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Vol. 34 No. 2
JANUARY 5 - 11, 2023
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A synagogue visit in Tokyo Michael Shenker meets with the transplanted Rabbi Andrew Scheer making it the third in the country, following the ones established in Nagasaki, in 1889, and A lucky Rockville Centre resi- in Kobe, in 1937. dent had the opportunity to be At the time it was built, the one of the first few tourists temple was described by one of allowed to visit Tokyo in nearly the Jewish Community of two and a half years, since the Japan’s lay leaders as “a microentire nation of cosm of the cosmoJapan closed its borpolitan world living ders to foreign travat peace.” The strucelers as the coronature was torn down virus pandemic in 2008 and replaced spread. by a new, more modBut that was only ern building in Sephalf of what made tember 2009, which this trip so special. was designed by the Michael Shenker, an renowned architect accountant, the treaFumihiko Maki. surer of CongregaBefore heading tion B’nai Sholom- MiCHAEl overseas, Shenker Beth David and a connected with SHENkER member of the synaRabbi Andrew Rockville Centre gogue’s board of Scheer of the Jewish directors, made the Community of journey in October Japan online. Shenkto visit a synagogue there. er described the rabbi as a “I didn’t know what to expect young, dynamic and very pergoing in,” Shenker told the Her- sonable man who lives in an ald. “They learn the religion just apartment above the synagogue as anyone else does in America. with his wife, Tali, and their son. We’re all connected by the same Scheer, who was born and religious aspects.” raised in Woodmere, studied at Jews have been living in Yeshivat Sha’arei Mevaseret Japan since at least the 1860s and Zion in Israel, and earned a possibly earlier. The Tokyo syna- degree in Jewish History from gogue, the Jewish Community of Japan, was chartered in 1953, Continued on page 7
By dANiEl oFFNER doffner@liherald.com
T
hey learn the religion just as anyone else does in America.
Courtesy Backyard Players and Friends
AidAN CoNloN HElpEd stock the Backyard Players kitchen, working with the nonprofit’s wish list.
Backyard Players launches commerce-oriented initiative By dANiEl oFFNER doffner@liherald.com
The Backyard Players and Friends recently opened the Front Porch Market, a new storefront next door to its location on North Long Beach Road in Rockville Centre that, like BYP, focuses on inclusivity and the special-needs community. The market was conceived to provide creative work in a
retail environment for neurodiverse craft makers, artists, authors and entrepreneurs to produce and sell their wares. The one-of-a-kind shop gives participants offering unique handmade crafts and curios for purchase the chance to learn customer service and marketing skills by interacting with the public. Ellen White, one of the directors of the Backyard Players organization, said
that the market had held a “soft opening” on Dec. 17. “It was wonderful,” White said. “Everyone was so proud to show the items they had made.” The Backyard Players made over 300 cookies and served hot cocoa to everyone who visited the market that afternoon. Pianist Sophia DeMarco, an International Baccalaureate music student Continued on page 4