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VOLUME XIII, NUMBER 10
MAY 7, 2015
Israeli and Jewish groups on frontline of Nepal earthquake relief efforts By Sean Savage JNS.org After an earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale hit the impoverished mountainous country of Nepal on April 25, killing more than 5,000 people, Israeli and Jewish humanitarian and governmental organizations have assumed their traditional role on the frontline of relief efforts for a natural disaster. The 260-member Israeli government mission to Nepal includes an Israel Defense Forces field hospital, a trained rescue team, and a security team, with the objectives of assisting the Nepalese people and evacuating Israeli citizens who are stranded in the country. Paul Hirschson, an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman, told JNS.org that the conditions on the ground in Nepal have been “very difficult.” “The rescue mission is headed up by the Israeli ambassador to Nepal and the foreign ministry’s deputy director general, who has already arrived in Kathmandu (Nepal’s capital) from Jerusalem,” Hirschson said on April 27. “At present, this includes collecting information; providing shelter [for some 200 Israelis who are currently at the Jewish state’s Nepalese embassy]; securing contact with Israelis, as there remain some 100 who are unaccounted for; ex-
tracting Israelis still stranded in outlying areas, where there remain some tens of Israelis; preparing for the arrival of the aid mission; arranging for the flights to land; and securing locations for the field hospitals,” added Hirschson. As of April 27, the number of Israelis who were unaccounted for was down to 50; by April 29, only one was still missing. “You are being sent on an important mission,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, addressing the Israeli relief team, headed by IDF Col. Yoram Laredo. “This is the true face of Israel – a country that offers aid over any distance at such moments.” Also sending rescue teams from Israel to Nepal were the humanitarian and emergency response organizations Magen David Adom, United Hatzalah, Zaka, F.I.R.S.T., IsraLife, IsraAID and others, as well as the private insurance companies Harel and Phoenix. Ravit Martinez, a member of the delegation from MDA, told JNS.org that the organization’s main goal is to “help the injured Israelis and groups of disconnected Israelis,” but that MDA has also worked at a military hospital to treat Nepalese citizens at a military hospital who have sustained abdominal injuries, chest injuries, and broken legs and arms. The Israeli government and MDA has also started evacuating surrogate-born babies and their parents to Israel. Nepal is a major destination for Israeli families seeking surrogate mothers for their children, since surrogacy is illegal in Israel for samesex couples. But due to the earthquake, Israel has waived the legal and bureaucratic
At right: On April 27, Israeli personnel load an aircraft with rescue equipment at Ben Gurion International Airport while the Israel Defense Forces aid delegation prepares to leave for its mission to Nepal in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake there. (Photo courtesy IDF spokesman) hurdles to their return. Hirschson told JNS. org that five babies have already been brought to Israel and that about 18 remain in Nepal, with efforts to bring them to Israel by April 28 pending a medical assessment to determine if they can fly. “If there are any who are assessed not to be able to fly, they will be looked after at the Israeli field hospital, which will be functional in the hours subsequent to the aid mission arriving later Monday or Tuesday,” Hirschson said. MDA’s Martinez said there were six babies “that couldn’t be treated” in a hospital in Kathmandu who were evacuated on April 26, and that there are eight more currently in the Israeli embassy, where they are being fed and cared for by MDA staff. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, which has provided relief to dozens of natural disaster zones over the last century and currently works in more than 70 countries, said it is partnering
Nepal Relief Fund
Magen David Adom’s Ravit Martinez (in center, wearing baseball cap) helped treat a wounded Nepalese citizen at a military hospital following the deadly earthquake that struck Nepal. (Photo courtesy Magen David Adom)
The death toll following the April 25 earthquake in Nepal continues to rise. Thousands are injured and tens of thousands are homeless. Aid groups are receiving reports from remote villages across the mountainous country describing devastation, destruction and dwindling resources. A number of Jewish organizations are on the ground in Nepal, and Federations across America have already swung into action to collect funds for emergency relief efforts. You can be a part of this effort by contributing directly to the Jewish Federations of North America’s Nepal Relief Fund at https://secure-fedweb.jewishfederations.org/page/contribute/nepal-relief-fund. Please join our Federation in supporting the worldwide humanitarian effort in Nepal. Thank you. Mark Silverberg, Executive Director Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania
Scranton Hebrew Day School conducting annual pre-Shavuot bake sale The Scranton Hebrew Day School’s annual pre-Shavuot special order bake sale is now under way.Avariety of dairy and pareve items are available, but quantities are limited. Amongst the choices are savory dairy noodle
kugel, blueberry apple kugel (pareve), pineapple kugel (pareve), doughless potato knishes, lasagna, assorted quiches, zucchini soup, meat and vegetable soup, eggplant parmigiana and many other items.
The order deadline is Monday, May 11. To place an order or for more information, call the school office at 570-346-1576, ext. 2. Leah Rosenberg is chairwoman of the sale.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Gold on the Galilee
A kosher light switch?
Tech solutions
with the IDF field hospital in Kathmandu through providing equipment such as neonatal incubators. JDC said that while it provides immediate aid, it is also laying the foundation for our longer-term relief efforts in Nepal. JDC’s director of communications, Michael Geller, told JNS.org that reports on the ground in Nepal present a “dire situation” that has been exacerbated by Nepal’s challenging weather, difficult terrain, and deep poverty. “This is the worst earthquake of its kind in 80 years for Nepal, and it is happening in a country that has other challenges it was dealing with before the earthquake like poverty. So the combination of these factors can create a very harrowing situation on the ground,” said Geller. JDC’s main goal during the emergency stage, Geller said, is to “ensure that aid is See “Nepal” on page 4
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A look at aspiring Olympian Ilya The inventors of the Kosher Switch The Tikkun Olam Makers project PLUS Podpolnyy, who has his eye on the say it can be used on Shabbat, but uses technology to design aids 2020 Tokyo Olympics. critics say otherwise. for those with disabilities. Opinion........................................................2 Story on page 5 Story on page 6 Story on page 9 D’var Torah..............................................10
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THE REPORTER ■ MAY 7, 2015
a matter of opinion Yemen may just be the start of a devastating Middle East war
By Ben Cohen JNS.org Back in Roman times, Yemen went by the name “Arabia Felix” – Latin for “Happy Arabia.” It’s hard to think of a greater misnomer for this Arab state on the southern tip of the Persian Gulf, a few miles across the water from the Horn of Africa. The Romans actually had a pretty miserable time there. Aelius Gallus, who was the prefect of Egypt in 26 B.C.E., tried to conquer the territory and was roundly defeated. Through the ages, Yemen maintained its warlike image, with its various tribes doing battle with the Ottoman Turks and the British Empire. The north won independence from the Turks on 1918, while the south remained under British rule. By 1967, there were two states in Yemen. In the north, you had the Yemen Arab Republic, and in the south, you had the People’s Democratic Republic of South Yemen; the north was oriented toward the Arab states, while the south was a run by hardline communist government. The two Yemens fought several brutal wars throughout the 1970s and 1980s. In May 1990, however, the communist south dissolved itself into a unified Yemen – interestingly, this took place just a few months before communist East Germany was dissolved into a unified Federal Republic. Any similarity between the two situations, though, ends there. If unified Germany was an attractive combination of a dynamic economy and robust
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Opinions The views expressed in editorials and opinion pieces are those of each author and not necessarily the views of the Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Letters The Reporter welcomes letters on subjects of interest to the Jewish community. All letters must be signed and include a phone number. The editor may withhold the name upon request. ADS The Reporter does not necessarily endorse any advertised products and services. In addition, the paper is not responsible for the kashruth of any advertiser’s product or establishment. Deadline Regular deadline is two weeks prior to the publication date. Federation website: www.jewishnepa.org How to SUBMIT ARTICLES: Mail: 601 Jefferson Ave., Scranton, PA 18510 E-mail: jfnepareporter@jewishnepa.org Fax: (570) 346-6147 Phone: (570) 961-2300 How to reach the advertising Representative: Phone: (800) 779-7896, ext. 244 E-mail: bonnie@thereportergroup.org Subscription Information: Phone: (570) 961-2300
democratic institutions, unified Yemen quickly became a failed state. Political conflict between northern and southern leaders, often degenerating into full-scale violence, continued to plague the country. By 1994, the country was consumed by another civil war. The international community, which signally failed to prevent genocides in Bosnia and Rwanda in the same year, barely noticed. This admittedly potted and incomplete history should, nonetheless, give a flavor of the inherent risks involved with Yemen, which is now a battleground for Saudi Arabia on the one side and Iran on the other. It is also the base of Al-Qaida in the Arabian peninsula, widely said to be the most ruthless and brutal of the terrorist group’s regional branches. In October 2000, Americans were given a taste of what lay in store for them in September 2001, when Al-Qaida launched a suicide attack against the U.S.S. Cole in the port of Aden, killing 17 U.S. servicemen. Yemen’s warring parties have been subsumed by the regional conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran. For more than a decade now, Shi’a rebels from the north known as Houthis (named after their leader, Hussein al-Houthi, who was killed by government forces in September 2004) have waged war against the Sunnidominated south. In 2009, the conflict even spilled into Saudi Arabia, when the Houthis briefly conquered a small area on the Saudi side of the border. Come 2014, and the Houthis took over the Yemenite capital, Sana’a, which resulted in the resignation – later rescinded – of President Mansour Hadi. This year saw Yemen brought, in the words of the United
Nations, to “the verge of total collapse.” In March, Islamic State entered the fray, in shocking attacks against Shi’a mosques that claimed the lives of more than 100 worshippers. And in March, the Saudis launched “Decisive Storm,” ostensibly a bombing campaign against Houthi positions, but in reality a war against Iran’s growing influence. Recently, just as the Saudis announced that the bombing campaign was over, Iranian warships were spotted off the south coast of Yemen. The U.S. is already sending its own warships to the region, with the goal of preventing Iran from smuggling further weapons and other assistance to the Houthis. A tense stand-off potentially awaits. Indeed, the Saudis have now resumed bombing, much to the satisfaction of President Hadi, who praised, from exile in Riyadh, his “Arab and Muslim brothers... for supporting legitimacy.” Such rhetoric doesn’t mean very much at all. The political situation hasn’t exactly been transformed by the Saudi assault; its most tangible outcome has been the death of nearly 1,000 civilians and the wounding of more than 3,000 more. Those countries backing the Saudis, among them the U.S., have been silent on the civilian death toll, in marked contrast to the outraged condemnations that greeted Israel’s defensive operation against Hamas in Gaza during the summer of 2014. At this moment, therefore, the conflict in Yemen is unresolved and could well expand. The fact that 40 percent of the world’s oil ships pass through the Babel-Mandeb strait, in the southern part of the Red Sea, gives some idea of the global
impact a conflagration in this part of the world could have. It is tempting to regard the Saudi intervention in Yemen as welcome, insofar as it targets Iran. But we should be wary of any arrangement that gives Arab states a regional policing role, and not just because of their dismal human rights records. Like other Arab states, Saudi Arabia has responded to Iran’s nuclear ambitions with similar ambitions of its own. In the long run, the military empowerment of the Saudis could be just as negative for Western and Israeli security as an Iranian nuclear bomb, not the least because of the Saudi kingdom’s historic role as an incubator of radical Sunni Islamism. If Iran’s regional designs are to be rolled back, that has to be done from the outside. Regrettably, there is very little chance of that happening while the Obama administration remains in the White House. Obama’s strategy of allowing Iranian power to fill the vacuum left by an American withdrawal from the Middle East is one key reason why Arab states like Saudi Arabia are opting for war over diplomacy. Consequently, Yemen could turn out to be only the latest chapter in the epic, bloody story of the civil war between the Sunni and Shi’a branches of Islam. Ben Cohen, senior editor of The Tower, writes a weekly column for JNS.org. His writings on Jewish affairs and Middle Eastern politics have been published in Commentary, the New York Post, Ha’aretz, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. He is the author of “Some of My Best Friends: A Journey Through Twenty-First Century Antisemitism” (Edition Critic, 2014).
After Baltimore, reflecting on the chasm between black and white
By Andrew Silow-Carroll (JTA) – The Newark riots of 1967 have shaped the imagination of the New York-New Jersey area for more than 40 years – probably more than they shaped the actual political and social landscape of Newark and its suburbs. The riots often are held up as a pivotal moment in the flight of Newark’s white community and the start of a spiral of poverty that persists today. History, however, says the forces of disintegration were in place perhaps a full decade before 26 people died and countless businesses and homes were gutted on those two hot July days. Industry, like the white middle class, was fleeing the city well before the summer of 1967. White politicians and a largely white police force were alienated from the growing black majority. Sound familiar? The riots in Baltimore, following the funeral for Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who died of spinal cord injuries while under police custody, must seem terribly familiar to anyone with memories of the Newark unrest. The curfews, the violence, the National Guard, the looting – despite all the progress we think we have made, 2015 looks awfully similar to 1967. If there is a difference, it is that black people living in Ferguson and Baltimore have even less contact with the whites living outside these aggrieved inner cities than the two groups did in 1967. When shocked Jews watched the Newark riots that year, they had fresh memories of those streets and storefronts right before they were burned and destroyed. They knew many of the blacks caught up in the
rioting as neighbors and customers. And even though they had left the city and taken their businesses and synagogues with them, they took the demise of the city they loved personally. We have come a long way as a country, and blacks and other minorities have more opportunities than at any other time in our history. And that fact itself has led to a racial divide when it comes to the festering debate over police brutality. Whites see a black president and a growing black middle class and assume that those who can’t make it out of poverty are victims of their own choices. We regret bad and racist cops and the harassment and deaths of innocents, but also suspect that the black community as a whole is better off as a result of aggressive community policing. Blacks, meanwhile, understand what it means to be presumed guilty for no other reason than the color of one’s skin. They watch their sons head out into the evening and know the fear that the wrong gesture or look could be interpreted by a jumpy police officer as a threat. They despair of seeing open-and-shut cases of police brutality end without indictments, let alone convictions. Whites, I am guessing, are more likely to see the violence in Baltimore as self-destructive and opportunistic, an unjustified assault on civic manners and public property that hurts the perpetrators more than anyone else. Looking for “root causes,” we think, only rewards violent behavior. The only grievances we should pay attention to, wrote one Facebook friend, are those delivered in petitions, in letters to the editor and in calls to elected officials. Blacks better understand the frustra-
tion that leads to these kinds of explosions. They demand to know where your concern for person and property was when it was cops committing the violence, and black men and women suffering the consequences. Out of professional curiosity and ethnic loyalty, I checked in with how the Jewish press in Baltimore was covering the unrest. The Baltimore Jewish Times reported on Rabbi Daniel Cotzin Burg, who has forged strong bonds between his Reservoir Hill synagogue and the predominantly African-American community around it. The paper noted that representatives of Jews United for Justice took part in a huge and peaceful march against police heavy-handedness. “The ideal represented by Burg and others of the Jewish protestors who stood side-by-side with residents of Sandtown – where Gray was from – is one that we should all share,” wrote Joshua Runyan, the paper’s editor-in-chief. “They note that while the media frequently focuses on the aftermath of rage, far too little attention is paid to the underlying causes of that rage.” As a white, middle-class Jew, I don’t know and probably can’t understand the impulse that leads angry protesters to trash their own neighborhood. But perhaps that is because I am paying attention to a drama that started well before that point. I missed the first act, when a young man was beaten or harassed. And I didn’t see the second act, when the city quietly paid out civil judgments to settle complaints of brutality or harassment by police officers – in the case of Baltimore, $5.7 million See “Baltimore” on page 6
MAY 7, 2015 ■
THE REPORTER
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community news Sheryl Gross to be 2015 Woman of Distinction at Temple Israel of Scranton Temple Israel of Scranton has announced that Sheryl Gross has been chosen as the 2015 Phyllis Mardo Woman of Distinction honoree. The award is presented annually to a woman of the temple who “exemplifies the devotion to and caring of the synagogue, the congregation and Jewish community” showed by Phyllis Mardo. Gross will be honored at the annual Sisterhood Shabbat on Saturday, May 9, in the temple chapel on Monroe Avenue. Services will begin at 9:30 am.
Gross feels that her reasons for regularly attending minyan have developed gradually. She said, “At first, I went chiefly out of respect for my deceased parents and to uphold the tradition of saying Kaddish. Over time, I have found spending a few mornings a week contemplating these beautiful prayers has helped me acknowledge and appreciate the bounty and beauty in my life. Being a member of the Temple Israel family has given me opportunities throughout the years to participate in things that are meaningful to me.”
“We, at Temple Israel, thank Sheryl for her ongoing dedication to the temple family, as she truly exemplifies the character of the late Phyllis Mardo,” said a temple representative. “Her devotion to being at minyan; her consistent attendance and participation in holiday and Shabbat services; her warmth and insight into greeting all who enter the synagogue; and her willingness to roll up her sleeves to help whenever she is needed for Sisterhood and the congregation exemplifies a true Woman of Distinction.”
New President Marshall Kornblatt to be welcomed
Jewish Home annual meeting to honor Alan Glassman The annual meeting of the Jewish Home set for Wednesday, May 27, at 7 pm, will fete outgoing President Alan Glassman. The entire community has been invited to attend and participate in the annual meeting, where tribute will be paid to Glassman and incoming President Marshall Kornblatt will be welcomed. A reception will follow the meeting. During his three-year tenure, Glassman directed the activities of the Board of Directors, and initiated and directed a strategic planning process to address the changing
community demographics and the consequences of the Affordable CareAct. Early in his tenure, Glassman recognized the need for addressing both issues “to assure the future viability and success” of the Jewish Home. Considered to be a highly regarded businessman and community leader, Glassman brought his experience and skills to bear in the “complex and evolving” environment the Jewish Home is facing. With his guidance and business acumen, he led the Jewish Home to develop new mission and vision statements that serve to guide the decisions and processes
in which the home is presently engaged. The event will also feature the installation of Kornblatt, the first president from Luzerne County in the home’s 99year history. Kornblatt’s involvement in the Home dates back many years, and is said to have “a proven track record of commitment to the organization and to the residents.” Kornblatt will be installed along with all of the new board members and officers for the coming term. Though not necessary, organizers would appreciate RSVPs sent to lklemick@jhep.org.
Congregation Beth Israel to host international Jewish scholar Rabbi David Ellenson
Congregation Beth Israel of Honesdale will welcome Rabbi David Ellenson, Ph.D., from Friday-Saturday, May 29-30. Ellenson will speak at the congregation at night on May 29 and in the morning on May 30, and at the Cooperage in Honesdale at night on May 30. For more information, visit http://congregationbethisraelhonesdale.org. Ellenson is chancellor emeritus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, the largest Jewish seminary in North America and the academic, spiritual and professional leadership development center of Reform Judaism. Prior to becoming chancellor emeritus, Ellenson served as president of HUC-JIR for more than 10 years. A member of HUC-JIR’s faculty since 1979, he has served as lecturer, assistant professor, associate professor and professor of Jewish religious thought. From 1981-97, he also held the post of director of the Jerome H. Louchheim School of Judaic Studies.
Ellenson received his Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1981 and was ordained a rabbi at HUC-JIR’s New York School in 1977. He holds master’s degrees from Columbia, HUC-JIR and the University of Virginia. He received his bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary in Virginia in 1969. Ellenson is a fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute of Jerusalem, and a fellow and lecturer in the Institute of Advanced Studies at Hebrew University in Jerusalem from 1999-present. He has served as visiting professor of history at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, Lady Davis Visiting Professor of Humanities in the Department of Jewish Thought at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, visiting professor in the Center for Jewish Studies and as a member of the Near Eastern Languages and Cultures Department at the University of California, Los Angeles (1986-97). He has also been the Blaustein Scholar at the Jerusalem Pardes Institute for Jewish
Millie Weinberg to be honored by the Jewish Home and its auxiliary The Jewish Home’s Annual Volunteer Recognition luncheon on Thursday, May 28, at 1 pm, will feature Mildred Weinberg as a “volunteer extraordinaire.” Her work on behalf of the Jewish Home auxiliary and the residents will be recognized by her colleagues, as well as residents and staff of the Jewish Home. Weinberg, known at the home as “Millie,” has served in various capacities on the auxiliary and has been called “a devoted volunteer” for visiting residents and bringing her “smile and positive attitude into every endeavor.” Weinberg has been called “a bundle of energy,” and is credited with always having an interesting story about
people, places and her various “adventures.” Lynn Shaffer, president of the auxiliary, praised Weinberg for her “wonderful efforts on behalf of the residents” and her “can do attitude,” regardless of the project or challenge. The volunteer recognition luncheon will also pay tribute to others who assist the residents by visiting them, feeding them and engaging them in activities. The community and Weinberg’s friends have been invited to join the Jewish Home for the luncheon by calling Lynn Klemick at 570-344-6177, ext. 109, or writing lklemick@jhep.org. The cost will be $10.
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Studies and regularly serves as a faculty member of the Wexner Heritage Foundation. Ellenson has published and lectured on topics in modern Jewish history, ethics and thought. His work describes the writings of Reform, Conservative, Orthodox and Reconstructionist leaders in Europe, the United States and Israel during the last two centuries, and employs a sociological approach to illuminate the history and development of modern Jewish religious denominationalism. He has written about emerging trends in American Jewish life, advocated for Jewish day schools and spoken out on controversies in North American society, including LGBTQI rights, marriage equality, stem cell research and See “Scholar” on page 4
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THE REPORTER ■ MAY 7, 2015
science snippets
Cancer research news, regenerating heart cells By Weizmann Institute To stop cancer: block its messages REHOVOT, ISRAEL – The average living cell needs communication skills: It must transmit a constant stream of messages quickly and efficiently from its outer walls to the inner nucleus, where most of the day-to-day decisions are made. But this rapid, long-distance communication system leaves itself open to mutations that can give rise to a “spam attack” that promotes cancer. Prof. Rony Seger of the Biological Regulation Department and his team have now proposed a method of shutting off the overflow of information before it can get to the nucleus. If the initial promising results hold up, the method could be used to treat a number of different cancers, especially several that develop resistance to current treatments, and it might possibly induce fewer side effects than those treatments do. These findings appeared in Nature Communications. Since cells don’t have electronic communication, they use proteins; and
Scholar
abortion ban laws. Furthermore, he has been a supporter of Israel’s right to security and peace in the face of Iran’s threats, as well as the challenges of the Israel-Palestinian peace process. He has advocated for religious tolerance and pluralism in the Jewish state on issues relating to who is a Jew, conversion laws, rabbinical bans on renting to Arabs, women’s rights and annulment of conversions. “Through all of these efforts, he has demonstrated a passionate commitment to the people and state of Israel, and the central role Israel plays in the Reform movement,” said organizers of the program. “Widely respected for his scholarship, integrity and menschlichkeit, Rabbi Ellenson’s collaborative leadership has reflected his commitment to advancing Jewish unity.” Ellenson has worked to build ties between HUC-JIR and the Union for Reform Judaism, the Central Conference and the other arms of the Reform Movement. At the same time, he has fostered interdenominational and interfaith relations, strengthening relationships among the Jewish seminaries, secular universities and institutions of other
they generally manage to send messages quite ably, even getting them through the membranes surrounding the cells and those around the distant nucleus to which the information must ultimately be delivered. A directive from outside the cell – for example a growth factor molecule telling the cell to divide – stops at the cellular membrane. A receptor on the membrane’s outer surface accepts the message and passes its signal to the inner side. From there, “if the molecules were human messengers, they would have to transverse the equivalent of some 70 km to get from the outer membrane to the nucleus,” says Seger. Instead of sending messages all the way by a single courier molecule, the cell speeds things up with a sort of relay in which the message gets handed from one molecule to another. This whole membrane-to-nucleus communications system is known as a cellular signaling pathway, and there are about 15 different pathways for transferring the cell’s main internal messaging. Seger has identified a number of the
Continued from page 3 faiths through academic and programmatic partnerships and collegiality, including the University of Southern California and Xavier University. HUC-JIR is considered to be “the center of innovation for Jewish life and learning,” including preparing rabbis, cantors, leaders in Jewish education, Jewish nonprofit professionals, pastoral counselors and scholars to apply their “knowledge, commitment, vision and expertise to strengthen and transform the Jewish community and larger world.” Congregation Beth Israel is the oldest Jewish community in the Poconos, dating back to 1849. Located at 615 Court St., Honesdale, Congregation Beth Israel’s membership supports a religious school and a variety of Jewish cultural events. While there remains a core of members that can trace their roots back to the early founders, the majority of members have joined the community in the last 25 years. Every year, there are b’nai mitzvah and weddings celebrated in the Beth Israel synagogue building. For more information, call 570-253-2222.
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proteins involved in these pathways, especially in one particular pathway, called the MAPK/ERK cascade, which is involved in cancer. Dysregulation of this pathway shows up in some 85 percent of all cancer types. In normal cells, the messages these proteins pass along are normally delivered in spikes: The last protein in the relay slips into the cell nucleus, delivers the memo, and slips out again. But following certain mutations, the previously useful message becomes spam: It gets sent over and over, flooding the nucleus’s “inbox.” The response to this “spam attack” can be disastrous; in the case of such messages as those to grow or divide, the result may be cancerous. A crucial step in this pathway takes place when a molecule called ERK undergoes a transformation that enables it to pass through the membrane surrounding the nucleus. Seger has researched this step in depth, revealing an entire, complex process that must occur for ERK to get its message across. Seger realized that an effective nuclear “spam filter” on the ERK pathway would involve blocking just this step, thus preventing specific ERKs’ “messages” from getting into the nucleus. He and his group, including Alexander Plotnikov, Karen Flores and Galia Maik-Rachline, designed a variety of small molecules to enter the cell and block the transfer of ERK molecules into the cell’s nucleus. Working with Dr. Michal Besser of the Sheba Medical Center, they grew cells from different cancers in culture and then added the different molecules to see which of them would best target ERK. The team identified one potential drug molecule that performed quite well, even causing many of the cancer cells to die. Seger says that the cancer cells become “addicted” to the constant flow of ERK signals, so add-
Nepal
given to the people as quickly as possible.” The personnel at the IDF field hospital, he said, have “proven that they are effectively able to get into disaster zones quickly and treat people.” In the longer-term, JDC’s mission the “restoration of livelihood,” which includes setting up schools, medical care, post-traumatic support, and disaster mitigation, according to Geller. “We work with local communities, municipalities and volunteer organizations in the countries where the disaster has happened to help them help themselves and ensure that when the next disaster happens, they can organize an effective response,” he said. Geller praised the American Jewish community for “coming together to support the people of Nepal,” noting the outpouring of support and inquiries about JDC’s relief operations. “I think that is one of the outstanding features of the Jewish community, its ability to come together and respond to crises and to show its dedication to tikkun olam (repairing the world),” he said. The Jewish Federations of North
ing a filter that cuts this signal off causes them to die. Importantly, this molecule did not affect normal cells, suggesting that it mainly targets the cancer process and therefore might have fewer side effects than the present chemotherapy drugs. The next step was to test the molecule in mouse models of human cancers. In some of the cancers, says Seger, “the molecule worked even better in the animal models than it did in culture. The cancers disappeared within days and did not return.” In addition, the fact that the molecules do not destroy the ERK but only stop it from entering the nucleus may be good news for healthy cells: The ERK can still send a “delivery receipt” back up the relay to the receptors, so they don’t try to resend the message. One of the cancers that the molecule eradicated in the experiments was melanoma, an often fatal cancer with few available treatments. The drugs currently used for melanoma, says Seger, usually work for a while and then the cancer becomes resistant to them. He envisions the new molecule being added to the drug regimen, in rotation with others so that resistance cannot develop. All in all, the molecule was completely effective in eliminating around a dozen of the cancers the team tested, and many others showed a decline, if not complete destruction, of the cancer cells. The method of designing small molecules that can get inside cells and stop certain messages before they become “spam” might be useful in treating other diseases, in addition to cancer. “Every pathway is associated with a different disease,” says Seger. “The trick is to find the molecules that can selectively target just one stage in the process.” He and his team are currently See “Cancer” on page 12
Continued from page 1 America is raising funds for relief efforts in Nepal, as it has done in the past for natural and manmade disasters in locations such as the Philippines, Haiti, Japan, South Asia and elsewhere. While humanitarian groups gear up to provide both shortterm and long-term assistance, the Israeli government’s direct aid mission will last at least two to three weeks, according to the foreign ministry’s Hirschson. After that point, Israel will work on long-term relief with the international community. “This is what we specialize in and are known for,” Hirschson told JNS.org. “Beyond that [two-to-three week] time frame [for the initial aid mission] begins an entirely different phase of rehabilitation and reconstruction,” he said. “Israel will participate to the best of our abilities together with the international community. The foreign ministry has already had an initial internal discussion as to what contribution we will be able to make, and a team is working on that, but for now the focus is on saving lives.” With reporting by Alina Dain Sharon.
MAY 7, 2015 ■
THE REPORTER
Gold on the Galilee: Israeli kayaker comes of age, eyes Olympics By Orit Arfa JNS.org Three years ago, kayaking coach Roei Lev found aspiring Olympian Ilya Podpolnyy crying on the steps of the Jordan Valley Sprint Kayak Club overlooking the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). Podpolnyy, then 17 years old, had just been disqualified from the Israeli kayaking championship. He couldn’t survive the heats. He didn’t make the start line. He was devastated – and he had no one with whom to share his hopes, his dreams and his disappointment. His divorced parents still lived in Russia, and he had been estranged from his father since making aliyah at age 15. “I said to him, ‘You’re a young man. I just met you. I saw how you paddled. If you want support and a good family – if you want to get ahead – I recommend you come to the Jordan Valley,’” Lev recalled in an interview with JNS.org at the kayak club’s lounge on April 18, shortly after this year’s Israeli kayaking championship. An hour earlier, dozens of young kayakers sat on those same steps, looking up to Podpolnyy, now 20, as he stood on the podium to receive five gold medals – those same youngsters who had enthusiastically cheered “Go Ilya!” like brothers at the edge of the Kinneret as he won the individual 200meter, 500-meter, 1,000-meter and 6kilometer races. “Today he decided he was going to win and no less,” said Ronit Shaked, the secretary general of the Israel Canoe Association, who runs a medical sports therapy clinic and is also the Jordan Valley Sprint Kayak Club’s unofficial photographer. Always with a camera around her neck, she is documenting what she called Podpolnyy’s “road to the Olympics.” A mother figure, she had given Podpolnyy a pep talk that morning to ease his nerves. “He decided he was an athlete,” she said. “That’s it. A champion.” Lev and Shaked were eager to fill in the blanks when Podpolnyy was at a loss for words during the trio’s joint interview with JNS.org. Podpolnyy’s Hebrew is almost fluent, even though he didn’t speak a word of it when he stepped off the plane at Ben Gurion Airport in 2010 wearing a Russian coat and boots. He speaks mostly in single sentences, the way Sylvester Stallone speaks in the “Rocky” franchise – the tough guy with a stoic veneer whose drive overcomes hardship. Podpolnyy has the biceps and abs of an action star, with bright green eyes and brown skin. Today, he stands at a towering 6-foot-3 and weighs 205 pounds. “She said to finish all that I started – not to give up, and to stay strong until
shy at an interview, Podpolnyy has a goofy and fun-loving side, which aside from his superior athleticism, magnetizes international teammates. This past winter, he revived the club’s status as a sought-after winter training destination after the Swiss, Finnish, Russian and Danish kayaking champions accepted his personal invitation to train on the Kinneret with the Jordan Valley Sprint Kayak Club. “He’s the diplomat,” Shaked said. “If we didn’t have Ilya, we wouldn’t have been in the world championships. If we didn’t have Ilya, we wouldn’t have made connections with these athletes. If we
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didn’t have Ilya, we wouldn’t have people finding us through Facebook.” Podpolnyy has his sights on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics because he has not clocked in enough world competitions to compete in the 2016 Rio Games. He’ll make up for lost time this summer as he competes internationally in Slovakia, Germany and at the World Championships in Milan. For every competition, he has requested that his canoe be colored blue and white – the colors of Israel’s flag. “I want to bring achievements for the country, the club and all the trainers who worked hard,” Podpolnyy said.
Israeli kayaker Ilya Podpolnyy. (Photo courtesy of Ronit Shaked) the end,” Podpolnyy said, finally adding to Shaked’s story. One of Israel’s top athletes, Podpolnyy started paddling at age 11 near the Caspian Sea. “I came with a friend just to check it out in the summer. I started to paddle. I saw the nature, and I loved it,” he said. He followed his sister in making aliyah with the Na’ale Project, which brings teenagers to complete high school in Israel with the hope that their parents will follow. Upon completing boarding school near Netanya, he joined the Maccabi Zvulun Kayaking Club, where he didn’t receive the support he craved as a new recruit to the Israel Defense Forces. That’s where Lev came in. “He knew there was a problem, and he said, ‘We’ll help you. With family. With everything,’” Podpolnyy recalled. Today, Podpolnyy lives in a small onebedroom apartment in Kibbutz Degania, and Yuval Dagan, the kayak club’s general manager, has embraced him as a son – welcoming him for Friday night meals and family trips. Having been granted “Outstanding Athlete” status by the IDF, Podpolnyy is able to train at least four hours a day and compete abroad. “It’s a profession,” Shaked explained, although kayaking, unlike other sports, holds little promise of financial reward. Podpolnyy receives some support from the Israel Olympics Committee, but the club is admittedly going into debt investing in his Olympic potential. Lev and Shaked both credit Podpolnyy for making the sport popular again in Israel. Kayaking, sailing and judo are the only sports to bring the Jewish state Olympic medals, with Michael Kolganov taking the kayaking bronze in Sydney in 2000. While
With the Sea of Galilee in the background, Ilya Podpolnyy received a gold medal at the 2015 Israeli kayaking championship. (Photo by Orit Arfa)
Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein, modern Orthodox scholar, dies By JTA staff Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein, a leader of the national religious movement in Israel and a modern Orthodox scholar, has died. Lichtenstein, a head of the Har Etzion Yeshiva in the West Bank’s Gush Etzion bloc, died the morning of April 20. He was 81. Lichtenstein, who received a doctorate in English literature from Harvard University, was awarded the Israel Prize for Jewish Literature in 2014 for his scholarly works. Lichtenstein was the head of Yeshiva University in New York when he was asked to head the fledgling Har Etzion Yeshiva jointly with the late Rabbi Yehuda Amital. He made aliyah in 1971. Lichtenstein’s son, Mosheh, currently serves as one of the yeshiva’s heads.
Lichtenstein was ordained in 1959 in Boston by American modern Orthodox leader Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik and became his son-in-law a year later. He had fled his native France with his family in 1940, settling in the United States. The former chief rabbi of Britain, Jonathan Sacks, called Lichtenstein “a man of giant intellect, equally at home in the literature of the sages and of the world, a master talmudist, a profound exponent of Jewish thought, a deep and subtle thinker who loved English literature and whose spiritual horizons were vast. No less impressive was his stature as a human being, caring and sensitive in all his relationships, one who honored his fellows even when he disagreed with them, a living role model of Jewish ethics at its best.”
THE DA E TE V A S
JFS NEPA 100TH ANNUAL MEETING Tuesday, June 16 at 5:30pm www.jfsnepa.org
Sunday, June 21, 2015 The Bais Yaakov of Scranton Tribute Dinner Honorary Guest of Honor Rabbi and Mrs. Avrohom Goldstein Aishes Chayil Memorial Award Mrs. Chana Lapidus
ÊCheck out the Federation’s new, updated website at www.jewishnepa.org or find it on Facebook
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THE REPORTER ■ MAY 7, 2015
Is Kosher Switch really kosher for Shabbat?
By Uriel Heilman NEW YORK (JTA) – It promises a revolutionary innovation that could transform Jewish Sabbath observance. By changing the way a light switch works, the patented Kosher Switch offers a novel – and, its backers say, kosher – way to turn light switches (and, perhaps, other electrical appliances) on and off during Shabbat, circumventing one of the Sabbath’s central restrictions: the use of electricity. In just three days, the product’s backers raised more than $45,000 toward a $50,000 fund-raising goal on Indiegogo, the crowdsourced fund-raising website, to start manufacturing the device. Menashe Kalati, the device’s inventor, calls it a “long overdue, techno-halachic breakthrough.” (Halachah refers to traditional Jewish law.) But critics say the Kosher Switch isn’t really kosher for Shabbat at all – and that Kalati is misrepresenting rabbinic opinions on the matter to give the false impression that he has their endorsements. At issue is whether the device’s permissibility for Shabbat relies on a Jewish legal loophole that applies only to extraordinary circumstances like medical or security needs. The loophole, known as a “gramma,” allows for indirect activation of electronic devices on Shabbat. How does gramma work? If, for example, a non-life-threatening field fire is burning on Shabbat, jugs full of water may be placed around the fire to indirectly cause its eventual extinguishing. Dowsing the fire directly – a Sabbath prohibition – is permitted only in life-threatening circumstances.
Baltimore
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since 2011. If you arrive late for the drama, you shouldn’t be surprised that you don’t understand it. I received a mailing from Rabbi Arthur Waskow of Philadelphia’s Shalom Center; he is a Baltimore native. He quoted Langston Hughes: “What happens to a dream deferred? / Does it dry up / like a raisin in the sun?” We tend to remember the beginning of that poem, but not its ending: “Maybe it just sags / like a heavy load. / Or does it explode?” Andrew Silow-Carroll is editor-in-chief of the New Jersey Jewish News, where this column first appeared.
In its first three days, the crowdsourced fund-raising campaign for the Kosher Switch nearly met its $50,000 goal. (Photo from Kosher Switch video) Kalati, 43, says his switch does not rely on the gramma loophole. When the switch is in the off position, a piece of plastic blocks an electronic light pulse that when received turns on the light. Turning the switch on moves the piece of plastic, which is not connected to anything electrical, so that it no longer obstructs the pulse. Because the light pulse is subject to a “random degree of uncertainty” and won’t instantaneously kindle the light when in Sabbath mode, it is kosher for use on Shabbat, according to the video. This “adds several layers of halachic uncertainty, randomness and delays, such that according to Jewish law, a user’s action is not considered to have caused a given reaction,” the company says on its website. (Kalati’s office did not respond to phone calls or e-mails from JTA.) In the Indiegogo video, Kalati says his team has spent years on research and development, during which “we’ve been privileged to meet with Torah giants who have analyzed, endorsed and blessed our technology and endeavors.” But Yisrael Rosen, head of the Zomet Institute, the leading designer of electronic devices for use on the Jewish Sabbath, says the Kosher Switch is unfit for Sabbath use. “Today, Israeli media reported the invention of an electric ‘Kosher switch’ for Shabbat, with the approval of various rabbis. This item was recycled
Friends of The Reporter Dear Friend of The Reporter, Each year at this time the Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania calls upon members of our community to assist in defraying the expense of issuing our regional Jewish newspaper, The Reporter. The newspaper is delivered twice of month (except for December and July which are single issue months) to each and every identifiable Jewish home in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
columns that cover everything from food to entertainment. The Federation assumes the financial responsibility for funding the enterprise at a cost of $26,400 per year and asks only that we undertake a small letter writing mail campaign to our recipients in the hope of raising $10,000 from our readership to alleviate a share of that responsibility. We would be grateful if you would care enough to take the time to make a donation for our efforts in bringing The Reporter to your door.
As the primary Jewish newspaper of our region, we have tried to produce a quality publication for you that offers our readership something on everythingfrom opinions and columns on controversial issues that affect our people and our times, to publicity for the events of our affiliated agencies and organizations to life cycle events, teen columns, personality profiles, letters to the editor, the Jewish community calendar and other
As always, your comments, opinions and suggestions are always welcome. With best wishes, Mark Silverberg, Executive Director Jewish Federation of NE Pennsylvania 601 Jefferson Avenue Scranton, PA 18510
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from 2010 and already then denials and renunciation by great rabbinic authorities were published regarding everyday use for this product,” Rosen wrote recently on Zomet’s website. “No Orthodox rabbi, Ashkenazi or Sephardi, has permitted this ‘gramma’ method for pure convenience.” Rosen appended a letter from Rabbi Yehoshua Neuwirth, the first rabbi whose endorsement appears in the Kosher Switch video – in a one-second pull quote reading “I, too, humbly agree to the invention” – suggesting that his endorsement was misrepresented. “To allow one a priori to turn on electricity on Shabbat – impossible, and I never considered permitting except for the needs of a sick person or security,” reads the letter, which bears Neuwirth’s signature and letterhead, and is addressed to the manager of Kosher Switch. “And please publicize this thing so no [Sabbath] violation will be prompted by me.” The son of another rabbi whose endorsement appears in the video, Rabbi Noach Oelbaum (who says it does not violate the prohibition on Sabbath-day labor), told JTA that his father’s position was distorted. “I regret that my father’s position on Kosher Switch was misrepresented by stating that he endorses it l’maaseh,” the son, Moshe Oelbaum, wrote in a statement, using the Jewish term for “regular use.” Oelbaum said his father’s true position is that while the switch does not involve a technical violation of the Sabbath prohibition against labor (which forbids electricity use), it is a desecration of the Sabbath spirit. Oelbaum advises consumers to consult their own rabbis on the question of whether or not they may use it on Shabbat. Rabbi Mordechai Hecht, a Chabad rabbi from Queens, NY, who appears in the Kosher Switch video saying “I was mesmerized to be blessed to see such an invention in my lifetime,” says the controversy surrounding its permissibility isn’t simply a fight over Jewish law. “There’s politics in halachah,” he said. “The conversations they have are often money-related. Everyone has an agenda.” Hecht said he cannot endorse or reject the product because he is not a halachic authority. “Is there one way in halachah? Of course not. That’s why the sages say, ‘Make yourself a rabbi,’” Hecht said. “I think the rabbis need to be brave. A conversation needs to be had, and maybe this is a good place to have it. If there’s really a halachic issue, let’s talk about it. This is an amazing invention. The question is, can it enhance the Shabbos?”
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“Sephardic Journeys” exhibit
The exhibit “Sephardic Journeys” will be on view at the Center for Jewish History in New York City through June 30. It seeks to showcase the artistic, culinary, linguistic and sacred traditions of Sephardim by looking at the greater Sephardic Diaspora: Jews from Spain and Portugal prior to the Inquisition in 1492, as well as those from the Middle East and North Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Objects featured in the exhibit include the first English translation of the Hebrew prayer book in America (1766), a copy of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” in Ladino (1922), a first edition Hebrew/Latin/ Italian dictionary dedicated to a Pope (1587) and an antisemitic tract by Paolo Medici after his conversion to Christianity (1752). For more information, visit http://cjh.org/p/42 or call the museum at 212-294-8301.
MAY 7, 2015 ■
THE REPORTER
Israel NEWS IN bRIEF
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From JNS.org
Israeli unemployment rate remains at historic low
(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) – Israel’s unemployment rate for March was 5.3 percent, remaining at a historic low for the second consecutive month, the country’s Central Bureau of Statistics said on April 30. A CBS survey held among 21,900 Israeli adults said that during the first fiscal quarter of this year, unemployment among men was 5.1 percent, while the jobless rate among women was 5.5 percent. According to the survey, for the first time is Israel’s history, unemployment among those ages 25-64 dropped below 5 percent – 4.7 percent among men and 4.8 percent among women. Meanwhile, the first phase of a minimum-wage hike ordered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last December came into effect on April 30, raising the minimum wage in Israel from 4,300 shekels ($1,115) to 4,650 shekels ($1,205).
Funds for thwarting terror tunnels added to U.S. defense bill for Israel
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader of the Likud party, signed the Kulanu and United Torah Judaism parties into his governing coalition. Likud’s remains in negotiations with three other potential coalition partners – Habayit Hayehudi, Shas and Yisrael Beiteinu – a week before its deadline to establish a government. Kulanu (10 Knesset seats) and United Torah Judaism (six seats) give Likud (30 seats) 46 of the minimum 61 Knesset seats required to form an Israeli governing coalition. Habayit Hayehudi (eight), Shas (seven) and Yisrael Beiteinu (six) would bring the coalition to 67 seats. Netanyahu said at a signing ceremony with Kulanu leader Moshe Kahlon, “We promised during the election campaign to take action to lower housing prices and the cost of living, as well as promote a series of reforms which will continue to propel the Israeli economy. I am looking forward to working together. We have spoken at length about the steps we must take together.” Kahlon, who is set to be Israel’s next finance minister, said, “The economy needs reforms and we at Kulanu – together with Likud, the prime minister and other ministers – will know how to implement them. ...In the next government, we will advance reforms in housing and banking, and we will act to reduce the gaps in Israeli society. We are sure we will receive full cooperation from the prime minister and from both coalition and opposition Knesset members,” Israel Hayom reported. United Torah Judaism leader Yakov Litzman said, “The coalition agreement is a good one. ... There are a lot of social issues in it, including child allowances and dental care, among other things. There are many rightings of wrongs. ... I hope the government lasts the full term.”
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Israel pledges to rebuild entire Nepalese village
Israel has pledged to fully rebuild an entire village in Nepal as part of its long-term relief efforts following the devastating earthquake in that country, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman announced on April 30. “After consulting with various departments in the Foreign Ministry, we decided to adopt a village in Nepal, to assist with its reconstruction and to do our utmost to help people who have really found themselves in a difficult situation,” Lieberman said in a briefing at the Israeli Foreign Ministry, the Times of Israel reported. The foreign ministry said it will work with the Nepalese government to select a village and to assist in clearing the area as well as rebuilding the infrastructure and houses there. “We, the professional staff, will start to work after the dust has settled and it’ll be possible to talk with Nepali authorities about the location of the village and the matter of the reconstruction,” said the foreign ministry’s director-general, Nissim Ben-Sheetrit. Israeli rescue units are continuing to search for Or Asraf, the last Israeli citizen who is unaccounted for in Nepal. Rescuers believe that Asraf was hiking at the time of the earthquake. Dozens of Israelis have been rescued from remote regions of Nepal over the last few days. Meanwhile, Chabad-Lubavitch of Nepal said it prepared 2,000 meals for Nepalis in need on April 29 alone. Additionally, the Chabad emissary in the region, Rabbi Chezky Lifshitz, led a helicopter mission to rescue stranded Israelis.
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The U.S. House Armed Services Committee has approved an amendment to add funding for technology to thwart terror tunnels to a defense bill for Israel. The amendment, which authorizes research and development of an anti-tunnel defense system to protect Israel from Palestinian terror attacks, was added to a National Defense Authorization Act that already includes $474 million in funds for the Iron Dome and David’s Sling missile defense systems. “Our closest ally in the Middle East – Israel – lives under the constant threat of terrorist attacks from underground tunnels,” said U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham (D-FL), who co-sponsored the amendment with U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO). “The U.S.-Israel Anti-Tunnel Defense Cooperation Act will launch an unprecedented new initiative to protect Israel from this dangerous menace. ...Iron Dome has saved countless civilian lives, and an anti-tunneling defense shield will save countless more.” Last summer, Israel launched a ground operation in Gaza to destroy Hamas’s vast tunnel infrastructure under the Israel-Gaza border, which the terror group used to launch attacks inside of Israel. The Jewish state lost 67 soldiers during the 50-day war. Recent reports indicate that Hamas has gained funding from Iran to reconstruct the terror tunnel network. The bipartisan legislation was supported by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which said the antitunneling technology can also help the U.S. secure its own border with Mexico and protect American military bases. “This bill, which authorizes research, development and test activities between the United States and Israel in order to better detect and destroy these tunnels, will help both the United States and Israel defend against future threats emanating from tunnels,” AIPAC said in a statement.
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THE REPORTER ■ MAY 7, 2015
Israeli-American chef brings hummus and shakshuka to the city of gumbo and crawfish
By Shannon Sarna (JTA) – New Orleans is an unlikely locale for an Israeli restaurant. After all, The Big Easy is famous for its decadent shellfish-and-pork-heavy cuisine, whereas the Jewish state is known for its use of fresh vegetables and mostly kosher or kosher-style fare. But Israeli-American chef Alon Shaya’s newly opened Shaya, which offers an Israeli-inspired menu using local New Orleans ingredients, has been drawing crowds every night. (For those wondering, it is not kosher.) A James Beard Award winner who has been named by Esquire magazine as a “chef to watch” and been featured in Food and Wine magazine, Shaya, 37, has become an established part of the New Orleans food scene. Domenica, a restaurant he opened in 2009 with John Besh, has garnered rave reviews and awards. Shaya recently spoke with JTA by phone. The interview has been condensed and edited. JTA: Why did you decide to become a chef? Shaya: I always loved to cook. Even when I was 7 years old, I was preheating the oven and making hamantashen. We moved from Israel to Philadelphia when I was 4, and food was just always a part of our household. My grandparents would come from Israel every year, and each time they would come, food was everywhere. Then when I was in high school, my home economics teacher, Donna Barnett, grabbed me by the ear and said you have a passion for this, stick with it! She set me on this professional path. In fact, she was here last week and ate at both my new restaurants (Shaya and Domenica). We have remained very close over the years and are taking a trip to Israel together in June! JTA: What kind of trip? Shaya: I am going with three other chefs – Michael Solomonov, John Currence and Ashley Christenson – for a culinary tour with 16 other people. We will be traveling, eating, cooking, visiting the best of the best in Israel: wineries, restaurants, farms and this biodynamic resort where they make their own bread, cheese, honey, soap – everything. JTA: It seems like Israeli food is having a moment in America right now. Do you agree? Shaya: If you would have told me five years ago I was going to open an Israeli restaurant in New Orleans,
Chef Alon Shaya recently opened Shaya, an Israelistyle restaurant in New Orleans. (Photo by Besh Restaurant Group)
Alon Shaya’s cast-iron seared lamb shakshuka. (Photo by Graham Blackall)
I would have told you that you were crazy. But Israeli food is finally coming across as something that people are excited about. I think social media has played a big role in this, along with chefs like [Yotam] Ottolenghi who produce beautiful cookbooks. This is not trendy food; it’s food that people are discovering for the first time but that has been cooked the same way for generations. But it’s also new as the population in Israel grows and Greeks start cooking for Yemenites, and Europeans cook for Moroccans, and so the food takes on a life of its own. The food in Israel makes up a diverse mosaic: Bulgarian, Turkish, Moroccan, Greek. You can’t boil it down to just one thing. It is diverse and it has evolved. JTA: How did you end up in New Orleans? Shaya: I attended the Culinary Institute of America in New York and then moved to Las Vegas, working primarily in Italian restaurants. I then lived in St. Louis for a few years, where I met Octavio Mantilla, who is now my business partner. He convinced me to come check out New Orleans with him. I met John Besh and the stars were aligned – we discussed me coming to work for him, and two weeks later I had my bags packed and I moved. JTA: It’s been 10 years since Katrina, and New Or-
Charitable Uses for Life Insurance Benefits Most Americans give generously to their favorite charities and community organizations to share their good fortune each year. Despite ongoing needs, however, non-profits have recently experienced an overall drop in donations. Experts point to the economic downturn, sluggish stock market and increased corporate distrust as the primary factors. Now more than ever, charities depend on individual donations to carry out their missions. While we make donations because it makes us feel good to help those charities in need, an added benefit is the tax savings to the donor. If you are inclined to give, but wonder how to maximize your donation, consider the gift of life insurance. Life insurance is an affordable way to make substantial charitable gifts, and can be used in a variety of ways to meet your charitable objectives. Here are a few of the benefits: Give a Larger Donation: The death benefit of a life insurance policy is a much larger amount than the premiums paid. So ultimately, you can give more
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For more information on charitable giving to the Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania Endowment Fund call Mark Silverberg, Executive Director
The Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania
leans has experienced quite a revival. How has its food scene changed? Have you seen a change Jewishly in the city? Shaya: I only lived in New Orleans for two years before Katrina, but it has completely changed, I think for the better. More young chefs are opening their own businesses, pushing the envelope. I think Katrina really impacted the Jewish community here. A lot of young Jewish families never came back – they found jobs in other places and stayed. But now I see more younger Jewish families putting down roots and the city is so vibrant right now: The film industry has grown, as well as the medical industry and even start-ups. The economy has diversified. JTA: How has Shaya been received? Shaya: We have been booked pretty much since we opened, and you always have to make a reservation at least a month in advance if you want to come on the weekend. No one else is interpreting Israeli food in New Orleans. Another reason we have been popular is because our food is vegetarian-friendly and healthy, which is not so easy to find in New Orleans. JTA: What’s your secret for making great hummus? Shaya: It’s about getting the skins off of the chickpeas. We soak them first in water and baking soda, and as they cook we are constantly stirring to remove the skins. We spend one or two hours every morning just stirring and skimming chickpeas in order to create a smooth hummus. JTA: What’s your favorite Israeli food? What’s your favorite American food? Shaya: My favorite American food is fried chicken. I mean, I live in the South. It’s addictively good. My favorite Israeli food is this Bulgarian spread called Lutenitsa that my grandmother made. It’s on the menu at Shaya, and I would say it is the dish that inspired me to become a chef. When my mom came to the restaurant and tasted it she said, “Savta [grandma] would be so proud.” Cast Iron Seared Lamb Shakshuka Serves 6 For the lamb: 6 pounds lamb shoulder on the bone 1 Tbsp. ground paprika 1 Tbsp. ground cumin ½ Tbsp. ground coriander 1 tsp. ground black pepper 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 8 cups yellow onions, sliced 4 cloves garlic, sliced thin 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced 1 large sprig rosemary Zest and juice of 3 oranges 1½ cups canola oil (set half aside to brown the lamb) Kosher salt as needed For the shakshuka: 8 to 10 cups chicken stock 1 cup diced onions 1 clove garlic crushed 1 tsp. crushed red chili flakes 3 cups tomato sauce 6 whole eggs 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced Salt to taste See “Chef” on page 10
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“Tikkun Olam Makers” turn technology into solutions for people with disabilities By Maayan Jaffe JNS.org From cyber-security to medicine to agriculture, Israeli innovators are coming up with ideas that make life safer, easier and more efficient. These creations, in turn, simultaneously fund the Jewish state and yield profits for their overseas investors. A new organization is taking this entrepreneurial ecosystem to a new level, merging technological savvy with tikkun olam (the Jewish value of repairing the world) to solve societal needs. Tikkun Olam Makers (or TOM), a project of the Reut Institute and ROI Community, is bringing together strategic thinkers, engineers, designers, and project managers to solve unmet social challenges in disadvantaged communities. TOM is built on six core values: scalability, community integration, collaborative competition, affordability, smart development and innovation. In March, TOM held its second “make-a-thon” in Tel Aviv (an event dubbed TOM: TLV), partnering with the Ruderman Family Foundation to harness cutting-edge technology to design affordable aids for people with dis-
The prototype developed at a Tikkun Olam Makers “make-a-thon” turns physical therapy into a game, allowing users to play while making “significant progress” in their rehabilitation. (Photo courtesy of ZOA Productions)
abilities. The goal was to create solutions that increase integration and inclusion. “The event was a direct meeting ground for people with special needs and the people with the ability to help solve [their challenges],” TOM Founding Director Arnon Zamir says of the 72-hour program, which produced 25 technological prototypes. Zamir explains that for-profit companies are often able only to invest in projects with strong demand that are marketable to the masses. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities often have unique needs. The solutions must be tailored to the individual, which takes time and money. “We are not a technology company and we do not aim to be one. We are connectors,” Zamir tells JNS.org. Eran Tamir, an employee at IBM Israel whose son Guy has cerebral palsy, took part in the recent make-a-thon and describes TOM as “a miracle.” When Tamir arrived at TOM: TLV, he was swept away by the powerful teams that stayed and worked until midnight, or even dawn. The next day, which happened to be Israeli Election Day, he brought Guy. The makers took time to get to know Guy and to understand him. One group, led by industrial designer Nurit Greenberg, invented a prototype specifically for Guy. They call it “GidiGuy.” Greenberg says her team was charged with developing a game for children with special needs to be able to play and interact on an equal level with mainstream youths. Guy, for example, cannot use his hands, so the solution centered on his most easily-moved body part: his head. Greenberg’s team, which consisted of a mechanical engineer, economic consultant, architect and others, designed a game similar to “Simon Says,” using sensors and colored lights. The system recognizes the direction in which Player 1 turns his head. If the player moves right, a red light turns on, while a yellow light is activated by a move to the left, and so on. Player 2 must mimic Player 1. As the players engage, the color sequences get longer and more difficult. Now, Greenberg is in touch with one of Israel’s major hospitals for youths with disabilities
The system developed at a Tikkun Olam Makers “makea-thon” allows people who are paralyzed from the neck down to turn pages in a book. (Photo courtesy of ZOA Productions) to determine if this is something that could be further developed and brought to market. Tomer Daniel works in the Wi-Fi division at Intel Israel. At night, “I build stuff,” Daniel says. Daniel got involved in the maker community a few years ago, entering make-a-thon/hack-a-thon contests on weekends and evenings. He says he created several gimmicks, including a PAC-MAN® helmet that players wear to direct the joystick, using their heads. “You nod left, down, up, right, and the PAC-MAN moves,” Daniel says. “It is so funny, it only moves when you open and close your mouth, too. But this is something that is smart, but useless.” But TOM, says Daniel, is “smart and useful. It is helping people.” Daniel and his team created another helmet during the TOM competition. This one assists a blind person in navigating his home. Using sensors like the ones in a cell phone, it gauges the distance between a person and walls or other objects, keeping the blind person safer from harm. “We tested it on ourselves. That was really neat,” Daniel tells JNS.org. See “Technology” on page 10
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THE REPORTER ■ MAY 7, 2015
d’var torah
Be holy by RABBI MOSHE SAKS, TEMPLE ISRAEL OF SCRANTON Emor, Leviticus 21:1-24:23 It’s quite normal to want to be more than we are. We are taught from early age that “our reach should always exceed our grasp.” Don’t settle for mediocrity when one can be so much more. An ad for Army recruits encourages one to “be all that you can be,” implying who you are now is not the person you have the potential to be. Even the ancient rabbis professed the unique nature of humanity when they taught that in creating humankind, God created male and female, but no two alike. Knowing that one bears a uniqueness separating him/her from every other human being makes one also believe that there must be more to him/her than what appears. Bible scholar Pinhas Peli teaches, “Holiness is the Jewish answer to the problem of human existence. [Humankind] has always sought to ascribe some metaphysical meaning to physical life, suggesting that if man is not somehow more than human, he is less than human... Judaism taught that it is holiness that can add this extra dimension to our lives, not by escaping from life, but rather by striving to ‘be holy’ in this world and in this life.” This Torah portion teaches, “The Lord said to Moses, speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron and say to them: None shall defile himself for any dead person among his people.” (Leviticus 21:1) In the ancient context, this meant the priests (Kohanim) were not permitted to have anything to do with the preparation and burial of the dead. This restriction came to include a prohibition against priests even entering a cemetery. In their early stages, the Jewish people defined themselves by differences between their God and religion, and that of the Egyptians from whence they came. In ancient Egypt, all of life centered around a cult of death. “Houses of eternity” were built for the dead. The chief responsibility of the Egyptian priests was to watch over and perform the required death rituals. Peli points out, “[This difference] emphasizes the fact that [the Israelite priest’s] job is not to cater to the dead, but to serve as a teacher and model of holiness for the living.”
The ancient priests, like today’s rabbis and teachers, were responsible for modeling the attributes the individual Jew should be striving for: attributes of “holiness.” What does it mean “to be holy”? Feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, giving shelter to the homeless and lending a hand to the needy are all acts of “holiness.” Being a “holy” person means reaching beyond one’s grasp, stepping out of one’s immediate comfort zone, doing the doable while dreaming the impossible. For a “holy” person, the status quo is never acceptable while even one human cry is heard. This is the challenge of being Jewish. It is a challenge of uniqueness, measured not in the terms of fame and fortune but in acts of holiness.
Jewish fighters
The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research in New York City will present the exhibit “Yiddish Fight Club.” It is based on a linguistic study of Yiddish fighting terms that appeared in YIVO’s first publication in 1926. It combines the now-forgotten slang of a violent Yiddish underworld with images of Jewish brawlers from the past. It seeks to inform its audience about the history of Jewish boxers and professional wrestlers, but also to provide them with the vocabulary necessary “to rumble.” For more information, visit www.yivo.org or 212246-6080.
Israel in Translation
The website Israel in Translation, http://tlv1.fm, is an English-language Internet Radio station. Its podcasts are broadcast from Tel Aviv. It covers a wide variety of topics, including breaking news, culture, cooking, hi-tech offerings and more.
Technology Daniel says that when it comes to using technology for tikkun olam, expertise is not a barrier to entry. “You don’t have to be an engineer, you don’t have to build stuff,” he says. “Some people are good with their hands, some with their minds. The greatest teams are those composed of people with golden hands, golden minds, and golden eyes.” TOM’s Zamir notes that the organization has already held a competition in Brazil, and that he is in contact with 11 other countries about running these programs. TOM: NY is planned for New York in March 2016. Even Kosovo has expressed interest in the initiative. In this way, says Zamir, TOM can help Israel be “a light unto the nations.” Zamir says he sees the TOM model, much like the TEDxTalks, as something that can be replicated elsewhere without the direct involvement of TOM’s Israel-based team. TOM is in the process of building a website, which will house information about the organizational concept, but also images and assembly directions for the prototypes the competitions have produced. This way, companies might see solutions they want to explore taking from prototype to market. Alternatively, a visitor to the website might consider replicating one of the innovations for a family member or friend in need. TOM is considering focusing its next make-a-thon on
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Continued from page 9
solutions for the elderly, according to Zamir. “I always say that if each person could give one minute to another person, our world would be a better place,” says IBM’s Tamir. “I don’t think this is something that could have started in any other country, but Israel.” Maayan Jaffe is former editor-in-chief of the Baltimore Jewish Times and a Kansas-based freelance writer. Reach her at jaffemaayan@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter, @MaayanJaffe.
Chef
Continued from page 8 The night before, season the lamb shoulder generously with kosher salt and all of the ground spices. Place in the refrigerator. The next day when you are ready to cook, place a large cast-iron Dutch oven that is large enough to hold the lamb shoulder on medium heat. Add in ¾ cup of the canola oil and begin to sear the shoulder on all sides until completely golden brown. Preheat the oven to 275°F. Remove pot from heat and set the shoulder aside. Pour out the dirty oil and replace with the remaining canola oil. Reduce heat to low and add the onions, carrots and garlic. Cook until all are golden brown and tender. Return the shoulder to the pot and pour the chicken stock over it until shoulder is just submerged. Add the rosemary sprig, orange zest and orange juice. Bring to a simmer and place the lid on the Dutch oven. Place in the oven and cook for 4 hours. The meat should be falling off the bone when it’s removed. Let rest for 15 minutes out of the braising liquid. Heat a large cast-iron skillet with ½ cup of olive oil over medium heat. Add the braised lamb shoulder to the oil and sear for 5 minutes until golden brown and crispy. While the lamb shoulder is searing, add the diced onions, crushed garlic and crushed chili flakes to the pan to slowly caramelize. Flip the shoulder so the golden brown and crispy side is up and add the tomato sauce. Bring to a simmer and season with salt. Move the shoulder to the far side of the pan and crack the eggs into the other side. Once the egg whites have set, pull from the heat and sprinkle all of the sliced green onions on top. Serve with sliced rustic style bread. Shannon Sarna is editor of The Nosher blog on MyJewishLearning.
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THE REPORTER ■ MAY 7, 2015
Book review
The dark side of human nature By Rabbi Rachel Esserman “Did you like it?” That’s one of the first questions people ask about a book. Look at the review website Goodreads: the number of stars you pick translates into “it was OK” “liked” and “really liked it,” among a few other offerings. Yet, there are works of fiction – sometimes excellent ones – that defy this type of categorization. The words used to describe these novels are powerful, disturbing or thought-provoking. Two recent works – “The Zone of Interest” by Martin Amis (Alfred A. Knopf) and “Gretel and the Dark” by Eliza Granville (Riverhead Books) – belong to this category because they force us to acknowledge the dark side of human nature. “The Zone of Interest” has generated controversy mainly because it’s been called “a love story,” something readers and reviewers have found inappropriate for a work set in a concentration camp. However, while there is a love interest, that’s not the main focus of the novel. Instead, Amis shows what happens in the zone of interest (the term used to refer to the camp) through the eyes of three people: Golo Thomsen, a German officer who takes the long view of the war; Paul Doll, the camp commandant; and the Jewish Szmul, who works in the gas chambers and helps dispose of the bodies. Thomsen falls in love with Doll’s wife, but whether or not she will ever return his feelings is a question debated through the novel. Far more interesting is Thomsen’s take on the war: he’s unsure that the supreme leader (whose name is never mentioned) is wise to waste so much energy destroying the Jewish population. Yet, the basis for this opinion is not an ethical one; rather, he’s worried Germany is losing the war and wonders how that will affect his future. Doll, on the other hand, is concerned with the practical difficulties of running the camp, including the unreasonable requests from his supervisors concern-
Cancer
experimenting with molecules to block a different pathway, one that is associated with autoimmune disease. Heart cells regenerated in mice REHOVOT, ISRAEL – When a heart attack strikes, heart muscle cells die and scar tissue forms, paving the way for heart failure. Cardiovascular diseases are a major cause of death worldwide, in part because the cells in one of the most vital organ do not get renewed. As opposed to blood, hair, or skin cells that can renew themselves throughout life, heart cells cease to divide shortly after birth, with very little renewal in adulthood. New research at the Weizmann Institute of Science provides insight into the question of why the mammalian heart fails to regenerate, and also demonstrated, in adult mice, the possibility of turning back this fate. This research appeared in Nature Cell Biology. Prof. Eldad Tzahor of the Institute’s Department of Biological Regulation thought that part of the answer to the regeneration puzzle might lie in his area of expertise: embryonic development, especially of the heart. Indeed, it was known that a protein called ERBB2 – which is well studied because it can pass along growth signals promoting certain kinds of cancer – plays a role in heart development. ERBB2 is a specialized receptor – a protein that transmits external messages into the cell. It generally works together with a second, related receptor by binding a growth factor called neuregulin 1 (NRG1) to transmit its message. NGR1 is already being tested in clinical studies as a treatment for heart failure. Dr. Gabriele D’Uva, a postdoctoral fellow in Tzahor’s research group, wanted to know exactly how NRG1 and ERBB2 are involved in heart regeneration. In mice, new heart muscle cells can be added for up to
ing money and man power. It quickly becomes clear that Doll is an unreliable narrator, but that makes his point of view even more interesting since his delusions echo those of the Nazi regime. His relationship with his wife is also fraught with worries, and he soon becomes obsessed with learning whether or not she and Thomsen are having an affair. The sections featuring Szmul’s thoughts are short, as if Amis realizes the improbability of understanding his experience. Yet, Szmul’s character feels three-dimensional, which makes his story heartrending. Performing activities that go against his nature, he hopes his work with those entering the zone of interest really does serve a purpose. It’s the characters in “The Zone of Interest,” rather than the plot, that stay with the reader, although the story took some unexpected and interesting turns. The question of whether or not anything good could or should arise from a concentration camp is open to debate, but it’s not impossible to suggest that someone working there could fall in love. However, it’s the insight into Thomsen’s basic nature, not his love life, that makes this work so chilling: Here is a cultured man who should epitomize the best of humanity, yet who helps destroy innocent men and women because it’s convenient for his life and career. While Amis is so well-known that his book received reviews in major newspapers and magazines, there’s been far less discussion of “Gretel and the Dark.” Focusing on two narrators in separate time periods, Granville offers the thoughts of Josef Breuer, a real life Austrian physician and psychoanalyst in 1899, and Krysta, a young girl living in Nazi Germany during World War II. Breuer is confronted with an unusual case: a young woman who not only claims to have no memory of her past, but says she is a machine, rather than a human being. Yet, Lilie
(as Breuer names her) has a mission: To destroy someone she believes is evil, even though she refuses to mention the person’s name or explain why. Breuer, with the help of his servant, Benjamin, tries to learn more about Lilie, but the result is unexpected. The doctor soon discovers how jealousy can distort one’s morals and actions. Krysta lives with her physician father next to an area referred to as “a zoo,” although the stubborn young girl doesn’t see any animals, only a boy her father and other members of the unusual medical center tell her doesn’t exist. Krysta is unhappy not just because her father acts strange and has little time for her, but because she doesn’t understand why she’s been separated from her beloved Greet, a servant who told her wondrous fairy tales – whose endings were often unhappy, as least when Krysta misbehaved. When life becomes more difficult, Krysta clings to these stories, since she’s too young and naive to understand what’s really happening – especially the comments people make about her late mother’s heritage. While the characters are well-developed in both sections of the novel, the plot of “Gretel and the Dark” creates a tension that will compel readers as they try to piece together what happens in the two time periods, as well as their connection. Granville also does an excellent job mirroring how the antisemitism of 1899 plays out in future times without being pedantic or lecturing. When, at the novel’s end, the two sections come together, the underlying story and emotions were moving and heartbreaking at the same time. “The Zone of Interest” and “Gretel and the Dark” are difficult novels to read due to their subject matter and the emotional response it raises. However, anyone seeking to challenge themselves will find these unflinching looks at the stark reality of human nature enriching and disturbing at the same time.
a week after birth; in fact, newborn mice can regenerate damaged hearts, while seven-day-old mice cannot. D’Uva and research student Alla Aharonov observed that heart muscle cells called cardiomyocytes that were treated with NRG1 continued to proliferate on the day of birth, but that the effect dropped dramatically within a week, even with ample amounts of NRG1. Further investigation showed that the difference between a day and a week was the amount of ERBB2 on the cardiomyocyte membranes. The team then created mice in which the gene for ERBB2 was “knocked out” in cardiomyocytes. This had a severe impact: the mice had hearts with walls that were thin and balloon-like – a cardiac pathology known as dilated cardiomyopathy. The conclusion was that cardiomyocytes lacking ERBB2 do not divide, even in the presence of NRG1. Next, the team reactivated the ERBB2 protein in adult mouse heart cells, in which cardiomyocytes normally no longer divide. This resulted in extreme cardiomyocyte proliferation and hypertrophy – excessive growth and development of the individual cardiomyocytes – leading to a giant heart (cardiomegaly) that left little room for blood to enter. Says Tzahor: “Too little or too much of this protein had a devastating impact on heart function.” The question then became: if one could activate ERBB2 for just a short period in an adult heart following a heart attack, might it be possible to get the positive results, i.e., cardiac cell renewal, without negative ones such as hypertrophy and scarring? Testing this idea, the team found that they could, indeed, activate ERBB2 in mice for a short interval only following an induced heart attack, and obtain nearly complete heart regeneration
Continued from page 4 within several weeks. “The results were amazing,” says Tzahor. “As opposed to extensive scarring in the control hearts, the ERBB2-expressing hearts had completely returned to their previous state.” Investigation of the regenerative process through live imaging and molecular studies revealed how this happens: the cardiomyocytes “de-differentiate” – that is, they revert to an earlier form, something between an embryonic and an adult cell, which can then divide and differentiate into new heart cells. In other words, the ERBB2 took the cells back a step to an earlier, embryonic form; and then stopping its activity promoted the regeneration process. In continuing research, Tzahor and his team began to outline the pathway – the other proteins that respond to the NRG1 message inside the cell. “ERBB2 is clearly at the top of the chain. We have shown that it can induce cardiac regeneration on its own. But understanding the roles of the other proteins in the chain may present us with new drug targets for treating heart disease,” says D’Uva. Tzahor points out that clinical trials of patients receiving the NRG1 treatment might not be overly successful if ERBB2 levels are not boosted as well. He and his team plan to continue researching this signaling pathway to suggest ways of improving the process, which may, in the future, point to ways of renewing heart cells. Because this pathway is also involved in cancer, well-grounded studies will be needed to understand exactly how to direct the cardiomyocyte renewal signal at the right place, the right time, and in the right amount. “Much more research will be required to see if this principle could be applied to the human heart, but our findings are proof that it may be possible,” he says.
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NEWS IN bRIEF from the u.s. From JTA
Sen. Bernie Sanders makes run for president official
Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont made it official: He will run for president as a Democrat. An Independent who calls himself a “Democratic Socialist,” Sanders made the announcement on April 30 in an e-mail to supporters. He had confirmed the run a day earlier in an interview with the Associated Press. Sanders, who is Jewish, joined the U.S. Senate in 2007. Prior to that, he had served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1991. He will be a long shot to capture the party’s nomination, as Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state and U.S. senator, showed a lead of 48 percentage points in the latest polls of potential Democratic candidates. Sanders was born in Brooklyn to Jewish immigrant parents from Poland.
FBI helped arrange unsuccessful ransom for Warren Weinstein
The FBI helped arrange a ransom payment from the family of Warren Weinstein, the Jewish-American government contractor who had been held hostage by al-Qaida from 2011. News of the unsuccessful ransom attempt for Weinstein, who was accidentally killed in January by a U.S. drone strike, was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. The family paid a “small amount” in 2012 to people who claimed to be guarding Weinstein, Reuters reported. They first had received proof that he was in their custody. The FBI reportedly was aware of the payment. U.S. officials had said they would not negotiate with al-Qaida for his release as a matter of policy when it comes to hostages. In the drone strike, U.S. forces had targeted an al-Qaida-linked compound in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border area, the White House announced the week of April 24. Until the announcement, information about the raid had been classified. Weinstein, 73, of Rockville, MD, was kidnapped in August 2011 in Lahore, Pakistan, while working for J.E. Austin Associates, a private company that advises Pakistani businesses. During his captivity, Weinstein appeared in several videos appealing directly to U.S. and even Israeli officials to effect his release.
U. of Kansas Jewish fraternity expels four for anti-Muslim video
A traditionally Jewish fraternity at the University of Kansas kicked out four members for their involvement in an anti-Muslim video. The Zeta Beta Tau fraternity announced the expulsions in a statement released to the student newspaper, the Daily Kansan, the week of April 30. The 10-second video clip shows a man wrapped in a blanket that covers his face and head while shouting “Allahu Akbar,” or “God is great” in Arabic, as others around him laugh. The fraternity said in the statement that it was taking a “strong stance against bigotry and intolerance in all forms. ...These actions by no means represent the values, standards and actions of a brother of Zeta Beta Tau. As brothers of Zeta Beta Tau and as an organization dedicated to our founding as the world’s first Jewish fraternity, we take a strong stance against bigotry and intolerance in all forms.” The clip was posted on April 9 on the app Yeti. The fraternity learned of the video on April 10 and the following day expelled the four members, the fraternity said. The Muslim Student Association said in a statement to the student newspaper that it appreciates the fraternity’s “swift independent action.”
U.C. Riverside removes Sabra hummus from campus dining
The University of California, Riverside, removed Sabra hummus from its dining facilities in response to protests by the Students for Justice in Palestine chapter on campus. Campus dining removed the product the week of April 24 following a discussion with the pro-Palestinian group’s chapter, which in a letter sent to campus dining heads noted that Sabra is half-owned by the Strauss Group, which has publicly supported the Israel Defense Forces troops. The letter said that the IDF’s “history of severe human rights violations” warranted the removal. “During this meeting, dining agreed to change the brand of hummus being served at the campus store, stating that the request was easy since there are so many alternative brands and that they don’t want to sell products that upset or offend any students on campus,” a Students for Justice in Palestine news release read. U.C. Riverside had only begun offering Sabra brand hummus last fall. It will now offer Mediterranean Snacks’ brand of hummus, Tapaz2Go. In March 2014, the school’s student government passed a resolution urging administrators to divest from Israel, but rescinded it the following month.
In heritage month proclamation, Obama says U.S. Jews still face bigotry
Jews continue to face bigotry in the United States, President Barack Obama said in his Jewish Heritage Month proclamation. “This year, JewishAmerican Heritage Month begins as the world commemorates the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Dachau by American soldiers,” Obama wrote in his proclamation issued on April 30 for the month, which is designated as May by U.S. law. “We are once again reminded that the vibrant culture of the Jewish people has not always been embraced,” he wrote. “As tragic events show us all too often, Jewish communities continue to confront hostility and bigotry, including in America.” In the proclamation, Obama said he remains “committed to standing against the ugly tide of antisemitism in all its forms, including in the denial or trivialization of the Holocaust” and reaffirmed “America’s unwavering commitment to the security of the state of Israel and the close bonds between our two nations and our peoples.”
NYC transit authority bans all political advertising
New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority voted to ban all political advertising on its subways and buses, allowing it to refuse to display an ad about Muslims killing Jews. The resolution passed on April 29 at the MTA board meeting in a 9-2 vote and the ban became effective immediately, the New York Post reported. The week of April 24, a federal judge ruled that an anti-Islamic ad that includes the statement “Killing Jews is Worship that draws us close to Allah” is protected speech under the First Amendment and must be allowed to run on public transportation. The MTA had argued unsuccessfully that the ad could be seen as a call to violence against Jews and could incite terrorism. Under the resolution, MTA will permit only the display of commercial advertising, public service announcements and government messages on its buses and subways. “Hateful speech is not harmless speech. Only a fool or rogue would argue otherwise,” Charles Moerdler, an MTA board member and Holocaust survivor who voted for the new policy, said following the vote, according to the Post.
Quick Reference Guide to Planned Giving Use this planned giving quick reference guide to help determine the best strategy for achieving your philanthropic and financial goals. For more information or to discuss these planned giving options, please contact Mark Silverberg, Executive Director, Jewish Federation of NEPA, 570-961-2300 (x1) or mark.silverberg@jewishnepa.org.
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Tax advantages plus use of the property
Exemption from federal estate tax on donations Current & future savings on income taxes, plus fixed, stable payments
Make a large gift with little cost to you Contribute a life insurance policy you no longer need or Current & possible future income tax deductions purchase a new one & designate a charity as the owner Receive secure, fixed income for life while avoiding Purchase a charitable gift annuity or create a charitable Tax advantages & possible increased rate of return market risks remainder annuity trust Give income from an asset for a period of years Create a charitable lead trust Federal estate tax savings on asset & income tax but retain the asset for yourself or your heirs deductions for deductions for donated income Create a hedge against inflation over the long term Create a charitable remainder unitrust Variable payments for life plus tax advantages Make a revocable gift during your lifetime Name a charity as the beneficiary of assets in a Full control of the trust terms during your lifetime living trust
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14
THE REPORTER ■ MAY 7, 2015
Portraits of biblical women
May 2015 • Non-Feature Films • *NEW* American Masters: Mel Brooks: Make A Noise - After more than 60 years in show business, Mel Brooks has earned more major awards than any other living entertainer. A comedy force of nature, Brooks is very private and has never authorized a biography, making his participation in this film a genuine first. Showcasing the Brooklyn native’s brilliant, skewed originality, American Masters: Mel Brooks: Make A Noise features never-before-heard stories and new interviews with Brooks, Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Cloris Leachman, Carl Reiner, Joan Rivers, Tracey Ullman and others. This career-spanning documentary of the man behind Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, The Producers, Spaceballs and of course the 2000 Year Old Man journeys through Brooks’ professional and personal ups and downs, providing a rare look at a living legend, beloved by millions. *NEW* Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy - Engaging, humorous, and provocative... examining the unique role of Jewish composers and lyricists in the creation of the modern American musical. The film showcases the work of legends such as Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, George and Ira Gershwin, Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, Leonard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondheim. Interviews with songwriters and luminaries including Sheldon Harnick, Stephen Schwartz, Harold Prince, Arthur Laurents, Charles Strouse, and Mel Brooks provide insight, alongside standout performances and archival footage. Everything is a Present: The Wonder and Grace of Alice Sommer Hertz - This is the uplifting true story of the gifted pianist Alice Sommer Hertz who survived the Theresienstat concentration camp by playing classical piano concerts for Nazi dignitaries. Alice Sommer Hertz lived to the age of 106. Her story is an inspiration. Follow Me: The Yoni Netanyahu Story - Yoni Netanyahu was a complex, passionate individual thrust into defending his country in a time of war and violence. The older brother of Benjamin Natanyahu, the current Israel Prime Minister, Yoni led the miraculous raid on Entebbe in 1976. Although almost all of the Entebbe hostages were saved, Yoni was the lone military fatality. Featuring three Israeli Prime Ministers and recently released audio from the Entebbe raid itself. Hava Nagila (The Movie) - A documentary romp through the history, mystery and meaning of the great Jewish standard. Featuring interviews with Harry Belafonte, Leonard Nimoy and more, the film follows the ubiquitous party song on its fascinating journey from the shtetls of Eastern Europe to the kibbutzim of Palestine to the cul-de-sacs of America. Inside Hana’s Suitcase - The delivery of a battered suitcase to Fumiko Ishioka at the Tokyo Holocaust Museum begins the true-life mystery that became the subject of Karen Levine’s best-selling book Hana’s Suitcase. The film follows Fumiko’s search to discover the details of Hana’s life, which leads to the discovery of her brother George in Toronto. Israel: The Royal Tour - Travel editor Peter Greenberg (CBS News) takes us on magnificent tour of the Jewish homeland, Israel. The tour guide is none other than Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The viewer gets a chance to visit the land of Israel from his own home! Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story (narrated by Dustin Hoffman) - This documentary portrays the contributions of Jewish major leaguers and the special meaning that baseball has had in the lives of American Jews. More than a film about sports, this is a story of immigration, assimilation, bigotry, heroism, the passing on of traditions, the shattering of stereotypes and, most of all, the greatest American pastime. Nicky’s Family - An enthralling documentary that artfully tells the story of how Sir Nicholas Winton, now 104, a British stockbroker, gave up a 1938 skiing holiday to answer a friend’s request for help in Prague and didn’t stop helping until the war’s beginning stopped him. He had saved the lives of 669 children in his own personal Kindertransport. Shanghai Ghetto - One of the most amazing and captivating survival tales of WWII, this documentary recalls the strange-but-true story of thousands of European Jews who were shut out of country after country while trying to escape Nazi persecution. Left without options or entrance visa, a beacon of hope materialized for them on the other side of the world, and in the unlikeliest of places, Japanese-controlled Shanghai. The Case for Israel - Democracy’s Outpost - This documentary presents a vigorous case for Israel- for its basic right to exist, to protect its citizens from terrorism, and to defend its borders from hostile enemies. The Jewish Cardinal - This is the amazing true story of Jean-Marie Lustiger, the son of Polish-Jewish immigrants, who maintained his cultural identity as a Jew even after converting to Catholicism at a young age, & later joining the priesthood. The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg - As baseball’s first Jewish star, Hammerin’ Hank Greenberg’s career contains all the makings of a true American success story. Unmasked: Judaophobia - The Threat to Civilization – This documentary exposes the current political assault against the State of Israel fundamentally as a war against the Jewish people and their right to self-determination. *NEW* When Jews Were Funny is insightful and often hilarious, surveying the history of Jewish comedy from the early days of Borsht Belt to the present. • Feature Films • Fill the Void - This is the story of an eighteen-year-old, Shira, who is the youngest daughter of her family. Her dreams are about to come true as she is set to be married. Unexpectedly, her sister dies while giving birth to her first child. The drama of the story reaches its peak when the girls’ mother proposes a match between Shira and the young widower. Shira will have to choose between her heart’s wish and her family duty. Footnote - The winner of the Cannes Film Festival (Best Screenplay) is the tale of a great rivalry between a father and son, two eccentric professors, who have both dedicated their lives to work in Talmudic Studies. Each has a need for recognition in his chosen field and the day comes when father and son must look deeply inside themselves for the truth- advancement of his own career or of the others. Hidden in Silence - Przemysl, Poland, WWII. Germany emerges victorious over the Russians and the city comes under Nazi control. The Jews are sent to the ghettos. While some stand silent, Catholic teenager, Stefania Podgorska, chose the role of a savior and sneaks 13 Jews into her attic. Noodle (compatible only on PAL – DVD players - Hebrew with English subtitles) This film was a beloved entry in the Jewish Federation of NEPA’s Jewish Film Festival. It tells the heartwarming story of an Israeli stewardess, Miri, whose personal life as a war widow leaves her without much joy. Everything changes for Miri when her Oriental housemaid disappears one day leaving her with her young Oriental child! The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - Based on the best- selling novel, this movie is unforgettable. Set during WWII, the movie introduces us to Bruno, an innocent eight-year-old, ignores his mother and sets of on an adventure in the woods. Soon he meets a young boy and a surprising friendship develops. The Concert - Andrei Filipov was prodigy- at 20 he was the celebrated conductior for Russia’s renowned Bolshoi Orchestra. Thirty years later, still at the Bolshoi, he works as a janitor. Ousted during the communist era when he refused to fire the Jewish members of the orchestra, a broken Andrei now cleans the auditorium where he once performed in front of thousands. The Debt - In 1966, three Mossad agents were assigned to track down a feared Nazi war criminal hiding in East Berlin, a mission accomplished at great risk and personal cost- or was it? The Other Son - As he is preparing to join the Israeli army for his national service, Joseph discovers he is not his parents’ biological son and that he was inadvertently switched at birth with Yacine, the son of a Palestinian family from the West Bank. This revelation turns the lives of these two families upside-down, forcing them to reassess their respective identities, their values and beliefs.
The HUC-JIR Museum in New York City is holding the exhibit “Who’s Huldah? Biblical Women Who Shaped our Tradition” through June 30. It features art by 21 modern and contemporary artists and three 18th-century masters that portray the stories of women found in the biblical text. The artists seek ways to explore the differences between history and legend. For more information, visit http://huc.edu/research/ museums/huc-jir-museum-new-york or contact the museum at museumnyc@huc.edu or 212-824-2218.
Jews in the Civil War
The Beth Ahabah Museum and Archives in Richmond, VA, will hold the exhibit “That You’ll Remember Me: Jewish Voices of the Civil War” through May. It focuses on the Richmond Jewish experience during the Civil War, featuring information on the varying backgrounds of Jews in the city from slave owners to those who were anti-slavery. The exhibit includes diaries, memoirs, photographs, letters and notes from the Jewish community at that time. For more information, visit https://bethahabah.org/ bama/# or call 804-353-2668.
KulturfestNYC
The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene in collaboration with UJA-Federation of New York will present the KulturfestNYC from June 14-21. There will be more than 100 events at a variety of locations in New York City. Included will be theater performances, outdoor concerts, films, dance, a symposium, nightly Klezkabarets, exhibits, lectures, workshops and children’s programs. Participating artists, actors, musicians and scholars will come from more than 30 countries. Among the programing will be: Dramas, musicals and comedies from the classic plays in the Yiddish theatre canon to contemporary explorations in the avant-garde. Films in Yiddish, English and other languages (with subtitles), including new feature films, recently restored classics, filmed plays and contemporary documentaries exploring Yiddish theater, language and culture. Lectures by scholars of Yiddish theater, history and Yiddish language who will discuss the influence of Yiddish Theater on American and International theater, film and culture. Festival-related exhibits and programs, which will held at local cultural, historical, civic, social and religious organizations. For more information, visit http://kulturfestnyc.org/ or call 212-213-2120, ext. 204.
Historic synagogue models exhibit
Yeshiva University Museum in Manhattan will hold the exhibit “Modeling the Synagogue – from Dura to Touro” through July 5. The 10 synagogue models in the exhibit are of buildings from across the Jewish world, from Dura-Europos in third-century Syria and Beit Alpha in sixth-century Galilee to Touro in 18th-century Newport and Tempio Israelitico in 19th-century Florence. The models measure approximately five feet by five feet in surface area and as much as four feet in height. The exhibit also includes artifacts, original manuscripts, photographs and maps of, and from, the communities and synagogues represented by the models. The exhibit also features an interactive display of Sephardi synagogues, including photographs by Joshua Shamsi and researchers from Diarna: the Geo-Museum of North African and Middle Eastern Jewish Life, as well as digital reconstructions by Erin Okabe-Jawdat. The digital tour allows visitors to experience the Algerian synagogues that are today mosques, an aged synagogue on the edge of the Sahara, the Art Deco synagogue in downtown Tripoli and the subterranean synagogue on the site of the traditional shrine to Esther and Mordechai in Hamadan, Iran. For more information, visit http://yumuseum.org or contact the museum at 212-294-8330.
MAY 7, 2015 ■
THE REPORTER
15
NEWS IN bRIEF From JTA
Suitcase containing WWII letters found in Hague restaurant
A suitcase containing letters written by a Jewish man who fled the Nazis was discovered during renovations of a restaurant in The Hague. Israel Bachrach had fled the Netherlands city for Switzerland in September 1942 using false papers and the help of smugglers, the NL Times reported. After the war, he returned to The Hague and opened a book shop in the building that later became the restaurant. He left behind the suitcase when he moved from the city, according to the report. The suitcase contained letters that Bachrach wrote to his mother and girlfriend, as well as letters in return.
National security adviser: U.S. expects next Israeli gov’t to recommit to two states
The Obama administration expects a commitment to the two-state solution from the next Israeli government and from the Palestinian Authority, National Security Adviser Susan Rice said. “President Obama has made clear that we need to take a hard look at our approach to the conflict, and that resolving it is in the national security interest of the United States,” Rice said on April 29 at the annual meeting of the Arab American Institute. “We look to the next Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority to demonstrate – through policies and actions – a genuine commitment to a two-state solution,” she said. Obama administration officials said they would “re-evaluate” their approach to advancing peace in the wake of comments by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the eve of his re-election in March in which he appeared to count out a two-state solution. The re-evaluation included reconsidering the degree to which the United States shields Israel from critical resolutions in international forums such as the United Nations. Netanyahu said he had been misunderstood and had meant only that he counted out the two-state solution for the moment, contingent upon, among other things, a more accommodating Palestinian Authority. Rice’s speech appeared to be a signal that the Obama administration is now in a wait-and-see mode and is willing to give Netanyahu time to form a new government to see whether he has recommitted to the two-state solution. Rice, to applause, also decried Israel’s settlement policies. “Like every U.S. administration since 1967, we have opposed Israeli settlement activity and efforts to change facts on the ground,” she said. “It only makes it harder to negotiate peace in good faith.”
As it grapples with fiscal crisis, Yeshiva U. elects new board chairman
Yeshiva University’s Board of Trustees elected Moshael Straus as its chairman. Straus, the CEO of Ascend Capital Group International, will succeed Henry Kressel, whose six years at the helm of the university’s board coincided with a period of financial crisis at the school. Straus has been on the board since 1998 and currently serves as vice chairman. Considered the flagship institution of modern Orthodoxy in America, Y.U. has run an operating deficit for seven straight years. Last year, it lost $84 million, despite the sale of some $72.5 million of real estate and staff cutbacks, according to audited financial statements cited in the Forward. That was an even larger deficit than its 2013 loss of $64 million. Earlier this year, Y.U. announced that it was spinning off its medical school, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, which is estimated to have been responsible for two-thirds of Y.U.’s annual operating deficits, according to the Forward. Einstein will be taken over by the Bronx-based Montefiore Health Systems. In March, Yeshiva College’s faculty passed a no-confidence motion against the university’s president, Richard Joel, that was supported by 80 percent of the two-thirds of faculty members who voted. Professor Gillian Steinberg, a member of the Yeshiva College executive committee, told the New York Jewish Week that the vote was meant to “signal donors in a meaningful way” and “indicate that the board of trustees is moving in the wrong direction.” Kressel called the faculty vote “an unfortunate development.” Straus will begin his term on July 1. He is an alumnus of Yeshiva’s high school and college and has a law degree from Fordham University. “Moshael’s judgment and counsel on a variety of major issues over these past few years have proved invaluable to the board and to me personally,” Kressel said in a Y.U. statement. “I look forward to working with him as he helps lead Yeshiva University forward with excellence.” He is also a board member of Y.U.’s rabbinical school, the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, and chairman of the board of overseers of Y.U.’s Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration. The Straus family has funded numerous initiatives at Y.U., including the establishment in 2010 of the Zahava and Moshael Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought, which is led by Rabbi Meir Soloveichik. “I am extremely honored to succeed Dr. Henry Kressel, who has led the Board with extraordinary vision, responsibility and dedication,” Straus said in Y.U.’s statement.
Fired Al Jazeera America employee sues network alleging antisemitism
A fired Al Jazeera America employee is suing the network alleging a hostile work environment that included “discriminatory, antisemitic and anti-American remarks.” According to the lawsuit filed on April 28 in New York State Supreme Court, Matthew Luke was fired in February 10 days after he complained about the behavior of his supervisor, Osman Mahmud, to human resources. Luke worked as Al Jazeera America’s supervisor of media and archive management beginning in May 2013, before the news channel had formally launched. It has been on the air for 20 months. Luke’s attorneys are seeking $5 million in compensatory damages and $10 million in punitive damages for the company’s alleged retaliation against Luke for complaining about Mahmud. The lawsuit accuses Mahmud, who oversaw Broadcast Operations and Technology at the network, of making remarks deemed antisemitic such as “whoever supports Israel should die a fiery death in hell,” and expressing a desire to replace an Israeli cameraman with a Palestinian one, as well as excluding women from e-mails and meetings, the TVNewser website reported. Mahmud, the suit says, also replaced female employees with male ones and filled positions with men of Middle Eastern descent. Mahmud, who began as a news editor at the network, rose to his supervisory position because he was well-connected with Al Jazeera America’s backers, the suit claims. Al Jazeera in response to the suit said it does not comment on pending litigation.
Hillary Swank to play Holocaust historian Deborah Lipstadt in film
Academy Award-winning actress Hilary Swank will star as Holocaust historian Deborah Lipstadt in a film adaptation of her book about her legal battle with a Holocaust denier. The movie will be a courtroom drama based on “History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier,” which was published in 2005. Tom Wilkinson, a two-time Oscar nominee, will portray David Irving, a British revisionist historian who sued Lipstadt for libel after she called him a Holocaust denier in her 1993 book “Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth & Memory.” Lipstadt won the case in 2000. British playwright David Hare adapted the book for the film.
Russian bookstores remove “Maus” over swastika on cover
Russian bookstores began removing the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Maus” from their shelves due to the large swastika on its cover. Concerns about raids by the authorities to remove the symbol ahead of May 9, when Russia will observe 70 years since the victory over the Nazis, reportedly led to the move on the graphic novel by Art Spiegelman. Russia enacted a law banning Nazi propaganda in December. Toy stores and antique shops have been raided for Nazi symbols. The Respublika bookstore chain confirmed to The New York Times on April 27 that it had removed the book because it was concerned about the raids. Inspectors seeking “book covers with Nazi symbols, in particular drawings of the swastika, led the company to consult with lawyers about the legitimacy of selling this book in our chain,” Anastasia Maksimenko, a representative for Respublika, told the Times in an e-mail. A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, while confirming that Nazi and fascist symbols were unacceptable, said that “everything needs to be in moderation.” “Maus,” which won the Pulitzer in 1992, was first published in Russia in 2013, according to the French news agency AFP. About 10,000 copies have been sold in Russia, the publisher told AFP.
Professors’ association: U. of Illinois violated prof’s rights in withdrawing offer
The University of Illinois violated the principles of academic freedom and tenure in rescinding the appointment of Steven Salaita over antisemitic tweets, a professors’ association found. The American Association of University Professors released a report the week of April 30 with its findings. It will vote in May on whether to censure the university at its annual meeting, the Daily Illini student newspaper reported. The university’s trustees voted in September to reject the faculty recommendation that Salaita be appointed to a tenured position with the American Indian studies program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The vote followed the recommendation of the university’s president and chancellor, who had announced previously that they would not submit Salaita’s appointment to the board before changing course and asking for a vote to reject. According to a report by the Chicago Tribune, the board’s action in rejecting a faculty appointment was rare and possibly unprecedented. The university had announced over the summer that Salaita would be joining the faculty. Chancellor Phyllis Wise revoked the appointment after being made aware of tweets by Salaita attacking Israel and its U.S. supporters in harsh language. The tweets, which appeared on Salaita’s personal Twitter account, were posted during Israel’s operation in Gaza last summer. Salaita has filed a lawsuit against the university, the Board of Trustees and several administrators claiming that they violated his constitutional rights, including to free speech and due process. He also is suing for breach of contract and for intentional emotional distress. Salaita is seeking compensation and for the job tenured professor in the American Indian studies department.
ÊCheck out the Federation’s new, updated website at www.jewishnepa.org or find it on Facebook
16
THE REPORTER ■ MAY 7, 2015
You are cordially invited to the
ANNUAL MEETING of the Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania
Please join us as we elect Officers and Trustees, celebrate the achievements of the past year and honor several individuals for their leadership contributions to our community and to Israel
Thursday, June 11th, 2015, 7:00 PM Koppleman Auditorium, Scranton Jewish Community Center, 601 Jefferson Ave., Scranton Dessert reception will follow the meeting. Dietary laws observed - RSVP to 961-2300 (ext. 4)
Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania
2015 Annual Meeting Program Welcome & introductions...................................... Douglas Fink, Federation Vice-President Invocation............................................................. Rabbi Daniel Swartz, Temple Hesed Federation Perspectives......................................... Douglas Fink, Federation Vice-President Presentation of Presidential Award......................... Mark Silverberg, Executive Director Presentation of Campaign Awards......................... Douglas Fink, Federation Vice-President 2015 UJA Campaign Report.................................. Mark and Joan Davis Nominating Committee Report............................. Seth Gross, Chairman Installation of Officers and Trustees....................... Rabbi Daniel Swartz, Temple Hesed Closing Remarks - Dr. David Malinov
Dessert Reception & Film Will Follow the Meeting: “Israel Inside: How a Little Nation Makes Such a Big Difference”
Proposed Slate of Officers & Trustees 2015 - 2018 Officers*
President...............................................................David Malinov* Administrative Vice-President...............................Douglas Fink* Vice-President.......................................................Elliot Schoenberg* Vice-President.......................................................Eric Weinberg* Treasurer...............................................................Barry Tremper* Assistant Treasurer................................................Jerry Weinberger* Secretary...............................................................Mark Silverberg Assistant Secretary................................................Donald Douglass*
Board of Trustees
Elected to serve a 1-year term ending June 30th, 2016* Alex Gans, Karen Pollack, Filmore Rosenstein, Stan Rothman, Jay Schectman and Irwin Wolfson *Trustees to be elected at the Annual Meeting
3-year term expiring in June 2016
*Officers to be elected at the Annual Meeting
Elected to serve a 3-year term ending June 30th, 2018* Esther Adelman, Susie Blum Connors, Mark Davis, Eli Deutsch, Lynn Fragin, Dale Miller, Larry Milliken, Gail Neldon and Molly Rutta.
*Trustees to be elected at the Annual Meeting
• Continuing Terms •
Jim Ellenbogen, Joseph Fisch, Leah Laury, Phyllis Malinov, Mel Mogel, Geordee Pollock, Alma Shaffer, Suzanne Tremper and Eric Weinberg
3-year term expiring in June 2017 Sandra Alfonsi, Phyllis Barax, Shlomo Fink, Susan Jacobson, Dan Marcus, Ann Monsky, Barbara Nivert, Eugene Schneider and Ben Schnessel
The Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania expresses its gratitude to those Trustees whose terms of office will expire in June 2015. It is hoped that each of them will continue to serve the Mission of our Federation by participating in its many important committees, programs and projects. Our appreciation is extended to Herb Appel, Phyllis Brandes, Lainey Denis, Richard Fine, Natalie Gelb, Laurel Glassman, Ed Monsky, Laney Ufberg and Jay Weiss