrolls – with greenery and flowers on Shavuot.
Roses have always been among the preferred flowers for these decorations. In the Middle East, roses were not only used as decoration on Shavuot, but they were also used to flavor holiday foods. Gil Marks notes in The World of Jewish Cooking that “Middle Eastern Shavuot fare is frequently flavored with rosewater, and rose petal preserves are commonly served with the meal.” For example, one of these traditional holiday foods, enjoyed by Jews from Syria to Turkey, is a rice pudding flavored with honey and rosewater.
Malabi – the creamy, milk-based pudding perfumed with rosewater – is one of the most popular desserts across the Middle East. According to Janna Gur’s The New Book of Israeli Food, the recipe originally hails from Turkey. In some Sephardic homes malabi is traditionally served to break the fast on Yom Kippur, at Turkish Jewish weddings to symbolize
the couple’s sweet life ahead, and during Shavuot – and not simply because it is milkbased. “Rosewater…is a popular flavoring on Shavuot among Sephardim, who call the holiday ‘the Feast of Roses,’” writes Marks.
The traditional recipe relies on rice flour (made from rice crushed with a mortar and pestle) to thicken the milk. Today, however, many cooks substitute cornstarch, which yields a silky texture without any trace of graininess. Doused in sweet raspberry syrup, or topped with chopped pistachios, malabi makes the perfect ending to a Mediterranean-inspired meal.
Ingredients:
Chopped pistachios for garnish 1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups milk
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 Tablespoon rosewater Raspberry syrup (optional)
Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix one cup of milk with the cornstarch, rosewater, and vanilla until the cornstarch dissolves; set aside. Bring remaining milk and sugar to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Lower the heat, pour in the dissolved cornstarch mixture and cook 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to thicken.
Remove from the stove and pour into serving dishes. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool to room temperature; then refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Serve topped with the chopped pistachios and raspberry syrup, if desired.
At the Hebrew Center for Health and Rehabilitation, we understand that comfort and familiarity is a key part of the journey to wellness. We also understand that maintaining your religious beliefs and principles is fundamental in continued enrichment of life. Our Kosher meal services allow residents to maintain their dietary requirements throughout their stay with us. At the Hebrew Center, we ensure we follow all principles of Kosher including purchase, storage, preparation, and service.
At the Hebrew Center for Health and Rehabilitation, we also offer a variety of other services and amenities to ensure your stay is as comfortable as possible.
THESE SERVICES INCLUDE:
• Passport to Rehabilitation Program
• Long-Term Skilled Nursing Care
• Specialized Memory Care
• Respite Care Program
• Palliative Care and Hospice Services Coordination
OUR AMENITIES INCLUDE:
• Barber/Beauty Shop
• Café
• Cultural Menus
• Laundry and housekeeping services
• Patient and Family education
• Life Enrichment
For more information on our Kosher program, please contact: DIRECTOR, PASTORAL SERVICES - (860) 523-3800 Hebrew
SHAVUOT 5780
‘Your people
will be my people’: A Shavuot shout-out to Ruth’s ‘daughters’
BY DEBORAH FINEBLUM
“You shall love the convert for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”
– Deuteronomy 10:19
(JNS) There was a moment some 2,500 years ago when a recently widowed Moabite princess refused to abandon her aging mother-in-law and return home – a moment that made history by becoming the first convert in recorded Jewish history.
Ruth’s words – “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried” – have echoed down through the generations, as powerful now as the day they were spoken.
The biblical woman is recalled each spring as Jews everywhere read the story of devotion and love during the holiday of Shavuot (beginning at sunset on Thursday, May 28, it lasts two days in the Diaspora and one in Israel). It’s a time when Jews the world over remember that awesome morning 3,332 years ago when God revealed Himself to a ragtag bunch of escaped slaves at Mount Sinai and gave them a lasting gift: the Torah. It’s an event now marked by latenight Torah study, confirmations and dairy
foods such as blintzes and cheesecake.
But honoring Ruth doesn’t just have to be limited to Shavuot. There are echoes of her legacy every time a woman steps out of her conversion mikvah, having promised to make the Jewish faith her own. For Ruth–and for them–this means adopting not just a Jewish identity but a Jewish destiny, pledging that their descendants will keep the faith. In her case, Ruth’s great-grandson would be no less than King David, and his son, Solomon, inheriting the throne of Israel after him.
“Hers is a story of great love,” says Rabbi Moshe Miller, author of Rising Moon: Unraveling the Book of Ruth. “She leaves her homeland after suffering terrible personal losses and is reduced to grinding poverty in a foreign land, only to discover love and become the mother of the royal house of her adopted country.”
Miller says since “Ruth embraced a new identity and a new future,” then her spiritual “daughters” are certainly following her lead.
‘This is their place’
At a time of continued intermarriage (the 2013 Pew report revealed that 44 percent of American Jews’ marriages are to nonJews, with the percentage increasing to 58 percent when counting those wed after 2005), of the roughly 17 percent who become Jews through conversion, most are female. At least if the students at the Route
613 conversion preparation program are any indication, women represent some 80 percent of the Manhattan-based conversion program.
Director Rabbi Maury Kelman says the prospective converts he has taught in the last 16 years include spiritual searchers chafing under birth religions that don’t fit, those with Jewish fathers, others whose Jewish friends took them to Shabbat and other celebrations, and those in a romantic relationship with someone Jewish. “Many tell me they always felt an affinity with Judaism, and then maybe in college they took a course in world religions and BOOM! It hits them that this is their place.”
And although Kelman says it’s hard to generalize, he’s convinced that “women tend to have a more spiritually seeking side than men,” and they’re often drawn to Judaism’s positive focus on marriage and the family, especially reflected in the observance of Shabbat when families, freed from technological distractions, “focus on each other for 25 hours – eating, praying and playing together.”
Also, while most of his students are
not dating a Jew and are interested in converting for various other reasons, says Kelman, “in the situations where a couple does approach me, it’s usually a Jewish man dating a non-Jewish woman.”
More women joining the Jewish people makes sense when it comes to affecting the next generation. So says Rabbi Manis Friedman, longtime Chabad-Lubavitch emissary in Minnesota, author of Doesn’t Anyone Blush Anymore? (1990) and dean of the Bais Chana Institute of Jewish Studies, where he’s worked with countless women converts.
“The mother’s influence is simply stronger than the father’s,” says Friedman. “And we’re not talking about chromosomes here; we’re talking about a mother’s greater influence on her child’s developing soul.”
One huge bonus: Many on the path to conversion pull their Jewish partners in with them, which is why they’re asked to attend Route 613 class and gatherings. “With the student often really getting really into it,” says Kelman, “this is a journey they really need to take together.”
That’s what happened with Allison
THE TOMB OF JESSE AND RUTH IN HEBRON. (CREDIT: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)
and Paul Holzer, who met back in 2002. When they began to get serious, Allison, a Kentucky native, says, “I knew it was part of his identity, so at first, I just I wanted to understand what Judaism was all about.”
Indeed, Holzer says she in no way expected to be “so intrigued and so engaged.” And, taking an Introduction to Judaism class a couple times, her enthusiasm both grew and became contagious. “Paul didn’t grow up religious, but he started engaging more as I was engaging.”
Moving to West Hartford, Conn., in 2012, she relates that “we discovered Passover and really embraced it.” They married and had their first son (they’ve since had their second), and Holzer joined a mother’s circle at the local Jewish Community Center. “Eventually,” she says, “it was becoming clear to me how much Judaism was aligned with my own values.”
But though she says she “felt Jewish long before I went into the mikvah,” the ritual itself – which she did as part of a ceremony with her sons and husband – turned out to be a watershed event. “I had thought I was already there, but afterwards, I felt a much greater sense of the commitment that we were collectively owning as a family.”
As their older son, Adrian, now 9, told them: “Before that we were half-Jewish, and now we’re all Jewish.”
But Holzer herself sees it a little differently. “I feel I’m not really a different person now that I’m Jewish. Maybe I’m just more me.”
‘Part of a people, tradition and history’
It took Gayle Berman 17 years after her first date with the Air Force Band’s principle clarinetist Harold Berman in 1989 to take the plunge. But, she will tell you, the process began years before. Growing up on a farm in Illinois, Gayle Redlingshafer was working as choir director for a Texas megachurch when she met the clarinetist in question. But it wasn’t until after they married and moved to Boston for law school (his) and a doctorate of musical arts program (hers), and after they adopted baby Micah from the former Soviet Union that Berman began thinking of herself as raising her child as a Jew.
In fact, it began the day she picked up Micah from preschool, and he was saying, “I am the Pharaoh, and I will not let your people go.”
“Seeing him so comfortable in this world, I felt something blossoming inside me,” she recalls 18 years later. Much of this transformation is recorded in the Bermans’ memoir Doublelife: One Family, Two Faiths and a Journey of Hope.
Between Micah’s arrival and that of their daughter Ilana, Berman took conversion lessons in Boston and, later, in Springfield, Mass., where she met with the beit din.
The entire family immersed in the mikvah one autumn morning in 2006. “Harold had always said, ‘If you convert, I want you to do it only when it’s the right thing for you and not for me or my family,’ but by then, it was definitely my soul talking.”
On that same day, the Bermans were married again – this time in a religious ceremony with their children under the chuppah with them.
Moving to Israel was another step that appeared initially “impossible,” she says. Back in Springfield, having returned from a family trip to Israel, they noticed 4-yearold Micah counting his leftover shekels. When asked why, he casually announced his intention of living in Israel, and that he was saving them for that time. Four years later, they were on a flight back to Israel, this time as incoming new citizens.
What does the potential convert actually see in Jewish tradition, belief and history?
In Ruth’s case, says Miller, it was her mother-in-law.
“Naomi was a person of extraordinary character. Ruth observed her and saw the light of goodness radiating from her, and she knew she wanted to be part of that light.” It was a yearning so powerful, he adds, “that she had no hesitation to leave everything she knew and become part of a tradition, a people, and eventually even its history.”
‘Just as Jewish as any of us’
Even when the original premise disappears, this new belonging often stays strong and unshakable.
That’s what Irini Lulu learned. Born in Greece into the Greek Orthodox faith, in 2009 she found herself living between New York City and Philadelphia, involved in a serious relationship with a Jewish man and learning about Judaism in the Route 613 program. By 2011, that relationship became history, but her love affair with Judaism was in full swing, and she emerged from the mikvah as a Jew the following year.
“Everything I heard in class, everything I read, made total sense to me, all of it,” she says. “After a while, I realized I didn’t have to be in love with the person anymore, but I could be completely in love with the Jewish religion. As a way of life, it just made sense to me.”
Looking back on it, she says, “I think he was the messenger that brought me to it. And if anything comes too easily, you don’t appreciate it.”
In 2013, she met Omri Lulu, the man she would marry (with Kelman conducting the wedding). They’ve now had three children together and live in Philadelphia. “I look at my conversion like it was my Ph.D.,” says Lulu. “I’ve learned you have to see the good in every difficult circumstance, that all the hard times happen for a reason – the Jews I’ve met and now being a Jew myself that taught me that.”
Indeed, the Jews they meet have
a profound impact on a convert or prospective convert–a lesson Miller reminds us that we can learn from how Naomi took Ruth under her wing.
Indeed, with much emphasis and numerous programs designed to help people prepare for this life translation, there is a risk of neglecting the after-support, agrees Kelman. “They need to be able to turn to us throughout the entire adjustment period, including being sensitive to feelings of their family.”
For Holzer, this support was crucial. “My friends, my rabbis and teachers, the whole community have been there for me throughout,” she says. “Never pushing, but always available when I need to talk.”
It helps to remember that in a spiritual sense, the Jewish world is simply welcoming these folks home, says Friedman. “When we consider that their souls were already Jewish – and converts will say, ‘I don’t know why, I just had to be Jewish’ – once they convert, they’re just as Jewish as any of us. It’s just that we had the womb to be born from and they had the mikvah water.”
‘From the first Shabbat, I fell in love with it’
Though Ruth neglected to say that, she certainly could have, since after the former Moabite princess’s child’s child’s child (David) ascended the throne of Israel, as did his child (Solomon), Miller says it earned her the title as “mother of royalty.”
The children of Ariella Aili Craven are also being raised a world away from their mother’s birthplace (Singapore) and far from the other places she’s called home over the years, including Hong Kong, London and New York.
In fact, Shabbat mornings now typically find her 5-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter in children’s services at their Jerusalem synagogue – services their mother happens to be leading.
Hers was a Jewish journey that began nearly two decades ago back in Singapore when she met a Jewish fellow named
Joseph Craven. “He wasn’t religious at all, but after I graduated, I wanted to go to Israel to see what Judaism was all about,” she says. “From the first Shabbat, I fell in love with it; all the questions Christianity couldn’t answer for me, Judaism did. I started wondering why everyone wasn’t converting to Judaism.”
Craven’s conversion spanned many years and many countries but, in the end, she knew that Israel needed to be their home. “I wanted to make sure my kids have Yiddishkeit,” she says. “Raising them here, I know their foundation is strong, to be able to withstand the pressures of the outside world when they get older, whatever they will be.”
And like Ruth, their spiritual mother, Craven, Berman, Lulu and Holzer are among those who are able to see their commitment to the Jewish people pass down to the next generation.
It’s a future even more long-term for Sarah Katherine Schiffer of Freeport, Maine, a descendent of Mayflower stock who was recently able to witness her granddaughter’s moment under the chuppah. “Such nachas,” says Schiffer with a sigh.
At 14, she got her hands on a copy of Herman Wouk’s This is My God, which launched a serious study of Judaism. That same year, when her grandmother died and was laid out in an open coffin, the teen was “appalled” and instructed her family that, should she meet an untimely end, “to bury me in a way as close to the Jewish tradition as possible.”
By 18, she moved out of the house so she could set up a kosher kitchen; by 19, she was pummeling the rabbi who steadfastly refused to convert her with letter after insistent letter. “I wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer, and I got more and more aggressive,” she says. The following year, the rabbi relented and she converted.
“I am glad I was able to become Jewish and raise Jewish kids,” says Schiffer, now 69, “and even see my daughter marry a rabbi. “But to have Jewish grandchildren? That’s the icing on the cake.”
ALLISON ABOUD HOLZER OF WEST HARTFORD, CONN., HUSBAND PAUL, AND SONS ADRIAN AND ISAAC, PREPARE TO CELEBRATE HANUKKAH. (CREDIT: COURTESY)
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Around Connecticut
More than 70,000 masks distributed in Uncasville
More than 70,000 facial masks were distributed at Mohegan Sun Casino on Tuesday, May 19. It was the largest masks giveaway event yet since Masks for CT started giving facial masks to the public on April 28.
Cars were lining up as early as 2:55 a.m. for the Mohegan Sun Casino mask giveaway event that was supposed to start at 7 a.m. Masks for CT volunteers opened up the gates at 6 a.m. to accommodate the high demand; for seven hours, they distributed over 70,000 masks to the public.
Alarmed by the rise of COVID-19 cases in Connecticut and the lack of access to personal protective equipment (PPE), the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven, in collaboration with Madison residents Bob and Amy Stefanowski, created Masks for Heroes. This special project is delivering needed protective surgical masks to hospitals, nursing homes, physicians and first responders throughout Connecticut. Masks for CT, an arm of Masks for Heroes, is distributing masks for the general public.
More than 200 volunteers, 1,000 donors, and dozens of sponsors and partners have contributed to the success of Masks for CT and Masks for Heroes, which has handed out over one million masks to date. The event in Uncasville was sponsored by Mohegan Sun Casino and Scranton Chevrolet of Norwich, in partnership with WFSB Channel
3 and 94.9 News Now. Among those In attendance were Congressman Joe Courtney, Norwich Mayor Peter Nystrom, and James Gessner, COB of the Mohegan Tribe.
Mask giveaway events are also scheduled for Tuesday, May 26, 7 a.m.–12:30 p.m... (or as long as supplies last) at Woodstock Fairgrounds (281 CT-169, Woodstock).
To be a corporate sponsor for a Masks for CT distribution event, contact the Jewish Federation’s Chief Development Officer Amy Holtz at aholtz@jewishnewhaven.org. To make a gift online, visit Masks for Heroes at jewishnewhaven.org/masksforheroes or Masks for CT at jewishnewhaven.org/ masksforct. One-hundred percent of the proceeds go toward protecting the people of Connecticut.
BULLETIN BOARD
A Virtual Shavuot
n Congregation Beth El-Keser Israel (BEKI) will host an online Tikkun Leil Shavuot on Wednesday evening, May 27 (one day before the holiday, which begins Thursday evening, May 28 and ends the evening of May 30.) Four study sessions lasting 45 minutes each will be conducted on Zoom at 7 p.m., 8 p.m., 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. For more information, email office@beki.org.
n United Jewish Federations Education Committee & the Board of Rabbis present Pre-Shavuot Day/Night of Learning, Wednesday evening, May 27, throughout the day/night.
12 - 12:30 p.m., Rabbi Joshua Hammerman, Temple Beth El: “Subversive Sha-vuot: Our Most Radical Holiday at a Time of Radical Disruption”
5 - 5:45 p.m., Keynote with Dr. Mijal Bitton, “From a Natural Disaster fo the Birth of the Messianic Dynasty: Learning from Ruth Today.” Dr. Bitton is a Fellow in Residence at the Shalom Hartman Institute of NA and co-founder of the Downtown Minyan in NYC.
6 - 6:30 p.m., Rabbi Mark Golub, Chavurah Etc Chaim, “The Complexities of Pikuach Nefesh - Saving Life - During Covid-19.”
6:45 p.m. - 7:15 p.m., Rabbi Daniel Cohen, Congregation Agudath Sholom, “Ruth, Shavuot and the Secret of Redemption.”
7:30 - 8 pm., Rabbi TelRav, Temple Sinai, “From Slavery to Freedom… and Of-ten Back Again. What Does the Experience of Quarantine Teach Us About a life well-Lived?”
8:15-8:45 p.m., Rabbi Eli Kohl, Young Israel Stamford, “Harvesting Hope and Patience in an Age of Hopelessness: 5 Lessons from Sinai.”
n OU Creates online pre-Shavuot Torah learning programs for 2020. This year, due to the spread of COVID-19, the Orthodox Union (OU) has created a unique online pre-Shavuot Torah learning platform. “Sinai At Home” will offer learning resources from world renowned Torah scholars on a variety of topics with the aim of empowering people to learn at a high level on their own or with their families. The “Sinai at Home” platform will host learning material
B’Nai Mitzvah
EMMET EMANUEL SPAETH, son of Eliana Tsukroff and Fred Spaeth, will celebrate his bar mitzvah on Saturday, May 23, at The Emanuel Synagogue in West Hartford.
and accompanying explanatory video. Site visitors will be able to then add shiurim to their “carts” which will allow them to print all the PDF’s in one packet. Those interested in taking part in “Sinai at Home” can visit ou.org/sinai.
“A centerpiece of the Shavuot holiday is the all-night learning that usually takes place in shuls across the country. Our goal was to create a program which could help our community thrive in the current circumstances,” said OU Managing Director of Torah Initiatives Rabbi David Pardo.
CT Jewish Women who
were labor organizers topic of conversation on May 27
HARTFORD – Jewish women who were labor organizers in Connecticut, helping to shape the direction of the mainstream labor movement, is the topic of a Zoom program on Wednesday, May 27, 7 p.m. The program will feature guest speaker Steve Thornton, a retired organizer with the largest healthcare workers union in CT (District 1199/SEIU, and the Greater Hartford Labor Council). Thornton served on the national steering committee of U.S. Labor Against the War (USLAW), of which District 1199 was a founding member in 2003.
The program is hosted by the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford, and is free and open to the public.
To register and receive the link to the Zoom meeting, email lnewman@ jewishhartford.org.
THE JEWISH FEDERATION’S CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER AMY HOLTZ AND JAMES GESSNER, COB OF THE MOHEGAN TRIBE, AT THE MASKS FOR CT EVENT.
CONGRESSMAN JOE COURTNEY GIVES OUT MASKS AT MOHEGAN SUN MASKS FOR CT EVENT.
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TORAHPortion Naso
BY SHLOMO RISKIN
This week’s reading of Naso describes the “Sota,” the woman who acts immodestly. At the very least, she sequesters herself alone with a man despite the fact that her husband warned her against seeing that person. She therefore undergoes the test of the bitter waters.
However, during the spring holiday period, we saw two other women – great heroines of our people, Esther (Purim) and Ruth (Shavuot) who also commit immodest acts, for which salvation and redemption are brought about. Here is how they differ from the Sota.
Both heroines compromise their modesty and perhaps even their chastity, Esther with Ahasuerus in the palace of the king and Ruth with Boaz on the threshing floor in Efrat. Both of these women hail from gentile countries of exile and one even from gentile stock: Esther from Persia and Ruth from Moab.
Although each of these two women undergoes a profound, existential change, a switch in direction with profound ramifications, they part company in very significant ways.
Esther seems to have been an assimilating Jewess who was eager to become the Queen of Persia. She used her Persian name, rather than her Hebrew name Hadassah; she even concurs with Mordecai (her cousin, or even perhaps her husband as the midrash suggests) not to reveal her national heritage (lest she be rejected on the grounds that she is Jewish – see the suggestion, albeit rejected by the Ibn Ezra).
It is only when Mordecai publicly demonstrates in front of the king’s gate in sackcloth and ashes against Haman’s decree to annihilate the Jews of Persia, bidding Esther to “come out of the closet,” as it were, and go before the king on behalf of her people, that Esther puts her life on the line. By doing so, she becomes one of the greatest penitents of Jewish history.
The words Mordecai uses to convince Esther have reverberated throughout Jewish history: “Do not imagine in your soul that you will be able to escape in the king’s palace any more than the rest of the Jews. For if you persist in keeping silent at a time like this, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether it was just for a time such as this that you attained the royal position” (Esther 5:13,14).
The Jews in Shushan gather for three days of prayer and fasting, Esther persuades the king to allow the Jews to
protect themselves during the Persian “pogrom” against them, Haman and his sons are killed, and the Jewish community survives. The Talmud (B.T. Megila 14a) rules that despite all the other festivities, Hallel (psalms of praise) is not to be chanted on Purim; since “we still remained slaves to Ahasuerus.”
Esther, was born of Jewish parents but married the gentile Ahasuerus: Ruth was a Moabite, she followed Naomi to the Land of Israel, changing geographically and existentially by converting to Judaism. Her ancestor Lot had defected from Abraham when he left Israel and moved to Sodom, now she repaired this by becoming a second Abraham.
Like our forefather, she left her birthplace and homeland for the Land of Israel, a strange nation and the God of ethical monotheism. In her own words, “Where you go, I will go” (to the Land of Israel) – “your nation will be my nation, your God shall be my God” (Ruth 1:16).
In the deepest sense, Ruth entered Abraham’s “Covenant between the Parts” (Genesis 15). God promised Abraham that he would be an eternal nation, his seed would never be destroyed and his descendants would live in their homeland, Israel and through this nation, “all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Gen. 12:1). This is far more than the survival of the Jews in Persia; this is world redemption.
Hence, Naomi sends Ruth to the threshing floor to seduce Boaz, to bear his Jewish seed, just as Tamar, the widowed daughter-in-law of Naomi’s ancestor Judah the son of Jacob, had seduced her father-in-law in order to bear his seed (Gen. 38).
But Ruth is not satisfied. She understands that Jewish eternity is linked to two crucial components: Jewish seed in the land of Israel. She doesn’t consummate their relationship on the threshing floor; she asks him to “redeem” her, to buy back Naomi’s familial inheritance and to marry her “in accordance with the law of Moses and Israel” so that her descendants can be Jews in the Jewish homeland.
Through their actions, Esther succeeded in gaining a respite in persecution, which is the most we can hope for in galut (exile). Ruth succeeded in entering Jewish eternity, the Abrahamic Covenant, and due to her compassionate righteousness and lovingkindness toward Naomi she became the herald of Jewish redemption. Her journey leads to the day when the nations of the world will join the family of Abraham, father of a multitude of nations.
MILESTONES
Ayeka Reorganizes its North America Activities
JERUSALEM – Ayeka: The Center for Soulful Education today announced that as a result of the impact on COVID 19 on the organization’s activities and funding, it has made adjustments to its programming and staff. As part of these changes, Ayeka’s director of North America, Michal Fox Smart, will be leaving her position, effective June 30. Her duties will be assumed by Ayeka’s founder and director, Aryeh Ben David, assisted by Ayeka’s team of senior educators.
Smart joined the staff of Ayeka in the August 2018 as the organization’s first director of North American operations. Prior to her appointment, she served as associate principal of Judaic Studies at Bi-Cultural Day School (now Bi-Cultural Hebrew Academy) in Stamford.
Since mid-March, Ayeka has pivoted online as schools closed their doors and in-person seminars and gatherings became impossible. Ayeka transformed its flagship Soulful Spiritual Development Program for Jewish Day Schools, funded by the Jim Joseph Foundation, to be a source of professional and emotional support for educators. All Ayeka schools have remained as members of the cohort for the 2020-2021 academic year, despite the uncertainty created by the COVID 19 pandemic.
In addition, Ayeka has produced a series of online webinars, “Moving Soulfully Through Difficult Times,” targeted to educators, parents, and the online community, particularly in North America and Israel. Ayeka has also reached out to its partners to provide them with responsive programs and is also actively pursuing new partnerships to expand its ‘Becoming a Soulful Parent’ programs across North America, during this challenging period.
“For the past two years, Michal successfully directed Ayeka’s team of educators in our efforts to introduce our spiritual development programs across Jewish day schools in North America,” said Aryeh Ben David, Ayeka’s founder and director. “She worked closely with numerous schools as well as Ayeka’s funders, including the Jim Joseph Foundation and the Avi Chai, Kohelet and Mayberg foundations. On behalf of our entire organization, we extend our thanks and appreciation to Michal for her wisdom, guidance, and leadership, and wish her only the best and success in her future endeavors.”
Founded in 2006, Ayeka’s mission is to provide teachers and individuals with tools to breathe life into Jewish text study and enable a personally relevant, meaningful, and life-impacting experience. For more information, visit www.ayeka.org.il.
THE KOSHER CROSSWORD MAY 29, 2020
“A Sporty Shavuot”
By: Yoni Glatt Difficulty
Level: Challenging
Across
1. Bane to 55-Down
6. Paprika, e.g.
11. Channel for “Conan”
14. Torah scholar Brown
15. When the Omer starts
16. “What?”
17. Those who counted Sefira... in San Francisco?
19. Bard’s palindrome
20. Retail behemoth, on the NASDAQ
21. One preparing the Shabbos table
22. It’s beneath Shift
23. Lady’s title
25. Individual mag.
Down
1. Bad-mouth
2. Kitchen scents
3. Sister of Noa, in Torah
4. Perform
5. ‘No’ voters
6. Agitated states
7. Small ice-cream containers
8. “Gotcha”
9. Donkey lure
10. Low-ranking US Navy officer
11. Fans observing Shavuot... in Cleveland?
12. He shot Hamilton
13. “A Giraffe and a Half” author Silverstein
18. Prayer most stand for 22. 7-up alternative
26. Smell
28. Former leader of Israel
30. These letters
33. Former leader of Israel
36. Go by taxi, informally
37. What the Phillies have done less than any other baseball team, historically
40. Invisible thing seen by those getting the Torah... in Oklahoma City?
42. Acre to Tiberias Dir.
43. Missouri River metropolis
45. “Fire and Rain” singer
47. Mincha option?
49. Chronicles
53. Armitage who plays “Young
24. High ranking people in Isr.
27. Fabric invented in 1941
29. Angel who can hit and pitch
30. Steve’s cinematic icon who won a sword fight without a sword
31. Words before “for Cookie”
32. Sault ___ Marie, Canada
34. She’s a big deal on Shavuot
35. Words before roll
37. Asian frying pan
38. “___ ___ Mine” (George Harrison autobiography)
39. Hebrew ___, one who may only observe one day of Shavuot... in Washington D.C.?
41. Iconic TV character who once shouted “I’m George!”
44. Cole of footwear
SHABBAT DINNER
Sheldon”
54. Dietitian’s stat
56. Poison ivy soother
57. Young Pelican, familiarly
59. Falcons’ features
62. “I love you a latke,” e.g.
63. Lithium ___ battery
64. Fans excited to celebrate Shavuot... in Green Bay?
66. Former rival of Pan Am
67. Pulitzer Prize journalist Seymour
68. Host
69. Abe Vigoda, in “The Godfather”
70. Overdo a scene, say
71. Part of a dream from Joseph
46. “Messenger” molecule
48. Hatikvah, e.g.
50. Andes animal with one sign of kashrut
51. “More volume!”
52. Most people have five intact ones
54. Consecrated, to Shakespeare
55. First observer of Shavuot, in a way
57. Acne, slangily
58. It’s pretty corny
60. Prefix with dynamic or space
61. “___ Always a Woman” (Joel)
64. Fidel’s late cohort
65. Hatzolah member, for short
Elihu Fishman, 92, was a lifelong Connecticut resident
Elihu Israel Fishman died May 8 due to complications from COVID-19. He was 92. Elly was born in Fairfield, the third of four children of the late Aaron and Rose Fishman.
As a young boy, he worked at his father’s movie theaters, The Fishman Theater Corp. with locations in New Haven and Fairfield. He skipped sixth grade and at the age of 16, entered the University of Connecticut, where he played trumpet and varsity football,9. He later served as a medical assistant in the U.S. Navy.
Eli met his wife, the late Myrna Beth Seicol, when they were counselors at Camp Laurelwood in North Madison. They married while he was in dental school at Temple University. Upon his graduation, he and Myrna settled in West Hartford to establish his dental practice in Elmwood. He retired in 1981 at the age of 54 and later moved to Bloomfield. Athletically inclined, Eli played pick-up basketball and volleyball until he was 49, and then took up jogging well into his 60’s. He also coached West Hartford youth basketball for many years.
Elly held leadership positions on the boards of his synagogue and was an active member of the Woodworking and Metal Crafts Club at Heritage Village as well as an EMT on their ambulance service. In retirement, he became a prolific gardener and woodworker, making furniture for his children’s growing families, intricate inlaid wooden bowls, lathe-turned vases, creative whirligigs and birdhouses.
Elly and Myrna traveled the world with Appalachian Mountain Club. They backpacked the Grand Canyon, hiked in Costa Rica and Norway, canoed the Allagash Wilderness Waterway in Maine and the Boundary Waters of Minnesota. They traveled to over 50 Elderhostels in China, Greece, Alaska, Canada and Prince Edward Island.
He is survived by his children, JoAnne and her husband Jack Kloppenberg and their children, Shalako and her husband Michael Thomas, and Micah and his wife Carrie Breunig and their daughter Isla, and daughter Kestrel; and his son James Fishman and wife Diane and their daughter Julianne and husband Austin Slitt and their sons Grayson, Cameron and Lincoln, daughter Christina and husband Alex Steckel and their daughter Surrey, and son Ross.
Bonds of Life: Memorializing those we lost to COVID-19
David Behrbom, 47, public school teacher who loved the Yankees
(JTA) – David Behrbom was a talented athlete in his youth, making it all the way to the high school state championships in baseball. But it was a moment on the field in a Babe Ruth League game that his brother says truly encapsulates Behrbom’s character.
It was the final inning, the game was tied, and Behrbom, then maybe 13 or 14, was on third base when he got the go-ahead to steal home – which he did to win the game.
“It was pandemonium,” Adam Cohen recalled. “The look on his face was pure joy that he was able to do that for his team and his crazy idea worked. That shows his courage, his audacity, his willingness to step up.”
Behrbom, who died April 5 of COVID19 at the age of 47, wound up becoming an elementary school teacher. He taught at PS 55 in the Bronx, 25 miles and a world away from Ardsley, the Westchester County suburb where he grew up and where he lived with his wife, Elizabeth, and their two children.
Behrbom was a physical education teacher at PS 55, and each year he would organize Olympic Field Day, a school-wide athletics competition that was a highlight of the school calendar. He was also a lifelong Yankees fan who loved old-school hip hop and coached baseball and soccer.
In March, Behrbom was diagnosed with leukemia and began undergoing chemotherapy. After he took ill with COVID-19, his family sought blood plasma from donors who had successfully recovered from the coronavirus, a treatment that researchers hope may help patients struggling to fight off the disease. Behrbom died the day he was due to get the treatment, the New York Post reported.
“I do think about him every day, we all do,” Cohen said. “I don’t think that’s ever going to change. The hole he leaves in our family is just profound. We were lucky to have him for as long as we did, and his memory is cherished by all of us.”
Arthur
Mostel, 85,
was a Stamford doctor
Arthur Philip Mostel, 85, of Stamford, died on May 13 at Stamford Hospital, of complications caused by Covid-19. Born on New York’s Lower East Side, he was the son of William and Charlotte Mostel,
and the stepson of Sylvia Mostel. He attended Stuyvesant High School and Hunter College in New York City, and graduated from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He was married for 59 years to Stella Krampf Mostel and raised three children together in their home in Stamford. After completing his residency in obstetrics and gynecology, he served in the U.S. Military from 1965-1967 in Fort Eustis, Va. After that, he entered private practice in Stamford Connecticut with Dr. Robert Madison. After several decades of private practice, he practiced obstetrics at Metropolitan Hospital in New York City until his retirement. He was an active member of Chavurat Aytz Chayim. He was predeceased by his loving wife, Stella, and his brother, Howard Mostel. He is survived by his children, Robert Mostel and Sigal Tal Or of Kibbutz Megiddo, Israel; Carolyn and Jeffrey Weiser of West Hartford; and Linda and Danny Kucinski of San Diego, Calif.; his grandchildren, Kfir, Ronen and Ilan, Barak, Raam, Samantha and Sam, Emily, Sydney, Joshua, Amanda, and Jacob, and his fiancee, Janet Gluck.
Samuel Tellar was a longtime resident of West Hartford
Samuel T. Tellar, 83, of West Hartford, died May 10 peacefully at St. Mary’s Home from COVID-19. He was the beloved husband of the late Barbara Krantz Tellar. Born in Hartford, he graduated from Weaver High School. Samuel worked at the Hartford Courant for over 30 years before starting his own hot dog business. He was a member of the Knights of Pythias where he enjoyed playing cards with the members there. He was a loving and devoted father and grandfather. Samuel is survived by his four children Keith, Steven, Irwin and Tracee Tellar; his grandchildren, Rebecca Hurley and Justin Tellar; his brother Robert and his wife Carol ; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Suzy Levy, 66, dedicated nurse who refused to retire
(JTA) – Suzy Levy was the head nurse at the Ear, Nose and Throat Department at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv. On April 27, she became the first Israeli medical worker to fall victim to the coronavirus pandemic, just two weeks after the virus claimed the life of her sister.
Levy was 66 and had served as a nurse for nearly 45 years. She served in
the medical corps during her mandatory military service and began her nursing career at Sheba in 1974. Over the years, she worked in a variety of departments before taking over as head nurse in Ear, Nose and Throat in 1995.
Levy was eligible for retirement at 62, but she continued to report to work, even as the impact of the pandemic became clear. “She wanted to work until 67, until she couldn’t work anymore,” said Sima, a fellow nurse at Sheba who had known Levy for 25 years and took vacations with her.
Joel Kupperman, template for the smart Jewish kid, dies at 83
(JTA) – Joel Kupperman, the adorable child star who helped burnish the stereotype of the brainy Jew as a panelist on the 1940s show “Quiz Kids,” died on April 8. The death certificate describes an “influenza-like illness (probably Covid-19)” as the cause of death.
“A fairly cute kid who can do math quite well has never been such a big deal at any other time in American history,” Kupperman’s son Michael once wrote of his father. “It could only have happened with a Jewish child, during a war that many people saw as a fight to save Jews.”
Kupperman was one of the original “Quiz Kids,” which aired on NBC radio and then TV in the 1940s and 1950s. The show, which featured a group of mostly Jewish kids fielding questions about a range of subjects, offered American audiences a Jewish stereotype that inspired affection rather than revulsion.
COHEN
David Saul Cohen, 76, of Stamford, died May 18. He was the husband of Judith Mullens Cohen. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y. and raised in Mount Vernon, N.Y., he was the son of the late Benjamin and Evelyn Cohen. He was a member of Temple Sinai, where he served as president three times. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughters, Rachel Beaumont and her husband Simon of Stamford, and Sarah Kass and her husband Lewis of Pound Ridge, N.Y.; his grandsons, Andy Putterman of Stamford, and Bennett Kass of Pound Ridge; his brother Joel Cohen and wife Roswitha of Ober Moerlen, Germany; his brother-in-law David Mullens and wife Rinah of Palo Alto, Calif.; his sister-in-law Joan Mullens of Colorado Springs, Cold.; a niece and four nephews. He is also survived by his niece and four nephews. He was predeceased by his in-laws, Benjamin and Sylvia Mullens, and his brother-in-law Steven Mullens.
GERROL
Melvin H. (Mel), 86, of West Hartford, died May 15. He was the husband of Shirley (Israel) Gerrol for 63 years. Born and raised in Worcester, Mass., he was the son of Gertrude and Israel Gerrol. He was an active member of the Chabad House of Greater Hartford and The Emanuel Synagogue. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children, Gregory Gerrol and his wife Phyllis Gerrol of Simsbury, Ronald Gerrol and his wife Felicia of Albany, N.Y., and Susan Cleaver and her husband Michael of West Hartford; his brothers, Robert Gerrol and his wife Shirley Gerrol of Newington, and David Gerrol and his wife Lisa of West Hartford; his grandchildren, Courtney, Shelby, Justin, Rachel, Corey, Emma, Samara, and Rune; and many beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins.
HIRSHFIELD
OBITUARIES
Molly Lebedeker Hirshfield,103, of Boca Raton, Fla., died May 5. She was the widow of Jack Hirshfield. She was born and raised in New Haven. She is survived by her children, Marjorie Greenberg, Merle Goldstone, Mark Goldstone and his wife Christine, and her stepson Gary Hirshfield; her grandchildren, Wesley Goldstone and his wife Andrea, Lara Lunin and his wife Adam, and Derek Goldstone, and four great-grandchildren,Calla and Ivy Goldstone, Elyse and Drew Lunin; and three grandchildren. She was also predeceased by her daughter-in-law Nina Hirshfield.
HERSHMAN
Gilbert (Gil) Hershman, 100, of West Hartford died April 25; his wife, Ruth (Novarr) Hershman, 100, died May 18. Both Gil and Ruth were born in Hartford. Gil was the son of Sol and Rebecca (Brandwein) Hershman. Ruth was the daughter of Bennie and Minnie (Katz) Novarr. During World War II, he served in the United States Army Signal Corp in the South Pacific. The Hershmans are survived by their children, Jay Hershman and his wife Joan of Holden, Mass., and Sandra Rulnick and her husband Marshall of Bloomfield; their grandchildren, Brett Hershman and his wife Kelsey of Denver, Color., and Dana Hershman of Boston, Mass. They were also predeceased by Gilbert’s brother, Simon; and by Ruth’s brothers and sistersin-law, David and Gordy Novarr, and Leo and Sylvia Novarr; and Ruth’s sisters and brothers-in-law, Edith and Melvin Katzman and Dorothy and Arnold Lewis.
JATLOW
Peter I. Jatlow, M.D., 84, died May 18. He was the husband of Stephanie Jatlow. He was born in New Brunswick, N.J. and raised in Mount Vernon, N.Y. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughters, Allison
Beitler and her husband Richard, and Julie Guilmette and her husband Keith; and his grandsons, Gordon, Brian and Daniel.
KATZ
Elizabeth L. Katz, 81, of Canton, Mass., formerly of Thompsonville and West Hartford, died May 11. She was the widow of Howard Katz. Raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., she was the daughter of Margaret Bock Lewis and Robert Lewis. She is survived by her children, Nancy Katz of Brookline, Mass., and Robert Katz and his partner Lori Todd of Chapel Hill, N.C.; and her granddaughter Genna Bromley of Brookline, Mass.
ROSENBERG
Helene Rosenberg, a Jewish Polish Holocaust survivor, who made a new life for herself and her family in America, died May 16, 2020. She was 96 years old. Born in Warsaw on Dec. 17, 1923, Helene studied nursing in Poland. She came from a large family of brothers and sisters, many of whom died in the Holocaust. When the war broke out, because she had false papers identifying her as Catholic, she escaped the fate of millions of Jews who were exterminated. After the Nazis invaded, they conscripted her to care for prisoners of war in Germany. There, she would raid the pharmacy during bombing raids to steal supplies and medications denied POWs. After the war ended, many soldiers she cared for sent her letters expressing their gratitude. She met her husband, William Rosenberg, in a sanatorium in Germany where concentration camp survivors were being rehabilitated. Due to her counterfeit gentile papers, many Jews she met at war’s end did not believe she was Jewish, but “Willi” did. They married and immigrated to New Haven in 1949 with daughter, Pauline and son, Harry. Their third child, Maury, was born in New Haven. Active in many Jewish organizations, Helene held leadership positions at Hadassah and Pioneer Women. She and her husband were active members of Farband and energetic fundraisers for Israel Bonds. Partnering with the city of New Haven, they created the first Holocaust Memorial built on public land in the country. It was dedicated in 1977. To memorialize the experiences of Holocaust survivors, they worked with Yale University to create the Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies. Established in 1981, and the first of its kind, the archive holds over 4,400 survivor testimonies. Professionally, Helene worked as a saleswoman at Malley’s and Macy’s where she earned a number of awards. She also invested in and managed rental properties with her husband. Although she and her husband spent some of their retirement years in Florida, she
returned to New Haven to be closer to her grandchildren. She is survived by her beloved family: daughter Pauline, her son Harry, her daughter-in-law Helen and her grandchildren Evan and Madeline. She was predeceased by her cherished husband, William and son, Maury. Above all, she will be remembered for her strong personality, her generosity of spirit and her amazing matzoh balls, their secret ingredient, “made with love.” Donations in her memory may be made to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum or Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies. May her memory be a blessing.
SCHWARTZ
Stuart Schwartz, 85, of Newington, died May 13. He was the husband of Florence Gil-man Schwartz. Born in New York City, he was the son of Jessie and Barney Schwartz. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children, David Schwartz and his wife Corey, and Deborah Weber and her husband Michael; his grandchildren, Jessica Weber, Jordan Schwartz,, Joshua Schwartz, and Max Weber; and his brother Irwin Schwartz.
SILVER
Jane (Kantrowitz) Silver, 101, of Wethersfield, formerly of New Britain, died May 12,. She was the widow of Abraham Silver. Born in Hartford, she was the daughter of the late Samuel and Gussie (Cooper) Kantrowitz. She was also predeceased by her son Jeffrey. She is survived by her children, Daniel Silver and his wife Polly Moon of Wethersfield, Trudy Morris and her husband Bruce Morris of New York, N.Y.; her daughterin-law Maureen Robak of Tacoma, Wash.; her former daughter-in-law Anita Silver of Berlin; her grandchildren, Jennifer Cavey and her husband Joe of Ellicott City, Md., Brian Silver and his wife Becky of Wethersfield, Jed Silver and his wife Yuen of Oakland, Calif., and Mara Silver and Frank Scaduto of Washington, D.C.; 11 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
CLASSIFIED
The Jewish Ledger assumes no responsibility for the
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