February 26, 2015 Edition of The Reporter by Becky Schastey

Jewish Federation of NEPA 601 Jefferson Ave. Scranton, PA 18510

The

Non-profit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit # 184 Watertown, NY

Change Service Requested

Published by the

Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania

VOLUME XIII, NUMBER 5

FEBRUARY 26, 2015

Denmark synagogue attack seen as “wake-up call” By Cnaan Liphshiz (JTA) – From the window of the Jewish Community of Copenhagen’s crisis center, Finn Schwarz can see his country changing before his eyes. Hours after the slaying of a guard outside the Danish capital’s main synagogue early the morning of February 15, two police officers toting machine guns were on patrol outside the center – a common sight in France, Belgium and other trouble spots for Jews, but which resistant authorities in Denmark had previously considered both excessive and unpalatable. “I think this attack was a wake-up call,” said Schwarz, a former community chairman who has lobbied the authorities for years, often in vain, for greater security. “What we have long feared happened and we will now see a changed Denmark. We have never seen this much security and guns before.” The deployment of armed officers at Jewish institutions came within hours of a shooting at a Copenhagen café where a caricaturist who had lampooned Islam was speaking. One person was killed at the café in what Prime Minister Helle ThorningSchmidt called a terrorist attack. Later that night, Dan Uzan, a 37-yearold volunteer security guard, was with two police officers at the Great Synagogue when a gunman opened fire with an auto-

Copenhagen’s main synagogue, where a guard was shot and killed early February 15. (Photo by Wikimedia Commons) matic weapon, killing Uzan and wounding the officers. The trio were standing guard over approximately 80 people who had gathered for a bat mitzvah celebration in a building behind the synagogue. Guests reportedly took shelter in the basement after the shooting and later were escorted out under heavy guard. On February 15, Danish police killed a 22-year-old man in a shootout who they

said was a Muslim extremist responsible for both shootings. The shooter was later identified as Omar El-Hussein. Throughout the day on February 15, heavily armed police officers remained deployed across the capital and beyond as authorities hunted for accomplices. The attack comes amid an escalation in antisemitic incidents in Denmark, including one this summer in which

Spotlight

Wounded IDF vets learn to ski – and overcome obstacles

mountain 8,000 miles away and By Uriel Heilman more than 8,000 feet above sea (JTA) – After Yinon Cohen level, insisting to his incredulost his legs in an accident lous ski instructor that he didn’t involving a rocket-propelled need any special equipment grenade, it wasn’t clear he’d other than his prosthetic legs ever be able to walk again, to ski down. It was Cohen’s much less ski down a peak first day on the slopes as part of in the Rocky Mountains. A Golshim L’Chaim-Ski to Live, fresh-faced soldier in the a Colorado program that brings Israel Defense Forces’ elite wounded Israeli veterans and Golani brigade, Cohen was in victims of terrorism to Aspen an advanced weapons training to learn how to ski – and boost course in February 2003 when their spirits. his sergeant inadvertently fired Now in its eighth year, an RPG, an explosive weapon Golshim is the brainchild of capable of piercing armored vehicles, straight into his legs. Loau Mrai, an Israeli Druze who participated in Golshim Aspen’s Chabad rabbi, Mendel Just moments before, Cohen L’Chaim’s 2012 class, used a monoski with outriggers to control Mintz. A skier himself who is on the snow about one day a week, had been nodding off, and his his descent. (Photo by Nina Zale) Mintz got the idea for it from a exasperated sergeant ordered program for wounded U.S. veterans whom him to stand for the remainder of the class. a psychologist delivered the grim news: He he spotted one day on the slopes. That ended up saving Cohen’s life. Had had lost both legs below the knee. Cohen’s Golshim, which brings about a dozen he been seated, Cohen would have been response was instinctive, he recalls. Lookstruck in the torso and almost certainly ing at his parents’ tear-stained faces, he Israelis each winter, is focused on skikilled. Instead, he found himself dazed said, “Be thankful that I’m alive.” Then his ing and physical activity. The group in the smoke-filled room, trying to piece father recited the Kiddush – it was Friday eats breakfast and dinner together at the Chabad Center and most nights local comtogether what was happening as soldiers evening – and they all cried. around him panicked. Fast forward to 2014 and Cohen, a munity members join the group for some When he awoke a day later in the ICU native of the Tel Aviv suburb of Petach kind of program or recreational activity. See “Vets” on page 12 unit of Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, Tikvah, found himself standing on a snowy

INSIDE THIS ISSUE BDS on campus

Syrian refugees

News in brief...

several individuals broke into a Jewish school just weeks after the conclusion of Israel’s seven-week conflict with Hamas in Gaza. No one was hurt in the incident, but some weeks earlier Jewish educators had instructed students not to wear yarmulkes or other identifying garments to school. “This reality and the attack hurt the Jewish community both by encouraging emigration and by forcing people to distance their children, for security reasons, from the Jewish community, its schools and institutions,” Schwarz said. Yet Danish authorities often resisted requests for greater security measures, an issue that Rabbi Andrew Baker raised last September during a visit to Denmark in his capacity as the representative for combating antisemitism of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Noticing the absence of the sort of security arrangements familiar in Paris and Brussels, Baker asked Danish officials whether they were worried about an attack on Jewish institutions. “The officials I met recognized the risks, but said that Denmark had a ‘relaxed approach to security,’ as one See “Denmark” on page 3

2015 UJA paign Update Cam

Pay it forward & give to the 2015 Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania Annual Campaign! Goal: $896,000 For information or to make a donation call 570-961-2300 ext. 1 or send your gift to: Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania 601 Jefferson Ave., Scranton, PA 18510

$779,996

as of Feb. 20, 2015

(Please MEMO your pledge or gift 2015 UJA Campaign)

Federation on Facebook

The Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania now has a page on Facebook to let community members know about upcoming events and keep connected.

Candle lighting February 27................................. 5:33 pm March 6..........................................5:41 pm March 13....................................... 6:49 pm

Recent campus BDS measures A multifaith effort to aid Syrian Marches memorialize Argentine PLUS have lumped other nations with refugees in Jordan includes Israeli prosecutor; Peace Ring planned Opinion........................................................2 Israel as divestment targets. NGOs. around Oslo synagogue; more. Purim ......................................................8-9 Story on page 10 Story on page 11 Stories on page 15 D’var Torah..............................................10

THE REPORTER ■ february 26, 2015

a matter of opinion A plan for strengthening Jewish early childhood education By Lisa Farber Miller (JTA) – Jewish tradition teaches that “with each child the world begins anew.” If we believe this statement from the midrash is true and that Jewish life and learning offer something special, even inspiring, then we have an obligation to promote Judaism and make it accessible to young families from the moment their first child is born. Pregnancy and the birth of a first child are windows of opportunity for engaging families in Jewish life, a special time when parents seek parenting support, along with help caring for and educating their new child. Jewish early childhood education (or ECE) centers, also known as preschools, can play a critical role in welcoming the whole family into Jewish life, yet many young parents do not have them on their radar screens, while many Jewish early childhood education centers lack the resources to support robust marketing and family engagement activities for new parents. A new initiative in the Denver-Boulder area known as BUILDing Jewish ECE aims to address this disconnect. Led by the Denver-based Rose Community Foundation – with the Union for Reform Judaism and JCC Association – BUILDing Jewish ECE helps synagogue and JCC early childhood centers increase enrollment, market to and better engage Jewish families, and build stronger connections to the wider Jewish community. The initiative draws on experts and best business practices from both within and outside the Jewish world.

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

President: Michael Greenstein 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. The editor may withhold the name upon request. ADS The Reporter does not necessarily endorse any advertised products and services. In addition, the paper is not responsible for the kashruth of any advertiser’s product or establishment. Deadline Regular deadline is two weeks prior to the publication date. Federation website: www.jewishnepa.org How to SUBMIT ARTICLES: Mail: 601 Jefferson Ave., Scranton, PA 18510 E-mail: jfnepareporter@jewishnepa.org Fax: (570) 346-6147 Phone: (570) 961-2300 How to reach the advertising Representative: Phone: (800) 779-7896, ext. 244 E-mail: bonnie@thereportergroup.org Subscription Information: Phone: (570) 961-2300

For children, preschool years are a critical time in the development of cognition, personality and identity – including religious identity. In addition, when children enjoy Jewish learning and rituals at school, they bring them home, often introducing them to the entire family. For parents, a preschool is their first educational choice for their child and family, one that can propel them on a lifelong Jewish journey. While educational quality must be high – and is a key factor in selecting a program – studies indicate that Jewish millennials and Gen-Xers who choose Jewish preschools do so primarily because they seek a network of other Jewish parents with whom they can build community. And parents who form Jewish peer groups through their child’s school are more likely to be actively engaged in Jewish life in the future. Consider the case of Paul Gillis, one of the lay leaders involved in the project. When Paul moved to Denver eight years ago, he wanted to connect quickly with the local Jewish community, so he enrolled his children in the local JCC preschool. It was welcoming, enriching and helped him find additional ways to participate in Jewish life. Today, Paul is not just a member of his JCC’s BUILDing Jewish ECE leadership team, but he also serves on the JCC Association’s Continental Board. Yet little has been done to make Paul’s story more common. In too many cases families remain unreached, unengaged or one-stop shoppers who exit Jewish communal life once their children “graduate” from Jewish early childhood education centers. When we fail to attract families to such centers in the first place – or when we attract them, but fail to integrate them

into the JCC or synagogue of which the preschool is a part – our community often loses them and they don’t return. BUILDing Jewish ECE is premised on certain needs to help change the status quo. First, let’s break down barriers within institutions. When families enroll in Jewish early childhood education centers, our JCCs and synagogues must embrace them and show that they are valued members not just of the early childhood program, but also of the broader institution and Jewish community. This means that JCCs and synagogues need programs, campaigns and marketing materials that are better tailored to the needs of their preschool families and that communicate all that synagogues or JCCs offer. Second, Jewish early childhood education centers should be equipped with the best marketing and recruiting strategies and tools to reach all kinds of families, to respond effectively to inquiries and to inspire those who inquire to enroll their child. Parent ambassadors should also be engaged to help recruit their peers. When synagogue and JCC early childhood education centers operate as effectively and efficiently as possible, revenue for the entire institution increases, especially when families engage in the larger institution and go on to become paying members. Third, Jewish communities and institutions must be supported in this change. The same types of systems and structures that make up other well-supported, national initiatives – training opportunities; a network to share ideas; dissemination of best practices – are sorely needed here, too. For more than a decade, Rose Community Foundation and other Colorado-based Jewish education organizations have been

researching early childhood education, running professional development initiatives and offering scholarships for Jewish ECE centers. Now all nine Denver-Boulder synagogues and JCCs with early childhood education centers are invited to receive expert coaching and training. BUILDing Jewish ECE’s first cohort – two local Reform temples and two JCCs – receive coaching and training from the Union for Reform Judaism and JCC Association, respectively. This summer, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism will join the initiative, offering coaching and training to Conservative congregations in Cohort II. In addition to the coaching and training, each participating synagogue or JCC will be given a “toolbox of resources” that includes proven marketing strategies and tactics from the secular world; tech support to improve inquiry tracking and enrollment; website, social media and SEO consulting; and feedback on a center’s effectiveness when a parent inquires about or visits the school. Our hope is that by showing how to build and maintain institutions with high-caliber marketing and retention that engage parents and create strong connections among families, the Colorado institutions in BUILDing Jewish ECE will serve as learning labs for the North American Jewish community. Each child and each family is an opportunity. Together, let’s embrace them. Lisa Farber Miller is senior program officer at the Denver-based Rose Community Foundation. BUILDing Jewish ECE is supported by grants from Rose Community Foundation and the Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation of Colorado.

Are voluntary dues enough to get people to join synagogues? By Nina Badzin (JTA) – Michael Paulson reported in The New York Times on the “Pay What You Want” model that some synagogues are implementing to reduce the financial barrier to membership. Paulson estimated that about 30 synagogues across the United States are trying voluntary dues. These changes, Paulson wrote, have come from “an acknowledgment that many Jewish communal organizations are suffering the effects of growing secularization, declining affection for institutions, a dispersal of Jewish philanthropy and an end to the era in which membership in a congregation was seen as a social obligation.” With those realities, a massive change in the dues structure is necessary, but is it

sufficient? Changing the financial requirement for membership without addressing the widespread lack of interest in attending synagogue or engaging in a Jewish life is going to yield more of the same long term: low participation and apathy. Full disclosure: My husband and I are members of three synagogues. We’re members of my husband’s childhood Conservative synagogue in St. Louis Park, MN, where our kids went to preschool, and we’re active at a newly revived Orthodox synagogue. We also consistently go to Chabad (where voluntary dues have been in place for decades). I was raised Reform and we are not Orthodox. Are we an anomaly? Perhaps. Do we have to be? No.

We stay at all three synagogues because of the relationships we have with the rabbis, their families and with the other congregants. We have also studied with Reform and Conservative rabbis, Aish Hatorah teachers and with our local kollel leaders. Like many modern Jews, we’re not tied to one denomination. “I’m hyper-affiliated,” I say whenever someone wants to know where I stand. Though I prefer, “I’m Jewish.” After reading Paulson’s article, I asked friends on Facebook what keeps them from wanting to be more Jewishly involved in and out of synagogues. I admit that I already suspected money had little to do with their hesitation. The discussion went See “Dues” on page 6

letter to the editor

Jewish Federations of North America extends condolences to Denmark’s Jewish community February 15, 2015 Dan Rosenberg Asmussen Chair, Jewish Community of Denmark Allan Melchior Director, Jewish Community of Denmark Rabbi Jair Melchior Chief Rabbi of Denmark Dear Mr. Asmussen, Mr. Melchior and Rabbi Melchior, We are writing to you on behalf of The Jewish Federations of North America to express our heartfelt condolences to you and the entire Danish Jewish community

over the tragic death of one of your community members, Dan Uzan, resulting from the attack on the Krystalgade Synagogue on Saturday night. At this time, you should know that millions of Jewish people across North America, and indeed around the world, are standing by your side, sending messages of solidarity and support and also mourning with you. We are all deeply troubled by the unsettling climate across all of Europe that saw this tragedy as well as the assault on the Cultural Center earlier in the day. Any attack on Jews, anywhere in the world, af-

fects each and every one of us. And when innocent people are targeted the pain is felt by us all. Please convey our condolences to the victim’s family and the entire community. ‫עוד לדאבה תוסיפו ולא וירושלים‬ ‫ציון אבלי שאר בתוך אתכם ינחם המקום‬ Sincerely, Michael Siegal Chair, Board of Trustees Diane S. Feinberg Chair, Executive Committee Jerry Silverman President and CEO

february 26, 2015 ■

THE REPORTER

community news SHDS students winners in PPL contest

Scranton Hebrew Day School students recently participated in the Think! Energy – E-power Bright Ideas Energy Efficiency Student Poster Contest. The day school has announced that Yocheved Deutsch and Tzivi Ringel, two seventh grade students, each

won honorable mention. The contest was developed by PPL Electric Utilities with assistance from the National Energy Foundation for children in kindergarten-eighth grade. It was designed to combine a student’s artistic talent with the ability to

SHDS boys construct igloo

portray how to be energy efficient. The students were challenged to produce their own poster design and their interpretation of what energy efficiency means to him or her.

S E N I L D A E D The following are deadlines for all articles and photos for upcoming Reporter issues.

DEADLINE

ISSUE

Thursday, February 26................... March 12 Thursday, March 12....................... March 26 Thursday, March 26........................... April 9 Thursday, April 9............................. April 23

Moving to Florida?

Students at the Scranton Hebrew Day School finished constructing an igloo.

Denmark

Boys in the seventh and eighth grades at the Scranton Hebrew Day School recently undertook a project in conjunction with the recent snowy weather. They constructed an igloo, full size and built to scale, with the ability for fellow students to enter and experience a feeling of warmth in a space that has been compared to a “frozen tundra.” L-r: Moshe Salkow, Yechiel Pressman, Mayer Pritzker (partially hidden), Pinchos Itkin (back to camera), Benjy Mittelman (partially hidden) and Jonathan Rutta.

interlocutor put it, and that having armed police in front of buildings would be too disturbing to the population at large,” said Baker, who also serves as director of international Jewish affairs for the American Jewish Committee. “I was taken aback because I never encountered in other countries this argument of rejecting security measures while fully acknowledging the threat,” Baker told JTA. “I left knowing it was only a matter of time before I got the call.” Schwarz said authorities had improved security around Jewish institutions after the slaying last month of four Jews at a kosher market in Paris. But he said there remains a gap of tens of thousands of dollars between the security funding sought by the community and what the government is offering. “I think the heavy security is good, but I’m also sad to see it because a Denmark where armed officers stand outside [the] synagogue doesn’t seem like the peaceful country I know and love,” Schwarz said. “But it’s necessary.” Denmark has approximately 8,000 Jews, according to the European Jewish Congress. EJC officials stressed that the problem of Jewish security is not Denmark’s alone and called for conti-

Continued from page 1 nent-wide countermeasures, including legislation that provides national governments with improved tools to counter the threat. “We are dealing with a pan-European problem which is being dealt with individually instead of on a pan-European basis,” said Arie Zuckerman, a senior EJC official who oversees the group’s Security and Crisis Centre. “This is part of the reason our enemies are the ones that have the initiative.” EJC President Moshe Kantor called on the European Union to establish an agency devoted to fighting antisemitism. “European governments and leaders who in the name of upholding liberties refrain from acting effectively against terrorists are endangering those very freedoms because they are exposing them to the terrorists’ attacks,” Kantor said. Back in Copenhagen, Dr. Ilan Raymond, a Jewish physician and father of two, spoke of an uncertain road ahead. “What happened Sunday is a shock that will stay with us for a long time,” said Raymond, who learned of the attack while on vacation abroad when his 16-year-old son sent him a text message that read “I am alright.” The attack “will have a profound effect and may cause some to leave,” Raymond said. “It’s early days.”

Brick & Mortar in Hallandale, FL Since 1980

Custom-made furniture in 30 days

NATIONWIDE SHIPPING 19 NE 1st Ave., Hallandale Beach, FL 33009 954.454.9500

wassersfurniture.com

ÊVisit the Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania on the web at www.jewishnepa.org or on Facebook

THE REPORTER ■ february 26, 2015

British historian Sir Martin Gilbert, official Churchill biographer, dies

By JTA staff (JTA) – British historian Sir Martin Gilbert, who studied the Holocaust and was the official biographer of Winston Churchill, died on February 3 after a long illness. He was 78. Gilbert, the author of 80 books, wrote

on the subjects of the Holocaust, World War I and World War II, and Jewish history. Among his books are “A History of the Jews of Europe During the Second World War,” “Jerusalem in the Twentieth Century,” “Churchill and the Jews” and “Never Again: A History of the Holocaust.”

He was serving as a member of Britain’s inquiry panel into the Iraq war at the time of his death. On February 3, inquiry Chairman Sir John Chilcot announced the historian’s death and paid tribute to Gilbert, telling lawmakers on the Foreign Affairs Committee that the inquiry had

benefirted from his “wisdom and insights,” the Jewish Chronicle reported. Britain’s Holocaust Education Trust said in a tweet: “Very sad to hear of the passing of Sir Martin Gilbert, leading Holocaust historian and our great friend. Our thoughts are with his family.”

Book review

Telling the stories of women’s lives By RABBI RACHEL ESSERMAN Most nonfiction works have an agenda. Scholars want to prove their theories are correct. Memorists hope their version of events is the one you’ll believe. Historians try to convince you their interpretations are the most accurate. Yet, the editors, Rabbis Sue Levi Elwell and Nancy Fuchs Kreimer, of “Chapters of the Heart: Jewish Women Sharing the Torah of Our Lives” (Cascade Books) claim to have “no thesis to prove, no argument to win. If we had an agenda, it was to persuade you that hearing and telling stories while in conversation with sacred texts can be a good thing.” The moving, brave essays in this work prove their point: There is no central thesis except women speaking the truth about challenges they’ve faced and how Judaism, particularly Jewish texts, either shined a light on their lives or left them searching for meaning from a different source. The editors divide the work into four sections, each of which looks at different aspects of women’s lives: family relationships, personal difficulties, struggles with injustice and possibilities for growth during the final stages of life. Although the authors speak to their specific experiences, the beauty of the essays is that they made

me think about my life even when my personal experiences were very different. The 20 essays featured are so uniformly good that it’s difficult to single any out. However, the following evoked the most emotional response. Ellen M. Umansky writes about her relationship with her younger sister, Amy, in “Between Sisters.” Although close when children, the two women became distant after marrying men with very different ideas of what constitutes family. Umansky uses the biblical story of Leah and Rachel to show how the very closeness of sisters can cause rifts between them. In “Portals to Sacred Family Life,” Rabbi Julie Greenberg outlines her unusual approach to parenting. After serving as a “solo parent” for four children, she becomes part of a “parenting partnership” with someone with whom she has never been lovers and who only lived with the family for one year. Greenberg writes how their struggles have been “a portal to a holy journey” and how these challenges opened her to the sancta of the every day. Rabbi Ruth H. Sohn challenges us to face our fears when she writes about her husband’s illness in “Facing Pain, Facing My Fears.” Her use of meditation and prayer practice – which allows her to “

Effective immediately, send all articles and ads to our new E-mail address,

please note!

jfnepareporter@ jewishnepa.org.

be open to the full truth of what I am at the moment and pray to God from this place” – helps her through the ordeal, as do her thoughts about the way the biblical Jacob faced his fears when due to meet his brother, Esau, after a long separation. Elwell’s brave “In the Right Time: Reflections on an Abortion,” will offer comfort to those who have had an abortion and those currently facing the same decision. Elwell notes that it took her decades to tell her family and friends about the abortion. To help others with their decisions, she creates a midrash (a story based on the biblical text) she wishes had been available when she was young. In “The Remembrance of These Things: War, Occupation, Parsley, Bitter Herb,” Rabbi Margaret Holub succeeds in making readers uncomfortable with the ease of their lives. She shows how those of us living in Western society have become like the biblical pharaoh – benefitting from unjust wars and refusing to see how our behavior oppresses others. Three essays – Rabbi Dayle A. Friedman’s “Shattering and Rebirth: My Midlife Gap Year,” Barbara Eve Breitman’s “A Heart So Broken It Melts Like Water” and Rabbi Tamar Cohn Eskenazi’s “With the Song of Song in Our Hearts” – look at the changes and losses that occur during our later years. Friedman’s “sense of failure” when her dream project must close was difficult to overcome. However, this midlife change led her to new challenges and successes, although the process was often difficult and slow. Breitman and Eskenazi write about the shock of losing one’s husband,

but also of the possibilities still open for those willing to take a chance and risk pain and loss again. Elwell and Kreimer see their book as the beginning of a conversation and it can certainly generate discussion. “Chapters of the Heart” is perfect for book clubs, as the subject matter for a synagogue class, or for friends sharing their feelings about each chapter over coffee. My hope is that it will inspire others to tell their stories and create not just the chapters of our hearts, but the Torah of our mothers, sisters and friends.

Jewish comics exhibit

The UJA-NY Gallery in New York City will hold the exhibit “JOMIX – Jewish Comics: Art and Derivation” from March 1-May 7. The exhibit features comic genres – superhero, political satire, romance, horror, science fiction and confessionals – looked at from a Jewish point of view. The artists use their medium to explore Jewish identity and experience, in addition to exploring the relationship between art and identity. The exhibit is on view Monday-Thursday, 10 am-5 pm, by appointment. To make an appointment, contact Lillian Rodriguez at 212-836-1793 or rodriguezl@ujafedny. org.

Jewish Federation of NEPA Effective immediately,

please send all articles & ads to our new E-mail address,

jfnepareporter@jewishnepa.org. Facebook ® is a registered trademark of Facebook, Inc ish Federatio n’s e he Jew t n o ma u o il l y e ist Ar ? We send updated announcements and special event details weekly to those who wish to receive them. Send Dassy Ganz an email if you would like to join the list. Dassy.ganz@jewishnepa.org

To get Federation updates via email, rregister on our website

www.jewishnepa.org Pledge or Donate online at

www.jewishnepa.org/donate

february 26, 2015 ■

THE REPORTER

NEWS IN bRIEF from Israel

From JTA

NYU Langone-Technion to share $9 million cancer research grant

Western Wall rabbi accuses Waqf of incitement over restrooms expansion

The rabbi of the Western Wall, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, condemned as “incitement” attempts by the Muslim Waqf to politicize the expansion of restrooms at the site. Muslim leaders at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount say the expansion of the restrooms, located 55 yards from the Mughrabi Gate, is designed to desecrate Muslim holy sites. “The expansion of the restrooms for visitors at the Western Wall is being carried out by The Western Wall Heritage Foundation, which Palestinian officials have called ‘the agency of the occupiers,’ even though it is under the auspices of the Prime Minister’s Office,” read a statement issued on Feb. 18 by Rabinowitz’s office. “It is unfortunate that a minimal action designed to cater to the needs of visitors to the remnant of the Jewish temple is turning into a contentious issue and a pretext for unnecessary tension,” he said. He called for more education about the importance of the holy site to the Jewish people in order counter the propaganda.

Adele Biton, 4, dies two years after Palestinian rock attack

Adele Biton, a 4-year-old girl who was severely injured in a Palestinian rock attack two years ago, has died. Adele died on Feb. 17 at Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Petach Tikvah from complications of a lung infection. She had remained in an unconscious state since the West Bank attack on her mother’s car on March 14, 2013. “There’s no doubt that this is a consequence of the neurological damage that she suffered and that has made her treatment so difficult,” her mother, Adva, said in a statement on Feb. 17. The statement added, “I feel that this little girl is not just my child, but everyone’s child. There is no one who doesn’t pray for her.” Adva Biton was driving her three young daughters near the Ariel settlement when her car swerved after being hit by rocks thrown by two Palestinian teens and struck a truck. The family had been driving from their home in the West Bank settlement of Yakir to central Israel. Adele, then 2, suffered a serious head wound. Her sisters, ages 4 and 5, were moderately wounded. Last September, Adele returned home after the rehab facility said it could not do anything more for her.

Grocery

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Where Available •15 oz.•Minestrone, Split Pea, 32 oz.•Homestyle, Including a large selection of Kosher Dairy & Frozen items.

–––––––– –––––––– ––––––––

Israel’s Supreme Court overturned a government committee’s decision to disqualify Arab-Israeli lawmaker Hanin Zoabi and far-right Jewish activist Baruch Marzel from running in the March 17 elections. In an 8-1 vote, the court ruled on Feb. 18 that the candidates could run. The decision was announced without reason. The week of Feb. 12, the Central Elections Committee voted 27-6 to ban Zoabi, a Knesset member from the Arab-Israeli Balad party since 2009. The vote against Marzel, of the Yachad party, was 17-16. Zoabi and Marzel previously have been banned from running in elections, most recently Zoabi in January 2013. The Supreme Court overturned those decisions. Zoabi, who participated in the 2010 flotilla sail to Gaza to bust Israel’s blockade organized by the Islamic IHH group in Turkey, has been censured for anti-Israel statements. Most recently she was suspended from the Knesset for statements she made encouraging Palestinian “popular resistance” and saying that the kidnappers of three Israeli teens, who later were murdered, were not terrorists. Marzel, who headed the outlawed Kach movement after the death of Rabbi Meir Kahane, has previously run for Knesset.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Vegetable, Yankee Bean, Tomato Basil, Black Bean or Lentil

Tabatchnick Frozen Soups

2/$

In Real Sour Cream Sauce or Party Snack Wine

Vita Herring

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 1.9-4.09 oz.•Onion, Vegetable, Ranch or Noodle

3.5 oz.

Lipton Kosher Secret Recipe Soup

Torino Chocolate Bar

2/$

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Where Available•22 oz. 9.6 oz. Light Grape, Blush, White or

All Varieties

Kedem Concord Grape Juice

Manischewitz Tam Tam Crackers

2/$

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Meat

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 28 oz.

Including a selection of Glatt Kosher Fresh and Frozen Beef, Chicken & Turkey. 39 oz.

–––––––– ––––––––

Israeli Supreme Court allows Zoabi, Marzel to run in elections

Featuring the largest kosher selection of fresh meat, poultry, dairy, frozen, grocery & baked goods!

Meal Mart Stuffed Cabbage

Buffalo Style or Plain

Empire Kosher Party Wings

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 48 oz. Glatt Kosher Garlic Herb or

Empire Ready to Roast Barbecue Chicken

Antibiotic Free

Teva Angus Stew Beef

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Fish

lb.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 4 oz.•Admiral’s Swedish Cure 12 oz. Including a selection of Salmon Fillets & Steaks.

––––––––

The NYU Langone Medical Center and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Israel will participate in joint cancer research projects funded by a $9 million grant. The grant, announced on Feb. 18, is a gift from philanthropists Laura and Isaac Perlmutter. Some $3 million will finance six cancer-focused research projects that will be conducted by teams of co-investigators from both NYU Langone and the Technion. The remaining $6 million will be used to establish a state-of-the-art research facility on Technion’s campus in Haifa that will support these and other research projects, according to a statement issued by the two facilities. In January 2014, the Perlmutters donated more than $50 million to advance cancer research and treatment at NYU Langone. As part of that gift, the New York hospital was renamed from the NYU Cancer Institute, a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center, to the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone. The Perlmutters both serve as members of the NYU Langone Board of Trustees. Two new appointments at NYU Langone and the Technion will assist in the new partnership. Dr. Benjamin Neel, a cancer biologist and an expert in the field of cell signal transduction, recently joined the NYU Langone faculty as director of the Perlmutter Cancer Center. Eyal Gottlieb, who studies cancer metabolism, will lead the new research facility at the Technion funded by the Perlmutter gift.

Norwegian Gravad Lax or

Norwegian Smoked Salmon

FREE BUY 1, GET 1

Snacks in Wine or

Nathan’s Herring Snacks in Sour Cream

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Westside Mall, Edwardsville • 287-7244 1228 O’Neill Highway, Dunmore • 346-4538

Prices effective Sunday, February 1 thru Saturday, March 7, 2015.

Scra Wyo

THE REPORTER ■ february 26, 2015

“City of Gold” captures flavor of Los Angeles

physical, self. He is pale and freckled By Anthony Weiss and rotund – the last being the result, PARK CITY, Utah (JTA) – If you he jokes, of eating his way through live in Los Angeles and care about food, so many bad restaurants in search you already know Jonathan Gold, the of the good ones. Hardly schlubby, Pulitzer Prize-winning restaurant critic Gold carries himself grandly, almost for the Los Angeles Times. regally, with a long shower of blond You may have traced one of his hair to his shoulders, matched by a pithy reviews to a mini-mall in the small mustache. San Gabriel Valley for Sichuanese He has a remarkable palate – in a hand-torn noodles, or to an unromantic recent interview, Gold noted in passstretch of Hollywood Boulevard for ing that water from the cooler was a blood-thickened Thai boat noodle tad bitter – and a knack for a vivid soup, or to Compton for succulent barbecue, or to one of dozens of other Jonathan Gold shown in “City of turn of phrase, as when he described neighborhoods far from Rodeo Drive Gold” digging into a Poseidon the critic’s search for anonymity as or Venice Beach and other icons of Tostada from the Mariscos Jalisco being “like the fat man’s version of the ‘Bourne Identity.’” Los Angeles culture. taco truck in Los Angeles. A Los Angeles native, Gold grew In eating your way down the trail he has blazed, you may have acquired a taste for a different up in in a liberal, Reform Jewish household surrounded notion of Los Angeles, for the city as a mecca to which by books and culture, and with a father whose “idea of the foodways of East and West, both high and low, all religious observance was to drop us off at the shul for religious school and then go get a lot of deli, come back make hajj to tell their story upon your palate. “City of Gold,” a documentary by Laura Gabbert that and pick us up.” His mother, who came from a Louisiana family and premiered January 27 at the Sundance Film Festival here, is a dual portrait of both Gold and the city he loves. converted to Judaism when she married, could cook a The camera follows him as he roams from restaurant to few Southern specialties, but in Gold’s words, “There restaurant analyzing the food, pointing out subtleties in was a lot of Hamburger Helper and Kraft dinners and the metropolitan texture and philosophizing upon the fried chicken and this kind of Jell-O she learned to make nexus between food, culture, history, geography and where she put in a little bit of orange sherbet.” Gold first began to expand his tastes in high school anything else that comes to mind. As Gabbert and Gold lucidly demonstrate, Los Ange- when he dated an Asian-American girl whose mother les, far from the sprawling, undifferentiated mass derided cooked traditional Chinese four-course dinners. As a by its critics, is a multicentric metropolis defined by its young man, Gold began to explore the city in earnest. many variegated neighborhoods and enclaves. And as While working as a proofreader at a legal newspaper, Gold explains in his wanderings around the city, it is this he decided to eat his way down the length of Pico Bouprofusion of subcultures and their intermingling that cre- levard. What started as a lark became an education in ate the essence of the city. “It’s this incredible mosaic of urban culture. “You’d notice that somebody would be selling tamales neighborhoods, and in a very real way, food is the best out of a cart, and then you’d run into them a few months way to experience that,” Gold told JTA. Restaurant critics are famous for the lengths they take later and they’d have a little grocery store with some to maintain anonymity, but Gold renounces the tradition Salvadoran stuff on the shelves, and then maybe they’d in the movie – and in a recent essay on the subject, where start selling pupusas over a counter, and then it became a he admits that his identity has long been an open secret full-fledged pupuseria, and you’d see culture unfolding in in the restaurant world – to reveal his true, or at least his real time,” Gold said. “It was fascinating. It was a really

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

I WILL SUPPORT CONTINUATION OF OUR EXPANDED FEDERATION REPORTER BY CONTRIBUTING $36

$54

$100

OTHER AMT $

Name (s) (as you wish to appear on our list of “FRIENDS”) _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Address:________________________________________________________________________________________ Phone:_________________________________________________________________________________________ __Check here if you prefer your name not to be published Please write and send tax deductible checks to Jewish Federation, 601 Jefferson Avenue, Scranton, PA 18510

interesting way to learn about Los Angeles.” Gold slowly transitioned from proofreading into writing, first as a music reviewer – Gold majored in music at UCLA – for the L.A. Weekly newspaper, where he profiled his classical music heroes like Philip Glass See “Flavor” on page 8

Dues

Continued from page 2 on for 12 hours, yielding more than 100 comments from Jews across the country. One friend summed up the issue succinctly: “Many [Jewish leaders] are asking, ‘How can we get people more involved in our synagogue?’ as opposed to asking ‘How can we get people more involved with Jewish life?’” Only a small fraction of the answers focused on the expense. I received numerous versions of “Services are at bad times for little kids,” “It’s too cliquey,” “Everything is geared to young families” and “I feel out of place as a single person.” The grievances mostly focused on Shabbat services. Adina Frydman, the executive director of UJA-Federation of New York’s Synergy program, which recently published a study on congregations with voluntary dues, said, “Changes to the synagogue dues system are just part of a much bigger picture, namely the ways synagogues can continue to evolve to be places that create a deeper, more authentic sense of community.” My experience with a wide variety of synagogues and Jewish organizations tells me that the pressing challenge now for non-Orthodox synagogues is creating communities where congregants care about Judaism and therefore see their synagogues as valuable. That is not to deny a real need for dollars, but the financial insecurity is a symptom of a Jewish population that does not see how the Judaism offered by the synagogue has anything to do with their lives. If the perception of the product or the way it’s delivered (low rabbi-to-congregant ratio) does not change, how will a lower cost or even a free membership make people want to spend time, their other highly protected currency, at synagogues or in any aspect of Jewish life? Provide value and people will pay. Show members the joy of Judaism and empower them to bring that joy home. Engage members with discussions on how to be a better person, a better parent, sibling, spouse, friend and a more ethical businessperson, and they will come back for more. If congregants do not see how Judaism can be relevant in their homes and everyday lives, then they will go somewhere else in search of meaning and take their dollars with them. I’m not implying that synagogues have it all wrong. Organizations don’t die because they provide no value; they die because they fail to provide enough value to enough people. As Rabbi Avi Olitzky, co-author with his father, Rabbi Kerry Olitzky, of the forthcoming book “New Membership and Financial Alternatives for the American Synagogue” (Jewish Lights Publishing), told me, “There has to be harmony between the synagogue’s mission and its agenda. A synagogue cannot just be in the business of being in business.” When I told him that so many of us want community, but don’t always know how to define it, he described community as a circle to which you feel you belong that will miss your presence. The reality for synagogues is that members – and those not even considering joining – can find community in any number of places from yoga studios to the racquetball court to their careers, or their kids’ schools and sports teams. If we can’t give people a reason to infuse that circle with Judaism (not just with Jews, but with Judaism), then sadly I don’t see a future for synagogues whether they cost money to belong or not. A different version of this article originally appeared on JTA’s partner site Kveller. Nina Badzin is a freelance writer living in Minneapolis with her husband and four children. She blogs regularly at ninabadzin.com and tweets @NinaBadzin.

Notice to our Pocono Readers 911 Emergency Management Services has been updating mailing addresses in Monroe County and Lehman Townships in Pike County. Please don't forget to notify the Federation so you will continue to receive The Reporter. Thanks, Mark Silverberg, Executive Director Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania

february 26, 2015 ■

THE REPORTER

SHDS MELAVA MALKA A HUGE SUCCESS!

Despite the frigid temperatures outside, inside the Eisner Social Hall at Congregation Machzikeh Hadas, the atmosphere was one of warmth and conviviality. Close to 150 friends and supporters of the Scranton Hebrew Day School came out for an evening of delicious dairy delicacies and to recognize the 13 new families that have children who joined the school in the past 18 months. 1.

Drs. Mark and Barbara Bell

Rabbi and Mrs. Doniel Y. Goldstein

Dr. and Mrs. Shmuel Ganz

Mr. and Mrs. Asher Grossman

Rabbi and Mrs. Yitzckok Glazer

Mr. and Mrs. Yosef M. Hernandez

Rabbi and Mrs. Avrohom Goldstein

Rabbi and Mrs. Dovid Kaplan

9. 10. 11. 12. 13.

Mr. and Mrs. Zev Polatsek Dr. and Mrs. David Rutta Mr. and Mrs. Moshe Schwartz Mrs. Debbie Shagalow Mr. and Mrs. Yochanan Valencia

Their children currently represent over 26% of the student body! Words of welcome were offered by Rabbi Nosson Adler, Head of School , followed by Rabbi Dovid Kaplan of Wilkes Barre/Kingston. Rabbi Kaplan spoke on behalf of all the new families, expressing their appreciation to the Day School for the warm welcome they’ve been shown. Mr. Alex Gans, President of the Board of Directors spoke of the need, now more than ever, to transmit to our children the sweetness of the Torah that we have been bequeathed as it is the only thing that will keep us secure in the dangerous times in which we live. He was pleased to announce the presentation of gifts to all the new families. Each family received a SHDS cook book and a chocolate rose symbolizing the sweetness of the Torah that their children will learn at the Day School. The evening concluded with the drawing for a Trip to Israel which was won by Sam Shaffer, a Day School alumnus. The event sponsors: Dr. and Mrs. Shaya Barax, David Elliot Poultry, Mr. and Mrs. Alex Gans, Dr. Mark and Dr. Barbara Bell, Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Ganz, Jewish Federation of NEPA, and Anonymous in honor of Rabbi and Mrs. Dovid Kaplan were warmly thanked for their generosity and kudos were given to Mrs. Fraidel Tzuker and her team of volunteers for preparing and executing a phenomenal event.

Rabbi Dovid Kaplan spoke on behalf of all the new families at recently held Scranton Hebrew Day School Melava Malka Another view of the attendees at tables enjoying the evening.

Seated from left to right – Rabbi Dovid Rosenberg, Alex Gans and Rabbi Nosson Adler at the recently held SHDS Melave Malka

THE REPORTER ■ february 26, 2015

Purim change of pace: a chocolate dough

By Shannon Sarna NEW YORK (JTA) – Hamentashen talk is always about the filling: prune, poppy, apricot and strawberry, just to name a few favorites. I love being creative with the fillings, but this year I wanted to change up things with a flavored dough rather than just a fun filling. And what better ingredient to include than chocolate. Once you have made your chocolate dough, you can still be creative with the fillings, although I recommend two combinations below: triple chocolate, which is filled with Nutella and drizzled with white chocolate, and chocolate mocha. You could also try filling the chocolate dough with raspberry jam, peanut butter or even halvah. The key to making and working with this dough successfully is making it several hours in advance – even a day or two – so that it is properly chilled. It will feel sticky, so add flour as you roll it out to make sure it holds its shape. Most hamentashen bakers know that one of the keys to making a cookie that doesn’t fall apart during the baking is to pinch the three points very carefully. Another tip is to lay out all the folded and filled cookies on a baking sheet and then pop them into the freezer for five to 10 minutes before baking. Chilled cookie dough simply bakes better.

If you enjoy the custom of handing out mishloach manot, or Purim baskets, in your community, these chocolate hamentashen would go great with a coffee-themed package: include a small bag of high-quality coffee, a little bag of chocolate-covered espresso beans and the hamentashen inside a big mug. For the chocolate dough: ½ cup butter (or margarine) ¾ cup granulated sugar 1 egg 1 Tbsp. milk (or almond milk) 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1¼ cups all purpose flour 1 /8 cup cocoa powder (I prefer Hershey’s Special Dark) ¼ tsp. baking powder ¼ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. cinnamon For the mocha cream cheese filling: 4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature 2 Tbsp. sugar 1 Tbsp. brewed espresso or coffee Pinch of salt For the white chocolate drizzle: ½ cup white chocolate chips 2 tsp. vegetable oil Nutella or milk chocolate chips Chocolate covered espresso beans (optional)

Instant espresso powder (optional) To make the dough: Beat the butter and sugar together until smooth. Add egg, milk and vanilla until mixed thoroughly. Sift together the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, cinnamon and salt in a separate bowl. Add dry mixture to wet mixture until incorporated. Note: If the dough is too soft, increase flour amount by ¼ cup until firm. Chill dough for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. To make mocha cream cheese: Mix cream cheese, espresso, sugar and pinch of salt together in a small bowl. Allow to chill 1-3 hours. To make the white chocolate drizzle: Place white chocolate and vegetable oil in a small glass bowl. Heat in the microwave at 30-second intervals until melted. Mix until completely smooth. Use right away. To make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Dust your work surface with powdered sugar or flour to keep from sticking. Roll the dough to about ¼-inch thick. Using a round cookie cutter, cut out and place onto cookie sheet. To keep the dough from sticking to your cutter, dip in powdered sugar or flour before each cut. Fill cookies with Nutella, milk chocolate chips or mocha cream cheese filling.

Flavor

and Pierre Boulez. When the owner of the paper asked him to review restaurants, Gold agreed because he was behind on his rent. “I turned out to like that,” he recalled. “I thought it was kind of a scam, and it turned out to fit in with my writing style really well.” Gold’s reviews quickly attracted widespread notice, and he began to write for the Los Angeles Times, Gourmet and other outlets. In 2007, he became the first – and to date only – food critic to win a Pulitzer Prize. Gold’s erudition on food, spices, history and geography is staggering, yet in traveling the city in “City of Gold”

Triple chocolate hamantashen would make a wonderful treat in coffee-themed Purim baskets, or mishloach manot. (Photo by Shannon Sarna) Bake for 7-9 minutes. Allow cookies to cool completely. To assemble the mocha chocolate hamentashen, top with crushed chocolate covered espresso beans or a dusting of instant espresso. To assemble triple chocolate hamentashen, use a fork or a small plastic squeeze bottle to drizzle white chocolate sauce back and forth on cookies. Allow to dry completely on a cooling rack before serving or packaging. Shannon Sarna is editor of The Nosher blog on MyJewishLearning.com.

Continued from page 6 and listening to Gold talk, it becomes obvious that he is describing not simply restaurants and neighborhoods, but the entire process through which people combine ideas and spices to create a new culture and a new city. Food is simply the most delicious way to sketch that evolution. “Everything comes from a place, everything is there for a reason,” Gold said. “There’s cultural reasons, there’s historical reasons, there’s geographical reasons why what you’re getting on a plate is there.” He added, “There are worlds to be explored in a single taco.”

february 26, 2015 ■

THE REPORTER

weis wishes you a Happy Purim Fresh Kosher

Chickens Whole or Cut-up Fryers

2 $349

$ 49 Per pound

Hamantaschen Mechaya - 10 ounce

Medford Farms Honey Bear

Holiday Candies Cashew Caramel Clusters

Savion Fruit Slices

1.99 2.99 2/ 5

6 ounce

12 ounce

6 ounce

Joyva Ring Jells 9 ounce

2.49

Weis Proudly Accepts

Fox’s U-Bet Syrup

1.99

22 ounce

Magic Max’s Cotton Candy 1 ounce

Prices Effective through March 14, 2015 1070 N. 9th St. Stroudsburg • Route 739, Hawley Route 415, Dallas • Tannersville Plaza, Tannersville 1020 Northern Blvd., Clarks Summit • Route 590, Hamlin 695 N. Courtland Street, East Stroudsburg

We reserve the right to limit quantities. Not responsible for typographical or pictorial errors.

THE REPORTER ■ february 26, 2015

d’var torah

Costume customs

extraordinary – to lead the entire people in devotion to God, to bring people back to closeness with the Divine after error or drifting away, to help heal wounds in the heart and the soul. How intimidating those roles could have been! And so comes our Torah portion, carefully describing layer after layer of ritual garb, designed, crafted and worn in precisely the right way. With each piece of clothing they donned, the high priests left part of their ordinary life behind and took on more of the holy role they were to play. They could recall all those who had come before them, wearing the same garments, facing the same dilemmas, calling on the same depths of strength. We see some of the same power of costume in the Book of Esther. Esther herself becomes more queenly and confident when she puts on royal garb to approach the king. In this way, costumes reveal an inner truth that might not otherwise be expressed. But we also see the dark side of costume – for what is outside does not necessarily match what is inside. Haman wore the outfit of a prime minister – but in reality, he was a hateful, petty tyrant. Ahasuerus wore the crown – but he too often failed to truly act as king. And so it is in our lives, too. Sometimes clothing helps us become more of who we are and should be at a particular moment. And sometimes it obscures reality, deceives the eye and tricks the mind. Perhaps it is for that reason that in this same Torah portion we find the description of the ner tamid, the constant or eternal light. Light wears no garments, but it does reveal what has been in the shadows. For sometimes we need to stretch beyond what any earthly costume can be. This is the ultimate role we each should strive for: to bring light where there has been darkness, truth where there has been deception. When we live up to that call, it is as if light itself becomes our garment, as the psalmist writes of God, “You are clothed in glory and majesty, wrapped in a robe of light.” (104:1-2)

by RABBI DANIEL J. SWARTZ, TEMPLE HESED, SCRANTON Tetzaveh (Shabbat Zachor), Exodus 27:20-30:10 As preparation for Purim, this Shabbat we add a reading recalling the murderous aggression of the Amalekites, Haman’s ancestors. But the main part of the Torah reading, parashat Tetzaveh, has its own connection with Purim, though it is a bit subtler. On Purim, we dress up in elaborate, often outrageous, costumes. Tetzaveh outlines in great detail another type of “costume” – the outfit for the high priest. Why do we wear particular clothing for particular circumstances – a “work suit” or “dressing up” for a date, or a costume for a play? If we were purely rational beings, such clothing choices might not matter. After all, putting on a tie doesn’t give me any more business acumen. Love should not be dependent on wearing a couture dress instead of sweat pants. We know that the actors we see on stage or screen aren’t really gladiators or cowboys or astronauts, so why does the costume make such a difference? And what does this have to do with the high priest or other ritual garb? We play many roles in our lives – at work, with family, at synagogue. We often need help becoming fully immersed in each of those roles – leaving work stresses behind while out on a family outing, or focusing entirely on the siddur and not our distress over a bad grade or work evaluation. Wearing appropriate clothing helps us slip more readily into the appropriate role. It also helps others to see us as being in that role, which in turn can reinforce how deeply we take on that role. I imagine, for example, that in many ways, the high priests at the Temple in Jerusalem were ordinary people with ordinary concerns. They had family squabbles, they had human aches and pains, and they surely had better and worse moods. But they were called on to do something

BDS with a twist: campus divestment measures target more than Israel By Alina Dain Sharon JNS.org While two recent student resolutions initiated by Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement advocates in California ultimately had different fates, the episodes share a common twist: lumping additional nations and political entities with Israel as divestment targets. A resolution urging Stanford University to “divest from companies violating human rights in occupied Palestine” by a Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement-affiliated group at Stanford University was defeated February 10 in a 9-5 vote, with one abstention, by the school’s undergraduate student senate. Needing 66 percent of student senators’ votes to pass, the resolution – initiated by Stanford Out of Occupied Palestine – got 64 percent. (See related newsbrief on page 15.) Two days earlier, the University of California Student Association passed a similar resolution to divest from Israel, in a 9-1 vote and six abstentions. The UCSA passed a second resolution calling for divestment from companies involved with the governments of Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Israel, Mexico, Russia, Turkey, Sri Lanka and the United States, accusing those countries of violating human rights. Meanwhile, the Stanford resolution targeted “companies that violate international humanitarian law by... facilitating Israel and Egypt’s collective punishment of Palestinian civilians,” and by “facilitating state repression against Palestinians by Israeli, Egyptian or Palestinian Authority security forces.” Ben Limonchik, a leader of the student group Stanford Coalition for Peace, told JNS.org that “to criticize Israel, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority in one breath shows that these BDS proponents have no interest in promoting peace in the region.

“If they did, they would instead look to encourage constructive engagement between the parties and promote a negotiated, mutually agreeable two-state solution,” Limonchik said. “More than 1,600 members of the Stanford community did just that when they clearly stated that they stand for peace. We hope that moving forward, we as a community can echo this sentiment embracing peace and put these troublesome tactics behind us.” The Stanford and UCSA resolutions are not the first BDS measures to include nations other than Israel. In 2012, the Arizona State University student senate passed a bill encouraging the school to “divest from and blacklist companies that continue to provide the Israel Defense Forces with weapons and militarized equipment, or are complicit with the genocidal regime in Darfur.” As many as 300,000 people have been killed in the Darfur conflict and genocide since 2004, according to United Nations estimates. The tactic of a BDS resolution grouping a massive atrocity like the situation in Darfur with Israel echoes a common anti-Israel strategy – analogizing Israeli actions to those of the Nazis during the Holocaust. The Anti-Defamation League explains on its website, “In contrast to Holocaust and more recent examples of genocide and ethnic cleansing in Darfur, Rwanda and Kosovo, there is no Israeli ideology, policy or plan to persecute, exterminate or expel the Palestinian population – nor has there ever been. Israeli policies toward the Palestinians are based on its need to defend its population and combat threats to Israel’s security, while promoting a negotiated resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” Andy Borans, the executive director of the Alpha Epsilon Pi Jewish fraternity, told JNS.org that grouping other countries with Israel in divestment resolutions “is a See “BDS” on page 14

JFS VEHICLE DONATION PROGRAM

Support JFS with a donation of your car, truck, RV, boat or motorcycle • Fast, Free Pick-up and Towing • Receive a Tax Deduction for your Donation • All Vehicles Accepted Running or Not! Visit Us on the Web at:

www.jfsoflackawanna.org

Jewish Family Service of Northeastern Pennsylvania

To Donate, Call Today Toll Free: 1-877-537-4227

february 26, 2015 ■

THE REPORTER

Multifaith effort for Syrian refugees is not about Israel, but Jewish state may benefit

a minute, it’s not Israelis who are killing us By Jacob Kamaras and turning us into refugees, it’s our own JNS.org government.’” When members of the pro-Israel comThe MFA has given briefings for the munity think of populations in need of relief, European Parliament, the European ComSyrian refugees are probably not one of the mission and the British Parliament on the first groups coming to mind. After all, the Syrian refugee issue, in addition to going proverbial elephant in the room is that the on other speaking tours. One of the speakSyrian civil war is a conflict between two ing tours features a Syrian Muslim refugee enemies of Israel: Iran-supported President and humanitarian activist, Amin Ahmed, Bashar al-Assad and Hezbollah on one side, in tandem with Anat Gilan, the leader of and jihadists linked with the Al-Qaida and an Israeli humanitarian relief NGO. (Both Islamic State terror groups among the Assad speaker names given here are pseudonyms, regime’s opponents. for security reasons.) At presentations, But as the fourth anniversary of the Amin discusses how he was raised to hate Syrian civil war (March 15) approaches, Jews and Israel, but that his outlook changed Dr. Georgette Bennett, founder of the Multifaith Alliance for Syrian Refugees in an interfaith group of more than 35 organiafter meeting an Israeli who wanted to help Jordan, with a family of Syrian refugees at the Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan zations is raising funds and awareness for Syrian victims. the victims who have been displaced by the this week. (Photo by Multifaith Alliance) While the perception of Israel might conflict, rather than focusing on its combatants. At the same time, while the Multifaith Alliance and Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, the former chief rabbi improve due to testimony from Syrian refugees, that is “not a political thing,” Bennett said. for Syrian Refugees in Jordan (or MFA) makes a case of the United Kingdom. “That has nothing to do with whether or not one supfor putting politics aside and addressing a humanitarian The MFA raises emergency funds for clean water, crisis, some of the alliance’s organizers also note that housing and medical aid. The funds are allocated di- ports Israeli policy,” she said. “What it has to do with is Israel may benefit from the effort. rectly to disaster-relief agencies working on the ground that there is a whole other story about this country, and “Jordan is a peace partner of Israel,” says Alan Gill, in Jordan. Bennett, a philanthropist and the president of to the extent that the other story gets told, it enhances CEO of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Com- the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding, the possibility for diplomacy, it enhances the possibility mittee, which, along with MFA founder Dr. Georgette explains that the MFA’s humanitarian effort has led to for peace, because it expands the group of people who Bennett, spearheaded the creation of the alliance. “It’s “a new channel that is developing between Israeli and are willing to communicate with each other.” The MFA is an expansion of the initial Jewish Coaliin Israel’s strategic interest, as well as one could contend Syrian civil society actors.” tion for Syrian Refugees in Jordan, which was founded in America’s strategic interest, to make sure that we do “What people are completely unaware of is the couraeverything we can to help Jordan cope with I believe geous Israeli NGOs that are providing aid in the entire with 16 members in 2013 and still exists on its own as unprecedentedly large refugee numbers coming into their region for Syrian refugees,” Bennett told JNS.org. “So a subgroup of the Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief. country. Jordan is not a large enough country to easily as Syrian refugees encounter Israelis and Jews who are JDC’s Gill recalls when Bennett first approached him absorb – practically overnight, in the scheme of history there to help them, they’re starting to question decades about the Jewish coalition, “it was really the tekiah – such a huge percentage of its own population.” of indoctrination in which they were taught, ‘Israel is moment, the wake-up call to action,” referencing one The latest United Nations estimate pegs the Syrian the enemy, Israel wants to take our land and turn us into variety of the Rosh Hashanah shofar blasts. “I immediately agreed that this requires a Jewish voice refugee population in Jordan at 619,000, which is about refugees, Israelis want to kill us, we better kill them before 10 percent of Jordan’s total population. New York Uni- they kill us.’ This is standard teaching in Syria, according and a Jewish response,” Gill told JNS.org. “Needless to versity was scheduled to host “A Conversation on the to refugees with whom we work. But with these encoun- say, there’s so much happening in the world today, and See “Refugees” on page 13 Syrian Refugee Crisis” on February 18, featuring Bennett ters with Israelis and Jews, what they’re saying is, ‘Wait

Perpetual Annual Campaign Endowment

Your gift to the Annual Campaign DOES A WORLD OF GOOD. Endowing your gift allows you to be there for the Jewish community of NEPA forever. A Perpetual Annual Campaign Endowment (PACE) is a permanent fund that endows your Jewish community Annual Campaign gift as a lasting legacy. A PACE fund will continue to make an annual gift in perpetuity on your behalf. To determine the amount you need to endow your entire campaign gift, multiply your current annual gift by 20. You can fund your PACE by adding the JEWISH FEDERATION OF NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA to your will, or by making the Federation a beneficiary of your IRA. All contributions to establish a PACE are tax deductible.

Let your name be remembered as a blessing. Endowments can be created through a variety of vehicles, some of which do not necessitate funding during your lifetime yet still provide your estate with considerable tax benefits. They also enable you to perpetuate your commitment to the Annual Campaign in a way that best achieves your own personal financial and estate planning goals. Examples Of Ways To Fund Your Pace Gift Are:

* 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 Using appreciated property, such as securities or real estate, affords you the opportunity to eliminate the income tax on the long-term capital gain, will in some instances generate a full income tax charitable deduction and will remove those assets from your estate for estate tax purposes. For more information contact Mark Silverberg at mark.silverberg@jewishnepa.org or call 570-961-2300.

ÊVisit the Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania on the web at www.jewishnepa.org or on Facebook

THE REPORTER ■ february 26, 2015

Vets

At a cost of about $5,000 per person, Golshim L’Chaim is supported by local donors, including the local Jewish Federation, UJA Aspen Valley. The program is free for the Israeli participants. “Imagine someone without legs coming here to ski and a week later skiing down Aspen,” Mintz told JTA. “They feel they can do anything after that. The local community gains more than we give. It’s truly inspirational.” The logistics are daunting, starting from transporting the wounded Israelis from Israel over multiple flights. Some come with a spouse or sibling to assist in their care, and on the mountain, each Israeli may be escorted by up to three or four instructors. Medications must be managed, doctors must be consulted and Golshim keeps oxygen on hand in case the altitude becomes difficult for the visitors. For the ski instruction, Golshim L’Chaim hires Challenge Aspen, an organization that runs adaptive ski programs for people with physical and cognitive disabilities, including wounded U.S. soldiers. Many participants ski with specially equipped chairs, tethers and outriggers – poles with mini-skis on the bottoms. “Our goal is to have the soldiers become as independent as possible,” said John Klonowski, director of Challenge Aspen’s military program and a veteran ski instructor with the Golshim L’Chaim groups. “The learning curve is pretty quick. It doesn’t really matter if you’re in adaptive equipment,” he said. “We’ll get folks out on a ski hill, and they have an opportunity to feel like they’re just like everyone else. Especially for people in wheelchairs, this is one of very few opportunities to be out of the wheelchair. Once you’re out there, everybody’s doing the same thing – feeling the speed, the wind in their face, out in the great outdoors.” When Cohen turned up his first day, the instructors presented him with a monoski, a chair connected by a shock to a fat ski. “I said no, I’m doing it on my legs,” Cohen recalled. “They thought there was a language miscommunication. In the end, I did it on the legs.” Always athletic, Cohen had tried not to let his disabilities limit him. His initial rehab after the RPG explosion had lasted nearly a year. Because his knees were spared in the explosion, he was given prosthetics and slowly was able to learn to walk anew. Cohen joined other Israelis on their post-army trips to the Far East and South America, though instead of trekking, he rode horseback

or on scooters. Back in Israel, he enrolled in Bar-Ilan University, studying criminology. “Without strong faith in God, I couldn’t have gotten through it,” Cohen told JTA, noting that the part of his legs left intact were what had been covered by the tzitzit ritual fringes he wears every day. “You talk to the man upstairs and you know you’re not alone.” But there were limitations. Cohen couldn’t run. He often found himself the subject of curious stares. And like many wounded veterans, he struggled at times to keep his spirits up. At Aspen, Cohen says, his success skiing gave him a new boost. “When I skied all the way down, I saw that anything is possible,” said Cohen, now 31. “I came back to Israel and it gave me strength to believe in myself. If I look at myself as handicapped, people will treat me that way. If I consider myself a healthy person, people will look at me that way.” Ariela Alush, 37, who also was on the Golshim L’Chaim program last year, said her Aspen trip proved transformative for her. Alush was vacationing with two friends in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula in October 2004 when terrorists detonated a car bomb just a few feet from her bungalow. She suffered a spinal injury, a head fracture, a broken hand and shrapnel in her ear; one of her friends was killed. After two years of ear surgeries and rehab, Alush eventually was given a clean bill of health. But she remained traumatized by her experience, disoriented and anxious. She was fearful of traveling overseas and never took vacations. After the bombing, she temporarily lost her sight, and she associated the idea of vacation with the darkness that had befallen her in Egypt. “When you have post-traumatic stress disorder, you never feel safe. You’re always bothered by something,” Alush said. “But as soon as I got to Aspen, I felt embraced by the Jewish community there. I felt like I was in a safe place. I experienced something primal. Just as in Sinai I had my first difficult, dark experience, Aspen was a good, positive experience of light.” But when Alush tried skiing, her first bad fall triggered a flashback to the bombing in Egypt 10 years earlier. She couldn’t get up. Alush panicked. A ski patrol rescue team was called in to bring her down the mountain. For two days, Alush sat disheartened, traumatized anew. Then one of the program participants gave her a camera.

Continued from page 1 Alush, a film student, perked up. She filmed the snow, the mountains, her friends on skis. Slowly, she says, she felt she was regaining control through the camera lens. Finally, she felt ready to try skiing again. “I only skied for two days that week, and not even alone. But the therapeutic value of the experience was, in my eyes, worth everything,” Alush said. “In Aspen, something in my pace of life changed. I went back to Israel and I returned to work in a different way. I went back to working on my movie, I had ambition again. Something new had awakened in me.” For Cohen, the high at Aspen soon was followed by one of the worst lows since his accident. After several years on artificial legs, his prostheses were worn out. Cohen wanted new prostheses that would allow him to be more athletic, but his Israeli doctors told him that because he had lost his legs in a violent explosion rather than a careful amputation, that wasn’t possible – at least not without additional risky surgery. For the first time since his rehab, Cohen was confined to a wheelchair. After months of research, Cohen found a New York outfit called A Step Ahead Prosthetics that said it could design him an advanced prosthetic. But it would cost $150,000 and Cohen couldn’t afford it. When his new friends in Aspen heard about his predicament, they sprang into action, within weeks raising 80 percent of the cost. An Israeli nonprofit, Dror for the Wounded, which provides medical, psychological and financial assistance to wounded Israeli soldiers, donated the balance. “Without Golshim L’Chaim it wouldn’t have happened,” Cohen said. “They said the whole time, “Don’t worry, we’ll get the money.’” Cohen was fitted with his new prostheses late last summer. “It’s a real success,” he said. “I can walk and even run. I hadn’t run in 12 years.” This year’s Golshim L’Chaim program, scheduled for late February, will include several soldiers injured in last summer’s Gaza war, according to Mintz. “When you see what these people have gone through and what they’re able to do, it’s mind-boggling,” Mintz said. “It puts life in perspective.” This article is a part of JTA’s partnership with the Ruderman Family Foundation. Guided by Jewish values, the foundation advocates for and advances the inclusion of people with disabilities throughout the Jewish community. To learn more, visit www.rudermanfoundation.org.

Have you made your 2015 Pledge? The mission of the Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania is: To rescue the imperiled, to care for the vulnerable, to support Israel and to revitalize and perpetuate the Jewish communities of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Yes! I/we want to support this urgent work by joining the Donor Recognition Circle. o I am enclosing a GIFT of $___________________ o I will PLEDGE $___________________ o Please send me information on wills, trusts and planned giving arrangements that pay income for life. o I have included the Jewish federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania in my will or estate plans. o I would like to talk to a Federation representative about a gift. o My employer will match my gift. I will obtain a matching gift form, and forward it to the Federation. A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement. Name:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Email:________________________________________________________________________________________ Home Phone: (

)_______________________________________________________Work Phone: (

)___________________________________________ Cell Phone: (

)_______________________________________

Address:______________________________________________________________________________________________City:_____________________________________________ State:_____________________ Zip:_____________________________ We accept checks payable to: Jewish Federation of NE Pennsylvania, 601 Jefferson Ave., Scranton, PA 19510 or call 570-961-2300 (ext. 3)

february 26, 2015 ■

Refugees it’s very hard to get people to focus on the humanitarian fallout of a conflict as opposed to the conflict itself,” he adds. “So the more strength that we have that’s combined, in terms of messaging that this is indeed a multifaith concern, we welcome that.” The event at NYU was set to begin with with an exploration of the Jewish imperative to help others, led by Sacks. MFA members of other religions also make a faithbased humanitarian case for aiding Syrian refugees. “I think that the issue with the Syrian refugees is a human rights issue,” said Evangelical Christian minister Reverend Marcos Miranda, president of Christian Clergy International, an organization dedicated to ending the persecution of Christians and other minority faith groups. “As many of our martyrs have said in the past, and many of our leaders that are still alive continue to say, when there are injustices are affecting any human being anywhere in the world, it’s an issue that is affecting us.” Miranda said his organization’s primary goal within the alliance is to “get the word out,” given the barrier of “the lack of knowledge and education” on Syrian refugees – and other global issues of concern – in the Pentecostal and Evangelical communities. “The issue with the Evangelical church is that you have the mainstream churches, and when information comes out, the information is disseminated amongst those mainstream churches, mostly very large churches,” Miranda told JNS.org. “However, nationally, we have thousands of smaller churches, with anywhere from 50300 members on average, in inner-city communities. A lot of times, they are not included in the dissemination of the information.” Besides the awareness challenge, Miranda cites fear as a possible obstacle to Christian activism on the Syrian refugee issue – and even an impediment to a Christian response to the persecution of members of their own faith. When Miranda spoke at a recent U.N. rally on human rights, he said it was “difficult to get churches that I approached to join us. “[Christians] see the news, they see what’s going on, with all types of groups, including groups like ISIS right now, and they feel that if they get involved, somehow they’re going to be the subject of some sort

THE REPORTER

Continued from page 11

of retaliation,” Miranda said. “They feel that if they make their voices heard, that they’re going to become a target in some way. There is a reality to this fear within our churches.” Given these potential roadblocks – in addition to what Miranda called a mentality that the Syrian refugee crisis is “over there, it’s not over here” – Miranda said he tries to “drive home the point that what’s affecting them over there should be affecting us over here.” JDC’s Gill also cited the awareness issue, saying that when JDC fund-raises for natural disasters or human-induced crises, “we need the news.” Then, from the Jewish community’s perspective, he said there is the challenge of “trying to have a conversation with people that immediately say, ‘Why would we want to help refugees from a country that is formally at a state of war with Israel?’ “And the answer to us is, there’s a humanitarian concern here,” Gill said. “So many innocents are suffering, and it’s really imperative that we as a Jewish people, and as a multifaith alliance, understand that we have women and children that are just suffering terribly. It’s the right thing to do.” While declining to disclose how much money the MFA has raised overall, Bennett called it “a very respectable number” coming mostly from the Jewish community. She also singled out the efforts of the alliance’s Lutheran Christian partners, who have raised more than $1 million. “It has been very difficult raising money around this crisis,” she said. “That’s not just our experience, that’s pretty much the universal experience, that this crisis has not received the attention or the funding that so many other crises have received, and one can speculate what the causes are.” One possible cause is the complex nature of the Syrian civil war, whose death toll has surpassed 200,000. “I think one of the issues is that it’s hard to know who the good guys are, because it’s not only the Syrian regime that has committed atrocities, it’s also the extremists [among the rebels] that have come in, the jihadis that have committed atrocities,” Bennett said. “And then in between, you have the moderates who are not only fighting the regime but fighting the extremists,

so their efforts get very diluted. So it’s hard to know who to root for.” Despite the obstacles, Bennett said the Multifaith Alliance is banking on the hope that “if we do this track-two diplomacy, in which we have started to become engaged, we will have laid the groundwork for a different kind of relationship between Syria and Israel and the future, one in which they can be partners, rather than enemies.” She added, “Out of this horrific tragedy is emerging this glimmer of hope, which if it reaches a critical mass, could be planting the seeds for some future stability in the region.”

Lincoln and the Jews exhibit

The New-York Historical Society will present the exhibition “Lincoln and the Jews” from March 20-June 7. Through several never-before-exhibited original writings by Abraham Lincoln and his Jewish contemporaries, the exhibition will seek to bring to light Lincoln’s little-known relationship with the Jewish community and its lasting implications for Lincoln, for America, and for Jews. The exhibit will showcase more than 80 artifacts documenting the connection between Lincoln and Jews – including letters, official appointments, pardons and personal notes, as well as Bibles, paintings and Judaica. It will also trace the events in Lincoln’s life through the lens of his Jewish friends, such as his fellow lawyer and politician Abraham Jonas and his chiropodist (podiatrist) and confidant Issachar Zacharie, as well as showing Lincoln’s interest in and connection to the Old Testament. The exhibition seeks to paint a portrait of a politician and president who worked for the inclusion of Jews as equals in America. For more information, visit www.nyhistory.org or contact the museum 212-873-3400.

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 securities Contribute long-term appreciated stock or other Defer a gift until after your lifetime Put a bequest in your will (gifts of cash, specific property, or a share or the residue of your estate Receive guaranteed fixed income that is partially Create a charitable gift annuity tax-free

A charitable deduction plus no capital gains tax

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 Give your personal residence or farm, but retain life use

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

Tax relief to your family on inherited assets

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

Tax advantages plus use of the property

Exemption from federal estate tax on donations Current & future savings on income taxes, plus fixed, stable payments

Make a large gift with little cost to you Contribute a life insurance policy you no longer need or Current & possible future income tax deductions purchase a new one & designate a charity as the owner Receive secure, fixed income for life while avoiding Purchase a charitable gift annuity or create a charitable Tax advantages & possible increased rate of return market risks remainder annuity trust Give income from an asset for a period of years Create a charitable lead trust Federal estate tax savings on asset & income tax but retain the asset for yourself or your heirs deductions for deductions for donated income Create a hedge against inflation over the long term Create a charitable remainder unitrust Variable payments for life plus tax advantages Make a revocable gift during your lifetime Name a charity as the beneficiary of assets in a Full control of the trust terms during your lifetime living trust

ÊVisit the Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania on the web at www.jewishnepa.org or on Facebook

THE REPORTER ■ february 26, 2015

BDS

February 2015 • Non-Feature Films • *NEW* American Masters: Mel Brooks: Make A Noise - After more than 60 years in show business, Mel Brooks has earned more major awards than any other living entertainer. A comedy force of nature, Brooks is very private and has never authorized a biography, making his participation in this film a genuine first. Showcasing the Brooklyn native’s brilliant, skewed originality, American Masters: Mel Brooks: Make A Noise features never-before-heard stories and new interviews with Brooks, Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Cloris Leachman, Carl Reiner, Joan Rivers, Tracey Ullman and others. This career-spanning documentary of the man behind Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, The Producers, Spaceballs and of course the 2000 Year Old Man journeys through Brooks’ professional and personal ups and downs, providing a rare look at a living legend, beloved by millions. *NEW* Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy - Engaging, humorous, and provocative... examining the unique role of Jewish composers and lyricists in the creation of the modern American musical. The film showcases the work of legends such as Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, George and Ira Gershwin, Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, Leonard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondheim. Interviews with songwriters and luminaries including Sheldon Harnick, Stephen Schwartz, Harold Prince, Arthur Laurents, Charles Strouse, and Mel Brooks provide insight, alongside standout performances and archival footage. 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, & 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. *NEW* When Jews Were Funny is insightful and often hilarious, surveying the history of Jewish comedy from the early days of Borsht Belt to the present. • Feature Films • 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, chose the role of a savior and sneaks 13 Jews into her attic. 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. *Just added to the Jewish Federation’s Film Lending Library!

Continued from page 10

tactic to confuse others about the real anti-Israeli – and, often, antisemitic – motivations.” Roz Rothstein, CEO of the Israel education organization StandWithUs, expressed hope that academic institutions will start realizing that BDS advocates’ targeting of countries other than Israel “is the result of allowing themselves to be hijacked by anti-Israel extremists.” “While StandWithUs supports government accountability across the board, the UCSA’s resolution has made it clear that symbolic calls for divestment from America and other governments are a misguided overreach, and will not advance human rights or justice in any meaningful way,” Rothstein told JNS.org. Jacob Baime, executive director of the Israel on Campus Coalition, told JNS.org that “the lumping together of Israel with the U.S. and other nations in divestment resolutions indicates a shift in the BDS movement toward even more radical positions and an attempt to create an even more radical coalition.” Yet, despite the BDS movement’s shifting tactics, a newly released ICC report reveals that pro-Israel activity on U.S. campuses has increased in the wake of the war between Israel and Hamas last summer, and a rise in terrorism against Jews in Israel last fall. The number of both anti-Israel and pro-Israel rallies on college campuses was significantly higher in fall 2014 than it was in fall 2013, according to the report. The study, which detailed activity trends throughout the last three years, also showed that the number of campus events in support of the Jewish state continue to widely outnumber anti-Israel events. There were more than 1,500 Israel-supporting activities held last fall on campuses, an increase of more than 400 from the same period in 2013. By comparison, anti-Israel events, though they also rose, remained under 800 last fall. The primary focus of BDS groups is still Israel, and “we continue to see BDS as a fundamentally antisemitic movement,” said Baime. “In our view, no group or cause should get involved with the BDS movement, which has a proven record of creating conditions for campus hate speech, bullying and divisiveness. Our goal is to educate every member of the campus community on what BDS represents – a movement dedicated to the destruction of the Jewish homeland.” Israel advocacy groups working on campus have pointed to what they see as the absurdity of the second UCSA-passed resolution’s targeting of the U.S. The resolution argued that America “engaged in drone strikes that have killed more than 2,400 people in Pakistan and Yemen, many of them civilians.” “The [U.S.] government oversees, by far, the highest rate of imprisonment in the world, and racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately targeted by law enforcement agencies, particularly for drug-related offenses,” the resolution stated. “Four hundred thousand undocumented immigrants are held in detention centers every year, and millions have been deported since the current administration took office, and the government is directly supporting and propping up numerous dictatorships around the world with weapons sales and foreign aid.” Samantha Mandeles, editor-in-chief of CAMERAonCampus.org for the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting media watchdog group, took issue with the UCSA grouping the U.S. and Israel “with some of the worst human rights abusers in the world,” calling the move “merely a smokescreen, meant to hide the true anti-Israel bigotries and aims of its proponents. “This amendment is an attempt to hide from legitimate critique of BDS as unfairly focused on the one Jewish state in the world – which, in large part, it is. The inclusion of several abusive governments as part of a system of worldwide human rights abuses does not excuse the counter-factual castigation of Israel,” Mandeles said. StandWithUs’s Rothstein said, “If the principle behind BDS is truly to remove any investments that can be tied to human rights violations, then the illogic of an American university divesting from America is the only possible conclusion this movement can reach.”

february 26, 2015 ■

THE REPORTER

NEWS IN bRIEF From JTA

Hundreds of thousands march in memory of AMIA prosecutor Alberto Nisman

More than 400,000 people in Buenos Aires braved a heavy rain to pay tribute to the late AMIA special prosecutor Alberto Nisman in a “silent march.” Other marches remembering Nisman on the one-month anniversary of his death were held on Feb. 18 throughout Argentina and in cities throughout the world. The Metropolitan Police in Buenos Aires pegged the number of marchers in the city’s downtown at some 400,000. The event was held without speeches. Nisman, 51, was found dead in his Buenos Aires home on Jan. 18, hours before he was to present evidence to Argentine lawmakers that President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and other government officials covered up Iran’s role in the 1994 attack on the Buenos Aires Jewish center that killed 85 and injured hundreds. Nisman’s mother Sara Garfunkel, his ex-wife Sandra Arroyo Salgado, and the couple’s oldest daughter, Iara, 15, led the Buenos Aires march ahead of the prosecutors and judges who called for the demonstration. It started at the Congress building and ended in downtown Buenos Aires at the Government’s House. Members of the DAIA, the Jewish political umbrella in Argentina; FACCMA, the Argentine Federation of Maccabean Community Centers; and AMIA gathered before the rally in front of the AMIA building in order to march together. The prosecutors also gathered before the march in front of Nisman’s office. “I returned to my house shocked and touched by this enormous civic demonstration,” Waldo Wolff, DAIA’s vice president, told JTA. “There are a lot of good people in Argentina that are asking for justice and truth.” Judiciary union leader Julio Piumato said from the stage, “We want to express our condolences to his family,” before asking the crowd to be silent for a minute to pay tribute to Nisman. Arroyo Salgado in an interview on Feb. 19 with Voerterix radio said of the march, “It was very exciting and very difficult for me and my daughter. The people sent me words of support, strength and confidence in what I could do.” Arroyo Salgado repeated her belief that Nisman did not commit suicide. “I cannot accept Alberto Nisman’s suicide because of his personality, even less with a gun involved,” she said. “He had no reason to do that.”

Oslo synagogue “peace ring” marred by organizer’s antiIsrael remarks, some Jews say

More than 1,000 people, including many Muslims, formed a human chain around an Oslo synagogue in a show of support for Jews. However, some Norwegian Jews said the so-called “peace ring” on the night of Feb. 21 was tainted because one of its organizers said over the weekend that he dislikes people who support Israel. The organizer, Ali Chishti, had also made anti-Jewish and anti-Israel statements in 2009 that he disavowed. The seven organizers, many of them Muslims, had planned the initiative with the endorsement of the Jewish community to protest the slaying on Feb. 15 by an Islamist of a Jewish volunteer guard at the main synagogue in Copenhagen, Denmark. Ervin Kohn, head of the Jewish community of Oslo, told JTA that he thought the initiative was “extremely positive” and could change the dynamics of minority relations in Scandinavia. But Chishti confirmed on Feb. 21 in an interview with Verdens Gang, a Norwegian tabloid, that he delivered a speech in Oslo on March 22, 2009, on the alleged involvement of Jews in planning the 9/11 World Trade Center bombings in New York. The speech’s title was “Therefore I Hate Jews and Gays,” the newspaper reported, though Chishti said he was not the one who came up with the title. “There were several thousand Jews away from work in the World Trade Center, and why there were more Jews in Mumbai when Pakistani terrorists attacked than usual?” he said then, repeating the conspiracy theory that Jews knew in advance of the 2001 Twin Towers attack that killed thousands. “Jews are a small group, but everyone knows that they have a lot of power.” In Feb. 21 interviews, he retracted his statements. In an interview with the daily Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet, he said they were “antisemitic” and “unacceptable.” “I was angry,” he told Verdens Gang. “I have since changed my views.” But he also said he “dislikes” people who support “an occupying force that has been condemned in several United Nations resolutions. ...I think it is important to distinguish between being critical of Israel and antisemitism,” he also told Verdens Gang. Eric Argaman, a pro-Israel activist and member of Norway’s Jewish community, said Chishti’s involvement “stained the event, which now feels more like a spin on our backs than a gesture of good will.”

Death threats made against Brussels rabbi

A Brussels-based rabbi who has lobbied for improved security for European Jews filed a police complaint over death threats made against him. Rabbi Menachem Margolin, the Israel-born head of the European Jewish Association lobby group, was threatened on his personal Facebook page shortly after the murder of a volunteer Jewish security guard outside the main synagogue of Copenhagen, according to a Feb. 12 report on the website of the Coordination Forum for Countering Antisemitism. According to the news site

kikar.col.il, the threat came amid many antisemitic slurs posted on Margolin’s Facebook page. Margolin attracted international attention recently by calling on Europe’s interior ministers to create regulations that would allow some Jews to carry weapons that would allow them to fend off violent antisemitic attacks. “Menachem Margolin will be a dead man unless he stops,” kikar.co.il quoted the unnamed person who issued the threat as writing. “We will put a bullet in his head.” Margolin, who also served as director of the Rabbinical Center of Europe, confirmed the report and added that he filed a complaint with police. “We cannot afford to be intimidated by threats,” he said in an interview with kikar. “We will continue working with all-out might to ensure that every last Jew in Europe can live safely and with the freedom to practice their faith.”

Swedish public radio apologizes for antisemitism question

Swedish public radio apologized for a presenter’s question to the country’s Israeli ambassador about whether Jews are responsible for antisemitism. “We offer our fullest apologies for this question,” Sveriges Radio said on Feb. 18 in a statement on its website. “It was misleading and put blame on individuals and on a vilified group.” The Sveriges Radio reporter in a live interview the previous night asked the envoy, Isaac Bachman, “Are Jews themselves responsible for the progression of antisemitism?” Bachman responded that he rejects the question, to which the reporter responded, “Why,” the French news agency AFP reported. The question came in the wake of a shooting attack on a synagogue in neighboring Denmark that left a Jewish volunteer security guard dead. Along with the apology, which also said, “The Jewish community has suffered a horrible act of terror and has all our sympathy,” the station removed the program from its online archive. Sweden officially recognized the state of Palestine in October. In response, Israel briefly recalled its ambassador. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas inaugurated the Palestine embassy in Sweden the week of Feb. 13. Meanwhile, in the wake of the attack on the Copenhagen synagogue, Muslims in Norway have announced that they will form a “peace ring” around a synagogue in Oslo the weekend of Feb. 21 as part of an anti-violence demonstration, The Local Norway reported on Feb. 17, citing a report by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corp. NRK.

Stanford student senate passes divestment resolution

The Stanford University student senate passed an Israel divestment resolution that it narrowly defeated a week earlier. In the Feb. 17 re-vote by the Undergraduate Senate, the revamped measure passed with 10 votes in favor, four against and one abstention, the Stanford Daily student newspaper reported. The resolution also disassociated the divestment call from any official Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. The resolution calls on the Palo Alto, CA, university to “divest from companies that violate international humanitarian law.” It notes a number of companies, including Veolia Transdev, Elbit Systems, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Eaton Corp., Combined Tactical Systems and G4S. Stanford joins several schools that have passed Israel divestment resolutions, including a number in the University of California system. The week of Feb. 13, the vote on a similar resolution calling for the university to divest from corporations that engage in “specific practices that commit human rights abuses and violate international law” in the West Bank was nine votes for and five against, with one abstention. But to pass, the measure required 66 percent of the senators to approve and finished with 64 percent. The resolution was proposed by the Stanford Out of Occupied Palestine campus organization in the wake of last summer’s conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The re-vote came at the request of the Senate chairwoman, Ana Ordonez, who abstained in the first vote. She said at the Feb. 17 meeting that she decided to bring the motion forward again because during the first vote she was unable to focus on the subject because the 400 people in attendance at the meeting and the “hostile” atmosphere made it difficult for her to concentrate on the vote. “Now that the noise has subsided, I know that I voted incorrectly,” Ordonez said, according to the Stanford Daily. Ordonez changed her vote from abstain to in favor; another senator changed from against to abstain. Some 35 Stanford students attended the meeting.

Jewish gravestones desecrated in New Zealand

Three headstones were vandalized in the Jewish section of a cemetery in Dunedin, New Zealand. A swastika was painted on one headstone and two others were broken, the Otago Daily Times reported. The vandalism was reported to police on Feb. 14. “I would prefer to think that it wasn’t [a racially motivated attack], and that it was just a childish act – but it is a fairly nasty incident,” police constable Greg Marsden told the newspaper. Dunedin is the second largest city on the South Island of New Zealand with a population of more than 124,000. On Feb. 15, several hundred gravestones were vandalized in a Jewish cemetery in northeastern France and swastikas were drawn on the entrance to a Jewish cemetery in Oldenburg, Germany. “We find this type of vandalism not only to be ignorant and stupid, but also state that the underlying menace behind it is disturbing and worrying,” said Andrew Spiegel, a member of the Dunedin Jewish Congregation.

Save the Date!

Celebrate Israel Parade

Sunday, May 31, 2015 ÊVisit the Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania on the web at www.jewishnepa.org or on Facebook

THE REPORTER â&#x2013; february 26, 2015

CAMPAIGN P tf io

Mark & Joan Davis, General Campaign Co-Chairs

Total to date:

$779,996 THE TIME IS NOW!

If you have not yet made your gift to the 2015 Federation/UJA Campaign, please contact Mark Silverberg at 570-961-2300, ext. 1. Help us reach our goal of $900,000. Your support enables us to fund the many important Jewish needs right here in Northeastern Pennsylvania, in Israel and throughout the Jewish world. Your participation is also helping to ensure a strong Jewish future.

2015 Federation/UJA Annual Campaign One People. One Mission. Tikun Olam. 570-961-2300 (x1)

ď&#x20AC;Ą p!

$100

$180

$250

$500

$1,000

$1,800

other

Name: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Email: _______________________________________________________________________________________ Home Phone: (

) ______________________________________________________Work Phone: (

) __________________________________________ Cell Phone: (

) ______________________________________

Address: _____________________________________________________________________________________________City: ____________________________________________ State: ____________________ Zip: ____________________________ Please mail to: Jewish Federation of NE Pennsylvania, 601 Jefferson Ave., Scranton, PA 18510 or call 570-961-2300 (ext. 1)