Pew survey: soaring intermarriage, assimilation rates p. 8 November 2013 Cheshvan/Kislev 5774 Vol. 18, No. 3
Published by the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton
The Miami Valley’s Jewish Monthly • Online at JewishDayton.org Scott J. Kimmins
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Israel & Saudis together on Iran?
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Sing Along With Tevye
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Following the run of Human Race’s Fiddler on the Roof, audience can join in for first-of-kind concert version Saul Caplan (L) as Lazar Wolf & Drew Pulver as Tevye in The Human Race production of Fiddler on the Roof
Dayton Literary Peace Prize honoree, author Andrew Solomon
Friendship Village Retirement Community
You’re Invited Veterans Day, Monday, Nov. 11 8:30 a.m.: Complimentary breakfast for Veterans 9:15: Veterans Day Program with public invited R.S.V.P. by calling 837-5581 ext. 1274. Enter at Door #1
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Join our Alzheimer’s Support Group Thursdays, Nov. 14 & 28, 5:30-6:30 p.m. We meet the second and fourth Thursday of each month in our conference room near the Coffee House. Please enter at Door 18. For more information, call Pam Hall, 837-5581 ext. 1269.
Join our Diabetic Support Group Tuesday, Nov. 12, 10:30 a.m. & 6 p.m. (2nd Tuesday each mo.) with Gem City Home Care Certified Diabetes Educator Mara Lamb. For more information call Pam Friendship Hall, 837-5581 ext. Village 1269. 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Located directly inside the Atrium entrance. Stop in & join us for a cup of coffee & Friendship Village Hospitality.
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On Rosh Hashanah Temple Beth Or unveiled the installation of 12 stained-glass window panels designed and crafted by congregant Tobey Cebulash as part of his Bar Mitzvah project. Tobey began the project two years ago, studying the symbols and stories of each of the 12 Tribes of Israel, which were mentioned in his Torah portion. He then designed a window panel for each tribe and learned the process of creating works of stained glass. Shown here with Tobey are his parents, artists Glen Cebulash and Rachel Stanzione, and his sister, Elena. Congregant Steve Markman installed the window panels between Temple Beth Or’s sanctuary and social hall.
Hebrew U. prof. to lead Women’s Philanthropy Ryterband Symposium volunteer project Dr. Rachel Elior, professor of Jewish philosophy with Hebrew University of Jerusalem, will be the speaker for the 35th Annual Ryterband Symposium at University of Dayton’s River Campus, 1700 S. Patterson Blvd., on Wednesday, Nov. 20. Elior’s research focuses on the history of Jewish mysticism. She is the author of The Mysti- Dr. Rachel Elior cal Origins of Hasidism, The Three Temples: On the Emergence of Jewish Mysticism, and Jewish Mysticism: The Infinite Expression of Freedom. At 3:30 p.m., she’ll present the lecture The Origins of Hasidism. At 7:30 p.m., she’ll discuss The Dead Sea Scrolls: Who Wrote Them, When and Why? The Ryterband Symposium is a collaborative project of United Theological Seminary, the University of Dayton, and Wright State University. Both lectures are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Wright State University Zusman Professor of Judaic Studies Dr. Mark Verman at 775-2461.
The next volunteer project of the Jewish Federation’s Women’s Philanthropy for Tzedakah will be on Tuesday, Nov. 5 from 10 a.m. to noon at Clothes That Work located at The Job Center, 1133 S. Edwin C. Moses Blvd., Suite 392 in Dayton. R.S.V.P. to Hilary Zappin at 8530372 ext. 1103.
Beth Jacob Congregation executive director resigns In an Oct. 2 letter to members of Beth Jacob Congregation, Dr. Herman Abromowitz, the synagogue’s president, announced that Executive Director Chaya Vidal submitted her resignation, due to health reasons, to take effect at the end of October. Vidal has served as Beth Jacob’s executive director since Nov. 1, 2012. She was Beth Abraham Synagogue’s executive director from 2003 to 2006. “In addition to her administrative duties, Chaya has served as our cemetery caretaker, as our Kiddush maker (since March), as our shopper, our shlepper, our cook and our hospitality chair to visiting rabbis and cantors,” Abromowitz also wrote in his letter.
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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • NOVEMBER 2013
DAYTON
How TEDx came to Dayton committee returned to the By Marshall Weiss area and held its retreat at The Observer the Aileron facility in Tipp Dayton’s first TEDx City. The Klabens invited conference, on Nov. 15 at Dayton community leaders the Victoria Theatre, is a to sit in. testament to the spirit of “So that day, there were volunteerism and optimism representatives from Wright among Dayton community State, Sinclair, UD, Victoleaders. It also shows the ria Theatre, the Boonshoft difference a teacher can Museum of Discovery, make when he sparks a UpDayton, Cox Media, student’s interest. the Dayton Development One of the electives The Coalition, SOCHE — they all Miami Valley School offers came as our guests because its upper school students is we said, ‘you’ve got to see TED Talks with social studthis,’” Larry recalled. “They ies teacher Glenn Squiers. were just taken by the energy TED is a nonprofit that Larry and Marilyn Klaben and their son Jeremy played key roles to bring TEDx here and excitement that all these presents conferences to students had about TedX at bring together “the world’s “He was so excited about it,” U of M.” most fascinating thinkers and his mother, Marilyn Klaben, “It just seemed unanimous doers, who are challenged to added. “He would tell us the that everybody wanted to do give the talk of their lives.” dates and we would go up to it in Dayton and felt it was The videos of the talks from Ann Arbor for the TED conferpossible to do it in Dayton and TED conferences — TED Talks ences.” so we went forward,” Marilyn — are available for viewing at Larry, owner of Morris Home said. “We took a risk by opening ted.com. Furnishings, is chair of the up this opportunity to all these Squiers selects what he conboard of Wright State Universi- community leaders. We didn’t siders the most profound talks ty. Marilyn is education director know what would happen. All and shows them to his class as of The Human Race Theatre of the people were so excited starting points for discussions. Company and has served as an and so positive minded, and Several years ago, Jeremy adjunct professor at Wittenberg that energy just propelled us Klaben was in his class. University and Wright forward.” “Jeremy got really State. Established in 1984, TED excited, so he would The Klabens knew originally began as a conference show us the videos,” Dayton would be the to bring professionals together his father, Larry Klaperfect place for TEDx. from three fields: technology, ben, said. They invited some key entertainment, and design. During Jeremy’s community leaders from Over the years, TED programs years at the UniverDayton to join them in expanded in scope and vision. sity of Michigan, he Ann Arbor to see TEDx “You just come out of a TED became involved with there. conference feeling so alive,” the TEDx event on Jeremy Klaben In 2012, Jeremy conMarilyn said. “And so inspired campus. vinced U of M’s TEDx planning to do more with your life or to Individual communities committee to hold its retreat at refine your goals.” coordinate TEDx conferences his parents home in Dayton. The Larry said his excitement for on their own, through special following year, the planning licensing from TED. Continued on next page
The Adventures of
Bark Mitzvah Boy To a delicious Thanksgivukkah!
BMB
c O 2013 Menachem
From the editor’s desk
This month’s unusual collision of Thanksgiving and the Jewish festival of Chanukah seems an appropriate juncture to look at the results of the recently released Pew Research Marshall Center Survey of U.S. Jews. Weiss The study presents a snapshot of how Jews navigate their cultural and religious heritage in America in 2013. The mainstream consensus is that Pew’s study is sound. As you’ll see, the results illustrate a complicated picture of American Jewish identity, complete with a number of movable parts. The findings are not a surprise but there are pockets of positive information along with the threats to the Jewish community status quo. And though it would be difficult to project out where these results will lead, they will set the dialogue for planning, programming, and fund-raising in the American Jewish community well into the next decade.
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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • NOVEMBER 2013
PAGE 3
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PAGE 4
TEDx in Dayton
Continued from previous page TED stems from the opportunity to learn from people in fields he wouldn’t otherwise meet. “Most people have their particular interest or their line of work,” he said. “So they might read publications or go to seminars or go to conferences but they’re in this niche. I go to these business things and I hear about business. Marilyn goes to her theatre conferences. But when you go to the TEDx like the one in Dayton, with 20 speakers, and they’re all from these different fields with all these different ideas, you get these different perspectives that you just don’t normally get.” Interspersed among the speakers for the fullday program will be performance artists. “We have two speakers’ coaches that we hired from Miami University,” said Marilyn, who serves on the speakers’ committee, “and the speakers will choose a couple of Tuesdays when we’re going to rehearse at the DAI stage, when they can deliver their TED talk and get feedback.” All speakers have a connection to the Dayton area. Among those announced as of press time were Dr. Judith Ezekiel, visiting women’s studies professor at Wright State from the Université de Toulouse, France; and physician Dr. David Shuster. Larry is on the event’s sponsorship committee. He said the committee budgeted $80,000 to put on the program, “and between ticket sales and sponsorship, we’re going to hit our goal.” TEDx Dayton is $50 per person, including lunch. To register, go to tedxdayton.com.
Kidney donor sought Jerry Halasz is on the waiting list for a kidney transplant. If a match isn’t found soon, he will need to go on dialysis. A kidney from a living donor has a much greater chance for success than one from a cadaver. If a living donor goes on the list for a friend or family member and is not a match, the person may elect to become part of the Ohio Paired Donor Network. If you might be interested in donating a kidney to help Halasz, contact him at 434-1288.
Wright State Kristallnacht program features documentary Wright State University will hold its annual Kristallnacht Commemoration on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in Room M252 of the Creative Arts Center. The program will include personal reflections by Dayton Holocaust Committee Chair Renate Frydman on the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht. Canadian author Gina Roitman will introduce and screen her new documentary, My Mother, The Nazi Midwife and Me. The film presents the forgotten story of the systematic murder of 52 Jewish babies in a Displaced Persons camp in the American military zone after the end of World War II. The film received the Make A Difference Award at the Eighth Annual Commffest, Toronto’s cultural showcase of issue-oriented movies. The program is free and open to the community. For more information, contact Wright State University Zusman Professor of Judaic Studies Dr. Mark Verman at 775-2461.
Editor and Publisher Marshall Weiss MWeiss@jfgd.net 937-853-0372 Contributors Renate Frydman Rachel Haug Gilbert Candace R. Kwiatek Brian L. Meyers Mark Mietkiewicz Masada Siegel Rabbi David M. Sofian Advertising Sales Executive Patty Caruso, plhc69@gmail.com Proofreaders Karen Bressler, Rachel Haug Gilbert, Joan Knoll, Pamela Schwartz Billing Jeffrey Hollowell, JHollowell@jfgd.net 937-853-0372 The Dayton Jewish Observer Policy Committee Joan Knoll, chair Chuck Kardon Marc Katz Larry Klaben Dr. Marc Sternberg Published by the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton Dr. Gary Youra President Judy Abromowitz VP, Programs & Svcs. David Pierce VP, Admin./Treas. Melinda Doner VP, Resource Dev. Mary Rita Weissman Secretary Cathy Gardner CEO The Dayton Jewish Observer, Vol. 18, No. 3. The Dayton Jewish Observer is published monthly by the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton, a nonprofit corporation, 525 Versailles Dr., Dayton, OH 45459. Views expressed by guest columnists, in readers’ letters and in reprinted opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Dayton Jewish Observer, The Dayton Jewish Observer Policy Committee, the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton or the underwriters of any columns. Acceptance of advertising neither endorses advertisers nor guarantees kashrut. The Dayton Jewish Observer Mission Statement To support, strengthen and champion the Dayton Jewish community by providing a forum and resource for Jewish community interests. Goals • To encourage affiliation, involvement and communication. • To provide announcements, news, opinions and analysis of local, national and international activities and issues affecting Jews and the Jewish community. • To build community across institutional, organizational and denominational lines. • To advance causes important to the strength of our Jewish community including support of Federation departments, United Jewish Campaign, synagogue affiliation, Jewish education and participation in Jewish and general community affairs. • To provide an historic record of Dayton Jewish life.
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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • NOVEMBER 2013
DAYTON
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Members of Beth Abraham Synagogue Sisterhood came together for wine, hors d’oeuvres and schmoozing during Sunset in the Sukkah with Rabbi Joshua Ginsberg in the congregation’s sukkah on Sept. 24
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During the Partnership2Gether Central Region’s planning meeting in Israel’s Western Galilee in September, Dayton’s Elaine Bettman (Center) was honored for her years of service to the program. Shown here with Bettman are entertainers Dolly Modai and Uri Shir
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On Sept. 29, the Dayton Chapter of Hadassah and the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton hosted an educational program about issues facing Israel today. Among the speakers were (L to R) Dayton Chapter of Hadassah President Shelly Tarsky, Jewish Community Relations Council of Cincinnati Assistant Director Seth Harlan, Cincinnati Jewish Federation Shaliach Yair Cohen, Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton CEO Cathy Gardner. Not pictured: Rabbi Nochum Mangel of Chabad of Greater Dayton.
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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • NOVEMBER 2013
PAGE 5
THE WORLD
Is a common fear of Iran driving Israel and Saudi Arabia together?
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By Ron Kampeas, JTA WASHINGTON — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is hoping the enemy of one’s enemy truly does become a friend. In recent years, Netanyahu has said the enmity for Iran shared by Israel and the Arab states could become a spur to regional reconciliation. In an October speech to the Knesset, he noted the “many issues” on which Israel and the Arabs have shared interests could open up “new possibilities,” including a peace accord with the Palestinians. But while experts say that intelligence sharing between Israel and the Persian Gulf states has grown in recent years, thanks in large part to the facilitation of the United States, the possibility of a breakthrough appears to be overstated. “There may be some common interest on Iran and how to reply to Muslim Brotherhood groups,” said Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the liberal Center for American Progress. “That doesn’t mean these countries are going to play ball with Israel. It’s quite a stretch to imply that this means these countries will coordinate” on defense issues with Israel. Israel has long maintained
Andrew Burton/Getty Images
Prime Minister Benjamin said Israel is prepared to confront Iran on its own in his speech to the U.N. General Assembly, Oct. 1
low-level representations in a few of the smaller Arab Gulf states. But any serious breakthrough would likely hinge on Saudi Arabia, which enjoys outsized influence in the Arab world because of its unparalleled oil wealth and curatorship of the holiest Islamic sites. Simon Henderson, the director of the Gulf and Energy Policy Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said there had been increased rapprochement in recent years among Israel, the Saudis and the Gulf states because of shared concerns over Iran and the Arab Spring. “For many years, the Israeli Mossad and the Saudi General Intelligence directorate have maintained a backchannel communications link,” Henderson said. Prince Turki bin Faisal al
Saud, the Saudi ambassador to Washington from 2005 to 2007, acknowledged his country’s interest in preventing a nuclear Iran and tamping down extreme forms of Islamism, but blamed Israeli recalcitrance for the failure to achieve a breakthrough in relations. “Israel is kept out particularly as far as Saudi Arabia is concerned because it’s keeping itself out,” Turki said at the annual conference of the National Iranian American Council. Turki noted that the 2002 Arab League peace offer, which proposed comprehensive peace in exchange for an Israeli return to the 1967 lines, was unrequited. “No one has come forward and said let’s sit down and talk about it,” Turki said. “If Israel is isolated in the area, it is because it chooses to be isolated.” The sticking point is not only Israeli-Palestinian issues, Katulis said, but Israel’s insistence on keeping alive the possibility of a military strike on Iran. He said the Arabs are deeply divided on the issue. In his Knesset speech, which marked the 40th anniversary of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Netanyahu said a main takeaway of the war was that preemption was a valuable tool and should not be ruled out. Such talk spooked Turki. “A preemptive strike would be catastrophic for the area and completely within the purview of a personality like Mr. Netanyahu,” Turki said.
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Create lifelong memories, lasting friendships and find great new ways to have fun this summer!
PAGE 6
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • NOVEMBER 2013
THE WORLD
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, founder of Shas Buy a and Sephardic sage, dies at 93 WAFFLE state of Israel. He was imbued from memory. His best-known works, Yabia Omer, Yehave Da’at with love of the Torah and the and Yalkut Yosef, cover an array people.” Ovadia Yosef was born of Jewish legal topics. Abdullah Yosef in Baghdad, “He was a character that people capitulated in front of, a Iraq, on Sept. 23, 1920. Four years later his family moved man of Jewish law that created to Jerusalem, in what was then a political entity with strong Palestine, where Yosef studied influence on Israeli politics at the Porat Yosef yeshiva, a and culture,” said Menachem well-regarded Sephardic school. Friedman, an expert on the At 20, he received ordination haredi community at Bar-Ilan University. “It raised up Middle as a rabbinic judge, and at 24 he married Margalit Fattal. She Eastern Jewish culture, gave died in 1994. legitimacy to Middle Eastern Yosef began serving as a rabJewish traditions.” binic judge in 1944, and in 1947 Outside the religious commoved to Cairo to head the munity, Yosef was best known for his sometimes controversial rabbinic court in the Egyptian capital, returnpolitical stancAmos Ben Gershom/GPO/Flash90 ing in 1950. es. His authorHe continued ity within Shas serving as a was virtually religious judge absolute, and until becomeven in his ing Sephardic ninth decade chief rabbi of he remained Tel Aviv in 1968, closely involved a position he in the party’s held until he decisions. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef was elected While Yosef favored policies that served the Sephardic chief rabbi of Israel religious community’s interests, in 1973. During that period, he also supported peace treaties he began publishing his wellknown works, beginning with involving Israeli withdrawal his Passover Haggadah, Hazon from conquered territory. He Ovadia, in 1952. In 1970, the argued that such deals were government awarded him the allowed under Jewish law because they saved Jewish lives. prestigious Israel Prize in recognition of his books. In the 1990s and 2000s, Shas Yosef defeated a sitting chief joined left-wing governing coalitions multiple times, allow- rabbi in the 1973 election, itself a controversial move. In the ing for the advancement of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process wake of the Yom Kippur War that year, he ruled that women — though Yosef opposed the whose husbands were missing 2005 Israeli withdrawal from in action could remarry. Later the Gaza Strip because it was in his term, he endorsed the done unilaterally. Ethiopian Jews’ claim to JudaIn his later years, Yosef also ism, helping them immigrate to stirred controversy with a Israel under the Law of Return. number of inflammatory stateYosef founded Shas in 1984, ments, often made at a weekly Saturday-night sermon. In 2000, one year after finishing his term as chief rabbi. The party now he said that Holocaust victims holds 11 Knesset seats. Save were reincarnated sinners, and for four years, Shas was part of in 2005 he said that the victims every governing coalition beof Hurricane Katrina deserved the tragedy “because they have tween 1984 and 2013, acting as a kingmaker in Israeli politics. no God.” In 2010, Yosef said, Because the party represents “The sole purpose of non-Jews both haredi and poor Sepis to serve Jews.” hardim, it advocates a unique “Rabbi Ovadia was a giant mix of dovish foreign policy, in Torah and Jewish law and a conservative religious policy teacher for tens of thousands,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin and liberal economic policy. YoNetanyahu said in a statement. sef took an active role in shap“He worked greatly to enhance ing Shas through this year’s elections, heading a council of Jewish heritage and at the same time, his rulings took into rabbis that chose the party’s consideration the times and the slate and mediating leadership conflicts. realities of renewed life in the
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By Ben Sales, JTA TEL AVIV — Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, the Israeli sage who founded the Sephardic Orthodox Shas political party and exercised major influence on Jewish law, died Oct. 7 at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem. He was 93. More than 800,000 people — 10 percent of the country — attended his funeral procession, held the same day as his death. Yosef served as Israel’s Sephardic chief rabbi from 1973 to 1983, and extended his influence over the ensuing decades as the spiritual leader of Shas, which politically galvanized hundreds of thousands of Sephardic Israelis, though Yosef himself never served in Knesset. In 1999, at its height, Shas was the third-largest Knesset party, with 17 seats. Though he adhered to a haredi Orthodox ideology, Yosef, a charismatic speaker, published relatively liberal Jewish legal rulings and drew support both from traditional and secular Sephardic Israelis. Known to his followers as Maran, “our master” in Hebrew, Yosef’s main Jewish legal goal was to take diverse Jewish practices from the Middle East and North Africa and mold a “united legal system” for Sephardic Jews. As his influence grew, Yosef presided over a veritable empire of Sephardi religious services. Shas opened a network of schools that now has 40,000 students. Yosef managed a kosher certification called Beit Yosef that has become the standard for many religious Sephardim. And he was a dominant power broker when it came to electing Sephardic chief rabbis and appointing Sephardic judges in religious courts. This year, Yosef’s son — and preferred candidate — won the Israeli Sephardic chief rabbi election. Through his work, Yosef hoped to raise the status of Israel’s historically disadvantaged Sephardic community, both culturally and socioeconomically. He dressed in traditional Sephardic religious garb, including a turban and an embroidered robe, even as most of his close followers adopted the Ashkenazi haredi dress of a black fedora and suit. As a scholar, Yosef was known for his ability to recite long, complex Jewish tracts
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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • NOVEMBER 2013
PAGE 7
Affordable
Care Act: WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR YOU? Participate in an informative presentation to learn more about the Affordable Care Act and what it means for you and your health insurance options. Health care navigators will be on site to provide personal one-on-one assistance for anyone interested in making an online application.
Wednesday, November 13, 2-5:30PM @ the Boonshoft CJCE Cost: No charge Contact: RSVP to Karen Steiger at 853-0372, ksteiger@jfgd.net by Nov.11
THE WORLD
Pew survey of U.S. Jews: soaring intermarriage, assimilation rates By Uriel Heilman, JTA NEW YORK — There are a lot more Jews in America than you may have thought — an estimated 6.8 million, according to a new study. But a growing proportion of them are unlikely to raise their children Jewish or connect with Jewish institutions. The proportion of Jews who say they have no religion and are Jewish only on the basis of ancestry, ethnicity or culture is growing rapidly, and twothirds of them are not raising their children Jewish at all. Overall, the intermarriage rate is at 58 percent, up from 43 percent in 1990 and 17 percent in 1970. Among non-Orthodox Jews, the intermarriage rate is 71 percent. The data on Jewish engagement come from the Pew Research Center Survey of U.S. Jews, a telephone survey of 3,475 Jews nationwide conducted between February and June and released on Oct. 1. The population estimate comes from a synthesis of existing survey data conducted by the Steinhardt Social Research Institute and the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University. While the Steinhardt/Cohen study, called “American Jewish
SHARING TRADITIONS | EXPERIENCE CHANUKAH
Festival of Lights Wednesday, December 4, 6-7:30PM @ Boonshoft CJCE Bring your family menorah and share your favorite Chanukah memories with your children and friends, nosh on a kosher dinner and wonder at the Festival of Lights fire show. Experience Chanukah is the third in the Sharing Traditions series that brings families together across the generations.
Cost: No cost Contact: RSVP to Karen Steiger at 853-0372 chabaddayton.com | jewishdayton.org This event has been made possible through funding provided by The Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton Innovation Grant PAGE 8
National Jewish Population Population Estimates: 2012,”is Survey, was conducted by the likely to be a matter of some umbrella organization of North debate by demographers and American Jewish federations social scientists, it is the Pew and counted 5.2 million Jews, study that offers an in-depth including children. portrait that may influence But critics said that study’s Jewish policymaking for years methodology was flawed and to come. undercounted American Jews. Among the more notable Both the Pew survey and findings of the Pew survey: the Steinhardt/Brandeis study • Overall, 22 percent of U.S. put the number of U.S. JewJews describe themselves as ish adults at about 5.3 million, having no religion, and the survey finds they are much less including Jews who do not identify as Jewish by religion. connected to Jewish organizaThe Steinhardt/Brandeis tions and much less likely to be study counted an additional 1.6 raising their children Jewish. million Jewish children Broken down by for a total of 6.8 million age, 32 percent of Jews Jews in America. The born after 1980 — the Pew study counted 1.3 so-called millennial million Jewish children. generation — identify Overall, Jews make as Jews of no religion, up about 2.2 percent of compared to 19 percent Americans, according of baby boomers and Dr. Leonard to Pew. By comparison, just 7 percent of Jews Saxe 6.06 million Jews live born before 1927. in Israel, according to Israel’s • Emotional attachment to Central Bureau of Statistics. Israel has held steady over the Because of the differences last decade, with 69 percent of in methodologies between the respondents saying they feel new surveys and the NJPS, the attached or very attached to increased number of U.S. Jews Israel. Forty-three percent of respondents said they had been likely overstates any actual growth. to Israel. Dr. Leonard Saxe, one of • Far more respondents said the authors of the Steinhardt/ having a good sense of humor Brandeis study, told JTA there was essential to their Jewish has been some growth during identity than observing Jewish the last decade, law — 42 perbut he could not cent compared Approximately put a number on to 19 percent. one-quarter of it. Saxe attrib• ApproxiJews said religion uted the growth mately onequarter of Jews is very important to the immigration of Russiansaid religion is speaking Jews, very important in their lives, in their lives, compared to 56 programs to bolster Jewish compared to 56 identity and percent among percent among shifts in attiAmericans gen- Americans tude that have erally. generally. enabled many • Less than children of inone-third of American Jews say they belong terfaith marriages to be raised with a Jewish identity. to a synagogue. Twenty-three The Pew study found that percent of U.S. Jews say they about 10 percent of American attend synagogue at least once Jews are former Soviet Jews or or twice a month, compared their children. with 62 percent of U.S. ChrisAbout 65 percent of Ameritians. can Jews live in just six states, The Pew study is the first comprehensive national survey according to the Steinhardt/ Cohen estimates: New York of American Jews in more than (20 percent), California (14 a decade. percent), Florida (12 percent), The last one, the 2000-01 THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • NOVEMBER 2013
THE WORLD Jews, however, remains in the New Jersey (8 percent), Masdirection of less traditional sachusetts (5 percent) and Judaism. Pennsylvania (5 percent). The In the Pew survey, 90 perother four states in the top cent of those who identified as 10 — Illinois, Maryland, Texas Jews by religion and are raising and Ohio — add another 15 children said they are raising percent. The three most Jewish them Jewish. By comparison, metropolitan areas are New less than one-third of those York, South Florida and Los who identified themselves as Angeles. Jews of no religion are raising Among Jewish denominatheir kids as Jewish. tions, the Reform movement Among inmarried Jews, remains the largest: 35 percent 96 percent are raising their of respondents identified as children as Jews by religion (as Reform, according to the Pew opposed to ethnicstudy. The secity), compared to ond-largest group Less than one45 percent among is Jews of no intermarried Jews. denomination (30 third of those On Jewish obpercent), followed who identified servance, some 70 by Conservative themselves percent of respon(18 percent) and dents to the Pew Orthodox (10 as Jews of no survey said they percent). participated in a As with other religion are Passover Seder in studies, the Pew raising their 2012 and 53 perstudy found kids as Jewish cent said they fastthat the Orthoed for all or part dox share of the of Yom Kippur that year. The American Jewish population is numbers represent declines likely to grow because Orthofrom the 2000-01 NJPS, which dox Jews tend to be younger found Seder participation rates and have larger families than at 78 percent and Yom Kippur Jews generally. fasting at 60 percent. In addition, while past The new Pew survey found surveys showed about half of that about 23 percent of U.S. respondents raised as OrthoJews say they always or usudox were no longer Orthodox, ally light Sabbath candles, the Orthodox retention rate and about 22 percent reported appears to be improving, with keeping kosher at home. just a 17 percent falloff among While most of those sur18- to 29-year-olds. veyed by Pew said they felt Most denominational a strong connection to Israel, switching among American
and 23 percent reported having visited the Jewish state more than once, the respondents expressed significant reservations about the current Israeli government’s policies vis-a-vis the Palestinians. Forty-four percent said West Bank settlement construction hurts Israel’s security interests, and only 17 percent said continued settlement construction is helpful to Israeli security. Thirty-eight percent of respondents said the Israeli government is making a sincere peace effort with the Palestinians. The Pew survey also asked respondents about what it means to be Jewish, offering several options. The most popular element was remembering the Holocaust at 73 percent, followed by leading an ethical life at 69 percent. Fifty-six percent cited working for justice and equality; 43 percent said caring about Israel; 42 percent said having a good sense of humor; and 19 percent said observing Jewish law. Sixty-two percent of respondents said being Jewish is primarily a matter of ancestry and culture; 15 percent said it was mainly a matter of religion. Most Jews said it is not necessary to believe in God to be Jewish. In the survey, 60 percent said a person cannot be Jewish and believe that Jesus is the messiah.
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4:00 PM - MIDNIGHT @ COURTHOUSE SQUARE Courthouse Square will come alive like never before as we celebrate the vitality and diversity of the Dayton community as well as the pulse of downtown through the universal language of drumming. Whether you plan to participate, learn some new techniques or just feel the beat, you don’t want to miss this drum explosion. For more information, call 937.732.5123 facebook.com/pages/Drum-Dayton-Feel-the-Beat-of-the-City/531824190224921
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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • NOVEMBER 2013
PAGE 9
THE WORLD
Jewish leaders respond to Pew survey By Uriel Heilman, JTA NEW YORK — Following the release of the Pew Research Center’s survey of U.S. Jewry, I interviewed nine Jewish philanthropists and organizational leaders in a conversation format about the lessons Pew holds for them and how they spend and invest their hundreds of millions of dollars per year dedicated to American Jewish life. Here’s what they had to say. Arnold Eisen, chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary: I see the study as a wakeup call for all of us: the vital religious center of American Jewry. Mark Charendoff, president of Maimonides Fund: I think it’s an indictment of our collective efforts… As a community, we made a decision a couple of decades ago to focus on Jewish continuity and Jewish identity and we don’t seem to have moved the needle by even one degree…I don’t have another word other than devastated.
Jerry Silverman, CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America: I’m not devastated because I don’t know that the information is shocking based on the trends of 1990 to 2000 and some of the trends we’ve seen in local community studies. Andres Spokoiny, CEO of the Jewish Funders Network: I don’t think we should cry gevalt. Sandy Cardin, president of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation: It’s too soon, I think, to see the immediate impact of what many of us in the community have been doing over the past five to 10 years. Yossi Prager, North American executive director of Avi Chai: This new study reinforces the idea that we need an energizing nucleus…The Jewish community spent a lot of money trying to reach those it saw as on the Jewish margins, and I think this study shows that those efforts were largely unsuccessful…Intensive and
immersive Jewish education is the right answer. Spokoiny: Orthodox education cuts both ways. Yes, in some cases it guarantees continuity; in some cases, it pushes people aside. If you don’t define your Judaism by religion, you’re basically saying that Judaism is not for you… Given that a lot of Jews define themselves as secular or atheist, it’s critically important… to explore and find and foster venues for encouraging Jewish identity through non-traditional ways: through culture, through arts. Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism: It’s very clear that the intermarriage rates are not going away, and the big question is what does the Jewish community do in response. Our approach is to bring those people close, not to push them away, not to judge them. Eisen: They want a new notion of what being Jewish is — we haven’t really responded
to that…We need to have options…Stop trying to make Judaism only about religion. There are substantive ways to be a Jew beyond religion. Prager: This study should diminish anyone’s confidence in a smorgasbord approach to building enduring Jewish commitment. Lots of efforts have been tried and seem not to have worked. Jacobs: Demographics give you a slice of reality. They don’t tell you what to do; they don’t tell you what’s possible. That’s the challenge of Jewish leadership. Michael Steinhardt, Jewish mega-philanthropist: The leadership in the community is atrocious. Charendoff: People felt that if everyone does their part maybe we’ll get there organically. I think this study shows if everybody does their part we’re not going to get there. Cardin: There’s no silver bullet (but) there’s reason to be optimistic that we can, as
a community, come together and address those issues and concerns. Spokoiny: Organizational models need to adapt. They need to be able to operate more as a network than as a traditional pyramidal, top-down organization…Organizations that have fund-raising as their main, core task, like federations, should really be investing a lot in engagement in different ways. Silverman: There definitely will need to really be a convening of real thought leaders and thinkers to really look at this from a sense of implications and strategy going forward; it’s not going to happen at the G.A. Steinhardt: I don’t see the community thoughtfully dealing with it…So much of this was obvious a long time ago, and the worthwhile question is not so much about the Pew study but about the community itself, to ask why the community is so lame in dealing with change.
Understanding
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Boonshoft Center for Jewish Culture and Education
DAYTON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER DAYTON
JEWISH GENETIC DISEASES Wednesday, November 13, 7PM @ Boonshoft CJCE Sponsored by the DJCC and the Jewish Genetic Disease Consortium (JGDC) Join us as we take a step toward solving the problem of Jewish genetic diseases. Featuring a panel discussion including Shari Ungerleider, JGDC program coordinator, Randy Glaser, JGDC Chair, Rachael Cross, community member, and Dr. Marvin Miller, geneticist at Dayton Children’s Hospital.
Cost: No charge RSVP to Karen Steiger at ksteiger@jfgd.net or 853-0372 by Nov. 6 www.jewishdayton.org
PAGE 10
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • NOVEMBER 2013
THE WORLD A W A R D
At United Synagogue centennial, tough talk about need for change talking and start doing.” By Uriel Heilman, JTA The movement’s leaders BALTIMORE — It will be offered few specifics, instead years before it’s clear whether sticking to broad outlines. or not October’s conference Arnold Eisen, the chancellor of the United Synagogue of of the Jewish Theological SemiConservative Judaism was a nary in New York, proposed a success. threefold strategy of being as To be sure, the centenwelcoming as possible, taking nial gathering in Baltimore Conservative Judaism beyond by nearly all accounts was a the bounds of the synagogue, far more dynamic and welland getting members to comattended biennial than those mit more money and time to of recent years, drawing some the movement. 1,200 people. Author and Mike Diamond Photography But the Conservamovement gitive movement is ant Rabbi Harold in serious decline Kushner argued for — evidenced by the emphasizing the findings in the Pew discipline inherent Research Center’s in Jewish commitsurvey of U.S. Jews, ment, suggesting the the shrinking nummovement adopt ber of synagogues the bumper sticker that affiliate with mantra of kadsheinu the movement and b’mitzvotecha — the empty pews in sanctify us with Conservative syna- Rabbi Steven your commandgogues across the Wernick, CEO of the United Synagogue of ments. country. Conservative Judaism The nitty-gritty Under that of strategies for shadow, the central counteracting the movepreoccupation of the centenment’s erosion came in nial wasn’t celebrating the breakout sessions and in the past century of Conservative hallways, where everything Judaism — the milestone was hardly marked at all during the from whether the movement three-day confab — but how to should perform intermarriages to how synagogues can ensure that Conservative Judareinvigorate services came up ism has a future. for discussion. No decisions “Our house is on fire. If you were made — except, perhaps, don’t read anything else in the in closed-door sessions of the Pew report, we have maybe movement’s Committee on 10 years left,” said Rabbi Ed Feinstein of Valley Beth Shalom Jewish Law and Standards — but there was plenty of debate. in Encino, Calif., at a session that caused a major buzz at the For that, even longtime critics of United Synagogue gave the conference. organization credit for facilitat“In the next 10 years I see ing the discussions. the rapid collapse of syna“I think they understand gogues and the national orgathere has to be the grassroots nization that supports them,” development in order for Conhe said. “If we continue what servative Judaism to continue,” we are doing, our house will said Marsha Davis, president of burn down.” Beth El Temple in Harrisburg, There is broad recognition Pa. “Leadership has to happen from the movement’s leaders bottom-up. You’re involved on down that significant rejuand encouraged to be part of venation is needed if Conserthe decision.” vative Judaism is to reverse its Plenty of ideas were bannegative trajectory. The conferdied about. Rabbi Sid Schwarz ence, whose theme was The of Rockville, Md., said synaconversation of the century, was billed as an opportunity to gogues should designate 5 percent of their budgets for talk about how. mini-grants for young Jews to “Since last week, all anyone create innovative synagogue wants to do is talk about the programs. Rabbi Rachel Ain Pew study; I don’t,” Ron Wolfson, a professor of education at of Sutton Place Synagogue in New York said it isn’t proAmerican Jewish University in Los Angeles, said in a speech at grams that matter but the the gathering. “It’s time to stop relationships that synagogues
forge with their congregants and among congregants. Rabbi David Booth of Congregation Kol Emeth in Palo Alto, Calif., argued that the movement needs to be more welcoming to non-Jews and proposed giving non-Jewish spouses and friends a place in synagogue ritual by allowing them to open the ark during services. Attorney Vicky Vossen, past president of the Kane Street Synagogue in Brooklyn, N.Y., said the movement’s rabbinical association needs to loosen its control of the hiring process so congregations can hire the rabbis they want. Michael Schatz of Philadelphia, the incoming president of Continued on next page
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35th Annual Ryterband Symposium • Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013 University of Dayton’s River Campus • 1700 South Patterson Blvd. (old NCR)
PROFESSOR RACHEL ELIOR Hebrew University of Jerusalem
3:30 pm: “The Origins of Hasidism” 7:30 pm: “The Dead Sea Scrolls — Who Wrote Them, When and Why?” The Ryterband Symposium is co-sponsored by United Theological Seminary, The University of Dayton, and Wright State University. The lectures are free and open to the public.
For more information contact Dr. Mark Verman, Zusman Professor of Judaic Studies, 937-775-2461
Wright State University’s Annual Kristallnacht Commemoration Tuesday, November 5, 2013, 7:30pm M252 Creative Arts Center, Wright State University
Canadian author and filmmaker Gina Roitman will introduce and screen her new documentary
“MY MOTHER, THE NAZI MIDWIFE & ME” This event is free and open to the public. It is co-sponsored by the Zusman Chair in Judaic Studies, The Frydman Education Resource Center and the Dayton Holocaust Resource Center.
For more information contact Dr. Mark Verman, Zusman Professor of Judaic Studies, 937-775-2461
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • NOVEMBER 2013
PAGE 11
United Synagogue centennial Mike Diamond Photography
Teenagers dance at the United Synagogue for Conservative Judaism’s centennial celebration in Baltimore
Continued from previous page the movement’s Jewish Educators Assembly, said synagogues need to stop being territorial about educational programs and support Hebrew schools outside the synagogue if they have stronger programs. Rabbi Elie Spitz of Congregation B’nai Israel in Tustin, Calif., said synagogues must put ego aside and welcome independent minyans that want to create alternative services. “Unless you’re making people uncomfortable, you’re not making real change,” Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann, founder of an independent minyan called Mishkan Chicago, said in a session titled Alternative Minyanim — Congregation Builder or Destroyer? “If we keep doing something basically along the same trajectory, things will stay the same and eventually peter out and die.” The conference wasn’t all doom and gloom. At its gala, musicians Neshama Carlebach and Josh Nelson led a rousing rendition of Am Yisrael Chai that had attendees dancing in the aisles and prompted Nelson, an alumnus of the United Synagogue’s youth movement, to deliver a positive pronouncement. “For the first time in as long as I can remember, there is a sense of electricity among this group of people,” he said. Rabbi Raphael Ostrovsky, a retired pulpit rabbi who lives in Munster, Ind., said he found the afternoon prayer service inspiring. “When you davened Minchah, it was very moving. I felt like it was an active Orthodox synagogue,” Ostrovsky told JTA. “It was loud and full of life. The average Conservative synagogue doesn’t have that.” PAGE 12
In one-on-one discussions, many attendees credited the United Synagogue with changing its modus operandi following an uprising several years ago by a handful of renegade synagogues that withheld their dues in protest. “A few years ago, it was send us your money and that’s it. That’s how our synagogue viewed the USCJ — they were simply collecting dues without providing a service,” Ralph Downard, president of Congregation Beth Shalom in Wilmington, Del., told JTA. “Now they’re actually giving considerable services for the dues. We actually have benefits — there’s leadership development, strategic planning, a blog for synagogue presidents to exchange ideas. United Synagogue is actually engaging us.” The conference hardly marked the beginning of the conversation about how to reinvent Conservative Judaism for the 21st century. For years, lay leaders and rabbis have bemoaned the movement’s decline. Now, however, the conversation about how to address the decline is being embraced by organizational leaders. Whether and to what extent the conversation will lead to changes on the ground — and how open the movement’s national organizations will be to undergoing major reforms themselves, as many have suggested is necessary — remains to be seen. “You’ve got to be willing to undergo self-examination and figure out how you need to change,” said one synagogue president from New Jersey who asked not to be identified by name. “And self-examination is the single hardest thing for human beings to do.”
OPINION
How to inspire a future for Jews in America By Yossi Prager On Oct. 1, the Pew Research Center released the first national demographic study of Jewish Americans in more than a decade. Like all such studies, there are disagreements at the edges about the accuracy of some of the results, but the study’s most significant findings have been generally accepted. The big news is that one in five self-identified American Jews does not identify as Jewish by religion (one in three among younger Jews), and that even among Jews by religion, the intermarriage rate since 2005 is 55 percent. Looking only at the non-Orthodox, since 2005 more than 70 percent of the marriages have been intermarriages. The big question now is how funders and Jewish organizations respond to this data. By itself, the news that onefifth of America’s Jews do not see themselves as Jewish by religion might not be disastrous. After all, there are many Israelis who identify with the Jewish people who call themselves “secular.” The problem is that the Pew study found that unlike Israeli chilonim, most of whom see themselves as integral members of the Jewish people and actually perform more than a few Jewish rituals as a matter of course, American “Jews of no religion” are unlikely to raise their children as Jews, be attached to Israel, give to Jewish causes or see being Jewish as important in their lives. One Jew of no religion who was interviewed for the study described himself to Slate this way: “Six months ago I told a friendly Pew pollster that I consider myself Jewish but not religious, that my wife is not Jewish, and that my daughter is being raised ‘partially Jewish,’ in Pew’s terms. And as an intermarried Jewish nonbeliever, I think it’s time we anxious Jews stopped worrying and learned to love our assimilated condition — even if it means that our children call themselves halfJewish and our grandchildren don’t consider themselves Jews at all.” In short, most Jews of no religion have both feet out of the Jewish community — or at least
are on their way to the exit sign. The astonishingly high intermarriage rate among recent marriages outside of Orthodoxy is so important because according to the Pew study, nearly all children of two Jewish spouses are being raised as Jewish by religion, while only 20 percent of children of intermarriages are being raised exclusively as Jewish. Some of these couples are Jews of no religion and others are headed for the exits anyway. Others might be seen as having one foot within the Jewish community and one foot out. So what to do? Without offering firm policy recommendations, which should be carefully developed, here are initial principles: • We should recognize the big picture. In the aggregate, the many programs developed by Jewish philanthropists and organizations after the 1990 population study that first showed alarming intermarriage rates have failed to stem the tide of assimilation. (It will be interesting to see whether the Pew study supports the contention that Birthright Israel increases Jewish identity and participation.) There is likely nothing that can be done to attract Jews heading for the exits, and the programmatic efforts should focus on those who at least have one foot still within the community. • Based on the Pew study, at least in America, Judaism will endure across generations almost exclusively in families that identify with Judaism as a religion. (It is less clear to me what level of observance or participation generates a “tipping point.”) The reasons are less clear, but I imagine that part of the answer stems from the famous Ahad Ha’am saying, “More than the Jews have kept the Shabbos, the Shabbos has kept the Jews.” Or, as Rabbi David Wolpe wrote in his thoughts about the study: “As a countercultural tradition in America, Judaism asks a great deal of its adherents. Judaism is a behavior-centered tradition. It is primarily enacted in a language strange to most American Jews (Hebrew) and requires an extensive education to understand its fundamentals. ...That which is continually
diluted will eventually disappear.” • Along these same lines, we should measure the likely success of programs based on whether they offer the intensive and immersive education needed to give participants an understanding of the power and beauty of Jewish values and practices. Anything less will fail to give participants sufficient motivation to make the commitment of time, energy and money needed for engaged Jewish life. Programs that attempt to “meet people where they are” can only be justified if they actually succeed in attracting Jews to more substantive ongoing programs. • Every business owner knows that it costs less to retain a customer than to attract a new one. While economic considerations may not be the only relevant ones, it is far more cost effective to invest in Jews who are closer to the core of the engaged Jewish community, whether they are children or young adults. The study tells us that these, too, are Jews at risk of assimilation. Investment in these young people is our community’s best chance for increasing retention of an energizing nucleus that has the potential to reverse the trends painfully evident in the study. We all prefer good news to bad. This has caused some commentators on the Pew study to celebrate the number of Jews regardless of their commitments or argue that the answer is to be more “welcoming” of those who are heading for the exits. There are no easy fixes. The only way to retain the next generation will be to inspire them to desire and love substantive Jewish life. If enough Jews can be so inspired, the Jewish future will be far rosier than the snapshot offered by the Pew study. Yossi Prager is the executive director-North America of the Avi Chai Foundation.
So, what do you think? Send your letters (300 words max., thanks) to The Dayton Jewish Observer 525 Versailles Drive Dayton, OH 45459 MWeiss@jfgd.net
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • NOVEMBER 2013
CALENDAR OF EVENTS Classes
Beth Abraham Synagogue Classes: Sat., Nov. 2, 12:30 p.m.: Why Jews Do What They Do w. Rabbi Ginsberg. Sun., Nov. 3, 10, 17 & 24, 9:15 a.m.: Jew vs. Jew w. Rabbi Ginsberg. 305 Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood. 293-9520. Chabad: Life in the Balance - Jewish Perspectives on Everyday Medical Dilemmas: Mondays, Oct. 28-Dec. 2, 7:30-9 p.m. $69. Chabad of Greater Dayton, 2001 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood. 643-0770. Temple Beth Or Classes: Mon., Oct. 28, 7 p.m.: Meditation w. Rabbi Burstein. Sun., Nov. 3, 10, 17 & 24, 1 p.m.: Adult Hebrew w. Rabbi Chessin. Wed., Nov. 9, 7 p.m.: Spirituality w. Rabbi Burstein. Sun., Nov., 10 & 24, 10:30 a.m.: Tanach Study w. Rabbi Chessin. Wed., Nov. 13, 7 p.m.: Men’s Circle w. Rabbi Burstein. 5275 Marshall Rd., Wash. Twp. 435-3400. Temple Israel Classes: Mondays, noon: Intermediate Hebrew. Tuesdays, 5 p.m.: Beginner Hebrew. Wednesdays, 5 p.m.: Advanced Beginner Hebrew. All Hebrew classes $55 non-members, $50 members. Sundays, 9-10 a.m.: Tanach w. Rabbi Sofian. 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. 496-0050.
Discussions
Affordable Care Act - What Does It Mean For You: sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council. Wed., Nov. 13, 2-5:30 p.m. at the Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville. Free. R.S.V.P. to Karen Steiger, 853-0372, by Nov. 11. Temple Israel Brotherhood Ryterband Lecture & Brunch Series: Sundays, 10 a.m. Nov. 3: Dr. Jerry Kotler, Sinclair, A Bouquet of Jewish Music. Nov. 10: Dr. Simone Lotven Sofian, Jewish Federation, Is Three A Community? Nov. 17: Dr. Mark Verman, Wright State, Ethics in Holiness. $5 per brunch. 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. 496-0050.
Children
Muse Machine/JCC Performing Arts Workshop: for grades 3-8. First session Tues., Nov. 5, 4-6 p.m. Sugar Camp Building D, 400 Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood. Tues. & Thurs. afternoon sessions through Feb. $190. R.S.V.P. to Karen Steiger, 853-0372.
Teens
DJCC Game Night: for grades 8-11. Sat., Nov. 9, 6:30-9 p.m. at the home of Teri & Dr. Dan German. Free. R.S.V.P. to Karen Steiger, 8530372, by Nov. 6.
Women
Volunteering with Women’s Philanthropy for Tzedakah: Tues., Nov. 5, 10 a.m.-noon. At Clothes That Work, 1133 S. Edwin C. Moses Blvd., Suite 392. R.S.V.P. to Hilary Zappin, 853-0372. Chabad Women’s Circle: Sun., Nov. 17, 9:45-11:45 a.m. Kosher Cuisine Around the World. Learn to prepare authentic Greek-inspired delicacies. $36. 2001 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood.
R.S.V.P. to 643-0770.
Seniors
JSSA Events: Page 23. DJCC Active Adults: Page 22.
Interfaith
Temple Beth Or Fusion Families: Sun., Nov. 10, 3:30-5 p.m. Babysitting provided. 5275 Marshall Rd., Wash. Twp. R.S.V.P. to 435-3400.
DJCC Cultural Arts & Book Festival See Listings on Page 15.
Community Events
Wright State University Kristallnacht Commemoration: Tues., Nov. 5, 7:30 p.m. Room M252, Creative Arts Center. Renate Frydman discusses 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht, Gina Roitman screens My Mother, The Nazi Midwife & Me. For more info., contact Dr. Mark Verman, 775-2461. Temple Beth Or Jewish War Veterans Shabbat: Fri., Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m. 5275 Marshall Rd., Wash. Twp. 435-3400.
Beth Abraham Synagogue Salute to Veterans Program & Brunch: Sun., Nov. 10, 10 a.m. Free for veterans, all others $5. 305 Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood. R.S.V.P. to 293-9520. Understanding & Preventing Jewish Genetic Diseases: Wed., Nov. 13, 7 p.m. at the Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville. Sponsored by DJCC and the Jewish Genetic Disease Consortium. Free. R.S.V.P. to Karen Steiger, 853-0372, by Nov. 6. Temple Beth Or Chanukah Bazaar: Sun., Nov. 17, 9:30 a.m.1:30 p.m., Wed., Nov. 20, 4:30-7 p.m. 5275 Marshall Rd., Wash. Twp. 435-3400. 35th Annual Ryterband Symposium: w. Dr. Rachel Elior, Hebrew Univ. Wed., Nov. 20, 3:30 p.m.: Origins of Hasidism. 7:30 p.m.: The Dead Sea Scrolls - Who Wrote Them and Why? University of Dayton River Campus, 1700 S. Patterson Blvd. Free. For more info., contact Dr. Mark Verman, 775-2461.
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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • NOVEMBER 2013
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KVELLING CORNER At the 25th Anniversary Gala for Homefull on Sept. 19, 12-year-old Max Mader shared his personal experiences about Homefull and his program, Storytime With Max. Homefull works to end homelessness by providing housing, services, advocacy and education. During Storytime With Max, he brings in snacks and reads children’s books from his personal collection to children
Rachel Haug Gilbert
cadet of the year for 2012. Sara, a freshman at the Air Force Academy, joined the CAP when she was 13. Sara’s proud parents are Cassie and Donn Fishbein. Cassie recently started her new practice as a certified pediatric nurse practitioner. She has joined the practice of Dr. Karen Smith and Abigail Fischer, CPNP, in Sidney. Cassie is the recipient of the 2012 Graduate Council Scholar award from Wright State and will start in the doctor of nursing practice program this January.
measures 12 feet long and dates back to 1745, covering nine generations. As part of the celebration, Bob’s children arranged for him to receive more than 140 birthday cards from friends and family, including one from President Obama. His wife and children will also present Temple Israel with a Torah curtain in his honor to be installed for Temple Israel’s ark. Bob says he never expected to live to 90. And he still plays tennis twice a week. On Sept. 27, Franklin T. Cohn, a Marine Corps veteran of the Korean War, participated on a caravan trip to Washington, D.C. of five RVs as part of the Honor Flight program to see the national war memorials.
Sam Lauber’s photo of the Berlin Wall as it was being demolished will at St. Vincent de Paul’s be on display at Gateway Shelter for Women Womanline Gallery and Families. He then donates on Nov. 1, 5-10 the books for the families to p.m. The public is read together. Max hopes to invited to attend collect 500 new children’s Mike Garfunkel, this open house. books, to provide each child owner of Family Womanline Gallery housed at St. Vincent de Paul Bridges Home advocates on for the rest of 2013 with a new Veteran Franklin T. Cohn Care in Dayton, behalf of women book to read. Max is the son with the head vocalist of Cincinnati, slaves who are of Jenifer and Joe Mader of the U.S. Marine Band in and Northern exploited for illicit Washington, D.C. Dayton and the grandson of Kentucky, has drugs and/or sex. Anita Wilson of Sarasota. received the Best of Home Care The theme for the evening is award once again, for 2013. Freedom. Hillel Academy sixth-grader This is the third consecutive Ethan Zappin earned a spot on year Family Bridges has Bob Kahn celebrated his the seventh- and eighth-grade received this award, presented 90th birthday on Sept. 30. rowing team of the Greater by Home Care Pulse, the The following weekend, 26 Dayton Rowing Association. industry standard for thirdHe competed in his first regatta family members gathered in party surveying for nonDayton to celebrate with him on Oct. 5 at Island MetroPark medical homecare agencies. and his wife, Gert, including and won a second-place silver all of his children, Susan, medal. Cheering for him on Kevin Bressler, CFP, a financial Karen, and Ron, and their the shore are parents Hilary advisor with Ameriprise spouses, his grandchildren, Zappin and Jamy Holliday, Financial and currently ranked a cousin, several nieces and grandfather Dennis Zappin, in the top two percent of nephews, and his best friend and great-grandmother Ameriprise Advisors, recently from Dayton. Bob worked Hannah (Sugar) Zappin. scored 98 percent on overall for several years on a family client satisfaction in the tree that was revealed over Sara Fishbein was selected as Ameriprise Financial Client that weekend. The family tree the Civil Air Patrol’s national Relationship Study. His proud wife is Karen Bressler. Their youngest daughter, 6-year-old Ava, is quite the pianist. This summer she placed second in the finals of the Miami Valley Youth and Teen Talent Show’s 12 and under division. Our Thanks to the 2013 Friendship At the end of September, Dinner Committee Co-Chairs, Ava performed in front of more than 1,000 people for So You Think You Can Play the Schuster, a showcase of & their amazing team for all their hard local talent honoring the 10th work that made our dinner such a anniversary of the Schuster HUGE SUCCESS this year! Center. She was the youngest performer in the show.
CONGRATULATIONS AND THANKS! 2013 Humanitarian Award Recipients: William Gillispie Ismail Gula Dr. Munsup Seoh Sister Maria Francine Stacy Mary Rita Weissman 2013 Youth Leadership Award: Manuel Cuellar Greater Dayton Workplace Diversity Award: WilmerHale
Marva Cosby and Bruce Feldman
Send your Kvelling items to Rachel at kvellingcorner@gmail.com or to Rachel Haug Gilbert The Dayton Jewish Observer 525 Versailles Drive Centerville, OH 45459
PAGE 14
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • NOVEMBER 2013
NOVEMBER & DECEMBER events facebook.com/culturalartsandbookfestival
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7 Boonshoft CJCE @7PM
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17 Morris Home Furnishings @6:30PM
O-H-I-O Go Bucks!
with author Bill Rabinowitz, Ohio State Football beat writer for The Columbus Dispatch. featuring a performance by Ohio State University’s co-ed a capela group - The MeshugaNotes. $5 in advance, $8 at the door RSVP to Karen Steiger, 853-0372 Tickets available online at jewishdayton.org.
Pajama Party Time
with author Ann Redisch Stampler, featuring an endearing puppetry performance, creative craft time and a bedtime snack of milk and cookies. No charge. RSVP to Karen Steiger, 853-0372, by November 12 Partnering with PJ Library.
The Brandeis-Joffe Scholarship Fund Presents
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19
Martin Fletcher
Temple Israel @7PM
No charge. RSVP to Karen Steiger, 853-0372, by November 13 Sponsored by the Brandeis-Joffe Scholarship Fund of the Dayton Jewish Federation Foundation in memory of Eugene and Pearl Joffe
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24 Dayton Masonic Center @3PM
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1 The Loft Theatre @2PM
Dayton favorite, Emmy award-winning journalist Martin Fletcher returns to share his latest fiction, Jacob’s Oath.
George Frideric Handel’s
Judas Maccabaeus
Celebrate the beginning of Chanukah with the glorious oratorio Judas Maccabaeus, performed by the Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra and its community chorus. $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $5 for students. Tickets available at mvso.org/tickets. Co-sponsored by the Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra
Fiddler on the Roof Sing Along Sing L’Chayim To Life! Join the cast of The Human Race Theatre Company’s production of Fiddler on the Roof in a special live concert event. $18 per person. Tickets available at humanracetheatre.org. Presented by The Human Race Theatre Company in partnership with DJCC’s Cultural Arts and Book Festival.
jewishdayton.org/cabf2013 THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • NOVEMBER 2013
PAGE 15
Martin Fletcher returns to historical fiction
PAGE 16
By Masada Siegel Special To The Observer A couple of years ago at a Herzliya beachside café in Israel, I shared a coffee with NBC Correspondent Martin Fletcher. I had interviewed him via Skype earlier in the year for a story and when I said I was going to be in Israel, he suggested we meet. During our conversation, he mentioned he was searching for a compelling story for a novel. He tossed around ideas but clearly had not found the one. When I recently asked him how he chose the topic for his latest novel, Jacob’s Oath (St. Martin’s Press), Fletcher explained that a friend asked him: “Why would a German Jewish Holocaust survivor decide to stay in Germany?” “I thought, what a great question,“ Fletcher said. “It’s my first venture into pure fiction, but fiction based on a very authentic story, time and place, based on massive research,” Fletcher said of Jacob’s Oath. An NBC News special correspondent, Fletcher has won five Emmy Awards, a Columbia University duPont Award, and five Overseas Press Club Awards. He also served as the former NBC News bureau chief in Tel Aviv for many years. His 2010 book, Walking Israel: A Personal Search for the Soul of a Nation, received the American National Jewish Book Award. Fletcher returns to the DJCC’s Cultural Arts and Book Fest Nov. 19 to discuss his latest foray into historical fiction. He is a masterful storyteller whether on the front lines of a war with a camera crew or sitting in front of his computer creating a cast of characters from his imagination. Jacob’s Oath is set in Germany at the conclusion of World War II. The characters struggle to return to lives they lived prior to the war. “Not much has been written about the aftermath of World War II,” Fletcher said. “Novels are usually about the more dramatic periods of the build-up to war, the war itself, and then the new world after the war. What fascinates me about the first few months after the end of the war in May 1945 is the period of anarchy, the transition, the bewilderment of 20 million refugees clogging the roads of Europe trying to go home, yet ultimately, there is no home.” He said part of his interest in the post-World War II refugees comes from his career reporting on wars and disaster zones across the globe for 35 years. PRESENTED BY THE DAYTON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER
NBC’s Martin Fletcher with Masada Siegel in Herzliya, Israel
Fletcher understands the emotions of people experiencing war and devastation as often in his news stories he focuses on human suffering. He’s observed refugees’ powerful will to survive despite enormous tragedies. Fletcher said that often in life the human spirit survives tragedy not by great achievements but rather by taking one step at a time forward into the future. “My family is from Austria although my mother was born in Germany and moved to Vienna when she was 9,” Fletcher said. “They were dominant as I wrote my last book, The List, about the experience of Jewish refugees in London. In this book, Jacob’s Oath, I researched the period and the place but my own family history was not part of it. But coming from the kind of background I come from, the Holocaust is always present and as I wrote in the acknowledgements, the story sort of wrote itself — it sprang from somewhere deep inside me — especially the development of the characters. I felt I had been there.” Fletcher also brings to light the little-known but important actions of the Jewish Brigade’s unit known as the Tilhas Tizig Gesheften. The TTG was formed immediately following World War II. Under the guise of British military activity, this group of the Jewish Brigade engaged in the assassination of Nazis and facilitated the illegal immigration of Holocaust survivors to Palestine. These assassination squads killed former SS and Nazi officers who had participated in atrocities against European Jews. DJCC’s Cultural Arts & Book Fest presents NBC News Correspondent Martin Fletcher on Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. at Temple Israel, 130 Riverside Dr. The program is sponsored by the Brandeis-Joffe Scholarship Fund of the Dayton Jewish Federation Foundation. Admission is free. R.S.V.P. to Karen Steiger at 853-0372 by Nov. 13.
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • NOVEMBER 2013
A celebration of the Buckeyes’ comeback By Brian L. Meyers Special To The Observer Late in 2011, the Ohio State Buckeyes football program learned it faced a ban from 2012 post-season play because of student improprieties and a staff cover-up in 2010. That scandal also resulted in hiring a new coach for the team: Urban Meyer. Under Meyer’s leadership, the Buckeyes finished their 2012 regular season play with a 12-0 record. The story of their dramatic achievement is told in a new book by Bill Rabinowitz, Buckeye Rebirth: Urban Meyer, An Inspired Team and a New Era at Ohio State (Triumph Books). Rabinowitz, son of Daytonians Carole and Bernie Rabinowitz, will talk about his new book on Nov. 7 as part of the DJCC’s Cultural Arts & Book Fest. Rabinowitz has been the beat reporter for the Columbus Dispatch covering the Buckeyes for more than three years. Before that, he covered the Bengals and even earlier, the Browns. But his book isn’t a rehash of the stories he’s written about the Buckeyes. He insisted on telling the story behind the headlines. He insisted on new material. He wanted to get into the heads of the players and coaches. PRESENTED BY THE DAYTON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER
All of the material for the book is the position with the Buckeyes required fresh, he said. It came from hours of seeking the blessing of his wife and new interviews with Meyer and his daughters. wife, with more than 25 players and Meyer had to promise a more bala cadre of coaches and staff who have anced approach to career and family, been associated with either Meyer or one that would not compromise his the Buckeyes. commitment to his team or The book represents as his ambition to lead them to much the determination of a winning season. a writer to tell a story as it Rabinowitz said he overdoes the determination of a came an aggressive deadline coach to lead his team to a of four months to complete winning season — despite the book while not comproall challenges — and the mising either his day job or determination of a team his commitment to his family. eager to redeem itself from “There were days when humbling sins of the past. I knew I had to write 3,000 Buckeye Rebirth explores words,” he said. “I did it. Not how Meyer had, at one time, easily. But it’s what you have set aside a promising coach- Bill Rabinowitz to do.” ing career because he let Like Meyer, Rabinowitz himself get pulled into long work hours found himself enlisting the support of with the attendant stress that eventually his wife of more than 20 years, Erin, impacted his health and family. and their two children. Rabinowitz, like His return to coaching and accepting Meyer found himself seeking a balance of commitment to family and to the DJCC’s Cultural Arts & Book Festival game. presents Columbus Dispatch Ohio Buckeye Rebirth isn’t an authorized State Football writer Bill Rabinowitz and biography of Meyer, though it centers OSU’s Jewish a capella ensemble, The on him. Meyer didn’t ask to see the MeshugaNotes, on Thursday, Nov. 7 at 7 manuscript before it went to press, but p.m. at the Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles the project did require his cooperation. Dr., Centerville. Tickets are $5 in advance, Rabinowitz needed access to Meyer, $8 at the door. R.S.V.P. to Karen Steiger at his family, the team and the entire Buck853-0372 or go to jewishdayton.org. eyes’ program and Meyer was eager to
Rehabilitation. Compassion. Wellness. The Cedar Village Rehabilitation Center at the Mayerson JCC. Helping you return to an active lifestyle.
grant it. Meyer wanted the story of the 2012 season told, Rabinowitz said. “He thought I was a good enough vehicle to tell it.” Ohio State’s Jewish a cappella ensemble, the MeshugaNotes, will also perform at the Nov. 7 CABF program and those attending are encouraged to wear their game-day best.
Cedar Village and the Mayerson JCC invite you to visit the Cedar Village Rehabilitation Center at the Mayerson JCC. A full range of outpatient physical therapy services are available for people of all ages–and you need not be a JCC member to use them! Call today to make an appointment! Cedar Village Rehabilitation Center At Mayerson JCC 8485 Ridge Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236 Tel: 513.722.7246 www.cedarvillage.org
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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • NOVEMBER 2013
PAGE 17
PJ Library PJ party
2013 Susan & David Joffe
Scholar-in-Residence Weekend Unfolding the Text: An Introduction to Jewish Medieval Bible Commentaries With Rabbi Robert A. Harris Associate Professor of Bible, Jewish Theological Seminary
Friday, Dec. 6, 6:15 p.m.: Kabbalat Shabbat 7 p.m.: Shabbat Dinner $20 – adults; $7.50 children. R.S.V.P. Followed by discussion I P’shat the Torah. Saturday, Dec. 7, noon: Kiddush lunch followed by discussion In the Beginning, There Were...Commentaries! Sunday, Dec. 8, 10 a.m.: Men’s Club Brunch. $5 per person. R.S.V.P. The Kislev Affair: What Really Happened at Chanukah.
Beth Abraham is Dayton’s only Conservative synagogue, affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.
Chanukah Dinner
We are an enthusiastically egalitarian synagogue. Beth Abraham is Dayton’s We also have an eneronly Conservative getic Keruv program that synagogue, affiliated with reaches out to intermarried the United Synagogue of couples and families in our Conservative Judaism. synagogue and in the Dayton Jewish We arecommunity. an enthusiastically
aham is Dayton’s servative ue, affiliated with ed Synagogue of ative Judaism.
n enthusiastically an synagogue.
have an eneruv program that out to intermarried and families in our ue and in the Dayton ommunity.
egalitarian synagogue. For a complete schedule of Forevents, a complete our go toschedule of our events, go to bethabrahamdayton.org. bethabrahamdayton.org.
Tuesday, Dec. 3, 6:15 p.m. Bring Your Menorah. R.S.V.P.
Sunday, Nov. 10, 10 a.m. Free for veterans $5 all others. R.S.V.P.
The book tells the story of the friendship of two cats on Ben Yehuda Street in Tel Aviv, Israel: a “little grey cat with a red collar and a fluffy white stray cat that brings two lonely neighbors together.” All families raising Jewish children from ages six months through 8 years are eligible to sign up for the PJ Library program in the Dayton area. PJ Library is funded locally with support from Marcia and Ed Kress. To sign up for PJ Library, contact Hilary Zappin at the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton, at 853-0372. — Marshall Weiss PRESENTED BY THE DAYTON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER
DJCC Early Childhood student Jonah Dritz gets a jump on Ann Redisch Stampler’s book
DJCC’s Cultural Arts & Book Fest presents Pajama Party Time with Ann Redisch Stampler on Sunday, Nov. 17 at 6:30 p.m. at Morris Home Furnishings, 5695 Wilmington Pike, Centerville. The event is sponsored by PJ Library, with local support from Marcia and Ed Kress, and the Jewish Federation. Admission is free. R.S.V.P. to Karen Steiger at 853-0372 by Nov. 13.
The Chanukah story, Baroque style
Salute to Veterans Program & Brunch
mplete schedule of ts, go to ahamdayton.org.
Little ones up to age 8, along with their parents and grandparents are invited to cuddle down with milk and cookies, crafts, and a reading of The Cats on Ben Yehuda Street — complete with puppets — performed by children’s author Ann Redisch Stempler. The DJCC’s Cultural Arts and Book Fest will present this free PJ party on Nov. Ann Redisch Stampler 17 at Morris Home Furnishings in partnership with the PJ Library program, which provides free Jewish children’s books and music each month to families in the Dayton area and around the country. Stampler, who has a passion for Eastern European folk tales, received the National Jewish Book Award for The Rooster Prince of Breslov, illustrated by Eugene Yelchin. She is also the author of Something for Nothing and Shlemazel And The Remarkable Spoon Of Pohost. For The Cats on Ben Yehuda Street, the most recent of her six picture books, she teamed up with illustrator Francesca Carabelli.
Lovers of classical music will have Springs, Dayton and its suburbs,” she the rare opportunity to attend a persays. “Members come from churches, formance of George Frideric Handel’s synagogues and community choral oratorio Judas Maccabaeus, presented by groups.” the Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra Sofian adds that the Yellow Springs with soloists and its newly formed choChorus as an ensemble is participating rus, on Nov. 24 at the Dayton Masonic in the symphony chorus as well. Center. Written in 1746, Handel’s oratorio Retired Springfield Judas Maccabaeus tells the story of Symphony Orchestra Exthe Maccabean revolt against the ecutive Director Dr. David Selucid Greeks and Antiochus IV, Deitrick will conduct the found in the Books of the Macwork and Springfield Symcabees. phony Chorale ConducThe work had its premiere on tor Basil Fett is preparing April 1, 1747 at Covent Garthe chorus — which the den in London and was one of MVSO brought together Handel’s most popular oratorios specifically to present the during his lifetime. oratorio. Handel wrote the oratorio to MVSO violinist Dr. Simcelebrate the victory of English Judas Maccabaeus one Lotven Sofian, who Prince William Augustus, the was a hit for G.F. also works for the JewDuke of Cumberland, at the Handel in 1747 ish Federation as a grant Battle of Culloden, Scotland. writer, is coordinating the logistics for Prior to the concert, Sofian’s husthe project, which is part of the DJCC’s band, Rabbi David Sofian of Temple Cultural Arts and Book Fest offerings. Israel, will lead a discussion about the “The symphony chorus is made up oratorio’s connections to Chanukah. of singers from the entire Miami Valley including Springfield, Tipp City, Yellow — Marshall Weiss DJCC’s Cultural Arts & Book Fest presents Handel’s Judas Maccabaeus performed by the Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra and Chorus on Sunday, Nov. 24 at 3 p.m. at the Dayton Masonic Center, 525 W. Riverview Ave. $10 adults, $8 seniors, $5 students. Tickets available at mvso.org/tickets or on the day of the event at the door.
PAGE 18
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • NOVEMBER 2013
Sing Along With Tevye Following the run of Human Race’s Fiddler on the Roof, audience can join in for first-of-kind concert version Moore, who also directed the Human By Marshall Weiss, The Observer Race production. When Kevin Moore contacted Music “We will do some of the numbers Theatre International with his special fully, Tradition, Matchmaker, we’ll do the request, he was told, “No one’s ever wedding, all of that, and we will project asked us this lyrics when it’s appropriate for the before.” audience to sing along,” he says. “I’ll be Moore, prothere to narrate and connect.” ducing artistic Moore says he’s always wanted to director of The present Fiddler at the 212-seat Loft. Human Race “My first experience with Fiddler Theatre Company, asked MTI for a spewas just out of college, at the Westgate cial license to perform a concert version Dinner Theatre in Toledo, which was and sing-along of Human Race’s proon a postage stamp,” he says. “It was a duction of Fiddler on the Roof to follow tiny stage. But I thought it worked well. its month-long run at The Loft Theatre. And then I did a larger With MTI’s approval Scott J. Kimmins production with Kenley and the blessing of Acand I played Motel tors’ Equity, Sing-A-Long against William ConFiddler on the Roof Live! rad. What a dear, dear will take place on Dec. man. His acting was 1, in partnership with incredible but it was the DJCC’s Cultural small because he was Arts and Book Fest. geared toward TV and According to Moore, film. So at Memorial the idea for the singHall, past the first few along came from the rows — it was a good Jewish Federation’s new performance — but CEO, Cathy Gardner. they weren’t seeing the “Cathy had talked depth that I was seeing about where she was previously, that they Tevye’s marriageable daughters (L onstage with him. And had done a sing-along to R): Ashley Campana, Christine I thought, what a great opportunity to see that with the film,” says Zavakos, and Charity Farrell PRESENTED BY THE DAYTON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER
in a space like ours.” At its core, Moore describes the 1964 hit musical as an intimate family story. “I’m trying to figure out how to scale it down a little bit, to make it fit our space but make it stay true to the story.” His plan is to present the full production without cuts. Moore has combined some parts and doubled up casting on others. Another way he’s scaling back the production is to adjust the orchestral accompaniment down to four musicians who will appear onstage at points in the production as klezmorim, street musicians. “We are dealing with the violin, Human Race Theatre Company Producing the clarinet, mandolin, and then we Artistic Director Kevin Moore directed Fiddler at have Jay (Instrumental Music Direc- The Loft and will serve as host for the sing-along tor Jay Brunner), who will alternate like the Broadway orchestra. That’s not between guitar and accordion onstage what it’s about. Let’s tell our story the and then offstage, he’ll probably also way we need to tell it.” have his bass.” Choreographer Chris Crowthers Brunner takes on the role of Nochum will maintain Jerome Robbins’ original the Beggar, who will go around playing choreography, adapting it for The Loft’s music, always with his tin cup. “I want this to be Fiddler unplugged,” thrust stage. “Chris learned it through people who Moore says. “We don’t need to sound were there with Jerome Robbins,” Moore adds. The Human Race Theatre Company presents Members of the cast from Fiddler on the Roof at The Loft Theatre, 126 N. Dayton’s Jewish community are Main St., Oct. 31-Nov. 30, with Sing-A-Long Saul Caplan as Lazar Wolf, and Fiddler on the Roof Live! on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2 p.m. in partnership with the DJCC’s Cultural Arts 11-year-old Hillel Academy student Jordan Vandersluis, who is & Book Fest. Tickets for Fiddler are available at humanracetheatre.org or at the door. Tickets to the double cast in the role of Tevye’s youngest daughter, Bielke; she’ll sing-along are $18 and are also available through alternate in the role with Hanthe DJCC by calling Karen Steiger at 853-0372. nah Sayer.
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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • NOVEMBER 2013
PAGE 19
The Federation Family Meeting the needs of Jews in Dayton, Israel, and around the world Dayton Jewish Community Center • Federation Foundation • Jewish Community Relations Council Jewish Senior Service Agency • The Dayton Jewish Observer • United Jewish Campaign • Women’s Philanthropy for Tzedakah
Federation & Agencies Service Sites
Boonshoft Center for Jewish Culture & Education 525 Versailles Drive, Centerville, OH 45459 937-853-0372 937-610-1555 • Federation Offices • DJCC & Early Childhood Services • Jewish Community Relations Council • Dayton Area Jewish Senior Service Agency • The Dayton Jewish Observer • United Jewish Campaign
Opening Event Kick-Off featuring pianist Ethan Bortnick October 17 • Dayton Art Institute
United Jewish Campaign and Cultural Arts & Book Festival
Ethan Bortnick with Advance Gifts Dinner Co-Chairs Bill Doner and Immediate Past Campaign Chair Melinda Doner
Emcee Dr. Burt Saidel (L) with Ethan’s father, Gene Bortnick, whose family came to America from the Soviet Union with help from Jewish Federations
Campaign Chair Judy Abromowitz
Jewish Senior Service Agency Phone Numbers: Transportation 937-853-0377 Emergencies 937-677-5192
Federation Pres. Dr. Gary Youra (L), Campaign Vice Chair Mary Youra and Dave London
Advance Gifts Dinner Co-Chair Sarah Moore Leventhal (L) with Opening Event Co-Chair Marci Vandersluis
(L to R): Wendi and Erv Pavlofsky, Lisa and Gary Pavlofsky
DeNeal and Esther Feldman
Irv and Gayle Moscowitz
Covenant Manor 4951 Covenant House Drive, Trotwood, OH 45426 • Jewish Senior Service Agency 937-837-4836 • Kosher Lunch Site for Seniors & Federation Food Pantry 937-854-6319 Covenant Manor is a 50-unit apartment complex developed under U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development. For information, call 937-854-4596. PAGE 20
Vicky and Bob Heuman
David and Lisa Pierce
Renate Frydman (L) and Federation CEO Cathy Gardner
Opening Event Co-Chair Pamela Schwartz and Andy Schwartz
With special thanks to Bernstein’s Fine Catering • Economy Linen & Towel Service, Inc. Graeter’s Ice Cream • Produce One • The Flower Shoppe THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • NOVEMBER 2013
Development News
Judy Abromowitz United Jewish Campaign Chair
This page is generously underwritten by
Jewish Federation’s 2013 Season Sponsors
Joel Frydman Foundation Chair
of the Jewish Federation
Jewish Federation Community Contributions To contribute to these funds, call Sheila Myers at 937-853-0372. For a complete list of funds, go to JewishDayton.org. UNITED JEWISH CAMPAIGN IN HONOR OF Special birthday of Esther Feldman 60th wedding anniversary of Esther & DeNeal Feldman Melinda & Bill Doner New grandson of Marcia and Ed Kress 70th anniversary of Joe Bettman’s Bar Mitzvah Wedding of Gary Holstine’s daughter 90th birthday of Russ Remick 60th wedding anniversary of Esther & DeNeal Feldman 80th birthday of Esther Feldman Carole & Bernie Rabinowitz IN MEMORY OF Kay Sokol Jim Isaacson Debby & Dr. Robert Goldenberg Jim Isaacson Melinda & Bill Doner
JEWISH FEDERATION SOCIAL SERVICES SPECIFIC ASSISTANCE IN HONOR OF Recovery of Aviva Cohen Hyla & Dr. Raymond Weiskind Special birthday of Raye Feldman Andi Rabiner Marilyn Scher Hyla Weiskind Haana & Barry Serotkin IN MEMORY OF Kay Sokol Jim Isaacson Barbara Guggenheimer Hyla & Dr. Raymond Weiskind DAYTON AREA JEWISH SENIOR SERVICE AGENCY IN HONOR OF Recovery of Gil Unger Jean & Bert Lieberman IN MEMORY OF Kay Sokol Beverly & Jeffrey Kantor Esther & DeNeal Feldman Claire & Oscar Soifer Jim Isaacson Esther & DeNeal Feldman
Claire & Oscar Soifer Susan & Jonas Gruenberg Sue Berman & Bob Friedman Ellie & Bob Bernstein Ferman Jay Bonnie & Dr. Alan Klein Shiva friends of Jim Isaacson DJCC ACTIVE ADULTS FUND IN HONOR OF New granddaughter, Maya Belle, to Cheryl & Rick Carne Shirlee & Dr. Ron Gilbert SOCIAL SERVICES IN HONOR OF Recovery of Dr. Robert Schriber Recovery of Celia Shulman Franklin Cohn earning a silver medal in tennis Susan & Jonas Gruenberg IN MEMORY OF Jim Isaacson Cathy Gardner
MARY BERG CULTURAL ARTS FUND IN MEMORY OF Carol Pavlofsky Jan & Jay Gregory EARLY CHILDHOOD FUND IN MEMORY OF Clara Solomon Phyllis Feller CULTURAL ARTS AND BOOK FAIR IN HONOR OF Wishing good health to Beth and Laura Rabinowitz Best of luck to Billy Rabinowitz on his new book Carolyn & Mel Caplan
LINDA RUCHMAN MEMORIAL FUND IN MEMORY OF Jim Isaacson Julie Ruchman Cindy & Todd Ruchman Judy & Marshall Ruchman
New & Renewing Voluntary Subscribers, Sept. 4 - 30 Double Chai Celia Clark Louise H. Tincher Subscribers Richard Britton Jeannie Day David Justis Robert & Gertrude Kahn Bernice Klaben Douglas Magilvy Michael & Ruthie Precker Leonard Press Ms. Kathe M. Slonim Current Guardian Angels Dan & Tara Brodbeck Marilyn & Larry Klaben Lawrence A. Lasky Walter Ohlmann Dr. Nathaniel Ritter Mrs. Dorothy Shane Current Angels Ken Baker K.W. Baker & Assoc. Annette & Skip Becker Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Bettman Michael & Amy Bloom
Hy & Sylvia Blum Betty & Don Chernick Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Feldman Esther & DeNeal Feldman Lynn Foster M.J. & Bella Freeman Felix & Erika Garfunkel Debby & Bob Goldenberg Kim & Shelley Goldenberg Mark & Kathy Gordon Drs. John & Elizabeth Green Art & Joan Greenfield Sydney Gross Susan & Joe Gruenberg Dr. & Mrs. Stephen Harlan Robert & Vicky Heuman Ralph E. Heyman Steve & Rachel Jacobs Dr. & Mrs. David Joffe Rice Jones Jr. Joyce & Chuck Kardon Dr. & Mrs. Charles Knoll Bert & Jean Lieberman Beverly Louis Dr. David & Joan Marcus Suzi & Jeff Mikutis Irvin & Gayle Moscowitz Myrna Nelson
Carole & Bernie Rabinowitz Russ Remick Franklin & Renee Handel Pam & Andy Schwartz Felice & Michael Shane Zerla Stayman Dr. Marc & Maureen Sternberg
Col Jeffrey Thau, USAF, (Ret) & Rina Thau Joel & Jennifer Tobiansky Julie & Adam Waldman & Family Caryl & Donald Weckstein Michael & Karen Weprin
It’s not rocket science. We can’t do it without your support! BMB
• •
To make your voluntary subscription to The Observer, go to jewishdayton.org THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • NOVEMBER 2013
PAGE 21
DAYTON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER To register or for details on all events listed here, contact Karen Steiger at 853-0372, KSteiger@jfgd.net.
Teens
Active Adults
For grades eight through 11. Saturday, Nov. 9, 6:30-9 p.m. Havdalah followed by food, fun and entertainment (Wii, Xbox, card and board games). At the home of Teri and Dr. Dan German. No cost. R.S.V.P. to Karen Steiger, 853-0372, by Nov. 6.
Thursday, Nov. 7, 5:30 p.m. at MCL, 4485 Far Hills Ave., Kettering. With Billy Rabinowitz, author of Buckeye Rebirth. Dinner on your own; $5 in advance/$8 at door for Cultural Arts & Book Fest event with Rabinowitz at 7 p.m. at the Boonshoft CJCE. R.S.V.P. to Karen Steiger, 853-0372, by Oct. 31.
Children’s Theatre program
Dine Around & Author Event
Game Night
J-YAD
Chanukah party
Sunday, Dec. 1, 1-3 p.m. at Scene 75, 6196 Poe Ave. Kosher food and $10 arcade game card for each participant. Additional activities on your own. Families welcome. Bring a gift for white elephant gift exchange. Gift doesn’t need to be new, just wrapped. R.S.V.P. to Karen Steiger, 853-0372, by Nov. 25.
Community
Understanding & Preventing Jewish Genetic Diseases
Wednesday, Nov. 13, 7 p.m. at the Boonshoft CJCE. Sponsored by the DJCC and the Jewish Genetic Disease Consortium. With JGDC’s Shari Ungerleider and Randy Glaser, community member Rachael Cross and geneticist Dr. Marvin Miller of Dayton Children’s Hospital. No cost. R.S.V.P. to Karen Steiger, 853-0372, by Nov. 6.
Based at the Boonshoft Center for Jewish Culture and Education 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville, 45459
Book Club Led by Ruthe Meadow
Friday, Nov. 22, 10:30 a.m.-noon. The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout. Hosted by Judi Grampp. R.S.V.P. to Judi at 8906271.
Muse Machine/JCC Performing Arts Workshop For grades 3-8. Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from Nov. 5 through Feb. 6, 4-6 p.m. at Sugar Camp, Oakwood. Performance workshops with Muse Machine artists Michael Bashaw, Beth Wright, and Michael Lippert. Learn improv, instrument creation, understanding diversity through
music, dance, and acting through the lens of living together on the globe. Workshops will culminate in a final performance on Sunday, Feb. 9 for friends, family and the community. The cost is $190 per child. R.S.V.P. to Karen Steiger at 853-0372 by Nov. 1. Payment is required to reserve your spot.
Early Childhood Services
Current Events w. Stanley Blum At the Boonshoft CJCE, 10 a.m. on Mondays, Nov. 11 & 25. At Covenant Manor, 4951 Covenant House Dr., Trotwood, 11 a.m. on Wednesdays, Nov. 6 and 20.
Lynda A. Cohen Yiddish Club Mein reise kayn Yiddish Belarus: Dr. Judy Woll will talk about her trip to Jewish Belarus. Sunday, Nov. 10, 1:30-3 p.m. at Starbucks, 2424 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood. R.S.V.P. to Judy at 470-0113.
יידיש
WINTER
Adam Snyder paints with an apple for Rosh Hashanah while Elaine Gottesman awaits her turn
Brooke Catchpole enjoys her cone at the Early Childhood Services Ice Cream Social and PTO Silent Auction
J-YAD FAMILY
Gear up for a winter-wonderland at DJCC’s Winter Camp Shalom Activities include arts and crafts, culture, community service, swimming, games, cooking, field trips, winter fun and more.
Boonshoft Center for Jewish Culture and Education
DAYTON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER DAYTON
Monday, December 23, 2013 through Friday, January 3, 2014
PAGE 22
(excluding Wednesday, December 25, 2013 and Wednesday, January 1, 2014)
8:45AM to 3:45PM Extended care available upon request. at the Boonshoft CJCE (525 Versailles Dr. Centerville 45459)
Kindergarten through Sixth grade Daily and session rates available, contact Yale Glinter at 401-1550 for more information. www.jewishdayton.org
JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER DAYTON
Chanukah
party
@75 SCENE
ght black-li lf mini go
tag
laser-
go-karts
bles
inflata
Celebrate Chanukah with friends as we enjoy a kosher lunch, play games and enjoy a white elephant gift exchange. Each guest will receive a $10 arcade card. Please bring a wrapped gift—no need for it to be new, the wackier the better for the gift exchange.
Sunday, December 1, 1-3PM Scene 75 (6196 Poe Ave. Dayton, 45414) RSVP to Karen Steiger at 853-0372 by November 25 Cost: No charge, $10 arcade card provided, additional activities are on your own. jewishdayton.org/jyad THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • NOVEMBER 2013
CARE GIVING FROM AFAR
Care giving can present challenges when your loved one lives near by, but when they live at least an hour away, some hurdles can feel like mountains. How you can be an effective long distance caregiver without distance getting in the way? Your options range from coordinating services for your loved one to providing emotional support and respite to the primary caregiver. Below are some tips to help facilitate care and show your support from afar: n
SCHEDULE A FAMILY MEETING: Gather family
and friends to discuss goals and divide up duties. Remember to include your loved one in the decision making process if possible.
ORGANIZATION IS KEY: Compile papers regarding your loved one’s medical condition, legal and financial issues. Keep a current list of contact numbers, insurance information, account numbers and any other pertinent details.
n
n
REMAIN IN CONTACT WITH PROVIDERS:
Ask your loved one to sign a release of information allowing the doctor(s) to discuss with you the course of the illness and how to possibly prevent crises and assist with disease management.
n ASK FOR HELP: Stay in contact with your loved one’s primary caregiver, friends, and neighbors for any changes or updates regarding health or safety issues. Perhaps someone can routinely check on your loved one.
SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP: If necessary, contact a local agency specializing in services for the elderly. Discuss with a social worker how to best arrange for your loved one’s needs.
n
n STAY IN TOUCH: Send greeting cards to your loved one. Set a time daily or weekly to contact by phone.
REMIND YOURSELF THAT YOU ARE DOING ALL THAT YOU CAN: Consider joining a support
n
group for caregivers. You may find it helpful and can benefit from the tips of others.
Know that you are not alone when it comes to caring for someone long distance. Find more information online at: MayoClinic.com. Amy Boyle, Social Worker for DAJSSA 853-0372 Ext. 1109.
MEDICARE ANNUAL ENROLLMENT: OCT 15 - DEC 7 MONTGOMERY COUNTY MEDICARE CHECKUP DATES NORTH FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 10AM TO 3PM VANDALIA SENIOR CENTER, 21 TIONDA DRIVE (off Dixie Drive in Vandalia) CALL 898-1232 for an app't FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 10AM TO 3PM EARL HECK CENTER, 201 N. MAIN ST., ENGLEWOOD CALL 836-5929 for an app't
SOUTH TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 10AM TO 3PM HITHERGREEN SENIOR CENTER , 5900 HITHERGREEN DRIVE (off Brookmont, which is off Far Hills, between Rahn and Whipp) CALL 435-2415 for an app't
BRING A LIST OF CURRENT PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.
AROUND TOWN
NOVEMBER EVENTS FOR SENIORS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 12:30PM The Art of Creating Hypertufa discussion and demonstration presented by Lisa Dineen and Jennie Elsnagle. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 11AM Current Events with Stanley Blum 1PM Quilting Mavens group with Mary Ann Bernstein FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, NOON Fresh Friday Delicious Home Cooked Meal PREPARED BY BERNSTEIN'S FINE CATERING
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 12:30PM Fall Craft Circle TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 12:30PM Celtic Music presented by Mike Collins TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 12:30 PM Getting to Know You- Ice Breaker Games WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 11AM Current Events with Stanley Blum 1PM Quilting Mavens group with Mary Ann Bernstein FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, NOON Fresh Friday Delicious Home Cooked Meal
PREPARED BY BERNSTEIN'S FINE CATERING
12:30PM Bingo TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 12:30PM A Chat with the Trotwood City Manager, Michael Lucking EVENT RESERVATIONS: Cheryl Benson, 937-854-6319
> Held at Covenant Manor 4951 Covenant House Dr., Trotwood
FAR LEFT: Assembling the High Holiday gift bags are JSSA Board Members (L-R)- Wendi Pavlofsky, Mary Ann Bernstein, Helene Gordon and Helen Abramovitz LEFT: Well known local musician Phil Ragnu delighted the audience at the Senior Lunch Program. The lunch program features a delicious kosher hot meal and weekly speakers and entertainment. Try it out soon! For more information and to make your reservation, call Cheryl Benson, Lunch Site manager, at 837-4360 DAJSSA is an Agency of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton www.jewishdayton.org [ALL SERVICES ARE CONFIDENTIAL]
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • NOVEMBER 2013
PAGE 23
Retirements, Note Cards, Invitations
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JCC PERFORMING ARTS
WORKSHOP
PARTNERING WITH THE MUSE MACHINE
Boonshoft Center for Jewish Culture and Education
DAYTON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER DAYTON
Come ready to learn music, dance and acting from the Muse Machine greats! Michael Bashaw, Beth Wright, and Michael Lippert will lead kids (grades 3 -8) Tuesdays and Thursdays in growing their creative talents, culminating towards a community performance on February 9.
PAGE 24
Bar Mitzvah
Dane Rinzler became a Bar Mitzvah on Aug. 19. He was called to the Torah during a Monday morning Torah service at Chabad of Topanga, Calif. Proud family are parents Karen Rinzler and Harley Rinzler and Dayton grandparents Allan and Brenda Rinzler.
Engagement
2600 Far Hills Avenue in Oakwood
(937) 299-8733
LIFECYCLES
Tuesday, November 5 4 - 6 PM (Tuesdays and Thursdays weekly until Feb. 6)
at Sugar Camp Building D (400 Sugar Camp Circle, 3rd floor)
Cost: $190 (payment is required to reserve your spot.)
RSVP to Karen Steiger at 853-0372 by Nov. 1
Philip and Janis Sussman of Richmond announce the engagement of their daughter, Margo Sussman, to Selwyn Ramp, son of Jan and Janny Ramp of Noorbeek, the Netherlands. Margo graduated from University of Pittsburgh, where she earned a master’s degree in library and information science. She currently works as a librarian in the Washington, D.C. area. Selwyn is pursuing a master’s degree in museology from the Reinwardt Academy in the Netherlands. He is also working as the volunteer coordinator at Chesapeake Natives Inc., an environmental non-profit dedicated to fostering education about and support for native plants. He is also consulting with various college galleries, and the Smithsonian Museum on Main Street Program to provide coordination support for their exhibits and collection development. Margo is the granddaughter of the late Leo and Mildred Fox, and the late Sylvia and Rudolph Lehman and the late Meyer Sussman. Selwyn is the grandson of the late Huibert van den Haak and Janna Hendrika Hoogenboom and the late Gerbrand and Willempje Ramp. Sharing in the couple’s happiness are Margo’s sister, Robin Sussman and brother, Jack Sussman and Selwyn’s brothers, Ewald Ramp, Vincent Ramp and his sister, Cindy Hadden. The couple met at Dickinson College and will reside in the Washington, D.C. area. The couple plans an October wedding.
Birth
Maebry Remmel was born to William Gossett and Jessica Watkins on Oct. 2 in St. Augustine, Fla. The proud bubbie is Judy Gossett. Send lifecycles to: The Dayton Jewish Observer, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville, OH 45459. Email: MWeiss@jfgd.net. There is a $10 charge to run a photo; please make checks payable to The Observer.
THE JEWISH FOOD INTERNET
Want to be a writer? ences everywhere, smart Jewish boys who always know the answers, and antisemitism.” According to Roiphe, the younger generation of writers like Nathan Englander and Leon Wieseltier “was raised within the Jewish tradition, and although it has serious objections to how it was informed, it does not mumble out of a Jewish vacuum...Their voices are not ethnic so much as traditional, source-filled, and full of their own identity. Religion and Mark tradition may be challenged or but only the way the Mietkiewicz attacked, son or daughter in a family will and the way a writer must — not vaguely, but precisely.” Read more in Roiphe’s essay, published author, Quiet AmeriFrom Jewish Writing to Writing cans: Stories (2011), and a selfJewish (http://bit.ly/jwrite5). proclaimed resource maven. National Jewish Book Award Her lists are great (and up to winner Dara Horn writes that date): • Jewish writing conferences nowadays, if you’ve written something “about someone and courses named Goldberg who once • Where to read (and pubate a bagel — poof, you have lish) writing on Jewish themes become a Jewish writer.” • Jewish organizations to She argues that Jewish writknow about ers have a responsibility to go • Six Ways to Publicize Your beyond the stereotypes and beJewish Book (and more) come familiar with traditional You can follow her very active Twitter feed @erikadreifus. Jewish sources so genuine Jewish themes can be incorporated Geared primarily toward into their writing. women, the Jewish “Writing that draws Writing Institute Of course, on such a legacy aims to “foster good writing has the potential self discovery and not only to inform intensify one’s Jew- is its own ish and spiritual reward. But an but to enrich, to enliven, to nouridentity.” There are articles adoring public ish, to revive the dead (http://bit.ly/ on a variety of top- doesn’t hurt. jwrite6).” ics including JumpOf course, good writing is starting your Writing, Publishits own reward. But an adoring ing in Jewish Newspapers and public doesn’t hurt. Nor does Magazines, three views on using a pen name (http://bit.ly/ acclaim and cash. Erika Dreifus has compiled jwrite2) as well as a companion a very helpful list of more than blog (http://bit.ly/jwrite3). Speaking of blogs, if you love 20 awards and prizes geared toward “published and unto write and are looking for a published fiction, poetry, and community that shares your creative nonfiction on Jewish passion, check out The Jewish themes (http://bit.ly/jwrite7).” Writing Project. This blog welThere’s a huge range here: comes “stories, poems, memoirs, interviews — even random from MomentMag.com’s Daniel thoughts — as long as you keep Pearl Investigative Journalism Initiative “designed to encourthe focus on being Jewish and on what being Jewish means to age young journalists to write in-depth stories about a modern you (http://bit.ly/jwrite4).” And what are Jewish writers manifestation of antisemitism or another deeply ingrained writing about? Anne Roiphe prejudice” to Lilith Magazine’s is seeing a huge shift since the Charlotte A. Newberger Poetry days of Bellow, Roth and MalPrize (http://bit.ly/jwrite8) to amud, whose stories had “the voice of the American Jew mov- the venerable National Jewish Book Awards (http://bit.ly/ ing into the mainstream (with) Yiddish jokes, sad stories, pres- jwrite9). suring mothers, self-sacrificing Mark Mietkiewicz may be reached mothers, beautiful blondes, at highway@rogers.com. pain of the soul, Jewish referIf the Great Jewish Novel is lurking inside you but can’t get out (or get published), there are people who want to help. With Jewish Book Month upon us, now is the time to end the procrastination and excuses: banish your Jewish writer’s block. The first and best stop is Erika Dreifus’ website (http:// bit.ly/jwrite1). Dreifus is both a
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • NOVEMBER 2013
JEWISH FAMILY EDUCATION
Black fire, white fire A look at the Holy Book series One of the most basic skills of perception is the ability to differentiate an object or shape from its background, described as positive and negative space or figure-ground. You are likely familiar with this psychological concept from faces-vase optical illusions or Escher’s birds-fish images in
What might we learn from what is not there?
Missing beginnings
Besides his being married to Sarah and moving with his father Terah from Ur to Haran, the text says nothing about Abraham before God’s command to go forth. But Abraham is not alone. The Torah is similarly silent about the early years of other Candace R. key characters in biblical history. The text picks up Joseph’s Kwiatek tale when he is already 17: a shepherd, a tattletale, and the recipient of an ornamented which the same part of the tunic. drawing can be seen as either We’re all familiar with Mothe image or the background. ses’ beginnings: saved by his This idea of figure-ground mother, guarded by his sister, perception came to mind when rescued by Pharaoh’s own Missing conversations I came across Simeon ben Lakdaughter, and raised in PhaDid you ever wonder what ish’s teaching that the Torah raoh’s court. But there’s nothCain and Abel talked about in was written in black fire upon ing more about him until he the field just bewhite fire. sees an Egypfore Cain struck The black fire forms the tian beating an Perhaps the and killed his figures, the letters and words, Israelite slave. Torah, too, is brother? Or the information content. The And Joshua like an optical what Sarah white fire is the empty negative appears in the heard as Ishspace, the background. Or is it? biblical text for illusion in which mael laughed or Perhaps the Torah, too, is the first time the figure and the teased, implying like an optical illusion in which fully grown, an interaction the figure and background can leading the background can with Isaac? Or switch places. battle against switch places. what the brothTraditionally, we look for Amalek. ers said as they the Bible’s message contained And yet, threw Joseph into the pit? in the written words, the black Abraham became the progeniLikely they would have fire. What if we look at the tor of the Jewish people and a uttered one-way accusations, white fire, the negative spaces new concept of God, and the pent-up expressions of the exwhere there is no text, where inspiration for Christianity treme jealousy that ultimately words appear to be missing? and Islam. Joseph saved his led to murder, exile, and deception. Nowhere in the text is there Literature to share a record of any conversations The Blessing Cup by Patricia Polacco: This award-winning among these sets of characters. author’s new illustrated book, designed as a prequel to The anti-jealousy message her earlier memoir, The Keeping Quilt, shares the tale of her of the written texts is clear, great-grandmother’s life in Russia before immigrating to but what is the lesson in the America. Woven through with family, values, traditions, empty negative spaces, in the and history, this book and its later companion tale are permissing conversations between fect for sharing between grandparents and grandchildren, the participants in these three and should be found in every Jewish home. relationships? We learn that relationships The Secret Knowledge: On the Dismantling of American are ultimately broken without Culture by David Mamet: A Pulitzer Prize winner and deep and honest two-way Academy Award nominee, Mamet is perhaps best known conversation. Successful relafor his play Glengarry Glen Ross and film Wag the Dog. tionships are built over time by Described throughout his career as controversial and intelsharing both positive and painlectual, Mamet continues in that tradition in Secret Knowlful ideas, information, feelings, edge, in which he addresses politics, economics, and culture and challenges. in America today. No matter where you fall on the political While such conversations spectrum, this book is worth serious consideration. may not lead to love, friend-
ship, or even acceptance, they are likely to lead to an understanding of one another that will encourage more positive outcomes than those in the text.
Missing voices
The modern challenge that women’s voices are largely absent in the biblical story is magnified by texts in which women had ample opportunity to speak, but their voices were silent. Noah’s wife was silent about the impending flood. Sarah was silent in the face of the binding of her son, Isaac. Rachel was silent over the fraud involved in her sister Leah’s marriage. Dinah was silent regarding her rape. What is the lesson in the empty negative spaces, in these missing female voices of protest against tragedy, sacrifice, injustice, and wrongdoing? We learn that the silence of women is not good for society. In the Bible, it allowed destruction, estrangement, bitterness, and death to prevail, and we see the same results in some modern societies.
By contrast, it was the upraised voices of Miriam on behalf of her infant brother in the bulrushes and the daughters of Zelophehad who brought righteousness into the world. Women must not be silent in the face of tragedy and injustice. It is said that the Torah was written with black fire on white: the black fire as the letters and the white fire as the spaces in between, together constituting the whole Torah. But perhaps the black letters are what is actually written, while the white spaces are what is not written but still must be understood, like the missing early years, the missing conversations, and the missing voices. To understand the whole message of the Torah, we must read both what is written and what is not. Family Discussion: Where in the Torah text do you see patterns of missing information, the white fire between the black letters? What message can you glean from what is not written?
TEEN
G A M E
NIGHT Saturday, November 9, 6:30-9PM at the home of Teri and Dan German
Boonshoft Center for Jewish Culture and Education
The Jewish Family Identity Forum
extended family from famine, reconciled with his estranged brothers in Egypt, and set the scene for the Exodus. Moses addressed endless challenges, from plagues to insurrections, led the Israelites from slavery to the Promised Land, and became the universal symbol of a liberator and lawgiver. And Joshua fulfilled God’s promise to Abraham by bringing the Israelites into the Land, setting the stage for self-rule under God’s laws. What is the lesson in the negative space, the missing early years of these four biblical figures who become men of integrity and legendary accomplishment? We learn that, in terms of character and achievement, one’s background, education, color, upbringing, birth order, life conditions, and peers are irrelevant. It is from the missing texts we learn that our choices as adults and not fate or circumstance determine who we become: who in terms of our character and who in terms of what impact we have on our world.
DAYTON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER AN AGENCY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER DAYTON
Mishpacha & Menschlichkeit
Our night of fun starts with Havdallah, followed by making our own pizza and an evening full of amusement and entertainment. Battle it out with friends on the Wii, Xbox, card and board games. Cost: No charge Questions & RSVP to Karen Steiger at ksteiger@jfgd.net or 853-0372 by Nov. 6
This event has been made possible through funding provided by The Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton Innovation Grant
www.jewishdayton.org
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • NOVEMBER 2013
PAGE 25
OBITUARIES Geri Burke, age 81 of Miamisburg, passed away Oct. 4. She is survived by her daughter, Debbie NahumParenti; son David Burke and wife Kathy of New Mexico and Texas; four grandchildren, Joseph Nahum, Zachary Johnson, Rachel Burke and Jessica Burke; two greatgrandchildren, Jaylen and Kira; one sister, Linda Sable. She was a medical technologist at Good Samaritan Hospital for more than 30 years and was an avid Ohio State Buckeyes fan and true animal lover. Interment was at Riverview Cemetery. The family requests that donations be made to the SICSA Pet Adoption Center, 2612 Wilmington Pike, Kettering OH 45429. Doris (Miller) Hulman, age 89, of Lafayette Hill, Pa., formerly of Dayton, passed away on Oct. 16 after six months of declining health due to congestive heart failure. She was born in Dayton on Nov. 17, 1923, and resided in Dayton until March 2007, when she moved to Lafayette Hill at age 83, to be near her children. Mrs. Hulman was the youngest of the six children of the late Herman and Hannah Miller. Her father was in the real estate and building business, which provided Mrs. Hulman an early taste of what she did and did not like in building and homes, and played a major role in her life. Her mother instilled her with her major lifelong passion, being part of a large family and caring for family members in their times of need. She met her late husband, Jule Hulman, when he was working at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base during World War II.
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For Both Locations Call 275-7434 PAGE 26
They married in 1944, and began building a life together and raising a family. Doris and Jule built their home in Dayton View in 1953, which became a place where family gathered for holidays, anniversaries and birthdays. She was a longtime member of Beth Abraham Synagogue. Mrs. Hulman is survived by her three children, Bruce Hulman of Smyrna, Del., Sonia Hulman of Philadelphia, and Jan Goldman of Olney, Md. She was the proud grandmother of Jan’s three children, Julian Goldman of Olney, Sam Goldman of New York, and Nina Goldman of Baltimore and the very proud great-grandmother of Julian and Masha Goldman’s son, David Goldman. Mrs. Hulman was preceded in death by her husband, Jule Hulman, her parents, her brothers, Morris Miller (Beverly Hills), Albert Miller, Zimmel Miller, Norman Miller (Dayton), and sister, Gertrude Stern (Bloomington, Ill.). Interment was at Beth Abraham Cemetery. The family requests contributions to Organizing for Action, 1201 16th St. NW, Suite 414, Washington, D.C. 20036. Roslyn S. “Roz” Klein, age 82 of Kettering, passed away comfortably at Hospice of Dayton on Oct. 9. Mrs. Klein was a member of Temple Israel, Hadassah and the Ohio and Miami Valley Geriatric Association. She had served on the boards of Hospice of Dayton and Jewish Family Service. Mrs. Klein was an employee of Good Samaritan Hospital for 20 years in pastoral care geriatric counselling and also taught classes there in elder care. She taught courses in the graduate department at the University of Dayton and co-authored two published books. She was preceded in death by her husband, Lewis D. Klein, and her son, Jay Klein. Mrs. Klein is survived by her husband, Dr. Morton Nelson; daughter and son-in-law, Ellen and Robert Rinsky of Cincinnati; two grandchildren, Jessica and Ben Rinsky; sister and brother-in-law, Esther and Joe Farruggio; nephews and cousins. Interment was at Riverview Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Dayton, Good Samaritan Hospital, Down Syndrome Association or the charity of your choice.
Ernest Ostreicher passed away on Oct. 12. He was born April 10, 1925 in Sighet, Romania. He was preceded in death by his parents and younger sister in the Holocaust. He was also preceded in death by his brothers-in-law Jack Wolf and Eugene Krauss. He is survived by his devoted wife of 63 years, Evelyn; daughters, Helen Halcomb, Isabelle Bernal (Robert), Sharon Ostreicher; grandson Aidan Bernal; sisters Shari Krauss and Gita Meryl (Moshe); numerous nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews and cousins. Mr. Ostreicher came to this country via Sweden after World War II as a jeweler. He met his wife and started his family in Lorain, Ohio where he established his profession, learned diamond setting and then opened his own jewelry store, Stricker’s Jewelry. There he met his future partner. He went into the discount business opening Ontario Stores in Springfield and Dayton, where he moved his family. After he left that business, he opened Omart Inc. discount stores in Sidney, Belfontaine and Urbana. When the changes of the discount dynamics happened, he established Drug Mart, a deep discount pharmacy chain in Dayton. After selling his Drug Mart chain, he moved to Sun City Summerlin in Las Vegas. There, he was able to indulge his passions for golf, skiing and playing poker as his full-time retirement activities. He lived there healthy and happy for 17 years. After successfully battling his first occurrence of cancer, he and his wife moved to Walnut Creek, Calif., near two of their daughters. Mr. Ostreicher loved his life and thoroughly enjoyed sharing with children in schools his experiences of living firsthand through the Holocaust. He received tremendous satisfaction knowing that he helped educate people about a horrible time in modern life so that it would never happen again. Mr. Ostreicher considered the United States as the greatest country in the world, only matched by his love for the state of Israel. He communicated this great love by having a tattoo of both flags put above his number from Auschwitz concentration camp. Interment was at Gan Shalom Cemetery, Martinez, Calif. Donations can be made to the Holocaust memorial fund of your choice.
Roz Klein brought Jewish presence to Good Samaritan By Renate Frydman Non-Jewish staff, doctors and Special To The Observer clergy also attended in search Having brought so much of better understanding of the solace and comfort to so many, Jewish faith. Roslyn S. Klein slipped quietly Slowly, Roz’s interaction away on Oct. 9 at Hospice of with Jewish patients expanded. Dayton, leaving a huge gap in She read a Jewish prayer over the hearts of those she had bethe public address system on friended and helped throughFriday mornings. Only Cathoout her life. lic prayers had previously been There are long lists of the read. She had Jewish prayer organizations Roz had voluncards printed to hand out to teered with through the years: patients of all faiths. in the Jewish comShe brought in munity she was a chicken soup and member of the Jewish matzah balls to her Federation’s United department, nurses Jewish Campaign stations, and to Cabinet and on the patients, with permisboard of Jewish Famsion. Roz led seminars ily Service. She also for the entire hospital gave a tremendous dietary staff on Jewish amount of support to menus and recipes. Hospice of Dayton, She promoted offering Hadassah, and the chicken soup on FriRoz Klein University of Dayton. days for all patients. But her greatest influence was Passing out electric candefelt at Good Samaritan Hospilabras for Jewish patients for tal, where she was employed in Friday night and making sure the Pastoral Care Department they had small gifts for Chanufor 20 years. kah were also innovations Roz This Catholic institution had brought to the hospital. many Jewish doctors, nurses “Understanding is key,” Roz and supporters; however, once said, and so she had pastoral Roz came on the scene in the care and other staff to her home Pastoral Care Department in for Sabbath and holiday meals. the mid 1970s, she made the A beautifully set table and disJewish presence felt in a way as cussions of customs heightened never before. their interest in Judaism. She started with those in Roz was with Jewish paher own department, asking if tients when they were in the she could hold services in the last moments of their life and chapel for the High Holy Days: with their families when they Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kipwere in turmoil, needing a kind pur. Roz brought touch and sympain Rabbi P. Irving ‘Understanding thetic person to Bloom from is key,’ Roz said, listen. She could Temple Israel for walk spiritedly the first services and so she had into a patient’s and then Rabbi pastoral care and room and bring Samuel Press other staff to her her warmth and from Beth Abrasunny spirit, or home for Sabbath she could tiptoe ham to assist with Passover and holiday meals. silently when services. They they just needed chose prayer texts and wrote a reassuring presence. some parts themselves. The “She had a very special services were well received by generosity of spirit and gift to staff and doctors, nurses and give other people. She lit up a patients, and not just Jewish room with her strong presence ones. and doctors treasured her,” Roz went one step fursays Mary Ann Westhoventher and enabled bedridden Widdowson, her former superpatients to view the services visor. “She had gone through through closed circuit TV in a lot of grief herself, with the their rooms on the holidays. loss of her son to an accident She invited Jewish doctors and her husband, Lewis. She and nurses to participate in turned that around to minister the services, held in the setting to others, understanding their of a Catholic hospital chapel losses. Roz’s influence will go with Catholic religious artion at Good Sam like the ripples facts covered up by approval. in a pond.” THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • NOVEMBER 2013
RELIGION
CONGREGATIONS Beth Abraham Synagogue Conservative Rabbi Joshua Ginsberg Cantor/Dir. of Ed. & Programming Andrea Raizen Daily services 6:50 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. Fri., 5:30 p.m. Sat. 9 a.m. and sundown Sat. eve. Sundays at 8:30 a.m. 305 Sugar Camp Circle, Oakwood. 293-9520. www.BethAbrahamDayton.org Beth Jacob Congregation Traditional Weekdays at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Sat. 9 a.m. Sun. 8 a.m. & 7 p.m. 7020 N. Main St., Dayton. 274-2149. bethjacob1@aol.com www.BethJacobCong.org Temple Anshe Emeth Reform Rabbinic Intern Marc Kasten Fri., Nov. 15, 7:30 p.m. 320 Caldwell St., Piqua. Call Eileen Litchfield, 937-5470092, elitchfield@woh.rr.com. Correspondence address: 3808 Beanblossom Rd., Greenville, OH 45331. www.ansheemeth.org Temple Beth Or Reform Rabbi Judy Chessin Asst. Rabbi/Educator David Burstein Fridays 7:30 p.m. Saturdays 10 a.m. 5275 Marshall Rd., Wash. Twp. 4353400. www.templebethor.com Temple Beth Sholom Reform Rabbi Haviva Horvitz See Web site for schedule. 610 Gladys Dr., Middletown. 513-422-8313. www.thetemplebethsholom.com Temple Israel Reform Rabbi David M. Sofian Rabbi/Educator Karen Bodney-Halasz 1st & 2nd Fri., 6 p.m. Other Fri., 7:30 p.m. Tot Shabbat 4th Fri., 6 p.m. Sat., 10:30 a.m. 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. 496-0050. www.tidayton.org/ Temple Sholom Reform Fridays 6 p.m. 2424 N. Limestone St., Springfield. 399-1231. www.templesholomoh.com
ADDITIONAL SERVICES Chabad of Greater Dayton Rabbi Nochum Mangel Associate Rabbi Shmuel Klatzkin Youth & Prog. Dir. Rabbi Levi Simon. Beginner educational service Saturdays 9 a.m. adults, 10 a.m children. 2001 Far Hills Ave. 643-0770. www. chabaddayton.com Yellow Springs Havurah Independent Services 1st & 3rd Saturdays, 10-noon. Antioch College Rockford Chapel. Contact Cheryl Levine, 937-767-9293.
Thanksgiving & Chanukah
ModernTribe.com
By Rabbi David M. Sofian Temple Israel According to Snopes.com what will soon happen has never happened before and will never happen again. What’s that? Only on Nov. 28, 2013 will the first day of Chanukah coincide with Thanksgiving. This is because the latest Thanksgiving can be — set on the fourth Thursday in November — is Nov. 28. As it turns out given the workings of the Jewish calendar, the ear-
Clearly, this year’s coincidence we don’t celebrate Chanukah has never happened before. for seven days. After all, the oil It also turns out that it will was supposed to burn for one never happen again. Why is day; the miracle would be that that? The math is way too hard it burned for the next seven. for me to really grasp What you may but it turns out that not know is that our Jewish calendar the Second Book of is very slowly getting Maccabees, which is out of sync with the found in the Apocrysolar calendar. I mean pha, gives us a differ- ModernTribe.com’s Menurkey really slowly; at a ent and to my mind the harvest should be celebratrate of four days per more interesting ed with a feast of thanksgiving, 1,000 years. reason. There it says, was inspired by our Torah’s Putting this all “The joyful celebradiscussion of Sukkot also. together means that tion lasted for eight Therefore, I think we might while currently the Rabbi David M. Sofian days; it was like the ask, is there something imporearliest Chanukah Feast of Tabernacles can come is Nov. 28, as the (Sukkot), for they recalled how, tant, even crucial, to learn from the juxtaposition of Chanukah years pass, the earliest Chaonly a short time before, they and Thanksgiving? nukah can come will be Nov. had kept the feast while they liest Chanukah can be is also This connection reminds me 29. The math says the very last were living like wild animals Nov. 28. Given that the Jewthat as American Jews we need time Chanukah will fall on in the mountains and caves; ish calendar follows a 19-year to balance two very difficult Nov. 28 is the year 2146. Unfor- and so they carried garlanded cycle and the day on which responsibilities. tunately, that day is a Monday. wands and branches with their Thanksgiving falls follows a Thanksgiving is universally Bottom line: this year, 2013, fruits, as well as palm-fronds, seven-year cycle, one might American. It is is the only time the first day of and they chanted think these two events would the only religious Chanukah and Thanksgiving hymns to the coincide about every 133 years As American holiday that all Day will coincide. Pretty interOne who had (19 X 7). That would mean the Americans can esting! This unique occurrence so triumphantly Jews we need last time it happened would without started me thinking. achieved the puhave been 1861. But President to balance two share reservation. It Allow me to ask a fundarification of His Lincoln only formally estabpoints us to the mental question: why do we own Temple.” lished Thanksgiving in 1863. very difficult bounty of God’s In other ModernTribe.com celebrate Chanukah for responsibilities. creation and eight days? Everyone, words, the rereminds us to be even many non-Jews, dedication of the knows the answer, corTemple (Chanukah) was associ- thankful for all our blessings. On the other hand, Charect? ated with Sukkot, an extremely nukah is especially particular The answer that has important festival observance about Jewish religious heritage been drilled into us in that time. and identity. It points us to our from the earliest age Just as Sukkot, with its need to rededicate ourselves is the one the Talmud special eighth-day observance to our Judaism and our special offers about the mi(Shemini Atzeret) lasted eight Jewish identities even as the raculous vial of oil that days according to the Torah, Maccabees rededicated themburned for eight days so the Maccabees’ celebration selves to theirs by refusing the instead of one. of the Temple’s rededication lure of assimilation to Greek Even though virlasted eight days. culture. tually all of us have It is very much worth recallI think there can be no doubt accepted that answer, ing that our American Thanksthat it is difficult to balance giving holiday, the notion that Thanksgivukkah T-shirt by ModernTribe.com I always wonder why both. It can be hard to be part of our larger society and at the same time be devoted to our Jewish heritage and committed to its survival. Yet, this year, the unique circumstance of the first day Shabbat Torah of Chanukah coinciding with Candle Thanksgiving Day itself rePortions Lightings Chanukah minds us that we must do both Festival of Lights November 2/29 Cheshvan if we are to continue to thrive Nov. 28-Dec. 5/25 Kislev-3 Tevet Toledot (Gen. 25:19-28:9) November 1 as Americans and as Jews. Eight-day holiday commemorating 6:18 p.m. This year as we simultaneNovember 9/6 Kislev Jewish victory over the Syrianously observe the American Vayetze (Gen. 28:10-32:3) November 8 Greeks and the miracle of the feast of Thanksgiving and the 5:10 p.m. rededication of the Temple. One November 16/13 Kislev Jewish Festival of Lights, may day’s oil for the Temple’s light Vayishlach (Gen. 32:4-36:43) November 15 we remember to be grateful for lasted eight days. A chanukiah 5:04 p.m. all our blessings living here in November 23/20 Kislev (menorah) is lit for eight nights, America and remember to keep Vayeshev (Gen. 37:1-40:23) November 22 and latkes (potato pancakes) are the flame of Jewish heritage 4:59 p.m. fried in oil to commemorate the November 30/27 Kislev and identity burning. That is story. Children play with dreidels Miketz (Gen. 41:1-44:17; November 29 what I think our special calenNum. 7:24-29) and gifts are exchanged. 4:56 p.m. dar oddity is teaching us.
Perspectives
November • Cheshvan/Kislev
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • NOVEMBER 2013
PAGE 27
Turkey meets the big latke at Thanksgivukkah By Helen Nash, JTA The phenomenon this year of Chanukah and Thanksgiving coinciding could mean even larger family gatherings than usual. So here are some tips: Plan the menus well ahead of the special celebration, and pick recipes that are easy to follow and make them well in advance. This way, cooks can enjoy their company. Have a few appetizers available as guests arrive and dinner isn’t ready. One of my favorites is hummus, which I like to serve with cucumbers, radishes, bell peppers and toasted pita triangles. My recipe uses canned chickpeas, which makes it easy to prepare and is a huge timesaver. Hummus can also keep in the refrigerator for a while, so it can be prepared toward the beginning of the week. I like to start my holiday gatherings with soup, and for “Thanksgivukkah,” I suggest Barley Soup with Miso. It’s a delicious variation on the traditional mushroom barley that most of us know (and love) from childhood. This recipe is vegetarian, it’s a perfect fall dish and can be made ahead of time because it freezes well.
What would Thanksgiving be without turkey? And Chanukah without latkes? My roast turkey is surprisingly easy to make. For Chanukah I like to make a Grated Potato Pancake, which is ideal when you are expecting many guests. To end the festive meal for this once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, I recommend everyone’s favorite – brownies. The fudgy treats can be cut into any size or shape. They freeze well and can be served with sorbet or fruit. Hummus Makes about 10 servings as an hors d’oeuvre or dip. Makes six appetizer servings.
the norm because the garlic is baked first. 8 unpeeled garlic cloves One 15.5-oz. can chickpeas, drained 3 Tbsp. tahini (sesame paste) 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tsp. kosher salt 1/4 tsp. ground cumin 1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp. cold water Wrap the garlic tightly in a piece of foil. Bake in a toaster oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until soft. Remove and let cool until you can handle the cloves. Squeeze the pulp from each clove into a food processor. Add the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, salt, and cumin. Pulse until smooth, adding water through the feed tube until the mixture is creamy and has a mayonnaise-like consistency. Season to taste.
Plan the menus well ahead of the special celebration, and pick recipes that are easy to follow
My family and friends always love this creamy dish, which can be found all over the world. Since hummus refrigerates well, I try to keep it on hand as a nutritious snack for my children and grandchildren. The canned chickpeas make this version less garlicky than
Barley Soup With Miso Makes 12 servings.
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The addition of miso adds a delicate Asian flavor; the bright green dill, a nice jolt of color. 2 medium onions 3 garlic cloves 4 celery stalks, peeled 4 medium carrots, peeled 1 lb. white mushrooms 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup medium pearl barley 8 cups vegetable broth 1 bunch fresh dill 2 Tbsp. barley miso paste (see note following preparation steps.) Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper
Barley Soup With Miso
It is easy to chop the vegetables in a food processor. Quarter the onions and garlic, and pulse in the food processor until coarse; remove to a bowl. Cut the celery and carrots into large pieces. Pulse them separately until coarse, and add to the onions and garlic. Wipe the mushrooms with a damp paper towel and cut them in quarters. Pulse until coarse and set aside. (If you chop everything together, the vegetables will become mushy.) Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Sauté the onions, garlic, celery, and carrots for one minute. Add the barley and broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the soup along with half the dill. Cook for another 15 minutes or until the barley is tender. Remove and discard the dill. Stir in the miso and season to taste with salt and pepper. Snip the remaining dill for garnish. Note: You can buy barley miso in most health-food stores. Grated Potato Pancake Makes 12 servings This large pancake is fun to serve to a large gathering — you just cut it into cake-like wedges — and it’s not greasy. Another plus: You can prepare it ahead of time and reheat before serving. 4 large Idaho baking potatoes Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil Peel and quarter the potatoes. If you are not grating them immediately, place them in a bowl of cold water to prevent discoloration. Using the medium grating attachment of a food processor, grate the potatoes coarsely. Place in a dish towel and wring dry to remove the liquid. Transfer to a bowl. Season well with salt and pepper. Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet. Add the potatoes, patting them down firmly with a spatula to flatten them and even out the edges. Cook over medium-high heat for about eight minutes, until the bottom is golden. Invert the pancake onto a plate and add the remaining two tablespoons of oil to the skillet to heat. Slide the pancake back into the skillet. Pat it down again with the spatula and cook for another eight minutes, or until the underside is golden. Invert onto a platter and cut into the desired number of slices. Roast Turkey Makes 12 to 14 servings. You do not have to wait for Thanksgiving to serve this dish, as it is easy to make and quite tasty. I often serve it when I have many guests to feed. 14-lb. turkey 3 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice 3 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce Freshly ground black pepper 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • NOVEMBER 2013
1 cup dry white wine 2 onions 5 sprigs rosemary 5 Tbsp. unsalted margarine, melted Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Discard any excess fat from the turkey. Rinse it inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Season the skin and the cavity with the lemon juice, soy sauce, and pepper. Combine the orange juice and wine in a measuring cup with a spout. (This makes pouring easier.) Thinly slice one of the onions and set it aside. Cut the other onion in quarters and place it in the cavity along with the rosemary sprigs. Brush the turkey with the margarine and place it on its side in a roasting pan. Scatter the sliced onion around the pan. Roast the turkey for 30 minutes, basting with the orange juice-wine mixture. Turn the turkey on its other side and roast for another 30 minutes, continuing to baste. Turn the turkey breast side up and, continuing to baste, roast for 20 minutes. For the final 20 minutes, place the turkey breast side down. (If the drumsticks begin to get too brown, cover the ends with foil.) The turkey is ready when the drumsticks move easily in their sockets and the juices run clear. (The total cooking time is about 1 hour, 40 minutes, or about seven minutes per pound.) A meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast should read 160. Remove the turkey from the oven and cover it tightly with heavy foil. Let it stand for 30 minutes. (This allows the juices to flow back into the tissues.) Place it on a cutting board. Pour the contents of the roasting pan into a small saucepan. Put the saucepan in the freezer for about 10 minutes, so the grease can quickly rise to the top. (This makes it easier to remove.) To serve: Skim off the fat and reheat the pan juices. Discard the onion and rosemary from the cavity and carve the turkey. Serve with the juices.
for dusting the pan 5 oz. good-quality imported semisweet chocolate, broken into small pieces Scant 13/4 cups sugar 4 large eggs, room temperature 1 tsp. vanilla extract Generous 1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan with wax paper. Grease the paper with one tablespoon of the margarine and dust it with one tablespoon of the flour. Invert and tap the pan to shake out the excess flour. Place the remaining margarine and the chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Cover and set over simmering water. Stir from time to time until all is melted. Remove the top from the double boiler. Using a wooden spoon, gradually add the sugar, stirring continuously until the chocolate is smooth. Stir in one egg at a time until
..
.for
well mixed. Add the vanilla and flour and blend well. Stir in the chopped nuts. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, tilting the pan to spread the batter evenly. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 20 minutes or until the top is slightly firm to the touch and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out moist. Cool on a wire rack. Run a metal spatula around the sides of the pan to loosen the brownies. Invert the pan onto a board and cut into squares. Note: These brownies freeze well. Place them side by side in an air-tight plastic container, with wax paper between the layers. Helen Nash is the author of New Kosher Cuisine: Healthy, Simple & Stylish. Born into a rabbinical family in Cracow, she lives in New York and has studied with cooks Michael Field, Marcella Hazan, Lydie Marshall, and Millie Chan.
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Arts&Culture
The dilemmas of Andrew Solomon Dayton Literary Peace Prize honoree tackles Jewish and gay identity By Dinah M. Mendes Forward In his ambitious study of the relationships between exceptional or unusually challenging children and their parents, Andrew Solomon confesses, informs and enlightens with the same capacious sweep that distinguished his last work, The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression. Solomon’s range encompasses politics, culture and psychology, and the intricate intersection of the three. If the catalyst for The Noonday Demon was his personal struggle with incapacitating depression, the spur for Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity (Scribner) was his experience growing up in the 1960s and ’70s in an affluent and assimilated Jewish family, the gay son of parents who loved and cherished him but wanted him to be heterosexual like them. At the outset of Far From the Tree, Solomon differentiates between the vertical identity that is passed down to children from parents via genetics and familial norms (ethnicity, language and shared physical, intellectual and emotional traits are examples) and horizontal identity, which refers to traits that are foreign to the family and unique to the child, and often propel identification with a community outside the family. Solomon links his struggle to accept himself as gay with his mother’s resistance to the emerging signs of his homosexuality and her efforts to reorient him. Over time he came to understand that she felt extreme shame about her vertical identity of Jewishness. Her father kept his religion secret to protect his high-level job in a company that didn’t hire Jews, and when she was a young woman, her fiancé broke off his engagement to her when his family threatened to disown him if he married a Jew.
Undoubtedly, manifest vertical identities present their own problems in families, but that is not the subject of this book. Instead, choosing some of the most extreme examples of horizontal identity, Solomon sets out “to explore the spectrum of difference...to show that a child’s traumatic origin (rape) or traumatic acts (crime) can have surprising parallels to the condition of his mind (autistic, schizophrenic, prodigious) or of his body (dwarfism, deafness).” The 10 chapters that follow — Deaf, Dwarfs, Down Syndrome, Autism, Schizophrenia, Disability, Prodigies, Rape, Crime and Transgender — are bookended by an opening chapter, Son, and a closing chapter, Father, which span Solomon’s personal journey that culminates in his decision to become a father. Far From the Tree offers a breadth of ideas and a wealth of details. Each chapter is a self-contained and comprehensive survey of its subject, providing historical background and sociopolitical context that alternate with vivid and poignant excerpts from Solomon’s home visits and interviews, interlaced with the author’s reflections and observations. Examples abound of parents’ dedication and determination to secure the best possible existence for their afflicted children, and the ferocity and power of parental love — the template for all other forms of love — are indisputable. Another of Solomon’s premises is the growth-enhancing potential of adversity that is confronted and dealt with. He illustrates this in the life stories of children born with handicapping situations, but more particularly in the accounts of parents who Andrew Solomon will receive the 2013 raise children whom Dayton Literary Peace Prize for Nonfiction they never would at a sold-out dinner on Nov. 3 at the have imagined or Schuster Center. Reservations are still wished for but who available for a conversation with the prize come to enlarge their winners and presenters on Sunday, Nov. 3 parents’ horizons in at 11 a.m. at Sinclair Community College’s unanticipated ways. Ponitz Center. The cost is $10. R.S.V.P. to “It is not suffering that Linda Harrison at 859-9106. is precious,” Solomon
writes, “but the concentric pearlescence with which we contain it” — a Solomonic nugget that captures the writer’s capacity to be simultaneously gnomic and expansive, literary and scientific. The subject of identity, which informs the subtitle of Far From the Tree, is a much more complex topic than either the specific conditions included or the relatively straightforward and ennobling messages about parental love, and the transformative power of struggle with unimaginable and seemingly unendurable challenges. If I have a quibble with Solomon’s book, it is that the subject of identity remains too contextual and even amorphous at times. Solomon does not provide a working definition of identity, nor does he demarcate it from the process of identification that seems to be an essential ingredient in parents’ alliance with children who are very different from them. Parental love, as Solomon notes, is a paradoxical amalgam of self-love and love for another who is different from oneself; related to this, although not equivalent, is the “close to the tree” child who reflects sameness with the parent at one end of the spectrum and all the possibilities and varieties of difference at the other end. Identity is a fluid concept, and it is not always clear whose identity is at stake, the child’s or the parent’s. For some of the conditions examined — deafness, dwarfism and transgenderism — there are vibrant communities that reinforce and embrace horizontal identity. The question of what constitutes identity and what constitutes illness underlies many of the situations represented in Far From the Tree. If the psychological sine qua non of identity is self-awareness with both cognitive and emotional constituents, what can be said about the identity of schizophrenics, whose sense of self and reality is often deluded, or severely cognitively disabled people, whose discrimination is rudimentary?
Another complication is the evidence that many higher functioning Down syndrome and autistic people who were exposed to early and intensive intervention may ultimately come to feel less content than their lowerAnnie Leibovitz functioning peers; as their Author Andrew Solomon was born into a Jewish family that struggled to accept his development is stimulated, their awareness of sexual identity their deficits and differoften achieve, and the gratificaences compared with “typical” tion that affords the parents — people also becomes sharper. In Solomon’s investigation of seems too obvious. This leads back again to the conundrum varying examples of horizonof parental love, the fundamental identity, the impairment of children with severe disabilities tal imbrication of narcissistic or self-love and love for the other, would appear to preclude the possibility of their achieving an the interweaving of sameness and difference. organizing identity, and then The mother of one of the it becomes clear that it is the two Columbine perpetrators, identity of the parents of such interviewed for the crime children that is the real subject. chapter, reflects, “I know it The same is true in a different would have been better for the way for children conceived in world if Dylan had never been rape (who may actually never know their origin) and children born. But I believe it would not have been better for me.” Here, who commit crimes, whose we are faced with the essential parents are agonizingly tested intertwining, in identity formain their parental identity. tion as well as other aspects, of Solomon’s inclusion of the parent-child relationship: prodigies in his compendium Parents shape the identity of of exceptional parent-child their children, but their own situations seems counterinexperience and identity as partuitive, despite the author’s rationale. Certainly, these near- ents are defined in turn by their particular children. genius children can present outsized challenges, but it is difficult to view them in terms Dinah M. Mendes is a clinical of adversity, a characteristic of psychologist and psychoanalyst in all the other conditions studNew York. This article originally ied. In addition, the pleasure appeared in the Forward on Jan. component — the recognition and celebrity that such children 25, 2013.
THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • NOVEMBER 2013
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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • NOVEMBER 2013