September 10, 2015 edition of The Reporter by Becky Schastey

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VOLUME XIII, NUMBER 18

SEPTEMBER 10, 2015

UJA Campaign 2016 Chai-lites

for 59 countries throughout By David Malinov, M.d. the world where there are “UJA dollars at work in isolated and/or threatened Northeastern Pennsylvania, Jewish communities. Israel and throughout the Locally and Jewish World” regionally... The Jewish Federation of Last year, the Federation alNortheastern Pennsylvania is located $609,673, or 68 percent, the parliament of the Jewish of the funds raised during its communities of Northeastern annual UJA Campaign to the Pennsylvania and includes Lackawanna, Pike, Monroe and David Malinov, many educational, social, cultural, recreational and family Wayne counties. MetaphoriM.D. service agencies in Northeastcally speaking, the Federation is the “garden” and its funded agencies ern Pennsylvania, including: in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Israel and Scranton Jewish Community Center around the world are the “flowers” within Jewish Family Service of Northeastern the garden, and each and every one of them Pennsylvania fulfills an important role in defining the Scranton Hebrew Day School Yeshiva Beth Moshe community. In short, we are “family.” As such, the Federation raises funds Bais Yaakov of Scranton through its annual UJA Campaign through Scranton Ritualarium (Mikvah) solicitations and numerous Campaign Jewish Resource Center of the Poconos events, and allocates these funds local- (Stroudsburg) ly, regionally, nationally and for Israel Chabad of the Abingtons/Jewish Disand overseas Jewish needs through the covery Center Jewish Agency (in Israel) and the Joint Jewish Heritage Connection See “Campaign 1” on page 4 Distribution Committee (in New York)

wishing you a althy and happy New Ye healthy Year 5776

Largest in Israeli history

A $108 billion state budget passes first Knesset reading By Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org Israel’s 2015-16 state budget bill passed its first Knesset reading on September 2, following a marathon session that ended with 57 MKs voting in favor and 53 MKs voting against it. At 424.8 billion shekels ($108.2 billion), the two-year plan is the largest budget in Israel’s history. It includes NIS 103 billion ($26 billion) to cover government debts, NIS 56 billion ($14 billion) for defense spending, NIS 48 billion ($12 billion) for education, and NIS 29 billion ($7 billion) for health care. The Knesset’s Economics Committee will prepare the bill for its second and third Knesset readings, scheduled for the coming weeks. The vote was held as part of a special session called during the Knesset’s summer recess, as Israel has been functioning without a state budget throughout this year because elections were called and the last Knesset was dissolved in December 2014. The elections stopped the 2015 budget discussions in their tracks and they resumed only in early April, after the current Knesset was sworn in. Throughout this year, government ministries have had to manage with monthto-month budgets. Under Israeli law, once a coalition is formed, the finance minister needs to present the budget bill within three months, but Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon was granted an extension when the government decided to pursue a biennial budget. “The Israeli public deserves a change,” Kahlon said. “How many years has it been since we’ve seen a budget that imposes nothing and expands on education, health and welfare? My vision includes reducing social gap using more than infrastructure – we’ll narrow these gaps by investing in equal opportunities.” Kahlon urged MKs to resist external pressures by what he called “interested parties seeking to undermine the reforms.” The budget, he said, was “a starting point for more significant changes. “Ask yourselves, ‘Will my vote serve many or a few? Am I helping those who

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE High Holidays

In Europe

Holiday articles include new Some who track antisemitism in children’s books; getting back on the Europe see widespread conflation proper path; recipes; and more. between Jew and Israeli. Stories on pags 2, 10, 12-14 Story on page 9

News in brief... Arafat poisoning case is closed without charges; Obama has votes to sustain Iran deal; and more. Stories on page 19

Israeli Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon (pictured) called Israel’s proposed state budget “a starting point for more significant changes.” (Photo by Dikla Bassist Shafrir via Wikimedia Commons) need it, or undermining those already struggling?’ We need to give more to the elderly, to soldiers and to children, and let me tell you, we won’t stop there. We can’t do everything in three months and with one budget, but it’s important we start somewhere,” said Kahlon. The budget bill, however, does not include Kahlon’s own campaign promise for a 0 percent value-added tax (or VAT) on water, power and public transportation for the lower socio-economic echelons. The issue has placed Kahlon at loggerheads with Shas party leader and Economy and Trade Minister Aryeh Deri, and even placed the budget’s majority support from Israel’s governing coalition at risk. Deri was not present for the budget vote, but had instructed Shas MKs to vote in favor of the bill. A Shas faction member told Israel Hayom that Deri had made it clear to Kahlon that unless the issue of the 0 percent VAT is resolved, Shas MKs will vote against the budget bill when it is presented for its second and third Knesset readings. Israeli Opposition Leader Isaac Herzog (Zionist Union) leveled harsh criticism at the budget outline, calling it a “fire sale.” Herzog accused Kahlon and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “selling the public out in favor of settlements and radical interest groups.” Meanwhile, Kahlon said he was considering lowering the general VAT rate from 18 percent to 17 percent, as well as reducing corporate tax from 26.5 percent to 25 percent. He told reporters that his plans to lower the VAT rate stemmed from a rise in state revenues. See “Budget” on page 18

Candle lighting September 11...............................7:01 pm September 13.............................. 6:58 pm September 14................... after 7:56 pm September 18.............................. 6:49 pm September 22............................. 6:42 pm September 25.............................. 6:37 pm

PLUS Opinion........................................................2 D’var Torah................................................8 Personal Greetings................................10 Community Institutions..................12-13

THE REPORTER ■ september 10, 2015

a matter of opinion During days of introspection, how to get back on the proper path By rabbi Steven Bayar (My Jewish Learning via JTA) – We live with a practical tradition. We begin the Jewish New Year with 10 days devoted to introspection. Between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we are asked to review our past failures and victories, to evaluate our relationships and how we can make things better for ourselves and those we care for. We take stock of our lives and try to put ourselves back on the right path. “Chet” is the Hebrew word commonly translated as “sin.” It is derived from the term that means “to miss the target.” The assumption is that sin is a mistake; an action we would correct, if possible. It is human to make mistakes – it is brave to try to correct them. This makes “teshuvah” – translated as “to return” – an attainable task. We are not expected to be perfect, but we are expected to clean up the messes we have made. Our tradition identifies two categories of relationships: those we have with each other and those we have with God. The mistakes we make fall into these categories as well: the ways in which we hurt others and the ways in which we hurt God. Isn’t it incredible that we can hurt God? Some may disagree and ask, “How can a perfect God be concerned with our sins?” In my opinion, it is a measure of God’s love for us that God created a relationship in which God is affected by our actions. While some

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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

may say this is only a metaphor, I’m not so sure. If one truly believes in the concept of tikkun olam, and recognizes our responsibility to fix the world, how can God not be disappointed and hurt when we fail? This interplay between teshuvah and chet, our relationship to others, creates a very involved dynamic and ideally forces us to face our frailties and responsibilities. We have made mistakes – how can we atone for them? We are always in need of repentance and atonement. We learn from the Midrash (Mishle 6:6): The students of Rabbi Akiva asked him, “Which is greater, teshuvah or tzedakah?” He answered, “Teshuvah, because sometimes one gives tzedakah to one who does not need it. However, teshuvah comes from within (it is always needed).” The students said, “Rabbi, have we not already found that tzedakah is greater than teshuvah?” In this text, Rabbi Akiva places

emphasis on the necessity of teshuvah – we are always in need of repentance and atonement. Yet the students refuse to accept his answer. The text doesn’t provide a resolution to the debate and seemingly leaves the matter for us to decide. This text identifies some of the most important issues in our community today: How does one explore Judaism and derive deep meaning from it? What if you want to strengthen your Jewish identity? One way is through introspection and to find yourself in intense moments that we create through silent ritual and prayer. This is the essence of teshuvah, the “return to one’s tradition.” This is one way, and it is a good way. But it is not the only way. Another way to achieve this goal is to immerse oneself in tzedakah. I have experienced moments of spiritual delight wrapped in my prayers and turning toward God, when the door opened and my path was illuminated. But I have also experienced the intensity

of giving a bag of school supplies to a child who has never had them before, of delivering 20,000 pounds of food to a shelter in Mississippi or building a house in Appalachia. I found these experiences equivalent ways of becoming close to God. I can tell you this: When I am alone and feel in the dark, when I am scared and aware of my mortality, or when I am in pain, it is the tzedakah experiences that I dust off and recall. They bring me back. Ritual and prayer are vital expressions of my identity and form the basis of my observance, but my humanity comes from tzedakah. Steven Bayar received his bachelor’s degree in religious studies and master’s degree in biblical studies and medieval Jewish philosophy from the University of Virginia. He was ordained at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and served congregations in Greenbelt, MD, and Chestnut Ridge, NY, before coming to Congregation Bnai Israel in Millburn, NJ, in 1989.

To fight BDS, focus on teens By Steven M. Cohen and David Bryfman (JTA) – In recent weeks, we have learned of further significant investments aimed at combating the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement on college campuses throughout North America. These endeavors are critical to combat an attempt to delegitimize Israel in the most virulent and often antisemitic ways. For these bold initiatives to truly succeed, however, they will need to focus not just on college students, but on Jewish teenagers. While the recent Pew study of American Jews does not offer any explicit indicators of readiness to advocate for Israel, we have identified four elements measured by the survey that, taken together, seem to predispose people to stand up for Israel: 1) They feel very attached to Israel;

2) They feel Israel is essential to their Jewishness; 3) They see Israel’s leaders as sincere in their efforts to bring about peace with the Palestinians; and 4) They reject the idea that the United States has been “too supportive” of Israel. We refer to these combined elements as the Index of Israel Advocacy. It turns out that 16 percent of people over age 50 share all four characteristics. But among those 18-29, just 7 percent are so inclined (and of the non-Orthodox, it’s less than 5 percent). We also know from the Pew data that for these young adults, prior investment in their Jewish education really elevates their disposition to Israel advocacy.Those who have been to a Jewish camp are twice as likely to so qualify (10 percent vs. 4 percent for the non-campers). And those who have been to Israel are almost five times as likely

– five times! – to score high on the index (12.3 percent vs. 2.6 percent). These discrepancies are not surprising given much of what we know about young Jews. Much like their predecessors, this generation of young adults aspires to democratic values and human rights for all. The prevalent images of Israel offend this liberal mindset. In the minds of our young people today – as among their liberal parents and grandparents – occupations are inherently bad, human rights are unquestionably essential and military force should be used only as a last resort. Given this context, it is understandable that our youth cannot comprehend why they are expected to combat all injustices in the world and yet, when it comes to Israel, told to toe the party line. Israel advocacy See “Teens” on page 17

Wearing my kippah in Italy – and feeling fine By Ben Sales (JTA) – During my four months studying in Italy in the fall of 2007, you could say I had more than my fair share of strange Jewish experiences. Running late for a train one morning in Florence, I decided the best course of action would be to lay tefillin in the janitor’s closet at the station, only to have a policeman threaten to arrest me for trespassing. Lost in Rome one Friday afternoon, a Smart car pulled up alongside me, a 17-year-old leaned out the window and, in Hebrew, invited me to jump in. He dropped me at my hostel, blocks away from his synagogue. And at the end of my semester, my Jewish classmate and I made the stunningly idiotic decision, eight nights in a row, to prop up a lit menorah on a can of liquid plaster on the second floor of a centuries-old palazzo. I’m still relieved it didn’t burn down. But one thing I never experienced was antisemitism, even as I wore my kippah everywhere, every day. I was physically or verbally accosted that year in Barcelona, Budapest, Paris and Prague. But from a Florentine street of Arab merchants to the northern city of Cremona, no Italian ever seemed to treat me worse for being Jewish. Back in Italy recently for work, I wanted to see if things had changed. In recent

years, strong anecdotal evidence, data on rising antisemitism and urgings from European Jews had convinced me to take off my kippah while on the continent. Would Italy be the same? Reports of antisemitism, after all, had risen there, too. I decided to use myself as a test subject: I kept on my kippah and waited to see what would happen. The answer: nothing. Instead, I found a surprising self-confidence among Italian Jews that had been absent in my visits to Paris, Madrid and Kiev, Ukraine. Over the course of a week, I met with Jews of all stripes in three cities – not one suggested I hide my head covering or told me to watch out. An armored car and a soldier sat outside major synagogues, but they weren’t guarding a frightened community. When Italian Jews did mention local antisemitism, they dismissed it as either a fringe phenomenon or tied it to recent events in Israel. Italians, they said, had no beef with their Jewish neighbors. In Milan, a Chabad rabbi strode smiling through the central train station fully clad in hat, coat and beard. In Florence, I went to Ruth’s kosher restaurant, my old haunt, only to find there were no empty tables – though they were mostly filled with tourists. And in Rome, home to Italy’s largest Jewish population, I found

a thriving community. A cobblestone avenue in the old Jewish ghetto is lined with 10 kosher establishments serving traditional Italian dishes and Israeli food. When I walked into a nearby café for an afternoon espresso, the barista made sure to tell me the food wasn’t kosher. Down the street, a large Israeli flag hung from a building alongside European Union and Italian flags over tourists speaking loudly in Hebrew and Orthodox Jewish locals wearing long skirts or kippahs. In an alley, a Chabadnik solicited passers-by to put on tefillin. Policemen, waiters, bellhops and cabbies treated me no differently than in New York or Tel Aviv. Telling people where I lived elicited no special reaction. By the end of the trip, I’d settled back into forgetting my kippah was on. Then, on my last day, someone tapped me on the shoulder in Rome and asked about it. Bracing myself, I turned around to find an older man. He just wanted to know how my kippah stayed on. I showed him my clips and prepared to exit the bus. But before I left, he made sure to tell me his father, a devout Catholic, had worked with many Jewish vendors in business over the years. Of all his associates, he said, they were the most honest. And with that, he smiled, said, “Ciao, ciao” and sent me on my way.

september 10, 2015 ■

THE REPORTER

community news Hit the Purse-A-Rama Jackpot at Purse Bingo to be held Oct. 18 at Temple Hesed Community members will have an opportunity to win a new designer purse at Purse Bingo, a twist on ordinary bingo, on Sunday, October 18, at 1 pm, at Temple Hesed, 1 Knox Rd., Scranton, near Lake Scranton. Doors will open at 12:30 pm. Tickets will be available at the door. The fund-raiser is sponsored by Temple Hesed. Participants will play ordinary bingo throughout

the course of the afternoon. Those with a winning card will win a new designer purse associated with every card. Designer bags, which retail from $50$600, will include Coach, Vera Bradley, Dooney & Bourke, Michael Kors and many other brand names. Tickets will be sold for $20, which includes 20 bingo games. Participants can purchase additional cards to

increase their chances of winning. Refreshments and home-baked desserts will be available for purchase. Vendors are also being sought to donate or sponsor purses for the fund-raiser. For more information about attending the event or being a sponsor or donor of a purse, call Temple Hesed at 570-344-7201.

Flying “Above and Beyond” with the Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania The Jewish Federation’s 2016 fund-raising Campaign, known as the United Jewish Appeal, opened on August 27 at the Scranton Jewish Community Center with a screening of the internationally acclaimed film “Above and Beyond,” the story of the creation of the Israeli Air Force in 1948 Ziv Ben-Dov, Rick Gelb and Lou Nussbaum Harriet and Mark Noble by American Jewish World visiting from Jacksonville, FL War II fighter pilots. Mark Silverberg, executive director of the Jew- everyone to enjoy the movie. ish Federation, welcomed everyone and introduced The audience watched the story, described as one Cantor Vladamir Aronzon, who led the audience in “of courage, commitment and chutzpah.” Many who “The Star Spangled Banner” and “Hatikvah.” Then attended remarked on “the true heroism” of the young 2016 Campaign Co-chairman Ed Monsky explained Americans and Israelis as they sought to bring about the the purpose of the fund-raising Campaign and invited creation of the Jewish state.

Campaign Chairmen Ed and Ann Monsky

Pat Taylor, Don Bernstein and Mark Silverberg A dessert reception was offered after the movie. Those who missed the film or want to bring friends to a viewing can attend the Pocono UJA dinner on Sunday, September 20, at 5:30 pm, at Temple Israel in Stroudsburg. The cost for the full dinner buffet and the film will be $15. To make a reservation, call 570-961-2300, ext. 4.

Dr. Barbara Bell of Kingston, PA, and Cantor Vladamir Aronzon, and Morey Rabbi Moshe Saks and Seth Gross Molly Rutta Bell, of Kingston, PA

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

DEADLINE

Community members attended the opening of the Jewish Federation’s 2016 fund-raising Campaign on August 27 at the Scranton Jewish Community Center.

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Wednesday, Sept. 9, early....... September 24 Tuesday, Sept. 22, early.................October 8 Thursday, October 8.....................October 22 Thursday, October 22.................November 5

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THE REPORTER ■ september 10, 2015

Campaign 1

Temple Hesed Religious School (Scranton) Congregation B’nai Harim Religious School (Pocono Pines) Jewish Fellowship of Hemlock Farms Religious School (Lords Valley) Temple Israel of the Poconos Hebrew School (Stroudsburg) Five allocations teams comprising 25 dedicated volunteers participated this past year in allocating last year’s UJA Campaign funds to local and regional agency affiliates, to overseas needs and to Israel through the Jewish Agency for Israel and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. Dedicating hours of work to meetings, site visits and budget analyses, volunteers ensured that UJA funds were allocated in accordance to legal and fiduciary requirements and practices that are consistent with the mission of the Federation, which is to ensure Jewish continuity here in Northeastern Pennsylvania, in Israel and around the world. Humanitarian relief efforts – The Federation has participated in disaster-relief efforts, including the Israel Wildfire Relief Fund for the Carmel fire, the hurricane disaster relief efforts in Haiti, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the South Asian tsunami disaster, and it provided extensive financial, material and volunteer resources to the victims of Hurricane Sandy in Howard Beach, Belle Harbor, Rockaway Park, Arverne, Far Rockaway and Breezy Point, NY, under the guidance of Hurricane Sandy Project Coordinator Sandra Alfonsi, of Stroudsburg. Missions to Israel – More than 240 members of the Jewish communities have participated in Israel Missions throughout the past decade. Each Mission has given them the experience of a lifetime. Sites have included Caesarea, the ancient Roman port built by Herod the Great on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea; Rosh Hanikra, on the Israeli-Lebanese border; Tiberias, on Lake Kinneret; Safed, where the Kabbalah had its beginnings; and the Golan Heights in the north. In Jerusalem, sites have included the Western Wall of

the ancient Holy Temple; a visit to the Byzantine Cardo and Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust Memorial Museum; and shopping at Machane Yehuda, Jerusalem’s largest open-air market. In the Judean Desert, participants looked down on the Dead Sea from the ancient Roman fortress of Masada; swam in the Dead Sea; participated in ongoing archeological excavations, where several found ancient artifacts in their digging; planted trees in memory of loved ones; visited the Machal Monument near Jerusalem honoring Americans and Canadians who participated in Israel’s War of Independence, many of whom never returned home; visited a secret underground bullet factory in Rehovot that was built during the War of Independence; and sat in Independence Hall in Tel Aviv, in the very room where the modern Jewish state of Israel was declared by David Ben-Gurion on May 14, 1948. Israel Emergency Campaigns – Campaigns include Operation Defensive Shield (2002), the Second Lebanon War (2006), Operation Cast Lead (2008-09), Operation Pillar of Defense (November 2012) and the Stop the Sirens Campaign in Gaza last summer when Israel was under massive rocket attacks from Gaza. The campaign raised $91,901 in emergency funds that were allocated toward the purchase of portable bomb shelters for Kibbutz Saad on the Gaza border, and to a series of Israeli organizations whose primary function was to relocate populations in danger and to assist those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder attributed to the warning sirens, the rush to life-saving bomb shelters and the subsequent bomb explosions around them. Federation activities have included the development and coordination of Letters to the Editors of regional public newspapers; hosting community rallies; holding private seminars for visiting Israeli consuls-general; participating in Northeastern Pennsylvania radio talk shows on the subject; contacting senators and congressmen; producing war-related videos for mass audiences; maintaining

About the cover

This year’s Rosh Hashanah cover was designed by Jenn DePersis, production coordinator for The Reporter Group, which publishes The Reporter.

ish Federatio n’s e he Jew t n o ma u il l yo e ist Ar ? We send updated announcements and special

media contacts; sponsoring Buy Israel Goods day each March 30; and generally fostering community support for Israel in times of crisis. Our thanks is extended to David Fallk, CRC chairman, who, together with a group of knowledgeable and dedicated volunteers, has worked tirelessly to achieve these goals. Celebrate Israel Parade – The Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania is the only Pennsylvania-based Federation that has chosen to participate in the parade annually. Each year, the tens of thousands of people who line New York’s 5th Avenue respond in appreciation as Federation participants – banners held high – pass by. This year, the Federation/JCC took a full bus of participants from the Scranton and the Pocono Jewish communities to the parade. Missions to Harrisburg – The Federation sponsors an annual Mission to Harrisburg for discussions with state-elected representatives on matters that affect the Jewish communities of the region, including seniors’ health care issues, the passage of state anti-hate legislation, social security benefits, funding for Holocaust education in public schools and support for the Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition, the Jewish lobby group in Harrisburg. Capital and program grants were issued this past year by the Grants Committee and covered $42,000 in programs and capital repairs to Jewish institutions in Northeastern Pennsylvania. These grants covered a portion of the costs of structural repairs to the Community Mikvah in Scranton and to Congregation Beth Israel in Honesdale; offset the costs of constructing a security perimeter, external monitoring, access and a centralized video apparatus for the Scranton Hebrew Day School; subsidized the Temple Israel of the Poconos concert: “From the Shtetl to Broadway to Israel” held at Stroudsburg High School this past summer; co-sponsored the 110th Annual Meeting of Jewish Family Service of Northeastern Pennsylvania, held at the Colonnade in Scranton; and provided funds to Temple Israel of Scranton for a Family Life Education series. A capital grant to effect major repairs to the Scranton JCC and a similar grant to the Jewish Heritage Connection are currently under consideration as well. Our thanks has been extended to Chairwoman Esther Adelman and her committee for the extensive amount of work done to effect these grants.

Continued from page 1 Investments expanded – As part of the Federation’s role in maintaining Jewish continuity, an active Investments and Endowments Committee was established many years ago and is maintained through the promotion of numerous funding vehicles, including Perpetual Annual Campaign Endowments, Philanthropic Funds, Restricted Funds and Unrestricted Endowment Funds which, this year, totaled $9.6 million in assets. The income from these funds is used to fund the many programs and services to ensure vibrant Jewish communities in Northeastern Pennsylvania the decades to come. Federation Bylaws amended – The Bylaws of the Federation have not been significantly amended in more than 20 years. Much has happened during that time. A series of amendments are therefore being proposed that will streamline procedures and take into account the changes in demographics and other related matters that have affected the communities throughout the past two decades. Our thanks is extended to Irwin Schneider, chairman, whose committee met for several sessions in the spring and summer to prepare their materials for board consideration. A Northeastern Pennsylvania Jewish Film Lending Library has been developed and advertised in each and every issue of The Reporter, and has been made available at no change to members of the community for viewing. Project Koshertroops.com – Federation participated in a national project designed to assist in improving the morale and welfare of Jewish members of the armed forces during Chanukah and the Sabbath by showing our appreciation for their commitment, and providing each of them with holiday packages of chocolates and personal letters of thanks. Collection boxes were set up at the JCC and the Jewish Resource Center of the Poconos in Stroudsburg. E-mail contacts were also provided. Funding has been provided for JCC Purim carnivals; Chanukah events; Yom Ha’atzmaut/Israel Independence Day programs; Israel volunteer programs, such as Sar El; and Jewish holiday-related programs. The Reporter – The Federation funds The Reporter, the regional Jewish newspaper, at a cost of $26,000 per year but at no cost to community members, other than voluntary contributions made through its annual “Friends of The Reporter” See “Campaign 2” on page 16

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A tribute to Theodore Bikel

It is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of Theodore Bikel, actor, folksinger, guitarist, author, lecturer, raconteur, activist and arts advocate, and it is with great pleasure that we remember his last visit to Scranton.

On October 25, 2009, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Jewish Film Festival presented its coveted Lifetime Achievement Award to Theodore Bikel. The following article is republished, with permission, from his friend

THE REPORTER

and colleague David Myers says it best. I urge everyone to read the article as published in the Jewish Journal. Carol Nelson Dembert, Chairwoman, Northeastern Pennsylvania Jewish Film Festival

Crossing borders: A tribute to Theo Bikel z’l By David Myers This is reprinted with permission from the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles. One of the great virtues of Jewish life in Los Angeles, with all its scale and diversity, is that it attracts truly extraordinary people. I have been privileged to know and befriend three virtuosi of the human experience here in Los Angeles, all of whom have passed from this world in the last three years: Holocaust survivor, electrical engineer and peace activist Arthur Stern z’l (1925-2012), legendary Rabbi Leonard Beerman (1921-2014) and now the incomparable Theodore Bikel (1924-2015). What linked these three master-teachers of life was a pair of

Guest of honor Theodore Bikel joined Northeastern Pennsylvania Jewish Film Festival Chairwoman Carol Nelson Dembert and Don Dembert at the dinner held in his honor.

distinctive qualities. First, all were deep, passionate and proud Jews who refused to regard their Jewishness and their humanism in zero-sum terms. On the contrary, Jewish and universal impulses were fully complementary in their worlds. Or perhaps it was the case for Theo Bikel, as Leon Wieseltier noted in a brilliant tribute to him in June, that the universal was accessed Theodore Bikel waved to precisely through his sweep- the crowd as he entered ing command of the particular the theater. features of Jewish culture. The second quality that linked the three was that they were willing to take controversial stands that drew down upon them hostility, but without surrendering either their principles or their place in the Jewish community. They understood that asserting their moral voice, as Theo Bikel did when he joined other artists in refusing to perform in West Bank settlements in 2010, was not an abdication of Jewish responsibility, but the full exercise of it. On many occasions before and after, Theo raised his voice over injustices around him – civil rights abuses, mistreatment of laborers, repression of Soviet Jewry. It was the Jewish moral imperative within him that demanded words and then action. But it would be a grave mistake to reduce Theo Bikel to just a political activist. His voice of protest was just one of the many registers in which he spoke and sang. (Indeed, one cannot cease to be amazed at the quantity and quality of Theo’s linguistic skills, both in acquiring foreign languages and in effecting accents.) He sang equally passionately of joy, sorrow, irony, surprise, laughter and, of

Theodore Bikel arrived at the Scranton Cultural Center in Don Bernstein’s Rolls Royce, where he was greeted by Hospitality Chairwoman Patricia Taylor. (Photos provided courtesy of Michael Weinberg Photography) course, love. He was, as his political opposite and admirer David Suissa wrote last year, a “man in full.” What makes such a rich and multifaceted personality? In addition to immense God-given talent, it was the diversity of his life experience. The first chapter of Theo’s life unfolded at a tremulous moment in European history – in the intense interwar ambience of gilded Vienna. The Austrian-born Hitler’s rise to power in 1933 marked the beginning of the end of his relatively charmed family existence. After the Anschluss in 1938, Theo’s father decided to act on his deep Zionist convictions (the ones that prompted him to name his son after Theodor Herzl) See “Bikel” on page 6

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THE REPORTER ■ september 10, 2015

Bikel

Continued from page 5

and managed to secure much-desired British certificates for passage to Palestine. Upon arrival there in 1938, Theo picked up his studies at the famous Mikve Israel agricultural school, shifting effortlessly from German to Hebrew. He immersed himself in the vibrant cultural life of his new homeland, spending time on a kibbutz before moving to Tel Aviv to hone his emerging theatrical talents. There he worked for the Habimah Theater company, the gold standard of Jewish theaters in Palestine, before breaking off to found his own Chamber Theater with a number of colleagues. Ever restless in his quest to find new creative outlets, Theo came to the conclusion that Palestine was not the ideal venue in which to refine his craft as an actor. And so, in 1946, at the age of 24, he moved to London to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and commence the third chapter in his life story. As he expanded his professional skills, he faced a difficult choice, especially in 1947. With the British soon to surrender their Mandate over Palestine, war was likely to break out between Jews and Arabs there. Theo decided not to return to Palestine, but to remain in London, accompanied by pangs of regret and a profound and abiding connection to what would become Israel. In making this decision, he arrived at the realization, in paraphrasing the great Pablo Casals, that his guitar was his weapon, which he would choose to play on his own terms. Indeed, he used this “weapon” to wage battle for peace and justice throughout his life, especially when he came to the United States in 1954, the last and longest chapter in his remarkable life.

Sondra and Morey Myers, chairmen of the dinner in Theodore Bikel’s honor, were seen with Tamara Brooks and Bikel. David N. Myers is the son of Sondra and Morey. Theo’s 60 years in America were marked by a dizzying array of activities and achievement. His iconic appearances in “The African Queen,” “My Fair Lady,” “The Sound of Music” and, most famously, as Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof,” revealed an actor’s actor who was able to move from role to role, dialect to dialect, with the greatest of

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Standing (l-r): Committee members Carol Dembert, Northeastern Pennsylvania Jewish Film Festival chairwoman; Carol Breig, development chairwoman; and Laney Ufberg, festival vice-chairwoman, had the opportunity to share a few minutes with Theodore Bikel (sitting). ease. His work in developing the folk music scene in this country together with his friend Pete Seeger, especially at the Newport Folk Festival (where Bob Dylan dared to play electric guitar) merits its own historical rendering. His efforts on behalf of fellow actors, as president of the Actor’s Equity, were tireless and widely admired. And his support for Jewish, Yiddish and Hebrew culture came in many forms – performance, advocacy and organizational labor. Although renowned as a world-class artist, Theo understood well that in order to effect change in the world, he could not stand above the fray. He never failed to attend the requisite salon gathering or board meeting, nor to step to the fore to do his part. Although he was a true citizen of the world, it was a great blessing to have Theo with us in Los Angeles. It was a great blessing to share in the joyful music at his and Aimee’s home. It was a great blessing to have his conversational genius and peerless musical repertoire at our Shabbes table. It was a great blessing to have Theo, weakened by illness, muster his strength to come to Ikar to daven and hear Peter Beinart on Friday night, a few short days before his death. Perhaps the greatest blessing that Theo bestowed was as a master teacher of life. He taught us to resist the oppositions that define so many people: Jew versus human, religious versus secular, Yiddish versus Hebrew, Israeli versus Palestinian, kemach versus Torah, art versus life. With sophistication, intelligence, passion and love, Theo taught us that the boundary between these categories was porous and open to crossing. We should all endeavor, as a meaningful tribute to this great human being and Jew, to emulate his daring example of crossing borders in the name of life. Yehi zikhro barukh! David N. Myers was a friend of Theodore Bikel’s.

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

september 10, 2015 ■

THE REPORTER

Wishing You A Sweet New Year L’Shana Tova Tikatevu 2015-5776

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THE REPORTER ■ september 10, 2015

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

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

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

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

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

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

JEWISH FELLOWSHIP OF HEMLOCK FARMS Rabbi Steve Nathan President: 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: Moshe Fink 600 Monroe Ave., Scranton, PA 18510 570-342-6271

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

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

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

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

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

d’var torah

Choose life!

by RABBI MARJORIE BERMAN, SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR, RECONSTRUCTIONIST RABBINICAL COLLEGE IN PHILADELPHIA Nitzavim, Deuteronomy 29:9-30:20 In the portion of Nitzavim we read, “For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.” Some will read it again on Yom Kippur. At the end of the passage, we are given the injunction to “choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants.” In this section of Deuteronomy, it is clear that we “choose life” by following the mitzvot, the commandments, that God has given us. But whether or not we practice Judaism in this way, what does it mean to “choose life” in our hearts and minds? First, we should examine the concept of choice. In order to choose something, we must be aware that we have a choice. We must realize that there is more than one way to do something, and that the decisions we make about how to encounter our lives are up to us. How do we do this? Sometime creating a bit of distance can help us see our lives in a broader perspective. An artist does this when he or she steps back from their painting. What is needed? What is too much? In our increasingly hectic and over-programmed lives, stepping back is often about taking time. Judaism teaches us to do this in many ways, by making time for prayer each day, by blessing our food before we eat, and most importantly, by keeping Shabbat. Each of these practices allows us time to step back – for a moment or for a day – and to contemplate our lives. These pauses to connect with what is transcendent allow us to see our lives more clearly, and to ask ourselves: “What is needed? What is too much? Am I choosing to live my life in a way that supports my values, my creativity, my happiness, my community, my part in tikkun olam (healing the world)?” In our modern life, we are often overwhelmed by choice;

we probably have more choices before us in a single day than our ancestors faced in a year. But, paradoxically, we often see ourselves as having less choice about how we live our lives, if we even take the time to think about it at all. Many of us live in a state of constant “triage” trying to figure out which e-mail or stack of papers is most demanding of our attention. Despite the fact that neuroscientists tell us that there is really no such thing as “multi-tasking,” we try to return calls while driving, or watch the news while eating, or text while in the middle of a meeting. We are constantly doing something. In order to “choose life,” that is, to actually choose our lives, we need to take the time to be still, to just be. We do not live in a time or a culture that supports the contemplative, but if we want to live chosen lives, it is imperative. Even Marcus Cicero, a Roman philosopher who lived two millennia ago, famously said: “He does not seem to me to be a free man who does not sometimes do nothing.” Taking time to do nothing may not be up in heaven or across the sea, but it is somehow very hard for many of us nonetheless. It is as close as our breath, it is in our mind and our heart, but it is a challenge nonetheless. During Shabbat Nitzavim and the upcoming Yamim Noraim (Days of Awe), I invite you to make some time and some space in your life, to step back and see what to leave in and what to take out, to examine what is life-giving and what is not. Then, and only then, are we really free to choose.

HBE eZine 614

The HBI eZine 614 can be found at http:/ /614ezine.com. Published by the HadassahBrandeis Institute, it offers articles centered around themes of Jewish interest. Past issues have focused on Jewish books, Jewish films, Jews and tattoos, creating new rituals, different ideas about God and more. The site is free; those interested can sign up for its newsletter.

september 10, 2015 ■

THE REPORTER

The Matisyahu affair: In Europe, conflating Jew and Israel

By Cnaan Liphshiz (JTA) – A Spanish music festival’s recent decision to rescind its invitation to the American reggae singer Matisyahu, after he declined to endorse a Palestinian state, brought international attention to a phenomenon that many European Jews have been feeling for years: that they are being targeted for Israel’s actions. Matisyahu, who is Jewish, but not Israeli, was the only performer to be asked his views of Palestinian statehood by organizers of the Rototom Sunsplash festival near Barcelona from August 1522. The cancellation of his gig triggered a wave of condemnations, including by Spain’s government and the European Jewish Congress. To quell the storm, organizers of the festival reinvited Matisyahu – he performed his hit song “Jerusalem” there – and apologized for what they said was a “mistake” made under pressure and threats from anti-Israel activists. But some who track antisemitic sentiments and incidents in Europe see the Matisyahu affair as emblematic of widespread conflation between Jew and Israeli on a continent where Israel serves as a pretext for anti-Jewish acts. Recent examples of the conflation include Hitler salutes by Belgian soccer fans at a match in July in Charleroi between a local team and Beitar Jerusalem; Bosnian soccer fans in April chanting antisemitic slogans, including “kill the Jews,” at an impromptu pro-Palestinian rally they held in Vienna; and in Britain, singersongwriter Alison Chabloz signing a blog post in August in which she questioned the existence of the gas chambers with the phrase “#FreePalestine.” “The borderline of what is acceptable behavior toward Jews is shifting in Europe, and the people moving it are using Israel as one of their main vehicles,” said Manfred Gerstenfeld, an Israeli scholar whose work has focused on European antisemitism. Earlier this year, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Britain’s former chief rabbi, said European Jews are facing a choice: “Live in Europe and criticize Israel or be silent – or leave Europe.” He pointed a finger at the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which aims to put political and economic pressure on Israel. For its part, the BDS movement has been adamant in rejecting accusations that it is the modern face of antisemitism. It

Matisyahu performed at the Rototom Festival in Benicassim, Spain, on August 22. (Photo from YouTube) was, however, a pro-BDS group in Valencia, Spain, that lobbied for and celebrated Matisyahu’s ejection from the festival. One of the movement’s most outspoken advocates, Ali Abuminah, who co-founded the website Electronic Intifada, defended rescinding Matisyahu’s invitation, insisting it was connected to his support for Israel and his performance at an event sponsored by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Across Europe, BDS activists have consistently pressured festival organizers, performers and commercial entities to disassociate themselves from Israel and its supporters. Activists send petitions, hold protest rallies at events featuring those who back, or choose to visit, the Jewish state. However, an inspection of the Rototom lineup reveals that non-Jewish performers whose actions were contrary to the BDS movement’s goal of isolating Israel were subjected to less scrutiny. The Jamaican singer Popcaan, for example, performed at Rototom a little over a month after giving his first concert in Israel. Malaka Youth, also a reggae band, played in Israel last year. And one of the festival’s biggest draws, Barrington Levy, anAfro-Caribbean singer from Jamaica, has performed twice in Israel. To its critics, the alleged discrimination against Matisyahu was a way of making Europe an uncomfortable place to be Jewish. Outside the music industry, the conflation of Jew and Israel last year engendered mob violence and exclusion that had not been seen in Western Europe since World War II. (The current wave of violence against Jews there began in 2000, coin-

ciding with the second Palestinian uprising, and has worsened in recent years, particularly in the wake of Israel’s war last summer in Gaza.) In Belgium last year, a physician refused to treat a 90-year-old woman with a broken rib because of her Jewish-sounding last name, telling her son, “Send her to Gaza for a few hours, then she’ll get rid of the pain.” Also last summer in Belgium, the owner of a clothing shop in Antwerp refused to serve a local Jew “in protest” of Israel’s actions during its most recent war in Gaza. Meanwhile, a café in Liege displayed a sign that read “no Jews allowed” in Turkish, and a French version swapped “Jews” for “Zionists.” In France, meanwhile, authorities imposed a ban on anti-Israel demonstrations after several rallies deteriorated into attacks on synagogues. At least nine Jewish houses of worship in France were attacked during the war in Gaza. (A record 7,000 Jews left France, Europe’s largest Jewish community, for Israel last year.) And in the Netherlands, the home of Dutch Chief Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs was vandalized

for the fifth time in recent years. European governments and leaders are often accused of looking the other way to avoid rocking the boat or alienating large Muslim voting blocs. The lawmaker set to head Britain’s Labor Party, Jeremy Corbyn, has endorsed the militant Islamic groups Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as Dyab Abou Jahjah, founder of the Arab European League, which has published caricatures of Anne Frank in bed with Adolf Hitler and Holocaust denials on its website. In the Netherlands, the withholding of the publication of a government-commissioned study on antisemitism among Muslims, who were found to be more susceptible to the prejudice against Jews than others, has provoked outrage from Jewish groups and others, notably rightist parties. Some politicians, however, are confronting the problem head on, including French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who has said repeatedly that “anti-Zionism is the portal that leads to antisemitism.” France is also the only country in Europe where BDS has been outlawed, by a 2003 amendment introduced by a Jewish lawmaker. But the actions of those trying to curb the new antisemitism are still a negligible force, according to Gerstenfeld, a former chairman of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. The views in some Arab and Muslim immigrant communities in Western Europe, among whom studies show that antisemitism is more prevalent than in the general population, “is emboldening ethnic Europeans to give expression to the age-old antisemitism in their culture, which for a time became taboo after the Holocaust as a result of guilt,” Gerstenfeld said. “But now,” he said, “the two forms of antisemitism, the old and the new, are feeding each other as they push the borderline of acceptability toward a zone of discomfort.”

Wishing Everyone a Happy New Year

Carlucci-Golden-DeSantis Funeral Home, Inc. 318 East Drinker Street Dunmore, PA, 18512 Phone: 570.343.6013 www.ScrantonJewishFunerals.com Sidney R. DeSantis, Supervisor

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

THE REPORTER ■ september 10, 2015

The five best new kids’ books for the High Holidays

By Penny Schwartz (JTA) – From Antarctica to Shanghai and farms to cities, this year’s crop of High Holidays books for children offers a globe-trotting exploration. Friendship and family are the themes that run through five new titles that entertain and inform young ones and older readers. Turning the pages of a new book is the perfect way to usher in the holidays.

“Penguin Rosh Hashanah” (Photo courtesy of Jennifer Tzivia MacLeod)

“Brand New Year” (Photo courtesy of Hachai Publishing)

“Penguin Rosh Hashanah” (CreateSpace Independent Publishing; ages 3-6) by Jennifer Tzivia MacLeod Celebrating Rosh Hashanah can be tough for a young penguin in Antarctica. There are no bees to make honey and no apple trees – just a lot of snow. In this warmhearted, offbeat introduction to the Jewish New Year, illustrated with photographs of penguins and their natural habitat, the little penguin sometimes finds it hard to do the right thing. In simple rhythmic verse, part of an animal-themed series on Jewish holidays (“Otter Passover” and “Panda Purim”), the Israeli-based writer Jennifer Tzivia MacLeod conveys the themes of Rosh Hashanah – reflection, forgiveness, faith and family. Bonus: There’s a penguin origami craft project at the end. “Time to Start a Brand New Year” (Hachai Publishing; ages 2-5) by Rochel Groner Vorst; illustrated by Shepsil Scheinberg With this new title, Hachai publishing adds to its collection of rhyming, colorful stories for young children. This High Holidays story by Rochel Groner Vorst features a contemporary haredi Orthodox family getting ready to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, from apple picking to harvesting honey to hearing the shofar. The author, who as a teen won Pittsburgh’s Holocaust poetry contest, is a kindergarten teacher at a Jewish day school in Charlotte, NC, where she grew up. “Talia and the Very Yum Kippur” (Kar-Ben; ages 4-8) by Linda Elovitz Marshall; illustrated by Francesca Assirelli The endearing Talia makes a return in “Talia and the Very Yum Kippur,” Linda Elovitz’s funny and charming encore to “Talia and the Rude Vegetables” (2012), featuring a young girl who sometimes confuses grown-up words that sound like others. It’s Yom Kippur and Talia is visiting her grandparents, who live on a farm. She helps her grandmother prepare a noodle kugel for the family’s break fast, gathering eggs from the hen house and

“Talia and the Very Yum Kippur” (Photo courtesy of Kar-Ben Publishing) milking the cow with her grandfather. Kids will be tickled by the bit of merry mayhem that follows when Talia mistakes the Hebrew word “yom” (meaning “day”) for “yum” and she begins to grow impatient for her family’s “breakfast” as she wonders why a “fast day” is moving so slowly. Grandma comes to the rescue by explaining that on Yom Kippur, people pray, fast and ask for forgiveness for any wrongdoings, leading to a heartfelt set of apologies between Talia and Grandma. A truly yummy break fast with her family ends the tale – and there’s a kugel recipe at the back of the book. “Tamar’s Sukkah” (Kar-Ben; ages 3-8) by Ellie B. Gellman; illustrated by Katherine Janus Kahn Bursting with the colors of fall, “Tamar’s Sukkah” is an upbeat story that emphasizes simple living, gratitude, and welcoming friends and strangers. Tamar, the spunky heroine of the tale, is on a mission to make her plain family sukkah just right – older kids in the neighborhood are invited, one by one, to lend a hand. The award-winning artist Katherine Janus Kahn, whose books include the Sammy Spider series, brings the action to life with bright illustrations that depict a pleasant, suburban multiracial neighborhood filled with squirrels, puppies and bunnies. In the final double-page spread, the kids gather to admire their handiwork and share a

“Tamar’s Sukkah” (Photo courtesy of Kar-Ben Publishing)

simple snack. “A sukkah full of friends is just right,” Tamar exclaims. “Shanghai Sukkah” (Kar-Ben; ages 5-9) by Heidi Smith Hyde; illustrations by Jing Jing Tsong Heidi Smith Hyde, an award-winning author (“Feivel’s Flying Horses,” and “Emanuel and the Hanukkah Rescue”) and Jewish educator, delivers another intriguing tale of historical fiction that introduces older kids to Jewish life in less familiar settings and cultures. This Sukkot story imagines the experiences of a family that fled Nazi Germany to Shanghai in the early 1930s. Despite their overcrowded neighborhood, young Marcus is eager to build a sukkah in his new country. Marcus and his Jewish pals, helped by their new friend Liang, build a simple rooftop sukkah using ingenuity and bamboo. But without fresh fruit available to decorate the sukkah, Marcus is disappointed that it is too plain. To cheer him up, Liang invites Marcus to the Chinese Moon Festival, China’s traditional autumn harvest festival. A puzzling riddle that Marcus finds inside a glowing paper lantern leads to an unexpected act of kindness by his new friend. Even better than adding beauty to the sparely decorated sukkah, Marcus discovers a deeper meaning to the holiday. Illustrations by the noted Hawaiian artist Jing Jing Tsong vividly portray daily Jewish life in Shanghai in shades of browns and grays – in contrast to the reds, gold and orange that pop on two doublepage spreads depicting the holidays, both Jewish and Chinese. An author’s note explains the heroism of Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara, who helped thousands of Jews escape Nazi Germany by obtaining visas to travel through Japan and eventually settle in Shanghai.

“Shanghai Sukkah” (Photo courtesy of Kar-Ben Publishing)

Wishing the Community

May this New Year be a time of peace and joy for you and your family.

a Happy, Healthy and Sweet New Year! Bonnie Rozen Advertising Executive

Eileen Baine & Family

May the sound of the shofar bring a year of peace. Linda & Steve Strauchler

Rabbi Rachel Esserman

september 10, 2015 â&#x2013;

THE REPORTER

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THE REPORTER ■ september 10, 2015

Eight stories to watch in Israel next year

By Ben Sales (JTA) – Tired of hearing about Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians or the machinations of a certain Islamic Republic? There’s plenty of other news happening in Israel, from uproars over the country’s enormous natural gas reserves to a growing push to legalize marijuana. Here are eight newsy items you may have missed in 5775 – and stories you should watch out for as the new year begins. 1. Israel’s controversial gas drilling increases Since the discovery of two huge offshore fields of natural gas in the Mediterranean Sea, Israel has turned from an energy importer to an exporter. Israel has signed agreements worth tens of billions of dollars to export gas to Egypt and Jordan, and in 2013, a conglomerate of two energy companies – Noble Energy and the Delek Group – began exporting gas from the Tamar natural gas field. In June, however, an agreement to let Delek and Noble also develop the much larger Leviathan field set off protests in Israel. Critics, including the head of Israel’s antitrust authority, called the deal a monopoly. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to move ahead with the agreement, telling the Knesset in July that “we will not allow populism to bury the gas in the ground.” 2. Will new reforms solve Israel’s housing crisis? Sure, Israelis are concerned about bombs and tunnels, but they’re also worried about another threat to their ability to live in Israel: skyrocketing housing prices. Since 2008, prices have risen nearly 60 percent. The prohibitive costs of housing were what led half a million Israelis to take to the streets in protest in 2011. Running on a promise to address the housing crisis, the upstart centrist party Kulanu won 10 seats in the March Knesset elections. Now Kulanu’s chairman, Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, has advanced a series

French immigrants gathered in Jerusalem on July 14, 2014. (Photo by Hadas Parush/Flash90)

Best wishes to all for a happy, healthy & sweet new year.

Rabbi Mendel & Shterni Bendet

of reforms designed to curb prices, including raising taxes on the purchase of second homes and streamlining Israel’s housing bureaucracy, making construction and contracting more efficient. Time will tell if his efforts make it easier for young Israelis to buy a home. 3. Israel becomes more French As antisemitism rises in France, Israelis have been hearing more and more French on the street over the past few years. Since 2010, some 20,000 French Jews have moved to Israel – and officials predict that 2015 will end up being a second straight record year for French aliyah. Parisians have filled the streets of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and coastal cities like Netanya and Ashdod. Israelis already are feeling their effect; shwarma stands, for example, now offer the signature Israeli lamb dish in a baguette as well as a pita. As Israel’s French community continues to grow, we’ll see how else the French arrivals may shape their new home. 4. Israel grows closer to India and China The European Union has long been Israel’s top trading partner and the United States its strongest ally. Those things are unlikely to change anytime soon, but the past year has seen Israel look to the East as well as the West. India’s new prime minister, Narendra Modi, wants to strengthen ties with Israel – he intends to visit the country, and will be the first Indian head of state to do so – and has had friendly words for Netanyahu. Israel, meanwhile, is looking to increase its trade with China. In 2015, Chinese investments in Israel reached $6 billion, and Israel and China are looking to establish a free-trade zone between them. 5. The rise of the 5-shekel café Israelis are fond of complaining about high prices, but one cost you won’t hear them gripe about is coffee. That’s because Cofix, a rapidly expanding café chain, sells everything on its menu – from espresso to sandwiches – for 5 shekels (about $1.25). Since it launched in 2013, Cofix has opened nearly 100 branches across Israel, and has plans to open a total of 300 stores. A knockoff competitor, Cofizz, has a couple dozen branches of its own with the same 5-shekel concept. Cofix has forced older chains to lower their prices and it’s not stopping there. It’s opened a handful of bars where everything goes for 5 shekels, and just opened a couple branches of Super Cofix, a dollar store-style supermarket with the same prices. 6. Haredim join the workforce With haredi Orthodox political parties back in the governing coalition, haredi men are unlikely to be included in Israel’s draft. But haredim have been integrating into mainstream

ashanah Greetings H h s o R

Chabad Lubavitch of the Poconos www.jewishpoconos.com

Wishing the entire community a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year. Rabbi Dovid and Malky Saks and family Jewish Heritage Connection

May you be inscribed in the Book of Life for good health, peace, and prosperity. Sandy Weissberger & Leon Kaplan Post #165 Jewish War Veterans of America

At right: Cofix, a cafe chain that sells food for 5 shekels, opened a bar in Tel Aviv in March 2014. (Photo by Roni Schutzer/ Flash90)

Israeli society another way: through the workforce. According to recent data from Israel’s Economy Ministry, 16 percent of Israeli businesses now employ haredim, up from 8 percent in 2008. The number of haredi employees in the business sector also doubled, from 48,000 in 2008 to more than 100,000 now. But haredi-secular relations still have a long way to go. A recent survey found that 45 percent of haredim had no interaction at all with secular Jews. 7. Marijuana legalization gets closer Israeli cannabis growers are hoping to make the desert bloom. Medical marijuana is already legal in Israel, and Israel’s deputy health minister announced new regulations in July that will allow cannabis to be sold in pharmacies and prescribed by a wider range of doctors. In the past few years, leaders of Israeli political parties have admitted to having a toke, and lawmakers from both right- and left-wing parties support marijuana legalization. Until 2015, the most outspoken advocate for legalization was the far-right Knesset member Moshe Feiglin, and while Feiglin didn’t make it into the Knesset in the March election, his cause goes on. 8. A 14-year-old Israeli is the face of Dior Move over, Bar Refaeli. Sofia Mechetner, a 14-year-old Israeli from the Tel Aviv suburb of Holon, was recently named “the face” of the French fashion label Dior. Mechetner, who had no prior modeling experience, is the daughter of Soviet immigrants and reportedly shared a bedroom with her two siblings – whom she often cared for, as her parents were busy working to make ends meet. She landed the Dior job, in part, by running into the brand’s creative director at a Dior store in Paris. Her recent scantily-clad walk down a Paris runway reignited controversy about youth and high fashion, and fashion insiders have cautioned that modeling young comes with dangers and pressures. But at least for now, says her manager, her family’s financial troubles are over.

The Jewish Fellowship of Hemlock Farms wishes The Pocono Jewish Communities and all Northeast Pennsylvania Federation members A Happy, Healthy & Peaceful New Year.

Best Wishes for a Healthy & Happy New Year All welcome – no membership required 711 Wallace Street, Stroudsburg, PA 18360 Phone: 570-421-8781 www.templeisraelofthepoconos.org President: Dr. Sandra Alfonsi

september 10, 2015 ■

THE REPORTER

Beyond the bagel: Breaking the fast with flair By Shannon Sarna NEW YORK (JTA) – By the time the fast is over on Yom Kippur, the last thing you want to be doing is patchkeing in the kitchen to prepare lots of food. And as much as I can’t wait to shove a bagel and cream cheese with all the fixin’s in my face, I also like to enjoy something sweet, something salty and something a little fresh with my traditional post-fast carbs. I recommend preparing the quinoa salad ahead of time and, when the fast is over, serve it on top of labne for an easy and healthful salad. The rich, sweet coffee cake challah can also be baked ahead of time. And the flavors of the custom dill lemon caper cream cheese will only intensify when you let them sit overnight in the fridge. Note: If you plan to make your own gravlax, you must start at least four days in advance of serving, or up to a week, otherwise the fish will not be ready to eat. Homemade Gravlax (by Vered Meir) This recipe for homemade gravlax f ro m C a l i f o r n i a blogger Vered Meir is simple to make and presents so beautifully on a platter. The first time I made this recipe, I couldn’t believe how Gravlax (Photo by Shannon easy it was and why it Sarna) had taken so long. It is the perfect accompaniment for your bagel platter after Yom Kippur or on top of latkes at Chanukah. 2 lbs. fresh center-cut wild salmon fillet, skin on ½ cup kosher salt ½ cup sugar 2 Tbsp. peppercorns 2 tsp. crushed juniper berries (can be purchased at some grocery chains and at specialty food stores) 7-8 large sprigs fresh dill 1-2 shots of gin or vodka In a bowl, combine the salt, sugar, peppercorns and juniper berries. Line a glass dish that will fit your salmon fillet with 2 large pieces of plastic wrap and sprinkle half of your salt and sugar mixture onto the bottom. Lay half of your dill sprigs down, then cover with your salmon fillet. Sprinkle the remaining mixture on top of the fillet, then cover with the remaining sprigs of dill and your shots of alcohol, and then wrap everything as tightly as you

can in the plastic. Leave it in the dish, as the salt will create a brine for the fish. Refrigerate for 3 or 4 days, depending on the thickness of your filet. The lox is finished when the salmon’s hue has transitioned from pink to deep orange. Before serving, discard the dill and rinse the fillet of the brine, peppercorns and juniper berries. Slice thinly against the grain with a sharp knife. Serve with sliced lemon and capers. Variation: Try a layer of shredded raw beets on the non-skin side of your fillet before wrapping. After the lox is finished curing, each of your slices will have a purple or dark pink edge to it. Lemon Dill Caper Cream Cheese Yield: 6-8 servings What’s better than serving your bagels with capers and dill, and slices of lemon? Adding them into one tasty homemade cream cheese to serve with your bagel spread. This can be made one or two days ahead of time 12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 2 tsp. lemon zest 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice 2 tsp. whole capers, chopped roughly 1 Tbsp. fresh chopped dill Pinch of salt and pepper Add all ingredients to a bowl. Mix together until flavors are incorporated. Place in a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 24-48 hours until ready to serve. Garnish with additional dill if desired. Coffee Cake Challah Yield: 2 large loaves Coffee cake is one of my weakness foods and I love an indulgent slice after fasting on Yom Kippur. This year, I decided to combine two of my favorite things to bake into one beautiful and delicious treat: coffee cake challah. This makes two large loaves, so it is enough to serve for a large crowd or freeze one to save for later. If you freeze one, wait to add glaze until you defrost it and are ready to serve. For the dough: 1½ Tbsp. yeast 1 tsp. sugar 1¼ cup lukewarm water 4½-5 cups all-purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur brand) ¾ cup sugar ¼ cup vegetable oil ½ Tbsp. salt 2 tsp. vanilla

2 large eggs For the crumb topping and filling: 1¾ cups all-purpose flour 1 cup packed light brown sugar 1 heaping tsp. cinnamon ¼ tsp. coarse sea salt 1½ sticks cold butter or margarine, cut into small pieces 1 cup chopped pecans 1 egg, beaten For the glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 4 Tbsp. milk or almond milk In a small bowl place yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar and lukewarm water. Allow to sit around 5-10 minutes, until it becomes foamy on top. In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, mix together 1½ cups flour, salt and sugar. After the water-yeast mixture has become foamy, add to flour mixture along with oil and vanilla. Mix thoroughly. Add another cup of flour and eggs until smooth. Switch to the dough hook attachment if you are using a stand mixer. Add another 1-1½ cups flour and then remove from bowl and place on a floured surface. Knead remaining flour into dough, continuing to knead for around 10 minutes (or however long your hands will last). Don’t add more flour than the dough needs – the less flour, the lighter the dough. Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with damp towel. Allow to rise 3 or 4 hours. To make the crumb topping: Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon and sea salt in a large bowl. Add cold butter or margarine and mix using a pastry cutter until mixture resembles crumbles. Refrigerate until ready to use. Preheat oven to 350°F. After the challah is done rising, split the dough evenly in half. Divide each half into three pieces. Roll each piece into a snake and then flatten. Sprinkle crumb topping inside, then pinch sides up to close. Gently roll again to seal in filling. Repeat with all pieces and then braid, forming into a circle and pinching together each end of the braid. Repeat with second half of dough. Place each challah on a parchment paper (or silpat) lined baking sheet. See “Fast” on page 18

Wishing you Health & Happiness for the New Year Congregation B’nai Harim wishes our community a peaceful New Year!

Congregation

Beth

Israel

601 Jefferson Avenue, Scranton, PA 18510 (570) 961-2300

A Cherished History Since 1849

Rabbi Peg Kershenbaum Pres. M. Irene Stolzenberg Pocono Pines (570)646-0100 bnaiharimpoconos.org

Members of Congregation Beth Israel in Honesdale celebrate the High Holy Days and our 166th year serving the Jewish Community.

Shana Tova congregationbethisraelhonesdale.org

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

THE REPORTER ■ september 10, 2015

Which month marks the Jewish New Year?

By Maayan Jaffe JNS.org Tishrei is among the most well-known months on the Hebrew calendar because it contains the High Holidays and marks the beginning of the year. Or so it seems. Indeed, to modern-day Jews, Rosh Hashanah is considered the Jewish New Year. But traditionally, the Hebrew calendar actually has four “New Year” days: the first of Tishrei (Rosh Hashanah); the first of Nisan; the 15th of Shevat (Tu B’Shevat, or the New Year of trees); and the first of Elul, the New Year of animal tithes (taxation). The Torah specifically names Nisan as the first month of the Jewish calendar. So where did Tishrei come from, and how did it gain New Year status? Rabbi Donny Schwartz, midwest regional director for the Orthodox youth organization NCSY, explains that Tishrei relates to the sun, which is connected to the solar year. In Hebrew, the word year is translated as “shana,” which is related to the Hebrew words “sheni” (second/repeatable) and “yashan” (old). “Tishrei represents a system that never changes,” says Schwartz. “You wake up on the morning and it is just another day. You know you drive on the right side of the street, put clothes on your body. You know who you are. It’s a ‘blah’ feeling sometimes, but there is a benefit to that.”

being. In Genesis 2, God physically shapes On the other hand, Nisan relates to the Adam out of the ground,” Minnen says. moon, which is changing daily, if not more “This is the planting and the harvesting, frequently. Nisan is therefore the “head of this is Nisan and Tishrei. We need both the months,” and is “all about renewal” and creation narratives, and we need Nisan and change, Schwartz says. Tishrei to form a complete sense of who Tishrei and Nisan also are tied to the seawe are and who we can be.” sons in which they fall. Schwartz believes that “God created the world in Tishrei. But at different times of year, there are different when did God start thinking about creating energies in the world. Tishrei falls in the authe world? That was Nisan,” notes Rabbi tumn, a time of great material beauty, namely Mendy Wineberg, program director of the the changing of the colors of the leaves. Nisan, Chabad House Center of Kansas City. on the other hand, falls in the spring, a time Wineberg says that while the first man when beauty is only budding – renewing or was fashioned by God in Tishrei, the Jewresurfacing fresh off the winter. ish people became a nation in Nisan, when Rabbi Jessica Minnen, resident rabbi of New York’s OneTable initiative, which brings S y m b o l s o f R o s h God took them out of Egypt and ultimately together Jews in their 20s and 30s for Shabbat Hashanah, the Jewish gave them the Torah and its mitzvot. “God dinners, takes this idea a step further. She says New Year, including the became king of the people on Rosh HaNisan is the planting season and Tishrei the shofar, an apple and honey, shanah. God became our personal king in harvesting season. Minnen tells JNS.org that a pomegranates, wine, and Nisan,” says Wineberg. Minnen says the main message of all the recent course she was teaching examined the a silver Kiddush cup. differences between the two creation narra- (Photo by Gilabrand via Jewish New Years – Tishrei, Nisan, Shevat and Elul – is one of continuity. “You have tives in Genesis 1 and 2, which many modern Wikimedia Commons) these four opportunities to start over, to scholars believe are competing stories. “In Genesis 1, God is breathing into Adam, into the redefine who you are now and where you want to go,” Earth, the ground, the shape that is formed into a human she says. “Every day can be your New Year.”

september 10, 2015 ■

THE REPORTER

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Times have changed. Our responsibilities haven’t.

Federation and its agencies work together to rescue Jews and to transform lives. Federation is your connection to Jews in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Israel and around the world. It’s the safety net for our local and global Jewish community. No gift touches more lives.

Campaign 2016 FEDERATION/UJA CAMPAIGN

It’s never been more important to support the Federation/UJA Campaign.

If you haven’t yet pledged, do it today. Please give generously to the 2016 Campaign. Contact Mark Silverberg at 961-2300 or mark.silverberg@jewishnepa.org

601 Jefferson Avenue, Scranton, PA 18510

THE REPORTER ■ september 10, 2015

Campaign 2

Campaign. These contributions total approximately $10,000 annually. Holocaust educational programs – For the past 27 years, the Federation has sponsored Holocaust Symposia at Marywood University and, most recently, at the Hilton Conference Center in Scranton. At these events, thousands of middle and high school students from throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania learn of the Holocaust through films, plays and discussions with survivors and liberators. In the past, the Holocaust Education Resource Center has also sponsored teacher

Sephardic Music Festival in December

The Sephardic Music Festival will take place in New York City and Los Angeles from December 6-14. It serves as a music and arts celebration, which showcases musicians from around world who mix traditional, dance, electro, hip hop and folk songs. SMF is the first music festival to focus exclusively on the culture of the Jewish communities of Spain/Portugal, North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. For more information about the festival, visit http:// sephardicmusicfestival.com.

“Bialystoker the Beautiful”

The Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy will hold a “Bialystoker the Beautiful” on Sunday, November 1, at 10:45 am. The tour will include looks at the Bialystoker Synagogue, Forward Building, Seward Park (the first municipal park in the country), the Educational Alliance and Straus Square, in addition to a tour of Shteibl Row. Walkers will meet in front of Bialystoker Synagogue, 7-11 Bialystoker Pl., between Delancey and Grand streets. The cost is $22 for adults and $20 for seniors and students. There is an additional $2 charge the day of tour. For more information or to register, visit www. nycjewishtours.org or call 212-374-4100.

Continued from page 4

training seminars throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania and has hosted exhibits on Holocaust-related subjects throughout the region as well. This year was the 27th anniversary of the Holocaust Symposium, and the community has expressed its appreciation to Mary Ann Answini, H.E.R.C.’s current director; Tova Weiss, who served as director for two decades; and the organization’s volunteers, who have spent months reviewing each and every aspect of the annual symposium. Institutional security-related seminars – The Federation provides security materials and advice to its many agencies on the process for obtaining Department of Homeland Security grants for high-risk, non-profit Jewish summer camps, institutions and synagogues in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and is in the process of organizing a Federation-sponsored Security Seminar for representatives of the various Jewish institutions throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. It will be conducted in October by Mark Genatempo of the Secure Community Network, the security branch of the Council of Jewish Federations that is tied into the Department of Homeland Security. Israel and overseas needs Last year, the Federation allocated $282,000, or 32 percent, of UJA dollars to Israel and Jewish overseas needs. This represents one of the highest percentages of gross Israel/overseas dollars contributed by any Federation this size in the American Federation system. Funds were transferred to the Jewish Agency for Israel in Jerusalem and to the Joint Distribution Committee in New York for allocation to Israel and 59 countries around the world, from Singapore to Santiago, Athens to Budapest, and to the far reaches of the former Soviet Union – wherever Jewish communities are present and struggling to survive. With funds raised in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the JDC funds relief and rescue services through Hesed Centers, providing free medicines and health care; community centers, for social, cultural and recreational program; and provides financial assistance to isolated Jewish communities struggling to maintain a semblance of Jewish life for themselves and their families. Through JAFI, a significant portion of these funds also provide for Israel Experience programs like Masa Israel

Journey, the Teen Israel Experience, and the Birthright Israel programs, and cover the costs of: Sending Israeli emissaries to Diaspora communities to strengthen Jewish identity and promote Israel Experience programs in those communities; providing summer and winter Jewish-experience camps, Sunday schools and youth and student activities for Russian-speaking Jews in the former Soviet Union; and arranging aliyah to Israel for thousands of Jews now under threat in France by covering the expenses of their immigration to Israel and facilitating their absorption into Israeli society through UJA-funded Hebrew-immersion programs at specially-designed absorption centers set up throughout Israel, where they are assisted with financial aid, counseling, mortgage assistance and job placement – all funded exclusively by UJA funds. Several years ago, our Israel Mission participants visited the Mevasseret Tzion Absorption Center, just south of Jerusalem, and met with immigrants who had recently made Israel their new home. In times of war, UJA funds are used to assist the victims of terrorism suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, protect Israeli schools and school children, and assist in the construction of bomb shelters to protect Israelis from missile attacks. Please join us in reaching our 2016 UJA Campaign goal of $900,000 to ensure that we fulfill our responsibilities to one another here, in Israel and around the world. Support our annual UJA Campaign by directing your 2016 UJA Campaign pledge or check in any amount to UJA Campaign 2016, Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania, 601 Jefferson Ave., Scranton, PA 18510 Donations can also be made online through the Federation’s website, www.jewishnepa.org, or with the 2016 UJA Campaign pledge card featured in each issue of The Reporter. (See card below on this page.) However you choose to give, please know that whatever gift you choose to make to the UJA Campaign will be directed toward improving the quality of Jewish life in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Israel and throughout the world. Thank you for caring enough to give. I wish you and your family good health and my best wishes for the New Year. David Malinov M.D., is president of the Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

september 10, 2015 ■

THE REPORTER

How the Pew study reveals a gulf between U.S. and Israeli haredi Jews

By Ben Sales (JTA) – Did we need the Pew Research Center to tell us that American haredim are different than other Jews? It’s no surprise that American haredi Orthodox Jews marry young, have big families, care more about religion and skew further right politically than the rest of the American Jewish community. But when compared with similar data from Israel, Pew’s “Portrait of American Orthodox Jews” released on August 26 did illuminate another gap – not between Orthodox and secular, but between haredim from global Jewry’s two poles, Israel and America. In a few obvious ways, American and Israeli haredim are much alike. Both communities believe in God and keep traditional Jewish law, or halachah. They both have high birthrates and younger populations. They both largely send their kids to religious schools. Beyond that, though, they begin to diverge. America’s haredim are richer, more educated and more politically conservative than their Israeli counterparts. Israeli haredim are poor. American haredim, not so much. Haredi Orthodox Jews aren’t only Israel’s most religious community, they are also its poorest. According to the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies, haredim have the lowest average household income of any sector in Israeli society, at approximately $2,500 per month. That’s largely because Israeli haredim have a low employment rate, with many young men opting to study full-time in yeshiva rather than work – though that trend

Haredi Orthodox Jews in Israel viewed the funeral procession of Rabbi Eliezer Hager in Haifa on July 8. (Photo by Ariel Schalit/AP) is changing. Haredi Americans work at higher rates and it shows in their bank accounts. The Pew survey found that while American haredim are less affluent than non-haredi Jews, they’re still doing

better than Americans overall. A majority of American haredim make more than $50,000, as opposed to just 45 percent of Americans overall. And about a quarter of haredi households make more than $150,000 – the same rate as non-Orthodox Jews and far above the 8 percent of Americans generally. More American haredim get advanced degrees than Israeli haredim. Israel has one of the highest college attendance rates in the world, but its haredi community is among its least educated. As of 2012, according to Taub, 47 percent of haredim had only a primary school education. And only approximately 15 percent had a bachelor’s or graduate degree. American haredim have lower college graduation rates than the rest of U.S. Jews, but they’re doing better than their Israeli counterparts. A quarter of American haredim have bachelor’s or graduate degrees, only a bit below the 29 percent of Americans overall. And more than 60 percent of American haredim attended at least some college, while only a third of Israeli haredim graduated from high school. See “Study” on page 18

Teens

Continued from page 2 has often been lacking in nuance and incapable of dealing with political complexities and moral ambiguities. The standard “pro-Israel” pamphlets and talking points are bereft of the shades of gray to which this generation is accustomed. Highlighting Israel’s high-tech innovation and achievements is not only beside the point, but might be viewed as cynical attempts to distract students from the real and pressing issues. Barring a miraculous (or disastrous) turn of events, few if any Jewish college students will move from a place of little engagement with the Jewish world to becoming Israel advocates. After all, over one-third of them did not have a bar or bat mitzvah, and half are offspring of mixed marriages. How likely are any of them to become, in Ariel Sharon’s words, “a foot soldier for Israel on campus”? But all is not lost. We know what it takes to engage young adults in Jewish life and Israel-oriented activities. Decades of research have shown that teens who attend Jewish summer camp, participate in immersive Jewish experiences with their peers, attend Jewish day schools, participate in leadership and social action programs, or belong to a Jewish youth movemen are more likely to make Jewish decisions in their lives. Two recent studies – of alumni from the Anne Samson Jerusalem Journey of NCSY and the Youth to Israel Adventure of the Robert I. Lappin Foundation – report that the Israel experience results in higher levels of Jewish engagement, Jewish commitment, Jewish belonging and ritual observance than their contemporaries who do not travel to Israel. The greater the exposure of Jewish teens to positive Jewish experiences before college, the more likely they are to engage in Jewish activities and communal life in their college years and beyond. Jewish organizations on college campuses, in particular Hillel and Chabad, will be strengthened by forging greater connections with larger numbers of Jewish youth who have positive Jewish experiences in their teen years. BDS might be the rallying cry and the impetus to mobilize millions of dollars of new resources. But the real issue is how to engage more Jewish youth and young adults in meaningful Jewish experiences with other Jews. So instead of pledging millions of dollars to fight the BDS movement on college campuses, invest more in Jewish teens before they get to campus. If we do our job right in the adolescent years, many more of our youth will engage in pro-Israel activities on campus – as they will in Shabbat dinners, service learning opportunities, broader campus politics and making the world a better place. David Bryfman is the chief innovation officer at the Jewish Education Project, which develops innovative models to expand the reach of Jewish education. Steven M. Cohen is a research professor of Jewish social policy at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and director of the Berman Jewish Policy Archive at the Wagner School of Public Service at New York University.

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September 2015

• Non-Feature Films • *Deli Man - In Houston, Texas, third-generation deli man Ziggy Gruber has built arguably the finest delicatessen restaurant in the U.S. His story augmented by the stories of iconic delis such as Katz s, 2nd Avenue Deli, Nate n Al, Carnegie, and the Stage embodies a tradition indelibly linked to its savory, nostalgic foods. Everything is a Present - The Wonder and Grace of Alice Sommer Hertz– This is the uplifting true story of the gifted pianist Alice Sommer Hertz who survived the Theresienstat concentration camp by playing classical piano concerts for Nazi dignitaries. Alice Sommer Hertz lived to the age of 106. Her story is an inspiration. Follow Me: The Yoni Netanyahu Story - Yoni Netanyahu was a complex, passionate individual thrust into defending his country in a time of war and violence. The older brother of Benjamin Natanyahu, the current Israel Prime Minister, Yoni led the miraculous raid on Entebbe in 1976. Although almost all of the Entebbe hostages were saved, Yoni was the lone military fatality. Featuring three Israeli Prime Ministers and recently released audio from the Entebbe raid itself. Hava Nagila (The Movie) - A documentary romp through the history, mystery and meaning of the great Jewish standard. Featuring interviews with Harry Belafonte, Leonard Nimoy and more, the film follows the ubiquitous party song on its fascinating journey from the shtetls of Eastern Europe to the kibbutzim of Palestine to the cul-de-sacs of America. Inside Hana’s Suitcase - The delivery of a battered suitcase to Fumiko Ishioka at the Tokyo Holocaust Museum begins the true-life mystery that became the subject of Karen Levine’s best-selling book Hana’s Suitcase. The film follows Fumiko’s search to discover the details of Hana’s life, which leads to the discovery of her brother George in Toronto. Israel: The Royal Tour - Travel editor Peter Greenberg (CBS News) takes us on magnificent tour of the Jewish homeland, Israel. The tour guide is none other than Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The viewer gets a chance to visit the land of Israel from his own home! Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story (narrated by Dustin Hoffman) - This documentary portrays the contributions of Jewish major leaguers and the special meaning that baseball has had in the lives of American Jews. More than a film about sports, this is a story of immigration, assimilation, bigotry, heroism, the passing on of traditions, the shattering of stereotypes and, most of all, the greatest American pastime. *Nicky’s Family - An enthralling documentary that artfully tells the story of how Sir Nicholas Winton, now 104, a British stockbroker, gave up a 1938 skiing holiday to answer a friend’s request for help in Prague and didn’t stop helping until the war’s beginning stopped him. He had saved the lives of 669 children in his own personal Kindertransport. Shanghai Ghetto - One of the most amazing and captivating survival tales of WWII, this documentary recalls the strange-but-true story of thousands of European Jews who were shut out of country after country while trying to escape Nazi persecution. Left without options or entrance visa, a beacon of hope materialized for them on the other side of the world, and in the unlikeliest of places, Japanese-controlled Shanghai. The Case for Israel-Democracy’s Outpost - This documentary presents a vigorous case for Israel- for its basic right to exist, to protect its citizens from terrorism, and to defend its borders from hostile enemies. The Jewish Cardinal - This is the amazing true story of Jean-Marie Lustiger, the son of Polish-Jewish immigrants, who maintained his cultural identity as a Jew even after converting to Catholicism at a young age, and later joining the priesthood. The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg - As baseball’s first Jewish star, Hammerin’ Hank Greenberg’s career contains all the makings of a true American success story. Unmasked: Judaophobia - The Threat to Civilization – This documentary exposes the current political assault against the State of Israel fundamentally as a war against the Jewish people and their right to self-determination.

• Feature Films • *Amen - From the acclaimed director of Z and CAPITAL, Costa-Gavras presents a powerful and riveting account of the implementation of the Final Solution and the culpability of the Vatican in the extermination of millions in Nazi Death Camps. Fill the Void - This is the story of an eighteen-year-old, Shira, who is the youngest daughter of her family. Her dreams are about to come true as she is set to be married. Unexpectedly, her sister dies while giving birth to her first child. The drama of the story reaches its peak when the girls’ mother proposes a match between Shira and the young widower. Shira will have to choose between her heart’s wish and her family duty. Footnote - The winner of the Cannes Film Festival (Best Screenplay) is the tale of a great rivalry between a father and son, two eccentric professors, who have both dedicated their lives to work in Talmudic Studies. Each has a need for recognition in his chosen field and the day comes when father and son must look deeply inside themselves for the truth- advancement of his own career or of the others. Hidden in Silence - Przemysl, Poland, WWII. Germany emerges victorious over the Russians and the city comes under Nazi control. The Jews are sent to the ghettos. While some stand silent, Catholic teenager, Stefania Podgorska, choose the role of a savior and sneaks 13 Jews into her attic. *Ida: Poland 1962 - On the eve of her vows, 18-year old Anna meets her estranged aunt Wanda, a cynical Communist judge who shocks the naive Anna with a stunning revelation: Anna is Jewish and her real name is Ida. Tasked with this new identity, Ida and Wanda embark on a revelatory journey to their old family house to discover the fate of Ida’s birth parents and unearth dark secrets dating back to the Nazi occupation. *Music Box - In this intense courtroom thriller, Chicago attorney Ann Talbot (Jessica Lange) agrees to defend her Hungarian immigrant father Mike Laszlo (Armin Mueller-Stahl) against accusations of heinous war crimes committed 50 years earlier. As the trial unfolds, Ann probes for evidence that will not only establish his innocence, but also lay to rest her own agonizing doubts about his past. When a hospitalized witness is suddenly located in Budapest, the trial moves to her father’s homeland. Here crucial testimony plus Ann’s personal investigation lead to astonishing results. Noodle (compatible only on PAL/DVD players - Hebrew with English subtitles) - This film was a beloved entry in the Jewish Federation of NEPA’s Jewish Film Festival. It tells the heartwarming story of an Israeli stewardess, Miri, whose personal life as a war widow leaves her without much joy. Everything changes for Miri when her Oriental housemaid disappears one day leaving her with her young Oriental child! The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - Based on the best- selling novel, this movie is unforgettable. Set during WWII, the movie introduces us to Bruno, an innocent eight-year-old, ignores his mother and sets of on an adventure in the woods. Soon he meets a young boy and a surprising friendship develops. The Concert - Andrei Filipov was prodigy- at 20 he was the celebrated conductior for Russia’s renowned Bolshoi Orchestra. Thirty years later, still at the Bolshoi, he works as a janitor. Ousted during the communist era when he refused to fire the Jewish members of the orchestra, a broken Andrei now cleans the auditorium where he once performed in front of thousands. The Debt - In 1966, three Mossad agents were assigned to track down a feared Nazi war criminal hiding in East Berlin, a mission accomplished at great risk and personal cost- or was it? The Other Son - As he is preparing to join the Israeli army for his national service, Joseph discovers he is not his parents’ biological son and that he was inadvertently switched at birth with Yacine, the son of a Palestinian family from the West Bank. This revelation turns the lives of these two families upside-down, forcing them to reassess their respective identities, their values and beliefs. *Woman in Gold - Maria Altman sought to regain a world famous painting of her aunt plundered by the Nazis during World War II. She did so not just to regain what was rightfully hers, but also to obtain some measure of justice for the death, destruction, and massive art theft perpetrated by the Nazis.

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

Budget

Continued from page 1

Shraga Brosh, president of the Manufacturers Association of Israel, welcomed the move, saying lowering taxes “sends a very positive message to the business sector, and to domestic and foreign investors.” Netanyahu, who learned of the initiative from the media, summoned Kahlon and several senior Finance Ministry officials to the Prime Minister’s Office, and warned them that the move may prove detrimental to Israel’s economic growth. Lowering taxes is easy, but “raising taxes if you realize you’ve made a mistake is much harder,” Netanyahu said. Senior economists warned that the increase in state revenues was limited and is not a prolonged trend, and that lowering the VAT rate now could cost the state up to NIS 5 billion ($1.3 billion) and result in an increase in the state deficit. This, they said, may jeopardize Israel’s international credit rating, currently set at “A.” With reporting by Zeev Klein, Hezi Sternlicht and Yehuda Shlezinger.

Study

Continued from page 17 Israeli haredim are less right-wing politically – on some issues. Haredi political parties in Israel are famous – or perhaps infamous – for being socially conservative on issues like marriage, Jewish conversion and gay rights. On those issues, to the extent they are political issues in America, the two haredi communities might agree. But Israeli haredi politicians have been agnostic on questions of diplomacy and defense – and decidedly pro-big government when it comes to social services. Shas, the Sephardi haredi party, ran an election campaign this year calling for raising taxes on the rich, increasing the minimum wage and providing more funding for public housing. In terms of the size of government, American haredim fall on the other end of the spectrum. According to Pew, 57 percent of them “prefer smaller government with fewer services.” In that sense, Israeli haredim match up better with Reform American Jews, only a third of whom want smaller government.

Fast

Continued from page 13 Allow challah to rise another 30-60 minutes, or until you can see the size has grown and challah seems light. Whisk the egg in a small bowl. Brush on top of each challah. Top each challah with remaining crumb topping. Bake for 25-26 minutes, or until crumbs are golden brown. Allow to cool 10-15 minutes. Whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla and milk (or almond milk) in a small bowl. Drizzle on top of challah using small spoon. Red Quinoa Tabouleh with Labne I was never much of a quinoa fan until I tried the red quinoa salad at Mish Mish in Montclair, NJ. I fell in love with the salad and have been re-creating my own version ever since. This is a refreshing and yet hearty salad to serve as Red Quinoa Tabouleh with a side dish. Labne (Photo by Shannon 1 cup red quinoa Sarna) 1 tsp. olive oil Water 8 ounces labne 1 large English cucumber or 2 Persian cucumbers, cut into ¼-inch pieces 1 large beefsteak or Jersey tomato (diced), or pint cherry tomatoes (halved) Juice of ½ lemon, plus 2 tsp. zest ¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley ¼ cup chopped fresh mint Salt and pepper to taste Additional extra virgin olive oil Rinse quinoa well. Place quinoa and 1¼ cups water, 1 teaspoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper into a small pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and cover again for another 5-10 minutes. Mix quinoa with cucumbers, tomatoes, lemon juice and zest, mint, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. This step can be prepared a day ahead and placed in the fridge. When ready to serve, spread labne all over a large plate. Top labne with the quinoa tabouleh. Drizzle with additional extra virgin olive oil and an extra squeeze of lemon juice. Serve immediately. Shannon Sarna is the editor of The Nosher, a 70 Faces Media company.

september 10, 2015 ■

THE REPORTER

NEWS IN bRIEF From JTA

With 34 senator, Obama gets enough votes to sustain Iran deal th

Sen. Barbara Mikulski said she will support the Iran nuclear deal, effectively ensuring that the agreement will survive attempts in Congress to overturn it. Mikulski (D-Md), who issued her statement the morning of Sept. 2, becomes the 34th senator to back the agreement reached in mid-July between Iran and the six world powers led by the United States. Her support denies opponents the necessary 67 votes they would require to override President Barack Obama’s pledged veto of any vote to kill the agreement. “No deal is perfect, especially one negotiated with the Iranian regime,” Mikulski said in a 1,500-word statement enumerating the difficult choices she faced – a length and anguished tone typical of many of the statements in favor of the deal published by Democratic lawmakers. “I have concluded that this Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is the best option available to block Iran from having a nuclear bomb,” she said. “For these reasons, I will vote in favor of this deal. However, Congress must also reaffirm our commitment to the safety and security of Israel.” Mikulski, who is retiring next year, has been close to her state’s Jewish and pro-Israel communities. Most, if not all, Republicans oppose the deal, leaving the battleground for opponents and supporters of the deal among Democrats. Mikulski and the junior senator from Maryland, Ben Cardin, also a Democrat, had been prime targets for lobbyists from both sides: Mikulski because of her seniority and her influence as the longest-serving woman in the Congress, Cardin because of his leadership among Jewish Democrats and his senior rank on the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee held a rally at a synagogue in Pikesville, MD, on the night of Sept. 1 in which leaders of the pro-Israel lobby, which opposes the deal, urged activists to flood Cardin and Mikulski with phone calls. Democrats also appear to have enough deal backers in the U.S. House of Representatives to prevent an override of a presidential veto. The deal reached between Iran and the so-called P5+1 group of major powers exchanges sanctions relief for nuclear restrictions. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged Congress to kill the deal, saying it will leave Iran as a nuclear threshold state.

Auschwitz removes controversial mist sprinklers

Mist sprinklers installed at the site of the former Nazi concentration camp complex Auschwitz-Birkenau that sparked controversy were removed. Administrators of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum told the Hebrew-language Nana10 website on Sept. 2 that they were removing the sprinklers, which resemble shower heads, because they were no longer needed following a drop in temperature. Many visitors and people who saw photos of the sprinklers complained that they were reminiscent of the showers seen in gas chambers at the death camp. In a statement posted on Aug. 30 on Facebook, the museum said it had installed the sprinklers to help visitors deal with extremely high temperatures. “Among visitors there are many people who come from countries where such high temperatures as we have this summer in Poland do not occur,” the post read. “Something had to be done, as we have noticed cases of fainting among people and other dangerous situations.”

Norway bank apologizes for credit card with antisemitic image

Norway’s largest financial institution issued a credit card featuring an antisemitic image. DNB Bank said it will apologize to the customer who received the card and remove the design from its database, according to reports on Sept. 2. The image shows a hook-nosed, bearded Jew wearing a kippah and a tallit laughing against a background of gold coins. The customer who ordered the credit card online, an Australian citizen living in Norway, said the design was not what he had ordered. In a letter to the Israel advocacy organization the Hallelu Foundation, DNB apologized for issuing the card. “We have been notified about a picture of a Visa card issued by us, with a picture of an antisemitic drawing of a Jew,” read the letter from Even Westerveld, DNB’s executive vice president for communications. “We looked at the case immediately, and found out that this was produced due to a system we have where clients can upload their own pictures and get them printed on their card. We have, however, strict guidelines for what kind of pictures that are allowed, and this control is manual. Unfortunately, our manual control has failed in this particular case, and we are deeply sorry for that. This card should never have been printed.” The letter was posted on the Facebook page of Hallelu, an Israel-based group. Westerveld said the company would issue a new card to the customer and that the photo has been deleted from the company’s system.

to believe that Arafat was poisoned by Israel because he was an obstacle to peace. Israel has denied any involvement. Arafat won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 along with Israeli leaders Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin.

Chinese conglomerate paying $76.5M for majority stake in Ahava

China’s largest privately owned conglomerate will pay nearly $76.5 million to become the majority shareholder of the Israeli Ahava cosmetics company. The number of shares that Fosun International will buy has yet to be determined, but the company signed an agreement to become the majority owner, Globes reported. Ahava, which makes skin care products from Dead Sea minerals, has since June been considering moving its facilities from the West Bank, potentially in response to pressure from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which seeks to damage Israel’s economy for its policies against Palestinians. The company, which has 25 percent fewer employees than it had in 2013, denies it is yielding to BDS pressure. Fosun has acquired several overseas companies in the past year, and Globes reported that Ahava could be close to breaking into the Chinese cosmetics markets.

Israel: P.A. trying to score points at U.N. with flag-raising proposal

Israel has complained to the United Nations over a Palestinian proposal to raise its flag at the international organization’s headquarters in New York. The flags of the 193 U.N. member states are flown outside U.N. headquarters and other U.N. offices around the world. Those of the two U.N. non-member observer states, the Vatican and Palestine, are not flown. The Palestinian Authority is “attempting to swiftly change longstanding U.N. tradition in order to score political points,” Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Ron Prosor, said in a letter dated Sept. 1 that was sent to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the General Assembly president. He added, “Not even one round of informal consultations was held before the resolution was formally submitted to the secretariat.” The Vatican has not co-sponsored the initiative and has no plans to fly its flag at the United Nations, Prosor said. Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour told the Associated Press that a revised draft of the proposal requesting that “observer states maintaining permanent observer missions will raise their flags after member states” was to be circulated to member states on Sept. 3 and that a vote of the General Assembly could be held on Sept. 10. The proposal would give the secretary-general 20 days to raise the flag of Palestine. The United States told AP that it opposes the flag-raising proposal.

Netanyahu orders re-examination of IDF open-fire orders on rock throwers

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the Israeli military to re-examine open-fire orders regarding the throwing of rocks and firebombs. The order came on Sept. 2 during a discussion in the Prime Minister’s Office about the security situation in Jerusalem and along Highway 443, the main route into the city, as well as the West Bank. “Since the legal system is finding it difficult to deal with stone-throwing by minors, changing open-fire orders regarding the throwing of stones and firebombs will be examined, as will be the imposition – by law – of minimum sentences for those who throw stones and firebombs,” Netanyahu said at the meeting according to a news release from the Prime Minister’s Office. The prime minister ordered that units along Highway 443 be reinforced; that intelligence and observation efforts be stepped up; and that the possibility of adding cameras and lighting along the entire length of the 20-mile highway be examined. In addition, two more Border Police companies and approximately 400 Israel Police personnel will be stationed in Jerusalem.

Arafat poisoning case closed without charges filed

A panel of French judges has closed a case accusing Israel of poisoning former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat without bringing any charges. The judges said there was “a lack of sufficient evidence” to continue the investigation, a prosecutor from the court in Nanterre, near Paris, told the French news agency AFP, which also cited the lawyer for Arafat’s widow, Suha, in its report on Sept. 2. The prosecutor’s office in July announced its intention to dismiss the case, three months after three French judges recommended the case be dropped. Arafat died in a hospital near Paris in 2004 soon after falling ill in the West Bank. Traces of radioactive polonium were found on his belongings, which French experts later ruled were environmental in nature. The medical report published after Arafat’s death listed the immediate cause as a massive brain hemorrhage resulting from an infection. Doctors ruled out foul play; some contended that Arafat died of AIDS. After the opening of the inquiry, Arafat’s tomb in Ramallah was opened to allow teams of French, Swiss and Russian investigators to collect samples. Suha Arafat based her lawsuit on a 108-page report released to her by the University Centre of Legal Medicine in Lausanne, Switzerland, which said the theory that Arafat was poisoned is most consistent with its results. Russian experts have maintained that Arafat was not poisoned. Many Palestinians continue

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THE REPORTER ■ september 10, 2015