Jewish News, March 1, 2019

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SENIOR LIFESTYLE

Dealing with depression, and the importance of gastrointestinal health

AZ House passes resolution supporting Holocaust, genocide education in schools

JOEL ZOLONDEK AND JANET PEREZ

Aresolution supporting — but not mandating — education in the state’s schools about the Holocaust and other genocides was passed unanimously by members of the Arizona House of Representatives.

Last week, several members of the Valley’s Jewish community, including survivors, gathered on the House floor as the resolution was read and passed.

“Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, the Senate concurring: That the Members of the Legislature express support for educating citizens, particularly this state’s schoolchildren in grades eight through twelve, on the Holocaust and other genocides and for ensuring that all educators are knowledgeable and trained on the subject,” the bill stated.

The resolution cited the need for such education as the number of living survivors and servicemen who liberated the camps dwindles, saying, “this loss of live testimonies increases the likelihood that the historical significance of the Holocaust and its relevance to more recent genocidal conflicts will continue to diminish over time …” Phoenix Holocaust Association President Sheryl Bronkesh is

MEGA 2019 features Henry Winkler, honors Jewish community leaders

Jewish community leader Julee Landau Shahon will be presented with the Medal of Honor Award at Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix’s MEGA 2019 event next week, which features Emmy-winning actor Henry Winkler as its keynote speaker. Winkler first gained fame in the 1970s for playing Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli in the sitcom “Happy Days.” Winkler also is a

Bold and beautiful

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

Julee Landau Shahon is this year’s Medal of Honor Award recipient. Businessman Benjamin Ellis will receive the Sy Clark Young Leadership Award.

The Peter Max Retrospective Exhibition stops in Scottsdale on March 15-16. The event will allow the public to buy the legendary pop artist’s work, including two paintings specifically created for the Scottsdale show. The exhibit is part of a monthly boutique show that crisscrosses the nation. Read more on Page 7.

director, producer and bestselling author.

Roman Polonsky, head of the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Unit for RussianSpeaking Jewry will also speak at the annual event.

Landau Shahon is receiving the Medal of Honor for her commitment to Federation, where she has served in various leadership roles, including chair of Women’s Philanthropy. She currently serves as vice chair of Federation’s board of directors.

The Medal of Honor Award is Federation’s highest accolade and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated a long and deep commitment to Jewish life, as well as exemplary leadership and service to the organization and the Jewish community.

“Julee is one of the hardest-working volunteers I have collaborated with in my 33-year career,” said Marty Haberer, Federation president and CEO. “Her involvement with our Federation over the last 10-plus years has been truly transformative for our community.”

Landau Shahon worked to bring the immersive Violins of Hope program to Phoenix along with Rachel Hoffer, who received the inaugural Harold & Jean Grossman Award at last year’s MEGA event.

Violins of Hope Phoenix is a Federation project that made its debut on Feb. 3 and continues through March. The project exhibits restored violins that survived the Holocaust, and features musical performances and educational events across the Valley. MEGA 2019 will feature musical

Amada Young Leadership Award. She has been active in several different organizations, including sitting on the boards of Federation and the Minkoff Center for Jewish Genetics.

Breslow Gross said she is humbled to receive the Lee Amada Young Leadership

Award. The award honors the memory of Latchman, Federation’s first woman president. Since the early 1980s, the award has been presented to nonprofit programs that enhance Jewish life in the Valley.

The co-chair of Federation’s Business & Professional section, Benjamin Ellis, will receive the Sy Clark Young Leadership Award.

Ellis is the designated broker and founder of E&G Real Estate Services. E&G manages approximately $100 million in real estate assets and has 15 fulltime employees. Ellis said that during the company’s first year, his wife, Sasha, let him run the business out of their house.

performances of Jewish Broadway classics using the visiting violins.

Landau Shahon hails from Detroit. On a 2001 trip to Scottsdale, Landau Shahon fell in love with the area and bought a home here to escape the Midwest cold.

“Ever since I moved here, I always felt that I could make a difference to help the Jewish community,” she said.

Danielle Breslow Gross and Benjamin Gross are the co-chairs of MEGA 2019, along with Breslow Gross’ parents, Sonia and John Breslow.

Breslow Gross will receive the Lee

Award and couldn’t be prouder to serve a Jewish community that is constantly growing. The beauty of the MEGA event, she added, is that it allows “us to bring the community together to honor a lot of really devoted leaders of our community.”

Other honorees include Federation’s current treasurer, Morrie Aaron, who will receive the Harold & Jean Grossman Award.

Gesher Disability Resources’ Special Needs Community Model Seder will receive the Belle Latchman Community Service

“I think a big reason I’m able to spend the time I can with Federation is because she makes sure we’re both generous with our time,” Ellis said. “Without her support, there’s no way I would’ve been able to give the time that I do.”

A member of Federation’s board of directors, Ellis said his proudest accomplishment was serving as project manager for the Valley Eruv Project. Completed in 2013, it is the third-largest of more than 150 eruvim in the United States, encompassing more than 40 square miles in the Valley. JN

MEGA 2019 will be held at the Hilton Scottsdale Resort & Villas on Thursday, March 7. Tickets are $150. For more information and to register, visit jewishphoenix.org/mega2019.

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“JULEE IS ONE OF THE HARDEST-WORKING VOLUNTEERS I HAVE COLLABORATED WITH IN MY 33-YEAR CAREER.”

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RESOLUTION

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

very much aware that the passing of the survivor generation will create new challenges in educating future generations. Last year, Bronkesh’s organization, the Phoenix Holocaust Survivors Association, voted to change its name to the Phoenix Holocaust Association — Survivors, Generations After & Friends.

Before the reading of the resolution, Bronkesh led the House in the Pledge of Allegiance. Her parents came to the United States in 1947, having survived the Holocaust.

“This was a very meaningful day for me, for the survivors, descendants and educators who witnessed the proceedings,” Bronkesh said. “I felt the elected representatives were ... truly honored that they had the opportunity to meet the survivors present. Many had tears in their eyes.”

The bill recognized that historical knowledge of the Shoah is waning in the U.S., particularly among younger generations: Nearly 22 percent of millennials have not heard of the Holocaust and

identify the Holocaust as “an attempted extermination of the Jewish people.”

“If we have any hope of preventing genocides like the Holocaust in the future, we need to ensure that children are properly educated on events of the past,” said Republican Rep. Michelle Udall, chair of the House Education Committee.

Among Udall’s guests on the House floor was Pauline Staman, a survivor of

the Auschwitz and Mauthausen concentration camps.

Moshe Bukshpan, executive director of the Red Rocks Music Festival, performed “Hatikvah” on a violin from the Violins of Hope program.

“As a son of Holocaust survivors, born and raised in Israel, it was an experience I will not forget,” Bukshpan said.

Currently, the Holocaust is not required to be taught in the state’s schools. The bill does not change that, but it does encourage

educators to take advantage of the state’s many resources in order to expose their students to the Holocaust and other genocides. Among those resources are the Anti-Defamation League’s “Echoes and Reflections” teacher lessons and trainings; the Phoenix Holocaust Association’s speakers bureau; and the Bureau of Jewish Education’s annual Educators’ Conference on the Holocaust.

Kim Klett, a fellow with the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and a teacher at Dobson High School in Mesa, gave a presentation on Holocaust education curricula to the House Education Committee.

The bill will now go to the state Senate. Reflecting on the event, Bronkesh said the highlight for her was when “Hatikvah” was played and every person on the floor of the House stood up, out of respect.

“The survivors next to me were quietly singing the words of the Israeli national anthem,” she said. “It sent shivers down my arms.” JN

Michelle McDowell Smith

Joel Zolondek is a contributing writer and photographer for the Jewish News.

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New EVJCC course aims to guide genealogy novices

JANET PEREZ | MANAGING EDITOR

Apersonal quest led Judi Gyori Missel into the field of genealogy and now she is taking the skills she has learned to help others fill in their family trees.

Starting March 6, Missel will teach a four-week course at the East Valley JCC called “Learn About Jewish Genealogy.”

Missel ventured into genealogy as a way to discover her family’s fate during and after the Shoah.

“My parents were both born in Budapest, Hungary,” Missel said. “My mother survived Auschwitz and my father survived slave labor in the Hungarian Battalions. All of my grandparents were murdered in the camps. About 30 years ago, I discovered that looking into the records left by my ancestors could provide me with the details of their lives that my parents either forgot or never knew. I needed to find these answers for myself and genealogy provided me the means to get them.”

This is the first time Missel has taught a course on genealogy, but she has mentored and taught individuals and one-time classes about Jewish genealogy for years. She has also done research for a range of Jewish and non-Jewish clients, from Mayflower families to Native Americans. She recently spoke at the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies Conference in Warsaw.

Over her years of helping others, Missel has found that Jewish interest in genealogy often has its roots in the Holocaust.

“Jews are looking to learn what small town their families came from and when that first family member arrived in America,” she said “Also, often they are looking for relatives that might have survived the Shoah, but no one knows what happened to them. In my own family, I found a third cousin I never knew existed by using DNA results. Her family left Hungary for Australia in 1939 and my

father never knew about that part of his family. Finding living relatives is an wonderful bonus.”

The EVJCC decided to hold the course after seeing how popular the genealogy sessions were at its Klezmer Fest in January, said EVJCC CEO Rabbi Michael Beyo. His goal is to offer a step-by-step guide to those interested in researching their family’s history.

“With more genealogy databases and records becoming available online in recent years, this class is geared to help people navigate this information,” Beyo said. “When a person learns about their own family’s history, it strengthens their connection to the past and the world around them. We look forward to help facilitate these connections.”

Missel said there are three main areas of focus in genealogy studies. The first requires a person to think about the questions they have about their family. Second, a person has to learn how to use the many resources available both online and in person to look for the answers to their questions. And third, they must learn a software program to help keep track of all the information they have uncovered.

“I have always felt that genealogy is really a gigantic jigsaw puzzle and the genealogist’s job is to fit the right pieces into your family’s puzzle,” she said. “Everything from family stories that seem improbable to odd records in an archive might be relevant; you just never know. You must discard your preconceived notions of how your family spelled their name and where they told you they were from. You must be open to all possibilities.

“So keep records of everything you find, because someday it may be just the puzzle piece you need.”

For more information or to register for classes, call 480-897-0588 or email webbc@evjcc.org.

Judi Gyori Missel PHOTO COURTESY MISSEL FEATURING GUEST SPEAKER Sharren Haskel Member of Knesset

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Teen Connect AZ launches new website

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

JTeen Connect AZ’s website, JTeenConnectAZ.org, is up and running with the hopes that it will increase teens’ community engagement while deepening their Jewish roots during their high school years.

Jennifer Schwarz founded J Teen Connect AZ in 2017 to help teenagers find programs in which they would be interested.

“We started to realize that a primary reason teens were not participating in these Jewish programs was simply because they didn’t know they even existed,” Schwarz said. “J Teen Connect AZ is changing this. We are making it easy to find such programs and to see why it is important for teens to participate in them.”

J Teen Connect collaborates with more than 25 Jewish teen programs across the Valley. The website, launched last month, displays a variety of programs and

activities teens can become involved with, such as youth groups, leadership and education, social action, sports and fitness, arts and theater, and Israel advocacy. The site also links to more than 400 travel programs, as well as job and

internship opportunities.

Some of the programs that J Teen Connect features on its website are BBYO, Mitzvah Hub and Hebrew High CareA-Van. Schwarz said the overall goal is to turn the website into the largest central hub of information for all types of teen organizations.

The website contains descriptions of each organization, videos, photos and a calendar full of upcoming events that teens can attend. The site also connects to financial assistance groups for those who may need it.

Schwarz said that before the website was launched, J Teen Connect sent out a monthly electronic newsletter that reached more than 300 subscribers. The group also utilized social media sites such

as Facebook, as well as events to promote groups and upcoming programs.

J Teen committee member Debbie Berkowitz helped organize the first “What’s What: Valley Jewish Teen Programs 101” event last year at the Valley of the Sun JCC. The event allowed parents to see a two-minute “commercial” from all the participating organizations. The organizations’ directors and youth representatives also had tables to promote their programs during the event.

Berkowitz said that last year more than 70 parents attended the event and it received a positive response. Another “What’s What” event is planned for April 29. This year, the event will be open to parents and teens and act as a supplement to the website.

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A look at some of the different youth groups on J Teen Connect AZ’s new website. PHOTO COURTESY OF JTEENCONNECTAZ.ORG

Famed artist Peter Max’s work comes to Scottsdale for a special showing

JANET PEREZ | MANAGING EDITOR

Legendary pop artist Peter Max’s work became popular during the social tumult of the late 1960s and early 1970s with its bright colors and sense of optimism. In today’s polarized society, Max hopes his old and new work will continue to bring joy to a troubled world.

“Joy can be found with just a little bit of looking, or when you’re not looking at all,” Max said. “I always want my art to make people happy and bring them joy. I’m happy when I’m creating art, and I hope that joy moves on to others.”

A collection of Max’s art will be on sale and exhibit on March 15-16 at DeRubeis

Fine Art of Metal Scottsdale. The event will feature two new Max paintings specifically created for the Scottsdale showing.

“My inspiration for my ‘Cosmic Arizona’ pieces for this art show are the unforgettable desert, colors and landforms of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve,” he said. “These thousands of acres of unbelievable desert beauty were preserved by the grassroots efforts of Scottsdale citizens, creating a beautiful ‘backyard’ for everyone. The shapes, colors and vastness of the preserve are surreal.”

The painting depicts a geometric image in the desert that Max said is an homage to the patterns and images Native tribes in the region weave into their textiles and baskets.

“It feels like they took their pattern inspirations from the desert, too; geometric and abstract shapes representing the nature around them — mountains, clouds, stars, owls, mesas and turtles.”

The new paintings also contain the cosmic elements that are frequently found in Max’s paintings.

“The desert seems endless with its acres and acres of mesas, buttes, arroyos, plains, trails and cactuses the height of buildings,” he said. “The desert reminds me of the vastness of our earth and universe. My cosmic characters in the painting are serene in the desert beauty.”

The Peter Max Retrospective Exhibition is part of a monthly boutique show that

crisscrosses the nation. Lesley Smith has curated the show for more than 25 years and until recently Max traveled with her. At age 81 and experiencing some health problems, Max now stays at his New York City studio where he still works at a furious pace.

Even while creating new pieces, Max often goes back to some of his most iconic works, such as his 1976 Statue of Liberty, and paints them again but with distinct differences.

“There’ll be different color tones, different ways that he uses the brush or he’ll use the back of the brush to scratch into the paint,” Smith said. “He’s been doing the Liberty since the Bicentennial. He’s incredibly patriotic and is very appreciative

of being in America.”

Peter Max Finkelstein was born in Berlin in 1937 to Jewish parents. His mother was a fashion designer before the war and encouraged him to be an artist.

As an infant, Max and his family moved to China, where he spent much of his childhood and began painting and drawing. In 1948, during a stay in Tibet, the spiritual people and landscapes left such a strong impression on the young Max that those spirits were echoed later in his depictions of holy men and meditating figures.

That same year, after hearing about a ship leaving Shanghai for Israel, Max’s family rushed back from Tibet, catching

the ship and immigrating to Haifa. While there, Max’s mother sent him to art lessons with an Austrian Fauve painter who taught the boy the use of bold and vibrant colors.

The family also lived in Paris, where he studied the classic and modern masters. The family finally settled in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, in 1953. Three years later, Max began his formal art training at the Art Students League of New York in Manhattan.

Although his parent’s families we re affected by the Holocaust, Max’s age, distance from the horror and his sunny attitude have kept that darkness at bay from his work. However, he celebrates Israel and has done multiple paintings of the Israeli flag, the first as part of artwork used to celebrate the nation’s 50th anniversary. Also, Max was the official artist for the 2013 Celebrate Israel Parade in Manhattan, designing its posters, flyers and street banners.

His Judaism is seen most prominently in his multiple paintings of men praying at the Western Wall and in a portrait of his late father wearing a yarmulke and tefillin.

“I certainly would never say he was not affected by it, but I would say that in his life he has looked for the good and tried to spread happiness and positivity and optimism through his artwork,” Smith said. JN

An RSVP is required to attend the Peter Max exhibit. Call 480-941-6033 or email phillip@fineartofmetal. com. Writer Susan C. Ingram contributed to this story.

Above: Max has made multiple paintings of men praying at the Western Wall. Right: ‘Cosmic Arizona’ was created specifically for Peter Max’s upcoming showing in Scottsdale.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE PETER MAX RETROSPECTIVE EXHIBITION

Editorials

An unholy alliance

What are we to make of the announced alliance between Israel’s Jewish Home party and Otzma Yehudit? And how much of the blame for the move is to be borne by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu?

Otzma Yehudit (“Jewish Power”) is comprised of racist followers of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane and the heirs to the Kach political party. That’s the same Kach that was declared an illegal terror organization by Israel, the United States and the European Union more than two decades ago, and which had been viewed by most as an irrelevant group of hateful fanatics who were not likely to meet the required threshold of votes in the upcoming national elections on April 9 to elect anyone to the Knesset.

Enter Netanyahu, who is reported to have brokered a deal between Otzma Yehudit and the weakened Jewish Home in an effort to support his right flank and bolster his chances for reelection. In the process, Netanyahu supposedly promised those involved in the merger safe seats in the Knesset and ministries in his next coalition government.

The criticism of the move from respected, pro-Israel commentators, clergy of almost all streams, and prominent Jewish groups in the center and on the left has been near-deafening, with the accusation of “cynical” being the most charitable description of Netanyahu’s creation. But, Netanyahu does know how to count votes and he seems to be a master at voter manipulation. Indeed, on the eve of his last election in 2015, he whipped up a frenzy among his base by announcing, “Arab voters are heading to the polling stations in droves,” securing victory by exploiting hatred of a significant segment of Israeli society.

This is not the Zionism that most of us signed up for, and we are troubled to see the prime minister of Israel cavorting with racists. We share the view of the multitude of Jewish organizations that have issued angry and accusatory statements over the move, and with Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, who tweeted: “Bolstering one’s political strength with those who profess racist views should be unthinkable.” Even AIPAC and the American Jewish Committee got in on the action, issuing very rare public rebukes of the Israeli prime minister.

Notably absent from the quick and fierce criticism of the unholy alliance is the American Jewish center-right and far right. That silence is disappointing. We have witnessed divisive, toxic politics close up, and understand how destructive it can be. Through their silence and acquiescence our brothers on the right ignore at their peril the serious threats and consequences posed by the promotion of a hate-filled agenda.

For us, while we remain fervent Zionists and supporters of the state of Israel, we cannot pretend we don’t see the spreading stain caused by demagoguery and pandering to the basest emotion there is: fear of the other. JN

VOICE YOUR OPINION

Letters must be 200 words or less and include the writer’s full name, address and phone number or email address. Letters are edited for content, style and space. Send your letters to Editor, Jewish News, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road., Suite 206, Scottsdale, AZ 85254; email letters@ jewishaz.com.

DC Circuit’s bad law

As a general rule, domestic courts are terrible places to address such intractable problems as multiparty international political conflicts. And yet, they are exactly the forums varying groups on either side of the Israeli-Palestinian divide have turned to in the ever-widening phenomenon popularly known as lawfare. Thus, we saw Jewish Americans several years ago rally behind an American-Israeli boy born in Jerusalem who sued the U.S. State Department over its refusal to list his birth country as Israel.

Back then, the Zivotofsky case resulted in a clear pronouncement from the U.S. Supreme Court that courts have no business adjudicating thorny questions of foreign policy. But today we see Palestinians and Palestinian-Americans turning to the American judiciary to endorse the fanciful assertion that Israeli settlers, aided financially by casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and a group of co-conspirator billionaires and non-governmental organi-

non-justiciable. Although the appeals court properly acknowledged that the Palestinians’ attempt to get a judge to rule on the sovereignty of the West Bank was outside of the court’s subject matter jurisdiction, it concluded nonetheless that a court could determine — in a non-political manner — the genocide question.

ethnic cleansing of a national or religious group. “And it is well settled,” the appeals court wrote, “that genocide violates the law of nations.”

AMERICANS TURNING TO THE AMERICAN JUDICIARY TO ENDORSE THE FANCIFUL ASSERTION THAT ISRAELI SETTLERS ENGAGED IN GENOCIDE.

The Simon v. Hungary case upon which the court relied, however, dealt with an entire state seeking to eradicate an ethnic minority. That’s hardly the case here. Nonetheless, if Israeli settlers are engaging in genocide — which they’re not — it would be the most anodyne genocide in world history. In all of its anti-Israel fervor, Human Rights Watch in 2017 was only able to tally 62 Palestinian killings in the West Bank — out of a population of more than 2 million.

zations such as Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, engaged in genocide.

Last week, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit sent the case, Al-Tamimi v. Adelson, back down to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who had ruled two years ago that the plaintiffs’ charges implicated such substantial questions of U.S. foreign policy as to make them

We respectfully disagree.

The basis of the Palestinians’ genocide claim against Adelson and the other defendants is a claimed violation of the Alien Tort Statute. That law grants U.S. courts jurisdiction over “any civil action by an alien for a tort only, committed in violation of the law of nations.”

They assert that the settlement enterprise is designed, and actually accomplishes, the

In order for a court to rule that genocide is the stock and trade of Israeli settlers, their funders and supporters, it would have to first determine that Palestinians in and around settlement areas are an ethnic and religious people distinct from the rest of the Palestinians in the West Bank. And that is a uniquely political question. Fortunately, the case can still be dismissed on its merits.

TODAY WE SEE PALESTINIANS AND PALESTINIAN-

The municipal building in Ma'ale Adumim, an Israeli settlement.

A message from the publisher

RICHARD KASPER

he Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix accepted ownership of the Jewish News in 2016, out of our commitment to serve and support a vibrant local community. We are not publishers by training or trade, but we took on the risks and challenges of ensuring that the Valley’s oldest Jewish newspaper continued publishing. Since then, we’ve proudly celebrated the Jewish News’ 70th anniversary, among other milestones, and the paper remains a vital touchstone in the lives of its readers.

Charting the course of sustainability in a constantly changing media environment has had its challenges. Other newspapers across the country have instituted layoffs

Tor closed entirely, but the Jewish News is still here, still printing, still connecting our community, even as we encounter the same obstacles. Nonprofit publications, in particular, rely heavily on community goodwill, and a newspaper doesn’t attract the kind of investment other causes do, even with the wonderfully generous Jewish community we have in Arizona.

In response to these challenges, we’ve experimented with a number of behindthe-scenes changes to daily operations. We now believe we’ve landed upon a formula that will work — one that will ensure that the Jewish News can continue its important role of informing and connecting the Jewish communities of Greater Phoenix and Northern Arizona for years to come.

In the coming weeks, we will modify the print publication schedule. The content of the paper won’t change — it’ll still be the same mix of lively local and

national reporting that you enjoy — but it will be delivered in more robust print issues on some week s, and as digital issues in other weeks. To the right of this column, you’ll see our new publication schedule, which tells you which weeks we’ll have the enhanced print product.

In the next few months, we have several exciting publications coming your way: Our Best of Jewish Phoenix, a glossy magazine, will be out on May 31, and our annual Jewish community directory comes out in late August. We have our Readers’ Choice awards starting this week, too.

We hope you will support the fine journalism we publish with an editorial contribution, a paid subscription, an advertisement or a donation. We will continue working to keep this vital resource available for our community. JN

Beyond inclusion — the Jewish community acts to advance disability policy

AARON KAUFMAN

When I was born with cerebral palsy, my parents knew that I would encounter obstacles that neither they nor my peers had to navigate. Aside from the frustration that inevitably results from navigating an inaccessible world, having a visible disability means I also feel a constant need to prove myself and added pressure to excel and disprove societal biases about people with disabilities. I felt this pressure at school, I feel it now at work, at the theater and even on my weekly trips to the grocery store, where I am met with averted eyes and looks of pity. However, living with a disability has also helped me channel this frustration into a fruitful career at the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), where I help lead the Jewish community’s efforts to advocate for and with

people with disabilities — including our annual Jewish Disability Advocacy Day, where Jews with disabilities and our allies converge on Capitol Hill.

This event, which brings together professional and lay volunteers from across the Jewish Federation system and beyond, is one crucial way of ensuring that we don’t just talk about disability acceptance and inclusion in our places of worship or inside the Jewish community. Instead, we actively lift our voices and fight for change. At this year’s Jewish Disability Advocacy Day on Feb. 26, advocates urged Congress to pass two key bills that will help disabled Americans live independent lives without fear of bankruptcy due to medical costs.

One of the major reasons why I’ve been successful as a lobbyist and disability

self-advocate is that I have a measure of financial security thanks to my Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Account. ABLE Accounts allow people with disabilities and their families to establish tax-advantaged savings and investment plans. These accounts ease financial strain for people with disabilities by allowing them to withdraw their own tax-free savings to pay for costly disability-related expenses. Thanks to my ABLE Account, I have money set aside for disability-related expenses, such as mobility devices and various therapies.

Currently, to be eligible for an ABLE account, one must receive a disability diagnosis prior to age 26. While many Americans, like myself, are diagnosed with a disability early in life, millions of

SEE INCLUSION, PAGE 10

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Richard Kasper is the president and chief executive officer of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix, which owns the Jewish News.

Richard Kasper

Accepting God’s master plan can bring calm, confidence

PARSHAT VAYAK’HEL, EXODUS 35:1–38:20

On the list of items and materials required to produce the priestly uniforms, there was one thing that was particularly difficult to obtain. To fol low the plans for making the choshen (breast plate) and ephod (apron), the craftsman would need a list of several rare gem stones. How would they obtain the specific stones on the list in the middle of the desert? The Torah says that the 12 wealthy tribal leaders personally con tributed them. But there is something peculiar about the terminology that the Torah employs in reference to these leaders. Normally, it refers to them as the leaders of the people, the leaders of the tribes or the leaders of Israel. In this context, however, they are called simply the Nessiim, the leaders. Why is their title simplified?

Rabbi Baruch Halevi Epstein (18601941) in his Torah Temimah, writes that this is what the Talmud intends to resolve with its midrashic interpretation of the word Nessiim. The word can have a completely different meaning than “leaders” — it can also mean “clouds” (see, for example,

Tehilim 135, recited weekly in the Shabbat morning service). This interpretation states, in anticipation of the current experimental Amazon drone delivery program, that the gemstones were not provided by natural, human means but rather miraculously — they were delivered to the leaders with the clouds (Yuma, 75a). The Torah is intentionally ambiguous when it doesn’t refer to the leaders here with the typical specificity (e.g. leaders of Israel), but rather uses the general term nessiim to allude to the miraculous way they obtained the stones in the first place.

The double meaning of the word nesiim may allude to the theological idea of Divine providence. The Torah intentionally provides a mixed message. On the one hand, the Torah’s portrayal of the donation of the tribal leaders does

not explicitly reveal that the stones arrived via anything other than natural means. On the other hand, it alludes to the role of supernatural means of delivery. This is perhaps representative of the Torah’s view of our personal and national histories and stories. The people, experiences and challenges that we encounter throughout our lives always appear natural, random or at best coincidental. The Torah’s lesson is that these are all actually brought upon us by “the clouds” — sent by Heaven as some type of opportunity, reward or challenge.

The idea that God runs the world behind the scenes has particular importance to the modern Jew. Jewish observance has undergone a significant shift in the last generation. In many ways, the contemporary religious community is more halachically observant than in prior generations. In in the past, most Jewish observance was based on tradition — as mentioned more than once or twice in “Fiddler on the Roof.” Observance based on tradition is generally not as strict. Haym Soloveitchik has pointed

out that the depth of the Jewish heart, whether we see the world through a prism of basic Jewish attitudes, beliefs and paradigms, follows an inverse trajectory. In the past, despite less detailed observance, we felt a palpable sense of the Almighty in our lives. This came out in the tears we shed in shul on the Days of Awe. Today, even when we have greater knowledge of the technical details of how to be Jewish, the simple faith that was once obvious, including this concept of God’s providence, has become a novelty.

The idea that events are the amalgamation of various and numerous random forces can cause anxiety and uncertainty. Looking at those same events as part of the Almighty’s miraculous master plan for one’s self and for mankind can bring much calm and confidence. It is time to bring this message of the nesiim (leaders/ clouds) back into our hearts. JN

INCLUSION

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

Americans with disabilities are prevented from accessing this critical financial tool because their diagnos is came later in life. Due to this age cutoff, adults who acquire their disability later in life, such as individuals with spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, Lou Gehrig’s disease and multiple sclerosis, are barred from this essential program. The ABLE Age Adjustment Act (S. 817/H.R. 1874 in the last Congress) would raise the age cutoff to 46, ensuring that more than 6 million Americans can achieve financial stability and access to essential disabilityrelated health services.

For the past three years, I have worked with disability rights lobbyists, advocates, and self-advocates to urge Congress to reauthorize the bipartisan

Money Follows the Person (MFP) program, which is in jeopardy. MFP is one of the longest-running and most successful demonstrations in Medicaid. Thanks to this program, more than 88,000 people with physical and intellectual disabilities,

successfully transition from institutions back to their own homes and communities. Despite its success, MFP expired in September 2016, leaving states scrambling to use their own funds to continue these positive efforts to integrate seniors

this legislation only extends MFP until March. We must continue to advocate for a long-term solution. This is why we are focusing our energy on advocating for the bipartisan, bicameral EMPOWER Care Act (S. 2227/H.R. 5306 in the last Congress).

mental illness and senior citizens in 47 states have transitioned from institutional settings back into home- and community-based services. As a result of MFP, thousands of participants who need long-term services and support can

and people with disabilities into the community. The efforts of the disability rights and advocacy community have not gone unnoticed. Last month, the Medicaid Extenders Act of 2019 was signed into law. While a good first step,

At the heart of these two programs is a commitment to caring for all members of our community. To me, being Jewish is about the bonds of connection that help uplift all members of our community — and way beyond that. Jewish Disability Advocacy Day will demonstrate the power that this community can have when we think beyond awareness and acceptance alone, and work to make inclusion a reality for millions more people throughout the country. JN

Rabbi Yisroel Isaacs is director of the Greater Phoenix Vaad Hakashruth, associate rabbi at Beth Joseph Congregation and director of the Jewish Enrichment Center.

Rabbi Yisroel Isaacs

Aaron Kaufman is a senior legislative associate at the Jewish Federations of North America.

AT THE HEART OF THESE TWO PROGRAMS IS A COMMITMENT TO CARING FOR ALL MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.

Dark comedy ‘To Dust’ explores Jewish ideas about death and grieving

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

The seeds for Jewish director Shawn Snyder’s feature-film debut, “To Dust,” a dark comedy about death, grew out of his own experience, after his mother died 10 years ago.

“I come from a Reform Jewish background, which offers a timeline and a guidance through the grief process,” Snyder said. “I’ve always felt that the Jewish understanding of death was profound, but after losing my mom, I didn’t think the guidance offered was sufficient enough for what I was feeling.”

One way he dealt with his grief was through humor, an approach that shines through in the comic pathos of his film, which started a limited theatrical run last week after screening at the Sedona International Film Festival on Feb. 26.

The movie stars Geza Rohrig as Shmuel, a Chasidic widower seeking answers from a science professor (Matthew Broderick) about the process of decomposition after death. Shmuel, a cantor whose wife died of cancer, has come to the end of what is considered an acceptable period of mourning, but he can’t seem to stop grieving. He is haunted by night terrors about his wife’s deteriorating body, fearing her soul will suffer until her body has completely decomposed.

Shmuel’s grief is so consuming, he is unable to return to work or attend to his duties as a father. Not getting the help he seeks from his own community, Shmuel ventures outside his Chasidic world for answers.

His quest leads him to Albert (Broderick), a passionless community college biology professor. The two go on several misadventures involving more than one dead pig and a road trip to the famed Body Farm in Tennessee.

While Shmuel becomes more distant as his obsession with the scientific process grows, his two sons come to believe Shmuel is possessed by a dybbuk. They watch a VHS tape of the 1937 Yiddish film “The Dybbuk” to understand more. While the film would be considered campy by today’s standards, it absolutely

Exceptional Care, Style, and Peace of Mind

terrifies the two children.

It’s a funny scene, but the film effectively shows their fear without mocking them. This was deliberate: Snyder worked with people raised in Chasidic communities to make sure his portrayals were respectful.

Intimate camera work and methodical, slow blocking creates an odd sense of discomfort throughout the film. The audience is always a tad too close to the macabre realities of bodily decay. This film is not for the squeamish, as it can be difficult to watch at times.

Despite some of the more graphic images, however, the movie remains endearing. Shmuel and Albert’s journey is enjoyable and very funny at times — thanks to Rohrig and Broderick’s realistic banter, which highlights their different perspectives and assumptions about each other. At one point, when the two kill a pig, Rohrig deadpans, “We killed a pig and the goyim didn’t even get to eat it.”

Broderick maintains his usual likability as he portrays the bumbling science

professor, but his character’s arc leaves a lot to be desired. There doesn’t seem to be much of a rationale for him to agree to do everything Shmuel asks him to. The audience can understand the morbid curiosity, but there are some scenarios that seem as if they should have crossed a line for Albert.

Perhaps if Albert was dealing with his own grief as well, it would explain his desire to help Shmuel. Still, Albert is never an unwanted presence and it is interesting to see him try to offer some kind of closure to his new Chasidic friend — even though he doesn’t understand anything about Judaism.

Snyder said one of the greatest parts of the film’s release has been getting to see audience reactions.

“When we have a Q&A, I get to interact with both Jewish and non-Jewish audiences and at times it really feels like group therapy,” Snyder said. “We always felt that the film could be for everybody, but I could only get that way by writing it from such a personal place.” JN

Discover the confidence of CARF® accredited senior living services in a beautiful and vibrant setting. From spectacular restaurant-style dining to engaging activities and supportive care, you’ll find a perfect blend of comfort, convenience and an individualized approach to care.

Opera-Kadabra

Wednesday, March 13th • 4:00pm

You’re invited to a special event where opera & magic collide. Patrick Bell will perform beautiful arias and stunning magic at the same time. To RSVP, please call 602.635.2602.

& Assisted Living

In the film 'To Dust,' Matthew Broderick, left, plays Albert, a science professor helping Shmuel (Geza Rohrig), right, understand death.

Everybody does it

BOB ROTH | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, so it is time to dish the scoop on poop. While I admit it is a bit unrefined to talk about, and the 8-year-old boy in me is certainly giggling, there are some uncomfortable facts we must be aware of, because there really is no easier way to discover what’s happening inside your body than seeing what comes out of it.

One of the biggest misconceptions circulated by a popular TV doctor is that there is an ideal result: S-shaped and entering the water like an Olympic diver with minimal splash. This is just incorrect. Everyone’s GI tract operates differently based on genetics, hydration, dietary habits, medication and other health issues.

On any given day, something may be slightly different. If you don’t drink enough water, are on a new medication

or are traveling, your rhythm can be off for a short time. Don’t get your boxers in a bunch; needless worrying is just that, and things will revert to normal soon. There are some signs that shouldn’t be ignored, though. They are:

• Blood in your stool — If you see even a small amount of blood in your feces on a recurring basis, see a doctor.

• Change in color — If the stool is black, it can be a sign of internal bleeding. Stool color also changes depending on the kind of foods you eat. (Before you panic, did you eat a beet salad at that trendy restaurant?)

• Change in consistency — Everyone has bouts of diarrhea from time to time. But if you are used to having solid bowel movements and now have diarrhea frequently, it could be

a sign of something more serious, especially if you also have abdominal pain, bleeding and weight loss.

• Constipation — This can be due to lack of proper hydration or side effects from a medication. If your symptoms don’t improve in a few days after an increase in fluids, see your doctor.

In addition to health care professionals, a great resource to consult is the website stoolanalyzer.com. Meanwhile, here are a few things you can do to boost your bowel health:

• Exercise regularly.

• Drink two quarts of water daily.

• Eat unprocessed, natural foods, including fiber-rich vegetables.

• Avoid artificial sweeteners, fructose, chemical additives, MSG and excessive caffeine.

• Boost intestinal flora by adding naturally fermented foods to your diet, such as sauerkraut, pickles and kefir.

• Add a probiotic supplement if you’re not getting enough good bacteria from your diet.

• If you use medication every day, ask your prescribing doctor if it could be affecting your bowel movements.

• Minimize stress.

Another thing to consider: the position you’re in when you eliminate. Sitting on a modern toilet is designed to place your knees at a 90-degree angle to your abdomen, while squatting places your knees much closer to your torso. Today’s toilet position is unnatural. Squatting changes the relationship of your intestinal organs and musculature, which allows for complete emptying without straining. (I strongly recommend the Squatty Potty, which wraps around the base of the toilet. It's a brilliant device.)

All levity aside, it is important to be aware of how your GI tract normally functions and what typical bowel activity is for you. If you notice a prolonged change, that’s when you need to closely monitor what’s happening. In addition, if you are feeling pain or other pronounced symptoms, it’s time to call your doctor.

Bob Roth is managing partner of Cypress HomeCare Solutions.

Depression, a serious mental health issue for seniors

KIMBERLY PERKINS-AKERS | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

When we think of mental health issues in seniors, Alzheimer’s and dementia are at the forefront of our thoughts, conversations and research. But there is another silent killer that poses the biggest threat to senior mental health — depression.

Depressive disorders are the top mental health issue faced by seniors today, said gerontologist Patrick Arbore, director of the Center for Elderly Suicide Prevention and Grief-Related Services, a program of the Institute on Aging in San Francisco.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 1 and 5 percent of seniors living at home suffer from major depression; the numbers rise to about 14 percent for those who need home health care or in assisted-living. Although the condition is eminently treatable, it is widely underrecognized

and untreated among seniors.

People with chronic diseases are especially prone to depression, and seniors are vulnerable to seasonal depression, which often leads to further depression when untreated. A variety of factors can bring on the “holiday blues” — cold weather, shorter days, disabilities that prevent participation in holiday traditions, loneliness, isolation, loss of a spouse, etc.

“The holidays are a time of tradition and the gathering of family and friends for many people,” said social worker Mary Stehle. “For some seniors, this can be a time that reminds them of losses … the loss of loved ones, the loss of a home and the loss of good health.”

If these symptoms worsen, it can lead to bigger issues, Arbore said.

“Loneliness and isolation are such a concern among community-dwelling elderly,” he said. “If that milder depression

isn’t recognized, it can get worse, for example, with the death of a spouse or adult son or daughter. That loss could trigger a major depressive episode.”

He also pointed out that many seniors don’t know who to ask for help and may not see the need for a specialist.

So how do we fight elderly depression? Family, caregivers and the health care industry must be aware of the signs of depression and how to treat it.

The following are some signs that a senior may be suffering from a mental health concern:

• Persistent sadness.

• Trouble falling asleep or sleeping too much.

• Decreased socialization.

• Loss of interest in usual activities.

• Excessive worrying.

• Irritability.

• Feeling worthless, helpless or hopeless.

• Changes in appetite.

• Crying spells.

• Trouble focusing, remembering or making decisions.

The main reason depression so often goes untreated in seniors is because the value placed on independence makes it difficult to ask for help. Arbore said.

“It’s going to make them less likely to say to somebody, ‘I haven’t been sleeping that well,’ ‘I’m not making good decisions’ or ‘I’m not eating very well,’ ” Arbore said. “That would normally trigger a question about, ‘Hey, what’s going on?’ But often — even if they are aware that something has been changing — they still won’t ask for help.” JN

Because having the confidence and peace of mind of accreditation is important. That’s why Maravilla Scottsdale is accredited by CARF International, an independent organization that sets exceedingly high standards for care and service.

So if you’re looking for assisted living or memory care services, take a good look at Maravilla Scottsdale. We think you’ll find that our CARF accreditation is only one of the many reasons you’ll like what you see.

Join us for an interactive discussion on the inner workings of the brain and how you can maximize your brain power. To RSVP, please call 480.447.2381.

Kimberly Perkins-Akers is a Certified Senior Advisor and owner of Amada Senior Care, which serves the southeast Valley. Visit AmadaPhoenix.com.

CALENDAR Events

FRIDAY, MARCH 1

Valley of the Sun JCC ECC Golf Ball Drop: 9 a.m., Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Two-thousand golf balls drop from a helicopter 100 feet in the air onto The J’s soccer fields and the three that land closest to the pin win. Prizes include a two-year lease of a Toyota Corolla from Right Toyota, a much-coveted designated parking space for ECC drop-off and pick-up and $2,000 cash. Proceeds support improvements to the nonprofit preschool’s playground and programs. Golf balls are $25 each or five for $100. Get them today at vosjcc.org/eccballdrop

Meetings, Lectures & Classes

MONDAYS

Mahjong Mondays: 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Every Monday except on Jewish or legal holidays. You are invited to come and play, no RSVP is necessary. This free program is intended for players with prior experience.

SATURDAY, MARCH 2

Meditative Moments: 9:45 a.m., Congregation

Or Tzion, 16415 N. 90th St., Scottsdale. Rabbi Micah Caplan will explore how to spiritually prepare for relevant Jewish moments on the calendar using meditation, guided imagery and movement.

WEDNESDAYS, MARCH 6 & 20

Mahj Meetup: 1-3:30 p.m., Beth El Congregation, 1118 W. Glendale Ave., Phoenix. Bring your card and join us for a friendly game of mahjong on the first and third Wednesdays of the month. All skill levels are welcome. There is no charge and snacks are provided. Contact: events@bethelphoenix.com or 602-944-3359

SUNDAY, MARCH 3

Valley Jewish Singles Ages 50+ Brunch: noon, Chompies PV Mall, 4550-324 E. Cactus Road, Phoenix. Reservations required. RSVP: valleyjewishsingles@cox.net

Raising a Responsible, Resilient Child in Today’s World: 9:15 a.m., Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Dr. Larry Waldman is the guest speaker. There will be a brunch. Cost is $10. RSVP required. RSVP: 480-634-8050, lindaf@bjephoenix.org

TUESDAYS, MARCH 5, 12, 19 & 26 Knitting Circle at The J: 1:30 p.m., Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Share the pleasure of knitting and crocheting. Help others with projects and patterns. Can’t knit? We’ll teach you. No reservations required. Information: Harriet, 480-481-7033 or harrietc@vosjcc.org

TUESDAY, MARCH 5

Lone Soldier Project knitting party: 3:306 p.m. East Valley JCC Lone Soldier Project at a private home in Sun Lakes. Knit hats for lone soldiers serving in the Israel Defense Forces. Reservations: lonesoldiers@evjcc.org.

Terrific Tuesdays: 10-11:30 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Speaker: Avi Kay, associate professor at the Jerusalem College of Technology. Topic: Israeli elections 2019. Ages 55-plus. Suggested donation is $4. Information: 480-897-0588 or adrian@evjcc.org

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6

It’s Not Just Lunch: noon-1:30 p.m., Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Great food, speaker and new topics each month. Enjoy a full kosher lunch and stay for our discussion group at 2 p.m. Suggested donation is $5.

Current Events Discussion Group: 2-3:30 p.m., Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Bill Adler leads a discussion each month on current events. Free. Information: Harriet, 480-481-7033 or harrietc@vosjcc.org

Learn About Jewish Genealogy: 10-11:30 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. 'Starting Your Genealogy Research,' is taught by Judi Gyori Missel. Cost is $40 for the four-week class or $15 per class. Bring laptop. Register: 480-897-0588 or webbc@evjcc.org

THURSDAY, MARCH 7

JFCS Memory Café: 10 a.m., Beth El Congregation, 1118 W. Glendale Ave., Phoenix. This monthly event offers a stimulating, interactive program geared toward those who have memory loss and their care partners. No charge. Open to the community. RSVP to Kathy Rood at 602-452-4627 or kathy.rood@jfcsaz.org.

Event

THURSDAY, MARCH 7

MEGA: 7 p.m., Hilton Scottsdale Resort & Villas, 6333 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. The Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix hosts its annual MEGA event. This year’s special guest is Emmy Award-winning actor Henry Winkler. MEGA is co-chaired by Danielle Breslow Gross and Benjamin Gross, and Sonia and John Breslow. In addition, Federation will present its annual awards and musical selections from Jewish Broadway and film, performed with the Violins of Hope, a project of Federation. For more information and to register by March 1, visit jewishphoenix.org/ mega2019.

Beth El Women’s League Tea Party: Join the Beth El Women’s League for afternoon tea at a beautiful Biltmore residence. Cost is $36 per person. Contact alicia@ bethelphoenix.com or 602-944-3359 to register.

Class on the Book of Samuel: 9 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Led by Rabbi Michael Beyo. Free. Information: 480-897-0588 or webbc@ evjcc.org

Talmud class: 10 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Led by Rabbi Michael Beyo. Cost is $14. Reservations: 480-897-0588 or webbc@evjcc.org

Speaker series: 11 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Speaker: Rabbi Elana Kanter. Topic: A Ghetto Wedding. Cost is $14 and includes kosher lunch. Reservations required: 480-897-0588 or webbc@evjcc.org

Talmud class: 10 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Led by Rabbi Michael Beyo. Cost is $14. Reservations: 480-897-0588 or webbc@evjcc.org

Speaker series: 11 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Speaker: Kelly Harris of NowGen. Topic: The Jewish Millennial. Cost is $14 and includes kosher lunch. Reservations required: 480-897-0588 or webbc@evjcc.org

Children & Families

MARCH 11-15 & 18-22

Shemesh Spring Break Camp at The J: 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. No school, no worries. Grades K-4. For pricing and additional information, visit vosjcc.org/ shemeshcamps.

Shabbat

FIRST SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH

Kavana Café: 8:45 a.m., Congregation Or Tzion, 16415 N. 90th St., Scottsdale. This is “an informal opportunity to learn” with Rabbi Micah Caplan prior to Saturday morning services. A light breakfast will be served.

SATURDAYS

Torah Express: noon, Congregation Or Tzion, 16415 N. 90th St., Scottsdale. On Shabbat mornings, during the congregation’s Kiddush lunch, join Rabbi Micah Caplan and other Jewish professionals and teachers from our community for an in-depth study of the Torah portion of the week.

MARCH 1 & 2

City-Wide Retreat: The BJE invites eighth -grade teens to a retreat providing an opportunity to enjoy a Shabbat weekend with friends at the scenic Desert Outdoor Education Center at Lake Pleasant. For more information, contact Myra Shindler, myras@bjephoenix.org or visit our website, bjephoenix.org

FRIDAY, MARCH 8

Community Shabbat Dinner: 6 p.m., Congregation Or Tzion, 16415 N. 90th St., Scottsdale. Please join us for a community Shabbat dinner that will follow services. RSVP by March 1. For RSVP, pricing and menu, visit tinyurl.com/otitalian

Seniors

TUESDAY-FRIDAY

Jewish Family and Children’s Service Center for Senior Enrichment: 9:30 a.m.2:30 p.m., The Palazzo, 6250 N. 19th Ave., Phoenix. Free programs are open to seniors who live at The Palazzo, as well as the entire senior community. Information: 602-943-2198.

FRIDAYS

Taste of Shabbat with Nurit Avigdor: 11:30 a.m.-noon, The Palazzo, 6250 N. 19th Ave., Phoenix. Open to the community. Contact JFCS Senior Center for questions at 602-943-2198.

Arts

THURSDAY, MARCH 14

Front Row at Nuremberg and Miraculous Escapes from Germany: 11 a.m.-noon, Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Lori Rosolowsky shares stories of her relatives’ escapes from Nazi persecution and her aunt’s role as a translator at Nuremberg. Cost is $5 for members and $15 for guests. Registration is required at vosjcc.org/nuremberg. JN

A single violin closes a circle

Asingle violin displayed in a corner of the room was visible from the entrance to the Cutler-Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center one Sunday in early February. The occasion was an exhibit by photographer Daniel Levin about Amnon Weinstein, the luthier behind the Violins of Hope project, which restores violins played by Jewish musicians during the Holocaust.

Having seen a Violins of Hope exhibit in November 2018 at the launch event for Holocaust Education Month in Ottawa, Canada, I now felt compelled to walk toward the violin on display in Phoenix. The note beside the violin told the story of a local family who is lending the violin to Weinstein and the Violins of Hope project. The name “Stefania,” described as the wife of Max Diamant, the violin’s owner, caught my attention. I read that Stefania had hid Max for two years in an attic in the city of Przemysl in southeastern Poland. Stefania! My mind started racing. I wondered how many Stefanias in Przemysl saved Jews. Could she be the

same Stefania I had heard about several years earlier? I had to find out, but how?

As Julee Landau Shahon, co-chair of Violins of Hope in Phoenix, walked by, I approached her, asking if it was possible to meet Stefania. Within minutes, with the help of Jeffrey Schesnol, associate director of the Arizona Jewish Historical Society, I learned that Stefania’s daughter, Krystyna Diamant, was about to join visitors to the exhibit. I could not wait to meet her. Could her mother be the same Stefania who had saved my relatives in Przemysl?

Coincidence or fate?

In 2014, while planning a visit to Poland, I was searching for an Englishspeaking guide to help me navigate family records in the city archives of Kanczuga, a small village in southeastern Poland. On a previous trip, I had found such records with the help of the mayor. However, because of a language barrier, I could not understand them.

This time, I was making the effort to be better prepared. The Polish embassy

Mina Cohn stands with Krystyna Diamant at the Violins of Hope photography exhibit at the CutlerPlotkin Jewish Heritage Center. Diamant’s mother, Stefania Podgorska, helped 13 Jews in Poland survive the war, including a cousin of Cohn’s father.

PHOTO BY DEE ANN DEATON, GROOVE HEADS ENTERTAINMENT

in Ottawa provided a recommendation and I emailed my potential guide my trip dates, location and the name of the family whose records I wanted to search. Within minutes, a response arrived from Lukasz Biedka. It said, “You are a relative of Jack Zimmerman from Przemysl.”

I had no clue who Jack Zimmerman was or how Biedka connected me to him. Eventually, I discovered that a few years earlier, Biedka had helped Zimmerman trace information in Poland and had become familiar with his family tree. I soon learned that Zimmerman and his sister, Cesia, along with their mother, Malvina Schachter, my father’s cousin, had survived the war and now resided in the United States. They were among 13 Jews who survived thanks to the bravery and kindness of a girl named Stefania Podgorska.

I did know that my father, Elieaze Kalter, came from a large extended family in Oswiecim and that most perished in the Holocaust. I also knew that some of his

relatives had lived in Przemysl, including a great-uncle and an uncle, and that my father found refuge in their home for about a year following his escape from the Nazis. He last saw them in the spring of 1941 before the Nazis occupied the area and before he fled eastward.

My father knew and accepted that his family members, together with most of the Jewish community that remained in Przemysl after the Nazi occupation of this part of Poland (which was under Russian control between the fall of 1939 to the summer of 1941), did not survive.He lived with this knowledge all his life.

So many years later, I was dazed by the news that three family members from Przemysl — Malvina and her children — had survived the war. Following a short email exchange, I called Zimmerman and Cesia in Los Angeles. It was heartwarming to learn that they owed their survival to Stefania Podgorska, a Catholic teenager who hid Jews in a secret space in the attic of her apartment.

I was overwhelmed to find relatives who survived the Holocaust seven decades after the end of the war. This is something that happens to others, I kept thinking. It is hard to describe the emotions engulfing me as I heard the gruesome details of the fate of the other members of the family, including my father’s great-uncle. I was so grateful that

my father did not live to hear what befell his family in Przemysl.

There was another strange coincidence. Seven years ago, knowing nothing of my family’s connection to Stefania, I included her story as part of the yearly teachers’ workshop on the Holocaust sponso red by the Ottawa Shoah Committee, of which I was the chair. I had discovered her story while researching the topic of Righteous Among the Nations. Hers was one of a few I used from various countries. I could have chosen anyone from a long list of the righteous, but I chose Stefania.

Walking into the Cutler-Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center that Sunday morning, I could have never imagined that a visit to a photographic exhibit would turn into an emotional closing of a circle that included the honor of meeting Stefania’s daughter, Krystyna, who confirmed that it was indeed her mother who saved my relatives in Przemysl. JN

Mina Cohn is the director of the Centre for Holocaust Education and Scholarship (CHES) at Carleton University’s Zelikovitz Centre for Jewish Studies in Ottawa, Canada. Stefania Podgorska’s story is told in the documentary ‘Hidden in Silence.’ She died in September 2018.

Mina Cohn stands next to Max Diamant’s violin, which is on display at the Cutler-Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center. Diamant’s wife, Stefania Podgorska, helped a cousin of Cohn’s father survive.

PHOTO BY DEE ANN DEATON, GROOVE HEADS ENTERTAINMENT

Ride-along

The Lost Tribe of Arizona motorcycle club leader and founder Max Heeres receives a certificate of appreciation from Commander Rochelle Hayman of Jewish War Veterans Scottsdale Post 210. Heeres will be leading the club on its annual ‘Ride to Remember’ in July. This year, the group will ride to commemorate Holocaust victims, Holocaust survivors and the U.S. soldiers who fought and liberated the Nazi death camps in Europe 75 years ago. The group will ride from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C.

Gathering of minds

Protect and serve

The Chandler Police Department visits the East Valley JCC Early Childhood Learning Center as part of the school’s Community Helpers unit. PHOTO BY LEISAH WOLDOFF

This COMMUNITY page features photos of community members around the Valley and the world. Submit photos and details each week to photos@jewishaz.com by 10 a.m. Monday.

Holocaust learning

Temple Chai students gather with Holocaust survivor Oskar Knoblauch, in back, author of the book ‘A Boy’s Story, A Man’s Memory.’ Knoblauch gave a presentation about his experience.

PHOTO COURTESY TEMPLE CHAI

ZOEY ALLISON CHECKOWAY

Zoey Allison Checkoway was born Feb. 9, 2019, to Karen Cassidy and Brian Checkoway in San Francisco, California. Grandparents are Laurie and Dennis Checkoway of Scottsdale and Judy and Marty Husted of Sun City West.

JTEEN

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Jennifer Starrett was brought on to lead the design and creation of the new site after Schwarz noticed her website jewphx. com. Starrett’s personal site works as a blog and clearinghouse for local Jewish events, as well as showcasing her personal recipes.

“Designing a website that was not only useful but was also aesthetically pleasing and mobile-friendly were top priorities,” Starrett said. “Now that they have JTeenConnectAZ.org as a center for this information, teens won’t have to look in several different locations for their options, which will hopefully make it easier for them to attend events and find a group or program that fits their personality and comfort level.”

Starrett added that currently there isn’t anything like this site in the local Jewish community. The website was created and designed by an all-volunteer staff and with few financial resources. Schwarz said that the site has logged more than 700 views since it launched last month.

For Schwarz, creating an accessible platform for teens is only half the battle in getting them involved. She said she knows that teenagers may not always be the most enthusiastic about trying new things, but she has seen a great response when teens are properly encouraged; the new website just makes it simpler to find the right program for the right teen.

“Teens don’t know what they are rejecting until they have given it a meaningful try,” Schwarz said. “Jewish connection offers something that you can’t know what it feels like unless you have felt it. We should want our teens to know this feeling, even if they resist it, which many undoubtedly will.”

As a mother herself, Berkowitz is glad there is now a simple way to find all the different Jewish organizations teenagers can join. Youth engagement is critical to the Jewish community, she said.

“Building a strong Jewish foundation in our community will help our children grow and continue to foster their Jewish roots in co llege and in their lives as adults,” Berkowitz said. JN

Mt. Sinai Cemetery

Selling Below current market value !!! 2 Single plots in the highly desired Temple Chai Section. May be upgraded to a companion (burial for 2) space through the cemetery.

Judi Glass 602-448-4099 judi@mccabeworld.com

OBITUARY

JAMES MATTHEW WEBER

James Matthew Weber, 69, died in Pittsburgh. He was born in Washington, D.C.

He is survived by his daughters, Rachel and Leila; son, Daniel; and brothers, Jonathan and David.

Donations in his name can be made to Brain @ Behavior Research Foundation, 747 Third Ave., 33rd Floor, New York, NY 10017 or donate.bbrfoundation.org.

Karen Glaser Kravitz of Scottsdale passed away on Monday, Feb. 11, 2019. Karen was born March 4, 1958, in Queens, New York. In 1982, Karen married Kenneth Kravitz from Syosset, New York, and they moved to Boston. In 1983, they relocated to Arizona with Karen’s family and in 1984, they established Commotion Promotions, Ltd., growing the business to the No. 1 ranked promotional company in the state.

Karen was preceded in death by her father, David Glaser. Survivors include her loving husband Ken, children Jordan Kravitz and Aliza (Chad) Cooper, mother Alice Condulis and sister Dana Manross. Services were held on Feb. 13, 2019, at Paradise Memorial Gardens, Scottsdale. Donations in Karen’s memory can be made to Temple Chai in Phoenix and/or Pancreatic Cancer Action Network at www.pancan.org.

On the Move is back!

ON

Jeffrey Shapiro a shareholder in the Phoenix office of Burke, Kohn and Mann, has been listed among the top lawyers in aviation law by Airline Times, the industry’s leading trade magazine. Shapiro is one of 124 lawyers in the United States and Canada selected as this year’s “Legal Eagles,” a listing of attorneys that peers and clients consider the movers and shakers in the aviation industry. Of those, only nine practice in the Southwest region, and Shapiro is the only Arizona lawyer listed. He earned his law degree from Boalt Hall School of Law and received his bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University.