Winter 2011/12-5772
Inside this Issue:
Into the Light: Olive Oil The Emunotes of Afula Raisa’s Story ISRAEL’S OLDEST Repository OF JEWISH ART
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
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EMUNAH
s I approach my first Chanukah as President of EMUNAH of America, I am filled with pride to lead an organization that, since 1935, has been providing vital social services to children, families and seniors in every corner of Israel in their time of greatest need. During Chanukah we remember the many miracles, great and small, which accompanied the victory of Israel over the Greeks. But there is one special miracle that seems to resonate within all of us as the central miracle of Chanukah—the oil—enough to burn for only one day—yet miraculously burned for eight. This miracle of light has illuminated the souls of generations, giving emunah to the Jewish people. Affirmation that with our willingness to work hard to carry out Hashem’s will, we will overcome adversity and remain a strong nation. Emunah (faith) is something that we at EMUNAH instill in everyone who participates in all of our 250 social service projects. By giving abused and abandoned children a new life, we renew their faith—their emunah—in Hashem and the Jewish people. We at EMUNAH also give emunah to the besieged and terrorized people of Southern Israel who are subjected daily to rocket attacks from Gaza. The EMUNAH Crisis Centers provide them with much needed counseling during these times of emergency. These are just a few of the myriad examples of how EMUNAH infuses emunah in the population we service. In these first few months in office it has been my pleasure to get to know some of the incredible professionals and volunteers in the tri-state area and across the country. I began with a visit to Scarsdale for a memorable evening with Ambassador Yehuda Avner organized by our volunteers Michelle Berman and Raquel Zeitz, and their devoted committee. We look forward to many more successful EMUNAH events there. Over Sukkot, those of us who were fortunate to be in Israel spent a wonderful day of touring together. We visited the new 9/11 Memorial which houses a piece of steel from the former Twin Towers; we then continued to Kibbutz Nachsholim for a lesson on the Tchelet and Tzizit before ending the day with a fabulous dinner and simchat bet hashoeva with the children at EMUNAH’s Children’s Home at Bet Elazraki. Next I got to meet our fabulous next generation at the Young Leadership Event at Club 404 chaired by Tali Goldberg, Elianna Kaye and Jonathan Struhl. These vivacious chairpeople shared their enthusiasm and devotion for our kids in Israel with the next generation. It was a fun evening, enjoyed by all the singles and young couples. Attending the EMUNAH Dinners in New York and in Los Angeles, I had the privilege of meeting the wonderful and deserving honorees, and experienced at first hand the amazing results of all their hard work. Our dinner in NY gave all of us the opportunity to pay tribute not only to Marcia Genuth, Wendy and Mordy Dicker and Jonathan Struhl—extraordinary honorees who have done so much for EMUNAH—but also to Ambassador Yehuda Avner, continued on next page >>
7 Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10001 212.564.9045 • info@emunah.org www.emunah.org Published by EMUNAH of America, Sister Organization of EMUNAH National Religious Women’s Organization in Israel
Editor-In-Chief Faye Reichwald Art Director Julie Farkas Editorial Assistant Devorah Jacobowitz President Fran Hirmes Chairman of the Board Mindy Stein Treasurer Heddy Klein Missions Chairman Melanie Oelbaum Missions Co-Chairman Mindy Stein Executive Vice-President Shirley Singer Executive Director Carol Sufian Fiscal Officers Gladys Baruch Shirley Billet Charlotte Dachs Bonnie Eizikovitz Marcia Genuth Eve Groyer Stern Executive Officers Gladys Baruch Debbie Bienenfeld Shirley Billet Charlotte Dachs Bonnie Eizikovitz Sondra H. Fisch Marcia Genuth Elizabeth Gindea Helena Goldstein Anne Gontownik Irene Gottesman Esther Heller Shaynee Kessler Heddy Klein Evie Leifer Melanie Oelbaum Mindy Orlinsky Rosalie Reich Sylvia Schonfeld Beverly Segal Suzanne Segal Arlene Silverstein Eve Groyer Stern National Board Rhonda Avner Shelli Dachs Sheryl Elias Miriam Ellenberg Arlene Fox Renee Greenspan Aviva Gross
Honorary Presidents Eva Adelman* Gladys Baruch Dorothy Bernstein* Lila Bernstein* Shirley Billet Ruth Chernofsky* Chana Cohen Rebecca Cooper* Charlotte Dachs Miriam Federbush* Sondra H. Fisch Sylvia Feine Marcia Genuth Blanche S. Gershbaum* Miriam Karlin* Heddy Klein
Johanna Herskowitz Doris Hirsch Greta Hirmes Annette Kaufman Shelli Kuflik Esther Lerer Chani Lichtiger Lynn Mael Fran Mermelstein Naava Parker Carol Pinewski Lisa Reich Michelle Salig Harriet Saperstein Malkie Scharf Barbara Schreck Karen Spitalnik Amy Spivak Rena Steigman Susan Weinstock Charlotte Liechtung Zaslowsky Myrna Zisman Lest We Forget, Editor Sylvia Rosencranz Jossi Berger Holocaust Study Center Rena Quint, President Anna Grosberg Doris Hirsch Cecelia Margules Young Leadership Board Hila Abenaim Tali Goldberg Susan Nadritch Elianna Sable Collegiate Board Aryana Bibi Mikayla Bibi Adina Eizikovitz Lani Lichtiger Tzippy Quint Michael Reidler Ariella Salkin Rebecca Zagha Director of Communications Rita Goldstone Development Associates Ronnie Faber, Senior Associate Linda Koegel Ayala Naor Pamela Weiss
Esther Maidenbaum Schreiber* Melanie Oelbaum Rosalie Reich Betty Roseman* Sylvia Schonfeld Beverly Segal Mindy Stein Jean Teichman Renee Weiss Toby Willig Honorary Vice Presidents Sunny Alpert* Ruth Aronowitz* Ruth Block Ruth Cogan Miriam Diskind* Molly Finkel*
Yetta Geisler* Anna Grosberg Jennie S. Hall* Eleanor Itzkowitz Lillian Kosowsky* Ann Lipmanowicz Helen Marcus Bernice Mermelstein* Helene Pruslin* Sylvia Rosencranz Roslyn Rothblatt* Ruth Schnall Shirley Silverman Giselle Steigman Rose Templeman Yetta Weg* Honey Weiss Irene Zelikow* * Deceased
All rights reserved. Copyright ©2011 EMUNAH Magazine. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited by law.
emunah.org | EMUNAH Magazine | Winter 2011/2012-5772 | 1
President’s Message, continued from page 1 who has done so much for the Jewish people and the State of Israel. It was truly an honor for me to be able to present him with the Israel Lifetime Achievement Award. In Los Angeles, I had the pleasure to spend some time getting to know our dynamic development associate Ayala Naor, and some of our hard-working volunteers, as well as our wonderful honorees, Naomi Vanek, Ellen and Richie Katz and Rivki and Sammy Mark. Their work is truly inspiring. I have also had the chance to meet our development associate in Miami Beach, Pam Weiss, along with some of our young leaders. Together they have, and no doubt will continue to do, great things on behalf of EMUNAH. In Englewood and the Five Towns, two of our many chapters, I have had the honor of meeting and working with the extraordinary chapter presidents and vice presidents who, along with our development associates Ronnie Faber and Linda Koegel, are a cadre of hard-working volunteers. We are so fortunate to have so many amazing new officers and volunteers in all our chapters who are always looking for new ways to help EMUNAH continue building a Jewish future in Israel, one child, one family at a time. Chag Chanukah Sameach! Fran Hirmes National President
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In This Issue 4 Sarah Herzog Children’s Center in Afula: EMUNotes—the Music Makers
DEPARTMENTS
1
By Gail Lichtman
President’s Message
20 Book Reviews
8 Into the Light: Olive Oil By Gil Marks
23 EMUNAH News
ON THE COVER
Chanukah at EMUNAH’s Bet Elazraki
18 4
8
Winter 2011/2012-5772
14 EMUNAH Benefit Dinner Building Israel’s Future 16 Raisa’s Story 18 Israel’s Oldest Repository of Jewish Art By Lili Eylon
InsIde thIs Issue:
Into the LIght: oLIve oIL the emunotes of AfuLA RAIsA’s stoRy IsRAeL’s oLdest ReposItoRy of JeWIsh ARt
Visit our web site at EMUNAH.org or e-mail us at info@emunah.org
Some views expressed in this magazine may not necessarily reflect the policy of the organization, nor do the advertisements represent EMUNAH’s endorsement.
EMUNAH of America is a member of World EMUNAH headquartered in Jerusalem with affiliates in Israel, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Georgia, Gibraltar, Great Britain, Guatemala, Holland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Romania, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela and Yugoslavia © 2012 EMUNAH. None of the articles or portions thereof contained in this issue may be copied or reprinted in any form without express written authorization from EMUNAH.
emunah.org | EMUNAH Magazine | Winter 2011/2012-5772 | 3
ISRAEL
Sarah Herzog Children’s Center in Afula:
Emunotes – The Music Makers By Gail Lichtman
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Now in its seventh year, Emunotes is a performing group made up of 12 girls and six boys from the Center, ranging in age from 10 to 16. The Center, established in 1949 as a haven for young Holocaust survivors, today serves as a residential and afterschool therapeutic daycare facility for some 180 children at-risk, ranging in age from five to 18. All the children at the Center were referred to it by Social Services and have enormous needs. In addition to meeting the children’s basic physical needs (food, shelter, clothing, school supplies, etc.), the Center strives to enable these kids to overcome past traumas and achieve their academic potential and a better future. The children receive professional assessment, therapies, tutoring and extra curricular activities. Each child is given the care he or she needs, while being enveloped in a world of positive reinforcement and praise.
Emunotes originally started as a musical activity for teenage girls and was later expanded to include boys and younger girls. The group performs Israeli music at various events and institutions in the Afula area, and at Emunah events in Israel. It has made three tours to the U.S.—to Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York—and three CDs. “Our kids come to us with a lot of baggage,” explains Shiko Hajaj, Emunotes musical director. “We develop
The feedback they get from the audience is fantastic
Photos by Win Robins
he teenage fans lined up backstage at the dressing room door in New Haven, Connecticut, CDs in hand, waiting for autographs. Justin Bieber? Miley Cyrus? No—these fans were waiting for the boys and girls of Emunotes, the musical dance troupe of Emunah’s Sarah Herzog Children’s Center in Afula. “You have no idea what this kind of reception means to our children,” states Shlomo Kessel, the Center’s Executive Director. “Our kids come from dysfunctional homes—families in distress. They have been told they were bad and made to feel like nothing. When they come to us, many feel rejected by their families. One child compared it to being thrown out like the trash. And here they are with kids standing at their dressing room door waiting for them like they were rock stars. This is a tremendous boost to their confidence and selfesteem.”
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their talents and help them to overcome their shyness. But they have to work hard. They learn responsibility and that there are rewards for perseverance and effort. They also learn not to be afraid of
forming with the troupe. The three girls came to the Center along with two brothers and a younger sister three years ago. Their family of nine made aliyah from
...a sense of belonging to a prestigious project failure. They can pick themselves up and do better next time. The world goes on. The feedback they get from the audience is fantastic for them in boosting their self-esteem.” “I pick the kids for the troupe more for their desire to perform and learn than for any inherent talent,” Hajaj continues. “I can teach them to sing and dance. But they have to want to learn. We rehearse three times a week, so they have to want to invest in this.” “Emunotes is one of our most powerful therapeutic tools,” Kessel says. “It utilizes music to bolster the children’s self image and has had far reaching effects on many of their lives.” As an example, Kessel cites the case of three sisters from Canada currently per-
Toronto. When their mother became seriously ill, their father became overwhelmed with the need to tend to his sick wife, and found he could no longer adequately care for the children. He decided to place the six younger children in the care of the Afula Center while the oldest girl remained at home to help with the mother (who subsequently died). “When the children arrived, they ranged in age from four to 12,” Kessel recalls. “Even though they grew up in a fairly normal home, they were traumatized by their mother’s illness. The smallest girl, who was four, didn’t speak. The younger children made the transition to the Center fairly quickly. But the three older girls were very
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resentful and had a hard time adjusting. They felt rejected by their family and referred to the Center as a dormitory, not as a home.” “They viewed being here as something temporary and resisted trying to fit in,” Kessel continues. “But after they joined Emunotes, we began to see a real change. In the group, they were able to experience success. They felt a sense of belonging to what our kids consider a prestigious project. And since they speak fluent English, when the troupe toured in the US, they were able to communicate with and really get to know people there. Being in the group has had a very powerful effect on their school functioning, behavior and relationships with the other children and staff here.” Today, Dvora, Michal and Esti (not their real names)—15, 14 and 13— respectively, have blossomed into confident young girls. They are doing well in school, have friends and are looking forward to a bright future. “When I first came here, it was scary,” recalls Michal. “It took me time to get used to the place. But little by little, I made friends. Today, all my best friends are girls from the Center. “We saw the Emunotes kids performing and it looked like such fun,” says Dvora. “So we decided to try out. None of us had ever performed in public. We learned not to be embarrassed about appearing in public. And it is fun to sing and dance. Plus, it is a way for us to keep connected with one another.” “When we toured in the U.S.,” Michal notes, “we had the advantage of speaking fluent English and being able to communicate with the families that hosted us and the kids we met. We still keep in touch.” “The Center is more than Emunotes,” Dvora adds. “We receive a lot of encouragement in our studies and get extra help with our school work. Because of this, we do better in school. When all the kids in my class are breaking their heads trying to solve the math homework, I come in with the answer. My counselor
at the Center explained it to me. Not only do I have the answer, but I also have an understanding of the problem and the concepts.” Sapir, an Ethiopian teen who goes by the nickname Shoko (Hebrew for chocolate milk), is one of solo singers for Emunotes. Nearly 16, he is outgoing and well-spoken, as well as musically talented. But when he first came to the
school and remains until the evening. He benefits from tutoring, help with homework and takes part in afterschool activities.” “In the beginning, he would spend all his time either in the yard or on the roof of one of our buildings,” Kessel relates. “He refused to come inside. But with a lot of patience and love, we succeeded in getting him to come in and become
Planning a fourth United States tour in 2012 Center some six years ago, it was a different story. “As a very young girl in Ethiopia, Shoko’s mother was forced to marry a much older man, who left her with a young child,” Kessel relates. “Shoko was sent here to our afterschool therapeutic day care facility. He lives at home with his mother but comes to the Center after
more integrated. He formed relationships with the other kids and staff. He joined the Emunotes and is also part of our movie therapy program. He is so much more confident and is doing much better in school. It is hard to believe that the outgoing, confident young man you see today, only a few years ago would not have spoken to anyone.”
“I love to sing,” Shoko notes. “For this reason, I joined Emunotes. At first, I was embarrassed, afraid I would not be good enough. But Shiko opened the door to my singing. Now, I feel good about it.” “Being at the Center has enabled me to make real progress in school,” he states. “I get help with my homework and lessons. At home, my mother cannot help me. I am now doing a full high school matriculation track. I have all kinds of activities that keep me busy and are fun. The counselors are great. I can talk to them about problems I encounter, about my life, about anything and they help me to better cope with life and plan for my future. I think a lot about my future. I would like to join an elite IDF combat unit when I finish high school. I want to do something to contribute to Israeli society.” The group is now planning a fourth tour to the U.S. in the spring of 2012, with new numbers and choreography. A
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emunah.org | EMUNAH Magazine | Winter 2011/2012-5772 | 7
Chanukah
Olive Oil INTO THE LIGHT:
By Gil Marks
O
live oil was among the seven agricultural items with which the land of Israel was praised as, “a land of wheat and barley, and vines and figtrees and pomegranates; a land of zayit shemen [oil-olives] and [fruit] honey.”Olive oil formed part of the trio, along with grain (wheat and barley) and wine, which served as the basis of the diet and economy of Ancient Israel. Thus, money did, in a manner, grow on trees. Olive groves covered Israel in great numbers as evidenced by the gifts that Solomon annually sent to Hiram of Tyre to feed the workers, among which was “20,000 batim of olive oil (II Chronicles 2:9),” an amount totaling about 440,000 liters, the output of nearly 240,000 trees each year. Numerous place-names in Israel reflect olive trees, presses, or oil, most notably the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, the location marking the advent of the Messiah (Zechariah 14:3-4). Even the word mashiach (“anointed one”) refers to olive oil. The High Priest was also anointed with olive oil.
Gil Marks, a regular contributor to this magazine, is the author of numerous books, including the highly-proclaimed Encyclopedia of Jewish Food.
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Not surprisingly, olive oil played a central role in the ritual and culture of ancient Israel, serving as a sign of holiness, wisdom (Menachot 85b), and blessing. The olive leaf, from the story of Noah, symbolizes peace. Thus, when the Anshei Knesset Hagadolah instituted rituals to inaugurate the Shabbat, olive oil was transformed into nayrot (lights), while grain became Hamotzi (Sabbath bread) and wine Kiddush. Rabbi Tarfon wanted to restrict the
Contemporary pure olive oil is far different from the oil called for in the menorah
(About 1½ cups) The Romans, like many Ancient Mediterranean cultures, made a paste from olives, seasoned with vinegar and herbs (including cilantro, fennel, and mint) called epityrum. In this tradition is tapenade, a Provencal paste made from olives, capers, and anchovies. The name comes from the Provencal word for capers, tapeno, to differentiate it from other olive pastes. Spread tapenade on croûtes/crostini (toast), spread over cheese tarts, use to stuff hard-boiled eggs or cherry tomatoes, serve as a dip for crudités, bread, and crackers, or serve with broiled\grilled fish. 1½ cups pitted brine-cured black olives, such as Kalamata, Nicoise, or Gaeta 1 to 2 ounces (6 to 12) anchovy fillets, rinsed ¼ cup capers, drained 1 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped 2 to 4 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (or ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, or ¾ teaspoon Dijon mustard) ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground black pepper 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional) ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil In a food processor or with a mortar and pestle, pulse the olives, anchovies, capers, garlic, basil, parsley, pepper, and, if desired, lemon juice until minced. Drizzle in olive oil and mix well. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Serve at room temperature. VARIATIONS: Tomato Tapenade: Reduce the olives to 10 to 12 and add 5 (about 1 pound) plum tomatoes, drained and chopped.
Photos by Shlomo Chen
Sabbath lights to only olive oil, but “Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri stood on his feet and said: ‘What shall the people of Babylonia do? They have only sesame oil. What shall the people of Media do? They have only nut oil. What shall the people of Alexandria do? They have only radish oil. And what shall the peo-
Tapenade (Provencal Olive and Caper Paste)
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ple of Cappadocia [in Turkey] do? They have none of these, but only naphtha.’” Numerous small pottery lamps made over the course of thousands of years have been excavated throughout Israel, attesting to oil’s once essential role in interior illumination. Lamps from the early biblical period consisted of open bowls with a rim, while those from Talmudic times had a cover with a small central hole into which the oil was poured and a second hole in a slight spout into which the wick was inserted. In addition to small pottery lamps common to homes, there were the rarer large metal candelabras (menorah), including, of course, one in the Sanctuary of the Temple. Unlike the other components of the Sanctuary, the ner tamid was uniquely made “according to the pattern which the Lord had shown Moses,” consisting of seven decorative branches. The Midrash considered the menorah symbolic of the Tree of Life of Eden, essentially a golden tree that shed light. The predominant means of illumination in Ancient Israel was olive oil, while the menorah required a particular quality of olive oil, “shemen zayit zach.” Olives typically contain 18 to 32 percent oil and 40 to 55 percent water by
weight, which is easily pressed out from ripe fruit. A single tree can produce up to twenty gallons of oil every year. The fruit also contains oleuropein, an incredibly bitter substance that must be leached out in order to be edible when whole. In biblical times, olives were still
not grown for eating as a fruit, but only for the treasured oil within. When olives are pressed, the oleuropein eventually separates with the water, leaving the pure oil. Once this concept was discovered about 5,000 years ago, olive oil became the favorite and primary fat of
Tapenade Stuffed Pepper Slices (24 hors d’oeuvres)
1 large green bell pepper 1 large red bell pepper 1 large yellow bell pepper 1 recipe tapenade or tomato tapenade (above) 2 tablespoons olive oil
1. P reheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a large baking dish. 2. C ut the peppers in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and stems. Cut each half into 4 lengthwise slices (or triangles). Stuff each slice with a heaping teaspoon of tapenade. 3. Place the stuffed slices in the prepared baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the peppers are tender, but not limp (about 10 minutes). 4. Let cool to room temperature. Drizzle with the olive oil.
Funghi Sott’Olio (Italian Marinated Mushrooms)
(4 to 5 servings/about 2 cups)
2 cups white wine vinegar 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons salt 1 pound small button mushrooms ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns 1 clove garlic, sliced 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1. In a medium nonreactive saucepan, bring the vinegar, lemon juice, and salt to a boil. Add the mushrooms, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Drain and let cool. 2. Place the mushrooms in a large glass jar and toss with the peppercorns and garlic. Add the olive oil to cover. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
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Photos by Shlomo Chen
much of the Mediterranean region. In addition to illumination, olive oil has long served as an important food, which besides its own distinctive flavor, acts as a flavor enhancer for other foods and has medicinal and health benefits. Neolithic pottery found near Mt. Carmel containing olive pits and remnants of olives reflect the earliest
had developed and the crushing wheel followed about three centuries later. In the latter, the olives, pits and all, were ground in an open tub by a rotating vertical stone wheel attached to a long horizontal wooden beam that was turned around a large vertical wooden beam by a donkey or ox, either one blindfolded to prevent dizziness. The paste was then
Long before the advent of Chanukah, the 25th day of Kislev was the traditional date in Israel for the end of the harvest of olives for oil method of oil production—pounding the ripe fruit in small vessels. Eventually, a rudimentary form of mass production developed with olives trod by foot in a large rock-hewn tub and the liquid channeled into collection vats. This process, however, resulted in great waste of precious resources, not to mention sore feet. To extract the sizeable amount of valuable oil remaining in the pulp, people began to grind it with a millstone, then press it. By the early Iron Age (10th century BCE), the lever press
transferred to stacks of woven fiber baskets and squeezed in a lever press, a process taking several hours or even days to complete. The released dark liquid flowed into massive collection basins or pots, where, over the course of several days, the oil separated from the water and sediments, and the cherished oil was then drained from the top. Virtually every village and, in many cases, home, possessed at least a small press. By the Talmudic period, a method was introduced to crush olives without
breaking the pits and the wooden screw was employed to more effectively press the pulp. Unlike wine, which can last for decades, olive production must be repeated every year because olive oil tends to turn rancid within twelve months of pressing, especially in warm climes. Olive oil can only be produced a limited time during the year. The Gezer Calendar, a limestone tablet excavated at Tel Gezer and bearing one of the earliest known Hebrew inscriptions dating from the 10th century BCE, around the reign of Solomon, began with the twomonth olive harvest in the autumn (Tishri and Cheshvan). Green olives are unripe fruit. Those destined for table use are generally harvested in September through October, usually around Sukkot. As olives ripen on the tree, they develop more oil and sugar and darken in color to reddish brown to purple to black. The ancient world preferred green oil, the product of medium ripe fruit. Those intended for oil are left on the tree until the skin has turned black and the pulp is partially violet, around mid-November (Cheshvan) through December. Long before the advent of Chanukah in 164 BCE, the 25th day of Kislev was the traditional date in Israel for the end of the harvest of olives for oil as well as the last day on which the year’s bikkurim (first fruits) could be brought to the Temple. The only way to determine an oil’s characteristics is to taste it. Today, olive
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oil is generally classified by three grades, based upon the pressing and amount of acidity: Extra virgin, virgin, and pure. Extra virgin oil is cold-pressed from the first pressing and cannot exceed 1% natural oleic acid. Virgin oil, generally produced from the second and sometimes third pressing, contains 1 to 3.3% acid. Pure, a misleading term indicating that
be free of any residue of the olive itself, which can only be accomplished by oldfashioned pounding the olives in a mortar rather than grinding them, the latter being the easier, most cost-efficient manner. In order to ascertain that the oil was appropriately prepared, it was sealed in jugs bearing the mark of the High Priest. Such was the sole container found by
Lights in Jewish tradition express transition— shabbat, chagim, havdallah, shivah and yahrzeit it is made only from olives, is the lowest grade and, therefore, contains the largest amount of acid. Contemporary “pure olive oil” is either steamed or chemically refined and deodorized to reduce acidity and impurities. If the label contains the word pomace, the oil is extracted by adding solvents to the pulp. Contemporary “pure olive oil” is far different from the shemen zayit zach (“pure olive oil” or “oil from pure olives”) called for in the menorah. Bahya Ibn Pakuda noted that the best olive oil was, in the normal way of things, reserved for cooking, while the lesser-quality types were used for fuel. The reverse was true in the Temple where the purest oil went to lighting the menorah, while a lesser grade (yitzhar) was acceptable for the meal offerings. The primary criterion for adjudging an oil’s status for use in the menorah was not a matter of the best flavor or amount of acidity, but clarity and purity. The olive oil for fueling the menorah had to
the Maccabees following the Hasmonean revolt against the Syrian-Greeks. The menorah was lit after the daily afternoon offering to burn through the night. The Talmud estimated the amount of pure olive oil needed to burn through the longest night of the year, about 15 hours in the month of Tevet, to be half a log, measuring about 0.15 liters or 6 tablespoons. Therefore, a half a log of oil
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was daily poured into each cup, no matter the time of year, and left to burn out. The Talmud (Menachot 86b) maintained that one of the cups of the menorah, called ner ma’aravi (western light), either the second of the two easterly cups or the center bowl, continued to burn, although receiving no more oil than the other six cups, for twenty four hours. This miracle purportedly (Yoma 39a) continued until the death of the High Priest Shimon Ha-ztadik (c. 190 BCE). Following the destruction of the Temple, the shemen lama’or (oil for the light) could no longer be performed. The commandment was memorialized as the ner tamid (eternal lamp), a light burning in the synagogue. Lights are still used in Jewish tradition to express transition—ushering in Shabbat and the festivals, closing Shabbat with the Havdallah ceremony, during shivah (mourning), for a yahrzeit (anniversary of a death), and frequently carried by members of a wedding party. Not coincidentally, the menorah flanked by a pair of olive branches appears as the emblem of the State of Israel, a sign of the enduring and living nation. Today, Israel generates about 5,000 tons of olive oil annually, primarily from Barnea, Nabali, and Souri cultivars grown in the Jezreel Valley in the Galilee. A
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EMUNAH Benefit Dinner
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ince Israel’s birth, EMUNAH of America has distinguished itself as a leader in providing critical support and excellent care to the people of Israel. At the Benefit Dinner on November 12th, friends and supporters of EMUNAH gathered to celebrate its enormous accomplishments in social welfare, education, cultural and humanitarian efforts throughout every corner of Israel. The EMUNAH Dinner, held at the Marriott Hotel at Brooklyn Bridge, was a particularly meaningful event for the EMUNAH family as it was an opportunity to pay tribute to Guest of Honor and EMUNAH’s esteemed Honorary National President, Marcia Genuth, an outstanding woman who has tirelessly devoted herself to the organization and to the thousands of people in Israel whom EMUNAH has helped. Former Israeli diplomat, prime ministerial advisor, and author of the new bestseller, “The Prime Ministers,” Ambassador Yehuda Avner received the Israel Lifetime Achievement Award at the Dinner and delivered the evening’s Keynote Address. Honors Awarded at the dinner went to Wendy and Mordy Dicker from Englewood, NJ, the Ahavat Tzion Awardees—a couple deeply involved with EMUNAH’s children through hands-on efforts, and to Jonathan Struhl from NYC— New Generation Award—an inspiration to all because of his efforts to raise funds for EMUNAH’s children in Israel and to garner support from other Young Professionals such as himself. Mindy Stein, Chairman of the Board, who served as the Benefit Dinner Chairman, joined with Fran Hirmes, National President, in addressing the guests and in calling upon the Honorees to receive their Awards. The evening’s outstanding Journal Chairman was Shaynee Kessler. In his Keynote Address, Ambassador Avner—who has served as speechwriter to Israeli Prime Ministers Levi Eshkol, Gold Meir, and adviser to Yitzhak Rabin, Menachem Begin and Shimon Peres—shared his unique insights into Israel’s current political climate, garnered from his decades of service to the Jewish State. “Press and journalists have missed the story of the Arab street. Tyranny is the problem,” he stated. “We must not give in to the Arab version of history… Palestinians must not be allowed to change the character of Israel…Peace at any price is the motto of the man without his own convictions.” Avner also spoke glowingly of EMUNAH, saying “for years, EMUNAH has been an integral part of Israel’s efforts to improve the lives of all its children and families.” Ambassador Avner was introduced by Isi Leibler, veteran international Jewish leader with a distinguished record of contributions to the Jewish World and Israel, and husband of beloved President of World EMUNAH, Naomi Leibler. The presentation included a heartwarming video introduction from the children at Bet Elazraki, directly addressing the audience. Later in the evening, an original video brought home the success of EMUNAH’s graduates from the children’s homes and the importance of the Appleman College of Art and Technology and the Torah and Arts High School to young women in Israel.
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Jonathan Struhl with parents Linda and Ted Struhl
Wendy and Mordy DIcker
Fran Hirmes , Wendy and Mordy Dicker and Mindy Stein
Yehuda Kohn and Ambassador Yehuda Avner
Building Israel ’s Future
Fran Hirmes , Marcia Genuth and Mindy Stein
Standing: Melanie Oelbaum, Shari Shapiro Seated: Maurice Oelbaum and Isi and Naomi Liebler
Pulse 5 with Eitan Sklar
Eitan Sklar, Fran Hirmes and Mindy Stein
Without spiritual resources, we are unable to defend ourselves —Ambassador Yehuda Avner
to see the full gallery of dinner photos click here Ambassador Yehuda Avner, Fran Hirmes and Mindy Stein emunah.org | EMUNAH Magazine | Winter 2011/2012-5772 | 15
ISRAEL
Raisa’s Story
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ail thin, with melancholy eyes, Raisa was brought to EMUNAH’s Achuzat Sara Children’s Home under a Court order. She had witnessed a scene in her home that no one, of any age, should ever see. Her father had taken his life while her mother was fast asleep in her bed. Raisa was nine years old. Raisa had come on aliyah to Israel with her parents from the former Soviet Union. Both were advanced alcoholics. Her mother had been unable to protect her daughter from her husband’s dangerous mood swings and the child’s life was a misery. After years of imbibing, her mother suffered from acute liver damage and could barely help herself.
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Adapting to her new situation in the EMUNAH home was not always smooth, but Raisa did seem to want to fit in with the other girls. Gradually, she began to cooperate with the psychologists and counselors who cared for her, who encouraged her to see herself as her own person with hopes and plans for a normal future. But Raisa held back. She did not understand that her new friends had also had problems at home. She watched them go on regular Shabbat
becoming suspicious, she asked the counselors to arrange a visit to someone else’s home, so that her friends would see her go somewhere and assume she was going home. When Raisa’s mother was hospitalized because of her liver condition, the child was relieved not to have to lie to her friends. She told them truthfully that she couldn’t have a Shabbat home visit because her mother was in the hospital. The grass always seems greener on
She invented excuses to her friends home visits, and, in fact, seemed to look forward to them. Raisa did not want to go on any home visit. She wanted never to go home again. She became anxious each time a home visit was suggested. Raisa wanted friends, but she had a secret and kept it from them. She did not want her friends to think that she had no home to go to. Her interactions with the girls became complicated. At first, she invented excuses for delaying the visits, and later, when she thought they were
the other side. Little did Raisa realize the difficulties many of her friends encountered when they had their home visits. It was natural for them when chatting to their friends to paint their visits with a brighter color than was really true. Many girls at the Home took a backward step in their progress after each home visit. But the EMUNAH Home’s philosophy encourages youngsters to maintain a connection to their biological families, unless it is physically
dangerous to do so, and it supports these visits. EMUNAH counselors work with the parents of their youngsters, hoping to improve their parenting skills, even holding courses on how to play with their children, how to feed them, how to talk to them. Many of the early visits with parents take place in the Home, rather than where the parents live, so that positive connections can be formed in a neutral environment. These meetings are valuable in that often, the parents themselves open their eyes to possibilities they had not previously considered. Raisa is now 13 years old. She has finally come to terms with the truth that she was not to blame for her father’s suicide nor for her mother’s illness. She has begun to realize that in Israel, she has the possibility of breaking out of the despair which accompanied her family when they left the Soviet Union. She is contemplating her future and has requested that, when Achuzat Sara agrees that she is ready, she will take her next step within the comfortable structure of a religious kibbutz. A
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ISRAEL
ISRAEL’S OLDEST REPOSITORY OF
JEWISH ART
By Lili Eylon
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t began humbly, as an “art corner” in a wooden hut in Kibbutz Ein Harod. In the 30’s of the last century, the kibbutz members who had come to farm this land felt they needed to complement their working days in the field with culture during their free time. When they came to settle this part of the Galilee a few years earlier, they numbered some two dozen; now their number had swelled tenfold. Convinced that art and culture are among the essential components of an
The first building in the country to be constructed specifically as a museum enlightened society, they founded an art space even before meeting other essential physical needs of the kibbutz. As one kibbutz member expressed it years later, “They did not want their dedication to physical work to create the kulak or muzhik mentality, to create ignorant, boorish peasants whose minds concentrated only on the most immediate material needs of existence, a type well known to them from Eastern Europe.” Chaim Atar, an artist and one of the kibbutz members, conceived and founded the Ein Harod Art Museum. Some years later, the Museum — 18 | Winter 2011/2012-5772 | EMUNAH Magazine | emunah.org
Mishkan leOmanut — moved to its permanent home, planned by another kibbutz member. A brick structure with a complex of courtyards and galleries offering a panoramic view of the Valley of Jezreel and Mount Gilboa, it opened its doors in 1948, in the midst of the War of Independence. It was the first building in the country to be constructed specifically as a museum. Only years afterwards did museum buildings spring up in cities. The Israel Museum in Jerusalem was completed in 1965, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art in the ‘70’s. The founders did not consider museums to belong exclusively in large urban centers. They felt that, not location, but intellect, alertness and intensive thought and action were what mattered. This
Jewish artists from the Diaspora, and Jewish folk art. The extensive collection includes Jewish artifacts dating from the 17th century, as well as paintings and sculptures by artists from the 19th century onward, among them Josef Israels, Isaak Levitan, Lesser Uri, Max Liebermann, Ludwig Meidner, Issachar Ryback, Jules Pascin, Moise Kisling and Jacob Epstein, among others. A unique feature inside the museum is its exclusively natural lighting which makes it one of the earliest examples of modernist museum architecture. The museum is pleasing architecturally. One enters the building through an understated facade to find a series of spaces filled with light, very precise in proportions, generous, yet also intimate. The
Art and culture are a central component of an enlightened society attitude reflected the leadership role of the kibbutz at that time because in Ein Harod — the first and, for a long time, the largest, kibbutz in the country — lived many of the young nation’s political, social and educational leaders. Galia Bar-Or, the Ein Harod Museum’s director and curator, notes that the kibbutzim, the communal settlements situated at the periphery and numbering at most a few hundred members, founded museums at an earlier stage and on a relatively broader scale than those that were established in the urban centers in Eretz-Israel. Today the Ein Harod Museum is still the third largest museum in Israel in floor space and prides itself on one of the country’s largest collections: some 16,000 works of art amassed since its beginnings. The collection specializes in the work of Israeli artists as well as
layout lends itself to displaying varied exhibitions simultaneously without generating a sense of disharmony. An extensive recent exhibition, part of the vast collection belonging to industrialist and art collector Ami Brown, covered the entire museum space and attracted thousands of visitors from all over the country. Initiated by the industrialist’s wife, Gabriela (Gaby), and curated by Galia Bar-Or, the show featured some 300 paintings, sculptures, photographs and drawings by Israeli artists from the beginning of the 1920s to the 21st century. This exclusive exhibition featured a representative cross-section of the best of Israeli art — young contemporaries as well as veteran artists. The family chose to show it for the first time here, explains Galia Bar-Or, because of the absence of political influence in the museum. “It is
important not to be bound by convention,” she adds, “or by what is shown in other museums and galleries, or in the art market. Going a different way does not mean not appreciating the others, but our museum is away from the mainstream, against consensus. For example, we show Holocaust art not shown in other museums.” Many of the artists who were showcased at Ein Harod have achieved both national and world-wide fame. Penny Hes Yassour, (born in Ein Harod, 1957) has exhibited in major museums and galleries both in Israel and around the world, with exhibitions at Documenta X, Kassel, Germany; at ZKM, Museum of Contemporary Art, Karlsruhe, Germany; the Museum of Modern Art, Saitama, Japan and at Galerie Eric Dupont, Paris. Avital Geva presented a Greenhouse (Hamama) project at the International Biennale in Venice in 1993. The works of Yaakov Dorchin (b. Haifa, 1946,) who lives and works in Kibbutz Kfar Hachoresh, have appeared in group collections in Israel, the USA, Japan and Europe. His outdoor sculptures are on permanent display at Tel Aviv University, the Tel Aviv Museum, Tel-Hai, Haifa and a number of kibbutzim. Yechiel Shemi, who lived and died on Kibbutz Kabri, is known world-wide for his abstract expressive constructions using industrial tools and mass-produced materials such as iron and scrap metal to arrive at coarse and unadorned surfaces. The long and impressive list also includes Joseph Zaritsky, Aviva Uri, Arie Aroch, Ori Reisman, Gabriel Klasmer, Moshe Gershuni and Reuven Rubin. Galia Bar-Or celebrates the fact that The Ein Harod Art Museum has survived all the crises. “Our aim is to encourage and influence the shaping of the memory and narrative of Israel in art. With our emphasis on Jewish and Israeli art, we consider ourselves to be a caretaker of the collective heritage of Israel.” A
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BOOK REVIEWS
My Russian Grandmother and Her American Vacuum Cleaner: A Family Memoir By Meir Shalev. Schocken Press
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he author of The Blue Mountain and A Pigeon and a Boy, the celebrated Meir Shalev, tells a charming tale of family ties in Nahalal, the village of his birth. Arriving in Palestine from Russia in l923, Grandma Tonia, a unique character, is the focus of the family lore. Her obsessive cleaning and family regulations come to life in an hilarious and touching narrative that circles around the arrival into the family’s dusty agricultural midst of the big, shiny American sweeper sent as a gift by an uncle who was deemed a traitor for settling in capitalist Los Angeles instead of helping to build a Jewish homeland. The vacuum cleaner was meant as a stealth weapon to beguile the hardworking socialist household and was symbolic of the conflicts and visions of the family. This memoir is a sheer delight as Shalev brings to life the obsessive but loving Tonia, and the pioneers building the country who gave his childhood its spirit of wonder
Until the Dawn’s Light By Aharon Appelfeld Translated by Jeffrey M. Green Shocken Books
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haron Appelfeld has written another haunting masterpiece about Jewish displacement, accommodation and longing. The atmosphere he creates in this novel which takes place long before the Holocaust is all the more chilling for the reader who knows what the future will eventually bring. In his usual sparse style, he draws us into the menace and fear of Austrian Jews in the early 20th century. Some of his themes are familiar: the desire of Jews to shed traces of their tradition and to assimilate and convert; the admiration for the Gentile’s physical strength and rootedness; the need to escape to a less hostile environment; and the longing and journey toward a haven in the east where Jews can live as Jews. The novel begins with the journey east of Blanca Hammer and her four-year-old son. She is escaping from five years of abuse from a brutal Gentile husband who is determined
to knock the soft and weak Jewishness out of Blanca, traces of which he sees despite her conversion to Roman Catholicism. She has cut off ties with her family and is left with unbearable guilt. Four generations of Jews inhabit this novel to illustrate the road that many took in Austria: A traditional grandmother viewed as a lunatic who derides the apostates and warns them of eventual punishment; her son who has not yet converted but seeks to erase all traces of Jewishness; his daughter, Blanca, who left an academic career, converted and married a working-class Gentile out of compassion for his ignorance; and their son, whose destiny is still unknown by the end of the novel. This is a novel filled with the suspense of not knowing what the next moment will bring. The atmosphere is so chilling and meaningful to the Jewish reader that it took days for this reader to be able to pick up another book. The genius of Appelfeld is how he succeeds in drawing us into his obsession with the fate of European Jewry.
Baseless Hatred: What It Is and What You Can Do About It By Rene H. Levy, PhD. Gefen Publishing House
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his important book seeks to explain the roots of modern hatred and offers tools to help empower us to overcome it. It discusses the world’s hatred of Jews, of Israel, and the baseless hatred of Jews to each other, in the Diaspora and in Israel. Our exile from the Land of Israel was caused by baseless hatred and the author illustrates with intricate details the connection between baseless hatred and exile (i.e. hatred of Joseph by his brothers sent them into exile). Hatred weakens a person and has weakened nations. Although Israel has achieved a State, the threat of another exile still looms as the world after 60 years is still discussing whether it has the right to exist. Hatred among Jews is not a private matter, Dr. Levy writes. It has serious consequences for the entire body of the Jewish people. It destroys the national bond of mutual responsibility. He describes the unity of the people during its first three decades of the State of Israel, and how and why it has seriously unraveled during the last three decades. Levy writes: A reason why interactions between Jews are unique may be based on the “last Jew”
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syndrome. Throughout their history…they were taught that their survival of the whole Jewish people depended on them. As a result, each Jew tends to behave as if he or she must be capable of guaranteeing the survival of the Jewish people, as if all other Jews were nonexistent. When a Jew behaves as the last survivor, he or she feels very strongly about his or her opinions and positions and may become intolerant. The irrational Jew-hatred of the Muslims has nothing to do with territory, Dr. Levy points out. Iran has no designs on Israel’s territory. Instead, Israel has become the pawn in the long and bloody war between the Sunnis and the Shiites, each claiming to represent the “true” Islam. Whoever destroys Israel will then become the main Muslim power and so “prove” that Allah is on their side and that theirs is the “true” religion. The Muslim’s sense of inferiority has further stoked Jew-hatred as is demonstrated by attacks on Jews in England and France who are citizens of those countries and not of Israel. Western European Jew-hatred, Dr. Levy writes, is not the old anti-Semitism. It is a new expression of Europe’s irritation, fatigue and boredom with guilt feelings for the Holocaust. If Europeans convince themselves that the victims of their inaction have themselves turned into the aggressors, well, then, they can comfortably rationalize that perhaps the Jews deserved what they suffered. Dr. Levy is neither an historian nor a rabbi, but rather a scientist. A Professor of Pharmaceutics and Neuropharmacology, he was asked to provide an innovative, scientific approach to hatred in order to come to grips with this important subject. He has succeeded brilliantly in deepening our understanding and offering solutions to hopefully meet the challenge of overcoming it.
Ben-Gurion: A Political Life Shimon Peres in Conversation with David Landau A Nextbook Shocken Publication. New York
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he latest addition to the impressive library of Jewishthemed books by Netbook is a conversation about Ben-Gurion with Shimon Peres who had known the leader since his early twenties, well before the establishment of the State of Israel. A protégé of
Ben-Gurion, he shared his dream of a modern, democratic Jewish nation-state and sees in him a neglected model of leadership sorely needed today. David Landau is a former editor of Haaretz and has worked with Peres on his memoir. The book is rich in photographs, as well as Peres’ particular insights and opinions. A brief excerpt may interest our readers: … We believed that the Diasporic version of Judaism was transient. We didn’t think we Israelis would stop being Jews! You can’t be Zionist without being Jewish. But we saw two historic perversions in this Diasporic version of Judaism: the Diasporic condition itself— statelessness, homelessness — and the apeing of non-Jewish values. Ben-Gurion’s objection was not to the religion but to the organized “church.” He maintained that pristine Judaism had no hierarchy, no God’s deputy, no bishops. …. Therefore, the Rabbinate should not run our lives. Therefore halacha (Jewish religious law) should not be the law of the land. Shimon Peres, Israel’s current President, has had a long and often controversial political career. He has used this opportunity of discussing Ben Gurion to insert his own views and role in many of the decisions taken by Israel since its inception.
The Murmuring Deep: Reflections on the Biblical Unconscious By Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg. Schoken Books.
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rom the award-winning and acclaimed biblical scholar comes a fascinating analysis of the intersections between religion and psychoanalysis. Zornberg puts God and the men and women of the Bible on the couch, offering insights into the interaction between the conscious and unconscious mind. Using Freudian and other concepts, she creates new understandings of both the Bible and the motivations of the men and women in it. She offers interpretations on why, for example, Jonah thinks he can hide from God by getting on a ship, why Ruth follows Naomi to a foreign land, and how Abraham perceives the asked-for sacrifice of his son. The book is provocative and engaging and provides considerable fuel for thought.
Bringing the Prophets to Life By Rabbi Neil Winkler. Gefen Publishing House
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dynamic educator for over forty years, Rabbi Winkler bemoans the lack of understanding of students for the deep meanings in the midrash. It is up to the educator, he writes, to raise their students’ understanding beyond a third-grade level, one that will inspire students throughout adulthood. The student must be made to care about the character and events of the nation, and for
this reason, his book focuses on the prophetic writings of the early prophets and the way to approach these narratives. First offering an overview of each individual book (Yehoshua, Shoftim. Shmuel 1; Shmuel II, Melachim I and II, ) he then places the prophet in the time and place in which he lived and the forces which influenced his thinking. He identifies the themes of the stories, as well as the struggles and challenges that faced the outstanding personalities of each era, the warriors and the women, the prophets and the kings. It is a work which should become part of the yeshiva curriculum.
Notes on New Books Gefen Publishing House of Jerusalem and New York has had a particularly fruitful year of publishing new and important books. Among them are: Flags Over the Warsaw Ghetto. The Untold Story of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising By Prof. Moshe Arens, former Defense and Foreign Minister of Israel and Ambassador to the United States. In a groundbreaking work, he recounts a true tale of daring, courage and sacrifice in homage to the fighters who rose up against the German attempt to liquidate the Warsaw ghetto. Between Heaven and Earth: A Story of Nineteenth Century Jerusalem By Sue Kerman, a Jerusalem educator born in Canada. Hers is the story of Zara Rubens who, after widowhood, created a new life for herself in Jerusalem. She became a writer for the nascent New York Times and was acquainted with legendary figures of the period. Zara’s journals make fascinating reading. Of Guns, Revenge and Hope By D. Lawrence-Young. This is the story of Benny Levi who spent five years serving with the British army in World War II. After taking part in Rommel’s Afrika Corps defeat, he undertook combat training in Italy and became a fighter in the newly formed Jewish Brigade. He took part in the unofficial “revenge squads” that hunted down and killed escaping SS officers. He also helped Holocaust survivors reach Mandatory Palestine. From the Holocaust to a New Dawn By David Shachar. This is a memoir of the author’s journey from his wanderings in Poland to the life of a WWI refugee and on to a soldier’s life fighting the Nazis. He then came to Israel to fight the War of Independence and settled in the country. He has served as a senior representative of the Israel Aircraft Industries with the Ministry of Defense and did much to develop and advance Israel’s defense industry. It is a story of rebirth, creativity and self-sacrifice. Echoes of Eden By Rabbi Ari Kahn. This is the first in a five-volume work on the weekly Torah portion, published jointly by Gefen and the OU. Through provoking questions and intriguing insights, and by plumbing the depths of Jewish sources, Rabbi Ari Kahn provides fascinating answers to age-old questions, infusing the parshah with fresh significance. Rabbi Kahn is director of Foreign Student Programs at Bar Ilan University in Israel and senior educator of the Aish Ha Torah College.
emunah.org | EMUNAH Magazine | Winter 2011/2012-5772 | 21
JOIN TEAM EMUNAH I N G M I A M I H A L F M A R AT H O N
o Not to o EArly t t r stA g trAiNiN
s u n d ay. j a n u a r y 2 9 . 2 0 1 2 Commit to raise $3,000 for emunah and the airfare and hotel is on us! Introductory rate for high school and college students is $2,000 for info:yesafier@gmail.com
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WiTh each STeP you Take you heLP eMunah buiLD a STRong JeWiSh FuTuRe in iSRaeL, one chiLD, one FaMiLy aT a TiMe
.
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Proceeds to benefit emunah’s Bet elazraki Children’s home emunah’s achuzat Sarah Children’s homes emunah appleman College
www.emunah.org/marathon or call Ronnie FabeR 201.370.6597 or email faberronnie4@gmail.com Fran hIrmeS naTionaL PReSiDenT
ingposter.indd 1
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10/25/2011 1:11:00 PM
EMUNAH Art Show and Sale in New York City to see the full EMUNAH art gallery click here
emunahnews
around the united states
The creations of many of the students, alumnae and teachers from the EMUNAH Appleman College of Art and Technology in Jerusalem, and students from the EMUNAH V’Omanut Program were displayed at the EMUNAH Gallery Show and Sale on Saturday evening, December 17, 2011 at The Ecko Showroom in New York City. Drawing a large eclectic crowd, the show, which was open to the public, gave guests a chance to view and purchase pieces from a choice collection of art—many from renowned Israeli artists—and also a chance to discover new talent. The exhibit included oil paintings, water colors, Judaica, original winning minted coin and stamp designs for the Israeli government, Judaica and paper cuts. The EMUNAH Florence and Joseph Appleman College, created in 1972, grants young women the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) in the fields of Fine Arts, Graphic Design and Drama, complemented by a rich program of Judaic studies in an environment steeped in religious Zionism. An EMUNAH-sponsored post-high school seminary in Israel, EMUNAH V’Omanut, gives young women the opportunity to immerse themselves in Judaic studies while also pursuing rigorous training in art, music and film. The event paid tribute to renowned artist and EMUNAH V’Omanut teacher Leah Raab, whose work was on exhibit. The venue was spectacular—with the modern, spacious Mark Ecko Showroom in New York City being the perfect setting for this very successful show. Proceeds from sales of the art went to provide scholarships to needy students at the EMUNAH College of Art and Emunah V’Omanut in Jerusalem. Many thanks to Arielle Salkin, first year alumna of Emunah V’omanut, for her hard work curating the show.
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emunahnews
around the united states FIVE TOWNS CHAPTER BAKE SALE and GIFT BOUTIQUE The Five Towns Chapter held a pre-Rosh Hashana Bake Sale & Gift Boutique at the beautiful home of Esther and Baruch Weinstein. In addition to the array of delicious cakes, scrumptious cookies and a variety of challahs, elegant jewelry by Judy Zborowski and "Giftique" giftware by Risa Sonneneblick were available for purchase, along with "Touch of Silk by Robin Merkin" flower arrangements. Many thanks to presidium Elana Oved and Shari Shapiro, and vice-president Bini Dachs, with a special thanks to the dedicated 5 Towns bakers and shoppers, who made this fundraiser so successful!
Five Towns Chapter meets Author Gloria Goldreich
From left: Fran Hirmes, Elana Oved, Gloria Goldreich, Wendy Friend, Shari Shapiro and Bini Dachs
It was an evening filled with inspiration and emotion as the Five Towns Chapter invited Gloria Goldreich to speak on "The Image of the Jewish Mother in Literature" to commemorate the fifth yahrtzeit of her beloved sister Cherie Kaplan, a"h. Greta and Eli Hirmes opened their home and their hearts, sharing stories of friendship with Cherie, along with Cherie's proud daughters. Chapter Co-President Elana Oved, and Event Chairperson Wendy Friend recalled how much the children of Israel meant to their dear mother. National President Fran Hirmes shared recent news on the progress of four siblings residing at EMUNAH's Achuzat Sarah Children's Home. Gloria Goldreich's presentation ranged from Torah to Tel Aviv, stressing how the Jewish Mother has been depicted in literature throughout history, and how she has molded the family for generations to follow. Kudos to presidium Elana Oved, Shari Shapiro and Bini Dachs for another successful fundraiser and a night to be remembered by all who attended.
Hilda Stern West Hempstead Chapter Bake Sale The Hilda Stern Chapter of EMUNAH held its annual bake sale at the lovely home of Meryl and Jeremy Strauss. The event was well attended despite the awful weather. Each year it becomes increasingly impressive at how talented the women in this West Hempstead community are. The cakes, cookies, cupcakes and muffins become fancier and more delicious each year. It is noteworthy how when the bake sale starts running low on baked goods, all the committee has to do is make a few phone calls and the bakers keep bringing more and more luscious goodies. Thank you to our devoted committee members: Tina Appel, Barbara Friedman, Anita Grossman, Syma Levine, Risa Pollock and Meryl Strauss.
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Los Angeles Gala Dinner
Bernice Gelman, Ayala Naor, Naomi Vanek and Fran Hirmes
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A Night of Beauty with the Hilda Stern Chapter Women from the Hilda Stern Chapter gathered to learn how to take care of their skin. Angela Cioci, a beauty consultant from Mary Kay, helped the women experience the science of beauty to make their skin appear healthier. All shared lots of laughs and enjoyed sampling many of the products while also being treated to an evening of pampering. Thank you to the committee chairperson, Debbie Ginsberg for opening up her home for this event. And Yashar Koach to the committee members: Stacey Edelstein, Sharon Glogower, Sharon Shulman and Sharon Wenger and to Elaine Frankel, Chapter President.
Naomi Vanek, Rivki and Sammy Mark and Dr. Richie and Ellen Katz
Rivki Mark, Fran Hirmes and Ellen Katz
The Los Angeles Chapter of EMUNAH held a very successful Gala Dinner at the Sephardic Temple in Los Angeles. Honoree Naomi Vanek, Aishet Chayil Awardee, gave a generous donation to refurbish a classroom at the Torah and Arts High School in Jerusalem. Dr. Richie and Ellen Katz, Keter Shem Tov Awardees, graciously gave a donation earmarked to refurbish and update dental equipment at Achuzat Sarah Children’s Home in Bnei Brak. Sammy and Rivki Mark donated a garden at the EMUNAH Appleman College of Art and Technology in Jerusalem. The very humorous Awardee video, starring Dr. and Mrs. Richie Katz, and Sammy and Rivki Mark, was enjoyed by everyone. Fran Hirmes, National President, updated the guests on EMUNAH’s activities in Israel. Through the efforts of the outstanding Dinner Chairmen, Gerard and Marlene Einhorn, Bernice Gelman, Dr. Harold and Magda Katz, Ayala Naor, Michael and Eva Neuman, and Sam and Robbie Swartz, this Los Angeles Dinner was an amazing success. The Dinner drew the largest crowd ever at any EMUNAH Los Angles event. May the Los Angeles Chapter go from Chayil l’Chayil.
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emunahnews
around the united states Miami Law and Order
Event organizers, Elaine Grover and Sima Burstein, flanked by, Helen Berkowitz (on right) and her daughter, Elana Teicher
Welcome on behalf of EMUNAH by Rena Turoff
Attorneys: Leah Klein, Division Chief, Domestic Crimes Unit, Miami Dade County State Attorney's Office (on left) and Sara Shulevitz, former Assistant State Attorney, current criminal defense attorney in private practice
26 | Winter 2011/2012-5772 | EMUNAH Magazine | emunah.org
It was standing room only at the home of Helene and Abbey Berkowitz on a Saturday evening in December as more than 100 friends and supporters of EMUNAH gathered for “Our Law and Order: An Insider’s View of Working in the Criminal Justice System.” Miami Beach resident and EMUNAH volunteer Rena Turoff began the program with a vivid description of several of EMUNAH’s life saving social service and education projects in Israel. In her welcome, Rena noted the attendance of EMUNAH Honorary President and Fiscal Officer, Charlotte Dachs. Attorneys Leah Klein, Miami Assistant State Attorney, Chief of Family Crimes, and Sara Shulevitz, criminal defense attorney in private practice, presented basic issues of criminal practice and procedure. The lawyers were deftly guided through their presentations by Moderator Joshua Dobin, also an attorney, currently specializing in bankruptcy. The crowd was riveted as Ms. Klein described a fact pattern to illustrate the level of violence required to trigger a motion for the death penalty. Comic relief was afforded by Ms. Shulevitz’s description of how a fellow she had dated soon thereafter used her phone number—for his one call from the county jail! Both attorneys described incidents when they had sought Halachic or spiritual guidance in carrying out their professional responsibilities. At the close of the informative Q&A which ended the presentation, Rabbi Donald Bixon, spiritual leader of Beth Israel Congregation, summed up what many were thinking, by noting that this was a proud moment for Orthodox Jewry, to see such diverse and important justice system roles being filled by two women of our Observant community. Another interesting aspect of the evening was the broad cross-section of age groups present. This was most appropriate because it reflected EMUNAH’s work in caring for all ages of Israel’s population. By Pam Weiss
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Allentown Masoret Chapter hosts Dina Hahn
Alice Notis, Abby Wiener, Dina Hahn and Deborah Kimmel
Dina Hahn, Chairman of World Emunah, spoke eloquently to a group of women at the Allentown, PA, home of Alice Notis. Giving a first-hand report on EMUNAH’s activities in Israel, Dina Hahn spoke about the work EMUNAH is doing on behalf of Israel’s women and children. The enjoyable evening, which was made possible through the efforts of Abby Wiener, served to inspire the wonderful members of EMUNAH’s Masoret chapter in Allentown.
Libby Kolb Teaneck Chapter Bake Sale The Libby Kolb Teaneck Chapter held a Cakes, Cookies and Confections Pre-Sukkot Bake Sale at the home of Shira Levine. This bake sale raised a sizeable amount of money for EMUNAH’s children in Israel, thanks to the efforts of Chairmen, Jennifer Aranoff and Sora Grunstein, and the many wonderful volunteers who organized the event.
Lilly Keller's Bat Mitzvah at Bet Elazraki
Lilly, 13, and sister Sasha, 10, daughters of Dana and Jonathan Keller, from Connecticut, celebrate Lilly's Bat Mitzvah with a visit to Bet Elazraki. For her chesed project Lilly collected toys for the children at the Home. emunah.org | EMUNAH Magazine | Winter 2011/2012-5772 | 27
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around the united states Gela Feldman Englewood Chapter Hosts Rabbi Shmuley Boteach Renowned author, Rabbi and columnist, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach did not disappoint the guests at the Gela Feldman Couples Night at Arielâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Restaurant in Englewood. He delivered a fascinating presentation of the current status of American Jewry, Orthodox Jewry and assimilation. He also praised EMUNAHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work in Israel with sincere admiration of the organization. The night included a full buffet dinner, and a lot of fun for the guests. Thank you to Ilana Gdanski, Abby Herschmann and Beth Haimm and many others from the Gela Feldman chapter for arranging this enjoyable event.
28 | Winter 2011/2012-5772 | EMUNAH Magazine | emunah.org
From left: Beth Haim, Ilana Gdanski and Abby Herschman with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach