CT Jewish Ledger April 15, 2020 21 Iyar 5780

Friday, May 15, 2020 21 Iyar 5780 Vol. 92 | No. 20 | ©2020 $1.00 | jewishledger.com

Reimagining the post-pandemic Jewish world 1

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INSIDE

this week

CONNECTICUT JEWISH LEDGER | SINCE 1929 | MAY 15, 2020 | 21 IYAR 5780

7 Torah Potion

8 Milestones

8 Letter

14 Briefs

17 Crossword

Words of Wisdom................................................................. 5 In a webcast with the Orthodox Union, infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci advises Jews to phase in “the kind of social interactions which are the core of the beauty of your culture” – i.e., communal prayer.

Head of the Class........5 Bi-Cultural Hebrew Academy junior Ben Marcus is among a select group of teens from across the country chosen to participate in a prestigious Yale University internship program.

18 Bulletin Board

19 Bonds of Life

20 Obituaries

21 Business and Professional Directory

22 Classified

Arts & Entertainment.......................................................11 The 4th episode of the new FX show “Mrs. America,” that chronicles the rise and fall of the Equal Rights Amendment, centers around Betty Friedan, widely considered to be the “Moses of the women’s movement.”

Opinion..................................................................................10 As if the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic weren’t bad enough, one aspect of the crisis seems to be particularly unnerving: the attitude toward the elderly.

CANDLE LIGHTING ON THE COVER:

The extended disruption to the heartbeats of Jewish life – e.g., weddings, bar/ bat mitzvahs, Shabbat services – have already been reimagined to meet today’s odd circumstances. But those are quick fixes. What if we had a shared, carefully coordinated, vision for the Jewish future?

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Fauci to Orthodox Jews: Ease into communal prayer

Bi-Cultural teen accepted into prestigious Yale research program

BY RON KAMPEAS

(JTA) – Dr. Anthony Fauci, who directs infectious disease research for the federal government, advised Orthodox Jews to phase in communal prayer as local governments lift coronavirus pandemic restrictions.

“The kind of social interactions which is the core of the beauty of your culture has unfortunately led to a higher risk,” Fauci said Thursday, May 7, in a webcast organized by the Orthodox Union.

He encouraged the people on the call to take baby steps toward reestablishing in-person prayer.

“If you said, for the time being, ‘How about once a day and five days a week as opposed to three times a day, seven days a week,’ if you could phase that part in,” that would be a good idea, Fauci said. He added, “I don’t want to be presumptuous to know what that would mean to you from a spiritual standpoint.”

Synagogues across the country have been closed since mid-March, when states shuttered houses of worship and other gathering places in an effort to curb the spread of the disease. While some synagogues have begun holding services online, that practice is not compatible with Orthodox practices, so Orthodox Jews have

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BY JUDIE JACOBSON

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES, SPEAKS AT THE DAILY BRIEFING OF THE WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE, APRIL 10, 2020.

(ALEX WONG/GETTY IMAGES)

not prayed together in months.

Now, as some state and local governments begin relaxing restrictions, it may become legally permissible to hold communal services again – though synagogue leaders have yet to take advantage of the right to open.

JERUSALEM (JTA) – Israelis will be prohibited from the traditional practice of lighting bonfires on Lag b’Omer.

Lag b’Omer, which this year starts on Monday night and lasts for 24 hours, marks the 33rd day of the counting of the days between the holidays of Passover and Shavuot.

It also marks the end of a minor mourning period recognizing the deaths of thousands of students of the second-century C.E. sage Rabbi Akiva.

Israel’s Cabinet on Wednesday night approved emergency regulations to prohibit the bonfires in order to prevent the transmission of the COVID-19 virus.

Rabbi Moshe Hauer, the Orthodox Union’s executive vice president, told Fauci that his organization was advising congregations to wait two weeks past government opening dates to start returning to congregational prayer, to designate seats to make sure congregants sit apart and to stagger services to keep entry into the synagogues compatible with social distancing.

Fauci also advised congregations to consider the intensity of the pandemic in their region, noting that deaths have yet to plateau in New York City and Chicago, where there are high Jewish concentrations.

He advised not allowing older adults and those with underlying conditions such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension to return to services until the healthy have been in place for two weeks.

“As tough as it sounds, I have family members in the same boat, you’ve got to make sure that they are really protected,” Fauci said.

He also said the risk was likely to carry over into the High Holidays this fall, and that pandemic risk mitigation should

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Coronavirus strikes again: Israel bans traditional bonfires for Lag b’Omer

BY MARCY OSTER

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TAMFORD – Ben Marcus, a junior at Bi-Cultural Hebrew Academy-Upper School in Stamford, is among a select group of high school students from across the country chosen to participate in Yale University’s Discovery to Cure High School Internship Program.

Only eight percent of eligible students were selected to receive this year’s prestigious paid internship, which carries with it the unique opportunity for students to have their research study published.

Established in 2003, the summer program introduces rising high school seniors to Yale’s biomedical laboratories in the hope that they will consider pursuing careers in the fields of science and medicine. Interns are assigned mentors and participate in a research project directed by the program’s principal investigator. The program culminates with the delivery by each student of a 10-minute presentation about his or her research project.

“BI-Cultural is the only school to have had every candidate we’ve fielded be accepted into the program,” notes Bi-Cultural science teacher and college counselor Meghana Fernandez.

Prior to Mr. Marcus, four Bi-Cultural have gone through the internship program in previous years.

Each of those students focused their projects on reproductive cancer; two have had their work published; two were invited to continue their internship for the coming year; one was selected to do research at the Oceanic Research Institute; and one represented the University of Connecticut in Iceland. All four are CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE

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Fauci

Teen

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continue to apply to worship at that time.

“As we get to the fall, there will almost certainly be virus,” he said.

Fauci has been seen by many as the voice of reason during the pandemic, issuing straightforward advice that has persuaded Americans to take precautions and limit the virus’ spread. He has said the long hours of the pandemic response have been exhausting.

“As you’re doing your praying, make sure you include me in that,” Fauci said on the call.

Hauer assured him he was. Hauer also told Fauci that the Orthodox Union was advising congregants to keep eight feet apart because “it will end up being six feet,” the recommended distance for safe interaction, because Jews cannot resist socializing.

Fauci laughed.

“The emotional core of the Jewish people of being warm and close to each other, you can’t resist!” he said.

Bonfires CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

Traditional bonfires and other events that are held yearly at the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai on Mount Meron will be canceled this year. Instead, the Religious Services minister will allow three separate bonfires, each led by a prominent rabbi, in the area of the tomb to be held by special permit at different times. No more than 50 people will be permitted to participate in each bonfire, and women must be allowed equal participation.

No one will be permitted to enter the tomb and it will remain closed through May 17. The community of Meron will be open only to residents beginning on Thursday.

Lag b’Omer is the yartzheit of Shimon Bar Yochai, who was a disciple of Rabbi Akiva.

(One interpretation says the bonfires are a symbol of the light he brought into the world.)

Tens of thousands of mostly haredi Orthodox Jews converge on Meron on Lag b’Omer each year and spend the entire night and the following day lighting bonfires, giving first haircuts to boys turning 3 and celebrating.

The tomb at Meron is said to be the second most visited religious site in Israel following the Western Wall.

In 2018, the Fire and Rescue Service banned bonfires in great swaths of northern and central Israel due to a heat wave that also included windy conditions.

Israeli researchers make ‘significant breakthrough’ in developing corona vaccine (JNS) Researchers at the Israel Institute for Biological Research have successfully isolated a key coronavirus antibody, which is a significant step towards developing a vaccine for the virus, Israeli Defense Minister Naftali Bennett announced on Monday, May .

Bennett visited the institute on Monday, May 4, where he was briefed on “a significant breakthrough in finding an antidote for the coronavirus.”

The antibody “monoclonal,” which means it is derived from a single cell taken from the blood of a patient who recovered from COVID-19, can neutralize the disease-causing coronavirus inside carriers’ bodies, explained Bennett.

Antibodies from those who have successfully overcome the coronavirus are widely considered key to developing a possible cure for the virus.

Bennett said he was proud of the institute staff, and that “Jewish creativity and ingenuity brought about this amazing development.”

Institute director Shmuel Shapira said the antibody formula was being patented; afterwards, an international manufacturer will be sought to mass produce it.

Another Israeli research team at MigVax, an affiliate of MIGAL Galilee Research Institute, is reportedly close to completing its first phase of developing a COVID-19 vaccine and recently received an injection of $12 million to accelerate research.

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currently attending college, where they are each engaged in research projects.

As impressive as the Yale Discovery to Cure internship is, says Ms. Fernandez, it be-comes even more so when one considers the program’s arduous application process.

“When students reach their sophomore year, we determine which one may be suited for this internship,” she explains. “Then we work with them so that the following year they’re ready to begin the application process. It’s a very involved, long drawn out process that takes about six months to prepare.

We put a lot of effort into working with the student, which is why every year we are able to get a student in. Of course, credit goes to our students who have not only put in the effort to complete the exhaustive application process but have also been amazing biological research candidates who have paved the way for up and coming students.”

Working with Ben throughout this process was enormously gratifying, she says. “I’ve never seen anyone as organized and determined as Ben.” In Ben’s case, the application process started the summer before his junior year when he sat down to discuss with Ms. Fernandez potential internship opportunities for the following summer.

“I had heard of the Discovery to Cure program from previous students and wanted to gain more knowledge of the topic the program deals with, which is cancer research. Ms. Fernandez recommended that I read The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer

by Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee to further my knowledge of the subject. I was extremely motivated by the book, and it bolstered my passion for medicine and cancer research. I was eager to delve deeper,” says the Stamford teen.

“Later that year, Ms. Fernandez mentioned the option of applying to the Discovery to Cure program and I jumped at the opportunity. In applying to such a competitive program, I knew that my application had to be extremely sincere and personal, while also being studious and professional. Using knowledge from my EMT certification, which I received the previous summer, and my AP/ECE biology course, the application started to come together.

“After months of drafts and deep self-reflection, delving into my past experiences that sparked and instilled my passion for medicine, I created my final submission. The framework for my application was built on personal

BEN MARCUS WAS AMONG A TEAM OF THREE STUDENTS FROM BI-CULTURAL HEBREW ACADEMY-UPPER SCHOOL WHO WERE AWARDED FIRST PRIZE IN THE SEVENTH ANNUAL CIJE (CENTER FOR INITIATIVES IN JEWISH EDUCATION) INNOVATION DAY COMPETITION, HELD SUN-DAY, MAY 19, 2019 AT BELL WORKS IN NEW JERSEY.

experiences as well as two books, which display the elements of the medical field that I find to be fascinating, The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee and Bad Pharma: How Drug Companies Mislead Doctors and Harm Patients by Dr. Ben Goldacre.”

On April 22 – after six months of preparation – Ben received notice from Yale that he had been accepted into the program. Unfortunately, the letter also stated that, as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, the program would not be taking place this summer. How-ever, Ben was invited to attend their Elite Young Professionals Medical Conference at Yale in October.

“Although I am disappointed that I will not be able to participate in the program this summer, I did obtain a wealth of knowledge in the application process. I would not have been able to compile such a strong application without the help of the exceptional Bi-Cultural Hebrew Academy STEM program and my amazing Bi-Cultural Hebrew Academy advisors,” he says.

Ms. Fernandez calls the Yale Discovery to Cure internship program an “amazing opportunity that allows students to see what happens in terms of research. One of the many great things about it, is that the students are given access to the kind of lab equipment that is simply unavailable at the high school level. It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

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TORAHPortion

Behar-Bechukotai

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BY SHLOMO RISKIN

his week’s parsha, BeharBechukotai, includes the commandment to count seven cycles of Sabbatical years leading up to the 50th Jubilee year of proclaiming freedom throughout the land. It is reminiscent of the biblical commands we read last week (Parshat Emor): “Count for yourselves [from the day of your bringing the barley ‘omer wave offering] seven complete weeks… you shall count fifty days...” from the day after our exodus from Egypt until the Festival of the first fruits (bikkurim), the festival commemorating the Revelation of God’s Torah at Sinai (Lev. 23:15-17).

What is the significance of this parallelism between the counting of the seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot and the counting of the seven sabbatical years leading up to the Jubilee year? What is the true message behind the daily count of sefirat ha’omer?

Three words express the concept of freedom: hofesh, dror and herut. Hofesh appears in the Book of Exodus (21:2) in the context of the Hebrew slave leaving the homestead of his owner; at the end of his sixth year of employ he becomes (hofshi hinam), “completely free.” The second word, dror, has just been cited in our present reading of Behar, in which “freedom” (dror) is to be proclaimed throughout the land on the advent of the Jubilee year. But the Festival of Passover, which celebrates our exodus from Egyptian servitude, is referred to by our Sages as zman herutenu, the time of our herut – a non-biblical word with Aramaic roots that connotes freedom.

Why not use the biblical Hebrew words hofesh and dror in describing our Festival Viktor Frankl (19051997), author of From Death-Camp to Existentialism and founder of the branch of psychoanalysis called “logotherapy,” says the most essential human drive is the search for meaning. Freedom from enslavement must be linked indelibly with the individual’s belief that he/she is empowered to forge for a life dedicated to an important purpose.

Hence, our Bible begins with the creation of the world, positing that every human being is created “in the image of God,” with a portion of the Lord on High within the very essence of his/her being,” so that he/she becomes empowered to “develop the earth and preserve it,” to “perfect our imperfect world in the Kingship of the Divine” (Gen. 1:27; 2:7, 15 and the Aleinu prayer). By reliving God’s

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primordial week of creation during our weekly cycle of “working the world” for six days and resting in God’s presence on the seventh, we hopefully rekindle our task to perfect the world as God’s partners every single week. Hofesh in this context is our freedom of choice not to do whatever we wish but rather to choose good over evil, God over Satan, creation over destruction, eternal life in the generations we fostered, dedicated to Godliness over an existence spent in futile pursuit of vanity and emptiness.

The word dror is used to express the period of human perfection, redemption (ge’ula), described in our Jubilee year, when all slaves will be freed, when all debts will be rescinded, when everyone will be returned to their ancestral homestead, when all the needy of the world will be sustained by their communities. Dror is the purpose for which Israel and humanity was created; the society which Israel and humanity must recreate in God’s loving partners.

Our Sages refer to the time of our liberation from Egyptian enslavement as herut – from the Hebrew ahrayut, responsibility: the pathway toward the final accomplishment of universal dror, the responsibility of freedom; of accepting the formidable task of partnership with the Divine; of protecting our siblings (ahim) and every stranger (aher); of bringing the world to its aharit hayamim, the final stage of redemption, the Messianic Age. Thus, as soon as we became free, we started to count; only for a free person is every day fraught with infinite possibilities of productivity and meaning.

We count until we receive our Torah, which is our blueprint for the creation of a perfected world. Although the Bible commands that we count 50 days, we stop at 49; because we are still a work-inprogress; we still await the Messiah; we are not yet in the era of redemption. To be human is to be constantly striving – and growing, and improving.

A great Sage once said, “Pity the man who has achieved his ideal; he has no reason to continue living!” And so in the teachings of the sacred Zohar, the 15th rung of the ladder is where the loving Lord is to be found, Alone in glorious splendor.

Rabbi Shlomo Riskin in chancellor of Ohr Torah Stone and chief rabbi of Efrat, Israel.

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MILESTONES CT native Dore Gold recognized for his contributions to the State of Israel

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JERUSALEM – West Hartford native Dore Gold is one of seven outstanding Olim (immigrants to Israel) to receive the 2020 Sylvan Adams Nefesh B’Nefesh Bonei Zion Prize, it was announced last week by Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, Nefesh B’Nefesh co-founder and executive director.

Hundreds of Olim from English-speaking countries were nominated for the prize, which recognizes outstanding Anglo Olim who have made a major contribution to DORE GOLD (COURTESY JARED BERNSTEIN) the State of Israel by encapsulating the spirit of modern-day Zionism.

Gold, who made aliyah in 1980 and currently resides in Jerusalem, is one of Israel’s most distinguished envoys.

Among his prominent posts, he served as ambassador to the United Nations in 1997-1999 and director-general of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2015-2016.

In that latter role, Gold was instrumental

in expanding Israel’s ties with Africa, the Arab world, and Asia. He has also served as an advisor on international issues to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and as an envoy to the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, Jordan and the Gulf States.

Today, Gold serves as the president of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, a leading independent research institute specializing in public diplomacy and foreign policy.

Other Bonei Zion honorees include: David Blatt, former basketball coach, Maccabi Tel Aviv; Debbie Gross, director of Tahel Crisis Center for Religious Women and Children; Professor Deborah Rund, director of Plasmapheresis Unit, Hadassah Medical Organization; and Reuven (Bob) Asch, former chief psychologist, Ministry of Education.

The Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded to Avraham Infeld.

“The individuals receiving this year’s Bonei Zion Prize are shining examples of the impact one can have on an entire field of study and practice, and they give us great hope for the State of Israel. Celebrating these honorees is a reminder that the Zionist dream is thriving,” said Fass.

West Hartford sixth-grader pens a heartfelt thanks to a “hero” Moshe Bernstein, a sixth-grader at New England Jewish Academy in West Hartford, was so moved by the impassioned words of gratitude the school’s Lower Division principal, Rabbi Zev Silver, had for medical personnel, health care workers, first responders and other frontline workers who fight for COVID-19 victims and work hard to keep us all safe, that he sat down and wrote one such “hero” a letter of thanks.

Moshe, who lives in West Hartford, is the son of Ilana and Steven Bernstein. We are pleased to share his letter to Dr. Alan K. Ditchek, an infectious disease specialist practicing in Brooklyn, New York.

Dear Dr. Ditchek, Rabbi Silver, our principal at New England Jewish Academy reminded us of the people who risk their lives to save others during these unfortunate times. He told us that you try your hardest to save and cure all the people who have been affected by the coronavirus, and that you even sit with them if they are dying.

This is very meaningful to me. You are choosing to risk your own life for the greater good. I cannot imagine how hard

it is to have to watch thousands of people suffer. Fortunately, I have not personally been affected by the virus, though sadly countless others in my area have been.

I am thankful that you try and uplift the spirits of your patients and to make them feel like it will be okay. I can’t imagine that I could ever be that courageous. I am hopeful that everyone will keep fighting for the health of others. That is important to me because if there was no one to fight then everyone would give up hope. It’s easier to hope when others are hoping with you.

I wish for you to stay healthy and that maybe one day I could meet you in person. You could tell me more about your experiences.

In the midst of this crisis, the biggest thing anyone could give is hope and that is what you give. It inspires me to go and help my community as much as I can.

I hope that you will continue to fight and that you will never have to again. Stay healthy and happy.

Sincerely, Moshe Bernstein West Hartford jewishledger.com

These are fearful and difficult days for everyone.

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Opinion

When did elderly people like me become disposable?

EDITORIAL Stacey Dresner Massachusetts Editor staceyd@jewishledger.com • x3008 Tim Knecht Proofreader

BY PAUL SOCKEN

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ORONTO (JTA) – The coronavirus pandemic of 2020 is shaking the world in disturbing ways.

As someone who is no longer young, I find one aspect of the crisis to be particularly unnerving: the attitude toward the elderly.

The media is filled with stories about the problem represented by the elderly.

What will happen if there aren’t enough respirators for everyone? Should the elderly, who have lived their lives long enough, have the same right to medical care as young people who have their whole lives ahead of them?

There are cold, calculating cost-benefit analyses associated with this grim reaper scenario. One columnist came down on the side of “saving Grandma” only after weighing the pros and cons as if it were an accounting problem. Others have said that the elderly should sacrifice themselves for the good of the country.

But this is not the Jewish attitude. Psalm 92 proclaims that “in old age [the righteous] still produce fruit, they are full of sap and freshness.” In his Mishneh Torah, the great philosopher and doctor Maimonides states that “even a young scholar should rise before an old man distinguished in age.”

In Guide for the Perplexed, he writes that

“with the ancient is wisdom.”

I always thought that the psalmist’s plea “Do not cast me off in old age; when my strength fails, do not forsake me” was addressed to God. Now I understand that it is an appeal to our fellow men and women as well not to abandon the elderly when their “use” is no longer manifest.

It is heartbreaking to see so many deaths due to the virus and the personal stories associated with those losses. In many countries, a large proportion of the dead are in nursing homes where the elderly are warehoused with inadequate staffing and medical care. In Canada, otherwise a deeply caring society, over half the deaths have been in nursing homes where revelations of what goes on behind the doors of those institutions have shocked the nation. We can and we must do better than this for the elderly and for everyone.

When this crisis is finally over, and a semblance of normalcy resumes, we will need to answer many questions about the economy, health care, the appropriate political re-sponse to an extreme emergency and the nature of our global world.

But no less important is the question of the very nature of our society and its values. What lack within us gave rise to the discussion of the disposability of the elderly? This crisis has exposed a

Vol. 92 No. 20 JHL Ledger LLC Publisher Henry M. Zachs Managing Partner Leslie Iarusso Associate Publisher Judie Jacobson Editor judiej@jewishledger.com • x3024 Hillary Sarrasin Digital Media Manager hillaryp@jewishledger.com

materialistic calculus, a coarsening of society’s discourse since the dismissal of the religious sensibility that built our system of values and ethics over millennia of civilization.

If we have, indeed, entered a postChristian, post-religious society, a trauma such as the current one reveals its consequences. I would argue that we have seen the underbelly of a society that has forgotten its roots, no longer has a strong set of values and does not understand the importance of honoring all life. If ever there was a time to re-think the journey we have taken as a society and recalculate our direction, it is now.

What an irony it would be if we learned to preserve physical life infinitely better than previous generations only to abandon their more sophisticated search for truth and meaning in life.

What will it profit us to reestablish our economy, restructure our health care and solve our global problems if we ignore the human issues that underpin it all? What is the purpose of life if we fail to see the humanity in everyone around us?

Paul Socken is a distinguished professor emeritus and founder of Jewish studies at the University of Waterloo.

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JEWISH LEDGER

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Betty Friedan is the ‘Moses’ of the women’s movement in ‘Mrs. America’

BY LINDA MALEH

This story originally appeared on Alma.

T

he women’s movement is led

by Jews … or at least it was in the ’70s. Betty Friedan, Bella Abzug, Gloria Steinem – they were all Jewish, and they’re all characters on FX’s new show “Mrs. America,” now airing on Hulu.

The series, created by Dahvi Waller, chronicles the rise and fall of the Equal Rights Amendment, which would have guaranteed equal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex and probably would’ve been ratified if Phyllis Schlafly (Cate Blanchett) hadn’t organized conservative women in opposition.

Along with the ERA, the aforementioned leaders of the women’s movement fought for women’s rights, like the right to abortion, child care and equal pay. The series does a good job of giving each of its leading women, conservative and liberal alike, significant focus, which means that the show got an influx of Jewish identity, especially the fourth episode titled “Betty.”

Until this episode, you could say that the show mostly depicted Betty Friedan (Tracey Ullman) as annoying, and a chore to deal with, but in this episode centered around her, it reminds viewers that Friedan was basically the Moses of the women’s movement.

I’m not kidding. One character, named Jill Ruckelshaus (Elizabeth Banks), even says that women were “wandering in the wilderness for 40 years” before Friedan “lit a match.” That match would be her 1963 book The Feminine Mystique, which is often credited with sparking second-wave

feminism.

It’s no doubt that Friedan was an impressive figure, a force of nature even.

Following her book, she co-founded the National Organization for Women, or NOW, in 1966. In 1970, she organized the nationwide Women’s Strike for Equality on the 50th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, and garnered 50,000 people in New York City alone. In 1971, she and other feminists established the National Women’s Political Caucus.

All of this happened before the series’ events took place, so you can see why the show might want to cast her as a sort of Moses-like figure. More than just regarding her as a leader, however, a lot of the language used to describe her in the series often seems to be a nod specifically to Friedan’s Jewish identity.

Set up on a date in the episode, Friedan talks about her accomplishment in launching the women’s movement, and her date, a Jewish man, quotes Pirkei Avot to characterize the movement’s inception.

“Every assembly that is for a hallowed purpose shall in the end be established,” he says, which is a rather beautiful way of saying that Friedan is doing God’s work.

Of course, Friedan also articulates her issues with the patriarchal sentiments in Judaism. Referring to her experience leading the Women’s Strike, Friedan tells him that “when I got up to speak to the crowd at Bryant Park, it suddenly hit me that down through the generations, through history, our ancestors prayed ‘I thank thee

Lord, I was not created a woman,’ and I said from this day forward, women all over the world will be able to say “I thank thee Lord, I was created a woman.”

Friedan the character is quoting Birkot Hashachar, the blessings traditionally said each morning. (Women, by the way, say “I thank thee, Lord, for making me according to thy will.”)

On paper, Friedan can certainly seem like a larger than life figure, but the show does an excellent job of fleshing her out and showing the human struggles that she dealt with, like having her husband leave her for a younger woman or having been fired from a newspaper job for being pregnant. On her date, Friedan talks about growing up in Peoria, Illinois, where there weren’t a lot of other Jews. She says that in high school she was the only one of her friends not to get into the sorority because she was Jewish, so her friends “dropped” her, something I’m sure many Jews can relate to.

Between being discriminated against for being a woman and also for being Jewish, Friedan’s accomplishments are even more

impressive, but also explain why she felt such a fire lit under her to change things.

In a sweet moment in the episode, Gloria (Rose Byrne) expresses the struggle of working with Friedan and her “difficult personality,” and Friedan’s friend Natalie (Miriam Shor) speaks up for her.

“Betty is impossible,” Natalie says. “But without her there’s no NOW, no Women’s Political Caucus, no NARAL. We get to do what we do because she risked everything.

So, before you tell her what she can and cannot do, consider just saying thank you.”

Gloria seems to take those words to heart because at the end of the episode, after Friedan crashes and burns at her debate with Schlafly, instead of calling her to say I told you so, Gloria calls her to tell her that in case she never mentioned it, “The Feminine Mystique” changed her life and thanks her.

I suppose it’s easy to take all of the rights we have now as women for granted, and all of the opportunities, but maybe we all owe Betty Friedan a thank you as well.

Congratulations 2020 Graduates!

Attention Parents, Grandparents and Friends: Celebrate your graduate during this challenging year with a loving message. Express your pride for all of their accomplishments!

Issue date: June 5 • Deadline: May 22 Size: 3” x 2.75” • Rate: $50 (Credit card payments only) Contact Donna Edelstein at DonnaE@jewishledger.com or 860.833.0839

BETTY FRIEDAN PHOTOGRAPHED IN HER HOME, 1978.

(LYNN GILBERT/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)

Mazel Tov

Rebecca Goldstein

on your graduation from Hall High School.

Good Luck next year at UCONN! Love, Bubbe and Zaide

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MAY 15, 2020

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IMAGINING A BETTER FUTURE: Visions for the post-pandemic Jewish world

BY LAURA E. ADKINS

(JTA) – After months of social distancing, we find ourselves longing for things to return to normal – and recognizing that it might be a long while before that happens.

But is a return to business as usual really what we should aim for? The extended disruption gives us a chance to take stock of how we’ve operated up to now, consider alternatives and even build a better vision for the future.

We’re already seeing that happen across the Jewish world. Jews of all denominations have tapped digital tools to deliver the Torah and connection that had been largely analog. The heartbeats of Jewish life – weddings, funerals, bar and bat mitzvahs, studying Torah, cooking together, telling jokes and daily minyanim – have been reimagined to match the circumstances. And communities are stepping up to support their neediest members in new ways.

But those have mostly been quick fixes, responsive and scattershot rather than carefully considered and coordinated. What if we had a shared vision for the Jewish future, so we could do more than just fumble our way there?

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) asked some of the most thoughtful and knowledgeable Jews to share their best ideas for the post-pandemic Jewish future. Here are their thoughts.

We hope the ideas expressed in these pages will start conversations and inspire new visions that can help the Jewish people weather this crisis and emerge even stronger. If you have an idea for the post-pandemic Jewish future that you’d like to share, please email an essay for consideration to Judie Jacobson at judiej@jewishledger.com.

Today, we’re mourning the loss of our social spaces. Tomorrow, let’s redesign them.

BY HANNAH LEBOVITS

THE SHANGHAI URBAN PLANNING MUSEUM (WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)

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(JTA) – “Remember when we used to go to shul, Mommy?”

It’s Shabbat morning and my children are repeating the same weekly ritual which now seems to have replaced the practice of actually attending synagogue. While my husband and I pray, they pepper us with questions, comments and reminders about the world that once was. They wax poetic about the hot potato kugel at the weekly kiddush.

Prayers are great anywhere, I tell them.

| MAY 15, 2020

And though it doesn’t come out of the kitchen in a two-foot long pan, I remind them that my kugel isn’t half bad.

But what my children miss is not just the Shabbat services and observances – they are also missing the synagogue itself.

I study urban planning, so I have a framework for understanding what my children are yearning for. I know that social interactions are deeply shaped by physical environments. The design of a city – the built and natural infrastructure, the designated uses of specific spaces – affects the ways that people experience one another and them-selves. And what does and does not get built, the amount of space that is dedicated to specific functions and the general flow of the city are fundamentally shaped by what the people within the city believe to be important.

The earliest cities were intended to serve as centers of worship and religious practice. Ziggurats, pyramids, temples, churches, mosques and other religious buildings not only served as a statement to the importance of the religion – they were also formally and informally used as mechanisms to maintain religious observance and social cohesion. Either directly, through sermons or practices, or indirectly, through communal gatherings and peer pressure, physical infrastructure plays a significant role in the enduring

practice of religion.

So, it’s clear to me that months of isolation from synagogues, schools, religious non-profits and other internal social spaces will affect the Jewish community for longer than the virus requires.

With such an abrupt and extended interruption in practice and the decentralization of observance, can we expect that people will simply snap back when buildings reopen? Or will people find it difficult to readjust to the expectations of institutional Judaism having been without its communal aspect for so long? What we know about public space suggests that the latter case is more likely. After months of distance prayer and individualized religious practice, we will grow distant from the social processes that our physical institutions enabled us to maintain.

By nature, individual household standards often differ from those that are enforced through institutions and communal systems. Even for those who can and do utilize technology to engage in prayers, learning and communal events, the experience just isn’t the same.

Changes to our Jewish space – now overwhelmingly personal and individualized – will likely mean changes in the ways we are Jews together. This new state of Jewish life presents opportunities: When we return to them, we can use our physical jewishledger.com

Hillel is usually a happy, vibrant space. Now we need to help students process their grief.

RABBI JONAH GEFFEN

(JTA) – Never in a million years did I ever consider that my work would look like it does today.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, our vibrant Jewish community GRIEVING STUDENTS (GETTY IMAGES) on campus transitioned to a virtual Hillel. We moved our cohort-based learning programs online and increased our presence on Instagram. We added virtual yoga, pre-Pesach cleaning, virtual programs for Yom Hashoah and Yom Ha’atzmaut.

Hunter Hillel staff, where I serve as senior Jewish educator and campus rabbi, reached out to dozens of students each day. What we quickly realized was that the most engaging programming in the world wouldn’t match up to the grief that students were feeling.

Death has become a routine part of Hillel students’ young lives. On campus, we would see them, talk to them and know what they were experiencing day to day.

Now, in order to be sure we are there for our students, we text, email and call them daily. Too often they share that they’ve lost a loved one to coronavirus – but that us reaching out to them means so much.

To date, New York City has had over 162,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Over 12,000 have died. This is the new reality of New York City. We are the part of the United States hardest hit by the virus, and for Hunter Hillel students, the implications of COVID-19 are heartbreakingly personal.

We heard this week from a dedicated and brilliant former student. She was Hunter Hillel president and she crushed it.

She graduated last May and moved on with her adult life.

She checked in not to let us know about a new job or acceptance to medical school; not to tell us she was getting married.

No, she wrote because all four of her

institutions to strengthen individual growth, giving people the tools to thoughtfully engage with ritual, practice and belief.

Rather than disregard the value of individualized and personal spaces, we can think more creatively about how to create communal spaces that are as flexible, under-standing and thoughtful as our personal living rooms. Spaces that encourage us to expand our mindfulness of the needs of others, that thrive on transparency and openness – spaces that enable us to avoid the perpetuation of hidden crises, financial debt and underaddressed mental health concerns.

We can redesign the physical layouts of synagogues to maximize the inclusion of people with disabilities, women, and children. We can set up prayer and communal spaces to allow people to interact with one another and encourage more thoughtfulness. We can use communal event landscapes – such as a kiddush – to engage in thoughtful conversations about food and housing insecurity.

These efforts will require leaders to adapt and bring new voices to the table. And we might be surprised to see that thoughtful design choices can actually enable, rather than hinder, inclusion, personalization and religious adherence.

We cannot pursue or achieve these goals if we maintain a desire and expectation

to return to business as usual once the immediate health crisis has ended. Just as COVID-19 has forced us to rethink the ways we live our secular lives, revitalizing our community after this crisis will require our leaders to reconsider their own deeply held views on religious life.

I don’t want my children to spend every Shabbat remembering what once was. With a bit of thoughtful work, they will gain tremendously from the Jewish spaces that can be.

jewishledger.com

Hannah Lebovits is a PhD candidate in Urban Studies and Public Affairs at Cleve-land State University.

She writes about metropolitan and urban governance at Cleveland Scene.

grandparents have been sick with COVID19, and one just died.

The family has no idea how they are going to be able to pay for the funeral, and asked if we could help them defray the costs. We directed her to the Hebrew Free Burial Association.

For all of us, “alone” has new meaning now. Imagine how alone you might feel if you were 19 and three of your grandparents died last week.

Our existing training and programs haven’t equipped us to support this need, so we are educating ourselves about how to work with young adults who are bereaved.

Last summer we enhanced our caring work through inclusivity training. This summer our training will be centered around grief counseling.

So many of our students have suffered loss in the same way at the same time, but they are not the same people. Some will want to mark their losses as a community and mourn together, while others’ needs will be more subtle and individual.

We must be prepared to meet each student where they are by continuing our near-constant individual student outreach and by deepening our commitment to relation-ship-centered events and educational programs. And we must accomplish this without losing the celebration that is the unique life-cycle moment of college: by providing the space and opportunity (virtual or physical) for our

young adults to hang out, share mu-sic, play games.

Last week, I returned to campus; it was desolate. Empty halls and classrooms, escalators still running but with no people to move. Is this what it will look like next year?

At this point, there is no way to know.

What we do know is that whether in-person or virtually, this fall we will welcome thousands of students who are suffering immensely. They will be grieving lost family, lost jobs and a lost sense of a clear future.

Our first responsibility is to meet them, talk to them, discern their physical and mental health needs and do everything we can to fulfill them. In this moment, that means ramping up grief training for those working with young adults – something that would not have been a top priority in the past but absolutely must be in the future.

Rabbi Jonah Geffen is senior Jewish educator and campus rabbi at Hunter College Hillel in New York City.

Vulnerable Jewish communities are suffering through this crisis.

We must not forget them when it’s over.

BY HEN MAZZIG

TEL AVIV (JTA) – In pop culture, Jews are most often depicted as affluent, assimilated and Ashkenazi. Larry David, Jerry Seinfeld and Mrs. Maisel have long informed the public perception of who Jews are and what they are like.

Recent popular shows like “Unorthodox,” “One of Us” and “Shtisel” have widened the lens slightly by including haredi Orthodox Jews in the picture, but they flatten the nuanced world of religious society into a powerful, backwards cabal.

Of course, we know that the Jewish world is far more diverse. Mizrahi Jews in Los Angeles and Israel, Ethiopian Jews escaping refugeehood and Kaifeng Jews battling China’s draconian government are just as much a part of the Jewish story.

The coronavirus pandemic could have been an opportunity to revise this image.

After all, the virus leaves us all vulnerable, and Jews the world over have had their

practices and traditions interrupted. But instead of being the great equalizer, this pandemic has exacerbated deep-seated inequities – in the world writ large, and in our Jewish world as well. Overcrowding and financial insecurity are considerable factors in the spread of coronavirus, which has stolen the lives of countless Hasidic Jews, 45% of whom are poor. Instead of being met

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Briefs Schumer: Next relief package will include support for larger nonprofits (JTA) – Sen. Chuck Schumer, the minority leader in the Senate, told Orthodox Jewish groups that the next round of pandemic relief will extend support to nonprofits employing more than 500 people. “We are going to try to get this above 500 employees, for nonprofits, and that looks good, we will get this in the bill,” the New York Democrat said May 6 in the web call with the Orthodox Union and Agudath Israel of America. Congress is currently negotiating what will be the fifth relief and stimulus package spurred by the damage to the economy caused by the coronavirus pandemic and ensuing quarantine measures.

The $2.2 trillion relief act passed in March, the third and largest so far, included $350 billion in payroll protections for small businesses, including nonprofits.

The funds dried up within two weeks.

Jewish nonprofits had failed to secure an exemption in the March bill from the definition of a small business as one employing less than 500 people. Some of the larger national Jewish groups and Jewish Community Centers in large cities, among others, were ineligible for the payroll protection, which took the form of a loan covering salaries plus extras for two months and could easily turn into a grant.

Schumer also said it was likely that the new bill would remove a $300 cap on charitable donation declarations on tax returns. The bill passed in March revived the charitable deduction, which had been removed in tax reforms that passed early in the Trump administration, but nonprofits have argued that the $300 cap in the March bill was too limiting to spur the giving that will be needed to make up the shortfalls.

Jerry Seinfeld may have taken his last ‘Comedians in Cars’ ride (JTA) – Jerry Seinfeld is putting the brakes on “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.”

Seinfeld made the announcement about his popular web series during a virtual news conference last week to promote his Netflix special “23 Hours To Kill.” “I feel like I did that tour … I know they look very casual and easy, but they’re actually a lot of work to make, the editing is very intense and I don’t know, I feel like I may have done that exploration at this point,” the comedian said. The series, in which Seinfeld interviews comics in vintage cars and eateries, has had 84 episodes over 11 14

JEWISH LEDGER

seasons.

Seinfeld said he just wants to do more live performances as soon as the coronavirus crisis will allow it. “Now I feel like I just want to be out on a stage, I don’t really care where, I don’t care what size of venue, it’s just about enjoying that moment and it doesn’t have to be big or a conventional show business venture,” he said.

Variety reported that he is not likely to perform to a more than half empty theater.

“I don’t think if you’re going into a theater and it’s only one quarter full and everybody’s got 10 feet between them, I don’t know if that’s worth doing,” he said.

“For me, I’m gonna wait till everyone does feel comfortable gathering.”

Cardin says he won’t sign Senate letter against annexation (JNS) Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), the secondhighest ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said on May 5 that he won’t sign a letter calling on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz, not to move forward with annexing parts of the West Bank. “I don’t like to second-guess Israel’s government’s decisions, although I have been pretty critical of a lot of policies under the Netanyahu prime ministership,” said Cardin during a webcast hosted by the Jewish Democratic Council of America.

The letter was drafted by Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). It states that annexation “would fray our unique bonds, imperil Israel’s future and place out of reach the prospect of a lasting peace,” according to an action alert sent out by J Street on Monday.

Cardin said that while he deems unilateral annexation “not to be a helpful process” and would “encourage [Israel] to try to preserve” the position of a twostate solution, he added, “I don’t think it is helpful for us to sow dissension in the United States as it relates to the support for Israel. I think we have to show that even when we disagree with the policies of the government that the relationship between the United States and Israel must remain strong.”

Patriots’ Julian Edelman is helping raise money for Holocaust survivors (JTA) – New England Patriots star Julian Edelman is raising money for Holocaust survivors during the pandemic by doing something he does well: working out.

As reported by TMZ and the New York Post, Edelman joined other celebrities – including actor and singer Skylar Astin; NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas; and actress Dolores Catania – in teaching online

| MAY 15, 2020

workout classes on May 5 to raise funds for the UJA Federation of New York, which will use the money to deliver meals to survivors in the area. “Myself and my family are happy to work with 333 Charity and other organizations on Giving Tuesday to support meal deliveries for Holocaust survivors living in poverty during this difficult time,” said NBA Hall of Famer Isaiah Thomas, who joined in the project.

In March Edelman said he was studying to have a bar mitzvah.

Many paving stones in Prague were cut from Jewish grave markers (JTA) – Dozens of paving stones cut from Jewish headstones were unearthed during redevelopment work in Prague’s tourist district. The discovery, confirming Jewish community suspicions that communist authorities in the 1980s used Jewish grave markers for building materials, came Tuesday in Wenceslas Square, an iconic pedestrian public square and the site of demonstrations, celebrations and other public gatherings. Today it is lined by hotels, offices, retail stores, currency exchange booths and fast-food joints.

It was first reported in English by The Guardian. Rabbi Chaim Koci, a senior official with the Prague rabbinate, saw workers digging up cobblestones whose undersides were covered with Hebrew letters, Stars of David and dates, The Guardian reported. Other stones were blank but had polished surfaces that indicated they had also been taken from cemeteries.

“It’s important because it’s a matter of truth,” said Koci, who had been at Wenceslas Square beginning early Tuesday to witness the stones being dug up. We are making something right for the historical record. These are stones from the graves of people who were dead for maybe 100 years and now they are lying here. It’s not nice.”

The stones, whose dates range from 1877 to the 1970s, appear to have been taken from several cemeteries.

Olympics swimmer Dara Torres inducted into Jewish-American Hall of Fame (JNS) The Jewish-American Hall of Fame has announced its 51st inductee, former Olympic swimmer Dara Torres. Torres competed in five Olympic Games, winning 12 medals and overtaking American swimmer Mark Spitz, who’s also Jewish, with 11 Olympic medals. Spitz earned most of his in the 1972 summer games in Munich, when 11 Israeli Olympic team members were killed, along with a West German police officer.

In her first Olympic games in 1984, Torres won a gold medal for the 100-meter

relay. She went on to compete in the 1988, 1992, 2000 and 2008 Olympics, winning five medals in 2000, more than anyone else on her team. In 2008, the oldest-ever Olympic swimmer at age 41, won two silver medals for 100-meter medley relay and 50-meter freestyle, breaking the American freestyle record she had set at the age of 15.

Over the course of her career, Torres won four gold, four silver and four bronze medals at the Olympics, and broke the American record speeds for 50-meter freestyle 10 times, more than any American swimmer in any event. Her memoir, Age Is Just a Number: Achieve Your Dreams at Any Stage in Your Life, was published in April 2009 and listed as one of the top 25 best-selling business books later that year.

Her second book, Gold Medal Fitness: A Revolutionary 5-Week Program hit stands this month.

US ambassador: US will recognize Israel’s West Bank annexation with conditions (JTA) – The U.S. is ready to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and other parts of the West Bank with conditions, the U.S. ambassador to Israel told the Israel Hayom daily. David Friedman said Israel must freeze building in other parts of the West Bank and prepare to reenter peace negotiations with the Palestinians on the basis of the Trump peace plan. The plan requires Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to negotiate with the Palestinians “in good faith” for four years, which Netanyahu has already agreed to. The Palestinians have rejected the deal, which also mandates a settlement building freeze on the 70 percent of the West Bank that would make up a future Palestinian state. Israel’s new government coalition agreement allows annexation of some parts of the West Bank beginning from July 1.

Israel Hayom, which is owned by philanthropists Sheldon and Miriam Adelson, is seen as being an advocate for Netanyahu. The Adelsons, major givers to Republican candidates, including Donald Trump.

Friedman said the United States would not impose any new conditions not found in the Trump administration’s peace plan, which was rolled out in January. He said the U.S. will be ready to recognize Israeli sovereignty following its declaration

by Israel and its government agrees to stipulations of the plan.

Taika Waititi to write and direct new ‘Star Wars’ film (JTA) – On May 4, what has come to be known as Star Wars Day, Disney and Lucasfilm revealed some exciting news: Taika Waititi is set to direct a new “Star jewishledger.com

Wars” film. The Jewish Māori filmmaker will co-write the movie with Krysty WilsonCairns, who co-wrote the screenplay for the acclaimed war film “1917.”

It is unclear when the film is scheduled to come out. There are currently three untitled “Star Wars” films slated for December 2022, 2024 and 2026. Rumors had swirled about Waititi’s connection to a “Star Wars” project since he won an Oscar for the Holocaust satire “Jojo Rabbit” in February. He appeared in the Disney+ “Star Wars” series “The Mandalorian” and directed the first season’s finale.

Waititi already has a lot in the works, including: “Next Goal Wins,” about the national soccer team of American Samoa, which entered post-production this past January; an animated adaptation of Roald Dahl’s work for Netflix; and “Thor: Love and Thunder,” starring Natalie Portman, which is slated to hit theaters on Feb. 18, 2022.

Back in 2017, when Waititi was asked what would happen if he were to direct a “Star Wars” movie, he tweeted, “I’d be fired within a week.”

Gene Simmons learns about his Holocaust survivor mother’s ordeal (JTA) – Kiss frontman Gene Simmons said his mother almost never spoke about her Holocaust ordeal, including time in Nazi camps. A German newspaper has provided him with plenty more information. Bild am Sonntag presented the Israel-born rock star with 100 pages of documents about his mother’s ordeal, including her impact statement, to mark the 75th anniversary of her liberation.

Flora Klein, a native of Hungary, was 19 when American troops liberated the Mauthausen camp on May 5, 1945. She died at 93 in the United States.

In her statement to the former Restitution Office in Koblenz, Klein wrote: “In November 1944, I was brought to the Ravensbruck concentration camp. I lived there in block no. 21 and worked in the fields, gathering potatoes outside the camp.

I wore old civilian clothes with a white oil (paint) cross painted on the back, in a camp surrounded by barbed wire and guarded by the SS.” Klein was transferred to the Venusberg subcamp of the Flossenburg concentration camp in January 1945, and arrived at Mauthausen that March. “She was strong,” Simmons told Bild in an interview published May 3. “She fought all of this on her own.” He also found his grandmother’s name among the documents.

Ester Blau died in the Nazi gas chambers His mother married a carpenter, Jechiel Weitz, in 1946 and a year later they immigrated to Israel. Simmons was born Chaim Weitz in Haifa in 1949. His parents later divorced and Simmons’ mother brought him to New York in 1958.

Simmons warned that people should not jewishledger.com

forget the about the Holocaust.

“It can happen again and again. That’s why you have to talk about everything,” he said.

Layoffs at JFNA, which is tasked with helping Jewish nonprofits through crisis (JTA) – The nonprofit organization leading an emergency coalition to coordinate the Jewish response to the pandemic-induced financial crisis has itself deeply slashed its staff. Jewish Federations of North America, an umbrella group of communal fundraising and programming organizations across the country, announced layoffs and executive salary cuts in a message to board members and federation executives on May 6. The letter stressed that the umbrella organization would continue to support local federations with fundraising as they acknowledged the difficulty of that work. JFNA took on that effort just six weeks ago, when it announced that it would lead an emergency coalition to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. The coalition was formed, in part, to help laidoff employees of Jewish organizations, including federations, as budgets tightened.

But the same conditions that imperil local organizations are affecting the umbrella group, according to the letter. Fundraising is challenging, and some long-standing lines of work are not practical during the pandemic. JFNA organizes international trips for donors as well as training and conferences for federation staff across the country. With social distancing in place, those activities are likely canceled for the next several months.

Fingerhut also announced that he would take a temporary 10% salary reduction and that seven senior leaders would cut their salaries by 5%. According to the most recent tax filing available, Fingerhut’s predecessor, Gerrold Silverman, earned $634,849 in 2017.

JFNA’s layoffs come as other Jewish organizations begin to shed staff. Hillel International, the umbrella organization for Jewish student life centers on campus, laid off or furloughed more than 20% of its staff last month. Local Jewish organizations that rely on service fees have also been hit hard.

JFNA serves as an umbrella organization for 146 Jewish federations and 300 smaller “network” communities, which together employ around 10,000 people, and distributes a total of $3 billion annually for social services and educational programs in Israel and North America. In their message, Fingerhut and Wilf said they were confident that the groups would together weather the pandemic by innovating. “When we do, as we are confident, we will, Jewish life will flourish and our response to this crisis will be re-membered alongside the greatest moments in the already illustrious history of the Federation system,” they wrote.

German lawmaker: Date of Nazis’ surrender shouldn’t be national holiday (JTA) – The same far-right politician in Germany who, in 2017, called the Nazi era mere “bird shit” in 1,000 years of German history said the day of the Nazis’ World War II surrender should not be turned into a public holiday, as per a proposal by Esther Bejarano, the head of the Auschwitz Committee in Germany. Berlin is observing the day for the first time.

The statement by Alexander Gauland, who heads the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany faction in the Bundestag, has drawn sharp criticism from Jewish leaders and mainstream politicians in Germany.

Asked his opinion on the holiday proposal, Gauland told the German news agency RND that Nazi Germany’s surrender on May 8, 1945, was not viewed in the same way by all Germans. “For concentration camp inmates it was a day of liberation. But it was also a day of total defeat, a day when large parts of Germany were lost, a day when opportunities to shape the future were lost,” he said May 6. “Women who were raped in Berlin” after the defeat “would see things very differently from concentration camp prisoners,” Gauland continued, referring to accounts of criminal excesses by Soviet soldiers.

Given Gauland’s past statements relativizing the Holocaust, his comments were “no surprise,” former Central Council head Charlotte Knobloch said in a statement. But “for most people in Germany it is clear: May 8, the day of the defeat of the Nazi regime, is an occasion for joy and gratitude,” she said. “It was the day that made freedom and democracy in Germany possible again.”

Gauland, whose party has had more electoral success than any right-wing party in postwar Germany, in 2017 said it was high time that Germany stopped feeling guilty about the past.

Rabbinical group calls for vote by mail during pandemic (JTA) – As some states debate whether voting by mail should be allowed because of the pandemic, one group of rabbis has upped its support for such equal access to the ballot box. It is not the first time that the Rabbinical Assembly, the international association of Conservative/Masorti rabbis, has called on state legislatures to remove unnecessary and restrictive barriers to voting.

“At this unprecedented time in modern history, the Rabbinical Assembly supports the unencumbered right to participate in local and federal elections with vote-bymail, online, over the Internet, and absentee ballots with no requirement to provide a reason nor so-called valid excuse,” the

Rabbinical Assembly said in a statement issued Wednesday. “We reaffirm that voting is a cornerstone of American democracy and that all eligible voters must have free and equal access to cast their ballots and that all votes be counted equally. “As we self-isolate and quarantine to stave off the COVID19 pandemic, the fundamental Jewish imperative to preserve life, Pikuah Nefesh, must apply to our electoral contests. In this unprecedented time, it is more important than ever for elections to take place safely, securely and conveniently and for us to uphold the mitzvah of responsibility for and to each other.”

On Monday, an open letter signed by 35 Missouri rabbis from across the religious spectrum encouraged Jewish voters to take advantage of a religious exemption clause in the state’s voting rules to cast ballots by mail for the rescheduled statewide municipal elections on June 2.

Knesset vote gives go-ahead to Israel’s unity government (JTA) – The Knesset passed legislation on Thursday, May 7, to allow the formation of an emergency unity government, giving Israel its first stable government in more than a year. Hours before the final vote, the Supreme Court issued a decision Wednesday night that did not object to the agreement that formed the coalition between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and the Blue and White coalition headed by Benny Gantz.

The court also struck down lawsuits that would have prevented a lawmaker under indictment from forming and leading a government. Netanyahu is facing a trial on corruption charges. The legislation approved by the parliament included amendments to two quasi-constitutional Basic Laws.

Later Thursday, party representatives sent to President Reuven Rivlin the signatures of 72 Knesset members recommending that Netanyahu be tasked with forming a “emergency national unity government.” Thursday midnight was the deadline for lawmakers to recommend someone to form a new government before triggering the nation’s fourth elections in about a year.

Under the coalition agreement, Netanyahu will serve as prime minister for the next 18 month and Gantz will then take over for the 18 months.

Likud and Blue and White said in a statement to reporters issued late Wednesday night that the new government will be sworn in on May 13. The amendments to the Basic Laws were approved by a vote of 72-36 with abstentions from the far-right Yamina party, lawmakers from Yisrael Beiteinu, including its head Avigdor Lieberman, and a Labor party lawmaker. Labor has joined the coalition.

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MAY 15, 2020

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Crisis CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

with compassion and assistance, haredi Jews have been increasingly blamed for spreading this terrible disease, by antisemites and the mayor of New York City alike.

While the Mrs. Maisels’ work from home, sequestered in their comfortable places of residence, many Jews of color are risking their lives as essential workers both in America and Israel. Meanwhile, few even think to check in on the Jews in China to see if they are safe from the virus or government crackdowns on religion.

As someone who works for full inclusion of Mizrahi and LGBTQ Jews in Israeli society, I know firsthand how difficult it is to overcome our biases and work together. But as this crisis continues to devastate the most vulnerable, it’s increasingly important to do so.

I often see Jewish social justice groups in America fighting for other minorities instead of vulnerable Jewish communities – a worthy endeavor, but one that sustains the mistaken perception that all Jews are past needing to be helped by others. I know that groups like Masbia and the Met Council have been doing important work providing for impoverished New Yorkers for years. But we all must do more.

As life begins its return normal, whenever that is, we’ll have a chance to change our frame before the window of opportunity closes. When we can have galas again, instead of inviting non-Jewish minorities as ambassadors of diversity, Jewish organizations should recruit up-to-now marginalized members of the Jewish world.

Instead of hiring evangelical black Christians as the keynote speakers for Jewish events about inclusion, when those events resume, black Jews should play a leading role. We must create spaces for more underrepresented Jewish people to speak, even if the message will not be as easy for some Jews to digest.

Our synagogues, publications, federations and other organizations are having countless panels via Zoom during this pandemic. The normal barriers to having diverse speakers, such as flights and travel accommodations, are no longer an issue. Now is the time to bring in underrepresented Jews to your community and build relationships with them.

The least stereotypical Jew is often the most vulnerable, in a pandemic or not. We have a chance right now to connect the Jewish world in ways that would dramatically increase equity within it. But if we don’t put energy into closing this long-standing disconnect, it will only get worse during this time. The choice is ours.

Hen Mazzig is an Israeli writer, international speaker, commentator and marketing consultant from Tel Aviv.

ANSWERS TO MAY 8 CROSSWORD

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THE KOSHER CROSSWORD MAY 15, 2020

“Letters to the Holy City?”

By: Yoni Glatt

Difficulty Level: Medium

Curbside pick up and local home delivery available!

SHABBAT DINNER TRADITIONAL DAIRY LUNCHEON DELI SANDWICH PLATTER DINNER MENU

Across 1. “Why?”, in 39-Across 5. One way to get (close) to 39-Across 9. “The Last of the Mohicans” author Fenimore Cooper 14. Coach Parseghian and others 15. “It’s a ___ formality” 16. General Robert, and others 17. Put “Fiddler on the Roof” back in theaters 19. Ball-bearing entertainers 20. “Mmes.” of Spain 21. Does high-tech eye work 23. Nephew of King David and brother of Joab 25. Actresses Thompson and Salonga

27. Vegas opening act?

30. Brooks and Blanc 31. What people sometimes called Seinfeld on “Seinfeld” 32. Three-legged stands 35. Shirt-size abbr.

36. Part of Cass Elliot’s group 38. Charlotte ___ (clothing store) 39. City celebrated on May 21... whose letters are the only ones used in this puzzle 41. Sleeper’s rouser 44. Makes like Solomon 45. Muppet eagle 48. “Let my people go!” addressee 50. Abbr. in an apartment ad 51. What one might have you over

for on Shabbat 52. Hybrid combat sport, for short 53. Drifting the ocean 55. Sky bears 56. La ___ (Philadelphia university) 59. She, in Italian 60. 2006 World Series-winning manager Tony La ___ 62. Takes on again 67. How to sow ___ ___ 68. Chemical in fertilizer 69. More, according to some 70. En ___ (as a group) 71. Badtz-___ (penguin friend of Hello Kitty) 72. Computer operator

Down 1. Shirt-size abbr.

2. Is for many?

3. Cooking wine 4. Word before “Y’mai t’shuva” (var.)

5. It’s the truth 6. Herd’s home 7. River ends?

8. “Futurama” character with one eye 9. 1915-1919 heavyweight champ Willard 10. Sailing 101 word 11. Spotty condition 12. “Electric” fish 13. Viper’s sound 18. California NBAers, on a scoreboard 22. Wall St. group

23. Grand Pontiacs 24. Where some girls spend a yr. in 39-Across 25. Long-tailed creature with large eyes 26. Deletion of a sort 28. Gore and Jolson 29. Haifa to 39-Across dir.

31. Jelly container 33. Foe of Gadot’s Wonder Woman 34. Total amount 36. One that might cause you to lol 37. “Frida” star Hayek 39. Dads’ namesakes 40. First word of many French titles 41. deGrom’s asset 42. What a felon may be on?

43. Gathers 45. Challah seeds, often

46. Letters on many cars 47. D.C. United’s org.

49. Benny Goodman’s “Gal” 51. Capt. Kirk subordinate 54. Salk vaccine medium 55. Maritime inits.

57. Biblical king and others 58. Uncool 59. Lentil lover, perhaps 60. 59-Down’s dad was replaced with one 61. Olympics chant 63. Great time 64. ___ Lingus 65. Suffix with Japan 66. Kazakhstan, once: Abbr.

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BULLETIN BOARD MAY IS NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH MONTH On May 14, a day-long program offers help for children stressed by the pandemic

‘Collective Compassion’ focuses on Jewish teens with month of programs

To mark National Mental Health Month, Jewish Family Services of Greater Hartford (JFS) and Tara’s Closet will present “A Virtual Day with JFS” on Thursday, May 14.

The day-long program will feature, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., FOX61 reporter Rachel Lutzker and her children reading Heather Malley’s book Not Forever But For Now: A story for children about feelings during the pandemic. Following story-time, professional counselor Emily Sachs will offer tips for talking to children about the pandemic and for helping them process their feelings as we practice social distancing. In the evening from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., Dr. Evan Fox of the Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital/ HH, will moderate “A Conversation about Coping With COVID-19,” where he will be joined

by Sophie Riegel, author of Don’t Tell Me To Relax: One Teen’s Journey to Survive Anxiety will offer “Strategies for Quaranteenagers.”

DR. EVAN FOX “Now more than ever we need to increase mental health awareness,” says Barbara Roth, who founded Tara’s Closet to honor the memory of her daughter, Tara Savin, who lost her life to bi-polar disorder.

“Before the COVID-19 outbreak and social distancing, we already had a mental health crisis with people suffering from anxiety, depression, isolation, and loneliness,” she says, noting that one out of every five people experience mental illness each year. Our goal is to break the stigma of mental illness because people are very much afraid to talk about it. It is crucial to openly discuss and normalize the conversation so people are not afraid to ask for help especially during these challenging times.”

To join the event, ZOOM LINK: jfshartford.org/zoom.

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To mark National Mental Health Awareness Month, Jewish Teens Thrive, a project of the Jewish Teen Education and Engagement Funder Collaborative, has launched “Collective Compassion,” a national response to the growing wellness needs of teens. This month, Collective Compassion features dozens of events and experiences, many in partnership with artists and organizations, that draw on the power of Jewish creativity, culture, learning and values to support teens – as well as the adults that care about them.

“Adolescence is a turbulent time, and COVID-19 is leaving many teens and their families reeling by creating a heightened sense of uncertainty, confusion and loss,” says Sara Allen, executive director of the Jewish Teen Education and Engagement Funder Collaborative. “We aim to both call attention to these challenges and offer teens and adults new self-care practices they can use all year long, and a deeper understanding of the many dimensions of mental health.”

Collective Compassion is free and accessible to anyone. Highlights include: Creativity for Coping, a resiliencebuilding workshop series led by Jewish artists including ‘Storytelling for Sanity,’ an intimate concert and open mic with musicians, movement exercises, and guidance on inventing new rituals to mark loss.

Finding Purpose & Meaning with toolkits for Mental Health Shabbats, integrating gratitude into daily lives and philanthropy pop-ups for teens to support local wellness organizations.

Education & Awareness with screenside chats and live Q&As with mental health ex-perts and advocates, parentfocused discussions, and training sessions with youth professionals.

Curated books and quarantine playlists.

Collective Compassion is supported by BBYO, The Blue Dove Foundation, Jewish Teen Funders Network, Jewish Teen Education & Engagement Professionals’ Net-work, Here Now, the URJ, the Mitsui Collective, Moving Traditions, and the Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit.

Says Allen,“In this moment we turn to each other and our Jewish tradition with the be-lief that unity is strength. We are

| MAY 15, 2020

inspired by the ‘Collective Compassion’ of our community as we come together to raise awareness, build resilience and ultimately thrive.”

For more information, visit www. collectivecompassion2020.com.

The Growth of the Jewish population of Russia is up for discussion May 17 Genealogist Joel Spector will discuss “The Growth of the Jewish Population in Russia Through the 1897 All-Russia Census,” via webinar on Sunday, May 17, at 1:30 p.m.

Hosted by the Jewish Genealogical Society of CT, Spector, who is president of Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Philadelphia where he has served as chairperson of its Russian Special Interest Group, will discuss patterns of Jewish population growth in Russia beginning with early historical data, the creation and changing designations of the Russian gubernias, Russian laws affecting Jews in the Pale of Jewish Settlement and more.

The program is free. Register at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/ register/5308510715150965006. For more information, visit www.jgsct.org

The Plot Against America: Online Discussion An online discussion of the book/HBO series The Plot Against America, moderated

by Dr. Avinoam Patt, director of the Center for Judaic Studies at UConn, will be held online on Wednesday, May 13, 7 p.m.

The discussion will feature a panel of four scholars: Victoria Aarons, Trinity University (Philip Roth scholar); Susan Herbst, UConn (Political Science and President Emeritus); Stuart Miller, UConn (Judaic Studies, Newark native) Aimee Pozorski, CCSU (Editor, Philip Roth Studies) The program is co-sponsored by ALEPH: The Institute of Jewish Ideas, the Mandell JCC, the Jewish Community Foundation, UConn Center for Judaic Studies, Voices of Hope, and the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford.

To join Zoom meeting: https://zoom.us Meeting ID: 934 142 286 Password: lectures.

Tikkun Leil Shavuot, virtually Congregation Beth El-Keser Israel (BEKI) will host an online Shavuot Night of Study – known in Hebrew as Tikkun Leil Shavuot – on Wednesday evening, May 27 (one day before the holiday, which begins Thursday evening, May 28 and ends the evening of May 30). Four study sessions lasting 45 minutes each will be conducted on Zoom at 7 p.m., 8 p.m., 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. For more information, email office@beki.org.

The new normal: What does ‘Open for Business’ mean?

United Jewish Federation of Stamford, New Canaan and Darien will host “Redefining ‘Open’ for Business,” on Sunday, May 17 at 7:30 p.m. The virtual discussion will feature a panel of experts who will explore how business and consumerism will look as we move to open up after shelter in place guidelines shift.

Panelists include: Dr. Ilan Fogel, senior medial director, Loxo Oncology; David Fogel, president, Karp’s Ace Hardware; Myrna Sessa, owner, HR Innovations; and Jennie Woltz, senior counsel, Greenwald Doherty Employment & Labor Law. For more information, email Sharon Franklin at sharon@ujf.org.

Jewish stars to hold Lag B’Omer benefit concert for Israeli COVID-19 victims (JTA) – Three well-known Jewish music performers from Israel will hold their first joint concert on Lag b’Omer to raise donations for victims of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yaakov Shwekey, Ishay Ribo and Mordechai ben David are set to livestream their concert on Tuesday, May 12 at 5 p.m., when Jews will commemorate and celebrate the Bar Kochba revolt against the Roman Empire.

Titled “Together as One,” the concert is a benefit for Migdal Ohr, a not-for-profit organization offering civilian relief efforts in Israel. The group’s project, Israel Shield, involves delivering emergency kits of food and essentials to 40,000 people in need in Israel. The project is in cooperation with the army.

A view pass for the three-hour event is $18 per household.

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Bonds of Life: Memorializing those we lost to COVID-19

Benjamin Schaeffer, 58, hero subway conductor battled MTA over Jewish holiday (JTA) – For their third date, Benjamin Schaeffer took Lisa Smid to the New York Transit Museum for a personal tour. Schaffer knew his way around the Lower Manhattan shrine to the city’s transportation systems. A veteran subway conductor, for more than two decades, he had worked for New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, where he was Schaeffer was one of just two Orthodox Jews who worked as MTA conductors.

On April 28, Schaeffer earned a more dubious distinction when he became one of 96 New York transit workers to die of COVID-19. He was 58.

“The love of my life was many things: conductor, union shop steward, transit historian, author, former auxiliary PD, community activist, proud Orthodox Jew,” Smid wrote on Twitter. “He loved Brooklyn.

And I will always love him.”

Schaeffer was no stranger to headlines.

In October, he made news when the MTA asked him to prove that he observed the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah to get the day off from work. The year before, he was hailed as a hero when he quickly evacuated a subway car in Brooklyn after a passenger poured gasoline over the floor of the train.

The MTA awarded Schaeffer a medal for his efforts.

In the days before his death, Smid and others led a frantic online push for blood plasma donors from those who had recovered from COVID-19, in the hope that it would help provide treatment for people with serious symptoms. Unfortunately, by the time Ben received the treatment, he had already been on a ventilator for some time.

“We’ve had our last subway ride together,” Smid wrote Tuesday on Facebook. “And it wasn’t his turn to get off.”

Elliot Samet, 69, pediatrician who helped establish Passaic Hatzolah (JTA) – Every year on Purim, neighborhood children would line up outside the home of Elliot Samet in Passaic, New Jersey, waiting to show him their holiday costumes. “There would be a line up outside his house,” his jewishledger.com

friend George Matyjewicz told the JTA. “People just knocking on the door wanting to them him their costumes. That’s how much they loved him.”

For nearly 40 years, Samet had a pediatric practice in Passaic where he cared for countless children in the local Orthodox community. Over the years he grew legendary for his willingness to interrupt his Shabbat meals when parents showed up with medical questions. He was also a founding board member of the local branch of the Hatzolah emergency services organization.

Samet died on April 7 of a heart attack while battling COVID-19. He was 69. In keeping with current practice, the funeral was limited to close family and was streamed online.

“I would guarantee you, there would have been thousands at his funeral,” Matyjewicz said. “It probably would have been the largest funeral we ever would have had in this community.”

Originally from Detroit, Samet was a graduate of Paris Descartes University and did his medical residency at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn. He was an ardent supporter of the haredi Orthodox Agudath Israel organization, among other Jewish causes, Chabad.org reported.

“Your legendary smile on your face, your beautiful voice and your sense of humor kept everyone smiling,” Yitsy Kleinman, a member of the local Jewish community, told the Orthodox website Yeshiva World News.

Bud Rose, 77, ‘the Steve Jobs of medicine’ (JTA) – Nearly three decades ago, Burton Rose, a highly regarded kidney specialist and professor at Harvard Medical School, turned a rejection by the publisher of his medical textbook into a new venture that ultimately transformed the way medical practitioners work.

In 1992, Rose launched UpToDate after the publisher of his seminal book, Clinical Physiology of Acid-Base and Electrolyte Disorders, declined to make the work available by computer. Over time, the project broadened into a massive repository of clinical information for medical professionals and boasts nearly two million users around the world, according to its website.

“For clinicians around the world, UpToDate is essentially Google for medicine, but smarter and based on evidence,” three of Rose’s colleagues wrote in an article published after Rose’s death on April 24 from Alzheimer’s disease complicated by COVID-19. He was 77. One of those colleagues, Mark Zeidell, once dubbed Rose the “Steve Jobs of medicine.”

Rose was born in Brooklyn in 1942 and went to medical school at New York University, where he met his wife, Gloria, who was studying social work. After Rose served in the Navy for two years, the couple moved to Massachusetts, where they raised three children.

Known to his friends and colleagues as Bud, Rose was a regular at Shabbat services at Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley, where Gloria once served as president. Rabbi Joel Sisenwine recalled a poignant talk Rose shared with the congregation during Yom Kippur services one year, at a time when his dementia had just begun to set in.

Rose shared “what it meant to bravely face a life where he was losing his memory and ability to recall small things,” Sisenwine recalled in an email.

“Most importantly, he talked about his family and especially his wife,” Sisenwine write.

Martin Lovett, 93, last surviving member of acclaimed Jewish string quartet (JTA) – Martin Lovett, a British cellist and the last surviving member of the world renowned Amadeus String Quartet, died in London on April 29 after contracting COVID-19. He was 93.

The British-born Lovett was the last member to join Amadeus, whose other three players were all Austrian-born Jewish refugees who met in an internment camp after fleeing Nazi-occupied Vienna.

Lovett had to learn German quickly to communicate.

Lovett was just 20 when Amadeus had its first performance, in 1948, at London’s Wigmore Hall. The group would go on to become one of the most celebrated string quartets of the 20th century, touring the world extensively and making 200 recordings, including the complete works of Mozart, Brahms and Beethoven.

“The Amadeus were the first British string quartet to conquer the world stage, earning a global reputation from their recordings for Deutsche Grammophon and major U.S. tours,” the classical music critic Norman Lebrecht told JTA Lovett was born in London in 1927 to a secular Jewish family. His father, who gave him his first lessons, had performed in the Hallé and London Philharmonic orchestras.

In 1942, at age 15, Lovett received a scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music.

The quartet disbanded in 1987, after

which Lovett continued to perform in various chamber groups and was a judge in international chamber music competitions.

He was awarded an Order of the British Empire for his services to music, as well as the German Grand Cross of Merit and the Austrian Cross of Honour for Arts and Sciences.

“They were an incredibly intense, hardworking, tight-knit ensemble,” Lebrecht said. “At a time when England was still referred to on the continent as ‘the last without music,’ they broke down all barriers.”

Sidney Fleischer, 102, decorated war veteran who fought in eight battles (JTA) – Sidney Fleischer came into the world just prior to one of the worst pandemics in history – the 1918 flu pandemic that killed as many as 50 million people worldwide. And he left the world in the midst of another. Fleischer died of COVID-19 on April 7 in Boston. He was 102.

Fleischer was a student at Boston University when World War II broke out. When he learned about the plight of European Jews, he immediately enlisted in the U.S. Army, ending up as a gunner on a B-17 bomber. A decorated soldier, Fleischer served in campaigns across North Africa and Italy, in the end receiving eight battle stars indicating his participation in eight military campaigns. He was declared Veteran of the Day on the Veteran Affairs website in 2018.

“I’m told this is virtually unheard of,” Fleischer’s daughter Daralynn Fleischer told JTA, referring to her father’s eight battle stars. “And I never knew about this until he fell a few years ago and I went through his drawers for papers and found his army discharge.” Daralynn added: “Every little girl thinks their father is a hero, but mine really was.”

After the war, Fleischer returned to Boston, raising four children and working as a wholesale shoe salesman until 2005.

In the 1960s, Fleischer supported the civil rights movement, and later was an early proponent of LGBTQ rights. “It was always important to him that we had friends from all walks of life,” Daralynn said. “I always thought of my father as one of the lamed vavniks because that’s who he was: kind and big hearted,” said Daralynn, referring to the 36 hidden righteous men of Jewish lore.

Tedje van der Sluis, 93, Auschwitz survivor whose marriage was subject of film (JTA) – Tedje van der Sluis had lived by her husband’s side since she was a teenager.

The couple, both Holocaust survivors

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OBITUARIES The Ledger prints a basic obituary free of charge. Free obituaries are edited to fit the newspaper’s style. Obituaries that those submitting would like to run “as is,” as well as accompanying photos, may be printed for a charge. For more information: j­ udiej@jewishledger.com, 860.231.2424.

BASS Jack Bass of Farmington, of West Hartford, died May 2, two days short of his 99th birthday. He was the widower of Lynette A. (Yush) Bass. Born in Hartford, he was the son of Harris and Bessie Bass. He served in the U.S. Army in Europe during World War II. Lynette A. Bass (Yush).

He is survived by his children, Harris Bass and his wife Margaret of Manhattan Beach, Calif., and Susan Bass of Columbia; his grandchildren, Robert and Sheila; his partner Ruth Wolfson of West Hartford; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was also predeceased by his brothers, Benjamin Bass and Abraham Gaier, and by his sisters, Ann Firestone and Sylvia Brugg.

Jack leaves many nieces and nephews and many cousins and friends.

BLUM Dr. Lawrence M. Blum, 91, of Bridgeport, died May 2. He was the husband of Florence Blum. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., he was the son of Daisy (Friedman) and Dr. Harry Blum, and the step-son of Regina Blum.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children, Stephen Blum and his wife Andrea, Robert Blum, and Esther Horn and her husband Jeremy; grandchildren Leo and Alegra Blum, and Benjamin Hor; his, brother-in-law Charles Kruger and his wife Ellen; and his nieces and nephew.

COHN Rita J. (Aronson), of Brockton, Mass., formerly of Randolph, Mass., Bloomfield, Conn., and Worcester, Mass., died April 28, just a few weeks shy of her 105th birthday.

She was the widow of Jacob “Jack” Cohn of Worcester, Mass. Born in Hartford, she was the daughter of the late Abraham B. and Celia K. Aronson. She is served by her children, Stephen C. Cohn and his wife Jill of Randolph, Mass., and Lynn C. Robertson

and her husband David of Lombard, Ill.; her grandson Adam C. Cohn and his wife Mary of Walpole, Mass.; her great-granddaughter Eva Cohn; and many nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her brothers Sidney Aronson and Irving L. Aronson; and her sisters Dorothy Zingeser and Florence Jainchill.

BUDKOFSKY Madeline Jackoway Budkofsky died April 25 in West Hartford. She was the widow of Rubin Budkofsky. She was born in Hartford, Connecticut on July 19, 1933.

She was an active member of Congregation Agudas Achim in West Hartford. She was also predeceased by her daughter-in-law Cathy Strano Budkofsky, and her son Theodore Budkofsky. She is survived by her grandchildren, Melissa, Jennifer, Seth, and Aaron; her great grandchild; and her sisters, Lorraine Jackoway Pregozen of Palm Desert and Santa Maria, Calif., and Rita Jackoway Fink of Old Saybrook.

DIMENSTEIN Doris Teitelman Goldberg Dimenstein, 90, died April 30. She was the widow of Samuel Dimentstin. Born and raised in New Haven, she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Ruth Teitelman. She was a member of Bikur Cholim Synagogue. She is survived by her children, Howard and his wife Sue of Boston, Mass., Leonard and his wife Zola of Hamden, and Marc and his wife Judy of Hamden; her grandchildren, Max and Jessie Goldberg, Joshua and Allison Goldberg, and Benjamin Cross; her brother Aaron Teitelman and his wife Arlene of Cromwell; and her former daughter-in-law of Debbie Goldberg of North Haven; and her nieces and nephews and their families.

She was also predeceased by her son Norman Goldberg. and her sister Beatrice Teitelman.

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ELLIS Elizabeth “Betty” (Stone) Ellis, 92, of Manchester, died May 4, 2020. She was the wife of Neil H. Ellis. Raised in Albany, N.Y., she was the daughter of Abraham and Anna Stone. She joined Manchester’s Journal Inquirer in 1967 and became publisher in 1973, one of just a few women in similar positions nationwide. In addition to her husband, she is survived by her daughters, Deborah Ellis and her husband Adrian Keating of West Hartford, and Abigail Bellock and her husband William of Manchester; her grandchildren, Emily Bellock, Jonathan Bellock, Eliza Bhargava, and Samuel Bellock; her greatgrandchildren, Jane and Samuel Bellock; her sister-in-law Blanche Stone; and

several nieces and nephews. She was also predeceased by her son Jonathan Ellis, and her brothers Robert and Joseph Stone.

LINET Sue Linet, 96, of Bridgeport, formerly of Trumbull, died April 30. She was the widow of Abe Linet. Born in Philadelphia, she was daughter of Tillie and Sol Rosenberg.

During World War II, she volunteered to make uniforms for the servicemen. She was a member of B’nai Torah synagogue in Trumbull. She is survived by her sons, Leon Linet, and Sol Linet and his wife Sharon of Orange; her grandchildren, AJ and David; her sis-ter Gerri; her brother-in-law Herb; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

Bonds of Life CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

from Amsterdam, had been inseparable since 1945, when they met at a Jewish orphanage. But Tedje, who suffered from dementia, was when alone when she died on April 11 at Beth Shalom Jewish nursing home in Amsterdam. She was 93. Her family have only a vague idea of what she went through in her final hours.

It was a lonely end to a love affair so legendary it was the subject of a 2018 Dutch television documentary. “Tedje & Meijer: The Promise of Love,” shows Meijer lovingly caring for Tedje as her dementia worsens. The couple used childlike terms of endearment for one another until Meijer’s death in January, and they were often kissing, hugging and rubbing noses. Their love for each other “was so strong, so intense” that “there was actually no space for anyone else between them. Not even their children,” their daughter Mirjam said in the documentary.

Tedje met her future husband in 1945 at a high school called GICOL, which functioned as an orphanage for Jewish children who had lost their families in the Holocaust.

“We had, of course, lost everyone,” Meijer says in the documentary. Tedje’s mother died before the war, but her father and sister were taken to the Westerbork concentration camp and later to Auschwitz, where in 1944 Tedje too was eventually sent.

Though they led happy lives, the past was never far below the surface, their children said. The couple’s grandson, Yotam Bar-Ephraim, said the family’s only solace is in believing the couple are reunited in the afterlife. Their anniversary would have been celebrated on April 28.

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JEWISH LEDGER

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New England Jewish Academy in Greater Hartford - Preschool aide to assist our two dynamic lead teachers - Wonderful children and supportive environment - Hours are 11:005:00 M-TH, 11:00-4:00 on Friday’s with the exception of winter when Friday hours are 11:00-2:20. We are also looking for an art teacher who can work one full day each week. Please email your resume to zsilver@ sigelacademy.org.

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Caregiver looking for full time live-in job - HHA/Precursor CNA - 12 Years experience - Friendly, outgoing, dependable - Please call Janet at 412-527-9285.

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CT SYNAGOGUE DIRECTORY To join our synagogue directories, contact Howard Meyerowitz at (860) 231-2424 x3035 or howardm@jewishledger.com.

BLOOMFIELD B’nai Tikvoh-Sholom/ Neshama Center for Lifelong Learning Conservative Rabbi Debra Cantor (860) 243-3576 office@BTSonline.org www.btsonline.org BRIDGEPORT Congregation B’nai Israel Reform Rabbi Evan Schultz (203) 336-1858 info@cbibpt.org www.cbibpt.org Congregation Rodeph Sholom Conservative (203) 334-0159 Rabbi Richard Eisenberg, Rabbi-in-Residence Cantor Niema Hirsch info@rodephsholom.com www.rodephsholom.com Jewish Senior Services Traditional Rabbi Stephen Shulman (203) 396-1001 sshulman@jseniors.org www.jseniors.org CHESHIRE Temple Beth David Reform Rabbi Micah Ellenson (203) 272-0037 office@TBDCheshire.org www.TBDCheshire.org

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CHESTER Congregation Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek Reform Rabbi Marci Bellows (860) 526-8920 rabbibellows@cbsrz.org www.cbsrz.org COLCHESTER Congregation Ahavath Achim Conservative Rabbi Kenneth Alter (860) 537-2809 secretary@congregationahavathachim.org EAST HARTFORD Temple Beth Tefilah Conservative Rabbi Yisroel Snyder (860) 569-0670 templebetht@yahoo.com FAIRFIELD Congregation Ahavath Achim Orthodox (203) 372-6529 office@ahavathachim.org www.ahavathachim.org Congregation Beth El, Fairfield Conservative Rabbi Marcelo Kormis (203) 374-5544 office@bethelfairfield.org www.bethelfairfield.org GLASTONBURY Congregation Kol Haverim Reform Rabbi Dr. Kari Tuling (860) 633-3966 office@kolhaverim.org www.kolhaverim.org

GREENWICH Greenwich Reform Synagogue Reform Rabbi Jordie Gerson (203) 629-0018 hadaselias@grs.org www.grs.org Temple Sholom Conservative Rabbi Mitchell M. Hurvitz Rabbi Chaya Bender Cantor Sandy Bernstein (203) 869-7191 info@templesholom.com www.templesholom.com HAMDEN Temple Beth Sholom Conservative Rabbi Benjamin Edidin Scolnic (203) 288-7748 tbsoffice@tbshamden.com www.tbshamden.com MADISON Temple Beth Tikvah Reform Rabbi Stacy Offner (203) 245-7028 office@tbtshoreline.org www.tbtshoreline.org MANCHESTER Beth Sholom B’nai Israel Conservative Rabbi Randall Konigsburg (860) 643-9563 Rabbenu@myshul.org programming@myshul.org www.myshul.org

MIDDLETOWN Adath Israel Conservative Spiritual Leaders: Rabbi Marshal Press Rabbi Michael Kohn (860) 346-4709 office@adathisraelct.org www.adathisraelct.org NEW BRITAIN Congregation Tephereth Israel Orthodox Rabbi Andrew Hechtman (860) 229-1485 NEW HAVEN The Towers Conservative Ruth Greenblatt, Spiritual Leader (203) 772-1816 rebecca@towerone.org www.towerone.org Congregation Beth El-Keser Israel Conservative Rabbi Jon-Jay Tilsen (203) 389-2108 office@BEKI.org www.BEKI.org Orchard Street ShulCongregation Beth Israel Orthodox Rabbi Mendy Hecht 973-723-9070 www.orchardstreetshul.org NEW LONDON Ahavath Chesed Synagogue Orthodox Rabbi Avrohom Sternberg 860-442-3234 Ahavath.chesed@att.net Congregation Beth El Conservative Rabbi Rachel Safman (860) 442-0418 office@bethel-nl.org bethel-nl.org NEWINGTON Temple Sinai Reform Rabbi Jeffrey Bennett (860) 561-1055 templesinaict@gmail.com www.sinaict.org NEWTOWN Congregation Adath Israel Conservative Rabbi Barukh Schectman (203) 426-5188 office@congadathisrael.org www.congadathisrael.org

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SOUTHINGTON Gishrei Shalom Jewish Congregation Reform Rabbi Alana Wasserman (860) 276-9113 President@gsjc.org www.gsjc.org

Congregation Beth Israel Reform Rabbi Michael Pincus Rabbi Andi Fliegel Cantor Stephanie Kupfer (860) 233-8215 bethisrael@cbict.org www.cbict.org

TRUMBULL Congregation B’nai Torah Conservative Rabbi Colin Brodie (203) 268-6940 office@bnaitorahct.org www.bnaitorahct.org

Congregation P’nai Or Jewish Renewal Shabbat Services Rabbi Andrea Cohen-Kiener (860) 561-5905 pnaiorct@gmail.com www.jewishrenewalct.org

Temple Shalom Reform Rabbi Mark Lipson (203) 866-0148 admin@templeshalomweb.org www.templeshalomweb.org

WALLINGFORD Beth Israel Synagogue Conservative Rabbi Bruce Alpert (203) 269-5983 richardcaplan@sbcglobal.net www.bethisrael/wallingford. org

Kehilat Chaverim of Greater Hartford Chavurah Adm. - Marcey Ginsburg Munoz (860) 951-6877 info@ kehilatchaverim.org www.kehilatchaverim.org

ORANGE Congregation Or Shalom Conservative Rabbi Alvin Wainhaus (203) 799-2341 info@orshalomct.org www.orshalomct.org

WASHINGTON Greater Washington Coalition Rabbi James Greene (860) 868-2434 admin@jewishlifect.org www.jewishlife.org

RIDGEFIELD Congregation Shir Shalom of Westchester and Fairfield Counties Reform Rabbi David Reiner Cantor Debora Katchko-Gray (203) 438-6589 office@ourshirshalom.org

WATERFORD Temple Emanu - El Reform Rabbi Marc Ekstrand Rabbi Emeritus Aaron Rosenberg (860) 443-3005 office@tewaterfrord.org www.tewaterford.org

SIMSBURY Chabad of the Farmington Valley Chabad Rabbi Mendel Samuels (860) 658-4903 chabadsimsbury@gmail.com www.chabadotvalley.org

WEST HARTFORD Beth David Synagogue Orthodox Rabbi Yitzchok Adler (860) 236-1241 office@bethdavidwh.org www.bethdavidwh.org

NORWALK Beth Israel Synagogue – Chabad of Westport/ Norwalk Orthodox-Chabad Rabbi Yehoshua S. Hecht (203) 866-0534 info@bethisraelchabad.org bethisraelchabad.org Congregation Beth El-Norwalk Conservative Rabbi Ita Paskind (203) 838-2710 Jody@congbethel.org www.congbethel.org

Farmington Valley Jewish Congregation, Emek Shalom Reform Rabbi Rebekah Goldman Mag (860) 658-1075 admin@fvjc.org www.fvjc.org SOUTH WINDSOR Temple Beth Hillel of South Windsor Reform Rabbi Jeffrey Glickman (860) 282-8466 tbhrabbi@gmail.com www.tbhsw.org

Beth El Temple Conservative Rabbi James Rosen Rabbi Ilana Garber (860) 233-9696 hsowalsky@bethelwh.org www.bethelwesthartford.org Chabad House of Greater Hartford Rabbi Joseph Gopin Rabbi Shaya Gopin, Director of Education (860) 232-1116 info@chabadhartford.com www.chabadhartford.com

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The Emanuel Synagogue Conservative The Emanuel Synagogue Conservative Rabbi David J. Small (860) 236-1275 communications@emanuelsynagogue.org www.emanuelsynagogue.org United Synagogues of Greater Hartford Orthodox Rabbi Eli Ostrozynski synagogue voice mail (860) 586-8067 Rabbi’s mobile (718) 6794446 ostro770@hotmail.com www.usgh.org Young Israel of West Hartford Orthodox Rabbi Tuvia Brander (860) 233-3084 info@youngisraelwh.org www.youngisraelwh.org WOODBRIDGE Congregation B’nai Jacob Conservative Rabbi Rona Shapiro (203) 389-2111 info@bnaijacob.org www.bnaijacob.org

MAY 15, 2020

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