Jewish News, Sept. 6, 2019

HEADLINES | 16 RED ROCKS

The vaunted music fest celebrates an important anniversary

SENIOR LIFESTYLE

Celebrating the season of fall — and fall prevention awareness

Jewish community leader Allan Flader dies at 55

When talking to community members about Allan Flader after his untimely death last month at 55, the most commonly heard work to describe him was “mensch.”

“Allan was the definition of a true mensch,” said Jonathan Hoffer, a managing partner for SMS Financial. “He would have given you the shirt off of his back if you needed it. He was never too busy for anyone and he did so much for this community.”

Flader, the managing partner, financial advisor and senior portfolio manager of Flader Wealth Consulting Group, died on Aug. 14 after a six-year

Transgender activist Abby Stein comes to Phoenix

While growing up in her Chasidic community in Brooklyn, transgender activist Abby Stein never heard anything negative or hateful about transgender individuals or the larger LGBTQ community. It was a subject that was never spoken of. Ironically, she wished the people around her had said something because, as she put it, “at least I would have known that we existed then.”

Flagsta ’s Jewish community gets new home

Hundreds turned out for the Molly Blank Jewish Community Center’s grand opening. The 12,500-square-foot building houses a synagogue, meditation terrace, sukkah plaza, social hall, kosher kitchen, library, offices, mikvah, classrooms and guest suites. While construction finished earlier this summer, it wasn’t always a smooth process. Read more on Page 6.

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

Abby Stein is the first openly transgender woman who was raised in a Chassidic community and will be speaking at multiple learning events in the Metro Phoenix area.

Allan Flader died on Aug. 14 after a six-year battle with cancer. PHOTO VIA FLADERGROUP.COM

battle with cancer. He was 55.

The Flader family moved to Phoenix in 1971, just a few years after Allan was born in Toronto, Canada, in 1964. Flader and his three brothers grew up across from the Phoenix JCC on West Maryland Avenue and the family spent much time there. Flader went to the JCC’s summer and overnight camps, and his love for JCCs became a passion later in life. He was a major donor, for instance, to the Valley of the Sun JCC’s campus campaign.

“Allan was an amazing friend to our J and the overall community,” said VOSJCC CEO Jay Jacobs. “His generosity, support and spirit impacted not only our community, but allowed many, many individuals to have experiences that would not have been possible without his and his family’s involvement. He will be greatly missed and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.”

One of Flader’s recent ventures with the VOSJCC was bringing back an annual community-wide Purim carnival, for which Flader Wealth Consulting Group served as presenting sponsor. Prior to 2017, the JCC hadn’t hosted a Purim carnival since 2008.

Flader also served as a board member for the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix. Foundation President and CEO Richard Kasper said that

Flader’s contributions to the Foundation — both as a board member and as a longtime member of the JCF investment committee — are almost too numerous to list.

“One benefit of working for the Jewish community is gaining the friendship of many remarkably wonderful people,” Kasper said. “Even in that context, Allan stood out as the best of the best. Thoughtful, kind, caring, Allan was always looking for ways to help, challenging us to be better, and thinking about making our community stronger.”

In addition to his work with the JCF and the VOSJCC, Flader contributed to several Jewish organizations, including the Bureau of Jewish Education, Jewish National Fund, Gesher Disability Resources and Temple Solel, where he and his family were members.

Outside of his work in the Jewish community, Flader had a strong passion for finance. He was ranked the No. 1 financial advisor in Arizona for two consecutive years in Forbes/SHOOK’s Best-in-State Wealth Advisor lists.

Flader founded the Flader Wealth Consulting Group in 2000 with his brothers Michael and Brian. The group joined with RBC Wealth Management in 2008. Before creating the wealth management company, Flader worked for several different financial investment companies, including UBS Wealth Management, Prudential Financial and Merrill Lynch.

He began working at Merrill Lynch shortly after graduating the University of Arizona with degrees in business and economics in 1986. In 1987, he was the youngest adviser working for Merrill Lynch in the country.

As a child, Flader excelled in math and was tutoring high school students in the subject when he was just a fourth-grader. Throughout his life, he managed to use his love of finance and his interpersonal skills to help everyone he could. Hoffer said that Flader’s commitment and care shined through every day.

“He gave back and supported virtually every Jewish cause, both locally and in Israel,” Hoffer said. “Beyond his public sponsorships, he was always looking for a way to quietly give to people in need. The community lost a titan in Allan, but his legacy will certainly live on.”

Rabbi John Linder of Temple Solel said, “He was a warrior for life, leaving no stone unturned in his six-year battle with cancer. Allan will be deeply missed by his beloved family and friends, and leaves behind a legacy for us all of what it is to be a mensch.”

Flader is survived by his wife, Katherine; his children, Alexa and Carson; his brothers, David, Michael and Brian; and his mother, Norma.

Funeral services were held at Temple Solel on Friday, Aug. 16. Flader was buried at Paradise Memorial Gardens in Scottsdale. JN

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“I used to joke that the day the Chasidic community becomes transphobic, I’ve accomplished my goal,” Stein added. “And mission accomplished. I have now forced a conversation. Now every 12-year-old in that community knows that transgender individuals exist.”

Stein, the first openly transgender exChasid, will share her story when she comes to the Metro Phoenix area later this month, just a few weeks prior to the release of her book, “Becoming Eve: My Journey from Ultra-Orthodox Rabbi to Transgender Woman,” on Nov. 12.

Although the community Stein grew up in was in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, culturally, she said, it felt more like 18th-century Eastern Europe. A direct descendant of the Baal Shem Tov, Stein

we need a lot more than that,” Stein said. “We need to move beyond just accepting LGBTQ individuals and start celebrating them. In order for it to become part of who we are as a culture, we need constant events and constant awareness.”

The Federation event will also feature a meet-and-greet, with drinks and dessert, after Stein’s talk.

“We’re excited that Abby has agreed to stay late to meet with some of our LGBTQ members,” said Federation Senior Development Associate Kelly Harris. “Abby’s story speaks to so many people on so many different levels.”

Meeting with audience members is something Stein enjoys, too, as she meets so many people going through similar experiences.

In addition to the Federation appearance, Stein will also speak at two learning events hosted by Valley Beit Midrash on Sept. 19. The first is called “From Chasidic Rabbi to Trans Activist,” which will provide another opportunity for people to hear Stein’s story.

grew up with 12 siblings and spoke Yiddish and Hebrew at home. She didn’t learn English until she was 20.

Stein was assigned male at birth and raised as such. Knowing nothing about the larger LGBTQ community, she followed the path her family set out for her, living as a man, getting ordained as a rabbi and even marrying a woman.

But she couldn’t keep living a life that felt inauthentic.

In 2012, Stein left her community with the help of the organization Footsteps, a nonprofit that assists people who are leaving or thinking about leaving haredi communties. She came out as transgender in 2015, and now works as an influential and oft-interviewed activist, author, public speaker and model.

Stein’s first local appearance will be at a Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix event that is part of its new Pride initiative, which launched in April. “An Evening with Abby Stein” is Pride’s first major event and Stein said it was an honor to be chosen for it. She was pleased that Federation was hosting such events year-round.

“All the pride Shabbats and events that happen in June are amazing, but I think

“We believe in the eternal Torah truth that all people are created in the image of God and have infinite dignity,” said VBM President and Dean Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz. “The vulnerable trans community has experienced so much abuse based upon misunderstanding and hatred, and we believe it is crucial to learn from Jewish trans leaders and their narratives. Abby Stein is a hero and Jewish thought leader that we are thrilled to have the opportunity to learn from.”

The other VBM event with Stein, “The Intersectionality of Gender and Jewish Identity,” focuses on how Judaism helped her come to terms with her identity.

Stein may have stopped being a rabbi and is now an atheist, but her understanding of Judaism has helped her through her transition and allowed her to celebrate her identity. In fact, she celebrated her transition and announced her name change at Romemu, a Jewish Renewal synagogue in New York.

“What I did was a bat mitzvah and a transition celebration,” Stein said. “We need something like that for the Jewish lifecycle. We need constant events and constant awareness to go beyond the Pride month.” JN

Registration for “An Evening with Abby Stein” is required by Monday, Sept. 16, and tickets for the event are $10. Both VBM learning events have a suggested donation of $18. Registration is required. For more information, visit jewishphoenix.org/ event/federation-event-featuring-abby-stein and valleybeitmidrash.org.

The Temple Solel community holds the Flader family and friends in our hearts over the immeasurable loss of your beloved Allan.

We will carry Allan’s legacy forward through acts of kindness and being a mensch.

“I USED TO JOKE THAT THE DAY THE CHASIDIC COMMUNITY BECOMES TRANSPHOBIC, I’VE ACCOMPLISHED MY GOAL... NOW EVERY 12-YEAR-OLD IN THAT COMMUNITY KNOWS THAT TRANSGENDER INDIVIDUALS EXIST.”

ALLAN FLADER

A true mensch

East Valley JCC Israeli movie series starts this week

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

The temperature might still be in the triple digits, but summer is technically ending and the Jewish community is prepping for fall.

Along with the Red Rocks Music Festival and Valley Beit Midrash’s learning events, two signal fall cultural happenings, the East Valley JCC launches its third annual Israeli movie series on Sunday, Sept. 8, screening one movie per month until August 2020.

Rabbi Michael Beyo, EVJCC CEO, said that the films in the series were carefully chosen.

“Each year we aim to select films that teach us about different aspects of history and culture through the eyes of Israeli filmmakers.” Beyo said. “All the movies and documentaries will make us think and explore different aspects of Israeli society in a closer way, in a more authentic way.”

The films were chosen by an EVJCC committee, which reviewed hundreds of titles, keeping in mind last year’s preferences. In order to be selected, a film has to either have been produced and filmed in Israel or cover some Israeli issue. The committee also looked for timely topics and films that provide a glimpse into Israeli life, culture and society.

“At the EVJCC, we do a lot of education through our Jewish Life and Learning department,” Beyo said. “And when we do Israel education, we do not shy away from dealing with the real issues of Israel, dealing with the real problems and having serious conversations that allow a deeper understanding and deeper connection to Israel.”

Some of the movies that Beyo is most excited for audiences to see are “A Song of Ascension,” which screens on Oct. 6, and “Torn,” which screens on Dec. 15. Both are documentaries, the most popular category for this year’s series.

“A Song of Ascension” is about a young

couple struggling with fertility issues and how they connect with a single mother who chooses to become their surrogate. “Torn” follows the story of a Catholic priest who learns that his parents were actually Jewish, and showcases his ensuing identity crisis.

Other films look at specific moments in Jewish and Israeli history and offer a new perspective.

“Sabena Hijacking: My Version” is a docudrama that recreates the infamous 1972 hijacking of the Belgian Sabena flight from Brussels to Tel Aviv. The documentary “Ghetto Uprising: The Untold Story” fills in missing historical details about the Warsaw Ghetto uprising.

But not all the movies are serious affairs. “The 90 Minute War,” a satirical mockumentary, shows what might happen if the Israeli-Palestinian conflict had to be settled with a soccer match, with the losing side forced to leave and find a new homeland. There will also be some fun with three short films — the first time the series has featured a mini fest of shorts.

Beyo hopes that each screening serves to enhance the audience members’ link with Israel.

“People connect to their Judaism in different ways, and presenting films that show different aspects of Jewish life and history is one way to help people learn and grow in a communal setting,” Beyo said. “Specifically showing Israeli films is a way to connect people to Israel and to help them better understand Israeli life and culture.”

The movies series opens this weekend with the documentary “Only God Should,” which features the investigative journey of a grandson to understand his grandfather’s act of vengeance against Poles complicit with the Nazis. It is screening at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 8. For more information about the series, go to evjcc.org/movie-series.

JN

Allan Flader was a pillar of the community and a devoted supporter of the Federation and The J. His generosity touched many lives in several ways and will continue to do so for generations to come.

He will be greatly missed.

May his memory be for a blessing.

'The 90 Minute War,' distributed by Go2Films, is a mockumentary about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

PHOTO VIA GO2FILMS

A still from the first film in the East Valley JCC’s Israeli Movie Series, 'Only God Should.'

PHOTO VIA COSTANZA FILM DISTRIBUTION

'Torn,' distributed by Go2Films, is a documentary following the life of a Catholic priest who discovers that he had Jewish parents.

PHOTO VIA GO2FILMS

MAKOR brings in permanent rabbi

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

Rabbi Ephraim Weiss’ passion as a rabbi is Jewish education. He believes that Jewish learning doesn’t and shouldn’t stop after Sunday school, but is something that continues every day.

“I have around 15 years of what we can say is postgraduate education,” Weiss said. “Every day, I’m learning something brand new that I didn’t know yesterday. There are always new ideas to learn, and that’s supposed to drive us further as adults the older we get.”

Weiss was recently hired as MAKOR’s permanent rabbi. He moved to the Valley with his wife and children last month.

“I was interested in the opportunity to help a growing community,” Weiss said. “I look for opportunities and challenges of this nature to help an organization like MAKOR take the next step.”

The excitement of helping to expand a community is something that drives Weiss. He said MAKOR is a welcoming and warm community, and that during his interviews and visits he felt the Jewish learning center’s atmosphere provided a great environment for new learning opportunities.

MAKOR was founded in Scottsdale in 2016 by Jewish Arizonans on Campus. The educational center offers programming for young professionals and young families.

MAKOR — which means “source” in Hebrew — not only serves as a hub for Jewish education but is also a place for Shabbat observance and social programming.

“MAKOR is now at a point of expansion with a continued membership influx and seeks to develop its programming, classes and opportunities for its valued members,” read a MAKOR board of directors statement about the Weiss hire. “Rabbi Weiss has a solid background of 15 years of Torah learning and is exceptionally well versed in Torah and Judaism. He has vast experience working in outreach and facilitating dynamic and motivational

lectures and classes.”

Before coming to Scottsdale, Weiss worked in Jacksonville, Florida, as the dean of the Jacksonville Community Kollel. The kollel — which was the first in Jacksonville — is a center of Jewish learning, scholarship and community outreach. It offers individual and small-group studies that meet the needs of those of all levels of observance, backgrounds and knowledge.

Weiss viewed his time at the Jacksonville Kollel as a chance to assist the smaller community with learning more about Judaism.

Originally from New York City, Weiss was previously a member of the Chicago Community Kollel before moving to Jacksonville. He received his rabbinical education in Jerusalem at the Mir Yeshiva and the Torah Ohr. He was authorized as a rabbi by Rav Zalman Nechemia Goldberg of the Jerusalem Beit Din.

Weiss also taught at the Torah Academy of Jacksonville and his wife, Kineret, founded Jacksonville Torah High School, which was the area’s first Torah high school.

Weiss’ decision to come to MAKOR stems from his core belief that Jewish education should be easily accessible.

“I like to say that I’m first and foremost a teacher before I’m a rabbi,” Weiss said.

“I want to make sure we’re engaging with students of all different skill levels, because when people are learning they become more engaged and that leads to growth.”

MAKOR’s board of directors wrote in the provided statement that it was an honor to hire Weiss and they feel he will lead the learning center’s community and “advance MAKOR to the oasis for Jewry in the Valley.”

Weiss is excited to bring his experience to MAKOR and the Valley as a whole — and people are obviously thrilled that he’s here.

“My schedule is filling up very quickly,” Weiss said. “I can see that people are as excited as I am to come and when people are excited they’re motivated to grow. They’ll want to come more and they’ll want to bring their friends and that way the community grows more.” JN

The Board of Directors and the Staff of the Jewish Community Foundation join the entire community in mourning the loss of

Allan Flader

A true leader, a philanthropist, and a mensch beyond measure. We extend our deepest condolences to the entire Flader family. May they be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem and may his name forever be for a blessing.

jcfphoenix.org

•

480.699.1717

MAKOR’s new permanent rabbi, Rabbi Ephraim Weiss, left, and wife Kineret moved to Scottsdale a few weeks ago.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MAKOR

CONVERSATIONSRABBI WITH THE

SEPTEMBER

15 • 6PM EAST VALLEY JCC

Rabbi Beyo will speak with Imam Faheem Arshad Imam of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

BEING

MINORITY

Reservations required: evjcc.org/conversation

Flagstaff JCC has grand opening

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

Flagstaff’s eagerly anticipated Molly Blank Jewish Community Center had its grand opening on Thursday, Sept. 5.

The event featured a ribbon cutting followed by live music from the band Mother Road Trio, tours, children’s entertainment and kosher refreshments.

Flagstaff’s staff and its summer camp.

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CONSTRUCTION, INC.

In Memory of our Friend Allan Flader

We are grateful for his decades of guidance, securing financial well-being and enabling Gesher to provide essential programs and services for children and adults with disabilities.

Phone (480) 629-5343 - gesherdr.org

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The building’s construction was led by Chabad of Flagstaff, which acquired 2.2 acres in 2010 to build a permanent home at 930 W. University Ave. The project’s funding campaign officially launched with a groundbreaking ceremony in 2017, and ultimately resulted in $7 million for the new center.

“We are extremely grateful and excited about the opening of the Molly Blank Jewish Community Center,” said Rabbi Dovie Shapiro, the director of the Chabad of Flagstaff. “Our community has come together to create a vibrant center for Jewish life for now and many generations to come.”

Shapiro founded the Flagstaff Chabad in 2006 with his wife, Chaya. Construction for the new JCC was completed earlier this summer. The building was designed to incorporate outdoor spaces and natural light. It also met the requirements for the Coconino County Sustainable Building Program and is officially certified as a sustainable building.

The 12,500-square-foot building houses a synagogue, meditation terrace, sukkah plaza, social hall, kosher kitchen, library, offices, mikvah, classrooms and guest suites.

Shapiro is grateful that the building is ready for the public and hopes the JCC will be used for lifecycle events and will be a new home for all Flagstaff Jews regardless of age or background. Chabad of Flagstaff estimates that there are 500 Jewish households in the area. Northern Arizona University has roughly 700 Jewish students. The city also sees more than 5 million visitors annually.

The new facility will house Chabad of

The center’s primary benefactors were Paradise Valley residents Michael and Carmen Blank. Michael is a former board member of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix. Michael’s brother, Arthur, is the co-founder of Home Depot. The new building is named after their mother, Molly; the Blanks and The Molly Blank Fund were significantly involved in both fundraising for and donating to the construction campaign. Arthur spoke at the grand opening.

Unfortunately, construction of the building hit an unexpected delay when the site was vandalized with anti-Semitic graffiti. In late March, vandals broke into the construction zone and painted swastikas on the windows and carved them into the walls. The vandals also smashed equipment, threw paint on the ground and stole some power tools. Shapiro characterized the vandalism as a disturbing display of hate. But Flagstaff showed the strength of its community after the incident.

“It really turned out to be this amazing outpour of support from the community at large,” Shapiro said. “So many people came out to support by sending us beautiful messages and hanging silver foil hearts on the fences.” More than a thousand foil hearts were hung on the fences of the community center after the vandalism.

“To see this project come to completion despite the challenges we had is amazing,” Shapiro said. “To see the love and support from the community at large — not just the Jewish community — is something that I think will always be a part of this story.”

Looking into the future, Chabad of Flagstaff will make the most of its new facilities with the upcoming High Holidays.

“We’re approaching a new year and now we have a new facility. It really represents for us new beginnings for the Jewish community of Flagstaff,” Shapiro said. JN

The Molly Blank JCC, Flagstaff’s first JCC, had its grand opening this week.

Still 'Our Boys'

Is it possible to overcome one’s sense of outrage and trauma in order to empathize with the suffering of another? And what if the “other” is not your friend, and may even have been complicit in bringing you pain? These are just two of the questions the new HBO series “Our Boys” presents to Israelis and friends of Israel — and reactions have been intense.

The title “Our Boys” refers to the unprovoked kidnapping and murder in the summer of 2014 of Gilad Shaer, 16, Naftali Fraenkel, 16, and Eyal Yifrah, 19, by Palestinian terrorists as the young men were hitchhiking home in the West Bank. The kidnappings, murders and the intense search for the bodies shook Israelis and Jews around the world, just as Israel and Hamas were drifting into full war.

The criticism of HBO’s fictionalized account stems from the fact that the tragedy of Shaer, Fraenkel and Yifrah is the prelude to what becomes, in effect, a story about the revenge killing of “Their Boy,” 16-year-old Palestinian Mohammed Abu Khdeir, who was savagely burned alive. In 2016, a Jewish-Israeli man, Yosef Haim

Ben-David, and two minors, were convicted of the murder.

There is a bait and switch element to the HBO series. Its title, opening and promotion seemed to promise a

who thought the series would be an expose of Palestinian hatred, violence and random murders in furtherance of some twisted theology or political view — are very disappointed. And that is so even

'OUR BOYS' IS A PROFOUNDLY EMOTIONAL, THOUGHT-PROVOKING STORY, BASED UPON REAL-LIFE EVENTS AND REAL-LIFE TRAUMAS OF TWO CONFLICTED PEOPLES. AND EVEN IF THE CREATORS' MOTIVATION WAS PARTLY POLITICAL, 'OUR BOYS' PRESENTS AN IMPORTANT — ALBEIT UNCOMFORTABLE — MESSAGE.

re-creation of how the kidnapping of the three Israeli teens became the focus of Israeli life for two agonizing weeks, and the aftermath. So it is understandable that some viewers — particularly those

Rockland’s xenophobic GOP

According to the Republican Party in New York’s upstate Rockland County, a storm is brewing. In a Facebook video, with ominous music to set the mood, the GOP warned that “they” will “change our life.”

“They” are the county’s Orthodox Jews, who make up an estimated one-third of residents. Rockland is home to the Chasidic village of New Square and the large Orthodox community of Monsey and surrounding areas, where there has been much reported friction between Orthodox Jews and their local opponents about development, the operation of public school districts and zoning.

Such tensions are no excuse, however, for the xenophobia espoused by county Republicans, who were rebuked by New York Attorney General Letitia James and the Anti-Defamation League. The Republican Jewish Coalition, which was largely silent in response to concerns about xenophobia and anti-Semitism prompted by comments by President Trump, denounced the video as “absolutely despicable” and

“pure anti-Semitism.”

The video has been taken down, but its corrosive impact continues. According to the video: “Aron Wieder and his Ramapo bloc are plotting a takeover,” referring to a Chasidic legislator representing a Rockland County town with a large

though there is near-universal recognition and acknowledgment that Abu Khdeir’s revenge murder was unspeakably horrific.

“Our Boys” was created by two Jewish Israelis, Hagai Levi and Joseph Cedar, and

one Arab-Israeli filmmaker, Tawfik Abu Wael. Their work product is a profoundly emotional, thought-provoking story, based upon real-life events and real-life traumas of two conflicted peoples. And even if the creators’ motivation was partly political, “Our Boys” presents an important — albeit uncomfortable — message.

Blood is blood. The blood of a Palestinian is no less red than that of an Israeli. The fact that Israelis uniformly condemned the Khdeir revenge killing while many Palestinians praised the murders of Shaer, Fraenkel and Yifrah doesn’t make either crime less heinous or less worthy of retelling.

Five years after the incidents in question, with the same leaders in place in Jerusalem, Ramallah and Gaza, the atmosphere is just as explosive now as it was then. And that’s where the outrage should lie.

As for “Our Boys,” the filmmakers chose the story they wanted to tell. That’s their right — even if it leaves some viewers exposed and still nursing deep wounds. JN

solutions and points individuals living on the emotional edge toward violence. Indeed, twice last week, identifiably Jewish men were attacked in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn. And men with grudges and assault weapons murdered Jews at synagogues in Pittsburgh

THE US-VS.-THEM THINKING, WHICH IS SO PREVALENT IN THE CURRENT POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT, IS AT THE HEART OF THE PROBLEM. THAT SENTIMENT STEERS COMMUNITIES AWAY FROM SOLUTIONS AND POINTS INDIVIDUALS LIVING ON THE EMOTIONAL EDGE TOWARD VIOLENCE.

Orthodox population. And, the video warned, “chaotic development” and redistricting threaten “our” home, schools, families — and water.

The us-vs.-them thinking, which is so prevalent in the current political environment, is at the heart of the problem. That sentiment steers communities away from

and Poway, California. The Rockland GOP’s ominous Facebook warnings are of a piece.

But that’s not what Lawrence Garvey, the Republican Party chairman in Rockland County, believes. “Regardless of your thoughts of the video, there are facts that cannot be ignored. This is not,

nor has it ever been a religious issue. It is an issue of right and wrong,” he wrote on Facebook. “For those not living in Rockland, it is harder to see a real and unique problem that exists here. The people of Rockland have become desperate for attention to the problems facing our communities and many live every day with the threat of losing their homes and neighborhoods.”

Then, as if to prove that he didn’t get it, he added: “Anyone who dares speak up about overdevelopment, corruption, or education is immediately labeled as anti-Semitic without any concern for facts or without any idea of the true issues at hand.”

We encourage Garvey and his fellow travelers to sit down with the RJC, the ADL and, most importantly, their Jewish neighbors, to learn why treating Jews as a fifth column is indeed anti-Semitic and why ominous threats about “them” are xenophobic. Whatever problems may exist in Rockland County, the storm that broke out last week was entirely the fault of the local GOP. JN

Accidental racism in the Jewish world

ARYEH HO

arlier this year, my wife attended a program on Jewish education. The presenter made a seemingly harmless joke: “A couple stopped having children after their fourth, because they read a study that said that every fifth child born in America is Asian.”

There was no way for him to know that among the sea of white faces in the audience, one of them was married to me.

I contacted the presenter to inform him that his joke was racially insensitive (it implies that having an Asian child is a negative outcome to be avoided). His first reaction was not to apologize, but to explain.

“The joke is not about race.”

“It doesn’t really disparage Asians.”

“I ran it by some Asian friends!”

“I teach courses on cultural diversity, so I’m well-versed in hot button issues like racism.”

The irony of that last point eluded him.

I responded by quoting the cardinal rule of comedy: If you need to explain your joke, the joke isn’t funny. The lesser-known corollary : If you need to explain why your joke isn’t racist, the joke is racist.

He eventually did apologize. “I’m sorry if you misinterpreted my joke.” In other words, the fault lay with the person who found the joke offensive, not the teller. It was a stunning abdication of responsibility — from a professional educator, no less.

I do not believe the presenter is racist. By all accounts, he is an upstanding, civic-minded, Torah-abiding Jew — the polar opposite of a white supremacist brandishing bigotry and tiki torches. He is not an agent of hate. And one joke in poor taste does not a racist make.

But racism exists on a spectrum. The hateful invective of neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klansmen, and gun-wielding domestic terrorists occupies one extreme. The other encompasses a far subtler form of racism: the inborn, unconscious biases that shape the worldview of anyone raised

Ein a predominantly white society.

It is not malicious. Most people are not even aware of it. It manifests most commonly as a lack of racial sensitivity — a gaping blind spot to the perspectives of marginalized peoples. It finds expression in comments and questions and jokes that seem harmless, but are actually hurtful.

And it is distressingly common in the Jewish world.

My life as a convert has been charmed. In the 12 years since I joined the Jewish people, I’ve enjoyed the wholehearted embrace of countless families and individuals who have gone out of their way to make me feel like a vital thread in the broader tapestry of Judaism. They’ve welcomed me with open arms and shown me nothing but acceptance and friendship.

It comes as no surprise that I have never experienced overt racism from fel-

And the effects are amplified for children.

Our youngest son came home from playgroup one day and showed us a new trick he learned from his friends. Using his fingers, he lifted up the corners of his eyes — a universally-recognized gesture used to make fun of Asians. Thankfully, my son is still too young to know what it means. It’s even possible that the boys he learned it from are unaware of its hurtful implications.

But they did it. No teacher or parent stopped it. And I worry about all the teasing and taunts — playful or otherwise — in the years to come.

This is how it starts. The innocent schtick of children becomes the careless insensitivity of adults. An educator stands before a roomful of parents and uses a marginalized group as a punchline — and

people who are lesser than us.”

I pray that my children never learn this lesson. After all, their father used to be a goy.

I’ve refrained from speaking out in the past for fear of being labeled “hypersensitive.” To which I respond: That’s easy for a white person to say.

I’ve seen Jews roll their eyes when African Americans decry the use of blackface. I’ve heard Jews dismiss Native Americans who condemn the Cleveland Indians mascot. I wonder if those same Jews were as forgiving when a popular clothing retailer released a line of striped pajamas resembling concentration camp uniforms from the Holocaust.

I wonder if people who grumble about political correctness are really concerned about free speech — or if the political correctness is forcing them to take a hard, uncomfortable look at their own biases and prejudices.

low Jews. No taunts of “go home, Bruce Lee!” which I heard as a child in the suburbs. Tolerance is a hallmark of Judaism, and I can attest to its truth. However, to say that I have not experienced any racism whatsoever would be a lie.

I have heard children chant “ching chong, ching chong!” in my presence at Shabbos tables. I have heard adults quip that someone was so tired that their eyes “looked Asian.” I have been asked by the Jewish owner of a neighboring town’s kosher Chinese restaurant if I was a customer or one of the cooks. I have been complimented for speaking without an accent (never mind that I was born and raised in New York).

At their core, these “innocent” comments touch a raw nerve shared by every minority in America. They boil us down to physical traits, linguistic sounds, or vocations. They dehumanize, reducing individuals to stereotypes and tropes. They make us feel different, “othered,” and lesser. We are conditioned to think of ourselves as outsiders, and these comments reinforce that insecurity.

nearly every parent laughs. Those same parents perpetuate the ignorance by passing it on to the next generation.

The presenter may not be racist. The parents may not be racist. But the possibility that the joke is racist never crossed their minds. Perhaps not surprising, given how insular and homogenous many Orthodox communities tend to be. Children are largely shielded from an outside world that is far more diverse than what they see at home. Growing up with no regular contact with Asian, Hispanic, or black people, they never learn what is (or isn’t) socially appropriate to say to them.

Formal Jewish education can sometimes compound the problem. Some schools cultivate an “us against them” mentality. Yes, Jews and non-Jews are different, but non-Jews are also created in the image of God. Yet I have heard children declare that “Hashem gave the Torah to the Jews, not the goyim,” or “the goyim destroyed the Beis HaMikdash.” And their tone strongly suggests they are being taught that goyim means “those

The Jewish world is becoming more and more diverse — and as a father of children who epitomize that diversity, I feel a responsibility to call out racial insensitivity when I see it. Not to cause trouble. Not to shame or point fingers. But to educate. To inspire people to think before they speak and consider how their words can impact others.

Ultimately, the presenter relented. While he declined to abandon the joke entirely, he resolved to change it to make it less problematic for Asians. I am grateful – both for his willingness to do better, and for the lessons we all can take from this episode:

Learn to take the feelings of others into account when we speak.

Recognize our own biases and prejudices.

Believe others when they express and share their pain.

Together, we can raise awareness of racial sensitivity within the Jewish community. We can break the cycle of ignorance and inaugurate the path to empathy and inclusion.

We just have to recognize that racism is no laughing matter. JN

Aryeh Ho is an editor for an educational website and a published children’s book author. This piece was originally published on aish.com.

THE JEWISH WORLD IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE DIVERSE — AND AS A FATHER OF CHILDREN WHO EPITOMIZE THAT DIVERSITY, I FEEL A RESPONSIBILITY TO CALL OUT RACIAL INSENSITIVITY WHEN I SEE IT.

Now is the time to live

PARSHAT SHOFTIM DEUTERONOMY 16:18-21:9

RABBI DEAN SHAPIRO

t’s war. The troops are assembled in their armor, fresh and unsullied. The sun glints in their eyes as the general shouts to his men: “Is there anyone who has built a new house,” he bellows, “but has not yet dedicated it? Let him go back home, lest he die in battle and another man dedicate it. Is there anyone who has planted a vineyard but never harvested it? Let him go back home, lest he die in battle and another harvest it. Is there anyone who has paid the bride-price for a wife, but who has not yet married her? Let him go back to his home, lest he die in battle and another marry her” (Deuteronomy 20:5-7). The system is both humane and effective. Give people a stake in society, and they’ll have something to fight for.

We all have plans, whether grand like grad school or small like a snack. We’re always

anticipating, thinking what’s next. Human beings look forward.

We are not on the brink of battle, but we’re at the brink of something else — the New Year. During the month of Elul, we stand like soldiers, eager and full of dread, our hearts pounding in our chests. The unknown approaches. What’s to become of me? What’s to become of those I love? Will we make it out alive?

The Sfat Emet, a great Chasidic master, suggested reading the Hebrews’ quest to conquer Canaan as a spiritual metaphor. The Canaanites, with their “abhorrent practices” (Deuteronomy 18:9) of consigning children to the fire (18:10), worshiping other gods, bowing to the sun or moon (17:3) — all acts described in this week’s parsha — represent the internal forces of sin, our yetzer hara. The yetzer hara is a force within us that impedes progress and promotes wrongdoing. It’s the dastardly voice that whispers that we’re not good enough, that no one will find out, that there’s time enough tomorrow. This impulse for falseness, for destruction, for short-cuts

is represented by the Canaanites and their idol-worship. The Israelites, as God’s people, represent our own forces of goodness, our yetzer hatov. The yetzer hatov is a force within us that compels us to do well and good. It’s the cheerful voice that reminds us we’re capable, that there’s right and wrong and that there’s no time like the present.

For the Sfat Emet, the “occupation and conquering” of the Canaanite land by the Israelites was a symbolic representation of the battle within each one of us, between the force for integrity on the one hand and moral decay on the other. Both forces exist within all people. A part of our soul is Israelite, and a part is Canaanite.

The generals shout to their men: “Don’t delay! Life is calling you! Make it happen for yourself.” The High Holy Days shout the very same.

Let me be clear: We are not talking about a mere bucket list. It’s good to experience what life has to offer, but Judaism is deeper and wiser than that.

Home. Vineyard. Wife. These represent

what’s important in life: security, joy and relationships. We hope for them, plan for them, fear their being taken away. We cannot go out into the world effectively if these are damaged. Security. Joy. Relationships. If any of these are “off,” broken or ailing, now is the time to work on them.

This is the time for teshuvah — for changing those aspects of self that aren’t what they could be. For healing relationships that aren’t as healthy as they can be. Relationships are like Elul — gone before you know it.

We are in Elul. Each day of the month is a general, declaring that now’s the time to live. Now’s the time. JN

Rabbi Dean Shapiro is the spiritual leader of Temple Emanuel of Tempe.

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

HostedbytheCenterfor JewishStudiesatASU

Suggesteddonation:$18perevent-SeasonPassesAvailable.Registeronline:www.ValleyBeitMidrash.org Forfullprogramdetailsandlastminuteupdates,besuretocheckourwebsite!

Formoreinformationontheseandotherlearningopportunitieswith ValleyBeitMidrash,visit:www.ValleyBeitMidrash.org

Celebrating fall and the season of fall prevention

BOB ROTH | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In a couple of weeks, we will celebrate the first day of fall — and we celebrate September as Falls Prevention Awareness Month.

Do I really mean celebrate? Perhaps “observe” or “commemorate” would be more fitting when it comes to raising awareness of falls prevention. But yes, I do mean celebrate. Do you remember the excitement and energy in the air when you baby-proofed your home? There was no feeling of impending doom, only an affirmation of protection for the future and the security of our loved ones. In Arizona, the fall season feels like a time of renewal. It is the perfect time to renew our commitment to the safety of our aging seniors.

Falling among older adults is a serious public health problem. The risk of hurting oneself when falling increases with age, as reflexes slow, diminishing a person’s ability to protect oneself. Bones are more brittle, making older adults more susceptible to breaking a wrist or even a hip. Unlike illnesses and diseases taking lives among elderly people, falling is completely preventable.

In 2014, the number of deaths from trips and falls almost equaled the number of deaths caused by motor vehicle accidents. The latest data show us that 75% of all emergency room or urgent care visits for people 65 and older are the result of falls. The fact is, many of these trips and falls are caused by preventable circumstances. Falls are the leading cause of death due to injury among seniors. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, elders have a one in three chance of experiencing a fall annually. Over 30,000 older adults died from unintentional fall injuries in 2015. More than 2.8 million seniors were treated in emergency departments for fall injuries. Factors that contribute to falls include improper eyewear, such as wearing sunglasses indoors or inadvertently keeping readers on when walking. Additionally, remind our seniors about getting yearly eye exams and updating their glasses if need be.

Dizziness caused by medication can lead to falls. When filling prescriptions, make sure to ask the pharmacist whether the medicine can affect your balance. And remember, medication not only includes prescription medicines, but also herbal, natural and over-the-counter remedies such as aspirin or antihistamines. Seniors can request a “brown bag check-up,” gathering all their current medications and over-the-counter products into a brown bag and showing them to the doctor or pharmacist so they can identify potential problems.

Lastly, we need our older adults to be mindful of how alcohol interacts with the medications that they are taking.

Contrary to popular belief, falls are not a natural part of aging. All of us have the ability to reduce the risk of falls in our aging loved ones’ homes and when hosting our seniors for a prolonged stay, or even an afternoon visit. Common causes

for falls include slippery or wet surfaces, poor lighting, uneven floor surfaces, clutter in pathways and thick-soled or loose shoes. Rugs are the leading causes of falls, and ideally should be removed. Most falls in the home occur when going up or down stairs and in and out of the tub or shower. It is imperative that stairways have handrails that extend beyond the first and last step. Increasing the light by adding more overhead lighting fixtures or wall sconces can prevent falls. If lamps are added, cord management is essential.

Here is a list of things you can buy for less than $20 that will lower risk of a fall:

• Grab bars for shower or tub

• Mat for shower or tub

• Non-slip bathtub strips

• Velcro strips to secure electrical cords

• Nonslip safety grip pad for rugs

• Motion sensor night light

• Slip-resistant socks

• Nonslip tape (skid tape) for stairs

• Raised toilet seat

• Wheelchair seat belt

When hosting your aging loved one for an overnight or long stay you may need to ensure your guest room is adaptable to the needs of your guest. Place night tables and shelves in places that are easily accessible. Offer to help your loved one unpack, storing clothing, medication and necessities within reach. Make sure the outside of your home is well-lit and there are no hazards blocking the entranceway to your home. Secure overexcited or anxious pets to prevent them from jumping or becoming a tripping hazard.

Celebrating Falls Prevention Awareness Month is an extension of embracing aging and accepting the new normal. Notching those milestone birthdays is very much a privilege. Aging gracefully is acknowledging that you may need a new sexy walker, a cool pair of nonslip shoes or a “Better Homes and Gardens” grab bar for your bathroom. So, hold on to your new prop and whistle your favorite tune to symbolically represent the spring in your step. JN

Bob Roth is the managing partner of Cypress HomeCare Solutions.

Falling is a serious, but preventable, risk for older adults. Taking the proper precautions could potentially be lifesaving.

HALFPOINT/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS

How to create your personal Medicare account

Would you like for a family member or caregiver to be able to call Medicare on your behalf?

Would you like a way to store all your health records in one place online, so you can quickly share them with a new doctor or other healthcare provider?

How about an easy way to print a new Medicare card if you lose yours? Or a quick way to see what preventive health services, like cancer screenings and vaccinations, are available to you?

You can do all that and more by creating a free, secure MyMedicare.gov account in either English or Spanish.

To create an account, go to MyMedicare.gov. You’ll be asked to provide a username and password. You’ll also need to enter your Medicare number as it appears on your red, white and blue Medicare card.

Once you’ve completed your online registration, you can sign in to MyMedicare.gov and start using the site. Medicare will mail you a confirmation letter containing the password you created, in case you forget it. (Make sure you list the address that Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board has on file for you.) We’ll also send a confirmation email if you gave us your email address during registration.

Once you have created a MyMedicare.gov account, you can:

• Check your Medicare claims as soon as they are processed.

• Find your eligibility, entitlement and preventive service information.

• Check your Medicare health plan and prescription drug enrollment information.

• View your Part B deductible information.

• Manage your prescription drug list and other personal health information.

• Create an “On the Go Report” that allows you to print your health information to share with your healthcare providers. So how do you authorize Medicare to discuss your records and benefits with a family member or caregiver?

Medicare can’t give personal health information about you to anyone unless you give permission in writing first.

To do this, sign in to your MyMedicare.gov account and fill out form CMS-10106: “Authorization to Disclose Personal Health Information.”

You can fill out and submit the form online by following these steps:

• Navigate to the “My Account” tab.

• Click “Authorized Representative.”

• Click “Medicare Authorization to Disclose Personal Health Information form.”

• Enter the requested information and click the “Continue” button.

Or you can print and mail form-10106 to us.

If you have Original Medicare, you can check your

Medicare claims as they appear in your MyMedicare.gov account. Just sign in and follow these steps:

• Click on the “Claims” tab. From there, you can view claims that have been processed in the past 15 months.

• Select the type of claim and then the appropriate date range from the list.

• Click the “Submit” button to begin the search.

• After you search, select any of the blue claim numbers to see additional details.

Why is it important to check your Medicare claims? Because it helps protect both you and Medicare against fraud. The sooner you see and report inaccurate claims, or claims for services you never received, the sooner we can stop fraud.

Keep in mind that if you’re in a Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan, or a prescription drug (Part D) plan, you can’t view claims for these plans on MyMedicare.gov. Call your plan for more information about a claim.

Visit MyMedicare.gov for more information.

If you don’t have a MyMedicare.gov account, you can still check your Original Medicare claims by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) and using the automated phone system. JN

Greg Dill is Medicare’s regional administrator for Arizona, California, Nevada, Hawaii, and the Pacific Territories. For more information, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

and ask lots of questions. Seating is limited. To RSVP, please

JFCS creates new arts program for Holocaust survivors

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

Holocaust survivors in the Valley will have new opportunities to express themselves emotionally and artistically thanks to an emerging curriculum from Jewish Family & Children’s Service.

The JFCS recently launched the Kibbitz & Kultur program as a way to engage survivors and their families in the creative arts in a stimulating and friendly environment. Each session will feature a different interactive genre of art.

“As you know, this population is getting older and some of them are getting a little more frail, but some are still very robust,” said JFCS Senior Concierge-Creative Aging Coordinator Janet Arnold Rees. “We just want to make sure that we keep both their minds and bodies engaged, so this is a great opportunity for that.”

Each Kibbitz & Kultur event is free for Holocaust survivors and their spouses. Second and third generations are welcome to attend for $10, or two for $18.

The quarterly program’s first activity was on June 13 at the Beth El Congregation. Joe Bousard, the vocal director of the Musical Theatre of Anthem, led a sing-along performance with kosher pizza and ice cream. More than 30 survivors and their families attended.

Aside from the social benefits for those who attend,

the program also allows the Valley nonprofit to provide continual outreach to the survivor community.

“The idea is not only to create a social environment for them, but also to create a bridge to our services,” said Kathy Rood, Jewish social services manager for JFCS. “So if any survivor has an unforeseen need, they will have a way to come to us and we can look into trying to get those needs met.”

The second Kibbitz & Kultur event will take place on Thursday, Sept. 12, at Beth El at noon. The two-hour event will include lunch and a program of movement and dance led by dance teacher and aging services expert Michelle Dionisio, who will lead a traditional Balkan hora, a circle dance similar to the Israeli hora. Dionisio is committed to making sure there is an appropriate skill level for each dancer, regardless of ability.

“We’re thankful to Beth El for allowing us to use their space and are thrilled to have Michelle with us,” Rood said. “I first saw Michelle work her magic with a group of older adults two years ago, and we‘ve used her for many of our programs since. She has such an engaging personality and a kind and gentle way of encouraging everyone to participate. And toe tappers are always welcome as well.”

Dionisio has led the JFCS’ Memory Café, which offers those with memory loss, mild cognitive impairment or

dementia an opportunity to come together, socialize and engage in a variety of activities built around a monthly theme. In many ways, it’s a lot like Kibbitz & Kultur, emphasizing engagement and fun.

Implementing the Kibbitz & Kultur program was rewarding for those who worked on it.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity and we’re so glad that we can present it to everyone,” Rees said. “This is a very special population and we want to be at the forefront of providing them care.”

Future Kibbitz & Kultur events are planned for December 2019 and March 2020. Funding for this program is from the Legacy Heritage Fund with additional assistance from the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix. JN

RSVPs for Kibbitz & Kultur are required and can be made by contacting Kathy Rood at 602-452-4627 or kathy.rood@jfcsaz.org.

Kathy Rood, the Jewish social services manager for Jewish Family & Children’s Service, has helped to launch Kibbitz & Kultur, a new social and artistic event series for Holocaust survivors.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KATHY ROOD

Upcoming Special Sections

High

Red Rocks Music Festival celebrates 18th year

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

Over the course of almost two decades, the Red Rocks Music Festival has brought some of the best contemporary classical musicians to the Greater Phoenix area. Now, Executive Director Moshe Bukshpan is excited to celebrate a meaningful anniversary.

“Eighteen is a special number in Judaism,” Bukshpan said. “I’m happy to see that it has grown so much since I started this.”

Born in Tel Aviv in 1954, Bukshpan came to the U.S. in 1976, and pursued a master’s degree in violin performance at Northern Illinois University. He founded the music festival, which often features renowned Jewish musicians, in his adopted home state in 2001. He wanted to make Arizona a reputable destination for classical music.

This year marks the first time that concerts are being held at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre in Sedona, in addition to the Sedona Creative Life Center, which has partnered with the festival since 2002.

Also new this year, Red Rocks teamed up with Cancer Support Community Arizona to provide free concerts to those affected by cancer.

“It was a great gift,” CSCA Program Director Viridiana Zendejas said. “We’ve already used up all the tickets.”

This year’s festival features a total of six performances in Sedona and Phoenix in August and September. Tickets are $36 for general admission and $14 for children under 14.

The festival began on Saturday, Aug. 17, with featured artist Elmira Darvarova, a Grammy Award-nominated concert violinist. She also performed the following day. Her concert, titled “Piazzolla, the Genius of Tango,” was performed with two other musicians. They played music written by Argentine tango composer Astor Piazzolla, who revolutionized traditional tango and developed nuevo tango, a genre that incorporates instruments like the saxophone and the electric guitar.

The next Red Rocks concert, “From Mozart to Gershwin and More,” took place in Phoenix on Sept. 5 at Temple Chai, but a repeat performance will take place in Sedona on Sept. 8 at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre. The featured musician is Alex Laing, the Phoenix Symphony’s principal clarinet.

On Sept. 6 at Paradise Valley United Methodist Church, Chinese violin soloist Yibin Li will be featured in “East Meets West,” a concert that combines Chinese folk songs with classical music. A repeat performance will take place the following day at the Sedona Creative Life Center.

“We are trying to broaden our reach by offering music that appeals to new audiences,” Bukshpan said.

The final concerts, “PolonaiseFantasie, the Story of a Pianist,” on Sept. 21 and 22, will showcase Inna Faliks, the piano performance and keyboard area head of UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music. “Polonaise - Fantasie” combines a recital of piano works from Bach to Beethoven as well as Faliks’ personal monologues chronicling her childhood in the Soviet Union and her immigration to America.

“It is my hope that, in sharing this story, I offer audiences a glimpse into the life of a performing musician, as well as into my very personal story,” Faliks said.

Bukshpan is happy that his music festival, known statewide, has become such a well-respected addition to the cultural calendar.

“I don’t have any plans to stop anytime soon,” Bukshpan said. “I stay motivated to make these concerts because I want to keep sharing all the wonderful talent of these musicians. I think we have a lot of great days ahead of us.”

For more information or to order tickets, call 602-402-4551 or visit redrocksmusicfestival.com.

performing at the 18th annual Red Rocks Music Festival. PHOTO VIA INNAFALIKS.COM

CALENDAR

FEATURED EVENT

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 11

Inaugural Women’s Professional Panel: 5 p.m., Fennemore Craig, 2394 E. Camelback Road, Suite 600, Phoenix. Join panelists Janice Dinner, senior associate general counsel for Banner Health; Lucia Schnitzer, founder of Luci’s restaurants franchise; Hilla Sferruzza, executive VP and CFO of Meritage Homes; and moderator Courtney Beller, vice-chair for Fennemore Craig’s business litigation practice group, as they share their stories, provide advice on how to build professional networks and how to identify professional resources and relationships. $18 per person. Register by Sept. 9 at jewishphoenix.org/womenspanel.

Events

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 11

9/11 Blood Drive: 2:30-7 p.m., LDS Church Building Cultural Hall, 1950 W. Galveston Chandler. East Valley JCC September Mitzvah Project in partnership with Muslimsforlife.org and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Schedule: BloodHero.com (sponsor code: Aman) or call Pam Morris, 480-897-0588.

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.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 7

Phoenix Holocaust Association Social Event: Bingo and Pizza Night: 6:30-9 p.m., central Scottsdale. Address provided to paid RSVPs. Bingo, pizza, dessert and fun! Bring a dessert to share. Call Susan Lane at 480246-9551 or suze0000@gmail.com with questions. Must RSVP online by Sept. 4 at phxha.com/events/bingo-pizza-party.

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.

Discussion with the Rabbi: 11 a.m.-noon, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Gather

with Rabbi Levi Levertov for a stimulating discussion on an issue relevant to Judaism in contemporary society. Bring your questions; he has answers! In partnership with Smile on Seniors. Free. Contact Chani at 602.492.7670 or chani@sosaz.org for more information.

The First Sherman Minkoff Memorial Lecture: 7-8:30 p.m., Temple Chai, 4645 E. Marilyn Road, Phoenix. Speaker: Dr. Erica Brown. Topic: “Time to Change? Jewish Identity for the 21st Century.” Suggested donation: $18, register at VBMTorah.org.

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

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 11

Disputed Territory of Jerusalem: What’s it About? : 6:30-8:30 p.m., 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Join Jake Bennett, president of Phoenix’s bipartisan pro-Israel PAC, the Grand Canyon State Caucus; and a combat veteran of the Israel Defense Forces special forces, for this fascinating topic. Members $10, guests $15. Register at vosjcc. org/jerusalem.

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: Rabbi Dean Shapiro of Temple Emanuel of Tempe. Topic: Texts of Transformation: Stories of the High Holy Days. Cost: $14, includes kosher lunch. Registration required: evjcc.org/open-beit-midrash

Kibbitz & Kultur: 12-2 p.m., Beth El Congregation, 1118 W. Glendale Ave.,

Phoenix. Jewish Family and Children’s Service presents a new program for Holocaust survivors to engage in meaningful, stimulating arts activities in a warm, friendly environment. Free survivors and their spouses. 2nd and 3rd generation members are invited to attend for $10 (or 2 for $18). RSVPs are required and should be made with Kathy Rood at 602-452-4627 or kathy.rood@jfcsaz.org.

Family

MONDAYS

Arizona Sunrays Gymnastics & Dance Center: free Baby Gym classes: 9:30-10 a.m., 15801 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix. Parents (and grandparents) are invited to bring in their babies, ages six months to 18 months. This parent-child class uses tumbling mats, balance beams, parallel bars and trampolines. Work on strength, balancing and coordination with your baby. This is a “drop in” class. Advanced registration is not required. Call 602-992-5790 or visit arizonasunrays.com for more information.

Breakfast Babies: 9:00-10:30 a.m., The Brunch Café , 15507 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 100, Scottsdale. A fun-filled morning gathering for parents and grandparents with babies or toddlers. Complimentary coffee and a chocolate-covered strawberry with the purchase of any meal. Includes a story time picture book reading. Call 480398-7174 or visit brunchcafe.com for more information.

WEDNESDAYS

Arizona Sunrays Gymnastics & Dance Center: baby dance classes: 9:15-9:45 a.m., 15801 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix. Free. For babies who are walking up to age 2 ½. This baby dance class is a fun introduction to music, movement and dancing. Babies will dance to the music while using all kinds of different props and toys. Parent/ grandparent participation is required. This is a “drop in” class. Advanced registration is not required. Call 602-992-5790 or visit arizonasunrays.com for more information.

Open Houses

SUNDAY, SEPT. 8

Congregation Shomrei Torah: 1:15-4 p.m., Mustang Library, 10101 N. 90th St., Scottsdale. Meet members, enjoy a nosh and Marcia Fine, an award winning author and speaker. Topic: Jewish Identity. Contact cheryltheteacher@gmail.com for more information. For more information on Marcia Fine, visit marciafine.com.

Temple Beth Shalom of the Northwest Valley: 12-2 p.m., 3400 N. Dobson Road, Chandler. A reform congregation with a dynamic, active Jewish community for all ages, providing religious services, programming and activities in the west Valley. For more information call 623-9773240 or visit templebethshalomaz.org.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 13

Beth Ami Temple: 6:30-7:30 p.m., Palo Cristi Church, 3535 E. Lincoln Drive, Paradise Valley. UJR congregation meets inside the church. Beth Ami Temple invites the

community to its Annual Wine & Cheese Open House. Discover this unique temple for active adults. Meet Rabbi Allison Lawton and Cantorial Soloist Mike Robbins. Learn about the congregation’s High Holiday and Shabbat services and many social groups including Cultural Outings, Movies, Book Club, Hiking, Bridge, Mah Jongg, Dining, Travel and Tennis. Plus other activities such as Special Speakers, Concerts, Rap with the Rabbi and Community Involvement. Dues are modest and there is no building fund. After the Welcome Reception, stay for Friday night services. Call 602-956-6749 or email bethamitemple@hotmail.com to RSVP. Visit bethamitemple.org for more information.

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.

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

TUESDAY, SEPT. 10

Hummus! The Movie: 7-8:30 p.m., CutlerPlotkin Jewish Heritage Center, 122 E. Culver St., Phoenix. Free documentary film screening, call 602-241-7870 or email lbell@azjhs.org to RSVP.

THROUGH SEPT. 11

‘We Remember: The Liberators’: 5-8 p.m., Cutler-Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center, 122 E. Culver St., Phoenix. This project of the Arizona Jewish Historical Society showcases the stories of 10 World War II Liberators via artifacts, primary sources, documentation, photographs and biographical information. It will also feature the work of Arizona artist Robert Sutz, whose collection contains 500-plus life masks, portraits and paintings depicting the brutal atrocities committed by Nazi Germany during World War II. Free exhibit. For more information visit azjhs.org or call 602-241-7870. JN

Take me out to the ball game!

The Arizona Diamondbacks presented Rabbi Michael Beyo, East Valley JCC CEO, with a check during the July 23 game at Chase Field. The grant, from the team’s Play Ball Fund, is for sports equipment for the EVJCC’s youth sports program.

Thoughtful discussion

Rabbi Garth Silberstein of Kenesset Israel Torah Center, left, stands with the president and dean of Valley Beit Midrash, Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, right, after speaking at Valley Beit Midrash's “The Mitzvah of Tokhecha (Reproof) and the Ethics of Protest.”

Where’s your Jewish News?

Leisah Woldoff, East Valley JCC’s director of communications, left, and Laura Toussaint, the Valley of the Sun JCC’s senior director of marketing, right, proudly display the Jewish News in front of the Staenberg-Loup JCC during the JCC Association of North America’s regional marketing conference in Denver on Aug. 23.

What about love?

of the Sun JCC. The night included an alumni panel answering questions, a make-your-own ice cream sundae bar and teen peer activities. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BUREAU OF JEWISH EDUCATION

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.

PHOTO COURTESY OF VALLEY BEIT MIDRASH

Randi Jablin speaks to a large crowd attending Heart 2 Heart AZ for its first Tu B’av celebration weekend from Aug. 15-18.

PHOTO BY JOEL ZOLONDEK

Arizona Jews for Justice presents first ever Tzedek Award

Arizona Jews for Justice will present Linda and Dr. Irwin Sandler with the group’s first ever Tzedek Award for outstanding Jewish leadership.

“Since our start, Linda and Irwin have been tireless, wise, humble advocates showing up at rallies, writing our Pesach immigration supplement, serving on our steering committee, joining Torah learning sessions, helping asylees and so much more!” the advocacy group said in a social media post to announce the award. “Linda and Irwin, we are grateful for you and for how you live your Judaism fiercely in the public sphere! May you go from strength to strength! Mazel tov!”

The award will be presented on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at an opening dinner before a Valley Beit Midrash event later that evening, a guest lecture by Dr. Erica Brown.

Arizona Jews for Justice is a pluralistic Jewish group that seeks to foster social justice within Arizona.

To attend the dinner where the Sandlers will receive their award and the guest lecture by Brown, visit valleybeitmidrash.org.

Valley Beit Midrash announces new hires

Valley Beit Midrash has recently hired three new employees to further their goal of encouraging diversity within the local Jewish community.

New Program Associate Eddie Chavez Calderon has been deeply involved in social justice work for the Latino community as well as LGBTQ+ acceptance and inclusion, woman’s rights, economic justice, workers’ rights, citizenship and civic engagement, voter equality and more. As the campaign organizer for Arizona Jews for Justice, he is already familiar with the Valley’s Jewish community.

Event Coordinator and Office Administrator Lisa Hendizadeh has extensive experience in the fields of education, event and office management. Born and raised in New Jersey, she has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Caldwell University.

Program Officer Dani Satlow is originally from Providence, Rhode Island, and graduated from Brown University with a degree in religious studies, earning departmental honors. Satlow has previously participated in several Jewish learning institutions both in Israel and America, including the Haemek Gap Year Leadership Program, Yeshivat Maaleh Gilboa, the Hadar Institute, Hartman High School for Boys and the Drisha Institute for Jewish Education.

East Valley JCC hires new camp, youth and family director

Sam Schuman has a strong connection with JCC camp culture, something he could apply immediately when he started last week as the East Valley JCC’s new camp, youth and family director.

From camper to junior counselor to athletic head and now director, Schuman has experience in nearly every aspect of camp life. He has spent time at Baltimore and Philadelphia JCCs teaching children the fundamentals of having fun, rachmanus (sportsmanship and compassion) and community. He looks forward to bringing that energy to Camp Rimon Gadol. JN

ADIRA VERED

Adira Vered was born on July 14, 2019, in Chicago, Illinois. She is the daughter of Sarah Rosenbaum-Jones and Jeffrey Jones.

Grandparents are Barbara Gold and Mark Jones of Ahwatukee, and Patty Rosenbaum and John Rosenbaum of Laguna Hills, California. Great-grandparents are Haland Esther Gold, Jimmy Rosenbaum and the late Noni Rosenbaum, and the late Virginia and Mark Jones.

XANDER JOSEPH SIMMONS

Send a Special High Holiday Greeting

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Xander Joseph Simmons becomes a bar mitzvah on Oct. 12, 2019, at Congregation Beth Israel. He is the son of Tami and Ed Simmons of Cave Creek.

Grandparents are Susan and Sheldon Babendure of Omaha, Nebraska; and Ed Simmons Jr. of Bend, Oregon, and the late Tracy Simmons.

For his mitzvah project, Xander is helping at a small dog shelter with collections of needed services.

A student at Sonoran Trails Middle School, he enjoys baseball and soccer, is interested in acting in Los Angeles in TV and film, and is a future problem solvers team representative.

JOSE ARMANDO KUDLER

Jose Armando Kudler becomes a bar mitzvah on Sept. 14, 2019, at Congregation Or Tzion. He is the son of Marty Kudler of Phoenix.

Grandparents are Sondra and Joel Kudler of Whittier, California.

For his mitzvah project, Jose volunteered nearly every Saturday for three months at Animals Benefit Club, a no-kill dog shelter. He mainly helped socialize the dogs to make them more adoptable, as well as bring them some joy and companionship.

A student at Madison Meadows Middle School, he enjoys playing many sports, especially track, basketball, pro scooters and football. He also enjoys time with his dog, Smokey, as well as drawing, swimming, video games and being with friends. JN

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NOTICE OF YESHIVA HIGH SCHOOL OF ARIZONA’S NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS

Yeshiva High School of Arizona admits Jewish students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school

It does not discriminate on the basis of race, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

Cemetery Plot For Sale

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