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Tales of heroism and compassion
It’s mid-December 2023 as I write this note', eleven years after Jewish Buffalo began collaborating, creating, and composing The Jewish Journal of WNY, the first issue arriving in late February 2013. It is also the last issue of the paper I will edit, as I am retiring from the Buffalo Jewish Federation at the end of this month. Working at Federation and having the opportunity to create this community newspaper has been the job of a lifetime for me. I am so grateful to the many individuals who have made this Jewish journey possible. You will be able to read on page 32 the reasons why I have loved working for all of you, but first, I want to thank many of the friends, colleagues and leaders who have made this long road possible. Larry Levite (z”l) comes to my mind as the first person who enabled this Federation-Buffalo Spree partnership, closely followed by Barbara Macks, Buffalo Spree’s current publisher. The time, energy, grit, patience, guts and love they gave to bringing The Jewish Journal to life was exceptional. Following Larry’s death, Sharon Levite brought the same commitment to The Jewish Journal. There would have been no Jewish Journal without the dedication, persistence and talent of Cindy Oppenheimer, who has sold ads the entire life of this paper. During good and bad times, all through the pandemic and during the change in how we all worked, Cindy persisted, enabling the rest of us to have a wonderful publication. Artist Kim Miers is the extraordinary graphic designer who has made our words, ideas and photos shine on every single page of each issue since she’s come to Spree. My Federation colleagues Rob Goldberg, Jill Komm, Deborah Pivarsi, Joan Kwiatkowski and Robin Kurss have made my job easier, have contributed enormously to the excellence of this publication, and have kept it on track each in their own way. Rob and Jill masterfully edit each story, Joan keeps the mailing list in order, Debbie has kept the project on track, and Robin has supplied delicious recipes the entire run. I’d also like to thank two other people that have made this time in my life even better. My sister, Amy Goldstein has proofread every single issue of The Journal, finding typos no one else could find due to her keen attention to detail. My husband, Mitch Flynn, has been here from the beginning, editing when asked, encouraging, reviewing and brainstorming ideas when needed. Thank you also to the many community members who have contributed stories, photos, ideas, graphics, comments, critiques and praise each and every month since 2013. This paper may have had my name on the masthead as editor, but it has been the loving efforts of everyone in Jewish Buffalo who have made it such a success and my life so meaningful. Thank you all. Ellen Goldstein - Editor
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Midlife Engagement By Robin Kurss
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Not the Last Word By Ellen Goldstein
ART, EDITORIAL, & PRODUCTION Executive Editor..............................................................................Sabrina Kahwaty Creative Director........................................................................Jean-Pierre Thimot Lead Designer.....................................................................................Kimberly Miers Senior Graphic Designers................................ Josh Flanigan, Nicholas Vitello Graphic Designers................................... Rachel Kaznica, Taramarie Mitravich ADVERTISING & SALES Director of Advertising................................................................ Barbara E. Macks Sales Director.........................................................................Cynthia Oppenheimer coppenheimer@buffalospree.com National Ad Director.............................................................................Terri Downey Senior Account Executives.......................... Mary Beth Holly, Caroline Kunze, Robin Lenhard Account Executives.........................................Keren Green, Rachel Wasserman Sales Coordinator...............................................................................Robin Lenhard FINANCE Finance Manager........................................................................... Elizabeth Harvey Members of
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Call Cynthia Oppenheimer at 716-308-4843 Ad space & materials are due by the 10th of each month prior to publication. For a rate card and any additional information, please email Cynthia Oppenheimer coppenheimer@jewishjournalwny.com or Barbara Macks bmacks@buffalospree.com.
TO SUBSCRIBE: To subscribe to The Jewish Journal, please email info@ buffalojewishfederation.org. Free for Western New York area residents and donors to the Campaign. The Jewish Journal of WNY (JJWNY) reserves the right to cancel any advertisement at any time. The Buffalo Jewish Federation and Buffalo Spree Publishing, Inc. are not liable for the content or errors appearing in the advertisements beyond the cost of the space occupied. The JJWNY does not assume responsibility for the kashrut of any product or service advertised in this paper. Editorials, columns, advertisements, agency reports and other outside articles do not necessarily represent the views of the newspaper or the Buffalo Jewish Federation, but rather express the view of the writer. All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968, which makes it “illegal to advertise “based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.” This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate that is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis.
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
FEDERATION
Great Things to Come in 2024 BY MARGIE BRYEN This year marks the 120th year of the Buffalo Jewish Federation. This month, I would like to share my remarks from December’s Federation’s Annual Meeting, held in tandem with the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies’ Annual Meeting. Last year I stood in front of you at this Annual Meeting to accept the position of President of the Board of Federation, with hopes to adequately fill the big shoes that past President Shelly Yellen left behind. I would like to thank Shelly for his ongoing exceptional support to the Federation, our Board and Executive Committee and to me personally. We appreciate your steady leadership and wise guidance and I look forward to our continued work together in the new year. For everyone who cares about Israel and the Jewish people, the last few months have been marked by unprecedented challenges with the war between Israel and Hamas looming large and impacting all of us in various ways, both personally and as leaders. Amidst these difficulties, Jewish Buffalo has seen a remarkable surge in determination and communal strength. It has been gratifying to see our Federation take the lead in bringing the community together to rally around collective actions: we spearheaded a fundraising effort, the Israel Emergency Campaign, enhanced security and preparedness through Secure Jewish Buffalo, delved deep on advocacy work with local legislative and civic leaders, partnered with Jewish Family Services to facilitate emotional support for Holocaust survivors and others in need, and, we have worked to provide vehicles for those who want to use their voices for change, including sending two buses to the March for Israel in DC. It was an extraordinary moment of solidarity. Our professional staff, under the leadership of CEO Rob Goldberg and COO Miriam Abramovich, have been incredible, literally working around the clock in these early weeks, to make all of this possible. We have a lot to be proud of in
Margie Bryen, BJF President
addition to navigating the most complex communal trauma of our generation; our accomplishments this past year include external partnerships, securing new sources of funding, and new, impactful programmatic and operational initiatives. A few that I want to highlight are: Civic Leaders Trip to Israel – This trip served as a cornerstone, fostering cultural understanding, and forging invaluable connections between local leaders of various faiths and cultures, our Jewish community, and our ancestral homeland. Addressing antisemitism – Empowering our community with knowledge to combat hatred has been a priority for years and this grassroots work is now more important than ever. Our internal communal educational endeavors are focused on equipping Jewish individuals to confront prejudice with resilience and understanding. Our first “Let’s Talk About antisemitism” program was this past May, and a follow
up event is happening later this month in partnership with the Community Religious School. In addition, we have been working externally with several local School District superintendents, looking to address antisemitism in schools in a strategic and systemic way. Our work in this space will continue with vigor and thoughtful attention in 2024. Cemetery Restoration – working with the Foundation, a group of donors and the Cemetery Corporation Board, we have made significant progress in both structural and beautification efforts at many of the Jewish cemeteries under the Federation’s stewardship. Restoring dignity to our sacred sites was not just an act of preservation but a testament to our unwavering respect for our Jewish Buffalo history and heritage. Leveraging Our Resources – Embracing technological advancements and strategic partnerships, we have streamlined the Federation’s Operational infrastructure. We outsourced our HR, employing a Professional Employment Organization this year to provide additional benefits and capabilities to our professionals while reducing the internal administrative burden of maintaining and staying current with NYS and Federal requirements. In addition, we moved our ongoing People Plan forward, focusing on professional growth, organizational stability, and succession planning. All of this is to ensure an efficient and effective operation that can provide robust support for our community. Updating our Bylaws – Our commitment to governance and sustainability shines through the updates in this foundational operating document. As we move forward into 2024, we have laid out a roadmap of strategic priorities to lead and support the needs of Jewish Buffalo. Our focus will include: Continuing to invest in Streamlining
Operations to provide a solid foundation for everything else we do. Focusing on projects tied to finance systems, marketing and communication strategy, and donor information management. Updating our Fundraising/ Development approach across all aspects of how we bring dollars into the agency and the community, not just the annual campaign. This strategic approach to development is exciting and necessary as our donor population shifts over time. Maintaining excellence in our sustaining program areas – JCRC (focused on community relations), LiNK (with its focus on Education and Engagement) and HERO (engaged in Holocaust Education) that have served the community well over the past several years. In addition, we will focus resources and expand programming for young adults, continued emphasis on combatting hate and antisemitism, restarting immersive experiences (April trip to Poland/Austria - Exploring our Roots and a KOLOT leadership trip for women), ensuring the safety of our community and Israel engagement. Before closing, I want to take a moment to thank the Federation’s officers, Vice Presidents Risé Kulick and Marc Brown, Secretary Cheryl Stein, and Treasurer Shawn Frier, for their exceptional leadership and service this past year. As we start the new year, we welcome Ken Shuman, our newest Vice President, as we bid farewell and a special thanks to Risé for her service. Thank you all. We are embarking on an exciting year ahead and I invite you each and all to engage with the Buffalo Jewish Federation through programs, projects and philanthropic support at a level that is meaningful to you. Wishing you a healthy and happy 2024, and as always, please be in touch.
W E N YEAR! Y P P A H
2024
January/February 2024 | buffalojewishfederation.org
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COMMUNITY
Federation and Foundation Annual Meeting Highlights Buffalo Jewish Federation and Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies held a joint annual meeting and award celebration on December 6, 2023 at Temple Beth Tzedek. Over 150 people attended the program that was highlight by the presentation of Foundation’s 2023 Endowment Leadership Award to Karen and Rick Zakalik, and a surprise recognition for JJWNY editor Ellen Goldstein in gratitude for her nearly 3 decades of professional leadership at Federation.
4 buffalojewishfederation.org | January/February 2024
COMMUNITY
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January/February 2024 | buffalojewishfederation.org
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COMMUNITY
The Joyfully Jewish Art of Midlife Engagement! BY ROBIN KURSS Mazal tov (congratulations) to those who are 55 or older. As a result of our lived years, we often have greater self-awareness and stability in our careers/ retirement and relationships. We have accumulated many life experiences with great personal strengths and priorities. Many of us have achieved a sense of great fulfillment and self-confidence. Still, many of us are still wondering: What new adventures await us? What comes next? Referred to by some as “middlescence,” there is a period in midlife when individuals experience a re-evaluation of their goals, values, and priorities. It is often characterized by a sense of introspection and a reassessment of one’s life direction. We are here to walk this journey together in a joyfully Jewish way! For many years, the Buffalo Jewish Federation (BJF) has prioritized programming for those of you who are 55 or older. Susan Schwartz shares: “Since 2017, over 75 women, ages 60-90, have participated in a Wise Aging cohort. Currently there are three groups who are continuing to meet. A few cohorts completed a three-year cycle of monthly discussions, beginning with the book, Wise Aging Living with Joy, Resilience, & Spirit, by Rabbi Rachel Cowan (z”l ) and Dr. Linda Thal. While the original curriculum was developed through the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, we’ve expanded the Wise Aging curriculum, using a variety of Jewish and secular books, as the women did not want to stop gathering and learning together.” Being a part of a Wise Aging cohort has had a positive impact on individuals and on the community, as exemplified by these testimonials:
The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), Buffalo Jewish Federation and the JCC of Greater Buffalo are partnering to look at what Jewish engagement could look like at this stage of life. We’ve been on a Listening Tour, meeting with individuals 55+ to hear their life stories, their passions, and to learn about Judaism’s role in their lives. It’s no surprise that the stories, sense of spirituality, and interests match with what JFNA found in their national survey of this age cohort. “Jewish Federations believe that our 50s and beyond are rich with potential for midlife adults to discover purpose, connection, and enrichment in a Jewish context,” shares JFNA’s Elan Kramer. “We know this demographic is hungry for content and community in navigating milestones and transitions, such as relationships to work, identity, parenthood, caregiving, relocation, and more. With our community’s expanded longevity in mind, Jewish Federations are designing programs for more years and more vitality while building communities of inspired and empowered Jewish adults.”
• Talking about issues helps us come to a place of acceptance about ourselves; we are gentler, kinder to ourselves and more accepting.
community in a Jewish context,” he states. “Whether that is through immersive travel, small group conversation, or just moments of Jewish celebration, if we can help to make deeper connections than we will have made an impact.” Mark Horowitz, our partner at the JCC underscores that the JCC has always been a place of learning, gathering, culture and so much more. “We are committed to bringing people together at all ages and stages of their lives to build a safe, warm, and loving community. We are honored to join with the Buffalo Jewish Federation to focus on the population of baby boomers who both have so much to offer each other and the larger community and who have made Jewish Buffalo the vibrant and meaningful place we call home.” Input from JFNA’s survey and our Listening Tour has helped to shape the strategic direction for midlife engagement. There are four main areas that we aim to address: 1. Community Building through Immersive Travel Experiences; 2. Making Meaningful Social Impact by offering volunteer opportunities to mobilize individual’s time, talent, and expertise; 3. Enjoying Curated, Cultural Experiences as a group; and 4. Sharing Joyfully Jewish Experiences through the beauty and rituals of Shabbat via the Together@OneTable platform.
• The Wise Aging group’s compassionate women gave us strength in aging and enthusiasm about life situations. Our friendships are deep. • Through Wise Aging, there is a feeling of connection among us all and we have learned that simplifying life makes it richer.
Men of Wise Gathering at the JCC last month.
Robin Kurss speaks before Shabbat gathering.
Federation’s CEO Rob Goldberg has made midlife engagement an organizational and communal priority. “My hope is that by investing in engagement opportunities for those in the 55+ community will result in more individuals finding purpose and
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Be on the lookout both in The Jewish Journal and via Constant Contact emails for these upcoming opportunities: • Monthly Together@OneTable Shabbat Dinners-sign up to host or be a guest for a lovely Shabbat Dinner • Brunch and a Show: Funny Girl @ Shea’s Buffalo on Sunday, February 18 • Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities through HERO, Jewish Family Services, and other organizations in Buffalo • Wise Gatherings for Men • Wise Women and Wise Aging gatherings • Future Immersive Travel Experiences Are you new to Jewish Buffalo, looking to make connections, want to be added to our email contact list, or just up for meeting over coffee or zoom? Please reach out! Contact Robin Kurss at robin@buffalojewishfederation.org or 716-463-5064. Robin Kurss is Director of Jewish Experience, LiNK Jewish Buffalo. She is enjoying middleage, learning something new every day and living her best Jewish life in our community!
COMMUNITY
WNY Teachers to Travel to Europe on ROOTS Trip In April, the Buffalo Jewish Federation will enable two dozen community members to spend nine days in Poland and Austria as part of its Immersive Experience, Exploring our Roots trip. Participants will discover their family roots through education, remembrance, and hope as they travel from Warsaw to Vienna. Through this life-changing experience, our travelers will be immersed in the region’s history, culture and explore new ways of creating community and Jewish identity. Through the generosity of an anonymous donor, we are able to bring three outstanding educators on this momentous trip: Megan Wright, Rachel Adel and Christy Cardinale. Each bring a wealth of knowledge and passion for teaching about the Holocaust and the history of the Jewish people. Megan Wright has taught High School English in the Alexander School District for 16 years, teaching mainly 9th and 12th
Megan Wright
Rachel Adel
grades as well as two electives, Literature of the Holocaust and Post WWII Literature. Megan was a participant in the Handel Educators DC Trip in 2017 and completed her United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Fellowship in 2019. She has been recognized for her commitment to Holocaust Education by being awarded the
Christy Cardinale
Toby Ticktin Back Educators Award in 2017 and the NYS Louis E. Yavner Teacher Award in 2020. Rachel Adel is a social studies teacher at Orchard Park High School. She is the advisor of the Sign Language Club, co-advisor of the Educational Outreach Volunteer Club and is on the committee for the Humanitarian
Distinction community service award. A grandchild of a Holocaust survivor, Rachel has participated in Holocaust teaching trainings since 2019 and is passionate about Holocaust education. Rachel is also a board member of the Academy of Human Rights. Christy Cardinale has taught social studies in the Williamsville Central School District for 18 years and feels fortunate to work and meet with families of diverse backgrounds. She has been involved in the Student to Student program, inviting the teenage participants to speak to her students each year about their Jewish identity. Christy has facilitated Dignity Grows with students at Williamsville North and she was featured this year in the Buffalo Jewish Federation Kick-Off video. When they return to Buffalo from ROOTs, the teachers plan to bring their experience into their classrooms as well as provide professional development to their districts and be involved in programming with HERO. For more information about immersive experiences at the Buffalo Jewish Federation, please contact Stacey Block at stacey@ buffalojewishfederation.org.
January/February 2024 | buffalojewishfederation.org
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COMMUNITY
Spring 2024 Adult Learning Classes LiNK Jewish Buffalo offers a variety of semester-long and year-long learning experiences for adults. Details about each class, cohort or learning experience can be found below. For more information contact Mike Steklof at mike@buffalojewishfederation.org
Adult Hebrew (Virtual Classes) 2nd Semester: classes run January 24 - April 17, 2024 Fee: $210/for each semester (book purchased separately) Location: Zoom Instructor: Zahava Fried
Beginners Hebrew Wednesdays, 6 - 7 pm No experience necessary. This course is for beginners interested in learning the Hebrew alphabet, grammar, and vocabulary with a focus on reading prayers for Shabbat, synagogue services and traditional blessings.
Intermediate Hebrew Wednesdays, 7:15 - 8:15 pm This course is to further develop skills for those who already know the Hebrew alphabet and can read several words and phrases. The focus of this course is on Hebrew prayer.
Let’s Chant
Thursdays, 7:30 - 9 pm Fee: $54 Dive into Torah trope, the melodic punctuation system used to read aloud from the Torah. This class will focus on learning the names, purposes, and melodies of the t’amim (trope signs) for Shabbat. By the end of the course, you’ll be able to chant like a champ! Proficiency in reading Hebrew is required.
Belonging is a core value of LiNK Jewish Buffalo. Individuals of all abilities, ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, and gender expressions are welcome. Please share your specific access needs with us as part of the registration process and we’ll ensure, to the best of our ability, that your experience is meaningful.
Intro to Judaism Wednesdays, 7 - 8:30 pm Location: Course is over Zoom (January 24 & April 17 classes will be in-person at the Benderson JCC) Fee: $136/semester course (books purchased separately) Facilitated by local clergy and educators, this exceptional course is designed for individuals interested in conversion, individuals (Jewish and non-Jewish) interested in learning more about Jewish religion and history, and couples of multiple faiths. This course will explore the Jewish calendar and life cycles, worship and beliefs, the Bible, Rabbinic literature, antisemitism, the Holocaust, Zionism and the State of Israel.
My Jewish Life Thursdays 7:30 - 9 pm Location: The locations for each session will depend on the topic but will be in the vicinity of Amherst and Buffalo. Facilitated by Rabbi Sara Rich Fee: $54 My Jewish life is an intimate, introspective class that invites participants to explore options for integrating Judaism into everyday life. Through text study, site visits, and hands-on experiences, we will discover Judaism in the synagogue, at home, at work, in nature, and in relationships.
Register for LiNK ADULT LEARNING EXPERIENCES and GATHERING COHORTS at buffalojewishfederation.org/link-gatherings COME HOME TO
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Talented Leaders Comprise 2024 LiNK Leadership Council In early 2020, LiNK Jewish Buffalo launched its Volunteer Leadership Council, bringing together representatives from all areas of LiNK’s work: PJ Library, PJ Our Way, Middle School Engagement, Teen Engagement, Young Adult Engagement, Adult Engagement, Middlescence, and Partnerships. Meeting quarterly, this talented group of leaders works together with the LiNK professional team in pursuit of a vision that all Jews, their family, and friends of other faiths, and those exploring Judaism, can connect with one another through meaningful Jewish living and learning experiences regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, or ability. This month, LiNK welcomes new leaders and celebrates leaders who are stepping into new roles. All members of the leadership council bring with them a deep commitment to Jewish engagement and community building, and a passion for contributing to a thriving Jewish Buffalo. We are also thankful to members of the LiNK Leadership Council who finished their terms in December: Brenda Feldstein, Rebecca Friedman, Rebecca Shaw, Sharon Nisengard, Eric Niles, and Michelle Lawson.
Meet the 2024 LiNK Leadership Council:
CHAIR: Marni Marciano
JEWISH TEEN INITIATIVE CHAIR: Amy Rosen
PARTNERSHIP CHAIR: Shiri Kester
VICE CHAIR: Kirstie Henry
YOUNG ADULT ENGAGEMENT CHAIR: Macie Clawson
PARTNERSHIP VICE CHAIR: Donna Levy
PJ LIBRARY CHAIR: Nikki Balsom
ADULT ENGAGEMENT CHAIR: Ellen Weiss
MIDDLESCENCE CHAIR: Alyssa Anthone
MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGAGEMENT CHAIR: Jessica Cunningham
ADULT ENGAGEMENT VICE CHAIR: Dan Gatusso
IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR: Brenda Feldstein
January/February 2024 | buffalojewishfederation.org
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PJ Library Bills Pep Rally
The Buffalo Jewish Federation has received a $1,500 grant from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation to host a PJ Library 18th Birthday Celebration. In the last 18 years, PJ Library has grown from sending just a few books per month to sending more than 240,000 throughout the US/Canada. To celebrate, LiNK Jewish Buffalo will be hosting a Buffalo Bills Pep Rally/PJ Library Birthday celebration on February 4 from 2-4 pm. Stay tuned for more details.
10 buffalojewishfederation.org | January/February 2024
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DEI Update The second Jewish Equity Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) training began with a leadership cohort from the JCC led by Dr. Amy Shuman and Rachel Beerman, JCRC Manager. JCRC member Corey Auerbach helped to lead JCRC’s second book club which discussed Half American: The Epic Story of Americans Fighting World War II at Home and Abroad by Matthew F. Delmont. Members of the community gathered for a community meet up at Ujima Theater to see the thought-provoking play 12 Mo’ Angry Men, written and directed by Buffalo native TaNisha Fordam. JCRC convened a lunch with NYS Senator Tim Kennedy and members of the Buffalo Board of Rabbis and Cantors to discuss issues facing our community. JCRC co-chair Adam Fogel and an advisory committee are planning for 2024 WNY Leadership Briefing.
Partnership for the Public Good’s Community Agenda
MLK Day of Service Needs Volunteers (January 15, 2024) Join the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor and NAACP for the 4th Annual MLK Day of Service. The theme is “Clean and Green” and there will be at least 15 recycling, cleaning and painting projects throughout the Eastside of Buffalo. Learn how you can volunteer for 1-2 hours on Monday January 15, 2024 by visiting michiganstreetbuffalo. org/mlk-day.
Pictured: Rachel Beerman, Harvey Sanders, Deborah Cohen, Rick Mahler, Rev. Mark Blue, and Mara Koven-Gelman
On Friday, December 1st, JCRC members participated in the Partnership for the Public Good’s annual Community Agenda Vote. During the event they heard a twominute pitch from the leaders of each plank. After questions and discussion, each partner organization cast votes for their top 5 priorities.
NYS Jewish Communities Meet Virtually Buffalo JCRC helped NYS Governor Kathy Hochul’s Jewish Affairs staff, Jacob Adler and Eva Wyner, convene a group of NYS Jewish Community volunteer leadership on November 16. The purpose was to share a first-person account of Governor Hochul’s trip to Israel shortly after the Oct 7 Hamas attack, to hear new NYS initiatives to combat antisemitism and hate, and to hear from Jewish leaders. Nearly 50 people participated from Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Binghamton, Albany, Westchester, Long Island, Rockland, and NYC. Buffalo Jewish Federation President Marjorie Bryen introduced the speakers, and Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Binghamton Shelley Hubal closed the meeting. Highlights included Governor Hochul’s November 9 announcement of three NYS funding streams for vulnerable communities: • $45 Million for non-public P-12 school health and safety funding. While already in FY 2022-23 this funding is being made available earlier. • $25 Million for securing communities against Hate Crimes Grants available for houses of worship, community centers and other at-risk sites. • $50 Million for Law Enforcement Agencies Across the State for modernizing technology and equipment to better assist in crime-solving operations. January/February 2024 | buffalojewishfederation.org
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Hanukkah Memories in the 716 Hanukkah was happening all over Western New York in December. Here are some of the many events, parties and dinners where Jewish Buffalo celebrated.
The Buffalo Club
Chabad
LiNK's Hanukkah in
Community Religious
Candyland
School Center for J
Congregation Shir Shalom 12 buffalojewishfederation.org | January/February 2024
ewish Life
Jewish Community Center
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Wegmans
Jewish Discovery Ce
nter
KeyBank Center Temple Beth Zion
Temple Beth Tz
Kesher Inclusion
edek
N o rt h P
Young Israel Chanuk
a rk T h e
atre
ah January/February 2024 | buffalojewishfederation.org
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of Buffalo
Stop the Bleed Training at Hillel
In the days following Thanksgiving, Hillel of Buffalo and its Greek Council hosted a Stop the Bleed and other first aid training event. Hillel Board president Dr. Iris Danziger and board member Dr. Phil Glick educated 30 students on the proper use of tourniquets, EpiPens, and AEDs, as well as the administration of Narcan and CPR.
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Students joyfully absorbed the potentially lifesaving information. After an informative presentation about how and when to take medical action, participants rotated through 5 stations where they were able to practice each area of first aid. One student shared, “I didn’t know there are no negative side effects of administering Narcan,” a critically valuable piece of information shared by the session’s leaders. Another student offered, “I thought you could hurt someone if you tighten the tourniquet too much, but you can’t!” Hillel of Buffalo has served the WNY Jewish community for 76 years. Located at the University at Buffalo, Hillel builds Jewish community among students, provides educational opportunities and immersive l e a r n i n g experiences, and offers engaging weekly programs and Shabbat services. To support Hillel, please visit HillelofBuffalo. org/donate. If you’d like to arrange a Stop the Bleed training for your organization, please reach out to Dr. Iris Danziger at danzigermd@ aol.com.
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JFS Receives Grant for local Holocaust Survivors In a collaboration with the Buffalo Jewish Federation and Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies, Jewish Family Services of Western New York announced $40,000 in matching funds from The Joseph Gringlas KAVOD SHEF National Fund and local partners to enhance care and services to Holocaust survivors living in Western New York.
Jewish Family Services will utilize the funding to continue its efforts in providing the community’s remaining Holocaust survivors with urgent and critical health and human services such as dental, vision, medical, food, emergency home care, emergency transportation, emergency home services such as utilities, home repair and rent support, and more. “Holocaust survivors have earned the right to live out their life in dignity and not have to make the difficult choice between rent, food and medicine,” said Molly S. Carr, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, Jewish Family Services of WNY. “JFS along with Jewish Buffalo are proud to partner with KAVOD SHEF to expand these types of support services to survivors who are such an important fabric of our community.” Pre-pandemic studies indicated that 80,000 Holocaust survivors were living in the United States and more than 30,000 were living at or near poverty levels. Recognizing the critical needs of survivors, Seed the Dream Foundation partnered with KAVOD to establish the KAVOD Survivors of the Holocaust Emergency Fund (SHEF) in 2019 to match funding to expand vital services while increasing awareness of the significant challenges of the Holocaust survivor population. Buffalo Jewish Federation’s CEO Rob Goldberg underscored how his
organization is honored to be a part of this investment, “Our Holocaust education work through HERO includes support of the small group of survivors in Jewish Buffalo. Partnering with JFS and Foundation in identifying funds to match this new investment from KAVOD is critical to ensure that the survivors have what they need to live their lives fully and with dignity.” Emergency services are just part of the support Jewish Family Services provides to local Holocaust survivors. The organization held its first Holocaust survivor lunch on November 17 attended by 20 survivors and their loved ones to foster a space where socialization and engagement with peers is encouraged. In the early days of the pandemic, Jewish Family Services began its Friends to Holocaust Survivors program to keep its Jewish community services clients feeling engaged and connected, specifically those who were living in assisted living facilities or at home alone. The program began by having volunteers write and exchange letters or engage in weekly phone calls with those who were isolated. “Once it was safe to see each other in person again, many of these friendships between volunteers and Holocaust survivors blossomed,” Carr said. “Survivors have told us that the volunteers made them feel less lonely during the pandemic and now they are
enjoying the established connections with members of the Jewish Family Services community.”
For more information on the Holocaust survivor and Jewish community services offered by Jewish Family Services, visit jfswny.org/jewishcommunity-services/.
January/February 2024 | buffalojewishfederation.org
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RABBI'S COLUMN
Expressing Gratitude and Taking Action BY RABBI LAIZER LABKOVSKI This year marks a significant milestone in our shared journey: beginning the 30th year since Chani and I embarked on our mission as Rabbi and Rebbetzin, emissaries of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, in this warm and welcoming Buffalo Jewish community. As we reflect on the passage of close to three decades, we are filled with gratitude to G-D for the growth, learning, and deep connections forged with so many. Your love and appreciation over the years have been truly overwhelming. The bonds we’ve built extend beyond the confines of our congregation, weaving into the fabric of our daily lives. Together, we have created a tapestry of shared experiences, celebrated joyous occasions, marked significant milestones, and found solace in moments of challenge. Your kindness, support, and unwavering commitment have not only made us feel at home but have allowed us to flourish in our roles as spiritual leaders. The spirit of unity within this
community, characterized by openness, generosity, and a willingness to embrace diversity, has made our journey as Rabbi and Rebbetzin incredibly fulfilling and rewarding.
16 buffalojewishfederation.org | January/February 2024
However, as we celebrate this milestone, our hearts are heavy in the wake of the horrific terrorist attack in Israel this past October. The magnitude of this tragedy is unbearable, with over 1,200 murdered and many still being held hostage by terrorists. Is there anything we can do being thousands of miles away, in our own Buffalo community? Yet our very beings cry out: How can we help? Yes, there is something we can do. The Torah teaches us that our physical protection and collective destiny are intrinsically connected to our spiritual activism. In times of crisis, positive actions can create a spiritual defense
shield for our brothers and sisters in Israel. The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, shared actionable steps that each of us can take to support Israel and its people. Let us not underestimate the power of good! Take a minute to do one or more of the following. You can make a difference! Here are some suggestions: • Tefillin: Encourage friends to put on tefillin daily or start doing so yourself. • Shabbat candles: Light candles every Friday 18 minutes before sunset and encourage others to do the same. • Mezuzah: Install mezuzahs on each doorway in your home. • Charity and acts of kindness: Contribute to charity or extend a helping hand to someone in need. • Torah study: Engage in Torah study or join a Torah class. • Prayer: Say a prayer for the safety of the IDF soldiers and all residents of the Holy Land. • Purchase a letter in Torah: Participate in a Torah scroll being written in Israel to express our unity. For guidance on implementing these or any other mitzvot, please contact us at the Center for Jewish Life at 716-6397600, we are always here to help. Looking ahead, we are excited about the continued growth and prosperity of Jewish Buffalo. The past 29 years have demonstrated the resilience and strength of our community, and we eagerly anticipate contributing to the positive developments that lie ahead. We offer our heartfelt gratitude and prayer for the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world and the coming of Moshiach now. Rabbi Laizer & Chani Labkovski are the co-directors of the Center for Jewish Life. Rabbi Laizer is also the Director of Kosher Meals on Wheels of Western NY and Chani is Director of Chai Early Childhood Center and Chai Hebrew School.
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LIFE & LEGACY® at Buffalo Drs. Liz Zausmer and Lito Gutierrez’s LIFE & LEGACY® at Buffalo Gift Begins Now “As my forefathers planted these carob trees for me so I too plant these for my children.” — Talmud (Ta’anis 23b)
Total Legacy Commitments Received: 435 Total dollar amount: $12,975,534 Total Number of Donors: 246 As of November 30, 2023
LIFE & LEGACY® is a partnership with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation that promotes after-lifetime giving to benefit Jewish synagogues and organizations. Legacy giving ensures that you will be remembered by those who directly benefit from your generosity as well as those who will be inspired by your example for future generations. In 2021, the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies, in collaboration with the Buffalo Jewish Federation, was selected to join more than 70 other communities across North America in this Jewish legacy giving initiative. To-date, the initiative has secured more than 30,000 permanently endowed commitments amounting to more than $1 Billion. The four-year LIFE & LEGACY® program provides coaching, training, and resources to ensure that a culture of philanthropy and legacy giving becomes an integral part of the Buffalo Jewish community. Together, the Foundation and Federation are committed to helping secure the future of Jewish Buffalo. Each month, please visit this LIFE & LEGACY® @ Buffalo section to learn about the local agencies and synagogues partnering in this effort. For more information, please contact Linda Barat, LIFE & LEGACY® Coordinator for the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies at linda@jewishphilanthropies.org or 716-204-2259.
Dr. Elisabeth (“Liz”) Zausmer was raised in a Jewish home in New Jersey where she and her family attended a Conservative synagogue and she graduated from Hebrew high school. After various twists and turns in her life, including medical school, she arrived in Buffalo in 1993 to practice internal medicine. Dr. Lito Gutierrez was raised Catholic in Argentina, survived an earthquake, attended medical school and completed his post graduate training at Erie County Medical Center. Coming from two different cultures and life experiences, they met and married in 2000 and both practiced medicine in WNY. After successful professional careers, Liz and Lito’s attention turned to Tzedek, the obligation of giving back. Lito explains that “giving comes in different ways, whether in time and effort or financially.” In giving time, Lito has completed three tours to Yoro, Honduras with NY/Help Honduras volunteering his physician skills with patients of the Mataderos Tribe, and Liz serves as Chair of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the League of Women Voters of Buffalo-Niagara, a nonpartisan volunteer organization to empower and educate voters and defend the democratic process. During the Covid19 pandemic, they worked together in the MASH Unit at the Javits Center in Manhattan to work behind the scenes to help expand the capacity of the health care systems of New York City and the State of New York. Liz and Lito are members of Congregation Havurah. For Liz, “It’s important to be Jewish” and for Lito, “it’s where he feels the most comfortable.” Their belief in finding reliable,
proven sources of philanthropy through years of living in the Buffalo Jewish community led them to the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies, knowing they could channel their wishes to assist the Jewish community as well as other parts of the Greater Buffalo community. Working with the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies, they were empowered to fulfill their passions and dreams by establishing a charitable vehicle which would work well for them to create a positive and enduring impact on Jewish Buffalo, WNY, and the world. Maintaining and strengthening the Buffalo Jewish community is important to Liz and Lito. They elected to establish their legacy gift for LIFE & LEGACY® at Buffalo during their lifetimes by making qualified charitable distributions from an IRA to a restricted endowment fund that will benefit participating organizations for generations to come. This tax-
efficient vehicle enables the couple to honor their pledged commitments during their lifetimes and have the Buffalo Jewish community benefit from their assets rather than pay taxes. “The tax advantage of doing this is clear and simple,” Lito explains. Liz and Lito’s legacy gifts include the Buffalo Jewish Federation for the benefit of the Holocaust Education Resource Organization (HERO) and the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), Hillel of Buffalo, and Jewish Family Services. For Liz and Lito, the “here and now” is more important than a name on a building. They want to see our vibrant Jewish community’s institutions continue. L’Dor V’Dor.
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Buffalo International Jewish Film Festival This March
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The Buffalo International Jewish Film Festival is back for its 39th year from March 15-21. All films will be shown on the magnificent full-size screen of the Dipson Amherst Theatre where patrons may sit in comfortable lounge seats and have access to a well-stocked concession stand. As always, the Festival Committee prides itself in carefully pre-screening films to select the very best that are available to us. Over the years, award-winning films from over 30 different countries have been presented. This year’s lineup illustrates the meaning of “International” in our title, with films from the United States, Israel, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Australia, Spain, and Ukraine. Subtitles can best be discerned on the big screen, and you will probably need them when you hear dialogue in Hebrew, German, Russian, or Yiddish. Yiddish? That’s right. One film is done entirely in Yiddish! In another film, the starring Russian actress actually learned Hebrew for her role, - and you’d never realize that. There is an appropriate balance of five documentaries and six feature films. Documentaries disclose factual information, of course. But five of the six feature films are based on real events, often revealing that truth can be stranger than fiction. It all adds up to an extraordinary theatrical experience. For more information, contact Cantor Mark Horowitz at mhorowitz@jccbuffalo.org.
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On the afternoon of April 8, Western New York will experience one of nature’s most spectacular phenomena: a total solar eclipse. Join the JCC to look at this event through a Jewish Lens on Wednesday, February 28 at 7 pm in the JRT. Hear a new musical and video piece written specifically for this moment and performed by Five by Five, described as “classical turned loose in the toy store,” “top-flight,” and “imaginative”. The first 100 people to register will receive a pair of Eclipse sunglasses. To register, contact Cantor Mark Horowitz at mhorowitz@jccbuffalo.org.
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Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies Elects Officers and Welcomes New Board Trustees The Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies (FJP) is pleased to announce the elected Executive Committee for its Board of Trustees effective January 1, 2024: Daniel J. Kester, President; Jeff Bagel, Craig Z. Small and Peter Allen Weinmann, Vice Presidents; Penny Howard, Treasurer and Rick Steinberg, Secretary. FJP is also pleased to welcome Morton I. Abramson, Alon Kupferman and Ruth Wiseman Spivack to the agency’s Board of Trustees for a three-year term beginning January 1, 2024.
Daniel Kester, Ph.D. is a retired materials scientist. He earned a B.A. in Physics at Grinnell College and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees at Penn State University. He is on the boards of Jewish Family Services of Western New York, Congregation Shir Shalom where he is President of the Men’s Group, and the Schoerke Foundation supporting education in West Africa. Originally from Los Angeles, Dan and his wife have resided in Williamsville for the last 25 years and they have two daughters and a grandchild.
Jeff Bagel, CFRE is the Managing Principal of eAdvancement Consulting. His extensive experience in providing fundraising counsel leads organizations to maximize their philanthropic potential. He is the author of “Annual Fundraising Plans Made Simple,” a resource for fundraisers worldwide. Jeff is a sought-after speaker, panelist, and moderator at fundraising conferences in WNY and nationally. Professionally, he has served in chief fundraising roles at various institutions in the fields of education, arts and culture, and healthcare.
Craig Z. Small is managing partner and founder of Small Law Firm in the City of Buffalo. His practice focuses on personal injury cases, and he advocates for safe practices to reduce the risk of injury to others. He is a member of Congregation Shir Shalom and Chair of the Federation’s 2023 Annual Giving Campaign and is a recipient of the Federation’s Anne and Meyer Richwun Emerging Leadership Award.
Peter Allen Weinmann is Managing Attorney of the law firm Wolfgang & Weinmann where he focuses his practice on representing corporate, industrial, and high-end residential taxpayers in challenging their tax assessments. He is a former prosecutor and has been a practicing attorney for more than 35 years. Peter is a past president of the American Jewish Committee, Buffalo/Niagara Chapter; former Board Governor of the Buffalo Jewish Federation; past Trustee of Temple Beth Zion; former Treasurer of the Kadimah School and a past member of Roswell Park Cancer Institute’s Development Committee.
Penny Howard, CPA, is a Senior Account Executive with Johnson Controls, a global energy infrastructure company. She specializes in helping higher education build strategies for the creation of intelligent buildings, energy efficiency, and integrated infrastructures working seamlessly together to deliver long-term sustainability solutions. Previously, she focused on higher education leading finance, facilities, technology, and audit operations in positions such as CFO, CIO, and EVP at various colleges and universities in North America. In WNY, Penny serves as President of the Board of Directors for Assembly House 150. She earned a BSBA in Accounting at Longwood University and an Executive MBA at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Richard “Rick” Steinberg, PhD is principal at RAS Change Consulting LLC where he provides leadership coaching to clients in a wide range of organizational settings. He has served on various boards including at The Peter & Elizabeth Tower Foundation, the Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo and Temple Beth Am (now Congregation Shir Shalom). He earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Pittsburgh and his master’s and PhD degrees in Organizational Psychology at Michigan State University. For the past seven years, he was the Executive in Residence in Leadership at the University at Buffalo School of Management. Previously, he spent 35 years working in Human Resources, most recently as Vice President of Human Resources for Columbus McKinnon Corp.
Morton I. Abramson, AAMS is a retired financial advisor/portfolio manager affiliated with Wells Fargo Advisors. A native Buffalonian, Mort’s community involvement in Jewish affairs includes holding past board and officer leadership positions at Temple Shaarey Zedek (now Temple Beth Tzedek), serving as co-chair of the Buffalo Chapter of the Israel Bond Campaign, and serving on the Board of the Buffalo Jewish Federation. Other community activities include serving as Treasurer of the Buffalo Chamber Music Society for more than 20 years and serving as a board member of condominium associations located in Williamsville and Chautauqua.
Alon Kupferman is a Customer Experience Manager at M&T Bank where he has worked in a variety of roles in areas such as technology, digital, wealth and risk for more than 16 years. Prior to M&T, he worked as the Director of Policy and Communications in the House of Representatives for a senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee. Alon has served on the board of the Elmwood Franklin School and is the Immediate Past President of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo.
Ruth Wiseman Spivack is an accomplished attorney with a record of providing high quality, clientcentered legal representation. During her career, she worked at UAW-GM Legal Services and as Special Counsel for Andreozzi Bluestein, LLP. Her community activities include serving on the boards of Jewish Family Services of Western New York and Congregation Shir Shalom. She looks forward to her involvement with the Foundation, having been introduced to the agency through her parents many years ago. January/February 2024 | buffalojewishfederation.org
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In a time of increasing antisemitism, Temple Beth Zion (TBZ) has created the Blum Jewish Education Project as an educational answer to address this growing problem. The project, which will begin bringing school groups in early 2024, provides a series of workshops for students in grades 6-12 that includes in-depth sessions about Jewish symbolism, the immigrant experience, and topics within the Common Core and New York State Educational Standards. The Blum Project is the first of its kind of program in Western New York and will bring middle and high school students, as well as some university groups, to TBZ’s Cofeld Judaic Museum and the synagogue to learn about local history, architecture and culture, and gain a deeper appreciation for Jewish heritage. The museum, which is housed at Temple Beth Zion, is the only Jewish museum in Western New York, and was reimagined and re-opened in April of 2023. Using the collection of the Cofeld Museum and the art and architecture of TBZ, participants will engage with a wide variety of symbols both universal and Jewish in origin. They will learn how symbols are used and have been meaningful in culture, religion and tradition. Participants will unravel origins, meanings and significance through various hands-on gallery activities led by trained educators. By engaging in these observation and discussion-based activities, students will reflect on how different symbols are
The Blum premiere film team
meaningful within their own cultures and those of others. To develop a deeper understanding of the experiences of immigrants, students will examine the art collection and artifacts of the Cofeld Judaic Museum with a focus on themes, including assimilation and collective identity. Through observations and discussions, students will be able to reflect upon the personal experiences of immigrants and be able to make connections between historical events and contemporary issues. As part of the project, awardwinning Antica Productions out of Toronto and Brooklyn- based filmmaker Trisha Pickelhaupt, in partnership with the Blum Project team, created an inspirational documentary that premiered in mid-October and can be seen at www.blumproject.org. The film
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includes content on the history of Jewish Buffalo, Judaism, and the architecture of Temple Beth Zion. The film will be shown to students prior to participating in the workshops and has been designed to both engage students and generate thought-provoking conversation. The Blum Project is looking to reach the widest audience, so if you are working with children or have children or grandchildren attending a local school, please share this opportunity with classroom teachers and administrators. The more students that have the opportunity to visit the Blum Project, the safer our students and community will be. As Helen Keller famously wrote, “the highest result of education is tolerance.” For more information on the project visit blumproject.org or contact Project Director Jill Gutmann at Jill@ blumproject.org.
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COMMUNITY
Reshaping perceptions and understanding the past CEPA’s ambitious multi-pronged exhibit remembers the Holocaust BY ALBERTO REY The article is reprinted with permission from the January 2024 edition of Buffalo Spree. The Center of Exploratory and Perceptual Arts (CEPA)’s Power of Resilience and Hope: Photography and the Holocaust: Then & Now is among the most comprehensive and complex projects ever organized by an exhibition space in Buffalo. In fact, the project is so ambitious that it is presented in two parts over a five-month period. Encompassing community programming, photography exhibitions, online symposium, satellite exhibition, film screenings, online annotated Holocaust timeline, and a free publication archiving the artists’ work and project, the event’s full schedule is listed on CEPA’s website, cepagallery.org. The event is curated by project manager Ruby Merritt, CEPA’S Community Engagement & Teaching Artist, and former executive director and chief curator of CEPA Robert Hirsch, who reviewed artists whose work looks at how the past impacted them during rising antisemitism and the effects of transgenerational trauma, i.e. how trauma from past events affects people in the present. The project investigates how photo-based imagery shapes cultural narratives and photography’s role in documenting, interpreting, and understanding the past, specifically the Holocaust (Shoah). Reimagined works by contemporary artists as well as community outreach and coordinating activities aim to create a forum for difficult conversations and context amid the rise of hatred and racism in the US. “This project points out that equal rights and justice are necessary to have an open and healthy society,” Hirsch says. CEPA is publishing a 100-page color catalog featuring the works of exhibiting artists from Germany, Israel, and the US, which includes regional artists Noah Breuer, Tom Carpenter, Robert Fleming, Joan Linder, Becca Schwarzberg, Mizin Shin, and Light Research Collaborative. The exhibition also includes American artists Stephen Berkman and Jason Francisco. Berkman describes his sepia layered photograph A Wandering Jewess as speaking “to antisemitism and as well to a sense of premonition and foreboding. It presents Jewish Eastern European life before the pogroms and the Holocaust. However, the future is just around the bend and is even more perilous than the
© Jason Francisco, Massacre site in the Janowska Street labor camp in Lviv, Ukraine, 2014
© Stephen Berkman, A Wandering Jewess, N/D
past. This is symbolized by the erupting volcano, foreshadowing how the Shoah would decimate the rich Yiddish culture of literature, music, and theater.” Francisco’s image, Massacre site in the Janowska Street labor camp in Lviv, Ukraine,” describes the site “at Piaski Hill, the primary massacre site in the Janowska Street labor camp in Lviv, Ukraine, where 100,000-200,000 Jews were killed; the hill is within a prison complex still operating on the site.” These images are but a sample of the exhibit’s eclectic approach to examining this historic period. The catalog also includes a curatorial essay and three others by experts in the Holocaust, genocide, and conflict photography. The catalog is free and will be provided as a PDF to educators. In addition, renowned educational organization Echoes & Reflections:
Teaching the Holocaust, Inspiring the Classroom (echoesandreflections.org) has created a photographic timeline from 1933 to 1945 covering events leading up to and including the Holocaust; it is hosted on the CEPA website. Supporters and partners of the Power of Resilience and Hope: Photography and the Holocaust: Then & Now include the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Joy of Giving Something Foundation, Golden and Goldman Philanthropic Fund, UB’s Department of Jewish Thought, Erie County Cultural Funding, Holocaust Resource Center of Buffalo, Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo, Clean Air Coalition of Western New York, Mirabo Press, and Journey’s End
Refugee Services along with business and private sponsors. Phase one of the project opens at CEPA Saturday, January 20 from 5-8 pm and the following week, Saturday, January 27, from 6-9 pm at Mirabo Press, which is partnering with CEPA to present this large and diverse group of artists. Part two opens at CEPA Saturday, March 23 from 5-8 pm. With two phases, CEPA can present larger samplings of each artist’s work, which provides audiences a deeper intellectual experience as they compare the work in the two phases and generate a greater understanding of how artistic expression can convey complex concepts.
For military veteran caregivers, caregiving often starts earlier in life and lasts longer. To better care for your loved one, you must also care for yourself.
Get a FREE military veterans caregiving guide at
aarp.org/caregiving January/February 2024 | buffalojewishfederation.org
21
COMMUNITY
Hadassah Happenings KOT Paint Night and more! Buffalo Hadassah recently held two jewelry sales in the Benderson JCC lobby. A variety of jewelry and Judaica were donated by Hadassah members over the last few years and Sue Bergman repaired many of these treasures that needed adjustments and Marlene Katzel polished pieces that needed such attention. Proceeds from the sale benefited Hadassah’s HMO and all the incredible lifesaving work that the Hospital is doing in Israel.
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WISHES Only $36 for up to 70 words, $54 with added photo. Contact Cindy Oppenheimer at 716-308-4843 coppenheimer@jewishjournalwny.com
22 buffalojewishfederation.org | January/February 2024
Members and friends of Kehillat Ohr Tzion had many opportunities to gather last month. Paint Night, coordinated by Barb Chazen, brought out lots of hidden talents when Daniel Loomis, art teacher at The Park School, guided 30 participants in painting various renditions of the Western Wall. In addition to the ‘artists,’ there were kibbitzers who walked around resupplying paint and offering encouragement to the artists. There were refreshments and plenty of time for everyone to mingle and enjoy each other’s company. The women of KOT gathered for a challah bake where all the proceeds were sent to aid Israel. Extra challahs were made to be shared at the shul’s Chanukah Shabbat dinner. Members also came together to make scarves to donate to the homeless in our community. For more information about KOT visit ohrtzion.org/kot.
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COMMUNITY
Celebrating Ellen Goldstein At the end of December, Ellen Goldstein retired as the Editor of the Jewish Journal of Western New York, a publication that she helped launch 12 years ago. We wanted to express our gratitude to Ellen for her nearly three decades of work on behalf of Federation, her passion for Jewish Buffalo and dedication to the JJWNY by inviting friends and colleagues to share their words with her and with all of you.
The first meal I ever had in Buffalo was at Ellen and Mitch’s welcoming home. Since then, her warmth, kindness, and passion for our community has been a treasured blessing in my life and that of my wife and our daughters. In Ellen’s role as Editor of The Jewish Journal, I was privileged to be assigned to profile some inspiring Jewish Buffalonian Difference Makers, as well as a number of important community initiatives. Heading into 2024, I will continue to feel that an event without Ellen there— with her camera at the ready—isn’t an ‘official’ gathering. Ellen, thank you for your leadership, friendship, and many memories. You have captured and celebrated so many key events, people, and eras of Jewish Buffalo during your epic career. We love you and wish you Mazel Tov in your next chapter! - Ezra N. Rich, Buffalo Jewish Federation and Temple Beth Tzedek
From the first day I met Ellen, 10 years ago, she has been a warm and wise presence. Ellen is a mentor and a dugma (Hebrew for role model) to me and to countless others across Jewish Buffalo. Ellen has helped so many of us hone our ability to write with clarity and brevity. As a friend, for those of us lucky enough to call her one, Ellen is caring and generous. For every birthday and holiday, beautiful and thoughtfully curated bags of goodies somehow appear on the porch! She brings food to those who are infirm, she sends cards to those who need a pick-me-up, and she always shows up. In each of these expressions of friendship and love, Ellen is full of witty, poignant, and well-earned stories and advice! Ellen, you are truly one of a kind. Don’t be a stranger as we will all continue to look to you for friendship and inspiration as you embark on this exciting new chapter! - Miriam Abramovich, Chief Operating Officer, Buffalo Jewish Federation
24 buffalojewishfederation.org | January/February 2024
I came to know Ellen at the offices of Buffalo Spree Publishing. I always looked forward to seeing her at “deadline” every month and to providing her with a requested recipe to include in The Jewish Journal too. I saw what a brilliant and dedicated woman she is. Her talents are myriad; she’s an erudite editor, a talented photographer, a magnificent gardener, and a delicious cook and preserver of nature’s bounty. She is intellectually curious, compassionate, generous, and kind and an inspiration to all who know her! I have been honored to work with Ellen and most of all to call her my friend. I wish her health, love, and happiness always, wherever she goes and whatever she does! - Robin Kurss, Director of Jewish Experience, Buffalo Jewish Federation
Knowing Ellen Goldstein for most of my life through Temple Beth Zion, it has been a pleasure to work beside her in many capacities, including various committees, activities, events and most recently for the past 11 years with The Jewish Journal. Ellen knows how to collaborate with others. She is articulate, dependable and dedicated to her work in the greater Buffalo Jewish community. I consider Ellen to be a true friend and I wish her only the best during her retirement. - Cindy Oppenheimer, sales director, Jewish Journal
Ellen has been a dear colleague and friend for 25 years. I have been fortunate to see her love, passion and compassion for Buffalo’s Jewish and greater community which has had no bounds. I have so many wonderful memories locally and of trips to Israel, LA, Washington, DC and more throughout the years watching her build relationships and engaging with everyone. Ellen’s dedication and contributions have had a strong impact on our community. I wish her all the best as she begins her next chapter. - Randi Morkisz, Major Gifts Officer, Buffalo Jewish Federation
COMMUNITY I am so proud to say that Ellen and I have been working together since the beginning of 2013, two very HYPER women with PERFECTION on their minds, taking on an all new and creative partnership between the Buffalo Jewish Federation and Buffalo Spree Publishing…well it turns out it was more than a partnership, we built a beautiful lifelong friendship, a magazine that is not only an award winning magazine but truly loved by the entire Buffalo Jewish community and we helped develop this “Marriage of community ” together! Ellen has taught me so much about our community, its makeup, its diversity and its unbelievable closeness of those who surround us every day. She has brought so much to my life not only as a proud Jewish woman but as the very proud Publisher of our city’s Jewish paper as well as our city & region's local magazine. I am so proud to have her in my life to be able to call her my friend, my colleague, and the editor of a publication that I too have had the honor of taking care of over the last 10 years. It has truly been a pleasure working with her, learning from her, and striving to meet her expectations of what this paper should be. - Barbara E. Macks, Publisher, Buffalo Spree Publishing, Inc.
Ellen is an extremely bright, creative, and talented Professional and a caring and loving friend. It has been my good fortune to work with Ellen and have her support and friendship for these many years. I love you Ellen! - Lana Benatovich
Ellen and I have been friends for almost 50 years. We met at a Mount Holyoke College Alumnae Club meeting and bonded immediately. Aside from collegial ties we crossed paths often at Jewish communal events. Joel and I attended the party her parents gave when she left Buffalo to earn her graduate degree from Harvard; and any who knew Arlene, her mother, knew Ellen’s friends immediately became like family to her as well. We went to represent MHC at a college fair in 1982 and as we drove to Orchard Park that day she was the first person I told I was pregnant, bursting to let someone know and warning her morning sickness was raging. Twenty-eight years later she was one of the hostesses at that son’s fiancée’s bridal shower. Ellen was the Federation staff person assigned to the Community Relations Committee when I became chair in 1998. Those were two years of a wonderful working relationship. We’ve schlepped all over together. In 1999 we were roommates at the JCPA conference in Washington DC. I remember Ellen found out about an exhibit at the National Gallery and we skipped out on a session to attend! In 2006 we, along with Holly Levy, went on a national mission to Odessa and then to Israel, landing the night war broke out on the Lebanon border. We didn’t feel a threat to our personal safety but I was sure lucky to have Ellen beside me as we tried to keep calm under the circumstances. In Odessa we were moved by the revival of that city’s Jewish community. We have commiserated over the past two years, about the elderly sisters we met who were clients of the JDC and as we’ve seen sites on the news that we remember visiting, now with sandbags around monuments to avoid missile damage. Above all else, Ellen has been a wonderful friend. She is a great person to talk to and listens with sympathy to what you are saying, even though at times she has travails in her own life. I know Federation will miss her, but I’m also glad she will still be an enduring friend in my life. - Judy Brownstein
Ellen and I have worked together for over fifteen years. We have attended countless events, learned together, laughed together, and even traveled to Israel together. Each and every one of those interactions was a blessing. Her kindness and humility, compassion and curiosity, has not only made a difference to me, but impacted the entire community for the better. I cannot think of a single event where Ellen didn’t have her camera handy, ready to record our communal history in such a beautiful way. What comes to mind is the Hebrew value of “B’Tzelem Elohim/in the image of God.” This is the value taken from the story of creation that tells us that each and every one of us embodies God. The word Tzelem is particularly important when it comes to Ellen. Tzalam, from the same root as Tzelem, means photographer, a recorder of the image of God. That is who Ellen is, someone who recognizes what is holy and celebrates it. - Rabbi Alex Lazarus-Klein, Congregation Shir Shalom & Buffalo Jewish Relations Council
Ellen Goldstein is a Buffalo institution. She is known far and wide both within the Jewish and the secular community. She is tireless in her advocacy and representation; she is respected, admired, and called upon when the going gets tough. Every political leader in Western New York has known her, even if they didn’t know the Federation Executive Director. Ellen has been through five of them! And Ellen gets things done. From her involvement in the Network of Religious Communities, to the JCRC, to editing the award-winning Jewish Journal of WNY, Ellen has been a driving force. Ellen’s retirement is a loss for the Jewish community. She will be impossible to replace. We have all benefited enormously from her efforts and her tireless work in our community. Well done Ellen! Yasher Koach! - Peter Allen Weinmann, Esq.
I’ve had the privilege of working closely with Ellen on The Journal for a number of years. Her enthusiasm, creativity, and utmost dedication to the magazine and community has been tremendous. Often, she put her personal needs aside and worked any day, any hour, to make sure the paper was the best it could be. On a personal note, she’s become a good friend of our family and is a caring, generous, loving person! I’ll miss working with her very much, but know we’ll stay in touch—and whatever she pursues will be excellent!! - Kim Miers, Senior Graphic Designer/ Webmaster, Buffalo Spree Publishing, Inc
January/February 2024 | buffalojewishfederation.org
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COMMUNITY
Celebrating Ellen Goldstein (cont'd) Our friend Ellen Goldstein personifies community: she is dedicated to Buffalo, to its Jewish community, and to klal Israel—the whole Jewish people. She also creates community wherever she goes—one might even call her a one-woman walking community. To know Ellen is to be her friend and to love her; to know Ellen is to be connected to an immense, branching rhizosphere of chaverim (friends). - David Zakalik Ellen and I have enjoyed a personal and professional / lay leadership relationship over thirty plus years. No one is more sensitive, considerate and thoughtful about including and engaging people from different backgrounds and religious traditions under the tent of community. She has the innate ability to grow relationships, just as she does with plants and flowers, that flourish effortlessly. The connectivity in our community is due to her efforts on all of our behalf. - Karen Zakalik
26 buffalojewishfederation.org | January/February 2024
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Attention young parents and grandparents: PJ Library presents Babies & Books Thursday, January 11 from 10 - 11 am at the Amherst Public Library, Meeting Room 2, located at 350 John James Audubon Parkway. To RSVP, go to buffalojewishfederation.org/ LiNK-gatherings.
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Join the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor, NAACP and your friends from JCRC for the 4th Annual MLK Day of Service Monday, January 15. The theme is “Clean and Green” and there will be at least 15 recycling, cleaning and painting projects throughout the Eastside of Buffalo. Learn more about how you can volunteer for 1-2 hours that day. Go to michiganstreetbuffalo.org/
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UN Holocaust Remembrance Program takes place at Canisius University in the Science Hall Chester & Diane Stranczek Commons, 1901 Main Street, January 31 at 6:30 pm and features historian Dr. Eileen Lyon. Contact Lauren Bloomberg at lauren@ buffalojewishfederation.org with questions.
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Super Sunday is actually Super Bowl Sunday, February 11 and we’re making calls from The Park School from 11 am – 2 pm. Interested in making calls? RSVP to bit.ly/2024SUPERSUNDAY. Join the Middlessence community for an afternoon at Shea’s Buffalo to see Funny Girl Sunday, February 18 at 1 pm. Tickets available to the first 20 people who register by January 15. RSVP bit.ly/BUFFUNNYGIRL.
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27
SYNAGOGUES
ORGANIZATIONS Kadimah
Jewish Community Organizations in Western New York
757 Hopkins Road Williamsville, NY 14221 716-639-7600 koshermow.com Rabbi Laizer Labkovski - Director Jeffery Pasler - President
Buffalo Jewish Federation
LiNK Jewish Buffalo
338 Harris Hill Road - Suite 108B Williamsville, NY 14221 716-463-5050 buffalojewishfederation.org Rob Goldberg - CEO Miriam Abramovich - Chief Operating Officer Margie Bryen - President
Buffalo Vaad of Kashrus
49 Barberry Lane Williamsville, NY 14221 716-534-0230 bvkkosher.com buffalo@yahoo.com, bvkkosher@gmail.com Michael Paskowitz - President
Center for Jewish Life
Suburbs: 757 Hopkins Road Williamsville, NY 14221 716-639-7600 jewishbuffalo.com Rabbi Laizer & Chani Labkovski Downtown: 1016 Lafayette Avenue Buffalo, NY 14209 716-545-6806 Rabbi Mendy & Chaya Mushka Labkovski
Chabad House of Buffalo 2450 North Forest Road Getzville, NY 14068 716-688-1642 chabadbuffalo.com Rabbi Moshe Gurary
Chai Early Childhood Center 757 Hopkins Road Williamsville, NY 14221 716-580-4600 chainursery.com Chani Labkovski - Director
Community Religious School (CRS) 4660 Sheridan Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 716-574-6016 BuffaloCRS@gmail.com Einav Symons - Director
Department of Jewish Thought
712 Clemens Hall - University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY 14260 716-645-3695 jewish-studies@buffalo.edu jewishstudies.buffalo.edu Dr. Noam Pines - Chair
Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies 2640 North Forest Road Getzville, NY 14068 716-204-1133 jewishphilanthropies.org Irv Levy - Executive Director Daniel Kester - President
Hadassah
2640 North Forest Road Getzville, NY 14068 716-929-6504 buffalohadassah@gmail.com Frima Ackerhalt and Phyllis Steinberg - Co-Presidents
Hebrew Benevolent Loan Association
2640 North Forest Road in FJP offices Getzville, NY 14068 716-204-0542 wnyhbla.org Judith Katzenelson Brownstein - President
Hillel of Buffalo
Campus Center of Jewish Life 520 Lee Entrance/UB Commons Suite #101B W. Amherst, NY 14228 716-616-0083 hillelofbuffalo.org Jeff Clark - Executive Director Dr. Iris Danziger - President
Holocaust Education Resource Organization 338 Harris Hill Road – Suite 108B Williamsville, NY 14221 hrcbuffalo.org Lauren Bloomberg - Director Wendy Weisbrot - Chair
Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo, Inc.
Benderson Family Building 2640 North Forest Road Getzville, NY 14068 716-688-4033 jccbuffalo.org Patty Simonson - CEO Dr. Irwin Gelman - President Holland Family Building 787 Delaware Avenue Buffalo, NY 14209 716-886-3145
Jewish Community Relations Council 338 Harris Hill Road – Suite 108B Williamsville, NY 14221 buffalojewishfederation.org Mara Koven-Gelman - Senior Director Adam Fogel - Co-Chair Harvey Sanders - Co-Chair
Jewish Discovery Center 831 Maple Road Williamsville, NY 14221 716-632-0467 jewishdiscovery.org Rabbi Heschel Greenberg
Jewish Family Services of Western New York 70 Barker Street Buffalo, NY 14209 716-883-1914 jfswny.org Molly Short Carr - CEO Harold Star - Chair
Jewish Federation Apartments
275 Essjay Road Williamsville, NY 14221 716-631-8471 jewishfederationapartments.org Kathleen Haggerty - Property Manager
Jewish Federation Cemetery Corporation, Inc.
338 Harris Hill Road – Suite 108B Williamsville, NY 14221 buffalojewishfederation.org 716-463-5050 Deborah Pivarsi - Director Jonathan Schechter - President
28 buffalojewishfederation.org | January/February 2024
kadimah.org Reneé Lehner - Administrator
Kosher Meals on Wheels
338 Harris Hill Road - Suite 108B Williamsville, NY 14221 Mike Steklof, Ed.D. - Senior Director Marni Marciano - Chair
Knesset Center (Orthodox) 500 Starin Avenue Buffalo, NY 14214 716-832-5063 chabadbuffalo.com Rabbi Shmaryahu Charitonow Saranac Synagogue (Orthodox) 85 Saranac Avenue Buffalo New York 14216 716-876-1284 saranacsynagogue.org President - Shmuel Rashkin Vice President - Reuven Alt Gabbai David Kunkel Temple Beth Tzedek (Conservative)
411 John James Audubon Parkway W. Amherst, NY 14228 716-568-0226 ohrtemimimschool.com Rabbi Shmuel Shanowitz - Principal Sonia Gellman Young - President
1641 North Forest Road Williamsville, NY 14221 716-838-3232 btzbuffalo.org Rabbi Sara Rich Cantor Mark Spindler Cantorial Intern Zahava Fried Linda Boxer - President Kim Jones - Administrator
One Stop Jewish Buffalo
Temple Beth Zion (Reform)
Ohr Temimim School
A free website updated weekly about all that’s happening in Jewish Buffalo onestopjewishbuffalo.com Nathan Sull - Publisher Aaron Sull - Editor
Weinberg Campus
2700 North Forest Road Getzville, NY 14068 716-639-3311 weinbergcampus.org Robert Mayer - President & CEO Kenneth Rogers - Chairman of the Board
Western New York Synagogues and Temples Chabad House of Buffalo (unaffiliated)
2450 North Forest Road, Getzville, NY 14068 716-688-1642 chabadbuffalo.com Rabbi Moshe Gurary - Director
Congregation Beth Abraham (Conservative)
1073 Elmwood Avenue Buffalo, NY 14222 congregationbethabraham.net Cantor Irwin Gelman Marty Kerker - President
Congregation Havurah (Reform)
6320 Main Street, Williamsville, NY 14221 716-833-3165 congregationhavurah.org president.havurah@gmail.com Daniel Mink- President
Congregation Shir Shalom
(Reform/Reconstructionist) 4660 Sheridan Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 716-633-8877 shirshalombuffalo.org Rabbi Alexander Lazarus-Klein Cantor Arlene Frank Joanne Marquisee - Executive Director Todd Sugarman - President
JDC Shul (Unafilliated) 831 Maple Road Williamsville, NY 14221 716-245-9520 jewishdiscovery.org Rabbi Heschel Greenberg Rabbi Levi Greenberg Rabbi Yehoshua Greenberg Kehillat Ohr Tzion (Modern Orthodox) 879 Hopkins Road Williamsville, NY 14221 ohrtzion.org/kot Rabbi Ori Bergman Cheryl Stein - President
Sanctuary 805 Delaware Avenue Buffalo, NY 14209 Offices 700 Sweet Home Road Amherst, NY 14226 716-836-6565 tbz.org Rabbi Brent Gutmann Mark Hayman - Executive Director Ken Polk - President
Temple Beth El (Reform)
720 Ashland Avenue Niagara Falls, NY 14301 templebethelniagara@gmail.com niagarafallstemple.com Rabbi Ellen Franke Cantorial Soloist Barry Rose Adam DePriest - President
Temple Hesed Abraham of Greater Jamestown (Reform)
Meeting biweekly at Jamestown, NY Lutheran Church Rabbi Allen Podet Joe Gerstel - President (716-665-2118) valprojdg@netsync.net
The Family Shul (Unaffiliated) 757 Hopkins Road Williamsville, NY 14221 Rabbi Laizer Labkovski 716-639-7600 Young Israel of Greater Buffalo (Orthodox) 105 Maple Road Williamsville, NY 14221 716-634-0212 yibuffalo.org Rabbi Avi Okin Richard Berger and Michael Paskowitz Co-Presidents
Dining Guide Heart Healthy Moroccan Stew BY ROBIN KURSS Well, it is winter now...Trying to stick to my New Year’s Resolutions... This is a variation of my daughter Nicole’s Moroccan Chickpea Stew....It will keep you warm AND healthy!
Moroccan Chickpea Stew Serves 6
1 onion, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 t. cumin 1 cinnamon stick 1 butternut squash, 1” dice 3/4 lb. potatoes, 1” dice 2 c. veggie broth 2 c. chickpeas, drained 14 oz. can stewed tomatoes, with juice 1 c. green olives, pitted salt and pepper to taste couscous on which to serve stew
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To garnish: cilantro leaves slivered almonds plain Greek yogurt 1. Heat oil in Dutch oven 2. Add onion, garlic, cumin and cinnamon; sauté until onions are soft 3. Add squash, potatoes-cook 3 minutes. Add broth, chickpeas, tomatoes. Bring to boil and reduce to low. Cover and simmer 10 minutes until squash and potatoes are tender. 4. Remove from heat, serve in bowls over couscous and garnish with cilantro, almonds and yogurt.
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29
I N LOV I N G M E M O RY
ROOTS/SHORASHIM/JUDUR – Seeking Unity Among Diversity –
COMMUNITY EVENT
Presentation, breakout session and time for Q&A.
Remembering Eva Wallenfels Blum: 1937- 2023
Refreshments will be available.
Sunday, March 3, 2024 | 6:30 PM Westminster Presbyterian ChurCh 724 Delaware Ave., Buffalo, NY 14209
Learn from leaders of an Israeli-Palestinian grassroots initiative on how we can also build understanding and bring transformation to our community.
REGISTER AT bit.ly/2024RootsEvent
Eva Wallenfels Blum. Photo Credit: The Buffalo News
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buffalo-discrimination-attorney.com/ 30 buffalojewishfederation.org | January/February 2024
Lauren Bloomberg, Director of HERO (Holocaust Education Resource Organization) Eva was born in Budapest, Hungary on March 9, 1937, and remembers the Nazis entering her city in 1944 when she was
only 7 years old. When interviewed for the Buffalo News for an article published in 2017, she said, “We had to wear a yellow star on our jacket when we went out in the street. We were limited to a certain time of day when we could leave our apartments. We were forced to live in apartment houses designated for Jews only.” Blum’s father and two brothers were taken to a labor camp. In October of 1944, The Hungarian Nazi Party members arrived at her family’s apartment. Everyone was ordered outside and divided into two groups. Eva’s mother told her brother Miklos to hide with Eva. The siblings found their way to an aunt who was able to place them in an orphanage until the army freed Budapest
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Eva was the beloved wife of the late Julius Blum. Devoted mother of Robin (Ralph) Guariglia, David (Denise) Blum and Jeffrey (Leah) Blum. Sister of Miklos (Manya) Wallenfels. Grandmother of Julia Guariglia, Jenna and Jacob Blum, Aaron and Seth Blum. Also survived by niece Esther Friedman and nephew George Wallenfels. A funeral service was held September 11 at Temple Beth Tzedek.
Contact Cindy Oppenheimer at 716-308-4843 • coppenheimer@jewishjournalwny.com
I N LOV I N G M E M O RY in January of 1945. Blum’s mother had been sent to Auschwitz and was liberated by the US Army in 1945. Tragically, her mother died shortly after liberation. Eva completed a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Buffalo State College and worked as a computer programmer at Roswell Park. Eva assisted her late husband, Julius, in creating a successful custom homebuilding company that earned them the Builders Outstanding Achievement Award in 1987. Julius Blum Builders continues to be a local leader in the industry with sons David and Jeffrey proudly at the helm. Eva was a true inspiration to her family, friends, and community who were all fortunate enough to learn from her wisdom, immense strength and bravery, and pure resilience. During a Holocaust Commemoration filmed in 2020, Eva shared these poignant words that we can all take forward today: “Never give up and try to do what you believe in.” Eulogy for Eva Blum by her son, Jeffrey Blum Our mom has faced numerous difficult challenges and hardships throughout her life. Yet, she always confronted these obstacles with unwavering tenacity and determination, never yielding. Over the past weeks, I have heard her remarkable caregivers describe Eva as a ‘real fighter,’ and I can say that no truer words have ever been spoken. As you just heard, or as many of you may know, mom and her brother Mike survived the horrors of the Holocaust as young children. Their lives were abruptly turned upside down, and they were tragically separated from their parents and the life they had known. These challenging events profoundly influenced her for the remainder of her life, yet she persevered and emerged as a survivor. Mom was a true fighter and survivor. She endured
through the Holocaust, the Hungarian Revolution, and the hardships of being a new immigrant in a foreign land, facing it all with unwavering determination. One example of her strong will was during her time as a student in the computer science department at UB. At that time, her English was extremely limited. To take notes, she had to write them phonetically, then translate them from English to German, and from German to Hungarian, as there was no EnglishHungarian dictionary available. She would then complete her assignments in this manner, translating back to German and then to English. The challenges she faced in her pursuit of education were daunting, yet she fought tirelessly and successfully completed a demanding program, earning her bachelor’s degree in computer science from UB. Another example of mom’s tenacity was demonstrated through her deep love for our dad, Julius, and her unwavering commitment to caring for him when he became chronically ill. At that point, she had been working as a computer programmer at Roswell Park, but she made the decision to leave her job to become more deeply involved in his home building business and serve as his full-time caregiver and advocate. She fought tirelessly to keep Dad out of a nursing home, insisting on providing care for him at home instead. Thanks to her determination, Dad was able to live out his life according to his wishes. After Dad’s passing, Mom faced a significant void in her life because her entire world had revolved around caring for him for so many years. Nevertheless, she eventually discovered enjoyment and forged new friendships. She found both in her weekly poker games at the JCC, where she also attended the Café Europa programs—a series of monthly activities for local Holocaust survivors.
Additionally, she loved attending plays at the JCC presented by the Jewish Repertory Theatre. Mom was equally passionate about her participation in numerous programs and holidays at Temple Beth Tzedek. Mom’s greatest joy and happiness came from all her grandchildren – Jenna, Jacob, Julia, Aaron and Seth as well as her adopted grandchildren, Sammy and Max Bernstein. Her home was adorned with pictures of them, and her face would light up whenever she received an update about them or a call, message, or visit from any of them. She fiercely fought to remain in the house on Sundown Trail that had been her home with Dad for nearly 50 years. Despite our concerns for her safety, she refused to leave. Then, about two years ago, she suffered a fall while alone at night, resulting in a broken hip. She worked to recover from her injury but ultimately required a new living arrangement with the necessary support from nurses and companions. While she vigorously resisted the limitations and declining independence that came with her new living situation, she also held deep love and appreciation for the nurses and companions who became her lifeline. Personally, witnessing the love and care these individuals showered upon Mom, especially in her final weeks, has been humbling and truly inspiring. She was cherished by these caregivers, many of whom visited her in their free time outside of work. To them, I say that your love, support, and compassion will forever reside in our hearts, and no words can adequately express our gratitude. Her fight has now concluded, and we pray that she has found peace, free from struggle and pain. Mom, I love you, and I will miss you. Please give Dad a kiss from us.
COMMUNITY
In Remembrance
The following individuals in our community passed away during the period from November 19 - December 18, 2023. May their memories forever be a blessing, and may their loved ones be comforted among the mourners of Zion.
David Buch Carole Chernick Evelyn Cohen Andre “Danny” Danenberg Carolyn R. Dorsheimer Sidney Ehrenreich Mark Hulnick Toby Macon Matthews Annette Potenza Barbara Schulefand Allan S. Wallace
*If we inadvertently missed printing the listing of your loved one, please write to ellen@buffalojewishfederation.org and we will include the name next month.
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January/February 2024 | buffalojewishfederation.org
31
(NOT) THE LAST WORD
Shalom BY ELLEN GOLDSTEIN
As I announced in the Editor’s Note on page 2 of this month’s Jewish Journal, this will be the last issue of The Journal for which I will serve as editor, because I will be retired as of January 1, 2024. So, I am both happy and sad to share the following thoughts and feelings about this paper I have worked on since 2013 and about the Federation, which has been my professional home since 1998. The photograph on this page was taken in August 1954. In it you can see my great-grandparents, Herman and Lena Bron (left), parents of my grandmother Fannie Carrel; Fannie’s husband and my grandfather, Abe Carrel (center); and Abe’s father, my greatgrandfather, Morris (Moishe) Carrel (right) all sitting at the table with me, and we are celebrating my 2nd birthday. So what does the photo of cute little Ellen and the Grands have to do with anything? Let me explain. Morris Carrel was born in 1872 in the shtetl of Sokalivka, (then Russia, now Ukraine). He and his wife, Edith; their three children; his parents Joseph and Hassy Carrel; and his six brothers and sisters, along with other relatives, made it to the shores of America in the first decade of the 20th century, ending up in the booming city of Buffalo. Morris and Edith made a good life together here in this city. He was a custom clothing peddler, then sold jewelry door to door and they were part of the group of immigrant Jews who helped to create an organized Jewish community, bringing
Ellen Goldstein's great grandparents Herman and Lena Bron (left) and Morris Carrel (right), and grandfather Abraham Carrel (center) with Ellen at her 2nd birthday celebration in 1954.
more and more family over when they were able. My grandfather, Abraham, who was also born in Sokalivka, went to Buffalo public schools, worked at Bethlehem Steel, then went to UB Law School, married Fannie Rose Bron and created a beautiful life for themselves and their three children, including my mother, Arlene Carrel Goldstein. Their lives were filled with synagogues, Jewish organizations, Jewish clubs, Jewish schools and education, trips to Crystal
Beach or Bemus Point and so many other things they created, nourished and cherished. And later, my mother met Syracuse native Jack Goldstein when he came to Buffalo to work for his cousins, the Glickstein family of Glickstein Jewelers. These people, my forefathers and mothers, created a vibrant Jewish world in 20th century Buffalo. A world filled with family, neighbors, community, synagogues and shuls, the arts, education and much more. They created a world
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that me and my sister, retired attorney Amy Goldstein, grew up in and thrived. And I saw then and see now a direct line between Morris Carrel and the new world he helped to create then and the world me and my sister have helped to create now in Buffalo. Eleven years ago, in March 2013, The Jewish Journal of WNY made its debut. The cover posed the simple question “What’s so great about Jewish Buffalo?” I have since had the honor, privilege and responsibility to use The Jewish Journal each month to tell stories about the amazing people, places, organizations and events that make Jewish Buffalo so great. All sorts of people from all over Buffalo have let us at Federation know, so we could let all of Buffalo know, what is so great about Jewish Buffalo. Many of you have shared your stories so that we could print them in the paper, as well as photos of your friends and families, your religious school classes and camp groups, your children and your parents and friends. I loved taking photos and gathering stories of Purim parties and spiels, the Jewish camps like Camp Centerland, Federation Kick Off dinners and Super Sundays. I cherished being able to take photos together with my friends Gretchen Gross (z”l) and Natalie Abramson. Being part of The Jewish Journal at Buffalo Jewish Federation has meant the world to me. I have learned so much Jewishly, professionally and as a community member. I was able to travel to Israel for the first time as a Jewish professional, and there discovered a land and people my heart always dreamed about and that I will love forever. I am eternally grateful to the Buffalo Jewish Federation and to you, the Buffalo Jewish community, for enabling me to have this opportunity of a lifetime. And I am so glad that the little two-year old in the photo could grow up here in a warm and loving community and have the opportunity to give back. Thank you and shalom until we meet again. You can find Ellen Goldstein in her garden during the spring and summer and all the time at goldsteinellen4@gmail.com.