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ADL chief warns Mandy Patinkin comes to Arizona Arizona Jews of prepared for ‘something fun’ rising danger: ‘There’s no W cavalry coming’ MALA BLOMQUIST | MANAGING EDITOR

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J

onathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), had a blunt message for the Jewish community in Arizona when it comes to defending itself against antisemitism: “There’s no cavalry coming for us. We’re the cavalry.”

Greenblatt spoke at a community-wide event at Scottsdale’s Congregation Beth Israel on Sunday, Jan. 28. He opened his talk by calling the present moment one “of intensifying threats” towards Jews. According to ADL’s Center on Extremism (COE), the number of antisemitic incidents across the country has been rising rapidly over the last few years but after Oct. 7 “the wheels came off,” he said.

“There have been 303,291 anti-Jewish acts in the real world of harassment, vandalism or violence from Oct. 7 through Jan. 7,” he told Jewish News, referring to the ADL’s COE’s number of tracked incidents. “Typically, the conversion rate of reports versus actual incidents is probably 25 to 28%.”

The national leader’s presence “demonstrates ADL’s commitment to Arizona and a clear understanding of the extremism and hate that continues to fester in our community,” ADL Arizona Community Manager Sarah Kader told Jewish News. “Jonathan reminded the community that data drives policy at ADL.” In his talk, Greenblatt specifically pointed to recent protests against Jewish-owned businesses and Jewish students’ fears on college campuses around the anti-Israel/ pro-Palestine activity of groups SEE ADL, PAGE 2

hen Mandy Patinkin takes the stage on Feb. 16 at Mesa Arts Center, it will be nothing like his last concert performance in Phoenix.

“We had a different concert before the pandemic called ‘Diaries,’ and it was birthed around the 2016 election,” said Patinkin. “The concert became a bit political, and there were some dark moments going on back then, and I don’t want to do what we did before. It was a little too dark, and I really wanted something fun.”

His “something fun” is “Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Being Alive,” a combination of Broadway and classic American Mandy Patinkin will take the stage at the Mesa Arts Center on Feb. 16.

COURTESY OF JOAN MARCUS tunes accompanied by Adam Ben-David on piano. In early 2022, Patinkin reached out to Ben-David and told him he was ready to do another concert tour and “welcome the audience back” to live performances again after the pandemic.

“I call it ‘Being Alive’ because I want to feel alive again and I want the audience to feel alive. We’ve had enough of not being alive,” he said. He ended 2023 performing in Europe, returns to the American stage in February and will be on the road until the end of June. He said he is happy to tour in warmer climates during the winter.

Patinkin lives in upstate New York with his wife, Kathryn Grody, an actress and writer, SEE PATINKIN, PAGE 3

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D.C. Police arrest Lyft driver who allegedly Israeli fencer Yuval Freilich wins gold Protesters blocking delivery of Gaza aid assaulted Chabad rabbi, now say it was medal in Qatar, home to Hamas’ leadership plan march to Jerusalem possible hate crime

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like Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voices for Peace, both of whom he accused of “intentionally violating university codes of conduct, which should not be tolerated.”

He was unequivocal in reiterating ADL’s official position that “anti-Zionism is antisemitism” and defined Zionism as “the right of the Jewish people to self-determination in their ancestral homeland,” something he claimed “doesn’t intrinsically discriminate against Palestinians, non-Israelis or non-Jews.” He argued that because anti-Zionists believe Jews don’t have a right to self-determination, they can be convinced that Zionists can be treated inhumanely. “That’s how 10/7 happened,” he said.

Across the street from the synagogue, about 50 people protested Greenblatt’s presence and his assertion that anti-Zionism is antisemitism, and called for a ceasefire in Gaza. One large sign read “Judaism Yes, Zionism No,” and a self-identified Jewish protester carried a sign with the same message. Protesters also waved Palestinian flags and chanted, “Palestine will be free” and “It’s not complicated, Gaza will be liberated.”

Two protesters told Jewish News that while they didn’t know what “antisemitism” meant, they did not harbor any ill will towards Jews. They had come only to stand in solidarity with the people of Gaza. “What’s happening there hurts us as Indigenous people; we’re seeing what happened to our ancestors.”

There was a large Phoenix and Scottsdale police presence as well as private security surrounding the synagogue. *Best of Greenblatt Magazine lauded the partnership between law **Annual Directory enforcement and the Jewish community.

He started speaking shortly after 6 p.m. and the protesters dispersed soon after, one WWW.JEWISHAZ.COM police officer told Jewish News.

When the protesters returned to their

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about her Judaism with her fellow council members and speaking out for her rights and beliefs. said Jon Meyers, director of ADDPC. She already has some practice at “Our hope is to create and promote advocating for herself. opportunities for people to be embraced, “One time, I was in class and someone become part of the community and find called me the R-word and I told him not equitable opportunities wherever they to. The teacher was in the hallway and might live,” he said. another student repeated the word,” she Meyers first came to know Stern said. Rather than letting the situation go, through her mother, Amy Silverman, who she told her theater teacher, who was able read her personal essays about raising a to intervene. daughter with Down syndrome on KJZZ, “If someone has a disability, saying Jonathan CEO of the Anti-Defamation talked with Mi-Ai Parrish at Congregation Beth NationalGreenblatt, Public Radio’s Phoenix affiliateLeague, the R-word is like saying the F-word,” Israel on Sunday, Jan. 28.

COURTESY OF JEWISH NEWS station.

Stern said.

Meyers was so captivated by the essays performing theNews musical ADL. Greenblatt told in Jewish that cars, they discovered 19 of them had theWhile that he reached out to Silverman, and the “Hairspray,” she had another occasion been vandalized with messages like “Baby he’s “definitely concerned and worried” two became friends. to tangle with the offensive word, to which anti-Muslim hate, pointing the Killer” and “Rapist,” as well as Stars of about That’s how Stern first learned of the appears in the script.

David keyed onto hoods and side doors. October stabbing murder of a 6-year-old open council seat, but and there’s norealtor doubt Palestinian “That’s really bad in and my friend American Chicago and said the Palestinian-American local she earned her position, Meyers said. it on stage.

I was not OK with that, so I Nure Elatari shared footage of the damage December shooting of three Palestinian a council went to the director and hertoit take was in Vermont.

“Wetold need onTo herbecome Instagram account.member, Elatari wasStern one students had to apply and demonstrate that she had a bad word for people with disabilities, those threats seriously.” of the protesters. something valuable to contribute, he said. sheofwouldn’t it out,” Stern said.

Part Sunday’stake event centered around ADL Arizona released a statement the but “She’s on the council because she She let her mother know about the next day about the incident saying, “ADL Greenblatt’s conversation with Mi-Ai deserves to be on the council,” he said. conflict and they were able to convince had no involvement in the vandalism” and Parrish, a local Jewish journalist and media Stern that is creating a life andwill career as a executive, the director the need to remove the whoofasked him some of her own added the organization “coopermember of her community, which makes word from the script. ate fully with any law enforcement inves- questions and a few collected from the her a great “My friend was next to the mespread when One Al question about tigation andaddition. condemns such hateful acts.” audience.

Stern graduated from McClintock I told the director and he gave me the During his talk, Greenblatt acknowl- of antisemitism on social media, particuHigh School in Tempe last year and now biggest hug ever and said that he loved edged the “battered people, broken larly Elon Musk’s X platform, got a few attends Glendale Community College, me so much,” Stern said.

Sadly, blamed Al died Last year, Musk publicly buildings and real suffering” in Gaza.

“If laughs. with a focus on dance.

She is a regular in a car crash on Oct. 24, 2021. seeing these images from Gaza doesn’t the ADL for lost advertising revenue due performer at Detour Theatre, was hard; veryadvertising hard to get Greenblatt’s call toit’s pause on make your heart break,Company you’re not paying to “That aattention.”

ScottsdaleHowever, theatre company for adults emotions out and I was very, very upset,” he denounced the X at the beginning of 2023 and threatened with intellectual, developmental shesue said. the ADL. Greenblatt clarified that protesters outside and said that callsand for to physical disabilities.

On the did recent his death, notanniversary organize a of boycott and a ceasefire are “ignorant” because they the ADL In fact, when Stern attended her first Stern made a cake and took it to the don’t understand that “at the end of the Musk dropped the suit. council meeting in January, shehostages, couldn’t crash site.indeed gone head to head with “I have day, (Hamas) should return the wait to tell people of her involvement with “I don’t how I did itinnovator without an extraordinary lay down their arms and this could end Elon Musk,know Detour and share information about its crying.

I’m so proud of myself,” she said. who also dabbles in some conspiracy just like that.” upcoming shows.

Amy Hummell, executive director of Unsurprisingly, there has been a corre- theories,” Greenblatt said, admitting “There’s no question that she is going Gesher Disability Resources, agreed that sponding rise in anti-Muslim incidents since that Musk promotes white supremacist to thrive,” Meyers said. on “She’s very and Sternantisemitic is a goodideology fit for ADDPC because on his platform, Oct. 7, though the Council Americangregarious and passionate about the of her ability to self-advocate.

Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Muslim something he’s “called him out about.” things that matter to her.”

Hummell a book he’sco-hosted also quick to credit event Musk advocacy group reporting on them, doesn’t However, with Meyers a few years ago “My Stern looks forward to sharing insights when he have the same investigative capabilities as when “he gets it right” such as for SOPHIE STERN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

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Sophie Stern at her high school graduation in 2022 COURTESY OF SOPHIE STERN

Heart Can’t Even Believe It: A Story of Science, Love and Down Syndrome,” Silverman’s book about her daughter.

When Gesher’s speakers’ bureau, Damon Brooks & Associates, was asked to find a speaker about Down syndrome for an event this spring, Hummell first asked Silverman to speak, thinking Stern might be too young.

They decided instead that Stern should tell her own story; it’s a real bonus that she is not afraid of public speaking.

“It’s not the same when someone tries to tell a person’s story for them,” Hummell said.

Additionally, helping people with disabilities find jobs was one of the reasons for acquiring the bureau. Unemployment in the disability community is upwards of 75% and of that percentage, 75% are *Best of Magazine ready, willing and able to work — but Directory haven’t been given **Annual the opportunity, Hummell said.

“People have it in them to speak up but don’t know how, and often they’re not WWW.JEWISHAZ.COM cheered on. Sophie has family support

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and their dog, Becky, a yellow-lab mix. The couple gained a large social media following during the pandemic when their son Gideon began filming the long-married couple at home.

As an actor, Patinkin may get recognized for his many roles, such as Inigo Montoya in “The Princess Bride,” Avigdor in “Yentl,” Dr. Jeffrey Geiger in “Chicago Hope” or Saul Berenson in “Homeland” but today, most people recognize his wife first when they are in public.

“I wanted the world to know who my wife was forever. She was devoted to being a writer and off-Broadway actress where she had a wonderful career, but I wanted a larger population to benefit from knowing her because I thought the world would be better,” he said. “When my son Gideon got involved with this social media, he made my dream come true. He got the world to know his mom.”

One of the more popular videos is Patinkin’s twice-daily ritual of reciting the Mi Sheberach, Shema and Hamotzi blessings as he prepares Becky’s food and she looks on, patiently waiting for him to finish and give her the “OK” signal that she can eat. Patinkin even recorded himself performing the prayers for anyone who is dog sitting while he is away.

“There’s nothing like it when she greets me when I come home. I love this dog in ways I have no words for. I feel like the luckiest person on the planet that this dog walked into my life,” he said.

During his tour break, Patinkin took a five-week road trip, with Becky as his copilot for two weeks, before Grody joined him. He bought an electric SUV, a Ford Mustang Mach-E, and wanted to drive it farther than the 90 miles to New York City to cure his “range anxiety.”

He purchased the Mustang after his favorite cousin, Marvin, passed away.

Marvin always drove a Mustang, so

Patinkin named his car Marvin in his honor. The first leg of his trip was from New York to Hollywood, Florida, and then on to New Mexico and Colorado. He said that driving an electric car, especially with a dog, makes traveling much slower than driving a gas-powered vehicle.

“You have to pull over to walk the dog, take naps while you’re charging and it just makes you not be in such a hurry,” said Patinkin. “When you have a gas car, you put in 500 miles worth of gasoline, and you don’t have to stop, and here you’re stopping about every 150-200 miles or so.

It is at a different pace, it’s pleasurable and you learn where the best bathrooms are.”

Asked what he listened to on the radio during the trip, and aside from a British audio recording of “Winnie the Pooh,” his answer — nothing.

“I need quiet and these days, there’s so much noise in our lives; I think quiet is the greatest gift I can give myself,” said Patinkin.

He is a self-described “JewBu” (a person with a Jewish background who believes in some Buddhist tenets). His brother-inlaw is a Buddhist monk and “the spiritual guide and leader of our family.”

He tries to meditate regularly and to “live in the moment,” he explained.

“That’s the practice. How do you not spend your life dwelling on the past, and looking toward the future? If you do that, you’re missing everything that’s happening in front of your nose. You have to practice being in this moment. It’s not so easy, but it’s a wonderful thing to practice.”

But it was his Judaism that nurtured his love of being an entertainer.

His family belonged to Congregation Rodfei Zedek, on Chicago’s South Side, where Patinkin sang in the boys’ choir with Cantor Goldberg on Friday evenings, Saturday mornings and High Holidays. He loved it when the “old ladies would pinch me on the cheek,” and the attention made him feel good.

“I say a lot of Hebrew prayers, and I learned a lot of it when I was a kid, but the

ones that really speak to me are the music and lyrics that are equal to anything I’ve seen in the Torah,” said Patinkin.

He hated high school and his mother suggested he go to the Young Men’s Jewish Council Youth Center, where he got involved in theater and performed in some plays. That solidified his career path.

“I couldn’t get over the things talked about in the theater,” he said. “The ideas that were present, the things that great minds, hearts and souls shared with their audiences.”

He made a vow to himself to give entertainment a try for five years. If he couldn’t make it after that time, he would come up with a plan B. When he was 18, his father died from pancreatic cancer and his mother offered her shares of the family business, which was scrap metal, to Patinkin to have as an option.

“I said, ‘Nope, I do not want a fallback.’

I told her to keep the money, live her life and enjoy it.” he said. “If it doesn’t work, then I’ll figure out plan B after I’ve given everything I have to plan A, and that’s what I did. Thank God that worked out.”

Even though he’s worked in many different areas of the entertainment industry, including musical theater, films, television, recording music and podcasts, he admits he does have a favorite medium.

“The thing I love the most, hands down, is the live concert venue and assembling the presentation for those evenings because the reservoir is infinite,” he said.

He likens it to being a mailman. He is not the genius who writes the material; he just delivers it.

“Men and women left these thoughts, wishes, prayers and joys behind for us to play with for the rest of our lives and eternity,” said Patinkin. “You have a reservoir that’s bigger than all the oceans and the universe put together. It’s a grand statement but I’m an actor. I tend to be a little grandiose, as my children mock me for all the time, lovingly.” JN

called the phrase “From the river to the sea” hate speech.

Greenblatt said he believes in “counsel culture” as opposed to “cancel culture.”

Instead of pushing people away he would prefer “to pull them in.” That’s the starting position of something like the ADL’s Center on Technology and Society, which works with the biggest social media platforms to solve problems with collaboration. “We’ve got to push them to do the right thing, and if they don’t get it right we have to hold them accountable,” he said.

Accountability is also what ADL wants from university leaders, Greenblatt said.

While ADL has generally been absent from universities it is now on campus to “expose and disrupt bad actors.” To that end, ADL set up an antisemitism legal hotline on campuses across the country for students to report incidents that could lead to discrimination cases. Greenblatt also said he is suspicious of the way Diversity,

Equity and Inclusion (DEI) offices have been run because they often exclude Jews.

“If your idea of diversity, equity and inclusion perpetuates the exclusion of Jews, you’re doing it wrong,” he said. He supports diversity but would like to see “DEI 2.0” programs that would include learning about Jewish culture and history — not only the Holocaust and Israel.

Susan Sacks was one of about 250 people who came on Sunday eager to hear what Greenblatt would say. “A real takeaway for me was what he said about counsel culture.

I feel empowered by that and I like how ADL promotes conversations among others,” she told Jewish News.

Miriam Weisman thought Greenblatt “did a terrific job of explaining the intricacies of not only the war, but also the ADL.” Weisman was ADL Arizona’s board chair from 2008 to 2014 and the national chair of ADL’s education committee.

Education, in general, is a big part of

what ADL does, Greenblatt said, pointing out that about 35,000 students in Arizona have participated in ADL educational programming. One way the Jewish community can protect itself involves knowing facts so that when people hear misinformation, they feel comfortable correcting it.

“It’s important to know your facts and to respond not with emotion, but with information,” he advised.

It’s also impor tant to speak up when someone says something antisemitic, homophobic, racist, etc. Hatred against all minority groups is correlated.

“Antisemitism is typically a sign of a societal decay of an unraveling democracy that starts with the Jews, but it never ends with us,” he said.

Greenblatt received a standing ovation at the end of the evening. JN

PATINKIN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

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Arizona’s Jewish women anticipate first WLI retreat open to the community SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER

A

t the end of March, in an as yet disclosed location, up to 50 Jewish women will come together for a few days to “explore their unique Jewish journeys and connect deeply across differing spiritual backgrounds and levels of observance” at “Reflect and Recharge,” the first Louise Zirretta COURTESY OF LOUISE ZIRRETTA annual communitywide Jewish women’s retreat, sponsored by the Women’s Leadership Institute (WLI).

Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel shocked the Jewish world, “but the world was hard even before that,” WLI Executive Director Rabbi Elana Kanter told Jewish News. “We need to take time away so we can recharge. After what the whole Jewish people have just gone through, it becomes even more important.”

The idea for the community-wide retreat was first proposed by a mentee in a WLI cohort a couple of years ago. However, due

to the time-consuming nature of planning such an event the idea was shelved and only rekindled once Kanter met Louise Zirretta. A mutual friend introduced them after discovering Zirretta’s passion for leadership development.

Zirretta came to Greater Phoenix in 2010 from Baltimore, where she has deep roots in the leadership of that city’s Jewish community. During her tenure as president of Arai, a leadership development organization for incoming presidents of Baltimore organizations, The Associated, the Jewish Federation of Baltimore, told her it was so impressed with Arai’s work it planned to establish Na’aleh, a hub for leadership learning; Zirretta became, and still is, a member of its board.

She and Kanter “hit it off immediately,” Zirretta told Jewish News. “I’m overjoyed to be digging into the Greater Phoenix Jewish community and bringing it my passion for leadership development.”

Aside from WLI, Zirretta is a board member of the Jewish Free Loan and a parliamentarian for the National Council

of Jewish Women-Arizona. She retired from a career in health care and recently became a member of the HonorHealth Foundation’s board.

“I’ve become very involved here in Phoenix and the retreat is the perfect opportunity to build something from the ground up,” she said.

WLI has hosted many retreats in the past, but this is unique because it is open to the entire community. Additionally, this particular retreat is not about leadership per se but “about engaging with Judaism, a community of women, growing our souls and strengthening our spirits,” Kanter said, and opined that “when we finish, we’ll have more strength to tackle the problems of the world.”

Zirretta hopes that women consider attending either for the experience of meeting new Jewish women friends or as a way of cementing long-standing relationships. For example, when she first sent out invitations to her personal network, her cousin signed up immediately, saying she hoped they could share a room.

“I was so touched,” Zirretta said.

Though one must register to discover where the event will be held, it will be in a functioning Arizona campground and each cabin will have climate control, a full bathroom, bunk beds and allow up to four people, “in nature but not roughing it,” Zirretta said. The intergenerational nature of the retreat is emphasized in its publicity, which invites women “ages 21-121.”

“No makeup, everything is kosher, and if you’re shomer Shabbos, you’ll be as comfortable as women who are just beginning their Jewish journey,” Zirretta said. All of this appeals to her because “the intent is to bring women together wherever they are in terms of their spiritual enhancement, learning and making new friends.”

Zirretta and Roberta Freed, a WLI

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A group photo from a WLI pre-Passover retreat in 2022. Pictured from left: Alejandra Dashe, Faith Boninger, Lise Klein, Berry Sweet and Andrea Kravets.

COURTESY OF RABBI ELANA KANTER

mentee and retreat co-organizer, spoke with camp directors who have led similar retreats for Chabad and B’nai B’rith and understand what works and what’s appropriate, especially in terms of navigating Shabbat. Programming all of the retreat’s activities, including nature walks, archery, discussion groups, music, art, yoga, Jewish spirituality and communing with nature, for women with a broad variety of religious observance and physical and spiritual capabilities was a challenge.

Talking to people who have already managed to incorporate “the breadth of activity with comfort” was very helpful in planning for all eventualities, Zirretta said.

She is most looking forward to Kabbalat Shabbat. “Singing together, being together, it touches my heart,” she said.

When women of all ages come together, they can offer one another comfort, encouragement and insight, she said.

“The intergenerational nature brings us the wisdom of women who have been there and done that and the aspirations of young women who want to be there and do that,” she said. JN To register for “Reflect and Recharge,” visit womenlearning.org/event/reflect-recharge.

Limited to the first 50 women who register.

The Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix (CJP) provided a grant to the Women’s Leadership Institute for the retreat. Jewish News is published by the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix, a component of the CJP.

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Memory and empathy at heart of ASU Holocaust study-abroad trip SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER

I

t was the language the college students used in naming their photo collections of Holocaust memorials that surprised Arizona State University Professor Christine Holman most when she reflected on last year’s 13-day trip to Berlin, Germany and Krakow, Poland.

The educational journey was all about expanding students’ knowledge of the Holocaust beyond the confines of textbooks and classrooms.

After contemplating Berlin’s memorial to hundreds of thousands of Sinti and Roma victims of the Nazi genocide, a crime represented by a large circular pool of water with a triangular stone in the center — a reminder of the badges sewn on concentration camp prisoners’ uniforms — designed by Israeli artist Dani Karavan, one ASU student chose her photo of a fresh but fading flower placed on top of the stone for her memorial project and decided on “solemnity” as her theme.

“The photo shows a wilting flower transitioning from life to death. The wilting rose reminded me of the victims who lived wonderful lives and the ones who were not able to because they were rushed to their deaths,” wrote the student.

“Solemnity is not a word you hear from many college students — I don’t think I’ve used it in my adult life — but it was the perfect word to capture what she saw and felt,” Holman told Jewish News.

Following a visit to Berlin’s Jewish Museum, a group of students chose the theme of “dehumanization” and a photo of the exhibit’s final large, stark room that “represented the void and darkness that Jews felt during the Holocaust. In the room, it is dark and cold, and the only sound that you can hear is from the outside of the building. There is faint laughing and obviously very little light. While many themes could have been chosen for this photo, we thought the abrupt emptiness and void that you could feel while standing inside this exhibit showed how dehumanized and depersonalized the Jews were treated and felt,” the students wrote.

None of the students on Holman’s first “Never Forget: Exploring Holocaust Memories and Memorials” program were Jewish, and seeing their empathy for what millions of Jews experienced represented a victory. After all, getting students to hone their empathic skills is what drove Holman to create the Global Intensive Experience (GIE) — a short-term study abroad program for course credit — in the first place.

Holman teaches “Holocaust, Genocide JEWISHAZ.COM

and Human Rights” at ASU, where “everything I do has the foundational idea of empathy,” she said. That’s the reason she crafted the GIE around memories and memorials.

Over the course of nearly two weeks, students visited several monuments that stand witness to one of the greatest crimes in the 20th century, including the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, the Kazimierz Jewish Quarter, the Krakow Ghetto and the AuschwitzBirkenau extermination camp.

“They learn facts and figures and we go to all the big museums but we also go to the lesser-known memorials to LGBT and Roma victims. This generation has great values and is not as judgmental. It’s also important for them to develop deep empathy,” she said.

To that end, Holman asked the students to take photos of things that impacted, surprised or concerned them most throughout their trip. Knowing college students would take photos no matter what, she wanted them to approach the sites with a critical eye towards observing not only the place but their feelings about it. She asked them to choose themes to organize the pictures and assumed they would be more or less uniform.

“But I was surprised and impressed because they came up with such different and eloquent themes,” she said.

“Defiance” was the theme a student chose for the photo of a mural of Anne Frank at the entrance to Berlin’s Anne Frank Center.

“It captures the essence of the girl whose diary has been read around the world: innocent joy and youthful maturity. The fact that her diary remains with us today, telling her story despite her murder, is itself an act of defiance to the Nazi ideology,” wrote the student.

The trip started in Berlin with the rise of the Nazi party and its impact on Germany more broadly. It finished in Krakow, a city close to Auschwitz and the largest remaining artifact of the Final Solution.

Throughout the journey, Holman and her students talk about the political act of memorialization, who gets to claim memory and why.

Holman is not Jewish but has always been interested in Holocaust history. She took over ASU’s Holocaust class in 2011 and has taught it twice every year since; she is also a member of ASU’s Jewish Studies faculty. Holman originally created the GIE in 2020 but the COVID19 pandemic delayed it. In 2022, it was postponed again due to the Russian

invasion of Ukraine. This year’s trip, set for May 6-19, will have an extra asset in a new co-lead.

Holman’s friend and colleague, ASU’s Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions Assistant Professor Erin Schneiderman, is excited to be part of this year’s journey. A member of Scottsdale’s Temple Kol Ami, Schneiderman’s in-laws help to fund the March of the Living, an annual educational program which brings students from around the world to Poland, where they explore the remnants of the

Holocaust.

“During the May trip, we’re really diving in and trying to understand what happened, why it happened, why we remember it and the best way to move forward,” Schneiderman told Jewish News.

“Ultimately, my fundamental reason for creating this trip is to make students into better citizens for a better future,” Holman said. JN To apply for the trip, go to studyabroad.asu. edu/?go=NeverForgetHolocaust.

“ULTIMATELY, MY FUNDAMENTAL REASON FOR CREATING THIS TRIP IS TO MAKE STUDENTS INTO BETTER CITIZENS FOR A BETTER FUTURE.” PROFESSOR CHRISTINE HOLMAN

The “solemnity” photo taken at the Memorial to the Sinti and Roma Victims of National Socialism in Berlin.

COURTESY OF CHRISTINE HOLMAN

A mural of Anne Frank at the Anne Frank Center in Berlin.

COURTESY OF CHRISTINE HOLMAN

The Memorial to the Sinti and Roma Victims of National Socialism in Berlin.

JEWISH NEWS

COURTESY OF CHRISTINE HOLMAN

FEBRUARY 9, 2024

5

HEADLINES LOCAL

JNF-USA event honors ‘those we lost and those we are fighting to save’ MALA BLOMQUIST | MANAGING EDITOR

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an. 25 marked 111 days since the Hamas attack on Israel, and close to 1,000 people joined together in support of Zionism at the Jewish National FundUSA (JNF-USA) Breakfast for Israel event at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa. “Today, we remember the thousands who were murdered either on or after Oct. 7, and we continue the fight for the return of the hostages,” said Scott Weiss, co-chair of the event. He then directed everyone’s attention to an empty table in the ballroom “in memory of those we lost and in honor of those we are fighting to save.”

When Adam Brooks, another co-chair, took the stage, he shared that he had grown up with the phrase “never again” and admitted that we have all taken the saying for granted and believed that “never again” meant “couldn’t again” but Oct. 7 changed all that.

“The world’s reaction to the events of Oct. 7, the denial, the justification and the dramatic and immediate increase of antisemitism and anti-Zionism should remind us that not much has changed in the nearly 80 years since the Holocaust ended or in the thousands of years before that,” said Brooks.

Next, Brooks introduced his son, Dylan, a senior at the University of Arizona (UA).

“On Oct. 8, not even 24 hours after the initial attacks, anti-Israel groups on my campus such as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) began recruiting members of the Tucson community, students and faculty to rally against Israel,” said Dylan.

Dylan said that the president of the university, Dr. Robert C. Robbins, was one of the first university leaders in the nation

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to stand up for its Jewish students and condemn the actions of Hamas.

“When SJP hosts their rallies, we combat hate with love and form groups to wrap tefillin and pray. Our Jewish community stands tall and we stand strong,” Dylan said.

The Jewish groups at UA put together an exhibit on the lawn in the middle of campus with chairs showing flyers for each hostage. One of the Jewish fraternities hosted an event to pack boxes with supplies for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

He said the head basketball coach and football coach attended and helped fill 30 large boxes to send to Israel.

“Being a part of the community at the University of Arizona brings me great joy,” said Dylan. “We have united to support each other in these difficult times. I am going to continue to unapologetically show my support for Israel and try to educate my peers on the truth about the country. I am a proud Jew and I am a proud Zionist. Am Israel Chai.”

Adam Brooks returned to the podium and shared that JNF-USA’s mission is “to help ensure Israel’s ability to not just exist but to exist and thrive” and that JNF-USA began sending money for humanitarian aid to Israel before the first donation to the emergency campaign was even received.

“JNF is sending almost $1 million a day to support evacuees, security, hospitals, schools, therapy and more,” he said.

“Today, I can tell you over 1,500 people are registered to visit Israel with JNF and volunteer on farms, pack meals for IDF soldiers and distribute supplies.” JNF-USA is offering continuous volunteer missions to Israel and online weekly briefings on Not hungry for bread, nor thirsty for water, but to hear the word of Hashem (prophet Amos).

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At the Jewish National Fund-USA’s Breakfast for Israel, from left to right, Adam Brooks, Sharona Feller, Dr. Rachel Fish, Scott Weiss, Dylan Brooks and Leila Mikal.

COURTESY OF TAVITS PHOTOGRAPHY

Dr. Rachel Fish was the keynote speaker at Jewish National Fund-USA’s Breakfast for Israel in Phoenix on Jan. 25. COURTESY OF TAVITS PHOTOGRAPHY

its work there.

The keynote speaker for the event was Dr. Rachel Fish, co-founder of the nonprofit Boundless, “a think-action tank partnering with community leaders across North America to revitalize Israel education and take bold collective action to combat Jew-hatred.”

Fish suggested replacing “antisemitism” with “Jew-hatred” because of research that shows 13- to 35-year-olds across the country do not know what antisemitism is.

“When we asked them, ‘What is antisemitism?’ We heard the following three responses repeatedly: The majority said, ‘IDK. I don’t know.’ We then heard, ‘What’s a semite?’ A fair question. Then we heard the following: ‘I’m anti-racist, I’m anti-homophobic. I’m anti-Islamophobic, so I must be an antisemite. We were like, no, no, no, you’re an antiantisemite,” she said.

But when they tested the term Jewhatred, the term’s construction made the definition apparent.

“Now, interestingly when we asked 50-year-olds and older they did not like the term Jew-hatred,” said Fish. “When we asked why, they said, ‘It’s very crass.’

My response to that is good; it is crass.

It should make you very uncomfortable; that’s why I use the term Jew-hatred. I

JEWISH NEWS

encourage each of you to think about doing so as well.”

She said it is the responsibility of all Americans, not only Jews, to identify Jew-hatred whether it manifests from the hard right, the hard left or from within radical Islam.

“If you encounter Jew-hatred from your own political camp, rather than turn a blind eye, take responsibility for your political community and engage,” said Fish. “Call in to educate or call out to denounce. Do not allow antisemitism to be politicized and for Jews to be in the crosshairs of this hate.”

For young people, who perceive Israel as a white, Colonialist, imperialist outpost, she suggested finding “ways to deconstruct this narrative” and telling them about “Zionism, Israel and the Jewish people with an understanding of the incredible grit, resiliency, values and the aspects of Jewishness that have created a revolution within Western civilization.”

She encouraged everyone to build bridges outside of their Jewish communal connections to humanize Jews, Judaism and the Jewish state.

“I truly believe what we do in this moment will forever impact the trajectory of the Jewish people,” said Fish. JN For more information, visit jnf.org.

JEWISHAZ.COM

HEADLINES LOCAL

Former Knesset member stresses ‘honesty’ as key to solving Israel-Palestine conflict SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER

A

lon Tal, an Israeli environmental activist, academic and former member of the Knesset for the Blue and White Party, delivered two talks about future prospects for peace in the Middle East in Greater Phoenix at the end of January. The first talk was at Arizona State University (ASU) at the behest of ASU’s Jewish Studies Department; the second was sponsored by Jewish Studies and Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, a renewal of a partnership paused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two days before Tu B’Shevat, often referred to as Jewish Arbor Day, Tal began his second talk at the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus by breaking down a Talmudic discussion of the holiday and the importance of the land of Israel in understanding Jewish texts and holidays.

He used the stories he spun to illustrate his argument that a continuous Jewish presence in Israel is an important fact for people wanting true peace to accept.

He used his environmentalist bona fides to describe his work around the world with indigenous groups that protect their trees and forests because they want them to be around for future generations just as they’ve existed in the past.

“Their (indigenous populations) connection to the trees is an organic connection. They could no more cut down a tree than cut off their arm because they knew those trees were there to support their ancestors and their children would also enjoy those trees. And the same is true for Israelis,” he said.

For the last 30 years, Tal has been involved in environmental cooperation with Israel’s Arab neighbors, including Palestinians. He said in the past, he and his compatriots were willing to compromise on certain ideas in the hope of managing the conflict but it’s now time for honesty.

“If we’re going to move forward to some sort of a peaceful solution and not return to the last 100 years of conflict — and the price is simply too high for both Israelis and the people of Gaza who have suffered so terribly during the past few months — we need to be honest with each other about what we want,” he said.

To get to a new place, the first thing Tal said Palestinians need to do is to “recognize the Jewish people as an indigenous people in the land of Israel.” To continue debating the theory of “Jews as interlopers,” who only arrived with the creation of the state in 1948, hurts the path to peace, he said.

“A lot of Jews played down their JEWISHAZ.COM

Alon Tal spoke on Tuesday, Jan. 23 at the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus.

Zionist identity in previous years lest it stirred up discomfort and turbulence on the other side but today Israelis are pushing back against that kind of a narrative,” he said.

He pointed to his great-great-grandfather who lived in Safed, a city in the Galilee whose Jewish population only declined in 1929 after Arab riots, and died there in 1870. “I don’t feel like I’m an interloper, not even a little bit,” he said.

Israelis also need to recognize the Palestinians have a connection to the land too, “and we need to respect their narrative,” he said.

Tal also took aim at a troubling rise in misinformation about the details of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, including denials that Israeli civilian women and girls were raped and sexually assaulted and even that Hamas militants attacked civilians at all. The Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research found “Wide public support for Hamas’ offensive on October the 7th” noting that “the vast majority denies that Hamas has committed atrocities against Israeli civilians.”

Still others frame Israel’s retaliation against Hamas for the events of Oct. 7 as an unprovoked attack on Gaza.

“This trend of promoting false narratives constitutes a gaslighting campaign through which moral clarity is blurred, Hamas is lauded and Israel is demonized.

And while these assertions are most problematically made by anti-Israel leaders, they have been parroted and amplified by activists and by those sharing or ‘liking’ on social media,” according to the AntiDefamation League.

“If we’re really serious about sitting and trying to create a new Middle East where Israelis and Palestinians can live

COURTESY OF JEWISH NEWS

side by side, there has to be a willingness to accept a Jewish national presence,” he said.

Tal said the good news is that several of Israel’s Arab neighbors have normal-

ized relations and are maintaining them, even with an ongoing war in Gaza. Even Saudi Arabia has expressed interest in normalizing relations with Israel once the war is over.

In her introduction of Tal, Jewish Studies Director Hava Tirosh-Samuelson explained that one motive for inviting him is due to his understanding of “how Israeli politics is done based on coalitions of parties that are constantly shifting and moving in terms of who has the power and who is leading what.”

A centrist politician, Tal took aim at Israel’s current leadership. When one audience member asked about the extremism of certain Israeli leaders, Tal said he has hope that Israeli citizens want change and are ready for more moderate leadership.

“After this incredible security failure by Israel’s right-wing government, whose whole raison d’etre is to be strong on security, the vast majority of Israelis, even those on the center right, want change,” he said. JN

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RELIGIOUS LIFE TORAH STUDY

Debt, dignity and divinity: The lender in Jewish law RABBI YISROEL ISAACS PARSHAH MISHPATIM: EXODUS 21:1 - 24:18

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he charm of Lumalee, a character from the animated 2023 film “The Super Mario Rabbi Yisroel Isaacs COURTESY OF RABBI YISROEL ISAACS Bros. Movie,” lies in its delightful contradiction of the expected.

This endearing, vibrant, star-shaped creature, characterized by its child-like voice and lively antics, catches both fellow characters and the audience off guard with its unexpected tendency to make pessimistic, dark and nihilistic remarks.

In contrast to this comedic irony, the Torah is not joking regarding the mitzvah of lending money when it paradoxically tells lenders to contradict the expected and act unlike lenders.

The Torah commands, “If thou lend money to any of My people … you should not be to him as a creditor.” This means a lender should not pressure a cash-

strapped borrower for repayment, acting unlike a lender typically would.

Going further, the Talmud reaches a radical conclusion.

It is not enough to pretend the loan didn’t occur and otherwise interact normally with the recipient. To prevent the borrower’s humiliation, the lender cannot walk past him.

According to this, it is not enough for the lender to return the relationship to neutral and passively refrain from pressuring the borrower. The lender must go far beyond by proactively avoiding any encounter.

R. Samson Rafael Hirsch points out that this law results in a complete and ironic inversion of the status quo, with a role reversal of the lender acting as the borrower. The way of the world is that the borrower, to avoid paying his debt, hides from the lender; according to the Torah, the lender hides from the borrower to avoid causing embarrassment.

The extreme sensitivity that this mitzvah sheds light on the unique nature of the Torah’s moral vision.

R. Dov Yaffe (1928-2017), a promi-

nent rabbinical figure in Israel, argues that the objective of secular morality based on reason is to direct a person on how to be a good person, a moral human being.

In the system of revelation, or what Jews refer to as Halacha, however, merely acting like an ideal person is insufficient; we must act Godly.

With its general mitzvah of Vhalachta bedrachav, “You shall walk in His ways,” the Torah commands the Jew to act like God Himself.

Unlike reason-based morality, revelation does not measure our behavior against a human yardstick but against a divine one. In the universe of Halacha, on a wavelength beyond reason, the lender must act like the borrower.

The story is told that Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik (1853-1918), Rabbi of Brest-Litovsk, Belarus, provided a large loan to someone in the community. Even after the payment deadline had passed, R. Soloveitchik never showed up to collect the debt and never said a word about it to the borrower. Eventually, the borrower knocked on the rabbi’s door to pay up but did not leave before disrespectfully

SHABBAT CANDLE LIGHTING FEBRUARY 9 - 5:48 P.M. FEBRUARY 16 - 5:55 P.M. SHABBAT ENDS FEBRUARY 10 - 6:45 P.M. FEBRUARY 17 - 6:51 P.M. Find area congregations at JewishAZ.com, where you can also find our 2024 Community Directory.

criticizing him for his fiscal irresponsibility. The rabbi, it seemed, completely forgot about the loan, and if not for the borrower’s integrity, he could have gotten away with not paying it at all.

“How could you say that I forgot about your debt to me,” responded R. Soloveitchik, “when the fact is that it has been several months now that I have been compelled twice every single day, once in the morning for morning prayers and once in the afternoon for evening prayers, to walk the long way to shul and the long way home so I will avoid passing by your front door and prevent transgressing the commandment of “thou shalt not be to him as a creditor?”

In our interactions with others, when we take the longer, less traveled road in our quest for Godliness, it can make all the difference. JN Rabbi Yisroel Isaacs is director of the Greater Phoenix Vaad Hakashruth, rabbi at Beth Joseph Congregation and director of the Jewish Enrichment Center.

OPINION

Commentary

As Jewish captives remain hostage, International Holocaust Remembrance Day takes on new importance LESLIE FELDMAN | AZ MIRROR

I

nternational Holocaust Remembrance Day is commemorated each year on Jan. 27, in conjunction with the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp.

In 1945, as Soviet troops began closing in, Nazi Germany’s SS units began the final evacuation of prisoners from Auschwitz and its subcamps, marching them on foot toward the interior of the German Reich.

Because my grandfather, Solomon, still had the strength to walk, he wasn’t liberated with the prisoners who were left behind in Auschwitz, and thus suffered another four months until he was liberated

by American troops near Dachau.

Meanwhile, my grandmother, Frieda, was being held as a slave laborer in a series of concentration and labor camps to which she was forcibly moved, one by one, after being deported from the Warsaw Ghetto

in 1943.

It’s been 79 years. As the granddaughter of Solomon and Frieda Radasky, I am joined by fellow descendants of survivors who are now charged with preserving the memories and teaching the lessons of the Holocaust that we heard firsthand.

Back in 1945, neither my grandfather nor my grandmother could possibly have imagined that their granddaughter would be living in the American Southwest, where the Arizona Legislature would use its opening session in January 2024 to formally declare allegiance with the state of Israel and condemn the terrorists who keep trying to destroy the Jewish people.

I am grateful to Arizona State House Speaker Ben Toma for publicly offering support for the United States’ greatest ally in the Middle East. Holocaust survivors were also on hand at the solemn ceremony.

I am thankful for the Arizona Legislature’s passage of House Bill 2241 in 2021, which ensured that the Holocaust is taught in Arizona’s public schools. The Phoenix Holocaust Association (PHA), where I work, is a unique regional resource for Holocaust education and remembrance. Our educator workshops, speakers bureau and programming for Holocaust survivors and their descendants have become more important than ever since Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

While Jewish children are held hostage in Gaza, does the world remember the 1.5 million children who were kidnapped and subsequently murdered during the Holocaust? My mother’s half-brother, Baruch, was two years old when his life was taken from him. Ever since I was an adolescent and learned of his fate, I’ve imagined the life he could have lived — the life he should have lived.

Hamas’ hostages include Kfir Bibas, who just had his first birthday in captivity, and Ariel Bibas, who is four. Every day we plead, pray and work for your rescue.

My grandfather told me many times about his first night in Auschwitz, when a number was tattooed on his arm, a physical piece of evidence for the remainder of his life: 128232.

He counted the numbers individually, 1+2+8+2+3+2, which added up to 18 or “chai,” the Hebrew word for life. For him, that number was a sign that he must not lose hope. That he would survive.

Today, my greatest hope, in memory of my brave, beautiful, kind and heroic grandparents, is that the people of Israel live. We pray for Ariel and Kfir. Together, we shall survive. JN Leslie Feldman is the executive director of the Phoenix Holocaust Association.

A NOTE ON OPINION

We are a diverse community. The views expressed in these opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the views of the officers and boards of the Jewish Community Foundation, Center for Jewish Philanthropy, Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix, Cleveland Jewish Publication Company or the staff of the Jewish News. Letters must respond to content published by the Jewish News and should be a maximum of 200 words. They may be edited for space and clarity. Unsigned letters will not be published. Letters and op-ed submissions should be sent to editor@jewishaz.com 8

FEBRUARY 9, 2024

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Smile On Seniors enjoyed a night of “Chai Pins” bowling at Bowlero Via Linda in Scottsdale on Jan. 24. From left to right, Joyce Heitler, David Termine, Janet Lottman and Dave Shooten. COURTESY OF SMILE ON SENIORS

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SPECIAL SECTION SENIOR LIFESTYLE

A look back at one local Jewish teacher’s ‘fun, long trip’ in education SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER

COURTESY OF TEMPLE SOLEL

I

n 1968, Tobee Waxenberg walked out of her college graduation and began a 55-year-long career in education. “I love to teach and work with kids,” she told Jewish News before adding with a laugh that while that might sound like a Tobee Waxenberg COURTESY OF TEMPLE SOLEL trite, well-worn phrase to some people, “it’s not just a phrase to me — it’s how I feel.”

During the last full week of January, Waxenberg was recognized for her dedication and longevity by her peers at the Association of Reform Jewish Educators and Early Childhood Educators of Reform Judaism’s (ARJE/ECE-RJ) annual conference in Memphis, Tennessee.

“I have personally known Tobee for many years. You will not find a kinder and more knowledgeable educator. Tobee tirelessly inspires learners of all ages, supports less experienced educators and always leads

with a smile,” said Stacy Rosenthal, vice president of the Association of Reform Jewish Educators and director of programs for Gesher Disability Resources.

Waxenberg’s only inkling that she would be spotlighted came when she filled out some materials for the conference about length of service. When conference organizers saw her answer — 55 years — they wrote back saying it was worthy of recognition.

During a general conference session, teachers were asked to stand if they had five years in education, then 10, 15 and so on.

By the time they reached those teachers with 50 years under their belt, only Waxenberg and one teacher from Florida stood. By 55, Waxenberg was the last teacher standing and the subject of rapturous applause.

“There was a lot of applause and so many congratulations and that all felt good,” she said. She was one of 11 Phoenix educators at the conference, and after the applause died down, “we just kind of smiled and went on about our business.”

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Tobee Waxenberg stands at the far left in the back row at a Raker Religious School retreat in 2022.

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Waxenberg plans to step down as the director of Temple Solel’s Raker Religious School in Paradise Valley this summer. She’s been a member of the synagogue since she and her husband moved to Greater Phoenix in 1980. From childhood, she learned the importance of the Jewish community to her life, and with each big move — from Texas, to Missouri, to Ohio, to Arizona — she prioritized joining a synagogue.

“I grew up feeling that you should support your synagogue; that’s something I learned from my parents,” she said. “It made a larger community smaller.”

Her first teaching job in 1968 was in a public high school in Houston. She taught speech and coached debate, though she had not been a debater as a student. That meant she had to become a quick study but luckily, “the kids were the best teachers,” she said.

It was exciting to travel to competitions all over the state. Having grown up in Wichita Falls, Texas, where “football is huge,” she was used to football programs getting everything they wanted. Happily, her debate program did not lack funds either.

“I had a huge bank account, too, because we had to travel so much,” she said. Under her direction, the team competed in both state and national competitions.

“I loved to work with the kids, helping them research, just being around debaters — they’re exceptional students. I was always impressed by how their little brains worked,” she said.

In addition to public school, she’s taught religious school for her own synagogues and others. Once she had her own kids, she only taught in the evenings and on Sundays, running retreats and confirmation classes.

But it wasn’t until she came to Solel that she “worked with the littles,” she said.

Right out of the gate at Solel, she taught pre-k students. Then, in the early years of Pardes Jewish Day School, she taught kindergarten, which was supposed to last one year.

“My one year turned into seven years, and then I opened up Pardes’ new middle school and became its director,” she said.

She continued working at Pardes for 25 years as the middle school director and then assistant head of school.

Looking back over a career that she loved, Waxenberg hesitated for a moment when asked if she would get into teaching today if she had the opportunity to start over.

“I would probably be pickier now if I was starting today, choosing districts that are supportive of their teachers and provide both mentors and open pathways to the

JEWISH NEWS

administration,” she said, both things she was lucky enough to have in her career.

The current lack of financial support is also frustrating, given how important the role of a teacher is, and since the COVID19 pandemic, she’s watched with sadness some of the behavior that unfolded at certain school board meetings.

“It embarrasses me that some parents are so nasty to one another and the teachers and administrators. We have lost some of our humanity. It’s just a matter of sitting down, listening to one another and coming up with solutions,” she said.

Yet, with all the frustrations and stress, the job would still be worth it to her.

“When you walk into a classroom, you watch as kids learn about themselves. They have their ups and their downs and it can all change within 15 minutes. It’s beautiful to watch kids grow and figure out what they want. It’s just a really good feeling to be part of that,” she said.

“During my 55 years, I have had so many wonderful experiences and so much fun. I have a lot of funny, silly and sad stories I could tell, but if you’re going to be in the education system, you deal with stories every day.”

Though she’s leaving the full-time work of directing Raker, she’s not ready to bow out completely. Soon, she’ll start looking around the whole community to see what’s out there.

“I’m not good at retiring. I think I’ll know when it’s time, but right now I still get too much joy out of the field of education, so I’ll do something, whether in a classroom or educational program I’m not sure,” she said.

Both of her adult children live in Greater Phoenix, and her daughter, who works in the business technology world, teaches at Solel on Sundays, following somewhat in her mother’s footsteps. Waxenberg’s husband passed away four years ago, and though he would “probably approve of me cutting back, he was supportive of my teaching and was always very enamored by the way I could spot the child that needed extra attention,” she said.

Having taught students at practically every age, from pre-K to seniors in high school, one revelation that still makes her laugh is how, at least in one way, there’s not much difference between kindergarteners and seniors in high school: Both are starting on a new path, looking ahead to an exciting if uncertain future. As winter turns into spring, that’s an experience Waxenberg can relate to. JN JEWISHAZ.COM

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TBS-WV Sisterhood gives tips on avoiding scams SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER

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ig-time fraudsters Sam BankmanFried and Bernie Madoff are practically household names after hoodwinking billions of dollars from thousands of victims and generating hundreds of national and international headlines for several years. Although most scammers, even if caught, will never get that kind of media attention, they can still cause immeasurable financial and psychological damage to their victims.

That reality is why Sun City’s Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley’s (TBS-WV) Sisterhood asked Dan Phelka, a Greater Phoenix computer consultant who gives talks on how to avoid scams, to speak at a luncheon on Monday, Jan. 15.

Unfortunately, two days before the event was to unfold, Phelka was hospitalized after suffering a heart attack.

Despite this distressing situation, the membership decided it was too important of a topic to postpone and Shari Young, a Sisterhood member, stepped into Phelka’s place. With the help of

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other members, Young gathered Federal Trade Commission (FTC) materials and used her own email inbox to illustrate her points to about a dozen people.

“A lot of elderly people are taken advantage of, especially women after losing their husbands,” Sisterhood Treasurer Sara Jane Feldman told Jewish News.

“It’s really important to make people aware of these scams, especially new widows,” she said.

Barbara and Howard Kirschner were in the audience on Monday. They have a disabled family member who was scammed “and lost every penny.” They both personally get so many emails they’ve set up a separate address they give out only to close friends and family, in hopes it can inoculate them from some of the more pernicious email scams.

Young handed out FTC materials warning about a variety of phishing scams, a common type of cyber attack that targets people through fraudulent

solicitations in emails, text messages and phone calls to acquire sensitive data, such as bank account numbers, in which the scammer pretends to be a legitimate business or known person.

She used some personal emails to instruct viewers how to look for hints to discern legitimate emails from fraudulent ones, showing them how to hover the cursor over different parts of an email to disclose details about the sender, proposed links to click and what to make of the language used.

The audience offered their own experiences with this type of phishing email, adding that even when they feel a sense of pride about identifying a fraudulent marker, it still all feels so overwhelming.

“They’re drowning us in this stuff!” exclaimed one person. “I was getting 10-25 per day,” said another.

“If you’re not used to computers, it gets really bad,” Feldman said.

The FTC handouts gave some examples of messages contained in a scam email, including alerts about suspicious activity, eligibility for refunds, problems with payment information and unfamiliar invoices. The advice on interpreting such messages boils down to simply: Don’t believe it because it’s fake, a lie or a scam.

Young was even more direct. The best thing to do when a shady email shows up is “just delete it” and when an incoming call is from an unknown caller, “don’t answer it.”

Good advice and easy enough when seated in a synagogue with friends around, but if it were that simple, the FTC wouldn’t have received 2.4 million reports of fraud from Americans in 2023 alone.

People recalled that TBS-WV Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan’s email was hacked and used in an attempt to con people into buying gift cards. One audience member had luckily intervened before anyone fell for that particular scam.

Those gathered discussed article after article describing horror stories of scam victims being left with nothing in their bank accounts.

“I told my credit union how happy I am that they protect us by letting us know they will never call or text their customers with these messages,” Nan Rubin-Lieber said.

Sharon Gadless said she calls or texts her son in New Jersey when she receives suspicious messages. He is able to share her screen and offer quick advice.

“Computers and technology move fast and it can get confusing,” said Rosalind Goldstein.

JEWISH NEWS

Shari Young talks to people at Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley about protecting themselves from scams.

COURTESY JEWISH NEWS

Barbara Kirschner warned that it’s not just seniors getting scammed; to think so is an example of ageism.

In fact, adults ages 18 to 59 are more likely to report losing money to scams, with online-shopping fraud, cryptocurrency investment and job scams being the most common, according to the FTC. However, one scam that is specific to baby boomers and something the whole room had heard of is the “grandparent scam.”

Scammers can get enough personal information to impersonate someone’s grandchild in a crisis and need immediate financial assistance. Sometimes, they can even “spoof” the caller ID to make an incoming call appear to be coming from the grandchild.

Often the imposter claims to have been in an accident or arrested. The scammer may ask the grandparent “please don’t let mom and dad know,” and may hand the phone over to someone posing as a lawyer seeking immediate payment.

With artificial intelligence technology available that helps a scammer mimic voices, the grandparent scam is getting even more sophisticated.

“We want to believe we’re living in a good world but we have to be cautious,” Rubin-Lieber said.

Young volunteers helping people with computers. Years ago, she met a temple member who had been scammed and didn’t know what to do. Young hopes that more events like this one will give people some basic tools to avoid that same fate. JN To find out more about scams, go to FTC.gov.

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Red alert: Unveiling the gender divide in heart health BOB ROTH | COLUMNIST

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eart disease is personal to me. Heart disease is what took both my parents. It has shaped my perspective and motivated me to delve into the intricacies of gender-specific manifestations.

My mother’s battle with coronary heart disease, marked by atypical symptoms, was realized at age 48. On Jan. 2, 1985, she sustained major heart damage that culminated from a series of heart attacks.

She lived nearly 18 more years, incredibly debilitated from this cardiac condition that ultimately led to her passing at 66. Hard to believe that this September will be 22 years since we lost her. The symptoms of women’s heart health continue to go unnoticed, overshadowed by misconceptions and gender biases.

Contrary to common belief, heart disease surpasses cancer as the leading cause of death in women, claiming approximately 20% of lives globally. Amid the month of love, February, it’s imperative to highlight a crucial aspect of our well-being — heart health for women.

The “Go Red for Women” campaign, initiated by the American Heart Association 20 years ago, strives to eradicate heart disease’s silent grip on women. While

“National Wear Red Day” on February 2 echoed the campaign’s call, the need for heightened awareness persists. Historically, cardiovascular research predominantly centered on men, an oversight rectified by Dr. Martha Gulati’s groundbreaking work in the late 1990s. Gulati is a cardiologist at Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in California and specializes in women’s hearts and heart disease prevention.

Gulati’s research spotlights the masked symptoms women often experience during heart issues. Unlike the classic chest pain in men, women may exhibit subtler signs — shortness of breath, nausea, fatigue or discomfort in the jaw, neck or back.

Additionally, women are prone to “silent” heart attack, where the symptoms are subtle or even absent. This delayed recognition can lead to postponing treatment, worsening the outcomes for women.

The gender bias in healthcare is a pressing concern, with studies indicating women’s undertreatment compared to men in cardiovascular cases. This bias results in delayed diagnoses and inadequate treatment, underscoring the necessity for education and awareness among healthcare professionals.

Hormonal influences play a role, with estrogen’s protective effects diminishing during menopause, increasing women’s vulnerability to heart disease. Disparities in treatment outcomes further highlight the need for gender-specific considerations in cardiac interventions.

To address this issue comprehensively, we must challenge existing norms.

Awareness campaigns, medical education and public discourse are pivotal in fostering proactive approaches to women’s heart health. Commemorating American Heart Month involves not just celebrating love but committing to understanding and addressing the unique challenges faced by women.

In the United States, more women than men have succumbed to heart disease and stroke since 1985. Shockingly, one in three women is at risk, a statistic expected to worsen. The lack of recognition of risk by women and the medical community has fueled this cardiac epidemic. Heart disease’s prevalence dwarfs breast cancer, yet awareness disproportionately leans towards breast cancer prevention.

Women’s selflessness, often prioritizing family and work over personal health,

contributes to the epidemic. Symptoms of heart attacks in women can be subtle, and societal stereotypes may lead them to downplay symptoms.

Understanding the risk factors, both modifiable and non-modifiable, becomes crucial for women. Emerging research highlights the long-term threat of heart disease for women with diabetes or high blood pressure during pregnancy. Even with increased inclusion in research, heart disease is still perceived as a predominantly male affliction, affecting women more severely.

Heart disease’s preventability emphasizes the need for women to advocate for their own health. As we commemorate heart month, let’s rewrite the narrative.

Wear red not just as a symbol of love but as a pledge to raise awareness, celebrate the women in our lives and honor those lost to heart disease. On Feb. 2, I wore red in tribute to my mother and a commitment to ensuring a healthier future for all. Let’s make heart health a priority, breaking the silence and fostering a community where every heartbeat matters. JN Bob Roth is the managing partner of Cypress HomeCare Solutions.

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Get used to purging if you’re serious about downsizing, says Jewish organizer MALA BLOMQUIST | MANAGING EDITOR

T

here are many reasons why retired people want to downsize or move into a smaller home. Often, they are empty nesters and no longer need the space as when they were raising their family.

Some are struggling with the upkeep of a larger home and the related costs of maintaining it.

According to SeniorLifestyle.com, more than 40% of Americans aged 50 to 64 plan to move Rachel Winter COURTESY OF HAPPY HOME ORGANIZERS within the next five years. In that demographic, 60% have “more things than they need,” 28% acknowledged the need to downsize their belongings and 75% said the number of things they own has made them “somewhat” or “very” reluctant to move.

Sometimes, when all the “stuff” becomes overwhelming, you need to call in a professional. That is where Rachel Winter, founder and owner of Happy Home Organizers, LLC, comes in.

Winter said people focus on becoming organized and make the mistake of buying containers, bins, baskets and organizing products and think they are helping themselves when they are just compounding the problem by bringing more stuff into the house.

“They’re not saying the word ‘purge.’

They’ve got to declutter,” she said. “One of my organizing-isms, especially with seniors who are downsizing, is ‘your stuff has to fit your space.’”

Winter, who is Jewish, owned a children’s indoor play space in Connecticut that did not survive the 2008 recession. After her business closed, she wasn’t quite sure what to do with herself.

With her newfound free time and being an organized individual, her mother-in-law asked for help cleaning out her basement.

Winter also began watching the A&E television series “Hoarders.”

“All the stars came into alignment between the TV show and helping my mother-in-law declutter and organize her basement,” she said. She realized she could make a living as a professional organizer and refers to herself as a “declutter coach,” a phrase emblazoned on the back of her company shirt.

She started her business in 2012, moved to Arizona in 2014, and served on the Arizona Chapter of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO) board. NAPO requires its members to take courses, so they have a level of education in organizing. Since no license is needed for a professional organizer, Rachel insists everyone who works for her be a NAPO member.

She said she is surprised at the number of people who pay a mover to move everything without going through and decluttering first. Some people try to work with family or friends, without success.

“There’s a lot to be said for that dynamic of hiring a professional,” she said. “Someone who’s not emotionally involved. The way they speak to me is very different from how they would speak to a family member or friend. They’re the boss

Hiring a professional organizer after moving to help unpack boxes can ensure a decluttered kitchen.

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SPECIAL SECTION SENIOR LIFESTYLE and I work for them. Nothing leaves their home without their permission.”

As she goes through their belongings with them, she asks them if they are really using something. Do they need it? Do they love it? If the answer is no, she questions why they are taking it to their next home if they haven’t used it in years.

She encourages people to donate usable items and throw away unwanted ones.

“I use the word mitzvah a lot,” she said. “I’ll say, ‘You know, you’re doing a mitzvah by donating those sweaters, shoes, handbags, home décor — whatever.

Somebody is going to love that item.’”

There are three rules for staying organized that Winter said she follows: EVERY ITEM HAS A HOME. Where will the item live once you have moved? Everything from a passport to Scotch tape has its place.

LIKE WITH LIKE. Think of the kitchen, utensils all are stored with similar utensils. Think that way with every item so things are easier to locate.

ONE IN, ONE OUT. If something new is purchased and brought into the house, then something must leave. If you buy a new pair of sneakers, get rid of the old ones.

Many people do not realize they can also hire professional organizers to help them unpack boxes once they’ve moved and put everything where it belongs, Winter said.

She recently helped Rabbi Bonnie Koppell of Temple Chai in Phoenix unpack and organize her kitchen after a renovation. In 2017, Winter had her bat mitzvah as an adult at Temple Chai.

Winter advocates a “no digging policy.”

A clean, organized home is where you can open every cabinet, walk into every closet, pull open every drawer and see everything easily without having to dig for an item you need.

“You want to see it; you want to get to it. No digging,” she said. JN For more information, visit happyhomeorganizers. com.

“ONE OF MY ORGANIZING-ISMS, ESPECIALLY WITH SENIORS WHO ARE DOWNSIZING, IS ‘YOUR STUFF HAS TO FIT YOUR SPACE.’”

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Jewish pianist ‘captivates, connects and converses’ with classical music in Scottsdale MALA BLOMQUIST | MANAGING EDITOR

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hether you are a classical music connoisseur or your only exposure to the genre is recognizing the opening bars of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, Jef frey Siegel’s “Keyboard Conversations” has something to offer.

“I think it’s so important that the ‘Keyboard Conversations’ are more than just sitting there and absorbing sound. I want the listening experience to be special,” said Siegel. “The programs I have formulated are to reach both the first-time listener and the person who’s heard this piece many times and wants to listen with fresh ears and fresh appreciation.”

This is Siegel’s 45th year performing the “concert with commentary” at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts and his final performance of the season is “Keyboard Conversations with Jeffrey Siegel: Three Great Romantics,” featuring the music of Brahms, Tchaikovsky and Grieg on March 5 at 7:30 p.m.

Prior to performing the musical composition in its entirety, he talks to the audience about the music, tapping into

his vast knowledge and adding humorous commentary. The program concludes with a Q&A with the audience.

“These pieces of music speak very well for themselves and don’t need any verbal introduction. So, if you’re going to say something, hopefully, it makes the listening experience more focused and enhanced.”

Siegel started playing the piano at five and feels that’s when his career path was decided for him. His father was a string bass player with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and their family were “proud Jews” although not affiliated with a synagogue. He joked that he lived on a street in Chicago where so many musicians resided you had to pass an audition to live there.

Today, his son lives in the same neighborhood.

His inspiration for “Keyboard Conversations” came from Leonard Bernstein’s programs, which made music accessible to audiences of all ages.

“It was very unusual for a classical music person to be such a magnificent spokesman as well,” Siegel said about Bernstein. “He

wanted, as he put it, ‘to infect people with the great joy of classical music and how their lives can be enriched by it.’”

In “Three Great Romantics,” the composers featured received the moniker because they lived and worked during the “romantic 19th century,” as Siegel explained. The three met only once at a New Year’s Day celebration in Leipzig, Germany, in 1888, and, fortunately, not one of them had to die first to have their genius recognized. In fact, that’s basically the theme of Siegel’s program.

“Here we are almost a century and a half later and they remain at the top of the list of the great and popular composers,” he said.

“These great composers wrote the music they did, and it has survived because it touches a human being and continues to do so,” said Siegel.

He applauded the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts for keeping the classical music series going when many venues around the country have shut down such programs. He even performed on stage, without an audience, during the pandemic

so the center could continue to provide the program to its audience virtually.

He was first introduced to the Scottsdale venue when two friends of his from Chicago, who were familiar with his performance of “Keyboard Conversations” at Northwestern University, approached thendirector of the center Bruce MacDonald, who agreed to have Siegel perform.

The rest is history.

Siegel once had the pleasure of a few minutes of private conversation with Leonard Bernstein and the composer explained to him the Jewish emphasis on the “education of enlightenment,” and that there’s more to life than just piling up money.

“This drives many of us to want to recreate these magnificent musical masterpieces for our fellow listeners,” said Siegel. “And I think it also inspires many people to want to enrich their lives with the great compositions of these magnificent composers.” JN For more information, scottsdaleperformingarts.org

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Phoenix’s Jewish film festival is already selling out shows SHANNON LEVITT | STAFF WRITER

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ir Nicholas Winton was a British stockbroker when Adolph Hitler first rose to power, and he likely hadn’t given much thought to what was about to befall European Jews before 1938. However, that was the year he traveled to Prague with friends. The first anti-Jewish laws in Czechoslovakia were imposed following the 1938 Munich Agreement and the German occupation of the Sudetenland. Jews there were desperate to emigrate and Winton, who was suddenly aware of the urgency, decided to help transport Jewish children to safety.

Winton didn’t publicize his actions, but 50 years after he brought 669 children, almost all Jewish, to England, his wife discovered the evidence of his work in their attic and called in a Holocaust researcher to examine it. “One Life” is a cinematic retelling of the heroic transports and stars Sir Anthony Hopkins and Helena Bonham Carter. It is also the opening film of the 28th Annual Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival (GPJFF), which begins next month.

Unsurprisingly, “One Life,” showing

Anthony Hopkins stars in “One Life.”

COURTESY OF THE GREATER PHOENIX JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

at Scottsdale’s Harkins Theatres Shea 14 on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m., has already sold out.

Tricia Beran, GPJFF co-executive director, said it’s not the only movie garnering interest. This is the first year all

films will be in person since the COVID19 pandemic struck in 2020.

“People seem to be ready to come back to the theater, which is awesome,” Beran told Jewish News.

This year’s festival runs Feb. 18 to

March 3 and, as is the case every year, it aims to offer a wide variety of Jewish films, including comedies, dramas, documentaries and short films that appeal to the Greater Phoenix Jewish audience.

Hundreds of films are evaluated each year by the festival’s screening committee, a process that begins immediately after the close of the preceding year’s festival.

Smaller screening committees then view dozens of finalists, whittling the list down to a final slate of 21 feature-length films that best represent the GPJFF’s mission of showcasing Jewish life, culture and history from around the world.

All 21 films will be shown at Scottsdale’s Shea 14; nine will be available at Harkins Theatres Fashion 20 in Chandler; and four at Harkins Theatres Arrowhead 18 in Peoria.

There are also 11 short films and more bonus content than ever before.

“After COVID, we wanted to make it as much of an event as possible, so we’re bringing in a lot more speakers and content experts, and we’re hoping people will value that,” Beran said.

For example, GPJFF is bringing Israeli

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“PEOPLE SEEM TO BE READY TO COME BACK TO THE THEATER, WHICH IS AWESOME.” TRICIA BERAN

actress Eleanor Sela to town for live Q&As following Scottsdale (Feb. 24) and Chandler (Feb. 25) showings of “Seven Blessings,” a film she co-wrote and was Israel’s entry for the 2024 Best Foreign Film Academy Award.

When she was two years old, Marie, the film’s protagonist, was “gifted” to her infertile aunt to raise. The drama unfolds as Marie goes to France to be wed to her childhood sweetheart and to confront her family about her childhood.

On March 3, Shaina Silver-Baird, “Less Than Kosher” co-writer, singer and actress, will be present in Scottsdale and Chandler for a Q&A following the film. The comedy unfolds when Vi, a failed singer, is forced to move back home for financial reasons. Her old rabbi convinces her to fill in as a cantor at the synagogue where she grew up but when her performance goes viral, her career takes a path she could not have foreseen.

Scottsdale will have something of a New York-themed afternoon on the same day, Beran explained. “Bella,” a documentary about the iconic feminist

New York Congresswoman Bella Abzug, includes interviews with Barbra Streisand, Hillary Clinton and Gloria Steinem, and will be preceded by the short film “Deciding Vote,” about the legalization of abortion rights in the Empire State.

One film that organizers are sure will be a crowd pleaser is “Remembering Gene Wilder,” a documentary about the comic actor that showcases performances from some of his most beloved roles, from “Young Frankenstein” to “Willy Wonka.”

In the case of “Vishniac,” a documentary about Roman Vishniac, the premier photographer of pre-Holocaust Jewish life in Eastern Europe, festival organizers ask people in Greater Phoenix to send in any family photos they may have from that same time and place. Photos can be emailed to gpjffaz@gmail.com, along with a caption. Organizers hope to create a collage of the images to be shown after the film. JN For a complete list of films and to buy tickets, visit gpjff.org.

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‘Origin’ story: How Ava DuVernay’s new movie connects the Holocaust, slavery and caste ANDREW LAPIN | JTA

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arly in the new drama “Origin,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning Black author Isabel Wilkerson (played by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) calls her cousin from Berlin to share that, as part of her research into American racism, she intends to learn more about the Nazis’ treatment of Jews.

Her cousin is unimpressed.

“Leave Jewish folks alone,” Marion (Niecy Nash) advises Isabel. “They don’t need you. Write about us.”

But this movie’s version of Wilkerson can’t abide by that. In her mind, the fates of Jews and Black people are connected by the hidden system of “caste”: arbitrary societal hierarchies that encourage cruelty and subjugation. This is the thesis undergirding “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents,” the 2020 bestseller by the real-life Wilkerson, which deems Nazism and American racism — alongside India’s own rigid caste system — as the caste systems that have “stood out” the most “throughout human history.”

And “Origin,” the new film by Ava DuVernay now in theaters and based in part on this book, is devoted to making those connections plain.

Here’s a Jewish guide to what “Origin” has to say about the Nazis and their connection to Wilkerson’s broader thesis.

What is ‘Origin’ about?

Written and directed by DuVernay (“Selma,” “When They See Us”), “Origin” is a dramatization of the writing of Wilkerson’s “Caste” that uses historical recreations and the author’s own family story to capture the book’s cerebral tone.

The film opens with the 2012 murder of Black teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida, later recreating Nazi-era Germany, the Jim Crow South and other moments it connects through the idea of caste.

Well-regarded 20th-century Jewish texts make up some of the onscreen Wilkerson’s research process, including a quote by Holocaust survivor Primo Levi and glimpses of the 1956 anthropological book “Israel Between East And West,”

by Raphael Patai. Palestinians are also name-dropped at one point, with a scholar from the Dalit caste — the “untouchable” lowest tier of India’s caste system — telling Wilkerson he feels a kinship with them as well as Black people.

The book “Caste” itself has sometimes been attacked in recent years as an example of “critical race theory,” an academic analysis of racist structures that conser vatives say amounts to indoctrination and have sought to ban

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Jon Bernthal and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor in a scene from “Origin.”

from classrooms. Wilkerson’s book is one of about a dozen at the center of an ongoing lawsuit involving a Texas public library that had tried to remove a selection of titles against the wishes of some residents; another is the picture book “In The Night Kitchen,” by the Jewish author Maurice Sendak.

“Caste” is also being targeted by a Texas Republican state representative as one of 850 books that he says “might make students feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress because of their race or sex.”

Jim Crow and the Nuremberg Laws One Nazi-era event dramatized in “Origin” is the 1935 drafting of the Nuremberg Laws, the race-purity strictures that declared Jews to be racially inferior and outlawed relations between them and Germans.

The film emphasizes the fact that the real-life Nazi officials who came up with the laws drew heavy inspiration from the Jim Crow South’s segregation laws, which made it a crime for Black and white people in the South to enter relationships, attend the same schools or share the same public spaces.

Wilkerson’s book notes that the Nazis could not understand why the Americans hadn’t included Jews in their race laws “when it was so obvious to the Nazis that Jews were a separate ‘race’ and when America had already shown some aversion by imposing quotas on Jewish immigration.” The film’s version of Wilkerson tells a relative at one point, “The Jews and the Nazis were the same color,” emphasizing that caste isn’t necessarily about skin color.

‘The man in the crowd’ Another Nazi-era event DuVernay

OURTESY OF ARRAY FILMWORKS/NEON

dramatizes is a famous photograph of German shipyard workers in 1936 delivering the “Heil Hitler” salute. One man in the photo is standing with his arms folded, apparently refusing to pledge his loyalty.

It’s an image that has gone viral in recent years and that Wilkerson included as an opening anecdote in “Caste” to illustrate the power of being a lone voice against injustice. In the years since the photograph was taken, the man has been identified by a living relative as August Landmesser, a one-time Nazi Party member who had fallen in love with a Jewish woman the year before the photo was taken.

“Origin” imagines the cour tship between Landmesser and his Jewish lover, Irma Eckler, as playing out in secret, via clandestine meetings in jazz clubs, defying the Nazis’ caste structures. Eventually, the couple have children and try to flee across the border but are arrested for violating the Nuremberg Laws, which forbade “pureblooded” Germans like Landmesser from romancing Jews.

In real life, according to a family history authored by one of the couple’s daughters, Landmesser was sent to prison and then drafted to fight for the Nazis in 1944, declared missing in action and believed dead before the war ended. Eckler was sent to a concentration camp and sent her last recorded letter in 1942.

Nazi book bans and Remarque Perhaps inspired by recent bookbanning efforts in the United States, DuVernay’s film also heavily emphasizes the Nazis’ own book-burning practices.

A segment showing Wilkerson’s research visit to Berlin lingers on the city’s book burning memorial, “The Empty Library,” an underground illuminated sculpture of empty white shelves. Designed by the

JEWISH NEWS

acclaimed Israeli artist Micha Ullman, the sculpture’s image in the film is given more screen time than even the city’s more famous Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, and is accompanied by flashbacks of a public Nazi book burning taking place.

One book in particular is frequently name-dropped in the film as a target of the Nazis, although its Jewish history is considerably more complicated: the World War I novel “All Quiet On The Western Front.” The book’s German author, Erich Maria Remarque, was frequently accused by the Nazis of being Jewish, though he wasn’t; his antiwar novel, which is heavily critical of Germany’s military failures, was seen by the Nazis as demoralizing, as was its initial 1930 film adaptation, directed by a Jew. The book was recently remade into a Netflix movie that was heavily decorated with Oscar nominations.

Subjugation vs. extermination Also during Wilkerson’s Berlin visit in the film, she gets into an argument with a German academic over the efficacy of linking slavery to the Holocaust.

While slaver y persisted for several generations and involved unspeakable suffering, the companion states, the fundamental aims were different: slavery was an arm of capitalism designed to exploit humans for profit, while the Holocaust was a project to exterminate all Jews from the earth.

It’s an argument that has often proved heated in the U.S. in recent years, as some Jews have fought against race-based history concepts that they claim prioritize Black suffering over their own. A Jewish leader in the right-wing parent activist group Moms For Liberty told JTA last year that she was inspired to campaign against public education after her daughter faced a quiz question in school whose “correct” answer was that slavery was worse than the Holocaust, which she said she considered “a Holocaust-minimizing question.”

Undeterred, the film’s Wilkerson continues to insist on the resemblance between the two on the basis of caste: that both institutions served to designate a lower class of people who could be mistreated by an upper caste as “an undifferentiated mass of nameless, faceless scapegoats.”

A late-in-the-film montage makes this point explicit, as it cuts between scenes of Jewish women and children being abused at a concentration camp; Black women being abused onboard a slave ship and the murder of Trayvon Martin. JN JEWISHAZ.COM

COMMUNITY

Welcome to our playground

Facing anti-Israel questions

Members of Congregation Beth Israel’s board of directors and Recreation Field Committee were joined by Chanen Preschool and Scottsdale Country Day School staff and students at the recent groundbreaking of the synagogue’s 1.131-acre accessible outdoor recreation field and sports court.

COURTESY OF DAN PERLMUTTER, BEST ARIZONA DESIGN

Jonah Cohen, communications director for Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA), spoke about how to handle anti-Israel sentiment to a packed house at Scottsdale’s Congregation Beth Israel on Sunday, Jan. 7.

COURTESY OF YOSEF FUNKE

Holiday celebration at the top Arizona State House Representatives Alma and Consuelo Hernandez were invited to a holiday reception at the home of Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Douglass Emhoff in December.

COURTESY OF REP. CONSUELO HERNANDEZ

New year, new board Hadassah’s Tikvah West Valley chapter recently celebrated the installation of its 2024 board. Pictured from left: Recording secretary Judy Richell, co-presidents Anne Leppo and Suzy Shlian, treasurer Judy Bourd and area vice president Sherrie Davidson.

COURTESY OF TIKVAH WEST VALLEY CHAPTER

Everybody sing!

Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Phoenix Associate Director and Hebrew High Principal Rabbi Aviva Funke, Temple Chai Cantor Ross Wolman and Temple Kol Ami Cantor Noa Shaashua, pictured right to left, jumped on stage to join musician Rick Recht, center, and his band on Sunday, Jan. 21, for a community concert sponsored by PJ Library, a program of the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix, Pardes Jewish Day School and the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center.

COURTESY OF PJ LIBRARY JEWISHAZ.COM

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

JEWISH NEWS

FEBRUARY 9, 2024

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CALENDAR

Featured Event MONDAY-TUESDAY, FEB. 12-13 “Jews of the Wild West:” 7 p.m. Arizona Jewish Historical Society, 122 E. Culver St., Phoenix. Join the AZJHS for an in-person screening of “Jews of the Wild West,” a documentary that focuses on an under-explored aspect of Jewish history: the role that Jews played in Western-American expansion, both in real life and in the movies. Cost: Free. For more information, visit azjhs.org/jews-of-the-wild-west.

COURTESY OF ARIZONA JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY

For an updated listing of events and resources for supporting Israel, visit JewishPhoenix.com Events SUNDAY FEB. 11 Teen Social Justice Trip Info Session: 10 a.m.12 p.m.. Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Join the Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Phoenix’s Hebrew High for an information session about its CAREaVAN: Summer with a Purpose trip to Portland and Seattle to build tiny houses. For more information, visit bjephoenix. org/2023-summer-careavan.

TUESDAY, FEB. 13 Portraits: Amateur Detective: 10 a.m. East Valley Jewish Community Center, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Join the EVJCC for a presentation with Phoenix Art Museum docent Kathleen McGovern. Cost: Free. For more information, visit evjcc.org/tuesday.

NowGen February Happy Hour: 5-7 p.m.

Chestnut, 2398 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix.

Join NowGen to connect and expand your network for adults in their 20s through 40s involved in community, philanthropy and leadership. Cost: $18 per person; free for donors with a 2024 Ben-Gurion Society level gift of $1000+. For more information, visit phoenixcjp. regfox.com/nowgen-happy-hour.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 14 Documentary Film Screening: “Undying Love:” All day. Online. Join the Phoenix Holocaust Association for a screening of “Undying Love” that tells love stories of the survivors of World War II. Cost: Free. For more information, visit phxha.com/events/ documentary-film-screening-undying-love.

Nishmat Adin Visiting Day: All day. Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Nishmat Adin welcomes current 7th and 8th grade students to meet other prospective and current students and come see what this private high school is all about. Cost: Free. For more information, visit nishmatadin.org.

SUNDAY, FEB. 18 Survival & Triumph: 5 p.m. ASU Student Pavilion, 400 E. Orange St., Tempe. Join Chabad at ASU for a presentation by Joseph Alexander, a 101-year-old Holocaust survivor who lived through 12 concentration camps and a death march. Cost: $18; free for students. RSVP required. For more information, visit jewishasu. com/survivor.

Returning to Roots: My Personal Journey and Work in Ethiopia, Ukraine and Israel: 6:30-8 p.m. Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Join Sigal Kanotopsky, northwest regional director for The Jewish Agency for Israel, as she shares her personal and professional journeys. Part of the Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Phoenix’s Passages Series. Cost: $20. For more information, visit bjephoenix.org/programs/passages.

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FEBRUARY 9, 2024

MONDAY, FEB. 19 Genealogist to Speak at Sisterhood Luncheon: 12 p.m. Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley, 12202 N. 101st Ave., Sun City. Join TBS-WV for a presentation by genealogist Emily Garber who has been conducting family research since 2017. Cost: $12 for Sisterhood members, $15 for non-members. For more information, call 623-977-3240.

THURSDAY, FEB. 22 Ancient Wisdom to Mend Our Broken Hearts and World: 7-9 p.m. Temple Solel, 6805 E. McDonald Drive, Paradise Valley. Join Temple Solel and Valley Beit Midrash for the Sherman Minkoff Memorial Lecture featuring Rabbi Sharon Brous, founding and senior rabbi of IKAR, a trail-blazing Jewish community based in Los Angeles. Cost: $18; free for VBM and Temple Solel members. For more information, visit valleybeitmidrash.org.

FRIDAY, FEB. 23 Blessings in the Desert: 6:30-9:30 p.m. MonOrchid, 214 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix. Join OneTable Phoenix to welcome Shabbat with tacos, drinks and guided rituals in the artistically driven space. Cost: $18. For more information, visit dinners.onetable.org/events.

SUNDAY, FEB. 25 WIP Cares Day: 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Join Women IN Philanthropy, a program of the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix, for a day of building community and social action. Cost: $18 per person. For more information, visit phoenixcjp. regfox.com/2024-wip-cares-day-3001-2.

Alma Hernandez Speaks about Israel: 3-4:15 p.m. Chapel Center, 9230 E. Sun Lakes Blvd N., Sun Lakes. Join Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation for a presentation by Arizona House Representative Alma Hernandez on her experiences as a Jewish Hispanic American. Cost: Free. For more information, contact 480-895-4660.

SUNDAYS B.A.G.E.L.S: 9-11 a.m.; last Sunday of the month. Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale.

Grab a bagel and a cup of coffee at Bagels And Gabbing Every Last Sunday and enjoy some time with your friends and make new ones. You must register to attend. Bagels and coffee will be provided. Cost: Free for members, $5 for guests. For more information and to register, visit vosjcc.org.

THURSDAYS Storytime at Modern Milk: 9:30 a.m. Modern Milk, 13802 N. Scottsdale Road, #163, Scottsdale. Storytime for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. Integrates children’s books and songs while giving parents new ideas for play.

Cost: $5. For more information and to register, visit modernmilk.com/after-baby.

Meetings, Lectures & Classes SUNDAYS Chassidus Class: 9 a.m. Online. Learn about the Chasidic movement with Rabbi Yossi Friedman. Cost: Free. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

Jewish War Veterans Post 210: 10 a.m. Online.

Any active duty service member or veteran is welcome to join monthly meetings, every third Sunday. Cost: Free. For more information, email Michael Chambers at c365michael@yahoo.com.

Sundays are for the Family Weekly Feed: 3-5 p.m. Tempe Beach Park, 80 W. Rio Salado Pkwy., Tempe. Join Arizona Jews for Justice and AZ HUGS for the Houseless every Sunday to serve food to those in need. For more information and to RSVP, email Arizonajews4justice@ gmail.com.

Torah Study with Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Online. Weekly study group explores that week’s portion and studies different perspectives and debates the merits of various arguments. Intended for adults, Torah study is open to students of all levels. For more information, contact the TBS office at 623-977-3240.

Lunch & Learn: 12:15 p.m. Online. Grab some food and learn with Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin.

Cost: Free. Get Zoom link by emailing info@ chabadtucson.com. For more information, visit chabadtucson.com.

JACS: 7:30-8:30 p.m. Online. Zoom support group for Jewish alcoholics, addicts and their friends and family on the first and third Wednesdays of the month. Cost: Free. For more information, email jacsarizona@gmail. com or call 602-692-1004.

MONDAYS Mahjong: 1:30-3:30 p.m. East Valley Jewish Community Center, 908 N. Alma School Road, Chandler. Come play mahjong each week. For all levels. Cost: Free; registration required at evjcc.org/mahjong/.

THURSDAYS Ladies Torah & Tea: 10:30 a.m. Online. Learn about the women of the Torah with Mrs. Leah Levertov. Cost: Free. Use this link: ourjewishcenter.com/virtual. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

Learning to Trust in God: 7:30 p.m. Online.

Learn with Rabbi Yossi Friedman. Use this link: ChabadAZ.com/LiveClass. Cost: Free. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

Talmud - Maakos: 11 a.m. Online. Learn with Rabbi Shlomy Levertov. Cost: Free. Use this link: JewishParadiseValley.com/YJPclass. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

Torah & Tea: 7:30 p.m. Online. Learn with Rabbi Yossie Shemtov. Cost: Free. For more information, visit Facebook.com/ChabadTucson.

Weekly Mahjong: 1-3 p.m. Temple Solel, 6805 E. McDonald Drive, Paradise Valley. Join Temple Solel each Thursday afternoon for mahjong.

Lessons available for beginners. Cost: Free.

RSVP via email to dottiebefore@gmail.com so they know how many tables to set up.

Single Parent Zoom: 8 p.m. First and third Monday of every month. Join The Bureau of Jewish Education’s Family University single parents’ group for those looking to form friendships and build their support system with likeminded people. For more information or to register, visit bjephoenix.org/family-university.

TUESDAYS Let’s Knit: 1:30 p.m. Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Share the pleasure of knitting, crocheting, etc. outside the social hall in the campus. Can’t knit? They will teach you! Every level welcome.

Cost: Free. For more information, visit vosjcc.org.

Maintaining an Upbeat Attitude: 7 p.m. Online.

A class exclusively for people in their 20s and 30s, learn how Jewish Mysticism can help with your attitude with Rabbi Shlomy Levertov. Cost: Free.

Use this link: JewishParadiseValley.com/YJPclass.

For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

WEDNESDAYS History of the Jews: 11 a.m. Online. Learn the Jewish journey from Genesis to Moshiach with Rabbi Ephraim Zimmerman. Cost: Free. Use this link: zoom.us/j/736434666. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

JEWISH NEWS

The Science of Everything: 4 p.m. Online.

Explore the most fundamental work of Chassidut: the Tanya, with Rabbi Boruch. Cost: Free.

Use this link: zoom.us/j/736434666. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

Teen Discussions: 7-8:30 p.m. Online. Learn with Rabbi Tzvi Rimler. Cost: Free. Use this link: cteen.clickmeeting.com/east-valley. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

SATURDAYS Book Discussion: 1:30-2:30 p.m. Online. Join Or Adam Congregation for Humanistic Judaism on the third Saturday of every month for a book discussion. For more information and to register, contact oradaminfo@gmail.com.

Shabbat FRIDAYS Shabbat in the Park: 10-11 a.m. Cactus Park, 7202 E. Cactus Road, Scottsdale. Join the Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Phoenix monthly for music, parachute play, crafts and a family Shabbat experience. For more information, visit bjephoenix.org.

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CALENDAR Welcome Shabbat: 11-11:30 a.m. Online. Celebrate Shabbat with the JFCS Virtual Center for Senior Enrichment. Each week a different guest host will lead the program with song and celebration. Cost: Free. For more information, visit jfcsaz.org/cse.

Shabbat at Beth El: 11-11:45 a.m. Beth El Phoenix, 1118 W. Glendale. Ave., Phoenix. Celebrate Shabbat with songs, blessings and teachings with Rabbi Stein Kokin the first Friday of every month. Special guests will be welcoming Shabbat during the remainder of the month. For more information or to join, visit bethelphoenix.com.

Erev Shabbat Service: 5:30 p.m. Online. Rabbi Alicia Magal will lead a service livestreamed for members of the Jewish Community of Sedona and the Verde Valley. Cost: Free. For more information and to obtain the Zoom link, visit jcsvv.org/contact.

Shabbat Services: 5:30 p.m. nosh, 6:15 p.m. service; morning service has varying dates and times. Temple Chai, 4645 E. Marilyn Road, Phoenix. For more information, contact Joan Neer at jneer@templechai.com.

Pre-Shabbat Kiddush Club: 6 p.m. Online. Say Kiddush with Rabbi Mendy Levertov. Cost: Free. Use this link: ourjewishcenter.com/virtual.

For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

Shabbat Services: 6 p.m; 9:30 a.m. Congregation Or Tzion, 16415 N. 90th St., Scottsdale.

Services are also live streamed at otaz.org/ livestream. For more information about services, events and membership, visit congregationortzion.org or call 480-342-8858.

Kabbalat Shabbat and/or Shabbat morning service: 6:30 p.m.; 10 a.m.; dates vary. Congregation Kehillah, 5858 E. Dynamite Blvd., Cave Creek. Join Rabbi Bonnie Sharfman and cantorial soloists Erica Erman and Scott Leader either in person or via Zoom. For safety reasons, please register ahead of time. For dates, visit congregationkehillah.org/event/. Register by emailing info@congregationkehillah.org.

Third Friday Shabbat: 7-9 p.m. Group meets at a North Scottsdale location. The Desert Foothills Jewish Community Association hosts a Shabbat service followed by a program.

Contact Andrea at 480-664-8847 for more information.

Shabbat Services with Sun Lakes: 7 p.m. Sun Lakes Chapel, 9240 E. Sun Lakes Blvd. North, Sun Lakes. Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation conducts services on the second Friday of the month. For more information, contact 480-612-4413.

Shabbat Services with Beth Ami Temple: 7 p.m. Gloria Christi Federated Church, 3535 E. Lincoln Dr., Paradise Valley. Rabbi Alison Lawton and Cantorial Soloist Michael Robbins lead Shabbat services twice a month. For more information, visit bethamitemple.org. JN

Pepi Brachfeld Laufer Pepi Brachfeld Laufer passed away peacefully on Jan. 21, 2024, at the age of 94.

Beloved wife of Jacob Laufer for sixty-six years. Devoted mother and mother-in-law of Nathan Laufer and Judy Egett Laufer of Phoenix; Aubey Laufer and the late Mary Ciccotelli of Montreal; and the late Peggy Laufer. Cherished Bubbi of Andrew Laufer.

Predeceased by her husband, Jack, parents and siblings, who were all Holocaust survivors. Dear sister of the late Bernard Brachfeld; the late Janet Budd; and sister-in-law of Debbie Brachfeld and the late Morris Budd.

Pepi was born in Rzeszow, Poland, on April 8, 1929. She was a hidden child for four years during the war. After the war, she moved to Havana, Cuba, with her parents, brother and sister, where she lived for five years. She graduated from Havana Business College. Upon obtaining an American visa, she and her family were reunited with their American family in Newburgh, New York. Upon meeting her husband, Jack, she relocated to Montreal in 1951.

Her biography “The Hidden Pearl” was published in 2020.

Heartfelt gratitude to the Cummings Centre and the Jewish General Hospital for all their care. Funeral service from Paperman & Sons, 3888 Jean Talon St. W., Montreal, Canada, on Wednesday, Jan. 24 at 1 p.m. Burial at the Farband Labour Zionist Organization Cemetery, de la Savane. Contributions in her memory may be made to the Cummings Centre, 5700 Westbury Ave., Montreal, Quebec H3W 3E8, or Kids Need to Read (kidsneedtoread.networkforgood.com/projects/192486-kidsneed-to-read-and-little-egg-books-23-24) who distribute her biography across North America.

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Marilyn Eve Zolondek

Shabbat Services: 6:15 p.m; 10 a.m. Congregation Beth Israel, 10460 N. 56th St., Scottsdale.

Services held in the Goldsmith Sanctuary. Participants must pre-register by Thursday at 5 p.m. Priority will be given to members first and then guests. If there are more requests than available seats a lottery system will be used.

For more information or to make a reservation, visit cbiaz.org/shabbat-services.

Marilyn Eve Zolondek passed away at home in Phoenix on Jan. 24, 2024, surrounded by her loving family.

A devoted daughter, wife, mother and grandmother, distinguished teacher, treasured friend, she is remembered by all whose lives she touched for her generous spirit, strength and courage, her smile, quick wit and love of music.

She was born in Manhattan, New York, on February 14, 1949, to Edna (Strominger) Brettschneider and Abraham Brettschneider. She grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where she attended Midwood High School, then Brooklyn College, earning both a bachelor’s in education, cum laude, and a master’s in early child education.

Marilyn and her husband, Joel, met as teenagers at a school yard in Boro Park, Brooklyn, where Joel was playing basketball and noticed the pretty, athletic high school senior who had come with three friends to play tennis. Joel asked to borrow her racquet, a conversation ensued, then a first date. The couple married on March 30, 1969.

In 1971, in search of sunshine, clean air and opportunity, the couple moved to Phoenix.

Marilyn began her teaching career in Brooklyn at PS 138, then continued in Phoenix at T.B. Barr School. After the birth of her two children, she left the classroom to devote her time and energies to her family, returning to Scottsdale’s Yavapai Elementary School from 1995 until 2015.

There, Marilyn and a fellow teacher, Natalie Laino, developed a team-teaching model that combined two classes and allowed the students to “loop” from one grade to the next.

In 2006, they received the prestigious Rodel Award as Exemplary Teachers.

Marilyn served on the then Jewish Federation’s Young Leadership Development Committee and on Temple Chai’s founding committee. She also served on the board of Hillel at ASU and was a past president of the Phoenix chapter of Brandeis National Committee.

Her husband and family remained her primary focus, supporting their endeavors, cheering on her children at swim meets, baseball games and tennis matches; then welcoming three granddaughters and cheering them on as well.

She is survived by her husband of 54 years, Joel, her daughter, Sharon Zolondek (Kevin Wein), and son, Jeff Zolondek, and beloved granddaughters Eden, Dalia and Noa; her brother-in-law, David Zolondek (Carol), and sister-in-law, Sandra Wolf (Loren Krebs), and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins who all will miss her dearly.

Funeral services were Jan. 28 at Sinai Mortuary, with interment at Beth El Cemetery.

Contributions in Marilyn’s memory can be made to Pancreatic Cancer Network, pancan.org or Temple Chai.

MILESTONES BAT MITZVAH IVY MARIE SUPERFON Ivy Marie Superfon will become a bat mitzvah on Feb. 17, 2024, at Temple Solel. She is the daughter of Sarah and Joel Superfon of Paradise Valley.

Ivy’s grandparents are the late Lawrence “Bud” Sittig; Ms. Fran Settig of Denver, Colorado; and Dr. Neil and Miriam Superfon of Phoenix.

For her mitzvah project, Ivy volunteers for the Welcome to America Project, welcoming refugees to Arizona by delivering items to their homes, visiting with them and helping them get settled.

A student at Veritas Preparatory Academy, Ivy enjoys soccer, volleyball, skiing and spending time with her friends. JN OBITUARY DAVID HANEY David Haney of Phoenix, passed away on Dec. 29, 2023. He was 76. David was born in Sulphur, Oklahoma.

David was preceded in death by his parents Roy and Billie Haney. He is survived by his daughters Rebekah Dyer and Jennifer Beebe; son, Timothy Pippin; and six grandchildren.

Services were held on Dec. 31, 2023, at Foothills Chistian Church and officiated

by Rev. Rebekah Krevens. JN

JEWISH NEWS

FEBRUARY 9, 2024

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I promise to love being Jewish 10x more than anyone hates me for it. #EndJewHate

Center for Jewish Philanthropy’s Lighting the Spark Breakfast March 7, 2024

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You’ve seen the pink billboards and trucks. You’ve interacted with their social content.

Now hear from JewBelong.com founder Archie Gottesman on how this groundbreaking organization is working to rebrand Judaism and fight the evils of antisemitism.

Honorees

Belle Latchman Community Service Awards

Lighting the Spark Award

Barbara & Barry Zemel

Friends of Israel Scouts, Tzofim Fruitful

Young Leadership Award

Jonny Basha - Ashley Rubio Levine - Blaine Light Event chairs: Michelle & Bryan Kort

The Clayton House, 3719 North 75th Street, Scottsdale, Arizona Registration: 7:30-8am, Program: 8-9:30am, $72 per person Dietary laws observed - RSVP by February 23, 2024 Register at phoenixcjp.org/spark24 For more information, email spark@phoenixcjp.org

Annual Sponsors

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FEBRUARY 9, 2024

Event Sponsors

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