Jewish News, August 9, 2019

HEART 2 HEART

Celebrate Tu B’Av with other Jewish singles.

SENIOR LIFESTYLE

An in-home elevator lets you age in place.

Interfaith vigil held after mass shootings

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

In the wake of the two mass shootings that occurred within 13 hours of each other this weekend, the First Church United Church of Christ of Phoenix hosted a candlelight interfaith vigil to mourn the victims of the shootings. The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Phoenix worked to help bring the vigil together.

“There is no place for hate in Phoenix. There is no place for hate in Arizona,” Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said to vigil attendees. “It is the 216th day of the year. We have already had 251 mass shootings in this country. That is 251 too many. We must demand change. I am not here to offer prayers, but hopeful words for action.”

The vigil was a communal response to a devastating weekend. On Saturday, a shooter killed 22 and injured more than two dozen at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas. On Sunday, another shooter opened fire at a popular nightclub in the Oregon District in Dayton, Ohio, killing nine people and injuring 20.

The president and dean of Valley Beit Midrash, Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, quickly joined the interfaith coalition to help plan the vigil interfaith vigil. Hate wins, he told the gathered mourners, “when it makes us cynical, when it gives us a negative view on the human condition. We come together because we dare not accept the mass shootings as acceptable, as normal. We dare not give up hope in this country and we dare not give white supremacy the upper hand.”

Dr. Howard Kaye will not allow himself to be depressed. He said he can be sad, but the prac ticing rheumatologist chooses to maintain a positive outlook despite the tragedy he faced.

Kaye lost his wife, Lori GilbertKaye, on April 27, 2019, when a shooter entered the Chabad of Poway in Southern California and opened fire. The shooting near

Jewish Yosemite

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

Lori Gilbert-Kaye with her daughter, Hannah, and her husband, Dr. Howard Kaye.

Arizona Faith Network Executive Director Rev. Katie Sexton also spoke at the vigil.

“We are here tonight, again,” Sexton said. “‘Again’ is a word that no one hopes to say as we gather to mourn the mass casualties of the mass shootings. But again, we say tonight we are here, again.”

The JCRC was motivated to help organize the vigil, said JCRC Executive Director Paul Rockower, “because we wanted to help the Jewish community share its sadness and grief alongside other faith communities of the Valley. This was a means for us to express our collective condolences to the families and communities affected by these tragedies, and to understand the ramifications of xenophobia and gun violence, as means to counter these horrific incidents.”

Multiple spiritual and community leaders at the event called for the denouncement of hate-filled acts of violence and the ban of military-grade firearms such as assault rifles.

After the vigil, Yanklowitz talked about the Jewish perspective on gun ownership and the Second Amendment.

“Jewish law is clear on two points,” Yanklowitz said. “Firstly, that we must protect ourselves. Secondly, that we must remove dangerous objects from our homes and from society. It is clear that the current regulations in place fall

Rabbi Bonnie Sharfman of Congregation Kehillah added that there are cases in the Torah that allow for killing a home invader, and provided examples of the Israelites arming themselves. She also referenced The Talmud Avodah Zarah chapter 15b, which states that it is prohibited to sell a weapon to someone who might kill.

“When this was all being written, no one could have possibly predicted that there would be assault weapons like the ones used in the shootings,” Sharfman said. “There is a difference between owning a handgun and an assault weapon that can cause just horrific carnage and should only be used by the military.”

In Arizona, there is no permit, background check or firearms registration

required when buying a handgun from a private individual. The purchaser only needs to be 18 years old. The minimum age requirement to buy a gun from a federally licensed dealer is 21. There is no ban on assault weapon sales in Arizona.

Arizona does have some restrictions on who can purchase a gun. Prohibited possessors include those convicted of a felony, undocumented aliens or anyone who is considered a threat to themselves and others.

As a constitutional carry state, Arizona does not require an individual to have a permit for concealed carry. The state is the third in modern U.S. history to allow the carrying of concealed weapons without a permit, and it is the first state with a large urban population to do so.

Yanklowitz doesn’t believe in banning gun ownership, but he said he wishes there were more sensible and responsible regulations in place to protect families.

“I have found most gun owners to be quite hostile toward studying the Jewish values on this approach,” Yanklowitz said. “For many, their specific interpretation of the Second Amendment was revealed at Sinai.”

Sharfman said that she doesn’t want to go to another vigil and hopes more can be accomplished at the legislative level.

“You should keep praying, sending good thoughts and attending vigils,” Sharfman said. “But this is also a legislative issue, and there’s a lot of power we have in how we vote.” JN

January 4

January 11

January 18

January 25

February 1

February 8

February 15

February 22

March 1

March 15

March 29

April 5

April 12

April 19

May 3

May 17

May 31

June 7

June 21

August 9

August 9

August 30*

September 6

September 13

September 20

September 27

October 4

October 18

November 1

November 15

December 6

December 13

December 20

PUBLISHER | Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR | Liz Spikol

MANAGING EDITOR | Rich Solomon

STAFF WRITER | Nick Enquist

CONTRIBUTORS | Joel Zolondek

ADVERTISING SALES CONSULTANTS | Jodi Lipson

CIRCULATION | Bill Sims

GRAPHIC DESIGNER | Frank Wagner

the day after the Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh.

At the Chabad of Mesa’s “From Darkness to Light” event on Monday, Aug. 5, at the Mesa Arts Center, Kaye shared more about his late wife.

“She kept diaries since she was a child and even at the age of 9, Lori was saying, ‘This neighbor needs this, I helped this person get something.’ They were filled with all of these positive things,” Kaye said. “She was everyone’s best friend.”

Gilbert-Kaye was one of the congregation’s oldest members. She had helped secure the loan for the building Chabad of Poway uses in the early 1990s.

Kaye always knew how much his wife worked to provide good deeds for her community, but he wasn’t aware of the impact of that work until after her funeral. When Kaye saw a large discount from AM Israel Mortuary in San Diego for Lori, he called them to thank them for their benevolence.

“They told me, ‘You don’t understand — Lori was an honorary employee,’ and I asked them what that meant,” Kaye said. “It turns out she had attended every unaccompanied funeral and read messages of comfort to the deceased for the past 20 years. And that blew me away, because I had no idea.”

Originally, this event was supposed to feature Chabad of Poway Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein. However, just a few weeks prior, Goldstein — who had two fingers blown off during the shooting, one of which was reattached — cancelled all of his upcoming speeches due to sustained injuries. Kaye agreed to speak in his stead. This is one of Kaye’s first public speaking engagements since the shooting.

“I wanted the world to focus on who Lori was and how she was taken away,” Kaye said. “From my standpoint, I view her death as a figurative warning canary. She was such a peaceful and pleasant soul, and

to be taken away by such senseless evil, it should have been a warning to the world.”

Kaye kept silent about the shooting for the past three months, in part due to grief and because he wanted to make sure that Lori’s story was remembered properly. His first public acknowledgment of the shooting was in an opinion piece for Newsweek, in which he wrote that his new mission is to make sure that another Poway

During his speech, Kaye talked about educating the world about its inherent moral compass. After Gilbert-Kaye’s death, he focused his attention on the Seven Noahide Laws, which he feels are a strong foundation for spreading his message of better moral understanding. He said that Lori lived by those principals.

For Chabad of Mesa Rabbi Laibel Blotner, the news of the shooting hit close to home. Blotner’s daughter is married to Goldstein’s son. Blotner said that Kaye was the perfect example of the power of Jewish optimism.

“As the tragic events in Poway prove, we the Jewish people do not allow tragedy to define us,” Blotner said. “No matter what time period or events that take place in the world, we as a people believe that better days lie ahead.”

Blotner purposefully held this event just before Tisha B’Av, which is considered the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. He felt that Kaye’s words could continue to inspire people during the somber day.

“You know, Rabbi Goldstein and Dr. Kaye have both experienced a horrific tragedy in their lives, but they continue to inspire others through their actions,” Blotner said. “I hope that everyone who walks out of the event feels hopeful and shares that hope with everyone, Jewish or non-Jewish.”

Kaye shared his condolences for the families of the victims of the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio.

“I always tell people when something like this happens to try and take the high road,” Kaye said. “I know it’s hard to remain positive, but anger and vengeance are wrong and they will only get you into trouble.”

Kaye plans to keep pushing through with his new mission, not just to honor the memory of his late wife, but to better serve his patients.

“I’m a physician, I have my mission and that is to take care of people,” Kaye said. “All of my patients have been wonderful and very supportive of me, and they don’t want me to leave.” JN

Plans and ways to save that fit your lifestyle.

When it comes to saving on your electric bill, you have options. Find what works for you. For example, Stephen saves by running the pool pump before 3 pm, weekdays. Sara saves with tips from our free online Energy Analyzer tool. And the Morales family saves by running the dishwasher after 8 pm on weekdays. Explore all the ways you can save on your electric bill at aps.com/save.

Stephen Saver Choice

Sara Premier Choice

Morales Family Saver Choice Plus

Dr. Howard Kaye, husband of the late Lori Gilbert-Kaye.

PHOTO BY NICK ENQUIST

Tree of Life: On the road to rebuilding

TOBY TABACHNICK | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The process of rebuilding Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue structure — which was the site of a mass shooting in October — has been underway since November, although no plans or designs have yet been drawn.

For the past nine months, the leadership of Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha Congregation has been convening a series of “listening sessions” comprised of community stakeholders sharing their thoughts on what the building in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood should be now that it holds the lamentable distinction of marking the site of the worst anti-Semitic massacre in the history of the United States, as well as being a cherished house of worship.

“We are doing our due diligence,” said Rabbi Hazzan Je rey Myers, spiritual leader of TOL*OLS. “It’s going to take some time.”

e 155-year-old congregation moved from its building on Cra Avenue in Oakland to the corner of Wilkins and Shady in 1952, where it since has served as the spiritual home to generations of worshippers. Since the massacre, the congregation temporarily has been housed at Rodef Shalom Congregation.

Now, decisions have to be made as to what functions the Tree of Life structure will serve going forward, taking into account the building’s signi cance to a host of interested parties, including the congregation’s membership and the worldwide Jewish community, just for starters.

“It’s very complicated,” said Alan Hausman, vice president of TOL*OLS. “ ere are many things to consider, and it’s taking longer than anyone anticipated. Fortunately, none of us has had to do this before, so we are writing the book as we go. But we have started the process.”

e congregation’s immediate past president, Michael Eisenberg, is the chair of the capital repair committee, charged with heading up the process of determining how and what to rebuild.

“I’m nding it’s not just Tree of Life’s decision, although we own the land, we have the name and so forth,” he said. “ ere are a lot of cooks in the kitchen.” at’s where the listening sessions come in.

“When you are designing a building, you have to get an idea of what people want and how they see the current status of what’s there, what their desires are for the future,” Eisenberg said, noting that during the sessions, Rothschild solicits feedback on the economic, social and physical impact of the events of Oct. 27.

So far, there have been seven sessions, with 15 to 20 people at each one. Groups have been convened of young adults, and members of TOL*OLS’s tenants New Light Congregation and Congregation Dor Hadash. A recent session for families of victims and survivors of the massacre drew about 40 people.

“It’s been very enlightening,” said Eisenberg. “You really see how emotion drives physical design. You look at the practicalities of it, what people were really seeing in our

space prior to the event, what they saw as its shortcomings, how their community was a ected by the attack and by being displaced from the Tree of Life building.”

People write down their thoughts on post-it notes that are posted on a board, and then compiled into a manuscript by Rothschild’s team.

“We have transcribed all these thoughts and ideas into a manuscript, completely anonymous, and sorted into those three categories [economic, social and physical], over 30 pages long,” said Rothschild, who has led these sorts of listening sessions in other neighborhoods and for other projects. “It becomes the programming information for future vision as described by the people who have participated.”

A er people write down their thoughts, they have the option of reading them to the group.

One bene t of the process, Rothschild said, is that “people feel their voices are heard, and you are getting speci c ideas from people who will be using the spaces we create.

e manuscript has been written by the people who have been a ected by this trauma, so it’s not an expert swooping in and saying, ‘I think this is what should happen.’”

Although the opinions gathered di er in detail, “you can begin to see how synergy is created by combining concepts that are not identical but can build on each other,” he added. “It’s not a uniform consensus that forms, but it’s bringing a fuzzy picture into focus.”

ere have been a range of ideas communicated by the participants of the sessions.

“It runs the gamut from leveling the building and starting anew to putting it up the way it was, just x it and move on,” Eisenberg said. “At this point anything is on the table.”

Some participants have suggested maintaining the synagogue’s large, main sanctuary, but taking down the central section of the building “because the victims were in that part of the building, and that part of the building is the oldest, so it’s getting to the end of its useful life anyway,” Eisenberg explained. “And then people want to remove the psychological reminders of the incident, so maybe take down the pavilion area as well.”

Rothschild believes the listening sessions have been “cathartic” for those who have attended.

“Some of these ideas have been inside people’s heads and either they have not been able to share them, but certainly they have not been able to hear them from others,” he said. “A lot of this isn’t about content, it’s about processing trauma.”

Eisenberg hopes to have at least one more listening session to which he will invite his entire congregation.

Tree of Life’s responsibility to the wider community is also part of the discussion, as the building may serve, at least in part, as a memorial and a place for visitors to Pittsburgh to pay their respects. To that end, the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh is exploring the possibility of relocating to the Tree of Life property as well.

“Moving to Tree of Life is a great idea, and we’d be foolish not to explore where that could go,” said Lauren

Bairnsfather, director of the Holocaust Center. “It has a natural and powerful connection — the history of the worst anti-Semitic event with the most recent and worst in U.S. history. e potential to honor the victims of October 27 with a commitment to education, community and positive action appeals to us on many levels…. Over the past nine months, our programs have reached more than 10,000 individuals. A larger public space in a location of such signi cance would allow us to have an even greater impact across the region.”

ese last nine months have also found Eisenberg working with insurance adjusters, and organizing the insurers’ required walk-throughs with contractors to determine the cost of repairs to restore the building to its condition prior to the massacre.

In addition to the anticipated insurance funds, the congregation has received donations through the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Victims of Terror Fund, as well as donations made directly to TOL*OLS. Whether additional fundraising will have to be undertaken in order to rebuild is not yet known, because the scope of the project remains undetermined.

While congregational leaders had hoped to have a rm plan in place for rebuilding by the rst anniversary of the attack, “now, it’s going to be a vaguer description of what it will be,” Eisenberg said. “But we are trying to ride a momentum of sentiment to make sure that things are done right up at the corner, and we don’t want to squander the opportunity and we don’t want it to go too long.”

Rothschild’s rm planned the 1995 renovation of the Tree of Life building. Neither it nor any other architectural rm has yet been contracted to work on the building’s design going forward.

In the meantime, TOL*OLS leadership is “gung ho, we are moving ahead with this,” Eisenberg said.

“I’d like to see us get past this ‘Tree of Life is all about the tragedy,’” he continued. “ ere is still a vital community, and there are people who want to be together. We want to build something grand and big and make a model and show that we are strong and that we came back bigger and better than ever. And that’s what we are looking to do.” JN

Toby Tabachnick is the senior staff writer of the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, a Jewish News-affiliated publication. Since Oct. 27, she has written more than 30 articles about the Tree of Life massacre.

The Tree of Life synagogue building PHOTO BY TOBY TABACHNICK

Israeli Jewish woman and Jordanian Muslim man to speak on environment in Paradise Valley

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

Temple Solel Senior Rabbi John Linder first learned about the Arava Institute of Environmental Studies during a sabbatical he took to Israel in the spring. He was looking for organizations that focus on conflict resolution and collaboration in the Middle East, and he came across the AIES.

“What is most compelling and important to me about the AIES is that it brings together Israeli Jews and Palestinian Muslims, and Christians as well, to research the environment,” Linder said. “And on top of that, they get to hear one another’s narratives for the first time.”

Now, the Greater Phoenix area will have an opportunity to hear those narratives as well, when Temple Solel and JNF co-host “The Arava Institute: A Model of Coexistence around Environmental Sustainability,” featuring an Israeli Jewish woman and a Jordanian Muslim man, on Aug. 22.

Founded in 1996, AIES, whose motto is “Nature knows no borders,” is on the Israeli side of the Arava Valley at Kibbutz Ketura. Students who are accepted into the program live together on Kibbutz Ketura while studying subjects like sustainability, environmental law, water management and environmental science.

“What is critical about the Arava Institute is that it is contributing to sustain the environment,” Linder said. “But it is also contributing to sustain what, God willing, will someday be a lasting peace between our peoples.”

Miriam May, the executive director of the Friends of the Arava Institute — a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that supports the institute through fundraising — said that being together in the desert really requires students from disparate backgrounds to communicate with each other. With access to only one pub, one mess hall and one laundry room, the students share so much of their lives that they really have the opportunity to get to know one another.

“A third of our students are Israeli, a third are from neighboring countries and a third are from all over the world,” May said. “They’re dealing with environmental issues that won’t wait for some peace process between countries that may or may never come.”

May added that the alumni visiting Phoenix, Odeliya Matter and Mohammad Azraq, are two of the institute’s best and brightest.

Matter, who was born and raised in Jerusalem, spent some time traveling in Europe before attending two semesters at the AIES, where she studied

ODELIYA MATTER

MOHAMMAD AZRAQ

grassroots activism, environmental development and community-based collaborations.

Mohammad Azraq was born to Jordanian parents in Kuwait City, Kuwait, and attended the institute during the 2010-2011 academic year. After his time there, he was awarded the Atkin Fellowship for Arab Israeli Peace by the War Studies Department of King’s College London, where he published a paper on grassroots community initiatives for renewable energy generation in West Bank villages.

Linder will act as a moderator for the event, where he expects Matter and Azraq, two very passionate people, to lead by example with their collaboration. May also anticipates the evening to be inspiring.

“This is something that people can be motivated and energized around,” May said. “We want to bring this message of what is possible to folks everywhere. We’re demonstrating how our students learn that by being in dialogue with each other and understanding the other.”

The event is being co-sponsored by the Jewish National Fund as part of its blueprint to revitalize the Negev Desert,

Jane Jozoff, a Temple Solel member and one of the chairs for the upcoming event, has been working with AIES since 2017. She was named a trustee of the Friends of the Arava Institute by the JNF that year and serves as a board member for AIES. She said that a

in part by increasing the number of residents in the Central Arava Valley. JNF has been an official partner of the AIES since 2002, raising money for scholarships and funds for a capital campaign to build the campus.

JNF will also make it possible for Azraq and Matter to speak in Las Vegas on Aug. 21 and in Denver on Aug. 28.

“I know that JNF is very dedicated to building the Negev and Arava,” May said. “We’re honored to be working with them to bring the AIES to a larger audience and grateful for all their support.”

benefit of this program is that the graduates don’t stop working on environmental problem-solving after they leave AIES, and it helps expand their worldview.

“The reason I’m so in favor of it is because it’s my belief that the only way we’ll ever have peace in the Middle East is through communication of the various factions,” Jazoff said. “I think it’s very important to bring people together to move forward and know that we’re all really the same, because that’s really the end result. We all want the same thing for our families and in our communities.”

JN

Rabbi John Linder will moderate the event at Temple Solel “The Arava Institute: A Model of Coexistence around Environmental Sustainability” on Aug. 22.

“A THIRD OF OUR STUDENTS ARE ISRAELI, A THIRD ARE FROM NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES AND A THIRD ARE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD,” MAY SAID. “THEY’RE DEALING WITH ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES THAT WON’T WAIT FOR SOME PEACE PROCESS BETWEEN COUNTRIES THAT MAY OR MAY NEVER COME.”

Rabbi Yosef Garcia honored at memorial

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

Rabbi Mindie Snyder of Congregation

Lev Shalom in Flagstaff chose to honor the late Rabbi Yosef Garcia — the president of the Association of CryptoJews of the Americas and founder of Avde Torah Jayah in Chandler, and a friend to Snyder — not by just mentioning his achievements as a spiritual leader, but by focusing on a love story.

Snyder led a memorial service for Garcia on Sunday, July 28, at the Valley of the Sun JCC. There she told the story of how Garcia met his wife, Yvonne, and the great lengths the two went to stay together.

“Yosef had accepted a job in Colorado, but Yvonne was going to school at University of California Davis,” Snyder told listeners. “After a few months, it just wasn’t working and he left Colorado for California to be with her.”

The two also had two weddings, one in 1985 and a civil ceremony in 1987. And

then, in 2003, the Garcias celebrated their holy union in the Jewish tradition.

“Just to be sure,” Snyder joked.

Yvonne and her son, James Garcia, shared a slideshow showing her and her husband as a young couple, raising their son and a dozen more photos of the rabbi and several of his congregants.

Garcia died on June 16 at 62.

In a life filled with a strong commitment to Sephardi Jews, Garcia was mostly remembered for his love of the Jewish community and acceptance of everyone he met.

Other rabbis and some of Garcia’s congregants told personal stories about the rabbi. While all the stories were different, the speakers unanimously agreed that Garcia’s optimism, energy and eagerness were infectious.

“I was sitting with him just a week before he passed,” James Garcia recalled.

“I was a little tired and I told him that things were a little tough. He smiled at me and said that I needed to always

remember the reason why I put in the work and he said that I would be able to find that joy.”

The immediate past president of the Board of Rabbis of Greater Phoenix, Rabbi Robert Kravitz, said that Garcia’s personal warmth and friendliness were wonderful. He added that Garcia also gave the biggest hugs.

“His devotion to bringing folks back into the family of Jews to their everlasting heritage will be a historical tribute to the community,” Kravitz said. “Through his teachings and travels, he developed an extended family.”

Garcia also served on the Board of Rabbis.

Garcia was ordained as a rabbi in 2003 by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi — also known as Reb Zalman, a founder of the Jewish Renewal movement. Throughout his career as a rabbi, Garcia welcomed many other crypto-Jews — decedents of Sephardi Jews — into the

With support from Jewish National Fund, the Arava Institute advances cross-border environmental cooperation in the face of political conflict and also educates and prepares f uture leaders f rom Israel, the P alestinian Territories, Jordan, and around the world to c ooperatively s olve the pressing environmental challenges o f our time.

FEATURING ARAVA INSTITUTE ALUMNI

Mohammed Azraq Odeliya Matter

MODERATOR Rabbi John Linder, Temple Solel

Thursday, August 22, 2019

7:00 – 8:30 pm

Temple Solel

President of the Association of Crypto-Jews of the Americas and founder of Avdey Torah Jayah in Chandler Rabbi Yosef Garcia was honored at a memorial on July 28, 2019.

PHOTO COURTESY OF AVDE TORAH JAYAH

HEADLINES

GARCIA

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

Jewish faith through a “ceremony of return.” Those who partook in the ceremony weren’t converting to become Jewish, but were being welcomed back to their religion. Yvonne estimated that

Even though she only knew Garcia for about two years, she credited him with helping her through very difficult times. Other congregants spoke of how he had helped them through tough times as well, and said he was always there for them, no matter the circumstances.

IN A LIFE FILLED WITH A STRONG COMMITMENT TO SEPHARDI JEWS, GARCIA WAS MOSTLY REMEMBERED FOR HIS LOVE OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY AND ACCEPTANCE OF EVERYONE HE MET.

there were thousands of crypto-Jews who were looking to discover their heritage.

Despite his work as a rabbi, he never took a salary as a spiritual leader, though that work largely defined him. One of Garcia’s congregants, Janet Silva, spoke about first meeting him.

“We met at Milk & Honey at 9 and we kept talking until about 2:30,” Silva said. “I was really interested in discovering my Jewish heritage and wasn’t having any luck in New York, which is where I’m

Silva added that now she feels that his congregants are a flock without a shepherd, but she and all the others who spoke said they would honor his memory going forward.

At the end of the memorial, Yvonne took the stage and shared something Garcia said to her the day before he died.

“I suppose that in the eyes of others in this world that I’m a poor man, because I didn’t take a salary as a rabbi,” her late husband said. “But my pay was that I saw the joy and the peace in the eyes of those

Yvonne Garcia, left, and her son James talk about Rabbi Yosef Garcia at his memorial service at the Valley of the Sun JCC on July 28.

PHOTO BY NICK ENQUIST

Museum Fire more than halfway contained, area rabbis still concerned

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

Congregation Lev Shalom is only a few miles south of Mount Elden, where the Museum Fire has burned nearly 2,000 acres of forest.

The congregation’s rabbi, Mindie Snyder, said that the fire could be easily seen from Lev Shalom.

“It was unnerving for the city as a whole because you can’t miss the smoke and the air quality has changed,” Snyder said. “My congregation has an evacuation plan if, God forbid, it was full when the fire came close. But we’re all connected to Flagstaff and to each other in terms of what we do to help each other or what we’re doing to get out of here if we need to.”

The fire — which is almost within a mile of the Flagstaff city limits — was 93% contained as of Tuesday, Aug. 6, according to officials. More than 600 fire personnel have been deployed to fight the blaze.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Fire officials previously warned the public to use “extreme caution” when traveling on Highways 180 and 89 north of Flagstaff. Snyder said that if an evacuation were to happen, both of those highways would quickly grow crowded.

Since containment has increased, efforts to repair areas damaged by the fire have become a priority.

All Flagstaff area neighborhoods are in “Ready” status, as in “Ready, Set, Go,” the system adopted by Arizona county sheriffs for notifying residents when it’s time to evacuate an area because of wildfires.

Snyder said that many neighborhoods had previously been in “Set.” Some homes north of Flagstaff were already evacuated.

Chabad of Flagstaff’s Rabbi Dovie Shapiro said that the fire did not affect their staff or their building.

“It was a very stressful week, but we’re all OK,” Shapiro said. “There were a few of our members who had to evacuate because of where they were, but luckily they’ve now returned home and everyone is fine.”

Shapiro was happy the fire was being contained and was grateful that it didn’t reach Flagstaff. The fire has not affected the construction of Chabad’s upcoming Molly Blank Jewish Community Center.

Snyder added that the Museum Fire reminded many Flagstaff natives of the 2010 Schultz Fire that burned 15,000 acres. Officials suspect that the cause of that fire was unattended campfire.

“When I first moved here, people showed me where the fire had burned the most,” Snyder said. “So you can see the scorched earth and obviously everybody was praying that it would never happen again.”

Snyder has experience in crisis responses to fires. She worked for a time for the Pima County Community Emergency Response Team. During her employment there the Aspen Fire occurred on Mount Lemmon. That fire burned more than 80,000 acres. However, while the Museum Fire was considerably smaller, it seemed too close for comfort.

“In Tucson we could see the fire, but it felt farther away and we got the sense that it would stay in the area of Mount Lemmon once the firefighters got there,” Snyder said. “But here it was right on top of us, and I can tell you that a fire can change drastically in just a few minutes.”

Snyder was grateful that the firefighters were working so diligently to contain the fire and hopes that the displaced wildlife will be able to find new areas to feed.

Shapiro said that now that the worst of the fire seemed to be over there were concerns about rain and floods. With the decreased vegetation after a fire and the increase in debris and ash, a flood becomes more hazardous.

“We’re praying for good rain,” Shapiro said. “We don’t want to much in case of a flood, but we’re hoping for some rain soon to help put out the rest of the fire.” JN

F/T Power Systems Engineer II position in Phoenix, AZ

Duties include: Perf load flow, voltage drop, & harmonic studies using short circt, arc flash, load-flow,

The Museum Fire in Flagstaff has burned nearly 2,000 acres, but is now more than halfway contained.

PHOTO BY JON CROWE

SUK-HUI LTD

Singles celebrate Tu B’Av

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

Randi Jablin, founder of the Shabbat Dinner Club, never underestimates how difficult dating can be. Even with the advancements of dating technology that are supposed to make dating easier, she still believes the best way to get people to connect is to get them to meet in person.

This is why she organized “Tu B’Av Heart 2 Heart 2019: A Celebration of Love, Connection and Discovery,” which runs from Aug. 15-18 at the Hilton Scottsdale Resort & Villas.

“We have more than 130 people from all over the country registered to come to this event,” Jablin said. “This is a chance for Jewish singles, regardless of observance level, to come together and get to know each other with the hope of maybe meeting someone.”

The event — which is for singles 21 and up — will consist of social and learning opportunities that cover various topics involved in Jewish dating. Jablin came up with the idea after meeting with Rabbi Sam Intrator of Kavanah Life at Ocean Pavilion in Miami Beach, Florida. Intrator founded the Kavanah Life Singles program in August 2017, which aims to help Jewish singles develop more mindful and meaningful relationships.

The two worked together to create a nationwide event to bring Jewish singles together. They chose Phoenix as the place and Tu B’Av, the Jewish day of love, as the time.

“In ancient Israel, eligible young men women would meet in the gardens of Jerusalem,” Intrator explained. “Kabbalistically and mystically, it is seen as a most propitious time for soulmates to meet.”

At that time, unmarried women dressed in white and went out to dance in vineyards, where men would choose potential brides to be. Today, Tu B’Av in Israel is much like Valentine’s Day in the U.S., devoid of most of its historic symbolism, though some people still dress in white. At Heart 2 Heart, nobody will be required to dance, but there will be an all-white Shabbat dinner to honor the holiday’s roots.

Intrator shares Jablin’s hope that those attending Heart 2 Heart will potentially meet someone. However, both emphasized that there’s no pressure to find that special someone. The weekend will just provide a chance to socialize in a stress-free and welcoming environment.

Heart 2 Heart will feature more than 20 social and educational events that cover topics such as dating online, finding love at different ages and communication in romantic relationships.

Intrator will facilitate an event called “Challenges and Solutions to Being Jewish and Single Today.” It’s a presentation that Intrator has given across the country. While the presentation is always very informative, Intrator is most excited for the open mic portion.

“Comments and questions from the floor create a beautiful chemistry among attendees, as people can get to know and see each other in deeper and meaningful ways,” Intrator said. “I’ve had numerous such discussions in South Florida and in other cities around the country, and I’ve always found them to be stimulating, exciting, entertaining and inspiring.”

As for what the challenges that Jewish singles might deal with, Intrator said there are many distractions people face in contemporary culture. It isn’t easy to be focused and committed to someone in such an overwhelming and busy society.

Joining Intrator for the other learning events will be eight speakers, including Rabbi Pinchas Allouche of Congregation

Beth Tefillah; Mitzvah Matchmaker owner Michele Czopp;

JSwipe founder David Yarus.

Some of the activities include trivia game night, yoga, cocktail hours and Shabbat services.

Zach Colick, a Heart 2 Heart committee member, is excited for the weekend and thinks that it offers something for everyone.

“It’s all a great mix of educational and social opportunities and chance to strengthen yourself as far as dating goes,” Colick said. “I’m really excited to hear from Yarus. I think it’ll be interesting to find out what led him to create an app like that and why so many people are using that as a medium for dating these days.”

Colick was also excited to see how many people are coming from across the country. He said that it’s easy to see the same folks around town at singles events and he’s glad that there will be some fresh faces to get to know.

Although this is not necessarily the start of an annual event, Jablin hopes that other communities will follow Heart 2 Heart’s lead.

“I already have someone in Nevada who has expressed interest in hearing more about this and maybe doing it next year,” Jablin said. “I think it would be cool if there could be a different state every year offer a weekend for Jewish singles to spend together, because we could all use that time together.” JN

Shabbat Dinner club founder Randi Jablin, pictured with husband Alan, organized the upcoming Heart 2 Heart weekend.

David, Tamar most popular Jewish baby names in Israel

Jewish babies in Israel in 2018 were most likely to be named David for boys and Tamar for girls, JTA reported, citing Central Bureau of Statistics Data.

Boys were named David 1,447 times, while there were 1,289 Tamars, which is the most common girls name for the third consecutive year. The next mostcommon names were Ariel for boys and Maya for girls.

Muhammad remained the most common name for newborns in Israel, mainly among Muslim boys. The most common name for Muslim girls was Miriam.

Israeli, Swiss postal services join forces to solve technology issues

Both the state-owned Israel Postal Company and the Swiss Post are joining forces in the search for startups that can help solve technological issues facing both services, JNS.org reported.

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced July 31 that Israeli entrepreneurs, developers and startups can propose improvements to postal services, such as package returns, deliv-

eries, unstaffed stores, customs and robotics.

After a screening and selection process by Israel Post, the entrepreneurs will be able to present their ideas to the management teams of both postal services in early September. Companies selected will participate in pilot projects with Israel Post and the new Israel Post innovation center being built in Tel Aviv. Projects chosen by the Swiss Post will undergo a similar process.

Israeli weapons seizures approach

4,000 in first half of 2019

Israeli police reported that 3,661 weapons were confiscated, while 2,704 people were arrested for crimes related to shootings in the first half of 2019, JNS. org reported.

“Police operations were conducted across the country as a result of quality intelligence and undercover operations,” the police statement said. Weapons confiscated included pistols, explosive devices, grenades and automatic weapons such as high-powered submachine guns. Ammunition also was confiscated.

Spanish delegation leader barred entry to Israel

The Israel Security Agency barred the leader of a Spanish delegation headed for the Socialist International annual conference on July 25, calling him a security threat, JTA reported.

Lebanese-born Fouad Ahmad Assadi, who is the son of Palestinian refugees, was detained at Ben Gurion International Airport, questioned by the security agency, barred from entering the country and returned to Spain.

Assadi was scheduled to lead the Spanish delegation at the conference, which took place in Tel Aviv and Ramallah in the West Bank.

Assadi told Haaretz that he has lived in Spain for 40 years, but said a recent visit to Syria may have triggered security concerns. He said he had visited Israel in the past. The security agency told Haaretz that Assadi has been barred from Israel before but did not explain why.

Man arrested for trying to steal chickpeas

A Bedouin man was arrested July 21 after trying to steal about 1,000 pounds

of chickpeas from southern Israeli crop fields, The Times of Israel reported.

After receiving a call about a vehicle leaving the area of Kibbutz Nahal Oz, which is near the Gaza Strip, police found the abandoned car loaded with chickpeas. The unnamed suspect was arrested afterward. The Times of Israel article said police have been criticized in the past for inactivity against agricultural crimes.

Israel open to U.S. politicians

Israel’s Washington, D.C., envoy Ron Dermer said that the Jewish state won’t deny entry to any congressional member. Dermer was responding to speculation about whether Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), who both back BDS, would be permitted into the country. Both have indicated they may visit Israel this summer.

“Out of respect for the U.S. Congress and the great alliance between Israel and America, we would not deny entry to any member of Congress into Israel,” Dermer said via spokesman.

In recent years, Israel adopted a law reserving the right to deny entry to Israel boycott advocates. JN

Editorials

Steering the Craft of diplomacy

Last week the Senate confirmed Kelly Knight Craft as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. That position has been vacant since the popular and successful Nikki Haley stepped down last December. While we hope that Craft is up to the task of continuing the Haley legacy — as she pledged during her confirmation hearings — disturbing questions remain.

The most serious concerns center on Craft’s lack of meaningful diplomatic experience and her work ethic. While Democrats disagreed with some of the positions taken by Haley at the U.N., they largely recognized her as a hardworking and effective advocate for U.S. interests and concerns. But they aren’t sure about Craft’s ability to perform at that level, citing her excessive absences from Ottawa while serving as Canadian ambassador, and her weak grasp of global issues.

At her confirmation hearing, Craft promised to continue Haley’s efforts to reform the U.N. and to push back on the world body’s institutional hostility

to Israel. Those are important commitments that resonate with our community, but they don’t define the entirety of the U.N. job.

Haley was able to build coalitions, advance American interests and call out the hypocrisy and anti-Semitic nature of U.N. institutional policies toward Israel. And, in contrast to most other

can she succeed? We’re not sure. As the 2020 election contest heats up, election politics will direct more and more of the administration’s activities, and nothing in Craft’s background suggests any level of party independence.

Craft’s husband is a Kentucky coal company CEO, and the couple has donated millions to the Republican

AT HER CONFIRMATION HEARING, CRAFT PROMISED TO CONTINUE HALEY'S EFFORST TO REFORM THE U.N. AND TO PUSH BACK ON THE WORLD BODY'S INSTITUTIONAL HOSTILITY TO ISRAEL.

So where does she stand on other significant issues in her new post? Craft recently reversed her position on climate change. In 2017, she told Canadian news media that she believes “both sides” of the debate. That changed at her confirmation hearing, when she told senators that she acknowledges the “vast amount of science” about climate change and the human contribution to it. “If confirmed, I will be an advocate for addressing climate change,” she said. We hope so. But with her boss withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement, loosening EPA rules, opposing auto company consensus to increase fuel efficiency and championing fossil fuels, particularly coal on which her family fortune is founded, we have concerns whether she will deliver on that promise.

international and diplomatic actors in his administration, Haley appeared to have the trust and support of President Trump, who allowed her to act independently.

Will Craft be given the same leeway, and

Party. While presidents of both parties have rewarded wealthy supporters with ambassadorships — like the normally less demanding one in Canada — Craft is the first to become U.N. envoy.

The Democrats take aim at themselves

During last week’s second round of Democratic debates, we got to spend more time with the 20 highest scoring competitors for the party’s presidential nomination. Each tried to cram detailed policy positions and “attack zingers” into one-minute answers to moderator questions, and 15-second replies to the positions of others. While this round featured slightly more direct “debating” between some of the candidates, none had time to provide much more than expanded bumper sticker-phrased responses on complex and nuanced policy issues.

True, we managed to put faces to names like Bullock, Bennet, Gabbard and Hickenlooper, and were treated to entertaining pitches from the likes of Williamson and Yang, but what we really got was a better sense of which candidates are progressives and which are moderates — even if there were too many of them, and some of their differences on issues are paper-thin.

There were some pretty clear takeaways: For the front-runner group, former Vice

President Joe Biden did much better than his lackluster performance during the first round of debates; Sen. Kamala Harris (Calif.) seemed flustered by criticism; Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) didn’t advance his cause; and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.)

Buttigieg remained thoughtful and articulate; former Maryland Rep. John Delaney, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), former HUD Secretary Julian Castro and Sen. Michael Bennet (Colo.) were all impressive, but not good enough to

We wish Ambassador Craft well, and will join the rest of the world in watching what she does, says and seeks to accomplish on the highest of world stages. JN

claiming his pride and role in the Obama legacy.

WHAT WE REALLY GOT WAS A BETTER SENSE OF WHICH CANDIDATES ARE PROGRESSIVES AND WHICH ARE MODERATES — EVEN IF THERE WERE TOO MANY OF THEM, AND SOME OF THEIR DIFFERENCES ON ISSUES ARE PAPER-THIN.

Notably, the debate focused almost exclusively on domestic issues, with virtually no discussion of foreign policy. That disappointed Israel supporters who were anxious to hear comforting messages of support and feared hackleraising comments about occupation and the legitimate rights of the Palestinians. But that was not to be, at least for this round, since questioners recognized that Democratic voters are more focused on jobs, health care, immigration policy, race relations, gun laws, economic equality and policy — and replacing Trump in the White House — than they are on complex foreign policy issues.

was widely touted as the “winner” of the two-night show.

The more interesting action came from the lower-tier candidates, most of whom will not make it to the next round in September. Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.) stepped up his game and showed renewed promise; South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete

get sufficient traction to materially elevate their standing.

If there was a surprise, it was the debaters’ criticism of former President Barack Obama. Like a circular firing squad, the candidates took aim at several Obama programs and actions, which left frontrunner Biden in a lonely soliloquy pro-

As the field narrows in the coming months, and the candidates’ policy positions are refined, we hope the discussion among Democrats moves from the idealistic and progressive left toward the historic center, so as to give voters meaningful choices in next November’s election. JN

Reflecting on a gap year in Israel

ELI KREISBERGER

To be quite frank, I am not exactly sure where I should start. This year on the Aardvark Gap Year Program has been full of long nights, unforgettable memories and lifelong friendships, all while being in the beautiful Holy Land of Israel. This past year I can definitely tell you that God has found his way into my life, and I have learned to see the bigger picture in God’s great plan for us, but I will speak about this later. First, I would like to speak about my completely unique experiences in arguably Israel’s two largest cities, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I came to Israel on that plane in September. I usually keep a “go with the flow” kind of attitude wherever I go, which is what allowed me to see and do so many different things. When I first arrived, there was so much ground to cover, nobody knew what to do first. Over the next few weeks after classes and internship, my friends and I would walk around the city to go see new things, try new foods and, most of all, have a great time together. Tel Aviv is a fantastic city — you can spend long days on the beach, participate in drum circles with strangers,

spend nights out with your friends, enjoy walks around the city and so much more. For once in my life, I felt free, independent. I was responsible for making it to my internship/classes on my time, preparing my own food, cleaning up after myself and making sure everyone else was doing the same. And Tel Aviv is a city where you can be whoever you

in the Sea Sports Add-On from the second I heard about it. I love the outdoors, and what better way to experience Tel Aviv than from the water? Two times a week, the Sea Sports group would meet in the mornings to participate in a fun activity. These activities included multiple surfing lessons, paddleboard yoga, paddle-boarding, wind surfing and many more. I appreciated this Add-On

Jerusalem was small, 20 or so kids during my semester. Initially, I thought this was a bad thing, but it ended up being worth it in the end. When you live with such a small group in small quarters, you truly learn to appreciate one another.

want. Before the trip, my true self was hiding inside of me, and once I came to Tel Aviv, I was able to let go and become the person I have always wanted to be. I found new passions and hidden talents, and for once I was completely satisfied with the person I am and have become. Every day in Tel Aviv was a new day to grow as a person, to meet new people and most importantly, to be happy.

A highlight of my Tel Aviv experience was participating in the Aardvark Add-On, Sea Sports. I knew that I wanted to participate

a lot because it allowed students like me to try something we have never done before, or just have a fun activity to do, because sometimes between classes and internships, the weeks can feel long. The Sea Sports Add-On created unforgettable memories.

When my first semester ended in Tel Aviv, I honestly thought all of the fun was over. Since I had spent minimal time in Jerusalem prior to my arrival, I was skeptical of what was to come. For me, Jerusalem was a completely different experience than Tel Aviv. My group in

Building Jewish identity worldwide

DAVID WEINER

During our recent board of governors meeting of the Jewish Agency for Israel, our new executive, Yitzhak Herzog, reminded us of our history that began in 1929 before pre-statehood Palestine. The original purpose of the Jewish Agency was to coordinate the activities of the various organizations in the region and to prepare a government for eventual statehood.

Over time, the Jewish Agency became involved with the development of the state of Israel, settlement and immigrant absorption and coordination of the institutions that addressed these issues. The Jewish Agency remains the only non-governmental organization that the official government is required to meet with at least three times a year. This past

week, the prime minister met with the agency regarding BDS and efforts to fight anti-Semitism. Issues never thought of in the beginning have proven the Jewish Agency to be a nimble organization that has adapted to an ever-changing world. The committee meetings are always informative. We heard from two Ethiopian olim who shared how families remain separated from those that participated in the first wave of immigration. Twenty years and three waves of new immigrants later, there are still parents and children who have not reunified. Pressure will be applied to the government to make this a priority and discussions will be held among the federations to see what other means can be deployed to reunite these families. We are now faced with a

combination of a government that is not acting and religious bodies questioning who a Jew is. There wasn’t a dry eye in the committee after watching a video of these people in Gondar and Addis Abba worshipping much like we do in Phoenix. Our two guests showed no bitterness towards their new country and were thrilled to be calling Israel home while they still had loved ones that couldn’t join them.

I attended a committee meeting on the Unity of the Jewish people where the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs reported on hidden or emerging Jewish communities in rural parts of Africa and Central and South America. Many on the committee questioned how the government is going to deal with these non-Ashkenazic communities — how Right of Return and who

Each day in Jerusalem was like a breath of fresh air, and this was where I really felt that God was with me. Aesthetically, Jerusalem is not the best looking city, but I learned to appreciate the old stone, and how different it was from the city. It was Jerusalem where it all began, the place where all of our ancestors founded the principles by which we live. There was honestly not much to do in Jerusalem, which I realized is the beautiful thing about the city. Jerusalem is all about bonding with your friends. It is about picnics in the park, pick-up soccer games, trying out new cooking recipes, long walks down to the first station and annoying your roommates until you all break down and laugh. I had the most incredible experiences with my roommates in Jerusalem. Every day was something new. I think that what I took away most from Jerusalem is that it is a good place to develop as a person, since

SEE

KREISBERGER,

PAGE 14

is a Jew will be applied and may force an unprecedented wave of immigrants. Looking beyond aliyah, the Jewish Agency is charged with building Jewish identity worldwide. I was pleased to learn that the Jewish Agency has 1,650 shlichim, Israeli emissaries, in the U.S. fighting anti-Semitism and BDS. In addition, there are 384 U.S. and Israeli communities that have a sister city-like relationship to develop a better understanding of and appreciation for each other. Some are outside the Jewish community. Similar efforts are underway in the FSU, Latin America, Europe, Africa, Australia and Israel.

The Jewish Agency has also launched new programs such as Onward Israel,

BEFORE

THE TRIP, MY TRUE SELF WAS HIDING INSIDE OF ME, AND ONCE I CAME TO TEL AVIV, I WAS ABLE TO LET GO AND BECOME THE PERSON I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE.

Words matter

PARSHAT DEVARIM DEUTERONOMY 1:1-3:22

RABBI MINDIE SNYDER

Words! Words! Words! I’m so sick of words! I hear words all day through/ first from him, now from you...

— “Show Me” from “My Fair Lady”

by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe

One of the world’s greatest gifts of light is our Torah. A quick peek into the Torah scroll provides a seemingly unending cascade of words, which the mystics call “black fire.” The spaces between these words is “white fire.” Together, when engaged by a curious mind and a vulnerable heart, they illuminate our lives with meaning, prospects for hope, opportunities for innovations. For thousands of years, unlike the song from “My Fair Lady,” we never tire of these words. Instead, our tradition teaches us to turn them over and over, always revealing something new.

However, words intended as weapons to overpower, or words that are carelessly shared, carry negative charges. Experiencing them can be very damaging.

Overt expressions of hatred, or devaluation, cause real pain and words fashioned into falsehoods remain an erosive epidemic, filling the Valley of Deceptions. It’s incredible how many ways words can be harmful and how they scorch the sensitive psyche, inflicting illness. At their most extreme, we know words can extinguish the light of life. In contrast, words of Torah were meant to foster and sustain life.

The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain...

— Proverbs 10:11

As we open Devarim, Torah’s final book, we meet at a formidable juncture: Moses is dying and b’nai Yisrael (children of Israel) are about to journey forward in the absence of his physical presence. Simultaneously, heaven and the Promised Land remain open to receiving God’s prophet and God’s children. Before his soul departs, Moses makes sure b’nai Yisrael remembers their roots, lessons from their ancestors’ journeys, God’s instructions for living optimal lives as individuals and as a kehillah hakodesh (a holy community), ways they can forge Jewish identity across time. As a result, Moses becomes Torah’s first interpreter and his words form the priceless adhesive between the people, the land and God.

In Devarim, Moses’ words teach about

life lived in first class: how to remain free from the rubber band, snapping us back to lives half-lived in steerage. Circumstances, like steerage, can be familiar, even comforting, but they can also create immobility. On the other hand, traveling first class may be unfamiliar, even scary. We may wonder if we can trust its promises of well-being, fulfillment or happiness when all we have known is the predictable confinement of someone else’s (such as Pharaoh’s) control. Captured by this rubber band, lives end without ever knowing what could have been.

All the things yet to come/ Are the things that have passed/ Like the holding of hands/ Like the breaking of glass... / And the stench of the sea /And the absence of green/ Are the death of all things that I’ve seen and unseen/ Are an end but the start of all things that are left to do/ Wasteland, baby / I’m in love / I’m in love with you — Andrew Hozier-Byrne (“Wasteland, Baby!”)

Devarim: things, utterances, sayings, words. Words become things. They have substance. They matter. They endure. The spaces between them make a difference, too, whether as “white fire,” such as a gesture, a glance, a moment of deep silence.

The lips of the godly speak helpful words … — Proverbs 10:32

The words of the wise bring healing … — Proverbs 12:18

Apples of gold in silver settings are words that are spoken in a fitting manner. — Proverbs 25:11

This Shabbat, consider extricating them from the wasteland of disregard or selfish intention. Elevate them to holiness instead. Revitalize them and raise them up with care, like your glass of Shabbat wine. Affirm life that is lived: bold and brave, gentle and sweet, in truth; not with surrender to empty routine, cold manipulation of circumstances or the careless exploitation of another. Release the rubber band that snaps you back to steerage. Step into your inheritance that is God’s eternal love letter, because Moses, with every breath of his life, entrusted us to love and care for these divine words. JN

KREISBERGER

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

you have some more time on your hands. Jerusalem is a city to try new things, get good at something you have never tried but have always wanted to, break out of your comfort zone and most importantly, just be you.

Through this experience, I have learned to appreciate that nothing is more important than human connections, the most beautiful thing in this world. Nothing else matters. I met students from all over the world, and each person is unique in their own way, completely different from the rest. I did not truly appreciate the things that I learned from each one of them until recently, when I realized that I took away so many new things from each person I came across and interacted with. I real-

ized that connecting with one another is God’s big plan for us. We learn from one another, and ultimately we take away life lessons and skills from each person that we come across. Human connection is not only important to be successful, but to be truly happy. Once we learn to appreciate one another and our differences, there can be peace. I have experienced this first-hand. There were many students who, initially, I did not agree with, but once I connected with them and saw where they were coming from, I learned to appreciate their argument and what they had to say. Everyone has a story. JN

WEINER

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

which allows young adults from all over the world to experience a 2-month internship working in Israel’s most innovative companies. More than 12,000 youth have been transformed through this immersion into Israeli workplace and society. They return home with a greater knowledge, sense of connection and engagement in Jewish life and Israel.

The Jewish Agency receives onethird of their financial support from the Government of Israel, another third from worldwide Jewry and the remainder is fee-for-service income. None of this important work would be possible if not for the generosity of the collective federation movement in North America.

I am proud to serve on the boards of both these amazing organizations because

I have the privilege of seeing firsthand the difference our gifts make, locally, in Israel and around the world.

If you care about BDS, anti-Semitism, aliyah and building Jewish identity, consider how you can support our federation and participate in our Israel-related programs. Volunteering is what makes this happen and your support is needed. If you have children or grandchildren interested in furthering their connection to Israel, please contact the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix to learn more about these special and unique programs: info@ jewishphoenix.org or 480-634-4900. JN

Rabbi Mindie Snyder is the former spiritual leader of Congregation Lev Shalom in Flagstaff.

Eli Kreisberger is from Scottsdale. He currently lives in Tel Aviv.

David Weiner is the board co-chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix and is on the board of governors for the Jewish Agency of Israel.

Find area congregations at jewishaz.com, where you can also find our 2019 Community Directory.

SeniLifestyle

Aging Today’s greatest hits

BOB ROTH | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Cycling through personal milestones and challenges defines the decades and our journey. Summer of 2019 is a pivotal one for my family. The last of our chickadees will be flying the coop to navigate health care-related fields to not only make a living, but also make a life and a difference.

Lately, teachable moments have come in the form of a familiar little triangle. I referenced Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to help my daughters set realistic expectations for entry-level jobs. Thirty-five years ago, I could never have predicted that I would be inching closer toward self-actualization, the pinnacle of Maslow’s hierarchy; caring for seniors would be the foundation of my desire for fulfillment.

To pivot or “reinvent yourself” is to reach and develop your potential to the best of your ability. For the past four years, writing this column, Aging Today, has been a great challenge for me. I’ve researched and communicated issues relevant to my readers, clients and peers. I have most certainly overused commas and left a few participles dangling. Please know that even if my modifiers are misplaced, my heart is not. My desire for seniors to age in place and to live their best life has led me on this path and a big thank you to the Jewish News for giving me this platform.

In celebration of the past four years and a summer hiatus, here are the big takeaways from some of my favorite columns: Keep the brain healthy; don’t isolate: 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.

Laugh — a lot: Laughter, as an evolutionary tool, confirms why we must keep our aging seniors from living in isolation. Laughter evolved as a vocal confirmation of forming and deepening alliances and friendships. In apes, dogs and even rats the labored breathing and subsequent sounds that are formed mean “I am playing. I am on your team.” In humans, it means, “I like you.”

Cultivate mindfulness: The evolution of the human brain, which occurred over millions of years, is not equipped to sift through the information overload of modernity, especially the digital age. We must learn how to find focus in a stressedout, multitasking culture. Remember, Mother Nature is a tinkerer. Our brains evolved in response to changes in cooking our food, using tools and living in groups over millions of years. Shifting attention to focus on the present is what kept our Pleistocene progenitors from being a sabertooth tiger’s taco.

Practice good habits: Better bowel health heeds me to shout-out to our inner caveman, a recurring theme. Our paleolithic ancestors could check off these points right out of the gate: Exercise regularly, strive to drink two quarts of water daily and eat unprocessed, natural foods, including fiberrich vegetables.

Keep moving: Imaging studies of the human brain have shown that exercising increases blood volume in the hippocampus, the region of the brain deeply involved in memory formation. On a molecular level, exercise stimulates the brain’s most powerful growth factor, BDNF, which stands for brain derived neurotrophic factor. This protein is responsible for the formation of new neurons, or brain cells, and increases the connectivity of existing neurons.

Be sun-smart: We can start by walking the walk and talking the talk. Be an exemplar of sun-wise habits. Avoid compliments such as, “What a great tan.”

Watch your mouth: Being respectful includes not using mental illness terms when not appropriate. How often have you heard, “I am so OCD,” “I am addicted to ... ” or “I am paranoid.” These are real disorders that cause suffering to millions and are tossed around in our vernacular casually and with little regard for those who suffer, usually in shame and in silence.

Endorse colonoscopy: If you are the one passing on the 411 regarding the colonoscopy in the form of a complaint, do your friends a favor and resist the urge to earn your battle stripes. I know how good it feels to vent after a medical milestone, but wouldn’t you like to encourage, rather than discourage, such a proactive stance toward good health? JN

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.

solterrasl.com

14650 N 78th Way, Scottsdale, AZ 85260 (602) 544-3195

Bob Roth is the managing partner of Cypress HomeCare Solutions.

Jewish News of Greater Phoenix November 3 and December 22, 2017 editions 1/4-page (4.92” x 5.5”)

Social isolation makes seniors more vulnerable

STEVE CARR

Being alone can be a terrible thing.

Beyond the difficulty of simply living alone, particularly as we get older when our connections to others may diminish, being alone leaves millions of Americans vulnerable to feelings of loneliness and social isolation.

The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) reports that “living alone is a top risk factor and with 29% of people age 65-plus living alone and almost 50% of women age 75-plus living alone, millions of older adults could be affected.”

Melissa Elliott, vice president of programs and services at the Valley-based Area Agency on Aging, Region One, stresses that “it’s important to understand that social isolation is different than merely living alone and loneliness. Living alone can make you socially isolated and lonely, but you may choose to live alone and not be socially isolated.”

According to the n4a, what is clear is that the negative effects of isolation and loneliness are associated with higher rates of chronic health conditions including heart disease,

weakened immune system, depression and anxiety, dementia including Alzheimer’s disease, admission to nursing homes and use of emergency services.

“When we talk about social isolation, we are speaking about people who are not connected to anyone,” Elliott says. “They are people no one is going to notice if they have a change in their routine, or a deterioration in their health or are struggling with living alone.

“Being socially isolated can be dangerous and unhealthy,” she adds. “There are many studies that show it actually reduces your lifespan and can make you more vulnerable to becoming a victim of elder abuse or other crimes as well as leading to food insecurity, malnutrition and depression, among a variety of other health concerns.”

There is no doubt that America’s population is aging, and rapidly. The Arizona Department of Health Services projects the number of Arizonans age 65 and older will increase 174% between 2010 and 2050 and will represent 21% of the state’s entire population.

Nationally, the United States Census

Bureau reports that for the first time in U.S. history, older adults are projected to outnumber children by 2035. By 2060, nearly one in four Americans will be 65 years and older, the number of those 85-plus will triple and the country will add a half million centenarians.

As that process moves forward, the Area Agency on Aging offers both services and programs designed to communicate with, engage with and assist individuals who may be at risk. The agency also conducts outreach and marketing campaigns encouraging older adults to stay connected.

In order to avoid social isolation, the Area Agency encourages older adults to attend one of the many local senior centers they fund or to consider becoming a volunteer. The Agency also offers many health promotion and exercise classes. All of these programs and services can help seniors stay connected to their local community.

Family caregivers of homebound older adults can also feel stressed and isolated. To address that, the Agency funds respite services and support groups. In addition, a six- week class, “Powerful Tools for Caregivers,” teaches

caregivers how to reduce stress, improve selfconfidence, better communicate their feelings, balance their lives and increase their ability to make tough decisions.

For homebound older adults, the Agency designed Caring Circles, an AmeriCorps program that provides friendly home visits, referrals for services, telephone reassurance and cultivates neighborhood awareness and volunteer support.

Home delivered meals also provide isolated, homebound older adults a way to connect as the meal is usually delivered by the same person each day, serving as a welfare check and an additional social connection.

Among the most important resources is the Area Agency’s 24-Hour Senior HELP LINE (602-264-4357), a year-round information and assistance lifeline to help seniors and their caregivers navigate what can be an overwhelming menu of services and programs. JN

Steve Carr owns the Kur Carr Group, a public relations and communications firm. Visit aaaphx.org for more information.

An expert breaks down Medicare and foreign travel

GREG DILL

Planning to travel abroad this summer?

Before you go, keep in mind that Medicare usually does not cover health care services or supplies while you’re traveling outside the United States. That doesn’t mean you have to travel abroad without health coverage. There are three ways you can get health coverage outside the U.S.:

• If you have a Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy, check your policy to see if it includes coverage when traveling outside the U.S.

• If you have Medicare Advantage or another Medicare health plan (instead of Original Medicare), check with your plan to see if it offers coverage outside the U.S.

• Consider buying a travel insurance policy that includes health coverage.

In some cases, Medicare may cover medically necessary health care services you get on board a ship within the territorial waters adjoining land areas of the U.S. Medicare won’t pay for health care

services you get when a ship is more than six hours away from a U.S. port.

Medicare also may pay for inpatient hospital, doctor, ambulance services or dialysis in a foreign country in these rare cases:

• You’re in the U.S. when a medical emergency occurs, and the foreign hospital is closer than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat your medical condition.

• You’re traveling through Canada without unreasonable delay by the most direct route between Alaska and another state when a medical emergency occurs, and the Canadian hospital is closer than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat the emergency.

• You live in the U.S. and the foreign hospital is closer to your home than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat your medical condition, regardless of whether an emergency exists.

Medicare drug plans (Part D) don’t cover prescription drugs you buy outside the U.S.

If you get sick or injured while abroad, in most cases you’ll pay 100% of the costs.

In the situations described above, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount, and the Part B deductible applies.

In the situations above, Medicare pays only for services covered under Original Medicare:

• Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) covers hospital care (care you get when you’ve been formally admitted with a doctor’s order to the foreign hospital as an inpatient).

• Part B covers emergency and nonemergency ambulance and doctor services you get immediately before and during your covered foreign inpatient hospital stay.

Medicare generally won’t pay for services (like return ambulance trips home) in either of these cases:

• Medicare didn’t cover your hospital stay.

• You got ambulance and doctor services outside the hospital after your covered hospital stay ended.

• You pay the part of the charge you would normally pay for covered services.

This includes any medically necessary

doctor and ambulance services you get in a foreign country as part of a covered inpatient hospital stay. You also pay the coinsurance , copayments, and deductibles you’d normally pay if you got these same services or supplies inside the U.S.

The 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa are considered part of the United States.

Foreign hospitals aren’t required to file Medicare claims for your medical costs. You need to submit an itemized bill to Medicare for your doctor, inpatient and ambulance services if both of these apply:

• You’re admitted to a foreign hospital under one of the situations above.

• The foreign hospital doesn’t submit Medicare claims for you.

Safe travels! JN

Greg Dill is Medicare’s regional administrator for Arizona, California, Nevada, Hawaii and the Pacific Territories. You can get answers to Medicare questions by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

Discover a community that supports your lifelong growth. Our brand-new Desert Willow Assisted Living neighborhood offers resort-style amenities, innovative wellness programs and personalized care – all covered by one monthly fee with no surprise costs. Best of all, you don’t have to be a current Sagewood resident to move to Desert Willow.

Cool Jazz concerT

Join

How elders can help LGBTQIA young people

MARCY SHOEMAKER

Grandparents and seniors are important role models in the lives of young people.

They may share family traditions or memories of the past, teach life lessons, be confidantes and be people that you enjoy spending time with to share a laugh or watch a sport or take part in a favorite pastime.

Because of this long-trusting relationship, grandparents may also be people who play an important role during the coming out process. When the young person in your life sits down with you to share this personal news about their sexuality, it is important to be both empathetic and educated.

The acronym LGBTQIA stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex and asexual or ally. No matter if you expect the news or are shocked, your understanding and ability to be a good listener will be greatly appreciated by the young person in your life.

It is initially important to know that the process of coming out is unique for each individual based on their personal circumstances. This is a deeply personal decision that the young person has made to talk with you and share this information about their gender identity or sexual orientation.

The young personal may feel scared, confused and vulnerable. This is an opportunity to strengthen your relationship and be a mentor and advocate, if you choose, for the individual confiding in you.

Based on your reaction, you may develop closer ties and help the individual strengthen their self-esteem. If you are critical, the result may be negative, so it is important to not overreact and give yourself time to absorb the information.

• Be calm. The young person in your life is concerned about your reaction and sharing deeply personal information. She is concerned about how to share this information and is hoping that you will accept her. It is OK to take time to react as long as your response is

not negative or degrading.

• Let the young person lead the way. Try not to ask too many questions. This is a sensitive and precarious time. Trust the young person in your life to make the decisions about the amount of information they wish to share and the pacing of the disclosure.

• Don’t force the young person to state their identity. It is important for the individual to take the lead in stating their identity. Questions from a grandparent or other close older adult may make them uncomfortable and cause them to feel uncomfortable and end the discussion prematurely.

• Be a support system. The young person has come to you for an important reason. You want her to feel comfortable returning to you for future discussions and feel that the decision to have this discussion was warranted. Not everyone in the young person’s life will be positive and affirming.

It will mean a great deal to the individual if you can be a source of future support and guidance. Some family members and friends will be shocked, while others may be negative and critical. Some relationships will change and some will permanently end. It is important that, despite your feelings, you remain a supportive person in the life of the young adult who is coming out.

This is not an easy experience for you or the young adult. It may be a time of grief and loss of a previously expected future. It may also be a time of education and personal growth through therapy and individual changes. It may be a time of tolerance and accommodations. It may be a time of family growth and relationship changes.

Remember that the young person in your life wants you involved. There will be changes, and they will be achieved together. JN

Marcy Shoemaker, Psy.D., is a staff psychologist at the Abramson Center for Jewish Life in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This article originally appeared in the Jewish Exponent, a Jewish News-affiliated publication.

Independent & Assisted Living Residences

Elevators can lift an aging generation

JACQUELINE HYMAN

When Peg Gamse sprained her ankle a few years ago, having an elevator in her Falls Church,Virginia, home came in handy.

“It would have been really difficult for us to maintain any kind of regular lifestyle given her sprained ankle,” said her husband, David Gamse, chief executive officer of Jewish Council for the Aging.

Even before her injury, the couple used their elevator for more than just taking themselves up and down. They transported groceries from the garage and moved luggage from their bedroom. The elevator, David said, was “hugely helpful.”

Personal elevators can help seniors feel more secure at home and accommodate their needs as they age and as navigating stairs becomes more difficult. But they’re not necessarily a cure for aging in place: They’re expensive, especially to retrofit. And they take up space.

Realtor Phil Piantone said planning to age in place is the main reason people look for a home with a personal elevator. And with eldercare, as long as a senior can get up and downstairs with an elevator, the rest of their daily needs can be met.

The desire for home elevators has been rising steadily, the Los Angeles Times reported in 2013. And a survey by the National Association of Home Builders showed that 25% of homeowners listed the feature as desirable or essential.

“It is not a standard option in many communities,” David Gamse said. “The cost of it makes it prohibitive in some communities.”

Piantone said townhomes with elevators can cost anywhere between $995,000 and $7 million. Retrofitting a house to add an elevator comes with a price tag of $100,000, he added.

“I cannot properly describe how difficult it was to make a decision to put that much money in a home,” Gamse said. After 10 years in their townhome, the Gamses moved in 2017 to an area with higher walkability.

Retrofitting a home requires an engineer to layout the space where the elevator will be installed, Piantone said.

“They build it one floor at a time,” Piantone said. “They understand someone’s still living in the house, so they try to be as user-friendly as possible.”

Most of the elevators can accommodate people who use wheelchairs and more than one rider. A tube elevator is smaller, easier to install and less expensive than a standard lift.

“Tube elevators are not handicapped accessible. It’s a luxury feature,” said Jessica Underwood, owner of JR Capital Build, a luxury design firm.

JR Capital Build is developing a sixunit townhouse project in downtown Frederick, Pennsylvania, Underwood said. The units will either include a personal elevator or space for a tube elevator that can be added later.

“We prefer [the regular elevators, but] tube elevators can be added pretty easily after the fact, so we create a space with the specs of the elevator,” Underwood said.

Those who use wheelchairs or need other equipment most likely would not benefit from a tube elevator due to its narrow, circular shape.

But it could be used the way the Gamses enjoyed their elevator — as a “dumb waiter” to carry packages and other items too heavy to lift.

Underwood said an elevator is “definitely a feature that some people need,” if not for themselves, then for family or other visitors with disabilities.

“I ask them, what are their long term plans? Is one spouse’s health much better than the other or do both need a lot of care?” he said. “Typically if you’re still in your house you can get better care. It’s just more comfortable for them to age in place.”

Gamse said the Jewish Council for the Aging can help seniors evaluate their housing options, but does not make specific recommendations. He said his agency fields a lot of questions about how seniors can make their homes more accessible, which may include measures like installing grab rails and lowering counters or appliances.

“There’s a huge difference between adding in an elevator and nothing more, and making a home truly accessible,” he said. JN

Our spacious one bedroom apartments range from $1995-$2995 in independent living & $2495-$2995 in assisted living (plus cost of care). All-inclusive rent features three al la carte meals daily, weekly housekeeping & linen service, emergency pendant with GPS & Fall Detection, all utilities, premium cable, high speed internet, local phone service, community activities and transportation.*

Yosemite: Nature at its finest

JEFF AND VIRGINIA ORENSTEIN | CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Getting there and getting around:

Yosemite can be reached by air, rail and highway.

• By car, California Highways 120 and 140 lead to the park.

• The nearest commercial airports to Yosemite Valley are Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT), 65 miles, Mammoth Yosemite Airport (MMH), 42 miles away or Merced Regional Airport (MCE) at 72 miles distance. Major airports are Sacramento at 152 miles and Oakland at 151 miles away.

• The nearest Amtrak station is at Merced, 69 miles from the park. There is a YARTS bus from the station to Yosemite National Park.

Must-sees for a short trip:

Among attractions that you should take in are:

• The visitor’s center at Yosemite Valley

• A ranger-guided or self-guided tour around the valley floor

If you have several days:

• Explore the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias.

Yosemite National Park is one of the most precious gems in the spectacular wilderness necklace of America’s national parks.

It is justly famous for its enormous and impressive cliff faces, gigantic granite monoliths that rise thousands of feet straight up from the valley floor, breathtakingly beautiful waterfalls and colorful meadows. This is where you will find Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, El Capitan, Bridalveil Fall and other landmarks made famous by Ansel Adams’ photography.

All of it is easily accessible from the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center by car, on foot, via free circulator bus or even on a bicycle. Hiking trails in the valley range from easy and short to challenging.

The valley floor is most visited and most convenient part of the park and has more than enough sights to satisfy the simply smart traveler seeking a view of spectacular wilderness. But there is also a vast expanse of the national park beyond the valley, the equivalent to the area of Rhode Island, beckoning to be explored. The whole park offers myriad opportunities for hikers and experienced mountain climbers.

Those of us who are a little less adventurous and who are content to just drive around the park can take advantage of scenic vistas with spectacular views of mountain lakes and remarkable highland vistas. Nearby are the awe-inspiring Mariposa Grove of giant sequoia trees and the Pioneer Yosemite History Center in Wawona with historic buildings and demonstrations of pioneer life.

Plan on spending at least a couple of days in the park. Check in at one of the visitor centers at Yosemite Valley, Big Oak Flat, Wawona and Tuolumne Meadows to get the lay of the land and to learn about the schedule of ranger-narrated tours. We particularly recommend the two-hour 26-mile tour of the valley floor. It reaches parts of the valley not served by the free shuttles and the ranger narration in the open-air vehicle is informative. To travel between valley attractions, it is best to park your car and use the free shuttles to get around.

• Visit small Sierra Nevada towns around the park.

• Spend time in the Ansel Adams Gallery.

• Get beyond the valley and explore some of the rest of the park.

• Tour the California Mining Mineral Museum in Mariposa and enjoy the shops and restaurants in Mariposa. The Mariposa County Visitor Center can supply information and Yosemite maps.

• Try hunting, fishing and photography in the areas surrounding the park.

Ginny O’s tips for dressing the Simply Smart Travel way for Yosemite National Park: Dress casually and for the season. Weather can change without notice so pack layers. There is no need for dressy outfits. This destination at a glance: Over-50 advantage: Gorgeous vista, ease of accessibility, cultural and historical learning Mobility level: Low. Accessible parking, lodging, tours and activities are available throughout the park. Some hikes can be difficult.

When to go: The park is open year-round. Fall and spring are great time to visit. Spring, especially April, brings spectacular waterfalls, especially when the preceding winter had a lot of precipitation and dogwood and redbuds. Fall crowds are smaller after Labor Day and temperatures are still moderate in September. Winters are cold and snowy.

Where to stay: There are several hotels in the park, including the Majestic Yosemite Hotel, the Yosemite Valley Lodge, Big Trees Ledge and many cabins and campgrounds. Nearby towns have many motels and hotels catering to park visitors.

Special travel interests: National parks, mountain scenery, waterfalls, geology, photography JN

Je rey and Virginia Orenstein are travel writers from Sarasota, Florida.

Jewish Yosemite

It’s not easy being an observant Jew in the wilderness, but it can be done.

According to a 1978 article by Norton B. Stern in the “Jewish Journal of Los Angeles,” the gold fever country around Yosemite attracted Jews as well as others seeking to strike gold or create businesses that supplied miners. Though their numbers were not huge, Jewish immigrants from Europe found their way to the Yosemite area and even became active in politics in the surrounding communities.

The nearest synagogues are more than an hour away in Stockton and Fresno, and no kosher restaurants are found near the park, yet Jews and Jewishness can be found in the wilderness. In 2010, Jewish Yosemite Park Ranger Scott Gediman told a reporter on tour that, “The Ahwahnee Hotel kitchen is not kosher, but the hotel has the capacity to stage most Jewish wedding receptions, and the park itself hosts several Jewish wedding ceremonies annually.”

In the Mariposa Museum and History Center, the story of many of the early Jews and their entrepreneurial adventures can be found.

Stockton and Modesto have significant Jewish communities. Chabad of Fresno is the closest organized congregation to the park. There is also a Jewish summer camp, Camp Tawonga, in Yosemite.

Writing in the Jewish blog Reshet Ramah in 2017, Avi Rubin, who lives in the park and works as an environmental science educator with NatureBridge, wrote, “My Jewish life has become a different sort of beast. To my knowledge, there are a total of 12 Jews living within 50 miles of me.”

An excellent roadside view of the world-famous Bridal Veil Falls can be easily attained from the banks of the rushing Merced River.

The Yosemite Valley floor is bisected by raging rivers and beautiful meadows, offering reflections and beauty just begging for photography. It is not surprising that talented photographers like Ansel Adams were attracted to Yosemite. PHOTOS BY JEFF ORENSTEIN

Great vistas of massive granite monoliths such as Half Dome are available from the Yosemite Valley floor. The vertical rise is spectacular.

Kitchen design begins with the all-important countertop

BARBARA KAPLAN | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

We’re surrounded by counters — particularly in the kitchen, home office and bathroom. We take them for granted and don’t realize the impact they have on us. Their colors, patterns and textures affect our feelings daily. Choosing the material is a decision based on style, function and cost, whereas the design decision is based on your preferences.

Taking this a step further, we coordinate our cabinets with our countertops. We might even match the walls and accessories with the color of the countertops. When I work with a client, we generally begin the design of the room by choosing the countertop. Your counters can be the most dramatic feature, as well as the choice that affects you the most.

For example, while working in the kitchen, you’re constantly looking down and seeing the counter. You’re surrounded by the mood-altering energy of the color and pattern. So countertops are more important than you realize.

When choosing countertops, consider how they’ll be used and who will use them. Are there children at home? Do you want to use a cutting board? Do you want to put hot pots on the counters? Do uneven surfaces bother you?

Today you have a variety of choices:

• Granite is one of the more durable and still the most popular countertop choice today. Plus, there are a multitude of colors and textures to choose from. Check out the leather finish, too.

• Marble is beautiful but more porous, so it’s more apt to stain or etch than granite.

• Engineered quartz, such as Caesarstone, Cambria or Silestone, are man-made materials using 90% ground quartz and added resin. They are more durable than granite and are similar in price to mid-range granite.

• Tile comes in many colors, is durable and can take heat, but the grout is porous, needs to be sealed and is difficult to keep looking good. The surface may be more uneven. Vertically, hand-painted tiles can create beautiful and interesting designs as backsplashes.

• Cement is smooth and heat-resistant, but it’s porous and can stain or crack as it cures.

• Natural stone, which is honed until smooth, must be sealed. This creates a rustic and earthy look.

• Stainless steel and/or stainless combined with copper are more sensitive to scratches, yet resistant to heat and stain. This look is often used in more contemporarylooking kitchens and can emphasize a theme with stainless appliances.

• Solid wood is warm, rich and elegant, and when sealed properly, has a long life.

Once you determine your material, you have to decide how the backsplash will look and how much of a backsplash you want. They can continue to the upper cabinets or they can be the standard 4 inches. You can use the same material as the countertop or introduce a new material such as tiles or mosaics. Combining materials creates your signature look.

Lighting changes the way your countertops look. Under-cabinet lighting, be it fluorescent, halogen or LED, will highlight the countertop material and emphasize the theme for the room. In the evening, your countertops could be the only glow in the room.

So how do you make this difficult choice? Cost is a factor, of course. Durability is your next consideration: How hard a surface do you need? Finally, consider what you want to look at every day.

Counters are there to serve you. And remember, rooms have no feelings. But you do! JN

Barbara Kaplan, IFDA and Allied ASID, is a Phoenix-based interior designer and the CEO of Barbara’s Picks, an online resource for interior design. Visit barbaraspicks.com for more information.

Upcoming Special Sections

Senior

Family Matters

September

Devoted to each stage of Jewish family life, topics will include parenting advice, education, family health, Jewish identity, household finances and much more.

A "Cappuccino Onyx" countertop

A crystal quartz countertop PHOTO BY

Calacatta marble countertop by Papagno’s Marble & Granite

Israeli, Palestinian business group tours Dead Sea area, eyeing economic engagement

JNS.ORG

Israeli and Palestinian businessmen toured the Dead Sea region last week with the aim of building on the seeds of mutual cooperation planted during the recent “Peace to Prosperity” economic workshop in Bahrain.

Participating in the July 9 tour were founder and president of the Judea-Samaria Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JS Chamber) Avi Zimmerman; Palestinian businessman and co-founder of the JS Chamber Ashraf Jabari; Megilot Regional Council head Arie Kohen; the council’s tourism and culture branch director, Orit Hershtig; and a number of local Israeli and Palestinian business leaders.

Throughout the day, the delegation visited the Beit Ha’arava plant, the Kalia beach, the Minus 430 Gallery and the “Biankini” Moroccan restaurant.

“We are engaging with numerous business models that expand cooperation between

the Israeli and Palestinian business communities,” said Avi Zimmerman. “We thank all those who have helped make this tour happen as well as those who are leading strategic collaborations with the JS Chamber.”

Jabari, who attended the Bahrain workshop, said “the meeting today is a direct continuation of the economic workshop in Bahrain, as well as the continued efforts of the JS Chamber to promote cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian businessmen. Meetings like the one that took place today give us the ability to expand our practical measures and our joint business ventures in the region.”

According to Megilot Regional Council head Arie Kohen, the Dead Sea area is “a bridge between countries, cultures and religions. We are proud to be an international region, enabling real partnerships in tourism, employment and commerce. We will promote every initiative that will connect to the vision that we live every day.”

The tour took place less than a month after the U.S.-sponsored “Peace to Prosperity” workshop in Bahrain. Jabari led a delegation of more than a dozen Palestinian businessmen at the workshop who sought to discuss ways of advancing business opportunities for the Palestinian population.

The delegation’s members received a litany of threats for violating the Palestinian Authority’s boycott of the workshop. Upon their return, one of the delegation’s members, Saleh Abu Mayaleh, was arrested and released only after U.S. pressure. P.A. policemen arrived at the house of another participant in the delegation who has since been in hiding from the P.A.

The first Israeli-Palestinian Economic Forum was held in Jerusalem in February of this year, organized by both the U.S. Israel Education Association and the JS Chamber.

Israeli regional heads of council and dozens of Palestinian mukhtars (village leaders) from the West Bank participated with the

intention of promoting cooperation at the local and municipal levels. U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, who addressed the forum, said in his speech that “political solutions are important, but pieces of paper are not creating peace, relations create peace, investments create peace, friendships create peace, this is the peace that will last, that is the kind of peace that is sustainable.”JN

Members of a joint Israeli-Palestinian delegation that toured the Dead Sea region on July 9, 2019.

PHOTO VIA JUDEA-SAMARIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY.

Invest in the Southwest.

Opportunity Zones 101

WHAT ARE OPPORTUNITY ZONE FUNDS?

Opportunity Zone funds, including the Caliber Tax Advantaged Opportunity Zone Fund, LP, are investment vehicles created for investors to take advantage of the recent tax code changes. The change allows for a reduction in capital gains tax through investments in qualified “Opportunity Zones”.

WHAT IS AN OPPORTUNITY ZONE?

Opportunity Zones are financially distressed communities around the United States that qualify for designation through the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and are being revitalized using private investments instead of taxpayer dollars.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS TO INVESTING?

Investing into an Opportunity Zone Fund offers three important tax benefits: it gives private investors the chance to benefit from their investments thanks to the capital gains tax incentives, it defers federal taxation on recent capital gains until December 31, 2026, and lastly it allows investments held for ten (or more) years to pay as little as zero taxes on profits.

ARIZONA | COLORADO | TEXAS | NEVADA | UTAH

You Should Know... Hadar Hamu

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

If you spent any time at the Valley of the Sun JCC this summer, you probably noticed facts about Israel posted on the walls and an Israeli culture room as a part of the camp’s activities. Leading the Israeli cultural activities was Hadar Hamu, who was thrilled to share her heritage with all the excited kids attending Shemesh Camp.

As an Israeli herself, Hamu was able to offer all the campers a firsthand perspective of Israeli culture.

Hamu was born in Israel and lived there until she moved to the States as a child with her family. But when she was old enough she returned to her country of origin to serve in the Israel Defense Forces. After her time in the army, she returned to the U.S. and now works to help teach more about Israel.

At 24, Hamu is the director of the Shevet Shemesh, the Israel Scouts of Arizona. Shevet Shemesh is the newest chapter of Tzofim Tzabar, a program run by Friends of the Israel Scouts (the largest youth movement in Israel). Tzofim Tzabar is designed to connect North American Hebrew-speaking children. Hamu develops several programs and events for Shevet Shemesh.

Where in Israel are you from?

I am originally from the southern part of Israel. I was born and raised in Beer Sheva until the age of 10.

How long have you been in Arizona?

I originally moved from Israel to California in 2005. After spending a few years in Los Angeles, my family and I moved to Arizona in 2007. Shortly after graduating Hamilton High School in Chandler, I returned to Israel to enlist in the IDF. I returned to Arizona after completing my service and have lived here since.

What was your role in the IDF?

I enlisted in the IDF as a lone soldier back in December 2013. My role in the IDF was a combat medic. After completing basic training and combat medic course, I was stationed in the Gaza

Division, approximately 6 kilometers from the border. I truly enjoyed every part of my service; I learned a lot, made lifelong friendships and unforgettable memories.

What is Shevet Shemesh?

Shevet Shemesh is the local Israeli scouts chapter of Phoenix Arizona. It is a wonderful youth movement composed of over 90 local scout members ranging from third graders to high school students. Our chapter members typically gather every Sunday and participate in activities involving scouting skills, Jewish Israeli identity, local community events, Jewish holidays, leadership abilities and other counselor skills and so much more.

I have worked as the director of Shevet Shemesh since summer of 2016. This upcoming year will be my fourth year directing the sunniest chapter in the U.S.

What do you do at Shevet Shemesh?

As director, I have gotten the opportunity to work closely with an incredibly inspirational individual, Sigal Urman, who is our chapter Chairman and founder. Through the years together we’ve organized influential chapter events like our annual chapter camping trip to Prescott, Israel’s Memorial Day ceremony, Holocaust remembrance ceremony, Good Deeds Day and more.

What would you say is the most rewarding part of your job?

Being that I myself am a sort of hybrid of Israeli and American identities, I see the positive impact that the youth movement has had, and continues to have, on the local Israeli and Jewish American kids since the chapter was established four-and-a-half years ago. Seeing them work together every week to lead this community is the most rewarding part of my job, alongside working with incredible individuals, board members and the families of the community, of course. I absolutely love my job. Shevet Shemesh is like my second family. During my time as director, I have had the chance to acquire lifelong skills, made lasting memories with wonderful kids and their families. For all that I am incredibly grateful.

Tell me about working at the Valley of the Sun JCC’s camp.

This summer, I worked as the Israeli culture specialist. Throughout the week, I see various groups of campers, ranging from kindergarten all the way through eighth grade. Some of my camp responsibilities as the Israeli culture specialist included conducting activities related to Israel and Judaism. Basically, I try and bring a bit of Israel to Shemesh Camp. I love seeing the campers learn something new about Israel and its culture or participate in activities pertaining to Judaism and Israeli society.

What did the kids ask you about Israel?

Kids are incredibly curious, which is why I love working with them so much. The number one topic that is typically

brought up is the mandatory IDF service. I think that they find it fascinating that military service is mandatory in Israel and so naturally they have a lot of questions regarding that topic.

What do you hope the kids learned about Israel?

If there is one thing I hope to educate about it is that Israel is a beautiful country with incredible people and Jewish identity. It is so rich in culture, history, food and tradition. I hope that they aspire to travel there one day and experience the beauty firsthand.

Just for fun, what’s a meal you could eat every day?

I absolutely love paninis. I can eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. JN

Hadar Hamu is the director of Shevet Shemesh, the Israel Scouts of Arizona, and served as the Israeli culture specialist for Shemesh Camp.

CALENDAR

Featured event

AUG. 11-25

Prenatal Screening by the Minkoff Center for Jewish Genetics: Registration fee: Free for students, $50 for non-student between the ages of 18-45, $75 for a couple, $349 for over 45. If you need an alternate date, register and you will be contacted for an alternate date that works for you. Visit jewishgeneticsaz.org/ calendar for more information.

Events

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 14

Brunch Café: Grand Opening Celebration: 15507 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. The Brunch Café specializes in made-from-scratch breakfast, brunch and lunch dishes. All items on the menu can be customized to fit any dietary needs. 6:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., all attendees will receive $5 off their total bill. 6:30-9:30 a.m., attendees can enjoy complimentary coffee and a chocolate-covered strawberry with the purchase of any meal. Visit brunchcafe.com or call 480-398-7174 for more information.

SATURDAY, AUG. 24

Bowling Night: 8 p.m., Bowlero, 7000 E. Mayo Blvd., #19, Phoenix. Join Congregation Or Tzion’s new Yalla! group of young professionals in their 20s to 40s for a night of bowling and fun. Visit otaz.org/yalla for more information and to RSVP.

Meetings, Lectures & Classes

MONDAYS

Mahjong Mondays: 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Every Monday, except on Jewish or legal holidays. You are invited to come and play, no RSVP is necessary, just come. This free program is intended for players with prior experience. Be sure to bring your current mahjong card and a set if you have one. evjcc.org or 480-897-0588

WEDNESDAYS

‘The Valley News’: 10-11:30 a.m., Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. The class focuses on current events and is led by Dr. Michael Epner. No registration required.

TUESDAY, AUG. 13

Terrific Tuesdays: Museum @ the EVJCC: 10-11:30 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Topic: Visions of the Southwest, the Art of Georgia O’Keeffe and Ansel Adams. Speaker: Phoenix Art Museum docent Rebecca Albrecht. Terrific Tuesdays. $4 suggested donation. Contact adrian@evjcc.org.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 14

Duet Volunteer Orientation August 2019: 5-7:30 p.m., Duet, 10000 N. 31st Ave., Phoenix. Orientation for volunteers to provide services to home-bound adults. Bring driver's license for ID. A Level 1 Fingerprint clearance is required to volunteer. Instructions and information for obtaining this will be provided at orientation. Cost is $73, which can be reimbursed by Duet after six months of active volunteering. RSVP at 602-274-5022.

FRIDAY, AUG. 14-SUNDAY, AUG. 18

Arizona Jews for Justice presents ‘If not NOW, when?’: Six-eight hours over three days, North Phoenix. All are welcome for social justice learning, reflection and community

building. $50 suggested donation. Visit arizonajewsforjustice.org for more information.

THURSDAY, AUG. 15

Mature Mavens Dinner: 5 p.m., Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Make new friends as you meet for dinner and socialize. Dinner is separate checks. Please contact Bunnye at 602-371-3744 for the current schedule of restaurants and to reserve your place.

TUESDAY, AUG. 20

Terrific Tuesdays: Arts & Culture @ the EVJCC: 10-11:30 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Topic: The New Season @ CCA. Speaker: Michelle Mac Lennan, general manager of the Chandler Center for the Arts. $4 suggested donation. Contact adrian@evjcc.org.

iGen Parenting: 6-8 p.m., Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Launch of new parenting series; this is a monthly education series for parents of tweens. It provides an opportunity to connect with other parents while learning about important topics facing today’s youth. The eight-part series topics will include: drugs, emotional wellness, anxiety and depression, hate crimes and cyber safety, to name a few. The presenters come from Common Sense Media, the AntiDefamation League and Teen Law School, as well as a variety of therapists. $18 per person, $100 for entire series. For more information visit igenparenting.com or find them on Facebook @ iGenParenting.

THURSDAY, AUG. 22

Open Beit Midrash class: 9 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. The Life and Tragedy of King David, taught by Rabbi Michael Beyo. Free, but registration required: evjcc.org/open-beit-midrash

Talmudic Heroes: 10 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Taught by Rabbi Michael Beyo. Topic: Elisha Ben Abuyah. Cost: $14. Registration required: evjcc.org/ open-beit-midrash

Speaker Series: 11 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Speaker: Marty Haberer, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix. Topic: The American Jewish Experience. Cost: $14, includes kosher lunch. Registration required: vjcc.org/ open-beit-midrash

The Arava Institute: A Model of Coexistence Around Environmental Sustainability: 7-8:30 p.m., Temple Solel, 6805 E. McDonald Drive, Paradise Valley. With support from Jewish National Fund, the Arava Institute advances cross-border environmental cooperation in the face of political conflict, and also educates and prepares future leaders from Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Jordan and

around the world to cooperatively solve the pressing environmental challenges of our time. Moderator: Rabbi John Linder, Temple Solel. Featuring guest speakers: Mohammad Azraq and Odeliya Matter, Arava Institute Alumna. RSVP by August 16, 2019, at jnf. org/AZAravaEvent, or contact our office at rsvparizona@jnf.org or 480-447-8100 ext.934

SUNDAY, AUG. 25

Playdate in the Park: 10-11:30 a.m., East Valley Early Childhood Learning Center at Chuparosa Park, 2400 S. Dobson Road, Chandler. Free, open to the community. Reservations: Text 480-269-4763.

Mavens and Mensches — Jewish Singles

Group: 2 p.m., Temple Beth Shalom, 12202 N. 101st Ave., Sun City. Come to an afternoon of Bunko, with cash prizes awarded. Beginners welcome to learn how to play. Cost: $5 per person. RSVP to Helene Fox at hrfoxie@cox.net.

TUESDAY, AUG. 27

Arts & Culture @ the EVJCC: 10-11:30 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Presentation by artist Tal Dvir. Topic: A preview of his Painting with Watercolors class, which starts Sep. 10. Terrific Tuesdays. $4 suggested donation. Contact adrian@evjcc.org

THURSDAY, AUG. 29

Open Beit Midrash class: 9 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. The Life and Tragedy of King David, taught by Rabbi Michael Beyo. Free, but registration required: evjcc.org/open-beit-midrash

Talmudic Heroes: 10 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Taught by Rabbi Michael Beyo. Topic: Rabban Gamaliel. Cost: $14. Registration required: evjcc.org/ open-beit-midrash

Speaker Series: 11 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Speaker: Lawrence Bell, Ph.D., executive director of the Arizona Jewish Historical Society. Cost: $14, includes kosher lunch. Registration required: evjcc.org/open-beit-midrash

TUESDAY, SEPT. 3

Spirituality @ the EVJCC: 10-11:30 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Class led by Phyllis Avalon Rosh, Ph.D. Topic: How to Deal with Difficult People. Terrific Tuesdays. $4 suggested donation. Contact adrian@evjcc.org.

Mahjong Mondays on Tuesday: 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Held Tuesday, Sept. 3, due to Labor Day. This free program is intended for players with prior experience. Bring current mahjong card and a set if you have one. Contact evjcc.org or 480-897-0588.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 5

Open Beit Midrash class: 9 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. The Life and Tragedy of King David, taught by Rabbi Michael Beyo. Free, but registration required: evjcc.org/open-beit-midrash

Talmudic Heroes: 10 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Taught by Rabbi Michael Beyo. Topic: Rabbi Shimon Bar

Yochai. 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: Sephardic Jewish History: Shmuel HaNagid. Cost: $14, includes kosher lunch. Registration required: evjcc.org/ open-beit-midrash

SUNDAY, SEPT. 8

Ladles of Love: 9 a.m.-noon, East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Volunteers cook and deliver meals. Register: evjcc.org/ ladles-of-love

TUESDAY, SEPT. 10

Terrific Tuesdays: Museum @ the EVJCC: 10-11:30 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Topic: Leonardo: Artist, Scientist, Musician, Mathematician. Speaker: Phoenix Art Museum docent Joyce Durham. $4 suggested donation. Contact adrian@evjcc.org for more information.

Painting with Watercolors: 7-9 p.m. ,East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Six Tuesdays. Join impressionism artist Tal Dvir for a workshop where students will learn stages of sketching, drawing and painting with watercolors. The six-week course is $120. Details: evjcc.org/arts-and-culture

THURSDAY, SEPT. 12

Open Beit Midrash class: 9 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. The Life and Tragedy of King David, taught by Rabbi Michael Beyo. Free, but registration required: evjcc.org/open-beit-midrash

Talmudic Heroes: 10 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Taught by Rabbi Michael Beyo. Topic: The Execution of Rabbi Haninah ben Teradion. Cost: $14. Registration required: evjcc.org/ open-beit-midrash

Speaker Series: 11 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Speaker: Jake Bennett. Topic: Disputed Territory of Jerusalem: What’s It All About? Cost: $14, includes kosher lunch. Registration required: evjcc.org/ open-beit-midrash

SUNDAY, SEPT. 15

Conversation with the Rabbi: 6 p.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. The first of a new series. Rabbi Michael Beyo and Imam Faheem Arshad, Imam of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, discuss being a religious minority. Reservations required: evjcc. org/conversation

TUESDAY, SEPT. 17

Authors @ the EVJCC: 10-11:30 a.m. East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Author Barbara Mark-Dreyfuss. Topic: Writing Our Life Stories: A Gift to Future Generations. Terrific Tuesdays. $4 suggested donation. Contact adrian@evjcc.org

Holiday Baking Class: 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Learn how to prepare Rosh Hashanah treats with Chef Melinda of the EVJCC’s Challah

CALENDAR

Factory. Cost is $18 for each class, which includes the lesson, a recipe and the chance to sample the goods. Register: evjcc.org/ jewish-learning

THURSDAY, SEPT. 19

Open Beit Midrash class: 9 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. The Life and Tragedy of King David, taught by Rabbi Michael Beyo. Free, but registration required: evjcc.org/open-beit-midrash

Talmudic Heroes: 10 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Taught by Rabbi Michael Beyo. Topic: Eleazar Ben Dinai. Cost: $14. Registration required: evjcc.org/ open-beit-midrash

Interfaith Series: 11 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. C.O.R.E.: Center for Community, Outreach, Relationships, Engagement. A new monthly Open Beit Midrash series featuring diverse faith leaders speaking about their faith’s history, tenets and current challenges. The first speaker is Imam Faheem of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. $14, includes kosher lunch following presentation. Reservations required: evjcc.org/open-beitmidrash or 480-987-0588.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 24

Spirituality @ the EVJCC: 10-11:30 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Class led by Phyllis Avalon Rosh, Ph.D. Topic: Intuition or Premonition: Is it Real? Terrific Tuesdays. $4 suggested donation. Contact adrian@evjcc.org

Pillars of the Community: East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. An evening of appreciation. Reservations: evjcc.org/reception

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 25

Book club: 10:30-11:30 a.m. East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Discussion led by Phyllis Avalon Rosh, Ph.D.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 26

Open Beit Midrash class: 9 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. The Life and Tragedy of King David, taught by Rabbi Michael Beyo. Free, but registration required: evjcc.org/open-beit-midrash

Talmudic Heroes: 10 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Taught by Rabbi Michael Beyo. Topic: Reish Lakish. Cost: $14. Registration required: evjcc.org/ open-beit-midrash

Rosh Hashanah Seder: 11 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Rabbi Michael Beyo leads a Rosh Hashanah seder. Cost: $14, includes kosher lunch. Registration required: evjcc.org/open-beit-midrash

MONDAY, SEPT. 30

Duet Volunteer Orientation: 5-7:00 p.m., Orangewood Presbyterian Church, 7321 N. 10th Street, Phoenix. Orientation for volunteers to provide services to home-bound adults. Bring driver's license for ID. A Level 1 Fingerprint clearance is required to volunteer. Instructions and information for obtaining this will be provided at orientation. Cost is $73, which can be reimbursed by Duet after six months of active volunteering. RSVP at 602-274-5022.

Family

SATURDAY, AUG. 17

The J’s Annual Back to School Pool Bash: 6-10 p.m., Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Kids grades pre-K—4 come in their swimsuits and bring a towel for a night of fun with friends, two pools, water slide, DJ, a splash pad, rock wall and more. Members: $15, guests: $25; $5 more after 5 p.m. on Aug. 12, includes dinner, snacks and movie. Register at vosjcc.org/knoschool.

SUNDAY, AUG. 18

Mega Babka-llah Bake 4Kids: 2:30-4 p.m., Friendship Circle, Chabad of Arizona, 2110 E. Lincoln Drive, Phoenix. Get into the Rosh Hashana spirit and grab your chef’s hat! Take

your baking skills to the next level with some fun challah and babka baking. Shape, braid, fill and create your own delicious challah and babka. Featuring a Build-A-Challah workshop to build your own challah pillow. Cost: $10 per child, $5 per adult, sponsorship: $100/ $180. Volunteer opportunities available for grades 7-12.

Shabbat

FIRST SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH

Kavana Café: 8:45 a.m., Congregation Or Tzion, 16415 N. 90th St., Scottsdale. This is an informal opportunity to learn with Rabbi Micah Caplan prior to Saturday-morning services. A light breakfast will be served. For more information, visit congregationortzion.org or call 480-342-8858.

EVERY SATURDAY

Torah Express: Noon, Congregation Or Tzion, 16415 N. 90th St., Scottsdale. On Shabbat mornings, during the congregation’s Kiddush lunch, join Rabbi Micah Caplan and other Jewish professionals and teachers from the community for an in-depth study of the Torah portion of the week. No RSVP required. For more information, visit congregationortzion.org or call 480-342-8858.

FRIDAY, AUG. 9

Sun Lakes Congregation Twilight Services: 5:30-6:30 p.m., Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation, 9240 E. Sun Lakes N. Blvd., Sun Lakes. Twilight services are shorter, informal services that are open to everyone. For more information and membership inquiries, please contact Bety Dar, 480-882-9022.

FRIDAY, AUG. 16

Post Shabbat film screening: After a Shabbat service at a north Scottsdale location, Desert Foothills Jewish Community Association will screen the film “Welcome to Kutsher’s: The Last Catskill Resort.” Kutsher’s Country Club was the last surviving Jewish resort in the Catskills.

Stop the (puppy) presses

Ellie, front, and Lucy Colan hold a copy of their favorite Jewish newspaper on the beach in Bandon, a small coastal town in Oregon.

Where’s your Jewish News?

Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix President and CEO Marty Haberer, right, and NowGen Board Advisor Rachel Hoffer proudly display the Jewish News during the Jewish Federations of North America FRD mission in Uruguay and Argentina. They, along with Marc Newman (not pictured), are representing the Valley’s Jewish community and the contribution it makes to Federation’s work helping Jews in need locally, in Israel and around the world.

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

One of the legendary Borscht Belt hotels during its heyday, Kutsher’s was family-owned and operated for over 100 years until its sale and demolition in 2014. Dues are $60 per year. For information, contact Andrea: 480-664-8847.

Splash into Shabbat: 5:30 p.m., Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Join PJ Library poolside for Shabbat stories, splash pad, crafts, music and pizza, Shabbat dinner and popsicles. $15 per adult and $10 per child over 1 year. Register by Aug. 14 at jewishphoenix.org/shabbatsplash.

FRIDAY, AUG. 23

Jewish Federation NowGen Shabbat Hops: 5:30-6:30 p.m., Chabad of Paradise Valley, 5402 E. Lincoln Dr., Paradise Valley. Jewish young adults are invited to experience “Judaism with a smile” through fellowship and celebrating Shabbat together. Free, but registration required by Aug. 22 at jewishphoenix.org/ shabbathop

Musical Shabbat: 6 p.m., Congregation Or Tzion, 16415 N. 90th St., Scottsdale. It’s Or Tzion’s inspiring Shabbat in the Round! This unique service features congregation musicians on a variety of instruments, singing harmonies and adding depth and kavanah to Friday night worship. For more information visit congregationortzion.org or call 480-342-8858.

Arts

SUNDAY, SEPT. 8

Israeli Movie Series: 3 p.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. “Only God Should,” a documentary about a paraplegic grandson seeking the truth about his grandfather’s act of vengeance after the Holocaust. A $5 donation suggested. Register: evucc.org/movie-series JN

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER PHOENIX

PHOTO BY HARRIET COLAN

Wandering Warren

Camp visit

A green thumb

In 1992, Jeremy Schneider, left, planted a tree in the Jewish National Fund forest in Israel. This month, Schneider, now rabbi of Temple Kol Ami, planted a tree in the Tzora forest in Israel’s Judean Hills, an area that was burned by fire in July 2015. The planting of trees is part of an ongoing effort to revitalize the area by the Jewish National Fund.

Meeting the Fonz

Harvey and Sandy Belfer enjoy a lunch with TV legend Henry Winkler in Beverly Hills. The Belfers were able to meet Winkler after bidding on the experience at the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix’s MEGA 2019 event in March.

Start packing

Jewish Family & Children’s Service partners with volunteers from Mercy Care to donate and assemble nearly 300 fully stocked backpacks with school supplies. This event was held in connection with JFCS’ 2019 Backpack Drive, which accumulated nearly 1,800 brand new backpacks for children K-12 in need throughout the Valley.

Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren speaks at a rally as a part of her campaign at the Marquee Theater in Tempe on Aug 1.

PHOTO BY JOEL ZOLONDEK

Temple Chai Cantor Ross Wolman, far left, visits Camp Stein on Sunday, July 21.

email us

JODI GOLD LIPSON AND RAMI LIPSON

Jodi Gold Lipson and Rami Lipson of Phoenix will celebrate their 17th anniversary on Aug. 25, 2019. They will celebrate with their entire family at a brunch held at their in-laws’ home. Their son, Ethan Lipson, will become a bar mitzvah the day before.

OBITUARY

STEVEN MARC WINKLER

Steven Marc Winkler, 55, died July 5, 2019. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and lived in Phoenix. He is survived by his spouse, Allison Ladin Winkler, of Phoenix; his son, Daniel Winkler; parents Arline and Henry

COMMUNITY BRIEFS

Congregation Or Tzion hires new youth director

Congregation Or Tzion has hired Terrah Yevilov as its youth director. She will also serve as field engagement associate for The Far West Region of USY.

Yevilov’s primary duties will be supporting Jewish teen and tween engagement in Greater Phoenix for both the synagogue and USY.

A graduate of Menlo College, Yevilov has experience teaching in Jewish day schools. She has a certificate of Jewish education from the DeLet Program of Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles.

Congregation Or Tzion, a Conservative synagogue in Scottsdale, formed when Congregation Or Chadash and Har Zion Congregation merged. It celebrated its fifth anniversary in May.

USY is the youth movement of USYJ, providing programming for Conservative Jewish teens across America.

Rabbi Mindie Snyder leaves Congregation Lev Shalom

On July 31, Rabbi Mindie Snyder completed her tenure as the spiritual leader of Congregation Lev Shalom in Flagstaff. Congregation Lev Shalom first welcomed

ETHAN GREGORY LIPSON

Ethan Gregory Lipson will become a bar mitzvah on Aug. 24, 2019, at Temple Chai, with a celebration afterward at the Orange Tree Golf Resort. He is the son of Jodi and Rami Lipson of Phoenix.

Grandparents are Shirley and Saul Gold of Merrick, New York; and Stefanie and Michael Lipson of Phoenix.

For his mitzvah project, Ethan volunteered at ICM Food Bank. He also connected with Remember Us, an organization that remembers children who died in the Holocaust. Ethan will honor the memory of Yitzhak Kriger, who died at the age of 12 before he could be called to the Torah.

Ethan enjoys traveling, bicycling, gaming, swimming and acting in school

Winkler; brother David Winkler (Nancy); and sister Randi Winkler Gaier (David).

Services were held on July 9, 2019, at Mt. Sinai Cemetery and were officiated by Rabbi Mari Chernow. Arrangements by Sinai Mortuary of Arizona.

and is working achieve his purple belt in September. Ethan also volunteers at the Phoenix Herpetological Society.

Memorial contributions can be made to: Phoenix Children’s Hospital Cancer Center or to: Temple Chai, C/O Rabbi Chernow, 4645 E. Marilyn Road, Phoenix, AZ 85032 JN

Rabbi Snyder in the fall of 2015.

“It has been an honor to serve the community of Northern Arizona for the past four years. I cherish the friendships I have made, as I begin a new chapter in my life.”

Rabbi Snyder was the Congregation’s first permanent rabbi to live full time in Flagstaff. Prior to engaging Rabbi Snyder, Rabbi Nina Perlmutter was the Congregation’s spiritual leader from 2009 to early 2015.

Rabbi Snyder completed rabbinical studies at the Academy for Jewish Religion — California, and holds degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and Lesley College (now Lesley University).

Rabbi Snyder currently is completing a doctorate with the European Graduate School in Switzerland, focusing on expressive arts applications and social change.

Young author wants to give back to community

Rachel Kaplan, who released her second self-published book last year about her rescue dog, Smokey, is a local finalist in the Furever USA Rescued Heroes Road Tour. Kaplan was recently interviewed by Arizona Foothills

Magazine and was featured on Channel 12 for her participation in the Furever USA contest. Kaplan has always written about issues that are important to her; her first book, “Growing Up With a Disability,” recounted the challenges she experienced, while her second book, “The Adventures of Smokey,” details how she adopted and learned to care for her rescue dog.

Furever USA’s mission is to photograph and share the story of every rescue dog family in the U.S. in order to emphasize the impact that such dogs have on their human families. The group’s latest project is the Furever USA Rescued Heroes Road Tour. Furever USA’s founders are traveling across the country to find incredible stories about rescue dogs and their families. National voting will be in the latter half of August, and the winning dog’s owner will have $5,000 donated to a nonprofit animal welfare group of their choice. Foothills Animal Rescue will be the recipient if Kaplan wins.

Giving back to the community is important to Kaplan. In the tradition of tzedakah, she donates the proceeds of her books about Smokey to Foothills Animal Rescue. JN

With breaking hearts, we announce the death of our beloved wife, mother, daughter, sister and aunt, Batya Bar-Chaim (née Betty Shuch), whose beautiful soul flew to HaShem on Shabbos morning, July 13, 2019 (the 10th of Tammuz). After a valiant battle against cancer, Batya died at home surrounded by her loving family, who sang to her and said their goodbyes. Many friends also came to share their love and admiration for her and told stories of her goodness.

Batya was a loving, devoted mom who always strived to help her children achieve their dreams. She enjoyed part-time teaching and also was a valued volunteer for her children’s yeshivas. A spiritual seeker, she had come to Crown Heights in 1988 after attending ASU. She studied at Machon Chana for two years, then married her husband Yossel, a special education teacher. They recently celebrated their 29th wedding anniversary. Over a period of time, while giving birth to, and raising her six children, Batya graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in special education and a master’s degree in literacy. Four years ago, she also earned a license as an EMT after taking a course with a small group of other women, when the Crown Heights community tried to establish a women’s EMT crew to meet the needs of religiously observant women.

Batya is survived by her husband, Yossel Bar-Chaim, and children, Chaim Baruch (Shoshana), Chaya Mushka, Chana Sara, Rivka, Nechama and Yisroel. She is also survived by her parents, Sandor and Bunny Shuch; her brother, Bob (Bethel) Shuch; nephews Jacob and Ben Shuch; and niece Kayla Shuch. Batya had a generous heart and kind, loving spirit. Her strong faith sustained her and helped her to transcend many challenges with grace and dignity. We, her family and friends, will always cherish her memory.

In lieu of flowers, contributions to the Bar-Chaim Family Fund, charidy.com/barchaim, will be appreciated.

Jack Podel, 92, born July 25, 1926 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, passed away July 9 in Glendale.

He was the second son of Levi (Louis) and Mirke (Mary) Podel.

In 1942, at the age of 16, Jack joined the Civil Air Patrol, hoping to become a pilot. His vision was too poor for him to follow that dream, but not so for the infantry. In 1944, Jack was drafted into the Army and soon found himself on the other side of the world. On May 12, 1945, he was wounded in the Philippines. Before his release from the hospital in July — the day before his 19th birthday — he was awarded the Purple Heart.

Returning to Philadelphia, Jack went to work at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and later in Trenton, NJ as a civilian for the Navy and the Defense Industrial Supply Center (DISC) as a mechanic on experimental jet engines. As his father had been an immigrant from Russia, Jack was considered a security risk and was not allowed to work on classified projects. That didn’t stop the engineers from calling on him when they needed his expertise.

On March 24, 1951, Jack married the love of his life, Miriam Ellis. By the end of that year, they had started their family with the birth of their son, Robert. In the years that followed, they welcomed another son, Terry, and a daughter, Roslyn. In 1978, Jack, Miriam and Terry relocated to Phoenix, where Jack worked at Garrett AiResearch as a government QA inspector for military projects.

After his retirement, Jack enjoyed playing tennis and visiting Sedona, and for many years was a volunteer in the Glendale Elementary School District.

Jack is survived by sons Bob (Karen) and Terry; daughter Lynn (Bill) Gangloff; and four grandchildren, all of Phoenix. He was preceded in death by his wife Miriam and his brother Nathan z”l.

Donations requested to the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center. Rabbi Martin Scharf officiated. Arrangements by Sinai Mortuary.

Bernice “Bunny” Lemesis passed away peacefully on Friday, July 19, 2019 (16 Tammuz), at the age of 81. Born in Chicago, she discovered her love of music and began vocal training at age 12, singing with the Chicago Children’s Opera Company. During the mid-1960s, she performed with the Triple Cities Opera Company in Binghamton, New York.

Moving to Phoenix in 1972, Bunny joined Beth El Congregation and sang in their High Holy Days choir. She will be remembered for her beautiful soprano voice, singing the Hashkiveinu solo for many years. In 1976, she starred in Beth El’s production of “Milk and Honey,” and later sang with the community’s Sisters of Song.

Bunny had the honor of becoming the first adult B’nai Mitzvah at Beth El in 1979.

Bunny Lemesis is survived by her two beloved daughters, Sheri Zeff (Karl) and Rachel Sturm (Joseph); brother David Needleman (Heidi); sister Lorry Cohen; and her four grandchildren, Danny and Mickey Zeff, and Rebecca and Alyssa Sturm.

Single Plot for Sale Mt. Sinai Cemetery

Solomon section of Sinai Cemetery. Includes liner, memorial stone, and liner installation. Single plot that can be expanded to double. $9000 plus transfer fee of $250.

Contact:

Paulette Kaplan

562-841-9026

When leaving message or sending text, refer to the ad or cemetery plot.

Bernard Weiner, 87, passed away in the early morning hours on July 23, 2019, in Phoenix, surrounded by his loving family. Bernie, as he was known, was born in Lithuania on Dec. 25, 1931, and arrived at Ellis Island on Aug. 1, 1938, with his father, Alex; mother, Lena; brother, Art; and sister, Shirley Alexander, who still survives. Bernie was admired by his family and friends, and his charitable nature and influencing presence left a lasting impact on all who had the pleasure of knowing him. His enthusiasm for business was matched only by his ardor for politics, classical/Broadway music and hosting parties for his numerous friends. Bernie’s overriding passion was as a husband, father and grandfather.

He was survived by his wife, Libby (née Brainin); daughter, Abbe; sons, David and Mark; grandchildren, Alex and Zoe; sons-in-law, Edgar and Robert; daughter-in-law, Diane; and stepbrother, Julian Hayum.

Bernie served in the Korean War from 1952 to 1954 and graduated from the University of Illinois in 1956 with an economics degree, where he was a proud member of Sigma Alpha Mu. Bernie married Libby Brainin on June 24, 1956, and began his professional career in Danville, Illinois, working for his in-laws’ food business.

Bernie always had a desire to sell insurance and moved to Kankakee, Illinois, to begin a thriving life and health insurance business, which just celebrated its 60th anniversary this year. He moved to Arizona in 1986 and joined son David in the Scottsdale Weiner Insurance office, and David now operates Weiner Insurance in Illinois and Arizona. Bernie was Kankakee County recorder of deeds for two terms, from 1968 through 1976. Bernie served on numerous boards, including the Kankakee County Library Board, Illinois Health Facility Planning Board, Temple B’nai Israel, Kankakee YMCA and the American Bank.

Funeral services were held at Mt. Sinai Cemetery in Phoenix, on July 24, 2019. Shiva was held at the home of David and Robert Weiner, Scottsdale. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix.