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| DECEMBER 11, 2020

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| DECEMBER 11, 2020

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INSIDE

this week

CONNECTICUT JEWISH LEDGER | SINCE 1929 | DECEMBER 11, 2020 | 25 KISLEV 5781

12 Briefs

14 Torah Portion

17 Crossword

17 Kolot

18 What’s Happening

End of an Era......................................................................... 5 Abel Caterers, a mainstay of New Haven’s kosher food world, falls victim to Covid-19.

Gone but Not Forgotten..................................................... 5 The pandemic sent Connecticut’s Israeli Young Emissaries packing last spring, and it doesn’t look like they’ll be back anytime soon. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t working hard to keep their connection with CT’s Jewish communities strong.

Helping Hands...................................................................... 8 Giving of themselves to make life easier for those in need is second nature to students at Solomon Schechter Day School in West Hartford. And they proved it in a big way on Giving Tuesday.

Arts & Entertainment.......................................................16 The 25th anniversary of Martin Scorsese’s blockbuster film ‘Casino’ is good reason to take a deeper look at the film’s Jewish protagonist – played by Robert DeNiro – as well as Hollywood’s other Jewish gangsters.

20 Obituaries

21 Business and Professional Directory

22 Classified

ON THE COVER:

In his new memoir, The Promised Land, former U.S. president Barack Obama misleads readers in a way that will forever shape their negative perspective of the Jewish state, writes a former Israeli Member of Knesset. His analysis of the book’s passage on Israel includes a point-by-point accounting of the former president’s factual errors and misrepresentations. PAGE 10 jewishledger.com

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| DECEMBER 11, 2020

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UP FRONT

CONNECTICUT JEWISH LEDGER | SINCE 1929 | DECEMBER 11, 2020 | 25 KISLEV 5781

COVID shutters longtime New Haven Kosher Caterer

he pandemic has claimed a second-generation kosher catering business that was an omnipresence at local religious celebrations. Meredith Abel-Berei, owner of Abel Caterers, announced the closing of the business in a mass email message Thursday. The last day of business is Dec. 11. Abel-Berei’s father Neil Abel started the business 45 years ago. It is/was the last fleishig (meat) kosher caterer in the area. (Edge of the Woods and Claire’s Corner Copia, two vegetarian restaurants, have kosher certification and have catered Jewish events.) Abel’s pivoted to take-out orders once the Covid-19 pandemic did away with the large weddings and b’nai mitzvah celebrations, synagogue kiddush meals, and other events that were the business’s challah and butter. But that failed to make up the gap, so with winter coming, it was time to close, events coordinator Melissa Risado told the Independent Thursday. Before the pandemic, the company typically catered 20 or more events a month, Risado estimated. Since the

A JEWISH WEDDING WITH A LAVISH SPREAD BY ABEL CATERERS.

Sidelined by COVID, Zoom keeps Israel’s Young Emissaries connected to CT’s Jewish communities

BY PAUL BASS

pandemic hit, the number shrank to maybe four or five – and those events had maybe a quarter as many attendees as pre-pandemic events. The caterer usually has five to six fulltime employees and many contracted parttimers, depending on the number of events being catered, Risado said. “A kosher caterer in the area provides a vital function for the community,” observed Westville Synagogue Rabbi Fred Hyman, who also serves as president of the Vaad Hakashrus of Fairfield County (VKFC), which certifies commercial kosher food businesses. “We are grateful to Meredith for having provided premium kosher catering in our community for so many years. Her dedication to high standards of Kashrut allowed her to serve the entire breadth of the Jewish community from Lubavitch to Reform. We hope this is only a necessary pause in her business activity and she will be able to return very soon.” Following is the full text of the announcement Abel-Berei distributed Thursday:

BY STACEY DRESNER

Friday December 11th will be our last day of operations here at Abel Caterers. While we truly appreciate the support that our community has shown through the pandemic and have pivoted as best we could to continue to serve you all, I have made the difficult determination that the time has come to close our doors. For over 45 years one Abel family member or another has been providing kosher catering services in the tri-state area. It began with my father Neil as a young culinary school graduate in the 1970s, and then continued with me 13 years ago after my father’s untimely passing. Although being a Kosher caterer was never my dream, I could not help but fall in love with my work and with all of you. Thank you to our wonderful clients – you entrusted us with some of the most important days of your lives. 75-80 hour work-weeks were the norm during our busy seasons. Running from one end of the state to the other, managing housing for mashgiachs, adhering to the laws of kashruth, broken down trucks in the middle of the night, standing in ankle deep water grilling hot dogs, last minute funerals on the busiest weekends, and trying to keep the band on schedule so that the beef wouldn’t be shoe leather has been challenging. And no one loves a good challenge more than my team and I do. A young rabbi once asked me if I attended Synagogue on a regular basis and I told him, “Of course, sometimes 3 or 4 different ones in the same weekend!” This decision comes with much sadness but also with many wonderful memories of sharing in your simchas and your lives. It has been an honor and a privilege to work WITH and FOR the Jewish Community. None of this would have been possible without my amazing staff throughout the decades who willingly gave up their own holidays and special occasions so that we could serve you on yours. I would especially like to thank my current staff who have masked up and shown up through a global pandemic. We

very August since 1999, groups of young people from the Afula-Gilboa region of Israel have arrived in Southern New England to share their love for Israel – the land, the people, the culture – with local Jewish communities, as part of the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Partnership2Gether Young Emissaries program. Sponsored by the Southern New England Consortium (SNEC) – made up of the Jewish Federations in Connecticut, Western and Central Massachusetts, and Rhode Island – these 18-year-old emissaries from Afula-Gilboa, SNEC’s sister region in Israel, delay military service in the Israeli Defense Service (IDF) for a year while they live with local host families and perform outreach in day schools, religious schools, youth groups, synagogues, Jewish Community Centers, and nursing homes. Their goal: to strengthen the connection between Israel and local Jewish communities. But that connection was cut short in March when the 2019-2020 Young Emissaries were sent home three months early due to the spread of Covid-19. By August, when the incoming 2020-2021 emissaries would have landed in New England, the program had been cancelled for the year. “The process has already started for the selection of Young Emissaries for arrival in August 2021, but I think some communities have already been questioning whether that’s going to happen,” says Sharon Reisman Conway, who is retiring as the longtime coordinator of the Young Emissary program. “If I were to guess, I’d say we’re going to have another year on hiatus.” But all is not lost. As we’ve all learned, when activities can’t be held in person, the next best thing is Zoom. On Friday, Nov. 13, several Young Emissary alumni from 2016-2017 put together a “mini-Kabbalat Shabbat” presentation on Zoom specifically for CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE

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DECEMBER 11, 2020

Emissaries CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

students at Ezra Academy in Woodbridge and Solomon Schechter in New London, as well as almost 100 individuals from other SNEC communities. “They say the goal of the Young Emissary program is creating a living bridge between the two Jewish communities – Israeli Jewry and Diaspora Jewry,” says Aviv Ziv, a 2016-2017 Young Emissary in Springfield, Massachusetts, who participated in the Zoom program. “I think the Kabbalat Shabbat proved this bridge is still there, and it’s there to last.” Conway says the idea to bring the emissaries back to their communities via Zoom was a no-brainer. “I think it was sort of a synthesis of everybody saying, ‘what are we going to do? How do we keep this alive?’ Because this year we don’t have the personal connections that really is the magic of the program,” explains Conway. “So, we thought it would be great if we could come up with something that would at least give us some of that connection.” Conway said there were two goals when planning to reconnect with the Young Emissaries. “One was to see if we could develop a bank of videos of activities that would be available to various communities to use in their virtual Hebrew schools and virtual day schools, or even as a community interest program. And the hope was also to do live experiences. That was what we did [on Nov. 13] with the mini-Kabbalat Shabbat,” she says. Aviv Ziv and Guy Carmi, who served as a Young Emissary in Eastern Connecticut in 2016-2917, helped to coordinate the Zoom program on their end after Conway told them that the Young Emissary program had been cancelled this year. “Aviv and I contacted the other emissaries and sent them a message on our WhatsApp group chat,” Carmi explained. “We explained to them the plan for the event and they were all excited to join. This was an amazing opportunity for all of us to reconnect with our communities. I wanted to do it because especially in a year like this, where the communities have no

NOA FELDMAN, UPPER FAIRFIELD COUNTY YOUNG EMISSARY (2016-2017), SHARED HER FAMILY SHABBAT DINNER WITH SNEC FRIENDS, AS PART OF THE YOUNG EMISSARY “MINI-KABBALAT SHABBAT” PRESENTATION.

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emissaries, it is so important to strengthen the ties between Israel and our friends from Connecticut.” The group of former emissaries – all from 2016-2017 – sent videos showing how they celebrate Shabbat. Some showed their families gathered around the Shabbat dinner table, some sang songs and recited the blessings. The live Zoom presentation took place as Shabbat was set to begin in Israel; it was early afternoon in Connecticut so that day school students from Ezra Academy in Woodbridge and Solomon Schechter School in New London could participate. “It was very nice,” reports Conway. “We had a lot of community members who joined in and I think people felt it was a feel-good experience, both seeing everybody and kind of reminding ourselves that the connections are still very much alive… I got a lot of feedback from the Emissaries saying how meaningful it was for them to be reminded that the relationships still are very vital and connected.”

‘We are always your Young Emissaries’ Last March, when the last batch of emissaries was sent home early and the next group was cancelled, several Young Emissary coordinators began working on ways to keep the connection to Israel going in their communities. Marcia Reinhard, the coordinator for the Jewish Federation of Eastern Connecticut, spoke with several of her past emissaries who she reports were happy to do Zoom programming this fall. “They are all about this,” Reinhard says. “One of the messages from an emissary said, ‘Who better to keep you connected to Israel than your emissaries? We may have left you but we are always your emissaries.’” So far this fall, several emissaries have Zoomed with members of the Eastern Connecticut Jewish community. Amit Horowitz, a 2015–2016 YE alum, did a zoom program for the students at Solomon Schechter in New London. “She knew everyone of those kids because they were in kindergarten when she was here, and they remembered her. It was an amazing reunion,” says YE coordinator Liz Baker. Eastern Connecticut YE Roy Sulemani (2018-2019) did a Zoom “Café Israel,” a pop-culture Hebrew conversation program with Mitchell College Hillel. In early November, Bar Halgoa and May Abudraham (YE Eastern CT, 2013-2014) did an adult Café Israel – dinner and discussion for about 35 viewers; Guy Farmi (who helped organize the Kabbalat Shabbat) played a Zoom “Family Feud” game with Eastern Connecticut’s Jewish Community High School students; Eastern CT YE Ron Peleg, organized an Israel geography game with the teens; and Hadar Elya, an Easter CT emissary from 2009, who had just

| DECEMBER 11, 2020

given birth, did a program with Solomon Schechter students, teaching them the Hebrew words for various animals. Reinhard also came up with the idea for her past emissaries to write ‘were are they know’ articles for the Jewish Federation’s newspaper. “Our emissaries write about their year with us, their military service after that, then their travel after their service, the university and what they studied, how they met their significant other, if they got married, children, what they are doing now and if and how the year impacted their lives going forward,” Reinhard says of the articles that began appearing in the Federation’s newspaper on Sept. 11. Liz Baker coordinator of the Western Massachusetts Young Emissary has also kept a connection going with her past emissaries. One of her emissaries, Tamar Melech, made a video of herself shopping in the market in Carmel for shakshuka ingredients. She then demonstrates how to make the dish in her own kitchen. “It was fantastic,” Baker says. “She was in the Carmel shuk and I felt that you really get a great feeling for what the shuk is. She wasn’t just touring the shuk, she was buying groceries for a specific recipe. Then she went home and did the recipe very clearly. It was extremely well done.” That video is now in the bank of videos available for any Hebrew or day school in any of the SNEC towns. “We have about 15 videos in the bank. We are trying to solicit more,” Conway says.

But soliciting past emissaries is not always easy, despite their enthusiasm. Some of them are now serving in the IDF and many are busy with demanding careers and families of their own. “We have somebody who is working as a lawyer in the Israeli Supreme Court; we have doctors, political organizers. I think the problem is they’re into it, but they’re all so busy,” Conway says. To make things a little easier for the extremely busy emissaries, Conway, the coordinators and emissaries are working on a Milat Hayom or Hebrew ‘word of the day’ program. Emissaries will make 30-second videos teaching a new word of the day. The videos will be available in January. For now, as communities are deciding whether or not they will commit to the Young Emissary program for the year 20212022, these virtual programs will have to do. Conway says while it is disappointing not to have the emissaries here in person, she realizes there are more pressing things to be concerned about. “I think of things like hierarchy of needs,” she says. “I mean when we’re talking about people losing jobs or being worried about their personal health or their family’s health, it’s kind of a luxury to be thinking about deepening our connections with Israel. Although, in fact, I don’t think the Young Emissary program is any less important, given all that’s going on in the world and the concerns about rising antisemitism and hate.”

Sharon Conway to step down as Young Emissary coordinator For the past 16 years, the Israeli Young Emissaries have called Sharon Reisman Conway “Mama Sharon.” This fall, Mama Sharon will retire from her position as coordinator of SNEC’s Young Israeli program. “It’s been 16 years and it’s just time for my next chapter,” says Conway, who lives

in West Hartford. Conway became director of the program in 2004 after its first coordinator, Rabbi Andy Hechtman, left. She had become familiar with the Young Emissary program while serving as chair of Hartford community shaliach Asaf Ron’s Israel CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

Abel CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

have continued to cook and provide meals for so many during these unprecedented times. I would also like to thank my amazing family and friends who have supported me and Abel Caterers every step of the way. We are reaching out to current clients to return deposits to those who had given them and I will continue to be available at (203) 389-2300 through the end of the year as we wind things down. I have picked some of our most popular Dinners To Go for our final week and I hope you will enjoy them as much we enjoy cooking

them! Don’t forget to stock your freezer with your favorite Abel Caterers staples when you order your last Dinners To Go! Again, thank you for your support and the lifetime of memories. With love & gratitude, Meredith Abel-Berei This article is reprinted with permission of the New Haven Independent (newhavenindependent.com) where it first appeared.

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NEVER NEEDED

The Mandell JCC is a part of our lives. And we want everyone to be a part of our future. Throughout our long history, we have never faced a time like this. The costs to provide our free virtual programs coupled with the expense of re-opening our JCC facilities safely have far outweighed our already declining sources of revenue. We are confronting a very different future of great uncertainty. However, we are anything but resigned to it. The Community Donor Circle Crisis Fund harnesses the generosity of our community – and ensures that we can emerge from this period not the same, but stronger. We need you now more than ever as we head into the final stretch of meeting our fundraising goal of $1.5 million by year-end. Every gift matters. Every act of generosity counts.

TOGETHER, we can make the difference.

GIVE NOW www.MandellJCCCrisisFund.org jewishledger.com

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DECEMBER 11, 2020

AROUND CONNECTICUT

Solomon Schechter students mark Giving Tuesday by helping those in need

tudents at Solomon Schechter Day School in West Hartford took Giving Tuesday to heart this year, by spending the day engaged in an ambitious schedule of charitable projects. Every student – from Early Childhood through Grade 8 – took part, notes head of school Andrea Kasper, because “the act of giving back to those in need is woven into the very fabric of the school’s core values of ‘Good Heart’ – ‘Lev Tov’ – and ‘Community’ – ‘Klal Yisrael.’” By the time Giving Tuesday had drawn to a close, Solomon Schechter students had packed more than 1,000 toiletry tote bags for DignityGrows; made over 40 lunch bags and homemade cookies; filled 17 Shabbat packages; baked 5 trays of blondies; decorated countless door hangers and picture frames; wrote and decorated tons of cards to go to all of the recipients. Here’s a closer look at the students’ Giving Tuesday projects: n Students supported the Dignity Grows initiative by packing more than a thousand tote bags with a full month’s supply of comprehensive hygiene and menstrual products for our neighbors in need. The totes are then distributed to various Greater Hartford nonprofits who, in turn, distribute them to those in need. A program of the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford’s Women’s Philanthropy and co-founded 18 months ago by Solomon Schechter Chairwoman Jessica Zachs (shown here helping to pack bags), Dignity Grows has to date given out more than 6,500 totes.

JEWISH LEDGER

| DECEMBER 11, 2020

n Helping Jewish families celebrate Shabbat had students packing up Shabbat bags with grape juice, snacks, challahs (donated by the Crown Market) and Shabbat candles with handmade cards. The packages were then brought over to the Anja Rosenberg Kosher Food Pantry for distribution. Food insecurity is rampant in the Greater Hartford community and Solomon Schechter students set out to help change that. n Brightening up the environment for seniors living at Hoffman SummerWood in West Hartford was the goal of students as they created beautiful art projects, including decorated door hangers and picture frames. n Third-grader Nava Elefant (below) and her classmates made sandwiches and collected snacks, then packed lunch bags with note cards that were brought to South Park Inn, a local organization that assists people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity by providing shelter and meals.

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DECEMBER 11, 2020

Opinion

‘Promised Land’ or revisionist history? A former Knesset member weighs in on Barack Obama’s telling of Israel’s story BY DOV LIPMAN

(JNS) I have never criticized former U.S. President Barack Obama publicly – neither during my time in the Knesset nor anywhere else – despite my having disagreed with many of his policies. I am of the strong opinion that Israelis should not engage in or interfere with American politics, and I regularly offer a blanket thank you to all American presidents, including Obama, for their economic and military support for Israel. However, his memoir, A Promised Land, is filled with historical inaccuracies that I feel the need to address. His telling of Israel’s story (at the beginning of Chapter 25) not only exhibits a flawed understanding of the region – which clearly impacted his policies as president – but misleads readers in a way that will forever shape their negative perspective of the Jewish state. Obama relates, for example, how the British were “occupying Palestine” when they issued the Balfour Declaration calling for a Jewish state. But labeling Great Britain as an “occupier” clearly casts doubt on its legitimacy to determine anything about the future of the Holy Land, and that wasn’t the situation. While it is true that England had no legal rights in Palestine when the Balfour Declaration was issued in 1917, that changed just five years later. The League of Nations, the precursor to the United Nations, gave the British legal rights over Palestine in its 1922 “Mandate for Palestine,” which specifically mentions “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.” The League also said that “recognition has thereby been given to the historical connection of the Jewish people with Palestine and to the grounds for reconstituting their national home in that country.” The former president’s noted omission of the internationally agreed-upon mandate for the British to establish a home for the Jews in Palestine misinforms the reader, who will conclude that the movement for a Jewish state in Palestine had no legitimacy or international consent. “Over the next 20 years, Zionist leaders 10

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THE BOOK JACKET OF FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA’S MEMOIR, A PROMISED LAND.

mobilized a surge of Jewish migration to Palestine,” Obama writes, creating the image that once the British illegally began the process of forming a Jewish state in Palestine, Jews suddenly started flocking there. The truth is that Jews, who maintained a continual presence throughout the 2,000 years that most were exiled from the land, had already been moving to Palestine in large numbers way before then; considerably more than 100,000 immigrants arrived in the late 19th century and beginning of the 20th century. Then, in the 1920s, high numbers fleeing antisemitism in Europe could only find safe haven in Palestine due to the United States having instituted quotas in 1924 on the number of Jews who could enter America. The number of immigrants rose even more in the 1930s when Adolf Hitler rose to power and began his conquest of Europe while the world remained silent. Historical context is important, and once Obama chose to write about the history, he should have provided the full context and portrayed the Jews as they were: a persecuted and desperate people searching for safety, and not, as he implies, strong conquerors flooding into Palestine. His claim that the new immigrants “organized highly trained armed forces to defend their settlements” is also misleading. A more accurate way to describe it would have been: “Because the Arabs in the region mercilessly attacked the Jewish areas, the

| DECEMBER 11, 2020

Jewish refugees had no choice but to take up arms to defend themselves.” Acknowledging that the Arabs were attacking Jews before there was even a State of Israel is important historical context for understanding the Israeli-Arab conflict. A Promised Land recounts, as well, how the United Nations passed a partition plan for Palestine in November 1947, by dividing the country into a Jewish and Arab state, which the “Zionist leaders,” as he calls them, accepted, but to which the “Arab Palestinians, as well as surrounding Arab nations that were just emerging from colonial rule, strenuously objected.” Obama’s use of “Zionist leaders” instead of “Jewish leaders” plays right into the current international climate, in which it is politically correct to be “anti-Zionist,” while unacceptable to be anti-Jewish. (In reality, Zionism is the movement for Jews to live in their biblical and historic homeland, so being against that actually is antisemitism, but that’s for another discussion.) The description of “Arab nations that were just emerging from colonial rule” is a clear attempt to justify the Arab refusal of the U.N. Partition Plan. Those poor “Arab nations” that have been suffering due to outsiders colonizing their “nations” simply could not accept another “colonial” entity, the Jews, entering the region. But the truth is that with the exception of Egypt, which was not colonized, none of the neighboring countries that rejected the partition plan had been established states before World War I. Yes, the postwar mandates of the League of Nations gave control in the region to the British and the French for a few decades, but this was in place of the Ottoman Empire that had controlled the region for centuries. Thus, the image of countries emerging from longstanding colonial rule as a subtle attempt to justify their objection to the Partition Plan is simply false. Obama tells the story of the establishment of the State of Israel in two sentences, which are nothing short of outright revisionist history: “As Britain withdrew, the two sides quickly fell into war. And with Jewish militias claiming victory in 1948, the state of Israel was

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officially born.” Wow. I don’t even know where to begin. The two sides didn’t “fall into war” when Britain withdrew; the two sides had been fighting for decades, with the Arabs – who rejected more than half-a-century of efforts to establish a Jewish state in the region – attacking the Jews, and the Jews defending themselves. When the British then left the area in May 1948, the Jews made a very difficult decision to declare their independence based on the U.N. Partition Plan, which gave the right for a Jewish state alongside an Arab state. There were no “Jewish militias claiming victory.” There was a unified Jewish army that formed the Israel Defense Forces, which knew that the surrounding Arab countries would begin an all-out assault to destroy Israel the moment its Jewish leadership declared an independent fledgling Jewish state. And that is exactly what the Arab armies did. The new State of Israel fought off that assault for months, emerging in 1949 both weakened and fragile. Obama’s perspective on the formation of the State of Israel no doubt affected his foreign policy regarding the Jewish state. If one sees Israel as a colonial force occupying the land as a result of its armed militias, then it will be treated as an outsider that wronged others to establish itself as a state. The former president misleads others into believing this, as well. The most disingenuous sentence of Obama’s history of Israel is in his description of what happened during the 30 years following Israel’s establishment: “For the next three decades, Israel would engage in a succession of conflicts with its Arab neighbors … .” What? I had to read that sentence many times because I could not believe that a president of the United States could write such misleading, deceptive and damaging words about his country’s close ally. Israel did not “engage” in any conflict with the surrounding Arab countries. The Arab armies and their terrorists attacked Israel again and again, and Israelis fought to defend themselves. A straightforward history of Middle East wars involving Israel yields this basic truth. Facts are facts, and the former president’s misrepresentation of Israel as a country that sought conflict instead of peace – one that willingly engaged in wars with the Arabs – does an injustice to peace-seeking Israel and riles up anti-Israel sentiment. Obama’s description of the 1967 Six-Day War continues this revisionism: “A greatly outnumbered Israeli military routed the combined armies of Egypt, Jordan and Syria. In the process, Israel seized control of the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, and the Golan Heights from Syria.” Here he fails to address what led up to the war, when all those Arab armies jewishledger.com

gathered along Israel’s borders and declared their intention to wipe it off the map. He doesn’t describe Israel’s pleading with Jordan not to enter the war, nor that Jordan altogether had no legal rights to the West Bank, which it occupied in 1948 and annexed against international law in 1950. Most significantly, Obama fails to mention Israel’s willingness, immediately after the war, to withdraw from all the areas that it won in its defensive battle in exchange for peace; and by extension, he also fails to tell of the Arab League’s “Three No’s” in response to that offer: no peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel and no negotiations with Israel. This omission serves once again to portray Israel as the aggressive occupier that seeks conflict and not peace. The former president continues with another outright falsehood, which helps give insight into his policies regarding Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The “rise of the PLO (the Palestinian Liberation Organization)” was a “result” of the Six-Day War he writes. That makes it seem like the Palestinian liberation movement, including its violent and murderous attacks against Israelis, was only a result of Israel’s taking control over the West Bank, eastern Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. It strengthens the message that if only Israel would vacate these areas, there would be peace between Israel and the Palestinians. This is what spurs leaders around the world to suggest that Israeli settlements in these areas are the obstacle to peace in the region. But there is one flaw with this story and logic. It’s not true. The PLO was established in 1964 – three years before Israel was in control of any of those “occupied” areas and three years before there were any settlements. What exactly was this Palestinian organization liberating at that time? Is there any conclusion other than the liberation of the Jewish state in its entirety? What other option could there be? This is why the “Free Palestine” movement chants, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” They are against the existence of Israel anywhere between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. They see such a state as a colonial enterprise with armed militias grabbing the land of others, just as Obama leads readers to believe when describing the formation of the state. The false description of the PLO rising after 1967 serves the narrative that the “occupation” and the settlements are the cause of the conflict, and this, no doubt, had a direct impact on Obama’s “not one brick” policy, including freezing settlement construction, in an effort to bring about peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Obama describes the failed Camp David accords of 2000, in which former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered the

Palestinians more than 90 percent of what they were asking for. “Arafat demanded more concessions, however, and talks collapsed in recrimination,” he writes. But the talks didn’t simply “collapse.” Sixty-six days later, Arafat unleashed the Second Intifada, in which 1,137 Israeli civilians were murdered and 8,341 were maimed by Yasser Arafat-funded terrorists who blew themselves up in Israeli buses and cafes. Don’t trust my word on this. Mamduh Nofal, former military commander of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, revealed that following Camp David, “Arafat told us, ‘Now we are going to fight so we must be ready.’” In addition, Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar said in September 2010 that in the summer of 2000, as soon as Arafat understood that all of his demands would not be met, he instructed Hamas, Fatah and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades to begin attacking Israel. And Mosab Hassan Yousef, son of Hamas founder Sheikh Hassan Yousef, has verified that the Second Intifada was pre-planned by Arafat. Not only does Obama fail to accurately connect the Second Intifada to Arafat’s not receiving everything the Palestinians asked for at Camp David – demands that would have prevented Israel from being able to defend itself against Palestinian terrorism – but he seems to place the blame for the intifada on Israel. He describes the September 2000 visit of Israel’s opposition leader and subsequent prime minister, Ariel Sharon, to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem as “provocative” and a “stunt” that “enraged Arabs near and far.” But Obama neglects to mention that Sharon only visited there after Israel’s Interior Ministry received assurances from the security chief of the Palestinian Authority that no uproar would arise as a result of the visit. In fact, Jibril Rajoub, head of Preventive Security in the West Bank, confirmed that Sharon could visit the sensitive area as long as he did not enter a mosque or pray publicly, rules to which Sharon adhered. Even more incredibly, Obama describes the Temple Mount as “one of Islam’s holiest sites,” making no mention that it is the holiest site in Judaism. An innocent reader who is unfamiliar with the region and its history reads this and concludes that it was simply wrong for a Jewish leader to walk onto a Muslim religious site. On the other hand, if he or she knew that it is the holiest site for Jews, then they would more likely wonder why there was anything wrong with Sharon’s having gone there – except Obama omits that part, leading anyone to conclude that Sharon was in the wrong. That omission, together with the exclusion of Arafat’s plans for the intifada right after negotiations at Camp David failed, can only lead one to conclude that Israel was responsible for the five years of bloodshed during the Second Intifada.

Obama’s history lesson continues with the tension between Israel and Gaza. Remarkably, he makes zero mention of the Israeli disengagement from Gaza in 2005, when Israel pulled out all of its troops from the strip while forcing 9,000 Jewish citizens to leave their homes. Anyone reading the president’s description of the wars between Israel and Hamas would never know that Israel no longer “occupies” Gaza, and that the Palestinians have been free to build an “Israeli-free” Palestinian state there for the last 15 years. That omission is glaring. Finally, Obama’s misleading words describing Israel’s response to Hamas rocket fire on its civilian population only serves to inflame and incite anti-Israel sentiment world-wide. That response, he writes, included “Israeli Apache helicopters leveling entire neighborhoods” in Gaza – Apache helicopters that he identifies as coming from the United States, a subtle or not-too-subtle questioning of whether the United States should be providing Israel with military aid if it is used in this manner. More importantly, what does he mean by “leveling entire neighborhoods,” other than to imply that Israel indiscriminately bombs Gazan neighborhoods, willfully murdering in-nocent people? And what human being on Earth wouldn’t be riled up to condemn Is-rael for such inhumane activity? The problem is that it’s false. Israel targets terrorist leaders and the rockets that they fire into Israeli cities. Tragically, Hamas leaders use innocent Palestinians as human shields by hiding behind them in civilian neighborhoods, and by launching rockets into Israel from there and from hospitals and mosques. Israel does its best not to kill innocent people, even airdropping leaflets announcing an imminent airstrike, and calls off missions to destroy rocket launchers or kill terrorist leaders when there are too many civilians in the area. Israel most certainly does not launch retaliatory attacks that aimlessly “level” entire neighborhoods. I have no problem with criticism of Israel. We can debate the issues in intellectually honest discussions, and in the end, we may have to agree to disagree about Israel’s policies. But no one should accept a book that is filled with historical inaccuracies that invariably lead innocent and unknowing readers to reach false conclusions. Such a devastating book has real-life ramifications and consequences. It is terribly disappointing. I surely would have expected truth, accuracy and fairness from Barack Obama, America’s 44th president. But the falsehoods and inaccuracies in this memoir only feed the theory that Obama was, in fact, anti-Israel. Now, through A Promised Land, he seeks to convince others to join him. Dov Lipman served as a member of the 19th Knesset.

JEWISH LEDGER

DECEMBER 11, 2020

Briefs

Israel, Bahrain sign historic tourism agreement in Jerusalem

Netanyahu greets Ethiopian immigrants in Operation ‘Rock of Israel’ (JNS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday greeted at BenGurion International Airport the first group of Ethiopian immigrants to arrive in the country within the framework of “Operation Tzur Israel” (“Rock of Israel”). The 316 immigrants are among approximately 2,000 who are slated to make aliyah by the end of January as part of the operation, approved in Oct. 2019, to reunite them with their families in Israel, according to the Prime Minister’s Office. “I do not remember, for many years, when I have been moved so much at a sight of such refined Zionism that expresses all of its significance,” Netanyahu said at the ceremony in a tent on the tarmac. …The mother kisses the ground and carries an infant named Jerusalem, and another infant is named Esther. Esther and Jerusalem are coming to Jerusalem; this is the essence of the Jewish story. This is the essence of the Zionist story,” he said, adding, “Therefore, we, dear brothers and sisters of ours, immigrants from Ethiopia, we are so moved to welcome you here. Welcome to the land of Israel. Welcome to the State of Israel.” Netanyahu informed Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in October about his intention to bring to Israel some 2,000 Ethiopian Jews currently in Addis Ababa and Gondar waiting to immigrate. In a phone conversation during, Ahmed readily agreed to the move and stressed the special bond between the people of Ethiopia and Israel. Ahmed also congratulated Netanyahu on the Abraham Accords, saying that the positive ramifications of the deals will only be understood by future generations. Approximately 13,000 Jews currently reside in Addis Ababa and in Gondar. Most live in poverty and are waiting to be taken to Israel, which they consider their homeland. Many have family members who have been living in Israel since “Operation Moses” in 1984 and “Operation Solomon” in 1991, when the Israel Air Force Israel airlifted a total of some 20,000 Jews out of Ethiopia. “Some 250 people have left for Israel within the past year until COVID-19 came. Now the travel has stopped, but Israeli officials are conducting interviews online,” said Nigusie Alemu Eyasu, program director for the Ethiopian Jews’ Community.

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(JNS) Israeli Tourism Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen and her Bahraini counterpart Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at a ceremony in Jerusalem on Wednesday, Dec. 2. According to Farkash-Hacohen, the MoU, which deals with tourism, provides the framework to turn ideas into plans into packages. “Together, we can create packages for regional tourism, offering tourists from Brazil, China or Australia or the Philippines to visit both our countries,” she said. At the ceremony, Al Zayani said that he and his 40-member delegation, which arrived in Israel on Tuesday, were returning to Bahrain “with lots of hope and ambition that we will forge the peace signed by our leadership, so it transmits to every Israeli and every Bahraini citizen.” The MOU, the first of its kind between Israel and an Arab Gulf state, includes a number of sections on bilateral cooperation between the governments and the private sector in the field of tourism, and calls to develop various types of travel: for families, wellness, business and others. Additionally, it establishes a joint committee headed by the ministers, which will meet regularly to promote joint ventures of travel agents, airlines, tour operators and all relevant industry representatives. Farkash-Hacoen said that she would work to open up travel for tourists from Bahrain as soon as possible, and stated: “Governments sign treaties, but people create peace. This is why signing a bilateral tourism MOU is so important. We are encouraging travel between our countries. We are encouraging people to meet and interact with each other. We are connecting two cultures. By doing so, we are encouraging true and lasting peace.” Al Zayani said Israel would find Bahrain to be a “true partner, a genuine investor and a frank friend.” “We invite you and welcome you to use Bahrain as a springboard to the rest of the world, and look forward to using Israel as a springboard for us to the rest of the world,” he said.

Israel transfers to Palestinian Authority $1.14 billion in tax revenues (JNS) Israel transferred $1.14 billion in tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority, the head of the P.A. General Authority of Civil Affairs, Hussein Al-Sheikh, announced on Wednesday. “The #Israeli government transfers all financial dues of the clearance to the account of the #Palestinian Authority, amounting to three billion and 768 million shekels,” tweeted Al-Sheikh. According to Israeli media reports, the Israeli Cabinet decided on Sunday to deduct 600 million

| DECEMBER 11, 2020

shekels ($180 million) from the amount that the P.A. pays in monthly stipends to Palestinian terrorists and their families. The deduction of the “pay for slay” money is in accordance with a 2018 law passed by the Knesset. The P.A. in June had refused to accept the revenues for the month of May collected on its behalf by Israel, as part of the leadership in Ramallah’s threats to halt all cooperation with the Jewish state over Jerusalem’s plan at the time to extend Israeli law to parts of Judea and Samaria. In May, the Jerusalem District Court placed a lien on NIS 450 million ($138 million) in the revenues, after ruling against the P.A. in several lawsuits, charging it with responsibility for numerous terror attacks. Israel collects these funds on behalf of the P.A. under the terms of the Oslo Accords.

EU invites members to adopt antisemitism definition that includes Israel hatred (JTA) – The Council of the European Union “invited” all the bloc’s 27 members to adopt a definition of antisemitism that includes anti-Israel vitriol. The invitation to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition came in a declaration published Wednesday, Dec. 2 by the Council, which is made up of cabinet ministers from all the bloc’s member states. “Member States that have not yet done so are invited to join the other Member States and endorse the IHRA working definition as soon as possible,” reads the document, titled “Council Declaration on Mainstreaming the Fight against Antisemitism across Policy-Areas.” The European Parliament, the EU’s legislative branch, adopted the IHRA definition in 2017, as have dozens of countries. The IHRA working definition describes various forms of antisemitism, including hatred and discrimination against Jews and Holocaust denial. It also includes examples of anti-Israel criticism it defines as antisemitic, including comparing the country’s policies to those of Nazi Germany, denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination and “applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.” Criticism of Israel similar to that leveled at any other country is not antisemitic, the definition states. The Council declaration also speaks of the need to carry out Holocaust education and also of “Protecting Jewish life and making it more visible as part of Europe’s identity.” It does not list concrete actions to achieve this. In a statement, World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder called the declaration a “significant step forward in making Europe a better place for Jews.” European Jewish Congress President

Moshe Kantor said it was an “important decision” that “appreciates the sad growth of antisemitism.”

Democratic centrists succeed pro-Israel stalwarts as chairs of key House panels (JTA) – Democratic Party centrists with solid Israel bona fides defeated progressives as the chairs of two key House committees, succeeding pro-Israel stalwarts Eliot Engel and Nita Lowey. Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York will replace Engel, also of New York, as chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. Engel, for decades one of the Democrats closest to the centrist and rightwing pro-Israel communities, was defeated in a primary by a progressive challenger. Meeks in the caucus vote defeated Joaquin Castro, a Texas Democrat who has been critical of the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, going so far as to suggest that Netanyahu had undercut U.S.-Israel ties. Meeks is the first Black chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. Meeks has co-sponsored pro-Israel legislation, including a bill that would further enhance Israel-U.S. defense cooperation, and told a Jewish Democratic group that defense assistance to Israel was sacrosanct. He also said that under U.S. law, Israel is not allowed to use American defense assistance on West Bank spending. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat close to the party establishment, defeated Marcy Kaptur of Ohio and will replace New York’s Lowey as chairwoman of the powerful Appropriations Committee. Lowey is retiring this year and, like Engel, has long been close to the pro-Israel community. Both Engel and Lowey are Jewish. DeLauro is married to Stanley Greenberg, a prominent Democratic pollster who has advised Israel’s Labor Party.

NY Young Republicans call Andrew Cuomo aide a ‘court Jew’ (JTA) – The New York Young Republican Club called Andrew Cuomo’s director of Jewish affairs a “court Jew” and tweeted that he is “working for the most antisemitic Governor in America.” Responding to a tweet by the director, Jake Adler, disparaging an upcoming in-person conference hosted by the state’s Young Republicans, the GOP club was repeating a claim by Cuomo critics that he has been biased against Hasidic communities in Brooklyn during the coronavirus pandemic. “Imagine being Jewish and working for the most antisemitic Governor in America,” the group tweeted. “You are a disgrace and pathetic. Shouldn’t you guys be arresting Orthodox Jews in BK? Keep being a good boy for your failed corrupt boss.” When David Greenfield, an Orthodox jewishledger.com

Jew who is CEO of the Met Council on Jewish Poverty, vouched for Adler on Twitter, the Young Republicans responded by deriding “court Jews.” The reference was to Jews who would work in royal courts in exchange for special privileges not afforded other Jews. It has become a slur disparaging Jews who are seen as selling out communal interests to advance their own status. “Court Jews defending the blatant antisemitism of Cuomo is so repugnant & vile its almost too unreal to behold,” the Young Republicans tweeted. The Anti-Defamation League’s regional office tweeted in response that “Everyone has the right to disagree w/ public policy & political positions, but resorting to tropes should be off limits.” In response, the Young Republicans tweeted that the ADL is a “sham” and told the civil rights group to “shut up.”

Report: Sudan-Israel deal could cave unless Congress passes immunity bill (Israel Hayom via JNS) The U.S.-brokered normalization agreement between Israel and Sudan from October may not be implemented unless Sudan is granted legal immunity over its terrorist past, The New York Times reported on Tuesday, Dec. 1. According to the report, which cites several officials involved in talks between Washington and Khartoum, Sudan has made it clear that unless the U.S. Congress passes legislation that would grant it immunity from legal action over the years in which it sponsored Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups, it would not proceed towards full normalization with Israel as it had agreed under the Abraham Accords. Those accords have cemented the de facto alliance between Israel and the Sunni moderate Arab states in recent months. The agreements have already led to almost full normalization between Israel and two Arab states–the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain–and to the warming of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. According to Times report, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke on Monday with Sudan’s leader, Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, “who made clear that the East African nation would not move forward with warming ties with Israel before Congress passes the so-called legal peace legislation.”

Biden to reenter Iran deal without new conditions, then negotiate new agreement (JTA) – President-elect Joe Biden’s plan to deal with Iran starts with reentering the 2015 nuclear deal without conditions. Biden’s comments in an interview posted Wednesday by New York Times columnist Tom Friedman were the most detailed jewishledger.com

account of his plans for reentering the pact, which traded sanctions relief for Iran’s rollback of its nuclear program. President Donald Trump removed the United States from the agreement in 2018. Among Trump’s complaints about the deal were that it “sunsetted” restrictions on uranium enrichment and failed to deal with ancillary issues, including Iran’s missile program and its adventurism in the region. Biden has said those issues should be on the table in talks with Iran, but in his interview with Friedman, he said it was critical to return to the deal as a means of stemming Iran’s nuclear program. Iranian leaders have said they are ready to return to the terms of the original agreement should Biden bring the U.S. back on board. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged Biden not to reenter the deal absent modifications. After reentering the deal, Biden told Friedman, the United States, “in consultation with our allies and partners, we’re going to engage in negotiations and follow-on agreements to tighten and lengthen Iran’s nuclear constraints, as well as address the missile program.” He said the United States could restore sanctions under the terms of the deal should Iran resist further negotiations.

Rashida Tlaib removes tweet with phrase calling for Israel’s elimination (JTA) – Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., removed from her Twitter feed a retweet that said “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” a phrase that has been associated with calls to wipe out Israel. On Nov. 29, the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Tlaib retweeted a tweet from an account that featured the phrase accompanied by an image of a poster marking the day. Tlaib, a Palestinian American who does not believe Israel should exist as a Jewish state, came under fire for the retweet from pro-Israel groups. “Rashida Tlaib is not just opposed to Israeli control of the West Bank – this slogan means she sees the entire State of Israel as illegitimate and wants it eliminated,” Democratic Majority for Israel said in a tweet. “That’s an immoral and reprehensible position.” The phrase was originated by Palestinian nationalists in the 1960s, when the entire Palestinian movement sought Israel’s elimination. Mainstream Palestinian groups dropped the phrase after Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization recognized one another subsequent to the 1993 Oslo Accords, but it was then adopted by Islamists, including the Hamas terrorist group. More recently, figures who call for Israel’s replacement through peaceful means have also adopted the phrase.

Support for Palestinians’ anti-Israel resolutions flags at UN (Israel Hayom via JNS) A series of resolutions pushed by the Palestinian Authority on Wednesday, Dec. 2 at the United Nations garnered less support than usual, perhaps indicating that the international body may be starting to shake off its bias against the Jewish state. The resolutions were drafted by the U.N. General Assembly’s Palestinian Rights Committee, dedicated to promoting the Palestinian narrative with regards to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While such resolutions usually see broad support in the international forum, this year they were opposed by Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Switzerland and Papua New Guinea, as well as other countries that in previous years had abstained. Iceland, Singapore, Eritrea and Uruguay, which in the past voted in favor of such resolutions, chose to abstain this time. In addition, there was also a decline in the support for a resolution condemning Israeli presence in the Golan Heights. A resolution focusing on setting parameters for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict also proved less popular than in the past. Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan expressed his appreciation for Israel’s supporters, saying, “This sends a clear message to the U.N. [regarding] its discrimination [against] Israel. No other country in the world is discriminated against in international bodies as Israel is. It is time for more countries to join our struggle to change the anti-Israel agenda at the U.N.”

Rapper Lord Jamar says 500,000 Jews at most died in the Holocaust (JTA) – Lorenzo Dechalus, a well-known rapper whose stage name is Lord Jamar, said that at most only 500,000 Jews died in the Holocaust. Dechalus, a New York City-born producer and former cast member of the television show “Oz,” made the comment during an with Rizza Islam, a member of the Nation of Islam. “Check the records: There wasn’t even six million Jews in Europe at that time,” Dechalus, 52, said. “There was about 500,000 over there, in Germany, in Europe, there was no six million, so what are we talking about? Stop it.” The video is available on Facebook, which in October said it would ban Holocaust denial from its platform. Britain’s Campaign Against Antisemitism group wrote about it Sunday. Dechalus added: “I’m not saying they didn’t do some of the horrific things that they did but it wasn’t to the scale that they’re saying it was done.” Islam reacted by saying: “That’s a fact.” He also said that Adolf Hitler “was a horrible dude” but “he

learned how to use a system of eugenics and sterilization through the vaccines and other things of that nature from California, from America.” In the video, Dechalus and Islam several times described a “clash” between Blacks, whom they called “our people,” and “the enemy.” Rizza also repeated as fact a discredited theory that vaccines cause autism. According to the Israeli Holocaust museum Yad Vashem, during the 1942 Wannsee Conference a high Nazi official referred to 11 million Jews that would be targeted by Nazi Germany.

Israel braces for new elections as Gantz backs bill to dissolve parliament (JTA) – Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Tuesday, Dec. 1 that his party will back a bill crafted by the opposition in parliament to dissolve the government, likely sending Israel to its fourth election in two years. The votes from Gantz’s Blue and White would provide the needed votes for the measure to pass in the Knesset. Gantz and Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, formed a unity government earlier this year by agreeing to rotate the premiership after 18 months, but the two have been at odds from the outset of the partnership. Their latest logjam involves a two-year national budget that both said they would finance in their coalition agreement. But Netanyahu’s Likud party has agreed to pass only a one-year budget; the two-year agreement would set in motion Gantz’s transition to power next year. In a statement, Gantz blamed Netanyahu for the situation. “Netanyahu has decided to dissolve the government and drag Israel into an election” by refusing to pass the budget, Gantz said, according to Haaretz. Gantz had recently launched a commission to investigate a corruption scandal known as “the Submarine Affair,” which involves several people close to Netanyahu, further eroding their relationship. “All of this is happening for a single reason … Netanyahu is only working to save himself from his trial,” Gantz said, referencing the other scandals for which Netanyahu was indicted last year. Gantz left open the possibility of passing the budget by its Dec. 23 deadline and avoiding an election that would take place next year.

JEWISH LEDGER

DECEMBER 11, 2020

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t times, the effort to discover depths of meaning in biblical texts results in what may seem to be a distortion of the meaning of the text. However, these seeming distortions, often referred to as “Chassidishe Torah,” may actually these reveal essential hidden truths. The collected writings (known as Kedushat Levi) of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev (1740-1809) contain classic examples of Chassidishe Torah. His ingenuity reveals layers of meaning that often expose vital truths inaccessible through the study of the plain text itself. Consider the first verse in this week’s Torah portion, Vayeshev (Genesis 37:1-40:23): “Jacob settled in the land where his father had sojourned, the land of Canaan.” The Hebrew for “the land where his father had sojourned“ is b’eretz megurei aviv. There is no dispute among the major commentators as to the meaning of those words. Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, however, suggests an entirely different meaning of the word megurei. Elsewhere in the Bible, in admittedly very different contexts, that word means “fear,” “anxiety,” perhaps even “terror.” For example, in chapter 31 verse 14 of the book of Psalms, the phrase magor mesaviv translates as “terror on every side.” In chapter 33 verse 8, the phrase “mimenu yaguru” translates as “they will dread him.” Finally, in chapter 34 verse 5, the phrase “umikol megurosai hitzilani,” which translates as “He saved me from all my terrors.” Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s thesis is simple: One can easily justify this translation of the first verse of our Torah portion: “Jacob settled in the land of his father’s fears, the land of Canaan.” The significance of the phrase “his father’s fears” Is evident in Genesis 31:53, where we read of the oath that “Jacob swore by Pachad Yitzchak, the “Fear of his father Isaac.” Jacob’s father Isaac has come to represent fear and awe in the Jewish consciousness. In this week’s Torah portion, then, Jacob is returning to settle in the land where he cannot escape the fearfulness that characterized his father. But what is the nature of his father’s

fear? Rabbi Levi Yitzchak responds that Isaac’s fears were distinctly spiritual in nature. He feared that he might fall short of the Almighty’s expectations of him. He was anxious lest he sin, and thereby distance himself from his desired and well-earned closeness to the Almighty. It was to those spiritual fears that Jacob was returning when he returned to his father’s land. When he was distant from his father and struggling to adjust to his father-in-law Laban’s treacheries, he could not trouble himself to be concerned about his diminished relationship with the Lord. Now that he had returned to that land, he had to recover his “father’s fears.” He had to be afraid that perhaps his sins had caused a breach in his relationship with the Lord. Rabbi Levi Yitzchak uses his commentary to teach a practical lesson. He goes on to write as follows: “For each of us must serve the Lord at every moment and every occasion, so that we always rejoice when we see that it goes well for other Jews in the world, and so that if, heaven forbid, the reverse is true, we feel the pain of others and are consciously anxious lest we have sinned and are, thereby, somehow responsible for the misfortunes of others.” Each Jew must rejoice when other Jews are fortunate and must not only suffer along with their misfortunes but must do whatever is possible to alleviate those misfortunes. Jacob’s “father’s fears” are not mere anxieties. Rather, they are based upon a felt connection with others and an abiding concern that one’s own failures may somehow affect others in his family, his community, his nation, and the world. We must rectify our own shortcomings for the ultimate benefit of those around us. Jacob’s return to his father’s land was not a mere geographic change of location. It was a change in his sense of responsibility for others. He would now be motivated to better himself so that others could gain from his closeness to the Almighty. Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb is executive vice president, emeritus of the Orthodox Union.

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Conway CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

committee. “Asaf was helping Andy, so I got to know a lot about the program. I often said to Andy, ‘If you ever thinking of quitting, let me know because this could be a really fun job.’ The kids are really stimulating and interesting, and I could spend time in Israel.” Conway came to love Israel after her first trip there as a teenager. She went with her family one summer when her father was on a sabbatical. “I spent a summer on a kibbutz and then kind of fell in love with the country,” she recalls. “Then after college, I did a gap year kind of similar to what these [emissaries] do when they come here except I did it in Israel. “I did volunteer work in the community with the Department of Welfare with families that have children who were developmentally disabled. And I lived in an apartment with other American girls. We didn’t have host families but there were families in the community who sort of were our connecting point. It was a life changing experience for me. It was at that point that I thought maybe I was going to stay and live there, but I determined ultimately that it was too big price to give up my close connection with my family.”

Years later, when her own children were teenagers – “and they needed me less” – Conway took the position as Young Emissary coordinator. “In many ways, this was the perfect job for me. It would keep me connected to Israel and would allow me to speak Hebrew, which I do. And even though I wasn’t able to move to Israel this was giving me the opportunity to deepen my connections with Israel and travel there.” Indeed, Conway travelled to Israel every year since taking the position to participate in interviewing and selecting the candidates. As she prepares to step down, she speaks proudly of all of the young Israelis she has helped nurture over the years. “I’m still in touch with such a huge percentage of them. Every day I hear from somebody; they send a baby picture or ask ‘Could you please be a reference for me for medical school?’” she says. “They are all in various careers and doing interesting, exciting things. “For me, one of the greatest rewards is seeing how each of the emissaries personally developed and changed and to watch them basically grow up with the pride of feeling that they contributed in a meaningful way, which all of them did.”

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.

IN AUGUST 2017, THE ISRAELI YOUNG EMISSARIES WERE MET BY SHARON CONWAY, (STANDING, 2ND FROM LEFT), WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN NEW YORK.

Join our email list for the latest updates! Contact Howard Meyerowitz howardm@jewishledger.com 860.231.2424 x3035 jewishledger.com

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

HKC

‫כשר‬

For more information on our Kosher program, please contact: DIRECTOR, PASTORAL SERVICES - (860) 523-3800 Hebrew Center for Health and Rehabilitation One Abrahms Boulevard, West Hartford, CT 06117

L IKE U S ON

JEWISH LEDGER

DECEMBER 11, 2020

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Martin Scorsese’s ‘Casino’ is 25 years old. Here’s a primer on its Jewish protagonist and Hollywood’s other Jewish gangsters. BY STEPHEN SILVER

(JTA) – “Casino,” Martin Scorsese’s examination of the mob’s control of Las Vegas in the 1960s and 70s, debuted in theaters on Nov. 22, 1995 – 25 years ago this past week. It may be a tick below “Goodfellas,” which came out just five years earlier, in terms of its reputation in the eyes of film historians. But the three-hour epic remains one of Scorsese’s most ambitious and gorgeously realized films. It also may be the best crime film with a Jewish protagonist at its center. That was Sam “Ace” Rothstein, the character played in the film by Scorsese mainstay Robert De Niro. Rothstein is depicted as a Jewish associate of the Chicago Outfit, an expert bookmaker and sports handicapper who is sent to Vegas to run the Tangiers, one of the largest casinos on the Strip. The character is based on Frank Rosenthal, a real Jewish gambling expert from Chicago who had ties to the Chicago Outfit and eventually headed to Vegas to run casinos for them. While the film is somewhat fictionalized, Rosenthal really did pioneer the idea of sports books in casinos, really did survive an assassination attempt by car bomb and really did have his license denied by a state gaming commission, which was led in real life by Harry Reid, before he was a senator. Rothstein, as depicted in the film, is sort of a gangster, and sort of not; he is with the mafia, but not of the mafia, because

ROBERT DE NIRO AS ACE ROTHSTEIN IN A SCENE FROM THE 1995 FILM “CASINO.” (UNIVERSAL PICTURES/GETTY IMAGES)

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of his ethnic identity. Like Henry Hill, the protagonist of “Goodfellas,” Rothstein can’t ever be a “made guy” because he’s not fully Sicilian. However, Ace sees his work running the casino as having a certain degree of aboveboard legitimacy and is constantly worried that his longtime friend Nicky (Joe Pesci), a fully “made” mobster, is ruining that reputation with his loose cannon antics. In the film, the viewer never hears Rothstein himself address his Jewishness or what it means to him, and he appears to lead a largely secular life. The topic is mentioned, however, by Pesci’s character, in a somewhat pejorative way. “I gotta make sure no one f***s around with the golden Jew,” Nicky says at one point. As their relationship begins to sour, he says things like “Jew motherf*****,” and threatens to “take a piece out of your Jew ass.” “Casino” also featured a supporting cast full of famous Jewish comedians, including Don Rickles, Alan King and Kevin Pollak. In the end, Rothstein is the perfect symbol of how Jews could find great success in mid-20th century America – even in the crime world – yet remain outsiders, through no fault of their own. After Frank Rosenthal’s death in 2008, it was revealed that he had long been an FBI informant. In an interview prior to his death, Rosenthal was asked whether his heritage protected him while dealing with underworld figures. “No, when you excel at anything – my expertise was sports and thoroughbred wagering – you rise to a very high level,” he said. “Some people were impressed and took special notice that I could beat the odds. To have recognition, in my judgment, opened certain doors for me. It put me in a semi-celebrity category.” Another fact surrounding the Rothstein character is that he was portrayed by the non-Jewish De Niro – something that could have raised eyebrows today. Of course, this can go the other way, too: Actor James Caan has said in interviews that he’s had to turn down “Italian-American of the Year” awards multiple times because even though he played Sonny Corleone in “The Godfather,” he is in fact the son of German Jewish immigrants. Rothstein is far from the only major Jewish character in the canon of American gangster movies. Here’s a quick recap of some of the others:

| DECEMBER 11, 2020

n The “Godfather” movies featured a pair of prominent Jewish gangsters, both allies-turned-antagonists of the Corleone Family: Moe Greene (Alex Rocco) in the first film, and Hyman Roth (Lee Strasberg) in the second. The two men were based, respectively, on real-life Jewish gangsters Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel and Meyer Lansky. Roth, like Lansky, would even seek political asylum in Israel – “I wished to live there as a Jew in the twilight of my life.” Hyman Roth, according to a deleted scene in “The Godfather Part II,” was originally named Hyman Suchowsky – but the character changed his name out of admiration for the real-life Jewish gangster Arnold Rothstein (not to be confused with the fictional Ace), later shortening it to Roth. “I’ve loved baseball ever since Arnold Rothstein fixed the World Series in 1919,” the character says in the film. n Hollywood has offered plenty of other depictions of all three of those real-life gangsters. Bugsy Siegel was played by Warren Beatty in the 1991 biopic “Bugsy,” which Beatty also directed. n Michael Lerner played Arnold Rothstein in “Eight Men Out,” John Sayles’ 1988 movie about the fixing of that same 1919 World Series. n None other than Joe Pesci played another Lansky stand-in named “Mayakofsky” in the 1983 film “Eureka,” while Dustin Hoffman was Lansky in the 2005 drama “The Lost City,” a film that covered the gangster’s adventures in Cuba. Richard Dreyfuss played Lansky in a 1999 HBO movie “Lansky,” which was written by Jewish playwright David Mamet.

series “Mob City,” Edward Burns was Siegel and Patrick Fischler was Lansky. In the lightly regarded 1991 film “Mobsters,” Richard Grieco played Siegel, Patrick Dempsey played Lansky and F. Murray Abraham portrayed Rothstein. n There have been many fictional Jewish gangsters as well. For example, in 1990’s “Miller’s Crossing,” written and directed by the Coen brothers, John Turturro played bookie Bernie Bernbaum, about whom it is said “he’s got a mixed reputation, but for a sheeny, he’s got a lot of good qualities.” “Sheeny” is an anti-Jewish slur from the 19th century. n In the 2006 crime drama “Lucky Number Slevin,” Ben Kingsley played a crime boss who was also a rabbi, and was called simply “The Rabbi.” The current season of the FX TV adaptation of the Coen brothers’ film “Fargo” features a character known as “Rabbi Milligan,” played by Ben Whishaw, who was traded among different ethnic crime families. One of those is the Jewish outfit known as the Moskowitz Syndicate. n And on “The Sopranos,” there was Herman “Hesh” Rabkin (Jerry Adler), a veteran Jewish gangster and longtime associate of the Soprano family. In one episode, Christopher Moltisanti warns that an upcoming sit-down involving Hesh is likely to be a tough negotiation, because “I’ve heard his opinions on giving back pieces of Israel.” Adler also guest-starred on an episode of “The West Wing” as the father of Richard Schiff’s character Toby Ziegler, who was estranged from him due to his long-ago involvement with the Jewish organized crime group Murder, Inc.

n Harvey Keitel, who is Jewish and is another veteran of Scorsese gangster pictures, is set to play an aging version of Lansky in an upcoming biopic, also called “Lansky.” That film is being directed by Eytan Rockaway, whose father Robert wrote a book in 1993 called But He Was Good to His Mother: The Lives and Crimes of Jewish Gangsters. n On the HBO TV series “Boardwalk Empire,” which Scorsese executive produced, Michael Stuhlbarg (famous for his role in the Coen brothers’ “A Serious Man”) played Rothstein and Michael Zegen, later of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” portrayed Siegel. In the short-lived cable jewishledger.com

KOLOT Candles Shining Brightly

THE KOSHER CROSSWORD DEC. 11, 2020 “Head Honchos” By: Yoni Glatt

Difficulty Level: Manageable

Check out Yoni’s new book “More Kosher Crosswords…And Word Games!” on Amazon.com

A CHANUKAH CHILDREN’S TALE BY HOWARD MEYEROWITZ

iora and Uriel are anxiously anticipating Chanukah. Yes, there will be small nightly gifts, but the joy of lighting the candles and sitting down to a family dinner with loved ones excites them the most! Of course, plates of freshly fried crisp potato latkes are something to look forward to

as well. “Let’s do something special for this Chanukah,” suggests Liora. “That’s a great thought,” responds Uriel,”and I have the perfect idea. Everyone knows the role the shamash plays in lighting the candles, but not about the roles of the other candles. We can make up a story about each of those eight candles and share it with everyone we know. I think they’ll enjoy reading it.” “Very nice,” replies a smiling Liora clapping her hands together.”What might the first candle be thinking? It has to be very brave to be the first.” Uriel responds,”Yes, we can have it say, ‘I’m not sure about this, but I want to set an example for the other seven, so I’ll go first.’” “I like that,” Liora agrees. The two children then agree that number two candle will see that candle one does okay and says, “I want to support my friend and join it with my flame each night.” Next they think of what each succeeding candle will say. “That looks like fun,” giggles candle three as it gleefully joins in. “I am the middle candle and it’s very important I complete the first four as brightly as possible,” says the fourth candle proudly. “Since I am the twin of candle number one I also feel responsible to set an example for candles six, seven and eight,” adds a beaming candle five. “We will be nearing the end and I will happily support number five,” says number six candle standing straight and tall. “And I want to shine as beautifully as possible to make everything ready for candle eight for its one important night,” offers a smiling candle seven. “With great respect for my seven friends whose flames have burned brightly these past seven nights I want to complete the eight days of lighting in the best fashion I can,” says candle number eight whose flame seems to almost bow to the others. For eight days these wonderful candles will brighten the darkened nights for Jewish families around the world. Each night, whether one flame or eight, as reflected in the eyes of all present, will bring to mind past Chanukah memories and help create a new one. When they finish writing their Chanukah story Liora and Uriel smile and hug and say,”We did okay.”

ANSWERS TO DEC. 4 CROSSWORD

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Curbside pick up and local home delivery available! SHABBAT DINNER TRADITIONAL DAIRY LUNCHEON DELI SANDWICH PLATTER DINNER MENU

Across 1. Blacklists 5. Chanukah food 10. Brain section 14. “Just ___ off the top” 15. Hotel formerly called Laromme Jerusalem 16. Music player since 2001 17. Band with the 2016 #1 hit “Take It All Back” (which is quite fitting for the 59-Across) 20. Upper heart chamber 21. She might celebrate Chanukah in the White House

22. Novak Djokovic, by birth 23. Disapproving noise 26. Cold treat 27. Glaringly obvious 30. Beloved gadol who passed November 7, 2020 36. “Star Wars” movie with a Darth Maul cameo 37. Airy fairy 38. Disney cartoon duck 40. Tony winning Menzel 42. Quarterback Tagovailoa 43. Removes 44. Notable Nazi hunter

47. Pro-Israel org. 48. “Told you!” 49. Start for “carte” 52. Inspire admiration 56. Lav, in London 59. Great Jewish rulers found at the start of 17, 30, and 44-Across 62. It’s near Yemen 63. Former U.N. head Kofi 64. Running speed 65. Play dreidel 66. Macbeth or Banquo, e.g. 67. Farce

Down 1. ___ California, peninsula in Mexico 2. Borders 3. Kol follower 4. Step in a flight 5. He famously played an Oskar saving Jews from being “Taken” 6. “Barbara ___” (Beach Boys hit) 7. Uncertain, on a sched. 8. Kit or Krazy follower 9. Concerning grades K-12 10. Purple bloomer 11. Speak one’s mind 12. 30-Across wrote several excellent ones 13. Martin and Milhouse’s teacher 18. ___ Bubba, gum brand 19. Hit musical set in Buenos Aires

23. Most populous island of French Polynesia 24. The Greeks put one in the Temple, which angered the 59-Across 25. State whose largest Jewish community is in Overland Park 28. Inc., to Brits 29. ___C___, Jewish youth org. 30. “Lone Wolf” writer Picoult 31. New Jews in Israel 32. Adamant response to “I’ll do it later” 33. Waterslide, e.g. 34. Ancient African kingdom in the Torah 35. Words with “date” or “trap” 36. Not a bro 39. Armani competitor, briefly

41. Jewish writer Yezierska of the early 1900’s 43. “This ___ keeper” 45. Australian marsupial 46. Member of an ancient Jewish sect 49. Oz of note 50. Chanukiah, in a way 51. Trendy berry 53. Cambodia’s Phnom 54. “General Hospital” Emmy winner Sofer 55. Flair or an Israeli name 56. Aunt of Joseph 57. Willy, in a 1993 family film 58. Major Israeli food manufacturer 60. TV broadcaster from Atlanta 61. Baseball rally killers, for short

JEWISH LEDGER

DECEMBER 11, 2020

DEC. 8 – DEC. 17

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Jewish organizations are invited to submit their upcoming events to the Ledger’s What’s Happening calendar section. Events are placed online on the Ledger website – both on our home page and our digital issue – on Tuesday afternoons. Deadline for submission of calendar items is the previous Tuesday. For more information, con-tact Judie Jacobson at judiej@jewishledger.com. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15

Antisemitism in America: How Bad is It?

Learning resilience through mindfulness

Annual Fire on ICE “Drive-In” Chanukah Celebration

JTConnect hosts outdoor Chanukah celebration for teens & families

Antisemitism in America: How Bad is It? Is the subject of a panel discussion to be held on Zoom on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 7 p.m. Panelists include: Mark Weitzman, director of Government Affairs, Simon Wiesenthal Center, and Kenneth Jacobson, deputy national director, ADL. Moderated by Dr. Dale Atkins, psychologist, author and commentator on bringing communities together through kindness. The discussion is hosted by Simon Wiesenthal Center, ADL Connecticut, and the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven. Free. Registration required, visit jewishnewhaven.org.

Beth El Temple Women’s Network hosts an evening devoted to developing your inner strength on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 8-9 p.m. Psychologist Maria Sirois, Psy.D., who has worked in the fields of wellness and positive psychology, focuses on the resilience of the human spirit – particularly in times of stress, significant transitions, or wholesale change. Known for her wisdom, authenticity, and sense of humor, Dr. Sirois help individuals find the keys to unlock the doors of our own resiliency. FREE/ Women’s Network members; $10/Beth El members not part of Women’s Network; $18/general public. Register at tinyurl.com/ BETMindful.

To ensure a safe gathering, Chabad of Greater Hartford has modified its annual “Fire on ICE – Chanukah @ Blue Back” celebration, which will take place on the 4th night of the holiday, Sunday, Dec. 13, at 4 p.m. This year, the popular event will move one block away to West Hartford’s Town Hall Lot, to enable a “Drive-in” format for this year’s event. From the comfort of their vehicles, hundreds of people are expected to enjoy American Chassidic superstar Benny Friedman, who will rock the stage in front of West Hartford Town Hall, and a master ice-carver who will sculpt a giant Menorah from a raw block of ice. A Giant LED Wall will enable all to see and be a part of the exciting happenings. Social distancing and COVID-19 restrictions will be strictly enforced to enable a safe environment for all. Participants will be required to remain at their vehicle. Each car will receive a Chanukah kit complete with a Menorah, games, crafts, cookies, Chanukah puzzle, Chocolate gelt, plus other surprises! Hot drinks will be distributed in a safe way by the staff of Starbucks and donuts will be available thanks to the generosity of Crown Market. Admission is free. For reservations and more information, visit chabadhartford. com/fire.

Teens and their families (and JTConnect alum) are invited to an outdoor Chanukah celebration at Congregation Beth Israel, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 6-8 p.m. Hosted by JTConnect, the party will include grab-andgo treats, hot chocolate bar and a photo booth. Social distancing will be in effect. RSVP by contacting Cara at cara@jtconnect. org. See Dec. 12 and 13 for similar events in Simsbury and South Windsor.

Young Israel of West Hartford hosts Open House Young Israel of West Hartford will host a Zoom open house on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 8 p.m. Attendees will have learn about the vibrant local Jewish community, robust job market, and tuition initiative. Personalized meet ups with individuals of similar ages, professions and/or families with similar aged children will be arranged. Representatives from local Jewish schools and professional job networkers will be on hand to help discuss job prospects and opportunities. For zoom link: visit@youngisraelwh.org. for more information visit youngisraelwh. org/visit Hartford’s own Sophie Tucker the subject of book fest talk Lauran Rebecca Sklaroff will discuss her new book, Red Hot Mama: The Life of Sophie Tucker, on Tuesday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. The virtual Zoom talk is hosted by the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford. The “First Lady of Show Business” and the “Last of the Red Hot Mamas,” Sophie Tucker was raised in Hartford and became a star in vaudeville, radio, film, and television. A gutsy, song-belting stage performer, she entertained audiences for 60 years. Lauren Sklaroff, associate professor of history at the University of South Carolina, will talk about her recent biography, which places Tucker in the context of American cultural history. Register at https://jhsgh.org/tucker/

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12 Chanukah celebration in Bloomfield “Lighting Up the Dark: Havdalah, Hanukkah Candles and Fireworks,” an outdoor, in-person, socially-distanced celebration, hosted by Beth Tikvoh Sholom, in the synagogue’s parking lot at 180 Still Rd., Bloomfied. Light Havadalah candles, view menorah lighting, enjoy fireworks. Must wear masks. Arrive at 4:45 p.m. and drive past the main entrance of the synagogue to pick up Havdalah candle and more; event begins at 5 p.m. In the event of inclement weather, watch your email for revised plans by Friday, 3 p.m. For more information or to register, (860) 243-3576, office@btsonline.org. JTConnect hosts outdoor Chanukah celebration for teens & families Teens and their families (and JTConnect alum) are invited to an outdoor Chanukah celebration at Farmington Valley Jewish Congregation in Simsbury, Saturday, Dec. 12, 7-8 p.m. Hosted by JTConnect, the party will include grab-and-go treats, hot chocolate bar and a photo booth. Social distancing will be in effect. RSVP by contacting Cara at cara@jtconnect.org. See Dec. 13 and 15 for similar events in South Windsor and West Hartford.

| DECEMBER 11, 2020

JTConnect hosts outdoor Chanukah celebration for teens & families Teens and their families (and JTConnect alum) are invited to an outdoor Chanukah celebration at Temple Beth Hillel in South Windsor, Sunday, Dec. 13, 6-7 p.m. Hosted by JTConnect, the party will include graband-go treats, hot chocolate bar and a photo booth. Social distancing will be in effect. RSVP by contacting Cara at cara@jtconnect. org. See Dec. 12 and 15 for similar events in Simsbury and West Hartford. Friends of Yiddish: A Freilichen Chanike Friends of Yiddish is an informal, mostly English, bilingual drop-in social group which meets to hear a guest speaker or discussion and maybe absorb a Yiddish word or two. Registration required. For more information: (860) 243-3975.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17 United Jewish Federation annual meeting, featuring Dr. Sherri Wise Dr. Sherri Weiss will discuss “Survival and Forgiveness: A Story of Optimism and Hope” at the annual meeting of the United Jewish Federation of Greater Stamford, New Canaan and Darien, to be held on Zoom on Thursday, Dec. 17, 7:30 p.m., the eighth night of Chanukah. The annual meeting will also be highlighted by the presentation of the Harvey A. Peltz Young Leadership Award to Robin Fischel; the Recognition of retiring board members: Linda Gornitsky, Lorraine Kweskin, Peter Lilienthal, Nancy Mimoun, and Shari Raymond; and the presentation of the proposed UJF Board slate for 2021. To register: ujf.org. Engaging the next generation of philanthropists The Greater Hartford Jewish Leadership Academy (JLA) will host “Authentic Philanthropy: Engaging the Next Generation,” an interactive Zoom workshop with Jillian Wagenheim, founder and principal consultant, Sertus Consulting, LLC, to be held Thursday, Dec. 17, 6:30 p.m. The free workshop will focus on fundraising through the lens of generational perspectives and personalities. JLA is developed with support from the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford and funded by the Jewish Community Foundation, the Auerbach-Schiro Foundation, and others. A Zoom link wil be provided upon registration.

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Jews, Judaism, and the Pursuit of Social Justice is the focus of ALEPH 2021 learning initiative

LEPH: The Institute of Jewish Ideas, a community-wide Jewish learning initiative supported by a Jewish Community Foundation family fund and co-sponsored by the Mandell JCC and University of Connecticut Judaic Studies, has announced its schedule of educational programs for 2021. Open to the entire community, the Institute’s annual theme for 2021 is The Jewish Roots of Social Justice. This year’s program will explore the pursuit of social justice as a core Jewish value through lectures, discussion, and cultural events that examine the history of Jewish engagement with social justice from the writings of the prophets to 21st century community activism, along with discussions of socially just ways to talks about Judaism, race, Israel, and more. All programs will be held Thursdays at 7:30 on Zoom. For more information, visit judaicstudies.uconn.edu or mandelljcc.org.

January 7 The Jewish Roots of Social Justice in the Writings of the Prophets Prof. Deena Grant (Hartford Seminary) An overview of the origins of the concept of social justice in the Hebrew Bible, especially in the works of Hosea, Amos, Isaiah, Micah, and more.

January 21 A Pedagogy of Social Justice: Teaching Jewish Diversity, Dismantling the “White, Male Jew” Prof. Aaron Hahn Tapper (University of San Francisco) This session offers one way to both teach and deconstruct the dominant stereotypes that Jews reinforce when teaching about Jews and Judaisms.

March 4 Performing Judaism and Social Justice A Zoom-theatrical performance with Kendell Pinkney, Avi Amon, and Rebecca S’manga Frank Kendell Pinkney is a Brooklyn based theater-maker, Jewish-life consultant, and rabbinical student at JTS. Avi Amon is a Turkish-American composer, sound artist, and educator. Rebecca S’manga Frank is an actor, writer, director.

March 18 Blacks, Jews, and Black Jews Susannah Heschel, The Eli Black Professor of Jewish Studies at Dartmouth College This lecture will explore three intertwined dimensions of relations between African Americans and Jewish Americans: Jewish involvement in the Civil Rights Movement, Jewish memory of the Civil Rights Movement in recent decades in light of the rise of white nationalism, and scholarship on racism and what they might contribute to our understanding of antisemitism.

May 6 On Zionism, Israel, and Social Justice Prof. Gil Troy, McGill University Zionism, more than most movements of national liberation, has long had its eyes on making Israel a model for the world, not just a refuge from the world: David Ben-Gurion called this fulfilling the covenant, not just building an ark. This lecture will analyze this central theme in Zionism ideology, assessing what Israel has achieved – and where it has fallen short – in creating a nation that fulfills the Torah’s commandment to seek justice, not just for yourself but for the stranger too.

February 18 Jewish Ethics, Social Justice, Community Organizing and the 21st Century Rabbinate Rabbi Stephanie Ruskay (Jewish Theological Seminary) Rabbi Ruskay is focused on raising the scope and profile of social justice work and community organizing skills in the role of the contemporary rabbi.

jewishledger.com

JEWISH LEDGER

DECEMBER 11, 2020

OBITUARIES The Ledger prints a basic obituary free of charge. Free obituaries are edited to fit the newspaper’s style. Obituaries that those submitting would like to run “as is,” as well as accompanying photos, may be printed for a charge. For more information: judiej@jewishledger.com, 860.231.2424.

CASE Susan Case, 81, of Glastonbury, formerly of Bristol and Newington, died Nov. 25. She was the wife of Howard Case. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., she was the daughter of Frances and Elliot Herman on April 3, 1939. In addition to her husband, she is survived by her children, Wendy Casey and her husband Brian of Mass., and Andy Case and his wife Susan of Avon; her daughterin-law Eileen Case of Glastonbury; and her grandchildren, Mara, Anna, Emily, Sam, Ethan and Kayla. her sister Diane Cohen and her husband Marty; her sister-in-law Judith Klein and her husband Mel; her brother-in-law Ron Case; and many nieces and nephews. She was also predeceased by her son Jon. ENSON Lucille Enson, 95, of Wallingford, formerly of North Haven and Hamden, died Nov. 22. She was the widow of Irving Enson. Born in Bridgeport, she was the daughter of the late Mark and Rose Reinstein. She is survived by her sons, Michael of Bethany, and David and his wife Dyan of Villa Park, Calif.; her grandchildren, Daniel Enson (Jenna) of Ridgefield, Melissa Wachman (Jonathan) of New York City, Erik Enson (Jenna) of Orange, Calif.; and her great-grandchildren, Logan, Evan, Chloe and Riley. She was predeceased by her brother Larry Reinstein of Trumbull. FRIEL Roberta Friel, age 86 of Fairfield, Conn., passed away on Nov. 25, 2020 at Bridgeport Hospital, with loved ones by her side. Roberta was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., the daughter of Theodore Louis and Betty (Tescher) Sonnenschein. Roberta had a great love of her family. Holidays and family occasions were celebrated in her and David’s home for many years, and she was

always happiest surrounded by family, and enjoying meals together. Roberta had a long and successful career at General Electric, and working in the International division, she had the opportunity to travel overseas. During and long past her retirement, Roberta’s passion was volunteering at her beloved Congregation Beth El, where she helped organize years of events and assisted in the office. Roberta was a regular participant in the morning minyan, joined by David, and she was recognized as Minyanaire of the Year for her devotion. Roberta was married to David on August 20, 1955, and they would have celebrated their 65th anniversary this year. Roberta is survived by her beloved children, son Andrew Friel, daughter Laurie Robinson and her husband Harold Robinson, and her adored grandchildren Madeleine Robinson, Jonathan Robinson, and Elijah Robinson. Services were held on Nov. 29, 2020 at the Congregation Beth El Cemetery, Fairfield, Conn. GASSNER Margery (Pinkes) Gassner, 92, of West Hartford ,died Nov. 25. She was the widow of Melvin Gassner. Born in Hartford, she was the daughter of the late Herman and Toby Pinkes. She was also predeceased by her brothers, Dr. Sam Pinkes and Dr. Alex Pinkes. She is survived by her daughters, Lori Warchol and her husband David, and Lisa Gassner of West Hartford; and her grandchildren, Sydney of Granby and Maxwell of Denver. LIEBER Shirley Lieber of Newington, died Nov. 21, a week shy of her 94th birthday. She was the widow of Aaron “Hal” Lieber. Born in Hartford, she was the daughter of the late Edward and Eva Bower. She was a longtime member of Temple Sinai in Newington.

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| DECEMBER 11, 2020

She is survived by her children, Faye Soltys and her husband Drew of Newington, Ellen Moore and her husband Tim of Tucson, Arizona, Barbara Lieber of Newington, Edward Lieber of Tucson, and Eve Lohnes and her husband Michael of Tucson; her grandchildren, Jessica Soltys, Graham Soltys, Brianne Simon and her husband Chris, Alex Lieber and her fiancé Adam, Zach Lohnes and his wife Naomi, and Justin Lohnes; her great-grandchildren, Jackson Taylor and George Lohnes; her sister-inlaw Harriet Bower; and many nieces and nephews. She was also predeceased by her brothers Bernard Bower, Murray Bower, Norman Bower, and Barry Bower.

STAMBOVSKY Edward Stambovsky, 68, of Longmeadow, Mass., died Nov. 16. He was the husband of Janice Stombovsky. Born in Springfield, he was the son of Ruth Stambovsky of Westfield and the late George Stambovsky. In addition to his wife and mother, he is survived by his sons, Jeremy and his wife Mollie of Fairfield, and Jayson and his wife Melissa of Westport; his grandchildren, Ben, Jack, Max, Henry and Madeline; his sisters, Cheryl and her husband Keith of Westfield, and Sandy and her husband Bill of Carlsbad, Calif.; and many other family members. He was predeceased by his brother Richard.

Jewish philanthropist James Wolfensohn was former World Bank president

peace process. Wolfensohn shepherded Israel’s exit from Gaza in 2005, a process rife with miscalucalations that led to the victory of Hamas in 2007 elections and permanent tensions on the border. Wolfensohn was devoted to Jewish giving. Active in the Conservative movement, he set up a family foundation that gave to a broad array of Jewish causes across denominations. In 2006, he seeded money for perfect reproductions of the famed Sarajevo Haggadah that would be sold in part to help sustain the tiny Bosnian Jewish community. Wolfensohn, whose parents helped bring to Australia Jewish refugees from Europe, said he was radicalized, by the poverty he encountered in Africa and Asia as an air conditioning salesman. He eventually joined investment banks in London and then in New York. “The inequity was so striking that I could hardly absorb what was in front of me,” The Washington Post quoted him as saying in his 2010 autobiography, “A Global Life.” Wolfensohn said he learned from his mistakes. He made the Australian Olympics fencing team in time for the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne. He had won two matches and was on his way to winning a third, when his opponent, during a break, distracted him with an offer: He would set up Wolfensohn with an Israeli swimmer. “Fencing is a little like chess,” Wolfensohn wrote in his autobiography. “You must project a few moves ahead and outthink your opponent.”

BY RON KAMPEAS

(JTA) – James Wolfensohn, the World Bank president and philanthropist who helped shepherd Israel’s exit from the Gaza Strip, died Wednesday, Nov. 25, of pneumonia, at his Manhattan home. He was 86. His wife of 59 years, Elaine, died in August. Wolfensohn, who was born and raised in Australia, was an investment banker whose philanthropic endeavors had included turning around the fortunes of Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center when in the 1990s he began lobbying to be president of the World Bank. President Bill Clinton named him to the post in 1995 and his 10-year term was marked by his focus on partnership, rather than patronage, with the developing world. Instead of a disciplinarian, he made the institution a counselor and aide to developing economies. He ended the bank’s practice of tolerating corruption. “We must rebalance our world to give everyone the chance for life that is secure,” Wolfensohn said in a 2003 speech to the bank and its sister lending institution, the International Monetary Fund, “with a right to expression, equal rights for women, rights for the disabled and disadvantaged, the right to a clean environment, the right to learn, the right to development.” His next venture was not as successful. President George W. Bush named Wolfensohn as the envoy to the Gaza Strip of the Quartet, the grouping of the United States, Russia, the United Nations, and the European Union guiding the Middle East

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CT SYNAGOGUE DIRECTORY To join our synagogue directories, contact Howard Meyerowitz at (860) 231-2424 x3035 or howardm@jewishledger.com. BLOOMFIELD B’nai Tikvoh-Sholom/ Neshama Center for Lifelong Learning Conservative Rabbi Debra Cantor (860) 243-3576 office@BTSonline.org www.btsonline.org BRIDGEPORT Congregation B’nai Israel Reform Rabbi Evan Schultz (203) 336-1858 info@cbibpt.org www.cbibpt.org Congregation Rodeph Sholom Conservative (203) 334-0159 Rabbi Richard Eisenberg, Cantor Niema Hirsch info@rodephsholom.com www.rodephsholom.com Jewish Senior Services Traditional Rabbi Stephen Shulman (203) 396-1001 sshulman@jseniors.org www.jseniors.org CHESHIRE Temple Beth David Reform Rabbi Micah Ellenson (203) 272-0037 office@TBDCheshire.org www.TBDCheshire.org CHESTER Congregation Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek Reform Rabbi Marci Bellows (860) 526-8920 rabbibellows@cbsrz.org www.cbsrz.org

COLCHESTER Congregation Ahavath Achim Conservative Rabbi Kenneth Alter (860) 537-2809 secretary@congregationahavathachim.org EAST HARTFORD Temple Beth Tefilah Conservative Rabbi Yisroel Snyder (860) 569-0670 templebetht@yahoo.com FAIRFIELD Congregation Ahavath Achim Orthodox (203) 372-6529 office@ahavathachim.org www.ahavathachim.org Congregation Beth El, Fairfield Conservative Rabbi Marcelo Kormis (203) 374-5544 office@bethelfairfield.org www.bethelfairfield.org GLASTONBURY Congregation Kol Haverim Reform Rabbi Dr. Kari Tuling (860) 633-3966 office@kolhaverim.org www.kolhaverim.org GREENWICH Greenwich Reform Synagogue Reform Rabbi Jordie Gerson (203) 629-0018 hadaselias@grs.org www.grs.org

Temple Sholom Conservative Rabbi Mitchell M. Hurvitz Rabbi Chaya Bender Cantor Sandy Bernstein (203) 869-7191 info@templesholom.com www.templesholom.com HAMDEN Temple Beth Sholom Conservative Rabbi Benjamin Edidin Scolnic (203) 288-7748 tbsoffice@tbshamden.com www.tbshamden.com MADISON Temple Beth Tikvah Reform Rabbi Stacy Offner (203) 245-7028 office@tbtshoreline.org www.tbtshoreline.org MANCHESTER Beth Sholom B’nai Israel Conservative Rabbi Randall Konigsburg (860) 643-9563 Rabbenu@myshul.org programming@myshul.org www.myshul.org MIDDLETOWN Adath Israel Conservative Spiritual Leaders: Rabbi Marshal Press Rabbi Michael Kohn (860) 346-4709 office@adathisraelct.org www.adathisraelct.org

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NEW HAVEN The Towers Conservative Ruth Greenblatt, Spiritual Leader (203) 772-1816 rebecca@towerone.org www.towerone.org Congregation Beth El-Keser Israel Conservative Rabbi Jon-Jay Tilsen (203) 389-2108 office@BEKI.org www.BEKI.org

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SIMSBURY Chabad of the Farmington Valley Chabad Rabbi Mendel Samuels (860) 658-4903 chabadsimsbury@gmail.com www.chabadotvalley.org Farmington Valley Jewish Congregation, Emek Shalom Reform Rabbi Rebekah Goldman Mag (860) 658-1075 admin@fvjc.org www.fvjc.org SOUTH WINDSOR Temple Beth Hillel of South Windsor Reform Rabbi Jeffrey Glickman (860) 282-8466 tbhrabbi@gmail.com www.tbhsw.org SOUTHINGTON Gishrei Shalom Jewish Congregation Reform Rabbi Alana Wasserman (860) 276-9113 President@gsjc.org www.gsjc.org

TRUMBULL Congregation B’nai Torah Conservative Rabbi Colin Brodie (203) 268-6940 office@bnaitorahct.org www.bnaitorahct.org WALLINGFORD Beth Israel Synagogue Conservative Rabbi Bruce Alpert (203) 269-5983 richardcaplan@sbcglobal.net www.bethisrael/wallingford. org WASHINGTON Greater Washington Coalition Rabbi James Greene (860) 868-2434 admin@jewishlifect.org www.jewishlife.org WATERFORD Temple Emanu - El Reform Rabbi Marc Ekstrand Rabbi Emeritus Aaron Rosenberg (860) 443-3005 office@tewaterfrord.org www.tewaterford.org WEST HARTFORD Beth David Synagogue Orthodox Rabbi Yitzchok Adler (860) 236-1241 office@bethdavidwh.org www.bethdavidwh.org Beth El Temple Conservative Rabbi James Rosen Rabbi Ilana Garber (860) 233-9696 hsowalsky@bethelwh.org www.bethelwesthartford.org Chabad House of Greater Hartford Rabbi Joseph Gopin Rabbi Shaya Gopin, Director of Education (860) 232-1116 info@chabadhartford.com www.chabadhartford.com

Congregation P’nai Or Jewish Renewal Shabbat Services Rabbi Andrea Cohen-Kiener (860) 561-5905 pnaiorct@gmail.com www.jewishrenewalct.org Kehilat Chaverim of Greater Hartford Chavurah Adm. - Nancy Malley (860) 951-6877 mnmalley@yahoo.com www.kehilatchaverim.org The Emanuel Synagogue Conservative Rabbi David J. Small (860) 236-1275 communications@emanuelsynagogue.org www.emanuelsynagogue.org United Synagogues of Greater Hartford Orthodox Rabbi Eli Ostrozynsk i synagogue voice mail (860) 586-8067 Rabbi’s mobile (718) 6794446 ostro770@hotmail.com www.usgh.org Young Israel of West Hartford Orthodox Rabbi Tuvia Brander (860) 233-3084 info@youngisraelwh.org www.youngisraelwh.org WETHERSFIELD Temple Beth Torah Unaffiliated Rabbi Seth Riemer (860) 828-3377 tbt.w.ct@gmail.com templebethtorahwethersfield. org WOODBRIDGE Congregation B’nai Jacob Conservative Rabbi Rona Shapiro (203) 389-2111 info@bnaijacob.org www.bnaijacob.org

Congregation Beth Israel Reform Rabbi Michael Pincus Rabbi Andi Fliegel Cantor Stephanie Kupfer (860) 233-8215 bethisrael@cbict.org www.cbict.org

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