Jewish News, May 3, 2019

BLUE SEAS AHEAD

Take a trip to Anna Maria Island

California synagogue shooting hits close to home

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

On April 27, six months to the day after the massacre at Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha synagogue in Pittsburgh that left 11 dead and six injured, a gunman opened fire at Chabad of Poway in Southern California on the last day of Passover, killing one and injuring three.

Shortly after the shooting, Jews across the Valley once again offered their condolences to victims and came together to share concerns about the tragedy. For some residents in the Valley, the news hit close to home.

For Chabad of Mesa Rabbi Laibel Blotner, news of the tragedy was particularly devastating. Blotner’s daughter is married to the son of Chabad of Poway Rabbi Yisrael Goldstein. Goldstein, who lost his right index finger during the shooting, created the Chabad center in Poway in 1986 and has served as its rabbi since then.

“We were sitting at the holiday table on Saturday when a member of the community burst in, very distraught, and shared with us the terrible news,” Blotner wrote in an email. “We immediately informed our daughter and son-in-law who thank G-d were with us for the holiday and not in Poway. We began to recite psalms and prayed.”

Blotner said he has received an outpouring of support from

SPECIAL SECTION | B1

SENIOR LIFESTYLE

From female sharpshooters to comic-book barons

Jewish Federation introduces LGBTQ Pride initiative

On Sunday, April 7, at this year’s Phoenix Pride Parade, more than 300 Jews from different congregations and synagogues across the Valley banded together to show support for the LGBTQ community. As they marched together, many donned orange shirts that had the Hebrew word for love, Ahava, printed on them. While the Pride Parade has ended, it is not the end of Jewish

Going green

The Phoenix area is lucky to have two growing seasons instead of one, as columnist Bob Roth reminds readers in his Aging Today column. Gardening is especially good for seniors: It is active but not too strenuous; challenging but also incredibly rewarding. And if a first attempt at gardening brings nothing but brown leaves and fallow dirt, there’s the second growing season to make things right. See Page B4 for more.

The Jordan Valley Bedouin women in the Negev Love letters from the Shoah

More than 300 Jews attend the Phoenix Pride Parade on Sunday, April 7.

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

HEADLINES

support for the LGBTQ community in Phoenix. The Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix has introduced a new LGBTQinclusive initiative called Pride to help support Jewish LGBTQ members. Shayna Millman, a Federation development associate, is helping organize the initiative, which is the first of its kind for the agency. She said that the intention of the initiative is to offer LGBTQ community members “a space so they can come together and build a community with one another.”

Millman said that there were many leaders and members of the Jewish community who had approached Federation, concerned that there wasn’t an official space for them. Now there will be.

The Pride initiative is in its beginning stages and is trying to identify key leaders to help build up LGBTQ-focused programs and events, each of which will have a Jewish spin as well.

“I am excited about the new opportunities and support for LGBTQ families and proud of the Federation for taking the lead such an important issue,” said Cantor Ross Wolman of Temple Chai via email. Wolman was instrumental in organizing the Jewish presence at the Phoenix Pride Parade.

One of the Federation Pride initiative’s first

events will be an LGBTQ Shabbat Dinner at a private residence on May 10. Millman said that depending on how successful the dinner is, there might be more in the future, with the goal of ultimately creating a larger, accepting LGBTQ community. Acceptance is key, as in the process of developing the initiative, Millman heard stories from individuals of all persuasions about dealing with misunderstanding and abuse.

tiative on Sept. 18 will feature transgender educator Abby Stein. Stein, a direct descendant of the Baal Shem Tov, was raised in a Chasidic community and was ordained as a Chasidic rabbi. After leaving her community, she became a frequent speaker and writer about her experiences as a transwoman. Stein’s appearance in Phoenix will be followed by the publication of her memoir, “Becoming Eve.”

“Interestingly enough, we’re finding a lot of support from parents,” Weiner said. “I think a lot of them want to make sure that their children are really part of the Jewish community. So we’re seeing a lot of parents coming out in strong support and we’re having a lot of parents working to try and drive this initiative.”

Weiner and Millman both noted that the Pride initiative is another step for equality and acceptance in the state of Arizona.

“We’re looking to build various programs, but we also want those who are a part of this community to have relationships that go beyond those programs,” Millman said. “We’re also working on a Jewish resource guide so they can go for mental health resources or financial assistance.”

The first major event for the Pride ini-

David Weiner, co-chair of Federation’s board of directors, would like to see Pride host a speaker series featuring Jewish LGBTQ individuals like Stein. So Stein’s appearance could be the start of something bigger.

Weiner said the initiative has gotten a positive reaction from the Jewish community.

On Thursday, April 19, state lawmakers voted to repeal a decades-old law that prevented LGBTQ students from receiving medically accurate information in health education classes at school. The law banned HIV/AIDS instruction that “promotes a homosexual lifestyle,” “portrays homosexuality as a positive alternative lifestyle” and “suggests that some methods of sex are safe methods of homosexual sex.” The law, nicknamed “No Promo Homo,” has been in effect since 1991. The repeal passed the state House and Senate with bipartisan support, and Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed it last week.

“The Federation wants to be inclusive and like how we want to serve all areas of Judaism, we want to serve all walks of life and sexual orientations as well,” Weiner said. “We want everybody to feel welcome at the Federation.” JN

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“INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, WE’RE FINDING A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM PARENTS. I THINK A LOT OF THEM WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR CHILDREN ARE REALLY PART OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY.”

— DAVID WEINER, FEDERATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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the Jewish community in the East Valley.

Former City Councilman David Schapira also has close ties to the Poway synagogue: His 90-year-old uncle Schiel Gayler attends Chabad of Poway for services every week. Schapira wrote on his public Facebook page that Gayler had not been shot, but had injured himself while hitting the ground to avoid gunfire.

“One tragedy after another, rooted in hate, plagues our country,” Schapira wrote on social media. “We are all ‘shaken’ because hateful ideologies and rhetoric are allowed to flourish, virtually unchecked by leaders at the highest levels. We all deserve better!”

Chabad of the East Valley Director Rabbi Mendy Deitsch said there are really no words that can describe how “shocking and sad it is that in 2019 something like this can still happen.”

Deitsch said that he believed the best way to move forward is to perform a mitzvah this week.

“This is more than just a nice sentiment, the light and goodness we bring into the world through performing a mitzvah,” Deitsch said. “By adding in goodness and kindness, we create real, positive change, generating light and bringing the era of redemption ever closer.”

Rabbi Levi Levertov of Chabad of Downtown Phoenix expressed his own thoughts of the matter on Facebook.

“It is a sad feeling to think it’s ‘another’ anti-Semitic shooting, the sad reality of the state we are in,” Levertov said. “The antidote is clear, as Rabbi Goldstein of

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Chabad of Poway defiantly said in his sermon, while injured before heading to the hospital: ‘We are strong. We are united. They can’t break us.’”

Levertov and other rabbis also thanked the City of Phoenix Police Department for their presence at the Chabad center and other Jewish institutions. Shortly after the shooting, the Phoenix Police Department coordinated to send more patrol vehicles and develop special watches for all synagogues in the city.

“As a nation, when Jews and others are murdered in their houses of worship, we are entitled to more than empty thoughts and prayers,” Jewish Community Foundation President and CEO Richard Kasper said. “We need real opposition to the rise of white nationalism and hate, and we must finally resolve to address our country’s gun violence epidemic.”

Outside of the Valley, more leaders of Jewish organizations and synagogues offered their concerns and condolences.

Rabbi Sam Cohon of Congregation Beit Simcha of Tucson wrote in an email to his congregants that he didn’t feel as shocked as he could have, and questioned whether he was becoming accustomed to atrocities.

“I come back, again and again, to what I first said after the Tree of Life attacks, and believe ever more firmly now: We defeat hatred only by building respect, understanding, friendship and meaning with those who are different from us, and especially with all who pray sincerely,” Cohon wrote. “This attack was anti-Semitic. But it was also anti-Muslim, anti-Christian, anti-Hindu, anti-Buddhist and anti-Sikh.”

“It is with grief and anguish to see how

The exterior of Chabad of Poway in San Diego County, where the shooting took place. PHOTO VIA JNS

Jewish volunteers assist asylum seekers

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

Every day, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, better known as ICE, drops off dozens, if not hundreds, of migrant families at churches across the Valley. After the asylum seekers are dropped off, having been transported from ICE detention centers, the volunteers get busy, people of all faiths working to help the visitors on the next step of their journey.

The volunteers provide food, water and travel arrangements, and they assist petitioners to prepare for immigration court. These volunteers, many of whom are Jewish, come from all different walks of life.

But even with the help of dedicated volunteers, says Eddie Chavez Calderon, campaign organizer for Arizona Jews for Justice, the asylum seekers will need more help.

“The situation is getting more dire by the week for those seeking asylum,” said Chavez Calderon, whose organization is part of Valley Beit Midrash. “With communication with ICE becoming harder, AJJ is there to meet the challenges and organize with our partners to ensure that basic humanitarian needs are met. As summer approaches, we have the imminent threat of extreme heat and the inherent hazards that these conditions bring.”

When ICE drops people off in the Valley, that means they’ve gotten through the asylum process and are eligible for immigration. But drop-off locations for asylum seekers only get five or six hours’ notice from ICE, which means volunteers have very little time to prepare for them.

Arizona Jews for Justice have worked with several interfaith organizations on this issue. Chavez Calderon, who has been with Arizona Jews for Justice since December, has been leading AJJ’s charge to ensure that migrant families have enough provisions and are cared for.

Recently, at an undisclosed church that acted as a drop-off point, Chavez Calderon worked with half a dozen volunteers to help more than 100 asylum seekers figure out their next steps during the course of a day.

Volunteers who could speak Spanish worked to find out where the asylum

seekers were planning to go. Those who couldn’t speak Spanish worked to make the facilities as comfortable as possible. There were teams of volunteers that drove asylum seekers to bus stops and airports.

“It is important that everyone steps up and helps save lives,” Chavez Calderon said. “We are amazed by the local Jewish community’s participation in our efforts.”

Karen Nagle, a managing partner at the Nagle Law Group, has been volunteering her time as an attorney at several drop-off points. Seeing that many asylum seekers didn’t have any food or money, she reached out to the Jewish community to create the Tzeda L’Derech - Provisions for the Road program earlier this year.

“We noticed that people did not have food for the very long bus rides or plane trips, and that without money, language or assistance, they and their children would be hungry,” Nagle said. “We have coordinated with several synagogues such that their members are donating the nonperishable food and they are bagging them in brown paper bags and closing them with a sticker which bears the logo of a Star of David with hands and a heart — so the people should know they are being helped along their journey by Jews.”

Nagle said that the synagogues and Jewish organizations supporting this initiative so far are New Shul, Congregation Beth Tefillah, Temple Kol Ami, Temple Chai, Temple Solel and the Jewish Community Relations Council. Several other organizations have reached out to help, and she personally believes that every single shul and organization in the Valley will want to participate in some way.

Individuals can help by donating used clothing, non-perishable food and their time. She and her daughter have volunteered at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, one of the drop-off points.

“I feel that sometimes we choose to not see something,” Nagle said. “That doesn’t mean it’s not there. So these people are here and we shouldn’t pretend they aren’t. If we see them and help them, they will go to their next destination knowing that Jews did not ignore them.”

For his leadership as Founding Board Chair, the Jewish Community Relations Council would like to thank Alan Jablin for his dedication and outstanding service.

the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, said that each day is a lot of logistics. Part of Berg’s job is to manage the hospitality for the St. Vincent de Paul Day Relief Center. Since they started accepting asylum seekers at the end of March, they have taken in 1,725 individuals and helped them on their way.

Berg, who is the only Jewish employee at the Catholic nonprofit, said that the most important aspect she looks for in

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much lethal, unjustifiable violence is perpetrated in the name of religion, targeting people in their vulnerable moments of communing with the divine in places of worship,” said NAU Martin-Springer Institute Director Bjorn Krondorfer. “Sacred spaces are violated, threatened and shattered by extremist violence around the globe, most recently Muslims in New Zealand, Christians in Sri Lanka and Jews in California. Let our faith communities and religious leaders not be divided by these assaults, but come together in dialogue and peace.”

Carlos Galindo-Elvira, director of ADL Arizona, also thanked the dedication of law enforcement and added that the shooting in Poway “is a sobering reminder of the ongoing threat of antiSemitism and white supremacy.”

ADL Arizona, the Jewish Community Relations Council and the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix released a joint statement over the weekend to offer their support for the larger Phoenix Jewish community.

“Together, the Jewish community of Greater Phoenix stands in support and sympathy with the families and community affected by today’s tragedy, and

a volunteer is flexibility. The nature of their work is reactive and it’s always hard to know what is coming. But she believes everybody is doing the best they can with limited information.

“Even my contacts at ICE don’t know what’s coming to them,” Berg said. “I know there are different opinions out there, but I really appreciate my communication with them and I believe they give me the best information they can as soon as they have it.” JN

we stand with Chabad of Poway,” the statement said. “Together, we stand resolute against the scourge of hatred and anti-Semitism. Together we declare: Hate has no place in the Valley of the Sun, in Arizona, or anywhere in the world.”

The interfaith organization Arizona Faith Network (AFN) also released a statement about the shooting.

“AFN asks you to pray for the Jewish community amid this time of mourning,” the statement said. “We stand resolute in our belief that all people should be able to gather for worship in safety, and we continue to pray for peace amid these recurring incidents of violence against people of faith throughout the world. AFN will continue to fight against antiSemitism and all forms of hate that leave our houses of worship insecure.”

As of press time, two local vigils have been planned to honor the Poway Jewish community. Chabad of Mesa will host a solidarity gathering on Friday, May 3, at 6:30 p.m., and Rabbi Pinchas Allouche of Congregation Beth Tefillah said that they will host a prayer and memorial service on Shabbat, May 4, at 11 a.m. JN

Arizona Jews for Justice Campaign Organizer Eddie Chavez Calderon prepares for a day of helping asylum seekers with other volunteers.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ARIZONA JEWS FOR JUSTICE

Scottsdale plaintiff pleased with Airbnb’s West Bank reversal

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

Last month, Airbnb reversed its policy to remove listings in the West Bank from its website and phone application.

The reversal came in the wake of two federal court settlements on Monday, April 9. The vacation rental company was sued by two groups of American Jewish plaintiffs. Airbnb settled both lawsuits.

One of these plaintiffs was Scottsdale resident Joel Taubman, who feels that the reversal was a victory for Jews around the world.

“My only regret in the case is that the courts did not have the opportunity to declare openly that it is discrimination under U.S. law to bar Jews and Israelis from renting in Judea and Samaria,” he said. “Reversing Airbnb’s discriminatory policy on Judea and Samaria was the purpose of Harow v. Airbnb. We are ecstatic at Airbnb’s turnaround, our settlement with Airbnb to resolve this case, and the message it sends to those who would boycott Israel.”

Taubman, 28, a project manager for Crown Castle, was represented by the San Francisco-based law firm Zell Aron & Co. He was one of five plaintiffs the firm represented in the suit filed shortly after Airbnb announced the listings removal policy.

Zell Aron & Co. claimed on the plaintiffs’ behalf that the policy violated both the Federal Fair Housing Act and California law. In a press release, the law firm suggested that Airbnb had been pressured by humanitarian organizations. Shortly after announcing the lawsuit, Amnesty International released a 96-page report, “Destination: Occupation,” stating that Airbnb was profiting from “the maintenance, development and expansion of illegal settlements, which amount to war crimes under international criminal law.”

Abraham Katsman, an attorney working on the suit, suggested that the delisting policy had been a serious misstep by Airbnb.

“Airbnb may well have adopted this policy without thinking through either the justice of the decision or its discriminatory legal ramifications,” Katsman said. “The reversal of this policy brought about

by settling our suit should restore equal treatment for all, consistent with Airbnb’s stated principles — not to mention those of the United States of America.”

In Airbnb’s November 2018 announcement of their new policy, the company said it would remove some 200 rental listings in West Bank settlements because it contended that the settlements “are at the core of the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians.”

Criticism mounted against the policy, and Airbnb was accused of being hypocritical because they had listings in Turkish-controlled Northern Cyprus and war-torn Yemen.

Shortly after announcing the policy reversal, Airbnb said in a statement that the company would now donate any profits from the West Bank listings to humanitarian groups. The same policy will apply to Abkhazia and South Ossetia, two disputed territories adjacent to Georgia. The company will also be evaluating its listings in other disputed territories.

“If Airbnb determines homes — the core of our business — are central to ongoing tensions, we will adopt the same approach of allowing listings and donating Airbnb’s profits generated by Airbnb host activity in the region to nonprofit organizations dedicated to humanitarian aid that serve people in different parts of the world,” Airbnb wrote in a statement.

Even though Airbnb has stated it does not support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, Taubman said that its now-defunct policy “acted as a signal to the anti-Semitic BDS movement that their pressure campaigns could work.”

Taubman believes that all people, including Jews and Palestinians, should be free to use Airbnb. And he’s looking forward to an upcoming trip to the West Bank this summer.

“I am happy to now be able to use Airbnb for some of the trip as they have an excellent platform and incredible hosts,” Taubman said. “I am glad that overturning this policy has brought that reality one step closer. We continue to pray for peace in Jerusalem so that necessary restrictions affecting Israelis, Arabs and all others touched by this conflict can be lifted.” JN

Editorials

For a Congressional Jewish Caucus

Do we need a Congressional Jewish Caucus, a group of Jewish legislators in the House and Senate who meet to discuss issues of importance to American Jews?

The Congressional Black Caucus is well-known, as is the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues. Hispanics have two groups: a Democratic Congressional Hispanic Caucus and a Republican Congressional Hispanic Conference. There’s also an Ad Hoc Congressional Committee for Irish Affairs, an American Sikh Congressional Caucus and an Assyrian Caucus. And those are just the As.

So why is there no formally organized Jewish group in Congress to pursue common legislative objectives of interest to American Jews? After all, in the 116th Congress there are 28 Jewish members in the House and nine in the Senate.

According to reports, there has been an informal Jewish group meeting in Congress for years, and the group’s leaders (who are Democrats) are said to be discussing whether to formalize its existence, and whether to include Republicans. We think the answer to both questions is “yes.”

We are all painfully aware of the dangerous political partisanship that festers on Capitol Hill. The Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) works to fit its Jewish constituency into the Democratic agenda, while the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) tries to fit its Jewish constituency into the Republican agenda.

A caucus of Jewish elected officials, however, comprised of people of goodwill who may differ on policy but who agree on more than they disagree, could help bridge partisan divisions, cool the rhetoric and help Congress elevate its game. They could return a much-needed nonpartisan focus to issues such as antiSemitism and Israel.

The recent and sharp rise in anti-Semitism has made many Jews feel the need for Jewish political leaders to band together in an increasingly uncertain time, and has sparked increased discussion about the need for a formalized Jewish Congressional Caucus.

The idea was floated recently by Jack Rosen, president of the American Jewish Congress, who explained that he was reacting against “Israel-bashing” from “ultra-left progressives,” such as Rep. lhan Omar, who in her criticism of Israel has invoked anti-Semitic tropes. Rosen also pointed to Rep. Steve King who commented, “white nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?”

Reaction has been mixed. Halie Soifer, executive director of JDCA, said the idea is something her organization would support. RJC National Chair Norm Coleman, on the other hand, shot down the idea, choosing to focus instead on attacking Omar and demanding her removal from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

We have had enough of the preprogrammed, political bickering. This is a time and an opportunity to lead. JDCA and RJC should seize the opportunity to work together to help establish a Congressional Jewish Caucus. JN

Ukraine’s Jewish president

There are only two countries in the world that currently have a Jewish prime minister and a Jewish president. The fact that Israel is one is no surprise. But the fact that Ukraine is the other is a remarkable piece of news.

By any measure, today’s Ukraine is different from the Ukraine of our fathers — although the country’s road to where it is today has been rocky. For centuries, Ukraine was a part of Russia; then it was ruled by Soviets and Nazi Germany; and finally Ukraine became independent in 1989. Ever since, it has faced varying degrees of Russian aggression — the Putin government annexed Crimea in 2014 and is running a proxy war of secession in eastern Ukraine. But the country has not given up. Ukrainians are fiercely independent and proud. And, according to a recent poll, Ukrainians are the least anti-Semitic people in Eastern Europe. That may explain why Ukraine, with a population of 44 million, which includes up to 300,000 Jews, just elected Volodymyr Zelensky, an unapologetic Jew, as president – and did so with an impressive majority vote.

So, who is Zelensky? Prior to his election, Zelensky was a popular TV comedian, whose character was elected president of Ukraine. He unseated Petro Poroshenko, who was elected as a reformer after the 2013 Orange Revolution that that tilted Ukraine toward the West, but also unleashed Nazi-glorifying, anti-Semitic ethno-nationalism. Poroshenko’s administration and the man himself have been accused of corruption, and the electorate became increasingly concerned about where that

could lead the reform-minded, Westward-leaning agenda they thought they would be getting.

Enter Zelensky, a well-recognized, fresh voice of promise, even if he lacked any government or other significant leadership experience. As a political novice, Zelensky had no record to defend, and his vague platform didn’t raise a lot of questions. On top of that, his candidacy managed to avoid the familiar ethnic, religious and national divisions that plague most campaigns.

Ukrainians sided with a familiar, friendly face they knew from television — who held out hope — rather than the seasoned politician they didn’t trust.

Under the circumstances, one would think that Ukraine’s Jewish community would have been solidly behind Zelensky’s candidacy. But that wasn’t the case. Given the tortured history of anti-Semitism in their country — the horrific scars of Babi Yar and Cossack pogroms among them — many couldn’t help but wonder whether a President Zelensky would be good for the Jews. In describing the dilemma, Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki, chief rabbi in Dnipro, the capital of Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, explained: “They said, ‘He should not run because we will have pogroms here again in two years if things go wrong.’”

None of those concerns stopped Zelensky from winning. We believe that is a good sign, and hope that Ukraine has turned the corner and truly abandoned its dark anti-Semitic past. Perhaps a successful President Zelensky will help the country stay there. JN

The discrimination we see

While it’s no longer news that anti-Semitic acts are on the rise in this country, the Pew Research Center has found that awareness of anti-Semitism is increasing, as well. According to a new Pew study released last month, 64 percent of Americans say Jews face at least some discrimination. That’s a 20-point increase from 2016. And the share saying Jews face “a lot” of discrimination has gone up from 13 to 16 percent.

Much has been written about the disturbing rise in anti-Semitism, with lots of finger pointing and attribution of blame. Suffice it to say that recent public manifestations of anti-Jewish hate — from neo-Nazis marching in Charlottesville to an armed bigot terrorizing Jewish worshipers in Pittsburgh and California — are chilling, and it is good to know that so many of our fellow Americans recognize hate when they see it.

Yet drilling down in the findings of the survey, there appear to be interesting deviations in perception regarding discrimination and its victims — perceptions that fall along political lines. These differences serve as another reminder that our country’s deepening political divide has ramifications beyond political preference, to the point where our political leanings may also cause us to perceive things differently.

Thus, 70 percent of Democrats said there is discrimination against Jews; while only 55 SEE DISCRIMINATION, PAGE 9 VOICE YOUR OPINION

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America, the Sea of Reeds

RABBI ELYSE WECHTERMAN

At Passover, Jews mark the beginning of the journey. On the seventh day, we read Shirat Hayam and reenact the crossing of the Reed Sea. This iconic moment, after the Exodus from Egypt with Pharaoh’s forces on one side and the raging sea on the other, is the moment of truth. Will the Israelites continue forward, risking it all for the possibility of a better life, or hightail it back to Egypt defeated and demoralized before leaving the land of their enslavement?

We have come to celebrate the courageous actions of those who leapt forward, most notably Nachshon ben Aminidav who, legend says, was the first to leap into the sea and the first to trust that there was something better, brighter and more just awaiting if only the people would march forward.

The thousands of migrants now arriving on our border are also Nachshons — they too are stuck between the forces of violence and degradation they left behind in their native lands and an unknown sea — the sea of America’s pitiful, corrupt and confusing immigration and asylum policies. Instead of the water parting and a clear path before them, these Nahshons are met with detention, family separation,

no access to attorneys, denial of medical care, Kafkaesque waiting periods and almost guaranteed deportation back to the places they are fleeing.

Last month, I traveled to El Paso with a delegation of Jewish clergy sponsored by HIAS (The Hebrew Immigration Aid Society) and T’ruah, a rabbinic human rights organization. This was my third visit to the border in eight months. Each time, I learn more and more about the crisis that is unfolding on our border but I understand it less.

At the Otero Immigration Processing Center in Chaparral, New Mexico, thousands of men fleeing torture, violence and poverty are held like criminals — matching orange or yellow jumpsuits, limited connection to the outside world, no guarantee of attorneys and little by way of explanation. Allegations of abuse and harassment, particularly of LGBTQ detainees, are under investigation at Otero and other centers like it.

Our visit left me with more questions: When did seeking asylum — a right guaranteed under U.S. and international law — become criminalized behavior in the United States? And when did we do away with the guarantees of due process and the right to fair trials?

We visited a facility for unaccompanied minors, Casa Franklin, run by Southwest Key Corporation in El Paso. Set up more like a residential school than a prison, the facility still had bars and alarms on the door and no resident is allowed to move from one space to another unaccompanied.

The children are waiting for the immigration courts to grant them hearings after which they might be reunited with family members. Whereas stays in this shelter used to last no more than 14 days, there are now children who have been there for 60 days or more. We must ask, why are these children there? Regardless of their status, why are they not with family members in caring homes, even if they are awaiting an immigration hearing? Denied hugs and physical touch and the sense of permanence and safety, what will be the long-term effects of this trauma wherever these children end up?

Crossing over the Paso Del Norte Bridge between El Paso and CiudadJuarez, we saw thousands of migrants being held in a makeshift camps by CPB (Customs and Border Protection). Made to stand in the hot sun for hours, given little space, a few blankets and insufficient food and water, these migrants are facing unsanitary conditions, malnutrition and

illness. Two children died in CPB custody in recent months — from preventable illnesses resulting from lack of appropriate care.

When did America become the Reed Sea, an overwhelming force holding back progress toward freedom and liberation for our fellow humans? With the exception of our Native American neighbors, we are a nation of people from somewhere else. We Jews, especially, resonate with this story. Not only do we know walking out of Egypt, but we also know all the other journeys in our history: out of Eretz Yisrael to Babylon, out of Spain toward Africa and the New World, out of Eastern Europe to the Goldene Medina of the United States. Each time, we headed into the unknown with a few Nachshons who dared to lead the way. In most cases, we were met with open arms and an opportunity to build new lives. How can we not recognize ourselves in the Nachshons on our border now?

We must recommit ourselves to providing open pathways and welcome spaces to those fleeing their Pharaohs and coming to our shores. JN

Elyse Wechterman is the executive director of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association.

Looking at the mirror, and finding the enemy within

JOSHUA RUNYAN

In coming out forcefully at a rally against the kind of anti-Semitism that appears to have motivated last Saturday’s deadly attack at Chabad of Poway outside San Diego, President Donald Trump did the right thing. And the president further demonstrated sensitivity in the aftermath by speaking to Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, the Jewish center’s rabbi who lost a finger when he encountered the gunman and his bullets. Goldstein characterized Trump’s phone call as warm and comforting.

In the moments after this latest attack, coming six months after the murder of 11 congregants at the Tree of Life synagogue building in Pittsburgh, Trump, in fact,

seems to have done all the right things.

That this is news is a tragedy, especially considering that for far too long, hatred against Jews has been allowed to fester amid a toxic stew of American white supremacy and xenophobia. And the president bears a good portion of the blame.

Investigators in California uncovered a manifesto by the alleged Poway gunman posted to 8chan, the same social media outlet where the alleged Pittsburgh shooter posted his screed accusing Jews of compromising the well-being of this country by supporting immigration. The Poway shooter declared common cause with the Pittsburgh gunman, and praised the attacks on the New Zealand mosques to boot. (Authorities say he also claimed

responsibility for the torching of a San Diego mosque.)

The rhetoric that was a staple of Trump’s messaging as a candidate and which marked his first two years in office, is a big part of the problem. The sad truth is that you don’t need to be a hater of Jews to enable anti-Semitism. The even sadder truth is that you don’t need to be a Republican to turn a blind eye to this most pernicious assault on religious liberty.

Many Democrats, who in choosing to ignore or, in some cases, outright endorse the ever-strengthening blood libel against Israel known as the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement, are to blame as well. But so, too, for that matter, are Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin

Netanyahu and many of his supporters, people for whom railing against George Soros as evil incarnate — and spreading the vicious lie that the Holocaust survivor was a Nazi collaborator — comes as naturally as standing at attention for “Hatikva.”

The fact is, there is enough evidence on either side of the political divide to enable those on the other side to place blame. I know there are plenty among us who will say that anti-Semitism is primarily a leftwing problem or a right-wing problem. Anyone doing that is part of the problem.

I happen to have been, in my twisting professional life, a Chabad-Lubavitch emissary. I even know the rabbi in Poway. But more to the point, I’ve witnessed as

Rabbi

SeniLifestyle Seni

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Sharpshooter who fought for Israeli independence looks back

SELAH MAYA ZIGHELBOIM | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In the 1840s, Moishe Zvi Lewensohn heard that the Messiah would soon come, and he moved to a small piece of land in the Middle East — then called Palestine under Turkish rule — to await the arrival.

He never saw the Messiah, but a century later, his great-great-granddaughter helped transform that small piece of the Middle East into a country for the Jewish people.

Bella Lewensohn Schafer, 90, served as a sharpshooter and an officer in charge of a battalion of women during the Israeli War of Independence.

Getting married, having children — those were once-in-a-lifetime occasions. But fighting for Israeli’s independence was more than that, she said.

“I’m part of Israel history,” said Schafer, who lives in Pennsylvania now.

Schafer was born in Israel in 1928, so when the war against British rule broke

out, she was 20 years old.

But her participation in Israeli independence began before her military involvement, when she was a young teenager. She grew up in Jerusalem, and helped the war effort by transporting weapons with other girls in her youth group. They would hide grenades in their clothes and transport them on the bus. There were few weapons in the early days of the Israeli military, so they had to be careful with anything they got their hands on.

“It was very unsophisticated, and we had to be very careful of the British,” Schafer recalled. “It was a very secretive, underground type of a thing.”

When Schafer joined the army, she was sent to an officers training, to be put in charge of a group of women in the war effort.

At fi rst, women and men served in two different armies, then the women’s group was dissolved and attached to the men’s group.

When she first approached the men’s camp

in her role as an officer, she was met with skepticism. Schafer was a “little, somewhat chubby girl,” she said, and the men were unused to having women in their camps.

She asked a group of men sitting outside and asked to see their commander. They pointed to her gun and asked her if she could use it. Then they asked her to prove it by shooting a bottle. She did.

Sharpshooting was always something she was good at.

The war, Schafer said, “was awful. That’s all there is to it. It was really awful, and we, the women, behaved just like the men. We shot, we lay on the ground and shot the Arabs coming up.”

One of her responsibilities during the war was taking supplies to her soldiers stationed at Mount Zion. It was a dangerous task, because Arab soldiers would shoot at them, so she had to bring the supplies at night during new moons.

“Jerusalem was under siege, and it was really, really hard,” Schafer said.

Schafer has a Hebrew-language book about women’s role in the fight for independence, but she is in few of the photos. Instead, she was usually the photographer.

She always loved photography.

When she was a young teenager, her brother sent her a Kodak camera and supplies to develop photos. She turned a hallway in her house into a darkroom.

There’s a lot to do at Maravilla Scottsdale Senior Living Community — clubs, events, socializing, and more. So, go ahead and make your want-to-do list. But please don’t include a bunch of chores. We’ll take care of most of those for you.

We invite you to see all that Maravilla Scottsdale has to offer (including assisted living services if needed) at a complimentary lunch & tour or our upcoming event.

Tuesday, May 7th • 3:00pm

You’re invited to design your own bouquet with the fresh flowers of the Spring season. RSVP for this guided workshop by calling 480.447.2381.

With so many things to do, we suggest getting an early start on your want-to-do list.

Bella Schafer in her Pennsylvania home

SELAH MAYA ZIGHELBOIM

After the war, photography was something that continued, at various times, to be a passion and a hobby.

When the war ended, she returned to school, where she studied Jewish history, while still serving in the military. But she never graduated.

In 1949, she met Stephen Schafer.

She had gone to Haifa with her family to pick up her cousin, who was coming to Israel by boat after having spent some time in the United States. The cousin was there with Stephen Schafer, who had come to Israel to study Hebrew so he could become a Reform rabbi.

Stephen Schafer went back to Jerusalem with the Lewensohn family, who found him a place to stay. He would come by often for Shabbat dinners. Bella Schafer was still in the army, so she wasn’t living at home, but she would also come by for Shabbat at times.

The two eventually grew close and decided to marry. At first, Bella Schafer said, his family was resistant to the idea of him marrying an Israeli.

“They were Reform Jews, so they were

SENIOR LIFESTYLE

afraid,” Schafer said. “But then my father, whose English was very good, he spoke to them and they relaxed, once they heard my father and who he was and what he was doing, and that I didn’t come for money or anything else. It was love.”

When he moved back to the United States, Bella Schafer moved back with him. Her intention was always to come back to Israel; in fact, she promised her parents that very thing, but wasn’t able to come back for several years, when her mother died.

The young couple first arrived in Philadelphia, where Stephen Schafer’s family lived.

Then they headed out to Cincinnati, where her husband went to rabbinical college. There, she volunteered for the school’s library and eventually became a librarian.

Stephen Schafer’s first rabbinical appointment was in Toledo, Ohio, where the family lived for the next seven years. Then, they moved to Allentown, where Bella Schafer spent the next decade, until the two got divorced in the early ’70s.

She moved to Philadelphia and went

back to school, where she spent the next three ye ars working toward her bachelor’s and master’s in social work at Temple University.

“I worked very, very hard, and I worked,” Schafer said. “I taught. I taught at Temple. I taught at the University of Pennsylvania. I taught at Gratz College as soon as I came here.”

She taught Hebrew and Jewish history. Over the years, she has also held positions as director of adult services at the Gershman Y, and as a supervisor for the city. She also has run her own family therapy practice.

She continued teaching until about 15 years ago, when she met her partner, Mort Prince. The two of them, she said, are “more than married.”

With him, she has made trips to Israel every few months. Traveling, in general, has been another thing she has enjoyed during her life.

“I love to travel, and it’s a lot of fun,” Schafer said. “I have found a lot of fun in traveling on my own, meeting people on my own. I’m a gregarious type of a person.” JN

From basketball to comic books

JESSE BERNSTEIN | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Jim Drucker has a penchant for being in the right place at the right time.

Take this meeting, for example. Drucker was sitting at a Philadelphia 76ers game at the Spectrum in 1976. His father, Norm, was a few decades into his career as an NBA referee, and was one of the most respected refs in the game (to the extent that a referee is afforded any respect).

Since Jim was young, he’d been able to follow his father to the national Game of the Week on ABC on Sundays; once, as a boy, he ran to legendary Celtics’ coach Red Auerbach’s side to let him know that ABC needed a television timeout (Auerbach obliged). The first time he was ever at Madison Square Garden, he thought his dad owned the place. When he blew that whistle, everyone seemed to listen.

But back to the Spectrum. Drucker, then pursuing his master’s degree in law, struck up a conversation with a man in his row. Turns out, he was a lawyer for the NBA, and was familiar with Norm, who was a longtime New York City

public school teacher and principal before he became a referee. The man asked Drucker if he ever considered getting into the pro basketball game. Drucker bit his tongue, knowing what a shaky business the NBA remained from his father’s tenure.

How about this, the man said to Drucker. There’s a little something called the Eastern League, an NBA farm league that’s nearly out of business. It could use your help, the man said.

The man was David Stern, who would go on to become the commissioner of the NBA. Drucker, meanwhile, did so well in his legal work for the Eastern League that he was eventually named commissioner; by then, it had been renamed the Continental Basketball Association. The values of every team shot up, new franchises were added and a “bottom-of-the-barrel league,” as Drucker put it, became profitable.

That’s just how stories about Jim Drucker, now 66, tend to go.

Born in Brooklyn, he’s the son of Ukrainian immigrants who made it to the U.S. “with 12 cents in their pockets.”

“They loved the U.S. and believed anything was possible,” he said. “Two generations later,

it’s me, as part of the American dream.”

Drucker’s parents drilled in the importance of education into his head when he was young and growing up in East Meadow, New York, dropping hints with the subtlety of flaming meteors about who they heard got a medical degree or who just passed the bar. He took the hint, and after SUNY-Buffalo, he was accepted to the Duke University School of Law.

Talk about a culture shock for the life-long New Yorker, whose life was an

HEATED SWIMMING POOL AND HOT TUB

Jim Drucker PHOTO COURTESY OF JIM DELORENZO

SENIOR LIFESTYLE

Spring has sprung: Seize the season

BOB ROTH

As the glorious weather precedes the spring equinox, chants of, “This is why we live here” can be heard throughout the Valley of the Sun. For Phoenicians, amnesia is bliss, as we repress all memory of those triple-digit days. Knowing how precious time and the mild temperatures are, let’s celebrate spring in the garden. Grab your aging loved one, and seize the season.

The National Diabetes Education Program lists gardening as one of five ways older adults can be more physically active. Studies support that with an average gardening time of 60 minutes, and an average heart rate of 98, it is possible for older adults to meet physical activity recommendations through gardening. Gardening not only promotes mobility but can also promote flexibility and encourages the use of all motor skills.

Gardening can increase endurance and strength and helps prevent diseases like osteoporosis.

The physical health benefits of rolling up your sleeves and digging in Mother Earth is really the edible flower on the cake because it is the psychological benefits that cannot be overstated. Ask any experienced gardener if the miracle of a plant blooming or a vegetable ripening ever gets old. There is a profound sense of accomplishment when the cycle of life is so visible and rapidly completed during growing seasons or years in the garden. Additionally, the feeling of wellbeing is a direct result of having a sense of control which is often predictive of good health and a higher quality of life among the elderly. Time spent in green spaces

also reduces stress levels and promotes relaxation.

Gardening makes good sense for maintaining a healthy aging brain. The stimulation of spending time outdoors and with new or varied interests is a great way to keep the neurons firing. The social component to gardening is probably one of

the most important psychological benefits for our aging population. Seniors who are involved with community projects and who feel a sense of purpose report better overall health and well-being.

So how does one get started on this amazing journey? Start with Horticulture Professor Google; I started with “Arizona” and “garden club” in the search window. Local nurseries such as Summerwinds and Berridge offer a variety of seminars and classes for free or nominal charges. Don’t forget the Scottsdale Xeriscape Garden at Chaparral Park and the Desert Botanical Garden. The classes, events and learning opportunities are abundant with an expansive variety of topics.

I can’t stress enough the importance of safety and caution when embarking on activities outdoors, especially for seniors. Some physical, mental and age-related conditions must be considered when older people work in the garden, but they

should not prevent people from enjoying the garden. These include:

• Skin – fragile, thinning skin makes older people susceptible to bumps, bruises and sunburn.

• Vision – poor eyesight should restrict activities.

• Body temperature – dehydration and heat stroke prevention

• Skeletal – good shoes, use caution to prevent falls.

Garden spaces, tools and equipment can be modified or adapted to help reduce the physical stress associated with gardening for older people. Suggestions include:

• Using vertical planting to make garden beds accessible for planting and harvesting – try using wall and trellis spaces.

• Raising beds to enable people with physical restrictions to avoid bending and stooping.

• Using retractable hanging baskets, wheelbarrows and containers on castors to make suitable movable and elevated garden beds.

• Using foam, tape and plastic tubing to modify existing tools for a better grip.

• Providing shade areas for working in summer months.

• Having stable chairs and tables to use for comfortable gardening.

If you feel that gardening may be too much, nature walks or landscape photography will still awaken your senses with appreciation for the beauty of our desert. Remember, everything, and I mean everything ever written about promoting a healthy aging brain states the same path: Exercise, socialize and engage in novel, challenging activities. Gardening provides all of these.

So even if you proclaim your thumb to be the color of dirt, there is no reason you can’t dig in anyway. Here’s why... guess what we have here in our glorious desert? Two growing seasons! That’s right, you get a mulligan. Limited success this spring, try it again in October. JN

Life Can Change In An Instant

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Our resort-like community is located in a serene desert setting and our dedicated team of professionals is committed to providing you with hospitality and compassionate, quality care. Our guests, their friends and families may enjoy a leisurely stroll through the lovely 1 1/2 acre park, cool off with a smoothie in the Sports Lounge, or share a delicious meal in our bistro. Whether relaxing on a garden terrace to watch the hummingbirds dart around the soothing water features or actively participating in our calendar of events, you will like it here. Your independence is the hallmark of Solterra Senior Living, an alternative to nursing home in Chandler, AZ.

Solterra Senior Living at Chandler takes the lead. In every way and in everything we do–from fabulous food and beautiful apartments to attentive, personalized services—Solterra creates a safe and nurturing environment that caters to you and your needs. We don’t just care for our guests, we care about them.

Bob Roth is the managing partner of Cypress HomeCare Solutions.

SENIOR LIFESTYLE

Experiences of SS St. Louis survivor still color her life today

ERICA SILVERMAN | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Holocaust survivor Ronnie Breslow, a Jewish woman who fled Germany as a child, is still fighting anti-Semitism and educating young people and the community about her escape from the Nazi regime 80 years later.

Breslow, 88, lives in suburban Philadelphia and actively lectures students about her experience and combating prejudice by voting and knowing our government representatives. She makes regular speaking appearances across the region at high schools, colleges and universities, religious centers and museums, including the National Museum of American Jewish History.

“I am concerned by ever-increasing anti-Semitism in Europe, in universities across the U.S. and now in our U.S. legislature,” Breslow said. “Freedom is our most importance asset as Americans.”

Breslow was one of a few Jewish children in her small town of Kirchheim, Germany. Before World War II, German society was totally integrated, she said. Her father, Gustav Reutlinger, could trace his German ancestry to the 15th century.

“Before I left Germany, there were parades daily” by the Nazi regime, Breslow said. “The earliest supporters of the regime were the lawyers, medical doctors and the Ph.Ds,” she explained, while “the farmers and the working-class people were slower to accept the ideology.”

Breslow can recall armed Nazi soldiers guarding the door of her parents’ dry goods store to enforce the Nuremberg law prohibiting non-Jewish customers from entering the store.

“The Gestapo purchased my parents’ business for a nominal price and my father was forced to transfer ownership,” she said.

In November 1938, German Jews faced the death and destruction ushered

in by Kristallnacht. An estimated 30,000 Jews were arrested, including Breslow’s uncle, who was sent to Buchenwald Concentration Camp. Breslow’s parents immediately began an evacuation plan.

Breslow and her mother, Elly Reutlinger, boarded a cruise liner in May 1939 — the S.S. St. Louis — en route to Cuba. But when the 938 Jewish refugees aboard, including 200 children, reached Havana on June 2, 1939, they were turned away.

A day later, the captain of the St. Louis, Gustav Schroeder, sent cablegrams to President Franklin Roosevelt asking him to allow the passengers to enter America — or at least the 200 children — but he never responded. Other countries also ignored the request.

“We were so close to America, I could see the bright lights of Miami,” Breslow recalled.

Jews that returned to Germany were sent to concentration camps, so the ship

was redirected to Europe.

On June 17, 1939, after more than a month at sea, four countries offered sanctuary to the passengers. England took 287, France 224, Belgium 214 and Holland 181. After the Germans invaded, an estimated 600 of the 938 passengers were murdered. Breslow was one of the passengers sent to a detention center in Holland. She and her mother eventually gained safe passage to the U.S. and reunited with her father in Philadelphia in November 1939.

In the United States, she had a career as a medical technician and a phlebotomist in a medical laboratory before retiring. Her husband, also a German Jew, died in 2010, but she has two living daughters and a son, along with nine grandchildren. But Breslow’s experiences as a child color her life now.

She recently spoke at a Holocaust Remembrance Day service at a synagogue near where she lives. The congregation

read the names of thousands of victims who perished during the Holocaust for 24 hours as a symbolic, yet intimate promise never to forget.

Breslow said she prefers speaking to students.

“The Holocaust is not officially part of the Pennsylvania teaching curriculum, like in New York and New Jersey, but more educators are keen to include it,” she said.

Many community members share Breslow’s concerns over growing prejudice and anti-Semitism in the U.S.

“Hate and anti-Semitism are on the rise, such as the massacre in Pittsburgh, and all of the horrible incidents in Parkland, Orlando and in Charlottesville have empowered our community to want to make our country more tolerant and inclusive,” said Marissa Kimmel, a communications associate at Temple Sholom, where Breslow spoke.

Prior to the shooting at California's Poway Chabad synagogue, Temple Sholom hosted a forum on hate and anti-Semitism, including voice from community leaders. The forum was prompted by a recent meeting of a white nationalist group known as the American Identity Movement at a bowling alley near the shul, Rabbi Peter Rigler said.

Some Jewish historians are debating the validity of previous narratives about the continuous unfolding of liberalism and gradual

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endless succession of New York and Long Island Jews.

“In NYC, in the east, in Philly, it’s go-go-go-go, aggressive, aggressive. All of a sudden, it was laid-back and slower-paced and, ‘Howdy, thanks for coming into our shop, how can I help you?’ It was polite.”

Big-city life came calling again, and he moved to Philadelphia to get his LL.M. If not for that meeting, Drucker said, he’d probably be teaching law somewhere. “It taught me how to persevere, it taught me how to market a product, it taught me customer service, it taught me television production,” he said. “It was just invaluable.”

When he was done with the leading the league in 1986 (“burned out completely”), he transitioned to finding TV audiences for the CBA. He came to be familiar with soon-to-be legendary ESPN anchor and commentator Bob Ley, who called games for the CBA for two years. In 1989,

disappearance of anti-Semitism in America.

“There is no doubt that incidents of anti-Semitism have increased over the last few years across the country,” said Beth Wenger, history department chair at the University of Pennsylvania, but “we must be careful not to overreact by assuming the majority of Americans hold such views.”

“Anti-black, anti-Jewish, and antiimmigrant sentiments have long been

Drucker left the CBA, and soon after got a call from Ley.

Rumor had it that Pete Rose was going to be suspended by Major League Baseball for gambling on games. If you were Rose’s lawyer, Ley asked him, how would you defend yourself? Drucker thought about it, jotted some notes down, and sent them to Ley.

The following week, SportsCenter called Drucker, and asked him if he would give some advice to Chris Myers, now a Fox Sports figure, about how to address the legal questions on air. He one-upped them, and said that he’d like to simply say what needed to be said on-air himself. After some hemming and hawing, he got his time, and so impressed his producers that he was given a three-year contract to become a legal correspondent for the league.

He left ESPN to become the commissioner of the fledgling Arena Football League on June 1, 1994. Two weeks later, he got a call about covering the fallout from O.J. Simpson’s white Ford Bronco chase. He respectfully declined; besides, how long

intertwined in America,” Wenger said, and, “Targeting these groups has long been a trope of white supremacist movements in the United States, and certainly we are living in a moment of heightened nationalist feeling that often creates a backlash against all these groups.”

A complete memoir of Breslow’s life, written by elementary school teacher Lise Marlowe, can be accessed at renatereutlinger-stlouis.com. JN

could the trial go on?

He spent a few years with the AFL, before selling the team. For the first time in 20 years, he found himself with nothing to do. Finally, his wife, Fran, said he could move those big boxes of comic books out of the house.

His mother had been begging him to do the same since 1969. OK, he said. After he got a lowball offer on a collection he believed to be worth at least $10,000, he turned to a little thing called the World Wide Web.

Only 2 percent of Americans had bought something online at that point. But Drucker had a hunch, mostly based on the success of an online bookseller called Amazon, that selling comics to customers all over the world could work. The site was up and running on Jan. 1, 2000. That night, it had three orders.

In the 20 years since, the stockpile of comics owned by his website, NewKadia, has grown to close to a million; in 2017, it sold 250,000 comic books. All in another job’s work for Jim Drucker. JN

Exceptional Care, Style, and Peace of Mind

Discover the confidence of CARF® accredited senior living services in a beautiful & 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.

Wednesday, May 15th • 3:00pm

You’re invited to our Open House. Enjoy refreshments & musical entertainment while experiencing the lifestyle offered at La Siena. To RSVP, please call 602.635.2602.

Above: Ronnie Breslow in Germany before starting first grade

Left: Ronnie Breslow holds her memoir after speaking to students. PHOTOS COURTESY OF RONNIE BRESLOW

Is all of Jewish leadership work holy? The notion of meta-holiness

PARSHAH ACHAREI MOT LEVITICUS 16:1–18:30

We often think of scrolls, clergy and the synagogue as physical representations of the realm of holiness in the Jewish conception. But is the work of all Jewish communal leadership holy? Is there anything that we can do — those in leadership and those in the community — to achieve an ultimate sense of holiness among us? In searching for a compelling Jewish notion for the holy — the emphasis of this week’s Torah portion of Acharei Mot — let’s appraise several approaches of leadership that encourages holiness to bloom.

Communal ethics. Holiness is foremost about community. Jewish law requires a minyan for prayers concerned with specific holiness. It is not only about giving to others, but also seeing value in all others. Moshe tells the people: “vli’hi’otkhah am kadosh l’Hashem Elokekhah” - That we be a holy nation to the Lord (Deuteronomy 26:19). There is an individual ethic as well, of course: “Kedoshim ti’hiyu” - You shall be holy (Leviticus 19:2). This latter point

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an adult the explosion of new-millennium anti-Semitism, first of the international variety and then the homegrown scourge it’s become. In 2008, when Pakistani terrorists murdered the occupants of the Chabad House in Mumbai, I was among the group of Chabad personnel to speak with the terrorists in the fruitless attempt to negotiate. Last year, I dispatched reporters to cover the worst anti-Semitic attack in the modern U.S. history.

I’ve witnessed the spread of this hatred. And I’ve listened to countless friends from both sides excuse it as the other guy’s problem. And I’ve had enough.

Just last week, celebrants at Passover Seders the world over recited the story of the Haggadah, reliving its message that in every generation, there have been those who have risen up to destroy us. But it’s easy to forget that the responsibility to

is a mandate that each individual should be a holy nation through emulating God’s ways. Separatism and asceticism . For Ramban and Rashi, holiness is more individualistic, concerned with separatism and asceticism. For Ramban, attaining holiness is about going beyond the letter of the law and avoiding excesses. Holiness as asceticism goes further. The Vilna Gaon was the exemplar of the concept of “pat bemelach tochal,” that one should subsist on bread and salt. Here we might ask ourselves where materialism outshines our spiritual and intellectual pursuits in our lives.

Coming close to the other. For others, holiness simply means anything having to do with encountering the other or the ultimate Other. In the human realm, the late philosopher Emmanuel Levinas writes: “Holiness represents the moment at which, in the human…the concern for the other breaches concern for the self.” For Chassidim and Kabbalists, many rab-

deliver us from bondage belongs not only to the Almighty. It is up to us to prepare the world for the ultimate redemption. We’re never going to get there if we keep battling each other. The responsibility rests on us to answer unbridled hatred with unbridled love. I’m not talking about the kind that we show to the stranger in our midst; I’m talking about the kind we should show to each other.

Now is the time to answer the darkness of the world, a darkness that the unthinking portions of ourselves unintentionally promote, with light. So, this Friday night, light Shabbos candles. Go to synagogue. But even more important, embrace another Jew, especially one whom you’ve subconsciously labeled as the other.

This is more important than what takes place in November next year. Presidents come and go, but right now, nothing less than our very lives is at stake. JN

bis were known as HaKadosh (the holy one), since they achieved a spiritual and cognitive level closest to the Divine (as compared to other approaches of holiness dealing with the behavioral realm).

Holiness for its own sake. It has been claimed by some that the land of Israel is essentially holy, and thus the Jews must fully own and possess it. Others argue the opposite: that because the land is holy, it is God’s and no person or group can ever fully take ownership of it; holiness cannot be a made into a commodity. Rather the holy is good for its own sake, not to achieve some other benefit. For example, Jewish law says that one cannot pass through a synagogue because it is a faster route. The holy is an end in itself, not an instrument for quick satisfaction or material fulfillment.

None of these models are mutually exclusive; we may or may not buy into them. Yet we could favor aspects of these approaches if our community is to thrive for generations to come. All in the community have a unique purpose and a way to contribute to building the holiness of shared values through partnership.

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percent of Republicans said the same. And, according to Pew, the percentage in both parties who believe Jews face “a lot” of discrimination has doubled since 2016 — from 15 percent to 28 percent among Democrats and from 9 percent to 20 percent among Republicans.

The survey found that Democrats perceive more discrimination against minorities than Republicans, whose views on this subject have not changed much in recent years. Indeed, the only groups besides Jews that Republicans identify as experiencing increased discrimination now are evangelicals, whites and men.

While the majority of those surveyed say that blacks, Muslims, Hispanics, gays and lesbians, and Jews experience discrimination, all of the percentages have stayed nearly the same since 2016. There are two exceptions: Republicans

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A call to action for the leaders in this community is this: Embrace the “metaholiness” and provide the space necessary for a synthesis of different approaches of holiness. Whether one is a rabbi, educator, director, philanthropist, academic, social worker or volunteer, one nurtures a system that enables the actualization of holy potential; leadership actualizes a role of meta-holiness.

While we should strive to live as individuals along the holy path and contribute to holy communities as we see fit, we can also play a role of actualizing meta-holiness, providing others the opportunities to think, grow and have an impact. This is perhaps the pinnacle of holiness when we embrace humility to create spaces for meaningful holy expressions that allows everyone to spread their wings and soar. JN

perceive less discrimination against gays and lesbians than in 2016; and both Democrats and Republicans perceive increased discrimination against Jews. That uniform recognition — even if the precise percentages vary — makes clear that we need to support communal and national efforts to expose, confront and defend against anti-Semitism wherever and whenever it rears its hateful head.

Jews are clearly at risk. We need to be vigilant. At the same time, our community needs to continue to be sensitive to and defend against discrimination against other minorities, since the shared fight against prejudice in all of its forms helps elevate the effort to counter discrimination that hits closest to home. We are our communal brothers’ keepers, and we want them to be ours.

Pew tells us that increasing percentages of us are recognizing discrimination. We now need to focus on uniting to fight against it. JN

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz is the president and dean of Valley Beit Midrash.

TORAH

SHABBAT CANDLE LIGHTING

ENDS

Find our online listing of area congregations at jewishaz.com. You can also find the listing in our 2018 Annual Community Directory, available Sept. 13.

RABBI DR. SHMULY YANKLOWITZ

Anna Maria Island: Barrier Island Paradise

JEFF & VIRGINIA ORENSTEIN | CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Do you like pristine white-sand beaches, turquoise blue water and gorgeous ocean sunsets? Do you dream about unwinding and experiencing a laid-back “island time” vacation? Do you enjoy good food with a water view?

If so, you are in luck.

The island paradise of Anna Maria Island in the Gulf of Mexico awaits you just across the intercoastal waterway from Bradenton, Florida. It has all of that and more.

Easily reached and close to Sarasota’s cultural attractions and the big-city amenities of Tampa and St. Petersburg, Anna Maria is only a few hundred yards from the mainland but it has a vibe of its own that is unique this side of the Caribbean. No wonder it attracts so many destination weddings and friends and family getaways.

The island had an old Florida feel. Wander around and take in its classic Florida cracker architecture, its kitschy shops, a welcome absence of high rises and several free public beaches.

While Anna Maria’s main drags and popular restaurants can be crowded, especially in the late winter-early spring “high season,” the island abounds with nooks and cul-de-sacs and off-the-beatenpath places where solitude can be found with ease.

Before you go, check out:

• annamariaislandchamber.org/ visitus

• visitflorida.com/en-us/cities

• anna-maria-island/anna-mariaisland.html

• visitannamaria.com

Getting there and getting around:

Anna Maria can be reached by air, highway, public transport, cruise ship and rail.

• There is a free trolley that circulates between Coquina Beach and major points on the island. The Manatee bus system (MCAT) connects with the trolley from the mainland. From Sarasota, the Longboat Key Trolley runs from Coquina Beach to downtown Sarasota via Longboat Key and St. Armand’s Circle. The fare is 75 cents — and less for seniors.

• By car, Anna Maria can be reached from Interstate 75 and U.S. 41 in Bradenton via the Florida Route 64 and Cortez Avenue bridges. To the south, Gulf Drive South becomes Gulf of Mexico Drive via a bridge to Longboat Key, off Sarasota’s coast.

• The nearest major airport is SarasotaBradenton International (SRQ), at 14 miles distance. St. Pete-Clearwater International (PIE) is 46 miles north, and Tampa International (TPA) is 55 miles away

• The nearest cruise port is Port Tampa at 58 miles. Port Canaveral is 172 miles away

• The nearest Amtrak station is Tampa, 58 miles away. Trains calling there serve

Must-sees for a short trip: Among attractions that you should take in are:

• Bridge Street’s shops, bars and restaurants

• Relaxing on the beach: Coquina Beach, Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach are public. Many area waterfront restaurants also have beautiful beaches patrons may use. The Beach House, The Kokonut Hut and The Sand Bar are noteworthy.

• Taking a free round-trip trolley ride to see the whole island

• Cross the Cortez St. drawbridge and visit the nearby Sea Hagg shop and the authentic, working fishing village of Cortez.

• Having lunch or dinner at a waterfront restaurant. Choices range from elegant to casual. The highly-rated Beach Bistro is upscale, and Anna Maria Oyster Bar on the Bridge Street pier is casual. Both are popular.

If you have several days:

• Rent a bicycle, boat or motorized scooter and explore the island.

• A day trip to Bradenton. Enjoy Old Main Street, the Village of the Arts, the Riverwalk and the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature.

• A day trip to St. Armands Circle (shops and restaurants) and Sarasota. Enjoy the Ringling Art and Circus Museum and many cultural events in season. Waterfront dining at Marina Jack or the rooftop bars at the Westin or the Art Ovation hotels are

• A golf or spa day

• An exploration of trendy downtown St. Petersburg’s museums and eateries.

• Upscale shopping at University Town Center in Lakewood Ranch or International Mall in Tampa.

Ginny O’s tips for dressing the Simply Smart Travel way for Anna Maria:

Casual is the order of the day. Shorts and a sport shirt or blouse or even a bathing suit and a wrap will fit in almost anywhere on the island. Leave the T-shirts on the island. The mainland’s tonier places call for dressy resort casual.

This destination at a glance:

Over 50 Advantage: Getting unplugged, whether at a luxury or casual resort. The laid-back lifestyle is perfect for relaxation but culture and fine-dining are available near. Mobility Level: Low. The island is flat and most places are accessible. Crossing streets can be hazardous when traffic is heavy. When to Go: Year-round. December January and February can have cold days. November and March are usually gorgeous. Summers are hot and sticky with afternoon rain.

Where to Stay: There are scores of B&Bs, guest houses and small hotels on the island. A web search turns up possibilities from bargain to pricey.

Special Travel Interests: The seashore, museums on the mainland JN

Jeffrey and Virginia Orenstein are travel writers from

The tiki huts at the Kokonut Hut Raw Bar and Grill provide an opportunity for meal with a beach view.

The Rod and Reel Pier is a popular spot for Anna Maria anglers. Tampa Bay and the Skyway Bridge to St. Petersburg are visible from the pier. PHOTOS BY JEFF ORENSTEIN

Jewish Anna Maria Island

While there is no significant Jewish life or history on Anna Maria Island, a rich Jewish experience is close by on the mainland.

The first Jewish settlers arrived right before World War I. Until the population boom of the 1950s, the Jewish population remained small and there were few community-wide Jewish organizations and only two synagogues in nearby Sarasota and Manatee counties.

The United Jewish Appeal annual campaign grew along with the population in the second half of the 20th century and was the catalyst for today’s significant Jewish presence, anchored by the Sarasota-Manatee Jewish Federation. Today, in addition to that organization, there are 13 large and small Jewish congregations on the Suncoast.

A history can be found in Kimberly Sheintal’s book Jews of Sarasota Manatee. She traces Jewish life from the explorers of the 1840s, through Confederate Secretary of State Judah Benjamin’s brief exile there through the prominent Jews of today’s Sarasota cultural and commercial landscape.

Both Sarasota and Manatee (Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch) counties have attracted throngs of Jewish “snowbirds” (winter seasonal residents) and a rapidlygrowing community of permanent Jewish residents who have emigrated from the Northeastern and Midwestern United States.

The current observant Jewish population is estimated by BestPlaces.net to be about 1.5 percent of the total population and is about double the percentage than for the rest of Florida. The region’s Jewish

population is generally affluent. There are also about 15,000 people in Manatee and Sarasota counties who identify themselves as Jewish but are not members of any congregation.

Jews are active in the political and community life of the region, holding elective offices and important community positions.

The Sarasota-Bradenton urban complex on the mainland has an active Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee, a Jewish Family and Children’s Service, a Jewish housing campus in Sarasota, and Jewish food and film f estivals.

The two counties have synagogues covering the spectrum of Jewish life from Humanistic Judaism to Chabad. According to the Synagogue Council of Sarasota-Manatee, (11 including Humanistic Judaism, Kol HaNeshama, Ner Tamid, Jewish Congregation of Venice, Kehillah of Lakewood Ranch, Temple Beth El (Bradenton), Temple Beth El (North Port), Temple Beth Israel, Temple Beth Sholom, Temple Emanu-El and Temple Sinai) there are enough practicing Jews to support these congregations. Several Chabad congregations are also active there.

The closest congregations to Anna Maria are Reform Temple Beth Israel on Longboat Key, Chabad of West Bradenton and Anna Maria and Reform Congregation Ner Tamid in Bradenton.

Kosher food to go can be found at Jo-El’s Delicatessen and Marketplace in St. Petersburg and large local grocery chains stock some kosher items yearround and kosher-for-Passover supplies.

As viewed from the Rod and Reel Pier, the waves of the Gulf of Mexico wash against the beach at high tide as a few intrepid waders enjoy the warm waters.

Toby Weinstein Broker Associate

Upcoming Special Sections

Review: ‘The Last Survivors’

BY JARED FORETEK | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The most affecting scene in “The Last Survivors,” a documentary full of them, occurs at Auschwitz. With his daughter and granddaughter, Ivor Perl has returned to the concentration camp for the first time since 1945, when the Hungarian-born boy was liberated after the murder of his mother and seven siblings.

Perl, now 88, ells his daughter he can’t go inside. “Enough is enough,” he says.

Perl sits outside on a bench with a blank look on his face. His daughter leans in for an embrace. “I just wish you could cry a bit,” she whispers in his ear.

“You know, Judy, all I can tell you is that I’m crying in my heart,” Perl says.

“The Last Survivors,” which premiered on PBS’ “Frontline” on April 30, is ostensibly about the dwindling number of Holocaust survivors, and the importance of their memories living on. But it is also about trauma — how people confront it or don’t — and how it’s passed along for generations.

Director Arthur Cary’s film features five Holocaust survivors: sculptor Maurice Blik, Susan Pollack, German cellist Anita LaskerWallfisch, Manfred Goldberg and Perl, who now lives in England. Other survivors are scattered through the documentary’s 52 minutes.

The film comes at a time when concern about preserving the memory of the Holocaust is growing. According to a 2018 survey from the Claims Conference, 66 percent of millennials do not know what Auschwitz was and 41 percent of them think that 2 million or fewer Jews died during the Holocaust.

Lasker-Wallfisch, who shows little emotion in her interviews and refuses any sympathy for what she went through as a young girl at Auschwitz, fears that a rise in European ethno-nationalism could threaten the safety of Jews there. In fact, she says, Nazis never really went away; their ideology has lived on.

“We cannot blame today’s young people if they refuse to identify with these crimes,” Lasker-Wallfisch tells the Bundestag. “But to deny that this is part of German history, that must not happen.”

Her daughter, meanwhile, is more willing to grapple with her emotion. She recalls growing up with an emotionally absent

mother, anxiously picking at her face when she was a child and feeling guilty for not being more grateful.

Lasker-Wallfisch, though, continues to insist that she and her family have nothing

to dwell on. “I’m sorry, I will not elaborate on second-generation trauma. For me, anybody who’s got a roof over their head and enough food, forget the trauma,” she says.

But her daughter, Maya, isn’t interested in papering over the wounds.

“A lot of my difficulties were to do with trauma,” Maya says to her mother. “Why was I so disturbed? Why was I picking my face when I was 2? … The reason you were always absent was because of the Holocaust.”

Sculptor Blik tells a story of being about 5 years old, waiting for his young sister’s first birthday in Auschwitz. He sculpted a carrot into a little boat.

“She died and I couldn’t give her this present. And years later when I had therapy, the therapist said, ‘Well, this was your first sculpture and that’s stayed with you ever since.’ … While I’ve wanted to make sculpture, it was never a lovely experience, it was a struggle, it was a torment.”

For most of the documentary, repression is the theme. Goldberg never knew what happened to his younger brother, but the film shows his journey to acknowledging that the two will never, in fact, be reunited. Only at the end does he allow his emotion to overcome him.

But the takeaway from Cary’s work is that there’s so much trauma that has gone unremarked upon. Perhaps the concern over keeping the memory alive is missing the point; we’ve never fully accounted for the psychological horror that the Holocaust visited on those who survived it. Some stories are just too painful

tell.

“I haven’t been able to cry, I think,” says Pollack, whose parents were killed at Auschwitz, “because I think the crying would have no end.” JN

Ben Hecht’s ‘A Flag is Born:’ 7 p.m.,Temple Solel, 6805 E. McDonald Drive, Paradise Valley. To honor Israel’s 70th birthday year, Temple Solel congregants will present Ben Hecht’s “A Flag is Born.” Among the congregants involved are Patsy Parker, the director, who found the script and propelled the creation of the project, and Cantor Roger Eisenberg, who is the musical director. Doors open at 6:15 and tickets are $10 at the door. For more, contact Allison Collins at abcollins66@gmail. com or 636-346-1256.

Events

THURSDAY, MAY 2

Memory Cafe presents All that Jazz with Wallace and Lewis: 10-11:30 a.m., Beth El Congregation, 1118 W. Glendale Ave., Phoenix. As musicians specializing in interactive music workshops for those living with all stages of dementia and cognitive impairment, Wallace and Lewis have developed the Musical Memory Care Workshop (MMCW) that provides participants with consistency, love, empathy, respect and sincerity through music — the ingredients paramount for positive outcomes. Join in for an upbeat morning of music and fun. There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. The Café is open to people of all backgrounds. To register or for further information, e-mail Kathy.rood@jfcsaz.org or call Kathy at 602-452-4627.

Yom Hashoah

THURSDAY, MAY 2

Yom Hashoah exhibit tour & lecture: 11 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Bjorn Krondorfer, director of the Martin-Springer Institute at Northern Arizona University, will lead a tour and discussion of “Through the Eyes of Youth: Life and Death in the Bedzin Ghetto.” Cost is $14,

includes kosher lunch. Reservations required by April 29: evjcc.org/yom-hashoah-2019.

Yom Hashoah documentary: 1 p.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. The documentary “Shalom Italia” is about three Italian Jewish men who journey through Tuscany hoping to rediscover the cave where they hid from Nazis as children. Free. Reservations required at evjcc.org/ yom-hashoah-2019.

Holocaust education workshop for educators: 4-5:30 p.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Bjorn Krondorfer, director of the Martin-Springer Institute at Northern Arizona University, will lead a workshop for high school and college educators and a tour of “Through the Eyes of Youth: Life and Death in the Bedzin Ghetto.” Free. Reservations required: evjcc.org/ yom-hashoah-2019.

East Valley Yom Hashoah commemoration: 6 p.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Presentations by Holocaust survivor Marion Weinzweig, author of “Lonely Chameleon,” and Bjorn Krondorfer, director of the Martin-Springer Institute at Northern Arizona University. Candle-lighting ceremony and procession. Service by Rabbi Michael Beyo. Free. Reservations required: evjcc.org/yom-hashoah-2019.

80 years later - What does ‘never again’ mean?: 7-8:30 p.m., Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Sponsored by The Phoenix Holocaust Association in collaboration with The Bureau of Jewish Education & The Jewish Community Relations Council. Featured panelists include Dr. Alex Alvarez, Professor of Criminology & Criminal Justice, NAU and Sheila Polk, Yavapai County Attorney. The event will be moderated by Rabbi Pinchas Allouche of Congregation Beth Tefillah. Admission is free. Register at eventbrite. com/e/80-years-later-what-does-neveragain-mean-registration-57473080531

SUNDAY, MAY 5

Communitywide Yom Hashoah Commemoration: 3-4:30 p.m., Congregation Or Tzion, 16415 N. 90th St., Scottsdale. Please join the Phoenix Holocaust Association for the community-wide Yom HaShoah (Holocaust) Commemoration. Included in the commemoration will be candle lighting by Survivors to represent the 6 Million lost, a Survivor reflection, as well as songs with local Cantors and Cantorial Soloists. For more information please visit phoenixhsa. org or contact 602-788-7003.

Yom Hashoah at Temple Beth Shalom: 3 p.m., Temple Beth Shalom, 12202 N. 101st Ave., Sun City. Rabbi Tracey Rosen, Beth Emeth Congregation, Sun City West, will lead the service. The guest speaker is Judge Wendy Morton and Rabbi Shelly Moss of Temple Beth Shalom, Sun City, will also

participate. All members of the community are welcomed encourages to attend.

Meetings, Lectures & Classes

TUESDAY, MAY 7

Terrific Tuesdays: 10-11:30 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Speaker: Kathy Rood and Janet Arnold Rees of JFCS. Topic: The Healthy Brain Ages 55-plus. Suggested donation: $4. 480-8970588 or adrian@evjcc.org.

THURSDAY, MAY 9

Class on the Book of Samuel: 9 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Led by Rabbi Michael Beyo. Free. Registration required: evjcc.org/ open-beit-midrash

Talmud class: 10 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Led by Rabbi Michael Beyo. Topic: Is Nothing Sacred? What is essential about Judaism? Cost: $14. Registration required: evjcc.org/ open-beit-midrash

Speaker series: 11 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Speaker: Rabbi Michael Beyo. Topic: Open conversation with the community: State of Israel: Normalization vs. Utopia. Cost: $14, includes kosher lunch. Registration required: evjcc. org/open-beit-midrash

TUESDAY, MAY 14

Terrific Tuesdays: 10-11:30 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Speaker: Patrick Ventura, Phoenix Art Museum docent. Topic: Latin American Art Before Columbus. Ages 55-plus. Suggested donation: $4. 480-897-0588 or adrian@ evjcc.org.

‘Black and Jewish: Living As a Double Minority in Phoenix Today’: 7 p.m., private home near 56th St. and Camelback Road (address will be provided upon RSVP). Please join fellow young professionals in their 20s and 30s to hear the engaging, inspiring story of Andre Ivory, a dynamic Jewish educator who has been part of the Jewish community now for 20 years. Then stay for dessert and socializing in this beautiful setting at the base of Camelback Mountain. Presented by the Shabbat Dinner Club. Suggested donation: $10. RSVP by Fri., May 10, to Randi at randijablin@gmail.com

THURSDAY, MAY 16

Class on the Book of Samuel: 9 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Led by Rabbi Michael Beyo. Free. Registration required: evjcc.org/ open-beit-midrash

Talmud class: 10 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Led by Rabbi Michael Beyo. Topic: Masturbation in Jewish Law. Cost: $14. Registration required: evjcc.org/open-beit-midrash

Speaker series: 11 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Speaker: Rabbi Michael Beyo, EVJCC CEO. Screening of “Sacred Sperm” documentary, followed by discussion. Cost: $14, includes kosher lunch. Registration required: evjcc.org/ open-beit-midrash

Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration: 5-7:30 p.m. East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Live music by Gal Drimmer and Erez Kessler, Israeli dancing, children’s activities. Kosher food from Chick-In available for sale. Admission: $11 adults, $6 children. Tickets: evjcc.org/yom-haatzmaut.

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 Caplan prior to Saturday-morning services. A light breakfast will be served.

EVERY SATURDAY

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

Children & Families

SUNDAY, MAY 5

Playdate in the Park: 10-11:30 a.m., East Valley JCC Early Childhood Learning Center at Espee Splash Pad, 450 E. Knox Road, Chandler. pam@evjcc.org.

Temple Beth Shalom Brotherhood Mother’s Day Brunch: 10:30 a.m., Temple Beth Shalom, 12202 N. 101st Ave., Sun City. Temple Beth Shalom Brotherhood will hold a Mother’s Day Brunch featuring prepared by the Brotherhood Chefs. There will be live entertainment by guitarist, singer Eric Laubach. Bingo, prizes and more! Cost is $14 per person. Children under 10, $5.

Arts

FRIDAY, MAY 5

“The Last” film premiere: 7 p.m., Harkins Shea 14, 7354 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale. The survivors of four generations of a Jewish family are rocked to their core when the family’s 92-year-old matriarch makes a stunning confession. The film stars Rebecca Schull and is directed by Jeff Lipsky. JN

A mitzvah meetup

Temple Chai took sixth-graders in its religious school program and their families up to Camp Daisy and Harry Stein as they prepare for their b’nai mitzvahs starting in the fall.

Meeting Gloria

Valley Beit Midrash’s Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz celebrated Passover with feminist icon and activist Gloria Steinem.

Special delivery

Volunteers prepare meals for the East Valley JCC’s Ladles of Love program on April 14. Through the program, kosher meals are prepared and delivered to people in need across the Valley. The April 14 delivery included boxes of matzah and toiletries collected by sixth- and seventh-graders at Beth El Congregation’s Talmud Torah.

Honoring the liberators

Opening night of the Arizona Jewish Historical Society’s new exhibit ‘We Remember - The Liberators’ on April 12 featured some patriotic moments. The exhibit features the stories of 10 Allied liberators of Nazi concentration camps, and runs through September.

BY

Passover food drive

Rabbi Jeremy Schneider leads congregants at Sprouts Farmers Market on Tatum for Temple Kol Ami’s annual spring food drive on April 28.

ZACHARY LEE DAITCH

Zachary Lee Daitch will become a bar mitzvah on May 18, 2019, at Congregation Beth Israel. He is the son of Mandy and Jim Daitch of Paradise Valley.

Grandparents are Candy and Joel Arthur of Paradise Valley and Cindy and Harold Daitch of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

For his mitzvah project, Zachary participated in Miracle League, an organization that teaches kids with disabilities how to play baseball.

A student at Phoenix Country Day School, Zachary enjoys baseball, music, mountain biking, skiing and tennis. JN

Lois Boshes Chanen passed away on April 25, 2019, leaving behind an iconic story of growing up in mid-century Phoenix, Arizona. Born on Feb. 13, 1932, in Hollywood, California, she came to Phoenix at age 2 and brought with her the Hollywood style that would last her entire life. Growing up in a town of less than 50,000 people on the then-north side of the city near the Heard Museum, she witnessed the growth of Phoenix over the decades: sleeping with wet sheets hung on the porch in the ’30s before air conditioning came to Arizona, working at her parents’ downtown store and performing piano recitals in the ’40s, riding in big Chevrolets to go to malt shops and sock hops in the ’50s, and marrying Phoenix businessman Herman Chanen shortly after her 18th birthday.

Leading an active married life, and raising a family in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, she was purposefully dedicated to being a full-time wife and mother, never missing a school activity, bake sale, Little League game or philanthropic event. She performed volunteer work for Doctor’s Hospital, the Greater Phoenix Heart Ball, Barrow Neurological Institute and the Phoenix Symphony Ball while frequenting Guggy’s Coffee Shop, Durant’s, Goldwater’s Department Store and the Arizona Biltmore. In the 1960s, then-national magazine Look published a story about the Chanen family focused on Herman’s growing construction business and Lois’ style and grace, likening her to film actress Marilyn Monroe. Her style was also documented in an encyclopedia article about Arizonan Barry Goldwater.

By the early ’90s, Lois became a grandparent and loved passing on her wisdom, style and grace to a new generation of Chanen women, while playing bridge with friends, celebrating happy occasions and complaining that Phoenix became too big a city. She will be lovingly remembered for always showing her love to those she cared about, her avant-garde style, her unique expressions and sense of humor, her indefinable mystique and her beautiful smile. Lois is predeceased by her beloved parents, Etta and Samuel Boshes, and her brother, Marshall Boshes. She is survived by sons Steven Chanen (Jeanne) and Marc Chanen, exhusband Herman Chanen and granddaughters Rachel, Lauren and Leah Chanen. Services were held on Sunday, April 28, 2019, at Congregation Beth Israel. In lieu of flowers, for those who desire, a contribution is suggested to the Chanen Preschool at Congregation Beth Israel. Arrangements by Sinai Mortuary.

Donald Fox, 85, of Phoenix Ariz., peacefully passed away April 15, 2019. He was born and raised in Detroit, Mich.

Don was a devoted and loving husband for 63 years to Joan Nancy Fox, who passed away January 13, 2019.

He is survived by his children Ken (Rosalyn) Fox of Buffalo Grove, Ill., Rick (Ilana) Fox of Tsoran, Israel, and Erika (Steven) Freeman of Phoenix; beloved grandchildren Liat (Shai) Drach, Natalie (Steven) Klumb, Tal Fox, Laine Fox, Shani Fox, and Aylah and Lindsey Freeman.

Contributions can be made to American Friends of Bar-Ilan University (afbiu.org) or Wounded Warrior Project (www.woundedwarriorproject.org). Services were held April 19, 2019, at Mt. Sinai Cemetery, Phoenix.

Adrien Shalowitz Herzberg, 79, passed away peacefully on April 11 surrounded by family after a brief illness. Adrien was born in Chicago, Illinois, the oldest of three siblings to Faye and Samuel Wallerstein. She grew up in Chicago attending Northwestern University and Loyola Graduate School. She married Herbert Shalowitz and made Chicago home until 1980 when they relocated to Scottsdale. Adrien began her tenure with Jewish Family & Children’s Service in 1980 as a social worker. She was named executive director of JFCS in 1987 and served in that role until her retirement in 1998. During Adrien’s career, JFCS emerged as an innovative leader in behavioral health and social services. Adrien was treasured by her family and friends and will be greatly missed by her family, friends and community. Adrien was predeceased by Lisa (daughter), Herbert and Michael Herzberg. She is survived by her two sons and their spouses: Ronald (David) and Stuart (Shannon); and her two grandchildren, Hadley and Leo, and many other family members. Memorial contributions can be made to Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix at jcfphoenix.org.

BAR MITZVAH

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problem is not as big, but still has an impact on prisoners and visitors. But that has not stopped the Aleph Institute from providing its services.

pain with opioids and helping

Educators, parents, grapple with talking to children about trauma

JANET PEREZ MANAGING EDITOR

It’s become a depressingly familiar rite that parents must go through with their children every time there is a mass shooting. But for Jewish parents, the massacre at a synagogue in Pittsburgh has burned with the anguish of thousands of years. Children have heard and talked about shootings in schools and malls, but talking about a shooting

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