September 27, 2019 27 Elul 5779 Volume 75, Issue 18
S o u t h e r n A r i z o n a ’ s A wa r d - W i n n i n g J e w i s h N e w s pa p e r S i n c e 1 9 4 6
SECTION B Voices of Hope and High Holiday Community Greetings ... Restaurant Resource .A-17-19 Classifieds.......................... A-12 Commentary...................... A-6 Community Calendar.......A-32 High Holidays.....A-13, 14, 15, 17 In Focus..............................A-34 Israel..................................A-23 Local................A-3, 4, 9, 11, 12 National...............................A-5 News Briefs...................... A-24 Obituaries......................... A-30 Our Town...........................A-35 Philanthropy.....................A-27 P.S..................................... A-29 Rabbi’s Corner................... A-31 Reflections........................ A-26 Shlicha’s View...................A-28 Synagogue Directory........ A-12 World..............................A-4, 11
Free Loan is new JFSA partner PHYLLIS BRAUN AJP Executive Editor
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or more than 70 years, the Hebrew Free Loan Association of Tucson was “an autonomous mom and pop operation,” quietly going about its good work of providing interest-free financial assistance to thousands of Tucsonans, says board president Phil Bregman. In fact, Bregman has called it “the best kept secret in Tucson.” That’s something he’s eager to see change, now that the organization has become a program of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona, with a new name, The Free Loan at the Jewish Federation. “The partnership with the Federation is really exciting,” giving the program additional credibility and visibility, says Bregman, who has been president of the Free Loan board, a volunteer position, for 24 years. Earlier this year, the Free Loan moved its office to the Harvey and Deanna Evenchik Center
for Jewish Philanthropy, which houses the Federation and the Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona. The Free Loan also has moved its funds to the JCF, Bregman notes. “The Free Loan has been a hidden treasure in our community — a powerful element of our community’s family of services,” says Federation President and CEO Stuart Mellan. “The Free Loan board recently approached the Federation to ask us to house and staff the program, and we were pleased to be able to do so as we believe that we can help expand its reach in serving our community.” Bregman credits Free Loan Coordinator Yana Krone for pushing him to change the status quo. It’s all about being able to help more people, he says, explaining that he especially wants the Free Loan to gain more visibility in the Jewish community, to reach more potential borrowers as well as potential donors. As a stand-alone organization, See Free Loan, page A-2
Artwork by Anne Lowe
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Happy Rosh Hashanah 5780
Border justice tops Jewish History Museum agenda DEBE CAMPBELL AJP Assistant Editor
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ucson’s Jewish History Museum and Holocaust History Center will launch a migrant justice initiative in conjunction with its new annual exhibition, “Asylum Seeking at the U.S.-Mexico Border,” which opens in the Allen and Marianne Langer Contemporary Human Rights Gallery on Oct. 24. As with past annual exhibits, programming, and space to share experiences and build commu-
nity connections related to the exhibition theme, will be hosted throughout the year. “The new exhibition will have our most ambitious programmatic action to date,” says Bryan Davis, JHM executive director. Davis looks to inspire community action. “There is an impression that the Jewish community is not doing much” to aid migrants passing through Tucson, he says. On the contrary, many agencies, synagogues, and individuals are doing a lot. “We will invite those agencies, synagogues, and Jews
not affiliated with any agency that is working for migrant justice to participate and learn from each other, bear witness, listen, and learn. We’ll ask, ‘What would you like to see from the community to deepen our engagement.’” Justice Stanley G. Feldman and his wife, Norma, the lead funders of this initiative, have given a $10,000 matching grant. Feldman, who has lived in Tucson most of his life, was an Arizona Supreme Court justice for two decades and chief justice for five years. “Judge Feldman is passion-
ate about Jewish community action,” Davis says. Funds to match the grant already have been raised among community donors. “I am the son of parents and grandparents who on both sides were refugees. If they had not come here I would not exist,” Feldman told the AJP. “Those who could not get here perished, due to the kind of policies now in effect. These are the core values of Judaism. If we don’t stand up to help give food and shelter for strangers in our land, who would? Who should See Border, page A-4
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the Free Loan did not feel strongly connected to the larger Jewish community, Krone explains. That connection, she adds, is particularly important to Bregman, who is a member of the Handmaker family that helped found Tucson’s Hebrew Free Loan Association in 1947. Bregman, who has worn many hats in both the Jewish and the broader community, also currently serves as chair of the board of trustees of Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging. Unlike many Hebrew Free Loans, Tucson’s organization has been non-sectarian since its founding and that will not change with the move to the Federation, says Bregman. The Free Loan lends funds to help people in Southern Arizona with a variety of needs, such as medical expenses, business investment, or car repairs. Loans repaid by borrowers are recycled into new loans. Before the partnership with the Federation, Krone already had done much to increase the Free Loan’s visibility, says Bregman, including meeting with Jewish agency and synagogue leaders. She also developed the Free Loan’s employee assistance program, introduced last year, which lets borrowers who work at enrolled businesses repay loans of up to $750 through automatic payroll deductions. This is a unique program, says Bregman, which New York’s Hebrew Free Loan Society — a significantly larger operation — adopted after Tucson introduced it at last year’s International Association of Hebrew Free Loans conference. Krone also helped reinvigorate the Free Loan’s board with “a really quite impressive list of folks,” says Bregman. A full list of board members is available at the Free Loan’s new website, www.thefreeloan.org. As part of the Federation partnership, Susannah Castro, director of Women’s Philanthropy for the Federation, has been named executive director of the Free Loan. Castro brings 20 years of experience in nonprofit administration to the Free Loan, having also served as director of operations for the Border Community Alliance and artistic director at the Tubac Center for the Arts. “One of the things that’s exciting about having the Free Loan here at the Federation is that there are opportunities to easily connect and collaborate with Women’s Philanthropy, with the Jewish community, and with the other Jewish organizations on the shared campus,” says Castro. “The shared community gives all of us an opportunity to become more empowered.” “It was really a terrific idea to bring Susannah on” because she “understands the culture of giving at the Federation,” says Bregman. Graham Hoffman, JCF president and CEO, sees potential for synergies among the Federation, Foundation and Free Loan. “I think that there’s a really significant opportunity for us to make the resources of the Free Loan more available to both members of the Jewish community and the broader community,” he says. “Where 30 or 50 years ago [a Free Loan] might have afforded someone the opportunity to go to graduate school or learn a trade,” he says, today, loans can help young families with expenses such as quality early childhood education, day school tuition, Jewish or other summer camp, or even a trip to Israel. One of the challenges the Free Loan has faced, he says, is securing guarantors for its traditional loans
Photo: Debe Campbell/AJP
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The Free Loan at the Federation Coordinator Yana Krone and Board President Phil Bregman review new brochures.
(employee financial assistance loans, which are limited to $750, do not require guarantors). “I think we have a unique opportunity to appeal to incredibly committed and generous families in the community to act as guarantors for needy individuals and families,” says Hoffman. Being part of the Federation gives the Free Loan more legitimacy, says Krone: “Just even for us to be in the building, people find out about us.” With approximately 3,700 nonprofits in Tucson, she says, “it’s very hard to get the marketing space” to get the Free Loan’s message across, but the Federation partnership will make that easier. Krone echoes Bregman’s view that getting more borrowers is the number one goal. “The great thing about our non-profit, is when I meet the borrowers and we make the loan, we see the donors’ dollars go to work immediately,” she says. The employee financial assistance program is a great option, she says, and Castro is helping her connect the Free Loan with more potential business partners. Employee financial assistance loans don’t just help the borrowers, notes Krone. They also pump funds into the local economy. With a loan for an auto repair, for example, that also helps the employer whose employee doesn’t miss work because they have no transportation, and the mechanic who gets paid to make the repair. She notes that the Free Loan is a much better deal for borrowers than high interest options such as auto title loans, which can plunge the borrower into an endless cycle of debt. “We’ve paid off title loans — and the interest stops,” she says. “Now all of a sudden they owe just what they’re borrowing, and it’s much more manageable.” But Krone is concerned that there is still a “stigma of shame” many borrowers feel. It is something she works hard to dispel. “When I talk to people, I really try to make them feel comfortable. There’s no shame in asking for assistance. Everybody needs help once in a while,” she emphasizes. To make an appointment with the Free Loan, call 297-5360. To apply for a loan online — or make a donation — visit www.thefreeloan.org. Donations to the Free Loan qualify for the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit.
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Rabbi Batsheva Appel and kids enjoy Shabbat Shabang at the Ruth & Irving Olson Center for Jewish Life, Sept. 13.
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n Friday, Sept. 13, 12 children and their families joined Rabbi Batsheva Appel of Temple Emanu-El and PJ Library at the Ruth & Irving Olson Center for Jewish Life for the Northwest Family Shabbat Shabang. The rabbi led a service full of songs, prayers, and storytelling while teaching the kids about the Jewish new year. After the halfhour service and shofar blowing, kids made a PJ Library craft of Rosh Hashanah dinner place cards while parents had the opportunity to socialize. Each child
received a gift basket with a PJ book and recipe to make honey cake at home. “The evening was a beautiful example of the community we are continuing to build for children and families in the Northwest,” says Ariel Miklofsky, associate director of the Ruth & Irving Olson Center. The next Northwest Family Shabbat Shabang will be held Nov. 15, 5-6 p.m., at the Ruth & Irving Olson Center, 190 W. Magee Road, Suite 140. RSVP at www. jfsa.org/nwfamilyshabbat.
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Photo: Joel Alpert
Lithuanian descendants return for dedication
Tucsonans Joel Alpert and Nancy Lefkowitz attended the Synagogue Square Memorial dedication in Yurburg, Lithuania, on July 19.
DEBE CAMPBELL AJP Assistant Editor
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he town of Yurburg, Lithuania, dedicated a new Synagogue Square Memorial on July 19. Tucson genealogist and author Joel Alpert and his wife, Nancy Lefkowitz along with 10 of his relatives from Israel, Canada and the United States, represented the descendants of emigres from the once-thriving Jewish community. “It was one of the most emotional events of my life,” said Alpert. The memorial was fully funded by donations. Alpert’s foundation, Friends of the Yurburg Cemetery, Inc., raised 10% of the monument’s $220,000 cost. The foundation also publishes The Memorial Book for the Jewish Community of Yurburg, Lithuania, by Zevulun Poran, of which Alpert is an editor. The U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad first recognized the Jewish cemetery of Yurburg in 2006 as a site worthy of preservation, sponsoring a preservation project of the cemetery’s fence and gate. But it was the town’s Christian mayor, Skirmantas
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understand it better than Jews? “I believe every Jewish organization should stand up and be counted in the need to help those fleeing for their lives. It is not, as some members of our community claim, a political issue but an issue of humanity.” The museum will host a full-day of learning on Oct. 24, to include a bus trip to the border and possible discussions with the Mexican consulate in Nogales. Davis looks to visit Operation Streamline, where people who cross illegally into the U.S. are arraigned in Federal court, and
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Mockevicius, who sought to commemorate the former Jewish community. In 2016, the mayor and the Israeli ambassador to the Republic of Lithuania, Amir Maimon, planned a memorial to the Jewish community. David Zundelovitch, a renowned Lithuanian-Israeli sculptor, was commissioned to create it on a site near where the old wooden Yurburg Synagogue, built in the 1790s, once stood. Jews burned the synagogue in 1941 at the direction of Nazis, Alpert noted. The memorial is inscribed with the names of families from the former Jewish community and Lithuanian gentiles who saved Jews, said Alpert. Dignitaries in attendance included the mayor, the Israeli ambassador, German academics, and the monument’s executors, including Zundelovitch and his architect daughter Ana, among others. “In the past, it was a history they didn’t want to face,” Alpert said of the local community. “Once the Soviet Union left in 1990, 30 years later a new generation is looking for unrestricted history. I found this rather gratifying.” speak with people directly impacted by migration. The day will close with a visit to the museum exhibition and discussion on how to move work forward and elevate the work that others are doing, “how to collectively fill the gaps,” he says. Davis referenced the recent Tucson visit by Jewish Council for Public Affairs (see related story, page 5). “JCPA is looking at the Tucson Jewish community as a landing space and guide to how to do this work. They are looking at us as a model community. We need to create a new structure to sustain for the future,” Davis told the AJP. “It will be a standing agenda item for the Jewish Community Relations Council. This response won’t be reduced over time. It will only grow.”
LOCAL / NATIONAL National delegation bears witness to border immigration issues DEBE CAMPBELL AJP Assistant Editor
Photo courtesy JCPA
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23-member delegation from 12 states recently completed a factfinding mission trip to the Arizona-Mexico border, conducted by the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, which is the national network hub of 125 Jewish Community Relations Councils around the country and 17 national Jewish agencies. The Jewish History Museum hosted the delegation for several parts of the program and accompanied them throughout their time in Tucson. “The JCPA is one of many Jewish community delegations from across the country arriving in Southern Arizona to bear witness to the experiences of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border,” said Bryan Davis, JHM executive director. “The Jewish History Museum is serving as a landing space and facilitator of these experiences, working together with communities across the U.S. who are translating Jewish values, history, and our communal memory into action to advocate for migrant justice.” The mission examined U.S. policies and conditions facing migrants and asylum
Ricardo Santana Velázquez, the Mexican consul in Nogales, Arizona (back row, center), with the Jewish Council for Public Affairs delegation at the consular office on Sept. 9.
seekers primarily from Central America and Mexico. The aim was to gain firsthand knowledge of the challenges and situation on the border to better understand and advocate for sound immigration policies. Participants met with government officials, immigrant families, and local Jewish and other faith advocates working to
address the crisis, including nonprofits on both sides of the border. “Our itinerary included speaking with U.S. border patrol representatives and visiting a shelter that helps asylum seekers who are allowed into the U.S. while they are awaiting a hearing,” said Melanie Roth Gorelick, senior vice president of JCPA.
“The increased militarization of the border since the 1990s to the present day has brought disruption to this area and to the people whose families are impacted. Our expert speakers from South America all expressed great alarm at current conditions throughout South America and the current treatment of these communities by the U.S.A. “At dinner, our guests were young millennials who come from across the country to volunteer to help asylum seekers and migrants in the desert with an organization called No More Deaths,” she added. Observing a federal deportation hearing through Operation Streamline was among the most jarring of experiences, participants said. Operation Streamline is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice, started in 2005, with a “zero-tolerance” approach to unauthorized border crossing with criminal prosecution of those engaging in it. The group witnessed more than 75 people who had crossed illegally into the United States being arraigned in Federal court in shackles, Roth Gorelick said. See Delegation, page A-10
Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona has the following openings: CAMPAIGN DATABASE AND VOLUNTEER MANAGER Position Summary Responsible for interfacing with all solicitors to understand, collect, reconcile, and track fundraising progress. Regular, detail-oriented work within the database as well as relationship-centered tasks with the volunteer community. Must translate individual data points into an overarching summary of campaign progress to communicate insights to leadership. Qualifications & Experience include • At least three (3) years of experience working in a relevant role. • Demonstrated competence in database entry and management. Web-based CRM experience, particularly Blackbaud, preferred. • Strong organizational skills and ability to multitask as well as quickly prioritize requests. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AND ENGAGEMENT Position Summary Responsible for planning and overseeing engagement and leadership development initiatives at the Jewish Federation, including the young leadership division. Significant work building relationships with donors in the community and overseeing large-scale fundraising. Event coordination and volunteer training are central to the role. Excellent interpersonal communication, ability to multi-task, and innovative thinking essential. Qualifications & Experience include • Bachelor’s degree in a related field, plus five (5) years experience related to the position. Extensive additional related experience and associate degree may potentially substitute for a portion of the stated education requirement. • Three (3) years supervisory experience preferred. • Demonstrated competence in fundraising, donor relationship-building and event planning. • Available to work some evening and weekend hours. Equal Opportunity Employer The Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against otherwise qualified applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other condition prescribed by federal, state, or local law.
For more detailed job descriptions or to apply, visit www.jewishtucson.org/resources/job-opening or send resume and cover letter to openings@jfsa.org. September 27, 2019, ARIZONA JEWISH POST
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COMMENTARY Alex Borstein’s speech at the Emmys was a perfect display of Jewish pride JORDANA HORN JTA SHORT HILLS, N.J. hether you watched the Emmys on Sunday night or not, chances are you’ve been privy since the broadcast to what was likely the Jewiest moment of the show: Alex Borstein’s acceptance speech for her award as best supporting actress in a comedy. Borstein, who won for the second straight year for playing Susie the manager in Amazon’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” started with a series of gags. Turning serious, she told the crowd that she came from a family of immigrants and Holocaust survivors, then elaborated on the circumstances of her grandmother’s survival. “My grandmother was in line to be shot into a pit,” Borstein said emotionally at the podium. “She said, ‘what happens if I step out of line?’ [The guard] said, ‘I don’t have the heart to shoot you but somebody will,’ and she stepped out of line. For that, I am here and my children
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images/JTA Photo Service
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Alex Borstein accepts the outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series award for ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ at the 71st Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, Sept. 22, 2019.
are here.” “So step out of line, ladies,” she concluded to applause. “Step out of line!” The initial response to the speech was remarkably positive, both in real life and on the internet, and “Step out of line” posts flooded social media. Entertainment Weekly called Borstein’s speech
“hilarious-turned-powerful,” and Esquire’s Justin Kirkland opined that the acceptance speech was “an especially powerful message considering her show features so many powerful Jewish women characters,” and that Borstein’s “incredible anecdote of resilience and strength was among the night’s most incredible
moments.” But as with everything in our now pejoratively labeled “cancel culture,” many keyboard warriors took to their iPhones and asserted that maybe Borstein’s speech wasn’t so great after all. Many deemed it wrong for Borstein to, as they saw it, equate feminism with surviving the Holocaust. “Did Alex Borstein just compare women in general to Holocaust survivors with her, “ladies step out of line” comment? And if she did suggest some kind of equivalency, then who do you think by implication get nominated for the role of Nazi guards? And you just let it go?” one person tweeted at Ron Kampeas, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency’s Washington bureau chief. But the main point of contention for many was that they heard Borstein’s praise for her grandmother’s behavior in stepping out of line as implicitly conferring blame on those who didn’t “step out of line” and were, instead, murdered. One Twitter user wrote that “it’s deeply See Speech, page A-7
What we can still learn from the Lubavitcher Rebbe about climate change PHILIP WEXLER JTA PENN YAN, N.Y. ith refineries recently ablaze in Saudi Arabia, you might be forgiven if you forget that in the Amazon and Indonesia, forests are ablaze as well. Yet these two conflagrations are not
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unconnected. As ever, ecological crises and geopolitical crises are deeply intertwined — and the universal interest of the global community is threatened by the narrow interests of particular individuals, groups and nations. The central debate that has raged among free-marketeers, scientists, and policymakers since the Santa Barbara oil spill in 1969 is whether humanity should
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unheedingly reap the bounty of the earth or more carefully consider the impact of our actions. Views on ecological questions obviously differ across religious denominations. But according to a 2014 Pew Research Center survey, religiosity generally correlates with holding the opinion that environmental regulation is not worth the economic cost. But are ecological and religious ideologies necessarily at odds? The example of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, tells us that it doesn’t have to be this way. On April 15, 1981, just a few months after the inauguration of President Ronald Reagan, Rabbi Schneerson addressed the issue directly in a talk that was broadcast live on satellite television. The media cycle was awash with reports of concerns over the incoming administration’s preferences for offshore drilling and nuclear energy while cutting funding for solar energy development. The oil shocks of the 1970s, along with the Soviet Union’s emergence as the largest exporter of petroleum, had turned the competing priorities of energy security and environmental security into a crisis that seemed to pit domestic and foreign policy concerns against one another.
At the same time, early warnings about global warming were also beginning to make headlines. It was in this context that Schneerson pointed to a Jewish practice that is both ancient and obscure, citing it as a clue, or reminder, that a solution was at hand. The Talmud states: One who sees the sun in its cycle … recites ‘Blessed [are You] … Maker of creation. And when is it? Abaye said: Every 28 years when the cycle is complete … (Berakhot 59B) This fairly rare event on the Jewish calendar occurred twice during Schneerson’s tenure as leader; in 1953 and in 1981, just a few days before he delivered the televised talk under discussion. Energy security and environmental security, he argued, did not stand in competition to one another. Both could be prioritized through national investment in solar energy solutions. In his own words: “The ‘blessing of the sun’ reminds us again, and with additional emphasis, that we have an open and clear path … to utilize the sun … This is a resource that this nation in particular, in its southern regions, has in very great abundance … This can all be achieved if it is based on the foundation of God’s help, and on faith in God … Then we will not reckon with See Climate, page A-8
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ahistorical and victim-blaming to suggest a spark of individual courage would save someone from the nazis.” “Some [people] I know (including my wife, daughter of a survivor) found it at best eye-roll worthy, if not offensive. Her grandmother was lucky. Most others who did or would have tried the same would have been killed on the spot. Her story reinforces a narrative of ‘if only they had just resisted a little more …’” Josh Feigelson wrote on renowned Holocaust historian Deborah Lipstadt’s Facebook page in a discussion of the speech. Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg tweeted, “A lot of the people who stepped out of line in the Holocaust were murdered. Sometimes the ones who didn’t were the ones who made it out. They were all brave. Just — it’s important to put a powerful story in context of the larger system of brutality in effect.” Rabbi Jill Jacobs agreed: “Yeah, I found that line problematic. Virtually no victims had anything they could have done to save themselves. And those who survived generally took chances without knowing that it would work out.” Surely the idea that if everyone had only “stepped out of line,” the Holocaust wouldn’t have happened, is odious — but it’s also not at all what Borstein intended to convey. To this Borstein fan, it’s clear that she meant to pay tribute to her grandmother for surviving, and to express gratitude that she herself and her children even existed at all, thanks to that woman’s defiance. In her moment of success, she took time to look back at the woman who brought her there. The problematic element of the anecdote, of course, lies in all the people who aren’t in it: the thousands of dead and nearly dead souls, writhing naked under piles of corpses in the pits dug by the execution squads. Did Borstein’s applause for her grand-
mother’s act convey disapproval, or even condemnation, of those who didn’t step out of line? Her detractors would say yes. I think that’s ridiculous. Just as the purpose of telling the story lies within its particular significance for Borstein herself, I’d argue that it is equally important to look at the story Borstein tells with her everyday life. In making that argument, I turn to social media not as my jury — the role it usually plays in our society — but rather as my evidence. I’ve admired Borstein’s comedic and acting chops for years only from afar (I’m funny, but her agent has yet to return my phone calls). But thanks to Instagram and Twitter, I’ve been able to admire her even more — not as a celebrity, but rather as a proud and outspoken Jewish parent. In 2019, being a proud and an outspoken Jew is nothing to be taken for granted. We live in a time when white nationalists are emerging from under their rocks and spewing hatred — and sometimes bullets — all too freely. So many people, celebrities and not, either don’t acknowledge their heritage or hide it under a bushel. Borstein, in contrast, steps out of that line, if you will, to live her Jewishness out loud. She posts her Shabbat candles — complete with Shabbat tray in English and Hebrew — and challah on a Friday afternoon with the caption “Shabbat shalom.” She posts a pic of her dad’s coffee mug, which reads “The Greatest Grandpa” in Hebrew. She posts a selfie celebrating her Emmy nomination with pastrami, Dr. Brown’s and pickles at Katz’s Deli: “This is how a Jewish gangster celebrates.” I’ll be honest: I just love Alex Borstein. By telling that story at the Emmys, she was living her own story the same way she lives her Jewish life: loud and proud. And that’s something I wish more of us did, right here and right now.
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Happy New Year This year, let us not just light the holiday candles. Give us the strength to be the light that illuminates the darkness. And let us fill our hearts with each other’s light. Best wishes for a sweet and loving year.
Jordana Horn is the host and head writer of the podcast Call Your Mother. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views the AJP or its publisher, the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona.
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the challenges from people who might stand to profit personally by opposing this, and in a relatively short time the nation will be freed from being servile to small fiefdoms who have oil in their territories.” In the course of his discussion Schneerson also touched on the development of other domestic energy resources, his opposition to American isolationism, the religious significance of scientific progress, and on America’s responsibility to advocate for human rights and freedom of religion. All these issues are of as much relevance today as they were back in 1981. As a sociologist, Schneerson’s intervention interests me not simply because one would not expect a Hasidic rebbe to give a televised speech, in Yiddish no less, about geopolitics and energy policy. But more so because it exemplifies both the broad scope of his worldview and the social, moral, spiritual, and religious conception that undergirds it. Herein lies the key to understanding Schneerson’s lasting appeal both during his lifetime and in the decades since his death. Max Weber in his pioneering work “The Sociology of Religion” offers an especially nuanced and pertinent appraisal of the type of religious figure who tends to be labeled a prophet. To speak of prophecy, from a sociological viewpoint, is not to express belief in supernatural powers of telepathy (nor necessarily to rule them out), but rather to describe a distinctive and extraordinary agent of social change. “To the prophet,” Weber writes, “both the life of man and the world, both social and cosmic events, have a certain systematic and coherent meaning.” The American Jewish thinker Rabbi Abraham Heschel wrote something similar: “The main task of prophetic thinking is to bring the world into divine focus.” As I argue in my new book, Social Vision: The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Transformative Paradigm for the World (cowritten with Eli Rubin and my son Michael), Schneerson possessed a distinctly prophetic orientation of exactly this sort. This is very well reflected in the distinct religiosity of the ecological approach developed in his 1981 talk, which he rooted in a Midrashic teaching that he had cited many times before: Everything created in the six days of creation needs work. Mustard seeds need to be sweetened, lupin beans need to be sweetened, wheat needs to be milled.
Even man needs to be perfected. (Bereishit Rabbah 11:6) This principle is hinted at in the text of the Torah itself. It is not written (Genesis 2:3) that God’s work was “created and done,” but that God’s work was “created to do,” meaning that it was created to be completed by humanity. As one of the Midrashic commentators put it, “everything needs tikun.” Everything needs to be perfected, fixed and completed. This opens the way for humanity to become “partners with God in the work of genesis,” partners in creation. (Shabbat 119b) For Schneerson, the transformative ecological key lay in the Jewish practice of uttering blessings (brachot), not only before performing a ritual act, but also before and after eating. Through uttering a blessing, eating is transformed into a mystical act of divine nourishment. In Schneerson’s words: “In initiating praise of God it is as if one becomes a giver and a provider in relation to God … [the food] thereby becomes the food of Supernal Man as well.” With the above in mind, it should not surprise us that Schneerson linked his promotion of solar energy to a blessing as well. On April 8, 1981, a large crowd — men, women and children — had joined him to recite the “blessing of the sun.” He led the ceremony and addressed the crowd from a raised platform under a brilliant blue sky and a shining sun. One week later, as he broached the supreme practicality of a national solar energy agenda, Schneerson noted that some believers might dismiss such geopolitical challenges as “God’s problem.” But drawing on his deep knowledge of rabbinic and Hasidic teachings, he insisted that all our relationships — with others, with the world, and with God — are fundamentally reciprocal. In Schneerson’s own words: “What is missing in this situation is the contribution of humanity.” In his view, all natural resources, especially sunlight, are certainly to be regarded as divine gifts, but that doesn’t absolve us of our responsibilities as human beings. It is not enough to acknowledge the gifts of God. We must step up to our role as “partners in creation.”
Philip Wexler is the co-author of “Social Vision: The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Transformative Paradigm for the World.” He is executive director of the Institute of Jewish Spirituality and Society, and emeritus professor of sociology of education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he held the Unterberg Chair. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the AJP or its publisher, the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona.
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ARIZONA JEWISH POST, September 27, 2019
LOCAL Storyteller Jordan Wiley-Hill brings talents, energy to Fox Tucson Theatre DEBE CAMPBELL AJP Assistant Editor
Photo courtesy Fox Tucson Theatre
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rofessional storyteller Jordan WileyHill joined Tucson’s Fox Theatre Foundation about a year ago to expand its youth programming known as Kids In the Theatre. Filling the new position of youth arts and culture program associate, he brings an extensive repertoire of performance art, education, and program development. Local community members may recognize him as the featured storyteller at the local Jewish Community Awards event in May, where he wove captivating tales about Jewish community agencies funded in part by the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona. Others may recognize him as an educator at Tucson Hebrew Academy, where he taught for six years and where mindfulness — focusing awareness in the present moment, acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and sensations — was a foundation in his teachings. Performing arts is the best way he finds to reach people. “The power of performing arts lifts people,” he says, explaining that stories can get at the heart in as many
Jordan Wiley-Hill, right, with Fox Tucson Theatre Executive Director Craig Sumberg and “Kit,” mascot of the Fox’s “Kids In the Theatre” program.
ways as possible to unblock and rebalance energy. Collaborating and synergizing, rather than reinventing, he aims to utilize performing arts to motivate and impact people to take action and do good in the community. Wiley-Hill grew up in South Africa in the apartheid years. His family was forced out because of their connections with an-
ti-apartheid actions. They immigrated to Dallas, Texas. A musician as a teen, WileyHill says he was shy with people but loved to perform. Put him on a stage and he blossoms. He attended Solomon Schechter Academy of Dallas, graduated from high school, and later attended Brandeis University. It wasn’t until his senior year, in a small com-
parative literature story-telling class, that the world of storytelling opened up to him. He describes it as a “wisdom class” very much akin to the bestselling book, “Tuesdays with Morrie.” The professor taught from the heart and had his students telling and retelling their own stories, he recalls. Wiley-Hill says he had no idea what to do after graduation but did know he was “done being in the system. I needed to leap somewhere else.” He traveled a while. That’s when he met Hugh Morgan Hill, better known as Brother Blue. The African American educator, iconic storyteller, actor, musician, and street performer living in Boston, often performed in Harvard Square. “He was a fascinating guy — his stories were about metamorphosis.” What Wiley-Hill learned from Brother Blue was that storytelling could be taken to another level. Returning to Dallas, he told stories at a Jewish day school before traveling for another year and visiting family in South Africa. There he connected with another storyteller and was paid for a gig. “So, when I returned to the U.S., I claimed to be a professional storyteller.” He became See Storyteller, page A-10
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DELEGATION continued from page A-5
“We heard from indigenous advocates and lawyers who are working to change the laws and policies both nationally and locally, and from scholars who are experts on the geopolitical turmoil in Honduras and Guatemala. They all underscored a need for a change in our immigration system to be more compassionate, humanitarian, and sound,” said Roth Gorelick. The group also met a Mexican consul, faith community groups coordinating the humanitarian response, and advocacy groups. They toured local shelters and walked the border fence with local author Todd Miller, whose latest book
is “Empire of Borders: The Expansion of the U.S. Border Around the World.” The delegation included board members, rabbis, and Jewish community leaders from Arizona, California, Kentucky, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. “There are many inspiring people working at the border worthy of support, some who are a band-aid for a broken system and others who are advocating for systemic change that is based on compassionate and humanitarian values,” said Roth Gorelick. “There is a lot of work to do. Our eyes and hearts have been open to a reality that we have now intimately witnessed. It has touched the lives of those on the trip, and we cannot turn away.”
opened up another world of Jewish storytelling to me that is kept on the down-low continued from page A-9 among high society.” With his thick dreadlocks pulled back in a bandanna and hanginvolved in the Jewish community and led ing down his back, Wiley-Hill may himself High Holiday programs for youth, then draw some double-takes among that high continued his travels in the United States society. But he works his magic with young while storytelling, until he met the woman children, teens, and grownups alike, drawwho would become his wife, Autumn, in ing in his audience with his intensity, energy, and authenticity. Western Massachusetts. Wiley-Hill cites the Fox Theatre’s history They had been in the same space more than once at Brandeis, but he says it with the Tucson community and children. wouldn’t have worked out if they met then. From 1936 until television came about, the Autumn was a social policy researcher Fox hosted a Saturday morning Official Mickey Mouse Club, long who, after they married past the expiration of the and lived in Washington, Details national club franchise. “It D.C., completed a doctorKIT Youth was character building,” ate in clinical psychology Arts & Culture Program Wiley-Hill says. at the University of ArizoFox Tucson Theatre, “We’re striving to enna. She now has a private 17 W. Congress Street sure that the youth propractice and trains thera547-3040 gramming here at the Fox pists. “We are both deeply www.foxtucson.com can have as much of a bennarrative, and both care eficial impact as possible about developing wisdom and what it takes to grow. What I value on our community,” Wiley-Hill says. He most about storytelling is that it captures wants to recreate that “home” for Tucson children, “so kids come multiple times and deep wisdom across cultures.” Wiley-Hill’s Hebrew name is Yaakov, get to know the theater; to have a sense of which in English is Jacob. “My favorite connection and an uplifting experience. stories are around Jacob in general — the We’re looking to find ways to make it as acmystical, spiritual, shamanic experience. cessible as possible for kids who wouldn’t My namesake wrestled with God, and otherwise have the opportunity.” Expanding existing programs and deGod gave him the new name of Israel. I’ve wrestled with the traditions” of Judaism, he veloping new arts and culture experiences continues. “I’ve carved out my own path and opportunities for families and youth, with it through storytelling. I’ve found the Wiley-Hill dialogues with teachers, parents, and other professionals serving chilmainline to the heart of it. “Howard Schwartz is one of my favor- dren to unearth specific arts and culture ite collectors of storytelling,” he continues, programming voids within the area’s direferring to the folklorist, poet, editor, and verse youth populations. Besides his commitment to the Fox, award-winning author of “Before You Were Born” and other works. “He unearths Wiley-Hill runs his wife’s private practice, Jewish tales and brings them to life. He does side projects such as the community opened up the world of Jewish storytelling awards program, and has his own Mindto me, including the Jewish horror stories fulness Education Exchange, while wranabout werewolves and vampires. How else gling his own three young children. “It all do you captivate teens with stories? This comes together,” he says.
STORYTELLER
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ARIZONA JEWISH POST, September 27, 2019
LOCAL / WORLD Finkel to lead teens on March of the Living
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ucson Holocaust surviII, and march the three kilovor Sidney Finkel will meters between Auschwitz lead Southern Arizona and Birkenau, the largest conteens on the 2020 March of the centration camp complex built by the Nazis. The second half Living. Participants will retrace of the trip takes place in Ishis steps through his childhood rael, where the teens will celhome of Piotrkow, Poland, inebrate Am Yisrael, the survival cluding the first Nazi decreed of the Jewish people, on Yom ghetto in occupied Poland, Sidney Finkel Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s Indepenwhere he and his family were dence Day. forced to live. Finkel is the author of “Sevek High school juniors and seniors may and the Holocaust: The Boy Who Refused to Die,” a memoir used by many schools apply for this April 17-May 3, 2020 journey. An informational meeting for teens as part of their Holocaust curriculum. Participants will join thousands of and parents is Sunday, Nov. 17, 2 p.m. To teens from around the world. They will attend and for location, RSVP to Suzanne learn about Jewish life before World War Amador, 577-9393, or samador@jfsa.org.
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Documents about Holocaust survivors online
A
fter Hitler’s regime was defeated, many Holocaust survivors and liberated forced laborers wanted to leave Europe. Along with the United States, the most desirable emigration destinations included Canada and Australia. Most of the emigrants were carried by nearly 400 ships the Allies supplied for this mass migration movement; some arrived by plane. The Arolsen Archives has worked with Ancestry to publish ships’ passenger lists online. Users can now search for almost 1.9 million additional names in the online archive to find information on those people who either did not want to return to their home countries after 1945 or were not able to do so. “The passenger lists are a priceless historical source,” says Floriane Azoulay, director of the Arolsen Archives, the world’s most comprehensive archive on victims of Nazi persecution. “They are recognized as documentary heritage by UNESCO and give us insights into the lives of individuals. They also provide information about migration in the wake of World War II, such as details about which groups were able to
emigrate and who was denied this opportunity.” The passenger lists are among the more than 30 million documents held by the Arolsen Archives. The international institution aims to publish all documents online by the year 2025. “We need strong partners for this,” Azoulay explains. “It would take too long using our resources alone, so we are very pleased about this new collaboration” with Ancestry. Ancestry has tagged the digitized passenger lists with keywords such as names or dates so that they are searchable more rapidly and precisely on the internet. The lists are published online by both the Arolsen Archives and Ancestry. Access to these documents is provided free of charge by both partners. The Arolsen Archives began uploading their collections online in 2015 and most recently published 13 million records from concentration camps in a new online archive in May 2019. The Arolsen Archives Online Archive is accessible at https://collections.arolsen-archives. org/search. Ancestry’s free online archive is at https://ancstry.me/2T3cJTC.
Happy hanah! s a H h s Ro
September 27, 2019, ARIZONA JEWISH POST
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AREA CONGREGATIONS REFORM
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Congregation anshei israel
5550 E. Fifth St., Tucson, AZ 85711 • (520) 745-5550 Rabbi Robert Eisen, Cantorial Soloist Nichole Chorny • www.caiaz.org Daily minyan: Mon.-Thurs., 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.; Fri., 7:30 a.m.; Sun. and legal holidays, 8 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. / Mincha: Fri., 5:45 p.m. / Shabbat services: Sat., 9 a.m., followed by Kiddush; Tot Shabbat, 1st Fri., 5:45 p.m.; Family Service, 3rd Friday, 5:45 p.m.; Holiday services may differ, call or visit website. / Torah study: every Shabbat one hour before Mincha (call or visit website for times) / Talmud on Tuesday, 6 p.m. / Weekday Torah study group, Wed., 11 a.m. beverages and dessert provided.
ORTHODOX Congregation Chofetz Chayim/southwest torah institute
5150 E. Fifth St., Tucson, AZ 85711 • (520) 747-7780 Rabbi Israel Becker • www.tucsontorah.org Shabbat services: Fri., Kabbalat Shabbat 15 minutes before sunset; Sat. 9 a.m. followed by Kiddush. / Mincha: Fri., 1 p.m.; Sat., 25 minutes before sunset, followed by Shalosh Seudas, Maariv, and Havdallah. Services: Sun., 8 a.m.; Mon. and Thurs., 6:50 a.m.; Tues., Wed., Fri., 7 a.m.; daily, 15 minutes before sunset. / Weekday Rosh Chodesh services: 6:45 a.m.
Congregation young israel/ChaBad of tuCson
2443 E. Fourth St., Tucson, AZ 85719 • (520) 881-7956 Rabbi Yossie Shemtov, Rabbi Yudi Ceitlin • www.chabadoftucson.com Daily minyan: Sun. and legal holidays, 8:30 a.m.; Mon. and Thurs., 6:30 p.m.; Tues., Wed., Fri., 6:45 a.m. / Mincha and Maariv, 5:15 p.m. / Shabbat services: Fri. at candlelighting; Sat. 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush. Mincha, Maariv, and Havdallah TBA.
ChaBad on river
3916 E. Ft. Lowell Road • (520) 661-9350 Rabbi Ram Bigelman • www.chabadonriver.com Shabbat services: Fri., Mincha at candlelighting time, followed by Maariv. / Sat., Shacharit service, 9:30 a.m. / Torah study: women, Wed., 2 p.m.; men, Tues. and Thurs., 7 p.m. Call to confirm.
ChaBad oro valley
1171 E. Rancho Vistoso #131, Oro Valley, AZ 85755 • (520) 477-8672 Rabbi Ephraim Zimmerman • www.jewishorovalley.com Shabbat services: 3rd Fri., 5 p.m. Oct.-Feb., 6 p.m. March-Sept., all followed by dinner / Sat., 10 a.m. study session followed by service.
Congregation Beit simCha 7315 N. Oracle Road, Tucson, AZ 85704 • (520) 276-5675 Rabbi Samuel M. Cohon • www.beitsimchatucson.org Shabbat services: Fri., 6:30 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m., with Torah study at 9 a.m; monthly Shabbat morning hikes.
Congregation Chaverim 5901 E. Second St., Tucson, AZ 85711 • (520) 320-1015 Rabbi Stephanie Aaron • www.chaverim.net Shabbat services: Fri., 7 p.m. (no service on 5th Fri.); Family Shabbat, 1st Fri., 6 p.m. / Torah study: 2nd Sat., 9 a.m., followed by contemplative service,10 a.m.
Congregation Kol simChah
(Renewal)
4625 E. River Road, Tucson, AZ 85718 • (520) 296-0818 Mailing Address: 6628 E. Calle Dened, Tucson, AZ 85710, Shabbat services: 1st and 3rd Fri., 7:15 p.m.
Congregation m’Kor hayim 3888 E. River Road, Tucson, AZ 85718 (Tucson Hebrew Academy) Mailing Address: P.O. Box 31806, Tucson, AZ 85751 • (520) 305-8208 Rabbi Helen Cohn • www.mkorhayim.org Shabbat services: 2nd and 4th Fri., 7 p.m. / Torah study, 2nd and 4th Sat. 10 - 11:30 a.m.
Congregation or Chadash 3939 N. Alvernon Way, Tucson, AZ 85718 • (520) 512-8500 Rabbi Thomas Louchheim, Cantor Janece Cohen www.orchadash-tucson.org Shabbat services: Fri., 6:30 p.m.; 1st Fri., Friday Night LIVE (Sept.-May); 2nd Friday, Tot Shabbat (Sept.-May), 6 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m. / Torah study: Sat., 8:30 a.m.
temple emanu-el 225 N. Country Club Road, Tucson, AZ 85716 • (520) 327-4501 Rabbi Batsheva Appel • www.tetucson.org Shabbat services: Fri., 7:30 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m./ Torah study: Sat., 8:30 a.m. except when there is a Rabbi’s Tish.
228 N. Canyon Drive, Sierra Vista • (520) 458-8637 www.templekol.com Mailing address: P.O. Box 908, Sierra Vista, AZ 85636, Friday night Torah study group: 6 - 7:15 p.m. / Shabbat services: Fri., 7:30 p.m.
401 Suffolk Drive, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635 • (520) 820-6256 Rabbi Benzion Shemtov • www.jewishsierravista.com Shabbat services: Sat., 10:30 a.m., bimonthly, followed by class explaining prayers. Visit website or call for dates.
OTHER
Beth shalom temple Center
1751 N. Rio Mayo (P.O. Box 884), Green Valley, AZ 85622 (520) 648-6690 • www.bstc.us Shabbat services: 1st and 3rd Fri., 7 p.m. / Torah study: Sat., 10 a.m.
Congregation Bet shalom 3881 E. River Road, Tucson, AZ 85718 • (520) 577-1171 Rabbi Hazzan Avraham Alpert • www.cbsaz.org Shabbat services: Fri., 5:30 p.m. (followed by monthly dinners — call for info); Sat. 9:30 a.m., Camp Shabbat (ages 6-10) 10 a.m.-noon, followed by Kiddush lunch; 12:30-2 p.m. CBS Think Tank discussion led by Rabbi Dr. Howard Schwartz and Prof. David Graizbord; monthly Tot Shabbat (call for dates) / Weekday services: Wed. 8:15 a.m. / Hagim 9:30 a.m. 2221 N. Rosemont Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85712 • (520) 881-2323 www.handmaker.com Shabbat services: Fri., 4:30 p.m., led by various leaders, followed by Shabbat dinner; Sat., 9:30 a.m., led by Mel Cohen and Dan Asia, followed by light Kiddush lunch.
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ARIZONA JEWISH POST, September 27, 2019
Synagogues, Hillel will join multi-faith pack-a-thon
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ongregation Or Chadash, Temple Emanu-El and the University of Arizona Hillel Foundation are participating in this year’s Pack-a-Thon on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2-4 p.m. at the Muslim Community Center, 5100 N. Kevy Place. This is a multi-faith program involving these Jewish organizations, churches and the Muslim community of Tucson to package 50,000 meals for the needy in Pima County. Each organization is asked to make a donation toward the $18,000 goal necessary to prepare this food, and to provide volunteers to package and deliver the food to the distribution organizations around Tucson. To sign up as a volunteer, for Or Chadash, contact Len Kronman at lenkronman@yahoo.com; for Temple Emanu-El, contact Degas Lopez at dlopez@tetucson. org; and for Hillel, contact Michelle Blumenberg at michelle@uahillel.org.
Concierge seeks to rekindle Jewish artists group
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outhern Arizona’s Jewish Artist Group seeks new members for its monthly meetings, says group coordinator Carol Sack, the Jewish Tucson concierge. The informal meetings offer an opportunity for artists who often work alone to network and connect with other area artists. The free meetings include coffee and noshes. The Jewish Tucson concierge facilitates the group, funded by the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona and the Jewish Community Round Table. The group meets on Sundays in the library at the Tucson Jewish Community Center, 3800 E. River Road. Upcoming meetings are Oct. 27, Nov. 17, and Dec. 15. For information, contact Sack at 299-3000, ext. 241 or concierge@jfsa.org.
temple Kol hamidBar
ChaBad sierra vista
handmaKer resident synagogue
LOCAL
Jewish arizonans on Campus 2146 E. 4th Street Tucson, AZ, 85719 • (520) 834-3424 • www.myjac.org Shabbat hospitality and social events for UA students with Yosef and Sara Lopez. Shabbat services on request.
seCular humanist Jewish CirCle www.secularhumanistjewishcircle.org Call Cathleen at (520) 730-0401 for meeting or other information.
university of arizona hillel foundation 1245 E. 2nd St. Tucson, AZ 85719 • (520) 624-6561 • www.arizona.hillel.org Shabbat services: Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and alternative services two Fridays each month when school is in session. Dinner follows (guests, $8; RSVP by preceding Thurs.). Call for dates/times.
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HIGH HOLIDAYS Chilling out made my Judaism truly meaningful
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JULIE MATLIN JTA MONTREAL icking through gefilte fish in the kosher department, searching for the freshest packages, I think of my Grandma Fanny. She made her gefilte fish from scratch, lovingly combining the cod, whitefish, pike and whatever other secret ingredients she threw in that made it so good. “This is delicious,” my brother’s roommate remarked one year. “I’ve never even heard of a gefilte fish before.” When my grandmother hosted Rosh Hashanah, it was an affair. There could be upward of 25 people around the table, which would be set with the finest china and freshest flowers. The food was first class and the conversation lively. What I don’t remember was much religious content. As my grandparents aged, my mother took over hosting duties. The table was still a decent size, but it wasn’t the same lavish affair. Now that my husband and I have taken on the responsibilities of hosting, the table has become even smaller, maxing out at 11 if all my in-laws are in town. I don’t have fine china or exquisite silver flatware. I don’t have crystal glasses or homemade gefilte fish. Frankly, I don’t have the money to “do Jewish” the way my grandparents did. But even though our table has gotten smaller and my place settings would have my grandmother rolling in her grave, the whole holiday has become much more meaningful to me. I’m grateful for the time spent with my family and the time spent in reflection at shul. While many Jewish communal leaders warn about how younger generations are drifting away from traditional Judaism, I believe they have missed the mark: Even though I “do Jewish” much differently than my grandparents did, the older I get, the clearer Judaism’s contributions to my life become. Stripping away the excess of the High Holidays has made me see what’s important, and going through the ritual and ceremony of putting the evening together has brought me closer to its true significance. Yes, the meal is a celebration, but it’s also a solemn entry into the 10 days of introspection and repentance before Yom Kippur. As I age, my thoughts are less on what wine I’ll be serving and more on how I need to make things right. The 2013 Pew Portrait of Jewish Americans suggests Jewish identity is changing, and that 22 percent of Jews claim to have no religion. Fourteen percent of my par-
Photo courtesy Matlin
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Julie Matlin
ents’ generation, born between 1928 and 1945, falls into this category, along with 26 percent of my fellow Gen Xers and 32 percent of millennial Jews. Far from being distressing, these numbers make sense to me. Young people just don’t define Judaism and religion in the same way as earlier generations. To get a more accurate picture of American Judaism, we must adjust the parameters to match today’s realities. The options aren’t just Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, or “nothing” anymore. I couldn’t tell you what denomination of Jew I am. My synagogue has a mission statement that says “while guided by Orthodox tradition, our approach is one that embraces everyone, regardless of their level of knowledge or observance.” I feel like I belong there. I have relationships with many members of the clergy. My son is a bimah boy, working with the gabbai every Saturday calling up members of the congregation receiving an honor. He attends a private Catholic school for financial reasons but has embraced Judaism with a fervor. For years I focused on all the things I did wrong as a Jew — not keeping kosher, not sending my kids to Jewish school, not observing a whole bunch of the fasting holidays, etc. Yet I still identify as Jewish. My family doesn’t meet the definitions of Orthodox or Conservative, or even Reconstructionist. There is no box for us. Despite my relatively “secular” upbringing, my parents and grandparents would certainly consider themselves Jews of religion, at least by Pew’s count. But in many ways, I consider my revitalized traditions to be what brought me back into the fold. Despite the dwindling extravagance of our holiday celebrations, I feel a closer connection to Judaism than ever. How do I get counted? There’s so much fear in the Jewish community about the dangers of intermarriage and assimilation. But diversity isn’t the problem. My inclusion of non-Jews
Happy Rosh Hashanah!
See Chilling, page A-16 September 27, 2019, ARIZONA JEWISH POST
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ANONYMOUS JTA Editor’s note: The author is an active prosecutor in a major U.S. city. Due to the nature of their work, they must write anonymously. he court officer calls out the calendar number and reads the docket into the record. The defendant, accompanied by his attorney, enters the well. The judge and the prosecutor are there already, waiting. The defense attorney states his name for the record, as does the prosecutor. Then the judge asks, “Where do we stand?” The defense attorney answers. He tells the judge that his client has completed the court-ordered program and hands up the documents as proof. The judge reviews them and concurs. He congratulates the defendant on his completion of the program. Then, something unexpected occurs. The judge stands and applauds. The court officers and the prosecutor join him, with joy. The defendant looks down sheepishly, then approaches the bench as the judge waves him over to hand him a certificate of completion. When he returns to his spot, the judge asks if he has anything he’d like to say. He does. He smiles and tells the court that this is the first time he has ever graduated from anything. Then, in the mixed up emotions of pride and shame, he begins to cry. The criminal justice system, and the modern shift toward rehabilitative justice (focused on reforming an offender) described in the story above, have a lot to teach us about how we approach Yom Kippur. I often end Yom Kippur feeling like I’ve just gotten away with something. The weight of our sins is too great a burden to bear. We know that we are guilty, but we pray that God’s mercy outweighs what justice demands, that despite our sins we should be found worthy of another year, and a good year at that. The facts are not on our side, and neither is the law. For how can we dispute what the Omnipotent One already knows? So we pray for mercy, that God wipes away our sins, and He in His infinite mercy cannot help but do so. But what have we really accomplished? We are still the same people we were before, just with a clean slate for the new year. We are not, in any way, reformed. So we walk away from Yom Kippur with the certainty that we have been forgiven, but
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with the nagging feeling that we didn’t really deserve it. In a sense, it is far easier for God to forgive us than it is to forgive ourselves. That is the power in rehabilitative justice. It reminds the offender that it is not solely by the grace of the court that he goes free. Rather it affords him the autonomy to earn his forgiveness. Through this lens, Yom Kippur evolves from the constricting binary of Justice against Mercy, Guilty against Not Guilty, and instead can be viewed as an empowering opportunity for each of us to reform ourselves and earn our forgiveness. To make amends. In doing so, we become worthy of forgiveness. We can proudly walk away knowing that we have earned the right to utter the word “salachti” — forgive me. In the context of Yom Kippur, true forgiveness combines God’s two attributes of Justice and Mercy into a rehabilitative program. As the liturgy tells us — through repentance, through prayer, and through our charitable deeds — we can tear up an unfavorable sentence from the heavenly court. That is the rehabilitative program that God proscribes for us — a carrot-and-stick approach to forgiveness. Perhaps this is why we end Yom Kippur by reciting Hashem hu ha-Elokim, God is the Divine Judge, seven times. For it is only through the combination of God’s attribute of mercy (associated with the name YKVH) and God’s attribute of Justice (associated with Elokim) that we can achieve teshuvah, true repentance and forgiveness. The stick of justice, demanding that we follow God’s rehabilitative plan, coupled with the grace of God’s mercy to give us that chance to earn it, affords us the opportunity to clean the slate, expunge our record and find forgiveness from the heavenly court. But one more opportunity remains. As the final cry of Hashem hu ha-Elokim fades away, and the tension of the day breaks, there is a moment of perfect silence. Listen for it. Feel it. A moment of reconciliation with God, when Yom Kippur has ended but the new day has not yet begun. A moment when the world is pure and cleansed. And in that moment, you will find what you have been searching for all along. A chance to forgive yourself. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the AJP or its publisher, the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona.
Remember to recycle this paper when you finish enjoying it. A-14
ARIZONA JEWISH POST, September 27, 2019
HIGH HOLIDAYS For Pittsburgh congregation, shofar’s wail heralds change in the new year BETH KISSILEFF PITTSBURGH ur sages teach us that kol hatchalot kashot, all beginnings are difficult. This phrase feels especially resonant this Rosh Hashanah. The man who blew the shofar last year at my Pittsburgh synagogue, New Light, is not here to blow it now. He was murdered on Oct. 27 at the Tree of Life synagogue, where the New Light and Dor Hadash congregations rented space. The sounds of the shofar, which Ashkenazi Jews have a custom of blowing in synagogue the entire month of Elul, have a different resonance to me now. The Sefer Hachinuch explains that “the Torah commanded us to make a sound similar to wailing” when we blow it. That won’t be hard; there is plenty to wail about this year. The Sefer Hahinuch adds, “Since a person is physical, he is only aroused by something that arouses, like the way of people during wartime [to] blow and even scream in order that they should
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Photo:Salwan Georges/The Washington Post via Getty Images/JTA Photo Service
JTA
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, right, holds hands with Rabbi Jonathan Perlman, who survived the attack at the Tree of Life synagogue, at Rodman Street Missionary Baptist Church during a service for victims of the mass shooting, Oct. 31, 2018. Perlman’s wife, the author Beth Kissileff, is seated to his left.
be properly aroused for war … and the voice of the shofar arouses the heart of all its listeners … when he hears the broken sounds, he breaks the evil inclination of his heart for the desires of the world and his cravings.” We need to hear this wailing, and be induced to wail ourselves, so that we can change. The Talmud (Rosh Hashana 33b) associates these sounds with the wailing of
a bereaved mother of an enemy general. In Judges 5:28, the mother of Sisera wails that her son has not yet returned from battle, nor returned with any captive women or spoils. It is hard to know how to interpret this. Even though Sisera’s mother is awful in glorifying her murderous son, she is still a mother and still has compassion for her son — it is that human piece of her we are told to identify with. Perhaps
Sisera’s mother is wailing out of sheer human instinct. Her wailing is a sign that she knows that her son will never return, though her words, possibly spoken out of false bravado, suggest otherwise. The guttural scream of someone trying to comprehend that life will be lived without a loved one is sheer terror. I hope never to hear it again. I have been with families at the moment they received official notification from the FBI of their loved one’s deaths. Though they knew in their hearts that their loved one was gone when they did not hear from them hours before, the moment of irrevocable understanding that they will never see their loved one again is a dreadful one. But sometimes the deepest pain can also bring healing. The concept of post-traumatic growth is a psychological theory about transformation after trauma. It shows that people who undergo significant trauma can emerge from the experience with an improved appreciation for life, relationships with others, personal strength and spiritual growth. This does not remove the many challenges and anxieties See Shofar, page A-16
September 27, 2019, ARIZONA JEWISH POST
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CHILLING continued from page A-13
in traditional celebrations gives me the chance to revisit their significance. Diversity doesn’t dilute my feelings toward religion — it strengthens them. Planning my dinner this year, I added a non-Jewish friend and her 9-year-old daughter to the guest list. They came last year and added a whole new layer to the evening.
SHOFAR continued from page A-15
connected to coping with trauma, but adds that growth is possible, too. When we hear the shofar, if we hear it as a wail and scream, perhaps we can change our lives and make what comes after Rosh Hashanah irrevocably different from what comes before. I have seen it happen in my own community. People have changed over the course of the year. Some have made and kept commitments to attend synagogue more regularly. Some of our new haftarah chanters have not used the skill since bar mitzvah, if ever, but are committed to reading every few weeks in honor of our three devoted haftarah readers at New Light — Dan Stein, Rich Gottfried, and Mel Wax — who are no longer able to chant the prophetic words. There are those who did not have much interest in the spiritual side of Judaism who now attend any classes we hold. People who have always
They loved learning about our traditions, and we got to see the holiday through fresh eyes. This Rosh Hashanah, instead of worrying about fitting into a traditional mold, I’m going to focus more on defining my own Jewish identity and what informs it.
Julie Matlin is a freelance writer based in Montreal. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, The Globe and Mail, Today’s Parent and the Forward. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the AJP or its publisher, the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona.
wanted to learn Hebrew have been studying it for the first time. This Rosh Hashanah, all American Jews, shocked to our core at the resurgence of violent anti-Semitism here — a country to which our ancestors immigrated as a haven from such things in the rest of the world — will hear the shofar as a wail and scream. We have undergone the deeply painful trauma of knowing that in Pittsburgh and Poway, Jews have been murdered solely because they are Jews. However, this deep trauma we have experienced also means we can and need to think about how as a community we can attempt to work through the trauma to achieve meaningful growth. It is not uncomplicated, but Rosh Hashanah is coming, and we all have the opportunity to begin again — however difficult. Beth Kissileff is a Pittsburgh-based writer.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Arizona Jewish Post or its publisher, the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona.
HIGH HOLIDAYS Four gorgeous Rosh Hashanah recipes from some of Israel’s top chefs BY JESSICA HALFIN JTA
R
osh Hashanah menus, while traditional and delicious, can also get a little stale year after year. With Israeli food trending across the globe, now is a perfect time to add some authentic Israeli flavors to your holiday. We have gathered four exclusive recipes from some of Israel’s top chefs: from a whole roasted fish to a sweet whiskey cocktail, and an apple dessert that is sure to start your year off on a sweet and beautiful note.
Sea Bass with Roasted Peppers and Herb Crème Filling
Chef Mor Cohen, Herbert Samuel Restaurant at the Ritz
Carlton Herzliya Cohen is known for his haute kosher cuisine at the Ritz Carlton. While a fish head on the table might be considered off-putting, it is one of the most traditional symbols of the Jewish New Year, so this recipe serves double duty as delicious and symbolic. Ingredients: For the fish: 4 whole sea bass, deboned and descaled (each fish should weight about 1 pound) 2 lemons Salt and pepper to flavor For the herb crème: 6 garlic cloves peeled 2 cups of freshly picked herb leaves (oregano, parsley,
basil, celery) 1 baguette (just use the inside and not the crust) 5 tablespoons olive oil Salt to taste For the roasted peppers: 4 medium-sized onions (cut in half and diced) 8 garlic cloves diced 1 hot green pepper, cut in rings (optional) 8 fresh peppers that have been grilled and singed. The peppers should be sliced in wide strips. 6 tomatoes similarly roasted, and singed, and sliced in strips 3 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup of arak, ouzo or other anise-flavored liquor See Recipes, page A-20
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py ana p h Ha as H sh Ro
Sea Bass with Roasted Peppers and Herb Crème Filling
RECIPES continued from page A-17
1 teaspoon freshly ground oregano Salt to taste Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 425 F. 2. Process the herbs in a food processor together with the garlic and baguette. The mixture should be lightly sprinkled with olive oil until it becomes a consistent yet creamy texture. Transfer to a piping bag and refrigerate. 3. To prepare the peppers: Heat a large saucepan with olive oil. Add the garlic cloves and hot peppers (if desired) until the aromas start rising from the pan. Add the diced onions and cook until they become translucent and tender. 4. Add the peppers and tomatoes and stir generously. Add in the arak, bring to a boil and reduce the liquid to about half. 5. Add the oregano, reduce to a low heat and cover. Keep cooking for about 20 minutes, regularly checking and adjusting the taste with salt. Remove from heat and set aside until ready for serving. 6. Using a sharp knife, pierce the sides of the fish ensuring the cut reaches the middle. Cuts should be along the sides and along the fish’s spine. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and set the fish standing (as if swimming) on a baking dish. Insert a half a lemon in the fish’s cavity and fill the incisions with the herb crème. 7. Bake the fish for about 18 minutes, until the fish is completely cooked and you see the crème begin to take on a darker golden color. 8. Remove and serve the fish over a
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ARIZONA JEWISH POST, September 27, 2019
generous bed of the peppers. Garnish with parsley.
Stuffed Chard Leaves with Pomegranate Molasses
Chef Merav Barzilay, Meshek Barzilay, Tel Aviv-Yafo The artsy Neve Tzedek neighborhood in Tel Aviv boasts an unmistakable relaxed bohemian chic vibe, which of course extends to its restaurants and cafes. Right at the heart of the newly declared “vegan capital of the world” sits Meshek Barzilay, the city’s pioneering vegan restaurant, 17 years young, and its newer delicatessen (opened in April 2018), that serves the ready-made organic and vegan dishes in high demand. For Rosh Hashanah one of the restaurant’s specialties are these cooked chard leaves stuffed with grains, dried fruits, nuts and tart pomegranate molasses. It is a nod to the pomegranate, a major sign of the holiday. Ingredients: For the stuffed chard leaves: Large bunch chard leaves (best if you can get it with large uniform leaves) 2 cups cooked freekeh or quinoa Purple onion, cut into small cubes and caramelized 1/2 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint 1/2 cup mixed dried fruits, such as dried cranberries, dried figs and dried apples 2 tablespoons chopped almonds 3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses 1 tablespoon salt Pinch white pepper For the sauce: 2 tablespoons olive oil Half a white onion, sliced 8 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses Pinch cinnamon Pinch Baharat spice Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 2. Blanch whole chard leaves in boiling water for 20-30 seconds to soften, carefully open up each leaf and set down single file on a smooth surface. 3. Remove the stem from each chard leaf with a paring knife. 4. Prepare the filling: Mix all the filling ingredients together in a large bowl, and adjust seasoning to taste. 5. Fill the center of each leaf with a bit of filling (about 1 1/2 tablespoons, but the amount of filling will vary according to your leaf size). 6. Fold the sides of the leaf inward toward the center and roll from the cut portion inward. Tightly pack the stuffed chard leaves into a baking dish and set aside. 7. Prepare the sauce: Saute the onion and olive oil until golden. Add the garlic and tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes start to fall apart, but not so much that the tomatoes start to lose their color. 8. Add the spices and a bit of water if needed to get a thin sauce. 9. Taste and adjust seasoning to taste, then pour over the stuffed chard. 10. Cover the baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes, until sauce is bubbly and the chard leaves are cooked through. 11. Serve with a garnish of chopped mint leaves and a light drizzle of pomegranate molasses.
Apple Streusel Honey Cake
Chefs Rossella Jona and Amir Porat, Biscotti Bakery, Bnei Brak What started out as a very small Tel Aviv business 15 years ago is now a booming catering business with a staff of 200 workers and future plans to become an Israeli café chain. Now located in Bnei Brak, just east of the big city, they are committed to using high-quality ingredients to make their mark on the Israeli pastry shop scene. To replicate their famous apple streusel-topped honey cake at home this holiday, just follow this recipe, which we took straight from the head chefs. Ingredients: For the cake: 4 large eggs 3/4 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons honey 3/4 cup sugar 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup strong fruit tea, brewed and cooled 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1 green apple, peeled and sliced for garnishing the unbaked cake
For the streusel topping: 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup cold butter, cut into cubes 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour Pinch cinnamon Pinch salt Directions: 1. To make the topping: In a food processor, blend all the ingredients in short pulses until you get coarse crumbs. 2. Transfer the crumbs to a sealed container and chill until use. 3. To make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 F. 4. Whip eggs with the sugar until the mixture becomes thick and triples in size. 5. Add the oil and mix to combine, then add the honey and do the same. 6. In a medium bowl, combine the spices, flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add to the egg mixture, and add the cooled tea. You can also add fresh peeled and chopped apples or pears, or cherries to the batter at this stage if you wish. 7. Pour into 2 loaf pans and top with a light layer of streusel and 12-13 apple slices in vertical line down the center. Bake for about 40 minutes. 8. Cake is done when a toothpick comes out dry with a few moist crumbs attached.
Apple and Honey Whiskey Cocktail
Milk & Honey Whiskey Distillery, Tel Aviv It’s definitely the time for Israeli whiskey on the international scene, and Rosh Hashanah is the perfect occasion to treat yourself to a bottle of the first official batches of the stuff. With at least five Israeli whiskey distilleries having popped up in the past few years, the race is on to see which one can produce the best barrels the fastest. The warm climate in Israel actually speeds up the distilling process. Milk & Honey’s whiskey has a smooth taste, which just happens to be perfect for blending into a sweet apple and honey cocktail. Ingredients: 1/4 Granny Smith apple, diced 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons honey syrup 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lime juice 1 tablespoon Calvados (apple brandy) 3 tablespoons Milk & Honey whiskey or other “New Make” whiskey Directions: 1. Make honey syrup: Mix 3 parts honey with 1 part hot water and stir thoroughly until liquid unifies. For example: 10 ounces honey and a little more than 3 ounces of hot water. Bottle and keep refrigerated. 2. In a cocktail shaker, muddle the apple with honey syrup. 3. Add the rest of the ingredients, fill with ice and shake vigorously. 4. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with an apple slice.
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ISRAEL Netanyahu gets his second shot this year to form Israel’s government SAM SOKOL JTA JERUSALEM rime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will get his second try this year to form Israel’s government after talks aimed at creating a unity government broke down. President Reuven Rivlin tasked Netanyahu with forming a government on Wednesday even though his Likud party did not finish first in last week’s Knesset elections. The centrist Blue and White, led by former military chief Benny Gantz, won 33 seats to 32 for Likud in the Sept. 17 ballot-
P
ing for the parliament. However, 55 lawmakers recommended to Rivlin that Netanyahu try to form a government, one more than Gantz. Still, the incumbent is short of the 61 seats needed to form a viable coalition. He was unable to assemble a government following national elections in April. Netanyahu has one month to cobble together a government. While he has the support of the nationalist and religious parties to the right of Likud, he still needs the backing of the secular-nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party led by ally turned rival Avigdor Liberman. September’s repeat vote was triggered by Liberman, who would only join a Ne-
tanyahu coalition if the country’s military draft was expanded to include more haredi Orthodox men — they can use a religious exemption to avoid being conscripted in the army. The haredi parties balked, however, and the Knesset was disbanded. Liberman unsuccessfully attempted to use his leverage to force a national unity government. According to The Times of Israel, negotiations between Netanyahu and Gantz brokered by Rivlin could not resolve the issues of who would serve first as prime minister under a rotation or if Netanyahu’s far-right allies would be invited to be part of the government. If Netanyahu fails to form a government within a month, Rivlin can tap Gantz
or another Likud politician, The Jerusalem Post reported. Despite failing to come to an agreement, Netanyahu said on Wednesday evening that Israel needed a “broad national unity government” to deal with the challenges facing the country and to “achieve national reconciliation” following what he described as a “tough election campaign on all sides.” In response, Gantz stated that “Blue and White is committed to the idea of unity, but from our perspective, the appropriate order would see negotiations between the two largest parties — and them alone — in order to reach agreements on the substantive issues and the character of the next government,” The Times of Israel reported.
September 27, 2019, ARIZONA JEWISH POST
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GOING AWAY? Remember to stop delivery of the AJP at least a week before you leave town! Fill out the “delivery stops” form online at: www.azjewishpost.com/print-subscription or call 647-8441 to leave a message with your name, address, zip code, telephone number and the dates you will be away. When you look into your heart as the New Year starts, may you discover a new sense of possibility, a new belief in the gifts you have to share, and a renewed commitment to your faith and your dreams.
Rosh ah
Happy
Hashan
Lynn Rae Lowe & Damion Alexander
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ARIZONA JEWISH POST, September 27, 2019
NEWS BRIEFS Israel’s public security minister
presented a report at a conference in Brussels on Wednesday that includes 80 examples of what he called anti-Semitism by key European promoters of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel. In one example from April, Jenny Tonge, a lawmaker in the upper chamber of the British parliament, asked on Facebook whether the wounding of 27 Palestinians, including a baby, in clashes with Israeli troops was “all to celebrate the Passover?” Blood libels involving the trope that Jews use blood to bake matzah for Passover have for centuries been a motif of anti-Semitism in Europe. In another, Robert-Willem van Norren, a promoter of BDS in the Netherlands, is seen holding up a caricature of the Israel flag with a cockroach instead of the Star of David. The Israeli minister Gilad Erdan sat alongside Elan Carr, the U.S. envoy against anti-Semitism, and Rabbi Menachem Margolin, director of the European Jewish Association in Brussels, while presenting the report, titled “Behind the Mask.” Each speaker had a cracked mask next to him, emblazoned with terms such as “freedom” and “solidarity.” “BDS leaders who use anti-Semitic language and images that also prove their principles, of boycotting the Jew among the nations, Israel, are anti-Semitic,” Erdan said. Erdan also protested the hosting in July of a conference of BDS promoters with alleged links to the PFLP terrorist organization. Erdan said the European Union offers funding to groups involved in promoting anti-Semitism. Promoting BDS is illegal in France
and Spain. Earlier this year, the German Bundestag passed a motion defining the movement as anti-Semitic. Elan Carr, the U.S. envoy against antiSemitism, said that BDS is “classical old anti-Semitism, repackaged and rebranded, cloaked poorly as anti-Israel rhetoric.” Margolin said that BDS “is responsible” for some anti-Semitic attacks in Europe.
... The first Arab to visit the International Space Station launched there
on Wednesday with the daughter of an Israeli father. Hazzaa al-Mansoori, 35, of the United Arab Emirates and Jessica Meir, an American, took off on the historic trip from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on a Soyuz rocket. They will remain on the orbiting station until Oct. 3. Al-Mansoori will not be the first Muslim on the space station, according to the French news agency AFP. “The dream has come true,” he was quoted as saying at a news conference Wednesday. “As a fighter pilot I already prayed in my aircraft.” AFP quoted Meir as praising al-Mansoori’s achievement and quipping that while astronauts usually communicate in a melange of Russian and English, “we still need to work on our Arabic.”
... A homeless man pleaded guilty
to burning down a historic Minnesota synagogue earlier this month. Prosecutors have indicated that they intend to ask for probation for Matthew James Amiot, 36, The Associated Press reported. He could have faced a maximum of three years in prison. Amiot pleaded guilty to negligent fire charges on Tuesday in the fire at the Adas
Israel Synagogue in Duluth. He had previously admitted to starting the fire outside the synagogue on the morning of Sept. 9. Police have said that they saw no evidence that the arson was a bias or hate crime. Amiot told police that he tried to spit on the blaze to put it out but walked away when he was unsuccessful. The nearly 120-year-old synagogue was deemed a total loss, with damage to property estimated to be at least $117,000 for the structure and at least $250,000 for religious items. At the time of the blaze, Amiot was sheltering in an alcove between the synagogue building and its sukkah. Amiot used a lighter to set fire to what the criminal complaint said was “a variety of combustible materials.” Two minutes later he is seen on surveillance video walking away from the building. — JTA
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REFLECTIONS Unveiling reveals more than a headstone AMY HIRSHBERG LEDERMAN
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Happy “ Ruff ” Hashanah !
e gathered together in the warm September sun at my father’s gravesite, just 10 days shy of a year since he died. It was the coming together of the family clan, the manifestation of four generations of the legacy that this almost 100-year-old man had inspired. But the unveiling of his headstone was much more than a time-honored Jewish tradition. It offered us a moment in our very busy lives to stop, reflect, comfort, and love each other as we honored the patriarch of our family. Jewish tradition is replete with rituals to commemorate life cycle events. Birth is accompanied by a bris and/ or a baby naming. The coming of age as a Jewish adult is marked by a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Weddings, divorces, and more recently, miscarriages, have Jewish traditions that serve to define and elevate the experience. But the most profound Jewish traditions that almost every person will encounter at one time or another relate to losing a family member, friend or loved one. And, regardless of one’s level of observance or religious beliefs, Jewish rituals pertaining to death and its aftermath can provide concrete guidance, wisdom, comfort, and meaning. Judaism teaches that all are equal in death. Simplicity and minimalism often are preferred, and my Dad’s headstone was no exception. Plainly engraved, his name and family status as beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather noted his most significant achievements. While Dad was not a religious man, he identified deeply as a Jew. Before he died, I asked him what he wanted at his funeral and his answer was succinct: “Something plain and simple. With the family present.” Then he paused and added: “But be sure to remember to ask for a discount from the cemetery because I served on their board for over 60 years!” It is not necessary, although it is often the practice, to have a rabbi officiate at an unveiling. Traditionally, the leader will recite Psalms, the El Maleh Rachamim (the prayer recited for the soul of the departed) and the Mourner’s Kaddish if a minyan of 10 people is present. Family and friends often are invited to share stories and memories at the grave as they witness the unveiling of the headstone of their loved one for the first time. Viewing the name of a beloved family member etched in stone for the first time can be a difficult moment as it concretizes the stark realization of the finality of death.
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Shana Tovah!
Photo courtesy AMY HIRSHBERG lederman
Special to the AJP
Harold Hirshberg’s great-grandsons painted rocks for friends and family to leave on his headstone.
But being surrounded by a community of mourners helps to mitigate the pain of loss and assures us of the necessity of affirming life and a commitment to the living. It is customary, before leaving a gravesite, to place a small stone on the headstone to indicate that one has visited the grave. This tradition has been ascribed various interpretations. Some suggest it may reflect the biblical practice of marking a grave with a pile of stones. Or, it may be the result of the custom of writing notes to the deceased and pushing them into cracks in the headstone, just as notes are pushed into the kotel (the Western Wall in Jerusalem.) When no crevice was available, notes were weighted down with stones. When the paper disintegrated or blew away, it left only the stone in its place. Thus, some began to think that leaving a stone was the custom … and so it became. A most touching moment occurred when Dad’s greatgrandsons, ages 8 and 11, offered each of those present a special stone that they had painted with images that reminded them of their great-grandpa. One by one, Dad’s headstone was decorated with brightly colored, handpainted rocks sporting pictures of hearts, rainbows, and smiling faces. And while their memories of their greatgrandpa may diminish with time, I have no doubt they will remember painting those rocks. Their simple expression of love is now a part of our family’s history, connecting the youngest generation to the one no longer here. Traditionally, Jews visit graves on the yarhrzeit, the annual anniversary of a person’s death, on Jewish fast days, and before or between the High Holidays. And for those for whom visiting a grave holds meaning, it can provide a quiet time and space to remember and honor those who are no longer in our midst. Amy Hirshberg Lederman is an author, Jewish educator, public speaker and attorney who lives in Tucson. Her columns in the AJP have won awards from the American Jewish Press Association, the Arizona Newspapers Association and the Arizona Press Club for excellence in commentary. Visit her website at www.amyhirshberglederman.com.
PHILANTHROPY Kindness, generosity, and caring: Celebrating our past in pursuit of our future GRAHAM HOFFMAN Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona
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raditionally, Rosh Hashanah is viewed as the birthday of the world. We find ourselves now, in the days beforehand, at the culmination of the month of Elul, a time when we, both individually and collectively, take account of the year that has passed and look ahead, celebrating the opportunity that this annual cycle affords us to rededicate ourselves to our highest purpose, seeing the future with a renewed and refreshed perspective. This new year holds special significance for our Jewish community, as 5780 will be the final year that Stuart Mellan will serve as the president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona. As we reflect not only on the past year, but the past 24 years of Stu’s tenure, we are filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for everything his leadership has enabled our community to accomplish. In his time at the head of the Federation, Stu has led our community through many seasons, acting as a steadfast, good-natured, and forward-thinking steward with a commitment to growing and sustaining Jewish life in our region. Stu has left an indelible mark on Jewish Southern Arizona, and our community as a whole; and many individuals within it have been made better because of him. As Stu’s era as the Federation president and CEO comes to a close, he has joyfully approached the critical task of helping us to reshape the landscape of Jewish life for generations to come, just as the final days of the Jewish year re-define our personal aspirations for the next. Along with other key community leaders, Stu has been one of the driving forces behind our “2020 & Beyond: Reimagining Jewish Life in Southern Arizona” community planning and visioning process. The goals of this process are to understand the strengths and challenges that face our Jewish community and create a vision and action plan that meets the needs identified now and for the future. “2020 & Beyond” is a central element of a large-scale, multifaceted mobilization happening among our community leadership around strategic collaboration. On Sunday, Sept. 22, key stakeholder meetings were held at the Tucson Jewish Community Center and Hacienda del Sol to further this community planning pro-
cess. Our community leadership, with the help of experienced professionals at the Rosov Consulting Group, are continuing to collect input that will be used to create a market research survey that will be distributed throughout our region so that all individuals within our community — even those at the farthest periphery — can make their voices heard. The results of this survey will allow us to make datainformed decisions to shape the future of Jewish life in Southern Arizona. Behind our desire to gather input and involvement from everyone is a commitment to dramatically expand the reach of our engagement endeavors. It’s a testament to Stu’s visionary leadership that a decade after he championed the engagement agenda in our community, we recognize the critical need to redouble our efforts and enhance our approaches to broaden and deepen our community’s involvement. Together, we aspire to continue to create joint community endeavors that increase the value and appeal of our substantive Jewish educational and experiential offerings. Throughout our journey as a people we have pursued a path of righteousness. Kindness, generosity, and caring have been its bricks — leaders like Stu and countless volunteers have illuminated our way and lovingly prodded us forward. On this journey we have carried the obligation of hakarat hatov — the duty to acknowledge kindness received from another. It requires not merely remembering and saying “thank you,” but actually taking time to recognize the benefits we have received from others. Now seems as good an opportunity as any for me to not only acknowledge and thank Stu for the kindness he has shown me and so many others in our community — but also to take time to recognize the enormity of the gains we all enjoy as the fruits of his labor. A man who prizes people and relationships above all, Stu is always the first to humbly credit those whose generosity, virtue, and commitment have propelled, carefully guided, and sustained our progress. As we look ahead in a deliberate, strategic, and thoughtful way, we enjoy the achievements made by the many who have joined us on this journey, build upon our successes, and prepare for new opportunities for growth in the seasons to come. L’Shana Tova Tikatevu. May you be inscribed for a wonderful, meaningful, healthy, and sweet new year.
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September 27, 2019, ARIZONA JEWISH POST
A-27
SHLICHA’S VIEW
Happy Rosh Hashanah!
We would like to express our gratitude to our many wonderful friends in the Jewish community!
Photo courtesy Inbal Shtivi
Easy or not, it’s all about participation
Inbal Shtivi, Tucson’s shlicha, votes in the Israeli election at the Israeli Consulate in Los Angeles, Sept. 5.
INBAL SHTIVI Special to the AJP
Celebrating 25 years in Tucson
6440 N. Campbell Ave. | 520.795.7221 | www.vivacetucson.com
T
he dark I-10 road of the Arizona desert was never ending. Hours and hours of driving, passing dozens of trailer trucks, with both kids sleeping in their seats. Me and my husband, Eran, perfectly awake, fully aware to the dangers of this night ride. We were listening to music downloaded to my smartphone. Anything from world music to classic Israeli. It was our first trip out of Tucson since we got here, and we were planning on it before even leaving Tel Aviv. It’s election season in Israel, and as emissaries, we have the privilege to participate, despite our distant location across the ocean. I submitted this column to the AJP on Sept. 17, the actual Election Day in Israel, with the results yet to be known. It was the first time I had to invest so much in fulfilling my basic right to participate in the democratic process. Back home, only five months ago, we took our bicycles for a five minute ride down the street to vote. And still many in Israel don’t bother. Voting rates in April 2019 stood at a mere 60% (back in 1949, it was almost full participation with 89%). Is it indifference? Despair? Protest? I am not totally sure there is one answer. (Editor’s note: As of Sept. 18, voter turnout was reported at 69.4%, slightly higher than in April). In the car, we have just decided not to stop for the night and go straight all the way to Los Angeles. The kids are asleep; we are not tired. We can avoid expected
morning traffic and be at the Israeli Consulate on time. Finally, it is all about choices. Some taken in advance, some along the way. One choice taken during a short Thursday afternoon at the end of June was to come here, to Tucson. We had no idea what this decision would require from us, but we knew that this would be our way to take action. To be part of a long chain of change makers, and maybe change ourselves. In some ways, not saying yes to this challenge would have been irresponsible, just like choosing not to vote is irresponsible. Of course, our vote, our vision, doesn’t always match up with reality. In Israel, there are almost 6 million potential voters, and a quick glance at the political map immediately tells that at least half of us will not be pleased the next day. The real question to me though is not the party for which I voted but what was I engaged in, in between those scarce opportunities. What kind of action do I, and my social and family circles, take to advance the causes we find important? What kind of choices do I make to advance a desired change? Exercising my civic right by putting a small note in a blue box is a privilege. Being awake and aware comes with a responsibility. Taking action and being part of the conversation is an honor. Even if it means driving in the dark desert all the way to L.A. Inbal Shtivi is Tucson’s community shlicha (Israeli emissary) and director of the Weintraub Israel Center, a joint program of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona and the Tucson Jewish Community Center.
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ARIZONA JEWISH POST, September 27, 2019
P.S. Memorials, music and service: Locals make the most of summer SHARON KLEIN Special to the AJP
D-Day commemoration cruise
Bruce and Jane Ash and Gary and Tandy Kippur traveled together on the National WWII Museum 75th anniversary of DDay cruise. They were part of a University of Arizona Alumni Association contingent, with other schools also represented. Before boarding the ship in Amsterdam, they visited the Anne Frank House Museum and Van Gogh Museum, walked the canals and oldest neighborhoods, and enjoyed local cuisine. Ports of call included Rotterdam; Zeebrugge, Belgium; Dunkirk, Calais,
Yuval Barel in her IDF uniform, at home in Beit Shean Bennett Silvyn, left, and Elliot Baruch took this selfie at the Eiffel Tower.
ney was meaningful to both of our families that had fathers who served in France during and just after the war. It was a trip that made us and our shipmates thankful for the sacrifice of our brave warriors and proud of our country that turned back and destroyed Nazi Germany.”
Arizona Ambassadors of Music
(L-R): Jane Ash, Gary Kippur, Tandy Kippur, and Bruce Ash at the American cemetery in Normandy on the anniversary of D-Day
Dieppe, and Le Havre, France; and four days in Normandy. World-renowned authors, historians, and battlefield guides led the excursions. The foursome visited World War I and World War II sites, saying Kaddish at the graves of Jewish soldiers. They traveled with veteran soldiers, sailors, and airmen who fought on D-Day. Wherever these men went, they were treated as the heroes and liberators that they are. Schoolchildren, active service U.S. military, and others flocked to greet and thank them. Photos taken include those of U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron at the American Cemetery during the official ceremonies between France and America to celebrate the victory at D-Day and the liberation of France. According to Bruce, “This trip contained much Jewish content which we will always remember. The jour-
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Between June 21 and July 6, Elliot Baruch and Bennett Silvyn traversed seven countries in 15 days as members of the Arizona Ambassadors of Music. Since 1987, retired Phoenix band director Bill Richardson has organized and directed this biannual trip. Both boys, friends from childhood who are now Catalina Foothills High School seniors, were recommended by their CFHS choir director to take part in this experience. Bennett, a bass, and Elliot, a tenor, joined the choir of about 100 who traveled with about 200 band members — a total of seven bus loads, including approximately 50 Tucsonans. In England, France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Italy, and Germany, the students experienced different languages, customs, foods, and cultures. Yet, when they performed, the common denominator was music, with audiences everywhere fully engaged. All concerts took place in churches — the choir sang inside and the band played outside. The groups were able to attend each other’s performances. One of the sites visited was the Dachau concentration camp, where they had one hour to walk the grounds and see the memorial and museum. The visit left them with a new awareness of the horrors of the Holocaust.
Happy Rosh Hashanah
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The highlight of the trip for Elliot took place in Zermatt, Switzerland, where they were treated to a fondue dinner party with dancing, flag throwing, and twirling. Bennett also enjoyed Switzerland, especially the town of Crans Montana where, he says, the people were nice, the view from the mountains breathtaking, and the concert amazing. Never had he encountered a crowd clapping in unison, demanding an encore.
Joining the IDF
Yuval Barel, 18, a Tucson Hebrew Academy and The Gregory School graduate, passed up staying in the United States to attend college to serve her native Israel and save lives. On Aug. 30, she began the initial Israel Defense Forces induction process. At Bakum, an army base near Tel Aviv, new soldiers get their assignments, uniforms, and first introduction to army life. Yuval’s IDF service was postponed until Nov. 27, as she was accepted into a rescue unit as a combat soldier, with men and women serving together. In the interim, she is substitute teaching English at the ORT high school in Beit Shean. Yuval’s mother, Oshrat Barel, served for four years as community shlicha (Israeli emissary) and Weintraub Israel Center director and for two years as Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona vice president for planning and community engagement. On Sept. 12, the Federation celebrated her six years of dedication with a heartfelt “Thank you and l’hitraot” party of professionals, lay leaders, community members and friends (see photo, page A-34).
Time to share
A happy, healthy, sweet New Year for all. Keep me posted — 319-1112. L’shalom.
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OBITUARIES Mildred Lachman Chapin
Annette Kolodny
Mildred Lachman Chapin, 97, died Aug. 26, 2019. Mrs. Chapin was born to Hannah Segal and Henry Rosenstreik Pollack in Philadelphia, one of eight siblings. She was a dancer from an early age. She received a full scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied economics and met her first husband, Alexis. Moving to Washington, D.C., with their two children, she headed the YWCA dance program and performed. She began painting in 1955. She accompanied her diplomat husband, living outside the United States for most of the ’60s. She had art shows in Italy, France, Turkey, Washington, D.C., Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Sedona. She earned a master’s degree from American University and had a parallel career as an art therapist. She was a life member of the American Art Therapy Association and had a private practice while teaching at institutions in Chicago, Vermont, and Arizona. She published numerous articles and two books, “Reverberations: Mothers and Daughters” and “Haiku, Painted and Written.” Moving to Tucson in 2002, she showed at numerous galleries including the Tucson Jewish Community Center and Tucson Museum of Art. Survivors include her sisters, Bertie Dratch and Lillian Bergman; brother, Solomon Pollack; children, Ellen Cohen of Tucson and Roy Lachman; and two grandsons. Memorial contributions may be made to American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, 125 Broad St., New York, New York 10004. Arrangements were made by Adair Funeral Homes, Dodge Chapel.
Annette Kolodny, Ph.D., 78, died Sept. 11, 2019. Dr. Kolodny was an internationally recognized scholar in interdisciplinary American studies and a pioneer of women’s studies and feminist literary criticism. Born in New York City, Dr. Kolodny attended Brooklyn College, graduating in 1962 magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, and with honors in English. She was an associate to the editor of the international editions of Newsweek magazine. Receiving her Ph.D. in English and American literature from the University of California at Berkeley in 1969, she held faculty positions at Yale University, the University of British Columbia, the University of New Hampshire, the University of Maryland, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She was instrumental in establishing the first women’s studies programs and courses at three of those institutions. At the University of Arizona, she was dean of the College of Humanities 19881993, then a College of Humanities professor of American literature and culture, retiring in 2007 as professor emerita. Dr. Kolodny lectured at conferences and universities around the world, and her many articles and books were translated into dozens of languages. One of her best-known essays on feminist critical theory is the award-winning “Dancing Through the Minefield: Some Observations on the Theory, Practice, and Politics of A Feminist Literary Criticism,” which won the Modern Languages Association’s Florence Howe Award. She established the field of feminist eco-criticism with her first two books, “The Lay of the Land” (1975) and “The Land Before Her” (1984). She wrote about her experiences as an activist feminist dean in “Failing the Future: A Dean Looks at Higher Education in the Twenty-First Century” (1998). She published widely in the field of Native American studies and, in 2007, brought back into print Joseph Nicolar’s “The Life and Traditions of the Red Man,” first printed in Maine in 1893. Her prize-winning contribution to transnational studies in 2012 was “In Search of First Contact: The Vikings of Vinland, the Peoples of the Dawnland, and the AngloAmerican Anxiety of Discovery,” merging Vinland sagas with Native American stories of first contact with Europeans. In her last years, she worked on a personal and professional memoir, tentatively titled “Dancing Through the Minefield,” which highlights her experiences as a feminist in academia and dealing with physical disability and chronic pain. She reveals details behind her 19751980 suit against the University of New Hampshire for sex discrimination and anti-Semitism, which set legal precedence for Title VII cases. Her achievements included numerous fellowships, awards, and prizes, and an honorary doctorate in humane letters from the University of New Brunswick in Canada in 2000. In 1993 she was elected to lifetime membership in the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. Dr. Kolodny is survived by her husband, novelist Daniel Peters of Tucson. A memorial service was scheduled for Sept. 26 in the chapel of Evergreen Mortuary and Cemetery, with Rabbi Batsheva Appel of Temple Emanu-El scheduled to officiate. Memorial contributions may be made the Arthritis Foundation, the National Organization for Women, Planned Parenthood, or the National Abortion Rights Action League.
Thelma Frankel
Thelma Frankel, 94, died Sept. 4, 2019. Mrs. Frankel was born in New York City to Fanny and Joseph Prince. A graduate of Adelphi College and Columbia University, she married Frank Berlin in 1948. They had three children. She later married Julius Frankel. Retiring from a career as a history teacher and school administrator in New York, she moved to the Tucson area in 1984. Mrs. Frankel was predeceased by her husband, Julius. Survivors include her children, Larry (Connie) Berlin, Joey (Ivy Tombak) Berlin of Los Angeles, and Maggie (Scott) Taylor; and five grandchildren. Private services were held. Arrangements were made by Adair Funeral Homes, Avalon Chapel.
Obituaries printed free of charge may be edited for space and format. There is a nominal fee for photographs. Please inquire at 319-1112 for paid obituaries.
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ARIZONA JEWISH POST, September 27, 2019
RABBI’S CORNER Wandering from the path: a law of return RABBI ISRAEL BECKER Congregation Chofetz Chayim
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s Rosh Hashanah appro a c h e s and we take stock of our own spiritual lives, it certainly behooves us to dedicate ourselves to expend every effort in reaching out to our fellow Jews, and especially to our own children and grandchildren. In fact, extending ourselves to help inspire our fellow Jews to live Jewishly, is not just a good idea, but a biblical obligation. The Torah teaches, “If you see your brother’s ox or sheep going astray, you must not ignore them. You must return them to your brother… You must do the same to a donkey, an article of clothing, or anything else your brother loses and you find. You must not ignore it.” (Deuteronomy 22:1-3) From this clear Torah mandate, the Chofetz Chaim (Rabbi Israel Meir Kagan,1838-1933), comments: “From this we can ponder and understand. If the Torah was concerned to such an extent, regarding the monetary possessions of another Jew, even his donkey or sheep that went astray far away from the path and the obligation is upon each and every individual to redirect it back on the path. How much more so must we have compassion for the soul of a Jew that wanders off the path, even if it would require much toil in bringing it back.” The sages have derived from the Torah, “Return them to your brother even a hundred times.” (Talmud Baba Metzia 31A) And from this we learn that one must toil even a hundred times to redirect those who are astray to the proper path, the path of Hashem. As human beings created in the image of G-d, we are endowed with free will and the right to make our own choices. Nevertheless, when our friend makes a choice that will be harmful to them physically, monetarily, or spiritually, we are obligated to proactively get involved.
What if your Jewish friend or relative has expressed a desire to be cremated, do we have an obligation to speak up? If the obligation to “return your friend’s lost article” extends beyond the physical to the spiritual in this lifetime, would it not surely apply when our friend or neighbor could be harming themselves for all eternity? A 2012 Jewish Forward article, “More Jews opt for cremation,” states, “Jews are increasingly choosing to be cremated, the funeral professionals say, despite Jewish laws and thousands of years of tradition.” But is this a healthy or harmful choice? Our divinely gifted soul is actually our essence as a person. It is our consciousness and encompasses our thoughts, deeds, experiences, and relationships. Our soul and body are united in partnership as long as we live. The body serves as a vessel to enable the soul to connect to our physical existence. The body-soul relationship is similar to the Aron Kodesh (ark that houses the Torah). Both are considered holy. The soul’s return to Heaven is dependent upon the body’s return to the ground. “The dust returns to the Earth… And the spirit returns to G-d, who gave it.” (Ecclesiastes 12:7) With return to the Earth, the body receives the respect it deserves, and the soul can continue on its journey to eternal reward. Basic in Jewish belief is that there will come a time when the dead will live again. It is from the Earth that our bodies will be rejuvenated in the future. When an animal, article of clothing, or pocketbook are lost, the Torah teaches us to return it to its rightful owner. When it’s time to return our body, instead of destroying it, should we not return it to G-d, its rightful owner? Through the body we live our lives enriched with meaning. We give, we love, we experience, we grow. Appreciating the respect due to the body enables us to appreciate the gift of life itself. May you, dear friends, together with your family, loved ones, and all Israel be written and sealed for a life filled with spiritual growth and true happiness.
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR The calendar deadline is Tuesday, 10 days before the issue date. Our next issue will be published Oct. 11, 2019. Events may be emailed to office@azjewishpost.com, faxed to 319-1118, or mailed to the AJP at 3718 E. River Road, #272, Tucson, AZ 85718. For more information, call 319-1112. See Area Congregations on page A-12 for additional synagogue events. Men’s Mishnah club with Rabbi Israel Becker at Cong. Chofetz Chayim. Sundays, 7:15 a.m.; Monday-Friday, 6:15 a.m.; Saturdays, 8:15 a.m. 747-7780 or yzbecker@me.com. Chabad of Sierra Vista men’s tefillin club with Rabbi Benzion Shemtov, first Sundays, 9 a.m., at 401 Suffolk Drive. 820-6256 or www.jewishsierravista.com. “Too Jewish” radio show with Rabbi Samuel M. Cohon on KVOI 1030 AM (also KAPR and KJAA), Sundays at 9 a.m. Sept. 22, Bob Mankoff, Moment cartoonist, on his new book, “Have I Got a Cartoon for You!” Beth Shalom Temple Center of Green Valley bagel breakfast and Yiddish club, first Sundays, 9:30 a.m. Members, $7; nonmembers, $10. 648-6690 or 399-3474. Southern Arizona Jewish Genealogy Society, second Sundays, 1-3 p.m. at the Tucson J. Contact Barbara Stern Mannlein at 731-0300 or the J at 299-3000.
ONGOING vaccination policy. Call Nancy Auslander at 7455550 or visit www.caiaz.org. Temple Emanu-El mah jongg, Mondays, 10 a.m. 327-4501. Cong. Anshei Israel mah jongg, Mondays, 10 a.m.-noon. All levels, men and women. Contact Evelyn at 885-4102 or esigafus@aol.com. Tucson J current events discussion, Mondays, noon-1:30 p.m. Members, $1; nonmembers, $2. Bring or buy lunch, 11:30 a.m. 2993000, ext. 147. Cong. Bet Shalom yoga, Mondays, 4:30-5:30 p.m. $5. 577-1171. Jewish 12-step sobriety support group meets Mondays, 6:30-8 p.m. at Cong. Bet Shalom. dcmack1952@gmail.com.
Tucson J Israeli dance, taught by Brandi Hawkins, 2nd and 4th Sundays, 5 p.m., no partners. Members, $6; nonmembers, $8. 299-3000.
Spouse Bereavement Group, cosponsored by Widowed to Widowed, Inc. at the Tucson J, Tuesdays, 10 a.m. Contact Katie at 299-3000, ext. 147.
Cong. Anshei Israel parent-tot class, led by Ally Ross. Mondays, 9-11 a.m. Children up to 24 months and their parent(s). Free. Mandatory
JFCS Holocaust Survivors group meets Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-noon. Contact Raisa Moroz at 795-0300.
Friday / September 27
service. Visit www.handmaker.org/living-athandmaker/spiritual-life for complete holiday schedule.
11 AM: JHM Gallery Chat with Ellen Melamed, founding member of Jewish Lesbian Daughters of Holocaust Survivors, formed after an annual gathering of Holocaust survivors in 1988. 564 S. Stone Ave. www.jewishhistorymuseum.org or 670-9073. 7:30 PM: Temple Emanu-El Downtown Shabbat at Jewish History Museum, 564 S. Stone Ave., with Rabbi Batsheva Appel and Armon Bizman band. 327-4501.
Sunday / September 29
10 AM-NOON: Cong. Anshei Israel FUN-Day at Golf n’ Stuff, includes miniature golf, go-karts, bumper boats, laser tag, batting cages, and video games. $20, ages 4+ (only pay if you play). Adults responsible for children. No RSVP, show up and pay at event, cash and checks only. Food available to purchase. 6503 E. Tanque Verde Road. Contact Rabbi Ruven Barkan at 745-5550, ext. 227, or eddir@caiaz.org. 5:30 PM: Cong. Bet Shalom Erev Rosh Hashanah service at St. Francis in the Foothills United Methodist Church, 4625 E. River Road. Call 577-1171 or visit www.cbsaz.org for complete holiday schedule. 5:45 PM: Cong. Anshei Israel Erev Rosh Hashanah service. Call 745-5550 or visit www. caiaz.com for complete holiday schedule. 6 PM: Cong. Chofetz Chayim Erev Rosh Hashanah service. Call 747-7780 for complete holiday schedule. 6:40 PM: Handmaker Erev Rosh Hashanah
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7 PM: Beth Shalom Temple Center of Green Valley Erev Rosh Hashanah service. Visit www.bstc.us for complete holiday schedule. 7:30 PM: Cong. Chaverim Erev Rosh Hashanah service. Call 320-1015 or visit www. chaverim.net for complete holiday schedule. 7:30 PM: Cong. M’kor Hayim Erev Rosh Hashanah service at Catalina Methodist Church, 2700 E. Speedway Blvd. Call 305-8208 or visit www.mkorhayim.org for complete holiday schedule. 7:30 PM: Cong. Or Chadash Erev Rosh Hashanah service at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. Call 512-8500 or visit www.octucson.org for complete holiday schedule. 7:30 PM: Temple Emanu-El Erev Rosh Hashanah service. Call 327-4501 or visit www. tetucson.org for complete holiday schedule.
Monday / September 30
4 PM: Beth Shalom Temple Center of Green Valley Tashlich service at Sahuarita Lake. www.bstc.us. 5:30 PM: Temple Emanu-El Tashlich picnic service, at Reid Park, near Rose Garden. Bring picnic dinner. Free. Call 327-4501.
Saturday/October 5
10-2 AM: Secular Humanist Jewish Circle High Holiday Celebration, with Humanistic Rabbi Jack Silver, followed by lunch. Members,
ARIZONA JEWISH POST, September 27, 2019
Awakening Through Jewish Meditation — Discover Freedom, with Reb Brian Yosef, Tuesdays/Sundays at 10:30 a.m., at Cong. Bet Shalom. Free. Check calendar at www.torahof awakening.com. Tucson J social bridge, Tuesdays and Thursdays, noon-3 p.m., year round. Drop-ins welcome. Meets in library on second floor. 299-3000. Tucson J canasta group, Tuesdays and Thursdays, noon. Instruction available and a beginners’ table every week. Call or text Lisa at 977-4054. Cong. Anshei Israel Talmud on Tuesday with Rabbi Robert Eisen. Meets 6 p.m. 745-5550. Weintraub Israel Center Shirat HaShirim Hebrew choir, Tuesdays, 7 p.m. Learn to sing in Hebrew. Contact Rina Paz at 304-7943 or ericashem@cox.net. Cong. Anshei Israel gentle chair yoga with Lois Graham, Wednesdays, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Members of Women’s League, $6 per class; nonmembers, $8 per class. Contact Evelyn at 8854102 or esigafus@aol.com. Temple Emanu-El Talmud study, Wednesdays, 10 -11:30 a.m. Text required, call 327-4501. $25; nonmembers, $40. At St Francis in the Foothills, 4625 E. River Road. RSVP to Pat by Sept. 29 at 481-5324 or ptdmnd@gmail.com. www. shjcaz.org. NOON: Cong. Anshei Israel book club discusses “The Song of the Jade Lily,” by Kristy Manning. Moderator Susan Wortman. Contact Helen Rib at 299-0340 or helenrib@yahoo.com.
Sunday/October 6
10 AM: Beth Shalom Temple Center of Green Valley Kever Avot at Green Valley Mortuary, 18751 South La Cañada Drive, Sahuarita. www. bstc.us. 10:30 AM: Desert Caucus brunch with Brad Sherman (D-CA). Guests should be prospective members. Contact desertcaucus@gmail.com or 299-2410. 11:30 AM: Cong. Or Chadash Tashlich service, at Ft. Lowell Park, Ramada 3, 2998 N. Craycroft Road. Bring a picnic lunch. Free. 512-8500 or www.octucson.org. 1 PM: Temple Emanu-El Kever Avot service at Sha’arei Shalom Cemetery, 2151 S. Avenida Los Reyes; 2 p.m. at Evergreen Cemetery, 3015 N. Oracle Road; 4 p.m. at Nogales Cemetery, 1191 N. Grand Ave, Nogales. 327-4501 or www.tetucson.org. 2 PM: Cong. Or Chadash Kever Avot service at Evergreen Cemetery, 3015 N. Oracle Road. 512-8500 or www.octucson.org. 4 PM: Cong. Anshei Israel Tashlich service, at Ft. Lowell Park, Ramada 3, 2998 N. Craycroft Road. Free. Register at 745-5550, ext. 224.
Chabad of Sierra Vista women’s class with Rabbi Benzion Shemtov, last Wednesdays, 2 p.m., 401 Suffolk Drive. 820-6256 or www.jewishsierravista.com. Jewish mothers/grandmothers special needs support group for those with children/grandchildren, youth or adult, with special needs, third Thursdays, 7-8:30 p.m. at Tucson J. Contact Joyce Stuehringer at 2995920. “Biblical Breakthroughs with Rabbi Becker” at the Southwest Torah Institute. Fridays, noon, for men and women. 747-7780 or yzbecker@me.com. Temple Kol Hamidbar (Sierra Vista) “Wrestling with Torah” study group, led by Reuben Ben-Adam, Fridays, 6-7:15 p.m. 458-8637. Jewish History Museum/Holocaust History Center, drop-in hours Fridays 1-3 p.m., Saturdays/Sundays 1-5 p.m. 564 S. Stone Ave. Call 670-9073. Beth Shalom Temple Center of Green Valley exhibition “The Art of Paying Attention,” by Beth Surdut, artist and writer. Through Oct. 23. Mondays and Fridays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Wednesdays, noon-4 p.m. Artist’s reception, Oct. 13, 11 a.m. 648-6690. 4 PM: Cong. Beit Simcha Kever Avot service at Evergreen Cemetery, 3015 N. Oracle Road. 276-5675 or www.beitsimcha.org.
Monday/October 7
7–8:30 PM: Temple Emanu-El Intermediate Biblical Hebrew with Abby Limmer, Ph.D. Continues Mondays through Dec. 9. Members, $55; nonmembers $70. 327-4501.
Tuesday / October 8
5:30 PM: Cong. Anshei Israel Kol Nidre service. For complete Yom Kippur schedule, visit www.caiaz.org or call 745-5550. 5:40 PM: Handmaker Kol Nidre service. For complete Yom Kippur schedule, visit www.hand maker.org/living-at-handmaker/spiritual-life. 5:45 PM: Cong. Chofetz Chayim Kol Nidre service. For complete Yom Kippur schedule, call 747-7780. 6 PM: Cong. Bet Shalom Kol Nidre service at St. Francis in the Foothills United Methodist Church, 4625 E. River Road. For complete Yom Kippur schedule, call 577-1171 or visit www.cbsaz.org. 7 PM: Beth Shalom Temple Center of Green Valley Kol Nidre service. For complete Yom Kippur schedule, visit www.bstc.us. 7:30 PM: Cong. Chaverim Kol Nidre service at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, 5150 N. Valley View Road. For complete Yom Kippur schedule, visit www.chaverim.net or call 320-1015. 7:30 PM: Cong. M’kor Hayim Kol Nidre service at Catalina Methodist Church, 2700
E. Speedway Blvd. For complete Yom Kippur schedule, call 305-8208 or visit www.mkorhayim. org. 7:30 PM: Cong. Or Chadash Kol Nidre service at Tucson Jewish Community Center. For complete Yom Kippur schedule, visit www.octucson. org or call 512-8500. 7:30 PM: Temple Emanu-El Kol Nidre service. For complete Yom Kippur schedule, visit www.tetucson.org or call 327-4501.
FRIDAY / OCTOBER 11
11 AM: JHM Gallery Chat with Dr. Yolanda Chavez Leyva, director of the Institute of Oral History at University of Texas El Paso, keynote address for opening of Contemporary Human Rights Exhibit on asylum and the Mexico-U.S. border. 564 S. Stone Ave. www.jewishhistory museum.org or 670-9073. 5:45 PM: Cong. Anshei Israel Shabbat Under the Stars on the Rabbi Arthur Oleisky Courtyard. 745-5550 or www.caiaz.org.
SATURDAY / OCTOBER 12
9-10 AM: Cong. Or Chadash Eat, Study, Pray, “Sukkot: Why does my Sukkah have to be
smaller than an elephant?” with Rabbi Thomas Louchheim. Includes lox and bagel breakfast. Discussion followed by Shabbat service at 10 a.m. Free. 512-8500 or www.octucson.org.
SUNDAY / OCTOBER 13
10 AM-NOON: JFCS CHAI Circle meeting. Annual CHAI Circle memorial event starts at 11:40 a.m. Free. At the Tucson J. RSVP to Irene Gefter at igefter@jfcstucson.org or 795-0300, ext. 2271. 2–4 PM: Temple Emanu-El JLL Sunday Salon: “A Bissel Yiddish” (A Little Bit of Yiddish) with Bob Schwartz. Free. Register at 3274501 or www.tetucson.org. 5-8 PM: Cong. M’kor Hayim party in the sukkah. For location, email congregationmkor hayim@gmail.com. 5:30 PM: Cong. Anshei Israel Erev Sukkot service. 745-5550. 6 PM: Cong. Anshei Israel community Sukkot dinner, with Dr. Richard Green, astronomer at the UA Steward Observatory, “Moonshine is More Than a Drink … Legal or Otherwise!” Members, $15 adults, $10 children 2+; nonmember $20 adults, $15 children 2+. RSVP by Oct. 7 at 745-5550 or www.caiaz.org.
UPCOMING WEDNESDAY / OCTOBER 16
6:30-8:30 PM: JFSA Women’s Philanthropy “Salsa in the Sukkah.” Bring donation of high school supplies or backpacks for Youth on Their Own. Margaritas, mojitos and tapas. At the Tucson J Sculpture Garden. $36. RSVP at www.jfsa.org/salsainthesukkah or call Anel Pro at 647-8455.
THURSDAY/OCTOBER 17
11:30 AM: Brandeis National Committee fall opening luncheon with Dr. Nicola Finley of Canyon Ranch presenting “Wellness: The Integrative Way.” At The Lodge at Ventana Canyon, 6200 N. Club House Lane. Profits benefit Elaine Lisberg Tucson Chapter BNC Scholarship Fund. Bring walking shoes, sweatpants/ shirts, towels, twin bed sheets in good condition, and women’s hygiene products for Sister Jose Women’s Center. $39. RSVP by Oct. 10, by mailing check, payable to BNC, to Soralè Fortman, 6300 E. Speedway Blvd., #1321, Tucson, AZ 85710. Call Shelly Picus at 529-8004. 5:30-7:30 PM: Sukkot Fall Festival. Free. At Tucson Hebrew Academy field, 3888 E. River
Road. Kid-friendly dinner, crafts, games, photo booth, and more. Presented by PJ Library & PJ Our Way, Cong. Bet Shalom, Cong. Or Chadash, Temple Emanu-El, Cong. Chaverim, Cong. Beit Simcha, Tucson J, Tucson Hebrew Academy, and Wild West Promotions. RSVP by Oct. 10 to www.jfsa.org/pjsukkot2019.
NORTHWEST TUCSON
ONGOING
Jewish Federation-Northwest chair yoga with a Jewish flair taught by Bonnie Golden. Meets at JFSA NW Division Ruth & Irving Olson Center for Jewish Life, 180 W. Magee Road #140, Mondays, 10-11 a.m. $7 per class or $25 for four. No class Sept. 30. 505-4161 or northwestjewish@jfsa.org. Northwest Needlers create hand-stitched items for donation in the Jewish community. Meets at JFSA NW Division Ruth & Irving Olson Center for Jewish Life Tuesdays, 1-3 p.m. RSVP to judithgfeldman@gmail.com or 505-4161. Jewish Federation-Northwest mah jongg, meets at JFSA NW Division Ruth & Irving Olson Center for Jewish Life Wednesdays, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., 505-4161. Chabad of Oro Valley adult education class, Jewish learning with Rabbi Ephraim Zimmerman. Wednesdays at 7 p.m., at 1171 E. Rancho Vistoso Blvd., Ste. 131. 477-8672 or
www.jewishorovalley.com.
SUNDAY / SEPTEMBER 29 6:30 PM: Cong. Beit Simcha Erev Rosh Hashanah service. 7315 N. Oracle Road. Call 276-5675 or visit www.beitsimchatucson.org for complete holiday schedule.
MONDAY/SEPTEMBER 30
9 AM: Chabad of Oro Valley Rosh Hashanah service. Call 477-8672 or visit www.jewishoro valley.com for complete holiday schedule.
TUESDAY / OCTOBER 8
5:45 PM: Chabad of Oro Valley Kol Nidre service. For complete Yom Kippur schedule, visit www.jewishorovalley.com or call 477-8672. 6 PM: Cong. Beit Simcha Kol Nidre service. For complete Yom Kippur schedule, visit www. beitsimchatucson.org or call 276-5675.
SIGN UP FOR PJ LIBRARY and each month your Jewish child age 6 months to 8 years will get a FREE Jewish book or CD in the mail. Go to www.jewishtucson.org.
SUNDAY / OCTOBER 27
2-4 PM: Pack-a-Thon. Help pack 50,000 meals for needy. Participants include Cong. Or Chadash, Temple Emanu-El, UA Hillel Foundation, Muslim Community Center, and churches. At Muslim Community Center, 5100 N. Kevy Place. Contacts: Or Chadash, Len Kronman, lenkronman@yahoo.com; Emanu-El, Degas Lopez, dlopez@tetucson.org; Hillel, Michelle Blumenberg, michelle@uahillel.org. 5:30 PM: THA 2019 Tikkun Olam Celebration honoring Bertie Levkowitz. At the Tucson J. Cocktail reception followed by dinner. $150 per person, $250 per couple. Sponsorships available. RSVP at www.thaaz.org or contact Sha’ron Wolfin Eden at 529-3888, ext. 107.
REMEMBER TO RECYCLE THIS PAPER WHEN YOU FINISH ENJOYING IT.
ou a Y g n i h s Wi nah a h s a H Rosh d e s s e l B
September 27, 2019, ARIZONA JEWISH POST
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IN FOCUS Interfaith agency presents token of appreciation
Photo: Nanci Levy/Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging
YWC fulfills mitzvah with Handmaker residents
Clockwise from left: Handmaker resident Gertrude Shankman, YWC co-chair Kathy Gerst, Miriam Emerson, and Trihn Tofel (back to the camera). Shankman will turn 105 on Oct. 26. Community members are welcome to join Handmaker for a celebration with Tucson Hebrew Academy students on Oct. 25 at 9:45 a.m., or Shabbat services and more birthday celebration on Oct. 26, 9:30-noon.
Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona Young Women’s Cabinet members visited Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging on Wednesday, Sept. 11 for a brief tour of the building, and the opportunity to get to know some Handmaker residents during a Rosh Hashanah card-making activity. Their visit was part of their learning about the agencies of the Jewish community, and in part to fulfill the mitzvah of hiddur pnai zaken, recognizing the beauty in and respecting our elders.
CAROLE L. LEVI “Your Real Estate Connection” HAPPY ROSH HASHANAH! (520) 241-2021 carolel@longrealty.com www.clevi.longrealty.com A-34
ARIZONA JEWISH POST, September 27, 2019
Photo: Debe Campbell/AJP
Project Isaiah high holiday food drive underway
Committee members and synagogue social action leaders, L-R: Judith Weiser, Rabbi Batsheva Appel, Marc Sbar, Susan Kasle, Beverly Sandock, Nanci Levy, Steve Slaff, Mary Ellen Loebl, Carol Fabrizio, Rabbi Ruven Barkan, Lisa Schachter-Brooks, and Diane Katz.
The annual community-wide Project Isaiah High Holy Days hunger project kicked off Sept. 15. It is coordinated by the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona’s Jewish Community Relations Council, with monetary and food donations benefiting the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona. Synagogues and Jewish agencies will collect donations. The drive ends Oct. 15. For more details, visit https://jfsa.org/get-involved/jcrc/project-isaiah.
Thank you and l’hitraot to Barel family More than 100 colleagues and friends turned out Sept. 12 to say thank you and l’hitraot (until we meet again) to Oshrat Barel at a party in her honor at the Harvey and Deanna Evenchik Center for Jewish Philanthropy. Barel returned to Israel after six years in Tucson, four as community shlicha (Israeli emissary) and director of the Weintraub Israel Center, and two as vice president of planning and community engagement for the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona. “Wherever I will lay my eyes in this room, I will see a smile that will remind me of great memories from my six years here. These will stay in my heart for the rest Oshrat Barel, left, and Deborah Oseran, chair of the Jewish of my life,” Barel told the crowd. Federation of Southern Arizona board. Polaroid photos from the She expressed her gratitude to the event were made into an instant scrapbook for Barel and her Jewish community; Federation; family to take home to Israel. Tucson Jewish Community Center; Weintraub Israel Center and its founders, Diane and Ron Weintraub; and Federation President Stuart Mellan for “the many opportunities you have provided my family and me to grow Jewishly, personally, professionally and socially.” Photo: Román Urias/AJP
Photo: Debe Campbell/AJP
Jill Rich, social action chair of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona, presented Federation CEO & President Stuart Mellan with a token of appreciation from Catholic Community Services Casa Alitas program on Sept. 13. JFSA has supported Casa Alitas over the past six and a half years in its efforts with migrants crossing the southern U.S. border. That support has increased over the last year as the number of migrants and asylees has skyrocketed. In response, JFSA and an anonymous donor through the Jewish Foundation of Southern Arizona created a matching grant fund that raised more than $80,000 in community donations. The fund has provided food, shoes, backpacks, and undergarments for migrants, as well as urgently needed supplies and equipment. The plaque includes reproductions of drawings by migrant children, originally painted on tiles.
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Rabbinical student Julia Berg will join Congregation Or Chadash for the High Holy Days and monthly for Shabbat services through May. Berg is a secondyear student at Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles. Berg spent her undergraduate career at the University of Michigan where she studied environmental science and Judaic studies. She worked as a cohort coordinator for the campus Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center, facilitating conversations on consent and bystander intervention tactics. She has spent three summers working at URJ Six Points SciTech Academy East, where she is now the director of Jewish life.
At its annual conference and meeting of 130 judges, magistrates, and court officers earlier this month in Prescott, the Arizona Justice of the Peace Association elected the Hon. John Peck president. Peck is the presiding judge of the Ajo Justice Court, elected to a second term in 2018, and is a former senior vice president of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona.
Interfaith Community Services will receive the Nonprofit Volunteer Program of the Year Award from the Southern Arizona Volunteer Management Association, as well as the Board Member of the Year Award for Scott Summerford. Gina Hansen of Habitat for Humanity will receive SAVMA’s Volunteer Administrator of the Year Award. Winners will be honored at the SAVMA Awards breakfast on Jan. 16 at the Tucson Convention Center Ballroom. More information is available at www.savma.org. Sister Jose Women’s Center and Youth On Their Own are among the local nonprofits recently awarded grant funds from Family Housing Resources. Sister Jose received $10,000 for pumps and irrigation systems for a garden designed to be both therapeutic and educational for the homeless women it serves. YOTO received $10,000 to help sustain its dropout prevention and workforce readiness support to homeless and unaccompanied youth. Both non-profits have been recipients of Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona support.
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Irving Kron, M.D., professor of surgery and senior associate vice president for health sciences at the University of Arizona, has been named the new contact principal investigator for the All of Us research program at the UA Health Sciences and Banner Health. All of Us, a precision medicine effort, aims to accelerate biomedical research and advance the health of future generations, serving as a national research resource to inform thousands of studies. During his career, Kron has published more than 500 manuscripts, made 250 presentations on cardiothoracic surgery in the United States and internationally, has published 30 books, and has been the principal investigator for more than 20 research grants, with almost 30 years of continuous National Institutes of Health funding.
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Arizona Theatre Company will honor longtime supporters Rob and Laurie Glaser with The Georgy Award at its Life is a Cabaret fundraising gala on Saturday, Oct. 19 at the Temple of Music and Art. For more information visit www.arizonatheatre.org. Send news of your simchas to localnews@azjewishpost.com or call 319-1112
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ARIZONA JEWISH POST, September 27, 2019
ARIZONA JEWISH POST • SECTION B • SEPTEMBER 27, 2019 • 27 ELUL 5779
T HE ON G O I N G L E G ACY OF T HE H O LO C AU ST
Voices of Hope: The ongoing legacy of the Holocaust
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Best Wishes for the New Year!
Brock K. Bakewell, M.D., FACS Jeff S. Maltzman, M.D., FACS Brian A. Hunter, M.D., FACS
Richard Lewis, M.D. Stewart G. Mecom, O.D. Andrew Huttenhoff, O.D.
he Jewish New Year is a time for reflection and commitment toward a more just world. The six Holocaust survivors we feature in this issue are a few among the approximately 75 survivors currently living in Southern Arizona, most of whom were children or teens when the war broke out. Their concerns today are immediate, which makes sense both as they advance in age and in light of the rising antiSemitism and xenophobia they see in our world. They want to share their stories as often as possible. They want to honor and remember murdered family members and Jewish communities that no longer exist. They want to ensure the world never forgets and never denies the Holocaust, and that the next generation commits to sharing their stories. Over the years, the Arizona Jewish Post has published many stories of the Holocaust survivors who live in Southern Arizona, but it has been some time since we presented several of their stories together, in their own words. In some ways, this special section builds on the work of the Holocaust History Center at the Jewish History Museum. The opening of the Holocaust History Center on the museum campus in February 2016 marked the realization of a long-standing aspiration of Holocaust survivors and their descendants in Southern Arizona: the establishment of an institution dedicated to preserving and presenting their personal and familial life histories for future generations. More than 260 people from 18 different nations who experienced Nazi persecution later came to live in Southern Arizona. Their life histories are the centerpiece of the “Intimate Histories” exhibition in the Holocaust History Center. By placing Holocaust survivors who have lived in our community at the center of this core exhibition, a catastrophic history that can feel far away in time and space becomes close and immediate. Southern Arizona’s Holocaust survivors are a diverse group of people with one commonality they
Michael Bokor........................ B-4 Annique Dveirin.................... B-12 Erika Dattner.......................... B-5
would prefer not to have; however, they emanate resilience and strength. The survivors tell their stories throughout our community to all requests, from schools and libraries to courthouse staff and newly inducted police recruits. Five of the local male survivors from Eastern Europe have taken it upon themselves to educate wherever they go by wearing hats they created identifying them as World War II Holocaust Survivors. They wear them daily, as living proof that cannot be denied, and they are willing to speak to whomever they come across at any time. Many of the survivors who present their stories in this special section also are featured in the book “To Tell Our Stories: Holocaust Survivors of Southern Arizona,” compiled by Raisa Moroz, coordinator of Holocaust survivor services at Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona, and Richard Fenwick, a JFCS volunteer. JFCS provides multiple services for Holocaust survivors to support independent and dignified living, funded by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, Inc. and the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona. The two volumes of “To Tell Our Stories” (with a third volume in Russian) include the stories of 81 survivors, and are available at JFCS and on Amazon. The stories related here are a testament to some of the worst brutality the world has ever known, yet most of these narratives also bear witness to the courage and kindness of people who risked their own lives to hide Jewish children during the Holocaust and keep them safe. In presenting these six stories, we honor the courage of the survivors, who tell their stories in the hope of a better future for humanity. As we celebrate the upcoming High Holy Days, may they be written and sealed for a good year. Sharon Glassberg and Susan Kasle of Jewish Family & Children’s Services and Bryan Davis of the Jewish History Museum contributed to this introduction.
Theresa Dulgov..................... B-3 Walter Feiger........................B-13 Willy Halpert......................... B-15
Community Greetings.....B7-11 B-2
ARIZONA JEWISH POST, September 27, 2019
THERESA DULGOV Theresa Dulgov, 75, is a child survivor of the Holocaust. From her Tucson home, surrounded by souvenirs from her travels and treasures recovered from her past, she recounts the memories her mother, Eva Siebert, instilled and her own as she grew up in the shadow of both the Holocaust and the Hungarian Revolution.
Photo: Debe Campbell/AJP
Photo courtesy Theresa Dulgov
I
was lucky I was born so late and don’t have the bad memories. What I do have is a wonderful imagination. When my mother talked about her memories, I could see it in my mind. I only know what she told me. In 1943, [Adolf] Hitler’s Nazis forced Hungarian Jewish men into labor. Every man 16 to 60 worked for six or eight months and came home for three or four months, including my father. The men cleared roads in the forest for Hitler’s army tanks. Mother stayed on the farm. Hungary otherwise wasn’t touched by Hitler until March 1944. My father was a landowner. He raised Lipizzaner horses for the Austro-Hungarian Empire and made Bull’s Blood wine. The Germans started taking Jewish properties. Father lost most of the vineyards, and the Germans rode the show horses to death. There were 20 horses, and they killed every one of them. My father cried. My mother knew that was the end. She was a Montessori teacher with a degree from Vienna, fluent in German and Hungarian. She was connivingly smart and very lucky. In March, [Hermann] Goering announced that all Jews would be taken away. All the Hungarian Jews, 99%, went straight to Auschwitz. That’s how my great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins died. Mother went to Budapest, walking and hiding in hay wagons from town to town, and taking trains. I don’t know how long it took. She was pregnant with me and wearing a yellow star. Sometime around June 1, mother was on a train. A high-ranking SS officer sat next to her. She spoke German but got scared when the conductor came by, so she faked being in labor, for hours. At Budapest, the officer put her in a taxi to the hospital. When the train station was out of sight, she told the taxi driver to go to the house where her mother was staying. At the hospital, I was crowning, and they pushed me back in, and my mother had to walk down to the basement because of an air raid. After that, they did a C-section. They cut and took me. All the medications were at the war front. I was a six-pound baby. Nine months later, I weighed two and a half or three pounds. Mother spent a month in the hospital. She heard about [Raoul] Wallenberg [a Swedish diplomat and humanitarian who gave Swedish travel papers to Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary]. On the way to get the papers, she got forced into a line going to the train station. There was a ruckus, and she got out of line and hid under a bridge. Not one Jewish person gave her away. No one followed. I was a month old, and she told me not to cry. Mother said, “You looked at me with those big eyes and stayed quiet.” Any survivor I’ve met says luck has so much to do with it. It was after curfew. She goes to a convent, knocks on the door, and asks, “Can you hide us?” They said, “If you let us baptize her, and you raise her Catholic, we’ll let you in.” We stayed at the convent. It was difficult. We lived in the attic where the windows were broken. They kept a pot of water boiling; they’d put scraps they had in it, potato peels, whatever. They dipped a clean diaper in
During her final years in Hungary, Theresa Dulgov was required to be part of the Soviet youth movement. Theresa Dulgov, at her Tucson home, clutches the small handbag she took when she fled Hungary in 1956. Her mother, Eva, stuffed the doll with jewelry.
it for me to suck on. That’s all I had to eat. In March 1945, we were liberated. After the war, we had no idea who was alive. The Red Cross found my family all on the dead list. We had no idea where father was. He escaped the Russian Front. Father and mother both went back to the farm by the end of 1945 and reunited. At the farm, everything was destroyed. There were papers dating back to 1492. That’s how I know I’m Sephardic. The whole history of our family was burned. What wasn’t ruined, the neighbors stole. My sister Ella was born in 1946. The Russians jailed my father in 1948 for being a landowner. They told me he was in a sanatorium, but I knew he was in jail. We returned to Budapest where father’s mother was living in Buda. She had stayed alive in a ghetto. Father got out of jail in 1951. There was no work but in a steel factory, carrying steel on his back. In 1955, he got sick with pemphigus [a rare autoimmune disease that causes painful blistering on the skin and mucous membranes]. There was no school because of the revolution [the Hungarian revolution started in 1956]. I helped neighbor boys make Molotov cocktails in the basement. I remember the fighting and the kids blowing up a diplomatic car. The hospital was blown up by a tank. It was November and really cold. They took the survivors in an open jeep to Buda, near where we lived. My father got pneumonia and died. That November, we heard Radio Free Europe for the first time. Mother told me we were going to America. We had just lost our father. My grandmother just lost her only son and loved us more than life, but said, “Take them.” The next day we left. We rode the train a few stops at a time; I’m sure because we had no tickets. One night we stayed in a liceinfested place. Town by town we finally got close to the
border. We left with the clothes on our back and mother said we could each take one thing to bring. I brought a small red handbag. At a farmhouse, there were too many people, so they made two groups. We were in the first group of 15, and we got through. The guards were drunk, and we crossed into Austria. It was Dec. 6. The Russians caught the group of 16 behind us. I know they were shot. We were lucky. Mother registered us as Jews and Catholics. The Catholics said to women with children, “We’ll take you to Portugal.” It would get us closer to America. On New Year’s Eve, they took us by airplane. We were eight months in Portugal. Then we were sent back to Austria, where we were at the back of the line again. I didn’t know mother had been corresponding with relatives in America. They sent an affidavit to expedite us. On Dec. 16, 1958, we were put on buses to Munich and boarded military planes. I was 14. Our relatives had a one-bedroom apartment set up for us in the Bronx with indoor plumbing and a private bathroom. I finished high school, became a citizen, and worked for Metropolitan Life Insurance from 1962 to 1968. It was the best company. They really took care of their employees. I married in May 1968 and lived in Panama City, Florida, for a year and a half. I had a job as a teacher for math and bookkeeping and started night school. In 1970, we were stationed at Fort Huachuca and came to Tucson every week for shopping. In July 1970, we decided to live in Tucson. My first son was born in Tucson in May 1971. When I divorced, the Catholic Church said I couldn’t receive sacraments. So, when I married Jerry [Dulgov, an American-born Russian Jew] in 1975, he said why not have a Jewish marriage. Rabbi Joseph Weizenbaum agreed to marry us. We had a son, Paul. We were a small family of four. My mother moved here and lived nearby. We had Friday dinner at her house and Sunday dinner at my house. I am blessed to have a wonderful son and great daughter-in-law, six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. My mother returned to Hungary See Dulgov, page B-6 September 27, 2019, ARIZONA JEWISH POST
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MICHAEL BOKOR
I
had a strong Jewish life as a child. I was born in Budapest, Hungary, on March 10, 1929. My family was Orthodox, and I went to an Orthodox school until I was 13 years old. We diligently observed Shabbat and celebrated holidays. I was very small for my age, and there were bullies — Jewish kids — at the school I attended. The bullies took away my lunch, and sometimes I had to run away from them. Every class has a few bullies. There were restrictions on Jews long before I was born — well before 1943 when the Germans came. I was lucky because we lived in a big city. People living in small villages were persecuted more and taken to the camps earlier. Jews were allowed a certain level of education and were only able to work at certain jobs. My father was in the army, but in 1936, was forced into an all-Jewish labor brigade. Our only income was from my father’s work, and my mother took care of three children. After finishing school, I went to work, making handbags. I also worked at a flour mill, sweeping, and carrying large boxes and sacks of flour. Other workers laughed at me because I was small and had to struggle with the boxes and sacks. After the Germans occupied Hungary, Jews became enemy number one and
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Photo: Korene Charnofsky Cohen
Despite his family’s poverty in New York City in 1947, Michael Bokor declares it was beautiful to be in America. At least compared to life in Hungary during the Holocaust — forced labor, concentration camps, hiding, beatings, starvation, disease, and death. After living in the United States for 72 years, having everything he needs to survive, be healthy and happy is still of paramount importance. So is spreading the word about the dangers of racism and anti-Semitism — don’t be smug or deaf to your surroundings, he advises. We will always need to be aware and alert because the Holocaust can happen again.
Michael Bokor displays some of his sculptures. He is currently working on figures for a Holocaust memorial project.
were persecuted throughout the country. The Germans raided Jewish homes, taking people for the camps. From the end of 1943 through the beginning of 1944 we went into hiding, moving from one building to another. We were trying to save our lives. One day I and a friend made our way to a Swedish safe house because we knew Jews could get help there. I was 15 years old. My friend was 16. They told us they would help, but to go get the rest of our families. On the way back to our neighborhood, we were stopped by an SS patrol. We were out after curfew and not wearing the yellow star required for Jews. They arrested us and took us to the local German headquarters. After a German officer told us what we were not supposed to do, we were sent to the Hungarian Nazi headquarters. A man came and beat me — my mouth and nose were bleeding, and my teeth hurt. I was crying. I was afraid I would never get out. Then a tall, blond-
ARIZONA JEWISH POST, September 27, 2019
haired, freckled man came and spoke to me. He told me to go downstairs and tell the guards that my arrest was a mistake. That day, I was allowed to leave, feeling that some sort of guardian was watching out for me, and I returned home. Many years later, when living in Los Angeles, I met someone who said he knew that blond and freckled man, and that he was a Jew who had infiltrated the Nazis. But the friend who got arrested at the same time as I did — I never saw him again. About a week later, our building was raided. Anyone over 15 had to go. Over four to five weeks they took everyone — men, women, and children. I went into hiding with my friend Ernest. My mother, my 12- and 8-year-old sisters, my mother’s mother, and my father’s sisters were taken to a ghetto. Along with many others they stayed in a basement with a dirt floor, which was where they slept. My father was not confined in the ghetto because he was in the labor brigade.
I and Earnest knew the area outside the ghetto, and we hid in bombed-out buildings where we found food in abandoned apartments. After a month, we decided we had enough of hiding, so we entered the ghetto, and I joined my family. Eventually, my father and mother were taken to labor camps. People in the ghetto were dying from disease and starvation. There were bodies piled in the streets. People buried relatives in shallow graves in the park. Sometimes you could see a hand sticking out of the ground. I don’t know where food came from. There was a make-shift kitchen where Jews could cook. I was the one who went with a bucket to get food for our group. The kitchen was just up the street. There was no meat — just bread and soup, mostly tomato. To this day I won’t eat tomato soup. When anyone died, we went through their pockets, and sometimes found food. We lived in the ghetto for about six months, until the Russians came in January 1945. We had stars on, so they knew we were Jews. They did not hurt us, but they didn’t help us. One Russian soldier gave me cabbage to eat, but another soldier knocked it out of my hand. My mother and father survived the labor camps and returned to Budapest in May 1945. My grandparents died in concentration camps. My uncle and cousins from the villages died in Auschwitz. We spent two years in a displaced person camp run by the United Nations in Germany. About 100 people lived in a converted stable, in 10-foot by 10-foot sections, separated by wax paper. You could hear everything in that place. There was only one bathroom. My father was a driver for the camp. I worked in the camp office, where I learned English. I kept track of such things as people coming into and out of the camp, and how many people they needed to cook for. Most of See Bokor, page B-6
ERIKA DATTNER When World War II began, Erika Dattner was 2 years old in Budapest, Hungary. Her childhood was shaped and stolen by Hitler’s military campaigns and Nazi protocols. Her family was scattered and to stay safe, she had to hide. When the war ended in 1945, she had no home. From Hungary, to Austria, Germany, France, Israel, and eventually to the United States, she is happy to call Tucson her home.
Photo: Shayne Tarquinio/AJP
Photo courtesy Erika Dattner
I
was a hidden child. My mother also had to hide to survive. We lived in Budapest. It was a nice city, but not at the time that I was born there. I didn’t have a childhood, there was no time. Hungary was allied with Germany. They took the Hungarian-Jewish men to forced labor camps. My father was taken, I never saw him again. He was 37. There was no correspondence, it was “you go and dig the ditches and prepare the work for the army.” I lived with my mother, aunt, and grandfather. My mother was an excellent dressmaker. The rule came out that the Jewish people had to move out of their apartments. We moved into what came to be called the Jewish Star Homes. Jewish people had to wear the yellow star. I was about 8 years old. The Germans were bombing and to survive, we had to hide. My mother somehow found some documents. In those days, the documents didn’t have a picture. She found some that suited her age and she applied for a housekeeper’s job. She lived in a basement. I could not be with her. She found a home for children whose fathers were taken into forced labor. She put me there, we said goodbye, and that was it. Budapest was split into two parts: Buda and Pest. She was hidden in the Buda part and I was hidden in Pest. There was no communication, no transportation, no buses, no nothing. The water lines were severed, it was winter, there was very little food. If people found a dead horse on the street, they took and cut off part … well, that was the war. In the home, the conditions were so terrible — everybody had lice, some skin situation, and all kinds of bad things. It was just crazy times. This was between 1944 and the end of the war, the beginning of ’45. The Germans occupied Budapest, but they already knew they were losing the war and began retreating. When the news came that people could walk on the bridges between Buda and Pest, my mother was the first parent to pick up a child. Otherwise, I would have been in that orphanage forever. She came, but there was a curfew. By the time my mother walked from her place to my place, it was dark and there was no place to go. Bombing was coming from one side. Everybody was hiding in basements. My mother knocked at people’s homes. She said, “Please, let us in, I have a child.” No, no, no, they don’t take anybody, that’s it. So we kept knocking. Eventually somebody took us in; it was very kind of them. We went to see what happened to the apartment where we lived. Nobody imagined that anybody would survive and they gave the apartment to some non-Jewish people. We went over to where my aunt lived. Before the war, she supported my grandfather, but he was taken to the ghetto. He survived the ghetto but, from stomach illness, passed away. My aunt’s apartment was already taken by
Erika Dattner in her Israeli army uniform in 1956 Erika Dattner at her home in Tucson
some other people. We had no place to live. The Russian people took over the city. The communism started. There was a Zionist organization working to save the leftover Diaspora people. Jewish people all wanted to get to Palestine. During that time, in the late ’40s, Britain ruled Palestine and they did not allow people to come legally. The Zionist group took my mother in as the cook for a home for teens, but they wouldn’t take me. I was, again, left alone at a place for young children. One day, the Zionist organization took people on a train from Budapest to Vienna. The United Nations created these displaced persons camps because Jewish people didn’t have any place to go after the war. All kinds of nationalities. From Vienna, they took us into Bavaria, near Munich, in the American zone. We were there for two years. One day, we went to visit a friend’s newborn baby in another DP camp in Germany. We returned to our DP camp and it turned out that the whole camp was empty. While we were gone, everybody left for Palestine! We found another camp not too far from where we were, but it was only for children. I was 10 years old. I said to my mother, “Mother, we were split up during the war, I don’t want us to be separated.” So, we stayed together. We were sent to France to another Zionist group and finally, we were told we are going to make aliyah. We walked in one row along the waterfront at night, in the dark. Everybody had to be very quiet. There was a boat but it could not come to the shore so they sent little rubber boats to get us. It was a Turkish fishing boat, probably accommodating about 200 people. Nobody could eat because everybody was sick. It was November in the Mediterranean. It was up and down and took about 11 or 12 days to get from Marseilles to the shores of Palestine. Cyprus was where the British were keeping the people who came to Palestine illegally. When we were nearing that island, they asked everybody to get down to the hull, no talking, nothing. They covered the hull, put out the Turkish flag and the fishing gear. We arrived not too far from the northern part of Israel. We arrived at dawn, so the British didn’t catch us.
The Zionist group got everybody off the ship, quickly, quickly, don’t touch anything, don’t take anything, nothing. I had a little doll, but that was my only toy. We left everything. We were illegal people, immigrants. They prepared a table with food and after we ate, they put us into a kibbutz for maybe a week. My mother was lucky to get an apartment in a town called Rehovot, a city near Tel Aviv. Rehovot was very primitive; it was a poor country. Everything was rationed. My mother put me in school. She got acquainted with this guy. She married him and it was not a good thing. They divorced. In the meantime, I got to be 17. We didn’t have a place to live. I didn’t finish high school. My mother sent me to live with her brother in Paris. She figured, maybe by then, she could get a visa to America. But, the French did not extend my visitor’s visa and Israel wanted me back to go to the army. I had no choice; I had to go back to Israel. In the meantime, my mother got her visa to go to the United States. So again, I am alone. I had a good job in the army; I worked in the justice department for lawyers. The army gave you such little money. I didn’t have any civilian clothes. I hated my army uniform. I said never again would I wear khaki! I was married in Israel. Finally, I came to the U.S. I was almost 21. We arrived on the S.S. United States, from Europe to New York in three days. My aunt and my mother were waiting for me at the pier. I was an only child. I said to my husband, I don’t want my child to be alone. So, I have two daughters, four grandkids. We lived in the Bronx for a long time. We kept Jewish holidays, for the kids and all. We used to go back to Israel several times to show the children. My husband passed away in 1988. For the longest time I wanted to get out of New York. I remarried but we are not together anymore. He had Alzheimer’s; it was a sad situation. I was in contact with the Jewish Friendship group in Tucson, to find out if there was any kind of Jewish life in this community. I bought a house in ’98 and I moved to See Dattner, page B-6 September 27, 2019, ARIZONA JEWISH POST
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frequently and retrieved mementos and photos. She died in 2012. Jerry died in 2016. I went back to college and had to start over. My undergraduate was at Pima Community College, and then I got a teaching certificate in special education from the University of Arizona. I got a master’s in special education and a master’s in education administration from Northern Arizona University. I was a special education teacher in Sunnyside School District from 1980 to 2012. Now I do a lot of volunteering, for Reading Seed, at Kellond Elementary School, Crops of Luv for Make a Wish Foundation,
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the people were Hungarian or Polish. My mother, her mother, my two sisters, and I came to America in September 1947. My father came in November 1948. The United States only accepted a certain number of people from each country per year. Since my mother was born in what had been Slovakia, we came on Czechoslovakian visas. But my father had to wait longer because he was born in Hungary. I had an uncle and two aunts in New York who came to America before the war. They met us at the pier where our ship docked. They were so poor that I had to pay for coffee for them — coffee was 10 cents. I had money because each Jew on the ship was given 10 dollars as we got off the boat. We lived in downtown New York and struggled financially, but we survived. We did not have the kind of Jewish life we had when I was growing up in Hungary. Sometimes I went to synagogue so they could have a minyan. I married my first wife, Hortense, in 1950. After that, I served in the army for two years and was stationed in Maryland during the Korean War. I was trained to work in intelligence because I spoke Hungarian, English, and German. I am proud to say that I attained the rank of sergeant. I and my wife had a daughter and a son. I took classes to become an engineer
DATTNER continued from page B-5
Tucson in the beginning of ’99. This was like unbelievable luxury, to have my own
and with the Holocaust Survivors group. And I travel. In the past year, I visited Israel twice, London, Ireland, Poland, New York, and San Diego. My son took me on the March of the Living in May. For me to walk on the land where [my family] got off the train was very hard. An uncle died a couple of days before the liberation. The actual march, from Auschwitz to Bergen-Belsen was really hard. I’m glad my son volunteered to go with me. He had been to Auschwitz before, but I wasn’t ready to go then. I said I’d never go. My son finally convinced me. — As told to Debe Campbell, AJP assistant editor. More details of Theresa Dulgov’s story are published online at https://jfcstucson.org/theresa-dulgov. To read her mother’s story, go to https://jfcs tucson.org/eva-siebert.
and have worked in the aerospace industry. I was one of many engineers who worked on the Apollo spacecraft that went to the moon. I have lived in Israel, California, and New Mexico. In California, I had a furniture restoration business for 31 years. After retiring, I and my second wife, Sylvia, moved to Tucson in 1992. We are divorced now but remain friends. These days I do sculpting. I make small sculptures, but not for sale. Right now, I am working on a group of sculptures for a local Holocaust memorial project. The grouping will include a mother, father, child, and empty spaces for missing relatives. I consider myself Jewish in the sense that I was brought up in the faith and learned to pray, observe Shabbat and holidays, but I don’t consider myself to be religious. I attend Shabbat services at The Fountains at La Cholla where I live, for a sense of unity with other Jews. I am a member of the Holocaust survivors group in Tucson, and through them, I have spoken to many groups about the Holocaust — schools, clubs, and groups such as employees of the Superior Court. Some students ask odd questions such as how to kill people and what do people look like when they are dead. I tell students who do not take the topic seriously — don’t be so smart, it can happen to you. — As told to Korene Charnofsky Cohen, AJP contributing writer. Read more about Bokor at https://jfcstucson.org/ michael-bokor.
home. It was my very first house and I think it will be my last. So, that is my story. I had to do what I had to do. I’m still here, that’s what counts. — As told to Shayne Tarquinio, AJP intern.
HIGH HOLIDAYS Rosh Hashanah Jewish New Year
Sukkot Festival of Booths
Simchat Torah Rejoicing in the Torah
Festive celebration during which individuals contemplate past, present, and future actions. Traditional foods include round challah and apples with honey, symbolizing wholeness and sweetness for the new year. Commences the Ten Days of Awe, which culminate on Yom Kippur. 1-2 Tishrei
Commemorates the fulfillment of God’s promise to bring the Israelites to the Promised Land after 40 years of wandering. Many people build a sukkah (booth), a temporary structure with a roof made of branches. Also celebrated with the shaking of the lulav (assemblage of palm, willow and myrtle branches) and etrog (citron, a lemon-like fruit). 15-21 Tishrei
Celebrates the completion of the annual Torah-reading cycle. After finishing the last sentence of the book Devarim (Deuteronomy), the Torah is joyously paraded seven times around the synagogue. The new cycle begins immediately with a reading from Bereshit (Genesis). 23 Tishrei
Yom Kippur Day of Atonement Holiest day of the Jewish year. Through fasting and prayer, Jews reflect upon their relationships with other people and with God, atoning for wrongdoings and failures to take the right action. Ends at sunset with a blast of the shofar (ram’s horn). 10 Tishrei
Shemini Atzeret Eighth Day of Assembly Celebrated the day after Sukkot and thus sometimes considered an extension of that holiday. Marks the first time the teffilat geshem (prayer for rain) is recited during services, a practice that continues until Pesach. 22 Tishrei
L’Shana Tova Tikatevu Kevin, Tsipi, Yoel, Itai & Avin Goeta-Kreisler
We wish everyone in the Jewish community a very happy & healthy New Year Susan Claassen & Bella Eibensteiner
May this be a year of peace for all
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May this New Year be filled with health and happiness, and sweet moments for you and your family. Nothing else you will ever own, no worldly thing you will ever acquire will be worth so much as the love of your family. L’Shanah Tovah Tikateyvu
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May you be inscribed in the Book of Life for a happy and healthy year
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We wish everyone in the Jewish community a very happy & healthy New Year Margo & Ron Gray
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T H A wishes you and yours a happy, healthy, and sweet New Year!
שנה טובה • • •
T W’ L C A I wishes the entire community a sweet New Year filled with peace, health, and happiness. • • •
J F & C’ S S A
May the New Year bring peace, health, and healing to our community and the world. • • • Our best wishes to your family for a year of blessings. May the stories you read together delight, amaze, entertain, and transport you. In this new year, may we teach our children what we care about, dream of, and hope for.
C M’ H
May the new year bring health and happiness, and may we live up to our values of community, tzedakah, tikkun olam, and welcoming the stranger. • • • The staff and board of the
J﹒ J C C
wish you a healthy, happy, and peaceful year filled with wonderful connections within Jewish Tucson. • • •
J C F S A
T J E T C O ﹙JETCO﹚
• • •
• • •
From the Board, members, and Rabbi Sam Cohon of
“Thou shalt not exact interest from the needy amongst thee.” - (Exodus: 22-24) “And the result of Tzedakah is peace.” - (Isaiah: 32-17) May we always be blessed with the mitzvah of tzedakah to grant us a peaceful New Year.
wish you a healthy, sweet, and meaningful new year. L’Shana Tova Tikatevu from our family to yours.
C B S
May we all serve God with joy in the 5780 year! • • • The Clergy, Board Members, and Staff of
C O C
wishes the entire community health and happiness in the New Year! L’Shana Tova!
T F L J F
PJ L & PJ O W
wish you a New Year of health, happiness, and hope.
• • •
• • •
שנה טובה ומתוקה
The Men and Women of
L’Shana Tova Tikatevu New Year greetings from the
(a good and sweet New Year). • • •
W R J T J H M M’ C H T E-E H C • • • L’Shana Tova! Wishing you a year of health, happiness, and special memories. Directors and Staff of
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T C B N C
We wish the community a healthy, happy, peaceful New Year! L’Shana Tova
May you find the inspiration and courage to work toward justice in the coming year.
• • •
• • •
Dear community members, May this year be filled with health, peace, happiness, and Israel in heart. Your friends at the
L’Shana Tovah Tikatevu
לשנט הטובה טקטבו from
C K S
T W I C
C A I
The Board, Staff, and Congregation of
May the sound of the shofar usher in a year of peace, happiness, and health to our entire Tucson community.
T B’ B’ C H
wishes the entire Tucson community and all of Israel a New Year filled with peace, health, and happiness!
wish you a New Year filled with good health, happiness, peace and a spirit of community.
• • •
• • •
• • •
S H J C
May common sense and civility prevail as we all work toward a year of Harmony and Peace!!
B S T C O G V
T E-E
H S A
We wish you a New Year filled with happiness, good health, and peace.
wishes our community and all of Israel a New Year bright with hope and filled with peace, good health, and happiness!
• • •
• • •
• • •
F-P P T J W V O T USA
C B S
T U A H F
sincerely wishes a happy and healthy New Year to all our friends and peace to Israel. • • •
C C wishes you a healthy and prosperous New Year filled with friendship, warmth, inspiration, and spirituality. Rabbi Stephanie Aaron, Staff, and Congregants
wishes the entire community a sweet and peaceful 5780! • • •
T A C J S
staff, faculty, and students wish you and your family a happy, prosperous, and sweet New Year, Shana Tova!
שנה טובה ומתוקה
wishes the entire community a healthy and joyous New Year. May the coming year bring blessings of peace to the world. • • • On behalf of the Board and Staff at the
T
we wish you a Healthy and Sweet New Year
September 27, 2019, ARIZONA JEWISH POST
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ANNIQUE DVEIRIN
H
ania Beer was my birth name. I was born on Aug. 28, 1936, in Brzuchowice, Poland. My parents, Abram and Ruzia, owned a farm and a three-room house. We lived there with my sister Jackie, and my father’s brother and sister. My aunt was always sewing and Uncle Feivish was very tall. We had challah on Friday nights and I was given a small piece of dough to make my own little challah. Shortly before the Germans occupied Poland, people of the village began attacking the Jews. One night, when I was 4 years old, a pounding woke me, and people were yelling for us to open the door. We were afraid the villagers were coming to kill us. While my 2-month-old sister was kept quiet, my aunt and I escaped through a back window. First we stopped at a Russian Orthodox minister’s house. Then there was a knocking at that door, and we had to escape, again out a back window. We headed back toward our house, and we needed to cross a bridge. However, there were young men milling on the bridge. We crossed the river so they wouldn’t see us. In the distance we could see a large bonfire in front of our house. There were shadows of people throwing things into the fire. We kept away. By the time we returned, our home had been looted, and looked much larger in its emptiness. Children who were my friends started calling me “dirty Jew” and “stinking Jew.” They threw rocks, and my father would chase them away. One time the police came for my father. He was allowed to return home, but was swollen from a severe
Photo: Keith Dveirin
Never Again, Annique Dveirin. A signature. A statement. And all because she wants hate to cease to exist in this world. Even though she was only 4 years old when she was hidden with a Christian family in Poland, Dveirin was made painfully aware of the terrors of the Holocaust. She speaks with pride and a sense of the miraculous of being a survivor; and more than that, an achiever. These days this retired English and French teacher speaks to school children and adults about the Holocaust.
Annique Dveirin lights a candle with her granddaughter, Haley Dveirin, at the Tucson Jewish community Yom HaShoah commemoration in 2017.
beating. Our lives had changed forever. The adults became very tense, always whispering. They were afraid we would not survive. Late one night there was another knocking at the door. But this time it was not a threatening mob. It was Nikolai Kuzhmakh, who helped on the farm, offering to hide me at his mother’s house in another village — a one-dirt-road, onechurch village. I remember it was winter and it was very cold. We went through the woods and I was afraid a big, bad wolf would come after us. Nikolai’s family also were farmers. His mother and two brothers lived there. Nikolai’s mother, Mariya, was in charge of me — a blue-eyed, blond, Jewish child. They passed me off Mariya’s daughter’s illegitimate child of a German soldier. I was taken to a church, baptized, and given a new identity as Hanka Kuzhmakh. I had no formal education, but Mariya taught me to say Christian prayers. I lived with them for four years. I had chores to do. I learned to wash clothing in the river, cut wheat, take the cattle to pasture, and ride a horse. One time a horse kicked me in the back and I was in bed for a week. Mariya’s sons resented my presence. One son, Fedko, often hit me, and threatened to turn me in to the
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Germans, but Mariya stopped him, saying that the Germans would punish them for taking me in. I think Mariya was saving me so that God would forgive her husband and son for being killers. Mariya’s husband and oldest son, Mechanko, worked for the Germans, and I believe it was a death camp because Mariya would make me kneel and pray for their souls. My aunt was hiding inside a wall in Mariya’s barn, and one night Mechanko and his friends dragged my aunt from the barn. She was screaming as they murdered her. For a long time I heard those screams in nightmares. I knew the exact moment of the murder — the sounds of that night will always be with me. Eight months after the war ended, I no longer had to pose as Hanka Kuzhmakh, and was reunited with my father and sister, who also had been hidden with non-Jews, including a convent, where the nuns had baptized her. It also was the first time I learned that my father, mother and other relatives were among a group of people who had hidden in an underground bunker in the woods. My father and two cousins went in search of another place the group could hide, but when they returned, they found the horror of more than 60 people murdered and mutilated.
My mother was among those murdered. My father never fully recovered after the war, and would never talk about my mother and other family members who were murdered. I have never wanted to return to where I grew up. My father was back in my life, but he couldn’t immediately care for us. My sister had a lung condition and was sent for treatment, but I was placed in an orphanage. Many children at the orphanage had been tattooed with numbers, and one day when I was playing tag with another child and we were laughing, the tattooed children were startled — they had never heard anyone laugh since the war. Eventually we made our way to France, where my sister and I spent time in three different orphanages. This time we received schooling, including learning French, English, and Hebrew. These orphanages were run by Jews who taught the children Hebrew intending for them to go to Israel. But my sister and father and I emigrated to America. I was 14 when I arrived in New York in May of 1951. Food was one of the first things I found amazing about America — it was 100 percent better than anything I had eaten before, particularly white bread with peanut butter and jelly. I go by Annique, but legally I became a United States citizen as Ann. We only stayed in New York for three days and then went to Denver, where I and Jackie were placed in the National Jewish Home for Asthmatic Children, even though we did not have asthma. My father obtained work in a furniture factory, and eventually bought a house where we could live with him. I began my college education while in Colorado. I was always determined to get a good education because I saw that people who had a good education did better in life. I got scholarships, always worked very hard in school, and also had jobs while going to college. Shortly after I got married, my husband graduated from medical school and we moved to San Francisco for his internship. We were married more than nine See Dveirin, page B-14
Best wishes for a Happy New Year
Tucson’s #1 Realtor for 12 Years
WALTER FEIGER
Photo courtesy Walter Feiger
Walter Feiger
Reunification. First, they summoned the Jewish elders, the lawyers, doctors, rabbis. They said, “We need you to give us a list of the habitants. Names, ages.” Then they created a Jewish police who would be in charge of the ghetto. The ghetto was Chrzanów that I was in, about 18 kilometers from Auschwitz. It wasn’t a walled ghetto, but there were so many blocks dedicated in the lower class of the city. You couldn’t leave unless you had permission from the German police. I was a Boy Scout, and it was my duty at night to see that all the windows were covered, that you couldn’t see any light. They gave me a flashlight with a gas mask, and I thought I was an adult at 12. When they’re going to bomb the city, if they couldn’t see the light then they would miss the city. They didn’t miss anything. The Poles had a cavalry on horses, and the Germans advanced with tanks. They called it the blitzkrieg. At 17, my brother was sent to Germany to work. I was 13 or 14. It was an order that each family must give a male, to “volunteer,” they called it. One day a group of us was forced to go to forced labor camp. I was not quite 15.
“THE PLACE TO LOOK FOR CUSTOM BUILT HOME FURNISHINGS”
This photo collage shows Walter Feiger, bottom left; his father, top; and brother, bottom right. Only Walter survived the Holocaust.
My mother was able, because she knew the police, to hand me a small suitcase with personal belongings and German money. We were first sent to a transition camp. There, I said, “I have German money. I’d be happy to give it to you if you send me to Sakrau where my brother is.” Three weeks later, I was sent to Sakrau. My brother was amazed. For me, it was a salvation. He was already over a year there. He knew the ropes; he knew what to do, what not to do to avoid beatings. For the next three and a half years we supported each other. Till the death march. He died in my hands, six weeks before the liberation. My mother went to Auschwitz. She was 38 years old. I was in different camps, nonetheless as brutal as Auschwitz. Every camp commander had a manual. Basically, what that manual said was three things: torture, starvation, humiliation. That’s how they killed you. If they didn’t kill you by torture, they killed you by starvation because when starvation came, disease. There were no treatments. You would get in the morning, a halfpound of bread and a cup of imitation cof-
fee. When you came back from work, you got a bowl of cabbage soup, potato peels. Obviously on that kind of nourishment you couldn’t sustain yourself too long. I used to pretend that I was invisible. If I was invisible, I wouldn’t get any beating. But one time, I was caught with bread in my pants. I got 50 lashes with an iron rod covered in leather. We used to have assembly in front of the barracks. When we came back from work, there were two bodies hanging upside down. Bloody. They got me out of the line, and I had to kiss their faces. I never forget that. But I couldn’t recognize their faces. They were so bloody, massacred. When I got liberated by the Russians, I was barely able to walk. A German family took me in until I got back on my feet. I went to Poland. Nobody [I knew] survived. I heard the Poles were still killing the Jews that were coming back, so I went back to Germany. I felt safer in Germany. I was just lucky I survived. I had a lot of guilt. Why me? Why did my brother die, and I survived? Well, I no longer have that guilt because I know that I have a mission. I joined a Zionist group that got me to See Feiger, page B-14
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A DERMATO IN
GY LO
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CATA L
I
was born in Krakow, Poland, but my parents moved when I was an infant to a city called Katowice, which was part of Germany before World War I. It was multilingual, we spoke German and Polish in that city. It was beautiful. As a schoolboy, I would do gymnastics and go swimming. I belonged to a hockey team. We had a beautiful park with all kinds of animals. I used to be the group leader and took kids from school, and we played Indians and Cowboys instead of going to school. There were two different schools. One for the gentiles, one for the Jews. On breaks, we used to fight all the time. Not because of anti-Semitism but because kids fight, you know. My father had a small factory producing cleaning products. My father would never give me allowance. He would say, go to the factory, ask the manager to give you samples and go sell them. So that money I used to see cowboy movies. My childhood was wonderful, until Sept. 1, 1939, when Germany invaded Poland. Sept. 8 I was going to be 12 years old and my father promised me a nice birthday. Instead he called me, he said, “I’m so sorry, I just got drafted.” And I never heard from him again. My mother was German. I spoke fluent German. I wasn’t afraid of the Germans; I just thought, well they took over, I speak German, I’ll be okay. But, the first order they gave was for the Jews to leave Katowice. They called it the Greater German
Photo: Shayne Tarquinio/AJP
As a boy in Poland, Walter Feiger cherished a book about Buffalo Bill; when he first visited Tucson in 1970, he said, “That’s buffalo country!” Feiger, who survived a ghetto and several concentration camps, has been telling his story to local school and law enforcement groups since the 1980s. He has outlived two wives and a daughter; his two sons and two stepdaughters live in Tucson. Now on dialysis, the 91-yearold continues to give talks when he can.
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DVEIRIN continued from page B-12
years before divorcing. I had to continue my education while working to support my three children. I was devastated when my son Kevin was diagnosed with leukemia. I existed in fog — going to class, walking the wrong way, not knowing what to do. Kevin died at age 13, but I was determined to succeed and finished my master’s degree. I taught high school English and French for 24 years, and after retirement moved to Tucson. I am very proud of my sons, Keith who is a pediatrician in Tucson, and Brant who is a lawyer in Los Angeles, and their families.
FEIGER continued from page B-13
France and eventually to Palestine. But I almost drowned in Marseille. I was a good swimmer, but where I grew up there were only lakes. I was fighting the ocean currents, and I thought “I’m going to die.” I had no strength anymore, and so that’s when I talked to God. I said, “This is the joke you play on me? You let me survive all those years in the concentration camp to drown me in the big ocean?” I turned around — there was a fisherman. I call it divine intervention. God had a job for me. And my job was to talk about the Holocaust. To spread the word of the cruelty of the Nazi people and to be vigilant. Because if you’re not vigilant, it might happen again. That is my mission. I’m a lucky fella. I was in the war [of independence] in Israel and a police sergeant in Haifa after the military, in 1949. The typical police officers, they give out tickets. I was drafted from the army to create an anti-terrorist squad. I got married in France in 1956. I lived in Paris, next to the Moulin Rouge. I used to go dance there every Saturday. I loved it in France. I mean, they’re very antiSemitic, but if you know French, then you could mix with them. And I spoke French, I still do. President Eisenhower had a special quota for Polish political refugees, and I was able to get a birth certificate from Krakow that made me eligible. Courtesy of the U.S., from Brussels, my young wife and I flew to LaGuardia [Airport, in New York]. That was Columbus Day 1956. They had a parade. I told my young wife, “You see, this is the parade for us!” And she bought it. Came out, Passover 1970, on a visit to Tucson. Fell in love with Tucson.
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My sister lives in Las Vegas. She started out in ballet, but became a coordinator for shows that travel to other countries. Today Judaism is part of my life. I go with Keith to Or Chadash to celebrate the High Holidays and observe yahrzeits. I joined the Holocaust Survivor’s group sponsored by Jewish Family & Children’s Services, and through this organization I give talks about the Holocaust to school children and adults. People usually have a positive response to my talks. I had only one student who proclaimed that the Holocaust never happened. I’m against all hate. I don’t want a world where one group is against another group. I have experienced enough of this and I don’t want any more. — As told to Korene Charnofsky Cohen, AJP contributing writer.
I finished school in New York, sold my house, and came back. First, I bought a small apartment complex but didn’t enjoy being a landlord, so I sold it. Lost money. I bought a liquor store that I had for over 20 years on the corner of Wilmot and Speedway, Monterey Discount Liquor. After I retired, I was president for two years of the Holocaust survivors’ group. There were 80 of us here in Tucson. We were mostly a social club in those days. We started [talking] to schools in the ’80s. Mostly Sunnyside because the Chicanos were interested in us. The Jews were not so interested. They wanted to protect their children from tragedies that we were talking about. But Chicanos could identify with our problems, so we were well received by them. Being that I was with the military, I traveled throughout the United States to give talks. Locally, I’ve been called to talk to the police, the sheriff’s department, and at Davis Monthan airbase. I tell them to be more civil than the Germans. To have respect for people. When I talk to the children, I tell them that they’re our future democracy, that they should be vigilant, respectful, they shouldn’t bully. You know, my time here is short now. All I can do is convey what I experienced. I had a lot of tragedies in my life. But I have a zest for life. I am what you call in French, “a bon vivant,” somebody that enjoys life. I tell my kids to associate themselves with people that are positive. Stay away from negative people, they drag you down. Positive people will uplift you. I am very grateful I am not afraid of death. It’s a normal part of life. When my time comes, I’ll go. When God will ask me to come, I’ll come. — As told to Shayne Tarquinio, AJP intern. Read more about Walter Feiger at https://jfcstucson.org/walter-feiger.
WILLY HALPERT Willy Halpert remembers the last day he saw his father with crystal clarity: the sunshine, the chatter of an Antwerp café, music playing, then silence as Nazi SS and Belgian Brownshirts closed off the street. But for decades after the war, he shut away memories of what came after, until finally, prompted by his wife and sons, he began to research his past.
Photos courtesy Willy Halpert
I
was born Akiba Halpert in France, in a place called Metz. My parents after a few years moved to Belgium, because my father and his brothers were in imports and they had to have someone in Antwerp at the port, and that’s where the war caught us. In August 1942 I was with my father in the street, one of these boulevard cafes in Antwerp, a nice sunny day, a lot of chatter, music coming and all kind of things. My father was talking to another person, and all of a sudden there was dead silence and people rushing in all directions. The German SS and the Brownshirts that were the Belgian collaborators were approaching from two directions and had closed off the street. When they were within earshot my father pushed me to the other man and said in a loud voice, “Go to your father, I have to go.” Only later in my research and my reconstruction of everything, did I learn the other person was part of the underground that my father belonged to, and his brothers. He came to tell my father that he’d been betrayed, and it was too late. So my father pushed me to the other man and he said, “Don’t turn around, everything will be OK.” Then my memory got completely confused. The next thing I remember, I was sitting in the back of a truck, at night, driving through a forest, being bounced up and down on the wooden bench. To me it seemed like we were there for hours. We stopped on a bridge which had four dragons on the corners and that scared me a lot because I was an avid reader and I had read “The Count of Monte Cristo” and I thought, “My God, what’s this?” Then they took me out, through creaking huge gates, and I came in front of a castle, which made my story even worse, my imagination. In backlit yellowish light a huge door opened and there stood a monk, and the monk said to me, “Don’t be afraid, everything will be all right,” and he took over from the person who brought me. I was 9 years old. It turned out to be the castle of a Belgian prince who, before the war, would have poor children coming on summer vacation, and during the war he had it running year round for orphans, mostly from the army. I was taken to a dormitory with curtains between the beds like you have in the hospital. There were cupboards and I was given some kind of pajamas and they said, these are your clothes in there, and I was put to bed. Of course I wasn’t sleeping; I was crying and having nightmares. In the morning I was taken to the Father Superior’s office, and he said your name is Willy van Hamme and you don’t remember anything else, if anybody asks. You were in a bombardment and you became an orphan, that’s how you came here. I spent almost a year in that place. I had to go to the chapel two or three times a day. I became a choir boy — I was a soprano. About a year later we were all packed up at night, because a mother had found out where her child was and came to visit. That endangered the whole organization and the underground and the prince. We were transferred — I didn’t know there were so many of us, but there were about a dozen — and put into a
Willy Halpert speaks at the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona Northwest office, Dec. 27, 2015.
Catholic boarding school. Only after the war when I did my research, I found it was a school for princes and very rich people. So in one way I was lucky, I had a good education. I was there till the end of the war. Later I would learn that in 1975, Yad Vashem honored Prince Eugène de Ligne of the Château de Beloeil — my castle — and his wife as Righteous Among the Nations. In 2014, I went back to Belgium and visited the château. When we were liberated, I had nobody. I didn’t know where my sisters were, my parents. I was taken to France, because I was French, and I was in a kind of villa where they kept the children … all of a sudden my three sisters appeared, and I thought I only had two because one was born after I was gone. Two sisters were hidden in Switzerland and one in a convent in Belgium. Then the Red Cross found an uncle in Melbourne, Australia, and we were shipped off there. And that’s where I grew up. I became an engineer and worked for RCA for a few years. In Australia I became also a scuba diver. Then I decided I have to do something for my people and went to Israel. I started off in the kibbutz, and because I speak five languages (French, German, Dutch, Hebrew, and English) I was always in charge of the foreign students that came to volunteer. For about three months’ work they would get three weeks of touring around the country. I took them around and when we got to Eilat I taught them how to snorkel. I left the kibbutz because I didn’t find enough outlet for my energies. When I left the kibbutz, I was 27 or 28, I went to Eilat, which is off the Red Sea. I started a diving business with a tent on the beach, four tanks, a compressor and a toolbox, which eventually in the late ’70s became a huge building for diving and two branches after the Six-Day War in Egypt. In Israel, I did my stint in the Navy, in special operations, and unfortunately, that’s something I cannot enlarge upon. In 1997, I sold everything and moved with my Canadian wife, Marilyn, whom I met in Israel, to Canada for our children. She is a musician and was with the Is-
Willy Halpert stands on the moat bridge of the Château de Beloeil in Belgium in 2014. “The monster dragons that I had remembered so vividly confirmed that this was truly the place I’d been hidden,” he says.
rael Philharmonic for over 20 years. We didn’t have any real family in Israel and she had a huge family in Canada, three siblings, cousins and uncles, grandmother, grandfather. In Canada, I couldn’t find something in my field that appealed to me, and did odd jobs. When our boys grew up, we sold our house, bought a condo in Toronto and the house in Arizona, which was 11, 12 years ago. There I took up oil painting. That’s what I do mainly now. A few people asked me to do their portraits, but I prefer to do my own thing. Despite everything, I’m still an optimist. If you ask me if I hate anyone, I can’t think of anyone I hate. I’ve been to Germany and I’ve got very good friends there. Although I don’t have any [extended] family, I’ve got very close friends just about everywhere I’ve lived. My sisters are all passed away, one by accident, one by sickness, and the other one during childbirth. Their children are all over the place, Los Angeles, Europe. I have two boys, Lorin and Daniel — they’re not boys anymore; I’m 86. One is 25, one is 35. They know everything. After the war, I had shut my mind to the past, because I had horrible nightmares until the age of 16. When you’re a survivor, you feel guilty, why did I survive? After I shut it off, I could study properly and I succeeded in what I did. When the boys started to grow up, they kept asking questions, and with the prompting of my better half, I started doing research. Now I lecture all over the world about my hidden child story. I told it about four times in the Tucson area. I speak in schools in Sweden, Toronto, wherever the occasion arises. I find it my duty to share my story, despite every time I do it, I relive it. — As told to Phyllis Braun, AJP executive editor. A recording of Willy Halpert telling his story in SaddleBrooke in 2015, with additional detail about his research, is part of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum archive, https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn180725. September 27, 2019, ARIZONA JEWISH POST
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ARIZONA JEWISH POST, September 27, 2019