HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY The Voice of the Lehigh Valley Jewish Community
DECEMBER 2014 | KISLEV/TEVET 5775
Community comes together to support families in need
KI to host brunch, talk of the downtown By Michele Salomon Congregation Keneseth Israel
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 3,000 gather at national Federation event. See 16-17.
Eti Levi, Seli Allen, Israel ZIghelboim, Judy Diamondstein and Rebecca Axelrod-Cooper help prepare Thanksgiving food packages for 30 Jewish families in need in the Lehigh Valley. The event at the Jewish Day School, run in conjunction with Jewish Family Service, was a culmination of a month-long community-wide food drive spearheaded by the Jewish Federation’s Young Adult Division. See Page 25 for more. ANNUAL KOSHERFEST in New Jersey highlights unity. See page 27.
Jerusalem mayor responds to attack By Jennifer Lader Editor, HAKOL
HAPPY CHANUKAH Light up Chanukah with our special section.
No. 371 com.UNITY with Mark Goldstein 2 Women’s Division
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LVJF Tributes
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Jewish Family Service
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Jewish Day School
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Jewish Community Center 20-21 Community Calendar
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Though it was just one day after the massacre of four men at prayer in a Jerusalem synagogue, the city's mayor, Nir Barkat, insisted that there were other, much more positive developments happening as well. Having gone to the ultraOrthodox synagogue in Jerusalem shortly after the Nov. 18 invasion by two armed Palestinian men, Barkat said on a conference call with American Jewish agencies the following day, "I could not overcome my sobs.” American Jewish leaders and political leaders immediately responded with condolences and the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is urging its constituents to write letters to the families of those killed and pray for the injured (visit www. jewishlehighvalley.org/crc/ take-action to learn more.) The attackers entered the synagogue at 7 a.m. on Nov. 18 armed with guns, knives and Non-Profit Organization
702 North 22nd Street Allentown, PA 18104
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Nir Barkat
axes, and took the lives of three rabbis and another man at prayer. A Druze police officer later died of wounds sustained in rescuing a woman from the scene. Barkat said he viewed the attacks as "part of a process of incitement and lies about Jews and about Israel and about the current state of affairs in Jerusalem" aimed at pushing Jews out of the area, something that he said has been going on since the summer and particularly involves young people from Arab East Jerusalem creating havoc and attempting to destabilize what he characterized as an otherwise increasingly positive situation in Jerusalem. Barkat pointed to increases in real numbers of “Zionists” in Jerusalem, which he said is a reversal of the "negative migration" that occurred from 2001 to 2008; a growing number of startups; and economic growth. "I feel that something good is happening here in our city ... and some people feel extremely threatened by the direction of
our city," he said. It has long been Barkat's goal to increase tourism in Jerusalem and he cited a 100 percent increase in recent years. He described increased security measures to ensure the safety of visitors. There has been some violence in the city, he said, adding that it was beyond the west side and the places the government has been guarding. At the Temple Mount, he added, "we're working to protect Muslims, Christians and Jews and not allowing extremists to dictate." Asked about working with moderates in East Jerusalem and protecting against reprisals for the synagogue massacre, Barkat responded, "The majority of Arabs in East Jerusalem are unhappy with the situation and deeply concerned about the safety of their children." In addition to meeting with moderate leadership, Barkat spoke of having met with PTAs concerning school attendance. "We want to try and get the kids back into school," he said, “and away from extremists."
“...So we’re living here in Allentown …,” as Billy Joel famously sang and went on to portray as a city past its prime. But thanks to a major redevelopment, Allentown was recently named one of Fortune Magazine’s “5 Cities With Upand-Coming Downtowns.” There is new office and retail space, restaurants, luxury apartments and an event arena to host our very own hockey team, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, so it might be time for Billy Joel to write us a new song that matches our new image. Congregation Keneseth Israel’s Adult Education Committee invites the community to join us at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 1, for brunch and a presentation given by three distinguished leaders who played key roles in bringing this redevelopment to life. Learn how it came about, why it was important to do, what it means for you, for Allentown and the Greater Lehigh Valley. Through innovative financing, legislation and dedication by numerous elected officials and community leaders, Allentown is on the upswing and its downtown is, once again, a destination with something for everyone: The Eagles have been here. Disney on Ice, Neil Diamond and Nickelback are on their way. There are new restaurants, new life and all new reasons to go downtown. And established standbys like the Allentown Art Museum and Allentown Symphony Hall are part of this redevelopment and renewal. The morning’s speakers will include Seymour Traub, chairman of the Neighborhood Improvement Zone Development Authority; J. B. Reilly, the real estate developer with a big vision who is the president and founder of the City Center Investment Corporation; and three-term Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski. They are uniquely qualified to discuss how the redevelopment came about and what we can expect in the future The Feb. 1 brunch, hosted by the KI Brotherhood, will begin at 9:30 a.m. with the presentation to begin at 10:15. Please RSVP to the KI temple office at 610-435-9074 by Monday, Jan. 26. The cost is $5 per person with RSVP or $7.50 at the door.
com.UNITY
FROM THE DESK OF MARK L. GOLDSTEIN
Executive Director | Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley markg@jflv.org
I love it when a plan comes together In the early-to mid-1980s I admit that I was a regular viewer of “The A-Team.” Much like the unfolding drama of “Mission Impossible” but with a slightly comedic overtone, I enjoyed watching the protagonists outline and implement a plan to accomplish a specific goal. At the end of each “The A-Team” episode, Colonel John “Hannibal” Smith, the leader of the renegade commando squad and played by George Peppard, would always exclaim, “I love it when a plan comes together.” So do I. It has been some time since I discussed the Jewish Federation’s Strategic Plan approved two years ago. Too many times, these plans are heralded at completion only to languish on shelves or get lost in file cabinets. Our Strategic Plan co-chairs, Barry Halper and Mark Scoblionko, committed otherwise. At the adoption of the Strategic Plan, Barry Halper became the new Jewish Federation board president. He and an implementation team began charting a plan to address certain key priorities in the Strategic Plan. I say “key” priorities because, as noble as every goal is contained in the Strategic Plan, we simply don’t have sufficient human and financial resources to implement every stated goal. Nevertheless,
the Strategic Plan provided a roadmap to moving forward. Certain of the goals were agency-specific. And we are seeing much progress, for instance, at our Jewish Community Center in the area of adult programming, and at our Jewish Day School in its efforts to create a school community driven by excellence and valuesbased education. Other areas of the Strategic Plan transcended particular agency program boundaries and required a collaborative implementation strategy. For this I refer to our efforts to enhance services to our Jewish senior adult population. The Jewish Federation appointed a Senior Services Task Force ably chaired by Nan Ronis and Patty Glascom and staffed by a senior services planning consultant, Carah Tenzer, MSW. In implementing the broad goals of expanding services to a growing (in number and diversity) Jewish senior adult population, the Task Force recognized that collaboration among service delivery partners – primarily Jewish Family Service, the Jewish Community Center and area synagogues – would be the sine qua non to enhancing our service delivery with limited resources. Input was sought from not only Jewish communal agencies but also from general community agencies which
serve the elderly. Recreating the wheel was as objectionable as promoting unnecessary program duplication. And it all began to sink in this week as I was briefed by the Federation, JCC and JFS professionals working to serve this need. The plan is really coming together … and I love it! Over the past year or so the Jewish Federation, through the generosity of our Annual Campaign donors and the accountability offered by our Allocations Committee, has invested over $75,000 in program enhancement. And the results are evident. Our Jewish Family Service had drastically changed a small senior transportation service into the comprehensive and growing “The GO Program” that leverages the transportation acumen of another non-profit agency to grow service to the Jewish community. With the engagement of a senior facilities outreach coordinator, services are being expanded to senior care facilities to make them more sensitive to their Jewish clientele and to better provide the programming needed and desired by the Jewish residents. And this past month, the Jewish Community Center hired a senior services program coordinator. Soon we will see the JCC’s new PrimeTime at the
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Readers, Have you ever had a moment when you were hard at work and suddenly raised your eyes to look out the window? You may have seen fall color, a winter landscape, wispy clouds drifting overhead, and realized yet again there is something more than what is just in front of you. This month, HAKOL brings you stories of our connections to the world beyond the Lehigh Valley. That may be the larger
community of Am Yisrael, as I had the privilege of glimpsing at this year’s General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America. It may be locals who have had their time in the world news as we find in the Chanukah Special Section, or in the national news, as brought home to us by Rep. Ted Deutch’s recent visit. We are all part of one big story and this month’s edition, coming though it does on the heels of tragic news from Jerusalem, helps us shine a light on what is
J program take off both at the JCC and at other locations across the Lehigh Valley. Programs will be diverse from game days, to knitting for a mitzvah, to lunches with artists, to engaging and enjoyable movies, to stimulating lectures and discussions, to travel programs. Physical health will be enhanced in special fitness classes with Clarence Cook, a walking club, a comprehensive program to promote balance and reduce falls and even Pickle Ball. (Confession: Pickle Ball had to be explained to me; I was thinking gherkin and sour dills!) And the new PrimeTime program will offer plenty of lunches to supplement the programs. In developing the Strategic Plan, we began to dream about what we could accomplish. Months ago we developed branded strategies (Jewish Senior Life Connection and The GO Program). As the son
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY HAKOL is published 11 times per year for the Jewish communities of Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton and vicinity by the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley.
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good and right with the world.
of a builder, I knew you built a house brick by brick. But when you lay the first row of bricks, it does not look like a house. We had a plan. We have begun implementing, slowly, piece by piece. And just this week I could tell it was all coming into place. Funds provided by our donors are going to good use. Excellent program staff has been engaged. New and expanded programs are being implemented. Agencies are collaborating and cooperating. I love it when a plan comes together! And so will you.
Phone: (610) 821-5500 Fax: (610) 821-8946 E-mail: hakol@jflv.org
JFLV EXECUTIVE STAFF Mark L. Goldstein Executive Director
Judy Diamondstein
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EDITORIAL BOARD
Monica Friess, Acting Chair Barbara Reisner Judith Rodwin Sara Vigneri
Shalom, Jennifer Lader Member American Jewish Press Association
JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY We gratefully acknowledge those individuals who have offered expressions of friendship by requesting that trees be planted in the Yoav--Lehigh Valley Partnership Park. IN HONOR KIRA AND RICHARD BUB Birth of daughter, Ariana Leah Bub SHALOM BABY IRIS EPSTEIN Happy ‘Special’ Birthday Mark Goldstein and Shari Spark MARK GOLDSTEIN AND SHARI SPARK Marriage of their daughter, Carlyn Carah and Ryan Tenzer JERRY AND FLOSSIE ZALES In honor of their grandson’s Bar Mitzvah Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald
IN MEMORY DEBRA LUNICK (Mother of Marcy Staiman) The Lipson Family LISA MISHKIN (Mother of Alex and Philip Mishkin) Francie Eiskowitz Roberto and Eileen Fischmann STEPHEN RHODESIDE (Husband of Helen Rhodeside) Sandy and Jack Schonberger (Father of Debi Wiener) The Lipson Family Sandy and Jack Schonberger Carah and Ryan Tenzer
TO ORDER TREES, call the JFLV at 610-821-5500 or visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org.
CORRECTION 2 DECEMBER 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
The Thanksgiving Dinner recipes that appeared on page 28 of the November edition were contributed by Sandi Teplitz.
All advertising is subject to review and approval by The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley (JFLV). JFLV reserves the right to decline, withdraw and/ or edit any ad. The appearance of any advertising in HAKOL does not represent an endorsement or kashrut certification. Paid political advertisements that appear in HAKOL do not represent an endorsement of any candidate by the JFLV.
JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY MISSION STATEMENT In order to unite, sustain, and enhance the Lehigh Valley Jewish community, and support Jewish communities in Israel and around the world, the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is dedicated to the following core values:
• Supporting Jews in need wherever they may be. • Supporting Israel as a Jewish homeland. • Supporting and encouraging Jewish education in the Lehigh Valley as a means of strengthening Jewish life for individuals and families. • Supporting programs and services of organizations whose values and mission meet local Jewish needs. To accomplish this mission the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is committed to the following operating guidelines: • Raising and distributing funds to support the core values. • Developing Jewish leaders. • Building endowments to support implementation of core values. • Committing to ongoing Jewish community strategic planning. • Fostering cooperation among organizations and community building. • Evaluating all decisions with respect to fiscal responsibility. • Identifying unmet needs and investing in community initiatives to help get them started. • Coordinating and convening a community response as an issue or need arises. • Setting priorities for allocation and distribution of funds. • Acting as a central address for communication about events, programs and services of the Jewish community as a whole. Approved by the JFLV Board of Directors on November 15, 2000
Lehigh Valley native Congressman returns home By Jennifer Lader Editor, HAKOL Despite the large crowd gathered to hear U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch’s speech at the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley’s donor appreciation night on Nov. 16, his comments were of a personal nature. Deutch hails from Bethlehem and this was his first time speaking in the Lehigh Valley as a U.S. Congressman representing Florida’s 21st district. It was Deutch’s high school experience that introduced the theme of unity, to which he returned again and again during the evening. At Liberty High School, he said, “I was the proIsrael community. “At Brith Sholom, at home, at BBYO and Camp Ramah, I learned that we are responsible to look out for one another,” he said. Deutch carries this message with him wherever he goes. The ranking Democrat on the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, he was in Israel this summer at the time the bodies of the three slain Israeli boys were discovered. He attended the funeral along with thousands of others, and then made a shivah call to the family of one of the teens, Nephtali Frankel, z”l . While there, Deutch was asked to “talk to the Yeshiva boys.” And so in his “best Camp Ramah Hebrew,” he told the students that, “all during the captivity, during the time when the boys were missing, in every corner of the Jewish world, Jews all over the world were praying for the boys, holding vigils, that
the entire Jewish community and members of Congress stood with them.” Once engaged in the political process, it turns out that providing aid and comfort are only the beginning of what can be done. As a state representative in Florida before making his bid for Congress, Deutch said there was not a lot of time spent on U.S.-Israel relations. He took matters into his own hands, scheduling a conference call with thenformer Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. We “listened to [him] share his concerns about [what it] would be [to have] a nucleararmed Iran,” Deutch said. “Florida went on to divest $1 billion from Iran and become the model in this country for that divestment.” Before entering politics, Deutch was active with his local Federation. As a member of the National Young Leadership Cabinet, he even found himself bunking with several former Camp Ramah friends, including the Lehigh Valley’s Chuck Cohen. Alluding to the Federation model, Deutch said that today when he travels, he visits the Jewish community wherever he goes for what he called “mini-missions.” On one such trip to Kyrgyzstan, he visited a Chesed Center entirely funded by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, a Federation beneficiary. The woman who runs the program showed him “the young kids in their nursery school and then the older kids in their program on Israel. Then she showed us
Rep. Ted Deutch prepares for his first time speaking in the Lehigh Valley, where he was born and raised, since becoming a Florida Congressman.
Deutch’s sister Elaine Deutch, his mother Jean and brother-in-law Larry Lang were in the first row to hear Deutch’s speech.
the cards to supplement the very meager groceries for the older people. “When we left,” Deutch recalled, “our security guard turned to us and said, ‘I really want to thank you … I never experienced anything like this, that on the opposite side of the globe there are people whose lives are better because of funds from people on the other side of the world who do not ever even get to meet them.’” Deutch’s story becomes all the more poignant in light of the fact that, several generations back, his own family came from Eastern Europe, although those who stayed behind did not survive World War II. Today, Deutch is very active in ensuring the needs of Holocaust survivors are met and that the reparation commitments to them by the German government are maintained. So while he and his colleagues – including U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent who was in the audience and whom Deutch praised as “sensible in thought and rational in approach” – work to reinforce the “unbreakable” bond between the U.S. and Israel, Deutch said it is the vocal and active Jewish community working through the Federation and other organizations that complement efforts at home and abroad. With his mother, Jean, and his siblings Elaine and Stan in the audience, and all of his listeners rapt, Deutch closed by saying, “My family instilled in me the fervent belief that you can go anywhere in life, including the United States Congress, but you must never forget where you came from.”
U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent, Federation President Mark H. Scoblionko and U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch at the 60 Day Challenge Reception on Nov. 16.
U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, center, with his sister-in-law Vicky and brother Stan.
Congressman Charlie Dent joins more than 120 people gathered to hear Rep. Ted Deutch’s speech in the JCC of Allentown Auxillary Auditorium.
Ann Goldberg (center) catches up with friends.
Deutch’s mother, Jean, with long-time friend Tama Fogelman. HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | DECEMBER 2014 3
WOMEN’S DIVISION OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY
Scholars take on Jewish feminism By Shelley Drozd Special to HAKOL
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2014
Pomegranate & Lion of Judah
CHANUKAH BRUNCH 10:30 a.m., private residence
To RSVP or learn more, contact Judy Diamondstein at 610-821-5500 or judy@jflv.org This program is offered to all women who make a commitment of $1,800 or more to the 2015 Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs.
On Oct. 29, two eminent scholars spoke about the successes and continuing struggles of Jewish feminism in both religious and secular contexts. The event was part of Muhlenberg College’s series “Imagining Jews: From the Ancient Past to the American Present” and was co-sponsored by the Women’s Division of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. Laura Levitt, a professor of religion, Jewish studies and gender at Temple University, and Vanessa Ochs, a professor in the department of religious studies and the Jewish studies program at the University of Virginia, delivered passionate and provocative commentary steeped in the social movement known as the second wave of feminism. Contrasting it with the firstwave suffragists of the late 19th century, Levitt explained that second-wave feminism represents several movements around issues of gender equality and women’s liberation that began in the late 1960s and continue to the present. “Significant and powerful gains have reshaped the expectations of generations of contemporary American Jews, most notably those under the age of 50,” Levitt said. Fueling these gains, she argued, is the growing
role of Jewish women as lay and official leaders in the Orthodox movement, as well as 40 years of Jewish women’s ordination in the Reform, Reconstructionist, Conservative and various renewal movements. In addition, large sectors of the Jewish community in North America are embracing a new and growing cohort of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) rabbis, cantors, scholars and communal leaders. For all these gains, Levitt cautioned that many challenges continue to urgently demand attention. Violence against women, access to safe and affordable health care, inequities in pay and access to meaningful employment, the challenges of work/life balance and care for the physically and emotionally disabled remain huge and abiding issues for those who claim Jewish feminist positions. Like Levitt, Ochs agreed that Jewish feminist issues are gaining traction around the world, but not without danger or risk. Offering her comments from her perspective as “a Jewish feminist and activist, as a laywoman, and now, as a rabbi,” she credited much of the progress made to date to the great leaders of the secular feminist movement — women such as Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem, Letty Pogrebin and Phyllis Chesler — who also happened to be Jewish. That they were both Jews and
feminists was no coincidence. “Their critique of society, their understanding of oppression and their belief that change was possible came very much out of the Jewish cultures from which they emerged,” Ochs said. Jewish women who became scholars of Judaism also figure prominently in the march of feminist progress. “We spoke at Jewish studies conferences about ritual transformation concerning the lives of women, about new prayers that challenged the male language of prayer,” Ochs said. “We made real the reality going on around us in communities — of women adding in new liturgies and taking on new community roles. So there’s this sense of affirming and giving weight and credibility to what’s going on.” Scholarly advances notwithstanding, both Ochs and Levitt worry that the feminist zeitgeist of earlier generations is losing ground — that today’s students take for granted that the work began long ago is already done. It’s the best and worst of times, said Levitt. “A sign of the success of Jewish feminist scholarship is its abundance, its growth, its vastness. But the success also portends new problems — problems around how we keep in touch with each other, how we hold onto the lessons of earlier generations of scholars, even as we continue to ask new questions.”
A WOMEN’S JOURNEY TO ISRAEL FEBRUARY 1-5, 2015
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9
To learn more, visit www.jewishfederations.org/ heart-to-heart.aspx
12 to 1:30 p.m., JCC of Allentown Join the Women's Division of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley for a Lunch & Learn program with Michal Barkai, founder and director of the Alma Preparatory School for Female Leadership in Israel, which provides pre-army education for young girls from Israel’s socio-economic peripheries. Program is $12, including lunch. Men & women welcome. RSVP to 610-821-5500 or mailbox@jflv.org. Sponsored by the Women’s Division of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley
SPONSORED BY THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY’S WOMEN’S DIVISION
WELCOMING NEW BABIES
to the Lehigh Valley ARIANA LEAH
daughter of Kira and Richard Bub
If you’re expecting, know someone who is, or have a new baby, PLEASE LET US KNOW! Contact Abby Trachtman, 610-821-5500 | abbyt@jflv.org 4 DECEMBER 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
Handmade Afghans BY EVA LEVITT
All proceeds benefit projects in Israel:
Food Banks in Israel Neve Michael Youth Village
For prices or to place an order, call Eva 610-398-1376. All payments are made payable to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley
ADL REPORT:
Campus anti-Israel events have more than doubled this fall
MAIMONIDES SOCIETY CONNECTS WITH ISRAEL
Jewish Telegraphic Agency More than 75 anti-Israel events have been reported on U.S. college and university campuses this fall, more than twice as many as last year, according to a report by the Anti-Defamation League. The anti-Israel events have more than doubled in the wake of Israel’s 50-day operation in Gaza over the summer, according to an ADL report, “Anti-Israel Activity on Campus after Operation Protective Edge.” There were 35 anti-Israel events scheduled in 2013, marking a 114 percent increase in the number of those events scheduled to take place this year. “Not all criticism of Israel is anti-Israel in nature, and not all anti-Israel rhetoric and activity reflect anti-Semitism. However, anti-Israel sentiment increasingly crosses the line to anti-Semitism by invoking anti-Semitic myths of Jewish control and demonic depictions of Israelis or comparing Israel’s actions to those of the Nazis during the Holocaust,” according to the report. Such messages appear to be moving more to the forefront of many anti-Israel protests, the report said. Student groups hosted at least 374 anti-Israel events during the 2013-2014 academic year, with about 40 percent of them focused on how to initiate Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaigns on campus. There also were at least 57 events sponsored by university academic departments over the last two years that presented a one-sided view of the Israel-Palestinian conflict, according to the report. In addition, at least 30 anti-Israel demonstrations in the U.S. during Israel’s Operation Protective Edge this past summer were sponsored or co-sponsored by pro-Palestinian student groups. One anti-Israel event this semester that crossed the line into anti-Semitism was the distribution of fliers at the University of California, Santa Barbara depicting the Twin Towers and a Star of David and alleging that the 9/11 attacks was “an outside job” and “9/11 was Mossad.” BDS activity this semester was led by the Student Senate president at Ohio University, who dumped a bucket of “blood” over her head to represent the blood of Palestinians killed by Israel in a sendup of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.
Dr. Dov Engelstein, chief of urology from Western Galilee Hospital in Nahariya, Israel, spent two weeks in the Lehigh Valley as the most recent participant in the Maimonides Society Visiting Physician Exchange Program. During his visit, Dr. Engelstein interacted with and observed physicians from varied fields of practice, enjoyed many social interactions and was the featured guest speaker at a Maimonides Society brunch. Pictured from left to right are Dr. Jarrod Rosenthal, Robby Wax, Esq., Dr. Gary Oxfeld, Dr. Engelstein and Maimonides Society President Dr. Frank Tamarkin after a presentation by Engelstein that focused on both urology and medicine in Israel today, as well as the myths and facts relating to Israel and her perception on the world stage.
on campus Sunday, December 28, 2014 6:30 p.m. Private Residence
High school seniors and college students are invited to join us for pizza and a facilitated discussion on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement. Share experiences and concerns and have an honest discussion about what is happening on your campus. With Avi Weinryb of the Israel Action Network RSVP by Dec. 22 to Aaron Gorodzinsky, aaron@jflv.org.
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | DECEMBER 2014 5
A taste of what PrimeTime has to offer By Melissa Hakim JCC of Allentown PrimeTime at the J will offer its first program for seniors Dec. 12 at the Gallery at the JCC. Artist Susan Biebuyck will speak about her work, currently on display at the gallery, over a delicious kosher lunch from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The cost is $8 per person for the lunch and program. The gallery also features work by
several other artists, and participants will have plenty of time to holiday shop. PrimeTime will offer a wide variety of programs in the coming year geared toward those 65 and older. It is a division of Jewish Senior Life Connection, a collaboration between the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, Jewish Family Service of the Lehigh Valley and the JCC of Allentown to address the needs of a growing aging population. Look for more information in the January edition of HAKOL.
PRIMETIME AT THE J PRESENTS
Meet the Artist Luncheon FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2014
11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Gallery at the JCC of Allentown Meet artist Susan Biebuyck and hear about her work, which is currently on display at the gallery $8 per person for lunch and program To register, call the JCC at 610-821-5500 or visit the Welcome Desk.
‘The Goldbergs’ brings new image of Jews By Jennifer Lader Editor, HAKOL Once in a while, one person can have a sizable impact on an entire society. From 1929 until the mid-1950s, Gertrude Berg did just that. With her radio show and then on television, Berg launched a new image for the Jewish mother and brought Jewish family life into American homes. As part of the "Imagining Jews" series at Muhlenberg College, Professor Charles Richter presented "An Evening with the Goldbergs" on Nov. 18 at Congregation Keneseth Israel. Richter said that, before Berg, the Jewish woman was stereotypically seen either as exotic or as "a hag." Berg, with her "family" of a husband, an uncle and two "all American" children, came into American homes "yoo-hooing" with her neighbors, solving problems with down-to-earth common sense and loving her family. She wrote, directed and starred in the radio show, "The Goldbergs," which went on the air in 1929 and then broached the idea of a television series in the late 1940s. As a businesswoman, Berg was assertive and found a way around obstacles. When the male- and Jewish-owned networks turned her down, she went to the ad agencies, which were notoriously not Jewish, and gained their sponsorship. On screen, the American-born Berg adopted a Yiddish accent and single-handedly boosted the sales of Sanka and whatever other products she talked up from her apartment window. "The Goldbergs" was a huge success and became the No. 2 television show, second only to "Amos and Andy." Richter said Berg invented the situation comedy ("sit-com"), even though that distinction is often credited to Lucille Ball, who came
on the air in the 1950s while Berg's show was under fire because of the organizing activities of Philip Loeb, who played her husband, Jake Goldberg. Berg continued to pay his salary, but he could not appear on the show and they went off the air for a while. She eventually came back on and even found a replacement for Loeb, who unfortunately later committed suicide. Berg was willing to put everything into the game. She was working in a society in which the stereotypes of Jews males and females could be highly negative. Although not discussed that evening, Harold Lloyd's immensely popular silent film from the 1920s, "Safety Last," features an extremely scruffy Jewish jeweller ("Silverberg") rubbing his hands together, apparently in anticipation of a sale, as Lloyd's character selects a necklace. "The Goldbergs" brought a new and attractive image of Jews into American living rooms, although Richter pointed out that not everyone would necessarily have understood that the Goldbergs were Jewish, but "Jewish people knew." However, toward the end of the run of "The Goldbergs,'" Berg aired a very moving episode entirely centered around the family's attendance at Kol Nidre service and featuring an excellent choir as the men congregants. The irony: Jewish people didn't see the episode. They were at services. The Imagining Jews series is made possible by the Legacy Heritage Jewish Studies Project directed by the Association for Jewish Studies. The series is co-sponsored by Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding, Muhlenberg College, the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley and the Berman Center for Jewish Studies. The last program in the series will take place Dec. 4 (see community calendar).
Delightful Family Fun
Feb. 5-7 & 12-14 Upcoming Shows Dean Ween Group December 4 | 8:30 pm
The Red Elvises’ New Year’s Eve Spectacular
presented by Just Born Quality Confections and ArtsQuest
sponsored by Trifecta Technologies
Sarah Ayers & Friends
December 31 | 9 pm
Jonny Loquasto & Sean Green
Craig Thatcher Band’s Jimi Hendrix Tribute
December 19 | 7:30 pm
December 21 | 7:30 pm
SteelStacks Improv Comedy Festival Fundraiser Show:
Storytime Comedy Hour with ManDudeBro December 25 | 9 pm
Cupcake Bowl
December 27 | 12:30-2:30 pm
The Large Flowerheads December 27 | 8 pm
January 2 | 7:30 pm
Strawberry Fields: The Ultimate Beatles Tribute
• Lehigh Valley PEEPS® Scholastic Diorama Competition
• Fireworks and Giant PEEPS® Chick Drop Dec. 31
Ana Popovic
• Family musicians and children’s performers
• PEEPSFEST™ 5K and Kids Fun Run
Boogie Wonder Band
• PEEPS®-themed arts and crafts
• and more!
January 3 | 7:30 pm January 9 | 7:30 pm
January 16 | 7:30 pm
Musikfest Café™ at SteelStacks™ 101 Founders Way | Bethlehem, PA 18015
Tickets/Lineup: steelstacks.org | 610-332-3378
6 DECEMBER 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
December 30 | 10 am-4 pm December 31 | 10 am-6 pm SteelStacks™ | Bethlehem, PA
peepsfest.org
Jewish children spread light of Shabbat
MEET THE PRESIDENTS
Brith Sholom leader returns to familiar role By Monica Friess Special to HAKOL If the saying is true that the happiest person in the room is the immediate past president, then Kevin Hausman will be lucky to have enjoyed the feeling twice. Hausman was asked to reprise his role as president of Congregation Brith Sholom (a position he held eight years ago) for an interim one-year term to help ease the transition from Rabbi Allen Juda to Rabbi Michael Singer. Juda retired this year after 39 years as Brith Sholom’s rabbi, and the synagogue leadership felt that an experienced person familiar with the position and attuned to the needs of the members could go a long way toward easing both supporting a new rabbi and the congregation as it enters into a new era. He came to the role prepared to meet the challenge of helping Singer acclimate to his new role, yet Hausman says he now sees he need not have worried. “Rabbi Singer has hit the ground running,” Hausman said. Hausman is president of Metro Design Center in Allentown. He has been a member of Brith Sholom for 54 years; he is married to Mary Ellen and they have three children and two grandchildren. He praised Juda for the painstaking efforts he took since announcing his retirement to prepare the congregation for a new rabbi, and is very thankful to him for enabling this virtually seamless transition. Hausman said that during his last presidency, Juda – who had already been at Brith Sholom for 30 years – was a phenomenal resource. Now, he said, he approaches the role with more experience and answers, and he and Singer are working together beautifully. “I thought the transition would be a lot
By Rabbi Yehoshua Mizrachi Congregation Sons of Israel It is late Friday afternoon, and an unexpected knock is heard at Bubbie Sarah’s door. The door opens to reveal a group of children bearing flowers, singing “Shalom Aleichem,” and bearing Shabbat greetings. This is Kinder-Lights, a program run by Rabbi David Wilensky and Mrs. Eva Levitt of Congregation Sons of Israel. The idea, which is a brainchild of the rabbi, is to bring the love and light of Shabbat to elderly Allentonians who may find it difficult to get out. Each Friday, the children gather at the Jewish Day School and set off to visit the elderly, the sick, or anyone who could use the bubbly cheer of a group of children. The group then returns to Congregation Sons of Israel just in time for parents to pick up their kids in preparation for these early winter Shabbatot. The warmth and good cheer have wonderful results. As one elderly program participant said, “ … when I see these children, I see hope for our Jewish future.” There is no cost, and
more difficult,” Hausman said, “but it really has been quite easy. The congregation has been wonderful in stepping up.” And Hausman added he feels thrilled and inspired by Singer’s energy and by his enthusiasm for bringing new ideas to the table: “There are already so many new and exciting events planned.” In the works are a board retreat, charity fundraisers and plans for a trip to Israel, to name but a few. “People are coming back to the synagogue, and members are getting more involved.” Hausman added with mock dismay, “One Shabbos, we actually almost ran out of Kiddush food!” Hausman thought it would be a tough challenge to oversee all the changes, “but now,” he said, “I see the real goal will be for me to keep up with Rabbi Singer. It’s been a blast, though. We’re having fun.”
children and parents of all ages and from the entire spectrum of the Jewish community are invited to participate. To more information or to sign up, please contact Rabbi David Wilensky at 610-433-6089.
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | DECEMBER 2014 7
IRA Charitable Rollover not yet extended
By Jim Mueth Director of Planned Giving & Endowments Over the past seven years, many individuals over age 70 ½ have utilized the IRA charitable rollover to transfer up to $100,000 each year from their retirement accounts directly to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley and other charities. Unfortunately, the IRA Charitable Rollover expired at the end of last year and, as HAKOL goes to press, Congress has not yet acted to put the provision back into the law. There is a strong likelihood Congress will extend the law. However, because of the relationship of the IRA Charitable Rollover and the IRA required minimum distribution rules, if you are considering a rollover of retirement funds to charity,
it is advisable to contact the Federation and your advisors before taking any action. Federation endowment professionals remain available to work with your other professional advisors to maximize the benefits of these and other tax planning strategies for you and the Jewish community. For more information, contact Jim Mueth at 610-821-5500 or jim@ jflv.org. We also invite you to go to www.lvjfgiving.org for more information regarding gifts of retirement assets as well as other planned giving options. This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, tax or financial advice. When considering gift planning strategies, you should always consult with your own legal and tax advisors.
IN MEMORY MOTHER (of Rise Gelfman) Pam and Greg Silverberg ROLAND ALMONTI (Brother of Angelo Almonti) Adam and Penny Roth STEVE CABLE (Friend of Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald) Sybil and Barry Baiman SUSAN ELLIS (Mother of Susan Ellis Wild) Adam and Penny Roth DEBRA LUNICK (Mother of Marcy Staiman) Lisa and Ellis Block Ben Grossman Lynda and Stuart Krawitz LISA MISHKIN (Mother of Alex and Philip Mishkin) Ross and Wendy Born Stuart and Susan Shmookler Pam and Greg Silverberg ARLENE NAGEL (Wife of Roger Nagel) Shay Simon and Ali Brooks-Shimon STEPHEN RHODESIDE (Father of Debi Wiener) Sam and Sylvia Bub Judy and Marc Diamondstein Leonard and Arlene Samuelson HERBIE TELLES (Brother of Joel Telles) Adam and Penny Roth Selma Roth HARRIS WEINSTEIN (Husband of Debbie Weinstein) Sybil and Barry Baiman (Father of David Weinstein) Leonard Abrams Ross and Wendy Born Roberta and Jeff Epstein Stan and Vicki Wax (Brother of Edith Miller) Sybil and Barry Baiman Taffi Ney
Selma Roth Fred and Barbara Sussman (Brother of Sylvia Sussman) Sybil and Barry Baiman Adam and Penny Roth IN HONOR MICHAEL AND RITA BLOOM Michele and Eric’s engagement Stuart and Susan Shmookler HARRY AND EDNA BRILL Birth of grandson, Alexander Sam and Sylvia Bub IRIS EPSTEIN Happy ‘Special’ Birthday Lisa and Ellis Block EILEEN FISCHMANN Receiving the Lion of Judah KipnisWilson/Friedland Award Barry and Carol Halper MARK GOLDSTEIN AND SHARI SPARK Marriage of daughter, Carlyn, to Jason Joan and Izzy Brody The Friess Family Sandra and Harold Goldfarb Jewish Federation staff Mark and Deena Scoblionko Stan and Vicki Wax AARON GORODZINSKY Receiving the 2014 Norman Edell Award for a Young Jewish Communal Professional Barry and Carol Halper JOAN HARRISON Happy ‘Special’ Birthday Roberta and Jeff Epstein BUDDY AND LAURIE LESAVOY Marriage of daughter, Haley Leon and Elayne Dubin Roberta and Jeff Epstein JOAN LESAVOY AND SID GREENBERG Marriage of granddaughter, Haley Leon and Elayne Dubin BOB MALENOVSKY Happy ‘Big’ Birthday Selma Roth JACOB MARKOWITZ
His daughter Mimi’s marriage to Shmily Porges Ross Born TAFFI NEY In honor of her many years of dedicated service to the Federation Barry and Carol Halper SHARON AND MICHAEL OSTROW Marriage of son Dylan to Kelsey Selma Roth BRAD PYNER Bar Mitzvah of son Harrison Jeannie and Holmes Miller DIANE SILVERMAN In honor of Beth El Torah Aliyah Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald STAN AND MANYA STEIN Marriage of granddaughter Roberta and Jeff Epstein STAN AND VICKI WAX Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary Ross and Wendy Born HELEN & SOL KRAWITZ HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL FUND IN MEMORY HERBIE TELLES (Brother of Joel Telles) Joani Lesavoy and Sid Greenberg HARRIS WEINSTEIN (Husband of Debbie Weinstein) Joani Lesavoy and Sid Greenberg (Brother of Edith Miller) Joani Lesavoy and Sid Greenberg ISRAEL EMERGENCY CAMPAIGN IN MEMORY ERIC OUTWATER (Husband of Myra Outwater) YACHAD IN HONOR JEANETTE EICHENWALD In appreciation of all your hard work for Yachad Ann Ginsberg
We gratefully acknowledge those individuals who have offered expressions of friendship through recent gifts to the Lehigh Valley Jewish Foundation. The minimum contribution for an Endowment Card is $10. Call 610-821-5500 or visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org to place your card requests. Thank you for your continued support.
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Mid-term elections bring new faces, funds Jewish Telegraphic Agency Editor’s Note: Last month, HAKOL brought you coverage of mid-term elections in which Jewish candidates were running. Here, we bring you the results of that election.
Lee Zeldin wins in New York, restoring Jewish GOP presence in Congress State Sen. Lee Zeldin defeated Democratic incumbent Tim Bishop in New York to become the sole Jewish Republican member of Congress. Zeldin, 34, campaigned in part by saying it was important to have a Jewish Republican in Congress after Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), the former majority leader, was defeated by a primary candidate earlier this year. A veteran of the Iraq War, Zeldin focused his campaign mostly on bread-and-butter issues and an ethics charge against Bishop during the campaign. Zeldin drew support from top Jewish Republicans, including Ari Fleischer, the former spokesman for President George W. Bush, and Bill Kristol, the Weekly Standard publisher.
N.Y. voters pass bond measure offering up to $38 million for Jewish schools Voters in New York state passed a schools bond act that may provide up to $38 million in reimbursements to Jewish day schools and yeshivas. The Smart Schools Bond Act of 2014, one of three referendums on the state’s ballot, authorizes the state comptroller to issue and sell up to $2 billion in bonds to finance educational technology equipment and facilities, the construction and renovation of pre-K facilities, and the installation of high-tech security features in school buildings. The measure passed by a vote of 62 to 38 percent. Included in the law is up to $125 million in technology funding for non-public schools in the state – namely religious and independent schools. That translates into about $250 per student, which may cover such material as interactive whiteboards, computer servers, desktop and laptop computers, tablets and high-speed broadband or wireless Internet. There are about 151,000 Jewish day school and yeshiva students in New York, according to an Avi Chai study published in November. That translates into up to $38 million for Jewish students. The actual sum will vary by district. Before the vote, Jewish day schools and day school advocates mounted a campaign to get parents to the polls to vote in favor of the measure. The voting drive was preceded by lobbying last winter in Albany, the state capital, to get the technology funding for non-public schools.
Democrat Ted Lieu to succeed Waxman in Congress State Sen. Ted Lieu, a Democrat, will succeed longtime Rep. Henry Waxman in California’s 33rd Congressional District after defeating Jewish Republican Elan Carr. Lieu won the seat in the seventh most Jewishly populated district in the
10 DECEMBER 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
Lee Zeldin
country, 58 to 42 percent. He was bolstered by the endorsement of the esteemed Waxman, a liberal Democrat who represented the West Side of Los Angeles in Congress for 40 years. Carr, a deputy district attorney for Los Angeles County, touted his close ties to Israel and garnered the support of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, a major donor to Republican candidates, but could not overcome the district’s strongly Democratic leaning. The race was largely cordial, with both candidates pitching themselves as moderates and strong supporters of Israel. In the final week, however, a pro-Carr Super PAC sent out mailers attempting to tie Lieu to Hamas.
Two Jewish candidates lose congressional races Rep. Brad Schneider lost his Illinois seat and Jewish challenger Andrew Romanoff came up short in his bid for Congress in Colorado. Schneider lost his seat in Illinois’s 10th Congressional District to Republican challenger Robert Dold. The campaign was a rematch of the 2012 election, when Schneider beat the incumbent Dold in the Chicagoarea district. Both candidates had pitched themselves as pro-Israel moderates, with Schneider touting his fluent Hebrew language skills. Romanoff, a Democrat and former speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives, lost to Republican incumbent Mike Coffman in Colorado’s 6th Congressional District in a hard-fought, high-spending race.
On adding to the celebration
WRITINGS FROM THE
CLERGY
RABBI MELODY DAVIS Temple Covenant of Peace Hanukkah was the first holiday which was added to the Jewish calendar in 165BCE. Until that time, the only holidays mentioned in the Torah were observed: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Succot, Pesach and Shavu’ot. That being said, it seems to me that it is one of the most flexible holidays around, ready for new ways to add to the celebration! There is indirect precedent for this in the Shulchan Aruch. Some say that the word Hannukah is actually an acronym for Chet neirot v’halacha k’veit Hillel, meaning Eight [candles] and the halacha is like the House of Hillel. (This refers to the discussion between Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai regarding the proper way in which to light the Hanukkiyah, the special eightbranched menorah we light for
Hanukkah). Since the miracle was greatest on the first day, Shammai ruled that eight candles should be lit on the first night and the number should be decreased on each successive night. Hillel felt that we should begin with one candle and add one each night based on the Talmudic premise that we increase in sanctity, not reduce (Shabbat 21b). Therefore, finding new and interesting ways to add to the celebration has rabbinic premise on its side. In our family, we follow the Ashkenazic tradition of each family member lighting his or her own Hanukkiyah. (There are some fabulous, fun Hanukkiyot available now for all ages and interests: lego, high heeled shoes, firetrucks, kittens, Disney etc. They really add to the celebration. Check out your Temple gift shop!) One custom which we follow religiously in our house is that women do no work while the Hanukkah lights are burning. Why? The Shulhan Arukh, the Code of Jewish Law, specifies that while the Hanukkah lights are burning, no one is to engage in work, especially women. This rule is based on the story of Judith, a beautiful Jewish woman who seduced the general, Holofernes. She fed him salty cheese which increased his thirst for wine, rendering him dead drunk. She made certain of the “dead” part by lopping off his head. Each night we eat a different
oil-laden treat. (We try to find new ones each year.) Potato latkes, of course. Then there are sweet potato latkes, doughnuts, beignets, mozzarella sticks, stuffed French toast, fried apple slices and more. Now that our children are older, Hanukkah gelt is given to tzedakah each night. Each year, we decide on a particular charity to support. This year we’ve chosen COEJL - the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life. This organization deepens and broadens the Jewish community’s commitment to stewardship and protection of the Earth through outreach, activism and Jewish learning. Some suggestions for “greening” your Hanukkah are installing LED lightbulbs, swapping home-
made gifts, buying local potatoes for those latkes, and turning off the lights to both conserve energy and better enjoy the glow coming from your Hanukkiyah. When you buy gifts, get electronic receipts where they’re offered. The tradition of giving Hanukkah gelt dates back to a long-standing Eastern European custom of children presenting their teachers with a small sum of money at this time of year as a token of gratitude. Perhaps the connection is etymological: In Hebrew, the words “Hanukkah” (dedication) and “hinnukh” (education) come from the same root. Over time, money was also given to children to keep for themselves. According to the 17th century commentator
Abraham Abele Gombiner, poor yeshiva students would receive a gift of money from their Jewish benefactors on Hanukkah. American chocolatiers furthered the custom by creating chocolate gelt in the 1920s. We also have our annual Hanukkah Open House which features food, fun, music and candle lighting. Hanukkah is probably one of the best known Jewish holidays because of its proximity to Christmas. Many non-Jews (and even many assimilated Jews!) think of this holiday as the Jewish Christmas – which, of course, it is not. Let us celebrate Hanukkah in our own unique and appropriate ways. Chag Urim Same’ach! May you have a joyous, light-filled holiday.
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THANK YOU
for taking the
BECAUSE OF YOU, WE ARE THERE.
$1,267,736 raised as of 11.28.14 Challenge ran through Nov. 26
Because of your support of the 2015 campaign, we are able to help when help is needed, provide a safety net for those who must rely upon it, and nurture the core institutions that are the fabric of a rich and dynamic Jewish community.
PRIME MINISTERS CIRCLE $100,000+ Ross Born Wendy Born* Robert and Bonnie* Hammel KING DAVID SOCIETY $25,000 - $49,999 Leonard Abrams Fischmann Family Fund* Roberto and Eileen* Fischmann Tama Fogelman* and Family The Fraenkel Family Dr. Harold and Sandra* Goldfarb Robert J. and Susan* Grey TREE OF LIFE SOCIETY $18,000 - $24,999 Lisa Scheller* and Wayne Woodman KING SOLOMON CIRCLE $10,000 - $17,999 Dr. Jeffrey and Jill* Blinder The Philip and Muriel Berman Foundation Charles Cohen and Rebecca Binder* Seidel, Cohen Hof & Reid LLC Daniel and Nancy* Cohen Phillip and Ellen* Hof Chris and Tara Reid Norman Seidel Kobrovsky Family Fund Elaine Lerner* Dr. Richard and Barbara* Reisner Nan Ronis* Anonymous (1) BUILDERS OF ISRAEL $5,000 - $9,999 Dr. Marc and Aliette* Abo Dr. Arthur and Phoebe* Altman Sadie Berman Lion of Judah Endowment Fund* Hon. Alan and Donna* Black Ellis and Lisa* Block Pearl Brooks* Dr. Sam and Sylvia* Bub Marc and Judy* Diamondstein Andrew and Dr. Lisa* Ellis Jonathan and Iris* Epstein Arnan and Marlene* Finkelstein Susan Gadomski * Mark L. Goldstein and Shari Spark* Allen and Patricia* Gribben Dr. Arthur and Jane* Kaplan Drs. Stephen and Barbara* Katz Drs. Andrew and Deborah* Kimmel Bernard and Florence Kobrovsky Special Fund Dr. Wesley and Beth* Kozinn Dr. Lawrence and Eva* Levitt Dr. William and Jane* Markson Michael and Linda* Miller Dr. Alan and Judith* Morrison Daniel Poresky Dr. Alex and Robin* Rosenau Drs. Jarrod and Nicole* Rosenthal Lorrie Scherline* Irwin and Ellen* Schneider Dr. Stuart A. and Janice Schwartz Mark and Deena* Scoblionko Elizabeth Scofield* Larrie and Judy* Sheftel
Edith Simon* Dr. Frank and Tama* Tamarkin Dr. William and Pauline* Trachtenberg Dr. Michael and Eileen* Ufberg Ilene Wood* Dr. Israel and Valeska* Zighelboim SABRA CIRCLE $2,500 - $4,999 Alan and Marsha* Abraham Dr. Houman and Lori* Ahdieh Leonard & Beverly* Bloch Foundation Dr. Ian and Patricia* Carlis Glenn and Jan* Ehrich Henriette Engelson* Louis and Shirley* Furmansky Dr. Gene and Ann* Ginsberg Dr. Mark and Carmyn Gittleman Dr. Ronald J. and Linda* Glickman Steven and Nancy Wax Goldman* Stuart and Lynda* Krawitz Dr. Harold and Linda* Kreithen Robert and Roberta* Kritzer Dr. Howard and Beth* Kushnick Dr. Richard and Roberta* London Dr. Moshe and Lisa* Markowitz Dr. Jay and Marla* Melman* Dr. Holmes and Jeannie* Miller Drs. Steven and Nancy* Oberlender Dr. Noah Orenstein and Diana Fischmann Orenstein* Dr. Robert and Lota* Post Judith Rodwin* Cathy Sacher* Ronald and Martha* Segel Jack and Amy* Silverman Arthur and Barbara* Weinrach Dr. Michael and Leslie* Weinstock James and Linda* Wimmer Anonymous (3)
Dr. Paul Lemberg Monica Lemelman* Mort & Myra Levy Philanthropic Fund Dr. Jay and Evelyn* Lipschutz Dr. Eiran and Janet* Mandelker Dr. Gerald and Ethel* Melamut Dr. Michael and Cary* Moritz Dr. Richard J. and Amy* Morse Taffi Ney* Dr. Mark and Alice* Notis Dr. Michael and Ruth* Notis Dr. William and Marjorie Ofrichter Drs. Andrew and Flora* Pestcoe Rabbi Seth Phillips and Marge Kramer* Rhoda Prager* Dr. Abraham and Nancy Ross and Family Selma Roth* Lynn F. Rothman* Dr. Michael and Lynn F.* Rothman Dr. Wayne Saunders Dr. Darryn and Lorey* Shaff Ruth Sheftel* Marshall and Nina* Silverstein Dr. Raymond and Bonnie Singer Lynda Somach* Audrey Sosis* Richard and Allison Staiman Dr. Sidney and Lenore* Stecher Dr. Ronald and Melissa Stein and Family Dr. Frederic A. and Gilda Stelzer Dr. Jay and Margery* Strauss Fred and Barbara* Sussman Fred and Barbara K.* Sussman Dr. Kenneth and Alla* Toff Dr. Darren and Stefanie* Traub Gordon and Kathy* Weil Dr. Benjamin and Ellen Weinberger Abby Wiener* Steven and Margo* Wiener Anonymous (1)
GATES OF JAFFA $1,500 - $2,499 Alan and Sandy* Abeshaus Dr. Howard Altman Richard J. Mongilutz and Kelly Banach* Dr. Alan Berger Steven Bergstein and Nanci Goldman Bergstein Dr. Marc Berson Dr. John and Ingelise* Brown Lawrence Center Marilyn Claire* Justin and Erin* Corsa Claudia Fischmann* Veronica Fischmann* Dr. Jay Fisher Jerome and Sally Frank Dr. Ronald and Emily Freudenberger Dr. Henry and Monica* Friess and Family Neil and Edyth* Glickstein Dr. Gordon and Rose Lee* Goldberg Mitzi Goldenberg* Dr. Robert M. Gordon Morris & Dyna Gorfinkel Memorial Fund Kenneth and Ellen* Greene Drs. Harvey and Melissa Hakim Carol R. Halper* Esther Halperin* Hausman Family Mark and Amy* Holtz Dr. John Jaffe Rabbi Allen and Toby* Juda Dr. Robert and Janice* Kaplan Marge Kramer* Martin and Judy* Krasnov Dr. Joshua and Teri* Krassen Dr. Robert Kricun Ferne Rodale Kushner* Merry Landis* Dr. Michael and Carole* Langsam Dr. Brian LeFrock
CHAVERIM $500 - $1,499 Richard and Karen* Albert Steven Aronsky Dr. Richard and Judith* Aronson Tama Lee Barsky* Sharon Bernstein* Ronald and Linda* Black Rance and Sheryl* Block Akiva and Rachel* Boonswang Regina Brenner* Dr. Scott Brenner and Cheryl Figlin-Brenner* Evelyn H. Brown* Richard and Kira* Bub Gordon Campbell Dr. William Combs Meir Dardashti Hon. Maxwell and Barbara Davison Deborah Degani* Scott and Beth Delin Richard and Ruth* Derby Gerald Weisberger and Gail Ehrens* Eduardo and Jeanette* Eichenwald Dr. Mark and Ellyn* Elstein Joan Epstein* Howard and Shirley* Falk Dr. Bruce Feldman Samuel and Lynn* Feldman Dr. Scott Brenner and Cheryl Figlin-Brenner* Vicki Glaser* Alan Greenberger Irwin and Diane Greenberg Ralph and Anna Mae* Grossman Jay Haltzman Ronald and Joan* Harrison Alex Hornstein Gwen Jacobs* Selma Jacowitz* Audrey Kanoff*
12 DECEMBER 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
Seth and Kathi* Katzman Dr. Corey and Lisa* Kirshner Drs. William and Susan* Kitei Maxine S. Klein* Gerson Lazar Family Fund Martha B. Lebovitz* Bernard and Laurie Lesavoy-Lesavoy Butz & Seitz LLC Dr. Lisa Lindauer* Lois Lipson* Pam Lott* Edith Miller* James and Shelah Mueth Dr. Jonathan Munves Bobbi Needle* Sandy Newman* Marc Nissenbaum Carole Ostfeld* Alan and Roberta* Penn Phyllis Perkin* Elaine Rappaport-Bass* Joseph Rosenfeld and Jonathan Rosenfeld Dr. Norman and Jett* Sarachek Sheila Saunders* Nathan and Rusty* Schiff Dr. Michael and Heidi* Schiffman Bernard and Sara* Schonbach Lillian Schwab Memorial Fund Renee Schwartz* Schwartz Family Fund Sally Shapiro* Howard and Susan* Sherer Dr. Andrew and Rachel* Shurman Helaine Sigal* Dr. Howard and Diane* Silverman Rabbi Michael and Alexis Vega-Singer* Marcy Staiman* Dr. Richard Stein Dr. Stanley and Manya Stein Cheri Sterman* Aimee Stewart* Dr. David and Laurie Strassman Fred and Barbara K.* Sussman Fund Dr. Ryan and Carah* Tenzer Marsha Timmerman* Ron Ticho and Pam Lott* Dr. Mark and Abby* Trachtman Dr. Ronald and Beverly* Wasserman Robert and Sandy* Weiner Gerald Weisberger and Gail Ehrens* Deborah Weiss* Miriam Zager and Family* Jerry and Flossie* Zales Debbie Zoller* Anonymous (5) SHORASHIM $250 - $499 Isabella Alkasov* Miriam Bandler* Patricia Beldon* Dr. Harry and Donna Berger David and Clara* Bergstein Richard Bergstein Susan W. Berman* Sally Brau* Barbra Butz* Howard and Catherine* Coleman Elaine N. Deutch* Dr. George Diamond Roni Englert* Susan Fegley* Dr. Alex Feig Harry Fisher Charles Fletcher Memorial Fund Brian and Emily* Ford Carol Furmansky* Rabbi Jonathan Gerard and Dr. Pearl Rosenberg Renee Gittler* Rhoda Glazier*
Glazier Furniture Libby Golomb* Dr. H. William and Ruth* Gross Andrew and Nancy Kahn Phyllis Kaufman* Iris Klein* Elaine Langer* Suzanne Lapiduss* Dr. Henry and Susan Lehrich The Eva Levitt Knitting Project Dr. Douglas and Ruth* Nathanson Dr. Michael and Martina Obenski Papir Family Fund Harry and Carole* Rose Rosenau Family Fund Gerald Roth Memorial Fund Dr. Andrew and Jacqueline Schwartz Reba Scoblionko* H. Sheftel Memorial Fund Adam and Stephanie* Smartschan Peter and Sheila* Sokalsky Michael and Jane* Spitzer Norman Tahler Dr. Jonathan Tenzer Family Fund Robert and Marcia* Weill Martin and Frances* Weinberg Joseph Weiner Kristina Weiner* Rabbi David and Dr. Rachel* Wilensky Bruce and Alicia* Zahn Anonymous (9) KEHILLAH $100 - $249 Sharon Albert* Florence Applebaum* Elaine Atlas* Pnina Avitzur* David and Carmit* Bach Karen Bader* Joan Balkwill* Karen Bardawil* Elaine Berk* Neal Berkowitz Scott Berman Dr. Joan Bischoff* Andrew and Dr. Christy* Block and Family Pearl Brooks Family Fund Temple and Ann Coldren Jerome and Audrey* Cylinder Leah Devine* Brooke Dietrick* Andrea Denny Foucek* Dr. Allan and Sandra* Futernick Linda Garber* Murray and Linda* Garber Dr. Eric Gertner Gary and Pat* Glascom Julia Goldberg* Brian and Judith* Goldman Aaron Gorodzinsky Donald Greenberg Etta Heller* Alvin and Arlene* Herling Dr. Joseph Jacobs Katz Family Joan Katz* Dr. Lewis and Joan* Katz Kimmel Family Fund Dr. Michael Kun Mary Laronge* Frederick and Sherry Lesavoy Paul Levy and Helen Mack-Levy* Joan Lichtenstein* Rabbi Alan and Patricia* Mittleman Gladys Morgenstein* Henry and Jill* Narrow Jerome and Norma* Neff Debbie Ovitz* Joseph and Eve* Peterson Dr. Peter Pettit
ISRAEL EMERGENCY CAMPAIGN 2014 $243,270 raised as of 11.18.14 Dr. Marc and Aliette Abo Leonard Abrams Linda Adler Richard and Maria Ain Aaron Alkasov Isabella Alkasov Elaine Atlas Dr. Betzalel and Pnina Avitzur Miriam Bandler Tama Lee Barsky Michael and Barbara Bassano Jeremy and Lauren Berger Richard Bergstein Steven Bergstein and Nanci Goldman Bergstein Dr. Marc and Lauren Berson Dr. Joan Bischoff Hon. Alan and Donna Black Robert and Laura Black Dr. Jeffrey and Jill Blinder Dr. Robert and Linda Bloch Leonard and Beverly Bloch Ellis and Lisa Block Rance and Sheryl Block Ross and Wendy Born John and Miriam Harris Botzum Nathan and Marilyn Braunstein Benjamin Breitbart Regina Brenner Ziona Brotleit Evelyn H. Brown Dr. Sam and Sylvia Bub Gail Burger Dr. Ian and Patricia Carlis Allen and Marjorie Carroll Kip and Judith Casper Lawrence Center Peter and Muriel Charon Marilyn Claire Daniel and Nancy Cohen Judi Cohen-Roberts Edward and Natalie Coleman Dr. William and Gail Combs Arlene Dabrow Edwin and Rabbi Melody Davis Hon. Maxwell and Barbara Davison Richard and Ruth Derby Dr. George and Roberta Diamond Marc and Judy Diamondstein Marilyn Doluisio Vicki Duerr William and Dr. Tamar Earnest Helen Ebert Wendy Edwards Glenn and Jan Ehrich
Martin Rapoport Dr. Joel Rosenfeld Debra Ross* Alan and Mary* Salinger Richard and Amy* Sams Helene Rae Scarcia* Leon Schneider Linda Silowka* Abigail Silverman* Jessica Silverman* Marna Simon* Beth Spera Rabbi Aryeh and Beth Spera Matthew and Tracy* Sussman Sharon Trinker* Volk Family Fund Lynn Waite* David Weiner Joel and Susan Weiner Alfred Wiener Family Fund Norman and Sandra* Wruble Zelickson Family Fund Anonymous (13) GENESIS $1 - $99 Marvin and Sylvia* Adler Joseph Aflalo Dr. Susan Basow* Belman Family Fund Arthur Berg Alla Bolotovsky* Igor and Alla* Bolotovsky Benjamin Brenner Fund Rose Breuer* Joyce Camm* Marilyn Doluisio* Wendy Edwards* E.G. Jerry Farris Claudia Fischmann Fund* Veronica Fischmann Fund* Dr. Debra Garlin* Nancy Gevirtz Memorial Fund Samuel Gevirtz Mitzvah Fund Nissa Gossom* Betty Greenberg* Rabbi Zalman Greenberg Rosaly Greenberger*
Eduardo and Jeanette Eichenwald Barbara Einhorn Fred and Gail Eisenberg Jack and Shirley Engelson Jonathan and Iris Epstein Joan Epstein Joseph Epstein and Sheryl Feinstein Eleanor Extract Dr. Alex and Harriet Feig Samuel and Lynn Feldman Dr. Eric J. and Amy Fels Edward and Brenda Finberg Claudia Fischmann Roberto and Eileen Fischmann Veronica Fischmann Dr. Jay and Fran Fisher Tama Fogelman and Family Brian and Emily Ford Dr. Ari and Mia Forgosh The Fraenkel Family Lauri Franko Dr. Henry and Monica Friess and Family Gary Fromer and Dr. Carol Bub Fromer Louis and Shirley Furmansky Stewart and Carol Furmansky Dr. Todd and Laura Garber Murray and Linda Garber Gail Gelb Ronald and Olga Gelber Dr. Gene and Ann Ginsberg Renee Gittler Dr. Lawrence and Vicki Glaser Leonard and Rhoda Glazier Dr. Joel and Muriel Glickman Neil and Edyth Glickstein Virginia Gliedman Ann Goldberg Dr. Gordon and Rose Lee Goldberg Caroline Goldblat Andrew and Rachael Goldfarb Dr. Harold and Sandra Goldfarb Barry Goldin and Cheri Sterman Mark L. Goldstein and Shari Spark Libby Golomb Allan and Mary Goodman Aaron Gorodzinsky Betty Greenberg Dr. H. William and Ruth Gross Norman and Nina Gruenberg Samuel Guncler Barry and Carol R. Halper Marion Halperin Aaron Hammel Robert and Bonnie Hammel Dr. Bruce Hargreaves and Stephanie Katz
Harry and Paula* Grines Ervin Gross Shirley F. Gross* Marcel and Sharon Guindine Marion Halperin* Rabbi Yaacov and Devorah* Halperin Dolores Heller* Ted Herstein Syman Hirsch Robert and Arlene* Hurwitz Sidney and Helene* Kaplan Francine Katzman* Lionel and Ellen* Kier Jerry and Heidi* Knafo Rosine Knafo* Jennifer Lader* Selma Lerner Janice Levy* Eileen Lewbart Dr. Zalman and Maya* Liss Rebecca Lovingood* Rochelle Lower* Itzik and Elvira Mana Silvia Mandler* David and Susan* Manela Janis Mikofsky* Joseph Mozes Memorial Fund David and Jane* Much Sharon Mullin* William and Sharon* Mullin Mattathias Needle Ellen Osher* and Robert Prichard Cantor Jill Pakman* Mildred Poliner* Alan Raisman Barbara Rudolph* Lorraine Secouler Melvin and Pearl* Schmier Norman and Cindy* Sussman Temple Covenant of Peace David Teumim Ufberg Family Fund Alice Ward* Anne M. Warschauer* Cantor Kevin Wartell Marjorie Weiss* Barbara Wolfgang* Anonymous (4)
The donors noted above represent gifts to the JFLV 2015 Campaign for Jewish Needs. Every effort is made to correctly recognize all of our generous donors and honor their listing requests. If there are any inaccuracies or omissions, please call the Federation office at 610-821-5500.
Jerome and Florence Hausman Philip Heyman Arthur and Susan Hochhauser Les and Ricky Hochhauser Carol Hoffman Dr. David and Susan Hyman Nat and Erica Hyman Julius and Rosanna Jacobs Selma Jacowitz Dr. John Jaffe Baron and Marjorie Jasper Stanley Johnson and Anne Morris Rabbi Allen and Toby Juda Arnold and Deanne Kaplan Dr. Robert and Janice Kaplan Sidney and Helene Kaplan Dr. Binae Karpo Carolyn Katwan Drs. Stephen and Barbara Katz Martin and Susanne Katz Dr. Jay and Phyllis Kaufman Dr. Corey and Lisa Kirshner Rosine Knafo James and Kathleen Koones Lucy Korsky Dr. Wesley and Beth Kozinn Dr. Joshua and Teri Krassen Robert and Roberta Kritzer Ruth Kugelman Ferne Rodale Kushner Dr. Howard and Beth Kushnick Gary and Jennifer Lader Lawrence Lang and Elaine N. Deutch Dr. Paul H. and Elaine Langer Peter and Madeline Langman Dr. Michael and Carole Langsam Dr. Paul and Diane Lemberg and Family Martin and Monica Lemelman Elaine Lerner Joan Lesavoy Olivier and Alice Level Dr. Lawrence and Eva Levitt Dr. Edward and Ursla Levy Leonard and Janice Levy Gilfrid and Michele Levy Joan Lichtenstein Rivki Lindauer and Dr. Lisa Lindauer Dr. Jay and Evelyn Lipschutz Donald and Lois Lipson Morton and Pearl Litwak Anne Lyons Jean Mandel Dr. Eiran and Janet Mandelker Reba Marblestone Dr. Norman and Roberta Marcus
Dr. Moshe and Lisa Markowitz William and Jane Markson Aliza Martin Diane McKee Dr. David and Robyn Meir-Levi Ruth Meislin Dr. Gerald and Ethel Melamut Robert and Betty Mendelson Betty Mikofsky Janis Mikofsky Edith Miller Dr. Holmes and Jeannie Miller Michael and Linda Miller Norman and Maxine Miller Michael Molovinsky Daniel and Larisa Morgenbesser Gladys Morgenstein Dr. Alan and Judith Morrison Dr. Robert and Amy Morrison Tom and Sarah Morse James and Shelah Mueth Andrew and Judith Murman Henry and Jill Narrow Dr. Douglas and Ruth Nathanson Howard and Jill Nathanson Dexter and Sally Neadle Jay and Bobbi Needle Richard and Paula Nelson Taffi Ney Dr. Mark and Alice Notis Dr. Michael and Ruth Notis Dr. Steven and Nancy Oberlender Diana Fischmann Orenstein and Dr. Noah Orenstein Ellen Osher and Robert Prichard Myra Outwater Debbie Ovitz Dr. Gary and Jennifer Oxfeld Lena Packer Leon and Elaine Papir Alan and Roberta Penn Drs. Andrew and Flora Pestcoe Rabbi Seth Phillips and Marge Kramer Edward and Beth Posner Dr. Robert and Lota Post Alex and Nava Raban Yardena Raban Elaine Rappaport-Bass Dr. Richard and Barbara Reisner Ruth Reiter Linda Rich Dr. Chester Ringel Ira and Erica Robbins Dan and Mary Rockman Nan Ronis Harry and Carole Rose Marjorie Rosen Dr. Alex and Robin Rosenau Dr. Joel Rosenfeld Dr. Marvin and Janet Rosenthal Drs. Jarrod and Nicole Rosenthal Dr. Abraham and Nancy Ross and Family Alan and Mary Salinger
Leonard and Arlene Samuelson Dr. Charles and Sheila Saunders Mary Lou Scarf Joseph B. and Rita Scheller Nathan and Rusty Schiff Irwin and Ellen Schneider Helaine Schonberger Lewis and Nesha Schor Warren and Rabbi Rebecca Schorr Renee Schwartz Mark and Deena Scoblionko Stanley Shrager Helaine Sigal Dr. Howard and Diane Silverman Rabbi Melissa Simon Rabbi Michael Singer and Alexis Vega-Singer Adam and Stephanie Smartschan Dr.Yehuda and Victoria Smooha Dr. Arthur and Audrey Sosis Bruce and Jill Steigerwald Lisa C. Stein Dr. Phil and Diane Stein Dr. Richard and Arlene Stein Aimee and Ozzie Stewart Dr. Jay E. and Margery Strauss Dr. Michael F. Stroock Dr. David and Barbara Sussman Dr. Frank and Tama Tamarkin David Teumim Ron Ticho and Pam Lott Richard and Marsha Timmerman Dr. William and Pauline Trachtenberg Dr. Darren and Stefanie Traub Dr. Michael and Eileen Ufberg Michael Ulman Dr. Stephen and Beverly Volk Dr. Arkady and Ilana Voloshin Lynn Waite Dori Wallace Eugene and Alice Ward Dr. Ronald and Beverly Wasserman Martin and Frances Weinberg Jean Weiner Joseph and Kristina Weiner Gary and Marsha Weingartner Arthur and Barbara Weinrach Louise Weinstein Michael Weinstein Dr. Michael and Leslie Weinstock Les and Anita Weintraub Barbara Wiener Steven and Margo Wiener James and Linda Wimmer Norman and Sandra Wruble Gladys Yass Bruce and Alicia Zahn Jerry and Flossie Zales Dr. Israel and Valeska Zighelboim Dr. Zeev and Narda Zimerman Jeffrey and Susan Zimskind Anonymous (22)
There’s no better way to give and receive than to make a gift that helps others at this time of year.
As we unwrap gifts and wrap up another year, this is the time when we think most of others. The familiar saying reminds us it is “better to give than to receive.” As the year winds to a close, take time to make sure you have given to yourself by giving to others. The remaining weeks of the year give you a final opportunity to balance your income and giving for the tax year. When you give a gift to a qualified
nonprofit organization, you receive an income tax deduction. Even if your income is less this year than it was last year, you may still want to offset it with a tax deductible contribution.
To learn more about opportunities for planned giving, contact Jim Mueth at 610-821-5500 or jim@jflv.org or visit www.lvjfgiving.org.
Your gift can go a long way toward helping others. This holiday season, take a moment and consider the gifts you would like to make, then make them happen. Call us if we can be of help to you in your giving.
* Indicates an individual woman’s gift to the 2015 Campaign for Jewish Needs
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For 8 years, ‘Bewitched’ soothes beleaguered nation
By Jennifer Lader Editor, HAKOL On Nov. 22, 1963, as President John F. Kennedy arrived in Dallas, Texas, filming began in California for the situation comedy “Bewitched.” Later that day, Lee Harvey Oswald shot Kennedy, and a grieving nation witnessed events unfold through the television, including Jack Ruby’s on-screen killing of Oswald. In the year that followed came news of the signing of the Civil Rights Act and escalating involvement in Vietnam, along with the initial episodes of “Bewitched.” For its eight-year run, the series went on to become one of TV Guide’s “50 Greatest Shows of All Time,” and this year marks the 50th anniversary of its debut. “Bewitched” tells the story of a white, upper middle class married couple living in an American suburb. The voiceover on the pilot episode indicates that this is not just any ordinary couple. What the voiceover does not say and what few would guess from the show’s lighthearted tone is that, given the social changes and upheaval of the times against which it plays, this sitcom has a serious job to do. In the show, Elizabeth Montgomery plays a blonde and apparently young witch named Samantha who marries a mortal, Darrin Stephens, played first by Dick York and later by Dick Sargent. At the time of their wedding, Darrin is not aware that Samantha is a witch. He finds out the truth on their wedding night. Darrin is shocked, to say the least, and Samantha plans to stop using her magical powers. The remaining 253 episodes show what happens when the Stephens’ try to keep Samantha’s powers a secret, all the while receiving visits from her largely disapproving family members. “Bewitched,” then, centers on a mixed marriage of sorts, something that in America today tends to mean racially mixed. The
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show could be seen to portray a member of a minority (presumably the witch) who, along with her very colorful and unruly extended family, becomes allied with a member of the majority (the mortal). But the kind of mixed marriage that this show casts into relief has little to do with race. After all, the rate of inter-racial marriage remained low until 1970, after which it doubled every decade. Instead, the case can be made that the mix in question has to do with something that is little in evidence in their lives: religion, although in one episode Samantha goes to volunteer at the church bazaar. Early in their marriage, Darrin reminds Samantha that they are required to, as he says, “go to my mother’s house for dinner every Friday night.” While the writers may simply have been looking around for an example of differing customs, the fact that they seized on something that was and still is a tradition for many Jewish families invites a closer look. The Stephens’ neighbor, Gladys Kravitz, makes it her business to constantly check up on Samantha and Darrin. Time and again, she witnesses through her window strange goings on. Yet, she never succeeds in getting her husband Abner to the window in time to see for himself. Instead, in what is clearly a Yiddish accent, Abner scolds Gladys for snooping. While not exactly a strong Jewish connection, this is just the start. The makers of the show, along with the times in which it played, hint at interfaith relationships as a focus. The director was William Asher, son of Ephraim Asher, a Jew, and Lillian Bonner, a Catholic. Asher was married to Montgomery. The creator of the “Bewitched” pilot show was Sol Saks, who was born to Jewish parents and grew up in Chicago. Danny Arnold, born Arnold Rothmann, initially produced and wrote the series and considered its subject to be mixed marriage.
In his book, “Crosscutting Social Circles,” Joseph E. Schwartz describes “out-marriage” rates, meaning marrying outside of one’s religion, as being on the rise in the 1960s and highest among Catholics, then Jews and lastly Protestants. Erich Rosenthal’s “Studies of Jewish Intermarriage in the United States” appeared in the 1963 American Jewish Year Book and Look magazine featured a story on “The Vanishing American Jew,” both of which raised the first widespread insecurity among American Jews about whether their children would intermarry, even as some already had, and about what the future of American Jews would be. By 1960, earlier social prohibitions against religious out-marriage had mellowed. In her 2012 book, “Interfaith Marriage in America: The Transformation of Religion and Christianity,” Erika B. Seamon cites a survey that found a drop in the percentage of Catholics who said they would “definitely not” marry a Jew, from 57 percent in 1950 to 37 percent in 1962. It was not that religiosity itself was taking a nosedive at the time. In his 1960 book, “Protestant, Catholic, Jew: An Essay in Religious Sociology,” Will Herber writes of tremendous growth in membership in houses of worship as a percentage of the U.S. population. He quotes the Census of Religious Bodies’ statistics that formal membership in such organizations increased from 10 or 15 percent of the population in 1800 to 46 percent in 1926 and 59.5 percent in 1953, and foretells continued growth in affiliation. Ethnicity had already ceased to be the barrier to marriage it once was and for a time ceded that distinction to religion. In a study of 9,044 marriages in Hartford, Connecticut, published in 1944, researcher Ruby Jo Kennedy charts the drop from near-100 percent ethnic “in-marriage” in 1870 to a
low of 27 percent in 1940 for Germans and 81 percent for Italians, with other ethnicities ranged somewhere in between. Kennedy then looked at in-marriage by religion and concluded it was more of a barrier to marriage than ethnicity was proving to be: In her study, in-marriages accounted for 94.32 percent of Jewish marriages, 83.71 percent of Catholic unions and 79.2 percent of Protestant marriages. Meanwhile, the percentage of the population that was foreignborn was sinking to a record low, which it reached in 1970 at 4.7 percent of the population, and this, too, had ramifications for religious out-marriage. Seamon quotes another study that found that 1.4 percent of first generation Jews out-married, 10.2 percent of second generation and 17.9 percent of third generation Jews out-married. In “Bewitched,” tensions over differing ways and concerns over stereotyping abound. Samantha’s mother, the formidable, flame-haired Endora, warns her daughter that, in life among mortals, “you don’t know what prejudice you’ll run into … they think we just wear black hats and ride broomsticks.” Some of the episodes deal directly with stereotyping, usually but not always in regards to the aforementioned mortal prejudices about witches and vice versa. Samantha’s family members in particular relish playing tricks on Darrin and turning up their noses at mortal ways. However, there is also the episode in which Samantha transforms her family into African Americans, causing a double-take, and a double-think, for the episode’s antagonist. Samantha and Darrin come through the hazards of their own particular brand of outmarriage unscathed in episode after episode. In the face of any trials, sometimes literally, as in the case of a magical jaunt
back to old Salem, Samantha and Darrin’s love is enough to overcome whatever difficulties they face, from magic run amok to the interference of her disapproving and generally uncomprehending family. However, viewers demanded ever more magical antics and the writers responded, providing a temporary escape from even bigger trials. Despite following on the heels of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, “Bewitched” ran alongside of civil rights marches, the Vietnam War and the Kent State shootings of college students by the Ohio National Guard; the assassinations of King, Malcolm X and Robert Kennedy; escalating nuclear threats, the Cold War with Russia and race riots in this country; the music world’s British Invasion, widespread recreational drug use, and the paperback release of Betty Friedan’s “The Feminine Mystique,” which led many housewives to acknowledge their unhappiness with domestic life. All of this unrest is entirely off stage; nary a ripple. Samantha is a stay-at-home wife and mother, as many upper middle class women were at that time, whether by choice or by the preference of their husbands, and there is little evidence on the show of the other options that were becoming more available. Samantha varies her days between trying to keep her relatives under control and taking care of her home through such activities as vacuuming and doing laundry. She cooks dinner for Darrin every evening, only using magic when she is in a jam. She often tries to shield him from stress at home by placing in his hand a martini when he arrives. “Make it a double!” is Darrin’s favorite request, especially when Endora is on the premises. Darrin didn’t need to worry about the world news upset-
ting him because the family didn’t seem to watch the news. Yet, the Stephens’ home has a television positioned exactly at the center of the first floor. There it sits at the bottom of the stairs, not really within the entryway, the living room or the dining room, but at the same time in nearly every shot of any of these areas. This television is rarely on. Contrast this to the retro show, “Madmen,” in the 2010s, in which the children are forever in front of the television, often at the direction of their mother, who tells them to “go watch TV.” It is left to others to determine which series gives the more life-like depiction of the early 1960s. For purposes of what “Bewitched” was accomplishing, the television needed to be off. Pop culture enters the Stephens’ world in only a limited way in the person of Samantha’s cousin, Serena, played by a brunette-wigged Montgomery as the polar opposite of Samantha and usually sporting tall boots and short skirts. Tellingly, even though she considers Samantha and Darrin “square,” Serena alone out of all of Samantha’s relatives is generally supportive of the couple and their supposed counter-cultural choice.
“Finally we realized that while change is hard, not changing is even harder.”
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JFNA General As By Jennifer Lader Editor, HAKOL In November, representatives of the Jewish federations of North America, including 3,000 lay leaders and Jewish professionals, gathered for the annual General Assembly in National Harbor, Maryland. I went along to learn more and bring back to you something of what I found.
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Early on the second day of the GA, Nesse Godin, a Holocaust survivor, took the stage and spoke for a short time of experiences. She then surprised many by suddenly introducing her “friend” – and apparently this is in fact the case – Vice President Joe Biden. He took the stage quoting another survivor, Elie Weisel: “Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” He recalled what has come to become a refrain among political leaders, that the organized Jewish community speaks with a stronger voice than any one individual could. “You did an awful lot of good work for the Ethiopian [Jews],” he said, “and encouraged me to hold hearings on European modern anti-Semitism in the 1980s.” In summary, Biden said, “It’s all about taking responsibility, including to support Israel,” in reference to which he said, “There is no friend to Israel like the United States of America and the United States of America has no friend like Israel” despite its location in a “very rough neighborhood and getting rougher.”
NPR e radio, pen the GA by th n o e o ly a voic nberg helped ces El urt Justi , th ny simp For ma dent Nina Tote Supreme Co rently on lk with th Jewish. Cur e Sup ta a corresp r fo o th b own olics on Breyer, b sitting d Stephen es and six Cath American pu d n a n c a e ti s th e f Kag ju o th h ntation e Jewis tee, not are thre to that represe m the appoin I’ s “ , A Court. eyer said at it is of it, Br d to wh g, “ e n r or lack .” tu oon din ter stions s aid Breyer, ad her appoin g’s que s r w e e ,” b e m n o in te s To ing rt. “F the cou en you’re gett of judges an n o h is Jew way e,’ th o say ‘fin s in the Deuter you can rned the table oom, quoting rring tu er efe He then on to the entir pursue.’ It’s r ti u s e great o e h y u T q ll the ing, “ e sha d c th d ti s a , ju d , e law and insiste “’Justic rule of t Breyer e n o th ,” e g n n n e o e sitti betwe every il e h r a w , k o e ld or ds f se i in the w follow it.” An ference, one o be n ’t o would just don tone for the c n what e e s e e th b he set ined to it rema though
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Netanyahu speaks on Iran Jewish Telegraphic Agency & JFLV Staff On the final afternoon of the JFNA’s General Assembly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the assembly by video link, echoing Biden’s references to the strong bond between the U.S. and Israel. Likewise, the United States should treat Iran as an enemy and not as a partner, Netanyahu told Jewish leaders. “Iran is not part of the solution, it’s a huge part of the problem,” Netanyahu said, referring to reports that the United States may be coordinating with Iran in their shared battle to crush the Islamic State jihadist group in Iraq and Syria. “The Islamic state of Iran is not a partner of America, it is an enemy of America and it should be treated as an enemy.” Netanyahu said such treatment should extend to nuclear talks now underway between the major powers and Iran “by keeping tough sanctions on the regime, by making clear that the international community is determined to do whatever it takes to prevent Iran from breaking out or sneaking out to get the bomb.” He said a deal that would allow Iran a limited uranium enrichment capacity would be a “disaster of historic proportions.” U.S. officials have said that such a deal is the likely outcome should the sides come to an agreement. “The worst thing that could happen now is for the international community to agree to a deal that would leave Iran as a threshold nuclear power and removes its sanctions,” he said.
When Marlee Matlin was growing up in Chicago, she wanted to be an actress. She told Henry “The Fonz” Winkler when he visited her acting school, though not in so many words. That’s because Matlin is deaf. At the GA, she communicated from the stage by signing and with a male interpreter speaking her words. Upon noticing that Matlin’s mother discouraged her in favor of something more realistic, Winkler told her, “Sweetheart, you can be anything you want to be. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” “Eight years later,” Matlin signed, “I had an Academy Award in my hand.” The award, which she received at the age of 22, was for the movie with William Hurt, “Children of a Lesser God,” and she is known for many other roles
Author shakes family tree Even the moments of comic relief at the GA had their purpose. Author and journalist – it could even be said funny man – A. J. Jacobs displayed a sample of what he says are family connections to millions of people, Jewish and non-Jewish. But when he looks at just the world Jewish community, things get a little cozier. “When the Jewish family tree is all worked out, it’s estimated that a 30th to the eighth cousin is the max” anyone on it will have. Proving apparently, that we are all connected after all.
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Actress to GA: There are many ways to be vocal
as well. A bright and beautiful woman in her late 40s now, she is married and raising four children. Just as the Fonz helped her, so too “every single one of us has the duty to help those less fortunate and leave no one who wants to participate on the outside looking in,” she signed. “Kal Yisrael … the responsibility each Jew has for one another. In the end the effect will be tremendous.”
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Roots
&wings
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ALUMNI PROFILES
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Beneficiary Agency of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley
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Beneficiary Agency of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley
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WIKIPEDIA COMMONS
Jewish World News
The former "castle church" that's being turned into a synagogue in Brandenburg, Germany.
Church to become first synagogue in German state since Kristallnacht A former church will become Germany’s newest synagogue and the first in the state of Brandenburg since 1938. In ceremonies on Nov. 2, Ulrike Menzel, who has led the Evangelical parish in Cottbus since 2009, handed a key for the Schlolsskirche, or “castle church,” to the Jewish Association of the State of Brandenburg. The actual dedication of the synagogue is planned for the international Holocaust Remembrance Day, Jan. 27.
The ceremony comes 76 years after Kristallnacht, or the “Night of Broken Glass,” a Germany-wide pogrom in which Jewish property and synagogues – including the one in Cottbus – were destroyed. A department store stands on the site today. The state of Brandenburg contributed the full purchase cost for the decommissioned church, $730,700, and will contribute about $62,400 per year for maintenance, according to a statement on the community’s website. The city of Cottbus oversaw the removal of the cross and church bell from the steeple. All other costs of renovation were to be borne by the state Jewish association. The Cottbus Jewish com-
munity has pledged to use the structure as a synagogue for at least 25 years. Cottbus traces the first mention of Jewish residents to 1448. Its first Jewish house of prayer was established in 1811 in the inner courtyard of a cloth maker. At the time, there were 17 Jews in Cottbus. In 1902, a larger synagogue was dedicated. Nazi hooligans set it afire on the night of Nov. 9-10, 1938. The Jewish community was not formally reestablished in Cottbus until 1998. Today it has some 350 members, all from the former Soviet Union.
Argentine conference looks at Israel as model of start-up development The Israeli flag was flying over the Vicente Lopez district north of Buenos Aires, Argentina, in November for a conference titled “Start-up Nation: Israel as a paradigm of the entrepreneurship ecosystem.” More than 60 businesspeople heard from a panel of Argentine and Israelis presenters about Israel’s model to develop start-ups. “The Israeli model has a lot to bring to our society, the panel was inspiring for our entrepreneurs and we want to
improve the institutional links with Israel,” Eduardo Vinales, general director of economic development for Vicente Lopez, told JTA. “After this success, we want to continue showing here the Israeli model in order to transfer to Vicente Lopez Israeli methodologies and experiences.
Activists, government officials meeting in Berlin on combating anti-Semitism Hundreds of activists and government officials from around the world met in Berlin in November to discuss ways of countering anti-Semitism. The conference, which was organized by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, marks the 10th anniversary of the OSCE conference on anti-Semitism and the Berlin Declaration, which urged OSCE member states to monitor and combat anti-Semitism through legislation and education. More than 200 individuals from civil society groups, many of them from Jewish organizations, attended the event, which came amid increased concern about rising anti-Semitism in Europe. Some 350 representatives of international organizations and governments from
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the 57 OSCE member states also attended.
Belgium on front lines of anti-Semitism Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress, called on European authorities to step up efforts to protect Jewish communities that are being targeted by Islamists and other parties. “There is a war against the Jews on the Internet and on the streets,” he said. “Until there is a crackdown on incitement to hatred and anti-Semitism, then more people will believe that these types of attacks are legitimate. We call on European authorities to form a specially dedicated pan-European body to deal specifically with the wave of anti-Semitism and the threat of radical Islam that threatens Jews and the continent of Europe.” An Orthodox Jewish man was stabbed in the neck in Antwerp, Belgium, on Saturday, Nov. 15, in a suspected antiSemitic attack. Yehosha Malik, 31, sustained injuries classified as moderate in the capital of Belgium’s Flemish region, the Gazet van Antwerpen reported. He was discharged the same day after medical staff determined his injuries were not life
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From Jewish Telegraphic Agency threatening. Malik was on his way to synagogue in the city’s center, where a population of approximately 16,000 Orthodox Jews reside. On Nov. 12, an imam from Kuwait was barred from entering Belgium to attend an Islamic conference over his preaching for Israel’s destruction and the annihilation of Jews. Banning Tarek al-Swaidan from entering Belgium “was the only possible decision,” Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said in a statement. In a statement the same day, The Belgian League Against Anti-Semitism, or LBCA, praised the decision, saying it showed “the government takes seriously its duties to ensure public order, and employs tough measures to do so.” In May, four people were killed in a shooting at the Jewish Museum of Belgium in central Brussels. Following the Nov. 15 attack, Rabbi Menachem Margolin of the Brussels-based European Jewish Association said his group will set meetings with European Union officials to discuss “the severity of the situation and ways to combat such phenomena at their core, through education.”
London bus passenger who shouted anti-Semitic epithets jailed A passenger on a London bus who shouted anti-Semitic epithets was given a 16-week prison sentence. Ian Campbell, 42, of London pleaded guilty to a racially aggravated public order offense. He was sentenced in Magistrates Court in Hendon in November, the London-based Jewish Chronicle reported. He also was sentenced to four weeks in prison for a separate theft offense, according to the newspaper. Campbell said during the Sept. 16 incident that “I am going to burn the bus and the Jews,” scaring the children on the bus operated by the Arriva company, the Chronicle reported. The driver allowed the passenger to get off the bus and then reboard. The bus was driving through the heavily Jewishpopulated Golders Green neighborhood of London. Judge Mark Jabbit said Campbell used “grossly and offensive threatening language,” and his crime was “in no doubt serious,” according to the Chronicle.
Jewels held for safekeeping returned to heir of deported Jews Jewels were returned to the descendant of a Jewish couple who had given them to neighbors for safekeeping before being deported by the Nazis. A Dutch historical society returned the jewels to Els Kok, a descendant of Benjamin Slager and Lena Slager-de Vries, at a ceremony in Winschoten, in the north of The Netherlands, on Oct. 28. The ceremony was held 72 years to the day that the Slagers were among 500 of the town’s Jews sent to the Westerbork concentration camp, the Dagblad van het Noorden daily reported. Only 46 of the town’s Jews survived the Holocaust. Before they were marched to the local train station, the Slagers gave a box with the jewels to their next-door neighbors, the Schoenmakers. Women in the Schoenmaker family passed on the box from daughter to daughter with instructions to keep them for the Slagers. In 2013, the last keeper, Astrid Klappe, gave the box to the Old Winschoten Society, which tracked down Kok with the assistance of a local resident, Willem Hagenbeek.
AZERBAIJAN & ISRAEL:
A Unique Partnership in a Strange World
Sunday, January 11, 2015 10:15 a.m., Temple Beth El
Join us for brunch and a conversation with Rauf Mammadov, the U.S. representative of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic, Israel’s largest energy partner and its closest ally in the Muslim world Free and open to everyone. RSVP by January 7 to 610-821-5500 or aaron@jflv.org. Sponsored by the Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley and Temple Beth El
Do you feel your child gets lost in a class that is enter omputer c f c s s la c “The in group o to have a variety s u s w llo a na working o n level students ow ir s at the of subject is helps to make Th ticular and pace. ithin a par en w n io t ia t betwe differen seamless e r o m n o s ual les and individ p u o r g le who cher .” – JDS Tea instruction
too big?
It’s not too late to make a change.
INSTILLING A LOVE OF LEARNING. Small classes. Individualized learning. Teaching students to think critically and creatively.
AN INCLUSIVE APPROACH TO JUDAISM. A values-based education. Previous Hebrew knowledge not required.
A Jewish Community School for Pre-K to 8th Grade BLUE 2013 RIBB N SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE
VISIT THE JDS. Call to schedule your tour today. 2313 W PENNSYLVANIA ST. ALLENTOWN, PA 18104
610-437-0721 www.JDSLV.org HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | DECEMBER 2014 23
JCC announces new camp director The Jewish Community Center is pleased to announce the promotion of Brenda Finberg to director of camp and children’s services. Finberg has a School Age Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential™ from Northampton Community College and a dental hygienist degree from the National School of Health and Technology. Finberg has worked at the JCC of Allentown since 1988, including spending seven years at camp as a unit head. As director of children’s Services, Finberg oversees Stagemakers Theater, The Zone and Zone Jr., Enrichment programs, Vacation Dayz, Winter Blast and Post Camp. In addi-
tion, Finberg leads community family programs during the year, including a Hanukkah Celebration, Pancake Breakfast and Purim Carnival. In her new role as camp director, Finberg will continue working with and bringing out the best in children. She is looking forward to leading an amazing summer at the campsite in Center Valley. She is busy building her leadership team including Mike Smith, camp program coordinator; Hailey Farrell, camp nurse; Sarah Holtz, camp office manager; Andrea Tone, unit head; Cynthia Arroyo, unit head; Holly Hebron, art specialist; and Christina Rabeh, travel
programmer and counselor. Jodi Lovenwirth, aquatics director, will continue to lead the excellent swimming program. Terrence Baker, director of recreation and fitness will create the camp sports program and will be at camp two afternoons per week to oversee its implementation. Finberg looks forward to the summer and to the rest of the school year surrounded by singing, laughter, smiles and friendship. She assumes this new position as Barrie Saias, former camp director, pursues new opportunities. The JCC thanks Saias for her great programming during the summer of 2014.
The Gallery at the JCC showcases exceptional local 2D and 3D talent By Sydney Krassen Gallery at the JCC Intern The Gallery at the JCC’s newest exhibition, “Package” by artist Susan Biebuyck, is now on display. The gallery hosted a successful opening reception on Nov. 6 featuring food and drinks as well as live music by “Just So.” At the exhibition, guests had the opportunity to view the exhibit for the first time and speak to the artist about her work. Biebuyck works in a variety of mediums including acrylic, oil, pastel and watercolor. A lifelong artist, Biebuyck began her career as a graphic designer and has since moved into a role at Studio B in Boyertown. In her role as gallery director and curator of Studio B, she has curated over 60 art exhibitions. “Package” features images of delicious des-
serts, kitchen items, and other things to eat and drink. This exhibition showcases Biebuyck’s unique vision and interpretation of everyday, recognizable objects. The artist’s lyrical spirit and intriguing examination of her subjects make for an exciting and enjoyable visit to the gallery. The exhibition runs through Dec. 22 and is open to the public during gallery hours. On Jan. 12, The Gallery at the JCC will host an opening reception for its next exhibit, which features the work of Kay Frederick as well as members of the Lehigh Valley Print Group. The reception will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. There will be live music, drinks, hors d'oeuvres and a chance to mingle with the artists. Pieces from both exhibitions are for sale at the gallery and a portion of the proceeds support the JCC.
storytime
Brought to you by PJ Library
Stories Songs Children’s activities Bring the kids to the Jewish Federation’s annual phone-a-thon for a free PJ Library program with Rabbi Daniel Stein.
DATE: Sunday, January 25, 2015 TIME: 10:30 a.m. LOCATION: JCC of Allentown
702 N. 22nd St., Allentown, PA 18104 To RSVP, e-mail abbyt@jflv.org.
PJ Library is brought to you by the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, the Jewish Community Center of Allentown and the Jewish Day School of the Lehigh Valley, in partnership with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.
Parents
To volunteer at Super Sunday, call 610-821-5500 or visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org
24 DECEMBER 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
Young volunteers brighten Thanksgiving with community food drive Thank you to all of the amazing volunteers who helped make Thanksgiving better for 30 families in the Lehigh Valley. The food drive was truly a community effort, spearheaded by the Federation’s Young Adult Division, with all synagogues and agencies contributing. Thank you to Jewish Family Service for organizing the food distribution and to the Jewish Day School for being an excellent host. Another big thank you goes to PJ Library for providing a great storytime for the kids. And finally, to Emily and Brian Ford for co-chairing and participating in a great day.
Is your child’s potential limited in t the nce a ges ie r e p ex llen n hild’s ol cha “My c Day Scho ith hands-o h w Jewis vides him ividuaized o r ind p him, nd the tstanding a , g in learn n of an ou n adminis a io attent g staff and tive to the n in e teach that is att dent.” u n nt tratio f every st DS Pare o J – needs
big classes?
It’s not too late to make a change. INSTILLING A LOVE OF LEARNING. Small classes. Individualized learning. Teaching students to think critically and creatively.
AN INCLUSIVE APPROACH TO JUDAISM. A values-based education. Previous Hebrew knowledge not required.
A Jewish Community School for Pre-K to 8th Grade BLUE 2013 RIBB N SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE
VISIT THE JDS. Call to schedule your tour today. 2313 W PENNSYLVANIA ST. ALLENTOWN, PA 18104
610-437-0721 www.JDSLV.org HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | DECEMBER 2014 25
In wake of religious violence, American leaders celebrate interfaith success By Raffi Wineburg Jewish Telegraphic Agency It was just hours after two Muslim terrorists entered a Jerusalem synagogue and killed four Jews at a morning prayer service, but it was a world away. On Tuesday, Nov. 18, about 30 high-profile Muslim and Jewish scholars and leaders came together for a kosher-halal lunch (arugula salad, salmon with a fried potato on top, tiramisu for dessert) at New York’s Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) to celebrate their work bridging the gaps between the two communities. The violence in Israel wasn’t mentioned, specifically. But it was felt, undoubtedly. “Our work is the work of peace, and yet, as the prophet says, ‘shalom, shalom, v’ein shalom,’ we pray for peace, we work for peace, and yet, we still don’t have peace,” said Burton Visotzky, a professor of Midrash and Interreligious Studies at JTS. Visotzky is short but not quite stout with a beard that’s black around his chin but begins to gray as it travels up toward his kippah-covered head. His exuberance couldn’t be clipped by the day’s tragic beginning, and he bounced around from table to table, greeting some with ‘shalom’ and others with ‘Assalamu alaykum,’ the Arabic counterpart. The escalating conflict in Jerusalem did not dampen Visotzky’s joy about what he feels is a momentous step in advancing Muslim-Jewish relations in the United States. Together with the Hartford Seminary and the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), JTS just published “Sharing the Well: A Resource Guide For Jewish-Muslim Engagement.” The guide (available for free PDF download) is the outgrowth of a series of annual conferences titled “Judaism and Islam in America” that began in 2010 under Visotzky’s leadership. “Sharing the Well” includes guidelines on how to begin and maintain interreligious dialogue, as well as essays on shared values between the two religions and a list of 24 Muslim-Jewish projects around the country, from a Muslim-Jewish “speed dialogue” modeled after speed dating to an interfaith Thanksgiving service. The authors hope the book inspires Jews and Muslims to reach
across religious divides at a time when world events are increasingly pitting them against one another. Despite, or maybe because of, the strained relationships between Muslims and Jews across the globe, a number of American educators like Visotzky are assigning themselves the responsibility to forge bonds. “Unless people like us around the world do what we are doing, we are in bad shape. We are in bad shape anyway, but we are in worse shape if we don’t tackle this. If we can’t do it here, in the U.S., in New York, where is this going to be possible?” said JTS Chancellor Arnold Eisen at the lunch. Mehnaz Afridi, a Pakistani-born Muslim woman who directs the Holocaust, Genocide and Interfaith Education Center at Manhattan College (in the Bronx) echoed Eisen in a recent phone interview with JTA: “If anywhere is going to be a model for MuslimJewish relations, the U.S. really can and should be,” she said. Afridi contends that interfaith study, Muslim-Jewish in particular, is a “small but burgeoning field,” both in terms of community and academia. “There is an invisible link bonding people in this field across the country,” she said. If the U.S. is to be — or already is — a model for positive Muslim-Jewish relations, it’s important that the links between academics aren’t confined to their ivory towers “The whole point of study is to go out and do it, you need to go and make human contact, one on one, this is the way we advance,” Visotzky said. Visotzky has done local, national and international interfaith work, producing scholarship and advising communities. It’s not easy, and sometimes, he says, it can feel like “pushing against the tide.” “But if we have the God-given ability to bring people together to try to make peace, I think that it’s our sacred obligation to do so,” he said. He scanned the room, at his colleagues, among them Dr. Mohamed Elsanousi, ISNA’s director of community outreach, and a man Visotzky greets as “brother.” “We all hope, we pray that what we do here can have some affect there too,” Visotzky said, “in the Holy Land.”
Yachad University 2014 _ 2015
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN Spring 2015 classes start January 13 TO LEARN MORE, www.jewishlehighvalley.org/yachad
26 DECEMBER 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
Kosherfest highlights unity By Rabbi Yitzchok Yagod Congregation Beth Avraham By now, the well-funded and well-attended annual kosher food fair, dubbed Kosherfest and held in Secaucus, New Jersey, is over and the vast amount of tasty food samples have been enjoyed. Yet maybe you’ve been wondering: “How did this unlikely fair get to be so big?” Fifty years ago, the conventional wisdom was that kosher was disappearing rapidly and would vanish by 1990 in the United States. The question is, in typical Jewish fashion, answered by another question: “How did kosher grow and spread to be so strong and ubiquitous in our country?” The strength of kosher in this country is due to three key factors that I rarely see mentioned in the mainstream press.
Integration and AKO One of the key elements of the decision as to whether a company goes kosher is often due to the demand made by one or two customers who want the industrial product certified kosher. The company contacts an agency and at the end of the process, which includes a very rigorous initial inspection, the company is “in the system.” This is very powerful since it can be done once and made to last for 30 years (if rules are followed). Now, if each kashruth agency
had unique standards, companies would have to get numerous initial inspections and re-certifications, resulting in too much employee time and resource use. What makes a one-time initial inspection possible is a very sophisticated system that ensures shared standards amongst top-tier agencies. You can really expect Coke in Alabama to be the same as in Alberta; likewise, you can find kosher agencies in Australia/ New Zealand to be the same as what you’d expect in New Jersey. The powerhouse behind much of this is a wonderful agency known mostly to kashruth professionals as “AKO.” A week before Kosherfest, this agency had its worldwide convention in a (kosher) facility in our own Keystone state, bringing together 82 professional leaders to ensure maintenance of common standards and meeting new challenges and share wisdom. They came from cities spanning the globe. AKO has members from Israel, Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe and both North and South America. What this means is that a key industrial ingredient, such as stearate which is produced mainly in Malaysia and used by many factories worldwide, may have only one local kosher agency due to various complications. Yet, this kashruth can be done to standards used worldwide. Without this cooperation, many other key factories and products could not be certified.
A scene from Kosherfest 2014, held in Secaucus, New Jersey, on Nov. 11-12.
Cost Industrial (not food service) kosher has been developed and refined to be a very inexpensive proposition. This may seem surprising since there is a perception that kosher is expensive, driven by the fact that kosher meat and cheese really is more expensive. However, meat and cheese are exceptions, and that is a discussion for another day. On most certifications I see and do, the cost per container averages from .5 of a penny to .01 of a penny per resale container. While even the label is more expensive, it is only by a small amount.
other has even come close to this level of organization. There is a special brand of Jewish unity that helps drive this cooperation. We are not just islands, but have interconnected in a way that no one else really
has. What a kosher consumer requests in California is similar to the requests in London or Paris. This magnifies the value of kosher and is really at the root of what makes it such a lively and viable proposition.
PAID POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT
Jewish unity Many different types of certification have been developed – including the Muslim halal – and yet no
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | DECEMBER 2014 27
Wax elected president of Pinemere Robby Wax was recently elected president of the Board of Trustees of Pinemere Camp. Wax attended the camp as a child, worked at the camp as a teenager and began serving on its Board of Trustees in 2004. When Wax reflects upon his upbringing, he credits Pinemere Camp, the Jewish Day School of the Lehigh Valley, The Alexander Muss High School in Israel program and many other experiences in the Lehigh Valley Jewish community – as well as his devoted parents – as key contributors to defining his appreciation for Judaism. “When the opportunity arose to play a role in the future of Pinemere Camp,” he said. “I had to accept. The place is so special. I want to make sure that this community asset is available for our children for generations to come.” Wax succeeds Marty Black, another Allentown native, in the role. “Marty accomplished a great deal during his tenure, and he continues to remain very active at Pinemere,” Wax said. “Marty and his wife, Nancy, are tremendous leaders and role models.” Wax also credits the Ufberg family as playing important roles throughout his tenure on the board: “Mickey and Eileen, and all of their children, have devoted time, money and other resources to assist with the rebirth of the camp.” Finally, Wax notes that Pinemere’s executive director, Mitch Morgan, is a vital contributor to Pinemere’s current and future success. “Mitch’s enthusiasm and energy has revitalized our staff and our program; he’s been an excellent addition to our Pinemere Family, and he understands the importance of tradition,” Wax said. “With Mitch’s guidance and dedication, we are poised for significant growth.” Wax said he has witnessed a significant transformation at Pinemere during the last decade. “Pinemere Camp has undertaken a myriad of capital improvement projects.” Wax explains
Robby Wax with his sons, Ben and Danny. that “Pinemere will spend more than $100,000 to completely remodel our aquatic center this spring. During the last 12 months alone, Pinemere has spent more than $175,000 on capital projects, including the replacement of our Sigal Village tents with beautiful ‘tree house’ tonks for our older male campers, the installation of fans in our bunks and the purchase of new beds and mattresses and new mess hall chairs for our increasing numbers of campers. “ “Given the recruiting success demonstrated by Mitch, we will continue to build or purchase bunks, cubbies, beds and chairs necessary to accommodate additional campers,” Wax said. “With our continued success we’ll also be adding and improving various program areas around camp. Needless to say, it’s an exciting time to be in the Pinemere Family.” Wax said that Pinemere’s success story has been inspiring, and he’s grateful for the opportunity to serve as its president.
Say happy 100th to Henriette Join the JCC Friendship Circle in celebrating Henriette R. Engelson's 100th birthday by sending Henriette greetings via a birthday card from the community. There is a minimum donation of $3. Mail your birthday greetings and donation to the JCC, or drop them off by Jan. 21, 2015. Checks should be made payable to JCC-Friendship Circle.
Chabad brings Chanukah to the Phantoms
Chanukah will assume a new level of brightness this year as Chabad of the Lehigh Valley illuminates a giant ice sculpture menorah before a Lehigh Valley Phantoms hockey game at the new PPL Center at 701 Hamilton St. on Wednesday, Dec. 17 at 6:30 p.m. Ticket prices are reduced to $20. Bring the whole family!
28 DECEMBER 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
A storybook connection
YOAV - LEHIGH VALLEY
Students at Temple Beth El show off their “The Same Moon” books, which connect them with their penpals in Yoav, Israel. The students write letters to students in Yoav and receive letters in return, allowing them to forge personal relationships. Meanwhile, students on both sides of the ocean are reading the book by Adi Shacham and Patti Freeman Dorson. The colorfully illustrated book provides information and commentary to assist the families in preparing their letters and in appreciating the concept of being apart, yet similar. “The Same Moon” is a project of Partnership2Gether, which bridges regions in Israel with cities in the Diaspora. Yoav is the Lehigh Valley’s Partnership region.
Allentown BBG Gears Up for 2014-15 By Ji-In Friess Allentown BBG Mazkirah Both Allentown AZA and Allentown BBG has been doing some great things in the first months of the 2014 year. They both began the new year with a pool party, which was a huge success. Having occurred during the last day of summer, it was a great way to start off the new year with pizza and friends! Later that same month, Allentown BBG hosted Girls Night, where older members (“bigs”) were paired with younger members (“littles”). This fun and entertaining night helped to further reinforce sisterhood bonds. “I had an awesome time!,” attendee Emily Gallant said. “We had a candle activity which I thought was a really sentimental way for girls to build up self-confidence.” This candle program, conducted by BBG officer Ji-In Friess and BBG member Carly Zager, involved every girl having a candle. Then, one of the programmers would state an
adjective. If someone believed that a girl possessed this characteristic, they would sprinkle crayon shavings into the other girl’s burning candle. Eventually the candles contained the many different colors which described them. It was a great way to boost the self confidence of our members and to remind them to always stay positive. We also had another event, Fallestival. Everyone dressed up in costumes, ate pizza, and participated in the Halloweenthemed programs. It was extremely fun and it was a very successful event. In addition to deepening sisterhood bonds, Allentown worked extremely hard to prepare for the Tournies Convention. The convention was hosted at the JCC of Allentown, with participants housed by community members. This competitive convention was meant to strengthen chapter spirit and morale. The overall theme for Tournies was myths and legends. Each chapter
could choose a specific myth or legend, Allentown BBG chose Medusa. Tournies involves all the chapters from our region, Liberty, to compete against each other in various olympicstyle sports and arts. Both Allentown BBG and Allentown AZA had been nonstop planning and organizing for Tournies. The convention happened the weekend of Nov. 14-16. Allentown was proud to keep its dynasty of winning six years in a row. Overall this BBYO year is off to an amazing start and we look forward to more exciting events.
The Leader in Senior Care
Fellowship for research accepting applications The Melvin M. Goldberg Fellowship for Research in Israel, which is supported by an endowment fund at the the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, is now accepting applications for 2015. This annual fellowship in memory of Melvin Morris Goldberg sends one undergraduate engineering student from any U.S. university to visit Israel in the summer to perform supervised technical research. The $3,000 fellowship is presented to a junior or senior who demonstrates the enthusiasm, aptitude and the motivation to arrange a personalized research
program. The fellowship is intended to provide partial support for travel and living costs. Candidates should work with faculty at their primary university to develop a research proposal and confirm a willing supervisor at one of Israel's universities or research centers such as Bar-Ilan, BenGurion, Haifa University, Hebrew University, Technion, Tel-Aviv University or the Weizmann Institute. Applications are due March 1, 2015.
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For more information about the Goldberg Fellowship, visit goldberg.berkeley.edu/mmg. HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | DECEMBER 2014 29
Community Calendar To list an event in the Community Calendar, submit your information on our website, www.jewishlehighvalley.org, under the “Upcoming Events” menu. All events listed in the Community Calendar are open to the public and free of charge, unless otherwise noted. Programs listed in HAKOL are provided as a service to the community. They do not necessarily reflect the endorsement of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. The JFLV reserves the right to accept, reject or modify listings.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4 TBE Healing Service 1 p.m., Temple Beth El. We will be creating a safe space to bring our pain, our questions and our yearning. This onehour service will be held in the Hammel Family Chapel. The service will include music, silent meditation, traditional prayers and Torah study. The entire community is invited to participate. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4 Thirsty Thursdays 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., JCC of Allentown Board Room. Social Hour at the J. Stop by the J at the end of the day. Join other adults at the JCC, sit back, relax and chat about similar interests, and get to know your fellow members and friends. Share your experiences with others and take away new ideas! Light refreshments will be served. Call or stop by the JCC Welcome Desk to register and reserve your space, 610-435-3571. $5 per person; FREE for JCC Members. Contact Amy Sams at asams@lvjcc.org to learn more about Adults at the J. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4 Lehigh Valley Jewish Singles Baby Boomer Network Dinner with Friends 6:15 p.m., Aci Halal, 34 N. 2nd St., Allentown The first Thursday of each month, we choose a different restaurant in the Lehigh Valley. This month is Turkish food. Come join us, experience a new cuisine, make friends, kibbitz and laugh. Contact Susan Brody, 908-319-3022 or susanb5639@ hotmail.com to learn more. The Lehigh Valley Jewish Singles Baby Boomer Network is sponsored by Jewish Family Service and open to anyone single and over the age of 55. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4 The Image of American Zionism and Jewish Day at the 1933 World’s Fair 7:30 p.m., JCC of Allentown. Jewish Americans built a replica of the Temple on Soldier Field in Chicago for the Zionist production “The Romance of a People” at the 1933 World’s Fair. This talk will explain why this was not such a strange thing to do
Honorable MENSCHens Linda Sheftel Linda Sheftel was honored by the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation with its 2014 Vision in Philanthropy Award on Nov. 12. Next year marks the 10th anniversary of the passing of Linda’s son, Justin, who was hit and killed by an underage drunk driver. His life inspired the establishment of two funds at the Community Foundation. Since the establishment of the funds in 2005, roughly $300,000 has been donated and $225,000 has been granted out, including $130,000 to Parkland High School graduates for scholarships in Justin’s name. Other grants went to a variety of charitable organizations, including the Lehigh Valley Miracle League, the Jewish Community Center of Allentown and Allentown School District’s “The Drive” program.
Lisa Scheller and Wayne Woodman A $1.575 million endowment by Lisa Scheller and Wayne Woodman will provide scholarships for technology students at Lehigh Carbon Community College. Scheller is CEO of Silberline Manufacturing in Carbon County and chairman of the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners and an endowed Lion of Judah at the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. Woodman is senior vice president of The Investment Group of Los Angeles and former chairman of the Lehigh County Republicans. In addition, LCCC announced the naming of the Lisa Scheller-Wayne Woodman Community Services Center.
Want to see your accomplishments in the pages of HAKOL? E-mail them to hakol@jflv.org. 30 DECEMBER 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
by considering how Americans in the early 20th century understood the importance of the Holy Land. The importance of how people tell their own histories – Jewish and American – as well as the power of images and theatrical performance help explain why hundreds of thousands of Jewish and non-Jewish Americans came to see a Zionist pageant. With Jessica Carr, professor of religious studies at Lafayette College. The event is the last in a year-long series on Imagining Jews: From the Ancient World to the American Present. It is sponsored by the Jewish Studies program at Muhlenberg College, the Philip and Muriel Berman Center for Jewish Studies at Lehigh University, the Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding at Muhlenberg College and the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. Program is free and open to the public thanks to a generous grant from the Legacy Heritage Jewish Studies Project, directed by the Association for Jewish Studies. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5 IJCU First Friday Luncheon Discussion 12 p.m., Muhlenberg College, Seegers Union, Rooms 111112. Annalies, an oratorio by James Whitbourn with libretto drawn from Anne Frank’s diaries. Excerpts introduced by James Steffy. Free and open to the public. To learn more, visit www.ijcu.org. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5 Shabbat Service and Camp JRF Meet and Greet 6:30 p.m., Congregation Am Haskalah. Come and learn about Camp JRF, the beautiful Jewish Reconstructionist Summer Camp in the Poconos! Camp Director Rabbi Isaac Saposnik will be on hand to talk about camp and answer your questions. We will have a vegetarian/potluck dinner and camp presentation at 6:30 p.m. followed by a family-friendly Erev Shabbat service. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6 JDS 61st Annual Gala 7:30 p.m., JCC of Allentown. Honoring the rabbis and cantors of Lehigh Valley congregations. To learn more, contact the JDS at 610-437-0721. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9 Women’s Division Lunch & Learn 12 to 1:30 p.m., JCC of Allentown. Join the Women’s Division of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley for a Lunch & Learn program with Michal Barkai, founder and director of the Alma Preparatory School for Female Leadership in Israel, which provides pre-army education for young girls from Israel’s socio-economic peripheries. Program is $12, including lunch. Men and women welcome. Please RSVP to 610-821-5500 or mailbox@jflv.org. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11 Latke-Vodka: Lehigh Valley Jewish Professionals Chanukah Happy Hour 5:30 p.m., The Pub by Wegmans, 3900 Tilghman St., Allentown. Join other Lehigh Valley Jewish professionals for a Chanukah celebration. Grab a drink and get into the holiday spirit. Latkes, appetizers and your first drink are included. Respectful accommodation for dietary observance. $18 in advance, $20 at the door. To register, visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org. Sip. Schmooze. Connect. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12 PrimeTime at the J Meet the Artist Luncheon 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Gallery at the JCC. Meet artist Susan Biebuyck and hear about her work, which is currently on display at the Gallery at the JCC. The gallery also features work by several other artists, and participants will have plenty of time to holiday shop. $8 per person for kosher lunch and program. To register, call the JCC at 610-821-5500 or visit the Welcome Desk. Sponsored by PrimeTime at the J, a division of Jewish Senior Life Connection. SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14 Pomegranate & Lion of Judah Chanukah Brunch 10:30 a.m., private residence. Open to women who have made a commitment of $1,800 or more to the 2015 Campaign for Jewish Needs. To learn more, contact Judy Diamondstein at 610-821-5500 or judy@jflv.org. MONDAY, DECEMBER 15 Lehigh Valley Jewish Singles Baby Boomer Network Dinner and General Meeting 6 p.m., upstairs at Wegmans, Bethlehem. The third Monday of each month we get together at Wegman’s in Bethlehem. Whether you buy dinner there or bring your own, we eat, kibbutz, laugh and plan future events. Contact Susan Brody, 908-319-3022 or susanb5639@hotmail.com, to learn more.
FRIDAYS 8 - 9:30 AM WMUH 91.7 Featuring Cantor Wartell muhlenberg.edu/wmuh
The Lehigh Valley Jewish Singles Baby Boomer Network is sponsored by Jewish Family Service and open to anyone single and over the age of 55. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17 Simcha Club 12 p.m., Congregation Brith Sholom. The program will feature Canter Ellen Sussman and will include the opportunity to meet Rabbi Singer and hear him sing. The program is open to all senior citizens in the Lehigh Valley. Cost $5. Reservations are requested. Please call the Brith Sholom office to reserve, 610866-8099. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18 Hadassah Book Review 1:30 p.m., 2351 Esquire Drive, Easton. “In the Courtyard of the Kabbalist,” by Ruchama King Feurman. Free event. Contact Ann Goldberg, 610-829-1221. Sponsored by the Bethlehem Group Greater Philadelphia Chapter. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20 Lehigh Valley Jewish Singles Baby Boomer Network Chanukah Party 6 p.m., home of Deb Firestone. So often, Chanukah is geared toward children. Here is a chance to celebrate the holiday amongst fellow Boomers. Bring a little something for the party. Contact Susan Brody, 908-319-3022 or susanb5639@hotmail. com, to learn more. The Lehigh Valley Jewish Singles Baby Boomer Network is sponsored by Jewish Family Service and open to anyone single and over the age of 55. SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21 JCC Hanukkah Party: Food, Family, Festival and Fun 2 to 5:30 p.m., Independence Family Fun Center, 4345 Independence Drive, Schnecksville. Have fun with rock climbing, laser tag, bowling, roller skating and more. We will have a latke and donut bar with drinks and snacks. Cost: $18 per person, 3 and under free. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25 JCC Pancake Breakfast 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., JCC of Allentown. Fresh pancakes made by our chefs with toppings added by you. Juices, coffee, tea, fruit and more. Soft equipment to climb and tumble. Craft and movie to end the morning fun. $9 per person, $6 per JCC member; or $30 per family, $20 per JCC member family; children under 2 free. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25 Lehigh Valley Jewish Singles Baby Boomer Network Christmas Day Festivus Gathering 2 p.m., home of Dave Teumin. We are organizing a volunteer activity, to be announced, prior to the party at Dave’s. There we will play board games, so bring your favorite, and eat, laugh and kibbutz amongst friends. Bring a little something for the party. Contact Susan Brody, 908-319-3022 or susanb5639@hotmail.com, to learn more. The Lehigh Valley Jewish Singles Baby Boomer Network is sponsored by Jewish Family Service and open to anyone single and over the age of 55. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26 TBE Shira Chadasha Service 7:30 p.m., Temple Beth El. Temple Beth El invites you to share in our Shira Chadasha service. Come celebrate a musical Shabbat service with contemporary American and Israeli music. SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28 Fighting BDS on Campus 6:30 p.m., private residence. High school seniors and college students are invited to join the Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation for pizza and a facilitated discussion on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Share experiences and concerns and have an honest discussion about what is happening on your campus with Abi Weinryb of the Israel Action Network. RSVP by Dec. 22 to aaron@jflv.org. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31 Lehigh Valley Jewish Singles Baby Boomer Network New Year’s Eve Party 8 p.m., home of Deb Firestone. Once again we are going to eat, drink champagne, laugh, kibbitz and maybe dance into the New Year amongst friends. Bring a little something for the party. Contact Susan Brody, 908-319-3022 or susanb5639@ hotmail.com, to learn more. The Lehigh Valley Jewish Singles Baby Boomer Network is sponsored by Jewish Family Service and open to anyone single and over the age of 55.
Celebrate the beauty of Shabbat
Shabbat & Yom Tov Candlelighting Times Friday, Dec. 5
4:17 pm
Friday, Dec. 26
4:23 pm
Friday, Dec. 12
4:17 pm
Friday, Jan. 2
4:28 pm
Friday, Dec. 19
4:19 pm
Friday, Jan. 9
4:35 pm
Community Calendar Ongoing Events SUNDAY to FRIDAY DAF YOMI 7:30 a.m., Congregation Sons of Israel Meeting all year long, this class covers the gamut of Talmudic law, studying one page of the talmud each day, and completing the talmud over the course of seven and a half years. Basic Jewish background is recommended. SUNDAYS JEWISH WAR VETERANS POST 239 2nd Sunday of the month, 10 a.m., JCC of Allentown Veterans and their significant others are invited as the guest of the Ladies Auxiliary. Come and enjoy comradeship; we’ll even listen to your “war stories.” A brunch follows each meeting. Questions? Contact Commander Sheila Berg at 610-285-2729 or sh-berg1@hotmail.com. TEFILLIN CLUB & ADULT HEBREW SCHOOL 9:30 a.m. Tefillin; 10 to 11 a.m. Adult Hebrew, Chabad Tefillin is for Jewish men and boys over the age of Bar Mitzvah, to learn about, and gain appreciation for, the rich and enriching Jewish practice - the mitzvah - of donning Tefillin. Adult Hebrew is an opportunity for you to learn about your heritage and expand your Jewish knowledge so that you can keep up with your child. Contact 610-351-6511. TSS HEBREW & ADULT EDUCATION CLASSES 10 a.m., JCC of Allentown Interested in learning Hebrew for the first time or brushing up your skills? Marcia Berkow teaches adult Hebrew beginning at 10 a.m., followed at 11 a.m. by David Vaida, who will you take you through the great moments across all 5,774 years of Jewish history. Free and open to all. RSVP at learnwithus@templeshiratshalom.org or 610-820-7666. TALMUD CLASS FOR BEGINNERS! 10 to 11 a.m., Congregation Beth Avraham of Bethlehem-Easton For information,contact Rabbi Yitzchok I. Yagod at 610-905-2166. MONDAYS FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., JCC of Allentown Friendship Circle is a place for people to meet, make new friends and enjoy each other’s company. We welcome all adults over 50. Friendship Circle meets weekly for lively and enjoyable programs and a delicious lunch. Annual dues $25; paid up members are treated to two major programs with a catered luncheon. Regular weekly meetings and lunch - $6. First visit NO CHARGE. Weather permitting. Contact Betty at 610-395-6282 for reservations. SOUL MATES: JEWISH SECRETS TO MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS Once a month, 7 p.m., Chabad of the Lehigh Valley The Rosh Chodesh Society presents a new, seven-session course for women with instructor Devorah Halperin. This course draws upon millennia of Jewish wisdom, from the mystical to the down-to-earth, allowing women of all ages and walks of life to explore the intricacies of love and marriage from a Jewish perspective. The course will delve into a diverse array of Jewish sources, seamlessly weaving together the philosophical, the spiritual and the practical. $50 for the entire course (textbook included) or $10 per class. THE RHYTHM OF JEWISH LIVING 8 to 9 p.m., Temple Beth El Taught by Rabbi Moshe Re’em. This course will examine the ideas, beliefs and practices that define and shape Jewish life through daily, weekly, annual and lifecycle observances. The is designed as a year-long course for those wishing to learn more about the religious observances of Judaism, theology of the holidays and ritual practices. The course is organized around the Jewish calendar, but includes other daily Jewish rituals. TUESDAYS THE EVOLUTION OF JEWISH PRAYER 10:45 a.m., JCC of Allentown
Rabbi Wilensky takes this class through time and space as he traces the development of Tefillah from antiquity to modern times. Sponsored by Congregation Sons of Israel. YACHAD TORAH STUDY GROUP 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., JCC of Allentown It doesn’t matter how much you know, it matters how much you want to know. Bring your curiosity to thet Yachad Torah study group and discover the wonders, adventures and meaning of the Torah. Each FREE session is taught by one of our dedicated clergy members or a respected Jewish educator. Held in the Teachers’ Learning Center/Holocaust Resource Room (lower level, JCC). Call 610-4353571 for information about individual sessions. JFS-LV’S YIDDISH CLUB 1:30 p.m., Jewish Family Service Kibbitz in the mama loshen! You don’t need to be fluent — just come and enjoy! Call 610-821-8722 for more information. 100,000 MILES/YR FOR KOSHER! First Tuesday of the month, 7 p.m., Congregation Beth Avraham Open to all. Fascinating vignettes from a mashgiach who drives approximately 100,000 miles/year (yes, per year!) to keep the kosher supply chain intact. From rural Arkansas to frigid Nova Scotia, winter and summer, the demands are always there. Contact Rabbi Yitzchok I. Yagod, Kashruth Hotline (24/6), 610-905-2166, rabbiyagod1@gmail.com. LATTE & LEARN 8 to 9 p.m., Starbucks, Schoenersville Road, Bethlehem Grab your favorite Starbucks quaff and jump right in as we relate the weekly Torah portion to world events, western civilization and even our own relationships. No Hebrew is required, but a spirit of inquiry and a sense of humor might come in handy! Contact Rabbi Mizrachi 207-404-0474; opshiloh@gmail.com; www.torahovereasy. blogspot.com. WEDNESDAYS SUPPORT GROUP FOR ADULT CHILDREN CARING FOR AGING PARENTS 1 to 2:30 p.m., Jewish Family Service, 2004 Allen St., Allentown Please join us in a support group for adult children caring for aging parents. Weekly meetings for 12 weeks, excluding Dec. 24 and 31. Co-facilitators: Rebecca AxelrodCooper and Susan Sklaroff-Van Hook. Preregistration is required. Call 610-821-8722 or e-mail racooper@jfs-lv.org. A contribution of $5 per session would be appreciated, but is not required. HADASSAH STUDY GROUP Every other Wednesday, 1:30 p.m., Temple Beth El Allentown Hadassah presents a stimulating series of short story seminars. All are welcome to attend these free sessions in the Temple Beth El library. The group will be reading selections from anthologies available from Amazon.com. For dates and stories, e-mail Lolly Siegel at spscomm@ aol.com or call 610-439-1851. BETH AVRAHAM TORAH STUDY 7 p.m., Congregation Beth Avraham Torah: It is the common heritage that binds all Jews together. Explore the ancient healing wisdom of Torah together. All are welcome. Who knows? It might even be fun! RSVP: Rabbi Yitzchok I. Yagod, 610-9052166, rabbiyagod1@gmail.com. EXPLORATIONS IN SHOFTIM (JUDGES) 7 p.m., Sons of Israel Facilitated by Mrs. Abby Weiner, this is one of the Allentown’s most popular classes and a continuation of last year’s Explorations in Yehoshua. This class provides in-depth study of the text, and provides critical historical context for the events that follow in Jewish history. HUSBANDS ANONYMOUS First Wednesday of the month, 7:30 p.m., location upon signup Calling all wives! Send your husbands to this class! Rabbi WIlensky guides us on how to become more attentive, caring, sensitive partners, and how to strengthen and deepen our spousal relationships in the context of Torah. Contact Sons of Israel for exact dates and locations.
TORAH STUDIES: A WEEKLY JOURNEY INTO THE SOUL OF TORAH 7:30 p.m., Chabad Torah Studies by JLI presents: Season One: An 11-part series. Cost is $36 for the complete 11-week series (textbook included). For more information contact 610-3516511 or rabbi@chabadlehighvalley.com. ORTHODOX JEWISH LIVING: WHAT IS IT & HOW? 8 p.m. To learn more, contact Rabbi Yizchok I. Yagod, 610-905-2166 or rabbiyagod1@gmail.com THURSDAYS ADULT EDUCATION CLASS 10:15 to 11:15 a.m., Bnai Abraham Synagogue No preparation or prior knowledge is required. Rabbi Daniel Stein leads an eager-to-learn group. We examine the Torah, Judaism, the holidays, Hebrew and Yiddish literature, well-known stories and poetry. Cost: $10 each semester. Contact 610-258-5343, office@bnaiabraham.org. MOMMY & ME 10:30 to 11:15 a.m., Chabad Led by Devorah Halperin and Alli Lipson, Mommy & Me is an innovative program for babies and toddlers to experience Jewish traditions in a stimulating, fun and creative atmosphere. Cost is $10 per class, $40 for full session. For information and to register, morahdevorah@chabadlehighvalley.com. WHERE CHRISTIANITY & JUDAISM DIFFER 10:45 a.m., JCC of Allentown Have you ever had to explain Judaism to non-Jewish co-workers? With sensitivity and tact, Rabbi Wilensky discusses both the commonalities and divergences between the Jewish and Christian faith systems. Sponsored by Congregation Sons of Israel. TORAH ON TILGHMAN 12:15 p.m., Allentown Wegmans Cantor Ellen Sussman of Temple Shirat Shalom leads a lunch and learn on the Torah. RSVP to contactus@templeshiratshalom.com or 610-820-7666. FRIDAYS SIMCHA SHABBAT 1st Friday of the month, 6:30 p.m., Bnai Abraham Synagogue Please join us for our musical Simcha Shabbat and stay for a special oneg. For more information please call Bnai Abraham Synagogue at 610-258-5343. SHABBAT BEGINNER’S GEMARA 8 a.m., Congregation Sons of Israel Facilitated by Dr. Henry Grossbard, this is an excellent primer for developing the analytical tools necessary for in-depth study of the Talmud. Dr. Grossbard, a dynamic and erudite scholar in his own right, helps students understand the argumentbehind-the-argument, using Rashi, Tosafos and commentaries. JAVA AND JEANS 4th Saturday of the month, 10 a.m., Bnai Abraham Synagogue Join us for our monthly Shabbat service to discuss current topics of interest as they relate to Jewish laws and practices. For more information, call 610-258-5343. CHAVURAT TORAH STUDY Each Shabbat following kiddush lunch, Temple Beth El No sign-up needed for this class. Taught by Shari Spark. Enrich your Shabbat experience by studying the parashat hashavua, the weekly Torah portion, with other congregants, each Shabbat in the library at approximately 12:45 p.m. No previous knowledge or long-term commitments are required as we discuss Torah together. ISSUES IN CONTEMPORARY HALACHAH 12 p.m., Congregation Sons of Israel Applying the ancient wisdom of Jewish Law to modern challenges is one of the most fascinating aspects of Jewish life. Join Rabbi Wilensky as he takes Halachah from the weekly Torah portion and brings it to bear on some of the most pressing issues of our time. BNEI AKIVA 5:45 p.m., Congregation Sons of Israel An Israel-centered fun program for kids ages eight to 14. This program is free and open to the public. For information and to RSVP, call 610-433-6089.
Congregations BNAI ABRAHAM SYNAGOGUE 1545 Bushkill St., Easton – 610.258.5343 Rabbi Daniel Stein, Conservative MORNING MINYAN services are Thursday mornings at 7:25 a.m., SHABBAT EVENING services are Fridays at 8 p.m., SHABBAT MORNING services are Saturdays at 9:30 a.m., RELIGIOUS SCHOOL classes are Wednesdays at 4:15 p.m. and Sundays at 9:30 a.m.. CHABAD OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY 4457 Crackersport Rd., Allentown – 610.336.6603 Rabbi Yaacov Halperin, Chabad Lubavitch SHABBAT EVENING services are held once a month seasonally, SHABBAT MORNING services are held Saturdays at 10 a.m., RELIGIOUS SCHOOL classes are held Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. and Sundays at 10 a.m. CONGREGATION AM HASKALAH 1190 W. Macada Rd., Bethlehem – 610.435.3775 Student Rabbi Leiah Moser, Reconstructionist Weekly Shabbat services and a monthly family service with potluck dinner. Religious school meets Sunday mornings. Email am.haskalah.office@gmail.com to learn more. CONGREGATION BETH AVRAHAM 439 South Nulton Ave., Palmer Township – 610.905.2166 | Rabbi Yitzchok Yagod, Orthodox SHABBAT EVENING starts half an hour after candle lighting. SHABBAT MORNING starts at 9:30 a.m., followed by a hot kiddish. CONGREGATION BRITH SHOLOM 1190 W. Macada Rd., Bethlehem – 610.866.8009 Rabbi Michael Singer, Conservative MINYAN is at 7:45 a.m. on Mondays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. on Saturdays and holidays. RELIGIOUS SCHOOL classes every Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. at Brith Sholom and Sundays at 9:30 a.m. at Bnai Abraham Synagogue. CONGREGATION KENESETH ISRAEL 2227 Chew St., Allentown – 610.435.9074 Rabbi Seth D. Phillips | Cantor Jennifer Duretz Peled, Reform Services begin at 7:30 p.m. every Friday night. The first Friday of the month is a FAMILY SERVICE and celebration of birthdays and anniversaries. RELIGIOUS SCHOOL classes are held Wednesdays at 4 p.m. and Sundays at 9:30 a.m. CONGREGATION SONS OF ISRAEL 2715 Tilghman St., Allentown – 610.433.6089 Rabbi David Wilensky, Orthodox SHACHARIT: Sundays at 8:30 a.m., Mondays and Thursdays at 6:30 a.m., Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 6:45 a.m. MINCHAH/MAARIV: 20 minutes before sunset. FRIDAY EVENING: 20 minutes before sunset, 7 p.m. in the summer. SHABBAT MORNING: 9 a.m. SHABBAT AFTERNOON: 90 minutes before dark. TEMPLE BETH EL 1305 Springhouse Rd., Allentown – 610.435.3521 Rabbi Moshe Re’em | Cantor Kevin Wartell Conservative Weekday morning minyan services at 7:45 a.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m. Shabbat evening services at 7:30 p.m. with the last Friday evening of the month featuring our Shira Chadasha Service . Shabbat morning services at 9 a.m. followed by Kiddush. Religious school classes every Tuesday/ Thursday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 10 a.m. Midrasha school classes Monday at 7 p.m. Shalshelet — Temple Beth El’s new innovative high school program — meets bi-monthly on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. Shalshelet (the chain) is open to ALL 10th-, 11th- and 12th-grade students in the Lehigh Valley. For more information contact Alicia Zahn, religlious school director, at school at bethelallentown.org. TEMPLE COVENANT OF PEACE 1451 Northampton St., Easton – 610.253.2031 Tcp@rcn.com; tcopeace.org Rabbi Melody Davis | Cantor Jill Pakman Reform TCP holds Shabbat evening services every Friday night at 7:30 p.m. and a Renewal Style Shabbat morning service on the 4th Saturday of the month at 10:30 a.m. A Family Shabbat Service is held on the second Friday night of each month at 6:30 p.m. Our services reflect a diverse culture of traditional, innovative and musical experiences with a Reform Jewish context. Religious School meets on Sunday mornings from 9:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. We have a Family Game / Movie night on the first Saturday of every month at 6 p.m. For more information about our Temple and activities, see our website at www.tcopeace.org or look us up on Facebook. TEMPLE SHIRAT SHALOM Cantor Ellen Sussman Friday night SHABBAT WORSHIP SERVICES held at 7 p.m. at The Swain School, 1100 South 24th St., Allentown. For more information, Contact Us at templeshiratshalom.org or 610-820-7666.
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | DECEMBER 2014 31
weis wishes you a
Happy Chanukah!
Elite Milk Chocolate Coins
Fresh Kosher Boneless & Skinless Chicken Breast
Fresh Kosher Whole or Cut Up Fresh Chickens
3/ 1 5.49 2.49 0.53 ounce
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Golden Potato Pancakes
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Manischewitz Potato Pancake Mix
Kedem Sparkling Blush
6 ounce
25.4 ounce
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Cohen’s Mini Beef Franks
Fox’s U-Bet Syrup
6.4 ounce
22 ounce
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Streit’s Chanukah Candles
2/ 5 10.6 ounce
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Bake Shop Fresh (Sufganyot) Jelly Filled Donuts
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Savion Fruit Slices
Tabatchnick Chicken Broth
2 4 $ /
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Kedem Tea Biscuits
Tabatchnick Soups 15 ounce
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Weis Proudly Accepts Prices Effective November 16 through December 27, 2014
We also carry many of your favorite Kosher deli, dairy, frozen and grocery products. We reserve the right to limit quantities. Not responsible for typographical or pictorial errors.
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