Jewish News, Sept. 13, 2019

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NY Times columnist tackles the subject of anti-Semitism

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Prescott synagogue welcomes new rabbi

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

Rabbi Julie Kozlow describes herself as a bit of a Jewish mother, with her congregation as family.

“Being a rabbi is my greatest passion,” Kozlow said. “I’m not big on politics — it doesn’t interest me. I love taking care of people and I work to love my congregation as if they were a family, which is what I think we’re all striving for in this day and age.”

Temple B’rith Shalom in Prescott will welcome Kozlow as its new full-time spiritual leader later this fall.

“Rabbi Kozlow has an outgoing, bubbly personality that I think will suit us well for the future, and she is so knowledgeable,” said the president of Temple B’rith Shalom, Jim Rubin. “We’ve gone through several rabbis in the past and I think we all felt like she was a real standout for everyone here and we hope to have a long relationship with her.”

Kozlow — who begins her tenure at Temple B’rith Shalom on Nov. 1 — comes from Bnai Israel Congregation in Wilmington, North Carolina, where she served for four years.

She was ordained as a rabbi in 2007 at the Academy for Jewish Religion California in Los Angeles.

Prior to that, she graduated magna cum laude from American Jewish University in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in Judaic studies. In addition, she holds two master’s degrees in rabbinic studies, one from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, and the second from the AJRC.

While she was studying as a full-time rabbinic student, she was

Secular woman makes history as rightwing contender in Israeli elections

While many Israelis might already feel fatigued by the upcoming elections on Sept. 17, former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, who heads the newly formed right-wing Yamina Party, is both making history and surging in the polls.

“I am the first female to head a right-wing political party in Israel’s history,” she said.

Heading a party that is polling consistently at 10 mandates,

High-Tech High Holidays

Though the High Holidays draw huge crowds to synagogues, some people aren't able to be there in person, perhaps because of illness or infirmity. Some synagogues, including Temple Solel, have chosen to make services available online. Read more about live-streaming the High Holidays on Page B3.

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Yamina Party Chairwoman Ayelet Shaked speaks at the Conference of the Manufacturers Association in Tel Aviv, on Sept. 2, 2019.

RABBI

CONTINUED

also raising her three children by herself. Apart from being a rabbi, Kozlow said one of her greatest joys in life is being a grandmother. Since most of her family lives in L.A., she felt compelled to find a synagogue that would be closer to them. She felt a connection to Temple B’rith Shalom when she discovered that many of the congregants also had family members in California.

“I think they really understood that I wanted to be close to my family and it really helped build a relationship with them,” Kozlow said. “When I left L.A., I spent many years serving as a rabbi and I ended up on the East Coast. None of my family seems to want to leave L.A., so I’m hoping that Prescott is my last move.”

Kozlow thinks that it is more important now to find a spiritual home than ever before. Her goal, which she says has remained the same since she started studying as a rabbi, is to provide her congregants with purpose for their lives and a supportive community.

She also outlined her dream for her new Jewish community. “We will share these pages of life with each other as a true family, the difficult times as well as the happy times, so that we will be blessed as we walk together, on our way, in mutual love and support.”

Kozlow succeeds Rabbi Holly Cohn, who served the congregation briefly in

2018. Rabbi Jessica Rosenthal served Temple B’rith Shalom from 2013 to -2018. Shortly after Rosenthal left, the congregation formed a rabbinic search committee led by congregation Vice President Trudy Steinhauer. While the search was going on, the synagogue did not have a full-time rabbi, so members of the congregation filled in to lead services. Rubin said that he was amazed to see that so many of the congregants were so knowledgeable and

stepped up to serve and lead while the search continued.

The search committee looked for several different qualities in a new rabbi. Someone who was very knowledgeable of the Torah was important, as was someone who had an outgoing and energetic personality.

“We’re more of a senior community, so we were looking for someone who could do more outreach for us and possibly attract more seniors and possibly a younger demographic as well,” Rubin said. “Our rabbinical search committee felt that Rabbi Kozlow was the ideal candidate for that.”

Kozlow will not be able to attend the upcoming High Holiday services at Temple B’rith Shalom. She did not want to leave Bnai Israel Congregation without a rabbi for that time.

Rubin said he found that commitment admirable and wouldn’t want it any other way. For the time being, Temple B’rith Shalom hired Rabbi Sheldon Moss (formerly of Temple Beth Shalom) to lead the services.

But Kozlow said she cannot wait to get started.

“Being a rabbi is a very sacred and holy endeavor for me, and I cannot wait to serve the beautiful Quad Cities Jewish community with all my heart,” Kozlow said. “Temple B’rith Shalom is my next stop along the way — a new and exciting chapter, and come Nov. 1, the congregation and I will begin it together.” JN

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Rabbi Julie Kozlow will start her new role on Nov. 1.

“I’M NOT BIG ON POLITICS — IT DOESN’T INTEREST ME. I LOVE TAKING CARE OF PEOPLE AND I WORK TO LOVE MY CONGREGATION AS IF THEY WERE A FAMILY, WHICH IS WHAT I THINK WE’RE ALL STRIVING FOR IN THIS DAY AND AGE.”

RABBI JULIE KOZLOW

which would make it the fourth-largest party in the Knesset, Shaked has been very open about her nationalist vision for Israel, including her take on the situation in the Gaza Strip, Israeli judicial reform and settlements in the West Bank.

Last week, Shaked made headlines when she told an overflowing crowd of English speakers at a campaign event in Bet Shemesh that Israel must undertake a widescale military operation in Gaza.

“We must choose the time that is best for us, evacuate the Israeli citizens who live in towns along the Gaza envelope in order to give us maximum flexibility, and we must uproot the terror from within Gaza,” Shaked said, adding that Israel should not be tolerating rockets, incendiary devices and violent weekly demonstrations that emanate from Gaza.

it comes to religious issues. Shaked and the New Right include secular candidates and are more liberal; Jewish Home is religious and conservative; and National Union is more extreme.

But all three unified behind the leadership of Shaked, a secular woman.

One of her campaign’s top items making her popular among right-wing voters is a promise for judicial reform. Shaked served as justice minister from 2015 until earlier this year, where she was focused on undoing the “judicial activism” of the left-leaning Israeli Supreme Court.

“I started to do a lot there,” said Shaked, pointing to her appointments of more conservative and nationalistic judges as an example of the change in direction she brought to the position.

“One cannot reverse the judicial activism initiated by Chief Justice Aharon Barak over the course of 20 years in just four years,” she said, referring to the longtime Supreme Court justice who used the court to implement his more liberal views.

She has also made it clear that there is more work to do regarding the legal structures for settlements in the West Bank, as well as combating the influence of NGOs funded by foreign entities.

Another right-wing issue Shaked hopes to tackle in the next government is Palestinian illegal construction in Area C — the region in the West Bank where Israel has complete military and civilian control under the Oslo Accords.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been criticized by both the right and the left for his response to Hamas attacks — or more specifically, what they perceive as his lack of one.

Shaked pointed to two examples as the basis for this massive military operation. The first was “Operation Defensive Shield,” which the IDF undertook in 2002 to uproot the Palestinian terror cells from the West Bank. The second is happening now in Syria.

“Israel acts to make sure that Iran does not establish itself and a base for terror against Israel in Syria. We act every time we see them beginning to take root,” she explained. “We must change the situation on the ground in Gaza so that we can do the same thing there as well.”

Shaked’s Yamina Party is a hodgepodge of right-wing parties that come from different backgrounds, but share a nationalist agenda: the New Right, the Jewish Home and National Union. All three identify themselves as to the right of Likud, though they differ when

Shaked accused former Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad of making it more difficult for Israel to annex Area C by pushing construction without permission. She believes that the defense ministry should make it a priority to stop these moves, being “tough and committed to enforcing the law.”

On foreign policy, Shaked talked about the support Israel has been receiving from the Trump administration. While she jokingly told the audience in Bet Shemesh that U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and former National Security Advisor John Bolton would be welcome in her party, she was quick to add that despite the disagreements Israel has had with more progressive elements in the Democratic Party, “Israel must work to maintain bipartisan support from its closest and most important ally.”

Regardless of how Yamina fairs on Sept. 17, a new leader has emerged within the Israeli right — one who is determined to continue leading for the long term. JN

'ISRAEL MUST WORK TO MAINTAIN BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FROM ITS CLOSEST AND MOST IMPORTANT ALLY.'

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Bari Weiss talks anti-Semitism, how to fight it

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Bari Weiss, at 35, is a columnist at The New York Times and a veteran of the last decade-plus of American Jewish discourse.

As an undergrad at Columbia University, the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, native co-founded Columbians for Academic Freedom, which charged faculty with intimidating Zionist students; from there, she pronounced on Israel, the relationship between American Jews and liberalism and more from Tablet and The Wall Street Journal before she was hired by the Times.

Weiss’ new book, her first, is called “How to Fight Anti-Semitism,” and is available this week. Weiss taxonomizes the different strains of anti-Semitism at home and around the globe, and gives some suggestions on how it might be effectively countered. She spoke about Tree of Life, the Diaspora, the Amalek and more.

Why did you write this book?

I was supposed to write another book, and I’m on contract to write that book when I’m done promoting

this one. But on the morning of Oct. 27, I was in Phoenix, Arizona, where I was supposed to give a speech the next day when I got a text in our family chat from my youngest sister saying, “There’s a shooter at Tree of Life.”

Tree of Life is the synagogue where I became a bat mitzvah in 1997, in Squirrel Hill, the neighborhood where I grew up. Mr. Rogers happened to grow up down the street, And it’s a place where my dad sometimes goes on Shabbat morning. Thank God he wasn’t there, but 11 of our neighbors were, many of them he knew and some of them I did. I was supposed to go to Israel that week to go report on a story; I ended up flying home to Pittsburgh just to bear witness to what this white supremacist had done to my community, and sort of witness the reaction to it.

My Jewish identity is fundamental to who I am. It’s something I’ve always been very engaged with. But this sort of took it to a different level, and in the weeks and months following the massacre, I just found

Bari Weiss PHOTO BY SAM BLOOM

myself drawn back and back again to this topic, and it really felt like something I absolutely had to write about.

You make the case that the Pittsburgh shooting was an eradefining event for the Jewish community in America. The negative consequences of that are manifestly obvious. But you wrote in the Times this week that there are positives, too.

ing about that especially in the context of what you describe as the genteel anti-Semitism of midcentury WASPs as not being of an eliminationist character, but more, “Well, I hope my daughter doesn’t marry a Jewish person.”

consequences of that ous. But

It’s not as if there weren’t attacks before — I outline them extensively in my book — but nothing was really at this level, and then when Poway happened six months later, it was just, like, wow, this is more than a oneoff, this rising tide of hatred.

The positive thing that came out of it is that at first glance, what happened in Pittsburgh was another pogrom. The difference historically is that, typically, the surrounding community and the authorities abetted in the attack, or stood by and watched the attack happen.

The opposite happened in Pittsburgh. There was just an absolute outpouring of solidarity, and a real visceral sense from our neighbors that an attack on the Jewish community was an attack on them, too. And coming forward to defend us and stand by our side wasn’t, like, a favor. It was them standing up to defend their values and their right to live full and unashamed lives.

The day (after the attack), at Soldiers & Sailors, a big civic center in Pittsburgh, there was an interfaith service. And at that interfaith service — hundreds of people — the mourner’s Kaddish was recited in Hebrew. And the Pittsburgh PostGazette, which is our paper, printed the words of the Kaddish in Hebrew

on the front page. When you think about that in the span of Jewish history, it’s just an absolutely remarkable thing that that happened. And that gives me a tremendous amount of hope that people really understand that rising anti-Semitism — the most obvious victims are the Jews. But the other victim, the one that we forget about, is everyone else.

Because in a society where antiSemitism is sort of out in the open, it is the signifier that the society is dead or dying. And the desire to fight anti-Semitism comes from anyone that understands that fact about history, and a deep desire to make sure that America doesn’t succumb.

In the book, you put Robert Bowers, the Pittsburgh shooter and the Amalek on a continuum. What made you do that? I’m think-

That’s kind of the distinction between what I think of as anti-Jewish prejudice and antiSemitism, which is an eliminationist conspiracy theory. But obviously, like, people who say, “We don’t want Jews to join our country club,” “we don’t Jews to move next door,” “we’re going to deny this Jew partner in our law firm,” was totally a normal thing a generation or two ago.

Those things are all horrible, and they’re vile and they’re wrong. But they don’t suggest that Jews are the secret hand controlling the world. And that’s something that’s just much more essentially dangerous to us.

The reason that I want to connect Amalek and Robert Bowers, in the same way that I want to connect, I don’t know, the conversos of Spain in the 1400s to the conversion out of Judaism that people had to enact in the Soviet Union, is just to show that the things that we’re experiencing are not (just) now. I think that maybe we’ve been lulled into complacency a little bit. I feel like I’ve been on a holiday from history for most of my life as an American Jew. And I think it’s important for people to understand, as disorienting and scary as this moment can feel, that we’ve been here, many, many times before. That could maybe feel despairing, but to me it’s very comforting, actually, to know that this is part of the chain of our history, and there are lessons to be learned. JN

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How to Fight Anti-Semitism

Editorials

The test of Hebron

Even more than Jerusalem, the city of Hebron, 17 miles to the south on the West Bank, is a captive of its history, to the detriment of many of its residents and to Israeli-Palestinian peace. To friends of Israel, the story of Hebron began when the patriarch Abraham purchased the Cave of Machpelah from Ephron the Hittite to bury Sarah and secure his ownership in perpetuity. That story is told in Genesis 23. Centuries later, King David ruled from Hebron before conquering Jerusalem from the Jebusites, giving Israel its eternal capital.

Hebron is also the site of the 1929 massacre of 67 Jews by their Palestinian neighbors. Three days of Palestinian riots drove the remaining few hundred Jews from the place where Jews had lived since the time of Abraham.

Abraham’s purchase order is still seen by many as the Jewish deed to the city. And the massacre by a hostile Arab majority still festers. So last week, when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to Hebron (for the first time since 1998) to

mark the 90th anniversary of the massacre and declared, “We are not strangers in Hebron, we will remain here forever,” he appeared to be reinforcing bitter divisions rather than pointing the way to a future

Day War, it established the settlement of Kiryat Arba, a biblical name for Hebron, on the hills above the city, and Jews began to repopulate the city itself. In 1994, American-born Baruch Goldstein

population. Shuhada Street is emblematic of these restrictions. Once a main Hebron thoroughfare, it was closed by the Israeli military after the Goldstein massacre. To this day, residents on that street have difficulty accessing their front doors and often have to clamber over roofs to reach their back doors.

We respect the passion for the ancestral homeland. But is sectioning off the populations the model for the future? Israeli President Reuven Rivlin called Hebron a “test of our ability to live together, Jews and Arabs, to live decent lives side by side.” Clearly, that test is not going well. Where do Israeli leaders want to go with this? And what about Palestinian leadership?

in which Jews and Palestinians can live in the ancient city in safety and dignity. Hebron is a good example of the challenge to create two states for two people. After Israel took the city in the 1967 Six

Your tax dollars repurposed

Ever determined to get his wall, which he repeatedly promised that Mexico would pay for, President Donald Trump has decided to “redirect” $3.6 billion from the Defense Department budget in order to build 170 miles of his “magnificent” border wall. That breaks down to $21 million and change per mile of wall.

Under the clear terms of the U.S. Constitution, it is the Legislative Branch of government (Congress) that has the power of the purse, not the Executive Branch (the president). But because the president has declared a national emergency on the border, ordinary rules have been suspended. It’s a question that will ultimately be decided in the courts.

Earlier this year, the Defense Department “repurposed” $2.5 billion from its budget to build the wall. With its new maneuvers, the administration has taken a whopping $6.1 billion from the Defense budget to pay for the wall. And this is after Congress very clearly rejected the claim of “emergency,” and refused to meet the president’s funding demand.

The first redirected dollars were earmarked for drug interdiction on the border. That’s now gone. The new and more aggressive redirection will affect 127 planned defense construction projects, which will be put on hold, in order to keep out the “rapists” and “criminals”

murdered 29 Palestinian worshipers in the Cave of the Patriarchs. That, along with two Palestinian uprisings, have led the Israeli government to impose ever tighter restrictions on the Palestinian

It has been 90 years since the Hebron massacre, and 52 years since Israel conquered Hebron, yet hostility and mistrust continues. It is time for Hebron to change. Perhaps progress can be made by people of good will on both sides who are interested in working to solve the puzzle. We encourage them to step forward.

ects in Virginia, including a cyber operations facility at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, and a child development center and an explosive ordnance disposal range at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

So, what’s next? The administration is counting on Congress to “backfill” fund-

Democratic administrations.

The Trump funding shuffle is wrong. The president should not be building his vanity project on the backs of our service members, military families or national defense. Instead, he should be making a more effective funding pitch to Congress, since the funding decision is not his to make.

and other “bad hombres” trying to reach the United States through an “invasion” of caravans, among other means.

Included within affected projects are nine schools for troops’ children, rebuilding money for military facilities damaged by hurricanes in Puerto Rico, four proj-

ing for the previously approved projects, which would be an appropriation of new tax dollars to replace the billions siphoned off for the wall. Such an effort by the GOP would bring new meaning to the reckless “tax and spend” ideology that they so heavily criticized during prior

The operation of government by emergency is a symptom of authoritarian rule and should be avoided. Americans overwhelmingly oppose the Trump border wall because it is viewed as a ham-fisted way of promoting border security. It also ignores the need for meaningful immigration reform. Bricks, mortar and metal — no matter how big or beautiful the structure — cannot substitute for the thoughtful development of policy and rules designed to fix our broken immigration system.

The need for immigration reform is the real emergency. Let’s deal with that directly, rather than trying to hide behind a big wall. JN

THE OPERATION OF GOVERNMENT BY EMERGENCY IS A SYMPTOM OF AUTHORITARIAN RULE AND SHOULD BE AVOIDED.

WE RESPECT THE PASSION FOR THE ANCESTRAL HOMELAND. BUT IS SECTIONING OFF THE POPULATIONS THE MODEL FOR THE FUTURE?

Making sense of death

ROBIN GOLDWYN BLUMENTHAL

Birth is G-d saying you matter.

I learned that from my first teacher of Torah, Rabbi Simon Jacobson, a scribe for the Lubavitcher Rebbe and author of “Toward a Meaningful Life,” an introduction to Jewish philosophy.

But if that’s true, does death mean the opposite?

Only if you see life as starting at birth. Indeed, Jewish wisdom teaches that the soul comes down from its lofty place, where it has been basking in the radiance of the Divine presence, to elevate this lowly world and make it into a dwelling place for God. When the soul’s “unique and indispensable mission ends, it continues its spiritual journey in other realms,” having left a lasting impact on this world, Rabbi Jacobson says.

Of course, this presumes the existence of a soul. But although we don’t yet have the tools to measure it, as anyone who has ever regarded the body of a deceased loved one can attest, the animating force, the spirit that we respond to with love, is no longer there.

Death is perhaps the greatest mystery of life. It is always tragic, but as the anniversary of the Tree of Life synagogue attack nears, and as I reflect on the senselessness of recent violence and of the deaths of those close to me, the subject holds even greater relevance.

This year, 79 people were killed in mass shootings, including Lori Kaye, a founder at Chabad of Poway, who also derived great comfort from the teachings found in “Toward a Meaningful Life.” She was killed during Passover as she was preparing to honor her mother with a Jewish prayer to remember the dead. Last October, 11 worshipers were gunned down at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, and my young daughter-in-law was killed by a drunk and unlicensed driver. Not long before that, I lost my husband of 35 years to cancer,

and my mother.

How to make sense out of any of this?

By turning to the teachings of Torah. Rachelle Fraenkel, whose 16-year-old son Naftali was murdered along with two other teenage boys by terrorists in Israel five years ago, puts it this way: “Don’t ask, ‘Why did this happen to me?’ We are encouraged to ask the question, ‘Where am I going to take this?’” Fraenkel, a Torah educator who embodies grace and joy, continues to feel the pain of her loss. But she refuses to let it dominate her life. Blessed with so much, she says, “It seems like the height of ingratitude to just take a can of black paint and throw it all over my life.”

Similarly, Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, the Chabad of Poway rabbi who valiantly rescued his congregants even after being shot, says, “We suffer, we question, but we’re not going to be defined by our questions.” When tragedy strikes, we

the entire family seemed so composed in the face of their personal tragedy. I had fallen apart at the death of my own father several years before, and I marveled at their equanimity in the face of their loss. This helped inspire me to continue my journey toward observance.

There are myriad stories of Jewish sages and rebbes who provide lasting examples of how to deal with the inevitable pain and suffering that touches us all. A story is shared about a Lubavitch rebbe who was arrested and taken to a Soviet prison where he faced an almost certain death sentence. His crime? Bravely spreading the knowledge of Torah when the teaching of any religion was expressly forbidden. When his accusers threatened him with a gun, saying, “This toy has made many people talk,” the rebbe answered, “This toy may frighten one who has many gods and one world; but I have but one God and two worlds, so if you take this one away from me, I still have the next, which is the eternal one. My life is granted to me for the purpose of teaching Torah to my fellow Jews, and if I cannot do that, then my life is worthless to me.”

AntiSemitism doesn’t discriminate. Why should we?

JOSHUA RUNYAN

Almost two decades into the 21st century, few people — and they’re getting fewer with each passing day — deny that the scourge of anti-Semitism we so triumphantly relegated to the pages of the 20th century has reared its ugly head once more.

ask, “What are we going to do about it?”

Rabbi Goldstein, who transcended himself to spread a message of hope even after his terrible experience, was inspired by his teacher, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who taught that a little light dispels a lot of darkness.

The Poway rabbi’s approach was influenced by the example of the Rebbe, who responded to a 1950s terrorist attack in Kfar Chabad in Israel in which five students were murdered while at prayer by immediately establishing a vocational school and a printing house in their memory.

These reactions seem almost superhuman. But Jewish wisdom dictates our response. I remember paying a condolence call to Rabbi Jacobson after his father died many years ago. It was early in my journey toward Jewish observance and I was apprehensive about how to relate to my teacher during a time of grief. But

These illuminating principles are readily accessible to us, as are many wonderful teachers to help guide us in the optimal way to approach life and death. The mourner’s Kaddish, the Jewish prayer for the dead, makes no mention of the mourner, the one mourned, or our sorrow. According to Maurice Lamm, author of “The Jewish Way in Death and Mourning,” Kaddish is “a call to God from the depths of catastrophe, exalting His name and praising Him despite the realization that He has just wrenched a human being from life.”

But the Master of the World mourns too when one of His children dies.

G-d suffers, as it were, just as we do. All who experience such loss can take comfort from the idea that, as Lamm wrote, “when human beings recite the Kaddish, they offer G-d consolation for this loss.” JN

Robin Goldwyn Blumenthal, a former senior editor at Barron’s magazine, is a playwright who writes about Jewish themes.

Not that anti-Semitism ever really went away, but from Pittsburgh to Poway to the handful of predominantly Jewish enclaves throughout Brooklyn, N.Y., headlines of deadly and other vicious attacks have demonstrated that to be Jewish in America is to be born a target. And yet, we continue to fight amongst ourselves in assigning blame, with various groups asserting that either far-right white supremacists are the primary danger or that Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and his supporters are the preeminent threat to Jewish lives.

That we are even having this debate is ludicrous. The fact is neither David Duke or the black man suspected of throwing a rock at the head of a Lubavitch Chasid in Prospect Park — an attack that some on the right attributed, to varying degrees, to Farrakhan, and others on the left seemingly excused as the natural outgrowth of racial strife owing to gentrification — particularly cares whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat, an AIPAC supporter or J Street member. To the person who hates Jews, it is the Jew who is the target, not the person who happens to be Jewish.

I know this, because, like many of you, I have been on the receiving end of classic, textbook anti-Semitism in every place I’ve lived. Dallas, Texas? Check. Baltimore, Maryland? You betcha. Coral Springs, Florida? Philadelphia, Pennsylvania?

Absolutely.

Igniting your soul

PARSHAT KI TEITZEI DEUTERONOMY 21:10-25:19

RABBI PINCHAS ALLOUCHE

What a bizarre commandment!

Time and again, the Torah orders us to fight evil by... burning it. In its saintly words: “You must burn the evil from within you,” (Deuteronomy chapters 17, 21, 22 and more). But do we really have to burn evil in order to overcome it? Can’t we just combat it? And if the Torah is implying that we should eradicate it, why not say so explicitly?

The answer reveals one of the great secrets of education. For there are two ways to tackle the evil “from within us.” One way is to engage in a face-to-face confrontation with it. When evil comes our way, we converse with it, we analyze it, we strive to understand its root and only then do we engage in an attempt to surgically remove it. Another way to tackle evil is to simply burn it before it even has time to conquer the stage of our consciousness. How so?

RUNYAN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

(The one exception was in Jerusalem, but when I lived there, it was a part of everyday life to suspect that your particular bus ride could end in a suicide attack by an Arab terrorist.)

Those yelling obscenities at me, from “dirty Jew” to “f---ing kike,” could have passed for a sample of the United Nations. The particular race of the hater didn’t matter. What mattered was that I was Jewish.

Of course, it’s pretty easy to pick me out of a crowd, with my long, flowing beard, yarmulke and tzitzit hanging down from my waist. That probably helps explain the attacks against the haredi community, more than anything else: Even in this “modern” century, the word “Jew” will most likely be associated with skullcaps, beards and/or side-locks. The attacks in Pittsburgh — at a Conservative synagogue — and in Poway, at a Chabad House, didn’t have anything to do with a particular religious practice as it did with targeting an identifiable Jewish place, and the people therein.

The same is true for the deadly shootings

By igniting our soul with the flame of G-d, His Torah and His Mitzvot and allowing it to grow and expand until evil burns and fades away.

These two methods are diametrically opposed. The first gives room for evil to express its opinion. It may even legitimize its stance. Worse, it may even give evil an opportunity to allow its venom to permeate our mind. The second method dismisses evil completely. Not because we don’t believe in its existence, but because we believe in the power of the soul, so much more. Evil may have a way, but in the presence of our Divine soul, it stands no chance.

Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twersky once shared an extraordinary memory from his childhood. He recalled that when he was a child and his father would admonish him for doing something wrong, his father would never label him in degrading terms. He would never say to him that he is a “bad” boy, or a “silly” one. All his father would say is “es past nisht,” meaning “it is unbecoming of you.”

This instilled in his son, Abraham, an invaluable sense of worth. By telling him

that his behavior was “unbecoming of him,” he was conveying to him that the evil ways that he may have been engaged in did not define him. Rather, his real essence, his innermost self, was special. In his father’s eyes, he stood in the highest ranks of humanity. He was a VIP. Deep within, he possesses a shining soul, the flame of G-d. And therefore that sort of conduct was “unbecoming.”

Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., the American author known for his “Breakfast-Table” series, once attended a meeting in which he was the shortest man present (I’m no stranger to that phenomenon too). “Dr. Holmes,” quipped a friend, “I should think you’d feel rather small among us big fellows.”

“I do,” retorted Holmes, “I feel like a dime among a lot of pennies.”

Friends, we too are “dimes among a lot of pennies.” We too possess a Divine soul, whose light is brighter and mightier than any menacing force. We too are given the G-d given strength and potential to override our own established norms and modes of behavior.

We might define ourselves by the size of our height, the waist of our body, the dimensions of our home or the limits of our natural tendencies. We may even say to ourselves, from time to time, “this is the way I was born, and this is the way I will always be.” But our confining nature can be altered; our narrow perspectives can be changed. And if we can just re-ignite our flame of G-d within, and engage relentlessly in deeds of goodness and kindness, all of life’s challenges will “burn” and melt away. So, have you connected to G-d yet today? Have you performed a Mitzvah? Have you ignited your soul? JN

outside a Jewish community center several years ago in Overland Park, Kansas, and a nearby Jewish retirement village, attacks in which not a single Jewish person was killed. To the shooter, a neo-Nazi now on death row, his three victims might as well have been Jewish.

politics; why should we?

What makes anti-Semitism so uniquely destructive, as opposed to all the other isms that have stained world history for millennia, is how easy it is for its targets to excuse or outright deny its presence in particular corners of society. In fact,

We forget that fact at our peril, even as we pray that such a future never befall us again.

So what should we be doing instead of arguing with each other? How about embracing anew our shared Jewish identity and our collective Jewish experience?

The only real and effective response to anti-Semitism is Jewish pride, refusing to bend, to apologize or to hide. Where the anti-Semite seeks to render synagogues empty, we should pack them full with worshippers. Where the anti-Semite seeks to spark fear, we should ignite joy.

Where Judaism is being lived in private, we should bring it out into the streets.

The absolute last thing we should do is quibble amongst ourselves, when our brothers and sisters are bleeding.

Which is why it is the height of stupidity for us, with so many dead, to split off into camps pinpointing which brand of anti-Semitism is the most dangerous, or which political camp offers us the most safety. The purveyors of anti-Semitism care not a whit about our identity or our

it’s been there all along, everywhere we might have thought were our allies and our communal safety. Germany was once a beacon of Jewish achievement, its Jewish community having achieved the highest levels of society. And the United States could one day end up the same way.

With Rosh Hashanah beckoning, may the New Year finally bring us real peace — among ourselves and our surroundings. JN

Rabbi Pinchas Allouche is the spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Tefillah In Scottsdale..

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

Rabbi Joshua Runyan is the former editor-in-chief of the Jewish Exponent, a JN-a liated newspaper.

THE ONLY REAL AND EFFECTIVE RESPONSE TO ANTI-SEMITISM IS JEWISH PRIDE, REFUSING TO BEND, TO APOLOGIZE OR TO HIDE..

The Valley’s new rabbis prepare their High Holiday sermons

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

The High Holidays are an especially busy time for a rabbi, and it makes the preparation a high-pressure endeavor. Some rabbis prepares for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur for several months, if not a year, in advance. But for the five new rabbis who made Phoenix their home this summer, there were just a few months (and in some cases just a few weeks) to get ready.

Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan — who became the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley in early July — said that preparing a sermon for the High Holidays is really a group effort. He and the temple’s cantor, Baruch Koritan, are working together with other members of the clergy to create meaningful sermons that connect with the people sitting in the pews.

“It’s not so much a question of conveying information but rather connecting emotionally,” Kaplan said. “How can I inspire them on these holidays? We have a very enthusiastic community and we feel like we are all one big

family. The congregation is growing, which is great, and we have to work hard to make sure that those who are new are fully integrated into the community.”

One of Kaplan’s planned themes for his sermon is how Judaism can help everyone live richer and deeper lives. He hopes to have a religiously meaningful service that flows rather than drags.

Temple Beth Shalom is a spiritual home for all ages, but its community of older congregants is especially vibrant. Kaplan said that some of the older members are struggling with physical ailments.

“My challenge is to figure out the best way to convey a hopeful religious message without implying that God is going to make everything all better in all cases,” Kaplan added. “The most important thing is to inspire and uplift.”

Closer to downtown Phoenix, Beth El Congregation’s new rabbi — Rabbi A. Nitzan Stein Kokin — started working in early August. She said she received a wonderful welcome from her new community and is grateful to be able to serve such an illustrious congre-

gation. She spent her first month listening to the congregants to discover what drew them to the Conservative synagogue. Her vision is to build a strong intergenerational community.

“Beth El is historically one of the most important synagogues in the city,” Stein Kokin said. “We’re about to celebrate 90 years, many members are second or even third generation, so I want us to strike a balance between celebrating that history and tradition, but also to innovate and bring that worship into how we do things in the modern age.”

For her first Rosh Hashanah service at Beth El, Stein Kokin is asking congregants to look inward in order to better the human being within — a classic High Holidays theme. She finds the Rosh Hashanah conversation about the renewal of humanity fascinating.

“At Rosh Hashanah we have a chance to put ourselves in the big picture,” Stein Kokin said. “We know scientifically the world wasn’t created 5,780 years ago, but marking it as the birthday of humanity means putting us into the larger scale of rethinking what is the purpose and our goals as a society to

move forward.”

At Scottsdale’s MAKOR, where Rabbi Ephraim Weiss took the lead in August, he has quickly adjusted to his new position.

Weiss previously served as the dean of the Jacksonville Kollel. There, he prepared for the High Holidays differently.

“Most of my preparations involved giving classes and teaching people what the High Holidays are all about,” Weiss said. “Here I’m focusing more on the congregation and giving the people a more meaningful synagogue experience.”

With such a short amount of time to prepare for the service, Weiss is focusing on demonstrating how inspired his is personally.

“If the rabbi is inspired then he can go ahead and inspire others as well,” Weiss said. “So my number one job is to get into the spirit of the High Holidays, and when the rabbi’s into it and inspired, it just naturally gets transmitted to others as well.”

The question Weiss’ upcoming sermon centers on is, “Where do we go from here?” He wants to discuss how to create

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the stepping stones for real change.

Just a few blocks away, Rabbi Yoseph Wernick moved from Australia to act as Menachem Mendel Academy’s new principal. The academy has been teaching the High Holidays through the curriculum and has given all students 40 projects to complete, each of which focuses on a specific relevant concept.

For example, Wernick said that the students were learning about the idea of asking for forgiveness. The way he had them understand that concept better was through role-playing, hoping that by going through the motions, the teens would understand it at their level.

“When the kids are very young, we teach them more about how to celebrate the holi-

day,” Wernick explained. “We teach them how to dip the apples in honey and the songs, for example, but when they’re older we start really dive in what each holiday means and how to examine these ideas.”

Over at Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley, Rabbi Herschel “Brodie” Aberson is preparing for the first of what he hopes will be many Rosh Hashanah sermons. Aberson began leading the synagogue on July 15 shortly after he graduated from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at American Jewish University.

Although TBSEV is the first synagogue Aberson has run, he previously served as an intern for four years at Adat Ari El near Los

Angeles. There he led family services and the supplementary programing to make sure that there was something for everybody during the holidays.

“A lot of what we focus on during the High Holidays is a conversation on how we communicate,” Aberson said. “I would often create opportunities for parents and children to actually talk to each other. If there was something that was bothering a child, they had the opportunity to share it with their parents and vice versa.”

Aberson said that it gave families the opportunity to be honest and emotionally present with each other. He plans on carrying over the conversation about communication

in his upcoming sermon.

When asked how he prepares such a big sermon so quickly, Aberson said that the themes that emerge around holidays like Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot are not unique to those holidays. It’s just that this is the time in the calendar when people focus on them.

“I have been thinking about questions of repentance and renewal, but I can’t imagine that many of my colleagues are not thinking about these questions all the time,” Aberson said. “So it’s not that we’re preparing just for the High Holidays, but rather we’re asking what in our year has happened that we feel we need to share for this period.” JN

Largest Orthodox Synagogue in the Southwest!

Congregation Beth Tefillah is a welcoming, vibrant synagogue where you are sure to feel at home. Our name is an expression of our primary objective: to serve as a “house of prayer” and a spiritual lighthouse to every Jewish man, woman and child, regardless of background, affiliation or level of observance. Join us for holidays, Shabbat services and daily Shaharit services. Our Limudim Educational Center provides Hebrew and Judaic curriculum for children and adults. Our after-school religious studies program, Nefesh, is held at VOSJCC for grades K-4. We look forward to meeting you!

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Sun., Sept. 29:

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Rabbi Pinchas and Esther Allouche

Rabbi Yoseph Wernick moved to the Scottsdale area to work as the principal for Menachem Mendel Academy.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MENACHEM MENDEL ACADEMY

Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan joined Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley earlier this summer.

PHOTO COURTESY OF RABBI DANA EVAN KAPLAN

Rabbi Herschel “Brodie” Aberson became the spiritual leader for Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley in the middle of July.

PHOTO COURTESY OF RABBI HERSCHEL “BRODIE” ABERSON.

Rabbi A. Nitzan Stein Kokin joined Beth El Congregation at the beginning of August.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BETH EL CONGREGATION

Rabbi Ephraim Weiss, left, with wife Kineret, came to Scottsdale in August to serve MAKOR.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MAKOR

Getting high-tech for the High Holidays

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

As the High Holiday sermons approach, congregations prepare for a large influx of attendants of all levels of observance. But sadly, not everyone is physically capable of attending those services.

Fortunately, some congregations are working to make their services more readily available for those with limited accessibility. Temple Solel in Paradise Valley is expecting more than 1,000 people from all over the world to be tuning into their services via livestream technology.

Cantor Todd Herzog of Temple Solel said that the temple has been livestreaming its sermons since 2013. Through the livestreaming, they were able to expand their Shabbat experience.

“It allows people who are not able to make it to services to connect and feel part of the congregation,” Herzog said. “It allows family members to participate in b’nai mitzvah services when they are far away or unable to travel. It allows us to share what’s going on at Solel with a far broader audience. Also, the streams are all archived, so the family can have a record of their celebration.”

Herzog monitors the viewership for the livestreaming each week and said that the congregation expects around 500 additional viewers for every High Holiday service that will be streamed.

Herzog said that livestreaming has received a positive response from the community. According to Herzog, there are an estimated 250 viewers a week who watch the services through streamspot.com.

StreamSpot — which was founded in 2010 — specializes in streaming capabilities for multiple platforms. Several synagogues nationwide utilize the site to share their services with more people.

Congregation Beth Israel also streams their Friday night Shabbat sermons through StreamSpot, but will not be doing so for their upcoming High Holiday services. However, parts of the sermon will later be uploaded to the congregation’s YouTube channel.

Temple Solel’s services can also be viewed live on the temple’s Facebook page through the website’s own livestreaming platform, Facebook Live. Facebook is also where the past year of livestreams can be found as well as other videos the temple uses to promote itself.

Using social media is commonplace for most congregations, but livestreaming the sermons allows worshipers to be a part of Temple Solel regardless of how far away they are.

“It’s exciting to be able to cater to the community by meeting them where they are instead of expecting everyone to be able to show up every week at the temple,” said Temple Solel’s engagement specialist, Jacquelyn Null. “Some of our congregants are snowbirds and only live in Arizona in the cooler months. By having a livestream, everyone is able to feel like they can keep up with what is happening at the temple.”

At last year’s Yom Kippur morning contemporary service, 300 people watched on Facebook. The viewer with the top comment said he was watching from South Africa.

In addition to the livestreaming, Temple Solel is continuing to expand its tech abilities and platforms to try and reach more people.

“We recently started a podcast of the sermons delivered during our Shabbat services,” said the executive director of Temple Solel, Peter Pishko. “The podcast is currently available on 10 platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We’re just starting out but have subscribers from across the country.”

For Herzog, the use of livestreaming is more than just another way for the congregation to reach people.

“This technology gives us the opportunity to reach a broader audience with our services,” Herzog said. “It helps to preserve a historical record of the events we have hosted and created here at Temple Solel. It allows us to share messages from the rabbis on different platforms and provides access to people who otherwise would never have been able to experience our services.”

ROSH HASHANAH

Temple Solel will livestream its upcoming High Holiday services.

Security experts prep synagogues for High Holidays

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

In the last 12 months, the American Jewish community has faced rising antiSemitism and two synagogue shootings — one of which left one person dead and the other 11.

Now, Jewish communities are looking at security and reevaluating emergency procedures — especially with the High Holidays approaching.

The Valley of the Sun JCC’s director of security, James Wasson, has been spending his time training Phoenix synagogues to prepare for any scenario.

“With all the events that occurred in the past 12 months, since the last High Holidays, we have increased our security capabilities for synagogues,” Wasson said. “We’re providing additional training to rabbis and personnel at synagogues and added some tools to our toolbox to prepare better.”

In addition to acting as the VOSJCC’s director of security, Wasson is the CEO and founder of Antebellum Protection LLC. Through Antebellum’s training services, many synagogues have added more tools to their emergency toolbox.

Some of Antebellum’s preparation measures include emergency medical training, evacuation drills and security planning. Wasson — a former police lieutenant for the Scottsdale Police Department — said his main concern is that people improve their situational awareness.

“Everybody’s part of a security team at

every synagogue,” Wasson said. “I always ask how many people are on a security team and I’ll see one or two hands pop up, and then I’ll say, ‘If there are 200 people sitting in this room, then you have 200 people on your security team.’”

After walking through multiple scenarios, Wasson has the synagogue he’s training practice evacuation plans. Although he feels it’s a shame that these security procedures have to be taken so seriously, he said that at the end of the day it makes them more prepared.

Rabbi Jeremy Schneider of Temple Kol Ami said that the High Holiday services will be held at a different location than their synagogue this year. But, the congregation has been working closely with Wasson on security matters.

“For our location, we have been training with Antebellum and we have an in-house security committee,” Schneider said. “We have trained our religious school and early childhood teachers and staff on how to deal with emergency situations as well as held an orientation for our religious school parents. We even held training on a Friday night recently for our members to be aware of what to do in an emergency situation, and we have trained in Stop the Bleed procedures.”

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before professional help arrives.

The vice chair of the Phoenix police department’s Jewish advisory board, Alan Zeichick, has also been working with synagogues to help their security teams better prepare for the upcoming High Holidays. During his visits, he presents a list of ideas to encourage better communication.

“It needs to be very clear to everyone who is doing what in terms of security and to make sure everyone knows what the processes are,” Zeichick said. “One of the things I like to say is, ‘Ninety-nine percent of all the problems is communication. The other one percent is communication, but you don’t realize it.’”

Zeichick and Wasson both said that everyone attending a High Holiday service should take note of potential suspicious activity.

Dates: 1st day of Rosh Hashanah (Mon 9/30) and Yom Kippur (Wed 10/9) 10:00 am - 10:45 am Family Service (ages infant to adult)

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“Don’t shrug anything off as a false alarm,” Zeichick said. “If something feels

requested training is on situational awareness and detecting suspicious activity. Paying attention to surroundings can also improve safety in environments outside the synagogue or JCC as well, such as at the gas station or when crossing the street.

“People used to often ask, ‘Is this necessary? Why do I need this?’” Masters said. “Now, we see the vast majority of people asking, ‘What’s the best way to do it? How can we do this most effectively?’”

The importance of security in the Jewish community is about more than just making sure Jewish spaces are safe, Masters added. Security allows for the free practice of religion, for Jewish life to grow and flourish.

“Looking at the situation that we face as a community, whether it’s issues of identity or looking at my own kids who go to a Jewish day school, and recognizing the critical importance that, for all the

“EVERYBODY’S PART OF A SECURITY TEAM AT EVERY SYNAGOGUE. I ALWAYS ASK HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ON A SECURITY TEAM AND I’LL SEE ONE OR TWO HANDS POP UP, AND THEN I’LL SAY, ‘IF THERE ARE 200 PEOPLE SITTING IN THIS ROOM THEN YOU HAVE 200 PEOPLE ON YOUR SECURITY TEAM.’”

JIMMY WASSON, FOUNDER AND CEO OF ANTEBELLUM PROTECTION LLC

strange or unusual, tell security or the police and let them figure it out.”

The Arizona regional director of the ADL, Carlos Galindo-Elvira, said that ADL Arizona will be coordinating with local law enforcement and providing additional resources through an electronic newsletter prior to the High Holiday services.

“We encourage every Jewish institution to look at their security policies, practices and procedures,” Galindo-Elvira said. “ADL can provide additional resource information to assist with this process. We also urge a high level of vigilance every day, everywhere.”

Michael G. Masters, the national director and CEO of the Secure Community Network, the national homeland security initiative of The Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, says Jewish communities face a threat environment more complex than ever before in American history. SCN empowers Jewish communities to improve their security through better awareness, resilience and preparedness.

Masters noted that SCN’s most

decisions that we are able to make, that we have the luxury of making, about how we practice and the diversity of that practice or what it looks like for me versus somebody else, the one thing that shouldn’t be driving it, that should never be allowed to drive it, is someone else trying to instill fear and intimidation, to dictate who and how we are.”

SCN is hosting a national webinar on Sept. 16 at 1 p.m. about best practices for the High Holidays. The webinar is open to the public. To RSVP, email DutyDesk@ SecureCommunityNetwork.org.

“Our greatest enemy in this is, I firmly believe, not Al Qaeda or ISIS or white supremacists or neo-Nazis, even an active shooter, it’s our mentality, our own sense of ‘It can’t happen here’ that prevents us from being proactive,” Masters said. “Certainly since Pittsburgh and Poway, we’ve seen a general shift in mindset of let’s be prepared and let’s be empowered.” JN

Additional reporting for this piece was contributed by by Selah Maya Zighelboim, digital editor of the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent, a JN-affiliated publication.

Remembrances of Rosh Hashanah apples past

LINDA MOREL |CONTRIBUTING WRITER

There is something about the simplicity of apple slices surrounding a little pot of honey that kindles the hope for a sweet New Year among Jews around the world.

The combination of two sweets symbolizes a year sugared with good fortune. Each bite bestows dreams for the future and nostalgia for the past.

Every family has its own traditions. Some people eat apples and honey at the beginning of the meal. I always serve these treats after the main course, because I consider their natural sweetness a dessert.

But apples need not be reserved for dipping in honey. I like to sprinkle them into Rosh Hashanah dishes, something that is customary at Jewish New Year’s celebrations in dishes such as apple strudel, pies and tarts, as well as apple coffeecakes and babkas. I layer apples into noodle puddings, side dishes, and roasted chicken stuffing.

With Rosh Hashanah starting on the late side this year, on Sept. 29, apple season will be in full swing. I adore riding into an orchard on a dusty wagon and picking my own apples for Rosh Hashanah. I come by this naturally, because I was born in Syracuse, New York State’s apple country.

One Rosh Hashanah in the 1990s, my Aunt Ruth waxed poetic about the apples from Syracuse where she’d lived for her first 68 years. By then, she’d retired to Delray Beach, Florida.

“The thing I miss most about home are the apples,” she said. “I still dream about the juicy Northern Spys I used to buy by the bushel.” She longed for them more than the seasons changing or the leaves turning a bright McIntosh red. In Florida, a raft of Syracuse friends surrounded her.

Though she felt the fruit wasn’t quite the same, she didn’t miss a chance to cook with appples. “It wouldn’t be Rosh Hashanah without them.”

In the recipes below, Cortland, Gala or any baking apples are recommended.

APPLE AND ACORN SQUASH CASSEROLE | PAREVE

Serves 8-10

Nonstick vegetable spray

3 acorn squash

6 baking apples

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Kosher salt to taste

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 7-inch-by-11-inch ovenproof baking dish with nonstick spray. Reserve.

Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Coat a cookie sheet with nonstick spray and bake the squash for one hour, until soft. Cool to room temperature. Peel and core the apples. Cut them into slices about 1/8-inch thick.

In a large pot, heat the oil over a low flame. Add the apples and sprinkle them with cinnamon, cloves and salt. Mix gently to coat the apples evenly. Cover the pan. Stir occasionally for 10 minutes or until the apples soften.

Spread the apples across the bottom on the prepared baking dish. With a spoon, scoop the squash from its skin and dollop it evenly over the apples. With the back of a spoon, flatten the dollops to spread them as evenly as possible.

Sprinkle the casserole with the topping below and bake for 20 minutes, or until the casserole bubbles and the topping is light brown and crunchy. Serve immediately.

TOPPING

1 cup raw oatmeal, plus 2 handfuls.

(Don’t use instant or quick cooking 1-minute oatmeal)

1 3 cup dark brown sugar

¼ cup flour

6 tablespoons margarine, melted

Place the ingredients in a bowl and mix with a fork until well blended.

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APPLE AND CHALLAH STUFFING | MEAT

Serves 8

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, peeled and diced

4 stalks celery, scraped and diced

3 apples, skinned, cored and diced fine

½ teaspoon dried sage leaves, crushed

1 large round challah (or equivalent amount of leftover challah)

3 cups chicken broth

Nonstick vegetable spray, if needed

In a large pot, heat the oil over a medium flame. Sauté the onion in the oil until transparent, about 3 minutes. Add the celery, apples and sage. Stir until combined. Sauté until the celery and apples wilt, about 5 minutes.

Break the challah into bite-sized pieces and add it to the pot. Stir until combined. Slowly drizzle in the chicken stock and stir until the mixture holds together. Use the excess stock for another purpose or discard it. Let the stuffing cool to room temperature.

Option 1: Stuff a bird (8-pound chicken or a 10-pound turkey) and roast it as usual. Note: Stuffed poultry often takes longer to roast.

Option 2: Coat a medium-size ovenproof casserole with nonstick spray. Move the stuffing to the prepared casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until the stuffing bubbles at the edges. Serve immediately.

raisins in a strainer. Add them to the egg yolk mixture, along with the noodles and apples. Stir gently.

In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold them into the noodle mixture.

Coat a 10-inch-by-15-inch ovenproof baking dish with nonstick spray. Pour the noodle mixture into the baking dish and spread evenly. Drizzle the margarine on top. Bake for one hour, until casserole bubbles and the top browns lightly. Serve immediately.

APPLE BURST BUNDT CAKE | PAREVE

Serves 10

Make this cake a day ahead to let its luscious flavors intermingle.

Nonstick vegetable spray

3 cups baking apples (about 3-4), peeled, cored and sliced thin

5 tablespoons sugar, plus 2 cups

1

8 teaspoon ground ginger

1

8 teaspoon cloves

1

8 teaspoon cardamom

3 cups flour

½ teaspoon salt

3 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

¼ cup orange juice

1 tablespoon vanilla

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Generously coat a 9-inch Bundt pan with nonstick spray.

Giftpackincludes1lb.sweet,wholewheatortraditionalwhiteround hallahwithorwithoutgoldenraisins,8oz.jarofgoldenhoney, ashinyredappleandapersonalizedNewYear’scard.

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Giftpack includes 1 lb. sweet, whole wheat or traditional white round hallah with or without golden raisins, 8 oz. jar of golden honey, a shiny red apple and a personalized New Year’s card.

Call 1-888-520-9080;email sales@challah.com ormailtoHeavenlyHallah,P.O.Box66004,Tucson,AZ85728 ororderonline: www.heavenlyhallah.com

$28 (includes shipping)

call: 888-520-9080

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APPLE NOODLE PUDDING | PAREVE

Serves 12-14

1 cup golden raisins

1 pound broad noodles

6 eggs, separated

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon amaretto

4 teaspoon lemon juice

4 baking apples, peeled, cored and diced

Nonstick vegetable spray

6 tablespoons margarine, melted

Place the raisins in a bowl of hot water while assembling the ingredients. Prepare the noodles according to package directions. Drain them in a colander. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks, sugar, amaretto and lemon juice. With an electric mixer, beat until the mixture thickens and appears creamy. Drain the

In a bowl, combine the apples with 5 tablespoons of sugar and spices until coated. The apples will appear muddy. Reserve.

Sift the flour, salt and the remaining 2 cups of sugar and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the oil, eggs, orange juice and vanilla. With an electric mixer, beat until smooth, at least 2 minutes.

Drain the apples in a colander.

Spread a third of the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Spread half the apples over the batter, keeping the apples away from the sides of the pan. Spoon another third of the batter over the apples. Spread the remaining apples over the batter. Cover the apples with the last batch of batter.

Bake for 15 minutes. Tent the Bundt pan with aluminum foil and bake for another hour or until the top of the cake is firm and a toothpick inserted inside returns batter free. Cool completely before unmolding. JN

Dershowitz, Gordis on U.S.-Israel Relationship

JESSE BERNSTEIN | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“Defending Israel: The Story of My Relationship with My Most Challenging Client”

Alan Dershowitz

All Points Books

“We Stand Divided: The Rift Between American Jews and Israel”

Daniel Gordis

Harper Collins

The extent to which you can stomach Alan Dershowitz’s memoir, “Defending Israel: The Story of My Relationship with My Most Challenging Client,” depends firstly on how you measure his long association with late financier and accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Surely, Epstein, along with Israel, would be in contention for Most Challenging Client.

Dershowitz represented Epstein during his 2007 trial, and once said of the now-dead pedophile that he was the only person outside of his immediate family that received drafts of his books. He has been accused of having sex with one of Epstein’s sex slaves when she was a teenager. He denies the accusation.

If you’re able to overlook this and just focus on the text, you’re still likely to be disappointed if you’ve, say, read any defense of Israel in the last 15 years. It is the most boilerplate of the boilerplate — the type of book that’s meant to be read and then completely forgotten, so that maybe you’ll buy the next one.

There’s also the self-mythologizing. Dershowitz’s titanic self-regard is wellknown by this point, and this book seems a product of that. Close to 300 pages dedicated to recapping debates, op-eds and cable news hits, a torrent of selfserving anecdotes, a selection of photos of Dershowitz with American and Israeli political leaders and the recapitulation of zinger after perfectly remembered zinger. Somewhere in the middle of a list of 57 different institutions of higher learning that Dershowitz has been invited to speak at, you are allowed to admit: This is tiresome.

And even if every argument Dershowitz advances happens to be one that you agree with, you’d be hard-pressed to find something original. The difference

between this book and his past Israel defenses — “The Case for Israel,” “The Case Against Israeli’s Enemies,” “The Case Against BDS,” etc. — is how much Rep. Ilhan Omar is mentioned.

Daniel Gordis, meanwhile, has done something more substantive in his latest work. “We Stand Divided: The Rift Between American Jews and Israel” describes the growing divisions between American and Israeli Jews, how those divisions began to form and then mutate, and what might be done to reunite the two largest Jewish populations in the world.

In his introduction, Gordis presents recent comments by two longtime Israeli diplomats as being broadly representative of these two sides. An Israeli diplomat named Alon Pinkas represents American Jews. Pinkas, once a policy advisor to Ehud Barak, locates the source of the division as being the religious leadership of Israel’s “dismissive attitude towards non-Orthodox Judaism,” as Gordis understates it. There’s also Israel’s “policies and actions” to blame, especially those undertaken during the Netanyahu years.

Representing Israel is Tzipi Hotovely, Israel’s deputy foreign minister, who chastised American Jews for their audacity to criticize from the comfort of their lives, thousands of miles from the rockets of Gaza.

Gordis claims that he wishes to challenge the conventional wisdom that American and Israeli Jews, making up 85% of world Jewry, are critical of each other because of what the other “does.” Rather, he writes, he wants to illustrate that the founding documents and ideas of America and Israel are actually far more divergent than most people realize, and that the true source of the conflict is what each country “is.”

American Jews might think they’re criticizing the proposed annexation of the West Bank or the treatment of the Women of the Wall, and Israeli Jews might really believe that what upsets them about American Jews is their insistence

that they know what is best for Israeli foreign policy. But these problems, Gordis proposes, are the simple clash of those raised on universalist themes (American Jews) and those who were raised in a particularist context (Israeli Jews). He returns frequently to a marriage metaphor, wherein spats over an unmade bed or unwashed dishes are often indicative of deeper differences.

He is willing to admit that each side’s criticisms are sometimes about unwashed dishes qua unwashed dishes — Americans and Israelis can still “reproach each other,” he writes — but addressing the unwashed dishes is not really the aim here.

Gordis uses the bulk of the book to give a miniature history of the relationship between the Diaspora and Israel and to show why there are certain conflicts that actually cannot be resolved between the Jews of Ashkelon and the Jews of Abington. He cites sources both biblical and contemporary to back up his claims, to convincing effect. He locates the events at Sabra and Shatila as perhaps the key turning point of the relationship. These sections, expanded, could absolutely make a compelling history on its own.

In his conclusions, Gordis writes

that American Jews must temper their criticism of Israeli policy; in return, Israeli Jews must cease their denigration of Diaspora life. A lot of his conclusions mostly come down to that formulation, i.e., asking that we all continue to feel free to make the same critiques of each other, with the hardest edges sanded down in an effort to recognize our mutual validity. It’s not a particularly energizing set of solutions, but it could be the best one we’ve got. (It’s also advice he might find useful the next time he writes about IfNotNow, which receives special scorn in this book.)

Gordis’ main argument about these irreconcilable conflicts stands up to scrutiny, though it is one that does seem to elide the question of resolving the symptoms themselves. And it is inconceivable that one could write about these divisions without mentioning one of the great points of divergence in recent memory: that Israeli Jews, contra the majority of American Jews, have a deep affection for Trump. Regardless, this latest effort is more than worthy of discussion.

Jesse Bernstein is a staff writer for the Jewish Exponent, a Jewish News-affiliated publication.

Day school grad makes mark as Tarantino’s editor

JESSE BERNSTEIN | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Because it’s not actually a crime — and even if it were, the statute of limitations surely would have expired by now — Fred Raskin has a confession: When he was too young to buy a ticket to an R-rated movie, his mother would do it for him, buying two tickets, depositing her son in the theater, and then heading out to do something else.

Thus, young Fred Raskin got an early crash course in the world of movies for adults.

Today, Raskin, 45, helps make them. His latest effort as an editor, on Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood,” is his third movie with the iconoclastic director. It’s also the one that brought him full circle, in a way; a scene that features a dinner conversation between characters played by Al Pacino and Leonardo DiCaprio happened to be filmed at the restaurant where Raskin had his first serious networking lunch in Los

Angeles, the one that connected him to the people that got him his first jobs in Hollywood.

For the kid who spent his bar mitzvah money on a video camera, it’s all a pretty sweet deal.

“Look, it all worked out,” he laughed.

Raskin grew up in Upper Merion Township, Pennsylvania, the oldest of

He had friends, after all, ones who lived in the neighborhood. But as Raskin grew a little older, he found that he wanted to take Judaism a bit more seriously. In fifth grade, he started to wear a kippah to school, which earned him some namecalling and the occasional trip in the hallway. Because of that derision, along with his desire to pursue Judaism in a more

film was nurtured. He has fond memories of Robert Zaslavsky — aka Doc Z — giving him VHS tapes of Scorsese, Hitchcock and “The Maltese Falcon.” To this day, he keeps in occasional contact with Head of Drama Dewey Oriente and Head of School Sharon Levin. Raskin holds onto a lot from those years, including a smattering of Hebrew.

four boys. His father, then a chemist, took Raskin to movies, too; Raskin believes that it was their trips — trips, multiple — to see “Raiders of the Lost Ark” during its initial release that first hooked him on the big screen.

Attending elementary school in Upper Merion, Raskin was more or less happy.

dedicated way, he asked his parents if he could go to day school.

His parents had friends who sent their kids to a place called the Akiba Hebrew Academy, and in the fall of 1984, Raskin began taking the bus to the school.

At Akiba (now the Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy), Raskin’s interest in

It was also around this time that he started to make movies, “slaughtering my brothers in all kinds of horrible ways for horror movies,” Raskin said. He began first with his parents’ Super 8 camera, and then moved on to the aforementioned Bar Mitzvah purchase. Of course it was juvenile — forgivable, given that he was a literal juvenile — but Raskin believes that other things that took others a bit longer to pick up in film school at New York University came easier to him because of what he did in those low-tech days.

On one of his first days in film school, he and his classmates were told that perhaps one or two of them would have

FIRST

IN FILM SCHOOL, HE AND HIS CLASSMATES WERE TOLD THAT PERHAPS ONE OF THEM WOULD HAVE A CAREER AS A DIRECTOR WHEN IT WAS ALL SAID AND DONE.

a career as a director when it was all said and done. Raskin decided that he’d pick up a craft, just in case, and thus his attraction to editing began. Given that an editor is mimicking the work of a director in some fashion — putting together a performance, deciding what a movie will actually look like, etc. — and the fact that it’s all done from the comfort of an air-conditioned room was enough to seal the deal for him.

The connections he made then led to connections in Hollywood, where he lunched with editors and assistant editors and assistant editors’ assistants, all of whom knew this or that person who gave him the next direction. All the while, he was sending out resumes, reading The Hollywood Reporter to try and get in on early on recently announced movies. After some bizarre early work — working on three Rutger Hauer action movies in the span of three months, for example — he applied for and got a job as an assistant editor on Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Boogie Nights.”

His work there led him to jobs assisting the editor Sally Menke on a few movies directed by Billy Bob Thornton. Menke edited every Tarantino movie until her death in 2010. Around the time Tarantino was getting ready to make “Kill Bill,” Menke called Raskin and asked if he was interested in joining her crew. Raskin accepted, and his introduction to

Upcoming Special Sections

High Holidays

September 20, 27, October 4

Tarantino came when Raskin ordered a Filet-O-Fish from McDonald’s when the rest of the editing crew had meat.

“And he said, ‘I always wondered who ordered the Filet-O-Fish,’” Raskin remembers. “And I was like, ‘The guy who keeps kosher.’”

Thus began a productive partnership, one that deepened as Raskin spoke frankly in editing meetings throughout the process. Raskin “came to join the Tarantino family,” as he put it, and after Menke’s death in 2010, the director asked Raskin to take up the task of editing his movies. Raskin happily obliged and, in addition to “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood,” he also edited “Django Unchained” and “The Hateful Eight.” Along the way, Raskin worked on bigger and bigger movies, editing both “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies and three entries in the “Fast and Furious” canon.

Working on “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood,” Raskin worked with material and sequences that were as difficult as anything he’s ever handled. But then again, that’s exactly why he got into the business.

“For me,” he said, “the things that are most gratifying are when I’m not sure how something is going to work, and it ends up working.” JN

The High

are made for tradition. Show Jewish News readers how your business can be a part of their memories.

Fred Raskin is all smiles about his Hollywood career.

PHOTO BY RYAN JAEGER

Jesse Bernstein is a staff writer for the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent, a JN-affiliated publication.

FEATURED EVENT

SATURDAY, SEPT. 15

Phoenix Holocaust Association Café Europa: 1 p.m., Temple Solel, 6805 E. McDonald Drive, Paradise Valley. Schmooze, eat and enjoy the guitar music of Gal Drimmer. Reservations required, RSVP by to Sept. 12 to Edie Wade at 602-944-8809 or ewade410@cox.net. For more information visit phxha.com.

Events

SATURDAY, OCT. 26

Maricopa Music Fest, LLC: 1-7 p.m., The Copper Sky Recreation Multigenerational Center, 44345 M.L.K. Jr. Blvd, Maricopa. Partnered in part by: Amazon, Honda & Little Caesars Pizza. The public will be able enjoy a free Motown Impersonation Show, compete in a lip sync contest, play laser tag, game trucks and corn tossing with a half-time skateboard competition. Maricopa Mayor Christian Price will take the stage to receive scholarship funds from Amazon and more. Visit maricopamusicfest.us/battleof-the-bands-info?olsPage=products for more information.

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. 14

Cactus ORT: Opening Meeting: 7 p.m., Mountain Gate Apartments Clubhouse, 4602 E. Paradise Village Parkway N., Phoenix. Dessert in the Desert. Prospective members, spouses/ partners, friends are invited to an annual event featuring a dessert and appetizer buffet, door prizes, favors, ORT information and programs for 2019-2020. A “Chinese Auction” will also be held. Please bring an item worth $7-$10 that evening. For more information or to RSVP, contact Ellen at 602-953-9307.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 15

Yoga to Awaken Inner Joy: 11:35 am-1:25 p.m., Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. An all-levels yoga workshop also occurring on Oct. 13 and Nov. 17. Instructor: Amy Tyre. This workshop is for anyone who wants to feel more joy, hope, energy and happiness. It is specifically designed to help alleviate the symptoms of stress-related disorders, including anxiety and depression. Participants may attend one workshop or select all three dates. Childcare is available. Members: $25 per session or $60 for all three. Guests: $33 per session or $80 for all three. Contact the JCC at 480-481-7018 or healthandfitness@vosjcc.org to register.

Beth El Women’s League presents: Book Talk: Noon, Beth El Congregation, 1118 W.

Rabbi Nitzan Stein Kokin, Beth El’s new rabbi, will introduce the speaker. No charge. RSVP to amoskowitz@bethelphonix.com.

Zionism 3.0. What Is It, and Why Is It

Important?: 1:30-3:30 p.m., Temple Chai, 4645 E. Marilyn Road, Phoenix. Speakers: Rabbi Amitai Fraiman and Zack Bodner. Suggested donation: $18, register at VBMTorah.org.

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

MONDAY, SEPT. 16

Contextualizing Antisemitism on College Campuses: 1-2 p.m., Temple Chai, 4645 E. Marilyn Road, Phoenix. Speaker: Professor Rachel Rubinstein. Suggested donation: $18, register at VBMTorah.org.

Native Americans in the Jewish Imagination: 7-8:30 p.m., Congregation Or Tzion, 16415 N. 90th St., Scottsdale. Speaker: Professor Rachel Rubinstein. Suggested donation: $18, register at VBMTorah.org.

The Jewish Women’s Circle presents: Rosh Hashanah Baking Fest: 7:30 p.m., Chabad Center, 2110 E. Lincoln Drive, Phoenix. Discover the art of artisan bread with a demonstration led by talented baker Sashie Levertov and explore the joys of babka with expert baker Miriam Litzman of Oven Fresh Challah. $18, $12 if prepaid by Sept 13. RSVP to chabadaz.com/ bake. For more information contact women@ chabadaz.com or 602-944-2753.

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 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

Israel Table: 11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m., Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. An opportunity to pick up general information on travel, facts and historic sites to visit in Israel.

Stop by if you have never visited Israel and are considering a trip this year or in the near future. Contact franklin.mindy@gmail.com for more

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 18

Color Me Art Pen & Ink: 1-3 p.m., Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Create your own Pen & Ink WORD art on paper while exploring various media such as oil pastels, chalk pastels and water pencils with artist and instructor Debra Lee Murrow. All materials included. Members $20, guests $25. Register by Sept. 12 at vosjcc.org/colorme.

An Evening with Abby Stein: 7 p.m., Old Town Scottsdale location provided upon RSVP. The first openly transgender woman raised in a Chasidic community, Abby is a transgender activist, author, blogger, model and speaker. $10 per person. Register by Sept. 16 at jewishphoenix.org/abby.

Screening of ‘True Justice - Bryan Stevenson’s Fight for Equality: 7-8:30 p.m., Temple Chai, 4645 E. Marilyn Road, Phoenix. Suggested donation: $18. Sponsored by AZ Jews for Justice.

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 Arshad of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. $14, includes kosher lunch following presentation. Reservations required: evjcc.org/ open-beit-midrash or 480-987-0588.

The Intersectionality of Gender and Jewish Identity: 1-2 p.m., Congregation Beth Israel, 10460 N. 56th St., Scottsdale. Speaker: Abby Stein. Suggested donation: $18, register at VBMTorah.org.

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.

Voter Registration Training Party: 6:30 p.m., Temple Chai, 4645 E. Marilyn Road, Phoenix. Sponsored by AZ Jews for Justice.

Book discussion: The Unwanted: America, Auschwitz, and a Village Caught in Between by Michael Dobbs: 7 p.m., Cutler-Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center, 122 E. Culver St., Phoenix. Discussion led by Lawrence Bell, Ph.D. Free. Call 602-241-7870 or email lbell@azjhs.org to RSVP.

From Chassidic Rabbi to Trans Activist: 7-8:30 p.m., Temple Solel, 6805 E. McDonald Drive,

Paradise Valley. Speaker: Abby Stein. Suggested donation: $18, register at VBMTorah.org.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 20

Birds of Israel: 8:45 a.m., Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. The Society of the Protection of Nature in Israel gives an overview of Israel’s environment and the importance of its birdlife. Light breakfast served. Complimentary, but registration required by Sept. 14 at jewishphoenix.org/nature.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 21

Federation NowGen Party of 8: 7:30 p.m. dinner location provided upon RSVP with 9 p.m. after party in Old Town. Jewish young adults register as couples or singles to be matched with 8-10 other individuals for dinner and conversation. After dinner, individual dinner parties gather for an after party in Old Town Scottsdale. Register by Sept. 15 at jewishphoenix.org/partyof8.

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: The Luck Factor. Terrific Tuesdays. $4 suggested donation. Contact adrian@evjcc.org

Pillars of the Community: 6:30 p.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. An evening of appreciation. At 6 p.m. there is a dinner by invitation only, and at 7 p.m. there is an award recognition ceremony open to the community. Reservations: evjcc.org/reception

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 25

Love & War: World War II Sweetheart Jewelry: 10-11:30 a.m., Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Join art and jewelry historian Jan Krulick-Belin to explore the materials, themes, contexts and visual influences on the “sweetheart jewelry” soldiers gave to their mothers, wives and sweethearts. Members $10, guests $15. Register at vojscc.org/ sweetheart.

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

A Breath of Life: Noon-1 p.m., Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Learn to make the most of the new year with Cindy Landesman using the shofar as a model. Cindy has been involved in Jewish education for 20 years in many different capacities. She currently coordinates the adult continuing education program at Shearim Torah High School for Girls. Members $5, guests $10. Register by Sept. 25 at vosjcc.org/breath.

MONDAY, SEPT. 30

Duet Volunteer Orientation: 5-7:00 p.m., Orangewood Presbyterian Church, 7321 N. 10th St., 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.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 2

Mahjong Mondays: 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Held Wednesday, Oct. 2 due to Rosh Hashanah. 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

THURSDAY, OCT. 3

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: Beruya. Cost: $14. Registration required: evjcc.org/ open-beit-midrash

Walking Through History: 11 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Speaker: Rabbi Michael Beyo, EVJCC CEO. Topic: Sephardic Jewish History: Yehuda Ha-Levi. Cost: $14, includes kosher lunch. Registration required: evjcc.org/open-beit-midrash

SUNDAY, OCT. 6

BJE’s Jewish Marriage University: 9:30 a.m.12:30 p.m., Valley of the Sun JCC classroom 101, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Learn ways to enhance one’s relationship including communication and conflict resolution skills, planning for one’s financial future, how Judaism can help build strong relationships and marriages, along with many other topics. $45 per couple. Register at bjephoenix.org, email Linda Feldman at lindaf@bjephoenix.org for more information.

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

SUNDAY, OCT. 13

Yoga to Awaken Inner Joy: 11:35 am-1:25 p.m., Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. An all-levels yoga workshop also occurring on Nov. 17. Instructor: Amy Tyre. This workshop is for anyone who wants to feel more joy, hope, energy and happiness. It is specifically designed to help alleviate the symptoms of stress-related disorders, including anxiety and depression. Participants may attend one workshop or select both dates. Childcare is available. $25 for members, $33 for guests. Contact the JCC at 480-481-7018 or healthandfitness@vosjcc.org to register.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 23

BJE’s Jewish Marriage University: 6:308:30 p.m., Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Extra session for interfaith couples. Learn ways to enhance one’s relationship including communication and conflict resolution skills, planning for one’s financial future, how Judaism can help build strong relationships and marriages, along with

many other topics. $45 per couple. Register at bjephoenix.org, email Linda Feldman at lindaf@ bjephoenix.org for more information.

THURSDAY, OCT. 24

Child Sacrifice: Considering the Context: 1-2 p.m., Beth Emeth Congregation of the West Valley, 13702 W. Meeker Blvd., Sun City West.

Speaker: Professor Ziony Zevit. Suggested Donation: $18, register at VBMTorah.org.

Letters from the Dead: Three Ancient Texts Discovered by Archaeologists : 7-8:30 p.m., Temple Chai, 4645 E. Marilyn Road, Phoenix.

Speaker: Professor Ziony Zevit. Suggested Donation: $18, register at VBMTorah.org.

SUNDAY, OCT. 27

The Hammerman Family Lecture – Almighty?

No Way! Embracing the God We Actually Love: 5-6:30 p.m., Congregation Or Tzion, 16415 N. 90th St., Scottsdale. Speaker: Rabbi Dr. Bradley Shavit Artson. Suggested Donation: $18, register at VBMTorah.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 602-9925790 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 480-398-7174 or visit brunchcafe. com for more information.

WEDNESDAYS

Arizona Sunrays Gymnastics & Dance Center: free Baby Dance classes: 9:15-9:45 a.m., 15801 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix. 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.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 15

The Shofar Factory: 11 a.m., Chabad of Phoenix, 2110 E. Lincoln Drive, Phoenix. Make your own shofar for $10, but the presentation is free. Learn how to saw, drill, sand, shine and toot. Ages 2-15, children under 7 must be accompanied by an adult. RSVP early as there is a limited number of shofars available. Call 602-944-2753 or visit chabadaz.com/shofar for more information.

Teen Scene: 2-3:30 p.m., Pinspiration, 5410 E. High St., Suite #105, Phoenix. A social get together for all teens in Friendship Circle. Create a beautiful project for Rosh Hashanah at Pinspiration. Open to all Friendship Circle high

school volunteers. Visit fcaz.org/signupteens for more information.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 21

The J’s Kids Night Out – Glow Games: 6-10 p.m., Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Kids grades pre-K-4 come in florescent gear for a night of fun with games, activities and even glow in the dark slime. Members $15, guests $25; $5 more after 5 p.m. on Sept. 16, includes dinner, snacks & movie. Register at vosjcc.org/knoglow.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 22

The Friendship Circle: Young Adult Outing: 3-4:30 p.m., Topgolf, 9500 Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale. An afternoon for young adults with special needs to get together with peers their own age for a fun activity and to build friendships. Call 602-861-1600 or email info@ fcaz.org for more information.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 25

Family Challah Bake: 5:30-7 p.m., East Valley JCC Early Childhood Learning Center, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Join the ECLC for an Italian dinner and make challah to take home and bake. Cost is $25 per family (up to five people) or $7 per person. Reservations required by Sept. 20: Pam, pam@evjcc.org.

Open Houses

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.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 21

Temple Beth Shalom of the Northwest Valley: 5:30 p.m., 12202 N. 101st Ave., Sun City. Selichot open house. Meet the congregation and enjoy hors d’oeuvres and beverages followed by a Havdalah service led by cantor Baruch Koritan and Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan. No charge for event. For more information call 623-977-3240 or visit templebethshalomaz.org.

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.

Seniors

THURSDAY, OCT. 3

Memory Café: 10-11:30 a.m., Beth El Congregation, 1118 W. Glendale Ave., Phoenix. Jewish Family and Children’s Service hosts a monthly Memory Café event, which will include refreshments along with stimulating, interactive programming geared toward those who have memory loss and their care partners. Musician and vocalist Joe Bousard is this month’s special guest artist.For more information or to confirm times, please contact Kathy Rood at 602-4524627 or via email at kathy.rood@jfcsaz.org.

THURSDAY, OCT. 17

The Palazzo grand opening: 4:30-8:30 p.m., 6250 N. 19 Ave., Phoenix. The Palazzo senior living community celebrates its grand opening with a cruise-ship themed event. Enjoy worldly destinations throughout the grounds and enter for a chance to win a cruise or other prizes. More event details coming.

Arts

TUESDAY, SEPT. 17

Let’s Appreciate Art: 11 a.m.-noon, Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Share the world of art with special visual presentations each month by docents from the Phoenix Art Museum. This month’s topic: Japanese Art: Medieval to Early Modern Highlights. Free. For more information, contact Harriet at 480.481.7033 or harrietc@vosjcc.org.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 25

Film & Discussion: A Serious Man (2009): 6-9 p.m., Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Join ASU Professor Stanley Mirvis for a screening and discussion on the Coen Brother’s “A Serious Man.” Set in 1960s Minnesota, the film explores issues related to American Jewish identity, preconceived Jewish gender roles and the role of community and the rabbinate in the lives of American Jews. Event presented in partnership with the ASU Jewish Studies Department. Register at vosjcc.org/ serious.

SUNDAY, OCT. 6

Israeli Movie Series: 3 p.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. “Song of Ascension,” a documentary about the relationship between a couple and the surrogate who has their baby. A $5 donation suggested. Register: evucc.org/movie-series

SUNDAY, OCT. 27

Robbery of the Heart: 2-3:30 p.m., Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd., Scottsdale. This documentary delves into the story of Kristallnacht from Holocaust survivors and German citizens alike, told from different perspectives but leading to the same results: the pogroms and what is commonly regarded as the beginning of the Holocaust. Q&A with producer Micah Brandt and Rabbi Micah Caplan following the film. Contact Pat Toftoy at ptoftoy@ scottsdaleaz.gov or 480-312-2180 for more information. JN

Play it again Mames…

Carve-a-Shofar

Temple Chai Cantor Ross Wolman plays a shofar during the temple’s first Make-a-Shofar Workshop on Sept. 1 where families sawed, drilled and sanded real animal horns to create a new Shofar for the High Holy Days.

Where’s your Jewish News?

National Executive Committee of the Jewish War Veteran’s Department of the Southwest and past Commander of Scottsdale Post 210 Rochel Hayman holds her copy of the Jewish News while attending the Jewish War Veterans 124th Annual National Convention on Aug. 18-23, in Richmond, Virginia.

Cut the ribbon

Grand Opening

Danish Klezmer band Mames Babegenush performs a one night only show at the Musical Instrument Museum in

PHOTO BY JOEL ZOLONDEK

Students attend a “Mahjong 101” class at the Valley of the Sun JCC through the Crystal Bridge at The J social gaming program, which invites players of all levels to learn how to play bridge and mahjong. PHOTO

The new Molly Blank Jewish Community Center had its grand opening on Thursday, Sept. 5. Former Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix board member Michael Blank, and his wife Carmen were among the primary benefactors for the new JCC. The Blanks attended the opening with their family. From left to right: Gabriella Matney, Carmen Blank, Jennifer Blank-Matney, Michael Blank, and Arthur Blank.

Rabbi Jeremy Schneider of Temple Kol Ami cuts the ribbon for the first newly “refreshed” modernized classroom through the temple’s classroom refresh campaign.

Haylie Gamiel Green becomes a bat mitzvah on Sept. 21, 2019, at Congregation Or Tzion. She is the daughter of Kim and Evan Green of Scottsdale.

Grandparents are Lois and Randy Gamiel of Scottsdale; and Marilyn and Barry Green of Scottsdale.

For her mitzvah project, Haylie volunteered for a dog rescue organization. A student at Desert Shadows Middle School, she enjoys softball. JN

On Labor Day, Sept. 2, 2019, just short of his 94th birthday, Lawrence (Larry) Sheldon Katzman took his last breath surrounded by his loving family.

Larry was born on Sept. 19, 1925, to Frank and Nettie Katzman in Syracuse, New York. He was the middle of three boys and was a good athlete from a very early age. Sports, teaching and coaching were the highlights of his career, and he was physically active well into his 80s.

Larry was a loving husband to Elaine Menter Katzman, his childhood sweetheart and his wife of 71+ years. Larry was a wonderful father and a guiding light for his three beautiful daughters: Linda Tenenbaum (Jerry), Judy Isaacs (Marc) and Joanie Katzman (Donnie Samora). Family was his pride and joy throughout his lifetime and as the patriarch of the family, he enjoyed participating in the lives of his three girls, eight grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

At 18 years of age, having just graduated from high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. After training he was stationed on the USS Pasadena in the South Pacific during World War II. Though he didn’t say much about his experiences, he was always proud of his military service. It was a life-changing experience and he returned home after the war a much more mature young man.

JOSEPHINE FRANKEL

Josephine Frankel, 93, died Aug. 9, 2019. She was born in Chicago, Illinois, and lived in Phoenix before moving to Seattle.

She is survived by her daughters, Gail Turett (Kim), Debra Frankel and Judith Lamb (Andrew); and grandchildren Ian and Shona Lamb. She was preceded in death by her spouse, the late Sol Frankel.

Arrangements by Mt. Sinai Cemetery.

Memorial contributions can be made to Kline Galland Home at klinegalland.org/getinvolved/donate. Please mail tributes and gifts to: Kline Galland Fund Development, c/o Angela Keophilavong, 7500 Seward Park Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98118

CECIL

Cecil Hyam Greenstein, 86, died Sept. 1, 2019. He was born in South Africa and lived in Scottsdale.

He is survived by his spouse, Linda; his daughters, Janne Levin of Arizona, Andrea Sher of San Diego and Marcela Kaskawtts of New York; and six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Services were held on Sept. 4, 2019, at Mt. Sinai Cemetery and were officiated by Rabbi Micah Caplan.

Arrangements by Sinai Mortuary of Arizona.

Memorial contributions can be made to Hospice of the Valley, 9808 N. 95th St., Scottsdale, AZ 85258.

ROBERT (BOB) WEINSTEIN

Robert (Bob) Weinstein, 86, died July 31, 2019. A Korean War veteran of the U.S. Army, he was born in Brooklyn, New York, and lived in Scottsdale. He was a member of Congregation Or Tzion and the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs. He is survived by his spouse, Phyllis; his daughters, Susan Goldstein (Marvin), Carol Weinstein and Marla Medwin (Jon); his parents, Benny and Fanny Weinstein; and his 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his three brothers, Abe, Philip and Dave Weinstein. Services were held on Aug. 19, 2019, at Paradise Memorial Gardens and were officiated by Rabbi Micah Caplan and Rabbi Mari Chernow.

Arrangements by Sinai Mortuary of Arizona.

Memorial contributions can be made to Congregation Or Tzion’s Men's Club. JN

Back home in Syracuse, he entered Syracuse University and achieved a bachelor’s, master’s and eventually a Ph.D. in health and physical education. During his time at Syracuse, Larry was a member of the varsity gymnastics team. This led to a lifetime of teaching, coaching and counseling kids in various camps about the importance of physical fitness and value of sports, with basketball becoming the main focus for this (5-foot-5-inch) giant of a man. Throughout his life, Larry was in excellent physical condition and felt that this was the best way he could set an example for his students and his family. “Coach” taught at the high school and collegiate levels, including at Erie Community College, SUNY Buffalo, Syracuse University and Arizona State University.

At ECC in 1950, Larry was the first athletic director and basketball coach. Their mascot name, the KATS, was named after him and that remains their name to this day. Larry was also inducted into the ECC and Buffalo State University Athletics Halls of Fame. Larry was predeceased by his mom and dad, Nettie and Frank Katzman, and his older brother, Norm. He is survived by the love of his life, his wife and soulmate of 71 years, Elaine, and a loving, supportive family, including his brother, Dr. Ed Katzman; Linda and Jerry Tenenbaum; Judy and Marc Isaacs; Joanie Katzman and their fantastic kids and grandkids; Todd and Mary Tenenbaum (Brandon and Jack); Neil and Liza Tenenbaum (Leah, Evan and Noah); Kerri Tenenbaum (Dylan and Cody); Scott and Jennifer Tenenbaum; Adam and Melanie Isaacs (Charlie and Anna); Dena Isaacs; Paul and Jessica Venesky (Natalie, Lilly and Paulie); and Alan and Shara Venesky (Adelynn and Charlotte).

The world is a better place thanks to this kind, generous, loving man, Larry Katzman. Rest in peace Larry, Dad, Papa and Grandpa!

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