Keeping Jewish - January 2024

BS”D

Tradition, Inspiration and Celebration · January 2024 - Shvat 5784 · Published by Chabad Tucson

Echoes of Exodus Dr. King’s vision for equality and the Promised Land

Welcome to town Jacob Snider is an engineer who likes learning new things

Of roots and fruits The home as a classroom, the parent as a teacher

Chosen comic The newest addition to our fun page

Flavors of the

desert Cheri Romanoski’s family pastime became a prickly pear phenomenon

10 facts about Tu Bishvat - New Year of the Trees, and the TEP planting project Keeping Jewish | January 2024 |

OPINION The Jewish outreach and education network of Southern Arizona 2443 E 4th Street, Tucson, AZ 85719

Dr. King and the Promised Land

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Rabbi Yossie Shemtov

By Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin

REBBETZIN

Chanie Shemtov OUTREACH DIRECTOR

Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Feigie Ceitlin Affiliates: Congregation Young Israel, Chabad at the University of Arizona, Chabad on River, Chabad of Oro Valley, Chabad of Sierra Vista, Chabad of Vail and Lamplighter Chabad Day School of Tucson

EDITOR

Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin COPY EDITOR

Suzanne Cummins CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Zalman Abraham, Seymour Brody, Feigie Ceitlin, Linda Hirschel, Mendel Kalmenson, Yaakov Ort, Menachem Posner, Mordechai Schmutter, Yehuda Shurpin, Benjamin Weiss PHOTOS

Unsplash.com SPECIAL THANKS

Chabad.org EDITORIAL INQUIRIES OR ADVERTISING

Phone: 520-881-7956 Email: info@ChabadTucson.com

Keeping Jewish is published in print periodically by Chabad Tucson and is distributed free in Tucson and around Southern Arizona.

Chabad Tucson does not endorse the people, establishments, products or services reported about or advertised in Keeping Jewish unless specifically noted. The acceptance of advertising in Keeping Jewish does not constitute a recommendation, approval, or other representation of the quality of products or services, or the credibility of any claims made by advertisers, including, but not limited to, the kashrus of advertised food products. The use of any products or services advertised in Keeping Jewish is solely at the user’s risk and Chabad Tucson accepts no responsibility or liability in connection therewith.

Note: “G-d” and “L-rd” are written with a hyphen instead of an “o .”This is one way we accord reverence to the sacred divine name. This also reminds us that, even as we seek G-d, He transcends any human effort to describe His reality.

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It can feel difficult, even impossible, to break free from the chains into which you were born, chains in which generations of your ancestors lived their lives. Dr. Martin Luther King knew about that challenge He was born during forced segregation in the South to a people who had endured hundreds of years of slavery and, despite being emancipated, were not yet truly free.

He led the movement to enshrine civil and voting rights and inspired millions with his determination, tenacity, and bravery. He looked to break free from a reality that was imposed upon him and people of color, and in doing so, he drew inspiration from the Jewish People who did the same.

The Jewish People endured more than 200 years of slavery in Egypt. Generations were born into servitude in a nation that did not only enslave them for financial gain: the ancient Egyptians were deeply racist, and even before enslaving the Jews, they would not so much as share a table for a meal with them. But the Jewish People endured because they knew that one day, God would remember them and would take Memphis the day before he was murdered, them to the Promised Land.

Dr. King said he didn’t mind the threats to his life because “I’ve seen the promised Dr. King often echoed this dream, land. I may not get there with you. But I couching the fight for civil rights in terms want you to know tonight, that we, as a of the Biblical story of the Jewish People’s people, will get to the promised land.” journey. Facing a society that had enslaved his ancestors and who still would not share But the Promised Land wasn’t just a table with him, he led the movement to an allegory for Dr. King. He repeatedly break free from the chains of segregation. defended the Promised Land of Israel and the Jewish People’s right to live peacefully He knew this work did not come without there. Dr. King lauded Jewish support for risk from those whose order he was black rights, defended Israel’s right to exist, toppling, but he remained stalwart, turning and supported the Jewish state during the again and again to the story of the Jewish Six-Day War. As Malcolm X and the Nation People’s journey to the Promised Land for of Islam were circulating antisemitic inspiration. Famously, in his speech in tropes, Dr. King was supporting American

Jewry and the importance of the Nation of Israel.

Dr. King once attended a dinner at Harvard University in 1967, during which a student stood up in a negative confrontation and asked Dr. King to comment on Zionism, the ideology behind the establishment of the State of Israel.

According to Congressman John Lewis, Dr. King responded, “Don’t talk like that. When people criticize Zionists, they mean Jews.

You’re talking antisemitism.”

Two weeks before his death, Dr. King said, “Peace for Israel means security, and we must stand with all our might to protect its right to exist, its territorial integrity.

I see Israel as one of the great outposts of democracy in the world and a marvelous example of what can be done, how desert land can be transformed into an oasis of brotherhood and democracy. Peace for Israel means security and that security must be a reality.”

This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I hope that we can draw inspiration from his lifetime of struggle against inequality, subjugation, and bondage, and from his stalwart support for the Jewish People and the Jewish Homeland. I hope that both Israelis and Palestinians can break free from the dictatorship and subjugation of Hamas — to value life over death, equality over oppression, and growth over destruction.

This MLK Day, let’s all break free.

- Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin is the Outreach Director of Chabad Tucson, the Jewish network of Southern Arizona

NEWS

Hidden child of the Holocaust to share story In honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Chabad Tucson will be hosting a special Shabbat experience that will feature Bertie Levkowitz, a resident of Tucson who was one of the hidden children of the Holocaust.

recalling details of her hiding, Levkowitz emphasizes the challenges hidden children faced in developing emotional skills.

Levkowitz previously donated childhood items to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, including a “Take care of me” note and a yellow Star of David. Donating these items ensures the permanence of Levkowitz’s family stories for future generations. The collection contributes to preserving history and educating millions about the Holocaust.

Held on Friday, January 26, 5:30 PM, at The Shul, 2443 E 4th Street, the evening will begin with candle lighting and Kabbalat Shabbat services. It will be followed by a catered Shabbat dinner with stories and songs.

Levkowitz, a Tucson resident born in 1942 in Holland, became a hidden child of the Holocaust at three months old when her parents handed her over to strangers to escape persecution. Facing threats from an SS officer in 1940, Bertie’s parents navigated challenges to find a safe place for her in Nazi-occupied Holland. Despite difficulties, they secured her hiding spots, resulting in over 40 addresses over 3 and a half years.

Bertie Levkowitz is held by her mother, Hetty Goslinski in a photograph from 1942 * Arizona Jewish Life

Levkowitz’s experience involved constant relocation and living with various strangers, leaving emotional scars that became apparent in later years. A turning point occurred when she attended a conference for hidden children, challenging

the notion of luck and addressing the emotional toll of being abandoned at a young age.

At the upcoming Shabbat dinner, Levkowitz will speak about finding community and tradition after the Second World War, settling in Arizona and helping sustain the Jewish community in Tucson.

Registration is required at ChabadTucson. com/ShabbatDinner

The couple that eventually reunited Bertie with her family were Mr. and Mrs. Gnirp, known as Oma Sweetheart. Despite not

Tucson Jewish Free Loan sends aid to Israel Seventeen Jewish Free Loan organizations spanning the United States joined hands in an unprecedented move, amalgamating their resources into a single, substantial, interest-free loan directed towards their partner organization, Ogen, in Israel.

This collaborative effort aims to provide vital financial support to Israeli citizens grappling with the aftermath of the October 7 massacre, coupled with the evacuation of communities across Southern and Northern Israel.

The initiative received a significant boost from an anonymous matching donor, propelling Tucson into the spotlight as the 6th largest contributor. These funds are slated to return to Tucson within 3-5 years.

“While our primary focus typically revolves around aiding residents of Pima, Cochise, and Santa Cruz counties, these unprecedented circumstances demanded a broader response,” said Allison Wexler, Executive Director of the Tucson Jewish Free Loan.

“Through the generosity of a matching donor, we channeled $36,000 towards ordinary Israelis, irrespective of their faith, experiencing severe and immediate hardships,” Wexler said, adding that “the entirety of these dollars will return to Tucson within the specified timeframe, fortifying our local community. We take immense pride in our role in this exceptional endeavor.”

Keeping Jewish | January 2024 |

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JUDAISM 101

10 Facts About 15 Shevat, the New Year for Trees

By Menachem Posner 1. Tu Bishvat is 15 Shevat This holiday is properly known as Chamishah Asar Bishvat, the “Fifteenth of Shevat.” So where did the “Tu” moniker 4

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come from? In Hebrew, every letter represents a number. The letter Tet represents 9, and Vav is 6, which equals 15.

And when you put Tet and Vav together, it

can be pronounced “Tu.” 2. It’s the New Year for Trees That’s right. When we hear the words Rosh

Hashanah, we think of the 1st (and 2nd) of Tishrei, which celebrates the day G‑d created Adam and Eve. The 15th of Shevat is the day the fiscal year begins for all

things related to arboriculture.

3. It’s When the Soil Is Moist and Fertile Shevat 15 is four months after we celebrate the holiday of Sukkot, which marks the start of the rainy season in the Middle East. After four months of rain, the soil is moist and primed for growth, and the sap has begun circulating in the trees. This is the time when the previous year’s crop comes to an end, and whatever grows from this date and on belongs to the new year’s crop.

4. It’s Relevant to Tithing and More.

Why does it matter to which year’s crop your fruit belongs? Fruit grown in the first three years of a tree’s life may not be eaten.

In Temple times, fruit grown in the fourth year was enjoyed in Jerusalem as a quasisacrifice. When does one year-end and the next year begin? 15 Shevat!

Fruit grown in the Holy Land must be tithed, with portions set aside for the

Kohen (priest) and Levite. Additional portions are either taken to Jerusalem or distributed among the poor, depending on the year in the Shemitah cycle. The produce from each year must be tithed separately, and by now you can surely guess which date demarcates one year from the next: 15 Shevat.

During the Renaissance era, when the Safed school of Kabbalists flourished, the custom to eat fruit was popularized as well.

5. The Holiday Developed Over Millennia The Talmud does not record any specific celebrations or observances to be held on this day.

6. We Eat Specific Fruit on This Day Some are particular to eat a fruit they have not enjoyed since last time it was in season, necessitating the special Shehecheyanu blessing, thanking G-d for bringing us to this milestone. There is also a custom to eat fruit listed among the seven species for which Eretz Yisrael is praised: grapes, figs, dates, pomegranates, and olives.

One of the earliest sources for the 15th of Shevat being a celebratory day is a pair of ancient liturgical poems that were found in the Cairo genizah, a trove of old Torah texts, documents and manuscripts discovered in the 19th century. The poems, composed by Rabbi Yehuda Ben Hillel Halevi around the 10th century, were meant to be added to the prayer service of the day.

7. The Day Has Inner Significance Keying off the Biblical verse, “For man is a tree of the field,” the Kabbalists ascribed significance to this day, when trees are showcased and recognized. Like a tree, we must constantly grow and bear fruit that will benefit those around us. And like little saplings, whatever we experience when we are young, will impact us deep into adulthood.

8. Carobs Are Traditional As Well Many recall being given baggies of dried fruit in school on 15 Shevat, perhaps harking to the era when fresh fruit was not as readily available in the winter. More often than not, the melange included pieces of carob, known by the Yiddish name, bokser.

9. The Prayer Service is Slightly Truncated Since this is a happy day, the Code of Jewish Law tells us to skip Tachanun, the prayers for forgiveness normally said after the silent amidah.

10. Beit Shamai Celebrated 15 Days Earlier Shevat 15 is listed among the four “heads of the year” mentioned in the Mishnah.1 Interestingly enough, the Mishnah tells us that this date follows the tradition of Beit Hillel. The House of Shammai, however, believes it is actually on 1 Shevat, 15 days earlier.

Keeping Jewish | January 2024 |

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PROFILE

Flavors of the desert Cheri Romanoski and her prickly pear treats

her husband.

However, a pivotal moment occurred when Cheri decided she wanted to work with indigenous desert plants, a reflection of her connection to her upbringing environment.

Collaborating with a friend knowledgeable about indigenous plants, she delved into the world of prickly pear cacti and other native species, leading to the birth of Cheri’s Desert Harvest.

Transitioning from berry jellies to prickly pear products wasn’t seamless.

While prickly pear syrup was relatively straightforward, making jelly presented a challenge. To overcome this hurdle, Cheri enlisted the help of a food chemist who assisted in developing a method, ensuring the right balance of sugar, pectin, and acid for consistent jelly production. This collaboration also blossomed into a lasting friendship.

Within three years of starting her business, Cheri phased out berry products entirely, focusing solely on prickly pear creations.

This shift didn’t cause strife with her husband, who embraced the new products and actively participated in the business after his retirement from teaching.

By Lilian Wasserman Cheri Romanoski, a proud Tucson native, developed a profound love for the desert and its natural riches from an early age. Raised by hardworking parents, she transformed the preservation of environmental treasures into a cherished family pastime.

During her tenure as an elementary teacher in Tucson, Cheri taught children about the Sonoran Desert’s unique flora and fauna. She wove narratives of how Native Americans thrived on the desert’s 6

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bounty into her teachings. Later, she applied this knowledge in her personal life by preserving fruits from her property and providing her husband and three children with natural, healthy treats.

The surplus was generously shared with neighbors, sparking a delightful exchange as they reciprocated with unique fruits from their own land. This mutual sharing not only enriched her preserves collection but also laid the foundation for what would eventually become a national and

international business—a passion-turnedprofession since 1985.

Cheri’s journey into entrepreneurship was fueled by a desire to balance motherhood with a separate income source. “Starting my own business seemed like the best idea to have the flexibility to be a mom and earn a living,” she shared. Initially focusing on traditional berry jams and jellies, she imported raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries from Washington State, creating delicious products that pleased

An intriguing aspect of Cheri’s story is her decision to have her products certified kosher, despite not being Jewish. This move was driven by a client’s requirement for large quantities, with the condition that the products be kosher-certified. This led Cheri to Rabbi Yossie Shemtov, Executive Director of Chabad Tucson, who facilitated the certification process and continues to certify her products annually. Cheri says that she has enjoyed getting to know Rabbi Shemtov, and looks forward to his visits.

“He has such a wonderful sense of humor,” she noted.

Reflecting on her family’s involvement, Cheri notes that her children have pursued their own paths, with one daughter becoming a doctor and her sons finding success at IBM and Raytheon. Despite her

PROFILE

Celebrating Tu Bishvat with TEP’s “Trees for You” Program In honor of Tu Bishvat, the new year of the trees on Thursday, January 25, Tucson Electric Power (TEP) invites residents to join the celebration by participating in their “Trees for You” program.

strategically planting shade trees near structures, TEP customers can experience cooler homes in summer and warmer ones in winter, consequently reducing energy consumption.

“This initiative not only aligns with the essence of Tu Bishvat but also offers an opportunity for individuals to contribute to environmental conservation and energy efficiency in their neighborhoods,” says Wendy Erica Werden, Manager of Community Investment at TEP.

Residential customers can order up to two 5-gallon shade trees at a discounted rate of $5 each. The tree selection includes a variety of seasonal, yearround, and deciduous options, such as Arizona Ash, Bubba Bubba, Jones Joan, Lionetti Lacebark, Elm Native, Mesquite, Pomegranate, Shoal Creek Vitex and Sweet Bubba.

The program, in collaboration with Civano Nursery and local nurseries, aims to enhance the urban landscape while promoting sustainability. TEP’s commitment to preserving nature has been demonstrated through the distribution of over 152,000 shade trees in metropolitan Tucson since 1992.

“Trees for You” encourages homeowners, schools, businesses, and community groups to plant shade trees, providing numerous benefits beyond mere aesthetics. These trees serve as natural habitats for wildlife, combat erosion and water runoff, and crucially, purify the air by absorbing carbon dioxide.

Moreover, the initiative directly supports energy conservation efforts. By

hopes for the business to run independently in the future, retirement doesn’t equate to stopping work for Cheri. She has developed a method to extract oil from prickly pear seeds, a sought-after commodity in the cosmetics industry, hinting at potential growth beyond the food side of prickly pear products.

To ensure program compliance and safety, TEP emphasizes specific guidelines for tree planting locations, such as proximity to structures and utility lines. They also provide comprehensive care instructions and assistance through the Civano Nursery Tree Care Help Line, ensuring the successful establishment of these trees in their new homes.

“The “Trees for You” program is a unique opportunity to commemorate the new year of the trees while fostering a greener, more sustainable future for Tucson and its residents,” added Werden.

For more information, visit www.tep.com/ trees-for-you

As the Jewish community celebrates Tu Bishvat, the New Year of the Trees, Cheri takes delight in the fact that her products are kosher. With every jar of prickly pear goodness, Cheri brings a piece of the desert’s bounty to tables across the globe, creating a legacy that blends the sweetness of nature with the warmth of community.

Keeping Jewish | January 2024 |

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LOCAL

Welcome to town:

Jacob Snider

By Benjamin Weiss A little about yourself: I was born in Rochester, New York, where I grew up with my mother, father, and younger sister. I completed my undergraduate and graduate degrees in aerospace engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, in May 2023.

I’m now working in Tucson as a full-time engineer.

Moving to Tucson: Before moving from Florida in September, everyone told me that Tucson had a “different kind of heat.”

I understand that now. It’s a lot drier, and for the first time, I wasn’t worried about getting rained on during Sukkot!

Currently reading/learning: It’s hard to say; I typically have 5 or 6 books going at a time.

Favorite Mitzvah/holiday: My favorite holiday is probably Simchat Torah, but honestly, it’s probably more accurate to just say “the next one.”

Cherished Jewish memory: My family

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didn’t do a lot growing up, but I always loved lighting Chanukah candles with the whole family.

Jewish app on phone: The classic Sefaria!

Go-to Yiddish or Hebrew word: I use “schtick” far too often with people who don’t know any Yiddish or Hebrew. (It’s Yiddish for a gimmick, or a person’s unique act and talent).

Historical Jewish figure: Hillel the Elder (Hillel Hazaken), the great sage who lived in the last few years before the Common Era. Define Chabad: A family that exists basically anywhere in the world.

learning new things.

helpful/useful.

Define Tzedakah: Have to go with the classic, “the just thing to do.”

Comfort food: I’m not a big eater, I don’t think I really have a “comfort food.”

Define Happiness: I’m unsure if it can be defined, but you know when you see/feel it.

Your claim to fame: There’s a pretty good chance I have some kind of fun fact about whatever’s being discussed.

Kvetch: Probably when the answer to a question is “there are different opinions.”

Hobbies: I like playing tennis, skiing, and

Kvell / nachas: I love the feeling of being

Something you’re looking forward to: Exploring the area and meeting new people.

KOSHER

Easy almond date smoothie

By Feigie Ceitlin Step into the celebration of Tu Bishvat with the easy recipe for an almond date smoothie—a delightful homage to the Rosh Hashana of trees, where the luscious blend of dates and almonds takes center stage in a refreshingly simple and sweet drink.

Ingredients: - 1 tablespoon almond butter - 1/4 cup almond milk - 2 pitted dates - A pinch of sea salt - A generous pinch of cinnamon - Ice cubes Directions: 1. In a blender, combine the almond butter, pitted dates, sea salt, cinnamon, and almond milk.

3. Add a handful of ice cubes to the mixture.

4. Blend until smooth, ensuring the dates are fully incorporated.

5. Pour the creamy blend into a glass and, if desired, garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon or chopped almonds.

Photo: Novila Misastra/Unsplash

* The blessing: Shehakol

said when squeezing the juice out of solid fruit (exept for grapes).

The blessing for a smoothie is Shehakol because the fruit is disintegrated until it is unrecognizable as fruit. Shehakol is also

Baruch atah A-donay, Elo-heinu Melech Ha’Olam shehakol nihiyah bed’varo.

B’tayavon!

Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, by Whose word all things came to be.

— Rebbetzin Feigie Ceitlin is the program director of Chabad Tucson and head of school of Lamplighter Chabad Day School.

Keeping Jewish | January 2024 |

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VOICES

Photo: Itzik Roytman/

Shema on our lips

By Linda Hirschel

“Now, I am going to begin a sentence, and I want you to finish it. OK?” I say in the speech to my daughter’s graduating class.

The girls nod.

“Here goes: ‘Shema Yisrael…’” There is an audible nervous giggle. Of course, they finish the sentence: “...Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem echad.” These are religious girls from Israel. They’ve known the Shema— the eternal proclamation of all Jews—from almost before they were born.

As stories emerge from the October 7th massacre in Israel, many survivors recall those moments when they held onto Shema Yisrael as tightly as they held onto their weapons. And in many cases, it was the only weapon they had. They whispered or shouted or closed their eyes and moved their lips over and over again—”Shema Yisrael, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad.”

Benni Chasson lived on Kibbutz Kissufim,

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adjacent to the Gaza Strip. He and his wife spent hours and hours in their “safe room” until soldiers arrived to rescue them at 4:00 in the morning. Were they terrorists or Israelis? He wasn’t sure.

“Finish this sentence,” he told the soldier outside: “Shema Yisrael…”

And the soldier answered, “Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad.” Finally, they felt safe to open the door.

When a child starts to talk, we are instructed to teach them two verses that are fundamental to our faith: Torah Tzivah - “The Torah that Moses commanded us is a heritage for the congregation of Jacob” (Deut. 33:4). And the Shema - “Hear, O Israel: The L-rd is our G-d; the L-rd is One” (Deut. 6:4).

Throughout the ages, “Shema Yisrael” has pushed the Jewish People forward, but in every time period, it has taken on different nuances.

One man went to save his wife, who was working as a security guard at the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im on the Gaza border on October 7th.

“I grabbed my guns and ammunition and jumped into the car. I shouted ‘Shema Yisrael!’ as I raced past terrorists, bullets flying all over,” he recalled. He eventually saved his wounded wife and others and drove straight to the hospital. The Shema was an integral part of his ammunition.

When our forefather Abraham came onto the scene 3,836 years ago, people worshiped multiple gods. Through logical analysis, Abraham affirmed that there is only one G-d. Later, the Jewish people had a compulsion to worship idols. We cannot fully understand this addiction because eventually, G-d nullified this powerful urge, but Shema Yisrael was always the Pledge of Allegiance to One G-d.

The Shema is our guide, our declaration of

faith. Its recitation twice daily (morning and evening) is a biblical commandment.

It is the climax of the final Ne’ilah prayer of Yom Kippur and is traditionally a Jew’s last words on earth - including in the Nazi gas chambers.

Another October 7th survivor described his escape in the car: “I pushed my wife’s head down, said Shema Yisrael, and roared out of there with one hand on the wheel.

Bullets whizzed by from every direction.”

The Greeks believed that after the Creator formed the universe, he left it to its own devices—like a clock that is wound up and then left alone. We do not believe this. As Jews, we believe that there is only one true entity, one G-d who is the essence of everything.

Everything in the universe is completely dependent on G-d. G-d created the universe a long time ago, but He also perpetually recreates it. Were He to remove this lifegiving force, all would cease to exist.

Four friends spent hours and hours running from the terror, from bullets and grenades and even axes—hiding, running, driving, hiding until they were finally rescued. One of them said, “The only weapon I had was Shema Yisrael.”

Noach Hertz was an Israeli fighter pilot held captive in Syria after the 1973 Yom Kippur attack. He had lost a leg when he was ejected out of his airplane and was imprisoned for eight months.

“There is one moment I will never forget,” he said in an interview. “I was very cold, I had severe infections, and I felt that I was exhausted. I looked at the door and began to cry bitterly … I shouted Shema Yisrael …” Although Hertz was not religious at that time, he knew how to say the Shema.

“The next morning I woke up and saw that I was alive, that I didn’t die, and I decided … that I would maintain optimism.

Thus, I passed another day and another with hope and conversations. I sang to myself, shouted things, whistled, and felt that my soul was free, that maybe I was imprisoned, but my spirit was not broken.”

After he was freed, Hertz and his wife continued the journey he began in prison, ultimately embracing Torah and its observance.

nt. yer w’s Nazi In an individual’s life, as in Hertz’s life, Shema Yisrael can take on different meanings. d e’s ared el. n.”

As a youth growing up in Colorado, I would sit on top of mountains and contemplate the Oneness of everything.

When I found out that Shema Yisrael is about Oneness, I was astounded that it fit in with my vision of spirituality.

As an observant Jew, I try to see G-d’s hand in everything, even the bad stuff.

Although our brains are too minute to understand this concept completely, G‑d brings both good and evil into the world. When we cover our eyes as we say Shema, we hide the apparent dichotomy, the apparent separateness—in order to proclaim His Oneness.

There is a prayer we say from Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kippur called “Avinu Malkeinu.” Two of the verses sound quite similar: “Our Father, Our King, act for the sake of those who were murdered for Your Holy Name.

“Our Father, Our King, act for the sake of those who were slaughtered for your Oneness.”

Shema Yisrael is the sword and the shield of the Jewish people that we have held onto for millennia.

Sometimes, I ask myself, if I were in a life‑ threatening situation, God forbid, would I have the presence of mind to say “Shema Yisrael” to die like a Jew?

Did the victims of October 7th have the time and/or the consciousness to say Shema? Only G-d knows.

Then, in front of the European Union representatives, Yoni stood up and declared: “Shema Yisrael—G-d is One!”

“The Jewish people will win this war,” said Yoni Asher, whose wife and two daughters were held captive in Gaza. He was speaking to the European Parliament.

--Linda Hirschel is a freelance writer living in Israel. She is a mother and a grandmother, and she enjoys making soups and growing flowers.

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Keeping Jewish | January 2024 |

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HEBREW

Of roots and fruits The Latin word Parente, the origin of the English word parent, means to bring forth, to give birth, or to produce, highlighting the physical role parents play in the creation of a child. The Hebrew word for parents, horim, on the other hand, means teachers, emphasizing the fact that Jewish tradition sees parents not only as progenitors and guardians but also as educators tasked with empowering their child with the knowledge and tools they need to live healthy, wholesome, and independent lives.

Parenting: Horim

Ultimately, as parents, there are two endowments we can hope to bequeath to our children.

Being a parent is thus not merely defined by bringing a child into the world but equally, if not more importantly, by preparing them for a successful future.

Towards this end, the Talmud teaches that a parent is obligated to instruct their child in the following three areas of life: 1) A belief and value system to help them navigate the complexities of life; 2) a trade, to ensure their financial independence; and 3) basic survival skills—an example of which is swimming.

Reflecting this point, Abraham is considered to be the father of the Jewish people, and to this day is called avinu, our father. A verse in Genesis provides insight into why Abraham was chosen for this historic role. As G-d says: I have chosen him because he commands his sons and his household after him that they should keep the way of the L-rd to perform righteousness and justice. Abraham merited being the father of the Jewish people because of his exemplary focus on education in general and moral instruction in particular.

This idea is enshrined in the Shema, the central Jewish prayer, which instructs parents: And you shall impress these words upon your children.

According to Jewish tradition, education is primarily considered the role and responsibility of a parent, not a teacher.

In fact, in the entire Five Books of Moses, there is no word to describe a formal “teacher” because, from the Biblical point of view, the ideal teacher is the parent!

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to the Torah, not only is the parent considered a child’s primary teacher, but the home is the primary classroom. From this perspective, ritual items placed and used within one’s house can be functionally understood as educational materials, as well. Like an informative poster in a classroom, a mezuzah, for example, becomes a reflection point or inquiry prompt.

One is wings, and the other is roots.

Wings represent the academic and social opportunities that allow children to soar beyond their current station in life.

Roots, on the other hand, represent one’s deeper values and sense of belonging to a particular culture, tradition, history, and community.

Like a tree with large and far-reaching branches, a person can achieve great success, and their impact can be vast.

However, if their roots are shallow, their equilibrium is easily uprooted when the storms of life come their way.

Photo: Liane Metzler/Unsplash

By Mendel Kalmenson and Zalman Abraham Therefore, even if, as is most common today, parents send their children to school or other educational institutions, it is important to recognize the centrality of their influence on their child’s education.

Indeed, this pedagogical paradigm of parental engagement, which has been a cornerstone of Jewish tradition for millennia, is now echoed in current educational research and even public policy. According to Waterford.org, a national organization developing and providing free online early education for low-income families:

“What’s the most accurate predictor of academic achievement? It’s not socioeconomic status, nor how prestigious the school that a child attends is. The best predictor of student success is the extent to which families encourage learning at home and involve themselves in their child’s education.”

Developing this idea even further in the Shema, parents are encouraged to “teach these words to your children, and you shall speak of them when you sit in your house... when you lie down, and when you rise...and write these words upon your doorposts.”

These words convey the fact that, according

Therefore, in addition to the upward mobility offered by powerful and expansive wings, providing children with the deep stability of sturdy roots is what supports them in offering up their highest fruits.

As Franklin D. Roosevelt famously put it: “We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.”

The Big Idea: In the Jewish tradition, parents are the ideal teachers, the home is the optimal classroom, and moral instruction and character development are the ultimate goals of education.

—An excerpt from People of the Word, by Mendel Kalmenson and Zalman Abraham, exploring 50 key Hebrew words that have been mistranslated and misunderstood for centuries.

BIOGRAPHY

Lillian D. Wald Pioneer in public health concerns

By Seymour Brody Lillian D. Wald founded the Henry Street Visiting Nurse Service and the Henry Street Settlement in New York City. She was also responsible for teaching nurses in public schools and convincing insurance companies to send in-home nurses for policyholders.

Born on March 10, 1867, to GermanJewish parents in Cincinnati, Ohio, Wald had a sophisticated family and went to private schools. Her father was a successful merchant in optical goods in Rochester, New York. She became interested in nursing when her sister was sick and had a private nurse.

Her interest in nursing persisted, and when she was 22 years old, she enrolled as a student in the New York Hospital Training School for Nurses. Two years later, in March 1891, she graduated as a nurse.

Wald took postgraduate courses where her assignment was to organize a plan for home nursing to meet the needs of the poor immigrant families on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

After seeing firsthand the miserable conditions that existed, she decided to move to that neighborhood to be a visiting nurse there. Her friend, Mary Brewster, joined her, and in the fall of 1893, they set up their office on the top floor of a tenement on Jefferson Street. Wald managed to get financial support from sponsors who recognized the importance of her work. It didn’t take long for her to win the people’s confidence in the neighborhood. As the number of patients increased, so did her staff. She soon had four nurses, and in 1865, she moved to 265 Henry Street, which was her base for 40 years.

Wald’s staff dispensed help to all who needed it, regardless of race or religion.

By 1913, her staff had grown to 92. When she thought about children’s absences from school because of illness, she arranged for a staff member to provide nursing service in a public school. It was enthusiastically received, and its success soon led to the New York Board of Health organizing and staffing the world’s first public school nursing system.

Illustration by Art Seiden

Wald went to the insurance companies to sell them on the idea of providing free visiting public health nurses to their policyholders. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company was the first to do so in 1903, and other insurance companies didn’t take long to follow.

She recognized that mothers and daughters should be educated in home nursing, cooking and sewing. She founded the Henry Street Settlement for their education in those disciplines. In 1915, Wald founded the Neighborhood Playhouse on Grand Street to help meet the cultural and recreational needs of the Lower East Side. Throughout her life, she worked very hard for social reform.

Wald died in 1940. The Henry Street Settlement continues to operate as a notfor-profit social service agency. The Visiting Nurse Service is today VNS Health, one of the largest not-for-profit home- and community-based healthcare organizations in the U.S. They are testimonials to Lillian D. Wald, who believed people should have a healthy life.

- Originally published in Jewish Heroes & Heroines of America: 150 True Stories of American Jewish Heroism (Frederick Fell Publishers, Inc.) Keeping Jewish | January 2024 |

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HUMOR

Taking us to the cleaners

By Mordechai Schmutter I will freely admit that I don’t understand how dry cleaners work. How do they get that stuff clean? And without water!

2. Then there are people who bring items to the cleaners only when something is so dirty that only the cleaners can save it.

Everyone says, “They use chemicals.”

For example, it took almost 16 years of marriage for it to occur to me that I could dry clean my challah cover. I’m not even sure how it got dirty; I take it off the table before everyone starts eating. Yet it had white splotches all over it.

That means nothing to me. “Chemicals” is a word that people use when they have no idea what they’re talking about, but it sounds scientific, and they’re technically not wrong.

Maybe it’s the salt. Picture a car after the salt truck passes by.

Water is made up of chemicals.

But really, we have no idea what they use. The whole process is shrouded in mystery. You try to look at what’s going on in the back while you’re there, but all you see is a confusing mass of hangers and machines and pipes and steam, and when they’re done, your clothes are on a little amusement park ride so all the suits can go around in a circle every time someone comes by to get his stuff.

I actually wasn’t sure if my dry cleaner ever washed a challah cover before, but I did figure that seeing as they’re in a Jewish neighborhood, they’d take it in stride.

It is all very suspicious. There are thousands of clothes going around on that circular thing; there’s no way that some of these clothes haven’t been making the rounds for several years. There’s never more than two people on line in front of you. Shouldn’t there be a line out the door, like at the bagel store? And considering how many clothes are up here? All those clothes are done. Where is everybody?

“No, it’s decorative.”

I do have a theory. You know how, when you have a brand-new tzedakah box, you put some of your own money in to start it off, so you don’t just go over to the first guy and shake an empty pushka at him? The people who work there just put all their clothes up to make it seem busy. They don’t want you to see one shirt going around – “Bzzzt!” – just flowing in the wind.

Plus, they want to block your view of what’s going on in the back.

Also, I’m guessing that people forget to

14 | January 2024 | Keeping Jewish

“What’s this?”

“It’s for covering my bread.”

“Velvet keeps it fresh?”

“So um, what are all the fringes for?”

“We don’t know.”

Photo: Simon Law

pick up the things they don’t immediately need. Or they don’t have storage at home, so they bring it to the cleaners and pay a small cleaning fee, which, as they see it, comes with free storage for six months.

I think it’s also possible that they have a clothes-rental business going on at the same time, where they rent people nice clothes for 24 hours. At the very least, the workers are wearing the clothes themselves. That’s why they want you to come back in two days.

“Don’t show up tomorrow. I’ll be wearing it.”

I find that there are two kinds of people when it comes to dry cleaning: 1. Some people believe everything they own must be dry cleaned. (I don’t know how they think people used to wash anything in the old days.) These people are afraid of washing anything themselves, lest they shrink it. Personally, I don’t think I’ve ever shrunk anything, except maybe my socks, which would not go to the dry cleaner anyway. And I really think my kids are putting their socks in my load just to mess with me. But I digress…

All they know is that the Jews use a lot of little things made out of velvet, and we sometimes wear plain white dress robes.

Still, they don’t complain because what other culture wears dry-clean-only clothing once a week, minimum and eats a huge meal in it, during which we’re getting even our challah covers dirty? We are like a kosher cash cow for the dry cleaner.

So if you’re a dry-cleaner, and someone hands you something and says, “This is a tallis,” you just write it down and hand them a ticket. If you’re smart, the only question you ask is, “What color is it supposed to be?”

They don’t ask questions, and we don’t ask questions.

GAME

Odd one out In each row below, find the tree that isn’t like the others

By Sari Kopitniko - thatjewishmoment.com

FUN PAGE

Match the Seven Species The seven species are agricultural products that are mentioned in the Torah as being special products of the Land of Israel. Can you match the Hebrew word with their English translation?

By Sari Kopitniko - thatjewishmoment.com

1. Chita

Figs

2. Se’orah

Grapes

3. Gefen

Barley

4. Te’ena

Olives

5. Rimon

Dates

6. Zayit

Wheat

7. Tamar

Pomegranates

Chosen comics

Photo: Jaime Spaniol/Unsplash

Keeping Jewish | January 2024 |

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| January 2024 | Keeping Jewish