Welcome

With the start of 2022, my mind has been focused on what we consider new. This year brings with it a lot of “new.” First and foremost for me is my new job! I am thrilled to serve as CEO of the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan on the Upper West Side, and I look forward to meeting so many new people. The role means that I have a new office, a new location, and a new group of new colleagues and community members. For this reason, I find myself connecting deeply to the holiday of Tu B’Shevat, the “birthday of the trees,” which celebrates new blooms and new fruits.

I am sure that I am not alone in reveling in the possibility of renewal. As we hopefully emerge from two years of a global pandemic, it is crucial to sow new seeds, new ideas, and new places to grow and learn. As we imagine the future, what flowers do we want to make bloom, both literally and figuratively? What can we plant for ourselves, and what can we ensure will blossom for future generations?

The Talmud tells the story of Honi the Wise One and the man planting the carob tree:

One day, [Honi the Wise One] was walking along the road when he saw a certain man planting a carob tree. Honi said to him: This tree, after how many years will it bear fruit? The man said to him: It will not produce fruit until seventy years have passed. Honi said to him: Is it obvious to you that you will live seventy years, that you expect to benefit from this tree? He said to him: That man himself found a world full of carob trees. Just as my ancestors planted for me, I too am planting for my descendants. (Babylonian Talmud, Ta’anit 23a, Sefaria translation)

This story teaches us that our present actions have the opportunity to create the future we wish for. As we come to Tu B’Shevat, we must plant and sow seeds not just in the

metaphorical sense, but quite literally. With the increasing threat of climate change, we must recognize the extent to which our own actions play a role in our current reality, and what actions are necessary to make specific change. Like the man who planted the carob tree, we must utilize our resources and skills for future generations.

In our communities, we must also think about what we can do to improve our environment. We should start to think about planting flowers, especially local varieties that bloom throughout the growing season, spring to fall. This is one small step we can take to assist our bees and mitigate the decline in their population, which is detrimental to our own agricultural system (see “Give Bees a Chance,” page 18).

At the JCC, we have the opportunity to build the kind of world in which we would like to live—a world of compassion, energy, generosity, and love. We can work together to build community, and to shine light amidst the darkness. Here too, we can craft our Jewish lives in creative ways. We can celebrate Shabbat and holidays here, and we can take activities not typically associated with Jewish ritual life and explicitly inform them with Jewish values, like planting flowers and reducing our carbon footprints. In this way, we act like the wise man in the story, seeing how each one of us is responsible for the future.

I welcome you to join us at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan to share your ideas, your perspectives, and your experiences. Join me in this effort toward growth and renewal, to take action to better our environment, and to help us plant the seeds of continued community based on our shared Jewish values.

Yours,

Rabbi Joanna Samuels CEO, Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan

This past summer, I was honored to become Director of The David H. Sonabend Center for Israel and The Lambert Center for Arts + Ideas at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan. Today, I’m excited to share with you the first issue of TAMUZ, the Sonabend Center’s virtual magazine. It was actually this past Tamuz (a Hebrew month, usually around July) when we started talking about creating a virtual magazine about Israel, and the name Tamuz sounded perfect. Tamuz is the best representation of Israel, and of Israelis. It’s hot and warm; it’s edgy, but also soothing. Just like Israel. And just like Israel, it’s a blend of cultures, tastes, colors, smells, and languages.

Speaking of languages, we’d like our Israeli friends who live in both Israel and the United States to feel part of our community, and for those Israelis that are part of this community to feel more in tune with it. That is why parts of this magazine will be in Hebrew as well as English. We are in this together!

I can’t wait for you to read everything we have created for you in our first issue, which focuses on climate change. I was thinking a lot about the word “new” while working on this issue and it led me to think about our environment. About the place in which we live. It also made me think about what we, the JCC community, can do for our environment. That is why this issue is dedicated to climate, and to the relationship between the JCC, Israel, and the environment. We have an unbelievable story of what innovative Israeli researchers are doing to save the planet, with the help of bees. We interviewed Sivan Ya'ari, our Inspirational Israeli, about her work with Innovation: Africa. You will meet three unbelievable Israeli potters, whose works are breathtaking. We also have a delicious recipe by baking sensation BenGingi, Israeli music, and more.

Please let me know what you think and what you would like to read in our future issues here.

Yours,

Udi Urman Director, The David H. Sonabend Center for Israel

ישדוחב .זומת לש ןושארה ןויליגה תא אורקל םתרחבש חמשו ,םייתניבל תילאוטריו תוחפל ,םכתא שוגפל לודג גונעת הז .קרוי וינב יס יס יי'ג ה לש לארשיל זכרמה לשו תונויערו תונמאל טרבמל זכרמ להנמכ שדחה ידיקפתב יתלחתה ץיקה זא רבכו .רשפאש תימוימוי יכה לארשי תא גיציש יטנרטניא ןיזגמ םיקהל תינכותה לע ןודל ונלחתהש זומת שדוח היה םוח .םילארשיה לש גזמה ךכ לכ אוה ,ילארשי ךכ לכ אוה הזה םוחה .זומתמ רתוי לארשי תא גציימה שדוח ןיאש יתנבה .לארשי ומכ שממ ,םידוגינ אלמו טהול .גולאידב חותפל חמשו עמוש םכתא האור ,ןאכ ינאש דיגהלו ,תירבע םיארוקש םילארשיה םכילא תונפל יל בושח היה .JCC ל תירבעב םיעורא רתוי איבהלו ץרמב דובעל םיננכתמ ונחנא הנשה טנרטניאה רתאב םסרפנ הנשה ךרואל .גג תוביסמו היצטידמ ירועיש וליפאו םילנאפ ,תונויאר תינכת לע םידבוע ונחנא .)ןאכ וקילקה זא ונלש הצופתה תמישרב אל ןיידע םתא םאש ךכ( םיעוריאה לע עדימ דועו דוע םירטלזוינבו ונלש בשנ יליעו ינא .רנטוב יליעמ תדחוימ העדוה םש םכל הכחמ ,ונלש הקיזומה דומעל רובעל םכתא ןימזמ ינא ,םייתניב ,החישה .ונילא ופרטצתש הווקמ ,ראורבפב 13 ב םיאשונ הברה דוע לעו םיעלקה ירוחאמ לע ,םירישה לכ לע םוז תחישל .םתא םג תולאש ולאשתו ואוב זא תירבעב איה ךרד יצרופ םילארשי םירקחמ דציכ לע הבתכ ,רדהנה י'גני'ג ןב לש ןוכתמ םג זומתב שדוחה אוצמל ולכות יליעמ ץוח תא אורקל ולכות .לשו לט ןולא תסנכה רבח לש םילקא יאשנב םירמאמ דועו ,ימואלניבה םירובדה םלוע תא םיליצמ לע םג הבתכ ,ףסונב Innovation: Africa ןוגרא םע התדובעו ירעי ןויס הארשהה תררועמ תילארשיה םע ונלש ןולאשה .תילארשיה תורדכה תניצסב םיטהול יכה יכה םיאקימרקה .ונל קר רומשש ןחב דימת םיבברעתמ תילגנאו תירבע ,ןאכ ונמלועמ םיריכמ םכבורש ומכ .ןאכ דימת רשקב תויהל םינמזומ