who continues to be an ar dent supporter of our organi zation, most recently serving as my cochair for our 2022 Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs. Is there anyone who has a better time soliciting money than my mom? Can anyone say no to her? Our joint receipt of the Kobrovsky Award for Campaign Lead ership is certainly a proud family moment, and we are deserving of the award solely because of her efforts. As I was contemplating my remarks for the evening a few weeks prior, my mom handed me my father’s speech from his installment as Federation president in 1996. I found great nuggets of wisdom, as well as some wonderful comments to pro vide historical perspective. In his speech, my father spoke of the teamwork required for the Federation to be successful. He thanked his dear friend, Dr. Michael “Mickey” Ufberg (z”l), who preceded him as president and guided the Federation masterfully. My father next thanked a number of other local legends, including Mort 22nd
Robby Wax was elected president at the Federation’s annual meeting, where he also won an award with his mom, Vicky Wax, for leading the Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs.
Street Allentown, PA 18104 The Voice of the Lehigh Valley Jewish Community www.jewishlehighvalley.org | Issue No. 457 | September 2022 | Elul/Tishrei 5783 Tour p12-14inrenewalUnitydiary:andIsrael AWARD-WINNING PUBLICATIONEST.1977 FROM THE DESK OF JERI ZIMMERMAN p3 LVJF TRIBUTES p8 CLERGY COLUMN p10 JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE p11 JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER p16-17 JEWISH DAY SCHOOL p18 Get ready for sectionNewwithHolidaysHightheourYear New year, new president, new chapter for the Federation
Alon Ben-David has seen a lot more than most people, up close and in person. Just as important for us, he’s talked and written about much of it. On September 21, he’ll share some of his experiences and thoughts at the Jewish Fed eration of the Lehigh Valley Major Donor thatandmostmilitaryyears.TV,reportingBen-DavidReception.hasbeenthenewsforIsraeliradioandprintfor30Asaspecialistinissues,he’scoveredofthebigIsraeldefensesecuritystoriesduringtime,fromtheIntifadas to the recent Gaza conflicts. In September 2001, he was in New York City to report on the 9/11 Currentlyattacks.Ben-David is senior defense correspondent for Channel 13 TV. He con tributes to interna tional publications and travels the globe to lecture about the Middle East.The major donor reception starts at 6:30 p.m. on It’slentown.hometenttheWednesday,21st,underaoutsideprivateinAl
open to households that pledge $5,000 or more to the 2023 610-821-5500temberCampaignAnnualforJewishNeeds.RSVPbySep14toor mailbox@jflv. org.
By Robby Wax President Leading up to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Val ley Community Celebration and Annual Meeting on June 9, 2022, I spent considerable time pondering the start of my presidency of the Federa tion. Over the past few years, immediate past president Gary Fromer and I have had a number of conversations about our community, the state of Israel, and the efforts of the Federation to support both. Gary has been a mentor to me for years, and it’s clear that as president, he per formed as expected — with tremendous skill and vision. When he asked me to consid er being his successor, I felt some trepidation, since he set the bar pretty high. Once the evening began, though, I was captivated by the commitment and passion of the award recipients. They are such an impressive group of caring and dedicated lead ers. I thought about the tour of the Jewish community that my wife and I provided to Dr. Doron and Lauren Rabin 12 years ago, and I was so proud to watch Lauren receive the George Feldman Achievement Award for Young Leadership. I enjoyed listening to Shari Spark pres ent Debbie Zoller with the Mark L. Goldstein Award for Outstanding Jewish Profes sionals and next invite up Michele Willner Levy, Ed Posner, Marcel Guindine and Eva Derby for the Mortimer S. Schiff Award for Prejudice Reduction. Another highlight was the announcement of nearly $10.5 million pledged to the Life and Legacy Cam paign, with those who led the effort holding up signs with the actual amount raised to date. As I was called to the podium to give some closing remarks, the apprehension I previously felt was replaced by the enthusiasm and excite ment created by these tre mendous community leaders. As the new year arrives and we begin the next chap ter of the Federation, I need to start by thanking some people who have made it possible for me to take the position of president. My wife, Laurie, realizes that these types of commitments take me away from spending time at home, but she sup ports me in all my endeavors. I was proud to have my older son, Ben, in the crowd, too. I even announced his Fed eration presidency, which begins in 2047! Our family’s connection to the Federation began in the late 1960s with my mom, New president Continues
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• Evaluating all decisions with respect to fiscal responsibility. Identifying unmet needs and investing in community initiatives to help get them started.
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“Optimism is the belief that things are going to get better. Hope is the be lief that we can make things better. … It takes no courage to be an optimist, but it does need courage to hope.” — Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, chief rabbi of England (1991-2013) Coming through challenging times gives us a sense of purpose. We keep going, not given any promise of certainty that every thing will be okay. But if we just keep going, doing what we must and doing what makes sense, then by this very definition, we haveWhilehope.the 2022 Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs went well, there were a few unique challenges that I am certain many organizations faced. We found ourselves vacillating between in-person and/or Zoom events, and while many community members were excited to get together in person, many were not yet comfortable. This made planning a bit tricky, and we found ourselves negotiating a hybrid model for almost every event. We were pleased to hold a few of our campaign events in person, including our annual meeting. The ability to engage with one another is what makes our programming special. A more significant challenge of 2022 was our version of the “great resignation.” After hav ing an amazingly stable staff team, with some staff in place for more than 15 or 20 years, we found ourselves in the position of having to replace five full-time staffers. While this was a concern at some points, I am so delighted to report that we have a dynamic staff compliment in place to be gin our 2023 program/campaign year and we are looking forward to new and creative ideas. We now have a new director of fi nance and administration, a new director of gift planning, a new director of marketing, a new as sociate director of campaign, and a new editor/copywriter of our Hakol newspaper. As you can see, these are significant changes with a comprehensive onboard ing process, and we are ready to welcome the new year. (See the New Year section of this issue for short bios of all the Federation staffers ready to work with you in the new year.) During the summer, we also took the opportunity to do a “tech audit” of all our computer equipment and systems to ensure the integrity and security of our data and, again, we are so pleased to be in a good position. Plans for the 2023 program year are shaping up, and we antici pate our new, high-energy team making it a success. We also look forward to celebrating Israel at 75 and to reengaging with our com munity members. It is at this time of year that I feel especially hopeful. For me, Rosh Hashana, the start of a new year, brings spiritual optimism that the coming year promises to be better than the one before. As we usher in a new year, I feel the excitement of optimism, hope, promise, renewal and resilience. This is a beautiful time to renew our commitment to engage and to ensure the vibrancy of our Jewish community as we transi tion from the past to the future individually and communally. The concept of tikun olam (re pairing the world) is an expres sion of the value of making our world a better place. The world may not be perfect, but we have the opportunity to help improve it. What stands out for me is the commitment of you, our noble volunteers, who are doing the important work to strengthen our community. Judaism teaches us that people must play an active role in the world. It enables us all to take part in nourishing and enriching our community. The Jewish Federation’s 2023 campaign slogan, Here for Good, means that the Federation is here to provide resources, strength and support to help build and sustain flourishing Jewish life at home, in Israel and around the world. We are here for good, we have been and we will be for gen erations to come. Despite past challenges, we are again gearing up for the many activities that will take place both here at the Federation and in the community. The Fed eration’s Major Gifts, Women’s Philanthropy and Maimonides Society events are all driven by your goodness to create suc cessful and meaningful Jewish engagement.Oursynagogues and agen cies are also kicking off the new year with programs that en gage community members and enhance our Jewish community’s vibrancy. The fall calendar is beyond full! The Jewish Day School and the school at the Jewish Commu nity Center, as well as religious schools at synagogues, are em bracing the start of a new school year.A new program year has all organizations preparing to imple ment their plans to improve Jew ish life in the Lehigh Valley. As we welcome a new year together, let us all be reminded that we are Here for Good and hopeful that it will be a year of optimism, prom ise, renewal and resilience. Best wishes for a healthy, sweet and joyous new year, too! Shanah tovah! DigitalBAYLEYhakolads@jflv.orgTEL:AccountMcKEERepresentative610-515-1391CARLMediaCoordinator
TO ORDER TREES, call the JFLV at 610-821-5500 or visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org.
• Supporting and encouraging Jewish education in the Lehigh Valley as a means of strengthening Jewish life for individuals and families.
Mindy and Eric Holender MAZAL (MotherRACHEL(MotherMIRRA(HusbandIRA(DaughterMARGARET(MotherGORMEZANOofRickyChrysler)Partnership2GetherCommitteeKOHLERofGloriaLokay)NancyBernsteinLEHRICHofLucilleLehrich)CaroleandMichaelLangsamPAPIRofLeonPapir)EileenandRobertoFischmannSTEKLOVofAlonInbar)Partnership2GetherCommittee THANK YOU Revisions to 2022 Donor Honor Roll SABRA CIRCLE $2,500 - $4,999 Dr. Arthur and Jane* Kaplan CHAVERIM $500 - $1,499 Lance and Ellen* Gordon KEHILLAH $100 - $249 Dr. Ronald and Melissa Stein Update to the LOJ/POM List Lucy Korsky**
DENISE Mark L. Goldstein
AHNER Director of Finance & Administration JULIA DirectorUMANSKYofGiftPlanning & EITC ROBBY WAX JFLV DonorGINGEROfficeWENDYPresidentEDWARDSManagerHORSFORDServicesAssociate The Lehigh Valley-Yoav Partnership Park in Blessed Memory of
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:
• Developing Jewish leaders.
To accomplish this mission the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is committed to the following operating guidelines:
Hope and Optimism,
TIM ROBINSON In appreciation for all that you have done for Jonathan Linda and Neil Dicker JASON ROTH In celebration of your performance in WILLIAMIndecentYourTribeSANDERS, CAST & CREW In celebration of your production of of Kreiger)
• Supporting programs and services of organizations whose values and mission meet local Jewish needs.
• Raising and distributing funds to support the core values.
Approved by the JFLV Board of Directors on November 15, 2000
of IndecentMelisa Klausner, Nina Elias, Ryan Doncsecz, Rebecca Pieper & Julia Urich ALINA AND DANIEL SCHECHNER In honor
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.
• 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.
MAIL, FAX, OR E-MAIL TO: ATTN:JFLV HAKOL 702 N. 22nd St. Allentown, PA 18104 Phone: (610) 821-5500 Fax: (610) 821-8946 E-mail: hakol@jflv.org Member American Jewish AssociationPress
• Committing to ongoing Jewish community strategic planning. Fostering cooperation among organizations and community building.
the birth of your son, DiegoAaronSchechnerGorodzinsky and Jennie Schechner IN MEMORY MICHAEL EPSTEIN (Father
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 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. Quotes may be edited for grammar and clarity. 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.
• Building endowments to support implementation of core values.
IN HONOR PAT BIRNBAUM In celebration of your performance in IndecentMel,Nina, Ryan, Dan and Rebecca WILL WINDSOR ERWIN In celebration of your performance in inInKATEter,InITZCHELSEAIndecentYourTribeWASHINGTON-LEWKOWANDMARCLEWKOWITZhonorofthebirthofyourdaughTwigleyLindaandNeilDickerPISTONEcelebrationofyourperformanceIndecentYourTribe
• Coordinating and convening a community response as an issue or need arises.
• Supporting Jews in need wherever they may be.
JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY MISSION STATEMENT
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2022 3
• Supporting Israel as a Jewish homeland.
In “Friendship,” her fifth book, she traces her subject matter back to early human life on the African savan nas. She brings together history, field biology and neu roscience to make the case that humans are designed for friendship through all their stages of life. She shows how people create and maintain healthy bonds, and how friendship is changing in the age of social media. The Zoom event begins at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, the 22nd. The cost is $18, which includes the event itself, a copy of “Friendship” and a gift. Email Ginger Horsford at ginger@jflv.org for information on how to register by September 14.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 7:00 p.m., Jewish Federation via Zoom
Women’s Philanthropy to hear book author talk on friendship
Wax’s father, speaking after he was elected president of the Federation in 1996, paid tribute to a list of Federation greats that included the tireless fundraiser Taffi Ney (pictured in Hakol in December 2019).
Friendship will be the topic for the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley Women’s Philanthropy community event on September 22. Science writer Lydia Denworth will offer what she learned researching and writing her recent book on the subject.
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
New president Continues from page 1
Levy (z”l), Lenny Abrams, Danny Cohen, and Wendy Born, as well as a young, upand-coming leader, Roberto Fischmann. Jeanette Eichenwald was recognized for starting what became Yachad University (which was really meaningful, given her re cent decision to retire from teaching class es). My father mentioned another all-time Federation great, Taffi Ney, for her efforts and countless contributions. There was also a reference to the Ort Flowering Fantasy Ball of 1968 held at the Jewish Community Center, which drew my father into the Al lentown Jewish community. So, what do I expect from my presiden cy? First, I ask for the same type of support from seasoned leaders and new ones alike. As we say at St. Luke’s University Health Network, success typically requires a team, and I know I can count on members of our community to assist as we begin this next journey together. Second, we need to con tinue to support the JCC, the Jewish Day School, and Jewish Family Service. These agencies are essential to new families con sidering whether to make the Lehigh Valley their home, and they are the cornerstones of our community. Third, I am fortunate to have a talented and experienced executive committee and board, and I cannot wait to work closely with them to continue the Fed eration’s mission. Fourth, and most impor tantly, I am so blessed to have an amazing Federation team, led by Jeri Zimmerman and Aaron Gorodzinsky, without whom I would never have taken this position. Thank you for trusting me in this role. I am excited to get started. I hope to make you all Andproud.asweet and joyous new year to everyone!
4 SEPTEMBER 2022 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY SPONSORED BY THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY’S WOMEN’S DIVISION
“With insight and warmth, Denworth weaves past and present, field biology and neuroscience, to show how our bodies and minds are designed for friendship across life stages, the processes by which healthy social bonds are developed and maintained, and how friendship is changing in the age of social COUVERTmedia.”: $18 (for event, book, and gift)
“Friendship: The Evolution, Biology, and Extraor dinary Power of Life’s Fundamental Bond” came out in 2020 and won the acclaim of respected book review outlets. Library Journal offered, “Verdict: After reading Denworth’s treatise on friendship, you may want to im mediately call your best friend or make a new one.”
All proceeds benefit projects in Israel: Food Banks in Israel Neve Michael Youth Village
Denworth has been writing about subjects with a scientific orientation for some years, after moving away from freelancing for women’s magazines early in her career. She’s had articles aimed at general audiences published in Scientific American, the Atlantic, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.
BY EVA LEVITT For prices or to place an order, call Eva at 610-398-1376.
All payments are made payable to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley
RSVP BY SEPTEMBER 14 to 610-821-5500 or GIAmailbox@jflv.org.JONESANDCRISSY
"Friendship: The Evolution, Biology, and Extraordinary Power of Life’s Fundamental Bond" with LYDIA DENWORTH
TOFF, Event Co-Chairs
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Eileen Ufberg (center) of Allentown and family were in Israel in March 2022 to dedicate this ambucycle donated to Israel’s United Hatzalah emergency medical service in memory of Eileen’s late husband, Dr. Michael “Mickey” Ufberg (z”l). The driver is EMT Yonatan Aouat (orange-and-black jacket). A United Hatzalah representative stands on each end.
Yonatan Aouat is a first responder who rides the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley’s new ambucycle No. 1283 for United Hatzalah in Israel. The Federation’s Maimonides Society healthcare professionals re cently purchased the ambucycle for United Hatzalah emergency medi cal service in memory of the late Dr. Michael “Mickey” Ufberg (z”l) of Allentown, who died in June 2021. Aouat immigrated to Israel from France a few years ago, married with three children. He was ineli gible for army service, but sought another way to serve the country. He decided to take an EMT course with United Hatzalah, which dis patches medical personnel to scenes to arrive before an ambulance can. Ambucycle No. 1283 enables Aouat to reach his destination within min utes of a call in the Netanya region. On one recent occasion, Aouat was alerted to a nearby fire that started due to a faulty bicycle bat tery. The fire had spread over two floors, and firemen were battling to control it. One person was in seri ous condition. Paramedics sedated and respirated him before he was transferred to an ambulance. Aouat focused his attention on a 4-year-old child who was having difficulty breathing due to smoke inhalation. He gave the boy oxygen and reassured him as they awaited evacuation to a hospital for further treatment.Onanother recent occasion, a rider on an electric bike was flung to the ground when his vehicle collided with a car. Aouat arrived within minutes on his ambucycle and found the rider with a head injury and broken arm. He bandaged his head, applied a stabilizing neck brace, and immobilized the arm, which had a compound fracture. He reassured the rider as they waited for an ambu lance and then helped secure him to a backboard for transport. Thanks to ambucycle No. 1283, Aouat is able to pull off lifesaving missions daily.
Lehigh Valley ambucycle puts EMT on the scene fast in Netanya, Israel 10 Ukrainian refugees train with United Hatzalah to become EMTs
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2022 5
JNS Ten members of an EMT training course, special ly designed for members of the Breslev commu nity in Uman who fled Ukraine during the onset of Russia’s invasion, celebrated their graduation ceremony on Aug. 25. Held in Jerusalem, the course ended six months after the commence ment of the fighting on Feb. 24. The program was taught by United Hatzalah instructors Yechiel Mayberg and Uriel Amrani. Its aim is to strengthen emergency-response teams in and around the community of Uman, and to lessen the time to handle medical emer gencies. The newly graduated EMTs hope to return to Uman soon and offer their acquired skills in the region in light of the country’s cur rent“Youreality.came to Israel, and invested your time and efforts in order to learn how to give the most professional response to medical emergencies in Uman and throughout Ukraine,” said United Hatzalah’s vice president of volunteer opera tions Eliezer Hyman, thanking the graduates for their dedication. “Your actions are worthy of the highest praise. You are the latest reinforcement to United Hatzalah’s extensive activities in Ukraine since the beginning of the war.” Deputy head of the Uman chapter of United Hatzalah Aharon Ben Harush stated that “our activities in Uman and throughout Ukraine start upon receiving news of the emergency and only end when the patient is discharged from hospital. Our dedicated team of volunteers accompanies patients to the hospital in order to assist them with any language difficulties, helps translate instructions from the medical staff and assists patients throughout the course of the medical treatment. We are delighted to see new EMTs join the chapter in these challenging times.”
By Carl Zebrowski Hakol Editor Gavriel Siman-Tov was walk ing down the hall in the Jewish Community Center, covered in paints from a JCC summer camp activity.Itwas a few weeks before his time as shaliach (Israeli emissary) to the Lehigh Valley would come to an end. JCC summer camp — one of his favorite things here — was ending soon too. He didn’t seem to mind his colorful appearance, despite that even his previously new-looking white sneakers now wore a motley coat of stray paint. “I love camp,” the self-described sneaker addict said without a hint of sarcasm. He accepted the situation with a shrug. You could pic ture him doing the same in response to his challenging start as shaliach back in September 2020. “They picked me up at the airport,” he said, “and I went straight into quarantine.”
By Gavriel Siman-Tov Community Shaliach
6 SEPTEMBER 2022 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
Jeri Zimmerman, executive director of the Jewish Federa tion of the Lehigh Valley, soon arrived at Siman-Tov’s apart ment with her husband, Len, carrying grocery bags and wearing masks. It was an un usual welcome to what would be Siman-Tov’s home for two years, but it wasn’t lost on him that the people here went out of their way for him right from the beginning.“Thecommunity is incred ible,” he said. “Even when they were scared during COVID, they still took care of me, even when we couldn’t get together.” Siman-Tov came here from Ramat Hasharon, a suburb of Tel Aviv, to teach the community here about Israel. On a previous trip to the United States, he had met shlichim (shaliach plural) and thought that someday he might like to do what they were doing.He brought with him con siderably more experience than his 23 years could seem to have accommodated. He had worked as camp counselor in a few dif ferent places, including Malibu, California. He had participated in an international camp in Rus sia and an exchange program in Germany.Healso served in the Israel Defense Force, which he de scribes as a sort of fully function ing society of its own. Besides combat troops, there are cooks and secretaries and shopkeep ers and everyone else required to keep things running. His role was sound engineer for the air force ensemble. It shouldn’t have surprised anyone here that he was able to do — or figure out how to do — just about anything asked of him. He taught classes, fixed computers, shot photos, set up equipment for events, ran Zoom presentations, wrote columns for Hakol, taught archery at JCC camp, threw a ceremonial “first pitch” for Jewish Heritage Night at the Iron Pigs… For all that, he came here above all to present the Jewish homeland as he has known and experienced it. “The goal is to make a personal connection with a lot of people and to get them to know Israel,” he said. “When someone gets to know you, they get to know Israel. Israel is very different from what people see on TV.”Hetook his personal version of Israel to classes at the Jewish Day School, synagogue mem bers, kids at the JCC school and camp, residents with intellectual disabilities at the Tivah House andTheothers.learning experience worked in the other direction too. “I liked experiencing Ameri can things like baseball games,” he said. “We don’t have that in Israel. I went to concerts. My first was Billie Eilish.” Then there were American holidays. You see Christmas trees and decorations in Israel, he said, but nothing that com pares. “You can find a bar doing a Halloween theme in Israel, but here it’s everywhere. It’s crazi ness.”Now that his stint as shaliach has ended, he was spending some time traveling before he re turns to Israel, including trips to Toronto and maybe Las Vegas. “I love driving,” he said, and the United States offers endless opportunities for it. “It’s like it’s built for road trips. It’s just you and the Fittingly,road.”his favorite book is Dr. Seuss’ “Oh, the Places You’ll Go,” about leaving behind the known and the safe to explore the unknown and the scary. “And will you succeed?” begins the book’s conclusion. “Yes! You will, indeed!”
See you later. Really
Some people may say they are good at writing goodbye letters. Others may say they can do it, but it’s hard.Iwas asked to write this column more than a month ago. I struggled to figure out how to summarize two years — all the memories, all the experiences, all the conversations — in one short column.After more than a month of de bating in my head what to write, I realized I’m not saying goodbye. I’m saying only see you later. Because how can I say goodbye to my family? How can I stop being a part of this community? Even if I’m on the other side of the world, you are still my family, still the people who embraced me when I arrived in the middle of a global pandemic, still the people who opened their hearts to a complete stranger that came and tried to bring Israel with him, still the people who accepted me into their community, into their family. So now that I know I’m not saying goodbye, I want to say thank you. Thank you for the best two years I could ask for, the best people I could ask for, the best family.There’s one thing I kept saying to so many people I met here: I’m Israeli and when I say something, I mean it 100 percent. I repeated the explanation given to me that if an American says, “Hey, it was so nice to meet you. Let’s have lunch sometime,” he probably means maybe we’ll get together. I think you know me well enough to know that when I tell you I'm here for you when you have a question about Israel, or when you are coming to visit and want recommendations or to grab lunch or a coffee with me, I’ll be there. Please don't hesitate. You are my family, so make sure to stay in touch and visit. I’ll do the same. Let me finish with a quote from my favorite book, Dr. Seuss’ “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!”: On and on you will hike, And I know you'll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are. You'll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You'll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and Anddeft. never mix up your right foot with your left. My personal contact info is Gavri els29@gmail.com and 972-54-5343993 (that’s an Israel number, so use it only through WhatsApp).
Through tough times, shaliach shared his personal Israel
Gavriel Siman-Tov (right) with friends at a community birthday celebration on August 27
| SEPTEMBER 2022 7
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
The Maimonides Society of the Jewish Federation of Lehigh Valley is set to grow. “My main goal is to broaden the appeal of Maimonides for younger healthcare provid ers,” said Dr. Zachariah Gold smith, new president of the society of Jewish healthcare professionals.Heplansto expand in other directions too. “I want to make it a more diverse crowd,” he said. “I really want to improve diversity and increase membership among women. And I‘m hop ing to improve membership among nonphysician health careIt’sproviders.”notjusta matter of diligent recruiting. “The key is to make membership more appealing,” he said, “to make it so the product is more appealing.” He wants to create programs that give women, physician assistants and nurse practitioners better reasons to Maimonidesjoin. will also reach out to Jewish physi cians in training at St. Luke’s and the Lehigh Valley Health Network. “We hope to establish a program in which residents are paired with established physi cians to share experiences and mentorship,” he said. Dr. Bill Markson, immedi ate past president of Mai monides, is spearheading thisGoldsmithinitiative. and his wife, Andrea, a pediatrician with LVHN, moved to the Lehigh Valley in 2015 for him to work at the St. Luke’s Center for Urology. Both of them are Pennsylvania natives, he from the Main Line outside Philadelphia and she from the Pittsburgh area. Both went to medical school in Philadelphia.“Whilelooking for jobs towards the end of my resi dency at Duke,” Goldsmith said, “we literally made a list of all of the cities in Pennsyl vania, New Jersey and Mary land that had JCCs to target our job search. The strength of the JCC indicated the strength of the Jewish com munity.” Now well settled in the valley, he has been on the board of the JCC for four years.He said it’s an honor to be president of Maimonides. “Taking this position means so much to me, as I realize how important the strength of our community can be in attracting talented young pro fessionals and their families to the Lehigh Valley,” Gold smith said. He said he’ll keep doing the things Markson did in the job before him. “My goal is to continue the amazing tradition of Maimonides,” he said.Goldsmith will continue the society’s Brunch and Learn program that brings members together for food, fellowship and education. And soon he’ll be making an extra effort to make the programming more useful for younger members. His first Brunch and Learn as president will also be the first in-person Brunch and Learn since the COVID-19 pandemic began. It’s Sunday, October 23, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. He’ll be the presenter, on the topic of robotics in surgery.Forfurther information, interested healthcare profes sionals can contact him orzach.g.goldsmith@gmail.comat215-720-5060.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 11:00 a.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley
New president hopes to make Maimonides Society younger
On November 1, 2022, Israel will hold its fifth national election in 3.5 years, reflecting an ever-widening chasm in Israeli society. Join us to hear Professor Dan Ben-David, one of Israel’s leading economists, give a big-picture perspective of Israel’s underlying domestic challenges, opportunities, and economic outlook for the next 75 years. This event is in-person, free and open to all. A light brunch will also be served. Register at https://jewishlehighvalley.regfox.com/professor-ben-david. If you need accommodations, contact aaron@jflv.org.
By Carl Zebrowski Hakol Editor
Interfaith group brings sacred music to Musikfest
IN HONOR LYNDA AND STUART KRAWITZ In honor of your son Josh’s engagement to Ali Goldsmith Lynda and Richard Somach IN MEMORY ELOISE (MotherENGELSONofSusanEngelson Friefeld) Lynda and Richard Somach ANNIE FAVICCHIA (Wife of Tony Favicchia) Joan (HusbandJEFFREYLesavoyKRANITZofCarol Kranitz) Susan Engelson Friefeld IRA (HusbandLEHRICHofLucille Lehrich) Susan Engelson Friefeld We gratefully acknowledge those indi viduals who have offered expressions of friendship through recent gifts to the Lehigh Valley Jewish Foundation. The minimum contribution for an Endow ment Card is $10. Call 610-821-5500 or visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org to place your card requests. Thank you for your continued support.
HELEN AND SOL KRAWITZ HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL FUND
Randi and SenderowitzDonald RUTH (BrotherLAWRENCE(FatherCHARLES(MotherLEATRICE(HusbandHOWARD(MotherPHYLLIS(MotherHELPERofJillSteigerwald)LoriandAlanStarrLIEBERMANofSusanNullman)EileenUfbergLISTWAofSherreeListwa)JudyAlperinSheilaBergSylviaandSamBubSuzanneLapidussSTUTZofMarkStutz)LyndaandRichardSomachTICHOofRonTicho)CaroleandMichaelLangsamWEITZofArleneLevine)LyndaandRichardSomach
By Bayley Carl Digital Media Coordinator
8 SEPTEMBER 2022 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY IN HONOR LENNY ABRAMS Happy 90th Birthday Patty Klein BILL BERGSTEIN In honor of the birth of your grandson, Eliot Ritter Bergstein Wendy and Ross Born LAURA AND BOB BLACK In honor of your granddaughter Hannah’s Bat Mitzvah Rita and Mike Bloom AMIRA AND JEFF GEVIRTZ In honor of your wedding celebration Amy and Rich Morse SARA AND KARL GLASSMAN In honor of Josh’s engagement to JanelleLyndaCoganandRichard Somach BETH KOZINN In honor of your Special Birthday Ann and Myron Falchuk Aaron Gorodzinsky and Jennie Schechner ROBERTA AND ROBERT KRITZER In honor of your granddaughter Leah’s Bat Mitzvah Eydie and Neil Glickstein ROBERTA AND ROBERT KRITZER In honor of your granddaughter Annie’s Bat Mitzvah Eydie and Neil Glickstein ELAINE LANGER In honor of Special Birthday Carole and Michael Langsam ARLENE AND IRA LEVINE In honor of your grandson Jack’s BarLyndaMitzvahand Richard Somach ELAINE AND LEON PAPIR In honor of your granddaughter, Charlotte’s Bat Mitzvah Jane and Arthur Kaplan BETH AND EDWARD POSNER In honor of the marriages of your son, Ari, and your granddaughter, Mayan Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald LOTA POST In honor of your Special Birthday Sylvia and Sam Bub and Family Roberta and Jeff Epstein Eileen Ufberg Vicki Wax ROBBY WAX In honor of receiving the Kobrovsky Award for Campaign Excellence Laura and Bob Black ROBBY WAX In honor of becoming the next President of JFLV Laura and Bob Black VICKI WAX In honor of receiving the Kobrovsky Award for Campaign Excellence Laura and Bob Black IN MEMORY (MotherMOTHERof Lisa Rosenberg) Lynda and Richard Somach PHOEBE AND ARTHUR ALTMAN (Sister and brother-in-law of Rabbi RimBonnieMeirowitz)andBobby Hammel SIDNEY BROWN (Father of Patty Carlis) Wendy and Ross Born Aaron Gorodzinsky and Jennie Schechner Ron (FatherLAIRDVickiHarrisonWaxHAASofSusanne Katz) Wendy and Ross Born Aaron Gorodzinsky and Jennie Schechner Eileen Ufberg and Family Vicki Wax ESTHER HALPERIN (Mother of Richard Goldberg) Sylvia and Sam Bub and Family Marlene and Arnan Finkelstein Carol and Stewart Furmansky Carole and Michael Langsam Cindy and Scott Schneider
On August 10, 2022, the Bethlehem Interfaith Group presented “Music of Faith and Hope” at Musikfest. The performance of sacred music took place on the Stadtplatz stage in Payrow Plaza, between the Bethlehem’s city hall and public library. So along with the music, the audience got to take in the stunning view of the city’s southTheside.Bethlehem Inter faith Group is a nonprofit organization dedicated to education, social jus tice and friendship that welcomes people from all religious traditions. Besides Judaism, other tra ditions represented on the stage this sunny summer Wednesday were Catho lic, Moravian, African Methodist Episcopal Zion, Metropolitan Community and Islam. Rabbis Michael Singer, Melody Davis and Steve Nathan attended. For information about BIG, contact Rabbi Singer at lom.net.rabbisinger@brithsho
By Carl Zebrowski Hakol Editor “The impact one makes.” That’s what the title says, referring to one’s impact on the community and the world. But that’s not where the interview with Dr. Israel and Valeska Zighelboim begins.Quite the opposite. Their first mention of the Lehigh Valley is about the impact the community made on them. The Zighelboims were here just a few years when a constitutional crisis, violence and a shortage of basic necessities threatened their native Venezuela in 2017. They partnered with the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley for a presentation to educate the community on the dire situation and encourage donations for those in need. “We spoke for an hour,” Valeska said. “We were hoping to raise some money, but this was amazing.” The final tally was almost $17,000. Even though no one else in the community was from Venezuela, Valeska continued, “some people gave very generous gifts.” Israel and Valeska met at a Jewish summer camp in Venezuela while he was in medical school. They got married and in 2001 moved to Waco, Texas, where he began a four-year residency in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine. She worked as a chemical engineer for the agrochemical company stop was St. Louis, where Israel served a fellowship at the Washington University School of Medicine. By this time, they had young kids, so Valeska stayed home (when she was not doing volunteer work for the Jewish Community Center and Jewish Federation). Then St. Luke’s University Hospital in Bethlehem came calling to recruit Israel. And succeeded.“Icame here to see patients,” Israel said, “and for us to have normal lives and see our kids grow up in a Jewish environment. We immersed ourselves in the Jewish sheintensivecareermiddle“Ihavenurse.toenrollingtobeenchemicalDueJDSstillsomethingshevolunteering,”breathethepresidentSchool,ServicevolunteeredathethelaterboardCommunityinvitedSonsBethbecameBothcommunity.”oftheZighelboimsactiveinTempleElandCongregationofIsrael.IsraelwastojointheJewishCenterexecutivein2014andwouldbecomeamemberofboardofdirectorsofJewishFederationandvicepresident.ValeskaatJewishFamilyandtheJewishDayincludingasviceofdevelopmentforschool.“IusedtoliveandJDSandcommunityshesaid.Thendecidedshewantedmore(thoughshevolunteers,includingasendowmentpresident).tovisaproblems,engineeringhadsetaside.Shedecidedgointohealthcare,inschoolin2018becomearegisteredThetimingcouldworkedoutbetter:graduatedrightintheofthepandemic.”Shestartedhernursingworkinginancareunit.NowdoesinfusionsattheSt.
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2022 9 THE IMPACT ONE MAKES: The Zighelboims
COVD-19 pandemic, when patients weren’t allowed to bring people with them to appointments. “It was the patient and you,” she said. “You give them a little extra attention that makes them feelIsraelbetter.”iscurrently chairman of the St. Luke’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The position, he said, has “two distinct components”: administrative work and treating patients. The administrative duties are essential work that helps patients on the larger scale, he explains. “You really have an impact on many lives at one time.”He nonetheless prefers the other component. “My favorite days are still by far when I see patients,” he said. As his specialty is oncology, some of his patients are very sick. Some will come through treatment cancer free. Others are not so fortunate. “Some of the most special moments are when I get to hold a patient’s hand for the lastYoutime.”might get the idea from all this that the Lehigh Valley has been a good match for the Zighelboims. And that’s particularly true for the Jewish community. “It’s a very strong community,” Valeska said. “Everyone is welcome. Everybody’s very helpful.”“Assmall as it is,” Israel added, “it has a good heart and will continue to attract people and make sure it remains here for future generations.“Butwecannot take it for granted.”
Luke’s Anderson campus. Many of her patients have cancer and other serious illnesses. “You create an amazing relationship with them,” she said, especially in earlier phases of the
Monsanto.Theirnext
10 SEPTEMBER 2022 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY BY RABBI PHIL COHEN Congregation Keneseth Israel
This year marks two important anniversaries, one very well known, the other perhaps less so. The well-known anniversary is the 75th of the state of Israel. Seventy-five years ago the survival of the Jewish state was hardly assured. The attacks on Israel by several Arab armies at the moment of its birth led to a hard-fought war in which the Israelis suffered some 6,000 dead. But Israel not only survived that war and other wars. Israel has flourished. A country of some 600,000 Jews in 1948, Israel now is home to some nine million souls — Jews, Arabs and a mixture of others. We saw the Jewish population exceed the Jewish population of the United States some time ago, making Israel home to approximately half the Jews in the world. Every time I contemplate this history (which of course I am only hinting at here), my mind is literally aghast. From a hardscrabble group of Ashkenazim and Mizrachim, so many of whom arrived penniless and damaged, there now is a democratic nation that leads the world in so many technologies, that has developed a lively and creative arts culture, that has passionately uncovered its past through archaeology. Israel has developed, of all things, an amazing foodie scene. World-class restaurants abound, especially in Tel Aviv. And above all, Israel is a functioning nation with the kind of infrastructure common to all nations. Seventy-five years has exceeded the wildest fantasies of the founders who gathered in Basel, Switzerland, in 1897 for first Zionist Congress, where the Jewish state was envisioned. And, of course, there’s Hebrew. Never a dead language, this ancient Semitic tongue has stood up boldly and become the first language to millions (including most of Israel’s Arab citizens), spoken and written, functioning in every way one would expect a language to function. So, do not visit Israel and expect American Jews and Judaism transplanted to a warmer climate. To visit Israel with open eyes is to see a country that has evolved a life and culture far different from the European and Middle Eastern worlds its citizens left behind. You might find a bagel and even a deli here and there, but not chicken soup, except on Shabbat. If your eyes are open, you’ll see an independent Jewish country entirely of its own making. And to think this place has been a country for nearly threequarters of a century. I say again, it boggles my mind. Even as we express pride and amazement at Israel’s great flourishing, we have to keep in mind that the neighborhood in which Israel dwells remains dangerous. The Abraham Accords, which brought formal peace with Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan and Morocco, will have remarkable ramifications as the relations between Israel and these countries develop. Nonetheless, Syria, Lebanon (in Hezbollah’s grip) and Hamas all pose threats to the peace. More, we all await the time when the contours of a two-state solution (in which I fervently continue to believe) will emerge, allowing a fuller peace to reign in the region.
Happy anniversaries! you know and one you probably don’t)
1. firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.
TRUST (noun)
Trust is earned over time by consistently doing what’s right. At St. Luke’s, trust is our foundation. St. Luke’s was first in bringing innovative health care to the region 150 years ago, and we continue to be at the forefront of patient care and innovation. St. Luke’s –the care you know and the name you trust.
sluhn.org
Transforming Medicine. Reimagining Care.
I guess I have to add that I have a vested interest in the Jewish state. My daughter Talia became an Israeli citizen just over three years ago. Watching her weather the challenges of aliyah is a joy but also a source of some concern, though mainly of the type any parent feels for a child, especially one who’s 6,000 miles away.The other important anniversary this year, no doubt rather more obscure than Israel’s, is the celebration of the centennial of the publication of Martin Buber’s “I and Thou.” Buber (1878-1965) was one of the 20th century’s most important Jewish philosophers.Hewasaremarkable man. He wrote prolifically, was an active Zionist from his youth in Germany, and translated the Hebrew Bible using a unique method that he and his cotranslator Franz Rosenzweig developed. He brought Hasidic literature, including the stories of Reb Nahman of Bratslav, to the attention of the secular Jewish world. He immigrated to Palestine, where he taught at the Hebrew University, continued writing, and was always active in politics there on what today would be called the left side of the spectrum. For example, he argued for a binational state, a country shared with the Arabs. But his single greatest contribution to religious thought was “I and Thou,” published in 1923 in German as “Ich und du.” The core idea of this book entails the notion that human life proceeds through dialogical relationships. There are rare moments in a person’s life when one person establishes a momentary yet utterly profound connection with another. In that meeting we see the other as fully human, and so it is with the other person. This is the I-thou relationship, when the one person “sees” the other in the fullness of their being. This momentary meeting, as Buber refers to it, stands radically apart from the relationships we experience in our day-to-day lives, which he refers to at I-it. In that I-thou moment, we experience a glimpse of God. The unpacking of this idea has occupied many thinkers over the course of the last century. And while Buber, as with every philosopher, has his detractors, I personally have found this core idea an important guide in my life as a rabbi, a human being and someone who struggles to understand who God is. There exist many connections between the two notable anniversaries. Buber immigrated to Israel before its birth, was a teacher and was politically active there for the remainder of his long life. That is to say, Martin Buber’s life was intimately bound up with the life of the burgeoning Jewish state. As a deeply committed Zionist, philosopher and humanist, Buber left an indlible mark on Israel and the Jewish world. Two anniversaries, each worth setting aside time to observe, celebrate and learn from. There are many fine one-volume histories of Israel. One you might consider reading is “Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn” by Daniel Gordis. Paul Mendes-Flohr’s recent biography of Buber, “Martin Buber: A Life of Faith and Dissent,” reveals a great deal of the complexity of this man.
(One
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2022 11
12 SEPTEMBER 2022 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
Today was based on the value of faithfulness and trust — emunah. We started our day with a visit to the Is rael Museum, which features the most extensive holdings of biblical and Holy Land archaeology in the world. The highlight for many of us was the Dead Sea Scrolls. We had the honor of hearing from Israel Defense Force soldiers on their journey to defend Israel. In the afternoon we enjoyed a tour of the Old City of Jerusalem and end ed at the Kotel (Western Wall). At this last remnant of the Holy Temple, the holiest place on earth, our hearts were filled with gratitude and prayers. We learned that the wall has also become an international symbol of peace and hope for all who visit. We took time for self-reflection before visiting the wall to write prayer notes that we later inserted in the wall’s cracks in hopes that our prayers would be answered.Itwasa very moving day that guided us further in our relationship with God, which can anchor us in every aspect of our life in the present and can drive us toward our future.
— Stephanie Smartschan TUESDAY, JULY 12 All around town
We had only a precious few hours in Yoav before our Momentum trip was to begin. We visited Tom and Tomer Hill, a beautiful living memo rial to two local soldiers who died in a helicopter crash. Though I had been here before, hearing their stories told again and visiting each meaningful site throughout the park brought tears to myWeeyes.then had the opportunity to learn about Kibbutz Negba, which was built in a single day, and how its residents dutifully guarded its walls during the battles that shaped Israel's existence.Afterlunch at the kibbutz’s dining hall, we said goodbye to Yoav and boarded the bus to Tel Aviv along with Ruth, Sharon, Tali and Hadas, who would be joining us on the trip. After a quick check-in at the hotel, a group of us dropped our bags and darted across the street to soak up the brilliance of the sandy beach on the Mediterranean. Sitting at the edge of the water with the waves coming in, Lehigh Valley and Yoav began to merge into a single unit. We danced well into the night at the Momentum opening event, coming together with women from Boston, Toronto, Los An geles, Boynton Beach and many cities in between who would join us on our trip.We ended the night with our arms around one another, swaying to the peaceful sounds of “Od Yavo Shalom Aleinu” and ready to embark on our journey.
SUNDAY, JULY 10 Hello, Yoav!
— Lynn Wilson
THURSDAY, JULY 14 The desert and Mount Masada As our group headed south to the des ert, Mount Masada and the Dead Sea, we focused on the Jewish values of achdut and areyvut (unity and mutual responsibility). At our first stop of the day, we had the opportunity either to get up close with camels, learn how to make pita or practice yoga in the desert tranquility. Sitting in the tents at Eretz Bereshit allowed us the chance to reflect, unite as a group and celebrate our own unique identities. Women with no Hebrew name who came
WEDNESDAY, JULY 13
During dinner at Tali’s house in Yoav, we spent the evening meeting many people from the town, including Mayor Mati and our host families for the evening. After dinner, we broke out in pairs and went to our host families, learning so much about them and how important the partnership is. We were all suffering from jet lag and didn’t stay up too late as we prepared for the rest of our trip.
The diary below was compiled by Julia Umansky, Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley director of gift planning and EITC, and participant in the trip. A different woman from the Lehigh Valley writes here about each day of the trip from her personal perspective.
On the beach at Tel Aviv I woke up in a strange house, thou sands of miles away from the Lehigh Valley, yet it somehow felt like home. After all, I was with my sister — my Momentum sister from Yoav. We had forged a tight bond traveling together three years prior, and the ongoing partnership between our communi ties had only strengthened it. How lucky was I now to be working for Momentum, traveling with my own community and back in Yoav about to forge that same bond with a whole new group of sisters-to-be?
On July 9 a group of women departed from Allentown to join one of the Momen tum Unlimited trips to Israel.
— Tracy Sussman
Momentum diary: Women
We started our day with an Israeli breakfast buffet at the hotel, followed by a short bus ride to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. There was a dance party and then we listened to trip leader Eve Levy talk about her many fears and stepping out of her comfort zone. We heard about Israel’s struggle to farm the land and about the innova tions that have turned the desert into lush fields to feed the masses, as well as ways Israel is sharing the knowl edge and innovations it has learned with other countries. Next we took a walking tour of Tel Aviv. We had lunch with Rotem Bar, former shlicha (Israeli emissary) to the Lehigh Valley. We spent a little time walking through the Carmel Market before visiting the Ethiopian Heritage Museum, where we learned about the culture and traditions of the Ethiopian Jewish people. We toured the Anu Museum, which follows the narrative of the Jewish people through the ages. We reflected on the value of courage before we departed to the Tel Aviv dock, where we had dinner and watched the sunset. We then departed for Jerusalem to check in before our next adventure.
The Yoav women hosted the valley group for its first night in Israel, with dinner and homestays, before the Momentum trip proper began Monday, July 11.
— Rachel Levin MONDAY, JULY 11
The Lehigh Valley women were greeted on their arrival by women in Yoav, the valley’s partner community in Israel under the Partnership2Gether program.
Left: The ladies explore the nightlife on their first night in Jerusalem.
The goal of these trips is to inspire women to transform themselves, their families, their communities and the world. The Momentum journey begins with a visit to Israel and empowers women to connect with Jewish values, engage with Israel, take action and foster unity through yearlong, post-trip meetings.
Above: Enjoying falafel and sabich sandwiches on Jerusalem’s Ben Yehuda Street during a free afternoon.
The Dead Sea Scrolls and Western Wall
— Susan Kolpon SUNDAY, JULY 17
We started our morning with a lovely walk to the King Solomon Hotel for a class on peace and wholeness in the home.Our next adventure led us to the ancient and spiritual city of Tzvat. We started our tour with a visit to a quaint little synagogue. It was one of spoke about tikkun olam, or repairing the world. We were able to explore the beautiful city and experience the food and artwork it has to offer. The Yemenite food bar was one of our favorites!Wethen began our trek to the most beautiful mikvah. Our tour guide, Eli sheva, was mystical and radiated joy and positivity. She brought out many unexpected emotions from our group. We finished our journey in Tzvat with a huge dinner and dancing at Red Khan, a very unique and beautiful banquet hall that was built in 1276, be fore we started the long evening drive back to Jerusalem.
Now, as a mom, I feel a deep ache, but with a purpose. I walk through this sparsely lit hall of candles reflected in mirrors, and I listen to the names of each child who perished in the Holocaust. It takes about three months to play the recording of names in its entirety — names that you hope in the fleeting moment they are announced you may remember, because that is all those children left behind. These are children whose life stories were just beginning, only to come to an abrupt end. The candles reflected in this hall create a sense of infinite stars, a repre sentation of how we cannot quantify what we lost. We think of our own children and what lies ahead for their future, who
— Jessica Volchko MONDAY, JULY 18
With amazing ability, Momentum rescheduled our visit to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum in Jerusalem (a visit originally scheduled for the beginning of the trip, but postponed for security protocols due to President Biden’s visit). It was a heavy visit for our last day, but a poignant one. I remember walking through the reflective hall of the Children’s Memo rial 30 years ago as a teenager. What a different perspective now, walking through as a mother. As a teenager, you’re taught the horrific casualties of the Holocaust and the sobering numbers of people killed — the facts.
Above right: No trip to Israel is complete without some mud and floating at the Dead Sea.
All week I really looked forward to experiencing Shabbat in Jerusalem. Although my family is not typically shomer Shabbat, I chose not to use my phone or any electricity. This natural break for quiet and contemplation came as a relief given our fantastic but very busy schedule. Instead of looking at things through my camera screen and snap ping photos, I just enjoyed the com munal feeling of Shabbat in Israel. When I looked down at the Kotel Fri day night from the Aish World Center Dan Family of Canada building, before we went down to dance, my mouth literally dropped in awe. It was incredibly beautiful and moving to see so many people celebrating Shabbat together in such a sacred place. Dancing with vibrant, friendly Is raeli soldiers reminded me of all that Israel must sacrifice for the Jewish people to have our only homeland — this precious place of religious freedom.Saturday was indeed a day of rest, as our schedule started later than all the other days. Going to and from the hotel, we used a side exit, since our hotel’s automatic front doors were de activated for the duration of Shabbat. Eve Levy spoke to us about “generous parenting.”Wewalked from the King Solomon Hotel to lunch. The quiet Jerusalem streets were noticeably different from the rest of the week. We were fortu nate to enjoy a gracious Shabbat lunch courtesy of Rabbi Aaron and Karen Goldscheider (parents of 11), who made aliyah from New York 10 years ago. It was interesting to hear their story. In typical Jewish-geography fashion, it seemed their family was only a degree or so removed from a number of the 30-40 Momentum women they were hosting.
Above left: Taking a break from the heat to gather and learn about the women’s mikvah in Tzfat.
FRIDAY, JULY 15 Shopping and then Shabbat
Momentum Continues on page 14
— Wendy Edwards
During our free Saturday after noon, I enjoyed some peaceful time reading and people-watching in the park across from the hotel. Shabbat was the first time I'd touched my books all week, or had time to think more deeply about all we'd experi enced so far on our journey. Many parents were out walking and playing with their children, and friends were out throwing Frisbees. That evening, back at the Aish building near the Kotel for a light dinner and havdalah, it was achingly beautiful to say goodbye communally to Shabbat. The singing and sweet spices helped cheer us as we prepared to restart the week. Then, amazingly, the quiet city opened back up again — at 10 p.m.! Reluctant as I was initially to turn my phone back on, it was wonder ful to enjoy Jerusalem nightlife. We stopped for some delicious Golda ice cream, and browsed for some final souvenirs to take home. The shopkeepers wished us shavua tov as we left with our purchases. I also couldn't help but take a small detour to the King David Hotel, which had already added President Joe Biden’s signature to its floor collection, though the president had departed only the day before. Although the quietest day, this was one of my favorite days of the Momentum journey. It is difficult to adequately describe how meaningful it was not only to be at the Kotel, but also to feel the change in an entire city and country for Shabbat. As a Jew in America, it is rare or impossible ever to experience being in the religious majority. Being in Israel for Shabbat, it felt like I was truly home.
on the trip were able to receive one in the stillness of the desert; we all watched and listened with full hearts and minds as these women took on a new Jewish identity and were blessed with their chosen name in a beautiful ceremony. After having our fill of tea, coffee and dried fruits at our desert oasis, we packed up to spend time at the Dead Sea and make our ascent up Masada. After our quick cable car trip up the mountain, we visited historic sites at the top and learned the complex and often-debated history of what truly happened on Masada. Our guide, Rivi, took her time explaining the intricacies of the different structures that existed, walked us through the mikvah and hot sauna rooms, and showed us where a Torah scribe is always working on a new handwrit ten scroll. After a long day of heat and wandering in the desert, we made the drive back to Jerusalem, where our Yoav sisters took us through Machne Yehuda market for dinner and a free evening together.
— Julia Umansky
A poignant ending
Women find unity and renewal in Israel
We started our day with a few lec tures from Momentum to focus on how to maximize the many oppor tunities that come with the arrival of Shabbat. In the afternoon we had free time for shopping in Jerusalem and got to walk Ben Yehuda Street, with all the food and shopping it has to offer. Then we celebrated Shabbat in the Old City of Jerusalem, starting with a concert by Rika Razel and some dancing. All groups lit their Shabbat candles and we proceeded down to the Kotel for dancing and dinner. All of us beautiful women got dressed up and enjoyed the evening welcoming Shabbat together.
SATURDAY, JULY 16 A peaceful day (and lively night!)
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2022 13
The spiritual city of Tzvat
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According to tradition, each of us has an obligation to preserve our sacred heritage by writing a Torah scroll in our lifetime. It is written “Write for yourselves this song, and teach it to all the children of Israel.” (Deut.31:19)
from page 13
You are invited to fulfill a rare Mitzvah this High Holy Day they will be and what experi ences they will have. I cannot fathom someone taking this dream away from my chil dren. What will I do to guar antee these atrocities never happenWalkingagain?through the main part of the museum, I’m drawn to the display that describes how German Jews were aware of the rising anti-Semitism. It was a part of their daily lives. For some, the sentiment was that our people historically have been through this before, that it couldn’t get worse. Until it did. Will I have the courage to stand up and say “no, not today” when confronted with any form of injustice? I find it fascinating that while we are told never for get, I have grandparents who are Holocaust survivors who did not want to talk about their personal experiences. As a child, I remember asking my bubbe what those tattooed numbers on her forearm were, and she would just brush off the question. My father, born in a German displaced persons camp, says it was too painful for them to look back. He says they simply had to moveMoveforward.forward. On this current journey, I find this motto to be the heart of the Israeli people. Through a partnership, we toured Israel with our Israeli sisters from Yoav, remarkable women raising children, with a drive to learn more and create more, no challenge unman ageable.Onewoman, Hadas, is pursuing an investment com petition for an invention her think tank group created for health services. She made it to the final round of interviews during our trip! Another woman, Ruth, created her own bee farm, with no formal knowledge of raising bees. She taught herself simply because “it felt like the right thing to do.” We may visit Israel to learn about the past, but Israelis live for the future, driven by innovation. What can we do to enrich our lives? We don’t need to dwell on the trans gressions of our past. Instead, we learn from them and build a stronger tomorrow. On our final day in Israel, we reflect on this incredible journey. It was more than just a trip. I learned so much about myself as a woman and a mother, and how Juda ism embraces all aspects of life. I can’t wait to share what I have learned with my fam ily. I look forward to receiv ing the letter we wrote and addressed to ourselves in advance about our journey, which is really just begin ning. So this is not goodbye, but l’hitraot — see you again soon. — Selena Robinson As the women from this recent trip enter into their Momentum Year of Growth and continue their journey together here in the Lehigh Valley, staff at the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley are already planning the next partnered trip with Mo mentum, happening in 2023. If you are a mother raising Jewish children under age 18 and are interested in a subsidized trip to Israel provided by Momen tum Unlimited and the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, please reach out to Julia Uman sky at julia@jflv.org for more information.
Meet the professional sofer Neil Yerman. A sofer is the person who writes and restores Torah scrolls. In English, the Hebrew word sofer is translated as “scribe.” To be come a sofer, a Jewish person must master the art of He brew calligraphy, document restoration, and the many rules and traditions governing the writing and restoring of a Torah. In addition, a sofer must lead a religious life. Neil Yerman, Sofer. Read more www.neilyerman.comat
word, verse, passage, parsha (portion), book, or the entire Torah. Each sponsor gets to write a letter in the Torah, guided by the hand of Neil Yerman, a sofer (scribe) who professionally restores Torah“Wescrolls.aretaught if we par ticipate in the repair of even a single letter of the Torah,” said the synagogue, “we have fulfilled our obligation and achieved a once-in-a-lifetime Mitzvah.”Torahs that the synagogue is not keeping have been purchased to be sent to Jew ish communities around the world that need them. To be part of the hands-on restoration event, cochaired by Aliette Abo and Howard Nathanson, make an appoint ment for your family by call ing 610-258-5343.
October 23 is two big events in one for Congregation Bnai Shalom of Easton. One is the first large inperson gathering for the con gregation since it was formed in August 2020 by the merger of Temple Covenant of Peace and Bnai Abraham. The other is the celebration of and active participation in finishing the restoration of the last of the congregation’s six Torahs to be renewed.Members of the commu nity can sponsor a letter, Mitzvah’: Help Bnai Shalom restore a Torah Make Your Mark
Momentum Continues
Our rabbis regard this verse as the 613th and final commandment. We are taught if we participate in the repair of even a single letter of the Torah, we have fulfilled our obligation and achieved a once-in-a-lifetime Mitzvah. Plan to reserve your and/or your family’s appointment at Bnai Shalom of Easton to “Make Your Mark” by sponsoring a letter, word, verse, passage, parsha, book, or the entire Torah, which enables you to fulfill the mitzvah by writing a letter in our Torah at Bnai Shalom Sunday, October 23, 2022. Meet the Sofer Congregation Bnai Shalom of Easton, PA 1545 Bushkill Street Easton, PA 18042 Phone: (610) 258-5343
KI announces new director of Jewish education
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2022 15 uring Students Unique Potential mpus rade 8 Street A 18103 Merle Smith Campus Grades 9 12 4313 Green Pond Road Bethlehem, PA 18020 moravianacademy.org
Standing up for Israel
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At a time when area schools are more challenged than ever, Congregation Kenes eth Israel’s Harvest 5K will benefit Central Elementary School in Allentown. Now celebrating its eighth year, the 5K run will begin at 11 a.m. at 1696 Park Drive (Lehigh Parkway) in Allen town on Sunday, October 16. Money raised will go toward the school’s sports teams and much-needed gym equip ment.Mayor Matt Tuerk will be master of ceremonies and highlight the importance of neighbors working together to ensure the best educational experiences for children in need. This is the fifth year that the 5K funds will benefit Central Elementary School, where 89 percent of the chil dren’s families are considered low income and all 800 of the children receive free or reduced-price lunches. Since the Harvest 5K’s inception in 2015, funds from it have also benefitted several other non profit organizations, includ ing Habitat for Humanity, the Literacy Center, Victory House of the Lehigh Valley, and the Fund to Benefit Chil dren and Youth. At the head of the 2022 effort is Patricia (Choty) San Andres, architect of the an nual fundraiser. “This event is unique in that in combines my passion for physical well ness, along with my focus on spirituality and helping oth ers,” said Choty. “Yet, sup porting those less fortunate is truly a team sport.” To sign up as a participant or corporate sponsor, or to learn more, visit com/Race/PA/Allentown/runsignup. Harvest5Ki.
Paid for by Scheller for
Congregation Keneseth Israel has introduced Alex Malan ych as its new director of Jewish education. Malanych (they/them) will coordinate the day-to-day operations of the Sunday religious school, supervise teachers, communi cate with parents and oversee special programs. Assist ing them will be Rabbi Phil Cohen, who will also teach the confirmation class, and Sean Boyle, who will handle some school administrative duties in addition to his work running the congregation’s has master’s degrees in both English (University of Vermont) and Jewish education (Gratz College) and is currently a rabbinical student at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia. Over the summer, they have been working as the education di rector for Camp Havaya, the Reconstructionist camp in the Poconos, and have just started as the new student rabbi at Congregation Am Haskalah. Alex has a background in Jewish education as a teacher, youth advisor, education director and prayer leader at various synagogues, Jewish summer camps and college campuses. Their focus on experiential learning, Ken eseth Israel believes, will be especially valuable as the congregation looks to make its religious school program more engaging for both stu dents and families. We understand the many challenges our families have faced over the last 2-1/2 years, and we are enthusiastic to begin this new phase of our religious school program. As a sign of our appreciation, we are offering a reduced religious school tuition for this year of $360 per student, which applies to both con tinuing students and new students joining the program. We look forward to seeing all of our religious school families at the Noah Aronson concert and Welcome Back BBQ on Sunday, August 28 starting at 5:00 PM. This will be a great opportunity to interact with Alex, Rabbi Phil, Sean, and lay leader ship, and to learn more about the religious school program this year. If you have not already registered, please do so as soon as possible, since our exciting school kickoff on Sunday, September 11 is rapidlyPleaseapproaching.visitourwebsite at kilv.org or contact the office at 610-435-9074 if you would like to learn more about Alex, the upcoming religious school year, or have questions about registration or tuition.
Proud Member of the LV Jewish Community "Since first visiting Israel at 26, I committed myself to supporting Israel and the Jewish community in a way that went beyond just words. I'm a Federation Lion of Judah, and I founded the Woodman-Scheller and Zin Fellows Leadership Programs at Ben-Gurion University If elected, I will take my steadfast support for Israel and our community with me to Congress."
Keneseth Israel’s 8th Harvest 5K will aid Central Elementary School
Opposing Antisemitism
library.Malaynch
Congress
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By Abby Trachtman Project Coordinator
By Sandi Teplitz Special to Hakol
Each country has its own tale to tell about the Holocaust and its atrocities. In “The Paris Photo,” Jane S. Gabin chooses to introduce an American soldier who becomes smitten with a Jewish woman in France and gets absorbed in the comings and goings of her family, especially her young son. The woman’s husband has been taken by the Nazis, and no one is certain of hisThisstatus.compassionate piece of historical fiction never becomes hoary, as the war calls upon the American soldier to continue his service in Germany, leaving his unrequited lover and her son feeling detached and inse cure. The soldier’s close friend convinces him to move on and continue the lukewarm relation ship with his fiancée, later wife, back home in New York. Many decades later, the soldier’s daughter completes the mourning period for her late father and comes across a photo graph of him with an unknown family. This inspires research into the family — the French woman’s — and a search that leads to an eventual relationship between her own daughter and the French woman’s young son whom her father came to adore. Throughout this emotional demonstration of love and separation, the reader can put to gether a picture of life in France and the scars of wartime on those involved. We are able to see the haunting effects of war that last forever despite the gentle help and kindness of others. Gavin’s story is insightful and intriguing. She is able to raise issues that are unfortunate in their continuing relevance to countries at war today. She is especially gift ed in her character analyses, allow ing readers to make connections to our own personal relationships with those who participated in any war and then tried to achieve inner peace. “The Paris Photo” is universal in theme and appeal; like a cherished picture, it tells a story that we can all treasure.
Henry will also make a donation to Jewish Family Service by renting a bima basket for the day of his bar mitzvah. The lovely bima baskets are decorated with empty boxes of nonperishable food items, representing some of the foods that JFS gives to those in need. Proceeds go to the JFS Community Food Pantry, which helps feed the most vulnerable in our community, from the elderly to those who cannot afford to feed their children.
Mitzvah project helps feed dogs in need
Henry Morse, son of Sarah and Tom Morse, will be called to the Torah as a bar mitzvah on Saturday, September 10, 2022, at Congregation Keneseth Israel in HenryAllentown.willenter eighth grade at Springhouse Middle School just before his bar mitzvah. He plays baseball and basketball and loves everything to do with sports. He has always been interested in helping others, especially animals. When plan ning a mitzvah project, he knew he wanted to do something hands on to help animals. But 12- and 13-year-olds are often too young to volunteer at an animal shelter. He found the Animal Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley. The Animal Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley is a tax-exempt organization in Emmaus that distributes pet food to people experiencing economic distress. The goal is that by supplying families with pet food in difficult times, companion animals can remain in loving homes rather than be surrendered to the shelter“Henry’ssystem.mitzvah project is a very simple one,” said his mother, Sarah Morse, “but he really didn’t want the project to be one where he needed a lot of help from his dad and me. Henry wanted to be able to get hands-on experience helping others, and he really wanted to focus on animals.” Henry baked dog treats over the early summer weeks and handed them out to clients who came to get dog food at a distribution session on July 9. “I chose this mitzvah project because I hate to think of animals being hungry and wanted to do something to help,” Henry said. “I felt really good knowing that many dogs got treats from what I baked and liked seeing families get food for their pets.”Sarah added, “Henry has a special connection with our dog, Poppy, and loves to spoil her with treats. We are so proud of him for wanting to help other families in our community be able to show their dogs love, too. Henry had fun baking lots of treats — enough for 60 families to take home — and we loved watching him take pride in his project.”
In addition to the mitzvah project, Henry has made his first adult gift of tzedakah to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs. For help developing a mitzvah project, contact Abby Trachtman, project coordinator at abbyt@jflv. org or call her at the Federation office at 610-8215500, ext. 321.
“The Paris Photo,” by Jane S. Gabin, Wisdom House Books, 2022, 504 pages. Sandi Teplitz of Allentown regu larly contributes recipes to and oc casionally reviews books for Hakol. See the New Year section of this issue for her 2022 Rosh Hoshana recipe (hint: honey might turn up in the ingredients list).
Book review: ‘The Paris Photo’
GIVE A MITZVAH, DO A MITZVAH
hofreid_20_009_Hakol Newspaper_ads v2final.pdf 3 2/25/21 10:42 AM By Yoni Glatt koshercrosswords@gmail.com Difficulty Level: Challenging Find answers hakol/crosswordwww.jewishlehighvalley.org/at 1.ACROSSQuarterback Derek 5. Gutenberg’s movable inven 9.tionLike most garage sale items 13. Brak preceder 14. Part of a pump 15. Home of the Ramban’s synagogue, with “The” 16. Business problem for Mo 19.ses?Bond before Roger 20. Kibbutz Sde ___ 21. NYC’s Crown 23. Electric Mayhem drummer 26. Modern warrior prefix 29. “Take ___ Train” 31. Historic valley where a gi ant lost his head 32. Be’er Sheva rarity 33. Business problem for Sarah...but not Abraham? 36. Some speech problems 37. Joshua Tree and Zion 38. All mammals do it 40. Place to wipe your boots 41. Business problem for Isaac? 47. “A prolific mother of folly and of crime,” per Benjamin 48.DisraeliFleece fabric 49. Collegiate sport 51. What’s on a ner 52. Totally smitten 54. Carrier from 1930 to 2001 55. Business problem for Noah? 58. Better ventilated 59. Alley for purchasing wiz arding gear 60. Model 3 and Model S 61. Many a pizza slice 1.DOWNPlace to go for “60 Minutes” 2. Colonist with a queen 3. Appraise again 4. Teeming (with) 5. Turpentine, for one 6. Japanese dough 7. Golf tee, e.g. 8. Pesach guest 9. Major part of the night sky? 10. Memento 11. Notable snake victim 12. People representing the people: Abbr. 17. Flight standards org. 18. Costa del ___ (region of 21.Spain)CSS and JavaScript may spruce it up 22. Hailing from Bangkok 24. UN workers’ org. 25. Nuts or bananas 27. Make dinner 28. Dominates, in slang 30. One thing to consider 32. Radio annoyance 34. Rabbinic ruling 35. Number crunchers, briefly 39. Five ___, many Long Island 40.JewsEin Od follower 41. “Airplane!” actor Nielsen 42. Really hates 43. Help with the laundry 44. Va-va follow-up 45. Mexican food brand 46. Noted mathematician 47. Make healthier, in a way 50. “That ___ so bad” 52. Concept 53. He played Avner in “Mu nich” 56. Peanut extract 57. Kit connection 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 Prophetic Problems
JNS Newfound technology enables the use of nanoparticles to assist the body’s own immune system to fight cancer. The technology, developed by a research team at Bar-Ilan University, uses nanoparticles to eliminate obstacles in the malignant tumor’s environ ment that impede the normal activity of natural killer cells (a special sub-type of white blood cells called lymphocytes). The research was published in the journal EMBO Molecu lar Medicine.Naturalkiller cells (NK cells) are a potent defense weapon of the body that as sists the immune system in its fight against viral infections, tumor growth and the spread of cancerous metastases. Can cer researchers have known that natural killer cells have important potential to treat cancer by immunotherapy since they have the ability, under certain circumstances, to readily and efficiently kill cancer cells and attack them directly.Natural killer cells can produce a potent immune response in the vicinity of the tumor, known as the tumor mi croenvironment. Still, despite their great promise, several obstacles make it difficult for researchers and physicians to utilize killer cells for immuno therapy, including the need to manipulate them by means of molecular/genetic engineering outside the body in order to en hance their therapeutic efficacy againstMoreover,cancer.no clinical study performed to date has dem onstrated the superiority of NK-cell-based treatments in patients with advanced cancer.
BY Philissa Cramer Jewish Telegraphic Agency Hundreds of Jews from around the world have traveled to Basel, Switzerland, to mark the 125th an niversary of a historic gathering of Zionists there. The event was organized by the World Zionist Organization, a group inaugurated during the First Zionist Congress that Theodor Herzl, considered the father of modern Zionism, convened in Basel in 1897. At the 1897 congress, 200 participants from 17 countries voted to adopt as an explicit goal the creation of “a publicly and legally assured home in Palestine” for Jews.“AtBasel, I founded the Jewish state,” Herzl famously wrote in his diary at the time, noting that while not everyone recognized the import of the congress then, they would in 50 years — precisely predicting the moment when Israel would become an independent nation. The 125th anniversary event, which began Sunday, is not meant to set or debate specific policies. Instead, it aims to celebrate the degree to which Herzl’s vision has transformed into a thriving reality in modern-day Israel. “Many of us were born into the reality of the State of Israel existing as a sovereign, powerful, Jewish and value-based entity. But just five generations before, it was a distant dream,” said Yaacov Hagoel, chair man of the World Zionist Organiza tion, in a statement. The two-day conference consists of a series of speeches and panel discussions about both the successes of Israel and the chal lenges facing it and the Diaspora. Among the many Jewish leaders from Israel, the United States and Europe on the agenda are Micah Goodman, a philosopher of modern Zionism; Shuly Rubin Schwartz, the chancellor of the Conservative movement’s Jewish Theological Seminary; Shais Rishon, a Black Orthodox rabbi and commenta tor; Ruchie Freier, the first Hasidic woman to serve as a civil court judge in New York; Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defa mationIsraeliLeague.president Isaac Her zog, a former leader of the Jewish Agency for Israel, which connects Jews in Israel and abroad, attended, did Israeli minister of Diaspora affairs Nachman Shai, who called in a speech for a rethinking of the relationship between Israeli and Diaspora Jews. A companion convening of en trepreneurs from both the business and nonprofit sectors is focused on Israel’s contributions in business andCriticstechnology.ofIsrael held a protest near the gathering Sunday. A video posted to social media by the Ge neva chapter of the Boycott, Divest and Sanction Movement, known as BDS, shows a crowd marching behind a banner that says “Free Palestine. No Zionist Congress.” The Swiss government, including the local government in Basel, the country’s third-largest city and home to only a small Jewish com munity, reportedly paid to enhance security during the World Zionist OrganizationOrganizersevent.said they also planned to recreate a famous photograph of Herzl taken in Basel in 1897. The picture, in which Herzl gazes over a hotel balcony, gives a sense of the bearded Jewish leader peering intently toward an uncer tain territory and is an iconic image of Zionist history. The gathering comes as Herzl, who died at 44 in 1904 and was reburied in Israel shortly after its founding, enjoys a wave of atten tion. A creator of the hit Israeli TV show “Shtisel” is reportedly developing a miniseries based on his life.
Bar-Ilan University researchers develop new nanotechnology to fight cancer cells
World Zionist Organization convenes hundreds in Basel to mark 125th anniversary of First Zionist Congress
Participants in a 125th anniversary gathering of the 1897 First Zionist Congress will recreate an iconic photograph taken then of Theodor Herzl, father of modern political Zionism. (GPO via Getty Images)
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2022 21
The reason is due to the fact that the tumor microenviron ment (TME) usually activates inhibitory mechanisms that suppress the activity of NK cells.To overcome these ob stacles, Professor Mira BardaSaad and her research associ ates at Bar-Ilan’s Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences developed a mechanism to incorporate lipid-based nanoparticles into the NK cells. The procedure “packs” RNA molecules in a lipid envelope, and once penetrated, they interfere with the expression of the gene responsible for inactivating the NKThecells.nanoparticles target the killer cells inside the patient’s body, are incorporated into them and by means of a bio chemical reaction enable them to fulfill their task—namely, reducing the tumor mass. The significance of this innovation is that this novel nanotechnol ogy mechanism can prove to be very efficient in applying already established medical approaches based on NK cells, as well as other treatments. Lipid particle nanotechnol ogy used as an RNA vehicle is a field-proven technology, as was demonstrated in the CO VID-19 vaccine, but in contrast to the immune system, BardaSaad uses it in her laboratory to temporarily “silence” gene expression aimed at enhanc ing the immune response in pathological conditions. “Our research proved the feasibility of using nanopar ticles to enhance immunesystem activity, in this case of NK cells, against human hema tological malignancies. Going forward, particles will be cre ated that can be administered orally to patients,” says BardaSaad. “This strategy must still be submitted for pre-clinical and clinical safety testing, as is customary for any drug. Its use can be extended beyond cancer only; viral infections and other pathological conditions can also be addressed by NK cells as well as by other cell types in the immune system, such as T or B lymphocytes, and for other pathologies.” Barda-Saad has no doubt that this technology is a sign of the future.
Credit: Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan.
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Maccabi: More than just games
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This summer, Maccabi Games took place all over the world. From San Diego to Israel, communities from over 100 coun tries participated. Members of the Lehigh Valley Jewish community competed in several different sports, and they all have their own success stories to share. In early July, the Maccabi and Union Games were held for the 21st time in Israel, and Isaac Dahan and Sam Iorio par ticipated. Dahan’s experience lasted three weeks. It wasn’t until the third week that he got to compete in his sport: squash. During the first week, Dahan saw a lot of Israel (most of which he’d seen before), but he got to witness something special. “I’ve been to Yad Vashem several times,” he said. “This was the most impactful ex perience.” It was special to him that he got to see some of his teammates and competi tors have their first experiences there. During that week, the group also went to the Western Wall and to a bar and bat mitzvah class. They also had a day of giving back, visiting a senior care center. “These are people who are of an age that they were around when Israel was founded,” Dahan said. “They’re liv ing history. It was a bonding experience for everyone, to say the least.” There was also an opening ceremony that included teams from 67 countries and over 10,000 spectators and family members. For the second week, the boys traveled to Haifa to train and prepare for competi tion. They would wake up early, partici pate in drills and challenge matches, and then hang out with other Maccabi athletes. By the time the third week came along and the competition started, all the participants had begun to feel like more like friends than competitors. “Ok, but I want to tell you a story about Is sac,” Naomi Schachter, Isaac’s mother, dotingly chimed in to the interview. “In between each game, Isaac was coaching his competitors to make sure it was an encouraging match for them, and he gave them an opportunity to do well, and have a good time. That’s the point of Maccabi: to make these connections and encourage goodTaliasportsmanship.”Cohenalsospoke to the impor tance of the experience itself, aside from playing basketball. When Cohen compet ed in the San Diego Maccabi Games later in the summer, one of the most impactful days of her weeklong experience was the day she spent with the kids with dis abilities who were participating in the first-ever Access Games. When she was unable to communicate in English with the kid she was paired with, she spoke in Hebrew. “I couldn’t understand him in English,” she said, “but I could under stand him in Hebrew.” When it came time to play basketball, the team had no expectation of win ning. Their first game was against a team they’d previously lost to by one run. “It was a revenge game,” Cohen joked. They won the game, then the next one and they managed to find themselves in the finals. It was because of their skill, but also their attitude, that they won gold. One of the reasons that happened was because of Cohen herself. After the gold was secured, she received an award for exhibiting Maccabi values. Back in Israel, Sam Iorio was also playing basketball. He’d played for Team USA in the Maccabi Games in Budapest. In some ways, he knew what to expect, but he was also dealing with highly stressful circumstances back home. While he was playing, his dad, Mike Iorio, was getting brain surgery. Now, his dad is well, but Sam certainly didn’t know that while he was competing. “Tell yourself to breathe,” Sam’s mother, Donna Iorio, recalled. “That’s what we told Sam.” Donna had been on trips to Israel with Momentum before. The knowledge that her Israeli community was there to have and hold her son when she physically could not was priceless. The trip, for Sam, was a success. Team USA won gold, Sam was also able to strengthen his relationship with Israel, his dad was recovering from surgery, and the relationship the Iorios have with Israel is even stronger than before. “The community at home keeping in contact with me, the power of their love and friendship, helped us through the whole series of events,” Sam said. “In a crazy world we’re lucky to have each other.”
Ari Sirner, Executive Director • 267.443.2007 David Kadosh, Registered Representative • 267.443.2008
Talia Cohen receives an award for excellence (above) and huddles with her basketball team (farthest right at right). Isaac Dahan wears his medal alongside Tomer Gurski, squash center manager (below right).
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2022 23
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