The Voice of the Lehigh Valley Jewish Community
www.jewishlehighvalley.org
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Issue No. 447
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October 2021
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Tishrei/Cheshvan 5782
AWARD-WINNING PUBLICATION EST. 1977
Celebrate PJ Library’s birthday with a look at the past 10 years! p16-17
It’s “your time” to thrive - learn what’s happening in the older adult community in our special section p22-25
FROM THE DESK OF JERI ZIMMERMAN p2 WOMEN’S PHILANTHROPY p4 LVJF TRIBUTES p8 JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE p15 JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER p18-19 JEWISH DAY SCHOOL p20 COMMUNITY CALENDAR p31
LIFE & LEGACY Celebration set to close out Year 4 Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall at the Lincoln Center in New York, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., Salle Gaveau in Paris, Wigmore Hall in London, and the Konzerthaus Berlin, Peled has released over a dozen recordings on the Naxos, Centaur, Delos and CTM Classics labels. A professor since 2003 at the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University, he has performed and presented master classes around the world including at the Marlboro and Newport Music Festivals and the Heifetz International Music Summer Institute in the U.S., the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival in Germany, International Musicians Seminar Prussia Cove in England, and Keshet Eilon in Israel. Peled performs on a cello made by the Italian master Giovanni Grancino, ca. 1695, on generous loan from the Roux Family Foundation. He is
represented worldwide by CTM Classics. The Lehigh Valley Jewish Foundation celebrates the 10 partnership organizations in the Lehigh Valley who worked together to make the LIFE & LEGACY experience a success in our community: Congregation Am Haskalah, Congregation Bnai Shalom, Congregation Brith Sholom, Congregation Keneseth Israel, Congregation Sons of Israel, Jewish Community Center of the Lehigh Valley, Jewish Day School of the Lehigh Valley, Jewish Family Service of the Lehigh Valley, Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley and Temple Beth El.
PHOTO BY LISA MARIE MAZZUCCO
On Tuesday, Oct. 12, the Lehigh Valley Jewish community will celebrate a successful fourth year of the LIFE & LEGACY program. LIFE & LEGACY, which is a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, has the goal of generating legacy gifts in the Lehigh Valley Jewish community. As of June 30, 560 commitments with an estimated value of $10.4 million were made by over 300 donors across the Lehigh Valley. The Oct. 12 celebration is cosponsored by the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. Internationally renowned cellist Amit Peled will perform at the 7 p.m. event via Zoom. Praised by The Strad magazine and The New York Times, Peled is acclaimed as one of the most exciting and virtuosic instrumentalists on the concert stage today. Having performed in many of the world’s most prestigious venues, including
Contact mailbox@jflv.org by Oct. 8 to receive the Zoom link to the Year 4 Celebration. Amit Peled is represented worldwide by CTM Classics. To learn more, visit www.amitpeled.com.
Federation to host two seminars on antisemitism By Stephanie Goodling HAKOL Editor
Non-Profit Organization 702 North 22nd Street Allentown, PA 18104
U.S. POSTAGE PAID Lehigh Valley, PA Permit No. 64
With antisemitism on the rise and the ArabIsraeli conflict in the news, Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is partnering with other organizations to bring two separate seminars addressing antisemitism to the community this fall. On Oct. 17 at 12 p.m., middle and high school teens are invited to join “Antisemitism or Not?” This program will be facilitated by Karen Stiller, Middle East project director at the JCRC of San Francisco, which is co-sponsoring the event with the Community Relations Council of the Lehigh Valley. Students will learn to identify what constitutes an antisemitic encounter in person, at school and/or on social media. “This program will allow teens to practice how to react to different scenarios, all in a safe, close environment,” explained Aaron Gorodzinksy, Federation director of
campaign and security planning. “It’s very important for those who are going to school to be ready and prepared to stand up for themselves.” The plan is to meet in a hybrid setting, both at the Jewish Community Center of the Lehigh Valley and over Zoom. Then, on Oct. 28 at 6:30 p.m., Federation is teaming up with the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism to present a virtual opportunity to learn about what organizations in the Jewish community are doing to confront the prevalence of antisemitism on social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. “We’ll hear from an expert who is drafting policy and helping social media companies to not only commit to fighting antisemitism but to implement changes to make that happen,” said Gorodzinsky. To sign up for these events, contact Aaron Gorodzinsky at 610-821-5500 or aaron@jflv.org.
Something magical can happen As we get ready to celebrate 10 years of PJ Library in our community (Oct. 24), we should all be excited that we are providing a gateway opportunity for our youngest community members to connect within our Jewish community. This dynamic project, created by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, and brought to the Lehigh Valley by Vicki and Stan (z”l) Wax, Bonnie and Bobby Hammel, and Jean Weiner, sends free Jewish children’s books to families raising kids from birth through 9 years old, making Judaism a part of their lives. To date, our community has distributed 35,000 books and is still going strong! PJ Library
shares Jewish stories that help families talk about values and traditions that are important to each of us. This special program allows something magical to happen when parents sit down to read with their children. Our children are learning about the world around them through the stories they hear, and PJ Library books bring Jewish ideas and inspiration to you, your children and your grandchildren to share together. While we are anticipating a wonderful celebration with our young families and their children, we are also planning two special initiatives for older adults. Working with Jewish Fam-
ily Service, we are creating an older adults Freestyle Mission to Israel in May 2022, with the goals of building new relationships and strengthening existing relationships within our older adult community. We are also looking forward to a special itinerary and to building new relationships with non-profit social service organizations in Israel. As part of the preparation for this unique trip, our shaliach, Gavriel Siman-Tov will be working with the group conducting conversational Hebrew programs and workshops on everyday life in Israel and making connections with members of our Partnership2Gether community in Israel, Yoav.
The Jewish Federation extends condolences to Lucille and the Wahrman family on the passing of Jonah Wahrman, z"l, who had once been an employee of the Federation working on behalf on the Jewish community.
As a community, the Jewish Federation will also be convening a Seniors Task Force and will work with Jewish Family Service to take a deeper look at the programs and services available for seniors living in the Lehigh Valley. The purpose of this important task force will be to assess the needs of our seniors so that we can better be positioned to offer the right services. I mention these initiatives for our youngest and our oldest community members because we are truly blessed to be able to provide programs to meet the needs of these populations. These two groups represent both the future of our community and the roots of our community. It is incumbent upon us to welcome and engage our young community members in order for us to be vibrant and relevant into the future. How-
ever, we must not lose sight of those “who planted for us,” and as our community ages, we must ensure the proper services for our older adults in order for them to continue to enjoy life in the Lehigh Valley with dignity. The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is Here for Good to ensure that our Jewish community thrives from dor l’dor. Good doesn’t just happen on its own. It comes from our collective dedication, to the promise of a flourishing Jewish future. It is also our commitment to intergenerational programming so that we can count on one another to continue to help good grow. Just as we have in the past. Just as we will in the future.
HAKOL STAFF
The Lehigh Valley-Yoav Partnership Park in Blessed Memory of Mark L. Goldstein We gratefully acknowledge those individuals who have offered expressions of friendship by requesting that trees be planted in the Mark L. Goldstein Friendship Park, a Yoav-Lehigh Valley Partnership Forest. IN HONOR SENATOR PAT BROWN In honor of a speedy and complete recovery Community Relations Council AMY AND ERIC FELS L’Shanah Tovah! Vicki Wax JANE AND ARTHUR KAPLAN Happy Anniversary Jennifer, Seth, Alex and Aiden Kaplan BETH AND HOWARD KUSHNICK L’Shanah Tovah! Vicki Wax RABBI SETH PHILLIPS AND MARGE KRAMER In honor of the birth of your grandson, Yehudeh Iser Vicki Wax CHIEF CHARLES ROCA In honor of your promotion to Chief of the Allentown Police Department
Community Relations Council NICOLE AND JARROD ROSENTHAL L’Shanah Tovah! Vicki Wax FRANK AND TAMA TAMARKIN L’Shanah Tovah! Vicki Wax MIRIAM AND MICHAEL ZAGER L’Shanah Tovah! Vicki Wax VALESKA AND ISRAEL ZIGHELBOIM L’Shanah Tovah! Vicki Wax IN MEMORY JOAN SCHILDKRAUT (Mother of Debbie and Suzanne) Nancy Bernstein Tracy and Robert Grob JACK WURGAFT (Husband of Ruth Wurgaft) Lisa and Barnet Fraenkel
TO ORDER TREES, call the JFLV at 610-821-5500 or visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org.
STEPHANIE GOODLING Editor/Marketing Associate
HAKOL is published 11 times per year for the Jewish communities of Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton and vicinity by the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley.
COMMUNITY SUBMISSIONS
ALLISON MEYERS Marketing Project Manager & Senior Graphic Designer DIANE MCKEE Account Representative TEL: 610-515-1391 hakolads@jflv.org
Submissions to HAKOL must be of interest to the entire Jewish community. HAKOL reserves all editorial rights including, but not limited to, the decision to print any submitted materials, the editing of submissions to conform to style and length requirements, and the placement of any printed material. Articles should be submitted by e-mail or presented as typed copy; “Community Calendar” listings must be submitted by e-mail to hakol@jflv.org or online at www.jewishlehighvalley.org. Please include your name and a daytime telephone number where you can be contacted in the event questions arise. We cannot guarantee publication or placement of submissions.
BAYLEY CARL Marketing & Engagement Associate
MAIL, FAX, OR E-MAIL TO: JFLV ATTN: HAKOL 702 N. 22nd St. Allentown, PA 18104
GARY FROMER JFLV President
Phone: (610) 821-5500 Fax: (610) 821-8946 E-mail: hakol@jflv.org
JFLV EXECUTIVE STAFF JERI ZIMMERMAN Executive Director TEMPLE COLDREN Director of Finance & Administration AARON GORODZINSKY Director of Campaign & Security Planning AMY ZYLBERMAN Director of Community Development WENDY EDWARDS Office Manager
Member American Jewish Press Association
All advertising is subject to review and approval by The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley (JFLV). JFLV reserves the right to decline, withdraw and/or edit any ad. The appearance of any advertising in HAKOL does not represent an endorsement or kashrut certification. Paid political advertisements that appear in HAKOL do not represent an endorsement of any candidate by the JFLV.
JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY MISSION STATEMENT
In order to unite, sustain, and enhance the Lehigh Valley Jewish community, and support Jewish communities in Israel and around the world, the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is dedicated to the following core values: • Supporting Jews in need wherever they may be. • Supporting Israel as a Jewish homeland. • Supporting and encouraging Jewish education in the Lehigh Valley as a means of strengthening Jewish life for individuals and families. • Supporting programs and services of organizations whose values and mission meet local Jewish needs. To accomplish this mission the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is committed to the following operating guidelines: • Raising and distributing funds to support the core values. • Developing Jewish leaders. • Building endowments to support implementation of core values. • Committing to ongoing Jewish community strategic planning. • Fostering cooperation among organizations and community building. • Evaluating all decisions with respect to fiscal responsibility. • Identifying unmet needs and investing in community initiatives to help get them started. • Coordinating and convening a community response as an issue or need arises. • Setting priorities for allocation and distribution of funds. • Acting as a central address for communication about events, programs and services of the Jewish community as a whole. Approved by the JFLV Board of Directors on November 15, 2000
2 OCTOBER 2021 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
Jewish Community of the Lehigh Valley part of North American giving initiative to double the number of legacy donors Through a new LIFE & LEGACY® campaign, called Each One Reach One, the Lehigh Valley Jewish Foundation is partnering with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF) to increase the number of donors participating in its community-wide endowment building legacy giving initiative. This new effort encourages committed legacy donors to share their stories and motivations for leaving a legacy with family and friends, helping others understand their passion for the Jewish future and their communities. By doing so, we are hopeful family and friends will be inspired to leave a legacy too. “LIFE & LEGACY has made such a significant impact on the future of the ten local organizations participating and the Lehigh Valley Jewish community as a whole. To date, we have 560 commitments with an estimated value of $10.4 million, but we know that the needs will always be there for future generations, which is why we hope to increase that number,” said Jeri Zimmerman, executive director of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. “Legacy giving allows everyone to be a philanthropist, to acknowledge the impact local organizations and programs have had on their life and make it possible for future generations
to have a similar experience. We are so thankful that to date 18,000 donors across North America have stepped up and made a legacy commitment to one or more valued organizations. Imagine if each of you reached out to one other person, shared why you left a legacy and encouraged your friend or family member to join you. We would double our numbers, and the Jewish future would be twice as bright,” said Arlene D. Schiff, National Director of the LIFE & LEGACY program. The Each One Reach One campaign was launched at LIFE & LEGACY’s Virtual Legacy Donor Appreciation Event on May 25 where donors from across North America shared their stories. During the event, Winnie Sandler Grinspoon, President of HGF, and Harold Grinspoon, Founder, encouraged us all to imagine what the Jewish future would look like if 18,000 legacy donors became 36,000 or 360,000 or 3.6 million. To view the event visit www. youtube.com/watch?v=c-D8LqkhVIQ. To encourage donors, organizations and our community to participate, HGF is offering $300,000 in national incentives. To learn more visit lvjfgiving.org or contact Jeri Zimmerman at 610-821-5500. LIFE & LEGACY is an initiative
of HGF which is investing $30 million dollars over a ten-year period to preserve vibrant Jewish life for future generations by ensuring the long-term financial health of Jewish community organizations in cities across North America, including the Lehigh Valley. “Providing Jewish communities
with proven tools and training to help them secure their long-term financial goals is absolutely vital. Through the LIFE & LEGACY program, I’m hopeful that we will be able to help sustain vibrant communities that allow future generations to enjoy our rich Jewish culture and heritage,” said Harold Grinspoon, the founder of HGF.
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | OCTOBER 2021 3
WOMEN’S PHILANTHROPY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY
Pomegranates and Lions of Judah inaugurate campaign year with “First Lady of Nails” By Amy Zylberman JFLV Director of Community Development If anyone knows about going “all hands in,” it’s Suzi Weiss-Fischmann. Her passion for polish and spirit for style helped her transition the dental-supply company she co-owned, Ondontorium Products Inc. to OPI Products, seizing the moment to break into the nail care market. Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is delighted to welcome Weiss-Fischmann to speak with our community of Lions of Judah and Pomegranate Society over Zoom for our “First Lady of Nails” event on Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. The evening will create an exciting opportunity to gather to kick off our “Here for Good” 2022 Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs. Fittingly, Weiss-Fischmann’s nail care products have been a catalyst for good. On building her empire, she’s said, “We wanted women everywhere to find nail color approachable, to have choices in a color that reflected their mood and style, and to feel more connected to the process.” Sharing the virtual space with Weiss-Fischmann will enhance the spirit of togetherness in the Lehigh Valley. Event chair Laura Wax
understands that deep need for connection. “It’s so important, especially now when we all are keeping a distance, to still be able to join together, virtually, in order to stay connected to each other,” she shared. Wax is working alongside Women’s Philanthropy President Beth Kushnick to ensure a fantastic evening. The event is open to and celebrates our community Pomegranates, women contributing $1,800 or more to the annual campaign, and our Lions of Judah, women contributing $5,000 or more to the annual campaign. Wax shared something she holds dear in being part of this giving community, saying, “Being a member of a group of women with one common mission - the ability to actually improve the world around us through our tzedakah and chesed – is truly an honor.” She also remarked on Women’s Philanthropy’s “dedication to the continuity, connectivity and thriving future of our local community, Israel and the Jewish people.” Those attending can look forward to a colorful evening of stories, lessons learned along the way, and what Jewish values mean to Weiss-Fischmann. There will be an opportunity for questions and answers.
Speaking to her many lacquer shades, Fischmann has shared, “It gives people a small but powerful tool to show the world who they are and who they want to be. Women who have found their voice and their personal style and sense of self are women who break barriers and change the world.” Women’s Philanthropy is thrilled to be able to welcome such a trailblazing woman as our keynote speaker and recognize the esteemed, unique Pomegranates and Lions right here in the Lehigh Valley. Please join us! After all, this is your women’s philanthropy. To learn more or make a pledge, contact Jeri Zimmerman at jeri@jflv.org.
SPONSORED BY THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY’S WOMEN’S DIVISION
welcoming new babies to the Lehigh Valley If you’re expecting, know someone who is, or have a new baby, PLEASE LET US KNOW! Contact Abby Trachtman, 610-821-5500 | abbyt@jflv.org
Handmade Afghans BY EVA LEVITT
All proceeds benefit projects in Israel:
Food Banks in Israel Neve Michael Youth Village
For prices or to place an order, call Eva 610-398-1376.
All payments are made payable to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley 4 OCTOBER 2021 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
Major donor event to feature expert on Arab-Israeli conflict
By Stephanie Goodling HAKOL Editor Kenneth W. Stein, Ph.D., is a professor known for studying the Arab-Israeli conflict, in both historical and socio-economic context. He will be the featured speaker at the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley’s program for major donors on Oct. 6. “Dr. Stein will be talking about things are unfolding with the Abraham Accords one year on,” said Aaron Gorodzinsky, Federation director of campaign and security planning. The program will be held virtually and is open to households that have pledged a minimum of $5,000 to the 2022 Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs. Stein is Professor of Contemporary Middle Eastern History, Political Science and Israel Studies at Emory University, where he has taught since 1977. He spent many years working with the Carter Center. Stein is the founding director of the Emory Institute for the Study of Modern Israel and holds a joint appointment within the history and political science departments there. He founded and remains president of the Center for Israel Education, focusing on Israel learning beyond the university. He has won multiple awards and published five books and numerous scholarly articles. To learn more about attending this event, contact Aaron Gorodzinsky, director of campaign and security planning, at 610-821-5500 or aaron@jflv.org.
Maimonides Society kicks off 35th year By Stephanie Goodling HAKOL Editor
Antisemitism:
A Bipartisan Problem that Demands a Nonpartisan Solution
R.S.V.P. by Oct. 20 to 610-821-5500 or mailbox@jflv.org to attend the webinar.
of Greater Philadelphia
Jewish Community Relations Council
A speaker series featuring leaders who have courageously and powerfully challenged anti-Jewish bigotry from their own political allies.
How Progressives Can Counter Antisemitism on the Left
How Conservatives Can Counter Antisemitism on the Right
Carly Pildis
Associate Director for Community Engagement, AOL
Manilan Houle
Assistant Regional Director , AOL Midwest
The Maimonides Society of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley will be kicking off a year dedicated to celebrating its 35th anniversary with its first program on Sunday, Oct. 24, at 10:30 a.m. via Zoom. “Where Is Gastroenterology Today? An Update on Surgical and Non-Surgical Procedures” will be the first program. This topic honors the memory of Dr. Mickey Ufberg, z”l, a founding member of Maimondies who passed away in June, by focusing on his specialty. This anniversary year will also honor the legacies of Ufberg and other Maimonides founders. “The Maimonides Society has been so important not only through their generosity to the Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs, but also especially in the last 18 months, as our doctors, nurses and healthcare workers have worked selflessly to sustain our community during this pandemic. We want to thank and honor them this year,” said Aaron Gorodzinsky, director of campaign and security planning for the Jewish Federation.
Jewish Federation
Alex Zeldin
Columnist, The Forward Carly Pildis, Manilan Houle and Alex Zeldin, influential progressive advocates and thought leaders, have all confronted antisemitism, anti-Zionism and anti-Israel bias from their progressive allies. Join this discussion to learn how progressives can make a difference in pushing back against antisemitism on the political left.
William Kristol Founding Director, Defending Democracy Together Editor-at-Large, The Bulwark William Kristal, one of the defining conservative thinkers and writers of his generation, has a decades-long track record of facing down antisemitism from within his own party. Join us to hear about his experiences and learn how conservatives can effectively challenge anti-Jewish hate on the political right.
October 12, 2021
November 18, 2021
7:00 -8:30 PM Eastern
7:00 -8:30 PM Eastern
Zoom Webinar
Zoom Webinar
Register at tinyurl.com/83few5jt
Register at tinyurl.com/yhheft9u
Co-Sponsored By:
JCRC of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati
Baltimore Jewish Council
JCRC of the Jewish Federation of Delaware
JCRC of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater
Indianapolis JCRC CRC of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland JCRC of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte/JCRC Valley JCRC of Columbus Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg/JCRC JCRC of Minnesota and the Dakotas JCRC of Greater Asheville Jewish Federation of Louisville/JCRC JCRC of Richmond JCRC of Greater Washington Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh CRC JCRC of Southern New Jersey JCRC of Howard County
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | OCTOBER 2021 5
Temple Beth El launches Project Zug for learning through partnership vide opportunities for growth, while keeping us safe. Of special interests are the ones that have adapted particularly well to the demands of COVID-19. Judaism Unbound started out as a podcast. Its creative team (Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg), responded quickly at the start of the pandemic and launched the video streaming hub JewishLive, an ”internet-based platform where access to innovative, meaningful and relevant Jewish experiences and content is not limited to one organization or physical location.” Another model of communal engagement is that of Hadar institute with a brick-and-mortar center in New York since 2006. Their Project Zug, introduced to the world in 2012, works perfectly well virtually as well under the current constraints of social isolation. Project Zug is a framework for paired learning of Jewish texts. It guides participants in getting up close and personal with our most foundational sources. Nothing is assumed. There is no requirement for Hebrew or prior knowledge and participants are paired according to their interests and preferences. So no JewBarrassment there. What makes this program
By Adina Re’em Temple Beth El When co-founders of JewBelong.com Archie Gottesman and Stacy Stuart use the madeup word “JewBarressment,” everybody somehow knows exactly what it means. That’s because so many of us, whether or not we are new to Judaism, whether or not we have grown up with some Jewish tradition or none, have experienced it at some point in our lives. Perhaps it was trying to keep up with prayers we could not understand, noticing an unfamiliar ritual at a Shabbat dinner or struggling to answer a friend’s question about some obscure Jewish holiday, innocently asking “What’s Shemini Atzeret all about?” Gottesman and Stuart, two veteran marketing professionals, set out to change this with billboard-size pink ads all over New York City, including Times Square. They are provocative and funny because, “Judaism should be fun and inclusive, and not chock full of worry about getting something wrong.” In our opinion they are righton. And they are not the only ones. Many Jewish organizations have been developing out-of-the-box ways to answer contemporary needs in the Jewish community. This has been ever more challenging in a world where getting together as a community can make us sick. Some of the most relevant recent initiatives in the Jewish world have been ones that pro-
Register online at bethelallentown. org for the Sunday, Oct. 17, kick-off event at 10:00am on Zoom.
Group travel to Israel resumed in September PHOTO BY NATI SHOHAT/FLASH90
Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv.
By Abigail Klein Leichman Israel21C The Israel Ministry of Tourism will restarted its tourist pilot program on Sept. 19, allowing organized tourist groups of 5 to 30 tourists from “green, yellow and orange” countries to visit Israel. Orange countries, currently including the United States and United Kingdom and most other countries, are considered at risk due to their COVID-19 statistics. Yellow countries, such as Poland and Hong Kong, are considered low risk. Travelers from high-risk red countries such as Mexico and Turkey will not be allowed into Israel. There are currently no green countries on Israel’s official list. There is no limit on the number of foreign tourist groups allowed into Israel within this program. Foreign tourists must have proof of a second Israel Ministry of Health-recognized vaccina6 OCTOBER 2021 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
so attractive is that it leaves it up to the participants when and where to meet, for how long, how frequently and even what virtual platform to use. The principle is choice. Most importantly, Project Zug is a way to spend meaningful time with an old friend or meet a new one. That is why Temple Beth El is launching a pilot for Project Zug in the Lehigh Valley. In the kick-off event this Oct. 17, Rabbi Avi Killip will introduce the ways and values of Hevruta (paired) learning through a Zoom group lesson. We chose to begin with a four-week course with the timely title: “Out of the Ruins: Jewish Wisdom on Resilience.” Connecting with one another through the text affords us an opportunity to shed light on our current situation in all its complexity.
tion within the last six months or receipt of a third vaccination in order to qualify for entry into Israel. Every member of the group must also present a negative PCR test, taken up to 72 hours before arrival, and will undergo a serological test on arrival at Ben-Gurion International Airport. The pilot program, initiated on May 24 to provide a safe, controlled option for allowing foreign tourists to visit Israel, enabled more than 2,000 tourists to enter Israel, mainly from the U.S. and Europe. According to the ministry, not one corona case was identified among these groups. “It is hoped that individual tourists will be allowed into Israel in the near future, depending on morbidity rates in Israel and around the world,” the ministry’s statement concluded. For guidelines, visit https:// corona.health.gov.il/en/directives/air-travel-covid19-israel/
Bike mission promises meaning and leisure
THE IMPACT ONE MAKES:
Iris Epstein
By Stephanie Goodling HAKOL Editor Iris Epstein’s parents “came from humble beginnings,” as she puts it, but went on to be successful not only in their business but also in the way that matters most--passing down their values to their daughter. “I always felt the need to pay it forward. I always try to give back -- that’s my upbringing. I feel that’s what drives me as a person, their teaching that you always have to appreciate what you have and give back to the community,” Epstein explained. “That’s kind of who I am.” Epstein is a steadfast volunteer who gives selflessly to the Lehigh Valley Jewish community in multiple ways. Having moved here after marrying her husband, Jonathan, son of Roberta and Jeff, and joining the Epstein clan, she is proud of the deep roots her family has in the area and that her two sons are now the fifth generation of Epsteins to live in the Lehigh Valley. They are active with Congregation Keneseth Israel in Allentown, where Epstein loves being very involved in the life of the congregation. She has also been involved with the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley since the beginning of her time here. “My parents have always given to and
been involved, so it was just a natural organization to become involved in, and the Epsteins were, too. When I first got here, my mother-in-law was receiving the Daniel Pomerantz Award for Campaign Excellence,” said Epstein. Epstein quickly was recruited to serve on a committee within Women’s Philanthropy, and within the next year she was a co-chair. Soon, she was slowly making her way through the Women’s Division, the Board of Directors, and the Executive Board, helping the Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs however she could. She’s gone on to win many awards of her own, including the George Feldman Achievement Award for Young Leadership. Most recently, she’s served on the National Young Leadership Cabinet, which Epstein calls a “life-changing event.” “I've just loved seeing firsthand where the dollars that I work so hard to raise go, not just here but nationally and in Israel and around the world. I’ve had the opportunity of meeting people who are so appreciative of even a dollar of what we raise and how that can really change their life. It really does,” said Epstein. “My favorite story is of this young boy who could have been my own child. We went shopping for him. His favorite thing was Nutella, it was such a treat for him. We found out he enjoyed soccer and quickly ran out to buy him a soccer ball. Two years later, when I returned to visit again, he still had the same soccer ball. Stories like this one really give me chills. We have such a huge impact on lives.” Epstein has recently made the decision to ensure her impact goes even further by formalizing a legacy gift through the Lehigh Valley Jewish Foundation. “It’s so easy to do it when you're young. You’re not necessarily giving money now, it’s an after death gift if that’s easier for you. I’m very proud of the vehicle Federation was able to partner with me to complete. Not only am I giving to organizations that are meaningful to me, Jewish organizations as well as non-Jewish ones, but also Iris Epstein Continues on page 13
By Stephanie Goodling HAKOL Editor Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is planning an exciting opportunity to visit Israel next spring. Scheduled for March 23 to April 1, 2022, the Maimonides Bike Mission is open to all in the Lehigh Valley Jewish community--you need not be a Maimonides Society member nor a cyclist to join the trip. “Although it is a bike mission, there will be two dedicated tracks, one for cyclists and one for non-bikers. It will be exciting and fun for all those who attend,” said Federation Director of Campaign and Security Planning Aaron Gorodzinsky. Maimonides President Dr. Bill Markson encourages anyone who is interested in signing up for the mission. “We’ll be visiting beautiful places, having really good food, with an option for biking in the morning and interesting activities for all every afternoon,” said Markson. “There will be many, many highlights on the trip,” agreed Gorodzinsky. All participants will be involved in one of the most important highlights of all, which will be donating an ambucycle in memory of Dr. Mickey Ufberg, z”l, one of the founding members of the Maimonides Society. This will be the second ambucycle the Society has donated, the previous one having already saved hundreds of lives in Israel since it was commissioned a few years ago. In order to get ready for the trip and to celebrate the 35th anniversary year of the Maimonides Society, Eli Beer, founder of the United Hatzalah of Israel and President of the U.S.-based organization Friends of United Hatzalah, will be speaking in January. United Hatzalah of Israel is an independent, non-profit, fully-volunteer emergency medical services organization that provides fast and free emergency medical first response throughout Israel. “Thanks to the generosity of the community and others outside of it, we are happy we will be able to present a new ambucycle in Jerusalem on the mission,” said Gorodzinsky. To donate to the ambucycle in memory of Dr. Mickey Ufberg, z”l, or to learn more about the mission, contact Aaron Gorodzinksy at aaron@jflv.org.
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | OCTOBER 2021 7
IN HONOR LAURA AND BOB BLACK In honor of the birth of your grandson, Noah Asher Laurie and Robby Wax and Family Vicki Wax CAROL BUB FROMER In honor of joining the Jewish Federations of North America’s (JFNA) National Women’s Philanthropy Board Bonnie and Bobby Hammel DANNY COHEN In honor of your complete and speedy recovery Bonnie and Bobby Hammel KAREN AND PETER COOPER In honor of the birth of your granddaughter, Noa Aaron Gorodzinsky NICOLE AND DAVID COOPER In honor of the birth of your daughter, Noa Aaron Gorodzinsky Alice and Mark Notis AMY AND HARRY FISHER In honor of the birth of your grandson Barbara and Arthur Weinrach BETH AND WES KOZINN In honor of your grandson Jack’s Bar Mitzvah Nancy and Mike Koch Vicki Wax BETH KUSHNICK
In honor of being elected as the President of the JFLV Women’s Philanthropy Board Bonnie and Bobby Hammel JOY AND BOB MILLER In honor of the birth of your granddaughter, Goldie Baum Miller Wendy and Ross Born MARGIE AND BILL OFRICHTER In honor of your daughter’s marriage Carol and Stewart Furmansky RABBI SETH PHILLIPS AND MARGE KRAMER In honor of the birth of your new grandchild Wendy and Ross Born ELLEN AND IRWIN SCHNEIDER In honor of your 65th wedding anniversary Suzanne Lapiduss IRWIN SCHNEIDER Happy 90th Birthday Suzanne Lapiduss IN MEMORY HELDA CHARNEY (Mother of Joanne Palumbo) Vicki Wax RHODA GLAZIER (Wife of Leonard (Lenny) Glazier, mother of Jeff Glazier) Lenny Abrams Wendy and Ross Born Marlene and Arnan
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Finkelstein Randi and Donald Senderowitz GLADYS HERTZ (Mother of the Hertz Family) Joan Lesavoy PAULA WEISBERG ISHAK (Sister of Judy Krasnov) Marlene and Arnan Finkelstein Carol and Alan Steinberg Vicki Wax JACKIE KUPTSOW (Grandmother of Amy Fels) Aliette and Marc Abo Wendy and Ross Born ENID MEYERS (Mother of Jason Hoffman and Stephanie Hoffman-Sacks) Suzanne Lapiduss DOROTHY ROSNER (Grandmother of Lauren Rabin) Aliette and Marc Abo The Fels Family Aaron Gorodzinsky and Jennie Schechner Beth and Howard Kushnick Ilene and Michael Ringold Laurie and Robby Wax and Family Vicki Wax Valeska and Israel Zighelboim and Family LAWRENCE HARTZELL (Stepfather of Rick Zettlemoyer) Joanne and Barry Hetzel MICKEY UFBERG MEMORIAL AMBUCYCLE FUND Bonnie Abrams Karen and Lawrence Bardawil Bonnie and Gary Bernett Wendy and Ross Born Arlene and Steve Cohen
Nancy and Danny Cohen Robin and Josh Davison Kathleen Grogan and Alan Berger Eileen and Roberto Fischmann Veronica Fischmann Ann and Gene Ginsberg Eydie and Neil Glickstein Shelly and Kenny Hirsch Rita and Donald Hoffman Beth and Wes Kozinn Karen Kuhn Beth and Howard Kushnick Eva and Larry Levitt Lisa and Moshe Markowitz Jane and Bill Markson Claudia and Ryan Mattison Stuart Mellon Jeannie and Holmes Miller Judy and Alan Morrison Diana and Noah Orenstein The Rigberg Family Arlene and Richard Stein Melissa and Ron Stein Leslie and Michael Weinstock Valeska and Israel Zighelboim HELEN AND SOL KRAWITZ HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL FUND IN HONOR CARLA AND ROB KEVITCH In honor of the birth of your grandson, Milo Lynda and Stuart Krawitz DEBBIE AND SCOTT ROSEN In honor of the birth of your granddaughter, Sophie Hannah Joan Lesavoy ELLEN AND IRWIN SCHNEIDER In honor of your 65th wedding anniversary Joan Lesavoy IRWIN SCHNEIDER Happy 90th Birthday
Joan Lesavoy LESLIE AND MICHAEL SHEFTEL In honor of the birth of your twin granddaughters, Olivia and Quinn Lynda and Stuart Krawitz ARLENE AND RICHARD STEIN In honor of your 60th wedding anniversary Joan Lesavoy MARYBETH AND DAVID WEINSTEIN In honor of the birth of your grandson, Gabriel Lynda and Stuart Krawitz IN MEMORY BROTHER (Brother of Sheila Zimmerman) Joan Lesavoy RHODA GLAZIER (Husband of Leonard (Lenny) Glazier) Joan Lesavoy HELEN KURLANSIK (Mother of Brenda Kurlansik) Susan Friefeld and Eloise Engelson DOROTHY ROSNER (Grandmother of Lauren Rabin) Alli and Scott Lipson We gratefully acknowledge those individuals who have offered expressions of friendship through recent gifts to the Lehigh Valley Jewish Foundation. The minimum contribution for an Endowment Card is $10. Call 610-821-5500 or visit www.jewishlehighvalley. org to place your card requests. Thank you for your continued support.
35 Years of Maimonides Society
Solomonov and Sussman present ‘A Very Israeli Rosh Hashanah’
Since its inception in 1985, Maimonides Society members have contributed their philanthropic support as well as their time, leadership, medical knowledge and services to enhance the lives of our Lehigh Valley community as well as communites in Israel and many other places around the world. Our local Maimonides Society was the first of its kind and has served as a model for similar societies within other Jewish Federations across North America.
As we begin the celebration of the 35th anniversary of the founding of the Maimonides Society, we recognize our charter members: Arthur Altman Peter Anson z"l Jay Apfelbaum Donald Belmont Stanley Benzel Douglas Blake Jeffrey Blinder Charles Brooks Sam Bub Michael Busch Ian Carlis Arnold Cook z"l Abbott D'ver Tamar Earnest Stewart Fox M.J. Friedberg z"l Michael Geller Karl Glassman Gene H. Ginsberg Harold Goldfarb Joseph Goldstone z"l Michael Gordon Jerome Grossinger z"l David Hyman Herbert Hyman z"l John Jaffe Robert Kaplan Bette Karron z"l Mitchell Katz z"l Steve Klasko Jay Kloin Wesley Kozinn Neal Kramer Harold Kreithen
Robert Kricun Samuel Lerner Charles Levine Lawrence Levitt Howard Listwa Richard London Robert Luber Gerald Melamut Mark Mishkin David Ostfeld David Prager z"l Robert Post Sheva Rapoport z"l Lester Rosen Norman Sarachek Eric Schenkel Alan H. Schragger Stuart Schwartz Mark Shampain Stephen Shore Bruce Silverberg Howard Silverman Arthur Sosis Ronald Stein Frederic Stelzer Daniel Sullum Sylvia Sussman Jonathan Tenzer z"l William Trachtenberg Michael Ufberg z"l Ron Wasserman Lawrence Weisbrod z"l Alan Wolson z"l
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Adeena Sussman By Stephanie Goodling HAKOL Editor On Sept. 1, a huge virtual crowd was treated to ‘A Very Israeli Rosh Hashanah’ featuring Michael Solomonov and Adeena Sussman. The exclusive cooking class saw the return of five-time James Beard award-winning chef Solomonov for another fun online visit to his kitchen, this time including bestselling cookbook author Sussman. This event was present free to the community as a holiday gift from the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. The cooks created a flavorful menu of skillet chicken with date syrup, sumac and tahini,
halvah gazoz, Moroccan carrots, Turkish salad, and a radish and zucchini salad with mint and nigella seeds. Throughout the evening, the experts shared tips and secrets to perfecting the holiday feast, such as “going crazy with the olive oil.” “We're always trained by European chefs that we use herbs as finishing and not in cooking, but that's crazy, right?” quipped Solomonov. “It’s one of these things that totally contradicts everything we learn in culinary school. The savtas and the imas and the bubbles are the ones who really know how to cook. It's about passing it down l’dor v’dor, and for us, Adeena, the food is arguably more important than anything else.”
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A (bike) path to Jewish-Arab partnership
PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL MENSKY
Jewish Agency for Israel Michael Mensky has long been an avid biker. Originally from the UK, Mensky lives in the Jezreel Valley in the north of Israel and is an active volunteer in The Jewish Agency’s Partnership2Gether Michigan–Central Galilee partnership. A few years ago, he had an idea to create a regional bike trail that would cross through five northern municipalities: Migdal Haemek, Nof Hagalil and the Jezreel Valley (all Jewish communities) and Yafia and Nazareth (two Arab communities). “I wanted us to do something that would have an impact and help build relationships,” said Mensky. “And early on, I realized that for a path to connect the Jewish towns in this region, you need to go through Arab communities — and so I saw this as a great opportunity to join together. And we were thrilled when the Arab mayors of these towns were onboard.” And so the 35-mile Partnership Path or “Naim Beyahad” was born. To make the trail happen, Mensky and his team would need some help. Enter Hesham Bsharat, an Israeli Arab and the current co-chair of the path. Bsharat lives in Yafia and is a serious biker. His experience building trails and interacting with youth made him a great fit to be a part of the
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committee to develop the path. “I didn’t realize at first that the partnership was really a Jewish partnership,” recalled Bsharat. “But I saw that it was important to Michael and everyone involved that the Arab community be active collaborators, and the Arab community wants to be more involved. Yes, this is the Jewish State, but Arabs also live here and want to contribute.” Both Arab and Jewish Israeli adults and teens came together to work on the trail construction. When a Detroit youth delegation came to visit a few years ago, they pitched in too. “We could not get this done without working together,” said Mensky, noting the COVID-19 pandemic slowed the completion of the path. “And now the trail serves as a platform for people to meet. Something about the physical aspect and the shared nature of the path really helps facilitate connections being formed between American Jews, Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs.” Today, the path is used daily by both Arabs and Jews, with various events organized on the trail. During the May 2021 rocket attacks by Hamas and violence perpetrated in mixed cities during Operation Guardian of the Walls, all the mayors (Jewish and Arab) of the region came together and denounced the rioting.
“As you can imagine, Jews and Arabs are a bit more cautious about each other but people also tend to have short memories,” stated Mensky. “I think from this turmoil, it really became clear that we are not separate and cannot continue like this.“ “We need to find things in common and there are so many groups within Arab and Jewish communities,” added Bsharat. “We need to come up with better terminology and talk about the ‘Israeli’ community because that encompasses everyone.” At the end of May, after a ceasefire was reached, nearly a hundred riders, both Arab and Jewish, gathered on the trail to take a ride together and show solidarity. Guardian of the Walls also prompted the partnership to become further engaged in initiatives that build a stronger shared foundation for the future by including diverse Arabs and Jews. “The more exposed different communities are to each other, the more they see each other for who they are and not their labels,” said Mensky. “And that’s what’s so great about the path. Being on this trail is about more than just riding a bike; it’s about bringing communities together.” Editor’s Note: The Jewish Agency for Israel is an overseas partner of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley.
Seeking a new view of disabilities through the Bible
RABBI MELODY DAVIS Congregation Bnai Shalom
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. It is a national campaign that raises awareness about disability employment issues and celebrates the many and varied contributions of America's workers with disabilities. People with disabilities have always been among us – much as we have tried to ignore, denigrate and/or disparage them and their families. My own family has a history of learning
disabilities. I can tell you from personal experience: it’s not easy finding help, emotional support and appropriate treatment. G-d forbid if someone spoke openly about mental illness! The stigma for that is still appalling. The book ”Esau’s Blessing: How the Bible Embraces Those with Special Needs” looks at our biblical ancestors through the lens of contemporary psychology and medicine. Dr. Ora Horn Prouser offers fascinating insights into biblical characters and makes the Tanakh a source of educational and pedagogic wisdom. Prouser theorizes that Isaac, whom the Bible portrays as docile and simplistic, had a learning disability. We know very little about him: he was not a young boy at the time of the Akeidah. Various commentators have suggested that he was between 15 and 36. He had complete trust in his father.
Abraham felt it necessary to send his servant to find him a wife. Was Rebecca’s ability to trick him part of his disability? Why would Esau have sold his birthright for a bowl of lentils? Impulsivity? An inability to process consequences? Perhaps he had an attention deficit disorder. Of course, these are all theoretical diagnoses, but this work serves to make us aware of the special needs figures of old that we know and love in the Bible, helping us to embrace and to see with clearer vision the special needs children and adults who deserve our respect and our attention today. According to ada. gov, it is estimated that between five and ten percent of the population experiences learning disabilities. The CDC states that 26 percent (one in four) of adults in the United States have some type of mobility disability.
Johns Hopkins Medicine tells us that an estimated 26% of Americans ages 18 and older--also about 1 in 4 adults--suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. The Bible wants people with disabilities to be treated with dignity and respect. It shows that
characters with disabilities are among the most heroic personages in Scripture. As Dr. Prouser states: reading the Bible can, “help us to imagine our special needs brethren in the embrace of a loving God, and instruct us to respond in a similar compassionate manner.”
BRING JEWISH STORIES HOME To learn more about PJ Library and register to receive free Jewish-themed books for children from 6 months through 8 years, visit www.pjlibrary.org.
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JFNA responds to emergency needs in aftermath of Haiti earthquake By Ted Merwin JFNA Senior Writer When a massive earthquake struck Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, on Aug. 11, Jewish Federations, working through the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), mounted an immediate, large-scale humanitarian effort to save lives, heal the injured and rebuild homes. Haiti, which is no stranger to disaster, was already wellacquainted with the power of Jewish relief, according to former Haitian prime minister Michèle Duvivier Pierre-Louis. Speaking on a JFNAsponsored webinar entitled “Crisis Relief in Haiti: Response to the Emergency”
on Aug. 24, Pierre-Louis recalled that Israel set up the “best-equipped” field hospital after the 2010 earthquake to help the victims of that disaster, which killed more than 200,000 people and injured hundreds of thousands more. She said that there are “extremely positive echoes of the interventions of the Jewish community” and that she “welcomes opportunities to collaborate with them.” The scale of the devastation in Haiti is staggering—more than 2,000 dead, 12,000 injured, 300 missing, 800 displaced from their homes, and 130,000 houses damaged or destroyed. Nor has the country recovered fully from other natural disasters, such as Hurricane Matthew
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in 2016 and the 2010 earthquake. The former prime minister emphasized the ongoing vulnerability of the Haitian people, many of whom are subsistence farmers descended of those who fought for freedom from slavery on the coffee plantations. “How long will it take,” Pierre-Louis asked, “for populations that have been marginalized,” and who have endured a series of disasters, both man-made and natural, “to be counted as full-fledged citizens deserving to live in decent conditions according to their chosen way of life?” The long-standing ties between the Jewish and Haitian peoples dates back to when Haiti was one of the few nations in the world to accept Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany in the late 1930s, JFNA board chair Mark Wilf noted at the event. In 1947, Haiti was one of just three countries (along with Liberia and the Philippines) to change its vote and support the U.N. Partition Plan of Palestine, which paved the way for the establishment of the State of Israel. Wilf announced that Federations across the continent had already launched drives to help the Haitians. In addition, Israeli aid organizations have sent experts to restore the flow of clean water and energy, and to provide critical psychological counseling. Ariel Zwang, CEO of the JDC, said that while their mission, for more than a century, has been to help Jews in need throughout the world, the organization
has “learned profound lessons about how to assist in times of great turmoil and great disarray.” Now, still operating from a Jewish platform, the JDC uses this knowledge to respond to people of all backgrounds who have suffered from natural disasters and other crises. Working with dozens of Jewish and non-Jewish humanitarian organizations worldwide enables JDC to conduct a coordinated Jewish response, streamlining the process of creating supply chains for aid, organizing volunteers to staff medical clinics, rebuilding schools and providing resources in both the short and long-term to rebuild. Avital Sandler-Loeff, the executive director of JDCGrid, which leads disaster relief efforts, said she takes inspiration from a Hebrew phrase that translates loosely as, “Whatever I have to cope
with makes me stronger.” Pierre-Louis suggested that Haitian-Americans, many of whom have prospered, can play a larger role in contributing to the revival of the Haitian economy, a sentiment echoed by the American political leaders and activists who joined the webinar addressing both the magnitude of the crisis and the Jewish community’s response. Congressman Carlos Giménez, from Florida’s 26th congressional district, which has a large Haitian community, reaffirmed his support for the U.S.-Israel relationship, and said that we must also stand by Haiti at this time of crisis. Adriano Espaillat, from New York’s 13th congressional district, pledged the support of the Latino-Jewish Congressional Caucus and praised the JDC and the Hispanic Federation, saying that they “have the know-how and tools to bring help to the Haitian people.” JFNA CEO Eric Fingerhut called on the Jewish community to increase its own efforts in helping the Haitian people to recover. Citing the laws of Sukkot from the Talmud, which are being studied at this time of year as part of the Daf Yomi, the daily learning from Jewish tradition, he noted that acts of charity are deemed more important than all other types of offerings and sacrifices. Fingerhut also alluded to the High Holy Days, in which Jews pray that the presence of God remains among us throughout the rest of the year. “During this period of renewal and uplift,” Fingerhut said, “we must continue to stay focused on helping the needy as a critical aspect of our organized communal work.”
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www.CAPEHARTFORJUDGE.com Jews pray for forgiveness, or selichot, at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem, a day before the Jewish New Year, Sept. 5, 2021 By Cnaan Liphshiz Jewish Telegraphic Agency The world population of those who self-identify as Jews stands at about 15.2 million — an increase of 100,000 over last year — with the number in the U.S. differing measurably from this year’s Pew survey. Israel has 6.9 million Jews and the United States has “about 6 million,” according to the estimate by the Jewish Agency for Israel based on work by Sergio Della Pergola, a demographer from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The Pew survey on Jewish Americans had estimated the figure at 7.5 million. The researchers for the Jewish Agency consulted
Iris Epstein Continues on page 13
one of the things that is so important to me is that I’m building a legacy for my children,” said Epstein. “They're their own people, obviously, but I want them to learn to also give. They’re growing up very differently than the way I grew up. With technology and everything, it’s very easy to be engrossed in that. I want them to have their feet on the ground and realize how lucky they are. So, I’ve designated a portion of my legacy gift for them to give. That’s how you’re going to learn to be a giver, is to make decisions yourself.” Epstein balances her role as a parent, passing down values and serving on the board of the school parent-teacher organization, with that of her own needs and roles with Federation, the synagogue and elsewhere. She is grateful for the tight-knit community she gets to do life in. “There's always someone there for you when you need someone, that’s the beauty of living in such a close community. The closeness of the community and how everyone cares about one another is what makes the Lehigh Valley Jewish community special” according to Epstein. She hopes that it will stay that way in the future.
the Pew survey, the Jewish Agency said in a statement Sunday, shortly before the start of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. The statement did not provide a reason for the difference. “When also including those who are eligible for Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return, the world total rises to 25.3 million people, of which 7.3 million are in Israel and 18 million live outside Israel,” the statement said. France has the world’s third largest Jewish community with 446,000 people, according to the report, followed by Canada at 393,000 and the United Kingdom with 292,000. Ukraine was listed as having 43,000 Jews — a
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major difference with the 360,000 number provided by the European Jewish Congress and the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine. That would make that country the world’s fifth largest Jewish community. In Israel, some 6.94 million Jews constitute 74% of a population of 9.39 million, according to a separate statement by the Central Bureau of Statistics. Nearly 2 million Arabs comprise account for 21% of the Israeli population. That’s an increase of 1.5% percent in the general population in Israel and a similar rise in the Jewish population over last year. The Arab population of Israel has also seen a similar increase to about 1.98 million.
“My hope is that when my kids come back and live here or my grandkids are here, that the community will not have changed negatively, that it will only grow. That there will be a JCC, a day school, a JFS and vibrant synagogues,” she said. If it’s up to Epstein, there certainly will be. “Iris is an amazing asset to the community. I can’t imagine where we would be without her dedicated spirit,” said Federation Executive Director Jeri Zimmerman. The feeling is mutual for Epstein. “I’m thankful for Federation because I feel that I’ve grown as a person because of all the opportunities that this organization has given me, and I truly feel that it is a give and take. There are days when I can say I’ve gotten more from what I give than what I actually get,” she said. As she reflected in her Feldman award speech a few years ago, “Many friends, acquaintances and even my own husband have frequently asked me why I volunteer as much as I do. It’s simple really. Not only are we commanded by Torah to give charity and help the poor, but I want to emulate my parents and help others less fortunate than me as my parents have done for me and others.” HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | OCTOBER 2021 13
… d o o g Life is …when you can
take your pick of fun things to do …when family and friends come to visit
Same Names?
…when you have your favorite pet by your side
when new neighbors seem like old friends …
…when the food is
fresh, tasty & nutritious …when you can order a special meal for a
…when there’s always someone there to help if you need it By Yoni Glatt koshercrosswords@gmail.com
…when you learn
a new hobby.
special occasion.
Life is good when you can spend time with family and friends, when there’s always plenty to do and when delicious chef-prepared meals are served restaurant style. Our residents enjoy entertaining activities and opportunities to engage with the community both inside and outside our campus, always knowing assistance is never more than a few steps away, if needed. To learn more, call or visit us today. Life is good…at Country Meadows. Scan the code to learn more
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CM-362, Hakol, Life is Good, 5”x15.75” v1.indd
Difficulty Level: Easy Find answers at www.jewishlehighvalley.org/ hakol/crossword
ACROSS 1. “Kid tested. Mother approved” cereal 4. ___ chag (day after yomtov) 9. Not full 14. 2010 health legislation, in brief 15. Some iPads 16. Former Israeli dough 17. Tax for actor Eugene? 19. Change 20. Secret hideaway 21. Furniture material 22. Words before “arms” or “the air” 23. Wharton’s “The ___ ___ Innocence” 25. Broadway show about a notable deli? 29. Ailment that makes things harder to pick up 31. “Giddyup!” 32. “Not ___ shabby!” 33. Wedding or Bar Mitzvah 36. Judaism doesn’t believe in it as a long-term punishment 37. Beach buds for gangster Bugsy? 42. “Ella Enchanted” star Hathaway 43. Like the crosswords in this publication 44. Conditions 45. See 67-Across 47. Common classes 51. Part of a gifted body part for singer Lisa? 55. One would become one in Israel instead of heading to 36-Across, perhaps 56. It’s delivered 57. 18 mgs. of iron, e.g. 59. Eve’s middle son 60. Local Israeli 62. Drink for Rabbi Berel? 64. Karen of the Indiana Jones films
65. Oil baron J. Paul 66. “Cancel” PC key 67. Water and 45-Across 68. Tribe the Igbo Jews claim to be descended from 69. Wino DOWN 1. Chatan’s gal 2. 2002 animated film featuring a wayward mammoth 3. Marvel’s Charles with mental powers 4. Contacts online, for short 5. Agricultural tower 6. Quarterback ___ (throwing alternative) 7. Yitzchak’s 1-Down 8. BBYO alternative 9. Fly by 10. Do a take-off on 11. Vitamins for moms to be 12. Heavy weight 13. “Jan. 1 to now” period 18. It came way after 2-Down 22. Israeli gun 24. Colonial flute 26. A crowd, they say 27. Work at 28. What days are called on Mars in “The Martian” 30. New York Jets’ org., until 1969 34. A Houston baseball player 35. Israeli man? 36. Most recent Albus Dumbledore portrayer 37. Leave port 38. Data 39. Entire company on stage 40. Electric guitar go-with 41. Salon substances 45. Largest percentage of humans 46. Sick and tired? 48. 11-Down helps them arrive safely 49. Despite the contrary 50. Make a choice 52. Revealed, as one’s soul 53. 2010 Super Bowl MVP Drew 54. First name behind 23- Across 58. Payment to play 60. Diego preceder 61. Lager alternative 62. Org. for those creating scripts 63. Aleppo’s country: Abbr.
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PJ Library is brought to you by the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, the Jewish Community Center of the L
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By Abby Trachtman JFLV Project Coordinator When Mark Goldstein, of blessed memory, called me into his office and told me about a program coming to the Lehigh Valley called PJ Library and asked if I’d be in charge of it, I had no idea what it was or how it would change my life. For 10 years, we’ve brought free, Jewish-themed, age-appropriate books into the lives of Lehigh Valley children and provided programming to go along with it. Programming has been the most challenging. We want to provide quality Jewish learning that is also low-barrier Judaism, so that all families can participate, even ones who identify as Jewish but have no Jewish education. Over the last 10 years, we’ve had sukkah hops, Jewish disability awareness programs, story walks for Rosh Hashanah, model Seders for Passover and Havdalah movie nights among the nearly 70 programs. We’ve
partnered with the Jewish Day School of the Lehigh Valley, the Jewish Community Center of the Lehigh Valley, the local synagogues, Muhlenberg College Hillel, the Allentown Art Museum, Whole Foods, Barnes and Nobles and Jewish Family Service of the Lehigh Valley. This last year, we switched to Zoom programming, and families were so appreciative to pick up a bag full of items to use that explained the holiday or theme, including a craft, and when we came together via Zoom, a PJ Library story to listen to. We thought that children would grow weary of Zoom programming, but they craved the connection to their friends and community, returning again and again. While we don’t program PJ Library events for the thank yous, it’s one way we know we are making a positive difference in the lives of Lehigh Valley children and reiterates that the work we do here at the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is so important.
Join us on Sunday, Oct. 24, at 3 p.m. at a party at the JCC to celebrate PJ Library’s 10th Birthday in the Valley! Pre-register at www.jewishlehighvalley.org.
Lehigh Valley, and the Jewish Day School of the Lehigh Valley, in partnership with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.
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Book Review: ‘The Unanswered Letter’ By Sean Boyle Special to HAKOL Faris Cassell’s National Jewish Book Award winner, “The Unanswered Letter: One Holocaust Family's Desperate Plea for Help,” alternates between a biography of the Berger family, a Holocaust history book, and a memoir. On Aug. 7, 1939, Alfred Berger wrote a letter to an unknown family with the same last name living in Los Angeles asking if they would help him and his wife Hedwig escape Nazi-controlled Vienna. The non-related Christian family never responded but kept the letter out of curiosity and possibly guilt, and their aging niece gave it to the only Jewish person she knew, Cassell’s physician husband, Sydney, in January 2000. Cassell, a journalist, was intrigued and wanted to know what eventually happened to Alfred and Hedwig. Over the next several years, Cassell finds the descendants of the Berger family, and joins them as they discover what happened to Alfred and Hedwig, including traveling to Vienna to visit the places the family had lived and look through local archives to discover what happened to the Viennese Jews during the Nazi occupation. Writing the Berger family’s history required Cassell to fill in unknown family facts with generalized history of the time period with speculations of what the actual Bergers experienced and probably thought through anecdotes discovered in the archives. One example is Cassell describing a meeting with Alfred's nephew and niece in 2004, followed by descriptive accounts of them visiting Alfred’s apartment in the 1930s, and then provides a generalized historic overview of what was occurring in Vienna at that time and how it was impacting the Viennese Jews. What strikes Cassell the most about the Berger descendants is what was chosen to be passed down in regards to physical items, family traditions and oral histories about the family and especially their attempts in escaping the Nazis, as well as what was not passed down, and the lingering
questions that were never answered. This motivates Cassel to help her husband discover his own family’s Holocaust history. It also leads both of them to go back to their own parents asking about family history, and trying to help preserve what is truly important for their own future generations to carry forward. Although Cassell effectively writes what could be three stand-alone books, she effectively weaves the three components together into one compelling book. Highly recommended
for ages 14-120, especially for anyone wanting to learn about 1930s Jews in Vienna and their hardships after the annexation by Germany . Sean Boyle is Congregation Keneseth Israel’s librarian and is also serving as President of the Schools, Synagogues, Centers, and Public Libraries Division of the Association of Jewish Libraries. The Unanswered Letter: One Holocaust Family's Desperate Plea for Help. (Cassell, Faris, Washington, D.C., Regnery History, 2020, 320p.)
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Freestyle Mission being planned JFS older adults programs are powered geared towards older adults by volunteers
By Stephanie Goodling HAKOL Editor Are you an active older adult longing to visit Israel? Next year, you could have your chance. Jewish Federation and Jewish Family Service are teaming up to create a mission specifically tailored to the needs and interests of older travelers. There is still time to sign up to join the trip in Spring 2022. JFS Program Manager and Community Liaison for Older Adults Carol Wilson is facilitat-
ing planning sessions along with Federation’s community shaliach, Gavriel Siman-Tov. Siman-Tov will be teaching conversational Hebrew and offering tips on getting the most out of a visit to his home country through Zoom sessions throughout the fall and winter in preparation for the trip in the spring. “This is really an opportunity to go at your own pace and take part in the activities that interest you,” said Wilson of the unique format of the mission.
“We want everyone to feel comfortable and excited about the trip that they have a part in planning.” The goal of the trip is to build new and strengthen existing relationships within the older adult community, learn about partnerships in Israel as well as developing new relationships with Israelis in the Lehigh Valley’s partner community of Yoav. Siman-Tov promises to ensure that participants won’t feel just like run-of-the-mill tourists. “I’ll be giving them an insider’s perspective on how to get around and things off the beaten path they may want to see,” he said. To join in on the Freestyle Mission, contact Carol Wilson at 610-821-8722 or cwilson@jfslv.org.
By Stephanie Goodling HAKOL Editor The vision of Jewish Family Service of the Lehigh Valley is that “No one in our community should suffer hunger, isolation, abandonment, emotional or physical distress, or lack of community support and caring.” Part of the way that JFS manifests that vision is through a variety of dynamic programs for community members, including older adults. And it takes a dedicated crew of volunteers to make those initiatives possible. One such volunteer is Dr. Sam Bub, who helps run the retired men’s Schmooze and Schmear monthly meetings. His experience practicing family medicine gives him insight into why it’s so important for older people to stay connected with others. “One thing that helps us age successfully is maintaining relationships. It’s
JFS volunteer Jane Cohen leads a Shabbat service at Country Meadows in Allentown.
been a real privilege. I’ve probably gotten more out of it than what I put into it, and it’s rewarding to see how people are responding to this,” said Bub. His co-facilitator of Schmooze and Schmear is Leon Zoller, who also volunteers in leading Shabbat services at long-term care residences, delivering freshmade kosher meals to older adults through the monthly Mazel Meals program and with other JFS activities. “I’ve been delivering Mazel Meals for so long now, I know all these people, and they all call me by first name. It’s not just dropping off a package. So it’s great for me. I love it,” shared Zoller. Others help behind the scenes to keep crucial services like the Community Food Pantry running for all ages in the community. Larry Center volunteers at many organizations, and when he wanted to add JFS to the list, he was asked to assist clients in the pantry. “It’s just a part of giving back. Now that I’m retired, I enjoy giving back to the community. I find that volunteering is very fulfilling, and it’s a good use of my time,” said Center. JFS older adults Continues on page 24
22 OCTOBER 2021 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
My grandparents are ‘people of the book’
By Gavriel Siman-Tov Community shaliach Ever since I started to learn about our tribe the Jewish tribe - I have heard the Jewish people being referred to as the people of the book. And I have always thought well, of course, we have our book, the Torah, and we have studied it for centuries now, this is why we called the people of the book. Up until recently if you would have asked me why we are the people of the book, this was the answer you would get from me, but I started to rethink that idea in the past year. I started with the idea of a book. Well, of course, it is to teach us something or show us something new. But books have been around forever in one way or another when you really think about it. Even a collection of stories in one person's head could be a book; it doesn’t have to be a physical copy. Books were also meant to pass down knowledge to future generations, to help them live a better life, to let us know the knowledge that our ancestors have acquired. And what if this is why we are called the people of the book? Because we always look back to history
and learn from our ancestors, from their stories, starting in biblical times and up until today, from our grandparents, from our parents, this knowledge is passed down to us. Thinking of that idea made me realize how much I learned and am still learning from my grandparents and parents and how their life stories and the way they are living have affected my life, my decisions, and the knowledge that I have now. My grandparents (my mom’s parents) made aliyah when they were only seven. Their parents decided to leave their comfortable life in Iraq and move to Israel and have nothing, but for them, it was worth everything. Even growing up, they barely had anything. They worked hard every day of their life and what for? For their kids, for their grandkids, for the future generations. Even though my grandfather has been retired now for the past six years, my grandparents still wake up every day at 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning because this is when my grandfather used to wake up for work for so many years. They taught their kids what hard work is, and not in the sense of making them work
hard, but in the idea of what you can accomplish by doing it because now they can live a comfortable life and help their family if they need it. This same knowledge passed down to me, and this is only one example of this kind of knowledge that passes from generation to generation, starting somewhere in the far past up until today, and I believe that this is why we are called the people of the book.
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Local older adults celebrate holidays and milestones
JFS older adults Continues from page 22
Above, A member of Temple Beth El shows off his shofar at Country Meadows in Allentown. He told the story behind it before blowing the shofar and wishing residents of all faiths a Happy New Year in Hebrew. Above left, Raymond Zarrow, turning 101 next month, prepares for Rosh Hashana at Legend of Allentown. Left, Rabbi Michael Singer of Congregation Brith Sholom celebrates Rosh Hashanah with residents at Traditions of Hanover.
Albert Derby also helps out with the food pantry by picking up fresh produce each week from the Monocacy Farm Project and occasionally making other stops like at the Second Harvest warehouse in Nazareth. “I enjoy helping the pantry, and it’s very nice to drive out to the farm every week and interact with the people at the farm and see the crops grow and bring the fresh produce for the people. Knowing people are getting some fresh vegetables into their diet is nice to know,” said Derby, whose wife also volunteers with JFS and got him involved. All of these volunteers agree that volunteering with JFS is a meaningful way to spend their time. “My wife and I found everything here already when we came here from South Africa in 1977 -- all the different temples and JCC. It’s been due to the charitable work of people that preceded us, and I think it’s really important we give back. That’s why I volunteer, and especially with the Schmooze and Schmear program for older men. It was a great pleasure for me to start this program, especially working with Leon and Carol Wilson. They’ve been superstars in terms of helping me. And, I’ve met so many interesting people,” added Bub. If you’d like to volunteer with Jewish Family Service, contact Chelsea Karp at 610-821-8722 or ckarp@ jfslv.org. If you’re interested in learning more about programming for older adults, contact Carol Wilson at 610-351-9956 or cwilson@jfslv.org.
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What to call Grandma when “Grandma” just won’t do By Renee Septimus Kveller When my husband and I became parents, he became Abba and I became Mommy. This was true for all our friends except for the two couples who planned on moving to Israel and chose “Ima.” The rest of us agreed that “Ima” sounded like a screechy shriek. Oh well. “Mommy” can, too. When my friends and I became grandparents, there were many more names from which to choose. “Bubbie,” “Bobba” and “Bobbie” were early favorites - mostly chosen by those who had (already dead) European grandmothers whom they had called by those names. Grandma sounded like an old lady but if you had had a beloved Grandma (by then probably also dead), it had a good association. My Grandma was still alive when I became a grandmother. So that name was hers. My Nana died when she was only a little older than I was at the time I achieved “grandmotherhood” so, although I loved her dearly, I had unhappy baggage with that name. My own mother was Mama and although I really liked that, I thought she should just keep it. I was in no way a “Bubbie” or any derivative thereof. I didn’t knit, wear orthopedic shoes, have gray hair in a bun, bake or talk with an
accent other than that of a native Noo Yawka. My grandfather’s second wife who we all disliked wanted to be called Granny. She looked like the evil stepmother in Disney’s Cinderella. “Grammy” had a nice WASP-y ring to it, but the movie “Annie Hall” kind of put a damper on that appellation for nice Jewish grandmothers. What to do? What to be called? As I rocked my twin grandsons, the first grandchildren, I knew this was a momentous decision. My husband, who did not know his grandfathers, decided immediately on Zaidie. Zaidies usually go with Bubbies. Not us. “Savta” has a nice soft sound. There are lots of young Savtas. The word had no connotations or baggage for me. I tried it. I’d say to the babies, Savta’s here, Savta loves you, Savta thinks you’re terrific! They said Savta by the age of 14 months. By then, I felt like a Savta. Last week, the twins, now almost 7 were talking about our “savta sandwich.” Jack said that they are the bread and I am the deli! They were teasing me that Savta sounds like “soft-ta.” They laughed and said they liked that. When we cuddle, even though I’m actually a little bony, they like snuggling up to their “Soft-ta.” I like it too. I’m sure I’m smiling as, cuddled together, we all drift off to sleep.
Alternative Grandparent Names By Kveller Staff
Here is a list of potential grandparent names that can help you decide what you wanted to be called by your grandkids! Jewish Grandmother Names Jewish Grandfather Names Savta/Safta–Hebrew Saba/Sabba–Hebrew Bubbe/Bubby/Bubbie/Bube– Zayde/Zayda (many Yiddish different spellings)–Yiddish Nonna–Ladino Nono–Ladino Avuela–Ladino Avuela–Ladino Regional Grandmother Names Regional Grandfather Names Teta–Arabic Seedo–Arabic Oma–German Opa–German Anya–Hungarian Tata–Hungarian Nonna–Italian Nonno–Italian Babushka–Russian Dedushka–Russian Baba–Ukrainian Gigi–Ukrainian Babka–Belorussian Dzied–Belorussian Abuela–Spanish Abuelo–Spanish
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This ‘nice Jewish boy’ is the King of the Instant Pot
By Rachel Ringler The Nosher Eleven years ago, a new kitchen appliance that could do every-
thing hit the market. It was a rice cooker, an egg boiler, a yogurt maker, a slow cooker, a pressure cooker and a sauté pan, all in one. Throw out those old gadgets and make way for just one new. The Instant Pot, designed by Robert Wang, was a 21st-century miracle. But people were afraid to use it. Then an oracle arose in our midst. He was a regular guy, living in an apartment in Queens. He never went to cooking school, his kitchen was small, but he had a warm and engaging manner. He could cook meals that were delicious, quick and healthy without making a mess — or using a million pots. Since his first self-made video in 2017, in which he showed viewers how to make creamy macaroni and cheese in minutes,
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Jeffrey Eisner has risen to be the unofficial prophet of the Instant Pot. That first video has garnered two million views. More than four million people have watched his tutorial on making pot roast. And, in April, he came out with his second Instant Pot book in 12 months. The week “The Lighter Step-by-Step Instant Pot Cookbook” was published, it was #1 on Publisher’s Weekly bestselling list for paperback books sold in the United States. Jeffrey Eisner is a selfdescribed nice Jewish boy from Long Island. He learned to cook from his Odessa-born grandma, Lil. “Her stove,” said Eisner, “was my cooking school.” The joy he exudes in the kitchen and in his tutorials online are a straight shot from Grandma Lil. Her happiness was in cooking
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her famous stuffed cabbage and in bringing family around the table for good food and conversation. That first YouTube video went viral, and people clamored for more. So Eisner created the Pressure Luck Cooking blog and YouTube channel where he shared simple, mouthwatering recipes. Publishers took note and two years ago he was approached by Little Brown. His first book, “The Step-by-Step Instant Pot Cookbook,” was due to come out on April 13, 2020. They planned a huge book tour. And then, said Eisner, “the world stopped cold in its tracks.” The book tour, of course, was cancelled. “At the end of the day,” said Eisner, “the book was the least of everyone’s worry. My partner and I had Covid in early March. I was afraid I would die before my book came out.” He and his partner are fine, and the book took an unexpected turn: It came out at a time when people needed it most. His simple, visual approach (the book includes photos for every step of a recipe) made confident cooks out of those who had never cooked before. Eisner experienced a sense of purpose. “I felt that, in the heart of the pandemic, I was able to help and provide people with something. You can make a meal that might taste like a meal at one of your favorite restaurants, restaurants that you can’t go to now.” There are currently half a
million copies of his first book in print, more than he or his publisher ever thought possible. His second book contains lighter recipes than the first. Eisner, like Grandma Lil, has had weight struggles his whole life. In this second book, he shows his readers how they can keep their weight in check and still eat well. When writing his first book, Eisner felt it critical to include recipes from his heritage. There’s his grandmother’s stuffed cabbage, his mom’s “Jewish brisket” and a hearty, chunky chicken soup that he says “is the best chicken soup in the world because my mom, a Jewish mother, says it’s better than hers.” Plus there’s an Instant Pot version of the chicken shawarma he ate on several trips to Israel. “What excites me,” said Eisner, “is that there are people using my cookbooks who have never met a Jew before or may have never heard of Israeli food. Through my book, I am able to bring a little bit of Israel into someone’s home.” This motivation is evident, too, in his latest book, which includes a recipe for Bubbe’s Jewish Chicken Pot, a fragrant and saucy chicken dish that reminds him of something his grandmother would make. “My mission,” said Eisner, “is to show people that I am not a professional chef, and I can do this. Cooking should be fun. And creating a delicious meal can make you feel incredibly accomplished.”
PHOTO BY YOLI SCHWARTZ/IAA
Ancient coin takes off to the stars with Israeli astronaut
OCTOBERFEAST BY SANDI TEPLITZ
When the weather gets cooler, we yearn for heartier fare. This meal should satisfy that desire.
SAUERBRATEN INGREDIENTS:
Above, IAA Director Eli Eskosido, left, presents Israeli astronaut Eytan Stibbe with an ancient coin for guardianship while on his trip to space. Far left, The 1,900-year-old coin from the time of the Bar Kochba Revolt bearing part of the name of its leader and a palm tree. Left, The other side of the ancient coin showcases a vine leaf and an inscription dating it.
By Naama Barak Israel21C When the second Israeli to go into space, Eytan Stibbe, heads off to the International Space Station at the end of the year, he’ll take a small article meant to bring him luck: a 1,900-yearold Jewish coin recently unearthed in the Judean Desert. Stibbe recently visited the Israel Antiquities Authority Dead Sea Scrolls laboratory in Jerusalem, where he was shown ancient scroll fragments from the Book of Enoch discovered together with other biblical texts in the Judean Desert caves. At the end of his visit, IAA Director Eli Eskosido presented Stibbe with an ancient coin for guardianship while on his trip to space. The coin dates to the second Jewish revolt against the Romans, known as the Bar Kokhba Revolt, bearing the name of its leader, Shimon Bar Kochba. Both sides of the coin bear Jewish symbols typical of the Second Temple period: one has a palm tree with the inscription “Shimon,” of which only two letters are discernable, and the other a vine leaf with the inscription “Year Two of the liberty of Israel.” The coin was recently discovered in a cave in the Judean Desert known as the Cave of Horror alongside other coins used by rebels, fragments of ancient biblical scrolls, a 6,000-year-old skeleton of a young child and the oldest woven basket known to mankind. “As part of ‘Rakia’ mission to the International Space Station, I will be taking with me a bag filled with items that have a special meaning to me. It was clear to me that one of these items will be a symbol of Jewish history,” Stibbe said. “I saw the coin, minted with the palm tree and vine leaf, that for me represent the connection to the land, the love of the country, and the desire of the population of Israel in those years for independence.”
TECHNIQUE:
Combine first seven ingredients to form a marinade. Place meat on top, turning to cover with the liquid. Cover. Allow to remain at room temperature for 2 hours, turning occasionally. Add sugar. Place in roasting pot, and simmer, covered, for 3 hours, uncovering only to baste. Keep hot. Strain liquid to remove spices. Return liquid to pan, stir in snaps, mix well and simmer for 20 minutes. Slice and place on a platter. Serve with cooked rutabaga, mashed with light brown sugar and melted plant butter. Chill 10 Pilsner glasses; moisten the rims with apple cider, then dip into cinnamon sugar mixture. Tilt the glasses and slowly pour in cold pumpkin ale. Finish the meal with baked apples served with a spoon of pareve hazelnut creamer.
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1 cup vinegar 1 cup water 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 1/8 tsp. pepper 1 tsp. celery seed 1 1/2 tsp. dried onions 1 tsp. pickling spice 7 lb. chuck roast 1/4 cup sugar 10 pareve ginger snaps, crumbled
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Whistle, Gotham City’s latest superhero, is Jewish. It’s a full-circle moment for the comics industry. By Julian Voloj Jewish Telegraphic Agency It turns out that Batman’s hometown of Gotham City has a historically Jewish neighborhood, complete with a synagogue. And for this year’s High Holidays, at least one masked superhero was worshipping there. Her name is Whistle, a.k.a. Willow Zimmerman, and she’s a Jewish superhero — DC Comics’ first to be explicitly created as Jewish in 44 years. She’s an activist-turned-masked-crusader who draws inspiration from Jewish teachings; she develops the abil-
ity to talk to dogs; and she made her debut last month in “Whistle: A New Gotham City Superhero,” a graphic novel geared to young adults. “There’s a long and fascinating history of Jewish creators in comics,” the book’s author and character creator, E. Lockhart, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “Superman, Batman and Spider-Man were all invented by Jewish men, and scholars have interpreted them through a variety of lenses that take that into account. But while there have certainly been Jewish superheroes before, Whistle is the first
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Jewish hero to originate as Jewish from DC Comics since 1977.” Lockhart was referring to Seraph, a superhero from Israel who helped Superman in “Super Friends #7″ before immediately falling out of the public eye. Yet the roots of superheroes are distinctly Jewish. Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel, the sons of Jewish immigrants, effectively kicked off the lucrative genre in 1938 with the debut of Superman in “Action Comics #1.” Superman was a new kind of hero, a noble, all-powerful defender of American ideals who harbored a secret identity and
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Whistle, a.k.a. Willow Zimmerman, is DC Comics' first explicitly Jewish superhero in decades. (Courtesy of DC, written by E. Lockhart, with art by Manuel Preitano, colors by Gabby Metzler and letters by ALW’s Troy Peteri) origin story that made him distinctly an outsider. If his origins weren’t specifically Jewish, they were certainly informed by the Jewish experience. Superman became an unexpected bestseller and, consequently, the blueprint for a whole genre, as the market soon flooded with new superheroes. The vast majority of these comic book pioneers — writers, illustrators and publishers — were Jewish, including Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. However, their characters were a generic form of “all American” without any religious or ethnic affiliation. So while Captain America was allowed to punch Hitler on the cover of the hero’s debut, it took decades for superheroes to have a Jewish identity. There have been exceptions over the decades, most notably Marvel’s “X-Men” villain Magneto, retconned as a Holocaust survivor following his debut, and popular DC antihero Harley Quinn, a Brooklynite who sprinkles in Yiddish phrases and was voiced in her original 1990s
animated TV debut by the Jewish comedienne Arleen Sorkin. (Harley’s current film incarnation, played by Margot Robbie, drops the Jewish signifiers.) But what makes Whistle unique is that her origin story is centered around her Jewish identity. Willow Zimmerman is a social justice activist who volunteers at a local pet shelter and lives with her single mother, an adjunct Jewish studies professor, in Down River, a Gotham City neighborhood modeled after the Lower East Side. That means it comes with a long Jewish history, making Judaism canonical in Gotham more than eight decades after Bob Kane and Bill Finger, two Bronx Jews, created the Dark Knight. The setting was informed by Lockhart’s own upbringing. Growing up, she often visited the real Lower East Side with her father, the playwright Len Jenkis, who wrote for “The Incredible Hulk” TV show in the 1970s. Whistle Continues on page 29
GIVE A MITZVAH, DO A MITZVAH
Bar Mitzvah raises money for Magen David Adom Asa Hochhauser will be called to the Torah as a Bar MItzvah on Oct. 30 at Congregation Bnai Shalom in Easton. Asa is an eighth-grade student at the Jewish Day School of the Lehigh Valley and loves playing basketball at the JCC and attending Camp Ramah in the Poconos during the summer. As part of his Bar Mitzvah preparations, Asa began researching mitzvah projects this past spring and made the decision to actively seek support and funding for Magen David Adom. Magen David Adom is the primary first responder organization in Israel, formally recognized by the Red Cross as Israel’s official rescue organization, and operator of the national blood bank. Magen David Adom is run on seven principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality. In simple terms, their mission is to help everyone in times of crisis, regardless of who they are, and independently from any government. Magen David Adom provides urgent medical transport and aid to people in need and saves lives through their emergency
Whistle Continues from page 28
“I always had a strong sense of my paternal family’s heritage and the history of New York City as intertwined,” she said. “I had done research on the Jewish history of the LES for another book, so when DC invited me to create a new Gotham City hero, it felt natural to use some of that research and my own love of the neighborhood to create a new part of Gotham that’s a lot like the LES of the 1980s.” For Whistle herself, Lockhart drew inspiration from a different trailblazer at DC’s rival: Kamala Khan, the Muslim Ms. Marvel introduced in 2013. “I love Ms. Marvel and was definitely inspired by the way [author] G. Willow Wilson engaged with questions of heroism and the superheroic body through the lens of Kamala’s Muslim identity,” Lockhart said. “I thought about it a lot while I was writing Whistle.” “Whistle,” which is illustrated magnificently by Manuel Preitano, is Lockart’s debut as a graphic novelist. “I write novels about young women who are navigating morally complicated situations,” she said. “Very often the stories are about agency and power and self-knowledge, one way or another. So in that sense, ‘Whistle’ is right on brand for me.” Those familiar with the Batman universe will recognize many side characters, such as the Riddler and Poison Ivy, in the narrative. “It was great fun […] to play in the sandbox of DC Comics’ Gotham City, which has a wonderful rogues gallery of spectacularly deranged supervillains,” Lockhart said.
response activities. They help victims of natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and all types of life threatening emergencies. The people they help are often traumatized and in situations beyond their control. Magen David helps them out for no personal gain. “I want to support Magen David Adom as they are an Israeli organization,” Asa mentioned when discussing his project. “Israel is an ancestral and spiritual homeland for Jews all around the world and is considered a safe haven. Magen David Adom helps the inhabitants of Israel. I support Magen David Adom because they support people in other countries. Just because they are an Israeli organization does not mean they only support Israelis. They help people from all nationalities, which I respect.” Asa has set up a fundraising campaign through the American Friends of Magen David Adom and hopes you will join him in supporting this wonderful cause. Donations may be made at http://saving-lives.afmda. org/asabarmitzvah Asa’s parents, Julie and Aron Hochhauser, are very proud of their son. They are excited for
Another Batman supervillain, Killer Croc, plays a central role in Willow’s transformation into a superhero. Outside her local synagogue, she and her sidekick, a loyal stray Great Dane named Lebowitz (named after Fran, Lockhart confirms), collide with Killer Croc and wake up being able to understand each other. “When she gets superpowers, she becomes Whistle — and no longer feels helpless,” Lockhart explains. “It’s a fantasy of empowerment, but her position is also morally complicated. I didn’t want to shy away from asking questions about what it means to be a hero, emotionally and ethically.” Like Lockhart herself, Willow is secular. Her visit to Gotham’s synagogue is for meditation purposes. “I knew I would tell the most truthful and nuanced story if I wrote from my own identity and from the community I’m in,” Lockhart said on her decision not to make the character strictly observant. “My heroine engages with her Jewishness in much the same way that I do.” Rooted in Lockhart’s own past, Willow’s Judaism leans on old-neighborhood nostalgia and Yiddishisms like “bubbeleh.” It’s a more traditionalist approach to a Jewish superhero identity than other recent efforts, such as Marvel’s relaunch of “White Tiger” in 2002 as a biracial Jew of color struggling with his Black and Jewish identities. But Lockhart does touch upon many present-day topics animating Willow’s generation, such as gentrification, social justice and environmental issues. With Willow, a hero whose actions are clearly informed by her Jewish identity and the concept of tikkun olam, or repairing the world, Judaism will now be an integral part of Gotham’s mythology.
Asa to reach this milestone in his spiritual journey and to celebrate his scholarship and effort. “We are so grateful for our family members for being a good influence and modeling morals and values for Asa to emulate. We also want to thank the instructors and administrators at the Jewish Day School, Camp Ramah in the Poconos, Bnai Shalom, and the JCC for Asa’s 13 years of education in Hebrew, Jewish and Israeli history and culture, plus so much more! Asa has received a great foundation to build upon as he takes his place in our community as a Jewish adult. We pray Asa continues to grow even stronger in his Jewish faith, understanding and Torah scholarship. To support Asa in his Bar Mitzvah project, please donate to Magen David Adom of Israel at the link above. We cannot wait to celebrate our wonderful son whom we love so very, very much. Asa, Mazel Tov!” In addition to his mitzvah project, Asa has made his first adult gift of tzedakah to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley Annual Campaign for Jewish needs. For help developing your mitzvah project, contact Abby Trachtman, Project Coordinator at abbyt@jflv.org or call her at the Federation office at 610 821 5500.
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | OCTOBER 2021 29
LV HN E XE C UTI V E
HE A LTH PR O GR A M
Your time is valuable. Your health is priceless. Introducing LVHN Executive Health Program. Designed for executives, business leaders and trendsetters, this comprehensive, personalized medical program was made with you in mind. Get all of your annual exams by the region’s leading health care providers – all in the same location – in one day. Register today at LVHN.org/exechealth