Dr. Shai Davidai, the Israeli assistant professor at Columbia University who became famous last year for standing up to anti-Israel protests and other antisemitic acts on campus, is coming to the Lehigh Valley on September 11 to give his first talk to a U.S. audience since he resigned from the faculty this July.
Addressing this audience just a couple of hours west of downtown Manhattan on the anniversary of 9/11, as the global Jewish community continues to struggle with war in Israel, hostages still being held in Gaza, and increased incidents of antisemitism, Davidai will explore the relationship between the World Trade Center attack and what has been happening recently on college campuses and elsewhere
See our clergy’s takes on the High Holidays, greetings from Yoav, what the JDS and JFS are up to, synagogue services schedules, and more. Special section
JEWISH DAY SCHOOL p12
JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE p13
DONOR HONOR ROLL p14-16
COMMUNITY CALENDAR p23
Prof who stood up to Columbia protests to talk here 9/11
across America, he says.
“The rhetoric targeting Jews and Israel on campuses is disturbing,” Davidai tells Hakol, “but it’s only part of a deeper story—a growing rejection of the values that define America and the West.
On September 11, 24 years after the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil, I’ll speak about why this ideology must be confronted now, and why the moderate, common-sense majority has a responsibility to stand against it.”
The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley invites all who have pledged $365 or more to its 2026 Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs to attend this important and timely event. Partnering with the Federation for this special program at Temple Beth El is StandWithUs, an international Israel education organization that inspires and educates
people of all ages and backgrounds, challenges misinformation, and fights antisemitism using its own resources and legal professionals to defend civil and human rights.
Davidai is widely recognized for his outspoken advocacy for Jewish students and his leadership in confronting antisemitism at Columbia last year. He was barred from campus in April 2024 after confronting administrators about pro Palestinian encampments during violent protests. He faced widespread harassment allegations that prompted an investigation.
In October he was temporarily suspended for violating university harassment policies. He resigned from his position in July citing a lack of trust in the institution.
Davidai has emerged
through this ordeal as a powerful voice promoting academic integrity, campus safety, and moral clarity in the face of rising antisemitism across colleges.
The 9/11 evening begins at 7:15 p.m. at Temple Beth El.
Dessert will be served (dietary laws observed). Cost is $36 per person. Registration is required at jewishlehighvalley.regfox.com/communityreception.
Bill Markson, Federation’s new president, is Here for Good
By Carl Zebrowski Editor
One of the many things Bill Markson likes about the Lehigh Valley is that you have to put in some effort to be Jewish here. It’s not automatic.
The new board president of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley has seen it both ways, thinking back to his days growing up outside New York City. “Almost our whole neighborhood was Jewish, and 70% of high school as well,” Billy says. “A
lot of the Jewish stuff you just took for granted.
“It was all around you culturally, but you weren’t really making a choice. Here in the Lehigh Valley, it does require you to make a choice to live in a Jewish way. I think that enhances the satisfaction of it.”
The Lehigh Valley has been a satisfying place for him to live and live Jewishly for close to 40 years, since moving here with his wife, Jane, in 1989. His family roots go even farther back. His grandfather Marko Markow-
itz, an Romanian immigrant, had textile mills in downtown Allentown. Billy’s father was born here and spent some time here as a kid, though he grew up mostly in New York.
His dad attended Philadelphia Textile Institute and served a hitch in the U.S. Air Force, then resurrected part of the family textile business in Walnutport. Young Billy attended cousins’ bar and bat mitzvahs at the old Temple Beth El on Hamilton Street.
Jane has roots in the Lehigh Valley too. Evidence of that remains for all to see in the form of photos of Gotlieb family members hanging on walls in the JCC.
After settling here themselves, the Markson’s sent their kids to the JCC and Jewish Day School. As you’d expect, frequent visits to both places followed. They made a lot of friends fast.
After Jane’s father, Milton Sanders, died, she and Billy brought Jane’s mom, Audrey, to town. A bunch of friendly Jewish women welcomed her, and she worked at Jewish
Family Service as a therapist. She provided a second home for the Marksons’ kids.
Today, their son Jon and his wife, Julia, live in Allentown. Their daughters Becca and Liz live elsewhere, but both consider the Lehigh Valley a second home.
By day (and no doubt some nights too), Billy is a cardiologist with St. Luke’s University Health Network. Jane is also with St. Luke’s, as assistant general counsel in the legal department—which is headed by none other than Robbie Wax, senior vice president and general counsel, and Billy’s friend and predecessor as Federation president.
Billy has long experience volunteering the Jewish community. He was on the JCC board for years and chaired the committee for the JCC’s celebration of 100 years in the Lehigh Valley in 2018.
For the Jewish Federation, Billy served as president of the Maimonides Society of healthcare professionals until 2022, cochair of the Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs
until this July, and now board president.
No one reading this needs to be told it’s a tough time to come into a role like this, supporting and advocating for Israel and the Jewish community here and around the world. “We have a lot of challenges right now,” he says, “partially because of the October 7 Hamas invasion and the aftermath of that, all the protests on campuses related to that, and a lot of people suffering in Gaza.
Bill Markson continues on page 7
Israeli professor Shai Davidai outside of Columbia University, April 22, 2024. (Jewish Telegraphic Agency photo by Luke Tress)
Israel Scouts bring a bit of Israel to the JCC stage
By Carl Zebrowski Editor
It was a long journey that brought the Israel Scouts Friendship Caravan to the Allentown JCC for singing, dancing, camaraderie, Jewish pride, and just plain fun on August 4.
The caravan took off from Israel in the early summer, landed in San Francisco, and zigzagged its way through the Heartland to the East Coast.
“We traveled all the way from the other side of the world just to be with you today,” Ilai told the audience. He was one of nine 17-yearold Israel Scouts who’d been performing for over two months as part of the Scouts’ annual summer caravan to reach out to and make friends in American Jewish communities.
“I feel like we are actually changing people’s lives just by bringing this thing that they want to see in these difficult times,” he told Hakol about the Scouts’ tour of the United States. “I hear it’s so special to them, and it’s wonderful to do.”
The show opened to an excited and extremely engaged crowd with the song “We Are the Heroes,” referring to Israelis in general and members of the Diaspora as the global Jewish community continues to face the challenges of the post-10/7 era. One of the performers offered a definition of hero that generously fit the community’s present situation to a T: “A hero is someone who keeps his head up no matter what happens.” Even better, from another performer: “I think you just might be our favorite crowd ever.”
Adults and kids of all ages danced around the auditorium to the music, and
performers often bounced down the stage stairs to join them. The main line from the theme of the TV sitcom “Friends” captured one of the night’s recurring themes: “I’ll be there for you, ’cause you’re there for me too.” Israelis for American Jews, American Jews for Israel.
“I think in the past hour you’ve seen many different faces of Israel,” Ilai told Hakol afterward. “You’ve seen the happy, you’ve seen the loving, you’ve seen the mourning, you’ve seen the… I’m running out of words. It’s nice to be able to bring something different, although we always remember the stuff that’s going on. It’s always on our minds.”
The performance closed with the Americans and Israelis in the auditorium singing Hatikvah together as performers on the stage held up the flag of each country.
“Shalom, shalom from Israel!” one performer yelled. “We’ll see you in the Holy Land!”
Then the stage emptied, with the Scouts streaming down to the floor to chat and make friends with audience members. It is the Friendship Caravan, after all.
Omer, a caravan co-leader came out from behind the sound board she’d been operating during the stage act. “The whole purpose of this show... It’s not about the show,” she said. “The show is the icebreaker that makes the bond and the connection after the show, this mingling time, more meaningful.”
“It’s something that the news cannot do anymore, that politicians cannot do anymore, that our parents and education cannot do anymore. It’s only this personal meeting.”
JCC campers sing and dance along, and make new friends
Camp JCC welcomed the Israel Scouts Friendship Caravan for a vibrant and uplifting show on the afternoon of August 4 that filled the Kline Auditorium with energy, spirit, and a deep sense of cultural pride.
This talented group of 17-year-old Israelis shared Israeli heritage through a dynamic mix of music, dance, and storytelling. Their performance resonated with campers and staff, offering a meaningful and entertaining glimpse into Israeli culture.
The camp-wide performance drew an enthusiastic crowd of over 200, all of whom were swept up in the energy of the event. What made the experience truly special was the connection it sparked within the Camp JCC community. As the Scouts sang and danced, the enthusiasm was infectious—campers and staff clapped, sang along, and were even pulled out of their seats to join the Scouts in dance. The auditorium was transformed into a joyous celebration of unity and shared experience.
The Scouts’ visit was part of a larger Israel Day celebration at Camp JCC. Alongside Camp JCC shlichim (Israeli liaisons), the Scouts helped lead cultural activities throughout the day, including “army training” drills and popular Israeli playground games. Their presence added an authentic and spirited touch to the festivities, helping campers connect more deeply with Israeli culture and traditions.
Hope, resilience, and rebuilding
As the Jewish world prepares to welcome Rosh Hashanah, the New Year 5786 on the Hebrew calendar, we are all reflecting on a year marked by profound grief, enduring resilience, and an unshakable hope for peace.
In synagogues and homes across Israel and the Diaspora, the moving sound of the shofar will soon echo the ancient call to spiritual awakening, a stirring reminder of our shared desire for renewal. This year, that desire feels more urgent, more visceral. The Israel-Gaza war, which began in October 2023, continues to shape daily life with heartbreak and uncertainty, touching nearly every corner of the Jewish world.
Rosh Hashanah, beginning at sundown on Monday, September 22, marks the start of the High Holy Days period
of introspection, prayer, and reconciliation. It is a time when Jewish tradition calls for accounting of the soul (cheshbon hanefesh), urging individuals and communities to examine their actions and seek a better path forward.
For many in Israel and beyond, this year’s soulsearching carries a weight unlike any in recent memory. There is mourning for the thousands of lives lost, for the families shattered, for the communities displaced. There is trauma etched into the faces of children, woven into the routines of daily life, echoed in sirens and silences. And yet there is also resilience. It is found in the neighbors helping neighbors, in the volunteers rebuilding homes, in the students returning to school despite the fear, in the quiet prayers whispered in bomb
shelters. It is in the reunions of families once separated by violence and in the determination to keep living fully, even in the shadow of grief.
Many of my friends in Israel approach this new year with a heavy heart. And yet Rosh Hashanah serves as a reminder that renewal is always possible even in the darkest times. It insists that beginnings matter. We are not defined solely by what has happened to us, but by how we choose to respond.
The war, now heading into its second year, has claimed tens of thousands of lives on both sides. While intermittent ceasefires have brought brief moments of stillness, a permanent resolution remains just beyond reach. Still, in the past weeks there have been tentative signs of movement, quiet diplomacy, new chan-
Hope - Resilience - Rebuilding
nels of dialogue, subtle shifts in tone. Maybe the turning of the calendar can become more than symbolic. Perhaps it can offer a space, however fragile, for renewed efforts toward peace.
Across Jewish communities around the world, this Rosh Hashanah holds added weight. It is a moment to pray not only for personal renewal, but also for collective healing. For the return of hostages, for the restoration of dignity, for the rebirth of hope. For the rebuilding of homes, of trust, of shared futures.
As we dip apples in honey and share the familiar greeting of Shanah Tovah, a good year, many may ask, what could a “good year” look like?
A year of safety.
A year of justice.
A year of healing.
A year where we rebuild
October 7th Humans
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. COMMUNITY SUBMISSIONS
Submissions to HAKOL must be of interest to the entire Jewish community. HAKOL reserves all editorial rights including, but not limited to, the decision to print any submitted materials, the editing of submissions to conform to style and length requirements, and the placement of any printed material. Quotes may be edited for grammar and clarity. Articles should be submitted by e-mail or presented as typed copy; “Community Calendar” listings must be submitted by e-mail to hakol@jflv.org or online at www.jewishlehighvalley.org. Please include your name and a daytime telephone number where you can be contacted in the event questions arise. We cannot guarantee publication or placement of submissions.
MAIL, FAX, OR E-MAIL TO: JFLV ATTN: HAKOL 702 N. 22nd St. Allentown, PA 18104
We gratefully acknowledge those individuals who have offered expressions of friendship by requesting that trees be planted in the Mark L. Goldstein Friendship Park, a Yoav-Lehigh Valley Partnership Forest.
IN MEMORY
LEONARD GOLDSTEIN
(Husband of DeeDee Goldstein, father of Sue Goldstein and Grandfather of Julie Delin)
Beth and Scott Delin
MICHAEL HYMAN
(Son of Mina Hyman, brother of Nat Hyman)
Lisa and Barnet Fraenkel
MICHAEL KLINE
(Husband of Rabbi Hara Pell) Lisa and Barnet Fraenkel
WESLEY (WES) KOZINN
(Husband of Beth Kozinn, brother of Nancy Falchuk)
Jill and Jeff Blinder
Marilyn Claire and Family
Lisa and Robert Feldman
Lisa and Barnet Fraenkel
Carole and Michael Langsam
Margie and Jay Strauss
Arlene and Richard Stein
NORMAN RAFELSON (Father of Margo Lightman)
Aaron Gorodzinsky and Jennie Schechner
TO ORDER TREES, call the JFLV at 610-821-5500 or visit jewishlehighvalley.org.
not only our communities, but our sense of shared humanity.
Whether or not those prayers will be answered remains uncertain. But Rosh Hashanah, with its deep call to begin again, offers a spiritual framework for imagining that change is possible, that peace is not beyond reach, and that even amid pain, the seeds of renewal can take root.
In the words we say during the holiday, hayom harat olam, today the world is born anew. Let us work together to bring a world shaped by compassion, courage, connection, and the will to begin again.
LEE KESTECHER SOLOMON Director of Community Engagement
DR. WILLIAM MARKSON JFLV President
WENDY EDWARDS Office Manager
GINGER HORSFORD Donor Services Associate
Phone: (610) 821-5500
Fax: (610) 821-8946
E-mail: hakol@jflv.org
Member American Jewish Press Association
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
Blessed Memory of Mark L. Goldstein
A Federation explainer: What is Life and Legacy?
By Lynne Shampain Life and Legacy Chair
Life and Legacy is a program to grow endowment funds for our local Jewish organizations, ensuring their strength for generations to come. It was created by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation in Springfield, Massachusetts, the same foundation that started PJ Library for Jewish children.
About eight years ago, our Jewish Federation, rep-
resenting all of our agencies and synagogues, applied for and received a grant to join dozens of other Jewish communities in this important effort. Together, we’re working to preserve our synagogues, agencies, and programs so they remain vibrant well into the future.
Creating a Life and Legacy gift doesn’t require an immediate cash contribution. You can make your commitment now, with your gift realized in the future.
This eight-session series will be in person at 9:30 a.m. in the JCC Board Room. The cost is $100 per person. A recording of each class will be available for those who cannot attend. Registration is required to attend in person or to view the recordings.
To register, scan the QR code, or visit the link below or call 610.821.5500.
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First, take care of your loved ones, then decide which Jewish organizations you cherish and want to sustain. You can include one or many in your legacy.
What is an endowment?
An endowment is a fund that provides steady, longterm support. The principal is typically preserved, while investment earnings are used to cover both planned and unexpected expenses.
These funds can support daily operations, enhance security, repair a roof or HVAC system, fund a special project, or honor a loved one. Your gift can be designated for a specific purpose or general use, allowing the principal to grow and generate greater returns over time.
Why join Life and Legacy?
By joining, you ensure the future of the Jewish places and programs that have shaped your life—synagogues where you’ve worshiped, schools where your children have learned, places where you’ve celebrated life’s milestones, organizations that made you feel at home. Without this support, many of these treasured institutions will not survive forever. You have
THURSDAY SESSIONS
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*During the week of Thanksgiving, the Thursday class will be on Wednesday.
the power to make sure Jewish life in the Lehigh Valley continues to thrive.
How to get started
Reach out to a Life and Legacy volunteer at any participating organization, or contact Aaron Gorodzinsky at the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley at 610-8215500 or aaron@jflv.org.
Conversations can take place over coffee, tea, lunch, or on Zoom if you’re outside the Lehigh Valley. The process is simple and even enjoyable. You’ll be joining many friends and neighbors who have already made this meaningful commitment.
Does age matter?
Most participants join after age 55 or in retirement, but anyone can participate at any stage, often when creating or updating a will. Many choose to designate a portion of their retirement account or life insurance policy, which can also offer tax advantages.
Ensuring your wishes are met
You’ll complete a brief confirmation form and provide documentation, such as a will excerpt, showing your intended gift. This form is
kept securely by the Federation and ensures your wishes are followed up accordingly. Gifts of any size are welcome.
Your plans are flexible. You can adjust your legacy gift at any time. Some choose to add a percentage of their IRA, create a donor-advised fund, or include an unused life insurance policy. Your financial advisor can help you choose the most tax-efficient options.
How will you be remembered?
Your gift will reflect your values, inspiring your children, grandchildren, and community. Your name will be listed on our Life and Legacy Honor Roll as a testament to your generosity and vision.
Want to learn more?
Request the free Planning Your Legacy guide from Aaron Gorodzinsky at aaron@ jflv.org or pick up a copy at participating organizations. Call Aaron at 610-821-5500 or visit lvfjgiving.org. You choose the moment in your life that feels right to begin, and your legacy will last forever.
As the High Holidays approach, I want to remind everyone that it’s important to report all incidences of antisemitism, suspicious persons/vehicles, and anything else questionable. We do not want these acts to be underreported. We know that these incidents are happening at an alarming rate. The Secure Community Network’s Jewish Security Operations Command Center, or Duty Desk, tracks all information reported to them. Some of the information reported is critical to assisting law enforcement investigate and, in some cases, make arrests. Our team of experienced analysts employs a state-of-the-art proprietary technology stack, our Realtime Actionable Intelligence Network (Project RAIN), to sift through vast amounts of internet traffic, including social media sites and the dark web, to identify potential threats and trends that could impact Jewish life.
Tim Brooks, SCN Regional Security Advisor tbrooks@securecommunitynetwork.org | 872-400-0239
Strings of Hope
Violins from the Holocaust, Hiroshima to feature in commemoration promoting peace
By Carl Zebrowski Editor
A Shabbat evening at Congregation Brith Sholom commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II will feature two violins with profound histories, each of which survived one of the war’s defining tragedies: the Holocaust and the atomic bombings of Japan.
This evening gathering on September 13 will include Havdalah, a dessert reception, and Orthodox and egalitarian selichot services.
The commemorative Strings of Hope program brings together live music, spoken word, and film to present the powerful symbol of the two violins, representing both tragedy and hope, to an audience that is living through its own divided, conflict-ridden period in world history.
“My hope is for the audience to absorb the human side of historical events that inflicted horrors on citizens from different sides of the conflict, reminding all of us of our shared responsibility
to build bridges to ensure that future generations never witness the tragedies of war,” said Bar-David, the Philadelphia Orchestra cellist and native of Israel who created and will lead the program. Strings of Hope shares the stories of the violins and the courageous and resilient musicians who performed on them in their native Europe and in Asia. “These prominent musicians introduced European traditions to cities such as Hiroshima and Shanghai,” said Bar-David, who also is founder and ar-
tistic director of Intercultural Journeys and ARTolerance, promoting cross-cultural understanding, dialog, and peace. “Their instruments now carry their legacy forward.”
Bar-David will perform live on cello along with Kosaburo Kineya on shamisen and Joe Small on taiko drum. Their repertoire will highlight traditional Japanese and Jewish musics in a unique interaction between the cello and the two Japanese instruments. The trio will also improvise as inspired by the
film.
This Strings of Hope evening is made possible through the support of the Judith and Stanley Walker Family Foundation in partnership with the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, the Lehigh Valley Jewish Clergy Group, Udi Bar-David, and Miko Green, representative of the Japan Society of New York.
The program will begin at 8:15 p.m. and end around 10. Registration is required at jewishlehighvalley.regfox. com/strings-of-hope.
So the kids never forget The legacy of a Bethlehem school’s Holocaust program lives on at the JDS
By Carl Zebrowski Editor
The seventh-grade students at East Hills Middle School in Bethlehem were disappointed. Not only had they not been sent home because of the snowstorm, but the road conditions forced their special guest scheduled to visit them that day to cancel.
David Tuck lived an hour away, around Philadelphia, and traveling that distance through the wintry mess would be iffy at best. So his decision made sense.
But the kids had been very much looking forward to seeing him again. “He survived the Holocaust,” one student said. “He can survive a snowstorm.”
The seventh graders had talked with Tuck on multiple occasions about his Holocaust experience and how important it is to combat antisemitism. Survivor and students developed a strong bond with mutual trust, respect, and affection.
These youths were part a Holocaust education program set up and run at their school by their teachers Mona Koury-Elias and Victoria Bartkus from 2014 to 2021. As things happen, the program was scaled down and folded into a larger one after that, but those eight years made a strong, positive impression on all involved.
Bartkus brought the idea for the program from her previous school in Allentown. The plan the two teachers developed for East Hills called for two class periods each day for 45 days. The intensive, multidisciplinary program included reading, writing, and presenting. There was plenty of opportunity for the kids to come away with a body of important information, personal stories, and probing thoughts that would stick with them a long time.
The program was developed to be as interesting as
possible to engage the kids, hands-on too, and with individuals working together as teams. “We created little museumlike classrooms,” KouryElias explained. Small presentations were created for students and others to view and explore. Holocaust survivors like Tuck visited to talk about their personal experiences in Nazi Europe. “We did so many things with the kids—projects, trips…,” said Koury-Elias.
There were picture books, novels, and more. “I didn’t even know there were Holocaust picture books,” said Koury-Elias.
Bartkus recalled a trip that one of her Holocaust education groups in Allentown took to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. At one exhibit there, visitors were allowed to touch a bunk from a concentration camp.
One of the kids in her group had had a troubled childhood. He’d been arrested before and was often disruptive in class. This 13-year-old boy with the tough façade walked over to the display, Bartkus said. “He touched a bed and burst into tears.”
“It’s got to be different,” she recalled him saying through sobs as classmates gathered around to comfort him. “It can’t be like this anymore.” Bartkus needed no further proof that Holocaust education programs for kids made a real impact.
Over the years of the East Hills program, Koury-Elias and Bartkus accumulated an assortment of books they used to help tell the Holocaust story to their kids.
When the program ended, she hung onto the collection for a while, not ready to give up these resources that had made such an impression on her students. Then the time came when she felt ready to pass them on to someone who could use them as she and Bartkus had.
One day earlier this year, she happened to be searching for a lawyer to work on some documents and stumbled onto the name Daniel Cohen, an attorney with Hof and Reid in Easton. A little research quickly turned up information on his long-time leadership and volunteer roles in the Lehigh Valley Jewish community.
Koury-Elias contacted Cohen about the books, and he knew just what to do: donate them to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley’s Holocaust Resource Center. She dropped off the books, and Danny got them to their destination.
She wrote a note to Cohen, giving him a little background on the East Hills program and thanking him for his help. “I can’t tell you how much I miss doing the unit my colleague and I developed,” she told him. “I am
glad to know the books will be going to a good place.”
Cohen responded with a thankyou of his own, for the books and more. “I also want to state that you are to be thanked for the fact that you have taught several generations of the impor tance of the memory of the Holocaust in order to never have it happen again,” he wrote. “Yours is a lasting gift to the Jewish community and our story.”
Center.
Today, those gifted books are part of the Holocaust Resource Center, through which our community members continue to make, under the leadership of Shari Spark, visits to public schools with presentations and exhibits on Holocaust education. The Jewish Day School holds the book collection, waiting to be viewed, read, and shared by kids and others in the brandnew Eva and Larry Levitt Jewish Learning and Cultural
The JDS will officially open the Levitt Center with a ribbon-cutting celebration on September 12 at 10 a.m. If you’d like to attend, visit jdslv.org/ribbon or call Beth Kushnick at 610-437-0721 by September 8 to register.
To help keep the Levitt Center operating into the future, contact Aaron Gorodzinsky at the Jewish Federation at aaron@jflv.org or 610804-5801 to contribute to the endowment fund that Larry Levitt has established.
Clockwise from above left: Auschwitz diorama, young victims diorama, and Anne Frank’s secret annex diorama.
NextGen kicks off its third year with family picnic
By Billy Thompson Digital Marketing Associate
NextGen’s third year of programming began with a potluck picnic with adults and kids enjoying food and fun at Allentown’s Grange Park on Sunday afternoon, August 24.
The picnic spread featured home-made pasta salad, fresh-baked Philly-style soft
pretzels, a veggie tray, pizza, and dessert bars.
Some of the adults sat and talked at picnic tables under a long pavilion, while others walked their kids over to the playground for some oldfashioned outdoor play.
The swings were a hot commodity. A row of NextGen parents stood pushing their little ones to great
heights. As Asher Lightman put it, “I’m touching the sky!”
Other kids scaled the play structures. A large jungle gym brought images of castles to mind.
Adorably, the imagination of children can cancel the need for such structures. A boulder, for example, can become a pirate ship. Maya Busch and her friend Rosie
Miner became little pirates, steering their boulder-ship into treacherous waters.
Luckily, we made it through okay. But then, of course, we had to walk the plank. Rosie insisted we all could swim, though, so we simply swam away!
The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley thanks its NextGen cochairs—Chelsea
Busch, Gia Jones, Bill Miner, and Lyell Scherline—for helping make the picnic happen. Stay tuned for exciting updates on what’s ahead for NextGen. A dollar-a-day donation ($365) is required to attend NextGen events. If you’d like to be involved, find out more by visiting jewishlehighvalley.org/nextgen.
Bill Markson
Continued from page 1
“We are traditionally a community of people that have had to overcome a lot of problems. To have it appear to the outside world that we’re causing problems is difficult for us, difficult internally and difficult for us know what our place is in the world.”
Bill says it’s important to put all this in context and to keep the Jewish people’s
history and traditions alive as the global community navigates its way into the future. “We still have this shared heritage that make us feel like we belong to something,” he says. “We have a story that’s stretching back over 2,000 years, and we tell the story often. We can concentrate on the challenges, but we also need to concentrate on who
we are separate from our enemies.”
He sees this as a big part of keeping the Lehigh Valley Jewish community alive and vibrant. “I hope our organizations thrive,” he says, “that they remain or become an important part of everyone’s life.”
His role as Federation president puts him among the public faces of the ongoing effort to ensure that happens. “I’m 66 and I’m planning to live here for the rest of my days.”
We Are HIRING! Manager of Finance and Administration
For
Sept. 5, 2025
Shofar Shabbat | 5 p.m. Congregation Brith Sholom
Sept. 19, 2025
Rosh Hashanah Tot Shabbat | 3:30pm Congregation Bnai Sholom
Oct. 10, 2025
Sukkot Shabbat Pizza in the Hut | 5 p.m. Congregation Brith Sholom
Chanukah Tot Shabbat | 5 p.m. Congregation Brith Sholom
Dec. 12, 2025
Chanukah Tot Shabbat Friday | 3:30pm Bnai Shalom
Feb. 27, 2026
Purim Tot Shabbat | 3:30 Congregation Bnai Shalom
To register, scan the QR code or visit jewishlehighvalley.org/pj or call 610.821.5500.
in the observance of Shabbat laws, please do not use any electronics at this event.
BE AWARE TRAINING
How to recognize suspicious or potentially dangerous behavior and threats, and what to do. Designed for every member of the community, no background in security is required. The course will cover the basics of situational awareness.
Training Date:
Monday, Nov. 17, 2025, at 2:00 PM
COUNTERING ACTIVE THREAT TRAINING
A comprehensive training program to counter an active threat event developed for faithbased institutions and houses of worship.
Training Date:
Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, at 7:00 PM
GUARDIAN TRAINING
Guardians take responsibility for the safety and security of themselves, families, and community. Learn skillsets that help you identify, protect, and respond to all hazards, enabling you to become an Active Bystander in your community.
Training Date:
Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, at 9:00 AM
DE-ESCALATION TRAINING
De-escalation Training equips people with the knowledge, skills, and techniques to defuse or reduce tension, hostility, or conflict in a situation.
Training Date:
Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, at 7:00 PM
All training sessions are located at the Jewish Community Center. Registration is required. To register, scan the QR code or visit jewishlehighvalley.org/security-training-schedule or call 610.821.5500. of the Lehigh Valley of
IN HONOR
SYLVIA AND SAM BUB
In celebration of your granddaughter Jenna’s upcoming marriage
Audrey and Art Sosis
Ellen Sosis and Scott Anderson
CAROL AND GARY FROMER
In celebration of your daughter
Jenna’s upcoming marriage
Audrey and Art Sosis
Ellen Sosis and Scott Anderson
JEFF GEVIRTZ
In celebration of the birth of your granddaughter, Nina Roberta and Jeff Epstein
EVELYN AND JAY LIPSCHUTZ
In celebration of your granddaughter Leah Leisawitz’s Bat Mitzvah
Lynne and Mark Shampain
JOANNA AND JONATHAN POWERS
In celebration of your son Yitzi’s engagement to Devorah Gold
Aaron Gorodzinsky and Jennie Schechner
LYNNE AND MARK SHAMPAIN
In celebration of your 50th wedding anniversary
Hank Narrow and Sheryl Martin
AUDREY AND ARTHUR SOSIS
In celebration of your 60th wedding anniversary
Roberta and Jeff Epstein
Carole and Michael Langsam
Lota and Bob Post
Arlene and Richard Stein
BARBARA AND CHARLES
VENGROVE
In celebration of your 71st wedding anniversary
Susan and Marc Vengrove
WAX FAMILY
In celebration of your son and grandson Ben graduating law school
The Bub Family
MORT WEISBURD
In celebration of your Special Birthday
Carole and Michael Langsam
IN MEMORY
ELSIE GLASSMAN
(Grandmother of Lisa Kirschbaum)
Shirley Furmansky
DAVID GREENBERG
(Husband of Judith Greenberg)
Sandra and Harold Goldfarb
Carole and Michael Langsam
Adam and Penny Roth
Selma Roth
Randi and Donald Senderowitz
JONATHAN HALTZMAN
(Son of Jay Haltzman, brother of Jennifer Tracy)
Carole and Michael Langsam
MICHAEL HYMAN
(Son of Mina and Herb z”l Hyman, brother of Nat Hyman, partner of Wilma Larratt-Smith)
Patti Raynock
Nancy Roth and Family
The Team at Skyline Capital Group
WESLEY (WES) KOZINN
(Husband of Beth Kozinn, father of Ben, Spencer and Rachel, brother of Andy Kozinn)
Aliette and Marc Abo
Carrie Adlman
Barbara and Gary Asteak
Nancy and Mark Belsky
Marge and Doug Blake
Debbie and Robert Brown
Michael Byrne and Tracey
Thomson
Maureen and Michael Cholowa
Jill and Ira Coleman
Ruth Derby
Jeanette and Eduardo
Eichenwald
Roberta and Jeff Epstein
Barbara Ezrol
Ellen and Richard Fox
Andrea and Ollie Foucek
Carol and Stewart Furmansky
Sandra and Harold Goldfarb
Aaron Gorodzinsky and Jennie
Schechner
Melissa and Harvey Hakim
Sheri and Michael Halsband
Ellen and Philip Hof
Marge and Russ Holmes
Audrey and Steve Kanoff
Jane and Arthur Kaplan
Roberta and Robert Kritzer
Merry Landis
Suzanne Lapiduss and Family
Mike Miller
Alice and Mark Notis
Cooky Notis
Ann and David Packman
Elaine and Leon Papir
Regency at South Whitehall
Randi and Donald Senderowitz
Gillian and Scott Shafranek
Lynne and Mark Shampain
Dianne and Ron Somma
Ilene and Mark Thaw
Eileen Ufberg and Family
Susan and Marc Vengrove
Judy and Stanley Walker
Vicki Wax
Cherie and Rick Zettlemoyer
BRINDA GOLDSTONE TAGER
(Cousin of Rance Block)
Evelyn Brown
JOSEPH SEGER
(Uncle of Douglass and Gregg Goldfluss)
Evelyn Brown
CAROLE WEST
(Sister of Jean Mishkin)
Carol and Stewart Furmansky
BERNIE YAMNER
(Husband of Marilyn Yamner)
Eileen Ufberg
EVA Z”L AND LARRY LEVITT JEWISH LEARNING AND CULTURAL CENTER FUND
Arny Kaplan
Carole and Michael Langsam
VICKI WAX JEWISH STUDENT CAMPUS LEADERSHIP AWARD FUND
Margo and Michael Brozost
Jeanette and Eduardo
Eichenwald
Ann and Myron Falchuk
Roberta and Robert Kritzer
Taffi Ney
Kelsey Paciotti, O
Magi Labib, O D
Amanda Hadeed, O
Mark Krakauer, M D , M
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 jewishlehighvalley.org to place your card requests.
Thank you for your support.
Welcome Jen Moyer, Early Childhood Education Assistant Director
Dear JCC friends,
successful program. So, I am excited to introduce Jen Moyer, our new Assistant Director in Early Childhood Education. With a passion for fostering young minds and a wealth of experience in early childhood development, Jen brings a
creating nurturing, inclusive environments that support both children and educators. As Assistant Director, Jen will work closely with staff and families to ensure the continued success and growth of our programs, with a focus on enhancing
As with all our classrooms, this classroom will provide a nurturing and enriching environment where young learners can grow, explore, and develop essential skills.
As the High Holidays approach and we prepare to welcome the new year of 5786, the staff and board of the JCC always take time to reflect on our organizational and community journey over the past year, as well as dream about where we are headed next. The High Holidays invite us to slow down, take time to contemplate life’s most important questions, and enter the new year with gratitude, introspection, and hope.
Our goal is to foster a love for learning from an early age,
Jen Moyer, ECE Assistant Director
Looking back, we are so proud of what we have accomplished this past year. We’ve welcomed new families, created programs that brought joy and learning to community members of all ages, helped to nurture new relationships, and strengthened the bonds that hold us together. We’ve celebrated milestones and traditions, and we’ve stood by one another in times of need. Each smile in our hallways, each lively conversation in our lobby, and each moment of connection has been a reminder of why this work is so important, and how our Jewish values can create meaning in our lives.
The High Holidays also remind us that every year, and every person, is a work in progress. Believe us, there is no shortage of work to do! Our goal of strengthening individual, family and communal life through Jewish values and culture is not a finite pursuit, but rather an ongoing one. With each year, we address new challenges, new environments, and find creative new ways to apply our history, culture, and religion to our modern lives. As we step into 5786, we are committed to deepening our connections, living out our Jewish values in ways that are meaningful and inclusive, and making sure that the JCC continues to be a place where everyone feels truly at home.
We are deeply grateful for your support, your trust, and your presence in our community. May this new year bring you and your loved ones health, joy, and peace, and may we continue to have the privilege of building something beautiful together for community and for future generations.
From our JCC family to yours, we wish you a shanah tovah u’metukah — a good and sweet new year.
Unger Executive Director President
Fall Into Community: New Programs for All Ages
By Heather Lavin Program Director
The JCC of the Lehigh Valley is launching a full schedule of fall programs for children and adults. This season includes new activities, returning favorites, and opportunities to connect with others in the community. For youth, some creative enrichment programs include Scrapbooking, Game On! Board Games & Puzzles, and Makerspace: Woodshop. Youth sports options feature Archery, Intro to Pickleball, and Basketball Clinics for skill
development. Don’t forget to register early for our JHoops teams!
Enrichments offered to our littlest include Adventurous Athletes, Fairytale STEAM, and Spanish Immersion. Aquatics programming offers swim classes for all ages, from parentand-child lessons to adult fitness and technique training.
Active adults looking to hop on the pickleball train can find a variety of options, including Sports & Fitness Director Danielle Brown’s Pickleball 101 and Instructional Play. For in-depth instruction, you’ll find beginner and intermediate
classes offered by our partners at Universal Rackets. For others looking for a competitive edge (while seated), our game programs include beginner lessons in Mah Jongg and Canasta, along with the everpopular Mah Jongg Madness tournament.
Our longstanding Friendship Circle promises another engaging year with a wide variety of programming, lunch, and social opportunities. The JCC is also partnering with the Allentown Health Bureau to bring back a Matter of Balance class focusing on improving stability and preventing falls,
and AARP to again offer a Safe Driving Course for those looking to refresh their skills.
Our goal is to offer something for everyone this fall. Whether you’re interested in sports, creative projects, or building social connections, the JCC has a program for you.
Program schedules, class descriptions, and registration details are available in the Fall Program Guide.
Copies are available at the JCC Welcome Desk or online at lvjcc.org/programguide.
Eric Lightman
Matt
Camp JCC Welcomes Maya and Moran, Israeli Emissaries
S’more Fun Ahead! Camp JCC Wraps Up Summer, Kicks Off Fall Adventures
By Heather Lavin Program Director
By Alaina Schaeffer Youth & Camp Director
We are thrilled to announce that this summer, Camp JCC will have two Israeli shlichot this summer. We welcome back Maya Katzab and introduce a new member from Israel, Moran Pikris. Continuing our tradition of cultural exchange, they arrive with enthusiasm and a wealth of Israeli music, dance, and stories to share.
enthusiasm and genuine love for her heritage made her a favorite among our campers. We are thrilled to have her back, as she continues to foster cultural exchange and lasting bonds within our community and through her Isreali Adventure camp programming.
Meet Moran Pikris
their families!
A Summer of Cultural Exchange
Welcoming Back Maya Katzab
We are delighted to welcome back Maya Katzab from Yoav, Israel as the Israeli Adventure Specialist. Maya previously spent a summer with us, sharing her vibrant Israeli culture through music, dance, and storytelling. Her infectious
Camp JCC’s first summer as an ACA accredited camp was filled with laughter, learning, and friendship. From spirited theme days to splashy afternoons in and out of the pool, to unforgettable field trips, our campers truly made memories they won’t soon forget. Our specialty camp instructors led campers in theater, art and science, cooking and baking, woodworking, competitive swim, and so much more. Everyday, our Israeli Shlichim and camp specialists taught about sports, STEM, art, Israel, and music. The counselors curated friendships and bonds that everyone will take with them forever. We are so grateful to have shared all of these experiences with campers and
As we say, “see you next year” to camp, we look forward to welcoming back JLounge students for after-school adventures and homework help, reconnecting with returning families, and launching exciting fall youth programs. Whether it’s archery, acting, art, cooking, creating, private music lessons, or leadership development, there’s something for every young learner to explore this season. Stay connected with us when school is out for Vacation Camps! Enjoy some camp favorites like swim, art, sports, games, baking and more while catching up with beloved camp friends. We can’t wait to share all of this fun and create new memories with your family this school year.
Moran is a 20-year-old from Rishon Leziyyon, Israel and will be Camp JCC’s Music Specialist. She is an experienced song leader who can play guitar and loves to rock climb. Moran volunteered as a scout leader for two years and also at “Tzaad Kadima” for adults with special needs. She has been playing electric and acoustic guitar for 7 years and studied music at a conservatory.
At Camp JCC, we prioritize fun for our campers and staff while embracing the responsibility of educating our community about Israel. Moran and Maya are excited to engage in this cultural exchange, teaching campers about Israeli holidays, food, and daily life, fostering bonds that will last for years to come. Their interactions will enrich our campers’ understanding of a
different culture and strengthen their roles as young ambassadors representing Israel. By summer’s end, Moran and Maya will have left lasting memories and a legacy of cultural appreciation that will resonate beyond camp, embodying the hope and joy that cultural sharing brings. Please join us in welcoming these two remarkable young women to the Lehigh Valley this year. Summer is just around the corner, and we can’t wait to see them!
JCC Tops PA’s Early Education Ratings, Adds HighScope Curriculum
By Jen Moyer Early Childhood Education Director
The Jewish Community Center of the Lehigh Valley (“JCC”) announces that it has once again been designated at the highest ranking of STAR 4 by the Keystone STARS, Pennsylvania’s Quality Rating and Improvement System. According to the Keystone STARS website, the program is “a responsive system to improve, support, and recognize the continuous quality of improvement efforts of early learning programs in Pennsylvania.” Programs are required to submit evidence, undergo observations, participate in hours of professional development each
year, and apply for rankings.
The JCC is proud to be recognized for its continued commitment to providing the highest-quality care to all our students. It is currently one of only two center-based childcare facilities in the 18104 zip code to have received the STAR 4 designation. According to Jen Moyer, the JCC’s early childhood director, “This designation highlights the hard work and dedication of the JCC’s staff, who have a deep commitment to continually improving upon the strong foundation JCC since its founding in 1918.”
To further elevate the JCC’s Early Childhood Education program, the JCC also recently introduced the HighScope Curriculum. For over 50 years,
HighScope has been at the forefront of developmentally appropriate, high-quality early education. The Perry Preschool Project, a research project started by HighScope, was developed to study early education and unlock what was necessary to provide the highest quality care for these young learners. To this day, early educators can visit the Perry Preschool, a fully functional preschool, and see the ongoing research that informs the current curriculum.
JCC teachers have begun to learn more about the HighScope Curriculum and are excited to begin implementing it in the Fall. This curriculum will help the JCC’s highly trained staff to better meet the needs of students from across the Lehigh
Valley, as well as provide a strong foundation for their future educational pursuits. “Education is the foundation of everything we do at the JCC,” says Eric Lightman, the JCC’s executive director. “Our Jewish values stress the importance of character development, seeking knowledge, and caring for others—things we teach every day to children of every age and background.”
Enrollment for the upcoming school year is now open. For more information about the JCC program, contact Jen Moyer, early childhood director, at 610-435-3571 or jmoyer@lvjcc.org, or visit the JCC’s website at lehighvalleypreschool.org.
Maya Katzab, Israeli Adventure Specialist Moran Pikris, Music Specialist
JDS is a beneficiary agency of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley
Bright beginnings the JDS way!
By Joanna Powers Head of School
The morning of the first day of school is always a thrill. Buses and cars pull up, kids and teachers are reunited or meet, bells ring, and you can sometimes hear the squeak of a new sneaker on the sparkling floors or the proud placement of a new water bottle on a new desk. The air is full of excitement and mixed emotions. Some students are reluctant to leave their parents and/or their summertime routine until they see what’s waiting for them, some bound in with abandon, and others enter cautiously only to be greeted with warmth and encouragement. Our teachers and staff have been waiting all summer to bring their groups together, and all their preparation is ready to flourish. The second day is pretty great, too!
After a few days of getting acclimated (even our
pre-K-ers are now confident JDS residents), our annual Back to School BBQ was a welcome chance to socialize and enjoy a tasty dinner. As families loaded up on a sizzling meal, caught up with one another, and met new friends, happy kids raced around the playground. Teachers mingled, glad to see their students let loose and happy to get to know the families who were sharing and trusting their kids with us. Music, activities, and a fantastic population of community members rounded out a fabulous evening. There will be many more events to come, and we hope to see all of you there. Watch your email, community calendar, and newsletter (yes, that’s back too!) for all our upcoming plans. We don’t want you to miss any of our JDS spirit! Before the front doors opened to our students and families, our teachers and staff came together for a week of in-service professional development. Activities ranged from extensive security training led by Raven Point, team meetings, grade level meetings, and an update on the situation in Israel.
Why JDS?
he decision parents make about where to send their children for school is often one of the most stressful and difficult. Will the school strike the right balance between quality of educa tion and overall child development? How will our child fit in? Luckily for our fam ily, in a period of great uncertainty, the decision to choose the Jewish Day School of Lehigh Valley was the easiest “yes!” we’ve ever said. We arrived in Allentown in late March 2020 with a 2-year-old son, Joseph and 4-month-old daughter, Evelyn. Having flown in from Dallas, Texas to be closer to family (Adam’s parents, Dr. David and Mrs. Susan Hyman who have lived in Allentown for nearly 50 years), we assumed
we’d be here only a few weeks at most. As the pandemic continued, we made decision after decision to establish roots and build a life here in Pennsylvania.
When it came time for Joseph, our now five-year-old son, to get back into an early childhood education program, the welcoming, intimate, and warm environment at JDS was an obvious place for us to turn. The administration and staff worked tirelessly to adhere to everchanging guidelines from the CDC and still make the magic of school very real
demic as built-in playmates
The JDS has enabled that strengthen – they check on the playground and other in the hallways. older children care for Evelyn is always so proud the “big kids” helps her pack at the end of the talks about his “reading stantly!
One of the major tenets a devotion to the development confident students who to meet the world. This representative of our experience. Sadly, our chapter in ing to a close. For professional are moving back to Texas sion of the school year. community that Amy and volunteers have created us forever. The friendships a family through the school and we know these memories will bring us joy for years
app throughout the day.
Our new student open house was a wonderful way for our incoming JDS students to become comfortable in their new classrooms and with their teachers before the big day.
Editor’s note: On Saturday, February 4, JDS parent Anastasiia Zavodnyk, was invited to be a guest speaker at Refugee Shabbat at Temple Beth El. Here are her remarks.
teacher. Along with her BHT experience, Noelle has been a lead teacher in several classrooms, including her third-grade class in the Bethlehem Area School District.
Our kids became extremely close during the quarantine stage of the pan-
asked to register at jdslv. org/ribbon or call us at 610-437-0721.
For any parent grappling sion of where to send your in the Lehigh Valley, an extremely supportive from the uncertainties our daily lives, and the ment to instill a love of ish values.
Who is the refugee? It’s
me.
While we were incredibly happy to welcome back so many of our teachers, we were very excited to welcome several new members of our faculty family:
So, who is the refugee? It’s me. I can’t speak for everyone, only for myself and my family. But let my story be something that can show the general picture.
The beginning of 2022 It was a happy time for me. I had a beautiful house near Kyiv, capital of Ukraine. I had a garden full of fruit trees and berry bushes. I had great plans – I was opening my own cafe and bakery store, I was setting up a big greenhouse to plant many vegetables there. My children went to great preschool and afterschool smart classes. My daughter started to go to ballroom classes at the best dance school in the area. My husband had a very important role with great career opportunities in the biggest energy company in Ukraine. We used to invite our friends to our little parties at home, used to see our parents when we wanted to. It was really a very great period of life; I was truly happy.
Lisa Bates-Dubrow will be teaching Hebrew and Judaics in pre-K and pre-K plus. She has taught music and Hebrew at Hebrew schools and has mentored high school students. She has also been a ski instructor. She has a PhD in environmental biology, public policy, and molecular, cellular, and biochemistry. She’s been Dr. Bates-Dubrow in her role as college professor, but here we’re so excited that she will be Morah Lisa.
And then, on 24th of February, all was ruined. The war started. And what did we know about war? Only history WW2 from books and movies…and some horrible stories from our grandparents. We decided to stay, because it was our home. We thought that our village was now a target for the enemy and even if they would come. We heard stories from our grandparents who remembered a time when their homes were under occupation during WW2 so we kind of could guess how it could be in our case. But we were wrong, very very wrong. Because in village aren’t many people – it’s difficult to feel panic. We heard sounds of missile strikes, the house was shaking every time, but personally I really felt it on the second week, end of February. I needed to take my youngest daughter to doctor. So, we were going by car there. It wasn’t far but we needed to go through a checkpoint which was created as a part of country protection actions. There I saw real soldiers, guns, bullets laying on the ground, tanks for the first time in my life. And it wasn’t museum exhibition, it was real life situation. But worst was that something just fly above my head and then I heard and felt shot near me. It was enemy drone. It scared me to death, I never ever felt like this before. Next weeks were very scary for me. The enemy soldiers were closer and closer to our village. At
Christine Quier has joined our team as assistant in pre-K and pre-K plus. Christine has been a behavioral health therapist in many schools, including the JDS, and an art teacher, and she has provided support to students at schools in Allentown and Macungie. She was also a graphic designer for Lehigh Valley Hospital. I can’t wait to see her love continue toward our lucky littlest learners.
Noelle Gabovitz was also a behavioral health therapist at the JDS and beyond. We are so fortunate to welcome her as our third-grade general Studies teacher and fifth- and sixth-grade social studies
Janet Berger Polsky is a dedicated community and educational leader. She is also a college professor with a PhD in philosophy: educational research and evaluation, and her dissertation was on selective mutism. We are thrilled that Janet will be our new fifth- and sixth-grade English and language arts teacher and our fourthsixth-grade science teacher.
evening we needed to shut all lights, because our territorial defense was looking for hiding russian soldiers. I realized that I couldn’t stand any more. I couldn’t pretend as nothing serious was happening and it was safe enough for kids. The worse for me was to let then feel fear, to feel war. It’s not what children should feel, not until they are enough old to understand everything and not be hurt by it. I want my children to be happy, to be confident and have strong and healthy mental health.
So, I asked my husband to leave our home.
We left on 7th of March and on 8th of March russians* came to our house. They occupied all village, killed men, raped women, stole a lot of things, ruin our houses… it lasted 4 weeks. So, it was nothing like occupation during WW2… it was worse, much worse. And it is still.
Now we are here. And we are very lucky, because we met people with very big open hearts full of love and kindness, people who helped us with so many things.
guage that my kids have – only because very important because we have the ability with their roots, which I hadn’t in my help and support made us confident here, in the US!
Big plans are brewing at the JDS this year. One of our biggest projects this summer was the construction of the Eva and Larry Levitt Jewish Learning and Cultural Center at the Jewish Day School of the Lehigh Valley. Created with the vision and generosity of the Levitt family in Eva’s memory and spearheaded by our own Sean Boyle, this center will be a community hub for Holocaust education, Jewish history studies, text exploration, artifact displays, creative projects, and an interactive technological connection to resources around the world, including the USC Shoah Foundation and Classrooms without Borders. Future events include special guest speakers and opportunities for the students of our community to connect to their heritage. Please join us for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 12 at 10 a.m. All guests are
There is so much more to come at our JDS all year long. Another way to get a front row seat is to volunteer your time and talents. Please let our office know if you would like to help during lunchtime, if you like to garden, or if you dabble in other areas that could enhance our kids’ school day (I’m sure you do!). Send us a message at amanger@jdslv.org and look out for a SignUp Genius link to book your slot. As I visit the classrooms, I am so proud and impressed with our students and staff. Love, learning, play, advancement, individualization, and friendship fill every moment of every day. We work in a special, holy place. Thank you for allowing us to celebrate and grow a vital foundation of Jewish pride and knowledge from sacred texts to Hebrew fluency to a deep connection to Israel. Woven with an exceptional general studies curriculum, our students are guided to come closer to their identities, strengths, and goals every day, and we thank all of you for making that happen.
People from Jewish Day School, Jewish Community of Lehigh Valley, Jewish Community Center. Not enough words to describe how grateful we are for it. And this great opportunity to know Jewish traditions and lan-
So, what is the difference between and other people who came here as sons why we came. I love Ukraine, it’s of my children and many past generations my husband’s family. We miss our home fore February 2022 we never thought ing abroad, we simply didn’t want to, satisfied with our lives and happy in Ukraine. the US because it was the best option the most difficult. It was hard, and it because of usual immigrant’s difficulties ent language, different culture, finding local documents, impossible life without impossible life without a credit score, ficulty is not being allowed to go out for people, who decide to come here, big goal, who choose to live here and thing to make this “American dream” it is very hard for us, refugees, forced heart is still at our home with our friends, parents, houses and gardens. And only our life here more like at home (through versations, care and support). Because day most important things are not material will never ever fill your heart and soul ness and happiness.
So, I want to say a big, huge thank you to all of you! I am grateful for the ability day, in a safe, beautiful and ambitious grateful to all of you, for listening to porting my family and Ukraine. I believe end soon, that I can finally see my home friends and neighbors. But I, as all Ukrainians, in that fatal February, in pre-war days, our land, in our home; happy, confident days, full of ambitious plans.
*I use little letter instead of capital on purpose. this people anymore and it’s even hard for me because what they have done and are still doing they are humans at all to me. And because it highlight it as my relation to them.
I couldn’t wait for this school year to start, and I know the kids, parents, and teachers felt the same way. Please be in touch with me if you have an idea, a question, or just want to chat. Write to me at jpowers@jdslv.org and we’ll set up a time dedicated to you.
Shana Tova and happy new school year!
A Time for Reflection and Renewal
The Jewish New Year is a time for reflection and renewal. In that spirit, JFS shares the impact of services provided to clients across the Lehigh Valley during this past year.
• The Community Food Pantry served 1,054 individuals across 293 households, distributing 81,000 pounds of food.
• Licensed clinical social workers provided more than 650 counseling hours.
• Older adults received 543 rides to medical appointments and community programs, covering 5,500 miles.
• JFS brought warmth and tradition to individuals living
in long-term care residences with 55 Jewish Community Life programs.
• Support groups including Parents of Adults with Disabilities and the Empowerment Group for Adults with Disabilities were established to create community and connections to resources.
This year, more than seven million people nationwide, including millions of children, individuals with disabilities, and older adults, are at risk of losing at least a portion of their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
benefits. SNAP reductions, along with inflated food costs, have resulted in increased demand of food pantries across the country. Funding from the Emergency Food and Shelter Program, which was previously utilized by JFS to assist clients with financial hardship, is no longer available. With government cuts to federal benefits, anxiety continues to grow for those who depend on the programs. As a result, JFS is experiencing greater competition when seeking grant
Mitzvah Projects with JFS
A mitzvah project is a way for B’nai Mitzvah students to actively help and improve their community. Through referrals from Mitzvah Coordinator Abby Trachtman at the Jewish Federation, JFS works directly with students to give a hands-on experience that fosters a positive feeling of philanthropy. Two bat mitzvah students worked with Volunteer Coordinator Jennifer Oxfeld to plan, advertise, and implement their projects.
Rebecca Kolpon collected items for the Birthday-in-aBag project. Birthday bags are filled with everything
needed for a birthday celebration, including cake mix, frosting, candles, and decorative napkins and plates. Thirty Community Food Pantry clients will receive a birthday bag. Rebecca continues to volunteer her time to stock the pantry shelves and assist clients during their food pantry appointments.
Hannah Berger led a community-wide collection of hygiene products, specifically soap and deodorant, for the personal care section of the Community Food Pantry. In between her summer plans including camp and family vacation, she still made time to come to
funding from private foundations.
JFS is grateful to work hand-in-hand with a community that believes in volunteerism and philanthropy. While this year has presented many challenges, the
concept of Tikkun Olam, repairing the world, is more important than ever.
Wishing you and your families a fulfilling and sweet New Year.
L’Shanah Tova!
JFS to volunteer her time. She has become a true professional at stocking the pantry shelves. Community members were so inspired that they also gave monetary contributions to support the pantry in her honor.
Thank you and Mazel Tov on your Bat Mitzvahs Rebecca and Hannah!
To learn more about JFS’s mitzvah project opportunities, contact Jennifer Oxfeld at volunteer@jfslv.org or Abby Trachtman at abbyt@jflv.org
We thank those individuals who have graciously supported Jewish Family Service with these tributes:
IN HONOR
BILL BERGSTEIN
(Schiff award)
Linda and James Wimmer
EDUARDO EICHENWALD
Robin and Alex Rosenau
CHELSEA KARP
Sheila Auspitz
CAROL AND BOB WILSON
(Ben starting medical school/ white coat)
Elizabeth and Jeffrey Greenberg
Chelsea and Eric Karp
Rachel and Andy Shurman
Abby and Mark Trachtman
CAROL ZIRKEL
(Birthday)
Peggy and Wiliam Berger
Lota Post
Audrey and Arthur Sosis
DEBBIE ZOLLER
(Years as JFS Executive Director)
Linda and James Wimmer
IN LOVING MEMORY
JONATHAN HALTZMAN
(Son of Jay Haltzman, Husband of Shelly Haltzman, Father of Danielle Haltzman and Meredith Raith)
Barbara Sussman
wonderful way to share your thoughtfulness with family and friends,
Visit www.jfslv.org/give to place card orders. Questions?
GERALDINE HOFFMAN
(Mother of Karen Cope and Diane Laubach)
Elizabeth and Jeffrey Greenberg
MICHAEL HYMAN
(Son of Mina Hyman, Brother of Nat Hyman)
Elizabeth and Jeffrey Greenberg
MARILYN JENSEN
(Sister of Linda Rosenfeld)
Tama Lee Barsky
WESLEY KOZINN
(Husband of Beth Kozinn, Father to Rachel Brill, and Benjamin and Spencer Kozinn)
Nannette and Jeffrey Bratspies
Marilyn Claire Chelsea and Eric Karp
Michael Koch and Nancy Schultz-Koch
Robin and Alex Rosenau
Debbie and Leon Zoller
Rebecca Kolpon •
Hannah Berger •
$2.24 MILLION RAISED** 2025 Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs THANK YOU!
Because of your support of the 2025 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. THANK YOU.
PRIME MINISTERS CIRCLE
$100,000+
Wendy Born*° Ross Born°
Charles and Figa Kline Foundation
Lewis and Roberta Gaines°
Bonnie Hammel*° Just Born Inc° Anonymous (1)
THEODORE HERZL SOCIETY
$50,000 - $99,999
The Wax Goldman Family Funds
Vicki Wax*
Robert and Laurie* Wax
Steven and Nancy* Wax Goldman
KING DAVID SOCIETY
$25,000 - $49,999
Leonard and Enid Abrams Family Foundation
Roberto and Eileen* Fischmann
Dr. Harold and Sandra* Goldfarb° Master Family° MCS Industries
Harry Louis Yanoff & Jeanette Master Yanoff Charitable Fund
Sylvia Perkin Perpetual Charitable Trust
Harry Louis Yanoff And Jeannette Master Yanoff Charitable Fund
TREE OF LIFE SOCIETY
$18,000 - $24,999
Dr. Jeffrey and Jill* Blinder°
Jonathan and Iris* Epstein
The Fraenkel Family°
Gary Fromer and Dr. Carol Bub Fromer*
Hof & Reid LLC°
Daniel and Nancy* Cohen
Phillip and Ellen* Hof
Chris and Tara Reid
Dr. Richard and Barbara* Reisner°
KING SOLOMON CIRCLE
$10,000 - $17,999
Charles Cohen
The Martin Cohen Family Foundation°
Jeff and Roberta* Epstein° Arnan and Marlene* Finkelstein
Nat and Erica* Hyman
Judy Auritt Klein z”l LOJE Kobrovsky Family Fund
Dr. Wesley z”l and Beth* Kozinn°
Michael Miller
Judith Morrison*°
Philip and Muriel Berman Foundation
Robert & Judy Auritt Klein Family Fund
Richard and Marsha* Timmerman
Larry and Carolyn* Zelson
Dr. Israel and Valeska* Zighelboim
BUILDERS OF ISRAEL
$5,000 - $9,999
Dr. Marc and Aliette* Abo
Dr. Houman and Lori* Ahdieh
Sheila Berg*
Bernard and Flo Kobrovsky Special Fund
Donna Black*
Nathan Braunstein PACE
Dr. Sam and Sylvia* Bub°
Dr. Mitchell Cooper and Rebecca Axelrod-Cooper*
Peter and Karen* Cooper°
Bruce Sheftel and Suparna Damany*
Glenn and Jan* Ehrich°
Andrew and Dr. Lisa* Ellis
Ann Falchuk*
Finkelstein Family Fund
Dr. Jay and Fran* Fisher°
Frances & Abraham Schwab
Memorial Fund
Susan Gadomski *°
Ian Gertner
Dr. Jeffrey and Amira Gevirtz°
Robert J. and Susan* Grey
Bennett Grossman
Barry and Carol R.* Halper°
Martin and Judy* Krasnov°
Stuart and Lynda* Krawitz
Dr. Lawrence Levitt°
Stanley R. Liebman Estate
Steven Markowitz°
Dr. William and Jane* Markson°
Mortimer and Vera Schiff Foundation
Ruth Notis*°
Drs. Steven and Nancy* Oberlender
Phoebe Altman Lion of Judah Endowment
Dr. Robert and Lota* Post°
Sandra Preis*°
Dr. Doron and Lauren* Rabin
Bruce and Enid Reich
Shaoli Rosenberg*
Sadie Berman Lion of Judah Endowment
Lorrie Scherline*°
Irwin and Ellen* Schneider°
Richard Schiff°
Vera Schiff*
Mark and Deena* Scoblionko°
Elizabeth Scofield*
Dr. Mark and Lynne* Shampain°
Larrie and Judy* Sheftel°
Jack and Amy* Silverman°
Sylvia Rosen Lion of Judah Endowment
Dr. Frank and Tama* Tamarkin
Jason and Cristina* Toff
Eileen Ufberg*°
Lora Vaknin-Eva Levitt z”l Lion of Judah Endowment
Arthur and Barbara* Weinrach°
Dr. Robert and Carol* Wilson
James and Linda* Wimmer°
Ilene Wood*
Jeri Zimmerman*
Anonymous (4)
SABRA CIRCLE
$2,500 - $4,999
Alan and Marsha* Abraham
Richard and Joan* Bass
Dr. David and Sara-Jane* Bub
Drs. Elliot and Chelsea* Busch
Dr. Ian and Patricia* Carlis°
Dr. William and Gail* Combs
Ferne and Jack Kushner Fund
Dr. Ronald and Emily Freudenberger
Stewart and Carol* Furmansky°
Dr. Mark and Carmyn Gittleman°
Rose Lee Goldberg*°
Drs. Zach and Andrea* Goldsmith
Dr. Robert and Tracy Grob
Dr. Steve and Audrey* Kanoff°
Dr. Robert and Janice* Kaplan
Dr. Harold and Linda* Kreithen°
Dr. Robert and Stephanie* Kricun°
Robert and Roberta* Kritzer
Dr. Howard and Beth* Kushnick
Dr. Michael and Carole* Langsam°
Dr. Howard and Rachel* Levin
Dr. Jay and Evelyn* Lipschutz°
Dr. Richard and Roberta* London°
Ryan and Claudia* Mattison
Morris & Dyna Gorfinkel
Memorial Fund
Dr. Robert and Amy* Morrison
Dr. Richard J. and Amy* Morse
Mort & Myra Levy Phil Fund
Dr. Jonathan Munves
Jay and Marlene* Plotnick
Dr. Alex and Robin Rosenau°
Cathy Sacher*°
Dr. Elliot Shear
Dr. Arthur and Audrey* Sosis°
Dr. Jay E. and Margery* Strauss°
Dr. Kenneth and Alla* Toff°
Dr. Michael and Miriam* Zager and Family
Anonymous (2)
GATES OF JAFFA
$1,500 - $2,499
Air Products Foundation
Richard and Helen Anderson
Liora Attias*
Richard J. Mongilutz and Kelly Banach*
Dr. Noy and Andrea Bassik
William M. and Peggy* Berger°
Dr. Marc and Lauren* Berson°
Dr. Maxwell Braverman
Richard and Kira* Bub
Lawrence Center
Marilyn Claire*°
Patrick and Dr. Karen* Dacey
Scott and Beth Delin
Veronica Fischmann* and Yakov
Pechersk
Dr. Hal and Kimberly Folander
Dr. Ari and Margee* Forgosh
Jerome and Sally Frank
Frank Penn Family Fund
Neil Glickstein°
Julia Goldberg*
Dr. Craig and Joanna Goldberg
Dr. Marsha Gordon*
Aaron Gorodzinsky and Jennifer Schechner*
Laura Greenberg*
Dr. Michael and Laura*
Greenberg
Dr. Paul Gross°
Stuart and Hope Horowitz°
Dr. Jeffrey and Nancy Jahre
Rabbi Allen and Toby* Juda°
Seth and Kathi* Katzman°
Lucy Korsky*
Bret and Hilary Kricun
Karen Kuhn*°
Dr. Michael and Fay* Kun
Elaine Langer*°
Suzanne Lapiduss*°
Dr. Henry Lehrich
Dr. Paul and Diane Lemberg and Family
Eric and Margo* Lightman
Drs. Evan and Aviva* Marlin
Dr. Holmes and Jeannie* Miller°
Taffi Ney*°
Dr. Mark and Alice* Notis°
Dr. Noah Orenstein and Diana Fischmann Orenstein*
Dr. Martin and Amy* Oselkin
Dr. David and Ann* Packman
Alan and Roberta* Penn°
Drs. Andrew and Flora Pestcoe
Dr. Alison Post* and Morgan Godorov
Elaine Rappaport-Bass*°
The Ringold Family*
Dr. Scott and Debbie Rosen
Dr. Edward Rosenfeld
Dr. Marvin Sasson
Dr. Charles and Sheila* Saunders°
Naomi Schachter*
Donald and Randi Senderowitz
Dr. Darryn and Lorey Shaff
Dr. Andrew and Rachel* Shurman
John Silverberg° and Linda Morris
Sussman Family Fund
Dr. Ryan and Carah* Tenzer
Ron Ticho and Pam Lott*
Dr. Darren and Stefanie* Traub
Dr. Marc and Susan* Vengrove°
Alan J. and Abby* Wiener°
David and Deborah* Wiener
Gail Wolson*°
Dr. Eric and Helaine Young
Richard and Cherie*
Zettlemoyer
Leon and Debbie* Zoller
Anonymous (6)
CHAVERIM
$500 - $1,499
Dr. Pamela Abrams*
Howard and Nancy Amols
Marietta Banach*
Tama Lee Barsky*
R. Bill Bergstein°
Robert and Laura* Black°
Dr. Robert and Linda* Bloch
Rance and Sheryl* Block°
Glenn and Melisa Block°
Michael and Rita* Bloom°
Dr. Jeffrey and Nan* Bratspies°
Tim Brooks
Harvey and Elizabeth* Cartine
Charles L. Fletcher Memorial Fund
Robert Cohen
Marcia K. Cohen*°
Eduardo and Jeanette* Eichenwald°
Joan Epstein*°
Eleanor Extract*
Brian and Emily* Ford
Hon. Robert and Ronnie Freedberg°
Dr. Henry and Monica* Friess and Family
Gerald and Selma Roth Family Fund
Gerson Lazar Family Fund
Dr. Gene and Ann* Ginsberg°
Brian and Judith* Goldman°
Nathaniel and Joanna Golub
Allan and Mary Goodman°
Nissa Gossom*
Sandra Greenfield*
Drs. Harvey and Melissa Hakim
H. Sheftel Memorial Fund
Arthur and Susan* Hochhauser°
Aron and Julie* Hochhauser
Dr. David and Susan* Hyman°
Dr. Herbert and Mina* Hyman
Dr. John Jaffe°
Dr. Beth Jennings*
Jules and Tama Fogelman Fund
Andrew and Nancy Kahn°
Chelsea Karp*
Dr. Jay and Phyllis* Kaufman°
Glenn and Svetlana Kaye
Maxine S. Klein*°
Martha B. Lebovitz*°
Bernard and Laurie Lesavoy-Lesavoy Butz & Seitz LLC
Lillian Schwab Memorial Fund
Marcy Lunick*
Robert and Shirley* Malenovsky°
Dr. Meredith Margolis*
Dr. Jay and Marla* Melman°
Jay and Bobbi* Needle
Marc Nissenbaum°
Noah Daniel Schettini Fund
Leon and Elaine* Papir°
Papir Family Fund
Henry and Phyllis* Perkin
Stephen and Marianne* Phillips
Dr. Daniel Plavin
Edward and Beth* Posner°
Adina Preis*
Michael and Ilene* Prokup°
Nan Ronis*
Linda S. Rosenfeld*
Michael and Linda Rosenfeld°
Dr. Michael and Lynn F.* Rothman
Marcia Schechter*°
Dr. Eric Schenkel
Nathan and Rusty* Schiff
Michael and Brenna Schlossberg
John Schneider
Bernard and Sara* Schonbach
Schwartz Family Fund
Elliot and Linda* Sheftel°
Dr. Howard and Diane* Silverman°
Rabbi Michael Singer and Alexis Vega-Singer*
Adam and Stephanie* Smartschan
Dr. Phil and Diane* Stein
Alan and Carol* Steinberg
Stelzer°
Barry Goldin and Cheri
Sterman*
Aimee Stewart*°
Dr. Michael F. Stroock° and Dolores Yundt
Edward Taffet
Dr. Mark and Abby* Trachtman
Dr. Stephen and Beverly* Volk°
Dr. Ronald and Beverly*
Wasserman°
Sandy Weiner*°
Dr. Steven Weintraub
Bruce and Alicia* Zahn
Anonymous (4)
SHORASHIM
$250 - $499
Bonnie Abrams*
Herma Abramson*
Denise Ahner*
Karen Albert*°
Alexander Sach Phil Fund
Alfred T. Gifford Family Fund
Dr. Isabella Alkasov*
Ray Alpha
Richard and Regina* Angel
Baiman Family Fund
Patricia Beldon*
Belman Family Fund
David and Clara* Bergstein
Andrew and Dr. Christy Block*
Sally Brau*°
Pamela Byala*
Robert and Jane* Cohen°
Roger and Sharon* Collins
Dr. Inna Conboy*
Ruth Derby*°
Leah Devine*
Dr. George and Roberta*
Diamond°
Fred and Gail Eisenberg
Brad and Robyn* Finberg
Sandi Fine*
Harry and Amy Fisher
Jeffrey Fleischaker and Dr. Ophira Silbert
Neil and Marjorie Forgosh
Anita Forrester*
Stanley and Lora Geftic
Dr. Eric and Debbie* Gertner and Family
Amy Golding*
Goldman Family Foundation
Jay Haltzman°
Ricky Hochhauser*
Gia Jones*
Lee Kestecher Solomon* and Ariel Solomon
Iris Klein*°
Dr. Marc and Susan* Kolpon
Barbara Kritz*°
Merry Landis*°
Mary Laronge*
Dr. Bret Lesavoy
Susan Levin*
Mark Klein Family Fund
Marvi Family Fund
Debbie* Miller°
Hank Narrow
Rabbi Steven Nathan
Dr. Michael and Martina Obenski°
Howard and Jane* Pitkoff
Andrea Reich*
Reitars-Braunstein Family Fund
Charlene Riegger*
Erica Robbins*
Ira and Erica* Robbins
Rachel Rosenfeld*
Adam and Penny* Roth and Family
Ryan Sacher Phil Fund
Alan and Mary* Salinger°
Amy Sams*
Dr. Norman and Jett* Sarachek°
Helene Rae Scarcia*
Joel and Linda Scheer
Mark and Joyce Schuman
Eugene Search
Stuart and Susan* Shmookler°
Daniel Siegel
Linda Silowka*°
Greg and Pamela* Silverberg
Dr. Roger and Marna* Simon°
Ellen Sosis*
Jane Spitzer*°
Matthew and Tracy* Sussman
David Vaida and Cantor Ellen Sussman*
Stephanie Szilagyi*° Tenzer Family Fund
Rochelle Topolsky*
Kimberly Valuntas*
Volk Family Fund
Marjorie Weiss*
Dr. Lynn Wilson*
Yeremy and Dora Feldman Fund
Zelickson Family Fund
Jessica Zolotsky*
Anonymous (3)
KEHILLAH
$100 - $249
Allen and Robin Abbott
Adina Poresky Family Fund
Richard and Maria* Ain
Alfred Wiener Family Fund
Elaine Atlas*°
Pnina Avitzur*
Dr. Marsha Baar*°
Jayson and Nurit Baron
Barbara Bassano*
Elaine Berk*
Dr. Neal Berkowitz
Susan W. Berman*°
Ira Blum and Risa Waldoks
Joan Brody*°
Jerrold and Wilma Brucker
Robert and Gail* Burger
Allen and Marjorie Carroll
Dr. Barry and Robbie Cohen
Audrey Cylinder*°
Richard Director
Wendy Edwards*
Olivia Ehrlich*
Deborah Einhorn*
David and Laurie Eisenberg
Samuel and Lynn* Feldman°
Michael Finley and Audrey Ettinger
Donna S. Fisher*
Phyllis Ford*
Lauri Franko*
Bette Friedenheim*
Jenna Fromer*
Rachel Fromer*
Jodi Frost*
Murray and Linda* Garber°
Gail Gelb*
Gloria Ginsburg*°
Jordan and Susan Goldman
Donald Greenberg
Dwight and Arlene* Griffin°
Tom and Rita* Guthrie°
Judith Harris*
Ronald Harrison°
Alvin and Arlene* Herling°
Lori Herz*
Dr. Michael and Stacy* Hortner
Kristin Illick*
Charles and Dale Inlander°
Michael and Donna Iorio
Jamie Mellan Fund
Jewish War Veterans PACE
Julie Paige Fraenkel Fund
Steven Kaunitz
Kimmel Family Fund
Joel and Renee Klaperman
Renee B. Kleaveland*
Deborah Kohler*°
Ruth Kugelman*°
Jennifer Lader*
Michele Levy*
Howard Lieberman
Jeffrey and Dr. Lynn Milet*
Gary and Diane* Miller°
Norman Miller z”l
Millie Berg Memorial Fund
Susan Musselman*
Jack Mydlo
Howard and Jill Nathanson
Ron and Rachel Nissim
Audrey Nolte*
Dr. Evie Notis*
Dr. William and Marjorie Ofrichter°
Dr. Matthew and Denise* Pollack
Charles Richter and Lynda Pollack*
Alyssa Pure*
Raab Fund
Dr. Mitchell and Carol Rabinowitz°
Alan Raisman
Michael and Bonnie* Raphan
Charles Richter and Lynda Pollack*
Jack Rosenfeld
Herman Rovner
Barth Rubin
Fae Safer*
Beth Schonberger*
Dr. Kristine Schultz*
Helaine Sigal*
Sheila Sokalsky*
Susan Sosnow*
Dr. Ronald and Melissa Stein
Michael and Sybil* Stershic
Susan B. Mellan Memorial Fund
Richard Toltzis
Rabbi Shoshanah Tornberg*
Matthew and Melissa* Unger
Dr. Mark and Gayle* Unger°
Joseph and Kristina Weiner
Rosalyn Weingrod *
Joel and Karen* Weiss
Norman and Sandra* Wruble
Allison Young*
Dr. Robert and Susanna Zemble
Anonymous (15)
GENESIS
$1 - $99
Abigail Silverman Fund
Joseph Aflalo
Florence Applebaum*
Sheila Basem*
Carole Beck*
Michael Benioff
Bernard and Sarina* Berlow
Stephanie Berman*
Jeffrey and Lisa* Bernfeld
Johanna Brams*
Jenna Brody*
Lee Brooks
Betty Burian*
Joyce Camm*
Dominica DeMarco*
Marilyn Doluisio*°
Doba Domashevskaya*
Anh Ducharme*
Elena S. Cohen Charity Fund
Anita Evelyn*
Liz Fear*
Brad and Abby* Feinberg
Dr. Todd and Laura Garber
Dr. Debra Garlin*
Roger and Cathy Gilbert
David Goldstein
Ann Griffin*
Ruth Gross*°
Herman Gross
Stuart Grunther
Linda Hamilton*
Philip Heyman°
Diana Hirsch*
Ginger Horsford*
Amy Jaffe*
Elizabeth Japha*
Chester J. Jasinsky
Lisa Ellis Fund
Jessica Silverman Philanthropic Fund
Dr. Frederic A. and Gilda
Lyell and Tracey Scherline
David Louick°
Ji-ln Mitzvah Fund
Dr. Binae Karpo*
Rosine Knafo*°
Bob and Ilene*
Levin-Dando°
Rebecca Lovingood*
Rochelle Lower*
Caren Lowrey*
Ronald and Patricia Malvin
David and Susan* Manela
Louise Mapstone*
Marlee Senderowitz Fund
Linda Martinez*
Robert Mayer and Jan Muzycka*
Frances Mays*
Debrosha McCants*
Peter and Gail McIntyre
Billy and Marielle Miner
Dr. Robert and Ellen Miller* and Family
Tavia Minnich*
Daniel and Larisa Morgenbesser
Anne Morris*°
Norman Moses
Jane Much*
Nancy Gevirtz Memorial Fund
Dr. Michael Neuwirth and Melony Stanton
Robert Prichard and Ellen Osher*
Dr. Alan and Joan Parker
Rabbi Jonathan and Joanna* Powers
Sybil Preisler*
Lori Pulver*
Martin and Suzanne Reiss
Aliyah Remetz*
Lauren Reuther*
Linda Rich*
Rissa Senderowitz
Philanthropic Fund
Robert Rockmaker
Dan and Mary Rockman
Rabbi Adrienne Rubin*
Shari Salkin*
Samuel Gevirtz Mitzvah Fund
Lissa Scearce*
Lynn Schiavone*
Rabbi Rebecca Einstein Schorr*
Warren and Rabbi
Rebecca* Schorr
Brian Segel
Susan Selsky-Hann*
Allison Shimon*
Silverman Family Fund
Ariel Sommer
Norman and Cindy*
Sussman°
Giovannina
Tallarico-Collura*
Sandi Teplitz*°
Howard and Marilyn Tokosh
Barbara Trachtman*
Jessica Volchko*
Dori Wallace*°
Jonathan Wallace
Dale Wallace*
Marcia Weinberg*
Neil Weinberg
Ann-Sheryl White*
Amon Wirthiem
Lynda Yankaskas*
Herman and Jessica* Ytkin
Anonymous (10)
The donors noted above represent gifts to the JFLV 2025 Annual 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.
**The 2025 Annual Campaign Donor Honor Roll does not reflect the gifts made to the Israel Emergency Campaign.
* Indicates an individual woman’s gift to the 2025 Campaign for Jewish Needs
Yoav 7th graders take 2nd place in entrepreneur competition
By Carl Zebrowski Editor
Seventh graders at the Tzafit school in Yoav, the Lehigh Valley’s Partnership2Gether region in Israel, recently won a second prize in the 2025 Venture of the Year entrepreneurial competition in Tel Aviv in July. Their project was the inspired and innovative GrandBox smart medicine box.
Anyone who takes multiple daily medications or has taken care of someone who does knows it can be very difficult to keep track of a dosing schedule. The GrandBox is intended especially for older adults, to prevent mistakes and counteract forgetfulness.
The impressive group of Yoav middle-schoolers— younger than most students who populated the more than 100 groups competing—came up with a working solution to this very real problem that has only become more common in a world grown older.
“The entire Yoav community was thrilled after this team of students from Tzafit, the regional school of the Yoav Regional Council, won second place in the Outstanding Project
category,” said Hanna Bachar, former chair of the Yoav P2G committee. This runner-up invention is able to visually identify medicines via a tiny camera and keep track of the dosage schedules and their progress in real time. Family members can monitor the situation from afar via a dedicated app. If the patient doesn’t take the medication as scheduled, the system sends a reminder every few minutes.
“GrandBox is a simple and accessible solution that enables safe monitoring of medication intake, while providing peace of mind for family members,” said Bachar. “It is an excellent example of how technology can serve values of care, community, and support for the elderly population.”
The competition is part of the Start Up Now program of the Israeli nonprofit Unis-
tream, and it trains about 2,000 youths every year for business entrepreneurship and innovation. Those youths get to experience the entrepreneurial process from idea to prototype development and building to business plan. They enjoy a unique opportunity to learn from practical experience, guided by mentors from the business world, and to acquire practical tools for life in the fields of entrepreneurship, technology, creative thinking, and empowerment.
The Tzafit students who participated in the year-long GrandBox project were Nir Asher, Omer Ehrenfried, Liam Yitzhak, Teva Amram Nativ, Noah Lev, Gilad
Yanovsky, Uri Katzevich, Dotan Kosinsky, Jonathan Rosenberg, Yoav Katzir, Yotam Kessler, and Liri Krikon.
Next year, the program will continue at Tzafit High School, and the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley will provide active support and even take part in the project. Keep an eye on Federation communications for updates on the upcoming project and the competition.
Coloring contest winners!
In the spirit of creativity, Abby Trachtman, the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley’s project coordinator, launched a communitywide coloring contest. The last issue of Hakol included a cutout coloring page for kids to finish. They submitted photos of themselves with their completed artwork to win a PJ Librarybranded tote bag—perfect for any beach trip! Thank you to all who participated. Check out some of the participants and their creations to the right.
Finding strength in our Jewish faith and community
By Rabbi Michael Singer Congregation Brith Sholom
As we enter the month of Elul and approach the New Year 5786, I do not relish stating the obvious—that our world today is extremely messy, scary, and unpredictable. Our hearts break each time we listen, read, or watch the news. It requires steeling ourselves just to make it through the stories of the day. We rightfully worry about the loss of physical, financial, and emotional security as well as the threats to our foundational freedoms and democracy. We are witness to growing social and economic upheaval, the growth of radicalism, xenophobia, antisemitism, and intolerance both at home and abroad. We continue to reel from the continuing horrors of October 7, our hos-
tages still in captivity, and the devastating war that has become a moral minefield, a raison d’etre for virulent antisemitism, and is seemingly intractable.
In my teaching and conversations with our children, teens, and young adults (including my own), the sense of apprehension about the future can be acutely felt. I hear it also from grandparents and parents, who wonder whether the world we are leaving them is worse off than the one we grew up in. Often the questions of how to explain and cope with the events of our unstable world threaten to overwhelm us. We can feel inadequate, at a loss, and without the resources to bring some sense of peace to our children and even to ourselves. I believe that in such moments of crisis and doubt, our Jewish faith can provide sustaining and comforting spiritual tools to help give each of us the strength to confront and cope with our times.
At the core of Judaism’s gift to us is the belief that we are not alone. We keep faith that a loving God and a caring community are here for us even in the most dif-
ficult moments of our lives. We return time and again to the understanding that each of us is responsible for each other. We believe that God hears our prayers and that we can pour out our heart’s hopes, dreams, disappointments, and struggles to a God that loves and cares about us, even if our prayer is not instantly granted or really needs to be answered instead by human actions. Just the feeling of being able to share our deepest doubts, our most painful experiences, and our greatest triumphs can be comforting. Giving expression to our fears and challenges enables us not only to connect to God but also to realize that we are not alone in our prayers. Joining together, our individual voices combine into a community united in song, poetry, conviction, and human connection. We can pick one another up, give one another strength, and find beauty in our shared experiences.
Along with prayer, I believe we must ground ourselves in the teachings of our living Torah, the stories and lessons of our people, how they overcame adversity, and the moral and ethical
charge of our commandments (mitzvot), which give us purpose and hope. Even when the world has gone mad, surrounding ourselves in the knowledge of Torah and Jewish tradition allows us and our community to remain rooted. It allows us to challenge our minds and be deliberate in our actions. Torah study can reorient us when there are doubts about what to hold on to, what will be sustaining, what can make our lives meaningful. Torah and Jewish tradition give us the ability to remain anchored amid the chaos. As pressures mount on us, our children, and our community, we must renew the religious rituals, which sustain us, replenish our spiritual strength, and renew our moral compass. Our values of right and wrong, our responsibilities as parents and children, as students and teachers, as Jewish individuals and global citizens are not arbitrary or abstract ideas but tangible actions that we can make a daily part of our lives. We need to let our children see us actively engage in prayer, give tzedakah, spend time learning, celebrate and rest on
Shabbat, and become more active and involved in our Jewish community. These concrete actions take Jewish traditions and practices from obscure and marginalized to resources of comfort, life, and hope.
As we gather together for the Yamim Noraim (the Days of Awe), I believe we need to rededicate ourselves to prayer, Jewish practice and tradition, and our community, which can provide tools of refuge and hope despite the times. Joining together in these mutual efforts will be key to fostering and renewing our spiritual resiliency, strong moral character, and meaningful life purpose for both our children and ourselves. Together we can answer the messy, scary, and unpredictable world with the words of our sage Hillel: “We should be disciples of Aaron the Kohen, loving peace, pursuing peace, loving our fellow creatures, and drawing ourselves and them closer to Torah and God.”
(Pirke Avot 1:12)
Wishing you a Shanah Tova Tikateivu v’Tikateimu! A happy, healthy, and joyous New Year!
JACK M. BARRACK HEBREW ACADEMY
JACK M. BARRACK HEBREW ACADEMY
JACK M. BARRACK HEBREW ACADEMY
Barrack prepares students in grades 6-12 with the tools to become the next generation of Jewish leaders.
Barrack prepares students in grades 6-12 with the tools to become the next generation of Jewish leaders.
JACK M. BARRACK HEBREW ACADEMY
JACK M. BARRACK HEBREW ACADEMY
JACK M. BARRACK HEBREW ACADEMY
Barrack prepares students in grades 6-12 with the tools to become the next generation of Jewish leaders.
Barrack prepares students in grades 6-12 with the tools to become the next generation of Jewish leaders.
Barrack prepares students in grades 6-12 with the tools to become the next generation of Jewish leaders.
Our rigorous academic curriculum is enriched through Jewish learning, a commitment to intellectual curiosity, and an inclusive community where our dedicated faculty inspire students to become lifelong learners with an understanding of their place in history.
Our rigorous academic curriculum enriched through Jewish learning, commitment to intellectual curiosity, and an inclusive community where our dedicated faculty inspire students to become lifelong learners with an understanding of their place in history.
Our rigorous academic curriculum is enriched through Jewish learning, a commitment to intellectual curiosity, and an inclusive community where our dedicated faculty inspire students to become lifelong learners with an understanding of their place in history.
Our rigorous academic curriculum is enriched through Jewish learning, a commitment to intellectual curiosity, and an inclusive community where our dedicated faculty inspire students to become lifelong learners with an understanding of their place in history.
Our rigorous academic curriculum is enriched through Jewish learning, a commitment to intellectual curiosity, and an inclusive community where our dedicated faculty inspire students to become lifelong learners with an understanding of their place in history.
Our rigorous academic curriculum is enriched through Jewish learning, a commitment to intellectual curiosity, and an inclusive community where our dedicated faculty inspire students to become lifelong learners with an understanding of their place in history.
OPEN HOUSES
OPEN HOUSES
Sunday 9/28/2025
Open House & Spirit Day
Sunday 9/28/2025
Sunday 9/28/2025
Open House & Spirit Day
Sunday 9/28/2025
Thursday 11/13/2025
Fall Open House
Thursday 1/15/2026
Winter Open House
Sunday 9/28/2025
To learn more & RSVP for an event, scan the QR code. jbha.org | 610.922.2350 | admissions@jbha.org Barrack prepares students in grades 6-12 with the tools to become the next generation of Jewish leaders.
Open House & Spirit Day
Open House & Spirit ursday 11/13/2025 all Open House
Thursday 1/15/2026 Winter Open House
To learn more & RSVP for an event, scan the QR code.
Best Buddies
Emma Smartschan will be called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah on September 13, 2025 at Congregation Keneseth Israel in Allentown. An Eyer Middle School seventh grade student, Emma participates in swimming, diving, cross country, soccer and snowboarding. Emma didn’t have to go looking for a mitzvah project, she already participates in Best Buddies.
Best Buddies International is a nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, inclusive living, and family support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Best Buddies is the largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical and economic isolation of the 200 million people worldwide
with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Programs empower people with IDD to form meaningful friendships with their peers, secure jobs, improve communication and advocacy skills, and live independently, while also offering support for their families.
Emma was chosen to participate in Best Buddies at school after filling out an application. She was paired up with a sixth grader who has developmental challenges. Buddies meet twice a week at school and go on field trips together once a month. When they meet at school, buddies play games or help with homework. “I get to help my classmates and help them have an easier time in middle school. I like that everyone gets to feel like they have at least one friend,” Emma mentioned. “I’m going to continue participating in the program in seventh
grade.” Emma hopes that her friends and family and the community at large will donate money or volunteer their time at Best Buddies International “Emma has the kindest heart and we are so proud that she was selected for this program and dedicated time throughout the year to her buddy,” Emma’s parents, Stephanie and Adam Smartschan, said. “We look forward to seeing their relationship continue throughout their time in middle school.”
In addition to her mitzvah project, Emma has made her first adult gift of tzedakah to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs. For help developing your mitzvah project, contact Abby Trachtman, Project Coordinator at abbyt@jflv.org or call her at the Federation office at 610 821 5500.
MAIMONIDES SOCIETY BRUNCH & LEARN
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2025 10:00 A.M. AT THE JCC
PANCREATIC CANCER & ASHKENAZI JEWS
Join us for a free community talk with surgical oncologist Dr. Jacquelyne S. Carr on pancreatic cancer risk in Ashkenazi Jews.
Bagel breakfast included. Registration required.
To register, scan the QR
or visitthe
or call
BOOK REVIEW
A dated, flawed novel that nonetheless has its charms
“The Kiddush Ladies,” by Susan Sofayov, Black Opal Books, 2016, 314 pages
By Sandi Teplitz Special to Hakol
As I waited for a friend outside of Wegmans recently, a kindergartener was exiting with an adult woman. Suddenly, she turned and asked, “Grandma, what did you mean when you said television?” Her grandmother responded, “When I was your age, that’s what we called TV.” This book reminded me of that brief moment. It’s dated, not relevant to today’s life events, and yet that’s part of its appeal.
Originally, the title drew me in. Who hasn’t been to a Shabbat kiddush and walked into the kitchen and schmoozed with the ladies who prepped the delicious food? For some, it’s even a Shabbos ritual, like saying Hamotzie over the challah before partaking. But that’s where the similarity between our past experiences and this book ends.
The ladies of the book’s
THE REGION’S FIRST & ONLY MEDICAL SCHOOL
title, three of whom were teen besties, now find themselves caught up in the drama of a past relationship that resulted, according to one of them, in the tragic death of her mother. As the plot thickens, revenge grows and not only threatens their loyalty to one another, but also creates tension between family members. Oy!
You might think that as the story goes on, things will work themselves out, people will come to their senses, and the ladies will once again realize the errors of their ways. But you would be wrong. One of the women gets involved in a previous relationship that was never going to work and another loses her emotional cool. The third? Well, I don’t want to give away everything!
with greater accuracy and skill. But if you want a fun story to take you out of serious life situations for a short period of time, then pick up a copy and start reading. Just keep being nice to those kiddush ladies. They’re really nice people.
One of the weaknesses of the book is the lack of clarity in its editing. The author could have used an editor
Sandi Teplitz of Allentown provides recipes and reviews books for most issues of Hakol.
Yaniv Maddahi - Class of 2026
Temple/St. Luke’s student Yaniv Maddahi grew up around medicine. From his father’s background in medical training to grandparents and uncles who were physicians, Yaniv has had medical influence throughout his life. It only makes sense, then, that at the Temple/St. Luke’s School of Medicine, he found a second family through peers and faculty who have been there for him every step of the way. “It’s something I never could have imagined,” he says. “I feel very fortunate to have found an institution that has been so supportive and uplifting. Temple/St. Luke’s has also allowed me to grow in my faith and has provided such a welcoming environment.”
sluhn.org/SOM
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.
FRIDAYS, SEPTEMBER 5, 19
PJ Library Tot Shabbat
5 p.m., Congregation Brith Sholom
Celebrate Shabbat with PJ Library kids and families through song, PJ Library stories, and more. Register at jewishlehighvalley.regfox.com/pj-library-monthly-tot-shabbat.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10
KI End of Summer Sipping
6-8 p.m., Black River Farms, Bethlehem
Join Congregation Keneseth Israel and the Women of KI for an evening of al fresco wine tasting paired with fruit and cheese, guided by the winemaker. Music by KI’s Alan Salinger and Donna Fisher, featuring Regina Mohr on fiddle. Tickets are $18 and include a flight of wine, appetizers, and light supper. Other drinks are available for purchase. Register by September 5 at jewishlehighvalley.org/calendar/600-pm-ki-endof-summer-sipping.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12
Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for the Eva and Larry Levitt Jewish Learning and Cultural Center
10 a.m., Jewish Day School
Tour the new interactive learning and cultural center, listen to speakers, and enjoy light refreshments. Register at jdslv.org/ribbon by September 8.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
Strings of Hope Concert and Selichot Services
8:15 p.m., Congregation Brith Sholom Havdalah followed by a dessert reception, strings concert featuring Udi Bar-David, and a multimedia presentation. The evening will end with Selichot services. Orthodox and Egalitarian services available. Registration required at jewishlehighvalley.regfox.com/stringsof-hope.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
Celebrity Chef Ruhama Shitrit
7-9 p.m., Chabad of the Lehigh Valley Ruhama Shitrif, an Israeli-born social media influencer and food blogger with a million followers, will share simple recipes inspired by Israeli cuisine and Middle Eastern flavors. Cost is $75 per person. To register, call 610-351-6511 or email chabadlehighvalley@gmail. com.
MONDAYS, SEPTEMBER 15, 29
High Holy Days Refresher
7:30-8:30 p.m., Congregation Bnai Shalom via Zoom
Prepare for the Yamim Nora’im (the Days of Awe) together! For Rosh Hashanah (the 9/15 session), the group will explore the themes of malchuyot, zichronot, and shofarot (sovereignty, remembrance, and attention) and consider how they prepare us to reflect on how we live our lives. For Yom Kippur (9/29 session), the group will explore the meaning of t’shuvah (returning or repentance) and how we can come to Yom Kippur ready to be sealed in the
FRIDAY, SEPT. 5 7:09 PM
FRIDAY, SEPT. 12 6:57 PM
FRIDAY, SEPT. 19 6:46 PM
MONDAY, SEPT. 22 6:41 PM
TUESDAY, SEPT. 23 7:37 PM
Book of Life. No cost. Register by contacting the synagogue at office@bnaishalomeaston.org or 610-258-5343.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
JDS Little Learners On the Road
10 a.m., Jay’s Local, Allentown JDS kids and their families go “on the road” to gather for fun and learning at Jay’s Local. For information or to register to attend, contact Beth Kushnick at 610-437-0721 or bkushnick@jdslv.org.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
Shabbat Out of the Box: Challah Making
10:30 a.m.-noon, Congregation Keneseth Israel
Master baker Martina Obenski will guide participants for a fun experience baking round challah, which is associated with Rosh Hashanah and symbolizes continuity and endless blessings. A light lunch will be served. Everyone ages 12 and up is welcome, so bring friends and family. Admission is free. Registration is required by September 20 at kilv.org/ shabbat-out-of-the-box.html. Click on the event there to register.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9
JDS Community Sukkot Dinner
5 p.m., Jewish Day School
Celebrate the holiday with JDS families and other community members. For information or to register to attend, contact Beth Kushnick at 610-437-0721 or bkushnick@jdslv.org.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12
KI Harvest 5k Run/Walk
10 a.m.-noon, Cedar Beach Park, Allentown
Join the runners, walkers, spectators, and others at Allentown’s Cedar Beach Park for Congregation Keneseth Israel’s annual Harvest 5k event to benefit Central Elementary School. Everyone of all ages and fitness levels is invited to participate or cheer on the participants. Dog-friendly dogs are welcome too. For further information, to sign up to volunteer at the event, or to register to participate, visit the event registration page runsignup.com/Race/PA/Allentown/Harvest5Ki.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12
PJ Library Sukkot Potluck
12:15 p.m., Temple Beth El
Bring a dish to share with other PJ families and enjoy an afternoon filled with snacks, crafts, and, of course, a PJ Library story. Registration required at jewishlehighvalley.regfox.com/sukkotpotluck. Note the food restrictions listed on the registration page.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19
Pancreatic Cancer and Ashkenazi
Jews
10 a.m., JCC
The Maimonides Society of healthcare professionals begins its new year of Brunch and Learn programming with a presentation by Dr. Jacquelyne S. Carr, a surgical oncologist with St. Luke’s Uni-
FRIDAY, SEPT. 26 6:34 PM
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 1 6:26 PM
FRIDAY, OCT. 3 6:22 PM
MONDAY, OCT. 6 6:17 PM
TUESDAY, OCT. 7 7:14 PM
versity Health Network. She will discuss pancreatic cancer and Jews of Ashkenazi ancestry, who have been shown to have a higher risk than the general population of developing the disease. The event is free, and a bagel breakfast will be served. Register at jewishlehighvalley.regfox.com/ maimonides-brunch-and-learnpancreatic-cancer.
TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS, OCT 21 THROUGH DEC 11
Special Series: “Israel, Its Place and Challenges in the Middle East: What’s It All About?”
9:30 a.m., JCC
Jeanette Eichenwald returns for the special series “Israel, Its Place and Challenges in the Middle East: What’s It All About?” This eight-session series will be in person at 9:30 a.m. at the JCC. The cost is $100 per person. A recording of each class will be available for those who cannot attend. Registration required at jewishlehighvalley.regfox. com/israel-its-place-and-challenges-inthe-middle-east to attend in person or to view the recordings.
ONGOING EVENTS
MONDAYS
Bnai Shalom Cash Bingo
1 p.m., Congregation Bnai Shalom
Join Bnai Shalom for its monthly bingo game fundraiser, the first Sunday of every month. For more information call 610-258-5343.
MONDAYS
Yiddish Club
2-3:30 p.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley via Zoom
Experience the joys of Yiddish via Zoom. Enjoy fun, fellowship, stories and more. No cost. Call 610-435-3571, ext. 501.
MONDAYS
Unpacking the Igros
7:15 p.m., Congregation Sons of Israel
May a couple opt for artificial insemination? Can I use a timer to cook on Shabbos? Is veal kosher? How does Judaism approach abortion? Study responses of the leading rabbi of the 20th century, HaGaon HaRav Moshe Feinstein zt”l, and find out the answers to these questions and much more.
WEDNESDAYS
Sons of Israel “Mysteries of the Midrash”
Noon, Congregation Sons of Israel Rabbi Moshe Kurtz will teach this weekly class. Light lunch will be served. All are welcome.
WEDNESDAYS
Chair-Supported Yoga with Miriam Sandler
1-2 p.m., Congregation Brith Sholom in person and via Zoom
Be seated in a comfortable chair, preferably armless Open to the public in person and live stream. *$10 dropin fee payable to Congregation Brith Sholom. For more information email mbserow@gmail.com.
WEDNESDAYS
Torah Studies: A Weekly Journey into the Soul of Torah
7 p.m., Chabad of the Lehigh Valley and via Zoom Torah Studies by the Jewish Learning Institute presents Season Four 5785, a 12-part series offered in person and via Zoom. Cost is $54 for the course,
including textbook. For more information, call 610-351-6511 or email rabbi@ chabadlehighvalley.com.
WEDNESDAYS, DEC 4, JAN 8, FEB 12, MAR 12, APR 9, MAY 7
JDS Little Learners Class
9:30 a.m., Jewish Day School
Jewish Day School is offering a free Little Learners class for caregivers with children ages 3 and under. Storytime, movement, and music with a Jewish twist. Register at jdslv.org/little-learners.
THURSDAYS
Basic Yiddish Class
4-5:30 p.m., JCC via Zoom
Learn to read, write, and speak Yiddish. Contact 610-435-3571, ext. 501.
FRIDAYS
Kol HaEmek
9-10 a.m., WMUH 91.7 “The Voice of the Valley” radio show. muhlenberg.edu/wmuh.
SATURDAYS
KI Torah Study
9:30-11 a.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel
Join Rabbi Shoshanah Tornberg for a study session. Questions? Use the form at kilv.org/form/contact-rabbicall.
SATURDAYS
Wisdom of the Talmud Class
After Shabbat Lunch and Schmooze, Congregation Brith Sholom
Join Rabbi Michael Singer in a discussion about Jewish law, ethics, customs and history as found in the pages of the Talmud. Any necessary books are available in the synagogue office. No previous Talmud study required. For information email tammy@brithsholom. net or call 610-866-8009.
LAST SATURDAY OF THE MONTH Shabbat Yoga
10:30-11:30 a.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel
Jett Ulaner Saracheck and Ann Friedenheim lead this experience of Shabbat through movement. All are welcome. For questions, call Ann at 610-4622549 or Jett at 610-762-1450. Register at kilv.org/event/shabbat-yoga1.html.
DAILY
Jewish Broadcasting Service
JBS is a Jewish television channel featuring daily news from Israel; leading Jewish figures, issues and events of Jewish importance. jbstv.org.
DAILY
Congregation Sons of Israel Minyanim Shacharit on Mondays and Thursdays 6:30 a.m.; Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays 6:45 a.m.; Sundays 8:30 a.m. Congregation Sons of Israel welcomes all to the daily Shacharis and Mincha/ Maariv services, which are conducted in the main sanctuary of the synagogue. Please check the synagogue at sonsofisrael.net for the weekly listing of the starting time for Mincha/Maariv. If you have any questions, call the synagogue office at 610-433-6089.
MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
Daily Online Meditation 12:30 p.m., Institute for Jewish Spirituality
One of their master teachers will lead a live daily guided meditation. Share 30 minutes of Jewish mindfulness. Sign up at jewishspirituality.org/get-started.
