the bserver inside: Jewish
B’nai Tzedeks learn about philanthropy, establish connections with Israel By Kathy Carlson
Levitt, terrorism expert to speak at Sherith Israel 3 Volunteer group going strong after 30 years
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Temple festival features artists
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‘Windows of Identity’ features local artists
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Sections Lifecycles Around the town
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Yom HaZikaron set for April 25 at Congregation Micah
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ews in Nashville will join Jews all over the world on Wed., April 25/4 Iyar, in observing Yom HaZikaron, the commemoration of those in the Israeli military who have died in Israel’s wars. The community-wide event will be hosted by Congregation Micah at 5:30 p.m. For information, call 377-9799. c
www.jewishobservernashville.org
A Publication of
www.jewishnashville.org VOL.77 NO. 7 April 6, 2012 14 Nissan 5772
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hey may not know it yet, but soldiers at one army base in Israel have new friends in Nashville. They’ll be receiving a big poster with bright-colored handprints and greetings from Nashville teens who participate in the Jewish Foundation of Nashville’s B’nai Tzedek program, which teaches teens to embrace philanthropy. At a March 25 event for B’nai Tzedek participants, teens created the poster and learned how the lives of their Israeli counterparts take a serious turn at age 16. Inbar Shaked, Nashville’s community shlicha, has served in the Israel Defense Forces and helped organize this year’s B’nai Tzedek event. After an Israeli-style falafel lunch, the teens compared similarities and differences between Israeli and American teens, then competed in games centered around Israeli snacks – chocolate and Bamba peanut-flavor corn puffs (described as Cheez Doodles without the cheese). Then the teens learned that at age 16, Israeli teens receive a letter from the Army that signals that in two years, they’ll be serving in the military. The Nashville students received a
Bnai Tzedeks present the banner with their handprints and notes for IDF soldiers. Clockwise from back left: Isaac Eskind, Ben Barton, Community Shlicha Inbar Shaked, Hannah Levy, Vivian Herzog, Michelle Biesman, Tali Sedek, Sam Perlen, Jamie Kirshner, Noah Geltzer, Jacob Geltzer, Boaz Kelner,Alec Eskind, Matthew Jacobs Photos: Risa Klein Herzog
replica of the letter, instructing them to show up at an army base for tests on a specific date. There was a number to call if an unforeseen emergency arose, and a warning that unexcused absences could lead to jail time. As part of their army “initiation,” the participants made army dog tags with their English and Hebrew names,
then had their faces painted with camouflage Some were hesitant at first to be painted. “You all have to do it, no questions,” Shaked told them. “I’m your commander now.” Eventually, faces were painted and the teens posed for a photo in front of the poster, which Shaked will Continued on page 2
Yom HaShoah to feature production in honor of a Righteous Gentile
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his year’s CommunityWide Yom HaShoah Commemoration will feature a special production of “Life in a Jar,” by the Irena Sendler Project. The program will begin at 10 a.m. at The Temple on Sun., April 15. Irena Sendler, a Catholic social worker in Poland, rescued Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto. She then placed them in the homes of Polish familes or hid them in convents and orphanages. In the process, she made lists of the children’s real names, put the lists in jars, then buried the jars in a garden so that some day she could dig them up and find the children to tell them of their read identities. The Nazis captured Sendler severely beat her, but the Polish underground bribed a guard to release her and she went into hiding. From 1939 to 1942, Sendler
made false documents for people in the Warsaw area. Ten other people helped her save children from the ghetto and others helped outside the ghetto. In all, Sendler is credited with saving more than 2,500 Jews during the Holocaust. “Life in a Jar” is performed by four former Kansas schoolgirls who, years ago, researched Sendler’s life. The play is in honor of Sendler, who was named a “Righteous Gentile” by Yad Vashem in Israel. The commemoration will include the lighting of memorial candles by Nashville’s Holocaust survivors and their families as well as prayers and the Yom HaShoah Kaddish. Students from the community’s congregational religious schools will attend the commemoration instead of classes that day. For more information, contact Judy Saks, Jewish Federation community relations director, at 354-1637 or judy@jewishnashville.org.
The Yom HaShoah commemoration is sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Nashville, The Gordon Jewish Community Center, Congregation Beit Tefilah Chabad, Congregation Micah, Congregation Sherith Israel, The Temple and West End Synagogue. c