NOVEMBER 14, 2013/11 KISLEV 5774 ■
JEWISH OBSERVER
Oaks mitzvah project
L-r: Jan Edwards, Owen Shapiro, Oaks resident Muriel Shapiro and (in the background) The Oaks’ marketing director, Beth Beach, supported The Oaks’ October mitzvah project. Oaks residents (l-r) Helen Sheppard, Sylvia Gilman and others participated in the Oaks at Menorah Park’s October mitzvah project, which made chocolate chip cookies for Sarah House, a provider of lodging for patients and families of patients seeking medical care outside of their own community. It is the only residence of its kind in the Syracuse area. Other Oaks residents involved with the project included Hadassah Fendius, Judy Cramer, Ethyl Fullenbaum, Jane Rodefeld, Marilyn Nord and Roz Gingold.
CBS-CS
Continued from page 4 bag lunches for the Samaritan Center again, but there will be a couple of differences this year. The bags will be made of durable cloth, and will include more snacks, adhesive bandages and sunglasses, along with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and fruit. Both congregations are working with their religious schools to bring all of the supplies to make the bag lunches. Donations toward the project, either in the form of specific items or gift cards to local grocery stores, will be appreciated. To make a donation or for more information, contact Julie Tornberg, director of youth and education, at director@cbscs.org or 701-2685.
L-r: Beth and Irwin Goldberg, with Tom Reitano on the piano, helped out at the Oaks.
Museum on Belgian shipping line stirs debate on Holocaust history By Cnaan Liphshiz ANTWERP, Belgium (JTA) – With the confidence befitting a septuagenarian grandmother, Ellen BledsoeRodriguez briskly leads her family past the beer stalls and DJs that dot the Flemish capital’s historic port on sunny autumn days. Bledsoe-Rodriguez is uninterested in such diversions. She and nine of her relatives had traveled 5,600 miles from California for the recent opening of a museum devoted to the Red Star Line, the maritime travel company that nearly a century ago transported her mother and two million others from war-torn Europe to Ellis Island. “I knew this would be an emotional experience, but I underestimated how emotional it would be,” Bledsoe-Rodriguez told JTA while retracing her mother’s footsteps into the red-brick terminal she had passed through in 1921 as a third-class passenger from Russia, fleeing the pogroms and persecution that preceded the near annihilation of European Jewry.
At right: Ellen Bledsoe-Rodriguez near a marker on September 29 honoring her mother, Basia Cohen, one of the many Jews who fled Europe on a Red Star Line vessel. (Photo by Cnaan Liphshiz)
See “Museum” on page 12
Holiday toy shopping tips (NAPSI) – Getting that perfect holiday toy can be easier said you’ll give yourself more time to enjoy the holiday, focus on than done. By dedicating some time in advance, you can buy selecting just the right items and not miss some of the popular toys that are meaningful, but also provide added play experiences toys sure to fly off shelves. To understand more about a toy’s for months to come. Jim Silver, toy expert and editor-in-chief of function and appropriateness, visit its manufacturer’s website. TimetoPlayMag.com, says that having a variety of toys helps children use different play skills and styles. To make your holiday toy shopping easier, here are a few tips to consider: 1. Think long-term: Some toys are all about the “wow and now” and are likely to be tossed aside once the novelty wears off. To extend the play span of toys, look for items that have play extensions beyond the box. This can include accessories that add on to the main toy, online content that adds to the storytelling, or multipurpose toys that add value. 2. Set your budget: Decide whether you want to buy one big, impressive gift or several moderately priced gifts. If you have children of similar ages, consider if a single, costly gift can be shared. Shared playtime makes for great childhood memories while encouraging cooperation. With millions of households owning iPads, toys that are integrated with iPad apps can be an affordable way to encourage family play and leverage the household’s existing tablet. 3. Balance is key: It’s important when selecting a toy to take into consideration the age of the child for whom you are purchasing it. Add variety by giving some BRACELETS high-tech toys complemented by • Facials • Massage basic toys, such as dolls and cars. • Permanent Make-up The ability for kids to role-play • Manicures/Pedicures • Gift Certificates • And more! and create their own stories with toys and play sets should not be underestimated. Allowing kids to generate their own stories helps foster creativity and imagination. 4. Start early: If you can make 7237 Highbridge Rd., Fayetteville, NY 13066 your shopping list early and buy 315-637-4741 a few key gifts ahead of the rush,
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Hanukkah just got a little easier!
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