MA Jewish Ledger • July 17, 2020 • 25 Tammuz 5780

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INSIDE this week

In his 32 years at the Springfield Jewish Community Center – the past 12 as CEO -- Michael Paysnick has expanded and increased programming, oversaw the expansion of the Early Learning Center and presided over a number of renovations and improvments – all in a fiscally responsible manner. Originally planning to retire Sept. 30, the loyal and steadfast Paysnick says he will stick around for a while longer in light of Covid-19 – until a new CEO is hired or until the end of 2020.

Page 6

Vegetables for breakfast?

Nourishment counselor says veggies for breakfast can transform you life

Eagles’ DeSean Jackson posts false Hitler posts, praises Farrakhan

Shabbat Shalom

WORCESTER

F: 508-797-4866 E: ashleyg@bsfcpas.com www.bsfcpas.com

ON CAMPUS

New website “outs” Israeli profs who promote anti-Israel activity

A new website launched by the pro-Israel watchdog group Im Tirtzu lists dozens of Israeli academics who promote BDS and other anti-Israel activity in Israel and abroad. The website, “Know the Anti-Israel Israeli Professor” (knowbdsinisrael.com) contains a listing of 150 Israeli professors who are involved in anti-Israel activity such as promoting BDS, encouraging international pressure on Israel, accusing the IDF of war crimes, and calling to refuse service in the IDF.

In May 2019, Im Tirtzu launched a similar website in Hebrew listing dozens of Israeli academics who teach in Israeli universities. The new English website also includes Israeli professors who teach outside of Israel.

“The international BDS and delegitimization phenomenon against Israel does not exist in a vacuum; rather, it is often created, bolstered, and spearheaded by Israelis themselves,” says a statement on the group’s website. “By virtue of being Israeli, these radical professors are viewed by the outside observer as neutral and credible authorities on matters concerning Israel.

Im Tirtzu lists 10 guidelines that warrant inclusion in the website, including voicing support for BDS, promoting international pressure on Israel, and accusing the IDF of war crimes and purposefully murdering innocent people.’

UC Davis student gov’t president vetoes boycott Israel resolution

(JTA) — The president of the student government at the University of California, Davis, vetoed a resolution supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. The day after the measure passed last week, Kyle Krueger said he acted “because it included minimal to no input from the Jewish community beforehand,” and the resolution “has been widely condemned by Jewish students of many different sects/beliefs who feel marginalized by ASUCD and its actions.”

The Associated Students, University of California Davis, or ASUCD, had passed the measure in a 5-4 vote with one abstention. It was the third time the student senate had passed such resolutions in the past several years, but the others were overturned — once by a student court and once by the campus Judicial Council.

Krueger said in a statement defending his decision that he has “been humbled by (the) overall nuance and complexity” of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“As a 20-year old who has not finished a college degree and who is not from Palestinian or Jewish descent, I do not feel qualified to make a decision about one of the most complex international conflicts in the world on my own,” he said. Krueger said the student government has failed the

campus Jewish community, pointing to a history of antisemitism on campus, and acknowledged that ASUCD must be an ally to Palestinian students as well. “But our respect for the Palestinian community cannot come at the expense of the respect for the Jewish community,” his statement also said.

U of Wisconsin Hillel finds ‘Free Palestine’ spray-painted on building

(JNS) The outside of the Hillel building at the University of Wisconsin in Madison was vandalized on July 7, according to the organization. The words “Free Palestine” appeared on the concrete structure that welcomes people to the building, also known as the Barbara Hochberg Center for Jewish Student Life. “We view this act of vandalism as targeting the Jewish community and as an incident of bias,” said UW Hillel president and CEO Greg Steinberger in a Facebook post on the UW Hillel Foundation page. Steinberger said Hillel has contacted the Madison Metropolitan Police Department and the University of Wisconsin Police Department, in addition to notifying UW Hillel’s student leaders and board of directors. Around 12 percent of the U of Wisconsin student body is Jewish.

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MASSACHUSETTS

JEWISH LEDGER | SINCE 1929 | JULY 17, 2020 | 25 TAMUZ 5780

Michael Paysnick to retire from Springfield JCC after 32 years

BY STACEY DRESNER

SPRINGFIELD - Michael Paysnick, who has spent 32 years at the Springfield Springfield Jewish Community Center – the past 12 of them as chief executive officer -- has announced his plans to retire.

Paysnick, 67, originally hoped to retire by Sept. 30, but in light of Covid-19, he says he will be staying around as long as he is needed, until a new CEO is hired or until the end of the year.

come,” said Jonathan Goldsmith, president of the Springfield JCC board of directors. “We are fiscally solid, known for our amazing programs, services and staff, as well as situated in a wonderful geographic location. As such, we are confident we will be hearing from many qualified applicants.”

Paysnick, who is a native of Cambridge, was actively involved in BBYO youth group, and that was one of the things that spurred him on to do Jewish communal work.

“I think it was my participation in BBYO and the people that I came in contact with there, and my mother, who was the president and interim executive director at our JCC in Cambridge, that really inspired me to go into this field.”

He attended Clark University, where he majored in psychology and education and got a masters degree in social work at University of Chicago.

Paysnick arrived at the Springfield JCC as assistant executive director in September of 1988. In 2008, he succeeded now executive director Emeritus Mark Dindas. During his tenure, Paysnick helped establish the J as the central meeting place of the Jewish and general community.

“Michael was instrumental in expanding existing programs as well as overseeing the initiation of new and creative programs and services, in a fiscally responsible manner,” said Goldsmith. “He successfully achieved the creation of the special needs program, Kehillah. He oversaw the expansion of the after school program and infant program in the Early Learning Center. In 2011, he achieved the successful hosting of the 2011 JCC Maccabi Games held at the Springfield JCC. During his time at the helm, Michael presided over numerous renovations and infrastructure improvements to the Center’s facility.”

The Springfield JCC received several recognition awards under Paysnick’s

leadership, including one from Human Resources Unlimited (now Viability) who recognized the J for its employment practices of hiring individuals with special needs. The J also received the Brianna Award for its commitment to providing quality programs and services for individuals with special needs and their families. Michael is only the fourth executive in the J’s 65 years on Dickinson Street.

“I am truly honored to have been included in this incredible group of leaders who have helped to create a center of excellence and stability,” he said.

Paysnick also helped set the J on a path to financial sustainability, a goal achieved by working closely with the board of directors.

“My work with the board has always been a partnership in which our vision and goals have been developed together and shared,” Paysnick explained. “Their passion, support, and commitment to the J have inspired my work.”

“I believe in hiring the best people, giving them space to create, challenging their ideas, and then providing the support they need,” he said. “Involving stakeholders in the decision-making process is critical to success.”

While the tenure of many of the staff at the J is long, the tradition of the Springfield JCC serving as a launching ground for young professionals continued under Paysnick’s leadership. Many of those professionals who he supervised are now executives and leaders in not-for-profit

Paysnick’s formula for accomplishing his

retirement during “The Great Pandemic” –Covid-19 -- a moment in history that could not have been imagined just a few months ago.

“I’m proud that the staff was able to make a huge transition quickly to continue serving our community in meaningful ways,” he said. “I am so appreciative that many of our members and those in the community continue to provide positive feedback about our efforts and financial support. The lay leadership and staff worked together beautifully to ensure our financial sustainability.”

“In addition to dutifully shepherding us through the Covid-19 pandemic, Michael also successfully led the J through the financial crisis of 2008-09,” added Goldsmith.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

Michael Paysnick

As a devoted volunteer himself, Paysnick has been honored by the Jimmy Fund with the Bob Cheyne Lifetime Commitment Award. Anyone who knows Michael Paysnick is aware of his dedication to the Jimmy Fund’s Pan-Mass Challenge. The 2020 bike ride from Sturbridge to Provincetown, his 23rd year, will be reimagined due to the pandemic.

“The ride is always the highlight of my summer,” Paysnick said. “As a cancer survivor, the ride provides an opportunity for me to support a cause I feel deeply about, to remember and honor so many family and friends who have had a cancer diagnosis and hope that my efforts in some small way will help eradicate this disease.”

When Paysnick officially retires, he plans to spend more time with his family

planning the reopening of the J, following Gov. Charlie Baker’s Phase 3 of the reopening of the state. The staff was set to be trained on new protocols that week.

They announced the reopening on the evening of July 8.

“We are so appreciative of your support during this pandemic and excited to see you again,” Paysnick said in a message to members. “As with everything else in our lives, however, things will be different. Our leadership has carefully reviewed the guidance provided by the CDC, our state and local health departments and consulted with local physicians to prepare the protocols for the safe opening of our J. Our staff have been training to make your return safe and enjoyable.

“Likely, there will be bumps in the road as we open our J again. Thanks in advance for your patience and understanding,” Paysnick added. “We can’t wait to see you again.”

JUSTICE, EQUALITY, CIVILITY Ethan Felson named executive director of A Wider Bridge

BY STACEY DRESNER

NEW YORK – West Hartford native Ethan Felson has spent his career advocating for the Jewish community and Israel, first at the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford as director of the Jewish Community Relations Committee and through the years at leadership posts within organizations like the Jewish Council for Public Affairs the Jewish Federations of North America, and most recently the Israel Action Network (IAN) where he served as co-director working on efforts to promote a healthy dialogue about Israeli-Palestinian issues, counter de-legitimization, and build interfaith cooperation.

Felson has also been a gay rights advocate, supporting a wide range of LGBTQ issues over the years and serving on the UJA Pride committee and helping to pass the first broad-based Jewish policy on gender relations while at the JCPA.

Now Felson’s two passions have merged after being named the new executive director of A Wider Bridge, a New York-based organization “working through education, advocacy, relationshipbuilding and grant-making to create equality in Israel by expanding LGBTQ inclusion in Israel, and equality for Israel by cultivating constructive engagement with Israel.”

“It’s very exciting,” Felson told the Jewish Ledger. “Anybody LGBTQ knows what it is like to have their life compartmentalized. Having the opportunity professionally to do work that embraces my Judaism, my Zionism and my pride gives me the same thrill that I felt the first time I was in Israel and met with LGBTQ Israelis who were all Jewish. It is the same rush that I feel when I think about the work that A Wider Bridge does.”

“When Ethan and I co-led a mission to Israel through A Wider Bridge last year, I saw firsthand his intellect, drive and dedication to the causes of LGBTQ equality and Zionism,” said Rabbi Denise Eger, founding rabbi of Congregation Kol Ami in West Hollywood, Calif. “He is a passionate leader and a tireless advocate for justice, and he is the perfect choice to build on A Wider Bridge’s decade of successes and strengthen the connections they have cultivated between Jewish and LGBTQ communities in North America and Israel.”

Community support

Felson was born and raised in West Hartford where his family belonged to Congregation Beth Israel. He says big influences were his participation in the North American Federation of Temple Youth or NFTY, the Reform movement’s youth group, and Beth Israel’s assistant rabbi at the time.

“When I was a teenager, Congregation Beth Israel hired as an assistant rabbi one of the first women to graduate HUC, Rabbi Jody Cohen,” he recalled. “One Shabbat after services, she welcomed me, got to know me, and helped me understand that as an out gay Jew, I belonged.”

Coming out at the age of 17, “I felt supported,” he said. “I have nothing but fond thoughts about growing up in West Hartford and being supported by that wonderful community.

“I think to my time in Hartford where I was very involved in LGBTQ rights, and professionals at the Jewish Federation that could not have been more supportive – Cindy Chazen, Stephen Bayer, and Bob Fishman were remarkable mentors and friends as I learned and grew as a Jewish professional. And I carry all of that with me into this new position.”

“A Wider Bridge stands for justice, equality, civility – all the values that I hold dearest and that have been kind of a hallmark of my work over decades,” Felson added. “It is proudly Jewish, fights anti-Semitism and for a strong relationship with Israel…I am particularly excited to work with the talented board, staff, and networks of A Wider Bridge as we build strong alliances, demand justice, fight discrimination and de-legitimization, and support LGBTQ North Americans and Israelis in the struggle for full inclusion, especially Black and trans people in our communities.”

Alan Schwartz, CEO and chair of the board of A Wider Bridge, called Felson the perfect person to head up the organization.

“Ethan brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the role, as well as a passion for our work demonstrated through decades of grassroots work for Jewish, Israeli and LGBTQ communities,” Schwartz said. “We are confident his leadership will help us both navigate this time of great uncertainty and also position us for our next decade of mobilizing LGBTQ people and our allies as a powerful force for inclusion and equality here and in Israel.

“Israel advocacy keeps evolving and changing on a lot of levels, but the truth is that the struggle against anti-Semitism, antiZionism, homophobia, and trans-phobia not only is not over, but is occurring on a deeper level. I can think of no one else better than Ethan to handle these challenges in the next few years.”

This is not Felson’s first time working with A Wider Bridge. Last year, while at the Israel Action Network, he co-led a trip to Israel with A Wider Bridge for members of the clergy.

“It was eight days of joy, meeting with the leaders of the LGBTQ organizations in Israel that are funded by A Wider Bridge,” he said.

Earlier this month Felson was also chosen as one of the Top 50 Jewish/American/Israeli Influencers in New York City by @ IsraelinNewYork, the official twitter account of the Consulate General of Israel in New York.

“It’s an honor and I think it is also a reflection of the culmination of my work in the LGBTQ space and my work in the Jewish community, coming together,” Felson said.

Felson began his work at A Wider Bridge virtually on Monday, July 13, which coincides with the 10th anniversary of A Wider Bridge. “It is an exciting milestone for a group that has really grown significantly in terms of reach and impact,” Felson said.

“There is a great story to tell about LGBTQ rights here and in Israel -- and much work still to be done including the fight against racism and trans-phobia… Both societies have complex networks of people who would turn the clock back. And we can’t let that happen.”

BBYO Connecticut Valley Region hosts 1st virtual convention

Close to 250 teens took part in the BBYO Connecticut Valley Region’s (CVR) first virtual Spring Convention. Teens took part in annual rituals and traditions and engaged with their peers in new and creative ways.

“BBYO has been the one consistent thing in my life during this pandemic, and our

teens, saying “mazel too!” with packages of cookies. For each package of cookies that was sent to a bar/bat mitzvah teen, a package of cookies was also sent to Health Care workers in honor of the mitzvoth they perform everyday. The project will continue throughout the summer.

connections as a community are stronger than ever,” Sydney Molaver, a member of Chelsea J. Cohen BBYO in Norwalk, Conn. said. “In theater they say ‘The show must go on!’ and that is exactly what we did, we went virtual and ran a super awesome virtual spring convention where we strengthened our community safely from our homes!”

Said Zac Kitay, AZA (boys) president of the region, “Virtual convention kept me smiling and laughing during the quarantine, it gave me an outlet to be productive and work towards a common goal.”

The convention highlights included: challah making classes, an iron chef cooking competition, a game of virtual H.O.R.S.E., and guided art classes. The region also held Friday night services and created its own version of the Saturday Night Seder, with a Shabbat Morning Service video produced by BBYO teens.

CVR alumni Brendan George joined the teens to talk about his time on MTV’s “Drag My Dad,” a show in which family members dress in drag and share and discuss personal issues. Brendan shared his story about being Jewish and Queer and also reflected on his time in BBYO.

Sarah Milner, outgoing BBG (girls) regional president said, “Virtual Convention gave me such hope in times of uncertainty. It gave me a sense of normalcy and community. It really did make quarantine so much easier. I had something to look forward to everyday and was able to see people that I missed and love.”

BBYO teens also launched two initiatives during Spring Convention:

(1) A project to connect with teens whose b’nai mitzvah were interrupted due to COVID-19. BBYO teens reached out to these

(2) BBYO teens introduced Operation Bubbe Sitters – a project that connects Jewish teens with residents of assisted living homes as a way of reaching out and offering support. The teens sent letters to different Jewish homes in order to begin pen pal relationships with the residents. The Convention wrapped up with elections for the next group of BBYO leaders. They are:

The 61st Regional AZA Board

Godol/President: Nathan Zakim, Trumbull

S’gan/VP Programming: Nick Matalote, Woodbridge

Moreh/VP Membership: Jacob Levy, Woodbridge

Mazkir/Communications: Miles Leslie, Stamford

Shaliach/Jewish Programming: Ethan Durnell, Brookfield

Gizbor/Treasure: Leo Koganov, Stamford

Ozer/Community Service : Evan Gorelick, Woodbridge.

The 61st Regional BBG Board

N’siah/President: Ellie Carter, Ridgefield

S’ganit/VP Programming: Carly Fein, Stamford

Aym HaChaverot/VP Membership: Jenna Zamkov, Woodbridge

Mazkirah/Communications: Samantha Hass, Woodbridge

Sh’licha/Jewish Programming: Olivia Feldmand, Weston

Gizborit/Treasurer: Ruthie Price, Stamford Ozeret/Community Service: Emma Goldberg, Stamford

For more information about BBYO, visit BBYO.org or email Josh Cohen, senior re-gional director at JCohen@ bbyo.org,or Jennifer Kruzansky, regional director at JKruzansky@ bbyo.org. A to

Z Moving & Storage, Inc.

Owner operated and proudly serving the community and greater New England for over 25 years Robert Zeller “Happy feet move faster”

Eating vegetables for breakfast with Nancy Wolfson-Moche

BY STACEY DRESNER

Nancy Wolfson-Moche wants to shake up the way we see breakfast.

In her new book, Vegetables for Breakfast, from A to Z, which comes out this month, the nourishment counselor, writer, blogger and food educator says that a breakfast that contains a whole grain food and a vegetable every day “can transform one’s digestion, consciousness, and very life.”

And the vegetable dishes she suggests are not of the mushroom and green pepper three-egg omelet variety many might envision.

Wolfson-Moche starts her book with Asparagus Almondine and ends with Zinguini – zucchini noodles sauteed in extra virgin olive oil and tekka, a Japanese powdered condiment made of roasted root vegetables.

In between, her recipes include offerings like Spicy Brussel Sprouts, Purple Daikon Corn Salad, Chopped Kale with Pine Nuts, Green Sashimi, made with green beans wrapped in carrot peelings, and Onions and Shitake on a Tofu Pad. Breakfast veggie dishes are paired with side dishes or “go withs” of grains like millet, barley risotto, rice, polenta, even steamed sour dough bread.

Wolfson-Moche, who lives with her family in Cornwall, Conn., has been eating vegetables for breakfast since she experienced difficulty getting pregnant in her 40s. Told that she was “beyond childbearing age” and not a candidate for high-tech fertility treatments, she tried more holistic avenues like acupuncture, yoga, Chinese herbs, rapid eye movement therapy, macrobiotics and more.

Through the advice of a macrobiotic counselor, she began making home-cooked meals of whole grains, vegetables and plant proteins, and sitting down to eat them on a regular schedule with her husband.

Not only did she soon conceive her first daughter, she also saw improvements in her digestive health and gained more energy, unintentionally losing 10 pounds. Continuing with this dietary change, she conceived her second daughter six years later and has continued to eat this way because of its benefits to her health.

“I dedicated the book to my mother because my mother never cooked, still doesn’t cook, and thanks to that she allowed me into the kitchen at a very early age and let me do a lot of cooking,” she said. “I think it was one of those situations where the lack of interest in my mother sparked a great curiosity in myself. I’m grateful for her for giving me that space.”

Both of her parents came from observant Jewish families but had over the years become Reform. Her family attended Temple Israel, a synagogue in New Rochelle.

“I grew up with a very Reform experience, but very much like my experience in the kitchen, I was the kid who came home from Hebrew school and said, ‘Why don’t we have a sukkah? Why aren’t we celebrating Tu B’Shevat?’” she recalled. “I grew really curious about all of those holidays that we didn’t celebrate. We celebrated the Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, and Pesach, and Chanukah, and I grew really curious about the others. So once I left home I just became a real learner, curious about Jewish tradition.”

After graduating from Trinity College in Hartford, where she double majored in Italian literature and political science, and attending the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, she moved to New York City and joined a Conservative synagogue where she learned to read Torah.

“I just became more and more immersed, but feeling like I had lost a lot of time. In the end I feel that was a huge gift; to have come to prayer and Torah later in life so that it’s never rote for me.”

Wolfson-Moche worked for more than 20 years as a journalist on lifestyle magazines like Glamour, then spent several years living in Italy – a country she says had influenced her ideas about food as a child.

“I spent a summer in Italy when I was 13. It was really a transformative time for me in many ways…One thing that happened to me that summer was a whole new approach to eating and cooking that I developed.

“I ended up spending about 12 more years of my life in Italy, in which time I went to several cooking schools there as a journalist and I really developed an appreciation for whole food and fresh ingredients. In those years in Italy you couldn’t get any thing any time. Everything

was fairly local. So I learned to cook that way, seasonally and locally.”

After marrying at the age of 42 and experiencing infertility, one of the people she turned to was noted macrobiotic counselor Denny Waxman who helped to fine tune her diet.

“My diet was pretty much the standard American diet and if you look at that acronym, it’s S.A.D.,” she says. “And it was pretty sad. I thought I was eating a relatively healthy diet because I was eating a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, but I discovered soon after I began practicing macrobiotics that actually I had IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and I had had it for a long time. I just thought that’s what happened when you ate; you got bloated and uncomfortable because I was so used to living that way.”

She had visited Waxman in the past to help deal with other health conditions, including fibroids. “He gave me recommendations, and in all honesty, I followed maybe 70 percent of them and they totally worked.”

Her fibroids disappeared in a month after only partially following the macrobiotic diet.

“So I had a lot of faith in his method. But this time I was so invested in wanting to have a child, and I felt that my time was so short that I followed 100 percent of the recommendations,” Wolfson-Moche explained.

The recommendations for fertility were not just about what to eat and what not to eat -- “Basically the diet is more about how you eat than what you eat,” she said. “The key is sitting down to three regular meals a day at regular times, chewing your food really well, eating a whole grain -- not a refined grain -- and a separate vegetable dish with each meal. And as I say in the book, the separate vegetable dish can be a raw carrot or a pickle.”

She stressed that everyone is different and that Waxman looked at her individually when coming up with her diet plan.

“In my case, for example, I had been eating a lot of bread. I am a lover of bread, and still am a break love, so I really needed to cut back on that. But somebody else might have different specific recommendations”

realized that I actually needed more energy than ever before and more sharpness in my brain.”

Staying on the diet, she was able to conceive her second daughter six years later at the age of 51.

In the past few years, Wolfson-Moche has continued to eat this way.

and workshops for children, afterschool programming, menu planning and nourishment counseling. After writing a blog Vegetable for Breakfast (youarewhatyoueat. com/blog) and chronicling the vegetable’s she made for herself and family for a year, she decided to write the book.

“It’s pretty easy to eat a vegetable at lunch and dinner, but breakfast was a big

with interesting accent flavors – fruit, lemon juice, pomegranate seeds, turmeric, ginger, sumac and edible flowers.

Foods from other cultures are also highlighted. She includes Japanese tekka and nori in recipes, a nod to her husband, an Iraqi Jew who was raised in Kobe, Japan. Jewish and Middle Eastern foods are also accounted for: Dolamades, Italian Parsely Edamame Hummas, Quinoa Tabloueh, Fatoush, and Jerusalem Artichoke, Parsnip and Fennell Pancakes, Wolfson-Moche’s version of a latke.

She was also warned to stop eating eggs, which she says are acidic.

“I discovered so many things beyond my goals which were to get pregnant and have a child. I discovered that my body felt more balanced and lighter and cleaner…My energy level was better. My mind was sharper.”

Once her daughter was born, she realized she needed the energy the food plan gave her.

“Initially I said, ‘Once I get pregnant and I have the baby I’ll just go back to eating the way I used to eat, and once she was born I

She says she is a pescatarian (eats fish), and while she prepares vegetables, whole grain and plant protein meals at home –“I’ve got a family that is not onboard with veganism and it’s really important to honor everybody’s preferences. I eat mostly vegan myself, but as a family we don’t.”

Wolfson-Moche, now a certified macrobiotic counselor and culinary medicine practitioner, founded You Are Because You Eat, an organization offering cooking classes

leap because, first of all I spent 12 years in Italy where breakfast is a cappuccino and a cornetto -- a more savory version of a croissant with less butter. But still, it’s basically a sweet and coffee.

So the vegetable for breakfast was really challenging because it wasn’t something I was used to.”

But she came up a variety of simple vegan dishes perfect for breakfast. Blanched, sautéd, steamed and raw fresh vegetables,

Taking her readers through the recipes, Wolfson-Moche lists ingredients and instructions, but also includes information about the foods –- Did you know fennel is a cousin to the carrot? -– as well as their origin and nutritional value. She mixes in sections like “Chew More, Eat Less” encouraging readers to eat slowly and mindfully. She even includes a Jewish folktale about the importance of eating with gratitude.

Today, besides her workshops, blog and book, Wolfson-Moche also is a practitioner and teacher of Torah Yoga – “based on the idea that the Torah is engraved in each of our bodies and we just need to access it. Torah yoga is based on the idea that thru yoga postures, through really opening to access what is already engraved on our bodies we gain a deeper, more embodied or experiential understanding of Torah. It’s a very powerful practice. I came to it knowing that I loved Torah and I loved yoga. It opened up a new way of experiencing Torah.”

Wolfson-Moche was also ordained a Hebrew priestess last August via the Kohenet, the Hebrew Priestess Institute which is based at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center in Falls Village, Conn.

“I teach food. I teach Torah of food, food awareness as well as Torah yoga. The expertise I bring to that organization is really through food.”

With her new book, she asks readers to “change your breakfast, change your life.”

“What eating vegetables for breakfast does is, it really kind of sets up you palate for the rest of the day,” she explained. “If you eat a really sweet breakfast, which can be anything from pastry to pancakes with bananas and maple syrup, you’re setting yourself up to crave sweets for the rest of the day. Whereas, if you eat more a balanced breakfast with a range of different flavors you setting yourself up to crave those flavors. And that’s I think how change really happens. n

SHARE, TWEET, LIKE, AND GIVE.

One of the most widespread impacts of the quarantine and virus-related changes we’ve experienced is the rapid increase in online and social media activity related to political and social issues. The quarantine coupled with last month’s racial justice movement has increased the expectation for our online presence and social media identities to reflect our beliefs and values.

STEVEN SCHIMMEL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

When a troubling event happens in the “real world” we are expected to respond onlinetweeting, posting, and discussing it. We show our gratitude and thank healthcare workers fighting to combat COVID by posting about it, we condemn anti-Semites in our tweets, and pages are blacked-out in recognition of the struggle for justice in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd. We engage in these actions online, 150 characters at a time [Twitter’s golden rule]. In fact in many social circles it is expected that positions are stated online, immediately. Not posting is taken by many to mean indifference, or disagreement- the absence of a statement says as much as a post. These posts show our feelings, but is

Sure these tweets, memes, and posts are evocative, they create echo chambers of feelings and those with like-minded posts develop into a sort of primitive virtual community. But we should be wary of this novel phenomenon. Words of encouragement and memes of solidarity like the ones we have seen more frequently in the past several months likely have limited impact- actions are where the changes really happen.

Online activity has a place- and is appropriate especially in light of the limited social interaction because of the virus. But we have to be sure to separate the social media posts that give us good feelings, “good vibes” from the actions that really create change- that truly create and build real community that will last.

So how does this relate to our Jewish community- well let’s be completely honest here.

The issues we face in our Jewish community will not go away if we only tweet about them, our institutions won’t survive if we only post about them on social media. We won’t overcome our challenges if our only expression of Judaism is a post about how important being Jewish is for us.

Our agencies, congregations, our JCC need us- all of us to take action. More than just words, tweets, and social media publicity; they need our membership, our participation, our philanthropy.

Let’s show what we really stand for… what we actually believe in.

STAY CONNECTED

PJ LIBRARY AND PJ OUR WAY

Daily activities online for quarantined families https://pjlibrary.org/familyactivities

PJ weekly Summer You Tube Storytime and Craft with Rowan and Congregation Beth Israel. New episodes posted weekly on https://www.facebook.com/pg/ PJLibraryCentralMA/ or on PJLibrary CentralMass https://www.facebook.com/ profile.php?id=100010025564840

YAD

Stay connected with weekly virtual activities including Shabbat, meet-ups and game events via YAD Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ centralmassyad Virtual August Shabbat, August 7th, 7:30 pm.

COMMUNITY

Session 2: “How Covid-19 Has Impacted Special Education” Wednesday, August 5th, 8:00 pm. RSVP for the Zoom link.

CHAVERIM

Check Facebook group page for virtual activities https://www.facebook.com/groups/chaverimcentralmass/

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.

Fun and games at YAD Virtual Game Night!

WE ARE GRATEFUL THAT OVER 17,000 NORTH AMERICAN DONORS HAVE COMMITTED OVER $1 BILLION IN LEGACY GIFTS THROUGH COLLABORATION WITH THE HAROLD GRINSPOON FOUNDATION’S LIFE & LEGACY INITIATIVE.

LOCALLY THROUGH THIS ENDOWMENT-BUILDING EFFORT 269 CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS DONORS HAVE ALREADY COMMITTED A LEGACY GIFT TO FEDERATION AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE SHAPED THEIR LIVES.

THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF A COMMUNITY-WIDE EFFORT TO ENSURE A VIBRANT JEWISH FUTURE IN CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS. PLEASE JOIN US!

Eagles player DeSean Jackson posts false Hitler quotes, praises Farrakhan

(JNS) Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson has been accused of antiSemitism for promoting a quote falsely attributed to Adolf Hitler and featuring posts praising Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who has an extensive history of making anti-Jewish remarks.

On his Instagram story feed, he posted a quote from the book Jerusalem that is falsely attributed to Hitler:

Hitler said, because the white Jews knows that the Negros are the real Children of Israel and to keep Americas secret the Jews will black mail America.

The will extort America, their pan to world domination won’t work if the Negroes know who they were.

The white citizens of America will be terrified to know that all this time they’ve been mistreating and discriminating and lynching Children of Israel.

Jackson, 33, also shared two posts on Instagram – on Saturday and on Monday – praising Farrakhan, both of which have since been deleted.

One caption read: “This man powerful I hope everyone got a chance to watch this !! Don’t be blinded. Know what’s going on.”

He also shared a quote within a picture attributed to Farrakhan, which stated, “There must be 100% change. … There’s a burden the Earth is carrying that it must be relieved from. The Earth is burdened by the wicked living on a planet that was made for the righteous.”

Post-pandemic, DeSean Jackson will visit Auschwitz with a Holocaust survivor

(JTA) – On Saturday, during a Zoom conversation with Edward Mosberg from New Jersey. NFL star DeSean Jackson accepted the 94-year old Holocaust survivor’s invitation to visit Auschwitz together.

Mosberg, who lives in New Jersey and chairs From the Depths, a Holocaust commemoration group, proposed the call following the outcry over Jackson’s antisemitic posts on social media which he later deleted and for which he has apologized.

“I grew up in L.A., and never really spent time with anyone from the Jewish community and didn’t know much about their history,” Jackson said on the call with Mosberg. “This has been such a powerful experience for me to learn and educate myself.”

“Thank you Mr. Mosberg for your valuable time and insight today,” Jackson

posted on Instagram after the call, along with a screenshot showing that Mosberg wore a concentration camp uniform on the call. “I’m taking this time to continue with educating myself and bridging the gap between different cultures, communities & religions. LOVE 2 ALL!!!!!”

On the possibility of visiting the former Nazi death camp in Poland, Jackson told Mosberg: “I would be honored to come to Auschwitz and learn from you,” according to From the Depths founder Jonny Daniels, who was on the call.

The visit has not yet been scheduled. While Auschwitz is open to visitors, Americans cannot currently travel to Europe because of the coronavirus pandemic. (Mosberg most recently visited in January for a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the camp’s liberation.)

Jackson has also been invited to the United States Holocaust Memorial

Despite the backlash, Jackson defended his posts, saying they were taken “the wrong way.”

“Anyone who feels I have hate towards the Jewish community took my post the wrong way,” he posted on Instagram. “I have no hatred in my heart toward no one!! Equality. Equality.”

The owner of the team, Jeffrey Lurie, and executive vice president and general manager, Howie Roseman, are Jewish. Neither has publicly commented on Jackson’s posts.

Jackson apologized on Tuesday for promoting a quote falsely attributed to Adolf Hitler.

“I post a lot of things that are sent to me. I do not have hatred towards anyone. I really didn’t realize what this passage was saying. Hitler has caused terrible pain to Jewish people like the pain AfricanAmericans have suffered,” wrote Jackson in a caption of a post that includes a video of him apologizing. “We should be together

fighting anti-Semitism and racism. This was a mistake to post this and I truly apologize for posting it and sorry for any hurt I have caused.”

In his apology, Jackson did not mention the Farrakhan posts.

Also on Tuesday, the Eagles released a statement posted on the team’s Twitter account.

The team said it has spoken with Jackson about the posts and called them “offensive, harmful and absolutely appalling.”

“They have no place in our society, and are not condoned or supported in any way by the organization,” continued the Eagles. “We are disappointed and we reiterated to DeSean the importance of not only apologizing, but also using his platform to take action to promote unity, equality and respect.”

The team noted that it is “continuing to evaluate the circumstances and will take appropriate action.”

Museum by Julian Edelman, the New England Patriots receiver who identifies as Jewish and frequently speaks out against anti-Semitism. Edelman said he would also accompany Jackson to the National

Museum of African American History and Culture. Both Washington, D.C., museums are currently closed because of the pandemic.

Stephen Jackson talks with rabbi, says ‘I understand the

Milestones

hurt’ over Rothschild comment Farrakhan: ‘Jews poisoned me to

Congratulations LYA Graduating Class 2020

(JTA) – Former NBA star Stephen Jackson disavowed hatred against Jews and walked back the inflammatory comments he made earlier in the week suggesting Jews control the banks.

IIn a conversation with Los Angeles Rabbi David Wolpe livestreamed on Instagram Thursday night, Jackson expressed regret for his comment that the Rothschild family “owns all the banks,” the Forward reported.

f you were driving down Converse Street in Longmeadow on June 16, an unusual sight would have met your eyes. A horse-drawn carriage transported each graduate of Lubavitcher Yeshiva Academy (LYA) to their one-of-a-kind graduation ceremony. The families watched from their cars in the parking lot, which was transformed into a graduation forum, stage and red carpet included.

LYA administration and staff wanted to ensure that the LYA Class of 2020 had a memorable and meaningful graduation after three months of distance learning.

“Even with the Rothschilds, I hate saying that,” Jackson said, “because that’s the same type of stereotype as, when you see a black person, [saying] he’s a gangsta.”

Jackson found himself embroiled in controversy earlier this week after coming to the defense of NFL player DeSean Jackson (no relation), who created an uproar of his own after posting a number of tweets over the weekend that “white Jews” work to “blackmail” and “extort” America and that Adolf Hitler “was right.”

Stephen Jackson wrote on Instagram that DeSean Jackson was “speaking the truth.” Then, in an Instagram video discussion with a user whose handle is @ kosherwhitewine, Stephen Jackson brought up the Rothschild family, a prominent fixture of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories positing Jewish domination of

“We understood that the graduation would be outdoors and we decided to be creative to give our graduates a unique experience. The horse and carriage was our way of honoring our graduates in a very special way,” said Rabbi Noach Kosofsky, LYA Principal.

The horse and carriage, from Mainely Drafts Horse and Carriage in Ludlow was sponsored by Ascher Zimmerman Funeral Home.

STEPHEN JACKSON SPEAKS AT A PRESS CONFERENCE IN MINNEAPOLIS, JUNE 2, 2020.

(STEPHEN MATUREN/GETTY IMAGES)

We Care!

“Do you know who the Rothschilds are? They control all the banks, they own all the banks,” Jackson said. Wolpe told Jackson that Jews remain highly sensitive to references to Hitler and anti-Semitic notions of financial control, saying Jews sometimes react to such

In keeping with the tradition of past LYA graduates, the class also presented LYA with a gift. “We felt it was very important to continue that tradition despite being physically apart,” said Riki Volovik, a graduate who traveled each day over an hour to attend school from the Berkshires. “We created a gift with a collage with ten individual frames. Each frame represents another a good deed.”

Israel is the reason that there are guns, drugs and counterfeit money in black neighborhoods. He added that Israel will suffer from

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“I understand the hurt,” Jackson replied. “That’s why I was comfortable initiating an apology. Your hurt and Wolpe also broached the topic of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, who Jackson has quoted online. But Jackson declined to address Farrakhan directly.

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“So that’s why they hate me, Americans. Because they are wicked and they know they cannot say that I am lying about them. They just

troubling some waters and you won’t be there long, if God gets after you,” said Farrakhan.

Sima Stiefel of Longmeadow was the recipient of the Rabbi Dovid Edelman Award. This award is presented to a student who exemplifies the mission of LYA that was modeled by Rabbi Dovid Edelman, of blessed memory, LYA’s longtime dean. The award is sponsored by his wife, Mrs. Leah Edelman in his memory.

BY MARCY OSTER

The LYA graduating class are: Menucha Rochel Kulek, Chana Meyer, Leah Viktoriia Plieva, Yakov Schmidt, Rochel Leah Schwartz, Sima Stiefel, Rivka Volovik, Rishi Wolvovsky and Tzvi Yaffe.

(JTA) – Zach Banner of the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers wants the Black community to know: Jews “deal with the

Pittsburgh Steelers’ Zach Banner says Jews are minority, too, and we must ‘put our arms around them’

Independent Living & Customized Assisted Living

African-American descent, said in the video that he saw Jackson’s apology video and “it seems like his heart is in the right place.”

Jackson has deleted the posts, which also encouraged the viewing of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan’s Fourth of July address that included anti-Jewish rhetoric.

Hill neighborhood and opened fire during Shabbat morning services, killing 11.

“I was here on the team … a couple years ago when – it’s just tough man – during the synagogue shooting, in this beautiful city of Pittsburgh,” he said, his voice breaking.

“We need to understand that Jewish people deal with the same amount of hate, similar hardships and hard times.

“We need to uplift them and put our arms around them just as much when we talk about the BLM and we talk about

of Sinai Temple in Springfield.

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elevating ourselves.”

Delight in the luxury of:

Last Thursday, he changed his Twitter profile picture to the Steelers Stronger than Hate logo created after the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting. In a tweet he called the image “Simple, but strong representation of

-Complimentary memberships to the West Hartford Senior Center, and Mandell Jewish Community Center (featuring aquatic pools).

-A fulfilling, independent lifestyle with numerous enrichment opportunities.

-A full calendar of safely-distanced activities and events.

-Close proximity to local shopping and entertainment.

Banner said that he met Jewish friends while a student at the University of Southern California and some have become like family members.

-Fine Kosher Dining & valued Jewish customs and traditions.

-O utdoor gardens and natural landscaped Connecticut beauty

He has participated in Black Lives Matter protests in Pittsburgh since the death of George Floyd, the Pittsburgh Tribune Review writer and editor

-A unique culture of caring within an award-winning community

Bari Weiss, who grew up in Squirrel Hill, tweeted praise for Banner, writing “What a mensch. Thank you, @ZBNFL (And go Steelers!).”

The ADL Philadelphia also thanked Banner in a tweet “for urging us all to be part of the fight against hate in all forms.”

In unprecedented times, Jewish organizations everywhere have been stretching in new ways to reimagine and reinvent #Summer5780.

Discover virtual opportunities for kids and college students, families and twenty somethings, offered by all types of Jewish organizations, all curated by JewishTogether.

If you’re a Jewish college student or a recent grad, 20-25, you now have an awesome opportunity. An online leadership development experience to expand your career, your network and, most importantly, your ability to affect positive change in your community and the world.

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HEALTHY COMMUNITY EMERGENCY FUND

(& EMERGENCY FOOD FUND)

In past editions, we’ve kept you up to date on our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, via the Healthy Community Emergency Fund. Today we’d like to remind you about our related effort: the Healthy Community Emergency Food Fund (HCEFF), an initiative of our Rachel’s Table program.

The HCEFF program takes 100% of funds raised and feeds thousands of people in Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin county every week. We purchase protein and produce from vendors who deliver directly to our 45+ agencies, plus those that we have added on as emergency agencies during this pandemic.

We are always seeking more funding as the need (with growing unemployment) continues to increase. Please consider donating to the Healthy Community Emergency Food Fund by visiting: rachelstablespringfield.org

To fulfill the increasing needs of our community, Rachel’s Table is looking for more volunteers!

Reaching out to anyone who is willing to drive food with contact-less procedures, from food donors to food agencies. Days of the week or month can be self-determined. Our neighbors need your help!

If you can drive, have a good driving record, and want to do a mitzvah for your community, whether it be in Hampden, Hampshire or Franklin County, please call 413-733-0084 x296 or write jfalk@jewishwesternmass.org This could be a great volunteer opportunity for a high school senior or college student home while learning remotely

AS ALWAYS, IF YOU ARE IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO REQUEST HELP:

A summer to feast on!

We’re guessing there will lots of eating out this summer – and by “out” we mean the backyard. Think of it as a great opportunity to get playful with flavors and the like. Here are two innovative recipes to try from The Nosher (www.TheNosher.com.)

BRISKET TACOS WITH CARROT SLAW

BY REBECCA FIRKSER

When I was growing up, I knew brisket as an island of meat in a sea of sweet brownish-red sauce with carrot-plank buoys. Every holiday, this was plunked in the center of the table alongside a loaf of bread. It was … fine. But nothing to write home about.

As I sliced through the brisket, I imagined all the ways it could be improved upon: more salt, always, maybe a bit of heat to break up all this fat, and some acid, too, to balance out the sweetness of the sauce. And why such thick slices of brisket? Brisket is a tough cut of meat, but if braised in well-seasoned liquid long enough, it can go so tender it practically shreds itself when nudged with a fork.

This summer, I dare you to leave the giant platter of meat for the winter months and embrace the warming weather with braised brisket tacos, with a crunchy, tangy raw carrot slaw served alongside the meat to breathe new life into the familiar flavors.

Ingredients:

For the brisket:

4 pounds beef brisket

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 tablespoon neutral oil

2 tablespoons granulated sugar or honey

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 medium red onions, quartered or 3 large shallots, halved

1 head garlic, halved crosswise (no need to get rid of the skin)

1 tablespoon hot smoked paprika

1 tablespoon chile powder

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes

2 cups chicken, vegetable or beef broth

For the slaw:

1/4 cup lime juice

1 teaspoon honey

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Kosher salt and black pepper

5 medium carrots, grated

6 scallions, thinly sliced

For serving:

Corn or flour tortillas (small)

Diced white onion, pickled jalapeño, sliced radish, hot sauce

Lime wedges

Directions:

1. Season the brisket all over with salt and pepper at least 1 hour at room temperature (or overnight in the fridge, then returned to room temperature before searing). Preheat the oven to 325 F. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, then sear the brisket fat-side down until well-browned, about 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board or plate. Pour out all but 2 tablespoons fat.

2. In a small bowl, dissolve sugar or honey in apple cider vinegar and set aside.

3. Add onions and garlic to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until they take on some color, about 4 minutes. Stir in paprika, chile powder and tomato paste, and cook until the spices are fragrant and the tomato paste turns brick red, about

until you’re ready to serve, then use 2 forks to shred the meat and coat entirely in the surrounding sauce. The onions and garlic will have essentially melted into the sauce, but if you spy whole cloves of garlic, give them a smash to incorporate. (Alternatively, remove pot without skimming fat, let the mixture cool to room temperature and refrigerate overnight, covered. The following day, scoop off solidified fat from the surface and return to the oven at 325 F. Discard fat. Cover and reheat for 1 hour, then shred meat.)

6. To make the slaw, combine lime juice, honey and red pepper flakes in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Let sit for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour. Toss in carrots and scallions. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Serve brisket with warmed tortillas, slaw and desired taco fixings. Serves 6-8.

BANANA TAHINI POPS ARE THE PERFECT SUMMER DESSERT HACK!

BY SHERI SILVER

Remember when one-ingredient banana ice cream broke the internet? If not, let me refresh your memory.

A while back a “recipe” (if you can call anything with one ingredient a recipe) for banana ice cream went viral. And with good reason. To make it you simply put a few frozen sliced bananas in a food processor and blended them until they achieved the consistency of soft serve. Pop them into the freezer and sure enough, you had a frozen, scoopable “ice cream” that was healthy, vegan and sugar-free.

And, like most viral recipes, banana ice cream was soon replaced by the next food

trend – and the one after that – and so on.

But we’re bringing it back, giving it a tahini swirl and turning it into popsicles! Because everything’s better on a stick. And with a tahini swirl.

Not everyone has a popsicle mold, so we’re showing you how you can make these pops in a loaf pan – but feel free to use those molds if you’ve got ’em.

And don’t stop there – tahini is just the beginning! You can swap it for almond butter, chocolate chips, strawberry preserves, granola or even add some other frozen fruit like strawberries or blueberries – whatever you like. These couldn’t be easier, and when was the last time you gave permission to eat ice cream for breakfast?

Ingredients:

6 ripe bananas, peeled, sliced and frozen 1/2 cup tahini

3 tablespoons maple syrup (or to taste)

Directions:

1. Line an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap (you can use a 9-by-5 pan if that’s what you’ve got), leaving an overhang on all sides.

2. Place the bananas in your food processor and process till crumbly. Scrape down the sides and continue processing –the bananas will become smooth, and then thick and creamy with a consistency similar to soft-serve ice cream.

3. Meanwhile whisk the tahini and maple syrup till smooth – taste and adjust sweetener if needed.

4. Spread half the ice cream into your loaf pan and smooth with the back of a spoon. Drizzle half the tahini mixture over. Repeat with remaining ice cream and tahini. Use a thin sharp knife to swirl the mixture together; rap the pan on the counter to level.

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

Congregation Sons of Zion

Conservative Rabbi Saul Perlmutter (413) 534-3369 office@sonsofzionholyoke.org www.sonsofzionholyoke.org

378 Maple St. Holyoke, MA 01040

LEOMINSTER

Congregation Agudat Achim

Conservative

Rabbi Eve Eichenholtz (978) 534-6121 office@agudat-achim.org www.agudat-achim.org

268 Washington St., Leominster, MA 01453

LONGMEADOW

Congregation B’nai Torah

Orthodox

Rabbi Shlomo Yaffe

Rabbi Yakov Wolff (413) 567-0036 office@bnaitorahma.org rabbi@bnaitorahma.org www.bnaitorahma.org

2 Eunice Drive

Longmeadow, MA 01106

Neighborhood Minyan

124 Sumner Avenue Springfield, MA 01108

NORTHAMPTON

Congregation B’nai Israel

Conservative

Rabbi Justin David (413) 584-3593

office@CBINorthampton.org www.CBINorthampton.org

253 Prospect St. Northampton, MA 01060

PITTSFIELD

Temple Anshe Amunim

Reform

Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch (413) 442-5910 rabbiliz@ansheamunim.org www.ansheamunim.org

26 Broad St., Pittsfield, MA 01201

SPRINGFIELD

Sinai Temple Reform

Rabbi Jeremy Master (413) 736-3619 rblanchettegage@sinai-temple.org www.sinai-temple.org

1100 Dickinson St., Springfield, MA 01108

Temple Beth El Conservative

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

Congregation Beth Israel Conservative Rabbi Aviva Fellman (508) 756-6204 receptionist@bethisraelworc.org www.bethisraelworc.org 15 Jamesbury Drive Worcester, MA 01609

Congregation Shaarai Torah West Orthodox Rabbi Yakov Blotner (508) 791-0013 Brotman156@aol.com www.shaaraitorah.org 835 Pleasant St. Worcester, MA 01602

Temple Emanuel Sinai Reform

Rabbi Valerie Cohen (508) 755-1257 amayou@emanuelsinai.org www.emanuelsinai.org 661 Salisbury St., Worcester, MA 01609

Briefs

Seth Rogen plays two roles in “An American Pickle”

(JTA) — The trailer for “An American Pickle,” the upcoming movie in which Seth Rogen plays a 1920s Jewish immigrant who falls into a pickle vat and wakes up 100 years later, shows Rogen playing both main characters: Herschel Greenbaum, the poor ditch-digger from “Schlupsk,” a fake region of Eastern Europe, and Ben Greenbaum, his great-grandson who works as a computer programmer in modern-day Brooklyn. Based on a short story by Simon Rich, the film tells the story of Herschel, who wakes up in the future, as he attempts to get Ben to start a pickle business with him after Ben loses his job. The trailer suggests a wealth of Jewish references. In one snippet, the two are shown talking about how polio has been cured. Ben says the doctor who discovered the cure was named Jonas Salk. Herschel asks if he was a Jew, and when Ben says yes, Herschel pumps his fist. The movie is out on HBO Max on Aug. 6

Ben Platt shares how he came out as gay during Israel trip

(JTA) — In a recently released Netflix film, Broadway star Ben Platt shared his coming out story — and it involves a trip to Israel. He shared the vignette from “Ben Platt: Live from Radio City Music Hall,” which debuted in May, in a clip on his Twitter account on July 6. As Platt explains, he realized he was gay when he was 12, but hadn’t felt it necessary to tell anyone.

“I was in eighth grade on a trip to Israel, like you do in the eighth grade. When you’re a Jew. A kid in my class who was on the trip made a comment something like, ‘Oh, Ben, is so lucky. Because he’s gay he gets to hang out with all the girls and be in their hotel room because they don’t care,” Platt recalled. “It was no derogatory thing at all. It wasn’t a bullying thing. It was just true. All my friends were girls and they would let me hang out with them. But the chaperone overheard this.”

The chaperone assumed Platt was being bullied and planned to call his parents. Platt didn’t want them to find out that way, so he went back to his hotel and dialed home.

His mother, Julie, answered and he told her he needed to tell her something important. Before Ben could finish his sentence, mom blurted out: “Is this about your sexuality?”

She added: “You spent most of your childhood dressed as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. No one is surprised.” Platt ends by wishing the same “nothing experience” for other young people struggling to come out.

In ‘The Tobacconist,’ a young Austrian befriends Freud

during WWII

(JTA) — On the surface, “The Tobacconist” looks like a typical coming-of-age story: small town boy becomes a man in the big city. But this independent film, directed by Nikolaus Leytner, is set in Vienna during the lead-up to the Nazi occupation of the Austrian city. And Sigmund Freud is a central character. The story, adapted from a Robert Seethaler novel, follows 17-year-old Franz (Simon Morze), who is raised in the Austrian countryside but eventually sent to apprentice in a tobacco shop in Vienna. One of his regulars is Dr. Freud (Bruno Ganz). Though already world famous, Freud befriends young Franz. As might be expected, the teenager seeks advice about a particular lady he’s met. Freud does what he can but admits that no one really understands women. As the Nazis move unimpeded into the country, tensions arise between Franz and his lover. The Jewish Dr. Freud refuses to emigrate. The German-language film with English subtitles was released July 10 via Kino Lorber, which shares revenue with local theaters.

ZOA files complaint against 14 member groups for

calling leader’s remarks ‘racist’

(JTA) — The Zionist Organization of America didn’t like its leader being accused of making racist comments by other members of a Jewish umbrella group — and it’s lodged an official complaint. The 114-page complaint, filed June 23 with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations names individuals leading 14 organizations of the foreign policy group as “defendants,” an unusual term considering that the proceeding is internal and not a matter for the courts. They include several affiliated with the Reform and Conservative movements and several that advocate for the two-state outcome to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as HIAS, the immigration advocacy group that in May filed a complaint against the ZOA in the Conference of Presidents.

Much of the ZOA complaint focuses on claims by the named individuals that public pronouncements by its president, Morton Klein, made during the recent social unrest have at times crossed into racism. Klein has said on Twitter that Black Lives Matter “is an antisemitic, Israel hating Soros funded racist extremist Israelophobic hate group” and “BLM is a Jew hating, White hating, Israel hating, conservative Black hating, violence promoting, dangerous Soros funded extremist group of haters.” Calling these statements and others “racist” is false and disparaging, the ZOA complaint says. The charges are based on a Conference of Presidents policy that constituent groups

should not disparage one another. The HIAS complaint against the ZOA citing Klein’s claims that HIAS is not Jewish and has associated with terrorist-affiliated groups.

In 2019, the Conference of Presidents reprimanded the ZOA for similar attacks on HIAS and other constituents of the umbrella group.

House advances $250M in funding for IsraeliPalestinian programs

(JTA) — The foreign operations subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee approved a $66 billion spending bill on Monday that includes $50 million a year over five years for dialogue programs and investment in the Palestinian private sector. That breaks down over time to $110 million for the dialogue programs and $140 million for the investments. The proIsrael groups praising the move on Twitter included AIPAC, a center-right group, and J Street, a liberal Jewish Middle East policy group. Many singled out the Appropriations Committee chairwoman, Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., a longtime pro-Israel stalwart who led advocacy for the funding. Lowey, who is retiring this year, is Jewish.

The Trump administration has slashed funding for economic development and person-to-person dialogue funding to almost zero. The economic portion of the Trump administration peace plan relies almost entirely on funding from non-U.S. sources, mostly among oil-wealthy nations.

The bill “also seeks to restore humanitarian and development assistance to the Palestinians to continue the viability of a two-state solution by providing resources to organizations working in the West Bank and Gaza,” Lowey said in her statement introducing the package.

ALLMEP, an umbrella group for peace dialogue, led lobbying for the package. The bill is subject to further revision as it heads to the full committee, then the House and finally reconciliation with the parallel Senate bill. However, the dialogue and investment component will likely survive because it has bipartisan backing. Separately, the bill also includes $225 million for Palestinian relief and development funding.

Groups leading the Facebook ad boycott meet with Mark Zuckerberg

(JTA) — Mark Zuckerberg hasn’t changed his tune about Facebook’s stance on the spread of hate on the social media platform. That’s what the heads of several civil rights groups, including the Anti-Defamation League, said following a meeting July 7 with Zuckerberg and other Facebook executives to discuss the demands of the advertisers that joined the #StopHateForProfit

movement. “It was abundantly clear in our meeting today that Mark Zuckerberg and the Facebook team is not yet ready to address the vitriolic hate on their platform,” read a statement issued by the leaders after the meeting. “Zuckerberg offered the same old defense of white supremacist, antisemitic, Islamophobic and other hateful groups on Facebook that the Stop Hate For Profit Coalitions, advertisers and society at large have heard too many times before.” Dozens of Facebook’s largest advertisers are boycotting the platform this month, according to the movement. Among them are Starbucks, Hershey, Coca-Cola, Ben & Jerry’s, the North Face and Patagonia. Led by the ADL, the groups launched the campaign to protest Facebook’s unwillingness to police hate speech or monitor posts for misinformation. The campaign has issued a list of 10 demands, including a permanent civil rights infrastructure, independent audits of identity-based hate and misinformation, and an internal mechanism to automatically flag hateful content in private groups for human review.

The Stop Hate for Profit leaders said the Facebook executives — COO Sheryl Sandberg and the chief product officer, Christopher Cox, joined Zuckerberg — only addressed one item on the list, and that it was unsatisfactory.

The leaders of the ADL, NAACP, Color of Change and Free Press were in the meeting.

Afterward, Facebook spokesman Andy Stone said that Facebook has banned more than 250 white supremacist organizations and created new policies to prohibit voter and census interference.

Alexander Vindman retires amid allegations of bullying by Trump

(JTA) — Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the Jewish National Security Council staffer who was among the first to raise flags about President Donald Trump’s pressure on Ukraine to investigate a political rival, is retiring from the U.S. Army amid allegations by his attorney that “he was bullied by the President and his proxies.” Vindman’s attorney David Pressman told CNN that Vindman would retire after more than 21 years of military service because “The President of the United States attempted to force LTC Vindman to choose: Between adhering to the law or pleasing a President. Between honoring his oath or protecting his career. Between protecting his promotion or the promotion of his fellow soldiers.”

In February, Vindman was removed from his position as an expert on U.S. policy in Ukraine at the National Security Council. Vindman’s twin brother, Lt. Col. Yevgeny Vindman, was asked to leave his job as a CONTINUED NEXT PAGE

Briefs

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White House lawyer on the same day. Both Vindmans, who immigrated with their father from Ukraine in 1979, were reassigned to the Army. Their removal came days after Trump was acquitted by the U.S. Senate in an impeachment trial.

Vindman testified in November before the House Intelligence Committee hearing on Trump’s impeachment about a July 2019 phone call between the president and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, during which Trump repeatedly pressured Zelensky to launch politically motivated investigations that would help Trump’s 2020 campaign. Vindman was listening in on the call in his official capacity with the National Security Council. During his testimony, Vindman said that his father, who in the 1970s fled from the former Soviet Union with his Jewish family, “feared that his speaking out would bring retaliation.” Vindman said at the hearing: “Do not worry, I will be fine for telling the truth.”

In recent weeks, allegations have surfaced that Trump was attempting to prevent Vindman’s upcoming promotion to the rank of colonel, according to CNN. An unnamed source told CNN that senior Army officials informed Vindman that he would not be allowed to work in his area of expertise, which includes Ukraine. The source also said that a senior officer joked that he could be sent to “man a radar station in Alaska.”

Danon: Obama’s decision to ‘abandon’ Israel was lowest moment of UN tenure

(JNS) Israel’s outgoing Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon reflected on his last five years in office and plans for the future during his final press briefing on Tuesday, July 7. “I’m going to go back to Israel and enjoy it. Relax and take my time before making any decisions,” he said, adding, ““For the last 20 years, I was involved in public life. [Now] I will be more vocal than I was in the U.N. because when I was in office, I had to represent the Israeli government always. Now when I become a private citizen, I will be able to speak openly and express my views, and actually promote my views like I used to do before I was in diplomacy.”

A former Knesset member from the Likud Party, he previously served as minister of science, technology and space, and as deputy minister of defense. Regional Cooperation Minister Gilad Erdan will replace Danon at the end of July. In January, Erdan will take over Ron Dermer’s position as Israel’s ambassador to the United States as well.

Danon noted that his “lowest moment in the last five years [was] the moment the U.S. decided to abandon Israel” at the U.N. Security Council under the Obama administration, when it supported Resolution

2334 against Israel. He further accused the Obama administration of working behind the scenes to promote that resolution, which condemned Israel’s presence in Judea and Samaria, as well as eastern Jerusalem. Nevertheless, the ambassador strongly feels that “no one can jeopardize the bond” between America and Israel.

He also offered this advice to Israel’s enemies and allies alike: “Don’t threaten Israel. You’re not going to gain anything from it. [If] you have concerns, speak to us.”

Owner of DeSean Jackson’s NFL team produces film about Hitler

(JTA) — Amid continuing controversy over one of his player’s approving comments about Adolf Hitler, Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie announced the completion of a documentary about the Nazi leader. Lurie’s production company Play/ Action announced Thursday, July 9, that it had completed production of “The Meaning of Hitler,” the company’s first film, Dateline reported. Taking its title from a 1978 book by the German journalist Raimund Pretzel, Lurie’s film traces Hitler’s rise to power and features interviews with historians Deborah Lipstadt and Yehuda Bauer, among others. The announcement comes amid continuing fallout over comments by Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who caused an uproar over the weekend with tweets featuring quotes dubiously attributed to Hitler and claiming that “white Jews” will work to “blackmail” and “extort” America and that the Nazi leader “was right.” (See story p. 12) The team said Jackson’s comments were “offensive, harmful, and absolutely appalling.”

In a statement to Deadline, Lurie made no mention of the Jackson controversy.

“We couldn’t be prouder that ‘The Meaning of Hitler’ is the first completed film made by our new documentary production company, Play/Action Pictures,” said Lurie, who is Jewish. “I envisioned Play/ Action to be a leading creative force for films that engage with the most crucial and challenging issues of our time. The rise of white supremacy and neo-fascism in the United States and the world over are among the most important and serious threats we face today.”

Education official Kenneth Marcus returns to Jewish civil rights agency (JTA) — A top-ranking official at the U.S. Education Department is returning to the organization he started eight years ago to combat antisemitism at colleges and universities. Kenneth Marcus will become chairman of the board of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law after two years as the education department’s assistant secretary for civil rights.

Marcus was confirmed in 2018 after a bruising process in which not a single Democrat supported him. In his role at the department, Marcus built on his work fighting the boycott Israel movement and campus antisemitism through the Brandeis Center. Marcus notably reopened a case involving Rutgers University and a forum there in 2011 that Jewish students said involved harassment. He widely employed the State Department’s definition of antisemitism, which includes some types of anti-Israel activity, to investigate claims of discrimination under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The definition includes “applying double standards by requiring of [Israel] a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation” and holding Jews collectively responsible for Israel’s actions. Alyza Lewin, who took over for him at the Brandeis Center, said Marcus’ return is welcome at a time when online antisemitic activity is on the rise. “The services and guidance provided by the Brandeis Center have become crucially important to students on the front lines battling this scourge,” she said in a statement. “There is no one more knowledgeable and experienced in this field than Kenneth Marcus, and we are thrilled that the Brandeis Center will once again be the vehicle for him to share his expertise.”

Four-time Tour de France winner to head Israel’s cycling team

(JNS) Team Israel Start-Up Nation (ISN) has announced that Chris Froome, a fourtime Tour de France winner and one of the biggest names in the sport, has signed a long-term contract to lead the Jewish state’s cycling team. Team co-owner Sylvan Adams said this is a historic moment “for ISN, Israel, Israeli sports, our many fans all around the world and, of course, for me personally—a moment of enormous pride. Chris is the best rider of his generation, and will lead our Tour de France and Grand Tour squad,” he continued. “We hope to make history together as he pursues further Tour de France and Grand Tour victories— achievements that would make a serious case for Chris to be considered the greatest cyclist of all time.” As for Froome, he said he looks forward “to challenging and being

challenged” by the talent of the Israeli team. “I feel we can achieve great things together.” Founded in 2015, Team Israel Start-Up Nation has rapidly grown into one of the world’s leading cycling teams in a short time. With the addition of Froome, the team aims to become a Grand Tour contender, which includes the three major professional cycling races: Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España.

Report: Senior Hamas commander flees Gaza aboard IDF boat

(JNS) A senior Hamas commander escaped from the Gaza Strip aboard an Israel Defense Forces boat on Saturday. The commander, from Hamas’s military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, is said to have commanded the terrorist organization’s naval commando unit, and is suspected in the Gaza Strip of collaborating with Israel, Israel’s Channel 12 reported on Saturday.

The report, based on Palestinian media sources, said the senior commander had escaped with a laptop containing “dangerous classified materials,” along with money and listening devices. The sources also said that this was the second senior Hamas commander recently suspected of collaborating with Israel. The previous suspect, identified only as “Mohammed,” was in charge of the Palestinian factions’ networks in the Sajaiya neighborhood of Gaza and trained Hamas terrorists.

According to the sources, the latest suspect began cooperating with Israel as early as 2009 and his alleged ties with Israel were revealed of late, when he asked his brother to collect money for him and leave it near a trash can. That brother was captured by the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades.

The sources said that Hamas was “hysterical” in the light of the discovery, and launched a series of arrest raids of suspects.

The Channel 12 report comes on the heels of a news story published last week in the Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese newspaper, Al-Ahbar, according to which Hamas revealed a “dangerous plot by Israeli intelligence services” to carry out attacks against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, and that that Hamas arrested a number of ISIS operatives planning to carry out suicide bombings Gaza, using explosive belts and booby-trapped motorcycles.

BULLETIN BOARD

Hadassah’s Youth Aliyah project receives grant from Jewish Federation of Central Mass.

WORCESTER – Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, has received a grant of $2,500 from the Jewish Federation of Central Mass. to support Youth Aliyah, its child rescue project, specifically for its MotherDaughter Shabbaton project. This unique program provides an oasis in time away from everyday pressures where parents and children can develop special trust and dialogue that helps to heal difficult relationships and change family dynamics. The Shabbaton aids the girls’ assimilation into Israeli culture and strengthens their Jewish identity as it also helps to bolster their sense of self and personal accomplishment.

The weekend is filled with activities that connect the girls and their mother as they experience Shabbat traditions from their countries of birth. They participate in activities that empower both the mothers and daughters by teaching problem solving and communication skills, enabling them to solve previously unresolved conflicts and hostilities. These experiences have helped heal dysfunctional relationships, misunderstandings and even abuse.

The Hadassah-supported Meir Shfeyah, Ramat Hadassah Szold, and Hadassah Neurim youth villages serve students who have been unsuccessful in other educational frameworks and are at risk of being abandoned to the streets. Young immigrants and at-risk native Israelis who have survived abuse, neglect, extreme poverty, and learning disabilities receive not only shelter and food, but counseling education, and other supportive services in our youth villages.

Since 1934, over 300,000 young people from 80 lands have graduated from Youth Aliyah.

For more information about Youth Aliyah, go to hadassah.org/youthaliyah

Yiddish Book Center Named Recipient of NEH CARES Grant

AMHERST – The Yiddish Book Center has been named a recipient of a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) CARES grant. The grants will support essential operations at more than 300 cultural institutions across the country.

“Over the past few months we have witnessed tremendous financial distress at cultural organizations across the country, which have been compelled to furlough staff, cancel programs, and reduce operations to make up for revenue shortfalls caused by the pandemic,” said NEH Chairman Jon Parrish Peede. “NEH is pleased to provide $40 million to preserve thousands of jobs at museums, archives, historic sites, and colleges and universities that are vital to our nation’s cultural life and economy.”

“We are grateful and honored that the Yiddish Book Center was selected to receive an NEH CARES grant for public programs,” said Susan Bronson, the Yiddish Book Center’s executive director. “This grant will help us to retain staff, advance our mission, and reach new audiences during these challenging times.”

The CARES grant will support the creation of new content and programming tied to the Yiddish Book Center’s Decade of Discovery initiative and its 2020 theme, Yiddish in America: Cultural Encounters. This includes free virtual weekly public programs on Yiddish literature and culture, online library discussion groups for the Center’s “Coming to America” Reading Groups for Public Libraries program, and the cataloging and sharing of newly created and curated digital content, such as the Bronx Bohemians blog, launch of the Weekly Reader—an e-newsletter of curated content and articles culled from the Center’s collections, posting of new works in translation, and the addition of a digitized collection of audio lectures, talks, and readings.

For the highly competitive NEH CARES grant category, the Humanities Endowment received more than 2,300 eligible applications from cultural organizations requesting more than $370 million in funding for projects between June and December 2020. Approximately 14 percent of the applicants were funded.

These grants will allow cultural organizations to retain staff to preserve and curate humanities collections, advance

Dan

Green appointed World ORT Director General and CEO

LONDON – Dan Green has been appointed World ORT Director General and CEO.

ORT is a global education network driven by Jewish values, reaching 300,000 people a year, in more than 30 countries, and providing a combination of high-level science and technology education with strengthened Jewish identity to bridge the gap between ability and opportunity –and ensuring the continuity of Jewish life worldwide.

Dan’s predecessor, Avi Ganon, submitted his resignation as Director General and CEO in March, stepping down with immediate effect for personal reasons. He had been in the role since September 2017.

“It is a privilege and an honor to serve as Director General and CEO of World ORT – the largest Jewish education network in the world,” Green said. “Our mission today is as relevant as it was 140 years ago when we were established in St. Petersburg: providing education to the Jewish people.

“I can vividly remember my first encounter with ORT in 1991 where on my Gap Year in Israel I taught English at the ORT Ronson School in Ashkelon. It was a formative experience for me, seeing that not every student has the same access to resources and technology that I was used to,” he said. “I am proud today that I am leading ORT, the organization that strives to empower those same students with the skills, knowledge and values that will give them the very best opportunities in life.”

Green had been World ORT’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) since 2016, having previously served as CEO of ORT UK from 2012. Before joining the network he worked in consumer media running sales departments of print and digital media outlets including BBC Magazines and the Jewish Chronicle.

“With this appointment World ORT begins a new and exciting chapter in its continuing commitment to help provide quality education to hundreds of thousands of students around the world,” said Dr. Conrad Giles, World ORT President. “The years I have worked with Dan and observed his service have convinced me that he possesses all the necessary qualities to lead us as our Director General. His vision and his strategic thinking are coupled with extraordinary people skills which will enable him to lead us and expand the impact of World ORT in the global educational community.”

Robert Singer, Chair of World ORT’s Board of Trustees, said: “I have known Dan

for many years and I have no doubt that he is the right person to lead World ORT at these challenging times. The strength of ORT is in its global reach, its 140-yearold reputation and combined know-how of national ORT organizations worldwide. Dan’s main challenge will be to take the best from each family member and create many centers of educational know-how that ORT can share with the world.”

New Hampshire lawmakers send Holocaust education bill to governor

(JTA) – New Hampshire will mandate Holocaust and genocide prevention education under a bill passed overwhelmingly by its House of Representatives. If Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican, signs the measure into law, New Hampshire would become the 14th state to require genocide prevention education in public schools, according to the Anti-Defamation League’s New England regional office, which supported the bill. An Act Relative to Holocaust and Genocide Studies will also establish a commission to study best educational practices.

The bill will enable all students to acquire knowledge of civics and government, economics, history, and Holocaust and genocide education, according to state Sen. Jay Kahn, a Democrat and lead sponsor of the bill. “Holocaust and genocide education is a fitting part of a school’s curriculum that enables students to participate in the democratic process and to make informed choices as responsible citizens,” Kahn said in a statement.

The House approved the bill this week in a 299-17 vote as part of several other pieces of legislation. The state Senate had passed the measure unanimously in March.

In its most recent audit on antisemitism, ADL documented 2,107 incidents across the country in 2019, the highest since the group began tracking incidents in 1979. Of the total, 411 of the incidents were in K-12 schools, representing a 19% increase from the previous year.

“The need for Holocaust and genocide education in our schools could not be more urgent,” Robert Trestan, the ADL’s New England regional director, said in a statement.

BLOOMBERG

Elizabeth (Betty) Grandi Bloomberg died June 12. She was the wife of Dave Bloomberg. Born on Dec, 9, 1948 in Ludlow, she was the daughter of the late George and Dorothea (Sevigne) Grandi. She was a stayat-home mom for many years, then worked at the Springfield Civic Center, Burger King, Roy Rogers and Whip City BMX racing. Prior to retirement she was a companion for the elderly. In addition to her husband, she is survived by three daughters, Stacy and her friend, Paul, of West Springfield, Missy Oldenburg and her significant other Bob of Feeding Hills, and Jenn Gregory and her husband Bubba of Ludlow; seven grandchildren, Robert, Donald, Alexandra, Morgan, Samantha, Kylie and Gage; three sisters, Rosemary Misiaszek and her husband Joe, Teresa Moreno and her husband Manny and Gigi Kimball and her husband Les. Memorial contributions may be made to the Kidney Foundation.

ASCHER-ZIMMERMAN FUNERAL HOME

COHEN

Rita Block Cohen, 91, formerly of Springfield, died June 19 in Boca Raton Florida. She was predeceased by her husbands, Erwin Block and Sam Cohen. Born in Brooklyn N.Y., she was the daughter of Irving and Hilda Schaffer. She attended the New York School of Interior Design. After working with Erwin in the family business, Enco Supply, she became an interior decorator, working in Springfield and Longmeadow. She is survived by her children and their spouses, Gary and Ellen Block, Robert and Terri Block, and Jodi and Ron Eckman; five grandchildren, Erica Eckman and her husband, Dan O’Brien, Melissa Metrano and her husband, Harry, Jeremy Block and his wife, Colleen, and Ethan and Elliot Block; and two great grandchildren, Elia O’Brien and Isabella Metrano. She was predeceased by a brother, Clyde Schaffer.

ASCHER-ZIMMERMAN FUNERAL HOME

FEEN

Clifford Z. Feen, 89, died May 20 in Worcester, after a short illness. He was predeceased by his wife, Florence ( Fafi) Feen. Born in New Haven, Conn., he was the son of Louis and Sylvia (Dwartz) Feen. As a young man, he worked with his father in his Health Beauty and Cosmetics company, later settling in Longmeadow where he continued with his sons to expand stores in Springfield, Holyoke, and Longmeadow. He was a president of the Baystate West Merchant Association, a member and instructor in The United States Power Squadron, and a member of Temple Beth El in Springfield. He is is survived by a son, Paul (Sharon) Feen; two daughters,

OBITUARIES

Maggie Gordon and Wendy (David) Shepro; a daughter-in-law, Cindy Feen; a sister, Barbara Rosenthal; grandchildren Max and Cassie Feen, Jason (Maddy), Melissa, and Matthew Gordon, Melanie Feen, Adam and Jessica (Kyle) Cullen; and greatgrandchildren Jacob, Sophia, Emma, and Sloane Gordon. He was predeceased by a son, Mark. Memorial contributions may be made to Worcester County Food Bank, https://foodbank.org/donate 474 Boston Turnpike, Shrewsbury, MA 01545 or to another charity. ASCHER-ZIMMERMAN FUNERAL HOME

HYMAN

Sidney R. Hyman, 92, of Longmeadow, died at home from natural causes June 12. He was predeceased by his wife, Arlyne Hyman. Born in Pittsburgh, he was the son of the late David and Bessie Hyman. He was a graduate of McDonald High School, earning varsity letters in baseball. He attended The University of Pittsburgh where he earned a Bachelor of Arts, Masters of Science and PhD in Clinical Psychology. He subsequently served in the U.S. Army as a military psychologist, achieving the rank of First Lieutenant when he was honorably discharged from the Reserves in 1960. He was a practicing clinical child psychologist when he moved his family to Longmeadow in 1961. He established a private practice that included consulting with school systems and numerous child mental health care and foster home agencies in the Greater Springfield area. He is survived by two sons, Dale Hyman (Linda Farina) and Gary Hyman; two daughters, Mira Ericksen (Randy) and Laura Hyman; three grandchildren, Correy Louis Ericksen, Dana Rose Ericksen, Ian Christopher Behnk; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. Memorial contributions may be made to the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children or a charity of the donor’s choice.

ASCHER-ZIMMERMAN FUNERAL HOME

IRVING

Dr. Philip Craig Irving, 74, of Longmeadow, died June 16th after a seven-year battle against Parkinson’s disease. He was the husband of Elizabeth Irving. Born in Providence, R.I., he was the son of Morris and Shirley Irving. A 1964 graduate of Hope High School in Providence, he went on to receive a degree in biology from Northeastern University and his degree in dental surgery from Georgetown University, followed by a residency at the VA Hospital in Washington, D.C. He and his family settled Longmeadow where they have lived for the past 42 years. He became an associate in Willimantic, Conn.,

for two years and then set up his office in Springfield where he sustained a busy dental practice for 38 years, retiring in 2014. He was a longtime member of Bnai Jacob Synagogue, now Temple Beth El in Springfield. In addition to his wife, he is survived by a son, Marc (Ariana Barth); a sister-in-law, Carole Pagani (James Weber); nieces, Robbin Airault, Erin (Rocco) Shropshire, Lisa (Steven) Antonio, and Laura (James) Clark; nephews, Mark (Andrea) Wolf and Jeffrey Pagani; a brother, Russell, and sister, Beth, both of Providence, RI; and a number of greatnieces, great-nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his in-laws, Milton and Ruth Kaskowitz; and a brother-in-law, John Pagani. Memorial contributions may be made to the Frieda Reisz Chaplaincy Fund at JGS Lifecare, 770 Converse St., Longmeadow, MA 01106 (www.info@ JGSLifecare.org); or Rachel’s Table, 1160 Dickinson St., Springfield, MA 01108 www. Rachelstablespringfield.org.

ASCHER-ZIMMERMAN FUNERAL HOME

KAZIN

Barton A. Kazin, 85, died June with his family by his side. He was the husband of Phyllis (Dragone-Miller) Kazin. Born in Springfield, he was the son of the late Maurice and Rose (Sakowitz) Kazin. He grew up in Springfield, graduated Classical High School in 1952, and received his B.S. in Pharmacy from Hampden College of Pharmacy in 1956 (now MA College of Pharmacy). He managed Kazin’s Prescription Pharmacy in Springfield from 1956-1966, then worked for E.R. Squibb and Sons from 1967-1994, where he received many awards and go-getter trips. He was a 50-year member of the Mason’s. When he retired, he and Phyllis moved to Cape Cod where he continued to work part-time and was very active in the Yarmouth-Dennis Newcomers Club. Bart also initiated the Cape Cod Chapter of the National Mended Hearts Club, Inc., a support group for people with cardiac issues. In addition to his wife, he is survived by four children, Craig (Norah), Amy Noble (Victor), Lainie Beaty (Jonathan), step-daughter, Theresa Hatch (Carl); ten grandchildren, Lindsay (John), Molly, Tyler, Carter, Samantha, Tanner, Lauren, Jameson, Jeremy, Zachary; a brother, Stuart (Ellen), and their two children, Jeffrey and Alyssa. Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association 264 Cottage St., Springfield, MA 01104; or the Cape Cod Chapter of Mended Hearts, 227 Landing Dr., Brewster, MA 02631

ASCHER-ZIMMERMAN FUNERAL HOME

PEVZNER

Elaine Gay Pevzner, 78, of Springfield, died June 9 at the Jewish Nursing Home in Longmeadow. Born in Springfield, she was the daughter of the late Ruth and Albert Pevzner. She graduated from Springfield’s Classical High School, as well as Boston’s Suffolk University, and taught elementary school for several years. She is survived by two brothers, Steven Pevzner of Agawam and Harvey Pevzner of Lake Forest, Calif.; twin sisters, Susan Brown and Terry Sacks, both of Wilmington, N.C.; three nieces; and one nephew.

ASCHER-ZIMMERMAN

FUNERAL HOME

RADDING

Edward Radding died on June 6 from cancer. He was the husband of Linda (Leveton) Radding. Born in Springfield on October 22, 1941, he was the son of Joseph and Eunice Radding. He graduated from Classical High School and received a BS at the University of Massachusetts and an MBA from Columbia University. His career in marketing and advertising started at Benton & Bowles in New York followed by positions at Gillette, Parker Bros., Lionel-Fundimensions, and Milton Bradley. Eventually he became the “Sign Guy” when he took the reins at Radding Signs, a Springfield sign and billboard concern established by his father in 1929. Upon selling the company in 2002, he continued to design signs and advertising for local businesses through Radding Associates. He was actively involved in the Springfield Jewish community and was a former president of Sinai Temple. In addition to his wife, he is survived by two daughters, Jennifer Gardner Trulson and her husband, Derek, and Jayme Feldman and her husband, Scott; his grandchildren, Michael and Julia Gardner, Maxine, and Jonathan Feldman; and two brothers and their wife, Robert (Rina) and Alan (Eva). He was predeceased by a sister, Ann.

ASCHER-ZIMMERMAN FUNERAL HOME

SCHIFFMAN

Alvin “Al” H. Schiffman, 84, of Worcester, died June 8. He was the husband of Lili Schiffman. He was the son of the late Maxwell I. and Lillian Goldstein Schiffman of Bayside, N.Y. He graduated from Bayside High School, Bayside, N.Y. in 1955 and briefly attended the University of Miami. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1956, was initially stationed at Fort Devens, and subsequently in Hawaii as Military Police in the United States Army Pacific Command (USARPAC). He was manager at Glass Supermarkets and also was in car sales for over 20 years with the most recent at Farrell Volvo in Southboro.

In addition to his wife of 31 years, he is survived by two sons, Cary M. Schiffman

and his wife, Cheryl, of Hudson, N.H., and Rickey B. Schiffman and his wife, Lauren, of Westborough; a daughter Aimee L. Robinson and her husband, Christopher, of Melrose; grandsons, Maxwell, Will, Sam, Ben, Lyric and Justice, and stepgrandson, Anthony; stepdaughters, Beth, Wendy, Caren, and Jordana and their children; and several cousins, nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews. Memorial contributions may be made to The Alzheimer’s Association, 309 Waverley Oaks Road, Waltham, Mass. 02452; or AMVETS, 4646 Forbes Blvd., Lanham, MD, 20706

STAMBOVSKY

Richard “Dickie” Alan Stambovsky died May 18 from the complications of Covid-19. He was the widower of Diane Stambovsky. Born in Springfield Aug. 5, 1949, he was the son of Ruth Stambovsky and the late George Stambovsky. He graduated from Classical High School and then from American International College. He served in the Army National Guard. He worked at the Western Mass PSRO, Gandara Mental Health Center, and was the president of PBS Associates. He worked as an accountant in the area for the last 40 years. He was a member of the former Kesser Israel Synagogue. He is survived by three siblings; Edward, Cheryl and Sandra; five daughters, Heather, Aimee, Sarah, Jennifer, and Mariah; five sons, Alan, Brett, Justin, Zachary, and Joshua; in-laws Chris Tranghese, Joshua Freedman, Elizabeth Brewer, Jose Martinez, Modesto Cintron, Jennifer Hanks, and Michael Bridger; and grandchildren, Kyle, Alex, Michael, Jacob, Takara, Victor, Zakira, Nathan, Adrianna, Jaiden, Mason, Kendra, Sebastian, Brianna, Bentley, Oliver, Kayla, Joseph, Carmello, and Carly. He was predeceased by a daughter, Desiree Tranghese. Memorial contributions may be made to the Springfield Jewish Community Center; or the Lubavitcher Yeshiva Academy in Longmeadow.

ASCHER-ZIMMERMAN FUNERAL HOME

STEIN

Ruth (Tipperman) Stein, 92, of Warminster, Pa., formerly of Springfield, died May 20. She was the widow of Harold Stein. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., she was the daughter of the late Benjamin Tipperman and Eva (Finkelstein) Sheinfeld. She graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Brooklyn. After her youngest child left home for college, she enrolled at Westfield State College and received her Bachelor of Arts in psychology in 1982. She was elected to the Alpha Chi National College Honor Society. She and her husband Harold founded the Western Massachusetts chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. She was a tireless advocate for the mentally ill. She is survived by two sons, David and Michael; a daughterin-law, Laurie Butler; a grandchild, Ellyn Butler; and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by a son, Robert; and two brothers, Phil and Herb Tipperman. Memorial

contributions may be made to NAMI of Western Massachusetts, 324 A Springfield St., Agawam, MA 01001.

ASCHER-ZIMMERMAN FUNERAL HOME

TENENBAUM

Helen Tenenbaum, 99, of Longmeadow, has died. She was predeceased by her husband of 58 years, Bob Cohen. Born in Indian Orchard, she moved to Springfield in the 1930s and raised her family in Forest Park. She was a 39-year cancer survivor. Without trying to gain attention, Helen’s gregarious personality made her stand out, even though she was only 5’. She at one time worked at the Springfield Armory and won several art awards. She was a member of the former B’nai Jacob Temple (Now Beth El Temple). She is survived by two grandsons, Eli and Justin Cohen. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.

ASCHER-ZIMMERMAN FUNERAL HOME

WOLFSON

Jack L. Wolfson, 95, of Boynton Beach, Fla., formerly of Worceser, died June 18 in Worcester. He was the husband of Marcia (Paul) Wolfson. Born in Worcester, he was the son of Morris and Cora (Krock) Wolfson and lived in Worcester until moving to Florida a number of years ago. He graduated from Clark University in 1948 with a Bachelor’s Degree, with honors in Business Administration. He was president of his senior class, played varsity baseball and was a member of Gryphon Honor Society. He graduated from Boston University Law School in 1951 where he was the Editor of Law Review. He founded the Worcester law firm of Conlin and Wolfson which later became Wolfson, Dodson, Keenan & Cotton. Conlin and Wolfson was the first ecumenical law firm in Worcester. Years later, Jack received the Saint Thomas More Ecumenical Award from Holy Cross College. He was listed in Best Lawyers in America and was elected to the Executive Board of the Worcester County Bar Association. He was a trustee of Temple Emanuel Sinai and a past president of its Brotherhood, receiving its Man of the Year Award. In addition to his wife of 68 years, he is survived by a son, Jeffrey Wolfson and his wife, Terry; a daughter, Geri Fuhrmann and her husband, Chris; and four grandchildren, Dan, Rachel, Dana and Andrew. He was predeceased by his sister, Rose Praglin, of Waterloo. Memorial contributions may be made to Wolfson Scholarship Fund c/o Temple Emanuel Sinai, 661 Salisbury St., Worcester, MA 01609, Clark University, Attn: Development Office, 950 Main St., Worcester, MA 01610; or to a charity of the donor’s choice.

RICHARD PERLMAN OF MILES FUNERAL HOME OF HOLDEN

Deliveries are made in a refrigerated van and our drivers observe all safety protocols recommended for everyone’s safety.

High Holiday Menus Are Ready

The Crown Market Is Pleased To Continue Our Massachusetts Deliveries To A Central Location In: Newton, Natick, Worcester, And Springfield! (Details and Times On Our Website)

Next regular Delivery Date Available: Wednesday, August 19th Order Deadline: Thursday, August 13th 4PM (No Holiday Menu Prepared Foods Will Be Available For This Delivery Date)

High Holiday Delivery Date: Wednesday, September 16th Order Deadline: Monday, September 7th 4PM We offer the finest custom-butchered kosher meats, delicious gourmet prepared foods, deli-sliced meats, sliced cheeses, holiday meal packages, from-scratch delectable baked goods, store-made artisan breads and hard-to-find groceries.