The Dayton Jewish Observer, December 2018

Dayton issues apology for pastor’s invocation p. p.

5 22 David Moss NCCJ designs Grace After Meals in comic book form

THE DAYTON Published by the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton

December 2018 Kislev/Tevet 5779 Vol. 23, No. 4

OBSERVER

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

Chanukah Festival of Lights

Area memorial for Pittsburgh massacre

3

Peter Wine

The

U.S. District Court Judge Walter H. Rice at the Dayton memorial, Oct. 30

Europe’s fortified synagogues

14

Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/Getty Images

French soldier at a synagogue near Paris

Japanese-style latkes Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton 525 Versailles Drive Dayton, OH 45459 Address Service Requested

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Tuesday, Dec. 11, 10:30 a.m. & 6 p.m.

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In October, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. hosted two book signings with Renate Frydman, author of Anschel’s Story: Determined To Survive, in which she relates her late husband Anschel “Charlie” Frydman’s story of survival in Nazi-occupied Poland against nearly impossible odds.

Beth Jacob Cong. to launch monthly Shabbat with Rabbi Shmuel Klatzkin Beginning the weekend of Dec. 7-8, Chabad of Greater Dayton Associate Rabbi Shmuel Klatzkin will lead monthly visiting rabbi Shabbat programs for Beth Jacob Congregation. For the first Beth Jacob-Chabad joint venture, Klatzkin will lead Friday evening services on Dec. 7 beginning at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner. On Saturday, Dec. 8, services begin at 9:30 a.m., followed by kiddish lunch and a class. A mechitza, a partition to seat men and women separately, will be in use for these services. Beth Jacob is located at 7020 N. Main St., Harrison Township. The price for the dinner is $18 adults, $9 ages 5 to 11. R.S.V.P. to Beth Jacob, 274-2149, by Nov. 30.

Rabbi Shmuel Klatzkin

Evening of readings & Yiddish music

Rehearsing for A Bintel Brief: A Dramatic Reading of Letters & Yiddish Music to be held at Temple Israel on Sunday, Dec. 9 at 1 p.m. are performers (L to R): Richard Prigozen, Meredith Moss Levinson, Beverly Horwitz, Stacy Emoff, and Jon Horwitz.

Saul Caplan will also perform. A Bintel Brief (A Bundle of Letters) is the name of the advice column in the Yiddish Forward written by its editor, Abraham Cahan, beginning in 1906. The column helped Yiddish-speaking Jewish immigrants acclimate to life in America. The free event will be followed by a dessert reception. R.S.V.P. to 496-0050.

Call Wendy Archer for details at 937-837-5581 ext. 1269 5790 Denlinger Road • Dayton, Ohio 45426 • fvdayton.com PAGE 2

IN THIS ISSUE Calendar of Events.......................25

O p i n i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 7

Family Education............................34

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

L i fe cyc l es. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Re l i g i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

N o s h e r. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 0

World...............................................10

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2018

DAYTON Photos by Peter Wine

Standing against hate, 1,300 memorialize victims of Pittsburgh massacre

By Marshall Weiss The Observer More than 1,300 people from a mosaic of religious, cultural, and ethnic communities across the Miami Valley came together at Temple Israel on the evening of Oct. 30 to remember the 11 Jews murdered in a Pittsburgh synagogue by an antisemitic gunman three days before.

The Anti-Defamation League has called the massacre the deadliest attack on Jews in United States history.

Jewish community organizations that organized the Stronger Than Hate memorial were Beth Abraham Synagogue, Beth Jacob Congregation, Temple Beth Or, Temple Israel, Chabad of Greater Dayton, and the

Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton and its agencies.

Standing-room crowds packed Temple Israel’s Great Hall, while two sanctuaries in the building were also filled to standing-room; overflow attendees watched the service via video feed.

According to Temple Israel Music and Program Director Courtney Cummings, this was the largest gathering in the temple since the building opened in 1994.

“All of us, without exception, can no longer retreat to our own corners, insofar as personal relationships are concerned,” said U.S. District Court Judge Walter H. Rice in his keynote address. ”We must all go outside our

Jewish Federation Dir. of External Relations Cheryl Carne (L) looks on as Women’s Interfaith Discussion group organizers Sister Jeanette Buehler (Center) and Bushra Shahid light a candle at Temple Israel on Oct. 30 as part of the Dayton area Jewish community’s program in memory of the victims of the Oct. 27 Pittsburgh synagogue massacre.

The Adventures of

Photo: Peter Wine

Bark Mitzvah Boy

comfort zone, in order to learn, not what a person believes, but why he or she believes it. In doing so, interacting with people in an attempt to really get to know them, Standing for the U.S. National Anthem at Temple Israel on Oct. 30 during the Dayton one soon learns area Jewish community’s memorial for the victims of the Oct. 27 Pittsburgh synagogue the experiences of massacre (L to R): Rabbi Nochum Mangel, Chabad of Greater Dayton; Rabbi Joshua those people that Ginsberg, Beth Abraham Synagogue; Rabbi Judy Chessin, Temple Beth Or; and Rabbi have led to the con- Karen Bodney-Halasz, Temple Israel victions they share, the actions they take, and their Related views on so many matters.”

Clergy and members of Full text of Judge Walter H. Rice’s various Christian and Islamic speech at the memorial.................................................17 groups participated in the service. Within the Jewish community, Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform clergy joined to590 Isaac Prugh Way 937.298.0594 gether for parts of the program.

694 Isaac Prugh Way Jewish Family Services of937.297.4300 fered attendees the opportunity to write letters of encouragement to families of the victims slaughtered at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood.

Several in Dayton’s Jewish community have direct connections to the Jewish community of Pittsburgh, including Rice.

“The Tree of Life was not my home synagogue, yet many of my friends and their families were congregants,” he told the audience. “I remember watching it being built more than 70 years ago, not long after World War II. The last names of every Continued on next page

From the editor’s desk This is a time for questions. Does the increase in antisemitic actions in the United States coupled with the Pittsburgh massacre of 11 Jews mean that we face a new normal, possibly the “Europeanization” of AmeriMarshall can Jewry? According to the AntiWeiss Defamation League, 2017 marked an almost 60-percent increase in antisemitic incidents above 2016. The ADL describes this as the “largest single increase in recent times.” For 2017, the ADL also reported a nearly 90-percent increase in antisemitic incidents in K-12 classrooms in the United States. But in February 2017, a Pew Research Center study found that Jews are the most “warmly regarded” religious group in America, at 67 degrees on a warmth scale of 1 to 100. Antisemitism, though growing, still lies at the extremes — not at the mainstream core — of American society.

But a miniscule few unhinged haters who possess assault rifles, such as the Pittsburgh killer’s AR-15, are capable of outsized, horrific slaughter.

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DAYTON

Memorial

Continued from previous page victim were familiar to me, perhaps the son or daughter or family member of someone I knew well, so many long years ago.”

Cantor Jenna Greenberg, conductor of the Dayton Jewish Chorale, lived in Squirrel Hill — Pittsburgh’s longtime Jewish neighborhood — when she moved there with her family as a teenager.

“If America is a melting pot, Squirrel Hill is the stew,” Greenberg said at the memorial about the tight-knit, diverse neighborhood, quoting a high school friend.

Devorah and Rabbi Nochum Mangel, co-directors of Chabad of Greater Dayton, have immediate family in Pittsburgh. Their Bar Mitzvah-age son, Schneur, attends the Chabad Lubavitch Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh. Schneur lives with his sister, Sarah Rosenfeld, her husband, Rabbi Henoch Rosenfeld, and their children.

“How do we explain this senseless hate?” Rabbi Nochum Mangel wrote in an email to Dayton’s Jewish community a day after the killings. “What do I tell our son, Schneur, living in Pittsburgh and who is now afraid to walk the streets?”

Bonnie Parish, executive director of Dayton’s Family Services, lost a longtime friend, Daniel Stein, 71. In March, Stein became a grandfather.

Parish attended his graveside funeral on Oct. 30.

“He and my husband were best friends since Hebrew school. They grew up together,” Parish said. “When I married, David, my husband, and Danny were best friends. He was the best man at our wedding. We spent Thanksgivings together and Bar Mitzvahs and weddings. We knew Tree of Life was his synagogue, and we know he goes every Saturday. Sharyn (his wife) was home. They live close to the synagogue. She was home waiting for Danny for lunch.”

Increased security measures

Dayton area Jewish community organizations came out of the weekend of the murders with increased security measures and reevaluating already high levels of coordinated security precautions. Law enforcement at all levels have increased their patrols of local Jewish community buildings.

“The Jewish Federation is now, as always, committed to working with all in Dayton’s Jewish community to ensure that every Jew in the area feels safe and is secure,” was the message in an Oct. 28 statement from the Jewish Federation. “We continue to collaborate with local and national law enforcement professionals to identify the best possible security protocols for all local Jewish gathering places.”

The Jewish Federation is scheduled to host local Jewish congregations for a full day Ohio Crime Prevention Association workshop, Security Training for Places of Worship.

On a Facebook thread the evening after the massacre, one Dayton-area Jewish parent asked how she can answer her son’s questions about the antisemitic shooting spree.

Temple Beth Or’s Rabbi Judy Chessin responded: “Please tell him that Jews have always remained strong because we have each other. We will gather together tomorrow as a community and pray in minyan and name new babies and affirm life — even if we are scared. Tell him about the outpouring of love and support we’ve received from our local churches, ministers, neighbors and friends. It truly has been astounding. ‘Look for the helpers!’ There are so many! And the Dayton Jewish community has been blessed with a lion’s share!”

Editor and Publisher Marshall Weiss MWeiss@jfgd.net 937-853-0372 Contributors Rabbi Ari Ballaban Marc Katz Candace R. Kwiatek Rena Neiger Advertising Sales Executive Patty Caruso, plhc69@gmail.com Proofreader Rachel Haug Gilbert Billing Jeri Kay Eldeen, JEldeen@jfgd.net 937-853-0372 Observer Advisor Martin Gottlieb Published by the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton Bruce Feldman President David Pierce Immediate Past Pres.

Todd Bettman President Elect Joel Frydman Foundation Chair Dr. Heath Gilbert Treasurer Beverly Louis Secretary Dan Sweeny VP, Resource Dev. Mary Rita Weissman VP, Personnel Cathy Gardner CEO The Dayton Jewish Observer, Vol. 23, 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 guest columnists, in readers’ letters and in reprinted opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Dayton Jewish Observer, The Dayton Jewish Observer Policy Committee, the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton or the underwriters of any columns. 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 2018

DAYTON

NCCJ issues apology for pastor’s invocation at annual awards dinner on reconciliation. I sent out the message to

By Marshall Weiss think it would be wise individuals as number The Observer for me to concentrate one, to use this as a Two days after its 41st Anon that for now.” teachable moment, but nual Friendship Dinner, The Adding to the ofnumber two, to forgive National Conference For Comfense experienced and let’s make certain munity and Justice of Greater among Jewish attendthat future efforts are Dayton issued an apology “to ees, Gardner said, was our guests and especially mem- inclusive in every that the invocation ocaspect of what we do,” Dayton NCCJ bers of the Jewish community Exec. Dir. Mary Tyler curred only two days said Tyler, Dayton in attendance for the prayer NCCJ’s executive director since after the massacre of 11 Jews at offered before dinner.” a Pittsburgh synagogue at the 2012.

In her Oct. 31 email apology, hand of an antisemitic gunman.

Tyler’s apology letter inNCCJ Executive Director Mary “At a time when feelings Tyler wrote that the invocation, cluded Dayton NCCJ’s current were so raw, and we had felt guidelines for those who offer offered by Elder John Pope of the warmth of the community ecumenical prayers in a public Dayton’s Refuge City Church, embracing us, this was a bit of setting. She said she “did not represent the a derailment of that positivity,” reviewed these guidediverse beliefs and Gardner said. “The invocation lines with Pope before backgrounds of those was offensive to begin with. But the dinner. Tyler said in attendance.” here, it ignited feelings of difa community leader Jewish Federation of ference and otherness at a time recommended Pope Greater Dayton CEO deliver the invocation. when we really needed to feel Cathy Gardner, who at“And so I went with part of the community.” tended the dinner, held Elder John Pope Liss-Katz agreed. “I think that the recommendation, at Sinclair’s Ponitz Refuge City Church but certainly after hav- the expectations for the evening Center, said that durfor the Jewish community were ing an opportunity to connect ing Pope’s invocation, “at least heightened because it came with him via telephone and three times, he talked about Jeon the heels of the massacre in sus Christ our Savior, and God’s then in person.”

Pittsburgh,” she said.

Dayton NCCJ’s ecumenigreatest gift of Jesus Christ.”

“And knowing that NCCJ’s cal prayer guidelines state that In an interview with The Obroots were the National Conferserver, Tyler said that though she “Inclusive public prayer in a ence of Christians and Jews, had talked with Pope by phone multi-cultural society must be there was an expectation that and in person before the dinner sensitive to diversity of faiths. when we walked in that room, However, it can become uninto go over NCCJ’s parameters tentionally divisive when forms there would be a sense of inclufor ecumenical prayer, he “desivity and comfort. of language exclude persons cided to share the prayer in his “And if ever there was a time way, and it was not in the spirit of other faiths, or those not exwhen we needed to feel inpressing a position of faith.” of the direction that was given cluded and comforted, it would “Here is an organization to him.” have been that event. celebrating diverTyler also said that Pope sity, and this was a didn’t give her any indication Federation There didn’t appear to be any forethought that he would disregard NCCJ’s significant affront to CEO Cathy into how to do that. It those who are not ecumenical prayer guidelines. would have been nice followers of Christi- Gardner Julie Liss-Katz, who has atif someone would anity,” Gardner said tended every NCCJ Friendship have asked for a moof Pope’s invocation. said Pope Dinner since the early 1980s, “The Jewish people called her to ment of silence. And said that before Pope gave his that didn’t happen.” who were there were apologize. invocation, he first apologized She and Gardner offended, and two to the attendees. agreed that Tyler’s community leaders “He acknowledged that he apology was appropriate. who are Christian came up to and Mary had met before the “Her apology hit the right me and said how inapproprievening, and said, ‘I apologize tone of what NCCJ stands for,” ate it was, and that they were in advance if I am going to ofLiss-Katz said. upset.” fend anybody,’” Liss-Katz said.

“Despite our best efforts Gardner said Pope called her “He had some intent behind as leaders in the community, to apologize. She called him what he was doing because he back to arrange for him to meet sometimes things go wrong,” felt the need to apologize in Gardner said. “And the leaderwith her and Rabbi Ari Ballaadvance.” ban, director of Dayton’s Jewish ship that follows is an example The NCCJ, formerly called of what makes us stronger. And Community Relations Council, The National Conference a program of the Jewish Federa- what my colleague and friend of Christians and Jews, was Mary Tyler did is she took her tion. founded in 1927. Dayton’s leadership role — she has a “We hope this can be an chapter was established in 1978. significant understanding of the Its goals are advancing equality, opportunity for growth and need for diversity — and she promoting justice, and building understanding,” Gardner said. not only made an apology, but it Pope declined to be intercommunity. was in writing, and had guide“I felt the need based on first viewed for this story, but in an lines of how things have to be. email to The Observer, wrote: “I my initial reaction, and then am attempting to work with the And that, to me, is leadership. the reaction of others, to send She did a great job.” head of the Jewish Federation an apology, and at that point I

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By Marc Katz Special To The Observer A hush came over the lecture hall nearly 40 years ago where Dr. C. David Joffe sat listening to Dr. Andreas Gruentzig — the inventor of the angioplasty — teach a class at Atlanta’s Emory University.

Gruentzig confirmed a new way to deal with heart patients as Joffe and his contemporaries tried to justify what they had learned in medical school with what they now heard.

Joffe was there at the suggestion of Dr. Sylvan Weinberg, whose Good Samaritan Hospital practice Joffe joined in 1977 following his formal education at Brandeis, University of Cincinnati Medical School, residency and fellowships in Boston and New York, as well as a two-year Army commitment.

“He (Gruentzig) not only put a catheter into the mouth of the artery, but actually put a catheter balloon down into the artery,” Joffe recalled. “We were taught early on, if the catheter dives down into the artery, you immediately take it out because you might hurt the patient.

“And now, on purpose, you were putting something where in your training, you were told not to do it.”

It was the first angioplasty course, and Joffe said it transformed cardiology from a diagnostic field — you gave the right pills — to therapeutic intervention.

Dr. C. David Joffe with his wife & longtime practice nurse, Susan Joffe

“I’m of the first generation of intervention cardiologists,” Joffe said. “Now there’s several thousand around the country who do this.”

Joffe performed the first balloon angioplasty in the region in 1981, at the now closed Good Samaritan Hospital. He is also credited with being one of the first 100 doctors in the U.S. to do coronary and peripheral angioplasty intervention.

At the end of this year, after being at the forefront of heart care as a cardiologist for nearly 50 years and performing some 12,000 heart procedures — including replacing heart valves without surgery — Joffe, approaching his 74th birthday, is retiring.

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That doesn’t mean he’s severing all ties to his lifelong profession.

“I won’t take patient responsibility now,” Joffe said. “I will be part of the Heart Institute with Josh Lader. I will arrange lectures. I will go to conferences. We’ll bring the sports figures in (for public interviews).”

Joffe is the founder and president of the non-profit Heart Institute of Dayton, which was established upon the sale of the Dayton Heart Hospital.

He’ll also continue to push for more CPR kiosks like the one in Dayton’s airport.

It all began when he showed early interest in medicine through a friend’s father.

“I was this kid they thought was pretty smart from Fairview High School,” Joffe said. “(At) Brandeis, 95 percent of the students were from the East Coast, and they were 10 times smarter than I was. It was a shock.”

Nevertheless, Joffe proved their equal and more. He joined Weinberg’s practice; Weinberg encouraged Joffe to help innovate cardiology in the area.

Weinberg served as Good Samaritan’s chief of staff for more than 30 years; he also founded the first coronary care unit in Ohio.

Today, you’re more likely to see Joffe at Beth Abraham Synagogue on Saturday mornings, but in his early days at school, he was an avid follower of UC Cardiology Prof. Dr. Noble Fowler, who wrote textbooks and gave Saturday morning lectures.

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2018

DAYTON “I went to those lectures. It was a beautiful match. It was so exciting,” Joffe said.

“Initially, I just wanted to be a good cardiologist. But I was around real giants in the field of cardiology during medical school and residency and fellowship. From then on, anything new that came along that made sense to me, I would try to embrace.”

Joffe traces his profession to about 40 to 50 years ago, “when a cardiologist was somebody who made the diagnosis. That diagnosis may have been anything from examination to EKGs to early ultrasound exams and then into diagnostic cath. Never until the early ‘80s was there any thought the cardiologist could do anything in terms of treatment, except for medications.”

Over at Kettering Medical Center, Dr. Ben Schuster was doing caths. Schuster established Kettering Medical Center’s cardiac program in 1965 and in 1968 founded its heart catheterization lab, which he would direct until 2000. Weinberg wanted Joffe to push the envelope a little.

In addition to his work as a cardiologist, Joffe has served on the board of directors at Beth Abraham and Hillel Academy as well as the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra and Dayton Opera. He started at Good Samaritan Hospital, left to help found the Dayton Heart Center in 1992, returning later to Good Sam. He is also a clinical professor of medicine at the Wright State Boonshoft School of Medicine.

A nearly four-month illness less than two years ago, plus encouragement from his wife, Susan (also his practice nurse for 38 years) and his approaching birthday led to his retirement decision.

He and Susan will travel to see four children and six grandchildren, and he’ll read books — including classics in medicine and literature.

He’ll miss the interaction with patients, and knows the role his faith has played in his work.

“I’ll work hard for you,” Joffe says when patients ask.

He points an index finger to the sky. “I can’t promise the outcome. There is only one who can tell you that.”

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Dancing with 4,700 Chabad rabbis

Itzik Roytman/Chabad.org

At the annual International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries (L to R): Dayton Jewish Observer Editor & Publisher Marshall Weiss with Rabbi Elchonon Chaikin & Rabbi Nochum Mangel of Chabad of Greater Dayton

By Marshall Weiss, The Observer “You know what I’ve always wanted to do?” I said to Motti Seligson and Chaim Landa of Chabad.org when I caught up with them at a conference this summer. “I’ve always wanted to attend the Chabad emissaries annual dinner.”

“Let’s do it!” they exclaimed at the same time.

It’s one thing to read and watch videos each year about the Kinus Hashluchim — in which the thousands of emissary rabbis flock from 100 countries to ChabadLubavitch international headquarters in Brooklyn to reconnect, recharge, and to joyfully dance at a gala banquet before returning to their far-flung posts.

But it’s another thing to immerse in the joy of the celebration. And the joy of pulling off a surprise. It was my hope to surprise our Chabad rabbis from Dayton.

For that, I would have to keep my mouth shut for months and make it to the Dayton table at the dinner before they did; security is tight and name cards are preset.

I was almost busted on my way out of the Dayton airport. That Sunday morning, Nov. 4 in the TSA line, who did I see two rows behind me? Chabad’s Rabbi Shmuel Klatzkin.

“Are you going the same way I am?” he asked. “Um, yeah,” I said, keeping the conversation short, but with a look like I got caught with my hand in the cookie jar.

He had to know, I thought. But on the off chance that he didn’t, I ended the conversation. Better he thinks I’m rude than blow the surprise?

Fortunately, we were on different flights. Unfortunately, the Brooklyn experience wasn’t in the cards for me this year. The sit-down kosher dinner has outgrown Brooklyn venues. Chabad was now testing out its 35th annual dinner in a gym at Rockland Community College in Suffern, N.Y., about 30 miles north of the city.

This would be a new experience for me, along with the PAGE 8

Chabad of Greater Dayton’s Rabbi Levi Simon (L) & Rabbi Shmuel Klatzkin at the conference

4,700 Chabad rabbis and 900 other guests.

The rabbis I overheard waiting in line to get in also sought joy — to keep moving forward days after the massacre of Jews in a Pittsburgh synagogue at the hands of an antisemitic gunman.

Several said they needed to be recharged, to hear words of inspiration from the speakers at the dinner.

I navigated the hall’s 528 tables, looking for the Dayton table, K6. Already the tables were just about full.

A klezmer band and singer performed on the stage at the front. Speakers were coming on. I found K6. Rabbi Klatzkin and Rabbi Elchonon Chaikin were in high spirits; they didn’t know I’d be at the dinner until they saw my name card on the table. We shared a round of hugs and l’chayims. Rabbi Chaikin introduced me to his father and brother, with us at the table.

But where was Chabad of Greater Dayton CoFounder and Co-Director Rabbi Nochum Mangel?

“We haven’t seen him yet,” Klatzkin said.

“Perfect,” I said. There might still be one good surprise left.

In the meantime, Dayton Chabad’s Rabbi Levi Simon came by for a hug. He was seated with his family at another table.

One person I did tell about my trip just before I left was his wife, Rochel Simon. She called his cell and said, “Levi, go over to the Dayton table. There’s a surprise for you there.”

A few minutes later, Rabbi Mangel made his way down the row to our table.

“So, nu?” I said, walking up to him.

I’ve rarely seen Rabbi Mangel thunderstruck.

“You’re here!” he said, looking genuinely perplexed.

“I’ve always wanted to come to one of these,” I said.

And after the biggest bear hug, he was my tour guide for the evening. But that was only after feasting on stuffed chicken breast atop a thick, tender steak, on

top of an oversized potato latke.

Much of the program was adjusted at the last minute because of Pittsburgh. Among the speakers was Rabbi Yisroel Rosenfeld, executive director of Chabad of Greater Pittsburgh — the father of Rabbi Mangel’s sonin-law, Rabbi Henoch Rosenfeld — who led Mishnah study in memory of the 11 Jews who were killed.

The dinner also marked the 10th anniversary of the murders of emissaries Rabbi Gavriel and Rivky Holtzberg and four others in a terror attack at the Chabad center in Mumbai, India.

Most touching to me was the story of how a Chabad rabbi helped bring a teenage boy out of addiction. The boy then went on to become a Chabad rabbi himself, and recently helped a boy out of a similar situation.

The three shared their perspectives.

After the roll call of nations where Chabad has emissaries — intertwined with larger delegations breaking into dance — Kinus Chairman Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky asked those emissaries to stand who had been sent out by the late Lubavitcher Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson or his predecessors. Among those who stood was Rabbi Mangel, who with his wife, Devorah, was sent to Dayton in 1993 to establish a Chabad here, a year before the Rebbe’s death. Hard to believe the Mangels have been in Dayton for 25 years.

Now it was time for all to dance. Rabbi Mangel ensured I had the full experience, dancing with small groups and vast, tidal waves of rabbis.

“I’m behind you the whole way,” he said, pushing me across the gym at the front of a tsunami of 100 or so rabbis. Heading straight for us was another wave of about 200 black hats, coats, and beards.

The room reminded me of Van Gogh’s painting Starry Night. But instead of stars and the entire night sky swirling in waves, it was swirling waves of rabbis in joy, pure joy.

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2018

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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2018

PAGE 9

THE WORLD

THE REGION

Republicans in several Radio ad for losing Ohio states run ads depicting congressional candidate rages about ‘billionaire Communist Jews’ Jewish opponents clutching money said, in part. “They fix close “These massive Trump elections if they think they can crowds are the real polls. Not get away with it.” the fake lying polls put out The ad ran nine times on by the big TV networks all Nov. 1 and was schedcontrolled by billionuled to run 26 times aire Communist Jews. through Nov. 3.

These same anti-AmerThe stations’ proican Communist Jews gram manager, Scott like George Soros also Reinhart, told the direct the three comCincinnati Enquirer that puter election vendors, federal law prohibwhich have connived its the stations from their way into countrefusing candidates’ ad ing 95 percent plus Jim Condit Jr. time, even if the ad is of our votes on their racist or anti-semitic. secret computer programs, Condit, 65, was on the ballot with no effective checks and under the Green Party ticket, balances,” the one-minute ad but the Green Party did not support him.

He was defeated by Republican Brad Wenstrup. According to final, unofficial results from the Ohio Secretary of State’s office, Wenstrup received 163,450 votes (57.8 percent), to Democrat Jill Schiller’s 115,777 votes (41 percent) and Condit’s 3,473 votes (1.2 percent).

Condit reportedly has previously denounced “Zionist” Dinsmore attorneys are proud to serve Dayton’s control of world politics and legal needs and we support the vision of a alleged that Jews played a role in the 9/11 attacks. prosperous and vibrant community in every season.

Jackie Congedo, director of the Jewish Community RelaHappy Chanukah to all. tions Council of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, told the Cincinnati Enquirer, “We realize there are certain First Amendment protections that radio stations have to abide by as it relates to political advertisement. At the same time, when people talk about Jewish conspiracies, that is antisemitism. We’re encouraged people are disgusted by this.”

She also told the Enquirer that although the ad is offensive, she hopes it teaches people what antisemitism can look like.

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A candidate who received about 1 percent of the vote for Congress in the Cincinnati area ran a radio spot that said television networks are controlled by “billionaire Communist Jews” and that “anti-American” Jews control the computer election vendors and thus close elections.

The commercials for Jim Condit Jr. were aired on two local Cincinnati AM radio stations, WLW and WKRC, beginning on Nov. 1, days after the attack on a Pittsburgh synagogue that left 11 worshippers dead.

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Democratic State Rep. Matt Lesser clutches a handful of $100 bills in a mailer sent by his Republican opponent for Connecticut State Senate, Ed Charamut

By Ron Kampeas and Ben Sales, JTA WASHINGTON — Republicans in Alaska, Washington state, Connecticut, North Carolina and California have run ads showing Jewish Democrats handling cash. In Pennsylvania, a candidate married to a Jewish man is depicted similarly.

The Washington Post reported Nov. 6 that the Washington state Republican Party sent voters fliers depicting congressional candidate Kim Schrier with a wad of cash in her hand.

In Alaska, Republican Women of Juneau ran an ad targeting State Sen. Jesse Kiehl showing a man sticking a wad of cash into his inner jacket pocket.

In North Carolina, the state Republican Party ran an online ad denouncing what it called the radical agenda of Democrats. It featured Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the minority leader, clutching a wad of cash.

Neither Hillary Clinton, the party’s 2016 presidential nominee, nor Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., are shown with cash.

The Juneau Republican group did not return calls from the Post seeking comment.

The Washington and North Carolina state parties denied antisemitic intent, but did not say whether they had run

similar ads against non-Jewish candidates.

In Pennsylvania, State Rep. Todd Stephens ran a television ad featuring challenger Sara Johnson Rothman clutching a wad of cash. Rothman’s husband is Jewish. The illustration dropped her maiden name, Johnson, although she routinely uses it.

Additionally, a Stephens mailer depicts a woman receiving a wad of cash from a donor.

Johnson Rothman serves on the Upper Dublin school board in suburban Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia Inquirer quoted Stephens as denying antisemitic intent. The newspaper quoted a spokeswoman for the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia saying that she did not perceive antisemitism, but also quoted the president of the city’s Board of Rabbis as saying the ad was “disturbing” and, inadvertently or not, used antisemitic tropes.

Ads have also targeted Jewish candidates for state office in California and Connecticut depicting the candidates clutching wads of cash.

Ed Charamut, a Republican running for Connecticut State Senate, sent out a mailer showing his opponent, Democratic State Rep. Matt Lesser, grinning while clutching a handful of $100 bills. The mailer went

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2018

THE WORLD out on Oct. 30, three days after the Pitts- a mailer showing his Jewish challenger, Josh Lowenthal, grinning while clutchburgh synagogue shooting that left 11 ing a handful of $100 bills. The flier worshippers dead. went out Nov. 4.

Lesser told the Hartford Courant that Nine Jewish Democrats in the Aspeople called him about receiving “an sembly sent a letter in protest, saying the antisemitic flier.” image reflected “antisemitic tropes.”

“I thought there was a mistake,” he “At best, this attack ad reflects an extold the Courant. “Someone showed it treme lack of sensitivity,” the letter said. to me and I think it would be a gross understatement to say I was surprised.” “At worst, it’s bigoted and antisemitic.

Either way, the mailer is offensive and Charamut at first denied that the raises serious questions flier was antisemitic, but about Tyler Diep’s fitness three days later his cam- The 2018 to serve in the Legislapaign posted an apology campaign ended ture.” on Facebook.

Diep’s campaign “The entire camwith a flurry of denied that the image paign committee, which other ads and was antisemitic, invokincludes members of ing Diep’s own ethnic the Jewish commumessages that heritage. nity, never discussed or “Tyler is Vietnamese considered Mr. Lesser’s drew criticism and fled Communist perethnicity, race, religion for playing on — he is highly or any other personal implicit or explicit secution sensitive to attempts at characteristic of Mr. exploiting stereotypes to Lesser and it was never antisemitism. score political points,” our intention for the mailer to be anything more than a reflec- the campaign's statement said, according to the Los Angeles Times. tion of Mr. Lesser’s policy record,” the The 2018 campaign ended with a post read. “However, it is clear now that flurry of other ads and messages that the imagery could be interpreted as andrew criticism for playing on implicit tisemitic, and for that we deeply apologize as hate speech of any kind does not or explicit antisemitism. Some of them belong in our society and especially not were issued after the synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, which led to a nain our politics.” tional outpouring of support for Jewish In California, Tyler Diep, a Republican running for State Assembly, sent out people.

A Green Party congressional candidate in the Cincinnati area launched a radio ad blaming “anti-American Communist Jews like George Soros” for fixing elections.

The candidate, Jim Condit Jr., was not supported by his own party.

Condit has railed previously against Zionist control of world politics and claimed that Jews had a role in the 9/11 Ed Charamut, a Republican running for Connecticut State Senate, attacks in 2001. sent out this mailer showing his opponent, Democratic State Rep. Matt Lesser, grinning while clutching a handful of $100 bills.

The Republican Party has also put out a number of ads singling out Soros, Kemp, who supports President Donald a leading liberal donor, that do not men- Trump, for governor there. tion his religion.

“This is the magical negro, Oprah In one, he is shown alongside a pile of Winfrey, asking you to make my fellow money. Ohio Rep. Steve Stivers, chairnegress, Stacey Abrams, the governor of man of the National Republican CamGeorgia,” the robocall said. “Years ago, paign Committee, denies that the ads the Jews who own the American media are antisemitic. saw something in me: the ability to trick A robocall sent to Georgia voters dumb, white women into thinking I Nov. 2 impersonating Oprah Winfrey was like them and to do, read and think featured what the Washington Post called what I told them to.”

“60 seconds of racism” and antisemiThe robocall was produced by TheRotism. The call was an attack on DemoadToPower.com, an antisemitic video crat Stacey Abrams, a black woman, site that’s targeted divisive political who was vying with Republican Brian campaigns, according to the Post.

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THE WORLD Linda Weprin

HIAS, immigrant aid group vilified by Pittsburgh gunman, won’t back down

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By Ben Sales, JTA Before he shot dead 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue, Robert Bowers blamed one Jewish organization: HIAS, an immigrant aid group that has been helping refugees since the 1880s.

“HIAS likes to bring invaders in that kill our people,” he wrote on his website. “I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I’m going in.”

In vilifying HIAS, Bowers targeted an organization that helped get the American Jewish community on its feet as it burgeoned more than a century ago. Its mission has shifted as the number of Jewish migrants has fallen to a trickle, from helping its own to advocating for others. It's also an organization that even amid opposition to refugee admissions from the White House has maintained broad support from a Jewish community that is otherwise increasingly fragmented.

“It’s not going to affect our mission one iota,” HIAS President and CEO Mark Hetfield told JTA Oct. 27, referring to the Pittsburgh attack. “If anything, it’s reinforced the need for the Jewish community to be a welcoming community.”

HIAS’ goal once was to welcome Jews to the United States. Founded in 1881 as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society,

the agency provided resources and education to the Jewish immigrants. It later took an active role in the movement to free Soviet Jewry.

As Jewish immigration evaporated in the 1990s, HIAS shifted to becoming a refugee resettlement agency for nonJews. It is now one of nine agencies tasked with resettling refugees in the United States.

Until 2015, the agency stayed mostly apolitical and focused on navigating the bureaucracy involved in bringing refugees to the country and finding them homes. But that year, the refugee crisis rose to the top of global consciousness, and Donald Trump launched a presidential campaign centered on reducing the flow of undocumented — and even legal — immigrants to the United States.

Soon after his inauguration, Trump signed the first in a series of executive orders barring refugees from the United States, as well as the residents of a number of Muslim-majority countries.

Thus HIAS, which was accustomed to working with the government, found itself on the front lines of opposition to the Trump administration.

It has since advocated for the admittance of refugees, mobilized Jewish communities and synagogues to its cause, and

fought Trump’s travel bans in court.

“That’s the most troubling thing — refugees were really a bipartisan issue,” Hetfield told JTA in 2017. “Some people say HIAS is a liberal agency or progressive Jewish agency. We’re really not. Our whole focus has been refugees, and refugees are not a partisan issue. It really became politicized over the past couple of years.”

HIAS may not have the backing of the White House, but its issue remains popular across the Jewish community. All four major movements opposed Trump’s travel ban last year.

More than 400 congregations are part of its Welcome Campaign.

The week before the Pittsburgh massacre, HIAS organized a refugee Shabbat across synagogues focused on talking about helping refugees.

Hetfield says the group has faced opposition in the past. But he said he never expected anything as bad as the Pittsburgh tragedy.

“We’ve been aware that there are people out there that despise HIAS and our mission of welcoming refugees to this country, as hard as it is to understand,” he said. “Its going to make us more aggressive and focused in speaking out against hate — hate directed at refugees, hate directed against Jews.”

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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2018

THE WORLD

CELEBRATE HANUKKAH

Five Jewish takeaways from the midterm elections accelerated a mutual admiration between the Democratic Party and the State Department, the Pentagon and other agencies.

Democratic congressional recruiters sought candidates with national security backgrounds, and three of the Jewish winners came from the security community: Luria is a former Navy commander, Rose is a former Army officer and Slotkin was employed by the CIA.

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Democrats also actively recruited women, ascertaining that Trump’s past coarse comments on women, allegations of sexual assault, and his policies that rolled back reproductive rights and protections for women who bring assault allegations would bring out women voters.

According to exit polls, there were results: Women broke 59 percent to 40 percent for Democrats. Of the new class of Jewish Democrats in the House, there likely will be 10 women among 28 members. Jacky Rosen joined Dianne Feinstein of California to bring to two the number of Jewish women Democrats (out of eight Jewish Democrats) in the Senate.

AIPAC is happy.

J Street is happy.

The left is happy.

The right is happy.

With a split decision, naturally, everyone — including Trump — declared victory, and within Continued on next page

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What's astonishing is how many of the upsets — as many as seven — are by Jewish candidates.

Elissa Slotkin in Michigan’s 8th District, Susan Wild in Pennsylvania’s 7th, Elaine Luria in Virginia's 2nd, Dean Phillips in Minnesota’s 3rd and Max

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By Ron Kampeas, JTA WASHINGTON — The first- certain Democratic pickups in Republican districts. glance Jewish takeaway after Mike Levin in California’s the congressional midterms 49th and Kim Schrier in Washis that the number of Jewish ington state’s 8th also appear lawmakers appears to have inheaded for victory. Jacky Rosen creased — in the U.S. House of wrested Nevada's Senate seat Representatives to 28 from 23, from an incumbent Republican, and to eight in the Senate from seven.

Toya Sarno Jordan/Getty Images Dean Heller.

Andy Levin will But dig a little preserve Michideeper and there’s gan's 9th District more to it: Jews for Democrats: He figured disproporsucceeds his father, tionately in DemoSandy Levin, one of cratic upsets. Jewish three Jewish House candidates also members who is figured noticeably in retiring. the broader trends What brought among Democrats: these candidates to an increase in womIncoming House the table? A variety en and in former Judiciary Chairman of factors, although national security Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y health care featured officials. prominently in many of their The centrist and right-wing "why I'm running" bios, includpro-Israel communities could ing Slotkin, Schrier and Rose. breathe a sigh of relief — for Phillips, Wild, and Rosen emnow. Two candidates in close phasized education, and Levin races targeted by conventional was focused on the environpro-Israel money for being soft ment. Levin and Schrier duron or critical of Israel went ing their campaigns also said down to defeat, and a stalwart who seem threatened survived. they were motivated by their concerns about bias — includHowever, those who would ing anti-Jewish bias. The Jewish challenge orthodoxies on supcandidates all emphasized gun port for Israel also have reason control. for hope. Candidates endorsed

by J Street — the Jewish group that has made a two-state Service leads to service outcome its central plank and Democrats for years have supports U.S. pressure on Israel hoped to reclaim the national to bring it about — did well. security mantle from RepubFurther to the left, there are four licans, and President Donald new members of the House Trump’s suspicions of the who have either been harshly national security establishment critical of Israel or would challenge pro-Israel stalwarts on w legislation. !

Nopen YS White supremacists fell by O DA the wayside, with a notable N exception, but those who voted SU for them could be a cause for concern. Here are five takeaways:

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THE WORLD Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/Getty Images

These arrangements regularly prevent

By Cnaan Liphshiz, JTA violence against congregants.

BRUSSELS — Will security at AmeriIn 2015, a volunteer guard outside can Jewish institutions now mirror that of Copenhagen’s main synagogue was shot Europe, with its police protection, armed dead after engaging an armed Islamist guards, panic rooms and sterile zones at who had intended to carry out a shooting synagogues? attack inside the building, where dozens It’s a possibility that is being debated of people celebrated a Bat Mitzvah. Dan more seriously than ever before following Uzan’s intervention allowed police to the Tree of Life Congregation shooting shoot the assailant, who never made it Oct. 27 in Pittsburgh in which a gunman inside the shul. killed 11 people.

A year earlier, a dozen or so volunteer Rabbi Jack Moline, president of the Inguards staved off dozens of rioters who terfaith Alliance, told The Washington Post had intended to storm the Synagogue that posting armed guards outside synade la Roquette in Paris as payback for Isgogues in some places would be “prohibirael’s actions in Gaza. As 200 worshippers tive” to Jewish communal life itself. waited inside, the defenders held their But Gary Sikorski, director of security ground for 20 minutes amid a vicious for the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan street brawl with the attackers until police Detroit, told the Detroit Jewish News that finally arrived at the scene. the idea, suggested by President Donald “Dan Uzan’s death was tragic, but Trump after the attack, is “not a bad one.” from a security point of view it was a European security professionals say system that did what it needed to do,” that even if Sikorski’s approach prevails, French soldiers patrol in front of a synagogue outside Paris as part of France's national Revach said. it will take at least a decade and hundreds security alert system, Jan. 21, 2015 Had the Tree of Life synagogue been of millions of dollars before U.S. Jewry’s guarded, “this attack may have been prevented,” he security infrastructure matches the European counterwill take at least a decade to achieve.” When it comes said. “Even armed perpetrators are deterred in a major part. to security, he said, “American Jewry is at the beginway by guards.”

“The security doctrine you see in Europe is the result ning of a long journey.”

Some American synagogues, like Har Shalom, the of decades of evolution,” said Ophir Revach, director In several European countries, synagogues are under largest Conservative synagogue in Potomac, Md., have of the European Jewish Congress’ Security and Crisis constant protection of police or army troops. Most of an armed police presence during services and other Center. “It was built on lessons from terrorist attacks in them have volunteer guards, including armed ones. events, The Washington Post reported. Community the 1960s and adjusted constantly. It’s pretty compreMany also have a security command room, where hensive.” trained professionals or volunteers use elaborate video Security Service, a nonprofit, has trained volunteers at dozens of synagogues, mostly in the New York area.

Even if a critical mass of U.S. Jewish communities surveillance systems to monitor their premises, often In Teaneck, N.J., a suburb with dozens of synagogues, decide tomorrow that they want to replicate the Eurowhile exchanging information with other Jewish instimany have a police presence out front and CSS-trained pean model, Revach said, “Optimistically speaking, it tutions in real time.

In Europe, synagogues are protected like fortresses.

It took decades to get there.

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THE WORLD Wikimedia Commons

Copenhagen’s Great Synagogue was the site of a deadly attack in 2015

congregants on patrol.

Others have a closed-doors policy in which visitors must request entry through an intercom system.

In recent years, more and more Jewish federations, the communitywide fundraising groups, have hired full-time security directors for their facilities and to advise their donor agencies.

The Secure Community Network, the security arm of the Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, was formed in 2004. Since then, the number of federations with full-time security directors grew from two to 30, according to the Post.

Federal money is available for beefing up security at Jewish institutions. In fiscal year 2018, Congress appropriated $50 million for nonprofit security through something called the Urban Area Security Initiative; much of the money goes to Jewish institutions.

But many American synagogues, including Tree of Life, had been leaving their doors open on Shabbat — a scenario that became unthinkable years ago in Western Europe, where jihadists have carried out several deadly attacks in recent years on Jewish targets.

Joel Rubinfeld, the president of the Belgian League Against Antisemitism, remembered feeling “simultaneously envious and worried” when he was greeted recently to a major New York synagogue by a concierge in his 70s — and no one else.

Before 2015, even at-risk synagogues like the Grand Synagogue of Marseille, France, had lax security and at times open doors.

But the attacks in Paris that year prompted all but the most distant synagogues of Western Europe to abandon the opendoor policy they used to have.

European synagogues by and large now employ a multilayered defensive doctrine of several threat circles in cooperation with law enforcement.

“It accounts for all kinds of scenarios, not just a shooting but also a car bomb, firebombs and snipers,” Revach said.

Each scenario requires building adjustments, sometimes just adding a security barrier and at other times replacing windows with bulletproof glass.

Then there’s the need to set up international, national and regional situation rooms to help communities coordinate their activities.

If American Jewry quickly ups the security arrangements around its institutions, “there’s still the issue of awareness,” said Sammy Ghozlan, a retired police commissioner and the president of the National Bureau for Vigilance Against Antisemitism in France.

“It’s not enough to build a security,” he said. “You need a community that’s drilled at maintaining it even when nothing happens year after year, so that when the threat does appear, it is met. It needs to be hardwired into you.”

American Jewry is facing a “monumental challenge” if it seeks to adopt the European security model, Ghozlan said.

“It will take them at least 15 years,” he said, noting that American Jewry is “far larger and more far-flung” than its European counterpart, making the task more complicated than in France.

Ghozlan nonetheless believes American Jews will meet the challenge.

“We are witnessing a Europeanization of the situation in the United States for Jews,” he said. “It takes time for a worldview to change, but I believe American Jews have the resources and resourcefulness to fix the security problems exposed in Pittsburgh.”

Midterm takeaways Continued from previous page the pro-Israel community it was no different.

But the sides each had genuine reasons to take heart.

The Democratic leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives — including Reps. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the incoming speaker; Steny Hoyer, D-Md. the likely majority leader; Eliot Engel, the likely Foreign Affairs chairman; and Nita Lowey, the likely Appropriations chairwoman — have long-standing ties with the centrist pro-Israel community, particularly the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

A pro-Israel official told JTA that the mainstream community was especially happy that Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., perhaps AIPAC’s best friend among Senate Democrats, pushed back against a surprisingly strong challenge and was re-elected. They were also pleased that Leslie Cockburn, a Democrat who co-wrote a book in 1991 that was sharply critical of the U.S.-Israel alliance, lost her race in central Virginia.

“Virtually all of the victors in this year’s election have issued position papers and statements reflecting their strong commitment to strengthening the

U.S-Israel relationship,” AIPAC once funded anti-Israel groups, said in a statement. “Support lost, and in Cockburn’s disfor the U.S.-Israel relationship trict. RJC deployed grassroots on Capitol Hill is strong, and campaigns in Florida, where we are committed to continuRepublican Ron DeSantis won ing to work on a bipartisan the governorship and Republibasis with the 116th Congress can Rick Scott had a slight lead to further galvanize support for in his bid to oust incumbent the alliance.”

Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson.

J Street also had reason to “We sent a message about celebrate: Of the 163 candidates the RJC holding Democrats to it endorsed, 122 won. The account on issues of concern group still claims support from about Israel,” Executive Direcmore than half of the Demotor Matt Brooks told JTA. cratic Party’s House and Senate Jewish Voice for Peace, caucuses. The group exulted in meantime, celebrated the a poll it published that found victory of Rashida Tlaib, a that 84 percent of Jewish rePalestinian American elected spondents saw no contradiction to Congress in Michigan. Tlaib between being “pro-Israel” and has called for cutting funds to criticizing the Israeli governIsrael and rejects Israel's status ment's policies — a finding as a Jewish state. that comports with other recent “It’s a new hopeful day in polling.

Congress!” said the group, Attacks on Democrats as not which embraces Jewish nonsufficiently pro-Israel didn’t and anti-Zionists. get it done, J Street's president, Jeremy Ben-Ami, told JTA. The antisemites lost “This whole line of attack The good news? Antisemitic from the right on candidates on and racist outliers who manIsrael issues isn’t going to work aged to seize Republican nomion Jewish voters,” he said. nations, often to be repudiated The Republican Jewish Coali- by the GOP establishment, lost, tion scored wins in races where with one exception. The bad it invested heavily, including in news? Lots of people voted for THE COMPASSIONATE CARE AND the North Dakota Senate race, them. where incumbent Democrat COMPETENCE Arthur Jones, in CLINICAL YOUrunning DESERVE Heidi Heitkamp lost. The RJC Illinois’ 3rd District, comprisran ads scoring Heitkamp for ing Chicago suburbs, once was THE COMPASSIONATE CARE AND Assisted • Rehabilitation backing the 2015Independent Iran deal. Living •an actualLiving neo-Nazi and despite COMPETENCE YOU DESERVE It also ran adsCLINICAL in Pennsylvanow• abjuring the title, still Skilled Nursing Short Term Stays nia’s 1st District, where Scott peddles antisemitic conspiracy Wallace, who led a charity that on Page 35 Independent Living •Continued Assisted Living • Rehabilitation Skilled Nursing • Short Term Stays

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Titi Aynaw, Miss Israel 2013, shares her story with students at Miami University’s Hillel in Oxford, Nov. 6

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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2018

OPINION

We must truly know and understand each other

By Walter H. Rice Senior U.S. District Court Judge for the Southern District of Ohio Walter H. Rice delivered this keynote address on Oct. 30 at the Dayton area Jewish community’s memorial for the victims of the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre.

I am neither a rabbi nor a faith-based leader; nor do I have the power to articulate in a way that can, by any measure, either explain the reasons for or provide consolation or relief from the pain for what were monstrous acts of murder based upon pure unadulterated hatred.

The Tree of Life was not my home synagogue, yet many of my friends and their families were congregants. I remember watching it being built more than 70 years ago, not long after World War II. The last names of every victim were familiar to me, perhaps the son or daughter or family member of someone I knew well, so many long years ago.

While the Tree of Life was not my home synagogue, the warm, nurturing environment of Squirrel Hill was my home for the first 18 years of my life. It was then, what it remains today, a warm and nurturing community where people watched out for and cared for one another, seemingly unchanged by time, except, thankfully, that it is no longer segregated or overwhelmingly of one religious faith.

It may seem a strange thing to say, but I get close to the same feeling of togetherness, of warmth and community from this gathering tonight that I once felt at home, in a different and in a far distant time.

This gathering, consisting of members of all our community’s faith-based institutions, public officials, and persons from all walks of life, represents togetherness, solidarity and unity, a caring and respect for one another, which we must not allow to disappear in the coming days and weeks. We must, as a community, be and remain unified in these trying times.

While we cannot stop the hatred that festers in unbalanced and disturbed minds — hatred of others that excuses one’s own failures and inadequacies — there are steps that all of us can take to limit these events, to reduce the growing lack of respect we seem to have for each other and our institutions, and to unite the people of the Greater Dayton area.

This is not a political speech or a political event. It simply could not be, cannot be, and must not be. Nor can we use our time together to assess blame for what has occurred or the state in which we find ourselves.

The only direct blame to acknowledge is that of the shooter and no one knows what events, what people or what sickness brought him to the synagogue the morning of Saturday, Oct. 27.

Nor must we fall prey to simplistic solutions, to quick fixes, to the complex problem of why we as a society have obliterated numerous red lines, countless codes of civility, decency, and respect.

Expanding the death penalty will not deter other acts of mindless violence perpetrated by those with sick minds; background checks would not have stopped this 46-year-old man with no known criminal record or mental health commitment from being in legal possession of a deadly weapon, nor will arming security guards or, for that matter, arming rabbis or even cantors stop a man with a rifle determined to kill.

No, the only workable solution is long-term, and

So, what do you think?

Send your letters (350 words max., thanks) to The Dayton Jewish Observer 525 Versailles Drive Dayton, OH 45459 • MWeiss@jfgd.net

pending on who is at the table) can reach a solution, meeting everyone’s common interests in arriving at a resolution that works for all.

Moreover, if we engage in such a process, we might, just might, move what we have always intellectually known to be true — that there is no difference between us other than the meaningless difference in the color of our skins, our religious faiths or ethnicities — into our hearts and souls, to truly believe this and to look for opportunities to act upon this belief.

We must take advantage of the opportunities to meet others, first on a superficial level of course, and then on a deeper level where we know their life’s experiences, experiences that we can easily infer have shaped their attitudes, beliefs, and actions.

This community provides numerous opportunities to work on matters of common interests — in the schools, in the non-profit sector, in various artistic and cultural venues and, of course, on one’s own street and in one’s neighborhood.

Where once we sat on our front porch on a late U.S. District Court Judge Walter H. Rice delivers an address spring or summer evening, watching the whole Oct. 30 at the Dayton area Jewish community’s memorial for the victims of the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre neighborhood go by, with persons stopping to talk and exchange bits and pieces of their lives, we have now, thanks to the marvels of modern air conditioning, reits success rests with everyone in this room and with treated behind closed doors and, for that matter, closed every thinking being in this country. minds and hearts that do not allow us to know even It is a truism that we all, each and every one of us, our closest neighbors. are the products of our individual life’s experiences.

We must look for and gather together others to work Since I was a boy, we, as Americans — all of us — have on common community interests, not merely to satisfy learned to live, to work, and to go to school with one another. These are giant steps forward that would have some diversity percentage, but rather to proactively gain a knowledge of each other’s perspectives and the seemed pure fantasy on the eve of World War II. experiences that have shaped those perspectives.

While we have a long, long way to go, we can be In doing so, not only is no problem too big to be proud of what we have accomplished. However, as far solved in an amicable and beneficial manner, but the as understanding each other, in terms of really knowing each other, our backgrounds, and our life’s experi- innate suspicion that we have for others, others not like us, will dissipate. ences, all of us — Jews, Gentiles, Christians, Muslims Who one does not know, one fears; who one fears, and other faiths, black, white and brown, nations of one feels threatened by; when one feels threatened in one country or another, those with different ethnic any manner, that person becomes “the other,” a person backgrounds, political views and preferences, and so to be shunned, ridiculed and even hated and physimany more — in terms of all of these, we are truly cally assaulted. little advanced over the past 80 years or so.

By focusing on knowing, truly understanding the All of us, without exception, can no longer retreat to people with whom we interact and missing no opporour own corners insofar as personal relationships are concerned. We must all go outside our comfort zone in tunity to expand our friendships and acquaintances, we can transform persons from “the other” to those order to learn not what a person believes, but why he with whom we might be surprised to realize we have or she believes it. so very much in common in terms of values, common In doing so, interacting with people in an attempt to really get to know them, one soon learns the experi- goals, and interests.

For members of the Jewish community, I commend ences of those people that have led to the convictions they share, the actions they take, and their views on so the efforts of all in taking care of and making certain that Jewish organizations and institutions flourish. We many matters.

It is quite easy to find out where a person is coming must continue to do so, for if we do not, who will?

However, I submit it is not enough; we must from; after all, he or she will quickly tell you, particuincrease our efforts to be active in the broader comlarly if you are working together to settle a dispute or to achieve a common goal. However, if we do not take munity, so that our perspectives are always at the table when problems are discussed and decisions made and, the time to understand that person, the life’s experinot least of all, so that we might gather the perspecences that person has had which have, undoubtedly, tives of others in order to help solve problems that shaped that person’s viewpoint — if we do not know why that person believes what he or she does, then we affect every community, regardless of faith, ethnicity, race, gender or age. do not know that person, we have no understanding Remember — as a separated community and counof him or her, and it is virtually impossible, coming as try, every problem seems to be bigger than is possible we are from different life’s experiences, to either reto solve. As a united people, and truly knowing and solve our differences or at a bare minimum, leave our understanding each other, no problem is beyond our interaction with any respect for that person’s beliefs, ability to address and resolve. ideals, and moral compass.

In this effort, we will develop what once we had If, and I emphasize if, the person I am interacting and what now has been lost, the feeling that our lives with knows my reasons for taking my position, based upon my life’s experiences and the perspectives stem- are a shared journey, that we must look out for one ming from those experiences, and in the same vein, if I another, and that when an act of hatred is verbalized or inflicted upon another, all of us are its victims. know why that person is taking a partially or entirely May the victims of the Oct. 27 events rest in eternal different position, then it is possible, even probable, peace. that the two of us (or the two or more groups, dePeter Wine

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2018

PAGE 17

OPINION

Jewish media stand Are the Jews next? with Pittsburgh Earlier this year, our colleagues at the three leading Jewish newspapers in the United Kingdom published the same frontpage headline and joint editorial voicing concern over rising antisemitism in Britain’s Labour Party.

Now we have found a mournful occasion to follow in their footsteps.

For many Jews, the United States has long held a unique role in our collective imagination. It has been an unprecedented land of promise, of refuge, of freedom, of opportunity, and of safety.

But after the horrific attack on Shabbat, Oct. 27 at the Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh, in which 11 of our brothers and sisters were brutally murdered, we can’t help but be shaken and concerned for the America we have come to know and love.

We therefore join together to unequivocally condemn this brutal act of antisemitism and all deadly acts of hate. We also condemn the climate of hate that has been building for some time now, especially on college campuses and on social media, where the veneer of anonymity has allowed antisemitic cesspools to flourish, and from irresponsible political leaders who engage in hateful speech and are abetted by the silence of others.

As journalists, we hold a variety of opinions about politics in this country and in Israel. The American Jewish community is diverse, and those differences are reflected on the pages of its media.

In coming together now, we are not erasing those differences, but rising above them to issue a call for solidarity and respect, and asking our political and communal leaders to do the same.

The gunman who invaded a sanctuary on a Shabbat did not distinguish among his victims. To him, they were all Jews.

We are all Jews. Let this horrific massacre be a moment of redemption as well as grieving. Let us argue with each other as Hillel argued with Shammai — with civility. Let us acknowledge our common humanity with other Americans who have been subject to unconscionable violence, too.

Jewish media has a long and proud history in America, and we pledge to continue our mission to inform, reflect,= and bind our communities — even more necessary in this painful time.

Jane Eisner, Editor-in-Chief, The Forward Dovid Efune, Editor-in-Chief and CEO, The Algemeiner Terri Denison, Editor, Jewish News of Southeastern Virginia Ami Eden, CEO and Executive Editor, 70 Faces Media Nadine Epstein, Editor-in-Chief and CEO, Moment Magazine Ellen Futterman, Editor, St. Louis Jewish Light Sue Fishkoff, Editor, J. The Jewish News of Northern California Jeffrey Gaeser, Publisher, The Heritage Florida Jewish News Hillel Goldberg, Editor and Publisher, Intermountain Jewish News Jerry Greenwald, Managing Editor, The Jewish Press Lisa Hostein, Executive Editor, Hadassah Magazine Gabe Kahn, Editor, New Jersey Jewish News Joanne Palmer, Editor, The Jewish Standard Janet Perez, Managing Editor, Jewish News of Greater Phoenix Brett M. Rhyne, Editor, The Jewish Advocate, Boston Gary Rosenblatt, Editor and Publisher, Jewish Week of New York Joshua Runyan, Senior Editorial Director, Washington Jewish Week Liz Spikol, Editorial Director, Baltimore Jewish Times Leon J. Sternheim, Editor and Publisher, The Jewish Herald David Suissa, President, Tribe Media/Jewish Journal Jonathan S. Tobin, Editor-in-Chief, Jewish News Syndicate Marshall Weiss, Editor and Publisher, The Dayton Jewish Observer

So, what do you think?

Send your letters (350 words max., thanks) to The Dayton Jewish Observer 525 Versailles Drive Dayton, OH 45459 • MWeiss@jfgd.net PAGE 18

By Douglas Bloomfield President Donald Trump just named an acting attorney general who doesn’t think Jews belong on the federal bench.

Either the president knew this and agreed or he did a poor job vetting a man he lied about even knowing.

Matthew Whittaker, the nation’s new chief law enforcement officer, believes all federal judges must have a New Testament “biblical view of justice,” which also rules out Muslims and all other non-Christians.

This was part of his platform in his failed 2014 Senate candidacy in Iowa, and there’s no sign he’s changed his mind.

When Trump was asked at a press conference whether calling himself a “nationalist” inspires white supremacists’ antisemitism and violence, the president evaded answering and angrily told the reporter — an African-American woman, a favorite target for his scorn — that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called him the most pro-Israel president in history and gave him a plaque.

Abe Foxman, the former ADL leader, said he doesn’t believe Trump is an antisemite, but his ”extreme rhetoric” encourages his “bigoted base” and “helped create” conditions that “triggered” the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre. Trump is a “demagogue” and a threat to American democracy, and that “sure as hell threatens Jews,” Foxman told Times of Israel editor David Horovitz.

Trump’s non-answer to the black reporter was part of a larger problem. This president is a racist who has staked his political career on encouraging racists.

The evidence is overwhelming and it predates his presidential campaign, which started out with an attack on Mexican immigrants as drug dealers, criminals and rapists. He went deeper into the muck from there.

He is an equal opportunity bigot. It’s hard to think of a group he hasn’t attacked. Immigrants. African Americans.

LBGTQ. Native Americans.

Latinos. Muslims. African countries (“shitholes”). Women. And if you think Jews won’t eventually be targets, you’re living in a dream world.

Trump’s white identity politics gets little or no push-

back from the Republican Party.

Jonathan Greenblatt, Foxman’s successor at ADL, said some elements of the GOP have embraced antisemitic language and the “rhetoric of white supremacists.”

With Trump’s strong authoritarian bent and mile-wide mean streak, how can Jews watch him go after every other minority group and not feel vulnerable?

It’s not that he hasn’t targeted Jews in his tweets and rants.

One favorite is 88-year-old Holocaust survivor and billionaire philanthropist, George Soros, the subject of countless antisemitic conspiracy theories.

Trump has accused him of financing the immigrant caravan “invasion” of the southern border — a hoax Trump cooked up at a cost to taxpayers of an estimated $200 million to frighten his base and dropped the day after the election — and being behind the demonstrations against Brett Kavanaugh’s court nomination.

Those protesters were “paid for by Soros,” Trump tweeted, leading columnist Max Book to respond that Soros has “replaced the Rothschilds as the symbol of Jewish finance.”

Trump also has named Soros among the sinister “faces of international finance,” along with fellow Jewish investment banker Lloyd Blankfein and former Fed chair Janet Yellen.

When the stock market took a deep dive in November, Trump quickly blamed it on Democrats and their plans to investigate his scandal-ridden administration.

He knows that leading those investigations will be several Jewish Democratic lawmakers, including Judiciary Committee Chair Rep. Jerrold Nadler, whom Politico called “Trump’s new Enemy No. 1,” Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff, and Appropriations Committee Chair Nita Lowey. Jews will also lead other House committees.

In the Senate the Democratic leader is Chuck Schumer, another favorite target of Trump’s wrath.

Without a compliant Congress to do his bidding, Trump will point blame in all directions. Introspection is not in his nature. Look for another jump in antisemitism as Jewish lawmakers wield new power.

ADL has reported a 57 percent increase in antisemitic incidents since Trump took office.

Trump’s bromance with Netanyahu will not save the Jews from being blamed for the problems the administration can expect from the Democratic-led

House of Representatives or a possible economic downturn.

If anything, the Israeli leader’s fealty to a president highly unpopular among American Jews — nearly 80 percent voted Democratic in midterm elections — contributes to the widening rift between the American Diaspora and the current Israeli leadership.

That Democratic margin may have been boosted by blatantly antisemitic ads by Republican candidates — many showing Jews clutching money — in Pennsylvania, California, Washington state, Minnesota, Connecticut and Alaska.

The Jewish vote was bad news for Netanyahu but less so for Trump, who sees his Israel policies not as a magnet for Jewish votes but of Jewish money and evangelical support.

When Trump’s base, riled up by his incitement, gets unhappy that he isn’t doing enough for them, might they go after the Jews?

Trump has spent years fertilizing the fields of anger and hatred and fear. Imagine what he and his base will do if former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Sen. Bernie Sanders get into the 2020 race.

Trump looks to Netanyahu to defend him from the Jews, but this election showed it won’t work.

Trump won’t look to the mainstream media, which he dubbed the “enemy of the American people,” to carry his message. It will be his base in the alt-right media. Outlets like Sean Hannity, Alex Jones, Steve Bannon, Laura Ingraham, Infowars, Fox & Friends, Breitbart, the Daily Stormer and others.

And don’t forget those “many fine people” among neo-Nazis, KKK, white supremacists, and other veterans of Charlottesville.

Why isn’t the Jewish establishment more upset? They seem to prefer to speak about antisemitism on campuses than about a president who openly and enthusiastically courts white supremacists, neo-Nazis and violent xenophobes.

Why don’t they take the white nationalism and antisemitism of this president more seriously?

Are they afraid Trump will ramp up his tweets and attack them? Is it the Neville Chamberlain approach, make him happy so he doesn’t get even worse than he is?

Douglas Bloomfield is a columnist based in Washington, D.C.

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2018

Highlights JEWISH FEDERATION of GREATER DAYTON & ITS AGENCIES

This year's L'Chaim focused on the power of music on our mood, brain and overall health. Thank you, Kleptz Y, for being a great partner!

PHOTO CREDIT: Amy Dolph LEFT: Simon and Lior Hakim and Sancia,

Kahdosh, and PreVella Folley cozy up in the car to watch Coco at the Drive In. PHOTO CREDIT: Peter Wine BOTTOM LEFT: Carole Marger, Diane

Williams, and Marcia Kress take part in a group discussion at the 2018 Women's Event. PHOTO CREDIT: Mendy Fedotowsky BOTTOM RIGHT: Sally Kohn, author of The Opposite of Hate, speaks with WYSO Book Nook host Vick Mickunas in a recorded session during CABF. PHOTO CREDIT: Peter Wine 2 0 1 9

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2018

PAGE 19

December events JEWISH FEDERATION of GREATER DAYTON & ITS AGENCIES SATURDAY 1

MONDAY 3

THURSDAY 6

SUNDAY 2 ACTIVE ADULTS Chanukah Brunch 11AM–12:30PM @ Beth Jacob (7020 N Main St., 45415) Join your friends for a delicious brunch and musical entertainment from the Miami Valley Klezmer Ensemble. RSVP by November 21. $15 in advance; $20 at the door. In partnership with Active Adults, Hadassah, Jewish War Veterans, and Lynda A Cohen Yiddish Club.

TUESDAY 4

WEDNESDAY 5 JCC Community Chanukah Party 5:30–7:30PM @ Boonshoft CJCE Enjoy a delicious meatball and pasta dinner with latkes and entertainment from the fantastic Marc Rossio. Chanukahthemed activities for the kids. See ticket information on page XX. In partnership with Beth Abraham Synagogue, Beth Jacob Congregation, Chabad, Hadassah, Hillel Academy, PJ Library, Temple Beth Or, & Temple Israel

FRIDAY 7 PJ LIBRARY & EARLY CHILDHOOD Chanukah Shabbat Sing-a-Long 9–11AM @ Boonshoft CJCE Caregivers and children age 6 months–pre-K come join in Early Childhood's weekly Shabbat celebration upstairs, hear a PJ Library Chanukah story, followed by free play with gross motor toys.

There will be coffee, tea, and donuts for the grown-ups.

SATURDAY 8 PJ LIBRARY Shabbat on the Road 10:15–11:45 @ Beth Abraham Synagogue (305 Sugar Camp Cir., 45409) All PJ Library families are invited to attend this Shabbat service as we take PJ Library Shabbat on the road!

WEDNESDAY 12

SUNDAY 2 BBYO (GRADES 8–12) Chanukah Movie Night 6–9PM @ Sugar Shack (400 Sugar Camp Circle, 45409) Join Dayton BBYO for a Chanukah-themed movie night! Pizza will be provided, but teens are encouraged to bring snacks and sides.

FRIDAY 7 YAD (AGES 21–35) Chanukah Shabbat Dinner 6:30PM @ the home of Sydney and David Feibus Join YAD for a delicious Shabbat dinner while celebrating Chanukah with friends. Please bring your menorah.

SUNDAY 9 PJ OUR WAY (AGES 8–11) Light Up Chanukah Laser Tag 5–7PM @ Scene75 (6196 Poe Ave., 45414) Join us for a kosher pizza dinner, modern Maccabee hero designing, and a laser tag battle sure to rival that of the Maccabees! Grown-ups: stay and enjoy the fun with your kids. RSVP by December 5.

THURSDAY 13 JCC Speaking of That: Dennis Turner 1–2:30PM @ Boonshoft CJCE Author Dennis Turner will talk about his book, "What Did You Do In the War, Sister?", a fictional memoir based on actual events.

FRIDAY 14

8:45AM–3:45PM @ Boonshoft CJCE Enjoy fun, friends, and field trips Camp Shalom-style! Runs through January 4; closed December 25 and January 1. Join us for MLK Day and Presidents Day too! Daily and session rates and extended care available. Register by December 1 for the early bird discount. Counselor in Training positions available for grades 7–9.

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

SUNDAY 23

THURSDAY 27

MONDAY 24

FRIDAY 28

WINTER CAMP CONTINUES PAGE 20

FRIDAY 21

TUESDAY 25 JFS Mitzvah Mission 10AM–12PM @ 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-shirt or bed sheets with fun patterns to help make the rag dolls.

SATURDAY 29

TUESDAY 11

SATURDAY 15 JUNIOR YOUTH GROUP (GRADES 6-8) Gaming Adventures 7–9:15PM @ Gaming Adventures (320 W. National Rd., 45322) Ever play Atari? Centipede? Okay, how about PS4? Nintendo Switch?

Join your friends for a retro (or not!) night of gaming. $10/person for 2 hours of gaming. Snacks and drinks on your own.

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY 20 JCC (GRADES K–6) 16 18 19 17 Winter Camp Shalom

RSVPs due at least 1 week before event.

Events with no price listed are free.

MONDAY 10

SUNDAY 30

MONDAY 31

SATURDAY 22

WEDNESDAY 26

SEE YOU IN 2019!

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2018

Announcements JEWISH FEDERATION of GREATER DAYTON & ITS AGENCIES

Did YOU know?

As of this printing, the Dayton Jewish community has pledged

84%

toward our Annual Campaign goal.

There's still time to make your 2018 gift.

Call 937-610-1555 or email Juliet Glaser at jglaser@jfgd.net.

A Biss'l Mamaloshen

Thank you for planting a legacy for our community. Your generosity will bear fruit for future generations.

Our first Letter of Intent was signed one year ago. Join us in year two.

Heybn

| HEYB-en | verb: 1. To raise, lift, heave 2. To

enhance, advance, progress, exalt.

Expressions with Heybn: 1 Got zol gebn az vos ir vet onheybn tsu ton, zolt ir ton on a sof. May

God grant that whatever you start to do you may do endlessly 2 Riboyne shel Oylem, heyb mikh nisht oyf, un varf mikh nisht arop.

Master of the Universe, don't raise me up, but don't cast me down. 3 DVen s’farleshn zikh di likht, heybn on tantsn di mayz.

When the cat's away, the mice will play (lit., When the lights go out, the mice begin to dance).

Legacies, Tributes, & Memorials JFS

FEDERATION

JEWISH FOUNDATION of GREATER DAYTON

We collect for The Dayton Foodbank on #GivingTuesday and every day of the year! Don’t know what to donate in the Food Barrels? How about...

Need non-perishable, non-expired dairy products? › evaporated milk powdered milk › puddings & custards

non-perishable, non-expired breads, cereals and pasta?

› hot and cold breakfast cereals › baking mixes › pastas and canned sauces

non-perishable, non-expired meat and protein sources? › canned meats or fish › nuts and seeds › rice and beans

Assistance Finding a Food Pantry Near You? Call the United Way Information & Referral Line, 225-3000 or Dial 2-1-1.

HOLOCAUST PROGRAMMING FUND IN HONOR OF › 90th birthday of Henry Guggenheimer Barbara Mandelbaum Helen and Steve Markman PJ LIBRARY IN HONOR OF › Cheryl and Rick Carne’s new grandson Marcia and Ed Kress JCC

HELEN AND CHARLES ABRAMOVITZ JEWISH CAMP FUND IN HONOR OF › B’nai Mitzvah of Sofie and Zachary Goodrich Judi and Rick Davis

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2018

JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES IN HONOR OF › Speedy recovery of Dr. Harley Ellman › 65th wedding anniversary of Esther and DeNeal Feldman › 70th wedding anniversary of Sylvia and Hyman Blum Margy and Dr. Otis Hurst FOUNDATION

JEREMY BETTMAN B’NAI TZEDEK FUND IN MEMORY OF › Stanford “Shep” Rosen › Lee Schatzley Jean and Todd Bettman

PAGE 21

Upcoming events JEWISH FEDERATION of GREATER DAYTON & ITS AGENCIES

Light Up Chanukah Laser Tag

Dayton Junior Youth Group

with

Gaming Adventures

End Chanukah with a Blast!

December 9, 5–7PM Scene75

6196 Poe Ave., 45414

Kids age 8-11 are invited for a kosher pizza dinner, designing modern-day Maccabees, and a laser tag battle sure to rival that of the Maccabees!

No charge.

ps: u n Grow d enjoy an stay un with the f kids! your

grades 6–8

Saturday, December 15 7–9:15PM

@ Gaming Adventures 320 W. National Rd. Englewood 45322 Ever play Atari? Centipede?

Okay, how about PS4?

Nintendo Switch? Join your friends for a retro (or not!) night of gaming. $10/person for 2 hours of gaming. Snacks and drinks on your own.

RSVP by December 2 at jewishdayton.org or 937-610-1555.

VISIT

jewishdayton.org OR CONTACT MERYL HATTENBACH @ 937-401-1550 TO RSVP.

s

Grade

K–6

–9: ing 7 s in e

d ra Graelor in Tailable!

ns av Cou itions pos

Thursday, December 20–Friday, January 4 8:45AM-3:45PM; extended care available

Enjoy fun, friends, and field trips Camp Shalom style! Closed Tuesday, December 25 and January 1. Join us for MLK Day and Presidents Day too! Daily and session rates and extended care available. Register by December 1 for the early bird discount.

Cooking | Art | Sports | Drama | Music | Swimming | Field Trips Register online at jewishdayton.org or 937-610-1555.

For additional information, contact Meryl Hattenbach at mhattenbach@jfgd.net PAGE 22

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2018

y.

LIFECYCLES

Exceptional Bar/Bat Mitzvah Photography at a Reasonable Price Len Kaltman Photography

MITZVAHPIX.COM (513) 313-9324

Friedland-Voronov Jody Pollack Blazar of Kettering and Andrew Blazar of Beavercreek Township are pleased to announce the marriage of their daughter, Myah Friedland, to Michael Leonard Voronov, son of Ellen and Leonard Voronov of Willowbrook, Ill. Rabbi Joshua Ginsberg and Cantor Andrea Raizen officiated at their wedding ceremony at Beth Abraham Synagogue in Dayton on Sept. 2, followed by a celebration at The Steam Plant. Myah graduated from The Miami Valley School, Muhlenberg College, and is pursuing a master’s degree at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Myah is a manager of corporate relations for WTTW and WFMT in Chicago. Michael graduated from Hinsdale Central High School, Loyola University, and Loyola Stritch School of Medicine. Michael is a partner with Midwest Anesthesia Partners in Chicago. The newlyweds reside in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago.

Noah Isaac Levitt Alexandra Bow Levitt Noah Isaac Levitt and Alexandra Bow Levitt are proud to announce their Bar and Bat Mitzvah. Noah, son of Karen and Lee Levitt, will become a Bar Mitzvah on Nov. 24 at Temple Sinai in Pittsburgh. Grandparents are Paula and Marvin Levitt of Dayton, Irene Seiden of blessed memory, and Peggy and Robert Seiden of Myrtle Beach, S.C. Alexandra, daughter of Ilise and Wayne Levitt, became a Bat Mitzvah Oct. 20 in New Jersey.

Grandparents are Paula and Marvin Levitt of Dayton, and Paula and Jerry Goldschein of New Jersey. Noah’s Tikun Olam project supports Save a Child’s Heart. Alexandra’s Tikun Olam project supported rescue animals.

Aviva Lynn Blazar Eric and Christine Blazar of Haddonfield, N.J. announce the birth of their daughter, Aviva Lynn Blazar, on Feb. 11.

Aviva and her brother, Dylan, are the grandchildren of Jody Pollack Blazar of Kettering, Andrew Blazar of Beavercreek Township, Terry Wadlinger of Barrington, N.J., and John Lill of Audubon, N.J. Greatgrandmother is Ellen Siegel Pollack. Of blessed memory are great-grandparents Shirley and Arthur Pollack, Sylvia and Mitchell Blazar, Catherine and Francis Wadlinger and Alice and Harborough Lill.

Family and friends gathered at Congregation M’Kor Shalom in Cherry Hill, N.J. on Sept. 30 to celebrate Aviva’s naming, Aviva Lilah.

Schneur Mangel With gratitude to Hashem, Devorah and Rabbi Nochum Mangel are pleased to announce that their youngest child, Schneur, will be called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah on Shabbat Vayeshev, Dec. 1 at Chabad of Greater Dayton.

Schneur is a student at Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh. He enjoys learning all Jewish subjects, hands-on science and math, playing all sports, keeping up with digital technology, building, and helping others.

His siblings are Sarah, Lazer, Chaya, Mendel, and Rikki.

Send lifecycles to: The Dayton Jewish Observer, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville, OH 45459 Email: MWeiss@jfgd.net.

There is a $10 charge to run a photo; please make checks payable to The Dayton Jewish Observer.

Dayton • Cincinnati • Columbus

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

Contact Patty Caruso at plhc69@gmail.com to advertise in The Observer.

INVEST IN EDUCATION DONATE TO WRIGHT LIBRARY

A year-end gift to the Wright Library Foundation directly supports education and imagination in the Dayton region. With the help of the Foundation, Wright Library proudly partnered with Hillel Academy in 2018 on “The Art of Invention,” an art project that inspired and encouraged young artists at the school and the broader community.

Donate to the Wright Memorial Public Library Foundation today at wrightlibrary.org/foundation or by mailing to 1776 Far Hills Avenue, Oakwood, OH 45419.

Wright Memorial Public Library

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2018

PAGE 23

STRONGER THAN HATE

The Jewish community experienced an amazing outpouring of support from everyone who attended our Community Gathering at Temple Israel on October 30—over 1,200 people. Thank you so much to everyone who came to honor the lives lost in Pittsburgh by coming together as one community.

”

I wasn’t surprised but elated over the community response: Muslims, Christians, and Jews and agnostics coming together to show solidarity against evil. How proud we are to be part of this community.

How sad we had to come together for the reason we did.

Elaine and Joe Bettman It was heartwarming to see our community come together to support our own Jewish Community and one another. It gives me hope that we can find some strength together in this senseless act of violence.

Michael R. Roediger I came for comfort and received comfort, as well as inspiration. Yasher koach!

Chaya Vidal

PAGE 24

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2018

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Classes

Temple Beth Or Classes: Sat., Dec. 1, 10 a.m.: Tanakh w. Rabbi Chessin. Sun., Dec. 9, 10 a.m. Tara Feiner, JFS, Risks For Cancer Among Jews. 5275 Marshall Rd., Wash. Twp. 4353400.

6196 Poe Ave., Dayton. Ages 8-11 & families. Includes kosher pizza dinner. R.S.V.P. by Dec. 5 to 610-1555.

Junior Youth Group @ Gaming Adventures: Sat., Dec. 15, 7-9:15 p.m. Grades 6-8. 320 W. National Rd., Englewood. $10.

Snacks & drinks pay own way.

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

Temple Israel Classes: Tuesdays, Dec. 4, 11, 18, 5:30 p.m.: Musar. Wednesdays, noon: Talmud. Saturdays, 9:30 JCC Winter Camp Shalom: a.m.: Torah Study. 130 Riverside Dec. 20-Jan. 4, 8:45 a.m. 3:45 p.m. Boonshoft CJCE, Dr., Dayton. 496-0050.

525 Versailles Dr., Centerville.

Grades K-6. Call 610-1555 for Discussions info.

Temple Israel Ryterband Brunch Series: Sundays. $7.

Young Adults Dec. 9: Author Dennis Turner, YAD Chanukah Shabbat What Did You Do In The War, Dinner: Fri., Dec. 7, 6:30 p.m.

Sister? Dec. 16: Rabbi Sobo, Maccabiah: Jews, Sports, Israel. at the home of Sydney & David 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. 496- Feibus. For ages 21-35. R.S.V.P. to 610-1555.

0050.

Temple Beth Or Artisan Fair & Brisket Lunch: Sun., Dec. 2, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. 5275 Marshall Rd., Wash. Twp. 435-3400.

PJ Library Shabbat on the Road: Sat., Dec. 8, 10:15-11:45 a.m. Beth Abraham Synagogue, 305 Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood.

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

Chabad Menorah Lighting @ The Greene: Mon., Dec. 3, 6 p.m.

Children & Youths

BBYO Chanukah Movie Night: Sun., Dec. 2, 6-9 p.m. 400 Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood.

Pizza provided. R.S.V.P. to 6101555.

PJ Library & JCC Early Childhood Chanukah Shabbat Sing-A-Long: Fri., Dec. 7, 9-11 a.m. Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville. Call 610-1555 for info.

PJ Our Way Light Up Chanukah Laser Tag: Sun., Dec. 9, 5-7 p.m. Scene 75,

Tim Sweeny

Marc Rossio. $10 adults/$7 child

by Nov. 28, $14 adults/$9 child after Nov. 28. 3 and under free.

Vegetarian options available.

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

Beth Jacob Congregation Visiting Rabbi Shabbat: W. Rabbi Shmuel Klatzkin. Fri., Dec. 7, 5:30 p.m.: services & dinner ($18 adults, $9 ages 5-11). Sat., Dec. 8, 9:30 a.m.: services, kiddush lunch, class.

7020 N. Main St., Harrison Twp. R.S.V.P. for dinner by Nov. 30 to 274-2149.

A Bintel Brief: Dramatic reading of letters & Yiddish music. Sun., Dec. 9, 1 p.m.

Temple Israel, 130 Riverside Dr. Dessert reception. R.S.V.P. to 496-0050.

Temple Israel Torah On Tap: Wed., Dec. 19, 6 p.m. Hairless Hare, 738 W. National Rd., Women Thursdays@the J: Dec. 13, Vandalia. Discussion w. a temple Chabad Women’s Circle 1-2:30 p.m., Speaking of That.

Chanukah Party & Craft Night: rabbi, first round of drinks on the Author Dennis Turner, What temple.

Did You Do In The War, Sister? Sun., Dec. 9, 7 p.m. 2001 Far Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Hills Ave., Oakwood. R.S.V.P. to Beth Abraham Synagogue Dr., Centerville. Free. 610-1555. 643-0770.

Kosher Chinese Dinner & Movie: Mon., Dec. 24, 5:30 Seniors Beth Abraham Men’s Club p.m. $12 adults, $6 ages 3-12.

JFS Active Adults Chanukah Brunch: Sun., Dec. 16, 10 305 Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood. a.m.: UD Assoc. Prof. of English Brunch: Sun., Dec. 2, 11 a.m.

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

At Beth Jacob Congregation, Dr. Miriamne Krummel, The 7020 N. Main St., Harrison Twp. Jews of Medieval England. 305 JFS Mitzvah Mission: Tues., Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood. $7. $15 in advance, $20 at door.

Dec. 25, 10 a.m.-noon.

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

293-9520.

Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville. R.S.V.P. to 610Community Events Family 1555.

Temple Beth Or Fruit of the Temple Israel Chanukah Vine Shabbat: Fri., Nov. 30, 7 Happening: Sun., Dec. 2, 11 p.m. W. Rabbi Judy Chessin & a.m. Lunch at 11:45 a.m. $5 wine tastings w. Ron Nelson. adults, $3 children ages 4-12.

Free. 5275 Marshall Rd., Wash.

130 Riverside Dr., Dayton.

Twp. 435-3400.

R.S.V.P. to 496-0050.

Chabad CKids Club Maccabee Makerspace: Sun., Dec. 2, 3 p.m. 2001 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood. 643-0770.

Wishing You A Happy Chanukah REALTOR® (937) 901-2346 CELL (937) 918-2693 BUSINESS tim.sweeny@coldwellbanker.com www.TimSweeny.com

Let me be your Real Estate compass. ©2018 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Office is Independently Owned And Operated. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.

TCStorc

Commercial HVAC & Refrigeration Kettering, Ohio 45429 • (937) 604-2049 Tim Crafton, Owner • storchvacr@gmail.com Wishing You A Happy Chanukah

Happy Chanukah Felix & Erika Garfunkel

We wish the Dayton Jewish community a very Happy Chanukah Franklin & Natalie Cohn

Best wishes to all for a Happy Chanukah

A sweet and joyous Chanukah

Dr. & Mrs. Charles I. Fried

Sharon & Bob Burick

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

Contact Patty Caruso at plhc69@gmail.com to advertise in The Observer.

MICKALENE THOMAS PHOTOGRAPHS tête-à-tête Organized by

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Community Chanukah Party: Wed., Dec. 5, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville. Meatball & pasta dinner, entertainment by

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Call 937-223-4ART (4278) or visit daytonartinstitute.org

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2018

PAGE 25

Wishing You A Happy Chanukah.

JENNIFER M. FELDMAN, M.D. DAVID L. ROER, M.D. ELIZABETH A. DARKWA, M.D. GARY M. YOURA, M.D. M. PILAR HANSON, M.D. KATHERINE H. WINGATE, M.D. APRIL A. BUNN, M.D. JOHN M. RAHE, M.D. DANIEL J. URSCHEL, M.D. MARYLYNN B. HERCHLINE, M.D. RAMYA KESHAVARAM, M.D. LINDA M. MEISTER, M.D. DEBRA A. RILL, R.N., C.P.N.P. JENNIFER M. CONLON, M.D. EMILY E. HENDRICKSON, APRN, CNP SHALINI A. RYAN, D.O. JOANNA E. KREYLING, APRN, CNP 9000 North Main Street Dayton, Ohio 45415 (937) 832-7337

5450 Far Hills Avenue Dayton, Ohio 45429 (937) 436-2866

3140 Dayton-Xenia Rd. Beavercreek, Ohio 45434 (937) 320-1950

Happy Chanukah

Accepting New Patients

North

813 Troy St., Dayton 45404

228-2020

South

Israel and US postal services issue joint Chanukah stamp JERUSALEM — Israel Post and the U.S. Postal Service have issued a joint stamp for Chanukah.

The stamp also is meant to celebrate 70 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and the United States, Israel Post said in a statement.

The new stamp design was launched simultaneously in the Touro Synagogue in Newport, R.I., the oldest synagogue in the United States, and at the American Center in Jerusalem.

“Today’s joint stamp issue is a symbol of the shared values and the cultural affinity between the United States and Israel,” U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said at the Jerusalem ceremony.

Postal Service Judicial Officer Gary Shapiro said in Rhode Island: “Starting today, this work of art celebrating the Jewish Festival of Lights will travel on millions of letters and packages, throughout America and around the

40 Southmoor Cir., N.E., Dayton 45429

299-4132

Happy Chanukah !

Mon., Dec. 24 5:30 p.m.

Committee to Re-elect Debbie Lieberman, Marty Moore, Treasurer, 3630 Berrywood Drive, Dayton, OH 45424

Jerusalem after its sacking and recapture, for the eight days necessary to resupply.

Additional design elements include dreidels and a pomegranate plant with fruit and flowers.

The stamp is being issued in the United States as a Forever stamp, which will always be equal in value to the current first class mail one-ounce price.

It will sell in Israel for 8.30 shekels, the cost of a regular first-class stamp. — JTA

For a complete schedule of our events and times, go to bethabrahamdayton.org.

Kosher Chinese Dinner & Movie

Debbie Lieberman

world.”

The stamp art features a Chanukah menorah created using the technique of papercutting, a Jewish folk art, by artist Tamar Fishman.

Behind the menorah is a shape that resembles an ancient oil jug representing the miracle of the oil that burned in the candelabra in the Holy Temple in

Beth Abraham, Dayton’s only Conservative synagogue, is enthusiastically egalitarian and is affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

Wishing you and your family a very

Montgomery County Commissioner

USPS

Kosher Chinese Dinner Buffet followed by a movie for adults and a special movie for children $12 adults • $6 ages 3-12. • R.S.V.P.

Sunday Brunch Speaker Series

‫ברוכים‬ ‫הבאים‬

$7 • R.S.V.P. to 293-9520

Dec. 16, Beth Abraham is Dayton’s ‘Blessed Are Those Who Come’ only Conservative 10 a.m.: Univ. synagogue, affiliated with of Dayton the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

Associate Prof.

We are an enthusiastically of English egalitarian synagogue.

Dr. Miriamne We also have an enerKrummel, getic Keruv program that reaches out to intermarried Sat., Dec. 8, 9 a.m.

The Jews of Medieval England couples and families in our

New Member Shabbat

synagogue and in the Dayton Jewish community.

Service Schedule: Mornings, Mon. & Thurs., 7:15 a.m.; Tues., Wed., Fri., 7:30 a.m.; Sunday, 8:30 a.m.

For a complete schedule of Evenings, Mon.-Fri., 5:30 p.m. Sat. Morning Service, 9 a.m.; Youth Service, 10:30 a.m.; Kiddush lunch following. our events, go to bethabrahamdayton.org.

PAGE 26

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2018

RELIGION

CONGREGATIONS

Crisis of faith? Look to Chanukah

By Rabbi Ari Ballaban Temple Beth Or Like many Jews, I have a little bit of family in Israel.

The Israeli side of my family (cousins, aunts and uncles) moved there in the wake of the Holocaust, around the same time that the rest of my family who survived the war came to America.

One might expect the Israeli side of my family to be, in some fashion, “more Jewish,”

Perspectives

response to that crisis.

According to Jewish lore, It marks the precise moment the Chanukah miracle of 164 when the Jews, miraculously B.C.E. marks the time when our ancestors decided that they having won a war and survived yet another oppressive would not let Syrian-Greeks regime, showed the — and the calamities world that neither they inflicted upon persecution nor us, our holy places, violence would stop and our sense of the them from following sacred — dictate the their ancestral religion innermost essence of as they saw fit. our religion or faith.

Unfortunately, ChaAntiochus IV Epinukah — especially as phanes, the Seleucid’s it is often celebrated Syrian-Greek leader in 21st-century Amerduring Maccabean Revolt, sought to Rabbi Ari Ballaban ica, as a wintertime, Christmas look-alike make the practice of — risks becoming spiritually Judaism burdensome. irrelevant to American Jewry’s As an imposition on the religious practice.

Judeans, he also attempted to There may be nothing wrong turn the Second Temple into with the inevitable cultural a shrine for pagan gods like interchange that occurs when Zeus.

Chanukah — the coda to the Jews are in societal dialogue with those of other faiths; howMaccabean Revolt, the Hasever, it is essential that Jews moneans’ victory lap — was maintain the core integrity of an inflection point in the Jews’

their holidays’ meaning. Chanukah, minor festival though it may be, has the potential to hold major religious significance, especially in times when Jews experience strife.

This holiday, being born of Jews’ confrontation with an often inhospitable world, deserves to be recognized for what it is: a statement by Jews that their history, religion, and culture cannot be destroyed.

In it, we find the strident spirit of rebellion on which Jews have relied for millennia. In our world today, there are many who would all too happily gloat if Jews were to surrender their religion in response to violence, if we were to decide that our religion lacks meaning in light of the iniquities and indignities we still face.

Surprising though it may be, the 2nd-century B.C.E. rededication of our ancient Temple should be quite relevant to 21st-century C.E. Jews.

The debate in which I will undoubtedly continue to participate with my family (or with others who feel, given our history, that God has abandoned the Jews) is legitimate.

Nevertheless, I am confident asserting that Chanukah provides us with a model for an authentic Jewish commitment that, regardless of what happens to us, we as Jews will survive the tribulations of our times; we will come out, at the other end of our difficulties, stronger for the experience.

Ultimately, I have no doubt we will turn our weaknesses into strengths and our suffering into celebration.

(whatever that means…) than my family who settled in the United States; he or she would be mistaken.

In fact, while my American relatives are active practicing Jews, those in Israel — like many Israelis — tend toward secularism and struggle with anything in Judaism they consider religious.

On multiple occasions, my Israeli relatives and I have debated how one can believe in God in a post-Holocaust world.

As far as they are concerned, any God who would allow the Holocaust to occur is no God worth believing in. The bestcase scenario, they would suggest, is that no God exists at all.

Chanukah is, at its core, a Jewish attempt to reconcile theological crises like this.

At the conclusion of the Maccabean Revolt, during which a Jewish family led a rebellion to gain freedom from the rule of the Hellenistic Seleucid empire, the Jews of 2ndcentury B.C.E. were faced with their own crisis of faith: how to Judas Maccabeus before the army of Nicanor, illustration from the Dore revitalize their people’s religiBible, 1866 osity after the recent, wholesale destruction of Jewish culture.

The question underlying the Maccabees’ task echoes what many Jews have wondered lately: What do we do, first, when it seems like our God has Torah abdicated the role a beneficent Sovereign ought to play?

Portions Chanukah Second, what do we do when Shabbat Festival of Lights we begin to experience doubts December 1 Candle Dec. 3-10 about the meaningfulness of Vayeshev (Gen. 37:1-40:23) Lightings 25 Kislev-2 Tevet belief in God at all?

December 8 Eight-day holiday commemorating Thence comes the signifiMiketz (Gen. 41:1-44:17; December 7 Jewish victory over the Syrian-Greeks cance of Chanukah — the holiNum. 28:9-15; 7:42-47) 4:54 p.m. and the miracle of the rededication day of rededication. of the Temple. One day’s oil for the December 15 December 14 The Hebrew root Chet, Nun, Temple’s light lasted eight days. A Vayigash (Gen. 44:18-47:27) 4:55 p.m.

Kaf, from which the name of chanukiah (menorah) is lit for eight the holiday Chanukah comes, December 22 December 21 nights, and latkes (potato pancakes) is precisely about the reaffirma4:58 p.m.

Vayechi (Gen. 47:28-50:26) are fried in oil to commemorate the tion of that in our world which, story. Children play with dreidels, and December 28 December 29 though originally sacred, has 5:02 p.m.

Shemot (Ex. 1:1-6:1) gifts are exchanged. been sullied.

December • Kislev/Tevet

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2018

Beth Abraham Synagogue Conservative Rabbi Joshua Ginsberg Cantor/Dir. of Ed. & Programming Andrea Raizen Mornings, Mon. & Thurs., 7:15 a.m.; Tues., Wed., Fri., 7:30 a.m.

Evenings, Mon.-Fri., 5:30 p.m.

Sun., 8:30 a.m. Sat. , 9 a.m.; Youth Service, 10:30 a.m. 305 Sugar Camp Circle, Oakwood. 293-9520.

BethAbrahamDayton.org Beth Jacob Congregation Traditional Saturdays 9:30 a.m., Sundays 8 a.m., Sunday through Friday, 7 p.m.

7020 N. Main St., Dayton. 274-2149.

BethJacobCong.org Temple Anshe Emeth Reform Fri., Dec. 14, 7:30 p.m. w.

Rabbinic Interm Eliza McCarroll 320 Caldwell St., Piqua.

Call Eileen Litchfield, 937-5470092, elitchfield@woh.rr.com.

Correspondence address: 3808 Beanblossom Rd., Greenville, OH 45331. 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 Cheryl Levine, 937-767-9293.

PAGE 27

Coming to Temple Beth Or in 2019

Eight ways to celebrate Chanukah in Israel

Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

Adult Edition Join Rabbi Ari Ballaban each month to discuss issues of Jewish concern. These adult education offerings will address Jewish culture, history and faith.

Sufganiyot (deep-fried doughnuts) are made at the Jerusalem-based Magdinat Pe’er bakery in the lead up to Chanukah

By Adam Abrams, JNS Is it possible to stay entertained for eight crazy nights? For the wintertime extravaganza of Chanukah, Israel offers a wide selection of cultural, culinary, and religious activities to pack any tourist or resident’s schedule.

Ahead of Chanukah 2018, here are eight ways to mark the holiday — one for each night — in Jerusalem and throughout the Jewish state.

1. Fresh latkes and sufganiyot

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While lighting oilfilled lamps on the menorah is how Jews traditionally commemorate the miracle of Chanukah, eating festive foods fried in oil has long been a popular aspect of the holiday.

“Special tastes of Chanukah, such as doughnuts with myriad of fillings and other fried delicacies are available at virtually every bakery and food store,” Israeli Tourism Ministry spokesperson Anat Sichr Aronson told JNS. Bakeries, restaurants and markets across Israel serve up latkes as well as

creative selections of sweet deep-fried doughnuts — called sufganiyot — throughout the holiday. For the do-ityourself type of person, these treats can also be made at home.

2. Menorah lighting at the Western Wall

Every evening throughout the Festival of Lights, the large menorah at the Western Wall is lit in a public ceremony attended by some of the country’s leading rabbis and officials. If you happen to be in Jerusalem at the time, the menorah lighting at the holy site is what many consider a special spiritual experience.

The lighting ceremony occurs shortly after sunset, which is around 4:30 p.m. during the winter season in Jerusalem.

3. Jerusalem chanukiot tours

During the eight nights of Chanukah, residents of Jerusalem place their menorahs in windows and in glass boxes outside their homes to share the holiday lights with passersby. The sheer number of lit menorahs glowing amid Jerusa-

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lem’s ancient limestone walls creates a unique ambiance.

The Jerusalem municipality organizes chanukiot tours to take visitors through the holy city’s neighborhoods to see various Chanukah menorahs, Aronson said.

“Tourists can take advantage of the evening walking tours through these neighborhoods, where they can enjoy seeing the chanukiot lit in windows and even on walls and on the streets,” she said. “During this time of year there is a unique festive atmosphere that is felt throughout the country, but nowhere more so than in the small alleyways in the Jerusalem neighborhoods.”

4. City of David lightshows

Mujaddara

for the two lightshows.

Each show lasts 90 minutes and tells the story of the return to Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile more than 2,000 years ago, through video mapping technology.

8. The Bible Lands Museum

5. The Israel Museum

Israel’s largest cultural institution has an extensive collection of art, archaeological findings, and Judaica, as well as a youth section and a fine arts wing offering an eclectic display of modern, Israeli, European and contemporary art.

“During Chanukah we offer free entrance for children, as we do every Tzuba Estate Winery holiday,” a museum spokesperson said. “We will have a daily workshop during the holiday’s eight days.

City of David called Art After Light, a fireworks Tzuba Estate Winery in the Judean show every eveHills and Psagot Winery in Binyamin ning, a puppet hold events during Chanukah. The show for kids, and award-winning Tulip Winery in Kfar an exhibition in the Tikva has also hosted wine tastings youth wing where with menorah lightings during the children can build festival. menorahs.”

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the unification of Jerusalem, the City of David presents two light shows projected onto the walls of the Old City and the ruins of the ancient City of David.

The Mount of Olives, Mount Scopus, Valley of the Kings, and slopes of the City of David provide the natural backdrops A City of David lightshow

6. Wine tasting

Although there is no specific obligation to drink during Chanukah, Israel has some 250 wineries, many of which offer special tastings and tours

trip to Modi’in’s ancient sites during Chanukah is a way to connect with Jewish history and add deeper meaning to the holiday.

The Bible Lands Museum — located across the street from the Israel Museum — offers dozens of galleries and exhibits focusing on societies in the ancient Near East, from the dawn of civilization to the beginning of the Christian era.

During Chanukah, the museum features holiday-themed exhibits, tours and workshops.

Israel Ministry of Tourism

7. Ancient Modi’in

Modi’in was the hometown of the Maccabees, who led the revolt against the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire that culminated in a miraculous military victory and the rededication of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.

Residents of modern-day Modi’in visit the ancient Umm el-Umdan synagogue to light menorahs and pray. A The ancient Umm el-Umdan synagogue

A Bintel Brief

Sunday, December 9 at 1pm featuring: Saul Caplan, Stacy Emoff, Jon Horwitz, Beverly Horwitz, and Meredith Levinson with musical selections

by Richard Prigozen Join us for a dramatic reading of letters and Yiddish music.

Long before “Ask Ann Landers” and “Dear Abby,” there was A Bintel Brief, the Jewish Forward’s legendary advice column launched in 1906 by editor, Abraham Cahan.

This popular column helped waves of Yiddish-speaking immigrants find their footing in 20th century American life.

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Temple Israel • www.tidayton.org • 130 Riverside Drive, Dayton, OH 45405 THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2018

PAGE 29

By Sonya Sanford The Nosher The Japanese word okonomiyaki is derived from two words: okonomi, “how you like it,” and yaki, “grill.” Okonomiyaki is a customizable Japanese savory vegetable pancake. Like a latke, it gets cooked in oil in a fritter formation. Unlike a latke, it’s usually made into a large plate-sized pancake comprising mainly cabbage.

Food historians have linked the rise in popularity of okonomiyaki in Japan to World War II, when rice was more scarce and this recipe offered a filling meal or snack with a wheatbased starch. Throughout Japan there are regional differences and countless variations of okonomiyaki, but the most common form of the dish involves a batter made of flour, a variety of mountain yam, eggs, shredded cabbage, green onion, dashi, and often the addition of pork belly. It gets topped with its own tangy sweet sauce, Japanese mayonnaise and bonito flakes (katsuobushi).

The cabbage gets slightly crisp, tender and sweet when seared in oil on a flattop or skillet, and then it gets generously slathered with an umami-rich sauce, along with a welcome drizzle of creamy mayo. The richness, sweetness and tanginess of these components all work perfectly together.

Mayonnaise, for topping (optional) For the okonomiyaki sauce: 1/2 cup ketchup 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce 2 Tbsp. soy sauce 2 Tbsp. honey or agave syrup, or to taste

Japanese-Style Latkes for Chanukah I set out to modify the classic Japanese version for a recipe that didn’t require access to a specialty food store and could be made with kosher ingredients.

Full disclosure: My version lacks authenticity. If you’re going for the real deal, you’ll need a batter made with an okonomiyaki flour mix or nagaimo yam. This special kind of yam is added in powdered form to the flour mix or is grated fresh into the batter. The toppings should

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1. Start by making the batter.

Whisk together the flour, starch, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Add the eggs and 1/2 cup of water to the flour mixture.

Whisk until smooth. You want a fairly thin, crepe batter-like consistency. If you find it too thick, add another 1/4 cup of water. Try not to over-mix; you do not want to overdevelop the gluten. Allow the batter to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. the okonomiyaki is a nod to the include bonito flakes, and the 3. While the batter is resting, miracle of the oil lasting in the batter should be made with prepare the vegetables. Remove dashi. These ingredients can be Temple for eight days instead of the thick core from the cabfound at most Japanese markets. one, and a nutritious, satisfying bage half, then cut the halved addition to any Chanukah meal. cabbage in two. Thinly slice or Instead of nagaimo yam, my version uses a batter of flour shred the cabbage. Thinly slice For the pancakes: and potato starch, and instead the green onions. Grate the car3/4 cup all-purpose flour or rot and daikon if using. of dashi I use water. gluten free all-purpose mix I’ve also included a recipe 4. Make the okonomiyaki 1/4 cup potato starch or for homemade traditional sauce: Combine the ketchup, cornstarch okonomiyaki sauce that can be Worcestershire, soy sauce and 1 tsp. baking powder made with easy-to-find ingrehoney/agave in a bowl. Taste 1 tsp. kosher salt dients, but you can also buy a and adjust to your liking. The 2 large eggs pre-made bottled sauce. You can sauce should be tangy, savory, 1/2 to 3/4 cup water make these pancakes large and and a little sweet.

1/2 shredded green cabbage, cut into wedges like the Japa5. Combine the batter with about 41/2 packed cups nese do, or slightly smaller, like the vegetable mixture.

3 green onions, sliced thin, a large latke. I wouldn’t go too 6. Heat a cast-iron skillet or a plus more for garnish if small, as the vegetables tend to nonstick skillet with about three desired hold together better en masse. tablespoons of oil over high 1 carrot, peeled and This recipe doesn’t need to heat. Once the oil is glistenshredded be too exact, and it works as ing and hot, lower the heat to 4-5 inches daikon, peeled a blank canvas for additional medium low and add some of and shredded (optional) vegetables like kale, mushrooms the cabbage mixture to the pan, Oil as needed (i.e. sunflower, gently nudging it into a circle and/or daikon. In the spirit of canola or peanut) Chanukah, these okonomiyaki shape.

Sesame seeds, for topping get cooked in oil, but aren’t I like to make each pancake (optional) heavily fried. The oil used to fry with about two cups of the mixture. For me, that makes an ideal-sized pancake that isn’t too hard to flip and one that will hold together. Cover the skillet with a lid for three to four minutes. Carefully flip over the pancake, and cover it with a lid for an additional three to four minutes, or until browned on both sides and cooked through.

Make sure not to cook on too high of a heat or the pancake might burn on the outside while remaining raw in the center.

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This White Bean Soup has a secret Israeli ingredient

By Sonya Sanford, The Nosher I recently stumbled upon a Yemenite Jewish cookbook from the early ’60s called Yemenite & Sabra Cookery by Naomi and Shimon Tzabar. It’s the type of cookbook I especially love to discover; the kind that covers a rare topic and is unusually designed.

This one has beautiful wood-block print images scattered throughout. The recipes are more like sketches of how to make something rather than being clear directives.

The first page of the book features a recipe for zhug, a classic Yemenite hot sauce, and a few pages later there’s one for a very simple white bean soup. I’ve been a longtime fan of topping white bean soup with homemade pesto or herb sauce. Creamy, rich white beans are well complemented by fragrant earthy fresh herbs.

As I skimmed through each page, these two recipes jumped out at me, calling to be combined.

Zhug (or skhug; pronounced s-kh-oo-g) is found throughout the Middle East, and was brought to and made popular in Israel

by Yemenite Jews. It is used to add heat to many dishes, from falafel to shwarma to schnitzel to sabich.

There are countless recipes for zhug, but it is always made with a combination of hot green or red peppers and cilantro/coriander. Often you’ll find it includes spices such as cardamom and caraway.

Zhug is spicy, vibrant and complexly flavored with the combination of these herbs and spices. It’s not your average hot sauce.

This white bean soup is simple at its core and made with leeks, carrots, celery and just a few other ingredients.

You can use chicken broth or vegetable broth for the liquid — even water will work.

If you have the time, or an Instant Pot (yes!), preparing the white beans from scratch will make the soup signifi-

cantly better. For one, you can infuse the beans as they cook and soften with extra flavor from garlic and bay leaf.

Then, the infused cooking liquid can also be added to the soup.

You can cook the white beans and make the zhug several days in advance.

Once everything comes together, and the soup is served and topped with the herby zhug, it makes this dish that much more impressive.

My first spoonful instantly warmed me. The spice and heat from the zhug, and the comfort of the creamy white beans, somehow elicit the feeling of heat from strong sunlight somewhere very far away.

For the soup: 1 cup dry white/cannellini beans, or 2 (15-oz.) cans (about 31/2 to 4 cups) Oil, as needed 1 large onion, diced small 1 large leek, white part only, diced small 1 carrot, diced small 1 rib of celery, diced small 1 Roma tomato, chopped small (or 1 Tbsp. tomato paste) 6 cloves garlic, peeled and divided 2 large bay leaves, divided 3 sprigs thyme, leaves removed 10 cups (21/2 quarts) chicken broth, vegetable broth or water A spoonful of finely chopped parsley or cilantro stems (leftover from the zhug) Salt and pepper, to taste Juice of 1/2 a lemon, or to taste For the zhug: 5-10 small jalapeño peppers (5 for mild, 10 for hot), sliced in half and deseeded 1 bunch cilantro 1 bunch parsley 1 large clove garlic, peeled 1 Tbsp. ground cardamom 2 tsp. caraway seeds (optional) 1 tsp. kosher salt Juice of 1/2 a lemon Continued on next page

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PAGE 31

White Bean Soup Continued from previous page 1/4 cup oil (a mild neutral oil: sunflower, canola, grapeseed, etc.)

1. If using dry beans: Soak the beans overnight. In a large pot or in an Instapot, cover the dried beans with three to four inches of water.

Add a large bay leaf and four peeled cloves of garlic to the pot. Simmer beans until tender.

2. To a large pot, add a generous drizzle of oil over medium heat, and add the diced onion, leek, carrot and celery.

Sauté the vegetables until softened, about six to eight minutes.

Add the chopped tomato (or tomato paste), two peeled garlic cloves, one bay leaf, thyme and chopped herb stems to the pot. Stir and sauté for another minute.

3. Add the liquid to the pot.

If I’ve made the beans from dried, I like to add a few cups of the bean cooking liquid in addition to broth.

4. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

5. Add the cooked or canned beans to the pot and simmer for another 20-25 minutes.

Taste and season as needed.

Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice.

6. At this point, you can serve the soup as is. However, I prefer to remove about a third from the pot. I blend the remaining soup until light and creamy, using an immersion blender. I add the remaining soup back to the pot. This makes the soup satisfyingly smooth, with pops of beans and vegetables.

7. To make the zhug: To a food processor add the deseeded jalapeños, parsley, cilantro, garlic, cardamom, caraway and salt. Pulse until finely chopped. If you don’t have a food processor, you can also chop the ingredients finely by hand.

Transfer the chopped mixture to a bowl. Add the oil and lemon juice, and stir until combined. Zhug will last up to two weeks in a well-sealed container, or it can be frozen for up to three months.

8. Serve topped with zhug to your taste. Serves six to eight.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast an easy Chanukah feast

By Jennifer Stempel The Nosher As someone who runs her life a million miles per minute but still values the fruits of a home-cooked meal, the slow cooker is a mainstay in my kitchen.

I love making this savory pot roast for a festive Chanukah meal. Any starchy side like rice, potatoes or noodles goes well with it.

Do the prep work the night before and set the slow cooker in the morning.

By the time dinner rolls around, your neighbors will be knocking on your door to join your Chanukah feast. I use a slow cooker liner to make cleanup easier.

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1 5-lb. boneless beef chuck roast 11/2 tsp. kosher salt (or more, to taste) 1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper (or more, to taste) 2 Tbsp. olive oil 2 large sweet onions, diced 2 large carrots , diced 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced 1 large sprig of rosemary 12 oz. cremini mushrooms, chopped 1 15-oz. can low sodium beef broth 1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes 1 dried bay leaf 1. Pat the beef chuck roast dry, and season with salt and pepper. In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil, and brown the beef on all sides (about three minutes per side).

2. While the beef is browning, layer the onions, carrots, garlic, rosemary and mushrooms in the bowl of a

slow cooker. Once the beef is browned on all sides, place the beef on top of the vegetables in the slow cooker.

3. Deglaze the sauté pan with the beef broth, making sure to scrape up any dark spots from the pan. Pour the broth in the slow cooker.

4. Pour the diced tomatoes over the beef and tuck in a dried bay leaf.

5. Cover and cook on low for seven hours.

6. Remove the beef from the slow cooker using kitchen tongs, and set on a carving board. Shred or slice, and serve with a starchy side dish. Or you can remove the sprig of rosemary and the bay leaf and blend the vegetables into a thick sauce that can be used as a gravy.

Note: Steps 1-4 can be done the night before. Store the bowl of the slow cooker in the refrigerator overnight, and continue from Step 5 in the morning.

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Turkish Coffee Brownies with Cinnamon Caramel

By Chaya Rappoport The Nosher I was first introduced to Turkish coffee in Israel. Prepared in the traditional copper cezve, it was served piping hot and in beautiful, delicate cups.

I quickly became enamored of its strong flavor and clean, robust taste unmarred by sugar.

In addition to the pure taste of coffee, there was another flavor I couldn’t quite place.

When I asked the brewer what it was, he told me it was cardamom.

It seemed a strange combination at first, but as I kept drinking, I found it was enjoyable — like a stronger, undiluted version of a dirty chai (Indian-spiced tea).

Coffee and cardamom have since become one of my favorite flavor pairings. It’s a pairing that has found its true home in these deep, dark, ridiculously fudgy brownies.

Now I know people have fierce opinions when it comes to brownies; fudgy or cakey?

Cocoa or chocolate or both? Chemical leavening or just eggs?

But I am a firm brownie purist: All brownies should be fudgy, with crackly tops, edges for those who like them, made with both cocoa and chocolate.

You can leave out the coffee and cardamom for a more classic treat, or embrace the Middle Eastern flavors and embellish these already indulgent brownies with a cinnamon-spiced caramel and flaked salt for an over-the-top, just-what-your-Chanukahneeds hit of decadence.

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1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a 9-by-13 baking pan with parchment paper and grease with a nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a double boiler or a medium heatproof bowl placed over a gently simmering pot of water, melt chocolate, butter, cocoa and sugar together until mostly smooth.

Turn off the heat, stir until completely smooth and fully melted.

3. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, then vanilla, espresso powder, cardamom, and salt.

4. Stir in flour with a spoon and scrape batter into prepared pan, spreading until even.

5. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out

batter-free.

6. While the brownies bake, make the caramel: Melt the sugar over medium to moderately high heat in a two-quart pot, stirring the sugar as it melts to ensure it heats evenly.

7. Cook the liquefied sugar to a copper color. Add the butter and stir until the butter melts.

Lower the heat and slowly drizzle in the heavy cream, whisking the whole time.

8. Remove from the heat and stir in the cinnamon and salt.

Set aside until needed.

9. Cut the brownies into 16 or 32 squares and serve with cinnamon caramel sauce drizzled over the top. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired.

Wishing you a Happy Chanukah

Chaya Rappoport is a blogger, baker, and picture taker.

For the brownies: 2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped 2 sticks unsalted butter 2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup Dutch cocoa powder 2 tsp. espresso powder 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom 4 large eggs 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. fine sea salt 1 cup all-purpose flour For the caramel: 1/2 cup granulated sugar 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter 1/3 cup heavy cream 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon flaky salt, for sprinkling (optional)

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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2018

PAGE 33

JEWISH FAMILY EDUCATION

A different way of meeting God The Bible: Wisdom Literature

Everywhere in the world it’s becoming commonplace to encounter entrance barricades, locked doors, surveillance cameras, and security officers at synagogues, JCCs, schools, and other Jewish facilities.

Sadly, the danger is ubiquitous, even in the United States,

Candace R. Kwiatek as we learned from the horrific Pittsburgh synagogue shooting on Oct. 27.

The reality of antisemitism in America is familiar to older Jews. Immigration and university quotas. Housing and job discrimination. Restaurant, hotel, and club exclusion. Slurs such as Hymie, kike, sheeny, Shylock, Christ killer, and oven dodger. Perceptions of Jews as the greatest threat to American welfare. Synagogue bombings and arson attacks. Neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan. Holocaust denial.

However, the experience of younger Jews is radically

different “because today in America, Jew-loving is a bit of a craze,” observe Microtrends authors Mark Penn and Kinney Zalesne. “Jews are in demand everywhere. Whatever in the past seemed to trigger envy or rejection of Jews now seems to be triggering admiration and attraction.”

In fact, they note that in a 2006 Gallup poll, public opinion rated Jews the highest of any religious or spiritual group in the U.S. So, “for the younger, college-aged kids, the shock (of Pittsburgh) is more along the lines of, how can people hate me this much?” observes Rabbi Shlomo Agishtein.

Conventional wisdom is that Jew-hatred is as old as the Jewish people, “a long unbroken line of antisemitism, from Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar to Hitler and Arafat” in the words of Israeli journalist and author Amos Elon.

However, Prof. Rabbi Martin Lockshin notes that “the Bible rarely depicts gentile hatred of or animus toward Jews simply because they were Jews.”

He maintains that only in Esther, one of the latest biblical books, do we find authentic

United Synagogue

antisemitism.

In this operatic tale, Queen Esther and her uncle Mordechai save the Jewish people of Persia from annihilation by King Ahashverus’ evil chief minister, Haman, who misrepresents the character of the Jews: “There is a certain people, scattered and dispersed among the other peoples in all the provinces of your realm, whose laws are different from those of any other people and who do not obey the king’s laws (Esther 3:8).” Hostility, prejudice, and discrimination specifically targeted toward Jews: antisemitism in a nutshell.

Historically speaking, antiJewish sentiment first appears in Hellenistic writings in the third century B.C.E. and soon escalates to physical attacks and anti-Jewish edicts, note historians Edward Flannery and David McClister.

The trend is endless, the Passover Haggadah laments, “Not only one arose and tried to destroy us, rather in each and every generation they rise up against us to destroy us.”

But why?

In his Haggadah commentary, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks describes this phenomenon best: “Antisemitism is not…a coherent belief or ideology.

Jews have been hated because they were rich and because they were poor; because they were capitalists and because

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Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks concludes that ‘it is in one-who-isdifferent that we meet God’

they were communists; because they believed in tradition and because they were rootless cosmopolitans; because they kept to themselves and because they penetrated everywhere.

Antisemitism is not a belief but a virus... (and it) mutates.”

Although the Bible acknowledges this human tendency to marginalize those who are different, it cautions against such prejudice and bigotry in the interest of creating good people and societies.

Only once does the Bible command us to love our neighbor, Sacks observes, “but in 37 places it commands us to love the stranger. Our neighbor is one we love because he is like ourselves. The stranger is one we are taught to love precisely because he is not like ourselves.”

How we are to treat the stranger is partially founded in empathy. “You shall not wrong the stranger, nor shall you oppress him; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt (Ex. 22:20).”

Empathetic treatment

includes, at the very least, respecting their rights: Sabbath rest, a fair wage, access to unbiased justice, opportunity to glean from the fields, being welcome in our communities, and sanctuary as an escaped slave.

Biblical guidance about human interaction is also founded in kinship and Divine likeness.

All humans are descendants of a single human, and all are made in the image of God (Gen. 1:27).

But biblical stories teach the most important concept: we are to judge people based on their character alone, not race, religion, or ethnicity.

Abraham, a pagan Aramean from Ur, becomes the father of the Jewish people.

Rahab, the Canaanite prostitute who hid the Israelite spies in Jericho, is welcomed among the Israelites.

Jethro, Moses’ Midianite father-in-law who offers sage leadership advice, is honored with his own Torah portion.

Ruth, the Moabite who cares for her widowed Israelite mother-in-law and joins the Israelites herself, becomes the great-grandmother of King David.

Perceiving the stranger as an other — something alien to be marginalized and ultimately excluded — “is a profound human failure to accept the fact that we are diverse and must create space for diversity if we are to preserve our humanity,” Sacks cautions.

After all, just as God is the source of our kinship and Divine nature, God is also the creator of our human differences.

“Therefore,” Sacks concludes, “it is in one-who-isdifferent that we meet God.”

Literature to share Gateway to the Moon by Mary Morris. Historical fiction at its most engaging, Morris’ novel weaves together the voyages of Columbus, the Inquisition and Expulsion, and the relocation of many Spanish Jews to South America and eventually the American southwest. Five hundred years later, a young amateur astronomer there begins to unravel the history of the region and his own story. This memorable saga is a fascinating retelling of two eras of Jewish history and a testimony to the resilience of the Jewish people.

This is Just a Test by Wendy Wan-Long Shang. Set in the 1980s, Shang’s novel is a humorous reflection on middleschool life, from threats of nuclear annihilation and clothing styles to Bar Mitzvah preparations and family relationships.

Woven throughout is the notion of identity, cleverly brought to life by the Bar Mitzvah’s grandmothers, one Chinese and one Jewish. It’s a fun tale with a good message that will resonate with pre-teens and their parents.

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2018

OBITUARIES Beatrice Friedman Cowan passed away peacefully on the evening of Shabbat, Oct. 19, six months after celebrating her 100th birthday. She was the daughter of Sarah and Harry Friedman and the sister of Jayne Friedman, Ruth Aides, Joe Friedman, Mickey Friedman and Mose Friedman.

She was the wife of Henry Cowan and Joe Hertzberg, both of whom predeceased her.

Mrs. Cowan is survived by her five children: Karen Meyer, Andria Young, Nita Leff, Pete Cowan, and Kevin Cowan, nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Mrs. Cowan was born and grew up in Dayton where she lived until 65, and then relocated to Hollywood, Fla. to be closer to her five children. She lived an amazing life spanning 100 years and will be deeply missed by all.

Carol Denmark Felman, 92, of Dayton passed away Oct. 29 at Bethany Village. She was born on June 29, 1926 in the Bronx, N.Y. Though she lived in Dayton for close to 60 years, she never lost her Bronx accent or her sense of New York style. She attended P.S. 86, followed by course work at Hunter College and Columbia School of Business.

She married Stuart Denmark in 1947. To support them while her husband trained to become a surgeon, she worked as an administrative assistant in the classified advertising department of the New York Post. These were some of the happiest days of her life. Mrs. Felman lived life to the fullest.

She loved visual art, both as a spectator and an amateur artist, and Broadway shows (she saw many of the greatest musicals ever produced).

She enjoyed needlepoint, knitting, swimming, tennis, golf, and world travel. And shopping. For many years, Mrs. Felman served on the board of directors of the Salvation Army’s Dayton chapter. She was also an avid supporter of the Dayton Gems during their heyday.

She was preceded in death

by Stuart Denmark (in 1988), and H. Marvin Felman (2014) to whom she was happily married for 20 years. She is survived by son, Scot Denmark (Linda); and daughters, Lisa Denmark (Dan Flanigan) and Dinah Denmark (Alice Greene); granddaughter, Bailey Denmark (Anita Langemach); and sister, Betty Wartik, of

Baltimore. The family thanks Krista, Chelsea, and Denise for their compassionate, loving care of Mrs. Felman. Interment was at Riverview Cemetery.

Dayton is called the Gem City, and Mrs. Felman was among its glittering jewels. She will be missed by many. Her joie de vivre and colorful flair will never be forgotten.

Dorothy “Dort” Finder (nee Shaman), age 98, originally from Dayton; Flossmoor, Ill.; Glenwood, Ill.; and most recently Aventura, Fla. She was the wife of the late Jerome M. Finder, cherished mother of Susie Goldberg (the late Johnny) and James A. Finder. Grandmother of Steven (Lissa) Goldberg, Laurie (Dan) Orenstein, Judy (Mike) Leuteneker and Aaron Finder.

Gigi of Jacob, Ethan, Alli, John “Mason,” Johnny, Ruthie and Harper. She is the daughter of the late Fannie and Benjamin Shaman and stepdaughter of Sally. Preceded in death by five brothers. Fond aunt and friend to many. Mrs. Finder will always be remembered for her generosity, service to the community, friendship, and her sense of humor. Please make donations to the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, Ben Gurion Way, 30 S. Wells St., Chicago, IL 60606, www. juf.org.

Stanford “Shep” Rosen, 93 of Dayton, passed away Oct. 28. He was born in Cleveland (raised in New York) on Dec. 28, 1924 to the late Joseph and Rose (Cooper) Rosen.

He is survived by his wife, Phyllis (Friedman) Rosen; children, Eric Rosen, Lori Rosen Rubin (Stephan Rubin); and grandchildren, Rachel and Alauna Rubin. He was also preceded in death by his two brothers, Nathan and Ruben Rosen. Mr. Rosen was a 1948 graduate of NYU business school and ultimately

Takeaways Continued from Page 15 theories. Incumbent Democratic Rep. Dan Lipinski won, but Jones garnered a quarter of the vote — 56,000 people.

Seth Grossman, a Jewish candidate in the southern part of New Jersey, lost national party support for peddling racist theories. He gave the Democrat in the 2nd District, Jeff Van Drew, a run for his money, eventually garnering 45 percent of the vote -- 110,000 people.

became a successful furniture manufacturer and salesman.

He was an avid golfer, photographer, bowler and a loving family man. He was also a devout member of the Beth Abraham Synagogue community. Interment was at Beth Abraham Cemetery.

Donations may be made to Beth Abraham Synagogue, Hospice of Dayton, or Michael J. Fox Foundation at michaeljfox.org.

USAF Col. (Ret.) Byron Lee Schatzley, age 98 of Beavercreek passed away Oct. 26. He was born on May 29, 1920 in West Milton, Ohio.

Mildred M. Simon (nee Murstein), age 91 of Dayton, passed away peacefully on Nov. 9. She was born in Cleveland to Elliott and Libbie Murstein. Mrs. Simon is survived by children, Mark (Katie) Berman, Alan (Suzie) Berman, Sue (Steve) Libowsky, and Elliott Berman; grandchildren, Leslie Berman and Elizabeth (Brett) Sklaw, Sam, Sarah and Ruth Libowsky, Hannah and Zoe Berman, and Melinda and Louie Berman; great-grandchildren, Ethan and Eryn Sklaw; and many nieces, nephews, and friends. She was preceded in death by her late husbands, Louis Berman (father of her four children), Julius Kottler, and A. Simon; sisters Lila Freed and Rita Murstein. Mrs. Simon lived most of her life in Piqua and Dayton. She was a graduate of The Ohio State University and completed a master’s degree from the University of Dayton.

Mrs. Simon was active and enjoyed the arts, was a docent at the Dayton Art Institute, and was a teacher with the Piqua and Dayton Public Schools systems. Contributions may be made in Mrs. Simon’s memory to the Dayton Art Institute or to Temple Anshe Emeth, Piqua.

In Iowa, Rep. Steve King, the incumbent Republican in the 4th District, narrowly kept his seat. He was repudiated by the party establishment for his white supremacist ties.

Brooks likened King to past outliers in both parties who reveled in their isolation on the margins and had limited influence.

"He marginalized himself," Brooks said. "It’s been made clear by the party leadership they don’t support him and his outrageous views."

Wishing You A Happy Chanukah

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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2018

PAGE 35

Happy Chanukah

Best wishes to all for a Happy Chanukah

Our warmest wishes for a joyous Chanukah

Best wishes to all for a Happy Chanukah

Best wishes to all for a happy Chanukah The Wagenfeld Family A sweet and joyous Chanukah Sanderow Family

Jan Rudd-Goenner

We wish the Dayton Jewish community a very happy Chanukah

Art & Joan Greenfield & Family

Our warmest wishes for a joyous Chanukah

Tara & Adam Feiner

We wish the Dayton Jewish community a very happy Chanukah

Our warmest wishes for a joyous Chanukah

Debby, Bob, Alicia & Teddy Goldenberg

Beverly A. Saeks & Family

Our warmest wishes for a joyous Chanukah

Best wishes to all for a happy Chanukah Brenda Rinzler Our warmest wishes for a joyous Chanukah Cindy Pretekin & Jeff Froelich

Rina & Col. Jeff Thau USAF (Ret) Our warmest wishes for a joyous Chanukah

Bonnie, Sandy & Family

A sweet and joyous Chanukah

Congregation Anshe Emeth Piqua

Happy Chanukah

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

Warm Chanukah greetings from

Warm Chanukah greetings from Edye Lewin A sweet and joyous Chanukah from Neil Katz & Karin Hirschkatz Best wishes to all for a happy Chanukah The Guggenheimer Family

Steve, Shara, Rachel & Natalie Taylor

Ralph & Sylvia Heyman

Best wishes to all for a Happy Chanukah

Our warmest wishes for a joyous Chanukah

A sweet and joyous Chanukah

Steve & Kim Adler

Wishing all of Dayton Happy Chanukah

Harold, Melissa, Jason, Adam & Benjamin Guadalupe A sweet and joyous Chanukah

Best wishes to all for a happy Chanukah

Sue & Don Zulanch

Nancy & Jeff Gordon

Best wishes to all for a happy Chanukah

Marvin & Susan Mason

PAGE 36

Maureen & Marc Sternberg

Catie, Brianna, Allie, Ann & Skip Becker

Wishing all of Dayton Happy Chanukah

Lil Winnegrad

Rochelle & Michael Goldstein & Family

Happy Chanukah

Warm Chanukah greetings from

Louise Stein

Ron & Shirlee Gilbert

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2018

Arts&Culture

Victor Nechay/ProperPix

Laden with happiness & tears Folksbiene’s Yiddish Fiddler raises the roof in New York Theatre Review By Marshall Weiss, The Observer When the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene opened its production of Fiddler On The Roof In Yiddish in July, few would have guessed it would be running five months later — and on its way to off-Broadway.

Staged at the Folksbiene’s home, Safra Hall in the Museum of Jewish Heritage — A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in Manhattan’s Battery Park, Fiddler’s producers scheduled its closing for the end of August.

But this surprise hit, directed by Joel Grey, renders the sweet so much sweeter and the bitter so much more bitter: in ways that are genuine not excessive.

Those who love Fiddler will see it with new eyes, hear it with new ears. Those who have seen too many Fiddlers will experience new dimensions and subtleties.

Steven Skybell is a heart-on-the-sleeve Tevye who deeply loves his daughters but sees where things are heading. Jackie Hoffman’s Yenta the Matchmaker is hilarious in understated despondency. The ensemble numbers are superbly staged based on the original Jerome Robbins choreography by Stas Kmiec.

Minimal props and a set of large parchment remnants direct the audience to concentrate on the power of the story. And the sounds of the language. Supertitles in English and Russian run throughout.

What’s remarkable is that Cleveland native Grey — whose father was the celebrated clarinetist and Yiddish comedian Mickey Katz — is the first to admit he neither speaks nor understands Yiddish.

“I never dealt with the Yiddish,” Grey told The Observer about his direction of this Fiddler, minutes before the show’s 100th performance. “I just dealt with the

truth, and the actors and the story, and that was what I followed.”

The production is a dream come true for Fiddler’s music director and conductor Zalmen Mlotek, artistic director of the Folksbiene, who has always wanted to stage the show in Yiddish.

This translation of Sheldon Harnick’s lyrics and Joseph Stein’s book into Yiddish was made by Israeli Shraga Friedman Steven Skybell leads the cast of National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene’s production of Fiddler On The Roof In Yiddish, directed by Joel Grey for the show’s premiere there in Jeanne Thomas as the fiddler.

1965. Friedman was born in Warsaw.

“She was the best one who auditioned,” Grey said.

The brilliance of the original 1964 Fiddler is that I wondered if he was influenced by Yiddish star Harnick and Stein created a bridge of understanding Molly Picon in the 1936 Yiddish movie Yidl Mitn Fidl, with audiences unfamiliar with the world of Eastern in which she disguises herself as a boy to play fiddle European Jews. They harnessed the word tradition as its foundation: what does it mean to maintain or to cast with a klezmer band. Picon would go on to portray Yente in the 1971 movie version of Fiddler. off tradition?

“No,” Grey said, “but that’s a good idea. I mean, if When Friedman translated Fiddler into Yiddish — we’d have thought about it. But alas, no.” the language of the Jews of Eastern Europe and of One distraction in the show is Ann Hould-Ward’s humorist Sholem Aleichem’s original Tevye stories costume design. The ensemble sports clothes that — he cast off the word tradition in favor of the word look all too new and sometimes all too contemporary.

Torah, which brings back the urgency of what appears Tevye’s family would have been scraping just above at stake for Anatevka’s Jews in czarist Russia on the shtetl poverty. Even they look hipster chic. eve of the revolution.

In a curtain speech before the show, Folksbiene AsHere, 94-year-old Harnick urged the Folksbiene’s sociate Artistic Director Motl Didner — who tutored artistic team to return the word tradition in the songs the cast in Yiddish — said a major label is set to record and much of the book. However, the show’s set disthe production, which runs at the museum through plays the word Torah prominently in Hebrew on the Dec. 30. Fiddler will then open off-Broadway in January main backdrop, the most worn-looking parchment.

In a charming break with tradition, Grey cast Lauren at Stage 42, formerly the Little Shubert Theatre.

JFS Chanukah Brunch

Partnering with Active Adults, Hadassah, Jewish War Veterans, & Lynda A. Cohen Yiddish Club

s u n d a y, d e c e m b e r 2 @ 1 1 A M at Beth Jacob (7020 North Main St., 45415) Join your friends for a delicious brunch and musical entertainment from the Miami Valley Klezmer Ensemble.

RSVP online at jewishdayton.org or at 937- 610-1555 by November 21. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Your payment is your reservation. Please bring a new children’s book, coloring book, and/or crayons for children at area shelters.

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2018

PAGE 37

mitzvah

mission

Arts&Culture

Monday, December 25 10AM–NOON @ Boonshoft CJCE

Join us for 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.

No cost.

RSVP at 937-610-1555 or at jewishdayton.org

JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES of GREATER DAYTON PAGE 38

Local survivor in UD prof’s book on heroic Belgian nuns

By Rena Neiger Special To The Observer Last year, University of Dayton School of Law Prof. Emeritus Dennis Turner heard a story of heroism that inspired him on the spot to write a book.

In his March 2018 work of historical fiction — What Did You Do in the War, Sister? How Belgian Nuns Defied and Deceived the Nazis in World War Two — Turner says he honors the courage of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Catholic nuns living Dennis Turner in German-occupied Belgium and Italy who joined with the Belgian resistance to hide Jews, American pilots, and other refugees, saving them from the Nazis at the height of World War II. Turner will discuss his book at Temple Israel on Dec. 9 and at the Boonshoft Center for Jewish Culture and Education on Dec. 13.

He recounts the events in the narrative through imagined dialogue, or in his words, “imaginative non-fiction,” to make the nuns’ perils and dilemmas more immediate and relatable to the reader.

Turner credits the self-published book to a meeting with longtime friend Sister Kim Dalgarn, who had just been appointed archivist for the Midwest region of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, a worldwide Catholic Order.

Over lunch, she mentioned the discovery of a trove of letters and papers in the back of a file drawer in a Cincinnati archive.

“The sisters of Namur are a tightly connected order who kept meticulous records of their activities over the years,” he says. “Fortunately for me, they were written in English.”

Sister Kim described some of the remarkable eyewitness accounts in the materials. Turner was fascinated.

By the end of lunch, he knew he’d write a book about the sisters.

“It was 2017 and came at a perfect time in my life,” he says. “I was unhappy at the state of my country. I no longer recognized it. This project came along and took me out of my depression.”

The American Jewish Committee has

asked Turner to create a curriculum based on the book, for middle and high school students.

“The theme will be You don’t have to be a hero. I am going to try it out on my Osher class first,” he says of the Osher Institute for Lifelong Learning class he teaches at UD. “I believe high school students can answer moral questions like, ‘What would I do?’ when confronted with these moral dilemmas...I want them to ask themselves who was Sam Lauber responsible. I’ll try to get them to engage using common sense and fairness.”

Turner says people have an obligation to take moral stands.

“I believe it starts with what we’re seeing now — the separation of people into us and them,” he says. “You start hearing it at places like cocktail parties.

It follows by restrictions put on “them,” and it’s the first step down a slippery slope. We must stand up and push back from the beginning, even if it’s uncomfortable and we don’t want to be pushy or aggressive. You don’t have to be a hero, but it’s important to speak up.”

In spring 2017, while teaching a comparative criminal law class for UD’s Osher program, Turner met Sam Lauber, a longtime member of Dayton’s Jewish community and a retiree from the 88th Air Base Wing Medical Group.

“He sat right in front of the podium,” Turner recalls, “and when I described my work on the book, Sam’s hand shot up and he said excitedly, ‘I was one of the children rescued by the nuns!’”

They went to lunch, and Lauber recounted his early childhood in Belgium as a “hidden child,” delivered by his parents to the nuns for hiding. They placed him with a Catholic family in La Louviere, Belgium, saving his life. He, his sister and parents later immigrated to the United States.

After their meeting, Turner amended his book to include a character that is based on Lauber’s story about how he was hidden for a while by Belgian nuns.

Turner says his goal now is to finalize the curriculum for AJC. “I’m at a fork in the road that not many are fortunate to have or to even recognize at this age. I feel that I’m doing what I can to counter the hateful rhetoric we’re hearing now.

At 73, it’s good to have a purpose.”

The JCC will present author Dennis Turner at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 13 at the Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville. The program is free. For more information call 610-1555 or go to jewishdayton.org. He’ll also talk about his book as part of Temple Israel’s Ryterband Brunch series at 9:45 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 9 at Temple Israel, 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. The cost for the brunch is $7. For more information call 496-0050.

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2018

Community Chanukah Celebration

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Enjoy a delicious meatball and pasta dinner with latkes and sufganiyot. Bring your menorah and five candles for a special community-wide candle lighting. › Entertainment with the fantastic Marc Rossio › Chanukah-themed activities for the kids!

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Wednesday, December 5 5:30–7:30PM @ Boonshoft CJCE

As part of Jewish Dayton’s ongoing commitment to tikkun olam, we will be collecting items for Care House, an organization serving the needs of abused and neglected children in Montgomery County. Please bring a donation from the following list of items: › New, medium-sized plush toys › Gift cards of any denomination › Hand-held games (for ages 10–15) › Board games (for ages 3–18) › Picture books › Journals › Puzzles (50 pieces or less)

IN ADVANCE (by Nov. 28): $10 adult | $7 child AFTER NOVEMBER 28: $14 adult | $9 child Children 3 years or younger are free.

Vegetarian option with RSVP only.

RSVP @ jewishdayton.org OR 937-610-1555.

Hosted by the JCC in partnership with Beth Abraham Synagogue, Beth Jacob Congregation, Chabad, Hadassah, Hillel Academy, PJ Library, Temple Beth Or, & Temple Israel THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • DECEMBER 2018

PAGE 39

To a Beautiful Chanukah.

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