HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY The Voice of the Lehigh Valley Jewish Community
APRIL 2013 |NISAN/IYYAR 5773
A nation, a life, forever linked PHOTO BY HANS PINN AND COURTESY OF GOVERNMENT PRESS OFFICE OF ISRAEL
Educator goes ‘beyond the numbers’
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
MORE SENIOR SERVICES Find out how the strategic plan and community look to meet needs. See page 3.
Sheila Goldberg (inset, shown with daughter Julia) was among the celebrating crowds on May 14, 1948. Above, a crowd of cheering citizens in Tel Aviv stands across the road opposite the Tel Aviv Museum while, inside, David Ben Gurion reads the declaration of independence of Israel.
By Jennifer Lader Editor, HAKOL For Sheila Goldberg, life has always centered in some way on Israel. Born in England in the 1920s, she soon set her sights on the land that was at the time called Palestine. An adventurer, she made sure she was there on that day 65 years ago when the votes were counted and Israel became a state. Journey started with Pioneers “From the age of 10, I was always a member of a Zionist organization,” Goldberg said. However, her family emigrated to Canada. She furthered her desire for aliyah by again joining every group that was available to her. She was active in Young Judaea and, while in Vancouver, joined a Pioneer group of Zionists in hopes of getting to a kibbutz in the land that was then under British colonial rule.
HOMES AND GARDENS Welcome spring with ideas from this special section. No. 355 com.UNITY with Mark Goldstein 2 Women’s Division
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LVJF Tributes
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Jewish Family Service
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Jewish Day School
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Jewish Community Center
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Community Calendar
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Israel Continues on page 16
Yom Hashoah Continues on page 17
Obama, Netanyahu find common ground By Ben Sales Jewish Telegraphic Agency President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it’s safe to say, haven’t always been the best of friends. The leaders of two closely alNon-Profit Organization
702 North 22nd Street Allentown, PA 18104
A point of light Kfar Darom was established in 1930 as a fruit orchard on the site of a Jewish town of the same name mentioned in the Talmud.
During the Arab revolt against the British Mandate in 1936-39, it was destroyed. Then in 1946, it was resettled as one of “11 Points in the Negev,” Jewish settlements in that region peopled particularly by immigrants, most from Hungary and some Israelis for protective purposes. On November 29, 1947, the United Nations announced Resolution 181, a partition plan to divide Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state when the British colonial mandate ended on May 14 the following year. Violence erupted immediately after the announcement, with Arab attacks on Jewish settlements, much fighting and massacres of Jewish settlers. “The government decided to get us Americans and Canadians out [of Kfar Darom] because they
How can one begin to grasp the horrors of the Holocaust? It may involve trying to comprehend an almost impossible number -- six million. It may also include the blackand-white photographic images ingrained in our minds -- photos that tell a story the Nazis wanted to tell, or one the Allied liberators wanted to tell. On April 7 and 8, Rachel Korazim, a freelance Jewish education consultant specializing in curriculum development for Israel and Holocaust education, will address the Lehigh Valley community on looking beyond the numbers and the photos. In an interview with Donald Harrison in the San Diego Jewish Press-Heritage, Korazim said, “None of the photos tell the story Jews and other victims need to tell -that every one of the persons who died in the Holocaust was a unique individual with a rich heritage. You need to think whose eyes are behind the camera? Who is taking the pictures? Who has the ability to walk with a camera in hand in a ghetto or in a death camp?” Korazim says the photos of pre-Holocaust Jewish life are what really tell the story. She will present her talk, “Beyond the Numbers,” at the JFLV/Holocaust Resource Center’s Yom HaShoah commemoration event at the JCC on Sunday, April 7 at 7 p.m.
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lied countries, they've have had a relationship described more often as tense than anything else. But on the first day of Obama’s first presidential trip to Israel, the president and prime minister were all smiles, handshakes and hugs. Netanyahu couldn’t stop thanking Obama for his support on a range of issues. Obama, for his part, attempted a few sentences in Hebrew, quoted the Talmud, and complimented Netanyahu’s wife and children. Obama has been to Israel twice before, most recently as a presidential candidate in 2008. Rather than signaling the launch of a new push for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, this trip appeared to be an effort by Obama to win over the hearts and minds of Israelis. “I see this visit as an opportunity to reaffirm the unbreakable
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PURIM ACROSS THE VALLEY See highlights of congregations’ Purim celebrations. Pages 12-13
At that time, Israel (still called Palestine) was wofully short of guns and wartime supplies. Goldberg and a friend from Montreal became active in transporting guns to New York, for shipment to Israel. “We would hitchhike together, always on 18-wheel trucks with our guns secreted in our baggage,” she said, because Customs was more lenient with large truckers. In 1947, following World War II, Goldberg was able to travel to Israel, under the auspices of Young Judaea, to a kibbutz in the Negev, Kfar Darom. Speaking from her home in Easton, Goldberg said of her group: “There were three or four Canadians, several Americans and a man from Holland. We came in as ‘archaeologists.’”
By Monica Friess Special to HAKOL
President Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speak at a news conference in Jerusalem on March 20. bonds between our nations, to restate America’s unwavering commitment to Israel’s security,” Obama said upon his arrival. “It makes us both stronger. It makes us both more prosperous. And it makes the world a better place.”
The initial agreeability between Obama and Netanyahu also extended to policy. The two
Obama Continues on page 5
com.UNITY
FROM THE DESK OF MARK L. GOLDSTEIN
Executive Director | Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley markg@jflv.org
We are all from the same village With so much intensity surrounding Passover, some might feel “Jewish holiday-ed out” in April. We spend weeks, sometimes months preparing for Passover: cleaning, making lists of guests for the seders and making shopping lists. Trying to find all the Kosher for Passover ingredients in the Lehigh Valley could be an episode of The Great Race. Then it’s the cooking, four questions, four cups of wine, and multiple helpings of brisket. And if that’s not enough, the holiday extends for seven or eight days (depending on your tradition). No wonder some are just holiday-ed out. Three very unique Jewish commemorations occur in April. We call them the “three yoms” (yom is Hebrew for “day”): Yom HaShoah, Yom Ha’Atzmaut, and Yom Hazikaron. Most of us know about Yom HaShoah and Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Holocaust Remembrance Day and Israel Independence Day, respectively. Our community observes these days with special programming and this year is no exception. You can find out more about these programs in this issue of HaKol. Our Yom HaShoah program will be on Sunday, April 7, at 7 p.m. It will feature a stirring presentation by renowned scholar
Dr. Rachel Korazim. Israel’s Independence Day will be observed in the Lehigh Valley on Tuesday, April 16, at 4 p.m. We will join hundreds of Jewish communities worldwide with a walk for Israel. Young and old -- including JDS students and students from our synagogue religious schools -- will march from the JDS to the JCC (park at the JCC; shuttle buses will move people back and forth as needed). Several years ago, working in partnership with an informal committee of Israeli’s residing in the Lehigh Valley, the Jewish Federation began facilitating an annual Yom Hazikaron -Israel’s Memorial Day -- observance. The Israeli calendar consciously places the solemn Yom Hazikaron -- the observance now including those who lost their lives to terrorism -- on the day before the joyous and festive Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day. The somber remembrances give way to joyous celebration. Such is the intertwining of bitter and sweet that is a characteristic of Jewish history and especially a characteristic of Israeli life today. Israeli songwriter Naomi Shemer, famous for writing “Yerushalayim Shel Zahav” (“Jerusalem of Gold”), wrote a moving song which has
become an anthem used in many Yom Hazikaron ceremonies: “Anachnu shneinu me’oto hakfar,”or “We are from the same village.” The song is narrated by a young man, addressed to his dear childhood friend. He talks about how they were the same height, had similar hairstyles, used the same slang talk and even dated the same girls. But then, while serving together in the Israeli Defense Forces (presumably in the 1973 Yom Kippur War), the friend was killed in battle. This is Israel’s classic “there but for the grace of God go I” song. The surviving friend realizes how easy it would have been for it all to have happened the other way, for him to have died and for his friend to have survived. Every year I encourage people to attend the Yom Hazikaron ceremony. While, yes, the program attracts many who have served in the IDF, those who have relatives in Israel, and those whose friends or family have been impacted by terrorism in Israel, the program is also appropriate and meaningful for those in our community who do not have such a direct and defined connection to the fallen of Israeli conflicts or at terrorists’ hands. Why? Because anachnu shneinu me’oto hakfar -- we,
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Readers, Much as we often admonish ourselves and each other to “enjoy the moment,” we tend often to look back or look forward. I thought this edition of HAKOL was going to be all about remembering: Yom HaShoah, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, and well-known people, no longer with us. But reflections on the past lead very quickly to where we are today. This month’s edition brings you President Obama’s visit to
Israel, community events and even gardening -- it’s all about getting out there and engaging. HAKOL is virtually teeming with life. As Sheila Goldberg says in our lead story, “Life is out there; grab it!” There’s nothing to lose and plenty to gain: Grab the hand of the person next to you on the walk from JDS to JCC and find the spirit that unites us. Plant a garden, grab a radish from it and find a new connection to nature. And, if you’re looking for something to do, grab the Community Calendar and find
many opportunities for all of us to connect. Shalom, Jennifer Lader
IN MEMORY
LAUREN HALPER (Mother of Ava, daughter of Barry and Carol Halper and sister of Alex) Eileen and Roberto Fischmann Veronica Fischmann JEAN SAMUELS (Mother of Dave and Mark Samuels) Arlene and Richard Stein
TO ORDER TREES, call the JFLV at 610-821-5500 or visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org.
CORRECTION In the March story, ‘Call me Nehama,’ Yael Unterman’s 2009 book should have appeared as “Nehama Leibowitz: Teacher and Bible Scholar.” Leibowitz’s Studies series came out in 1980 and the source for the Bedein quotes was www.israelbehindthetimes.com.
2 APRIL 2013 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
LEHIGH VALLEY HAKOL is published 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. 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.
Phone: (610) 821-5500 Fax: (610) 821-8946 E-mail: hakol@jflv.org
We gratefully acknowledge those individuals who have offered expressions of friendship by requesting that trees be planted in the Yoav--Lehigh Valley Partnership Park. HALLIE AND TODD MELNICK Birth of daughter, Marissa Sydney Melnick SHALOM BABY
HAKOL
Mail, fax, or e-mail to: JFLV ATTN: HAKOL 702 N. 22nd St. Allentown, PA 18104
JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY IN HONOR
American Jews and Israeli Jews, are from the same village. We all have relatives who emigrated from Europe, or elsewhere, either to the U.S. or to the Israeli settlement known as Palestine prior to May 1948. My father survived the Holocaust and immigrated to the U.S., but his first cousin moved to Israel. A single decision made generations ago might have separated fates, but the historic tie to each other is undeniable. Anachnu shneinu me’oto hakfar. We are all from the same village. Whether we go back 2,000 years, or 100 years, or 65 years. The struggles in Israel are not simply for Israel, but for worldwide Judaism. And our strength as a Jewish community inures benefits beyond the Lehigh Valley, and helps ensure a continuing Jewish
state of Israel. Our lives are linked, one to the other. When one celebrates, we all celebrate. When one mourns, we all mourn. Whether or not you know someone who has been affected by wars or terrorism in Israel, your attendance at Yom Hazikaron will be meaningful and personal. Join us for Yom Hazikaron on Sunday, April 14, at 7:30 PM at the JCC. Anachnu shneinu me’oto hakfar. We are all from the same village.
HAKOL STAFF Jennifer Lader Editor
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Advertising Representative TEL: 610-515-1391 hakolads@jflv.org
JFLV STAFF
Mark L. Goldstein Executive Director
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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
By Stephanie Smartschan and Jennifer Lader JFLV Director of Marketing and Editor, HAKOL Every Monday, Marty Goldstein, 87, walks from his home on 22nd Street to the Jewish Community Center for Friendship Circle. It’s something he won’t be able to do if and when the JCC moves further west, not that he begrudges the need for the change. Having never driven, he’s no stranger to public transportation either, but buses don’t go that way, he said. “Seniors have limited places to go. There are a lot of them that can’t drive,” he said. “If they do get out, [Friendship Circle is] a good place that they can go every week, they look forward to that. They get lunch and they get entertainment and I just think it helps fulfilling your life a little better, it makes things worthwhile.” Addressing the need for transportation for seniors is just one piece of what the strategic planning team will be looking at in the months and years ahead. Caring for seniors, as noted in the Jewish Community Strategic Plan approved by the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley’s Board of Directors last year, is critical to the future of the community. “To me, finally working on what we’re going to do with our older adults is something that’s really important,” said Wendy Born, president of the Federation during much of the strategic planning process and a member of the committee that will now address senior issues. While the concern has always been there, having a roadmap will help the community hone in on what can realistically be done, by when and at what cost, she said. According to the plan, the community should expand the availability of formal and informal supportive services to older Jewish people that allow them to maximize their well‐being and independence and be connected to Jewish life. This should include seniors “aging in place” and living in residential facilities. The Beth Tikvah Model Yes, having a fully supported Jewish residential facility would be ideal. But, it was quickly determined, in a community of this size, it just isn’t feasible in the 21st century.
“The community could not sustain a senior living facility. That’s one of the things that was very difficult to move away from,” said Barry Halper, current Federation president and co-chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee. “It took some time for people to realize there just isn’t the demand that could satisfy the need for an entire facility. Once you make that decision, then you have to look at, OK, there are still seniors that are living in residential facilities, how do you provide a Jewish atmosphere for them?” The question goes way back. “It started with the first settlers,” said Allentown native Ruth Sachs Meislin. “They bought land … in my grandfather’s time because they were determined to have a ‘home for the elderly.’“ Meislin succeeded her aunt on an exploratory committee that also included Robert Margolis, z”l; Al Pell, z”l; and Rabbi Allen Juda, thus representing Allentown and Bethlehem. The group soon involved representatives of Easton and “went all over,” Meislin said, in the quest, first to find a way to build a Jewish home, and when that group, too, deemed the project not feasible, to customize a unit or floor of an existing building. Some of the committee members had connections to former Pennsylvania Gov. George Leader. “He and his wife, Mary Jane, took a tremendous interest in personalizing a wing when they were building Leader Nursing Center [in Bethlehem],” Meislin said. They built a 31-bed wing for Jewish residents, later expanded to 41 beds, that included a kosher kitchen, Jewish chapel, dining room and lounge. Sandy Wruble was hired as the personal services manager for the unit. “Sandy was the glue that made it work, that made it unbelievably successful,” Meislin said. The idea of a Jewish wing in a non-sectarian facility was a good one; the Jewish Federation and Jewish Family Service were nationally recognized for Beth Tikvah with a Council of Jewish Federations’ Schroeder Award. Looking back, Wruble is able to view the facility from both a Jewish and a care provider viewpoint. “It was purely skilled nursing, with rehabilitation and activities,” she said. Some of the residents of Beth Tikvah hadn’t kept kosher, but Wruble
THIS PHOTO & RELATED PHOTO PAGE 1 - EDWIN A. DAVIS PHOTOGRAPHY
Strategic plan envisions increased support for seniors
Rabbi Melody Davis celebrates at a festive meal with residents of Country Meadows Residential facility in Allentown. would tell their adult children, “Yes, but I’ll bet your mother would like a bowl of chicken soup, or a nice brisket with kugel.” The Beth Tikvah program was subsidized by the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. Nevertheless, the number of Jewish residents declined because of the desire for the seniors to be closer to their children or their doctors and the changing needs of seniors entering such facilities. “The assisted living facilities came into being, with the freedom and independence they offer, even though it’s not kosher,” Wruble said. In the early 21st century, the wing was filled mainly with non-Jewish residents, and the nursing home ended the partnership because the nature of skilled nursing care had changed over the years and because the business model of the facility was updated to meet new market realities. Jewish Residence Life Today Although the ending of formal community support was troubling and upsetting for some, there is a legacy that continues today: Leader’s son, G. Michael Leader, is president and CEO of Country Meadows, a senior residential and assisted living facility whose Allentown campus stands out from other Valley facilities in its
Across the years, across the country, senior needs vary By Debbie Zoller Executive Director, Jewish Family Service While many people look forward to retirement, they don’t necessarily look forward to older adulthood. If older adult life can continue to be the way it was in middle adulthood, with independent living and meaningful work, life goes on as always. When this isn’t possible, new needs arise. The Lehigh Valley Jewish community is now making a concerted effort to find ways to meet these needs. To make us more aware of what is possible in our own community, consider what is being done elsewhere: Jewish Family Services in Princeton, N.J. and Louisville, Ky., offer “concierge” programs that provide in-home care services that work with older adults and their families to provide the necessary supports to maintain safety in the home and help older adults stay in their homes. Participants pay a membership fee for access to the concierge services and the network is also supported through private donations. Brandywine Village Network is an aging-in-place initiative from Jewish Family Services of Delaware. Funding comes from annual membership fees which may range from $150 to more than $500 per person. Some villages receive grants and nonmember donations help subsidize the cost for low-income individuals. In the Lehigh Valley and elsewhere, transportation is a major challenge for many seniors. Jewish Family Services in New Orleans has a catch-a-cab program in which participants receive a subsidized taxi fare. Urban Jewish communities frequently offer kosher meals on wheels programs. If and when aging in place is not the best alternative, residential care in the form of independent living, assisted living or nursing care can be found. The definition of “Jewish
residence” depends on the consumer’s viewpoint and may be concerned with Jewish dietary laws, holiday observances and exclusively Jewish clients. Most “Jewish residences” today have non-Jewish residents living at their facilities. While the bigger urban areas have more “Jewish” residences, there are some smaller Jewish communities that have either Jewish nursing homes or apartment living complexes. For example, there are Jewish nursing homes in Harrisburg and in Wilmington, Del. In Savannah, Ga., an Orthodox woman runs a Jewish assisted living facility. Managers in older adult residences run by corporations have discovered that they will attract more Jews to reside there if they provide access to the Jewish community by either taking people out to synagogues or senior programs or by having services like a JFS provide Jewish programming and volunteers, along with orienting their staff to Jewish customs. Day programs are an additional alternative to residential care and those housed in Jewish environments who pay attention to Jewish observances. If held at a JCC, this concept offers a new vision of JCCs as a critical part of a whole and full life as a Jew. In Israel, there is a shopping mall run by older adults and a movie-making workshop for older adults. Programs to help older persons work, teach or share their experiences tell the older adult they have value. In addition, older adults frequently feel better about themselves when they earn money. All of these ideas offer clues as to what our community should consider as we focus on ways to make life for Jewish seniors in the Lehigh Valley easier, more affordable and more enjoyable. Please join our Jewish community in telling us how we can make a difference in the lives of the older adults you know.
offerings for Jewish seniors and currently has a critical mass of Jewish residents. Rabbi Melody Davis of Temple Covenant of Peace in Easton is the Jewish chaplain at Country Meadows in Allentown. Each Friday afternoon, she brings Jewish texts and leads a study session there. Recognizing that not everyone is drawn to large groups, Davis takes the time to knock on doors “to say hello” to some of the other 30 to 40 Jewish residents. There’s a monthly Shabbat service led by Monica Lemelman and by Elaine Langer, whose father Al, z”l, was a very long-term and much-loved resident. “They [also] have a wonderful, special dinner that Susan Wolfson and her husband provide at Pesach, High Holidays, Thanksgiving and maybe Chanukah,” Davis said. Cooky Notis from Jewish Family Service visits regularly and offers holidayrelated programming; other clergy visit, and so do the youth choir and Jewish youth groups. “There is a feeling among some residents,” Davis said, “they will go to anything Jewish, not necessarily because they want to, but because it is being provided and they have an obligation to support it because it’s Jewish.” While few can match Country Meadows’ offerings, Luther Crest holds a seder; Bnai Brith apartments, now with just a handful of Jewish residents, has a monthly Shabbat service. One idea under consideration is for the Jewish community to find ways to again partner creatively with existing residential facilities and promote them as places to find Jewish life. Those facilities would ideally need to accommodate the religious, social and dietary needs of their Jewish residents, said Patty Glascom, cochairwoman of the seniors committee and vice president of Jewish Family Service. They would also need to offer a full range of care, from independent living onward, she said. “It’s very fragmented now. There are Jewish residents in small numbers in just about every one of the retirement facilities in the area,” Glascom said. “I feel that if there was a central place, the programming could be more in-depth ... more meaningful, more often. That, I think, would be comforting for the residents and their families.” Aging in Place There are several ideas on the table about how to help older Jewish adults who want to -- or have to -- remain in their homes. Setting up a “concierge service,” whereby a single person would be the goto for the needs of seniors in the Jewish community, is one possibility the strategic planning implementation committee will explore.
Strategic Plan Continues on page 7 HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | APRIL 2013 3
WOMEN’S DIVISION OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY
Spring event speaker tells mother’s war-torn love story By Stephanie Smartschan JFLV Director of Marketing
6:30 p.m. crayola gallery at the banana factory 25 W. Third Street, Bethlehem
$36 per person for dinner & program Minimum gift of $365 (dollar-a-day) to the 2013 Campaign for Jewish Needs required to attend bring non-perishable food items for the JFS food pantry
PLEASE RSVP BY TUESDAY, APRIL 23
save the date
Thursday, May 30, 2013 Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley Women’s Division
Lion of Judah & Pomegranate Women spring recognition event www.jewishlehighvalley.org
Leslie Maitland grew up with the past all around her, even if it wasn’t quite as close as she thought. “I would see a radio tower across the Hudson River in New Jersey and I used to think that that was the Eiffel Tower when I was little, and the Hudson River was the ocean,” said Maitland, a former New York Times investigative reporter who will be the featured speaker at the Women’s Division Dollar-A-Day Spring Event on May 7. Her fascination came from the stories her mother, Janine, told all the time, of growing up in Germany, fleeing to a small French border town and eventually escaping to Cuba before settling in the U.S. As Maitland got older, the stories started including the one of her mother’s first true love who she never got over. “They met in France and she just became passionately in love with him and I think it was probably a kind of way of hiding out from the horrors of the war,” Maitland said. “She was a teenage girl and she was fixated on this love, it was the only thing that mattered to her.” When war was declared, his family – Catholic – fled in one direction, hers – Jewish – in another. But when France fell, the two were reunited in Lyon. Still, the French were collaborating so much with the Nazis, even being in the “free zone” was extremely dangerous. In 1942, Janine’s father insisted she leave with the rest of the family on what turned out to be the last ship to get out of France before the Nazis closed off its ports. “Roland” left Janine with a 12-page letter and a promise to marry after the war. They would not soon meet again.
Fast forward to 1989. The mayor of Freiburg, Germany, where Janine was born, invited former Jewish residents for a weeklong, all-expenses-paid “reconciliation” trip back to town. Janine decided to go, and Maitland went with her. “When I discovered how much of the past was still accessible, I just became fascinated in doing the research about all this,” she said. She wrote a long article for The New York Times about the trip, but it would be another decade before she really began working on the whole story. She didn’t set out to write about her mother’s lost love, she said. But then her research led her to him. “Crossing the Borders of Time” was published in April 2012. “One of the things I aimed to do in this book is kind of take her love story and weave it as a golden thread through the story of the war so that people can go through this very difficult landscape of war and persecution and always experiencing it through the eyes of a young woman who really just wants to live a normal life,” she said. Because of Maitland’s investigative skills and passion for her own family history, the two young lovers were reunited after 50 years. Maitland’s illustrated talk at the Women’s Division spring event will take the book through the history of the war, her mother’s experience and what it was like to survive on a day-to-day basis. The event is open to women who have made a minimum contribution of $365 to the 2013 Campaign for Jewish Needs and begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Crayola Gallery at the Banana Factory, 25 W. Third St., Bethlehem. Cost is $36 per person for program and dinner. To learn more or register now, visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org.
Passover in the Matzah Aisle Federation volunteers Monica Friess, [shown with a Wegmans employee], Vicki Wax, Sylvia Bub and Assistant Executive Director Judy Diamondstein offer up charoset samples to Wegmans shoppers on March 14.
SPONSORED BY THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY’S WOMEN’S DIVISION
WELCOMING NEW BABIES to the Lehigh Valley
MAOZ BACH son of Carmit and David Bach
If you’re expecting, know someone who is, or have a new baby, PLEASE LET US KNOW! Contact Abby Trachtman 610-821-5500 | abbyt@jflv.org 4 APRIL 2013 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
This public event was an outreach initiative of the Shalom Lehigh Valley program, which strives to welcome newcomers to the Jewish community. To learn more, visit www.shalomlehighvalley.org.
Handmade Afghans
BY EVA LEVITT
All proceeds benefit projects in Israel:
Food Banks in Israel Neve Michael Youth Village
For prices or to place an order, call Eva 610-398-1376. All payments are made payable to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley
ON THIS DATE
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising inspires other revolts By Josh Goldin Teen Correspondent The Warsaw Ghetto was an enclosed 3.5 square mile part of Warsaw, Poland where the Nazis gathered and confined approximately 400,000 Jews beginning in October of 1940. The ghetto was unsanitary, cramped and filled with malnourished people. Because a 10-foot high wall surrounded them, the ghetto’s inhabitants depended upon the Nazis to supply food, fuel and medical supplies. Diseases like typhus wiped out thousands so that by the end of 1941, 43,000 Jews in the ghetto had died of disease. Between July 22 and September 12, 1942, the Nazis deported and killed 300,000 Warsaw Ghetto Jews who the Nazis claimed were “non-productive elements.” This led to fear and panic among the remaining 50,000 to 60,000 Warsaw Ghetto Jews. It was at this point that Jewish leaders in the ghetto met to decide how to resist. By July 1942, several Jewish underground, armed self-defense groups had formed, with an estimated several hundred members per group. The 23-year-old Mordecai Anielewicz became the leader of the Jewish Fighting Organization (in Polish, Z.O.B.) resistance group. Knowing that any more deportations would only mean death at concentration camps, he ordered the building of shelters and bunkers. By this time, the Jews knew they were going to die; they wanted to fight for their lives. In January, 1943, the Z.O.B surprised the Germans who were rounding up Jews
Obama Continues from page 1
leaders downplayed any differences on security issues and instead stressed broad U.S.-Israeli consensus on Iran’s nuclear program, the Syrian civil war and even Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Last year, Netanyahu issued a thinly veiled rebuke of Obama, saying at a news conference that nations that don’t issue red lines on Iran’s nuclear program “don’t have a moral right to place a red light before Israel.” On the first day of the visit, though, practically the only mention of a red line was a joke the two men made about the red carpet laid out for Obama during his welcome ceremony. In a statement following a meeting with the president, Netanyahu praised Obama for his actions on Iran. “You have made it clear that you are determined to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons,” Netanyahu said. “I appreciate your forthright position on this point. I appreciate that you have acted through diplomacy and strong sanctions.” And while Obama said multiple times of Iran that “we prefer to resolve this diplomatically,” he added, “Each country has to make its own decision when it
for deportation. In retaliation on January 21, the Germans massacred 1,000 Jews in the Ghetto’s main square. The Germans temporarily halted the deportation, which encouraged the resistance fighters, although the worst was yet to come. On April 19, 1943, the eve of Passover, the Germans intended to liquidate the ghetto. However, the ghetto seemed empty because all the remaining residents had gone into hiding in the bunkers. Anielewicz then ordered an uprising in which the Jews attacked the Germans with pistols, homemade grenades, a few automatic weapons and rifles, bringing the total number of Nazis killed to 300. Enraged, the German commander of the SS ordered that the Warsaw Ghetto be burned down. The Jews tried to escape by jumping out of burning buildings and running into sewers but the Germans responded by blowing up the bunkers and using poison gas. On May 8, the Germans killed Anielewicz and, on May 16, destroyed the Great Synagogue, signalling the end of the Warsaw Ghetto. Although thousands of Jews died during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the news of the revolt made its way to others resistance fighters and ultimately led to other revolts by the Jews. Near the end of his life, Anielewicz explained to a friend, “My life’s dream has been realized. I have lived to see Jewish defense in the ghetto rally its greatness and glory.” Other resistance groups continued his life’s dream throughout the Holocaust.
comes to the awesome decision to engage in any military action. I don’t expect that the prime minister will make a decision about his country’s security and defer that to any other country.” The two leaders also found common ground on Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, previously a huge sticking point. In 2009, not long after Obama began his first term -- and Netanyahu his second -- Obama called for an Israeli freeze on West Bank settlement building. Netanyahu acquiesced partially after initially resisting the call. This time, Obama eschewed a similar request. “I did not want to come here and make some big announcement that might not match up with what the realities and possibilities on the ground are,” Obama said. “I want to listen before I talk. It is a hard slog to work through all of these issues.” Netanyahu responded by affirming Israel’s commitment to a two-state solution, even though some prominent members of his new coalition oppose any sort of Palestinian state. He said he hopes to resume negotiations soon. “Let me be clear: Israel remains fully committed to peace and the solution of two states for two peoples,” Netanyahu said. “We extend our hand in friendship and peace to the Palestinian people.”
save the date
Yom Hashoah CO MMEMORATION
With a special observance of the 70th Anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising
HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY Yom Hashoah v’Hagvurah
SUNDAY, APRIL 7, 2013
7:00 PM Jewish Community Center of Allentown Featuring Dr. Rachel Korazim, freelance Jewish education consultant Free and open to the community www.jewishlehighvalley.org
Dr. Korazim will be speaking throughout the community on Monday, April 8. To learn more, visit the Jewish Federation online.
Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley’s ANNUAL MEETING
THURSDAY, JUNE 13 www.jewishlehighvalley.org HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | APRIL 2013 5
WHAT’S UP, DOC?
maimonides society
Federation
Shabbat with
Doug Bloomfield Saturday,
April 27, 2013 9 a.m. Congregation Brith Sholom, Bethlehem
SPONSORED BY
Douglas M. Bloomfield, a syndicated columnist, Washington lobbyist and consultant, will be the featured speaker at Shabbat services at Congregation Brith Sholom, sponsored by the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. All are welcome.
Q:
Most of us have a general notion that elevated cholesterol is harmful to your health. We are very much still in the phase of discovery of lipid metabolism and exactly what is the role of the various lipid components that we measure in the development of atherosclerosis. But there are some basic facts and definitions which have been established. It is now well-recognized that elevated levels of plasma low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol are linked to the development of atherosclerotic vascular disease. Atherosclerosis is a disease of the blood vessels which is what leads to organ damage such as myocardial infarction (heart attack), stroke and peripheral vascular disease, which combined remain the leading cause of death in the U.S. What is LDL? LDL is a protein produced in the liver which transports cholesterol to the cells in your body. Cholesterol is necessary for proper cellular function and is a precursor for the synthesis of many hormones produced by the endocrine organs. However, when the liver produces excess amounts of LDL particles, these particles become trapped within the walls of the arteries, which leads to the development of atherosclerosis. What can cause the liver to produce excess LDL? The main causes are diets rich in saturated and trans-fats, certain diseases of the kidney and genetic factors.
Thursday, April 18, 2013 5:30 p.m. Noti's Clubhouse Tavern Allentown Municipal Golf Course, 3400 Tilghman St., Allentown
Beer Tasting & Appetizers! ATTENDANCE ENTERS YOU INTO A RAFFLE FOR A CHANCE TO WIN: • Four pack of tickets to enjoy the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs • Four pack of tickets to see the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks play • Two tickets to enjoy the Bethlehem Wine Festival • Gift certificates for local businesses
LDL is also the main target of statin drugs, which are among the most widely prescribed drugs on the market. Studies have shown that in patients who have had a heart attack or who have multiple risk factors for heart attack (over 45 for men, over 55 for women, diabetes, high blood pressure, cigarette smoking, a strong family history of heart disease and a low HDL cholesterol), these drugs can lower (not eliminate) one’s risk of heart attack. This is arguably one of the most important advances in medicine of the past 50 years. A desirable LDL is dependent on one’s underlying heart disease risk. If you are at low risk, an LDL of 130 is desirable. However, if you have two or more risk factors or diabetes or preexisting atherosclerosis, you should aim for an LDL of less than 100. If you have had a heart attack or stroke, your LDL should be less than 70. For most patients, statins, in conjunction with diets low in saturated fats and high in fiber, are the most effective ways to achieve these goals. Statins are safe and well-tolerated and now there are affordable generic equivalents. Despite their proven benefits and safety, especially in high-risk patients, studies have shown that many patients are reluctant to take them or are not being prescribed them by their physicians. HDL, aka “good cholesterol,” is also a protein produced by
By Jeannie Miller Special to HAKOL Have you considered becom-
ing a registered bone marrow or stem cell transplant donor on the chance that you may be a match for someone fighting for his or her life? Jacqui Klein has been working tirelessly to find a match for her daughter-in-law, Shira Klein. “If and when a match is found for Shira, it will most likely be with an Ashkenazi Jew, a person with a genetic background similar to Shira’s,” Jacqui said. Yet, Jews are only about 2 percent of the world’s population. Neil Dicker of the Lehigh Valley, a two–time stem cell transplant recipient, is now an ambassador for the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation (GOL), the organization that found the match for his transplant. He is speaking out to encourage everyone, especially Jews, to become part of the international donor registry. Founded in 1991 by a young Jewish man whose life was saved by a donor, the GOL is open to everyone, but focuses on the Jewish population. Shira Klein, who lives in New Jersey and is the mother of three young children, has been battling
Respectful accommodation for dietary observance. Cost: $10 per person (bring three or more canned goods for $1 off your entry) RSVP to Judy Diamondstein, 610-821-5500 or judy@jflv.org Erin & Justin Corsa, YAD co-chairs
Shira Klein and her children 6 APRIL 2013 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
A:
BY DR. HARVEY HAKIM
the liver. It is responsible for “reverse transport” of cholesterol in that it soaks up cholesterol and other fatty components from the peripheral circulation which is then delivered back to the liver. So a high HDL (greater than 60) is, generally speaking, desirable and considered a “negative risk factor” for heart disease. If your HDL is low (under 40 for men, under 50 for women) you are at increased risk for heart disease. One can increase HDL through exercise, quitting smoking and certain medications such as omega-3 fatty acids and niacin. Triglycerides are other fatcontaining molecules which are also linked to atherosclerosis. In humans, triglycerides are a mechanism for storing unused calories, and their high concentration in blood correlates with the consumption of excess starches and other high-carbohydrate foods and drinks. Diets high in refined carbohydrates can increase triglyceride levels. Certain inherited conditions, medications and alcohol consumption can also cause an elevated triglyceride level. A desirable triglyceride level is less than 100. Know your numbers. Talk with your doctor about lowering your risk for heart disease. In most cases, diets low in saturated fats, regular exercise, smoking cessation and, when appropriate, medications such as statins can prevent this insidious and highly prevalent disease.
Cheek swab offers chance at mitzvah
Brews with Jews young adult division
Should you be taking cholesterol medication? The ABC’s of cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglycerides
DR. PAUL LEMBERG COLUMN EDITOR
Hodgkins Lymphoma since 2010. She is currently undergoing chemotherapy, but will need a stem cell transplant from a donor to prolong her life. Her family has organized a fund called Smiles for Shira, through which they have tested over 9,500 people and have found 14 matches for other people, but not even one for Shira yet. Neil Dicker and I are organizing a cheek swabbing event Sunday, April 14, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Temple Covenant of Peace, located at 1451 Northampton Street in Easton. This is part of the effort to find a match for Shira Klein and others. The cheek swab is a free, simple and painless way for healthy people, ages 18 to 60 to be entered in the bone marrow donor registry. Come to this event for what might be your greatest mitzvah: saving a life! If you cannot attend but would still like to take part in this mitzvah opportunity, please go to www.giftoflife.org/smilesforshira and enter sponsorship code “Shira” for a free swab kit during the month of April.
Men’s Night Out features whisky tasting Transforming whiskey production in distillation’s birthplace By Sean Savage Jewish News Service Modeled on the extraordinary success of the craft beer movement, a British-born Israeli and his sabra partner are teaming up to bring micro-distilling to Israel by becoming Israel’s firstever artisanal whiskey producer, the Milk and Honey Distillery. “We intend to make a whiskey that can stand on its own two feet,” Simon Fried, one of the founders of Milk and Honey,” told JNS.org. “Not only to make a whiskey from Israel for the first time, but a good whiskey that will be respected around the world.” At first glance, it may seem out of place to produce whiskey in the Middle East. But many may not realize that the science behind whiskey production – distillation -- originated in the region thousands of years ago as alchemy, a sort of mythical pseudoscience that attempted to produce gold from other elements. Evidence points to numerous ancient Middle Eastern civilizations, such as the Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Greeks and even Jewish
Stategic Plan Continues from page 3
”When you’re trying to make these difficult decisions, if you’re going through a channel and a community that is home, I think that tends to dampen a little bit of that anxiety,” said Nan Ronis, who will co-chair the seniors committee with Glascom. There are, of course, resources that already exist within Jewish Family Service that the committee may look to have strengthened. To add to that, the Jewish Federation is in the process of hiring a part-time staffer to coordinate the planning to address the needs of seniors as laid out in the strategic plan. For seniors at home, transportation will continue to be a big issue that needs to be addressed. “In this community, why it’s particularly difficult is because we’re so spread out and people
alchemists, experimenting with distillation. Even the Bible alludes to King David as being an expert alchemist as well as several prophets, including Elijah, Isaiah and Ezekiel. It is based on this rich Middle Eastern tradition that whiskey was born. According to legend, Irish monks and soldiers traveling to the Holy Land as part of the Crusades (some say even earlier) first learned of the process of distillation from Middle Eastern alchemists and began producing whiskey when they returned. Today, in a region bereft of alcohol production, Israel has seen a boom in its alcohol industry. Israeli wines have become world-renowned for their quality and taste, redefining what it means to be a kosher wine, while Israeli-produced beers such as Goldstar and Maccabee have become popular everyday drinks. Israel has also seen the craft beer phenomenon come to its shores with the opening of numerous brew pubs throughout the country. A special note to whiskey connoisseurs: The author, keeping in line with his Irish heritage, chooses to spell whiskey with an “e” rather than “whisky.”
Ben Grossman stands with JFLV Past President, Bob Grey as they enjoy appetizers at the annual men’s donor recognition event.
Combining their interest and appreciation of both scotch whisky and the Jewish Federation are campaign supporters Marc Diamondstein, Jeff Blinder, Eduardo Eichenwald and Arthur Hochhauser.
Happy Men’s Night Out Committee Members stand with featured speaker Elizabeth Riley Bell. L-R: Jarrod Rosenthal, Justin Corsa, Elizabeth Bell, Mike Notis, Chairman Richard Bub, Jonathan Epstein
are pretty dependent on cars,” said Debbie Zoller, executive director of Jewish Family Service of the Lehigh Valley. Providing quality programming for older adults living outside of residential facilities is another facet that the strategic plan urges the community to consider. In truth, the seniors committee is just beginning to look at the many options available. But the idea is to make strides in this arena as soon as possible. Success, said Glascom, would be to have facilities identified that could meet the needs of Jewish residents, have a conciergetype service in place, a larger volunteer corps and “provide peace of mind for aging seniors in the Jewish community.” Interested in serving on the seniors committee? Contact the Federation at 610-821-5500 or strategicplan@jflv.org. To read the strategic plan in its entirety, visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org.
EN COMP RE
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800-456-6098 HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | APRIL 2013 7
Area college students to receive Levy Hillel Award
Rose Bayer
Zachary Cahn
Sara Green
Sara Kaskowitz
Please join the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley in honoring the 2013 recipients of the Levy Hillel Leadership Award. The Levy Hillel Award recognizes outstanding young leaders at each of the Lehigh Valley’s Hillel chapters. It was established by Mort and Myra Levy, z”l, through the Lehigh Valley Jewish Foundation. The program will
be held at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, April 14, at the Jewish Community Center of Allentown and is open to the community. Brunch will be served. ROSE BAYER: Rose studies neuroscience at Lafayette College. For the past three years, she has been a member of the Lafayette College Hillel Board. She is also involved in greek
Becca Diamond
life on campus, serving as a board member in her sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta. Rose is also a member of Modes of Expression, serving as a tutor and mentor for students with particular academic or behavioral issues at the Easton Area Middle School. ZACHARY CAHN: Zachary is currently serving his second term as a member of the Lehigh University Hillel Board. While he was initially solely responsible for leading services and planning out religious events at Hillel, he now organizes all of the cultural events
Levy Hillel Award
Continues on page 26
Lehigh Valley Jewish Foundation The endowment fund of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley
IN MEMORY
BROTHER OF RENEE GROSSMAN Sandra and Harold Goldfarb MOTHER OF LINDA HERTZBERG Sandra and Harold Goldfarb ADELE ABRAMOWITZ (Mother of Gary Abramowitz) Wendy and Ross Born BRUCE BISHINS (Brother of Scott Bishins) Rita and Mike Bloom & Family JORDAN BRUCE (Fiancé of Karen Kuhn) Randi and Donald Senderowitz SYLVIA CHASIS (Mother of Joan Brody) Merry Landis BETTE COHEN (Mother of Robert Cohen) Sandra and Harold Goldfarb Ann and David Packman Vicki and Stan Wax ALVIN COHODAS (Husband of Dorothy Cohodas) Diane and Howard Silverman ROBERTA ‘BOBBI’ CYLINDER (Mother of Cindy Schneider) Ira and Sondra Berman Lisa and Barnet Fraenkel Selma Roth Randi and Donald Senderowitz LEROY FAIGIN (Father of Roni Englert) Judy and Marc Diamondstein MJ FRIEDBERG (Husband of Jane Kay Friedberg) Judith and Stephen Barrett Evelyn Brown and Family Lisa and Barnet Fraenkel Randi and Donald Senderowitz HUGH FRIEDMAN (Husband of Lynn Schenk) Rita and Mike Bloom & Family LEONARD JACK GRIBBEN (Husband of Bettina Gribben and brother of Allen Gribben and Howard Gribben) Mike and Rita Bloom & Family Randi and Donald Senderowtiz SHARON GUTSCHE (Wife of Russell Gutsche and mother of Alison and Jonathan) Nikki Roth and Penny and Adam Roth LAUREN HALPER (Mother of Ava, daughter of Barry and Carol Halper and sister of Alex) Lori and Houman Ahdieh & Sydney, Alyssa and Bayley Rita and Michael Bloom Sara and Karl Glassman Sandra and Harold Goldfarb Jan and Bob Kaplan Suzanne Lapiduss and Family Amy and Richard Morse The Staff at Dr. Notis’ Office Penny and Adam Roth & Alex and Nikki
Helene and Leno Scarcia Lynne and Mark Shampain Diane and Howard Silverman Marty Spiro MAURICE MARIN (Father of Eydie Glickstein) Sara and Karl Glassman Beth and Ed Posner Vicki and Stan Wax RUTH AND MILTON MOLLICK (Parents of Lynn and Helen Mollick) Roz and Al Mishkin FAYE MOZES (Mother of Ruth Vishniavsky and Janet Mozes) Elizabeth and Gerald Majewski HENRY PHILIPS (Husband of Vivian Philips) Lisa and Barnet Fraenkel CLIFFORD VERNICK (Husband of Joan Vernick) Lisa and Barnet Fraenkel
IN HONOR
TEMPLE COLDREN Speedy Recovery Sandra and Harold Goldfarb CATHY AND HOWARD COLEMAN Birth of granddaughter, Carly Michaela Kudryk Laurie, Robby, Ben and Danny Wax Vicki and Stan Wax KAREN AND PETER COOPER Marriage of daughter Rachel to Jared Zolna Rita and Michael Bloom ALAN FRIEDLAND Speedy Recovery Renee Schwartz BLANCHE AND ARTHUR KADUK Wishing you both well Roz and Al Mishkin MERYL AND LEE KELECHAVA Marriage of daughter Rachel to Jared Zolna Rita and Michael Bloom SERITA SILBERG Speedy Recovery Roz and Al Mishkin
AGUDAS ACHIM CEMETERY
HONORING DONALD SENDEROWITZ Jewel Baringoldz Nancy and Richard Cooperman
HOLOCAUST RESOURCE CENTER MAURICE MARIN (Father of Edyth Glickstein) Marilyn Claire Ann and Gene Ginsberg Roberta and Robert Kritzer Shari Spark and Mark Goldstein
We gratefully acknowledge those individuals who have offered expressions of friendship through recent gifts to the Lehigh Valley Jewish Foundation. The minimum contribution for an Endowment Card is $10. Call 610-821-5500 or visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org to place your card requests. Thank you for your continued support.
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PJ celebrates Passover More than 40 people enjoyed a “mini seder,” sponsored by PJ Library, on Sunday, March 10, at the Jewish Community Center. Cantor Ellen Sussman led a special child-friendly seder with lots of traditional songs and stories. The children jumped like frogs, tossed paper balls representing hail and touched their toes into the Sea of Reeds
before crossing into the desert. Students from Temple Shirat Shalom’s seventh grade religious school class sang the four questions to the preschool crowd. Passover favorites like hard boiled eggs, celery and matzah were joined by kid-friendly chocolate charoset and mini gefilte fish balls.
PJ LIBRARY
Family of the Month:
THE MYLNARSKYS
Isabel loves reading books from PJ Library to her little brother Eli. Selections are very ageappropriate and easy for her to relate to and subsequently describe the story to her brother. -JULIE MYLNARSKY
To learn more about PJ Library and register to receive free Jewish-themed books for children from 6 months through 8 years, visit www.pjlibrary.org.
SUNDAY, MAY 5, 2013
PJ Goes to Yofresh 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., Yofresh Yogurt Cafe, Allentown
Let's read a PJ Library story and crafts while we enjoy the refreshing taste of Yofresh Yogurt! Purchase your own yogurt, but activities are free. Contact Brenda Finberg at 610-435-3571 or bfinberg@lvjcc.org to learn more.
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | APRIL 2013 9
AIPAC Policy Conference draws huge crowds The 2013 AIPAC Policy Conference was held in Washington, D.C., on March 3-5. Over 13,000 people from all walks of life attended, including 30 delegates from the Lehigh Valley.
SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
Above, left to right: Gabrielle Korn, Laura Bortnick, Dalit Agronin, Michele Freesman, Gil Schpero, Stephanie Fishbein, Sara Benowitz and Nicole Berger. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) recognized the pro-Israel activism of Gil Schpero, assistant director of Muhlenberg College Hillel, at the AIPAC Campus Awards Dinner held during its annual Policy Conference in Washington.
10:30 a.m. | JCC of Allentown ROSE BAYER
Lafayette College
ZACHARY CAHN & SARA GREEN
Lehigh University
BECCA DIAMOND
Muhlenberg College
SARA KASKOWITZ
Moravian College
RSVP to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley at 610-821-5500 by Friday, April 5.
Yom Hazikaron Ceremony ISRAEL MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVANCE
Reinforcing US-Israel bond By Ezra Goldstein Penn State University - Altoona There is a bond between Israel and America that cannot be broken, speakers at this year's AIPAC Policy Conference made clear. U.S. support of Israel is important, they said, specifically for the Iron Dome missile defense program, the urgency of a peaceful solution between the Israelis and Palestinians and the threat of a nuclear Iran. The first of the three issues was unanimously affirmed by congressional speakers, but it was the latter of the three that was met with grave warnings. It seems that our nation, specifically our Congress, is growing more and more aware of the increasing threat that Iran poses, not only to Israel, but to the whole of nations. The conference’s sessions brought up a slew of additional issues as well as innovations regarding Israel. They examined the threat of a nuclear Iran, the American media and Israel, how the Israeli economy came to be, a highlight of technological
innovations coming out of Israel, and much more. One of the most notable sessions was the presentation of a small group of Israelis’ plans to make it to the final frontier. SpaceIL is an Israeli non-profit organization participating in the Google Lunar X-Prize; a global competition to land an unmanned craft on the moon. The first team to do so wins $20 million, which SpaceIL plans to contribute to science education in Israel. Another session that attracted a lot of attention was dedicated to the explanation of the rapidly growing Israeli economy. The panelists discussed what makes the Israeli economy so powerful, and even answered questions after their presentations. Several notable officials of foreign countries and members of our own Congress had the opportunity to speak to the eager crowd during the conferences’ many plenary sessions. Most notable was Sen. Robert Menendez’s passionate speech regarding the historic legitimacy of the Jewish state and the right of Israel to defend itself. It was a great conference that drove home the call for a strong U.S.-Israel bond.
Shaping tomorrow, together By Monica Friess and Amy Morse Special to HAKOL
iurfzv ouh Yom Hazikaron Sunday, April 14, 2013 7:30 p.m. JCC of Allentown
Commemorate as a community in solidarity with Israel
10 APRIL 2013 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
At this year's AIPAC conference, we had some time before our first lecture to enjoy a nosh at an area in the convention center known as The AIPAC Village. Here attendees can dine, chat with other delegates and learn about Israeli innovations. Others joined our table and, while introducing ourselves, we learned that we were all of varying political leanings. Our disparate group soon began talking and bonding over our common focus: the importance of Israel in our lives and a continued strong U.S.-Israeli partnership. Our lunchtime assembly reflected the policy conference as a whole in uniting people of diverse backgrounds and political affiliations who share aspirations for an unwavering alliance between the U.S. and Israel. AIPAC is a bipartisan public affairs committee. It's not a “PAC,” which is a political action com-
mittee organized for the purpose of raising money to elect candidates. AIPAC does not endorse or make financial contributions to any candidate. AIPAC makes no judgments about any party or any politician. Rather, AIPAC's mission is simply to educate each and every congressman about how a strong American-Israeli alliance benefits both countries as well as the world at large. Every time a new congressional representative is voted into office, AIPAC reaches out to educate the new official about Israel, sometimes sending the congressman to Israel to learn firsthand about its strengths as well as its security challenges. AIPAC is a most successful organization in educating lawmakers. We support AIPAC and we are grateful for the invaluable work that AIPAC staff does every day to help maintain America's strong congressional commitment to Israel and the unbreakable bond between the U.S. and Israel. Please come with us to the AIPAC Policy Conference next year.
Ensuring a strong state for the Jewish people By Michele Freesman Muhlenberg College Nine Muhlenberg students traveled to Washington, D.C., for the AIPAC Policy Conference this year, the largest gathering of pro-Israel activists. The delegates, including 2,000 students, gathered to hear from leading American and Israeli policy makers about the strategic and mutually beneficial alliance between Israel and the U.S. The conference empowered me by giving me the opportunity to listen to speakers like Vice President Joe Biden, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak. This gave us the knowledge and skills to affect policy through direct involvement in the American political system. We stormed Capitol Hill to express to our
Congressional representatives the need for a strong U.S.-Israel relationship. While sitting with Rep. Charlie Dent, I had a conversation with a true friend to the U.S.-Israel strategic alliance. We discussed stopping the Iranian pursuit of nuclear weapons and the mutual benefits of providing foreign aide to Israel, as well as codifying the Israeli alliance in American law. As a student, I have seen attendance increase in the last four years; however, there is always a need to expand further. With growing turmoil in the Middle East and the changing political landscape in the U.S., Israel needs our political support as the American Jewish community more than ever before. AIPAC has given me, as well as 2,000 other students, the tools to ensure that the U.S.-Israel alliance is long-lasting.
WRITINGS FROM THE
CLERGY
RABBI ALLEN JUDA
Congregation Brith Sholom Generally speaking, not many non-members visit the synagogue office. But a few weeks ago, we had an unexpected visitor. A very sweet, but anxious and confused older lady walked in. Brith Sholom is located about a mile east of Muhlenberg Hospital, on the same Macada Road that leads onto the hospital grounds. The woman came into the office and told us she was lost. She asked us how to get to Muhlenberg where she was picking up her husband who was being discharged. As I stood up to show her how to drive to Muhlenberg, I could not help but wonder if she should be driving at all. It was a very simple set of
Now is the time directions. All she had to do was turn right out of our parking lot and go straight down Macada Road and when she went through one traffic light, she would see Muhlenberg to her left. I asked her to show me which way was right and the poor lady was so upset that she couldn’t even do it under the pressure of my asking. At that point, I insisted on leading her to the hospital where she did remember exactly which room her husband was in. This incident emphasizes the struggle many of us or our loved ones have had, or will have, as a result of aging. Science increasingly extends the length of our lives, but not necessarily the quality. There is doubtless a challenge in that reality for our Jewish community. Jewish tradition clearly states our general philosophy and theology on aging. Leviticus 19:32: “You shall rise before the aged and show deference to the old; you shall fear your G-d: I am the Lord.” One may easily interpret from the last part of the verse that one important aspect of being in awe of G-d is respecting and showing deference “to the old.” The challenge for us is to decide in clear terms how to translate this Jewish value into specific action. In a community where we have rightfully placed a huge emphasis on children and the future, how far down the priority list are our senior members? The most recent
Strategic Plan, like its predecessor surveys and strategic plans, indicates that we need to provide more services for older Jews, but what kinds of services are we, as a Jewish community, looking to provide? While we need to do our best to allow people to “age in place,” there will inevitably be a time when some couples or individuals will need to move into a facility. Many will want a Jewish environment. Of course, a “Jewish environment” means different things to different people. For some it means kashrut and for others cultural experiences. Affordability will always be an issue. What do we as a community want and what are we willing to support financially? What do we want to do for others and what do we want to do in case we, ourselves, need it? Housing, transportation, connecting to shut-ins, serving the unaffiliated, supporting aging in place, expanding services to residents of facilities are all issues. Volunteers will not solve all of our challenges. Jewish Family Service, which already deals with all of these areas and more, will need to be strengthened. The Psalmist cried out in the 71st Psalm: “Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength fails me.” I am now in my mid-60s. Has the time finally come for our Jewish community to respond to the Psalmist’s plea?
Easton Salon Series
A hybrid social/intellectual Jewish experience
APRIL 21, 2013
7 to 9 p.m., Hillel Society at Lafayette College
Hatufim:
The Israeli Show that Inspired Homeland with Rabbi Daniel Stein Presentation by
RABBI DANIEL STEIN Join Rabbi Daniel Stein for an open, thoughtful discussion at this month's salon on the Israeli show that inspired the Showtime hit "Homeland."
Based on the salon concept in Europe
where the elite would host small gatherings featuring scholars or artists, the Easton series allows Jews to come together every month to discuss captivating and thought-provoking themes. Future salons will be held the 3rd Sunday of every month. There is no cost to participate. Light refreshments and coffee will be served.
Sponsored by the Easton Leadership Council of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley
Jewish Day School of the Lehigh Valley | www.JDSLV.org
Developing children with a
American and Jewish identity strong
Enrollment now open for the 2013-2014 school year. 2313 Pennsylvania Street • Allentown, PA 18104 610-437-0721 • www.jdslv.org HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | APRIL 2013 11
PURIM
across the Valley
Where is she now? FROM BARRACK TO AWARD-WINNING FILMMAKER Meet Alison Klayman, Akiba-Barrack Alumna, Class of 2002. From her earliest days at school, Alison was challenged by her teachers to ask probing questions, champion the underdog, and proactively put the Jewish tradition of tikun olam (repairing the world) into action.
Where is she now? Alison is traveling the world, presenting her award-winning documentary, “Ai WeiWei: Never Sorry,” at prestigious film festivals. Her film follows the life and career of one of China’s most famous artists and dissidents, Ai Weiwei. Alison is pursuing her passions and accomplishing her goals.
12 APRIL 2013 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
Discover your passions. Accomplish your goals. Schedule a personal tour of Barrack today: Contact our Director of Admission: Jennifer Groen jgroen@jbha.org or 610-922-2350.
Upcoming Open House: Tuesday, April 23, 9am-noon ùì å øåî ã îìì
Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Argentinian cardinal who was elected pope and has taken the name Francis, is said to have a good relationship with Argentinian Jews. Bergoglio, 76, a Jesuit, is the first pope to come from outside Europe in more than a millennium; reflecting the changing demographics of Catholics, he comes from Latin America. As archbishop of Buenos Aires, Bergoglio attended Rosh Hashanah services at the Benei Tikva Slijot synagogue in September 2007. Rabbi David Rosen, the director of interfaith affairs for the American Jewish Committee, told JTA that the new pope is a “warm and sweet and modest man.” After the bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in 1994, he “showed solidarity with the Jewish community,” Rosen said. Israel Singer, the former head of the World Jewish Congress, said he spent time working with Bergoglio when the two were distributing aid to the poor in Buenos Aires in the early 2000s, part of a joint Jewish-Catholic program called Tzedaka. “We went out to the barrios where Jews and Catholics were suffering together,” Singer told JTA. “If everyone sat in chairs with handles, he would sit in the one without. He was always looking to be more modest. He’s going to find it hard to wear all these uniforms.” Bergoglio also wrote the foreword of a book by Rabbi Sergio Bergman, a Buenos Aires legislator, and referred to him as “one of my teachers.” Last November, Bergoglio hosted a Kristallnacht memorial event at the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral with Rabbi Alejandro Avruj from the NCIEmanuel World Masorti congregation. Renzo Gattegna, the president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, offered Italian Jewry’s congratulations to the new pope with the “most fervent wishes” that his pontificate could bring “peace and brotherhood to all humanity.”
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JACK M.
B ARRACK HEBREW ACADEMY FOR LEARNING • FOR LEADING • FOR LIFE 272 S. Bryn Mawr Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 • www.jbha.org
Join us on Wednesday, June 5, 7pm at Barrack to hear Alison discuss her film and career. Details at www.jbha.org
The heART Workshops
Chick Corea
at the Banana Factory April 26-28
sponsored by Healing through the Arts and Marlene “Linny” Fowler
Featuring acclaimed artists from around the globe coming together to offer unique and inspiring workshops fusing art and rhythm as a means to promote wellness. No experience necessary; geared towards adults. Eagle Dance with John Fitzgerald Toya
April 26
Solo Piano Concert May 22
Preservation Hall Jazz Band May 9
The Girls
• Eagle Dance with John Fitzgerald Toya of the Jemez Pueblo, N.M.
A Tribute To Mom featuring Sarah Ayers, Bev Conklin, & Lori Donovan May 12
• Rhythm and Sound Healing Workshop with Jim Donovan of Rusted Root
The Fabulous Thunderbirds
April 27 • The Corn Maiden Ceramics Workshop with John Fitzgerald Toya
May 17
The Music of Grover Washington Jr. Jason Miles Musical Director
May 24
• Vedic Painting with Ingunn Moseng of Norway
April 28 • "Mandala: An Artful Meditation" with Stephanie Smith • Painting and African Drumming/Movement Workshop with Ibiyinka Alao of Nigeria
SteelStacks™ Bethlehem, PA Tickets on sale now artsquest.org 610-332-3378
Info/tickets: artsquest.org | 610-332-3378
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | APRIL 2013 13
Federations utilize $5 million in wake of rocket fire At the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council, a group of small towns and kibbutzim in southern Israel, children were able to escape the blaring sirens and bomb shelter runs for a day of fun because of a Federation-funded respite program. In Kiryat Malachi, the families of Yitzach Amsalem and Aharon Smadja, two young Israeli men killed in rocket attacks, mourned. Through The Jewish Agency for Israel’s Victims of Terror Fund, these families – and so many others who lost loved ones, homes and property – received counseling, emergency grants and critical assistance to help rebuild their lives after the conflict. Funds raised locally by donors to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley contributed to the effort. Instead of fleeing as rockets rained down, the 24-person staff of the Center for Independent Living in Beersheva relocated to the director’s home. The committed staff members of this American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC)supported program joined volunteers to assist disabled Israelis throughout the area, distributing emergency kits and enabling families to be safe throughout “code red” alerts. At the onset of Operation Pillar of Defense in November, the Jewish Federations’ Israel Terror Relief Fund immediately allocated more than $5 million to help the young, the disabled, seniors and terror victims in Israel’s south. “The ongoing crisis being
faced by the people of Israel, particularly those in the south will not be fought by the Jewish State alone,” said Michael Siegal, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Federations of North America. “We are here to express our firm solidarity and to say that as always, when Israel is in need, we are here.” In the initial days of the attacks, Federation dollars were used for programs that provided immediate relief and direct services to vulnerable populations, including respite days for over 20,000 children, food deliveries to hundreds of elderly and thousands of emergency kits for the elderly and disabled. As the fighting wore on, JFNA also organized a “solidarity mission,” sending many of its leaders overseas to see firsthand the hardest-hit areas. “One thing that is clear: the appreciation and the emotion for our being in Israel was truly humbling,” JFNA
President Jerry Silverman said at the conclusion of the mission. “The Israeli people in the South didn’t realize that they had family in America that cared so deeply. Yet we were all privileged to be here as shlichim for all of our Federations.” As the fighting wound down, the money was shifted to reinforce local capacity over the long term, including mapping and improving emergency preparedness infrastructure for Ethiopian and Arab communities in the south, running resilience and post-trauma workshops for the elderly and empowering a rapid response center for future emergency situations. A total of 130 Israelis are currently being assisted by the Victims of Terror Fund, which provides counseling, emergency grants and instrumental assistance to individuals and families, including medical equipment, treatment and other help that is not provided by the State.
Brunch & Learn REFLECTIONS OF THE HOLOCAUST IN MODERN ISRAELI LITERATURE WITH DR. RACHEL KORAZIM MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2013
9:45 a.m. Jewish Community Center of Allentown Cost: $10 RSVP: 610-821-5500 or hrc@jflv.org
14 APRIL 2013 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | APRIL 2013 15
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Lehigh Valley takes Israel’s birthday celebration to the streets Sixty five years ago, Israel was a barren country with little water and no natural resources. Half of its land mass was desert. Today, it has become an oasis of innovation, technology and culture. To celebrate Israel’s 65th birthday, the Afikim Foundation, in conjunction with the World Zionist Organization and the Israel Ministry of Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs, is organizing a global event to “walk the land.” On Tuesday, April 16, the Lehigh Valley Jewish community will join with Jews from The Netherlands to Australia to Suriname by bringing Israel to the streets, in this case, of Allentown. Synagogue congregations will be out in full force with banners and flags. Jewish Day School students will lead the procession along with a “lone soldier” from Israel, Yoona Kolfina, who is serving in the Israel Defense Forces though her family lives in Russia. The walk from the Jewish Day School to the Jewish Community Center will culminate in a giant birthday party at the JCC. There will be singing and dancing, along with a big birthday cake for everyone to share. Seeds from Israeli plants will be distributed to participants, and hundreds of thousands of seeds will ultimately be planted worldwide, symbolizing the preciousness of life. Shuttles will run from the JCC to the JDS, starting at
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Continues from page 1 expected it to be overrun by Arabs, which it was,” Goldberg recalled. The group eventually were resettled in Yavne. “We were billeted in an unfinished yeshiva building about 20 miles south of Tel Aviv, where we stayed for many months until finally able to join another group and start a kibbutz near Ashdod called Netivot Morasha,” Goldberg said. “We were joined by the few survivors from Kfar Darom.” Since there wasn’t a lot of work for her to do at the kibbutz, Goldberg took a leave of absence and went to Tel Aviv to work as a dental hygienist. In Tel Aviv, Goldberg lived in Beit Hachalutza, a house allotted to new immigrants who were pioneers. She shared a room with four other girls, all of them Holocaust survivors from Hungary. On May 14, 1948, as the British colonial mandate of Palestine came to a close, the General Assembly of the United Nations met in New York to determine whether there would be a Jewish state. Celebration turns serious Goldberg recalled a scene that played out in homes across Palestine on that day 65 years ago. “When the votes were being counted for Israel to become a country, we all sat around the radio: Counting, counting, counting. ‘How many countries have said yes?’ When Russia said yes, there was no longer a surprise. “We danced in the streets for hours and hours,” Goldberg said. “Everyone loved everyone. They would hug you, whether they knew you or not. “Then reality set in: ‘We are poor,’” she said. The brand new state of Israel was also at war. The day after the creation of the state of Israel, the Arab armies of Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon invaded the new Jewish state. The Jewish Virtual Library describes the situation: According to Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre in “O Jerusalem!”: “[Israel’s] army did not have a single cannon or tank. Its air force consisted of nine obsolete planes. Although the Haganah [the volunteer army] had 60,000 trained fighters, only 18,900 were fully mobilized, armed and prepared for war.” According to the Anti-Defamation League’s website, “the Arab forces were significantly larger than Israel’s and were better equipped. Yet, coordination and organization were lacking ...” The Jewish Virtual Library quotes Golda Meir from her book, “My Life” as saying that Chief of Operations Yigael Yadin told David Ben-Gurion, new prime minister of Israel: “The best we can tell you is that we have a 50/50 chance.” At that time under an arms embargo by the U.S., the country armed itself mainly by smuggling weapons from Czechoslovakia. Of this, the ADL explains: “The war was marked by long periods of fighting and temporary ceasefires. Finally, fighting officially ended in January 1949, at which time Israel held the 5,600 square miles allotted to it by the UN partition plan plus an 16 APRIL 2013 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
3:45 p.m. The “Walk the Land” celebration will kick off at 4 p.m. at the JDS with games and activities. At 4:30 p.m., the walkers will head out, and the party at the JCC will run until 5:30 p.m. The celebration is sponsored by the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, Jewish Community Center of Allentown and Jewish Day School of the Lehigh Valley, in partnership with area synagogues and business partner Palram. To learn more, visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org.
additional 2,500 square miles. Transjordan held the eastern sector of Jerusalem and the West Bank and Egypt held the Gaza Strip.” Also in 1949, while living in Tel Aviv, Goldberg was fortunate to have friends in the Machal (the volunteer airmen from Canada and the U.S.) who came to help protect the new state of Israel against the Arab invasion. One of these friends managed to smuggle her aboard one of the DC-4s that were being used to bring back as many Jewish refugees from Aden in Yemen. According to Goldberg, “The operation known as The Magic Carpet will remain with me forever as a symbol of the dire need for a truly Jewish homeland where even the poor ... and the oppressed will be welcome into our beautiful country.” Triumph, at last The newly-declared state of Israel won that war and has faced at least 10 more major wars and conflicts in the years since. And Goldberg? The “hurdles” she overcame were of a personal rather than national nature. She married a wonderful man named Samuel who was a math professor and, in the 1950s, the couple came to Bethlehem so that he could work for Lehigh University. “At the time, Lehigh didn’t take women,” Goldberg said. “I wanted a course in math and had to register at Moravian. So my alma mater is Moravian and I took courses at Lehigh.” Goldberg explained, “I was married to a Ph.D. and hated saying I didn’t have a degree, not even high school.” The couple had three children and, to advance her husband’s career, the family moved around, ending up for a while at Champaign-Urbana, Ill. “I got my Ph.D. in ‘71,” she said. “That is my happiest memory because then I was on a par with my husband. “I’m definitely the competitive type,” Goldberg said as she sat comfortably on her living room sofa. “Then [my husband] said, ‘get a job,’ so I got a job.” Ten years ago, Goldberg returned to the Lehigh Valley because her daughter, Julia, got a position as a dean at Lafayette College. As Goldberg told it, “She said, ‘Why do you want to stay alone? Come with me.’” Goldberg appears to relish the memories of good times, both with her family and, prior to that, in Israel. She looks forward to more. “Life is out there,” she said. “Grab it!” She added, “It’s been a wonderful life. The fact of being Jewish has ruled my life. Being Jewish had a lot to do with my choices. It’s not a religious identity anymore, but a tribal identity. I’m a tribal Jew.” Goldberg finds that modernity has brought a materialism that she doesn’t like to see. When she looks back at her time in Israel, it is the pioneer spirit that she found there that she loves and that still wells up in her own heart. Israel is celebrating 65 years, but still has some catching up do in comparison with Goldberg: In March, she turned 89. Happy Birthday to Sheila Goldberg and to the State of Israel!
ISRAEL, 1948: War follows independence declaration PHOTO BY ZOLTAN KLUGER AND COURTESY OF GOVERNMENT PRESS OFFICE OF ISRAEL.
Right: The War of Independence: A group of Hagana (volunteer army) members training in an army reception camp, Oct. 1948. Below left: A wounded Hagana member being taken to a first aid station at Kibbutz Yad Mordechai.
PHOTO BY ZOLTAN KLUGER AND COURTESY OF GOVERNMENT PRESS OFFICE OF ISRAEL.
PHOTO BY FRANK SHERSHEL AND COURTESY OF GOVERNMENT PRESS OFFICE OF ISRAEL.
Below right: On May 14, 1948, David Ben Gurion reads the declaration of the independence of Israel in the museum in Tel Aviv.
Homeland comes with a price By Matan Peled Special to HAKOL “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?” I shouted to my dad as we were hiking in the Jerusalem/ Judean Mountains in order to go to a spring. Then I found it. It was just underneath me, a little round object in the ground that looked like it did not belong there. So with my 7-year-old boy curiosity, I picked it up. “Wow!” I exclaimed,” look what I found!” It was a coin, an ancient coin according to all of the symbols and the bearded king face on it. “Son, it is not just a coin that you found, it is a Babylonian coin from the days of the first exile of the Jews,” my father explained in an excited voice. It was from the days in which the first Temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonian king, and the
Jews were forced to leave the land of Israel and were exiled to Babylon. I put the coin in my pocket very carefully while thinking about my ancestors who were exiled from their own land. A land of milk and honey and also of war. When talking about the Israeli Memorial Day and the Independence Day that follows, one needs to imagine the feeling of belonging to the land that we Israelis have. A feeling that I felt then and there when I was 7 years old and found a coin that was used by the enemies of my ancestors in order to pillage, destroy and exile my family from the land of Israel. A feeling that occurred to me every time that I hiked or took some dirt in my hand. A feeling that I got every Jewish holiday that I celebrated in Israel, that of belonging, of having a real, true
Yom Hashoah Continues from page 1
Born in Israel, Korazim is a graduate of Haifa University with a doctorate in Jewish education. She served as a shlichah to Canada, where she was head of the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) delegation from 1985-88, and since then she has been involved with Jewish education worldwide, creating and implementing in-service training programs for educators, writing educational materials, counseling, and teaching. An expert in Holocaust literature, Korazim will present “Reflections of the Holocaust in Modern Israeli Literature,” a Brunch & Learn event on Monday, April 8 at 9:45 a.m. at the JCC. She will share her expertise at a teachers’ and education students’ workshop at Cedar Crest College on Monday, April 8 at 4 p.m. in a program entitled, “From Bystanders to Up-Standers.” The event is co-sponsored by the Holocaust Resource Center of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, the Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding at Muhlenberg College and the Cedar Crest College Department of Community Service. At 7:30 p.m., she will speak with teens at Temple Beth El in a program called “A Day in a Ghetto.” Korazim says that with a topic as huge as the
home. But this home comes with a price, a heavy price. The price of fighting for your own land, the price of losing a family member, a dear friend, or someone you love, just because you live in Israel. We cannot take our homeland for granted anymore. Our families fought for it, sweated for it and died for it. That is the reason that we commemorate the fallen ones just before Yom Ha’atzmaut, our Independence Day, with Yom Hazikaron, the Memorial Day. One minute you are sad and the next you are happy. You are sad for the lives that were lost, sad for your friends, your family and your country. But you are also happy that you have a safe place to call home, a safe haven for the Jewish people in the world. A land called Israel.
Hakol 4x4_April_LArnaz_Layout 1 3/5/2013 3:58 PM Page 1
Daughter of TV royalty Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz performs a fiery, explosive, and heartfelt musical tribute to her father!
LUCIE ARNAZ: Latin Roots Musical tribute to Desi Arnaz
April 20 - $40/$35
Meet & Greet $25/Per person includes Champagne & Strawberries Sponsored by Allentown Art Museum
453 Northampton St., Easton, PA 1-800-999-STATE . 610-252-3132
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Holocaust, it is essential to tailor teaching to the needs of each educator and institution. “We must look at the school’s curriculum and ask pertinent questions,” she says. “Is it a Jewish component of a history class? Then we should focus on all persecution of Jews throughout history. Is it a general class about persecution? Then we include it with other genocides. Is it an ethics class? Then we look at the victims as well as the perpetrators and the bystanders. We put it into a framework.” Through many visits and appointments, Korazim is familiar with the Jewish educational communities of the United States, Canada, Latin America and Europe. And since 1990 she has invested much of her time and energy in helping the emerging Jewish schools of Central Europe, particularly Hungary. “In Europe, the Holocaust didn’t happen ‘far away,’” says Korazim, whose parents are survivors from Hungary. “It happened on these very streets.” As survivors die and deniers continue to crop up, it is crucial that we continue to teach about the Holocaust. Rachel Korazim is an educator with the tools and the ability to assure that we all impart the history of this awful period in a meaningful way, and that we remember that each victim was an individual with a rich story to tell. For further information, visit the JFLV website at www.jewishlehighvalley.org or contact the Holocaust Resource Center at hrc@jflv.org or 610-435-3571, ext. 334. HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | APRIL 2013 17
Pinemere, German Jewish youth connect
By Monica Friess Special to HAKOL It seems almost inconceivable historically that an article like this could be written. In an issue that commemorates Yom Hashoah and its observance around the Lehigh Valley, this newspaper is also reporting on an amazing partnership between Pinemere Camp in the Poconos and the German National Jewish Youth Organization. This winter, 23 Pinemere Camp teens traveled to Italy via Austria to participate in a two-week Jewish overnight camp run by the youth department of the Central Welfare Office of Jews in Germany (ZWST). The Pinemere campers joined 120 German teens for activities such as skiing, snow boarding and snow tubing as well as traditional camp activities such as swimming, arts and crafts, sports, singing, Israeli dance and drama. The group also spent Shabbat together learning about German Jewry and about the similarities and differences between their lives in the United States and Germany. “It was so great to get to know our peers in Germany,” said Zachary Zager, a 17-year-old participant from Allentown. “I really felt the interconnectedness of world-wide Judaism. We’re all into the same kinds of things as Jews, no matter where we are in the world.” The winter trip was the second time these two groups came together. During the summer of 2012, a group of 25 German teens spent three weeks at Pinemere Camp in Stroudsburg. They bunked with their American peers and completely integrated into the camp program. “I had such a great time with them,” said Ben Wax, another Pinemere camper from Allentown. “They spoke great English and taught us some German. We all got along really quickly and felt a great sense of brotherhood.” Ben said
18 APRIL 2013 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
that the differences were minimal. “We mostly like the same things and play the same games except with variations. Also, they’re really great at soccer.” The partnership is the brainchild of Toby Ayash, executive director of Pinemere Camp, and Nachumi Rosenblatt, executive director of ZWST. “Nachumi was looking for an American partner camp,” Ayash said. “A mutual acquaintance of ours suggested that he check Pinemere because the camps seemed to have similar ideals.” Ayash felt that this exchange program would be a perfect way to bring together Jewish teens of different backgrounds. “So often, American Jewish teens do not realize that there are other Jewish teens, very similar to them, all around the world,” he said. Rosenblatt agreed and added that the experience and the knowledge he gained were eye-opening. “There are about 120,000 Jews in Germany, but we feel that there are at least 80,000 more who are not registered in one of the 103 Jewish communities in Germany.” Ayash said she hopes this will become an annual event. “It’s an incredible experience for our teens to see that there are other Jewish teens living in thriving Jewish communities outside of the United States,” she said. “Though our cultures may be different, at the end of the day we’re all connected at this fundamental level.” How wonderful it is for American Jewish kids to learn that there is a vibrant and thriving Jewish community that has reblossomed in Germany, and that they have played a role in bridging the cultural divide and bringing us all a little closer. For more information about this program, contact Toby Ayash at toby@pinemere.com or call the camp at: 215-487-2267 (off-season) or 570-629-0266 (summer).
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | APRIL 2013 19
JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF ALLENTOWN 702 N. 22nd Street • Allentown, PA 18104 610.435.3571 • www.allentownjcc.org
20 APRIL 2013 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
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JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF ALLENTOWN 702 N. 22nd Street • Allentown, PA 18104 610.435.3571 • www.allentownjcc.org
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ALL CAMPS 8 weeks - entering 10th grade • • • • • •
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JCC of Allentown 702 N. 22nd St. Allentown, PA 18104 610.435.3571 allentownjcc.org
JCC’S 18TH ANNUAL
JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL
ORCHESTRA OF EXILES thursday, april 4 7:00pm at JCC
Co-presented by Holocaust Resource Center
Running time: 85 min
In the early 1930’s Hitler began firing Jewish musicians across Europe. Overcoming extraordinary obstacles, violinist Bronislaw Huberman moved these great musicians to Palestine and formed a symphony that would become the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. With courage, resourcefulness and an entourage of allies including Arturo Tuscani and Albert Einstein, Huberman saved close to 1000 Jews - along with the musical heritage of Europe.
$6 JCC MEMBERS $9 REGULAR JEWISH AND ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL
610.435.3571 / www.allentownjcc.org
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | APRIL 2013 21
Chavez era remembered as perilous time for Venezuelan Jewry By Alina Dain Sharon Jewish News Service Michel Hausmann, a Jewish freelance theater director now living in New York, in 2009 was the producer of the musical “Fiddler on the Roof” in Caracas, Venezuela. Suddenly, the state-sponsored Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho Orchestra refused to work. “We receive financial aid from the government, and given the current situation vis-a-vis Venezuela´s President Hugo Chavez’s statements [on the Israel-Hamas war], we prefer not to participate in a play that has Jewish content,” an orchestra spokesperson said at the time, according to the Simon Wiesenthal Center. That year, when Israel responded militarily to Hamas rocket attacks from
Gaza, Chavez had told the French newspaper Le Figaro that Israel launched a “genocide” against the Palestinians. The “Fiddler on the Roof” boycott represented “a microcosm of what was going on in Venezuela” for Jews under Chavez, Hausmann told JNS. org. Chavez died March 5 at age 58 following a two-year battle with cancer. Before he came to power, Venezuelan Jews were an integral part of the country’s society. “On Yom Kippur we always had a prominent figure come to a synagogue, sometimes even the president himself,” Hausmann said. But when Chavez came to power, anti-imperialist and anti-American rhetoric immediately surfaced. “That eventually translated to an
anti-Israel stance,” Hausmann said. Venezuelans started seeing “graffiti in the streets [saying] ‘Jews kill Arabs’” and similar things. Soon, the antiSemitism began “to permeate into the voice of those around the government,” particularly the Venezuelan media, which aired open discussions on fabricated Jewish conspiracies. Two other incidents signaled a turn for the worse for Venezuelan Jewry. One morning in 2007, Jewish parents came to drop off their children at the Hebraica Moral Y Luces Herzl-Bialik, the Jewish school of the alliance of Jewish communities in Caracas. Suddenly, SWAT forces entered the school and began to search for ammunition. “This was the first time there was something official going on, and that really scared us,”
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Hausmann recalled. Then in 2009, a break-in occurred at the Sephardic Caracas synagogue, Tiferet Israel. Torah scrolls were found on the floor and graffiti messages were sprayed on the walls. Vandals stole all of the synagogue’s computer hard drives, and the Jewish community suspected the government was involved. “That marked a very scary moment,” Hausmann said. During the IDF’s fall 2012 Operation Pillar of Defense in Gaza, Chavez said, “Another attack on the Gaza Strip began. Savage. Savage. Israel again bombing the Gaza Strip. Reasons? What
reasons? Because [Palestinian Authority] President Mahmoud Abbas has insisted once again he will ask for Palestine to be included as a member of the United Nations.” Meanwhile, a Jewish community in Venezuela that was thriving only two decades ago is now disappearing, diminished by more than half since Chavez came to power, according to Hausmann. Among those Jews still living in Venezuela, there is no official stand regarding Chavez, and they are much less vocal on the issue in comparison to such U.S. Jewish organizations as the AntiDefamation League (ADL) or the Simon Wiesenthal Center. “It’s a matter of fear,” Hausmann said. Furthermore, he said the problem was never solely about Chavez, as officials working under him often behaved much more aggressively. “I can’t imagine it will get better [with Chavez gone because] ‘Chavismo’ is now an ideology which is at odds with Israel and the Jewish community,” Hausmann said, referring to the political ideology named after Chavez. “The passing of Chavez brings Venezuela to a crossroads,” ADL National Director Abraham Foxman told The Jerusalem Post. “Will the country continue with the Chavista policies of repression, political manipulation and alliances with Iran, or will there be a new openness and true participatory democracy for the people of Venezuela?” But looking back, as far as Chavez himself is concerned, he “will probably be remembered as the one who made Venezuelan Jews feel that for the first time they were not welcome in their own country, a chilling reminder of past tragedies,” Sammy Eppel, director of the Human Rights Commission of B’nai B’rith Venezuela, told JNS.org columnist Ben Cohen in January. With reporting by Jacob Kamaras
Local swimmers to compete in Maccabiah Games
By Ginny Cohen Special to HAKOL Fifteen-year-old South Whitehall resident Aviad Mana truly knows the meaning of discipline. A sophomore at Parkland High School, and member of the school’s swim team, he is in the pool by 5:45 a.m. every day before school starts, for his team’s practice. You can also find him at practice right after school, and often times past the dinner hour. He also swims for Parkland Aquatic Club. Aviad’s hard work and dedication to his favorite sport paid off recently: He has been selected to represent the United States as a swimmer in the 19th Maccabiah Games. The World Maccabiah Games, a renowned international Jewish athletic event, are held in Israel every four years. The games, which were first held in 1932, are listed as the third largest sports competition in the world, and Jewish athletes are hosted from over 50 countries, competing in over 30 different sporting events. The mission of the games is to build Jewish pride, support Jewish continuity, show solidarity with Israel and display the importance of sport. Aviad, and his U.S.A. swimming teammates, will travel to
Israel this July to participate in the games. Aviad is excited and honored to attend this particular sporting competition as a young, Jewish athlete. He explains, “This is the very first time I will experience a big swim meet in Israel. The pool that we will be swimming in is brand new. And, I look forward to meeting lots of new people from all over the world.” Aviad and his family have lived in Allentown for the past five years. The Mana family originates from Israel, where Aviad, his brother and sister, were born and raised. Aviad began swimming at the age of eight. He started swimming because his friends were doing it, and he wanted to spend time with them. By the time Aviad was 10 years old, he had fallen in love with the sport, and was swimming competitively. According to Aviad’s parents, being athletic was very natural for their son. Aviad’s mother, Elvira, said, “He always had ‘the touch’ when doing sports or anything athletic. We are so proud that he is going to the Maccabiah Games, and we are excited for him to represent his Jewish background. The application process was long, and we had to fill out so many forms, but it was worth it.” Aviad enjoys both individual and relay swimming. His favorite stroke, and also his most successful, the individual butterfly, was once a stroke that he struggled to master. “I used to get disqualified for the kick that I did for the butterfly,” he said, “but I worked really, really hard to improve my skills, and now it is my favorite stroke.” Aviad also said he has a lot of respect for Olympic team swimmers, and hopes to one day compete in the Olympic Games. The future looks bright for Aviad because he is smart, disciplined, polite and well-rounded. In addition to his competitive swimming and school schedule, he is also a member at Congregation Sons of Israel and an active member of BBYO. In order for Aviad to participate in the Maccabiah Games this summer, he will need to raise $7,000 in advance. Aviad and his family have set up a website for donations, where you can also read about Aviad’s personal reflections on his life as a swimmer. On his website, Aviad asks the community to “help make my dreams come true. Donate now to show your support or help spread the word by inviting your friends. As a Jew and an athlete, it is an honor to have this great opportunity to represent the United States and the Allentown Jewish community.”
MICHAEL WEINSTEIN, SON OF MARY BETH AND DAVID WEINSTEIN OF ALLENTOWN As you can imagine, we (and his grandparents) are very proud of Michael being chosen to represent the United States of America at the 19th Annual World Maccabi Games in Israel this summer. According to the organizing committee, these games are the third largest sporting event with over 6,000 Jewish athletes competing from all over the world. Opening ceremonies will be held at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem on July 18. This has been a dream of Michael's for many years. Michael has been chosen as one of 12 male swimmers to represent the U.S. in Netanya, Israel July 21-25. He will then be competing in an open water swim on July 28. Michael is a senior at Rollins College graduating with an international business degree. He is a four year varsity swimmer, a two year captain and a Sunshine State Conference Athlete of the Week. MARY BETH WEINSTEIN
HOW YOU CAN HELP To make a contribution, and to learn more about Aviad’s journey, please visit tinyurl.com/axblj82. If you feel more comfortable donating directly to the Maccabiah Games via the postal system, you can do so by using this mailing address: Maccabi USA, 1926 Arch Street, 4R, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Be sure to include the names Avraham Aviad Mana/Rich Erlich, so that Maccabi can apply the funds to the correct account.
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Allentown, PA 610.217.2173 newmanlj@aol.com www.happypawsnew.com Celebrating 4 years of Happy Paws HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | APRIL 2013 23
Remote town impacts birthday cakes across the country By Rabbi Yitzchok Yagod Congregation Beth Avraham People often ask me, “What do you really do in kosher supervision – isn’t it all just about meat?” Well, I don’t even do meat. That said, I’d like to share with you a bit about a fascinating company that I’ve encountered while doing kosher supervision. It’s located in Limestone, Maine. Limestone is a little town all the way at the northernmost section of the state, in a part of the world where the moose definitely outnumber the men. Limestone is also the home for the famous Loring Air Force base, where B-52 bombers were once an active part of the military defense system, and which is now a zone of economic opportunity. Although it is no longer open as a military installation, the locals still call it “The Air Force Base.” So, all the way up here in the great frozen North, in the midst of this sprawling base, there is a wonderful company called Graphic Utilities, which makes a most interesting product that requires kosher supervision.
Now why on earth would a product made by a company with such a name need supervision, and in fact, what is this product? This is where kosher gets really interesting.... You see, if you walk into a bakery or any average, in-store bakery chain in the United States, and possibly elsewhere, to order a birthday cake, they may ask you if you’d like to have a picture of the birthday boy or girl imprinted on the cake. If so, they will actually put a picture on the cake, and you can bring it to your favorite niece or nephew, or to your son or daughter’s birthday party, and everyone can happily be munching away on a picture of the star of the evening. How do they do this? Well for starters, they use a computer and an inkjet printer. “Did you say an inkjet printer?!” You recoil in horror, wondering how that is possible, recalling that ink is poison. However, it’s not a regular inkjet printer, and it doesn’t have regular ink. There is a special line of inkjet printers that are food-grade,
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and they use a special line of ink that is food-grade as well. This ink prints on a variety of surfaces. It will also print on a very challenging surface which is the special edible film -- a sweet, sugary type of film -- that is the paper, or vehicle if you will, to receive the picture of the child. This film is placed very gingerly on the cake and becomes a true representation. The cake is often produced or imprinted at a bakery facility that is under kosher supervision. In order to ensure that this project can be done just about anywhere, the manufacturers of these special inks for the inkjet printer ensure that the inks are kosher. Now that you accept that there is such a thing as edible ink, you may wonder, “What could be not-kosher about ink?” These inks are produced from a variety of edible liquids and contain a pigment very similar to that which you find in food coloring. Graphic Utilities has the technical know-how to produce durable, edible inks using various food coloring pigments among other agents to keep this ink together and maintain its stability, whether the cake is at an 85-degree outdoor party or sitting on a 40-degree refrigerator shelf. One of the key components to keeping the stability is a product called glycerin. Glycerin is a product that is either not-kosher, as it is often derived from pork production, or it can be kosher if it comes from a vegetable origin; hence the need for supervision. Currently being developed is a new line of inks which is totally natural in origin, unlike other food coloring that usually has some sort of synthetic component. There is an effort now to make sure that the consumer’s food comes from entirely natu-
ral sources. Some say the hyperactivity found in children is due to the hypersensitivity to synthetic ingredients. Now, when dealing with a cake, I think the amount of sugar it contains is a more likely cause for hyperactivity than simply the minute amount of color pigment. However, awareness of the origin of food is a good thing, and whatever we can do to bring a higher standard to the origin of our food is certainly welcomed. Perhaps the heightened awareness about what foods contain is in a way a by-product of all the work that is done to certify that our food is kosher; if so, that, too, is a good thing. Now, when you develop colors from natural sources for an inkjet printer, there are many colors: red, yellow, blue/cyan, and black. Believe it or not, the black in this case was not hard to develop, yellow was very easy to develop, turmeric and saffron are two common stable sources. Even the red is easy; it comes
from beet juice. The blue, however, has been the most challenging to develop, and that is why these colors are not yet available for general use. Blue color comes from blueberries. Blueberries have anthocyanin, and that is what makes the blueberries so blue, and gives it a high antioxidant count. But when anthocyanin hits the paper -- or in this case, the sugar film -- the pH is changed and alters the color from blue to deep red-ish purple; the color is no longer what was desired. So there is going to be some amount of adjustment and of course a learning curve needed to develop these organic, fully natural inks. This is just one of many fascinating and totally unexpected situations involving a koshersupervised products in an area to which most people give very little thought. And this is a little piece of the story of a very adept kosher company up in moose country developing a product so that you can literally have your cake and eat it, too.
Meyer London blazes trail in Congress By Gordon J. Goldberg Special to HAKOL “A man of rare and noble parts has gone from amongst us, a faithful champion of the workers, a loyal comrade within the Socialist movement, a warm hearted friend of all suffering humanity. The terrible void which his sudden death has left within our ranks will never be filled. His loss is irretrievable.” Morris Hillquit, a prominent socialist and a fellow Russian Jew, thus eloquently expressed how thousands of immigrants, Jews and non-Jews, on New York’s Lower East Side felt about Meyer London after Meyer’s death in 1926. Police estimated that some 50,000 mourners marched in the funeral procession “which wound from the Forward Building, on Lower East Broadway, through the streets of the East Side which were lined by an additional 500,000 people. He was
Lone Soldier
writes home
Editor’s note: Sami Meir-Levi graduated from high school in the Lehigh Valley in the spring of 2012, then headed for Israel. She writes to us each month of her experiences as a lone soldier -- an Israeli soldier without family living in Israel. Shalom HAKOL Readers,
I’m excited to tell you that I completed my Hebrew course at Mikvah Alon! We held a ceremony and will now move on to our next job. Unfortunately, we will receive our jobs the day we leave, so you will have to wait until the next issue of HAKOL to find out. Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut are just around the corner. I think Yom Hazikaron is
going to feel even more special to me this year considering it is Israel’s memorial day for fallen soldiers. And now that I’m in the Israeli army, I feel a closer connection, standing for Israel as well as for all the soldiers before me. I’ve been to Har Herzel, which has a very large cemetery dedicated to soldiers who died during their service. With every visit, I think to myself how incredible and extraordinary those people were, how brave and selfless to put their lives on the line. I’ve heard that the reason Yom Hazikaron and Israel’s independence day, Yom Ha’atzmaut, are so close together is because “Israelis owe their independence, the very existence of the State, to
interred in the Poets’ Corner of Mount Carmel Cemetery near the burial place of the beloved author and playwright, Sholem Aleichem. Meyer London had become a folk hero. His idealism, his strong commitment to the poor, to struggling workers and his love for America were not forgotten. His friends and associates in the socialist and labor movements created the Meyer London Memorial Committee which erected a monument to London at his grave site. The committee sponsored well attended memorial services there on the 10th and 25th anniversaries of his death, placed a plaque on his residence, and commissioned a biography that appeared in 1930. During World War II, the navy commissioned a Liberty ship, the USS Meyer London, in his honor. At this time of remembrance, it is appropriate that we pause to consider why his contemporaries held him in such high esteem, as well as his enduring legacy to later generations of Americans. In 1891, Meyer London, at age 19, came to the United States from Russia. He joined his family on New York’s Lower East
Side where he remained rooted during his lifetime. Meyer became a lawyer, labor activist and founding member of the Socialist Party of America and a three term Congressman. As legal counsel to Jewish unions in their difficult formative years, he negotiated contracts, fought injunctions and sought to establish a framework to avoid strikes. In the process, he made lasting contributions to the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, and the International Fur Workers’ Union among others. This involved much hard work with little prospect of financial success. London developed a substantial practice, but frequently refused fees from struggling unions and individuals. The cause was everything for him even though it impacted adversely on his wife and daughter. He won the respect of labor leaders such as Sam Gompers, David Dubinsky and Sydney Hillman as well as individuals such as Louis Brandeis and Louis Marshall who worked with London in resolving the 1910 Garment Workers’ Strike. Defeated by the corrupt Tammany Meyer London Continues on page 27
the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for it.” I’m so happy to finally be able to celebrate these holidays in Israel.
Sami Meir-Levi The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley and other Federations in North America fund the Lone Soldier program.
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | APRIL 2013 25
Levy Hillel Award Continues from page 8
offered by Hillel. Zachary serves as the president of the Jewish Cultural Association on campus, an organization which upholds the mission of enhancing Lehigh students’ Jewish identities in order to unite them. He is also a tour guide on campus and serves on the executive board of his fraternity. BECCA DIAMOND: Becca is on the board of Hillel at Muhlenberg College, serving as the vice president of religious and cultural affairs. She leads liberal Shabbat services and has organized and led a bi-weekly havdalah service. Becca prepared a program for Hillel about Jewish identity and led the program at a Hillel Shabbat dinner. She is also
a religious school teacher at Congregation Kenesseth Israel, and helps out with the organization of youth services for the high holidays there. Becca also continues to help organize the youth groups and services at her synagogue at home. For the past three summers, she has worked as a counselor at a Union for Reform Judaism camp. Becca has attended two seminars during the year about Jewish leadership as an Olim Fellow for this camp. In February, Becca was selected by the college chaplain to attend an interfaith conference in Chicago along with two other Muhlenberg students. SARA GREEN: Sara became involved in Hillel during her freshman year at Lehigh University and joined the board as first-year experience chair. As chair, she planned events for new students and contacted Jewish prospective students interested in attending Lehigh. Currently
a sophomore, she serves as the president of Hillel. Sara is also involved with club gymnastics, serving as the secretary of the club. Sara holds the position of communication chair for Innovation and Leadership Residency, a program that she said enabled her to enhance her networking and leadership skills. SARA KASKOWITZ: Sara is the president of Hillel at Moravian College. She previously attended Parkland High School and has worked at Congregation Keneseth Israel as a fifth grade teacher. Sara has also been a religious school teacher at Temple Covenant of Peace in Easton. Sara firmly believes in the notion of tzedek and has spent many hours working with doctors and other health professionals to bring justice to the community. Sara’s future plans include medical school and the integration of ethics and justice in the medical field.
AVISHAG SHAR YASHUV/FLASH90/JTA
Yityish Aynaw wins Miss Israel pageant
Yityish Aynaw, a 21-year-old Ethiopian-Israeli, being crowned as Miss Israel, Feb. 27, 2013. Jewish Telegraphic Agency
DISCOVER
Following her discharge from the Israeli army, Yityish Aynaw worked as a saleswoman at a clothing store. Chances are, she's never going to have to do that again. On Feb. 27, a panel of judges named Aynaw the first black winner of the Miss Israel competition, entitling her to compete for the title of Miss World in September in Indonesia. Aynaw, who came with her family from Ethiopia at age 12, cited Martin Luther King, Jr., as one of her heroes.
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Israel, Turkey to normalize ties after Israeli apology for 2010 flotilla raid Jewish Telegraphic Agency Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to normalize relations after Netanyahu apologized and agreed to compensation for the 2010 Israeli raid on a Turkish-flagged ship that left nine Turks dead. The two men talked on March 22 by phone, according to statements by Netanyahu’s office and the White House. “The two men agreed to restore normalization between Israel and Turkey, including the dispatch of ambassadors and the cancellation of legal steps against IDF soldiers,” said the Israeli statement. The White House was first to report the conversation, with a statement by President Obama on the subject just after the completion of his three-day tour of Israel. “I welcome the call today between Prime Minister Netanyahu and Prime Minister Erdogan,” Obama said in the statement. “The United States deeply values our close partnerships with both Turkey and Israel, and we attach great importance to the restoration of positive relations between them in order to advance regional peace and security. I am hopeful that today’s exchange between the two leaders will enable them to engage in deeper cooperation on this and a range of other challenges and opportunities.” Netanyahu apologized for “operational errors” during the raid on the Gaza-bound flotilla. “The Prime Minister made it clear that the tragic results regarding the Mavi Marmara were unintentional and that Israel expresses regret over injuries and loss of life,” said the statement from Netanyahu’s office. “In light of the Israeli investigation into the incident, which pointed out several operational errors, Prime Minister Netanyahu apologized to the Turkish people for any errors that could have led to loss of life and agreed to complete the agreement on compensation.” Among the dead was a dual Turkish-American citizen. A
senior Obama administration official described the call as a first step toward Israeli-Turkish reconciliation. Israel Radio reported that Obama initiated the phone call in Netanyahu’s presence, spoke with Erdogan, and then handed the receiver to Netanyahu. The Obama administration has been endeavoring to repair ties between the one-time allies since May 2010, when Israeli commandos boarded the ship, which was attempting to break Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip. Passengers on the boat attacked the commandos during the raid, and nine people were killed in the ensuing melee. The raid sent already damaged Turkish-Israeli ties into a tailspin. Netanyahu until now had resisted calls, including from some of his closest advisers, to apologize for the incident. Other factions in his last government strongly opposed an apology. Recent reports, however, had said that Netanyahu would reconsider once he had a new government in place -- something he accomplished the previous weekend. This week, Erdogan attempted to backtrack from his most recent anti-Israel outburst, telling a Danish newspaper that his equation last month of Zionism with anti-Semitism and crimes against humanity referred only to certain Israeli acts and not the Zionist movement per se. Netanyahu, in his statement, said he “expressed appreciation” to Erdogan for the clarification. Relations between Israel and Turkey had turned sour after the 2009 Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu said he told Erdogan “that Israel has already lifted several restrictions on the movement of civilians and goods to all of the Palestinian territories, including Gaza, and added that this will continue as long as the quiet is maintained.” The statement concluded by saying that “The two leaders agreed to continue to work on improving the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories.”
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAMS AT THE Open and welcoming to the entire community 8 weeks through full day kindergarten
REGISTRATION OPEN 610.435.3571
Jewish Community Center of Allentown Sheryl Block, ECE Director sblock@lvjcc.org
DAVE SMITH
Am Haskalah to host “Spring Swing”
Students participate in one of Congregation Am Haskalah’s engaging religious school programs. By Gwen Greenberg Congregation Am Haskalah Congregation Am Haskalah will host a Spring Swing, featuring the Brooklyn Swing Ensemble, on Sunday, May 5, at 2 p.m. at The Barristers Club in Allentown. Co-presidents Rachel Zane and Scott Berman, M.D., said that the event, the first of its kind for the congregation, will benefit the religious school. The school, which is a centerpiece for Am Haskalah, is very active and has the enthusiastic support of the congregation and teachers, and of the school’s director, Rabbi Michael Ross, who calls it “the hub” of Am Haskalah’s wheel. “Our curriculum spirals through the Jewish calendar, Torah learning and Jewish values in a way that is relevant and supportive of different learning styles,” Ross said. “We succeed because we meet
Meyer London Continues from page 25 machine in earlier bids for Congress in 1910 and 1912, London, with strong support from the largely Jewish and socialist led unions, finally achieved victory in 1914, the first Russian Jew and first socialist from the East Coast. Reelected in 1916 and 1920, he lost in 1918 when the Democrats and Republicans fused on the platform of “one hundred per cent Americanism.” In 1922, the Republicans and Democrats gerrymandered London’s district, which deprived him of his Jewish working class support and made further election impossible. During his time in Congress, London proved that he was no ordinary politician. As a Russian Jew, London offered a different perspective in the House. He emerged as a leading spokesman for the labor movement and the urban immigrant. From his vantage point on the House Labor Committee, he waged a vigorous fight for unemployment insurance as well as disability, old age and health insurance. Although ultimately not
families where they are as they seek to broaden their child’s Jewish identity and Jewish education.” Ross further credited the Reconstructionist approach to learning. “Our kids and families have a voice in our planning and programming,” he said, “[and] our teachers are uniquely well-qualified to deal with multi-cultural approaches to celebrations, education and spirituality.” The Spring Swing will feature Jewish music and dancing, including Klezmer, Ladino and more. The Brooklyn Swing Ensemble, led by David Elias, is well known in the New York City Area, but has played in the Philadelphia Region as well as the Lehigh Valley. A hot buffet dairy/vegetarian buffet will be served. The menu items feature selected sustainable, locally sourced ingredients. A cash bar will also be available. The Barristers Club is a beautifully restored Federal style building that was originally built at the near mid-city Walnut Street site in 1928 by the Woman’s Club of Allentown as a gracious meeting place adjacent to the old Trolley car lines. The balcony will feature a “teen club” where teens, who must attend with a responsible adult, may congregate and enjoy the event. The club is accessible and has plenty of off-street parking. Sponsors and donors are welcome. A sponsoring table of eight with preferred reserved seating may be purchased for $500. Two front row tables of ten are available for $800 each. Sponsors and donors will have space in the program and be listed in the event website. For tickets and information, visit amhaskalahspringevent.wordpress.com or link to it from the congregation website, www.amhaskalah.org. The event website also features a sampling of the Spring Swing music. For further details call 610-435-3775.
successful, he won support from both Democrats and Republicans for his proposal, and helped educate Congress on what we call “safety net programs.” As the first Russian Jew in the House of Representatives, London became a leading spokesman for the urban immigrant. He voiced continued opposition to restrictive immigration legislation, arguing that the United States should not abandon its traditional role as a haven for the oppressed of the world. He also sought to safeguard the rights of aliens already in the country. When war began in Europe in 1914, London urged strict neutrality and later opposed the Wilson Administration’s preparedness program. He voted against war with Germany and Austria-Hungary. Like later critics of American intervention in Vietnam and Iraq, London’s loyalty was impugned by the press as well as by leaders in the German-Jewish community, by former President Theodore Roosevelt and by his House colleagues. His belief that German militarism constituted a worldwide threat to democracy, coupled with his love for America, led him to support the
American war effort. Perhaps his most important contribution during the war was his unflagging opposition to repressive wartime legislation and violations of civil liberties. Despite charges of disloyalty from his colleagues, London led the fight against those who sought to stamp out dissent in the name of “one hundred per cent Americanism.” With the conclusion of the conflict, London campaigned for the release of all political prisoners and the repeal of the Espionage and Sedition Acts. A person of strong convictions and high ideals, London refused to compromise on matters of principle and was fearless in adhering to his convictions. He won the love and admiration of the people of the Lower East Side, and the respect of his colleagues in the labor movement, the Socialist Party of America and the House of Representatives. Gordon J. Goldberg is the author of “Meyer London: A Biography of the Socialist New York Congressman, 1871-1926” available at Barnes and Noble.com and Amazon.com. Goldberg is a professor emeritus of history from Kutztown University.
KI Sisterhood celebrates Shabbat and 100 years of WRJ By Michele Salomon Sisterhood President, Congregation Keneseth Israel The community is invited to Congregation Keneseth Israel at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 12, as KI’s daughters, sisters, mothers and grandmothers – the KI Sisterhood – lead Shabbat services and celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ). Sisterhood Shabbat is a highlight of the year. The opportunity to share in this WRJ milestone makes it all the more special. Now representing more than 65,000 women in nearly 500 women’s groups in North America and around the world, WRJ serves as the voice and presence of women in congregational life to enhance the quality of Jewish living and ensure the future of progressive Judaism in North America, Israel and around the world. WRJ was founded in 1913 during a historic period of struggle for recognition and equality for women. Empowered by the Reform
Movement’s precept of placing Jewish women on a plane of religious equality with men, WRJ became active in areas that continue to define its work today. WRJ has been at the forefront of social action and change in both Jewish and secular venues. Over the course of the 20th century, WRJ embraced relief efforts during World War I, aided causes on behalf of the needy during the Depression, brought German rabbinic students to study in the U.S. in 1935 after Hitler closed the doors of Jewish academies of higher education, urged governments to open borders to refugees before and during World War II, and advocated for adequate services on behalf of displaced persons and for allowing Jews to resettle in Palestine after the war. WRJ also provides support for affiliated Sisterhoods to help them operate at their most effective level. Sisterhood is like the best friend you always wish you had -- always there to help out in a multitude of ways big and small.
“Live each day to the fullest.”
Life advice from Betty Y., Resident and Life Enthusiast
Seems like the more time we spend with our residents, the more we learn about life. We have something for everyone, from independent living and personal care to rehabilitation services and specialized memory care. All on a vibrant campus with activities, social events, day trips and individualized services. At Country Meadows, we think you’ll find our community is full of life. Call to set up a personalized visit or learn more at CountryMeadows.com.
410 Krocks Road, Allentown (minutes from I-475) • 610-395-7160 4035 Green Pond Road, Bethlehem (close to Routes 22 & 33) • 610-865-5580
Independent Living | Personal Care | Memory Care | Restorative Care Skilled Nursing* | In-Home Services *Skilled nursing is available at our Bethlehem campus only. Country Meadows offers services and housing without regard to race, color, religion, disability, marital status, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation or gender.
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | APRIL 2013 27
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Babe Ruth and the Holocaust BBG plans spring programs
Seventy years ago this past December, the names of 50 German-Americans appeared on a full-page advertisement in The New York Times and nine other daily newspapers to raise their voices “in denunciation of the Hitler policy of cold-blooded extermination of the Jews of Europe.” The most prominent signatory was George Herman “Babe” Ruth. By Rafael Medoff Jewish News Service
Allentown BBYO had a great time at the "Up All Night" fundraiser for Turning Point! Shown in photo (left to right): Hannah Hakim, Andrew Fine, Daniel Zahn, Blair Krassen, Isabelle Weiman, and Mia Kauffman By Hannah E. Kahn Allentown BBG Mazkirah All of the girls from Allentown BBG have had a great winter and are so excited to take on the spring season! At the end of February, Allentown BBYO had multiple booths at the JCC Purim Carnival in Allentown. The BBGs loved painting the nails of all the little Esthers and Cinderellas! Also in February, all of the CRE BBYO region participated in Speak Up Week. During Speak Up Week, BBYO voices its love for Israel, the Jewish homeland. Allentown BBG celebrated this week with blue and white clothes and candy, and some fun Israeli facts and Israeli dancing. In March, Allentown BBYO hosted a community event called Up All Night. During this night, BBYO members from all over the CRE region, as well as members of the Jewish community, spent the night at the JCC in Allentown dancing, playing basketball and enjoying a vast number of other activities. All proceeds of the night were donated directly to the local, non-profit organization Turning Point. By the end of the night, we raised over $3,000 for the cause. It was a fantastic night! Later in March, Allentown BBG had a Disney-themed sisterhood sleepover. The girls
participated in programs relating to the plots and morals we saw in Disney movies we watched while growing up. The night also included a Disney havdalah service in which we sang all of our favorite Disney songs. Everyone there had a great time, and we all got the chance to truly strengthen our sisterhood bond. From April 19 - 21, Allentown BBG will be participating in CRE’s WOW convention. This year, the three-day convention is in Wilmington, Del. WOW convention features a lot of great programming and the main event, a formal dance. Throughout the past few months and the next one, we continue to have our bi-weekly chapter meetings and talk about all the fun stuff in our lives inside and outside of BBG. With only a few months left in this programming year, I am excited to see how the chapter grows, and what new leadership surfaces for the next year! For info on BBYO, contact: Dana Shustik dana.shustik3@gmail.com Hannah Kahn allentownmazkirah@gmail.com Barbara Yudis byudis@aol.com Cori Rubel car02982@huskies.bloomu.edu Jeff Koch jkoch@bbyo.org
Babe Ruth is remembered for his home runs on the field and his hot dog binges and other peccadilloes off the field. But as the American public is about to discover, there was another Babe Ruth -- one who went to bat for women and minorities, including the Jews of Europe during the Holocaust. Throughout the spring and summer of 1942, Allied leaders received a steady stream of reports about the Germans massacring tens of thousands of Jewish civilians. Information reaching the Roosevelt administration in August revealed that the killings were not random atrocities, but part of a Nazi plan to systematically annihilate all of Europe’s Jews. In late November, the State Department publicly verified this news and, on Dec. 17, the U.S. and British governments and their allies issued a declaration acknowledging and condemning the mass murder. But aside from that Allied statement, the Roosevelt administration had no intention of doing anything in response to the killings. There was no serious consideration of opening America’s doors -- or the doors of British-ruled Palestine -- to Jewish refugees. There was no discussion of taking any steps to rescue the Jews. As quickly as the mass murder had been revealed, it began to fade from the public eye. Dorothy Thompson was determined to keep that from happening. And Babe Ruth would help her. Thompson (1893-1961) was the first American journalist to
It ain’t your zata’s Jag anymore.
be expelled from Nazi Germany. She was once described by Time magazine as one of the two most influential women in the United States, second only to Eleanor Roosevelt. In the autumn of 1942, Thompson contacted the World Jewish Congress with a novel idea: mobilizing GermanAmericans to speak out against the Nazi persecution of the Jews. As a journalist, Thompson understood the man-bitesdog news value of GermanAmericans protesting against Germany -- especially in view of the well-publicized pro-Nazi sentiment in some segments of the German-American community. Just a few years earlier, more than 20,000 supporters of the German American Bund had filled Madison Square Garden for a pro-Hitler rally. The World Jewish Congress agreed to foot the bill for publishing Thompson’s antiNazi statement as a newspaper advertisement. She drafted the text and set about recruiting signatories. Seventy years ago on Dec. 22, the “Christmas Declaration by men and women of German ancestry” appeared as a full-page ad in The New York Times and nine other major daily newspapers. “[W]e Americans of German descent raise our voices in denunciation of the Hitler policy of cold-blooded extermination of the Jews of Europe and against the barbarities committed by the Nazis against all other innocent peoples under their sway,” the declaration began. “These horrors ... are, in particular, a challenge to those who, like ourselves are descendants of the Germany that once stood in the foremost ranks of civilization.” The ad went on to “utterly repudiate every thought and deed of Hitler and his Nazis,” and urged the people of Germany “to overthrow a regime which is the infamy of German history.” The names of 50 prominent German-Americans appeared on the advertisement. There were several notable academics, such as Princeton University dean
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Christian Gauss and University of Maine president Arthur Hauck. Leading Protestant theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, news correspondent William Shirer, and orchestra conductor Walter Damrosch appeared on the ad. So did Freda Kirchwey, editor of the political newsweekly The Nation, and Oswald Heck, speaker of the New York State Assembly. But the signatory who was by far the best known to the American public was George Herman “Babe” Ruth. Widely regarded as the greatest baseball player in the history of the game, Ruth, known as the Sultan of Swat, at that time held the records for the most home runs in a season (60) and the most home runs in a career (714) as well as numerous other batting records. Having excelled as a pitcher before switching to the outfield and gaining fame as a hitter, the amazingly versatile Ruth even held the pitching record for the most shutouts in a season by a left-hander. Not surprisingly, Ruth was one of the first players elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. By participating in this German-American protest against the Holocaust, Ruth used his powerful name to help attract public attention to the Jews’ plight. Timing is everything, both on the baseball field and beyond, and the timing of Ruth’s protest was crucial: precisely at the moment when U.S. officials were hoping to brush the Jewish refugee problem aside, Babe Ruth helped keep it front and center. In an era when professional athletes rarely lent their names to political causes, and when most Americans—including the Roosevelt administration— took little interest in the mass murder of Europe’s Jews, Babe Ruth raised his voice in protest. Ruth’s action is all the more memorable when one contrasts it with the kind of behavior that all too often lands athletes on the front pages these days. Filmmaker Byron Hunter and Ruth’s granddaughter, Linda Ruth Tosetti, have collaborated on a soon-tobe-released documentary, “Universal Babe.” Those who are accustomed to thinking of Ruth’s off-the-field activities in terms of binges and carousing will be pleasantly surprised to learn from the film of the slugger’s noble efforts on behalf of women’s baseball, the Negro Baseball Leagues, and the Jews of Hitler Europe. Dr. Rafael Medoff is founding director of The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, in Washington D.C.
Rabbi Dr. David Hartman:
A remembrance
Rabbi David Hartman (1931 - 2013) made Judaism vibrant and engaging. By Peter A. Pettit Director, Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding of Muhlenberg College David Hartman, a rabbi and philosopher of contemporary Judaism, founded the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. He died Feb. 10 at the age of 81. I learned from David Hartman to take my religion so seriously that I couldn’t settle for anything in it that doesn’t make sense, that isn’t kind or that leaves me or anyone else more puny than God made us to be. And I learned that it is more important to be true to those values than it is to be entirely consistent. Rabbi Hartman -- David as I knew him and “Duvi” to his closest friends and colleagues in the Jewish community -- welcomed me into his beit midrash as an innocent graduate student on a borrowed ticket. My doctoral advisor couldn’t accept an invitation to be part of Hartman’s first interfaith seminar and asked whether I could have his place at the table. It was part of David’s humanity that
he didn’t worry about the markdown that might come with saying yes. What mattered to him was what happened around the seminar table -- who would keep the discussion lively and the questions challenging. Agreement was nice, if you had absolutely nothing else to say. But pushing the limits of an argument, looking for the piece that didn’t fit into the framework, poking at a weak spot in order to strengthen it -- this is what David cherished in his fellow learners. He was always, first and foremost, a learner. He had plenty to teach, there’s no doubt about that. But even as he taught, one had the sense that he was working out the lesson, discovering the insight, for the first time. Indeed, many times I watched him recite a line that was part of his stock material, then pause, scrunch up his nose and face as though he had just caught a whiff of something from the subway stairs of the legendary Bronx where he grew up, and begin to refashion his thought because it didn’t quite work in that particular moment. That example of constant, earnest self-critical reflection and ongoing self-correction in light of both tradition and experience was the core lesson that David taught everyone who studied with him. He said it was a commitment to truth, and even in saying it, he knew that he would be the first to challenge whether anyone could claim to have a measure of truth adequate to know when it had been achieved. One of my colleagues in Jerusalem has said that David had a special genius that gathered around him people from highly diverse backgrounds and, rather than inspiring them to be like him, inspired them to be better versions of themselves. In David, I found a traditional, Orthodox Jew who opened up his world to me in ways I could understand. I found a challenging philosopher and theologian who made Judaism vibrant and engaging. I found a mentor whose support and encouragement shaped my life and career in profound ways. In being all that for me, David found a better me, and led me toward finding it, too. Yehi Zikhrono livrakha.
Do you know an outstanding young leader in the Jewish community? Nominate him or her for the
2013 GEORGE FELDMAN ACHIEVEMENT AWARD An exceptional cadre of young leaders have been recipients of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley's Feldman Award. First given in 1973, the award recognizes those individuals who have exemplified the finest qualities of leadership in volunteer life serving the Jewish community. The award has a monetary value of up to $1,500 for participation in a mission to Israel. Full nominating criteria can be found at www.jewishlehighvalley.org/feldman.aspx.
DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO DESERVES THIS SPECIAL RECOGNITION? Please submit names of nominees, along with a short statement indicating the reasons for consideration for this award. Nominations should be sent to the attention of GFAA, Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, 702 North 22nd Street, Allentown, PA 18104 or by e-mail to judy@jflv.org with GFAA in the subject line. Nominations must be received no later than April 10, 2013.
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Muhlenberg series takes on philanthropy By Rachel Kennett Special to Hakol “Jewish and Christian Approaches to Philanthropy,” a roundtable discussion moderated by Peter Pettit, Muhlenberg professor and director of the Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding, is the next event in Muhlenberg College’s seminar series, “Jews, Money & Capitalism.” This discussion, on Wednesday, April 3, at 7:30 p.m. at the JCC of Allentown, is meant to follow the March 12 presentation by Noam Zion, “Jewish Giving in Comparative Perspective,” but it is not necessary to have attended Zion’s talk in order to participate in this discussion. The table will consist of six members of the community who will discuss how and what it means to perform philanthropy. The five confirmed contributors are Mark L. Goldstein, executive director of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley; Rabbi Daniel Stein of Bnai Abraham Synagogue in Easton; Ilene Wood, a prominent Jewish philanthropist whose efforts extend to various Lehigh Valley projects; Pamela Weiss, development professional with Moravian Seminary (where she earned a master’s degree in Christian stewardship) and a board member of the Institute for Jewish-Christian
Understanding; and Adam Marles, Muhlenberg alumnus and vice president of the Allentown Phoebe Home, which is associated with the United Church of Christ. Each of these participants represents a unique niche in the world of philanthropy. “[We wanted] people with a theological background, practical experience of development work cultivating philanthropy within the community and [who] regularly [perform] philanthropic acts within their religious traditions,” Pettit said. Pettit plans to introduce the topic and to ask questions of the six table participants, leading to an exchange of ideas. The discussion will then become open for audience contribution. According to Pettit, “No one is coming in with a prepared perspective … philanthropy in Jewish and Christian communities is framed differently … so we are gathering people who are active in the field and inviting a conversation [to] see what emerges from it.” Religion plays a significant role in philanthropic motives, Pettit believes. Religion studies is essential, as it is an “underpinning of human society,” Pettit said. “Religion is a system of symbols by which we understand ourselves [and] our
world. We cannot understand human society without that religious aspect,” he added. Pettit hopes that the roundtable discussion will provide an understanding about philanthropy in a religious context, which will motivate giving after the program. Pettit wants to reassure attendees, though, that no one will be asked to donate or give money at this program. This presentation is free and open to the public. The series is co-sponsored by the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, the Jewish Studies Program and the Religion Studies Department of Muhlenberg College, and is made possible by a grant from the Legacy Heritage Jewish Studies Project and the Association for Jewish Studies.
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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.
SUNDAY, APRIL 1 through FRIDAY, APRIL 12 Gallery at the J: Roberta Friedman featuring Merzatta Design
JCC of Allentown. The Gallery at the J will be showcasing the paintings of Roberta Friedman and the jewelry of Merzatta Design.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3 Muhlenberg Speaker Series: Jewish and Christian Approaches to Philanthropy
7:30 p.m., JCC of Allentown. Join Professor Peter Pettit for a roundtable discussion, co-sponsored by the Institute for JewishChristian Understanding. The program is part of Muhlenberg College’s ongoing adult education series, Jews, Money and Capitalism. Followed by kosher refreshments and time for discussion, questions and conversation. Free and open to the community.
THURSDAY, APRIL 4 JCC’s 18th Annual Jewish & Israeli Film Festival: Orchestra of Exiles
7 p.m., JCC of Allentown. In the early 1930s, Hitler began firing Jewish musicians across Europe. Overcoming extraordinary obstacles, violinist Bronislaw Huberman moved these great musicians to Palestine and formed a symphony that would become the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Cost of event: $6 JCC members; $9 community. Co-sponsored by the Holocaust Resource Center of the JFLV.
SUNDAY, APRIL 7 CBS Healthy U@55+ Series--Nutritional Health
10 a.m., Congregation Brith Sholom. We are fortunate to present Anita Hirsch M.S.N., R.D.. As a dietician, nutritionist and cookbook author with over 20 years of experience in food services, Anita will speak on “How to Eat and Live Longer.” Continental breakfast served. Program is free to CBS members, $3 to the public. Call 610-866-8009 or email cbstammy@fast. net to reserve. Walk-ins welcome.
SUNDAY, APRIL 7 Yom Hashoah Commemoration
7 p.m., JCC of Allentown. Look beyond the numbers and pictures with Dr. Rachel Korazim this Yom Hashoah and try to recapture the memories of the Jews who perished in the Shoah. This year’s program will also feature a special observance of the 70th Anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising and a reading of names beginning at 6 p.m. Sponsored by the Holocaust Resource Center of the JFLV. Free and open to the community.
MONDAY, APRIL 8 Brunch & Learn: Reflections of the Holocaust in Modern Israeli Literature
9:45 a.m., JCC of Allentown. Dr. Rachel Korazim will explore recent and older works by Israeli authors and how Israeli society deals with the Shoah as a significant influence on the Israeli identity. Sponsored by the Holocaust Resource Center of the JFLV. Cost: $10. RSVP to 610-821-5500 or hrc@jflv.org.
Honorable MENSCHens Roberta Marcus Parkland School Board Vice President Roberta Marcus was honored by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association with the second annual Timothy Allwein Advocacy Award. The award recognizes outstanding leadership in legislative advocacy efforts on behalf of public education. Throughout her career, Marcus has embodied this criterion. She served as president of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association in 2010, was elected as president of the Parkland School Board for three terms and vice president for two terms, has served as the Lehigh County legislative coordinator and has even testified before the Pennsylvania House Education Committee on Accountability Block grants and cyber charter schools. Congratulations to Roberta, her family and the Parkland School district for this tremendous honor. Want to see your accomplishments in the pages of HAKOL? E-mail them to hakol@jflv.org. 30 APRIL 2013 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
MONDAY, APRIL 8 Teen Workshop: A Day in a Ghetto
7:30 p.m., Temple Beth El. Using diary entries of ghetto residents, Dr. Rachel Korazim will simulate a day in the life of a person in a ghetto. Free to all teens, 7 through 12 grades. To learn more, contact Temple Beth El at 610-435-3521.
beers to be featured at the bar and snack on the new menu. Cost: $10. Respectful accommodation for dietary observance. Bring three or more canned goods for $1 off your entry. Win gift certificates and passes for family summer fun. RSVP to Judy Diamondstein, 610-821-5500, judy@jflv.org.
FRIDAY, APRIL 19 KI Adult Shabbat Dinner
FRIDAY, APRIL 12 KI Sisterhood Shabbat
7:30 p.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel. Please join KI as our Sisterhood leads Shabbat services in celebration of the 100-year anniversary of the Women of Reform Judaism. Call or e-mail Michele Salomon, 610-706-0855 or michele.salomon@gmail. com, for more information. All are welcome.
FRIDAY, APRIL 12 KI Speaker Series: Dr. Maged Botros presents “The Arab Spring”
6 p.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel. KI invites the community to join us at a Shabbat dinner for adults only. At $10, it’s a great deal and one not to be missed. To RSVP, please contact the KI temple office at 610-435-9074. RSVP must be in by April 12.
SUNDAY, APRIL 21 KI Brotherhood Brunch: Keeping the SPARK Alive in Your Relationship
After Shabbat services, 8:30 p.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel. The community is invited to the next installment of the KI Speaker Series. Our guest speaker during the oneg is Dr. Maged Botros, Fulbright scholar-in-residence at LCCC. Please join us for services and to learn more from Dr. Botros about “The Arab Spring.” Call the temple office at 610-435-9074 for more information.
9:30 a.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel. Annette Carpien will help you discover how you can create more “wealth” in your marriage’s love bank account and positively influence the dynamics in your relationship. These tools and distinctions can also be applied to relationships with your teen, siblings and others. Brunch will be served courtesy of KI Brotherhood. Donations are welcome. Call the temple office at 610-435-9074 to RSVP or for more information.
SUNDAY, APRIL 14 Bone Marrow Cheek Swabbing
SUNDAY, APRIL 21 JCC’s Indoor Juried Fine Arts Craft Show
9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Temple Covenant of Peace. A cheek swab is a free, painless test which will enter participants into a national bone marrow registry. This is an effort to find a bone marrow match for Shira Klein, a Jewish 35-year-old mother of three. Contact 610-366-0439. This event is open to all healthy people ages 18 to 60.
SUNDAY, APRIL 14 21st Annual Levy Hillel Awards
10:30 a.m., JCC of Allentown. Join the Jewish Federation for a brunch and ceremony to honor outstanding students from area Hillels with the Levy Hillel Leadership Award. This year’s recipients are Rose Bayer, Lafayette College; Zachary Cahn and Sara Green, Lehigh University; Sara Kaskowitz, Moravian College; and Becca Diamond, Muhlenberg College. Free and open to the public. Please RSVP by April 5 to Joan Brody at 610-821-5500 or joan@jflv.org.
SUNDAY, APRIL 14 Lehigh Valley Pops Orchestra
2 p.m., Temple Beth El. Conducted by George Fennell. Featuring the music of George Gershwin, Aaron Copeland, selections from Fiddler on the Roof (Richard Rogers), and others. Special musical presentation by Cantor Kevin Wartell. $10 adults/$5 children under 12. Doors open at 1:30 pm.
SUNDAY, APRIL 14 Yom Hazikaron
7:30 p.m., JCC of Allentown. A ceremony will be held to observe Israel’s Memorial Day and remember the IDF’s Fallen Soldiers and those who have died in terror attacks. The public is welcome to attend.
MONDAY, APRIL 15 TSS Adult Ed: Keeping your Heart Healthy
7 to 8:30 p.m., home of David and Karyn Goldner. Come learn about the care and feeding of your most important organ - take care of it and it will take care of you. During this session, you will learn how the heart works, how we test it and how we treat it when it breaks. ContactUs@templeshiratshalom.org, 610-730-6272.
TUESDAY, APRIL 16 Walk the Land: Israel’s 65th Birthday Bash
4 p.m., JDS and JCC. Enjoy games and activities at the JDS starting at 4 p.m., then walk from the JDS to the JCC while showing your support for Israel beginning at 4:30 p.m. The walk will culminate in a giant birthday party for Israel at the JCC. Rain or shine. Free and open to the community. To learn more, visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org.
THURSDAY, APRIL 18 YAD Brews with Jews
5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Noti’s Clubhouse Tavern, Allentown Municipal Golf Course, 3400 Tilghman St., Allentown. Join the Young Adult Division of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley for an evening at the new Noti’s Clubhouse Tavern. Sample and vote on
FRIDAYS 8 - 9:30 AM WMUH 91.7 Featuring Cantor Wartell muhlenberg.edu/wmuh
10 a.m. to 5 p.m., JCC of Allentown One-day event including 50 fine craft artists who will be juried in representing 10 mediums for an indoor craft show.
SUNDAY, APRIL 21 Easton Salon Series
7 to 9 p.m., Lafayette Hillel. Join Rabbi Daniel Stein for an open, thoughtful discussion at this month’s salon on the Israeli show that inspired the Showtime hit “Homeland.” Event is free of charge. Light refreshments and coffee will be served. Sponsored by the Easton Leadership Council of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. RSVP to judy@jflv.org.
SUNDAY, APRIL 21 TSS Adult Ed: “Forefathers, Foremothers, Foreplay and Foreskins: Gender in Genesis”
7 p.m., home of Don and Judy Belmont. Although the legends of Genesis principally concern the forefathers, the foremothers emerge as critical to the plot. This talk with Dr. Robert Cohn explores how women fit into the story and make all the difference. ContactUs@templeshiratshalom.org, 610-730-6272.
FRIDAY, APRIL 26 KI Pre-neg and Brotherhood Shabbat
6 p.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel. Celebrate Shabbat with KI Brotherhood beginning with a pre-neg featuring a wine and cheese selection. KI Brotherhood will lead a meaningful Shabbat and present the Oscar Cherney Volunteer of the Year Award to a Brotherhood member who has made a difference for KI and the community. Call the temple office at 610-435-9074 for more information.
SATURDAY, APRIL 27 Federation Shabbat with Doug Bloomfield
9 a.m., Congregation Brith Sholom. Douglas M. Bloomfield, a syndicated columnist, Washington lobbyist and consultant, will be the featured speaker at Shabbat services, sponsored by the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley.
SUNDAY, APRIL 28 Temple Beth El Plant Exchange
10 a.m., Temple Beth El. Bring three or more plants to the TBE parking lot and exchange them for plants that other participants have brought. It’s free and fun for gardeners at any skill level. Advance registration is appreciated, but walk-in exchanges are welcome. For registration or questions please e-mail Michael Rothman at Michael@Michael.Rothman.Name.
SUNDAY, APRIL 28 TSS Adult Ed: Writing Workshop with Fredda Fischman
10:30 a.m., Temple Shirat Shalom. This workshop will help bring our memories to the forefront of our hearts and mind. For this guided writing activity to elicit ideas for a personal memoir, bring only a pen or pencil and paper. Optional: photos or mementos if you want to use them to trigger memories for your writing. ContactUs@templeshiratshalom.org, 610-730-6272.
Celebrate the beauty of Shabbat
Shabbat & Yom Tov Candlelighting Times Friday, April 5
7:12 pm
Friday, April 26
7:34 pm
Friday, April 12
7:20 pm
Friday, May 3
7:41 pm
Friday, April 19
7:27 pm
Friday, May 10
7:49 pm
Community Calendar Ongoing Events MONDAYS FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., JCC of Allentown Friendship Circle is a place for people to meet, make new friends and enjoy each other’s company. We welcome all adults over 50. Friendship Circle meets weekly on Mondays at the JCC of Allentown from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lively and enjoyable programs and a delicious lunch. Annual dues - $25. Regular weekly meetings and lunch - $6. First visit - NO CHARGE.
BEGINNERS MISHNAH FOR ADULTS 12 p.m., Congregation Brith Sholom The Mishnah is a collection of ancient discussions on all major topics of Jewish life from the period of 0 - 200 C.E. Beginning Jan. 14, the beginners Mishnah for adults continues at Brith Sholom. Class meets Mondays at noon in the Brith Sholom Goodman Library. It is open to everyone who wishes to engage in serious study of Torah. There is no fee, but book purchase is required. Please call the synagogue office 610-866-8009 to register. THE RHYTHM OF JEWISH LIVING 8 to 9 p.m., Temple Beth El Taught by: Rabbi Moshe Re’em. This course will examine the ideas, beliefs and practices that define and shape Jewish life through daily, weekly, annual and life-cycle observances. The course is designed as a year-long course for those wishing to learn more about the religious observances of Judaism, theology of the holidays and ritual practices. The course is organized around the Jewish calendar, but includes other daily Jewish rituals.
TUESDAYS PROJECT YACHAD’S TORAH STUDY GROUP 12:15 to 1:15 p.m., JCC of Allentown It doesn’t matter how much you know, it matters how much you want to know. Bring your curiosity to Project Yachad’s Torah study group and discover the wonders, adventures and meaning of the Torah. Each FREE session is taught by one of our dedicated clergy members or a respected Jewish educator. Held in the Teachers’ Learning Center/Holocaust Resource Room (lower level, JCC). Call 610435-3571 for information about individual sessions. JFS-LV’S YIDDISH CLUB 1:30 p.m., Jewish Family Service Kibbitz in the mama loshen! You don’t need to be fluent — just come and enjoy! Call 610-821-8722 for more information. THE DAVEN-CI CODE: UNLOCKING THE SECRETS OF JEWISH PRAYER 8 p.m., Congregation Beth Avraham Weekly discussion group focusing on the structure, nuance and poetry of Jewish prayer. (Hebrew competence is not required.) Free and open to all. LATTE & LEARN 8 to 9 p.m., Starbucks, Schoenersville Road, Bethlehem Come help us figure out the weekly Torah portion! Laid back, lots of fun, no Hebrew required. This event is sponsored by Congregation Beth Avraham. This event is free and open to the public. For information, contact Rabbi Yehoshua Mizrachi at 207-4040474.
WEDNESDAYS FROM JESUS TO CONSTANTINE 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Congregation Brith Sholom Rabbi Jonathan Gerard leads a weekly adult learning class centered around the timelline from Jesus to Constantine. Because it is possible to
enter the text at any place, new participants are welcome at any time. HADASSAH STUDY GROUP Every other Wednesday, 1:30 p.m., Temple Beth El Allentown Hadassah presents a stimulating series of short story seminars. All are welcome to attend these free sessions in the Temple Beth El library. The group will be reading selections from anthologies available from Amazon. com. For dates and stories, e-mail Lolly Siegel at spscomm@aol.com or call 610-439-1851. BETH AVRAHAM TORAH STUDY 7 p.m., Congregation Beth Avraham Torah: It is the common heritage that binds all Jews together. It belongs to you! We will explore the ancient healing wisdom of Torah together. All are welcome. Who knows? It might even be fun! RSVP to Rabbi Yehoshua Mizrachi at 207-404-0474 or congregationbethavraham@gmail.com. IN-DEPTH STUDY OF THE BOOK OF JOSHUA 7 p.m., Congregation Sons of Israel On Wednesday nights at Congregation Sons of Israel Judy Slyper teaches an in-depth study of the book of Joshua. We are currently learning the book of Joshua with commentaries and other resources to give us a feel of the time, the people and the lessons in the story. We are a friendly group who have been studying different books of the Prophets almost every Wednesday night for four years, but we’d love you to join and add your thoughts and knowledge to the discussions. TORAH STUDIES: A WEEKLY JOURNEY INTO THE SOUL OF TORAH 7:30 p.m., Chabad Torah Studies by JLI presents: Season Two: A 12-part series. Cost is $36 for the complete 12-week series (textbook included). For more information contact 610-351-6511 or Rabbi@ chabadlehighvalley.com.
THURSDAYS MOMMY & ME 10:30 to 11:15 a.m., Chabad Led by Morah Devorah Halperin and Mrs. Alli Lipson, Mommy & Me is an innovative program for babies and toddlers to experience Jewish traditions in a stimulating, fun and creative atmosphere. Cost is $10 per class, $40 for full session. For information and to register, morahdevorah@chabadlehighvalley.com. PSALMS & SERENITY 10:30 a.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel Join Rabbi Seth and a friendly group of seekers who are exploring the Book of Psalms to discover its ancient wisdom and modern sensibilities. Newcomers always welcome. Knowledge of Hebrew not required. Come with an open heart!
SHABBAT INTRODUCTION TO TALMUD 8:15 a.m., Congregation Sons of Israel On Shabbat mornings, come to an Introduction to Talmud class with Dr. Henry Grossbard. This class is free and open to the public. CHAVURAT TORAH STUDY Each Shabbat following kiddush lunch, Temple Beth El No sign-up needed for this class. Taught by Shari Spark. Enrich your Shabbat experience by studying the parashat hashavua, the weekly Torah portion, with other congregants, each Shabbat in the library at approximately 12:45 p.m. No previous knowledge or long-term commitments are required to participate as we discuss Torah together. This is an ongoing class. BNEI AKIVA 5:45 p.m., Congregation Sons of Israel On Shabbat afternoons, SOI holds Bnei Akiva, an Israel-centered fun program for kids ages eight to 14. This program is free and open to the public. For information and to RSVP, call 610-433-6089.
SUNDAYS JEWISH WAR VETERANS POST 239 2nd Sunday of the month, 10 a.m., JCC of Allentown A brunch follows each meeting – bagels, cream cheese, lox, herring, pastry and coffee. The veteran and significant other are invited as the guest of the Ladies Auxiliary. Come and enjoy camaraderie and we will even listen to your “war story.” Questions? Call Commander Maur Levan at 610-437-4561. TEFILLIN CLUB & ADULT HEBREW SCHOOL 9:30 a.m. Tefillin; 10 to 11 a.m. Adult Hebrew, Chabad Tefillin is for Jewish men and boys over the age of Bar Mitzvah, to learn about, and gain appreciation for, the rich and enriching Jewish practice - the mitzvah - of donning Tefillin. Adult Hebrew is an opportunity for you to learn about your heritage and expand your Jewish knowledge so that you can keep up with your child. Contact 610351-6511 for more information. TSS HEBREW & ADULT EDUCATION CLASSES 10 a.m., JCC of Allentown Interested in learning Hebrew for the first time or brushing up your skills? Marcia Berkow teaches adult Hebrew beginning at 10 a.m., followed at 11 a.m. by David Vaida, who will you take you through the great moments across all 5,773 years of Jewish history. Free and open to all. RSVP at learnwithus@ templeshiratshalom.org or 610-8207666.
TORAH ON TILGHMAN 12:15 p.m., Allentown Wegmans Cantor Ellen Sussman of Temple Shirat Shalom leads a lunch and learn on the Torah. Shopping is optional. RSVP to contactus@templeshiratshalom. com or 610-820-7666.
TALMUD CLASS FOR BEGINNERS! 10 to 11 a.m., Congregation Beth Avraham of Bethlehem-Easton For information,contact Rabbi Yehoshua Mizrachi at 207-404-0474.
FRIDAYS
DAF YOMI 7:30 a.m., Congregation Sons of Israel Are you intrigued by thought-provoking, stimulating and provocative religious discussion? Are you enamored by the depth and scope of the Jewish legal system? Are you curious about Judaism’s perspective on marriage, tort law, Jewish burial, holiday observance, prayer, blessings and, for that matter, nearly any Jewish topic? Then Sons of Israel’s daily “Daf Yomi” class is for you. Meeting all year long, this class covers the gamut of Talmudic law, studying one page of the talmud each day, and completing the talmud over the course of seven and a half years. Basic Jewish background is recommended.
CURRENT EVENTS DISCUSSION GROUP 10 a.m., JCC of Allentown Everyone is welcome. Exercise your mind. TCP TOT SHABBAT SERVICE 4th Friday of the month, 5 p.m., Temple Covenant of Peace This wonderful program introduces children to Shabbat ritual and songs with activities designed especially for our youngest congregants and their families. Arts and crafts, stories and prayer round out the children’s activities.
SUNDAY to FRIDAY
Congregations BNAI ABRAHAM SYNAGOGUE
1545 Bushkill St., Easton – 610.258.5343 Rabbi Daniel Stein, Conservative MORNING MINYAN services are Thursday mornings at 7:25 a.m., SHABBAT EVENING services are Fridays at 8 p.m., SHABBAT MORNING services are Saturdays at 9:30 a.m., RELIGIOUS SCHOOL classes are Wednesdays at 4:15 p.m. and Sundays at 9:30 a.m..
CHABAD OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY
4457 Crackersport Rd., Allentown – 610.336.6603 Rabbi Yaacov Halperin, Chabad Lubavitch SHABBAT EVENING services are held once a month seasonally, SHABBAT MORNING services are held Saturdays at 10 a.m., RELIGIOUS SCHOOL classes are held Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. and Sundays at 10 a.m.
CONGREGATION AM HASKALAH
Bethlehem – 610.435.3775 Weekly Shabbat services and a monthly family service with potluck dinner. Religious school meets Sunday mornings. Email am.haskalah.office@gmail.com to be added to list for exact times and locations.
CONGREGATION BETH AVRAHAM
439 South Nulton Ave., Palmer Township – 610.905.2166 | Rabbi Yitzchok Yagod, Orthodox SHABBAT EVENING starts half an hour after candle lighting. SHABBAT MORNING starts at 9:30 a.m., followed by a hot kiddish. We are in the process of moving so please contact Rabbi Yehoshua Mizrachi at 207-404-0474 for service location information.
CONGREGATION BRITH SHOLOM
1190 W. Macada Rd., Bethlehem – 610.866.8009 Rabbi Allen Juda, Conservative MINYAN is at 7:45 a.m. on Mondays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. on Saturdays and holidays. RELIGIOUS SCHOOL classes every Tuesday/Thursday at 4:15 p.m.
CONGREGATION KENESETH ISRAEL
2227 Chew St., Allentown – 610.435.9074 Rabbi Seth D. Phillips | Cantor Jennifer Duretz Peled, Reform Services begin at 7:30 p.m. every Friday night. The first Friday of the month is a FAMILY SERVICE and celebration of birthdays and anniversaries. RELIGIOUS SCHOOL classes are held Wednesdays at 4 p.m. and Sundays at 9:30 a.m.
CONGREGATION SONS OF ISRAEL
2715 Tilghman St., Allentown – 610.433.6089 Rabbi David Wilensky, Orthodox SHACHARIT: Sundays at 8:30 a.m., Mondays and Thursdays at 6:30 a.m., Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 6:45 a.m. For MINCHA, MAARIV.
TEMPLE BETH EL
1305 Springhouse Rd., Allentown – 610.435.3521 Rabbi Moshe Re’em | Cantor Kevin Wartell Conservative Weekday morning minyan services at 7:45 a.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m. Shabbat evening services at 7:30 p.m. with the last Friday evening of the month featuring our Shira Chadasha Service . Shabbat morning services at 9 a.m. followed by Kiddush. Religious school classes every Tuesday/ Thursday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 10 a.m. Midrasha school classes Monday at 7 p.m. Shalshelet — Temple Beth El’s new innovative high school program — meets bi-monthly on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. Shalshelet (the chain) is open to ALL 10th-, 11th- and 12th-grade students in the Lehigh Valley. For more information contact Alicia Zahn, religlious school director, at school at bethelallentown.org.
TEMPLE COVENANT OF PEACE
1451 Northampton St., Easton – 610.253.2031 Tcp@rcn.com; tcopeace.org Rabbi Melody Davis | Cantor Jill Pakman Reform TCP holds Shabbat evening services every Friday night at 7:30 p.m., and a Renewal Shabbat morning service on the 4th Saturday of the month at 10 a.m. A Family Shabbat Service is held on the second Friday night of each month. Our services reflect a diverse culture of traditional, innovative and musical experiences with a Reform Jewish context. Religious School meets on Sunday mornings from 9:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. We have family potluck dinner at 6:30 p.m. on the fourth Friday of the month. For more information about our temple and activities, see our website at www. tcopeace.org or look us up on Facebook.
TEMPLE SHIRAT SHALOM
Cantor Ellen Sussman Friday night SHABBAT WORSHIP SERVICES held at 7 p.m. at The Swain School, 1100 South 24th St., Allentown. For more information, Contact Us at templeshiratshalom.org or 610-820-7666.
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | APRIL 2013 31
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