Temple Beth Or Founders' Day Shavuot, annual meeting
Temple Beth Or's 40th anniversary celebrations continue Sunday, June 1 with its annual meeting and Founders' Day Shavuot program. At 3 p.m., the congregation will host a wine, cheese, and hors d'oeuvres reception, with the annual meeting and a concurrent youth program at 4 p.m.
At 5:30 p.m., the temple will recognize its founding members during its Shavuot service, followed by dinner at 6:15 p.m. For more information and to RSVP, go to templebethor.com.
Israel at 77 celebration
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The Hashayara ensemble from Israel's Galilee performs at the JCC's Celebrate Israel at 77 dinner, May 1 in partnership with Beth Abraham Synagogue, Beth Jacob Congregation, Hadassah, Jewish War Veterans, Temple Beth Or, and Temple Israel at the Boonshoft Center for Jewish Culture & Education. The band's visit was under the auspices of the Jewish Agency's Partnership2Gether program, of which Dayton's Jewish Federation is a member. P2G connects Dayton and 16 other Jewish communities across the central United States with Budapest, Hungary and Israel’s Western Galilee. P2G also brought two IDF soldiers to Dayton for the event to share their experiences. The two also met with students at Hillel Academy Jewish day school and Jewish community leaders.
Peter Wine
Rochel Simon Peter Wine
Cincinnati-based Israeli chef Tsvika Silberberg prepared the Israeli kosher dinner for the program, with help from volunteers.
Lilith Shapero, daughter of Kathryn and Jeremy Shapero, works on an Israeli-themed craft as part of the celebration.
'Jews work here'
Virulent antisemitic vandalism shuts down Miamisburg Applebee's April 26.
By Marshall Weiss
The Observer
Customers heading to lunch at Applebee’s Grill and Bar at 105 N. Springboro Pike in Miamisburg on Saturday, April 26 were met with a closed restaurant that had been vandalized with messages and symbols of Jew hatred on two sides of the building.
A sign on the front door, just above a swastika painted in red, carried the message, “Due to vandalism, we will remain closed until further notice.”
A photo of that image and five others, posted by April Dunn at the Facebook group, West Carrollton Talk, went viral that afternoon.
The vandalism seen in
the other images — all spray painted in red — included the messages “F— Jews” on a window, “Jews work here” on brick, “F— this place” across two windows, and a swastika across another window.
“I took these photos this morning after I noticed vandalism on the side of the building,” Dunn posted at her Facebook page, along with the photos. “This is absolutely disgusting. There is no reason for this type of hate and vitriol. An absolutely disgusting display supporting hate and Nazi ideology.”
The Dayton Daily News reported Saturday afternoon, April 26 that according to Montgomery County Regional Dispatch, Miamisburg police responded to reports of the restaurant being tagged at about
7:52 a.m.
Ken Jarosik, Miamisburg’s communications manager, told the Dayton Daily News that the morning shift manager had arrived at the Applebee’s and “noticed unknown individuals painted swastikas and hate messages toward Jews on multiple areas of the building.” Jarosik added that a police investigation is underway and that no suspects had been identified yet.
The Miamisburg Police case report obtained by The Observer indicated that Applebee’s opening manager arrived at 8 a.m. the morning of Saturday, April 26 and saw the vandalism. The manager told police that “he felt that the graffiti was personal because he is Jewish” but that Continued on Page Four
Among the 25th JCC Film Fest's offerings in June is one with a Dayton connection. The 2024 docudrama Troll Storm is the story of Tanya Gersh, a realtor and soccer mom in Whitefish, Montana. Tanya's husband, Judah, grew up in Dayton. In 2016, a neo-Nazi leader began a troll storm (harassment of a person via social media) against her and her family. With the Southern Poverty Law Center, Tanya fought back. She won a federal lawsuit against the neo-Nazi leader to pay her more than $14 million in damages. Troll Storm is also about the outpouring of support Tanya received from the people of Whitefish and across the state. "My community was my backbone," Tanya told me in 2019 when she visited Dayton to speak at a Hadassah event. She fought back not for the financial damages she would never receive, but for her children and the message the verdict sent: Hate speech is not free speech. “That’s what I won. You cannot hide behind the First Amendment if it affects somebody else.”
When it comes to comparing retirement communities, you will not find transportation services quite like what One Lincoln Park offers their residents. A convenient part of the relaxed lifestyle for active seniors at One Lincoln Park is our complimentary chauffeured transportation. Sit back in luxury as our courteous and well-trained drivers whisk you to your destination whenever you wish to go and bring you back when you are ready.
Marshall Weiss
A photo taken Saturday, April 26 at Applebee’s, 105 N. Springboro Pike, Miamisburg, with profanity blurred out, went viral on social media.
Bark Mitzvah Boy
'Jews work here'
Continued from Page Three he was “unaware of any issues with other employees or customers.”
The Observer contacted the Miamisburg Applebee’s Sunday, April 27 and was told employees are not making comments and to contact Applebee’s media relations.
Rodney Conant of RMH, the franchisee that owns the Miamisburg Applebee’s, told WDTN-TV April 26, “We have no tolerance for discrimination of any kind at Applebee’s and are deeply saddened by the vandalism that occurred at our Miamisburg restaurant. We are cooperating with local authorities in their investigation and hope to reopen tomorrow (Sunday), where guest and team member safety will remain our top priority.”
John Peyton, CEO of Dine Brands and interim president of Applebee’s, said he condemns and is disgusted by the vandalism at the Miamisburg Applebee’s, in a statement to The Observer, April 27. “And there is no place for antisemitic – or any form of – hate speech in our neighborhoods.”
Applebee’s declined to comment further, citing the safety of its team members.
According to the Miamisburg Police Department report, police were not able to identify any perpetrators from security cameras posted in the area. Applebee’s opening manager told police the restaurant doesn’t have interior or exterior cameras.
Police then checked with neighboring businesses to see if any had cameras facing Applebee’s. One did, however when police reviewed the video, they were unable to observe any possible suspects because of the
distance and quality of the video.
“We’ve seen the statistics, an 893-percent increase in antisemitic incidents in the United States over the past decade according to the AntiDefamation League,” Cathy Gardner, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton, said. “To see it here, the day before our Yom Hashoah remembrance, is devastating. It exhibits the Jew hatred that we know exists, and that was at the root of the horrors of the Holocaust.”
A community member confirmed to The Observer that the vandalism was power washed from the building’s facade by mid-afternoon, Saturday, April 26.
The Applebee’s, near the Dayton Mall, was open for business at 11 a.m., Sunday, April 27.
“We are living in volatile and difficult times, and I cannot be more disappointed by this act,” Miamisburg Mayor Michelle Collins said in a statement issued by the Miamisburg Police Department, Monday, April 28. “Whether it was driven by hatred, racism, or a thoughtless prank, there is no justification.”
Collins urged anyone with information about the crime or any similar incidents to contact Detective J. Kohlrieser at 937-847-6609 or regional dispatch at 937-225-HELP.
“I want to assure all residents that we take this matter seriously,” Miamisburg Police Chief Mike Brem said in the statement.
“Hate crimes have no place in Miamisburg, and we are committed to investigating this incident thoroughly. Our detectives are already working diligently to gather evidence and identify those responsible for this despicable act.”
The Dayton Jewish Observer, Vol. 29, No. 9. 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 columnists, in readers’ letters, and in opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the opinion of staff or layleaders of The Dayton Jewish Observer or the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton. 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.
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The front door of Applebee's at 105 N. Springboro Pike in Miamisburg, April 26.
April Dunn
Israeli jazz vocalist to headline Jewish Cultural Festival
"I'm coming to the U.S. to perform and it makes me very, very happy because it's been a while and, also, after last year — the cancellations and all — here I have festivals that did book me," singer/ songwriter Daphna Levy says via Zoom from her home on a moshav (village) not far from Ben Gurion Airport.
Levy's international touring career came to a halt in the wake of the Hamas massacre of Oct. 7, 2023 and the ensuing Israel-Hamas war.
About seven months ago, she resumed touring. Levy will headline Temple Israel's Jewish Cultural Festival at 1 p.m., Sunday, June 8.
Singer/songwriter Daphna Levy
Israel," Levy says.
Two weeks later, she'll perform in Minneapolis at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival.
Levy has sung at the Bansko Jazz Fest in Bulgaria, London's Royal Albert Hall, Paris' New Cultural Center, the Baku Jazz Festival in Azerbaijan, and Croatia's Zrinski Art Festival.
"Normally, everywhere I perform, I'm an Israeli and a Jewish performer, and everywhere I go, I always tell about Jewish tradition and about
Temple Israel will host its Jewish Cultural Festival, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday, June 8, 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. Admission is free. Food, beverages, and crafts are available for purchase. Full schedule at tidayton.org/festival.
"It doesn't matter where, even in Muslim countries — not Arab countries, of course — but I perform in places like Kosovo, Albania, Azerbaijan. And a lot of times I also collaborate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, so I have this huge banner of Israel right on top of my head during the performance. So you see, it's a strange place to be for me now."
14th-generation sabra with roots in Tiberias.
Levy was born and raised in a suburb of Tel Aviv.
"American culture is my thing. I guess it all comes down, just like anything else, to love. To the love of it.
And throughout the years, I developed my own style and my own sound, which is kind of a crossover of jazz with Hebrew songs, Jewish music, Mediterranean sounds."
One of her songs, Tiberias Blues, is a nod to her father's lineage.
"It depicts the scene of Tiberias 200 years ago. It's very visual, based on what I saw and what I read. I did some research before I wrote this."
In Dayton, she'll also sing a jazz arrangement of a song from Fiddler on the Roof.
'I do my best to focus on bringing good to the world through music.'
To this listener, Levy's jazz phrasing calls to mind Ella Fitzgerald — remarkable for a sabra (native-born Israeli) whose parents are also sabras. On her father's side, she says, she's a
Accompanying Levy at the Jewish Cultural Festival will be pianist Itay Abramovitz. She hopes her June performances in the U.S. will develop into a tour, with more bookings to come.
"It hasn't been as easy this time. I just accept that this is what's going on in the U.S. right now. So I do my best to focus on bringing good to the world through music."
When asked how the massacre and war have impacted her life in Israel, she says, "I'm just really tired, honestly. It's been all the anxiety with the sirens. You never know when it's going to happen and whether you're going to be home or driving the car. You're constantly worrying about our soldiers and the hostages."
Levy says she's hopeful first and foremost for all the living hostages to return safely.
"That's the top priority. And then a lot of work will be needed to heal this society."
More festival highlights New this year to the festival
will be food for purchase from All The Best Delicatessen.
Temple Israel's bakery in partnership with Ghostlight Coffee's bakery returns this year, along with Graeter's. Entertainment includes the return of the Miami Valley Klezmer Ensemble, Mary "Mahira" Rogers, and the Shimmy Cats.
The children's area, near the open-air vendor marketplace, will include a petting zoo, stories, games, and crafts.
Inside the temple, congregants will lead tours and speakers will present on topics including Judaism, the Holocaust, and Dayton's Jewish history. — Marshall Weiss
Shimshon Helor
Division I Art, Grades 5-8
1st Place: Jacob Zhao, Taylor
2nd Place: Lillian Kreimer, Taylor
3rd Place: Elizabeth Ailabouni, Hastings
Division II Art, Grades 9-12
1st Place: Brenden Cole, Stebbins
2nd Place: Clara Griffin, Stivers
3rd Place: Leila Porter, Stivers
Hon. Men.: Caden Hatcher, Chaminade
Division I Poetry & Writing, Grades 5-8
1st Place: Liam Smerbeck, MVS
2nd Place: Zeke Gilbert, Hillel
3rd Place: Cayden Morehead, Taylor
Hon. Men.: Madison Thomas, Taylor
Division II Poetry & Writing, Grades 9-12
1st Place: Harpreet Kaur, MVS
2nd Place: Katie Church, MVCTC
3rd Place: Laila Easterwood, Stivers
Hon. Men.: Chaya Castle, Stivers
Greater Dayton Yom Hashoah Observance
April 27 • Beth Abraham
Photos: Peter Wine
Violinist Moira Levant performs Prayer in Times of Trouble with the Dayton Jewish Chorale accompanied by pianist Bryon Dobbs at the Yom Hashoah Observance. On the bima are Torah scrolls from Dayton's Jewish congregations that had previously served European Jewish communities until the rise of the Nazis.
Observance speaker Elaine Buckler lights a candle on the Dayton Yom Hashoah Candelabra as shamos Jonah Dorf looks on.
2nd generation survivor Leonard Wyrobnik sings Ani Ma'amin
2nd generation survivors (from L) Lisa Harlan, Helen Halcomb, and Helene Gordon lead a dialogue with teens before the observance.
Holocaust Education Committee Chair Renate Frydman with writing contest winners (from L) Zeke Gilbert, Cayden Morehead, and Harpreet Kaur.
Art contest winners (from L) Jacob Zhao, Lillian Kreimer, Elizabeth Ailabouni, and Brenden Cole.
The Silent Scream by Madison Preston, 12th grade, Miami Valley Career Technology Center, an entry in the art contest.
received a standing ovation for his presentation, Remembrance & Resilience, April 24 for PechaKucha Vol. 56 at the Dayton Art Institute. A descendant of Holocaust survivors, Blumer talked of the importance of upstanders — those who stand up for themselves and others — in the Holocaust and in today's world.
Sophia Cohen
Speakers for Beth Jacob Congregation's Fifth Jewish Women Inspiring Jewish Women luncheon on May 4 shared their wisdom, advice, and sources of inspiration. (From L): the Hon. Susan J. Dlott, Bonnie Beaman Rice, Mindi Dorfman-Wynne, Meredith Moss Levinson, Carol Graff, and Linda Ohlmann Kahn.
Tom Gilliam
Dayton Jewish Community Relations Council Director Jeff Blumer
PRESIDENTS DINNER 2025
Thank you to our fantastic Presidents Dinner chairs Mary Rita and Norm Weissman and many thanks to our wonderful community for making this evening such a success.
JFGD Board President Dan Sweeny with Mandana Dayani
JFGD CEO Cathy Gardner welcomes the community
Co-chairs Norm and Mary Rita Weissman with Mandana Dayani
Campaign Chair Teddy Goldenberg and family
Dr. Gary Youra gives the "Case for Giving"
THE WORLD
What might end the Gaza war?
By Ben Sales, JTA
When he announced the impending release of IsraeliAmerican hostage Edan Alexander, President Donald Trump posted, “Hopefully this is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict. I look very much forward to that day of celebration!”
He’s not alone. More than 19 months after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which launched the war in Gaza, calls are mounting for the war to end, even among those who once supported it.
Trump has said he wants an end to the war. Polls of Israelis consistently show that most prefer a negotiated end to the fighting that releases the remaining hostages. Polling of American Jews indicates that most do not support Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to continue the war. A poll of Palestinians last year found only a minority — and just 36% in Gaza — support “armed struggle.”
We asked a collection of experts — Israelis, American Jews, and Palestinians from across the political spectrum — to describe a realistic pathway to ending the war. Here’s what they said. Some responses have been edited for length.
Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, head of Realign For Palestine, the Atlantic Council
The tacticalization of this war has devolved into an utter disaster for both the Palestinian civilian population and, very likely, the surviving Israeli hostages that remain in Hamas’ captivity…
What is desperately needed is to introduce new players on the ground beyond Israel and Hamas; that would entail the immediate formation of a joint Arab, and international policing force with the involvement of elements of the Palestinian Authority’s security services to go into zones currently held by the Israeli military inside the Strip.
Simply pulling out the Israeli military from the Gaza Strip without any viable alternative to hold those zones will automatically mean the return of what remains of Hamas to controlling the lives of 2 million Palestinian residents of the territory.
The war must end immediately…And there must be an immediate activation of small beachheads throughout Gaza to create Hamas-free zones from which the strip’s recovery and hopefully, political transformation and rejuvenation in the transitional period can begin.
Dahlia Scheindlin,
Israeli political analyst and Haaretz columnist
There is a realistic pathway to ending the war and it’s called the original (U.S. envoy Steve) Witkoff-brokered agreement, which Israel broke. The government now says it wants to go back to that, but I believe this refers to the bastard version — revised after Israel broke the first — which was stillborn. Why did Israel break the first (ceasefire, in March)? It’s a reasonable pathway forward. I suppose there’s no way around the reality that the Trump administration holds all the cards for pushing the sides back to that.
Dan Shapiro, former ambassador to Israel under President Barack Obama Trump helped create this problem with his unserious Gaza Riviera proposal. That tempted the far right in Israel to think he would support Israeli reoccupation of Gaza. Coming out of his cozy meetings in the Gulf and skipping Israel, that seems unlikely. The priority, as most Israelis believe, should be to get all the hostages home with their families. Edan Alexander’s release could be used as momentum for a larger deal that brings
everyone home and ends hostilities. That deal should be coupled with a commitment from Arab states to use their financial, political, and military assets to exile Hamas leaders and fighters from Gaza and destruction of their weapons as a condition for Gaza’s reconstruction. Trump needs to use
the goodwill he now has in the Arab world to get the Arab states to step up to that responsibility.
David Friedman, former ambassador to Israel under Trump
Other than militarily, I’m
Continued on Page 10
SYNAGOGUE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Beth Abraham Synagogue is seeking an Executive Director to serve as the primary contact for the officers and directors in administering the affairs of the Congregation working in partnership with clergy and lay-leaders.
Areas of responsibility include the following: Ensure that all Synagogue functions are performed in accordance with policy established by the Board of Directors.
Establish and/or oversee the appropriate systems to handle membership data and financial reporting.
Provide staff support to lay leadership, including Committees of the Board of Directors.
Provide oversight for all aspects of the Synagogue’s fiscal affairs, working with the Budget Committee, the Finance Committee, the Treasurer and the Synagogue’s external Accountant.
Recruit, train and supervise office staff.
Qualifications and Requirements
Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent
At least three (3) years’ experience in organizational management
Unquestionable integrity, reliability and credibility
Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills
Availability to work flexible hours and participate in events outside standard business hours
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
Basic financial acumen
Experienced with MS Office Suite. Familiarity with Shul Cloud a plus
For more information or to submit a resume, please e-mail bethabrahamdayton@gmail.com
Israeli forces take position on Israel's border with Gaza, May 15.
Jack Guez/AFP
Ending the war
Continued from Page Nine
not aware of any means to force Hamas out of Gaza. And if Hamas doesn’t leave, the trauma of Oct. 7 will just recur every five years or so (perhaps even more often). In other words, Israel will effectively have conceded that it cannot protect its citizens.
That would be untenable — something unacceptable to any nation. I believe that Hamas can be and must be eradicated. And I think there is beginning to emerge a means to do that while offering protection to civilians: The humanitarian aid and safe zone plan proposed by Israel and the United States.
It’s a path that I believe Israel must take (and one I believe most Israelis support when the issue is properly presented). By the way, I believe that President Trump endorses that approach.
Einat Wilf, author and former member of Knesset
The question is not whether one wants the war to end. That is easy and obvious. The question is how? Will this war end with Hamas and its ideology in control of all of Gaza’s territory? With billions of dollars flowing in?
Or will it end, as it should, with the unconditional release of hostages, surrender of Hamas, and the beginning
of a process to transform the destructive ideology of Palestinianism into one that wants to build for the Arabs rather than destroy what the Jews have built?
Perhaps a viable path would be to designate an area in Gaza where, absent collective Gazan and Palestinian and Hamas surrender, individuals would be able to surrender. This would be the only area where Israel supplies (aid). The rest will be a war zone for those who refuse to surrender… Ultimately, moments of destruction and ruin, both in personal and collective lives, can become moments of growth and transformation, but only if one accepts the connection between the ideology and attitudes that led to the destruction and ruin.
Eylon Levy, former Israeli government spokesman
The agonizing debate is about whether this is the last Gaza war, or the penultimate Gaza war. Many think it’s now or never to bring down the regime threatening more 10/7s. Many others say Hamas has checkmated us with the hostage crisis, let’s pay the ransom and bring down Hamas later.
But nobody thinks we can reconcile with this jihadist regime controlling Gaza again. Israelis understand that if we end the war to free the hos-
tages, the next war is a matter of time. You can’t sweep the problem under the rug.
Ghaith al-Omari, senior fellow, Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Given political dynamics on both sides, it is unlikely that domestic public opinion will bring about a quick end to the war. External intervention will probably be needed. On the Israeli side, a clear position from President Trump regarding ending the war will certainly impact Netanyahu’s calculus.
But the administration will only call for an end of the war if Israel’s key demands that Hamas releases the hostages, is disarmed and is no longer in charge of Gaza – possibly through the exile of its leaders from the Strip — are met.
The only way to pressure Hamas into making these moves is for an explicit, unified demand from key Arab states, including Hamas’ backers in Qatar. Given the tremendous credit the president has accrued in his current visit to the Gulf, the United States may be well poised to coordinate such a position from Arab states.
Jeremy Ben-Ami, president, J Street
The freeing of Edan Alexander from Hamas captivity demonstrates that diplomacy is the only path forward to end
Our dinner is complimentary, however please RSVP by Wednesday, May 28.
the war and guarantee the safe release of all remaining hostages held in Gaza.
The Israeli government and Hamas should reach an immediate agreement to end the fighting, release the hostages, and surge aid into Gaza. Then, Israel needs to agree to a plan for post-war governance, security, and redevelopment with its Arab neighbors that paves the way to full regional normalization, long-term security and Palestinian statehood.
It is time for President Trump and the Gulf states to lean in and use the leverage necessary to bring this war to an end, to get the hostages home, and to get aid to the people of Gaza. Enough is enough.
Morton Klein, president, Zionist Organization of America
The war against Islamic Arab Hamas terrorists must continue until all the hostages are released and Hamas completely destroyed and dismantled. We support the Trump/Netanyahu plan to improve the lives of the Hamas-supporting Gazans by relocating them in Egypt, Jordan, Libya or elsewhere or at least secure a major buffer zone between Israel and Gaza. Southern Israel cannot be safe for Israelis unless this action is taken.
Tamar Hermann, senior research fellow, Israel Democracy Institute
A majority of Israelis support ending the war only if doing so results in the return of all Israeli hostages. The continuation of the war, in and of itself, is not considered unacceptable by most Israelis — despite the situation in Gaza.
This, in my view, is because unlike the situation for Palestinians, especially in Gaza, the war is barely felt by the Israeli general public.
In fact, many — including some rather dovish military experts —are saying quite openly that Hamas must be completely removed from the equation.
Netanyahu is not concerned about being toppled over the war’s continuation. On the contrary, ending the war could trigger internal pressures within his coalition…
So what could stop the war? Unfortunately, not much at the moment, I’m afraid.
First and foremost, significant pressure must be exerted
on Hamas to release all hostages and to accept the presence of an international force to control the Gaza Strip.
Second, some form of “good news” regarding even partial normalization with Saudi Arabia could make a difference.
Yardena Schwartz, journalist and author, Ghosts of a Holy War
The vast majority of Israelis want this war to end in exchange for the release of the hostages. The inconvenient truth is that Hamas agreed to this framework long ago. Netanyahu has openly and repeatedly expressed his refusal to end the war, even if the hostages are released.
It was Netanyahu, not Hamas, who reneged on the ceasefire deal in March. “Victory” he claims, is more important than the hostages.
Yet 19 months into a war that has failed to defeat Hamas, it is time to recognize that the military pressure Netanyahu claims will free the hostages has in fact killed more than three dozen of them.
The only way Hamas will cease to control Gaza is if an alternative government is in place to rule it — something Netanyahu has consistently rejected.
Israeli security officials have said that without a political solution for Gaza, no military solution will be successful.
It’s time for American Jews to stand with the hundreds of hostage relatives, dozens of released hostages and the majority of Israelis in demanding from the Israeli government: bring our hostages home and end this war.
Yossi Klein Halevi, senior fellow, Shalom Hartman Institute
Like a strong majority of Israelis, I believe we need to prioritize saving the hostages over defeating Hamas. It’s not only a question of saving lives; it’s also a matter of salvaging the Israeli ethos of mutual protection, which is one of the factors strengthening our motivation to fight for this country.
And so the way to end the war is straightforward: all the hostages for a long-term ceasefire. Then I believe we should focus our attention on destroying Iran’s nuclear facilities, which is the real existential threat we face. Even if it means defying Trump and going it alone.
Special treatment
By Martin Gottlieb
So now Jews are the chosen minority? The Trump administration is energetically – hyperenergetically – destroying programs that are designed to combat historic and current prejudice against other minorities: Black people, women, Muslims, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. The destruction of these DEI programs is defended largely on the grounds that DEI amounts to special treatment that harms those not included.
But what is the Trump focus on antisemitism if not special treatment? How, in an exceptionally diverse society, can the focus on prejudice against only one minority be justified?
Trump is not satisfied to go after DEI efforts. He is shutting civil rights offices where they exist in the government, and he has radically redesigned the main one. Justice Department lawyers are quitting in droves because the civil rights division that was created largely to fight racial prejudice has been redirected.
Rather than being focused on discrimination against Black people, women, Muslims, and members of the LGBTQ+ community, the division has now actually been sicced on transgender people and focused on discrimination against Christians, as well as on antisemitism.
It'd be one thing if the administration just minimized enforcement of antidiscrimination laws in general on the principle of minimizing government.
But when instead the president makes an exception for one group, he might as well be declaring openly that his motives are not philosophical, not ideological, not idealistic, but purely political.
When antisemitism was publicly associated mainly with the political right, Trump had no problem with it. Remember “good people on both sides,” his response to antisemitic outrages at Charlottesville, Va.?
But when, after Oct 7, 2023, antisemitism became more associated with the left, all of a sudden Trump was the great friend of the Jews. How much more transparent could he pos-
sibly be?
His plan, unmistakably, is to make political and financial war on institutions he sees as liberal enemies. That plan lends itself nicely to driving a wedge between Jews and other minorities. Meanwhile, he can pick up some Jewish support.
On top of everything else, Trump's anti-antisemitism thrust is, on balance, probably bad for the Jews. Being the chosen minority of the billionaire strongman loathed by half the population is, at best, a doubleedged asset.
As with Trump's embrace of White “refugees” from South Africa while he rejects all other refugees, there is no principle at work here, just a self-serving choosing up of sides.
Much has been said about the absurdity of fighting antisemitism by defunding research programs at elite universities.
For one thing, Jews are as likely as any demographic group to be hurt: as researchers, as students who want to be at a school that attracts top researchers, as parents paying tuition precisely because of the nature of the institutions, and as members of the public benefiting from research on health, the environment, and whatever.
Without question, antisemitism at some of these universities is real and serious and must be addressed. But when Harvard had a committee of students, professors, and others report on just how serious the prejudice problem is at Harvard, it found, among other things, this: While 15% of Jewish faculty, staff, and students feel physically endangered, 47% of Muslim faculty, staff, and students do.
Does anybody expect the Trump administration to get serious about fighting antiMuslim prejudice at Harvard?
How best to combat antisemitism is a question that has no easy answer. After all these centuries, people still search. Now comes Donald Trump, not to solve the problem, but to take advantage of it.
Retired Dayton Daily News editorial writer
Martin Gottlieb is advisor to The
Dayton Jewish Observer
OPINION
Choosing sides in the battle over fighting antisemitism
By Jonathan S. Tobin
The latest round of congressional hearings about antisemitism on college campuses in May showed that some academic leaders still haven’t gotten the message that the era of woke leftist discrimination against Jews has got to end. In an echo of the clueless and transparently discriminatory stands of the presidents of Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Pennsylvania in December 2023, the head of Haverford College demonstrated that she was both in denial about the plight of Jewish students and unwilling to do something about it.
What’s worse is the fact that some of those we ought to expect to regard this issue as not merely a priority but a matter of life and death are opposing the first and only serious effort to rid the education system of this vile prejudice.
That’s the only reasonable conclusion to be drawn from recent events, as President Donald Trump’s administration and congressional Republicans are stepping up their campaign against institutions of higher education that have either tolerated or encouraged Jew-hatred on their campuses.
This crisis had been brewing for years as progressives completed their long march through institutions of higher education and imposed toxic ideas like critical race theory, intersectionality and settler-colonialism on curricula, as well as admissions and disciplinary practices throughout the nation. The widespread adoption of the woke catechism of DEI fomented the surge in antisemitism that broke out following the Hamas-led Palestinian terrorist attacks on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. By seeking to racialize and divide society, in addition to pointedly excluding Jews from the protections afforded to other minorities, DEI reigned over colleges and universities, setting the stage for an unprecedented siege on Jewish students.
Yet instead of giving their wholehearted support to Trump’s effort to force schools to end the harassment of Jews and the practices that backed it
up, groups like the American Jewish Committee are siding with the opponents of the administration’s program, including a list of more than 500 rabbis from the Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist movements.
Tacitly backing antisemites
They are essentially joining forces with recalcitrant schools like Harvard University, which has resisted the president’s demands to enact fundamental reforms that will keep Jews safe while also creating an atmosphere where left-wing antisemites no longer have the power to shape academic culture.
The supposedly centrist AJC, along with a list of leftist and anti-Zionist rabbis, insists that they are against antisemitism. But this is mere lip service to the greatest threat to American Jewry and Israel in living memory. They may explain their stands as, in AJC’s case, as opposition to what they say is Trump’s “overly broad” approach to the issue, while the radical rabbis say their stand is in defense of democracy. But by refusing to join the administration’s long overdue push to overhaul the way that schools police discrimination by using the power of the federal purse, both these groups are taking sides with antisemites.
This debate is largely disingenuous. To assert that one can oppose antisemitism while opposing Trump’s efforts misses the point of what the administration is trying to accomplish. More decisive action against pro-Hamas mobs creating encampments, taking over buildings or other efforts to harass Jewish students is to be welcomed. For example, the expeditious manner with which Columbia University dispatched security forces and police to end the recent occupation of its Butler Library, and then arrest those who had carried out this illegal act, was an improvement on its appeasement of similar radicals last spring when it came to the takeover of and damage to Hamilton Hall.
But unless and until schools like Columbia and Harvard— and so many others that have
enforced woke orthodoxy on their campuses — allow more viewpoint diversity in their hiring, as well as get rid of the DEI bureaucrats and departments that are responsible for mainstreaming Jew-hatred, nothing will really change. Critics of the administration, however, say they oppose those reforms as illegal interference in academic freedom.
Such a position is palpably dishonest since no one disputes that the provisions of Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act involve federal authorities and rules in ensuring that there is no discrimination against protected minorities like African Americans and Hispanics. Yet they balk at applying the same protections to Jews. And as Harvard has shown, they are also willing to forgo billions in federal funding that the law requires the administration to withhold from offending institutions rather than doing something about it.
Sadly, some of this opposition seems to fall along partisan lines. As was the case when the House Education and Workforce Committee held its first hearings on campus antisemitism, at May's hearings, Republicans were determined to hold the feet of academic leaders to the fire. But Democrats wouldn’t join them, choosing instead either to punt on the issue or attack the administration. Their main criticism of Trump was that his elimination of the U.S. Department of Education is harming efforts to oppose antisemitism.
That’s true up to a point, since currently the mechanism for withholding funds from offending schools rests in that department. But what they miss about this is that this largely superfluous government agency has conspicuously failed to enforce Title VI for years. The department seems incapable of doing anything more than issuing slaps on the wrist for antisemitic institutions. The only measure that has any chance of working is if the government deploys the U.S. Department of Justice and its Civil Rights division to sue schools where Jew-hatred has occurred.
As the committee hearing Continued on Page 26
Classes
Beth Jacob Classes: w. Rabbi Agar on Zoom. Tuesdays, 7 p.m.: Torah Tuesdays. Thursdays, 7 p.m.: Thursdays of Thought on Zoom. Call to register, 937-274-2149.
Chabad Classes: Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m.: Talmud Class in person & Zoom. Call for Zoom link. chabaddayton.com. 2001 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood. 937-643-0770.
Temple Beth Or Classes: Sundays, 10 a.m.: Adult Hebrew. Sat., June 7, 21, 10 a.m.: Apocryphal Study in person & Zoom. templebethor. com/events. 5275 Marshall Rd., Wash. Twp. 937-435-3400.
Temple Israel Classes: Wednesdays, 10 a.m.: Weekly Torah Commentary w. Rabbi Bodney-Halasz in person & Zoom. Saturdays, 9:15
a.m.: Virtual Torah Study on Zoom. For Torah Study Zoom info., email Fran Rickenbach, franwr@gmail.com. Tues., June 3, noon: Talmud Study in person & Zoom. Fri., June
Thurs., June 19, 3:30 p.m.: Living w. Ambiguous Loss. Sat., June 21, 9:15 a.m.: Virtual Torah Study in person & Zoom. tidayton.org/calendar. 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. RSVP to 937-496-0050.
Children/Youths
JCC Camp Shalom: June 4-July 25. At Temple Beth Or, 5275 Marshall Rd., Wash. Twp. For rising 1st graders through rising 7th graders. Contact Jennifer Holman, jholman@jfgd. net.
Family
Temple Israel Prayer & Play at Jewish Cultural Festival: Sun., June 8, 11 a.m. Infants–2nd grade. 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. 937-496-0050.
Beth Abraham Rhythm ‘N’ Ruach: Fri., June 13, 5:306:15 p.m. 305 Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood. 937-293-9520.
PJ Library, PJ Our Way & Hillel Shabbat in the Park: Fri., June 20, 5:30 p.m. Free. RSVP by June 18 at jewishdayton.org/events. For info. contact
CALENDAR
Iron Horse Park, 6161 Millshire Dr., Centerville.
Adults
Temple Israel Sacred Stitching: Tues., June 10, 24, 11 a.m. Make items for donation w. JCRC’s Upstander initiative. For info., email Alexandria King, garyuzzking@hotmail. com. 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. 937-496-0050.
Men
Chabad Bagels, Lox & Tefillin: Sun., June 1, 9:30 a.m. 13+. 2001 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood. 937-643-0770.
Shavuot
Temple Beth Or Annual Meeting & Founder’s Day Shavuot: Sun., June 1. 3 p.m.: Wine, cheese, hors d’oeuvres reception. 4 p.m.: annual meeting & youth program. 5:30 p.m.: Shavuot service & recognition of founding members. 6:15 p.m.: dinner. Details at templebethor.com/events. 5275 Marshall Rd., Wash. Twp. 937-435-3400.
Beth Abraham Tikun Leil
p.m.: dairy dinner. 6:45 p.m.: dairy dessert & learning sessions. Practical Spirituality from Malkah of Belz w. Elyssa Wortzman. Receiving the Holy Spirit from Safed's Francesca Sarah w. Rav Aubrey Glazer. Evening service to follow. RSVP by May 27. 305 Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood. 937-2939520.
Beth Jacob 2nd Shavuot Learn-A-Thon: Sun., June 1. 7 p.m.: Mincha & dairy dinner. Session 1: Sis Litvin, Bracha Bee. Session 2: Joel Shapiro, The Torah’s Greatest Sin. 8:42 p.m.: Candle lighting, Ma'ariv & dessert. Session 3: Lisa Harlan, Humor in the Torah. Session 4: Rabbi Agar, E Pluribus Unum. 10:15 p.m.: Birkat Hamazon. Call to RSVP by May 28, 937-274-2149. 7020 N. Main St., Harrison Twp.
Chabad Shavuot All Night Learning: Sun., June 1, 11:30 p.m. Speakers: Ruth & Juliet Glaser, Rabbi Shmuel Klatzkin, Candace & Dr. Kim Kwiatek, Stephen Renas, Joel Shapiro, Dr. Joel Vandersluis, Tammy Oakwood. 937-643-0770.
Chabad Shavuot Dairy Lunch & Reading of The Ten Commandments: Mon., June 2, 11 a.m. Free. W. ice cream dessert. RSVP at chabaddayton.com/events. 2001 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood. 937-643-0770.
JCC Film Fest
See complete schedule on Page 15.
Community
Temple Israel’s Jewish Cultural Festival: Sun., June 8, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Free admission. Food, drinks, crafts for purchase. Details at tidayton. org/festival. 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. 937-496-0050.
JFS Drive Thru Mitzvah Mission: Sun., June. 29, 10 a.m.-noon. Collecting items for St. Vincent DePaul Shelters & Dayton Diaper Depot. For info., contact Jacquelyn Archie, jarchie@jfgd.net. Mac n cheese recipe & RSVP at jewishdayton.org/events. Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles, Dr.,
Founders’ Day Shavuot!
Connect with us! Check out our events. For more information, check out our calendar at jewishdayton.org
UPCOMING EVENTS
THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 7:15PM
Dayton Jewish Film Festival Opening Night • Matchmaking
TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 7:15PM
Dayton Jewish Film Festival • Running on Sand
THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 7:15PM
Dayton Jewish Film Festival • Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop
SUNDAY, JUNE 15, 7:15PM
Dayton Jewish Film Festival • The Blond Boy from the Casbah
TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 9:30AM
Dayton Jewish Film Festival • Simone – Woman of the Century
THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 7:15PM
Dayton Jewish Film Festival • A Night of Short Films
FRIDAY, JUNE 20, 5:30 - 7:30PM PJ Library Shabbat in the Park
SUNDAY, JUNE 22, 3:15PM
Dayton Jewish Film Festival • Troll Storm
SUNDAY, JUNE 22, 5 - 6:30PM Boomers Dine Out before attending Bad Shabbos
SUNDAY, JUNE 22, 7:15PM
Dayton Jewish Film Festival • Bad Shabbos
TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 7:15PM
Dayton Jewish Film Festival • Come Closer
THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 7:15PM
Dayton Jewish Film Festival • Shoshana
SUNDAY, JUNE 29, 10AM - 12PM JFS Drive-Thru Mitzvah Mission
SUNDAY, JUNE 29, 6:30PM Film Fest's 25th Anniversary Celebration Night • Midas Man
legacy gift makes our community shine bright! If you are interested in learning more about leaving your legacy, contact Janese R. Sweeny at jsweeny@jfgd.net or 937-401-1542.
June 2025
Shabbat in the Park
Friday, June 20
5:30 – 7:30PM
Iron Horse Park 6161 Millshire Drive, Centerville, 45459
Join PJ Library, PJ Our Way, and Hillel Academy for Shabbat in the Park! Enjoy a Kosher meal, kickball, giant bubbles, and the playground.
No cost. RSVP by June 18.
To register, visit jewishdayton.org/events Questions? Please contact Kate Elder at kelder@jfgd.net
DINE
Sunday, June 22, 5:00 – 6:30PM
Jimmie's Ladder 11
936 Brown St., Dayton, 45409
JCC Boomers Dine Out before attending the JCC Film Festival Movie Bad Shabbos featuring Kyra Sedgwick and David Paymer. Movie starts at 7:15PM. Meet up with the JCC Boomers for a fun night out! Must purchase JCC Film Festival movie tickets separately in advance Cost: Dinner on your own.
RSVP by June 18 for dinner and the movie at jewishdayton.org/events or contact Stacy Emo at semo @jfgd.net or 937-610-5513.
BBYO Dayton participated in the Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio Regional Spring Convention on the weekend of April 25. The teens will conclude their year with a final Spring Celebration. BBYO is open to all teens in grades 8 through 12.
If you are interested in joining, please visit BBYO.org or contact Jennifer Holman at jholman@jfgd.net or 937-401-1550!
Register online at campshalomdayton.campmanagement.com/enroll
Questions? Contact Jennifer Holman at jholman@jfgd.net
[Left to right: Ava Bressler, Hillary Katchman, Jonah Halasz, Hannah Dritz, Chava Gilbert, and Jennifer Holman]
2025
The Roger Glass Center for the Arts
29 Creative Way, Dayton, 45479
$18 for an individual ticket
$110 for a season pass
Opening Night
Thursday, June 5, 7:15PM Matchmaking
(Israel, 2022, 96 minutes, Hebrew with English subtitles) Comedy
Like a modern-day Romeo, Moti (Amit Rahav) falls head over heels for his sister’s friend Nechama (Liana Ayoun), but isn’t allowed to date the charming, beautiful young woman because she comes from a Mizrahi (Middle Eastern) family, not an Ashkenazi (European) family like his own. To the great despair of both his parents and an exasperated matchmaker, he goes to comical lengths to pursue his one true love.
dessert reception after movie
TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 7:15PM AT THE NEON
Running on Sand also available online June 10
THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 7:15PM AT THE NEON
Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop
SUNDAY, JUNE 15, 7:15PM AT THE NEON
The Blond Boy from the Casbah
TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 10AM AT THE NEON Simone – Woman of the Century
reception hosted by Hadassah before movie at 9:30AM
TICKETS
$12 individual film unless otherwise noted
$110 Festival pass includes all films both in-person and online.
To purchase tickets or a festival pass, visit jewishdayton.org. For more information or assistance, contact 937-610-1555.
2025 LINEUP
THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 7:15PM AT THE NEON
The President's Tailor, Fiddler on the Moon, How to Make Challah, Periphery, Mahjong and Mahashas
SUNDAY, JUNE 22, 3:15PM AT THE NEON Troll Storm
SUNDAY, JUNE 22, 7:15PM AT THE NEON Bad Shabbos
TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 7:15PM AT THE NEON Come Closer also available online June 24
THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 7:15PM AT THE NEON Shoshana also available online June 26
FILM FEST’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION NIGHT
SUNDAY, JUNE 29, 6:30PM AT THE PLAZA THEATRE 33 S. Main St., Miamisburg, 45342 Midas Man
$18 for an individual ticket Includes a reception with light refreshments before the movie
SUNDAY, JULY 13, 3:15PM AT THE NEON Bee Movie
No charge for tickets
June 2025
Legacies, Tributes, & Memorials
JOAN AND PETER WELLS AND REBECCA LINVILLE FAMILY, CHILDREN AND YOUTH FUND
In memory of Rebecca Wells Linville
Joan and Peter Wells
JANE HOCHSTEIN JCC PROGRAMMING FUND
In memory of Clara Hochstein
Helene Gordon
Did you know you can honor a friend or family member through a Legacy, Tribute or Memorial?
A donation to one of the Jewish Foundation's many endowment funds benefits our Jewish community while honoring a loved one. For more information, please contact Janese R. Sweeny, Esq. CFRE, at 937-401-1542.
Sunday, June 29, 10AM – 12PM The Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville, 45459
Back by popular demand, JFS is hosting another Drive-Thru Mitzvah Mission!
Help us feed guests at St. Vincent de Paul’s shelters with frozen casseroles and provide high-need items for the Dayton Diaper Depot. JFS will take your donations and provide you with a sweet treat in return. If you have questions, please contact Jacquelyn Archie, JFS administrative assistant, at jarchie@jfgd.net or at 937-610-1555.
RSVP online at jewishdayton.org/events by June 27.
High-Need Items for the Dayton Diaper Depot:
All diaper sizes, especially sizes 4, 5, and 6 (open packages are welcome)
Frozen Macaroni & Cheese Casserole Recipe
1-1/2 lbs (24 oz.) elbow macaroni
2 lbs cheese, melted
1 can (10.5 oz.) cream of celery soup
2-1/2 cups milk
Cook macaroni and drain. Melt cheese separately and add to macaroni. Add milk and soup. Mix well. Pour into sprayed pan. Cover loosely and place in refrigerator until completely cooled. Then cover tightly with sturdy foil lid and freeze. Casserole should be frozen for 36 hours.
The Class of 2025
Jeremy Aaron Begel
Parents: Rich Begel and Melissa Groveman
Grandparents: Fannie Groveman, Cynthia Begel, Edward Begel
School: Nightingale Montessori
Activities: Band, Creative Writing, Music Composition, Ecology
Volunteering: Buck Creek State Park, Lesotho Nutrition Initiative, Our Farm Sanctuary
Congregation: Temple Beth Or After Graduation: Gap year to focus on science fiction writing and audio/video production
Ava Bressler
Parents: Kevin and Karen Bressler
Grandparents: Irene and the late Ron Bressler, the late John and Gladys Legner
School: Centerville
Activities: Varsity Golf, A Capella Choir, Piano, Ohio Junior Cup Golf, Southern Ohio Junior PGA Tour, Pickleball Club
Volunteering: Dayton BBYO
President, Innovation Africa, Elk Connector, Playing Piano at Nurs ing Homes
Honors: Competed in Ohio Divi sion 1 State Golf Championship, 2nd Team all GWOC League Gold, Forte A Capella, Best High School A Capella Music Video, Performed at Carnegie Hall, National Honor Society, Magna Cum Laude
Congregation: Temple Beth Or After Graduation: Indiana Uni versity, Kelly School of Business, Hutton Honors College
Want to receive your own copy of The Dayton Jewish Observer each month by mail?
Email us at jewishobserver@jfgd.net
Eli Greenberg
Parents: Marc and Maribeth Greenberg
Ethan Greenberg
Parents: Marc and Maribeth Greenberg
Grandparents: Stanlee Scott, the late Stan Greenberg, Peter and Mary DiSalvo
School: Centerville
Activities: Basketball
Volunteering: Youth Basketball Coach
Honors: Magna Cum Laude, 3rd Team All Ohio, 1st Team All GWOC, 4X GWOC Champion, 3X District Champion, 3X Regional Champion, 2X State Runner Up
Adin Salomon
Parents: Anna and Matt Smith
Grandparents: Robert and Bev Stadalsky, Claudia Salomon School: Carroll Honors: Revolution Service Award
Grandparents: Stanlee Scott, the late Stan Greenberg, Peter and Mary DiSalvo
School: Centerville Activities: Basketball
Volunteering: Youth Basketball Coach
Honors: Cum Laude, First Team All GWOC, Hon. Men. All Ohio, 3X District Champion, 3X Regional Champion, 2X State Runner Up, 4X GWOC Champion
Congregation: Temple Israel
After Graduation: Division I Basketball at LeMoyne College
Congregation: Temple Israel
After Graduation: Division I Basketball at U.S. Air Force Academy
Kahlil Knick
Parents: Danielle Richter and Steve Knick
School: Springboro
Activities: Ultimate Frisbee, Robotics
Volunteering: GUCI, SICSA
Honors: Academic Honors
Congregation: Temple Israel After Graduation: University of Dayton
for 300+ Service Hours, 3X Blood Donor Award, Baltimore House Leadership Team
After Graduation: U.S. Army, IT and radio services
Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. Evening minyans upon request. 7020 N. Main St., Dayton. 937-274-2149. bethjacobcong.org
Temple Anshe Emeth Reform
Worship led by Jese Shell Outdoor Kabalat Shabbat at congregants' home, Fri., June 13, 7:30 p.m. Call for location. 320 Caldwell St., Piqua. Contact Steve Shuchat, 937-7262116, ansheemeth@gmail.com. ansheemeth.org
Have you ever completed reading a book or a series of books and immediately commenced reading it again? Did you notice something the second or third time that you hadn’t quite comprehended the first time?
I have found that sometimes, foreshadowing isn’t obvious and thus requires rereading. This recently happened to me in my reading of the Torah. We read a portion of the Torah each week, and upon completion of reading the Five Books, we immediately begin again.
One would think then that
RELIGION
Responsible for each other Perspectives
after a few years, there would be no more surprises.
Personally, I go beyond the weekly reading and spend a great deal of time studying many of the lessons and commentaries.
However, only recently did I notice the foreshadowing from the first book, Bereshit (Genesis), to the second book, Shemot (Exodus).
Early in the first book (Gen. 4:1-18), we learn of Cain and Abel, the sons of Adam and Eve. Cain was a farmer and Abel was a shepherd.
Although they each offered sacrifices to the Almighty, Cain brought inferior produce of the ground, while Abel brought of the fattest and best of his flock.
Abel’s offering was appreciated, but Cain’s was ignored. Understandably, Cain was angry, and instead of listening to God’s advice and warnings, he killed his brother.
When asked “Where is your brother Abel?” Cain responded, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
Obviously, Cain did not take responsibility for his actions. Therefore, he was punished; the ground no longer gave its full fertile strength to him, and he became a perpetual wanderer in the world. The reader learns very little more about Cain who is never heard of again after this Torah portion.
Later, in Chapter Two of the book of Shemot, we are introduced to Yocheved and Amram. The rabbis explain that this couple, while married, lived separately to avoid Pharaoh’s decree that all newborn baby boys were to be drowned.
throughout her life, and we continue to learn about her until her death.
The Torah is filled with many stories of siblings and their relationships, but it is from the juxtaposition specifically of these two stories and the concept of being a brother’s keeper that I realized the lesson: We are not alone in this world, and we are supposed to care for one another.
They reunited, following the advice of their daughter, Miriam, who believed that while Pharaoh’s decree only affected the males — by separating and having no more children — her parents were preventing the birth of the females as well.
Yocheved conceived and gave birth to a son, whom she hid for three months. At that time, she put him in a basket and placed it among the rushes near the bank of the Nile River.
Miriam stationed herself nearby and literally became her brother’s keeper. She watched him from a safe distance and, when Pharaoh’s daughter found the basket, Miriam ran to her and offered to find a Hebrew wet nurse for the child. Thanks to Miriam, Yocheved was then compensated for nursing her own son.
This is not the last we hear of these siblings. We learn of their lives, their sufferings, their joys, their errors, their punishments, and all that they did for the Children of Israel.
Miriam continued to care for Moses and helped him
MAZEL TOV!
Molly Blumer is One Lincoln Park Premier Retirement Living's new director of business development. Molly has more than a decade of senior living sales experience.
Chabad of Greater Dayton
Rabbi Nochum Mangel
Associate Rabbi Shmuel Klatzkin Youth & Prog. Dir. Rabbi Levi Simon. Beginner educational service Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. 2001 Far Hills Ave. 937-643-0770. chabaddayton.com
Yellow Springs Havurah
Independent Antioch College Rockford Chapel. 1st & 3rd Saturday each month. Contact Len Kramer, 937-5724840 or len2654@gmail.com.
June • Sivan/Tammuz
Candle Lightings
Erev Shavuot, June 1: 8:41 p.m.
2nd Eve Shavuot, June 2: 9:48 p.m.
Shabbat, June 6: 8:44 p.m.
Shabbat, June 13: 8:48 p.m.
Shabbat, June 20: 8:50 p.m.
Shabbat, June 27: 8:51 p.m.
Torah Portions
June 7: Naso (Num. 4:21-7:89)
June 14: Behalotecha (Num. 8:1-12:16)
June 21: Shelach (Num. 13:1-15:41)
June 28: Korach (Num. 16:1-18:32)
In the Talmud (the primary text of the Oral Law), in Tractate Shavuot, Page 39a, there is a discussion of the domino effect of sin, which concludes with the Aramaic phrase, Kol Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh, which means all of Israel is responsible for each other.
This phrase is considered by some to be the basis of the notion of communal responsibility in Jewish law.
Simply by the virtue of being a Jew, one is responsible for the wellbeing of other Jews. In today’s world, many have reached beyond simply helping other Jews, and we help all those in need.
That is why it did not surprise me to learn that even while Israel is fighting a war at home against Hamas, it sent humanitarian aid and disaster relief to areas of Myanmar and Thailand within hours of a deadly 7.7 magnitude earthquake on March 28.
As we honor our heritage and forge a community defined by unity and concern for one another, may we be reminded that every act of kindness and caring bonds us together, inspiring us all to stand in support of Israel and nurture a world filled with hope and peace.
Shavuot Festival of Weeks, Giving of the Torah
June 2-3 • 6-7 Sivan Marks the end of the counting of the Omer, a 49day period that begins on the second night of Passover, and recalls the giving of the Torah at Sinai. In Israel, it falls at the end of the spring harvest. An all-night study session called a tikun, originally a mystical practice, is held at some synagogues.
The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force honored Renate Frydman at its annual volunteer banquet April 24 for her 25 years as a volunteer and for bringing Prejudice & Memory: A Holocaust Exhibit to the museum, where it has been on permanent display since 1999.
Clinical and consulting psychologist Adam Feiner copresented a workshop, Psychologists as Leaders: Who's Steering the Ship?, at the 2025 Ohio Psychological Association Convention in Columbus.
Temple Anshe Emeth in Piqua has announced that congregant Jese Shell will lead its worship services for the coming year, beginning in June.
Longtime Dayton theatre performer Jamie Pavlofsky will take part in four staged readings of Saving Cinderella, a musical sequel to the original tale, at Springboro Performing Arts Center, May 30-June 1. Jamie has been involved with the Saving Cinderella project since its first table read in 2019 and with several since then. She also sang on the show's demos, which are available via several streaming apps. Saving Cinderella's music, lyrics, and book are by Christine Duncan, who says the next step in its development will be an industry reading in New York City. The musical was developed in partnership with TheatreLab Dayton and local theatre artists. Christine notes that her volunteer work with Dayton's anti-poverty movement and her own experiences with poverty and loss inspired her to write the musical. She's raising funds for area families that live under the poverty line and serve as the show's "Lived Experience Lead Consultants" to attend the New York reading, "to see how their input has made a difference and continue to have a voice in this."
Send your Mazel Tov announcements to mweiss@jfgd.net.
Rabbi Haviva Horvitz
Molly Blumer
This family favorite recipe uses a secret ingredient for the creamy filling.
By Emily Paster, The Nosher
Cheese blintzes are a traditional Ashkenazi dairy food for the festival of Shavuot.
I offer two options for filling here. The ricotta filling is not traditional, but its smooth texture and sweet, mild taste is pleasing to all palates.
I prefer the tanginess of farmer cheese in my blintzes. Farmer cheese is a fresh, soft cheese with very small curds.
Pot cheese, which is cottage cheese with some of the whey pressed out, is even more traditional, but can be hard to find.
You want a soft version, not a dry or crumbly one. You can usually find farmer cheese in better grocery stores; otherwise, quark or small-curd cottage cheese is a suitable substitute, so long as you drain it before using.
Total time: two hours, 35 minutes. Yield: eight blintzes.
For the crepes:
1 cup whole milk
4 large eggs at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
For the sweet ricotta filling:
15 oz. whole milk ricotta
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
Zest of one lemon
Pinch salt
For the farmer cheese filling:
16 oz. farmer cheese
¼ cup sour cream or plain
Greek yogurt
1 egg yolk
Pinch nutmeg
Salt and white pepper to taste
For cooking and serving:
Butter for cooking
Jam or sour cream for serving
To make the batter, whisk together milk, eggs and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Add flour, sugar, and salt and whisk until thoroughly combined and no longer lumpy. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.
To make the crepes, heat an 8 or 10-inch nonstick crepe pan
Great-Grandma Bessie's Cheese Blintzes
over high heat. While the pan is heating, prepare four clean dish towels or four squares of parchment paper to hold the cooked crepes. Stir the crepe batter to recombine.
Once the pan is hot, turn the heat down to medium. Add 1/3 cup of crepe batter and immediately tilt pan to swirl batter to the edges. The batter should thinly coat the bottom of the pan.
Cook undisturbed for 40 seconds to one minute, until edges are lightly browned and release easily from pan and center is dry.
Using your fingers or a thin, flexible spatula, loosen an edge and carefully remove the crepe to the dish towel or parchment paper. (Do not use tongs, which may puncture or tear the delicate crepe. If the bottoms of the crepes are browning before the center is dry, flip them over
and briefly cook the underside, then add slightly less batter to the pan for the next crepe.)
Repeat until batter is gone. Layer finished crepes between dish towels or parchment paper. Crepes may be prepared up to a day ahead and refrigerated.
To make either filling, mix all ingredients together in a bowl. To fill the crepes, place one crepe, cooked side down on a clean dish towel or board and spoon two to three tablespoons of filling just below the center of the crepe, leaving a border on the bottom and each side.
Fold the bottom layer over the filling, then fold in each side, enclosing the filling completely, and roll up. Place the filled crepes seam side down in a baking dish. (They can be refrigerated at this point for up to one day.)
To cook the blintzes, melt two tablespoons of butter in a 12-inch, non-stick skillet. Place four blintzes in the skillet and cook over medium heat until lightly browned. Flip and brown other side. Keeping cooked blintzes warm, repeat with remaining blintzes, adding more butter to the skillet as necessary. Serve topped with jam, sour cream, and fresh sliced fruit.
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Contact Patty Caruso at plhc69@gmail.com to advertise in The Observer.
Sacred Speech Series Bells and pomegranates
A true story from a Jewish mother who wishes to remain anonymous. At day’s end, she collected her daughter from her toddler classroom and headed, as usual, to the infant room. There, the two briefly chatted
Candace R. Kwiatek
with the youngster’s beloved former teacher, an Indian woman whose son was also the toddler’s classmate.
Her Middle Eastern coteacher joined in and soon commented on the Jewish mom’s unusual necklace. “It’s the map of Israel, where I was born,” she explained, to which the Indian mom enthusiastically added, “I’ve learned so much about Israel from her!”
With a stiff smile, the other teacher excused herself and hurried down the hall.
The next morning, the Indian teacher was informed that her
co-teacher had complained, saying she was “talking too much with the mother of a child from a different classroom. It needs to stop,” the school director declared.
And yet, parents and children alike regularly visit former teachers and classrooms in the school’s celebrated multicultural environment.
So, what do you think really happened? Should the toddler’s mom speak up? If so, how? Or should she remain silent?
Jews come from a tradition "of not being silent when injustice is being perpetrated against anyone, and certainly not when it is directed against our people,” writes Rabbi Efrem Goldberg.
Bible. Abraham challenged God’s decision to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their people, even the righteous.
The prophet Nathan confronted King David about his adultery with Bathsheba and his arranged combat death of her husband.
Queen Esther approached the Persian king Ahashverus uninvited and with trepidation to speak out against the royal advisor Haman and his genocidal plot.
After all, the potential for extreme and far-reaching consequences of such silence was made abundantly clear by the Holocaust.
But the origin of Judaism’s tradition of speaking out can actually be traced back to the
This tradition continued into the modern era. Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik promoted formal Torah education for school-age girls identical to that for boys, a 20th-century reversal of generations of non-existent Jewish learning opportunities for girls.
Emma Lazarus used her writings to speak out against the destitute conditions of New York’s immigrant Eastern European Jews.
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel was called a “prophetic voice” for his repeated condemnation of racism as a moral and religious evil.
Another verse offers specifics, commanding personal, polite admonishment of those engaged in wrongdoing to avoid becoming complicit: “You shall rebuke your neighbor and (thereby) you shall not bear a sin because of him.”
Mirroring these biblical commandments is the Talmudic legal principle of shtikah k’hoda’ah dumia — silence is akin to assent.”
In the context of injustice or oppression, the principle is used as an accusation of acceptance, agreement, or complicity with these behaviors, even admission of guilt by those who don’t speak out.
consider the whole situation and to weigh our reaction with the proper balance rather than reacting impulsively.”
Widely considered Judaism’s greatest teacher on using speech thoughtfully and responsibly, the Chofetz Chaim would concur.
Before speaking out, he taught, the potential upstander must have firsthand knowledge or indisputable verification of the wrongdoing, not hearsay.
Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan, the Chofetz Chaim, 1838-1933.
10:30 am-10:30 pm Sun: 11:30 a.m-10 pm
Today’s Jews are equally vocal. To substantiate the Jewish value of speaking out against all manner of injustice and oppression, four texts regularly appear in Jewish articles, blogs, opinion pieces, and sermons.
Thoughtful, responsible speech depends on reflective shtikah (silence) to see the whole picture.
Two are taken from the Torah portion Kedoshim. “Do not stand (idly) by while your fellow’s blood is shed,” proclaims the obligation to act when others face distress or danger, even if it’s not a matter of life and death.
Another Talmudic teaching goes even further: “Whoever is capable of protesting against the household's sins but does not is held responsible for its members’ sins. Whoever is in a position to protest against the town’s citizens’ sins but does not is held responsible for their sins. Whoever is in a position to protest against the sins of the whole world but does not is held responsible for the whole world’s sins.”
However, a closer examination of the previous texts in light of the following commentaries reveals that silence is also an appropriate response. According to Rabbi Akiva, “Shtikah—refraining from speaking even when there is something to say, leads one to wisdom.”
“The greatness of shtikah,” Rabbi Daniel Reich goes on to explain, is that it ”allows us to
Israel and Civilization: The Fate of the Jewish Nation and the Destiny of the West by Josh Hammer. Just released, this highlyrated nonfiction work is described as “enlightening,” “thought provoking,” and “essential reading.” In 11 relatively short, accessible, thoroughly engaging chapters, Hammer addresses
topics ranging from Judaism as the bedrock of the entire Western intellectual and ethical tradition to the growing imperative for a Jewish resurgence, Maccabee-style, and the true story behind anti-Zionism, amid other fascinating chapters.
Out and About: A Tale of Giving by Liza Wiemer. Where are his parents going on their mysterious outings
An unembellished factual account of the offense must be confirmed as a violation of Jewish law, and the upstander cannot be engaged in the same wrongdoing.
Furthermore, the upstander must have only pure, constructive motives for speaking up.
Thoughtful, responsible speech depends on reflective shtikah to see the whole picture.
On the hem of the High Priest’s robe were pomegranates of blue, purple, and crimson yarns all around, with tinkling bells of gold between them, all around.
According to the Chofetz Chaim, those bells and pomegranates illustrate the most valuable lesson about speech, Rabbi Eliyahu Safran notes. “The bells teach us to use our sound, our speech, constructively,” while the pomegranates remind us to use silence, shtikah, reflectively.
"Knowing how to control one’s speech, when to ‘sound off’ like a pa’amon — bell, and when to ‘close up’ like a pomegranate,” is foundational to a well-lived life.
“Silence has its time and its place,” concludes Rabbi Dr. Laura Winer, “as do speaking up and speaking out.”
with mysterious boxes, Daniel wonders. This picture book mystery highlights the Jewish tradition of tzedakah (righteous giving), introduces the idea of giving with respect, and demonstrates the power of anonymous good deeds.
Heartwarming illustrations filled with symbols of Jewish life enhance the engaging narrative in this inspiring story.
Arts&Culture
Lamb Chop: ‘I 100% identify as a Jew!’
By David A.M. Wilensky, jweekly.com
A Hollywood icon made an appearance on opening night of the 44th San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. And by all accounts, she was freshly washed, curled and darned.
Lamb Chop, the beloved sock puppet, was in rare form as she interacted with media and festival attendees alike.
She was on hand to promote Shari & Lamb Chop, about the life and legacy of Shari Lewis, the legendary ventriloquist behind Lamb Chop, Charlie Horse, Hush Puppy and a host of other characters. (During the post-film Q&A, Lamb Chop quipped that it rightfully should have been called Lamb Chop and Shari.)
In what turned out to be a genuine highlight of my journalistic career, I had the chance to do an on-camera interview with Lamb Chop. Shari died in 1998 at age 64, but Lamb Chop lives on, perched on the arm of Mallory Lewis, Shari’s daughter, who talks about Lamb Chop as a sister.
I asked Lamb Chop if she identifies as Jewish. She turned directly to the camera and said, emphatically, “I 100% identify as a Jew, a proud Jew!”
I also learned that Lamb Chop’s favorite holiday is Chanukah and that she loves latkes.
At 35, I am just old enough to remember Shari’s later shows on PBS, Lamb Chop’s PlayAlong and The Charlie Horse Music Pizza. What I didn’t know until watching the film was that those shows were the culmination of a career that stretched back to the later days of vaudeville, where she learned her craft, and the early days of national television, where she became, for a time, a megastar.
cal documentary about a celebrity, we end up with a shallow telling of the subject’s life that omits the most interesting details. But this one does not shy away from Shari’s troubles, particularly marital problems and low points in her career.
One detail that was only alluded to in the film was the misogyny Shari faced as a young woman in entertainment. During the Q&A, an audience member asked Mallory if Shari ever experienced antisemitism in Hollywood. No, she said. But misogyny? Oh yeah. Every woman in Hollywood has been harassed, talked over, condescended to and underestimated, Mallory told the crowd — and it’s the same today as it ever was.
The film itself was well received by everyone I chatted with at the afterparty. Shari’s career was so long that an interesting pattern emerged. Millennials like me remember the PBS shows from the late ’80s through the mid-’90s. Boomers like my parents remember Shari and Lamb Chop from their early TV work in the ’50s and ’60s. But Gen X missed out on the magic, coming of age during Shari’s wilderness years, when she struggled to find an audience on variety shows, with telethons and at state fairs.
Shari moved from stage to TV as a young woman when the world of entertainment evolved. Likewise, Lamb Chop and Mallory have moved from TV to social media — they have 153,000 followers on Instagram and 215,000 on TikTok — where they continue to speak plainly and lovingly to kids and adults about life, love, and the world around them.
Often, when living relatives are involved in the production of a biographi-
Even if you don’t have a personal connection to Lamb Chop, it’s a fascinating look at the history of television from the perspective of a woman who profoundly shaped the medium in its earliest years.
JCC Film Fest presents Shari & Lamb Chop, 7:15 p.m., Thursday, June 12 at The Neon, 130 E. Fifth St., Dayton. $12. Purchase tickets at jewishdayton.org/events.
Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop
Mallory Lewis, Shari Lewis’ daughter, and Lamb Chop, S.F. Jewish Film Festival, July 18, 2024.
Aaron Levy-Wolins/J. Staff
White Horse Pictures
pictured: Kate Huser Santucci
Arts&Culture
Ophir-nominated dramedy about Eritrean asylum seeker
By Jessica Steinberg, Times of Israel
Beth Abraham’s Innovative Religious School
As the U.N. warned Israel on Sept. 5, 2023 against expelling Eritreans en masse following major clashes, the Jerusalem Cinematheque was hosting a screening of the Ophir-nominated film Running on Sand, a comedy-drama about an Eritrean asylum seeker struggling to survive in Tel Aviv.
Starring a cast of African migrant actors, including lead character Chancela Mongoza, born in the Congo and living in Israel for the last 17 years — alongside the familiar visages of Zvika Hadar, Kim Or Azulay, Israel Atias and others — this funny, heartfelt film tells the story of Omari (Mongoza), an Eritrean asylum seeker who unwittingly is drafted into a struggling Netanya soccer team as he escapes deportation from Israel.
“It’s like there’s a black curtain drawn over these people,” said Shafran.
In Running on Sand, Omari and his friend, Nigel (Micheal Kabya-Aharoni, an asylum seeker who was adopted by celebrity chef Yisrael Aharoni), are refugee success stories of a sort. They work as dishwashers, speak Hebrew fluently, and share an apartment with friends until disaster strikes.
Omari finds himself entangled in a drama that’s partially of his own making, but it’s his own sweet, optimistic personality that extricates him from the complications of lacking legal residency papers.
Mitzvah
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contact@bethabrahamdayton.org
Directed by Adar Shafran, who spoke with the Cinematheque audience after the screening, the film came about as Shafran and the three screenwriters — Yoav Hebel, Sarel Piterman and Assaf Zelicovich — began taking notice of the very ordinary lives of the asylum seekers among them in Tel Aviv.
“They would see refugees passing by while they drank their morning coffee, and said, ‘They’re like us, but we haven’t noticed them,'” Shafran said, describing a typical Tel Aviv scene of people, including the migrants, walking their children to school, speaking Hebrew, doing what other Israelis were doing at the same time.
The asylum seekers, Shafran said, have become invisible in Israel. They’re the dishwashers and janitors, caregivers and cleaners, noticeable for their darker skin tones, but unseen in Israeli society.
There are layers of reality and truth in the unconventional story, including the invisibility of asylum seekers, the Israeli government’s difficulties in figuring out how to handle the issue, and rampant racism alongside a certain begrudged acceptance of African migrants in Israeli society.
“This movie is about racism but also about invisible people,” Shafran said, relating that many asylum seekers used to pass through the Sinai border before spending time in the Holot detention center and were then summarily dropped off by the IDF on the top floor of the Tel Aviv bus station.
“We took a heavy subject and made it comic and our goal is to reach as many people as possible,” Shafran said, “and maybe make a small difference."
JCC Film Fest presents Running on Sand, 7:15 p.m., Tuesday, June 10 at The Neon, 130 E. Fifth St., Dayton. The film will also be available virtually on June 10. $12. Purchase tickets at jewishdayton.org/events.
Chancela Mongoza as Omari in Running on Sand
Arts&Culture
Elsa Zylberstein's moving portrait of a Jewish legend
By Lior Zaltzman, Kveller
There’s something alchemical that happens when you watch Elsa Zylberstein on screen. The French Jewish actress becomes her characters — be they amazing or villainous, comedic and dramatic.
After watching her in Simone: Woman of the Century, in which she stars as a somber, serious and heartrending Simone Veil, the French politician and Holocaust survivor who helped legalize abortion in the European country, it’s jarring to speak to Zylberstein “in real life” over Zoom.
Simone is her biggest Jewish role yet — embodying a woman who is larger than life, a French historical icon who survived Auschwitz and dedicated her life to preserving the dignity of women and other persecuted people. Zylberstein was also an associate producer on Simone, which came out in 2021 in France.
Kveller talked to Zylberstein about why Simone Veil’s story is relevant now more than ever. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
What did you know about Simone Veil before working on this project? I know you met her, but watching this movie it’s incredible to see just how much she has done in her lifetime.
She was a very big figure in my country, but I didn’t know how much she had done. The first time I met her 12 years ago, I was supposed to give her a prize at a special dinner. I was invited to her table. I had dinner with her and her family — I was so impressed with her. Then she came to dinner at my house, we had tea, and I thought, “Oh my God. Oh, all that she has done! We should do a film.”
When she was still alive, it was complicated to do a film
JCC Film Fest and Dayton Hadassah present Simone — Woman of the Century, 10 a.m., Tuesday, June 17 at The Neon, 130 E. Fifth St., Dayton. $12. Hadassah will host a reception at 9:30 a.m. Purchase tickets at jewishdayton.org/ events.
on her. Then she died (in 2017) and I went to the funeral, and I thought, coming out of that, with President Macron at the Pantheon, now I’m doing it. I set up the whole thing in three years, after 10 years of desires and discovering everything (about her) day after day, more and more.
A small story that I didn’t tell anyone in France: After I had met her, one day I ran into her ex-stepdaughter at the hairdresser, and she came to me and said, “Oh, Elsa, I’m shocked. I just had lunch with Simone Veil. And she said she didn’t want to give the rights of her book, nothing. She doesn’t want any film when she’s alive. And she said, ‘If one day there is one film when I won’t be here — the only actress who could play me is Elsa Zylberstein.'”
That’s so moving!
But to answer your question, I didn’t know how much she had done for women — and for people, not just for women. Besides the abortion law, she fought like crazy to further respect and dignity of all people. I was really moved by her desire of changing the world, knowing where she was coming from. Knowing that she was a Holocaust survivor — the roots of all her fight came from that. So it’s very special and gives you goose bumps when
you discover that oh, what she was doing was because she was a Holocaust survivor, because her mother told her don’t depend on anyone, because her mother died during the Death March. Because of all this, she fought like crazy and she became the first woman to be the head of the European Parliament. Because of all this she became this strong woman.
The movie starts with you as Simone, talking about how the last of the Holocaust survivors are dying. Did that feel important to you? Because you have a personal connection to the Holocaust, right?
My father was a hidden child during the war. And my grandmother was hiding in Paris, hiding in Lyon; my grandparents went to the camps. It was maybe for my father that I did this film.
But besides this, I got to talk more and more to Simone and to (fellow Auschwitz survivors) Ginette Kolinka, Marceline Loridan-Ivens and Paul Schaffer, who was best friends with Simone in Bobrek (a subcamp in Auschwitz). I saw and spoke
to Paul for a year before he died. He was an amazing man; he was obsessed with transmission. That the film did 2.5 million seats (in France) is important for the transmission. This film will tell 13-, 14-yearold people what happened.
And some girls wrote me, “Oh my God, I didn’t know about her. I’m 14. I didn’t want to do anything with my life. Now I want to become like her. I didn’t want to work at school. Now I’ll be a hard worker. I want to become a lawyer. I want to change the world.” So many letters like this. That their life wouldn’t be the same after this film is the most beautiful thing I’ve seen in my life. And for that I’m so proud that I produced the film. I’m very proud as an actress as well, and as a woman.
It was so interesting to watch this movie and see what’s happening in the U.S. now with abortion, because the same rhetoric can be found here.
That’s why this film is important now. Even in Spain, Poland, or even here (in France), but also in America, I know a
lot of Republicans are against abortion. I mean, you want women to die? Because they’ve been raped, you want women to die because they don’t desire that baby? I can’t believe that. It’s interesting to have this film nowadays in America, especially. (Abortion) is a very essential right for a woman. It is essential. What’s interesting about Simone is she didn’t say oh, it’s our desire as women (to have access to abortion). She put it on public health. That’s why she succeeded in what she did.
I found it remarkable that she started her career after becoming a mother.
Yeah, she has to be a mother. She has to be a magistrate. She has to become a minister. She was everything. She was remarkable for that time, especially. For me, the key of this part is that she’s doing that for her mother. Her mother’s taught her to be free as a woman and never to depend on anyone.
Why do you think Simone didn’t want a film about her while she was still alive? I don’t know — I never speak for her. I think she’d be happy with the power of the film. She was obsessed with “never forget.”
You know, those people in camps went through hell. It’s unspeakable what they went through. When I developed this film, when I wanted this film and produced this film, I couldn’t even expect how relevant it would be.
Every battle in the film, all her fights for HIV patients, for incarcerated people, against racism, for women’s rights. It’s not a period film. Everything she’s fighting for: It’s happening now.
Samuel Goldwyn Films
French Jewish actress Elsa Zylberstein as Simone Veil.
Arts&Culture
Bad Shabbos makes for good comedy
A DOUBLE MITZVAH.
By Alan Zeitlin, JNS
Director and writer Daniel Robbins was looking for a different kind of comedy when producer Adam Mitchell had an idea that he had never seen done on screen before. Robbins — a Modern Orthodox graduate of the Ramaz day school on Manhattan’s Upper East Side and Westchester Day School in Mamaroneck, N.Y. — was hooked when he heard an idea.
“Co-writer Zack Weiner has these very crazy lively Shabbat dinners on the Upper West Side with his family,” Robbins said. “His mom—to keep things light when entertaining—will sometimes prank a guest. So, the producer, Adam Mitchell, heard about these pranks and asked what would happen if one of these pranks ended up with someone dying? Zach said that could be a pretty funny movie. I agreed.”
He said some pranks of Weiner’s mother included serving soup in shot glasses and courses on very small plates.
Bad Shabbos stars Milana Vayntrub, who many will recognize from the AT&T commercials as Lily Adams. Here, she plays Abby, a woman who has some issues with her boyfriend, Benjamin, played by Ashley Zukerman, who made his presence felt on Max TV’s Succession and the Netflix trilogy Fear Street
funny movie.”
Robbins said his goal was to make a positive Jewish movie that had to be balanced against the fact that in a comedy where most of the characters were Jewish, there would be exaggerations and wacky things happening.
“That was a real tightrope,” Robbins said. “There are some negative depictions of Jews. I love Judaism and the traditions.”
Robbins said while he enjoyed other related ethniccentered films like My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Meet the Parents, he finds some comedies forced and inauthentic.
Abby’s brother, David (Jon Bass), is anxious since he is engaged to Meg (Meghan Leathers), and her Catholic parents are coming over for Shabbat dinner. Abby and David’s brother, Adam, supports the Israeli army but has to take medication to help with a particular issue. Parents Richard and Ellen (David Paymer and Kyra Sedgwick) exhibit more than a few idiosyncrasies, including Richard quoting the Talmud in a manner that may or may not be correct. The mostly Jewish cast is quite able to pronounce the guttural Hebrew “ch” sound without a problem.
While a point of worry about such a substantial meal, especially when meeting new relatives, might be about an overcooked kugel or a brisket that’s too tough, in this case, somebody dies — and chaos ensues.
The nearly 90-minute movie debuted at the Tribeca Film Fest last June, where it won the Audience Award, and has also picked up prizes from festivals in Miami, Boston, and Sedona, Ariz.
Why hasn’t there been a Shabbat comedy before?
“It’s such a good question,” Robbins said. “I don’t know, but that was part of the impetus of making it. We just wanted to make an authentic depiction of Shabbos in a Modern Orthodox house and show what that energy is like. We know it so well. If we could mix that with a dead-body thriller, we knew it could be a
JCC Film Fest presents Bad Shabbos, 7:15 p.m., Sunday, June 22 at The Neon, 130 E. Fifth St., Dayton. $12. Purchase tickets at jewishdayton.org/events.
As for his movie, “I shot it in a real apartment on the Upper West Side,” Robbins said. “I feel like a lot of comedies feel fake. The more real it is, the funnier it is. Every item and person had to go up one elevator. Even a big New York City apartment is pretty small when you have to fit 30 people.”
Robbins added that he knew Vayntrub before her commercials and was aware of her comedic talent, and that since she is Jewish as well, “it was an obvious choice.”
Some may be surprised to see rapper Method Man, whose real name is Clifford Smith, playing a doorman who is much more helpful than most. “I didn’t think we’d be able to get him,” Robbins said. “We sent him the script, and he was down to make the movie. He killed it.”
In a rare sighting, Adam (Theo Taplitz) lifts weights while wearing an Israel Defense Forces T-shirt, although he is a character who likely would never get through basic training.
Bad Shabbos features characters who correctly recite the blessings made for lighting the Shabbat candles, and, donned in yarmulkes, the blessing over the wine, which is more than can be said for many Hollywood films.
'Getting along with your family could be a battle sometimes, but it's a battle worth fighting.'
The film, which won the Audience Award at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival, consistently gets laughs for one scene where Paymer and Bass ad-libbed part of a scene, Robbins said. In the script, he wrote that in an effort to distract Meg’s parents from not seeing something incriminating, Paymer makes up a fake blessing. He said Paymer sold it well, as did Bass, who on the spot mimicked it to give the feeling that they’d done it before.
The director hopes that people are entertained, but he says he would also be happy to generate interest in the Sabbath after seeing the film.
“It would be great if people could learn about Shabbos through the movie,” Robbins said.
"Just the idea of the whole family gathering together and turning their phones off would be nice. I don’t like to comment too much thematically, but I guess I would say a takeaway is getting along with your family could be a battle sometimes, but it’s a battle worth fighting.”
• anks to a generous anonymous donor, your gi — or additional gi — to Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Dayton will be matched, dollar for dollar.
• It’s a double mitzvah: the cemeteries of Beth Abraham Synagogue, Beth Jacob Congregation, and Temple Israel will combine into a single nonpro t. is ensures their sanctity in perpetuity, and strengthens each congregation’s nancial security.
• Contact Kate Elder at kelder@jfgd.net now for details and to make your pledge.
The cast of Bad Shabbos.
Menemsha Films
Director Daniel Robbins
Jeanne M. Hochman passed away peacefully on May 5 in Palo Alto, Calif. at the age of 84. She was born on Feb. 16, 1941 in Cleveland and was predeceased by her husband, James B. Hochman who passed away on Sept. 23, 2021, also in Palo Alto. Both Jeanne and Jim were long-standing residents of Dayton, but had moved to California for medical treatment in 2016 and remained there ever since. Jeanne is survived by her children, Marla and Jeffrey Hochman (Petra); her brother, Harvey Krieger (Marsha); and grandchildren Josh, Jack and Abby Hochman. Jeanne and Harvey are the beloved children of Ben and Ann Krieger, also from Lyndhurst (Cleveland). Jeanne and Jim moved back to Jim's hometown of Dayton in 1965 after both graduated from The Ohio State University in Columbus, and quickly became well-respected active citizens of their community. For many years, Jeanne managed Jim's Downtown Dayton law office, and also earned a Master of Social Work Degree at Wright State University in 1988. She was a psychiatric social worker for many years at Miami Valley Hospital. In addition, Jeanne was immensely involved in the Jewish community in Dayton, and especially Temple Israel, where she dedicated much of her time as a volunteer and board member commencing in the early 1970s through the mid 2000s. She was an active participant on countless committees and worked tirelessly alongside numerous other fantastic colleagues spanning more than 50 years. Amongst an endless list of superlatives, Jeanne will above all be remembered for her incredible selfless and gracious desire to serve others before she served herself. She had a heart the size of an ocean, and an infectious smile
OBITUARIES
to match. Saying no to a request was not part of her vocabulary, and she will be missed tremendously by all who knew her. Interment was at Riverview Cemetery. Please consider a small donation to the Miami Valley Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, alz. org/dayton, or Vista Center for the Blind or Visually Impaired, vistacenter.org.
Clara Hochstein, Sept. 28, 1924April 30, 2025, age 100 of Dayton, passed away at Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton. Clara was a stenographer at WPAFB during World War II, sold real estate for several years and then with her husband owned and operated Hochstein Custom Furs in Oakwood. She was a lifelong member of Beth Abraham Synagogue and Hadassah. Clara was preceded in death by her beloved husband, David. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Cheryl and Steven Hecht; son and daughter-in-law, Gary and Jane Hochstein; grandchildren, Shana (Marc) Brafman, Sam (Erika) Hecht, Scott (Laura) Hochstein, Robert (Laura Suzanne) Hochstein, Jodie (Jeffrey) Damrauer; great-grandchildren, Peter Hecht, Maya and Jacob Brafman, Cooper, Aubrey, Felicity, Greer and Levi Hochstein and Gabriel and Shira Damrauer; and many other relatives and friends. Interment was at Beth Abraham Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Beth Abraham Synagogue or Hadassah in Clara’s memory.
Mariah K. Strickland, Aug. 22, 1990-April 30, 2025, 34, of Dayton, passed away at Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton surrounded by her family and lots of love. Born in Rochester, N.Y., Mariah was known for her kindness, her quick wit, and her infectious personality.
A musical soul, she loved playing the French horn, watching musicals, and singing loudly in the car or shower. She brought joy to everyone around her and lived her life with laughter and love. She had a unique ability to make every person she met feel seen and loved, and she left a mark on the hearts of many family, friends, students, and others that will last a lifetime. Mariah deeply loved her family and often made trips back to New York to visit her parents, sister, and many cousins. She also cherished her in-laws and enjoyed time with them in Ohio and on family vacations. She was her nieces’ and nephew’s biggest fan, attending as many of their events as possible. Mariah and her husband, Marlyn, shared a deep and honest love – marked by mutual respect, laughter, and true companionship. They loved traveling, sharing delicious food, spending time with friends, and being generally goofy together. They were each other’s favorite person and constant support. Mariah was also a proud mama to dog Duncan and cat Peaches Grande, and she showered them in love and affection every day. She is survived by her husband, Marlyn Strickland; her parents, Margaret Hannon-Holt and Karl Holt; her sister, Julia Hayward and brother-in-law Trevor Hayward; her in-laws, Linda and Marlyn F. Strickland; her sister-in-law Sara Elliott and brother-in-law Josh Elliott; her sister-in-law Jessica Bennington and brother-in-law Clay Bennington; her nieces Caroline and Emma Bennington; and her nephew Zane Bennington. She is also remembered by many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. Donations can be made to the Ridin’ for Riah Pelotonia team in support of cancer research: pelotonia.org/ peloton/a0s3t00000AGUR3AAP.
Choosing sides
Continued from Page 11
showed, Trump’s offensive against woke antisemites has had an impact on some schools. DePaul University, California Polytechnic State University and Haverford College, whose presidents testified at the hearing, are prominent examples of schools where faculty and students had created hostile environments by advocating support for anti-Jewish terrorism, terror groups like Hamas and, the destruction of the State of Israel. This demonstrated that far from being solely a phenomenon of the largest and most prominent elite schools, antisemitism has become a factor at liberal arts institutions and certain science institutions of various sizes.
But even there, as well as at Harvard and Columbia, administrations have begun to show some awareness of the problem.
Harvard’s release of a 311page internal report detailed the vast extent of the problem facing Jews there. Though the university’s record doesn’t appear to be much better, the presidents of DePaul and CalPoly at least tried to act as if they got it, apologizing and speaking of efforts to enforce disciplinary policies that could deter more targeting of Jews.
Not so, the president of Haverford. Speaking in the same sort of lawyerly fashion as the presidents of Harvard, Penn, and MIT that generated so much criticism, Wendy Raymond obfuscated, split hairs, and spoke in vague generalizations. She also attracted attention for requiring the use of large flashcards with prewritten answers to questions, prompting committee member Rep. Elise Stefanik to write that this epitomized a “scripted, spineless, and coached to the bone” character who lacked conviction when speaking about hatred against students enrolled in the college and thereby under the president’s care.
students were imaginary.
Among the worst of these dishonest answers was her failing to admit that she did nothing when asked about demands that “Zionists” be banned. Raymond told the committee that she had made changes to the school’s honor code. That wasn’t true.
She also wasn’t being honest when asked about another incident concerning questions posed to her by Jewish students about a social-media post from a faculty member, who applauded the Oct. 7 assault. According to the students, she said she “heard people breaking free of their chains.”
Raymond isn’t alone in behaving in this manner.
Harvard’s report on antisemitism can be considered a hopeful sign. However, it was accompanied by another report, issued by the university at the same time, devoted to the entirely fictional problem of antiMuslim, anti-Arab and antiPalestinian bias at the school, all of which merely amounts to complaints about Jews who have the temerity to speak up about antisemitism that the school has both tolerated and encouraged. As retired Harvard professor of Yiddish Ruth Wisse told The Free Press, this amounts to the school telling the world that it doesn’t really have an antisemitism problem. Just as damning was the news that Harvard has recently granted nine prestigious fellowships to vicious Israel-bashers whose “scholarship” is indistinguishable from Jew-hatred. These incidents demonstrate that the endemic problems the Trump administration is trying to remedy, which require structural change in higher education, are more necessary than ever. And the only way to address the problem is to punish institutions resisting his reforms and that continue to violate Title VI by defunding them.
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Raymond’s answers also smacked of dishonesty. When pressed about a number of egregious incidents of discrimination against and intimidation of Jews that had taken place on her watch that are detailed in a lawsuit brought against Haverford by The Deborah Project public interest law firm, she contradicted the legal record repeatedly, acting as if she had no direct knowledge of events or that the multitude of incidents of antisemitism at Haverford reported by Jewish
As is patently obvious, no one opposing Trump and the Republicans on this issue would tolerate it for a second if attacks on African Americans or Hispanics were treated in the same cavalier fashion. Yet that is what groups like AJC, the radical rabbis, Democratic Party representatives in Congress, and left-wing media outlets like The New York Times are doing by not only opposing but falsely labeling administration proposals as an assault on academic freedom and democracy.
Jonathan S. Tobin is editor-in-chief of Jewish News Syndicate.
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