Massachusetts Jewish Ledger • March 19, 2021 • 6 Nisan 5781

Friday, March 19, 2021 6 Nisan 5781 Vol. 22 | No. 3 | ©2021 $1.00 | majewishledger.com

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INSIDE

this week

MASSACHUSETTS JEWISH LEDGER | SINCE 1929 | MARCH 19, 2021 | 6 NISAN 5781

7 Around Mass

9 Milestones

10 Bulletin Board

11 Jewish Federation of Western Mass.

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Making a Difference..................... 5 Central Mass. Jewish community takes on food insecurity with Worcester Community Fridges

Conversation with ... .................................................................................................. 4 Roya Hakakan, author of A Beginner’s Guide to America: For the Immigrant and the Curious

Jewish Federation of Central Mass.

16 News Briefs

17 Synagogue Directory

18 Passover Greetings

20 What’s Happening

22 Obituaries

Jewish ritual in the ................................................................................................ 19 time of Corona A look at past year’s b’nai mitzvah through Shana Sureck’s lens

Standing up against........................5 anti-Semitism Massachusetts mayors sign statement condemning anti-Semitism at U.S. Mayors Conference

A Reminder From

Shabbat Shalom

A Reminder From

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MASSACHUSETTS JEWISH LEDGER

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Conversation with…

ROYA HAKAKIAN Woodbridge writer pens a guidebook for immigrants and a love letter to America

BY STACEY DRESNER

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n her 2005 memoir Journey from the Land of No, Roya Hakakian wrote about her life as a Persian Jew in her native Tehran and her experiences as a teenager during the Iranian Revolution.

Hakakian and her mother eventually fled Iran after a rise in anti-Semitism and other social and economic issues. In 1985, at the age of 19, she arrived in the United States as a refugee on political asylum.

Now after living in the states for 36 years, Hakakian has written A Beginner’s Guide to America: For the Immigrant and the Curious (Knopf, March 16, 2021).

The book includes such information for immigrants as what they can expect when dealing with landlords, job counselors, and English as a Second Language instructors; dealing with Americans both generous and rude; the shocking extent of consumerism; and even how to navigate romance and sex with American partner.

While entitled a guide, the book is also in many ways a memoir of Hakakian’s own experiences and those of others she interviewed, who arrived here from other countries.

Hakakian and her mother spent one year in Europe as refugees before arriving in the U.S. Three of her brothers and a few extended family members had already been living here for several years.

Settling in New York, Roya spent one year at Stern College before attending and graduating from Brooklyn College.

She worked as a producer for ABC News’ Documentary Unit, before becoming an associate producer for 60 Minutes. In addition to Journey from the Land of No and A Beginners Guide to America, she is the author of the book Assassins of the Turquoise Palace, two collections of poetry in Persian, and numerous essays that have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and on NPR’s All Things Considered. Since 2015, she has taught at THREAD, a writing workshop at Yale, and is a fellow at the Davenport College at Yale. She lives in Woodbridge with her husband and their two teenage sons.

The Jewish Ledger recently spoke to Hakakian about her new book and the events that prompted her to write it.

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JEWISH LEDGER: Your new book is called “A Beginners Guide to America,” but it is not like most guidebooks; it is much more a memoir. Why did you choose to write the book in this format?

ROYA HAKAKIAN: In 2016 when the rhetoric against immigrants started to get dangerously negative, and having been a

has something to say that transcends the debate. And I thought that if I use the third person I’m doing what everybody else was doing; I’m doing something that I had done.

And so I thought, what if I went somewhere else? What if I crafted a different voice that made people kind of take a second look or do a second take and say, ‘This is slightly jarring.’ And that’s how I kind of came up with the voice.

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ROYA HAKAKIAN

refugee and immigrant myself, I felt that I had to somehow contribute to the “nonconversation conversation.” It wasn’t really a conversation, it was a conflict, mostly. So I thought, if I just wrote a regular narrative, say a book in third person or reportage -which I actually did do – it would go either to the left or the right. It would fall into one of the two sides of this debate or argument.

I didn’t want it to belong to either one. I wanted to make people feel something that they couldn’t immediately brand or ID as fiction or nonfiction, and that was primarily to get people to see that they need to listen to the immigrants’ account; that the immigrant

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JL: You write about things like the loneliness immigrants can feel, and the “loss of mastery” they experience when coming to a new country and society, things I have never really thought about. So this is not necessarily a book just for immigrants, but also could be useful to people who were born here, right?

RH: Precisely, because, there was this talk, that migrants are coming here to rape and pillage and do all this damage and I was

JHL Ledger LLC and Jewish Ledger shall not be liable for failure to publish an ad for typographical error or errors in the publication except to the extent of the cost of the space which the actual error appeared in the first insertion. Publishers reserve the right to refuse advertising for any reason and to alter advertising copy or graphics deemed unacceptable. The publishers cannot warrant, nor assume responsibility for, the legitimacy, reputability or legality of any products or services offered in advertisements in any of its publications. The entire contents of the Jewish Ledger are copyright © 2020. No portion may be reproduced without written permission of the publishers. JHL Ledger LLC also publishes the Connecticut Jewish Ledger, All Things Jewish CT, and All Things Jewish MA. www.majewishledger.com

CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

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UP FRONT

MASSACHUSETTS JEWISH LEDGER | SINCE 1929 | MARCH 19, 2021 | 6 NISAN 5781

Worcester Community Fridges Take on Food Insecurity

BY STACEY DRESNER

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ENTRAL MASS. – When ClarkU Hillel Director Jeff Narod saw a refrigerator outside of Fantastic Pizzaria on Main Street in Worcester being filled with food for the hungry last month, he knew students involved in ClarkU Hillel would want to get involved.

Now Hillel is a community partner of Worcester Community Fridges, a project founded by Northboro teacher Maria Ravelli to provide easily accessed food for people in the community in public refrigerators, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The logo “Take What You Need; Leave What You Can” is emblazoned on the front of the Main Street fridge.

“At Hillel, tikkun olam is a huge part of what the students do. They are very socially conscious and as a part of the community feel they need to be contributing and reaching out to their neighbors to make things better,” Narod said. “The students have been involved in food insecurity issues for a long time now…This is a good fit with the community as well.”

Hillel students from both Clark and nearby Becker College are among those who have been supplying food to the Main Street fridge since it opened Jan. 31. Hillel also recently held a fundraising campaign bringing in more than $1,000 with which to purchase even more food for the community fridges, the second of which opened at 44 Portland Street in Worcester earlier this month. A third fridge, supported by the Central Mass. Jewish community is set to open after Passover.

Monica Sager, a senior at Clark and past Hillel president, has long been involved in the issue of food insecurity.

Founder of ClarkU Hillel’s new Food Insecurity Initiative, Sager led the creation of a food aid plan at Clark providing five

CLARKU HILLEL DIRECTOR JEFF NAROD, LEFT, WITH CLARKU HILLEL MEMBERS WHO ATTEND BECKER COLLEGE, AFTER DONATING FOOD TO THE WORCESTER COMMUNITY FRIDGE ON MAIN STREET.

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meals a week during the school year to students who cannot afford the meal plans.

MONICA SAGER, FOUNDER OF CLARKU HILLEL’S NEW FOOD INSECURITY INITIATIVE, SHOPPING FOR FOOD TO DONATE TO WITH WORCESTER COMMUNITY FRIDGES.

She also hosts and is the creator of The Campus Hunger Project Podcast, powered

by Challah for Hunger.

“Jeff Narod and I have worked closely together around food insecurity at Clark, so we thought this is an amazing initiative that we can be part of to help the greater community,” Sager explained. “We’ve gone to Price Rite now twice and have delivered food to the fridge. We’re hoping to make this a regular thing. It’s sad to see this big of a need for the food, especially during the pandemic, but it’s great that people like Jeff and everyone else involved in the fridge can help and make a difference one orange or milk jug at a time.”

“ClarkU Hillel knows food insecurity is a major issue not only affecting college students, but those in our own community,” added Eli Cohen-Gordon, president of ClarkU Hillel. “Worcester is our home, and we are so grateful for the greater community, and we want to give back…

We need to recognize the privilege a lot of us have at ClarkU Hillel, and do what our Jewish values tell us to do: to care for those who are in need.”

The third community refrigerator will be donated by Percy’s TV and Appliance and the Lavine family. It will open after Passover in Quinsigamond Village in Worcester and will supported by the Jewish Federation of Central Mass.; the Worcester Jewish Community Center, through its JCC Cares volunteer program and its JCC

summer camp; as well as Hillel.

Mindy Hall, the director of outreach and engagement for the Jewish Federation of Central Mass., said that this program is a natural for the Jewish community.

“It’s so horrible that we’re seeing so many people and families going hungry,” she said. “This program is an amazing opportunity for people to get involved. Like PJ Library families; they can take their kids shopping and put food in the refrigerator.

It’s a great message for them in terms of tikkun olam. But everybody can participate.

It’s a great, easy way for people make a difference.”

“This summer, we look forward to supporting Worcester Community Fridges by engaging our campers and their families in collecting food which staff, volunteers and senior campers will deliver to the Community Fridges,” said Emily Rosenbaum, executive director of the Worcester JCC. “Worcester Community Fridges is a brilliant solution and very high on Maimonides’ Levels of Giving since it is not done for recognition sake -- neither the donor nor the recipient knows one another. We are so thankful to the founders and supporters of Worcester Community Fridges for their service to the community and excited to have this opportunity to pitch in and help with their expansion and sustainability of this noble project.”

Members of both the Jewish and general communities are already donating to the fridges on a regular basis. Fantastic Pizza, where the first community is located, donates the electricity needed to run it, and also gives a 30 percent discount on subs purchased there that are donated to the fridge.

Accepted food for fridge donations includes produce, unopened frozen foods, breads and pastries, prepackaged frozen meals, pantry Staples (bread, sugar flour, canned goods), packaged and labeled cheese, milk, yogurts, and packaged sealed deli meats. Foods that are not accepted are raw meat, expired food items, moldy fruits, vegetables, bread; previously opened foods, or homemade meals.

Hall has sent a message out to the Jewish community, asking them to discuss how they can support the community fridges with their families at their seder tables this Passover. Hall is currently in the

MASSACHUSETTS JEWISH LEDGER

midst of a March food drive with PJ Library to help support Rachel’s Table and its clients with food needs.

“Anyone in the community who is in need can go to a fridge to pick up food whether they just grab a sandwich or find food to help make a meal for their family,” Hall explained. “Food banks get depleted and the demand at soup kitchens and shelters are strained. This doesn’t replace the great work of Rachel’s Table but helps soften the increased demand of immediate need. Every bit helps and it does take a village!”

Western Wall stones get ‘injection’ before Passover (JNS) While Israelis are getting vaccinated against COVID-19, the stones of the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City are receiving their own injections, with syringes surprisingly similar to those used in the medical world. Before Passover and the High Holidays, engineers from Western Wall Heritage Foundation and conservators from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) inspect each stone at the prayer plaza to ensure visitor safety and the preservation of the stones themselves, which are continually subjected to natural weathering.

Each of the 2,000-year-old stones has an “identity card” allowing conservators to track their individual condition.

Stones that are determined to be in need of repair are “delicately injected” with a liquid, limestone-based grout.

When the grout dries, he said, the cracks in the stones are repaired. n

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Massachusetts Mayors Stand Up Against Antisemitism

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BY STACEY DRESNER

everal mayors from around Massachusetts have joined more than 250 mayors around the country in signing a Statement in Support of “Mayors United Against Antisemitism.”

Massachusetts mayors to sign the statement include Michael P. Cahill of Beverly; Yvonne M. Spicer of Framingham; Alex B. Morse of Holyoke; Gary Christenson of Malden; Jon Mitchell of New Bedford; Ruthanne Fuller of Newton; David J. Narkewicz of Northampton; Kimberley Driscoll of Salem; Domenic J. Sarno of Springfield; William C. Reichelt of West Springfield; and Joseph M. Petty of Worcester.

“We stand in solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters and recognize that acts of antisemitism harm us all and they cannot and will not be tolerated,” said Springfield’s Mayor Sarno. “I know many understand the ever-present need to speak out against hate and will join me today in explicitly condemning antisemitism in all its forms. In addition, we will continue to promote values of acceptance, coexistence, and community as well as educate and learn from each other.”

“After four years of dog whistles and outright incendiary language from the former president, it is important that we recommit ourselves to the preservation of the American ideals of inclusion and tolerance,” said Worcester Mayor Joseph M. Petty. “We cannot afford for the spread of racism to continue unabated. I am proud that Worcester is a welcoming city to people of all races and ethnicities and that will not change.”

Hundreds of mayors from across the country gathered virtually for the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ (USCM) 89th Winter meeting from Jan. 21 – 23 to discuss issues such as the ongoing COVID-19 response and recovery, vaccine distribution, racial equity, climate change, gun violence prevention, immigration, and cyber-security.

On Jan. 27 – International Holocaust Memorial Day -- the AJC and the Conference of Mayors launched the initiative by calling on the nation’s mayors to the statement declaring that antisemitism is incompatible with fundamental democratic values.

“Antisemitism is a growing societal menace, it comes from multiple sources, and mayors are uniquely positioned to lead their cities in taking concerted steps to fight it,” said AJC CEO David Harris. “By

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launching this joint effort on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we recall the darkest period of genocide against the Jewish people, and the constant need for vigilance to guard against any and all forms of anti-Semitism.”

THE STATEMENT BY MAYORS UNITED AGAINST ANTISEMITISM: “Five years ago, U.S. mayors from all 50 states issued a call to action to combat antisemitism in Europe. Since then, vicious attacks on American soil have demonstrated that antisemitism must be confronted with the same urgency in the United States.

These include the October 2018 killing of 11 Jews at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pa.; the murder of Jews at a synagogue in Poway, California; and attacks against Jews in Jersey City, N.J. and Monsey, N.Y.simply for being Jews.

“We witnessed chants of “Jews will not replace us” in Charlottesville and “Camp Auschwitz” and other antisemitic messages displayed during the assault on the U.S. Capitol. According to the FBI 2019 Hate Crimes Statistics, American Jews—who make up less than 2% of the American population—were the victims of 60.2% of anti-religious hate crimes.

And so we gather again, as leaders of our cities and communities, to jointly say: “Enough.” We, the undersigned Mayors, express our deep conviction that antisemitism is not only an attack on Jews but an assault on the core values of any democratic and pluralistic society. In a world of global communications, where antisemitic ideas spread rapidly, a concerted and principled response is required to raise awareness, to educate, and to ensure decency prevails. As Mayors and municipal leaders, we have a unique responsibility to speak out against the growing menace of antisemitism by affirming the following: We, the undersigned, ● Condemn antisemitism in all its forms, including hatred and prejudice directed toward Jews, stereotypes or conspiracy theories about Jews, Holocaust denial or distortion, and denying the Jewish people’s right to self-determination and/or the Jewish state’s right to exist; ● Support national, state, and local government efforts directed at eradicating antisemitism and preventing extremist

MASSACHUSETTS JEWISH LEDGER

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indoctrination and recruitment; and support expanded education programs, including Holocaust programs, to counter intolerance and discrimination; ● Reject the notion that opinions about the policies, actions, or existence of the State of Israel can ever justify or excuse antisemitic acts; ● Recognize the ever-present need to be vigilant about efforts to prevent and report acts of antisemitism and other hate crimes; and ● Affirm that a climate of mutual understanding and respect among all citizens is the bedrock of pluralistic communities. We therefore commit to working within and across our communities to advance the values of respectful coexistence. We call upon mayors, municipal leaders, and other elected officials in the United States and around the world—and all people of good faith—to join us in declaring unequivocally that antisemitism is incompatible with fundamental democratic values.”

MAYOR JOSEPH PETTY

MAYOR DOMENIC SARNO

The leaders of local Jewish Federation thanked the mayors from their cities for their support.

“This does not come as a surprise to us as Mayor Sarno has repeatedly demonstrated his support of the Jewish Community,” said Stewart L. Bromberg, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Western Mass. “Our local community leaders stand strongly against acts of anti-Semitism and other expressions of hate around the world.

They stand ready to support and help us whenever hate tries to pull us apart.”

“We are grateful to Mayor Petty for recognizing the importance of this initiative,” added Steven Schimmel, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Central Mass. “Worcester is a very welcoming city for Jewish life, and it is fortunate that our mayor is working to ensure that continues.”

Historic Holocaust survivor lists digitized and reprinted SOUTH DEERFIELD – The Survivor Book, hundreds of pages with the names of Holocaust survivors relocated to displaced persons camps in Austria and Germany after World War II have been reprinted and digitized, a project coordinated by Ken Schoen of Schoen Books in South Hadley.

Schoen purchased five bound volumes of survivor names among duplicate and withdrawn books that he found buried in a university library six years ago.

“It was a project that seemed daunting for a long time and then quite possible with the help of Collective Copy and Special Collections at UMass,” Schoen said. “I knew that one day I would make the document available to the survivor families.”

The volumes had been published by the Central Committee of Liberated Jews in Bavaria, (Edited by Abraham Klausner), Munich, June-August 1945.

The volumes of names were originally published in 1945 by the United States government to aid survivors in reaching family members around the world.

After acquiring the volumes, Schoen enlisted Randy Zucco at Collective Copies in Florence, who painstakingly printed the fragile 75-year-old pieces of paper. The completed book contains five volumes with different forwards, bound as one.

Schoen also worked with Aaron Rubinstein, head of special collections at UMass Amherst, who digitized the book while Tyler Brandt of chaosindivide.com was responsible for all the web work.

Having the lists in one readily available collection, Schoen said, will enhance access for families of survivors, genealogists and researchers.

For more than 30 years Schoen Books has supplied scholars and research libraries with scholarly out-of-print books and reprints in Judaica and on the Shoah.

A link to the digitized searchable version of the five volumes can be found at https://credo.library.umass.edu/ view/full/murb000-schoen-dig-i001.

For more information and to purchase copies of the Survivor Books go to www. schoenbooks.com and click on reprints.

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Around Massachusetts JGS Lifecare Celebrates Selection as Longmeadow Big Y Community Bag Program Beneficiary

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ONGMEADOW – JGS Lifecare has been selected as the non-profit beneficiary of the Big Y Community Bag Program for the month of March. The Big Y Community Bag Program, launched in January 2019, is a reusable bag program with the goal of making a difference in the communities where shoppers live and work. JGS Lifecare was selected as the March beneficiary of the program by store leadership at the Big Y located in Longmeadow. JGS Lifecare will receive a $1 donation every time the $2.50 reusable “Big Y Cares” Community Bag is purchased at this location during March, unless otherwise directed by the customer through the Giving Tag attached to the bag.

“We are thrilled to receive the support of our local Big Y and our community through the Big Y Community Bag Program,” said Susan Kimball Halpern, vice president of Development and Communications at JGS Lifecare. “Every dollar donated will help us fulfill our mission of caring for our community’s seniors. I urge our supporters, our family members, our staff and the community to take advantage of this opportunity to stock up on your reusable grocery bags and know that you are supporting the programs and services that enrich the lives of the people we serve across the JGS Lifecare family of services.”

For more information, reach out to Susan Kimball Halpern at shalpern@JGSLifecare.org or call (413) 567-3949, ext. 3533.

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SUSAN HALPERN OF JGS LIFECARE GIVES A THUMBS UP TO THE BIG Y COMMUNITY BAG.

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Stock your pantry today with Passover essentials.

Check out the Passover section in our weekly flyer for deals available in-store and at stopandshop.com.

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MASSACHUSETTS JEWISH LEDGER

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MILESTONES Leadership Development Fund Established in Memory of Margie Smith

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PRINGFIELD – The Springfield Jewish Community Center has established the Marjorie Epstein Smith Fund for Leadership Development which will honor the life and legacy of Margie Smith, the first female president of the JCC. Smith passed away in December, at age 61, after a brief illness.

“Nobody was more hands on in the building every day than Margie,” said Betsy Bertuzzi, a past president of the JCC. “She held a bar that none of us will ever attain, but will hopefully serve to inspire others to try. She knew each and every staff member on a level most presidents don’t come near, and she was there with her sleeves rolled up, ready to work, every day.”

Bertuzzi said that she hopes that this fund will enable staff, board members and lay leaders at the J to participate in professional development opportunities that will further the success of the Jewish Community Center.

Smith’s love of the Springfield JCC began as a 3-year-old camper at Y Country Day Camp (which is now the JCC Day Camp), in 1962. She then continued up the ranks through counselor, then office staff, through high school graduation in 1978, the same year she won the Center’s Paul Smith Award for outstanding teen leadership. She and her husband, Don, sent their children, Alex and Danny, to the camps, preschool, swim team, basketball, soccer and Maccabi, while Smith fully immersed herself into the fabric and leadership of the J, eventually becoming the Center’s first female president in 1999.

“Margie was a fierce advocate for the JCC,” said former JCC Executive Director Michael Paysnick. “From working in the

JCC’s front office as a teen to leading the preschool committee; from tackling the operational challenges of MARGIE SMITH, LEFT, WITH hosting the JCC GOOD FRIEND BETSY Maccabi Games BERTUZI, AFTER RECEIVING A PLAQUE IN 2018 IN to studying the RECOGNITION OF HER potential for WORK ON THE JCC BOARD. a new adult program department and so much more, Margie was often called upon to take on important projects because of her extensive leadership skills. She served as a role model and mentor to so many young women and men who volunteered at the J. Her legacy will be long lasting.”

“Margie was amazing, a true leader, problem solver, editor, and a great support for the JCC and the whole community,” said Amy Kimball, former JCC Camp Director.

“As the first female JCC president, she was a huge role model!”

“Margie was one of the brightest, most efficient, hard working leaders we’ve ever had at the JCC,” added friend and former JCC Executive Director Mark Dindas. “She never said no. Whenever I needed her for anything, Margie was there. Her loyalty and her attention to detail were unsurpassed.

Whatever she was asked to do, she did it with proficiency and excellence.”

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To contribute to the Marjorie Smith Memorial Fund for Leadership Development, contact the Springfield JCC at (413) 739-4715, or visit the JCC website at SpringfieldJCC.org. Checks can be mailed to the JCC, 1160 Dickinson Street,

B’NAI MITZVAH STEPHANIE BERNZWEIG, daughter of Rachel and Michael Bernzweig, will celebrate her bat mitzvah on Saturday, April 10. They are members of Congregation B’nai Shalom in Westborough.

NATHAN BRUCE, son of Jessica and James Bruce, will celebrate his bar mitzvah on Saturday, March 20. They are members of Congregation B’nai Shalom in Westborough.

LEXI JACKSON, daughter of Martin and Debbie Jackson, will celebrate her bat mitzvah on Saturday, April 10. They are members of Temple Emanuel Sinai in Worcester.

ALEXANDER KING, son of Laura and Adam King, will celebrate his bar mitzvah on Saturday, April 10. They are members of Congregation B’nai Shalom in Westborough.

MICHAEL KOGAN, son of Alex and Alina Kogan, will celebrate his bar mitzvah on Saturday, April 10. They are members of Temple Beth El in Springfield.

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BULLETIN BOARD RACHEL’S TABLE’S BOUNTIFUL BOWLS HONORS ANTI-HUNGER ACTIVISTS SPRINGFIELD – Rachel’s Table, a program of the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts that helps alleviate hunger and reduce waste of food resources in the region, is holding its Bountiful Bowls biennial fundraiser event on May 20 to continue the fight against food insecurity.

This year, the fundraiser will be held virtually, and with a grant from the Arbella Insurance Foundation, all March donations for Bountiful Bowls will be matched -- dollar for dollar -- up to $10,000.

“Bountiful Bowls fundraising event allows Rachel’s Table to continue to fund programs in the Pioneer Valley that support food security,” said Jodi Falk, Rachel’s Table director. “The COVID-19 pandemic has created a significant surge in the number of families struggling with food insecurity, which is why we are so grateful to have the Arbella Insurance Foundation matching every donation Rachel’s Table receives for Bountiful Bowls this month. Normally, $1 can provide four meals but with the support of the Arbella Insurance Foundation, that dollar can now provide up to eight meals.”

This year’s Bountiful Bowls theme is inspiring others to step up and will honor anti-hunger activists Suze Goldman and Bob Bolduc, founder and CEO of Pride Stores.

As anti-hunger activists, both Goldman and Bolduc have tirelessly worked in the Pioneer Valley community to provide access to healthy food and inspired others to step up to join Rachel’s Table as it works to serve the food insecure.

During the pandemic, Rachel’s Table’s operations across the Pioneer Valley increased 40 percent delivering more than 525,000 pounds of food to those in need.

Rachel’s Table provided healthy meat, produce, dairy and more to over 53 agencies, some of whom do not receive food donations from any other program.

Bountiful Bowls will help Rachel’s Table continue to provide ongoing support in the region.

To make a Bountiful Bowls donation, visit http://www.rachelstablepv.org/bb2021 Making a donation on or before March 31 will double the impact of the gift through the matching grant from Arbella Insurance Foundation.

SPRINGFIELD JCC LITERATOUR SERIES CONTINUES WITH AUTHOR RONALD BALSON SPRINGFIELD -- The Springfield Jewish Community Center will host an online presentation by award-winning author Ronald Balson on Tuesday, March 23 at 7 p.m. Balson will discuss his new novel Eli’s Promise via Zoom.

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Eli’s Promise is a masterful work of historical fiction that spans three eras: Nazioccupied Poland, the American Zone of postwar Germany, and Chicago at the height of the Vietnam War. In his latest work, Balson explores the human cost of war, the mixed blessings of survival, and the enduring strength of family bonds.

“Readers will not be able to put this book down, but will turn the pages compulsively with heart in throat, eager to learn the fate of the Rosen family,” said Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Girls of Paris. “Balson’s meticulous historical detail, vivid prose, and unforgettable characters further solidify his place among the most esteemed writers of historical fiction today.”

Ronald Balson is an attorney, professor, and writer. His novel The Girl from Berlin won the National Jewish Book Award and was the Illinois Reading Council’s adult fiction selection for their Illinois reads program. He is also the author of Karolina’s Twins, The Trust, Saving Sophie, and the international bestseller Once We Were Brothers.

This author talk is part of the 2020-2021 season of Literatour, the Springfield JCC’s community-wide celebration of Jewish books and authors. This event is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required. To register, visit SpringfieldJCC.org or call (413) 739-4715.

A COMMUNITY COMMEMORATION OF THE HOLOCAUST, APRIL 1 “The Secret Concentration Camp Diary of Norwegian Odd Nansen,” a community Holocaust commemoration will be held on Thursday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m. on Zoom.

This virtual event, presented by the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires, is free and open to the public.

Featured speaker Timothy Boyce will recount Odd Nansen’s life-saving work providing a haven for Jewish refugees and all who were fleeing Nazi persecution. After he was arrested, Nansen maintained a secret diary on tissue-paper pages which included his drawings of the horrors of concentration camp life in real-time. This diary and its drawings, published after the war and titled From Day to Day: One Man’s Diary of Survival in Nazi Concentration Camps, provided an important first-hand account of the atrocities perpetrated at Sachsenhausen.

At Sachsenhausen, Odd Nansen risked his life to save a ten-year-old Jewish boy named Tommy who had miraculously survived the infamous death march from Auschwitz. Today, Tommy is Professor Thomas Buergenthal, a former judge on the International Court of Justice at the Hague, and Professor Emeritus at George Washington University Law School in

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| MARCH 19, 2021

Washington, DC. Years later, Professor Buergenthal would write, “Odd Nansen not only saved my life; he also enriched it with his philosophy of life.”

During the commemoration, Rabbi David Weiner of Knesset Israel will offer a benediction and Senator Adam Hinds will present opening remarks. Following the speaker, Rabbi Barbara Cohen of Congregation Ahavath Sholom will facilitate a memorial candlelighting and prayers in memory of those murdered during the Holocaust. Participants will have the opportunity to submit the names of loved ones who perished during the Holocaust.

Visit jewishberkshires.org to register.

JFS IS INTERVIEWING FOR SUMMER INTERNS Do you know an undergrad or graduate student who is eager for field experience?

JFS summer internships with its New American Program are an excellent chance to learn practical experience working with international populations in Massachusetts.

JFS is seeking candidates for the following summer intern positions: -Refugee Health Services Intern -Refugee Youth Program Intern -Adult Education and Learning Intern -Initial Resettlement Intern -Refugee Program Management Intern Interns who are able to work full-time during the summer are preferred. More than one intern may be hired for a given position.

Internships are unpaid.

To apply, candidates are asked to write a cover letter and send a resume to m.petrone@jfswm.org For more information, visit www.Jfswm.org FREE YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAININGS AVAILABLE NATIONWIDE Through a partnership between the Jewish Teen Education & Engagement Funder Collaborative, Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies and Jewish Federations of North America, nearly 1,000 Jewish professionals, caregivers and parents who interact with young people in the Jewish community can participate in training as Youth Mental Health First Aiders, a virtual certification course administered by the National Council of Behavioral Health.

The course for a limited number of people is offered at no cost thanks to the support of the Aviv Foundation, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, the Jim Joseph Foundation through the Jewish Community Response and Impact Fund (JCRIF) and Crown Family Philanthropies.

Those trained will develop skills to encourageself-help, contribute to reducing stigma, and obtain the language and skills

to distinguish typical behavior from areas of concern in need of expert help. Jewish context and teachings will be blended with this new skillset to be highly relevant to the Jewish community.

These trainings build on the Funder Collaborative’s focus on adolescent mental health and wellness since its formation in 2013. Through the Collaborative’s efforts, nearly 400 youth professionals have been certified in YMHFA and a national Community of Practice of more than 50 YMHFA instructors across the Jewish community and the creation of complementary Jewish educational resources.

“Adolescence is a time of change and self-discovery, which can lead to stress and anxiety. In light of recent events, young people need us more than ever — and, thankfully, virtual programming enables us to expand easily nationwide,” said Sara Allen, executive director of the Funder Collaborative. “Youth Mental Health First Aid is a powerful tool and we want to make this training as common as CPR.” COVID-19 and subsequent upheaval, have dramatically impacted youth and young adults. Studies show that their emotional and mental health are suffering without in-person school, extracurricular activities, and in-person interactions with classmates and friends. One-third of Americans are experiencing clinical levels of anxiety, depression or both; crisis text lines have shown a collective 40% increase in volume.

Anyone who interacts with youth, adolescents and young adults (ages 12-21) would benefit, particularly youth group leaders, camp counselors and staff, peer engagers, teachers, school administrators and parents.

The virtual certification takes no longer than six hours and is a combination of selfpaced learning and instructor-led, cohortbased workshops. Virtual First Aiders will receive a certification valid for three years upon completion. The YMHFA trainings are part of the Funder Collaborative’s larger efforts to support mental health and wellness.

To bring YMHFA to your organization, network or community, or to get certified yourself, fill out the form at: https://docs.google.com/ forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd_ bayo3VfDOs00U7bO0Y8xROh 4SSWwdctuePI_XF0rOMmKAQ/ viewform so we may follow up directly. For additional questions or information about the trainings, email Wellness Director Margie Bogdanow at margie@teenfundercollaborative. com. Limited spots are available.

majewishledger.com

Wishing you and your family a happy and safe Passover.

Wherever you find joy and caring and Jewish values, that’s where you’ll find the Jewish Federation.

The Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts helps countless people overcome poverty, hunger and despair, and helps support programs that sustain Jewish identity and enrich our community. To learn more about what we do and how you can help visit https://jewishwesternmass.org/ https://www.facebook.com/JewishWesternMass

Passover Food PAULA SHOYER’S GIFT THIS PASSOVER: ‘INSTANT POT KOSHER COOKBOOK’ (JNS) Just in time for Passover, kosher cooking maven/author Paula Shoyer’s Instant Pot Kosher Cookbook is now in print from Sterling Epicure. With 46 kosher-for-Passover recipes alone, from soups and salads to appetizers, sides to main courses and desserts—a number of which are vegetarian, vegan and glutenfree—this is the time to pull out that Instant Pot you received as a gift and were afraid to use.

A pastry chef who trained in France, Shoyer is the author of The Kosher Baker, The Holiday Kosher Baker, The Healthy Jewish Kitchen and The New Passover Menu.

She calls the Instant Pot revolutionary— “ideal for anyone who wants food fast with less cleanup.” Shoyer adds that it’s especially helpful “when you already have every burner going and three more pots waiting to take their turn. Now I can check off items on my cooking ‘To Do’ list much faster with equally fast cleanup in between.”

Recipes that used to take hours, she says, now take a fraction of the time.

Whole Peruvian Spiced Chicken (Meat)

Serves 4-6 Hands-on time: 17 minutes Time to pressure: 10 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes Release type: Natural Release for 15 Minutes Buttons to use: Sauté and Pressure Cook Advance prep: May be made two days in advance

INGREDIENTS:

4 TSP. CUMIN 1 TBSP. PAPRIKA 2 TSP. GARLIC POWDER ¼ TSP. SALT ¼ TSP. BLACK PEPPER 2 TBSP. EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, DIVIDED 1 WHOLE CHICKEN, ABOUT 3-4 LBS. 1 CUP BOILING WATER 1 TBSP. POTATO STARCH

DIRECTIONS: In a small bowl, combine the cumin, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Drizzle one tablespoon of the oil over the chicken and rub to coat. Shake the spice mixture onto the chicken and rub all over.

Press Sauté and when the display reads “Hot,” add the remaining oil. Place the chicken into the inner pot, breast-side down, and cook for four minutes or until browned. Turn over and brown for another 12

4 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate.

Add the boiling water to the pot and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot clean. Place the steam rack into the pot and place the chicken on the rack, breast-side up. Secure the lid, ensuring that the steam release handle is in the Sealing position. Press the Pressure Cook button and set the cooking time for 25 minutes.

When the cooking time is complete, let the pot sit for another 15 minutes to naturally release the pressure. Turn the steam release handle to the Venting position to release any remaining pressure.

Press Cancel.

Remove the lid, take out the chicken and place onto a serving platter. Press Sauté and cook the drippings for 4 minutes or more to reduce the sauce.

To thicken the sauce further, you can scoop up about ¼ cup of the drippings into a small bowl, add the potato starch, mix and return to the pot and stir.

Cut the chicken into serving pieces. Pour some sauce over the chicken and serve the remaining sauce in a bowl alongside. If you make this the day before you are serving it, you can remove the fat from the reserved sauce before reheating.

continue cooking for 7 to 9 minutes or until most of the tomatoes break down and you have a sauce.

Stir occasionally. The mixture should bubble the entire time. Add the salt and pepper, and turn off the heat.

When the squash cooking time is complete, turn the steam release handle to the Venting position to quickly release the pressure. Press Cancel and remove the lid.

Use a large fork to lift up the squash halves into a colander and let cool for 2 minutes, or until you can handle them; I lift them with a dishtowel. Use the fork to scrape the threads of the squash into the frying pan. Turn the sauce back on to medium heat. Use a fork to mix the squash into the sauce.

When it is all mixed in, cook for 2 minutes. Taste and add more salt, if needed.

Spaghetti Squash With Fresh Cherry Tomato Sauce (Vegan/Pareve)

INGREDIENTS: 7 OZ. BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE, CHOPPED ½ CUP COCONUT OIL, MARGARINE OR BUTTER 2 TBSP., PLUS 1 TSP., INSTANT COFFEE GRANULES 2 TSP. PURE VANILLA EXTRACT 1 TBSP. UNSWEETENED COCOA 2 LARGE EGGS, PLUS 2 YOLKS ½ CUP SUGAR ⅓ CUP POTATO STARCH SPRAY OIL 1 CUP, PLUS 2 TBSP. WATER, DIVIDED

Serves 6-8 Hands-on time: 15 minutes Time to pressure: 6 minutes Cooking time: 9 minutes Button to use: Pressure Cook Release type: Quick Release Advance prep: May be made two days in advance

INGREDIENTS: 1 CUP WATER 1 SPAGHETTI SQUASH, ABOUT 2½ LBS., CUT IN HALF HORIZONTALLY AND SEEDS SCOOPED OUT 1 TBSP. EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL 3 LARGE CLOVES GARLIC, FINELY MINCED 2 LBS. CHERRY TOMATOES, DIFFERENT COLORS PREFERABLY, HALVED THE LONG WAY ¼ TSP. KOSHER SALT GENEROUS PINCH ALEPPO PEPPER OR FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER DIRECTIONS: Place the water into the inner pot and insert the steam rack. Place the squash halves on top of the rack.

Secure the lid, ensuring that the steam release handle is in the Sealing position.

Press the Pressure Cook button and set the cooking time for 9 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for one minute or until a few pieces start to color. Add the tomatoes and

MASSACHUSETTS JEWISH LEDGER

Mocha Lava Cakes (Dairy or Pareve)

Serves 6 Hands-on time: 12 minutes to cook in batches, plus 30 minutes to cool Time to pressure: 7 minutes Cooking time: 7 minutes Button to use: Pressure Cook Release type: Quick Release Advance prep: May be made 4 hours in advance

DIRECTIONS: You will need six 6-ounce ramekins.

Place the chocolate and coconut oil into a heatproof bowl and microwave for 1 minute, stir and then melt for another 45 seconds, stir and then melt for 30 seconds, if needed.

Add the instant coffee, vanilla and cocoa and whisk in.

Place the eggs, egg yolks and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to mix at low speed to combine and then turn the speed up to high and beat for 3 minutes.

Add the potato starch and beat at low speed to just combine. Add the melted chocolate mixture and whisk gently until combined.

Spray the ramekins with spray oil.

Divide the batter among the prepared ramekins, a heaping half-cup for each mold.

Place the water into the inner pot and insert the steam rack. Place three of the ramekins in a circle around the rack.

Secure the lid, ensuring that the steam release handle is in the Sealing position.

Press the Pressure Cook button and set the cooking time for seven minutes.

When the cooking time is complete, press Cancel. Turn the steam release handle to the Venting position to quickly release the pressure.

Carefully remove the ramekins from the pot. Add another two tablespoons of water to the pot and cook the remaining three cakes as you did the first batch. It will take about 2 minutes for the Instant Pot to return to pressure.

Let the cakes cool for at least 30 minutes before unmolding. To unmold, run a thin knife or small metal spatula around the edge of the cake, place a plate on top and turn the cake onto the plate. Dust with confectioners’ sugar if desired and serve with fruit.

MELTING THE CHOCOLATE: Place chocolate chopped into half-inch pieces into a microwave-safe bowl, such as a large glass bowl. Make sure you have discarded every tiny piece of foil that wrapped the chocolate. Heat for 1 minute at high power for 45 seconds to start if you have less than 10 ounces of chocolate.

Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir well, mixing the melted pieces into the unmelted ones for about 30 seconds. Heat for another 45 or 30 seconds and stir again for about 1 minute. If the chocolate is not fully melted, heat for another 30 seconds and stir. Repeat for 15 seconds, if necessary.

Be sure to use oven mitts to hold the bowl when you stir it.

This article first appeared in The Dayton Jewish Observer Photos by Bill Milne.

| MARCH 19, 2021 majewishledger.com

For Pandemic Passover 2021, hundreds turn to OneTable for resource & guidance on safe, meaningful Seders (JNS) OneTable, an organization that empowers people to envision new rituals and build community through Shabbat dinner experiences, is helping make the 2021 Passover Seder possible. At a time when people are feeling isolated and in need of meaningful connection, OneTable is supporting people of all ages interested in hosting or attending virtual, householdbased, or outdoor socially-distanced Passover gatherings.

“Passover is such a communal holiday experience filled with meaning and memories,” says Al Rosenberg, chief strategy officer of OneTable. “We learned a lot last year about the ways people can be creative and adapt ritual to make meaning in these times of distance. People may not gather together this year, but we can help create those personal connections and interactions that make Passover special, majewishledger.com

memorable, and resonant today.”

Young adults (20s-30s) can turn to OneTable.org/passover if they’re interested in hosting or attending virtual, householdbased, or outdoor socially-distanced Passover gatherings. Through Herefor. com, OneTable extends this support to people of all ages interested in finding new ways of making the holidays feel holy this year. These platforms offer financial and creative support for Passover gatherings, a way to connect with others interested in hosting or attending a seder (the Passover meal), and a place to share photos of and reflect on celebration. Passover resources include guides to group, solo, and Shabbat seders, Haggadot (prayer guides), recipes, playlists, and inspiration boards.

The Seder 2021 Guide reminds users that, although Passover is traditionally associated with performance and

participation, “meaning can be made virtually and in small groups with the right intention and the right tools.”

“To move half the country away from my family and friends, to start to build a community for ourselves from scratch, it hasn’t always been easy or fun,” says Eli Cohn-Wein, who hosted a Seder with the support of OneTable in 2020. “But as I looked over our seder table to see friends new and old, I felt nothing but unyielding gratitude for all of these people in this community...During a holiday that commands us to study our history and act to improve our future, I can’t help but see where we’ve been and feel incredibly excited about where we are heading.”

In the second year of pandemic the need for meaningful connection and ritual is greater than ever. Last year, OneTable and Seder2020 (now Herefor.org) MASSACHUSETTS JEWISH LEDGER

supported over 38,000 virtual Passover participants, building on a long history of facilitating meaningful engagements through its Shabbat dinner program. A recent impact study on how the OneTable young adult community is coping during this crisis showed that participants are feeling anxious, lonely, and stressed; they miss their communities and routines. In response, they are celebrating Shabbat more than before the pandemic – OneTable’s resource usage increased by 52 percent from 2019 to 2020 – to connect to their communities, rituals, and Jewish identities.

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News and Jewish Community Update

jewishcentralmass.org

BETTER DAYS AHEAD

W

e are now at the one year mark of the pandemic.

The past 52 weeks have challenged many in our community. Families, institutions, organizations, and synagogues have all faced extreme difficulty and hardship. We will never forgot those we’ve lost, the sacrifices that were, and still are being made- and while we are slowly making progress, now at the one-year anniversary of the pandemic I’d like to offer something refreshing and cheerful.

STEVEN SCHIMMEL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR I hope that mentioning a few upcoming community projects might help to give us a reason to smile. There are some really special things we are in the process of planning and involved in.

The first is a fabulous art exhibit Federation is co-sponsoring that will be showcased at Worcester Art Museum for the next year. With an opening event in April, the art museum will be highlighting the collection of the Neumann family in an exhibit called What the Nazis Stole from Richard Neumann (and the search to get it back). Worcester Art Museum’s website describes this exhibit as the “extraordinary story of Dr. Richard Neumann (1879-1959) a discerning Austrian-Jewish collector who was committed to promoting the important role of the arts in civic life. Through a

presentation of 13 Old Master paintings and sculptures from Neumann’s once extensive art collection, we will follow his escape from Nazi-occupied Vienna and Paris during World War II, his passion for art, and the family’s 50-year effort to reassemble the collection alongside restitution advocates, provenance researchers, and museum allies.” Jewish Federation is working with the museum to ensure that students in our area view the exhibit and are exposed to the associated lessons of the Holocaust that are at the center of the history of this exhibit.

As I mentioned before, Jewish Federation is a sponsor of the exhibit, and we thank a very generous donor who wishes to remain anonymous for making our sponsorship possible! There will be several opportunities for Federation members to enjoy the exhibit and we will be announcing special events and programs associated with it over the next month.

With the WooSox first game at Polar Park just around the corner we are all looking forward to the start of the baseball season right here in Central MA - in a beautiful new stadium in the heart of downtown Worcester. We are especially excited to begin the countdown to August 1, for Jewish Heritage Night! We are working with the team to put together a celebratory event full of fun and excitement (and we hope we will be able to be there in person, of course- only if we can do so safely). We can’t wait to share more details soon. We are also working on several behind the scenes projects with the team. And we are excitedly looking forward

STAY CONNECTED PJ LIBRARY AND PJ OUR WAY Daily Virtual PJ Library Programs at www.pjlibrary.org/familyactivities PJ Library Virtual Tour of Israel for Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Sunday, April 11th, 3:30 pm -5 pm PJ Library Storytime with Lori and Friends, April 10th, 10:00 am via Zoom PJ/PJOW Family Shavuot Hike with YAD, June TBA

to developing a monument near the new ball park to celebrate our community and to join in the festivities around Worcester’s 300th birthday next year. In the coming weeks we will present more details, as well as showing diagrams of what the monument could look like. This will be a unique opportunity for our community to be part of the development taking place around the ballpark and to create a permanent symbol of our place in the city as part of the 300th anniversary of Worcester.

We are also hopeful that this summer we can hold the planned program commemorating the Exodus 1947 refugee ship and the two supporting Zionist leaders from Worcester, Judge Goldberg and Reverend Grauel who played a large role in the history of the Exodus passage. We hope to memorialize their legacy by planting a tree in Elm Park as part of a larger program including the recounting of their impressive lives and an expert telling of the story of the Exodus.

Our holiday celebrations continue, despite the circumstances. We are looking forward to once again partnering with Torah Center, along with participation from the JCC and all of our local congregations; Beth Israel, Temple Emanuel Sinai, Shaarai Torah West, Beth Tikvah, Congregation B’nai Shalom, and Agudath Achim, to provide Passover “Seder meals in a box” for the community. This was a big hit last year and was an important part of efforts to make sure community members were able to observe Passover through the

MASSACHUSETTS JEWISH LEDGER

Steven Schimmel Executive Director Jewish Federation Central MA C: 856-503-7436 O: 508-756-1543

YAD Virtual Shabbat and Game Night, Friday, March 19th, 7:30,

COMMUNITY-WIDE Seder in a Box Pickup, Thursday, March 25th, 5:30-7:00 pm. Worcester JCC parking lot

2nd Night Virtual Passover Seder, Sunday, March 28th, 5:00 pm

Launch of “Fill the Fridge” Community-Wide Tikkun Olam project to help food insecurity beginning April 11th

April Virtual Shabbat, Friday, April 23rd, 7:30 pm Shavuot Hike with PJ Library, June TBA vKeep up with ongoing events via YAD Private Facebook Group

Please keep in touch with all ongoing virtual events by visiting our Facebook pages or contacting Mindy Hall, mhall@jfcm.org

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quarantine. We will also be commemorating Yom Hashoah on April 7. Our Holocaust remembrance day program will be virtual and will include readings, prayer, and a memorial candle-lighting. And lastly we have an exciting program coming up, our regional Federation neighbors have been working in partnership to create a virtual event on April 13th with the stars of the hit Israeli TV show Fauda. Also Yom Haatzmaut is right around the corner and we have another nice virtual collaboration with SNEC planned to celebrate Israel’s birthday. While we are on the subject of Israel, we want to remind you that we are going to host a Shaliach in our community next year- we can’t wait to tell you more about this special person!

We are so excited for all that is planned for the coming months and we want to ask everyone to please continue to take the necessary precautions so that we will be able to join together in person for celebrations and programs, but more importantly to keep everyone healthy. We look forward to enjoying each other’s company, but only if we can do it safely. This has been a year of challenge but we have a lot to look forward to, let’s make it a bright and happy future. Thank you all for your continued commitment to our Jewish community! n

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Yom Hashoah Virtual Commemoration, April 7th, 7:30 pm SNEC Virtual Program with actors from “Fauda”, Tuesday, April 13th, 5:30 pm Consulate General of Israel, Thursday, May 6th, 12:30 pm

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News and Jewish Community Update

jewishcentralmass.org MAKING HOMEMADE WINE WITH JUSTIN CONOR AT A YAD/BING COLLABORATIVE EVENT

PJ Library Goes to Israel!

Let’s Go to Jerusalem!

PJ/PJOW VIRTUAL HAMANTASCHEN-MAKING LED

BY PJOW TWEEN JUJU FISHER

Get your ticket and hop on board for PJ Library’s virtual trip to the City of Gold, Jerusalem, for Yom Ha’Atzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day). Let’s have some fun and a little Israeli dancing too!

WHEN: Sunday, April 11th, 3:30 pm via Zoom ZOOM TICKET RESERVATIONS: Email to Mindy Hall at mhall@jfcm.org We have a special goodie bag for the first 30 families who make their reservations and take the trip to Israel with us.

Appropriate for ages 8 and under but bring the whole family.

This program is made possible by a grant of the

YAD’S LEAD PROGRAM HOSTED HUSSEIN ABOUBAKR FROM STAND WITH US.

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MASSACHUSETTS JEWISH LEDGER

YAD MASKING UP FOR PURIM SHABBAT

| MARCH 19, 2021

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Briefs IDF said to be first army to achieve herd immunity (JNS) The Israel Defense Forces is the first military in the world to have achieved herd immunity against the COVID-19 virus, a top IDF official said on Thursday, March 11.

According to Maj. Gen. Itzik Turgeman, the head of the IDF’s Technology and Logistics Directorate, 85 percent of the military will have been vaccinated against the disease by the end of next week. Just 10 weeks after the launch of the IDF’s immunization campaign, 81 percent of service members have already either been vaccinated or are recovering from the disease, while overall morbidity continues to decline, the military said in a statement.

The vaccination campaign was logistically complex, due to the restrictions on the transport of the vaccine packets, said Glazberg. Unlike some other COVID-19 vaccines, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine used in Israel must be kept stored at ultra-cold temperatures. Because of this, a unique transport system had to be devised, said Glazberg. The two senior officers stressed, however, that “the coronavirus is still with us, and we will continue to maintain the guidelines with regard to social distancing, wearing masks and public-transportation adjustments.”

Preparations are already underway to vaccinate the next waves of recruits.

NBA fines Meyers Leonard $50,000 for using antisemitic slur (JTA) – The NBA fined Miami Heat player Meyers Leonard $50,000 two days after he was caught saying the word “kike” on a video game stream. NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who is Jewish, said Leonard spoke Wednesday with Anti-Defamation League officials, the Associated Press reported, “to better understand the impact of his words. “We accept that he is genuinely remorseful,” Silver added on Thursday.

After the video clip circulated widely on social media, Leonard apologized to the Jewish community and specifically to the Heat’s Jewish owner Micky Arison. He said that he was ignorant of what the word meant. Leonard is already missing the rest of this season with a shoulder injury but has also been placed on an indefinite leave of absence.

“We have further communicated to Meyers that derogatory comments like this will not be tolerated and that he will be expected to uphold the core values of our league – equality, tolerance, inclusion and respect – at all times moving forward,”

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Silver said in a statement.

Jewish NFL star Julian Edelman posted an open letter to Leonard on social media on Wednesday, saying “casual ignorance” can be more dangerous than hate and inviting him to a Shabbat dinner.

70 Democrats, 70 Republicans call for stronger approach to Iran (JTA) – A letter from 70 Democrats and 70 Republicans in the House of Representatives says that if the President Biden plans to enter a new deal to curb Iran’s nuclear program, then the U.S. should push for stronger sanctions threats in the deal and beyond.

“As the Biden administration considers negotiations with Iran, we write to express our bipartisan and shared view that any agreement or set of agreements with Iran must be comprehensive in nature to address the full range of threats that Iran poses to the region,” the letter sent Tuesday, March 9, to U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken reads. The letter – which is backed by AIPAC – calls vaguely for “a combination of diplomatic and sanction mechanisms” to clamp down on “their nuclear program, their ballistic missile program, and their funding of terrorism.”

Within hours of its release, there was disagreement between Republicans and Democrats over what the letter calls for.

State Department spokesman Ned Price welcomed the letter during the daily press briefing, saying “it sure sounds like we are on the same page in broad terms.” Within minutes, the lead Republican signatory of the letter, Mike Waltz of Florida, disagreed.

“We are NOT on the same page,” he said on Twitter.

The difference appears to be one of sequencing. Biden wants to immediately reenter the nuclear deal, which trades sanctions relief for a rollback of Iran’s nuclear program, and then seek to broaden its provisions to address Iran’s missile program and its military adventurism.

Republicans want Iran to meet conditions before reentering the deal. Iran’s behavior “must be addressed from the outset,” the letter reads.

On Wednesday, a similar but more Democratic bipartisan group of House reps introduced a resolution condemning Iran’s nuclear program. Some of the signees, including Jewish Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va., signed onto both the letter and resolution.

These were Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s favorite opera arias (JTA) – The late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was known to be an ardent fan of the opera. So to honor the Jewish justice on what would have been her 88th birthday, the National Museum of

MASSACHUSETTS JEWISH LEDGER

| MARCH 19, 2021

American Jewish History in Philadelphia held an event featuring performances of some of Ginsburg’s favorite arias. The March 14 event, co-presented by the Opera Philadelphia company and UCLA’s new Jewish music center, included commentary by opera industry guests and an interview with Ginsburg’s two children, Jane and Jim (the latter founded Cedille Records, a classical music label). “‘For the Love of Opera’ also highlighted operas that deal with legal issues, justice and equality – such as Puccini’s ‘Gianni Schicchi’ and Menotti’s ‘The Consul’ – and those with strong, independent female characters like Despina in Mozart’s ‘Cosî Fan Tutte.’”

Justice Dept. reaches agreement with NJ town accused of religious bias (JNS) The U.S. Justice Department reached an agreement on March 9 with the Township of Toms River, N.J., stemming from allegations that the town’s zoning laws had unfairly targeted Jewish houses of worship and violated the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). The Justice Department had put Toms River officials on notice back in September that they had completed an investigation into allegations that the town’s zoning rules placed unreasonable burdens on the growing Orthodox Jewish population in the township. Particularly problematic was a 2017 change to the zoning requirements that houses of worship needed to be built on properties of at least 10 acres. “Zoning regulations that impose unreasonable restrictions or prevent religious faiths from having a place to worship violate RLUIPA,” said Rachael A. Honig, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey. “Through the resolution entered today, this office takes another step to put an end to unlawful zoning practices and vindicate the civil rights of minority religious communities in … New Jersey.”

Orthodox Jews who have been moving to neighborhoods in Toms River in recent years have been largely unable to build Jewish institutions in the township because of the existing zoning requirements.

As part of the agreement, which needs to be approved by the U.S. District Court, Toms River will modify its zoning code to reduce the “minimum acreage” required for a house of worship from 10 acres to two acres; treat houses of worship comparable to other nonreligious places of assembly, including funeral homes and private clubs; and train township officials and employees about RLUIPA requirements and how to respond to RLUIPA complaints.

Attorney Marci Hamilton, who is an expert in RLUIPA litigation and had been retained by Toms River to deal with the Justice Department’s complaint, told the Township Council prior to their vote on

entering into an agreement with the DOJ that “the Justice Department was right” and that the DOJ “was going to come down with hammer” on the township based on its findings. Town Councilman Daniel Rodrick was the only council member to vote against the agreement, saying that the township should have continued its fight against the DOJ.

Nita Lowey: Cuomo should remain as gov amid investigation (JTA) – Nita Lowey, the former longtime New York congresswoman, said Wednesday that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo should remain in office while an independent investigation into sexual harassment accusations is ongoing. “I am saddened that recent accusations of misconduct toward women have led to calls for the Governor to resign or be impeached,” Lowey said in a statement shared by the New York State Democratic Committee. Lowey, long known as a champion of women during her 32 years in Congress, said the charges against Cuomo deserve to be heard. “Attorney General Letitia James has appointed two outstanding attorneys to conduct an independent investigation,” she said.

“At least until they have reported their conclusions, the Governor should remain in office.”

At least six women have accused Cuomo of sexual harassment in the workplace and inappropriate touching. Lowey in her statement noted her long relationship with Cuomo, whom she said she has known since he was a teenager. Cuomo is the son of Mario Cuomo, who served as New York’s governor for 11 years.

The younger Cuomo served as his father’s campaign manager and later became the secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the Clinton administration before becoming New York’s attorney general and then governor.

When Lowey was first elected to the House in 1983, representing Westchester and Rockland counties, she was one of only 22 women in the chamber. In 1991, during the Senate hearings for then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, Lowey was among a small group of congresswomen who marched across the Capitol to demand that Anita Hill, who accused Thomas of repeated sexual harassment in the workplace, be allowed to testify.

Lowey did not seek reelection in November and retired.

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SYNAGOGUE DIRECTORY Western and Central Massachusetts

AMHERST

Jewish Community of Amherst Reconstructionist Rabbi Benjamin Weiner (413) 256-0160 info@jcamherst.org www.jcamherst.org 742 Main St., Amherst, MA 01002

ATHOL

Temple Israel Unaffiliated/Egalitarian Reb Sarah Noyovitz (978) 249-9481 templeisraelathol@gmail.com 107 Walnut Street Athol, MA 01331

BENNINGTON, VT

Congregation Beth El Reconstructionist Rabbi Micah Becker Klein (802) 442-9645 cbevtoffice@gmail.com www.cbevermont.org 225 North St., Bennington, VT 05201

CLINTON

Congregation Shaarei Zedeck Conservative Lay Leadership - Elena Feinberg (978) 501-2744 sherryesq@yahoo.com www.shaareizedeck.org 104 Water St., Clinton, MA 01510

FLORENCE

Beit Ahavah, The Reform Synagogue of Greater Northampton Reform Rabbi Riqi Kosovske (413) 587-3770 info@beitahavah.org www.beitahavah.org 130 Pine St. Florence, MA 01062

GREENFIELD

Temple Israel of Greenfield Unaffiliated Rabbi Andrea Cohen-Kiener (413) 773-5884 office@templeisraelgreenfield.org www.templeisraelgreenfield.org 27 Pierce St. Greenfield, MA 01301

HOLYOKE

Congregation Rodphey Sholom Orthodox Rabbi Tuvia Helfen Religious Leader (413) 534-5262 djs1818@aol.com 1800 Northampton St., Holyoke, MA 01040 Congregation Sons of Zion Conservative Rabbi Saul Perlmutter (413) 534-3369 office@sonsofzionholyoke.org www.sonsofzionholyoke.org 378 Maple St. Holyoke, MA 01040

LEOMINSTER

Congregation Agudat Achim Conservative Rabbi Eve Eichenholtz (978) 534-6121 office@agudat-achim.org www.agudat-achim.org 268 Washington St., Leominster, MA 01453

LONGMEADOW

Congregation B’nai Torah Orthodox Rabbi Shlomo Yaffe Rabbi Yakov Wolff (413) 567-0036 office@bnaitorahma.org rabbi@bnaitorahma.org www.bnaitorahma.org 2 Eunice Drive Longmeadow, MA 01106 Neighborhood Minyan 124 Sumner Avenue Springfield, MA 01108

NORTHAMPTON

Congregation B’nai Israel Conservative Rabbi Justin David (413) 584-3593 office@CBINorthampton.org www.CBINorthampton.org 253 Prospect St. Northampton, MA 01060

PITTSFIELD

Temple Anshe Amunim Reform Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch (413) 442-5910 rabbiliz@ansheamunim.org www.ansheamunim.org 26 Broad St., Pittsfield, MA 01201

SPRINGFIELD

Sinai Temple Reform Rabbi Jeremy Master (413) 736-3619 rblanchettegage@sinai-temple.org www.sinai-temple.org 1100 Dickinson St., Springfield, MA 01108

WORCESTER

Temple Beth El Conservative Rabbi Amy Walk Katz (413) 733-4149 office@tbesprinfield.org www.tbespringfield.org 979 Dickinson St., Springfield, MA 01108

Central Mass Chabad Rabbi Mendel Fogelman, Rabbi Chaim Fishman, Rabbi Michael Phillips, Cantor Eli Abramowitz (508) 752-0904 rabbi@centralmasschabad.com www.centralmasschabad.com 22 Newton Avenue, Worcester, MA 01602

WESTBOROUGH

Beth Tikvah Synagogue Independent Rabbi Michael Swarttz (508) 616-9037 president@bethtikvahsynagogue.org www.bethtikvahsynagogue.org 45 Oak St., Westborough, MA 01581 Congregation B’nai Shalom Reform Rabbi Rachel Gurevitz/ Rabbi-Educator Joseph Eiduson (508) 366-7191 info@cbnaishalom.org www.cbnaishalom.org 117 East Main St., PO Box 1019, Westborough, MA 01581

WESTFIELD

Congregation Ahavas Achim Unaffiliated Cantor Colman Reaboi (413) 642-1797 ahavasachiminquiry@gmail.com www.congregationahavasachim.org Ferst Interfaith Center, Westfield State University PO Box 334, 577 Western Avenue, Westfield, MA 01086 Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AhavasAchimWestfield/

Congregation Beth Israel Conservative Rabbi Aviva Fellman (508) 756-6204 receptionist@bethisraelworc.org www.bethisraelworc.org 15 Jamesbury Drive Worcester, MA 01609 Congregation Shaarai Torah West Orthodox Rabbi Yakov Blotner (508) 791-0013 Brotman156@aol.com www.shaaraitorah.org 835 Pleasant St. Worcester, MA 01602 Temple Emanuel Sinai Reform Rabbi Valerie Cohen (508) 755-1257 amayou@emanuelsinai.org www.emanuelsinai.org 661 Salisbury St., Worcester, MA 01609

To join our synagogue directory, contact Howard Meyerowitz at (860) 231-2424 x3035 or howardm@jewishledger.com majewishledger.com

MASSACHUSETTS JEWISH LEDGER

| MARCH 19, 2021

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Wishing My Family and Friends a Happy Passover!

Gaffin & Associates, LLC

Accounting services for all size businesses OTHER SERVICES

Individual Income Tax Returns Business Tax Returns Financial Planning Personal Finance

313 Park Avenue, Worcester, MA 01609

(508) 797-4826

Happy Passover 2021/5781 from publisher and staff of the Massachusetts Jewish Ledger At a time when we face great challenges, the festival of Passover has special meaning.

This year it has a poignancy with many of us not able to be with each other for the seder.

We are distancing from each other this year, so that next year and beyond, all our family members can gather and share the seder together.

FAX: (508) 797-4866 • EMAIL: gary@gaffinassociatesllc.com

Happy Pesach!

May you have a meaningful and healthy Passover holiday.

from all your friends at

From Our Temple Emanuel Sinai Community

Grooming available Monday-Saturday Raw diets available • New & unique toys and treats arriving daily

Join us for our Virtual Second Night Seder Sunday, March 28, 5-6 pm And our Festival and Yizkor Service Saturday, April 3, 10:30 am

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Wishing the Jewish Community a Happy, Healthy Peaceful Passover!

(Contact the temple office for login info)

Contact us at 508.755.1257 or office@emanuelsinai.org 661 Salisbury Street, Worcester, MA 01609 18

MASSACHUSETTS JEWISH LEDGER

| MARCH 19, 2021

Stay in touch with Jim: JimMcGovern.com Facebook.com/McGovernforCongress Twitter: @McGovernMA

PAID FOR AND AUTHORIZED FOR THE RE-ELECT MCGOVERN COMMITTEE

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Jewish Ritual in the Time of Corona: Pandemic Bar and Bat Mitzvahs

BY SHANA SURECK

I

love photographing bar and bat mitzvahs. They are a blast because they are beautiful, joyful celebrations of kids, Jewish tradition, love, connection and fun. The images that are produced tell a story of who they are, and can be like a loving embrace to a child entering turbulent middle school years - showing them that they are loved by family and friends and by a community that has their back. And with the pandemic, came a whole new set of challenges, disappointments, and new options -outdoor services, Zoom ceremonies, car parades, food trucks and small backyard gatherings.

This year, I had the pleasure of witnessing many such events, modified to fit the times and to be true to the spirit and needs of the child. I felt so alive making images, because everything was fresh and new (and I was grateful to be in a sanctuary for a service, since my own synagogue has still not reopened for in-person services).

My hope was to give back beautiful, storytelling images for each family to enjoy for a lifetime. Masked family photos on the bimah, socially distanced group photos at small outdoor lunches, sanctuaries that resembled sound studios with elaborate zoom set ups all scream of this unique time in our history, and will all be part of the unique story that kids becoming bar and bat mitzvahs will tell to their kids and grandkids who will look at the bar/bat mitzvah albums and ask questions.

During the pandemic, 18 families held services and way smaller parties than initially planned. Others cancelled altogether and many changed dates, and changed them again. Some held services on the scheduled date but moved the party to 2021. I hold happy memories of each and every bar and bat mitzvah, every one so different from the next.

In early June, plans for a large bat mitzvah service and party for Jordan were scrapped, replaced by a zoom service in the backyard with four members of the immediate family, service leader Alison Morse, zoom maestro Brian Bender and myself.

After the initial disappointment, her parents reconsidered the whole standard party concept. With another daughter having a bat mitzvah two years after Jordan, they crunched some numbers and decided that instead of spending on two parties, they could use their resources and

majewishledger.com

get an in-ground pool in their backyard that the family and their friends would enjoy forever, not just for two nights! Jordan will have a pool party in 2021, a year after her bat mitzvah, and her sister will also have a pool party when it’s her time to celebrate becoming a bat mitzvah.

JORDAN READS FROM THE TORAH IN HER BACKYARD BAT MITZVAH WITH ONLY HER FAMILY AND SERVICE LEADER IN ATTENDANCE.

In Longmeadow, Schneur had his bar mitzvah while away at summer camp, but on Aug. 30, he celebrated with a car parade outside of his school Lubavitcher Yeshiva Academy, and with a family photo session. While waiting with Schneur and his father for the rest of their family, I was

A SPONTANEUOUS MOMENT AT SCHNEUR’S BAR MITZVAH

SCHNEUR HANDS OUT GOODIE BAGS AT HIS BAR MITZVAH CAR PARADE

doing formal pictures when the dad asked if he could put his son on his shoulders. I couldn’t believe it. It was such a wonderful, spontaneous moment!

Completely unique was an outdoor bar mitzvah on Abundance Farm in Northampton on Nov. 12. The farm is part of the mission of Congregation B’nai Israel, which adjoins it, and part of the curriculum of Lander-Grinspoon Academy. It was a big change from the family’s original plan, but it also offered a silver lining of sorts. Tal’s mom Nili explains: “I really was disappointed at first. I was looking forward to having lots of family coming from out of town, from all over the world. I had a whole kiddush lunch menu planned almost a full year in advance.

But on the other hand there were certain things we had not even allowed ourselves to entertain. We are a family that has always celebrated Jewish life in nature. But an outdoor bar mitzvah in November? With 300 people in attendance? An impossibility.

Our synagogue would never entertain the notion, and our family absolutely would not have put up with it. But because of the pandemic, we got a bar mitzvah that was really reflective of who we are. And our family were so supportive, such troopers.”

As a photographer I delight in every event I cover, and I hope this doesn’t sound hokey, but the work I do feels sacred. The photos mark a moment in a young person’s life where they’ve just accomplished a huge task and are surrounded by love and connected to generations and generations

MASSACHUSETTS JEWISH LEDGER

of ancestors and shared tradition. They are a link in history, a G-d wrestler, a new adult member of their community.

As the state begins approving larger gatherings, there might slowly be a return to what was once considered normal. On the other hand, there has been great beauty and meaning in the smaller gatherings during the pandemic - a simplicity and an intimacy. Going forward, I wonder if

TAL, HIS PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS, RELATIVES AND INVITED GUESTS AT ABUNDANCE FARM.

they will influence a trend towards smaller parties, or if, as the Roaring 20s followed the Pandemic of 1918, we’ll see a crazy rush to large!

Shana Sureck Photography (www. shanasureck.com) is based in Easthampton, MA and Hartford, CT.

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MARCH 19, 2021

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WHAT’S HAPPENING FRIDAY, MARCH 19 Springfield – Virtual Tot Shabbat with Marlene Rachelle, Temple Beth El, and PJ Library, Grab an instrument and a favorite stuffy as we welcome Shabbat together and fill our homes with music and fun; 5:30-6:15 p.m.; Register: https:// us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ tZIldOGtrjIjG93LsyTK8ANSe6VKaVF50Myj;

SUNDAY MARCH 21 Western Mass. – “Fiber Art for Passover: Wet Felting for Small Hands” a PJ Pals at LGA Zoom program for 3-6 year olds and their grownups with fiber artist Natasha Lehrer Lewis, using soapy water, and bubble wrap; Participants will receive a kit of materials to use for this project. Registration fee of $12 includes one kit from Esther’s Place (http://www.esthersplacefibers.com/) which will be available for pickup. SPACE IS LIMITED!

MONDAY, MARCH 22 Western Mass. – Pioneer Valley Jewish Film Festival, “The Museum,” a documentary about the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, 7-8 p.m., http://pvjff.org/films-byname-2020/museum Website: pvjff.org

TUESDAY, MARCH 23 Springfield – JCC Literatour Series with Ronald Balson, author of Eli’s Promise, 7 p.m.; Literatour events are free and open to the public on Zoom. Preregistration is required: visit SpringfieldJCC.org or call (413) 739-4715.

FRIDAY, MARCH 26 Western Mass. – Curbside Pickup of Seder to Go by Lubavitcher Yeshiva Academy (shmura matzah, seder plate and foods, hagada, laminated seder cards and kiddush cups; seder meal will include: gefilte fish/ salad, chicken soup, chicken, potato kugel, roasted vegetables and dessert, $18 per person; bottle of Joyvin red wine for extra $90; pick-up between 1-2 p.m. ***Reserve your Seder to Go by FRIDAY, MARCH 19: info@lya.org or call Rabbi Chaim Kosofsky at (413) 567-8665, ext. 17.

Western Mass. – Jewish Family Zoom!

A weekly Jewish musical class with Felicia Sloin for kids 0-5 and their caregiver, 9-9:30 a.m., Pre-register: www.jfswm.org/jewishfamily-jam; ALSO: Feb. 26, March

THURSDAY, APRIL 1 Berkshires - “The Secret Concentration Camp Diary of Norwegian Odd Nansen” a community Holocaust commemoration on 20

Zoom, presented by the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires, 7:30 p.m.; Free and open to the public. Visit jewishberkshires.org to register.

SATURDAY, APRIL 3 Western Mass. – Shabbat Shabloom on Zoom, with Aram Rubenstein-Gillis, a fun, song filled Shabbat morning sing-a-long time every 2nd Saturday on the month; 9-9:45 a.m., hosted by Congregation B’nai Israel; Zoom info: https://us02web.zoom. us/j/86814409262 Meeting ID: 868 1440 9262; Virtual Link: https://us02web. zoom.us/j/86814409262 Registration: mailto:molly@cbinorthampton.org;

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7 Springfield – Temple Beth El Yom Hashoah Service, on Zoom, with music by Cantor Elise Barber and presentation by Dr. Rachel Korazim, 7-8:15 p.m., Virtual Link: https://zoom.us/j/94267680861

FRIDAY, APRIL 9 Western Mass. – Beginning of spring session of Jewish Family Zoom! a weekly Jewish music class for kids 0-5 and their caretakers led by Jewish educator and musician Felicia Sloin, 9-9:30 a.m.

To pre-register, go to www.jfswm.org/ jewish-famil-jam; The registration fee is $25 per eight-week session. Online payment is accepted. *Spring session ends May 28

FRIDAY, APRIL 9, SUNDAY, APRIL 11, SUNDAY, APRIL 18 & THURSDAY, APRIL 22 Western Mass. – Jewish Federation of Western Mass. 2021 Annual Campaign Kickoff events: Virtual Chocolate Tasting (You choose which date); Ticket includes guided virtual tasting and package delivered to your home, $60; Register: BIT. LY/3RRJB9B

MARCH 19 – APRIL 21 Art stolen by Nazis coming to Worcester Art Museum

W

ORCESTER – The exhibition, What the Nazis Stole from Richard Neumann (and the search to get it back) will be on display at the Worcester Art Museum from April 10 – Jan. 16, 2022.

The exhibit will present the story of Dr. Richard Neumann (18791959) an Austrian-Jewish collector who was committed to promoting the important role of the arts in civic life. Through a presentation of 13 Old Master paintings and sculptures from Neumann’s once extensive art collection, including works by celebrated artists of the Italian Renaissance, such as Alessandro Magnasco, Giovanni Battista Pittoni, Alessandro Longhi, Alessandro Algardi and Giuseppe Sanmartino, the exhibit will follow his escape from Nazi-occupied Vienna and Paris during World War II, his passion for art, and the family’s 50-year effort to reassemble the collection alongside restitution advocates, provenance researchers, and museum allies.

The small fraction of his collection that has been successfully restituted to his heirs, is currently on extended loan to the Worcester Art Museum in keeping with Dr. Neumann’s lifelong desire to have great art accessible and enjoyed by the public.

Generous support for this exhibition is provided by the Jewish Federation of Central Massachusetts and anonymous donors. Additional support is provided by the Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Clark University, PEACE Fund GWCF, Marlene and David Persky, Carol and Michael Sleeper, Dr. and Mrs. Herbert Dean, Dr. Shirley S. Siff, Johanna D. Drooz Yoffie and Alan S. Yoffie and Carol Seager.

For more information, email information@ worcesterart.org or call (508) 799-4406.

TUESDAY, APRIL 13 Holyoke – Holyoke Annual Holocaust Remembrance, with guest speaker TBA, 6:45-10 p.m., Holyoke Senior Center; contact djs1818@aol.com

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21 Springfield – Leslea Newman book reading, I Carry My Mother/I Wish My Father: A Caring Daughter’s Journey, 2 p.m.; https://events.r20.constantcontact. com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07ehole9 wuc434a2ff&oseq=&c=&ch=

MASSACHUSETTS JEWISH LEDGER

NERI DI BICCI, MADONNA WITH CHILD, 1400S, OIL ON PANEL, THE SELLDORFF FAMILY IN MEMORY OF RICHARD NEUMANN

| MARCH 19, 2021 majewishledger.com

Roya Hakakian CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

thinking, ‘If you only knew how disorienting this process of displacement and uprooting is, then you might think twice that they’re coming to do all of these sorts of dangerous things.

I’ve been told many times, “Oh you must be delighted that you’re here because Iran is in a state of crisis economically and politically.” The truth is that, however delighted anyone might be in coming here, the beginning years are so jarring. And the idea of having to do so many things from scratch just up-ends one’s life. So I thought it was important to bring people into that experience so that the next time someone turns around and says they’re coming here to commit crime or whatever, you would see us and say, but wait, they don’t speak the language and are so bereft by this grand journey that it would be, not impossible, but really difficult for anyone to then find the resolve to go on to commit crimes.

Which isn’t to say that immigrants can’t do that. They can, but the idea that I wanted to convey was for people to see that the vulnerability is at such a high level, that in many ways these initial years, depending on how they go, can become important bonding years between the immigrant and the community of American-born citizens and the country. You feel so vulnerable at first that whoever does a single act of kindness, it kind of becomes etched into your memory, and that’s precisely how I remember my own early days. I think that’s pretty much how we all are when we’re new to a place we’ve never been, among people that we feel vulnerable about being among.

JL: One of the first things you write about is when one actually first lands in America feeling different and disoriented. Do you remember how you felt the day you arrived in America?

RH: I think we forget physical details, like, I don’t remember what I was wearing. I don’t remember what I was carrying, I don’t remember what I ate that day. But I do remember what it felt like. And I think most of us are that way -- that when we go through really critical passages in our lives we may forget the physical details, but the emotional truth that we experience, the impactful moments somehow leave their marks on us.

And yes, I remember exactly how I felt.

I remember what it was like to arrive at the customs window and trembling because I didn’t know – would I get in? Iran and the U.S. were in a standoff. Could somebody then say, ‘You can’t pass?’ I was thrilled and afraid of everything at the same time, and I think those are some overarching majewishledger.com

experiences that we all have as immigrants.

I thought that that is also incredibly important because we keep talking about Mexican immigrants as opposed to Chinese immigrants and Indian immigrants, as if these ethnic identities make us so different that we become completely separate communities of people who don’t share in certain overarching and grand experiences.

And I think the experience of arriving here is one of those overarching experiences that we all, no matter where we come from, see in the same way and experience in the same way.

JL: You talked about the five stages of arrival: disorientation, despair, fury, acquiescence, and assimilation. Which of these was most pronounced for you?

RH: I think for me, because I was so young, (I was still a teenager) despite the fact that Iran was in a state of war with another country and it had undergone a revolution and it was under a dictatorship – and all these things were bad – I still really had not wanted to leave. In retrospect, it doesn’t make a lot of sense because why wouldn’t you want to leave a place like that? But I didn’t. My friends were there. I felt that it was wrong to leave; when things begin to go bad you make a commitment to stay and try to repair things. And so in my teenage mind I thought, we should have stayed. I actually only owe it to my mother who dragged me, all the way, despite my best effort to resist coming.

Also, I didn’t know English at all, and I had already wasted a year, in my mind, as a refugee in Europe. I thought, “I’m 19 years old, I should have been in college last year.

And even though I don’t know English I’m going to start in college” – which is exactly what I did, even though I had no idea what anyone was saying.

I was angry. I was angry all the time. I was angry when people were kind to me. I was angry when people weren’t. I think I was just really a very hard person to reach at that time. I think language had a great deal to do with it. I couldn’t articulate any thoughts.

And that always comes with a sense of humiliation; you feel that you appear less than you are.

JL: You said you started college right away? How did you do that?

RH: Well, I went to Stern College at Yeshiva University for my first year. I think they gave me some sort of an English placement test, and I probably, although I’m not sure, got the very bare minimum score to get in.

I think that people probably thought that once I’m in the environment, you know, I’ll sink or swim, and I’ll probably swim, which is what I did. But I couldn’t have gone anywhere else; I couldn’t have gotten into any other place because I just didn’t have the skills that it took to start in college. So I think someone someplace thought, you know, let’s give her a chance. And they did.

So I remember sitting there watching people move their mouths…all I was trying to do was to figure out when the sentences began and when they ended, that’s all I was trying to do in the beginning. I heard everything like it was just an uninterrupted long piece of spaghetti. All I was trying to do was figure out when they began and ended, which is what my first semester in college was like.

I used to tape record my professors and bring them home and transcribe them, with the help of others – my brother and other people who were around. So I think it took about a year [to learn English]. I got okay grades. I had Bs and Cs, and a couple of A’s because I took sciences and sciences don’t need language. And I think by the next year I was managing. I wasn’t, you know, writing term papers very well but, I was managing to figure out what people were saying and making conversations. And most of all, I was less angry, which was an improvement.

JL: You have been here now for 36 years and are a naturalized citizen. Do you ever sometimes still feel like that 19 year-old girl who immigrated to the U.S.?

RH: I feel assimilated. This is far more home than Iran ever was. I’ve spent more years here now than I had spent in Iran. But, I think the upshot of all these experiences has been that I find something more than this sum of these two countries and these two identities, and I think, at the end of the day it isn’t only that I add up to an Iranian American, that there is something bigger than that. And I think that’s a writer, someone who is committed to telling the truth, someone who has lived two lives in some ways and recognizes that having lived these two lives comes with the responsibility of then transmitting the truth from one side to the other and vice versa.

MASSACHUSETTS JEWISH LEDGER

JL: In the book you write about aspects of America that are positive, some not so positive or that are bewildering to immigrants. But the book’s description also calls it a “love letter to America.” Did you want to write a love letter to America?

RH: Yes and I’m glad you said that the book does talk about the things that I see to be flaws, so to speak. I see those things, but I think my ultimate message is that, despite those shortcomings and flaws and errors, there’s still something here worth building upon and hanging on to. There’s still something here that is, in some ways, an important foothold for everyone else, everywhere else. In many ways, I think America is not just important for Americans; I think America is important for so many other people elsewhere around the world who are trying to achieve the freedoms and the kind of democracy that we have, despite whatever still needs improving. So yes, it was a love letter.

Given the last four or five years, we as a people are losing sight of these beautiful things that are so important to first, recognize, because I think there’s so much that we take for granted because they’re always here and we assume that they came with the place. They didn’t. There were people a couple hundred years ago who fought for every single bit of these things that we so richly enjoy. So first I wanted to make people see those things; to recognize that they’re not entitlements, they don’t have to be, and that they can be lost. And then allow all of us to cherish, celebrate, and if they need improving, improve them.

But I thought, whatever it is that we are disgruntled about, we still have to recognize that what there is – those certain founding principles, certain original ideas, are still great enough and make our lives so much more meaningful, beautiful and free than the one that I came from that it’s worth trying to come together as a nation and work on them.

And so, yes, I probably did intend to write a love letter in the hopes that native-born Americans could see what I was seeing. n

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OBITUARIES AISENBERG Gloria (Hurowitz) Aisenberg of Worcester died Feb. 20 at the Jewish HealthCare Center. She was predeceased by her husband, Howard Aisenberg. Born in Worcester, she was the daughter of the late Max and Edith (Friedberg) Hurowitz.

She attended May Street School, Seaver Street Preparatory School, and Classical High School. She was a member of the second graduating class of Brandeis University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Social Relations in 1953. She was the founding director of the Clark University Parents Cooperative Nursery School and subsequently served as director of the Temple Emanuel Nursery School.

For many years she taught at the Solomon Schechter Day School of Worcester, the Worcester Community Hebrew High School, and Temple Sinai, where she was also a beloved bar and bat mitzvah tutor.

She is survived by three children, Dr. Mara Hammerman, and her husband, Rabbi Joshua Hammerman, of Stamford, Conn., Dr. Andrew Aisenberg and his partner, Paul Klein, of Pasadena, Calif, and Steven Aisenberg of Worcester; four grandchildren, Ethan, Michael, Daniel, and Amy; and many cousins. Memorial contributions may be made to The Jewish HealthCare Center, 629 Salisbury St., Worcester, MA 01609.

RICHARD PERLMAN OF MILES FUNERAL HOME OF HOLDEN ASHER Elizabeth (Birns) Asher, 35, of Boxbourough, died Feb. 3. She was the wife of Ryan Asher. Born in Worcester, she was the daughter of Jill Shack of Worcester and Douglas Birns of Arlington and Delray Beach, Fla. She graduated from Dublin School in 2003, and attended American University in Washington D.C. During her time in D.C., she was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis and took time off for her health. She eventually earned her Bachelor of Science in Social Work from the University of Massachusetts Boston in 2015.

She completed a Masters of Social Work from Simmons College. She was licensed as a Clinical Social Worker. She was a member of Temple Emunah in Lexington.

In addition to her husband and parents, she is survived by a sister, Amanda Roth and her husband, Mark of Dix Hills, N.Y.; her stepmother, Terry; a niece, Emma Roth; two nephews, Jeremy and Adam Roth; her aunt and uncle Wendy and Richard Lubkin of Rye Brook, N.Y.; and many cousins and friends. She was predeceased by her grandparents, Audrey and Philip Shack; a nephew, Jacob Roth; and a sister, Julie Birns. Memorial contributions maybe made to the Development Office at Massachusetts General Hospital, 125 Nashua St., Suite 540, 22

Boston, MA 02114, to support the Crohn’s and Colitis research of Dr. Kristin Burke.

MILES FUNERAL HOME OF HOLDEN COHEN Dr. Alvin I. Cohen, 87, of Easthampton, died Feb. 28 at his home. He was the husband of Shirley (Weiss) Cohen. Born in Boston, he was the son of the late David and Sophie (Banks) Cohen. He was a 1955 graduate of Northeastern University receiving a B.A. degree in Psychology.

His advanced graduate work was done at Southern Illinois University where he earned a Masters in Psychology and Rehabilitation Counseling in 1957 and a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology in 1960. He moved to Northampton in 1961.

Early in his career he was a psychologist at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Leeds. In 1965 he began teaching at Westfield State College and for many years was director of the College Counseling Center. He became a professor and taught for r 32. He was also a consulting psychotherapist for many years at the Mental Health Clinic in Holyoke and at the outpatient clinic of the former Northampton State Hospital. In 1969 he established a private practice of psychotherapy for adolescents, adults and couples in Northampton, from which he retired in 1997. In addition to his wife, he is survived by three daughters, Judith (Joseph) Danna of Hanover N.H., Lisa Cohen (Bernard Smith) of Bronx N.Y., and Sharon (Mark) Priven of Albany, Calif; and seven grandchildren, Misha, Shevi, Gabi, David, Morgan, Sam and Miriam. Memorial contributions may be made to the Cooley Dickinson VNA and Hospice, PO Box 329, Northampton MA 01061.

ASCHER-ZIMMERMAN FUNERAL HOME GINSBERG Rhoda Ginsberg, 90, died Feb. 9, surrounded by her family. She was the widow of Melvin Ginsberg. Born June 13, 1930, she was the daughter of the late Jacob and Matilda Rosenfeld. She is survived by a daughter, Roberta (David) Singer; two sons, Fred (Gail) Ginsberg and Jeffrey Ginsberg; three grandsons, Jonathan (Beth), Scott (Alyssa), Brad (Andrea); four great-granddaughters, Sophia, Addison, Shoshana, Eloise; and numerous nieces & nephews. She was predeceased by a brother, Arthur Rosenfeld; and a sister, Arlene Rosenfield. Memorial contributions may be made to Baystate Health Hospice, American Kidney Foundation or T.J. O’Connor Animal Control.

ASCHER-ZIMMERMAN FUNERAL HOME

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| MARCH 19, 2021

GLOTH Harvey William Gloth of Springfield recently died. He was the husband of Carol Allen Gloth. Born Aug. 22, 1934 in Springfield, he was the son of Louis and Helen Gloth. He received his bachelor’s of science in sociology from Springfield College, after which he worked at the Boys & Girls Club of Springfield. He joined the United States Army and served until 1956, when he was honorably discharged after time stationed in Italy, Germany and France. Later in life, he worked in the restaurant business at his eateries Harvey G’s, 280 Café, and at Gus and Paul’s in Springfield. In addition to his wife, he is survived by a son, Lawrence J. Gloth, and his wife, Danielle Beaudry Gloth, of Portland, Ore; a daughter, Joey Ann Gebo, of Belchertown; six grandchildren, Beatrix, Simon, Kayla, Tori, Alyssa, and Thomas; and numerous nieces and nephews and their families. He was predeceased by two sisters, Adele Kaufman of Florida, and Phyllis Feldman of Longmeadow. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association or to the JGS Lifecare senior center in Longmeadow.

ASCHER-ZIMMERMAN FUNERAL HOME GOLDBERG Max Goldberg, 21, son of Jeffrey and Elisa Goldberg of Longmeadow, died unexpectedly on Feb. 18. He attended Blueberry Hill, Curtis Blake and the Eagle Hill School in Hardwick, where he played soccer and lacrosse, graduating in June, 2019. He also attended Hebrew school at Beth El Temple in Springfield, where he and his family celebrated his bar mitzvah.

In September of 2019, he began attending Mitchell College in New London, Conn., where he continued to play lacrosse. In addition to his parents, he is survived by a brother, Joshua; his paternal grandparents, Roberta and Ellis Goldberg; his maternal grandparents, Zelda and Herb Baron; an aunt, Debra Sloan and her husband Phil; two uncles, Andy Goldberg and Jeffrey Baron and his wife, Melanie; four cousins, Ali, Amelia, Jessie and Aaron; and other family members. Memorial contributions may be made to the Epilepsy Foundation Faces http://faces.med.nyu.edu.

ASCHER-ZIMMERMAN FUNERAL HOME HASENBUSH Henry L. Hasenbush, 75, of Longmeadow, died March 6 at Baystate Medical Center after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease. He was the husband of Corrie Trattner. Born, in Seattle, Wash., he was the son of the late L. Lee and Grace (Glanz) Hasenbush. He worked for over a decade at the Forum House in Westfield, where he worked with people living with mental

illness, assisting them in job training, life skills and social activities. In addition to his wife, he is survived by two daughters, Amira Hasenbush of Los Angeles, and Lorisa Hasenbush Levi and her husband, Sammy Levi, of Petach Tikva, Israel; three grandchildren, Tiferet, Bracha and Yehuda; and a sister-in-law, Abbe Hasenbush. He was predeceased by a brother, Joseph; and a granddaughter, Shoshana. Memorial contributions may be made to Doctors without Borders, Habitat for Humanity or the Lubavitcher Yeshiva Academy of Longmeadow.

ASCHER-ZIMMERMAN FUNERAL HOME LANDMAN Libby Lynch Landman, 91, died Feb. 10 at Care Dimensions Hospice in Lincoln.

She was the widow of Chaplain Nathan Landman and Jerome Sydney Lynch. Born in Springfield, she was the daughter of Isadore and Shirley Geller. She started her college education as a young mother in the early 1960’s, attending NYU Sunrise Semester classes at home on closed-circuit TV. Over the years, she earned degrees in Russian literature, library science, and public administration. She worked for many years as a librarian at the Larchmont Public Library. She is survived by a daughter, Priscilla, and her partner, Cindy Lanane, of Indianapolis, Ind.; two sons, Jonathan, and his wife, Cindy of Albuquerque, N.M., and Andrew , and his wife, Lynne of Chelmsford; and three granddaughters, Rachel, Natasha, and Alexa. Memorial contributions may be made to Temple Beth El, Springfield, MA, the Yiddish Book Center, and the American Kidney Fund.

ASCHER-ZIMMERMAN FUNERAL HOME NATHAN Louise Nathan, 100, of Longmeadow, formerly of Manchester, Conn., died from Covid on March 4 at BayState Medical Center. She was the widow of Jerry Nathan. Born in Springfield, she graduated from Classical High School and attended Syracuse University for two years. Thirty years later, she graduated magna cum laude from the University of Connecticut.

She was a member of Temple Beth Shalom of Manchester, Conn. for many years. She is survived by two sons, Larry Nathan and his wife, Nancy, of Longmeadow, and Jim Nathan and his wife Hedy of Bolton, Conn.; her grandchildren, David Nathan and his wife, Marie, of Longmeadow, Debbie Jackson and her husband, Marty, of Holden, Rebecca Ladabouche and her husband, Kevin of Hebron, Conn., and Jessica Stasiowski and her husband,, Jeff of Tolland, Conn.; eight great-grandchildren, Justin and Samantha Nathan, Ryan, Talia and Lexi Jackson, Ellie and Reese majewishledger.com

OBITUARIES Ladabouche, and Juliette Stasiowski; and by a sister, Doris Feinstein of Framingham.

Memorial contributions may be made to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. ASCHER-ZIMMERMAN FUNERAL HOME SHILKRET Cynthia Johnson Shilkret of South Hadley died of cancer Feb. 3 at the Hospice of the Fisher Home in Amherst. She was the wife of Robert Shilkret. Born in New York City on May 24, 1947, she was the daughter of Moe and Annette (Forman) Johnson.

She graduated from Barnard College and earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She did her clinical training at Mount Zion Hospital and Medical Center in San Francisco. She was a founding member of the San Francisco Psychotherapy Research Group (SFPRG). After relocating to South Hadley she served as director of Clinical Services at what is now River Valley Counseling Center in Holyoke, and, after two years, in full-time continuous solo practice of adult psychotherapy. She taught for more than three decades at the Smith College School for Social Work, in both the MSW and PhD programs. In addition to her husband, she is survived by two sisters, Basha Yonis and her husband, Fritz Howe, and Eleanor Kennedy and her husband, John; three nieces, Shifra Yonis, Naomi Yonis, and her husband, Ben Spangler, and Robin Shilkret; a nephew, David Shilkret; and a sister-in-law and brotherin-law, Ruth and Jack Shilkret. Memorial contributions may be made to San Francisco Psychotherapy Research Group (SFPRG), 1008 General Kennedy Ave., San Francisco, CA 94129, sfprg.org; or Yiddish Book Center, 1021 West St., Amherst, MA 01002-3375.

ASCHER-ZIMMERMAN FUNERAL HOME SHULMAN Samuel Shulman, 85, of Rutland, died Feb. 28, at the Life Care Center of Auburn. He was the husband of Iris Ann (Manning) Shulman. He was the son of the late Saul and Freda (Gangursky) Shulman.

He graduated from Classical High School, the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, and earned a Master’s Degree in education from Boston University. He served in the Massachusetts Air National Guard and on active duty with the U.S. Air Force during the 1961 Berlin Crisis. He had a 50-year career as a registered pharmacist in area pharmacies including at Worcester City Hospital and Fallon Clinic in Auburn. At the age of 55 he realized a lifelong dream when he graduated from Western New England University School of Law and became an attorney. He was a retired member of the Massachusetts Bar Association. majewishledger.com

For many years he was a member of the Worcester Symphony Orchestra, the Thayer Conservatory Orchestra and the Central Massachusetts Symphony.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by a son, Adam Shulman; two daughters, Lynne Johnson and Tora Johnson; two grandchildren; many nieces, nephews, and extended family. He was predeceased by two brothers, Louis and Irving. Memorial contributions may be made to The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews at www.ifcj.org.

MILES FUNERAL HOME OF HOLDEN WHITE Alice White, 96, of Worcester, died at home Jan. 10 of natural causes. She was the widow of Morton White. The daughter of Benjamin and Gussie Snyder, she graduated with honors from Classical High School and then Boston University, Class of 1946. During WWII, she worked at the Division of Employment. After raising her family, she worked at her husband’s stores, Morton’s Department Store in Spencer, North Brookfield, Oxford and Barre. She was a member of Temple Emanuel Sinai, Hadassah and the American Society for Yad Vashem. She is survived by two sons, Barry and William of Worcester; two daughters, Marilyn and Sharon of California; and two granddaughters Sophia Miller and Marisa Takal of Los Angeles. Memorial contributions may be made to either Rachel’s Table, 633 Salisbury St., Worcester, MA 01609; or the National Kidney Foundation, 209 W. Central St., Natick, MA 01760.

MILES FUNERAL HOME OF ZIFF Roberta “Bobbie” (Ascher) Ziff, 94, died Jan. 22 at Baystate Medical Center. She was the widow of Sidney Ziff. Born in Springfield, she was the daughter of Marion and Joseph Ascher. She graduated from The High School of Commerce. She was a 74-year member of Sinai Temple, a member of the Jewish Federation, and a lifelong member of Hadassah. She is survived by three children, Michelle “Shelley” Ziff Hanson and her husband, Donald, of Big Canoe, Ga., and twins Alan Ziff and his wife, Lana, of Penrose, Colo., and Lane Ziff of East Longmeadow; two nephews, Scott Herd and Michael Goldberg (Louise); three nieces, Beth Wallace (Bill), Judy Brew, and Susan Kissee; and many grand-nephews, nieces and cousins. Memorial contributions may be made to Sinai Temple, 1100 Dickinson St., Springfield, MA 01108; the Jewish Federation, 1160 Dickinson St.; the Shriners Hospital for Children, 516 Carew St., Springfield; the Jimmy Fund or Wounded Warriors.

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Serving the Jewish Communities of Worcester, * Worcester County and Surrounding areas

Richard Perlman Serving the Jewish communities of Worcester and Worcester County Is now affiliated with

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Richy Perlman* and Rick Mansfield Richard S. Mansfield, Funeral Director Ricky Mansfield www.milesfuneralhome.com Holden and Sterling locations

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Contact 800-983-4434 Richard Perlman www.milesfuneralhome.com Cell: 508.769.7017 Nationally recognized as a Selected Independent Funeral Home *Lic.and – Typeprofessional 6 with the highest ethical standards.

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