February 11, 2016 edition of The Reporter

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VOLUME IX, NUMBER 3

FEBRUARY 11, 2016

Western Wall prayer fight ends with historic compromise

BY BEN SALES TELAVIV (JTA) – Israel’s government on January 31 approved a compromise to expand the non-Orthodox Jewish prayer section of the Western Wall, putting to rest the decades-long fight between Women of the Wall and Israel’s haredi Orthodox religious establishment.

The deal achieves what had been an elusive goal: an interdenominational consensus on Judaism’s holiest site with official recognition. The non-Orthodox prayer section at the wall will become much larger and more accessible. But haredi control of the Orthodox section will also be solidified, though non-Orthodox leaders have long protested that monopoly.

The deal, a copy of which JTA obtained ahead of the Cabinet vote, still contains a few unknowns. It is unclear how long construction will take. It does not say whether clear signage will direct visitors to the non-Orthodox section. Nor does it say exactly when Women of the Wall, an embattled women’s prayer group, will move its monthly services from the Orthodox Jewish main prayer section to the non-Orthodox one.

Still, the Conservative and Reform movements can declare victory. The size of the non-Orthodox section of the Western Wall will double to nearly 10,000 square feet – half the size of the Orthodox main section just to its north. A committee of non-Orthodox leaders and government officials will manage the non-Orthodox section. And a single entrance will lead to both sections.

The Western Wall’s haredi Orthodox management, called the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, also safeguarded

The Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem on a rainy October 25, 2015. (Photo

by Ahmad Gharabli/AFP/Getty Images) its interests. Non-Orthodox leaders had campaigned for a share of control of the Orthodox section of the wall, but the Heritage Foundation will retain full authority over it and the larger plaza behind the prayer sections. And when the plan is implemented, Women of the Wall will move to the non-Orthodox section, one of the Heritage Foundation’s longstanding demands.

“They all came to the conclusion that they must make serious compromises because they want it to remain one Kotel for one people,” Jewish Agency for Israel Chairman Natan Sharansky told JTA, using the Hebrew term for the site. “lt’s the place that must unite us more than anything else, and it turned into the most ugly war.”

Plans for the non-Orthodox section’s expansion, spearheaded by Sharansky,

began in December 2012. In October of that year, police had arrested the Women of the Wall’s chairwoman, Anat Hoffman, for wearing a tallit during the group’s monthly service – an act that at the time was illegal at the site.

Talks on a plan to expand the non-Orthodox section of the wall, located in an archaeological park known as Robinson’s Arch, began in April 2013. Sharansky and outgoing Israeli Cabinet secretary Avichai Mandelblit led the negotiations, which included representatives of the Reform and Conservative movements, the Heritage Foundation and Women of the Wall.

Nearly three years later, the deal enacted on January 31 calls for the creation of an “official and respected,” 9,700-square foot prayer space in the non-Orthodox section $740,349 of the Western Wall, running along a 31foot segment of the wall, that Sharansky

said will fit approximately 1,200 people.

It will have a government-funded staff, Torah scrolls and other ritual objects, and be open to all forms of Jewish prayer.

Sharansky estimated its construction could take up to two years.

Even after it is completed, the non-Orthodox section will remain smaller than its Orthodox counterpart. The Orthodox section measures some 21,500 square feet, adjacent to a nearly 200-foot segment of the wall, and has some 27,000 visitors on an average day.

The area is divided into two sections: a larger one for men and a smaller one for women. The rules prohibit women from reading from Torah scrolls in the Orthodox section.

A committee composed of two Reform leaders, two Conservative leaders, two non-Orthodox women representatives, the Jewish Agency chairman and six government officials will run the nonOrthodox section.

The Orthodox and non-Orthodox sections of the Western Wall will share an entrance near the Old City of Jerusalem’s Dung Gate, one story above the Western Wall plaza’s current entrance. Currently, the path to the non-Orthodox section is See “Wall” on page 9

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Pay it forward & give to the 2016 Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania Annual Campaign!

Goal: $896,000

Spotlight

“Son of Saul”: For Claims Conference, Oscar nominee was a big gamble

BY CNAAN LIPHSHIZ BERLIN (JTA) – Set amid a 1944 prisoner uprising at Auschwitz, “Son of Saul” stood out as a long shot when its producers first applied for funding from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany. The film’s director, Laszlo Nemes, had no experience with feature films; its lead actor hadn’t been on a film set in 15 years; and its script included long, silent and out-of-focus shots.

But the Claims Conference, which negotiates restitution for Nazi victims, ultimately decided to help bankroll the film. It’s a gamble that now seems prescient, as “Son of Saul” is favored to win best foreign language film at the Oscars on February 28.

Worldwide ticket sales for the Golden Globe-winning film are north of $2 million, already exceeding the film’s slim $1.6 million budget. “People all over the world

Geza Rohrig (left) as Saul in “Son of Saul.” (Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics) are realizing we’re facing the last generation of Holocaust survivors, so we’re in a race against time to cling to the experiences of the survivors still amongst us,” Greg Schneider, the Claims Conference’s vice president, told JTA.

Since the 1993 release of Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List,” which won the Oscar for best picture, representations of the Holocaust have emerged as an important genre in cinema in and beyond the U.S. market. Other award-winning productions, such as “Life is Beautiful” (1997), “The Pianist” (2002), “Inglourious Basterds” (2009) and last year’s “Woman in Gold,” have followed. In recent years, many filmmakers from Europe have trained their lenses on the same theme, resulting in such critically acclaimed productions as “Phoenix” (Germany, 2014), “Ida” (Poland, 2013), “Suskind” (The Netherlands, 2012) and “Sarah’s Key” (France, 2010).

The Claims Conference, which since 2008 has devoted a small portion of its budget to funding educational Holocaust films, provided about $50,000 of the “Son See “Saul” on page 10

INSIDE THIS ISSUE UJA Campaign

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THE REPORTER ■ FEBRUARY 11, 2016

A MATTER OF OPINION Thoughts on our 2016 UJA Campaign Although our 2016 UJA Campaign (which concludes in May) shows that a significant number of our donors have increased their 2016 UJA Campaign gift over their gift from last year, the local impact of the nationwide economic downturn, combined with the passing of several significant UJA Campaign contributors this past year, has effectively cancelled this increase.

It is critical that our 2016 UJA Campaign closes at $896,000, slightly more than the amount raised in last year’s 2015 UJA Campaign of $891,673. As of February 3, our Annual Campaign stood at $740,349 and our records indicate that $163,890 in Campaign gifts currently remain outstanding for a projected UJA Campaign total of $904,239.

Completing our current outstanding Campaign gifts and adding new contributors to our 2016 UJA Campaign rolls while there is still time is critical if we are to avoid the consequences of reducing allocations to our many educational, cultural, social and recreational agencies and institutions in Northeastern Pennsylvania that provide our Jewish communities with so many important services.

“ The Reporter” (USPS #482) is published bi-weekly by the Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania, 601 Jefferson Ave., Scranton, PA 18510.

President: David Malinov Executive Director: Mark Silverberg Executive Editor: Rabbi Rachel Esserman Layout Editor: Diana Sochor Assistant Editor: Michael Nassberg Production Coordinator: Jenn DePersis Graphic Artist: Alaina Cardarelli Advertising Representative: Bonnie Rozen Bookkeeper: Kathy Brown

OPINIONS The views expressed in editorials and opinion pieces are those of each author and not necessarily the views of the Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

LETTERS The Reporter welcomes letters on subjects of interest to the Jewish community. All letters must be signed and include a phone number.

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A serious UJA Campaign shortfall would result in the elimination of many programs, as well as staff reductions and a scaling-down of allocations to our agencies, Hebrew schools and our social service institutions across the board – a concern increased by the cur-

That time has now passed. Our communities were founded by those who believed in the continuity of Jewish life here in Northeastern Pennyslvania, in Israel and around the world. It was their generation that contributed to the birth of the modern Jewish state and supported Israel through its many wars against those who continue to seek its destruction.

It was their generation MARK SILVERBERG who built our educational rent state budget battle over extending and social welfare institutions and synaeducational tax credits to our Hebrew gogues; established Hebrew Free Loan schools and tax-exemption issues that Associations to assist newly-arrived may affect our region’s Jewish summer European Jewish immigrants in estabcamps, both of which are currently be- lishing their lives here in Northeastern ing debated in Harrisburg.

Pennsylvania; built our Hebrew schools Nor will we be in a position to fulfill and Senior Living facilities; and underour commitments to Israel or to assist stood very well that they were planting the thousands of frightened European the seeds for generations of Jews they Jews currently making aliyah to escape would never live to see. rising antisemitism in countries where, They are no longer with us. Now, it for centuries, their ancestors contributed is our turn to carry the torch of Jewish to the betterment of European life. survival into the future. As Jews, we

FROM THE DESK OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

are required both by our history and our traditions to secure our Jewish future in Northeastern Pennsylvania as much as we are required to preserve a strong, dynamic and secure Israel. If there is to be a next generation here, it will be because we have willed it to be so – just as our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents did for us.

So, if you have not yet made your gift to our 2016 UJA Campaign, but are considering doing so, I hope you will do so now.

Please direct it to the Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania, 601 Jefferson Ave., Scranton, PA 18510, with “2016 UJA Campaign gift” written on the memo line. We will be grateful for any gift in any amount you choose to give.

We are one family. By working together for this common vision, we will continue their legacy.

Thanks, Mark Silverberg, executive director Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania

The anti-Israel trend you’ve never heard of

BY DAVID BERNSTEIN (JTA) – If you want to understand why the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, or BDS, has gained so much ground in the past two years, look no further than intersectionality, the study of related systems of oppression.

Intersectionality holds that various forms of oppression – racism, sexism, classism, ableism and homophobia – constitute an intersecting system of oppression. In this worldview, a transcendent white, male, heterosexual power structure keeps down marginalized groups. Uniting oppressed groups, the theory goes, strengthens them against the dominant power structure.

As you might have guessed, the BDS movement has successfully injected the anti-Israel cause into these intersecting forms of oppression and itself into the interlocking communities of people who hold by them. So it’s increasingly likely that if a group sees itself as oppressed, it will see Israel as part of the dominant power structure doing the oppressing and Palestinians as fellow victims. That oppressed group will be susceptible to joining forces with the BDS movement.

At Columbia University, Students for Justice in Palestine managed to form an alliance with No Red Tape, a student group fighting sexual violence. What does opposing sexual violence have to do with Israel and the Palestinians?

“The way that No Red Tape conceives of sexual violence is a form of oppression that is related... to other forms of oppression,” said one group member.

“Sexual violence is a deeper political issue, and it cannot be divorced or separated from other oppressed identities,” said another No Red Tape member.

Intersectionality with the anti-Israel cause, unfortunately, has not been limited to groups working against sexual violence at Columbia. The anti-Israel website Mondoweiss recently declared

that “since Mike Brown was shot by police in Ferguson... solidarity between the Black Lives Matter and Palestine movements has become an increasingly central tenet of both struggles.”

Other examples of groups and causes intersecting with BDS supporters abound, both on and off campus.

While anti-Israelism has long found a sympathetic ear among segments of the far left, it has not, until recently, enjoyed much popularity among ethnic minorities. Moreover, until recently, BDS supporters probably weren’t organized enough to do the necessary outreach to and stewardship of fellow marginalized groups. Now, evidently, they are.

While he never uses the term intersectionality, Mark Yudof, president emeritus of the University of California system and chairman of the recently established Academic Engagement Network, which aims to fight anti-Israel sentiment on campus, ominously describes efforts to “connect the dots” and “co-opt the language of human rights.” The BDS movement is “moving to integrate itself with nearly every progressive campus cause,” Yudof said.

In other words, intersectionality with anti-Israel forces is not just some faddish academic theory bandied about by radical academics and sociology majors. BDS supporters are building alliances and using those relationships as an opportunity to sell their cause. Much more than a theoretical framework, intersectionality is a comprehensive community relations strategy.

Nor will intersectionality remain primarily a campus phenomenon for long. Yudof worries that “future leaders of America will be viscerally anti-Israel because of the distorted discourse on today’s campuses.” He points out that “what happens on campus never stays on campus.”

Indeed, the growing acceptance of

intersectionality arguably poses the most significant community relations challenge of our time. Ultimately, how popular – and threatening – intersectionality becomes depends on the degree to which the far left, constituting about 10 percent of society, is successful in inculcating its black-and-white worldview, simplistic perspectives and resentment toward those perceived as powerful with the mainstream left. But we can influence the direction of this discussion.

Publicly attacking intersectionality and its adherents is not likely to do much damage. To the contrary, calling out Israel’s detractors can paradoxically have the effect of popularizing their views and bringing them further into the mainstream.

Rather, the Jewish community, and especially the Jewish community relations movement, must do more to establish our own intersectionality with groups on the mainstream left, which is not nearly as prone to radical currents. Strengthening ties to these more moderate groups will erect a firewall between the far left and mainstream left on Israel, making it far less likely that the latter will ever take the bait from the BDS movement.

To do this, we need to understand the various issues and causes of the groups that make up this segment of the population, and make common cause whenever possible. Promoting Israel alone is not going to cut it because the various groups will have no reason or incentive to join forces with us. Just as BDS supporters embrace the agendas of the groups they seek to persuade, we must work on issues our key partners deem important.

We may not be able to discredit intersectionality with Israel across the board, but we can limit its reach.

David Bernstein is president and CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the representative voice of the Jewish community relations movement. Follow him on Twitter @DavidLBernstein.

FEBRUARY 11, 2016 ■ THE REPORTER

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COMMUNITY NEWS Congregation B’nai Harim participating in 20th annual Shabbat Across America and Canada program Participants to join more than 70,000 North American Jews in effort to revitalize Sabbath observance Members of the Pocono’s Jewish community will gather on Friday, March 4, from 6-8 pm, at Congregation B’nai Harim for a display of “Jewish revitalization and Jewish unity.” Conceived and organized by National Jewish Outreach Program in 1997, Shabbat Across America and Canada seeks to represent “a united effort” by the entire Jewish community to renew interest in observing Shabbat, a weekly day of rest.

Congregation B’nai Harim is located at the intersection of Rt. 940, Pocono Crest Road and Sullivan Trail in Pocono Pines.

Congregation B’nai Harim will be one of approximately 700 synagogues across the continent that will simultaneously open its doors to both practicing and

non-practicing Jews so they can experience a traditional Shabbat service and meal together. More than 974,830 people have participated in Shabbat Across America and Canada in the past. Led by Rabbi Peg Kershenbaum, the event will feature an interactive Friday night explanatory service and a traditional Shabbat dinner with all of the rituals explained.

Kershenbaum has encouraged all who are interested in “sharing in the Jewish traditions and the beauty of Shabbat” to attend. The 20th annual Shabbat Across America event will feature food and drink, leisure, dancing, debate and celebration.

Reservations are required by Friday, February 26, so attendees can be accommodated. The cost will be $7 per

Joint Tu B’Shevat seder with Temple Hesed and Temple Israel of Scranton

A joint Tu B’Shevat seder was held on January 25 at Temple Hesed. More than 80 people from Temple Hesed and Temple Israel of Scranton were in attendance. Led

by Rabbis Daniel Swartz, Marjorie Berman and Moshe Saks, the seder used a haggadah with the primary theme of humanity’s relationship to the environment, and the Jewish connection to the land of Israel.

Various fruits and nuts related to the holiday were consumed. Organizers thanked Harris and Janice Cutler

for providing them. In addition to the required red and white wine, as well as grape juice, the event featured foods prepared by several volunteers from both temples, including challah, fruit soup, couscous and various desserts, including ice cream that was locally produced, from Manning’s.

This was the third year both temples have held the seder together. Organizers noted, “a wonderful time was had by all.”

adult, and children 12 and younger will be free. For more information, call the message center at 570-646-0100 or e-mail http://bnaiharimpoconos.org/contact_us.html.

S

DEADLINE

The following are deadlines for all articles and photos for upcoming Reporter issues.

DEADLINE

ISSUE

Thursday, February 11............... February 25 Thursday, February 25................... March 10 Thursday, March 10....................... March 24 Thursday, March 24........................... April 7

Save the Date

Tuesday evening, March 8 7pm at the Scranton JCC Dr. Sandra Alfonsi will be speaking on “Bias in our Textbooks” Details will follow.

Above, left and right: Members of Temple Hesed and Temple Israel of Scranton enjoyed a Tu B’Shevat seder on January 25 at Temple Hesed.

Save the Date! e ate I a P ade Sunday, June 5, 2016 This year’s theme: Sight and Sounds of Israel ÊCheck out the Federation’s new, updated website at www.jewishnepa.org or find it on Facebook

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THE REPORTER ■ FEBRUARY 11, 2016

THE PENNSYLVANIA JEWISH COALITION

With Governor Wolf’s line-item veto – what’s next? allowed some funding to be

BY JOE FISCH released to the schools (six Late last year, Governor months of funding), $1 million Tom Wolf approved $23.3 in additional funding to assist billion of the $30.3 billion food pantries throughout the spending plan using his lineCommonwealth (a funding item veto power to remove increase for the first time in 10 $7 billion from the budget, years) and the release of EITC with the bulk of the cuts comletters to businesses. ing from the basic education The Pennsylvania Jewish Joe Fisch subsidy, Pennsylvania state Coalition hopes the Pennsylvania House colleges and universities, state prisons and Senate move to the negotiating table and medical assistance programs.

Using the line item veto, Wolf has to push for the reinstatement of the

money removed by the line-item veto.

However, at this time, it is uncertain as to the direction the House and Senate leaders plan to take.

They could return to the negotiating table and push for a $30.3 billion budget with tax increases or expansion, and pension reform. The House and Senate leaders could try to override Wolf’s line item veto, which would require a twothirds vote of the House and Senate: 33 out of 49 votes in the Senate (one vacancy at this time), and 134 out of

200 votes in the House of Representatives (three vacancies at this time). The House and Senate could negotiate into May and push for an 18-month budget, back-dated to January 2016 through the state’s fiscal year 2016-2017 ending on June 30, 2017.

The PJC is waiting to see the steps they will be taking to try to end the budget impasse and the PJC intends to keep its readers informed of any new developments.

Joe Fisch is chairman of the PJC.

in the U.S. At first, it served as a grocery store rather than a restaurant. These stores were not originally necessarily Jewish, but in New York City, some began to serve Jewish food – or at least, food that was identified as Jewish in nature. Merwin’s real interest, though, is showing how “the delicatessen, whether in its kosher or non-kosher variant, was a second home for many American Jews, especially those who were the children of immigrants, who had begun to define their Jewish identity in a secular rather than religious fashion.”

In the early part of the 20th century, most Jewish immigrants cooked at home – partly because of the cost and partly because women were expected to prepare meals for their family. Merwin believes the origin of the Jewish deli lies with kosher butchers, some of whom began “selling prepared food, displaying pickled meats and frankfurters on hooks, along with shelves of beans, ketchup, crackers and soup.” A few placed tables in the store, where customers could sit and eat. As time passed, hot food began to be served. This prepared food was convenient for those too poor to have ice boxes in their apartments and/or whose kitchens were too small for elaborate meal preparation.

The deli’s heyday occurred during the period between World War I and World War II. The restaurant served as a neighborhood meeting place for everyone from

leftist radicals to the religiously observant.

As Jews moved into new neighborhoods, they brought the deli with them. Merwin describes these new restaurants as “a crucial gathering space for a generation of lower-middle-class Jews who were eager to participate in American society while still maintaining loyalty to their ethnic roots.”

However, the delicatessen began to lose its hold on Jewish life during World War II – partly due to meat rationing and partly due to the introduction of new cuisines.

After the war, social mobility played a larger role in the changing of Jewish food habits. As Jews began to see themselves as equal to other Americans, “they began to define their identity in opposition to the food that had sustained their parents in Brooklyn and the Bronx and to develop a more sophisticated, more multicultural and more gourmet palate.” It didn’t help that grocery stores began selling the same prepared food delis offered. Also, deli food came to be seen as unhealthy – something to be eaten only on special occasions. Merwin shows how the deli does continue to exist – be it as a tourist stop for those looking for an old-fashioned Jewish experience or those wanting to try the neo-deli cuisine offered by gourmet restaurants attempting to reinvent Jewish food.

While published by a university press, “Pastrami on Rye” is not a dry, stolid his-

BOOK REVIEW

Food and identity

BY RABBI RACHEL ESSERMAN Multidisciplinary approaches are all the rage and have led to the development of new academic departments. One example is food studies, which Wikipedia defines as “the critical examination of food and its contexts within science, art, history, society and other fields.” Two recent books – “Pastrami on Rye: An Overstuffed History of the Jewish Deli” by Ted Merwin (New York University Press) and “Falafel Nation: Cuisine and the Making of National Identity in Israel” by Yael Raviv (University of Nebraska Press) – explore the connections between food and identity through

the lenses of history and sociology. While Merwin, an associate professor of religion and Judaic studies at Dickinson College, examines the connection between the delicatessen and Jewish identity in the United States, Raviv, an adjunct professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health at New York University, focuses on the relationship between Israeli food and the Jewish state.

Merwin shows how an ethnic identity became attached to the New York delicatessen, one unconnected to its origin. He outlines the history of the deli, exploring its initial development in Europe and then

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brew schools of all denominaBY DAVID FALLK tions, and several major social In support of letters sent service agencies and communal

by Pennsylvania Governor organizations. Our Jewish roots Tom Wolf; Joseph Scarnoti, in this region date back to the president pro tempore of the mid-19th century.

Pennsylvania Senate; and In many respects, it is easy Michael Turzai, speaker of to overlook the fact that vibrant the Pennsylvania House of Jewish life can exist beyond the Representatives, concerning the great cities of the East Coast of possible closure of the Israeli the United States. Nevertheless, Consulate in Philadelphia, a our communities have never David Fallk letter, including a photo of the overlooked the people and ICU ambulance donated by the community to Magen David Adom during the needs of Israel. Our Federation has the Second Intifada, was prepared by sponsored numerous missions to Israel Mark Silverberg, executive director of over the years and while other Federations the Jewish Federation of Northeastern have cancelled their missions to Israel Pennsylvania, and David Fallk, chairman for security reasons (during the Second of the Community Relations Committee, Intifada as well as in recent months due and issued on January 21 to Israeli Prime to terrorism), we never have cancelled our Israel missions and we never will.

Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

As part of our devout commitment to A Federation representative noted, “The Federation sincerely hopes that Israel, we help fund the Pennsylvania Jewthe government of Israel will respect ish Coalition, which lobbies in the state our wishes and the wishes of our elected capital, Harrisburg, for Jewish and Israeli representatives and permit the Israeli interests. We have sponsored broad-based, Consulate in Philadelphia to continue pro-Israel, inter-denominational comthe fine work it has done (and continues munity rallies, pro-Israel lectures at local to do) in support of Israel’s interests in universities and conducted emergency fund-raising campaigns to support Israel the Mid-Atlantic Region.”

The Honorable Benjamin Netanyahu in times of war and natural disasters. We continue to maintain one of the highest Prime Minister, State of Israel, percentages in America of our gross an3 Kaplan Street, P.O. Box 187 nual UJA Campaign dollars for Israel and Kiryat Ben-Gurion overseas Jewish needs, and we maintain a Jerusalem, Israel 91919 close relationship with the Israeli ConsulDear Prime Minister: I am the executive director of the Jewish ate in Philadelphia, which continues to Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania. provide our community with pro-Israel Our Federation is based in Scranton, speakers on a regular basis and on a wide PA, and services the Jewish communi- variety of subjects.

To symbolize the importance of Israel ties of four major counties in Northeast Pennsylvania, which include the Pocono to our Federation, I am enclosing a photo of the intensive care ambulance that our mountain areas.

Although our communities are rela- community purchased for Magen David tively small in Jewish population, we are Adom during the Second Intifada. It was large in our Jewishness and in our com- and continues to be an expression of mitment (both politically and financially) our love for our ancient homeland. Our to the security and survival of the Jewish community also assisted in rebuilding the state. We embrace 15 constituent agencies, ophthalmology clinic for the hospital in including a world-renowned yeshiva, a Nahariya after it was damaged by rockets large kosher skilled-care facility for the fired from Lebanon during that war. elderly, numerous synagogues and HeSee “Report” on page 6

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Community Relations Committee Report

FEBRUARY 11, 2016 ■ THE REPORTER

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THE REPORTER ■ FEBRUARY 11, 2016

Report

Continued from page 5

More recently, at the request of the Israeli Consulate in Philadelphia, our community hosted the Israeli consul general for a day, during which he met one of our local congressmen, Matt Cartwright, whose district also covers the Wilkes-Barre area south of Scranton.

During that meeting, both American foreign policy and domestic concerns were addressed by the consul general.

Representative Cartwright showed particular interest in Israel’s water technology. The consul general’s visit to Scranton also included a meeting with State Senator John Blake, who has considerable background and expertise in economic development and state agencies that deal with those issues.

Another meeting was held with the president of Lackawanna College, which has begun a program to train workers in the gas drilling industry that is developing the Marcellus shale resources in our area. The consul general was also presented with a plaque from the mayor of Scranton, who acknowledged the recent contract between the city of Scranton and the Israeli company Pango for its parking meter system.

Of even greater importance was the face-to-face visit of the consul general with the editorial board of The Scranton Times-Tribune, the largest newspaper and news group in northeastern Pennsylvania. This opportunity allowed him to put Israel’s position regarding both the United States and its Arab neighbors before tens of thousands of Pennsylvania readers.

Obviously, my purpose in writing this letter to you is to express our collective concern that the

to our communities, to our region, to our country and to the state of Israel.

Respectfully submitted, Mark Silverberg, executive director Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania 601 Jefferson Avenue Scranton, PA 18510

Food An ICU ambulance was donated by the community to Magen David Adom during the Second Intifada.

Israeli Consulate in Philadelphia has been listed for closure. Such closure would no doubt render the working relationship we have developed with Israeli officials more difficult. In the future, we had great hopes of building upon both the economic opportunities provided by our area for partnering with Israeli governmental and private projects, and continuing our unswerving support for the security of Israel and the Jewish people.

While we shall respect your decision regarding the future of the Israeli Consulate in Philadelphia, it is our sincerest hope that some financial accommodation can be made to keep the Israeli Consulate for the Mid-Atlantic Region open, thereby continuing its vital services

Friends of The Reporter Dear Friend of The Reporter, Each year at this time the Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania calls upon members of our community to assist in defraying the expense of issuing our regional Jewish newspaper, The Reporter.

The newspaper is delivered twice of month (except for December and July which are single issue months) to each and every identifiable Jewish home in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

columns that cover everything from food to entertainment.

The Federation assumes the financial responsibility for funding the enterprise at a cost of $26,400 per year and asks only that we undertake a small letter writing mail campaign to our recipients in the hope of raising $10,000 from our readership to alleviate a share of that responsibility.

We would be grateful if you would care enough to take the time to make a donation for our efforts in bringing The Reporter to your door.

As the primary Jewish newspaper of our region, we have tried to produce a quality publication for you that offers our readership something on everythingfrom opinions and columns on controversial issues that affect our people and our times, to publicity for the events of our affiliated agencies and organizations to life cycle events, teen columns, personality profiles, letters to the editor, the Jewish community calendar and other

As always, your comments, opinions and suggestions are always welcome.

With best wishes, Mark Silverberg, Executive Director Jewish Federation of NE Pennsylvania 601 Jefferson Avenue Scranton, PA 18510

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Continued from page 4 tory. The writing is so lively and entertaining readers will forget they’re being educated. The work is also an excellent example of a multidisciplinary approach – combining food studies, Judaic studies, history and sociology.

While Merwin’s book focuses on the United States, Raviv explores the meaning of food in Israel. She looks at “the role food played in the construction of a Jewish nation (distinct from the Jewish religion) and the Jewish national home in the land of Israel.” She notes that the government deliberately attempted to create a unified Israeli culture, even though the country had to absorb waves of immigrants from different nations and ethnic backgrounds. In the introduction, Raviv gives an overview of what occurred by using falafel as an example.

She shows how Israelis adapted food from the Middle East area, changed recipes to use what produce was available, separated the food from its local origins so that it became to be seen as Israeli, and emphasized produce and products that were part of the Israeli economy.

These ideas are echoed throughout the rest of her work.

What makes Israel different from other countries is that its foods “did not develop their symbolic power slowly over time but were adopted and adapted as symbols by the national movement.” For example, citizens were encouraged to use eggplant, a food that was not familiar to those Jews who came from Europe. Rationing also played a role in which foods were emphasized. During the early years of the state, the government offered suggestions to help make rationing less distasteful to those who didn’t want to adopt new food customs.

However, each new wave of immigrants brought its own food and customs. For example, while state sponsored meals and army kitchens are still kosher, there has been an increase in the consumption of non-kosher food – particularly since the influx of Russian immigrants.

These immigrants are preparing foods from their former homeland, rather than Israeli food; they are also less interested in being absorbed into Israeli culture. Another change is the increase in the amount of imported food: Israelis are no longer buying “white and blue food” – as local food has been called. Yet, this has led to another trend – one Raviv sees as more “natural” – the growth of “boutique” farms. She notes that “small local wine, cheese and olive oil producers are becoming more visible in the Israel market. This kind of local produce... [indicates] a new kind of construction between the land of Israel and its citizens: not an ideological construct, a device in the hands of a national movement, but a more ‘natural’ tie between people and the land they were born and raised on.”

Raviv shows how Israelis have been rethinking food – treating it as a pleasure, rather than just as a national symbol. She explores everything from kibbutz kitchens in the early days of the state – when comradery was more important than the little food available – to the growing number of food blogs and gourmet restaurants. She also discusses specific customs based on food, including the post-Passover Mimouna celebration, a Sephardic holiday that has been adopted by many Israelis, even those from Ashkenazic backgrounds.

Although “Falafel Nation” does an excellent job showing how Israel developed its national cuisine, the work’s origin as a doctoral dissertation shows. Raviv’s writing is not difficult to read, but its educational nature is clear and its prose is more stolid than that in “Pastrami on Rye.” Yet, Raviv successfully accomplishes a difficult task in a work that foodies, historians and sociologists will find of great interest.

FEBRUARY 11, 2016 ■ THE REPORTER

7

The brewish state: Israel taps into growing craft beer industry

BY MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMAN JNS.org It’s widely known that Israel has penetrated the wine market, with some of its sophisticated Israeli blends surpassing historically excellent wines from areas such as the Napa Valley or Bordeaux. But what about beer? For decades, Israel has offered solely the Maccabi and Nesher brands. Not anymore.

“There is a huge push of people making beer at home. The country is approaching over 30 craft breweries in the last year or two, making nearly 200 beers,” says Avi Moskowitz, owner and founder of Beer Bazaar, Israel’s latest brewery and bar, which is located in Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda shuk.

An immigrant entrepreneur and startup aficionado, Moskowitz says making craft beer is like working in a laboratory – something Israelis are accustomed to.

But brewing beer is also quick; one can brew a keg in a couple of days. That’s ideal for the stereotypically impatient Israeli. “You can tinker with it and come up with so many flavors. There is no limit to what you can do with beer,” Moskowitz tells JNS.org.

Indeed, Israeli beer makers are tapping into this market. The first microbrewery in the area was actually opened by a Palestinian in 1995 in the village of Tayibe. But a low marketing budget and restrictions on alcohol in Islamic culture prevented the beer of the Taybeh Brewing Company (taybeh meaning “delicious”) from successfully penetrating the marketplace until around 2000.

In 2006, New York native David Cohen opened Israel’s first microbrewery, Dancing Camel. Cohen says he started brewing beer in the 1980s in his home.

He kept up the passion through his aliyah in 2003, and today owns one of the most successful breweries in Tel Aviv. “From the beginning, the focus was to whenever possible use local ingredients, spices and fruits that would give the beers an Israeli accent, that they could be identified as Israeli beer,” Cohen tells JNS.org.

Dancing Camel brews about 20 beers a year. The Talmud-inspired Old Papa beer is brewed with silan (honey made from dates), which sweetens the bitter IPA. The Carobbean Stout is brewed with carob.

Around the time of Sukkot, the Trog Wit beer is developed from etrogim (the traditional citron fruits). “I did not set up a brewery in Israel to brew another English ale or American IPA or German lager. The mission of the brewery was to make a connection between Israel and the beer. I came here like a kid in a candy shop with all the fruits and herbs and spices to play with,” says Cohen. “No one has experimented with them for at least 1,700 years.

It is very much a passion to go after these flavors and make them beers.”

Cohen says that less than 15 years ago, there was no knowledge about boutique beer in Israel. Over the last decade, as more microbreweries have opened up – and have been successful despite a crippling NIS 4.19 (more than $1) per liter tax on beer – it has become easier for Dancing Camel to explain itself. And he says the competition is healthy, save for all the beer bellies.

Earlier this year, Israeli beer made international headlines when Jerusalem’s Herzl Beer was selected to collaborate with a German brewery to create an international beer blend that will celebrate Jewish contributions to beer, especially in Germany, as part of a 2016 exhibition com-

The tap wheel, giving customers a shot each of 10 beers, at the Beer Bazaar in Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda shuk.

(Photo by Maayan Jaffe) memorating the 500th anniversary of the Reinheitsgebot, Germany’s and perhaps the world’s first beer purity law. Herzl is the only beer that is actually crafted in the holy city.

What else is making bubbles in the Israeli craft beer scene? Jem’s Beer Factory, also started by an American immigrant, Jeremy Welfeld, has become a Petach Tikvah favorite. At 8.8 percent alcohol by volume, it’s a red Belgian-style triple ale that’s rich, sweet and fruity, with a mild bitterness.

The Negev Brewery, tucked away in the development town of Kiryat Gat, is now the official beer maker for the posh Beresheet Hotel in Mitzpe Ramon.

It makes a beer named for the colorful sand getaway. The brewery has become best known for its light and fruity passion-fruit ale, with its rich tropical aroma and taste.

All of these beers and more can be tasted at Moskowitz’s Beer Bazaar, which was opened only a few months ago. On a recent Thursday night when this reporter stopped by, there is nowhere to sit or even stand.

Nestled in the covered section of the shuk See “Beer” on page 9

Planning on leaving town for a few months?

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THE REPORTER ■ FEBRUARY 11, 2016

• Regular Schedule of Services • ABINGTON TORAH CENTER Rabbi Dovid Saks President: Richard Rutta Jewish Heritage Connection 108 North Abington Rd., Clarks Summit, PA 18411 570-346-1321 • Website: www.jewishheritageconnection.org Sunday morning services at 8:30 am Call for other scheduled services throughout the week.

BETH SHALOM CONGREGATION Rabbi Yisroel Brotsky 1025 Vine St., Scranton, PA 18510 (corner of Vine & Clay Ave.) 570-346-0502 • fax: 570-346-8800 Weekday – Shacharit: Sun 8 am; Mon, Thurs. & Rosh Chodesh, 6:30 am; Tue, Wed & Fri, 6:45 am; Sat & Holidays, 8:45 am. Mincha during the week is approx. 10 minutes before sunset, followed by Maariv.

BICHOR CHOLEM CONGREGATION/ CHABAD OF THE ABINGTONS Rabbi Benny Rapoport President: Richard I. Schwartz 216 Miller Road, Waverly, PA 18471 570-587-3300 • Website: www.JewishNEPA.com Saturday morning Shabbat Service 9:30 am.

Call or visit us online for our bi-weekly schedule

CHABAD LUBAVITCH OF THE POCONOS Rabbi Mendel Bendet 570-420-8655 • Website: www.chabadpoconos.com Please contact us for schedules and locations.

CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL Affiliation: Union for Reform Judaism Rabbi Elliott Kleinman President: Liza Roos Lucy Contact Person: Cheryl Badner, Congregation Administrator (570)253-2222 615 Court Street, Honesdale, PA 18431 570-253-2222 • fax: 570-226-1105

CONGREGATION B’NAI HARIM Affiliation: Union for Reform Judaism Rabbi Peg Kershenbaum President: Irene Stolzenberg P.O. Box 757 Sullivan Rd., Pocono Pines, PA 18350 (located at RT 940 and Pocono Crest Rd at Sullivan Trail) 570-646-0100 • Website: www.bnaiharimpoconos.org Shabbat Morning Services, 10 am – noon; every other Saturday Potluck Shabbat Dinner with blessings and program of varying topics, one Friday every month – call for schedule.

D’VAR TORAH Heaven or hell?

BY RABBI MARJORIE BERMAN, SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR, RECONSTRUCTIONIST RABBINICAL COLLEGE IN PHILADELPHIA Terumah, Exodus 25:1-27:19 There is story, sometimes attributed to Rabbi Haim of Romshishok, about the difference between heaven and hell. It goes something like this: There once was a wise and virtuous woman, who, in her elder years, was granted a wish before dying: that she be able to visit both heaven and hell and judge for herself the difference between the two places. When she arrived in heaven, she found herself in an enormous banquet hall filled with round tables. Each table was laden with the most delectable dishes imaginable; their very aromas set her mouth to watering. The face of each diner was aglow with happiness and contentment. Some tables ate in a sort of rapt silence, while others were abuzz with animated and friendly conversation. The one oddity was that every diner was moving their arms oddly. After a moment, the woman realized that no one seemed able to bend their arms, and the utensils they were using seemed unusually long.

“I’ve seen enough,” said the old woman. “Now may I see hell?”

She blinked, and when she opened her eyes, she thought for a moment that she was gazing at the exact same scene. But after a minute, she realized that although the hall, the tantalizing smells and the tables positively groaning beneath platters of every imaginable delight were the same, the faces of the diners were not. By turns, they were sullen, angry, despairing and greedy.

They were scowling and glaring at each other, and there were arguments on every side. Just as in heaven, no one seemed able to bend their elbows, and each held a very long spoon or fork in their hand, but here, no one was eating. For a moment, the woman was puzzled. And then she realized: those in heaven were eating because they were feeding each other. In hell, all sat in unending fear,

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See “Heaven” on page 11

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fury and despair, able to see and smell, but not partake of, the bounty laid out for them.

Variations of this story are found around the world, in Asia, Europe, India and more, so I felt free to change a few details. I am not so sure that Rabbi Haim ever told this story, or if so, it seems likely that he heard it somewhere else first. But whether it is told about lengthy chopsticks and bowls of rice or a banquet hall, the message is clear: We create heaven – that is, a place where the Holy dwells – when we give to each other.

In Terumah, this week’s parasha, the Israelites are given intricate instructions for building the Mishkan, the place where God will dwell amidst them. In the very beginning of the parasha, Exodus 25:2, God instructs Moses to tell the people that each person should bring a terumah, an offering, that which is “lifted up,” as they are “moved” by their own heart to do so. The Hebrew root n-d-v has a stronger connotation than “moved,” however.

It is more like “impel,” “incite” or “call.”

Unfortunately, when we hear the word “incite” today, it is more commonly followed by “hatred,” and we are more likely to encounter isolationism than those seeking to cross barriers to create a common cause. As we move into Black History Month, I am saddened by the small crowd that I witnessed last month at the interfaith Martin Luther King Jr. service at Shiloh Baptist Church. It is one of the few events in our area that brings together people of all faiths to honor the man who reminded us that “None of us are free until all of us are free!” I am saddened by how unsafe my Muslim friend, a physician who works for an Israeli pharmaceutical company, feels as Islamophobia rises throughout our country. I am saddened that as we approach our next presidential election, some are instigating fear and hatred as a way to bolster their political aims.

This parasha asks us: what does your heart call you, impel you, incite you to do? If we want to asoo li Mishkan

* outright contribution of cash, appreciated securities or other long-term * capital gain property such as real estate * charitable remainder trust * gift of life insurance * charitable lead trust * gift of IRA or pension plan assets * grant from your foundation * reserved life estate in your residence * bequest

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FEBRUARY 11, 2016 ■ THE REPORTER

Wall

long, narrow and accessible only through a gateway tucked in a back corner of the plaza. The deal will create a wide and visible walkway to the section. The deal does not specify, however, whether there will be signs at the entrance informing visitors of the non-Orthodox section or anything else notifying visitors of its existence.

“The vision of the new section of the Kotel is a physical and conceptual space

Beer

open to all forms of Jewish prayer,” a statement from Women of the Wall read.

“Instead of splitting up the existing pie into ever more divided, smaller pieces, we are making the pie much larger and sharing the new space.”

The Western Wall’s haredi management, headed by Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, has long pushed for Women of the Wall to leave the site. Under the deal, the women’s group

Continued from page 7

and sandwiched between a dried fruit stand and vegetable market just off Jaffa Street, Beer Bazaar is about as trendy as you get – for the young and young-at-heart alike.

Moskowitz says the shuk beer scene started a few years ago when Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat began bringing local talent, such as musicians and artists, to the market for evening performances. He harnessed an inherent authenticity and spiritual energy that Jerusalem residents were craving. “In so many ways, the shuk defines the pulse of this country. Here you can see the full spectrum of Israeli society: Jews, Arabs, haredim and secular people.

They are not necessarily socializing, but they are all interacting and I feel the energy, the pulse,” says Moskowitz, who sells more than 100 Israeli beers, including two of the company’s own crafts.

A NIS 25 (about $6) tap wheel gives consumers a shot of each of 10 beers on tap (counting Buster’s Dry Cider, which has become all the rage in Israel and is served from the tap, though cider is essentially a weak wine because it goes through the same fermentation process). An 11th option is nitro coffee, which Beer Bazaar brought to Israel, though that doesn’t come with the wheel.

The Bazelet wheat beer is refreshing, slightly

tangy with light fruity notes.Alexander Black is an award-winning stout, full of flavor.

Beer Bazaar’s Six Mix allows visitors to mix and match a six pack of their choice for NIS 79 (about $20). “We encourage visitors to dry different things. People go away with the six and every week make it through a few more bottles of Israeli beer and become more familiar,” says Moskowitz. “We ask, ‘What have you been drinking?’ Chances are there is a great or even better Israeli beer for whatever you are used to.”

Moskowitz doesn’t purport that the growing beer and bar scene will bring Israeli-Palestinian peace, or even necessarily reduced tensions between the Israeli left and right, religious and non-religious.

But he does think it has the potential to bring a little more harmony. “There is a real community component,” Moskowitz says. “When I am able to sit there and experience the people congregating around the beer, I see everyone from religious people dancing to secular girls jumping up on boxes – they are socializing.”

He adds, “Beer bonds people, brings people together, washes away their differences. Sure, you could come in and sit down to have a beer on your own – but you won’t be alone very long. It’s just beautiful.”

has agreed to move to the non-Orthodox section only once the deal is implemented.

And a faction of Women of the Wall has vowed not to budge from the Orthodox section – regardless of what the deal says.

The Western Wall’s religious status has been under contention for decades. Women of the Wall was founded in 1988 to advance women’s prayer at the site, which is prohibited under haredi Orthodox Jewish law.

Until 2013, much of the group’s activity contravened the Heritage Foundation’s regulations and thus was illegal. Police regularly detained members of the group.

Non-Orthodox groups also suffered persecution at the site. In 1997, an egalitarian Conservative Shavuot celebration behind the prayer section was attacked by protesters throwing bottles, diapers and refuse at the worshippers. The incident led to the establishment of the non-Orthodox prayer section at Robinson’s Arch in 2000.

Following an international backlash to Hoffman’s 2012 arrest, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tasked Sharansky

Continued from page 1 with forging a compromise solution to the dispute. An outline Sharansky proposed in April 2013 called for the non-Orthodox section to be equal in size and elevation to the Orthodox section, but it proved unworkable due to objections from the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Waqf, the Islamic body that governs the Temple Mount.

In August 2013, Diaspora Affairs Minister Naftali Bennett tried for an interim solution by building a 4,800 square-foot platform that created more space in the non-Orthodox section. Women of the Wall rejected the platform, calling it a “sundeck.” Now the architects of the compromise hope that all sides of the debate will be able to put their differences behind them for the sake of the Western Wall’s symbolism.

“This contains the hope that the Western Wall will no longer be an arena for disputes, and will regain the uniting character that befits its special place for the entire Jewish people,” the agreement reads.

“May this also bring peace among us.”

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THE REPORTER ■ FEBRUARY 11, 2016

February 2016

• Non-Feature Films • *Deli Man - In Houston, Texas, third-generation deli man Ziggy Gruber has built arguably the finest delicatessen restaurant in the U.S. His story augmented by the stories of iconic delis such as Katz s, 2nd Avenue Deli, Nate n Al, Carnegie, and the Stage embodies a tradition indelibly linked to its savory, nostalgic foods.

Everything is a Present - The Wonder and Grace of Alice Sommer Hertz– This is the uplifting true story of the gifted pianist Alice Sommer Hertz who survived the Theresienstat concentration camp by playing classical piano concerts for Nazi dignitaries. Alice Sommer Hertz lived to the age of 106. Her story is an inspiration.

Follow Me: The Yoni Netanyahu Story - Yoni Netanyahu was a complex, passionate individual thrust into defending his country in a time of war and violence. The older brother of Benjamin Natanyahu, the current Israel Prime Minister, Yoni led the miraculous raid on Entebbe in 1976. Although almost all of the Entebbe hostages were saved, Yoni was the lone military fatality. Featuring three Israeli Prime Ministers and recently released audio from the Entebbe raid itself.

Hava Nagila (The Movie) - A documentary romp through the history, mystery and meaning of the great Jewish standard.

Featuring interviews with Harry Belafonte, Leonard Nimoy and more, the film follows the ubiquitous party song on its fascinating journey from the shtetls of Eastern Europe to the kibbutzim of Palestine to the cul-de-sacs of America.

Inside Hana’s Suitcase - The delivery of a battered suitcase to Fumiko Ishioka at the Tokyo Holocaust Museum begins the true-life mystery that became the subject of Karen Levine’s best-selling book Hana’s Suitcase. The film follows Fumiko’s search to discover the details of Hana’s life, which leads to the discovery of her brother George in Toronto.

Israel: The Royal Tour - Travel editor Peter Greenberg (CBS News) takes us on magnificent tour of the Jewish homeland, Israel. The tour guide is none other than Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The viewer gets a chance to visit the land of Israel from his own home!

Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story (narrated by Dustin Hoffman) - This documentary portrays the contributions of Jewish major leaguers and the special meaning that baseball has had in the lives of American Jews. More than a film about sports, this is a story of immigration, assimilation, bigotry, heroism, the passing on of traditions, the shattering of stereotypes and, most of all, the greatest American pastime. *Nicky’s Family - An enthralling documentary that artfully tells the story of how Sir Nicholas Winton, now 104, a British stockbroker, gave up a 1938 skiing holiday to answer a friend’s request for help in Prague and didn’t stop helping until the war’s beginning stopped him. He had saved the lives of 669 children in his own personal Kindertransport.

Shanghai Ghetto - One of the most amazing and captivating survival tales of WWII, this documentary recalls the strange-but-true story of thousands of European Jews who were shut out of country after country while trying to escape Nazi persecution. Left without options or entrance visa, a beacon of hope materialized for them on the other side of the world, and in the unlikeliest of places, Japanese-controlled Shanghai.

The Case for Israel-Democracy’s Outpost - This documentary presents a vigorous case for Israel- for its basic right to exist, to protect its citizens from terrorism, and to defend its borders from hostile enemies.

The Jewish Cardinal - This is the amazing true story of Jean-Marie Lustiger, the son of Polish-Jewish immigrants, who maintained his cultural identity as a Jew even after converting to Catholicism at a young age, and later joining the priesthood.

The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg - As baseball’s first Jewish star, Hammerin’ Hank Greenberg’s career contains all the makings of a true American success story.

Unmasked: Judaophobia - The Threat to Civilization – This documentary exposes the current political assault against the State of Israel fundamentally as a war against the Jewish people and their right to self-determination.

• Feature Films • *Amen - From the acclaimed director of Z and CAPITAL, Costa-Gavras presents a powerful and riveting account of the implementation of the Final Solution and the culpability of the Vatican in the extermination of millions in Nazi Death Camps.

Fill the Void - This is the story of an eighteen-year-old, Shira, who is the youngest daughter of her family. Her dreams are about to come true as she is set to be married. Unexpectedly, her sister dies while giving birth to her first child. The drama of the story reaches its peak when the girls’ mother proposes a match between Shira and the young widower.

Shira will have to choose between her heart’s wish and her family duty.

Footnote - The winner of the Cannes Film Festival (Best Screenplay) is the tale of a great rivalry between a father and son, two eccentric professors, who have both dedicated their lives to work in Talmudic Studies. Each has a need for recognition in his chosen field and the day comes when father and son must look deeply inside themselves for the truth- advancement of his own career or of the others.

Hidden in Silence - Przemysl, Poland, WWII. Germany emerges victorious over the Russians and the city comes under Nazi control. The Jews are sent to the ghettos. While some stand silent, Catholic teenager, Stefania Podgorska, choose the role of a savior and sneaks 13 Jews into her attic. *Ida: Poland 1962 - On the eve of her vows, 18-year old Anna meets her estranged aunt Wanda, a cynical Communist judge who shocks the naive Anna with a stunning revelation: Anna is Jewish and her real name is Ida. Tasked with this new identity, Ida and Wanda embark on a revelatory journey to their old family house to discover the fate of Ida’s birth parents and unearth dark secrets dating back to the Nazi occupation. *Music Box - In this intense courtroom thriller, Chicago attorney Ann Talbot (Jessica Lange) agrees to defend her Hungarian immigrant father Mike Laszlo (Armin Mueller-Stahl) against accusations of heinous war crimes committed 50 years earlier. As the trial unfolds, Ann probes for evidence that will not only establish his innocence, but also lay to rest her own agonizing doubts about his past. When a hospitalized witness is suddenly located in Budapest, the trial moves to her father’s homeland. Here crucial testimony plus Ann’s personal investigation lead to astonishing results.

Noodle (compatible only on PAL/DVD players - Hebrew with English subtitles) - This film was a beloved entry in the Jewish Federation of NEPA’s Jewish Film Festival. It tells the heartwarming story of an Israeli stewardess, Miri, whose personal life as a war widow leaves her without much joy. Everything changes for Miri when her Oriental housemaid disappears one day leaving her with her young Oriental child!

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - Based on the best- selling novel, this movie is unforgettable. Set during WWII, the movie introduces us to Bruno, an innocent eight-year-old, ignores his mother and sets of on an adventure in the woods.

Soon he meets a young boy and a surprising friendship develops.

The Concert - Andrei Filipov was prodigy- at 20 he was the celebrated conductior for Russia’s renowned Bolshoi Orchestra.

Thirty years later, still at the Bolshoi, he works as a janitor. Ousted during the communist era when he refused to fire the Jewish members of the orchestra, a broken Andrei now cleans the auditorium where he once performed in front of thousands.

The Debt - In 1966, three Mossad agents were assigned to track down a feared Nazi war criminal hiding in East Berlin, a mission accomplished at great risk and personal cost- or was it?

The Other Son - As he is preparing to join the Israeli army for his national service, Joseph discovers he is not his parents’ biological son and that he was inadvertently switched at birth with Yacine, the son of a Palestinian family from the West Bank. This revelation turns the lives of these two families upside-down, forcing them to reassess their respective identities, their values and beliefs. *Woman in Gold - Maria Altman sought to regain a world famous painting of her aunt plundered by the Nazis during World War II. She did so not just to regain what was rightfully hers, but also to obtain some measure of justice for the death, destruction, and massive art theft perpetrated by the Nazis.

*connotes new films To borrow any of these films for home or synagogue use, please contact Dassy at 961-2300 x2 or dassy.ganz@jewishnepa.org.

Saul

Continued from page 1 of Saul” budget. But even that relatively small contribution was subject to “serious internal debate,” Schneider said. “It was a risk that paid off.”

The Claims Conference receives funding requests for about 50 films a year. One factor that helped clinch the deal with Nemes was the quality of a short Holocaust film, “With a Little Patience,” that he had made back in 2007. Another factor was the director’s meticulous attention to historical accuracy, as demonstrated by the “Son of Saul” script.

While fictional, the plot uses an accurate backdrop in telling the story of Saul Auslander, a member of the Sonderkommando, a group of Jews whom the Germans forced to work in the gas chambers. In the film, an unemotional Auslander is seen herding transport after transport of his brethren to their deaths before becoming unhinged at the sight of a Nazi doctor suffocating a boy of 14 who had somehow survived the poison. Oblivious to the rebellion being planned around him, Auslander abuses the access that his gruesome job affords him in an attempt to bury the teenager.

“Auslander’s story is fictional, the rest is accurate,” Schneider told JTA recently in Berlin, where the Claims Conference organized the film’s premiere in Germany. (The Sonderkommando at Auschwitz did stage a rebellion in October 1944. Separately, two teenagers were murdered after surviving the gas chambers.) Whereas straightforward filming of an Auschwitz-Birkenau set would have yielded “a pornography of death,” as the lead actor, Geza Rohrig, said, the camera focuses on the living Sonderkommando and scenery, weaving the carnage around them into an out-of-focus but omnipresent background.

Though the Claims Conference provided less than 4 percent of the total production cost of “Son of Saul,” its contribution “came in the final stages of production when we were really lacking money,” “Son of Saul” producer Gabor Sipos said. Since 2008, the Claims Conference has spent a total of $2.25 million, or an average of $282,000 a year, to fund educational Holocaust films. The organization’s total annual budget has ranged from $700 million to $870 million, with the vast majority going toward improving the quality of life for Holocaust survivors.

Of the dozens of films funded by the Claims Conference, “Son of Saul” is “by far the most successful in terms of return on investment,” Schneider said. It is the first film funded by the organization that has won a Golden Globe or been nominated for an Oscar. Among others that have received funding from the Claims Conference are the award-winning “Numbered” (2012) and “The Decent One” (2014).

The remainder of the budget for “Son of Saul” came almost entirely from the Hungarian National Film Fund. Agnes Havas, the Hungarian fund’s CEO, told the Budapest Business Journal that the film’s commercial appeal makes it “the most successful project supported by the film fund.” “Son of Saul” is also Hungary’s first Oscar nominee since 1988.

But the funding from Hungary is also exposing “Son of Saul” to criticism by those opposed to the right-wing policies of the country’s prime minister, Viktor Orban, whose government was recently accused of downplaying Hungarian complicity in the Holocaust and relegating all the blame to Germany. “I wonder if getting money from the Hungarian state is a problem for you, or you just don’t mind,” one critical viewer, who accused the government of antisemitism, said at a post-screening Q&A. In replying, Sipos said the filmmakers were “proud of the film fund,” which they “hope has nothing to do with [the policies of] Hungarian government.” He noted that while requests for funding “Son of Saul” were “rejected in countries that are seen to be less antisemitic,” including France, Germany and Israel, “the Hungarian film fund decided to support us, meaning this film would not have existed if not for their help.”

DVD SALE The following DVDs are for sale by the Jewish Federation.

Contact Dassy at 570-961-2300, ext. 109, for easy pricing.

Follow Me: The Yoni Netanyahu Story Mel Brooks: Make a Noise Noodle The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg The Monuments Men When Jews Were Funny

FEBRUARY 11, 2016 ■ THE REPORTER

11

NEWS IN BRIEF From JNS.org

Arab Knesset members under fire for meeting with terrorists’ families

(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein said on Feb. 4 that they plan to file personal complaints with the Knesset’s Ethics Committee against Arab MKs Hanin Zoabi, Jamal Zahalka and Basel Ghattas, who met with the families of late Palestinian terrorists earlier that week. The lawmakers, who are from the Balad faction of the Knesset’s Joint Arab List party, met with the terrorists’ relatives on Feb. 2, one day before Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas held a similar meeting in Ramallah. The Palestinian Ma’an News Agency reported that the meeting “observed a moment of silence in the memory of the shahids (martyrs)…and it was positive and relaxed,” adding that the main issue discussed was the families’demand that Israel return the remains of 11 Palestinian terrorists killed during the current surge of violence. “Israeli MKs who visit the families of terrorists who murdered Jews are not worthy of their Knesset seat. I have asked the Knesset speaker to see what actions can be taken against them over this disgrace,” Netanyahu said on Feb. 4. Edelstein said the meeting constituted “outright incitement and encouragement to commit murder. This meeting was a gross infringement against the Knesset and the state of Israel.”

Iran’s missile program will become stronger, army chief says

Iran plans to continue developing its missile program, but only the Islamic Republic’s “enemies” should feel threatened, the commander-in-chief of the Iranian Army said. “Our missile program is not a threat against our friends, but it is a threat against our enemies. Israel should understand what it means,” Maj. Gen. Ataollah Salehi said, Iran’s Fars News Agency reported on Feb. 4. Although last summer’s nuclear deal did not lift sanctions against Iran’s missile program, Salehi said the program “will become stronger. We do not pay attention and do not implement resolutions against Iran, and this is not a violation of the nuclear deal.” Most international sanctions on Iran were lifted by the nuclear deal, but a United Nations Security Council resolution barred the country from working on ballistic missiles for eight years. Ballistic missiles are a delivery mechanism for nuclear weapons. Iran, however, already violated the U.N. resolution by conducting a missile test last October.

Holocaust survivors sue Hungary

Fourteen Hungarian Holocaust survivors have filed a class action lawsuit in the U.S. against the Hungarian government and its national train company for cooperation with the Nazis, complicity in the deportation of more than 500,000 Hungarian Jews, and confiscation of property. Currently, Hungary does not compensate Holocaust survivors or their heirs, nor has the country ever been prosecuted for collaborating with Nazi Germany during the Holocaust. Six of the plaintiffs currently live in Israel, while the others live in the U.S., Canada and Australia. The federal court initially rejected the lawsuit, but that ruling was overruled in late January on appeal, sending the lawsuit back to the U.S. court. “We did not establish a sum, but in actuality it will amount to billions of dollars. This is basically a class action lawsuit. If we win, a fund under the court’s supervision with a mechanism that will inform every Holocaust survivor and their families will be established, and then the court will make sure the money is distributed according to a formula that it will determine,” said Israeli-American lawyer Marc Zell, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of the plaintiffs and is also a relative of a Hungarian

SAVE THE DATE!

Bais Yaakov presents When Zaidy Was Young Tale 3 Saturday evening, February 27 At Beth Shalom Synagogue Social Hall More details to come!

Holocaust survivor, Yediot Achronot reported. “This is a large and important lawsuit that arrives 71 years after the war. A relatively large amount of Hungarian Holocaust survivors and their descendants live in Israel. There were attempts in the past to get reparations from Nazi criminals in Hungary, but this case is unique because this is the first time the Hungarian government is being sued. Usually the Nazi crimes occurred in areas where there was no independent regime, such as Poland. There, the Nazis established their own regime and they are the ones who committed the crimes, as well as Poles who cooperated with them,” explained the lawyer. “In our lawsuit, we also mentioned the Hungarians’ activities in 1941 – before the big deportation,” Zell said. “They expelled 20,000 Jews from Hungary proper into the hands of the Nazis, and all of them were shot to death in Ukraine. They initiated this, without the Germans asking them to do it. The Hungarians wanted to get rid of the Jews. In 1944, the remaining Jews were deported by the Hungarians to Auschwitz and Mauthausen in trains, and basically they were sent to their deaths.” The lawsuit was filed inAmerica, said Zell, “because the U.S. has a law that gives the option for individuals to file a claim for damage caused to them by a foreign government or a foreign government’s company.”

Hamas terror tunnels reach deep into Israel, Gaza official warns

(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) – A senior Hamas official warned on Feb. 3 that the Palestinian terrorist group’s efforts to rebuild the Gaza Strip’s terror tunnel grid are advancing rapidly and that some tunnels dug under the border already run deep into Israeli territory. “Israeli technology will not be able to stop the resistance as long as Hamas exists,” Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar told Oman-based Alwatan News. “Even if Israel is able to uncover a tunnel, or two, or 10, they [the tunnels] run deep under Israel, beyond Gaza, into 1948 territory.” He added that regardless of the tunnel grid, Hamas had “other advanced measures”

with which it could fight Israel. The Israeli military had destroyed Hamas’ terror tunnel network during Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014.

CBS headline spotlights Palestinian terrorists as victims, ignores slain Israeli

(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) – The Israeli Foreign Ministry slammed CBS News on Feb. 3 over its report on a terrorist attack near Damascus Gate in Jerusalem, which carried a headline reading, “3 Palestinians killed as daily violence grinds on.” The Palestinians identified in the headline were actually the terrorists who carried out the attack, which killed 19-year-old Israeli Border Police officer Hadar Cohen. Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon blasted the media outlet’s “gall” for focusing solely on the deaths of the Palestinians, and ignoring the fact that they were terrorists. This was “unprecedented chutzpah, a slanted and false headline,” Nahshon said. After the Foreign Ministry, as well as Israel’s National Information Directorate at the Prime Minister’s Office and Government Press Office, all contacted CBS, the headline was first changed to “Israeli police kill 3 alleged Palestinian attackers” and later to “Palestinians kill Israeli officer, wound another before being killed.” Government Press Office Director Nitzan Chen said, “This will not be tolerated. This time we will consider revoking the press credentials from reporters and editors who neglect to do their job, and present readers with headlines that have nothing to do with reality.”

Heaven

Continued from page 8 v’shachanti b’tocham, to create a place where the Holy can dwell among us, we must do a better job of taking care of each other. It is only through nourishing each other, showing up for each other, speaking up for each other and, most of all, learning to trust each other, that we can begin to create heaven on earth.

Quick Reference Guide to

Planned Giving

Use this planned giving quick reference guide to help determine the best strategy for achieving your philanthropic and financial goals.

For more information or to discuss these planned giving options, please contact Mark Silverberg, Executive Director, Jewish Federation of NEPA, 570-961-2300 (x1) or mark.silverberg@jewishnepa.org.

If Your Goal is to:

Then You Can:

Your Benefits May Include:

Make a quick & easy gift Simply write a check now

An income tax deduction and immediate charitable impact

Avoid tax on capital gains

A charitable deduction plus no capital gains tax

Contribute long-term appreciated stock or other securities

Defer a gift until after your lifetime Put a bequest in your will Exemption from federal estate tax on

(gifts of cash, specific property, or donations

a share or the residue of your estate Receive guaranteed fixed Create a charitable gift annuity income that is partially tax-free

Current & future savings on income taxes, plus fixed, stable payments

Avoid capital gains tax on the sale of a home or other real estate

Donate the real estate or sell it to a charity at a bargain price

An income tax reduction plus reduction or elimination of capital gains tax

Avoid the two-fold taxation on IRA or other employee benefit plans

Name a charity as the beneficiary of the remainder of the retirement assets after your lifetime

Tax relief to your family on inherited assets

Give your personal residence or farm, but retain life use

Create a charitable gift of future interest, called a retained life estate

Tax advantages plus use of the property

Make a large gift with little cost to you

Contribute a life insurance policy you no longer need or purchase a new one & designate a charity as the owner

Current & possible future income tax deductions

Receive secure, fixed income for life while avoiding market risks

Purchase a charitable gift annuity or create a charitable remainder annuity trust

Tax advantages & possible increased rate of return

Give income from an asset for a Create a charitable lead trust period of years but retain the asset for yourself or your heirs

Federal estate tax savings on asset & income tax deductions for deductions for donated income

Create a hedge against inflation Create a charitable remainder unitrust over the long term

Variable payments for life plus tax advantages

Make a revocable gift during your Name a charity as the beneficiary Full control of the trust terms during lifetime of assets in a living trust your lifetime

ÊCheck out the Federation’s new, updated website at www.jewishnepa.org or find it on Facebook

12

THE REPORTER â– FEBRUARY 11, 2016

Israel Mission 2016 We leave the US on Sunday, September 4, and return on Friday morning, September 16.

The land cost is $3,875, and the approximate air addition will be $1,100.

This trip is designed for people who have been to Israel before and are looking for those special places that we just don't have time to get to with first-timers.

Some of the special sites that we'll be going to are the new Yitzchak Rabin Museum, telling the story of Israel from 1948 to the present. We'll visit the Stella Maris Monastery, located above the hill going to Elijah's cave.

We'll see the largest apple packing plant in the entire Middle East, up on the Golan Heights. We'll go up to Mt. Hermon.

We'll go to Mitzpe Ramon, the site of the Ramon crater, which is about 24 miles long, 4 miles wide and about 1/4 mile deep. It's one of only two craters like it in the world. We'll also stay at an amazing new resort, built right on the edge of the crater. We'll enjoy the spa and the entire experience there.

In Jerusalem we'll visit the City of David, site of David's city of Jerusalem.

We'll visit the Knesset, and have a tour of the facility, and have lunch with a member of the Knesset. We tour the recently built Supreme Court building, the Friends of Zion Museum, and Oscar Schindler's gravesite.

We'll also visit the world-famous Alyn Children's Hospital, and many more sites throughout the country.

This is a very special tour that we have arranged, and one that may not be repeated again, due to the difficulty of making all these arrangements.

Space will be limited, due to space limitations in some of the places we'll be going. We are already taking reservations, and will have more information available as we go further.

You can call Mark Silverberg (ext 1) or Dassy Ganz (ext 2) for further information, at 570-961-2300.

This is a trip you won't want to miss!