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René Zar vowed to care for friend’s adult children with disabilities—and that’s what she’s done for 16 years Rochelle Goldman (left) and René Zar at Artists First.
BY ELLEN FUTTERMAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
In this edition of the Jewish Light, we highlight our 2021 Unsung Heroes, each of whom has devoted hundreds of hours volunteering with various organizations, many in the St. Louis Jewish community. In this space, I’d like to tell you about another individual — another hero in her own right — who is making a monumental difference in the lives of two Jewish adult siblings, one of whom has developmental challenges and both of whom have shared experiences of chronic physical and mental illness. The story begins about 20 years ago at the former B’nai El synagogue. That’s where a thirtysomething René Roth (now René Zar) met Irene Goldman, who at the time was in her 70s and caring for her adult children, Rochelle and Steven, who have a range of special needs. “She was this nice, sweet lady at synagogue,” recalled René, now 52, whose professional background is as an occupational therapist. “My husband and I were dating at the time and new to the congregation. The little old ladies at the synagogue loved when a new couple showed up. She and I befriended each other. We just took to each other.” In addition to B’nai El, René would sometimes run into Irene at the grocery store — the two lived nearby. “One time I stopped by her house to visit her. That was the first time I met her son and daughter and the first time I realized how full her hands were.” Irene lived into her early 90s but didn’t
drive and was pretty much confined to the home she shared with Rochelle and Steven once she turned 80. In fact, the last nine months of her life were spent in a nursing home in Maryland Heights. She passed away in February of 2017 at the age of 92. “For the last 12 years or so of her life, I pretty much was the primary caregiver for
her son and daughter in terms of their connection beyond the walls of their home,” said René, who is married with three teenagers and now belongs to Congregation Shaare Emeth. René eventually was given power of attorney for Rochelle, now 58, and Steven, 72.
“My goal was to help them stay in their house for as long as possible because I was really terrified about what the options were — there just weren’t many,” she explained. “They were able to stay in their home for a year. When it became the anniSee RENÉ ZAR on page 3A
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November 3, 2021
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INSIDE THIS WEEK’S STL JEWISH LIGHT The Newspaper of the Jewish Community of Greater St. Louis — Founded 1963
INDEX ChaiLights.............................................. 24A
Newsmakers.................................. 18A-19A
CONNECT WITH US
OUR BOARD AND STAFF
Classifieds.............................................. 22A
Obituaries.......................................20A-21A
MAILING ADDRESS
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
D’var Torah..............................................11A
Opinions..........................................11A-12A
Address for payments (for general correspondence, see address below): P.O. Box 78369, St. Louis, Mo. 63178-8369
OFFICERS Bethe Growe, President Laura K. Silver, Immediate Past President Ben Weiss, Vice President Laurie Chod, Vice President Alice Handelman, Vice President Justin Krachmalnick, Treasurer Stacy Wolff Smart, Secretary
Features......................................... 13A-16A
Simchas................................................... 17A
Jewish Lite.............................................. 22A
Spotlight Photos.................................... 23A
Local News......................................... 3A-8A
World News..................................... 9A-10A
Address for general correspondence: PO Box 411487 Creve Coeur, Mo. 63141 PHONE 314-743-3600 EMAIL office@stljewishlight.org
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TRUSTEES Dan Bindler, Jerry Ehrlich, Richard Flom, Judy Kaplan, Debra Klevens, Mia Kweskin, Beth Manlin, Lauren Murov, Ryan Rich, Steve Rosenzweig, Jenn Sagett, Angela Sandler, Bruce Sandweiss, Adam Schneider, Helene Sherman, Joan Silber, Alan Spector, Dan Winograd ADVISORY COMMITTEE Terry Bloomberg, Nanci Bobrow, Ph.D., Charles C. Eisenkramer, Dodie Frey, Diane Gallant, Steve Gallant, John Greenberg, Rabbi Elizabeth Hersh, Gianna Jacobson, Gary Kodner, Linda Kraus, Sanford Lebman, Dr. Ken Ludmerer, Lynn Lyss, Donald Mitchell, Michael N. Newmark, Adinah Raskas, Jane Tzinberg Rubin, Marvin J. Schneider, Richard W. Stein, Barbara Langsam Shuman, Sanford Weiss, Jenny Wolkowitz, Vivian W. Zwick
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CANDLE LIGHTING
Shabbat begins Friday, Nov. 5: 5:38 p.m. Shabbat ends Saturday, Nov. 6: 6:37 p.m. Torah reading: Toldot
CORRECTIONS • The Oy! Magazine - Guide to Jewish Life community directory, inserted in the Sept. 22 edition, included an incomplete address for Cold Stone Creamery in Creve Coeur in the Kosher dining listings. Cold Stone Creamery is located at 12418 Olive Blvd, Creve Coeur, Mo. 63141.
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The ST. LOUIS JEWISH LIGHT (ISSN 0036-2964) is published biweekly by the St. Louis Jewish Light, Inc., a notfor-profit corporation, PO Box 411487, St. Louis, MO 63141-9998. Periodical postage paid at St. Louis, MO. Copyright 2021. Postmaster: Send address changes to the St. Louis Jewish Light, PO Box 411487, St. Louis, MO 63141-9998.
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SUBMIT YOUR NEWS Send story tips, news releases, calendar items and photos of recent Jewish community events to news@stljewishlight.org. For more information, call 314-743-3665.
René Zar: Caring for friend’s adult children with disabilities CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A versary of their mom’s passing is when things got tough for them physically, mentally and emotionally. That mark in time was heavy for them.” They wound up moving to the same nursing home where their mother, who had been beloved by the staff there, spent the end of her life. The siblings have been there for three years now, and by all accounts, it’s been extremely positive. René, as it turns out, lives about three minutes away. She comes by several times a week to visit, bring them special treats and even pick up and drop off their laundry because, as Rochelle explains it, “my undergarments can get eaten by the washing machine.” Rochelle and Steven “have been able to develop some independence they never had before because they were always with their mom,” said René. “They had a chance to recreate their bond as brother and sister rather than looking for attention seeking and family disruption stuff. They depend on each other.” Of the siblings, Rochelle is more social. Steven prefers to stay in his room reading Westerns and mysteries. He also enjoys keeping up with current events. Rochelle, on the other hand, likes to go out for lunch, especially to Panda Express. She enjoys visits to Half Price Books — Amelia Badelia books are her favorite because she says the character’s sense of humor is similar to hers. Rochelle also looks forward to making art. When René, who dabbles in art as a hobby, was at an art fair in Queeny Park in 2019, she met Sheila Suderwalla, the executive director of Artists First, a nonprofit art studio in Maplewood that works to empower artists of all abilities. “With Artists First, whatever art you create, there is no right or wrong. You can only compare yourself with yourself,” said René. “So I started talking to Rochelle about checking out Artists First. She had done umpteen community programs and never found a fit. They were either too high functioning or too low functioning.” It took about six months for Rochelle to agree to accompany René to the studio, which she did in September of 2019. Since it is an integrated program, René could sit with Rochelle while she created various art projects. Rochelle enjoyed the experience so much that the two started going each week for about two hours. Of course, once COVID-19 hit, the studio, like virtually everything else, had to
ABOVE: Rochelle Goldman at her exhibit at Artists First in July 2021. AT LEFT: Rochelle and Steven Goldman in their family home. BELOW LEFT: René Zar and Rochelle Goldman on their way to Artists First.
shut down. But René arranged for “phone coaching” for Rochelle by an Artists First instructor while René acted as courier, bringing art supplies to Rochelle at the nursing home and taking her finished works back to the studio. No question the pandemic was hard on Rochelle and Steven because they could only see René through the
NEWS & SCHMOOZE News and Schmooze is a weekly column by Light Editor-in-Chief Ellen Futterman. Email Ellen at: efutterman@ stljewishlight.org
windows of the nursing home and talk to her by phone. But because they are fairly independent — they can take care of their personal needs — they were able to distance themselves from nursing home staff and other residents, which helped them stay healthy. When it was safe to do so, Artists First reopened but required participants to make an appointment, wear masks and social distance. “We scheduled on days when we knew there were people Rochelle had become friends with going. She knows their names and they know hers,” René said. When I met René and Rochelle at the studio a few months ago, Rochelle was excited not only to show me her current work, but also to take me to the gallery area where a dozen or so of
her paintings and prints had been featured in an art show in July. She even sold several and used the proceeds as a credit to pay for studio time. After they finished at the studio, they planned to go out to lunch — Panda Express if Rochelle got her way — and then maybe hit the half-price bookstore or do some other shopping. “We make it an outing we both can look forward to, rather than me just taking her to doctor’s appointments,” said René. “This allows me to be out of the caretaker mode and Rochelle out of needing a caretaker — we can just be friends.” Friends is only one of many words Rochelle uses to describe her bond with René. “She is my sister, chauffeur, friend, teacher, advisor and book pick-up person,” she said. “If I’m upset, I go to her and I’m happier. René gets a lot of my jokes.” Clearly, the two get a lot out of their relationship. René said she has always felt like this is what she is supposed to be doing — being that person for Rochelle and Steven. “I spent the last day of her life with Irene,” René recalled. “When the nurse came to roll her on her side, I climbed into bed with her to snuggle. The hospice nurse felt she was holding on because of Rochelle and Steven, but I told her that it was OK to let go, they would be OK, she didn’t have to worry about them. I promised I would be there to take care of them.” And she has been, said Rochelle. “She is there for us and helps us with everything.” For more information about Artists First, go to artistsfirststl.org or call 314-781-4440.
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Rabbi Rachel Bearman is shown at a Central Conference of American Rabbis convention. Congregation Shaare Emeth has planned an installation ceremony for Bearman on Nov. 12.
JCA Charitable Foundation seeks applications for grant program The JCA Charitable Foundation is seeking applications to award grants up to $25,000 for new and creative community programs and activities that support the needy Jewish elderly in the metropolitan St. Louis area. It looks to focus efforts on educational and health care programming and services that would be of benefit to this vulnerable population. Because the JCA Charitable Foundation mission includes the support of nutritional, religious, social and cultural programs related to Judaism as well as projects which address the financial and emotional needs of older adults, applications related to these activities are welcome. The Grant will support new initiatives dedicated specifically to providing a positive and material difference in the lives of seniors in the Jewish community. To receive a Grant Application, please e-mail a request to mangej@msn.com. Applications must be submitted by Dec. 10.
Share ‘Hanukkah Hugs’ this holiday season; donate on or before Nov. 15 Women’s Philanthropy and Jewish Family Services are collecting new, unwrapped gifts for children who are in need for their annual Hanukkah Hugs program. You may donate: • Toys, books, gift cards and other fun items for the Hanukkah Hugs “Store.”Donations will be packaged by volunteers for Hanukkah Hugs recipients. • Hanukkah wrapping paper, gift bags, cards, and tape are also needed. The following options are available for gift drop off: • Shop online Target (https://bit.ly/ hugs-target) or Amazon (https://bit.ly/ hugs-amazon) registries and the gifts will be sent to Federation • Bring or send to Jewish Federation of St. Louis (either put it in a collection bin at Federation or ship your gift directly to the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Drive, St. Louis, 63146, Attn: Women’s Philanthropy). Please donate on or before Nov. 15. Email Women’s Philanthropy at WP@ JFedSTL.org with any questions.
Rabbi’s road to St. Louis began at age 16, ran through COVID In both communities, people are looking for ways to connect with something bigger than themselves. They’re searching for inspiration and for partners in the work of repairing the world. They’re trying to find strength in Judaism as we all live through these unprecedented times. So, while the demographics and scale of the communities are different, the community members have a lot in common.
BY ERIC BERGER ASSOCIATE EDITOR
On Friday, Nov. 12, Congregation Shaare Emeth will host an official installation service for Rabbi Rachel Bearman. The service will begin at 6 p.m. The Jewish Light caught up with the rabbi recently to talk to her about her decision to become a rabbi, some of the challenging aspects of helping to lead a congregation during the COVID-19 pandemic and more. What made you want to become a rabbi? I decided to become a rabbi when I was 16 years old. At that point, I wanted to be a teacher and a temple president but, during one of my confirmation classes, I realized that there was a job that would allow me to combine both of those goals. I consider myself to be very lucky because everything that I experienced and learned after I decided to pursue the rabbinate only reinforced that this was the right path for me.
beyond to make me feel welcome and to connect with me in safe and creative ways. My first year as a Shaare Emeth rabbi was not what I imagined it would be, but it has been really, really wonderful.
What was it like to move to St. Louis and start at a new congregation during the COVID-19 pandemic? The only reason that I decided to load myself and my dog into the car and drive 19 hours from Connecticut to St. Louis in the middle of the early months of the pandemic is that I was (and continue to be) so excited to be a part of the Shaare Emeth team. I am profoundly grateful that everyone in the community has gone above and
Do you think the Jewish communities in St. Louis and Connecticut are different? If so, how? Demographically, the two Jewish communities are very different. The size of the Jewish community in the part of Connecticut where I lived (outside of any major cities) is significantly smaller than the St. Louis Jewish community. However, underneath those distinctions, there are a lot of similarities.
Rabbi Rachel Bearman
What is most challenging about being a rabbi? I believe that the most challenging part of being a rabbi in 2021 is actually the most exciting as well. The way people relate to their synagogues, to the Jewish tradition and to their Jewish identities is changing … and that means that clergy are changing, too. We’re thinking in new ways, we’re exploring new ideas and we’re dreaming new dreams. All of that is challenging, but in the best possible way. Judaism and rabbis have the opportunity to continue evolving, and that is both a challenge and a gift. What are the most rewarding parts? The most rewarding part of being a rabbi is that I have the unbelievable privilege of walking with people on their journeys. Being with my people — both in the big moments that happen on bimahs and under chuppahs and in the quieter moments that happen in hallways and living (and Zoom!) rooms — that is my favorite part of the rabbinate. It is such an honor to be invited into people’s lives as a guide, teacher, supporter and friend.
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Wash U Hillel leader receives award for Jewish educators BY ELLEN FUTTERMAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Tony Westbrook Jr., assistant director of Hillel at Washington University, is one of five emerging Jewish educators who received the 2021 Pomegranate Prize last week at a virtual ceremony hosted by the Covenant Foundation. The 2021 recipients join a cohort of 50 others who represent the most promising rising leaders in Jewish education. In addition to Westbrook, 34, the other 2021 recipients are: Rabbi Tiferet Berenbaum, rabbi of Congregational Learning and Programming at Temple Beth Zion in Brookline, Mass.; Alana Rifkin Gelnick, associate principal of the Early Learning Center (ELC) at SAR Academy in Riverdale, N.Y.; Aryeh Laufer, head of STEM at the Idea School in Tenafly, N.J.; and Rabbanit Leah Sarna, associate director of education and director of high school programs at the Drisha Institute for Jewish Education in Riverdale, N.Y. The Pomegranate Prize is designed to honor emerging leaders who have been in the field of Jewish education for up to 10
years. Over a three-year period, each cohort has multiple opportunities to connect with innovation leaders and extraordinary educators from across the spectrum of Jewish life. By encouraging prize recipients in their pursuits and enabling them to accelerate their professional development and amplify their impact on the field, the Covenant Foundation aims to nurture the group and empower them to take risks and make a difference in the field of Jewish education. The prize stands next to the Covenant Award, which since 1991 has honored Tony Westbrook Jr. three outstanding Jewish educators each year for their impact on the field of Jewish education. “The Pomegranate Prize will help fund opportunities to help close the gap in my own Jewish education, specifically through rigorous Hebrew language immersion, public speaking courses, coaching, media training and so much more,” said Westbrook, who belongs to
both Congregation Bais Abraham and Kol Rinah and is a former member of the St. Louis Jewish Light Board of Trustees. “I will now be tapped into the extensive network of former Pomegranate Prize winners and Covenant Award winners, many of whom are the leading scholars in the innovators in the field of Jewish education. The Pomegranate Prize will help me to hone my craft and lay out a roadmap to achieving my professional goals.” In addition to the prize ceremony, this year’s event also included a talk by bestselling author Bruce Feiler, a text study with scholar and Director of the Wexner Heritage Program Rabba Yaffa Epstein, and a musical performance by 2012 Pomegranate Prize recipient Maya Bernstein along with internationally acclaimed musician Noah Solomon Chase. “When this prize was inaugurated over a decade ago, our vision was to highlight developing talent in Jewish education, and to give emerging educators a boost of confidence that would benefit both them and the field,” Cheryl R. Finkel, board chair of The Covenant Foundation, said in her presentation of the prizes. “And that vision has indeed come to fruition.”
INSIDE SPORTS
Israel Bound
by Skip Erwin
Skip Erwin wrote & broadcast sports shows for KMOX for 25 years. Member JCC & UMSL Sports Hall of Fame.
2 0 2 2
Edward Carl “Eddie” Gaedel was born June 16, 1925 in Chicago and gained immortal fame as a member of the St. Louis Browns on Aug. 19, 1951. Gaedel, at 3-foot-7 in elf slippers, and the number 1/8 on his back, became the shortest player in the history of Major League Baseball. Browns owner and showman Bill Veeck warned Gaedel, “If you move the bat off your shoulder, there’s a guy in the bleachers with a rifle ordered to shoot you.” Gaedel believed Veeck, didn’t move his bat and walked on four straight pitches, thrown by Detroit Tigers right-hander Bob Cain. Sitting on his rear end to catch, Tigers catcher Bob Swift instructed Cain to keep the ball down. Cain, laughing hysterically, could barely throw the ball, hurling it high over Gaedel’s bat. However, it was no laughing matter to Browns Manager Zach Taylor, who was more interested in winning the game, fearing Gaedel would strike out. Browns outfielder Jim Delsing, with two hits in the first game of the doubleheader, replaced by rookie Frank Saucier in the second game, wasn’t happy either, and asked Zach Taylor the reason. “Just be ready, Jim,” Taylor replied. The umpire, Ed Hurley, refused to let Gaedel come into the game to pinch hit for Saucier. But Veeck, anticipating such action, had written approval from Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick, and when it was presented to Hurley, Gaedel was allowed to bat. After Gaedel reached first base, Delsing replaced him, getting a Gaedel pat on his tuchus. Then Gaedel received a standing “O” from the 18,369 fans at Sportsmans Park in St. Louis, and he bowed twice to the crowd, waving his cap while running to the dugout. I was working on WOKZ radio in Alton. Unfortunately, the roads were blocked from Alton to St. Louis because of a flood. Not only did I miss the game, but also the most incredible event in baseball history. Gaedel’s baseball uniform belonged to the Brownie batboy Bill DeWitt, Jr., now St. Louis Cardinals chairman. In 1961, Gaedel, a heavy drinker, died of a heart attack at age 36 after he was mugged in Chicago. In his autobiography, “Veeck—As in Wreck”, the late Bill Veeck had the last word commemorating Eddie Gaedel “as the best midget who ever played the game!”
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Added Harlene Appelman, executive director of the Covenant Foundation: “When I consider the myriad settings in which each of these educators spend their days, I am so encouraged. Because it means fresh, creative and exciting Jewish education is reaching Jewish learners in just about every stage of life, across the country. With a wingspan that wide, this cohort, and by extension, this field, can truly soar.” In addition to his work at Wash U’s Hillel, Westbrook serves as a freelance Jewish life consultant and has facilitated racial justice and equity training sessions for BBYO, Base Hillel, Hillel International, and the Wexner Alumni Racial Justice Beit Midrash. He also produces digital Jewish content on Instagram and TikTok under the username @frumjewishblackboy and is working on a new series entitled “Tiyul with Tony.” He earned his B.A. in communication studies from Fontbonne University and graduated from the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem with certificates in Judaic Studies and in Experiential Jewish Education.
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November 3, 2021
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European Heritage Experience will visit iconic sites
Next summer, the Jewish Federation of St. Louis and the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum will present a memorable 12-day European Heritage Experience with stops in Warsaw, Krakow, Budapest, Vienna and Prague. The trip will take place June 27-July 10. Join chairs Debbie and Kent Hirschfelder as they tour iconic spots across Europe such as the sites of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, Oscar Schindler’s Factory, the Krakow Cultural Jewish Festival, AuschwitzBirkenau, Prague’s Old Town, and much more. Go to JFedSTL.org/EuropeanExperience to learn more. Questions? Contact Karen Rader at 314-442-3756 or Krader@JFedSTL.org.
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Visiting scholar will give Holocaust Memorial Lecture at Wash U Washington University’s Center for the Humanities will present its annual Holocaust Memorial Lecture at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10, focusing this year on “Jewish Physicians and Their Patients: Rescue Strategies in Nazi Occupied Poland.” The guest speaker will be Natalia Aleksiun, professor of Modern Jewish History, Touro College / Incoming Harry Rich Professor of Holocaust Studies at the University of Florida-Gainesville. The relationships between Jewish physicians, non-Jewish medical professionals and patients offer a window into rescue efforts in Nazi-occupied Poland. Jewish testimonies, diaries, memoirs and witness
statements in postwar trials tell a story of how communities came together to organize hiding places and aid for Jewish doctors who were threatened by violence and murder. In the lecture, Aleksiun will discuss how pre-existing professional relationships, a sense of gratitude for medical services rendered in the past and an Natalia Aleksiun ongoing need for Jewish physicians’ expertise laid the foundation for a network of support that
allowed Jewish physicians to continue to work in the face of the Holocaust and — in the case of some — survive. Details about the event and a registration button to receive the ZOOM link are at https://bit.ly/WU-Holocaust-lecture. The Holocaust Memorial Lecture is an annual event that is administered by Washington U’s Center for the Humanities. Held on or near Nov. 9th, the anniversary of the Kristallnacht pogroms in Nazi Germany, the lecture aims not only to commemorate the Holocaust but also to address its broader implications for other instances of systematic persecution, mass murder and genocide.
College students invited to autumn hike at Cliff Cave Park Students at UMSL, St. Louis University, Webster and St. Louis Community College are invited to join The Network on a hike scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 7 at 11 a.m. at Cliff Cave County Park. This hike is a great way to make new friends and take in the glorious outdoors as the colors change during the fall season. Yael Sabah, director of The Network, is coordinating the trip. RSVP to yael. stlnetwork@gmail.com to reserve a spot and to coordinate rides. Eitan Mermelstein, Jewish Agency Israel Fellow who is a trained agronomist and an expert on the outdoors, will join the hike as a special guest. Cliff Cave Park in the Mississippi Greenway offers stunning views of the Mississippi atop rocky bluffs that tower over the river. It lies within one of the most naturally diverse plant and animal communities in the region, offering rocky, droughty hillsides as well as woodlands and wetlands. The hike is rated easy to moderate. Students with disabilities should contact Yael at the address above in order to make accommodations. If the hike needs to be canceled due to rain, registered participants will be notified and the event will be rescheduled for the following Sunday, Nov. 14. The Jewish Student Network of St. Louis is a division of Chabad on Campus and receives support from the Jewish Federation, the Kranzberg Foundation and visionary philanthropists.
Rep. Adam Schiff visits St. Louis An audience of about 200 attended a conversation Friday night (Oct. 29) between Jason Kander (right) and Congressman Adam Schiff (above) at the St. Louis County Library headquarters in Frontenac. Kander, former Missouri Secretary of State, and Schiff are both Jewish. Read a story about Schiff’s visit on the Light’s website: stljewishlight.org. PHOTOS: BILL MOTCHAN
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Brothers Lazaroff Hanukkah Hullabaloo to take place Dec. 4 They’re back . . . live and in person. After the COVID-19 pandemic turned last year’s event virtual, Brothers Lazaroff is excited to be back in-person for 2021’s Hanukkah Hullabaloo, the band’s 11th annual, Saturday, Dec. 4 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Big Top, 3401 Washington Blvd. in Grand Center. The event will feature funky Klezmer, mystic poetry, free jazz, psychedelic rock and soul and so much more. The show is sponsored by Armanino and the Staenberg Family Foundation. Joining Brothers Lazaroff once again will be Rabbi James Stone Goodman and the Eight Nights Orchestra, St. Louis jazz vocalist Anita Jackson, David Grelle, DJ Boogieman and the Latke Ladies frying latkes live on stage. As always, the band will pay tribute to those we lost this past
Four-session Aging Ahead Caregiving Support Series In recognition of National Family Caregivers Month, Aging Ahead has planned a four-part series to provide information and support to area caregivers. Of the nearly 53 million family caregivers in the United States, many are often over-burdened and underinformed. Learn valuable information about the basics of caregiving, helpful resources, and tips for navigating a role as a family caregiver. The series is made possible through the support of Anthem. Session 1: Nov. 9: Self-Care for Caregivers, presented by VOYCE Session 2: Nov. 16: Finances, Legal and Benefits, Oh My! Presented by CLAIM and Legal Services of Eastern Missouri Session 3: Nov. 23: Home Safety and Adaptive Equipment to the Rescue, presented by Adaptive Equipment and Caregiving Corner Session 4: Nov. 30: Finding Peace with A Plan: Long-term Care Options, presented by VOYCE Registration and/or questions: Online at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ t Z A pduusr jk u H N Rj47 L pe2x31WQOXh8Mng0B or email Jean Sotomayor at jsotomayor@agingahead.org. You will be registering for all four sessions and a zoom link will be emailed ahead of each session. Attend all four sessions and receive a special thank-you and have your name entered in a drawing for a give-away.
year including: Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones, Don Everly of the Everly Brothers, Chick Correa, Charly Pride and Lee Scratch Perry, who was a part of last year’s Hullabaloo. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to return to the stage and celebrate the miracle of Hanukkah in-person with our fellow musicians, fans, friends and family,” said David Lazaroff. “The Big Top is such a spacious and dynamic venue that will allow us to hold a safe event with limited capacity seating and social distancing.” Tickets for the 11th Annual Brothers Lazaroff Hanukkah Hullabaloo go on sale Tuesday, Nov. 2 via Metrotix. Limited capacity general admission seating is $20. Box seating in groups of 2, 4, and 6 is also available for $100 per seat and includes an open bar and all you can eat latkes with
cocktail and latke table service. All attendees will be required to show proof of a full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours of the show. All proceeds go to Jewish Family
Services, which through a comprehensive range of services, helps seniors remain independent and connected to the community, reduces hunge, and empowers children to thrive.
Upcoming virtual Lecture will focus on Jewish lawyers in Nazi Germany The Law Library Association of St. Louis, along with ADL Heartland and the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum, will be presenting a virtual lecture in conjunction with the acclaimed ABA Travelling Exhibit, “Lawyers Without Rights: Jewish Lawyers in Germany under the Third Reich.” This exhibit is currently housed at the Law Library Association of St. Louis, located at 10 N. Tucker Blvd, 13th Floor, St. Louis (in the Civil Courts Building) but will be closing on Monday Nov. 15. The lecture is titled “Discrimination, Degradation, Defiance: Jewish Lawyers in Nazi Germany,” and will take place on Tuesday Nov. 9, Kristallnacht, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Until 1933, Jewish lawyers were among the most prominent in the profession. But the Nazi regime immediately tried to kick them out and, after five-and-a-half years, completed its efforts. This talk tells that story. With harrowing details, it shows how the Nazis got rid of Jewish lawyers
Douglas Morris through lawless violence and legalized discrimination; how Jewish lawyers tried to hold on but eventually suffered economic devastation and social humiliation; and how a small number actively resisted. Ultimately, the story is about a liberal democracy collapsing under the weight of an authoritarian state. The speaker for this event is Douglas Morris. He is a legal historian and practicing criminal defense attorney with Federal Defenders of New York, Inc. His latest book is “Legal Sabotage: Ernst Fraenkel in
Hitler’s Germany” (Cambridge University Press, 2020), which explores the way a Jewish Social Democratic lawyer in Nazi Germany represented political defendants in court, engaged in underground activities and produced both a classic analysis of the Nazi regime and an original theory of resistance. The program also qualifies for 1.2 Missouri Bar Continuing Legal Education (CLE) diversity/equity/implicit bias credit for attorneys. More details about the program and how to register are at https://llastl.org/index.php/ Morris-11-21. The “Lawyers Without Rights” exhibit is open for individual visitors and groups of up to 25 people. Reservations are not required but are recommended for groups. To make your reservation, contact Law Library Association of St. Louis Library Director Gail Wechsler at gwechsler@llastl.org or 314-622-4470. More information also can be found at https://llastl.org/events-exhibits.
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Brothers Lazaroff and Rabbi James Stone Goodman are shown at the 2019 Hanukkah Hullabaloo event. This year’s Hullabaloo is set for Dec. 4. PHOTO: PHILLIP HAMER
Beth Manlin G l o b a l Re a l E s t a t e A d v i s o r
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LOCAL NEWS
November 3, 2021
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At J Street event here, two-state solution bill sponsor says don’t cancel Cori Bush over apartheid claim BY ERIC BERGER ASSOCIATE EDITOR
U.S. Rep Andy Levin of Michigan has a “really warm relationship” with fellow Democrat Rep. Cori Bush of St. Louis, Levin said Oct. 25 at a J Street breakfast fundraiser in Clayton. That close connection includes his son Saul and former legislative assistant Abbas Alawieh, both of whom now work for Bush as a legislative assistant and as her chief of staff, respectively. It does not include a shared belief that Israel is “an apartheid state,” which is how Bush has described the country. Still, Levin, who is Jewish and recently introduced legislation aimed at achieving a two-state solution, does not condemn Bush over her comments on Israel. He said he wants her to be part of the discussion among lawmakers concerning the conflict and efforts to achieve peace. “We Jewish people need to realize that we need to work to end the occupation and help Israel be a democratic homeland for our people, living in peace with the Palestinians, who have their own political and human rights, and we can’t get all freaked out — and frankly, tribal — when [people] want to stand up for the Palestinians,” said Levin, whose father and uncle were both Democratic members of Congress and supporters of Israel. Levin and J Street, a liberal Israel lobbying group, hope they can advance efforts to achieve a two-state solution with legislation containing provisions to prevent Israel from using U.S. defense assistance to annex or exercise permanent control over Palestinian territories and to reverse the Trump administration’s policy that Israeli
U.S. Rep Andy Levin (center), Democrat of Michigan, spoke at a J Street breakfast fundraiser Oct. 25 at the St. Louis Club in Clayton. PHOTOS: ERIC BERGER settlements in the West Bank are not a violation of international law. But the chances of Levin and his two dozen cosponsors passing the legislation appear slim with little to no support from Republicans or moderate Democrats. The centrist group Democratic Majority for Israel opposed the bill and claimed that it “wrongly blames Israel alone for the failure to achieve a two-state solution. The reality is that Israel has offered Palestinians — and Palestinian leaders have refused — a state of their own on several occasions,” according to the Times of Israel. (The sponsors also did not include any members of “the Squad,” the group of young progressive Democrats that includes Bush.) Meanwhile in Israel, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett supports annexing the
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West Bank to Israel; opposes the creation of a Palestinian state; and want to expand Israeli settlements in the West Bank. And Bennett’s counterpart, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, has a tenuous grip on power. Earlier this year, he canceled elections that were to be held for the first time in 15 years. And Hamas, an Islamist terrorist organization, continues to control Gaza. Despite the long odds against peace, Levin’s view is: “There’s always excuses.” “You have to start building for change in the fallow times,” said Levin, who was joined at the breakfast at the St. Louis Club by J Street President Jeremy BenAmi and leaders of the local J Street chapter. “I really do feel like what we are trying to do is create a new center of gravity in Congress, in the Democratic party, but the Republican party, at some point has to change. I mean right now it’s not even working in the realm of democracy,” referring to the lawmakers who voted to object to the 2020 presidential election results. Levin said there is also reason for optimism because his cosponsors include legislators who hold leadership positions on committees and Jews such as Reps. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill. As to the charge that supporters of his legislation are threatening Israel’s security, Levin pointed to the fact that he and other co-sponsors of the bill, on the same day it was introduced, voted in favor of a measure to provide $1 billion in new funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. “I really do think we can get major traction on this,” said Levin. While 420 lawmakers voted in favor of the Iron Dome funding measure, 10 Democrats and one Republican voted against it or “present.” That included Bush and Levin’s fellow Michigan Representative, Rashida Tlaib, who Levin describes as a friend. Tlaib, who is of Palestinian descent, has said she supports a one-state solution that would
combine Israel and Palestinian territories into one democratic country, which could then have a Palestinian majority and no longer be a Jewish State. Levin said that he “unabashedly feels like my people should get a homeland, and we need one.” After Tlaib voted against the Iron Dome funding and described Israel as an apartheid state, Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., accused her of antisemitism. Levin said he disagreed with that accusation against Tlaib and pointed to a recent report from Human Rights Watch stating that Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank met the legal definition of apartheid. “I think you have to take that seriously,” Levin said of the report. “I hear so many people say, ‘That’s antisemitic to say that.’ I don’t think criticism of Israel — even criticism I disagree with, even criticism that is very strong — to say that it’s antisemitic is not only wrong, but it’s dangerous for those of us in the trenches fighting against antisemitism because antisemitism is hatred of Jews. If people want to say, ‘We should push Israel into the sea or the Jews have no right to a homeland,’ then I think that bleeds over into antisemitism.” Ben-Ami echoed Levin’s opinion that the right way forward is to engage with people like Tlaib and Bush, rather than attack them. The question over how to approach such critics is “a central challenge for institutional Jewish leadership right now because not only are progressive movements launching these critiques but their kids and grandkids within the Jewish community,” said BenAmi, who was also in St. Louis because of a J Street benefit last week at Congregation Shaare Emeth featuring former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk. Such young Jews “are not antisemitic and they are not opposed to the Jewish community; they are looking actually to fulfill the values on which they were raised, to pursue justice and to stand for the rights of the oppressed.” Joe Pereles, a co-founder and political advocacy chair of the local J Street chapter, organized the breakfast and said he hopes Levin’s legislation puts the United States on a path to building a two-state solution, “which I think is in the long-term best interest of Israel.” As to Bush, who has yet to meet with leaders of local Jewish organizations, Pereles said J Street has extended an open invitation. (Abbas Alawieh, Bush’s chief of staff and Levin’s former legislative assistant, and another Bush staff member met with a group of St. Louis Jewish leaders in August.) “I’m always up for talking,” said Pereles, a past president of Shaare Emeth who was honored at the event there. He would like to lay out J Street’s positions to Bush and is “optimistic that we will be able to make some progress there.”
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J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami (right) speaks at a breakfast fundraiser on Oct. 25 at the St. Louis Club in Clayton.
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4 cities, 2 states, 1 synagogue campus and rabbi: The Jews of the Quad-Cities are learning to share Rabbi Linda Bertenthal (right) and her husband Philip carry their congregation's Torah on its 7.5-mile journey across the Mississippi River, from Rock Island, Illinois, to its new home in Davenport, Iowa.
DAVE SCHECHTER JTA
For one group of Midwestern Jews, the Jewish New Year started this fall with an interstate hike — complete with armloads of Torahs. Four days before Rosh Hashanah, members of Congregation Beth Israel set off from the Tri-City Jewish Center, in Rock Island, Illinois, carrying one of its Torahs. They walked nearly five miles, crossing the Arsenal Bridge over the Mississippi River, before arriving at the intersection of 12th and Mound streets in Davenport, Iowa. There, as planned, the Conservative synagogue’s congregants met up with members of Davenport’s Reform congregation, Temple Emanuel. They had walked a half-mile carrying a Torah of their own. Rabbi Linda Bertenthal, who serves both congregations, led the group in singing “Hineh Ma Tov,” whose lyrics — “How good and pleasant it is, for brothers and sisters to sit together” — fit the occasion. Several dozen men, women and children then hiked another 2 and 1/2 miles to the congregations’ new, shared home in Davenport, the Beit Shalom Jewish Community. “It was really cool. Everyone took turns carrying their Torahs. We all carried. We all did our part. Everyone was talking and having a good time,” said Greg Rothbardt, who grew up at Temple Emanuel and recently completed a three-year stint as congregation president. “It was one of the top Jewish experiences of my life,” said Lee Blumberg, president of Beth Israel. Together, the group carried the Torahs to a one-time steakhouse and real estate office, an 11,000-square foot structure retro-fitted to house congregations that now share a sanctuary, offices, a kitchen and Bertenthal herself — while maintaining separate identities, governing boards and worship practices. The sharing arrangement between Temple Emanuel and the Jewish Center is, all parties insist, not a merger; in fact, use of the “m” word is strictly eschewed. The two congregations remain independent in their worship practices and governance, even while sharing a building and a rabbi. It’s a model that acknowledges the reality of a declining Jewish population, a fact of life in many towns and small cities, while also respecting the diverse traditions that gave rise to the contemporary community. The area is not the first community to adopt the arrangement, but with financial pressures exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, others may look to it as a recent model. The Tri-City Jewish Center was founded in 1936, when Davenport; Rock Island; and Moline, Illinois, were the dominant municipalities in the area. As neighboring Bettendorf, Iowa, grew, the region as a whole adopted the more geographically inclusive name Quad-Cities. Like in many regions of the U.S., the Jewish community of the Quad-Cities has fluctuated over the generations. Estimated at 100 to 150 in 1860, it grew to 1,400 in 1920, and peaked in the 1950s and 1960s at about 2,500. By the late 1970s (when this author arrived for his first job, as a newspaper reporter), the trend was downward; by 1990, Quad-Cities Jews numbered an estimated 1,350, according to a study commissioned by the Jewish Federation of the Quad-Cities. Today 400 to 500 Jews live in the QuadCity area. “Our slow decline in numbers mirrors that of many small Jewish communities throughout the country. Many of our kids go to schools outside the area and get jobs in larger cities. And many of our seniors have moved to warmer climates,” said Allan Ross, who has served as execu-
PHOTOS: BEIT SHALOM JEWISH COMMUNITY)
tive director of the local Jewish federation for 20 years. The federation has joined the two congregations as the third occupant of the Beth Israel building. Currently, Beth Israel and Temple Emanuel each number fewer than 100 households. Chabad Lubavitch of the Quad-Cities, which opened its doors in Bettendorf 16 years ago, draws from unaffiliated Jews, members of the long-established congregations and a small number local Israelis. It has its own building and is not involved in the collaboration. The Beit Shalom Jewish Community’s ark in Davenport integrates oversized doors and Ten Commandments letters from the Tri-City Jewish Center in Rock Island with stained glass from Temple Emanuel in Davenport. (Beit Shalom Jewish Community) Historians cite German Jewish poet Heinrich Heine as having written in 1823 that “a time would come when Jews would be munching unleavened bread on the banks of the Mississippi.” By 1850, if not earlier, Jewish merchants indeed were putting roots down where the Mississippi River flows east-west, rather than northsouth. Over time, congregations formed, along ethnic lines and worship practices. Some survived. Others did not. Some merged. The river dividing Illinois and Iowa has also served as a divider between the strands of Judaism. Rabbi Simon Glazer, a leading Orthodox figure of his time, wrote in 1900: “Rock Island is a unique little Jewish community. It is a ghetto in the full meaning of the word. All keep Sabbath. Friday evening puts a holy garb over that part of Rock Island where stands the beautiful little schule.”
Glazer also observed: “It is as hard for a Davenport Jew to be an orthodox as it is for a Rock Island Jew to be a reformer.” More than a half-century later, Rabbi Oscar Fleishaker, who led the Tri-City Jewish Center from 1946 to 1954, concurred this opinion in his doctoral thesis: “The Jewish families did not care to associate with each other. The Illinois Jews wanted no social ties with the Iowans and when the East Europeans began to arrive, the German Jews simply refused to recognize their existence or presence in the community. Both groups, East Europeans and Germans, existed side by side for more than seventy-five years, yet there was almost no relationship between them.” That ice began to thaw in the 1940s, and most remnants have long since melted. Founded in 1936 as a Traditional congregation, the Tri-City Jewish Center, referred to as “the Center” by locals, affiliated for several decades with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. It has since left the organization, but remains Conservative in religious practice. Just as the references to the Tri-Cities gave way to the Quad-Cities, the Center’s name became something of an identity issue. “Around 2007-2008 we decided as a board that ‘the Tri-City Jewish Center’ sounded more like a JCC than we wanted it to,” said Maynard Siegel, a life-long member and former congregation president. In recent years, the Center has identified itself as “Congregation Beth Israel at the Tri-City Jewish Center,” taking on the name of an Orthodox congregation that built Rock Island’s first synagogue in 1902 and later merged into the center in 1950.
The Beit Shalom Jewish Community’s ark in Davenport integrates oversized doors and Ten Commandments letters from the Tri-City Jewish Center in Rock Island with stained glass from Temple Emanuel in Davenport.
In Davenport, the Orthodox congregation B’Nai Israel, founded in 1861, joined the Reform movement’s Union of American Hebrew Congregations in 1879 and adopted the name Temple Emanuel in 1886. It remains Iowa’s longest continually-operating Jewish congregation. The current sharing arrangement began to take shape when the Tri-City Jewish Center recognized that it no longer needed the 30,000-square foot home it moved to in 1981. It sold the building a couple of years ago to the Two Rivers YMCA, which will share the space with the Rock Island Public Library. About that time, members of the Tri-City Jewish Center community purchased a building in Davenport that they thought might, at some future date, be suitable for a synagogue as the community began to demographically shift across the river. “They bought it as a placeholder,” Siegel said. The Tri-City Jewish Center had broached the idea of sharing a home in Iowa with Temple Emanuel before, but the sale of its Rock Island property accelerated that conversation. Temple Emanuel’s 13,000-square foot building, which opened in 1953, is now listed for sale. Even after a dozen years of joint education programs and holiday celebrations, when it came to talking about the sharing arrangement, both parties were wary. “The fear of the unknown was some of the issue,” Rothbardt said. Siegel said, “Each tradition was jealously guarded. A fair number of people were very concerned that their traditions not be invaded.” “It’s always an agonizing process, especially when you bring different cultures of synagogues into the same building and working with each other. Nowhere that I’ve known about has it ever been easy,” Ross said. The sharing arrangement extends to Beit Shalom’s board, which deals primarily with issues related to the building; it comprises three members from each congregation and two representing the federation (one who attends Beth Israel and the other Temple Emanuel). Bertenthal is acting as a bridge. Initially hired by Temple Emanuel as an interim rabbi and then full-time, she now is contracted as the “settled rabbi” for both congregations. Though ordained in the Reform movement — at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion-Los Angeles — Bertenthal is learning Beth Israel’s liturgical and musical traditions. She conducts a See ILLINOIS-IOWA on page 10A
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November 3, 2021
WORLD NEWS
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Warming relations between Israel, Arab countries creates new application for script that combines Hebrew and Arabic Israel’s pavilion at the 2020 World Expo in Dubai includes a sculpture featuring Aravrit, a script that combines Hebrew and Arabic. (AFP via Getty Images)
BY SHIRA HANAU JTA
When Liron Lavi Turkenich designed a writing system combining Hebrew and Arabic characters as a final project in college, she probably could not have imagined that her script would become the focal point of Israel’s pavilion at the 2020 World Expo in Dubai. But after the Abraham Accords, in which Israel signed diplomatic agreements to normalize relations with the United Arab Emirates, and the peace agreements with other Arab countries that followed, the need for Aravrit, Turkenich’s script that allows both Hebrew and Arabic to be read from the same text, has expanded. The sky is now the limit for Turkenich’s project. “I would like to get to the Museum of Modern Art in New York. It’s a kind of dream. I would be happy for someone to adopt ‘El Mahar.’ An outdoor sculpture demands attention just as a language creates attention,” Turkenich told Haaretz, referring to the sculpture featured in the Israel pavilion. “El Mahar” means “toward tomorrow.” Turkenich was first inspired to create the writing system by her uprbinging in Haifa, one of Israel’s most integrated cities where Jews and Palestinians mix frequently and where Arabic is ubiquitous. But Turkenich realized that she tended to ignore that language, which she didn’t understand, and automatically paying attention to the Hebrew which she did. When she read an article by a 19th century French ophthalmologist who wrote
that only the top half of Latin letters were actually needed in order to understand what they said, she decided to test the theory on Hebrew. She found that it was actually only the bottom halves of the letters that were needed in Hebrew. In Arabic, luckily, it was the top halves that were necessary. By combining the top halves of the Arabic characters and the bottoms of the Hebrew ones, Turkenich created Aravrit. While the script isn’t widely available for
use as a downloadable font, Turkenich has used the script to design jewelry and ceramic dishes. And now the massive sculpture — more than 40 feet long and 16 feet tall — that forms the centerpiece of the Israel pavilion. “Both Hebrew and Arabic have incredible histories. We should not erase them. It’s the same as the political situation: We can’t start from scratch,” Turkenich told JTA in 2017, saying she hoped Aravrit would lead to greater coexistence
between Israelis and Palestinians at home and between Israelis and people throughout the Arab world. “I believe Aravrit sends a message that we’re both here, and we might as well acknowledge each other,” Turkenich told JTA. “That applies to Jews and Arab Israelis, but also to Israel and the Palestinians and Israel and the Arab world.”
Illinois-Iowa: The Jews of the Quad-Cities are learning to share CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9A Reform service on Friday nights and a Conservative on Saturday mornings. Services similarly alternated throughout the High Holy Days. Bertenthal said she has found much of the liturgy in common, though there are differences, such as the Musaf service, which is part of Conservative worship, but not Reform. There also are variations in the wording of some prayers and the melodies preferred by Beth Israel congregants. “But they are being very kind and
generous in giving me time and space and are appreciative that I am trying to learn their modalities and ways of doing things,” she said. Blumberg said, “She’s making a very valiant effort and she admits when she doesn’t know things,” adding that Beth Israel congregants, who understand the necessity of sharing a rabbi, fill in the gaps. When Bertenthal meets with potential congregants in her Judaism class, she recommends that they attend services at both congregations to help determine where
they feel more comfortable. Beit Shalom’s building itself is an exercise in sharing. The doors open to a Tree of Life mosaic on the floor, its trunks representing each of the congregations, and extending onto the walls. The yahrzeit or memorial walls from both congregations have been reinstalled in the foyer, and the ark integrates both the oversized doors and letters representing the Ten Commandments from the Center, as well as stained glass from Temple Emanuel. Bertenthal credits the leaders of both congregations for “looking with clear
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vision at the future and seeing that the future is not sustainable if we don’t do something to change the facts on the ground.” Change has not been easy. “There is so much emotional resonance when it comes to issues of home,” she said. “Both congregations really want to feel at home in this new building and, therefore, what the other congregation does has some impact on them.” The Torah procession was “one of the helpful transitional moments,” Bertenthal said, acknowledging that for some congregants acceptance will take time. Life cycle events and sharing Shabbat and holidays will play a role. “As we have those experiences, it will come to feel like home,” she said. A few weeks after their Rosh Hashanah blending, both congregations joined to build a sukkah.
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JEWISH LIGHT
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 TOLDOT
Our calling is to follow our inner Jacob BY RABBI CARNIE SHALOM ROSE
“And the twins struggled in her womb, and she said, “If so, why do I exist?” And she went to inquire of the LORD. And the LORD answered her, “Two nations are in your womb. Two separate peoples shall issue forth from your body. One people shall be mightier than the other. And the older shall serve the younger.” (Genesis 25:22-23) This Shabbat, we once again read the famous tale of Isaac and Rebecca’s twins, Esau and Jacob, Eysav and Yaacov. The elder, Esau, is described in the Torah as a skillful hunter and a man of the field. He appears to be a person with great passions who is guided primarily by his appetites and emotions. Jacob, on the other hand, is portrayed as a mild man who stayed close to the encampment, mellower, more cere-
bral, and predisposed to employing logic and reason. Of course, our sacred Scripture is presenting us in this tale caricatures, or paradigms for our own self-awareness, a deeper understanding and potentially - appreciation of others. The struggle between passion and reason, emotion and logic, is common to many eras, religions and traditions. For example, in Greek thought, Apollo and Dionysus, the children of the chief god Zeus, were constantly at odds. Apollo, the sun god was the god of reason and rationality, while Dionysus was the god of wine, revelry and emotion; the god of unbridled passions. In our own day and age, the battle between conscious restraint and wanton abandon continues to be waged. When I was a yeshivah high school student, I still recall an “emergency Shiur” hurriedly arranged by the dean of the institution to
rail against a Nike commercial that promoted the notion of “Just Do It!” His contention was that this notion was an utter rejection of Judaism, which he categorized as a tradition of discipline, self-control and limitation. He concluded his impassioned plea with the words: “Don’t Just Do It, Just Jew It!” As Post-Moderns, we understand each of us has within us a little bit of Esau as well as an element of Jacob. But in the final analysis, it is Jacob, not Esau, who was chosen to be the progenitor of our people. Rationality and reason were intentionally chosen over emotion and passion. Or perhaps more aptly and accurately, reason is selected by the Almighty to rule over passion. As the prophet Malachi teaches in the Haftarah selection for this Shabbat, “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” says the Lord. Yet I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau.” (Malachi 1:2 - 3).
There isn’t always two sides to every issue, as the Holocaust demonstrates BY STACEY NEWMAN
I remember distinctly the first time I saw this photograph, hanging in a huge frame over the mantel in cousin Susan’s house in Ann Arbor, Mich., 32 years ago. That weekend the Neumann family had gathered from all over to celebrate her parents 50th wedding anniversary, Gertie and Alfred Strauss, two Holocaust survivors. (Some family members changed the spelling of Neumann to assimilate.) I was still officially the “girlfriend” at the simcha, meeting more of my soon-tobe mishpocha (family), not knowing that one day later, I would become a “fiancé.” Most of the girls in the photograph were killed by Nazis at the German AuschwitzBirkenau extermination camp. Their spouses and children were also murdered just because they were Jewish. Great aunts and cousins we never had the chance to know. The Holocaust scarred our family in unimaginable ways for decades. We purposely say the names of those we lost, even though our survivors, including my father-in-law, Marcel, his mother and siblings, never ever mentioned what they witnessed in Germany. We display the same haunting photograph in our homes. The third girl from the left in the front row of the photograph, in her spunky schoolgirl pose full of confidence and attitude, has attracted me from the beginning. Amanda was brutally gassed with her husband and two young daughters as Auschwitz Nazi staff, young women and men partied, drinking and dancing late into the evenings. Like many Jewish families, we will never truly know the pain of those who survived, horrors carried with them until the day they died. But it changed us — we who live to passionately tell their stories over and over until we die. My husband and I honored Amanda’s sister, survivor Oma Sophie, by naming our daughter Sophie after her brave great-grandmother. Recently, a senior administrator in the Carroll Independent School District in Southlake, Texas, advised teachers to include multiple perspectives when dis-
cussing controversial historical events, as required by a brand-new state law, HB3979. “Make sure that if you have a book on the Holocaust, that you have one that has an opposing, that has other perspectives”, she said during a training session for teachers on which books can be in classroom libraries. I became furious watching the secretly recorded video of her comments on national news. However, this “both sides” concept isn’t new. In 2014, a world-wide survey by the AntiDefamation League of adults in 102 countries found that only 54% of those polled had ever heard of the Holocaust. That same year, eighth grade students in a California school district were asked to write an essay on whether they believed the Holocaust was an actual event. We are still bone-chilled by the chant of “Jews will not replace us” at the extremist Charlottesville rally four years ago. Neo-
Nazis with swastikas marched by yelling “Sieg Heils” as congregants at Congregation Beth Israel, the sole synagogue in Charlottesville, took the Torah scrolls, including one from the Holocaust, to a home for safekeeping after tense services. Ugly antisemitism and the erasure of history has escalated in the United States for years. Still, it was horrifying to hear then-President Donald Trump in 2017 blame “very fine people on both sides” at the deadly Virginia rally. “Bothsideism,” also known as journalistic fair balance, is a dangerous media tool often used to show opposing viewpoints, even when evidence shows otherwise. “Bothsideism” leads to false balance and perilous misinformation, particularly regarding historical events or attempting to downplay antisemitism. In addition, I blame the popular notion of political compromise. As the lone Jewish member my final year in the state legislature, often immersed in intense
Rabbi Carnie Shalom Rose is the Rabbi Bernard Lipnick Senior Rabbinic Chair at Congregation B’nai Amoona and a member of the St. Louis Rabbinical and Cantorial Association. Malachi’s point is not so much that God despises specific Biblical characters, but rather that the Holy One prefers caution and restraint over unchecked instinctive reactions. Thus, it is Jacob and not Esau who is given a place of primacy in Jewish imagination and ultimately becomes the father of the B’nai Yisrael, our ancestors, the Children of Israel. With restrained passion and passionate restraint, I wish us all a Shabbat Shalom!
Stacey Newman is the executive director of ProgressWomen, a statewide social justice group focused on justice and equality issues. She served nine years in the Missouri state legislature, representing a suburban district in St. Louis. floor debates, I refused to ignore anti-Holocaust education rhetoric, simply “to get along.” There can be no middle ground, concession or deal making for hate. Period. I’ve seen the actual Nazi death logs inscribed with our family names at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem. I’ve seen the actual artifacts of the Auschwitz death camp, where Amanda died, on display at the groundbreaking international exhibition at Union Station in Kansas City. I’ve seen the fear in our aunt’s handwriting, listing the death camps of Amanda and her sisters. So, tell me the opposing view to teaching the Holocaust. Go ahead. I’m ready for you. A photo of the Neumann family, showing many family members who would be killed during the Holocaust.
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Jewish values go hand-in-hand with conservation BY LARRY LEVIN
“No one is an island, no one can say this has got nothing to do with me – we have to bear the responsibility individually and collectively for this horrifying situation which threatens our world and which threatens our grandchildren and our great grandchildren.” — Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth Before I served as the Publisher/CEO of the Jewish Light, I was involved in the real estate world in a variety of roles – as attorney, as real estate businessperson and as the St. Louis director of a national conservation nonprofit. And now I run Ozark Land Trust, an organization that permanently protects over 30,000 acres across the beautiful Ozarks bioregion. Lands including forests, prairies, watersheds and working properties like farms and ranches, are all part of the portfolio we protect as stewards of their conservation values. With COP26, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, underway this week, it’s an important time for us as Jews to reflect on our role in contributing to solutions that combat the devastating impact of climate change across the globe. For me personally, my Jewish values are reflected in my choice to help those in our own backyard, so to speak — How can we protect the lands of our beautiful Ozarks
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Submit your letter to news@stljewishlight.org
Jewish groups should work to limit overlapping event dates
After all these many months of nowhere to go and nothing to do, we finally have something nice to look forward to. Unfortunately, once again our Jewish community misses the mark by scheduling overlapping cultural activities. The St. Louis Jewish Book Festival, our premier literary event that my husband and I look forward to every year, kicks off on Sunday, Nov. 7, with Natan Sharansky as the keynote speaker at 7 p.m. We purchased our festival pass for the entire series weeks ago. And yet Temple Israel decides to host a Jewish Film Festival, also something we might have enjoyed and supported, that doesn’t end until 8 p.m. on Sunday. There’s certainly no way to get from TI to the J in time for the Sharansky lecture. I’ve asked this question before: Isn’t there a St. Louis Jewish community calendar that organizations might consult when planning these kind of events? Or how about merely communicating personally to find out if anything is planned? For such a smart group of people, this was a disappointing choice. Sherilyn Krell Olivette
Environmental nonprofit director Larry Levin writes that ‘conservation of our regional resources is an inherently Jewish principle.’ bioregion, so that our natural resources not only flourish in their own right, but also continue to serve as a healthy place for us all to live, work and play? The model we employ at OLT, that of Larry Levin is the Executive Director of Ozark Land Trust. To learn more about OLT’s work in protecting lands across the Ozark region, and to get involved, visit ozarklandtrust.org.
working with landowners who make the purely voluntary decision to permanently protect their land, is hardly the only tactic available to offset climate. But it is a particularly important one in our region, in which over 90% of lands are private. The climate itself doesn’t care whether land is in public or private hands, so appealing to private landowners of sensitive lands to consider protection is a necessary and valuable approach. And the current federal administration’s 30 By 30 plan — to protect 30% of American lands by 2030 — simply cannot be accomplished on publicly held lands alone.
The ‘human rights’ scam at the heart of the NGO controversy BY JONATHAN TOBIN JNS
To listen to the U.S. State Department and many in the international humanrights community, Israel has done it again. The outrage over the decision by Defense Minister Benny Gantz to designate six Palestinian non-governmental organizations as terrorist groups centers on the charge that his decision was merely a way for the Israeli government to shut down dissent about what it does in the West Bank. While the Israelis are said to be sharing documentary proof that the six in question are directly tied to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine—a radical left-wing group with a long record of bloody terrorism dating back to the 1970s, the material they produce will be widely discounted. That’s not so much because the international community, liberal media, anti-Zionist organizations and even those who count themselves as pro-Israel, but still deeply critical of the Jewish state’s policies, will be able to debunk the evidence. Rather, it’s because the very idea of seeking to shut down groups that purport to represent the interests of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, children, women and agricultural workers is considered illegitimate. These Palestinian NGOs are being described by their allies and apologists abroad, as well as newspapers like The New York Times and State Department spokesman Ned Price, as “civil society organizations.” This language seeks to depict them as just your ordinary good government groups whose work is a philanthropic effort to improve the lives of disadvantaged people. And that is the way they are treated by an international network of human-rights organizations, in addition to newspapers like the Times that regard their members as credible sources for articles skewed towards bolstering the “apartheid state” lie about Israel. But those who will focus solely on whether the proof of their links to the PFLP is definitive are making a mistake. Doubtless, many of those involved with
these groups are linked to terror groups. Indeed, so pervasive is the influence of the array of terror organizations and their political wings in Palestinian society, it would be shocking if most of them weren’t. Indeed, a connection to one of the factions of the Palestine Liberation Organization is more or less a prerequisite for participation in public life in the West Bank. Their purpose, after all, is not to make the lives of Palestinians better. If it were, they would be advocating for peace, not the destruction of the Jewish State, as all do. They wouldn’t be obsessed with efforts to maintain the struggle against Israel, both in terms of violence and propaganda aimed at delegitimizing it. Instead, they would be building the infrastructure of Palestinian society and trying to make their own government more accountable and less corrupt. Palestinians who actually care about creating a civil society would be seeking to promote normalization and cooperation with Israel not opposing it and treating those who seek peace as traitors. The groups now labeled as linked to terrorism are part of the failed struggle of the PFLP or even its larger rivals within Palestinian society like Fatah to aid terror by supporting those imprisoned by Israel and similar efforts. But, more importantly, they are also part of a network of international groups that pose a far greater threat to Israel than even terrorists. What even all too many of those who count themselves as friends of Israel don’t understand is that the purpose of those groups that claim to promote human rights is, at least with respect to the Middle East, not philanthropic. Well-meaning Americans hear the words “civil society” and “human rights,” and make unfounded assumptions. That’s especially true with respect to organizations like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty, whose origins are both rooted in a genuine concern for the struggle against authoritarianism worldwide. Both entities, however, have long since left behind their idealistic principles and become part of a network whose main pur-
Thanks to sophisticated mapping, we now have a much better idea of which lands in our region are resilient to adverse change, and which are more vulnerable to it. So those of us in the conservation sector can work toward priorities that support the resilient lands and restore and protect the more vulnerable ones. To what end? Well, for many ends, and all support intrinsically Jewish values: Keeping our community’s food production intact by preserving the watersheds and lands that support local farms and ranches; maintaining the rivers, parks, conservation areas and trails that form our ability to appreciate and mingle with nature; and supporting the inherent need to preserve and restore species and the natural resources upon which they depend. And now we’re finding the nexus between health and climate issues to be a major concern as well. From the threats of severe weather, to the degradation of water supplies, to outright unlivable areas due to heat, climate is harming our physical health in many major ways (for more, read NPR’s story at https://bit.ly/climate-nexus). So no matter how you in your Jewish life celebrate our planet — through a more generalized tikkun olam perspective, or more specifically to support the food, lands and water we need to ensure healthy living for everyone, particularly those in underprivileged living situations — conservation of our regional resources is an inherently Jewish principle.
Jonathan S. Tobin is editor in chief of JNS—Jewish News Syndicate. Follow him on Twitter at: @ jonathans_tobin.
pose in recent years is to slander and delegitimize the one Jewish state on the planet. Nor is it any coincidence that among the loudest voices denouncing the Israeli government’s revelations about these NGOs ties to terror were both Human Rights Watch and Amnesty, which regarded all six of them as partners. HRW made headlines this past summer by releasing a report claiming to prove that Israel is an apartheid state. It was a farrago of myths, distortions and skewed claims, yet was still treated as a serious indictment by mainstream outlets like the Times. Though it has long been apparent, it’s now joined the war on Zionism full time and abandoned actual civil society work. That the propaganda these groups produce is antisemitic in nature is illustrated by their obsession with supporting terror groups and undermining not only Israel’s right to self-defense but smearing and lying about the nature of Israeli society, the one pluralistic democracy in the region. Like any democracy, Israel isn’t perfect, but the tunnel vision of the human-rights community on attacking it while ignoring or giving short shrift to real human-rights catastrophes going on elsewhere is telling. The problem doesn’t stop with these NGOs that help promote the work of Palestinian groups. The heart of the international human-rights scam that is now just a thinly disguised cover for Jew-hatred is the United Nations and its Human Rights Council, which lends a facade of legitimacy to these efforts to libel the Jewish state. Sadly, the Biden administration reversed the decision of its predecessor and rejoined the Human Rights Council this year. While it says it will fight to reform it, such an attempt to do so was proved to be a fool’s errand a long time ago. Instead, it just shows how the foreign-policy establishment, which is back in charge in See OP-ED on page 22A
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This year’s films with Jewish or Israeli themes at the St. Louis International Film Festival include (clockwise from top left): “I Am Here,” “Ahed’s Knee” and “We Burn Like This.”
ST. LOUIS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
A look at Jewish, Israeli themes at 2021 festival BY CATE MARQUIS SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
The 30th Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival will feature several Israeli and Jewish-interest films, in a mix of in-person and virtual screenings, plus a special event. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required to attend and COVID procedures will be in place. All the in-person screenings and the special event listed below take place at the Tivoli Theater, 6350 Delmar Blvd. in University City.
Special Event A Tribute to Mary Strauss, with a screening of “Sunset Boulevard” Nov. 21 at 3 p.m. Tivoli Theater, $25 The festival will honor local Jewish philanthropist Mary Strauss, whose many accomplishments include restoring the Fox Theatre and helping found SLIFF, with a Lifetime Achievement Award. The award presenta- Mary Strauss tion will be followed by a screening of her favorite film, “Sunset Boulevard.”
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Narrative films “Neighbours” (“Nachbarn”) Tuesday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. and Wednesday, Nov. 10, at 4 p.m. Switzerland, narrative, in Kurdish, Arabic and Hebrew with English subtitles See review below. “Ahed’s Knee” (“Ha’berech”) Friday, Nov. 19, at 8:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 21, at 3:30 p.m. Israel, narrative, drama, in French, German and Hebrew with English subtitles In Israeli writer/director Nadav Lapid’s drama, the jury prize winner at Cannes, a film director travels to small desert town in Israel for a showing of one of his films but is taken aback when he is asked to sign a government document restricting what he can say. The young woman asking him to sign is embarrassed by the censorship but insists, which prompts a searing critique, in a scene that can be hard to watch. The Israel-born auteur Lapid has long had a fraught relationship with the country of his birth, but those feelings are expressed more directly here, although softened in the end, in this gripping, thought-provoking drama. “We Burn Like This” Virtual Only, Available starting on Nov. 4 USA, narrative, drama, in English
A young woman who is a descendant of Holocaust survivors in Billings, Mont., finds a new understanding of their experience when she encounters hate first-hand.
Documentaries “I Am Here” Monday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m. South Africa, documentary, English, Hebrew and Yiddish with English subtitles Holocaust-denier protests in Australia prompts a 98-year-old Holocaust survivor in South Africa to finally tell the amazing story of her survival and what she witnessed first-hand, while expressing both an irrepressible hope and even a compassion for those who deny the past. “My So-Called Selfish Life” Virtual Only, Available On Nov. 4 USA, documentary, English A documentary about women choosing to be childless, from feminist Jewish filmmaker, Therese Shechter, past winner of the Best Film award at the Jewish Women’s Film Festival, NCJW/NY for her documentary “I Was a Teenaged Feminist.”
Short films (All Virtual Only) All virtual only, available on Nov. 4 Doc Short: This Is Our Youth has one
St. Louis International Film Festival WHEN: Nov. 4-21 WHERE: In-person film screenings mainly at the Tivoli Theatre, with a few events at additional locations, as well as virtual screenings HOW MUCH: Tickets for screenings, in-person or virtual, are $15, $11 for Cinema St. Louis members. Passes are also available. For tickets, passes, program and more information, visit the SLIFF website www.cinemastlouis.org/sliff/festival-home. COVID-19 PROTOCOLS: SLIFF will require masks and proof of vaccination at in-person screenings. No concessions will be available at any of the venues to ensure audience members remain masked throughout films. Israeli film - “The Promise” Narrative Shorts: Animation 1 has two Israeli films - “Black Slide” & “Hypogravitation” Narrative Shorts: Animation 2 has one Israeli film - “Baggage” Narrative Shorts: Comedy 2 has one Israeli film - “While We Stayed Home” Narrative Shorts: Experimental has one Israeli film - “In Her Image” Narrative Shorts: Drama 3 has one U.S. film with Jewish themes - “Yasha’s Tapochki”
Hate, humanity are seen through child’s eyes in ‘Neighbours’ ‘Neighbours’
BY CATE MARQUIS SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
There are always a number of Israeli films or films of Jewish interest in the Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival, and the same is true for this year’s 30th annual edition. SLIFF begins Nov. 4 and runs through Nov. 21, with a combination of in-person and virtual screenings and special events. One of this year’s best Jewish-interest films is “Neighbours” (“Nachbarn”), a Swiss film set in Syria 40 years ago, in a small village where Kurdish and Jewish families are neighbors. Actually, at this point, there is only one Jewish family left in the village, a change due to the increasingly hostile policies of the ruling Baathist party. This child-centric tale from KurdishSwiss director Mano Khalil contains a lot of sly satire and humor. Partly based on the director’s bittersweet memories of his childhood, he captures the joys and heartbreak of childhood and explores the absurdity of
Part of the St. Louis International Film Festival WHEN: Two screenings: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 9, and 4 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10. WHERE: Tivoli Theater, 6350 Delmar Blvd. HOW MUCH: Tickets for screenings, in-person or virtual, are $15, $11 for Cinema St. Louis members. Festival passes also available for purchase.
‘Neighbours’ bigotry, antisemitism and conflict through the lens of those memories. “Neighbours” begins with a framing device in the present. A Kurdish extended family who fled violence in Syria are living in a refugee camp and waiting to hear from someone they reached out to in
Switzerland. The reply comes in the form of a picture and a request that the family patriarch Sero (Sherzad Abdullah) identify the people in it. It is not a photo, but a child’s drawing, a drawing that sparks childhood memories of 40 years ago. In flashback, 7-year-old Sero is living in
MORE INFO: Visit cinemastlouis.org/sliff/ festival-home for more information or to purchase tickets. “Neighbours” runs 124 minutes and is in Kurdish, Arabic, English and Hebrew with English subtitles.SLIFF will require masks and proof of vaccination at in-person events. a small, mostly Kurdish village on the Turkish-Syrian border. Starting with the subject of the drawing, little Sero (Serhed Khalil) and his beloved Uncle Aram (Ismail Zagros) prank the Turkish border See FILM REVIEW on page 21A
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ST. LOUIS JEWISH BOOK FESTIVAL
‘Empire of Pain’ author details Sackler family’s dramatic rise and fall BY DALE SINGER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
It’s no secret that OxyContin was a primary cause of the opioid crisis that has cost countless lives and an estimated $2 trillion in the United States. This deeply researched book tells a more complete story, digging into the family whose reckless pursuit of wealth from the laboratory through doctors’ offices to users who needed to alleviate pain and ended up in the grip of a far more powerful force. As author Patrick Radden Keefe sums it up in “Empire of Pain,” three generations of the Sackler family tried to whitewash their involvement in the crisis and keep it separate from the philanthropy that plastered their name on museums, educational institutions and other high-profile sites worldwide. Despite their mixture of ostentatious philanthropy and secretive family finance, Keefe says, they ended up losing both credibility and the cachet they sought among the superrich: “… unlike a lot of human beings, they didn’t seem to learn from what they saw transpiring in the world around them. They could produce a rehearsed simulacrum of human empathy, but they seemed incapable of comprehending their own role in the story, and impervious to any genuine moral epiphany. They resented being cast as the villains in a drama, but it was their own stunted, stubborn blindness that made them so well suited to the role.” The story begins with brothers Arthur, Mortimer and Raymond Sackler, who all earned medical degrees. As they moved from treating patients to purveying pills, their concentration on business far sur-
Patrick Radden Keefe, author of ‘Empire of Pain’ Part of the St. Louis Jewish Book Festival WHEN: 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 11 WHERE: The J’s Staenberg Family Complex (gymnasium), 2 Millstone Campus Drive
“Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty” by Patrick Radden Keefe (pictured at left); Doubleday, $32.50, 535 pages
HOW MUCH: $25 or included with a festival pass MORE INFO: Visit stljewishbookfestival.org or call 314-442-3299 COVID-19 PROTOCOLS:: The festival will require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result within 48 hours entry. Vaccination card or photo accepted, plus photo ID. Masks required at in-person events passed any attention to their offspring. When a young daughter pleaded with Arthur, “Play with me, Daddy,” his response was telling. “I’m going to wait until you’re an adult. Then I’ll have a conversation with you.” That single-minded devotion to business led to huge success, first with tranquilizers like Valium, then with the realization that doctors were looking for a non-narcotic way to ease people’s pain. The result was megadrug OxyContin — a version of the pain reliever oxycodone designed to release its relief over time. Along the way, the Sacklers devised new strategies for getting drugs into the bodies of patients, with their company Purdue Pharma, deploying armies of aggressive sales reps to doctors’ offices nationwide. Their mantra was that OxyContin was the drug “to start with and to stay with.” But as with many tales of scientific overreach, a sad reckoning occurred.
READ MORE Read our earlier Jewish Book Festival coverage by visiting stljewishlight.org/JBF2021 OxyContin was far from the safe drug that Purdue claimed, and users soon discovered how the pills could provide not just gradual, time-released relief as advertised. Instead, OxyContin could lead to instant highs, and the more that patients used, the higher doses of the drug they needed. Soon, many needed to turn to heroin and other narcotics to get their fix. When the epidemic ensued, Purdue tried unsuccessfully to deflect blame, saying the problem was not with the drug but with those who abused it. And as the negative consequences of OxyContin grew, the hospitals, universities, museums and other institutions that had benefitted from the family’s generosity grew wary of the family connection, and the Sackler name began to disappear from many of the institutions that once sought their support. The controversy even reached that modern measure of public scorn, late-night television, where Stephen Colbert said the
family had a revised version of the Hippocratic Oath: “First, do no harm. Unless harming is incredibly profitable.” The Sacklers’ story is a long, many-faceted one, but Keefe does a good job in helping to keep things straight. A family tree shows how the generations grew; the book is divided into three sections – Patriarch, Dynasty and Legacy; and chapter titles like “Penicillin for the Blues,” “Sell, Sell, Sell” and “The Pablo Escobar of the New Millennium” trace how Purdue spurred the use and misuse of opioids. In the end, the family ignored a lesson that Keefe says the patriarch, Isaac Sackler, always tried to stress. Though he couldn’t leave them much of a financial inheritance, Keefe says he left them a credo more valuable that needed protection at all costs: “If you lose a fortune, you can always earn another, he pointed out. But if you lose your good name, you can never get it back.”
NANCY KRANZBERG — THE ARTS IN ST. LOUIS
Street art: ‘Seen by everyone, owned by no one’ BY NANCY KRANZBERG SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
Paint Louis, an annual global community event, recently took place along the floodwalls of downtown St. Louis. It brought together graffiti and street artists from all over the world to paint, breakdance and perform hip hop and rap. It also had great DJs. I’ve been lucky enough to see the Wynwood Walls, which is the story of change through passion, art and community created by Tony Goldman in Miami, Fla.’s Wynwood neighborhood. In just 10 years, the Wynwood Walls has grown into a phenomenon in its own right, known as a milestone in artists’ careers, with an ability to catapult unknowns and veterans alike. Under the leadership of CEO Jessica Goldman Srebnick, the Wynwood Walls has become one of the highest-profile street art destinations in the world, welcoming over three million visitors annually. So what is this all about and what is the history and meaning of street art? According to a combination of several definitions and sources, street art has emerged from urban spaces and now lives in the cultural spaces of virtual communities, galleries, public spaces and public discoursFor more of Nancy Kranzberg’s commentary, listen to KWMU (90.7) St. Louis on the Air the first Friday of each month at approximately 12:50 p.m. She also hosts a weekly Arts Interview podcast for KDHX (88.1), available at artsinterview.kdhxtra.org.
es. It has become an object of appropriation by the pop culture and the mainstream symbolism of the contemporary art scene worldwide. The Oxford Dictionary defines street art as art work that is created in a public space, typically without official permission. A central aspect of street art is its ephemerality. An unsanctioned public work runs the risk of being removed over by authorities or other artists. No one can buy it. In many instances street art can be viewed as a tool for promoting an artist’s personal agenda concerning social issues.
Street art often is found often on bridges, buildings, sidewalks, walls, doors and the like, to be seen by a wide swath of the population. The lines between street art, fine art and collectable art begin to get very fuzzy. Bansky, the pseudonymous English -based street artist, political activist and film director whose real name and identity remain unconfirmed says, “Street Art is supposed to be the ultimate in democratized art: seen by everyone, owned by no one.” See KRANZBERG on page 19A
Downtown St. Louis’ concrete floodwalls get fresh artwork each year during Paint Louis, which brings graffiti and street artists to the city each year. The scene above was captured in November 2018. PHOTO: BILL MOTCHAN
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Look, up on the shelf! Author provides a definitive account of Superman’s Jewish ties ROBERT A. COHN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF EMERITUS
Readers of the St. Louis Jewish Light may be aware of my lifelong love affair with comic books and my pride in the fact that many of the creators, story writers and artists within the industry are Jewish. I’ve been especially fond of Superman, the creation of two Jewish teens from a Cleveland neighborhood, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who sold the rights to their creation of the Man of Steel to Detective Comics for the scandalous pittance of $130. The Jewish connections to Superman have been extensively explored in countless books, articles and fan magazines for decades. Earlier this year, author Roy Schwartz, a longtime Superman superfan, published what is perhaps the definitive book on all things Jewish about his comic hero: “Is Superman Circumcised?” The book covers every aspect of the Jewishcreated character. So, what does Schwartz add to the already voluminous writing on the Jewish connections to the mythic granddaddy (or Zayde) of all superheroes? Just about everything to the most loyal and fanatic fans of this genre. This volume is a true labor of love that is exhaustive in its coverage and sometimes exhausting. The book should not be read straight through but as more of a detailed almanac or encyclopedia. In preparing for his book, Schwartz read every issue of Superman comic books, watched all the films and TV shows and even listened to every episode of the radio show starring Bud Collyer, who would later become a well-known game
This cover of Superman #17, published in 1942, is included in Schwartz’s book.
‘Is Superman Circumcised? The Complete Jewish History of the World’s Greatest Hero’ by Roy Schwartz (pictured above); McFarland & Co., 359 pages plus bibliography, $45 show host. (Side note: I used to talk my childhood best friend, Lester Goldman, into skipping Hebrew school classes at B’nai Amoona so we could listen to “The Adventures of Superman” on the radio. No worries, Lester still did a superb job at his bar mitzvah.) Schwartz takes an extremely deep dive into Superman connections, proving that Jews are not only the People of the Book, but also the People of the Comic Book. He takes note of the striking similarities between the origin stories of Moses in the Hebrew bible, our greatest and most humble Prophet and teacher, and Superman. Both were placed in conveyances from which they were rescued. Both leaders had to learn how not to abuse their superhuman powers. Schwartz also explores possible Jewish roots of the name of Superman’s birth name, Kal-El, and the contrasting Midwest Methodist faith of his adoptive parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent. Schwartz also discusses the possible Hebrew origins of the names of Superman’s Krypton parents, Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van, noting that El means God. The book argues that Clark Kent, the “mild-mannered reporter for the Daily Planet, represents the Jewish mensch to counterbalance the ‘Ubermensch’ ” -- that is Superman. Schwartz writes: “Superman, the most powerful man on earth who chooses to live his life as mild-mannered Clark Kent, (while) Moses, the former prince of Egypt, is equally modest and humble.” As to the extent of Siegel and Shuster’s
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Jewishness, Schwartz notes that Siegel and Shuster grew up in Glenville, a neighborhood in Cleveland that was almost exclusively Jewish and where Yiddish was the language on the street. In addition, both boys attended Hebrew school, and Siegel’s mother, Sarah, “was heavily involved in Jewish community affairs.” Schwartz explores how Superman creators Siegel and Shuster saw their character, first published in Action Comics No. 1 in 1938, kickstart a multibillion-dollar superhero industry: comic books, newspaper funnies, radio and TV series and movies. But the pair didn’t receive due credit for their work until DC Comics was shamed by press reports that they were living in relative poverty. Then, DC restored their bylines to Superman comic
Superman’s creators to be inducted in Jewish-American Hall of Fame The American Jewish Historical Society will induct Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the creators of Superman, in a Zoom ceremony from 1 to 3 p.m. on Nov. 14, which is open to the public. Elan Carr, Former U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor & Combat Antisemitism will be among the guest speakers. Register for the free event by visiting https://bit.ly/Siegel-Shuster or emailing directorjahf@yahoo.com.
books and stories and set up an annual stipend for their work. As this review was being written, DC Comics made a surprise announcement that Jonathan Kent, the son of Clark and Lois Lane Kent, next in line to become the new Superman, has come out as gay. Clark and Lois of course respect their son’s decision. No doubt Schwartz may discuss the event if future editions are published. For now, Schwartz has published what might become the “authorized version” of the Superman saga. He does not leave a single stone unturned in his scholarly yet humorous take on his fascinating subject. His book is a must for hardcore Superman fans as well as general readers.
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November 3, 2021
FEATURES
STL
JEWISH LIGHT
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AMY FENSTER BROWN
Grab your ‘joggers,’ here come the holidays BY AMY FENSTER BROWN
We are just coming down from our Halloween sugar high, which is like a warning that the winter holiday season is right around the corner. This Halloween, I made sure to ponder my age-old question: “Who decided to call miniature candy bars ‘fun size?’ ” Nothing is fun about getting only two bites of chocolate. True “fun size” would be a candy bar the size of my arm. That’s fun. Luckily, this season means sweaters, sweatshirts and dressing in layers, which conveniently covers up the side effects of my definition of “fun size” candy. Didn’t we just finish the High Holidays and now we have to gear up for more? No, we get to gear up for more! We get to celebrate all kinds of things while wearing cozy, figure hiding clothes. Birthdays, anniversaries, milestones and more are celebrated year-round. The time of year we are entering just seems to have way more packed in. Is it because daylight savings time makes the days seem shorter? That’s the post-Halloween holiday in my house. My husband lives for daylight savings time. Turning all the clocks back is seriously his jam. The only thing that could make it
better would be for trash day to coincide with clock night. If that ever happened, I’m positive his head would explode. Winter holiday season 2020 was a total bust. The C-word ruined so many of our plans for travel, family gatherings and extended family gatherings. By C-word, I’m referring to COVID-19, which is soooo 2020. I’d say we are pretty darn ready to get back into the groove of celebrating winter holidays in person with people who hopefully are fully vaccinated and maybe masked (my own beliefs, not necessarily yours). I’m happy to be invited anywhere to celebrate anything, and I don’t care where you seat me. You can put me at the kids’ table, the random cousin table or on a crappy folding chair with a TV tray in the laundry room. I’m good. I’m just happy to be included. My stomach is already full just thinking about going from candy-filled Halloween to comfort food-filled Thanksgiving, and just about the time you finish eating t hose lef tover s, it ’s Hanukkah. To quote every Jewish grandmother I know: “Hanukkah is early this year.” It’s actually more
like Thanksgivukah this year. I’ll happily celebrate the miracle of the oil burning for eight nights with nature’s most perfect food: potato latkes. Thanksgiving leftovers would never last for eight nights. Maybe to emphasize my Thanksgivukah theme, I’ll put cranberry sauce on my latkes or make the pancakes with stuffing instead of potatoes. Leftovers and latkes. So on-brand. Come Dec. 1, we are all going to be bloated, thirsty and way too comfortable in sweatpants. I think they’re called joggers now so, if you want to be cool, you should make sure your sweatpants are joggers. I know leggings are superpopular, but they’re basically second skin, or sausage casing, and unless you have a longer tushie-covering top, you might not want to reach for those. This leads us right into Christmas. Monthly 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.
Whether or not you celebrate that holiday, most of us are surrounded by friends and family who do. That means we are surrounded by more gatherings, more relatives, more friends, more festivities and more food, which, in turn, means more joggers. The season wraps up with New Year’s Eve, which lands on a Friday, so it’ll also be Shabbat. I’m going to create a Manischewitz and champagne cocktail for the occasion so we can cohesively say kiddush while counting down to the ball drop. L’Chaim! Conveniently, we will have all day Saturday and Sunday to recover from my signature drink, which I’m thinking of calling Guilt at the Stroke of Midnight. This is a great follow up to my Thanksgivukah signature drink, Gobble Gobble Gelt. Then it’s January, so resolutions featuring diet plans and healthy living will take over. But only for a week or so, to be realistic. Then we can go back to beating ourselves up over our choices and start the cycle all over again. Good news: It will be right on time for Valentine’s Day candy to be out. I hope my husband gets me a card saying he loves me because I am “fun size.”
JEWISH CELEBRITIES
Judge Judy, Star Trek, Barefoot Contessa and more announced a “big deal” with the Discovery+ channel. “The Barefoot Contessa” program will continue on the Food Network, but next year she’ll launch a new program called “Be My Guest.” An hour-long version will stream on Discovery+, with a half hour version on the Food Network.
BY NATE BLOOM SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
JUDY SHEINDLIN, 78, better known as “Judge Judy,” was one of the highest paid people on broadcast TV (over $1 million per episode). But she had a falling out with CBS and her new program, “Judy Justice,” which began on Nov. 1, will only be streamed. Daily episodes will stream on IMDB TV, a free app (with ads) that you can download or add to your Roku, Apple TV or Amazon Fire app “line-up.” Judge Judy’s new law clerk is SARAH ROSE, her granddaughter. Rose, who is about 25, is now in law school. Judge Judy had a son and daughter with her first husband, a Jewish lawyer. Her second husband, the late Judge JERRY SHEINDLIN, had three children by his first marriage and Judge Judy helped to raise them.
vvv
Above, from left, Leonard Nimoy and WIlliam Shatner on ‘Star Trek.’
vvv On Nov. 5, The History Channel premieres a 10-part docuseries called “The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek.” It’s directed by BRIAN VOLK-WEISS, 45, the director/producer of “The Movies That Made Us,” a hit Netflix series. Each episode focuses on different “chapters” of the Trek franchise: live-action TV series, animated series and films. Many people associated with Trek were interviewed for the docuseries, including actor WALTER KOENIG, 85 (‘Chekov’ in the original Trek series), actor BRENT SPINER, 72 (‘Data’ on Star Trek: The Next Generation”), NICHOLAS MEYER, 75 (who directed “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” and co-wrote “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home”) and RICK BERMAN, 75, the head producer of five Trek TV series-beginning with “Next Gen” and ending with “Star Trek Enterprise.”) I hope “Center Seat” sheds light on what I think of as the Trek “miracle”: three out of the seven leads in the original “Trek” were Jewish. (Koenig; the late LEONARD NIMOY as Mr. Spock; and WILLIAM SHATNER, now 90, as Capt. Kirk.) My educated guess: “Trek” creator
PHOTO COURTESY KIPP TEAGUE/FLICKR
At left, Judy Sheindlin of “Judge Judy” at the Daytime Emmy Awards in 2019, where she received the Lifetime Achievement Award. PHOTO: GREGG DEGUIRE/ GETTY IMAGES
Gene Roddenberry had a small show budget and he followed the example of ROD SERLING, the creator of “The Twilight Zone,” who hired low-salary, but very talented character actors and cast them in lead roles. For a variety of reasons, Jewish actors were/are much more likely to be first-class character actors than leads. Shatner didn’t have much of track record as a leading man. But he did guest star on two memorable “Twilight Zone” episodes.
Nimoy was a guest actor on other shows Roddenberry had worked on and he knew Nimoy was talented. As for Koenig---well, he could do a really authentic Russian accent because his parents were Russianspeaking Jewish immigrants. vvv Jewish superstar chef INA GARTEN, 71, began hosting a new season of her hit cooking show, “The Barefoot Contessa,” on Oct. 31. Two weeks ago, Garten
“Finch” is a new film that was set to be in theaters in 2020, but the pandemic intervened. It now premieres on Apple+ on Nov. 5. The premise is that the Earth was turned into a wasteland by a solar event. Tom Hanks plays Finch, a robotics engineer and one of the few survivors. His companion is a beloved dog. Things get dicey when Finch learns he is dying. He creates a robot and trains it to be “so human” that it will be able to take over the care of his dog. The director is MIGUEL SAPOCHNIK, 47, a British Jew whose parents were Argentine immigrants. Sapochnik is best known as the Emmywinning director of the spectacular, big-battle “Game of Thrones” episodes (“Battle of the Bastards” and others). vvv “The Shrink Next Door” is an eight-episode limited series that will begin streaming on Apple+ on Nov. 12. It is based on a hit 2019 podcast of the same name. In the early ’80s, M A RT Y MARKOWITZ, now 79, was referred to DR. ISAAC HERSCHKOPF, a psychiatrist. Markowitz (played by PAUL RUDD, 52) was a wealthy man who suffered from depression. For about 30 years, Herschkoff (played by Will Ferrell) controlled Markowitz’s life and finances. He went so far as to take over Markowitz’s palatial home and he moved Markowitz into a guest house. Spoiler (good guys win): Markowitz finally regained control of his life. Other patients who had been taken advantage of came forward after the podcast aired and Herschkoff lost his license last April.
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SIMCHAS BIRTHS
November 3, 2021
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ENGAGEMENTS
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Submit your simcha announcement online at stljewishlight.org/simchas
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Harvey Kornblum Foundation
PHOTO: YANA HOTTER/SPOONFUL OF SUGAR PHOTOGRAPHY
SZTEINBERG-MIROWITZ ENGAGEMENT MCKEAGUE-HIRSCHFELD ENGAGEMENT Kaitlin McKeague daughter of Linda and Tom McKeague of Tinley Park, Ill., and Matthew Evan Hirschfeld, son of Adrienne and Mark Hirschfeld of Ladue, have announced their engagement. Matthew is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Saul Nadler, the late Mr. and Mrs. Morris Moscowitz and the late Mr. Richard Hirschfeld. Matthew is a graduate of Ladue Horton Watkins High School and the University of Missouri St. Louis, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree. He is a freelance illustrator in the entertainment industry and a marketing/underwriting specialist for the Cline Agency in Los Angeles. Kaitlin is a graduate of Marquette University and is a Nurse Practitioner at the University of Chicago Medicine in Hyde Park. An April 2, 2022 wedding is planned in Chicago.
Gaby Szteinberg and Zachary Mirowitz have announced their engagement. Gaby is the daughter of Anita Bursztyn of Cochabamba, Bolivia, and Eduardo Szteinberg of Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is the granddaughter of the late Gerda Bursztyn and Chaim Bursztyn of Cochabamba, and the late Raquel and Jacobo Szteinberg of Buenos Aires. Zachary is the son of Maxine and Steven Mirowitz of St. Louis. He is the grandson of Judy Sontag, and the late Donald Sontag, and the late Joan Sontag, and Helene Mirowitz and the late Carl Mirowitz. Gaby earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry at Lawrence University, and a Ph.D. in chemical education at Purdue University. She is current-
ly working as an Assistant Dean at the College of Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. Zachary graduated from Missouri University of Science and Technology, where he earned a degree in chemical engineering, and he earned a degree in computer science from the University of Missouri - St. Louis. He now works as a software engineer at Tapestry Solutions, a Boeing subsidiary company. The couple met online during the pandemic on JSwipe, and had their first date biking around Forest Park while fully masked. Seven months later Zach proposed to Gaby at Forest Park on another memorable bike excursion — it’s been a wonderful ride! A February 2022 wedding is planned.
PHOTO: NANCY MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY OF CHICAGO
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT: HARPER HIMIDIAN
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT: ELI SOMMER Michael and Alexandra Sommer of Salt Lake City would like to announce the birth of their son, Eli Ross Sommer, on September 27, 2021, weighing 5 pounds, 15 ounces. Eli is the grandson of Mario and Rebel Vaenberg of St. Louis, and Pam and Kevin Sommer of Rockford, Ill. He is the great-grandson of Helyn and the late Morris Kevrick of St. Louis, and Marta and the late Gregorio Vaenberg.
Eden and Haig Himidian of Chicago would like to announce the birth of their daughter, Harper Lucille Himidian, on Aug. 27, 2021, weighing 8 pounds, 4 ounces. Harper is the granddaughter of Judith and Michael Newmark of St. Louis, Ani Himidian of Chicago and the late Archie Himidian. She is the great-granddaughter of the late Dr. Marlin and
Goldie Jackoway of St. Louis, the late Harold and Janice Newmark of St. Louis, the late Sarkis and Lousadzin Himidian of Los Angeles and the late Abraham and Elizabeth Bouchakjian of Los Angeles. Harper has one sibling, Marlowe Himidian, who is 19 months old.
Celebrate the community’s simchas with a tribute in the Jewish Light
To make a tribute, visit stljewishlight.org/tributes
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November 3, 2021
STL
NEWSMAKERS Newsmakers is a compilation of the Jewish community’s newsworthy professional and academic accomplishments. Submit your news to news@stljewishlight.org. Call 314-743-3669 for more information. Published the first edition of each month.
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Giti Fredman recently opened Just Bake It! She is offering online and in person bread baking workshops that include kosher baking kits of challah (regular or pretzel), babka, bagels or cinnamon buns. There is a four-person minimum for in-person workshops and unlimited online. Fredman attends Tpheres Israel Chevra Kadisha. Farilyn Hale, Central High School Class of 1971, is one of 12 people who will be honored with the Parkway Alumni Award. As an advocate devoted to social justice causes, she has helped bring many projects to fruition and built a legacy of service with National Council of Jewish WomenSt. Louis. A member of Congregation Shaare Emeth, she will be recognized at a awards ceremony in November 2022. First-grade teacher Eliana Heller, a former St. Louisan, is a nominee for the Olathe Horizon Award. Each Kansas school district may nominate one elementary and/or one secondary classroom teacher for the Kansas Horizon Award program. The mission of the program is to recognize exemplary first-year teachers who perform in a way that distinguishes them as outstanding. The Missouri Historical Society has honored Mary Strauss with its Thomas Jefferson Society Award. She has dedicated her life to promoting and supporting the arts and historical preservation in St. Louis. On Monday, Stages St. Louis also announced that it will name the black box
TOP ROW, FROM LEFT: Giti Fredman, Farilyn Hale, Eliana Heller, Mary Strauss, Ellior Rose and Emily Kantrovitz. SECOND ROW: Molly Katzman, Eve Frank, Tovah Enger, R. Randal Aaranson, Alex Abramson and Joe Pereles. theater in the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center the Strauss Black Box Theatre in recognition of a major gift by Strauss. “The generosity of Mary Strauss to the St. Louis community is legendary,” said STAGES Executive Producer Jack Lane in a statement. “This incredibly special gift to name the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center Black Box Theatre will no doubt resonate for decades to come.” Whitfield high school senior Ellior Rose won the Missouri State High School Activities Association Singles Class 1 Girls Tennis State Tournament last month. She is the first tennis state champion in
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Whitfield history. Ellior was named Athlete of the Week by Schnucks and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Daughter of Rabbi Carnie and Paulie Rose of Congregation B’nai Amoona, Ellior has not determined where she will attend college but will continue playing tennis and plans to study exercise science. Emily Kantrovitz, a John Burroughs high school senior, won the Missouri State High School Activities Association Singles Class 3 Girls Tennis State Tournament let month, defeating two area standouts. Emily was named the 2021USTA Missouri Valley St. Louis Female Player of the Year as well as the Post-Dispatch Metro League Player of the Year. Daughter of Melissa and David Kantrovitz, Emily will be attending Emory University next fall and will continue her tennis career as a member of the defending national champion Emory Eagles. Emily and her family are members of Temple Israel. Molly Katzman, a senior at Ladue Horton Watkins High School, has been crowned Homecoming Queen. She and her family attend B’nai Amoona. Eve Frank, a member of B’nai Amoona, recently released her first children’s book, “The Clearing,” which tells the story of a creature’s journey into a forest clearing. The self-published book is available on Amazon and most e-book platforms. Tovah Enger, a member of Kol Rinah, was the illustrator. By day, Frank is a freelance graphic designer. R. Randal Aaranson, a podiatrist at
Mercy Clinic in Washington, Mo., and Orthopedic Associates in Des Peres, recently published “Diabetic Foot Care: Walking in Wellness.” It is a guide for diabetics that focuses on how to take care of their feet through early prevention and daily foot care in order to prevent infection and amputation. The book is published by Stonebrook Publishing and is available on Amazon. Aaranson attends Shaare Emeth. Alex Abramson, postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University in the Department of Chemical Engineering, is the lead author of a team that developed a flexible electronic strain sensor for the real-time monitoring of tumor progression. The strain sensor is capable of determining the efficacy of many cancer treatments within hours after beginning the treatment. It can also read out what is going on with the tumor in real time with a cell phone app. It allows pharmaceutical companies to come up with better medicines and help them understand how drugs interact with the body in real time. The sensor is being tested in animals, and Abramson hopes to bring it to human trials within two years. Joe Pereles was recently honored by J Street St. Louis at its annual benefit. A past president of Shaare Emeth, he was chosen for his leadership, community involvement, advocacy and helping build the local chapter. Alan Freed, a lawyer at Paule, Camazine & Blumenthal, has been reappointed by the Missouri Bar to serve as a vice chair of the Continued on opposite page
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JEWISH LIGHT
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Family Law Section for the 2021-22 bar year. This is the fifth year Freed will be serving in this capacity. He is a member of Central Reform Congregation. Terror Tacos on South Grand Boulevard was voted Best Vegetarian Food & Drink by the Riverfront Times. Brothers Brian Roash and Bradley Roach are owners and attend Congregation B’nai Amoona. Read more about Terror Tacos in the Light’s story from April: http://bit.ly/terror-tacos.
TOP ROW, FROM LEFT: Alan Freed, Randy Vines, Ben Winchell, Evan Waldman, Alvin Wolff Jr. and Alexander Wolff. SECOND ROW: Mark Waldman, Lawrence “Bud” Wittels and Elise Krug. BELOW LEFT: Leonard Vines (at right) receives the Lewis G. Rudnick Award at the 44th annual ABA Forum on Franchising meeting.
Randy Vines, co-creator of STL-Style, has received the Mary T. Hall Diversity Award by the UN Association of St. Louis for his work in showcasing the diversity of Cherokee Street with emerging leaders throughout the region and beyond.
BELOW RIGHT: Brian Roash and Bradley Roach, owners of Terror Tacos. PHOTO: NESHAMA ROASH
Leonard Vines, an officer in Greensfelder’s St. Louis office and a member of the firm’s Franchising & Distribution group, received the Lewis G. Rudnick Award at the 44th annual ABA Forum on Franchising meeting. The award is one of the highest honors a franchise lawyer can receive, created as a means to recognize the significant contributions and leadership qualities exhibited by practitioners of franchise law. Ben Winchell has joined MyChef STL as a personal chef. He is leading the charge as the company begins to help St. Louis families with their meal plans. MyChef STL is an in-home personal chef service catering to all types of people and food preferences. Once a week, a chef comes to your home, plans the custom menu, shops for the ingredients, cooks in your kitchen and cleans up. Food can be either preportioned, ready to heat and eat or served family style. Evan Waldman, CEO of Essex Industries and a member of Shaare Emeth, has been selected as one of 40 under 40 in the St. Louis Business Journal. These individuals were recognized for influencing the region’s business community.
Lawyers Alvin Wolff Jr. and son Alexander Wolff have joined Morgan & Morgan St. Louis to manage and expand the office. A B’nai Amoona member, Alvin Wolff will serve as a senior trial lawyer as well as handle medical malpractice/catastrophic injury cases. Alex Wolff will primarily serve as the managing lawyer for the office and will focus on personal injury. He and his family attend CRC.
Family Business Awards. It is being recognized for its longevity, entrepreneurship, perseverance and community involvement. Mark Waldman is president of the company and attends United Hebrew Congregation. Lawrence “Bud” Wittels has joined the mediator panel of United States Arbitration & Mediation, the leading pro-
vider of mediation and arbitration services. He is a lawyer with the Enterprise Law Group and a member of B’nai Amoona. Elise Krug has joined the administrative staff at Congregation Shaare Emeth working in the business operations department. Krug is a member of B’nai Amoona.
Laurie’s Shoes has been honored as one of 11 St. Louis Business Journal’s 2021
Kranzberg: Street art is ‘seen by everyone, owned by no one’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14A This hasn’t stopped celebrities including Justin Bieber, Serena Williams and Angelina Jolie from having acquired the elusive artist’s work. An artist of the 1980s, the late JeanMichel Basquiat exemplifies this whole confusing mix of where street art ends and leaps into the galleries and museums. Basquiat first achieved fame as part of SAMO, a graffiti duo who wrote enigmatic epigrams in the cultural hotbed of the Lower East Side of Manhattan during the late 1970s, where rap, punk and street art coalesced into early hip-hop music culture. By the early 1980s, his paintings were exhibited in galleries and museums internationally. Basquiat’s art focused on dichotomies such as wealth versus poverty, integration versus segregation and inner versus outer experience. He appropriated poetry, drawing and painting, and married text and image, abstraction, figuration and historical information mixed with contemporary critique. He used social commentary in his paintings as a tool for introspection and for identifying with his experiences int the Black community of his time, as well as attacks on power structures and systems of racism. His visual poetics were acutely political and direct in their criticism of colonialism and support for class struggle. Anne Pasternak, director of the Brooklyn Museum says, “The Brooklyn Museum is proud to present the first museum exhibition in New York devoted
to the career of artist KAWS (Brian Donnelly), a longtime resident of Brooklyn. Renowned for his exuberant and meticulously crafted paintings and sculptures in vibrant, eye-popping colors. KAWS’ work bridges the worlds of art and popular culture in ways no other artist since Andy Warhol has achieved.” KAWS started out as a graffiti writer in Jersey City. The streets were his studio and exhibition space as they are with ambitious public sculptures and an augmented reality app. His works have been seen from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to Mt. Fuji, and soon Rockefeller Center. KAWS is always pushing ideas of who has access to art. His practice of producing art in different media and across a variety of distribution platforms demonstrates this commitment to accessibility. He makes inexpensive yet high-quality “collectibles” for thousands of devotees to acquire. He explores new media to reach more people, including an augmented reality app with Accute Art so that people can virtually place his artwork in their surroundings through their smart phones.” There are street art tours all over the world. I went on one in Israel as well as in Colombia, and even though I’m in my 70s my world is getting wider. I’m beginning to be more and more aware of the street art vibe in fashion and in hip new spaces such as Sophie’s Artist Lounge in Grand Center. You don’t have to travel far to be involved in and get a sense of what our contemporary art world has to say both in and off the streets.
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OBITUARIES
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SHARON F. BITTERFIELD, October 25th, 1937 – October 21, 2021 Beloved wife of the late Ivan ‘Irv’ Bitterfield. Wonderful mother of Debra (Glen) Gelber, Stacey (Don) Wyatt and Andrew (Bridget) Bitterfield. Loving grandmother of Casey Wyatt and Samantha and Jacob Bitterfield. Beloved sister and sister-in-law of the late Herbert (Rhea) Silk. Dear daughter of the late Sam and Adele Silk. Dear aunt, cousin and friend to so many. Sharon was a devoted wife and mother who focused on her children and grandchildren. Aside from her dedication to her family, Sharon also had a successful career in accounting that spanned over 45 years and ran her own company, Bitterfield Accounting Associates, for over 30 years. Her clients would tell you she was a force of nature! She LOVED her career and found great reward in helping and counseling her clients and friends. We all loved her and she will be deeply missed. A graveside service was held Sunday, October 24 at Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery, 650 White Road. In lieu of flowers please make donations to the Alzheimer’s Association. A Rindskopf-Roth Service
American Flag symbol denotes a United States military veteran.
DR. MAURICE “MAURY” EICHLER passed away on October 22, 2021, just one month from his 99th Birthday. Beloved husband of the late Shirley Eichler for 66 years; dear father and father-in-law of Marilyn (Jay) Nathanson and Linda (Dr. Robert) Saltman; dear grandfather of Amy (Weston) Hutchins, Sallie (Benjamin) Massarsky, Julie Saltman, Dr. Janie (Max) Osofsky and Dr. Zachary Saltman; dear great-grandfather of Elsie, Eve and Nate Osofsky and Sam and Elliott Massarsky; dear uncle, cousin and friend. Private family graveside services were held. Memorial contributions preferred to the Jewish National Fund or charity of your choice. Visit bergermemorialchapel.com for more information. Berger Memorial Service PAMELA GAYLE FEIGENBAUM, 59, passed away peacefully at her Town and Country home, amidst loving family, on October 28, 2021. Pam was the youngest of three daughters born to the late Sylvia and the late Morris Feigenbaum of West Hartford, CT. Pam was so much younger than her two older sisters that she was affectionately referred to as the “baby sister” throughout her entire life. Pam graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University with a B.A. degree in Journalism, embarking upon an illustrious career as a newspaper copy editor. Her first position was as a copy editor for Knight-Ridder’s Viewtron Service in Miami Beach, followed by stints at
Westchester, NY’s Gannett Suburban Newspapers, the Winston-Salem Journal, and the Chicago Sun Times. She retired in 2018 after 18 years as a senior copy editor at The Washington Post. Upon retirement, Pam and her dog, Zoey, moved to Town and Country to live with her older sister, Susan (Dr. Jay Pepose) Feigenbaum. She was quickly embraced by the St. Louis Jewish Community, participating in holiday and Shabbat services, along with social activities, at NHBZ and Chabad of Chesterfield. Her greatest joy came from serving as a volunteer in the K-1 classroom at Epstein Hebrew Academy, an opportunity that arose through the amazing chesed of Morah Roz Hirschhorn, Shiffy Landa and Itta Boyko. In addition to her sister Susan, Pam leaves behind her oldest sister, Jane (the late Edward) Ellis of Glastonbury, CT. Auntie Pam adored, and was equally adored by, her nieces and nephews, Brian and Karen Ilene Ellis, and David, Max, Sam and Morissa Pepose. The family would like to thank Drs. George Grossberg, Patrick Oruwari and Hani Soudah for their compassion, responsiveness and professional expertise. A graveside service was held in Hartford, CT. Charitable contributions in Pam’s memory may be made to the “Auntie Pam Arts&Crafts Fund” at H.F. Epstein Academy, 8645 Old Bonhomme Rd, St. Louis, MO 63132, or to a charity of your choice. Visit bergermemorialchapel.com for more information. Berger Memorial Service MAXINE “MICKEY” GELBER, October 24, 2021, peacefully interred next to her beloved husband of 56 years, Walter, in eternity. Loving daughter of the late Dan and Betty Koslow, dear sister of Teddi (the late Ted) Baumgarten and the late Aline (the late Bob) Lawson. Mickey was always generous with her beaming smile and warm personality. She went to Mizzou to study accounting following graduation from University City High School and then married her love after meeting at a law school picnic. She was a wicked crossword puzzle solver and an avid bridge enthusiast; a lover of fine art and music and a master of organization and bookkeeping skills. Mickey was the constant gentle guiding spirit of her three children: Lindy (Peder) Jensen, Brian Gelber and Steven Gelber, all of whom were around her to comfort and love her in her last days. She was a devoted grandmother to five grandchildren: Stacey (Joey) Vucco, Drew (Tiffany) Jensen, Kelly (Brent) Hanks, Nate Gelber and Simon Gelber and four
OBITUARIES INDEX Bitterfield, Sharon Eichler, Dr. Maurice “Maury” Feigenbaum, Pamela Gayle Gelber, Maxine “Mickey”
Jacobs, Joselyn M. Scallet, Norma Cohen Schonfeld, Miriam Wagner, Leslie Stephen
great grandchildren (Lilah Vucco, Sadie Vucco, Charlie Jensen and Theo Jensen) and always was interested to hear about everything going on in their lives and offered valuable words of advice when asked. She was always a beacon of positivity and encouragement to her family and imparted her intelligence and sense of calm in ways that are incalculable. She will be forever missed, forever loved and forever emulated. Private family funeral service was held at New Mt. Sinai Mausoleum. Contributions in her memory may be made to the charity of the donor’s choice. A Rindskopf-Roth Service JOSELYN M. JACOBS, 61, passed away peacefully at her Wildwood home, surrounded by loved ones, on October 29, 2021. Joselyn is preceded in death by her father, Jerry Jacobs, her mother, Marilyn Pogrelis and brother, Barry Jacobs. She is lovingly survived by her dear friends Norm and Kristi Davis, Leah, Chris and Samuel Meyer, Donna Gallen, Jerry Gilden, Catherine Mason and Pierre Clairmont. Joselyn was born in St. Louis on January 4th 1960 and attended Parkway Central High School. She went on to graduate from Drake University in 1982 and was most proud of her written accomplishments as JJ Maura. She was an avid reader whether it be from her e-reader or extensive personal library collection. She loved cooking gourmet recipes, sewing, crafting, watching games shows and playing card games. She loved all of her many pets through the years. She was a treasured friend and will forever remain in the hearts of those whose lives she touched with her wisdom, generosity and passion for life. Graveside service Monday, November 1st at 2:00 PM at B’nai Amoona Cemetery, 930 North and South Road. Memorial contributions preferred to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Visit bergermemorialchapel.com for information. Berger Memorial Service Continued on opposite page
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NORMA COHEN SCALLET, October 26, 2021 Beloved wife of the late Barrett L. Scallet Ph.D.; dear mother and mother-in-law of Leslie Lieberman (Maury) of Washington, D.C., Patricia A. Scallet, and the late Andrew C. Scallet (Madelon); dear grandmother of Rebekah Scallet (Joseph Stafford), Mitchell Scallet (Elisabeth), and Dori Scallet (Joseph Harouni); dear greatgrandmother of Andrew and Edward Stafford, Eva and Emmett Scallet, and Avery and Leila Harouni; dear sister of the late Sidney Cohen (late Jacqueline), the late Milton Cohen (late Sylvia), and the late Robert Cohen (Naomi); dear sister-in-law of the late Edward Scallet (late Rosalie), the late Joseph Scallet (late Ethel), and the late Violet Scallet; our dear aunt, great-aunt, cousin, and friend to many. Norma was born August 2, 1922, in St. Louis. Daughter of Isadore and Celia Cohen, her father and his family built the St. Louis institution Central Hardware. Norma grew up around the store, and told stories of her mother bringing her father lunch at the store every day on the streetcar. Later she attended Clayton High School, where she and two friends became the first official Clayton High cheerleaders, after petitioning the school to create them. Norma attended Washington University where she studied economics, and graduated in 1946. That is also where she met her devoted husband Barrett. They married in 1943, and established their home in Clayton, Barrett working as Director of Research for Anheuser Busch and Norma taking care of their three children and always welcoming their friends to her home. She volunteered for many Jewish and other charitable organizations. Norma also served as a long-time docent at the St. Louis Art Museum, and was quite the artist herself. Her many paintings, drawings, and sculptures fill the homes of her family today. After Barrett retired, they divided their time between St. Louis and Sanibel, Florida, enjoying theater and music performances in both places.
OBITUARIES
They also saw the world, exploring far off places like Antarctica, Russia, China, and India. When each of their grandchildren had a bar or bat mitzvah, they were gifted with an international trip with Norma, Barrett, and Aunt Pat, each trip more memorable than the last. After Barrett’s death in 2010, Norma moved to the Gatesworth and then McKnight Place. There she renewed many friendships and made new ones, and continued to practice her craft as an artist. Though her days of international travel were over, she traveled to Little Rock, AR, and Chicago to attend her grandchildren’s weddings and meet her new great-grandchildren. Seeing her six great-grandchildren always brought a huge smile to her face. A funeral service was held Thursday, October 28 at Congregation Temple Israel. Interment followed at Beth Hamedrosh Hagodol Cemetery. Please visit bergermemorialchapel.com for Live Stream information. Memorial contributions to the Saint Louis Art Museum or the charity of your choice. Please visit bergermemorialchapel.com for more information. Berger Memorial Service
MIRIAM SCHONFELD, passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family on October 25, 2021. Beloved wife of the late Gustav Schonfeld, M.D.; dear mother and mother-in-law of Joshua Schonfeld (Suzanne), Julia Zeuner and Jeremy Schonfeld (Sarah-Jane Casey); dear grandmother of 9; our dear aunt, cousin and friend. A funeral service was held Tuesday, October 26 at Berger Memorial Chapel, 9430 Olive Blvd, followed by interment at Beth Hamedrosh Hagodol Cemetery. Memorial contributions preferred to the charity of your choice. Please visit bergermemorialchapel.com for more information. Berger Memorial Service LESLIE STEPHEN WAGNER, October 1, 1940 October 30, 2021 Beloved husband of the late Marilyn Wagner for 59 years. Dear father of Jonathan (Michele) Wagner, Randi (Keith) Nicolai and Michelle (Shayne) Schmeeckle. Loving grandfather of Josie and Kylie Wagner, Alex Nicolai, Anna, Emily and Allison Schmeeckle and Madison Goldberg. Brother of the late Alice Schlackman. Cherished uncle, brother in law, cousin and friend. Les Wagner, best known as Papa, was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and moved to St. Louis in 1969 where he became a pillar of the community. Les was a footwear executive with Edison Brothers, Steve Madden, and Diba Imports. He was passionately involved with the Easter Seals Midwest (formerly Life Skills foundation) for over 30 years, serving on the board of directors. Les also was one of the founders of the annual Life Skills celebrated golf
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event which helped to benefit the lives of those with disabilities. Through his work in the footwear industry, as well as his philanthropic endeavors, he became a mentor to many with his genuine tough love. He was a kind, compassionate, and generous man who made a lasting impact on the lives of countless people. Les enjoyed supporting his hometown Cardinals and Blues, as well as the Kansas City Chiefs. Most of all, Les was an avid golfer, playing over 200 rounds annually at Persimmon Woods Golf Club with three hole in ones to his credit. According to Les, his golf game had a lot of room for improvement but he was an admired member and loved by everyone he came in contact with. Above all else, Les was a family man. He was a supportive and loving husband, father and papa who never missed an opportunity to tell or show his love. He enjoyed vacationing every summer in Hilton Head with his family, creating many wonderful memories. One of Les’ most distinguished honors as a papa was being the official referee at the family Thanksgiving kickball games, where he was always known to favor the grandkids team. Les’ life should be celebrated. His family will continue to carry on the extraordinary legacy he leaves behind. A funeral service was held Tuesday, November 2 at Congregation Shaare Emeth. Interment followed at Chesed Shel Emeth/Beth Shalom Cemetery, 650 White Road. Contributions in his memory may be made to the Easterseals Midwest, 11933 Westline Industrial Drive, St. Louis, MO, 63146 or to the Siteman Cancer Center, MSC 1247-414-2100, 7425 Forsyth Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63105. A Rindskopf-Roth Service
DEATHS ELSEWHERE
Mort Sahl, 94, Jewish comedian who inspired Lenny Bruce SHIRA HANAU JTA
Mort Sahl, a Jewish satirist who was credited with making caustic political and social satire popular in stand-up comedy, died Oct. 26 at 94. Often walking on stage holding just a rolled up newspaper, Sahl liked to riff on the headlines of the day in extended improvised monologues. At a time when comedians tended to steer clear of politics, Sahl took aim at politicians and was known to end his sets with the line: “Are there any groups I haven’t offended?” Steve Allen, the first host of “The Tonight Show,” once introduced Sahl as “probably the only real political philosopher we have in modern comedy.” Though Sahl was not religious and did not discuss his Jewishness in routines or
often in public, he inspired a wave of fellow Jewish stand-ups. Woody Allen named him as a major influence and commented in interviews how Sahl also influenced the fellow Jewish pioneer Lenny Bruce — who would take Sahl’s freeform style and cutting satire to crude new heights. Sahl was born in Montreal in 1927 to Jewish parents from New York’s Lower Mort Sahl in 1960 East Side and eventually moved to Los Angeles. As a teenager, Sahl dropped out of high school there and tried to enroll in the ROTC program by lying about his age, but his mother found him out after two weeks and brought him home. Sahl was married three times and a
had a son, Mort Jr., with his second wife. Mort Jr., died of a drug overdose at age 19 in 1996. The elder Sahl got his break performing in San Francisco years after graduating from college, performing sets at a club known for attracting an intellectual crowd. His jokes about national politics eventually earned him a following and he started appearing on late night shows and performing in clubs across the country. After appearing in several movies in the 1950s and early ’60s, his career took a dive after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, which Sahl came to believe had been orchestrated by the CIA. But he continued to act and perform stand-up into his 90s. In 1982, Sahl played the role of Werner Finck, a German-Jewish satirist, in a fivehour TV special. In 2003, the National
Foundation for Jewish Culture honored Sahl with the Alan King Award in American Jewish Humor. But Sahl explained to J. The Jewish News of Northern California in 2004 that he never emphasized his Jewishness on stage because it wasn’t a major part of his upbringing. “I never stressed it,” he says, “because I didn’t have those kinds of parents. I grew up in a homogenized neighborhood, and was a kind of a mail-order, cardboard Jew.” Speaking with the paper not long after the premiere of Mel Gibson’s “Passion of the Christ,” Sahl opined on the movie and antisemitism. “Terrible movie,” he said. “Two hours of unrelieved sadism. But the Romans are nice! I think everyone’s second nature is antisemitism, so all the anxiety [over the film] is justified.”
Film review: Hate, humanity seen through child’s eyes in ‘Neighbours’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13A guards by releasing balloons in the Kurdish national colors. It is something sure to enrage the Turkish guards, but it’s otherwise a harmless thumbing of their noses at a border that divided Kurdish families, including theirs, and left them outsiders on either side of the border. Uncle Aram is Sero’s father’s younger brother, a fun-loving, mischievous young man whom Sero adores. In their Kurdish village on the border, everyone knows everyone, and everyone gets along. The kids tear around the village playing, while the village elders watch and shake their heads. Sero’s neighbors are a Jewish family, whom his family has known and been friendly with for years. Sero even helps them on the Sabbath by lighting the lamps and stove, something Aram used to do, too, when he was younger. There were once several Jewish families in the village, but they
are now the only ones left, as others have fled. They, too, would like to leave, but now the Baathist government won’t recognize Jews as citizens or give them passports. The village is waiting for the arrival of two things: electric power and a new teacher. The power lines have been in place for some time, and village homes have been wired for electricity, but power has yet to arrive. Sero particularly longs for electricity so he can watch cartoons like the kids in the city do, and he keeps pestering his parents for a TV. Still, there is a great deal of humor and charm in this childhood world of play, although there is a serious side to this dramedy, and tragic events eventually strike. A lot of that charm comes from young Serhed Khalil as Sero, a sweet-faced boy full of mischief and playful joy. But all the cast bring warmth and appeal to their roles, particularly Zagros as Aram and Uygurlar Derya as Hannah, the daughter
in the Jewish family. The Jewish parents would like to escape Syria and especially want to get their daughter out, but Hannah does not want to leave her home, and particularly her childhood friend Aram. Meanwhile, the new teacher, Wahid Hanouf (Jalal Al Tawil), arrives, a rigid true believer in the Baath Party of President Bashar Hafez al-Assad, whose ideology is a mix of communist and pan-Arab ideas without really being either, but with a big dose of antisemitism. Hanouf thinks instilling these antisemitic ideas are as much his job as teaching reading and writing. One of the first things he does is insist that the children speak only Arabic in class and at home. Sero does not much like school anyway, but he is really at a loss when the teacher insists that everyone speak only Arabic, which he neither speaks nor understands, leaving him struggling to catch up. Sero doesn’t believe what the teacher says about his kindly neighbors,
but other children buy in to the lies. The teacher is the outsider who brings hate and antisemitism to the village and disrupts their quiet lives, along with a local man who is the village’s sole Baath Party member, a membership that gives him a house and a job despite his illiteracy. These two are the primary villains, but other representatives of the authoritarian government also bring either danger or a callous indifference and corruption. The film has a powerful, satiric punch in its chilling depiction of how hatred is taught, as Hanouf indoctrinates his charges in antisemitic ideas that include the old “blood libel.” Sero’s parents, grandparents and kindly Jewish neighbors are the counterbalance to this, with their long friendship and willingness to help each other. “Neighbours” is a touching, warm human tale laced with humor and childhood appeal, and a pointed satiric look at the roots of hate in Syria.
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By Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com | ‘That’s Not What That Means’ Difficulty: Medium
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1. Kathmandu is its capital 6. Makes like a baby 11. “Jeopardy!” ques., actually 14. Simple skirt style
36. “Welcome Back, Kotter” star Kaplan 39. “So excited to start sefirat ha’omer!”
68. Shooting sport
13. Many a Mel Brooks film
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18. CBS military law series
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70. Participates in a seder
44. “That’s hilarious!”, for short
16. Tree fluid
45. Chekhov who wrote “Uncle Vanya”
17. “Used TNT on a dreidle”
46. Alternative to Times New Roman
19. “General” of Chinese food
15. From this day on
parsha
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light blocker
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51. “Let me know how many l’chaims there are”
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5. Writer Tolstoy
56. Newton who was a Panther
6. It’s often consumed on Shavuot
30. Puma competitor
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7. Watch again
31. Tel Aviv to Jerusalem dir. 32. Like a great meal
61. Harry Potter’s best friend Weasley 62. “Sorry, no more pita bread”
33. ___ problem (finds fault)
66. “Star Trek” captain Jean-___ Picard
35. Be in a play
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8. Pick on the field, for short 9. Nature prefix 10. Band of seven 11. Jessica Meir, and now William Shatner, e.g. 12. The longest
35. 2021 NL Champions 37. Jewish daughters 38. Vesuvius’s Sicilian counterpart 40. Kind of korban
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52. Subject of Pepe Le Pew’s quest
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60. “ ___ boy!” 63. “Mentalist” Geller 64. Get some sun 65. Disney’s “Special Agent” bear
A L P I N E
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Op-Ed: The ‘human rights’ scam at the heart of NGO controversy CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12A Washington, is hopelessly compromised by its faith in diplomacy and multilateral engagement as an end in itself. In doing so, it also helps promote the credibility of a world body that became a safe place for antisemitism decades ago and shows no signs of changing. Part of this is also linked to the growing popularity among liberal American elites of
Intersectionality and critical race theory. Those toxic ideas falsely label Israel to be a function of “white privilege” and colonialism rather than an expression of the self-determination of the Jewish people, and they lie at the heart of the campaign against Israel that has been gaining traction in the international community since the 2001 Durban “anti-racism” conference that turned into a hate fest of antisemitism. The UNHRC is at the heart of a web of
groups acting in concert to attack Israel in this fashion of which HRW and Amnesty are major players. The six PFLPassociated Palestinian NGOs are essential for providing fodder for their smears. It’s long past time for those who care about human rights to reject the scam being perpetrated on a gullible world by those who parade under that banner. It can start with putting Palestinian terror NGOs out of business. But it will also require all decent peo-
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ple to treat HRW and Amnesty as the frauds that they truly are as opposed to giving lip service to the notion that they are humanrights groups. It will also require the United States and the rest of the West to thoroughly reject the organization at the top of this fraudulent scheme: the United Nations. Until that happens, Jewish groups, Israel and the United States will be acquiescing to the most overt expression of antisemitism on the globe rather than opposing it.
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JEWISH LIGHT
JEWISH WAR VETERANS
SHAARE EMETH
Above is a photo taken of members of Post 644 and their families at a private tour of the St. Charles County Veterans Museum in O’Fallon, MO. Members received a guided tour of the museums collection of military uniforms, equipment, posters, maps, etc dating from pre WWI to our most recent conflicts, donated by veterans residing in St. Charles County and vicinity. PHOTO: HOWARD HOLTZMAN
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PHOTOS FROM RECENT JEWISH COMMUNITY EVENTS SUBMIT A PHOTO: Have a photo of a recent Jewish community event you would like to submit? Email the image and a suggested caption to news@stljewishlight.org.
On Oct. 24, Samantha Rochester (above) was named the 2021 recipient of the Ida Stack Award at Congregation Shaare Emeth’s Religious School. The award was established in 1997 and is given annually to a sixth grader who has demonstrated dedication and enthusiasm for Jewish learning. These attributes epitomize the essence of Ida Stack, who inspired generations of students in her 50-plus year career at Shaare Emeth. Samantha is the daughter of Carolyn and Sean Rochester, who himself studied with Mrs. Stack! Samantha is a 6th grade student at Ladue Middle School.
VIEW MORE ONLINE: stljewishlight.org/multimedia
KOL RINAH
Scenes from Kol Rinah’s newly reopened Early Childhood Center.
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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
SATURDAY | Nov. 6 NHBZ discussion: “Living with Fascination”
We have all experienced awe-inspiring scenery or breathtaking moments that have captured 100% of our attention. How do we bring that energy and fascination into our everyday lives? Don’t miss NHBZ Rabbi Ze’ev Smason’s discussion “Living with Fascination” on Saturday, November 6 at 10:15 a.m. This talk is part of NHBZ’s weekly “Starting Points: Wisdom for Daily Living,” which features interactive discussions that explore relevant, contemporary topics. NHBZ membership is not necessary to attend and RSVPs are not required. For more information, call 314-991-2100, ext. 2.
Missouri Torah Institute event
Missouri Torah Institute invites the entire community to an evening of inspiration at 8:30 p.m. at the school, which is located at 1809 Clarkson Road in Chesterfield. World renowned educators Rabbis Noach Orlowek and Avrohom Stulberger will speak on “How can we connect to G-d and pass it on to the next generation?” with a dairy buffet to follow. The event is complimentary. For more information, email events@missouritorah. org or call 636-778-1896 x100.
SUNDAY | Nov. 7 14th Annual Blumenthal Memorial Concert
This year’s annual concert will be presented both in-person and virtually. The in-person event takes place at 2 p.m in the main sanctuary at Congregation B’nai Amoona. Or, stream it live at the same time at www. bnaiamoona.com/streaming. The show is free but a suggested donation of $18 is appreciated and can be made by visiting www.bnaiamoona.com/form/donations or by contacting Gail Armstrong at 314-5769990 x126. Donations made by check can be sent to Mitzvah Circle c/o B’nai Amoona 324 South Mason Road, Creve Coeur, Mo. 63141. For more information, contact Fred Blumenthal at 314-772-2171 or FredBlumenthal1946@gmail.com.
College students invited to autumn hike at Cliff Cave Park See related news brief on page 6A.
MONDAY | Nov. 8 Emuna Series with Mimi David
Join Mimi David at 8 p.m. for “Lessons in Emuna from the Hanukkah story,” presented by Eishes Chayil (women’s division of the St. Louis Kollel). Join in-person or on Zoom. Cost is $10 per person. RSVP required to Yael Farkas at yfarkas@stlkollel.com.
TUESDAY | Nov. 9 Virtual lecture focuses on Jewish lawyers in Nazi Germany See related news brief on page 7A.
WEDNESDAY | Nov. 10 The American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
From 10 to 11 a.m. Elana Kaplan, former St. Louisan and museum educator and lecturer for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, provides a virtual tour highlighting some of the extraordinary pieces in the Metropolitan’s American Wing. The collection comprises some 20,000 works of art by African American, Euro American, Latin American, and Native American men and women, ranging from the colonial to early modern
periods. Elana will share highlights from this important collection. Register for this free, online Mirowitz Center event by visiting http://bit.ly/Register_MirowitzCenter, calling 314-733-9813 or emailing joliver@ mirowitzcenter.org.
See related news brief on page 6A.
THURSDAY | Nov. 11 Mirowitz Center virtual event: Let’s salute our veterans
FRIDAY | Nov. 12 Installation Ceremony for Rabbi Rachel Bearman
13 See related story on page 4A.
SATURDAY | Nov. 13 NHBZ Discussion: “The Antidote to Boredom”
If every day seems the same to you and you feel like you need a change of pace, break the monotony and attend Rabbi Ze’ev Smason’s discussion “The Antidote to Boredom” at 10:15 a.m. This talk is part of NHBZ’s weekly “Starting Points: Wisdom for Daily Living,” which features interactive discussions that explore relevant, contemporary topics. NHBZ membership is not necessary to attend and RSVP’s are not required. For more information, call 314991-2100, ext. 2.
NHBZ’s Annual Havdalathon 2021 for kids & young families
All kids and young families are invited to a fun celebration as we say goodbye to Shabbat. NHBZ’s 2nd Annual Havdalathon 2021 at 6:30 p.m. Each family will make their own Havdalah set, enjoy delectable treats and participate in a fun raffle. There is no cost for this event, and you need not be a member of NHBZ to attend. Please RSVP by Nov. 9 to office@nhbz.com. If you have any questions, contact aviokin@nhbz.com. Proof of vaccination (ages 13 & up) and masks required to participate inside. Seating available outside for those who prefer.
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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.
connection and education to women in the St. Louis Jewish community who have been diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer and are anywhere along their treatment path – before, during, or post-treatment. Facilitated by a licensed clinical social worker, this group meets from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday via Zoom until further notice. Newcomers are always welcome along with female family and friends. This program is free but pre-registration is requested to Debbi Braunstein at 314-4423266 or dbraunstein@jccstl.org. Sharsheret Supports STL is a program of the J’s Nishmah and a partner of the national, not for profit Sharsheret organization.
Holocaust Memorial Lecture at WashU
From 2 to 3 p.m. join the Mirowitz Center for a Veterans Day celebration saluting those who have served in the armed forces of the United States. The guest speaker will be Deborah Halter, U.S. Army LTC, Retired, the State Chaplain for the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) for the State of Missouri, and a veterDeborah Halter an herself. While celebrating and honoring veterans from all branches of the military, her presentation will highlight the progression of women serving in the military over the last 45 years. Register for this free, online Mirowitz Center event by visiting http://bit.ly/Register_ MirowitzCenter, calling 314-733-9813 or emailing joliver@mirowitzcenter.org.
JEWISH LIGHT
THURSDAY | Nov. 18 Overview on Alzheimer’s disease Kol Rinah’s Jews in Science series will look at the fascinating life of Hedy Lamarr during a Zoom program Sunday, Nov. 14.
SUNDAY | Nov. 14 Jews in Science Session Nine: Hedy Lamarr
You’ve heard of Hedy Lamarr, the beautiful starlet in the 1930s and 40s, who appeared in numerous films starring opposite some of Hollywood’s most famous leading men. However, you probably don’t know the other Hedy, born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler in Vienna, Austria-Hungary, was so much more. Incensed over the Nazi takeover of her home country, this highly intelligent woman collaborated with composer George Antheil and invented a secret communication system to form an unbreakable code which she envisioned helping submarines to deploy missiles to allow them not to be detected by enemy ships, thus forming the basis of spread spectrum technology. No light bulbs going off? How about this? That’s the basis for wireless technology that today governs Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth. Find out all about her, her life and her inventions on a Zoom conversation at 4 p.m. Registration is required on Kol Rinah’s website, kolrinahstl.org.
MONDAY | Nov. 15 ‘Mamas in Pajamas’
From 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., Mimi David will lead “Mamas in Pajamas: Lessons for Ladies from the weekly Torah portion,” presented by the Jewish Women’s Society Event (for women only). Learn something meaningful and inspiring from the comfort of your home. Go to zoom.us/j/9699246316 or dial in to 312-626-6799 and enter meeting ID 9699246316.
‘Women and Art’ series
From 10 to 11 a.m. join the Mirowitz Center for the next session of “Women and Art,” a four-part series (continues Dec. 20 and Jan. 24) in which Dale Sharon, a highly regarded docent at the St. Louis Art Museum and an exhibited artist, will be looking at Women and Art, represented in SLAM’s permanent collection. Part II addresses how women were depicted in visual arts over the centuries. How women were represented in painting, sculpture, and prints. Parts III and IV will focus on women artists. Register for this free, online Mirowitz Center event by visiting http://bit.ly/Register_MirowitzCenter, calling 314-733-9813 or emailing joliver@mirowitzcenter.org.
WEDNESDAY | Nov. 17 Sharsheret’s Breast and Ovarian Cancer Support Group via Zoom This monthly group provides support,
From 2 to 3 p.m. join the Mirowitz Center for a discussion about Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia affecting memory, thinking, and behavior and accounts for 60 to 80% of dementia cases. The majority of people with Alzheimer’s are 65 years and older. Jennifer K. Phillips, the research center program manager at the Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Washington University School of Medicine, provides an overview of Alzheimer’s disease. Register for this free, online Mirowitz Center event by visiting http://bit.ly/Register_ MirowitzCenter, calling 314-733-9813 or emailing joliver@mirowitzcenter.org.
SUNDAY | Nov. 21 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
Discussion on American Jews and Native Americans
Join Professor David S. Koffman for a wide-ranging discussion about Jewish-Native American encounters in 20th and early 21st century America at 11:30 a.m. on Zoom. This session, hosted by Kol Rinah, will touch on the extraordinary activism of a cadre of Jewish lawyers and civil servants who up-ended decades of anti-Indian federal policy, and the rise of American anthropology and the fascinating role of Jews and Native Americans in it. Also discussed will be what’s been happening of late between Jews and Native Americans—solidarities, tensions and interactions around a set of fraught themes: suffering and sovereignty, colonialism and country.There will be plenty of time for discussion. Zoom registration link: https://bit.ly/KR-ZoomNov21 For more information contact: rabbiarnow@kolrinahstl.org
ONGOING NCJWSTL holds bourbon and bags fundraiser
The National Council of Jewish Women in St. Louis is preparing to launch a virtual fundraiser, Bourbon & Bags. Through Nov. 10, people can enter to win one of four prize packages, each containing a gently used Chanel bag and at least six bottles of premium bourbon, according to a news release. Each package is valued at more than $1,300. Each entry is $50, or you can get three chances for $100. All proceeds benefit the organization, which aims to help local women, children and families. Enter online at bit.ly/NCJWSTLBourbonAndBags through Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. The fundraiser is sponsored by International Tap House, Juniper and Major Brands.
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Arlen Chaleff helps bring better days to mentally ill In 2009, Arlen Chaleff joined the board of the St. Louis chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). She has been involved with a variety of nonprofit endeavors, with a particular emphasis on helping the mentally ill.
BY ELLEN FUTTERMAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
When St. Louis native Arlen Chaleff was diagnosed at age 33 with manic depression — known today as bipolar disorder — life as she knew it turned upside down. She had been chugging along on an exciting professional path in marketing with a major data processing firm in Washington, D.C., feeling on top of the world, thinking the best was yet to come. “I didn’t know that the worst was yet to come,” said Chaleff, recalling that time in the mid-1970s when she spiraled into a deep depression after a serious boyfriend broke off their relationship. “It started as depression but quickly turned to despair,” she said. “I was falling down a black hole, and there was nothing I could do to stop the fall. I became unable to function or take care of myself. I was almost catatonic.” Chaleff later realized that she would have to redefine herself in order to move forward. For the next 12 years, she fought the highs and lows of her illness, which including several hospitalizations and multiple electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) sessions. While notions of shock treatment conjure up images of zombielike humans akin to Jack Nicholson’s character in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” Chaleff felt that they were acting as “booster shots” to help her medications take effect. After shuttling back and forth between D.C. and St. Louis, she eventually moved back here, where much of her family still lived and where she had roots in the Jewish community. Still, she felt alone and wasn’t sure how to get her life back on track. “I was unable to sustain a job. My illness had robbed me of feelings of self-worth,”
she said. “But it was a spiritual gift that helped me find my presence.” Rabbi Jay Goldburg, who was the chaplain of Barnes-Jewish Hospital, conducted a Shabbat service for Chaleff and a friend and then invited them into his office where he “listened attentively to my challenges and showed his support,” Chaleff recalled. When a friend from Clayton High School asked her to help with a fundraiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation (now the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation), she accepted. Perhaps, she thought, turning her attention outward might help her regain self-esteem. “Volunteering became one of the best therapies for my wellness,” said Chaleff,
ARLEN CHALEFF Age: 80 Family: While she never married, she has been the in-town grandma for her great nieces and nephews. Home: Unincorporated St. Louis County, near Creve Coeur Fun Fact: After a 50-year hiatus, she is bowling again and playing golf.
who wound up serving on the diabetes foundation board. “Counseling and finally
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finding the right medication, which for me turned out to be Prozac, were also vital components to my recovery.” In the early 1990s, she joined the board of Jewish Family & Children’s Service (now JFS), where she helped to found WINGS, a program to support adults and families dealing with mental illness. She remembers those early days well, and the upward battle to raise money for the program, spread awareness and fight the stigma that people coping with mental illness often feel. “Many denied that mental illness was a major problem in our Jewish community,” Continued on opposite page
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Above, Fran Zamler (left) and Arlen Chaleff work on a fundraiser for HateBrakers. At right, Chaleff is shown with the Arlen’s Angels team that takes part each year in NAMI’s annual fundraising walk. said Chaleff, who belongs to Congregation Shaare Emeth. “It is a chronic medical condition like diabetes or heart disease, except it disrupts a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and daily functions. We as Jews are likely to suffer from mental illness as often as any others.” It was through WINGS that Fran Zamler, a Temple Israel and Shaare Emeth congregant, met Chaleff. “I was immediately so attracted to Arlen as a leader — she’s such a ball of fire,” said Zamler, who said she has several relatives with mental challenges. “She was very upfront with her story about severe depression and all she had been through. Her message was that she is here on earth to help others who are suffering the way she suffered.” Chaleff was a presenter at many WINGS symposiums and a featured speaker at more than a dozen organizations, temples, churches and the like, telling her story in the hope of eradicating the stigmatizing that exists around mental illness. Despite those efforts and raising more than $100,000 for the program, WINGS was terminated after five years. According to L. Louis Albert, the executive director of JF&CS at the time, the program was not reaching enough Jewish people living with mental illness. Disappointed but not at all deterred, Chaleff looked for other ways to share her story and lessons learned to help others. She joined forces with Rabbi James Stone Goodman, along with an advisory board that included Zamler, to champion JAMI: Jewish Attention to Mental Illness. “We started with the commitment that mental illness is not the concern of just some in our community, but it is the concern of our entire Jewish community,” said Chaleff, who said one out of five adults in the United States live with mental illness, as well as nearly 5 million children. Goodman credits Chaleff’s courage in telling her story to others as making a huge difference in the lives of many. “Arlen has been upfront with something that is rare and treasured, and that is her story,” he said. “She had courage from the beginning of my efforts to be out front in helping us by telling her story and, believe me, it wasn’t easy in the beginning. She is a great role model for people trying to heal from serious mental illness.” In 2009, Chaleff joined the board of the St. Louis chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization with more than 1,000 chapters nationwide. She rose through the ranks to become board president, the first who has lived with mental illness. Today, at 80 years old, she still serves on NAMI’s board and is focused on its new initiative, Ending the Silence (ETS), a 50-minute presentation to middle and high school students that includes a young adult discussing his or her recovering from mental illness. “Evaluations from students and teachers have shown the critical importance of ending the silence, starting the conversation and removing the stigma,” Chaleff said.
“We know what it accomplishes.” While Chaleff has been honored before, including as a Woman of Achievement, a Woman of Worth and a Lifetime Hatebreaker, she says being named an Unsung Hero in the Jewish community has its own special place. “Arlen said that this was the biggest and
most significant honor she has ever received,” Zamler said. “She said it was because when she first told her story so many years ago, it was to a young Jewish professional group. After the meeting, these Jewish professionals came up to her or called her privately because they didn’t want to admit they had a problem. She
said that’s what really made her realize she needed to do something in the Jewish community to change the thinking. “She has made it her life’s work to let everyone know that mental illness is not a shanda, it is a disease, and with the right therapies and medicine, people can live extremely productive lives.”
Investing in our Communities,
One Hero at a Time.
Congratulations to the 2021 Unsung Heroes Awardees. Thank you for planting your Roots in the community!
Banks have many branches but our roots are in St. Louis. (314) 212-1500 | www.royalbanksofmo.com
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Volunteer tech programs bridge ‘digital divide,’ one senior at a time BY BILL MOTCHAN
J
SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
ackie, 72 has a Samsung Android smartphone she uses to text with her daughter and grandsons. Until recently, she didn’t know how to do much else with the device. Now, she can view and send photos with her phone, she uses Google maps and a host of other smartphone apps. Her newfound knowledge came courtesy of the Mirowitz Center’s Tech Tutors program. Barbara, 72, was a technology and internet novice until she took classes with the NORC-sponsored Get Tech program. She also got a tablet through Get Tech, and she now regularly uses it for her gmail account and to view YouTube music videos—her favorites are Willie Nelson, Billie Holiday and Queen. She also discovered “Downton Abby” using the PBS Passport app. Tech Tutors and Get Tech, which are two separate programs, mobilized a team of local volunteers who worked behind the scenes to bridge that gap and educate seniors about technology and the many communication and entertainment tools available in the digital world. Older adults who don’t know the difference between a pdf and a jpeg are often shut out of the benefits of technology, known as the “digital divide.” Studies show adults aged 60 and up are more likely to face barriers in their knowledge of tablets, computers and smartphones. Feeling isolated by a lack of tech knowledge was even more pronounced for the past year and a half, as COVID limited in-person gatherings of family and friends.
Tech Tutors In 2014, the Covenant Place team recognized the technical challenges older adults faced so it launched the Tech Tutors program. It’s still going strong with students signing up for weekly sessions. “We quickly understood when the pandemic started that we needed to get as many seniors comfortable with tech as possible, so they could stay engaged and connected with others while they needed to isolate for safety,” said Susan Kemppainen, activity/volunteer coordinator at the Mirowitz Center. “We reimagined the program as a oneon-one training that could be done safely over the phone, pairing tutors and learners who had the same type of device,” she said. “By the summer of 2019, we piloted the version of the program, and we were delighted that it worked so well.”
Above, Larry Edison (left) helps teach a student during a recent Tech Tutor program at the Mirowitz Center.
GET TECH & TECH TUTORS Location: St. Louis County Fun Fact: One Tech Tutors student was a 98-year-old who used email and Zoom for the first time. She calls her tutors her “technology gurus.”
At left, Larry Edison and Jim Salih are shown at a recent Tech Tutors volunteer session. PHOTOS: BILL MOTCHAN
Tech Tutors now offer in-person sessions at the Mirowitz Center, where students get customized hands-on assistance with their tech devices from volunteers Larry Edison and Jim Salih. “I get the satisfaction out of helping people with their computers,” said Salih, 74. “They have all kinds of names for people who don’t understand tech—sometimes they’re called the ‘lost generation.’ Computers were not really ready for them in their final working years. A lot of them are looking to do simple things, like send a photograph of their grandchildren to a friend.” That’s exactly what Klara learned during her Mirowitz one-on-one with Salih. “It was a great day, said Klara, 81. “Now I know how to use gmail and organize email and organize photos.”
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Added Salih: “Now she can view her photos in a bigger format. She was absolutely thrilled to accomplish that. This is the one way I have of helping people and I get to use my passion for technology.” In an adjoining room, Larry Edison tutored Bob, who was thrilled to learn basic techniques on his smartphone and laptop. “When I was working, I didn’t have to know this,” said Bob, 71. “Then, more and more stuff went on the computer and the people who were knowledgeable about computers were the ones being hired.” In one hour, Edison helped Bob add wallpaper to his laptop screen, learn the basics of incognito web-searches and use of the track pad. “Bob came in with a list of questions, which is great,” said Edison, 72. “These sessions give the students the ability to
Tech Tutors volunteers include:
Max Bosse, Diane Brown, Jamessa Caffey, Rena Cohen-Kurzrock, Larry Edison, Ashley Favata, Vicki Fieman, Richard Gavatin, Yosef Granillo, Jessica Hawkins, Michelle Huber, Madelyn Huber, Michelle Jarboe, Arnold Kaplan, Ryan Kemppainen, Nikki Lyons, Stuart Meyer, Jessica Mirowitz, Jina Park, Nick Rentschler, Gavin Rich, Warren Rich, Jim Salih, Manali Shah, Jake Sher, Katie Silver, Ryan Silver, Alex Slen, Emma Socha, Jonathan Stern, Rachel Tomlinson, Verma Sukriti and Santha Vishnumolakala. connect with the outside world. One lady hadn’t been in contact with her daughter for quite a while and now she can by email. One of the students I helped is a Continued on opposite page
Mazel Tov to the “bright lights” in our community... Our Unsung Heroes!
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Get Tech volunteers include: Evyatar Shachar, David Sussman, Vicki Mitchell, Marcia Lisker, Robert Olshan, Joyce Olshan, Lillie Levin, Eric Telmer, Anna Gebhardt, John Wilson, Terry Lassar, Alan Haber, Sue Moran, Cathy Dobkin, Kay Sherman, Sidney Goldstein, Diane Wise, Andrea Lubershane, James Struckel, Jim Salih, Larry Edison, Susan Meltz, Lory Mueller and Mary Chapman retired pharmacist who quit when they digitized his pharmacy.” Bob called Edison and Salih “altruistic people who are giving their time. This opened up my eyes about how to do some of these things. You can accomplish a lot one-on-one in a half hour. The value is priceless, definitely.” Tech Tutors is funded by the Women’s Auxiliary Foundation for Jewish Aged, a supporting foundation of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. The Mirowitz Center collaborates with local congregations to identify older adults who could benefit from the tutoring. So far, more than 100 students have received assistance from the program’s 50 volunteers. The initiative is ongoing, with demand continuing as more seniors make the leap to technology.
Get Tech
Above, St. Louis-area seniors are shown receiving their new tablet devices from Get Tech volunteers. Get Tech distributed 100 tablets to participants ranging in age from 65 to 96. The St. Louis NORC and JFS developed a training program and offered personalized instruction as well. The program also mobilized a group of volunteers to work with the tablet recipients. They offered everything from basic steps to troubleshooting to moral support.
“The amount of detail was really hard to even speculate,” said Levinson. “Our volunteers deserve a lot of credit, and they didn’t really want recognition. The amount
of patience and compassion and openness they exhibited showed that they were really special people.”
Get Tech is another volunteer program with similar goals. It began in mid-2020 and ended earlier this year. Get Tech provided qualifying St. Louis County seniors with an Android tablet and tutoring from volunteers. It was created and run by NORC (Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities) and JFS (Jewish Family Services), with funding from a St. Louis County COVID-19 Humanitarian Response Fund and the Jewish Federation of St. Louis’ AgeWell collaborative. The pandemic, when St. Louisans began sheltering in place, was the impetus for creating a program for seniors who didn’t have tech knowledge, or even a device, said Sarah Levinson, St. Louis NORC Manager. “What about people who are interested, but they don’t have a device?” Levinson said. “They don’t know where to start to get the device. They don’t have internet service. They may not believe that they can do it. How do we reduce barriers so that they can try it? “What a wonderful time to try something and get connected and more than ever, things are online. They need it for their doctors. They need it for socialization. They can order their groceries. So it seemed like a really unique opportunity to try it. And the goal was to increase people’s access.” Get Tech accomplished that by distributing 100 tablets to participants ranging in age from 65 to 96. Many of them are renters who live alone. NORC and JFS developed a training program and offered personalized instruction from Abbie Wolner (now JFS ElderLink resource specialist).
Mazel Tov to Temple Israel member
JEFFRY GOLDEN
on his special recognition for his outstanding contribution as a Trustee to the St. Louis Jewish Light
!
l ' chaim
Congregation Temple Israel #1 Rabbi Alvan D. Rubin Drive St. Louis, MO 63141 314-432-8050 www.ti-stl.org
1.800.GO.CLEAN | CLEANUNIFORM.COM
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From doctor to volunteer, helping people is Dr. Laura Goldmeier’s true calling STORY & PHOTO BY BILL MOTCHAN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
D
uring her career as an obstetrician-gynecologist, Dr. Laura Goldmeier cared for many women. Now retired, Goldmeier has a new goal. She helps hundreds of Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers obtain much-needed personal care goods, socks, T-shirts and cell phone batteries. Since March 2019, Goldmeier has been president of Shaving Israel, the St. Louisbased charitable organization offering assistance to IDF soldiers with financial hardships and often no family support. She has also led the Congregation B’nai Amoona Mitzvah Circle. Her first project for the group was collecting kosher food to send to Jewish American soldiers who were stationed overseas. Goldmeier’s work with the Mitzvah Circle was perhaps bashert. Her mother Gertrude previously was a member of the group, which was originally known as the Social Action Committee. “The people I’ve really looked up to for advice and who had the biggest influence on me as a volunteer were my parents, and Phyllis Cantor, the former chair of the Mitzvah Circle, (and 2011 Unsung Hero),” Goldmeier said. “Another important influence was Rachel Miller, the founder of Shaving Israel.” Initially, Goldmeier volunteered while she was still working. That wasn’t always easy with the unpredictable hours a physician must adapt to. A doctor also carries a fair amount of stress. That’s a lesson Goldmeier learned from her father Bernard Hulbert, who was also a physician. “When I went into medicine, he told me there will always be one patient that you’re worried about. He said you make 100 decisions in the day, and 95 of them may be good. But it’s the five bad ones that you keep going over and over and worrying about. So it is a very difficult job and volunteering did relieve some of the stress. “Also, at the time I really started volunteering more, I was headed towards retirement, and I thought it would give me something else I could do. And it’s a continuation in a way of what I was doing as a physician. It’s giving back. It’s trying to help people and I really enjoyed it from that standpoint.” Goldmeier turned out to be a dedicated and innovative volunteer, said Jan Baron, who teaches an 8th grade class at B’nai Amoona and was a 2013 Unsung Hero. “Laura and I have worked together on a number of projects that my class is also involved with,” Baron said. “And she has so many innovative ideas. Nothing is too
hard for her. She gets people motivated and she has them working on such wonderful projects and she does it was great humility. She doesn’t care if her name is associated with it. “She just wants to do these wonderful things and I thought that is so typical of what Judaism teaches. It’s part of our heritage and she’s got it. She just does things because she knows the right thing to do is helping other people. I think she epitomizes true tzedakah, true mitzvah. She’s a real mitzvah hero.” Since she retired, Goldmeier spends some of her spare time going on walks around her neighborhood. Her real passion, though, is volunteering. Projects the B’nai Amoona Mitzvah Circle completed under Goldmeier’s leadership included a toy drive for children for Carver House, a durable medical goods drive, a canned food drive and a special holiday meal for the Annie Malone House. She has also served on the B’nai Amoona board, she’s a volunteer with the Friends of Israel, and has participated as a volunteer in the Jewish Community Relations Council’s Jewish and Muslim Day of Service. She has also volunteered with the Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry and Washington University Hillel. “I was also a volunteer in the Jewish hospital chaplain program, which we had at Missouri Baptist Medical Center,”
Congratulations to all of the Unsung Heroes!
LAURA GOLDMEIER Age: 67 Family: Husband (David) is a psychiatrist, son (Jeremy) is director of communications at Congregation Shaare Emeth, daughter (Rachel) works for the Succeed Program at UMSL Home: Creve Coeur Fun Fact: Goldmeier cares for seven feral cats who enjoy the treats she leaves on her back porch
Goldmeier said. “That was a very rewarding position. One morning a week, I would visit patients at Missouri Baptist and I would ask them if they wanted me to say the Mi Shebeirach prayer (for healing) for them and put them on the list for their rabbi to come visit.” In addition to making a difference through volunteering, Goldmeier is a very effective leader, according to Irl Solomon, Shaving Israel board member. “Laura is an outstanding president,” Solomon said. “She represents us very well at various venues. She has the ability to be a diplomat and combine differing
opinions into very good compromise solutions. That a good ability for a president to have. She’s very generous with her time and she accepted the presidency at a time of organizational flux. She stepped into it beautifully and she steadied the ship, got us going in the direction we needed to go.” Solomon said Goldmeier has the diplomatic skills to gracefully lead the Shaving Israel board. “We have Jews from every background involved,” Goldmeier said, “and we have people of various political ideologies, all the way from very liberal to very conservative. It’s nice to see people working together on projects just because they want to help someone else and not towards some political agenda.” Solomon also noted that Goldmeier’s leadership of Shaving Israel came at a time when external challenges made their work especially challenging. “COVID has made the job of Shaving Israel much more difficult,” Solomon said. “The connections that we have in Israel and identifying these soldiers, it’s much harder. All the supplies we obtain are bought in Israel from Israeli suppliers. Some of them have either closed or they can’t get inventory, and prices have gone up. COVID is the reason. Nevertheless, we have had a better year than we had the year before COVID. And I think that’s quite a testament to her leadership.”
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Meet the volunteer leaders who plan Unsung Heroes
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bout 12 years ago, a group of staff and board members at the Jewish Light came up with a plan to honor the incredible volunteerism found throughout the St. Louis Jewish community. Milton Movitz, then-past president of the Light, suggested these volunteers be individuals or groups that fly under the radar. Sheri Sherman, who was a Light board member at the time, added that they should be called Unsung Heroes. OK, in all truthfulness, who said exactly what is hard to recall after a dozen years. But the point is that this meeting marked the beginning of the Jewish Light’s Unsung Heroes Oy! Magazine (now Unsung Heroes special section) and signature event, now in its 12th year. Unsung Heroes shines a light on individuals of any background or faith who generously volunteer to help the St. Louis Jewish community, and Jewish St. Louisans who volunteer either within the local Jewish community and/or the community at large. This year five individuals and two groups will be honored (see this week’s special section, pages 1B-16B) while another individual will receive a special recognition. Sherman has been with the event, which will take place virtually this year starting at 7 p.m. Nov. 11, since its inception. The reason? “It is such a feel-good event no volunteer wants to leave,” she explained. “When we were in a space (pre-virtual), I called it a group hug of 300 people. The love in the room was palpable. “One of the sweetest moments of my life was when I was made an “honorary” Unsung Hero. I never tire of the beautiful stories of our Heroes and the good they do for our community.” Over the years, Sherman has been
BELOW: This year’s Unsung Heroes met for a recent cocktail meet-and-greet. Front row, from left: Carolyn Satz, Ginny Weiss, Susan Kemppainen of the Mirowitz Center, Arlen Chaleff, Jen Schmitz of Covenant Place and Jeff Golden. Back row, from left: Dr. Laura Goldmeier, Joan Hirst of St. Louis NORC and Nancy Keyser.
ABOVE: From left are Unsung Co-Chair Jane Roodman Weiss, Co-Chair Sheri Sherman, Co-Chair Galia Movitz, Light Editor-in-Chief Ellen Futterman, Co-Chair Faith Berger and Light CEO Betsy Schmidt. joined by three others – Faith Berger, Galia Movitz and Jane Roodman Weiss — who have served as either a co-chair or advisor for many of the last 12 Heroes celebrations. This year the four women will once again serve together as co-chairs. See CO-CHAIRS on page 11B
MAZEL TOV! Congregation Shaare Emeth is fantastically proud of our 2021 Unsung Hero members:
Arlen Chaleff Ginny Weiss To all of this year's honorees: you are blessings to our community.
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‘She’s just magical’: Veteran puppeteer Ginny Weiss uses her talents to give back STORY & PHOTO BY BILL MOTCHAN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
G
ilda Radner, Adam Sandler and Billy Crystal are just a few Jewish comedic actors known for their impersonations. Here’s another talented Jewish impersonator: Ginny Weiss. The St. Louis great-grandmother has mastered 100 different voices, ranging from Dr. Ruth to Roseanne Barr to Winnie the Pooh to Eeyore. Weiss is a puppeteer who works her magic from behind a curtain. She’s also a volunteer, bringing entertainment and good cheer to children and adults throughout the St. Louis community. “I’ve always been involved in theater,” Weiss said. “I’m a ham and I love to perform. I love the interaction with people. But I also love the people that I’m working with who are so wonderful and talented and it’s great that we give money back through charity. I also love working with kids. They are so honest. One little girl in the inner city came up to me and said ‘You’re more fun than my grandma.’ I wasn’t a grandma at the time, but it was still a nice compliment.” The outgoing, effervescent Weiss was actually quite shy as a child. When Weiss was five years old, her mother sent her to a junior theatre in University City. She quickly blossomed. Weiss loved the stage. As a student at Clayton High School, she performed in a number of plays. Like many St. Louisans, she also attended Muny Opera productions with her family—always in the free seats. After attending college as a theater major at Carnegie Mellon and Washington University, Weiss became an English teacher in the Normandy School District, followed by a stint teaching in the innovative Springboard to Learning program. The initiative was developed in 1965 to help students experience worldwide arts and culture. Weiss’ mother was a volunteer with the Jewish Federation, and was chairman of the women’s division. Her volunteer work influenced Ginny Weiss to do the same. “I started doing volunteer work about three years into my marriage,” she said. “I joined the National Council of Jewish Women and they had a theatre production where I got the role of a tiger. The following next year they asked me if I would like to take a puppet show on the road. I had
never done puppetry, but as a child, but I loved the TV show ‘Kukla, Fran and Ollie.’ I thought, ‘Oh, that sounds like fun!’ So we did the show for a year and I loved working with puppets.” Weiss was able to perform many voices so she developed her skills in puppetry. Then she decided to do a puppet show for her daughter’s birthday party. It was a huge hit and her daughter’s teacher learned about it. “I quickly got a call from her teacher,” Weiss said. “She asked ‘Would you do is show for the class?’ After that she contacted other teachers in the Clayton School District, and they asked me to do shows. The first teacher said to me ‘You should be a professional.’ So I said ‘Well, I’ll give it a try.’ When I became a professional and had my own company, I made up my mind that I was going to do a certain number of volunteer shows, too.” Weiss was a huge hit on the kindergarten and preschool circuit. Then she found out about the Puppet Guild of St. Louis.
www.altertrading.com
GINNY WEISS Age: 82 Family: Weiss has two daughters, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren Home: Creve Coeur Fun Fact: Weiss’ drama school classmates at Carnegie Mellon University included actress Mariette Hartley and Ellen Travolta, John Travolta’s sister.
She joined and learned a lot more about the craft. “That was a great way of learning more skills and also a way of giving back to the community because we did a number of ‘days of puppetry’ fests. I’ve been doing that for 45 years and I’ve been the Puppet Guild program chairman for 10 years.
“The Springboard to Learning program also allowed me to teach puppetry to kids in the inner city and that was wonderful. I did that 27 years. Then I did the same inn the Parkway and Hazelwood School Districts. I was with Springboard up until a couple of years ago. That’s when I retired. I still wanted to perform live, so I was able to get into charity shows.” That began with Congegation Shaare Emeth where Weiss participated in a fundraising performance. She also has been a perfect fit in the role of Ether’s mother in the Shaare Emeth Purimschpiel program, which ran for several years. Eventually, Weiss qualified by age to join Broadway Fantasies and St. Louis Showstoppers, with proceeds going to the Siteman Cancer Center. Those lasted until COVID put a halt to live shows. Working with the Puppet Guild enabled Weiss to give back to the community by volunteering through puppet festivals. After 45 years working with the Puppet Guild she’s still going strong. Fellow puppeteer Dug Feltch said Weiss has a whimsical outlook that makes her ideal for the world of puppetry. “Ginny is so kind, so generous, and she relates so well to children,” said Feltch, partner in Bob Kramer’s Marionnettes. “And of course her talent with the puppets. She has over 40 years volunteering with the Puppet Guild, doing workshops and shows. She’s just magical because puppeteers have a whimsy and childlike side of them that never really goes away. She’s just quick and funny and interesting and charming and a great lady.” Leanne Schneider grew up next door to Weiss in Clayton and the two have remained friends for 70-plus years. She said Weiss has a perpetually positive attitude. “She’s given of herself to so many different groups with her time and her talents and she does it with such joy,” Schneider said. Hers is a joyful avocation and that always comes across. She’s always full of smiles.” Weiss also represents the definition of an unsung hero, said Dug Feltch. “I can’t think of a person more perfect for getting this recognition,” Feltch said. “Many times, puppeteers are behind the curtain and they don’t receive any adulation or notoriety and that’s definitely Ginny, and she does everything so well.”
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TRIBUTES CAROLYN SATZ
CAROLYN SATZ
“Mazel tov, Aunt Carolyn Satz! We are proud of you!” - Caryn Alper -
“So well deserved Carolyn!” - Marlene & Bob Gummers -
CAROLYN SATZ
ARLEN CHALEFF, GINNY WEISS, & CAROLYN SATZ
“So proud of you and all the work you have done to make NCJWSTL and The Resale Shop a success!” - Ellen Alper -
CAROLYN SATZ
“Congratulations to my Aunt Carolyn on this well deserved honor!” - Joanna Alper -
“So proud of you and all the work you have done to make NCJWSTL and The Resale Shop a success!” - Allen & Ronnie Brockman -
CAROLYN SATZ
CAROLYN SATZ
TO ALL OF THOSE WHO HAVE SHOWN THEIR SUPPORT AND HONORED THIS YEARS UNSUNG HEROES WITH PERSONAL MESSAGES!
- Sandy & Phil Brooks -
CAROLYN SATZ
“Mazel Tov to our sister Carolyn! The entire family is proud of your many accomplishments and dedication to the community.” - Lenny & Fran Alper -
THANK YOU
“Congratulations to Carolyn Satz on this wonderful and well-deserved honor. Your tireless volunteer work has helped so many. We are very proud of your commitment to the St. Louis Jewish community.” - Rita & Jonathan Cohen -
ARLEN CHALEFF
“Dear Arlen, Congratulations on this important recognition, Arlen. You are an amazing and heroic woman. I am so pleased we made acquaintance.” - Marcia Conaghan -
NANCY KEYSER
CAROLYN SATZ
- Anonymous -
LAURA GOLDMEIER - Anonymous -
ARLEN CHALEFF
- Anonymous -
GINNY WEISS & CAROLYN SATZ
“Ginny Weiss - Such a well deserved recognition. For so many years, We enjoyed having you in our first grade class at River Bend doing Puppetry! You were always so gracious, especially dealing with some of our kiddos! I was so happy to see that you were nominated ! Congratulations! Carolyn Satz - Congratulations on this well deserved honor!” - Jo Linda & Sandy Cohen -
“Dear Nancy, It is an honor to know you, and to know about your work in the community. Congratulations on this recognition.” With love, - Marcia Conaghan -
LAURA GOLDMEIEF & CAROLYN SATZ - Marcy & Rick Cornfeld -
ALL OF THE 2021 UNSUNG HEROES ARLEN CHALEFF
- Ellanie Balber -
GINNY WEISS
“Congratulations to a deserving Unsung Hero and a good friend! Love, Sheila” - Sheila Cohen -
ARLEN CHALEFF & LAURA GOLDMEIER “It is a pleasure to donate a tribute to Laura Goldmeier and Arlen Chaleff for being honored as Unsung Heroes 2021! Mazal Tov and well deserved!” With love and gratefulness for all your achievement - Janet Baron -
CAROLYN SATZ
“We are so proud of you Mom! Setting an example for your kids and grandkids everyday! Thanks for all you do!” - Jamie & Jared Cohen -
“Congratulations!” With Love, - Reva Davis-
LAURA GOLDMEIER
“Congratulations, Laura, and thanks for your exemplary leadership! I’m so proud of you.” Love, - Don M. Hulbert -
ARLEN CHALEFF
- Martin & Margaret Israel -
ARLEN CHALEFF
“Well deserved honor for all you do. Mazel Tov!” - Judy & Phil Kaplan-
CAROLYN SATZ
“Congratulations Carolyn!” - Susan Keyes -
NANCY KEYSER
“Yasher Koach on your dedication to the community in so many ways.” - Micki Kingsley -
LAURA GOLDMEIER
“Well deserved honor for all you do. Mazel Tov!” - Leonard Frankel -
JEFF GOLDEN
- Bethe Growe -
CAROLYN SATZ
“Congratulations to my sister in law, Carolyn. So proud of you and all of your accomplishments!” - Gail & Phil Kramer -
CONTINUED ON PG. 13B
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Ex-journalist Nancy Keyser helps repair the world by learning, telling stories BY ERIC BERGER ASSOCIATE EDITOR
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ancy Keyser has not worked as a newspaper reporter for four decades, but she retains some of the same hunger for stories. About a decade ago, Keyser retired from a career in public relations, the field she entered after leaving journalism, and was nervous about what she would do next, she said. She learned of an opportunity to interview Missouri veterans to collect their memories for the U.S. Library of Congress and the State Historical Society of Missouri. Keyser’s desire and ability to tell important stories has not only helped preserve veterans’ recollections, but also, by volunteering at the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum, helped ensure that younger generations learn about that dark period in history. State Sen. Jill Schupp, D-Creve Coeur, who started the initiative, said: “The people who stepped up and volunteered like Nancy to be part of the Missouri Veterans History Project are pretty amazing and care deeply about our veterans and about having a record of their history.” Keyser, who attends Kol Rinah, grew up attending Congregation Temple Israel and said her motivation for volunteering is shaped by the Jewish concept of tikkun olam, repairing the world. “You want your life to be meaningful, and to me, one of the best ways to do that is by being there for others,” said Keyser, 68. As a reporter, she worked at newspapers
NANCY KEYSER Age: 68 Family: Husband (Steve) is a CPA; daughter (Caroline) is a writer; step-son (Michael) is a major in the U.S. Army Reserve; step-daughter (Melissa) is a mortgage lender; two grandchildren. Home: Creve Coeur Fun Fact: Nancy likes to read true crime and crime novels. They are “a little gory for people. I don’t why, but I’m into that,” she said
in Illinois and Texas, and in Missouri at the former St. Louis Globe-Democrat. In the wake of the Watergate scandal, Keyser was inspired by the reporting of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein at The Washington Post. “I have always been interested in people and, other than being a bartender, it’s the best way to hear people’s stories,” said Keyser, who in public relations represented local corporations such as Monsanto (now Bayer) and Mallinckrodt. In addition to her volunteer work for the historical institutions, Keyser also served as a board member of the local branch of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness); as a court representative for Continued on opposite page
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abused or neglected children; and as a volunteer at a Humane Society puppy adoption center. “I have always been drawn to vulnerability,” she said. “There is an instinct to want to protect or help those who don’t have a voice, particularly children and animals.” As a court-appointed special advocate, Keyser represented children who were removed from their homes. That included children whom Keyser suspected had been sexually abused. She tried to ensure that they received appropriate therapy. “Their parents had the option of having a court-appointed lawyer, and of course the state has its own prosecutors, but there wasn’t anyone to represent the children, many of whom were too young to even speak, in the courtroom,” Keyser said. “You get trained to do that and try to speak for their needs.” At the Humane Society, Keyser cleaned cages and ensured that the animals were comfortable. She also screened potential adopters. “It was great because, in many cases, they would come in with their children, and there was a little room off to the side where they could visit with a puppy,” Keyser said. She got to “see them interact. There were a few cases where we had to deny somebody because they were giving off signals that it would not be a safe or appropriate place for the animal.” Keyser learned of the Holocaust museum about 18 years ago and reached out to become a docent. The institution had “fabulous training,” Keyser said, and she quickly became passionate about the work. “It’s become part of my heart and soul, being involved with that organization for
Co-Chairs: Get to know the volunteers who plan Unsung Heroes
November 3, 2021
helped produce a video for an anniversary of the museum’s opening. The newsletters “helped highlight our work and the people who contribute to it,” said Lory Cooper, the museum’s volunteer and tour manager. “(Keyser) gets things done. Also, she is a pleasure to work with.” For the veterans history project, Keyser spent four years interviewing about 150 veterans. She would meet them at businesses, churches and Veterans of Foreign Wars halls. Schupp described Keyser as “the perfect person to be in that role.” The veterans, most of whom served in World War II, spoke about their experience in the military and periods such as the Great Depression and about their families. “It was a real window into history,” Keyser said. Keyser has spent much of her time ensuring that future generations learn about people whose lives were shaped by World War II. “When people hear about some of the places where I volunteer, particularly the Holocaust museum, they often ask, ‘Isn’t that depressing? Why would you do that?’ ” Keyser said. “I think it’s uplifting to have an opportunity to make an impression on someone who might make a positive difference in the future.”
Nancy Keyser is a longtime docent at the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum. so many years, partly because we have an opportunity to educate people about the lessons and history of the Holocaust, but, perhaps more importantly, to inspire change and promote understanding,” Keyser said. As a docent, Keyser is effective, said Jean Cavender, former director of the museum, because “she did a really great
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back-and-forth with the kids, really encouraging a lot of questions, so her tours were not just straight tours. They were often a dialogue.” Keyser’s communication skills have been a significant asset for the museum in other respects. In 2018, Keyser launched a digital newsletter, brainstormed content ideas and wrote stories for it. Keyser also
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Mazel Tov & Yeasher Kochech to B'nai Amoona Member & Vice President of Programming
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Dr. Laura Goldmeier
for being chosen as one of this year's Jewish Light Unsung Heroes! You are a blessing to our community! With Love & Admiration, Your B'nai Amoona Klei Kodesh, Leardership & Congregational Family
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7B than 110 Unsung Heroes over the years and learning about the “holy work they are engaged in inspires me,” she said, adding that, “It’s been an honor to serve on this committee with such dear friends and continue the legacy of my (late) husband (Milton Movitz) who had the vision for this event.” Both Berger and Weiss enjoy hearing about the important work of organizations and individuals under the radar, who give of themselves, provide a positive impact in the lives of so many in our Jewish and general community and expect nothing in return. “It warms my heart to hear the reaction when they are told they have been selected as an Unsung Hero,” added Weiss. “None ever expect any recognition, yet they are so deeply touched and appreciative of the honor.” Prior to the virtual event on Nov. 11, the co-chairs hosted a happy hour in Sherman’s outdoor garden for the 2021 Unsung Heroes to meet one another. “We have had all kinds of receptions and award ceremonies large and small to honor our Unsung Heroes — even through COVID,” noted Berger. “To be honored without ever thinking of accolades brings years of assisting others to the forefront. In the end the recipients are filled with emotion as they realize how valued they are.” This year’s 12th annual event will be streamed live on the Jewish Light’s website. Anyone who donates a minimum of $18 (or makes a tribute of $18 or more) will receive a link to watch the live event. To make a donation or tribute, go to stljewishlight.org/unsung-heroes.
Dr. Laura Goldmeier
CONGRATULATIONS and THANKS to The Jewish Light Unsung Heroes!
Arlen Chaleff Laura Goldmeier Nancy Keyser Carolyn Satz Ginny Weiss Get Tech/Tech Tutor Volunteer Group Jeff Golden Thank you to all the volunteers who came back to help after (and during) a very challenging year. We can’t do what we do without YOU! Looking for a fun and rewarding volunteer experience? Contact Stephanie Rhea at 314.442.3164.
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‘We can repair it’ ethic serves others well BY ERIC BERGER ASSOCIATE EDITOR
W
hen Carolyn Satz was recently preparing jewelry for sale at the Resale Shop, a fellow volunteer pulled out a bracelet with a stone missing. Satz told the volunteer, “Don’t put that in the junk bag. I can fix that.” She then glued the stone back into place, and “the bracelet looked like new,” said Susan Katzman, a past president of National Council of Jewish Women-St. Louis, the nonprofit Jewish advocacy and social justice organization that runs the Resale Shop. Satz seems to apply that optimistic approach — the idea that broken things can be repaired — to many parts of her life. She regularly volunteers at the Resale Shop and has played a pivotal role in NCJW’s Back to School! Store. She also has for more than 15 years run the Millstone Library at United Hebrew Congregation and helped plan fundraising events at the synagogue. Satz has “a very creative eye and is always looking for creative answers to things,” Katzman said. Growing up in St. Louis, Satz’s parents were very involved in their congregation, Nusach Hari B’nai Zion, and talked to her about the importance of helping the sick and needy. They would visit people at Jewish senior centers and hospitals. When a cousin died, they “really took care of, and were really good to, his young children,” Satz recalled. “That left a mark on me, how thoughtful they were to do that,” she said. Satz, a mother of three, spent two decades as a fifth grade, sixth grade and preschool teacher. In the late ’80s, she applied those teaching skills to Inside Israel, an NCJW program in which she and other volunteers spoke about Israeli culture and history in local sixth grade classrooms. The same NCJW volunteer who asked Satz to speak about her trips to Israel also asked whether she would be interested in helping with the organization’s annual Couturier fundraising event featuring designer items at the Resale Shop. Satz said yes. Her work included sorting through jewelry, researching the items and determining appropriate pricing. Satz also has held various leadership positions with NCJW, including serving as vice president of retail and vice president of community service. “It was just exciting to do something for your community,” said Satz, who volunteers at the shop one to two times each week. “I liked hearing people say, ‘This is the only place I buy my clothes,’ and the money you earn from it goes to helping
PHOTO BY ERIC BERGER
CAROLYN SATZ Age: 71 Family: Husband (Larry) is retired from the shoe importing business; son (Michael) is a rabbi; son (Adam) is in beer sales; and daughter (Jamie) is a teacher; six grandchildren. Home: Town and Country
profit that provides affordable housing to seniors. Her service there included helping residents use computers, and organizing and serving meals for residents during Jewish holidays. “I think being a teacher helps you see the need to give,” she said. At United Hebrew, Satz’s cousin ran the library. When she stepped down, Satz “was the only one who would take it,” she said.
Satz, who also served on the United Hebrew board, likes the volunteer gig because she gets to select the books, which means “I get first crack at reading them.” “It’s just fun to organize something,” she said. “It keeps me involved with the temple.” Satz comes to the library each week to sort through book donations and ensure the collection stays organized, United Hebrew Rabbi Brigitte Rosenberg said. Satz also keeps track of new books on Israel and works from Jewish authors for the library. She understands “the importance of Jewish literacy,” said Rosenberg, who also regularly sees Satz in classes at the congregation. And, when planning events at United Hebrew, Satz always tries to make sure that volunteers who may not be in good health can safely get to the meetings, the rabbi said. “She sees the importance of being involved in your congregation, that it’s not just a place to show up for holidays or to worship but it’s about community and family,” Rosenberg said. Rosenberg and Katzman of NCJW also emphasized that Satz has been involved in many of her volunteer efforts for decades. “She doesn’t take a commitment on if she doesn’t think she can follow through totally and completely,” Katzman said. “That’s so valuable with people who work and also people who volunteer.” Among her many volunteer roles, Carolyn Satz has run the Millstone Library at United Hebrew Congregation for more than 15 years.
Fun Fact: Carolyn became a bat mitzvah about a decade ago, when she was a grandmother. “I was in a Hebrew class and all the other adults got bat mitzvahed and they forced me into it,” she said and laughed.
out the community, and I think that’s the important thing.” In 2001, Satz was among a handful of people to launch the Back to School! Store, an annual event that provides underserved children with the clothing, shoes and supplies they need to have a good start to the school year. The first year, they helped 200 children; they have since helped more than 20,000. Satz says she feels like she makes a difference when she sees how students react to their new clothes, often asking to wear them home. “It’s the middle of August, and they are putting on a heavy winter coat,” Satz said. Satz also spent a decade volunteering at Crown Center for Senior Living, a non-
C O N G R AT S TO ALL THE 2021 UNSUNG HEROES!
Congratulations to Carolyn Satz and the Get Tech Tutors for your dedication and outstanding service to the community. From the Board, Staff and Residents of Crown Center
- Zimmerman Root Family 324-991-2055 www.crowncenterstl.org
8350 Delcrest Drive St. Louis, MO 63124
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ARLEN CHALEFF & GINNY WEISS “Mazel Tov” - Arlene & Jeff Stiffman -
CONTINUED...
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ALL TRIBUTES SUBMITTED BY NOVEMBER 12TH WILL BE FEATURED IN OUR NOVEMBER 17TH ISSUE.
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GINNY WEISS
“Mazel tov to my cousin, Ginny Weiss, who has done so much to deserve this honor.” - Barbara Rosenbaum -
CAROLYN SATZ
ARLEN CHALEFF, GINNY WEISS, & NANCY KEYSER
“Mazal tov, Carolyn! Thank you for all that you do for UH and the StL Jewish community. Our entire community is blessed by all that you do.” - Brigitte Rosenberg -
ALL OF THE 2021 UNSUNG HEROES “We’re so proud of you! ” - The STL Jewish Light-
CAROLYN SATZ
- Lenny & Debbie Vines -
ARLEN CHALEFF
- Peggy Cohen Voss -
ALL OF THE 2021 UNSUNG HEROES - Janie Roodman Weiss & John Weiss -
- Sue Matlof -
CAROLYN SATZ
- Myra Rosenthal -
ARLEN CHALEFF
ARLEN CHALEFF
ARLEN CHALEFF
“Congratulation to Arlen Chaleff from the Clayton High School Class of 1959!!” - Renee & Bruce Michelson -
- Judith Leonard & David Curtis -
- Barbara Widener -
CAROLYN SATZ
“Mazal Tov, Grandma! You are our hero.” Love, Eitan and Ami (and Michael and Janice) - Michael Satz -
CAROLYN SATZ
ARLEN CHALEFF
“Congratulations and an acknowledgement well deserved.” Best wishes, - Arthur Litz -
ARLEN CHALEFF
“Dear Arlen, Congratulations on being honored as an Unsung Hero. You are a true hero and a role model for all.” Love, - Ann & Ashley Loiterstein -
- Shirley Mosinger -
GINNY WEISS
“Congratulations on your great service! We’re so very proud of you! Marlene, Bob, Scott, and Leland” - Marlene & Bob Wolff -
GINNY WEISS & ARLEN CHALEFF
NANCY KEYSER
“Congrautlations to Nancy Keyser for this richly deserved award! So proud to know her and call her my friend!” - Marjorie Pingel -
LAURA GOLDMEIER
- Heschel & Adinah Raskas -
“Congratulations on receiving recognition for the many years of service to the community.” - Leanne & Harvey Schneider-
CAROLYN SATZ
“Congratulations to my sister, Carolyn Satz! Your reward is well deserved!” - Gloria & Scott Schonbrun -
ARLEN CHALEFF & CAROLYN SATZ - Fran Zamler -
NANCY KEYSER & GINNY WEISS
- Aleene Schneider Zawada -
CAROLYN SATZ
ARLEN CHALEFF
“You have always been our hero” - Alice & Alan Ludmer -
GINNY WEISS
“Thanks for positively impacting my life...and so many others. You are a gift!” - Julie Lyss -
CAROLYN SATZ & GINNY WEISS
“Carolyn...you are a shining light in our community... thanks for all you do! Ginny....you light up so many lives with your puppet shows...thanks for making our community a happier place!” - Marilyn & Gary Ratkin -
ARLEN CHALEFF
ARLEN CHALEFF
- Sarajoan Rezak -
CAROLYN SATZ
“Congratulations to Ginny Weiss on this well deserved honor!” - Janice Roberg -
- Neil & Ricky Marglous
“Congratulations!” - Elaine Marion -
GINNY WEISS
GINNY WEISS
“We are so very proud of you!” -Sandra Sher -
JEFF GOLDEN
“Jeff, Congratulations. There is no recognition that can begin to reflect the value of your dedicated and excellent contribution to the Light. May you enjoy continuing good health and many other achievements that reflect your best wishes.” - Joan Silber -
ARLEN CHALEFF & RICHARD GAVATIN (TECH TUTORS) - Sanford & Gloria Spitzer -
“An honor well-deserved!” - Kathy Zigler -
THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO MADE A DONATION IN SUPPORT OF OUR UNSUNG HEROES ARLEN CHALEFF RICHARD FLOM MARGARET GILLERMAN SHERRI & RICK GOLDMAN HELENE GOTTESMANN MARGARET KAPLAN JENNIFER MANCUSO JENNIFER SCHMITZ SHERI SHERMAN ALAN & ANN SPECTOR
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Longtime ‘Jewish Light’ board member brings rocket scientist skills to the table STORY AND PHOTO BY BILL MOTCHAN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
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alented, dedicated volunteers are worth their weight in gold. That’s especially true of Jeffry Golden, who has worked behind the scenes on the St. Louis Jewish Light’s Board of Trustees for a decade, sharing his business and financial expertise. He also has helped the organization navigate the choppy waters of new media. “When Jeffry joined the board, he really shored things up and gave people more confidence,” said Laura Silver, the immediate past president of the Jewish Light Board of Trustees. “He was also a real proponent for expanding our digital presence early on. But he is really humble and quiet. He’s very easy to overlook because he’s not a braggart. He literally just picks up the pieces and puts everything back into place.” To effectively govern a nonprofit organization, a board needs to tap into the skills of its volunteers. Silver said the Jewish Light was fortunate to benefit from Golden’s unique background. “He had a lot to offer in terms of the skills that we needed,” Silver said. “He had board experience, and we really put it to use. He’s a detail-oriented guy. So he’s really been able to do a lot of that detail work with bylaws and with our mailing audits. He put a lot of work into our processes and procedures. He is a behind-thescenes expert, a quiet person who just gets a lot of things done without fanfare but it’s really important stuff.” Steve Gallant, also a Light past-president, echoed Silver’s assessment of Golden. “He is the most selfless individual I have ever met,” Gallant said. “Without Jeff, we wouldn’t be where we are from a governance standpoint. He has organizational acumen. He has attention to detail and a willingness to dive into things that others would find uninteresting, arcane or boring. That is what has allowed the organization the freedom to do the things that it has done.” Golden, who belongs to Temple Israel, is a semiretired scientist and engineer. He also has 32 years of corporate management and business experience, which has been especially useful in his volunteer board governance work. Through his career, he was responsible for the proposal and management of more than $130 million in research and development projects. He is also quite literally a rocket scientist, with bachelor’s degrees in physics (from the University of California), aeronautics and astronautics (from M.I.T.) and a Ph.D. in plasma physics from M.I.T. In 1989, he joined Berkeley Research Associates Inc., where he directed R&D support for the Army Research
Laboratory’s high-power microwave and nuclear weapons effects facilities. In 1995, he co-founded CET, a St. Louis-based defense and homeland security firm. Golden’s volunteer board experience began when he was treasurer of the Good Government for Missouri political action committee, geared to improving social services in the state. He dove into nonprofit volunteering further when he met Lewis Chartock, who was then CEO of MERS Goodwill. “We were having dinner, and I said it bothered me that I met folks in business who were not engaged in the community, that a lot of us have the means and life experiences and skills to get more engaged,” Golden said. “Then I got a call asking if I’d like to be on the Goodwill Industries international board.” That was a positive experience for Golden, and he discovered how much could be done by volunteers. One year later, in 2010, Chartock called him and said there was an opening coming up on the Jewish Light board. “I said, ‘I like the Jewish Light, it’s fun to read, but what can I do there?’ ” Golden said. “He told me newspapers were changing, and in 10 years the landscape would be a lot different. I asked what the Light was about, and he told me the mission was to inform, inspire and connect. To connect, that’s a really important thing. “I’ve studied network theory, and I learned that social networking is a really important element of self-identity, and that
United Hebrew Congratulates
and all of the 2021 Unsung Heroes UNITED HEBREW CONGREGATION 13788 Conway Road Saint Louis, MO 63141 314-469-0700 unitedhebrew.org
JEFFRY GOLDEN Age: 74 Family: Golden and his wife, Eve, have two daughters, Kate and Chana. Home: Creve Coeur Fun Fact: Golden is an inventor or co-inventor with more than 30 patents. One of his inventions is a device to prevent water in chicken coops from freezing.
the cohesion of the Jewish community and the continuation of the heritage and the community as an entity depends on social capital. Social capital is really built on self-identification. “If you can’t get people to self-identify with a community, you’re not going to engage them. So you have to connect, inspire and inform and, to add one more element, to educate. I learned that the tangible good is the Jewish Light newspaper and email blasts and that they reinforce or introduce self-identification. Social capital of a community really depends on its news network.” Golden dove into the world of publishing and newspapers and learned all he could. His motivation was to strengthen the St. Louis Jewish community. He said the Jewish Light’s evolution to a digital-centric news distribution source was inevitable
and necessary. He pointed to a trend in media consumption in which consumers in their mid- to late 50s now receive most of their news from digital devices. It wasn’t long ago when the “digital divide” was somewhere in the late 40s. “The majority of people who get most of their news digitally is now half of the boomers and the silent generation,” Golden said. “That is a big change, and that’s where the market is.” A scientist studies data, and Golden is pleased with the data he sees from the Jewish Light. “Our real circulation has gone up by a factor of three,” he said. “The platform has changed radically. We retooled our staff and our goals, so a lot of things have been put in place. It’s a work in progress, but so are community newspapers across the country. They are morphing, some are going away and some are successful, and I hope the Jewish Light will be in the latter category.” The role of Unsung Hero is one Golden accepts with some unease. He suggested that his recognition might be called “the perseverance and trusty attendance award.” “It’s a team effort, and I’m part of the team, and what a great gratification that the Light is in a good spot now,” he said. Gallant said Golden’s contributions are much more significant. “Jeff is such a cool guy,” Gallant said. “The world can’t exist without the Jeff Goldens who do what’s right for an organization, and who don’t clutter the process with their ego.”
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JEWISH LIGHT
OUR 2021 UNSUNG HEROES JOIN THOSE HONORED IN YEARS PAST
2020
Allen and Ronnie Brockman Mark Dana Aleeza Granote Sheryl Kalman Steve Rosenblum Alan Spector Back to School! Store Volunteers (a program of the National Council of Jewish Women-St. Louis)
2019
Reva Davis Delmar Gardens West “Welcome the Shabbat” Friday Volunteers Barbara Finch Karen Flotte Brothers Lazaroff (Jeff and David Lazaroff) Alice Ludmer Jennifer Rothman Mancuso Gary Ratkin Terry Weiss Julie Williams
2018
Jan Abrams Steve Gorin Susie Spitzer Kinsella Susan Kottler David Lander Arik Levy Sophie Malik Hannah Maurer Maxine Mirowitz Robert Stein
2017
Susan Winter Balk Jeffrey Cohen Sharon Dunski Vermont Cindy Lander Wallach Suzanne Epstein-Lang Jerri Livingston Stan Shanker Jay B Umansky Lois and Dave Zuckerman
2016
Philip Deitch Harvey Ferdman Ann Frank Susan Kalishman Goldberg Elad Gross Pam and Stu Katz
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PAST HEROES
Betsy Mehlman Joy Millner Shirley Mosinger Carl Sherman Bonnie Solomon
2015
Amy Fenster Brown Debbie Caplin Sherri Goldman Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry Volunteers Wayne Kaufman Dorothy Meyerson Mark Rodgers Donald Roth Tali Stadler Harvey Wallace
Herb Eissman Josh Goldman Zubaida Ibrahim Rachel Miller Rick Rovak STL Food RescuE Nate Noss, Sam Pepose and Will Hopkins Sandy Silverstein, z’’l Rita Swiener
2012
COAST Chabad Ohr Atid Sunday Torah Marshall Cohen Marion Lipsitz, z’’l Samantha Lurie Larry Opinsky Steven Rosenblum Nancy Schmidt Pat Simons Joy Sterneck
2011
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU’VE DONE AND ALL YOU CONTINUE TO DO!
2014
Marvin Beckerman Toddy Goldman Judy & Bob Hellman Sandy Jaffe, z’’l Sam Klein Kathy Lebedun Buddy Lebman Neil Marglous Myra Rosenthal Crown Center Home Delivery Volunteers Marilyn and Saul Dien, Geri Frank, Larry Harris, Lois Lefton, Shawn Rimerman, Lauren Sagel, Allan & Lisa Silverberg, Gloria Spitzer and Lana Yunker
2013
Jan Baron Derek Cohn
Dr. Rebecca Aft Charles Baron, z’’l Maris Berg Phyllis Cantor Fran Cohen, z’’l Jack Cohen Merle Hartstein, z”l Fritzi Lainoff, z”l David Oughton Jewish Prison Outreach Margie Kessler, Marsha Koski, Lou Albert, Steve Sorkin, Rabbi James Stone Goodman, Rabbi Neal Rose
2010
Ahavas Chesed Society Lolle Boettcher Leslie Caplan Phillip Fox, z”l Sarijane M. Freiman Margaret Gillerman Girls of Block Yeshiva Dan Glazier Elsie Levy Carl Moskowitz Dr. Harry Offenbach, z’’l Judy Pearlstone Marilyn Ratkin Ken Rubin Ben Senturia Dotty Tepper
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