Jewish News, May 20, 2022

Blindness foundation research director, Dr. Arielle Silverman, reflects on years of activism

Foundation and Federation now known as the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix

MALA BLOMQUIST | MANAGING EDITOR

In the spring of 2021, the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix and the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix announced plans to integrate the two organizations into a single operating entity, now called the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix (CJP).

There was much work going on behind the scenes prior to, and since, that announcement in 2021. “After multiple conversations among the Federation and Foundation boards, we formed a working committee of members from both boards and a few community lay leaders,” said Jonathan Hoffer, who led the task force on the project and has served on the two organizations’ boards. “At the conclusion of the process, there was unanimous support to bring both organizations together.”

The organizations then consulted with communities across the country where the Foundation and Federation had integrated. The CJP most closely modeled themselves after JewishColumbus in Columbus, Ohio.

The CJP hired the same consultant, David Kaplan, used in Ohio and implemented the same legal structure. While the Federation and Foundation will still exist for legal purposes, the CJP was created as a management organization to support the work on behalf of these two legacy organizations.

“I don’t want this new

SEE CJP, PAGE 2

Program explores culture, history of Bukharian Jews

LEISAH WOLDOFF

In the early 1990s, a few Jewish Bukharian families moved to Phoenix from New York in search of affordable housing and a warmer climate. Today, Phoenix has the largest Bukharian Jewish community in North America outside of New York.

What led to this growth and why did so many Jewish families from Central Asia decide to make Phoenix their home? This question inspired Daniel Stein Kokin, Ph.D., to organize “From Samarkand to the Valley of the Sun: The History and Culture of the Bukharan Jews,” which drew more than 200 people to Beth El Congregation in Phoenix on May 1 to learn about the history and culture of Bukharian Jews.

The program, presented by Beth El and Arizona State University Jewish Studies, began with a lecture by cultural anthropologist Alanna Cooper, Ph.D., the Abba Hillel Silver Chair in Jewish Studies at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and author of “Bukharan Jews and the Dynamics of Global Judaism.” She presented a brief history of Bukharian Jews, who come from the city of Bukhara,

Uzbekistan and the Central Asian countries of Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan that surround it.

In 1989, just before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the majority of the world’s Bukharian Jews — around 50,000 — lived in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, Cooper said.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the majority of Bukharian Jews immigrated en masse to the United States and Israel. Today, less than 200

Ensemble Shashmaqam, a New York-based group, performs music from their native Uzbekistan and Tadzhikistan. COURTESY OF STUART MECKLER

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organization to be completely unrecognizable from what we’ve been in the past because both organizations have made significant, valuable contributions to this community,” said Richard Kasper, interim CEO of the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix. “But I do want to see it evolve into something that is more dynamic, more engaging and more open to the community. For too long, both organizations have suffered from the perception that they were only for insiders and that is not who we intend to be. We want this to be an organization that serves the entire Jewish community.”

By consolidating, CJP has access to valuable resources, not just from a fiscal standpoint, but also in regard to increased knowledge, community relationships and experience, which creates a stronger infrastructure and allows CJP to serve the community in new and meaningful ways, stated Kasper.

“Their [the Federation and Foundation] business models are different but very complementary and they really do belong together under one roof,” said Hoffer. “A lot of energy was going into the same process for two different organizations. By bringing those resources together, we can cut that work in half and redeploy those resources of people and money to make a larger impact in the community. The reality is we feel like one plus one will equal three.”

Kasper agrees that the two Jewish philanthropic organizations were serving the same Jewish community in different ways. It bothered him that the community perceived both as financial institutions.

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“Our value has always been measured too much in terms of dollars and cents — I cannot overstate the importance of the dollars and cents, it is critical to what we

do — but the money is not what we do; it is a tool that facilitates what we do,” said Kasper. “We support a Jewish community. Both its existing infrastructure and we help it make plans to grow to be a thriving community where Jewish people want to live and want to engage with one another and have those opportunities. By coming together, we believe that we will be better able to focus on those things and get those things done.”

In addition to the new name, the CJP also has a new logo. The three letters, CJP, are included within the abstract curves and meant to resemble a menorah and the flame. Kasper said that they have committed to doing things differently and wanted a logo to represent that.

To contribute to the community, CJP plans to identify and implement pathways for people to get engaged in the Jewish community as individuals depending on where they are in their life cycle. CJP is also creating opportunities for leadership development, not just within CJP, but for the entire Jewish community — identifying and developing the people

who will become future leaders of the community.

“I am honored to be chosen to lead the initial effort to bring these two important organizations and two boards together,” said Bob Silver, board chair. One of the founding tenets of the CJP is to create a new organization that can deliver better outcomes for all aspects of the greater Phoenix Jewish community. “In order to do that, we need to recruit new board members that reflect the diversity of Jewish life in our community. We need fresh voices and perspectives that have a passion and desire to help the CJP create a vision and mission that resonates with all parts of Jewish life in Phoenix and beyond.”

Another aspiration of the new entity is to make the community more cohesive by reaching out to and including people who identify as Jewish, but aren’t engaged with any official Jewish organization, synagogue or service. According to Arizona State University’s 2019 population study, that could be as many as 80% of Jews in the Greater Phoenix area.

CJP is also uniquely positioned to

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The logo for the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix represents a menorah and the flame.

assist the community in the department of Jewish communal security. “We can bring resources to the table that most smaller organizations — whether it’s a social services agency, an educational institution, synagogue, day school — are not going to have access to in the same way,” said Kasper. “And that’s both a service to the organization and a service to donors in the community so that their contributions can be utilized in ways that are most meaningful.”

Donors will now be able to go to one organization that will offer a “full menu” of options that best fit their goals in serving the community. “Whether that

BUKHARIAN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Bukharian Jews remain in the region, she said, and the three largest Bukharian Jewish communities in the world are in Israel, New York and Phoenix.

One member of the local Bukharian community, Tzipporah Sukhodolsky, left Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, in 1989 at age 5 and arrived in America the following year with her family, settling in Brooklyn, N.Y.

“When we first came to New York, we as little kids had to be very independent,” Sukhodolsky told the group at Beth El. Her parents attended evening classes to learn English and worked hard to make a living. In 1996, they moved to Phoenix.

“My parents decided that it would be better for us for many reasons,” she said, including the weather being similar to Uzbekistan, better living conditions and having a friend who lived there.

In those early days, she chose not to identify as Bukharian publicly. “You didn’t want to be different; you wanted to blend in as much as you can,” she said. “I’m in awe that there are so many people here today to learn about my culture.”

Another member of the community who shared his story was Yochanan

donor wants to open a donor advised fund or if they’re interested solely in making an annual campaign gift to the Federation side. We can listen to them and accommodate and assist them in finding the right fit to have an impact on the community,” said Hoffer. “Whatever the donor’s interests are, we can serve them within the new entity.”

Kasper admitted that one of the things he found most enjoyable when he was only leading the Foundation was the opportunity to sit down with a donor who said, “I have ‘X’ amount of dollars and these are the things I care about; how do I do it?” “Being able to make that

Suleimanov, who immigrated from Kazakhstan to New York in 1992. After tiring of apartment life and the city’s high crime rate, he moved his family to Arizona in 1995.

At that time, there were only about 15 Bukharian families living in Phoenix, he said, and after friends and family members learned about his experience, they soon made the move. He is now president of Ahavat Israel, one of four Phoenix Bukharian synagogues.

Today, at least 500 Bukharian Jewish families live in Phoenix (some sources say it could be as many as 1,000 families).

Many of Phoenix’s kosher markets and restaurants are owned by Bukharian families, including Cafe Chenar, who provided traditional Bukharian food for the May 1 program to those who preordered a meal.

After the meal, Evan Rapport, Ph.D., an associate professor of ethnomusicology at The New School in New York City and the author of “Greeted with Smiles: Bukharian Jewish Music and Musicians in New York,” gave a presentation about Shashmaqam, a Central Asian musical genre.

Next came a performance by Ensemble Shashmaqam, a New York-based group who has been performing music and

connection for that donor so that they can experience the joy of making something happen that wasn’t happening before is phenomenal,” said Kasper. Alternatively, there are times when someone has an idea for something but can’t find the funds. “Being able to connect that idea or that person to the resources they need to move forward. I love that,” said Kasper. “To me, that’s where the fun is in this work.

“What it always comes back to is that we exist to serve the community.” JN

For more information, visit phoenixcjp.org.

Jewish News is owned by the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix.

dance from their native Uzbekistan and Tadzhikistan since 1983. The musicians, wearing traditional Central Asian robes called joma, played doyra (Uzbekistan drums), rubab and tar (both lute-like instruments). Dancer Malika Kolontarova, a popular Tajik-American dancer who was named People’s Artist of USSR in 1984, joined the band for a few songs, inviting members of the audience to join her on the dance floor at the conclusion of the program.

“Her energy was an out-of-this-world experience for me,” said attendee Lenka Siroky. “It was a moment of pure joy and I’m grateful for that.”

“As a newcomer to Phoenix, the strong Bukharian presence here strikes me as perhaps the most interesting aspect of the local Jewish community,” said organizer Stein Kokin, whose wife, Rabbi Nitzan Stein Kokin, is the spiritual leader of Beth El. “I viewed organizing this program as an opportunity for me to learn more about the Bukharian Jews, their history and culture. I am further gratified that so many local organizations offered their support and that the program attracted such a diverse audience.”

A table displays traditional Bukharian items.

takes on international leadership role

ELLEN BRAUNSTEIN

During a trip to Israel, Theresa “T” Lungwitz saw firsthand the selflessness and love the staff gives to residents of an Israeli village for people with disabilities who need 24/7 care.

The Arizona businesswoman wanted to do her part, so she stepped up to lead the International Board of Jewish National Fund-USA (JNF-USA). In the role of president, she hopes to foster further growth for ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran (ADI Negev), an expansive rehabilitative village in southern Israel under JNF-USA auspices.

ADI Negev offers everything from a hospital to a petting zoo and aquatic center and serves individuals from all backgrounds and levels of need. The expanding complex, including a new 74-bed rehabilitation hospital, has created more local opportunities in a historically underserved region.

“People in the area used to have to drive up to two hours to get rehabilitation,” Lungwitz said. “So now people in the surrounding towns can have someplace to go.”

Lungwitz, 70, started as a labor and delivery nurse and became the owner and CEO of Thema Health Services. She recently sold her home health and hospice company with 300 employees and seven offices throughout Arizona.

Lungwitz is also the owner of Royal T Arabian, an Arabian horse breeding ranch located in Cave Creek.

With Lungwitz’s business and healthcare background and her financial support, “she speaks the ‘language’ of rehabilitation,” said Itzik Becher, executive director for

major gifts for JNF-USA’s Desert States & The Southwest. “She knows the needs and can help them beyond their immediate accomplishment of building the rehabilitation hospital. There are very few people who can combine healthcare knowledge, philanthropic involvement and dedication.”

Lungwitz is moved by the volunteer support for ADI Negev. “It’s so heartwarming to see the different people, volunteers from all over the world, who come and help with the residents,” said Lungwitz, who recently returned from a five-week trip to Israel. “That’s one of the main reasons that I want to help because they just give and give and give, then somehow they find a way to give more.”

Lungwitz wants to raise the world’s standards for how people with disabilities are cared for. “I would like the world to realize that we can treat the disabled with both professionalism and dignity. ADI Negev sets the bar high. Both the professional medical care and the love with which personnel there operate is unprecedented.”

“Too often,” she continued, “the disabled live on the edge of society. In this case, they are central to the community and are advancing the building of homes, expanding world-class research and contributing to the growth of the area. It shifts the focus to the positive.”

Lungwitz believes that ADI Negev is an “amazing opportunity to help the people of Israel and the land of Israel. It’s helping the people who are less fortunate and I’m excited to do it.”

A new rehabilitation hospital recently

opened in an area in the Negev that had no opportunities for neurological care until now. “They are going to do research and see if we can’t find some ways to develop better treatments for people who have these neurological problems,” Lungwitz said.

Lungwitz came to Arizona 35 years ago from Virginia and now lives in Scottsdale. She started her business offering in-home health care but expanded to hospice when she observed that families didn’t want to be

Chairman’s Council, Sapphire Society, King Solomon Society and has sat on the Desert States board of directors serving as chairperson of the major gifts committee. She initiated and created The Theresa Lungwitz Supportive Care Center in Israel. Launched in 2018, the center created a training program supporting families experiencing trauma.

The board’s next step is leading the planning for the new hospital, attracting

transferred to another company to provide end-of-life care. “It’s changed my whole life, how I see people and how they interact with the elderly and children. It’s all the same. It’s all humanity.”

Lungwitz’s first trip to Israel was only seven years ago on JNF-USA’s president’s mission. Since then, she has become a passionate advocate. “The trip to Israel was life changing and the word ‘purpose’ took on a whole new meaning.”

She is a member of JNF-USA’s World

new programs and more funding. “Doctors are coming from all over the world. We’re looking for leading treatments,” Lungwitz said.

She is excited by the opportunity to serve as board president. “It’s a big, big, big shoe to fill and I hope I’m up to the task. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do as a board to help the hospital.” JN

“TOO OFTEN, THE DISABLED LIVE ON THE EDGE OF SOCIETY. IN THIS CASE, THEY ARE CENTRAL TO THE COMMUNITY AND ARE ADVANCING THE BUILDING OF HOMES, EXPANDING WORLD-CLASS RESEARCH AND CONTRIBUTING TO THE GROWTH OF THE AREA. IT SHIFTS THE FOCUS TO THE POSITIVE.”

THE JEWISH COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

YOUTH PHILANTHROPY BOARD

salutes our graduating seniors and thanks them for their years of service to our community.

Blindness foundation research director reflects on years of activism

MALA BLOMQUIST | MANAGING EDITOR

In April 2022, Dr. Arielle Silverman was named director of research at the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB). She started with AFB in September 2021 as a research specialist after having served as an independent contractor contributing to several research projects for the foundation.

www.phoenixcjp.org

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Silverman, who has been blind her whole life, is an author and activist. She founded a consulting company in 2016, Disability Wisdom, which provides researchedbased services, such as trainings to help foster understanding toward people with disabilities.

Silverman graduated summa cum laude from Arizona State University’s Barrett Honors College and obtained her Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Colorado Boulder (where she met her husband) in 2014. In 2016, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Washington School of Medicine. During her postdoctoral fellowship as she began looking for a job, she started getting requests for disability training services from different people, many from the Jewish community in Arizona where she grew up and her parents live, including Jewish Family and Children’s Service in Phoenix.

Interest-FreeLoansfor HomeImprovement

“I was motivated by some of the dissertation work that I did about disability simulations being problematic. And so people started to want to talk to me about what do we do instead of disability simulation.” said Silverman. “I started doing these trainings and had a lot of fun developing and delivering them. I recognized that I didn’t want to stay in academia and I liked the idea of working for different clients and making a small impact in a bunch of different places. That was my primary focus for five years and I had a lot of interesting clients and got to do a lot of cool work and hopefully, it made a difference.”

The website for Disability Wisdom is still active and she still runs the Disability Wisdom Discussion Group on Facebook that has 4,000 members. Still, she has shifted its focus to activities

promoting her book, “Just Human: The Quest for Disability Wisdom, Respect, and Inclusion.” “So, instead of consulting, it’s a lot of doing book presentations and book clubs and things like that,” she said.

“Just Human” is a personal memoir but it goes beyond describing her life by including what research has to say or what other disabled people have had to say about particular topics.

“There’s a call to action all the way through it,” said Silverman. “It culminates in the last few chapters; I’m done sharing my story and I’m talking more about what my dreams are for the future and what inclusion might look like in the future.”

Silverman explains that the last chapter of the book goes through the five stages inclusion model. This is something that she came up with and it seems to resonate with people. She explains the first stage is negative feelings toward people with disabilities (disgust, fear, avoidance), to neutral feelings (not accommodating, but also not rejecting), to the “helping stage,” where people treat those with disabilities like heroes or inspirational figures. Although well intended, there’s still a hidden layer of ableism because people with disabilities aren’t being treated as equals.

“The hope is that people will get past that and go to the fourth stage, which I call the ‘equality stage,’ where people are legitimately believing in the equality of people with disabilities,” shared Silverman. “The final stage is what I refer to as ‘disability justice,’ and that’s a common term that that many disability and intersectional activists use. It’s dreaming of a world where everyone equally belongs and has full access. Stage five isn’t necessarily a reality that we’ll ever see in its entirety — but we can always get closer to it.”

Silverman grew up going to Temple Chai where her mother, Sharona Silverman, started the Shalom Center in 1996 and still works as a retired volunteer. Silverman became a bat mitzvah, traveled

Brayden Schoolman Sports Coaching

Norah Feinberg Tulane University

Sammy Marks Duke University

While in high school, these young

adults

served as

grantmakers

and leaders. They chose to establish life-long charitable endowment funds through the B’nai Tzedek Youth Philanthropy Program. As they move on to college, they know they will always be able to work to repair the world with the help of the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix.

The Jewish Community Foundation and the Jewish Federation have integrated to form the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix.

Dr. Arielle Silverman COURTESY OF MOSHE ZUSMAN PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO

to Israel with her family and went on a Birthright trip in college.

She stated that social justice and inclusion are extremely important to Jews and she’s enjoyed speaking to many Jewish organizations. “I think when you have two minority identities, it’s really easy to feel like they compete with each other a little bit,” said Silverman. “It’s hard to feel truly affirmed in both of them at the same time. That’s why I like doing the inclusion work.”

Silverman shared that although she had different experiences than her sighted peers, she had the same concerns, joys and sorrows as any other child. She wants people to read her book and realize that just because she’s blind, she really isn’t all that different than anyone else.

“I want people to examine their assumptions. The other theme that runs through the whole book is love,

respect and collaboration,” said Silverman. “There’s one chapter that’s not really about blindness at all. It’s about the impact of having one person stick up for you against bullying. You don’t need a whole bunch of people to stand up for you — it only takes one person.”

Silverman said that when she was

outlining the book, she was thinking about the tension between acceptance and change. “On one hand, I’m telling people to accept each other exactly how they are, differences and all, and on the other hand, I’m saying, don’t just sit there and let the status quo happen,” she said. “You need to be part of changing things and improving the world. We need peace. We need to get along with each other and accept each other and then we also need to figure out what isn’t working and how to change.”

For more information, visit disabilitywisdom.com.

will graduate from the Spertus Institute next week.

Research collaboration between Arizona and Israel unveils new name

BEA CARTER

When founded in 2019, the thennamed Joint Institute for Global Food, Water and Energy Security in Israel represented a partnership between the University of Arizona — which has a wealth of arid agriculture and water research — Jewish National FundUSA and experts in the Arava Valley in Israel.

“If you have enough water, then the other things come. If you don’t, then it’s hard to imagine life on earth. There are some very talented, experienced scientists on both sides, at the University of Arizona and in the Arava, so who am I to tell them what to do?” said Mike Kasser, explaining why he and his wife, Beth, helped to found and fund the institute that is now adopting their name.

To honor and recognize their commitment to the founding and funding of the institute, the research collaboration will now be known as the Kasser Joint Institute for Food, Water and Energy Security; after the couple’s

cumulative donations to the institute reached $1 million.

Kasser is a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has a doctorate in engineering from the University of Grenoble in France and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He and his wife travel widely, speak many languages and have strong interests in science, arts and culture. The couple met at the Yonkers marathon in New York and have since run dozens of marathons and done multiple Ironman Triathlons in Hawaii.

One of their most significant initiatives — logistically and financially contributing to the Joint Institute for Global Food, Water and Energy Security over several years — is another passion.

On a trip to Israel with Russel Robinson, CEO of Jewish National Fund-USA, the Kassers visited the Arava Valley, one of the country’s most significant agricultural regions. Robinson shared his goal of connecting the region with a university in the United States and

the Arizona residents suggested their state institution.

“I got Russell together with my good friend Joaquin Ruiz at the University of Arizona, the former Dean of the College of Science and knew we would have a good partner to study water issues,” Kasser said. As the vice president of Global Environmental Futures at UA and director of Biosphere 2, which houses the world’s largest laboratory experiment in earth sciences, Ruiz was essential in bringing the project to life.

Arizona, especially the southern part of the state, is arid like the Arava Valley, which only averages four millimeters of precipitation each year. As the population grows, Israel struggles to regulate water usage in the Arava Valley, which is on the border with Jordan.

“The re-naming of the institute represents the continuation of an innovative project and reflects the trust and confidence our donors have in this project. We hope that with the

Born and raised in Phoenix, AZ, Jaime Fox now works as Senior Manager of Women’s Philanthropy for the Jewish Federation of San Diego County.

And is a lifelong Suns fan!

Solar panels and plants in the Arava Valley.

re-naming, more donors will learn about the Kasser Joint Institute and will choose to become active partners of this unique endeavor,” said Tania Pons Allon, director of the institute.

Water shortages have many effects, including energy and food insecurity. The Kasser Joint Institute uses a multidisciplinary approach to solve problems by operating working committees with representatives from the University of Arizona, Arava region and local farmers. In the three years since its founding, the institute has focused on two large-scale research projects that will eventually be implemented in target communities.

The first project is an agrivoltaic off-grid system where crops are grown underneath solar panels. In this system, the sun is used twice: for food production and to generate energy. “The energy produced in these systems can provide electricity for water treatment, pumping, cooler storage and any other solution the local community will need,”

Pons Allon added.

The second project is an aquaponic system where fish are grown in tanks and then the water from the tanks is used to irrigate hydroponically grown crops. This system is entirely off-grid with the use of solar panels and could be used to feed a

family and provide income.

These research projects can be used to solve problems in the Arava Valley and other areas with similar climates, like regions in Mexico and Africa. These discoveries will be used to develop solutions, training and education.

The Kassers are excited to develop partnerships and funding for the institute that now bears their name for an important reason: the world needs immediate solutions to water resource concerns.

Though the Kasser Joint Institute is still in its nascence, the couple is already seeing the results of their philanthropy as solutions are discovered and shared with other arid or developing areas.

“It’s turning out as well or better than I expected,” said Kasser. “Sometimes things work, sometimes they don’t, but this is working.” At the same time, the Kassers know the institute and its climate research needs all the support it can get — and soon. As he added, “There’s a lot of work to be done. This is not going to happen soon, this is going to keep going, and I hope that other people will be part of this work and build it up. For all our sake.” JN

Writer Opportunity Available Phoenix Jewish News

Mid-Atlantic Media, a fast-growing publisher of niche community and ethnic titles, is seeking a sta writer for its full time publishing project Phoenix Jewish News in Scottsdale, AZ. Phoenix Jewish News is an award-winning, print and digital publication covering the greater Phoenix diverse Jewish community since 1948. Our ideal candidate has experience with and enjoys writing both news and feature stories, thrives in a deadline environment and has digital media experience.

You love telling the stories and tracking down the facts that are at the heart of any article. You can thrive on multiple assignments and are flexible about evening and weekend work. Words and ideas are your oxygen. Photography experience is a plus. So is familiarity with Jewish community and Israel.

As an employee of Mid-Atlantic Media, you’ll be a part of a rapidly expanding organization that, in addition to the Phoenix Jewish News, publishes Washington Jewish Week, Baltimore Jewish Times, and other publishing projects such as Jewish Exponent in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle. Such a range of outlets a ords writers the opportunity to have multiple bylines across the U.S.

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Kasser Institute. COURTESY OF

What you need to know about the antisemitic ideology behind the Buffalo shooting

PHILISSA CRAMER, RON KAMPEAS | JTA

The man charged with killing 10 people at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket on Saturday, May 14, allegedly was motivated by a conspiracy theory that has spurred recent deadly attacks on Jews, among others.

An online manifesto attributed to Payton Gendron, 18, explains that the attack was spurred by the theory that a tide of immigrants is crowding out white populations in western countries. The manifesto also says that Jews are the real problem but that “they can be dealt with in time.”

The Tops supermarket, located just a few miles from the Canadian border, was chosen because it is in an area with many Black residents, the manifesto says. Eleven of the 13 people shot there were Black, local law enforcement officials said.

Law enforcement authorities are working to verify that the manifesto was written by Gendron, who was arrested at the scene and later charged with first-degree murder. The U.S. Justice Department is investigating the shooting as “a hate crime and an act of racially motivated violent extremism,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

The baseless theory outlined in the manifesto is known as “Great Replacement” and has united white supremacists across borders in their hatred of Jews and immigrants. Replacement theory has inspired multiple antisemitic and extremist attacks, including the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting in which 11 Jews were murdered; the 2019 attack on a New Zealand mosque that killed 51; and the 2019 massacre at a Texas WalMart that targeted Hispanic immigrants.

In 2017, white supremacists marching in Charlottesville, Virginia, infamously chanted “Jews will not replace us.”

The manifesto cites the perpetrator of the New Zealand massacre as a chief inspiration and says that its author learned about the dangers of immigration from online research, including on 4chan, a website popular among right-wing trolls.

The theory has gained significant traction in right-wing media and politics.

Tucker Carlson, the top-rated Fox News Channel opinion host, has trafficked for more than a year in replacement rhetoric. In one passage in the manifesto allegedly written by Gendron, the writer echoes Carlson’s phrasing in a notorious September 2018 segment, which began, “How precisely is diversity our strength?”

The manifesto launches a similar salvo, “Why is diversity said to be our greatest strength?”

The Anti-Defamation League called on Fox News to fire Carlson after the host explicitly defended replacement theory on air last year. Fox executives rejected the call.

“Horrified by the #Buffalo shooting which is apparently motivated by

#antisemitism and #racism,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted Saturday night. “The rhetoric that fuels hatefilled conspiracies has to stop. … These are the consequences of conspiracies going unchecked.”

Replacement theory has gained currency among some Republican officials, including Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, whose hometown newspaper in Albany decried her invocation of the theory in an editorial last fall. An Associated Press poll released last week found that half of Republicans in the United States agree at least partially with the idea that there is an intentional effort to crowd white Americans out with immigrants.

Structured largely in a question-andanswer format and accompanied by collected memes and internet citations, the manifesto explicitly states that the author is driven by hatred of Jews.

The author says he departs from many white supremacists in concluding that Jews are, for the most part, white. But,

citing pages of quotations from the Talmud, he says Jews are polluted by learning that “they are God’s chosen people and they are permitted to hate and exploit the goyim” or nonJews, and to engage in pedophilia.

(Purported fear of pedophilia is also central to QAnon, another conspiracy theory with antisemitic roots that has gained widespread currency on the American right.)

“Are you an anti-semite? YES!!” the manifesto reads in one place. Later, the author answers the question, “Why attack immigrants when the Jews are the issue?” The answer reads, in part: “They can be dealt with in time.”

The manifesto cites George Soros, the Hungarian-born Jewish billionaire and philanthropist who is a boogeyman for right-wing conspiracy theories, as “majorly responsible for the destruction of our White culture.” It also says that Jews are driving the rise of critical race theory, an academic idea about the ways in which racism is embedded in society that has become a recent rallying cry for right-wing activism.

The alleged shooter broadcast his attack on Twitch, a streaming platform for video game enthusiasts also used by the man who attacked a synagogue in Halle, Germany, in 2019. That attack broadcast for 35 minutes; Twitch said it had removed footage of the Buffalo attack sooner.

The manifesto says Halle showed the author “that there is enough time to capture everything important.”

The Jewish Federation of Greater Buffalo is among the many local and national organizations providing support to people in the city of approximately 250,000; it is making mental health services available. JN

Police on scene at a Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo, New York, after a mass shooting there, May 14, 2022. COURTESY OF JOHN NORMILE/GETTY IMAGES

A Holocaust survivor’s collection of over 1,000 miniature books speaks volumes about her resilience

AVIVA ENGEL | JTA

In her 96 years on earth, Lilly Toth didn’t get much of a formal education. Born in Budapest in 1925, the self-proclaimed spoiled brat often misbehaved and was frequently suspended from school.

But instead of attending university in her late teens, the Holocaust survivor was literally running for her life — hiding with neighbors, surviving an attempted execution on the shores of the Danube, then working for the very fascist organization that attempted to take her life.

Despite these huge upheavals and larger losses, Toth managed to amass something very small, and very valuable: a collection of 1,119 miniature books that are a testament to Toth’s resilience and worldliness.

Toth’s collection, which she bequeathed to Montreal’s Jewish Public Library prior to her death last May — and which the library will honor in an exhibit starting May 15 — is as diverse as the inside of a Barnes & Noble. There are cookbooks, musical scores, sports-themed books, novelties known as “mass-market minis” because of their ubiquity, and children’s literature, including “The Tales of Peter Rabbit,” first published between 1902 and 1909. Shakespeare features prominently in two nearly-complete 24-volume sets published between 1890 and 1930.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before and I’ve been working here for 26 years,” said Eddie Paul, senior director of Library and Learning Services at the Jewish Public Library.

It’s also one of the finest miniature book collections in Canada, and likely of Hungarian miniature books in North America, according to the exhibit’s curator, historian Kristen Howard. The earliest mini books date back to

around 2,000 BCE, Howard noted. In order to qualify as miniature, she says, a book must be bound and smaller than three inches in length and width. Books up to four inches are considered “macrominiatures,” while “microminiatures” are less than one inch, and “ultra-microminiatures” are smaller than a quarter inch. Toth’s collection encompasses all of these, with many so tiny they can only be read with a magnifying glass. For collectors, the allure of minis extends far beyond their cuteness.

“Miniature books are fascinating,” said Howard. “Besides being quaint,

practically they’re so easy to transport. So if you have one that is very prized, like a religious book, you can keep it close and safe in a pocket or purse. There’s also something really special about being able to carry all the words of God or works of Shakespeare in your hands.”

Toth’s collection also includes an early-20th-century English-Yiddish dictionary printed in Germany that packs 1,200 words, sample conversations and vocabulary lists in a palm-sized book. As Howard discovered, the vocabulary lists are curiously all food-related.

“They’re grouped by course,” she said. “Appetizers, mains, desserts, drinks.

It’s a nice insight into how it was intended to be used. You could take the dictionary with you to a restaurant and order effectively.”

Raised in a secular home, Toth treasured both Jewish and Christian books, some dating back several centuries. These include Bibles, an ornate HebrewHungarian Passover haggadah and an ultra-microminiature volume of “The Lord’s Prayer” in seven languages. There is an abridged Hebrew-English prayer book, intended for Jews serving in the U.S. armed forces, was first created in 1917 by the National Jewish Welfare Board days after the U.S. declared war on Germany.

While the collection contains English, Hebrew, French, Spanish, German and Russian books, a notable portion comprises Hungarian literature and poetry — a nod to Toth’s roots.

“In the mid-20th century, miniature book collectors considered Hungarian minis to be some of the finest and most prized in the world,” said Howard. “One reason is because they were multilingual, which enabled people from various places to read them, instead of simply admiring them.”

Howard believes Toth was likely drawn to the Hungarian minis because they represented a link to her past and a means of preserving her identity.

“Lilly remained in contact with family and friends in Hungary throughout her time in Canada,” said Howard. “These books were an important touchstone to her culture.”

For Paul, Toth’s rich collection speaks volumes about her family’s scholarship and sophistication.

“Her parents were worldly,” he said.

The Hungarian Haggadah in Lily Toth’s collection is by Károly Pap (1897-1945), a Hungarian writer and compiled by Ernő Naményi (1888-1957), the founder of the Isaiah Religious Association in Budapest. COURTESY OF TOTH COLLECTION

“They were from Austria-Hungary; that was their tradition. Lilly was probably exposed to music, art, various kinds of culture and manifestations of beauty.”

Paul also speculates that the Holocaust inspired her collection.

“The Holocaust motivated people to create and collect beautiful things and preserve them so that others could appreciate them,” said Paul.

While little is known about Toth in later life, she recorded her oral history in 1994 for the Montreal Holocaust Museum and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.

“We only know Lilly’s story because she shared it with us,” said Eszter Andor, the Montreal museum’s oral history and commemorations coordinator. “Every testimony is precious, and we are so grateful to all of the survivors who have and continue to tell us their stories.”

Toth was born in Budapest, the only child of Viktor and Carla Gluck. After Germany invaded Hungary in 1944, the fascist Arrow Cross movement united with the Nazis and seized the Hungarian government. Viktor Gluck was sent to a forced labor unit and shot in Austria. Her mother, aunt and uncle were arrested by the Arrow Cross and shot near Gyor, close to the Austrian border. Toth hid with neighbors until they

were betrayed and forced to flee.

“She was taken with another friend to the shores of the Danube where they were tied together,” said Paul. Her friend was shot and killed. “Lily managed to unfasten her bonds and swam a kilometer down the icy river.”

A Hungarian police officer rescued her, and, upon learning that she was Jewish, turned her over to German soldiers who brought her to a Jewish hospital to recover. Toth survived the mass deportations of Hungarian Jews that began on May 15, 1944; she survived the rest of the war by working under an assumed identity as a cleaning lady at an Arrow Cross building.

During the Hungarian Revolution in 1957, Toth moved to Canada to be close to family in Montreal. Sometime after she began collecting her prized minis, which she displayed on custom-built shelves in her bedroom.

“The Hungarian Revolution was the second huge break in Lilly’s life,” said Howard. “It makes sense after these very traumatic experiences that one would be drawn to collecting something so easy to transport.”

Said Andor: “If you think about the history of the Jewish people, how many times we’ve had to flee at short notice, it’s interesting that a Holocaust survivor collected books that would be very easy to just put in your pocket and run for it.”

A year before her death, Paul and a colleague visited Toth to view the collection the Jewish Public Library was to inherit.

“Lilly was a remarkable lady,” Paul said. “She was very understated in her assessment of her life and legacy. To her it was as though everybody had collections like this; it wasn’t a big deal. I had the sense that because Lilly never had children, these books were, in a sense, symbolic children for her.”

Andor is moved by Toth’s resolve to rebuild her life after losing her parents

and experiencing such trauma.

“Resilience is a common theme in many survivors’ stories,” she said. “They not only survived; they rebuilt their lives. It’s very important that the next generation does not only see the destruction, but the reconstruction.” JN

On May 15, Montreal’s Jewish Public Library launched the Lilly Toth Miniature Book Collection together with the Montreal Holocaust Museum and pay tribute to Toth’s life and legacy. Visit an online version of the exhibit at jewishpubliclibrary. org/collections/special-collections/ toth-mini-book-collection/.

Lily Toth with her parents.

Collective punishment for looking Jewish

We struggle to contain our indignation. The story is upsetting. The video is chilling. The apology was milquetoast. Lufthansa Airlines blew it. But very few seem to care.

The saga began on May 4, when a large group of Jewish passengers were denied boarding on a connecting Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt, Germany, to Budapest, Hungary, after several of the passengers reportedly failed to comply with the airline’s mask regulations on the first leg of the trip from New York. It is not clear how many passengers on the JFK-Frankfurt leg ignored the mask rule. But it is clear that all identifiable Jewish passengers on the connecting flight were punished for the offense. According to the Lufthansa supervisor whose remarks were recorded by passengers, the airline’s intent for group punishment was explicit: “Everyone has to pay for a couple,” said the supervisor. “It’s Jews coming from JFK. Jewish people were the mess, who made the problems.”

And so, a phalanx of German police brandishing machine guns barred identifiable Jews from boarding the

connecting flight, and Lufthansa banned those passengers from purchasing another ticket to Budapest or anywhere else for 24 hours.

According to reports, there were an estimated 135-170 Jews on the Lufthansa flight, 80% of whom were dressed in

visit the grave of Rabbi Yeshaya Steiner, a wonder-working rabbi who died in 1925 and is buried in northeast Hungary. But dozens of the Jewish passengers on the flight were not part of the group or even going on the pilgrimage. Nonetheless, anyone who “looked Jewish” was denied

ACCORDING TO THE LUFTHANSA SUPERVISOR WHOSE REMARKS WERE RECORDED BY PASSENGERS, THE AIRLINE’S INTENT FOR GROUP PUNISHMENT WAS EXPLICIT: “EVERYONE HAS TO PAY FOR A COUPLE,” SAID THE SUPERVISOR. “IT’S JEWS COMING FROM JFK. JEWISH PEOPLE WERE THE MESS, WHO MADE THE PROBLEMS.”

Chasidic garb. During the flight, a pilot announced that flight attendants were frustrated with people blocking the galleys while praying, and with having to repeat themselves to remind people to wear masks. Some of the Jewish passengers on the Lufthansa flight were part of a group on an annual pilgrimage to

Political self-preservation

The recent return of the Ra’am Islamic party to Israel’s precariously balanced government shows just how significantly political self-preservation motivates the members of the eight-party coalition led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid.

When first formed a short 11 months ago, the Bennett-Lapid coalition had 61 members — a razor thin majority in the 120-member Knesset. Few believed the delicate coalition could survive the rough and tumble realities of Israeli political life. But it has survived, even through the resignation last month of Yamina party leader Idit Silman, which shrank the coalition ranks to a 60-seat deadlock with the opposition. Since the loss of one more seat will topple the BennettLapid regime, every effort is being made to keep the coalition together, even as Bennett and Lapid themselves jockey for positioning for the prime minister post should the government collapse and require new elections.

What keeps the parties from straying too far is the fear of defeat in the next election. Each of the coalition parties compromised some aspect of its historic

aims in order to join the ideologically diverse coalition, and each faces an uncertain future were new elections to be called now. Ra’am, with four Knesset seats, is a case in point.

Led by Mansour Abbas, Ra’am is the first Arab party to join an Israeli

boarding in Frankfurt. As a result, the connecting flight to Budapest, which reportedly had close to 200 seats, took off with only 20 passengers on board.

After reports and videos of the incident went viral, Lufthansa issued a lame “apology,” which failed to acknowledge the enormity of the offense, failed to

articulate meaningful remorse and sought to cast blame for the mask violations on a “large group” of Jewish passengers on the first leg of the trip.

When that “apology” was roundly criticized, Lufthansa’s CEO, Carsten Spohr, called Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal in Berlin, and told him that the antisemitic incident shouldn’t have happened and that employees involved had been suspended. No details were provided.

What is almost as upsetting as the deeply troubling Lufthansa offense is the lack of more vocal and active expressions of indignation and outrage about the incident from the organized Jewish community and others. We complain regularly about antisemitism and its pernicious infection of our society. We complain regularly about the hateful victimization of Jews and the targeting of the Jewish community. The Lufthansa story checks all those boxes. And yet, the broader Jewish communal reaction to the Lufthansa outrage has been remarkably restrained. Why is it that when the targets of blatant antisemitism are Chasidic Jews we don’t seem quite so offended? JN

progress. But he needs the coalition to survive in order to achieve more.

Abbas’ pragmatism set an important precedent that will enable other Arab parties to join a Zionist-led government, similar to the Haredi Orthodox parties that have historically put their

WHEN FIRST FORMED A SHORT 11 MONTHS AGO, THE BENNETT-LAPID COALITION HAD 61 MEMBERS — A RAZOR THIN MAJORITY IN THE 120-MEMBER KNESSET.

government. In doing so, Abbas made a pragmatic decision to table the Palestinian issue and work instead to get practical benefits for his constituents, many of whom are Bedouin in the Negev. Abbas has focused on issues like housing and fighting crime. And he has made some

disagreement with Israel’s existence aside to join governments and reap the benefit in generous budgets for their schools and social services, in protecting their exemptions from the draft and in maintaining Haredi hegemony over the rabbinate.

A NOTE ON OPINION

Last month, however, Ra’am froze its membership in the coalition in response to the outbreak of violence on the Temple Mount. Almost immediately, Netanyahu’s Likud scheduled a no-confidence vote in the Knesset, hoping to topple the government. By rejoining the coalition, Abbas doomed, for now, any no-confidence vote.

Similar political self-preservation played out late last week when Matan Kahana of the Yamina party announced his resignation as minister of religious services. As a result, Kahana will resume his seat in the Knesset, pushing out Yom Tov Kalfon, who is viewed as a “weak link” in Yamina, and who many feared would follow Silman and join the opposition. With Kalfon gone and Kahana in place, Bennett strengthens his coalition and helps ensure that one less right-wing resignation threat could topple his government and enable Lapid to become interim prime minister.

The permutations are mind-bending, with political self-preservation a recurring, potent motivator to keeping the coalition together. How long that lasts is anyone’s guess. JN

We are a diverse community. The views expressed in the signed opinion columns and letters to the editor published in the Jewish News are those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the officers and boards of the Jewish Community Foundation, Mid-Atlantic Media 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.

Jewish tradition ‘permits’ abortion. If you believe in bodily autonomy, that’s not enough.

Last week, Israeli Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz responded to the draft U.S. Supreme Court opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade, “A woman’s rights over her own body are hers alone.”

It might seem odd that the Israeli health minister was commenting on American abortion law, but his response, contained in a tweet, addresses a theme common to the abortion discussion in Israel and America that I research as an ethicist and scholar of reproduction among Jews.

In the 1970s, the Israeli Knesset debated the legalization of abortion. After several years of discussions, it ultimately passed a law that permitted abortion in certain circumstances: 1) If a woman is younger than 17 or older than 40; 2) when pregnancy results from rape, incest or extra-marital relations; 3) under the possibility that the baby will be born with a physical or mental deformity; and 4) when the continuation of the pregnancy could endanger a woman’s life or mental health. This law allows for certain abortions to be performed until the 39th week of pregnancy.

When I teach Americans about abortion law in Israel, they often express shock that Israel seems much more progressive than America. That’s because their frame of reference for religion and abortion is a particular strain of American anti-abortion Christianity. My students — college-aged and adult, Jewish or not — are surprised to see a country so strongly influenced by religion

that is not opposed to abortion.

Yet in one important way the Israeli and American attitudes toward abortion are similar. They both reflect the fundamental assumption that abortion is wrong, and one must have a “good enough” reason to do something that is otherwise wrong. This is called the justification approach to abortion. Certain abortions are justified, while others are not. The justification

approach to abortion also assumes that women were meant to be mothers. As a result, not wanting to be pregnant for nine months, give birth or raise a child are not considered good enough reasons to get an abortion.

In order to qualify for an abortion that is legal and paid for by the state, Israeli women have to sit in front of a committee and tell them why they are requesting an abortion. Although 98% of abortion requests are approved, the law reflects the belief that women cannot or should not make this decision on their own.

Consider the case of a pregnant 24-yearold married woman who is pregnant from consensual sex but does not want to be pregnant because of the potential harm to her career. Or a 35-year-old married haredi (ultra-Orthodox) woman who has eight children and who simply cannot care for one more. In Israel, both of these women must lie or otherwise mislead the committee to get their abortions.

Horowitz opposes these committees and has been advocating to get rid of them, at least through the first trimester. He says that women should not need to

SEE RAUCHER, PAGE 15

Worldwide condemnation of Israel doesn’t help the search for truth

FIMMA NIRENSTEIN

The tragic death of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed last week in a firefight in the Palestinian town of Jenin, has prompted worldwide demonization of Israel that does not help the search for the truth of how Akleh died.

We have seen worldwide condemnation — or rather criminalization — of Israelis and Israeli leaders by nearly all media outlets, who have uncritically accepted the narrative of Israeli guilt and criminality proffered by the Palestinians. Yet regarding the Palestinian Authority’s refusal to conduct a joint investigation into the incident, to the point of refusing to produce the very bullet that killed Akleh, there has been worldwide silence.

This reflexive and all-too-common criminalization of Israel creates a false and defamatory narrative of Jewish violence and cruelty. This is nothing less than

the promotion by international public opinion of the Palestinians’ campaign to resurrect their “cause” after a period of near-oblivion. To further this campaign, the PA will never consent to an objective examination of the evidence relating to Akleh’s death — likely for fear of what it might find.

Indeed, the Palestinians have already got what they wanted: clashes and violence in the streets of Jerusalem, which have been flooded with Palestinian flags. The Israeli reaction to the clashes during Akleh’s funeral in Jerusalem, moreover, proves the intellectual Douglas Murray’s thesis in his latest book that the West is its own worst enemy. Israel’s Public Security Minister Omer Barlev has set up a committee to investigate the conduct of Israel’s own police at the funeral, even though the Palestinians clearly intended to exploit the event in order to spark a demonstration or riot, which the police attempted to prevent even while defamatory slogans were shouted and stones thrown at them.

Media coverage of this shocking behavior was carefully censored. The

brother of Akleh, for example, told those attempting to steal Akleh’s casket, “For God’s sake, let us put her in the car and finish the day.” It is not surprising that the global press refused to report this, choosing instead to portray the police response as either unprovoked or inspired by depraved cruelty. The BBC, CNN and all other media outlets with reporters at the scene painted the Israel Police in precisely the same defamatory light.

This capitulation to Palestinian violence and propaganda was not limited to the media. U.S. President Joe Biden’s Spokeswoman Jen Psaki called the images of Akleh’s funeral “very disturbing,” while the European Union said it was “deeply shocked.”

No one asked how the events actually unfolded, choosing instead to criminalize and demonize the Israel Police. Nor was there any interest in the day-today difficulties and hazards faced by the police, who are charged with the immensely difficult task of preventing terror attacks and violent clashes in a country that is permanently at war. Yet

even their leaders have abandoned them. The police said they were merely trying to ensure an orderly funeral. Barlev, however, appeared — along with Israel’s enemies — to suspect otherwise, even though this is his own police force.

The obvious assumption in such a case, and in such a context, is that the police did not find themselves facing a funeral, but a Palestinian demonstration that threatened to become a riot. They has to confront a mob of people chanting slogans of hatred and revenge. The mob threw stones at them — and stones can kill. The police were in an explosive tactical and political situation in which, during Ramadan and after, Israel has been plagued by multiple terror attacks and violence on the Temple Mount. They reacted in a manner that, whatever an investigation may conclude, was understandable.

That an Israeli minister has forsaken his own police at a moment of violent and disproportionate international condemnation represents something dark and unusual. Certainly, Israel is a

COURTESY OF STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Shabbat Parshat Behar

One of the most famous questions ever asked by the ancient rabbis concerns the first

The Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, “Speak to the Israelite people and say to them: When you enter the land that I assign to you, the land shall observe a Sabbath of the Lord.” The text goes on to describe the idea of Shmitta, the land Sabbath that occurs every seventh year.

The rabbis of the midrash ask: Mah inyan shmitta etzel har sinai? What does Shmitta (the land Sabbath) have to do with Mount Sinai? Why is Sinai specifically mentioned in connection with the mitzvah of Shmitta, when we know that all the mitzvot — including Shmitta — were given at Sinai?

Rabbi David Seidenberg of the Jewish

RAUCHER

environmental agency, Hazon, offers the following answer: the whole purpose of the Sinai covenant is to create a society that lives by an ethic embodied in Shmitta. Where Shmitta is observed, human beings will learn to respect the Earth by remembering that none of us owns it. “For the land is mine,” God declares, “and you are strangers and settlers with me.” (Lev. 25:23)

Shmitta teaches us the humility to acknowledge that we are not allowed to simply do whatever we like with God’s creation. The philosophy behind Shmitta indeed embodies one of the essential messages of Sinai.

The lesson in humility is broader than just the mitzvah of Shmitta. Shabbat, Shmitta, the Jubilee year, each one is a form of Sabbath, and each one teaches that our rights to land, to money, to our workers, are limited, because there is really only one Owner in this world, and it’s not us.

At best, we are borrowers from God, and so we should behave with the appropriate humility toward the resources

of God’s creation.

Shabbat, whether in the form of the seventh day, the seventh year, or the 50th year, each of these types of Sabbaths is also a great equalizer. The differences between rich and poor soften on Shabbat. Whether you have cars or you don’t, whether you have computers of you don’t, on a traditionally observed Shabbat, you don’t touch any of it. The differences between those who have and those who don’t lessen, because on Shabbat, we all behave as if what we have doesn’t belong to us. And during the Shmitta year, it’s as if no person has more land than any other, because no one touches the land. And the Jubilee year when debts are cancelled and land is returned, we have another kind of equalizing.

What these various forms of Shabbat remind us is that in the eyes of God, those differences between rich and poor, owners and others — those differences make no difference. In God’s eyes, those differences are illusory. Each of us is equal to an entire world and, therefore, infinitely valuable, according

SHABBAT CANDLE LIGHTING

MAY 20 - 7:07 P.M.

MAY 27 - 7:12 P.M.

SHABBAT ENDS

MAY 21 - 8:08 P.M.

MAY 28 - 8:13 P.M.

to the Mishna in Sanhedrin. And because infinity equals infinity, each human being is equal to all other human beings.

The various Sabbath laws at the beginning of our parshah encompass much of what Sinai is trying to teach us: humility toward God’s world, humility toward God’s children and the equality of all people in God’s eyes.

The Shmitta ethic teaches us to live our lives, not with a sense of entitlement but rather, with a sense of gratitude for all that we receive from God. It teaches us humility in the knowledge that all human beings are our equals: each and every human being, images of God, all. JN

NIRENSTEIN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

give any reason for their request, and that nobody should have to determine whether their request is valid.

While we don’t have these committees in America, we have heard a lot this month about the legislation that many states have developed, each providing different circumstances under which they would permit abortion. Some say that abortions will only be permitted if the woman’s life is in danger. Others allow abortion after rape or incest. And of course one’s ability to terminate a pregnancy is already limited by where one lives, how far along one is in pregnancy and the financial resources one has available.

Well-meaning Jewish groups often draw on rabbinic sources to claim that Judaism is supportive of abortion rights. Unfortunately here, too, we see the justification approach. Last week, in a statement, the Orthodox Union explained that it cannot support an “absolute ban” on abortion because Jewish law requires abortion when “carrying the pregnancy to term poses real risk to the life of the mother.” This popular argument is commonly also heard among more progressive Jewish groups.

But when you hear that “Jewish law permits and sometimes requires abortion,” you must also listen to the assumption underlying this statement:

Women do not have the bodily autonomy to make that decision on their own. Jewish law must permit it — and sometimes demands it, regardless of what a woman prefers. These statements, often used to express support for abortion rights, are ultimately stymied by the assumptions of rabbinic law, a system that does not support bodily autonomy or the ability

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 democratic state that is accountable for its behavior. It is logical for it to publicly provide a response to such a wave of condemnation. And this took place. Nonetheless, such an investigation takes resources away from the Israel Police at a difficult moment, after three weeks in which 19 Israeli civilians were murdered in terror attacks. They were killed in the name of the same flag that covered the streets of Jerusalem at Akleh’s funeral. It is not even necessary to ask what would happen if an Israeli citizen carried an Israeli flag through Ramallah—they would not last long.

National Council of Jewish Women, have gone on record highlighting the value of bodily autonomy over reproduction, but too few. Some non-Orthodox rabbis even expressly forbid it. Unless you support a person’s right to bodily autonomy, then you are supporting a system wherein someone else determines what you or anyone else can do with their bodies. It does not matter whether that person is a lawmaker, a judge, a contemporary rabbi or one from 2,000 years ago. It does not matter whether that person would permit most abortions or even require some.

to make decisions about one’s own body.

The statement by the Orthodox Union goes even further. It also explicitly prohibits what the group and others call “abortion on demand,” or abortion because someone doesn’t want to be pregnant.

By contrast, the Reform movement’s Religious Action Center bases its position on reproductive rights on “the core belief that each person should have agency and autonomy over their own bodies.” Other progressive Jewish groups, including the

There’s a temptation right now to say that restrictions on abortion rights in the United States violate the religious freedom of Jews. That’s true, to an extent. But a religious argument based on Jewish law and rabbinic texts only goes so far. Those of us who support reproductive health, rights and justice ought to be honest about the connection between that and our rabbinic tradition. I believe in the same bodily autonomy argument that Nitzan Horowitz makes. It may not be an argument rooted in Jewish law, but it is a Jewish argument — and it’s time to make it. JN

The

It is perfectly legitimate for the US, EU and indeed Israel to call for a thorough investigation into the death of

and the violence at her funeral.

But such an investigation cannot be objective if the a priori delegitimization and demonization of the Israel Police and Israeli security forces in general continues. If it does, then any investigation will simply be another attempt to further the Palestinian leadership’s strategy of uprooting Israeli sovereignty and legitimacy in the international community. JN

Rabbi Elana Kanter is director of the Women’s Leadership Institute and co-rabbi of The New Shul.

Find area congregations at jewishaz.com, where you can also find our 2022 Community Directory.

Akleh

Journalist Fiamma Nirenstein was a member of the Italian Parliament (2008-13), where she served as vice president of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the Chamber of Deputies. She served in the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, and established and chaired the Committee for the Inquiry Into Anti-Semitism. She is a fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.

PARSHAH BEHAR LEVITICUS 25:1-26:2

RABBI ELANA KANTER

views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.

IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR AN ABORTION THAT IS LEGAL AND PAID FOR BY THE STATE, ISRAELI WOMEN HAVE TO SIT IN FRONT OF A COMMITTEE AND TELL THEM WHY THEY ARE REQUESTING AN ABORTION.

Arizona summer reading provides cool and productive outlet for kids

DONNA THROCKMORTON

The school year is wrapping up and summer is almost here. As vacation inches closer, many parents are struggling to find productive things for kids to do other than spending hours on their smart phone. One activity that should be on all to-do lists this summer is joining the summer reading program at your local library.

Reading, throughout all seasons and all stages of life, is important. It is indisputable that reading skills are critical for success in school, work and life in general. In fact, a study from the University College London’s Institute of Education found that children who read for pleasure are likely to do significantly better at school than their peers. The more children read, the better their fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.

Additional studies have shown that a child who reads proficiently by the end of third grade is more likely to graduate high school because the end of third grade marks the point when children transition from

learning to read to using reading to learn other subjects.

A summer without reading can set students back, with the average student losing 25-30% of the prior year’s learning gains during summer break according to research done at The Brookings Institution. Participating in summer reading programs can help prevent learning loss.

Arizona’s Summer Reading Program runs from June 1 through Aug. 1 and the theme this year is “Oceans of Possibilities.” The program encourages participants to head to their local library and select and read any material of their choice for just 20 minutes

every day. For very young or struggling readers, be sure to spread shorter literacy activities throughout the day. Participants can earn points, unlock badges and win prizes. Get one point for every minute you add to your reading log.

It is recommended that students read books that they choose for themselves; children read more when they can choose materials based on their own interests. The ability to choose gives children autonomy and encourages them to stay committed to their decisions. Even rereading the same books can help build fluency.

Summer reading at participating libraries

also includes adult programs. Since children often replicate the behaviors of their parents, parents are encouraged to read more as well. Plus, reading has benefits for adults too. Reading reduces stress, slows the progress of age-related memory loss and boosts sleep quality.

A great way to encourage reading this summer is to schedule consistent time to read as a family. Setting up family reading time at the end of the day can help everyone wind down and make bedtime easier.

Summer library programs for all ages provide meaningful, enjoyable experiences available to everyone in the community. And, it is easy to get started — simply visit your local library and sign up today.

Remember, as Dr. Seuss wrote, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” JN

For more information or to register, visit maricopacountyreads.org or visit your local library.

Jewish soldiers are buried under crosses around the world. A rabbi’s nonprofit is changing that.

RON KAMPEAS | JTA

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for the men and women who have died for our country. It is often observed by people visiting the gravesites of service members. Several years ago, Rabbi Jacob J. Schacter discovered that the graves of many soldiers buried overseas are not represented by the correct religion on their headstones.

Schacter was visiting the cemetery for U.S. soldiers in Normandy when something struck the professor of Jewish history at Yeshiva University as odd: There seemed to be too few non-Christian graves.

That insight in 2014 resulted in a nonprofit project that tracks down the graves of Jewish U.S. servicemen mistakenly buried under crosses, to give them Star of David headstones.

Operation Benjamin has so far replaced the headstones of 19 U.S. Jewish servicemen, including seven who underwent a ceremony during the last week of April in cemeteries in France, Belgium and Luxembourg, the Military Times reported.

The group’s first successful identification was Private First Class Benjamin Garadetsky, born Boruch Reigorodeczki in Ukraine, who was killed in 1944 in a Luftwaffe

bombing after landing in France during the D-Day offensive. Garadetsky’s marker in Normandy was changed in 2018, and his name lent itself to the nonprofit, which does not take money from the families of the dead soldiers. It solicits donations through its website (operationbenjamin.org).

The group coordinates with the American Battle Monuments Commission, the government agency responsible for overseas graves. The placement of crosses was often the result of administrative error

in war times, or of soldiers obscuring their Jewish identities during a war in which Nazis summarily executed Jews.

Operation Benjamin is working on another 22 names. The organization has a single full-time researcher, and it will often contact photographers in countries where there are American gravesites to further their research.

In a 2020 essay for The New York Jewish Week, Schacter explained that mistakes were often made in the chaos of battle, and

that Jewish soldiers would often remove from their dog the capital letter “H” that identified them as “Hebrew

“These Jews died so we could remain alive — and free. Remembering them for who they were is the least we can do,” he wrote.

“Being involved in this chesed shel emet, a ‘true kindness,’ is a matter of hakarat hatov — recognizing the good they did for us, and being appreciative of their sacrifices.”

Scachter’s co-founder is Shalom Lamm, son of the late Rabbi Norman Lamm, the longtime president of Yeshiva University. Lamm described to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency a typical ceremony, in this case, of Second Lieutenant Kenneth Robinson, buried at Ardennes in Belgium. Attending the ceremony last week were members of Robinson’s family, including his half-sister Mariellen Miller.

“When the headstone is replaced, Rabbi Schacter repeats a line for each soldier which has become iconic,” Lamm said. “‘Second Lieutenant Robinson, on behalf of the citizens of America, we thank you for your service, and Kenny, on behalf of the Jewish people, we welcome you home.’ It just sums it all up perfectly. We are there as a grateful nation, and we are there as a proud people.” JN

Donna Throckmorton is the Arizona State Library archives and public records library services consultant.

COURTESY OF MARICOPA COUNTY READS

On April 27, 2022, assisted by her daughters, Mariellen Miller pays respects to her half brother, 2nd Lt. Kenneth Robinson, who was for decades mistakenly buried under a cross in Ardennes, Belgium.

COURTESY OF OPERATION BENJAMIN

Got Milk? Shavuot is coming

LINDA MOREL

Falling seven weeks after Passover, the most observed of all Jewish holidays, Shavuot is the most overlooked holiday on the Jewish calendar.

That is remarkable since Shavuot honors the anniversary of God giving the Torah to the children of Israel at Mount Sinai. Where would the Jewish people be without the Torah?

After fleeing from Egypt, it took Moses

and the Israelites seven weeks to trek through the desert to reach Mount Sinai. When they received the Torah and read the laws of kashrut, they realized their cookware and meat were not kosher. Because butchering and preparing fresh meat would take a long time, the hungry and tired Israelites ate what was around. Just like modern Jews grabbing a yogurt, they relied on milk products until they

SAVORY PANCAKES WITH MUSHROOM CREAM SAUCE | DAIRY

Yield: approximately 12 pancakes, serves 4 as a side dish

MUSHROOM CREAM SAUCE

3 tablespoons olive oil, or more if needed

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 (10-ounce) package of mushrooms, sliced

½ teaspoon rosemary needles, crumbled

A dash of nutmeg

Kosher salt to taste

1 cup whole milk

⅓ cup cream

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over a medium flame until the butter melts.

Scatter the garlic and stir it briefly. Add the mushrooms, rosemary, nutmeg and kosher salt.

Sauté until the mushrooms are browning. Lower the flame if the garlic browns. Add more olive oil if the pan becomes dry. Remove the skillet from the flame and let it cool for a minute or two. Add the milk and cream and stir it to combine. Return the skillet to a medium flame and stir until warmed through and the sauce thickens slightly. Remove it from the flame and reserve while making the pancakes.

SAVORY PANCAKES

¾ cup flour

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

A dash of white pepper

⅛ teaspoon onion powder

1 egg

½ cup whole milk, or more milk if needed

4 tablespoons sweet butter, or more if needed

In a medium sized-bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour through onion powder).

In a second medium-sized bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones. Whisk until the flour disappears. If the batter is stiff, add milk a teaspoon at a time, whisking briefly until combined. Don’t overwhisk. Plenty of lumps will remain.

You’ll need to make pancakes in two batches. In a large skillet, melt the butter on a medium flame. Using a tablespoon, drop the batter into the butter, creating silver dollar-sized pancakes. Add more butter at any time, if needed.

When tiny craters form in the batter and it turns golden around the edges, flip the pancakes and cook them on the other side until golden. Move them to a platter. Repeat the directions for the first batch with the second. When the second batch of pancakes is nearly ready, heat up the mushroom cream sauce on a medium flame until rewarmed.

When all the pancakes are on the platter, pour the sauce over them. Serve immediately.

kashered their supplies.

From the onset, Shavuot has been associated with dairy foods. Because it is pure and white, milk has come to symbolize the Torah.

In the weeks following Passover, cows, goats and sheep in Israel graze extensively on new grass. By late spring, the females are producing abundant milk. With fresh milk in season, it’s no wonder dairy

products are whipped into creamy foods of all kinds at Shavuot.

This year, Shavuot begins on Saturday evening June 4, a perfect time to invite family and friends, even if you’ve never done so before. The Torah has guided the Jewish people from Mount Sinai to the present. A document that precious deserves to be celebrated with an elegant dairy dinner.

BROILED SALMON WITH CURRY CREAM SAUCE | DAIRY

Serves 4

BROILED SALMON

Nonstick vegetable spray

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Kosher salt to taste

1 pound salmon filet, cut into 4 oblong slices

Heat the broiler. Set up a broiler pan and coat it with the vegetable spray. Sprinkle garlic powder and salt on all sides of the salmon filets. Place the filets on the broiler pan, skin side up.

Broil them for 3 minutes. Turn them over and broil them for 4 minutes. Turn them again so the skin side is up. Broil the salmon for 3 minutes, or until the filets are cooked through and the skin is brown and crunchy. Serve immediately with the curry cream dressing below.

CURRY CREAM DRESSING

½ cup light mayonnaise

¼ cup reduced fat sour cream

¼ cup 2% fat Greek yogurt

⅛ cup 1% milk

1½ teaspoons curry powder

Place the ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk them together until they are well combined. Serve the dressing on the side in a small bowl.

CRAZY CAPRESE SALAD | DAIRY

Serves 4

⅛ cup pine nuts or blanched slivered almonds

2 beefsteak or extra-large tomatoes

1 large ball of mozzarella cheese

2 clementines

2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves

Kosher salt to taste

Red wine vinegar for drizzling

Olive oil for drizzling

Place the pine nuts or almonds on an aluminum lined baking sheet in the toaster oven or a standard oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant and golden. Nuts burn easily, so watch them almost continuously. Reserve. Slice the tomatoes and the ball of mozzarella cheese on the thin side. Peel the clementines, discarding the peel and pith.

Arrange the tomatoes, mozzarella and clementine sections attractively on a platter, letting them overlap a little. Tuck the basil leaves in between. Sprinkle the salad with salt. Drizzle on the vinegar and olive oil. Scatter the nuts on top. Serve immediately. JN

This article orginally appeared in Washington Jewish Week – a Jewish News-affiliated publication.

I want to buy a house, now what?

search for their first home or currently own a home and are looking to move. It can be an exciting time! A home is where memories are made, friendships are formed and one can feel secure.

The number one question I hear is, “Where do I begin?”

If you are planning on getting a mortgage on your home, the first thing to do is talk to a mortgage broker. Usually, this initial call can be a 5-10 minute conversation. It allows you to get an idea of the home price you qualify for, different loan programs that may be available and a sense of where the real estate market is. During this call, a lender might also be able to check your credit score and see if there are any recommendations to help improve your score. Next, you’ll have an application to fill out that will help a lender prequalify you for a home. The prequalification letter is a one-page document that shows sellers and listing agents that you have been vetted and are able to qualify for a specific property.

When I speak to many first-time homebuyers, they don’t realize that they can get gift funds from a family member to help with their down payment. Many

parents and family members feel a sense of pride being able to contribute to someone’s first home.

The next step is to talk to a real estate agent. We have many great agents around the Greater Phoenix area. You’ll want to interview a few agents and find one that you feel comfortable with and one that closes on many homes per year. Those agents are usually the best at getting offers accepted, better at negotiating

your conversations with a realtor, you will review what you are looking for in your next home, the neighborhoods you want to live in and a timeline of when you’re looking to buy. Your realtor will also be able to give you suggestions of different neighborhoods, “coming soon” properties and other valuable information.

Now you’re ready to make an offer!

Your real estate agent will help determine the best terms on your offer, so that it will get accepted. I like to call the listing agent after my client puts in an offer to introduce myself, talk up my client and give my client the best chance of going under contract on the property.

Once an offer is accepted, you will work with your mortgage professional to lock your interest rate, have an underwriter review your loan file and get an appraisal

HEADLINES

on the property. If you put at least 20% down on your new home, there is a chance that you can get an appraisal waiver. An appraisal waiver is just like it sounds — it allows you to buy the house without an appraisal. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two companies that guarantee most of the mortgages in the

around 30 days. I have had clients closing in 2 or 3 weeks on their property to be more competitive. The whole buying process is usually done remotely until you sign the final loan documents. Either you will sign the papers with a mobile notary that will come to you or sign them in the title company’s office.

U.S., have an automated system that lenders use that tells them if an appraisal waiver is allowed. The system analyzes the property, the loan file and many other data points for this determination.

You’ll usually have 10 days to inspect the property after the contract is accepted to do your due diligence. Your realtor will have some specialists they recommend do a complete home inspection and sometimes a sewer inspection, depending on the age of the property.

In most cases, from when you go under contract on your new home to closing is

Finally, you will do a final walk through of the property, close on your home and get the keys.

Don’t be intimidated by the buying process! The reward in the end is well worth the time and effort to buy a home. JN

Evan White is a partner in Road to Home Mortgage, a local mortgage brokerage in Phoenix. In 2021, he was ranked in the top 1% of producing loan officers in Arizona and a top 20 purchase loan officer with the largest wholesale lender in America. He can be reached at Evan@rthmortgage.com or 602-888-7990.

Toby Weinstein Broker Associate

Let there be light

Ladies who lunch

From left, Ferne Avery, Leni Reiss and Susan Berk were among attendees at the Jewish National Fund-USA’s Women for Israel luncheon April 27 at The Clayton House in Scottsdale.

Baby University is back

The Brown family, who are new parents, came to the Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Phoenix’s spring Jewish Baby University class to share their experiences. COURTESY OF LINDA FELDMAN

Happy birthday to you

Holocaust survivor Charlotte Adelman celebrated her 90th birthday with family, friends and some of her favorite desserts.

OF ROZ ADELMAN-GOLDBERG

Congratulations graduates

On May 10, The Women’s Leadership Institute held a graduation for its latest cohort at the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center. From left to right, Laura Drachler, Rabbi Elana Kanter, Jessielyn Hirschl and Jamie Kornbluth.

OF WENDY CARRIERE

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.

Holocaust survivor Bodo Schrader, right, lights a candle with Rabbi Michael Beyo during an April 27 Yom Hashoah commemoration hosted by the Center for Holocaust Education of the East Valley Jewish Community Center.

Featured Event

SUNDAY MAY 22

Community-Wide Pre-Shavuos Celebration: 1-3 p.m. Join Menachem Mendel Academy, 6140 E. Thunderbird Rd., Scottsdale for family fun including a bounce house, activites for the children and an ice cream sundae buffet. For more information, contact Chaya Ben-Shabbat at 480-591-1770 or chaya@mmafamily.org.

Events

THROUGH MAY 29

Exit Dust: 7:30 p.m. Thurs.-Sat.; 2 p.m. Sun. Join Theatre Artists Studio, 4848 E. Cactus Rd. #406, Scottsdale for this comedy about a Jewish family, the Berliners, whose “black sheep” son brings home an unusual girlfriend. For more information, visit thestudiophx.org.

TUESDAY, MAY 24

Tuesday at the J: 10-11 a.m. Join the East Valley Jewish Community Center for Tuesdays at the J free virtual presentation featuring a musical performance by the Klezmer band Odessa. For more information, visit evjcc.org/tuesdays.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 25

The Tragedy of Heruta: The Madonna who Became a Whore: 10-11 a.m. Join Valley Beit Midrash and speaker Gila Fine for a virtual presentation osking the question, ‘Why are women divided into saintly and seductive?’ For more information, visit valleybeitmidrash.org.

Rediscovering Torah through Archaeology in the Land of Israel: 7-8:30 p.m. Join guest lecturer from Israel, Biblical Scholar and Archaeologist Aaron Lipkin on the topic of the archeological record of ancient Jewish history from the time of Moses and Joshua. A few months ago an Israelite tablet from the time of Moses, inscribed with several lines of Hebrew text, saw the light of day for the first time in 3,300 years. Find out what was written on it and how it has impacted our understanding of Jewish history and the Bible. Presented at Menachem Mendel Academy, 6140 E. Thunderbird Rd., Scottsdale. For more information or to RSVP, visit https://forms.gle/ hmHMtgUk5oEvRgCb8.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1

Book Launch: The Book of Proverbs: A Social Justice Commentary: 5-6 p.m. Join CCAR Press on Zoom to celebrate the release of their newest title, “The Book of Proverbs: A Social Justice Commentary” by Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz. For more information, visit ccarpress.org.

SUNDAY, JUNE 5

Punchlines with Purpose: Comedy Night Fundraiser & Raffle: 5-7 p.m. Join JP’s Comedy Club, 860 E. Warner Rd., Gilbert for a clean stand-up comedy show featuring a variety of comedian from across the Greater Phoenix area. This event will also have a raffle and all tickets purchased include one raffle entry complimentary. All proceeds go towards The Miss America Scholarship Fund and towards funding a kindness billboard for the social impact initiative, Create ACTS of Kindness. For more information, visit jpscomedyclub.com.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8

Western Spirit Museum Tour & Lunch: 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Join the Valley of the Sun

Jewish Community Center for lunch in Old Town Scottsdale at the RnR Gastropub. Following lunch head over to the Western Spirit –Scottsdale’s Museum of the West for a private group tour. Cost: $55 for JCC members; $65 for non-members. For more information, visit vosjcc.org.

SUNDAY, JUNE 12

Summer Splash 2022: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Join the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, 12701 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale for fun by the pool including a DJ, rock wall, splash pad, crafts for the kids and more! milk + honey will be grilling burgers and hot dogs for purchase. Cost: Free; registration is required. For more information, visit vosjcc.org.

THURSDAYS

Storytime at Modern Milk: 9:30 a.m. Bring your babies, toddlers and preschoolers to our weekly all ages in-person storytime at Modern Milk, 3802 N. Scottsdale Rd., #163, Scottsdale. We will integrate favorite 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.

SUNDAYS

BAGELS: 9-11 a.m. Join the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, 12701 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, for Bagels And Gabbing Every Last Sunday of the month in-person. Grab a bagel and a cup of coffee 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 apm. activecommunities.com/valleyofthesunjcc/ Activity_Search/1787.

MONDAYS

Mahjong: 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Join the East Valley Jewish Community Center in-person for mahjong. This program is intended for players with prior experience and for those who have received the COVID-19 vaccination. Masks will be required. Cost: Free. For more information and to register, visit evjcc.org/mahjong. For further questions, call the EVJCC at 480-897-0588. The EVJCC is located at 908 N. Alma School Rd., Chandler.

Virtual Meetings, Lectures & Classes

MONDAYS Ethics of Our Fathers: 7 p.m. Learn with Rabbi Zalman Levertov online. Tune in at: bit. ly/2Y0wdgv. Cost: Free. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

Quotable Quotes by our Sages: 7 p.m. Learn with Rabbi Shlomy Levertov online. Tune in at: JewishParadiseValley.com/class. Cost: Free. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

Partners in Torah: 7:30 p.m. Join a growing group of inspired learners with Project Inspire. Cost: Free. Tune in at: us04web.zoom. us/j/3940479736#success, password is 613. For more information, email Robin Meyerson at robin@projectinspireaz.com.

Learning to Trust in God: 7:30 p.m. Learn with Rabbi Yossi Friedman online. Tune in at: ChabadAZ.com/LiveClass. Cost: Free. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

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

TUESDAYS

Let’s Knit: 1:30-3:30 p.m. Share the pleasure of knitting, crocheting, etc. and help others with a project or pattern. Can’t knit? We can teach you! Every level welcome. We will be sitting outside at the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus and social distancing. Our last meeting before August will be Tuesday, May 11. Cost: Free. For more information, email Nicole Garber at nicoleg@mpjcc.org.

Keep Calm and Play Mahjong: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Play mahjong from home with myjongg.net. Cost: Free. To join a table, email Nicole at nicoleg@vosjcc.org.

Maintaining an Upbeat Attitude: 7 p.m. A class exclusively for people in their 20s and 30s, learn how Jewish Mysticism can help with your attitude with Rabbi Shlomy Levertov online. Cost: Free. Tune in at: JewishParadiseValley. com/YJPclass. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

WEDNESDAYS

History of the Jews: 11 a.m. Learn the Jewish journey from Genesis to Moshiach online with Rabbi Ephraim Zimmerman. Cost: Free. Tune in here: zoom.us/j/736434666. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

Torah Study with Temple Beth Shalom of the West Valley: 11 a.m.-noon. TBS of the West Valley’s weekly virtual 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. The goal is to achieve an understanding of what the text is and what it can teach us in the contemporary world. For more information, contact the TBS office at (623) 977-3240.

Happiness Hour: 11:30 a.m. An online class taught by Rabbi Pinchas Allouche that delves into texts and references culled from our traditions to address a relevant topic and draw uplifting life lessons from it. For more information or to join, visit cbtvirtualworld.com.

Torah Study with Chabad: Noon. Take a weekly journey to the soul of Torah online with Rabbi Yossi Levertov. Cost: Free. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

Lunch & Learn: 12:15 p.m. Grab some food and learn online with Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin. Cost: Free. Tune in on Zoom by emailing info@ChabadTucson.com. For more information, visit ChabadTucson.com.

The Thirteen Petalled Rose: 1 p.m. An online Kabbalah class that studies “The Thirteen Petalled Rose” by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz, focusing on the many foundational and transformational concepts of Kaballah and Jewish Mysticism and applying them to everyday life. For more information or to join, visit cbtvirtualworld.com.

Knit a Mitzvah: 1:30 p.m. On the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month, check in with

fellow knitters who are making items to donate as part of this Brandeis National Committee Phoenix chapter study group. For more information, contact Ronee Siegel at ronees@aol.com.

JACS: 7:30-8:30 p.m. Virtual 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.

Words & Whiskey: 8:30 p.m. Join a free weekly, virtual learning session for men. To RSVP, email rmollenaz@gmail.com or call/text 310-709-3901.

THURSDAYS

Ladies Torah & Tea: 10:30 a.m. Learn about the women of the Torah with Mrs. Leah Levertov online. Cost: Free. Tune in at: ourjewishcenter. com/virtual. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

Talmud - Maakos: 11 a.m. Learn with Rabbi Shlomy Levertov. Cost: Free. Tune in at: JewishParadiseValley.com/YJPclass. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

Mindfulness Gatherings: Noon. Hosted by Hospice of the Valley via Zoom. Cost: Free. To join by phone dial 1-253-215-8782, meeting ID 486 920 2119#, to get the Zoom link or for further questions contact Gill Hamilton at ghamilton@hov.org or 602-748-3692.

The Science of Everything: 4 p.m. Explore the most fundamental work of Chassidut: the Tanya, with Rabbi Boruch. Cost: Free. Tune in at: zoom. us/j/736434666. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

Teen Discussions: 7-8:30 p.m. Learn with Rabbi Tzvi Rimler online, Cost: Free. Tune in at cteen.clickmeeting.com/east-valley. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

SATURDAYS

Saturday Mindfulness Gatherings: 9:30 a.m. Hosted by Hospice of the Valley. To join by phone dial 1-253-215-8782, meeting ID 486 920 2119#. To get the Zoom link or for more information, contact Gill Hamilton at ghamilton@hov.org or 602-748-3692.

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

SUNDAYS

Soul Study: 7:15 a.m. An online class exploring the secrets of the Tanya and Jewish mysticism, taught by Rabbi Pinchas Allouche. Cost: Free. Chassidus Class: 9 a.m. Learn about the Chasidic movement with Rabbi Yossi Friedman. Cost: Free. Tune in using this link: ChabadAZ. com/LiveClass. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

Jewish War Veterans Post 210: 10 a.m. Any active duty service member or veteran is welcome to join monthly meetings, now virtual, every third Sunday, Cost: Free. For more information, email Michael Chambers at c365michael@yahoo.com.

Anxiety in the Modern World: 6 p.m. Learn the secrets of the Torah for living stress-free in the current environment in a virtual class with Rabbi Boruch, with Chabad of Oro Valley. Cost: Free. Tune in using this link: zoom.us/j/736434666. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

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Shabbat

FRIDAYS

In-person services: Congregation Beth Israel is holding services in the Goldsmith Sanctuary limited to 100 people, excluding clergy and staff. Members and guests must be fully vaccinated (two weeks since your last vaccination) and wear a mask. Children may attend and must be able to wear a mask for the duration of the service. 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. To make your reservation, contact Gail Gilmartin at 480-951-0323 or at ggilmartin@cbiaz.org.

In-person services: Temple Chai is holding Friday evening (5:30 p.m. Nosh, 6:16 p.m. sevice) and Shabbat morning (varying dates and times). For more information, contact Sheana Abrams at (602) 971-1234 or sabrams@templechai.com.

In-person services: Congregation Or Tzion is holding Friday evening (6:00 p.m) and Shabbat morning (9:30 a.m.) services indoors. 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.

Tot Shabbat in the Park: 9:30 a.m. Free tot-Shabbat every Friday morning at Cactus Park. Shabbat music, toys and a meaningful pre-school Shabbat experience. Is it your child’s birthday? Sponsor a Shabbat for $36.00. For more information and to register, visit playdatesbydesign.com/ upcoming-classes.

Shabbat at Beth El: 11-11:45 a.m. Celebrate Shabbat with songs, blessings and inspirational teachings. Rabbi Stein Kokin from Beth El Congregation will lead us 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.

Welcome Shabbat: 11-11:45 a.m. Join the JFCS Virtual Center for Senior Enrichment each Friday for a soothing and inspiring program to welcome Shabbat. Each week a different guest host will lead the program with song and celebration. Cost: Free. For more information, visit jfcsaz.org/cse.

Erev Shabbat Service: 5:30 p.m. 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.

Kabbalat Shabbat: 5:30 p.m. Congregation Kehillah invites you to join services via Zoom, every other Friday, with Rabbi Bonnie Sharfman and cantorial soloists Scott Leader and Erica Erman. For the dates, visit congregationkehillah.org/events and to register and receive the link, please email info@congregationkehillah.org.

Pre-Shabbat Kiddush Club: 6 p.m. Say kiddush with Rabbi Mendy Levertov online. Cost: Free. Tune in here: ourjewishcenter.com/virtual. For more information, visit chabadaz.com.

In-person Third Friday Shabbat: 7-8 p.m. The Desert Foothills Jewish Community Association hosts a Shabbat service followed by a program. Contact Andrea at 480-664-8847 for more information. JN

Contact your sales consultant to schedule your advertising at

ZANDER SCOTT BOGART

Grandparents are Marji and Don Shaw of Chandler and Ellie and Alvin Bogart of Scottsdale.

For his mitzvah project, Zander organized a food drive for Paradise Valley Community Food Bank. He also volunteers at a kitchen that provides meals to the homeless.

A student at Horizon Honors Middle School, Zander enjoys karate and video games.

STEWART L. MICHAELS

Stewart L. Michaels of Phoenix died April 4, 2022. He was 78. He was born in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Stewart is survived by his sons Jonathan of Victoria B.C. and Andrew of Philadelphia, Pa.; sister Alice Condulis of Scottsdale and three grandchildren. Services were held at Paradise Memorial Gardens on April 6, o ciated by Rabbi Bonnie Koppell and arranged by Sinai Mortuary of Arizona. Donations in his memory can be made to the American Cancer Society.

Zander Scott Bogart became a bar mitzvah on May 7, 2022 at Camp Daisy and Harry Stein. e family are members of Temple Kol Ami and it was the rst time Rabbi Jeremy Schneider went to Camp Stein to o ciate a bar mitzvah. Zander is the son of Elysa Shaw and Jeremy Bogart of Ahwatukee.

MILESTONES

OBITUARY

DEBORAH “DEBBIE” T. SCHARF

Deborah “Debbie” T. Scharf of Scottsdale died April 24, 2022. She was 82. She was born in Paterson, N.J. and was a member of Temple Solel in Paradise Valley.

Deborah is survived by her husband, Don; daughter, Holli; son, Jack; and grandchildren Kaylah, Harris, Jax, Jaden and Jace.

Services were held at Mt. Sinai Cemetery on April 26, o ciated by Rabbi Debbie Stiel and arranged by Sinai Mortuary of Arizona. JN

Dale W. Abraham, beloved mother, wife, grandmother and great-grandmother, passed away on Saturday May 14, 2022.

She was born in Memphis, Tenn., on September 9, 1925, and grew up in Tutwiler, Miss., in the Mississippi Delta. She was the daughter of Abe and Rosa Wiener. She was a graduate of the University of Wisconsin. Trained as a social worker, she transitioned to become a successful realtor in the Valley.

Dale moved to Tempe in 1953 with her husband, Willard, who pre-deceased her. She was a sports fanatic and was a devoted Sun Devil and Suns fan. She and Willard were founding members of Temple Solel. She loved all things beautiful — art, music, theatre, opera, playing bridge, Arizona and especially her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and dark chocolate.

She is survived by three children: Edward (Norma May), Andrew (Ann) and Amy Bacal (Glenn). She is also survived by her devoted partner, Col. Norman Katz; six grandchildren: Eleanor, Abigail, Claire, Erin, Joseph and Rosalyn; and five great grandchildren: Mya, Larry, Estelle, Nora and Jack. The family asks that donations in her name be made to Temple Solel in Paradise Valley. Private graveside services have taken place. Arrangements made by Sinai Mortuary.

William “Bill” Diamond passed away on April 28, 2022. He was 92.

Bill was residing at Sagewood Senior Lliving community in Phoenix, where Vicki and he shared good times together. Bill and Vicki were founding members and board of directors of Desert Foothills Jewish Community Association in north Scottsdale for 23 years.

Bill was a pediatrician and artist for most of his life which started in Brooklyn, N.Y. Along with practicing medicine for 37 years in Wantagh, Long Island, his love for painting and sculpting brought him satisfaction and recognition. In his retirement years he created paintings about nature while active in the Terravita Art League. He is survived by his wife, Vicki; sons Dr. Andrew Diamond (Patrice) and Michael Diamond (Melinda); daughter, Sara-Jane Adelberg (Dr. Daniel Adelberg) and six grandchildren. He was laid to rest at Mt. Sinai Cemetery on May 3, 2022, with Rabbi John Linder officiating. Donations in his memory can be made to the American Cancer Society or Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.

Harriet Estelle Peck of Phoenix died on May 1, 2022. She was 99 years old.

Harriet moved to Phoenix in 1973. Originally from Rochester, N.Y., she moved to New York City in 1945 upon marrying her husband Harry C. Peck. They were married for 44 years until his passing.

Harriet was a very warm, compassionate person and was truly loved by all. She had a tremendous sense of humor and always made people feel special. She enjoyed reading the newspaper, doing the crossword and jumble puzzles and watching her favorite show, “Jeopardy.” She was a gracious host and was everyone’s mother or grandmother. She will be remembered fondly by her family and friends.

She is survived by her sons, Stephen (Cindy) and Richard (Colleen); brother Jerry Levy (Sandy); 6 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. Donations in her memory can be made to the Arizona Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

Barbara Arline Sharfman, daughter of the late Frank and Clare Parness, was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. She passed away on Tuesday, May 3, 2022 just shy of her 86th birthday. Barbara was the beloved wife of the late Earl Sharfman. High school sweethearts, they were married for 54 years. She is survived by her devoted daughters Rabbi Bonnie Sharfman (Roger Morris) and Sherry (Phil) Jackson; loving granddaughters Stephanie (Brian) Kirklin, Erica (Jared) Erman and Rebecca (Ian) Shore; great granddaughters Alana and Zoey Kirklin and Deborah Erman. A fourth great grandchild, Elliott Shore, was born three days after her passing.

Barbara was a beloved teacher for over 30 years. She was involved in many philanthropic organizations. In retirement, she volunteered at Pardes Jewish Day School and served as President of Valley of the Sun chapter of Hadassah. She enjoyed reading, mahjong, singing and spending summers with Earl on their boat in Salem, Mass. Most important of all was her family, always. Even in the final stages of her horrific disease, she would light up when speaking with or about her loving family.

Barbara Sharfman was a phenomenal woman, a positive force in the lives of so many, beautiful inside and out. She was small in stature but large in affection. She was filled with spirit, class, and spunk, a great but rare combination. She will live on through the inherent goodness that she shared with us all.

Private graveside services were held at Mt. Sinai Cemetery. A memorial service is planned for Sunday, May 22. Donations in her memory are suggested to Congregation Kehillah congregationkehillah.org/product/ donation/ or the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in care of Team Earl’s Eagles danafarber.jimmyfund.org/site/TR?px=1006130&pg=personal&fr_id=1840

Shirley Gubin died on March 29, 2022. She was born in Poland on July 10, 1927 the daughter of Cecile and Morris Peker.

She immigrated to the United States from Poland in 1939, when her family missed the last ship back to Europe after visiting the World’s Fair in New York City. Shirley, her parents, and her three siblings moved to St. Louis, Mo. to join her aunt and uncle, Abe and Libby Schwartz, who lived in Rolla, Mo.

Shirley married her best friend Edith Gubin’s brother, Stan, who passed away in 2004. Shirley and Stan were married for 54 years and worked in the grocery businesses that they started while raising their children, Barry and Phyllis. The businesses were sold in 1974 and Shirley began working at Dillard’s. She became the top salesperson in designer sportswear. She and Stan retired and moved to Sun City West. They loved living near their grandchildren and participating in their lives, loved volunteering at Beth Emeth Synagogue, loved traveling, and Shirley had her Bat Mitzvah in her 70’s and she loved playing mahjong. She and Stan made many friends and had a great final chapter in their lives.

Shirley is survived by her sister, Ivonne Philips (late Marlowe) of Denver; son, Barry Gubin (Jill) of St Louis, Mo.; daughter, Phyllis Bern (Ross) of Scottsdale; grandchildren Dayna Anderson (Zak), Justin Bern (Katie), Lauren McCune (Chris), Staci Meltzer (Travis), Allison and Joanna Gubin; and nine greatgrandchildren: Madelyn, Levi, Miles, Maerin, Ellis, Ezra, Oliver, Isaac and Shay. Contributions can be made in her name to Congregation Beth Emeth, 13702 W. Meeker Blvd., Sun City West, AZ, 85375.

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