Jewish Journal May/June 2023

( PG 9)

Note

Published by Buffalo Jewish Federation

338 Harris Hill Rd., Suite 108B Williamsville, NY 14221

716-463-5050

www.buffalojewishfederation.org

CEO/Executive Director Rob Goldberg

President Margie Bryen

Editor Ellen S. Goldstein

Chief Creative Officer Jill Komm

The Buffalo Jewish Federation Is a proud member of the Jewish Federations of North America and the American Jewish Press Association

PRODUCED BY

Ellen Goldstein, Editor

Welcome to May and June in the 716, at last! Spring’s generous embrace is fully capturing Western New York, and Jewish Buffalo is thriving. This two-month issue of The Jewish Journal is filled with stories, celebrations, event notices and highlights, and yes, reality.

President Margie Bryen eloquently (see page 3) sums up the reality facing us as Jews as she describes antisemitism today and invites you to our upcoming day of important discussion, “Let’s Talk About antisemitism” on Sunday, May 7 at Temple Beth Zion downtown (see page 5).

Yiddish is the language of choice at the May 12-13 Celebration of Yiddish Music, spearheaded by Congregation Beth Abraham in partnership with many of Jewish Buffalo’s congregations. This Shabbaton promises a weekend of song and prayer Eastern European style. Check out the schedule (see page 12) and make plans to attend!

5/14/22 changed Buffalo in many ways. The first yahrtzeit or anniversary of the May 14 White Supremacist murder of 10 of our Buffalo neighbors is also right around the corner. The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) has sent a message (see page 4) from our community marking the date and remembering the lost souls (z”l) from this tragedy. It has also taken the lead in forging relationships with members of the Black Community and is working to help make Buffalo a more loving place in which to live.

As the War in Ukraine continues, with all its atrocities, Alan Sisselman brings us Part 2 of his essay on his 2019 visit to Ukraine (pages 20-21), sharing its then progress and beauty, decrying the loss and destruction happening today.

Three uplifting events to make plans for now include Temple Beth Zion’s formal installation of Rabbi Brent Gutmann the weekend of May 19-21 (see page 24 and the Rabbi’s guest column on page 11), the community’s all-night study session, Tikkun Leil Shavuot, to usher in Shavuot May 25 (see page 19), and another East Side Garden Walk tour July 23 (see page 6).

Our cover photo is of a neighborhood in Europe, and we hope you will join the Buffalo Jewish Federation's newest Immersive Experience: Exploring our Roots, as we travel to Poland and Austria in April 2024. Design by Jessica

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6 Return to East Side Garden Walk

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Ellen Goldstein - Editor

Finally, I urge you to read the memories about my dear late friend Harold Halpern (z"l) by his son and three of his grandchildren (pages 34-35). Harold was a force in this community and in the world, and they generously shared their love of him with us in this issue. Wishing you a Shavuot of joy and peace.

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 Voice and A Response to Hate

In early April, many of us were privileged to gather with family and friends to celebrate the Passover holiday. Sitting around our Seder tables we recounted our people’s past struggles, persecution and ultimately our strength to persevere through difficult times. One of the practices in my childhood home was to invite non-Jewish friends and newcomers to Buffalo to join in our Seder meal. This was an opportunity to educate and to live the value of compassion for those who might feel like strangers, as we know what it’s like to be in the minority or to be someone that has been oppressed.

The Passover story recounts our painful experiences in mitzryiam (Egypt) and our emergence into the expanse of free expression of our Judaism. Each year we recall Pharoh’s decree that every son born to the Hebrews should be drowned in the Nile. It’s this part of the story that, for Jews, has come to broadly symbolize antisemitic persecution and the historical struggle to endure it.

The past several years have seen a significant and disturbing increase in the number of antisemitic incidents in North America and especially in New York State (NYS). In its 2022 annual report, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) documented an increase in reported cases of anti-Jewish hate including harassment, vandalism and assault (3,607 in 2022 in the U.S. with 580 of these being in NYS). This represents a 36% increase over the record-breaking number of incidents reported the prior year. Antisemitism and hate in all forms are happening in our schools, workplaces, places of worship and public spaces.

The Buffalo Jewish Federation has seen the critical need to address antisemitism and we have learned that this isn’t a simple task; it requires us, as a community, to raise the visibility of

Jewish life and celebrations, education, and to be prepared. We are fortunate that our Federation is well positioned to address this work through our three main programming entities: LiNK Jewish Buffalo, Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) and the Holocaust Resource Center (HRC), along with our outstanding Secure Jewish Buffalo efforts to support relationship building with law enforcement and to provide resources for our synagogues and other Jewish agencies to keep us safe.

The expertise offered by LiNK, HRC and JCRC are critical for us to effectively address antisemitism in our community. Ours is a multi-pronged approach focused on:

1) Education - sharing the rich diversity of Jewish culture and practices and the important lessons of our people’s history;

2) Relationships - building relationships with other faith and ethnic communities and educational, political, and civic leaders from throughout WNY to work together as a broader and stronger community; and

3) Using both of these to give us confidence to recognize, confront and call out hate.

LiNK Jewish Buffalo is focused on creating opportunities for meaningful, purposeful and relevant Jewish

exploration for everyone in the greater community and to share that with friends. With this learning and engagement comes a sense of pride, knowledge, and ownership.

JCRC works to build a shared society for all – chiseling away at social justice issues, combating hate and antisemitism, and building solid friendships with our neighbors. This focus is providing the necessary outreach beyond just the Jewish community to our broader Buffalo community. The relationships developed and enhanced through our most recent Civic Leaders trip to Israel is a great example of the allyship that we are continuing to develop across WNY.

HRC’s mission is to teach the lessons of the Holocaust, remember the

survivors and victims, and to promote social justice, civic responsibility, and human rights. Providing education and resources to teachers and students through HRC’s various programs, including the Student to Student program and annual conference for educators, helps to move lessons about the Holocaust into mainstream history classes, not just learned about in our religious schools.

The Buffalo Jewish Federation and its divisions work in coordination to be a voice and response to address and combat anti-Jewish hate. We have curated actionable information at buffalojewishfederation.org/addressingantisemitism, led several events and activities for different audiences (focused on young children, educators, community leaders, students, etc.), and we have partnered with the Kraft Foundation to participate in the national Stand Up to Jewish Hate Campaign as we work to continue to increase awareness of antisemitism.

On Sunday, May 7, we will culminate our community activities with a full-day conference entitled, “Let’s Talk About antisemitism”, featuring guest speaker Rabbi Julie Appel. We encourage you to be a part of this conversation. The free conference is made possible by a grant from our partners at the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. We hope that if you haven’t already signed up, you will consider registering for this event that promises to be thoughtprovoking and will give you tools to start addressing antisemitism in your daily life. Registration is required to attend. Please visit bit.ly/ LETSTALKABOUTANTISEMITISM.

Margie Bryen

Expressing Support for

LGBTQ+ During Pride

Every June in Buffalo and around the world, many celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride. Pride is a time to celebrate, affirm and honor the LGBTQ+ community and the continuing fight for equality. Pride was originally established to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall uprising. Following a police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Manhattan, the bar patrons fought back against what had become routine harassment by the New York City Police Department.

In the opening words of the Torah, we learn that every person is created B’tzelem Elokim, in the holy image of G-D. The full verse says, “And G-D created humankind in the divine image, creating it in the image of G-D, creating them male and female” (Genesis 1:27). While many interpret this to mean that G-D created men and women in the divine image, Rabbi Margaret Wenig interprets this verse to mean that G-D did not only create man and women but “every combination” in between.

Here are some concrete steps you can take to express your support the LGBTQ+ community:

Educate yourself: Learn about LGBTQ+ history, terminology, and the struggle the LGBTQ+ community faces today.

Don’t Make Assumptions: Don’t assume that all your friends and co-workers are straight and/or cisgender (a person who identifies with the sex they were assigned at birth). Also, don’t assume that you know someone’s gender or pronouns. Someone close to you could be looking for support, and by not making assumptions, you will help those around you be their authentic selves and they may even open up to you over time.

Allyship is an action not a label: To be an

effective ally, you need to be willing to be consistent in your support of LGBTQ+ rights and defend LGBTQ+ people against discrimination.

Show Up: Show your support of the LGBTQ+ community by showing up to events such as the Pride Parade and Pride Festival taking place this year on June 4. Want to walk in the parade with Jewish Buffalo? Contact Mike Steklof at mike@buffalojewishfederation.org

Jewish liturgist Alden Solovy wrote, “One day, the words ‘coming out’ will sound strange, Oppression based on gender or orientation will be a memory, history to honor and remember.”

Mike Steklof, Ed.D. is Senior Director of LiNK Jewish Buffalo, a student at SVARA and part of the Eshel community.

Federation Joins iREP

iRep: Israel Religious Expression Platform is a coalition of Jewish Federations and foundations that work together to advance legitimacy and support for diverse Jewish expressions in Israel. Guided by the leadership of Federation's Israel & Overseas Committee, the Buffalo Jewish Federation is excited to join iRep together with a growing number of Federations across the country.

iRep’s goal is to ensure that every Israeli can exercise choice and self-determination around his/her own Jewish identity and practice. These choices should also be publicly legitimized and receive meaningful support at both the national and local level. To this end, iRep invests annually in grassroots projects run by Israeli civil society organizations that focus on increasing accessibility to diverse ways of

celebrating life-cycle ceremonies and Jewish holidays as well as projects advocating for government support for diverse Jewish programming. Since 2016 iRep has provided over $2 million in support for more than 25 civil society organizations working on the ground to promote religious diversity in Israel.

The Federation Israel & Overseas Committee is chaired by Ezra Rich and Laura Wexler and includes Steve Awner, Marjorie Bryen, Rachel Brownstein Weiss, Nancy Sterman Fernandez, Marty Kerker, Linda Pollack, Colin Strang, Julie Weinberg, and Amelida Ortiz Weinmann.

Let’s Talk About antisemitism May 7

Over the past few months, a dedicated group of volunteers and professional leaders have been working to create a full-day experience entitled, “Let’s Talk About antisemitism” on May 7 at Temple Beth Zion in Buffalo. This educational event is being planned with a wide range of audiences in mind and will focus on how to address and speak about antisemitism.

One segment of the day is designed for parents on how to best deal with antisemitic incidents and experiences with their children; another will be for educators on how to teach their students to recognize and confront hateful ideology; one for teens on what tools they can use when they experience antisemitism within their schools; and lastly, a segment will focus on others who may be experiencing antisemitism in their workplace. Internationally known expert on antisemitism Rabbi Julia Appel, will facilitate the day. Rabbi Appel is the Senior Director of Innovation at Clal and has developed and led trainings to address antisemitism from universities to private educational organizations. Rabbi Appel’s writing has been featured in The Forward, the Globe and Mail, the Walrus, the Canadian Jewish News, and The Wisdom Daily. Workshops offered during the experience will include: How to talk to your kids about

antisemitism, antisemitism in the Workplace, Calling people in, Safety and Security, and antisemitism and Social Media

The community is invited to attend from 9 am - 1 pm. There will be a session for community educators from 1:15 - 3 pm, and a teen program from 3 - 6 pm. This event is free, but registration is required at bit.ly/ LETSTALKABOUTANTISEMITISM

The planning committee for “Let’s Talk About antisemitism” includes Marni Marciano, Wendy Weisbrot, Brenda Feldstein, Kirstie Henry, Daryl Helfman, Shiri Kester, Lauren Bloomberg and Mike Steklof. This event is made possible through the generosity of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.

2nd Annual Guided Tour of the East Side Garden Walk

After the success of last summer's guided tour of the East Side Garden Walk (participants from the 2022 tour gather above), JCRC is excited to offer the tour again Sunday, July 23rd. Ellen Goldstein will share her wisdom and expertise to help curate a day of beauty and community when JCRC, Buffalo Jewish Federation, Temple Beth Zion and neighboring churches join together to tour the lovely gardens of Buffalo's East Side. Be on the lookout for registration and reach out to Rachel Beerman at rachel@buffalojewishfederation.org with any questions.

Multicultural Women Discuss Life, Death, and Mourning

BY BEATRICE ARNONE SINGH

Since the first meeting of our Multicultural Women’s Group, I have valued the time spent with women of various ages, backgrounds, and experiences as we discuss our cultures and our lives. Over the years we have shared stories about our weddings, baby names, and articles of faith. We have created ebru painting, macrame, and dyed Ukrainian eggs. We learned from our sisters about the pain and fear following the racist massacre on May 14. With the relationships we have developed, though a serious topic, it was a natural step to talk about death and mourning.

We gathered at women-owned Evolation Yoga Studio and each shared the rituals and traditions for death and mourning from our faith traditions: Judaism, Unitarian Universalist, Lutheran, Baptist and Sikhism. Each of us, having experienced our own loss(es), and shared what these traditions meant to us during our initial time of grief. I learned about Shiva from Amy, and the roles of different members of the family during the period of mourning. Martha told us of how the Unitarian Universalists allow the family to plan the funeral based on what will be meaningful to them. Gail shared a poem, “Go Down, Death” by James Weldon Johnson and how she found comfort in the idea of her loved one “resting in the bosom of Jesus.” Sikhs sit together in a circle to take turns reciting the verses of the Sukhmani Sahib, Prayer for Peace, which is meant to comfort the living.

Though there are clear differences, what struck me most were the common threads of celebrating the life of a loved

one and connecting with the community while mourning. A meaningful part of the grieving process is hearing the stories of those who knew our loved ones in a different context or time. As we shared about our losses, some tears were shed, and we agreed next time we would try to have some fun. I am grateful to Mara Koven-Gelman for inviting me to be a part of the group bringing us together. It is a privilege for me to know these women and I look forward to when we meet again.

Beatrice Arnone Singh is an educator, founding member of the JCRC convenedMulticultural Women’s Group, a Board member of the Network of Religious Communities and active member of the Sikh Community of Niagara Falls.

Happy Mother's Day and Father's day from The Jewish Journal.

Beatrice Arnone Singh and Mara Koven-Gelman showing off the henna designs on their hands at a Multicultural Women’s event.

JCRC’s Book Club Dives into Color of Water

In early Spring, the Jewish Community Relations Council held its inaugural book club. Led by Racial Justice Subcommittee chair Corey Auerbach and JCRC Manager Rachel Beerman, the group read Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to his White Mother by acclaimed author James McBride. His compelling memoir weaves McBride’s own Some participants of JCRC’s inaugural book club

life as a Black man in America with what he uncovers about his mother’s birth in Poland and upbringing in Virginia as the daughter of a rabbi. The discussion ranged from reflecting on Buffalo’s East Side with its rich Jewish and Black history, to modern day issues related

race and identity. With support from the Golden Goldman Philanthropic Fund and West Herr Automotive, JCRC was able to purchase copies of the book for the participants from Zawadi Books (1382 Jefferson Avenue), one of the longest running Black-owned bookstores in the country.

Women’s Philanthropy: Women Helping Women

On March 28, twelve women gathered for an intimate evening with Florina Altshiler in her stunning Orchard Park home to learn how the Jewish Federation movement is a part of a global effort to ensure safety for k’lal yisroel (the global Jewish people.). Florina spoke about her family’s story of immigration to the United States in 1998 as Jewish refugees from Lviv, Ukraine (then Soviet Union) and her work to help families displaced by the current war in Ukraine. In the past year, Florina traveled to both Warsaw and Barcelona through the Joint Distribution Committee, giving of her time, language skills, and herself – providing logistical and emotional support to Jewish women and children who fled the war. To learn more, please contact Miriam Abramovich: miriam@buffalojewishfederation.org.

Travel to Poland and Austria with Jewish Buffalo

BY BRIAN SNYDER

The search for family roots can stem from so many places. For some, their family trees can be traced back for generations and generations, while for others their roots are limited or unknown. For many Jews the quest for where and who we came from is complicated, mysterious, and seemingly unknowable. While we will never discover all the family secrets that lie in faraway places, I believe that in 2023 we are able to know far more than at any time in our past.

My personal journey to discover my family history began many years ago. My mother always wanted to know more about her ancestors, but her parents and siblings were unwilling to discuss much. My mother has a small collection of mysterious old black and white photos. She recognized a few individuals in a few photos, and even I recognized some as well. On the backside of some of these photos there was handwritten Yiddish which seemed indecipherable. I knew that these photos were saved by my grandparents because they were important people to them, but who were they? In many ways, these photos became the seeds for my lifelong journey to uncover my heritage and for remembrance of a rich Jewish world that existed before the Holocaust.

This became the inspiration for the Buffalo Jewish Federation’s newest Immersive Experience: Jewish Buffalo Exploring Our Roots. In April 2024, I hope you will join me and my wife Pam as we travel to Poland and Austria to explore common heritage, learn about genealogy, remember the Holocaust, and meet young

Brian and Pam Snyder

Poles and Austrians who are committed to and have taken great strides toward commemorating Jewish Life in their towns. The trip will surely have countless meaningful moments of learning, but we also hope it will include many moments of fun and friendship as well.

The itinerary will focus on education, remembrance, and hope as we visit five cities: Warsaw, Wolomin, Krakow, Brno (Czech Republic) and Vienna. Trip highlights will include a guided tour of the Warsaw Ghetto within the 80th anniversary year of the uprising, visiting the Jewish Genealogy & Family Center in Warsaw, which assists people in discovering their roots, and visits to Treblinka and Auschwitz-Birkenau. We will also enjoy a Shabbat dinner with the local Jewish community and experience the revival of Jewish life in the stunning cities. There will be far too many other experiences to detail here, but we hope you are enticed by this brief introduction to this upcoming Federation immersive experience to Poland and Austria.

For more information contact Stacey Block, Senior Director of Operations and Donor Experience at Buffalo Jewish Federation stacey@ buffalojewishfederation.org or 716-463-5053.

Buffalo Jewish Federation Immersive Experiences

When we travel, we discover new things about ourselves, our Judaism, and about the world around us. Buffalo Jewish Federation Immersive Experiences allows you to dive headfirst into meaningful experiences alongside fellow Buffalonians who will often become dear friends. An immersive experience with the Buffalo Jewish Federation is unlike any other; you will gain access to exclusive opportunities, learn with incredible educators, facilitators and guides, while getting to know adventurous and bright travel companions – retuning home with new friends and deeper connections to Jewish Buffalo.

In Plain Sight: May 2023 Celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month

BY CHANA REVELL KOTZIN, PH.D.

Since 2006, Jewish American Heritage Month has celebrated the lives and legacies of Jewish Americans in the US, highlighting the diversity of the American Jewish experience and the American Jewish community’s contributions to the broader history, and culture of the United States. In Buffalo, the Jewish Buffalo History Center (JBHC) highlights stories of individuals and organizations, bringing these local stories and experiences into plain sight to Jewish and non-Jewish audiences and making every month a Jewish American Heritage observance.

Over the last six months, we’ve been highlighting stories of Jewish women who have impacted Buffalo, and this month we turn our spotlight on another: Sylvia L. Rosen (1919-2022), an artist and trailblazer as well as an advocate and philanthropist for ceramic art. In 1987, Sylvia and her husband Nathan Rosen founded the Sylvia Rosen Endowment for Fine Arts in Craft Media as part of a process to push for ceramics to be accepted as an art form. More than three

decades later, the 15th juried biennial exhibition, celebrating works of regional artists working in glass, fiber, wood, clay, metal, and other craft media, will open again in November 2023 at the Burchfield Penny Art Center and is currently accepting submissions. More than the support of a craft or vocation, the fund and the exposure of the exhibitions over the years have supported working artists and centered art as a tool for community engagement, widely framed American

narratives and personal connection. To read more about the extraordinary life of a centenarian and her legacy, visit the Jewish Buffalo biography landing page and click on the profile of Sylvia L. Rosen.

Older Americans Month (OAM) also occurs in May and the JBHC is adding

more materials to the Weinberg Campus section about a group of dedicated women, jewishbuffalohistory.org/agencies/ weinberg-campus-and-rosa-coplon the Women’s League who volunteered to make the lives of other older Americans much better in the most direct way possible: care and kindness as well as meeting material needs. Records of Elizabeth Penner were loaned by Shelley Hirsch for digitizing to show the range of programs created by the Weinberg Campus Women’s League at a particular moment in time. Donors often became friends and later recipients of care, in a circular story of affection and community. An unexpected and informative tracking of older Buffalonians to Florida brings into sharp focus the Buffalo-Jewish Diaspora and its continued affection and connection to home.

Home, and its past connections as well as the making of new homes are the focus of many more additions to the Jewish Buffalo History Center’s new online exhibition: Sokolivka: Once Home jewishbuffalohistory.org/sokolivkaonce-home and more additions weave throughout the East Side and the Harold Arlen Exhibition: jewishbuffalohistory. org/arlen.

We are grateful to all the individuals and families who have been willing to loan materials for digitization to bring local history and heritage into much clearer focus not just in May, but 24/7. These stories highlight the way in which Jewish Americans have played many roles in Buffalo within and beyond their own communities and how the wider world is richer for them.

Chana Revell Kotzin, Ph.D., is the coordinator of the Jewish Buffalo History Center website, which you can find at jewishbuffalohistory.org.

Sylvia Rosen

Elizabeth Penner on left, Rosa Coplon Women’s League. Courtesy of Shelley Hirsch.

Stronger Together

BY RABBI BRENT GUTMANN

In about two months time, my family will pass a milestone of one full year living in Buffalo. We came here in search of a smaller Jewish community, reminiscent of my wife, Jill, and my roots in Dayton, Ohio and the tight inter-communal bonds that accompany it. But in Buffalo, we have been taken by so much more: the city’s dedication to the arts and its sports teams, the charm of garden walks and the architecture. In our journey from the Gem City to the Queen City, we are already feeling very much at home thanks to the kindness and embrace we have received from so many. This is not to say we were absent of challenges. On the contrary, we entered into a congregation that had been rocked by challenges and a community that was concerned, overlaid with the trauma of the mass shooting at Tops Market, whose first anniversary approaches this month—may the lives of ten dead be

an eternal blessing to their families, friends, and city, and may all those impacted gain comfort and resolve to build a better world.

That ability to come together is among Buffalo’s greatest strengths. This has been true at Temple Beth Zion as well. We have accomplished many things in one year. We have elected a fresh temple Board and strengthened

governance processes. We have made notable progress in addressing concerns at our Delaware Avenue building and in reimagining the Cofeld Judaic Museum. We have strengthened relationships with our community partners. And we’ve been blessed by strong engagement among temple members and Jewish community members. The litany of accomplishments is truly remarkable, and, also, too much to list, but what is notable is that this progress was not achieved by me alone. It has taken everyone’s effort, and the work of healing is not complete. We must continue.

Temple Beth Zion is closely tied to the larger Western New York region. Through most of our 174-year history, our temple has proudly ensured Buffalo Jews a strong anchor in our community and has led with Jewish values in our social and civic spaces. On Shabbat Bamidbar, May 19 and 20, I will be installed as the eleventh Senior Rabbi of Temple Beth Zion. After serving congregations in Ohio, Michigan, and New Zealand, I intend to be in Buffalo a very long time. I will be blessed to have rabbi friends from three continents, from Israel, Australia and America, coming to

help install me, but what matters more is that members of Jewish Buffalo like you are present to celebrate this auspicious new beginning. As much as it will be my installation, this moment is more about our community.

In this season our ancestors brought daily offerings of grain during this period of the Omer on the Hebrew calendar. This time is about coming together, about ascending in holiness, about alita bakodesh. And I trust you will be there just as I will be there for you, too.

One week following my Installation, we will gather once again at Temple Beth Tzedek, this time to learn as a community. We will celebrate Shavuot with a night of learning, a Tikkun Leyl Shavot on the evening of Thursday, May 25, and Temple Beth Zion will join every local Reform congregation for a Shavuot Yizkor service on the morning of Friday, May 26. Quoting the bible, Temple Beth Tzedek has chosen for our theme, “To everything there is a season…” (Ecc. 3). May this be a season of healing, of building, of friendship, of spiritual ascent, and of growing stronger together.

Rabbi Brent Gutmann

All are Welcome: Community Celebration of Yiddish Music, May 12-13

Congregations Beth Abraham and Shir Shalom, Temples Beth Tzedek and Beth Zion, and Havurah have partnered on an exciting and unique Yiddish Shabbaton from Friday, May 12 through Saturday evening, May 13. The Shabbaton will feature Yiddish singer and scholar Yosl Kurland (and friends) for a weekend of song and prayer with a distinctively Eastern European flavor.

The event is the brainchild of Marty Kerker and Irwin Gelman, leaders of Congregation Beth Abraham. The weekend was originally slated for last fall but was cancelled due to inclement weather. Called “West Meets East” it was designed to be a celebration to honor the 100th anniversary of Beth Abraham. In early January, Marty reached out to other congregational leaders across Buffalo with the idea of rescheduling the event and making it a community-wide celebration.

Yosl (Joe) Kurland is the founding member of The Wholesale Klezmer Band and comes to Buffalo from his home in Massachusetts. An accomplished musician and educator, Yosl has been playing Klezmer music and leading workshops on Jewish Life and Culture for over four decades.

The Shabbaton begins on May 12 at 6:30 pm at Congregation Beth Abraham (1073 Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo) featuring Yosl and Cantor Irwin Gelman. Following services, a festive Oneg Shabbat will be sponsored by Havurah. Note that this service will feature musical accompaniment.

On Saturday morning May 13, services will be held at Temple Beth Tzedek (1641 North Forest Road in Williamsville) and will be led jointly by Yosl and Cantor Mark Spindler with participation from members of Beth Tzedek and other congregations. Note that there will be no instrumental accompaniment. Following services, a luncheon and Zmirot sponsored by Buffalo Jewish Federation will be held in Beth Tzedek’s newly renovated social hall.

On Saturday evening beginning at 8:30 pm, the community is invited to a program hosted by Temple Beth Zion and Congregation Shir Shalom at Temple Beth Zion (805 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo). At 9:15 pm following Havdalah, Yosl will join Rabbi Brent Gutmann in a special concert in the congregation’s meeting hall. The reception that evening is made possible by the LIFE & LEGACY® program.

For more information on the Shabbaton, contact info@ congregationbethabraham.net.

Tiferet 2023, A New Event for the Whole Family on June 20

BY TODD GEISE

Refugees are a tapestry of colors, cultures, languages, and experiences and JFS chose tiferet תִּפְאֶרֶת a Hebrew word with meanings such as beauty, balance, and adornment, to name our new celebration event on June 20. We believe that Tiferet supports the tapestry we picture in our minds when reflecting on the presence and contributions of refugees.

World Refugee Day is an annual recognition day designated by the United Nations General Assembly in 2000 to bring attention to the more than 28 million refugees worldwide today, and to celebrate refugee contributions to our communities. Held each year on June 20, the first World Refugee Day was held globally in June 2001.

JFS is proud of the important role we play in welcoming refugees to our region every day. It is not easy work, but the rewards are many. A home prepared with compassion for a family of eight from Ukraine; a child from Somalia being enrolled in school; a new job with a

local company for an individual from the Democratic Republic of Congo; a social network formed. And so many more examples that need to be shared with the larger community.

Tiferet 2023 is an event designed for families with three specific elements. The first is culinary specialties intended to share some of the savory international foods that refugees have brought to our region. The second is goods and wares to show the styles and colors of those items that would normally be found in a faraway homeland. And the third is education through music and dance, poetry, and special learning spaces to

understand and appreciate the refugee journey.

Our hope is that we will have designed and provided our community with an experience that is a little bit different than your average food or art festival. Our goal is to produce a safe, familyfriendly evening activity from which all guests leave having learned something more about the rich, bold, and beautiful tapestry that is our community. A community enhanced by those who were once refugees and who we now proudly call our friends.

Tiferet 2023 is a ticketed admission event, $20/adults, and $10/youth. Tickets include admission to event, access to all entertainment and education spaces, and face painting. Tickets are available at jfswny.org. Proceeds benefit vendors and Jewish Family Services of WNY. Please call the JFS marketing department at 716.883.1914 for additional information.

Todd Geise is the Director of Marketing at Jewish Family Services of Western New York.

Get ready to hear the Kadimah Scholars roar with the lions,

tigers and bears. Oh, my!

Kadimah will again be holding our Annual Dinner celebration and fundraiser at the Buffalo Zoo, where we’re taking over the animal kingdom for an evening of great fun, great food, great friendship and a great community.

Please join us on Monday evening, June 12, from 5:30 to 8:30 pm. We’ll have the run of the entire zoo, including use of the train and merry-go-round. A fully kosher Vaad-supervised dinner of heavy hors d’oeuvres, drinks and desserts will be available, while you wander around and enjoy the sights, sounds – and, yes, smells – of one of America’s first zoos.

Hear from our leaders about the success of our Kadimah Scholars partnership with The Park School of Buffalo and the Buffalo Jewish

Federation. Meet many of our students, as they enjoy the zoo alongside you. Learn about our plans and expectations for further growth. Discover how you can support us and be a part of a program that is unique in North America, while having a great time.

Tickets and event sponsorships are now available. Tickets are $90 per person, $36 for children under 12, and $200 for a family with all children under 18. Our Calendar Ad Book – a wonderful feature with a full Jewish calendar and lots of photos – is open for your personal or business advertisement, or just to offer a message to family, friends or community.

Details and registration information are available at kadimah.org.

Friends of Kadimah Scholars Gather

Friends of Kadimah Scholars recently gathered to learn about the growth of Kadimah Scholars at Park School and to learn how a legacy gift made through LIFE & LEGACY® at Buffalo will continue to enrich the program.

Total Legacy Commitments Received: 280

Total dollar amount: $9,734,592

Total Number of Donors: 138 Through 3/3023

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.

In 2019, visionaries saw an opportunity to create a partnership between Kadimah Academy, the Park School of Buffalo, and the Buffalo Jewish Federation to create a dual curriculum of secular and Jewish education. Now in its fourth year, Kadimah Scholars combines a heritage of Jewish day school education with a 100-year-old legacy of progressive education, all in a private independent school on a 34-acre campus.

“This was a wonderful opportunity for us to not only talk to our longtime supporters about legacy support for Kadimah but also to engage them in conversation about our Kadimah Scholars, and showcase what we have been able to do here at Park School of Buffalo,” said Kadimah Board President Jonathan D. Epstein.

“As my forefathers planted these carob trees for me so I too plant these for my children.”

— Talmud (Ta’anis 23b)

Cemeteries offer opportunities for the living

BY SHARON CRAMER

What an amazing opportunity is given to local authors via the “My View” column of The Buffalo News. I wrote my first “My View” in 2011, and (being allowed 4 per year) have just had my 48th published. The piece below, published in The News on November 30, 2022, was in many ways my most personal. Never before had I published any writings about being Jewish. When I was asked to head the team to design and

offer the tour of Jewish cemeteries, I felt hesitant, exposed. But it led (via a research question about the tour) to joining the Descendants group of the Holocaust Resource Center, and to becoming more at ease with my Jewish heritage. My father, who left Vienna after Kristallnacht and always kept his store open on Jewish holidays, was fiercely private, ever vigilant, in his faith. He would be surprised that I designed and give this tour, but I hope he would also be proud.

“My View” by Sharon Cramer

reprinted from The Buffalo News with permission of the author

Like most people, I believed a cemetery was for only one thing – a place where burials took place. Whether a cemetery visit was because of the death of someone I loved (at a funeral or to later pay respects), or were heart-wrenching scenes in movies, the view through my mental telescope was narrow. Associated with loss, my returns to cemeteries were rare, to reflect on the complicated lives of loved ones, on their absence from my life. The silent conversations taking place in cemeteries, one sided, offered fragile connections to individuals who had vanished from my days, who I now saw only in dreams.

Then, during the first years of the pandemic, Forest Lawn became a respite. Solitude was my only companion. Time passed, and as I brushed the snow, the grass clippings, the leaves, off the mute grave of my husband, placed a rock on his headstone, I offered him silent updates on the world, on my life. Walking, I would study headstones of spouses, doing the math to see how much longer one spouse had lived after the first one died, checking to see if my years as a widow were longer than theirs. Cemetery visits were still personal, about loss.

But in 2021, cemeteries took on new meanings. They became landscapes of history and personality. Instead of looking at them through the tiny windowpane of my own life, the expansive plate glass windows of Jewish history in western New York opened to me. Working with Explore Buffalo and Dr. Chana Revell Kotzin of the Jewish Buffalo History Center jewishbuffalohistory.org, I developed a tour of the Jewish cemeteries on Pine Ridge Heritage Blvd. in Buffalo. Since September, 2021, almost two hundred people have joined me, and other docents, to explore the lives of Jewish settlers who made their permanent

homes (and subsequent generations) here. What had been an exceedingly private, intermittent part of my life became public, full of details to share.

Our one-mile walking tour takes us through eight separate Jewish cemeteries, each with its own history. Many of the symbols found here are also present in Forest Lawn, offering the same emotional jolt. For example, graves of children are sometimes marked by tiny lambs, whose heads are upright, alert, in ways that those they represent were only, for a short time, able to be. In Jewish and non-Jewish cemeteries, starting in the nineteenth century, a shared symbol of a life foreshortened is a stone in the shape of a tree trunk – with its top and limbs cut off. One such stone in Beth

Dr. Sharon Cramer conducting a Jewish cemetery tour on Pine Ridge Road.

Zion cemetery marks the grave of Anna Goldman, a mother, who died at the age of 58. The base of the carved stone tree trunk is encircled by climbing (stone) leaves –showing the lives she had brought into being before her own ended. Her family’s mourning acknowledged both how she had lived, and what she had missed.

Patterns of immigration, familiar names (Rosa Coplon, Ramsi Tick, Gordon Bunshaft) became part of the tour. Giving the tours has changed the meaning of cemeteries for me. Now, each tour is an invitation to learn, teach and open the mental windows of tour participants. Even though they are not at the cemetery where their loved one is buried, I encourage tour members to pause when they see a familiar name (first or last), family role (mother, grandmother, son), profession, or year that resonates for them. A gentle hand has pulled back the curtain. Dialogue with a beloved can begin again.

Sharon Cramer, Ph.D., SUNY Distinguished Service Professor, Emerita, was a professor at Buffalo State for 26 years.

Reflection by Brad Hahn, Executive Director, Explore Buffalo

When Explore Buffalo and the Buffalo Jewish Federation decided to partner to create a cemetery tour, it was the height of the pandemic. We looked for a collaboration which would highlight a previously unexplored aspect of Jewish history, and chose the Jewish cemeteries on Pine Ridge. Thanks to the in-depth research of Dr. Chana Kotzin, this tour began to take shape. Explore Buffalo docent Sharon Cramer and her team of docents used the research content to develop a moving, informative 90-minute tour. Since the tour was first offered in October, 2021, 170 people have participated in one of the 17 tours offered to date; the average of 10 people per tour makes this one of Explore Buffalo’s most popular offerings. Beginning with a tour on April 30, two tours per month will be offered through September, and individuals can view the schedule for this and all tours, as well as register, at explorebuffalo.org. Groups wishing to book private tours can make arrangements by contacting suzanne@ explorebuffalo.org

Jewish Buffalo benefits from a century-long legacy

The Theodore Hofeller Joy Fund, a permanently endowed fund created more than a century ago and held at the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies, recently provided toys, educational items and accessories for students who attend Ohr Temimim Preschool and Center for Jewish Life’s Chai Early Childhood Center.

In 1917, Mr. Hofeller, a founding member of the Foundation in 1911, created the Fund with a $5,000 contribution. Income derived from the Fund is intended to be disbursed “in any manner which would gladden the heart of a child or bring joy and pleasure to a grown-up person.”

Using a prudent investment program, the Fund has granted tens of thousands of dollars to WNY organizations in Mr. Hofeller’s name, while the Fund’s balance has grown nearly 350%. More than 100 years later, and more

than 90 years since Mr. Hofeller’s death, his legacy gift continues to impact and bring joy to our community. His vision, mission and purpose remain relevant.

To learn about creating a legacy fund at the Foundation, contact Irv Levy, Executive Director or Lorne Steinhart, Senior Manager of Client Relations at 716.204.1133. More information at jewishphilanthropies.org.

Ohr Temimim preschool

CJL Chai Early Childhood Center students and teachers

What’s Happening at CRS

BY EINAV SYMONS

The Community Religious School (CRS) will be concluding its second year with a celebration and recognition of students, teachers, Hebrew tutors, Madrichim and leadership on Friday night, May 5.

CRS will also celebrate Shavuot with the graduation of the 7th Graders and the moving-up ceremony for the Kindergarteners. The dairy picnic for all our families will feature delicious cheesecake made by our students.

Registrations from new families are already coming in for the 2023-2024 school year. Registration can be found at: form.jotform.com/230836581495162. Returning families will be automatically re-enrolled via the new “roll-over” registration process.

The Community Religious School serves the students of Temple Beth

A fun Sunday morning at CRS

Tzedek, Temple Beth Zion, Congregation

Shir Shalom and unaffiliated families.

CRS provides engaging curriculum on Sundays and convenient private, remote Hebrew lessons to students from 1st through 7th grade. Please check out our website crsbuffalo.com. Wishing everybody a safe summer and looking forward to the new school year beginning in September.

Einav Symons is Director of the Community Religious School (CRS).

Before the War: Our Ukraine Travels from a Jewish Perspective (Part 2)

BY ALAN SISSELMAN

In 2019, Alan Sisselman wrote an article summarizing a visit to Poland he took with his wife, Roberta Levine. In light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and accompanying propaganda denying the existence of Ukrainian culture, we find it more important than ever to relay Alan and Roberta’s experiences in Ukraine. Here we share Part Two of a two-part article, the first half appeared in the April issue of The Jewish Journal. Go to buffalojewishfederation.org/jewish-journal.

One institution we regretted not being able to visit was the Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine. Apart from being one of the world’s largest academic and scientific libraries, the Vernadsky is home to the archives of Moshe Beregovsky, the foremost ethnomusicologist of Eastern European Jewry. Recently featured in the documentary “Song Searcher”, the Beregovsky collection includes numerous field recordings and musical manuscripts of klezmer music and Yiddish folk songs collected by

him and others, dating from the preSoviet era through World War II. The recordings were made on fragile wax phonograph cylinders, once thought to be lost during the Stalin years and later discovered in Kiev.

Several days later, the ship we were travelling on docked at the city of Dnipro (formerly Dnipropetrovsk). Dnipro was once a heavily Jewish town and is now home to the largest Jewish multifunctional complex in the world, the Menorah Center, which includes two large Jewish hotels next to the huge Golden

Rose Synagogue, a Jewish center and a mall, all financed by a Ukrainian Jewish billionaire philanthropist, Gennadiy (Zvi Hirsch) Bogolyubov. The mall contains the Museum of Jewish Heritage. The museum is basically a two-floor plan with one floor devoted to Jewish artifacts and Ukrainian Jewish history and one floor devoted to the Holocaust. The most haunting artifact was rare film footage of the Babi Yar massacre. The museum also includes exhibits exploring the Armenian and Cambodian genocide as well as previous massacres of Ukrainian minorities including Roma, Poles and Tatars.

Over the next several days we visited Zaporozhye (home of the acclaimed Yiddish folksinger, the late Arkady Gendler), nearby Khortitsa Island, and the City of Kherson. Khortitsa Island is the site of the Cossack Museum, actually a reconstructed historic fortress, and includes a display of horsemanship and acrobatics by the resident “Cossacks” and also features examples of Petrykivka art for sale by local craftsmen.

The last stop before reaching the Black Sea was the City of Kherson, cradle of the Black Sea Fleet. The Kherson Jewish community has revived since the 1990’s but not to the levels of the 19th century. We did not have an opportunity to visit Jewish sites here. Our final destination in Ukraine was the City of Odesa (Note: The Ukrainian spelling has only one “s”).

Odesa is a historic port city located on the Black Sea. Odesa has a long and illustrious Jewish history. Jewish settlers date back to the late 1700’s when the city was established. From 1900 to 1939, the Jewish population made up 30%-45% of the entire population. In 1939, approximately 200,000 Jews lived in Odesa, about one third of the population. Even as late as 1989, approximately 65,000 Jews lived here. Odesa is a fascinating city with many city parks, beautiful historic buildings, a huge market area (Privoz Market), a large flea market (Starokinnyy Market) and a very busy port facility hosting military, commercial and civilian ships. There is a very large beach area/boardwalk on the Black Sea which runs along the entire eastern edge of town.

The first feature we could see from our arrival point in the Port of Odesa was the famous Potemkin Steps, forever memorialized by the film director, Sergei Eisenstein, in his 1925 film classic, “Battleship Potemkin.” We took the bus tour of the city and passed several synagogues of current and past usage. We entered the Chabad synagogue and had an opportunity to meet the rabbi. He had grown up in Odesa during the Soviet years and knew little of Judaism until later when he moved to Israel. He was very proud that Ukraine has a Jewish president (President Zelensky was elected only two months earlier) and expressed his opinion that antisemitism was no

Odesa Holocaust Memorial

longer a significant issue in Ukraine. Next, we also visited the impressive Orthodox synagogue with its brilliant yellow tile ceilings. We also stopped at the Holocaust Memorial, which is spread out over several blocks and contains rock gardens, monuments and signage.

Many Odesa buildings have plaques on their facades dedicated to noted former residents including several Yiddish writers such as S. Abromovitsh and N. Bialik and even some pioneers of Israel including M. Dizengoff and V. Jabotinsky. Later, we travelled about 15 kilometers north of Odesa to see the Nerubayske Catacomb, a series of tunnels originally quarried for building materials and later

friendliness and positive attitudes of the people we met. We were impressed by the numbers of young people we encountered everywhere we went. The downtown streets of the cities were bustling with activity. The mix of modern facilities and historic buildings illustrated a nation with a rich history that was in the process of becoming a modern, 21st century country, yet it was obvious that Ukraine still has a long way to go.

Needless to say, it is devastating to witness Ukraine being subjected to senseless and brutal attacks over the year, especially in light of the positive changes and accomplishments that have occurred over the past 30 years. It is heartbreaking to hear that elderly Jewish residents of Odesa feel like they are living through the darkest days of the distant past once again. We pray that peace comes quickly.

Alan Sisselman and his wife, Roberta Levine, have resided in the Buffalo area for over 35 years and are members of Temple Beth Tzedek and Congregation Beth Abraham. They have a keen interest in Eastern European Jewish culture and perform klezmer music in their band, West of Odesa.

used by smugglers. During World War II, these tunnels sheltered local partisans fighting the occupying Romanian troops who were allies of the Nazis.

A most interesting place is the Museum of the History of Jews in Odesa. It is located not on the street, but inside a courtyard of a tenement and is accessed from the street through an iron gate. There are no signs advertising its existence since it is not supported by government funds. We were welcomed by very friendly staff. The museum is small, only four or five modest sized rooms but contained a wealth of material regarding all aspects of Odessan Jewish history. There was even a special exhibit devoted to Jewish music. The museum contained many old photographs, documents, artifacts (religious and secular), musical instruments, and a Holocaust memorial display.

Our impressions of Ukraine in 2019 were of a youthful, vibrant, progressive country with an optimistic outlook. We didn’t know what to expect before our visit but we were surprised at the

finest dark roasted coffees homemade shmears deli sandwiches fresh-baked bagels signature tuna fish soups salads and more!

Buffalo’s Best wishes you all good health and much gratitude.

Sholem Aleichem Museum poster

Silent Art Auction

Sunday June 4, 2023

7:30 p.m.

Temple Beth Tzedek

1641 N. Forest Road

Williamsville, NY 14221

Art has previously hung in homes, offices, and houses of worship

Artists include Amos Amit, Ari Gradus, Chris Stangler, and many more

Hadassah Honors Israel on May 3

On Wednesday, May 3 Greater Buffalo Hadassah will honor the 75th birthday of Israel with a heartwarming program, “Saving Children and Building the State: Hadassah and Youth Aliyah 1934 to 2023.“ The program is free and open to the community through Zoom.

Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist organization of America, was created by Henrietta Szold in 1912 when, under her leadership, a women’s study group sent two public health nurses to the Middle East. In the century that followed Hadassah has become one of the largest international women’s volunteer organizations with 300,000 members in North America alone. Hadassah has advocated for a strong Jewish state, promoted leadership roles for women, and supported social change inspired by democratic and Jewish ideals. Hadassah is probably best known today for its two world class hospitals in Jerusalem

Working in a vineyard in Israel

that have produced advances in research and patient care. This program will highlight something else—the amazing story of Youth Aliyah. Created in Germany 1934 as a response to the rise of Hitler, Youth Aliyah remains an active part of Hadassah today. Through many years and crises, it has brought endangered and troubled children from more than 80 countries to its famous children’s villages, where Students in a laboratory

they are loved, nurtured, educated and guided to become capable adults whose dreams as well as whose work have helped to build the Jewish state.

This amazing human success story is what Carol Goodman Kaufman will address on May 3. Carol has held numerous positions in Hadassah, most recently as national Chair of Youth Aliyah. She currently serves as Secretary of the Board of the Jewish Federation of Central Massachusetts and on its Black Jewish Alliance and LatinoJewish Roundtable. In addition,

Carol is a psychologist and a criminologist and is currently a full-time writer. To register for the program, email Marlene Katzel mkatzel@me.com or Maxine Seller mseller@buffalo.edu.

Students in a robotics center

Rabbi Gutmann Installation May 19-20

Rabbi Brent P. Gutmann will be installed as the eleventh Senior Rabbi of Temple Beth Zion (TBZ) Friday, May 19 and Saturday, May 20. The entire community is invited to the weekend’s events, where most will take place at 805 Delaware Avenue in downtown Buffalo.

The festivities begin with a welcome reception Friday evening, May 19 at 6:30 pm prior to Shabbat Services, which start at 7 pm. A festive Oneg Shabbat will follow. Saturday’s events begin at 9:15 am with a discussion featuring guest clergy members called “Ask the Rabbi: An International Rabbinic Schmooze.” At 10:30 am, Shabbat services will be held followed by a congregational Kiddush luncheon. The celebration continues at 7pm at a Havdalah, dinner and dancing (adults only) event called “Denim & Diamonds” at Jazzboline, 5010 Main Street in Amherst.

As part of the weekend celebration, TBZ will welcome notable guests including Rabbi Levi Weiman-Kelman, Rabbi Daniel Bogard, and Rabbi Adi Cohen. Rabbi Levi Weiman-Kelman was TBZ’s 2002 Justice Philip Halpern Memorial Lecturer. He currently serves as President of Rabbis for Human Rights and Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Kol Haneshama in Jerusalem, which he founded in 1985. Rabbi Weiman-Kelman’s relationship to Rabbi Gutmann began in 2007 as one of Rabbi Gutmann’s professors at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Jerusalem.

Rabbi Daniel Bogard currently serves a rabbi of Central Reform Congregation of St. Louis, Missouri. Rabbi Bogard has received national recognition for his commitment to social justice in areas of interfaith leadership, racial justice and trans-youth rights. Rabbi Bogard and Rabbi Gutmann’s relationship began in 2008 when they played together in the Adath Israel Congregation band in Cincinnati where Rabbi Gutmann succeeded Rabbi Bogard as Rabbinic Intern in 2011. Rabbi Adi Cohen currently serves as Rabbi of Temple Shalom Progressive Congregation of Gold Coast, Australia, and met Rabbi Gutmann following his arrival to assume his post in Auckland, New Zealand in 2013.

Many more individuals will co-lead Friday evening and Saturday morning prayer services with Rabbi Gutmann, including Cantor Mark Horowitz, and soloists Zack Steinberg, Aaron Pieri, Sara Shultz and more.

The installation weekend is chaired by TBZ board members Jenn Field and Joni Shatkin. An RSVP is requested for all events. There is a fee and a May 9 deadline for the Saturday evening party. To RSVP, go to bit.ly/TBZInstallation, or call 716-836-6565.

KOT Spotlight: Beth Weiss

Beth Weiss and her husband Steven have been members of Kehillat Ohr Tzion from its inception, even before the synagogue had a building of its own. And right from the beginning, Beth chaired the fundraising committee, which is affectionately called the Fun Committee.

Beth was born in Brooklyn, spent her teen years in Long Island and eventually moved to Buffalo 32 years ago. Beth and Steven have three children and two daughters-in-law. She is a pediatric nurse practitioner who adores children and especially dotes on their three grandchildren.

Over the years Beth and her hardworking and creative committee have planned amazing programs which involved transforming the synagogue into a theater space that once showcased a well-known magician recently including a ventriloquist and his cohort of puppets. KOT has become an arena where local bands performed and at other times fancy themed restaurants which transport attendees to wonderful imaginary far off places like New York

City, Israel and the Caribbean. Another event turned KOT into a shopping mall, and still another into a parking lot for a tailgate party.

And if those events aren’t enough, on June 4 Beth and her team have arranged for a professional chef to present an evening entitled Fire in Ice where the chef will do a hands-on cooking demonstration creating an incredible dessert. For more information and to make a reservation email bmweiss516@ gmail.com.

Federation Apartments

Rent assisted apartments for seniors & mobility-impaired adults

10th Yahrtzeit of Rebbetzin Charitonow

Sunday, May 7

The 10th anniversary of Rebbitzen Shaina(z”l) Charitonow yahrtzeit will be marked Sunday, May 7 with a talk by the Hon. Richard Bernstein, a Michigan Supreme Court Justice, at the Chabad Knesset Center at 500 Starin Ave in Buffalo beginning at 7 pm.

Justice Bernstein, the first blind justice elected to the Michigan Supreme Court (2014), has worked on strengthening The Abraham Accords, an unprecedented agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and was presented an award by the King of the UAE.

Prior to being elected to Michigan’s highest court, Justice Bernstein, who has been blind from birth, was known as a tireless advocate for disabled rights.

He has been named Michiganian of the Year, and is also an accomplished athlete, having completed a full Ironman Triathlon in 2008, as well as 24 marathons.

Tibor Baranski's

Family Shares Stories with Descendants

On March 9th, the Holocaust Resource Center’s Descendants group along with members of St. Benedict’s Congregation gathered at St. Benedict’s School in Snyder to hear stories from the sons and grandson of Tibor Baranski, recognized by Yad Vashem as a Righteous Among the Nations.

Nandor Forgach, Baranski’s grandson, recounted his grandfather’s courageous acts. He shared that in 1944, Tibor at the age of 22 was a seminary student in Hungary. He sought the assistance of Monsignor Angelo Rotta, Papal Nuncio to Hungary to save the lives of a close Jewish family. Tibor succeeded and Monsignor Rotta was so moved by Tibor’s bravery and resourcefulness that together they devised a plan to save the lives of thousands more Hungarian Jews. Using Vatican documents and even the use of the Nuncio’s Rolls Royce, Tibor played the role of a Church official, convincing German soldiers to release imprisoned Jews, leading them to safe houses and eventually freedom. It is said that Tibor saved 3,000 Jews, but actual numbers are probably closer to

12,000 Jewish lives. When asked why Tibor risked his own life he responded, “I only did what God demanded of me. I am only a useless servant.” For his heroic work, Tibor was honored by Yad Vashem as a “Righteous Among the Nations.” In 1980, President Jimmy Carter appointed Baranski to the President’s Commission on the Holocaust and he was present at the opening of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. Tibor left Hungary in 1956 and settled in Buffalo until his death in 2019. Last September, Tibor and his wife Katalin’s resting place was moved at Forest Lawn Cemetery to a special sarcophagus situated on a hill between the Jewish and Christian sections of the cemetery. In this prominent location, people will be able to visit the grave of this remarkable hero.

HRC Descendants Group at a meeting with Tibor Baranski’s family.

On June 4th at 1:00 p.m. at Forest Lawn Cemetery, a screening of a Hungarian documentary of Tibor Baranski’s life will be shown.

Dining Guide

Be Part of Camp Centerland History: Walk of Flame

BY ALEX EADIE

As part of ongoing capital improvements to Camp Centerland, the Jewish Community Center is proud to announce plans to build a new firepit in 2023. Thanks to a lead gift from JCC Trustee Matthew Burwick, his wife

Sara and their family, the Barbara S. Burwick Memorial Firepit will serve as a place for campers and the community to enjoy.

Inspired by Matthew’s memories of attending Camp Centerland as a child and named in honor

of his late mother, this project will ensure many more campers have the same opportunity to make lifelong memories.

“One of the goals of the JCC is to support the physical and mental well-being of its members,” said Burwick. “Specifically, Camp Centerland played a major role in my life growing up and now in my children’s lives. It’s a very easy mission for my family and I to support.”

To complete the project, we invite community members to purchase a paver stone as part of the firepit’s “Walk of Flame.” This path, leading from the main camp pathway to the new space, will be filled with permanent tributes to families, campers, loved ones, staff, and others through engraved pavers of varying sizes. “We are excited about the firepit project and hope the community will join us in supporting it,” said Burwick.

Secure your family or loved one’s legacy at Camp Centerland today, forever. Pavers make a great one-of-a-kind gift! Visit jccbuffalo.org/walk-of-flame to learn more about the project and to purchase a paver directly.

For questions about this project or for more information about how you can support Camp Centerland and the Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo, contact Alexander J. Eadie, JCC Director of Advancement, at 716-929-6258 or aeadie@jccbuffalo.org.

To advertise in The Jewish Journal Dining Guide contact Cindy Oppenheimer at 716-308-4843 ir ciooebgeuner@jewishjournalwny.com

Jewish Community Organizations in Western New York

Buffalo Jewish Federation

338 Harris Hill Rd. - Suite 108B

Williamsville, NY 14221

716-463-5050

buffalojewishfederation.org

Rob Goldberg - CEO & Executive Director

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

Rabbi Sara Rich - Director Marc Adler - President

Holocaust Resource Center 338 Harris Hill Rd. – Suite 108B Williamsville, NY 14221 hrcbuffalo.org

Lauren Bloomberg - Director of Engagement

Mandy Weiss - Director of Operations

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

Mike Rawl - Executive Director Dr. Irwin Gelman - President

Holland Family Building 787 Delaware Avenue Buffalo, NY 14209 716-886-3145

Jewish Community Relations Council 338 Harris Hill Rd. – Suite 108B Williamsville, NY 14221

buffalojewishfederation.org

Mara Koven-Gelman - Senior Director

Adam Fogel - Co-Chair

Deborah Goldman - 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 Rd. – Suite 108B

Williamsville, NY 14221

buffalojewishfederation.org

716-463-5050

Deborah Pivarsi - Director

Jonathan Schechter - President

Kadimah kadimah.org

Reneé Lehner - Administrator

Kosher Meals on Wheels 757 Hopkins Road Williamsville, NY 14221 716-639-7600

koshermow.com

Rabbi Laizer Labkovski - Director

Jeffery Pasler - President

LiNK Jewish Buffalo

338 Harris Hill Rd. – Suite 108B Williamsville, NY 14221

Mike Steklof, Ed.D. - Senior Director

Brenda Feldstein - Chair

Ohr Temimim School

411 John James Audubon Parkway

W. Amherst, NY 14228 716-568-0226 ohrtemimimschool.com

Rabbi Shmuel Shanowitz - Principal

Sonia Gellman Young - President

One Stop Jewish Buffalo

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 Rd, 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 St., Williamsville, NY 14221 716-689-8059 congregationhavurah.org info@congregationhavurah.org

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 Rd Williamsville, NY 14221 ohrtzion.org/kot

Rabbi Ori Bergman

Cheryl Stein - President

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) 1641 North Forest Road Williamsville, NY 14221 716-838-3232

btzbuffalo.org

Rabbi Adam J. Rosenbaum

Cantor Mark Spindler

Linda Boxer - President

Kim Jones - Administrator

Temple Beth Zion (Reform)

Sanctuary: 805 Delaware Avenue Buffalo, NY 14209

Offices: 700 Sweet Home Road Amherst, NY 14226 716-836-6565

tbz.org

Rabbi Brent Gutmann Jeff Clark - 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

Richard Berger and Michael PaskowitzCo-Presidents

5 THiNGS YOU CAN DO

in May/June to Repair the World

SPONSORED BY

Did you know that if your employer has a wellness program, it must be voluntary?

The Law Office of LINDY KORN

716-856-5676 6 buffalo-discrimination-attorney.com/

Let’s Talk About antisemitism. We’re engaging in this conversation as a community on Sunday, May 7, and addressing antisemitism with a wide range of audiences in mind. Community members, Adults, Educators and Teens are invited to attend this free event (see page 5). Registration is required at bit.ly/LETSTALKABOUTANTISEMITISM

Tikkun Leil Shavuot. Join community friends Erev Shavuot as we study together all night, eat creamy treats and commemorate the Revelation at Sinai beginning Thursday evening, May 25 at 8 pm. This Yom Tov event takes place at Temple Beth Tzedek, 1641 North Forest Rd., and includes teachers and scholars from all over Jewish Buffalo. For more information, visit btzbuffalo.org., or call 716-838-3232.

Zachor! Remember! The Holocaust Resource Center (HRC) will screen a Hungarian documentary on the life of Holocaust Hero and Buffalonian Tibor Baranski Sunday, June 4 at 1 pm at Forest Lawn Cemetery’s Margaret L. Wendt Archive & Resource Center, 1990 Main Street. RSVP to Lauren Bloomberg at lauren@buffalojewishfederation.org.

Remember your Mother and Father with a gift to the Jewish Federation Cemetery Corp. The Cemetery takes care of eight cemetery properties in and around Buffalo in every way necessary, from legal and financial issues, to burials, upkeep, and security. Make your donation at buffalojewishfederation.org/cemeterycorp.

5»

Show Up: Show your support of the LGBTQ+ community by showing up to the Pride Parade and Pride Festival this year on June 4. Want to walk in the parade with Jewish Buffalo? Contact Mike Steklof at mike@buffalojewishfederation.org.

Where in JBFLO

Where is this found exactly in Jewish Buffalo ?

For the April issue, no one identified the photo, which is a sculpture commemorating the Holocaust, located in the 2nd floor lobby of the Benderson JCC Building.

Priced at $999,900, this majestic, all-brick stately residence is situated in the heart of Elmwood Village on one of Fredrick Law Olmsted’s grand parkways. Walk to shops, art galleries, restaurants, downtown events or enjoy the view on the newly renovated large front porch. The home fuses old world classic beauty with modern renovations. Magnificent wood is throughout, including the incredible front staircase, tall moldings, built in bookcases, hardwood floors and a carved mantel. Additional features include 4 fireplaces, central air, 2nd floor laundry, master suite with sunroom, central vacuum and surround sound speakers. Outside you will find a slate roof, 2+ car garage and 233 ft. deep lot with beautiful gardens. For more than 20 years this was the home of the French Consulate. This home is a true gem in the heart of the city.

Priced at $999,900, this breath taking, exceptional, Spaulding Green custom design is a “Jurek” built patio home. Some special features include, 12ft. to 24 ft. ceilings, open floor plan with elite design custom kitchen, huge waterfall island, commercial ovens and Thermador appliances. Also included are two fireplaces, Hunter Douglas shades throughout and cove lighting in the dining room. The master suite has surround sound, steam shower, radiant heated floors and a California Closet. A unique glass staircase leads to the lower level which includes 2 bedrooms, exercise room, great room, full bath and half bath. Enjoy the walk out stamped concrete patio.

163 Bidwell Parkway 9705 Foxglove Court

Remembering Harold Halpern: 1934 - 2023

Harold M. Halpern died February 22, 2023 in his Sarasota, Florida home. He was the loving husband of Susan Halpern; father of Bruce (Karin) Halpern, Lisa (Joel Sciandra) Halpern and Samantha Halpern (Avishai) Kantor; brother of Ralph (Harriet) Halpern; stepfather of Michael Lee Jackson, Jessica (Dean von Essen) Jackson and Rachel (Angelo Caico) Jackson; grandfather of seven, step grandfather of four, and great grandfather of three. These remembrances are excerpted from remarks by his son, Bruce and grandchildren Julia, Katherine and John Barnes at Harold’s funeral March 2 at Temple Beth Zion in Buffalo.

Bruce Halpern

Dad grew up in Buffalo, the son of Mary and Julius Halpern, and brother of Ralph Halpern. Both boys spent time working as young men at Halpern Pharmacy, my grandfather’s drug store and soda fountain, located on 563 Best Street. It was within walking distance of their Humboldt Park neighborhood family home. Humboldt Park, now Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, is where Dad ice skated as a child, walking there with skates on, as the story goes. Some of my early memories from the early 60s are from skating there with him on the round fountain rink in front, and the hockey rink in the back,

behind the casino. Dad attended Public School # 39 from kindergarten through 8th grade, and graduated from Fosdick Masten High School, which is now known as City Honors.

Dad went on to the University at Buffalo Law School, Class of ’58. As a young man in the ‘60s, Dad practiced law in Niagara Falls. In the 70s, he relocated to Buffalo, where he would remain in practice for a total of 65 years. His work ethic and search for knowledge was never-ending.

Dad was active in many professional and community organizations and received leadership awards for his numerous contributions. And of course, some of

my memories are sportsrelated, like a lot of fathers and sons. Bills games at War Memorial and Rich Stadiums, Dad visiting me in Miami in1983 when the Bills defeated the Dolphins in overtime. That was a fun day! Going to Sabres games together at the Aud, and also at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. I also can vividly picture Dad watching my youth hockey, high school and college hockey games. Those memories are etched in stone. Dad. You will be loved and remembered forever.

Julia Barnes

I simply want to share with you the things I loved about my Saba (grandfather) that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. First, my grandfather possessed an insatiable love of learning. In 2019, I shared with him that I was moving to Colorado to pursue my master’s degree in journalism. He was thrilled. Unbeknownst to me, he had just begun covering Israel issues for both the Sarasota Herald Tribune, and The Sarasota Jewish News in Florida. Throughout my time living in Colorado, Saba emailed me almost every published article of his, and I read them, impressed by his journalistic talents that far surpassed my own. And now, knowing that his words are immortalized in print is a great comfort, and something that I will cherish.

In the classic movie, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” — a film I related to as a Jewish kid with a loud family, and even more so now that I’m recently engaged — the father, Gus, has a unique habit. “Give me a word, any word, and I show you that the root of that word is

Greek,” he would say. Saba had a similar talent. I could ask him about anywhere in the world — anywhere at all — and he would be able to connect me to a cousin, family friend, or a former work colleague that lived nearby. I called him during my final semester of grad school and told him that I was taking a trip to Southeast Alaska. I was going to interview people for a longform story I was writing about forest conservation and indigenous rights. Imagine my surprise from the other end of the phone when he said, “Oh, you’ll have to reach out to my friend,” he said. “She lives in Juneau and is a part of Congregation Sukkat Shalom.” “Of course,” I said to my fiancée, Nick, after I got off the phone. “In a city settled by the Russian Orthodox, my Saba knows the only Jewish person in town.”

Even at 88, Saba got to know new people, kept in touch with old friends, and saw the world. To me, he is the paragon of what it means to have lived a good life. And I will remember his lessons forever.

Katherine Barnes

Saba was the best grandfather I could have asked for. Navigating this loss has been extremely challenging. I keep asking myself: “What will I do without him?” He was my favorite person to share good news with and the person I turned to when times were tough. Whatever the circumstances may be, he greeted me with a smile, with open arms, and words of wisdom.

Harold Halpern

Dad was active in many professional and community organizations and received leadership awards for his numerous contributions.

I’ve reread his articles, interviews, and our text/email exchanges from over the years in hopes of finding some sort of comfort in the happy memories. There’s one beautifully written letter he sent me ahead of my college graduation, that I can’t stop reading. The letter says in part“now you march on into life outside of the cluster of family and university. As always, there will be ups and downs. Be joyful in your ups and when down, conquer all problems with fierce determination. I am eager to follow your life of independenceto give you encouragement when needed, and applause for all you do. My love for you has no limits. Enjoy life and may all you do be fulfilling.” I cherish this letter for so many reasons, but I love the last line in particular because it reflects his unconditional love for his family, and his eagerness to live life to the fullest - which he certainly did.

Rereading this letter gave me a new sense of purpose. I hope to channel Saba’s passion for learning and his resilience when faced with challenges. I want to embody his drive, compassion, and zest for life with all that I do, and I encourage you all to do the same. My heart aches without Saba, but I am so grateful for the 23 years I spent with him. I know that his spirit will live on through his children, grandchildren, friends and colleagues whom he impacted throughout his 88 years.

John Barnes

Saba was the smartest and most supportive grandfather I could ever ask for. I always admired how he never slowed down in life, whether it was taking trips to Israel in his late 80s or writing articles on the politics of Israel. During my childhood, he would visit my home in Arlington every June to attend a conference for Jewish Lawyers. I remember I always looked

forward to seeing him in the morning before school. He would always be awake bright and early, reading the newspaper, ready to go on with his day. He truly never wasted a moment. As a child, I truly cherished the time we spent walking around museums and DC during his visits.

Saba was so supportive of me and my aspirations, specifically as a filmmaker. But I’m not sure if the word supportive even covers all of Saba’s encouragement. My junior year of high school, my documentary A Passover Story was selected to screen at a film festival in AMC Times Square in New York City. Saba [who] is...the heart and soul of the film... flew to New York solely just to watch the 7-minute film screen at the festival. It was the experience of a lifetime to sit next to him while his face was projected in front of an audience of hundreds. His personality lit up the screen. At the end of the film, I asked him to stand up while the audience applauded him. I feel comforted knowing that an audience of hundreds was able to laugh, connect, and applaud my Saba

Saba also cared so deeply about our family being in touch with our Jewish faith. Our annual in-person Passover seders and phone calls on the High Holy Days are memories I know I’ll think of for years to come. During my first year of college at UVA, we would often connect over my appreciation for the local Jewish organizations on campus like Hillel and Chabad. To no surprise, when I provided the name of my Chabad Rabbi, Saba, with zero other knowledge, immediately said “Oh, I attended the rabbi’s parent’s wedding!”

Saba was always moving and always learning. His lifetime achievements are staggering and I hope that one day I can achieve even a fraction of his number of accomplishments.

The following individuals in our community passed away during the period from March 20 - April 17, 2023. May their memories forever be a blessing, and may their loved ones be comforted among the mourners of Zion.

Irwin Ellin

Molly Farber

Marlene Joseph

Pearl Keller

Leonard Joseph Lowosky

Sherrill Lois Rosen

Marlene L. Simon

Kenneth Abraham “Kalman”Sull

Nancy S. Wile

Do brothers (and sisters) still dwell together?

BY GON EREZ

Since my childhood in Israel, one of my favorite Shabbat songs was Hinei Ma Tov. Since my days in pre-school, I remember myself with kids in my Moshav joining hands and singing together about how good and pleasant it is that brothers dwell together. Little did I know the meaning of this phrase at that young age and little did I understand how important it is for Achim -‘brothers’ - to be united, to sit together in peace and harmony, to welcome and accept one another; to love thy neighbor.

Every child in Israel knows about the High Holidays, Hanukkah, Tu-Bishvat, Purim and Passover, the Yom’s, and Lag BaOmer. These holidays are about festivities, getting together, and rejoicing. One holiday, Tisha B’Av, is when we mourn many disasters that befell us. It is not well known among many people in Israel, perhaps because it occurs every year in July or August when schools are off for the summer. The disasters we mourn

during Tisha B’Av (mostly the destruction of both Temples) are believed to have happened due to Sinat Chinam/baseless hatred. This hatred comes from within, without reason, and can de-legitimize those with different worldviews, with no will for negotiation or understanding.

In the past three months, I’ve been watching anxiously how society in Israel is slowly but surely getting torn from within over the judicial reform being led

by the current government. Since the last elections in November 2022, Israel has been going through the biggest crisis since it was born in 1948. Massive demonstrations have set the streets to

blaze, and tension is constantly rising; hundreds of thousands are protesting the reform that they consider to be ‘the end of democracy,’ while on the other side, people believe the exact opposite (that stopping the reform will be like ignoring their vote).

In 75 years full of wars and terror, missiles, rockets, and suicide bombers, there has never been a crisis so strong that it could rip apart the delicate fabric that constitutes this quilt called ‘Israel’s society’. We all carry the responsibility to do our very best to lower the flames, to listen and understand one another, to accept those who are different from us, and to promise ourselves that no matter what happens, we will never forget that we are all brothers (and sisters).

“Hinei Ma Tov Uma Naim, Shevet Achim Gam Yachad” (siblings dwell together).

This phrase has been recited at every Shabbat dinner for so many generations. Now, more than ever, it should not be taken for granted.

Gon Erez is the Chief Program Officer at the JCC of Greater Buffalo.

Gon Erez