The Voice of the Lehigh Valley Jewish Community
www.jewishlehighvalley.org
| Issue No. 493 | January 2026 | Tevet/Shevat 5786 AWARD-WINNING PUBLICATION EST. 1977
Jewish Day School celebrates Jewish values and honors three community leaders at 72nd annual gala. p9
The “indoor months” are a good time to reflect on your health. How does Judaism view wellness? And how is eating healthy Jewish? p19-22
FROM THE DESK OF JERI ZIMMERMAN p3 LVJF TRIBUTES p8 JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER p10-11 JEWISH DAY SCHOOL p12 JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE p13 COMMUNITY CALENDAR p23
Super Sunday
Women’s Philanthropy mitzvah project to highlight annual day of community giving By Carl Zebrowski Editor The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is bringing the Jewish community together again for a Super Sunday at the JCC on February 1, the weekend before the Super Bowl. But the goal here is not a sports championship. We’re gathering for a day of fun, education, and raising money to help fund all the good the Federation does for Jewish people locally, in Israel, and elsewhere. One of the main events of Super Sunday, which starts at 9 a.m. and runs to 1 p.m., is the Women’s Philanthropy mitzvah project at 11 a.m. Volunteers will pack waterproof Winter Care Bags full of
essential seasonal items to be distributed by the Jewish Family Service Community Food Pantry. “We would like to make at least 45 to 85 bags for pantry clients,” said Gia Jones, co-chair of the mitzvah along with Miriam Zager, Ilene Ringold, and Fay Kun. The items that will be packed are necessities that the federal government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) doesn’t cover. The list includes lip balm (unscented), hand lotion (unscented), pocket-size packs of tissues, grippy fuzzy socks, emery boards, and stain-removal pens. “We ask the community to help us by purchasing any of the items that are included in
the cold weather bag,” said Jones. People can do that by clicking on the Amazon Wishlist link on the mitzvah project page linked at jewishlehighvalley.org/ supersunday. Volunteers On Super Sunday 2025, Women’s Philanthropy packed Dignity Grows bags for Jewish Family participating in Service. The bags contained various hygiene items not covered by the Supplemental Nutrition the project will Assistance Program. create handwritten cards for the will make phone calls to Jewvah,” Jones said. recipients of the bags. They’ll ish Federation donors to ask Other programs on Super also write out cards to be Sunday include a Maimonides for pledges for its 2026 Annual sent to Israel Defense Forces Campaign for Jewish Needs. Society Brunch and Learn at soldiers by our Israeli PartFor more information on 9 a.m., a PJ Library Super Tu nership2Gether community of Super Sunday and to register B’Shevat Scavenger Hunt at Yoav. for the individual programs or 10:30 a.m., and Countering “We hope for a great turn for a time slot to make phone Active Threat Security Trainout for this very important ing at noon. Between the day’s calls, visit jewishlehighvalley. Women’s Philanthropy mitzprogram sessions, volunteers org/supersunday.
Celebrating Chanukah with a hoedown? Women’s Philanthropy shakes it up for annual gathering By Charlene Riegger Director of Marketing Did you ever see words put together that don’t seem to fit? I don’t mean an oxymoron. The words I’m getting to aren’t exactly opposites. But reading them together makes you do a double take: Chanukah hoedown. Chanukah evokes menorahs, dreidels, latkes, and sufganiyot (donuts). Surely not hoedown. But the cochairs for this year’s Women’s Philanthropy holiday celebration—Tracy Sussman,
Kimberly Valuntas, and Amy Oselkin—along with Lauren Rabin, president of the Jewish Federation Women’s Philanthropy, shook things up by deciding to host a Chanukah hoedown at the JCC on December 10. In recent years, the women have paired the fun holiday event with a mitzvah project. This year, they purchased battery-operated menorahs for Jewish Family Service to deliver to recipients of its Chanukah Mazel Meals. Chelsea Karp, the new executive director of JFS, spoke at Non-Profit Organization
of the Lehigh Valley 702 North 22nd Street Allentown, PA 18104
of the Lehigh Valley
of the Lehigh Valley
of the Lehigh Valley
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length about the assistance JFS provides to various clients, such as counseling, food pantry, social services, and older adult services. Karp has personally seen and heard the difference that JFS makes in people’s lives. She ended by thanking Women’s Philanthropy for literally and figuratively lighting up Chanukah for Mazel Meals recipients. Jeri Zimmerman, the Federation’s executive director, presented Lee Kestecher Solomon, Jewish Federation director of community engagement, and event Dr. Lynn Wilson co-chairs Tracy Sussman and Kimberly Valuntas. (Co-chair Amy Oselkin was unable to with her Women’s attend.) Philanthropy sionals. dances. Raisman explained Pomegranate pin. After some schmoozing that many line dances use She thanked Wilson for her and refreshments, the party the same 50 dance moves. strong support of the Federastarted hopping, with Alan So if you learn all of those, tion as a Pomegranate and a Raisman at the mic providmember of the Maimonides Chanukah hoedown ing step-by-step instructions Society of healthcare profescontinues on page 4 for two different 32-step line