The coronavirus pandemic is indeed a war. Even if Israel can keep mortality rates for those infected to 1 percent, it will still mean the death of more than 30,000 people — more than all of Israel’s wars combined.
Magen David Adom has been on the front lines against the coronavirus, but the fight has taken an extraordinary toll on MDA’s resources. We need your support to keep saving lives. Observe Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s independence day, by keeping the people of Israel strong.
Give today to our Coronavirus Emergency Campaign at afmda.org/corona-campaign
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Jewish Federation of Central Mass.
INSIDE this week
Jewish Federation of Western Mass.
Shaping Israel’s future 7 David Peskin is new president of JNF Southern New England
At a time when nearly all other aspects of Jewish communal life have shut down or moved online to stop the spread of Covid-19, chevra kadishas and funeral directors face difficult decisions about how to perform the rituals surrounding Jewish burials safely. Page 12
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Shabbat Shalom
CANDLE LIGHTING May 15 7:44 May 22 7:51 May 29 7:57 June 5 8:02
ELECTION 2020
These are Biden’s Jews
BY RON KAMPEAS
WASHINGTON (JTA) –
Heading into Passover, Bernie Sanders set Joe Biden free: The Vermont senator ended his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination on April 8, hours before the holiday began, leaving the former vice president the presumptive nominee.
In the race for the White House, President Trump has some major advantages, notably in media play and fundraising. The president has the pulpit of his daily White House pandemic news conferences, which often veer into campaign-style rhetoric. Biden, meantime, is mostly confined to delivering daily pep talks from his Delaware home, where he barely registers online. As to fundraising, The New York Times reported recently that Biden was behind Trump by $187 million, meaning he would have to raise $1 million a day until the election just to catch up with where Trump is today.
Which leaves a slew of questions about Biden’s Jewish campaign: Who will he turn to for fundraising? What does it mean for his foreign policy?
THE FUNDERS
The last time Biden ran for president, in 2008, his financial director was Michael Adler, a Miami developer who is ensconced in the Jewish establishment: For years he led the straight down the center National Jewish Democratic Council and he’s been active with AIPAC. Adler is back on board the Biden train, although not in a senior campaign position. He has held fundraisers at his South Florida home.
Call Adler Biden’s Jewish old guard. He’s joined in that respect by an array of other establishment figures, including Comcast senior executive vice president David Cohen, who also has hosted fundraisers for Biden, and Stu Eizenstat, the veteran Holocaust reparations negotiator who penned an oped for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency favoring
BIDEN WOULD KEEP US EMBASSY IN JERUSALEM, HIS FOREIGN POLICY ADVISER SAYS
BY BEN HARRIS
(JTA) – An adviser to Joe Biden said the former vice president would keep the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem if elected president.
Tony Blinken, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee’s senior foreign policy adviser, said that reversing President Donald Trump’s decision to move the embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv “would not make sense practically and politically,” Jewish Insider reported. Blinken, a former deputy secretary of
Biden.
But there are new Jewish kids on the Biden block, too. They earned their Democratic cred without having come up through the traditional pro-Israel channels, like accruing influence through AIPAC activism and fundraising.
Examples: Penny Pritzker and Bill Singer headlined a Chicago area fundraiser for Biden on April 27. Pritzker, the hotel chain heiress whose brother J.B. is the governor of Illinois, was an early backer of Barack Obama and was his Commerce secretary. Singer, a corporate lawyer, is the wunderkind you forgot about: In the 1960s and 1970s, when he was in his 20s and 30s, he joined the Rev. Jesse Jackson in leading left-wing insurgencies against the Democratic Party establishment. These days he’s on the board of J Street, the liberal Middle East lobby group that is AIPAC’s bete noir.
Notably missing from this array is Haim Saban, the entertainment mogul and major Democratic giver who is close to Israel’s political establishment. Saban, who has a no-table antipathy to Sanders and others on the party’s left flank, said in March that he was waiting out the primaries but has yet to pronounce.
On the Jewish donor angle, one intriguing establishment vs. insurgent skirmish is who runs the party’s digital campaign. According to coverage in The Intercept and Politico, the outfit that Michael Bloomberg launched for his campaign, Hawkfish, is vying for the job.
The appeal: It’s up and running, it’s already been funded to a significant extent by the media mogul’s cash, and so it is bidding low. The disadvantage: It’s Bloomberg. If there’s a victory that the party’s left can claim, it is booting the former New York mayor’s campaign to the street. Bloomberg was reviled for his corporatism and his record relating to the
state and deputy national security adviser under President Barack Obama, made the comments in a webinar Tuesday, April 28, hosted by the Jewish Democratic Council of America.
The event also featured Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, a top Biden surrogate. Both Blinken and Coons declined to specify what Biden might do if Israel proceeds to annex parts of the West Bank, though Coons expressed hope that Benny Gantz and Gabi Ashkenazi, both longtime Israeli military leaders who are preparing to join Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a unity government, would counsel the premier against such a move.
city’s minorities and as a boss relating to women. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the first-term progressive from New York, has emphatically ad-vised against using the group.
THE GROUPS
Biden has brought into the mix two Jewish Democratic groups that otherwise spent much of the primary season reviling one another: He has the endorsements of both the Democratic Majority for Israel, which is aligned with centrist pro-Israel policy, and J Street. His acceptance of J Street’s endorsement was effusive, although short on specific areas of agreement. Biden, notably, has rejected J Street’s recent policy of leveraging U.S. aid to Israel to influence its policy.
In addition, On April 17, the centrist Jewish Democratic Council of America has endorsed Joe Biden for president. “You share the Jewish community’s commitment to the principle of tikkun olam, healing the world, in addition to our commitment to combatting the rise of anti-Semitism and supporting a strong U.S.-Israel relationship,” the council said in a letter to the presumptive Democratic nominee.
FOREIGN POLICY
Biden has told associates that his sharpest differences with Sanders are on foreign policy. So, naturally, much has been made of Biden’s reported readiness to accept Sanders advisers on his foreign policy team. It’s not clear yet whether that’s been the case, but it could be a red flag for the AIPAC crowd – Sanders boycotted the lobby’s conference this year and has said he would leverage aid to Israel.
On Israel, Biden has robustly favored a return to making the two-state solution the par-amount outcome of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations; Trump has significantly
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UP FRONT
In wake of attempted firebombing in Longmeadow, concern about white supremacists online grows
BY STACEY DRESNER
WESTERN MASS. – John Rathburn, the East Longmeadow man who has been charged with the April 2 attempted firebombing of Ruth’s House in Longmeadow, allegedly concocted his failed attack while participating in white supremacist Internet chat rooms that foment anti-Semitism and racist hate.
According to the criminal complaint filed against Rathburn by the U.S. Attorney’s office in the District of Massachusetts, discussions on the chat rooms promoted mass killings “directed against religious, racial and ethnic minorities; discussed plans to engage in these crimes themselves; discussed using various explosive and incendiary devices, including improvised devices commonly known as “Molotov cocktails”; and identified targets, such as mosques and synagogues.” Chatter by one user, alleged to be Rathburn, discussed “that Jew nursing home in longmeadow Massachusetts” as a location for a mass killing and April 3 as “jew killing day.”
Jewish officials who track anti-Semitism are concerned that “a more captive audience, more people spending time online, the ability for these messages to resonate with certain people” could increase, said Oren Segal, the vice president of the AntiDefamation League’s Center on Extremism.
“What led up to Longmeadow is a longstanding concern where people engage in discussion and then it jumps from the internet to real life, and that’s what happened,” said Robert Trestan, executive director of the ADL’s Boston office. “There was an online discussion amongst likeminded people to target and participate in violence, and this particular guy went out and did it based on the discussion. That’s a 2020 version of people who get radicalized and then decide to go out and commit a violent act.”
Now with everyone staying in their homes due to the coronavirus, virtual meetings and religious services on platforms like Zoom are another target for these hate groups.
White supremacists have interrupted online Jewish get-togethers. On Sunday, May 11, a Talmud class taught online by Rabbi Shlomo Yaffe of Congregation B’nai Torah in Longmeadow, was zoom-bombed.
“A stranger entered the class and shared something in the most vile way I could ever imagine,” Rabbi Yaffe said in a letter to his students and friend. “This depicted the worst possible felony and I have contacted law enforcement.”
All of Yaffe’s classes will now be password protected and Zoom classes will no longer be posted on B’nai Torah’s blog or Facebook.
Trestan said there are two very important things to consider when it comes to these virtual attacks, know as Zoom-blombing.
“One is that, in the same way we now take security measures in the physical sense, we now need to be taking the same measures in the virtual sense. A religious institution needs to be protecting its religious services virtually, the same way that they protect their physical building.
“And the other question is -- and I don’t pretend to know the answer to this – but, if you interfere with a religious service online, should you be subject to the same kind of punishment as if you did it in person?” Trestan asked. “If somebody walks into a place of worship and disrupts a service with hatred, someone would call 911 and the police would come and the person might be arrested. So how do we now deal with that kind of act in 2020 when people are actually creating the same kind of disruption, but they are just doing it from their homes instead of being there in person. I think poses a challenge for law enforcement and prosecutors.”
In the meantime, national and local Jewish organizations and synagogues have held webinars instructing constituents and congregants on how to set up barriers to the intruders. The ADL has consulted with Zoom, which has added protections.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 19
Community leaders speak at Zoom Solidarity Gathering
LONGMEADOW – As many as 400 individuals participated in a ZOOM rally on April 23 in support of the Longmeadow Jewish community after the attempted firebombing of Ruth’s House on April 2. Community leaders made statements in support of Ruth’s House and the Jewish community at rally organized by the Anti-Defamation League of New England. Co-sponsors included Congregation Bnai Torah, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, the Interfaith Council of Greater Springfield, the Jewish Federation of Western Mass., Lubavitcher Yeshiva Academy, Sinai Temple, Temple Beth El, and the Springfield Jewish Community Center.
Here are some of the statements made by community leaders:
ROBERT TRESTAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ADL OF NEW ENGLAND
“To the people of Longmeadow, the important message is that you are not alone. Anti-Semitism and hate impacts all of us, and the communities in which we live. The attempted arson at Ruth’s house was an act of hate, an act of terror designed to intimidate and instill fear, and a shocking reminder that even in the midst of a pandemic, people are targeting the Jewish community for violence. But today’s gathering is a reminder of the entire community’s resilience and firm stand against all forms of hate and bigotry, and our steadfast refusal to be intimidated. And on this point we are solidly united.”
“We can pray for light to follow the darkness, that redemption will follow the exile and that the Jewish people will
Ruth’s House and then, yesterday, about the defacing of the building at UMass Hillel in Amherst…The most important thing is that we stay together as a community. It’s
“In this difficult time, besides the attack on Ruth’s house we have this long, drawn out pandemic, where we all need to help each other, we all need not just to ask G-d’s help, but G-d’s help that we not tire... and that He continue to gives us the strength to continue to express our kindness and our caring, and the help that we need to give and support each other.”
RABBI AMY WALLK KATZ
STEWART BROMBERG
IN MEMORIAM
Bill Foggle was a community leader, philanthropist and supporter of Israel
BY STACEY DRESNER
Springfield native, businessman and philanthropist William Foggle died April 4 after a battle with pancreatic cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
A longtime leader in the Springfield Jewish community, Foggle did much for his local community and was a staunch and vocal supporter of Israel.
“Jewish life always mattered to him,” Lynn said of her husband. “We lived in a very unique time -- we watched the birth of Israel. We were young adults and we watched that amazing thing happen when Israel became a state, so we were very interested in Israel and its Israel and its growth.”
Richard Gaberman met Bill at a meeting of the Jewish Federation in 1967 when the Six-Day War in Israel was raging.
“Because of that war we became wonderful friends and shared common interests,” Gaberman said, especially concern for the state of Israel.
Foggle became deeply involved with the Springfield Jewish Federation (now the Jewish Federation of Western Mass.) and a member of the UJA National Young Leadership Cabinet.
Gaberman recalls when he and Foggle went to Israel in 1973 on a Young Leadership Cabinet meeting two day after the end of the Yom Kippur War.
“When we arrived in the country we were in shock,” Gaberman recalled. “There was no traffic on the roads, no buses, no trucks and no pedestrians walking anywhere. The economy of Israel had come to a full stop. Our trip at that time was incredible, but we both came back extremely depressed when we realized what a war can do to a small country like Israel. That experience just reinvigorated us to do more for the Jewish community and Israel.”
And indeed, Foggle, continued to do more, donating and raising money for Israel and the Springfield Jewish community. He went on to receive the UJA’s Young Leadership Award, and remained actively involved in fundraising for the Federation. He served as president of the Springfield Jewish Federation in the 1970s, and was instrumental in the creation of the Endowment Fund of the Springfield Jewish Federation.
“Our Jewish community has truly lost an outstanding and exceptional person,”
Gaberman said. “We will not forget him. His footsteps are truly deep in our community.”
Born and raised in Springfield, Bill Foggle was the son of Jack and Beatrice Foggle.
Beatrice was born in Holyoke. Jack was born Jacob Feigelman in Pinsk, Poland. He left Poland, first landing in Argentina before arriving in Springfield in 1928. He soon started his own business, Springfield Upholstery Works.
When World War II began, Jack begged his parents and siblings to leave Poland, but all but one brother, who brought his wife and children to the U.S., refused. Jack lost most of his family, including his parents, grandparents and several siblings. Of the 35,000 Jews living in Pinsk, only 16 survived the war.
A PROUD JEW
Bill, his sister Muriel and brother Lawrence, were all raised in Springfield; Bill was bar mitzvahed at Kodimoh Synagogue. He went on to attend Dartmouth College and its Amos Tuck School of Business Administration.
He met Lynn, a student at Skidmore College, in 1953. After graduation, the two were married. Bill joined the U.S. Army, serving in the accounting division at Fort Devens. He and Lynn settled in Longmeadow where they raised their children and Bill joined his father Jacob’s
furniture manufacturing company, Hearn Furniture Co. The Foggles became members of Temple Beth El in 1960.
“He worked really hard, but he was always a lot of fun,” said his daughter, Andrea Foggle Plotkin of Boston. “He always wanted to engage us in doing things around the house. He was always up for conversations about politics and business. He always talked about current events, and when I was growing up almost all of the conversations were about Israel. He was a huge Zionist.”
In all Bill took nine trips to Israel; two were on Prime Minister missions, including one with Golda Meir.
At one event at American International College, that was to feature pro-Palestinian speakers, Foggle and Dick Gaberman lobbied hard to be able to be on stage to present the pro-Israel point of view.
“Bill loved to discuss politics,” Gaberman said. “He cared deeply about being a citizen of the United States and was a proud Jew. He would look for good candidates for public office that he could respect and then offer his support,” said Gaberman. “He would never shy away from speaking out on an issue that was important to him. His strong character and ethics were his compass.”
Most likely influenced by the loss of his father’s family during the Holocaust, Bill was a founder of the Hatikvah Holocaust Center in Springfield and was a major supporter of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. His and Lynn’s names are inscribed at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial, in honor of their generous support of the institution and its mission. When their names were unveiled, Bill was already in the throes of Alzheimers and was unable to go to Washington; their grandson attended the event in their stead.
“My father never knew his grandparents, so it framed a lot of who he was -- the loss of what he never had and what he never knew,” Andrea explained. “It definitely framed how he was as a grandfather. He always would say, ‘I never knew my grandparents.’ He just felt like he wanted to be the best grandfather in the whole world. He was so obsessed with my children… he just couldn’t get enough of the grandchildren.”
Until the end of his life, Foggle read The New York Times every day from front to
back. That was a habit he picked up while at Dartmouth, in his favorite class -- Great Issues. The class charged its students to read a series of newspapers daily and to discuss current events. Noted speakers were also brought in in conjunction with the class.
“He loved it,” Lynn said. “He felt very strongly that it made him the thinking, caring human being that he was.”
So in 2018, the Foggles created the Great Issues Lecture Series at Temple Beth El in Springfield and endowed in perpetuity.
“When he created that he did it just for the purpose of people hearing good speakers,” Lynn said.
The first two speakers were Jeffrey Goldberg, editor in chief at The Atlantic and Professor Robert Watson. In August, New York Times opinion writer Bari Weiss is set to speak.
A few years ago, Bill and Lynn decided to dA few years ago, Bill and Lynn decided to downsize, selling their house in Longmeadow and moving to Lennox. There he and Lynn also became involved in the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires.
“It was clear that both Bill and Lynn cared deeply for the different communities in which they lived,” said Dara Kaufman, executive editor of the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires. “Early on in my tenure at the Federation, Bill would sometimes stop by my office to chat. He always asked lots of questions and I really valued his input and expertise. Our conversations often left me thinking just a little bit deeper about the “big picture” of Jewish life and Jewish continuity. I will miss his generous spirit and gentle manner.”
Last September Foggle was interviewed for “Beginning of the End: Portraits of Dementia” by journalist and photographer Joe Wallace.
In the piece Foggle told Wallace that his father Jack taught him to, ’maintain his faith and contribute to his community.’ When asked to define what that means to him, Bill replied, ‘Love of my country. Love of my family. Love of my faith…It’s giving ... being part of a community. It’s sharing common goals and interests.’”
“He sounds like a man who is incredibly pragmatic and accepting of whatever the future holds,” marveled Lynn. “I’m incredibly proud of the man that he was.”
BILL FOGGLE
Peskins set to strengthen bond between Southern New England and Israel through new JNF chapter
WESTERN MASS. – A new chapter of Jewish National Fund-USA, (JNF) has been formed in Southern New England, headed by David Peskin of Longmeadow.
“As Southern New Englanders, we share a lot in common with the communities JNF supports in the North and South of Israel,” said Peskin, who has been appointed president of the new chapter. “Up until now, JNF’s New England reach has mostly been focused on the Boston area and the Capital District of New York. Now it’s our turn to become involved and I’m privileged to have been asked to serve as the leader for our area and pledge to work hard as we build awareness about JNF’s amazing work.”
JNF is the leading philanthropic organization for Israel supporting critical environmental and nation-building activities in Israel’s north and south. Through its “One Billion Dollar Roadmap for the Next Decade,” JNF is building housing sites in Israel’s north and south, providing fire trucks and stations, planting trees, creating employment opportunities, developing water infrastructure, and delivering ongoing therapeutic, emotional and psychological assistance. In addition, JNF is boosting tourism, building medical centers, preserving heritage sites, supporting people with special needs, and funding groundbreaking research centers.
Decade” initiative. Debbie Peskin is also a member of JNF’s Chai Society, an essential part of the women’s campaign.
“People from throughout North America have been inspired by JNF since its founding in 1901,” David Peskin said. “My wife Debbie and I, along with our committee members, are excited to have an opportunity to share JNF’s incredible story with our community. We know that the more people learn about JNF’s pioneering work, the more they will be drawn to this visionary organization.”
“If a vibrant Israel, complete with a healthy environment and a comfortable place for all to live is important to you, then JNF is an outlet where you can live and breathe Israel,” said Debbie Peskin. “By supporting JNF, you are shaping Israel’s future and
“We are delighted that David has joined our JNF lay leadership team” said Sara Hefez, JNF’s executive director of New England and the Capital District. “David’s vision, coupled with his energy and enthusiasm, is nothing short of inspiring. I know he will do an outstanding job as he shares his love and passion for Israel with the local community.”
Dar Nadler, JNF’s Israel emissary to the region, added, “Southern New England is blessed with a committed group of Zionists. I’m privileged to work with them, and Israel is lucky to have their support.”
Peskin’s deep passion for Israel is fulfilled through his work with JNF, where together with his wife and fellow JNF Southern New England Committee Member, Deborah Peskin, they are proud to help JNF achieve its “One Billion Dollar Roadmap for the Next
Local community members in Southern New England who are interested in learning more about supporting JNF’s unique mission and/or joining the local committee should contact Dar Nadler at dnadler@jnf.org or (617) 423-0999, ext. 816.
Rachel’s Table Continues to Deliver
WESTERN MASS. – During the COVID-19 crisis, Rachel’s Table, the hunger prevention program of the Jewish Federation of Western Mass., continues to deliver food through its partnerships with the Springfield Rescue Mission and the Salvation Army. as well as work on initiatives:
An Emergency Food Fund. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, Rachel’s Table launched an initiative to get food to those in need. Rachel’s Table is partnering with local food businesses to purchase and deliver healthy basics such as protein and produce to the soup kitchens, pantries and newly established homeless shelters in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin Counties. With a generous gift from Steve and Alissa Korn, Rachel’s Table has sent essentials to 17 agencies it serves.
Feeding the Front Lines. Members of our community, initiated by Susan Goldman, have partnered with Rachel’s table to purchase meals for healthcare workers on the front line. Rachel’s Table’s first delivery went to JGS Lifecare. Rachel’s Table has also partnered with Fusion Cross-Media, a business that has been creating lawn signs supporting healthcare and first responders, and then donating to Rachel’s Table and its Feeding the Front Lines program. These signs help local businesses and help feed local community first responders. Goldman and friends have also begun a handcrafted mask initiative that also donates to the Feeding the Front Lines program.
Virtual 5k and non-competitive self-challenge. The Rachel’s Table Teen Board’s biennial Outrun Hunger has become a virtual race to get fit while you fight hunger. If you’ve got friends who run, walk, stroll with their baby carriages, walk up and down their stairs, ask them to participate; the challenge ends May 31. For more information or to register, go to https:// rachelstablespringfield.org/programs-events/outrunhunger/
DAVID AND DEBORAH PESKIN WITH THEIR DAUGHTER ILANA IN ISRAEL. PHOTO COURTESY JNF-USA.
Yiddish Book Center Goes Online with Virtual Public Programming
Amherst, MA—Though the Yiddish Book Center’s building is currently closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the organization is offering a robust lineup of virtual public programs, which will be broadly accessible through Facebook and Zoom and posted on the Center’s website. Highlights of the virtual program lineup include a multimedia presentation by David Mazower on the NYC salon of Yiddish poet Bertha Kling, a talk by Seth Rogovoy on the evolution of klezmer music, a discussion and reading with actor and Yiddish translator Caraid O’Brien, and more.
All events will be live streamed on the Yiddish Book Center Facebook page and posted to the Center’s website. You can register in advance for events through Zoom in order to be part of the virtual audience and submit questions; space is limited. For more information and links to register for specific events, visit yiddishbookcenter.org/ events.
The full list of events:
Reading: Kaddish for My Father, with Ilan Stavans
Sunday, May 17, 7 p.m. EDT
Ilan Stavans will present a reading of his play Kaddish for My Father, followed by a brief Q&A.
Kaddish for My Father; or, Why We Lie, a Play in Four Snapshots by Ilan Stavans: As a famous Mexican theater and telenovela actor lies in his deathbed, his son tries to come to terms with the emotional trail he left behind and with the tension between the public figure and private man. Directed by Daniel Lombardo.
About the playwright: Ilan Stavans is an internationally renowned writer and cultural critic whose books, translated into numerous languages, have been adapted into film, theater, TV, and radio.
Director Talk: In Search of Israeli Cuisine, with Roger Sherman
Thursday, May 21, 7 p.m. EDT
In Search of Israeli Cuisine is a portrait of the Israeli people told through food. The film profiles chefs, home cooks, vintners, and cheesemakers drawn from the more than 100 cultures that make up Israel today— Jewish, Arab, Muslim, Christian, Druze. A rich and human story of the people emerges from their food. The film has played in more than 160 festivals and special screenings around the world and has been shown in theaters across the United States and Canada. The film’s director, Roger Sherman, will discuss and host a short Q&A about the film. Participants are encouraged to view the film in advance—it’s widely available through a number of streaming platforms.
director, cinematographer, author, documentary doctor, and a founder of Florentine Films.
Talk: Bronx Bohemians, with David Mazower
Thursday, May 28, 7 p.m. EDT
For several decades in the early twentieth century, Bertha Kling and her husband kept open house in the Bronx. As hip as Greenwich Village, cheaper than the Café Royal, and more heymish than either, the Klings’ apartment was a gathering place for newly arrived Yiddish writers, musicians, and actors, and a place to hear the latest Yiddish literary gossip or news from Paris, Warsaw, Moscow, or Hollywood. In this illustrated talk, David Mazower uses rare family archives to explore this unique group of Bronx bohemians, whose ranks included writers Moyshe Nadir, Malka Lee, Peretz Hirshbein, and Esther Shumiatsher, musicians Lazar Weiner and Joseph and Lara Cherniavsky, puppeteer Zuni Maud, and the entire Sholem Aleichem family. David Mazower is the Yiddish Book Center’s bibliographer and editorial director.
Author Talk: Featuring Brett Sokol, journalist and editor of Shtetl in the Sun: Andy Sweet’s South Beach, 1977–1980
Thursday, June 4, 7 p.m. EDT
Details available soon on Yiddish Book Center website and social media.
Conversation and Reading: Yiddish Comes to America, with Mindl (Madeleine) Cohen Thursday, June 11, 7 p.m. EDT
Drawing from the Yiddish Book Center’s recently published 2020 Pakn Treger
Digital Translation Issue: Yiddish Comes to America, editor Mindl Cohen will talk about the Yiddish writers whose work appears in translation and how the selected works speak to—and inform—our understanding of this year’s Decade of Discovery theme, Yiddish in America: Cultural Encounters. The anthology includes newly translated works; excerpts of some of the translations will be read by actors and translators. The program will include a brief Q&A.
Talk: The Kabbalah of Bob Dylan, with Seth Rogovoy
Thursday, June 18, 7 p.m. EDT
A multimedia presentation in which Yidstock artistic director Seth Rogovoy—the author of Bob Dylan: Prophet Mystic Poet—examines the life and songs of the Nobel Prize–winning rock poet through a Jewish lens.
About the Yiddish Book Center: The Yiddish Book Center is a nonprofit organization working to recover, celebrate, and regenerate Yiddish and modern Jewish literature and culture. Over the past forty years, since its founding in 1980, the organization has rescued more than a million volumes, has established and strengthened Yiddish holdings at 700 university and research libraries around the world, and has posted the full texts of 12,000 titles online in its Steven Spielberg Digital Yiddish Library, making Yiddish one of the most accessible literatures in the world. The Center’s website, yiddishbookcenter.org, features articles about Yiddish and modern Jewish culture in Yiddish and English, books and short works in Yiddish and English translation, podcasts, oral history interviews, audio recordings, and more.
HILLEL INT’L AND BBYO TO OFFER VIRTUAL COLLEGE VISITS FOR TEENS
(JNS) In a first-of-its-kind partnership, Hillel International, the largest Jewish campus organization, and BBYO, the Jewish teen movement, are connecting graduating high school seniors with current college students for virtual campus visits and question-and-answer sessions so prospective and accepted students can get to know the cam-pus communities they are considering joining. Many of these campus visits are also open to parents and high school juniors.
“In this time of uncertainty and fear, one of the most important things we can do for the class of 2024 is to give them a chance to meet and hear from members of campus communities,” said Mimi Kravetz, chief experience officer at Hillel International. “Working together with BBYO allows us to create real, personal connections for teens as they become a part of Hillel. Necessity has been the mother of this new approach, but we hope that this partnership creates a pathway for young Jews to move between communities for years to come.”
Rebecca Cohen, director of the Anita M. Perlman Women’s Leadership Initiative at BBYO, said “Partnering with Hillel in this way allows BBYO teens to meet future class-mates, understand what’s waiting for them on campus and ask important questions to help them commit to a college or university.” She added that “these virtual sessions allow for social connection that can last a lifetime.”
What is equally beneficial, say organizers, is the face-to-face meetings that take place online. Ian Hammer, a high school junior from Kansas City and “BBYO On-Demand” editor-inchief, said, “Many of us planned our spring-break trips around college tours that had to be canceled due to the coronavirus, so this will make up for lost opportunities and give us a glimpse into college life.”
Main Photo via hillel.org
ILAN STAVENS
SETH ROGOVOY
BBYO Hosts Holocaust Survivor for Virtual Yom HaShoah
On April 21, as part of the commemoration of Yom HaShoah, more than 70 teens and parents joined BBYO Connecticut Valley Region (CVR) on BBYO on Demand, BBYO’s new virtual programming platform, for Zikaron BaSalon (Hebrew for “Memories in the Living Room”) to bear witness to the testimony of Holocaust survivor Andy Sarkany of New Haven.
Sarkany spoke about his experience growing up as a young boy in Hungary during the Holocaust. He shared stories about life in the Ghetto, his experiences in school as one of few Jewish children, and about reuniting with his father after he was liberated from a concentration camp. “It was incredible hearing such a profound account of survival through one of the world’s darkest times,” said Nathan Zakim of Fairfield. “Andy had such a difficult childhood in occupied Hungary, and his family’s story is inspiring.”
After Sarkany shared his story, a BBYO member sang “Eli, Eli” and teens shared stories of their own activism to keep the stories and memories of the Holocaust alive.
BBYO member Dara Sadinsky of West Hartford shared her experience testifying at the State Capitol in 2018 in favor of Senate Bill 452 which made Holocaust and genocide education mandatory in all Connecticut public schools. Woodbridge teen Jenna Zamkov remarked how listening to Sarkany made her motivated to want to continue raising awareness about the Holocaust. “The reason we listen to stories and share them is to make sure we never forget and that this never happens again,” Jenna said.
Before closing out the event, Sarkany shared some words of wisdom that he wanted all of the teens to remember even during this difficult time, “The door is open to do what you want in life, it is up to you. There is no limit. I used to say the sky is the limit, but not now, now there is no limit.”
The Zikaron Basalon event is just one of the programs happening on BBYO on Demand. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, BBYO has transitioned from an event-driven organization to an organization focused exclusively on connectivity, and launched BBYO On Demand, a 24/7 virtual hub in which any Jewish teen can create or participate. Called a “Jewish Netflix for live-streamed programming” by the press, BBYO On Demand gives teens worldwide access to an innovative digital space filled with activities, events, and experiences they can tune into from anywhere, anytime.
These experiences include art classes, video game tournaments, book clubs, chapter meetings, coffee house/open mic performances, cooking demonstrations, community service projects, prayer services, e-sport tournaments, TikTok challenges, voter registration drives, and more. Since launching the platform, more than 50,000 users have participated in 2,500 programs in just under five weeks. Additional information about the range of programs being held on BBYO on Demand can be found on the BBYO on Demand website, azabbg.bbyo.org/on-demand/home.
Interested participants can contact BBYO Connecticut Valley Regional Director Jennifer Kruzansky at JKruzansky@bbyo.org, and follow @BBYOInsider on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat, to stay up to date on events and information.
Flowers of Kindness
LONGMEADOW -- It’s been a very tough time for everyone forced to stay home through the Covid-19 crisis, especially the elderly and homebound. So Faigie Wolff, the wife of Rabbi Yakov Wolff and early childhood teacher at Lubavitcher Yeshiva Academy, thought, what better way to cheer up a senior or someone who can’t leave their house than to receive “Flowers of Kindness?”
Faigie partnered with Flowers, Flowers in Springfield to provide beautiful bouquets of flowers to people in the Springfield and Longmeadow area. People can sponsor a bouquet for someone they think would benefit from the lovely gift for $16, which covers the cost of the bouquet.
So far, Faigie and her crew have delivered two-dozen bouquets and received many happy and grateful responses. Those who want to do more can volunteer to deliver flowers to recipients.
To cheer up a lonely senior or homebound person in town, you can send their name and address to faigiewolff@gmail. com. (Springfield, Longmeadow area only) or call/text 413-348-3042.
College Freshmen can apply for Queen Esther Funds
WORCESTER - The Queen Esther Scholarship of B’nai Brith in conjunction with Probus Club of Worcester, and the Gerald Landgarten Trust Fund, will award its annual scholarships to students of the Jewish faith who will be entering their freshman year of undergraduate college next year or their first year of any training beyond the high school level.
The Queen Esther Scholarships have a long history in Worcester. For many years the AZA and BBB youth groups held a Queen Esther Ball, said Alan Cooper, co-chair of the scholarship fund. Every youth group sold tickets and raised money for scholarships. Each chapter nominated a girl for Queen. Whichever chapter raised the most funds would crown their nominee queen at the Queen Esther Ball.
While there are no BBYO groups active in Worcester at this time, the Queen Esther scholarships still go on.
Individual Queen Esther scholarships amounts vary and all applicants must reside in Worcester County. Award decisions will be based on need, involvement in the Jewish community, academic achievement, and character.
Applications may be requested in writing or by email from Steven Sosnoff, 2 Jefferson Drive, Paxton, MA 01612; or by email: stevesosnoff@gmail.com.
All information included in the application is kept in strict confidence.
All completed applications must be returned by June 12. , 2020.
Fore more information, call Al Cooper at (508) 789-5066.
BBYO ON DEMAND’S ZIKARON BASALON COMMEMORATING YOM HASHOAH, FEATURED ANDY SARKANY, TOP ROW, SECOND FROM THE RIGHT, SPEAKING TO BBYO CVR MEMBERS ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCES DURING THE HOLOCAUST.
News and Jewish Community Update
All of us have been impacted by the challenges of COVID-19, and each of us is affected in different ways. The loss of family members and friends, uncertainty about one’s livelihood and general questions about the future are all pressing, stressful and are hard on our psyche, as well as taking a toll on our physical health. We wake up each morning not knowing what the day will will bring. And all of us from all walks of like are experiencing the same feelings of anxiousness and concern. All of us together- around the world.
STEVEN SCHIMMEL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
We can’t predict the future and much of this is out of our control but we can take the necessary precautions to protect ourselves and we can play a roll in helping others. That includes helping to ensure the continuity of our Jewish institutions. We are all concerned about the future of the institutions and organizations that we hold near and dear in our Jewish community. We ask ourselves how our congregations, our Jewish Community Center and others organizations will fare through these extraordinary times. Jewish Federation, as the umbrella organization for Jewish life in Central MA is faced with these questions today, but we’ve also been faced with many hard challenges through the years. Through economic downturns, depressions, recessions, wars, and societal upheavals. In times like these it’s helpful to remember there have always been times like these. Challenges are nothing new to the Jewish people. Yes, this experience of this pandemic is unique in our lifetimesbut our ancestors, certainly within the last 80 years faced challenges as hard if not harder than we are seeing today. And
there’s reason to hope. Today we have more resources than we’ve ever had- we are better positioned than any other people at any time in the history of humankind to confront these challenges. We are better connected, we are better prepared, and we are better able to confront the issues.
COVID-19 and the other obstacles and hardships that we face are looming and seem overwhelming but we cannot shrink from the task at hand- especially not out of fear. We must work together and we must not lose hope.
Jewish Federation is doing all it can to provide stability in our community and we will be here to ensure the survival of our organizations and the well-being of our community members. Many of our donors have stepped forward to contribute generously to our effortsseveral have asked to remain anonymous. Truly a mitzvah. We are providing financial assistance to those needing it, we are coordinating actions with our congregations and JCC, and we are maintaining a semblance of normalcy by continuing to provide enriching online content. We have moved our community programs to the virtual world. All of it is difficult and it’s something that we’ve never personally experienced before. But, we are adapting with the time and each of us and each of our organizations are acting responsibly to steer ourselves through this. It should be encouraging and we should keep hope that we will indeed make it through this. If you’d like to help others or need help please reach out to us- director@ jfcm.org we are here now and we are with you.
STAY CONNECTED
PJ Library and PJ Our Way: Daily activities online for quarantined families https://pjlibrary.org/familyactivities
YAD: Stay connected with weekly virtual activities including Shabbat, meet-ups and game events via YAD Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/centralmassyad
Chaverim: check Facebook group page for virtual activities https://www.facebook.com/groups/chaverimcentralmass/
LEAD/YAD/Hillel Combatting Anti-Semitism with Rachel Fish postponed until Fall. Date TBA
Passport to Jewish Cooking at Percy’s postponed. Date TBA
For more information or to RSVP on any of the above, please contact Mindy Hall, JFCM Director of Outreach, at mhall@jfcm.org or call 508-756-1543.
We were not able to hold our Year 3 LIFE & LEGACY celebration so instead we sent our donors festive cups and asked them to send up photos of how they used them at Passover. Here is how we celebrated together apart!
Leah C Shuldiner LIFE & LEGACY Coordinator, JFCM
News and Jewish Community Update
THE GLUE THAT KEEPS US TOGETHER
By Mindy Hall, Director of Outreach and Engagement
Doesn’t it seem eons ago that we were frolicking and celebrating Purim, not quite feeling the urgency to social distance despite some warnings of a possible pandemic? Then, with what seemed almost instantaneous, we had been asked to stay 6 feet apart, wear masks and gloves and learn to adapt to the new norm to help stop the spread of this new virus? Surreal? Yes. Forever? No. But we are all doing the best we can living in the time of Corona.
While the confines of our walls may sometimes make us feel trapped, the reality is that is is keeping us free...free from contracting or spreading this pandemic. This doesn’t cure all the other big issues of our daily life such as work, finances and school but we have been so fortunate that life has not totally stood still. We have been able to create so many virtual connections within our community, synagogues, schools, friends and family. We were able to organize and deliver out over 250 Seder in a Box dinners to those who asked for a hand in our community during Passover. And, with people in crisis, all of our technology has allowed people to reach out and enable us to share critical information through many different communication channels. It may not seem like much when you can only wonder when we will get through this but, think about what it was like during the time of the Spanish flu when technology was not available to most people. Handwritten notes and human messengers was the method of communication for the average citizen. You were truly alone and isolated, and help was not readily available. If you needed food or medical attention, it might have been too late before you ever received help.
So although we have had to cancel even more planned events and can only meet virtually face to face, we are keeping well connected through email, Facebook, Zoom,etc...working to keep the glue that holds us together as a community. We try to make each other laugh, share in our sorrows, helping with whatever we can...and even share a virtual event to just feel a little sense of social normalcy while we spend Saturday nights at home.
We are still here at Federation, helping with our today, and planning for our tomorrow. Please feel free to reach out if there is something we can do.
MINDY HALL
JEWISH FUNERALS IN THE TIME of CORONA
BY STACEY DRESNER
It takes one look at the additional pages of obituaries in newspapers today to see the deadly affect of Covid-19.
Richard Perlman, Jewish funeral director at Miles Funeral Home in Holden says that in the past few weeks, nearly all of the people they have laid to rest have died from Covid-19 or related complications.
“It’s a goodly number of people,” he said, “and many more deaths than we ordinarily experience.”
In Springfield, Ryan Ascher of AscherZimmerman Funeral Home says the same thing.
“Normally we average between 8 and 10 deaths per month. We are now averaging
public; to protect the families from the gravediggers; and to protect the funeral director from both of them,” Perlman said.
Perlman said that limiting the number of people at the graveside to 10 is probably the most difficult thing for families to deal with.
“People have not liked the idea of limiting it to nine plus the clergy,” he said, explaining that funeral directors and their staff are not counted in the 10.
“We get there early to place the casket and then we all step back.”
“It’s difficult,” agreed Ascher. “The governor started off saying he wanted 10 people-max as a grouping, so what we started doing is saying, ‘You can have 10 people at the cemetery, don’t include us, we will stand far enough away so you can have
funerals or have decided to be cautious and stay quarantined in their homes.
“That’s the most terrible thing, that, families are spread out all over the country, all over the world, and because of travel restrictions quite a number of families could not have their family at the funeral,” Perlman said. “People are afraid to get on airplanes. So a fair amount of families probably will have a large unveiling service or a memorial service in the future when things calm down.”
PIKUACH NEFESH
Ascher said that in late March-early April when it was evident that changes were going to have to be made in light of the pandemic, Rabbi Amy Katz of Temple Beth
chevra comes and reads the prayers outside of our building in view of the person they are reading for.”
“We’re doing whatever we can to make sure everybody is safe,” said Rabbi Yakov Wolff of Congregation B’nai Torah in Longmeadow. “Personally. I am going to the cemetery for the funerals and it’s difficult and challenging but we are making it as meaningful as possible for the families in this difficult time that they are going through. I’ve officiated at funerals where you would think everybody was there because the families are zooming in. Everything is being done with the greatest respect for the deceased and honor to the family.”
To be buried in the three Jewish cemeteries in Worcester the deceased must have had a full tahara.
“There is an edict from the Orthodox rabbis in New York that the people who are performing tahara cannot be 60 years old or over. And so, that eliminates nearly everyone in Worcester,” Perlman said.
At the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, Rabbi Mendel Fogelman of Central Mass. Chabad had contacted the rabbis in New York for guidance.
“I asked them what would happen if we are approached with someone passing from corona, how do we handle taharas, what is the jewish law for this, etc., so they told me we will do it the same way we always have, but with extra protection” the paper overalls, masks, face shield and gloves.
“At the same time I was very concerned for our own people who are performing taharas,” Rabbi Fogelman said.
He contacted the Community Hevra Kadisha of Greater Boston for advice.
“We worked out a plan where when someone passes away in Worcester, we arrange the tahara to be done in Boston. So Miles Funeral Home drives the deceased to Boston, they perform the tahara and then they are brought back to Miles who will
Rabbi Fogelman said that he called to relay this information to the members of the Worcester chevrah kadisha.
“I called one of the women and I was apologizing, but she thanked me. She said she was sitting there, worried about what she would say when she got that call. She was really appreciative.”
“Worcester has the tradition that the cemeteries do not allow anyone to be buried without a tahara,” Rabbi Fogelman added. “It’s a really wonderful tradition and I’m happy we are able to do that.” n
MEMBERS OF CHESED SHEL EMES, A BURIAL SOCIETY BASED IN BROOKLYN, TRANSPORT A BODY FOR BURIAL AT THE CEMETERY IT OPERATES IN WOODRIDGE, N.Y.
(COURTESY OF RABBI MAYER BERGER)
A
Jewish burial association seeks prayer shawls for burials, and donations pour in
BY HIRA HANAU
(JTA) – Andrew Parver’s phone hasn’t stopped ringing since a week ago Sunday.
That’s when Parver, the director of operations at the Hebrew Free Burial Association in New York City, put out a call for donations of prayer shawls for traditional Jewish burials. Less than 48 hours later, he had collected 150 himself and pledges of hundreds more to come from as far away as South Florida and Pittsburgh.
“My phone yesterday was nonstop –phone calls, emails, WhatsApps,” Parver told JTA on Tuesday, April 26. “I know rabbis have been sending this out to their congregations and I don’t even know the rabbis.”
The Hebrew Free Burial Association performs free Jewish burials for any Jew who dies without the funds for funeral expenses. Usually it has enough prayer shawls on hand to last for months. But the coronavirus pandemic has caused an unprecedented spike in demand for its services, and the group quickly ran out of shawls.
“We basically exhausted our supplies and our reserves,” Parver said. “We’ve never had anything like this.”
So on Sunday, Parver send out the word on an email list for the Jewish community in Teaneck, New Jersey. The next morning he posted an appeal on Facebook.
“Do you have any old Talleisim, regardless of condition, that you can donate to Hebrew Free Burial Association?” he wrote on the association’s Facebook page, using the Hebrew word for prayer shawls.
The donations started pouring in immediately.
By Sunday night, Parver had picked up about 100 shawls from homes in his area and found another 50 left on the doorstep of his home. Another 10 people volunteered their homes in New York, New Jersey and Baltimore as drop-off points for donations, thus far collecting at least 200 prayer shawls. With over 350 shawls collected already, Parver isn’t quite sure how many more to expect. But with calls from across the country continuing to come in, he’s sure there are more on the way. He’s also sure the need will continue to grow.
Traditional Jewish burial customs dictate that men are dressed in white shrouds and wrapped in a shawl before they are interred in a Jewish cemetery. The association does not dress women in prayer shawls, in line with Orthodox custom.
“For thousands of years, Jews have been buried the same way – plain shrouds, plain pine box,” Parver said, adding that it’s a way of “connecting to our ancestors.”
The association typically receives donations of shawls at a steady pace year round. They come from synagogues that close down or people who buy new ones after an older shawl wears out. Sometimes they come from people who find old shawls that belonged to parents or grandparents.
“Each tallis tells a story,” Parver said. “Somebody wore that tallis in shul, somebody shed tears while wearing that tallis, praying for something that was important at that stage of life.”
have hinted at the emotional connection people feel to their shawls. One rabbi told Parver that he had held on to an old shawl for years because of its sentimental value, but was prepared to let it go after hearing about the need.
Parver sees the outpouring of donations as another way people are helping where they can at a time when leaving the house is a dangerous proposition.
“This is just a very tangible method for people to connect and give back more good into the world when we need it,” he said.
(CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)
HUNDREDS OF PRAYER SHAWLS HAVE BEEN DONATED TO THE HEBREW FREE BURIAL ASSOCIATION SINCE SUNDAY. COURTESY OF ANDREW PARVER
DONATED PRAYER SHAWLS LEFT ON ANDREW PARVER’S DOORSTEP.
FUNDS AVAILABLE HEALTHY COMMUNITY EMERGENCY FUND
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts has been working to help Jewish institutions, individuals, and families to weather the storm. Central to this effort was the establishment of a Healthy Community Emergency Fund (HCEF). Thanks to the generosity of donors, and funding from the Jewish Endowment Foundation of Western Massachusetts, the Federation has raised nearly $400,000 to help our community.
A portion of the funds raised have been made available to help individuals and families who require assistance, including over $10,000 which has already been approved for distribution beginning next week. Additional funds are being used to safeguard community institutions; to ensure that even during a crisis, Western Massachusetts is home to vibrant Jewish life. The Federation is currently in the process of determining the needs of their beneficiary agencies, with the goal of beginning the distribution of those funds within two weeks. The Federation has partnered with Jewish
Family Services of Western Massachusetts (JFS), an independent third-party, that will be reviewing and evaluating applications for individual and family assistance. JFS provides exceptional social services, grounded in Jewish values, to support individuals and families from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds. Their involvement will help to ensure that aid is distributed appropriately. Additionally, the Federation’s program Rachel’s Table has set up a specialized Healthy Community Emergency Food Fund, and a Feed the Front Lines initiative. These efforts are helping to alleviate the food insecurity problems in our community that have been exacerbated by the economic impact of the pandemic, and are giving support to those who are putting their lives at risk every day to keep us safe.
If you wish to contribute to the Healthy Community Emergency Fund, or to request aid for yourself or your family, please visit our website:
Jerry Stiller, longtime comic who won fame on ‘Seinfeld,’ dies at 92
JTA—Jerry Stiller, the longtime Jewish comic who became best known for playing the belligerent character Frank Costanza on “Seinfeld,” has died.
Stiller died of natural causes, his son, the comic actor Ben Stiller, announced in a tweet Monday. He was 92.
Jerry Stiller was a classically trained actor who met and married Anne Meara in 1953
when both were struggling actors, and they became a much soughtafter comedy duo. The couple — the short and Jewish Stiller, and his tall and non-Jewish wife — appeared some three dozen
times on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and other television variety and talk shows. They also appeared in nightclubs, as well as in radio and television commercials, including for Blue Nun wine – boosting its sales by 500 percent, according to The New York Times. The couple were married for 62 years until Meara’s death in 2015.
Their interfaith relationship found its way into their comedy routines. Meara, who was Irish American and Roman Catholic, converted to Judaism in 1961.
Stiller did not make his first appearance on “Seinfeld” until the fifth season in 1993, and though he appeared on fewer than 30 of the megahit sitcom’s 180 episodes, Frank Costanza became an immensely popular character despite his harsh demeanor toward his wife and son George. The elder Costanza was the creator of Festivus, the now-popular winter holiday “for the rest of us.”
The Costanzas may have had an Italian name, but there was plenty of Jewishness there: Frank Costanza ate kasha in bed and, a former Army cook, made Jewish delicacies for a Jewish singles dance.
Stiller would earn an Emmy nomination for the role.
He later appeared as another father, Arthur Spooner, on the sitcom “The King of Queens,” and married Meara, who guest starred several times, on the series finale.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
and in 2007.
In 1999, Stiller appeared in
Stiller, who was born and raised in Brooklyn, served in the U.S. Army during and
Along with Ben Stiller, he is survived by his daughter, the actress Amy Stiller.
CoronaCrush & JScreen promote love & health during quarantine
JScreen, a national non-profit public health initiative dedicated to preventing Jewish genetic diseases, and CoronaCrush, a Facebook group with more than 10,000 followers, designed to help Jewish singles continue their search for love while quarantined at home, have partnered.
“We thought this is the perfect combination of helping people find their soulmate while caring about their future families,” said Hillary Kener Regelman, national director of outreach for JScreen.
In addition to the partnership, JScreen will sponsor a CoronaCrush King and Queen of the Week, a “coronation” for the woman and man who receive the most ‘likes’ in the group. The winners will each receive a JScreen swag bag. In addition, JScreen will give any couple who gets engaged from CoronaCrush a free screening kit.
“We started CoronaCrush because we wanted to provide our single friends with a fun and supportive environment to continue to meet and date,” said CoronaCrush co-founder Ian Mark. “We’re excited to partner with JScreen because they’re providing a very serious and crucial service to new couples and while our group is meant to be fun, we encourage all the dating in our group to be done in the framework of serious dating.”
JScreen is a national online genetic screening program based at Emory University School of Medicine’s Department of Human Genetics. JScreen is uniquely equipped, to provide at-home genetic testing and TeleHealth services during this time of social distancing.
individuals’ ability to freely exercise their faith.”
Biden’s three-point plan would increase the $90 million the Department of Homeland Security now hands out for securing nonprofit institutions by “multiples.”
MISHPOCHA
Biden has three children-in-law – all are Jewish. His Passover statement emphasized the loneliness that Jewish families would suffer during their pandemic seders. His personal relationship with Jews, in his families and during a long political career, also will be highlighted in his campaign. A Delaware rabbi’s story of encountering Biden at a laundry room shiva has already featured multiple times on the campaign.
JERRY STILLER (RIGHT), FATHER OF BEN STILLER (LEFT), HAS DIED AT 92. GETTY IMAGES / MICHAEL LOCCISANO
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Conversation with Shulem Lemmer
The rising
star
talks about
being the
first recording artist raised Hasidic to sign with a major record label
BY CURT SCHLEIER
(JTA) – Shulem Lemmer’s singing career took a wildly positive turn over the past year.
He went on a major stadium and arena tour, playing to packed houses at Fenway Park in Boston, Citi Field in New York and Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City. For Shulem – he goes by one name like those other famous Jewish singing sensations Matisyahu and Drake – these were significant achievements, even if the fans were there to see the Red Sox, the Mets and the Utah Jazz, not him.
Shulem’s travels were a function of a genuinely unique feat: He became the first Jew raised Hasidic – who is still Hasidic –to sign with a major label, Decca Gold, which is part of the Universal Music Group. (The once-bearded and payes-wearing Matisyahu was brought up as a Reconstructionist Jew, later turned to Orthodoxy and has now mostly left the fold.)
Decca Gold released Shulem’s first album, “The Perfect Dream,” late last year. It’s a collection of traditional Jewish and secular songs, from “Jerusalem of Gold” to Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “You’ll Never Walk Alone” to the Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey hit “When You Believe” (from the “Prince of Egypt” soundtrack).
Shulem sings in a rich, passion-filled tenor that carries obvious traces of his roots in the haredi Orthodox Belz community and his work as a cantor, a position he still fills during the High Holidays at Ahavath Torah, a Modern Orthodox synagogue in Englewood, New Jersey. He also makes numerous guest cantor stints throughout the year at various synagogues.
Shulem was raised in Brooklyn, the youngest of eight children in a house where he was always surrounded by music, but not by singers – neither of his parents carried a tune well. Yet both Shulem and his brother, Yanky – a highly regarded cantor at the Orthodox Lincoln Square Synagogue in Manhattan – somehow inherited the singing gene.
“My father jokes that all the talent comes from him and that he gave it all away and kept none of it for himself,” Shulem says.
Shulem built a level of local renown for both his cantorial skills and performances before Jewish groups. But a YouTube video is how he came to the attention of Graham Parker, president of Decca Records US.
“I found Shulem on YouTube, specifically the “Chad Gadya” video that he did a few years back. …It was the
combination of his spectacular voice, his personality and being a man of deep faith that made him a compelling person to meet,” says Parker.
The following are condensed excerpts from JTA’s interview with Shulem covering an array of subjects ranging from the meaning of success to antisemitism.
JTA: How did you start singing?
Shulem: I always enjoyed the music playing in my house. My father listened to a lot of cantorial music. My late sister, she passed away when she was only 23, encouraged me to sing and learn songs. At my brother’s wedding, she pushed me on stage. And at that moment I was in a happy place. I was a shy kid and that was kind of an awakening.
My brother, Yanky, and I had the same birthday and we convinced my father to buy us a drum set we shared and later a guitar I taught myself to play. When I went on to study in Israel, I quickly made connections [in the music business] there and sang some backup vocals on recordings. When I came back I joined the [haredi] Shira Choir [in Brooklyn]. I did some solos for them and soon requests came in for me to do more. I released an album in 2015 [titled “Shulem”] and started to build a fan base not only in the secular Jewish world but with a lot of Christians, as well.
JTA: Shulem, what is your definition of success for yourself?
Shulem: First of all, success means being able to provide for my family. [Until recently, Shulem worked part-time as director of marketing for a tech startup.] But also success means being able to reach out and inspire as many people as possible. Music is a universal language, a way to start a dialogue, sending a message of unity, of positivity and hope. I want to spread a message of love between human beings through music.
JTA: What about your music industry aspirations?
Shulem: I never dream about becoming a celebrity. I’m not looking to become one specific thing. One opportunity leads to another, and I’m happy with everything that comes along.
JTA: Does being Hasidic limit those opportunities?
Shulem: There will be limitations and challenges. Of course, I’m not going to perform on Shabbos, but there also will be issues that aren’t necessarily that black and white. I would ask my rabbi, based on the situation. I have it in my contract that I can say no to any-thing that isn’t OK with me religiously. I won’t perform a duet with a woman, for example. They wanted me to do that for the theme song for the movie “Quezon’s Game” [about Philippines President Manuel Quezon’s plan to shelter German and Austrian Jews during World War II, not yet opened in the U.S.]. I said no and so they let me do a solo version.
JTA: Do you ever get tired of being gawked at in public? Is it worse now as a public figure?
Shulem: It’s always something that happened, even when I was a little kid. But it depends where I am. If I’m in the tristate area, people are already familiar with Hasids. Else-where I get stares and people ask me how I get my curls that way. Worse than that are the online people who hide behind a screen. I started getting a lot of anti-Semitic hate messages. At first I thought it was just words, but then came Jersey City and Monsey. It became a reality and it’s scary. I know it’s just a small number of people, but it doesn’t take many. We do have security. And I know a lot of people, friends and colleagues, are getting armed. That’s the vibe going around.
JTA: How do you get your curls that way?
Shulem: Mousse, and I just twirl them around my fingers.
SHULEM LEMMER IS A POP STAR IN HIS COMMUNITY – AND STILL A CANTOR, TOO. (CREDIT: MEREDITH TRUAX)
SHULEM’S FIRST ALBUM, “THE PERFECT DREAM,” FEATURES TRADITIONAL JEWISH AND SECULAR SONGS, INCLUDING THE WHITNEY HOUSTON AND MARIAH CAREY HIT “WHEN YOU BELIEVE” FROM THE “PRINCE OF EGYPT” SOUNDTRACK. (DECCA GOLD)
AMHERST
Jewish Community of Amherst
Reconstructionist
Rabbi Benjamin Weiner (413) 256-0160 info@jcamherst.org www.jcamherst.org 742 Main St., Amherst, MA 01002
ATHOL
Temple Israel
Unaffiliated/Egalitarian
Reb Sarah Noyovitz (978) 249-9481 templeisraelathol@gmail.com 107 Walnut Street Athol, MA 01331
BENNINGTON, VT
Congregation Beth El Reconstructionist
Rabbi Micah Becker Klein (802) 442-9645 cbevtoffice@gmail.com www.cbevermont.org
225 North St., Bennington, VT 05201
CLINTON
Congregation Shaarei Zedeck Conservative Lay Leadership - Elena Feinberg (978) 501-2744 sherryesq@yahoo.com www.shaareizedeck.org 104 Water St., Clinton, MA 01510
SYNAGOGUE DIRECTORY
Western and Central Massachusetts
FLORENCE
Beit Ahavah, The Reform Synagogue of Greater Northampton Reform
Rabbi Riqi Kosovske (413) 587-3770 info@beitahavah.org www.beitahavah.org 130 Pine St. Florence, MA 01062
GREENFIELD
Temple Israel of Greenfield
Unaffiliated
Rabbi Andrea Cohen-Kiener (413) 773-5884 office@templeisraelgreenfield.org www.templeisraelgreenfield.org
27 Pierce St. Greenfield, MA 01301
HOLYOKE
Congregation Rodphey Sholom Orthodox
Rabbi Tuvia Helfen Religious Leader (413) 534-5262 djs1818@aol.com 1800 Northampton St., Holyoke, MA 01040
Rabbi Amy Walk Katz (413) 733-4149 office@tbesprinfield.org www.tbespringfield.org 979 Dickinson St., Springfield, MA 01108
WESTBOROUGH
Beth Tikvah Synagogue
Independent
Rabbi Michael Swarttz (508) 616-9037 president@bethtikvahsynagogue.org www.bethtikvahsynagogue.org
45 Oak St., Westborough, MA 01581
Congregation B’nai Shalom Reform
Rabbi Rachel Gurevitz/ Rabbi-Educator Joseph Eiduson (508) 366-7191 info@cbnaishalom.org www.cbnaishalom.org
117 East Main St., PO Box 1019, Westborough, MA 01581
WESTFIELD
Congregation Ahavas Achim Unaffiliated Cantor Colman Reaboi (413) 642-1797 ahavasachiminquiry@gmail.com www.congregationahavasachim.org Ferst Interfaith Center, Westfield State University PO Box 334, 577 Western Avenue, Westfield, MA 01086
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AhavasAchimWestfield/
WORCESTER
Central Mass Chabad
Rabbi Mendel Fogelman, Rabbi Chaim Fishman, Rabbi Michael Phillips, Cantor Eli Abramowitz (508) 752-0904 rabbi@centralmasschabad.com www.centralmasschabad.com 22 Newton Avenue, Worcester, MA 01602
“We are in a period of darkness right now in many respects. We are facing a health emergency across our communities, across the world. And we’re facing a scourge of rising intolerance and anti-Semitism and bigotry…We all need to speak in one voice and say that it’s not tolerated at any time and especially not now in the midst of this epidemic.”
home from school -- this is where things begin…This is a great opportunity for parents to talk to their children; to remind their children to reflect upon the important values in life -- Health, family, friendship, reaching out to help other people.”
REV. JASON SEYMOUR, UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST SOCIETY OF GREATER SPRINGFIELD AND PRESIDENT OF THE INTERFAITH COUNCIL OF GREATER SPRINGFIELD
LT. ROBERT STOCKS, LONGMEADOW POLICE DEPARTMENT
“Hate crimes are an attack on the core values of Longmeadow… we will continue to take a proactive approach to prevent acts of violence and intimidation. We feel the problems posed by hate crimes are challenging, however they’re not insurmountable. Any incidents that are intended to cause alarm or terror within our community will be investigated aggressively and dealt with in a swift and strong response.”
“I’ve been called to speak for diverse people from across our community from congregations in Longmeadow and Springfield and beyond, all of whom wish to communicate strongly how we value our Jewish neighbors, and that we are committed to stand together against any act of hate. We are with you. We value you. We will do all that we can to protect you. We pray for your wellbeing. We do this every day
community and with all faith groups against hate and violence…At this time there is a global calamity caused by an invisible enemy, the coronavris. We are all humbled to realize our human weakness and vulnerability and we are trying to win this fight together. If this has not taught a lesson of humility, common concerns, love and compassion, then what else are we waiting for?”
BISHOP TALBERT SWAN, PRESIDENT OF THE NAACP, SPRINGFIELD AND SPRING OF HOPE CHURCH OF GOD
“For many years because of our shared legacies, the African American and Jewish communities have had a civil rights alliance. The African American community knows full well the fear and terror involved in being targeted by racist violence. Today the NAACP, its members and all people of good will renew our commitment to combat antiSemitic hate crimes and we unequivocally condemn the white supremacist attack on
Michael Masters, who directs the Secure Community Network, the security arm of national Jewish groups, said the April 15 arrest of Rathburn for his attack on Ruth’s House made concrete the worries his group had been relaying to its constituents across the United States since January, when SCN started considering the pandemic in its bulletins.
“This incident goes exactly to our shortand long-term concerns: the increased anti-Semitism, fomenting hatred and incitement to violence in online forums and on platforms that motivates, encourages or supports individuals to potentially take action against our community,” he said. “This is not conceptual.”
Ancient theories of Jewish responsibility for plagues are resurfacing and gaining wider exposure, Masters said.
Accusations that Jews are profiting from the pandemic have been circulating for months on social media favored by white supremacists, like Telegram and Gab, and then breaking through to mainstream platforms like Instagram and Twitter. Rick Wiles, a Christian pastor who runs a farright news site, TruNews, said last month that the pandemic was simultaneously God’s means of punishing the Jews and spread by them.
Holocaust Remembrance Day…The Holocaust taught us that when we all stand together, only then will justice prevail. We have full confidence in the law enforcement agencies that will seek justice to punish the perpetrator of this act, and send a message that anti-Semitism will never be tolerated
Accusations that Jews spread contagion date to the centuries before Christ and flourished throughout the Black Plague in the 14th century.
The preeminent targets of bias attacks during the pandemic have been Asians. Early on, an array of Jewish groups condemned the phenomenon.
Even before the pandemic, the American Jewish community had been experiencing a huge increase in anti-Semitism and violence.
This includes the attacks on the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh and the Poway synagogue shooting in California, and threats to Jewish community centers around North America.
The social upheaval that undergirded those attacks could manifest at exponentially greater levels as we get out of the pandemic, Masters said, with massive increases in unemployment creating more alienation and people who may look for scapegoats for their misfortune.
“As we reconstitute services and open the doors to congregants and JCC members, and students get back on campuses, with that increase in online hate speech as an excuse to spread anti-Semitism and hatred, there is a real concern that the individuals susceptible to that message will see our community get back to work, and they will pick up that call to violence and take action,” Masters said.
JTA contributed to this story
SEN. ERIC LESSER
RABBI NOACH KOSOFSKY
REV. JASON SEYMOUR
DR. MOHAMMAD BAJWA
BISHOP TALBERT SWAN
ALSBERG
Susan D. Alsberg died April 11. Born Jan. 31, 1944 in New York City, she was the daughter of the late George and Elsbeth Alsberg. She attended Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, graduating in 1968, after helping to form Humanities as a major at Earlham. She earned her Master’s in Social Work while raising her three children as a single mother in the 1970’s. She was at the forefront of the women’s liberation movement, working with Planned Parenthood at their inception, and also as a social worker during that era. She is survived by three children, Jeffrey Alsberg and his souse, Melodie, of Cary, N.C., Timothy Zimmer and his spouse, Kristi, of Seattle, Wash., and Tanya Alsberg and her spouse Jennifer Armstrong, of Kennebunk, Maine; three grandchildren, Raven, Jasmine, and Skyla; her brother-in-law, Jake Fredericks; and a cousin, Peter Buseck, of Tempe, Arizona. She was predeceased by a sister, Judy.
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BLAKE
Salena Blake, 100, of Springfield, died April 25. Born in Springfield she was the daughter of the late Jacob and Ann (Karlin) Bilsky. She was the widow of Ernest Blake. A graduate of Bay Path College, she was employed at Baystate Medical Center for 27 years in the Human Resource Department until her retirement. She volunteered for Meals on Wheels at the Springfield Jewish Community Center, at the Jewish Nursing Home and at the Longmeadow Senior Center. She is survived by a daughter, Dorine Toyen and her husband, Marty, of Avon, Conn.; a son, Gary and his wife, Barbara, of California; grandchildren, Heather, Jamie and his wife, Kelly, Joshua, and Melinda and her husband, Jordan Glastein; two great grandchildren, Ramsey and Violet; a sister-in-law Betty Bilsky; and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased a granddaughter, Amy Toyen; a sister, Florence Mazer; and a brother, Erwin Bilsky. Memorial contributions may be made to the Sosin Center, 770 Converse St., Longmeadow, MA 01106; and the Jewish Community Center, 1160 Dickinson St., Springfield, MA 01108.
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BLOOME
Norma L. Bloome, 90, of Springfield, died April 24. She was the widow of Bernard Bloome. Born in Pittsfield, she was a 1947 graduate of the former technical high school in Springfield and the former Putnam vocational nursing program where she earned her L.P.N diploma in 1976. She was a nurse at the Wesson Memorial Hospital form 1976-1992. Prior to becoming a nurse, Norma was employed at the Cromwell Mill as a clothing designer. She was a
OBITUARIES
past president of the Springfield Guild of Craftsmen. She won numerous awards for her specialty enameling on copper, including 15 ribbons for her work including five first place awards at the Springfield JCC Gurvitch Art Show. She was a past member of Kesser Israel. She is survived by a son, Herschel. Memorial contributions can be made to the Yeshiva Academy 1148 Converse St., Longmeadow, MA 01106.
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BOLINSKY
Shirley (Levine) Bolinsky, 84, of Leominster, died March 30 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury, Conn. She was the widow of Seymour S. Bolinsky. Born in the Bronx, N.Y., she was the daughter of Sidney and Lillian (Stillman) Levine, and lived in Bellmore, N.Y., Northbrook, Ill., and Wayne N.J., before moving to Leominster in 1990. She was a graduate of Evander Childs High School in the Bronx and worked many years as a legal secretary and an executive assistant. She is survived by a son, Connecticut State Rep. Mitch Bolinsky and his wife, Luisa, of Newtown, Conn.; a daughter, Joyce Fountaine of Green Valley, Ariz.; five grandchildren, Rachel BolinskyMorrone and her husband, Adam, Matthew Bolinsky, Josh Fountaine and his wife, Amy, Jeremy Fountaine and his partner, Amanda Cox, and Ally (Fountaine) Engel and her husband, Tom; and a great-grandson, Logan Fountaine. She was predeceased by a sister, Harriett Spitaleri. Memorial contributions may be made to Congregation Agudat Achim, 268 Washington St., Leominster, MA 01453; or https://www. agudat-achim.org/ .
CHIZ
Frances Lilian Chiz died April 28 after a hard fought battle with Covid 19. Born in Springfield on June 18, 1931, she was the daughter of the late Molly and George Aronson. Raised in Springfield, she was a member of the Classical High School graduating class of 1949. She graduated from The Leland Powers School of Broadcasting in Rhode Island and returned to Springfield to host a local radio program. She worked as a bookkeeper for Mass Mutual; accounts payable manager for Paysaver Catalogue Showrooms of Holyoke; and property manager for Carr Properties in Springfield. She is survived by three sons, Lawrence Chiz and his partner, Adam Maxfield, of Chicopee, James Chiz of Longmeadow, and Michael and Dana Chiz of Longmeadow; three grandchildren, Adam Joseph Chiz of Agawam, Abigail Molly Chiz, and Leo Garrison Chiz of Longmeadow; a niece, Susan Burnim of Sommerville; a nephew, Paul Mador of Nahant; and several grandnieces and grandnephews. She was predeceased by a sister, Gloria Mador. ASCHER-ZIMMERMAN FUNERAL HOME
CHIZ
Stanley Philip Chiz died April 17 after a hard-fought battle with Covid-19. He was the husband of Vickie Phillips Chiz. Born May 8, 1928 in Springfield, he was the son of the late Ruth and Abraham Chiz. He was a member of the Classical High School graduating class of 1946. He went on to graduate from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1950. He volunteered to join the Army, where he proudly served his country during the Korean War. He returned home to work alongside his father at the family business at Standard Tire. He later joined his fatherin-law (the late George Aronson) to open the wholesale business of Standard Office Supply. He was active in the UMass Alumni Association where he served as president from 1977 to 1979. He was a Shriner, and a Free Mason, where he earned highest honor of 33rd degree. In addition to his wife, he is survived by a stepdaughter, Kim Phillips-Watkins of Northampton; a step-granddaughter, Chelsea Watkins of Alburquerque, N.M.; three sons, Lawrence Chiz and his partner Adam Maxfield of Chicopee, James Chiz of Longmeadow, and Michael Chiz and his wife, Dana, of Longmeadow; three grandchildren, Adam Joseph Chiz of Agawam, and Abigail Molly Chiz and Leo Garrison Chiz of Longmeadow; a niece and nephew, Linda Colton and Bruce Colton, both of Longmeadow. He was predeceased by a sister, Muriel (Chiz) Colton. ASCHERZIMMERMAN FUNERAL HOME
COHEN
Muriel and David Cohen of Longmeadow, formerly of Queens, N.Y., died hours apart on April 10 at the Jewish Nursing Home of Western Mass. They had been married for 78 years. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Dec. 11, 1917, David Cohen was the son of Samuel Cohen and Eva (Blackman) Cohen. He served in the U.S. Army as a radio operator during World War II where he was a liberator at the Ohrdruf Concentration Camp, a satellite camp of Buchenwald. After serving in the military, he became a history teacher in South Jamaica, N.Y. Born in Providence, R.I. on May 4, 1922, Muriel Cohen was the daughter of William Brown and Gertrude (Suslow) Brown. After retirement David and Muriel moved to Longmeadow to be near their children and grandchildren. David spoke about his liberating experiences, teaching area school children about the Holocaust and to “never hate.” During during the liberation, he took an abundance of photographs, some of which can be seen in the National Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. He was interviewed by Stephen Spielberg for the Shoah Foundation, as well as the Fortunoff Video Archive at Yale University. Muriel
and David are survived by two daughters, Fran Grosnick and her husband, Allen, and Ellie Covey; six grandchildren, Wendi Ginsberg (Keith), Scott Grosnick (Erin), and Daniel, David, and Deborah Covey; and eight great-grandchildren. They were predeceased by a son-in-law, Larry Covey; and a granddaughter, Jodi Beth Grosnick Barron. Memorial contributions can be made to the Jodi Beth Grosnick Barron fund at JGS Life Care, 770 Converse St., Longmeadow, MA 01106.
EPSTEIN
Carol (Robin) Epstein, 94, of Worcester, died on April 24 at Eisenberg Assisted Living. She was the widow of Burton Epstein. Born and raised in Providence, R.I., she was the daughter of Paul and Sylvia (Lichtenstein) Robin. She graduated from Colby College. For 28 years, she worked at Worcester Children’s Friend Society where she was a social worker. She founded and directed the School Age Mothers (SAMS) program. In addition, she was an instructor at Quinsigamond Community College in Foster Parent training and supervised interns at Assumption College and Wheelock College. She was awarded the H. Waite Hurlburt Professional Award in 1989 for outstanding commitment to the mission of Children’s Friend, which is to improve the lives of children. In her early retirement years she volunteered as a literacy tutor and was an active member of WISE (Worcester Institute for Senior Education). She is survived by two daughters, Judith and Lois and her husband, Emilio; two sons, Robert and his wife, Wendy, and Richard and his wife, Karen; four grandchildren, Hannah and her husband, Sourish, Sarah, Rebecca and her fiance John, and Leela; and many nieces and nephews and their families. She was predeceased by a sister, Fay Bodner. Memorial contributions may be made to the Eisenberg Assisted Living Employee Fund, 631 Salisbury St., Worcester, MA 01609. RICHARD PERLMAN OF MILES FUNERAL HOME
FISCHEL
Gunther Fischel of Agawam died May 3. He was the husband of Thais Fischel. Born in Elberfeld, Germany on July 11, 1928, he was the son of the late J.J. and Martha Fischel. He graduated from CCNY with a BA in merchandising and a master’s degree. He served in the New York National Guard for eight years. He was a merchandise manager at Forbes & Wallace and then at Ames Department Stores. He served on the Sinai Temple board, executive board, and several committees. At the Jewish Nursing Home, he and his wife presented a Tuesday morning musical program for 13 years. He read weekly on closed circuit radio for the print impaired. In addition to his wife of 70 years he is survived by twoa nephews,
Dr. Steven Fischel (Dr. Lisa Plantefabor), and Richard Fischel; a grandnephew, Henning Fischel; and a grandniece, Hillary, of Arizona. He was predeceased by his brother, Walter. Memorial contributions may be made to Sinai Temple, 1100 Dickinson St., Springfield, MA 01108; or to the charity of the donor’s choice.
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FOGGLE
William (Bill) Foggle of East Longmeadow, died April 4 at home, after a long illness and in the company of his loved ones. He was the husband of Lynn Foggle. Born in Springfield, he was the son of Jacob and Beatrice (Weiner) Foggle. He was educated in Springfield schools. He graduated in 1955 from Dartmouth College and it’s Amos Tuck School of Business Administration. Upon joining the U.S. Army, he served in the accounting division at Fort Devens throughout his tour of duty. He was the owner of Hearn Furniture Company and later entered the field of real estate development. A leader in his community, he received the Young Leadership award and served as president of the Springfield Jewish Federation in the 1970’s. He was later appointed to the National UJA Young Leadership Cabinet, was instrumental in the creation of the Endowment Fund of the Springfield Jewish Federation, and was a founder of the Hatikvah Holocaust Canter. His and Lynn’s names are inscribed on the walls of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum for their support since its inception. They have also been recognized for their support of Beth El Temple, the Baystate Hospital Foundation, and Dartmouth College. Besides his wife, he is survived by his children, John Foggle and his wife, Lili, and Andrea Plotkin and her husband, Douglas; five grandchildren, Jared, Rani, and Ethan Plotkin, and Samantha and Ilana Foggle; a sister, Muriel Aronson; a brother, Laurence, a nephew, Ken; a niece, Amy; and a sisterin-law, Barbara Ivler. He was predeceased by his son Glenn; and three nephews. Memorial contributions may be made to The Alzheimer’s Association, The American Cancer Society and Spectrum Hospice of JGS.
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FREEDMAN
Edward (Ned) Freedman, 87, of Longmeadow, died April 24 due to natural causes in West Palm Beach, Fla. He was the husband of Debra (Koff) Freedman. Born in Springfield, he was the son of Rose and Hyman Freedman. He attended MIT and graduated from Dartmouth College in 1954. After college, he joined the family business, Keystone Plumbing Supply, working alongside his father and brother. A
OBITUARIES
Veteran of the Air Force, he was honorably discharged as a Captain in 1966. He was a member of the Melha Shrine of Springfield and the Rotary Club. He also created sets for the JCC of Springfield’s theatrical productions. An artist, his sculptures were exhibited in the Springfield Museum of Arts. In addition to his wife, he is survived by three children, Tabi, Eric and Marissa; a daughter-in-law, Lori Freedman; a son-inlaw, Jeffrey Queen; four grandsons, Jason, Max, Harris and Jared; a sister, Phyllis Cohen; and numerous nieces and nephews. Memorial contributions may be made to the Springfield JCC, 1160 Dickinson St., Springfield, MA 01108, springfieldjcc.org.
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FROMER
Mildred Fromer, 95, of East Longmeadow, formerly of Springfield, died May 2. She was the widow of Milton Fromer. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., she moved to Springfield after graduating from Brooklyn College. She worked in the Springfield school system as a substitute teacher, and later earned her masters degree in Library Science and became a teacher-librarian, first in the East Longmeadow Public Schools and later in the Longmeadow Public Schools. She was active in several charitable organizations and was elected president of the Henrietta Szold Group of the Springfield Chapter of Hadassah. She is survived by a daughter and son-in law, Anna and David Seidman; two grandchildren, Arielle and Daniel; and a sister, Laura Newman.
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GLAZIER
Shirley Glazier, 96, of Worcester, died April 5 from cancer. She was the widow of Raymond Glazier. Born in Worcester, she was the daughter of Sam and Fannie (Apher) Caplan. She attended Classical High School in Worcester, then Westbrook Jr. College before training as a laboratory technician. She lived for many years in Boca Raton Florida and Cape Cod (Falmouth and Yarmouth) before moving back to Worcester at The Willows. She is survived by three children, Dr. Wayne Glazier and his wife, Laura, Mitchell and his wife, Babs, and Bill and his wife, Karen; a sister, Marcia Sabbath of Dedham; four grandchildren and their spouses; and seven greatgrandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts, 446 Main St., Worcester, MA 01608.
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GOFF
Doris (Katz) Goff, 93, died April 10. She was the widow of Udell Goff. Born and raised in Worcester, she was a graduate of Worcester State Teachers College. She spent many
years sharing her love of education with her first and second grade students. She is survived by her children and their spouses, Joseph and Harriet Goff, Robert and Jinny Goff, and Amy and Barry Rosenberg; her grandchildren, Debbie Goff, Michael and Sophie Goff, Steven and Christiana Goff, Jennifer and Jon Schwartz, Jeffrey and Amy Rosenberg, Rachel and Reeve Goodenough, and Blake Goff; seven great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. She was predeceased by two brothers, Milton and Lester. Memorial contributions may be made to Rachel’s Table, 633 Salisbury St., Worcester, MA 01609; or Congregation Beth Israel, 15 Jamesbury Drive, Worcester, MA 01609.
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GOLDBERG
Judith Plotkin-Goldberg of Springfield died April 3 at Baystate Medical Center due to complications from the Covid-19 Virus. She was the widow of Samuel D. Plotkin and Dr. Shelley Goldberg. Born Sept. 25, 1931 in Springfield, she was the daughter of Nathan and Tess Nirenstein. She was educated at Connecticut College for Women. She was the first female chairman of the board of directors at Baystate Health Systems, serving two terms. In her later years, she remained involved with Baystate as a community volunteer, on the Board of Directors of the Baystate Health Foundation, and on the board at Bay Path University and the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). She was also a corporator of StageWest and the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, and a trustee of Wilberham Monson Academy. In 1986 she received the Woman of the Year Award from the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce for her work in health care, the arts and higher education. In her spare time, she was a voice-over artist for radio and television and appeared in numerous local commercials and local television programs. She is survived by her children, Oscar (former wife Heidi James), Jonathan (Robin), Evan (Martha), Daniel (Mollie), Elizabeth (Bruce Leshine); 14 grandchildren; and three greatgrandchildren. She was predeceased by a brother, David Nirenstein.
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GOLDSTEIN
Alice (Kaditz) Goldstein, 102, of Worcester, died April 27 at the Jewish Healthcare Center of complications after contracting COVID-19. She was the widow of Edward Goldstein. Born in Worcester, she graduated from Commerce High School and worked as a legal secretary for a prominent Worcester lawyer. She later became a real estate agent and broker. She is survived by a grandson, Tyson Goldstein; two nephews, Michael
(Phyllis) Goldstein and Barry (Kathy) Kaditz; two nieces, Beverly Tobolson and Ruth Angorn; and many great-nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by a son Bary; and a granddaughter, Sarah. Memorial contributions may be made to the Jewish Healthcare Center, 629 Salisbury St., Worcester MA 01609.
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GREEN
Julius (Jules) Green, 92, died April 27. He was the widower of Gretel Green. Born in Springfield, he was the son of Samuel and Pauline Green. He graduated from Technical High School and then served in the U.S. Navy in World War ll. He was stationed in Guam on USS Naval Construction Battalion. He returned home to marry and start a career at Associated Dental Labs. He was a Master Mason, Shriner and Melha Mariner. He is survived by a daughter, Shelley; former daughter-in-law, Marianne; a sister-inlaw, Jane; a brother-in-law, Michael; two granddaughters, Pauline (Chris), and Jillian; three great-grandchildren; and five nieces and nephews. He was predeceased his son, Gordon; and brothers Abel, Leonard and Bernard. Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of the donor’s choice.
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GREENBERG
Michael Greenberg of Springfield died March 6. He was the husband of Denise Greenberg. He was an attorney in Springfield and he was specially certified to represent children. He was an active member of the Springfield Shriners. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his mother, Barbara; his father, Chet; a brother, David and his wife, Joanne; two nephews; his Uncle Joe; two aunts, Odie and Selma; and cousins, Steven, Debbie, and Jeffrey and their children. Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriners Hospital, 501 Carew St., Springfield MA, 01104; or Baystate Health Foundation at www. BaystateHealth.org.
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GUTSTEIN
Roberta Gutstein of Agawam has died. Born in New York City, she was the daughter of the late Esther and David Weber. She moved to Agawam, 36 years ago, and served as a kosher caterer. She is survived by a daughter, Joanna Barman and her husband, Joel; five grandchildren, Jacob, Emma, Hannah, Jordan and Zachary; a sister, Laura Hirsh and her husband David; and nieces, Jennie and Nashama; a her devoted friend, Nancy Posnick. She was predeceased by her son, Scott. Because of Covid-19 a
celebration of her life will occur at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to Temple Beth El.
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KATZENSON
Arthur Katzenson, 93, of Worecester, died April 1 in the Jewish Healthcare Center. He was the husband of Libby (Moskovitz) Katzenson. Born in Worcester, he was the son of Samuel and Rose (Potash) Katzenson. He was a graduate of Northeastern University School of Pharmacy and was a registered pharmacist for many years, retiring at age 87. He was a Navy veteran of World War II. In addition to his wife, he is survived by three stepchildren, Howard Furhman and his wife, Neli, of Worcester, Herbert Furhman and his wife, Liba, of New Milford, Conn., and Lisa Cotton of Wrcester; four grandchildren, Meredith Smith and her husband, Robert, Michael Furhman and his wife, Lori, Avi Furhman and Seth Furhman; three great-grandchildren; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was predeceased by a sister, Selma Plotkin. Memorial contributions may be made to the Jewish Healthcare Center, 629 Salisbury St., Worcester, MA 01609; or to a charity of the donor’s choice.
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LAN
Beverly J. Lan of Longmeadow died April 21 at Julian J. Leavitt Jewish Nursing Home. She was the widow of Alton Lan. Born in Worcester on Sept. 10, 1924, she the daughter of Samuel Kaplan and Frances Kaplan (Kahn). She graduated from Commerce High School in Worcester. She and her husband settled in Springfield then moved to Longmeadow, where they raised two children. Beverly and Alton owned Harlan’s Shoes in downtown Springfield where she acted as vice president and secretary. She was a congregant of Sinai Temple. She volunteered at the Jewish Nursing Home, Bay State Medical Center, and at the Shriner’s Hospital. She was a member of B’Nai Brith, Haddasah, the Jewish Community Center, and Jewish Geriatric Services. She is survived by her two children and their families, Richard (Seyla Martayan) Lan of New York City, and Judy Lan and her longtime partner, Bryan Fontaine, of Longmeadow; two grandchildren, Andreas Lan and Stefan Lan; and many nephews and nieces. Memorial contributions may be made to Alzheimer’s Association.
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LERNER
Barbara J. (Levi) Lerner of Longmeadow, 75, died April 7. After battling
OBITUARIES
frontotemporal dementia for nearly 15 years, ultimately falling victim to COVID19. She was the wife of Richard Lerner. She was the daughter of the late Ira and Helen (Miller) Levi. She grew up in Brookline and has been a resident of Longmeadow since 1975. She graduated from Boston University and was an educator in different capacities over the years. She was active with several local Jewish organizations, including Temple Beth El and the National Council of Jewish Women. In addition to her husband, she is survived by two daughters, Amy (Lerner) Redgate of Lutherville, Md., and Laurie Lodge and her husband, Michael, of Cambridge; and four grandchildren, Emily, Madeline, Allison, and Zachary. Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association of Massachusetts / New Hampshire (www.alz.org/manh).
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LEVENSON
Madelyn (Sadick) Levenson, 96, of Worcester, died April 22. Born in Worcester, she was the daughter of Moses and Sara (Jacobson) Sadick. She was the widow of Harry Levenson. She graduated from Classical High School in Worcester and studied piano at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. She and her husband founded the Worcester Youth Orchestra and the Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra. The Levenson Concert Stage in Institute Park on Salisbury Street is dedicated to her and her husband. She was one of the first female orchestra managers and artistic directors in the country. In 1976, she was part of a group that envisioned the reuse and revitalization of Worcester’s Tuckerman Hall. She was also a piano teacher for 63 years, having taught privately as well as at Shepherd Knapp and Bancroft Schools. She was a congregant of Temple Emanuel. She is survived by three children, Lauren of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Paul of Worcester, and Dana and his wife, Christine; two grandsons, Max and Sam, both of Worcester; a brother, David; two sisters, Ruth (Rubin) and Shirley Anne Friend and her husband, Sherwood; a brother-in-law, Harry Manko; a sister-inlaw, Marcia Sadick; and many nieces and nephews. Memorial contributions can be made in her memory to the Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra, P.O. Box 20070, Worcester, MA 01602 or to the Jewish Healthcare Center, 629 Salisbury St., Worcester 01609, RICHARD PERLMAN OF MILES FUNERAL HOME OF HOLDEN
MORIN
Morton
“Red” Morin of Worcester died at home on April 16. He was the widower of Celia (Bazer). Born in Worcester, he was the son of Morris and
Lillian (Sinovitz) Morin. He graduated from Commerce High. He served in the infantry in France during World War II. He was the owner of Mutual Coat Corp. and a member of Beth Israel Synagogue, Beth Israel Brotherhood, B’nai Brith, Jewish War Veteran and Jewish Home Auxiliary. He volunteered with Celia at Beth Israel synagogue and contributed to all children’s charities especially the Jimmy Fund. He is survived by a daughter, Joanne of Worcester; a son, Steven and his financee Pam Martin, of Worcester; and two granddaughters, Eve and Micali of New York City; and three nieces. He was predeceased by a brother, Phil Morin. Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice. MILES FUNERAL HOME
NEIGHER
Abraham Neigher, 103, of Springfield, has died. He was predeceased by his wife, Molly. Born in Springfield, he was the son of Shimshon and Gittel Neigher. He grew up in Springfield and attended the High School of Commerce where he played basketball on the varsity team. He served his country during World War II as a pharmacist’s mate in the Navy. He was stationed at the Chelsea Naval Hospital in Boston, and later in a hospital in Maine, where he took care of sailors and marines returning from the South Pacific islands with serious tropical disease. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Muscular Dystrophy Association of New England and was honored by that organization. He appeared on the Jerry Lewis Telethon on their behalf. He was a Shriner, and a 32nd degree Mason. He was the national toy buyer for Kings Department Stores for 26 years, and president of Nobel Specialties Corporation. He was a devoted volunteer for the Springfield Jewish Nursing Home. Through his fundraising efforts the synagogue there was dedicated as The Neigher Family Chapel. The Abe Neigher Award is presented monthly in his honor to a member of the nursing home staff. He was a lifelong member of Beth Israel Synagogue. He is survived by a son, Bill Neigher and his wife, Susan, of New Jersey; two grandchildren, Aaron Neigher and his wife, Liz, and Deborah Neigher of Los Angeles, Calif.; and a greatgranddaughter, Vera, of New York City. Memorial contributions may be made to the Neigher Family Chapel Fund, Leavitt Family Jewish Nursing Home, 770 Converse St., Longmeadow, Mass 01106 or online at www.jgslifecare.org.
ASCHER-ZIMMERMAN FUNERAL HOME
PARISH
Henry Parish, 95, formerly of Longmeadow, died April 12 of natural
causes. He was predeceased by his wife, Evelyn Parish. He was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. on June 14, 1924. He settled in Springfield where he and his wife established a Snelling and Snelling personnel agency. Throughout his professional career he was active in many local civic organizations. He was a veteran of World War II serving in the Phillipines with the U.S. Army. He is survived two daughters, Ronda Parish (Herb Wood) of Hampden and Teana Wright (Abbott) of Inverness, Ill.; grandchildren, Jayme Ulbin (Matt) of Voorhees, N.J., Aerin ParishToscano (fiancee Jeff Fontaine) of Melrose, Christopher Wright (fiancee JulieAnne Behar) of Seattle, Wash., Carolyn Wright of Denver, Colo., and Ashley Besemer (Jared) of Standish, Maine; and two great granddaughters. Memorial contributions can be made to the Jewish Federation of Western Mass., 1160 Dickinson St., Springfield, MA 01108; Holyoke HealthCare Center, 282 Cabot St., Holyoke, MA 01040; or to a charity of the donor’s choice. ASCHER-ZIMMERMAN FUNERAL HOME
RETCHIN
Carolyn F. (Gorden) Retchin of Longmeadow has died. She was predeceased by her husband of 62 years, Harold Retchin. She is survived by three sons, Steven and his wife Karen of Leeds, Jeffrey of Florida and Robert and his wife Cheri of Westfield; a grandson Jonathan and his wife; and three great-grandchildren. ASCHER-ZIMMERMAN FUNERAL HOME
SHAPIRO
Annie Shapiro, 91, of Longmeadow, died April 23 at Baystate Medical Center of complications brought on by the Covid19 virus. Born in Springfield, she was the daughter of Fannie Zellon Shapiro and Harry Shapiro. She graduated from Commerce High School and quickly began a career in banking. She was a lifelong member of B’nai Jacob/Beth El Temple, Springfield Jewish Community Center and Jewish Geriatric Services. After retirement, she volunteered at the Jewish Nursing Home and the SJCC. She is survived by a sister-in-law, Sally Shapiro; a niece, Debra Cohen (Jeffrey); a nephew Rami Shapiro (Deborah Flanigan); and several great-nieces and great-nephews and their families. She was predeceased by a brother, Archie Shapiro. Memorial contributions may be made to the Jewish Community Center Early Childhood Playground Fund. ASCHER-ZIMMERMAN FUNERAL HOME
SMITH
Anna (Pilver) Smith, 105, died May 1 at JGS Lifecare Nursing Home. She was the widow of Samuel Smith. Born in Duquesne, Pa., she was raised in Springfield, Vt.,
then moved to Springfield, Mass. in 1931. She was a past Docent at the Quadrangle Museums, a volunteer in the Springfield Public Schools, active with the Girl Scouts, and was a volunteer with The Open Pantry. She was a member of the Springfield JCC, Sinai Temple, Temple Beth El, the former Congregation B’nai Jacob, and Amit Women. She is survived by a son, Norman (Sharon) Smith; three grandchildren, Jeffrey King, Kimberlee Johnson and Justin (Jenn) Smith; and four great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by a daughter, Martha; and a granddaughter, Stacey. Memorial contributions can be made to the Cancer Research charity of the donor’s choice.
ASCHER-ZIMMERMAN FUNERAL HOME
SMITH
Janice Arlene Camenker Smith, 85, of Springfield, formerly of Beverly and Ipswich, died April 15. She was the wife of Edwin Alan Smith. Born in Peabody, she attended Syracuse University and Boston University, where she graduated with a degree in education and a passion for Art History. She was an award-winning teacher in the Beverly Massachusetts public school system for 29 years teaching both second and third grades. She was a lifelong member and former chapter president of Hadassah. In addition to her husband, she is survived by two children, Ronda (Mark) Jackowitz and David (Beth) Smith; her grandchildren, Rachel (Ari) Berezin, Adam (Iryssa) Jackowitz, Leah (Pedro) Rangel, Talia (fiance, Patrick Griffin) Jackowitz and Eli, Asa, Ian, and Veronica Smith; five great- grandchildren; a sister, Natalie Sherwin; a sister in-law, Bryna (Smith) Glater; a brother in-law, Steven Smith; and many nieces, nephews, and their children. Memorial contributions may be made to Hadassah or to the American Diabetes Association.
ASCHER-ZIMMERMAN FUNERAL HOME
SWARTZ
Dorothy (Hershkowitz) Swartz, 96, of Worcester, died April 21 at the Jewish Healthcare Center due to natural causes complicated by Covid-19. She was the widow of Edward Swartz. Born in New York City and raised in Worcester, she was the daughter of Mollie (Wachtel) Hershkowitz and Harry Hershkowitz. She graduated from Commerce High School and earned a certification in technical drawing from WPI. She worked at Crompton and Knowles in support of the war effort from 1942 until 1953. She worked at the Massachusetts Division of Employment Security from 1975 until retiring in 1993. She received an AA degree from Quinsigamond Community College and her BA in communications from Worcester State College in 1996. She was a member of Pioneer Women, had her own talk on WCUW (Let’s talk with Dot) and was on the board of Jewish Family Service. She is survived by her three children, Morris Swartz and his wife, Karen Desser,
of Stevenson, Md., Rhoda Needleman and her life partner, Ralph (Bud) Raymond, of Holden, and Daniel Swartz and his wife, Rebecca Brownstein, of Holden; nine grandchildren, and eight greatgrandchildren. She was predeceased by a brother, Bernard Hershkowitz. Memorial contributions may be made to the Jewish Healthcare Center in Worcester or Boston Children’s Hospital.
RICHARD PERLMAN OF MILES
FUNERAL HOME
STAMBOVSKY
Mildred Stambovsky of Longmeadow died April 17 at the Jewish Nursing Home. Memorial contributions may be made to LYA (Lubavitcher Yeshiva Academy), Congregation Bnai Torah, or the Jewish Nursing Home.
ASCHER-ZIMMERMAN FUNERAL HOME
WAHLE
Rita Toni (Brandstein) Wahle, 85, of Worcester, died unexpectedly on April 13 at the Jewish Healthcare Center after a brief illness. She was the widow of Daniel Wahle. Born in Hamburg, Germany in 1935, she was the daughter of Solomon and Esther (Riesel) Brandstein. She grew up in the Bronx and attended Taft High School. She pursued a career at the UMass Medical Center, first in Human Resources and eventually becoming administrator of the Program of Medical Humanities. After her retirement, she became a regular volunteer at the Worcester Public Library, delivering meals for Rachel’s Table, and in the office of the Yeshiva Achei Timimim. In 2012 she published the book “Our Stories – Our Lives”, produced by the Writers Roundtable of the Eisenberg Assisted Living Residence. She is survived by three children, Mark Wahle and his wife, Lynn Myers, of Sharon, Gay Koury and her husband, Fred, of Worcester, and Bruce Wahle and his wife, Ellen, of Worcester; her grandchildren, Danielle Lynn Koury and her boyfriend, Robert Taylor, Amanda Leigh Kriebel and her husband, Rob, Stephanie Michelle Koury, Alexandra Grace Koury and her fiancée, Michael McConnell, and Daniel Lewis Wahle; two sisters, Helen Chase of Worcester and Ruth Erlich of Charlton; and many nieces and nephews. Memorial contributions may be made to the Jewish Healthcare Center, 629 Salisbury St., Worcester, MA 01609; the Worcester Institute for Senior Education (WISE), 500 Salisbury St., La Maison, Room 203, Worcester MA 01609; Rachel’s Table, 633 Salisbury St., Worcester, MA 01609; or to a charity of the donor’s choice.
MILES FUNERAL HOME
WEINER
Michael Weiner, 79, of East Longmeadow, died March 30, at the Chestnut Hill Nursing Home. He was the son of the late Joseph and Rena Weiner. He worked in photography and photography sales.
