Jewish News, Nov. 1, 2019

AZ National Council of Jewish Women holds panel on gun violence

CHARITABLE GIVING

Jewish Girl Scouts repair the world and empower women

Local orgs works with national nonprofit to provide emergency funds for Holocaust survivors

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

In 2018, it was estimated that one in three Holocaust survivors lived at or below the poverty line.

In an attempt to provide local Holocaust survivors with more financial resources for emergency situations, several Phoenix Jewish community organizations have partnered with Kavod. The national nonprofit is working with the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix, Phoenix’s Jewish Family & Children’s Service and the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix.

The partnership between the organizations began this past summer. Lorrie Henderson, the president and CEO of JFCS, said the partnership meets an important need for the community.

“These funds will provide survivors emergency financial assistance for critical needs that are otherwise inaccessible,” Henderson said. “Kavod Shef has created a process that is simple and fast, continuing our work to promote the well-being, respect and dignity of our survivor community in Greater Phoenix.”

Kavod — a Hebrew word meaning respect, dignity and honor — was created by Amy Israel Pregulman and her husband John Pregulman in 2015. In March, the organization announced an initiative to expand the aid it provides, partnering with the Seed the Dream Foundation to launch Kavod Survivors of the Holocaust Emergency Fund.

Limmud event features Jewish author of new civil rights book

Limmud AZ’s advance learning event, Taste of Limmud, is about to enter its third year. Taste of Limmud is designed to give the Phoenix area a small preview of the bigger learning event coming in February, Limmud AZ. Both programs offer educational workshops and discussions, with the goal of bringing Jews together for a diverse spectrum of perspectives.

This year’s Taste of Limmud will feature journalist and author Christopher Noxon as its keynote speaker. Noxon will be presenting his recently released book, “Good Trouble: Lessons from the Civil Rights Playbook.”

The event will be hosted at Temple Solel on Nov. 13 and begins at 7 p.m.

“Good Trouble” can best be described as a graphic history book that looks at episodes of the civil rights movement and highlights lessons that modern-day activists can learn from. Noxon started writing the book shortly after the results of the 2016 presidential election.

“The freedom struggle had so many parallels to our current situation and

The big blue Boy Scout punches Nazis

Even superheroes are standing up to antiSemites. In a newly released limited series by DC Comics, wholesome champion Superman stands up for minorities against Nazis and the KKK. Go to Page 10 to read our review.

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

SEE LIMMUD, PAGE 3

Author and journalist Christopher Noxon is the keynote speaker for the upcoming Taste of Limmud event.

Kavod Shef functions through a national fundraising campaign, with money raised in 12 communities across the country matched dollar-for-dollar by a coalition of national donors.

JFCS will oversee finding survivors who can benefit from the fund. JFCS Jewish Social Services Manager Kathy Rood is the primary administrator for the initiative and is excited to continue to assist Holocaust survivors with their needs.

“We do have some survivors in our community that can benefit from this,” Rood said. “Mainly, they pay things like medical bills, dental bills and eyeglasses. Those things can be very expensive and their insurance might not be able to cover it. When a lot of people age, they may be only relying on their Social Security as income. Or they may have something else, but some things might happen that can consume all of their financial resources.”

Rood said that the funds aren’t exclusive to medical needs; they can be used for grocery gift cards, home-repair needs or even rent. The money can cover just about anything, depending on what the survivor’s situation calls for.

JFCS has already been able to assist two Holocaust survivors in the Valley with the program. Rood has also been reaching out to different organizations, such as the Phoenix Holocaust Association, to find more survivors who might benefit from this service.

Normally, it takes about two to three weeks for Kavod to fulfill funding requests. Locally, such requests will be directed to JFCS via a hotline: 720-295-8484. JFCS will distribute funds from Kavod Shef to survivors in the form of gift cards or by directly paying bills. Survivors are encouraged to contact the hotline number and all information is kept confidential.

The Federation donated the initial $10,000 for Phoenix, with Kavod matching the contribution.

“The enhanced ability to fund unmet emergency needs provides not only tangible assistance but also fulfills our community’s obligation to do so with respect. We are honored to be able to provide this meaningful resource,” said Marty Haberer, the president and CEO of the Federation.

Kavod Shef was introduced to the Valley’s Jewish community through the JCF, which acted as a connecting force between all the organizations.

“Caring for survivors and ensuring that their needs are met with compassion and dignity is not the responsibility of any one organization,” said Richard Kasper, JCF’s president and CEO. “With support from Kavod and Seed the Dream Foundation, the Phoenix Jewish community can make significant strides in elevating our response to emergency needs of survivors. It is the Jewish Community Foundation’s great privilege to participate in this initiative together with our Jewish Federation and Jewish Family & Children’s Service.”

In addition to Phoenix, Kavod is also working with Jewish organizations in Tucson to provide the same emergency funds. The initiative came to Tucson shortly before launching in Phoenix.

Graham Hoffman, the president and CEO of the Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona, said that he was committed to working with Kavod after learning how its efforts can double the financial resources for Holocaust survivors.

Amy Israel Pregulman, who serves as the executive director for Kavod, said that it can be difficult for survivors to even reach out for help.

“One of our first success stories when we launched the program was when we visited a survivor who didn’t have groceries,” she said. “We opened her refrigerator and saw some bread and milk. We found out later that she really only had enough money to pay for either her rent or groceries. We hear stories like that a lot and we think it’s important to support them.”

She said that she and her husband wouldn’t have even known about this if they didn’t visit the Holocaust survivor for a photography project.

“We only have a few years left with these courageous individuals, and we feel it is our responsibility to take care of them and offer them peace in their final years.” JN

For more information about Kavod Shef, visit kavodensuringdignity.com or call the hotline at 720-295-8484.

2019 Phoenix Jewish News print dates

January 4

January 11

January 18

January 25

February 1

February 8

February 15

February 22

March 1

March 15

March 29

April 5

April 12

April 19

May 3

May 17

May 31

June 7

June 21

August 9

August 30*

September 6

September 13

September 20

September 27

October 4

October 18

November 1

November 15

December 6

December 13

December 20

*Annual Directory

PUBLISHER | Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR | Liz Spikol

MANAGING EDITOR | Rich Solomon

STAFF WRITER | Nick Enquist

CONTRIBUTORS | Joel Zolondek

ADVERTISING SALES CONSULTANTS | Jodi Lipson

CIRCULATION | Bill Sims

GRAPHIC DESIGNER | Frank Wagner

M.B. Goldman, Jr., Founder | 1948-1961

so many lessons to today,” Noxon said. “So I dedicated myself to talking to as many people who were still around and learning as much as I could. So I spent a year traveling around Alabama and Mississippi to soak up what worked and how we can employ some of their hard won wisdom.”

While it is technically a historical book, Noxon also wanted it to have personal style and an artistic element. A self-proclaimed “amateur doodler,” Noxon inked and watercolored all of the images in the book to create a personal feel for its readers. The typography aesthetic looks like handwriting; Noxon wanted the readers to feel like they were reading a journal.

“As a reporter, I learned to carry a notebook around wherever I went and I would draw as well as write things down,” Noxon said. “You can communicate so much more with an image and especially with a story like this, which can either feel too much like a student history book or political rhetoric. Having this specific style skirted around those issues.”

Noxon’s talk will begin at 8 p.m. Taste of Limmud also has three local community leaders slated to speak at the event: Arizona Jews for Justice Campaign Organizer Eddie Chavez Calderon, Rabbi Elana Kanter of The New Shul and Rabbi John Linder of Temple Solel.

According to Suzanne Swift, one of the co-founders of Limmud AZ, all of the speakers are passionate about their specific topics.

“Each one of the speakers really brings something to the event that I think our community will get really excited about,” Swift said.

The three local leaders will be talking at the same time, so attendants will have to select whom they wish to see.

Chavez Calderon’s talk is called “Spirituality and Migration.” One of AJJ’s primary actions this past year has been protesting the current presidential administration’s immigration policy. As someone who is both a DACA recipient and in the process of converting to Judaism, Chavez Calderon is excited to share more about the religious and political viewpoints of immigration.

“We look back and we always hear that Jews were once the stranger,” Chavez Calderon said. “They came to Israel from Egypt and were looking to establish their own selves and a sense of guidance. I think as an immigrant I feel personally that this is something you need, and looking back

Thinking about next summer and/or school year?

INTERE$T-FREE LOANS

Are Available for Jewish Day/Overnight Camping Experiences and Jewish Day School Tuition.

at these texts they really touch on what’s going on today at the border.”

Kanter’s presentation is titled “Bad Girls of the Talmud” and is focused on women who defied gender roles. She will be teaching about two women in the Talmud that did something unexpected and challenged conventional structure.

“What we are going to learn from these women is that people who you don’t expect to be your teacher can become your teacher,” Kanter said. “It’s a lesson that we should understand for today. You think it’s going to be the expert on something, but it could be the cashier at Safeway.” Kanter is also one of the co-founders of Limmud AZ.

The third lecture, “Expanding our Sacred Canon,” from Linder is about strengthening Jewish identity by expanding what is considered sacred canon.

“Torah, the Talmud are considered canon for example, and often canon gets closed and it becomes the sacred texts, Linder said. “This session will be to both acknowledge that and push the envelope to open up the canon so we can include new literature from other generations and specifically this generation.”

Linder said that there is a lot of interesting creative writing in this generation that should have as much of an impact as past texts. He added that there should be no limitations on what is considered to be canon and he wants other voices from this generation to be brought to the forefront.

For Swift, this preview event gives Jews of all observance levels — and non-Jews for that matter — a great opportunity to hopefully learn something new.

“That’s what Limmud is all about really,” Swift said. “We’re here for everyone who wants to learn and the best part about having the upcoming taste means that we’re able to do more outreach and aren’t regulated to a once a year thing.” JN

To learn more about Taste of Limmud, visit limmudaz.org.

For more information and application materials: (602) 230-7983

www.jewishfreeloan.org

Don’t need help with Jewish Summer Camp or Day School, but could use an interest-free loan for something else? Please visit our website or contact us at the JFL office.

LOANS SINCE

Pinchas Allouche leads a class at last year’s Taste of Limmud learning event.

Make your AZ state taxes count

Direct

East Valley JCC partners with Elie Wiesel Center on lecture series

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

The East Valley Jewish Community Center has partnered with Boston University’s Elie Wiesel Center for Jewish Studies to create an annual lecture series. The series will focus on providing Holocaust education and is a project of the EVJCC's Center for Holocaust Education and Human Dignity.

This is the first partnership in Arizona with the Elie Wiesel Center.

EVJCC CEO Rabbi Michael Beyo worked at BU as the associate director of the Florence and Chafetz Hillel House and was the campus rabbi and chaplain for Jewish students.

“During my tenure at BU, I had a very positive partnership with the Elie Wiesel Center for Jewish Studies,” Beyo said. “I was very fortunate to serve at BU during the last few years of professor Wiesel’s time there and was honored to meet and work with him. So it was a natural connection when we decided to create a partnership for an annual Elie Wiesel program.”

The inaugural lecture will feature Nancy Harrowitz, a professor of Italian literature and Holocaust studies at BU. Her presentation is titled “Elie Wiesel and Primo Levi: The Gray Zone of Holocaust Survival.”

Beyo said that Harrowitz is one of the world-renowned experts about Levi.

“The meaning of the title of my talk is this: It refers to the struggles of some survivors who felt guilt because they survived and others did not,” Harrowitz said. “The ‘gray zone’ is a term that Primo Levi uses in one of his essays, referring to the difficult position that survivors often found themselves in.”

Both survivors established their postwar identities through writing about their experiences and society's reaction to the Holocaust.

“They emphasize the importance of remembering the Holocaust and understanding its major themes such as dehumanization, and how that affects our world today,” she added.

Harrowitz said that it is crucial to study Holocaust literature now because of the empathy it can create in the reader. Even if the reader has no obvious connection to the Holocaust or any Jewish communities,

absorbing these stories can show similarities.

These lessons are not exclusive to Holocaust literature. Harrowitz has recently begun teaching about how the Holocaust is represented cinematically in documentaries and dramas.

“One of the films I teach about is ‘Schindler’s List,’ which has some distortions, but still packs a really powerful message,” Harrowitz said. “It’s now reached two generations of viewers who understand more about the Holocaust because they’ve seen that film.”

Harrowitz explained that it is vital to teach survivor stories and memories because the population of Holocaust survivors is shrinking. She believes it is now more important than ever to study educational texts, particularly in relation to survivor testimonies.

“I think one way to pass on the legacies of the Holocaust, even after the survivors are gone, is to teach survivor testimonies in schools,” Harrowitz said. “The teachers will be able to convey the importance of these texts, even though the students don’t have a chance to meet the survivors.”

Beyo agreed that these stories shouldn’t die with the final survivors. He added that the testimonies of Wiesel and Levi showcase a personal, physical account of their lives in the camps, forcing readers to address intellectual questions about the difference and value of life, survival and humanity.

“We hope participants reflect on the experiences of Wiesel and Levi, ask these questions and are moved to continue telling these experiences, bearing witness, to a gruesome period of history that cannot be forgotten,” Beyo said.

Through this new partnership, Beyo believes that the EVJCC will be able to provide Holocaust education for years to come.

“The opportunity for the EVJCC to partner with BU’s Elie Wiesel Center is of great importance as it brings the power of Wiesel’s presence — his legacy, his voice, and his commitment to justice — to the East Valley and to Arizona,” Beyo said. “Thanks to this relationship, the Center for Holocaust Education and Human dignity at the EVJCC will bring professors and exhibits to help advance our work in teaching tolerance, respect, and dignity.” JN

Nancy Harrowitz is the first speaker for a planned annual series as part of a collaboration between the East Valley JCC and the Elie Wiesel Center for Jewish Studies at Boston University.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NANCY HARROWITZ

Jewish women’s council hosts gun violence panel

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

The president of the National Council of Jewish Women Arizona, Civia Tamarkin, did not mince words when it came to the country’s level of gun violence.

“We are facing a national epidemic here,” Tamarkin said. “When you have 100 people dying of gun-related deaths a day, health officials say this is an epidemic. The problem is that too many people view this as a political or ideological battle and that of course interferes with the ability to make progress on this.”

Tamarkin made the remarks at a NCJWAZ panel at Temple Chai titled “Gun Violence Prevention in Arizona: What’s Ahead for 2020” on Oct. 15. The panel was hosted by Gerry Hills, the founder and president of Arizonans for Gun Safety. The purpose of the panel was to make gun violence seem like less of an insurmountable problem.

“The average person often says, ‘How

do I impact this? Or what difference can I make?’” said Hills, who founded Arizonans for Gun Safety in 1996 after her brother was murdered by a man with an assault rifle. “But when you start talking about it in terms of suicide or storage issues, it becomes manageable. Once you can break it down, then you

gun-safety advocates discussed state laws, programs and their personal experiences.

While Longdon was elected to represent District 24 in January, her views on gun safety were shaped long before she entered politics. In 2004, Longdon was paralyzed in a random drive-by shooting in Phoenix. Since then, she has worked

to the Arizona Statewide Independent Living Council.

Longdon feels that part of the problem with gun violence in Arizona stems from firearm accessibility. “Arizona is really only second to Alaska in how easy it is to get a gun,” she said.

In Arizona, there is no permit, background check or firearms registration required when buying a handgun from a private individual. The purchaser only needs to be 18. The minimum-age requirement to buy a gun from a federally licensed dealer is 21. There is no ban on assault weapon sales in Arizona.

can turn it into something that people can understand.”

The evening featured three panelists: Marie Thearle, MD, Phoenix group lead of Moms Demand Action; state Rep. Jennifer Longdon; and Eden Wein, teen leader for March for Our Lives Arizona. The three

The Ideal Gift

as an advocate for disability awareness and gun violence prevention; she served as commissioner for the Phoenix Mayor’s Commission on Disability Issues, worked for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation as a public impact advisor and was appointed by the governor

Arizona does have some ownership restrictions, though. Prohibited possessors include those convicted of a felony, undocumented people and anyone who is deemed a threat to themselves and others by court order.

As a “constitutional carry” state, Arizona SEE GUNS, PAGE 6

John Klein

“WE CAN’T HAVE KIDS GOING TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY WORRYING ABOUT IF THEY’RE GOING TO COME HOME OR NOT.”

EDEN WEIN, TEEN LEADER OF MARCH FOR OUR LIVES ARIZONA

BUSINESS & PROFESSIONALS

SPOTLIGHT

Featuring of Bravo’s hit show Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles

JOSH FLAGG

Josh shares his story about what makes him one of America’s most sought-after luxury real estate agents. Josh’s dedication to Jewish philanthropy and community stems from his grandmother, Edith Flagg; who was not only a Holocaust survivor but part of the resistance as well.

Wednesday, Nov. 20 | 7pm

Scottsdale location provided with RSVP

Couvert: $125 per person

Student pricing and VIP post-event opportunity with Josh Flagg available.

RSVP by Nov. 12 at 480.481.1752 or jewishphoenix.org/spotlight2019

third in modern U.S. history to allow the carrying of concealed weapons without a permit, and it is the first state with a large urban population to do so.

Longdon explained that the process to obtain a concealed carry permit is easier now than it used to be.

“Gerry and I got a Groupon deal on a two-for-one concealed carry permit class last year,” Longdon said. “My class was about three hours and most of it was just getting our fingerprints.”

She added that she remembered a time when a concealed carry course in Arizona could take up to 40 hours.

Thearle, a retired physician, said there needs to be more training for anyone who wants to own a gun.

“If you’re going to be a gun owner, I think you should be educated on how to use that gun and how to store that gun,” Thearle said. “We need all this education in order to drive, so why don’t we apply that to guns? I’m not saying that you shouldn’t own a gun — I’m just saying you should be educated.”

Thearle’s group, Moms Demand Action, a grassroots movement of Americans fighting for gun safety laws, has a public awareness campaign, Be SMART, that teaches gun owners about the importance of safely storing firearms.

Wein, the youngest of the panelists, got involved with the student-led protest group March for Our Lives shortly after the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, in

February 2018. A junior at Sunnyslope High School, Wein said that the fear of a shooting is very real for her and her peers.

“We used to roll our eyes at lockdown drills,” Wein said. “But lately, whenever one happens, you can tell that people are a little more freaked out. One day our principal forgot to tell us that it was happening, so when the alarms went off we all thought it might be real.”

She added that Arizona sees about one school shooting threat every day. “We can’t have kids going to school every day worrying about if they’re going to come home or not.”

Many of the event’s attendees said that they learned a great deal about the intricacies of gun safety laws. Julia Lange, a sophomore at Desert Mountain High School, came to the event with her grandmother, Hannah Lange.

“It’s something I think about in the back of my head a lot,” the high schooler said of gun violence. “It’s at school, but it’s also in big open spaces and events; if the lights go out, what am I going to do? Where am I going to go?”

Hannah Lange said that gun safety laws were not a social issue when she was her granddaughter’s age.

“Yes, we had some shootings in the distance, but it wasn’t a conversation we were concerned with, and today it’s definitely a conversation we’re concerned with,” Hannah Lange said. “I don’t want my granddaughter to be going to school scared all the time, because that’s not healthy, but it’s something we have to think about.”

Clockwise from back left: Eden Wein, March for Our Lives Arizona; Civia Tamarkin, National Council of

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN ARIZONA

Pittsburgh marks one year later

ADAM REINHERZ

Thousands came to Pittsburgh’s Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum last weekend for a public program marking one year since last October’s shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue building. More than 2,000 people gathered in the historic auditorium for an evening of words and music.

It was a quiet and reverent evening. Poems were read by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto and Allegheny County Chief Executive Rich Fitzgerald. Rev. Liddy Barlow and Wasi Mohamed represented the Christian and Muslim communities and jointly told an 18th-century story of Rabbi Moshe Leib of Sassov, who was taught by a peasant that love is knowing what pains another and bearing the burden of their sorrow.

Psalm 23 was recited by Rabbi Elisar Admon and Malke Frank, representatives of Pittsburgh’s Jewish burial societies. The three congregations that were targeted in the massacre were also represented. Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, of Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha, intoned “El Maleh Rahamim,” and rabbis

Jonathan Perlman and Doris Dyen, of congregations New Light and Dor Hadash, read “Mi Sheberach,” a prayer for healing, and “Birkat HaGomel,” a prayer for surviving a dangerous situation.

Anne-Marie Mizel, of Dor Hadash, described the congregation’s roots and noted the collective’s wounding by a gunman’s “act of hatred born of xenophobia and anti-Semitism.”

Myers spoke of his paradoxical relationship to the opening line of Psalm 23 (“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want”), adding that it was through the help of a Rolling Stones lyric that he came to better understand the verse.

“I have learned from Mick Jagger that I can’t always get what I want, but if I try sometimes, I find I get what I need.”

In the past year, he said, God has provided a pathway to “decry any and all who weaponize (hate) speech. I prefer to focus on a better H word: hope. My hope is born from my faith that we humans are capable of sublime achievements and that despite the nonstop bad news that is the only diet that we are fed, I have

chosen a new diet. There are really wonderful people doing some incredible things toiling in anonymity. They are the people who deserve to be in the news.”

Perlman spoke of the early biblical stories of Cain and Noah, which “teach us that bad comes with good, that evil will always be present in the world and it’s our duty to learn the good so we can destroy the evil,” he said.

Perlman also offered advice to media. “I think that we need to go gently during the second year and understand what trauma means and not to retraumatize the victims and survivors of this event, and to know when a hot story, maybe it needs to be told next week, and just leave us alone so that we can mourn,” he said.

Throughout the event, the words “remember,” “repair” and “together” appeared in speeches and signage. The public memorial, organized by the Jewish

Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, served as a day-ending capstone dedicated to those concepts, as at sites throughout the city, spaces were afforded for Torah study and reflection, as well as community service projects providing volunteers a chance to deliver cookies to first responders, serve lunch to those in need and assist landscapers by cleaning nearby cemeteries.

Coming to the public memorial “felt good, not exactly closure, but just as a way to take the next step and really get moving I guess,” said attendee and Pittsburgh resident Ashley Brown. “It’s been a long time coming.” JN

This article originally appeared in the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, a Jewish News-affiliated publication.

Nearly 2,000 people gathered for a public memorial at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum on Oct. 27, 2019. PHOTO BY ADAM REINHERZ

Lipstadt, most American Jews say anti-Semitism a ‘problem’

SAMANTHA COOPER | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The same week that the American Jewish Committee released the results of a survey on American anti-Semitism, the subject’s foremost expert, scholar Deborah Lipstadt, traveled to the nation’s capital to talk about the subject at Washington Hebrew Congregation, where, just days before, a security guard found anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli graffiti scrawled on the back door of the building

Lipstadt, a professor of history at Emory University, said anti-Semitism is a singular form of discrimination.

“It has the unique distinction of coming from the right and the left. It’s the only prejudice that comes from both sides,” Lipstadt told the Washington Hebrew audience on Oct. 24, noting how anti-Semitism has evolved to the point that extremists on both ends of the political spectrum use anti-Semitic stereotypes to further their agendas.

Right-wing extremists use stereotypes to show that Jews are taking the power rightfully meant for white Christians, she said, while left-wing extremists characterize Jews as the oppressors rather than the oppressed.

Both views on Jews are dangerous, Lipstadt said.

“One is dangerous from its violence and one is dangerous from its institutionalization of anti-Semitism,” she said. “And the thing is, people who only see the anti-Semitism from the other side of the political spectrum suggests to me that they’re using it as a political weapon.”

Denying anti-Semitism on one’s own side can lead to genocide, she said. No genocide began with action; genocide begins with words, she said. And words led to the mass shootings at the synagogues in Pittsburgh, Poway and Halle, Germany.

The shooters left nearly identical manifestos, she said. They all got their mindsets from similar sources and all targeted Jews. White supremacists, she said, blame Jews for a conspiracy to replace “white Christian society with black people, with brown people.”

Lipstadt said white supremacists believe that people of color aren’t capable of elevating themselves in society, and therefore must have gotten assistance from the Jews, who are seen “as devils,” who are able to disguise themselves.

“Unlike the racist who punches down,” she said, “the anti-Semite punches up.”

This is especially true, she said, of left-wing extremists, who don’t see Jews as part of a marginalized group. “They see the Jew, who is to them a white person, a wealthy person, ipso facto who has power.”

Wherever the hate comes from, however, the AJC survey released just prior to Lipstadt’s visit makes it clear that the vast majority of American Jews think that anti-Semitism is a serious and increasing problem in the country.

Conducted by telephone with 1,283 Jewish adults between Sept. 11 and Oct. 6, the survey found that 84% of Jews believe anti-Semitism in the United States has increased in the past five years. Of them, 43% say anti-Semitism “increased a lot” and 41% believe anti-Semitism “increased somewhat.”

Nearly 90% of those interviewed think that anti-Semitism is a problem in the United States, 38% characterizing it as a “very serious” problem.

The survey also made it clear that Jewish institutions are sensitive to the issue as well.

More than half of the respondents — 57% — said that their local Jewish institutions have security guards; 52% said their institutions had hired police officers for safety.

The fear of anti-Semitism has changed behavior in community members as well: 25% said they avoid going to “certain places, events or situations” out of concern for their comfort or safety as Jews, and 31% said they avoid “publicly wearing, carrying or displaying things that might help people identify you as a Jew.”

Most of those who responded, however, had not been attacked because of their religion (98%) and had not been the target of an antiSemitic remark offline (78%) or online (80%).

Most of the respondents believe the threats are coming from the extreme political right (89%) or Islamic extremism (85%). A majority of respondents, 64%, also believe that the extreme political left represents a threat to Jews.

“American Jews could not be clearer about the reality of anti-Semitism in the U.S. This hatred is real, comes from multiple sources, and is growing. It needs to be taken seriously and dealt with in a sustained, multi-pronged response,” said the American Jewish Committee’s CEO, David Harris, in a statement.

Conducted by SSRS, the survey had a margin of error of 4.2 percentage points. JN

Samantha Cooper is a staff writer for Washington Jewish Week, a Jewish News-affiliated publication.

Millionaires abound in Israel

There are 131,000 millionaires in Israel — the fifth most worldwide in per capita terms — according to data from Credit Suisse, Globes reported.

The only countries with more millionaires on a per capita basis are the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Norway and Portugal.

The Credit Suisse Research Institute’s global household wealth report analyzed household wealth as of mid-2019, deducting debt from net asset value.

By 2024, the number of millionaires in Israel is projected to grow 32% to 173,000. The United States has the most millionaires worldwide with 18.61 million, followed by China with 4.45 million.

Snoop Dogg reps Israeli pot industry startup

Israeli startup Seedo — which makes an automated device for growing marijuana at home — announced that pot-loving rapper Snoop Dogg will serve as the company’s brand ambassador, JNS.org reported.

“Promoting a healthier lifestyle by providing my friends and communities with products that allow for growth in unused urban spaces is something I’m all the way

down with,” the rapper said in a statement posted on the company’s website. “Seedo creates cost savings and the opportunity for all people to benefit from agricultural technologies.”

The Seedo Automated Home Grow Device is described by JNS.org as “an airtight, automated system complete with an internal HD camera enabling an individual to check on plants’ progress from a smartphone via a special app without ever opening the machine’s door.” The company then incorporates artificial intelligence to analyze the plants and automatically takes action to optimize growth.

Zubin Mehta bows out of Israel philharmonic

Zubin Mehta conducted the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra on Oct. 20 for the last time as its musical director, JTA reported.

Mehta, 83, received a lengthy standing ovation after the Tel Aviv concert, as orchestra members threw flowers on the conductor and his wife. Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 were included in the performance.

Mehta — who announced his planned

retirement in 2016 — will now serve as the orchestra’s musical director emeritus. The Indian-born Mehta was named the orchestra’s music adviser in 1969, its music director eight years later and its music director for life in 1981.

He was the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s music director from 1962 to 1978 and held the same position at the New York Philharmonic from 1978 to 1991.

Tornadoes damage Dallas JCC, Federation buildings

Nine tornadoes on Oct. 20 damaged numerous buildings in North Texas, including those housing the Dallas Jewish Community Center and the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas, JTA reported.

Nobody was killed or seriously injured, although Dallas-area Jewish neighborhoods also were damaged.

The JCC was without power and landline telephones for a couple days.

The Federation building sustained “substantial damage,” according to a Facebook post, with plans made to work offsite.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to all

those whose homes and neighborhoods were impacted,” the post said. “We will rebuild together. We will heal together.”

In all, 104 buildings were destroyed, 286 suffered major damage and 344 sustained minor damage, according to a Dallas FireRescue Department report. A state of disaster was declared across 15 counties.

One killed in former synagogue wall collapse

A wall that was part of the 169-year-old former Beth Hamedrash Hagadol synagogue in New York City collapsed Oct. 21 during a construction project, killing one worker and injuring another, JTA reported.

Polish immigrant Stanislaw Supinski, 52, of Queens, was killed.

The building, which dates to 1850, was a Baptist church before being bought in 1885, becoming the first Eastern European congregation in New York City; it served Russian Jews. The congregation closed the synagogue in 2007 because it didn’t have the $3 million to $4 million needed for repairs.

The building had been named a city landmark in 1967 and an endangered historic site since 2003. JN

Upcoming Special Sections

Review: ‘Superman Smashes the Klan’

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

Ibelieve that one reason superhero stories prevail in popular culture is because they are the modern equivalent of Arthurian lore. Spectacular, noble characters defend the weak and disenfranchised from evil miscreants. It’s admittedly silly but also endearing to see a man of utmost morality defeat someone who has malicious intent.

November

Parents are making decisions for next summer and next year now! Showcase your

Obviously, the real world doesn’t always conform to that naive morality, but in a time when anti-Semitic and white nationalist sentiment is growing in the United States, it’s really nice to read a comic book in which Superman unapologetically punches a Nazi in the face and wholeheartedly accepts every individual’s nationality, race and creed.

DC Comics recently released the first issue in a new limited series titled “Superman Smashes the Klan.” The comic is set in 1946 and follows Clark Kent as he discovers a gang of Klansmen in Metropolis. In this comic, Superman isn’t quite Superman yet; he hasn’t figured out how to fly and he’s only just learned what Kryptonite is. But he is still very much the ideal superhero with unbendable virtues.

Here, the creation of Ohio Jews Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster is portrayed closer to George Reeves’ take on Superman rather than Henry Cavill’s.

The story also follows a Chinese family that experiences racism and bigotry. The Lees have recently moved from the city’s Chinatown to a predominantly white neighborhood. Siblings Roberta and Tommy try to fit into this new world, but have to deal with an array of ignorant questions and ethnic slurs from most of their new neighbors.

The Lees meet Superman when the Klan of the Fiery Cross performs a cross burning outside the Lees’ new residence.

This issue is the first of three and is based on a story arc that debuted in “The Adventures of Superman” 1946 radio serial in which the Man of Steel faced off against Klansmen. The story arc, which was titled “Clan of the Fiery Cross,” was conceived after human rights activist Stetson Kennedy infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan and discovered the group was tied to many police and governmental organizations.

As a way to combat the hate group, Kennedy went to the producers of the Superman radio show and pitched the Klan as Superman’s newest villains. The serial was a huge success and considered to be one of the main reasons

the KKK’s membership was severely hindered at the time. The story has been chronicled in the book “Freakonomics” and in a segment on the comedy series “Drunk History.”

The comic follows the original story fairly closely, but now has a stronger visual component.

The book’s writer, Gene Luen Yang, invigorates the comic with pulpy, era-appropriate dialogue, but he also modernizes it. The racism that Tommy and Roberta experience isn’t always so overt; it’s often subtle or hidden behind a positive message. Luen Yang, a veteran comic writer, also smartly incorporates Superman’s mythos into the broader themes. Clark Kent is quite literally an alien as well and understands what it’s like not to fit in.

Luen Yang also included an essay in the book that details the rise of the KKK, his connection to the Superman radio serial and his own experiences with racism. Luen Yang grew up in the ’80s and was often picked on because he was Chinese American, so he was excited when he heard about a radio serial on which Superman defended a Chinese American family. The idea to adapt it stayed with him.

The art of the book is helmed by Japanese artists Chifuyu Sasaki and Naoko Kawano, who form the two-person studio Gurihiru. The artists provide a distinct style that deviates from modern American comic books. While more realistic and detailed proportions are the norm for the industry, Gurihiru create dynamic, colorful pages that are full of expression and energy. Despite being composed of static images, the comic has a great sense of motion to it. It really feels as if Superman leaps from the pages in each scene.

Some might consider the book too childish with the colorful art and the focus on a classic, Boy Scout Superman, but to me that’s why the book shines. Readers see an uncompromising hero fight an evil that grows right in our backyard and live by a code that protects all people. It is unabashedly bold in both its art and writing; it’s truly a must-have book for any superhero fan who wants to see a classic character stand up to hate-filled ideology.

An excerpt from “Superman Smashes the Klan,” written by Gene Luen Yang with art by Gurihiru.

Jewish indie film comes to Scottsdale film festival

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

“The Dancing Dogs of Dombrova” is an awkward film. That might sound like a criticism, but actually it’s the strongest compliment one could give it. The film’s director, Zack Bernbaum, pitched it as an absurdist drama and the film succeeds at telling a strange tale of family duty and forgiveness.

"Dancing Dogs" released in 2018 and will come to the Scottsdale International Film Festival for two showings on Nov. 3 and Nov. 10. It’s Bernbaum’s third feature film and most recent directing credit.

Bernbaum’s production company, Ezeqial Productions, produced the film and he co-wrote the story with screenwriter Michael Whatling.

The movie follows estranged Jewish Canadian siblings brought back together. The brother and sister travel to the tiny town of Dombrova in Poland to honor the wish of their elderly bubbie.

The bubbie’s request: bring back the bones of her old dog, Peter. She had to

abandon him when the Nazis invaded Poland and now she wishes to be buried with the bones. The movie was not filmed in the real Dombrova, but in the Transylvania region of Romania.

Much of the film is inspired by Bernbaum’s grandmother, who is a Holocaust survivor. In fact, Bernbaum’s real 98-year-old bubbie acted in the movie as the ailing grandmother.

“My grandmother was from Dombrova,” Bernbaum said. “She had a dog named Peter and survived a death march from the Nazis. She even gave me the idea for the name of the movie.”

The siblings, Aaron and Sarah Cotler — played by Douglas Nyback and Katherine Fogler, respectively — find themselves surrounded by the strange customs of the Polish village. A cab driver that never speaks, a teen translator who describes himself as a “human detective” and Polish mobsters are just some of the characters that aid or block the protagonists’ quests.

The general premise may make this sound as if it were a classic fish-out-of-water story,

but there’s also a quiet sense of surrealism to the film. For example, the Canadian protagonists are the most bundled up to face the freezing temperatures, but all the Dombrova natives only wear one or two layers. The film also lightly uses absurdist humor. Nothing is ever quite what it seems and very few things go according to plan.

But what sells the narrative is the relationship between the Cotler siblings. The actors, Nyback and Fogler, come off as a real bickering brother and sister. The two know exactly what buttons to press, how to cheer each other up and what the other is willing to do for their quest.

“Douglas and I have worked together in the past and he and Katherine are great friends,” Bernbaum said. “They really brought these characters to life and made them their own.”

Through the journey, the complexities of the siblings' personalities are gradually revealed. Aaron is an overly serious bureaucrat that memorizes statistics and numbers for any situation, while Sarah is a

We were built for

carefree and easygoing alcoholic.

The audience isn’t just watching these siblings find the remains of a dead dog; the movie makes it feel like they’re participants. Through the use of long takes and ambient noises the world feels all the more real.

Bernbaum focused heavily on creating the right tone for the movie, because he wanted to make sure the audience could feel what Aaron and Sarah go through. Subsequently, there’s an almost oppressive sense of coldness throughout the movie that has nothing to do with the location.

As Aaron and Sarah wander a frozen wasteland, they find that their presence in this odd town isn’t particularly welcome, something that brings out both the worst and best of the siblings.

“I used the words absurdist drama, because when the tone is crafted well then everyone can really feel like they are truly with these two,” Bernbaum said. “But that also allows the humor in this world to tick more and create an awkwardness that allows the movie to feel real.” JN

begi ings new

Alzheimer’s & Dementia Care is now available here! And that includes brand new apartments with plenty of amenities, such as restaurant-style dining, housekeeping, laundry and concierge services, plus personalized care and support. Come experience firsthand how easy it is to get more out of life here.

Gantz grapples with gridlock

When Israel’s Kachol-Lavan party leader Benny Gantz, a former IDF chief of staff but a political “newbie,” accepted the mandate to form the next government in Israel, he was lauded for “looking prime ministerial” and touted by elements of the media as a refreshing change from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“He paid due respect to every segment of Israeli society — the ultra-Orthodox, whom he promised to treat like brothers, Arabs, Druze, gays and rightists,” Yossi Verter wrote in Haaretz. “After years of incitement, division and a systematic fanning of hatred by [Netanyahu] ... the difference in both language and vision was refreshing.”

Yet in Israel’s gridlocked coalition race, Gantz, who promises to put together a “liberal unity government” — which seems to mean one without participation of the Orthodox parties — may have a worse chance of success than Netanyahu, who has already failed for a second time to put together a governing coalition.

Gantz needs 61 mandates to form a government. He has only 44 — from his party and other small center-left parties. The right-wing Likud bloc led by Netanyahu has 55. And that bloc is not ready to break up or to abandon

during the period Gantz has to form his coalition, Netanyahu would be weakened, and Gantz’s hand could be strengthened. But what is Gantz offering to potential coalition partners and to the Israeli electorate? Gantz has never made clear what

THE CATALYST FOR CHANGE IN THIS STALEMATE MAY BE ATTORNEY GENERAL AVICHAI MANDELBLIT, WHO IS WEIGHING WHETHER TO INDICT NETANYAHU ON THREE SEPARATE CRIMINAL PROBES.

Netanyahu as leader for the sake of joining Gantz’s unity government.

The catalyst for change in this stalemate may be Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, who is weighing whether to indict Netanyahu on three separate criminal probes. Were an indictment to come

The age of anxiety

Jews in America are afraid. Or at least they’re profoundly anxious about their security. Whereas stories of Jewhatred and anti-Semitic violence were once upsetting memories of a distant past, today’s reality seems to be that American exceptionalism hasn’t snuffed out anti-Semitism. And in the past few years, things have gotten worse.

A new poll by the American Jewish Committee reflects this disquieting unease. “Nearly nine in 10 American Jews say anti-Semitism is a problem in U.S.” read one headline. “Fearing for Their Safety, Third of U.S. Jews Say Shun Stars of David and Skullcaps,” read another. Our community is acting as if it is under siege.

It’s easy to understand why. A year after a man espousing anti-Semitic and anti-immigrant beliefs opened fire in Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, barely a day goes by without a report of a Jew being beaten up, Jewish gravestones desecrated or synagogues defaced with swastikas, anti-Israel

rhetoric and other signs of hate.

Last week, the ADL reported that in the year since the Tree of Life shootings, at least 12 white supremacists have been arrested for their alleged roles in terrorist plots, attacks or threats against the Jewish community. We’re grateful for these

he wants to do as prime minister, or how his policies would differ from Netanyahu. So, it is difficult to determine whether the Ganz alternative is really what Israelis want. That said, we do know that Israelis want (and need) a functioning government, and if Netanyahu is sidelined,

Gantz would likely get the votes to form a unity government.

Gantz has until Nov. 20 to put together a majority coalition — or a minority government with fewer than 61 mandates, but promises from other parties that they will not take down the government under agreed-upon circumstances. The process, however, is a test of political creativity — and quite challenging. On Sunday, there were reports that Gantz offered to give Netanyahu the first round in a unity government rotating prime ministership if Likud temporarily dropped its haredi coalition partners and passed several “liberal” laws that the haredim oppose. After that, the haredi parties would be permitted to enter the coalition. According to the same reports, the offer was rejected. After Nov. 20, President Reuven Rivlin could pick another Knesset member to try. Or Netanyahu again. Or Gantz. If that fails, Israel could be forced into an unprecedented third election in less than a year, with no guarantee that the results will be any different. JN

left-wingers blame the far right. But the AJC survey finds that the extreme political right is a far more serious threat to Jews than the extreme political left. Is that a correct reading of our experience? According to another survey released last week by Media Matters, a watch -

That finding is surprising, given what we know about the mass shootings in Pittsburgh and Poway, and several other well-covered incidents. Yet from a purely statistical perspective, only 44% of the past year’s coverage of anti-Semitism was about the political right. How does that compute?

We suspect that the disconnect is related to the intense media coverage of Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar (Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (Mich.), who became lightning rods for accusations of antiSemitism. And the spilled ink on the “anti-Squad” campaign seems to have affected the statistical calculation.

arrests, but the frightening drumbeat of hate, violence and potential violence tells us that something is deeply wrong.

Where is this Jew-hatred coming from? Right-wingers blame the far left;

dog that largely monitors right-wing media, “the majority of news coverage of anti-Semitism during the past year has spotlighted left-wing rhetoric as opposed to right-wing actions.”

While we don’t agree with many of Omar and Tlaib’s policy positions or much of their rhetoric — particularly as they relate to Israel and our community — we suggest that one really needs to look elsewhere to find real threats in their words to the safety of Jews in this country. So maybe we should take the interpretive results with a grain of salt, even as we recognize a growing anti-Semitic reality. JN

BARELY A DAY GOES BY WITHOUT A REPORT OF A JEW BEING BEATEN UP, JEWISH GRAVESTONES DESECRATED OR SYNAGOGUES DEFACED WITH SWASTIKAS, ANTI-ISRAEL RHETORIC AND OTHER SIGNS OF HATE.

Moving forward after Pittsburgh losses

RABBI JONATHAN PERLMAN

Ihave been the rabbi of the New Light Congregation in Pittsburgh for nine years. This year, at Kol Nidre services on Yom Kippur, I preached about calm. Our congregation is part of a maelstrom going around the world right now of anger and extremism. Last year, we and our fellow Jews at the Tree of Life congregation, were the targets of one man’s anger. Now, it is time for us to calm down.

Trauma is a wound you carry with you forever. Unlike grief, which can go through predictable steps and leave the psyche, trauma has stickiness to it. It makes a home in the mind; it can damage the spirit. It sends reactive impulses throughout the nervous system.

Whenever a car backfires on the street, I feel it in my bones. For some, they hear a piercing sound and run. Action movies are no longer entertaining. Talk of the “massacre” can break a mood. People take circuitous routes around town to avoid

bad memories. Others swear that they will not enter the Tree of Life building ever again.

If one would ask the question, “Where are we today?” I would say that we are in a state of repressed shock. People constantly ask me how I am doing, and I just shake my head. I know they mean well, but the wound is still fresh, and I just don’t want to talk about it.

I would say that is true for many of our members at New Light. I have persuaded many of our members and their children to begin psychotherapy. I think a large number of members have sought out the services of Jewish Family and Community Services and the Center for Victims, even those who have lived a lifetime and never needed the services of a trained therapist before. I wonder how many Pittsburghers are still talking in the rooms of sensitive therapists to mitigate their own traumas and cope with their own worries.

The fear that something frightening

Ordinary or extraordinary?

RABBI SHMUEL GOLDIN

The transition could not be more abrupt.

Behind us is the month of Tishrei — the busiest, most eventful, ritually richest month of the entire year.

Before us is the month of Cheshvan, exceptional only in its “ordinariness.”

Nothing happens in Cheshvan; there are no festivals, no fasts, no unique mitzvot. Cheshvan is the only month of the year with nothing “special” of its own; the only month of the year marked by total ritual silence.

Why the stark contrast? Why does Jewish tradition mandate a calendar “roller coaster” as our year begins? Wouldn’t it have made more sense to follow the majestic Yamim Noraim (“Days of Awe”), the vibrant festival of Sukkot, the joyous ecstasy of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, with at least some ritual afterwards, some unique observances designed to carry the messages of these days forward? As we begin our year, the

silence of Cheshvan seems deafening.

And yet, upon consideration, our calendar makes complete sense …

As we move away from the rarefied atmosphere of the chagim (“holidays”), Cheshvan provides the one missing piece.

could happen is a repeating curse that Jews see in their own “lachrymose history,” as scholar Salo Baron put it in the early 20th century. We never thought it could happen here in America, and yet it did.

I am heartened by the overwhelming amount of positive sentiment coming our way; donations, letters, art, tokens of love and hope arrive daily from all over the world. In our city, whose citizens registered the attack through tears and sorrow, there were multiple positive responses that cannot be counted. Pittsburgh is a city of champions. I have never felt so grateful for the support we received internally from our own Jewish Federation, JFCS and Congregation Beth Shalom, and externally from the Office of the Mayor and City Council, from our sports teams, from businesses, small and large, to schools and to all our neighbors in the five county area that stood with us at rallies and vigils. But there is still more work to be done. The U.S. Justice Department has blun-

dered twice in the last month: It rejected a guilty plea from the shooter who started this horror, insisting on a trial planned a year from now. And it scheduled the trial four days before Rosh Hashanah, one of the holiest days in the Jewish year. This trial will certainly retraumatize the sensitive among us and bring back the journalistic circus that will increase our pain.

On the plus side, New Light has enjoyed a year of members stepping up to continue the rich traditions of our synagogue. We started a Hebrew reading program. New members have learned how to read the cantillation from the Books of the Prophets. Adult education classes are fuller than ever. The board is engaging in important existential questions about our future.

There are those who are engaged in memorialization and others who look for opportunities to bring joy and

The month confronts us with the only challenge that Tishrei could not issue: the challenge of transforming the “ordinary” into the “extraordinary.”

Cheshvan silently asks us: Will you make my quiet days count? Will you convert commitment into concrete action when the

drama disappears? Will the lessons of the Tishrei’s events continue to teach you? Will you make my ordinary days extraordinary? Consider the following analogy. I have always felt that the most significant moment of the Revelation at Sinai was

running away from school,” then you will have experienced a powerful “sound and light show,” but little else. Similarly, Cheshvan determines the value of Tishrei. Our yearly revelatory experience in God’s presence is over. Tekiat Shofar, Kol Nidrei, Unetaneh Tokef, Neila, Yeshiva B’Sukkah, Na’anuim, Hakafot and so much more are now events of the past. The very value of these events, however, will now be determined in the quiet days of Cheshvan. Will the lessons learned and the perspective gained during the extraordinary moments of Tishrei shape the ordinary days of Cheshvan and beyond in tangible ways?

the moment of our departure from the mountain. At that instant, God issues a challenge: If you leave this site carrying the Torah with you, then all that has occurred at Sinai will have been proven worthwhile. In contrast, if you leave (in the words that your sages will one day use) “as a child

While the answer to this question will be deeply personal for each of us, allow me to share, by way of example, some of the lessons that I am considering this year for Cheshvan and beyond.

I hope that the wordless plea of Tekiat Shofar will remind me that sometimes

THE MONTH CONFRONTS US WITH THE ONLY CHALLENGE THAT TISHREI COULD NOT ISSUE: THE CHALLENGE OF TRANSFORMING THE “ORDINARY” INTO THE “EXTRAORDINARY.”

The recipe for a fulfilling life

PARSHAT NOACH GENESIS 6:9-11:32

RABBI SHMUEL FIELD

The timeless story of Noach and the Ark is so profound that many other cultures have adopted a similar narrative. Whether it’s the Epic of Gilgamesh or an ancient tribal tale of many canoes strung together and separated throughout the world by stormy flood water, the storyline is one that is far reaching. It speaks to cultures far beyond the Atlantic and carries a deep and meaningful message. The overarching premise that mankind needed to change their ways carries a powerful message of the consequences connected to our actions.

It’s interesting to note that the Torah’s description of the evil displayed by the people of those times pales in comparison to the focus on the actual Ark. From its materials to the dimensions, the Torah is very specific about its structure and purpose. At first glance, it’s rather puzzling that a mere two verses are devoted to the destructive behavior of the generation while dozens of verses are dedicated to

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

calm though musical events and suppers.

I was very delighted to see Leigh Stein — daughter of our beloved Dan Stein, who was killed in the shooting — throw the first pitch to her brother, Joey, at a recent Pirates game. Their father coached them for years at baseball and softball games.

There is something about living in the moment and tuning out the noise, the honking, the cursing, the finger pointing and drama that descended on our brave little city. We are not a big metropolis that thrives on that kind of caustic energy. Pittsburgh is different.

We discover mindfulness in our daily prayers, marking Shabbat and finding inspiration in our Torah. That is what our martyrs did. We are following their example. JN

Rabbi Jonathan Perlman is the rabbi of New Light Congregation in Pittsburgh, one of the three congregations formerly housed in the Tree of Life building, where a gunman killed 11 people on Oct. 27, 2018. This piece was written for the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, a Jewish News-a liated publication.

the building of this enormous ship. There seems to be a deeper message.

About 20 years ago, there was a Chasidic commentary that I would study related to the weekly Torah portion. I was constantly struggling with one problem. No matter how seemingly “mundane” the week’s reading was, the commentator would constantly reiterate that “this week is the most important.” Noach was no different. He eloquently answers our question that the Ark is representative of our physical place in this world. It is paramount that we surround our home and workplace with the proper influences, so we do not fall into the “flooding waters” around us. The Torah goes out of its way to discuss the intricacies of the Ark to set the example for us. We must take the time to carefully create a space that is conducive to growth. Once again commenting that “this week is the most important.”

I must say that idea about the Ark is very insightful and explains why the Torah’s focus is the actual Ark, but this was the final straw. I felt that Noach’s Ark is one of the stories that isn’t at the pinnacle of our lives. Still fresh from a holiday season filled with shofar blasts,

GOLDIN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

words can be unnecessary, meaningless, even hurtful; that, at times, the most dramatic communication can be the silent sharing that comes from the heart. Our tradition shows great wisdom, for example, when it mandates that during a shiva visit, the visitor should initially remain silent, allowing the mourner to speak first. And if the mourner does not speak, then neither should we. Too often, uncomfortable with silence, we attempt to fill the vacuum with words when silence can be the most comforting communication of all.

I hope that the power of Kol Nidrei will further remind me that words, once spoken, have their own life and independent power. Our preoccupation with the nullification of vows before (I refer to the practice of Hatarat Nedarim, the nullification of vows, that is performed during the days from Erev Rosh Hashanah until Erev Yom Kippur) and at the onset of the holiest day of our year is telling. We desperately desire, it seems, to “take back” at least

sukkah dwelling and lots of time in the synagogue, describing the message of Noach’s Ark as the apex just didn’t sit well with me. There are so many books in the Torah library, so I shifted to a different weekly commentator never giving much thought to the question.

Three years ago, a holy sage visited Phoenix and I was privileged to spend many hours in his presence. He delivered several inspiring lectures over the weekend, but I found that he too, spoke in a way that described the week’s portion as the climax of our lives. I decided to pose the question to him. How can it be that every week the message is “this week is the most important?” He opened my eyes to another way of seeing our Torah observance and moreover our general attitude on a day-to-day basis.

He explained that we must view every day as unique and special and it is this very attitude that we must maintain every day. His words echo the great psalmist, King David, in Psalm 34. Dovid Hamelech asks “Who wants life, to love the days and see the good?” He goes on to explain that we should “watch our lips from speaking deceitfully…” Yet, the verse could be read

another way; “Who wants life? Love the days. See the good.” The secret to a fulfilling life is to love each day. The pathway to acquiring this love is by focusing on the good.

This is also paramount in building our “Ark.” It should be saturated in a love for every day, finding the joy in life’s daily good. It’s so easy to get sidetracked into focusing on all that doesn’t go our way. King David is giving us the recipe for a fulfilling life. Merely habituating ourselves to focus on life’s good is the main ingredient to a rewarding life. “This week is the most important,” as we build our Ark with a love for each day and take note of the good that surrounds us. JN

those wrongful words that we legally can. What, however, about the words that we cannot nullify? Words spoken in anger, upset and unfeeling haste. Words that we regret later—in fact, sometimes right after they are spoken. Too late! Those words have already found their mark. No apology or expression of regret can totally erase their utterance. How much better we would all be if we think before we speak.

I hope that the emotions that washed over me at an unexpected moment on Yom Kippur will remind me that not everything can be planned; that sometimes the most powerful experiences are the ones that are unanticipated. I am often struck by the difference between my memories and those of my children. Experiences that I thought would be most powerful for them are often not, while the unexpected moments are the ones they recall. The impact of carefully planned trips and welllaid out itineraries sometimes pales in their minds to the spontaneous “pickup game

“on the street or story told on the couch by a parent or grandparent. This reality gives lie to the popular argument: I’m too busy to be around much, but I make sure to spend “quality time” to my children and grandchildren. What our children really need is not “quality time,” but as much time as we can give them because we can never really know the moments that they will remember.

These are a few of the thoughts that course through my mind as I remember the rich days of Tishrei behind us and consider the silent days of Cheshvan ahead.

For I firmly believe that by carrying Tishrei’s lessons with us, we can each make the ordinary days of Cheshvan — and those of the entire year — extraordinary. JN

Rabbi Shmuel Goldin is rabbi emeritus of Congregation Ahavath Torah in Englewood, N.J., and past president of the Rabbinical Council of America. He currently lives in Jerusalem. This article originally appeared on JNS.org.

Rabbi Shmuel Field is the head of school at Torah Day School of Phoenix.

SHABBAT CANDLE LIGHTING

1 - 5:18

Recycling program founder retires

NICK ENQUIST | STAFF WRITER

Lois Zeidman laughs a little when she thinks about how much time she devoted to collecting cans for the recycling program she founded.

“My late husband, Fred, used to tease me, because whenever we were in the car I’d tell him to pull over so I could collect some cans,” she said.

Nearly 15 years ago, Zeidman began “Cans Can - A Tikkun Olam Project” to raise funds to purchase dairy goats to help families in Rwanda become self-sufficient. She became interested in providing assistance to the country after she had heard Rwandan humanitarian Paul Rusesabagina speak at a Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix event in 2005.

Rusesabagina wrote an autobiography about the Rwandan genocide. “An Ordinary Man” was adapted into the film “Hotel Rwanda,” where he was famously portrayed by Don Cheadle.

Zeidman succeeded in her initial mission, raising enough funds to buy 38 pairs of goats for Rwandan families. She decided on collecting cans for recycling profits because she wanted to find a way to be charitable and giving without making

people break out their wallets. Cans Can was run through Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley.

She also said that she was providing an ecological service through collecting cans. When she started this program, she received a lot of cans from neighbors and friends who wished to help.

“Cans Can rarely took any direct money. We were pretty much solely collecting cans, and that was our primary source of revenue.”

It wasn’t always an easy mitzvah for the retired social worker.

“When I started, I’d get about 35 cents for every pound of aluminum I brought to the recycling center, so it took a lot of pounds to make it worthwhile,” Zeidman said. “Throughout the years, the price did eventually grow to roughly $1.10 a pound, and then went down to 65 cents.”

Rwandan families weren’t the only ones who received assistance from the Cans Can program. Zeidman also provided Sudanese refugees living in Darfur with solar cookers. The instruments greatly reduced the quantity of firewood needed for cooking, which meant that the refugees didn’t have to go out as often to collect wood.

Another recipient of Cans Can funding was the

North American Conference on Ethiopian Jewry. Jewish men in Ethiopia were unable to secure day jobs due to lack of tools. Cans Can was able to support the NACOEJ with purchasing the necessary tools so that the men would be better positioned to secure work.

One of the last programs Zeidman collected cans for was Shoulder to Shoulder, a family support agency initially based in Be’er Sheva and now in several locations across Israel. The agency works with all members of a family over 12 months to help them become independent and responsible members of Israeli society.

In 2009, The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism selected TBS as a recipient of the Gold Solomon Schechter Award for Excellence in Synagogue Programming in recognition of the Cans Can program.

Although Zeidman is retiring from Cans Can, she isn't finished helping others.

“Right now a friend introduced me to picking up plastic bags that can be weaved into long mats that can be given to the homeless. Homeless individuals can use these to sleep on them. It’s kind of a post-script career, so to speak.” JN

Lois Zeidman, the founder of “Cans CanA Tikkun Olam Project,” donating crushed cans. PHOTO COURTESY OF LOIS ZEIDMAN

Your giving, smarter.

Create one account for your charitable giving. Maximize your tax-savings with a single year-end contribution. Then make gifts when it’s convenient for you. We do all the administration, investment and reporting, saving you the hassle.

Open a Donor Advised Fund with the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix.

• Support your favorite charities from a single streamlined account

• Watch your professionally invested fund grow to increase the impact of your giving

• Contribute stock and avoid capital gains taxes

• Recommend grants or review your account online, anytime, anywhere

For more information, contact Richard Kasper at: 480.699.1717 or rkasper@jcfphoenix.org

Sightseeing to zeitgeist: Philanthropy’s 21st century journey

RICHARD MARKER

If one reads some mailings from our field, from some of our grantees, and from all too many wealth advisors, one might think that philanthropy was and is a byproduct of the U.S. tax system. It wasn’t and isn’t.

It is not even an American invention, as any scholar of religion or ancient history or anthropology can attest. There is no known society that hasn’t had some form of philanthropy or voluntarism and, for hundreds of years, much of this has been done in structured ways.

But it is true that in America there has been a long-time fascination with the giving history, practices, ethics and lifestyles of the very wealthy. Their names and the recipients of their largesse with which their names are associated are the stories of legend and fascination. The quirks and foibles and philanthropic aspirations of the Astors or Carnegies or Rockefellers or Fricks or Rosenwalds — or more recently of the Gateses or Buffets or Helmsleys or Adelsons or Kochs or Schwartzmans or Bloombergs or the Chen Zuckerbergs captivate the attention of many of the remaining 99.5% of society.

If one isn’t careful, one may think that these stories are the story of philanthropy in America. But they aren’t. Or to put it more accurately, they are not the most important stories in American philanthropy.

NOVEMBER 18 • 6PM

To purchase tickets, visit: evjcc.org/eliewiesel

After all, there have always been superrich — royalty, aristocracy, nobility, landed gentry — who controlled resources and people’s lives. One can cross the ponds on either of our shores to see that. Indeed, what distinguishes American philanthropy is the willingness of the average person to give of his or her own means. The institutions of philanthropy, on the whole, are reflections of that willingness.

If one looks at the American system, voluntarism was the way in which fire departments were developed. Libraries were early attempts to democratize literacy — funded by voluntary contributions. Hospitals were almost universally begun and supported by faith-based or ethnic-defined populations, not by taxes or insurance. Even education in general is still not perceived by many as essentially an obligation of the society [read “government”] — leading to massive personal debts for higher education and the controversial charter school movement for the El-Hi levels.

Therefore, while philanthropy infuses daily life, for most people it meant voyeuristic sight-

seeing of the lifestyles and largesse of the very rich and powerful. They distinguished it from their charitable giving at Church or rent parties or little tin charity boxes at the corner store. Something changed and it is important to talk about those changes and their implications.

1. Unintentional to intentional. It is fair to state that philanthropic behavior, until this century, was the unintended consequence of public policy. To take only one example, the safety net of social security permitted funders to, implicitly, feel that there is no requirement that personal giving is the only place at-risk populations can turn. It meant that a funder might well choose to redirect his or her giving to other causes of more personal interest. Another example is the almost universal dependence of public schools on private funding for their arts or cultural activities or class trips. In other words, municipalities no longer feel the need to build in funding for these activities. Municipalities with wealthier parents and alumni are likely to provide more co-curricular opportunities than those in poorer areas.

That began to change incrementally during the time when taxes became a dirty word, but the intentionality became very overt during the Bush-Cheney presidency. For one example, after the disastrous and deadly Hurricane Katrina, the first response was not government mobilization but rather the mobilization of Bush Sr. and Bill Clinton to go raise private funds. The tragedy of that approach has been well documented, but it was also an important statement about that administration’s view about which sector had what responsibility.

Since then, the role of philanthropy has been a part of every policy and budget decision on the federal, state, regional and local level. It serves to give philanthropy too much power, and, ironically, far too much responsibility.

2. The democratization or, perhaps more accurately, the anarchization of philanthropy. One can be stopped on the street, sitting at dinner, opening the mail, watching late-night TV and sure enough we’ll be solicited. And because of how easy it is to start fundraising campaigns or to quickly put up websites, many people find it desirable to give directly.

Some of this is very welcome. Giving Tuesday has institutionalized online giving and has had a huge impact around the world. For those with shallow pockets, it can be very gratifying to support a classroom outing in the U.S. or a village seamstress in Africa rather

Professor Nancy Harrowitz of Boston University’s Elie Wiesel Center for Jewish Studies will read written works by two Auschwitz survivors, Primo Levi and Elie Wiesel, and discuss how they started a new life after surviving the Holocaust.

WIESEL AND PRIMO LEVI: THE GRAY ZONE OF HOLOCAUST SURVIVAL TWO AUSCHWITZ SURVIVORS AND THEIR STORIES

than have those limited funds go through the purported bureaucracies of intermediaries. Of course, there are always scams, scandals and predators, so the disadvantages of anarchized philanthropy is the difficulty ensuring that one’s money is going where it is promised.

3. The concentration of wealth, the sheer size of some gifts, the growth of private/public funds under DAFs all have forced the issue of equitability and equity onto the table. There are issues of altruistic folks of privilege determining what is best or irrelevant for those who have less and also of the legitimacy of wealthy folks using their foundations and private giving to distort public policy. There has been a slew of recent book-length commentaries on this issue. Their attitudes range from the essential fallacy of a system that depends on voluntary giving to an attempt to rebalance what philanthropy can, legitimately, be expected to do. What is relevant to us at this time in history is not that there are authors exploring and challenging philanthropic behavior — rather that those commentaries are getting attention beyond our highly gilded sector and getting read widely.

4. The emergence of “philanthropy adjacent” approaches available to many. This emerges out of a convergence of some interrelated but separate trends.

a. One emerges from an underlying skepticism toward the NFP sector model’s ability to succeed. This approach argues that without a motivation for personal gain, the creativity and long-term commitment to make real change can never be sustained. Therefore, the real solution to long-term societal challenges is to develop alternative models where the owner or investor can “do well by doing good.”

b. A corollary of that is the recognition that most ngo/nfp organizations can never have access to the capital necessary to reach the scale to have the impact an “investor” would demand — that traditional “donors” might not. For-profit business, even when B-corps or ESG approved, have access to capital markets that the nfp/ngo sector doesn’t.

c. Foundation and other funders come at this from a somewhat different direction. Why, they ask, should only our philanthropic giving reflect our values? If we care about smoking or societal equity or the environment or food insecurity, we should find ways of aligning what we do with our investment money with the same underlying values that we apply to our giving. Impact investing and values screens are increasingly viewed as mainstream.

d. As many of the major investment firms offer some “values based” funds available through their retirement menu, the average investor now has options previously available only to those with

deep bench investment advisors.

5. Systemic thinking has forced funders and policy makers to recognize the interconnectedness of so many elements of what must be fixed. A program grant to a local organization may be very useful but it is highly unlikely to get to the source of the problem. Government SNAP programming is by far the most efficient way to address food insecurity in the USA, but it cannot, alone, eliminate the continuing need. Voluntary clean up of a river will be satisfying but unless there are enforced policies about what is dumped into that river, edible fish are unlikely to return.

Globalism is another component of the systemic. Despite some misguided political voices these days, there is no such thing as a fully independent national economy and certainly no border protections from environmental degradation. Those in the philanthropy world who are committed to addressing the “systemic” need inevitably to address the “global.”

6. If philanthropy has moved into society’s zeitgeist, there is a danger that there will be two very problematic long-term responses:

a. That the visibility of foundations and other large giving will mislead people to think that private philanthropy can ever adequately replace public responsibility. Donated dollars are a mere percentage of what an adequate tax/ public system should and can provide. In an anti-government era, this would be disastrous since having human services depend fully on voluntarism would condemn millions to hunger and illiteracy and more.

b. That the attention to private philanthropy will lead to severe restrictions on it. The “closing of civil society” seen in so many places around the world, including the USA, might limit all citizens from exercising advocacy and free speech rights we should still cherish.

Some have argued that we are living in the second Golden Age of Philanthropy. If one argues only from the perspective of UHNW giving, that is true. But in many ways, as the focus of philanthropy moves from aspirational voyeurism to more normal behavior and attention of the many, I would argue that such a characterization misses the point of how radically these changes are. I use the word zeitgeist to suggest that philanthropy is one of the defining topics of our era in ways never imagined before. JN

Richard Marker is the founder of the Institute for Wise Philanthropy (wisephilanthropy.com/ about-us/richard-a-marker) which educates and advises funders around the world. He is also faculty co-director of the University of Pennsylvania Center for High Impact Philanthropy’s Funder Education program. This article originally appeared on ejewishphilanthropy.com.

Help

Your gift to J Family Aid helps to provide all the fun of camp, early childhood, sports and other programs to children with chronic illness or physical disabilities, programs that build self-confidence, fitness and social skills adapted just for them.

It also qualifies you to receive a dollar-for-dollar reduction in your state income taxes—up to $400 for those filing as an individual and up to $800 for those filing jointly, and may be combined with other tax credits for even greater savings.

Make your qualifying tax-credit gift today and make the difference of a lifetime for a special child.

Jfamtaxcredit.org/donate 602.338.2244 | jfamtaxcredit.org

Your Donation Will Make a Di erence Over and Over Again.

Two local Girl Scouts embody tikkun olam

JENNIFER MARSHALL

In all ways large and small, tikkun olam charges the Jewish community with the task of repairing and improving the world. This charge can manifest in many forms and happen in a variety of ways from individual to individual. Some volunteer time to help those less fortunate while others make charitable donations of money, food or essential household items. Whether on our own individually or partnered together with family, an organization or other entity, there are many ways to fulfill tikkun olam and trigger a tremendous transformation on our planet.

Though tikkun olam is timeless and ageless as a cause, and acts can be per formed by those of all generations, it is still inspiring when children and teens are the ones giving more than anyone else.

Ninth-grader Kaja and third-grader Eve are two such examples. Both are mem bers of Girl Scout Troop 3818, which is affiliated with Temple Emanuel of Tempe and is part of the Arizona Cactus-Pine Council. While not a traditional Jewish organization, the Girl Scouts mission statement almost perfectly aligns with tikkun olam.

Building a Shared Society for Jewish and Arab Citizens of Israel

“Girl Scouts is inclusive of all faiths and religions and has always encouraged girls to embed that into their Girl Scouting experience,” said Vianca Navarete, marketing communications specialist for the Girl Scouts Arizona Cactus-Pine Council. “We promote many of the values and principles found commonly across religions; these are in our Girl Scout Promise and Law. Girls of all grade levels can earn a ‘My Promise, My Faith Pin’, which complements existing religious recognitions and allows girls to further strengthen their connection between their faith and Girl Scouts.”

The Girl Scout Promise is a commitment members make to others, while the Girl Scout Law reflects the behavior members are expected to exhibit toward the world. These oaths include helping

others and being honest, considerate, courageous and more, all in the name of making the world a better place.

The establishment of Troop 3818 occurred in January 2019 and was the brainchild of friends Jen and Rachel; Jen is Kaja’s mom, and Rachel is Eve’s mom.

“I really love volunteer work,” Kaja said, “so I decided to help my mom with the troop. At the time, I was also assisting the teachers at the religious school at Temple Emanuel. After I finished there, I’d go to the Girl Scout meetings and help out with them.”

She logged around 60 volunteer hours, which helped her to meet her requirements for her bat mitzvah. Kaja was also a faithful volunteer at Feed My Starving Children, and as vice president of her National Junior Honor Society, she was in charge of many of their charitable projects.

“I love empowering little girls to believe they can do anything,” Kaja said.

Mohammad Darawshe is the Director of the Center of Equality and Shared Society at Givat Haviva, Israel. He is currently a faculty member at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. An expert on Jewish-Arab relations, he is considered a leading political analyst in Arabic press and has presented at the European parliament, NATO Defense College, The World Economic Forum, Herzlia Conference, Haaretz Conference, and Israel’s Presidential Conference.

Eve is a master fundraiser and not even through third grade. In addition to generating funds for

Girl Scout Kaja, pictured here at a master class at Interlochen Arts Academy.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JENNIFER ZAK

Kaja is definitely one young lady who is ‘walking the walk’ when it comes to empowerment. This academic year, she is out of state at a prestigious boarding school studying music. A flute player, her dream is to one day play professionally.

“To me, it’s essential to teach these little girls that they can make a difference in the world and then instill in them the empowerment to do so,” Kaja said. “And Girl Scouts does that everyday.”

While she does participate in a few clubs that do volunteer work, her current rigorous academic program does not allow much free time. Still, volunteering comes naturally to her, and she looks forward to continuing to work with Troop 3818 whenever she is back in Arizona.

Meanwhile, Girl Scout Eve took the initiative to launch a newspaper at her elementary school.

“I thought of the idea over the summer when I was looking at other schools’ papers,” Eve said. “My school didn’t have a paper. I wanted to start one, so I asked my principal, and I gathered up some

friends. My principal said yes, so we made a newspaper.”

“She’s been the driving force in all of this,” Eve’s mom, Rachel, confirmed.

The monthly newspaper, which debuted on Oct. 25, included a recipe, fun facts, a

journalist, Eve is also a fundraising ace. Independent of and separate from Temple Emanuel, her school, Girl Scouts or any other entity, Eve independently organized a clothing drive and three fundraisers for the Humane Society.

“She thought of the ideas on her own, and she executed them on her own,” Eve’s mother said, “but her initiative and inspiration came directly from being in Girl Scouts where so many leadership opportunities exist. We focus on having the girls lead. In the end, she raised quite a bit of money for the Humane Society.”

An animal lover who has a miniature schnauzer, Eve aspires to be a veterinarian. For now, though, she finds joy in being a Girl Scout and playing soccer.

teacher interview, a book report, a joke of the month, an illustration and a creative writing section. Editor-in-Chief Eve said she enjoyed the faculty interview and the piece she wrote on it.

In addition to being a go-getter

“With its emphasis on respect, resources, being kind and giving, the Girl Scout Promise and Law feels very Jewish to me,” Rachel said. “Because of Girl Scouts, I’ve watched Eve develop superb leadership, public speaking and organizational skills.” JN

“TO ME, IT’S ESSENTIAL TO TEACH THESE LITTLE GIRLS THAT THEY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD AND THEN INSTILL IN THEM THE EMPOWERMENT TO DO SO. AND GIRL SCOUTS DOES THAT EVERYDAY.”

KAJA, GIRL SCOUT AND HIGH SCHOOLER

BURNING BRIGHT

2019 Torch of Liberty Honoree

Tips for choosing a charity

RICH SOLOMON | MANAGING EDITOR

This time of year it’s natural to begin thinking more about charitable giving. The breaks from work and school — coupled with nonstop advertisements designed to tug on your heart and purse strings — means you’ll have ample time for planning gifts. It also means there’s an opportunity to give back.

There are numerous charities to get involved with, and the countless noble causes looking for assistance can be overwhelming. How do you ensure that your time or money is doing the most good it can? Whether you’re volunteering or donating funds, you want to know that your efforts end up the right place. Here are some tips for finding a cause you can be passionate about.

Consider your roots

There’s no better place to begin than with your own history. Which people made notable impacts in your life? What situation or event profoundly affected you?

Ira Shulman, the president and CEO of senior living residence Kivel, says there is often direct connection between donors and those who receive assistance. “Many of our donors have had family, such as mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters, cared for at Kivel.”

“Many of our donors know someone who has had a tragic outcome,” said Wendy Carriere, executive director of the Minkoff Center for Jewish Genetics. “People give generously to our organization so that they may spare someone else the pain that they, or someone they know, has endured.”

“A personal connection is often developed, because of the long-term relationship we have with our families. Many parents of children who have received scholarships from the JTO continue their support even after their children are no longer attending one of our partner schools,” said Cyndi Suttle, the director of marketing for the Jewish Tuition Organization.

Identify community needs

Perhaps the cause you’re seeking is nearby. Look around at your community with a fresh gaze. What are the needs of the residents, of your neighbors? Does someone require extra support? There may be a homeless shelter nearby that needs the air conditioning fixed, and you can give funds or labor. Are the causes in front of you also ones you could support?

“Charity and donations are about what has meaning to you, and then building relationships so you feel are you a part of the organization,” advised Amy Hummell, executive direc-

tor of Gesher Disability Resources. “Support a cause and a charity that is important to you, first of all, and one that will make a difference to the ultimate recipient and the community.”

Listen to yourself

“My suggestion is always to start with what you care about!” said Gail Baer, vice president of philanthropy for Jewish Family & Children’s Service. “Ask yourself what moves you, or what is your passion?”

“The most direct way to pick a charity is to choose a mission you are interested in,” said Shulman.

Research first

What a charity does with the money you donate should be transparent. You want to know that the funds you gave are going to where it counts, and not toward excessive overhead or generous executive salaries.

“Do your homework,” Baer said. “Check the organization’s website, which should have posted its annual report and fiscal year financials.”

“One of the best ways to get to know an organization is to start participating in its programs. Get to know the staff and volunteers to see their passion and compassion in action. Ask to see their financials. Ask questions,” said Rabbi Michael Beyo, CEO of the East Valley JCC.

Determine how you’re going to give

“Always remember the skills you have that could benefit others,” Hummell said. “If you are creative, offer to help with craft projects or centerpieces at fundraisers.”

“Every organization should be able to provide a variety of opportunities to get involved,” said Beyo.

“Another way to get involved is to send a letter or make an appointment with an organization,” Shulman suggested. “The purpose being to explain to the organization any ideas you may have.”

And word of mouth is always needed. “Tell people about what we do so that they may get the appropriate testing,” Carriere said. “We rely on word of mouth and referrals to a great extent so that we may utilize our financial donations directly for test kits and educational events.”

“While probably not top-of-mind for everyone, but for the JTO word of mouth is very important, easy and can make a huge impact. Tell your family, friends, co-workers,” said Suttle. “By spreading the word, it takes very little effort, can be part of any daily activity in which you are participating and it can really help our students.” JN

The heroes among us

BOB ROTH | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

There are so many months dedicated to raising awareness about important health issues that it is hard to keep track of all of them. Every year there seems to be a new health issue that is being added to a specific month. While there are many important health issues that are worthy of a monthly dedication, in my mind there is no more important health observation/awareness month than National Family Caregivers Month, which is celebrated every year during November. Celebration is a good description of what we, as a community and nation, should be doing for these selfless individuals that give up their lives to assist their loved ones to be able to stay at home.

So why does it stand out for me? It’s because it affects so many of us, and there are so many that live among us that don’t see themselves as a caregiver. The statistics are overwhelming. According to estimates from the National Alliance for Caregiving, during the past year, 65.7 million Americans (or 29% of the adult U.S. adult population, involving 31% of all U.S. households) served as family caregivers for an ill or disabled relative.

The backbone of our country’s long-term, home-based and community-based care systems is the family caregiver. Since 1994, the month of November is recognized as National Family Caregivers Month. In 1997, President Clinton signed the first proclamation recognizing November as National Family Caregivers Month; this has been proclaimed by an American president annually ever since. The purpose of recognizing family caregivers is to draw attention to the many challenges facing family caregivers, advocate for stronger public policy to address family caregiving issues and raise awareness about community programs that support family caregivers.

These unsung heroes are giving of themselves and are providing billions of dollars’ worth of caregiving services each year. They

are dramatically reducing the demands that are placed on our long-term care system and they contribute to improving the quality of life of their loved ones.

According to AARP, the average family caregiver is 50+, and most are female (60%). The majority (86%) of 50+ caregivers provide care for a relative, while 47% care for a parent or parent-in-law. One in 10 cares for a spouse. One in four caregivers of someone 50+ is providing care to the oldest-old, which are those who are ages 85 or older. On average, 50+ caregivers’ recipients are 74.7 years old. Being a caregiver can be both physically and emotionally exhausting. If you are taking care of a loved one, it is important to remember to recharge your batteries. Caregiving can also lead to additional pressures, such as financial strain, family conflict and social withdrawal. Over time, caregiver stress can lead to burnout.

So, this Thanksgiving, join us in recognizing family caregivers nationally for keeping the promise to be there for their aging family members and friends. Make sure that this Thanksgiving, if you see a friend, a loved one or a neighbor in the role of being a family caregiver, offer to “share the care.” By offering to share the care with the family caregiver you will enable the caregiver to get “respite” rest so that they can be a better caregiver to their loved one. At the very least, take the opportunity to reach out to a family caregiver by sending a card of appreciation or a bouquet of flowers to brighten up their day. While November may be the official month to recognize an individual’s act as a family caregiver, every month and every day is one in which they make a difference.

Thank you, family caregivers. JN

Executive Function Conference for Parents

Consider living your life dialectically

MARCY SHOEMAKER

How do you live life dialectally? This is a challenging way to live life, but there are merits as it will allow you to open your mind to new possibilities.

Living life dialectically means not viewing life in black-and-white scenarios, but considering all sides of the various situations that occur. As humans, we are not merely happy or sad, or right or wrong, or strong or weak. There are nuances to our emotions and feelings. Also, there may be situations in life where the opposite side may be just as true as the side that we are on.

With the study of Dialectical Behavior Therapy, often referred to as DBT, we learn that more than one side can exist and we should be open to both sides in many situations.

How do we do live life dialectically? First, we can take a flexible stance in life when making decisions and when it comes to our relationships with others. When in a dialogue or argument, it is helpful to consider the

other person’s point of view. Remember that their concerns are valid. Develop a clear understanding of the problem or issue being discussed.

Then work on forging a compromise and generating a new solution that attempts to address all concerns. Keeping in mind the old adage to treat others as you would want to be treated is helpful when relating to others. Recognize that we are all connected and focus on similarities, not differences. Here is a look at some situations where living dialectically may be helpful:

Change. You may want to make changes in your life but at the same time keep elements of the old. You need to be honest with yourself and realize the extent of change that will accept in your life. Nurture a flexible mind as being curious is conducive to situations that involve change.

Ask for help from others. Friends and family may have faced similar changes before and may have advice and guidance to help you with this new challenge in your life. Being

able to readily adjust your course when making decisions or when facing a change in your life will prove helpful.

Politics . Politics is clearly an area that involves the need for dialectical thinking. We can accept aspects of a candidate while not admiring their other characteristics. A candidate may support the state of Israel, but be conservative fiscally. In our society, we tend to feel that an individual must solely support all candidates in one political party but it may be possible to like candidates from both parties.

Social media. We can view both positive and negative aspects of social media. We don’t need to say that this form of communication is all good or bad. It is an avenue where people can meet others and stay abreast of developments in the lives of friends. At the same time, it can also be associated with bullying. People may become depressed when they believe that the images posted portray

factual interpretations of the lives of friends and acquaintances. We may enjoy the ability to buy items online but not like the fact that companies can track our buying patterns. Living dialectically takes patience, skill and the ability to look at both sides to a situation. Take time to learn more about this approach to life and try to use it when dealing with relationships, changes, political issues and social media. Realize that most stories have two beginnings and endings. JN

Marcy Shoemaker, Psy.D., is a staff psychologist at Abramson Center. This article originally ran in the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent, a Jewish Newsaffiliated publication.

Improved online tool helps you choose Medicare plans

GREG DILL

Just a reminder that Medicare’s annual Open Enrollment Period started Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7, 2019.

This is the time of year when you can change how you get your Medicare coverage, switch health and drug plans and add or drop Medicare prescription drug coverage. So it’s important that you review your current coverage. (Check your current enrollment at medicare.gov/find-a-plan/enrollment/ check-enrollment.aspx.)

If you’re happy with your current Medicare coverage, you don’t need to do a thing during Open Enrollment. But people often find they can save money or find a plan that better meets their health needs by shopping around.

To help you shop for 2020 Medicare health and drug plans, we’ve just introduced an improved version of our popular Medicare Plan Finder, at medicare.gov/ plan-compare/#/?year=2020.

The redesigned Medicare Plan Finder makes it easier than ever to compare coverage options, shop for plans and feel confident in your choice. This tool now works on your smart phone, tablet and desktop computer.

With Medicare Plan Finder you can:

• Compare up to three health or drug plans side-by-side;

• Get plan costs and benefits, including which Medicare Advantage plans offer extra benefits;

• Build a personal drug list and find a Medicare prescription drug plan (Part D) that best meets your needs. We’ll start by suggesting prescriptions that you filled within the last 12 months. And when you search for a brand name drug, we’ll show it along with any lower-cost generic alternatives.

If you’re new to Medicare, you’ll need to decide upfront how you get your Medicare coverage. Medicare Plan Finder can help with this, too. By selecting “Learn more about Medicare options before I see plans,” you can compare the different ways you can Medicare coverage — through Original Medicare (with or without extra coverage) or a Medicare Advantage plan.

For a more personalized experience, you can also create your own Medicare account at mymedicare.gov. Among other things, this account allows you to print a new Medicare card if you lose yours.

About 10,000 people enroll in Medicare each day, and we’re improving our online tools to meet the needs of a growing number of tech-savvy beneficiaries. But you don’t need a computer to get information on your Medicare benefits.

If you have any questions, you can always call Medicare’s toll-free number, 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

Customer service representatives are available 24/7.

There’s also the “Medicare & You” handbook, mailed to every Medicare household in the country each fall. The handbook is available online at medicare.gov/sites/ default/files/2019-09/10050-medicareand-you.pdf.

And let me also recommend the excellent free counseling you can get from your State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or SHIP.

SHIP is an independent, nonprofit organization that provides personalized counseling to people with Medicare. You can make an appointment to speak with a SHIP counselor in-person or over the phone.

SHIP counselors are well-trained volunteers who often are enrolled in Medicare themselves, so they know the ropes. They can help you sort through different health and drug plans and help find one that’s right for you. They’re not trying to sell you any particular product. To contact your local SHIP office, go to shiptacenter.org.

If you enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan this fall but you’re not satisfied with it, you can switch plans or return to Original Medicare between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2020. If you return to Original Medicare, you can also buy a Medicare prescription drug plan (Part D) during this period.

Having trouble paying for your prescription drug plan (Part D)? You may be eligible for the Extra Help program, which helps cover your premiums, deductibles and copays. Medicare beneficiaries typically save $4,900 annually with Extra Help.

For more information, go to ssa.gov/ prescriptionhelp. JN

and the Pacific Territories.

SUNDAY

Greg Dill is Medicare’s regional administrator for Arizona, California, Nevada, Hawaii

THURSDAY, NOV. 14

The Great Big Pink Challah Bake: 5-8 p.m., Shabbat Project Arizona, Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Dessert reception, BRCA screening and testing with insurance card, inspirational videos, Shabbat Shuk, candle lighting kits, make your own challah and singing and dancing with performer Malky Giniger. Ladies are $36, girls are $10. RSVP by Nov. 12. For more information, visit ShabbatProjectAZ. com, email robin@ projectinspireaz.com or call 602-469-1606.

Events

SUNDAY, NOV. 3

Cactus hot dog day: 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Beth Emeth Synagogue, 13702 W. Meeker Blvd., Sun City West. ¼ pound Hebrew National hot dog, soda and chips. Cost is $5. For more information, call 623-584-7210 or email bethemethaz@gmail.com.

MONDAY, NOV. 11

Brandeis concert: 1 p.m., Palo Cristi Church, 3535 E. Lincoln Drive, Paradise Valley. Brandeis National Committee presents the first of four BNC Roz Fischer Concerts & Conversations. Soprano Abigail Krawson, winner of Phoenix Opera’s 2018 Southwest Vocal Competition, will be accompanied by pianist John Massaro, principal conductor of the Phoenix Opera. Admission is $7 at the door, no reservations required. Refreshments provided. For more information, call Joan Sitver at 602-818-4264 or email her at joansitver@aol.com.

Men’s Event: 6-8 p.m., Shabbat Project Arizona, Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Join men of all ages and backgrounds for the second annual Shabbat project men’s event that will feature hearty food, partner learning, short inspirational TED Talks, panel discussion with questions and answers and more. For more information, visit ShabbatProjectAZ.com, email robin@projectinspireaz.com or call 602-469-1606.

THURSDAY, NOV. 14

BRCA education and screening event: 4-8 p.m., Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Hosted by the Minkoff Center for Jewish Genetics. The screening event is designed to be an educational session led by cancer genetic counselors from the Phoenix community. Prior to undergoing genetic testing, individuals attending the education session

will have the opportunity to learn more details about hereditary breast and ovarian cancer and the implications of undergoing genetic testing. Go to jewishgeneticsaz.org/ calendar for more information or to RSVP.

SATURDAY, NOV. 16

AJHS Heritage Award Dinner: 6 p.m., Monterra at Westworld, 16601 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale. The Arizona Jewish Historical Society will honor Marnie and Harvey Dietrich with the 2019 Jerry Lewkowitz Heritage Award, which is presented to individuals who have made an exceptional impact on the community through outstanding leadership, service and dedication. In keeping with the evening’s western theme, entertainment includes cowboy poet, singer, songwriter and storyteller Red Steagall and the DEO Entertainment Group. Tickets are $200 per person. Call 602-241-7870 or visit azjhs.org for information and reservations.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY, NOV. 23-24

Annual ArtFest of Scottsdale: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Old Town Scottdale’s Civic Center Plaza, 3939 N. Drinkwater Blvd., Scottsdale. Honoring the local artist community, this year’s ArtFest will feature more than 120 artists selling paintings, sculptures, jewelry, metal art, ceramics and glass art, as well as authors and visual artists. Admission and parking are free; dogs are welcome. For more information, visit 888artfest.com.

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.

THIRD SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH

Jewish War Veterans: 10 a.m., Arizona State Veterans Home, 4141 N. S. Herrera Way, Phoenix. Scottsdale Post 210 welcomes all Jewish veterans to its monthly meetings. Refreshments served at 9:30 a.m. Call 602256-0658 for more information.

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.

SUNDAY, NOV. 3

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

Valley Jewish Singles Ages 50+ brunch: Noon, Chompies PV Mall, 4550-324 E. Cactus Road, Phoenix. Reservations required; email valleyjewishsingles@cox.net to RSVP.

MONDAYS, NOV. 4 AND 18

Living through Loss : 4:30-6 p.m., Temple Chai Small Sanctuary, 4645 E. Marilyn Road, Phoenix. No charge, but donations are welcome.

TUESDAY, NOV. 5

Authors @ the EVJCC: 10-11:30 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Author Phyllis Palm talks about her book, “Alzheimer’s, Marriage and My Transformation from Wife to Caregiver.” $4 suggested donation. Contact adrian@evjcc. org for questions or to RSVP.

TUESDAYS, NOV. 5, 12, 19 AND 26 Hope for Today: 7 p.m., Temple Chai Small Sanctuary, 4645 E. Marilyn Road, Phoenix. Spiritual program of recovery for those who suffer from the debilitating effects of chronic pain and chronic illness, based on the Twelve Steps of AA. Contact: cpa-az@cox.net. No charge.

WEDNESDAYS, NOV. 6 AND 20

JACS: Support Group for Jewish Alcoholics, Addicts, and their Friends and Family: 7:30 p.m., BJE Library, Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. No charge. For more information, call the Shalom Center, visit jacsarizona.com or email jacsarizona@gmail.com.

THURSDAY, NOV. 7

The Life and Tragedy of King David: 9 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Free, but registration required at evjcc.org/open-beit-midrash.

Talmudic Heroes: 10 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Free, but registration required at evjcc.org/ open-beit-midrash.

Walking Through History: 11 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Speaker: Rabbi Michael Beyo,

EVJCC CEO. Topic: Sephardic Jewish History. Cost: $14, includes kosher lunch ($20 after Nov. 3). Registration required at evjcc.org/ open-beit-midrash.

THURSDAYS, NOV. 7, 14 & 21

Mini-courses open to the public: 10:3011:30 a.m., Beth Emeth Synagogue, 13702 W. Meeker Blvd., Sun City West. A series of 3-4 classes throughout the year on a variety of subjects. Topic: ‘What you should know about the Israeli government.’ A primer on how the Knesset and the parliamentary system works. Who are the major parties, what are their main platforms and how do they decide who gets to hold what offices in the country? No charge for members, $10 per class for non-members. For more information, call 623-584-7210 or email bethemethaz@gmail.com.

SUNDAY, NOV. 10

Healing Handiwork: 1-4 p.m., Temple Chai Small Sanctuary, 4645 E. Marilyn Road, Phoenix. Contact Nona at nona.siegel@ gmail.com or 602-326-8851 for more information on the group. No charge.

MONDAYS, NOV. 11 AND 25

Caring for our Loved Ones: 7 p.m., Temple Chai Small Sanctuary, 4645 E. Marilyn Road, Phoenix. A Jewish support and resource group for families and caregivers. No charge, but donations welcome. For more information, contact Marci Beliak at 602-9711234 ext. 211 or at mbeliak@templechai.com.

TUESDAY, NOV. 12

Museum @ the EVJCC: 10-11:30 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Speaker: Phoenix Art Museum Patrick Ventura. Topic: “Some Like it Hot.” Terrific Tuesdays. $4 suggested donation. 480-897-0588 or adrian@evjcc.org.

Yiddish Music Class: 11:45 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. An exploration of Yiddish music, old and new. Instructor Sandra Bernoff explores Yiddish folk songs and Klezmer music. $8 per class or $40 for all six. evjcc.org. evjcc.org/ arts-and-culture.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 13

‘Beyle: The Artist and her Legacy’: 11 a.m.12:30 p.m., Generations After Descendants Forum at the East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. A film and discussion about Beyle SchaechterGottesman, an artist, poet, playwright and musician who dedicated her life to preserving Yiddish culture. Led by Yiddish teacher Sandra Bernoff. In partnership with the Phoenix Holocaust Association. Free. Reservations: 480-897-0588 or evjcc.org/ generations-after.

SUNDAY, NOV. 17

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.

CALENDAR

Yoga to Awaken Inner Joy: 11:35 a.m.1:25 p.m., Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. An all-levels yoga workshop. 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. Childcare is available. $25 for members, $33 for guests. Contact the JCC at 480-481-7018 or healthandfitness@vosjcc.org to register.

MONDAY,

NOV. 18

‘Elie Wiesel & Primo Levi: The Gray Zone of Holocaust Survival’: 6 p.m., Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler. Professor Nancy Harrowitz presents the legacies of Holocaust survivors and authors Elie Wiesel and Primo Levi and discusses what can be learned from their philosophies and emphasis on social justice. Sponsored by the Center for Holocaust Education and Human Dignity, the East Valley JCC and Boston University’s Elie Wiesel Center for Jewish Studies. Tickets: $18-$36. evjcc.org/ eliewiesel.

Breast Cancer Support Group: 6:30 p.m., Temple Chai, 4645 E. Marilyn Road, Phoenix. Monthly meetings on the third Monday of the month. Supporting Jewish women in their journey through all stages of breast cancer, including treatment, recovery and the physical and spiritual challenges along the way. For questions or to RSVP, contact Jessica Knight at jessicabcgroup@outlook. com or 202-359-6835.

TUESDAY, NOV. 19

It Happens Here: Addiction and Mental Health Issues in the Jewish Community: 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Temple Chai, 4645 E. Marilyn Road, Phoenix. A program for Jewish educators, clergy and mental health professionals. Continuing education credits available. Registration required, $25. Scholarships available. Breakfast and lunch provided, dietary laws observed. To RSVP, contact Kathy Rood at Kathy.rood@jfcsaz. org or 602-452-4627.

Artists @ the EVJCC: 10-11:30 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Artist Milissa Smith talks about her artwork. $4 donation at the door. 480-8970588, adrian@evjcc.org.

Yiddish Music Class: 11:45 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. An exploration of Yiddish music, old and new. Instructor Sandra Bernoff explores Yiddish show tunes from movies and theater. $8. 480-897-0588, evjcc.org/arts-and-culture.

There Is No Them; There Is Only Us: 6:30 p.m., Temple Chai, 4645 E. Marilyn Road, Phoenix. Open forum with Marla Kaufman, executive director of Jewish Addiction Awareness Network, and Jory Hanselman, director of BaMidbar Wilderness Therapy at Ramah in the Rockies, to address addiction and the grasp it has taken on the Jewish community. Learn what Judaism teaches about addiction and mental health. Free, coffee and refreshments included, dietary laws observed. To RSVP, contact Kathy Rood at Kathy.rood@jfcsaz.org or 602-452-4627

THURSDAY, NOV. 21

The Life and Tragedy of King David: 9 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Free, but registration required at evjcc.org/open-beit-midrash.

Talmudic Heroes: 10 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Cost: $14. Registration required at evjcc.org/ open-beit-midrash.

EVJCC Interfaith Series: 11 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler.

Anjileen Gumer of the Sikh community discusses the history, theology and practice of Sikhism. Includes kosher lunch after the presentation. $14 ($20 after Nov. 17). 480897-0588, evjcc.org/open-beit-midrash.

People of the Book Group: 3 p.m., Temple Chai Small Sanctuary, 4645 E. Marilyn Road, Phoenix. Discussion of “My Russian Grandmother and Her American Vacuum Cleaner,” by Meir Shalev. RSVP to ssilverman18@gmail.com.

Book discussion group: 7 p.m., CutlerPlotkin Jewish Heritage Center, 122 E. Culver St., Phoenix. Topic: “Rachel’s Tomb” by J.A. Bernstein. Discussion led by Michael and Jennie Kronenfeld, Ph.D. Free. RSVP to lbell@azjhs.org or call 602-241-7870.

TUESDAY, NOV. 26

Israeli Movie Matinee Series: 10-11:30 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Series: Screening of “Remember Baghdad,” a documentary about the untold story of Iraq, told through the eyes of the Jews, Iraq’s first wave of refugees. $4 donation at the door. 480-897-0588, adrian@evjcc.org.

Yiddish Music Class: 11:45 a.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. An exploration of Yiddish music, old and new. Instructor Sandra Bernoff explores Yiddish music from during the Holocaust. Cost: $8. RSVP at 480-897-0588 or evjcc.org/ arts-and-culture.

Family

MONDAYS

Free baby gym classes: 9:30-10 a.m., Arizona Sunrays Gymnastics & Dance Center, 15801 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix. Parents (and grandparents) are invited to bring in their babies, ages 6 months to 18 months. This parent-child class uses tumbling mats, balance beams, parallel bars and trampolines. Work on strength, balancing and coordination with your baby. This is a “drop in” class. Advanced registration is not required. Call 602-992-5790 or visit arizonasunrays.com for more information.

Breakfast Babies: 9-10:30 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

Free baby dance classes: 9:15-9:45 a.m., Arizona Sunrays Gymnastics & Dance

Center, 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.

Shabbat

FIRST FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH

First Fridays: 6:30-8 p.m., Beth Emeth Synagogue, 13702 W. Meeker Blvd., Sun City West. Begins Nov. 1. Traditional Friday night services with a twist; each month a special aspect, theme or prayer from the Shabbat evening liturgy is focused on. Questions about the service, and Jewish prayer in general, will be answered to help each person. No fee, open to everyone, Jewish and non-Jewish alike. For beginners and experienced members. For more information, call 623-584-7210 or email bethemethaz@gmail.com.

FIRST SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH

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

EVERY SATURDAY

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

FRIDAY, NOV. 15

Shabbat Service: 7 p.m., North Scottsdale location. The Desert Foothills Jewish Community Association will have a brief Shabbat service followed by a performance by the Four Seasons Orchestra in “A night in Vienna.” It will feature music by Bach, Mozart, Schubert, Haydn and Beethoven. Dues are $60 per year. For more information, call Andrea at 480-664-8847.

Seniors

SUNDAY-MONDAY, NOV. 10-11

Poppy sale to support veterans: 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Mesa Marketplace, 10550 E. Baseline Road, Mesa, and local Fry’s Supermarkets (Dobson and Ray Roads, Alma School and Germann, Gilbert and Ocotillo, Higley and Chandler Heights). Jewish War Veterans Post 619 will distribute poppies and poppy stickers to people who make a donation for veterans in need at local Fry’s stores and at Mesa Marketplace on Sunday, Nov. 10. Please contact Commander Robert Brooks at 480-688-1827 or linbob72@wbhsi.net for more information.

SUNDAY, NOV. 17

Baby shower for female veterans: 9:30 a.m., Sun Lakes Country Club, 25601 S. Sun Lakes Blvd., Sun Lakes. The Jewish War Veterans Post 619 will host a baby shower to benefit U.S. veterans who are new moms. The community is invited to attend this free baby shower and to bring a gift for a new mom. Sisters Kathleen Laurier — a Navy veteran — and Barbara Klinedinst will speak at the shower. They are the creators of the VA Maternity Outreach for Moms program at the Phoenix VA. For more information about what gifts will be accepted or to ask any questions, please contact Commander Robert Brooks at 480-688-1827 or linbob72@wbhsi.net.

Veterans

THURSDAY, NOV. 7

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. Keith Johnson of Sankofa Island Magic is this month’s special guest artist. For more information or to confirm times, please contact Kathy Rood at 602-452-4627 or via email at kathy.rood@ jfcsaz.org.

Arts

SUNDAY, NOV. 3

Israeli Movie Series: 3 p.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Screening of “Hidden Face,” a documentary that examines the relationship between the ultra-Orthodox Sanz Chasidim and the memory of the Holocaust. Free, $5 donation suggested. Register at evjcc.org/ movie-series or 480-897-0588.

TUESDAY, NOV. 12

‘Bogdan’s Journey’: 7-9 p.m., CutlerPlotkin Center, 122 E. Culver St., Phoenix. The Arizona Jewish Historical Society presents this documentary about a Catholic Pole and how his determination to heal a historical wound launches a crusade to reconcile Poles and Jews over a massacre that happened 70 years ago. Shown in collaboration with the Martin Springer Institute at NAU and the Phoenix Holocaust Association. There will be a post-film Q&A. Subtitles, 86-minute runtime. For more information, contact Larry Bell at lbell@ azjhs.org or call 602-241-7870.

FRIDAY, NOV. 29

Lisa Loeb in-store performance and vinyl signing: 1 p.m., Zia Record Exchange, 3201 S. Mill Ave, Tempe. In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the release of hit song “Stay (I missed You),” which appeared at #1 on the Billboard Top 100. A special edition 12” vinyl will be released along with an instore performance and signing. For more information, visit lisaloeb.com and recordstoreday.com. JN

Baking progress

Nearly 100 women of all ages from Flagstaff, Prescott and Sedona joined together in the new Molly Blank Jewish Community Center for Chabad of Flagstaff’s second annual Mega Challah Bake. The event celebrated the power of the Jewish woman in an afternoon of unity, inspiration, song and dance.

Family time

Bureau of Jewish Education Director of Family Education Linda Feldman presents the president of Goodmans Interior Structures, Adam Goodman, with a special Rosenthal mezuzah for joining the BJE’s Jewish Baby University’s Family Circle group. The new group was recently launched to give alumni families who went through the Baby University program the chance to stay connected.

Where’s Your Jewish News?

The Palazzo held a cruise-ship themed event for the opening of its remodeled space on Oct. 17. One of the “ports” was Israel, where volunteers Mindy Franklin and Sue Lawler hold a copy of the Jewish News.

Lone soldier presentation

Hospital visit

Phoenix natives Nancy and Hank Markiewicz were lucky enough to get a private tour of Hadassah University Hospital at Ein Kerem in Jerusalem on their most recent trip to Israel. The hospital’s synagogue has 12 stained glass windows designed by Russian painter Marc Chagall. Chagall donated the windows to the hospital in 1962.

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

Volunteers from the East Valley JCC’s Lone Soldier Project give a presentation to students at Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley’s religious school. Pictured, from left, are Marcia Weiner, Diane Zelinger, Elliott Reiss, Souzan Blumberg and Dr. Michael Cohen.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE EAST VALLEY JCC

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHABAD OF FLAGSTAFF

PHOTO BY JODI LIPSON

PHOTO COURTESY OF HANK MARKIEWICZ

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BUREAU OF JEWISH EDUCATION

ELIANA MAKAILA MARIE BLACK

Eliana Makaila Marie Black becomes a bat mitzvah on Nov. 2, 2019, at Congregation Beth Israel. She is the daughter of Kassie and Steven Black of Goodyear.

Grandparents are Sonia and Robert Richardson of Garden Grove, California; and Wendy and Ronald Black of Phoenix.

For her mitzvah project, Eliana created “love” bracelets and rings for cancer patients at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. She also collected canned pet food for Family Promise of Greater Phoenix, the only homeless shelter in the state that allows families to bring their pets.

A student at Wigwam Creek Middle School (Litchfield Park), Eliana is an Honors Bat Mitzvah and wants to become a doctor. She is a 1st Degree Black Belt and Youth Leader, and she enjoys Congregation Beth Israel Youth Choir, National Junior Honor Society, Tae Kwan Do, art and sewing.

ZACHARY RYAN WOLDOFF

Zachary Ryan Woldoff becomes a bar mitzvah on Nov. 2, 2019, at Beth El Congregation. He is the son of Leisah and Ron Woldoff of Phoenix.

Grandparents are Bob Berkovitz of Mesa and the late Norma Berkovitz; and Sarah Woldoff of Phoenix and the late Herbert Woldoff.

For his mitzvah project, Zachary delivered meals through the East Valley JCC’s Ladles of Love program and collected food for the Arizona Food Pantry.

A student at Pardes Jewish Day School, Zachary enjoys football, basketball and video games.

RILEY BELLE GOLDSTEIN

Riley Belle Goldstein was born on Oct. 3, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. She is the daughter of Joelle and Chad Goldstein of Nashville.

Keely Madison Koc becomes a bat mitzvah on Nov. 23, 2019, at Congregation Beth Israel. She is the daughter of Sara and John Koc of Scottsdale.

Grandparents are Linda Immerman-Stoffers and Bill Stoffers of Tucson and the late Warren Immerman; and Linda and Jack Koc of Scottsdale.

For her mitzvah project, Keely and her sister created an after-school supply collection for the month of November benefiting the Swift Youth Foundation at Bender Performing Arts. They also did community outreach efforts with DanceMotion Performing Company

A student at Cheyenne Traditional School, Keely enjoys dance, art and spending time with family and friends.

BAT MITZVAH

KENNA ELISE KOC

Kenna Elise Koc becomes a bat mitzvah on Nov. 23, 2019, at Congregation Beth Israel. She is the daughter of Sara and John Koc of Scottsdale.

Grandparents are Linda Immerman-Stoffers and Bill Stoffers of Tucson and the late Warren Immerman; and Linda and Jack Koc of Scottsdale.

For her mitzvah project, Kenna and her sister created an after-school supply collection for the month of November benefiting the Swift Youth Foundation at Bender Performing Arts. They also did community outreach efforts with DanceMotion Performing Company. A student at Cheyenne Traditional School, Kenna enjoys singing, dancing, makeup and spending time with friends.

JESSICA

AND ADAM LERNER

Lynn and Mike Barinbaum of Scottsdale announce the engagement of their son, Adam Lerner of Scottsdale, to Jessica Weil, also of Scottsdale. Parents of the bride-to-be are the late Marcie and John Weil. Parents of the groom-to-be are Lynn and Mike Barinbaum and the late Paul Lerner.

Jessica graduated from the University of Arizona in 2005. She works as an account executive for Epionce. Adam graduated from the USC Gould School of Law in 2007. He is senior corporate counsel with Accumen. The wedding will take place on Nov. 7, 2020, in Phoenix.

ESTHER AND HAL GOLD

Grandparents are Jill and Bruce Goldstein of Scottsdale; and Jody and Steven Hirsch of Montrose, New York. Greatgrandparents are Joyce Goldstein of Scottsdale, Walter Hirsch of New York City, New York and Justin Cohn of Delray Beach, Florida.

Riley has one sibling, two-year-old Blair Goldstein.

Esther and Hal Gold of Phoenix will celebrate their 73rd anniversary on Nov. 2, 2019. They were married Nov. 2, 1946, in Los Angeles, California.

They are the parents of Richard Gold (Carol) and Barbara Gold (Mark Jones); the grandparents of Jeffrey Jones (Sarah Rosenbaum Jones) and Aaron Jones; and the great-grandparents of Adira Vered Rosenbaum Jones. JN

Samuel Friedman, of Arizona and New Jersey, died peacefully at home on Oct. 19, 2019 at the age of 100. This beloved father, and longtime loving husband of Sylvia, is survived by his daughters, Jeanne Friedman and Linda Friedman Thomas; grandchildren Jonathan Thomas and Helen Thomas Mann; great-grandchild Jacob Mann; and sons-in-law Laurence Thomas and Kevin Gould. He was a lifelong painter (award-winning) and had a long career as a federal credit union auditor. He served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II as an air traffic controller from 1942-1946. He is known mostly for his love of family, love of music (a talented improvisational pianist), baseball (Mets fan from their inception) and travel.

Services: Sunday, Oct. 27, 10 a.m., at Bernheim-Apter-Kreitzman Suburban Funeral Chapel, 68 Old Short Hills Road, Livingston, NJ. Entombment followed at Cedar Park Cemetery in Paramus, NJ. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to the Hospice of the Valley (hov.org) or the Jewish Federation of Metrowest NJ (jfedgmw.org).

SHARE YOUR ENGAGEMENT, WEDDING, BIRTH, BAR/BAT-MITZVAH ANNOUNCEMENT AND ANY OTHER SIMCHA ON BOTH JEWISHAZ.COM AND THE WEEKLY JEWISH NEWS... FOR FREE

JEWISHAZ.COM

BAT MITZVAH BAR MITZVAH

BIRTH

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

BAT MITZVAH

KEELY MADISON KOC

WEIL

Leave the Lasting Legacy of Jewish Journalism

Make a charitable donation to Jewish News and help support Jewish community journalism.

Recent gifts helped support the kind of reporting that has consistently won the paper many honors, including multiple awards from the American Jewish Press Association, and the kind of critical community coverage that you’ve come to expect from the Jewish News.

By making the Jewish News a beneficiary of your will, trust, retirement account or life insurance policy, you will be creating a philanthropic legacy that will help sustain the vibrant voice of Jewish Arizona. Whether you read us in print or online, please help us continue our commitment to bringing you the local Jewish news our community counts on.

Contributions to the Jewish News, a 501(c)(3) organization, are tax deductible. Seek independent professional legal advice before making any change to your plans.

Educators, parents, grapple with talking to children about trauma

JANET PEREZ | MANAGING EDITOR

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

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

Please subscribe and continue to support JEWISH

with a tax-deductible contribution. Complete the form below or go to jewishaz.com/subplus

Donate

Please mail the completeted form with payment to

Jewish organizations keep prisoners from being forgotten