November 22, 2012 Edition of the Reporter by Becky Schastey

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Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania NOVEMBER 22, 2012

VOLUME X, NUMBER 23

JCC to hold La Fiesta Chanukah on December 12

The Jewish Community Center of Scranton will hold its annual Chanukah celebration on Wednesday, December 12, at 5:15 pm. The event, themed “La Fiesta Chanukah,” will be open to the entire community.

After the lighting of the menorah, there will be a glatt kosher Mexican buffet. Featured entertainers will include Rob the Juggler and a mariachi band. There will also be face painting, a “dreidel-a-

thon,” children’s crafts, games and more. “This family event is sure to be full of fun, friends and celebration!” said organizers of the event. Reservations can be made by visiting

the JCC service desk or calling it at 3466595, or by visiting www.scrantonjcc.org. Admission for adults will cost $5, with children 12 and younger or seniors 60 and older costing $3.

Israel aids Sandy victims and Ghana mall collapse By JNS staff JNS.org Just days after Israel Flying Aid, an Israeli global humanitarian organization, distributed supplies of gas, food, batteries and generators to Hurricane Sandy victims, an Israel Defense Forces Homefront Com-

mand delegation departed for Ghana to assist search-and-rescue efforts following the collapse of a multi-story shopping center in the city of Accra that killed at least four people and trapped dozens. Israel Flying Aid used donations from Israelis living in the U.S., and chains such

as Panera Bread and Dunkin Donuts, to distribute food to hurricane victims on the south shore of Long Island, the Nassau County Police, the Freeport Fire Department and the Red Cross Shelter at the Nassau Community College. They also fed people waiting in long lines to

Sandy stories: Destruction, recovery and human kindness

By JTA Staff NEW YORK (JTA) – A week after Hurricane Sandy swept into the New York area with fierce winds, driving rain and a high tide for the history books, the nation’s largest Jewish community was still picking up the pieces. JTA gathered stories from around the storm zone about Sandy’s destruction, the recovery and the remarkable tales of human kindness. Houses of prayer as places of refuge Some synagogues in the stricken area have seen more congregants after the storm than during the High Holidays. Many came for prayer, but others flocked to shuls for their offers of shelter, hot food, heat, recharging of electronics, wireless Internet and children’s programming. Congregation Keter Torah in Teaneck, NJ, hosted a free pizza night, but the real draw for area residents was the offer to charge electronics. In White Plains, NY, in suburban Westchester County, Jewish community members used an e-mail listserv to trade information about which gas stations were open and where the lines were shortest. In Mahwah, NJ, near the New York state border, locals packed into the social hall at Beth Haverim Shir Shalom to use tables set up with power strips so they could go online. “I’ve been using my synagogue social hall as an office,” Joe Berkofsky, managing director of communications for the Jewish Federations of North America, told JTA. “I’ve been powering things up and have been able to get some work done.” Russian-American Jews unite Steve Asnes, an activist in the Russian Jewish community, was helping neighbors in the Brighton Beach section of Brooklyn on the night of the storm when a sudden surge brought water careening through the streets and up to his neck, according to Mordechai Tokarsky, director of the Russian American Jewish Experience. Asnes managed to hang onto a piece of scaffolding until he could reach safety. At the nearby RAJE center, Michael

Federation on Facebook At Mazel Academy in Brooklyn, Torah scrolls were unrolled on October 31 to dry after being damaged by the floodwaters from Hurricane Sandy. (Photo by Ben Harris) Britan watched the center’s first floor turn into a swimming pool. The full extent of destruction became apparent only the next

day. Cars lay on top of each other. The RAJE center was under 12 feet of water, See “Sandy” on page 6

Israel-Gaza conflict escalates

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Israeli soldiers prepared their tanks along the Israel-Gaza border for a possible ground operation inside Gaza Strip on the third day of Operation Pillar of Defense on November 16. See page 10 for more photos. (Photo by Uri Lenz/ Flash90/JTA)

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Campaign chai-lights

get gas, currently in short supply in the affected areas. “As Israelis, we know how to react to such disasters,” said Flying Aid North American Operations Manager Moti Kahana, according to the Israel News Agency. The Homefront Command delegation departed for Ghana on November 7. The delegation includes seven search-andrescue personnel and two doctors, and was created in coordination with the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the Ghanaian government. Magen David Adom (Israel’s national emergency medical service) is prepared to send more aid if necessary. In the past, according to Israel Hayom, Israel has dispatched aid delegations to numerous disaster zones around the globe, including to Haiti in 2010 following the earthquake that devastated that country and to Japan in 2011 after the earthquake and tsunami there.

Toronto community grows

A rescued Torah

Candle lighting November 23................................... 4:19 pm November 30................................... 4:16 pm December 7..................................... 4:15 pm

A look at JAFI and Israel programs A new Jewish Community Campus A family Torah rescued after for teens and young adults supp- in Toronto is one sign the Jewish Kristallnacht made its way to the PLUS orted by Campaign donations. population there is growing. U.S. and a new generation. Opinion...........................................................2 Story on page 5 Story on page 14 Stories on page 16 D’var Torah...................................................8

THE REPORTER ■ november 22, 2012

a matter of opinion

Don’t call Polish Jews “hidden” By Piotr Kadlcik (JTA) – Among the events at celebrations in Lublin of the Siyum HaShas, or the completion of the Daf Yomi Talmud study cycle, was a session billed as a seminar for “hidden Jews” of Poland. About 30 Jews from Poland took part in the Lublin events in August, joining scores of other Jews who had gathered in this city in eastern Poland from abroad – and thousands who marked the Siyum HaShas elsewhere around the world. It was a great occasion and emblematic of the rebirth of Jewish life in Poland since the fall of communism more than 20 years ago. But hidden Jews? Where are we hiding? The term was coined by the Shavei Israel organization, an Israel-based group that reaches out to “lost Jews” around the world and organized the Lublin seminar. Following the 1989 fall of communism, truly hidden Jews began emerging from the shadows and started to re-establish Jewish life in Poland. I was one of them, and I well remember those difficult and uncertain times. But the term scarcely characterizes the Jewish experience in Poland today. Shavei Israel’s Daf Yomi seminar was just one of dozens – maybe even hundreds – of Jewish seminars, classes, courses, lectures, workshops, conferences, festivals, study groups, summer camp sessions and other events held in Poland throughout the year. What’s more, the Siyum HaShas events in Lublin took place in the historic Chachmei Lublin Yeshiva, whose founder, Rabbi Meir Shapiro, established Daf Yomi more than 80 years ago. For decades after the Holocaust, the building was used by Lublin’s Medical Academy, but our Jewish community received the

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

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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

building back in 2003. We restored it and rebuilt a synagogue and mikvah there that were dedicated in 2007. The building now stands proudly as the focal point of a tiny, but vibrant, Jewish community in Lublin. We did this by ourselves, funding it with our own resources – obtained through property restitution – without any financial assistance from abroad. We have been striving to rebuild Jewish life in Poland for more than 20 years; I would say we have accomplished a lot. Of course, we have not done it alone. I have tremendous respect and gratitude for organizations such as the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and World Jewish Relief, which helped us so much when help was needed the most. I likewise honor the Taube Foundation and individuals such as the philanthropist Sigmund Rolat, a Holocaust survivor from

Poland, who are making such valuable contributions today. Shavei Israel’s help in bringing rabbis to Poland also has been very important. But we are not in hiding; no way. We are visible, we are confident, we are part of society. I call on outside organizations to reflect the reality of Polish Jewish life in their materials and statements. Today, indeed, we have a whole new generation of Polish Jews. They are adults or young adults who have grown up in Jewish environments, participated in Jewish children’s or youth camps, studied in Jewish schools or university Jewish studies courses, and interacted with Jews around the globe. They are Jews like my own children, for whom being Jewish is neither a traumatic experience nor a special reason for pride. They are Jews – and that’s it. I am aware, of course, that somewhere in Poland there may be thousands of people

of Jewish origin, still truly hidden Jews. But they are not the ones who would have attended a Daf Yomi Lublin seminar. They need to make a first step, to recognize that they are Jewish – if they want to – and try to become a part of Jewish society. It can be difficult, for them and for us, to help them make a conscious choice. Still, something seems to be working. Ten years ago, after the national census, some 1,100 people acknowledged that they are a part of the Jewish national minority in Poland. In the most recent census, just completed, the result was more than 7,000. We are well-aware that Jewish life in Poland will never approach the richness and complexity of the era before the Shoah, when more than three million Jews lived here. But hidden Jews? Not us! Piotr Kadlcik is president of the Jewish Community of Warsaw and the Union of Jewish Communities in Poland.

One-step ethics By Rabbi Gil Student (Jewish Ideas Daily) – For 13 years in the New York Times Magazine, Randy Cohen’s weekly column, “The Ethicist,” posed and answered ethical questions from readers. It was widely discussed and debated, often angrily. Cohen recently published a collection of his columns, “Be Good: How to Navigate the Ethics of Everything.” I turned to the book for a summation of his ethical sensibility – and found evidence of both his decency and the limits of his secular approach, which in turn highlight a danger society currently faces. Cohen’s politics are not mine, but in his book I found him fair and thoughtful. A sensible man, he thinks long and hard about the questions he faces, using the ethical tools available to him. Cohen generally demands that his questioners practice honesty, obedience to law and sensitivity to others. He requires that they refrain from damaging other people’s property and otherwise causing financial harm. You might think that these are ethical no-brainers. Still, Cohen deserves praise for his consistent adherence to common-sense morality. But when ethical situations become complex, Cohen grows unpredictable. Indeed, he punctuates his book with updates of some of his columns, including correspondence and other fallout that highlight debate over his conclusions. In one column, for example, he advises a company’s computer technician not to report the child pornography he found on the

president’s computer. Cohen then defiantly reproduces the letters of remonstration he received from the offices of the Manhattan district attorney and U.S. attorney general. In another column, Cohen allows the producer of a play to alter its words to make it suitable for her small town audience. He then reprints an angry letter from a playwright: “How is it ethical to encourage people to alter and/or deface artists’ work because it’s not important to you?” There were several more rounds to the exchange. Neither party changed his mind. These are more than simple mistakes or differences in judgment. They demonstrate a fundamental gap in Cohen’s ethical reasoning. Please make no mistake: Randy Cohen’s ethical decisions are rarely objectionable. His problem is that while he has an excellent moral compass, he lacks a map. In the introduction to his book, Cohen describes his approach: “I didn’t apply any method, and I suspect neither does anybody else, at least not initially. When deciding on correct conduct, it is first the verdict, then the trial. I had what some readers deprecated as ‘just a gut reaction,’ an immediate feeling about right and wrong. But I didn’t stop there. I subjected the intestinal tremor to various forms of moral scrutiny: how does it stand up to the Golden Rule, or to a greatest-good argument, or to the categorical imperative?” Cohen subscribes, in sum, to dart board morality: hang your gut reaction on the wall, toss objections at it and see what

sticks. And why not? Who is to say which is right? I can support whatever I say with a respectable rationale. In the end, this post-modern haze of faux values lets self-affirmation pass as considered judgment. Cohen’s columns do not just entertain; they denigrate the idea of a principled morality. For contrast, let us look at Rabbi Aaron Levine’s recent book, “Economic Morality and Jewish Law,” written shortly before his death. Levine’s studies are generally divided into four parts: the moral question, the relevant Jewish laws, any applicable economic principles and a detailed application of these concepts to the question at hand. Levine employs this process with various moral issues – some extremely complex. In each case, Levine first establishes his moral foundation, then judges the case. Cohen has no clear foundation; he makes snap moral decisions, which he then tosses around, sometimes changing his mind, until he reaches a level of comfort. Both approaches work well enough in simple cases. But when multiple values intertwine, only a sophisticated process can unravel the knot. A secularist, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks argues in his recent book, “The Great Partnership,” can be a deeply moral person, but a secular society inevitably falls into immorality. In Sacks’ view, the relationship between religion and morality, while indirect, is powerful and deep-rooted. Secular moralities are See “Ethics” on page 3

letters to the editor Hadassah seeks donations for Hurricane Sandy relief efforts in New York To members of Golan Hadassah and their friends who live in Northeastern Pennsylvania: This is a heartfelt appeal from me, Sandra Alfonsi, to members of TI of the Poconos and to members of my chapter of Hadassah, and the Jewish communities of Stroudsburg, Monroe and Pike counties. This was just posted by a member of the Nassau Region of Hadassah. Please read it and if anyone is willing to donate any of these items, I will drive them to the Nassau Region of Hadassah office. You may reach me on Facebook, by cell phone at 570-994-3332, or at sanalfonsi@ aol.com. I will be able to pick up items at TI on Tuesdays and Thursdays or Sundays. This disaster is hardly over. Nassau Region of Hadassah Emergency Hurricane Relief Many of our members have been deeply affected by this storm and our hearts go out

to those living along our coast, particularly with homes in Long Beach, Lido Beach, Island Park, Oceanside, Baldwin Harbor, Hewlett Harbor, Rockaway Park, Inwood, Port Washington and South Freeport, Merrick, Bellmore, Wantagh, Seaford and Massapequa. We know that many others are still without power from all the fallen trees and wires. In response to the need to help within our community, we are setting up a collection in association with Long Island Cares, the City of Long Beach Relief and the town of Hempstead. Needed items and drop-off locations Long Island Cares – non-perishable foods, water, any drinks in plastic bottles, diapers and baby formula, household cleaning supplies and personal care items. Long Beach – diapers and baby formula, children’s shoes, paper towels,

baby wipes, toilet paper, batteries, socks, hats, gloves, winter jackets and clothes, and winter weight blankets. In addition, it has come to our attention that the family men, working in Long Beach and the surrounding area, cleaning up their homes, are in dire need of clean extralarge T-shirts and sweatshirts. Hempstead – In addition to warm clothing and blankets, the town is collecting necessities, including bottled water, non-perishable food, hand sanitizer, toiletries, flashlights, batteries, portable battery-operated radios, cleaning supplies and rubber gloves. To make a donation of money to reputable organizations in New York City, visit Mesora at www.mesora.org/ DONATE/, UJA-Federation New York at http://nyjewi.sh/10M_Sandy_Relief, or www.metcouncil.org/site/PageServe r?pagename=homepage. Sandra Alfonsi

november 22, 2012 ■

community news Bais Yaakov news

Bais Yaakov Chai Lifeline toy drive begins on November 26 Bais Yaakov of Scranton will once again collect toys for Chai Lifeline, an organization providing various services to children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Each year, Chai Lifeline runs a toy drive in time for Chanukah to distribute toys to children in hospitals, as well as their families. Toys should be brand-new and unwrapped. Toys and games for children 13 years and older will be especially appreciated. Toys should be deposited at Bais Yaakov, located at Beth Shalom, at Clay Avenue and Vine Street, from November 26-December 18. Bais Yaakov fund-raiser to help victims of Hurricane Sandy Bais Yaakov will hold a “Takeout Shabbat” fund-raiser on Friday, November 30, to collect money to help benefit the victims of Hurricane Sandy for the Five Towns Area. Orders can be placed from Monday-Tuesday, November 26-27 for Shabbat. The menu will be available then by calling the school at 347-5003.

THE REPORTER

Scranton Hebrew Day School PTA held “Schnitzelria” night The Scranton Hebrew Day School PTA recently held an Autumn Take-out Supper called “Schnitzelria.” The menu included schnitzel sandwiches with a variety of side dishes and toppings. Minestrone soup was also available for purchase. Co-chairwomen Leah Laury and Nancy Ben-Dov reported the response to the menu was “terrific” and that there were requests for similar events in the future. Assisting in the effort were Leah Seiff, Chavi Schwartz, Miriam Holland and Leah Rosenberg.

At right: Nancy Ben-Dov and Chavi Schwartz worked in the kitchen preparing food for the event.

Hebrew media is imploding, but Israeli English press booming By Ben Sales TEL AVIV (JTA) – On October 17, seven Israeli English news websites led with seven different stories. The Jerusalem Post had a piece on Egypt’s commitment to its treaty with Israel. Ha’aretz’s English site ran with a recently released Israeli document on Gaza. Ynet News, Yediot Achronot’s English site, led with threats to a retired Israeli security chief. Then there were the stories on the websites of the Times of Israel, Israel Hayom’s English edition, Israel National News and +972, a popular news and commentary blog. Twenty years ago, of these seven publications, only The Jerusalem Post existed. Two of the news outlets, Israel Hayom English and the Times of Israel, are less than 3 years old. While Hebrew newspapers and TV channels are struggling, the Israeli English-language news market appears to be booming. But with the business of journalism under threat worldwide due to declining revenues, Israel’s English-language media face an uncertain future. “We see an explosion of new media because online platforms are cheap and easy to use,” said Noam Sheizaf, CEO of +972. “We couldn’t have done +972 four years ago. Times of Israel would have been a much more expensive operation five years ago.” The past few months have seen an implosion of the Hebrew press. Maariv, a tabloid founded in 1948 and for its first 20 years Israel’s largest circulation daily, recently was placed in the hands of a court-appointed trustee and could shut down within weeks, leaving 2,000 people jobless. Ha’aretz, Israel’s leading broadsheet, did not print on October 4 due to a staff protest of 100 proposed layoffs. Israel’s Channel 10 TV is in deep debt to the government and faces possible closure.

Ethics

Continued from page 2 external: there are many secular moralities from which a consumer can choose. The convenience of selfishness will win out over altruism and, in the process, destroy the social cohesion that depends on truly moral standards. The job of the ethicist is to prevent this moral erosion by identifying the rules that are relevant to a given situation and applying them, with sensitivity and without bias. If you skip the first step, you allow self-centeredness, masquerading as morality, to invade and corrupt the public sphere. Our loss of Rabbi Levine highlights our need for real ethicists to help us rediscover the virtue that society requires for its sustenance. Rabbi Gil Student is a frequent writer on Jewish topics and maintains a blog at TorahMusings.com. This article was first published by Jewish Ideas Daily (www. jewishideasdaily.com) and is reprinted with permission.

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Many in Israel blame Israel Hayom, a staunchly conservative, freely distributed paper funded by American casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, for aggravating the crisis in Hebrew media. The tough environment “is exacerbated by the fact that in Israel we have the most generously funded free newspaper in the world,” said Times of Israel founding Editor David Horovitz, who before starting the site in February was editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post. “That’s made life hard for all the publications in Israel.” The boom in English-language media in Israel is due in part to the limited audience for Hebrew-language news: Israel has fewer than eight million citizens, many of whom prefer the Arabic or Russian press to the Hebrew dailies. Editors of English publications here say Israeli media are looking for audiences overseas to sustain their operations and there appears to be a limitless appetite around the world for news and opinion on Israel. “There’s an audience for news coming out of the Jewish world,” said David Brinn, managing editor of The Jerusalem Post. And because most news content is free online, people interested in Israel news will visit any number of news sites – so new publications do not necessarily threaten older ones, Brinn said. Much of the growth of Israel’s English media has been online. Ha’aretz, YNET News, Israel National News and Israel Hayom all translate their Hebrew reportage while weaving in some original English reports. In May, Ha’aretz, the only one of the Hebrew papers to have an English print edition, put up a paywall on its popular English website, charging digital subscribers $100 annually for unlimited access. It’s still uncertain whether the strategy will pay off, though the paywall experiment will be expanding soon to the Ha’aretz Hebrew site, too. “It’s unrealistic to rely solely on a print model to fund our journalistic operation,” said Charlotte Halle, editor of Ha’aretz’s English edition. “We wouldn’t be taking care of our journalistic future if we didn’t seek additional sources of income.” Halle said the paper’s “authority, breadth of coverage, and dozens reporters and editors we have in the field” have helped attract thousands of digital subscribers.

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The Jerusalem Post has pursued additional revenue opportunities by printing a range of publications beyond its daily newspaper. The Post has international, Christian and French editions – all produced, along with the daily, by just 60 employees. Most of the paper’s readers are online – the Post says it garners some two million hits per week. The Times of Israel, which combines original reporting with articles that repackage information reported on Israeli TV, radio and news sites, would not disclose readership statistics. But Horovitz says the site is exceeding expectations and has garnered 40,000 “likes” on Facebook since its launch eight months ago. Horovitz says the publication’s “nonpartisan agenda” stands in contrast to the right-leaning Jerusalem Post and left-leaning Ha’aretz. The news coverage seeks to strike an unbiased tone, he says, while hundreds of bloggers, all See “Media” on page 4

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

DEADLINE

ISSUE

Tuesday, November 20................... December 6 Thursday, December 20...................... January 3 Thursday, January 3.......................... January 17 Thursday, January 17........................ January 31

Save the Date!

Wednesday, Dec. 12 • 5:30pm JCC Auditorium

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

THE REPORTER ■ november 22, 2012

The Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition

State Capitol news 2011-2012 Vol. 6, Edition 6 – November 7, 2012 PJC Mission Statement: The Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition, working individually and collectively with others, represents Pennsylvania’s Jewish communities before state government and with other Pennsylvanians. Jewish values guide the PJC’s focus on issues of importance to these communities, including public social policies and funding and regulation of the delivery of human services. “For all the fighting, bickering and money spent in this election at the national and state levels, nothing (OK: minimal) has changed in Washington and Harrisburg,” said a Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition representative. Washington U.S. President: President Barack Obama has been reelected – U.S. presidency will remain under Democratic leadership. U.S. Senate: U.S. Senator Robert Casey wins re-election – U.S. Senate will remain under Democratic leadership. U.S. House of Representatives: Pennsylvania congressional make-up – 12 Republicans to six Democrats, with changed seat in Western Pennsylvania, as Republican Keith Rothfus defeated incumbent Democrat Mark Critz in the 12th Congressional District – U.S. House will

Media

unpaid, opine on a range of topics – from Iran’s nuclear program to the morality of circumcision. “We strive to tell it like it is,” Horovitz said. “People want to know what’s going on, and they don’t want to feel like it’s filtered through some political agenda.” With such a crowded market in such challenging times for the news industry, Israel’s English-language journalists are not without trepidation about the future. “There will be some sort of re-evaluation” of the Post print newspaper’s viability in a few years, Brinn said. Beyond competing for the same readership, the publications must vie with an ever-expanding cyber universe that

remain in Republican leadership. Statewide seats – Harrisburg Attorney general: Democrat Kathleen Kane defeated Republican David Freed – Kane will be the first Democrat and first female to hold the seat. Auditor general: Democratic State Representative Eugene DePasquales defeated Republican State Representative John Maher. State treasurer: Democratic Treasurer Rob McCord won re-election over Republican County Commissioner Diana Irey Vaughn. Pennsylvania Senate The current Senate make-up of 29 Republicans to 20 Democrats (with one vacancy) will become 27 Republicans to 23 Democrats. All open competitive seats went to Democratic candidates. Erie, for Senator Jane Earll’s retirement: Democrat Sean Wiley defeated Republican Janet Anderson. Allegheny, for Senator John Pippy’s retirement: Democrat Matt Smith defeated Republican D. Raja. Dauphin, for Senator Jeffrey Piccola’s retirement: Democrat Rob Teplitz defeated Republican John McNally. The Senate will remain under Republican leadership,

Continued from page 3 occasionally breaks stories before they do. “Social media has served to democratize the media market in Israel,” said Avi Mayer, the Jewish Agency for Israel’s director of new media and a tweeter of Israel news. “When people share information through Twitter, it is a personal experience.” While many Israeli journalists have become active tweeters, +972’s Sheizaf is concerned that publications that are thriving now are resistant to change, which could hurt them in the future. “People are not experimenting,” he said. “The readers are evolving and changing but the journalists, the stories they write, look like the stories written in the 19th century. We need to be a lot more creative.”

with a lower variance between Republicans and Democrats. Look for Senate leadership in the Republican majority and Democrat minority to remain the same. Pennsylvania House of Representatives The current House make-up of 111 Republicans to 92 Democrats now is 110 Republicans to 93 Democrats. Republicans won an open seat which was occupied by the Democrats, but Democrats took out two seats occupied Republicans – one in the WPA and one in SEPA. The Pennsylvania House of Representatives will remain under Republican leadership with a 17 vote variance. Look for House Leadership in the Republican majority and Democrat minority to remain the same. There may be minor changes at the Republican whip and policy chair positions, but otherwise the top leaders will remain the same. In essence, the leadership at the national and state level will remain as it was these past two years. “Are you scratching your head in disbelief yet?” asked a PJC representative. For any questions, call Hank Butler, executive director of the Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition, at 717-330-4574 or e-mail hank@pajewishcoalition.org.

Sarna to speak on Gen. Grant

Brandeis University Professor Jonathan D. Sarna will speak at Fairfield University in Connecticut about General Ulysses S. Grant’s uncivil war against the Jews, on Thursday, November 29, at 7:30 pm. Free and open to the public, Sarna’s talk, titled “When General Grant Expelled the Jews,” is based on his recent book of the same name, a work Janet Maslin of The New York Times called “provocative.” Seating is limited for the talk, which will take place in the Dolan School of Business Dining Room. For reservations, call the event’s sponsor, Fairfield University’s Carl and Dorothy Bennett Center for Judaic Studies, at 203-254-4000, ext. 2066.

Play offered at Philly museum

The Off Broadway musical “A Stoop on Orchard Street” will be playing at the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia through December 30. Featuring 18 original songs and a cast of 20, the musical is set in the teeming tenements of 1910 Manhattan and is often referred to as what happened “the day after ‘Fiddler.’” For more information about the show, visit astooponorchardstreet.com. To purchase tickets, call 215-220-2361.

ECHOES AND REFLECTIONS

Professional Development CONFERENCE Thursday, November 29, 2012 • Brennan Hall, University of Scranton Offering Two Workshops:

ECHOES AND REFLECTIONS: A Multi-Media Curriculum on the HOLOCAUST

Great resources for educators to incorporate in their classrooms – no matter the time frame of their unit. and

BECOMING AN ALLY: Responding to Name-Calling and Bullying for Educators Please Note: The Holocaust and Bullying are not parallel, but do share the basis of “targeting the other.” With bullying growing as a national – and local – problem, it is timely and appropriate to deal with both subjects.

Please cut and send in the form below. Additional Information: Tova Weiss, 570-961-2300, X6 or Rae, 570-961-2300, X4 Please print or type the following information:

ECHOES AND REFLECTIONS EDUCATORS CONFERENCE NAME:________________________________________________________________________ POSITION:_________________________________________________________________ GRADE LEVEL:____________________________________________ YEARS TEACHING:________________________________________________________________ SUBJECTS TAUGHT:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ SCHOOL NAME:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ SCHOOL PHONE______________________________________ FAX:______________________________________ EMAIL:________________________________________ HOME ADDRESS:_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ HOME PHONE (optional):________________________________________________ EMAIL:________________________________________________________________

All registrations forms must arrive by TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH Send to: Holocaust Education Resource Center, 601 Jefferson Avenue, Scranton, PA 18510

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

november 22, 2012 ■

THE REPORTER

UJA Campaign Chai-lights

JAFI, Birthright Israel, MASA, aliyah and more Jewish Agency for Israel – The Israel Experience The Jewish Agency for Israel is aware of the “transformative” effect of Israel experiences, particularly on young Jews. With the help of donors, JAFI has put this knowledge to use, employing Israel experiences as “a vital key to securing the Jewish future.” Together with the government of Israel and funds received from Federations across North America (as part of their Israel/Overseas allocations), the Jewish Agency provides a variety of long- and short-term Israel experiences for tens of thousands of Jewish teens and young adults each year. The developing continuum welcomes young Jews to Israel from North America; South and Central America; Eastern and Western Europe; Australia; South Africa; and the former Soviet Union, providing “memorable, identity-building experiences” and “forging lifelong bonds” between Diaspora youth and the Jewish state. In 2010, JAFI helped bring approximately 38,000 young Jews to Israel from around the world for study, internship, volunteering, work, traveling and social opportunities. Tens of thousands continue to seek out these experiences, and the Jewish Agency is committed to “making their dreams come true.” From 10 days to 12 months: Taglit-Birthright and Masa Israel The Taglit-Birthright Israel program, or Birthright, offers groups of Jewish young adults 10-day, “high-impact” educational tours of Israel that are fully subsidized by donors, with no cost to participants. Participants ages 18-26 experience “intensive” immersion in Israel as they interact with Israeli peers, encounter the land through professional guided tours and attend a traditional celebration of Shabbat. Masa Israel Journey connects young, Jewish adults from around the world with approximately 200 gap-year, study abroad, post-college and volunteer programs in Israel, lasting from five-12 months. Masa Israel Journey is a collaboration of the Jewish Agency and the government of Israel, with the Israeli government matching every dollar

raised for Masa Israel by the Jewish Agency to subsidize the experiences with scholarships. Established in 2003, Masa Israel has brought more than 55,000 young Jews to Israel from communities throughout North America and the world – including some 10,000 in 2010-11 alone. For high school students: Lapid and Machon Lapid, Hebrew for “torch,” was founded in 2008 as a cooperative initiative to raise awareness of and to significantly increase participation in quality high school-age programs in Israel. The coalition was built on the concept that a strong relationship with Israel begins with a meaningful Israel educational experience and “is vital to developing and fostering collective Jewish identity in youth.” As one of the three primary organizations bringing youth to Israel from abroad, Lapid seeks equal recognition and financial and institutional support on par with comparable programs for participants of university age. The Young Leadership Training Institute or Machon was founded in 1946 as an initiative of the World Zionist Organization to operate training programs for the graduates of Zionist Youth Movements from abroad that provide advocacy and educational tools to respond to the challenges facing Zionism – particularly, encouraging immigration to Israel and settling the land. To date, more than 12,000 graduates have passed through the gates of Machon, including young women and men from South America, Mexico, the U.S., Europe, South Africa and Australia. Machon alumni have gone on to lead their respective Jewish communities and have continued to work in the sphere of Jewish Zionist education. For young adults in Israel: ConnecTLV and absorption programs for youth and young adults ConnecTLV is a social venture that strives to connect young people to the state of Israel and help them through the process of aliyah and absorption through a combination of online and offline networks. ConnecTLV was founded in 2010 and has already worked with thousands of young Jews from around the world, in Israel, through social and cultural event programming designed to engage “young,

hip, new immigrants” seeking to expand their support networks through friendships, social groups and, ultimately, aliyah resources. The Jewish Agency operates a range of customized absorption programs for young adults that blend integration into Israeli society with supportive services. Training workshops, vocational seminars and academic and nonacademic frameworks offer new immigrants from varying countries a unique entry into Israeli society that offers supportive resources at every turn. Waves of change in the Ethiopian community Reprinted from jewishagency.org, July 2012/Av 5772 On a recent day in Afula, the largest city in Israel’s Galilee region, a group of Ethiopian Israeli parents sat with their children and played a game of Monopoly. But there was a twist: Dispersed through the “Chance” and “Community Chest” were special cards instructing the players to take positive actions, such as saying something nice about their families. For many Ethiopian Israelis, life has been a constant struggle for the two decades they’ve been in Israel. Without education or the basic skills needed to live financially independent lives in one of the world’s most competitive economies, they have had trouble finding steady work. In fact, unemployment in the Ethiopian community is more than double the rest of Israeli society. Ethiopian Israelis have also faced discrimination similar to that experienced by the waves of poorly-educated nonwestern immigrants arriving in Israel in the 1950s. Three generations later, these groups have completely integrated into Israeli society, but for the Ethiopian immigrants the road ahead seems long indeed. There is a general sense within the Ethiopian community of having been led to water without getting to drink. And the frustration has boiled over. Some teenagers have expressed their sense of alienation by embracing the North American “rapper” culture, which at times promotes sexism, drugs and violence. Others have decided to emotionally distance themselves from the shame they feel in seeing their parents See “Campaign” on page 6

Sign up today! The Jewish Federation is proud to give a helping hand to the businesses, business professionals, and non-profit organizations of NEPA during these difficult economic times by creating the NEPA Jewish Federation Business & Trade Alliance.

It will allow people from Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Wayne and Pike counties 24/7 access to: . Exchange Business Leads . Promote your Business . Develop Critical Business Skills and Solutions

. Post Job Opportunities and Receive Resumes . Increase Search Engine Optimization . Socialize and Network with Other Successful Business people

Sign up for membership at http://JewishNepaBTA.org If you have not yet registered your business on our new Alliance web site, please contact Mark Silverberg at 570-961-2300 (ext. 1) or mark.silverberg@jewishnepa.org with your contact person, business name, business phone number, business e-mail address, and regular business postal address to ensure further Business and Trade Alliance communications and event invitations.

Take Center Stage! Sponsorship Opportunities Available. Capture the leading role and benefits as an Event Sponsor. For more information, please call Mark Silverberg at 570-961-2300 (ext. 1). NEPA Jewish Federation Business & Trade Alliance

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NEPA Jewish Federation Business & Trade Alliance in Groups

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

THE REPORTER ■ november 22, 2012

Sandy

its beit midrash study hall wrecked, and classrooms, offices, a boiler room and the elevator shaft all waterlogged. Community activists who came to help clean up ended up spending much of the time at a high-rise apartment building across the street assisting elderly residents trapped in their homes without power or hot water, Tokarsky said. With the help of Esther Lamm, a RAJE alumna who heads the young leadership Russian division of UJA-Federation in New York, the volunteers quickly organized a command-and-control center that played a key role in relief efforts throughout the neighborhood. Tokarsky said it would require plenty of work and help from private funders to get RAJE back up and running. UJA-Federation providing $10 million The lights were still out and the gas lines still miles long in parts of New York City when the UJA-Federation of New York announced it was making $10 million available immediately to synagogues, Jewish day schools and Federation agencies providing direct care and support in stormhit communities. The money will go toward cash assistance, temporary housing, food and “whatever else is needed,” Federation CEO John Ruskay told JTA. The unanimous decision was made in an emergency board meeting on November 4. The money will come from the Federation’s endowment and reserves, and will be offset by any storm-related donations. “The point of having reserves and an endowment is to enable our agencies, our synagogues and our community to respond to people at times like these,” Ruskay said. It’s the largest-ever commitment of UJA-Federation funds for a natural disaster, according to Alisa Doctoroff, chairwoman of UJAFederation of New York. Schools destroyed Several schools, notably in beach areas,

Continued from page 1 All over the world, volunteers mobilized to help with storm relief. Some offered spiritual succor: A rabbi in Berkeley, CA, composed a Sandy-inspired prayer beginning “Elohei ha’ruchot,” “God of the winds.”

Chasidic singer Mordechai Ben David showed the damage afflicted by Sandy to the Sea Gate community in Brooklyn. (Photo by SGSandy via YouTube) took a big hit from Sandy. Two of the three campuses of the Hebrew Academy of Long Beach on Long Island reportedly suffered major damage, including at the boys’ high school, which was flooded. Though the elementary school is situated on the boardwalk of the New York suburb, the building reportedly escaped structural damage but was left with a mess. The 120-student Yeshiva of Belle Harbor in hard-hit Far Rockaway, in Queens, NY, was flooded beyond repair, The New York Jewish Week reported. Water flooded past the ceilings of the first-floor classrooms, and by November 2 the school had decided to merge with the Crown Heights Yeshiva in Brooklyn’s Mill Basin neighborhood, the paper reported. At the Mazel Academy in Brighton Beach, books, furniture, classrooms and Torah scrolls were destroyed in a building that was renovated just last year. Away from the beach, at the SAR Academy in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, the school managed to reopen despite no electricity by relocating classes to neighborhood synagogues.

PROJECT JOY, through the Scranton Jewish Community Center, was the “brainchild” of a very special woman, RoseBud Leventhal. Although RoseBud has passed on, the project continues in her memory. The monies come solely from private donations. Due to the ever changing needs of the community and our present economy, we have expanded our gift base. Our goal is a simple one. We want every child to experience a special holiday season. Through your generosity, we can do this. This year in our area the economic situation has worsened. Our gift might be the only one a child receives. Last year, over 70 children benefited from wonderful gifts we purchased from wish lists that we received from Jewish Family Services, the Catherine McCauley Center and Saint Joseph’s Center. In 2009 we added Children and Youth Services and Children’s Advocacy to our lists of needy children and were thrilled that we were able to help even more kids. And, as always, we still visited the pediatric departments of our three local Scranton hospitals to give their patients gifts of cheer over the holidays. Once we were made aware of specific needy families in the area, we were fortunate to have the monies to assist them too. We hope this year to give even more gifts with your help. Each year we receive so many “thank you letters and notes” which just confirms how extremely vital and special this project has become. This all depends on you! Please send a donation to “PROJECT JOY” in care of the Scranton JCC, 601 Jefferson Avenue, Scranton, PA 18510. Or you can just drop off a new unwrapped toy at the JCC office. We will be wrapping the gifts on Thursday, December 13th at the JCC starting at 9:00am. All volunteers are welcome. Please call Carol Leventhal at 587-2931 or 586-0241 if you will be able to help us wrap gifts this year. It’s fun and worthwhile! Thank You! Carol Leventhal, Chairperson Project Joy

Help wanted They came from Manhattan’s Upper West Side and went to buildings without power or heat on the Lower East Side. They baked challahs and distributed them throughout the city. They sent a bus to take residents of Far Rockaway to Kemp Mill, MD, for a “relief Shabbos.” They started a clothing drive in Berlin, Germany.

Campaign

Chasidic singer loses recording studio When the surge hit the community of Sea Gate in Brooklyn, NY, four or five feet of water ran through the streets from the ocean to the bay, leaving behind houses now condemned, a dramatically altered shoreline and destruction everywhere. In a YouTube video, Chasidic singer Mordechai Ben David offers a tour of his deluged recording studio, where the water that submerged his equipment rose to the bottoms of pictures of rebbes hanging on his walls before stopping. “Everyone that lives in Sea Gate got hit badly,” Ben David said. “But Baruch Hashem, we’re fine, we’re alive.” Donations To donate to storm relief, visit http://blogs.jta.org/telegraph/article/2012/11/06/3111241/donate-to-stormvictims. (See also the letter to the editor on page 2 and the Bais Yaakov article on page 3 of this issue.)

Continued from page 5

struggle to function at even the most basic the respect of local teachers, agency adminlevels. Many parents, feeling helpless and istrators and business owners. Like Youth Futures, Family Futures depressed, have been unable to offer the emotional warmth their children crave. pairs trustees with a clientele of families, Most tragically, this community has also but there is more of an intensive focus seen a sharp increase in domestic violence on parenting skills, budget management, building community support networks and and alcoholism. “Success in a new place, like Israel, re- improving relations between parents and quires self-esteem,” said Barry Spielman, their children. Parents participate in group communications director for the Jewish workshops, weekly home meetings with Agency in North America. “The Ethiopian their trustees and activities such as group families came with a tremendous amount holiday celebrations. The goal is to create of pride in their heritage and a true love for “waves of change” with the hope of breaking family. They were motivated by a desire to the cycle of hopeless feelings that many firstprovide a safe and promising future for their generation and second-generation Ethiopian Israelis have experienced. children, but the challenges they facedDear were Friend, Currently, there are more than 420 parso overwhelming that the strong spirit and PROJECT JOY, through theinJewish Community Center ticipating families 15 cities throughout optimism that brought them to Israel became of a veryIsrael’s special periphery, woman, RoseBud Leventhal. Although including Idit – a single a casualty. And the children took note.” on, the project in herwith memory. The monies c parent,continues living in Afula four daughters, Change requires rebuilding the family Due toalso the were ever changing three of whom involvedneeds with of th unit, which has for thousands of private years donations. our present economy, we One havedaughter expandedisour giving bas Youth Futures. nowgift happily been the Ethiopian Jews’ principal one. We want everyachild to experience a special Holiday s attending religious school, while another source of strength. The Jewish Agency, was selected forthis. a local with the support of Jewish communiyour generosity, we can do Thisscholastic year in ourhonor area the ec serves council. ties around the world, is helping the society worsened. Our giftand might be on theher onlystudent one a child receives. “My family trustee visits, on average, Ethiopian Israeli community regain its once a week,” said Idit. “She speaks to me, dignity, family by family. mereceived and pushes to doFamily great Ser Family Futures is based on the Jewish from wishencourages lists that we fromme Jewish things. Family Futures paired me with Agency’s successful Youth Futures model. McCauley Center and Saint Joseph’s Center. an Through Youth Futures, mentors – or trust- NGO that taught me how to manage my ees – have created personalized programs finances properly and put me on the corIn 2009 rect we added path.”Children and Youth Services and Ch that have help hundreds of at-risk children our list of needy children and were thrilled that we wer Idit added, “Family Futures has helped in 32 of Israel’s most economically-chalmore kids. And, as always, we still visited the my lenged communities find opportunities to me improve my relationships with pediatric three localdaughters, Scrantontohospitals to give their set boundaries and topatients enjoy gifts excel. The programs include enrichment activities and guidance designed to help quality time with them. They have truly were fortunate to have the monies assist too. influenced the way I interacttowith mythem daughparents access necessary social services. The mentor who helps children and their ters, as well as the home environment. I I make families progress throughout a three-year We hope stopped this yearsmoking to give and evennow more gifts shopping with your hel period is usually a young adult who grew lists. These are just two things that I couldn’t done the past.” up in the same community and has earned vital and have special thisinproject has become. This all depen

PROJECT

JOY

Please send a donation to “PROJECT JOY” in care of t Jefferson Avenue, Scranton, PA 18510, or just drop off

We will be wrapping theses gifts on Tuesday, December starting at 9:00 am. All volunteers are welcome. Please ca 587-2931 or 586-0241 if you will be able to help us wra and worthwhile!

Jewish Federation of NEPA Thank you for your continued suppor t and ge

Carol L

Carol Leventhal, C

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november 22, 2012 ■

THE REPORTER

THE REPORTER ■ november 22, 2012

d’var torah 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 Allan L. Smith President: Henry M. Skier Contact Person: Ben Schnessel, Esq. (570) 222-3020 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: Phyllis Miller 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: Steve Natt 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: Dr. Shaya Barax 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: Eric Weinberg 1 Knox Street, Scranton, PA 18505, (off Lake Scranton Rd.) 570-344-7201 Friday evening Shabbat, 8 pm; Saturday morning Shabbat, 11:15 am

TEMPLE ISRAEL OF DUNMORE

President: Isadore Steckel 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: Suzanne Tremper Contact person: Art Glantz 570-424-7876 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, 8pm; Saturday morning Shabbat, 9 am

TEMPLE ISRAEL OF SCRANTON

Affiliation: United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism President: Michael Mardo 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.

Kissing and a weeping tonight by RABBI BARUCH BINYAMIN HAKOHEN MELMAN, TEMPLE ISRAEL OF THE POCONOS Vayetze, Genesis 28:10-32:3 Just as Esau “lifted his voice and wept” (Genesis 27:38), so, too, does Yaacov when he meets Rachel: “vayisa et qolo vayevk.” (Genesis 29:11) Identical language! What can we learn from this? We all have a “low” voice, which we use in our material pursuits. But we also have a “high,” or raised voice, which we use in our deepest spiritual moments. Not high in volume, but high in spiritual vibration. Esau, the coarse, even crude brother, is in a sense a metaphor for the material world of struggle in which we all live. Yaacov, the “tam,” or perfected/good son, in a sense is a metaphor for the spiritual perfection achieved only as a result of our struggle to overcome and master the material world’s challenges. Emerging as twins from the same womb, they reflect our common struggles in achieving both material and spiritual success. Our spiritual side resents our material side, and likewise our material side resents our spiritual side. But our material self must know that its whole existence and raison d’etre is to serve as a vessel for the soul’s work in this world. Similarly, our spiritual self must know that its sole reason for being born in this material world is to achieve perfection and growth via overcoming the material challenges of survival in this world. With Esau it was a plaintive cry of sorrow, but with Yaacov it was a cry of joy. Yet, just as Yaacov is identified by his voice – his “qol” – by lifting up his voice, Esau was now finally finding his “Yaacovness” within, that holy spark within himself, however late, that was worthy of a blessing from his father. On the deepest level, by his words, he was “lifting up” his brother Yaacov, euphemistically praying to heaven for Yaacov to marry. By thus blessing his brother and wishing him joy, overcoming his hate, he merited blessing from his father, Yitzhak, who found in his quiver of blessings one more left for Esau. So just as Rachel looked for a soulmate for her sister, Leah, and ended up finding one for herself as well, so, too, did Esau pray on behalf of his brother Yaacov and benefitted himself in the process. This is the deepest meaning of vayisa et kolo vayevk. Now Rachel was also Yaacov’s soulmate. She was the

“outer” soulmate, while Leah could actually be considered the “inner” soulmate. Just as Sarah was characterized by her outer beauty, which was actually merely a reflection and expression of her inner beauty, so, too, was mother Rachel – yefat toar viyfat mareh. (Genesis 29:17) When Yaacov meets Rachel he kisses her, which is actually a clever play on words with “giving water” – vayashaq versus vayishaq. (Genesis 29:10,11) This really is saying that when you give someone water, i.e., when you teach him Torah, you’re touching the innermost soul part of that person. As water nourishes on the physical level, Torah nourishes and gives life on the soul level. Later, we see kissing to be intrinsic to reunions of those who were separated and then reunited. Esau and Yaacov weep and kiss when they later meet again. Similarly, Yosef and his brothers weep and kiss when they reunite, as Yosef reveals his true identity in pharaoh’s palace. “Vayishaq” (and he kissed) also alludes to a kind of death, in the sense of passing from one state to another. A neshiqah, a kiss, is really a drawing out of the soul to encounter its soulmate. A nesheq, or a gun, in modern Hebrew, is really the means by which to draw out the soul of a person from this life and enable him to cross over into the next life. We go through life alternately experiencing the joys and sorrows of kissing and weeping. Sometimes the kissing is for sorrow and sometimes the weeping is for joy. One day, they will align in perfect harmony, when both kissing and weeping will be for joy. Sorrow and sadness will be forever banished. While we all seek our external soulmates in life, we should understand that our truest soulmates are staring back at us in the mirror. We need to look forward to that day when we reunite with our truest selves, born of struggle, and become the righteous person each of us was meant to become when we took the angelic oath upon leaving the womb. (BT Niddah 30b) As long as we keep standing near the well of Torah, we increase our chances of discovering that true-self soulmate. We may break many hearts when we go through life. And our hearts similarly may become broken many times. Our expectations may be dashed, our hopes may be shattered. See “Weeping” on page 12

Friends of The Reporter Dear Friend of The Reporter, Each year at this time the Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania calls upon members of our community to assist in defraying the expense of issuing our regional Jewish newspaper, The Reporter. The newspaper is delivered twice of month (except for December and July which are single issue months) to each and every identifiable Jewish home in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

columns that cover everything from food to entertainment. The Federation assumes the financial responsibility for funding the enterprise at a cost of $26,400 per year and asks only that we undertake a small letter writing mail campaign to our recipients in the hope of raising $10,000 from our readership to alleviate a share of that responsibility. We would be grateful if you would care enough to take the time to make a donation for our efforts in bringing The Reporter to your door.

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

As always, your comments, opinions and suggestions are always welcome. With best wishes, Mark Silverberg, Executive Director Jewish Federation of NE Pennsylvania 601 Jefferson Avenue Scranton, PA 18510

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november 22, 2012 ■

THE REPORTER

WONDERING WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP? DONATE NOW! The tragedy of Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath has devastated the lives of millions of people in NY, NJ and CT. Hundreds of thousands are without food, water, medical supplies, shelter and the basic necessities of life.

HELP US HELP THEM!

AN URGENT MESSAGE FROM THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA:

SUPERSTORM RELIEF FUND

The tragedy of Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath has devastated the lives of millions of people in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Hundreds of thousands are without food, water, medical supplies, shelter and the basic necessities of life. Their lives hang in the balance. As Jews, we must do our part in relieving their suffering as we have always done when faced with national catastrophes like Hurricane Katrina. The lives of millions of Americans hang in the balance. We must be there for them.

Please donate… Tax-deductible contributions made out to the Jewish Federation of NEPA/Hurricane should be mailed to our office at 601 Jefferson Ave., Scranton, PA 18510. You can also donate online by visiting http://jewishnepa.org/site/hurricane-sandy-donations/

Thank you for your generosity.

Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JewishNEPA

THE REPORTER ■ november 22, 2012

Operation Pillar of Defense under way as Israel hit by hundreds of rockets daily

Smoke rose from a building at Northern Gaza Strip after an Israeli Air Force airstrike as seen from the Israeli border side on November 16, the third day of Operation Pillar of Defense. (Photo by Uri Lenz/ Flash90/JTA)

Israeli soldiers took cover as an air raid siren warned of incoming rockets before the funeral of Aaron Smadja, one of the three Israelis killed by a rocket fired from Gaza, at a cemetery in the southern city of Kiryat Malachi on November 15. (Photo by Tsafrir Abayov/Flash90/JTA)

Obama voices support for Israeli “self-defense” in wake of Gaza strikes, air-raid sirens sound in Jerusalem

(JTA) – President Barack Obama in calls to Israeli and Egyptian leaders backed Israel’s right to self-defense as Israel’s counterattacks on the Gaza Strip intensified. “The president reiterated to Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu the United States’ support for Israel’s right to self-defense in light of the barrage of rocket attacks being launched from Gaza against Israeli civilians,” said a statement from the White House on November 14. “The president urged Prime Minister Netanyahu to make every effort to avoid civilian casualties,” the statement said. “The two agreed that Hamas needs to stop its attacks on Israel to allow the situation to de-escalate. The two leaders agreed to stay in close touch in the coming days.” The statement reported a similar conversation between Obama and Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, who has condemned Israel’s counterattack as “wanton aggression” and summoned home the Egyptian ambassador from Israel. Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood movement has close ties to Hamas, the terrorist group that controls the Gaza Strip. Hamas officials say the Israeli airstrikes on November 14 killed eight, including an infant and a 7-year-old girl. As of November 15, 15 Palestinians had been killed and more than 100 injured, according to the Palestinian Maan news agency. The Israeli operation began on November 14 with the assassination of Ahmed Jabari, the head of Hamas’ military wing, when a missile fired by the Israeli military struck the car in which he was driving. The strikes came after four days of intensified rocket fire from Gaza, with at least 150 rockets landing inside Israel. Rocket fire has continued since Israeli launched its strikes on November 14, and Israel has moved infantry units to the South and called up reservists. On November 15, a rocket fell in Holon on the southern outskirts of Tel Aviv, according to reports, after warning sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and Bnei Brak. It was the first time since the Gulf War in 1991 that a warning siren was sounded in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, according to reports. There was no damage or injuries, Ynet reported. Islamic Jihad reportedly took responsibility for the attack, which came two hours after two rockets struck Rishon Lezion, located about 10 miles south of Tel Aviv. As of late November 15, more than 250 rockets fired from Gaza had struck southern Israel since the assassination of Jabari a day earlier. The U.N. Security Council heard presentations late November 14 from the Israeli and Palestinian representatives in a closed emergency session on the outbreak. Air-raid sirens were sounded in Jerusalem on November 16, marking the first time the holy city has been targeted by rocket fire from Gaza. Initial reports from Israeli television said three rockets had landed in the area of Gush Etzion, south of Jerusalem. The alarms come just a day after Gaza rockets landed on the outskirts of Tel Aviv. Previously, Palestinian rocket fire has been largely confined to an area closer to the Gaza Strip, leaving Israel’s major population centers largely unscathed. Israel has authorized the call-up of roughly 16,000 reservists in a sign that a ground invasion of Gaza may be imminent. No further information was available at press time.

Hundreds attended the funeral of 27-year-old Mira Scharf, who was killed when a grad rocket shot from Gaza hit an apartment building in the southern Israeli town of Kiryat Malachi, on November 15. (Photo by Miriam Alster/FLASH90/JTA)

Direct rocket hit in a house in Kibbutz Kfar Gaza near the Gaza border on November 16. (Photo by Jorge Novominsky/Flash90/JTA)

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november 22, 2012 ■

THE REPORTER

THE REPORTER ■ november 22, 2012

In New York, Lost Tribes beer company resurrects ancient brews

By Chavie Lieber NEW YORK (JTA) – As he weaves in and out of traffic in New York City on a Friday afternoon, David Itzkowitz has two things on his mind: Shabbat and beer. Beer because Itzkowitz, 26, is a co-founder of Lost Tribes, a beverage company that makes microbrews derived from ancient recipes held dear by Jewish cultures from exotic parts of the world. And Shabbat because Itzkowitz, an observant Jew, still has a few deliveries left to make before sundown. “It’s all about the pale ale,” Itzkowitz tells JTA by phone on his way to a delivery in the Bronx. “You need a balance of the perfect amount of hop with a little malt. It needs to tickle your taste buds and have a little buzz, too.” The idea behind Lost Tribes, which is less than a year old, was born in 2009 when three of the company’s five founders ventured to Israel to learn more about the country’s budding microbrewery industry and come up

Lost Tribes makes and packages its product at its brewery in upstate New York. (Photo courtesy Lost Tribes Brew)

with ideas for their own beer. They spent a lot of time with Jews that some say hail from the 10 lost tribes of Israel – Ethiopian Jews, said by some to be descendants of the Tribe of Dan, and Indian Jews, said by some to be from the Tribe of Menashe. “We were exploring, looking to find new recipes, and Jews from all these interesting places kept approaching us about their family recipes,” Itzkowitz said. “They were worried that these ancient recipes, which are thousands of years old, would be lost, since nobody was selling them on a commercial scale and their kids didn’t know them.” The three collected recipes, took notes and, upon their return stateside, began working with a brewmaster to test the recipes and develop the beers for commercial sale. By early this year the group – Itzkowitz, Allan Farago, Ari Smith, Andrew Septimus and Rabbi Harry Rozenberg, five Jewish childhood friends all under age 31 – began selling the beer commercially. Lost Tribes now sells to 75 locations in New York, mostly bars and supermarkets but also by special delivery. The company hopes to go national in the coming months. According to the company’s website, “Two thousand seven hundred years ago, 10 of the 12 tribes were sent into exile, eventually settling across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Legend has it that one day the tribes will return home bearing gifts from their lands. We’ve discovered that each tribe holds a unique brew recipe – we believe that their brews were the gifts they were meant to bring home.” Lost Tribes sells three beer lines: a pale ale called Shikra, an Aramaic word for alcoholic beverage; Tej, an Ethiopian-adapted recipe of honey and herbs that is kosher for Passover; and a low-calorie option called Light. The beers are made in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York and the company’s warehouse is in Queens. The company says it donates a fixed amount of profits to Israeli groups that work with Jews from the ethnic minorities said to be from the lost tribes. One of the company’s next projects – aside from developing more craft brews – is to launch a social media website called iTribe, where people from around the world can digitally connect and learn about ancient traditions by sharing photos, literature and recipes.

The five co-founders of New York's Lost Tribes Brew. (Photo courtesy Lost Tribes Brew) After Lost Tribe’s website went live in 2011, people from around the world wrote in claiming to be part of a lost tribe and offering up their own family recipes, the founders said. “We got an e-mail last week from someone in Japan who said he was part of a lost tribe and has an incredible Japanese whiskey recipe for us,” Itzkowitz said. “We’ve also heard from Lemba, people from South Africa with a Jewish claim, who have their own brew recipe.” Rozenberg adds, “We’re hoping to get to a point where we have an entire set of these ancient beer options.” It’s not surprising that so many of these cultures have their own beer recipe, Rozenberg said. After all, nearly See “Beer” on page 18

Weeping

Continued from page 8 But then we realize that all the doors we go through are but ladders to ascend up to the next level of experience, where we may hope to achieve a healing. Indeed, we also learn that to heal ourselves, we best start with first healing others. And in the process we move beyond our own pain and bring healing and blessing to everyone. May the weeping and crying we experience from sadness, become soon a weeping and crying that we experience from joy. As the psalmist says, “Hazorim bedimah berinah yiktzoru – May they who sow in sorrow, soon come to reap in gladness.” May our tears of sadness become tears of joy! Amen.

november 22, 2012 ■

THE REPORTER

THE REPORTER ■ november 22, 2012

New Toronto Jewish campus sign of booming community growth

boulevard is named for Ilan Ramon, the Israeli By Ron Csillag astronaut who perished in the 2003 Columbia TORONTO (JTA) – Standing in the sprawlspace shuttle crash. Down the street is Ner Israel ing new $185 million Jewish community Drive, home to the eponymous yeshiva. complex just north of Toronto, Taali Lester Dozens of family programs already are on the Tollman sweeps her outstretched arm in a wide schedule for the new community campus, includarc. “Just a few years ago,” says Tollman, UJA ing ones in Hebrew and Russian. The gym, which Federation of Greater Toronto’s vice president opened in June, already has 4,500 members. of marketing, “all this was pasture.” While the Jewish population of Canada is Actually it was woodland, but no matter. On growing relatively modestly, Toronto’s Jewish the space now stands one of the most ambitious community is booming. National numbers are Jewish projects ever undertaken in Canada. Spread across 50 acres, the Joseph and The $185 million Joseph and Wolf Lebovic Jewish Community Campus is one of hard to come by because two years ago the fedWolf Lebovic Jewish Community Campus is the most ambitious Jewish projects ever undertaken in Canada. (Photo by Shai eral government eliminated a long-form census that contained a question about religion, and testament to the dramatic growth of Toronto’s Gil Photography) the results from a voluntary Jewish National Jewish population. The 200,000-square-foot complex, which officially opened mid-October, houses decades since, the farms and trees have been transformed Household Survey won’t be known for a few months. Shahar social service agencies, conference facilities, a Conservative into suburban subdivisions, many of them heavily Jewish. says his projections show 385,200 Jews in Canada as of Rebecca Soberman, her husband and infant daughter moved last year, up from 370,515 in the 2001 Canadian census egalitarian synagogue with afternoon classes, a day care and from northern Toronto into a neighborhood known as Thornhill – a 4 percent increase over a decade. preschool, a theater and art gallery, a Jewish high school But Shahar says Toronto is projected to have grown 10 (with an elementary school slated next year), a residence Woods, a short drive from the Lebovic campus, in early 2006 for developmentally challenged adults and a gleaming amid the dust and mud of an unfinished development. Her percent over the same period, to 196,400 from 179,105 in 10,000-square-foot fitness center with three saltwater street was finished only 18 months ago. “We did it because 2001. The real boom has been in the York Region, where pools. There is underground parking for 350 vehicles and it’s a young community and we wanted to be around other two municipalities have seen substantial Jewish growth, according to Shahar: Richmond Hill, to 16,000 from 11,000 plans for an infirmary staffed by 10 doctors. It’s all set on young people,” said Soberman, now a mother of two. Pushing ever northward from the city in search of afford- a decade ago, and Vaughan, where the Jewish population grounds wound with pathways and gardens. “It’s absolutely unique in North America,” David Sa- able homes and open spaces, young Jewish families and has mushroomed to 51,000 from 34,300. Shahar attributes dowski, UJA Federation’s man in charge of Jewish com- newcomers to the country already are treating the new Jewish the growth to immigration, migration within Canada and munity properties, told JTA. “And it came in on budget community campus as a hub, according to Tollman. “They’re Jews moving from the city of Toronto to the suburbs. At the same time, however, the boom north of Toronto no longer looking for cathedral synagogues,” she said. “They and on time.” Situated about four miles north of the Toronto city limits want more and they want it in a one-stop setting. This is how has not translated into dwindling numbers in the city itself. In fact, downtown Toronto has seen a Jewish revival of late. in the city of Vaughan, the campus will serve a Jewish com- the community is now expressing its Jewishness.” As for the ubiquitous Chabad, fully half of the 20 or so UJA estimates at least 21,000 Jews now live south of midmunity that has surged in numbers in the past decade. Greater Toronto, including several suburban municipalities within Chabad-Lubavitch centers in Toronto and its suburbs are town; Shahar says about 5,800 Jews live in the downtown the York Region north of the city, continues to be the fastest- less than 5 years old. There are eight Chabad Centers in area. In recent years, three new congregations have sprung the York Region alone, including one for former Israelis. up downtown, and a plethora of Jewish recreational, cultural growing major Jewish population center in Canada. Toronto’s northern suburbs have become a magnet for The Jewish community purchased the land for the new and educational activities are available there. Jewish communewcomers from other Canadian cities, notably Montreal community campus in 1999, and in 2000 launched a $400 nity officials credit young Jews – singles and young families and Winnipeg, and for immigrants from Israel, South Af- million, decade-long campaign to build or revitalize three – with keeping up the city’s Jewish vitality, as they move rica, Russia and Argentina. The sprawling northern region JCCs in Greater Toronto, including the new campus. To to places that their immigrant grandparents first lived when they came here. In downtown’s famed Kensington Market is now home to about 80,000 Jews, or 40 percent of the date, $300 million has been raised. The provincial government of Ontario contributed a district, for example, three creaky, musty synagogues dating Toronto region’s Jewish population, according to Canadian Jewish demographer Charles Shahar, research coordinator no-strings grant of $15 million to the new campus, and the to the early 1900s now draw mostly young worshipers. “There’s definitely been a Jewish renaissance downin the community Planning and Allocations Department at federal government kicked in matching funds worth up to $15 million. The Lebovic family donated $20 million to town,” said Sharoni Sibony, manager of Jewish life at the Montreal’s Federation CJA. That’s up from 60,000 in 2001 and only 1,500 or so Jews the project, and promised another $500,000 if the street ac- inner-city Miles Nadal JCC. “It’s close to work for a lot of in 1971, when the area was largely rural woodland. In the cessing the campus was named for them. It was. A nearby people who aren’t ready for the suburbs yet.”

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.

november 22, 2012 ■

THE REPORTER

Due to scheduling conflicts, we are rescheduling the NEPA Jewish Federation Business & Trade Alliance Fall Networking Dinner and making it an

Economic Outlook

Fall Networking Breakfast with guest speaker Robert H. Graham

Tuesday, December 4 • 8-10am

Radisson Hotel - Station Ballroom 700 Lackawanna Ave., Scranton, PA Our Speaker, Robert H. Graham of Riggs Asset Management Company, Inc. will discuss today’s economy & provide insight into its future. Attend this breakfast and ﬁnd out how the economy will aﬀect business today and in the future! Robert H. Graham is President and Chief Investment Officer of Riggs Asset Management Company, Inc., an independent boutique investment advisory firm serving affluent families and institutions throughout the United States and abroad. Mr. Graham advises clients on Growth and Income Investment Strategies; Wealth Preservation and Succession Planning for Entrepreneurs. Mr. Graham began his investment management career in 1989 and joined Riggs Asset Management Company in 1999 as a Senior Investment Officer and Principal. He is Chair of the Board of Directors for the North Branch Land Trust, serves as a member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of Diamond City Partnership, member of the Board of Directors of Leadership Wilkes-Barre and the Family Business Forum. He is also a member of the Director’s Leadership Group for the William G. McGowan School of Business at King’s College. Mr. Graham is frequently featured in publications such as The Times-Tribune, The Citizen’s Voice, The Northeastern Pennsylvania Business Journal, The Times Leader and The Standard Speaker where he provides insight into economics, investing and wealth management.

Cost: $10 per member • $15 per non-member • Breakfast Buﬀet Included* Please RSVP by Thursday, November 29, 2012 by calling or e-mailing either Rae Magliocchi at 570-961-2300 x4 • rae.magliocchi@jewishnepa.org or Becky Schastey at 570-540-5250 • becky@blswebstrategies.com Make sure to bring business cards and brochures for our Alliance Resource Table!

To become a member, please register at

http://JewishNepaBTA.org *under strict kosher supervision

THE REPORTER ■ november 22, 2012

Rescued from Kristallnacht, a family Torah reaches a new generation

A memorial book for the Holocaust victims By Edmon J. Rodman of Winterswijk titled “We Once Knew Them LOS ANGELES (JTA) – It was the “Night All” uses quotes from the people who lived in of Broken Glass” in Germany, Kristallnacht the eastern Holland town to tell what happened – a national pogrom of death and destruction to Hamburger and his family. of Jewish property and the rounding up of “My parents had a Jewish person in hidJews – and Dietrich (David) Hamburger was ing during the last year of the war, a Mister in hiding. Hamburger. We called him by his alias, ‘Uncle Hamburger was the leader of a small Derk,’” a community member recalls in the congregation that met in his home in Fuerbook. “His daughter, son-in-law and their stenau, a countryside village in what now is children died in the concentration camps. the province of Niedersachsen. Someone had He also had a son in America. Once we were warned him about the coming onslaught, and threatened by a posting of German soldiers at on Nov. 9, 1938, he went into hiding in the local Catholic hospital. D i e t r i c h ( D a v i d ) our home. Uncle Derk hid behind a wardrobe. “The cover story was that he was in for a Hamburger, who rescued Obviously we noticed that Mr. Hamburger was hernia,” said Edith Strauss Kodmur, his grand- the community Torah of very afraid of being discovered. My father daughter and the family’s historian. Fuerstenau, Germany, told Uncle Derk to act differently, otherwise This spring – 75 years later and a continent days after Kristallnacht everyone might be arrested. On the morning of away at a Californian winery – Kodmur’s in 1938, is shown in liberation, I woke up Uncle Derk. He was so granddaughter will have her bat mitzvah. And a 1948 photo taken in shaken by my excited talk that his false teeth Charlotte Ruth Smith on that day will read Winterswijk, the Dutch fell out: into the chamber pot!” From another community member: “Fafrom the Torah scroll that her great-greattown in which he hid from ther Hamburger stayed a while in Winterswijk grandfather rescued soon after that tragic the Nazis. after the war. My, my how that man cried night. But Hamburger would first need to escape Germany and the Torah would need to find its way over his grandchildren.” After the war, while Siegfried was visiting his father back to his family. “By prior arrangement, one of his hired hands met him in in Holland, Hamburger gave him the Torah scroll to bring the hospital garden while the nuns were at Mass,” Kodmur back to his home in Redwood City, CA. It stayed there recalled from detailed notes. “He drove Dietrich back to his until Siegfried died. Kodmur, who lives in the San Diego area, knew that home where he packed, taking an oil portrait of his wife, Siegfried had given the Torah to his son, Steven. But she Rosa [he was a widower], and the community Torah with had lost touch with that part of the family and was uncertain him.” Kodmur thought Hamburger had removed the rollers, of its whereabouts. or etz chaim, to make the Torah easier to transport. In 1996, Kodmur’s daughter, Julie Ann, and her fiancee, “He then boarded the train to Holland, to Winterswijk, to his daughter Bette,” said Kodmur, whose family as well Stuart Smith, attended a pre-wedding counseling session as her uncle Siegried, Hamburger’s son, had left Germany with Rabbi Jerry Winston in San Anselmo, CA. The rabbi mentioned that he had officiated at the marriage of Julie for the United States in 1938. Kodmur as a small child had visited her grandfather Ann’s cousin. Julie Ann had heard the stories of her great-grandfather’s frequently, she said, recalling that he would sit in the escape with the Torah and its unknown whereabouts, and garden with his children on the Sabbath, reading to them in the whirr of Jewish geography and family history that and discussing the Bible. “He was very adventuresome ensued, both Julie Ann and Winston soon realized that and well-dressed. Involved with the horse and cattle trade Steven Hamburger had given the rescued Torah to the business,” she said.

Charlotte Smith and Rabbi Jerry Levy at the dedication of the family Torah scroll rescued by her great-greatgrandfather, at AlmaVia, a senior residence community in San Rafael, CA, in October. (Photo by Julie Ann Kodmur) rabbi. “I didn’t even think to ask him for it,” said Julie Ann, thinking back on that meeting. In 2000, Winston officiated at the baby naming for her daughter, Charlotte, but Julie Ann and the rabbi would lose touch. It was more than a decade later, when Julie Ann began thinking about her daughter’s bat mitzvah, that her thoughts again turned to the Torah. Beginning a search last year, she soon discovered that Winston had died and the small congregation he led had disbanded. Could he have given the Torah to another synagogue? She called the big synagogue in the San Francisco Bay Area’s Marin County, Rodef Shalom, and the historic synagogue in San Francisco, Temple Emanu-El, and many others leaving messages. Then she received a call back. “The woman had a German accent and said she was a friend of Rabbi Winston’s. She told me that his sons had given the Torah away, to Rabbi Alan Levinson of Sausalito,” remembered Julie Ann, who lives with her husband, Stuart, See “Rescued” on page 18

november 22, 2012 ■

THE REPORTER

Spice up Chanukah with new latke toppings By JNS.org JNS.org Mollie Katzen – an award-winning illustrator and designer, as well as best-selling cookbook author and popular public speaker – is back with a new round of recipes for Chanukah. With more than Plain old potato latkes. Chef Mollie six million books Katzen suggests spicing them up in print, Katzen is with some new toppings. (Photo by listed by The New Wikimedia Commons) York Times as one of the best-selling cookbook authors of all time and has been named by Health Magazine as one of “The Five Women Who Changed the Way We Eat.”  Below are some of her ideas for how to freshen up your Chanukah table, without intruding on your latke loyalties. How about switching the toppings? You can always have the usual applesauce and sour cream on hand, but consider adding some intrigue and savory twists – in addition to sneaking in vegetables, herbs, nuts and olive oil – to the options on the menu. Add some lentil soup and a green salad, and your Chanukah celebration will be colorful and compelling. Chimichurri Chimichurri is the “national sauce” of Argentina, and is also common in Honduras and other Latin American countries. It’s a complex green paste, similar to a pesto, but containing a greater variety of herbs and a tart taste from the presence Chimichurri, the national sauce of vinegar. Chimi- of Argentina, which chef Mollie churri is normally Katzen suggests would make an served with roasted appealing topping for latkes. or grilled meat or (Photo by Wikimedia Commons)

fish, but it’s also delicious on cooked potatoes and vegetables, pasta, grains and sandwiches. It’s also a terrific dab of flavor for latkes – either directly on top, or as a green dollop on the sour cream. This keeps for a week or two if stored in a tightly lidded container in the refrigerator. Just use as needed, as you would any condiment. 1 cup (packed) minced cilantro ¼ cup (packed) minced parsley ¼ cup minced scallions 1 Tbsp. minced fresh oregano (or 1 tsp. dried oregano) 1 tsp. minced or crushed garlic Big pinch of cayenne 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar ¼ tsp. salt 6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil Place the cilantro, parsley, scallions and oregano in a food processor, and mince very finely. Add the garlic, cayenne, vinegar, salt and process to a paste, with the food processor running until everything is fully incorporated. Drizzle in the oil at the very end. Transfer to a tightly lidded container and refrigerate until use. Yield: About 2/3 cup Preparation time: 10 minutes Chipotle Cream Chipotle chilies are smoked dried jalapenos. They most commonly come in cans, packed in a vinegar preparation called adobo sauce. A little bit of canned chipotles-in-adobo goes a very long way, both in terms of its heat and its powerful smoky essence. In this sauce, sour cream and/or yogurt create a soothing, luxurious vehicle for the chipotle flavor. Serve this wherever it seems appropriate – on any egg dish, with beans, rice, cornmeal preparations, or drizzled onto soups – or on latkes. 1 cup sour cream or yogurt (or a combination) ½ to 1 tsp. canned chipotle chilies, finely minced Place the sour cream and/or yogurt in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Whisk in ½ teaspoon minced chipotles, and let it sit for about 10 minutes, so the flavor can develop. Taste to see if it needs more chipotle paste, and adjust, as desired. Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving. Yield: 1 cup Preparation time: 5 minutes

C H A N U K A H Greetings

Once again this year, The Reporter is inviting its readers and local organizations to extend Chanukah greetings to the community by purchasing a Chanukah greeting ad, which will appear in our December 6 issue (Deadline: Nov. 28). Chanukah begins this year on the evening of Dec. 3. You may choose from the designs, messages and sizes shown here - more are available. You may also choose your own message, as long as it fits into the space of the greeting you select. (Custom designs available upon request.) The price of the small greeting is $18, the medium one is $34 and the largest one is $68. To ensure that your greeting is published, please contact Bonnie Rozen at 1-800-779-7896, ext. 244 or bonnie@ thereportergroup.org. Checks can be made payable to The Reporter Group and sent to: The Reporter, 500 Clubhouse Rd., Vestal, NY 13850

Red Pepper-Walnut Paste Based on the Middle Eastern sauce called muhammar, this paste is simultaneously pungent, slightly hot and sweet. “I make it often and keep it around for many uses: as a topping for pilafs and other cooked grains, for spreading on pizza, toast, crackers, and sandwiches, and as a dip for cooked or raw vegetables. I also love it on latkes,” said Katzen. This keeps well for at least a week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. In fact, the flavors deepen over time. For a California twist, you can use almonds in place of the walnuts. 2 heaping cups lightly toasted walnuts 2 to 3 medium cloves garlic One 12-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained 1 Tbsp. cider vinegar 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice ¼ tsp. ground cumin 1 tsp. honey or agave nectar 1 tsp. salt (or to taste) Black pepper and cayenne to taste Place the walnuts and garlic cloves in a food processor and pulse until they are finely ground, but not yet a paste. Cut the peppers into chunks and add them to the food processor, along with the vinegar, lemon juice, cumin and honey. Process to a fairly smooth paste, then transfer to a bowl and season with salt, pepper and cayenne. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator. Yield: 3 to 4 cups Preparation time: 10 minutes (after the peppers are roasted) “Loaded latkes” at TooJays Deli in Boca Raton, FL. Chef Mollie Katzen suggests s u c h c re a t i v e iterations of latkes, rather than the usual potato-only versions. (Photo b y Wi k i m e d i a Commons)

Chanukah Greetings! Style A

Style D

May the lights May the lights of Chanukah of Chanukah shine in your shine in hearts your forever hearts

CHANUKAH2012 Greetings

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forever Your Name(s)

Happy Chanukah!

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Style E

May you and your family be blessed during the holiday and throughout the year!

Happy Chanukah

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From Our Family to Yours,

Print Name on Card___________________________________________________ Card Number________________________________________________________ Expiration Date_______________________________________________________ Address, City, State, Zip (Registered billing address of card) ________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ Checks should be made payable to The Reporter, 500 Clubhouse Rd., Vestal, NY 13850

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

THE REPORTER ■ november 22, 2012

New Season of

Films!

Manuscript exhibit

November 2012

• Non-Feature Films •

A Film Unfinished, a harrowing look at the devious art of a propaganda film made by the Third Reich, is a rich and well-researched investigation into the filmic history of the Warsaw Ghetto. As A Film Unfinished aims to set the record straight, it furthers a political resistance that Jews undertook during the war. In other words, this documentary is a tribute, a correction of history to honor those who died, witnessed, or survived atrocities prior to their move to Treblinka, Warsaw’s affiliate death camp. Blessed is the Match - In 1944, 22- year Hannah Senesh parachuted into Nazi- occupied Europe with a small group of Jewish volunteers from Palestine. Theirs was the only military rescue mission for Jews that occurred in World War II. Budapest to Gettyburg - The past and present collide as a world-renowned historian confronts a history he has refused to studyhis own. Gabor Boritt is an expert on Abraham Lincoln and the American Civil War. But it took his son’s urging to get him to return to his native Hungary and learn about the Jewish experience there from the time of his childhood until, together with his family, he escaped to the United States. Constantine’s Sword, is a 2007 historical documentary film on the relationship between the Catholic Church and Jews. Directed and produced by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Oren Jacoby, the film is inspired by former priest James P. Carroll’s 2001 book Constantine’s Sword. Inside Hana’s Suitcase - A real-life Japanese schoolteacher, who appears throughout the film, sparked this entire story by gathering artifacts for a Holocaust educational center she was developing along with a group of girls and boys called The Small Wings. After applying to receive Holocaust artifacts, a large box arrives with a handful of artifacts, including a battered brown suitcase labeled with Hana Brady’s name. The teacher and her students begin searching for the story behind the suitcase. What they discover will surprise you. They wind up unlocking--and showing us in the film--a whole series of deeply moving memories and other related artifacts and photos. Finally, Hana’s surviving brother George travels to Japan to meet the Japanese students. I Have Never Forgotten You: The Life and Legacy of Simon Wiesenthal - Wiesenthal, a Holocaust survivor who lost 89 family members, helped track down over 1,100 Nazi war criminals and spent six decades fighting anti-Semitism and prejudice against all people. Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story - This excellent documentary, narrated by Dustin Hoffman, portrays the contributions of Jewish major leaguers and the special meaning that baseball has had in the lives of American Jews. Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story was shown at the Opening Event for the 2012 UJA Campaign. The Case for Israel: Democracy’s Outpost - Famed attorney, Alan Dershowitz, 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 Life and Times of Hank Greenberg - As baseball’s first Jewish star, Hammering Hank Greenberg’s career contains all the makings of a true American success story.

• Feature Films •

A Matter of Size - Winner of numerous international awards, this Israeli comedy is a hilarious and heart-warming tale about four overweight guys who learn to love themselves through the Japanese sport of sumo wrestling. (not rated) A Woman Called Golda - Ingrid Bergman plays Golda Meir, the Russian born, Wisconsin raised woman who became Israel’s prime minister in the 1960’s and early 1970’s. Crossing Delancey - This is a warm comedy taking place in New York City. Isabella Grossman desires to rise above her family’s Lower East Side community but her grandmother has other matchmaking plans. Footnote - The story of a great rivalry between a father and son, both eccentric professors who have both dedicated their lives to work in Talmudic Studies departments of Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Though the father shuns overt praise for his work and the son is desperate for it, how will each react when the father is to be awarded the most sought after prize, the Israel prize? This Oscar nominated film will entrance from the start. Frisco Kid - It’s 1850 and new rabbi Avram Belinski sets out from Philadelphia toward San Francisco. Cowpoke bandit Tom Lillard hasn’t seen a rabbi before but he knows when one needs a heap of help. Getting this tenderfoot to Frisco in one piece will cause a heap of trouble- with the law, Native Americans and a bunch of killers. Good - In an attempt to establish its credibility, the new Nazi government is seeking out experts to endorse its policies and they come across Johnnie Halder’s novel of a husband who aids his terminally ill wife in an assisted suicide. Because of this the Nazis flatter Johnnie arranging for high paying and prestigious positions. Never evil, Johnnie Halder is an Everyman who goes along, accepts what he is told without question until he is an unwitting accomplice to the Nazi killing machine. Hidden In Silence - Przemysl, Poland, WWII. Germany emerges victorious over the Russians, and the city comes under Nazi control. The Jewish are sent to the ghettos. While some stand silent, Catholic teenager Stefania Podgorska chooses the role of a savior and sneaks 13 Jews into her attic. Every day, she risks detection--and immediate execution--by smuggling food and water to the silent group living above her. And when two German nurses are assigned to her living quarters, the chances of discovery become dangerously high. This is the true story of a young woman’s selfless commitment and unwavering resolve in the face of war. Noodle (PAL version- can only be played on computer NOT regular DVD players) - At thirty-seven, Miri is a twice-widowed, El Al flight attendant. Her well regulated existence is suddenly turned upside down by an abandoned Chinese boy whose migrant-worker mother has been deported from Israel. The film is a touching comic-drama in which two human beings- as different from each other as Tel Aviv is from Beijing- accompany each other on a remarkable journey, one that takes them both back to a meaningful life. Nora’s Will - When his ex-wife Nora dies right before Passover, Jose is forced to stay with her body until she can be properly put to rest. He soon realizes that he is part of Nora’s plan to bring her family back together for one last Passover feast, leading Jose to reexamine their relationship. (not rated) Operation Thunderbolt - The true story of the Entebbe hijacking and rescue. “Operation Thunderbolt,” was filmed in Israel with the full cooperation of the Israeli government, and is an exciting re-creation of the events of those tense days. We see the full scope of the story, from the original hijacking to the passengers’ captivity in Uganda to the agonized debates at the highest levels of the Israeli government over a diplomatic vs. a military solution. “Operation Thunderbolt” is the thrilling and true story of how one small country refused to let their people be killed by terrorists and took action to prevent it. People who claim that Israel is a “terrorist state” should see the film and be reminded who the real terrorists are. Playing for Time - An outstanding cast brings life to this Fania Fenelon autobiography about a Jewish cabaret singer and other Jewish prisoners whose lives were spared at Auschwitz in exchange for performing for their captors. Rashevski’s Tango - Just about every dilemma of modern Jewish identity gets an airing in this packed tale of a clan of more or less secularized Belgian Jews thrown into spiritual crisis by the death of the matriarch who has held all doubts and family warfare in check. (not rated) Sarah’s Key - Julia Jarmond, an American journalist is commissioned to write an article about the notorious Vel d’Hiv round up, which took place in Paris, in 1942. She stumbles upon a family secret which will link her forever to the destiny of a young Jewish girl, Sarah. The Angel Levine - Things couldn’t get worse for Jewish tailor Morris Mishkin (Zero Mostel). His shop has gone up in flames, his daughter has married outside the faith and, worse yet, his wife is slowly dying. But just when he decides to give up on God, a mysterious man (Harry Belafonte) appears, claiming to be his Jewish guardian angel! Doubtful that the stranger is Jewish, never mind an angel, Mishkin must overcome his skepticism if he wants one last chance at redemption. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - Set during World War II, this is the story of Bruno, an innocent and naïve eight-year old boy who meets a boy while romping in the woods. A surprising friendship develops. The Couple - Based on the true story of a Jewish Hungarian’s desperate attempts to save his family from the Nazi death camps. Mr. Krauzenberg (Martin Landau) is forced to hand over his vast wealth to the Nazis for the safe passage of his family out of occupied Europe, only to find his two remaining servants are left trapped in a web of deceit and danger. Their only hope for survival relies on the courage of Krauzenberg. The Debt - Academy Award winner Helen Mirren and two-time Academy Award nominee Tom Wilkinson star in 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? Wallenberg: A Hero’s Story - Wallenberg: A Hero’s Story is an incredibly riveting, Emmy award-winning, fact-based story about a hero who helped over 100,000 Hungarian Jews escape from the Nazis during the Holocaust. Ushpizin - A fable set in the Orthodox Jewish world in Jerusalem, Ushpizin tells the story of a poor childless couple, Moshe and Malli, whose belief in the goodness of the Almighty follows a roller coaster of situations and emotions but leads to the ultimate happiness, the birth of their son.

The Jewish Museum in New York City is holding the exhibit “Crossing Borders” through February 3. The exhibit features a selection of more than 50 Hebrew, Latin and Arabic manuscripts from the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries. The library’s collection has been called “one of the world’s richest collections of manuscripts and printed books related to medieval European Jewish culture.” The manuscripts, many of them illuminated, illustrate the exchanges among Christians, Muslims and Jews in the fields of religion, art, science and literature. Included in the exhibit is the Kennicott Bible. Many of the works are on view in the United States for the first time. For more information, visit http://bodleian.thejewishmuseum.org/ or contact the museum at 212-423-3200 or info@thejm.org.

Collection tableaux

The Jewish Museum in New York City will host a collection tableaux from November 23-February 3. It features four works from the museum’s collection that explore the table as a place where festivity, sanctity and history converge. Included in the piece are Isidor Kaufmann’s painting “Friday Evening”; Beth Lipman’s crafted glass replicas of holiday and food-related objects in the museum’s Judaica collection; Izhar Patkin’s paper collage “Salonière”; and the construction “Linen” by the Israeli artists’ collective Studio Armadillo. For more information, contact the museum at 212423-3200 or info@thejm.org or visit http://www. thejewishmuseum.org.

Beer

Continued from page 12

every culture has its own alcoholic traditions, though carbonated beer of the sort imbibed today did not emerge until the 16th or 17th century. Even the Talmud speaks of beer, Rozenberg notes, pointing to a passage in Tractate Pesachim in which Rav Papa, a sage, makes beer from dates. “We adapted our Shikra line of beer after him – it’s a pale ale made with organic dates from Israel,” Itzkowitz said. Lost Tribes is in the process of developing several new beverages, including Zuting, a rice and yeast-based wine; Chibuku, a heavy beer of Zimbabwean origins; and its own version of sake. Farago, the inhouse beer connoisseur, attributes much of the company’s success to New York’s downtown tech scene, Silicon Alley, where the brewer has partnered to do corporate parties with companies such as Vimeo, Buzzfeed and College Humor. Lost Tribes also runs Tumblr’s monthly beer-pong tournaments. Forbes magazine listed Lost Tribes as one of the new cool beers to try. “The response has been so great, and the reorder requests from the bars have been overwhelming,” Farago said. “People love our backstory. It’s great to see how many people care about our attempts to resurrect ancient brews.”

Rescued

Continued from page 16 and Charlotte in the small town of St. Helena, CA, near the family-owned Smith-Madrone Winery. After contacting Levinson, who had been a longtime friend of Winston’s, they quickly exchanged what each knew of the provenance of the scroll. It was the one. “His plan was to give it to another synagogue,” said Julie Ann. Meanwhile, Julie Ann also was looking for a rabbi to prepare Charlotte for her bat mitzvah. She connected with Rabbi Jerry Levy, who worked with students via Skype. She had known Levy growing up in San Diego; he had been the rabbi at her brother David’s bar mitzvah. Levy also was the chaplain at AlmaVia, a faith-based elder care community in San Rafael, CA, where, according to the rabbi, 18 to 20 of the 120 residents are Jewish. Julie Ann inquired if Levinson would consider giving the Torah to Levy for use in his community. Levinson agreed and in October, Levy held a dedication at AlmaVia. With Levinson, Julie Ann and Charlotte present – she helped roll the scroll to the correct reading – the scroll to be known as the Hamburger/Fuerstenau Torah was dedicated. “They were kvelling,” said Levy of the AlmaVia residents on hand. Speaking at the ceremony, Charlotte recounted her great-great-grandfather’s escape on Kristallnacht and the Torah’s travels. “We found it, and not only would I be able to use it for my bat mitzvah, we could give it a home here at AlmaVia,” she said. “This coming spring, I will borrow the Torah from all of you here at AlmaVia for my bat mitzvah. And the story will continue.”

november 22, 2012 ■

THE REPORTER

NEWS IN bRIEF From JTA

Israeli soldier injured by bullet shot from Syria

An Israeli soldier was hit and lightly wounded by a bullet shot from Syria. The incident occurred on Nov. 15 beside an Israeli army outpost in the Golan Heights near the border with Syria. The soldier was protected by his bulletproof vest, The Jerusalem Post reported. It was the third time that week that gunfire or rocket fire from Syria entered Israeli territory. The live fire was believed to have been aimed at rebel forces in the Syrian civil war and not an attempt to enter into a conflict with Israel. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Nov. 14 visited the Israeli army’s Northern Command on the Golan, which he said was doing “an excellent job while monitoring the painful disintegration of the Assad regime. Almost all of the villages, from the foot of this ridge to the very top, are already in the hands of the Syrian rebels,” Barak said. “The Command will guarantee that nobody can freely shoot at us and that the violence will not spill over into Israeli territory. All of this is part of a broader preparedness for any development,” he said, adding that “we need to be both vigilant and alert here; just as in other areas.” On Nov. 11, Israel fired a warning shot into Syria after a mortar shell hit an Israeli military post in the Golan – the first time that Israel has fired on Syrian territory since the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The following day, Israel fired an anti-tank missile at a Syrian military mortar crew after a mortar shell fired from Syria landed near an Israeli town in the Golan. The Israeli military has filed complaints over the incidents with the relevant United Nations forces operating in the area. The week of Nov. 9, three mortar shells fired from Syria landed in Israel; a military vehicle on patrol in the Golan was hit by Syrian fire; and three Syrian tanks rolled into the demilitarized zone between Israel and Syria.

U.S. senators on board for resolution backing Israel’s actions in Gaza

Thirty U.S. senators have signed on to a resolution expressing support for Israel’s “inherent right to act in self-defense.” The non-binding resolution, originally drafted by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Mark Kirk (R-IL), “expresses unwavering commitment to the security of the state of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state with secure borders, and recognizes and strongly supports its inherent right to act in self-defense to protect its citizens against acts of terrorism.” The resolution, the first such proposed legislation in the wake of Israeli airstrikes launched on Nov. 14 in retaliation for rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip, was to come to a vote as early as the evening of Nov. 15. Unlike statements of support for Israel’s actions from the Obama administration, the Senate resolution does not call on both sides to exercise restraint or express regret at casualties on both sides. “We strongly condemn the barrage of rocket fire from Gaza into Israel, and we regret the death and injury of innocent Israeli and Palestinian civilians caused by the ensuing violence,” Jay Carney, the White House spokesman, told reporters on Nov. 15. “There is no justification for the violence that Hamas and other terrorist organizations are employing against the people of Israel. We call on those responsible to stop these cowardly acts immediately in order to allow the situation to de-escalate.” Sixteen Palestinians, including two children, and three Israelis have been killed in the escalated violence between Israel and Palestinian terrorists. Among the dead Palestinians is a terrorist leader, Ahmed Jabari. A host of lawmakers have issued statements in support of Israel, and Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren on Nov. 14 briefed five senators from both parties – Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Bob Casey (D-PA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jim DeMint (R-SC) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA). “As a bipartisan group of senators committed to Israel’s security, we express our solidarity with Israel during this deeply challenging period and denounce the reprehensible and indiscriminate rocket attacks launched by Hamas and Islamic Jihad against innocent Israeli citizens,” the senators said in a joint statement. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee praised the outpouring of congressional support. “These statements demonstrate that America continues to firmly stand with Israel and her right to defend herself,” it said. “No nation can tolerate constant barrages of rockets against its civilian population.”

Holocaust survivor fulfills aliyah dream

A Holocaust survivor from Florida fulfilled a lifelong dream of moving to Israel. Oscar Phillips, 87, made aliyah from Deerfield Beach, FL, on Nov. 12. He arrived in Israel with the assistance of Nefesh B’Nefesh in cooperation with the Jewish Agency and Israel’s Ministry of Immigrant Absorption. Phillips, who was 14 when the Germans invaded Poland, was sent to Auschwitz in 1944 and later marched to Flossenburg, where he was liberated by the Allied forces. In 1949, he immigrated to the United States, where he met his wife and began a career as a dental technician. Phillips decided to make aliyah after his wife died last year and was buried in Israel. He has three sons and 10 grandchildren – six in Israel and four in the United States.

Protesters chant antisemitic slogans outside Rome shul

Protesters chanted antisemitic and pro-Palestinian slogans outside the main Rome synagogue during mass student protests that turned violent. Tens of thousands of people in dozens of Italian cities reportedly took part in strikes and demonstrations on Nov. 14 protesting the economic situation and other issues. In Rome, thousands of high school and university students staged marches through the city center, blocking traffic. Police chased some marchers into the old Jewish Quarter, according to reports. Rome Jewish community President Riccardo Pacifici said that some of the demonstrators waved Palestinian flags while hooting and shouting anti-Jewish slogans outside the Great Synagogue of Rome. “It has been 30 years since a demonstration passed in front of the synagogue,” Pacifici

said. “Who authorized it?” The newspaper La Repubblica reported that in clashes outside the synagogue with police, some demonstrators hurled stone vases that were standing in front of the building. The synagogue has been closely guarded, with police cars sitting on the street outside, since a Palestinian terror attack in 1982 that killed a toddler and left scores injured. Dozens of police were stationed outside the synagogue during the Nov. 14 demonstrations. A student representative told La Repubblica that the police guards had added to the tension. He said some protesters had probably shouted pro-Palestinian slogans, but he denied media reports that the demonstrators had shouted “Saddam, Saddam,” referring to the Iraqi leader captured by U.S. forces in 2003 and later executed.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry: Oslo Accords could be canceled over Palestinians’ U.N. bid

A document being circulated by Israel’s Foreign Ministry instructs its envoys to warn their host governments that the Oslo Accords could be canceled over the Palestinian Authority’s attempt to upgrade its status at the United Nations. The document, which says the possible upgrade to non-member state “would be considered a crossing of a red line,” reportedly also calls for “toppling” the regime of P.A. President Mahmoud Abbas if the proposal is approved, the French news agency AFP reported. Abbas has said he will go to the U.N. General Assembly later in November to ask that the Palestinians be upgraded to non-member state status. The document also recommends offering the Palestinians immediate recognition of statehood along provisional borders for a transition period, according to Ha’aretz. “In the event that the Palestinians give up going to the U.N., Israel must reach an agreement with the Palestinian Authority for a Palestinian state along provisional borders, during a transition period – until the stabilization of the Arab world, new elections in the Palestinian Authority, and a clarification of the relations between the West Bank and Gaza,” the document obtained by Ha’aretz reads. The Palestinians currently are considered an observer “entity” at the United Nations. Acceptance of the Palestinians as a nonmember state, similar to the Vatican’s U.N. status, could grant the Palestinians access to bodies such as the International Criminal Court in The Hague, where they could file complaints against Israel. The status upgrade seems certain to win approval in any vote in the General Assembly, which is composed mostly of post-colonial states historically sympathetic to the Palestinians. Palestinian diplomats also are courting European countries to further burnish their case. The Palestinian Authority last year sought full U.N. membership. The bid failed because of U.S. opposition in the U.N. Security Council. “Observer status” does not need approval of the Security Council, where the United States wields a veto.

U.S., Israel finish largest-ever joint military exercise

The U.S. military and the Israel Defense Forces concluded Austere Challenge 2012, called the largest joint exercise ever held by the two countries. The exercise ended on Nov. 13 following a two-day, live-fire exercise that was deemed a success by military observers from the U.S. European Command and the IDF. The three-week exercise, which began in October and involved more than 2,500 American service personnel and 1,000 Israeli soldiers, was designed to improve interoperability between the U.S. and Israeli militaries and was conducted as part of a long-standing strategic agreement to hold bilateral training exercises on a regular basis. “We made great strides in improving our tactics and our command and control processes,” U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Craig Franklin, the commander of Joint Defense Forces-Israel during Austere Challenge 2012, said in a statement. “Most importantly, though, we reinforced our already strong U.S.-IDF relationships. From our most senior commanders to most junior enlisted troops, we proved once again that there is clearly no substitute for training side by side with our Israeli partners.” The exercise was not in response to any current specific tensions in the region, according to the IDF.

Obama will seek Iran dialogue in international context

President Barack Obama said he would seek a dialogue between the international community and Iran in the next few months to resolve the issue of its suspected weapons program. “I very much want to see a diplomatic resolution to the problem,” Obama said on Nov. 14 at his first news conference since his re-election on Nov. 6. “I was very clear before the campaign, I was clear during the campaign and now I’m clear after the campaign – we’re not going to let Iran get a nuclear weapon, but I believe there is still a window of time to resolve this diplomatically.” Obama denied reports he was seeking direct Iran-U.S. bilateral talks. “I will try to make a push in the coming months to see if we can open up a dialogue between not just us but the international community to see if we can’t get this thing resolved,” he said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in September that he believes the point of no return in the suspected weapons program could be achieved by spring.

Israeli volunteers head to NYC to help in Sandy relief efforts

A delegation of Israeli volunteers is on its way to the New York area to assist the Jewish community in the wake of superstorm Sandy. The volunteers, young adult Russian speakers, will be in New York for 10 days to assist the Jewish community, with a focus on Russian speakers, according to the Jewish Agency. They will help distribute food and other essential items to the elderly and provide social visits, as well as clean communal buildings and synagogues that suffered heavy damage in the storm. The delegation includes volunteers from pre-army programs and other programs run by the Israeli Scouts, as well as former camp counselors at Jewish Agency summer camps in the former Soviet Union. Some 200,000 Russian-speaking Jews reside in the northeastern United States in areas badly damaged by the storm. Many of the elderly Russian-speaking Jews live in multi-story buildings in the New York area, some of which are still without electricity or phone service. The storm also damaged Jewish communal buildings, causing the cancellation of many community and social services.

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THE REPORTER ■ november 22, 2012