The Dayton Jewish Observer, December 2019

Lemon Ricotta this Chanukah p. 27 David Moss designs GraceFritters After Meals in comic book form p. 22

THE DAYTON Published by the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton

December 2019 Kislev/Tevet 5780 Vol. 24, No. 4

OBSERVER

The Miami Valley’s Jewish Monthly • Online at daytonjewishobserver.org

Happy

Chanukah

UD revisits Miriam Rosenthal

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White House adviser Stephen Miller

100 years ago: historic Zionist concert here

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National Conference for Community and Justice Friendship Dinner Committee Member Mike Houser presents Temple Beth Or’s Rabbi Judy Chessin with a Mentorship Award at NCCJ’s 42nd Annual Friendship Dinner, Oct. 28 at Sinclair’s Ponitz Center.

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Approximately 70 people attended Miami Valley Jewish Genealogy & History's inaugural event, the Nuts & Bolts of Jewish Genealogy, a brunch Oct. 27 at Beth Abraham Synagogue with Ken Bravo, president of the International Association of Jewish Genealogy Societies. The program, in memory of Marcia Jaffe, was co-sponsored by Beth Abraham's Sunday Brunch Series and Temple Israel's Ryterband Brunch Series. JG&H is a project of the Jewish Federation.

Learn to bake babka with Chabad, Dec. 7 Rochel Simon will teach adults the art of baking babka from scratch at the Big Babka Bake, 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 7 at Chabad of Greater Dayton, 2001 Far

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IN THIS ISSUE A Bisel Kisel.....................................24

Mr. Mazel..........................................22

Arts............................................ 32

O p i n i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 5

Calendar of Events.......................23

Obituaries............................. 35

Family Education............................26

Re l i g i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2019

DAYTON

UD revisits Miriam Rosenthal’s contributions, for a new generation

Linda Weprin

By Marshall Weiss The Observer Since the beginning of fall semester, students heading to class at Miriam Hall are met with an exhibit the size of a wall in the newly designed atrium of the building that’s home to UD’s School of Business Administration.

The exhibit is a tribute to Miriam Rosenthal, whose name is on the building — albeit just her first name. Rosenthal was not a major philanthropist; it was she who brought high-level donors to the table.

An impresario, publicist, and master fund raiser, Rosenthal managed the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra from 1935 until her death in 1965.

She was the United Jewish Council’s first executive secretary when it was established in 1934 — now known as the Jewish Federation Annual Campaign — and raised significant funds for Memorial Hall, Wright State University, Beth Abraham Synagogue, the U.S. Air Force Museum, as well as Kettering, Good Samaritan, St. Elizabeth’s, and Miami Valley hospitals. And the University of Dayton.

“She was a really important person to the University of Dayton,” said Dr. John Mittelstaedt, dean of UD’s School of Business Administration. “She was probably, in hindsight, our single best fundraiser for decades.”

Mittelstaedt, who arrived at UD in 2017 from the University of Wyoming, said the redesign

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Dr. John Mittelstaedt, dean of the University of Dayton School of Business Administration with the new display about Miriam Rosenthal in the school’s home, Miriam Hall, named for Rosenthal in 1966

came about last spring, when UD’s marketing department wanted to invest resources in sprucing up the business school.

“University marketing wanted to reinforce the messages that we were trying to send to students,” he said. “And we did some focus groups with faculty and staff and asked them, what did they think was important.

Out of these focus groups, rais-

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ing Miriam Rosenthal’s profile came about.”

UD dedicated Miriam Hall in Rosenthal’s memory in 1966, a year after her death.

The Observer confirmed with individuals who were close with Rosenthal that university leadership at the time demurred at the notion of putting a Jewish last name on one of the Catholic institution’s buildings.

Continued on next page

From the editor’s desk When I think of Chanukah this year — the celebration of religious freedom, of rededication, of bringing light into the darkness — I hear the words of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel: “Our goal should be to live life in radical amazeMarshall ment...get up in the morning and look Weiss at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually. To be spiritual is to be amazed.” We in Dayton have been through an awful year. We’ve also been through an awe-full year, of individuals and groups helping each other navigate the darkest of times. We need to remember that. And we need to enjoy to the fullest our sweet and joyful times, as best we can. When we light our menorah, I’ll sing every Chanukah song I know, one after the other, while our kids roll their eyes and laugh as is their tradition. I’ll douse my latkes with ketchup, the best! We’ll dress our dogs in their first Chanukah sweaters and see what they think. I hope yours is a radically amazing Chanukah, too.

SHALOM From all our staff and residents

May the light of Chanukah bring miracles to us all.

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THE DAYTON

OBSERVER Editor and Publisher Marshall Weiss MWeiss@jfgd.net 937-610-1555 Contributors Scott Halasz Masha Kisel Advertising Sales Executive Patty Caruso, plhc69@gmail.com Proofreader Rachel Haug Gilbert

Miriam Rosenthal, 1900-1965

Miriam Rosenthal

Continued from previous page Archbishop Karl J. Alter of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cincinnati presided over the dedication ceremony, blessing the building and its various rooms, according to The Dayton Daily News. The plaque dedicated at the time states that Miriam Hall was dedicated to Miriam Rosenthal “as a lasting memorial of her friendship, her inspiration, her counsel, and her generous assistance in the development of the University of Dayton. Her leadership and devotion to the cause of the university for more than ten years made possible the complex of four buildings in this area of the campus.”

Until the atrium’s redesign, the plaque was displayed in an entryway; now it’s surrounded by the new Rosenthal exhibit.

“Students walked by that plaque a thousand times in their career and never noticed it,” Mittelstaedt said. “It was important to me that we raise her profile. If I had a preference, we would call it Miriam Rosenthal Hall.”

The building’s name notwithstanding, UD has had a record of positive relations with Dayton’s Jewish community going back at least to the 1930s. In a 2010 interview with The Observer months before he died, Milton A. Marks, then 92, noted that “a lot of us went to the University of Dayton...at that time...(it) had a good Jewish population. The Society of Mary was not antisemitic in any way.”

In the years following the 1965 Second Vatican Council, which redefined the Catholic Church’s approach to Jews and Judaism, Dayton’s Jews and Catholics came together to establish the Dayton Christian Jewish Dialogue in 1970, and then to host the first National Workshop on Catholic-Jewish Relations, at Dayton’s Bergamo Center in 1973.

Just around the corner from the Rosenthal exhibit is UD’s Davis Center for Portfolio Management, where finance students learn to build and manage equity portfolios using university funds.

Since last year, they’ve also been managing $1.7 million from seven family funds with The Dayton Foundation.

“They are now working for seven families who are investing for philanthropic reasons,” Mittelstaedt said. “The students, through this experience, are going to learn why people are philanthropists, why they give their resources to others. And that is truly the spirit of Miriam Rosenthal.”

Billing Sheila Myers, SMyers@jfgd.net 937-610-1555 Observer Advisor Martin Gottlieb Published by the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton Bruce Feldman President David Pierce Immediate Past Pres.

Dr. Heath Gilbert Pres. Elect/Treas.

Beverly Louis Secretary Dan Sweeny VP, Resource Dev. Mary Rita Weissman VP, Personnel/ Foundation Chair Cathy Gardner CEO The Dayton Jewish Observer, Vol. 24, No. 4. The Dayton Jewish Observer is published monthly by the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton, a nonprofit corporation, 525 Versailles Dr., Dayton, OH 45459.

Views expressed by columnists, in readers’ letters, and in opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the opinion of staff or layleaders of The Dayton Jewish Observer or the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton. Acceptance of advertising neither endorses advertisers nor guarantees kashrut.

The Dayton Jewish Observer Mission Statement To support, strengthen and champion the Dayton Jewish community by providing a forum and resource for Jewish community interests.

Goals • To encourage affiliation, involvement and communication.

• To provide announcements, news, opinions and analysis of local, national and international activities and issues affecting Jews and the Jewish community.

• To build community across institutional, organizational and denominational lines.

• To advance causes important to the strength of our Jewish community including support of Federation agencies, its annual campaign, synagogue affiliation, Jewish education and participation in Jewish and general community affairs.

• To provide an historic record of Dayton Jewish life.

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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2019

THE REGION

Reform rabbinical school inaugurates non-rabbi as president for first time

We Wish The Dayton Jewish Community A Very Happy Chanukah.

47

HUC

Andrew Rehfeld

By Josefin Dolsten, JTA Andrew Rehfeld has been inaugurated as the new president of the Reform movement’s rabbinical school — the first non-rabbi to take the post.

Rehfeld, an academic, is the 10th president of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. The school has campuses in New York, Jerusalem, Cincinnati and Los Angeles. The inauguration took place Oct. 27 at the Plum Street Temple in Cincinnati.

He succeeds Rabbi Aaron Panken, who died in a plane crash last year at the age of 53.

With more than 1 million members, the Reform movement is the largest Jewish denomination in North America.

Rehfeld, 53, is a former political science professor at Washington University in St. Louis who led the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. His academic work focuses on contemporary democratic theory and political theory, including as it relates to Jewish studies.

Speaking with the JTA after HUC announced his appointment last year, he said that one challenge facing the Reform movement is finding ways to differentiate itself from other liberal Jewish streams.

In 1972, the Reform movement began ordaining female rabbis, but as egalitarianism has become the norm outside the Orthodox world, its work on women’s ritual inclusion is no longer a way to stand out, Rehfeld said.

“We have to remain the leader,” he said, “but it’s no longer enough to distinguish us as a movement.”

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IN EVERY SEASON

One hundred years ago: an historic Zionist concert at Memorial Hall Zimro’s Eastern European journey as newsworthy as its U.S. concerts

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The ensemble Zimro’s journey from Eastern Europe to the United States was as newsworthy as its concerts here, including one at Dayton’s Memorial Hall, Dec. 23, 1919, sponsored by the Dayton Zionist District

By Marshall Weiss The Observer “An event of unusual interest is the concert tomorrow evening at Memorial Hall to be given by the Famous Palestine Chamber Music Ensemble known as “Zimro,” which is touring this country in the interest of an art and music temple in Palestine, under the auspices of the Zionist movement,” proclaims an article in the Dec. 22, 1919 Dayton Daily News.

This temple of art and music, the newspaper explained, would be a school for talented

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young men and women.

The Dayton Herald reported the six members of the ensemble arrived in Dayton Dec. 22 from Chicago and were on their way to the Hotel Gibbons before they were to perform Jewish folk music and Russian peasant songs the next evening.

A good night’s sleep for these Jewish musicians from Russia was more than warranted. Their journey to America for the tour turned out as newsworthy as their concerts here.

The musicians of Zimro — Hebrew for music of praise

— were clarinetist S. Bellison, medal winner of the Moscow Conservatory, first violinist J. Mistechkin, violist K. Moldavan, second violinist G. Besrodny, cellist J. Cherniawsky, and pianist L. Berdichevsky — all graduates of the Petrograd Conservatory.

When they toured Russia in 1918 on their way to America, they experienced what the Dayton Daily News described as “the extremes of fortune.”

“They are one of the few artistic organizations who can boast of having actually toured the country at that time, when living conditions were impossible and transportation was even worse,” the newspaper reported Dec. 17, 1919.

Their journey played out like one of Sholem Aleichem’s tales.

Mistechkin said Zimro’s accommodations across Russia were for the most part in freight cars, and they were fortunate if there was room for them to sit on a freight car floor.

“Ventilation, there was none and not infrequently there was a generous sprinkling of livestock,” he added. “The trains crawled along the countryside like slow oxen, sometimes taking five times as long as they should have to reach the destination.”

Things were looking up when

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2019

DAYTON they arrived in Perm, Russia on the day of a labor celebration.

Zimro offered to perform for no charge, and “in return, the local soviet granted them a private coach for three weeks and they traveled ‘deluxe.’”

Then, once again, their luck changed for the worse.

As reported by George Robinson earlier this year in The New York Jewish Week, after Zimro journeyed eastward to Russia’s Pacific communities, “passing through war zones,” they were stranded in Shanghai for six months, waiting for visas to the United States.

Aron Zelkowicz, founder and director of the Pittsburgh Jewish Music Festival, told The Jewish Week’s Robinson that Zimro was the first proponent of the Russian school of composers “who incorporated East European Jewish folk material into an art music setting.”

Zimro’s tour marked the first time audiences in America heard Jewish melodies in a classical chamber format.

Zelkowicz, himself a cellist, brought musicians with the Pittsburgh Jewish Music Festival to New York for a loose recreation of Zimro’s sold-out 1919 concert there; the Pittsburgh musicians performed the centennial tribute this Nov. 4 at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall.

Zimro’s musicians, staunch Zionists who toured under the auspices of the Central Zionist Organization of Russia, also performed in 1919 at the American Zionist Federation’s convention in Chicago.

In Dayton, Zimro’s program opened with the Star-Spangled Banner and closed with Hatikvah, the Jewish national anthem.

In between, the audience heard Jewish music arranged for the chamber ensemble by its musicians, including freilachs, wedding music, and even Kol Nidre.

Clarinetist Bellison would become a naturalized citizen after he settled in the U.S. in 1921.

He would later become first clarinetist with the New York Philharmonic.

Zionism in Dayton

Zimro’s concert in Dayton was sponsored by the Dayton Zionist District, which was established in 1909.

That same year, Dayton’s Ohave Zion (Love of Zion) society, then two years old, reorganized to become an Orthodox synagogue, which sought to have its members — and all Zionists in Dayton — purchase land in Palestine toward Jewish

estine on Nov. 7, 1917, and the liberation of Jerusalem by the British on Dec. 9, 1917, Dayton’s Zionists exuberantly joined Zionists around the world to do what they could to bring about a Jewish state.

By November 1918, the Dayton Zionist District had about 500 members. Dayton’s total estimated Jewish population at the time was 4,000. This support for Zionism came at the same time as Jews in Dayton canvassed to provide aid for the Jews of Europe, who languished in persecution during and after the First World War. On June 16, 1919, Dayton Mayor J.M. Switzer chaired a “strictly non-sectarian” mass An ad promoting Zimro’s concert, Dayton Daily News, Dec. 21, 1919 meeting at Memorial Hall “for the purpose of voicing the protest of Dayton against the mascolonization.

In the 1919-20 American Jewish sacre of Jews in foreign lands,” the Dayton Daily News reported.

Yearbook, Ohave Zion’s address On April 5, 1919, the Polis listed as 20 Quitman St., with 62 memberships and 125 pupils. ish Army executed 35 Jewish residents of Pinsk. Earlier that Ohave Zion even purchased a year, in February, Cossacks small portion of Beth Jacob’s launched a three-day pogrom cemetery for its members. in the Ukrainian city of ProskuOhave Zion seems to have rov; 1,500 Jewish residents were faded away in the early 1920s; murdered. some of its leaders established Four days after Zimro’s conthe Conservative Dayton View Synagogue Center in 1923. Day- cert here, Dayton’s Jews filled ton’s two Orthodox synagogues, Memorial Hall to raise $75,000 for the Jewish Relief Campaign.

Beth Abraham and Beth Jacob, Temple Israel’s Rabbi David visibly supported Zionism.

Lefkowitz and Beth Abraham As was the case overall with Synagogue’s Rabbi Michael Reform Judaism at the time, Lichtenstein shared the story Temple Israel’s members were split on the issue, and its rabbis of the six million starving Jews of the period were not Zionists. of Europe — 800,000 of which With the collapse of the Otto- where children — for whom the campaign was conducted. man Turkish Empire in World According to the Dayton Daily War I, British Foreign Secretary News, Col. Edward Deeds and Lord Balfour’s declaration of the Winters National Bank each the British government’s supdonated $1,000 to the cause. port for a Jewish state in Pal-

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THE WORLD

Jewish, Israel-related groups react to US announcement on settlements The responses were characteristically similar, with conservative groups lauding the long-desired position and liberal entities against what they believe places an obstacle on peace.

By Jackson Richman, JNS Several Jewish and Israelrelated groups quickly reacted to the major announcement by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that it would no longer view Jewish settlements in the West Bank as illegal under international law.

“We applaud the administration’s decision to rescind the assertion that Israeli settlements are illegal under international law,” B’nai B’rith International CEO Daniel Mariaschin told JNS. “U.N. resolutions 242 and 338 laid the groundwork for a

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solution to the Middle East conflict in which the parties would negotiate directly with each other over land, rather than return to 1949 or 1967 boundaries that were neither secure nor mutually recognized. The false characterization of Israel’s presence in parts of the West Bank as ‘illegal’ only prejudged the outcome of future negotiations and was an impediment to the peace process.”

“After carefully studying all sides of the legal debate,” Pompeo told reporters at the State Department Nov. 18, the United States has concluded that “the establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not, per se, inconsistent with international law.”

“Calling the establishment of civilian settlements inconsistent with international law hasn’t worked. It hasn’t advanced the cause of peace,” he said. “The hard truth is that there will never be a judicial resolution to the conflict, and arguments about who is right and who is wrong

Gershon Elinson/Flash90

tence within any borders.”

“CUFI did not agree with the Hansell as a matter of international law Memoranwill not bring peace.” dum’s concluHe further noted that the sion, and we ultimate status of these neighwelcome its borhoods must be decided by revocation,” Israelis and Palestinians. the organiOther groups, including the zation said.

Zionist Organization of Amer“Our policy ica and Christians United for of not taking Israel, applauded the announce- a position on The Jewish settlement of Karmei Tzur in the West ment, while J Street and the final-status Bank near Hebron, which neighbors Givat Sorek Israel Policy Forum slammed it. issues remains tional law, they are trampling The ZOA lauded Pompeo unchanged.” on the rights of Palestinians and for “rescinding the Orwellian, Republican Jewish Coalition helping the Israeli right-wing antisemitic lie that’s Jews can’t executive director Matt Brooks to destroy Israel’s future as a legally build in Judea Samaria, tweeted, “@realDonaldTrump while Arabs can. There was THANK YOU for your decision democratic homeland for the Jewish people.” never an Arab country called to reverse US policy regarding Jewish Democratic Council Palestine — no Palestinian Arab #Israel settlements. You are the of America executive director kings and queens,” the organiMOST PRO ISRAEL PRESIHalie Soifer echoed J Street’s zation’s president, Mort Klein, DENT in history.” reaction. said.

Sarah Stern, founder and “@SecPompeo’s reversal of He added that “Jewish compresident of the Endowment for decades of U.S. policy is a green munities there comprise less Middle East Truth, said “what than 2 percent of all of Judeahas stood at the very core of the light for Israeli annexation of Samaria. The fact that the Arabs problem of the lack of progress the West Bank, which will permanently impede prospects for have rejected statehood offers towards peace is the Palestina two state solution. @realDonthree times in the last 19 years ian reluctance to recognize any aldTrump doesn’t understand proves the Arab war against border, even the 1948 border, what it means to be pro-Israel & Israel is not about ‘settlements,’ or the 1949 armistice lines, as but a rejection of Israel’s exislegitimate and the failure on the Jewish voters reject his recklessness,” she tweeted. part of the Palestinians to recThe American Israel Public ognize the existence of a Jewish Affairs Committee issued a state, anywhere. That is why, to this very day, their textbooks neutral statement.

“AIPAC does not take a posishow that all of Israel, even tion on settlements. We believe within the pre-1967 borders, is settlements should be an issue ‘Palestine.’ ” for direct negotiations between the parties, not something deAnnouncement gives ‘carte termined by international bodblanche’ to settlement ies. The Palestinians must stop expansion their boycott of US & Israeli Liberal Jewish and Israelofficials and return to direct related groups panned the antalks,” tweeted AIPAC. nouncement by Pompeo.

“The revised U.S. position J Street said it views the move as an obstacle to peace by announced today by Secretary Pompeo relates to a question the Trump administration, as of international law, which well as a way to boost Netanhas been repeatedly used as a yahu as his Likud Party has weapon against Israel on the struggled to form a governing world stage,” American Jewish coalition following the second Committee CEO David Harris Israeli election this year. said in a statement. “We hope “With their actions and the policy shift will prompt rhetoric, the president and his a long overdue correction in advisers have given the Israeli international perceptions.” government carte blanche to However, continued Harris, expand settlements, entrench “We trust it will not serve as a occupation and move towards predicate for increased settleformal annexation of the West ment activity beyond the estabBank,” said J Street president lished blocs widely expected to Jeremy Ben-Ami in a statebe recognized as part of Israel ment. “By discarding decades in any conceivable two-state of bipartisan U.S. policy and flagrantly disregarding interna- compromise.”

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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2019

THE WORLD

For a glow that will last all Eight Nights!

Labour’s antisemitism problem an election issue for non-Jews, too

By Cnaan Liphshiz, JTA Just like the Democratic Party in the U.S., Britain’s liberal Labour Party usually counts on star power for a boost.

Ahead of the upcoming Dec. 12 general election, for instance, Labour has scooped up endorsements from major celebrities such as former Oasis lead singer Liam Gallagher, pop star Lily Allen and comedian Eddie Izzard.

But for the first time in decades, Labour is also beginning to take serious flak from celebrities and other significant parts of the electorate over a festering antisemitism problem.

Two dozen prominent non-Jewish Brits — including Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, novelist John le Carré, author Fay Weldon and actress Joanna Lumley — said in a letter published Nov. 14 in The Guardian that they will not be voting for Labour because of the antisemitism controversy.

“The coming election is momentous for every voter, but for British Jews it contains a particular anguish: the prospect of a prime minister steeped in association with antisemitism,” the celebrities wrote. “Opposition to racism cannot include surrender in the fight against antisemitism. Yet that is what it would mean to back Labour and endorse Corbyn for Downing Street.”

The letter is part of a growing body of evidence suggesting that British Jews are not the only ones who have been following the Labour scandal. The party, under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, is becoming increasingly unpalatable to non-Jews, too.

In an October Jewish News poll of more than 1,000 nonJewish voters, 55 percent agreed with the statement that Corbyn’s “failure to tackle antisemitism within his own party shows he is unfit” to lead.

In the poll, 51 percent said Labour has a “serious antisemitism problem” – up from 34 percent when the same question was asked by an earlier ComRes poll. Just 18 percent disagreed.

According to a YouGov survey from May, 80 percent of British voters are now aware of Labour’s antisemitism crisis, and just 19 percent are still

Anthony Devlin/Getty Images

British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn

convinced by Labour and Corbyn’s arguments that they are not antisemitic.

The Guardian letter was published a week after The Jewish Chronicle, Britain’s oldest Jew-

ish paper, published an op-ed on its front page addressed directly to non-Jews asking them not to vote for Corbyn, who was elected to lead Labour in 2015.

“Throughout his career, he has allied with and supported antisemites such as Paul Eisen, Stephen Sizer and Raed Salah,” the op-ed said.

“He has described organizations like Hamas, whose founding charter commits it to the extermination of every Jew on the planet, as his ‘friends.’

He has laid a wreath to honor terrorists who have murdered Jews. He has insulted ‘Zionists’ — the word used by antisemContinued on next page

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Continued from previous page ites when they mean ‘Jew’ because they think it allows them to get away with it — as lacking understanding of ‘English irony,’” the article continued.

Corbyn has argued consistently that he is a committed anti-racism campaigner without any antisemitic bias. But last year, Labour was placed under a probe of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, a government watchdog, over its handling of an explosion of antisemitic incidents that occurred after 2015.

Following Corbyn’s takeover of the party, hate speech against Jews and An op-ed on the Nov. 8 cover of Britain’s Israel began proliferating in Labour’s Jewish Chronicle urged non-Jews not to ranks. vote for Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn Thousands of incidents have been real ratings of any British prime minister corded both by internal Labour groups in more than 40 years, his Conservative like Labour Against Antisemitism, and Party has opened up a lead of approxiexternal ones, including the Campaign mately 11 points.

Against Antisemitism.

The Conservatives have been the In 2016, an interparliamentary commajority in British Parliament for the mittee, which included Labour representatives, accused the party of creating past decade.

“Voters aren’t stupid,” said Jonaa “safe space for those with vile attithan Arkush, the previous president of tudes towards Jewish people.” the Board of Deputies of British Jews.

The issue continues to haunt Labour “There is now a pretty widespread in the general polls. Although Boris perception that there’s something rather Johnson, who has suffered a succession of policy defeats, has the lowest approv- nasty around Labour.”

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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2019

THE WORLD

In Ukraine, aid for Jews in need comes with a catch Cnaan Liphshiz

By Cnaan Liphshiz, JTA black leather biker ODESSA, Ukraine — Alina Feoktistova always jacket over a long dress knew she was Jewish, but the first time she sought with a matching studcontact with the community was to see if it could pay ded kerchief in her hair her tuition. as she smoked her first Feoktistova’s family couldn’t afford to send her post-Shabbat cigarette. to college, but the local Jewish community provides “I’ve accepted my an alternative in the form of the Jewish University of fate,” Feoktistova joked.

Odessa, an accredited institution that offers tuition About 360,000 Jews and room and board at no charge. Founded in 2003, are estimated to live the university features five-year programs in a number in Ukraine, most of of fields, including foreign them in Odessa language, early childhood and other major ‘It’s OK to offer education, law, business and cities, and Jewthem something Jewish studies. ish groups have “I was crying. I really they need as a way used their robust didn’t want to do it,” said welfare systems to acquaint them Feoktistova, 28, who studied not only to help literature at the school. “(My with Judaism so those in need, but family had) no funds for col- they can decide in also to overcome lege for me. The Jewish comthe indifference Alina Feoktistova at the Tikva Jewish education complex in Odessa, Ukraine, Nov. 2 an informed way munity was there for us.” and aversion to In Odessa, the estimated 30,000 Jews are eligible for After graduation, Feoktis- if they want it in Judaism that was instilled here during the comfree services through the Jewish community’s various tova found work as an office munist era. their lives.’ administrator with Tikva, The American Jewish Joint Distribution Com- institutions, which include two community centers, a the Orthodox group that mittee, or JDC, provides assistance to any Jewish dozen schools and two orphanages. Families and the runs the Jewish University of Odessa along with a host applicant it deems needy, regardless of their participa- elderly can get hundreds of dollars a month — a significant sum in a country where the average monthly of other identity-building and educational programs. tion in communal activities. salary is about $300.

And though she married a Jewish man and raises her But other Jewish organizations often require comThe Federation of Jewish Communities of the two children in an observant home, Feoktistova does munal engagement, from enrolling children in JewCIS, a network affiliated with the Chabad Chasidic not fit the stereotype of an Orthodox Jewish woman. ish educational programs to attending synagogue, in Continued on next page On a Saturday evening in November, she wore a exchange for help.

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Aid for Ukraine’s Jews in need Continued from previous page movement, also runs a Jewish university in Odessa, which it describes on its website as “a path out of poverty and into Jewish service.”

The engagement-for-aid model has had a meaningful impact on “breathing life into the dry bones” of a moribund community, according to Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs, director of intergovernmental relations at the Chabad-affiliated Rabbinical Center of Europe.

“Some might even call it a bribe, but it’s legitimate – and it works,” said Jacobs, citing the medieval Jewish philosopher Maimonides, who allowed parents to use candy to motivate children to study.

“Of course, Russian-speaking Jews are not babies, they’re sophisticated people, but from a Jewish perspective they are like captured babies — people who know nothing about Judaism because of oppression,” Jacobs said. “It’s OK to offer them something they need as a way to acquaint them with Judaism so they can decide in an informed way if they want it in their lives.”

Many young Ukrainians in this city and beyond seek a connection to Judaism without financial incentives.

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it Anatevka after the fictional here in October attracted 600 hometown of Tevye from Fidparticipants who paid nearly dler on the Roof, the Yarelchen$200 to attend the weekend kos not only found shelter, but event at a resort. work and a sense of commuOne participant, Vlodymyr nity.

Zeev Vaksman, a 38-year-old “I never thought I’d go to active in the Odessa Jewish synagogue, much less live in community, said he sought a Jewish village,” Sergey told out the Jewish community JTA. after suffering bullying in For other Ukrainian Jews, school. Connecting with his the community was a ticket to Jewish identity, Vaksman said, big city life. “helped restore my pride in it Haya Saphonchik, a 27-yearbecause it’s hard to be a proud Jew when you’re being beat up old kindergarten teacher, enrolled in a Jewish school in in school almost every day for Odessa primarbeing Jewish.”

‘I found great ily to escape her Others, impoverished however, are beauty, a hometown of clearly induced great mutual Kremenchuk. to get involved “My mom responsibility for out of neceshad no money sity. each other that I to send me to Rivka didn’t know existed Odessa,” SaBendetskaya phonchik said. attended a and which ended “She asked me Chabad school when I was 17: in the eastern up giving me the ‘Do you want to city of Zapor- best things that I stay in Kreizhzhia where have in life.’ menchuk in a she grew up. regular school, Her family was poor and not religious, but or do you want to go a Jewish school in Odessa?’ Of course I the Chabad school offered free went to Odessa.” meals and long hours.

After graduating from high At 16, Bendetskaya came school, Saphonchik went on to to Odessa to pursue a degree study at the Jewish University in business management at in Odessa, where she met her Chabad’s Jewish University. husband, Uriel, who came to The five-year program would study computer programming have cost about $17,000 at a regular university, an unafford- from his native Russia. Though she came initially for financial able sum for her family. reasons, she stayed because the Sergey and Elena Yarelchenschool offered her more than ko had little to do with the just an education. organized Jewish community “I found great beauty,” Sabefore they were forced to flee phonchik said, “a great mutual their home in Lugansk during responsibility for each other the 2014 revolution. that I didn’t know existed and At a Jewish refugee camp which ended up giving me the set up outside Kyiv by Rabbi best things that I have in life.”

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THE WORLD 2 5 1 2 FA R H I L L S AV E

Trump has his back, but liberal & centrist Jews still want his head Attacks on Stephen Miller, the architect behind the administration’s immigration policy, spread in wake of white nationalist emails.

By Stewart Ain The New York Jewish Week Liberal and centrist Jewish groups are calling for White House adviser Stephen Miller to resign following the disclosure of emails showing that he promoted white nationalist literature and racist immigration stories during the 2016 presidential campaign.

President Donald Trump still White House adviser Stephen Miller supports Miller, his lead strategist on immigration, despite the and supremely successful nation of immigrants, Stephen calls for his head by civil rights Miller’s immigrant-vilifying leaders, Democratic lawmakand white nationalist views are ers, and religious leaders. reprehensible,” said Jason Isaa“Regardless of what Trump cson, the AJC’s chief policy and says, it is important to conpolitical affairs officer. “As the tinue to sound the alarm that latest reports of his corresponsomeone who is connected to dence once again reveal, he is white nationalists is running unsuited for the role of senior the administration’s immoral immigration policy,” said Rabbi advisor to the President of the United States.”

Jill Jacobs, executive director of A White House official said T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights. “He is someone Miller “is not going anywhere” and that the president “has who is running a policy that is his back.” And, in defending introducing cruel and immoral Miller, who is Jewish, the White circumstances for potential imHouse said the attacks on him migrants and refugees.”

The Anti-Defamation League were “antisemitic.”

T’ruah is one of six liberal and Rabbi Rick Jacobs, presiJewish organizations that have dent of the Union for Reform Judaism, said Drew Angerer/Getty Images started an online petition their groups are urging Miller signing onto a to resign. The letter, sent to other groups the president are: Bend the Nov. 18, from Arc: Jewish Acthe Washingtontion, IfNotNow, based LeaderJews Against ship Conference White Nationalon Civil and ism, The Jewish Human Rights Vote, and Never condemning Again Action.

Miller for repre- President Donald Trump This is not the first time senting “white supremacy, vioJewish groups have called for lent extremism and hate” and Miller’s ouster. In February demanding for his “removal from his position as your senior 2018, 17 Jewish groups — including the left-leaning J Street adviser.”

— sent an open letter to then The National Council of White House Chief of Staff John Jewish Women also signed the Kelly calling on him to dismiss letter.

Miller.

Although the American JewThe letter, which was ish Committee did not sign the spearheaded by the National letter, it issued its own statement calling for Miller’s ouster. Council of Jewish Women, complained that Miller “has been “In this proud, principled,

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an obstacle to passing widelysupported, bipartisan, popular, badly-needed immigration policy changes throughout his time in the administration.”

The Jewish Democratic Council of America has started its own online petition drive that “demands” that Miller resign. It calls him a “racist, a bigot, and a shanda — a shame and an embarrassment to the Jewish community and America. His affinity for white supremacy, his cruel views on immigration, and his emboldening of white nationalists have no place in the White House.”

A spokesperson for J Street said his organization continues to call for Miller’s ouster but that “we don’t expect him to be fired because the problems in the White House extend all the way up to the president, who has repeatedly shown tolerance for and a willingness to use xenophobic white nationalist rhetoric and tropes...We think Miller should be removed, we’re just not holding our breath.”

The latest campaign to call for Miller’s ouster began after the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Hatewatch investigative team published more than 900 emails Miller had sent to the editors at Breitbart News while serving both as aide to former Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions and later as an adviser to the Trump campaign.

Katie McHugh, a fired Breitbart staffer, shared the emails with the SPLC. She is said to Continued on next page

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THE WORLD

Stephen Miller

for. We speak for ourselves, and our demand is clear: Stephen Miller must resign.”

Continued from previous page Left-wing and some centrist Jewhave once supported the “alt-right” but ish groups say Trump has emboldened later came to denounce it. white supremacists and antisemites by The emails show Miller had recombeing slow to criticize far-right extremmended stories from sites popular ist groups, and has himself engaged in among white supremacists, including VDARE, a news site that says it defends rhetoric promoting racist and antisemitic ideas. Trump and his supporters have “the racial and cultural identity of denied this, and point to his support of America,” and American Renaissance, a the Israeli government and his Jewish monthly online publication published by the New Century Foundation, which family members.

In an earlier letter to the president, describes itself as a “racist-realist, white sent Nov. 14, Vanita Gupta, president advocacy organization.”

In their online petition, the six Jewish and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued a groups wrote that Miller is the “architect of the Trump administration’s cruel statement calling Miller a “hate enthuand endless attacks on immigrants. And siast.”

“Unless and until Trump fires Stewith irrefutable proof of his deep-seated phen Miller and all who promulgate racism, xenophobia, and Islamophobia, and with evidence that he has promoted bigotry and hate — and abandons his administration’s anti-civil rights agenda, websites spreading antisemitic conspiracy theories, he cannot be allowed to including the Muslim ban and family separation — he will continue to be reremain a federal employee.” sponsible for the violence fueled by that They also rejected the administrahate,” Gupta said. tion’s claims that Miller’s critics are Numerous Jewish groups belong to antisemitic. “As American Jews, we are outraged that this administration would the coalition of more than 220 national organizations, although the statement use the rising antisemitism for which it came from the group’s leader. is responsible to deflect away from its Rabbi Jill Jacobs said that earlier in embrace of white nationalists like Miller.

The White House is trying to render the November, she toured the southern word ‘antisemitism’ meaningless, while border with 23 rabbis and Arnold Eisen, simultaneously inciting violence against chancellor of the Conservative moveJews. American Jews will not be spoken ment’s Jewish Theological Seminary, to

evaluate for themselves the conditions of migrants there. They visited overcrowded shelters and met with some of the tens of thousands of South and Central American asylum seekers sent back to Mexico to wait for an interview under a new administration policy.

She draws a straight line between the white supremacist tone of the articles and web sites Miller recommended and the policies he has promoted inside the White House.

“Trump speaks of immigration in the most racist tones possible,” she added.

“He is talking of wanting immigrants from primarily white countries like Scandinavia, and that asylum seekers trying to come across the border now are criminals when they are often families who are escaping danger in their own country. That is exactly the same reason so many of our families immigrated to this country.”

Steven Steinlight, a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank that has supported the Trump administration’s efforts to lower immigration, said he believes Miller “showed poor judgment regarding the groups he associated with on the issue of immigration.”

He said that CIS believes the U.S. should be a warm and welcoming country for immigrants but that the number of immigrants entering each year should be cut in half.

“The president is not going to remove Stephen Miller to satisfy a bunch of liberal Jewish hypocrites,” Steinlight told The Jewish Week. “If I were the president, I would take Stephen Miller aside and say, ‘There are some groups that make me uncomfortable and I would appreciate it if you would not maintain ties with them or quote them. If you have these connections, I would like to see you break them.’”

He noted that CIS has had “academics who came to our events, and when we found that some espoused racist views, we cut ties with them...If I were his (Miller’s) rabbi, I would say, ‘Stay away from those who have agendas that are troubling.’”

Since publication of the emails, several Democrats — including presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Amy Klobuchar — have called for Miller’s ouster.

Both the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus also called for him to resign. And Rep. Alexandria OcasioCortez (D-Queens/Bronx) started an online petition calling on Trump to dismiss Miller “for his brazen white supremacy.”

“He’s a verified White Supremacist controlling US immigration policy, which has now detained over 70,000 migrant children,” she wrote. “This is not to be dismissed. People’s lives are at risk.”

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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2019

OPINION

Bernie Sanders speaks Are Jews capable of uniting Zionism to progressives against antisemitism?

In an essay on fighting antisemitism, the candidate rejects the politics of delegitimization

Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

By Andrew Silow-Carroll What kind of Jew is Bernie Sanders? That’s a question usually asked by two kinds of people: Jews and antisemites.

For the antisemites, for whom Jews neatly fall into categories of bloodsucking capitalists or fifth-column commies, the self-described democratic socialist makes it easy.

The question is harder for Jews. For some, his is a familiar trajectory, from his parents’ immigrant background to his childhood in Brooklyn to the left- Bernie Sanders at a campaign rally at wing politics he embraced as an adult. Queensbridge Park in New York, Oct. 19 It’s when he talks about Israel and That biography even makes him a antisemitism on the left that things get Jewish role model to some; as the millennial writer Aaron Freedman wrote in interesting.

He acknowledges that “some critiThe New York Jewish Week some weeks cism of Israel can cross the line into back, Sanders is “deeply representative antisemitism, especially when it denies of the silent majority for whom social the right of self-determination to Jews, justice movements take the place of or when it plays into conspiracy theories synagogue and Israel is more often a about outsized Jewish power.” cause for kvetching than kvelling.”

Conversely, he asserts that some critOther Jews, mostly older or more ics of Israel have been unfairly tarred conservative, find Sanders suspect. as antisemites, and he asserts the right His left-wing positions on Israel, his of progressives to criticize the Jewish universalistic politics, his secularism, state. It is “very troubling to me that we the far-left company he keeps — even are also seeing accusations of antisemihis non-Jewish wife — put him in the tism used as a cynical political weapon pariah category of “self-denying” or against progressives,” Sanders writes. worse, “self-hating” Jew. “We should be very clear that it is not Sanders presses all these buttons in antisemitic to criticize the policies of the an essay for Jewish Currents, the newly Israeli government.” reinvigorated journal of the Jewish left, But after defending Israel’s critics, titled How to Fight Antisemitism. It may Sanders draws a red line and rejects the be his most forthright statement yet on movement to delegitimize Israel. He his own Jewish identity, and a fascirecalls his time on a kibbutz, and after nating rebuttal of anti-Israel currents doing so offers a full-throated defense of among his own followers.

Israel’s right to exist: “I think it is very In the essay, Sanders invokes his important for everyone, but particularly Jewish biography, describing how his for progressives, to acknowledge the father emigrated from Poland and how enormous achievement of establishing relatives who remained behind were a democratic homeland for the Jewish murdered by the Nazis. “The threat of antisemitism is not some abstract idea to people after centuries of displacement and persecution.” me. It is very personal,” he writes.

That’s no small statement in certain Not surprisingly for a Democratic progressive circles. presidential candidate, he links the curCritics of the essay, like former rent rise in antisemitism and specifically the massacre at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Brooklyn pol Dov Hikind, have already complained that Sanders himself has acsynagogue to Donald Trump, whom he cepted support from figures like Palesholds partly responsible for inciting “a dangerous political ideology that targets tinian-American activist Linda Sarsour Jews and anyone who does not fit a nar- and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), whose anti-Israel rhetoric has crossed the line row vision of a whites-only America.”

That part of the essay is unambiguous or who reject Israel’s legitimacy or both.

Sanders’ critics note that many of his and predictable: He vows to “confront supporters embrace the movement to this hatred, do exactly the opposite of boycott Israel, which most mainstream what Trump is doing and embrace our differences to bring people together.”

Continued on Page 35

So, what do you think?

A call to emulate the activism of the Soviet Jewry movement in order to combat hate ought to resonate with a community that needs to rise above partisan divisions.

By Jonathan S. Tobin sions of hate. But considering that he is One of the most important figures in the most pro-Israel president America American politics not only embraced his has ever had, labeling the president as Jewish identity in November, but also an ally of antisemites is absurd. spoke out against antisemitism. In a difBut Sanders has not a word of reproof ferent context, that would be something for this group of political supporters, about which every member of the Jewwho have accused Jews of dual loyalty ish community would have rejoiced. and buying Congress, as well as lobbied Instead, Sen. Bernie Sanders’s opinion false accusations of atrocities aimed at article, titled How to Fight Antisemitism, Israel. Indeed, though Sanders supports published in the otherwise obscure left- the existence of the Jewish state — a wing publication Jewish Currents did far stand he repeats in his column — he has more harm than good. also been guilty of gross exaggerations That’s why there’s good reason to be and distortions of Israel’s measures of skeptical about the chances of a new self-defense against Palestinian terroreffort to unite Jews against antisemiism. His evaluation of the long stalemate tism championed at the Nov. 10 politibetween Israel and the Palestinians is cally conservative Jewish Leadership similarly distorted since he believes the Conference, sponsored by the Tikvah lack of peace is solely the fault of the Foundation. Malcolm Hoenlein, execuJewish state. There is nary a word of tive vice chairman of the Conference of criticism for the Palestinians, who have Presidents of Major American Jewish longed embraced anti-Jewish hate and Organizations, spoke of the need for terror, and have advocated a centuryJews to realize the imperative to battle long war aimed at eradicating it. hate as a community in what he hoped As Holocaust historian Deborah would be a reprise of the same activist Lipstadt noted in a scathing critique of spirit that transformed history a genera- Sanders, he is “blind to the antisemitism tion ago during the movement to free of his own side.” His claim that opposSoviet Jewry. ing it is a core value of being a progresOne of the main obstacles to Hoensive is only half-right. As Lipstadt said, lein’s inspiring vision was illustrated it should be integral to progressive

by Sanders. The presidential candidate politics. But as Omar and Tlaib have opened with a remembrance of last demonstrated, that isn’t true. And Sandyear’s Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, ers’s example of not only giving them though falsely blamed the violence on a pass for hate, but embracing them, Fox News and President Donald Trump. compounds the problem.

While he rightly denounced antisemiYet it goes deeper than one septuatism from the right, he was in complete genarian Socialist who is more worried denial about the loud, influential voices about uniting the left against moderate of anti-Jewish hate on the left.

Democrats and Trump than he is about That’s hardly surprising. Some of antisemitism. those voices aren’t merely allied to In this era of hyperpartisanship, Sanders on certain issues, but are active- politics and the debate about Trump ly promoting his presidential candidacy. have become the priority for virtually The two pro-BDS members of Congress everyone. At a time when the only thing — Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and anyone seems to care about is being for Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) — are support- or against Trump, Hoenlein’s desire to ing him. Among his campaign surrorecreate the Soviet Jewry movement gates are Palestinian-American activists seems like a futile quest.

Linda Sarsour and Amer Zahr, who But before we dismiss his appeal, we are both not only ardent backers of the should remember something imporantisemitic BDS movement but guilty of tant about the historic achievements numerous slurs against Jews. of a movement that helped change the Sanders considers Trump guilty of world. fomenting antisemitism in spite of the While most people view that effort fact that the president has not uttered through the prism of its culminating any anti-Jewish comments from the event — the 1987 Washington rally atWhite House; in fact, he has vocally con- tended by 250,000 people — its begindemned them. He has helped coarsen nings in the late 1960s and early 1970s our public discourse with insults shot were quite humble. In the early days of towards opponents, and it’s possible to the movement, demonstrations were argue that this has encouraged expresContinued on Page 35

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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2019

PAGE 15

THE WORLD

Turn Oy Vey Into Mazel Tov.

Courtesy of Esther Sperber

These Manhattan synagogues want to become condominiums

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By Ben Sales, JTA NEW YORK — One of the most active times of day at the West Side Jewish Center begins precisely at 1:40 p.m., when 60 or so middle-aged men trudge in, mutter through the afternoon prayer service with their coats on, maybe throw a couple dollars of charity into a metal cup and walk back to their jobs. The whole thing is over in about 15 minutes.

Other than that and two shifts of morning prayers, the building is mostly empty during the day. On a recent weekday afternoon, two men studied Jewish texts in Yiddish in a wide room at the front of the building.

Long curtains obscured boards bearing the names of generations of congregants who have died. Hot water boiled in a machine that looked like straight out of a 1980s diner.

The overall impression of mustiness belies what is, in fact, an active congregation with good prospects.

Not many synagogues can boast more than 100 people praying on a daily basis in the New York area. The congregation, established by immigrants in 1890, recently renamed itself the Hudson Yards Synagogue to better

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attract residents of the posh new development of the same name that just sprung up nearby.

But as the 94-year-old synagogue stands on the cusp of a new era, its building is both its greatest asset and liability. On the one hand, the structure is dilapidated and inaccessible to people with disabilities — a significant problem when a good portion of your regulars are senior citizens. On the other hand, it’s valued at $55 million thanks to its location on one of the busiest streets in the busiest city in America.

That’s why the congregation is looking into demolishing the whole thing and rebuilding it as a condominium — with a synagogue on the lower floors.

“This building needs major work,” Rabbi Jason Herman said. “We’re putting a lot of Band-Aids on it.

In addition to funding the building, we want to fund programming and operations, so we can become the shul that’s attractive to the neighborhood in the Hudson Yards.”

The synacondo concept, as architect Esther Sperber calls it, could be a win-win for developers and the Continued on Page 21 Ben Sales

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Happy Chanukah PAGE 16

The afternoon prayer service at the West Side Jewish Center, held in its multipurpose room, is one of the synagogue’s busiest times of day

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2019

Highlights JEWISH FEDERATION of GREATER DAYTON & ITS AGENCIES

JCC early childhood

ABOVE, LEFT: The young adult division (YAD) has fun at a night out at Wild Axe Throwing! PHOTO CREDIT: Cheryl

Carne ABOVE, RIGHT: Preschoolers, families and staff finish out the annual Share Shabbat with Rakevet, the train song.

PHOTO CREDIT: Chloe Hines

ABOVE LEFT: Opening Night of CABS kicked off Sally Fingerett performing from her one woman show "The Mental Yentl"

at Wiley's Comedy Club had the audience laughing and enjoying an evening of music. ABOVE RIGHT: Matthew Goodman entertained the audience at Carillon Brewing Co with the story behind his book "The City Game". Taking time to chat with community members and sign books after. Visit jewishdayton.org to get your tickets to our upcoming CABS events!

PHOTO CREDIT: Peter Wine THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2019

PAGE 17

December events JEWISH FEDERATION of GREATER DAYTON & ITS AGENCIES S M T 1 2 3

WEDNESDAY 4 JCC The Beat - Making Music at the J Klezmer (Jewish Wedding Dance Music) 6:30-8PM @ the Boonshoft CJCE

F S S M 6 7 8 9

T 5

Want to nosh with friends before seeing Andrew Ridker's Cultural Arts & Book Series event? Check out the casual, community driven dine outs! Cost is on your own. 20 spots available. RSVP to Amy Dolph at (937) 401-1551.

Facilitated by Rich Begel Do you like music? Come listen and/or play!

TUESDAY 10 JCC CABS Andrew Ridker, The Altruists 7PM @ Washington Centerville Public Library, Woodbourne (6060 Far Hills Ave., Centerville 45459). Author Andrew Ridker discusses his debut novel, The Altruists. With a dark, funny tone, Ridker explores the friction between the baby boomers who resent the “entitlement” of younger generations, and millennials disenchanted by an American dream. No cost

THU FRI 12 13

SATURDAY 14 JCC Dayton Junior Youth Group Chanukah Party and Movie Night 6:30-9PM @ the Boonshoft CJCE

6th-8th graders are invited for a fun evening with friends. $5 per person.

WEDNESDAY 11 JCC CABS Myla Goldberg, Feast Your Eyes 7PM @ the Boonshoft CJCE. Myla Goldberg delves into her first novel in a decade, Feast Your Eyes. Framed as the catalogue notes from a fictional photography show at the Museum of Modern Art, it tells the life story of Lillian Preston: “America’s Worst Mother, America’s Bravest Mother, America’s Worst Photographer, or America’s Greatest Photographer, depending on who was talking.” $5 in advance/$8 at the door.

SUNDAY 15 JFS JFS Annual Chanukah Brunch 11AM - 12:30PM @ Temple Israel (130 Riverside Drive, Dayton 45405). Join your friends for a delicious brunch and musical entertainment provided

and Foodie personality Naomi Nachman cooks up a delicious kosher food presentation with her trademark Aussie flair. Her second cookbook, Perfect Flavors, has more than 130 creative recipes, including tips and variations. This event includes dinner prepared by Rochel Simon and a cooking demonstration

by Naomi Nachman. $36 in advance, no walk-ins. Seating is limited, RSVP required by December 10.

S 21

S 22

MONDAY, DECEMBER 23 - TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31, JANUARY 2, 3, 20 & FEBRUARY 17 JCC Winter Camp Shalom 7:30AM - 6PM @ the Boonshoft CJCE. There's still time to register online at jewishdayton.org!

THURSDAY 26

T 24

W THURSDAY 19 JCC 18 Community Chanukah Party 5:30-7:30PM @ the Boonshoft

CJCE. Every Chanukah the JCC brings together the entire community to celebrate the Festival of Lights. Enjoy dinner, latkes, games, and activities for all ages. Partnering with PJ Library & PJ Our Way. In advance: $10/adult, $5/child.

After December 15: $15/adult, $10/child. Children ages 2 and under are free.

WEDNESDAY 25 JFS Mitzvah Mission 10AM - 12PM @ the Boonshoft CJCE.

Mitzvot for all ages! Make scarves, no-sew rag dolls, and sack lunches for those in need. Light noshes will be served. Upcycle unwanted fabric! Bring old t-shirts or bed sheets with fun patterns to help make the rag dolls. JFS is collecting donations of new children’s winter hats in coordination with Crayons to Classrooms for those in need across the Miami Valley. No cost.

FRIDAY 27 YAD (AGES 21-35) Chanukah Shabbat Dinner 6:30PM @ Regina & Ben Bean's house Join YAD for Shabbat Dinner and celebrate Chanukah.

No cost.

RSVPs due at least 1 week before event.

Events with no price listed are free.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO RSVP (unless noted): 937-610-1555 www.jewishdayton.org

MON 16

by Mary ‘Mahira’ Rogers. JFS is collecting donations of new children’s winter hats in coordination with Crayons to Classrooms for those in need across the Miami Valley. Partnering with the Active Adults, Hadassah, Jewish War Veterans, and Lynda A. Cohen Yiddish Club. $15 in advance/$20 at the door.

TUESDAY 17 JCC Naomi Nachman, Perfect Flavors 6PM @ the Boonshoft CJCE. Kosher personal chef

F 20

TUESDAY 10 JCC Community Dine Out 6PM @ North China (6090 Far Hills Ave., Dayton 45459)

SATURDAY 28

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY 29 30 31

SEE YOU IN 2020!

Learn something new with the JCC! MAHJONGG AND CANASTA GAMES If you have a table who would like to play, please call Amy Dolph at (937) 401-1551.

PAGE 18

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2019

Announcements JEWISH FEDERATION of GREATER DAYTON & ITS AGENCIES

“GET TOGETHER” GRANTS AVAILABLE THROUGH PJ LIBRARY! It doesn’t have to be perfect – it just has to be together.

Have you been meaning to get together with your friends, but haven’t found the time? Maybe you’d like to get to know your kids’ friends and their families better but aren’t sure how to begin.

Host a "Get Together!" Your Get Together must include two or more other families raising Jewish children. Throw a Chanukah party, welcome Shabbat PJ Library-style, volunteer together or invite friends to participate in your own great idea.

a PJOW kids hummus bake-off. You must be a current PJ Library or PJ Our Way subscriber family. You can host multiple times and receive four separate reimbursements during this Get Together period. Applications close April 30, 2020.

To host your friends for a Get Together, visit pjlibrary.org/GetTogether for ideas and to apply.

PJ Parents and PJ Our Way kids can also join in the fun! Have a moms’ night to learn a new recipe for Shabbat or have

300 Over

A Biss'l Mamaloshen Leyenen

| LEY-en-en | Verb

To read.

Expression with leyenen: 1 Men ken a briv leyenen, men ken a briv

zingen One can [simply] read a letter, or one can sing a letter (i.e. your level of satisfaction in life depends on the attitude with which you approach it).

We are very excited to announce that together as a community we have reached over 300 Letters of Intent! We are so excited for what this means for Dayton as a Jewish community and are very happy to have achieved this milestone within the LIFE & LEGACY program. Thank you to all of our LIFE & LEGACY Donors and LIFE & LEGACY Teams!

letters of intent received to benefit our community

&

THE JEWISH FOUNDATION of GREATER DAYTON

Legacies, Tributes, & Memorials FEDERATION

UNITED JEWISH CAMPAIGN IN HONOR OF › Dr. Robert Goldenberg receiving the Past Presidents Award Barbara and Jim Weprin LINDA RUCHMAN FUND IN MEMORY OF › James Waxenberg Judy and Marshall Ruchman THE RESILIENCE SCHOLARSHIP FUND IN MEMORY OF › The brother of Don Weckstein Jane and Dr. Gary Hochstein

JCC

HERTA G. AND EGON F. WELLS CHIDREN’S FUND IN MEMORY OF › Samuel Weissman, father of Norman Weissman Joan and Peter Wells JOAN & PETER WELLS AND REBECCA LINVILLE FAMILY CHILDREN AND YOUTH FUND IN HONOR OF › Special anniversary of Susan and David Joffe Joan and Peter Wells

JFS

JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES IN HONOR OF › Speedy recovery of Jan Maharam Amy Munich and Dr. Ed Sperber IN MEMORY OF › Gladys Maharam, step-mother of Jan Maharam Amy Munich and Dr. Ed Sperber ROBERT L. CLINE AND RITA Z. CLINE BIKUR HAVERIM ENDOWMENT FUND IN MEMORY OF › Samuel Weissman, father of Norman Weissman Cathy Gardner

FOUNDATION

JEREMY BETTMAN B’NAI TZEDEK FUND IN MEMORY OF › Samuel Weissman, father of Norman Weissman Jean and Todd Bettman ADDISON CARUSO B’NAI TZEDEK FUND IN MEMORY OF › In Yarzeit memory of Yale Holt › In Yarzeit memory of Beatrice Cohen Donna Holt

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2019

PAGE 19

Upcoming events JEWISH FEDERATION of GREATER DAYTON & ITS AGENCIES

Dayton Junior Youth Group

Chanukah Party & Movie Night

m

Saturday, December 14 6:30-9PM @ the Boonshoft CJCE 6th-8th graders are invited for a fun evening with friends. $5 per person.

mitzvah

mission

Monday, December 23 - Friday, January 3

RSVP at jewishdayton.org or contact Meryl Hattenbach at mhattenbach@jfgd.net or (937) 401-1550.

mitzvah

mission

DAY) Monday, January 20 (MLK RESIDENTS’ DAY) Monday, February 17 (P

Monday–Friday, 8:45AM–3:45PM Rise and Shine (7:30–8:45AM) and Stay and Play (3:45–6PM) available

mi Enjoy fun, friends, and field trips Camp Shalom style!

Closed Wednesday, December 25 and January 1.

mitzvah

mission

mitzvah

mission

Register online at jewishdayton.org!

Join us for mitzvot for all ages!

Wednesday, December 25 10AM–NOON @ Boonshoft CJCE

Make scarves, no-sew rag dolls, and sack lunches for those in need. Light noshes will be served.

Upcycle unwanted fabric! Bring old t-shirts or bed sheets with fun patterns to help make the rag dolls.

JFS is collecting donations of new children’s winter hats in coordination with Crayons to Classrooms for those in need across the Miami Valley.

No cost. RSVP at jewishdayton.org or call (937) 610-1555.

JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES of GREATER DAYTON

PAGE 20

SAVE the DATE!

Saturday, February 29, 2020 7:30-11:30PM @ the Boonshoft CJCE

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2019

THE WORLD

Trust Furst

Manhattan synagogues want to become condos Ben Sales

Continued from Page 16 less clear,” she said. “The synagogue. Developers chair of the board may be get to build in some of a very important person the most desirable parts or may not. There’s an of the city, while synaexecutive director — they gogues get much-needed may be the decision makcash and state-of-the-art er but they may not. The spaces. rabbi may be the decision Sperber’s renderings maker but may not.” envision a wood-paneled Other synagogues apbasement sanctuary lit pear to be executing the by a skylight and an condo transition more outdoor garden for the successfully. synagogue’s exclusive Habonim, a congregause one floor above. Adtion on the Upper West ditional space that could Side, had a nursery be used for social events school that was outgrowis available beneath the ing its existing space. sanctuary, two floors Constructing a new Rabbi Jason Herman and architect Esther Sperber building would have cost below ground level. in the sanctuary of the West Side Jewish Center “This was an opportoo much, so instead the because the people (at the synatunity to think about a synagogue inked a deal problem that seems really relat- gogue) are older and the whole with a condo developer. In the area is becoming upgraded, able to other properties in the meantime, the synagogue has city,” Sperber said. “If you give gentrified. The question is, how been operating out of rented realistic is building all of this up that dream of being above space. now?” grade and use that space that’s Richard Verner, Habonim’s Other synagogues in the less valuable to the developer, board president, estimates it you can actually get more space city have also faced hurdles will take another three to four in rebuilding. Lincoln Square and find a way to make that years for the synagogue to Synagogue, a prominent Modspace unique and special and move into its new building — a ern Orthodox congregation on beautiful.” longer timeline than it expected the Upper West Side, sold its The West Side Jewish Cenwhen it began planning the sale property and began constructer would not be the first several ago. synagogue in New York City to tion on a new facility nearby.

“It’s a long process and any But the synagogue nearly ran attempt such a transformation, change is difficult for a comout of cash and had to be bailed munity, so it would have been but it could be the first to succeed. Though on paper it seems out by an anonymous $20 milgreat if we could have closed lion donation in 2010. It opened the doors on the old building like a great idea, in practice its new doors three years later. deals like this can turn into and a year later moved into a Kehilath nightmares. lovely new building, but that’s Jeshurun, a The Young Is- Developers get not the way things work in tony Upper East New York,” Verner said. “We’re rael of Manhat- to build in some Side synagogue tan on the Lower trying to keep everyone excited of the most whose building East Side and about the end result.” was charred by the Fort Tryon Shaare Zedek, another Upper desirable parts a fire in 2011, re- West Side synagogue, also has Jewish Center of the city, while ceived $9 million been in a temporary space since in Washington from insurance.

Heights — both synagogues get 2017 as its synacondo is being But the rebuilt historically built. The synagogue is partmuch-needed interior, which Jewish Manhatnering with Kehillat Hadar, an cash and statereopened in tan neighboregalitarian prayer group in the 2015, cost nearly hoods now in neighborhood. of-the-art spaces. $40 million to the throes of Michael Firestone, the synacomplete, acgentrification — gogue president, said the choice cording to The New York Times. sought to go the condo route. to demolish the old building Sperber says synagogue But developers who began was difficult but obvious, and real estate deals like these are working on the buildings were he remains optimistic that evespecially fraught because they erything will work out. unable to complete them, leavcombine Manhattan’s complex ing the projects in limbo and “We’re the third-oldest shul market with the unique dethe synagogues renting space in Manhattan. We started in the mands of an Orthodox comelsewhere. (Full disclosure: I Financial District, went to the am a member of the Fort Tryon munity that generally cannot Lower East Side, then Harlem,” change locations and whose Jewish Center.)

Firestone said. “There was a lot chain of command is at times “Unfortunately, in 2008, of emotion tied up in it, but the confusing. everything fell apart, so our vote to do the deal was unani“When you look at shuls contractor also sort of fell mous. The community recogapart,” Rabbi Yeshaya Siff of the compared to other nonprofit in- nized that this was a moment stitutions, the decision-making Young Israel said. “Since then, in history that had to be met the question is, what to do now process at a shul is a little bit boldly.”

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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2019

PAGE 21

Warm Chanukah greetings from

Happy Chanukah to our friends

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Phyllis & Mort Levine

A joyous Chanukah to the 1,000+ members of Growing Up Jewish in Miami Valley, Ohio & thanks to Warm Chanukah Greetings from Marshall Weiss for bringing us back together & sharing memories.

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Edye Leuin & Dave Ziegler Our warmest wishes for a joyous Chanukah Cantor Jerome & Goldye Kopmar

May your Chanukah be merry and bright

Best wishes to all for a Happy Chanukah

Cherie Rosenstein

Helen Halcomb

Warm Chanukah Greetings from

Wishing all of Dayton Happy Chanukah

Brenda Rinzler

Jeff & Nancy Gordon

Best wishes to all for a Happy Chanukah

Best wishes to all for a Happy Chanukah

THE MARVELOUS MR. MAZEL Daniel Cohen passed the Virginia bar exam in October.

He is the son of Rich and Nancy Cohen.

Josh Halpern made a cameo appearance back in Dayton Oct. 30 to perform with the Rodin Trio. The ensemble

Callahan, one of Ohio’s noted dental researchers and a leader in organized dentistry. Michael served as the president of the ODA for the last 13 months.

Scott Halasz Six13

was founded in 2011 and has performed in some of the most important music halls in the Netherlands including the TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht.

Josh grew up in the Dayton area before leaving for college.

A guy I know pretty well, Dr. Michael Halasz, was honored as the 2019 recipient of the Callahan Memorial Award at the Callahan Celebration of Excellence, Oct. 4. The Callahan Memorial Award Commission was established in 1920 by the Ohio Dental Association to honor the work of John Ross

Those with tickets to the now sold-out Dec. 8 Beth Abraham Synagogue Grand Gala — celebrating the congregation’s 125th anniversary — will be entertained by the Jewish a cappella ensemble, Six13. Based in New York and performing across the globe, Six13 is known for its Bohemian Chanukah, Uptown Passover, and A Lion King Passover videos, which went viral. The six members of Six13 create a full band-like sound using only their voices.

Send your announcements to scotthalasz1@gmail.com.

Cantor Andrea Raizen

Rochelle & Michael Goldstein & Family

Best wishes to all for a Happy Chanukah

Happy Chanukah

Happy Chanukah to our friends

Our warmest wishes for a joyous Chanukah

Chuck & Dee Fried

Cheryl & Franklin Lewis

Jack & Maryann Bernstein

Warm Chanukah Greetings from

Warm Chanukah Greetings from

Beth Guttman Dorothy Engelhardt

We wish the Dayton Jewish community a very happy Chanukah

Carol Graff

Cindy Pretekin & Jeff Froelich My warmest wishes for a joyous Chanukah Jan Maharam

Mike & Joanna Cohen

Happy Chanukah Bubbles N Bows Pet Grooming 2517 Patterson Rd. 937-253-6464 PAGE 22

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2019

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Classes

Temple Beth Or Classes: Sat., Dec. 7, 10 a.m. & Sun., Dec. 15, 10 a.m.: Tanakh w. Rabbi Chessin. 5275 Marshall Rd., Wash. Twp. 435-3400.

Temple Israel Classes: Tues., Dec. 3, 10, 17, 5:30 p.m.: Musar. Wed., Dec. 4, 18, noon: Talmud. Thurs., Dec. 5, 19, noon: Back to Basics.

Saturdays, 9:30 a.m.: Torah Study. 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. 496-0050.

Chanukah

JCC Cultural Arts & Book Series

Andrew Ridker, The Altruists: Tues., Dec. 10, 7 p.m.

Woodbourne Library, 6060 Far Hills Ave., Centerville. Free.

Myla Goldberg, Feast Your Eyes: Wed., Dec. 11, 7 p.m.

Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville. $5 in advance, $8 at door. 610-1555 or jewishdayton.org.

Temple Israel Torah on Tap: Mon., Dec. 9, 6 p.m. Chappy’s Social House, 7880 Washington Village Dr., Centerville.

Discussion w. rabbi. First round on the temple.

Naomi Nachman, Perfect Flavors: Tues., Dec. 17, 6 p.m.

Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville. Cooking demo includes kosher dinner by Rochel Simon. $36 in advance, no walk-ins. R.S.V.P. by Dec. 10 to 610-1555 or jewishdayton. org.

Children & Youths

Community Events

Discussions

JYG Chanukah Party & Movie Night: Sat., Dec. 14, 6:30-9 p.m. Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville. $5.

610-1555.

JCC Winter Camp Shalom: Dec. 23-31, 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.

Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville. Register at jewishdayton.org.

Young Adults

YAD Chanukah Shabbat Dinner: Fri., Dec. 27, 6:30 p.m.

At the home of Regina & Ben Bean. Free. R.S.V.P. to 6101555.

Adults

Chabad’s Big Babka Bake: Sat., Dec. 7, 7 p.m. W. Rochel Simon. 2001 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood. $18. Wine & refreshments. R.S.V.P. to chabaddayton.com or 6430770.

JCC Dine Out @ North China: Tues., Dec. 10, 6 p.m. 6090 Far Hills Ave., Centerville.

Before CABS 7 p.m. program w.

Andrew Ridker. Pay your own way for dinner. R.S.V.P. to Amy Dolph, 401-1551.

The Beat - Making Klezmer Music at the J: Wed., Dec. 4, 6:30 p.m. W. Rich Begel.

Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville. 610-1555.

Temple Beth Or’s Annual Artisan Fair & Brisket Lunch: Sun., Dec. 8, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. $10 brisket lunch. 5275 Marshall Rd., Wash. Twp. Preorder brisket by lb. & chopped liver by 1/2 lb. at templebethor.com.

435-3400.

Temple Israel Chili Cook Off: Fri., Dec. 20, 6 p.m. Shabbat service followed by cookoff.

Free with pot of chili. $5 adults, $3 children 4-12, 3 and under free. 130 Riverside Dr., R.S.V.P. to 496-0050.

JFS Mitzvah Mission: Wed., Dec. 25, 10 a.m.-noon.

Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville. 610-1555.

Temple Israel Chanukah Happening: Sun., Dec. 8, 11 a.m. Lunch available for purchase. $5 adults, $3 children 4-12, 3 and under free. 130 Riverside Dr., R.S.V.P. to 4960050.

JFS Annual Chanukah Brunch: Sun., Dec. 15, 11 a.m. $15 advance, $20 at door.

Temple Israel, 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. R.S.V.P. to 6101555.

JCC Community Chanukah Party: Thurs., Dec. 19, 5:307:30 p.m. Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville.

Dinner, games, activities. $10 adults, $5 children by Dec. 15. $15 adults, $10 children after Dec. 15. Ages 2 and under free.

R.S.V.P. to 610-1555.

Chabad Helicopter Gelt Drop & Chanukah Party: Sun., Dec. 22, 3-5 p.m. Kettering-Moraine Metro Library, 3496 Far Hills Ave., Kettering. $10 per family.

Register at chabaddayton.com or 643-0770.

Beth Abraham Wok N’Roll Chanukah Dinner & Movie: Tues., Dec. 24, 5:30 p.m. $10 adults, $6 12 and under. 305 Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood.

R.S.V.P. to 293-9520.

Chabad Kids Chanukah Candle Workshop: Wed., Dec. 25, 5 p.m. 2001 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood. 643-0770.

Men

Chabad Bagels, Lox & Tefillin: Sun., Dec. 1, 9:30 a.m. 2001 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood. 6430770.

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Beth Jacob Chanukah Party: Sat., Dec. 28, 6:45 p.m. Bring menorah. Children’s games, make your own pizza. 7020 N. Main St., Harrison Twp. R.S.V.P. to 274-2149.

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Women

Chabad Women’s Circle Pre-Chanukah Party & Craft Night: Sun., Dec. 15, 7 p.m.

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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2019

PAGE 23

A BISEL KISEL

How does it feel to be white? of black slaves, the history of whiteness denotes domination, oppression, cruelty.

Whiteness also signifies access to restricted spaces and scarce resources. Although Jewish immigrants from Europe never suffered the same degree of injustice here in America as have indigenous Americans or African Americans, they were, at various points in history, not considered white.

Masha Jewish Americans benefitted Kisel from the Naturalization Act of 1790, which declared full citizenship to “all free white persons;” Jews had full legal rights on the context, might exclude while black Americans were Ashkenazi Jews. And I am not slaves and Chinese Americans the only one. could not become citizens.

Emma Green’s Are Jews Yet, in practice, Jewish peoWhite? was published in The ple were barred from certain Atlantic just a month after the jobs and neighborhoods for 2016 presidential election as a several hundred more years. response to the rise of the “altThe popuright.” larity of the A more recent Jewish identity is bogus science article by Atiya a constellation of of eugenics Husain with in early 20th the same title in ethnicity, culture, century AmerSlate documents and religion, with ica stereotyped a legal case of a Christian a very long history Jews as “physically inferior.” convert who of discrimination Unflattering was denied a portrayals of position as a and persecution.

Jewish neufootball coach rotic weaklings because of his persist in American popular “Jewish blood.” culture to this day.

Jewish identity is a constelDespite any social discomlation of ethnicity, culture, fort that Jews might feel, Nylah and religion, with a very long Burton, a Jewish woman of history of discrimination and color, asks Ashkenazi Jews to persecution. How do we map all that complexity onto discus- remember their institutional white privilege in White Jews, sions of Jewishness and race in Stop Calling Yourselves WhiteAmerica?

Passing, published in the ForIn America, a country built ward, July 2, 2018. on the bones of indigenous She admits that antisemitism people and on the broken backs “Am I white?” is not a question I would have asked 10 years ago because all I had to do was look in the mirror to learn the answer.

Since 2016, however, I have become more aware of whiteness as an unstable sociohistorical construct that, depending

poses a threat to Ashkenazi Jews, but “it is rarely coded into every aspect of our lives,” the way race is.

“You may not feel white,” she writes “but that doesn’t take away the privilege. In America, race is not a choice.

It’s assigned.”

So how does it feel to be white, and why don’t Ashkenazi Jews feel it?

Until fairly recently, white identity was not broadly discussed. As writer Junot Diaz puts it: “We live in a society where default whiteness goes unremarked — no one ever asks it for its passport.”

You know that you’re white when you don’t think about what you are. Scholar Zachary Braiterman distinguishes the privileged experiences of white Jews from the discrimination faced by people of color.

Still, he classifies Ashkenazi Jews as “off-white” because, as he argues, Jewish people often experience the self-conscious unease of a minority. They may feel white in predominantly Jewish communities, but that’s not the case in much of America.

As Braiterman puts it: “whiteness is a majority status, a ‘comfort’ or fit into the general order of things as norm.

Comfort is a psycho-physical, political disposition. You count among the majority. As part of

a majority, there is no larger and more powerful thing out there to perturb one’s sense of self or place in the world.”

As a new immigrant in America, I didn’t feel that comfort, that my whiteness gave me the advantage of positive perception.

From grade school through college, I relied on government assistance but was never made to feel like a burden on the system.

I was a wise investment, a success story in the making, a “good girl,” no matter how hard I tried to be bad. I am especially aware of the generous narratives

adults projected onto me when I think about the dehumanizing comments about Central American and African refugees made by the same people who sincerely welcomed Soviet Jews in the 1980s and 1990s.

But even though I have experienced white privilege, it doesn’t feel permanent. I remember the day after the 2016 presidential election, a Jewish American friend of mine posted on Facebook: “I can hear the sound of jackboots at my doorstep.”

She wasn’t being literal, but I knew exactly what she meant.

The stable ground of the present moment was ripped asunder and what yawned beneath was the terrible, toothsome maw of history.

The vulnerability of people of color, of LGBTQ folk, of undocumented families dwarfed my own. And yet, the hateful rhetoric of the Trump campaign, which turned out not to be just empty talk — but turned to hateful action — felt and feels personal.

So many Americans were unwitting time travelers on the day after the election, each of us transported to our own historical nightmare.

“Would history repeat itself?” we asked.

It’s a special kind of privilege to fear the future. Although Jewish people are not yet being stripped of their civil rights, other groups are. That feeling of vulnerability, of “not feeling white” is not a denial of others’ suffering, it’s a tool of solidarity.

Many Jews today are acting on that sentiment by protesting at ICE detention facilities, standing up for racial justice, for equal rights of all people to love and marry, and by supporting their Muslim brothers and sisters who have been perhaps the most directly targeted by this administration.

If whiteness equals privilege and power, then those of us who possess it institutionally but don’t feel it subjectively have the political tools and the moral imperative to protect the most vulnerable among us.

Dr. Masha Kisel is a lecturer in English at the University of Dayton.

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RELIGION

By Sarah Gershman My Jewish Learning Chanukah’s proximity to Christmas can complicate the holiday. For those who try to make Chanukah more like Christmas, it inevitably seems to fall short.

Yet while Chanukah was traditionally not one of the most central holidays of the Jewish calendar, it can offer many opportunities for fun and joyous celebration. Here are some suggestions for how you can make this Chanukah memorable while staying true to the essential meaning of the holiday.

CONGREGATIONS asleep, Judith cut off his head and thereby saved her town from his tyranny.

Chanukah is also an ideal time to do fun activities like playing music, taking pictures or making home movies documenting the year’s celebration. One family I know drips Chanukah candle wax each night on their family album. Then, the following year, they take out the album, look at the wax and try to remember where they were and what they did on each night.

Making Chanukah with children meaningful

Bring light out of darkness There are many ways to make this year’s Chanukah a real Festival of Lights. As Rabbi Arthur Waskow writes in his book Seasons of Joy, “Chanukah is the moment when light is born from darkness, hope from despair.”

Historically, this was reflected in the unlikely victory of the Maccabees over the Greeks, in the oil that brought light for eight days instead of one, and in the very act of lighting candles during the darkest time of the year.

Before lighting candles, try taking your family on a night walk. Go outside together and feel how dark it is. Even in the city, the month of December has a special darkness to it.

Then come in from the cold and light the menorah. Feel the contrast between the darkness outside and the light inside.

The oil in the Temple Menorah can be understood as an early example of energy conservation. In keeping with that theme, try using environmentally sustainable candles in your menorah this year.

According to Hazon, a Jewish environmental organization, “beeswax, soy, and palm oil provide more natural alternatives to the traditional paraffin Chanukah candles.” Several vendors sell beeswax Chanukah candles, and GoodLight Natural Candles’ Chanukah candles not only claim to be “clean burning and non-toxic,” but the company “contributes to sustainable palm farming.”

Chanukah is also a wonderful time to bring light into the lives of those around us. The winter months can be especially difficult for those who need help.

Why not volunteer as a family at a local soup kitchen, shelter or any place that is meaningful to you? Jewish homes for the aged often have Chanukah parties or communal menorah lightings. These are opportunities to connect your children with the older generation and help make the celebration more festive for the residents.

as visible a spot as possible to fulfill the mitzvah of pirsumei nisa (publicizing the miracle).

And don’t forget the decorations. You may want to choose your own theme. I know one family that decorates their house with homemade pictures of Jewish holiday objects, which symbolize to them the uniqueness of Judaism — definitely a theme of the holiday.

Get creative Chanukah can be a great time for simple and fun family art projects. There is a custom for each member of the family to have his/her own menorah. This year, why not make your own? You can buy lots of small votive candles (yahrzeit candles are an inexpensive way to do this) and decorate the glass with a collage of colorful pieces of tissue paper.

When the votives are lit, light shines through the tissue paper like stained glass. This is a great menorah for the Friday night of the holiday, when the candles are supposed to burn for at least two hours — as long as Shabbat candles burn.

No matter what kind of menorah you use, try to place it in

Make each night special One of the wonderful things about Chanukah is that it lasts eight days. Giving each night a special theme can increase the excitement and take some of the attention away from presents. Themes might include tzedakah (righteous giving) night, sing-off night, party night and, of course, presents night. I know a family that eats a different kind of potato latke for dinner each night. Apples, cauliflower or even meat can be delicious additions to the traditional potato latke.

Cheese is also a great Chanukah food, as it recollects the heroism of Judith, who cleverly fed Holofernes, an Assyrian general, salty cheese and wine.

When the general promptly fell

December Kislev/Tevet

Shabbat Candle Lightings December 6, 4:54 p.m.

December 13, 4:55 p.m.

December 20, 4:57 p.m.

December 27, 5:01 p.m.

Torah Portions December 7 Vayetze (Gen. 28:10-32:3) December 14 Vayishlach (Gen. 32:4-36:43) December 21 Vayeshev (Gen. 37:1-40:23) December 28 Miketz (Gen. 41:1-44:17; Num. 28:9-15, Num. 7:42-47)

Celebrate our uniqueness as Jews One of the miracles of Chanukah is that the Jewish people were able to reconsecrate the Temple — our spiritual center and a powerful symbol of our uniqueness.

Chanukah today presents us with the opportunity to reconsecrate our own uniqueness as a religion, a people, and a culture.

Chanukah is a time to discuss as a family some of the blessings and challenges of being Jewish in a predominantly Christian country. One way to spark discussion on this subject is to watch a movie that in some way tackles the subject of assimilation.

Some suggestions include My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Avalon, Keeping the Faith, The Jazz Singer, Monsoon Wedding, and American Desi.

Snowflakes could be a wonderful seasonal Chanukah symbol, as no two are alike.

You can even make “Chanukah snowflakes” out of colorful paper and use them to decorate the house. And if Chanukah happens to fall on a snowy day, take a walk outside and really look at the snowflakes that fall on your hand and try to see the differences between them.

Chanukah

Festival of Lights

Dec. 23-30 25 Kislev-2 Tevet Eight-day holiday commemorating Jewish victory over the Syrian-Greeks and the miracle of the rededication of the Temple. One day’s oil for the Temple Menorah lasted eight days. A chanukiah (menorah) is lit for eight nights, and latkes (potato pancakes) are fried in oil to commemorate the story. Children play with dreidels, and gifts are exchanged.

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2019

Beth Abraham Synagogue Conservative Rabbi Joshua Ginsberg Cantor/Dir. of Ed. & Programming Andrea Raizen Mornings, Mon. & Thurs., 7 a.m.; Tues., Wed., Fri., 7:15 a.m.

Sundays, 8:30 a.m. Evenings, Mon.-Fri., 5:30 p.m. Sat. 9 a.m. w. Youth Service 10:30 a.m. 305 Sugar Camp Circle, Oakwood. 2939520. BethAbrahamDayton.org Beth Jacob Congregation Traditional Rabbi Leibel Agar Saturdays 9:30 a.m. Yahrzeit minyans available upon advance request. 7020 N. Main St., Dayton.

274-2149. BethJacobCong.org Temple Anshe Emeth Reform Rabbinic Intern Caroline Sim Friday, Dec. 6, 7:30 p.m.

320 Caldwell St., Piqua.

Contact Steve Shuchat, 937-7262116, AnsheEmeth@gmail.com. ansheemeth.org Temple Beth Or Reform Rabbi Judy Chessin Educator/Rabbi Ari Ballaban Fridays 7 p.m.

Saturdays 10 a.m.

5275 Marshall Rd., Wash. Twp. 435-3400. templebethor.com Temple Beth Sholom Reform Rabbi Haviva Horvitz See Web site for schedule.

610 Gladys Dr., Middletown.

513-422-8313. thetemplebethsholom.com Temple Israel Reform Senior Rabbi Karen Bodney-Halasz Rabbi/Educator Tina Sobo First Friday each month 6 p.m.

All other Fridays 6:30 p.m.

Saturdays 10:30 a.m.

130 Riverside Dr., Dayton.

496-0050. tidayton.org Temple Sholom Reform Rabbi Cary Kozberg Fridays 6 p.m.

2424 N. Limestone St., Springfield. 399-1231. templesholomoh.com

ADDITIONAL SERVICES Chabad of Greater Dayton Rabbi Nochum Mangel Associate Rabbi Shmuel Klatzkin Youth & Prog. Dir. Rabbi Levi Simon, Teen & Young Adult Prog.

Dir. Rabbi Elchonon Chaikin.

Beginner educational service Saturdays 9 a.m. adults, 10 a.m children. Sundays 9 a.m.

2001 Far Hills Ave. 643-0770. www.chabaddayton.com Yellow Springs Havurah Independent Services 1st & 3rd Saturdays, 10-noon. Antioch College Rockford Chapel. Contact Len Kramer, 937572-4840 or len2654@gmail.com.

PAGE 25

JEWISH FAMILY EDUCATION

A heritage of civility Our Dual Heritage

Whatever happened to fair dealing?

And pure ethics And nice manners?

Why is it everyone now is a pain in the ass?

Whatever happened to class?

— Chicago, the musical

Candace R. Kwiatek When I was growing up, please and thank you were commonplace, along with other rules of civility.

Don’t be crude, rude, or profane. Watch your temper. Mind your manners. Speak politely and thoughtfully. Don’t rush to judgment. Show respect. Care for others’ property at least as well as your own. Dress appropriately for the occasion.

Pick up after yourself. Be kind.

Wear a pleasant face. Don’t make the private public.

Such behavior was expected because it demonstrated respect for people and society.

Today, the media is filled

with salacious gossip, intimate personal details, and crudity.

Modes of dress range from pajamas in university classes to picnic attire at formal weddings.

Name-calling and humiliation have been elevated from the playground to the political arena. Speech has become careless, tactless, and frequently profane. Smartphone conversations invade airplanes, restaurants, and checkout counters.

People flash “the finger” while driving and accost political opponents in restaurants, on streets, and at their homes.

According to findings of the annual Civility in America poll, 93 percent of Americans view the disintegration of civility — described by UPenn’s president Judith Rodin as a “nuclear explosion of incivility,” — as a problem.

Today’s concerns about civility echo those of Chicago’s early 20th century Jazz Age and of earlier eras as well. Puritan John Winthrop’s Massachusetts Bay Colony, guided by his impassioned shipboard sermon on civil behavior, became the “epitome of a tight-knit society

that made civility a precondition to daily survival,” notes historian David Abshire, although it often fell short of the ideal.

During the pre-Revolutionary era, “…colonists were meeting in taverns and trying to hash out how they thought their ‘civil society’…should work,” writes historian Vaughn Scribner, “but were growing increasingly dismayed at how it actually did work.”

According to social historian John Kasson, new notions of gentility became the civilizing agents of the growing American middle class and immigrant populations over the next centuries, notwithstanding some glaring failures: Jim Crow laws, sports riots, campus shoutdowns.

A prominent voice on contemporary cultural issues, John Garvey concludes, “The history of civility in (America) is best described as one of hills and valleys across the decades, rather than one of sharp decline in our own generation.”

I’m not sure I agree. While the expectation of civility has been a constant, it seems we’re continually lowering its bar.

What does the Bible have to say? Of course there are laws of civil behavior: returning a lost

Perhaps we’re due for a civility reboot.

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object, helping an enemy lift a fallen animal, putting fences around dangerous places.

“Some behavior must be legislated in order for society to function,” writes Rabbi Peretz Rodman, but civilized behavior shouldn’t always need laws.

No laws instruct Abraham to greet the three strangers approaching his tent, or remind Rebekah to water the camels of Abraham’s servant, or tell the jailed Joseph to respond kindly to the butler and baker.

No laws guide Pharaoh’s daughter to rescue the endangered baby Moses or push Jethro to offer Moses caring leadership advice.

In each story, only human decency prompts the interaction.

In the Talmud, civility, or derech eretz, is simply “the way of the land,” as in good manners, greeting others before they greet us, and inviting elders to dine first.

Other examples include “speaking calmly and gently to people, eating sitting down like a human being… dressing in clothes that are clean and presentable…and generally behaving like a mensch,” writes Rabbi Julian Sinclair.

Both Bible and Talmud suggest derech eretz is elemental to the human condition and precedes the influence of Torah in forming human personality.

Rabbi Eliyahu Safran offers the additional perspective that, without human decency, without menschlichkeit, even the best technical performance of the mitzvot (commandments) falls flat. Therefore Jewish tradition teaches, “Derech eretz comes

Happy Chanukah

before Torah.”

Talmudic debates among the sages illustrate civility in action. For starters, Rabbi Amy Katz points out conversations “only with like-minded people… never (challenge us) to reexamine our ideas.”

During debates, the sages would listen respectfully, then “state the positions of their opponents before their own, and they would do so fairly,” notes the Accidental Talmudist, Salvador Litvak.

Whenever a scholar reported an unacceptable opinion, he wasn’t silenced or asked to retract it, nor was he personally rejected or regarded as arrogant.

Furthermore, both majority and minority opinions were recorded. A Talmudic story in which a heavenly voice declares that both Rabbi Hillel and Rabbi Shammai reflect God’s will establishes the principle that different opinions can be equally valid. “(This) became the foundation upon which Jews hold themselves responsible for respectful dialogue and debate,” writes Rabbi Laura Winer. “We have to acknowledge the sincerity of each other’s opinions, the intelligence by which each comes to those opinions,…(and) the humanity of those with whom we engage in dialogue (even though) we may not agree.”

The most well-known Talmudic illustration of derech eretz is the tale of a young man who wants to learn the Torah on one foot. The sage Hillel thoughtfully responds, “Do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you.” This is derech eretz — civility — at its essence. Perhaps we’re due for a civility reboot.

Literature to share Artisans of Israel: Transcending Tradition by Lynn Holstein.

This hefty coffee table book showcases the unique works and diverse backgrounds of 40 Israeli artists and craftspersons using materials and techniques in new and unexpected ways.

Embroidered ceramics by Bedouin Zenab Garbia. Worldrenowned luxury watches by Itay Noy. Silver filigree jewelry and ritual items by Yemenite immigrant Ben Zion David. Nature-inspired wood inlay by arabesque artist Muhamed Said Kalash. Portraits and photos of the lives and designs of these artisans draw the reader immediately into the text, which uses stories to explore modern Israel’s history and themes of migration, identity, empowerment, and spirituality. Not just for art lovers, this volume is beautiful and engaging.

On One Foot by Linda Glaser. This picture book is a delightful retelling of the Talmudic story about a young man who wants to learn the Torah while standing on one foot. Glaser explains Rabbi Hillel’s wisdom, “Do not do unto others…,” through a cleverly expanded storyline and whimsical mixed media images. A delightful story all around.

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2019

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Lemon ricotta fritters: Easier, just as delish as jelly doughnuts

By Leanne Shor, The Nosher I know that sufganiyot — jelly doughnuts — are traditional and beloved for Chanukah. But I feel confident that once you try these easy and incredibly delicious ricotta fritters, you will be converted to these sweet fried treats.

And if I’m making a confession, I have actually never loved traditional sufganiyot.

Sometimes our family made our own or bought from local bakeries, but were usually left feeling kind of “meh.” They were always a bit too bready and heavy.

Around 10 years ago, my sister enlightened us all with these perfectly crisp, round fritters. They’re so light and creamy, with a hint of fresh lemon zest.

The batter comes together in just five minutes, and it is as easy as making pancakes. We love to warm up some of my mom’s homemade jellies and jams for dipping.

Since these babies are at their absolute best right when they’re fresh, I like to fry them up while I make tea after the holiday meal. The “wow” factor of fresh fritters is incomparable!

Our guests love the deconstructed sufganiyot because it’s unexpected and gets people talking. I serve a variety of warm jellies like pomegranate, peach and blackberry.

Note: I doubt you will have any fritters left over, but if you do, store them in a paper bag for one or two days at room temperature.

11/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 4 tsp. baking powder 2 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest 4 eggs 1/3 cup granulated sugar

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2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese 21/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 4-6 cups canola oil, for frying 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 cup jam or jelly (I love pomegranate, peach, and blackberry but feel free to use whatever jam you like) 1. Heat the oil in a large pot on medium heat until it reaches 365.

2. In the meantime, in a large bowl combine the eggs, ricotta, sugar and vanilla extract.

Whisk to thoroughly combine. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder and lemon zest; whisk to thoroughly combine.

3. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir with a spoon until the batter just comes together and there are no lumps of flour.

4. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, you can check if the oil is hot enough by placing a wooden spoon in the hot oil. If small bubbles form around the spoon immediately, the oil is hot enough.

When the oil has come to temperature, use a No. 40 cookie scoop (two tablespoons) to carefully scoop the batter into the hot oil without crowding the pan.

5. Cook for about two to three minutes per side until deep golden brown.

Check the first fritter for doneness on the inside.

6. Use a slotted spoon or metal spider to remove the fritters and any excess oil, then transfer to paper towels to drain.

7. Dust with powdered sugar.

8. In a small pan, heat the jam or jelly until it becomes liquid, then transfer to a serving bowl. Serve immediately for best results. Serves 24 fritters.

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PAGE 27

Chili

Cook-off

Friday, December 20

Bake your latkes this Chanukah

By Paula Shoyer, The Nosher Everyone loves potato latkes, but no one likes the mess of frying them or the guilt associated with eating them. These latkes are baked in the oven and easily won over my kids.

You do need to watch them so they don’t burn; they were done at different times in different ovens. And my pickled applesauce is basically a tangyspicy applesauce, which we also eat like eating with schnitzel.

Note: Latkes may be made two days in advance and reheated in the oven or frozen; applesauce may be made four days in advance. You can also serve this with classic applesauce.

2 Tbsp. sunflower or safflower oil, or more if needed 1/2 medium onion, quartered 3 scallions, ends trimmed, cut into thin slices or chopped into small pieces 3 medium potatoes (about 11/2 lbs.), scrubbed clean and unpeeled 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice 2 large eggs 1/2 tsp. baking powder 2 Tbsp. potato starch 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. black pepper For the Pickled Applesauce 1 tsp. sunflower or safflower oil 1/3 cup red onions, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar 2 apples, peeled and cut into 1/2inch cubes 1/4 tsp. ground coriander 1/4 tsp. ground ginger 1 cinnamon stick 1/4 tsp. salt Pinch black pepper To make the latkes, preheat the oven to 450. When the oven is hot, pour two tablespoons of oil onto two jelly roll

Grab a spoon. Taste a few. Pick the winner.

pans and turn them in every direction so that the oil coats the pans. Heat the pans in the oven for five minutes.

Place the onions and scallions in the bowl of a food processor and chop them into small pieces. Place them in a medium bowl. Shred the potatoes by hand on the large holes of a box grater or in a food processor with the shredding blade, and place in the bowl. Add the lemon juice, eggs, baking powder, potato starch, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Very carefully (I mean really carefully; move very slowly) remove one of the pans and use your hands or a spoon to scoop up and drop clumps of the potato mixture, a little less than 1/4 cup, onto the pan. I use my hands. Press the mixture down to flatten it a little.

Place the pan in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes and immediately remove the second oiled pan. Repeat the same process with the remaining potato mixture and bake the second pan of latkes for 10 to 12 minutes. Bake them until the edges are well browned, and then with a slotted spatula turn them over and cook the latkes for another eight to 10 minutes, or until the bottoms are browned. These can be made two days in advance and reheated in the oven.

Meanwhile, to make the applesauce, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook them for three minutes, until they soften. Add the vinegar and brown sugar and cook for another three minutes.

Add the apples, coriander, ginger, cinnamon stick, salt and pepper, and cook, covered, on low heat for 15 minutes, or until the apples are soft. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes and then puree it, using an immersion blender or a food processor. The applesauce can be made four days in advance and served warm or cold. Makes 25 latkes.

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Happy

Naomi Nachman dishes up Perfect Flavors for Chanukah

By Norene Gilletz Canadian Jewish News Kosher cookbook author Naomi Nachman will visit Dayton with her newest cookbook, Perfect Flavors: Creative, Easy-ToPrepare Recipes Inspired by My Family and Travels, on Dec. 17, just in time for Chanukah gift giving.

Nachman is a cooking teacher, food columnist, recipe developer, and personal chef. She is the author of the bestselling cookbook, Perfect for Pesach.

In Perfect Flavors, Nachman shares her passion and enthusiasm for cooking, serving, eating, and sharing amazing food every single day. For Nachman, it’s all about cooking the food that we love for the people we love.

In Perfect Flavors, she shares many of her favorite recipes collected over the years from her global travels, as well as old favorites with a new twist.

Perfect Flavors contains more than 130 creative kosher recipes with tips and variations.

Nachman also provides information on kitchen essentials, and herbs and spices. Whether you’re looking for elegant and sophisticated cuisine or a quick and wholesome meal, you’ll find what you need among these delicious, doable recipes.

You can meet the vivacious Nachman in person Dec. 17 when she presents a cooking demonstration at the Boonshoft CJCE as part of the JCC’s The JCC Cultural Arts & Book Series presents a cooking demonstration with Naomi Nachman and kosher dinner prepared by Rochel Simon at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 17 at the Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville. Tickets are $36 in advance (no walkins). R.S.V.P. by Dec. 10 at jewishdayton.org or 610-1555.

Cultural Arts & Book Series; Rochel Simon will provide a kosher dinner for participants.

Nachman developed her love of innovative cooking growing up in Australia, watching her mother and grandmother prepare amazing meals.

In 2004, she started her own kosher personal chef business, The Aussie Gourmet (TheAussieGourmet.com).

She hosts a weekly show, Table for Two with Naomi Nachman, on the Nachum Segal Network (nachumsegal.com).

She also covers food and travel trends in a monthly magazine Naomi Nachman column for Mishpacha Magazine. As a con(Mesorah Publications/Novemtributing editor for The Jewish ber 2018).

Home newspaper, her articles and recipes are published weekly Crockpot Onion and Flanken Soup across the counMeat — Yields eight servings try. Nachman — Freezer friendly is also a recipe Naomi shares: “Who doesn’t developer and love a big bowl of onion soup? brand ambassador for several However, making it can be time-consuming, as you have to major food companies, represent- sauté the onions for a long time while stirring them. This recipe ing them across allows you to skip the sautéing, several media as your crockpot does all the platforms.

Nachman lives work for you.” in Woodmere, 12 onions sliced into halfN.Y. with her husband and moons children.

1 Tbsp. kosher salt The recipes here, perfect 1/2 tsp. freshly ground for your Chanukah table, are black pepper reprinted with permission from 1/4 cup canola oil Perfect Flavors by Naomi Nachman. Photos by Miriam Pascal Continued on next page

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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2019

PAGE 29

The Law Office of

Alan D. Gabel

222-5335 • alan.gabel@yahoo.com P.O. Box 1423, Dayton, Ohio 45401

Criminal Defense • DUI • Personal Injury Wills • Juvenille Cases • Traffic Offenses Domestic Relations/Divorce Happy Chanukah to the Jews Stay Strong! Love! of Dayton, Cincinnati, Azerbaijan, Never Forget!

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Wishing you a Happy Chanukah

Perfect Flavors Continued from previous page 2 lbs. bone-in flanken 4 cups beef, chicken, or vegetable broth 3/4 cup red wine 1/4 cup red miso paste

Naomi writes: “Thanksgiving has always had a special meaning to me. I came to America on Thanksgiving and Combine onions, salt, pepper, met my husband and oil in a crockpot; stir to exactly a year latcombine. er on ThanksgivAdd flanken to the crocking. This recipe pot; cover with onion mixture. is a twist on a Cover; cook on high for four turducken, which to five hours, until onions are is a deboned golden brown. chicken stuffed Add broth, wine, and miso into a deboned paste; stir to combine. Cook on duck, stuffed into high for an additional hour. a deboned turkey, Turducken Capons Cook’s Tip: Miso paste is a with layers of paste made from fermented stuffing between each bird. bean curd. Used primarily This is a dark meat chicken in Japanese cooking, it adds capon stuffed with turkey and umami, depth of flavor, to the wrapped in duck fry. It’s a dishes. Miso paste is available whole new take on turkey.” in a variety of colors; the darker the color, the stronger the flaStuffing vor. I use them interchangeably.

2 Tbsp. canola oil 1 small onion, diced Turducken Capons 2 cloves garlic, minced Meat — Yields eight servings — 1 cup frozen spinach, Freezer friendly thawed and squeezed dry

Best wishes to all for a Happy Chanukah

Best wishes to all for a Happy Chanukah

From Jan Rudd-Goenner

Steve, Shara, Rachel & Natalie Taylor

Wishing You A Happy Chanukah.

The Pavlofsky Families Are you reading this? So is the entire Jewish community.

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PAGE 30

DAVID L. ROER, M.D. GARY M. YOURA, M.D. JOHN M. RAHE, M.D. LINDA M. MEISTER, M.D. JENNIFER M. CONLON, M.D. SHALINI A. RYAN, D.O. JENNIFER M. FELDMAN, M.D. ELIZABETH A. DARKWA, M.D. 9000 North Main Street Dayton, Ohio 45415 (937) 832-7337

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1 cup (tightly packed) cubes day-old challah or bread 1-lb. ground turkey 1 tsp kosher salt 1/2 tsp. dried thyme 1 tsp. chilli powder 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup 8 chicken capons (dark meat chicken cutlets) 1 tsp. kosher salt 1 tsp. paprika 1 tsp. onion powder 3 (3-oz.) packages duck fry or pastrami 2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Prepare the stuffing: Heat oil over medium heat in a large frying pan. Add onion; sauté, stirring occasionally, until translucent, five to seven minutes.

Add garlic and spinach; cook for an additional five minutes.

Add bread cubes; cook for one to two minutes. Remove from heat.

Add turkey, salt, thyme, chili powder, and maple syrup to the spinach mixture. Stir until combined.

Assemble the capons: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place about 1/4 cup turkey stuffing onto the center of each capon; then roll up. Place capons, seam-side down, in a large baking pan. (Do not overcrowd the pan; use two pans if necessary.)

Sprinkle salt, paprika, and onion powder over the tops of the capons, then drape duck fry or pastrami over each one.

Combine maple syrup and balsamic vinegar; brush mixture over the top of each capon, set aside some of the mixture.

Cover tightly; bake for one hour. Uncover, brush again with maple syrup mixture, and bake for an additional 10 minutes, uncovered. Slice and serve.

Cook’s Tip: For a unique side dish, bake any remaining stuffing in muffin tins at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2019

Happy Chanukah

Best wishes to all for a Happy Chanukah

Harold, Melissa, Jason, Adam & Ben Guadalupe

The Garfunkel Family

Esther & DeNeal Feldman

Our warmest wishes for a joyous Chanukah

Best wishes to all for a Happy Chanukah

Best wishes to all for a Happy Chanukah

Ann, Skip, Catie, Brianna, Allie Becker

Rina & Jeff Thau

Our warmest wishes for a joyous Chanukah

A sweet and joyous Chanukah

A sweet and joyous Chanukah

Jeff & Cathy Startzman

Happy Chanukah

Happy Chanukah from your Northern Neighbors

Warm Chanukah greetings from

Cong. Anshe Emeth, Piqua

Sylvia & Ralph

Warm Chanukah greetings from

Best wishes to all for a Happy Chanukah

Howard, Judy, Daniel, Pam, Michael, Scott, Ellison, Oliver & Henry Abromowitz, Jill, Brent, Daria, Tzipi, Lyla & Vered Gutmann

Robert & Vicky Heuman

Happy Chanukah

Best wishes to all for a Happy Chanukah

Bonnie & Sandy Mendelson

Art & Joan Greenfield & Family

Louise Stein

Debby, Bob, Alicia & Teddy Goldenberg

Gayle & Irvin Moscowitz

Best wishes to all for a Happy Chanukah

Happy Chanukah

Best wishes to all for a Happy Chanukah

Best wishes to all for a Happy Chanukah

Wishing you and yours a very Happy Chanukah

John, Elaine, Claire & Sarah Gaglione

Maureen & Marc Sternberg

The Sanderow Family

Marvin & Susan Mason

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2019

Sue & Don Zulanch

PAGE 31

Arts&Culture

George Baier IV

Moral failings at a private university Wok N’Roll

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305 Sugar Camp Circle • Dayton, Ohio 45409 937-293-9520 • bethabrahamdayton.org Are you reading this? So is the entire Jewish community.

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By Talya Zax, Forward Andrew Ridker was writing about Jewish novelists before he became one. I know this because we were college classmates, and I read a fair portion of Andrew’s thesis on Philip Roth. Now he’s published his debut novel, The Altruists, set partially in St. Louis, the city where we attended college. It’s a novel about a supremely dysfunctional family, a pair of neurotic siblings in their 20s whose relationships with their feckless father become toxic after their mother dies, leaving them a substantial amount of money and bypassing her husband. Among its many good qualities, it nicely interrogates the moral failings of our alma mater. Well, sort of.

Here’s our chat about The Altruists, a very biased conversation, edited for clarity.

I always thought you were very clued in to the world of Jewish literature. Is that accurate? What was your entry point?

My parents were big Philip Roth readers. From there, I discovered Bernard Malamud and Saul Bellow.

From a young age, those were the grown-up books on the shelf to be taken down.

You once mentioned to me that although the central characters in The Altruists are Jewish, you saw the novel as only tangentially Jewish in subject matter. How did you choose to approach that facet of this work?

This is the internal debate I have, which, of course, is echoed in the broader conundrum of secular Jewishness in America: How Jewish am I? How Jewish is the book. Who gets to make those decisions?

I didn’t think I was writing a Jewish book, and then I showed it to friends and family who told me it was 100 percent Jewish. The central themes, in my view, are money, morality, and family, and I think I approached those from a Jewish context, but I didn’t realize that at the time. The book is Jewish in exactly the way I’m Jewish. It’s not at the front of my mind but takes up a huge amount of space in the background.

This book is rooted in St. Louis, where we went to college.

Did the city’s character influence the novel’s formation?

Going to college — particularly a private university — in a city is obviously not a representative look at a place. I think I had a limited exposure to the

Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton is proud to be accredited by the National Institute for Jewish Hospice

Andrew Ridker

city in the years that I was in St. Louis. At the same time, it was the first place I ever lived for a sustained period of time away from home. My antennae were up. I noticed things I wouldn’t have noticed in my own home.

I started to find myself being drawn to spaces in the city that seemed like good staging grounds for issues of class. So there are a lot of scenes set in exclusive spaces, like gated neighborhoods and museums, and then there are more public places like parks or the botanical gardens. Spaces where people seclude themselves, and places where people are forced to interact across boundaries.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

By high school, if not before.

But when you decide that you want to be something when you’re 13, you don’t have any idea what that profession looks like. My idea of being a writer was Parisian cafés, being a bohemian layabout. But I’m very poorly suited to be a bohemian layabout. I’m way too neurotic and I can’t hold my liquor very well. The actual writer’s life, which in my case involves waking up early and sitting alone for a few hours, was very well suited to the person I grew up being.

All the names of our college institutions are changed a little in The Altruists. It’s Danforth University, not Washington University, etc. Why the changes?

Continued on Page 35

324 Wilmington Ave. Dayton 937.256.4490 1.800.653.4490 www.hospiceofdayton.org PAGE 32

The JCC Cultural Arts & Book Series presents Andrew Ridker at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 10 at the Woodbourne Library, 6060 Far Hills Ave., Centerville. The event is free.

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2019

Arts&Culture

Novel is honest about illegal abortions

By Emily Burack, Kveller Author Myla Goldberg is back, with Feast Your Eyes, a beautiful, compelling novel about a female photographer who grapples with being a mom and an artist.

The novel is structured as catalog notes from an exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. It’s a retrospective focused on Lillian, a street photographer; the 118 notes describe each photograph and are written from the perspective of her daughter, interwoven with oral histories from Lillian’s friends, lovers, and peers.

Set in the 1950s through the early 1970s, Feast Your Eyes is, at its core, a story of mothers and daughters. In this fictional world, Lillian shot to infamy for an image of herself and her daughter, Samantha, after Lillian gets an illegal abortion.

Goldberg’s frank address of abortion, particularly the challenges of abortions in pre-Roe v. Wade America, makes Feast Your Eyes feel particularly suited for our current moment.

We spoke with Goldberg — who has two daughters, ages 15 and 11 — on writing about photography, illegal abortions, and the elusive search for a worklife balance.

What inspired you to write about a street photographer?

I lovingly call (the book) my “midlife crisis” novel. It started with (questions) I’ve been grappling with ever since I had children. My oldest is now 15, and ever since I started on the whole process of parenthood, I was always kind of grappling, as we all do, on how to balance the different things in our lives. My artistic ambitions and aspirations are demanding of a certain amount of time and attention — as are small mammals, who require care and feeding! So this book kind of started with just me asking the question, are there any examples of brilliant artists who are also brilliant parents? Can you be both? That was a starting point.

I knew I wanted to write about a female artist and explore that question through that lens. And then, I can’t draw to save my life, but I’m a very visuThe JCC Cultural Arts & Book Series presents Myla Goldberg at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 11 at the Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville.

Tickets are $5 in advance, $8 at the door, available at jewishdayton.org, by calling 610-1555, or the evening of the event.

ally oriented person. I’m a very visual thinker, and I’ve always been fascinated by photography. I think because it seems the closest in my grasp; I can’t draw, but I can click a shutter. Like, I can do that, couldn’t I? (Laughs) The photographs you describe in the book feel so real. How did you conjure up those images? Were you looking at images?

Yeah, I stole pretty much all of those.

(Laughs) The great thing about working with images in words is you can take anything. Cause if I’m describing it, it’s not like I’m using the actual photo.

What real-life photographers did you draw inspiration from for Lillian’s work?

In the back of the book, in the acknowledgements, I give a gigantic list.

So when I say “steal,” I wasn’t stealing as in anonymous theft. All art is about borrowing and making it your own.

And so, I always think it’s really important to credit where credit is due, and to just acknowledge everyone. The two biggies were Vivian Maier and Garry Winogrand. Running a close second would be Louis Faurer and Helen Levitt. And Sally Mann was massive, and Diane Arbus.

Myla Goldberg

How did your relationship with your daughters, and your career, influence Lillian’s story? Can a woman be a brilliant mom and a brilliant artist?

For me, coming into parenthood, I definitely felt a sense of competition between my time with my kids and my time with my work. And so there was a long state where I thought they were in conflict with one another. I don’t know if it was through the course of writing the book, or me continuing to grow and learn as a parent, (but) I realized that they actually exist in congress with one Continued on Page 34

Community Chanukah Party Thursday, December 19, 5:30-7:30PM @ the Boonshoft CJCE Every Chanukah the JCC brings together the entire community to celebrate the Festival of Lights. Enjoy dinner, latkes, games, and activities for all ages. Partnering with Beth Abraham Synagogue, Beth Jacob Congregation, Chabad of Greater Dayton, Hadassah, Hillel Academy of Greater Dayton, Temple Beth Or, and Temple Israel.

In advance: $10/adult, $5/child After December 15: $15/adult, $10/child Children ages 2 and under are free RSVP at jewishdayton.org or by calling (937) 610-1555.

JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER of GREATER DAYTON

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2019

PAGE 33

Myla Goldberg Continued from Page 33 another. The parenting I was doing makes me a better human, and also a better artist. When you’re a better human, you’re a better artist.

The photo that causes the most drama in the novel isn’t a “street” photograph but a self-portrait of Lillian just after she had an illegal abortion, and abortion drives much of the plot.

What was your research process like learning about abortions in the preRoe v. Wade era?

There’s a wonderful, horrible book called The Choices We Made, and that was basically the touchstone for my writing on abortions. It’s a collection of personal essays about women talking about their illegal abortions. And they’re all famous, and they’re not anonymous. They’re like: This is me, hi, this is my abortion. It drew a very clear line between being ambitious, being a woman, and having an abortion. It was kinda what you did because it was the only way you made sure you didn’t have to give up anything in that era. It was so heartbreaking, but also inspiring. A lot of the information I drew, I drew from that book.

So much of what you write about in Feast Your Eyes is historical, yet it feels so present and relevant.

Exactly. I mean, this was a book that was 10 years in the making. This was a project started during the previous presidential administration, where it felt more abstract.

(Laughs) Now that it’s a different presidential administration, all of this stuff feels much more a clear and present danger situation rather than just a historical look back on the way it used to be.

I am very much prochoice, however, it is not a simple decision. I wanted to present the personal struggle that goes with deciding whether or not to have an abortion; I wanted to portray that with all the complexity that attends each individual choice that is made on that issue. And I wanted to address the fact that even if you are pro-choice, it doesn’t mean you’re happy with what you have to do. And that it’s a difficult feeling, decision, every single time. It’s never simple.

We polarize (abortion) so much, and it’s so easy for each side to paint the other in the most simplistic black-andwhite terms. Which does everybody a disservice. There’s a lot of complexity to the pro-choice side of the thing, and there’s a lot of complexity to the antichoice side. And I think that considering those complexities is what we need to do to get anywhere.

because the reality is, having an abortion is common.

It is common! But we don’t know that, ‘cause people don’t talk about it.

And there’s a fear around talking about it. We live in such fearful times. More than ever, people are so afraid of being branded a certain way because of something that they say, so they hold back. If everyone felt more comfortable talking about their experiences with abortion, it would normalize it. Something normal that is difficult and painful, yes, but a reality in the lives of many, many people. Abortion isn’t this rare, freakish thing: it’s a widely shared experience.

But there’s so much shame and stigma surrounding it, that there’s very little room in our current cultural landscape to talk about it in an open way.

I would love for this to spark more comfort talking and writing about women’s experiences.

It’s so important to talk about abortions and all their complexities

PAGE 34

What do you hope readers take away from Feast Your Eyes?

The things we were talking about! I would love for this to spark more comfort talking and writing about women’s experiences.

And abortion is a huge part of that. We can have a more open and honest dialogue about abortion, from the perspective of women who have them, with less fear. That would be wonderful.

The other thing is friendship. One thing that I feel that books don’t spend enough time on is adult friendship.

That was a big one for me: making this book about what it is like to be friends with someone over a very long period of time, and the changes that happen in friendship.

And parenting: the different ways to be a parent. The balancing act between what you want for yourself and what is best for your kids, and what to do when those things don’t necessarily match.

And the ability to have the clarity of vision to see when they don’t match, ‘cause it can be very hard. I think that’s an interesting dilemma that parents face.

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2019

Ridker

Continued from Page 32 I feel that if I can tweak reality a bit, it gives me room to imagine. I can base something 95 percent in fact, and it’s that 5 percent difference where the exaggeration and jokes come in. I wanted it to be recognizable to people in the know, but just fictional enough that I could make it a little more grotesque than it really is.

I was surprised by how much one character’s arc relates to our very own senior week at WashU. Sorry, Danforth U. Did you take a lot of notes during senior week? What kind of beer did you bring on the float trip?

I did not take notes during senior week, but it left an oddly profound impression on me. Something about the sight of a couple hundred college seniors, many of whom came from privilege, as I did, very lazily floating down an incredibly slow-moving river almost metaphorically into adulthood, just stuck with me and bothered me.

Regarding the beer, I remember hitting that point where you think you’ve drunk your share of Bud Light, and now is the time to become a connoisseur and drink pale ales and IPAs, which do not exactly go down well in scorching Missouri heat.

When did you first find a writing voice that felt natural to you?

I remember attempting to write a novel somewhere in the middle of college, and eventually I gave it up. During college and after graduating, I worked in a lot of different forms and styles. I thought when I started The Altruists that I had discovered my style. I found myself in a very comfortable place: third person, character driven, snark and earnestness balancing each other out. Then I looked back at this novel I’d abandoned, and it was still terrible, but it was in the same voice as The Altruists.

So I found my way back to it.

The ad space deadline for the January 2020 Dayton Jewish Observer is Friday, Dec. 6

Silow-Carroll Continued from Page 15 Jewish groups consider antisemitic, especially in the main organizers’ rejection of the Jews’ right to self-determination.

Sanders’ critics on the Jewish right or even center are also not going to be pleased with his framing of the IsraeliPalestinian conflict, especially when he writes of the “painful displacement” of the Palestinians. But here too he doubles down on his liberal Zionism: Acknowledging injustice done to the Palestinians, he writes, “does not ‘delegitimize’ Israel any more than acknowledging the sober facts of America’s own founding delegitimizes the United States.”

That’s not a popular view on the far left, whose members include some contributors to Jewish Currents who consider Jewish “ethnic nationalism” anathema and the binational solution increasingly appeal-

ing. Uncle Bernie could have pandered to the kinderlach, but instead uses his platform to defend the idea of a Jewish homeland.

So what kind of Jew is Bernie Sanders? His Jewish identity is as familiar and as authentic as his accent: a “proud Jewish American” who is fiercely secular and unapologetically Zionist.

When he writes of the “proud tradition of Jewish social justice,” he invokes a universalism that is as Jewish as Samuel Gompers and Helen Suzman, the Workmen’s Circle and Hashomer Hatzair.

He may not be your cup of tea, but he is no outlier. And he may just be the only person who can speak to progressives and make a case for the achievements and legitimacy of Israel.

Andrew Silow-Carroll is editor in chief of The New York Jewish Week.

Tobin Continued from Page 15 only attended by student activists and those viewed by the organized Jewish community as troublemakers. But by the time it was on the cusp of true victory, it was a movement that knew no partisan divisions.

It may be that we can never go completely back to that kind of unity. Still, we have to start somewhere, and Hoenlein’s address is as good a place as any to begin.

Hoenlein is right that American Jews must change their way of thinking about these issues. There should, as he correctly pointed out, be no more “memorials to dead Jews,” when instead the community must “stand up for living Jews and a vibrant Jewish state.”

Fighting the indifference to antisemitism and the willingness of so many Jews to excuse hate from their political allies on both the right and the left is

the sort of cause that requires a new, broad coalition that could, as the Soviet Jewry once did, take to the streets and halls of Congress.

Perhaps it will take another 20 years — when the destructive nature of our current partisan warfare has potentially subsided — for Jews to realize that uniting against antisemitism and the anti-Zionism that masquerades as human-rights advocacy must be prioritized.

The reemergence of a community that isn’t afraid to proudly and openly wear symbols of Jewish identity, as well as to defiantly stand with Israel, won’t be easy.

But Jews have been underestimated before. Few predicted the victories of either Zionism or the Soviet Jewry movement when they began. The same can be true for a new push against antisemitism.

Jonathan S. Tobin is editor in chief of JNS.

OBITUARY Dr. Allen Ronald Ross passed away at age 87, Nov. 11 in Dayton. He is survived by devoted wife of 63 years, Helen E. Ross, and by three wonderful sons, David (Deborah), Richard, and Marc; four loving grandchildren, Rachel (Harry) Wolff, Cameron (Scott) Fussey, Gabriel, and Carter Ross; and one greatgrandson, Miles Wolff. Dr. Ross was born in Cleveland in 1932 to Dr. Milton and Esther Ross.

He attended Linsly Military Institute in West Virginia. He received his B.A., and D.D.S. from The Ohio State University and was a captain in the U.S. Army Dental Corps. Dr. Ross opened his 35-year dental practice in Trotwood in 1961, and after retirement worked for his middle son, Rick, in

his candy factory in Hebron, Ky. In retirement, he took and taught classes at UDLLI. Dr. Ross was a member of Dayton Dental Society, Academy of General Dentistry, Ohio Dental Association, American Dental Association, and Alpha Omega dental fraternity, and a member of Temple Israel in Dayton since 1961. A Buckeye and lifelong fan of Ohio State football, lover of chess, and patron of the arts, Dr. Ross shared all he loved with his family. He traveled well, lived fully, and had the enduring love of his family. Interment was at Riverview Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to Temple Israel, Hospice of Dayton, or a charity of your choice.

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