January 14, 2016 Edition of The Reporter

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VOLUME IX, NUMBER 1

JANUARY 14, 2016

Gentrification – via gardening – slowly comes to derelict South Tel Aviv

BY DEBRA KAMIN TEL AVIV (JTA) – The teeming blocks around this city’s New Central Bus Station are anything but scenic. Packed with humanity at every hour of the day, they are dizzying monuments to urban blight: equal parts graffiti, chaotic traffic and bustling, black-market commerce.

So on a sunny Friday in November, just across the street from the labyrinth-like station – a hulking seven-story monolith where entire floors lay abandoned – it was a surprise to find the gates of a thriving urban garden thrown open. Bongo drums, organic pastries and children’s art projects were all being shared there among the potted cacti, flowering eucalyptus and verdant vertical gardens built, using upcycled wooden pallets, into the walls of an under passage.

This dilapidated neighborhood of South Tel Aviv has long been known for its grit, not its green spaces. This is where you come to buy a hot bicycle, its lock sliced just hours earlier a few blocks north. It’s

A scene from a recent event from the grass-roots gardening group Onya Collective, one of a crop of community initiatives that seek to revitalize South Tel Aviv. (Photo by Gabi Berger) the place to find all varieties of Indian and Filipino spices; bands of African migrants strolling five or six abreast and

off-duty prostitutes gossiping beneath graffiti-splattered awnings. Unless they’re catching an intercity bus or want to pur-

SHDS annual winter soup sale now under way The Scranton Hebrew Day School is currently holding its annual winter soup sale to benefit the school’s scholarship fund.

The sale features a selection of more than 15 soups, including vegetable, chicken, butternut squash, tomato cab-

bage, pea, potato leek and more. Soups will be available in two sizes, with prices ranging from $4 for a 16-ounce container to $8 for the 32-ounce size. New this year are homemade matzah balls sold in quantities of a half dozen or a dozen.

For more information or to receive an order form, call Rachelle Werbin at the day school at 570-346-1576. The final order date will be Friday, January 15, and soups will be available for pick-up at the school on Monday, January 25.

SPOTLIGHT

Alan Gross opens up about surviving Cuban prison, selfies

BY SUZANNE POLLAK (Washington Jewish Week via JTA) – Since being imprisoned in Cuba six years ago, Alan Gross says his life has been “surreal.”

He feels disassociated from the causes of his five-year incarceration and from the resulting fame. He was locked up largely because of U.S.-Cuba relations, he says, and he is a public figure thanks to the people who followed his story in the news or advocated on his behalf.

“It never was about me,” Gross said in an interview in his Washington, DC, condominium. “My life became surreal the night I became detained, and it still is today. I don’t quite understand the celebrity function.”

That doesn’t mean he isn’t grateful to the people who signed petitions or gave media interviews demanding his release.

Alan Gross displayed his Cuban cigars at his apartment in Washington, DC, on December 23. (Photo by Suzanne Pollak/Washington Jewish Week)

Gross credits them with bringing him back to the United States, via Andrews Air Force Base, on December 17, 2014.

When he was arrested in 2009, Gross was working as a U.S. government subcontractor setting up Internet access for Cuban Jews. “It is illegal to distribute anything in Cuba that is funded in full or in part by the U.S. government. That’s why they detained me initially,” he said, insisting that his Jewish background or work had nothing to do with it.

Gross says once the Cuban government realized he could be used as a bargaining chip in its diplomacy with the U.S., he was stuck. While he wasn’t physically tortured, he suffered in other ways. “They threatened to hang me, pull out my fingernails,” he said. “They told me I would never see the light of day.”

See “Gross” on page 7

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Israeli roads safer

News from Israel...

News in brief...

chase some off-label electronics, most Tel Aviv residents steer clear of this part of town entirely.

South Tel Aviv has become home to the vast majority of Israel’s nearly 50,000 African migrants and refugees. As the Israeli government vacillated on how to handle the influx, the neighborhood’s Jewish residents cried out about a spike in crime that has come in tandem with the influx. Today, South Tel Aviv’s shoulderto-shoulder communities of migrants, legal foreign workers and Jewish-Israelis who share this cramped space all accuse the government of abandoning them.

But some grass-roots organizations are seeking to nourish community life in this urban Israeli jungle. City-funded social workers are helping low-income mothers find health services for their children.

Volunteers from the African Refugee Development Center are trading their evenings to offer legal services to asylum seekers. Meanwhile, activist gardeners are wielding strawberry patches and bell peppers amid the concrete, and feminist See “Tel Aviv” on page 4

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Research shows that Israeli Israel sends aid to flood-stricken Brazilian senator says rejecting PLUS drivers and roads are less Paraguay; a new Israeli-developed Israeli ambassador supports BDS; Opinion........................................................2 dangerous now than in 2000. therapy for a blood cancer. attacks in London and Paris; more. Jewish Community Center News.........6 Story on page 5 Stories on page 7 Stories on pages 9 and 11 D’var Torah................................................8

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THE REPORTER ■ JANUARY 14, 2016

A MATTER OF OPINION Last week’s terror attack, at a bar in the heart of Tel Aviv, was a tragedy that struck close to home

BY DANIELLE MOR I want to share with you a terrible tragedy that happened to my family less than a week ago.

My amazing cousin Alon Bakal, 26-years-old, was shot dead by a terrorist last Friday afternoon [January 1] while working as a shift manager at a Tel Aviv café. Out of nowhere, without warning, and in one second, Alon was gone. Alon was about to graduate from law school and start interning at a prestigious Tel Aviv law firm. He was the best young man you could imagine, the kind you would want to be friends with – served in the Golani combat brigade, volunteered in a poverty prevention organization, cheered his favorite Hapoel Jerusalem basketball team and called his mother every morning. Though I have been working closely with The Jewish Agency’s Fund for Victims of Terror for years, I never really thought my family would be one of those it gave assistance to.

The news stories speak a lot about Alon, show images and recordings of his grieving mother, Nitza. I want to tell you about my safta, Alon’s grandmother. My safta, Turan, came to Israel from Iran at age 18 with my late grandfather and my father, who was an infant at the time. It was 1949; they left everything, and arrived with nothing to the ma’abara (tent town).

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them. My Zionist grandfather made the decision for the three of them – as she told me, “I couldn’t say a word, he told me – after 2,000 years, Am Israel Chai, we are going!”

She became the mother of 12 children, the safta of 50 grandchildren and she doesn’t want to count the great-grandchildren for fear of the evil eye.

Though to this day, at 84 years of age, she cannot truly read or write, she is the strongest, most courageous and smartest woman I know. [On January 3], she buried her grandchild – Alon Bakal – who was murdered by a terrorist in the Tel Aviv café where he worked.

Safta has a nickname for many of her grandchildren – Alon was “the model” due to his good looks but more so, for his good heart and ambition. Our family is strong, we get our strength from my safta. We are here to keep Alon’s memory alive, to try and strengthen his mother, father and siblings, although

Danielle Mor’s safta (grandmother), Turan (far left, wrapped in a scarf) cried at the funeral of Alon Bakal, her grandson. (Photo by Netanel Tevel) we all know the wound will never heal and that the personal road and the road for us all as a people, as a society, is long. But we are here to stay. As my safta quotes my late grandfather, “Am Israel Chai.”

Danielle Mor works with the Jewish Agency for Israel and the Fund for the Victims of Terror, which provides Israel’s terror victims with direct, immediate financial assistance after an attack.

Why campus anti-racism protests are bad for the Jews

BY TAMMI ROSSMAN-BENJAMIN (JTA) – A day before University of Missouri graduate student Jonathan Butler made headlines with a hunger strike protesting racism on campus, a coalition of 36 Jewish and civil rights organizations contacted University Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin to protest a vile act of antisemitism that had recently occurred at Mizzou: Someone had used feces to smear a swastika on a bathroom wall.

In our letter, we criticized Loftin for not promptly and publicly addressing this act, which targeted Jewish students and made them feel threatened and unsafe. Little did we know that Butler, in an open letter to the university’s leadership in early November, would cite the swastika as his last straw, the latest in a “a slew of racist, sexist, homophobic” incidents that drove him to swear off all food unless the university president was removed.

The threats worked. Less than a week after beginning his hunger strike, Mizzou President Tim Wolfe stepped down. Hours later, Loftin followed suit.

For those of us who had urged Loftin to publicly condemn the swastika, the question looming large in our minds was: Would Butler’s actions help our fight against antisemitism at Mizzou?

There was every reason to be optimistic. After all, Butler’s successful protest was directed toward administrators who had not responded promptly to campus discrimination.

Surely antisemitism requires the same vigorous treatment as racism, sexism and homophobia. Why shouldn’t the spotlight Butler was shining on the unacceptable discrimination and harassment of African-American, female and LGBTQ students also illuminate the rising threat Jewish students face regularly?

In no time, that question took on national significance. Butler’s hunger strike has sparked a national

student movement demanding an end to “systemic and structural racism.”

Again, we asked, could this be a positive development for Jewish students, who themselves suffer systemic and structural antisemitism? On far too many campuses Jewish students report being harassed, assaulted, threatened, vilified and discriminated against, their property defaced and destroyed, and their events disrupted and shut down. Could this new anti-racism movement finally help provide Jewish students the attention they deserve?

Unfortunately, the current rash of campus protests has shown itself to be far more likely to hurt Jewish students than to help them. There are three main reasons why.

First, university administrators are less likely to address antisemitism in the wake of the Mizzou-inspired protests. In part, this is because administrators are so overwhelmed with meeting or deflecting the demands of protesters – and making sure they themselves do not meet the same fate as Mizzou’s president and chancellor – they simply do not have the time or energy to focus on Jewish students.

Administrators are also afraid of appearing to favor Jewish students.

Recently, I called a top administrator at the University of Central Florida to discuss some neo-Nazi fliers that had been posted in and around UCF dormitories. I expressed my dismay that although the fliers had been discovered several days before, the university had yet to make a public statement about them. The administrator responded that he was afraid to do so lest it be seen by campus protesters as pandering to Jewish interests and lead to further campus unrest. University administrators too busy or too scared to address antisemitism leave Jewish students vulnerable and unprotected.

Second, anti-Israel student groups who often target Jewish students for harassment and discrimination have

opportunistically aligned themselves with anti-racism protesters to more forcefully promote their anti-Zionist agenda. At the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, for example, anti-Israel groups have insinuated into the protesters’ demands a call for UNC to immediately divest from “Israeli apartheid.” The manipulative injection of such demands into the anti-racism movement and the alliances being forged will likely make the campus climate even more hostile, threatening and unsafe for Jewish students.

Finally, Jewish students themselves have been accused of racism for speaking out about the antisemitism they experience. For example, on an official University of California, Santa Cruz website dedicated to educating the campus community about subtle forms of bigotry known as “microaggressions,” one of the examples given is a Jewish student’s statement to an African-American student: “I don’t get why you’re excluding me like this. I’m Jewish; I know oppression.”

Even though the Jewish student is simply expressing feelings of marginalization and oppression, the statement is considered a microaggression because of the student’s socioeconomic status. Indeed, in a campus climate hypersensitive to the intersectionality of race and class, Jewish students may not even be able to talk about antisemitism without being labeled racist.

While no one knows for sure how long the current campus unrest will last or how much impact it will ultimately have, there are clear signs that Jewish students will not be among its beneficiaries and are quite likely to be among its greatest casualties.

Ta m m i R o s s m a n - B e n j a m i n i s a lecturer at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and the cofounder and director of the Amcha Initiative, a nonprofit that combats campus antisemitism.

JANUARY 14, 2016 ■ THE REPORTER

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COMMUNITY NEWS Bais Yaakov news Tzedakah Tzeason 2015 provides winter coats for many

BAID YAAKOV HELD CHANUKAH PROGRAMS Bais Yaakov High School of Scranton held its annual Chanukah family dinner and carnival on December 1 at the Beth Shalom Synagogue. The program featured a family dinner with carnival games and prizes for the children. Chairwomen of the carnival were Leah Laury and Suzanne Severe, assisted by Molly Rutta, Leah Pion, Vera Epshteyn, Nancy Ben Dov, Sandi Raven, Atara Raven, Adina Elefant and Miriam Raizel Valencia, as well as Bais Yaakov students and students from the Scranton Hebrew Day School.

A toy drive was held for the children of Chai Lifeline, an organization that offers support to children with serious illnesses, as well as their families. Gifts are distributed in hospitals on Chanukah and are also given to siblings of the children to help them celebrate Chanukah. Bais Yaakov representatives expressed their thanks for those who sponsored the event: Sheila Cutler, Filmore Rosenstein, Gilda Franzese, Rutta, Rabbi Samuel and Soni Sandhaus, Frimi Stahler, Marshall Needle, Gary Davis, Syvia Eisenberg, David Elliot Poultry, the Fink family, Laura (Morreale) Silverstein, Neil and Arlene Weinberg, and Dr. Nancy Willis.

Bais Yaakov hosted an annual Chanukah Chagiga for students and their families, as well as staff of Bais Yaakov, on December 7, the second night of Chanukah. Guest speaker Rabbi Avrohom Goldstein spoke about “the beauty of Chanukah” and played the violin.

Speeches were also given by Rabbi Gershon Severe and Rabbi Mayer Elefant. The program also featured d’vrei Torah by the students on Chanukah under guidance of their teacher, Rabbi Yaakov Bilus, who gave introductory remarks about the accomplishments of the students.

Bais Yaakov students helped at the Jewish Community Center annual Chanukah party on December 8. The students served and helped clean up at the JCC. WITH THE JEWISH HOME ON CHANUKAH Baking cookies is one skill of Bais Yaakov students.

The students are being trained to be capable in the kitchen by Suzanne Severe, their toras habayis, or home economics, teacher. The students baked cookies with residents of the Jewish Home and helped them eat the cookies for Chanukah.

TELETEEN Bais Yaakov of Scranton was chosen by Bnos Melochim, an internationally known organization that promotes modest dress and speech among Jewish girls, to speak at their teleconference this Chanukah.

A representative of Goodwill Industries visited the Scranton Jewish Community Center on December 3 to pick up nearly 75 adult and children’s new and gently used winter coats. Goodwill Industries will sell the coats at their discount clothing centers in Scranton and use the proceeds to fund job training for the unemployed in the region, group homes for the homeless and mentoring programs for area youth.

Each year, in the month before Chanukah, “Tzedakah Tzeason,” the Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania seeks to support charitable endeavors benefitting the greater community. It has donated to the Jewish Family Services Kosher Food Pantry; sent letters and treats to Jewish men and women in the U.S. Armed Forces; and arranged for volunteers to help at Elan Gardens during holiday needs.

A Federation representative expressed the organization’s thank for those who donated this year and noted looking forward to continued support for their projects.

Jewish Community Center maintenance man Wayne Hallock helped Stephen Snyder, of Goodwill, pack boxes.

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Racks of coats were collected for Goodwill during Tzedakah Tzeason 2015.

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THE REPORTER ■ JANUARY 14, 2016

Tel Aviv

activists are forcing a dialogue between the area’s partitioned racial groups. The times – along with the atmosphere – are a-changing here, as they say.

“It’s the most neglected and hardcore area in Tel Aviv,” says Robert Ungar, an architect who heads up the Onya Collective. The organization – whose vision is, according to its website, to “pimp your hood with some o that eco-lovin’” – is behind the area’s new garden. Onya’s weapons of choice are soil and seeds, and it believes in harnessing the power of plants and green space to bring positive change to urban spaces.

“It’s so dense and polluted, and no organization is really taking it on,” Ungar says of the area. “This is our biggest challenge.”

A handful of herbs and flowers may not be enough to turn the tide of a neighborhood, but it’s a start. The garden’s appeal was enough to lure in Dor Zolta, a 28year-old who grew up in nearby Holon. He said that before Onya’s event, he had only ventured to South Tel Aviv to catch a bus or train. “It doesn’t matter so much what

At right: The Onya Collective is behind the new garden in South Tel Aviv. (Photo by Gabi Berger)

they are doing to make the place better, as long as it’s a step in the right direction,” Zolta says, sipping a beer while taking in the funky roots-rock of the band OSOG. “I’ve never been to the neighborhood before to hang out, and this sort of event can make the people who live here feel a responsibility over the neighborhood and maybe take care of it themselves.”

While Tel Aviv’s northern beaches, hotels and restaurants have shot to the top of tourism blogs’ must-visit lists, South Tel Aviv has lagged behind. The dual

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forces of urban sprawl and geopolitical instability, which pushed businesses out while tens of thousands of African asylum seekers streamed across Israel’s borders, have changed the fabric of this enclave. “[The government of Israel] has preferred to exploit the situation of South Tel Aviv and xenophobia among the general public to serve their own political interests rather than truly help the people there,” says Elliott Glassenberg, a local activist and teacher at the Bina Secular Yeshiva that sits a stone’s throw from the bus station.

Glassenberg is passionate about improving life for Africans who live in the area and also securing the closure of the Holot Detention Center, the isolated open prison complex in the Negev Desert, where hundreds of migrants are being held for entering the country illegally. Groups like the Onya Collective, he says, bring immense value to the neighborhood by fomenting a sense of community. But there is a risk to their work, as well – a risk that the residents of any city that has seen gentrification transform its streets can tell you about. The residents of South Tel Aviv deserve a safer and cleaner space to live in, activists say. The risk is that as their neighborhood changes, the cost of living there will, too.

“It’s great when you have young, hip artists who want to bring a sense of youth and community into a neighborhood,” Glassenberg says. “But it’s always a little from column A and a little from column B. A lot of times people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are at a loss because they want their quality of life to improve, but when it does, rent and housing costs go up, as well.”

Jaffa and Florentin, two neighborhoods that border the ring of tough streets around the Central Bus Station, have been transforming over the past decade; quaint boutiques, microbreweries and high-rises are now ubiquitous

Continued from page 1 there. And as community initiatives have slowly begun to take root in the grittier South Tel Aviv enclaves of Neve Shaanan, Shapira and Hatikva, developers have started to take note. Handfuls of land plots in the area have already been purchased, and luxury condos are being planned alongside the crumbling slums that dot these crowded streets.

Since 2000, the city of Tel Aviv has established its own independent organization, Mesila, to offer aid and educational outreach to migrants and foreign workers.

It has smoothed out some of the area’s most potholed roads; at night, new streetlights and police patrols have cut down drastically on crime. Community initiatives like Hyde Park Levinsky have brought Jewish and foreign residents together at the local Levinsky Park, much in the spirit of the Sunday soapbox orators who have discussed ideas in London’s Hyde Park for a century.

It’s a start, says Ungar. But there are problems he isn’t willing to wait for the government to fix. “There’s been a shift in the city’s attempts to try and solve the problems in South Tel Aviv, yes,” he says. “They’re fixing streets and helping security. These are heavy actions. But no one is talking about the things that aren’t basic. Green space is not basic. Culture and community is not basic. Very little is being done to create and strengthen community, which is vital.”

The Onya Collective got started last year when a group of its core volunteers took over the Central Bus Station’s derelict roof as part of the global urban art initiative Worldwide Storefront. That project, which brought forth a reading corner, a strawberry patch and a hydroponics station in a forgotten radio studio, brought the all-volunteer collective a fair amount of local press and encouraged them to launch an even bigger project: a soil-less urban garden built by both Israeli and immigrant communities in the heart of the neighborhood.

Most days, the little garden – a festive mishmash of hardy potted plants, strings of lights and hanging paper mache projects – is locked for lack of operational budget. Ungar hopes that will eventually change. “Everyone passes the responsibility for South Tel Aviv onto someone else, and what happens is it allows creative initiatives like us to grow because there are gaps in this city that nobody takes care of,” he says. “We’re growing within these cracks.”

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JANUARY 14, 2016 ■ THE REPORTER

5

Orthodox Jewish rabbis advocate partnership between Christians and Jews

BY JNS STAFF (JNS.org) – A group of Orthodox Jewish rabbis are advocating for increased partnership between Christians and Jews. More than 25 Orthodox rabbis from Israel, the U.S. and Europe released the statement titled “To Do the Will of Our Father in Heaven: Toward a Partnership between Jews and Christians” on the Center for Jewish-

Christian Understanding and Cooperation website.

“The real importance of this Orthodox statement is that it calls for fraternal partnership between Jewish and Christian religious leaders, while also acknowledging the positive theological status of the Christian faith. Jews and Christians must be in the forefront of teaching basic moral values to the world,” said Rabbi

Shlomo Riskin, CJCUC’s founder.

The statement addresses the positive shift in Christian attitudes toward Jews, particularly after seeing a new Christian affirmation of the Jewish covenant following the Second Vatican Council and the Catholic Church’s publication of the Nostra Aetate declaration in 1965.

“Both Jews and Christians have a

common covenantal mission to perfect the world under the sovereignty of the Almighty, so that all humanity will call on His name and abominations will be removed from the earth. We understand the hesitation of both sides to affirm this truth and we call on our communities to overcome these fears in order to establish a relationship of trust and respect,” the new statement read.

Road improvements, research buck stereotype of dangerous Israeli driving

BY MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMAN JNS.org Honk. Honk. Hoooonk. It’s the sound of the Israeli street.

Israelis have a reputation for aggressive driving, no doubt. But according to the 2014 Road Safety Annual Report, 263 people lost their lives on Israel’s roads in 2012, a 40-percent decrease from the number of accidents causing death in 2000. “There has been a real increase in the awareness of the need for road safety,” says Dr. Victoria Gitelman, a researcher at the Transportation Research Institute of Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa.

So what has changed? First: public transportation. According to Dr. Tal OronGilad, a tenured associate professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, there has been a major shift toward Israelis increasing their use of

public transport. In urban areas such as Jerusalem, the establishment of the light rail has reduced city traffic. Paving lanes that are exclusively dedicated to public transportation has improved travel time, in addition to encouraging the use of public buses or carpooling by cab. “This is not just a slogan, it is a real change in priorities,” Oron-Gilad tells JNS.org.

That being said, there’s also a slogan.

A decade-long Ministry of Transportation campaign to “calm the traffic” in Israeli residential areas has resulted in a nearly complete eradication of pedestrian casualties in those areas, says Gitelman. The campaign involved adding speed bumps and sidewalks, and reducing residential speed limits. Roundabouts (known as traffic circles in the U.S.) have also played a role in improving safety.

Another major factor has been Israel’s investment in infrastructure upgrades. A 2014 Bank of Israel study that looked at

the impact of road improvements found that guard rails dividing oncoming lanes of highway traffic reduced the number of accidents by 32 percent. Sophisticated technologies, such as rumble strips and forgiving roadside designs that include soft shoulders (unpaved areas beyond the paved carriageway), have helped mitigate the consequences of run-off type road accidents where the vehicle leaves the road and enters the roadside. The result, says Gitelman, is a reduction in the number of fatalities and serious injuries resulting from these events.

That same Bank of Israel study found that sharp turns increase the number of accidents by as much as 21 percent. The addition of tunnels that cut through the mountains and remove the ups, downs and curves in areas like the entrance to Jerusalem off Highway 1, as well as the entrance to Haifa, “is changing driving dramatically,” says Oron-Gilad. “These

tunnels are very expensive, but obviously it is a lot faster and safer if you don’t have to drive around a mountain, but through it.”

A final major shift has been Israel’s policy of checking for drunk drivers. For decades (Gitelman says until the 2000s), there was a popular belief that alcohol-induced traffic accidents were not a trend in Israel. But when officials started to measure the number of alcohol-related traffic incidents, they found that “we do have a problem,” Gitelman says. As such, traffic police now dedicate a certain amount of time to this issue, with random checks, especially on holidays and weekends. In that area, too, notes Gitelman, there have been positive results.

The more Israel learns, the more it can take action, researchers argue. Several Israeli universities have entire departments focused on ways to improve traffic safety.

See “Driving” on page 11

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THE REPORTER ■ JANUARY 14, 2016

JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER NEWS More than 240 people attend JCC’s Chanukah Extravaganza More than 240 people attended the Jewish Community Center of Scranton’s community Chanukah Extravaganza on December 8. The event featured food and entertainment, including a glatt kosher Chinese buffet provided by Kosher Express of Fair Lawn, NJ. Entertainment was provided by “Mutts Gone Nuts,” a comedy dog show in which several dogs of various breeds performed tricks such as catching frisbees, walking tightropes, balancing on barrels and jump-

ing through hoops. Children and adults also had an opportunity to interact with a few of the dogs. The event also included a performance by the Scranton Hebrew Day School Junior Choir.

The program offered activities for children, such as face painting, arts and crafts, a photo booth, spin art, Chanukah bingo and a “dreidel-a-thon.”

The JCC has thanked Leah Laury, overall chairwoman of the event. Specially thanked were the students of Bais

Yaakov, members of the JCC’s BBYO Teen Leadership Group and the JCC staff who volunteered their time. Also thanked was Louise McNabb, JCC director of adult services and community outreach, for organizing the event in conjunction with

the chairwoman and volunteers. The event was sponsored by Pennsylvania Paper and Supply Company, Foundation for the Jewish Elderly of Eastern Pennsylvania, Harris and Janice Cutler, and Joanne Aronsohn Monahan.

The Jewish Community Center of Scranton’s Chanukah Extravaganza featured a glatt kosher Chinese food buffet.

More than 240 people were in attendance at the event.

The event featured the “Mutts Gone Nuts” comedy dog show.

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Yaakov

Continued from page 3

Avigayil Lopez, a Bais Yaakov sophomore, was chosen to speak. To hear a recording, call 718-906-6451 and select option eight.

BAIS YAAKOV STUDENTS AT UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON SCIENCE BUILDING Bais Yaakov students and their teacher, Dr. Murray Small, were given a tour of the chemistry department of the University of Scranton Science Building on November 24 by Professor Richard Trygar. Concepts and ideas that the girls are learning in school were explored visually while touring and exploring the different chemistry and biology labs.

BAIS YAAKOV TOURS JEWISH HISTORICAL SITES OF OLYPHANT AND SURROUNDING AREAS Bais Yaakov students led by tour guide Marshall Needle, a native of Olyphant, visited the remnants of the Jewish communities of Olyphant, Dickson City and Jessup on December 31.

The students were briefed on the communities’ past and were taken to see the Providence Road Shul, as well as those in Dickson City and Olyphant. Needle distributed a pamphlet about the “Jews of Olyphant” to give students the historical background.

JANUARY 14, 2016 ■ THE REPORTER

7

NEWS IN BRIEF FROM ISRAEL From JNS.org

Israel provides emergency relief for flood-stricken Paraguay

Israel announced that it will provide food and assistance kits to Paraguayans impacted by massive flooding. “The state of Israel is sympathetic to our sister nation of Paraguay in this difficult moment when thousands of citizens have been forced to leave their homes behind,” said the Israeli Embassy in the Paraguayan capital Asuncion. “We are ready to support the government to provide humanitarian aid.” Some 100,000 people in Asuncion have been displaced from their homes due to flooding of the Paraguay River from El Niño storms during December. Israel re-opened its embassy in Asuncion last summer. The Jewish state and Paraguay have a free trade agreement and cooperate in the areas of water, agriculture, education and medicine.

Thousands attend funeral of Mexican-born IDF soldier

(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) – Some 2,000 people on Jan. 7 attended the funeral of Mexican-born Israel Defense Forces Capt. Yishai Rosales – killed days earlier in a training exercise at the Tze’elim Base in southern Israel – at the military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. During the exercise, a soldier with the Armored Corps’s 75th Battalion fired an 81 mm mortar shell that exploded right next to Rosales, who was taking part in a different drill nearby. Rosales sustained critical wounds and died shortly afterward. Another

Gross

Gross stayed busy by walking around the cell he was locked in 23 hours a day, drawing pictures and creating word puzzles. During his incarceration, he said, he often recalled a scene from the television show “M*A*S*H” in which one character taunts another, who was confined to his tent as a punishment, by stepping in and out of the tent. “I thought about that almost every day, the ability to step in and out,” Gross said. “The freedom, that’s what I missed every day. Freedom is an incredible thing to lose.”

For the first several months, Gross wasn’t allowed reading materials. Later, visitors brought newspapers and his family sent books and the Economist magazine.

He rarely saw fresh fruits and vegetables, eating a lot of chicken and rice – as well as potatoes, yucca and malanga. Due to poor nutrition, he lost several front teeth, which he keeps in a small container in his office. “I think I lost about 70 pounds the

first year, and the next three years, another 40 pounds,” Gross said.

He had limited contact with his family.

His wife visited about every seven months.

One daughter, who lives in Oregon, came about six months before his release. His other daughter, who lives in Jerusalem, he never saw.

For the first three and a half years in jail, he didn’t know people were working for his release. He was amazed to learn of the Washington Jewish community’s weekly vigils for him during a visit from his wife and attorney.

When he was finally given access to a phone, Gross called Ron Halber, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington.

They didn’t know each other, but Gross was desperate and Halber was willing to help. Gross let it be known that he was in failing health, emotionally despondent and unwilling to see anyone but his wife.

soldier was lightly wounded. Yishai’s father, Aharon, bid his son an emotional farewell.

“You have gone away and left us with broken hearts, but we know you are in heaven,” he said. “The day will come when we will meet again, our dear son. In the meantime, the Holy One, Blessed be He, will watch over you among the righteous. Your mother and I are waiting for you and your gigantic smile to walk through the door, but we know it will never happen again….You have left us and taken a large part of our hearts with you.”

New Israeli-developed therapy seeks to heal an incurable blood cancer

Tel Aviv University researchers have developed a system that may treat an incurable blood cancer. A recently published study revealed that using RNA therapy can successfully stop the reproduction of cancer-related protein in white blood cells in both animals and samples from human mantle cell lymphoma (or MCL) patients.

The research was led by Prof. Dan Peer of TAU’s Department of Cell Research and Immunology, and conducted by TAU Ph.D. students Shiri Weinstein and Itai Toker, in collaboration with Prof. Pia Raanani of Rabin Medical Center and Prof. Arnon Nagler of Sheba Medical Center. MCL is known as the most aggressive blood cancer and affects 3,000 Americans every year. The cancer has a survival rate of five to seven years after diagnosis, with limited systemic therapeutic drug therapies available.

He went on a nine-day hunger strike in April 2014, which he said alarmed the Cubans. But it was a ploy, he reveals. “I wanted to turn the heat up. I was never despondent. I never wanted to take my life,” he said.

Soon after his release, Gross met supporters at a homecoming party at Temple Beth Ami in Rockville, MD. He described the evening as “very confusing.” When a young man came up and asked to take a selfie with him, Gross had no idea what he was talking about. He has since had selfies explained to him.

Now that the celebrations have dwindled, Gross says he does a lot of “walking, thanking people and smoking Cuban cigars.” No longer confined to a cell, he walks for miles, often around his neighborhood near the National Zoo. He also likes to play his collection of 10 mandolins and is excitedly awaiting the birth of his first grandchild.

Continued from page 1 Gross misses his work on behalf of the U.S. Agency for International Development, which took him around the globe, including to Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. He’s happy to tell the stories behind the colorful weavings, tribal masks and other world art covering the walls of his home, but he’s afraid to leave America again.

Despite his ordeal in the Communist island nation, Gross still has special affection for the Cuban people, including the Jews he tried to serve, whose numbers he says have dwindled to about 1,000. Recalling the largest synagogue, in Vedado, a Havana suburb, Gross said, “It’s just like many Jewish community centers around the world.” He says Shabbat dinners are well-attended, partly because the meals supplement the little food people have.

Gross is working on a book about his experience in Cuban prison. The working title: “It was never about me.”

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THE REPORTER ■ JANUARY 14, 2016

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

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

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

Call or visit us online for our bi-weekly schedule

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

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

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

JEWISH FELLOWSHIP OF HEMLOCK FARMS Rabbi Steve Nathan President: David Malinov Forest Drive 1516 Hemlock Farms, Lords Valley, PA 18428 570-775-7497 • E-Mail: jfhf@enter.net Friday evening Shabbat service 7:30 pm, Saturday morning Shabbat Service 9:30 am.

MACHZIKEH HADAS SYNAGOGUE Rabbi Mordechai Fine President: Moshe Fink 600 Monroe Ave., Scranton, PA 18510 570-342-6271

OHEV ZEDEK CONGREGATION Rabbi Mordechai Fine 1432 Mulberry St, Scranton, PA 18510 Contact person: Michael Mellner - 570-343-3183

TEMPLE HESED Union of Reform Judaism Rabbi Daniel J. Swartz President: Barbara Parker-Bell 1 Knox Street, Scranton, PA 18505, (off Lake Scranton Rd.) 570-344-7201 Friday evening Shabbat, 8 pm; Saturday morning, when Shabbat Scool is in session, at 11 am

TEMPLE ISRAEL OF DUNMORE President: Isadore Steckel Contact person: Jay Schectman 570-954-9354 515 East Drinker St., Dunmore, PA 18512 Saturday morning Shabbat 7:30 am; also services for Yizkor

TEMPLE ISRAEL OF THE POCONOS Affiliation: United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Rabbi Baruch Melman President: Dr. Sandra Alfonsi Contact person: Dr. Sandra Alfonsi 570-223-7062 711 Wallace St., Stroudsburg, PA, 18360 (one block off Rte. 191 (5th Street) at Avenue A) 570-421-8781 • Website: www.templeisraelofthepoconos.org E-Mail: tipoc@ptd.net Friday evening Shabbat, 7pm; Saturday morning Shabbat, 9 am

TEMPLE ISRAEL OF SCRANTON Affiliation: United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Rabbi Moshe Saks 918 East Gibson St., Scranton, PA, 18510 (located at the corner of Gibson & Monroe Sts.) 570-342-0350 Fax: 570-342-7250 • E-Mail: tiscran@epix.net Sunday, 8 am; Mon & Thurs, 7:15 am; Tue, Wed & Fri, 7:25 am; Rosh Hodesh & Chagim weekdays, 7 am; Shabbat Morning Service, 8:45 am; evening services: Sun – Thurs, 5:45 pm; Friday Shabbat and Saturday Havdalah services, call for times.

D’VAR TORAH

Jewish education: a must for every child

BY RABBI EVAN SHORE, SHAAREI TORAH ORTHODOX CONGREGATION OF SYRACUSE Bo, Exodus 10:1-13:16 The future of our community, as well as American Jewry, is in our hands. Will our children be equipped Judaically with the necessary tools to carry on Judaism into the next and future generations? Toward the end of parasha Bo, we read the following: “And it shall be when your child will ask you at some future time, ‘What is this?’ You shall say to him/her, ‘With a strong hand Hashem removed us from Egypt the house of Bondage.’”(Exodus 13:14) The Mechilta (one of four halachic midrashim) comments on this sentence: “If your child asks, respond with an answer, and if no question is posed, then give an answer anyway, as it says, ‘You shall tell your child on that day...’”

The Hebrew word for education is chinuch. Rashi, Rabbi Shlomo Ben Yitzchaki, the greatest biblical commentator ever to live, said that chinuch is the “beginning of the initiation of a person into his future craft.” Additionally, Rashi defines the end of chinuch as “melui yadayim,” the beginning of consecration – obligation.

In an article by Baruch Shulem, Ph.D., and David Koenigsberg, Ph.D., the authors write, “The most accurate minimalist definition of chinuch is: ‘the parents’ obligation to initiate the acquisition of behavioral skills which the child will be obliged to use as an adult – as Rashi put it, ‘into his future craft’ – a skilled Jew.” My question is, will our children be skilled Jews when they reach Jewish adulthood? For that matter, will they be skilled Jews as adolescents, pre-teens or teenagers?

The key to chinuch is the involvement of the child in all activities that are Jewish in nature. This is emphasized to us in an incident in the Book of Genesis. Abraham invites the three angels who were disguised as men into

his tent. “Then Abraham ran to the cattle, took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the youth, who hurried to prepare it.” (Genesis 18:7) Rashi tells us that this youth was Ishmael, Abraham’s first son, and that Abraham instructed him in the mitzvah of welcoming guests.

The Jewish education we provide for our children is an insurance policy that will help guarantee that our children will remain Jewish. Statistics do not lie. The more intensive a child’s Jewish education is, the stronger his or her connection to and love for Judaism. This is a formidable defense against the insidious wave of assimilation that is all-pervasive in Jewish communities throughout the country.

However, this alone is not sufficient. In the final analysis, it is not what we give to our children, but the sacrifices that we make for them – particularly in the area of education – that really counts. There is no question that the decision to send our children to a Jewish day school will be more expensive than having them attend a public school. However, as parents, we are making a statement to our children by declaring that we care about and want to ensure their Jewish future. When we prioritize our finances for the sake of our children’s Jewish education, the message will be loud and clear. Our love for the Torah and Judaism will be passed on to the next generation. Our children must be given the tools to successfully accept the mantle of Jewish observance, leadership and scholarship. But we must not be content with sacrifices we make for our children; we must be role models for them, as well.

Chinuch is not only what our children learn in yeshivot or in day schools, but what they learn from our actions as parents, as well. Twice a day, we recite the following in the third paragraph of Shema Yisrael: “That you shall see it and remember all of the commandments of Hashem and perform them.” The Talmud Menachot 43b teaches See “Child” on page 9

Quick Reference Guide to Planned Giving Use this planned giving quick reference guide to help determine the best strategy for achieving your philanthropic & 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 at mark.silverberg@jewishnepa.org.

If Your Goal is to:

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An income tax deduction and immediate charitable impact

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A charitable deduction plus no capital gains tax

Contribute long-term appreciated stock or other securities

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share or the residue of your estate Receive guaranteed fixed Create a charitable gift Current & future savings income that is partially tax-free annuity on income taxes, plus fixed, stable payments Avoid capital gains tax on the sale of a home or other real estate

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

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

Avoid the two-fold taxation Name a charity as the on IRA or other employee beneficiary of the benefit plans remainder of the retirement assets after your lifetime

Tax relief to your family on inherited assets

Give your personal residence Create a charitable gift of or farm, but retain life use future interest, called a retained life estate

Tax advantages plus use of the property

Make a large gift with little Contribute a life insurance cost to you policy you no longer need

or purchase a new one &

designate a charity as the owner

Current & possible future income tax deductions

Receive secure, fixed income Purchase a charitable gift for life while avoiding annuity or create a market risks charitable remainder annuity trust

Tax advantages & possible increased rate of return

Give income from an asset Create a charitable lead Federal estate tax savings on for a period of years but trust asset & income tax retain the asset for yourself deductions for donated or your heirs income Create a hedge against inflation over the long term

Create a charitable remainder unitrust

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

Variable payments for life plus tax advantages Full control of the trust terms during your lifetime

JANUARY 14, 2016 ■ THE REPORTER

9

NEWS IN BRIEF From JTA

Two Czech politicians charged with supporting century-old blood libel

Two far-right Czech politicians have been charged with incitement to hatred and defamation over a note they wrote supporting a 19th-century blood libel. The police launched criminal proceedings against Adam Bartos and Ladislav Zemanek on Dec. 20, and the charges were confirmed to JTAon Jan. 5. Bartos, chairman of National Democracy, and Zemanek, a party official, left the signed note last Easter at a memorial to Anezka Hruzova, a 19-year-old woman who was murdered in 1899. Bartos does not deny leaving the note. In a case that became one of Europe’s most notorious blood libel trials, Leopold Hilsner was sentenced to death for killing Hruzova, which attorneys suggested was part of a Jewish ritual. Hilsner was pardoned after 18 years in prison, but never acquitted. The note, signed by Bartos and Zemanek on behalf of the National Democracy party, said the murder “united the Czech nation and showed the urgent need to solve the Jewish question. The Jewish question has not been satisfactorily dealt with to this day.” Police from the southeastern Czech town of Jihlava said Bartos and Zemanek left the note at the Hruzova memorial in Polna, a nearby town. They later posted a photograph of the note on social media. Dana Cirtkova, a spokeswoman for the Jihlava police, on Jan. 5 detailed the charges to JTA, but said the men could not be identified until official notices were delivered to them. Bartos confirmed that he and his party colleague had been charged with the crimes. “I think the accusations are unsubstantiated, and I stand by the remarks,” Bartos told JTA in an e-mail. He and Zemanek could be sentenced to up to three years in prison if convicted.

Paris attacker shouting “God is great” in Arabic shot and killed

One year after a wave of attacks by Islamists killed 17 in Paris, including four at a kosher supermarket, police in the French capital shot and killed a knife-wielding man shouting “God is great” in Arabic. Police opened fire on the man, who tried to enter a northern Paris police station on Jan. 7, because of his shouted declaration and he had wires protruding from his body, police officials told Reuters. The assailant was wearing what was discovered to be a fake suicide bomb belt and carrying an emblem of the Islamic State group, according to reports. The thwarted attack came on the one-year anniversary of the terrorist shootings at the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine, which killed 12. The siege of the Hyper Cacher market came two days later. Shortly before the thwarted attack, French President Francois Hollande finished speaking at a memorial event at police headquarters in central Paris honoring officers killed in the January 2015 attacks, as well as those last November on several sites around Paris for which the Islamic State took credit. Some 130 people were killed in the coordinated November attacks.

The Islamic State said the 18th district, where the police station is located, had been on its hit list for the Nov. 13, 2015, attacks. “Terrorism has not stopped posing a threat to our country,” Hollande said in his speech.

Brazil senator: Rejection of Israel ambassador shows BDS support

Asenator in Brazil who is also an evangelical leader of millions said rejecting Israel’s appointed ambassador to Brasilia conveys a pro-boycott message. “Rejecting the ambassador can convey a message that Brazil supports BDS,” Marcelo Crivella wrote in an Op-Ed published the week of Jan. 7 in the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo, referring to the

Child

Continued from page 8 us “that seeing leads to remembering and remembering leads to doing.”

In other words, we are the best role models for our children if we want them to follow a positive path of Jewish life. If our children see us light Shabbat candles, they will light them. If they see us attend synagogue services regularly, they will be motivated to do so. If our children see us engaged in daily study of the Torah, they will do so as well. Are we active in our synagogue’s activities?

Our children will take note of that. Most importantly, however, if we engage our children and learn with them the beauty of Torah and Judaism, they will understand its preciousness and want to be part of it.

In the article “The Secret of Jewish Survival” Rabbi Baruch Leff quotes the famous Saadiah Gaon by pointing out that the Jewish nation is only a nation and can only continue to flourish and survive as a nation as a result of the Torah we study, observe and transmit to our children. Let us begin to strengthen our future and our children’s future now. Take out a Chumash with your child, your spouse or sibling and study. Study your past

anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.

“Leaving Israel without an ambassador won’t help anyone.”

Crivella called Dani Dayan, a former settler leader, “a prepared diplomat selected legitimately by a friendly country.

The fact that he defends settlements in the West Bank is a weak motive for such discourtesy and so much political inability.” Israel is expected to withdraw the name of Dayan to be its ambassador to Brazil, ending a four-month diplomatic row. The Brazilian government has remained silent on the choice of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to signal an official rejection of Dayan’s credentials. In his article, Crivella noted the “deep ties” between Brazil and Israel, recalling that Brazilian diplomat Oswaldo Aranha presided over the United Nations session that created the state of Israel in 1948.

Today, Israel is considered a key technological partner in the Brazilian defense industry, including projects with the private

jet manufacturer Embraer. “Many of the accusations against Israel stem from a lack of understanding of the country’s geo-political situation,” Crivella wrote. “Israel’s structural difficulties regarding territory and natural resources must be compensated by an extraordinary capacity of defense and a national security doctrine.” In November, the senator joined some 1,500 demonstrators at a pro-Israel rally in Rio de Janeiro. Days before, during a TV show, he had called for “all friends of Israel” to attend the rally. Crivella is a nephew of Edir Macedo, founder of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God 40 years ago. He has also played a role in the church gathering some 5.2 million followers at 13,000 temples across Brazil and worldwide. Dayan will likely assume the Israeli consulate general position in Los Angeles or New York, according to reports in the Israeli and Brazilian media citing senior Israeli officials.

PROJECT JOY

December 2015 Dear Friends, Your generosity this year was amazing! Although the volatile economy has affected everyone, your hearts and pocketbooks were opened wide. Thank you so much for keeping Project Joy a priority.

Many local organizations received toys beautifully wrapped by our volunteers. Jewish Family Services received multiple toys for over sixty children. Totally, over one hundred and twenty five children and some of their parents were remembered.

The children and their parents in the pediatric departments of our local hospitals were especially touched when we personally visited them and presented their children with holiday gifts and get well wishes.

Multiple families were adopted from Lackawanna Children and Youth, St. Joseph Center, and the Catherine McAuley Center. These children received new toys, clothing outfits and pajamas, books and stuffed animals which were requested from their own specific and personalized wish list. Some special surprises were also in store for them too! These gifts could have been their only visit from Santa.

Children’s Advocacy was thrilled with the gifts for older children, such as games and crafts. Older children are sometimes over looked. Teenagers deserved gifts too!

My heartfelt thanks to the following contributors: Elliot & Renee Schoenberg Gary and Marion Beckhorn Susan Furman Jacobson Marilyn Preven Gail and Mike Greenstein Ann Moskovitz Carol & Jeff Leventhal Molly Grossinger June Penyak Esther Friedman Nancy Friedman David & Gail Dickstein Rich & Cari Leventhal Mahler Theresa LaNunziata Eileen and David Feibus Vera Platt Guitelle Rothstein Barbara & Fred Levy Donald & Joyce Douglass Robert & Elaine Ufberg Villa Capri Cruisers Car Club Tim & Debbie Shane Faye & Rick Bishop Jerry & Lynne Fragin Norm & Arlene Gevanthor Jill & Howard Fragin Harlene Arenberg Rosalie Engelmyer Lindsay Leventhal Jim and Jacquie Verano Jack & Carol Nogi Richard & Carole Fine Howard and Rochelle Spizer James & Patricia Alperin Beverly Klein Scott & Janet Moskovitz Louise McNabb Naomi and Paul Alamar Abby Smith Ilise and David Rubinow Barb and Lou Nivert Jerald and Kerrie Gilbert Joe and Ruth Hollander Cal & Doris Leventhal Robin & Jeffrey Jacobson Steve & Ellen Seitchik Oppenheim Foundation Michael Mardo & Iris Liebman Adele Baldinger Ed & Phyllis Brandes Amos Lodge My Mother’s Delicacies Robert Rosenberg Ann & Ed Monsky Seth & Sheryl Gross Margi & Lou Shapiro Saul and Sharon Levy Parents of Early Childhood Dept. and Staff Phyllis Weinberg Bonnie & Philip Rosenstein Denise and Ira Krafchin Judith and Lawrence Golden Paula and Margery Rosenberg Toby Silverman The following volunteer wrappers and delivery personnel spent hours making these gifts look especially festive for each child. A special thank you to these wonderful people: Theresa LaNunziata Vince Kalinoski & Joseph Granza –our special delivery team Robin Jacobson Lynne & Jerry Fragin Faye Bishop Lindsay Leventhal Phyliss Weinberg Barb Nivert Ann Monsky Jacqui Verano Nancy Dressel Sharon Levy JCC Office Staff JCC Maintenance Staff Jeff Leventhal Ellen Seitchik Denise Krafchin Naomi Alamar Pat Buck With deep appreciation, Carol Leventhal, Project Joy Chairperson

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

10

THE REPORTER ■ JANUARY 14, 2016

England’s Jewish book week

January 2016

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Going to be in London during February?

Check out the events for England’s Jewish Book Week at www.jewishbookweek.com/ events2016?tid=. More than 75 events will be held over a nine-day period. Writers range from the wellknown to first-time authors. According to its website, the annual event offers “stimulating talks and discussions on contemporary culture, challenging debates on controversial issues, original musical entertainment and drama.”

For more information, visit www.jewishbookweek. com/ or contact the organization at info@jewishbookweek.com. To sign up for the Jewish Book Week newsletter, visit www.jewishbookweek.com/stayintouch.

Multi-cultural books for all ages

A multi-cultural guide for Jewish books for children, teens and adults can be found at http://libraryschool. libguidescms.com/MJhome. Web resource information is also available, as is a section for educators. The guide may be read online or printed.

Jewish books

Those looking for even more Jewish book suggestions should visit www.myjewishbooks.com/. The site is updated each month, but also features suggestions by season for upcoming books. Links to the lists of National Jewish Award nominees and winners can also be found on the site.

The Jewish Federation’s Jewish Film Library is looking to sell some of the movies that are in the library.

If you are interested, please call Dassy at 570-961-2300, ext. 2, or email at dassy.ganz@jewishnepa.org.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Jewish Federation’s Jewish Film Library received two new films!

I'm Not Rappaport

Inspired by two elderly men Gardner met in New York City's Central Park, it focuses on Nat Moyer, a cantankerous white Jew, and Midge Carter, a feisty AfricanAmerican, who spend their days sitting on a bench, trying to mask the realities of aging, mainly through the tall tales that Nat spins. The play touches on several issues, including society’s treatment of the aged, the difficulties dealing with adult children who think they know what's best for their parents, and the dangers that lurk in urban areas.

The Jolson Story

At the turn of the 20th century, young Asa Yoelson (Scotty Beckett) decides to go against the wishes of his cantor father (Ludwig Donath) and pursue a career in show business. Gradually working his way up through the vaudeville ranks, Asa -now calling himself Al Jolson (Larry Parks) -- joins a blackface minstrel troupe and soon builds a reputation as a consummate performer. But as his career grows in size, so does his ego, resulting in battles in business as well as in his personal life.

For more information, please contact Dassy at 570-961-2300 x2 or dassy.ganz@jewishnepa.org

JANUARY 14, 2016 ■ THE REPORTER

NEWS IN BRIEF From JNS.org

London Jews hit with gas canisters, told “Hitler is on the way”

Jews in northern London were pelted with gas canisters and verbally attacked on Jan. 6 by men who told them “Hitler is on the way,” The Guardian reported. In the incident, three men threw steel canisters from a pickup truck at two Jewish men and one Jewish woman who were shopping in the Tottenham Hale area, according to the London-based Jewish watchdog group Shomrim. “Hitler is on the way to you, Heil Hitler, Heil Hitler, Heil Hitler,” the attackers shouted, Shomrim said. “The verbal abuse was disgusting, and small objects were thrown towards the victims, making them fear for their immediate safety,” said Shomrim volunteer Michael Blayer. Shomrim is supporting the victims and the incident “has been reported to the Metropolitan Police [of London],” added Blayer. “I have absolute confidence in our local police that this will be thoroughly investigated. I encourage anyone who witnessed this incident or who may have experienced a similar incident to report it,” he said.

Fortress dating back more than 3,000 years unearthed in Israel

(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) – Remnants of a 3,400-year-old fortress that dates back to the Canaanite period have been unearthed at a residential construction site in Nahariya, on the northwest coast of Israel. The dig was carried out as part of the standard archaeological preparations for any construction project. The contractor for the project, the Nahariya-based Kochav Company, received permits for an apartment building and an underground parking structure. The dig was conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority with the assistance of youth groups, including students from Shchakim High School. After the fortress was discovered, the IAA requested that a solution be found that would allow some of the remains to be preserved for the benefit of the public. Given the importance of the findings and their quality, IAA Director Yisrael Hasson and Kochav Company Director Danny Kochav have decided to alter the construction plans to integrate the ancient site.

Driving This past May and June, for example, BGU professors published two separate studies related to improving driving conditions.

In May, BGU researchers and students released a sophisticated lifesaving mobile app that classifies drivers based on their driving style and phone usage while driving. The system uses a smartphone’s sensor to collect and store multiple types of data on driving in the cloud, which is then analyzed and provided to the user. It provides an opportunity for remedial training and awareness of one’s driving style and level of addiction to the smartphone while driving. The hope is that reducing how much drivers text while behind the wheel could help in fighting a growing and dangerous pandemic.

The second study addressed the contributing factors of music to traffic violations and human error. In his book, “Driving and Music: Cognitive-Behavioral Implications,” BGU professor Warren Brodsky explains, “The research is irrefutable that listening to music in the car affects the way you drive… Ideally, drivers should choose tunes that do not trigger distracting thoughts, memories, emotions, or handdrumming along to the beat.”

Yet there is still more work to be done, the researchers say. While officials celebrate the increased use of public transportation, Gitelman says arrangements have not been made to help pedestrians navigate the aforementioned public transportation lanes. “Imagine a road, you have two directions: north and south,” says Gitelman. “Usually, that road is divided into two parts. Now, if you build an additional lane dedicated to public transportation,

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and then you divide that section into two parts, there are now four parts and the arrangement is much more complicated.

A pedestrian needs to cross all of these components and when crossing needs to look left, right, left, right – or sometimes right, right, left. Unfortunately, this also has its expression in accidents.”

In Tel Aviv, where the weather is more welcoming to pedestrian commutes, there has been a successful thrust for use of bikes instead of cars. But without bike lanes, says Oron-Gilad, people are getting hit. Oron-Gilad adds that she thinks Israel sometimes falls short in strategic planning. When the country built the much-anticipated Highway 6, it failed to make the shoulders wide enough or add enough rest stops to make it safe for truck drivers or regular commuters. Additionally, Oron-Gilad says that as Israel has built up its road system, it has neglected the periphery, where some of the country’s most dangerous highways lay.

“People – especially tourists – think of Israeli driving as what happens in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. But there are many other areas that need to be attended to,” says Oron-Gilad. “If we bring the train to a city like Sderot or Netivot or Ofakim, you will bring hope to these people because they can access jobs and have more possibilities.”

Nevertheless, while it may seem easier to drive in the U.S. – where roads are wider and there is plenty of parking (depending on the city) – Oron-Gilad believes that things are not so bad in Israel. She says, “Israeli drivers are no different or worse than other drivers around the world.”

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THE REPORTER ■ JANUARY 14, 2016