A N O N P R O FIT, IN D EP EN D EN T N E W S S O U R CE TO I N F O R M , I N S P I R E , E D U C AT E A N D CO N N E C T T H E S T. LO U I S J E W I S H CO M M U N IT Y.
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27 A DA R I I , 5 78 2
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Native Ukrainian who moved to STL as teen mounts refugee relief effort Native Ukrainian’s family came to St. Louis with help from Jewish Federation
Gene and Marina Litvin and their family are shown outside their Olivette home.
BY BILL MOTCHAN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
PHOTO: BILL MOTCHAN
Gene Litvin is a proud Ukrainian. He’s lived in the United States for 30 years, but his country of birth is still close to his heart. After watching the devastation of his homeland for weeks, Litvin was compelled to help. It had to be a meaningful act to bring some relief to refugees and the Polish people who are providing them with safe harbor. So Litvin traveled to Lublin, Poland, on March 13 with money to spend and four suitcases filled with toiletries. A week later, he returned home to Olivette knowing he accomplished his mission: • He gave supplies to families who had to relocate suddenly. • He provided translation assistance (Litvin speaks Ukrainian, Russian, English and some Polish). • He helped open a store in a Warsaw mall that provides clothes and other goods to refugees. • He helped a refugee family get across the border from Ukraine into Poland through his network of friends and contacts. “My Polish friends said that what I did
started an avalanche of goodwill, which was amazing,” said Litvin, 46.
Planning the trip It began when Litvin and his wife, Marina, decided to take action to support Ukrainian refugees. They got a report See RELIEF on page 8A
Westward expansion
READ MORE • INSIDE: 30 years ago, Federation program helped Litvin family settle in St. Louis See page 9A • ONLINE: Jewish Federation’s Yawitz, Goldstein return from Ukrainian border after bringing aid to refugees stljewishlight.org/ukraine-story
Chabad receives donation of 9.6 acres in O’Fallon, Mo.
BY BILL MOTCHAN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
A 9.6-acre tract of land in O’Fallon, Mo. will be the future home of the Chabad Jewish Center of St. Charles County. The property was donated by the family of the late Leonard Kaplan. The site is located at East Wabash Street and T.R. Hughes Blvd., close to I-70. The location is in the heart of the O’Fallon, close to neighborhoods with many young families. It’s also near popular community gathering spots. For example, the Ozzie Smith Sports Complex is just a half mile north. Chabad is now assessing the best uses for the land, which could include a multi-purpose structure. It plans to announce a capital campaign in 2023 to develop the property to meet the needs of the growing St. Charles Jewish community. It’s estimated that 5,800 Jews live in St. Charles County, based on a Jewish Federation of St. Louis study.
A rendering of a proposed Chabad Jewish Community Center-St. Charles County. IMAGE COURTESY BAALMAN ARCHITECTS
That represents 10% of the Jewish community in the greater St. Louis metropolitan area. See GIFT on page 10A
RELATED STORY The cover story of the latest Oy! Magazine (inserted in this issue) looks at the growing Jewish community in St. Charles County.
VO L . 75 N O. 7
Kohn’s goes up for sale Kosher deli and butcher shop has been open in St. Louis since 1963 BY ELLEN FUTTERMAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
What, no more killer pastrami sandwiches? That may come to pass as the only freestanding, full-service kosher grocery left in St. Louis, Kohn’s Kosher Meat and Deli, is for sale. Listed by Lawyers Realty Co. LLC, the 59-year-old business is listed at $875,000 while the property, situated on an acre lot, is going for $1.4 million. There also is an option to buy the business and lease the building, at 10405 Old Olive Street Road. Co-owner Lenny Kohn said he would also consider offers for the building only. “I’ve been doing this for a long time and I’m just ready to not retire but do something at a smaller scale,” said Kohn, who said none of his three adult children is interested in taking over. “They all have their own professions,” he said, adding that the same is true of his sister’s two children; Kohn owns the business with his sister, Rosemary Kohn Cooper. In 1963, their parents, Simon and Bobbi Kohn, opened their namesake kosher grocery, which eventually grew into Kohn’s Kosher Meat and Deli. Lenny Kohn, who is 64, has had the business listed for sale for several years, albeit quietly, though “no one has jumped in,” he said. He realizes a buyer may choose to use the property for something other than a kosher grocery and deli, adding that “whatever the result will be, will be.” “Most cities don’t have businesses like mine because they aren’t diversified enough to survive against the chain stores and Trader Joe’s, Costco and Albertson’s,” said Kohn. “Right now, my business is better than it ever has been. That’s what bothers me. It’s great to sell it but if I don’t have any takers over X amount of time, it bothers me just giving a business away.” Kohn says he would like to do something else in the food business, though he isn’t sure what. However, if a new buyer decides to continue with the kosher business, Kohn says he would not compete against that. “It’s a great livelihood for a whole family plus the staff,” he said. “You can walk in and make a great salary from Day 1.” David A. Wright, chief deal officer for Lawyers Realty, is handling the sale. For more information, contact him at 314-422-1689 or at david@lawyersrealtyco.com.
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March 30, 2022
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JEWISH LIGHT
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NEWS & SCHMOOZE
Mystery of severed pig’s head left outside Jewish home remains unsolved They say a picture is worth a thousand words. The picture in this case is shocking, extremely graphic and bound to upset many readers. That’s why it appears with the jump on page 10A — I wanted to prepare you before looking. By the same token, the picture is central to this story. The decision to include it wasn’t made lightly. Now, in roughly 1,000 words, I’ll explain. This story begins the morning of Aug. 24, 2019, as Deb Israeli was brushing her teeth before she and her husband, Shmuel, were to be picked up by cab for the airport. They were headed on vacation to Hilton Head, S.C. Shmuel and Deb Israeli were living in Olivette in 2019 “My husband yelled for me, and when they found a severed pig’s head in the center of it wasn’t like ‘Hey, the taxi’s here,’ ” a spray-painted pentagram in front of the door to their said Deb Israeli over lunch recently. home. “It was kind of a concerning yell for me. I’m like, ‘OK, I’ll be right down.’ And hound, and Cash, a beagle/basset mix. “I he was like, ‘No, come now.’ ” explained that we had taken the dogs to the At the front door of their Olivette home, kennel last night. So, was someone watchthe couple was greeted by a severed pig’s ing our house? Was this planned? There head in the center of a spray-painted pen- were just so many questions.” tagram. Tealight candles were placed straSuffice it to say, the vacation to Hilton tegically on each of the pentagram’s five Head was far from relaxing. points. Foreign words were spray-painted “We were curious as to whether this was a above the pentagram and the name Jewish thing versus a Muslim-Middle East “Dracula” below it. thing, only because Shmuel grew up in “I had no words,” said Israeli, 56, Israel, looks Middle Eastern and speaks remembering the horror at seeing what with a heavy accent. He could easily be miswas left at her doorstep. “I didn’t even real- taken for Arab,” said Israeli, a registered ize what I was looking at. I immediately nurse whose specialty is pain management. said, ‘We have to call the police.’ The canShe also wondered if she was the target. dles were still burning. This couldn’t have Left leaning, she is public about airing her happened that long ago. views as they relate to politics and Judaism “By now, the cab driver had arrived, and on social media. he, too, was in shock.” “Why would someone do this to us, I Olivette police officers also were left kept thinking. It was just so bizarre.” speechless. They took pictures and collectIsraeli called her neighbor while on ed evidence, which included two sets of vacation to see if she had heard anything matches. The assumption was that likely more. She also called Olivette police to see two or more people were involved in the if they had made any headway. vandalism. “No one had any answers, but apparently The Israelis have three adult children; the police contacted the FBI and either they their son works for the Department of contacted the ADL or Olivette police conDefense. Israeli took a picture of the for- tacted the ADL, and that was when Karen eign words and sent them to her son, hop- (Aroesty) called me. She was astounded, ing he might have a colleague who could shocked and wanted to know how I was translate them. doing. I didn’t really know what to say. I “In five to 10 minutes, he called back,” didn’t understand what this was all about.” said Israeli. “He said, ‘Mom, it says Christ At the time, Aroesty was the regional is humiliated in Romanian.’ ” director of the Anti-Defamation League, a The Israelis, who belong to Kol Rinah, post she left last May after two decades. weren’t sure how to react. The whole thing Israeli said she had been asked by Aroesty seemed surreal. Yes, they are Jewish, but to keep the vandalism “as quiet as possiso were most of their neighbors at the ble” so as not to “contaminate” the investitime. Was it because their last name is gation. Israeli also added that she rememIsraeli? Was this personal? bers law enforcement treating the incident The Israelis’ across-the-street neighbor as a hate crime. and good friend said she would take care “You know you start off by making of the clean-up and encouraged the couple phone calls like every hour, then every to go on their vacation. But the neighbor day, then every week. But over the past wondered why the Israelis’ dogs hadn’t nearly three years, nothing has come from barked or reacted in some way. this,” said Israeli. “I didn’t really have high “Our dogs have no manners — they bark expectations that they would find who did at everything, even a plastic bag that flies this. No one around us had a Ring (video across the yard,” said Israeli, referring to doorbell camera) or anything like that. Ryan, their American foxWho would have thought this would happen in our neighborhood?” So why is Israeli speaking up now? “My cousin’s daughter is at University of Illinois-Champaign/ Urbana where recently there had News and Schmooze is been some notices going around cama column by Light pus regarding COVID and the Jews – Editor-in-Chief Ellen like it’s some conspiracy that the Futterman. Email Ellen Jews caused COVID. So that at: efutterman@ stljewishlight.org See SCHMOOZE on page 10A
NEWS & SCHMOOZE
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March 30, 2022
LOCAL NEWS
Jewish Federation to honor award winners at upcoming ‘Here. For Good.’ celebration Jewish Federation of St. Louis has announced the upcoming presentation of three prestigious awards. Patty Bloom, Director of Admissions and Marketing at Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School, and Karen Sher, Vice President of Community Leadership & Engagement at Jewish Federation, will receive the Fred A. Goldstein Professional Leadership Award. Abby Goldstein and Dalia Oppenheimer will receive the David N. and Roselin Grosberg Volunteer Young Leadership Award. Luxco will receive the RubinBrown Corporate Leadership Award. All three awards will be presented at “Here. For Good.” a special celebration event of the 120th anniversary for the Jewish Federation of St. Louis on Sunday, April 10. The celebration will begin with a tour of an historic exhibit that honors the past, celebrates the future, and looks forward to the growth of Jewish Federation in the St. Louis community.
Clockwise from top left: Patty Bloom, Karen Sher, Abby Goldstein and Dalia Oppenheimer. The exhibit will open at 3 p.m.; the awards and festivities will begin at 4 p.m. All events will be held at the Kaplan Feldman Complex, Staenberg Building. For more information, visit www.jfedstl.org/events/here-for-good.
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‘Sister Act’ actress Kathy Najimy will speak at April 27 NCJW-STL 125th anniversary luncheon For over 125 years, National Council of Jewish Women-St. Louis has identified unmet needs in the St. Louis community and developed innovative hands-on projects and policy initiatives that have positively affected thousands of lives. This type of impact can only be done when we act together — and after 127 years of impact in the community, it’s definitely time to celebrate. NCJWSTL invites the community to attend its anniversary celebration luncheon, Sisters Act!, Wednesday, April 27, at the RitzCarlton, where activist and actor Kathy Najimy will be the featured speaker. Best known for her work in more than 30 films (including the blockbusters “Sister Act” and “Hocus Pocus”), as the voice of Peggy Hill on “King of the Hill” and for her roles on “VEEP,” “Younger” and “Graves”; Najimy is also a celebrated advocate on the frontline of a myriad of progressive social causes, including #MeToo and Time’s Up. As the Ms. Magazine Woman of the Year, Najimy
Kathy Najimy will be guest speaker at NCJWSTL’s April 27 event.
has been called a “social action hero.” “We are all equal, connected by our sense of common humanity,” said Najimy, “and able to achieve great things together.” She credits her drive to her strong desire to see all living things treated equitably. Najimy has been honored for her work for women and girls’ rights and self-esteem, reproductive rights and student rights. Event capacity is limited. Reserve tickets by Monday, April 4 at http://bit.ly/ SistersAct125
Nishmah plans one-day retreat for women Nishmah will be hosting a one-day women’s retreat Sunday, April 3 at the Outdoor Education Center at Babler State Park in Wildwood. The event brings together women of many generations, affiliations and life phases for a day of learning, laughing and being able to be together. The retreat features an optional morning hike and multiple sessions, including “Finding Inspiration through Text & Poetry” with Rabbi Karen Bogard, “The ‘Art’ of Letting Go” with artist Cindy Larimore, gentle Hatha yoga with Lesley Hoffman, a self-care workshop with Dr. Rachel Loeb and more. The day officially begins at 10 a.m. (with an optional morning hike at 9:30 a.m.) and concludes at 3:30 p.m. Visit nishmah.org for more information and to register. The cost is $58 and includes brunch and snacks; all dietary laws observed. Nishmah, a program of the Jewish Community Center, is an approach to Jewish community and leadership, striving to strengthen and empower the spirit of women.
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LOCAL NEWS
Cheryl Maayan’s new move keeps her in education and St. Louis The longtime leader at Mirowitz announced she will step down at end of school year BY JORDAN PALMER CHIEF DIGITAL CONTENT OFFICER
A lifetime commitment to education is something Cheryl Maayan made a long time ago. And while her title may be changing, her pledge to that decision remains stronger than ever. In October 2021, Maayan, 53, the longtime head of school at Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School, announced she is leaving at the end of the current school year. She explained that after 21 years at Mirowitz, 14 in Cheryl Maayan her current position, she’s looking forward to new adventures, a less busy lifestyle, and new remain in St. Louis and work from home, offering her the ways to be a blessing to others. less busy lifestyle she’s seeking. “Mirowitz will always be my baby, and I’ll support it in “I plan to spend the other half pursuing dreams and hobevery way possible,” she said. “I’ll be loving and soaking up bies — ceramics, writing children’s books, and riding my every moment of our magical school for the next 10 bike.” months.” “DSLTI has been a lifeline for me over my 14 years as a Since then, the school has found Maayan’s successor, head. In it, I found a network of colleagues, a safe place to announcing in January the appointment of Raquel Scharf- connect as a leader, and a forum for thinking deeply about Anderson as Mirowitz’s next head of school beginning July leadership. It’s an honor to be able to give back to the 1. But little was known about Maayan’s next move, until now. Jewish day school field by ensuring there are leaders for the “I’ve been hired by the Day School Leadership Training future,” said Maayan. Institute to be their program and outreach consultant,” said Other local DSLTI alumni include Rabbi Brad Horwitz of Maayan. “DSLTI is a fellowship for new and aspiring heads the Jewish Community Center and Rabbi Scott Slarskey, of Jewish day schools. I was a fellow and have worked part- the director of Jewish life at Mirowitz. time as a mentor for the institute for eight years.” Maayan says Mirowitz remains her first love. Located at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New “I’ll always support this magical place that helped me York, the new position is half-time, which will allow raise my own kids and so many others,” she said. Maayan, a 1986 Ladue Horton Watkins High School gradAs part of the school’s send-off to Maayan, the school’s uate and longtime member of Congregation Shaare Emeth annual gala, “Show Me Mirowitz” on May 1, will honor her (her father is its Rabbi Emeritus Jeffrey Stiffman), to and her family with a community service award.
March 30, 2022
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WashU Hillel carries on 75-year tradition hosting Passover meals Hillel at Washington University (WashU Hillel) invites the community to join St. Louis area college students, faculty and University staff in its 75-year tradition of hosting kosher for Passover lunches and dinners throughout the holiday. Community lunches will take place Monday, April 18 through Friday, April 22 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Dinners will be open to the community Monday, April 18 through Wednesday, April 20 from 6 to 8 p.m. Meals will be held at WashU Hillel, 6300 Forsyth Blvd., and are also available via carry-out from Hillel with lunch pick-up from 11:30 a.m. to noon and dinner pick-up from 5:30 to 6 p.m. All meals are free for St. Louis area students. Costs for community members are $15/lunch and $18/dinner. All meals catered by Kohn’s Kosher Restaurant & Deli and dietary laws observed. To view the daily menu or RSVP, visit www. washuhillel.org/Passover. Reservations for community members must be placed by April 13. Student reservations are encouraged but not required unless a food allergy or intolerance must be accommodated. These meals are in addition to multiple seder experiences that WashU Hillel offers for more than 500 students again this year. The free student meals are made possible through the generosity of community members, parents and alumni, and the following lunch sponsors: Bais Abraham Congregation, Central Reform Congregation, Congregation B’nai Amoona; Congregation Shaare Emeth, Congregation Temple Israel, Delmar Gardens, The Gatesworth; Jewish Federation, Kol Rinah, Kohn’s, Massie Fudemberg Goldberg LLC, Millbrook Pharmacy, Traditional Congregation and United Hebrew Congregation. For more information, contact WashU Hillel Executive Director Jackie Levey at jackie@ washuhillel.org.
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March 30, 2022
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Annual Purim Re-enactment Parade winds through University City For a gallery of photos and a video of the U.City Purim Re-enactment Parade, visit stljewishlight.org/multimedia.
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LOCAL NEWS
March 30, 2022
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LOCAL NEWS BRIEFS • April 28: Eating Together in our Tradition • May 4: Q&A with Crown Center Chef, Liz DuBro The series takes place at 10:30 a.m. at Kol Rinah, 7701 Maryland Ave. in Clayton. For more information or to register, call Kate Massot at 314-991-2055. Rabbi Brad Horwitz (left) and Rabbi Jeffrey Abraham will lead a family Passover seder at the J on April 15.
The J, Bnai Amoona plan community Passover family seder Join other families for the annual community family Passover seder at the Jewish Community Center, led by Rabbi Brad Horwitz and Rabbi Jeffrey Abraham at 6 p.m. Friday, April 15 at the Staenberg Family Complex. This experience promises to be a fun and interactive musical experience and is geared towards families with children ages 5-15. Siblings are welcome and registration is required by April 9 at jccstl.com/programs/passover-family-seder.
Crown Center and Kol Rinah series looks at ‘Food Perspectives: How Do Jews Eat?’ Crown Center for Senior Living and Kol Rinah are presenting a five-part series looking at “Food Perspectives: How Do Jews Eat?” Rabbi Noah Arnow of Kol Rinah, will use text, stories and conversation, during the series exploring Jewish teachings and practices around food Rabbi Noah Arnow and eating. This series is open to the community. The dates and topics covered are: • April 7: Gratitude, Mindfulness & Blessing our Food • April 14: Bread and Matzo • April 21: Kosher, Eco-Kosher and Ethical Eating
Jewish Mindfulness Center holds annual 50-day Meditation and Middot Challenge
The seven-week period between Passover (celebrating our liberation from Egypt) and Shavout (celebrating our receiving the Torah at Mt. Sinai) is known as Sefirat HaOmer, the Counting of the Omer. Traditionally, this is a time set aside for personal self-discovery and growth. People often engage in the weekly study of middot (ethical character traits) including honor, silence, compassion, generosity, awe, simplicity and trust. This year during the Counting of the Omer, the Jewish Mindfulness Center of St. Louis invites you to participate in its
5th Annual 50-Day Meditation and Middot Challenge, engaging in practices to help us grow and stretch spiritually. Challenge yourself to meditate for at least 10 minutes every day and engage in at least one new practice a week to actualize these middot in your life. This year the period of the Omer begins on Sunday, April 17 and culminates with Shavuot on Sunday, June 5. Sign up to receive a weekly email that includes teachings on each middah, along with an audio meditation to help you with your daily practice.For more information, contact Stacy Jespersen at sjespersen@sestl.org.
Chabad will hold Passover seder at Chesterfield Mall Chabad of Chesterfield invites the community to an interactive community Passover seder on Friday, April 15 at Chesterfield Mall, beginning at 7 p.m. The seder will feature a four-course meal with gourmet Passover cuisine and an international wine selection. Participants are invited to explore the
seder rituals. The evening will be filled with Kabbalistic insights and mystical teachings that will be shared with humor and melody, no prior knowledge is required. This year, don’t be overwhelmed by the seemingly never-ending Hebrew, come experience a fun, meaningful and traditional seder in good company. Space is limited. $54 per person, $50 before March 25th || $36 per child. RSVP required: www.chabadofchesterfield.com/ passover or 636-778-4000.
Haaretz reporter leads webinar on effects of war on Ukrainian Jewry
St. Louis Friends of Israel is co-sponsoring a free webinar at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 3 on “How Putin’s Aggression has destroyed Ukrainian Jewry.” Journalist Sam Sokol, a reporter for Haaretz and author of “Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews,” will be the guest speaker. Sokol was previously a correspondent for the Jerusalem Post and Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Register by visiting https://bit.ly/Sam-Sokol.
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Relief: St. Louisan mounts Ukrainian refugee relief effort CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A from the World Health Organization that the Polish government was managing the influx of refugees without any problems. Their friends in Poland told a different story. “I was talking to them, and they said, ‘It’s unbearable here, we can’t get any medication and nobody is helping,’ ” Litvin said. The Litvin family, who are members of Congregation Temple Israel, made a decision. Gene Litvin would travel to Poland. Having enough frequent flyer credit to get to Warsaw, he arranged to crash at a friend’s home, so he didn’t need to book a hotel. He discreetly began collecting donations from some close friends. Marina Litvin, a physician and associate professor of medicine at Washington University, requestJEWISH ed the same from FEDERATION associates on a phy sic ia n EMERGENCY “mommy” Facebook FUND group. Read more about the Gene Litvin, an fund or donate online information techby visiting nology manager, jfedstl.org/crisis-infilled four big suitukraine cases with toiletries and personal care goods he obtained from his employer, Edgewell Personal Care, whose brands include Schick, Hawaiian Tropic and Playtex. Edgewell CEO Rod Little learned of Litvin’s initiative and pledged to donate corporate matching gifts on donations. Little also flew to Warsaw to make sure the company’s employees in Poland had the necessary resources to support Ukrainian refugees. “In just two days, I got donations of over $5,000,” Litvin said. “By the time I got to Poland, I had $20,000 from friends, family and the physician mommy group.”
Gene Litvin (at right in photo at left) and his driver in Poland, Greg, show supplies in the back of a van they will distribute. Above, volunteers distribute items to Ukrainianrefugees coming into Poland.
Protection in the suitcase Litvin’s long travel day included lengthy delays, missed flights and a suspicious border guard. “I got questioned quite a bit,” Litvin said. “All they see is an Eastern Europeanlooking guy traveling by himself into a war region with a lot of suitcases. But I had a record of everything that was in the suitcases, things like pads and diapers. And I said, ‘The only protection I’m carrying are
tampons.’ So the guy smiled at me. “Obviously, they were very sympathetic once they figured out what I was doing. But they were challenging me because my passport says my country of origin is Russia. When we left there in 1992, everybody was Russian. It didn’t matter that we were Russian Jews.” Litvin remembered tiny Fiat cars from his childhood and wondered how he’d get four huge suitcases transported from the Warsaw airport. Luckily, a polish volun-
teer named Greg who offered to drive him to Lublin had a large SUV. After the 106mile trip, Greg and Litvin became fast friends. “It was about a two-hour drive from Warsaw to Lublin,” Litvin said. “By the time we got to Lublin, it was like he could have been my brother. In times of war, people get closer a lot quicker.” Greg’s friendship — and his large vehiContinued on opposite page
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cle — were the first signs of hope for Litvin in a week of serendipitous events.
Stars in alignment Litvin and his driver made several trips to a warehouse-style store in Lublin similar to Costco, where he stocked up on medicine and food to deliver to refugee areas. COVID-related supply chain issues made it difficult to get some of the personal care items Litvin wanted to take to Poland. Again, Edgewell’s Little stepped in, making sure products such as tampons were available for Litvin’s care packages. “My company did great things,” Litvin said. “They supported me every step of the way. The stars literally aligned. While I was there, opportunities to help kept popping up.” Those opportunities included helping a family desperate to get out of Ukraine. Litvin used his connections in Poland to help track them down. A friend went over the border and brought the family food, then helped them get to Poland with a place to stay. He also met two Ukrainian refugees, young women each named Anna, who are lawyers. “They were so scared, terrified,” Litvin said. “I helped them take their kids to school. They didn’t speak English or Polish, so I translated for them and helped place their kids in kindergarten.” Litvin then took the two Annas to the mall and bought them new clothes. “The transformation was amazing,” he said. “Now we’re also sponsoring a store. We rented a space in a mall. It looks like a store. Your credit is your Ukrainian passport. You walk in there and you shop. Then an idea hit me. I said, ‘Can we have these two Ukrainian girls work here?’ And they said, ‘Sure, but we can’t pay them.’ I said, ‘I’m giving you the money.’ So they’re getting paid and they feel dignified.”
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30 years ago, Jewish Federation program helped Litvin family of Traditional Congregation, wanted to help out. They were quite familiar with the immigrant experience, having come from South Africa years earlier. They arrived in St. Louis during a blizzard and had no local support network.
“When we first met them, they spoke no English. The Federation put them up in an apartment and provided English as a The United States announced last week second language classes.” that it will accept 100,000 Ukrainian refThe Litvin family quickly adapted to ugees. It has happened before. In 1991, their new home, and Evelyn and Barry 61,000 people were admitted to Witten remained close friends the United States with refugee with them. The families shared status. Many of them were Gene is very innovative..He had to many Passover and Rosh Soviet Jews. They included the Hashanah dinners over the very early on become an inter- years. Evelyn Witten said the Litvin family. Gene Litvin was just 15 years preter for his parents, and that’s a hard acts of kindness Gene Litvin old. He was fluent in his native exhibited in his trip to Poland Ukrainian and quickly learned role for a teenager. He still feels an obligaare part of his nature. English. He began providing “Gene is very innovative,” tion and a tremendous sense of duty.” translation assistance for other Witten said. “He had to very immigrants and was always — Evelyn Witten early on become an interpreter willing to help others, said for his parents, and that’s a hard Evelyn Witten, who, with her role for a teenager. He still feels husband, Barry, were a Jewish an obligation and a tremendous Federation of St. Louis host family 30 “Our role was to be supportive, help sense of duty.” years ago. them get some furniture and introduce The Witten family, who are members them to the community,” Witten said.
BY BILL MOTCHAN
SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
“
It’s not manna from heaven, but this Passover, provide something just as crucial to the survival of the Israeli people.
Big hearts in Poland Litvin said he wants Americans and the St. Louis Jewish community to know about the warmth and sacrifices made by the Polish people, including those who have opened their homes to Ukrainian refugees. “The Polish people in their hearts are bigger than anybody imagined,” he said. “This is a huge redemption from World War II for what happened to the Jewish people. It’s making amends. I’m rethinking the history that we were taught growing up in the Soviet Union. It’s hard to believe that the people that I met would be capable of killing Jews.” Litvin wears a lapel pin bearing the image of the flags of Poland and Ukraine to symbolize the collaboration exhibited by the two countries. Before Litvin left Poland, he met some members of the Polish military who learned of his journey. “They were hugging me and said, ‘Thank you for helping,’ ” he said. “One of them took off his lanyard and gave it to me. That was very special and touching. That’s why I wanted to do this. I didn’t want the Polish people to feel like they were on their own.”
Whether it’s a missile attack, a new Covid variant, or serious car crash, your gift to Magen David Adom ensures its 30,000 emergency medical technicians and paramedics have the supplies and resources they need to save lives. So this Passover, while you recount the story of the Jews’ redemption from slavery, your gift will help modern-day Israelis survive the threats they face today. Make a gift to Magen David Adom today. Pesach kasher v’sameach.
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Schmooze: Pig’s head left outside home in 2019 remains a mystery CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3A started me thinking, this isn’t over. “I want people to be aware and vigilant,” Israeli continued. “Even in the comfort of your own home, in a relatively large Jewish populated area, this is happening. It is not happening someplace else — it’s here. I just want people to be careful because this is still out there. I understand now what terror feels like. This is very personal.” Aroesty remembers the Israeli vandalism case well, calling it “very unusual,” but added “these things do happen.” More often, she notes, it is antisemitic graffiti spray-painted on a garage door or sidewalk — not a pig’s head in a pentagram. “The horror of what Deb and Shmuel had to deal with was truly different,” said Aroesty. “Things happen, but not that often, but that’s the whole point – they can destabilize a whole neighborhood. “The pig’s head and the candles and the drawing and the religious language — it could have been anti-Islam as much as antisemitism. The violence around the pig’s head was really horrible.” Aroesty acknowledges while there are “always going to be people who will do this kind of thing,” they are “few and far between.” She says one of the best ways to
This was the scene in front of the Israelis’ home in 2019: A severed pig’s head left in a spray-painted pentagram, with the Romanian words for ‘Christ is humiliated’ and ‘Dracula’ above and below. Police were not able to find the person(s) responsible. confront this kind of activity is for neighbors to get to know one another better. “When someone comes to your house you feel so violated,” Aroesty said. “I think all neighborhoods — Olivette is not unique — have that obligation so that people can support each other, especially during these days when we’ve all been inside our little bubbles.” Olivette Police Chief David Wolf, who happens to be Jewish, agrees. He explained that at the time, police had
investigated a few different possibilities, but none panned out. “On the one hand, you have optically how it looks,” he said. “On the other hand, we had people take a look who said it definitely was the work of amateurs who didn’t know what they were doing. The symbolism and mix of symbols didn’t really seem to go together. We couldn’t even really pinpoint that it was specific to the Israelis.” Like Aroesty, Wolf encourages neighbors to watch out for one another. If they
see something, they should say something. “The more eyes on the street that the police department has the better,” added Wolf. “Certainly, neighbors looking out for one another and being aware of strange vehicles or strange activity, is extremely important.” Especially now, as COVID restrictions have loosened, and people are getting out and reuniting in person. Perhaps it’s time to make meeting new neighbors — and visiting the ones we know — a priority. After nearly three years and no arrests or leads, the Israelis are fairly confident they will never know who is responsible for the crime. They no longer live at the address where it happened; they had planned to move to St. Charles County to be closer to one of their daughters and her family before the vandalism occurred. “As I think back on this hateful act, I am encouraged by the selflessness of my neighbors and friends who cared enough to help and comfort our family,” said Deb Israeli, when I asked her what stands out in the aftermath. “I believe it is incumbent on all of us, a moral imperative, to remember no one walks alone. What happens to one of us happens to all of us.”
Gift: 9.6 acres donated to Chabad Jewish Center of St. Charles County CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A The new Chabad Jewish Center will mark the first standalone brick and mortar Jewish presence in St. Charles County since the closure of Congregation B’nai Torah in 2014. The St. Charles Chabad is currently
leasing office space on the cobblestone Main Street in the historic district. It also regularly hosts gatherings at the St. Charles home of its co-directors, Rabbi Chaim Landa and his wife Bassy. “This extraordinary gift is a testament to the promising and very bright future for Jewish life in St. Charles County,” said
Rabbi Landa. “Our hearts are filled with so much gratitude, appreciation and thanks.” The land donation announcement comes just weeks after Leonard Kaplan’s third yahrtzeit. Kaplan was known as “Labe” by family and friends. His widow Norma Kaplan said her late husband believed in helping the community, espe-
cially for initiatives that involved children and families. Leonard’s grandfather founded Kaplan Lumber Company in 1926. He hosted St. Charles’ first synagogue, meeting in a spare room in his home for Shabbat and Jewish holidays.
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‘Negev Summit’ to become regular event for Israeli and Arab parties to the Abraham Accords BY SHIRA HANAU & RON KAMPEAS
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and Bahrainian Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani hold a meeting during the “Negev Summit” in southern Israel on March 28.
JTA
The historic summit meeting between Israeli leaders and their counterparts from Egypt, Morocco, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates is set to become a regular event, rotating among the participating countries, Israeli officials announced Monday. Leaders of the participating countries and Antony Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state, announced the regular meetings about regional security during a joint press conference at the conclusion of the first convening of Arab and Israeli leaders. “This meeting is the first of its kind but not the last,” said Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid. “Last night we decided to make the Negev Summit into a permanent forum.” The convening, and the announcement, are significant because they indicate that the Abraham Accords, peace agreements signed in 2020 that normalized relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco, are more than symbolic agreements. The countries at the summit discussed their growing ties with Israel and their desire to create a united front in opposition to Iran in the region. The meeting took place in Sde Boker, a city in Israel’s southern Negev region that was also the home and burial place of Israel’s founding prime minister David Ben-Gurion. News from the summit was interrupted Sunday night by a suspected terrorist attack in the Israeli city of Hadera, which resulted in the deaths of two police officers. In his remarks, Lapid said those participating in the meeting would not be intimidated by terror. Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani began his speech Monday morning by condemning the terror attack. “I would like to start by condemning the terrorist attack which took place last night, claiming the lives of two border policemen. And I would like to convey our condolences to the bereaved families and reaffirm our firm stance against terrorism and all its forms,” he said. In his remarks, Moroccan Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita called the summit the “best response” to the attack in Hadera. Several of the diplomats, including Blinken, also spoke about the Palestinian people and called for continued work towards a two-state solution. The summit signaled the robustness of the Abraham Accords, brokered by the Trump administration in its last months and embraced by the Biden administration, one of the few areas of foreign policy agreement between the two presidencies. Israel has over the years hosted individual leaders of Arab countries, often quietly, but never held a formal summit. The meeting comes at a time when at least three of the Middle East participants — Israel, the UAE and Bahrain — are profoundly wary of the Biden administration’s efforts to reenter the Iran nuclear deal. The three countries fear a renewed deal will remove sanctions on Iran and enable its adventurism in the region; the Biden administration sees the deal, which former President Donald Trump abrogated in 2018, as the best means to keep Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. The fourth country that normalized ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords, Sudan, is undergoing political turmoil.
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Healing strangers in the middle of a war zone Israeli field hospital treating civilians in Ukraine is ‘a landmark in the history of Israeli aid overseas.’ BY ABIGAIL KLEIN LEICHMAN ISRAEL21C
For a moment, Yoel Har-Even was distracted. We were speaking via Zoom from Israel’s Shining Star field hospital in western Ukraine, and a siren began to wail outside. “Usually when we hear a siren, we need to run to the shelter in a school for about 15 minutes,” said Har-Even, who is in charge of the remarkable 66-bed hospital in Mostyska, inside Ukraine’s war torn borders. The lateness of the hour, however, meant that the 70 Israeli volunteers manning the field hospital were already safe inside the
building, so he stayed on the line. “Mostly they are attacking military and not civilian targets,” he said, adding that he hadn’t heard any explosions. “The Russians asked us to mark the tents in a way that pilots flying overhead can see it is a medical facility,” explained Har-Even, who has served in Israel Defense Forces field hospitals in Rwanda and the Balkans. “But we cannot count on the Russians, so we brought some security from Israel. We have evacuation vehicles waiting outside the gate, ready to go with helmets and bulletproof gear.” It is a necessary precaution. The World Health Organization reported 31 Russian attacks on healthcare facilities in Ukraine between Feb. 24 and March 13.
Patients arriving nonstop Israel opened the Shining Star field hospital just one week ago, and since then the hospital – which is operated by Sheba Medical Center, Israel’s Health Ministry and Clalit HMO – has treated hundreds. Within the first five days, the hospital treated more than 730 locals and refugees from other parts of Ukraine and performed 16,000 lab tests. Their ailments and injuries are mainly unrelated to the war. Sheba Medical Center Director General Dr. Yitshak Kreiss with a Ukrainian mother and baby at Shining Star Israel Field Hospital
“The people are coming nonstop. The first day we had 40, the second day 160 and on Shabbat we saw 170 patients from 8 in the morning till 8 at night,” said HarEven. One patient is a girl who had surgery in Israel two years ago for a kidney problem and recently developed another medical complication. “When her family heard the Israelis had a hospital here in Ukraine, they drove her 48 hours to see us because they trust the Israeli medical system. They are staying with us until she is better,” said Har-Even, The hospital – which is equipped with over 100 tons of medical supplies flown in from Israel – is staffed by Jewish, Muslim and Christian personnel from Israeli hospitals, health maintenance organizations and Magen David Adom. Despite the very obvious risks of coming to Ukraine, which has been under constant bombardment since Russia invaded on February 24, Har-Even – the director of Sheba Medical Center’s International Division – had no difficulty gathering volunteers for the Shining Star mission. “Many of the team came from here or has family here, but even those who don’t were eager to participate,” he said. “We had to turn some away. The response was heartwarming.” Dr. Adam Lee Goldstein, head of trauma surgery at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, said he volunteered for the mission Continues on opposite page
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“to represent Israel and show we want to help and we care.” The Washington, DC, native said the team is working closely with doctors at the local hospital. “We can use their operating rooms and we can learn from each other. We are giving trauma courses and basic life support courses — anything they want.”
An unprecedented mission The field hospital is capable of accommodating 150 patients simultaneously, and includes a triage area, an ER ward, men’s, women’s and children’s wards, labor and delivery facilities, imaging and telehealth technologies, mental health services, a lab, a pharmacy and an outpatient clinic. “The Ukrainians are overwhelmed to see what we have put up here,” said Prof. Elhanan Bar-On, director of the Sheba’s Israel Center for Humanitarian Emergency and Disaster Medicine. “Our aims were high, and I think we achieved even higher. The lab we have here is unprecedented in the history of field hospitals in the world. It’s really an amazing place. This is a landmark in the history of Israeli aid overseas.” The field hospital is intended to operate at least a month, but Bar-On – who arrived in Mostyska on March 7 to assess needs before the Israeli team arrived – will soon be heading to Haiti to treat burn victims.
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ers who do not forget what happened here 77 years ago but understand that we have a different role in this world,” said HarEven, who on arrival in Ukraine went with the Israeli delegation and the mayor of Mostyska to the Jewish cemetery to say kaddish, the mourners’ prayer. “The story is the spirit of the Jewish people and the spirit of Israel. The story is that only one country, as a country, extended a hand and sent more than 70 [healthcare workers] from across Israel’s hospitals, HMOs and MDA.” For future missions, Har-Even said that the Shining Star field hospital will be renamed The Jewish People Field Hospital. “It will be a worldwide facility that can be sent anywhere by the Jewish people, coordinated by Sheba,” he said. “With very limited resources, we can do so much good for so many people. We can give them dignity, humanity and warmth.”
The aid to Ukraine continues Parallel to the mission in Ukraine, Sheba Beyond continues to treat Ukrainian refugees in Moldova, using telemedicine innovations that allow Sheba physicians in Ramat Gan to diagnose and treat patients remotely. In addition, a team of paramedics, EMTs and physicians from Magen David
Doctors at the Israeli field hospital in Ukraine evaluating MRI images in morning daylight. PHOTO: NAAMA FRANK AZRIEL
Adom (MDA) and Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center have established a field clinic in Moldova for Ukrainian refugees, at the request of the Chisinau Jewish community.
And Israeli voluntary first-response network United Hatzalah has flown more than 2,000 Ukrainian refugees to Israel aboard planes staffed by trained personnel to provide medical aid mid-flight.
‘I need to do it’ For many Israelis, the desire to help the Ukrainians is deeply personal because so many have their roots in Ukraine and Russia, but there is a larger and more bitter history at work here too. In 1943, most of Mostyska’s 4,000 preWorld War II Jewish residents were murdered by the Nazis and Ukrainian collaborators. “When I told my mom I was going to lead this mission, her first reaction was, ‘I’m not letting you go.’ admitted HarEven, a father of four. “I told her, ‘I’m going to be 51 in two weeks. You cannot stop me.’” “My mom was born not so far from where we are now on the main route from Lviv toward Krakow. My grandma was born here. Most of my family comes from this area in Ukraine,” explained HarEven. She said, ‘I never stopped you from going on missions around the globe. You went to Africa, to India, to Nepal, to Kosovo. I’m asking you, please don’t go. If Grandma was alive, she would beg you not to go.’ “I told her that I’m going there … because of her and because of Grandma and because of what our family went through in the Holocaust,” Har-Even said, his voice breaking with emotion. “If I can change, even a little bit, the lives of the people — like nobody did for my parents and grandparents when they were here 75 years ago — I need to do it. “These people [the Israeli volunteers] came in the name of the state of Israel and also as human beings and health provid-
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OPINIONS
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ABOUT THE OPINIONS SECTION Viewpoints expressed in letters, commentaries, cartoons and other opinion pieces reflect those of the writer or artist, and not those of the Light. We welcome submissions of letters and commentaries to: news@stljewishlight.org
D’VAR TORAH — PARASHAT TAZRIA
Happy Birthday to us, no matter how we count months However, there is a problem with a strict lunar calendar, especially for an agrarian society like the one in which our ancestors lived. That problem is that 12, relatively equal months following the moon’s cycle add up to only 354 days, 11 days short of a solar year. This means that festivals which hallow seasonal changes would be progressively “behind” each year. In three years they would arrive more than a month early, in six years more than two months early, and so forth.
But wait. There’s more. If Adar is the 12th month of the year, what month was Living in a Western culture as we do, Tishrei, the month in which we celebrated most of us mark time according to the Rosh Hashanah? It was the seventh Gregorian calendar, a strictly solar calenmonth. How do we know? This Shabbat dar in which the new year begins every is known as Shabbat Hachodesh. Jan. 1, that month being the first month in (Chodesh is the Hebrew word for “month” a 12-month series spanning 365 days. and is derived from the word for “new.”) It There is a slight problem with this solar is so called because it immediately precalendar in that the number of days cedes or falls on Rosh Chodesh (“the new required for the Earth to make a complete month of”) Nisan. In a special Torah cycle around the sun is 365¼ days. reading this Shabbat from a second Therefore, each year is a quarter of scroll, we learn that it is called the day short. first month because the text Shabbat Hachodesh announces begins: “This month (Hachodesh This is remedied by adding an additional day to February every four Hazeh) shall mark for you the that the birthday of the Jewish years in order that the calendar beginning of the months; it shall remains synchronized with the people, Pesach/Passover, is coming, be the first of the months of the Earth’s trip around the sun. As chil- the first month marking the transiyear for you.” (Exodus 12:2) So, dren we were taught at least pneuthe New Year begins with the sevmonic means by which to remember tion from an enslaved people to a free enth month, and six months later which months were 30 and which (seven in a leap year) it is the first people.” were 31 days and how to deal with month! February’s unique length and addiWhy is the coming month called tional day every four years. Easy-peasy! Therefore, the Jewish calendar has to “the first of all of the months of year” We are also aware that there is a Jewish make up those losses by adding not a when if falls in the middle of the year? calendar, also of 12 months in duration but day to one month in the calendar but by There are two familiar examples that may not synchronized with those of the adding a month every two or three years aid in understanding this seeming contraGregorian calendar. We even joke about it to insure that fall, winter, spring and diction. One is the concept of a fiscal year. when we say that “the holidays are either summer sacred times remain in their The second example is one that is familearly or late but never on time!” proper seasons. We are in such a year iar to every person. It is the concept of a The Jewish calendar is quite a bit more and in the second month named Adar “birth day.” No matter when the common complicated. It is a lunar calendar (the (normally the 12 month year, but this year begins, people count their own years word “month” is derived from the word year it was 12 and 13th with Adar I and beginning with the day they were born. “moon”). Adar II months). One does not become a year older Jan. 1
RABBI JOSEF DAVIDSON
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Rabbi Josef Davidson serves Congregation B’nai Amoona and is a member of the St. Louis Rabbinical and Cantorial Association, which coordinates the d’var Torah for the Jewish Light.
unless that coincides with one’s birthday. Each person’s birthday marks the first month of that person’s next year. Shabbat Hachodesh announces that the birthday of the Jewish people, Pesach/ Passover, is coming, the first month marking the transition from an enslaved people to a free people. Out of that narrow place (Mitzrayim/Egypt), the Jewish people enter the world stage, and Jews the world over mark that birthday with the Festival of Unleavened Bread/Pesach/Passover. Rosh Hashanah may mark the birthday of the world, but Jews mark their own birthday six months later in the first month in which we first began to exist. May the Festival of Freedom continue to inspire the Jewish people and all people to value freedom and to resist tyranny and enslavement for many more years to come. Shabbat Shalom! Chodesh Tov! Chag Same’ach!
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Submit letters to news@stljewishlight.org
Response to JStreet letter criticizing AIPAC I was disappointed — although admittedly not surprised — by J Street St. Louis’ illogical attack on AIPAC in its Letter to the Editor on March 16. The authors minimize the reality that virtually every lobbying group in Washington is single-issue in nature, whether it is the trucking, airline or pharmaceutical lobby. As such, these interest groups cross political aisles and ideologies with just one goal: seeking Congressional support for their single-issue agenda. In the very same fashion, AIPAC has only one goal: to maintain and grow the longstanding friendship between the United States and its only democratic ally in the Mideast, the State of Israel. It does not have an ideological or party affiliation “litmus test” for those in Congress who support the existence and survival of the Jewish state. Nor does it “endorse” the political positions and opinions of these elected officials in matters beyond Israeli interests. Ironically, at the very same time that J Street is trumpeting its moral superiority over AIPAC in its selective support of Congressional members, it refuses to rescind its endorsement of Rep. Marie Newman, D-Ill., who is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for bribing her political rival (a Palestinian-American academic) to drop out of the race in return for a position as her foreign policy adviser. The end result is that Newman has become one of the most anti-Israel members of Congress. There is only one loser — Israel — when Internecine fighting between pro-Israel lobbies occurs. Instead of undermining AIPAC, it would behoove J Street to focus its resources and vitriol on true enemies of the Jewish state, like Rep. Newman. Susan K. Feigenbaum, Ph.D. Curator’s Distinguished Professor Emeritus & Founders’ Professor, Department of Economics University of Missouri-St. Louis
Group offers support for people or families dealing with mental illness I am a member of a support group that deals with mental illness. It is called “No Shande,” or — in English — “No Shame.” It consists of people with all kinds of mental illnesses as well as families and other loved ones. It is facilitated by Rabbis Jim Goodman and Susan Talve. What makes this group so special is that we listen to each other. We offer support. It’s not judgmental. We tell stories of what has worked for us. We’ve even witnessed profound distress. Even though we each have individual challenges, what we have in common is the experience of living with a mental illness. I appreciate that the Light addressed mental health during the pandemic. I know it is a product of this challenging time. However, I have two concerns. Mental health is different than mental illness. The pandemic has developed and accentuated depression and anxiety. I know that is a terrible way to feel. And many people have been experiencing mental illnesses that they had dealt with prior to the pandemic. Also, some have a mental illness that is more difficult to deal with than depression and anxiety. For example, schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder are real types of mental illness. These are scary diagnoses that are rarely mentioned when mental illness comes up. They are thought disorders, as opposed to mood disorders like depression, bipolar or anxiety. They cause hallucinations, delusions, hearing voices, paranoia. A diagnosis that gets worse with stress. And no one can disagree that we are all living in a stressful time. No Shande works so well because we can talk about anything. Rabbi Goodman reads a preamble when we begin our group. Part of it includes “Let no one go dark under our watch” and “The point is not to practice aloneness.” We’ve created a safe place for people to talk about how mental illness has impacted their lives. We have a whole cross section of people in our group. Not everyone
is Jewish. But that’s OK. Mental illness is not faith-based. As easy as it sounds, finding a therapist and a psychiatrist is challenging. Dilemmas such as the cost of therapy, insurance coverage, being prescribed the most affective medications, finding specialists and creating a rapport are issues difficult to navigate. There are some providers out there that should not be practicing. They’ve done more harm than good. We meet every Sunday from 1 to 2 p.m. in a Zoom call setting. There is no charge to participate. You can come and listen if you’re not ready to share. For more information, call Central Reform Congregation at 314-361-3919. Ellen Fein Rosenbaum Advocate for Persons with a Mental Illness
Jeffrey Stiffman: A rabbi for all seasons The article “83 is the new 13, and Rabbi Stiffman is all in for his second Bar Mitzvah” (March 16) about Rabbi Jeffrey Stiffman really resonated with me. Each time I encounter him has seemed like a blessing. His words of kindness and wisdom have really inspired me and made my day. He is the epitome of what a rabbi should be — never judging, but listening intently upon what a person, no matter how rich or poor, educated or not, successful, or doomed to failure, has got to say. He is a rabbi for all seasons. I know he has the ultimate respect and admiration from all of the congregants he has ministered to, in all of the years he was the chief rabbi at Shaare Emeth, and his legendary status is so richly deserved. Gene Carton University City
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OPINIONS
March 30, 2022
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Finding off ramp for Putin is best case resolution for Ukraine BY MARTY ROCHESTER
As I am writing this op-ed, Ukraine is the No. 1 subject occupying worldwide media attention. We do not know how the Ukraine conflict will end. Predictions range from Russia annexing Ukraine to its settling for regime change to its willingness to restore the status quo, accepting de facto control of the Crimea and eastern Ukraine along with an understanding Ukraine would not become a member of NATO in the foreseeable future. Some have suggested that this is an existential conflict, the largest conflagration in Europe since World War II. It involves the unraveling of the international liberal order based on a rules-based system of international law prohibiting aggression by one state against the territorial integrity of another state, amid fears that it might escalate into World War III, perhaps even including the use of nuclear weapons. Certainly, it is a terrible conflict, awful for Ukrainians who are seeing millions of their fellow citizens killed or fleeing as refugees and much of their country reduced to rubble by the Russian military. But my guess is that it will come to pass without much impact on the rest of humanity, including the United States. In other words, just as 9/11 at the time seemed a seminal event portending an ominous future of Americans experiencing everyday bouts of terrorism, Ukraine, too, will have relatively limited actual effects. There has been much handwringing about whether the United States under President Joe Biden played its cards right in terms of failing to deter the Russian invasion and then failing to provide adequate assistance to Ukraine’s defense. My view is that we did have an important stake in preventing the Russian attack and then limiting Russian gains once it occurred. At issue was allowing Vladimir Putin to undermine an important norm of international relations and to feel emboldened to commit further aggression beyond
Ukraine. That said, U.S. interests were not so critical as to justify responses that would risk escalation into possible American-Russian hostilities. That is why U.S. participation in a no-fly zone over Ukraine would be excessively provocative. One can only hope that the effort by the United States to coordinate allied imposition of severe economic sanctions against Russia along with a United Nations campaign to brand Moscow as a global pariah will be sufficient to teach Putin that aggression does not pay and restrain future adventurism. Meanwhile, we are left to speculate as to why Russia committed such an extraordinary act in the first place. In trying to explain the behavior of states, international relations scholars have suggested we examine factors that operate at three levels of analysis. First is the international system level, in which state action is seen mainly as a rational response to stimuli (threats and opportunities) in one’s external environment. Recall Winston Churchill’s famous explanation of Soviet behavior: “I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest.” In explaining Russia’s interest in occupying the Crimea and other parts of Ukraine, many analysts argue that Putin was merely “returning to the historical pattern,” extending back to the czars, of securing borders on the “near abroad” invasion routes used by Napoleon, Hitler J. Martin Rochester, Curators’ Distinguished Teaching Professor of Political Science Emeritus at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, is the author of 10 books on international and American politics.
and other would-be conquerors over the centuries (Stephen Kotkin, “Russia’s Perpetual Geopolitics,” Foreign Affairs, May/June 2016). It is argued that the U.S. was not entirely sensitive to how the expansion of NATO in the 1990s to include the Baltic states threatened Russian security. Although this does not justify Russian aggression against Ukraine, it can help us to understand it. A second level of analysis is the domestic level, which focuses on the role of public opinion and other internal political factors in explaining foreign policy behavior. Many observers attribute the Russian invasion more to Putin’s unpopularity and concern about how an increasingly democratic, pro-West Ukraine might undermine his regime. The third level of analysis is the individual level, which can include idiosyncratic characteristics of individual leaders and how they help account for foreign policy decisions. For example, Frank Harvey, in his book “Explaining the Iraq War: Counterfactual Theory, Logic and Evidence,” states that President George W. Bush’s “born-again Christianity and religious beliefs contributed to a sense of mission” that led to the decision to invade in 2003. Likewise, Putin has been characterized as possessing a seventh-degree black belt with a macho complex and other peculiar personality traits that shape his, and ultimately Russian, behavior (Richard Cohen, “Why the Study of Vladimir Putin Is So Important,” Washington Post, March 24, 2014). We cannot know for sure why Putin invaded Ukraine. Sometimes leaders themselves do not know entirely. It is probably some complex mix of factors. Never mind. The immediate concern is to bring closure to this crisis. Much as one might want to try Putin in the International
Criminal Court as the war criminal that he is, the higher interest of the U.S. and humanity is to provide him with an offramp so as to end the conflict and restore some semblance of world order. If Ukraine can continue to resist Russian occupation, perhaps the best case is that Putin might be willing to accept an outcome along the lines of the Austrian State Treaty of 1955. Signed during the height of the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed that, on the one hand, Austria would be restored as a de facto member of “the West” whose sovereignty and territorial integrity was inviolable. On the other hand, it would not be admitted as a member of NATO, which remains the case today. One would assume the end to the destruction and the offer of massive amounts of foreign aid would induce Ukraine to accept such an outcome. For Russia, it would be the opportunity to put behind it a hugely humiliating stain on its national history. It remains mainly Putin’s decision to make as to timing and details.
HEBREW UNION COLLEGE-JEWISH INSTITUTE OF RELIGION
Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise must be spinning in his grave BY RABBI MARK L. SHOOK
June 3th will mark 50 years since I was ordained a rabbi at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio. Looking at photos taken at the time, I am appalled to realize I was wearing a powder blue polyester suit. In the oppressive summer heat of Cincinnati, I should have made a better sartorial choice. There are many reasons to take note of that event now, not the least of which is that the rabbinical program on the Cincinnati campus may be terminated. If you wish to be ordained from HUC, you are going to have to attend either the New York or the Los Angeles Campus. And so, ends the midwestern ambiance and tone of Reform Judaism. All that will remain is the American Jewish Archives, and it will only be a matter of time before some generous donor decides he/she really needs to have the archives closer to Manhattan. That the college was in Cincinnati in the first place was just a matter of convenience for its founder, Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise. Who is to say whether HUC might have been based in Albany, N.Y., had Wise not been unceremoniously pushed out of his Albany congregation? HUC in
Newly ordained Rabbi Mark and Carol Shook. Rabbi Shook was ordained at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati. HUC-JIR recently announced it may shutter its Cincinnati seminary where it has trained Reform rabbis for 147 years. Cincinnati was on the frontier. When Wise arrived in Cincinnati, the boundary between slave state and free
state straddled the Ohio River. When the college was founded in 1875, the aftershocks of the Civil War were still present in the cultural conversations of the city. The new rabbinical school became the backbone of the network of Reform Jewish congregations in the Midwest and South. Before 1970, nearly every American Reform Rabbi took a turn serving as the student rabbi for some small Southern congregation, on a bi-weekly basis. Student rabbis were often openly cautioned about the impact their liberal civil rights attitudes would have on the lives of their congregants. “Rabbi, just remember, you get to go back to Cincinnati on Sunday. We have to live here the rest of the week.” American Jewish life has now become concentrated along the East and West coasts. The Reform movement is no exception. Coastal congregations call the shots, set the agendas and make up the preponderance of membership on Union for Reform Judaism committees, large and small. The daily pace of that life is killer fast. Back in the 1980s, as a rabbi serving a congregation in Atlantic City, N.J., I would often attend rabbi meetings in Manhattan. With each mile my car got me closer to Central Park, I could feel my blood pres-
Mark L. Shook is Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Temple Israel. sure rise. I observed that, in New York, every ordinary problem metastasized into a major Jewish existential dilemma. People under pressure make poor decisions. Change is necessary. Perhaps ending rabbinic education in Cincinnati is necessary for the health of the college. But I cannot help getting the feeling that something truly worthwhile will be lost without our newest rabbis experiencing a non-coastal perspective on Jewish life. My time in the Queen City of the West taught me to have a great deal of respect for the strength and courage of Jews in small communities, who cannot take their Judaism for granted. Maybe Rabbi Wise was on to something.
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LIFESTYLES
Children’s books for Passover: Four favorites BY JEN BAER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
This time of year brings basketball fever. That’s when the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournament occurs. Each year around this time, people start filling out brackets and entering pools… Not the kind you swim in, but the ones where you wager that your bracket will successfully predict which teams will make it all the way to the final four, and then, eventually to the championship game. Come to think of it, this kind of resembles a holiday that’s about to occur. While March Madness and the elimination of teams will officially culminate soon, there’s another phenomena that will be hitting the nation - and the world - where we are eliminating things in order to move forward…Passover! Just as March Madness has its elimination rituals, so does Passover, where we eliminate chametz both physically and symbolically. Literally, we are supposed to eliminate team bread and have matzah as the week’s winner. Symbolically, chametz can be something holding you back, something that needs to be cast off to move forward. When my kids were little, we used to investigate the corners of our house with a feather to see if there was a crumb of some chametz left behind. These days it takes the car wash folks an hour to clean out my car. Hopefully it still counts as a mitzvah if you aren’t the one doing the actual cleaning… In today’s tech filled society, we are both connected yet lacking connection. I love that Judaism gives us rituals like searching for chametz and the Passover seder itself to bring us together. As we move ahead in the year, may your March Madness bracket and your freedom from chametz both be sources of joy and togetherness, this month and in the months to come. Be sure to go to www.pjlibrary.org and
check out the Passover hub where you’ll find activities for kids, a downloadable PJ Library Haggadah, Haggadah video, Passover playlist, printable Passover story, pre-seder parent checklist, Passover recipe cards, crafts, lunch ideas and more. You can also find a complete list of PJ Library Passover books for each age by going to the website and clicking on books, holidays and selecting Passover. Here are some of my favorites:
‘Company’s Coming’ Written by Joan Holub; Illustrated by Renee Andriani-Williams Ages: 2 to 3 Years Publisher: Penguin Random House Synopsis: Family and friends arrive to visit and take part in a family’s Passover celebration. The Four Questions are asked, foods on the seder plate are sampled, and there’s a hunt for the afikomen.
‘Too Many Cooks: A Passover Parable’
‘The Time Tunnel: Let My People Go’
Written by Edie Stoltz Zolkower; Illustrated by Shauna Mooney-Kawasaki
By Galila Ron-Feder Amit
Ages: 4 to 5 Years
Publisher: Modan Publishing House
Publisher: Kar-Ben Publishing Synopsis: Oops! Each family member adds his or her own favorite ingredients to the Passover charoses, until the finished product is something no one would choose to eat!
‘The Best Four Questions’ Written by Rachelle Burk; Illustrated by Melanie Florian Ages: 5 to 6 Years Publisher: Kar-Ben Publishing Synopsis: Marcy’s finally old enough to ask the Four Questions at her family’s Passover seder — but the questions she wants answers to are not the ones in the Haggadah. How will her family react?
Ages: 9+ Synopsis: Dan and Sharon are trapped in ancient Egypt! Can they help Moses free the Jewish slaves, escape the evil Pharoah’s clutches, and still get home in time for their Passover seder? Jennifer Baer is director of family and teen engagement at Jewish Federation of St. Louis. To register to receive free books from PJ Library for kids birth through 8 ½, go to www.pjlibrary.org and for kids 8 ½ through 12 years, go to www.pjourway.org to sign up.
AMY FENSTER BROWN
It’s a good thing journals are private; oh, wait BY AMY FENSTER BROWN
As an homage to the great Marcia Brady, I’ve been keeping a diary, or as the cool kids call it, a journal. Articles and podcasts aplenty tout the benefits of journaling. Apparently, it’s good for you. Plain journals come with blank pages, and fancy ones with prompts and activities to help you empty your brain in a trendy way. Mine is an old spiral notebook my kid abandoned at the end of the school year, the inside back cover filled with sketches of what I assume to be reproductive organs, plus colorful graffiti with very colorful descriptions of said doodles. My innermost thoughts live on these pages. Today, I share one week’s journal entries with you.
Sunday Today, I feel stuck in the middle. Sometimes I feel trapped in the center of being too much and not enough. My generation is between baby boomers and millennials. I came of age between free love and safe sex. My kids are in between innocent playdates and bad decision parties. I’m smack dab in the middle of raising kids and caring for an aging parent. I’m so glad I can use this journal as a safe place
to let out my private, deep, introspective thoughts. It’s not like I’m going to publish this for people to read.
Monday I saw a friend today and she looked great. I said, “You look great!” She said, “Ugh, no, I look like a mess!” Was I supposed to keep telling her how great she looked, or agree with her? She did look great, and she knew it. I could tell. It seemed like she was being negative so I’d come back with more positive comments and compliments, putting herself down so I would immediately disagree. It reminded me of grade school art class when some kid would show their project and say, “Mine looks soooo bad!” Then everyone would rush around telling them how terrific it looked. Then some other kid would pull the same mishegas in search of compliments. It was exhausting. We should flip the script. From now on, if someone puts themselves down, I won’t fall for the negativity. I’ll be positive by confirming what they say. So next time someone complains about their weight, I’m going to reply: “Actually, yes, you do look fat.”
Tuesday I don’t want to journal today. Journal is now a verb. By writing this down, I’ve just journaled, thus fulfilling my journaling obligation. Self-care is my jam.
Wednesday I had the unfortunate experience today of hearing another couple bickering in public. Maybe it was fortunate because I learned a valuable lesson. Every couple literally has the same arguments. I couldn’t wait to get home and tell Jeff that we are normal. Before I was with Jeff, I was in a mixed relationship with a guy. I was Jewish and he was a horse’s ass. Those never work out.
Thursday Reminder: My now prepares me for what’s next. My here prepares me for what’s there. I am so glad I have this 100% Columnist Amy Fenster Brown is married to Jeff and has two teenage sons, Davis and Leo. She volunteers for several Jewish not-for-profit groups. Fenster Brown is an Emmy Award-winning TV news writer and counts time with family and friends, talking and eating peanut butter among her hobbies.
confidential journal so no one knows what my actual thoughts are and they can just think I’m funny and lighthearted all the time.
Friday I’m overwhelmed today. I don’t know if I should go with meditation, medication or a combination. Maybe I should start a meditation business to help others in my same situation. To make it super customer friendly I will offer other services. I’ve come up a few: 1. Meditaters: It’s a Mediterraneanthemed mediation studio and potato café. We meditate and then eat tater tots covered in hummus and feta cheese. 2. Medicaters: It’s a pharmacy with onsite catering. We meditate and then eat gourmet appetizers encrusted in Xanax. 3. Mediation station: This is a meditation studio at public transportation hubs. You get a quick mediation in before hopping on a train, bus or subway.
Saturday I am not completely gross. I am completely thankful for this secret journal to write down these secret feelings I would never share with anyone else ever in a million years. It’s for my eyes only. No one will ever know.
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March 30, 2022
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Families meld their own traditions into seder MARGI LENGA KAHN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
The word “seder” means “order,” which pertains to the required sequence of the telling of the story of Passover, no matter the particular Haggadah. Our family has several, including “The Yeshiva University Haggadah,” “A Passover Haggadah” with comments by Elie Wiesel, and of course the most popular of all, “Maxwell House Coffee Haggadah.” And while the English translations may vary, most Haggadot begin with the kiddush and end with the singing of “Chad Gadya.” But as I discovered, many cultures and many families have created unique culinary and creative traditions within that seder order. Take, for example, the traditional seder of the Jews of Yemen. In 2017, Lisa Samin described those traditions in an essay for The Jerusalem Post (https://bit.ly/ Yemenite-seder). She explained that the entire table functions as the seder plate, and the matzah is not hard but soft, baked in a clay oven called a tabun. And while
On this page and the opposite page, find recipes for (from left) Yemeni Chicken Soup with Vegetables and Matzah Balls (left); Spinach and Swiss Chard “Updated” Kugel; and Creamy Lemon Tart with Coconut Date-Nut Crust. PHOTOS: MICHAEL KAHN they do make chicken soup, the Yemini version could be an entire meal. It is cooked with whole pieces of chicken, a variety of vegetables, and a unique spice mixture called hawaijI. The soup is traditionally served over torn pieces of the soft
matzah. I have included a recipe for such a soup below. I spoke with my cousin Scott Lenga, who lives in Israel. (His soon-to-be-released book, “The Watchmakers,” is a powerful Holocaust memoir about his father and
two of his father’s brothers, one of whom is my father.) Scott and I grew up together in St. Louis, and each of those years the first seder would be at my house and the second
DIRECTIONS:
bowl. Stir in dill, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, and pine nuts (if using). Add beaten eggs, nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. Stir well to combine. 4. Spoon greens mixture into prepared dish(s) and use a spatula to gently press mixture evenly into dish. 5. Bake kugel(s) for 30-40 minutes or until they are set. Transfer to a cooling rack, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, and let cool before slicing. Serve with a large salad on the side. Makes 6-8 vegetarian main dish servings, or 10-12 side dish servings.
Continued on opposite page
Recipe: Spinach and Swiss Chard “Updated” Kugel (This recipe can be easily halved.) INGREDIENTS:
1 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for oiling baking dish 2 medium leeks, dark green portion discarded, light portion finely chopped 2 medium shallots, finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced 2 lbs. fresh spinach, stems discarded, rinsed, and coarsely chopped (you could substitute frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to release excess liquid) 2 bunches Swiss chard, stems and large ribs discarded, rinsed, and coarsely chopped (you
could substitute fresh chopped kale) 2-3 tbsp. fresh minced dill 1 c. (8 oz.) whole-milk ricotta cheese 1 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese (approximately 2 ounces), plus more for sprinkling 1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1 ½ tbsp. toasted pine nuts (optional) 2 large eggs, lightly beaten Your favorite salad, for serving with the kugel
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Oil a large rectangular or oval baking dish, or two smaller ones. 2. Heat olive oil in a very large deep pot over medium heat. Add leeks, shallots, and garlic and sauté 5-10 minutes to soften. Raise heat and add large handfuls of spinach and chard to fill the pot. Once the vegetables begin to wilt, add remaining greens. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until moisture has evaporated, about 15-25 minutes. Add 1 tsp. salt and stir to incorporate. 3. Transfer greens mixture to a large mixing
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seder at Scott’s. My mother served brisket as the main course, and my aunt Dorothy served a stuffed turkey. Fast forward to today. I rarely serve the same thing twice at my seders. That’s because there are far too many possibilities. But not so for my cousin Scott. “For my kids,” he told me, “it’s not a seder unless we have my mother’s turkey and stuffing, which I make every year almost exactly the way she did.” But one thing he does do differently is asking his guests to bring one of their family’s traditional dishes for the seder meal along with the story behind the dish. And, in an inspired “update,” the karpas portion of Scott’s seder is an actual salad rather than a measly sprig of parsley dipped in salt water. “That way no one is hungry during the first half of the seder,” Scott explained. Wow, I thought, what I would have given for a salad to hold me over all those years growing up! Friends Carol Rubin and Howard Schlansky, with whom we have shared many lovely seders, begins their family one by involving everyone in a tzedakah project that takes place just before the seder begins. Carol contacts Jewish Family Services in advance to check on the organization’s most pressing needs. Her projects have included soup in a jar; school backpacks filled with school supplies; toiletry items; and bags of healthy snacks. All guests happily contribute. Another variation: The seder begins in the family room, where everyone can be comfortably seated or reclined (i.e., here is “how this night is different from all other nights”). Every guest is invited to write their name, the date of the seder and any additional artistic flourishes on a large white tablecloth. Once filled, the tablecloth is used on the seder table. The large coffee table in the center of Carol and Howard’s family room holds a seder plate along with some noshes, including Carol’s delicious “eggplant” chopped liver, matzah crackers and gefilte fish. Everyone takes a turn reading passages from the Haggadah and Carol elicits discussion of various topics brought up by those passages. It’s a highlight of the
March 30, 2022
Page 3B
Recipe: Yemeni Chicken Soup with Vegetables & Matzah Balls (Recipe adapted from Chef Einat Admony) INGREDIENTS
Hawaij Spice Mixture: 2 tbsp. ground cumin 1 tbsp. ground coriander 1 tbsp. ground turmeric 1 ½ tsp. ground black pepper, or to taste 1 tsp. ground cardamom ½ tsp. ground cloves Soup: 6 skin-on, bone-in chicken drumsticks (about 1 ½ lb.), patted dry 2 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, patted dry Coarse kosher salt, for sprinkling 2 tbsp. vegetable oil 1 large onion, cut into ½-inch pieces 1 whole head of garlic, most of outermost skins removed and ¼-inch cut off the top of the garlic bulb 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces 2 celery stalks, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces 2 dried bay leaves 1 quart (4 c.) chicken broth ½ tsp. ground cumin ½ tsp. ground turmeric ½ cup finely chopped cilantro, plus more for garnishing. Half of a small butternut squash, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 1 lb.)
evening for the guests. Our friends Brenda and Joe Pereles have also introduced several traditions to their seders. For example, when they get to the
PASSIONATE PALATE Margi Lenga Kahn is the mother of five and grandmother of nine. While teaching virtual cooking classes and preparing meals for the local Meals On Wheels program, she continues to work on a project to preserve the stories and recipes of heritage cooks. She welcomes your comments and suggestions at margikahn@gmail.com.
3
medium Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1¼ lb.), peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces Coarse kosher salt, to taste Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Matzo balls: 4 large eggs ¼ cup vegetable oil 2 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro 2 tsp. dried fenugreek leaves, crushed, or 3/4 tsp. ground fenugreek seeds ½ -1 tsp. coarse Kosher salt, or to taste Freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 cup matzo meal DIRECTIONS
Hawaij: 1. Combine cumin, coriander, turmeric, pepper, cardamom, and cloves in a small bowl; stir to combine. (Note: Hawaij can be made 1 month ahead. Store in an airtight jar or container at room temperature.) Soup: 1. Generously season chicken with salt. Heat oil in a large heavy pot (at least 7 quarts) over medium-high. Cook chicken, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 12–16 minutes. Transfer chicken pieces to a plate; reserve. 2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and garlic to pot. Cook, stirring, until onion is golden, about 10 minutes. Add carrots, celery, bay leaves, broth, and 3 quarts cold water along with chicken to pot. Cover and bring to a boil, skimming any foam from surface. Add
10 plagues in the Hagaddah, everyone at the table dons a mask that aligns with a specific plague. The meal portion of the Pereles’ seders begins with gefilte fish, which Brenda’s mother and grandmother always made “from scratch”—and, as with most such traditional recipes, never handwritten. So Brenda has developed her own version, which involves a can or jar of prepared gefilte fish recooked in a pot with onions, carrots, spices, and water. Once the fish has absorbed the new flavors, she refrigerates the whole thing. Then, just before serving the fish, Brenda sautés onions and round slices of carrots in butter and
cumin, turmeric, 2 tbsp. hawaij, and ½ c. chopped cilantro. Reduce heat so soup is at a bare simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Add butternut squash and potatoes, bring to a light boil and re-cover pot. Reduce heat and simmer soup for another 45 minutes. Taste, adding more salt and pepper, as needed. (Soup can be made up to 2 days in advance. Reheat over a medium-low temperature.) Matzo balls: 1. Whisk eggs, oil, cilantro, fenugreek, salt, a pinch of pepper, and ¼ cup broth from soup in a medium bowl to combine. Whisk in matzo meal; cover and chill dough until cold, at least 30 minutes. 2. Bring a large pot of water to a light boil with 2 tsp. salt. 3. Working one at a time, shape dough into ping-pong-size balls (about a heaping tablespoonful each). 4. Add matzo balls, one at a time, to the boiling water. Cover pot with lid and reduce heat to simmer. 5. Continue cooking matzo balls for about 30 minutes or until they are light and floating at the top of the pot. Using a slotted spoon, transfer matzo balls to a bowl. 6. Reheat soup. Place 2 matzo balls in each bowl and spoon soup and a mixture of chicken and vegetables over matzo balls. 7. Garnish each bowl with chopped cilantro; serve. Makes 6-8 servings.
adds in the liquid from the cold fish. She serves the fish on a lettuce leaf and drizzles each one with the warm sauce. Not quite her mother’s, but close enough And every Pereles seder meal ends with Brenda’s flourless chocolate cake followed by each guest writing their name and date on the back page of their Haggadah, beneath those that have come before them. I love hearing how others have worked within the prescribed order of the Seder to create a unique family experience. If your family has any unusual traditions, please share them with me. Perhaps I can include some of yours in an upcoming column. Chag Pesach sameach!
Recipe: Creamy Lemon Tart with Coconut Date-Nut Crust (Recipe adapted from Dorie Greenspan, New York Times) INGREDIENTS
Crust: 1 c. almonds, toasted 2/3 c. pecans, toasted 1 c. Medjool dates, pitted 3/4 c. shredded unsweetened coconut 3 tbsp. coconut oil 1 egg white lightly whisked, to brush on bottom of crust Lemon Filling: 1 medium-large lemon, scrubbed and dried 1 ¼ c./250 g. granulated sugar 2 large eggs, at room temperature
3 4
tbsp./24 g. potato starch ounces/113 g. unsalted butter melted and cooled Powdered sugar, for dusting top of pie
DIRECTIONS
1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees. 2. Place all the nuts in the bowl of a food processor. Process until evenly chopped. Add dates, coconut, and coconut oil to nuts and pulse processor until everything is combined, finely chopped, and mixture holds together when pressed. 3. Lightly oil a 9-inch pie plate; press datenut mixture evenly onto bottom and up the sides of the plate. Brush bottom of crust with a thin layer of lightly beaten egg white. Place in
oven and bake for 10 minutes. Set pie plate onto cooling rack; let cool. 4. Cut the lemon into thin slices and discard the seeds. Place the lemon slices (and any residual juices) and sugar into the bowl of a food processor; process for 3 minutes (or longer until completely pureed), scraping the bowl as needed, until mixture is smooth. With the machine running, add the eggs, one at a time, and then, when they’re fully incorporated, add the potato starch followed by the melted butter. Remove the bowl and tap it against the counter a few times. 5. Set the cooled pie plate onto a baking sheet and pour the lemon filling into the crust. Carefully place everything in the oven and bake the pie for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the filling is puffy and lightly browned, and the center
slightly jiggles when you lightly shake the pie (don’t worry if the top is cracked). Gently insert a toothpick into the center of the pie-it should come out clean. Transfer the pie, still on the baking sheet, to a cooling rack. Let cool to room temperature. (At this point, the tart can be served, refrigerated, or frozen for up to 2 weeks. To freeze, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, not letting the wrap touch the filling. Slide covered pie into a plastic bag and freeze. Let thaw in the refrigerator for 6 hours before serving.) 6. Before serving, dust pie lightly with powdered sugar and slice. Makes 1, 9-inch pie.
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Page 4B
FEATURES
March 30, 2022
STL
JEWISH LIGHT
stljewishlight.org
PASSOVER RECIPE
Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are a tasty Passover treat Recipe: Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
BY SHANNON SARNA THE NOSHER VIA JTA
I love it when people taste my pareve desserts and say, “Wow—this is pareve!?” It’s the same rule with Passover dishes and desserts. Which is why I am on a never-ending search for the perfect Passover desserts that are good enough to eat all year and just happen to also be Passover-friendly. In one of my searches I came across this recipe for Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies which I realized could easily be made Passoverfriendly just by swapping out the peanut butter for almond butter. I adjusted a few ingredients and the result is a super tasty, chewy cookie that is good enough to enjoy all year. Your guests are sure to ask incredulously, “Are you sure these are kosher for Passover?” Truly the ultimate compliment. This article first appeared on The Nosher (www.thenosher.com).
INGREDIENTS
1 1 1 1 1 ½
cup almond butter egg cup packed brown sugar tsp vanilla cup chocolate chips cup chopped walnuts thick sea salt (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Mix together almond butter, egg, brown sugar and vanilla. 3. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts. 4. Spoon out tablespoon-sized mounds onto ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with pinch of thick sea salt on top if desired. 5. Bake for 11 minutes, and then allow to cool for 5 minutes while cookies remain on
6. Transfer to baking rack to cool completely.
JEWISH LITE JEWISH CROSSWORD PUZZLE
By Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com | ‘Seder Requirement’ Difficulty: Medium
Across
20. Have some matzah 21. *First name behind “Dr. Strangelove” 24. Dessert that’s likely chametz 25. Audiophile’s acquisition 27. Masted ship 29. Banks of “America’s Got Talent” 30. Menachem’s predecessor 34. Flanders and Ryerson 35. *Act required for
1. Airy lobbies 6. Dorm heads, for short 9. Major brand at many a seder 14. Beach Boy Wilson 15. Havdalah need 16. Precursor to delete 17. “Madam Secretary” actress Téa 18. NCAA basketball champs of 2000 19. Diaper, Down Under
LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS 1
D
14
A
17
C
20
H
24
A
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32
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33
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34
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59
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63
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62
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65
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I
16
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6
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building the Tabernacle or Temple 38. AKA name 41. The bane of many men 42. TV director Linka Glatter 46. *Bi-weekly Jewish ceremony 48. *It’s fine for groggers but not for (kosher) shofars 50. “This is Where ___ You” (hit Jonathan Tropper novel) 51. Take the offensive 52. Palindromic negative prefix 53. A Shtisel on “Shtisel” 57. Key chess piece, in Spain 58. Essential part of the Seder hinted at by the starred clues....or an alternative title to this puzzle 63. Otherworldly being 65. 1-1, e.g. 66. Ceremonial cutter 69. Transit option in D.C. or L.A.
PHOTO: SHANNON SARNA
the baking sheet.
70. Drink that’s chametz 71. Amazon option 72. Toys you can walk or swing 73. 42nd and Elm: abbr. 74. Instagram option
Down 1. Best-suited for a job 2. Versailles event of 1919 3. Protester who goes too far 4. NFL announcer Eagle 5. Herb that tastes like licorice 6. Rabbi Moses Isserles, with “The” 7. AAA member?: Abbr. 8. Synagogue 9. Birthplace of Obama’s father 10. Major time 11. Spatter with paint 12. Noticed 13. Seth of “Late Night” who said he’s “Jew...ish” 22. Caesar wrap 23. Actor Morales
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59
54
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64
57 61
65
66
69
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72
73
74
helpful to many crosswords 26. Best Western rival 28. Consume 31. Shalom preceder 32. Shlep 33. Bit of rain 36. Uncle of Yosef and Yehuda 37. GPS above-theEquator fig.
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March 30, 2022
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St. Louis attorney Joel Schwartz on his new book and actor playing him in ‘The Thing About Pam’ the time I was in the ninth grade, we were playing every bar mitzvah in town.
BILL MOTCHAN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
The murder of Betsy Faria in 2011 initially cast her husband Russ as the villain and her presumptive killer. That was until the Jewish St. Louis attorney Joel Schwartz stepped in and ably defended Faria. Betsy Faria’s friend Pamela Hupp was then charged with the murder. The crime investigation and trial of Russ Faria are described in the recently published “Bone Deep: Untangling the Twisted True Story of the Tragic Betsy Faria Murder Case” by Schwartz and true crime writer Charles Bosworth. The case is also the subject of the NBC miniseries “The Thing About Pam” starring Renee Zellweger as Hupp and Josh Duhamel as Schwartz. Schwartz will give a talk on untangling the Betsy Faria murder case on April 6 at SIU Edwardsville at 6 p.m. via Zoom. Attendance is free, and registration is required. The registration form is online at https://bit.ly/book-rsvp. The Jewish Light caught up with Schwartz earlier this month for a Q&A. Briefly describe your job. In a nutshell, I defend justice to make sure the system works as it should. How is the book doing? The book sales have been going wonderfully and the TV series helps. It’s kind of neat because the book and TV series, while they are factually accurate, are a completely different take on the facts. Connect with your community every morning.
Are there similarities or skills needed to be effective as an actor and a trial lawyer? You need to believe what you are telling the jury. Otherwise, you’re going nowhere, and if you don’t believe in what you’re saying as an actor, you’re going to be a pretty terrible actor.
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March 30, 2022
STL
JEWISH LIGHT
stljewishlight.org
A look at contemporary social issues through the lens of the Holocaust, its lessons and its historical significance. INAUGURAL LECTURE Tuesday, April 19, 2022 6:30 P.M. The Factory Chesterfield, Missouri
FEATURING Jonathan Greenblatt CEO and National Director of ADL (Anti-Defamation League) Tickets ($10) available now at ticketmaster.com.
Presented by:
Hosted by:
Additional Sponsors:
In partnership with:
Sister Mary Byles Peace and Justice Endowed Fund Rubin and Gloria Feldman Family Educational Institute Maryville University Hillel Advisory Council
Arrangements for the appearance of Jonathan Greenblatt made through UTA Speakers, New York, N.Y.
stljewishlight.org
STL
JEWISH LIGHT
FEATURES
March 30, 2022
Page 7B
NEW JEWISH THEATRE
After dark stages, we need ‘Laughter on the 23rd Floor’
‘Laughter on the 23rd Floor’ WHEN: Through April 10 WHERE: The J’s Wool Studio Theatre, 2 Millstone Campus Drive HOW MUCH: $52.97-$63.78 MORE INFO: newjewishtheatre.org
BY JUDITH NEWMARK SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
A Jew who escaped the Third Reich gets to New York. What should he do there? What else? Write comedy! That man, Val, is portrayed with aplomb and a zesty Yiddish accent by Aaron Mermelstein in the New Jewish Theatre’s production of “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” — and he’s central to Neil Simon’s sweet-hearted stage memoir of his time as a writer for Sid Caesar’s “Your Show of Shows.” Val would make an excellent character to build a whole play around. But this is not that play. Nobody is the central character in “Laughter,” an ensemble piece if ever there was one. If you insisted on picking one, however, it still wouldn’t be Val. It would be Lucas, the very young writer who cannot believe that he has lucked into the best job he can imagine, working with some of the best people he’s ever going to know. Lucas stands in for Simon himself. This is obviously comfortable territory for Jacob Flekier, who last appeared at NJT as a still-younger version of Simon in “Brighton Beach Memoirs.” He is our guide through the mischegas that, to his and our enduring astonishment, miraculously creates the original must-see TV every week. No wonder Flekier beams like a lightbulb from the inside out. It’s a privilege to write there, and he knows it. Directed by Eddie Coffield, the show boasts plenty of onstage talent, much of it familiar to St. Louis theatergoers, plus some relative newcomers. They all get their moment to shine. David Cooperstein plays a hypochondriac writer (Woody Allen?). Joel Moses plays a nervous writer who courts disaster by coming to work in a white suit that begs to be mocked, then trying to hide behind newspapers and potted plants. Michael Pierce is a shrewd and debonaire writer (Carl Reiner? You can’t help guessing.) Kirsten De Broux plays the lone female writer, John Wolbers plays the lone Gentile, an Irish charmer, and Annie Zigman plays a secretary who dreams of comedy writing down the road. Fow now, they all work to serve the star of the show, Max Prince. (A little joke even there. Caesar’s last name means “king.”) As Max, Ben Ritchie dominates every scene he is in — roaring, kidding, munching, truly a star. The writers orbit him like planets. At one point, they are trying to create a skit based on a new hit movie, “Julius Caesar.” That was a real movie, in which Marlon Brando starred as Marc Antony. Big deal. Here, Max plays Caesar as if Brando were playing Caesar (Julius, not Sid), and it works. You can almost imagine you really
The New Jewish Theatre production of Neil Simon’s ‘Laughter on the 23rd Floor’ includes actors (above, from left) John Wolbers and Michael Pierce; (at left) Jacob Flekier and (at right) Joel Moses. ALL PHOTOS: JON GITCHOFF 1954 after five seasons. It was still a great show. What happened? Today, the consensus is that, as more and more people all over the country owned television sets, they demanded different fare. “Your Show of Shows” came to be seen as too “sophisticated.” Too “smart.” Too “New York.” But isn’t that a euphemism for too … Well. We seem to have circled back to Val.
®
saw that movie. It was no tragedy. Coffield, who is NJT’s artistic director, made a smart choice in returning to live performance with “Laughter” after 22 months of lockdown. Scholars have devoted volumes to the roots of Jewish humor, the persistence of Jewish humor, and the enormously outsized role that Jewish humor and actual Jews have played in American comedy. These would all be worthwhile topics for a lecture series. (I’d go, wouldn’t you?) But Neil Simon was no academic. Instead, he gives us a closeup look at Jewish comedy in America, right in its kitchen, a place that most of us don’t get to go. His fictional version starts when the show is a big hit, then continues to its cancellation. “Your Show of Shows” was cancelled in
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FEATURES
March 30, 2022
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JEWISH LIGHT
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JEWISH CELEBRITIES
Radcliffe’s bad-guy role in ‘The Lost City’; Bebe Neuwirth in ‘Julia’ BY NATE BLOOM SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
“The Lost City,” which opened in theaters on March 25, stars Sandra Bullock as Loretta, a romance novelist who is kidnapped by Fairfax, an eccentric billionaire. Fairfax thinks that Loretta really knows the location of a treasure-filled lost city mentioned in a novel she wrote. Loretta’s novel has a photo of its (fictional) hero on the cover. Alan (Channing Tatum) is the handsome model whose photo was used. Alan decides to make fiction real and rescue Loretta. Brad Pitt plays a CIA agent who helps him. DANIEL RADCLIFFE, 32, plays Fairfax. As everyone knows, Radcliffe became famous as the adolescent star of the “Harry Potter” movies. His adult film career hasn’t been stellar — but he’s worked steadily, and he is doing much better than many actors who become stars
when they are children or teens before fading away. Plus, Radcliffe is sitting on a “gelt pile.” His huge “Potter” paydays reportedly left him with a personal fortune of about $100 million. As I have noted before, Radcliffe is the son of an English Jewish mother and an Irish Protestant father. He identifies as Jewish, although he was raised secular and remains so. vvv The Disney+ original film “Better Nate Than Ever” premieres on April 1. Nate, 13, is an unpopular Pittsburgh teen who fantasies that he will become a big Broadway star. His best friend, Libby, convinces him to go to New York and audition for a big Broadway musical. He lucks out when he runs into his Aunt Heidi (LISA KUDROW, 58), a “showbiz smart” person who has long been estranged from Nate’s parents. vvv
ABOVE: Daniel Ratcliffe in ‘The Lost City.’ PHOTO: PARAMOUNT PICTURES
RIGHT: Peter Coyote in 2019. PHOTO: FRANK SCHULENBURG/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS On April 4 and 5, most PBS stations will air a two-part biography of Benjamin Franklin (8-10 p.m.). The super-famous documentary maker Ken Burns directed the episodes. It is narrated by actor PETER COYOTE, 80.
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I doubt that Burns (whose wife is Jewish) will even mention this—but I will—in case you come across the many antisemitic sites that say Franklin wrote a lengthy attack on Jews. Usually called the “Franklin Prophecy,” this “big lie” was actually written by a notorious antisemite in the 1930s. As many scholars have noted, Franklin (really) gave a small cash donation to a struggling Philadelphia synagogue. Not something an antisemite would do. vvv The original HBO series “Julia,” about the life of Julia Child, the famous chef and cook-book writer, premieres on March 31. The HBO series will cover Child’s years in Paris (1948-1960) and her long-running American TV series, which began in 1963. BEBE NEUWIRTH, 64 (Lilith on “Cheers”) plays Avis Devoto, a good cook and a top book editor who was a great friend of Child. JULIA LIGHT, 73, has a supporting role as BLANCHE KNOPF (1894-1966), the wife of Child’s publisher, ALFRED KNOPF (1892-1984). The Knopfs were born into affluent New York Jewish families. They bonded over their love of books. They were a professional team, a rare thing in their day. Three years after Knopf books was founded (1915), Blanche was named a vice-president. She became president in 1957 (Alfred was made chairman). She was a top editor who launched the careers of many famous writers. It’s obvious that “Julia” was at least “inspired” by “Julie & Julia” (2009), a hit film directed and written by the late NORA EPHRON. It covered parts of two real lives: Julia Child (Meryl Streep) and Julie Powell (Amy Adams). The film followed Child during her years in Paris with her diplomat husband, Paul Child (Stanley Tucci), her return to America and the 1961 publication of her first book. Julie (Amy Adams) is nice young woman who took a year (2002) to cook every recipe in Child’s first book. Her blog about her “cooking year” was a big hit and turned around her whole life. The film depicted Child as (mostly) a mensch. But Ephron had the courage to put a chink in Child’s “halo.” Shortly after the “blog year” was completed, Child told a reporter that she disliked Julie’s blog. This comment was in the film, as was the hurt this criticism caused Julie. When I saw the “dislike the blog” scene, I thought of the late composer John Morris, a great friend of my aunt. He wrote all the music for MEL BROOKS movies that Brooks didn’t write himself. He also wrote the theme music for “The French Chef,” Child’s most famous TV series. Morris told my aunt that he was excited when Child invited him to a “working lunch” at her home. He was crestfallen when she served him a tuna fish sandwich.
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HEALTHWATCH
March 30, 2022
Page 9B
Healthwatch is a monthly feature focusing on a health- or fitness-related topic with a Jewish angle. The feature is published the second edition of each month. Have a suggestion for a potential Healthwatch subject? Email news@stljewishlight.org.
Report: Israel is 9th happiest country in the world BY CALEB GUEDES-REED JTA
Israel is the ninth happiest country in the world, according to the World Happiness Report, a project of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Israel has moved slowly up the rankings in recent years, going from No. 14 in 2020 to No. 11 in 2021. The Report, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, says it factors a country’s GDP, social support, life expectancy, “freedom to make life choices,” citizen generosity and perceptions of corruption into its ranking. The U.N. is known as a harsh critic of Israel, singling it out with continual condemnations and more critical resolutions
Israeli researchers find book-filled childhood could prevent later cognitive decline BY ABIGAIL KLEIN LEICHMAN ISRAEL21C
Books intrigue and delight children, and now we know they may also help those children preserve cognitive functioning into old age. Growing up in a book-filled home seems to improve memory in those 65 years old and older as well as preserve against cognitive decline, according to a study by Galit Weinstein of the University of Haifa, Ella Cohn-Schwartz of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and Noam Damri of the Israel Gerontological Data Center. The researchers drew their conclusions from an analysis of results from two waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). In 2011 and 2013, the survey was completed by the same 8,239 individuals aged 65 or over who did not suffer from neurodegenerative disease. Their analysis concluded that a bookfilled childhood home – defined modestly as containing 11 to 25 books — correlated significantly with improved immediate memory, delayed memory, verbal fluency, and less global cognitive decline. “If we can identify early life factors that affect brain aging and give an advantage to people in late life, then we can preserve cognitive function in older age,” explained Cohn-Schwartz, from BGU’s Department of Public Health. The team’s findings were published in the journal Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders. “This study contributes to our understanding of the importance of our childhood environments for brain health in old age. More studies are needed to determine the long-term effects on the brain of the transition from reading printed books to using digital media,” said Weinstein. This article was originally published by Israel21c (online at Israel21c.org) and is republished with permission.
than any other nation. Its Sustainable Development Solutions Network was founded in 2012 to advance U.N. sustainability, anti-poverty and industry goals around the world. Each country’s response to COVID-19 was also a factor in the ranking, the report noted. Israel was one of the first countries to successfully vaccinate a large percentage of its population. “Deaths from COVID-19 during 2020 and 2021 have been markedly lower in those countries with higher trust in public institutions and where inequality is lower,” the report reads. As usual, the Nordic countries held their spots at the top of the list, with Finland ranking as the happiest country in the world for the fifth year in a row. Denmark,
People gather on a seaside promenade in Tel Aviv in May 2021. PHOTO: JACK GUEZ/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
Iceland and Switzerland placed in the top four, with the Netherlands, Luxembourg,
Sweden and Norway the only others ahead of Israel.
New Advanced Test Options Mean Earlier Detection and Treatment of Heart Disease Diagnosing and treating patients well begins with selecting the most precise tests, especially when it comes to the heart. “Advancement of new imaging techniques is revolutionizing how we treat patients,” says Harvard-trained cardiologist, Dr. Craig Reiss, chief of cardiovascular medicine at St. Luke’s Hospital in Chesterfield, Missouri. “I work as a cardiologist at St. Luke’s Hospital, and I am excited about the developments in noninvasive cardiology methods used to detect heart disease. Among these advancements in early intervention tools is the cardiac PET stress test.” If you or someone you know has had a heart evaluation, it is likely you have heard of a standard stress test. Sometimes referred to as a treadmill test, it is designed to indicate how well your heart manages strain, as well as whether blood supply is limited in any of the arteries. These stress tests have existed for quite some time and are considered a standard assessment tool in evaluating cardiac health. However, the cardiac PET stress test available at St. Luke’s Hospital is far superior to the classic stress test. The PET stress test is the most advanced imaging test for the detection and assessment of coronary artery disease available. The utilization of this test ensures patients can receive adequate treatment and make necessary lifestyle changes to stop or slow the progression of coronary artery disease. The complete procedure can be performed in as little as 30 minutes and offers 75% less radiation than other imaging tests. The PET stress test can also accommodate up to 500 pounds, making it ideal for patients with larger body frames, or those with inconclusive previous stress tests due to high BMIs. In addition to PET stress testing, St. Luke’s offers the most advanced CT imaging techniques of the
coronary arteries available. These methods allow us to examine the coronary arteries without performing a cardiac catheterization. The new CT imaging also measures blood flow in order to determine blockage significance in calcified blood vessels. Previously, information of this kind could only be obtained through an invasive heart catheterization procedure, in which a long tube would be surgically threaded through a blood vessel to the heart. These exciting new technologies have enabled us at St. Luke’s Hospital to diagnose and treat patients with underlying heart problems significantly earlier and more accurately than was possible even 5 years ago. Often, we are able to avoid invasive catheterization. We also now have powerful new drugs available to lower cholesterol as an alternative to statins. This combination makes us more adept at preventing heart disease and second occurrences in people who have already experienced a cardiac event. At St. Luke’s, we have the added advantage of being the only hospital in the region to be an official alliance member of Cleveland Clinic’s Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute. This collaboration means our patients have access to the highest level of innovative care in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area. Together, St. Luke’s and Cleveland Clinic deliver heart and vascular care that’s a beat above the rest.
Craig Reiss, MD, St. Luke’s Hospital
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a heart condition that needs a first diagnosis or a second opinion, trust the heart specialists at St. Luke’s Heart & Vascular Institute. Contact us at 314-205-6801 or visit stlukesstl.com/hearthealth. Same-day cardiology appointments are available.
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CHAILIGHTS
STL
APR
Y O U R C A L E N D A R O F S T. L O U I S J E W I S H C O M M U N I T Y E V E N T S
SUNDAY | APRIL 3 Celebrate the new Jewish month at the carousel
Temple Emanuel invites any families with children or grandchildren in 2nd grade or younger to celebrate Rosh Chodesh (the Jewish holiday marking the new month) at the Faust Park carousel from 1:30-2:30 p.m. at Faust Park. Since the Jewish calendar is based on the moon cycle, it’s traditional to eat round foods and celebrate all things round. You can enjoy unlimited carousel rides, plus stories, round snacks, a craft and other activities. Free; RSVP to emily@testl.org.
Journalist leads webinar on effects of war on Ukrainian Jewry
St. Louis Friends of Israel is co-sponsoring a free webinar at 1 p.m. on “How Putin’s Aggression has destroyed Ukrainian Jewry.” Journalist Sam Sokol, a reporter for Haaretz and author of “Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews,” will be the guest speaker. Sokol was previously a correspondent for the Jerusalem Post and Jewish Telegraphic Agency. The event is cosponsored by the St. Louis Friends of Israel, the Atlanta Israel Coalition and the Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation. Register by visiting https://bit.ly/Sam-Sokol.
Nishmah plans one-day women’s retreat See related news brief on 4A.
TUESDAY | APRIL 5 Interfaith Partnership leader discusses ‘New Interpretations of Old Traditions’
At 10 a.m. Rev. Jim Poinsett, executive director of Interfaith Partnership of Greater St. Louis, will lead a free online discussion about how millennials and younger people are finding spiritual meaning amidst contemporary challenges and what that means for our religious institutions. Program is provided in conjunction with FEL (Friends Enjoying Life), an organization supported by the Mirowitz Center. Register by visiting http://bit.ly/Register_MirowitzCenter or call 314-733-9813.
WEDNESDAY | APRIL 6 JNF breakfast event: ‘Peace, Politics, Putin and the Pandemic’ Jerusalem Post correspondent Gil Hoffman is the guest speaker at Jewish National Fund-USA’s Midwest Breakfast for Israel at 8 a.m., a free virtual event held via Zoom. Register at jnf.org/BFImidwest or contact Kim R. Levy, executive director, Midwest at klevy@jnf.org or 847-656-8880, ext. 763.
Relationships, rituals and rules with Carole Simon
At 2 p.m. Carole Simon will lead the final part of a three-part series discussing how we can redefine and re-imagine “relationships,” “rituals” and “rules” within our families and communities and create supportive space to enable our loved ones to have positive memories and connections, as we did. Register for this free Mirowitz Center virtual event by visiting http://bit.ly/Register_ MirowitzCenter or call 314-733-9813.
What really happened at Mount Sinai?
At 2 p.m. Sheldon Enger, Judaic educator at various institutions, will lead the first of a two-part (second part on April 13) exploration of what really happened when Moses received the Commandments at Mount Sinai, and the underlying lawgiving process that has permeated its way throughout Jewish history. Register for this free Mirowitz Center virtual event by visiting http://bit.ly/Register_MirowitzCenter or call 314-733-9813.
STARTING | APRIL 6 Yoga & mindful movement series with Dani Glassman
Join Dani Glassman, a yoga instructor and wellness professional, as she leads a Jewish Mindfulness Center course going through movements and poses designed to ground participants’ bodies and minds in gratitude and strength. The course meets at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 6, 13 and 20. The series is offered as a hybrid model, both in-person and online. Registration is required. To register, call Stacy Jespersen at 314-569-0010. A suggested donation ranging from $18-36 for the series is appreciated, though all are welcome regardless of ability to financially contribute.
At 6 p.m., the Heritage Foundation of Chesterfield will host an event celebrating the lives of three local citizens, each with a unique first-hand experience of World War II: Holocaust survivor (the late Ben Fainer), Nazi camp liberator (David Lupo) and American P.O.W. in Germany (Frank Huelskoetter). A ceremony will be held at the Chesterfield Community Center at Chesterfield Mall, followed by a book signing and open house and at the Chesterfield History Museum. Speakers will include Chesterfield Mayor Bob Nation, Michael Staenberg (friend of Fainer), Sharon Berry (Fainer’s daughter), Helen Turner (St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum), and Mark Leach, co-author with Fainer of “Silent for Sixty Years: Ben Fainer – Holocaust Survivor.” RSVPs are required by visiting https:// tinyurl.com/2uky8nnc or by leaving a phone message at 484-393-1734.
‘Salamis & Swastikas: Letters Home from a G.I. Jew’
Steve Stoliar, author of ‘Salamis & Swastikas: Letters Home from a G.I. Jew’
At 2 p.m. Steve Stoliar (a St. Louis native), will present his newest book, “Salamis & Swastikas: Letters Home from A G.I. Jew,” a collection of letters and photos sent by Stoliar’s father, Staff Sgt. David E. Stoliar, to his wife and baby daughter in St. Louis during World War II. This event is made possible through the Saul Brodsky Library Lazaroff Community Lecture series, a program of Jewish Federation, and co-sponsored by the Mirowitz Center. Register for this free virtual event by visiting http://bit.ly/Register_ MirowitzCenter or call 314-733-9813.
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Local Jewish organizations and congregations can submit calendar items to news@ stljewishlight.org. All items received by 5 p.m. Friday will be considered for the following week’s edition.
STARTING | APRIL 7 Kol Rinah/Crown Center series looks at Jews and food
At 10:30 a.m. on Thursdays, starting April 7, Rabbi Noah Arnow will lead a series looking at “Food perspectives: How do Jews Eat?” Using text, stories and conversation, Arnow will facilitate a five-part series exploring Jewish teachings and practices around food and eating. Presented by Kol Rinah and Crown Center. RSVP at KolRinahStl.org or 314-727-1747.
FRIDAY | APRIL 8 Awaken with Prayer Lab
At 6 p.m. join Rabbi Andrea Goldstein, Lucy Greenbaum and the Prayer Lab musicians for this non-traditional Shabbat service at Congregation Shaare Emeth, combining contemporary readings, poetry, participatory music, interactive teachings and meditation and personal reflection. Our theme for this month is Awaken. Whether you join online or in-person, worshippers are encouraged to come with open minds and open hearts. All are welcome. Contact Stacy Jespersen for more information.
‘On the Record’ with Bob Cohn
At 11 a.m. join Bob Cohn, editor-in-chief emeritus of the Jewish Light, to discuss Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine. This program is provided in conjunction with FEL. Register for this free Mirowitz Center virtual event by visiting http://bit.ly/Register_ MirowitzCenter or call 314-733-9813.
Rabbi Noah Arnow
Jewish Federation plans ‘Here. For Good.’ Celebration See related news brief on 4A.
TUESDAY | APRIL 12 Kol Rinah plans Zoom presentation on ‘Mozart: The Magic Flute’
At 7:30 p.m. Opera Theatre of St. Louis docent Phyllis Hyken will discuss Mozart’s last opera and perhaps his greatest, “The Magic Flute,” including video excerpts. RSVP at kolrinahstl.org or 314-727-1747.
FRIDAY | APRIL 15 The J, Bnai Amoona plan community Passover family seder See related news brief on 7A.
Chabad of Chesterfield plans traditional Passover seder See related news brief on 7A.
ONGOING
THURSDAY | APRIL 7 Event honors ‘Chesterfield’s WWII Heroes’
JEWISH LIGHT
STARTING | APRIL 8 Faces Not Forgotten quilt exhibit at CRC From April 8 to 30, Central Reform Congregation is hosting an exhibit of the Faces Not Forgotten Missouri quilts, which paint portraits of children lost to gun violence to offer comfort and support to the families who grieve and raise awareness of the epidemic of child gun deaths in the U.S. CRC will welcome FNF Executive Director Christine Ilewski on April 8 both for the opening and to speak during Shabbat services. For more information, visit www.centralreform. org/events/faces-not-forgotten.
SUNDAY | APRIL 10 Adventure park trip for Jewish middle schoolers
All Jewish 6th, 7th and 8th graders are invited to Ryze Adventure Park in Maryland Heights from 3-5 p.m. (rain date May 1). Enjoy climbing and mini golf at this new adventure park, which features a 4-story tower with over 100 obstacles for all skill levels, zip lines, rappelling and more. The cost is $30 per student. Register at bit.ly/ stlryze by April 6. Presented by the St. Louis Jewish Youth Professionals Council, supported by the Jewish Federation.
Jewish War Veterans meeting
Jewish War Veterans Post 644 meetings will take place via Zoom for the foreseeable future at 10 a.m. the third Sunday each month. For more information contact Post 644 Commander Ellis Frohman at 636-519-7512
The Schmooze with NHBZ Rabbi Okin Calling all kids ages 4th grade and up! Come schmooze with NHBZ Rabbi Avi Okin and enjoy an evening of fun and food. The Schmooze program happens every Sunday evening from 6-7 p.m., and includes dinner, fun raffles and a Torah learning discussion with Okin. There is no charge for this program, and kids (and families) need not be members of NHBZ to attend. For more information, call 314-991-2100, ext. 2. (Kids ages 12 and under are not required to be vaccinated but will need to wear masks except when eating. Children ages 12 and up are required to be vaccinated to participate.)
Tech Tutor: Hardware helper
For those looking for assistance with their technology devices and wanting to acquire new skills, in-person appointments are available at the Mirowitz Center. Tech Tutor’s free in-person classes take place every Monday from 1 to 3:30 p.m., in 30-minute increments and are led by two extraordinarily qualified instructors, Larry Edison and Jim Salih. Please plan to wear a mask, sanitize your hands and maintain social distance. Register online at http://bit. ly/Register_MirowitzCenter or by calling 314-733-9813 or via email to joliver@mirowitzcenter.org
Rabbi leads weekly meditation
Join Rabbi Andrea Goldstein at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and 5 p.m. on Thursdays for mindfulness meditation sits. Incorporating lessons from the weekly Torah portion, as well as stories, rituals and symbols of the season, No meditation experience necessary. Questions? Contact Stacy Jespersen at sjespersen@sestl.org.
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SIMCHAS BIRTHS
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BIRTH: SIMHA YITZHAK COWSIK-HERSTAND
PHOTO: EMMA + JOSH
ALBAN-FREEDMAN WEDDING Liora Esther Alban and Daniel Moss Freedman were married November 14, 2021 at Spanish Hills Country Club in Camarillo, Calif., where Rabbi Stephen Einstein and Cantor Patti Linsky officiated. Liora Esther is the daughter of Judith and Arnold Alban of Los Angeles. She is the granddaughter of Laurie and the late Simon Alban and the late Ronna and Lewis Edgers all of Los Angeles. Daniel is the son of Ronda Moss and Richard Freedman of St. Louis. He is the grandson of the late Henrietta and Rudolph Freedman and the late Morris and Sylvia Moss, all of St. Louis. The bride’s sister, Eliana Alban, served as Maid of honor and the groom’s brother, Kevin Freedman, served as Best Man. Chuppah holders were Jessica Broutt and Virginia Dunlap, friends of the bride, and Miriam Giardina and Dexter Gregg, friends of the groom. Michael Morgenstern served as Usher. The couple met in Israel, where they were both completing their first year of rabbinical school. Liora and Daniel now live in the San Francisco Bay Area where they serve as rabbis at Peninsula Temple Sholom and Temple Sinai, respectively. Liora and Daniel plan to take a COVID-delayed honeymoon this summer to Bali.
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BAR MITZVAH: ADAM KRESS Adam Kress, son of David and Stacy Kress of Chesterfield, will become a bar mitzvah on April 9, 2022 at United Hebrew Congregation. Adam is the grandson of Bob and Nancy Jo Sterneck of Chesterfield, and Lynda and the late Marty Kress of St. Louis. He is the great-grandson of the late Abe and late Gloria Goldstein, the late Edward and late Ruthie Sterneck, the late Don and late Evelyn Singer, the late Erwin and Gladys Kress. Adam has a sister, Rylie, who is 10. Adam is a seventh-grade student at Parkway Central Middle School. He swims competitively for Parkway Swim Club and also enjoys riding bikes and hanging out with his friends and family.
HIRSCHFELD-MONTEFORTE WEDDING Rebecca Lynn Hirschfeld and Joseph Monteforte were married Feb. 19, 2022 at South Ponto Beach in Carlsbad, Calif. Rebecca is the daughter of Adrienne and Mark Hirschfeld of Ladue. Joseph is the son of Camelia and the late Patrick Monteforte of Venice, Fla. The bride’s sister, Danielle Lerner, served as matron of honor. The bridesmaids were Ellen Clifford, Penny Kuykendall and Shauna Monteforte. Groomsmen were Dave Stevenson, Mike Lipka and Jack Rickard. Patrick Monteforte was best man. Twins Hannah and Natalie Lerner, the bride’s nieces, and Claire Monteforte, the groom’s niece, were flower girls. Dylan Monteforte, the groom’s nephew, was ring bearer. The bride’s brothers Matthew and Joshua Hirschfeld were ushers. Bryan Bertone officiated. The bride wore a white satin gown from BHLDN. The beach ceremony was followed by a cocktail reception and dinner at the Westin Carlsbad Hotel. Friend and television star Karla Mosley serenaded the couple with Stephen Sondheim’s “Being Alive.” The couple, who wrote their own wedding vows, danced their first dance to Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic.” After the wedding, the couple honeymooned at Moana Surfrider, Waikiki Beach, Hawaii. The couple resides in Encinitas, Calif.
Micah Cowsik-Herstand and Vidya Cowsik-Santosh of University City are overjoyed to announce the birth of their son, Simha Yitzhak Cowsik-Herstand, on Feb. 18, 2022 in St. Louis, weighing 6 pounds and 6 ounces. Simha Yitzhak is named in honor of his maternal grandfather Santosh whose name also means happiness, and his paternal great great great grandfather Yitzhak who brought the Herstand (Hartzband) family to the United States from Poland to escape the pogroms. Simha was given the Hebrew name Simcha Yitzhak at a Brit Shalom facilitated by Rabbi Randy Fleisher of Central Reform Congregation on March 4, 2022. Simha is the grandson of Marc and Judith Herstand of Madison, Wis.; Kumari Santosh of University City and S. Santosh (z’’l), who passed in 2000. He is the great-grandson of the late Arnold and Olive Herstand, the late David and Sedel Chicorel, the late C Subramaniam and Sundari Subramaniam, and the late Ramakrishna Cowsik and Saraswathi Cowsik.
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JEWISH LIGHT
OBITUARIES
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BROUGHT TO YOU THIS WEEK BY:
OBITUARY NOTICES UPDATED DAILY AT STLJEWISHLIGHT.ORG/OBITUARIES
ANN MINNER ABRAMS, March 26, 2022 Beloved wife of the late Stanley Abrams for 70 amazing years; dear mother and mother in law of John (Debbie) Abrams and Ellen Abrams; dear Nana of David (Melissa) Abrams, Jason (Tara) Abrams, Daniel (Lynn) Abrams, Dorie (Drew) Ehrhardt, Brian (Samantha) Levinson, Amanda (Chris) Wang, Rob (Becky) Levinson; greatgrandmother of 14 “great” grandchildren and one on the way! dear sister of the late Jack (late Jerre) Minner; dear aunt, cousin and friend to many. A graveside service was held Tuesday, March 29, 2022 at Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery, 650 White Rd. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions preferred to Jewish Family Services, 10950 Schuetz Rd., 63146; Miriam Foundation, 501 Bacon Ave., 63119 or to a charity of your choice. The service was Livestreamed at www. bergermemorialchapel.com. Berger Memorial Service AL BAKER, March 15, 2022 Beloved husband of the late Mary Baker; dear father and father-in-law of Allison Baker-Weiss (late Mark Weiss) and Marcia Berger (late William Donahue); dear grandfather of Marke Weiss and Ashley Sontheimer (Chris); dear great-
grandfather of Addison and Jackson Sontheimer; dear brother and brother-in-law of the late Ruth Lefkowitz (late Earl) and the late Ida Tepper (late Hymie); dear brother-in-law of the late Christine Dover (late Don); dear uncle, great uncle, cousin and friend to many. A graveside service was held Thursday, March 17 at Bellerive Gardens Cemetery, 740 Mason Road. Visit bergermemorialchapel.com for more information and Live Stream link. Berger Memorial Service LEONA LEE BOHM Mom passed away on March 22, 2022, from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. Born in St. Louis, MO to Celia (nee Yablonofsky) and Julius Cytron on April 21, 1928. Mom shared her life with her husband, Milford Bohm (z’l) from 1952 until his death in 2000. Beloved mother of Miriam Margulies, Vicki (Craig) Norberg-Bohm (z’l), David (Joan) and Robert (Sue). Grandmother of Julia (Dan) Covert, Rebecca Margulies, Joseph, Eric, Joshua (Ellen) and Justin Bohm, and Jeremy Norberg-Bohm. Cherished aunt and great-aunt. Mom was a trusted confidant for her children. Mom helped create many fond memories for the family, including from the many wonderful family vacations on which she took her children and grandchildren, both before and after Dad’s death. She particularly enjoyed, and we will never forget, her 90th birthday party where she was surrounded by extended family who came in from all over the country, as well as many good friends. Mom was an RN, graduating from the Jewish Hospital (now Goldfarb) School of Nursing in 1949, and working at Children’s Hospital thereafter until her marriage. Mom maintained an affinity for and supported Goldfarb throughout her lifetime. Mom was a great philanthropist, giving
selflessly of both her money and her time, setting a wonderful example that her family can only hope to emulate. She was recognized as a Woman of Achievement in 1981 for her volunteer service. Over the years, Mom held many volunteer positions including: Brownie and Girl Scout troop leader, 61-66; campaign chair and then president of the Women’s Division of the St. Louis Jewish Federation, 79-83; president of St. Louis Jewish Family and Children’s Services, 77-79; board member of the American Jewish Family and Children’s Association, 77-83; lifetime member of the Board of Directors of Temple Shaare Emeth, lifetime member of the St. Louis Jewish Federation Board of Directors; longtime board member of Miriam United Order of True Sisters, St. Louis Chapter, and vice-president 81-83; board member, Visiting Nursing Association, 83-86; board member of the Community Housing Management Corp. (Covenant/Chai), 80-89, and president 87-89; longtime member of the Board of Directors of the American Society for Technion; member of the Board of Directors of the Repertory Theatre, 90-00 (including two years as vice-president); and member of the Board of Directors of the Jewish Hospital College of Nursing, 03-05. Among the awards Mom received were the Albert Einstein Award (with Milford) from the American Technion Society, 87; the AJC’s Community Service Award, ’88; the Shining Star Award from the Women’s Division of the Jewish Federation, ’93; the Ner Tamid (eternal flame) award (with Milford) from the Jewish Family and Children’s Service, ’96; election to the Honor Roll of the Jewish Hospital College of Nursing, ’03; and AJC’s Netzach award (along with her sons David and Robert and their wives Joan and Sue), ‘08; and the L’dor V’dor Award with her family
from Congregation Shaare Emeth, 14. Mom loved to garden, and her yard was always blooming with flowers from early spring until late fall. Mom kept an immaculate home in which she warmly entertained family and friends. She was a wonderful chef and baker. Mom greatly enjoyed the cultural arts, and greatly enjoyed the St. Louis Symphony, the Repertory Theatre, and COCA. David and Joan have fond memories of attending many shows at the Rep with Mom. She and Dad purchased a home in Palm Springs where they would go for several months each winter, and Mom continued to winter in Palm Springs for many years after Dad’s death, spending time with friends there and with visiting family members. Mom was warm, fun, caring and fiercely independent. As Alzheimer’s disease started to make it more difficult for Mom to care for a large home, she moved into the Gatesworth, where she enjoyed spending time with many of her friends who resided there. Finally, Mom moved to Parc Provence where she lived for the last year and a half of her life. The family would very much like to thank the caregivers at Parc Provence for the wonderful care they provided to Mom, and we would especially like to thank Kathy and Clara. The family would also like to thank Heartland Hospice for the care its staff provided to Mom during the last few months of her life. The memorial service for Lee Bohm was held Sunday, March 27 at Congregation Shaare Emeth. The memorial service was followed by grave side ceremony at Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery. The memorial service will be live streamed. The live stream recording is available online at https://bit.ly/Lee-Bohm. The family is requesting that, in lieu of flowers, gifts be made to the Harvey Kornblum Food Pantry, Covenant/Chai, or the Goldfarb School of Nursing. Berger Memorial Service Obituaries continue on opposite page
Family Lots Community Mausoleum Cremation Graves & Niches Forty-Two Forested Acres
In celebration
of tradition
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Berger Memorial Chapel wishes you and your loved ones the most joyous of Passovers. May happiness, peace and prosperity be with you this spring and the whole year through.
BERGER
MEMORIAL CHAPEL ST. LOUIS
Richard W. Stein & Emily Stein MacDonald 9430 Olive Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63132
NewMtSinaiCemetery.org | 314-353-2540 | 8430 Gravois Road
314-361-0622 BergerMemorialChapel.com
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March 30, 2022
JACK COHEN passed away peacefully on Friday, March 18th, 2022. Beloved husband of 46 years to Laura Cohen, father of Alison (Grant) Masson and Norma (Tim) O’Bryan, and grandfather of Tyson O’Bryan. Jack Cohen was generous, kind and a friend to everyone he met. His memories and legacy will live on through his friends and family. Jack especially enjoyed talks, playing games and spending time with his loved ones. He was born in Jamaica, New York, traveled the world, and lived in numerous places. Some of his favorite past times were listening to music, reading, playing Scrabble with Laura, and watching game shows. Jack served his country in Vietnam and graduated from Pepperdine University and Lindenwood College, receiving a master’s degree in electrical engineering. Jack was very active in his faith. He was a founding member, past president, volunteer teacher (for 25 years), director of education, and board member of B’nai Torah. He was also a past member of Board of Directors of the Jewish Light. In 2011, Jack was the recipient of the Unsung Hero Award. He was a student at St. Louis Kollel, and a published author of three books: The Beauty and Complexity of Human Life, She Is Not Related to Him, and Proud, Happy, and Thankful to be Jewish. A funeral service was held Tuesday, March 22 at Rindskopf-Roth Funeral Chapel, 5216 Delmar Blvd., followed by interment at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, 2900 Sheridan Road. Contributions in Jack’s memory may be made to the St. Louis Jewish Light, P.O. Box 78369, St. Louis, Mo. 63178, or online at www. stljewishlight.org/donate. A Rindskopf-Roth Service JEROME A. COHEN Born March 22, 1928, died March 16, 2022. Graduate of Soldan high school and St. Louis College of pharmacy. Served his country in Korea in the medical corps. Owned and operated Village Pharmacy in Ferguson for forty years. Devoted husband of 71 years, loving father, loved Israel, animals, handball, friends, stock investing, good food and travel. Generous, kind and a friend to every person he ever met. Nobody was a stranger to him. He will be missed by his whole family. Beloved husband of Frances Steinberg Cohen; dear father of Barbara Swerdlin (Dr. Steven), Bruce Cohen (Leslie) and Dr. Faye Cohen (Brian McCary); dearest grandfather of Nicole Au (William), Alexander Swerdlin, Jeffrey Cohen (Kimberly), Cayley Farkas (Andrew), Scott McCary and the late Candace Cohen; dear greatgrandfather of Clifford Au; brother of the late Marion Abitz (late Irving); dear cousin, uncle, and friend to many. A funeral service was held Friday, March 18 at Berger Memorial Chapel, 9430 Olive Boulevard. Interment followed at Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery, 650 White Road. Memorial contributions preferred to Nusach Hari B’nai Zion, 650 N. Price Road. Please visit www. bergermemorialchapel.com for more information. Berger Memorial Service HELEN POULIN DALITZ, March 19, 2022 It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Helen Poulin Dalitz. Helen was the oldest daughter of Issodore and May Kaufman Poulin and the sister of Jeannette Poulin Stein. A former St. Louisan, Helen was a 1945 graduate of Clayton High School. She was preceded in death by her husband Elliott Dalitz and her son Robert Michael Dalitz and great-granddaughter Gracie. Helen is survived by her children, Douglas, Charles (Edna), Shelly, and Ilese; Her grandchildren, Michele (Richard), Emily (Jason), Joshua (Noriko), Juan Carlos Kaileen, Jason (Mandy), Mandy (Shawn), Sarah, Rachel, Tim, Theresa, Tonya (Anthony), and Michael; Her greatgrandchildren, Hannah, Aidan, Madison, Matthew, Christopher, Danna, Noah, Danilo, A Monument Dedication For
OBITUARIES Emma, Troy, Avery, Carter, Raylan, Paxton, Emma, Cassidy, Raistlin, Helen, Arthur, Owen, Ruby, Jacee, Landon, Noan, Liam, Dawson, Aniyah, Azorya, Akylah, and Ajarya. As well as her long time friend who helped with her care, Dorothy Schreiner. Helen will be interred at Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery beside her husband and son. She will be greatly missed and fondly remembered as a mom to everyone she met especially remembered as a second mom to all the friends of her children. Contributions in her memory may be made to AIPAC as she was a staunch defender or the state of Israel. RENEE JUDITH DEALL, September 26 1952 March 22, 2022 Beloved daughter of the late Louis Deall and late Betty Kerman Deall; dear sister of Jerry ( Jackie) Deall; dear aunt of Gabe Deall; cousin of the Kerman, Teitelbaum, and Simon families; dear friend of Leslie Caplan, Rick Compton and countless others. She was an active member of Central Reform Congregation, where she was a beloved teacher of Torah study. Renee, a graduate of Clayton High School and Barnard College, was an extraordinarily bright and gifted artist. After college she moved back to St. Louis and created Beautiful Foods Catering which she operated for over 30 years. Renee was also an outstanding potter and a creator of spectacular miniatures. She was a lifelong learner who was passionate about food, travel, literature, humor, music and above all, friends and family. A graveside service took place on Friday, March 25, at Beth Hamedrosh Hagodol Cemetery, 9125 Ladue Rd, 63124. There was also a Memorial Service on Tuesday, March 29 at Central Reform Congregation, 5020 Waterman Blvd, 63108. Memorial contributions preferred to Central Reform Congregation or charity of your choice. The services were live streamed at www. bergermemorialchapel.com (Friday service) and www.centralreform.org (Tuesday service). Berger Memorial Service STAN FELDMAN, March 23, 2022 Dearly beloved husband of Nancy Feldman; devoted and proud father of Michael Feldman (Jacob Laws) and Andrew Feldman; dear son of the late Florence (Voda) Feldman Fox and the late Morris Feldman; dear son-in-law of Lois and the late Wilbur Bender. Dear friend to many. After graduating from University City High School, Stan pursued undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Missouri, and it was while in veterinary school, that Stan met the love of his life, Nancy. Stan owned two animal clinics: his primary in Clayton, and his expansion clinic in Bridgeton. In addition, for many years he volunteered several days per week at the APA, spaying and neutering homeless (soon to be adopted) pets, often under the watchful eye of Michael and Andrew, who were thrilled about their frequent invitations to “watch surgery” while dressed in Stan’s well-worn surgical scrubs. Despite his sometimes grueling work schedule Stan always carved out time to devote to the people and the pastimes he loved. An avid sports fan, he enjoyed everything on the spectrum from tennis to rugby, and so many (exertion) levels in-between. His passion for photography, both behind the lens and as an admirer and collector, was cultivated later in life, buoyed by his fine arts degree that he obtained in an effort to “jump start his learning” he said, to be able to hit the ground running when his retirement grew near. A lover of learning, an experimenter, a A Monument Dedication For
DOROTHY SCHWARTZ FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2022
TOBY M. HARTMAN SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2022
CHESED SHEL EMETH CEMETERY-WHITE RD.
UNITED HEBREW CEMETERY
11:30 AM
Rosenbloom Monument Co.
1 PM
Rosenbloom Monument Co.
supporter where support was needed and a bolster when independence was called for, our family shares our grief and joins the world in mourning the loss of Stan Feldman, a man whose good nature is unequalled and whose kindness remains unmatched. A graveside service was held Monday, March 28 at United Hebrew Cemetery, 7855 Canton Ave. Memorial contributions of your choice preferred. Visit bergermemorialchapel.com for more information. Berger Memorial Service RITA F. HIRSON Passed away on March 26, 2022 after a two-decade battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. Precious wife of the late Albert Hirson for over 62 years until his death in 2017. Beloved mother of Diane and Judith, adored Nana of Chelsea (Tim) Pequignot. Rita was born on September 12, 1927 in Vicksburg, Miss., and was the only child of Ries and Ruth (Bock) Feith. After graduating high school in Monroe, La., Rita worked for the Sunbird Seaplane Base, where she was a member of the Civil Air Patrol. Rita piloted seaplanes and soloed on flights throughout the south. She moved to St. Louis in the early 1950’s and met Albert at a Jewish singles dance at United Hebrew Congregation on Skinker Boulevard. A Girl Scout since her youth, Rita volunteered for Girl Scouts of Greater St. Louis for over 30 years. Rita was also a docent at the Missouri Botanical Garden for over 30 years, bowler, active member of B’nai El and its Sisterhood, avid Cardinals and Blues fan, gardener, camper, and proud southern Jew. A graveside service was scheduled for Wednesday, March 30, at United Hebrew Cemetery, 7855 Canton Ave. Contributions in Rita’s memory may be made to the Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63110, the Institute of Southern Jewish Life, 4915 I-55 #100, Jackson, MS 39206, or a charity of your choice. Special thank you for the sweet care from Agnes at BJC Hospice, and the staff at Anthology of Clayton View. A Rindskopf-Roth Service
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OBITUARIES INDEX Abrams, Ann Minner Baker, Al Bohm, Leona Lee Cohen, Jack Cohen, Jerome A. Dalitz, Helen Poulin Deall, Renee Judith Feldman, Stan Hirson, Rita F. Holtzman, Marc S. Kraus, Jerome “Jerry”
Londe, M.D., Alan Merle Paskal, Jacqueline F. Rosenbaum, Carol Letwin Shampaine Marilyn Joy Spieldoch, Maxine Schwartz Trachtman, Janice Zimmerman, Florine “Faye” (Gordon)
American Flag symbol denotes a United States military veteran.
MARC S. HOLTZMAN, March 26, 2022 Beloved son of the late Henry and the late Jacqueline Holtzman; dear brother and brotherin-law of Kenny, Bobby (Paula) and Janice (Dan); dear uncle, great-uncle, nephew, cousin, and special friend to many. A graveside service was held Tuesday, March 29 at Beth Shalom Cemetery, 650 White Road. Please visit www.bergermemorialchapel.com for Live Stream details. Memorial contributions preferred to Stray Rescue or the Humane Society of St. Louis. Berger Memorial Service Obituaries continue on following page
(314) 367-0438 www.RindskopfRoth.com 5216 Delmar Boulevard St. Louis, MO
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Obituaries continued from previous page JEROME “JERRY” KRAUS, passed away peacefully on March 26, 2022, at the age of 82. Devoted husband of 60 years to Linda (Rimmel) Kraus. Dear father of Ken (Anita) Kraus. Loving grandfather of Danny (Mara) and Ben Kraus. Beloved brother of Alan (the late Beverly) Kraus, Michael (Kathy) Kraus, and Eunice (the late Jack) Levy. Beloved son of the late Joseph and Cele (Silverman) Kraus. Dear son-in-law of the late Milton and Esther (Hitt) Rimmel. Dear brother-in-law of the late Gerald (the late Jeanne) Rimmel. Dear Uncle, cousin, confidant, and friend of many. Jerry grew up in University City, attended University City High School and Washington University earning his bachelor’s and Doctor of Jurisprudence. He served in the US army retiring in 1965 with the rank of captain. Jerry deeply enjoyed his practice of law and cared about every individual he represented. He felt blessed to have had so many wonderful clients and partners during a more than 50-year practice of law. He was very committed to the community and always sought ways to make a positive impact on the lives of others. He served as chairman of the Parkway school board, Chairman of the Missouri Cancer Commission, was a Lifetime Board member of the ADL among many other positions of community leadership. Jerry was proud of his many career and community accomplishments, but nothing made him happier than spending time with his family and friends. He took great joy in the accomplishments of his son, grandchildren, brothers, sister and all his friends and relatives. He was always available to listen, advise, help, and support however and whenever needed. Above all, Jerry will always be remembered for his positive attitude, warmth, inspiring spirit, loyalty, perseverance; and most of all, his amazing smile, laugh and the twinkle in his eye. A Funeral Service was held Tuesday, March 29 at Congregation Temple Israel, 1 Rabbi Alvan D. Rubin Dr, followed by interment at New Mt. Sinai Cemetery, 8430 Gravois Road. Contributions in Jerry’s memory may be made to the Siteman Cancer Center, MSC 1247-414-2100, 7425 Forsyth Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63105; The BJC Foundation for Hospice, P.O. Box 790369, St. Louis, MO, 63179 or a charity of your choice. A Rindskopf-Roth Service ALAN MERLE LONDE, MD Our dearest husband, father, grandfather and friend passed away the early morning of March 20th. Alan will be remembered for his love of life, his magnetic personality, his constant smile, his sense of humor and mostly his love for his family and friends. He is survived by his wife Sandy Londe, his son and daughterin-law Ken and Carrie Londe, his grandchildren Megan Ammuel, Allison Londe, Peyton Londe and Nolan Londe. He is preceded in death by his children, Kevin Londe, MD and Kathy Jo Palmer, RN. Through his family and their precious memories, Alan will be forever remembered and loved. Throughout most of his life Alan was deeply involved with the Boy Scouts of America St. Louis chapter. He served as the camp doctor for over 48 years. We kindly ask that in lieu of flowers a donation be made to the St. Louis district of Boy Scouts of America in the name of Alan Londe with the intention to memorialize him in the camp he served so well. On April 25th which would have been Alan’s 87th birthday, there will be a celebration of his incredible life. Specific details will follow. A graveside service was held Friday, March 25 at Beth Shalom Cemetery-White Road. Visit bergermemorialchapel.com for more information and Live Stream link. Berger Memorial Service
American Flag symbol denotes a United States military veteran.
JACQUELINE F. PASKAL Fish across the Boothbay Harbor region rejoiced upon hearing they were safe from the fishing rod of Jackie “The Jake” Paskal. Jackie was a beloved Wife, Mother, Sister and Grammy. Jackie passed away peacefully at her home in Maine surrounded by family on March 22, 2022. Jackie was born in St. Louis, Missouri to Sidney and Evelyn Jacobs on May 25, 1943. She attended University City High School and spent two years at the University of Oklahoma before transferring to the University of Missouri where she received a degree in Special Education. After being set up by mutual friends (who had really good taste) she met and married Robert Paskal in 1966. She raised her two daughters (Mickie and Allison) before moving to Boothbay Harbor, Maine in 1994. She enjoyed her job at Eventide Specialties and loved her friend groups in both St. Louis and Maine. Jackie loved a great cabbage soup, Big Fish games, riding the Howling Tornado, Barry Manilow, Elvis Presley, speaking like Donald Duck, playing Pippick, jigsaw puzzles, miniatures, Charlie Chan movies, bumper cars, teaching kids, painting, riding busses with Aron, playing Power Rangers with Sam, and going fishing with John. She is survived by her husband Bob, her daughters Mickie (Ross) and Allison (Chis) and her adored grandsons Aron, Samuel and John, her sister Andrea, her brother Gordon, and her dog Riley. Contributions in her name may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 383 US Route One #2C, Scarborough, ME 04074 Hall’s of Boothbay has care of the arrangements. To extend online condolences, please visit hallfuneralhomes.com CAROL LETWIN ROSENBAUM, April 9, 1939-March 18, 2022 Beloved wife of the late Fred J. Rosenbaum, dear mother of Ellen Rosenbaum (Uwe Kraft) and Gail Rosenbaum Doeff (Erik), cherished grandmother of Nina and Lauren Doeff, dear friend to many. Carol was a native Chicagoan, a graduate of the University of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana) and the Washington University School of Law. She worked for 23 years as an attorney for the U.S. Army Troop Support Command in St. Louis. Carol had a quiet presence, was quick to laugh and her wit could be pointed. She was an excellent cook, adored books, opera, classical music, travel, word games and mah jong. A graveside service was held Wednesday, March 23 at Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery-White Road. Please visit bergermemorialchapel.com for Live Stream information. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Washington University Hillel’s Fred J. Rosenbaum Memorial Fund or the Multiple Myeloma Foundation. Berger Memorial Service MARILYN JOY SHAMPAINE passed away peacefully on Wednesday March 23, 2022. She was born on August 9, 1931. Marilyn was the daughter of Julius and Bertha Kravitz and grew up and lived her entire 90 years in St. Louis, Missouri. Marilyn was a devoted mother, grandmother, and friend. She is survived by her daughter, Diane Poslosky, who lives in Sausalito, California; her daughter and grandson Jillian and Brel Froebe and daughter-in-law Elizabeth Kerwin who live in Bellingham, Washington; and her cousins, the Mayer Family who live in St. Louis. Marilyn had a creative spirit in everything she did, from adorning her clothes with the perfect scarves and pins to making beautiful flower arrangements for the table. She had a keen eye and appreciation for fashion and was for many years, the co-owner of The Right Door, a women’s clothing boutique in Ladue. Marilyn loved joining friends for spirited games of bridge and mahjong and painting in the art room at The Gatesworth, her cherished home for the past decade. Most of all, Marilyn had a heart of gold, and she will be profoundly missed in the hearts of her family and her friends. Hafiz, the ancient Sufi poet wrote, “Even after all this time, the sun never says to the Earth, ‘you owe me’. Look what happens with a love like that. It lights up the whole sky!” Marilyn, thank you for lighting up our hearts! Memorial contributions can be sent to: BJC Hospice Evelyn’s House or St Louis Artworks. There will be a Celebration of Life for Marilyn Shampaine at a future date.
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MAXINE SCHWARTZ SPIELDOCH, March 18, 2022 Beloved wife of the late Jerome B. Schwartz and the late Gilbert Spieldoch. Dear mother and mother-in-law of Rick (Ricki) and Elise (Stephen). Loving grandmother of Jerry (Jenny), Katie (Chris), Jacob, Jenell (Alberto), and Ethan (Lauren). Dear great grandmother of 5. Maxine is predeceased by her beloved sister Phyllis and survived by her brother-in-law Max, brother Raymond and sister-in-law Rosemary. Maxine was a dear aunt, great aunt, cousin and friend to many. Maxine was born on February 13, 1929 to Abe and Betty Svetsinsky in St. Louis, MO. She spent all of her 93 years in the St. Louis area and was proud to let everyone know where she was from. A true St. Louis Cardinals fan, she enthusiastically attended and watched many games. After tragically losing her first husband, Jerry, she became an advocate for gun control, working with friends to change legislation. Maxine enjoyed her career, working in real estate until she was in her late 70’s. She often said it was a great education in so many ways. Maxine kept active by playing tennis which she did well into her 80’s. She loved going to theater and concerts with friends and was always up for a challenging game of mahjong or Scrabble. Maxine was quick-witted and had a wonderful sense of humor. She had a positive attitude towards life and always considered the “glass half full”. Spending time with her family brought her great joy. A graveside service was held Monday, March 21 at B’nai Amoona Cemetery, 930 North and South Road. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to the National MS Society or to the charity of your choice. A Rindskopf-Roth Service JANICE TRACHTMAN, March 17, 2022 Beloved wife of Marshall Trachtman; dear mother of Alec Trachtman and Seth Trachtman; dear sister of David (Janice) Rifkin; dear grandmother of Isabella and Liam Trachtman; dear aunt, cousin and friend to many. Janice had a special place in her heart for her dog, Bruno. Janice was an RN at St. Mary’s Hospital and cared for many people over the course of her life. A funeral service was held Sunday, March 20 at Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery, 650 White Rd. 63017. The service was livestreamed at www.bergermemorialchapel.com. Memorial contributions preferred to the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross. Berger Memorial Service FLORINE “FAYE” (GORDON) ZIMMERMAN, passed away March 15, 2022 Beloved wife of the late Jack Zimmerman, the love of her life and best friend for 49 years She is survived by her daughter Susan Hyman (Randy) and son Michael Zimmerman (Laurie). She is the very proud and loving grandmother of Soley Hyman, and Samuel and Ely Zimmerman; dear aunt of Marc Kutten (John Kelly); dear sister of the late Elaine Kutten (late Gene) and the late Larry Gordon; daughter of the late Sidney and late Sarah Gordon; and dear cousin and friend to many. Faye loved collecting memorabilia of all kinds, tap dancing, playing cards, and cooking for the holidays. Most of all she loved Jack, her dearly beloved husband, and her children and grandchildren. Her best times were sharing her life with Jack. “We were two peas in a pod,” she liked to say. She loved to dance with Jack. “When we danced he wanted my head next to his. We loved when we danced and held each other close. We would always hold hands.” One of her favorite stories was meeting Jack at the counter at Famous Barr. They fell in love right away. He loved to tell the story of meeting that “cute little girl who walked into Famous Barr for a credit when was he was the service manager.” Jack, who was a musician known as Jack Merman, told Faye on one of their first dates, “I’m not going to play at your wedding, I’m going to be there.” She saved every card Jack sent her for almost 50 years. He always wrote the same message, “love you always and forever.” He told her she always made him laugh. A graveside funeral service was held Thursday, March 17 at Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery, 650 White Road in Chesterfield. Contributions in Faye’s memory may be made to the Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry of St. Louis. Please visit www.bergermemorialchapel.com for more information. Berger Memorial Service
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KOL RINAH
On March 16, children in Kol Rinah’s Monica Lynne Neirdorff Early Childhood Center dressed in costume for a festive Purim parade at the school.
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MIROWITZ CENTER The Mirowitz Center hosted a lively Purim celebration at with Covenant Place residents. Rabbi Janine Schloss, JFS St. Louis Chaplaincy Coordinator, brought a little Purim fun into the Mirowitz Center and Rachael Kornblum baked delicious hamantaschen and created beautiful goody bags for participants.
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JEWISH LIGHT
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FOR YOU AT
oneofOUR SEDER
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Join a Passover Seder Near You.
Did you know that handmade Shmurah Matzah is the preferred Matzah for the Seder? This Passover, as in past years, Chabad will be offering free traditional, round handmade Shmurah Matzahs*, to help enhance your Seder experience.
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To find a seder near you or to claim your free box of shmurah matzah, visit:
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Celebrating Jewish Living & Learning Rabbi Yosef Landa, Regional Director A F F I L I AT E C E N T E R S Morris & Ann Lazaroff Chabad Center and Regional Office ∙ Chabad on Campus at Washington University Chabad of Chesterfield ∙ Chabad of the Central West End ∙ Chabad Jewish Center of St. Charles County
*One box (3 matzahs) per family. While supplies last.
Join one of our many community Seders at locations across the Greater St. Louis area. From the Central West End to St. Charles County, there’s a welcoming community waiting for you this Passover.