Jewish News, Dec. 20, 2019

Chabad opens first Jewish center in south Phoenix

ELLEN O’BRIEN | STAFF WRITER

Anew Chabad center is coming to south Phoenix, a fast-growing region of the metropolitan area that previously had no synagogues. Rabbi Mendy Rimler and his wife, Sarah, will co-direct the Chabad Jewish Center of South Phoenix.

“The first in the area is always a big thing,” said Grant Galas, a local real estate agent who worked closely with Rimler on ideas for the center.

The rabbi plans to focus on social and educational programming at the Chabad House, including Jewish classes and youth events and activities in addition to Shabbat services, Shabbat dinners, counseling, visitation and kashering homes.

Rimler, the former assistant rabbi and outreach director at Rohr Chabad at ASU, grew up immersed in Chabad life in Melbourne, Australia, where his parents directed a Chabad House.

“I was saturated with the concept of looking out for the welfare of every Jew, wherever they are,” Rimler said. “I grew up with the conviction that every Jew deserves to have a sense of family, a sense that they have a community that loves and cares for them.”

In south Phoenix, many Jews have felt the need for that sense of connection. Without a synagogue nearby, Galas had to drive around half an hour to get to services in Tempe or Chandler. He hopes the new center will provide his family with a stronger sense of community in their area.

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Jewish and Israel-related groups react to Trump’s executive order on anti-Semitism

anti-Semitism, while some expressed concern that it defines Jews as a nationality and that it infringes on the First Amendment right to freedom of speech.

Jewish and Israel-related groups had mixed reactions to U.S. President Donald Trump signing an executive order that requires the U.S. government to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism in responding to “prohibited forms of discrimination rooted in anti-Semitism as vigorously as against all other forms of discrimination prohibited by Title VI” of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

The executive order mandates that the U.S. Department of Education investigate anti-Semitic incidents on college campuses in accordance with Title VI of that law.

The order was hailed by many mainstream Jewish

The order, however, does not define Jews in any way. Rather it says that Jews may be protected under Title VI if their attackers perceive them to be a race or having a shared national identity.

The White House announced the move in a call with members of the media on Tuesday, Dec. 10, and the executive order was signed at the first White House Hanukkah party on Dec. 11.

Following Trump’s decision to sign the order, the Jewish Federations of North America issued a statement welcoming it.

“The executive order is modeled on language in the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act, which has benefited from

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“My wife is from Israel, and here it’s just not the same,” Galas said. “I’m always trying to make up for it by going to things, meeting up with other Jewish families, whatever makes her feel like she’s still connected.”

The plan to establish a center in south Phoenix has been in motion since August.

“That’s when we really started to assess the area, and we saw a need,” Rimler said. “Building community is really essential to this area. It’s a hidden gem.”

The new Chabad House was appointed by Rabbi Zalman Levertov of Chabad of Arizona, and inspired by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson.

The center will kick off with a Chanukah party on Dec. 22. Called the Chanukah Community Celebration, the event will start at 4:30 p.m. and will have entertainment for children and adults.

“What better time is there to get the community together than this time of year?” Rimler said.

Rabbi Mendy and Sarah Rimler with their children, Chayala, Eli and Bluma.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CHABAD JEWISH CENTER OF SOUTH PHOENIX

The power of that collective light can dispel so much darkness.”

Galas and his family will host the Chanukah Community Celebration.

He emphasized that Chanukah is great for bringing people together.

“This is the message of the Rebbe, that we can’t just light the menorah in our own home,” he said. “It’s important to light our own menorahs, but at the same time, we have to bring light outside into the world around us.

“Everyone should come, even if they think they won’t know anyone there,” Galas said. “It’s going to be very welcoming, very open.”

an organization for all Jews. If you’re Jewish, you’re a member,” he said. “Labels divide us, they don’t define us.” For Galas and other families in the area, the center is already making a difference.

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Rimler encourages anyone in south Phoenix to reach out and get involved in the new Chabad Jewish Center, regardless of whether they’re Jewish or just know a Jewish friend. “Chabad is

“It’s exciting to have something near where we live,” Galas said. “I’d like to see where it turns out in the next five or 10 years.” JN

To register for the Chanukah Community Celebration, visit jewishsouthphoenix.com/rsvp.

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bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress and formalizes a definition of anti-Semitism that can be used in discrimination cases throughout federal agencies,” the JFNA’s statement read. “It bolsters tools that help prevent discrimination on college campuses, which have been hard hit by a near 90% increase in anti-Semitic incidents over the past three years. It is deplorable that Jewish students continue to experience hate and hostility. These new tools are not inconsistent with first amendment protections, which we will continue to uphold and defend.”

Likewise, the Anti-Defamation League welcomed the executive order, noting “a stark erosion of support and safety for Jewish students on campus” in the past few years, and that “anti-Semitism, often in the guise of BDS and other anti-Israel sentiment, has had a corrosive effect at colleges and universities.”

The Republican Jewish Coalition’s national chairman and former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman called the signing of the order “a truly historic and important moment for Jewish Americans. President Trump has extended to Jewish students very strong, meaningful legal protection from anti-Semitic discrimination.”

‘Jewish students on campus fear for their

safety’

At the Israeli-American Council’s annual summit on Dec. 8, Trump addressed the issue of anti-Semitism, which he called a “vile poison.”

The House has stalled on the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act, introduced in July by Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) that would require the U.S. Department of Education to adopt the IHRA’s definition of anti-Semitism in evaluating incidents on college campuses and at other educational institutions. The Senate version was reintroduced in March by Sens. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Bob Casey (D-Penn.).

In the past, while pro-Israel groups have supported the measure, organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union have opposed it, citing First Amendment concerns.

But the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the American Jewish Committee, the Endowment for Middle East Truth and B’nai B’rith International all have supported the president’s executive order.

“With a dramatic rise in anti-Semitism at home and abroad in recent years, particularly on college campuses, the Jewish community has persistently advocated for the protections this measure provides against Jew-hatred,” said the Conference in a statement, adding that the executive order “will abate the increasingly virulent Jew-hatred on display at some colleges and universities across the country.”

The American Jewish Congress said what the president did was “the right decision.”

“Hate, in the form of extreme anti-Israel rhetoric, has flourished on campuses across the country, making Jewish students feel unsafe and unwelcome while setting the stage for other forms of anti-Jewish hate,” said the organization in a statement. “In particular, the BDS movement—a deeply anti-Semitic movement that has been linked to terror organizations—is widespread at universities and has led to the targeting of Jewish students.”

‘A cynical, harmful measure designed to suppress free speech’

On the other hand, several groups, including the Jewish Democratic Council of America and J Street, criticized the measure.

“This is truly the arsonist attempting to serve as the firefighter, and we’d prefer Trump stop inciting the flames of hatred against Jews as opposed to feigning his concern with a political stunt timed to correspond with a Republicanonly Chanukah party,” said JDCA executive director Halie Soifer. “American Jews and Israel are not pawns to be used in Trump’s re-election bid. It’s not up to Donald Trump to define, stereotype or use Jews for his own political advantage, and we reject his attempts to do so.”

J Street slammed what it called “a cynical, harmful measure designed to suppress free speech on college campuses.”

“This executive order, like the stalled congressional legislation it is based on, appears designed less to combat anti-Semitism than to have a chilling effect on free speech and to crack down on campus critics of Israel,” said the group’s president, Jeremy Ben-Ami.

“J Street is committed to fighting all forms of anti-Semitism—and we feel it is misguided and harmful for the White House to unilaterally declare a broad range of nonviolent campus criticism of Israel to be anti-Semitic, especially at a time when the prime driver of antiSemitism in this country is the xenophobic, white nationalist far-right.”

Stosh Cotler, CEO of Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, said “time and time again, this president and his administration have undermined the civil rights and attacked the dignity of communities protected by the Civil Rights Act, from black people to Muslim Americans to LGBTQ folks.

“Now, the administration is perverting the Civil Rights Act for political ends,” she continued. “This president continues to endanger Jews through his embrace of white nationalism, his anti-Semitic comments and his spreading of conspiracy theories that incite violence. Jews across America see through his hypocrisy and reject his efforts to define who we are or what we should believe.” JN

PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS

VA whistleblower speaks at Jewish War Veterans meeting

ELLEN O’BRIEN | STAFF WRITER

Jewish War Veterans Copper State Post 619 had a special guest speaker at its Sunday, Dec. 15 meeting.

“I think you’ve all heard the name Paula Pedene,” said Bob Brooks, commander of Post 619. “It’s not often that we get a speaker of this caliber in front of our small organization here.”

Pedene is a Navy veteran and former public relations officer at the Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center in Phoenix. In 2014, she helped expose delayed care and patient deaths at the veterans’ hospital.

“It is a part of my history, it’s an unfortunate part of my history. It did not come without great pain and suffering,” Pedene said. “This group is definitely accustomed to that, and what it shows is the resilience that we have.”

On Sunday, around 40 members of Post 619 enjoyed cookies, cupcakes and decaf coffee while Pedene spoke about her experience as a whistleblower.

In February 2014, Pedene collaborated with Dr. Sam Foote to inform the VA Office of the Inspector General that 40

veterans died waiting for an appointment. The investigation that followed led to the resignation of Phoenix VA Health Care System Director Sharon Helman, VA Undersecretary for Benefits Allison Hickey and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki.

“Is that justice? No. We can’t bring those veterans back,” Pedene said. “The hard part about all of that is what it’s done to Phoenix. It’s a sad legacy that they have to deal with.”

Pedene sees the problems that were uncovered at the VA as part of a pattern of unethical leadership in the U.S.

“There’s a problem in our society with the dearth of leadership due to the lack of moral and ethical values,” Pedene said.“Right and wrong needs to be brought back to the front and center.”

After she finished speaking, members of the post asked Pedene questions, including what treatments the VA offers for veterans with PTSD, how they can communicate by email with health care providers at the VA and whether the current administration’s policies

regarding veterans affairs are effective.

While VA leadership may be lacking, the quality of its healthcare was appreciated. One veteran told Pedene that he receives care at the VA Medical Center in Phoenix and that he considers it “the eighth wonder of the world.”

Pedene is now a senior communications specialist for the federal Veterans Health Administration and the founder and director of public relations for Honoring Arizona’s Veterans, which produces the annual Phoenix Veterans Day Parade. She will retire in April, when she turns 62.

“It’s bittersweet, because my original goal was to be at the Phoenix VA until I was 67,” Pedene said. “Can I go back? Unfortunately, no. Can I advocate on the VA’s behalf? Can I try to make issues known? I think I’ll have more of an opportunity to do that when I retire.”

In addition to Pedene’s speech, Post 619 discussed other agenda items, including a donation of 16 bikes to homeless veterans, upcoming events and officer nominations for post elections in February. Two members

submitted their names for the positions of commander and senior vice commander, but the organization is still seeking a quartermaster to manage its finances.

“Over the last few years, aging and passing have left us without some of the key people that we always have relied upon to run this post,” Brooks said. “If we’re going to survive as a post, we’ve got to have a few people come forward.”

Ted and Nancy Jarkowski, who attended a JWV post meeting for the first time on Sunday, also introduced themselves to the group.

“There are still a lot of people, a lot of veterans who don’t even know we exist,” said Nancy Stutman, co-membership chair of Post 619.

This was Pedene’s third time speaking to the Jewish War Veterans, and Post 619 presented her with a JWV coffee mug.

She closed her presentation by encouraging those who were eligible to sign up for healthcare through the VA.

“And just continue to pray, if you would, for a better moral compass in our country,” Pedene said. JN

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BBYO teens hear stories from local Holocaust survivors at Global Shabbat

ELLEN O’BRIEN | STAFF WRITER

“The last generation that is going to meet a Holocaust survivor in person.”

At least four people, teens and adults alike, used that phrase to describe the importance of the program hosted by BBYO on Sunday, Dec. 15 at Congregation Beth Tefillah. Youth leaders brought Holocaust survivors and teenagers together for Global Shabbat, an annual event for BBYO members around the world to celebrate Shabbat together.

“As Jews, we all celebrate Shabbat every week, but on one weekend a year, we’re all celebrating one Shabbat for the same reason,” said Shelby Miller, BBG Mountain Region s’ganit (vice president). “Even though we’re so far apart, it brings us all together.”

Every Global Shabbat program is different; last year, the Mountain Region celebrated with an interfaith Shabbat dinner. When Reann Bressler, the BBG Mountain Region sh’licha (vice president) of Jewish enrichment, social action and community service, started planning this year’s event, she knew she wanted to bring in Holocaust survivors to tell their stories.

“I want people to feel inspired and proud to be Jewish walking out of here,” Bressler said. “I want them to be able to stand up to anti-Semitism around them.”

She was inspired by her experience at International Kallah, a BBYO summer camp in Pennsylvania, where she met survivors through a program called “Shabbat to Remember.”

Sheryl Bronkesh, president of the Phoenix Holocaust Association, helped Bressler organize the program, and spoke on Sunday about the importance of passing on survivors’ stories.

“It is so true that you are the last generation that is going to meet a Holocaust survivor in person,” Bronkesh told the assembled teenagers. “It’s up to you to talk, to hear and then to tell your children.”

Three Holocaust survivors, Betty Newton, Frieda Allweiss and Rise Stillman, spoke at the event.

Newton is originally from Orléans, France, and her family hid during the war in a small town where no one knew they were Jewish — not even Newton herself. She was 6 years old at the time.

“Be proud to be Jewish,” Newton told her

audience. “You’re lucky to be surrounded by people who are Jewish. I was not surrounded by people who were Jewish.”

“Betty’s story was really unique,” said Katie Kort, BBG Mountain Region n’siah (president). “She was raised Catholic and it was really hard for her to learn she was Jewish. She always felt like an outsider and I don’t think that’s a story we hear very often.”

Allweiss was born in what is now Ukraine. She says that she’s lucky; very few Jews in her village survived.

But Allweiss is not bitter. “What can you blame?” she said. “It’s sad that human beings do not learn from the mistakes that were made before. I have no answer for that.”

“Her family, like my family, was in the part of the world where they didn’t kill the Jews in gas chambers, they mowed them down with machine guns,” Bronkesh said. “Two million Jews were killed this way before there were gas chambers.”

Stillman’s family is from Czechoslovakia. Along with her parents and five siblings, she was taken to a ghetto, marched to a train station and sent to Auschwitz. She was 14.

“I think if the war had lasted another two months, no one would have survived,” Stillman said. “It was torment, every moment of your life.”

She tells her story to Temple Solel’s bar mitzvah class once a year. “It’s wonderful because they’re so attentive, so interested in the stories,” Stillman said. “On the other hand, you don’t want to be too graphic. You never know how it’s going to impact someone.”

After the discussions ended, BBYO officers Kort, Miller and Bressler inducted the three survivors into B’nai B’rith Girls, the girl’s membership program of BBYO. The group then gathered outside to celebrate Havdalah and light memorial candles, each with the name of a person who was killed in the Holocaust.

For Miller, this was a Shabbat she’ll never forget. “I think it’s really important for us to hear their stories,” Miller said. “We all learned about it in school, it’s something that we all talk about, but to hear it firsthand from someone that comes from our community is really special.” JN

After Jersey City shooting, investigation — and healing — begin

JNS.ORG

Law-enforcement officials say it could take months to complete their investigation of the shooting inside the JC Kosher Market in the Greenville section of Jersey City, New Jersey, that left a total of six people dead, including the two attackers.

The three civilians killed inside the grocery were identified as 33-year-old Leah Mindel Ferencz of Jersey City, a Chasidic woman who owned the store with her husband, Moshe David Ferencz; Moshe Hersch Deutsch, 24, of the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn; and Miguel Douglas, 49, an employee at the store. Ferencz’s husband had left the grocery store just moments before the attack began to attend services at a synagogue next door.

Also killed at the start of the hours-long incident was Jersey City Police Det. Joseph Seals, a 39-year-old father of five.

Ferencz, a mother of three young children, was originally from the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. She and her husband were among the first Chasidic families to move to Jersey City.

Deutsch was remembered by those who knew him as an exceptional person. He was a volunteer for Chai LifeLine’s annual Bike4Chai charity fundraiser for chronically ill children, as well as the organization’s Achim B’Yachad division, which caters to the Chasidic community.

“Our community has been terrorized once again by violent anti-Semitism,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement. “From Pittsburgh to Poway, and now to Jersey City, the disease that is anti-Semitism has clearly spread to epidemic proportions. But we will not be defeated, we will not stand down, we will not be intimidated.”

According to NBC News, the bloodbath began shortly after noon on Dec. 10, when Jersey City Det. Joseph Seals pulled over a U-Haul truck bearing stolen license plates linked to a murder in nearby Bayonne, New Jersey, that took place last weekend. Seals, a 15-year-veteran of the Jersey City Police Department, was fatally shot as he approached the van near the Bayview Cemetery on Garfield Avenue.

The two suspects were identified on Wednesday as David Anderson and Francine Graham. They were killed inside the kosher market. According to reports, after killing Seals, the couple drove to the kosher market on Martin Luther King Drive 1 mile away,

firing their weapons into the store from the sidewalk before barricading themselves inside and launching into a high-powered rifle shooting spree that lasted for hours.

According to Hamodia, Borough Park, New York resident Yossie Steinmetz had just left the grocery and gone next door to the Kahal Adas Greenville synagogue when the shots rang out. Steinmetz, Ferencz’s husband, and two others were trapped in the synagogue, the four men saying prayers as the gunfire continued.

More than two-dozen area schools were placed on lockdown, including a cheder, a Chasidic boy’s school, upstairs from the synagogue.

The shooting dragged on for four hours with minimal information making its way out of the grocery. Police stormed the market at approximately 4:30 p.m., where they found the three victims dead, along with the bodies of the two shooters.

Approximately 40 children were in the cheder when the shooting occurred. They were visited by an officer from the Jersey City Police Department after the ordeal ended, who told them through a Yiddish translator, “You guys were very brave and acted correctly today. I wish you guys a happy holiday. You guys are all safe, and you are good to go home with your parents when your parents come here.”

The investigation is being handled by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office and the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office.

A fund set up by a group of Orthodox Jewish leaders from the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, to benefit the family of Seals, raised more than $48,000 in less than 24 hours. Originally, organizers were hoping to raise $25,000 from members of the Jewish community to show their appreciation to the officer who gave his life to save others.

“The fear Jews now feel didn’t begin with this terrible incident. The anti-Semitic attacks against our community have been escalating for a while now, and we have been sounding the alarm,” explained Chaskel Bennett, co-founder of the civic and political group Flatbush Jewish Community Coalition, which organized the fund. However, “the response by people to donate more than $48,000 in 18 hours speaks to the overwhelming desire for people to be part of something positive in the midst of such pain. From the depths of our sorrow, the very best of our people shines through.”

Additional reporting by Jesse Bernstein.

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Israeli leaders point fingers at one another for taking country to third round of elections

DOV LIPMAN | JNS.ORG

After being unable to form a government following two inconclusive elections, Israelis will now need to head back to the polls on March 2 for a third round of voting within the past 12 months. Early polls indicate that another election may once again fail to create a conclusive result between Israel’s right-wing and religious bloc, and its left-wing challengers.

Leaders from political parties across the spectrum are casting blame at each other for failing to make compromises that could have led to either a centrist secular government or a narrow right-wing one.

Meanwhile, Israel remains in a transitional government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who currently faces three separate indictments on charges that include bribery and breach of trust. By law, the transitional government is unable to pass simple budgetary measures or take any major diplomatic initiatives, leaving the country in a state of administrative limbo.

The government has been permitted to conduct regular and emergency security measures as required.

Adding to the dysfunction is a friendly U.S. administration that may be willing to allow Israel to take dramatic measures to strengthen its sovereignty over disputed territories in relation to the ongoing conflict with the Palestinian Authority. The current transitional government is unable to act upon American gestures that may not be available if a new president is elected in November 2020.

In a campaign video, Netanyahu, who heads the ruling Likud Party, released a video saying that “Blue and White did everything they could do to prevent the establishment of a wide unity government that could have enabled us to annex the Jordan Valley and establish sovereignty on settlements in Judea and Samaria.”

Meanwhile, Blue and White Knesset member Moshe Ya’alon told JNS that Netanyahu is to blame for the stalemate and the third election, as he “again chose his personal interests over what is best for the state and that is why Israel is being dragged to a third election.”

Ya’alon, a Likud Party defector and former defense minister, said Netanyahu “refused the offer made by Blue and White to form a national unity government with a rotation for prime minister in which Benny Gantz,

the head of the largest party, would be prime minister first, and also insisted that any unity government would include religious parties that would ‘provide him with immunity.’”

‘An end to a period of polarization’

A poll this week by Israel’s Channel 13 revealed that 41% of Israelis blame Netanyahu for the electoral impasse, while 26% blamed Yisrael Beiteinu Party leader Avigdor Lieberman, who refused to support either Netanyahu or Gantz for the job. Twenty-three percent of the public said that “everyone is equally responsible,” while 5% blamed Gantz.

Polls show that if the political landscape remains unchanged from the inconclusive April and September elections — with the same parties, alignments and leaders — the results of a third election may be nearly identical.

Blue and White announced that it would cancel an agreement between Gantz’s Israel Resilience faction and Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid Party, in which the two would rotate as premier should the combined party form a government. Lapid announced this week that Gantz would be party’s lone candidate for prime minister.

Stav Shaffir, a former Labor Knesset Member who recently joined the far-left Democratic Union, told JNS that she hopes Israel’s leftwing parties will merge together with Blue and White ahead of March 2.

While a merger together with left-wing parties may negate claims by Blue and White that it is a centrist party that does not differ in ideology from Likud on diplomatic and security issues, Shaffir said that currently, “the only thing which is preventing this from happening is ego and fear.”

‘We

are going to win this election’

Meanwhile, popular Knesset member Gideon Sa’ar has announced that he will contest Netanyahu for Likud leadership in an upcoming primary within the next several weeks. Several Likud Party members loyal to Netanyahu are petitioning to call off the primary as Sa’ar’s popularity has grown in recent days.

Likud has been Israel’s ruling faction for 28 of the past 32 years. Since the party’s founding in the 1970s, it has had only four party chairmen and never removed a sitting prime minister as its chairman. JN

Protecting Jewish students on campus

The executive order that President Donald J. Trump signed at the White House Chanukah party last week is designed to protect students from an increasing number of disturbing acts of anti-Semitism on campus by withholding federal funds from colleges and universities that do not prevent or investigate harassment or threats against their Jewish students. The executive order is a well-intentioned move, and a potentially important protection for Jewish students who have been victimized by fellow students, college professors or administrators simply because they are Jewish, or because they are targeted for harassment by those who oppose Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, or otherwise oppose Israel’s existence.

Presidential adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner is credited with pushing through the plan, which extends to Jews Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964’s prohibitions of discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin and largely reiterates 2010 guidance provided by the Obama administration on the

same subject. In an op-ed published by the New York Times, Kushner explained that the order “makes clear what our administration has stated publicly on the record: Anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism.”

Critics argue that the executive order

from expressing their disagreement with Israeli governmental policies and the like. Rather, it addresses those incidences when otherwise legitimate criticism joins with victimization of Jewish students on campus merely because of their affiliation

ALTHOUGH JEWS MAY NOT FIT EASILY INTO ONE OF THE “RACE, COLOR OR NATIONAL ORIGIN” CATEGORIES, WE SUPPORT THE EFFORT TO PROTECT ALL STUDENTS FROM DISCRIMINATION, HARASSMENT AND VICTIMIZATION.

goes too far, asserting that by equating criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism, the order could have a chilling effect on free speech and improperly restrict what should be the First Amendmentprotected activities of campus critics of Israel.

Such criticism is unfounded. The executive order does not prohibit students

The threat to the Jews

Last week, two gunmen killed four people, including two Chasidic Jews, at a kosher market in Jersey City, New Jersey, continuing the onslaught of horrific anti-Semitic events that have victimized and traumatized our community. Shortly after that targeted shooting, The Atlantic published a piece titled “American Jews Are Terrified.” That’s true. And mounting anti-Semitism has quickly become the most serious issue facing our community.

From the carving of the word “Jew” and the painting of swastikas on Jewishaffiliated buildings to frequent physical attacks on Jews in the streets of our cities, Jew hatred appears to be closing in from all sides.

Partisans on the left and the right are quick to point to the other side as the cause for the surge of hatred. They are both right. As observed by Emma Green in The Atlantic: “This is the pernicious nature of anti-Semitism: It emerges in many different forms, from all sides of the political spectrum … Jew hatred easily shape-shifts to fit the purposes of many

ideologies.” But what is driving these events, and why is this ugly form of hatred finding such currency in so many places?

There are no clear answers. But there are indicators that even an understanding

with the Zionist cause. The protection is both needed and welcome, as many Jewish students — even students who are willing to criticize Israel — can attest.

Kushner is aware of the criticism and is unapologetic: “It has become fashionable among Jew haters to characterize any discriminatory behavior — no matter how loathsome — not as criticism of Jews,

but of Israel. This is a lie, especially on college campuses, where discrimination, harassment and intimidation of Jewish students has become commonplace and is routinely, but wrongly, justified.” And rather than impose limitations on speech, he argues, the order “merely says that to the extent that Jews are discriminated against for ethnic, racial or national characteristics, they are entitled to protection by the anti-discrimination law.”

All students need to feel safe on campus. The executive order is designed to codify that protection. It also reminds universities that anti-Jewish graffiti on campus or the leafleting of dorm rooms of Jewish students with “eviction” notices — ostensibly because that’s what Israel is doing to Palestinians — are every bit as offensive as any number of racist acts perpetrated against students of color, and will not be tolerated.

Although Jews may not fit easily into one of the “race, color or national origin” categories, we support the effort to protect all students from discrimination, harassment and victimization.

and social ills.” And so it has been — with shooters and hate mongers espousing a range of anger and blame for any number of societal ills supposedly brought about by Jews, ranging from outrage over

THIS IS THE ANTI-SEMITISM THAT MOST OF US THOUGHT THE SHOCK OF THE HOLOCAUST HAD BURIED. BUT IT HADN'T. AND EVERY WEEK WE ARE SHAKEN BY ANOTHER REMINDER THAT JEWS ARE AT RISK.

of some of the motivations behind the hatred don’t provide useful information for addressing it. What the perpetrators have in common, observed Green, “is a brand of conspiratorial thinking that blames Jews for all manner of political

support for immigration to the twisted notion that associates Jews with the very white supremacists who hate them.

This is the anti-Semitism that most of us thought the shock of the Holocaust had buried. But it hadn’t. And every

week we are shaken by another reminder that Jews are at risk. Talk alone isn’t going to solve our problems. Nor will well-meaning legislation. So what will?

“What American Jews need right now is clear and concrete action that protects them from anyone who wishes them harm,” Liel Leibovitz wrote in Tablet. That means we need to focus on protecting ourselves by increasing security at Jewish institutions and being more vigilant in everything we do — particularly in openly identified Jewish spaces.

It can happen here — just as it has happened everywhere. And while legislative solutions and governmental protections are unquestionably welcome, we all need to be thinking about Jewish safety and security in ways that we never imagined a few short years ago.

Fortunately, a number of organizations and foundations are heavily focused on this issue. We need to support them and one another as we struggle to regain the sense of well-being and confidence that our community has traditionally enjoyed. JN

First person: Why I became a U.S. citizen

RABBI MICHAEL BEYO

My grandmother, Nonna Anny, was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1924. When Austria was annexed by Germany and Kristallnacht occurred in 1938, she was 14 years old. Nonna Anny was the second-oldest of five siblings. They did not have the means to escape Austria and needed a financial sponsor to obtain a visa for the U.S. or money to be able to escape to any other safe haven. One of her uncles lived in America and promised to sponsor his sister’s family to receive visas.

My grandmother told me how their days were full of fear and horror. She was blond with blue eyes; she could pass as an Aryan, and so she used to stand in line — the Aryan line — at the bakery to buy bread, always in fear of being caught as an imposter, a Jewess. During those months, they would count the minutes until the official visas for America would arrive. America meant salvation, it meant freedom. Her uncle promised he would sign the Affidavit of Support, but he did not. This affidavit was not signed and because of this — the lack of one signature on a piece of  paper — the entire family’s hopes of being saved were crushed. One signature. One piece of paper. One family not saved.

My grandmother spent the war running and hiding, hiding and running. Escaping death multiple times. She was lucky. She survived. She raised me and my siblings.

Eighty-one years later, I received a letter from the Department of Homeland Security to present myself at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

American a few years ago, but between lack of  time, work and other considerations, I procrastinated. But then I realized something that overwhelmed me. I remember waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. My green card was expiring — what if my green card renewal application was missing that one signature on one piece of paper? I have

ON MY RIGHT SAT AN IRAQI CHRISTIAN WOMAN AND ON MY LEFT, A SYRIAN MUSLIM MAN. I — A JEW — WAS IN THE MIDDLE, AND ALL THREE OF US WERE THERE TO SWEAR ALLEGIANCE TO THE IDEAS AND VALUES OF THIS COUNTRY.

office in downtown Phoenix on Dec. 5, 2019, to take the oath to become an American citizen. I started the process of citizenship approximately a year earlier. I have been living in the United States since 2005, was married in 2006 and have been a permanent resident (holding a green card). You may wonder what made me decide to become a citizen now. Why did I wait so many years?

The truth is, I was eligible to become

friends who were deported for mistakes done 10 or 15 years before. Almost daily, I read about green card holders “mistaken” for illegal immigrants and put on a plane within a few hours to a country they did not know anymore. I heard of proposals to make it more difficult for legal permanent residents to renew their status. And the cold sweat started again. One signature on one piece of paper could have so many repercussions for

me, for my wife and for our two children. These were the “technical” reasons I applied for citizenship.

I grew up watching American TV shows and movies. As a child, I dreamt that I would see New York and the Pacific Ocean, but never in my wildest dreams did I think I would see the Grand Canyon or the red mountains of Sedona. The United States always represented a bastion of freedom, liberty and justice. America was the country where millions of people from all backgrounds and faiths lived together safely and could thrive.

Over the years, I learned American history and politics. I understand that America is not a utopia — I believe it is something better: It is an idea. Other countries do not have this same foundation. Other countries may have better food, nicer fashion, an older history and wonderful scenery. But not one of them was built on the ideas that make this nation great.

No one can destroy an idea. No one can destroy the values of this country. Throughout the history of human civilization, no people has sacrificed more for the goodwill and

SEE BEYO, PAGE 11

In the face of rising anti-Semitism, Jews must stand together

JEREMY BANNETT

Next week, Jews across the world will celebrate one of the most improbable triumphs against anti-Semitism in our history. The miraculous victory of the Maccabees illustrates that, when Jews stand together, there is no threat too great for us to overcome.

In stark contrast to that uplifting tale stands Tisha B’Av, when we remember one of the lowest points in our history — the destruction of the Temple. It is said that this tragedy was the result of sinat chinam, baseless hatred, which fractured the Jewish people so gravely that we became vulnerable to those who wanted to do us harm.

Today, the Jewish community once again faces the threat of rising

anti-Semitism. We must make a critical choice: We can put our differences aside and stand together, or we can succumb to infighting and division. If we strive for

Global 100 Index, roughly one out of every four people on the planet harbors significant anti-Semitic views. The United States experienced historic levels

THE BLAME FOR SURGING ANTI-SEMITISM DOES NOT LIE AT THE FEET OF ANY SINGLE PERSON OR PARTY. ELECTED OFFICIALS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE HAVE TRAFFICKED IN ANTI-SEMITIC LANGUAGE AND STEREOTYPES.

unity like the Maccabees, we will prevail. If we fall prey to sinat chinam, we risk becoming victims to those who wish us ill. Make no mistake: Anti-Semitism is on the march. According to the ADL

of anti-Semitism over the past two years, according to ADL’s Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents. The FBI concurs, recently revealing that 2018 was the deadliest year for hate crimes on record, with 60%

of all religiously motivated hate crimes targeting Jews. New Jersey experienced the third-highest number of anti-Semitic incidents in the nation, and Pennsylvania endured the most lethal anti-Semitic attack in American history — the Tree of Life building shooting in Pittsburgh.

The blame for surging anti-Semitism does not lie at the feet of any single person or party. Elected officials on both sides of the aisle have trafficked in anti-Semitic language and stereotypes, while cynically accusing their opponents of hating Jews. This trend has trickled down to the local level, where individuals and groups feel emboldened to wield the implements and

SEE BANNETT, PAGE 11

When sex is a means to an end

PARSHAT VAYEISHEV GENESIS 37:1-40:23

RABBI NICOLE BERNE

hat makes a hero or a villain? After Tamar is twicewidowed, her father-in-law, Judah, tells her to return to her family until his remaining son is old enough to marry. Eventually, Tamar realizes Judah has no intention to wed Tamar to his last son. Tamar knows what she wants — what she is owed — so she devises a plan. She disguises herself and goes to the crossroads, where she meets Judah. Judah, now a widower, takes her for a prostitute and solicits her, promising her a kid from his flock as payment. In the meantime, Tamar asks for a sign of his good intentions: His signet, his cord and his staff. He agrees.

Tamar is impregnated during this encounter. She returns to her family. When Judah tries to find her to give her the kid, no one can find the woman. When it becomes public that Tamar is pregnant, Judah takes action

Wto have her punished for her promiscuity — but Tamar sends a message to Judah along with the signet, cord and staff he left with her. In that moment, Judah realizes what she has done — and what he has done. This moment marks a major turning point for Judah, a moment of revelation and transformation. Judah becomes a better person because of Tamar’s behavior, and Tamar receives no condemnation for her actions.

Elsewhere in Vayeishev, we see another example of a woman whose desires lead her to act. Potiphar’s wife attempts to seduce Joseph, who has risen to become second in the household only to Potiphar. Each time, Joseph refuses. When the opportunity arises for her to catch Joseph alone, she attempts to corner him, but he runs away. When Potiphar returns home, his wife tells him that Joseph had been the aggressor and she the victim. He has Joseph thrown in jail. There is no doubt that Potiphar’s wife attempts to commit adultery, sexually harasses — if not assaults — Joseph and lies to her husband. But Tamar deceives Judah, to get him to sleep with her, and accepts payment for sex as part of her plan. Why then is Tamar counted as blameless and even

laudable, while Potiphar’s wife is not? Tamar has a goal motivating her — to produce the heirs for her first husband, Er. We read the story of Potiphar’s wife, assuming she is motivated purely by selfish desires. Yet, Midrash Tanchuma goes so far as explain the attempted seduction was a punishment God decreed for Joseph. It is uncomfortable to imagine Potiphar’s wife’s unwanted sexual aggression and deception as a divinely-sanctioned corrective for Joseph — but is it more uncomfortable than Tamar’s arrangements to bear her father-in-law’s child to produce an heir for her late husband?

Moreover, if she hadn’t attempted to seduce Joseph, Joseph might have stayed in Potiphar’s household forever — condemning Egypt and Jacob’s family to starvation in the famine that was to come. Potiphar’s wife ensured Joseph was thrown in jail, where he could interpret the dreams of the cupbearer and the baker, so that when the Pharaoh seeks an interpreter for his dreams, the cupbearer could remember Joseph. Only after interpreting the Pharaoh’s dream could Joseph be given the responsibility to guide Egypt through the forthcoming famine, thus positioning him to be reunited with his

brothers when they travel to Egypt seeking relief from the famine in Canaan.

Tamar is the hero and Potiphar’s wife, the villain — yet the Talmud condemns both unwanted sexual aggression and deception during sex (Nedarim 20b). The point is not who was more right or less wrong. As we read Vayeishev this week, may we closely examine our own reasoning and behavior, lest we fall into patterns too easily, forgetting to examine and test what we believe to be true. As the similarities between the encounters become apparent, may we be awakened to our own assumptions, to question and evaluate what we may have taken for granted. JN

benefit of the rest of humanity as America has. On Dec. 5 — when I stood together with 70 strangers from 35 countries — I had a once in a lifetime experience. On my right sat an Iraqi Christian woman and on my left, a Syrian Muslim man. I — a Jew — was in the middle, and all three of us were there to swear allegiance to the ideas and values of this country. For that moment, we were not from three different, and at times conflicting, faiths. We were not from countries at war. We were there because we share the same values, the same ideas. The same resolution to ‘“support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic ... will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law ... and take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion.”

I remember listening to Bruce Springsteen singing Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land.” I fell in

love with that song as soon as I heard it. What especially struck me were the lines:  “ Nobody living can ever stop me/ As I go walking that freedom highway/ Nobody living can ever make me turn back/ This land was made for you and me.”

Thirty years after hearing this song, I truly know what it means.

Why did I apply for citizenship? Because I am American — I was an American even before I became a citizen. I was an American when I embraced the values, ideals and  spirit of this country that has given me so much. I am an American and, like me, millions of people around the world look up to America to uphold those same rights that they might not enjoy in their countries. This is our responsibility. That is the reason we are Americans, and today I can also say that I am a proud U.S. citizen. JN

BANNETT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 ideas of anti-Semitism. Jews are being attacked, harassed and marginalized in places that they once considered safe — college campuses, public sidewalks, elementary schools, workplaces, even synagogues.

The time has come for the Jewish community to join together against antiSemitism, no matter where it arises or what form it takes. This is the only way to stop the spread of anti-Jewish animus.

We cannot have illusions that this will be an easy task. Jews, like all Americans, are subject to the same forces that are carving deep fissures in our society as a whole. Seeking common ground in these divided times is far harder than retreating behind our partisan battlements. The fact remains, however, that if we want to make headway against anti-Semitism, we must put aside our political differences and find common cause with other Jews.

We must also be clear-eyed that the most effective way to combat antiSemitism is from the inside. While it is

easy to point fingers across the aisle and engage in “whataboutism,” that sort of external criticism has limited impact. Instead, no matter how uncomfortable it may be, we must be courageous and uncompromising in condemning antiSemitism within our own camps.

That is no simple task. Those who stand up against bigotry run the risk of being labeled biased, disloyal or worse. Even ADL, which remains proudly nonpartisan even in these divisive times, is often accused of being an agent of the far-left or the far-right, depending on the perspective of the accuser. But only if Jews remain united and true to our convictions can we move the needle in the fight against anti-Jewish hate.

The word “Chanukah” means “to dedicate.” This year, as we celebrate the Festival of Lights, let us dedicate ourselves to emulating the Maccabees by coming together to fight anti-Semitism.

Rabbi Nicole Berne is the director of youth engagement at Congregation Beth Israel.

Find area congregations at jewishaz.com, where you can also find our 2020 Community Directory.

Jeremy Bannett is the senior associate regional director of ADL Philadelphia. JN

Rabbi Michael Beyo is the CEO of the East Valley JCC.

The perfect Christmas pairing: Chinese food and movies

Each and every December, the Jews of America hunker down for another month of Christmas cheer. We may not necessarily want to know every word to “All I Want for Christmas is You,” yet it is unavoidable; and try as we may to deny it, we have to admit that an Advent calendar full of chocolates does seem to have a leg up on the counting of the Omer.

But a so-called holiday season needs to be enjoyed with ritual. And so, the holy combination of Chinese takeout and doublefeatures — taken in from the comfort of the couch or at the pleasantly empty multiplex — has become a tradition for many of our co-religionists. Dim sum and “Die Hard?” Beef lo mein and “It’s a Wonderful Life?” Dare we say, these combinations give latkes and applesauce a run for their money.

Here, for your reading pleasure, the staff of the Jewish News and one of its affiliates recommends their perfect Chinese foodand-movie combo to make it through Christmas 2019.

Ellen O’Brien: Cashew chicken/”Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?” (2000). The classic mix of chicken, vegetables and, of course, the eponymous nut make cashew chicken an adventure that never stops surprising. Cashew chicken is my default meal when I go to a Chinese restaurant: it’s reliable, but fun, with crunchy cashews and a medley of vegetables to break up the monotony of chicken and rice.

Likewise, this modern take on the Odyssey is full of nutty characters and nonstop escapades. George Clooney stars as Everett, a vain conman who flees a Mississippi prison along with fellow prisoners Pete and Delmar. Pursued by a relentless sheriff, the trio of misfits encounters a bank robber, sirens, a Bible-selling ‘cyclops’ and a KKK lynch mob before reaching the end of their journey. With lively wordplay and a memorable soundtrack of folk and blues songs, this classic comedy — along with cashew chicken — stands the test of time.

Another pairing: Egg drop soup/”Frances Ha” (2012). A light, comforting bowl of egg drop soup pairs perfectly with this awkward, funny and heartfelt story of friendship and young adulthood in New York City.

Frances, the eponymous main character, is

a ballet dancer in her late 20s, struggling to make a career in New York City and to adapt as she and her best friend Sophie drift apart. The movie’s black and white cinematography sets an intimate tone, and screenwriter and actor Greta Gerwig draws the viewer into Frances’ life with warmth and carefree abandon.

Egg drop soup has been one of my favorite Chinese foods since I was a child, as long as it’s not served with corn. The warm flavorful broth and slippery egg whites are as easy to slurp down as they are to savor. Both Frances Ha and a bowl of egg drop soup are sure to warm the heart on a cold Arizona day.

Rich Solomon: Sesame chicken/ “Spaceballs” (1987). A light, sweet dish that you’ll continue to munch on even when you’ve eaten most of it and you’re sick of the taste, sesame chicken is a great meal for anyone who loves themselves enough to want a good time but is masochistic enough to not mind overindulging to get it.

Which makes it a great pairing with “Spaceballs” — but only if you enjoy comedies and can laugh at yourself. Mel Brooks doesn’t mind poking fun at the Tribe in a tongue-in-cheek way, like having an antagonist play with dolls and narrate aloud, “Druish princesses are often attracted to money, and power, and I have both, and you know it!”

“Spaceballs” is a parody of every popular sci-fi franchise that existed in the ’80s, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. While it’s strong satire, it does still have an engaging plot. When the princess of planet Druidia — “Funny,” a character quips about her, “she doesn’t look Druish,” — gets cold feet on her wedding day and absconds into space, she’s kidnapped by the ruthless Spaceball empire as part of a blackmail scheme to steal all of the oxygen from Druidia. Only one person — along with his half-dog, half-man companion — can rescue the princess: Lone Starr, a Winnebagodriving mercenary in heaps of debt.

With colorful side characters like Pizza the Hut, a mystical dwarf named Yogurt and the villainous Dark Helmet (played by Rick Moranis), “Spaceballs” is a light-hearted take on every standard sci-fi trope you’d associate with an ’80s movie. Will Lone Starr be able

to master the Schwartz, the strange power that moves objects using one’s mind? Will Princess Vespa be forced into a low-energy marriage with the uninspiring Prince Valium? Will Dark Helmet succeed in wooing the princess for himself? Will “Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money” ever get made? If you can enjoy a movie and meal without taking the film or your stomach too seriously, this is the combo for you. If you have taste, you’ll want to read another entry on this list.

Jesse Bernstein: Hunan chicken/“The Irishman” (2019). Have I had many versions of each one before? Yes. Is there something valuable in revisiting old themes with a new twist, over and over? Yes. Is the consumption of each done best when I have nothing else to do that day? Folks, you better believe it’s yes. Hunan chicken is a slow burn with a fiery finish, and so, too, according to reviews, is Martin Scorcese’s “The Irishman,” a new, three-and-a-half-hour mob movie with — get this — Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci. It’s a movie I’m sure will be good the first time and like Hunan chicken, is sure to reward going back for leftovers.

Matt Silver: Serious Sichuan from Han Dynasty/“A Serious Man” (2009). Larry Gopnik is trying as hard as he can to be a mensch, which in his suburban Midwestern milieu of 1967 is defined narrowly, and vaguely, as “a serious man.” Gopnik’s neighbor and would-be cuckolder, Sy Abelman, is considered a serious man but is really a fraud, a pedantic blowhard. No one but Gopnik seems to notice.

Gopnik’s Jewish day school-educated son, approaching bar mitzvah, is lost in a malaise of pot smoke and Jefferson Airplane lyrics, and his daughter is systematically looting cash from his wallet to save up for a nose job. Throw in a grades-for-cash boondoggle from which Gopnik (a university professor) can’t extricate himself and a tenure committee poised to pounce on any perceived misstep, and it really starts to feel like Hashem must be punishing this beleaguered math-geek for something.

The more he learns, the less he seems to know. Everywhere he turns for advice — from his divorce lawyer, to his dentist, to a parade of junior rabbis (the senior rabbi, Rabbi Marshak is always “thinking” and, thus, too busy to meet with him) — he’s given some abstract parable, some indecipherable piece of spiritual gobbledegook.

In one memorable scene, Gopnik, a physics professor, teaches a lecture hall

full of bewildered students Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle. As we see the entire lecture hall shot from on high, blackboard filled with incomprehensible mathematic scribble, Gopnik finishes his proof and, with resignation, enlightens: “It proves we can’t ever really know what’s going on.” Gopnik pauses, before continuing: “But even though you can’t figure anything out, you will be responsible for it on the midterm.”

A movie so contemplative and funny and rich in layers calls for Chinese food with a multidimensional flavor profile. Han Dynasty, Philly’s original foray into the Sichuan Revolution, has got to be the choice. The cumin-heavy dishes are dry and bitter, like the film’s comedic sensibility, and also spicy, like Gopnik’s next-door neighbor who sunbathes topless, the alluring Mrs. Samsky.

The famous Dan Dan Noodles (which may be ordered without the pork) are slippery like Sy Abelman and nutty like Gopnik’s unemployable brother (played pitch-perfectly by Richard Kind), who’s working on a secret treatise called the “Mentaculous” that turns out to be detached from every known reality. Add some extra chili flakes for those relatives who are geniuses in the only place that really matters, their own minds.

Lastly, and this is most important, make sure to order the large helping and finish it all, thereby ensuring the onset of that distinctly Jewish brand of self-loathing that permeates “A Serious Man” and ultimately makes the food, and the film, most worthwhile.

Eric Schucht: Chow mein/“Eight Crazy Nights” (2002). This combination seems fitting as they’re both cheaply thrown together messes. Like chow mein, “Eight Crazy Nights” is something few seek out. You don’t choose, but accept. The Jewish people don’t really have a lot of options when it comes to Chanukah flicks, especially the animated kind, so beggars can’t be choosers.

I’m a fan of the stir-fry travesty because I refuse to be an adult and make my own decisions. It’s a consistent, consumable dish that’s easy to order, easy to find and it gets the job done. Basic filler. The same can be said of the Adam Sandler musical “comedy” with bad voice acting, offensive stereotypes and overused toilet humor.

Not sure if you’ll feel the spirit of the season after watching, but you’re sure to feel something. Oh, and make sure to eat out of a to-go box because it’s a crime to class up anything that’s just thrown on the living room TV for background noise as you think about your life choices. JN

Keep the light of the holiday burning bright for Jews in need here, in Israel and around the world.

Make your AZ state taxes count

Man invents 20-sided dreidel

One day while browsing Facebook, she came across a post by a man looking for retailers to carry his latest invention — a 20-sided dreidel.

It’s basically a 20-sided die with the same letters as seen on a traditional four-sided dreidel, but each letter appears five times instead of once. And instead of spinning the dreidel, it’s tossed like dice.

“It’s different, a little kitschy,” Ratzabi said. “It’s just something fun, maybe a little absurd, and people are really excited about it.”

Marketed as the first of its kind, it’s the creation of David Zvi Kalman, 32, and is one of many business ventures he has in the works.

Kalman can’t remember exactly how the idea for a 20-sided dreidel came to him, but he started looking into selling it after writing a piece for Tablet Magazine in 2015. The article focused on how much of today’s Judaica is produced in China. Since so many others were making their wares overseas, he figured it would be straightforward for him to do likewise.

“In my academic life, I look at the relationship between Jewish history and the history of technology,” Kalman said. “So, I’m approaching this both as someone who’s interested in creating new and interesting products and having some sense of the long trajectory of Jewish ritual objects, both the ones that are important and the ones that are more frivolous, like the dreidel.”

Kalman has sold the dreidels in packs of six through online retailers since November. One of the biggest carriers is Ritualwell.org, an initiative of Reconstructing Judaism.

Ratzabi lives in Israel and oversees Ritualwell. org’s online store, which sells products including greeting cards, ketubah, art prints and different ritual objects. When she saw Kalman’s Facebook post, she immediately reached about the site stocking it.

At first, Ratzabi only ordered 20 packs. But

“Its fun for me to see this phenomena happening,” Ratzabi said. “It’s really just a fun thing and when there’s so many serious things going on in current events with anti-Semitism and so many sad things happening, it was very joyful for me to see people get really excited about something, even if it seems silly. It’s a nice thing when there’s other things happening in the world that are not so great, it’s nice to have something that makes people smile.”

Kalman was surprised about the positive response to the dreidel, but has some theories on the product’s success.

He said there’s a big appeal for the product among dice collectors, Dungeons & Dragon enthusiasts and anyone looking for a Chanukah gift. As it’s easier to throw a die than spin a dreidel, Kalman said the 20-sided dreidel is great for small children. It also allows for any chance-based game to go quicker as players don’t have to wait for it to stop spinning.

“Its fun. It’s not deep,” Kalman said. “It’s a relatively easy product to understand. It’s aesthetically more interesting. And there’s just something about holding a 20-sided dreidel that, in my experience, feels delightful, even though functionally it’s not that different.”

Kalman is in the process of trying to patent his design. After releasing an Israeli version of the 20-sided dreidel and a undisclosed Passover-related product, he plans to take a break from dreidels and move on to other projects.

Kalman now works as a fellow in residence at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America. In his free time, he works on various side projects, including a publishing house named Print-O-Craft, a network of Jewish podcasts titled Jewish Public Media and a website for anonymously sharing Yom Kippur apologies called AtoneNet. JN

Ask The Tax Expert

Q: What can I do to reduce my taxes for 2019?

A: Here are a few actions you can take before year end to reduce your 2019 tax liability.

• Maximize any deferrals available to you through a 401(K) plan. This reduces your taxable income and saves money for retirement. Include the “catch-up” amounts if you are over 50.

• Don’t forget to take your Required Minimum Distributions (RMD) from your retirement accounts. The IRS penalizes you for failure to withdraw the RMD if you are over 70-1/2.

• For business owners, defer income and accelerate expenses.

• Harvest capital losses. Sell securities with tax losses to offset capital gains.

• Consider funding an HSA if your health insurance is a high deductible plan.

• Utilize any funds in your Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

Disclaimer: This is not intended as tax or legal advice and should not be relied upon for that purpose. Contact your tax advisor for further information.

Vicki Harris

SERVICE BEYOND THE NUMBERS®

Victoria C. Harris, CPA

Managing Shareholder

Hunter Hagan & Company, Ltd.

Certified Public Accountants & Consultants

4110 N. Scottsdale Rd. Ste 200

Scottsdale, AZ 85251-3900

voice (480) 946-0751 | fax (480) 941-2188

www.hunterhagan.com

Ask The Health Care Expert Integrating Primary and Behavioral Health Care to Create Healthier Communities

When you go to the doctor, you’re putting your trust and care in the capable hands of highly educated professionals that specialize in making people better. However, many healthcare issues can’t be detected with blood work and X-rays. Many people overlook the role that mental health plays in our overall physical condition. Behavioral health issues can impact every part of our life and some impact our physical health.

Primary care centers have become the gateway to the behavioral health system, and primary care providers need support and resources to screen and treat individuals with behavioral and general healthcare needs.

Local entrepreneur, undaunted by mobility challenges, creates his own scooter

TROY HILL | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Ten years ago, Joseph Tsiyoni — an inventor, businessman and author who lives in the Greater Phoenix area — became disabled due to a total knee replacement. He lost the ability to walk any farther than a short distance and found himself experiencing newfound challenges with mobility.

The struggles prompted Tsiyoni to search for a scooter to use to get around, but he couldn’t find one that was good enough to take to everyday places like the grocery store or the airport.

But Tsiyoni had experience inventing — he previously developed the “28inch midget hoist,” a tool designed for mechanics to more efficiently replace parts — so he decided he would design a scooter for himself.

The result is a three-wheeled scooter, powered by a lithium battery, that is relatively lightweight, easy to transport and allows the user to stand while traveling.

Tsiyoni, who is very involved in Phoenix’s Jewish community and attends Congregation Beth Tefillah, said he recognizes that people with physical disabilities or mobility challenges need things like scooters to get around, so he wanted to use his business savvy to make his product commercially available.

“If you believe that maybe God put you somewhere, if God gave you the talent to help people, then your responsibility is to go and get the job done,” Tsiyoni said. He applied for a patent and received it a year and a half later. Unfortunately,

The answer? An integrated healthcare model. The Jewish Family & Children’s Service (JFCS) Michael R. Zent and Glendale Healthcare Centers offer both primary and mental health care. By integrating mental health, substance abuse, and primary care services, JFCS produces the best outcomes and offers the most effective approach to caring for people with multiple healthcare needs.

For individuals that are a part of the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), integrated care means that they have the same access to quality care as individuals on the most comprehensive health care plans. Financial access to care, transportation and gaps in knowledge about how to properly care for yourself is no longer a barrier to quality care.

Dr. Lorrie Henderson President and CEO of Jewish Family & Children’s Service. For more

information, visit www.jfcsaz.org.

We should view healthcare as treating the whole person. In addition to positive health outcomes, it’s also cost-effective care. Combining mental health services/expertise with primary care can increase patient satisfaction, reduce costs, increase the quality of care, and, ultimately, save lives.

Invest in the Southwest.

Opportunity Zones 101

WHAT ARE OPPORTUNITY ZONE FUNDS?

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

WHAT IS AN OPPORTUNITY ZONE?

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

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS TO INVESTING?

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

ARIZONA | COLORADO | TEXAS | NEVADA | UTAH

Happy Chanukah!

All Real Estate Agents Are Not Alike!

by that time, Tsiyoni’s condition had worsened. His increasing struggle prompted him to further refine his scooter prototypes, culminating in the model he now uses.

He said the PrideR scooter is particularly useful to the disabled community because it is made up of only two parts,

over… when they realize it’s time to be safer in every single product, then my dream is to do scooter-sharing,” he said.

Tsiyoni hopes his scooter will also offer an alternative to people who may not like using a wheelchair and want other options. Individuals in wheelchairs can suffer from pressure sores if seated in one position for too long. Users of the

THE SCOOTER IS FOR PEOPLE WHO, LIKE TSIYONI, CANNOT WALK LONG DISTANCES, SUCH AS SENIOR CITIZENS OR OTHERS WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES. BUT IT COULD ALSO BE USED BY THOSE WHO ARE CONCERNED BY THE SPEED OF A WHEELCHAIR OR CONVENTIONAL SEATED SCOOTERS.

I

Bus (480) 948-5554 • Cell (602) 228-0265

Tobyre4u@aol.com

7077 E. Marilyn Rd., Bldg. 4, Ste 130 Scottsdale, AZ

each weighing 21 lbs., and it is very slow-moving with a top speed under 5 miles per hour. The biggest advantage of the scooter having only two parts is that someone who can stand up and walk around a car will be able to transport and use the scooter anywhere.

“There is no other scooter like this; you can put the two parts in the trunk of a car in about 10 seconds with one person,” Tsiyoni said.

Tsiyoni said the scooter is for people who, like himself, cannot walk long distances, such as senior citizens or others with physical disabilities. But he said it could also be used by those who are concerned by the speed of a wheelchair or conventional seated scooters.

“Even just people without mobility challenges who just want to sightsee or walk in a place and they don’t want to rush themselves — they want to be safe,” Tsiyoni said of potential users.

Tsiyoni wants to replace two-wheeled scooters with his own scooter. He sees the more popular two-wheeled scooters as dangerous because of how frequently he reads about scooter-related injuries or deaths in the news. It is his dream that the PrideR could be part of the scooter-sharing market that has overtaken cities like Phoenix.

“When someone at one of those big companies realizes that the time of two wheels is

PrideR, on the other hand, stand at eye level. This helps alleviate concerns about sores, and also assists with errands like grocery shopping.

Tsiyoni said he wants to improve people’s quality of life with his invention — and to help revitalize the lives of others in the same way he revitalized his own life through his creativity.

For more information about the PrideR scooter, visit prider.net.

Congregation Beth Tefillah member and local entrepreneur Joseph Tsiyoni created his own scooter after he experienced mobility difficulties following a knee surgery.

Toby

Broker Associate

Personalize your dining room for the holidays

BARBARA KAPLAN | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Many people don’t use their dining rooms often, which makes them ideal to be designed more outrageously. Definitely express your personal style.

Traditionally, most dining rooms have a table, chairs (possibly different host and hostess chairs), buffet and display cabinet.

Why not give everyone an armchair for greater comfort?

Tables come in many choices. If it is important to add more people around your table, use an oval-top table with a pedestal base. Having no corners and no legs makes it more versatile.

A round table is used less often but is wonderful in a round or square room. In some dining rooms it is possible to angle the dining table corner to corner. This can provide more space to move around, plus it creates a surprise.

Here are some other ideas to consider:

Rather than keeping a collection of precious pieces in your display cabinet, paint the walls a complementary color and add free-floating shelves painted the same color as the walls to give a look of floating art. Now you’ve created a focal wall which can stimulate conversation and appetite. Also, these decorative pieces can be interspersed on the dining table.

Since hours may be spent sitting around the table, the dining room is a perfect gallery in which to display your art collection. Remember to place the art low enough since it will mainly be seen and enjoyed sitting down.

Choose specific colors on the walls to complement your décor and for interest and stimulation or calming. Possibly, paint the walls different colors and choose to sit where your mood dictates.

Dining rooms usually are long and narrow, which can make buffet-style serving awkward. Instead of placing a buffet on the long straight wall, put shelving units in the corners; this way people won’t bump into chairs when serving

themselves. If space allows, you can turn the table 90 degrees for more space or serve buffet style in an adjoining room.

Have you ever considered having more than one table in a dining room? This way you can have small groups at one table or join them together for larger groups.

To create a calming, luxurious feel in the dining room, fill it with plants (or at least one large one.) Palms are a perfect choice to give a feeling of luxurious dining. Hide an up-light on the floor for drama and shadows on the ceiling.

Lighting is always important too. Keep in mind:

• The bottom of the chandelier should be 30 inches above the table or 60 inches off the floor.

• The light should be on a dimmer to adjust the intensity for atmosphere as well as temperature, so diners are comfortable and not too warm.

• Lighting around the perimeter of room directed at the artwork adds interest and drama and often provides enough light for dining if you have candles on the table.

• Pendant lights can be hung the shape of the table instead of a single chandelier in the center.

• If the ceiling is dropped over the table, coffered recess lights can be used and the ceiling painted an accent color.

Lastly, sit in each chair of your dining room and experience what each person will see. Make sure it is a pleasant experience for happy, comfortable dining for everyone. JN

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

Daniel Okrent & Peter Gethers

An outrageous evening of jokes, skits, songs, one-liners, double-entendres, and hysterical routines that pays tribute to & reinvents classic jokes of the past & present. Like rye bread, kosher pickles & bagels, this show is for everyone! You’ll laugh ‘til you plotz.

PHOTO BY MARC MCCAMMON VIA PEXELS

Holocaust concert exposes personal history and collective grief

RICH SOLOMON | MANAGING EDITOR

The Nazis dubbed them mischlinge — persons deemed to have both Aryan and Jewish ancestry. Employment, education and marriage restrictions were placed on Mischlinge , with the severity of the restrictions decided by how many Jewish grandparents an individual had.

Pianist Caroyln Enger is familiar with the derogatory word. Her father and godmother were Mischlinge under the severest of restrictions. Enger’s “Mischlinge Exposé” features video and audio testimony from her father and godmother.

The New York-based Enger comes to Phoenix through a joint collaboration between the East Valley JCC’s Center for Holocaust Education and Human Dignity and the city of Chandler. “Music in the Shadow of the Holocaust,” on Jan. 9, will include Enger’s performance followed by “To Open in Praise” by Daniel Asia.

Asia, an award-winning composer, is a professor of music at the University of Arizona’s Fred Fox School of Music. A former composer-in-residence with the Phoenix Symphony, Fox writes pieces that delve into the connection between Jewish spirit and classical music.

The Jewish News sat down with Enger and Asia to learn more about their work. This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.

Emotion and creativity are often connected. What feelings were brought up as you went through the creative process for this performance?

Enger : It was a hard project to put together. My father was very reticent to discuss his past. I’ve been reading about German Jewry and trying to answer unanswerable questions for 20 or 30 years. And there was this feeling that if I read one more book, I’d “get” it. And I was trying to put myself in my father’s experience, which is impossible. I never experienced the war. That’s when you get into some of the issues of the second generation. We want to know as much as we can possibly know, but at the same time, we don’t. We don’t want to ask our parents to relive their experiences.

Though music is a universal language., how do you think someone disconnected from Judaism and the events of the

Holocaust will view the concert?

Asia: The completely inexperienced will still glean a lot. Anyone, Jew or non-Jew, will feel the emotions coursing through the music performed on this concert — if they are open to the experience.

Enger: One of Daniel Asia’s pieces evokes this fist-in-the-sky kind of frustration about unanswerable questions; it’s like wrestling with God. It asks, “Why us?” So some folks may have no direct connection to the topic, but despair or frustration, those are universal emotions.

What was the biggest challenge in making a piece centered on the Holocaust?

Enger: The topic. The horror of it. It’s a very graphic topic, and because I don’t have a lot of direct information from my father, my mind fills in the blanks in a very disturbing way. There’s just no way to be casually looking through photos of death camps.

How do these performances, steeped in history, apply to contemporary life?

Asia: All present experience is informed or seen through various lenses. All of my music is thus the sum of all I have experienced as a Jew and a human being. That experience includes also all that I have learned of past human experience, which includes the Bible, literature, music heard, pictures seen. But I live in a particular time and place and all of my music ultimately presents my vision of music and life as it is when I write it.

Enger: We’re seeing a rise in anti-Semitism, xenophobia, anti-immigrant sentiment, mass shootings … There are armed guards at my synagogue. I think of the mosque shooting in New Zealand, the attacks in Pittsburgh, California and Jersey City. The message of our program is as relevant as it’s ever been.

What is one thing you hope the audience will take away from the concert?

Asia: A richer and deeper understanding of what if means to be Jewish and human.

Enger: I want to inspire people to see each other in a more compassionate light. To part ways with binding definitions of who we are, and the lines that divide us, so we can be more at peace with ourselves and one another. JN

For more details about “Music in the Shadow of the Holocaust,” visit evjcc.org/holocaustmusic or call 480-897-0588.

e Camby Ballroom, a beautifully appointed space adorned with crystal chandeliers, can accommodate up to 450 guests - perfect for bat mitzvahs, holiday parties, weddings and special events. Your guests will feel like royalty from the moment they step through the doors.

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"Old Jews Telling Jokes" raises the curtain at the Herberger Theater Center on Dec. 25 and runs until Jan. 19. Ahead of opening night, the cast and crew of the show dished to the Jewish News about the kosher comedy that will

There is so much about "Old Jews Telling Jokes" that has brought me enjoyment over the last seven years that I’ve been a member of the national touring company.

First, it is a tribute to my comedic roots, the Borscht Belt, that area of the Catskill Mountains that spawned so many famous Jewish comedians like Mel Brooks, Woody Allen and Robert Klein, just to name a few. It feels good to keep the tradition alive by paying homage to such an important part of our history.

Also, I grew up watching comedy shows with my dad, who had a great sense of humor, so I remember laughing with him at the "The Carol Burnett Show" and Harvey Korman. Later, we watched many of these comedians like Joan Rivers

RICH SOLOMON | MANAGING EDITOR

and Buddy Hackett when they appeared on talk shows. Jump ahead to the magical year of 1975 when "Saturday Night Live" debuted and I became absolutely mesmerized with Gilda Radner and the first seven years of SNL, which were just incredible.

As a performer, I love being in the cast of OJTJ because it provides me an opportunity to create different comedic characters which, in the tradition of Gilda Radner, I absolutely love to do. I also get to work with very talented colleagues and sing funny songs, which is my favorite kind of entertainment.

When I first read the script, I knew most if not all of the punch lines and I asked the producer why people would laugh at a joke they already knew so well. He said, “The trick is in the telling of the joke.” And I soon realized that the comedy characters bring the joke to life in a way that just reciting a worn joke cannot. Plus, it’s like going to hear Paul McCartney sing “Hey, Jude.” You’ve heard it a million times and you know what’s coming but you still appreciate hearing it and enjoy the experience.

OJTJ is everything I love: funny songs, humorous stories and, of course, jokes! It’s like a buffet for your comedy soul and you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy it. But like the joke goes ... it couldn’t hurt. Finally, it’s a very powerful feeling to stand onstage and make people laugh. The fact that they leave the theater feeling good is a wonderful feeling as a performer.

gratifying. The show is steeped in much of classic and legendary comedy. "Old Jews Telling Jokes" is a tribute to the midnight show in the Catskills. All of America learned this comedy through the comedians’ appearances on shows like "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" and "The Ed Sullivan Show." Borscht Belt performers like Shecky Greene, Don Rickles and many others got their start in the Catskills.

Hearing this classic and legendary comedy material again strikes a very warm and nostalgic chord in our audiences. And they laugh hard because the comedy is universal and timeless. Feeling that from the stage is why I enjoy doing this show.

I am delighted to be performing at the Herberger Theater in the national touring production of the off-Broadway hit "Old Jews Telling Jokes." Why I enjoy doing this show is easy to answer.

The audience response is incredibly

them is so gratifying. As a performer, there is nothing more special than being able to deeply connect with an audience. This show encompasses culture, humor and the importance of using humor as a tool in life. Our audiences get that, and that’s what makes it special.

Emily Freeman

I play Debbie in "Old Jews Telling Jokes." The thing I like most about being in the show is the sense of family. The cast and I have done the show together so many times and yet time and time again they teach me new things about the show and, more importantly, myself. This show has been the biggest privilege to perform in. Not only do I have immense pride in being a part of this but the audience is also able to take pride in themselves as part of the Jewish community. JN

For more information, visit playhouseinfo.com/ herbergertheater.

Michael Small

CALENDAR

Featured Event

SUNDAY, DEC. 22

Oy Vey 5K at the J: 8 a.m.-noon, Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Family event for runners and walkers of all ages. Kids Fast Dash for ages 3 to 6 starts at 8 a.m., 5K Run/Walk for ages 7 and up starts at 8:30 a.m. Tickets: $30 for ages 7 and up, $10 for ages 3 to 6. Fee includes a long-sleeved race t-shirt, post-race snacks and swag bag. To register, visit vosjcc.org/funrun.

Events

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 25

Mitzvah Day and Breakfast: Mitzvah Minyan at 9 a.m. followed by breakfast. Pack sack lunches and toiletry bags and create blankets. Bring a donation of fleece blankets. $15 for a family of four or $8 per person. To RSVP, visit bethelphoenix.com or call 602-944-3359.

SATURDAY, JAN. 11

A Night Out with Wendy Hammers: 6-8:30 p.m., Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. One-woman comedy show by actress, dancer and stand-up comic Wendy Hammers. Pre-event wine bar and post-event dessert reception included. $36 for members of VOSJCC and Temple Kol Ami, $45 for guests. For more information, contact Nicole Garber at nicoleg@vosjcc.org or 480-481-7024.

FRIDAY, JAN. 17

Brighter Tomorrow Luncheon: 11:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m., JW Marriot Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa — Paradise Ballroom, 5402 E. Lincoln Dr., Scottsdale. The Jewish Family and Children’s Service Brighter Tomorrow Luncheon is an annual signature event showcasing JFCS’ impact on the wellbeing of over 40,000 people in the Valley. Dr. Michael M. Crow, the 16th president of Arizona State University, is the featured keynote speaker. Tickets start at $180. To register, visit jfcsaz.org.

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. No RSVP is necessary. This free program is intended for players with prior experience. Be sure to bring a current mahjong card and a set if you have one. For more information, visit evjcc.org or call 480-897-0588

Crystal Bridge at The J: 12:30-3 p.m., Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Duplicate bridge with light refreshments served all day. Director: Maddy Bloom. Sanctioned Game 0-499 Masters Points. Cost: $10. For more information, contact Harriet Colan at 480-481-7033 or harrietc@vosjcc.org.

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 602-256-0658 for more information.

MONDAY, DEC. 23

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 welcomed.

SUNDAY, DEC. 29

BAGELS Meeting: Bagels and Gabbing Every Last Sunday: 9:30-11:30 a.m., Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Meeting with bagels and coffee. Sponsored by Bagels N’ Bialys. Registration required. Free for members, $5 for guests. To register, visit vosjcc.org/bagelsdec.

TUESDAY, DEC. 31

Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Group: 10-11:30 a.m., Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. This grassroots group will meet every other Tuesday. Free and open to the community. Patient care not available during the group session. For more information, contact the Desert Southwest Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association at 1-800-272-3900 or alz.org/dsw.

SUNDAY, JAN. 5

Israeli Movie Series: 3 p.m., East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Screening of “Arabani,” a movie about a Druze who returns with his children to his native village after having been estranged from it for 17 years. Suggested donation: $5. For more information call 480897-0588 or email events@evjcc.org.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 8

Film: The Frisco Kid: 6-9 p.m., Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Screening of “The Frisco Kid,” with Gene Wilder as Rabbi Avram Belinksi, a Polish rabbi who comes to San Francisco and consistently finds his commitment to traditional Judaism challenged. Discussion with Professor Steve Mirvis, an assistant professor of history and the Harold and Jean Grossman Chair in Jewish Studies at Arizona State University. Free. To register, visit vosjcc.org.

THURSDAY, JAN. 9

Jewish Women’s Circle Scottsdale Monthly Challah Bake: 10 a.m., 10215 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Hands-on Challah baking experience led by Dina. No experience needed. Cost: $15. To register, visit chabadofscottsdale.org/ challah, or for more information email dina@ chabadofscottsdale.org or call 480-998-1410.

The Book of Judges: Anarchy & Activism: 10:30-11:30 a.m. Beth Emeth Synagogue, 13702 W. Meeker Blvd., Sun City West. Explore a time in Israel’s history filled with unlikely heroes and disturbing stories. Four sessions, no long-term commitment required. Admission: free for members, $10/session for non-members. For more information, call 623-584-7210 or email bethemethaz@gmail.com.

Family MONDAYS

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.

Baby dance classes: 9:15-9:45 a.m., Arizona

Sunrays Gymnastics & Dance Center, 15801 N. 32nd St., 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. Free. Advanced registration not required, limited to first 20 children who arrive. Call 602-992-5790 or visit arizonasunrays.com for more information.

THURSDAYS

Baby dance classes: 9:30-10 a.m., Arizona

Sunrays Gymnastics & Dance Center, 15801 N. 32nd St., 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. Free. Advanced registration not required, limited to first 20 children who arrive. Call 602-992-5790 or visit arizonasunrays.com for more information.

MONDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS

Baby gym classes: 9-9:30 a.m., Arizona Sunrays Gymnastics & Dance Center, 15801 N. 32nd St., 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. Free. This is a “drop in” class; advanced registration is not required. Call 602-992-5790 or visit arizonasunrays.com for more information.

WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS

Baby gym classes: 9:30-10 a.m., Arizona Sunrays Gymnastics & Dance Center, 3923 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. Parents (and grandparents) are invited to bring in their babies, ages 6 months to 18 months. This parentchild class uses tumbling mats, balance beams, parallel bars and trampolines. Work on strength, balancing and coordination with your baby. Free. This is a “drop in” class; advanced registration is not required. Call 602-992-5790 or visit arizonasunrays.com for more information.

MONDAY-FRIDAY, DEC. 23-JAN.3

Winter Break Shemesh Camp: 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Day camp for grades K-4 with art, sports and swimming. For exact dates, visit vosjcc.org/events. For more information or to register, call 480-634-4949 or email youth@vosjcc.org.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 25

Spies in Disguise: 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Studio Movie Grill, 15515 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale. Spin the dreidel, make crafts with PJ Library and watch

the much anticipated movie Spies in Disguise featuring Will Smith. Tickets: $15 for members, $20 for guests. Registration required by Dec. 13. For more information or to register, visit vosjcc.org/programs or call 480-481-7090

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.

SATURDAY, DEC. 21

Sippy Cup Shabbat: 10-10:45 a.m., Congregation Kehillah, 5858 E. Dynamite Blvd., Cave Creek. This special Shabbat morning is designed for parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles of toddler-age children and is open to all families in the community. Welcome the first day of winter and prepare for the beginning of Chanukah with Shabbat music, dancing stories and more. RSVP to Renee by Dec. 18th at 602-369-7667 or via email at info@congregationkehillah.org.

MONDAY, DEC. 23-FRIDAY, DEC. 27

Winter Camp Ages 2-pre-K: Camp Rimon Katan at the East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. For more information, visit evjcc.org/camp.

MONDAY, DEC.23-FRIDAY, JAN.3

Winter Camp Grades K-9: Camp Rimon Gadol at the East Valley JCC, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. For more information, visit evjcc.org/camp.

Chanukah

EVERY NIGHT OF CHANUKAH

Town of Carefree Chanukah Celebration: 5:30 p.m., Sanderson Lincoln Pavilion, 101 Easy St., Carefree. Menorah lighting will be led by a different community group or family each night. First night festivities hosted by Temple Chai and the Jewish Social Group of Cave Creek and Carefree. Gift bags will be available for children every evening. For more information, visit christmasincarefree.com/menorah-lighting.

MONDAY, DEC. 21

Temple Solel Vodka Latke: 7-9 p.m., address upon request. Eat latkes and learn to create vodka craft cocktails with mixologists from Mix Mobile Bartending AZ. Ages 22-49. Tickets: $30. For more information or to buy tickets, visit templesolel.org/events.

SUNDAY, DEC. 22

Chanukah Wonderland & Touch-a-Truck: 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Chabad of the East Valley, 875 N. McClintock Drive, Chandler. Edible dreidels, bounce house, shrinky dinks, Dance Dance Revolution and an escape room. Free. Food for sale, $5 for admission to escape room. For more information, visit chabadcenter.com or call 480-855-4333.

Chanukah on the Lawn: 4:30 p.m., Biltmore Fashion Park, 2502 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix. Crafts, latkes and donuts with live music and a graffiti art show. Menorah lighting and songs at 5:30 p.m. Free. For more information, visit chabadaz.com/lawn.

Chanukah Community Celebration: 4:30 p.m., address provided upon RSVP. Hosted by the Chabad Jewish Center of South Phoenix. Menorah lighting, latkes, gelt, make-your-own doughnuts, dreidel games and crafts and activities. All ages welcome. To RSVP, visit jewishsouthphoenix.com/rsvp.

Light up the Night: 4:30 p.m., Market Street at DC Ranch, 20645 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale. Hosted by Chabad of Scottsdale. Giant menorah lighting, music, entertainment, chanukah treats and gelt. Free and open to the public. For more information, visit chabadofscottsdale.org, email chabadscottsdale@gmail.com or call 480-998-1410.

MONDAY, DEC. 23

Chanukah Light at the Scottsdale Quarter: 4:30 p.m., Scottsdale Quarter, 15059 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Hosted by Chabad of Scottsdale. Giant menorah lighting, music, entertainment, chanukah treats and gelt. Free and open to the public. For more information, visit chabadofscottsdale.org, email chabadscottsdale@gmail.com or call 480-998-1410.

Menorah Lighting and Hanukkah Celebration: 5 p.m., Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. 2nd Ave., Phoenix. Latke specials, homemade jelly donuts and certified kosher Brooklyn Beer on tap plus a special Chanukah playlist. Free. For more information, visit crescentphx.com.

Cactus ORT: Annual Chanukah Party: 6:30 p.m., Mountain View Gate Apartments Clubhouse, 4602 E. Paradise Parkway N., Phoenix. Bring a wrapped gift worth $10 for gift exchange plus salad, appetizer or dessert. To RSVP, call Ellen at 602-953-9307.

TUESDAY, DEC. 24

Chanukah Extravaganza: 5:30 p.m., Chabad of Scottsdale, 10215 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Light dinner, latkes and chanukah treats. Giant menorah lighting followed by a performance by Chuck Field, comedy ventriloquist. Tickets: $18 for adults, $13 for children and $54 for a family of 5. For more information, visit chabadofscottsdale.org/chanukah or call 480-998-1410.

Chanukah Game Night & Chinese Dinner: 6 p.m., Chabad Phoenix, 2110 E. Lincoln Drive, Phoenix. Chinese buffet with beef and chicken options. Jewish video screening for children. Bring a game and beer or kosher wine. Cost: $18 for adults, $12 for ages 12 and under. To RSVP by Dec. 22, visit chabadaz.com/chinese.

Mazelpalooza: 9 p.m.-2 a.m., Wasted Grain, 7295 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale. Hosted by NowGen Phoenix. VIP cocktail reception, live band and DJ, outdoor lounge, patio games and photo booth. TIckets: $36 online until Dec. 21, $45 at the door. For more information or to buy tickets, visit mazelpalooza.org.

THURSDAY, DEC. 26

Crayon Menorah Celebration: 5:30-6:30 p.m., Phoenix Premium Outlets, 4976 Premium Outlet Way, Chandler. Co-sponsored by Crayola Experience. Latkes, Chanukah gifts and free raffle. Free, RSVP recommended. For more information, visit chabadcenter.com, email info@chabadcenter.com or call 480-855-4333.

FRIDAY, DEC. 27

Chanukah Shabbat Community Dinner: 5 p.m., Chabad Phoenix, 2110 E. Lincoln Drive, Phoenix. Services at 5 p.m., dinner at 5:45 p.m. Tickets: $54 for adults, $36 for children. To RSVP by Dec. 23, visit chabadaz.com/signup.

FRIDAY, DEC. 27 & SATURDAY, DEC. 28

Ha Ha Hanukkah: A Festival of Laughs: 7:30 & 9:45 p.m., National Comedy Theatre - Phoenix, 214 W. Main St., Mesa. A once-a-year improv comedy show. Shout suggestions, choose games and decide which team of comedians is the funniest. All ages. Tickets: $12-$14. To get tickets, visit nctphoenix.com/ticketsystem or call 602-374-5638.

SATURDAY, DEC. 28

Hanukkah Game Night: 6-8:30 p.m., Havdalah and Hanukkiah lighting followed by a game night and latke party. Bring a hanukkiah and games. Latkes, salad bar and desserts will be served. Sponsored by the Beth El Women’s League. $36 per family or $10 per person. To RSVP, visit bethelphoenix.com or call 602-944-3359.

Drinks & Dreidels: 7:15 p.m. Hosted by Young Jewish Professionals of Scottsdale. Ticekts: $25. For more information, visit chabadofscottsdale.org/YJP.

Seniors

FRIDAY, DEC. 27

New Year at The Palazzo: 1 p.m., Center for Senior Enrichment at The Palazzo, 6250 N. 19th Ave., Phoenix. Performance by singer/ impersonator Tom LaGravinese. Champagne and cake will be served. Free. To RSVP, contact carol.goldstein@jfcsaz.org or call 602-943-2198.

FRIDAY, JAN. 3

Celebrate Arizona: History of Sunnyslope: 1 p.m., Center for Senior Enrichment at The Palazzo, 6250 N. 19th Ave., Phoenix. Ed Dobbins shares the history of Sunnyslope, an area in north central Phoenix known as an early haven for sufferers of tuberculosis. No charge. To RSVP, email carol.goldstein@jfcsaz.org or call 602-943-2198. JN

Upcoming Special Sections

Senior Lifestyle

January 10

From home health aides to travel agents, financial planners to realtors, Senior Lifestyle is the perfect venue to showcase your products and services for older Jewish Phoenix area residents.

Camp & School

January 24

Parents are making decisions for next summer and next year now! Showcase your offerings to Jewish News readers.

January 24 & February 7

Jewish News readers are looking for opportunities to express their love this Valentine’s Day! Spread the word about your business in this special section.

Latkes by the dozen

Cantor Ross Wolman, Rabbi Mari Chernow and Rabbi Bonnie Koppell served over 1,200 latkes made by the Chai Cafe team at Temple Chai’s annual latke breakfast on Dec. 15.

To the beat

Sisterhood at Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley held a Zumba Fun Day led by Karen Otero-Fisher on Sunday, Dec. 8.

Miracle of the oil

Linda Feldman went to Temple Kol Ami’s Early Childhood Center on Dec. 11 for her annual Chanukah oil presentation, where she demonstrated how to make oil from olives to the 3’s and pre-K classes. Feldman is pictured with ECC pre-K student Jonah Thomas, who is dressed up as a Maccabee.

Flowers for ASU

Two members of Congregation Beth Tefillah recently founded honeysblooms, a business specializing in handmade floral arrangements. They’re pictured here with an arrangement they made for Arizona State University in early December.

Where’s your Jewish News? Chicago Edition

Rabbi Dean Shapiro and congregants from Temple Emanuel of Tempe went to the Union for Reform Judaism Biennial, held in Chicago on Dec. 11-15.

The gift of giving

This month, Tikkun Olam Together, a mother-daughter community service initiative of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix’s Women’s Philanthropy division, worked with Jewish Family & Children’s Service to “adopt” two families for the holidays. On Dec. 5, the group got together and shopped for nine individuals, then came back to The J to wrap presents and make edible marshmallow dreidels.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DEBBIE GLASSMAN

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER PHOENIX

PHOTO COURTESY OF HONEYSBLOOMS

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOAN REICHARD

Local author wins Moonbeam award for YA Holocaust book

In October, Judy Laufer won the 2019 Moonbeam Gold Award in historical/ cultural preteen fiction for her book “Hidden Pearl: A Story about Courage, Hope, and Resilience.” The book tells the story of Pearl Brachfeld, a 10-year-old Jewish girl whose family’s life is turned upside down when Hitler’s troops invade Poland in 1939.

“I was very honored to receive the award,” Laufer said. “It’s very exciting to see it lined up against similar books and know that the judges found it to be a great piece of writing.”

She based the book on interviews with her mother-in-law, who was a hidden child in World War II. Pearl Brachfeld Laufer is now 90 and lives in Montreal, Canada.

“I was motivated to write her story so it wouldn’t be lost,” Laufer said. “Once a survivor is gone, they take their story with them.”

The Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards, established in 2006, recognize outstanding children’s books in over 40

OBITUARY

categories, including children’s poetry, board book/cloth book, comic/graphic novel and multicultural nonfiction.

“Hidden Pearl: A Story about Courage, Hope, and Resilience” can be purchased online at Amazon or littleeggpublishing.com.

Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation to welcome new officers

Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation will be installing new officers at their next service on Friday, Jan. 10.

New additions include Wendy Feldman, who will serve as co-president with Geri Gould; Marilyn Koss as the new membership chair; Mike Milgroom and Richard Agins elected to the board; and Marty Silverman named board member emeritus.

Bety and Michael Dar both stepped down from the board.

Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation is a Reform congregation led by Rabbi Irwin Wiener and located in Chandler. For more information, call 480-305-0123. JN

Nate Sachs passed away on November 12, 2019 at the age of 64. The world lost a brilliant, generous, honest, funny, and charitable man who was dedicated to his family, friends, and clients.

Nate was born and raised in Indianapolis. He attended Indiana University, where he graduated from the Kelley School of Business and was President of the IU chapter of the Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity. Nate moved to Arizona in 1983 and started the Sachs Group which later became Blueprints for Tomorrow, a nationally recognized financial services company that specializes in business, succession, and retirement planning. Over his 42-year career, Nate worked with over 3,000 business owners and families across the country, taking pride in ensuring that they were financially prepared for life’s unexpected challenges.

Nate was a dedicated, passionate and loving husband, father, grandfather, and son. Nate lived for his family; his most cherished times were those spent with his grandchildren at their house in Paradise Valley or at their annual beach vacations at the Jersey Shore. Nate was passionate about Judaism and was incredibly active in the Jewish Community, supporting organizations across Greater Phoenix and giving to causes, small and large, throughout the country. Nate’s generosity impacted the lives of thousands.

Nate was an avid reader, cycler and diehard Indiana University Hoosier fan. He was a runner for over 30 years, running in hundreds of races, and earned his Black Belt in Karate at the age of 43. Nate will be dearly missed, but the love that he shared and the lives that he touched ensures that he will never be forgotten. Nate is survived by his wife, four sons, three daughters-in-law, four grandchildren, parents, and three siblings. Donations can be made to Chabad of Scottsdale and Smile on Seniors.

Furnishing Dignity provides essential home furnishings for youth aging out of the foster care system and individuals and families transitioning from recent homelessness. Our vision is everyone deserves to live in comfort and safety.

Furnishing Dignity has partnered with Jewish Family and Children Services (JFCS) to transform bare apartments into livable homes. Helping people make their living spaces into homes shines a light on the darkness.

MAY YOU ENJOY THE TRADITIONS AND TOGETHERNESS OF THIS HOLIDAY HAPPY HANUKKAH!