The Dayton Jewish Observer, February 2024

Jewish critics DEIdesigns debate the After future of campus p. 4 David of Moss Grace Meals in comic diversity book formprograms p. 22

THE DAYTON Published by the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton

February 2024 Shevat/Adar I 5784 Vol. 28, No. 6

OBSERVER

The Miami Valley’s Jewish Monthly • daytonjewishobserver.org Paramount Pictures

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Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton 525 Versailles Drive Dayton, OH 45459

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID DAYTON, OHIO PERMIT NO. 59

The first biblical epic turns 100

Theodore Roberts in Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments, 1923.

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DAYTON

Longtime JWV post commander dies

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Steve Markman, commander of Dayton's Jewish War Veterans Post #587 — who served on and off in that role since 2008 — died Jan. 2. He was 76.

Under his leadership, the post volunteered at the Dayton VA Medical Center, participated in naturalization ceremonies to welcome new citizens, coordinated the placement of U.S. flags at the graves of Jewish veterans for Memorial Day, maintained connections with Jewish military personnel at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, hosted member brunches, assisted Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, and helped lead tours of Prejudice & Memory: A Holocaust Exhibit at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.

From 2016 to 2018, Markman

was JWV comPresident's Volunteer mander for the state Service Award for his of Ohio. completion of 4,000 An aerospace volunteer hours. engineer, Markman In 2023, he also served in the Air coordinated JWV Post Force as a missile 587's 75th anniversary maintenance officer. brunch.

He then worked for At the post's annual the Department of Jewish War Veterans Defense for 33 years.

Shabbat service in Markman was also Steve Markman 2022, Markman shared a skilled woodworkthat his time in the er; as a volunteer, he helped re- military gave him a new love store airplanes at the Air Force for Judaism.

Museum beginning in 2006. He "When we return to civilworked on the restoration of ian life, we take with us not the Memphis Belle World War just the skills and confidence II-era heavy bomber, recreating we learned, but also our call to its wooden fittings, including service, and some new outlook its doors. about ourselves and our way of Last year, the museum thinking," he said. honored Markman with its — Marshall Weiss

Scout Shabbat

Three area congregations in recent swatting wave

The community is invited to attend the Dayton area's Scout Shabbat service, 9:30 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 10 at Beth Abraham Synagogue.

The service will honor participating Scouts, Scouters, and Scout Alumni. Scouts of all faiths are welcome.

Current Scouts and Scouters are asked to register at miamivalleybsa.org/ calendar and to wear their uniforms.

To participate in the service, contact David Shuster at dshuster@sbcglobal. net. Participating Scouts and Scouters will each receive a 2024 Scout Shabbat patch.

Beth Abraham Synagogue is located at 305 Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood. A kiddush lunch will follow the service.

Shabbat dinner at Chabad

Chabad of Greater Dayton will host a community Shabbat dinner at 5:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 9. The cost is $25 adult, $10 child (ages 3-12) or student.

Chabad is located at 2001 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood. Register at chabaddayton.org.

Calendar..................................17 Family Education....................22 Food................................23 Obituaries ........................... 2 7 O p i n i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 2 R e l i g i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 8

Temple Anshe Emeth in Piqua, Temple Beth Or in Washington Township, and Temple Israel in Dayton were among more than 200 Jewish institutions across the United States to receive email bomb threats at the end of December.

The three area temples received these "swatting" threats at 8:25 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 26 via an email sent to numerous Jewish congregations in Ohio.

With the subject line, "Ex-

plosives inside of your Synagogue," the email read, "There are explosives inside of your Synagogue. The explosives are well hidden and they will go off in a few hours. You will all lay in a pool of blood."

Local law enforcement investigated each threat and deemed them not credible.

This was the third emailed bomb threat Temple Anshe Emeth has received since October.

Israeli tour guide/educator leads Temple Israel Zoom course

Muki Jankelowitz, Temple Israel's tour guide on past trips to Israel, will lead a free, three-part Zoom series, Complicated History: Zionism, Antisemitism, and the Middle East, at 4 p.m., Sundays, Feb. 4, 11, and 18. A licensed Israel tour guide, Jankelowitz was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. After he made aliyah (immigrated to Israel), he served in the IDF as a combat medic. He received his master's degree in Midrash and Aggadah from the Shechter Institutes in Jerusalem. He and his family live in Modiin. Register for the course at tidayton. org or call 937-496-0050.

Muki Jankelowitz

Israel emergency campaign nearly at goal

As of press time, the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton's Israel Emergency Campaign has raised $854,000 toward its goal of $856,000. Jewish Federations of North America assigned this dollar goal based on the Dayton area's estimated Jewish population and per capita giving to the Federation's Annual Campaign.

To date, the JFNA system has raised more than $768 million and has allocated close to $283 million to a wide range of humanitarian organizations in Israel. The funding provides food and financial assistance for impacted families, the elderly and homebound, covers the costs of temporary housing, respite trips, children's activities, and increased security for communities under fire. To donate to the Israel Emergency Campaign, go to jewishdayton.org.

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • FEBRUARY 2024

DAYTON

Dayton City Commission's cease-fire resolution attempts to walk tightrope

YouTube

In an interview with The territories: Holon, Israel, and Unanimously Observer, Fairchild said he had Salfit, in the West Bank. approved wording not been aware the rally was The resolution denounced framed as "Stop the genocide," Islamophobia and antisemitism, expresses sympathy, affirmed its support for the and that he hadn't thought not blame, in Israel- Israeli and Palestinian people through whether he believed Israel is committing genocide to live in peace and security, Hamas war. against the citizens of Gaza. championed a two-state soluBy Marshall Weiss The Observer The Dayton City Commission unanimously passed a resolution Dec. 20 on the "current conflict in the Middle East" that "urgently calls for a cease-fire with the release of all civilians being illegally held or imprisoned on both sides of the conflict, along with the establishment of humanitarian aid corridors in order to preserve human life."

The informal resolution also expressed sympathy for the "ongoing human suffering" caused by the conflict, affirmed Dayton is welcoming to Jews and Muslims, and encouraged Dayton's residents "to offer support and sincere condolences to members of our community affected by the ongoing violence and loss of life."

Dayton's resolution also noted the city's "unique voice in this conflict," as one of only five cities in the United States to have official sister city programs with both a city in Israel and a city in the Palestinian

The final language on the resolution did not level terms against Israel such as atrocities or genocide. It referred to members of Hamas as militants rather than terrorists.

The resolution referred in Anti-Israel expressions in general to "the horrific violence the lead-up to the resolution of this war."

Prior to the city commisIt was Fairchild who had sion meeting, demonstrators proposed the resolution. The outside City Hall unraveled a commissioner mentioned at the scroll with the names of 7,000 children killed in Gaza since the Dec. 20 meeting that along with leaders of Dayton's Arab and war began.

Muslim communities, he sought In a Facebook post a week before the resolution vote, Day- input from Jewish Federation ton City Commissioner Shenise of Greater Dayton CEO Cathy Turner-Sloss wrote Gardner.

"We've seen how viciously that while she affirms her commit- antisemitic some of these city commission meetings around ment to combatting Islamophobia the country have become when they've voted on resolutions and antisemitism about the Israel-Hamas war," and her support Gardner said. for the people of "That did not happen here. both Israel and Yes, the final language didn't go Palestine, "We as far as we would have liked must recognize and respond to the in condemning Hamas, but yes, we agree that there should be atrocities against Palestinians." a cease-fire: Hamas should deAnd in November, Dayton clare an unconditional surrenCity Commissioner Darryl der, lay down its arms, and free Fairchild offered a prayer at the Islamic Council of Dayton's the remaining hostages abducted from Israel immediately."

"Stop the genocide!!! Ceasefire Fairchild told those at the now!!!" peace rally at Dayton's Dec. 20 commission meeting Courthouse Square. tion to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and condemned "all acts of violence committed against civilians in Gaza, in Israel, and around the world."

The resolution referred in general to 'the horrific violence of this war.'

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Like plenty of folks from Philadelphia, I called my grandmother Mom-Mom. We lived with her growing up. She was born in 1901 to parents who had emigrated from the Ukraine. I remember walking Marshall with my Mom-Mom now and then to the library near Welsh and the Boulevard Weiss (what everyone called Roosevelt Boulevard). Once, when I was probably 5, she checked out a book on the films of Cecil B. DeMille. Most of the coffee-table book comprised production stills from his 70 feature films, spanning 1914 to 1958. I'm sure she had seen most of them. I inhaled those photos for days before the book was due, sort of able to understand the text. Stills from the silent era fascinated me.

The actors' gestures didn't look natural. They looked more interesting. They expressed a larger-thanlife theatrical style far beyond realism. A bloodied Geraldine Farrar's fiery pose after a fight in Carmen.

A Moses in Theodore Roberts who looked more than equal to Charles DeRoche's arrogant young Pharaoh in the 1923 Ten Commandments. I was hooked.

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • FEBRUARY 2024

The Dayton City Commission at its Dec. 20 meeting

that he thought the resolution was an important step to "speak our desires for peace, and knowing that it's going to be insufficient, that unfortunately, we don't have that power to bring that peace. But hopefully, our light will be added to others, and we'll move towards that day."

He said he was encouraged

that the resolution pointedly called out the rise of antisemitism, Islamophobia, and hate crimes in general.

"I look forward to working with our community members to address those issues as well.

Because we know that members of our community are feeling unsafe. And that should be unacceptable to all of us."

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THE WORLD

Kill it or reform it?

Jewish critics of DEI debate the future of campus diversity programs

JTA

THE DAYTON

OBSERVER daytonjewishobserver.org Editor and Publisher Marshall Weiss mweiss@jfgd.net 937-610-1555 Contributor Candace R. Kwiatek Advertising Sales Executive Patty Caruso, plhc69@gmail.com Administrative Assistant Samantha Daniel, sdaniel@jfgd.net 937-610-1555 Billing Sheila Myers, smyers@jfgd.net 937-610-1555 Proofreaders Rachel Haug Gilbert, Steven H. Solomon Observer Advisor Martin Gottlieb

Members of the Association for Jewish Studies gathered for the organization’s 55th annual conference, held in San Francisco, Dec. 17-19, 2023.

By Andrew Silow-Carroll, JTA As director of the Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Minnesota, Natan Paradise says he leads a research institution, not an advocacy organization. Yet since Oct. 7, he says his research has been put on pause while he spends his time “just dealing with this.”

“This” refers to fallout from the deadly Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza.

“A lot of conversations have had to be had, educating both inside and outside the Jewish community,” Paradise said in a January interview.

“That happens daily. People want to know, should we respond and should we respond in an uproar? The donors are in an uproar. Administrators need context.”

At Minnesota, various academic departments issued statements on the conflict that Paradise calls “dismaying,” and others called actionable.

The university chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine plastered the doors of academic buildings with flyers bearing anti-Israel messages.

A prominent Republican on the law faculty filed a civil rights complaint that in the new year has resulted in a federal investigation. And the campus was roiled when a candidate for a senior position at the school’s diversity, equity and inclusion office gave a speech accusing Israel of genocide and denying reports that Hamas had committed sexual crimes in the Oct. 7 attacks.

The candidate is no longer being considered for the position, but the

incident still ramped up concerns about DEI at Minnesota and beyond.

When Paradise joined fellow scholars for a panel discussion about Jews, Antisemitism and DEI: Campus Experiences at the Association for Jewish Studies conference in San Francisco in December, emotions ran high.

“We have problems” with the campus DEI office, said Amy Simon, an assistant professor of Holocaust Studies and European Jewish History at Michigan State University, where officials recently backed away from a project that would have addressed concerns about antisemitism. The office is known as the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, or IDI. “Sometimes they’re listening, but there’s never a real hearing from the top of the administration (or) the IDI either.”

DEI is a shorthand for a framework that says employers and institutions should be welcoming to diverse applicants, especially people of color, women, and the LGBTQ community.

Campus DEI offices offer training to students and faculty on how to be welcoming to marginalized groups, provide support groups for women, people of color and LGBTQ students, and work with the administration in promoting and identifying diverse candidates for faculty and administration jobs.

College campuses have had minority and multicultural affairs offices since the late 1960s and 1970s, focused largely on hiring more diverse faculty and staff and enrolling

Since Oct. 7, some Jews who would not normally feel at home on the right have found themselves joining the ranks of DEI's critics.

DaytonMetroLibrary.org PAGE 4

Published by the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton Mary Rita Weissman President Dan Sweeny President Elect Marni Flagel Secretary Neil Friedman Treasurer Ben Mazer VP Personnel Teddy Goldenberg VP Resource Dev. Dr. Heath Gilbert Immediate Past Pres.

Cathy Gardner CEO The Dayton Jewish Observer, Vol. 28, No. 6. The Dayton Jewish Observer is published monthly by the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton, a nonprofit corporation, 525 Versailles Dr., Dayton, OH 45459.

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

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

Goals • To encourage affiliation, involvement and communication.

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

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

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

• To provide an historic record of Dayton Jewish life.

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Please recycle this newspaper.

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • FEBRUARY 2024

THE WORLD and retaining more students of color.

In the mid-2000s, diversity officers who had been working in isolation formed the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education.

The organization’s membership has tripled to over 2,000 since July 2020, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, as universities reacted to the police murder of George Floyd and calls to address systemic racism.

As the offices have grown — more than two-thirds of all major universities have chief diversity officers — and as a backlash to the 2020 reckoning on race has deepened, criticism has mounted against DEI. In recent years, it has become a prime target of a group of activists — mostly conservative, and some of them Jewish — who blame DEI for an antipathy toward what they see as traditional American values and a misguided focus on identity over merit in academia.

One leader of the anti-DEI movement is Chris Rufo, a conservative activist who has argued that diversity initiatives undercut the values of the liberal arts.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed

him to the board of the New College of Florida as part of an effort to remake it according to conservative values — and one of the first moves was to ax the DEI office.

But it’s not just Florida: In 2023, Republican lawmakers in at least a dozen states proposed more than 30 bills targeting diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in higher education.

Since Oct. 7, some Jews who would not normally feel at home on the right have found themselves joining the ranks of DEI’s critics. At the Jewish studies conference, many scholars said their schools’ DEI offices ignored Jewish concerns — either not recognizing Jews as a minority or seeing them as White and privileged, and therefore not subject to marginalization.

The seeming failure of many DEI programs to take Jews’ concerns seriously has led some Jewish leaders and conservative politicians to call for their dismantling. But others, particularly on the left, say the core values at the root of DEI initiatives are positive and the programs should be widened to include Jews.

No major Jewish group has called for

Others, particularly on the left, say the core values at the root of DEI initiatives should be widened to include Jews.

Elvert Barnes Photography/Wikimedia Commons

abolishing the programs.

“We think it is an absolute mistake for anyone to say that DEI is the single cause of the explosion of anti-Jewish intolerance we are seeing,” Adam Neufeld, a senior vice president and chief impact officer at the Anti-Defamation League, said in an interview. “It is a part of it, we’re sure, but it’s not the sole force. Antisemitism has existed for millennia.”

The ADL is working to improve rather than abolish DEI programs, he said, from privately consulting with campus administrators, to publicly calling out universities that don’t protect Jewish students and faculty, to supporting litigation in cases alleging schools have mis- A protester carries a sign at a Shut It Down for Palestine rally outside the Foggy Bottom George Washinghandled antisemitic incidents.

That approach is a mistake in ton University Metro Station in Washington, D.C., Nov. the eyes of DEI’s most vociferous 24, 2023. of Pennsylvania and Claudine Gay of Jewish critics — many of whom Harvard, later stepped down. view the campus convulsions after Oct. DEI is “the root cause of antisemi7 as proof that they are right. Some of tism at Harvard,” Bill Ackman, a Jewish them pointed to the pivotal congressional hearing in December featuring three hedge fund manager and Harvard donor who led the charge against Gay, said university presidents, who stumbled in a lengthy tweet cheering her ouster. when asked whether calls for “the “For Jews, there are obvious and glargenocide of Jews” would violate their ing dangers in a worldview that meacampuses’ speech codes. Two of the Continued on Page Six presidents, Liz McGill of the University

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PAGE 5

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

For a complete schedule of our programs, go to bethabrahamdayton.org.

The Rick Pinsky Brunch Speaker Series Sponsored by Men’s Club Sundays • RSVP to 937-293-9520

Feb. 11, 10 a.m.

Dr. David Shuster

What Turns Us On? The Discovery of the Electrical Foundation of Our Nervous System • $8

Feb. 25, 9:45 a.m.

Marshall Weiss

DeMille’s Silent Ten Commandments at 100 At Temple Israel, 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton, part of Ryterband Lecture Series and in partnership with Miami Valley Jewish Genealogy & History • $7

Community Scout Shabbat

Saturday, Feb. 10, 9:30 a.m.

Scout Flag Ceremony begins at 10 a.m.

All Scouts, of all faiths, are welcome.

The service will honor participating Scouts, Scouters, and Scout Alumni.

Current Scouts and Scouters register at miamivalleybsa.org/ calendar. Wear your uniforms.

Kiddush lunch to follow.

To participate, contact David Shuster at dshust@sbcglobal.net.

305 Sugar Camp Circle Dayton, Ohio 45409 937•293•9520 www.bethabrahamdayton.org PAGE 6

THE WORLD

DEI debate

often leads to the harassment of Jewish students,” Tammi Rossman-Benjamin, co-founder and director of the pro-IsraContinued from Page Five sures fairness by equality of outcome el AMCHA Initiative, wrote in a piece rather than opportunity,” Bari Weiss for Sapir, a journal of the Maimonides wrote in a Tablet essay about how Jews Fund. should respond to Oct. 7. Weiss, who At many campuses, DEI offices have runs the news startup The Free Press, staff who are trained in investigating argued that under DEI, “equity” has and resolving complaints about discome to mean that people are judged crimination, and are the main address deserving according to their group for such complaints. identities. “If under representation is However, in a college survey the the inevitable outcome of systemic bias, ADL conducted before Oct. 7, more then over representation — and Jews than half of all students surveyed said are 2% of the American population — they had completed DEI training, but suggests not talent or hard work, but only 18% of those said those trainings unearned privilege.” included topics specific to anti-Jewish Abraham Foxman, the former naprejudice. tional director of the Anti-Defamation “That is a terrible and unacceptable League, told Jewish Insider that DEI situation,” said the ADL’s Neufeld. “cannot be fixed,” saying that “efforts “It is dangerous, both in the sense that by communal Jewish organizations to it excludes a historically persecuted include the Jewish community or soften people who are incredibly vulnerable its impact on antisemitism have failed.” and actually sends the signal that the David Harris, the former CEO of the exclusion is acceptable.”

American Jewish Committee, also told Jewish critics of DEI frequently say Jewish Insider that he doesn’t believe this exclusion is the result of an “opthat “outside efforts, however well-inpressor/oppressed” framework that tentioned, that nibble around the edges considers Jews as White and privileged, or simply seek to add Jews to the DEI but tend to provide little evidence. agenda, address the heart of the probInstead, campus insiders say, there are lem. DEI today poses a major challenge other structural reasons for the excluto liberal understanding of American sion of Jews and antisemitism from DEI societal aims.” offices.

Other prominent Jews calling for the “Judaism is seen as a religion, and demise of DEI are Alan Dershowitz, the DEI offices don’t touch religion in the lawyer and pro-Israel sort of structural ecosysactivist; Mark Chatem of how the univer'Judaism is seen as rendoff, president sity works,” explained a religion, and DEI of the Maimonides Samira Mehta, the direcFund, and David L. tor of Jewish Studies and offices don't touch Bernstein, a Jewish associate professor religion in the sort of an communal professionof Women and Gender structural ecosystem Studies at the University al whose opposition to “wokism” led him of how the university of Colorado Boulder, to form the Jew­ish during a session at the works' Insti­tute for Lib­er­al AJS conference.

Val­ues.

“The university chap“It’s not that we don’t want to make lains’ office is in charge of religion and campuses comfortable places for people religious diversity. DEI is in charge of of color and gays and lesbians. God racial and gender diversity. DEI is also forbid,” Bernstein said in an interview. not so welcome to Islamophobia, except “Unfortunately DEI quickly evolved to the degree that they keep their eye on into an ideological framework that tells what’s happening to brown students. people in no uncertain terms who are “And the people who come up the oppressed and who are the opthrough these offices do not have trainpressors. It tends to divide people into ing in religious diversity and don’t racial affinity groups, which can be know how to do it,” she continued. very divisive. It often imposes political “Also the people who come up in those litmus tests with DEI statements that offices sometimes are coming up from applicants must submit for getting a job queer and gender diversity standor getting promoted.” points.” Mehta referred to these as “all Bernstein agrees with Weiss that of those structural ways that antisemiDEI turns the relative academic and tism, while real, is not something they financial success of Jews against them handle.” by suggesting they are “riding on the Lauren Strauss, a professor of backs of deprived minority groups.” modern Jewish history at American Bernstein and others also cite a 2021 University, said that was the experience report from the Heritage Foundation of Jewish students on her campus who on the “public communications” of DEI faced antisemitism in their dorms and professionals, saying they showed a classes after Oct. 7. disproportionate tendency to “attack They were told that “they should go Israel.” see a chaplain because this is a reli“Against this backdrop, it’s not hard gious matter, not racial, ethnic or social to see why so many DEI programs are prejudice, and outside the DEI office’s loath to acknowledge the antisemitic mandate,” she said at the AJS panel nature of anti-Zionist behavior that so on DEI. An activist law firm has since

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • FEBRUARY 2024

THE WORLD Florida Governor’s Office

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filed suit against A.U. over its handling of incidents affecting Jewish students on campus.

Jewish faculty at A.U. have also pushed, with little success, for discussion of antisemitism, alongside sexism, homophobia and transphobia, in a core curriculum course for first-year students and transfers known as the American University Experience. Even after agreeing to one session on the Holocaust, the university’s Center for Diversity and Inclusion said it was optional.

“The one bright spot in all this,” Strauss said, is the support she’s gotten from “a small group of Jewish studies and general studies scholars” and the campus Hillel director.

Yet Strauss and the other scholars did not say they favored abolishing the programs.

While it may be satisfying to condemn the ideology underpinning DEI, they said, campuses need departments whose task it is to increase diversity and make the marginalized feel welcome.

Stacy Burdett, a consultant who helps corporations, colleges, and nonprofits enhance DEI programming to address Jewish concerns, said calls to dismantle DEI offices also ignore the ways they in fact advance diversity.

“It’s hard for me to imagine a discussion of DEI that isn’t cognizant of the role that gender equity plays in the DEI movement,” she said, offering one example. “And also that the Jewish community itself is a place where there is a paucity of women leaders.”

Burdett said the current debate over DEI lacks the kind of nuance that Jewish groups

brought to debates over a previous era’s civil rights issues, including quotas and affirmative action.

“There’s no question that some of the ideological underpinnings of DEI in some institutions are flawed, and sort people in categories that Jews don’t neatly fit into. I think everyone in the Jewish community wants the American public square to be a safer place for Jews, and there are just different ways of getting at that,” she said. “But we’re in a very polarized debate between two groups of people, one of whom sees diversity as a threat, and the other that sees it as the strength of a pluralistic society.”

At the University of Minnesota, Natan Paradise shares many of the critics’ views of DEI’s shortcomings. But he is wary of joining in attacks that he sees either as politically motivated or hostile to the very idea of racial or gender inclusion.

“Those who want to dismantle DEI are acting in bad faith,” he said. “DEI does a lot of good. It does make a difference for students on campus. It could make more of a difference. It could make a better, more nuanced difference. But I think DEI plays a critical role on campuses.”

He prefers forming relationships with administrators at the university’s Office for Equity and Diversity, and said there have been successes, including a freshman orientation course that now includes discussion of antisemitism, and a change in how the campus Office for Equity and Diversity classifies antisemitism on its website.

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • FEBRUARY 2024

“We are just not on their radar and we ought to be, and I have been working very hard at my institution to change that, and we’ve made quite a bit of progress,” he said about Jews on campus.

“We have to be present in all the social justice initiatives, in order for us to be present when we need it. And when I mean relationships, that means being in the spaces with the people who are doing the work, so that they see you as an ally, and you can count on them as an ally. In too many instances, we just haven’t done it.”

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PAGE 7

DeMille's silent Ten Commandments at 100

‘We recognize how much he cared.’

The first biblical epic's surprisingly Jewish connections go way beyond the obvious

Photos: Paramount Pictures

— Andrew, Becky & Ben Weprin with their father, Bart

I

n the ultimate act of tzedakah, Bart Weprin, of blessed memory, co-chaired the project to create the Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Dayton while dying.

Always looking out for future generations of his family and community, he created an organization to preserve the dignity of our cemeteries in perpetuity. Consolidating the three Jewish cemeteries made sense to him practically. More importantly, it was a way to honor the memory of his adored parents and grandparents.

Leading by example, he showed his children, Ben, Andrew and Becky, the importance of caring for their hometown Jewish community.

Now living out-of-town, they all contributed to the Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Dayton campaign to honor their father and to preserve the dignity of his eternal home. And they hope their participation will inspire generations of Daytonians living around the country.

When Bart’s children visit Temple Israel’s beautiful cemetery, they feel a sense of connection with the generations that came before them which they now share with all of Bart’s grandchildren.

Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Dayton is an endowment organization created to maintain our three Jewish cemeteries in perpetuity.

Please join us as we strive to maintain the sanctity, care, and integrity of these sacred burial grounds.

Preserving our Past Ensuring Our Future

daytonjewishcemeteries.org 525 Versailles Drive • Centerville, OH 45459 PAGE 8

'Tears trembled on wrinkled cheeks, sobs came from husky throats. For many the world had moved back 3,000 years, and they stood once more on the shores of the Red Sea, viewing once more the good omen of deliverance.'

immigrants from Eastern Europe, didn’t speak English. Yet for them, the silent Ten Commandments was more than a movie. Playing the roles of their ancestors n the early 1980s, a group of amateur archaeoloin the Exodus was emotional for them and the othgists discovered the remains of the City of Rameers on the set; during those moments, the American ses, buried beneath dunes of sand. Over a period of dream and their heritage converged.

30 years, with significant fundraising and help from a The screenplay, by Jeanie Macpherson, is in two professional archaeologist, they would excavate such parts. The Exodus serves as the 45-minute prologue artifacts as the head and limbs of a sphinx, pieces of for a modern morality tale set in jazz-age statuary, coins, and even bottles. But these San Francisco. Ten decades after the film’s adventurers were not in Egypt. And most of premiere, the modern story comes off as the artifacts they dug up were made of rapheavy-handed and formulaic. But the proidly deteriorating plaster. They had found logue — even with overly theatrical perfor“The Lost City” of Cecil B. DeMille in the mances and some anachronisms — offers Nipomo Dunes of Guadalupe, Calif., which visual moments that remain remarkable. the director had buried there after filming Exterior shots for the Exodus were on location in 1923. filmed on the Nipomo Dunes of GuadaOne hundred years ago, Cecil B. DeMilupe, Calif., 175 miles up the coast from Los lle filmed the first biblical epic: his silent Angeles. This is where Famous Players– original version of The Ten Commandments.

Lasky, the film production company that In its day, it was the largest, most popular Cecil B. DeMille would change its name to Paramount, built project ever put on film. With a price tag DeMille’s colossal set for the City of Rameses. of $1.46 million, ($26 million today), it was also the “We believed rightly that, both in appearance and most expensive. Following its glittering premiere at in their deep feeling of the significance of the Exodus, Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood on Dec. they would give the best possible performance as the 4, 1923, The Ten Commandments ran for more than a Children of Israel,” DeMille wrote in his autobiograyear around the country and set a box office record of phy of the Jewish extras. $4.17 million ($74 million today), a record that stood at Paramount for 25 years. It was the top-grossing U.S. hey had arrived in the United States with the great film for the year it was in release. wave of Eastern European Jewish immigration. BeAmong the 2,500 extras DeMille brought with him tween 1881 and 1924, approximately 2.5 million Jews for three weeks of filming on the Nipomo Dunes were fled the vicious pogroms of Eastern Europe. Pogroms 250 Orthodox Jews from Los Angeles. Most of them,

By Marshall Weiss, The Observer

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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • FEBRUARY 2024

are violent attacks on Jews by local nonJewish populations. Jews languished in persecution in Eastern Europe before, during, and after World War I. In the 2018 book, Gendered Violence: Jewish Women in the Pogroms of 19171921, scholar Irina Astashkevich writes that between 1917 and 1921, there were “over a thousand pogroms in about 500 localities in Russia and Eastern Europe.”

Rape, she says, was used as a strategic weapon in the pogroms that erupted in Ukraine. During that period, at least 100,000 Jews died, and unknown numbers of Jewish women were raped.

out of the great gates with tears running down their cheeks, and then without prompting or rehearsal, they began singing in Hebrew the old chants of their race, which have been sung in synagogues for thousands of years,” wrote Los Angeles Times reporter Hallett Abend.

According to syndicated Hollywood columnist Jack Jungmeyer, the Jews chanted Father of Mercy and Hear O Israel. He heard one of the older Jews say to a crew member, “We know this script — our fathers studied it long before there were movies. This is the tale of our beginnings. It is deep in our hearts.”

An elderly woman, overcome with emotion, fell to her knees, and shook a fist at the gates of Pharaoh, weeping and casting sand on her head.

Mrs. Rosen said that although she needed the money, she would have worked for nothing on The Ten Commandments.

“It’s just like living in dem times when we got the Torah, an’ now we’re going to get it all over again in a picture

by Mr. DeMille,” she said.

For the scene depicting the parting of the sea, actor Theodore Roberts as Moses stood on a rock at the Pacific shoreline, surrounded by the children of Israel. As sunset approached, clouds blocked out the light, threatening to ruin the shot.

Continued on Page 10

W

hen Jewish lecturer and writer Rita Kissin interviewed Cecil B. DeMille in April 1923 about his upcoming Ten Commandments project, she asked to be in the picture. Ever the publicist, he agreed; she arrived in Guadalupe with a contract that began, “This location is not a vacation.”

And it wasn’t. Actors huddled beneath blankets between takes, seeking protection from the Pacific winds and Ten Commandments extras (some in costumes) and crew members eat a meal at 'Camp sandstorms. But for the immigrants, the DeMille' on location at the Nipomo Dunes, Guadalupe, Calif. in 1923. pay was worth it: $10 a day for adults ($182 today), $7.50 a day for children would come to be called Camp DeMille. permitted to choose his own cooks and make all arrangements for food. ($136 today).

Gambling and drinking were prohibAt the wardrobe tents, the extras In late May 1923, the entire company ited. Men’s and women’s quarters received their costumes, made of new boarded two special trains from Los were separated by Lasky Boulevard, material but styled to look worn and Angeles. A local newspaper account of named for producer Jesse Lasky, and dirty. the arrival at the Guadalupe station of policed by guards and deputy sheriffs.

During a fitting, Kissin overheard a the first train describes Men were not allowed conversation between two middle-aged “old men, infirm of step, Several journalists in the women’s section women trying to figure out feeble with long hair without a pass and a how to drape their cosand patriarchal beards. witnessed the extras chaperone. tumes.

With their belongings DeMille made certain at work during the “Take that off’n you, tied up in newspathat the camp had its The Dayton Jewish Observer's Marshall Weiss Mrs. Rosen,” said Mrs. Kapers or in battered old filming of the flight own synagogue, prewill lead a brunch discussion and partial screening of plan, “or the director will suitcases, they huddled from Egypt. sided over by Rabbi DeMille's 1923 The Ten Commandments at 9:45 together.”

Aaron Markadov and an be mad mit you. I’ve heard a.m., Sunday, Feb. 25 at Temple Israel, 130 Riverside DeMille say in the olden After the men were interpreter. But even so, Dr., Dayton. He'll also bring items from his collectimes there wasn’t no safety helped onto trucks and buses, the wom- certain Jewish needs were overlooked. tion of 1923 Ten Commandments memorabilia. The pins.” en’s train arrived, with “plump Jewish On their first day at Camp DeMille, the brunch is a program of Temple Israel Brotherhood’s Safety pins or not, sevmothers, holding their little children by Jews chose hunger over the ham dinner Dorothee and Louis Ryterband Lecture Series, in eral journalists witnessed their hands.” they were served. partnership with Miami Valley Jewish Genealogy & the extras at work during Horse-driven sleds carried them over “I sent posthaste to Los Angeles for History, and Beth Abraham Synagogue Men’s Club’s the filming of the flight the dunes to the tent city erected a mile people competent to set up a strictly Rick Pinsky Brunch Speaker Series. The cost is $7. from Egypt. from the set. These quarters, divided kosher kitchen,” DeMille wrote. The RSVP to 937-496-0050 by Feb. 23.

“These Jews streamed into companies of 50 to 100 people, captain of the Jewish company was

Brunch discussion about the movie

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • FEBRUARY 2024

PAGE 9

COMPLICATED HISTORY: ZIONISM, ANTISEMITISM AND THE MIDDLE EAST featuring Muki Jankelowitz

Three part series beginning Sunday, February 4 at 4 p.m.

(Additional dates February 11 and February 18) Via Zoom Cost: Free Don’t miss out on this opportunity to hear from Muki Jankelowitz, Temple Israel’s tour guide on previous trips to Israel, and gain a deeper understanding on three complicated topics affecting Israel: Zionism, Antisemitism and the Middle East.

Scan the QR Code to Register.

Temple Israel • www.tidayton.org • 937.496.0050 130 Riverside Drive, Dayton, OH 45405 A Reform Synagogue open to all who are interested in Judaism.

PAGE 10

The Exodus from Guadalupe, California's Nipomo Dunes

DeMille's silent Ten Commandments Continued from Page Nine “Just then the clouds cleared,” Abend wrote. “The nearly level rays of the sun made a halo around the figure of the prophet, gave a startling radiance to his face.”

“A gasp went through the crowd,” Kissin wrote. “The faces of men and women reflected this light. Tears trembled on wrinkled cheeks, sobs came from husky throats. For many the world had moved back 3,000 years, and they stood once more on the shores of the Red Sea, viewing once more the good omen of deliverance.”

Actress Leatrice Joy was also on the set. Though she played a leading role in the film’s modern story, DeMille invited her to join the extras in the desert.

“God almighty, you never heard anything so sad as the dirge of the Jewish people,” Joy told documentary filmmaker Peter Brosnan in May 1985, a week before her death.

“They gave the impression that this was it. It was never done before. They were living the time, these people. They weren’t acting.”

“One thing in particular was DeMille’s desire to give to the screen the tremendous love that God had for the Jewish people,” Joy said. “You see, Mr. DeMille’s mother was Jewish.”

M

atilda Beatrice DeMille, known as Beatrice, was born in 1853 to the prominent Samuel family of Liverpool, England. From 1920 to 1925, a relative, First Viscount Herbert Louis Samuel, served as the first high commissioner of British Mandate Palestine.

After World War I, the League of Nations approved a mandate for Great Britain to govern Palestine on behalf of the league. Palestine had previously been part of the Ottoman Empire.

The mandate provided for the eventual creation of a Jewish state. DeMille’s cousin, Herbert Louis Samuel, oversaw the administration of that territory at the same time as DeMille was directing The Ten Commandments.

Samuel was a staunch supporter of Zionism. He was also the first practicing Jew to serve as the leader of a major British political party and as a Cabinet

minister. In some ways, Herbert Louis Samuel was like a modern Moses who led his people to the Promised Land.

Cecelia Presley, Cecil B. DeMille’s granddaughter, told this author in an interview that Beatrice probably came to America by herself.

The Samuel family opposed Beatrice’s budding romance with Henry Churchill DeMille, an actor, playwright, teacher, and layleader in the Episcopal Church. Even so, Beatrice became an Episcopalian and, on July 1, 1876, married Henry at St. Luke’s Church in Brooklyn.

When Henry died of typhoid 17 years later, it was up to Beatrice to support her sons, 14-year-old William and 11-year-old Cecil. She ran a school for girls and later became a play broker and agent.

It was she who introduced Cecil to Jesse Lasky; their production company was a forerunner of Paramount.

Presley said that although DeMille didn’t find out about his mother’s Jewish background until he was a grown man, he was proud of it.

She added that DeMille himself couldn’t have been Jewish “anymore than he could have been a Muslim or a Brahman.” This is evident in the Christian overtones of the modern part of the film.

It was DeMille’s father who instilled a strong sense of religion in him. Henry read the Bible aloud to his sons at night, “teaching his sons that the laws of God are not mere laws, but are the Law,” DeMille wrote.

Presley said that Beatrice’s Jewish lineage likely inspired DeMille to hire the immigrants for the movie. “No question about it, it was a very special thing for him,” she said.

“These Orthodox Jews were an example to all of the rest of us, not only in their fidelity to their laws but in the way they played their parts,” DeMille wrote in his autobiography.

“They were the Children of Israel.

This was their Exodus, their liberation.

They needed no direction from me to let their voices rise in ancient song and their wonderfully expressive faces shine with the holy light of freedom as they

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • FEBRUARY 2024

Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center followed Moses toward the Promised Land.”

Even as the exodus had ended for these American newcomers, the gates of freedom were closing to would-be immigrants. The Immigration Act of 1924 slashed the annual number of émigrés from southern Europe (Italians) and Eastern Europe (Jews) allowed into the United States by Artifacts from the 'Lost City of DeMille' now on display at the 87%.

Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center The U.S. State Department recorded that the purpose of the site, probably to save money.

Immigration Act of 1924 was “to preSixty years later, in 1983, filmmaker serve the ideal of U.S. homogeneity.”

Peter Brosnan rediscovered DeMille’s With the gates to the United States lost city. and so many other nations all but And in 2011, he secured permission closed, the Jews of Eastern Europe and and funding for the first archaeological Central Europe would essentially be dig in the Nipomo dunes, uncovering trapped there during the Holocaust. rare artifacts from the set. Many of the After The Ten Commandments filming large pieces are now on display at the on location was completed, DeMille had Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center in the set taken apart and buried at the Guadalupe.

When The Ten Commandments, touring orchestra came to Dayton Following The Ten Commandments' premiere at Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood on Dec. 4, 1923, it ran for more than a year around the country.

The hit film arrived in Dayton at the Victory (now the Victoria Theatre) on Nov. 9, 1924, for a two-week run, with shows twice daily. The movie was accompanied by a 30-piece traveling orchestra. Ticket prices ranged from 50 cents to $1.50. In the Dayton Daily News review the day after the local premiere, James Muir declared it "epoch-making," "prodigious," a "masterpiece."

The film's most impressive achievement, he wrote, was the parting of the sea.

An unsigned article in the Dayton Daily a week later noted "the picture as a whole is unquestionably the Ad for The Ten Commandments at the Victory, greatest achievement Nov. 2, 1924 Dayton Daily News. in the art of the cinema up to date and it has created more discussion than any book, stage play or film ever produced." The writer added that "many (Dayton) engineers and scientific men have viewed the picture four different times, trying to solve many of the mechanical effects that are used so effectively, such as the parting waters of the Red Sea and the giving of the Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai."

In The Dayton Herald, reviewer Murray Powers wrote, "All the good notices that have been given the production are deserved," and praised its "magnificence, beauty, and greatness."

The Herald also reported that a representative of DeMille, Lee Riley, arrived in Dayton ahead of the premiere and invited National Cash Register executives and their wives to attend the film's opening here on DeMille's behalf. "Mr. DeMille has always been an admirer of the NCR methods of manufacture and welfare work," Riley told the Herald.

— Marshall Weiss

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • FEBRUARY 2024

You’re Invited!

Art and Music Café

Saturday, March 2nd 6:30 p.m. at Temple Beth Or Doors open at 6:30 p.m., Music begins at 7:00 p.m.

Showcasing musicians and singers in open-stage setting, surrounded by painters, photographers, wood and glass crafters and more!

This special event is in partnership with the Temple Beth Or Adult Education Committee, providing opportunities for those talented adults within our local Jewish Community to showcase their talents for this ‘artsy’-themed fundraiser event.

Your $25.00 ticket provides a variety of hot appetizers, desserts and adult beverages (this is an adult only event, please!)

For tickets, please visit:

https://templebethor.com/art-music-cafe/ Temple Beth Or 5275 Marshall Road Dayton, Ohio 45429 www.templebethor.com 937-435-3400

Today...and for Generations

PAGE 11

OPINION

What Jews are feeling now is an inheritance of values — and trauma

By Rabbi Dr. Tirzah Firestone Many of us feel a sense of uncertainty, even wariness, in our bones.

The events that exploded onto the world stage during the last months of 2023 — the brutal attacks on Israeli Jews

by Hamas on Oct. 7, followed

by Israel’s incursion into Gaza and the ensuing rise of antisemitic incidents around the world — have set off waves of shock, grief, and apprehension for Jewish people everywhere.

As a rabbi and psychotherapist, I have received many anxious calls and notes.

“I barely identify as Jewish,” one business executive confessed to me over the phone.

“Yet I’m unbelievably triggered.

Can you help me understand why?”

“For the first time in my life I feel unsafe,” a Jewish student wrote to me. “I suddenly know what my ancestors felt when they had to hide their true identity.”

“I feel ‘re-traumatized’ by all the violence and the resurgence of antisemitism, even though I’ve never directly experienced either one in my lifetime,” a client reported.

Emotions are, by definition, non-rational. But for many of us, our strong reactions to the recent events in and around Israel have felt disproportionate, confusing and sometimes uncanny.

One way to understand this is to see them as having roots in earlier times. In this sense,

the attacks on innocent Jews on Oct. 7 reverberate with a kind of biological memory of traumas that we ourselves may never have experienced, but whose residues nevertheless live within us.

Sound like a bubbie maiseh (grandmother’s tale)? Or a teaching from an obscure kabbalistic text? In fact, the notion that trauma residues can be transmitted intergenerationally is based on clinical studies in a relatively new field called behavioral epigenetics.

These multi-decade studies demonstrate that younger generations can be deeply imprinted by the extreme life experiences that their ancestors endured, years before they themselves arrived on the scene.

This means, for example, that Jews whose great-grandparents survived the violence of the Russian pogroms, or whose grandparents hid from the Nazis with little food or light, or whose parents witnessed the bloody Farhud in Iraq in 1941, may carry within them a kind of cellular byproduct of their ancestors’ adverse life experiences.

These molecular vestiges hold fast to genetic scaffolding.

Though the DNA itself remains unchanged, how those genes express themselves can indeed be affected.

Such epigenetic changes may make us more vulnerable to post-traumatic stress disorder, more sensitive to stresses in the

LETTER Kudos to Martin Gottlieb for a thoughtful and truthful opinion piece, The Fight about antisemitism: an unsatisfying debate (January issue). His determination that the university presidents are not antisemitic is factually accurate, important to state, and necessary if we are to have a meaningful understanding of what antisemitism actually is. I quibble with him on only one small point: he let Rep. Elise Stefanik off way too easily. Sure, by the “rules of politics,” especially these days, her questions were not remarkable, but that hardly mitigates the cynical opportunism that drove her inquisition. I don’t recall her being nearly as agitated about antisemitism when former President Trump invited Kanye West and Nick Fuentes to dinner at Mar-a-Lago. The next time one of those university presidents sits down to a friendly get-together with a couple of admitted antisemites and Holocaust deniers, we can talk. Until then, I find Elise Stefanik’s grandstanding to be a rather disgusting display of hypocrisy.

— Glen Cebulash, Oakwood

So, what do you think?

PAGE 12

environment, and can at times leave us with a predisposition to anxiety or depression.

Because I am more poet than scientist, the following vivid description by journalist Dan Hurley brought epigenetics to life for me. It also struck me as exceedingly Jewish: “Like silt deposited on the cogs of a finely tuned machine after the seawater of a tsunami recedes, our experiences, and those of our forebears, are never gone, even if they have been forgotten.”

For me, the phenomenon of intergenerational trauma is a reflection of the Hebrew phrase mi dor l’dor, which describes the Jewish tradition flowing from generation to generation.

You may have heard these words sung in synagogue, or discussed in the context of Jewish tradition. Perhaps you’ve been to a bar or bat mitzvah at which a young Jewish person is celebrated as they are officially

called to the Torah for the first time.

One of the most emotional moments of the way this ritual is observed in my congregation is when the Torah scroll is taken out of the ark and lovingly passed down from the most senior relative to the next generation (typically aunts and uncles) to the parents, and perhaps to the older siblings of the bar/bat mitzvah.

Finally, the Torah arrives into the arms of the young initiate, the newest link in an ancient chain of heritage.

At that moment, the celebrant makes a silent commitment to uphold the ancestral values that have been passed down for thousands of years: uprightness and justice, lifelong learning, loyalty to family, and the fierce determination to protect and repair the world we have been given.

This ritual reenactment of mi

dor l’dor is often the moment when tears are shed. One can feel the power of ancient heritage in the room. One can sense those who have passed but are with us still in spirit. And one can recognize that however connected or disconnected we are from the Jewish path, somehow we each play a part in this time-honored tradition that so many of our ancestors wrestled to preserve — and all too often, gave their lives for.

The legacies that come down to us are a rich and complex mixture of noble values and the painful trauma residues of our fraught history.

All of these reverberate within our very cells. In our generation, both science and the still-unfathomed events of these past months teach us once again just how deep our connection is to our ancestors, and how their lives continue to echo within us, from generation to generation, mi dor l’dor.

Rabbi Dr. Tirzah Firestone is an author, Jungian psychotherapist and leader in the Jewish Renewal movement.

In hopeless times, we need the courage to speak up — and to listen

By Rabbi Rebecca Blady Over a recent dinner with a diverse group of college friends, we identified a common source of angst, a first for our 15 years of friendship: saying what we think.

From the privileged place we sat in New York, we absorbed the tragic reality of the war in Israel and Gaza. The hearing of the House Committee on Education, in which the presidents of three leading universities issued halting responses to the question of whether calling for the genocide of Jews constituted harassment, had transpired several weeks earlier. Some of us had experienced direct antisemitism in the wake of the attacks of Oct. 7 and were sharply aware of how the politics of the moment put Jews in danger. Others felt that, given the United States’ direct funding relationship with Israel, the moment presented a unique chance to take grassroots action on matters of foreign policy.

At the table, we spoke openly about our feelings even as we agreed that making any sort of public comment was risky. We each knew people who had articulated opinions in a public forum and had lost friends, work and respect as a consequence. We were losing our courage to speak up.

The French philosopher Gaston Bachelard wrote: “What is the source of our first suffering?

It lies in the fact that we hesitated to speak. It was born in the moments when we accumulated silent things within us.”

I first came across this profound quote in an essay by Torah scholar Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg

in her brilliant work The Particulars of Rapture: Reflections on Exodus. Zornberg connects Bachelard’s concept of accumulated silence to the speechlessness of Moses, whose struggle with speech we encounter in Exodus. God has appeared to Moses and asked him to assume leadership of the enslaved Israelites and request their liberation from Pharaoh. But Moses has so far failed in this, resulting in rage from the Egyptians and general apathy from the Jews.

Typically, when we think about Moses’ speech difficulties, we presume them to result from a physical disability. Arel s’fatayim is the phrase Moses uses in protesting God’s charge to speak to Pharaoh. Often translated as tongue-tied, the commentator Rashi says it means “obstructed.”

And a famous Midrash teaches that Moses’ struggles stem from burning his tongue in childhood in the Pharaoh’s palace. But in Zornberg’s assessment, “Moses’ own experience of speechlessness is a mirror of the deafness around him.”

In other words, Moses’ inability to speak is a reflection of those around him — especially his Israelite peers who, overcome by the crushing weight, physical and spiritual, of their bondage, are unable to hear him. In their miserable condition, they cannot listen to someone suggesting that a change is possible. Moses’ speech problems are spiritual in origin, not physical.

I empathize with Moses. If I can barely work up the courage to write the text for an Instagram post, how could I possibly judge Moses, whose Continued on Page 27

Views expressed by columnists, in readers’ letters, and in opinion Send letters (350 words max.) to The Dayton Jewish Observer, pieces do not necessarily reflect the opinion of staff or layleaders of 525 Versailles Dr., Dayton, OH 45459 • MWeiss@jfgd.net The Dayton Jewish Observer or the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton.

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • FEBRUARY 2024

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2PM & 7PM Youth Theatre Performance Connect with us! Check out our events. For more information, check out our calendar at jewishdayton.org.

Full STEM Ahead Sunday, February 4, 2 – 4PM Boonshoft Museum of Discovery 2600 Deweese Pkwy, Dayton, 45414 Join PJ Library and Hillel Academy of Greater Dayton at Boonshoft Museum of Discovery to explore STEM activities! Learn about Hillel Academy’s approach to educating the whole child, with roots in Jewish values.

After the program, families are welcome to continue the fun by exploring the museum.

No cost. RSVP by February 1.

In partnership with Hillel Academy of Greater Dayton.

To register, visit jewishdayton.org/events Questions? Please contact Kate Elder at kelder@jfgd.net

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • FEBRUARY 2024

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February 2024 JEWISH FEDERATION of GREATER DAYTON & ITS AGENCIES

FEBRUARY

Thursday, February 8, 7PM In partnership with Wright Memorial Public library

Livestream at Wright Memorial Public Library Must attend in person to view Livestream

1776 Far Hills Avenue, Oakwood, 45419 No Cost Natasha Rogoff Muppets in Moscow — The Unexpected Crazy True Story of Making Sesame Street in Russia Muppet Ambassadors? • With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the timing appeared perfect to bring Sesame Street to post-Communist Russia. Tasked with producing the series, Natasha Lance Rogoff faced bombings, attempted assassinations, office takeovers, artistic arguments, cultural tiffs, and financial setbacks. And prevailed. It reads like fiction, but Muppets in Moscow is true.

Thursday, March 7 @ 6PM FEATURING the Author’s Appetizers, Salads, and Desserts In partnership with Beth Abraham Synagogue

&

MARCH

Thursday, February 22 @ 7PM via Zoom Enjoy from the comfort of your home!

No Cost

Rabbi Diana Fersko We Need to Talk About Antisemitism Stopping It Starts With Understanding It • Antisemitism is on the rise in cities and rural areas, in red and blue states, in guises both subtle and overt.

In We Need to Talk About Antisemitism, Rabbi Diana Fersko explores why we’re reluctant to discuss it, gives the tools needed to recognize and understand today’s antisemitism, and empowers readers to fight against it.

Sunday, March 10 @ 4PM In partnership with JCC Book Club via Zoom Enjoy from the comfort of your home!

No Cost

Livestream at Beth Abraham Synagogue Must attend in person to view Livestream

305 Sugar Camp Circle, Oakwood Cost: $18 Benedetta Guetta Cooking Alla Giudia — A Celebration of the Jewish Food of Italy Jews Inspired Eggplant Parmigiana?! • Cooking Alla Giudia is a tribute to the wonderfully rich, but largely unknown Roman culinary heritage of the Jews of Italy. Benedetta Jasmine Guetta tells the story of how the Jews changed Italian food, while sharing kosher recipes from all regions of Italy, including plenty of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options.

Jonathan Freedland The Escape Artist — The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World Breakout to Broadcast • In The Escape Artist, Jonathan Freedland tells the story of Rudolf Vrba who, in 1944, escaped from Auschwitz to warn the world. His was the first full account of Auschwitz, a forensically detailed report that would eventually reach Roosevelt, Churchill, and the Pope. And yet too few heeded the warning that Vrba had risked everything to deliver.

To purchase tickets for in-person events or to register for free events, please visit jewishdayton.org/events or call 937-610-1555

Jewish Community Center OF GREATER DAYTON

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JCC CULTURAL ARTS PROGRAMMING IS MADE POSSIBLE BY A GRANT FROM OUR COMMUNITY SUPPORTER OHIO ARTS COUNCIL IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE JEWISH BOOK COUNCIL.

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • FEBRUARY 2024

February 2024 JEWISH FEDERATION of GREATER DAYTON & ITS AGENCIES

Join 2,000 Jewish teens from across the globe for an Olympic-style sports experience in Detroit.

Be part of the magic!

A Women’s Freedom Seder

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O U R J O U R N E Y TO WA R D S C O M M U N I T Y

Thursday, April 4

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For more information, please contact Marc Jacob at 937-401-1545 or mjacob@jfgd.net

6PM – 9PM at Beth Abraham Synagogue 305 Sugar Camp Circle, Oakwood, 45409 Join us as we celebrate the 10th annual Dayton Women’s Seder Our Journey Towards Community Come join our spiritual journey as we celebrate Passover at a unique Seder with the women of our community.

Sunday, February 4, 10AM – 12PM The Boonshoft CJCE 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville, 45459 No cost

$54 per person. Your payment is your reservation.

RSVP by Thursday, March 14 online at jewishdayton.org/events.

For questions or more information, please contact Stacy Emoff at semoff@jfgd.net or 937-610-5513. Seating is limited.

Back by popular demand, JFS is hosting another Drive-Thru Mitzvah Mission!

Help us feed guests at St. Vincent de Paul’s shelters with frozen casseroles and provide high-need items for People and Paws of Greater Dayton, a local pet food pantry that helps those in need care for their pets. JFS will take your donations and provide you with a sweet treat in return.

If you’d like to make a tribute in memory or in honor of someone you will miss at your Seder, you may do so by contributing $18 online at jewishdayton.org/events or at 937-610-1555.

To become a program supporter for an extra $50, please visit jewishdayton.org/events or call 937-610-1555. Please do so by Thursday, March 14 in order for your tribute to be inserted in the Haggadah.

If you have questions, please contact Jacquelyn Archie, JFS administrative assistant, at jarchie@jfgd.net or at 937-610-1555.

High-Need Items for People and Paws dry puppy food, dry kitten food, dog treats, cat treats, and black permanent markers Frozen Macaroni & Cheese Casserole Recipe • 1-1/2 lbs (24 oz) elbow macaroni • 2 lbs cheese, melted • 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of celery soup • 2-1/2 cups milk Cook macaroni and drain. Melt cheese separately and add to macaroni. Add milk and soup. Mix well. Pour into sprayed pan. Cover loosely and place in refrigerator until completely cooled. Then cover tightly with sturdy foil lid and freeze. Casserole should be frozen for 36 hours.

Raise your voice. Feed your soul. Pray. Sing.

Dance. Bond with your sisters.

The Jewish Community Center is proud to collaborate with women from Beth Abraham Synagogue, Beth Jacob Congregation, Hadassah, Temple Beth Or, and Temple Israel.

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • FEBRUARY 2024

mitzvah mission MACCABI GAMES • DETROIT JULY 28 - AUGUST 2

JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES of GREATER DAYTON

PAGE 15

February 2024 JEWISH FEDERATION of GREATER DAYTON & ITS AGENCIES

Legacies, Tributes, & Memorials FEDERATION

ANNUAL CAMPAIGN In memory of Esther and DeNeal Feldman Michael Albert and Amy Clark PAST PRESIDENTS FUND In memory of Esther Feldman In memory of Allen Levin Sylvia and Ralph Heyman ISRAEL SUPPORT FUND The support shown to us by our Rabbis and the Jewish community has been amazing. So thankful!

Constance and Billy Crafton In honor of Fran and Ralph Schwartz Jenni and David Roer In honor of William Goldenberg’s Brit Shalom Laurel and Thomas Suttmiller JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER DAYTON ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of DeNeal Feldman Marlene Kantor Ellen and Jonathan Zipperstein In memory of Ruthe Meadow Judy Lipton RESILIENCE SCHOLARSHIP FUND In memory of Daniel Weckstein David Strouse Mary Bellinger HOLOCAUST PROGRAMMING FUND In honor of Helene Gordon’s new home In memory of Eric Segalewitz Melinda and Bill Doner In memory of Steve Markman In memory of Eric Segalewitz Samantha Daniel Helene Gordon

JEWISH CEMETERIES In memory of DeNeal Feldman Miriam, Jeremy, Sara, Amit, Max, and Jenny Barbara Sanderow Mr. and Mrs. J.K. Elbaum Eleanor Felman Marlon and Sarah Felman Rebecca and Mitch Pfeiffer Philip Felman Jackie Dorman Alice and Burt Saidel Joan Isaacson Marcia and Eddie Kress Suzie and Alan Berman Julie and Adam Waldman Rachel Jacobs Mr. and Mrs. William D. Franklin Julie Wallick and David Seldon Shari, Steven, Daniel, and Gabrielle Kasten Linda and Richard Blum Elise and Jon Randman Amy Barker and Dominic Backowski Debby and Bob Goldenberg Kelly and Robert Kavanaugh Friedman Family In memory of Esther Feldman Andi Rabiner and Marilyn Scher and Family Rachel Jacobs Julie and Adam Waldman Joan and Peter Wells Nora and Robert Newsock Stacy Emoff Patty and Michael Caruso and Family Ellen and Alvin Stein Libby and Ken Elbaum Mary and Gary Youra Susan and Stanley Katz Donna and Marshall Weiss Linda Ohlmann Kahn and Lori Ohlmann Barbara and Stew Abrams Beverly Louis Randy Farrow and Stan Lefco Shari, Steven, Danielle, and Gabrielle Kasten Sylvia Blum Eleanor Felman Marlon and Sarah Felman Rebecca and Mitch Pfeiffer Philip Felman Marcia and Eddie Kress Melinda and Bill Doner Julie and Richard Kantor Debby and Bob Goldenberg

Staci, Steve, Lauren, Maddie, and Taylor Marlowe Alice and Burt Saidel Caryl and Donald Weckstein Bernard Rabinowitz Julie Wallick and David Seldon Linda and Richard Blum In memory of Esther and DeNeal Feldman Gary and Lisa Pavlofsky Dr. Franklin and Renee Rubin Handel Cheryl and Scott Mattis Donna Holt and Charles Fox Cheryl and Rick Carne Meredith Moss Levinson Randi and Joel Levinson Dale Goldberg and Mark Dlott Ronette Throne Brenda and Scott Meadow Jeffrey Kantor Jena Pado Bev Farnbacher Charlene and William Burges Diane Lieberman Slovin Carol Wolf Cheryl Guyer Judy Lipton Susan and John Bradley Sandi Turner Merle and Marty Oberman Cherie Rosenstein and Family Mr. and Mrs. Joel Frydman Jenni and David Roer Sue and Bruce Soifer Elaine and Matt Arnovitz Tammy and Louis Pretekin Cristy and Michael Scherer Elise and Marty Levinson Nancy and Jeff Gordon Felice Shane Thomas and Dean Umina Elovitz Family Lynn Levin Charlotte and Bret Golden Ellen and Tom Drake In memory of William Bernie Debby and Bob Goldenberg In memory of Ruthe Meadow Andi Rabiner Marilyn Scher Jodie and Gary Scher Mark Scher In memory of Allen Levin Linda Ohlmann Kahn and Lori Ohlmann

JOE BETTMAN MEMORIAL TZADIK AWARD In memory of David Char In memory of Ruthe Meadow In memory of Esther Feldman In memory of Eric Segalewitz Jean and Todd Bettman In memory of Esther Feldman Elaine Bettman JCC

CAROLE RABINOWITZ CAMP FUND In memory of DeNeal Feldman In memory of William Bernie In memory of David Char In honor of William Goldenberg’s Brit Shalom Dr. and Mrs. Jeff Mikutis JOAN AND PETER WELLS AND REBECCA LINVILLE FAMILY, CHILDREN AND YOUTH FUND In honor of Norm Weissman’s recovery In honor of Lana Rice’s Bat Mitzvah In memory of Allen Levin Joan and Peter Wells CHILDREN’S CULTURAL FUND In memory of Esther Feldman Dr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Mikutis FILM FEST In memory of Ruthe Meadow Louisa and Phil Dreety In memory of Allen Levin In memory of Donald Klass Jane and Gary Hochstein AUDREY MACKENZIE FUND In memory of Audrey Mackenzie Jessica Hanchak and Family PJ LIBRARY In memory of Bernice Fidelholtz Marcia and Eddie Kress JFS

JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES FRIENDS DRIVE In memory of Shep Rosen Amy and Ed Boyle

Heuman Scholarship & Interest-free Student Loans

SCHOLARSHIPS & STUDENT LOANS

Applications are now available.

Completed applications are due Friday, March 29.

Are you a member of the Dayton Jewish community who will be enrolled at a two- or four-year college, technical program, or graduate school in the academic year 2024-2025? If so, you may be eligible to apply for a college scholarship and/or interest-free student loan through the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton.

It is easy to apply for both incredible opportunities at the same time on a single, unified application.

To request the application and to learn more about the Heuman Scholarship, please contact Alisa Thomas, executive assistant, at 937-610-1796 or athomas@jfgd.net.

If you have questions specific to interest-free student loans, please contact Tara Feiner, executive director of Jewish Family Services, at 937-401-1546 or tfeiner@jfgd.net.

PAGE 16

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • FEBRUARY 2024

CALENDAR Classes

Beth Abraham Classes: w.

Rabbi Glazer. Thursdays, 10 a.m.: Who's Afraid of Chasidism on Zoom. Register at 937-293-9520. 305 Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood.

Beth Jacob Classes: w. Rabbi Agar. Sundays, 10 a.m. in person, Wednesdays, 6 p.m. on Zoom: Beginner Hebrew Class, $100 for new students.

Sundays, 11 a.m. in person, Wednesdays, 7 p.m. on Zoom: Intermediate Hebrew Class, $100 for new students.

Tuesdays, 7 p.m.: Torah Tuesdays on Zoom. Thursdays, 7 p.m.: Thursdays of Thought on Zoom. Call to register, 937274-2149. 7020 N. Main St., Harrison Twp. Chabad Classes: Tuesdays, 8 p.m.: Code of Jewish Law. Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m.: Talmud. Thursdays, noon: Parsha on Zoom. chabaddayton.com. 2001 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood. 937-643-0770.

Temple Beth Or Classes: Sundays, 12:30 p.m.: Adult Hebrew. Sat., Feb. 3, 10 a.m.: Apocryphal Study in person.

Thurs., Feb. 8, 7 p.m.: Chai Mitzvah. 5275 Marshall Rd.,

Wash. Twp. 937-435-3400.

Temple Israel Classes: Saturdays, 9:15 a.m.: Virtual Torah Study. Sat., Feb. 3 & 10, 9:15 a.m.: Hybrid Torah Study.

Sun., Feb 4, 11, 18, 4 p.m.: Complicated History: Zionism, Antisemitism & the Middle East on Zoom w. Muki Jankelowitz.

Tuesdays, 12 p.m.: Hybrid Talmud Study. Wednesdays, 10 a.m.: Torah Queeries w. Rabbinic intern Kit Brewer at home of Ann Becker. Thurs, Feb. 8 & 29, 3:30 p.m.: Living w. Ambiguous Loss. Fri., Feb. 9, 11 a.m.: Living w. Loss w. Rabbi Bodney-Halasz. Sun., Feb. 25, noon: Aseret: The Big Ten w.

Rabbi Bodney-Halasz, registration required. $18 for digital book, $36 for printed book. 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. tidatyon. org/calendar. 937-496-0050.

Family

Full STEM Ahead: Sun., Feb. 4, 2 p.m. PJ Library in partnership w. Hillel Academy. Free.

RSVP at jewishdayton.org/ events. For info., email, Meryl Hattenbach, mhattenbach@ gmail.com or Kate Elder, kelder@jfgd.net. Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, 2600 Deweese Pkwy., Dayton.

JCC Cultural Arts & Book Series See schedule, Page 14.

Men

Chabad Bagels, Lox & Tefillin: Sun., Feb. 4, 9:30 a.m.

13+ welcome. 2001 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood. chabaddayton. com. 937-643-0770.

Adults

Temple Israel Brotherhood Ryterband Brunch & Speaker Series: $7. Sundays, 9:45 a.m. Feb. 4: WSU Judaics Prof. Mark Verman, Abigail & the Book of Ruth. Feb. 25: Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer, DeMille’s 1923 Ten Commandments (in partnership w. Beth Abraham).

130 Riverside Dr., Dayton. 937496-0050.

Dayton. 937-496-0050.

Temple Israel's So A Rabbi Walks into a Bar: Thurs., Feb. 22, 5:30 p.m. W. Rabbi Bodney-Halasz. Drinks & discussion. 1st round on Temple Israel. At Carillon Brewing Company, 1000 Carillon Blvd., Dayton. 937-496-0050.

Temple Beth Or Stop the Bleed: Sun., Feb. 25, 9:30 a.m. Free. RSVP at templebethor.com/events. 5275 Marshall Rd., Wash. Twp. 937-4353400.

Community

JFS Drive-Thru Mitzvah Mission: Sun., Feb. 4, 10 a.m.

For info., contact Jacquelyn Archie, 937-610-1555. Boonshoft CJCE, 525 Versailles Dr,

Centerville. Register at jewishdayton.org/events.

Chabad Community Shabbat Dinner: Fri., Feb. 9, 5:30 p.m. $25 adult, $10 child (3-5) and students. RSVP at chabaddayton.com. 2001 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood. 937-643-0770.

Community Scout Shabbat: Sat., Feb. 10, 9:30 a.m. At Beth Abraham Synagogue, 350 Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood.

937-293-9520.

JCC Theatre Presents Tuck Everlasting: Sat., Feb. 24, 7:30 p.m. & Sun., Feb. 25, 2 p.m. & 7 p.m. $17 adult, $14 child. For tickets, daytonlive. org/events. At PNC Arts Annex, 46 W. 2nd St, Dayton.

Beth Abraham Synagogue's Rick Pinsky Brunch Speaker Series: Sun., Feb. 11, 10 a.m.: Dr. David Shuster, The Discovery of the Electrical Foundation of Our Nervous System. $8.

RSVP to 937-293-9520. 350 Sugar Camp Cir., Oakwood.

At Temple Israel, Sun., Feb. 25, 9:45 a.m., Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer, DeMille’s 1923 Ten Commandments. $7. 130 Riverside Dr.,

Brunch Discussion • Screening • Memorabilia Sun., Feb. 25 9:45 AM at Temple Israel

with Marshall Weiss

130 Riverside Dr. Dayton 45405

DeMille’s Silent

Ten Commandments at 100

$7 includes bagels & lox brunch & program.

RSVP by Feb. 23 to Temple Israel, 937-750-0072.

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • FEBRUARY 2024

Paramount Pictures

A program of Miami Valley Jewish Genealogy & History, in partnership with Temple Israel Brotherhood’s Dorothee and Louis Ryterband Lecture Series and Beth Abraham Synagogue Men’s Club’s Rick Pinsky Brunch Speaker Series.

PAGE 17

CONGREGATIONS

MAZEL TOV!

Beth Abraham Synagogue

Josh Alpert, Dayton BBYO city director, has been nominated by the chapter's teens for the David Bittker Unsung Hero Award, an award presented annually by the international BBYO organization to an outstanding adviser who demonstrates integrity, humility, Josh Alpert dedication, and hard work. Josh not only serves the area's Jewish teens; he's also assistant rehousing manager for the St. Vincent de Paul shelters in Dayton. "I am beyond touched and honored that the kids think this much of me," Josh said. "I am on the verge of tears and beyond words. You just never know how much of an impact you have."

Conservative Rabbi Aubrey L. Glazer Cantor/Dir. of Ed. & Programming Andrea Raizen Fridays, 5 p.m.

Saturdays, 9:30 a.m.

305 Sugar Camp Circle, Oakwood. 937-293-9520. bethabrahamdayton.org

Beth Jacob Congregation

Traditional Rabbi Leibel Agar Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. Evening minyans upon request.

7020 N. Main St., Dayton.

937-274-2149. bethjacobcong.org

Temple Anshe Emeth

Reform Rabbinic Intern Gretchen Johnson 320 Caldwell St., Piqua.

Contact Steve Shuchat, 937-7262116, ansheemeth@gmail.com. ansheemeth.org

Temple Beth Or

Reform Rabbi Judy Chessin Asst. Rabbi/Educator Ben Azriel Fridays, 6:30 p.m.

5275 Marshall Rd., Wash. Twp. 937-435-3400. templebethor.com

Temple Beth Sholom

Reform Rabbi Haviva Horvitz 610 Gladys Dr., Middletown.

513-422-8313. templebethsholom.net

Temple Israel

Reform Senior Rabbi Karen BodneyHalasz. Rabbi/Educator Tina Sobo Fri., Feb. 2, 6 p.m.

Fridays, Feb. 9, 16, 23, 6:30 p.m.

Saturdays, Feb. 3, 10, 10:30 a.m.

130 Riverside Dr., Dayton.

937-496-0050. tidayton.org

Temple Sholom

Reform Rabbi Cary Kozberg 2424 N. Limestone St., Springfield. 937-399-1231. templesholomoh.com

ADDITIONAL SERVICES Chabad of Greater Dayton

Rabbi Nochum Mangel Associate Rabbi Shmuel Klatzkin Youth & Prog. Dir. Rabbi Levi Simon. Beginner educational service Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. 2001 Far Hills Ave. 937-643-0770. chabaddayton.com

Yellow Springs Havurah

Independent Antioch College Rockford Chapel.

Contact Len Kramer, 937-5724840 or len2654@gmail.com.

PAGE 18

After more than 39 years with Beth Abraham Synagogue, facilities manager Dennis Day retired at the end of December. The congregation is now planning a retirement celebration for Dennis. Keep your eye on Dennis Day The Observer for details, and hopefully, to read an interview with Dennis, too.

It's been a busy theatre season for Shana Fishbein. She recently played Joanne in Rent at the Springboro Community Theatre, Linda in Evil Dead: The Musical, and Emma in Prom, both at Dayton Playhouse.

Next up, she'll play Shana Fishbein Sandra in Springboro Community Theatre's production of Big Fish, which runs Feb. 23 through March 3.

Send your Mazel Tov announcements to mweiss@jfgd.net.

RELIGION

To welcome interfaith couples, Conservative synagogue hired cantor who’s allowed to wed them

By Gavi Klein, Jewish Journal of Greater Boston Sarah Freudenberger has spent a lot of time being told no. A year and a half out of college, the no came from cantorial schools when she applied for ordination. Months later, when she got engaged, it came from the three rabbis she had worked with at a Reform synagogue in Florida, when she asked if they would officiate her wedding.

Both refusals were because — like 42% of married American Jews, according to a 2020 Pew study — Freudenberger’s spouse is not a Jew. Peter, her husband and the father of her three children, is Buddhist.

It took time to find a cantorial program that would allow her to get ordained with a nonJewish spouse — just as it had taken time before she found a rabbi who would officiate at her interfaith wedding, which took place in 2010.

“It was such a gift to us,” she said.

“Looking back, I didn’t realize how much it would have affected me personally, how much regret I would have felt, if I hadn’t had a rabbi at my wedding.”

She added, “I can’t untangle my personal experience from my officiant experience. It is the main reason why I know — firsthand — how much of a blessing it is to be able to do that for people.”

Now, Freudenberger says she is passing on this gift to other Jews like her by offering

Cantor Sarah Freudenberger at a ketubah signing ceremony for an interfaith wedding she officiated in October.

interfaith wedding officiation as the cantor of Congregation Shirat Hayam in Swampscott, Mass.

She can’t preside over the ceremonies inside Shirat Hayam’s building, because the congregation is part of the Conservative movement of Judaism, which bars its member communities from hosting interfaith wedding ceremonies.

But because Freudenberger did not attend a Conservative seminary and is not part of its clergy associations, she is free to officiate the weddings elsewhere.

The arrangement illuminates how a changing rabbinic marketplace is opening doors for interfaith families at Conservative synagogues, where the movement’s prohibitions around interfaith weddings have imposed barriers to welcoming intermarried couples.

“Intermarriage and the

'I can't untangle my personal experience from my officiant experience.'

inclusion of intermarried couples and families are among the most important issues the Conservative-Masorti movement is addressing,” said Rabbi Jacob Blumenthal, CEO of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism and the Rabbinical Assembly, two leading organizations of the ConservativeMasorti movement. Masorti is the name of the Conservative movement in Israel/outside of North America.

“Conservative-Masorti rabbis who are members of the Rabbinical Assembly are not authorized to officiate at interfaith wedding ceremonies,” he said. “But rather than focusing on intermarriage as a ‘threat’ to Jewish survival — as we did in the mid-20th century — today we are instead exploring ways to engage all couples and families with a Jewish partner in the beauty and meaning of Jewish community and practice.”

In recent years, the movement’s standards on intermarriage have shifted. In 2017, Conservative institutions voted to allow non-Jews to become

February

Shevat/Adar I A Jewish leap year

Shabbat Candle Lightings February 2: 5:39 p.m.

February 9: 5:47 p.m.

February 16: 5:56 p.m.

February 23: 6:04 p.m.

On the Jewish calendar, months follow the cycle of the moon. However, there are approximately 12.4 lunar months in a solar year. The solution is a 19year Jewish calendar cycle with a second month of Adar — Adar II — added in the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th and 19th years.

Torah Portions February 3: Yitro (Ex. 18:1-20:23) February 10: Mishpatim (Ex. 21:1-24:18) February 17: Terumah (Ex. 25:1-27:19) February 24: Tetzaveh (Ex. 27:20-30:10)

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • FEBRUARY 2024

RELIGION members of synagogues.

The following year, it removed a ban on its rabbis attending interfaith weddings.

In 2020, the USCJ hired Keren McGinity as interfaith specialist.

She recently produced a handbook on interfaith inclusion that BlumenRabbi Jacob Blumenthal Keren McGinity thal says is a vital step in shifting the status of interfaith of people seeking to attend families within the movement denominational seminaries, while holding firm on matters including the ones operated by of traditional Jewish law, or the Conservative movement, halacha, which forbids Jews has fallen sharply, creating a from marrying non-Jews. gap between the number of Blumenthal said the movesynagogues seeking rabbis and ment has established a task cantors and the number of apforce that will recommend plicants on the job market. further steps for welcoming Meanwhile, non-traditional, intermarried couples. often low-residency programs He said the task force, have grown — including the composed of clergy and lay Aleph Ordination Program leaders, will aim to “balance which ordained Freudenberger tradition and modernity within in 2022. the framework of halacha.”

Aleph is affiliated with the Shirat Hayam has been striv- Jewish Renewal movement ing to find ways to include and but its graduates work in all welcome interfaith families in kinds of synagogues. And its community for years. when Freudenberger emerged In 2018, Rabbi Michael as a leading candidate in Ragozin founded an interShirat Hayam’s cantor search, faith task force to address an Ragozin saw an opportunity. issue challenging many in “The lightbulb went off in the community at that time: my head,” he said. “This is non-Jewish spouses of Jewish how we’re going to signal to congregants could not serve on the broader Jewish community the board of directors. that’s looking at Shirat Hayam Ultimately, the congregation for the North Shore — we’re voted to extend full membergoing to signal to intermarried ship privileges families that this The movement is a place in which to non-Jewish spouses. has established you belong.”

“A couple of Before moving generations back, a task force that ahead with the plan intermarriage was will recommend — for a Renewala different pheordained cantor to further steps for officiate interfaith nomenon. Intermarriage may have welcoming weddings for the been more likely community — Shito walk away from intermarried rat Hayam leaders Jewish tradition, checked with the couples.

Jewish commuUSCJ. nity, raising Jewish kids,” said The response they got was Ragozin. He noted that today, that the scenario would not the data indicate otherwise. require the synagogue to disafThe 2020 Pew survey of filiate from the movement, as American Jews found that Jews long as the service wasn’t held married to other Jews are far on the congregation’s propmore likely than intermarried erty. couples to say they are raising Blumenthal said the new their minor children as “Jewish task force is examining cases by religion.” But it also found like Shirat Hayam’s, and that the adult children of interputting together a report that married couples are “increaswill “help us frame important ingly likely” to identify as Jewquestions like the ones that ish — and that two-thirds of are raised by the practice in intermarried couples today say Swampscott.” they are raising their children During the interview with a Jewish identity. process, the search committee As that data was emergasked Freudenberger if she ing, longstanding patterns in would be willing to officiate rabbinic hiring were changing interfaith weddings. rapidly.

“That sent me a clear mesIn recent years, the number sage that the synagogue was

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • FEBRUARY 2024

interested,” she said.

“They not only wanted to allow it, but were interested in me doing them for the congregation.”

She was hired in 2021.

“We don’t want to be ‘backroom’ about it,” she said. “We want to be open about it, we want to tell people about it.

We want to say ‘You’re welcome here, you’re welcome with us, we want you to be a part of our community.’”

Since her ordination, Freudenberger has officiated at four weddings, two between Jews, and two interfaith.

“People that are coming looking for a Jewish wedding want a Jewish wedding,” she said. “If their answer is no, what does that tell them about being Jewish? What does that tell them about being Jewish as a family?”

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PAGE 19

RELIGION

How to conduct a Jewish wedding when Israel is burying its dead? These rabbis did it.

By Andrew Silow-Carroll, JTA The Hamas attacks that claimed over 1,300 Jewish lives on Oct. 7 set off an intense period of global Jewish mourning. For many couples whose long-planned weddings fell in the days and weeks following the start of the war, the pall fell over what should have been one of the happiest days of their lives.

How do you celebrate when so many are burying their dead?

We asked rabbis how they have gone about conducting weddings in the shadow of the deadliest attack on Jewish people since the Holocaust.

Rabbi Jay Stein of Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., who officiated at his son’s wedding, quoted Psalm 37: “If I forget thee, O Jerusalem,” often sung at the end of Jewish weddings.

“On a day that is really all about celebrating you — remember you are part of something much bigger, something eternal,” he told the couple.

“Today, you realize that there will be times of celebration and days of suffering. Our prayer for you is to share in your joys and sorrows together. Joy can quickly turn to sadness and today, I say we must with all of our power turn the sadness into joy because the two of you deserve this day.”

Here are excerpts of remarks

made by rabbis at recent weddings or thoughts they shared with JTA. Rabbi Leora Frankel, Larchmont Temple, Larchmont, N.Y. Whether or not we know someone personally who has been killed, so many of us are experiencing collective bereavement and craving comfort as we mourn with our Israeli brothers and sisters.

And yet somehow, as Jews, we are commanded by our tradition to keep choosing life and finding joy, even in our grief.

Just a week after the terror in

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Israel erupted, I found myself standing under a gorgeous chupah with a young Reform Jewish couple. Earlier that week at our final check-in, they sought my reassurance that it was “kosher” to proceed with their wedding in the midst of the unfolding horrors.

They expressed anticipatory guilt singing and dancing while so many were mourning.

So I shared with them a famous passage in the Talmud — a rabbinic teaching from nearly 2,000 years ago — which speaks presciently to this moment.

In tractate Ketubot, the rabbis inquire about a theoretical and symbolic scenario: If a funeral procession and wedding procession meet at a crossroads, which one has the right of way?

This soon-to-be bride and groom were surprised to learn that, perhaps counterintuitively, the Talmud rules that in such a case, the wedding procession should proceed first.

Even in the face of death, Judaism asserts that we must lead with life.

Rabbi Jan Salzman, Ruach haMaqom, Burlington, Vt. As is my custom, I only offer remarks that have to do with the wedding. When I introduce the breaking of the glass, instead of the usual story about Jerusalem or tears within joy, I tell the story from the Ari (Isaac

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • FEBRUARY 2024

RELIGION ben Solomon Luria Ashkenazi, 1534-1572), about the shattering of the divine vessel at the beginning of Creation.

I offer the intention that when the couple breaks the glass, their love spews out into the world, embedding shards of their love into every molecule of creation.

I added the line, “and, oy, how we need shards of love to embed themselves in our world!”

Everyone knew that I was addressing the shattering of the hopes and dreams of the people of Israel and Gaza, who are suffering in such anguish because of the choices made by their respective leaders.

A wedding, like Shabbat, is a moment of healing, of putting forth our yearning for wholeness, and not the opportunity for a commentary by the rabbi.

Rabbi Julie Roth, Congregation Shomrei Emunah, Montclair, N.J. We focused on the joy. We sang and danced and celebrated this once-in-a-lifetime occasion and mentioned the heartbreak in Israel at the moment when we smashed the glass.

Dancing in circles with dozens of young people, with the bride and groom in the center, when everyone started singing the words, “Am Yisrael Chai,” the aliveness of this moment reverberated with the vigils and rallies.

We sang the same words — the Jewish people lives — then with tears of sadness, now with unfiltered joy, making the energy at the wedding that much more precious.

C

Rabbi Aviva Fellman, Congre- in. Your love makes the world more whole. gation Beth Israel, Worcester, This is true every time I Mass.

In our daily prayers, we read stand with a couple under the chupah, but in this particular from Psalms, "hafachta mispdi moment of pain, and recoglmachol li, pitachta saki vatazreni nizing that the culmination of simcha — God, You turn my the Sheva Brachot links your mourning into dancing, You change my sackcloth into robes wedding rejoicing to the songs of joy and gladness heard on of joy." the “cities of Judah and the While our hearts break for those who have been lost, those courtyards of Jerusalem,” we can see that this moment of living in constant fear, and celebration for you and your especially those still missing, family provides one bright and we respond with the fervor of shining opportunity for joy not our Israeli brothers and sisters and the resilience of our people only here, but reverberating through the Jewthroughout his'Even in the ish world. tory.

May the joy We declare Am face of death, of this union be Yisrael Chai, and Judaism asserts one step towards we keep going, bringing us knowing that that we must back to a time of living, celebratcelebration and ing, and creating lead with life.' rejoicing here, a new Jewish in Israel for the family is in and of itself an act whole Jewish family, and of solidarity with Israel, an act of defiance against Hamas, and throughout the world. an act of Jewish survival.

So we smile even more wide- Rabbi Karen Glazer Perolman, Temple B’nai Jeshurun, Short ly, we laugh more loudly; we Hills, N.J. love more deeply and fiercely; Our tradition also teaches we dance more fervently. that there are certain commandments for which we asRabbi Craig Axler, Temple sign special meaning — upon Isaiah, Fulton, Md. We will momentarily say the performing them in this world, we are granted life in the Sheva Brachot, the seven wedWorld to Come: one of these ding blessings. These blessings is to celebrate with a couple are less focused specifically on the wedding couple at first, but under the chupah — to dance rather build on the idea that we and eat and drink, to help turn live in a world of brokenness and pain, where things are not perfect or even ideal.

However, the union of this couple, your love that we celebrate in this moment is one act of tikun, one repair of the broken world that we live

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I encourage all of those here tonight to take this commandment seriously and to celebrate as much as humanly possible — to lift up their joy and through them, the spirits of our people.

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PAGE 21

JEWISH FAMILY EDUCATION

Unity or diversity?

Judaism's Worldview Series

The brainchild of Jewish philanthropist Harold Grinspoon, PJ Library is a free Jewish book club for families that provides more than 1,100 unique stories for celebrating Jewish values, traditions, and culture, and strengthening Jewish connection and identity. In 18 years it has delivered more than 50 million books published in seven languages.

Each month it ships 680,000 books — 12 different titles — to newborns through

Candace R. Kwiatek tweens in 36 countries on five continents. PJ Library exemplifies a key Jewish worldview: unity balanced by diversity.

In its opening verses, the Torah establishes this worldview. From the Oneness of the Divine emerges “a world of differences,” writes Rabbi Mendy Herson.

God then creates humankind in the Divine image, both male and female, implying unity between God and hu-

mankind and between one human and another.

In the second version, a single human is created from the soil, becoming man (ish). One of his sides is removed and fashioned into a totally distinct female being (isha). Described as man’s ezer k’negdo, a helper against him, the isha is a unique counterpart to the ish. When man becomes one with woman as his wife, the narrative returns to unity.

By way of contrast, the subsequent stories of the Flood and the Tower of Babel imply that either quality pursued solo is ruinous. In the era of the Flood, everyone lived only for themselves — there was only diversity.

In the era of the Babel building project, everyone was forced to become an anonymous cog in the construction community— there was only unity.

Both stories end in disaster. In other words, the world operates optimally when unity and diversity are in balance.

Later Jewish writings also reflect this theme. “Judaism’s canonical texts are anthologies of arguments,” Rabbi

The world operates optimally when unity and diversity are in balance.

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PAGE 22

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Jonathan Sacks observes, made famous by the legendary disputes between Hillel and Shammai. Yet the sages of the Talmud were of one mind about their fundamental role as interpreters and preservers of biblical law and tradition.

Rabbi Tali Loewenthal notes, “As the sages themselves put it, despite all the diversity of opinion, all are ‘the words of the living God.’” The panorama of Jewish history is a collage of events that eventually strikes a balance between unity and diversity.

The most clear-cut example is the Jewish Diaspora.

Over the centuries, Jews scattered across the world and adopted the languages, cultures, traditions, even the values and ideas of their host countries.

“No small people is more diverse ethnically, culturally, attitudinally, and religiously” Sacks writes.

And yet, despite the pressures of dominant cultures in the everexpanding Diaspora, Jews “have not lost their peoplehood, their religion, or their connection to the Land of Israel,” Israeli writer and speaker Hen Mazzig notes.

Where do you see a balance of unity and diversity in the following tales?

The blue box. During storytelling time at the nursing home, Clara unexpectedly signaled she wanted to participate. Speaking slowly, she struggled to recall words, to pronounce them clearly.

As a young mother, Clara learned of the horrific Nazi concentration camps, and felt called to help. So every afternoon, she took her young son and a blue JNF box in hand and went door to door throughout the Jewish neighborhoods nearby, collecting money for Israel.

Then she approached other communities. “Everyone gave,” she told the group. “The Irish, the Italians, the Greeks. They said, ‘I feel so bad for your people. Thank you for giving me a chance to help.’”

Until the birth of her second child, Clara and her son collected money to bring the survivors home to Israel.

She finished speaking, and the room erupted into applause.

Yids and yuds. When he was a young child first learning the alef-beis,

Reb Yaakov Yitzchak of Peshischa recounts, he pointed to the letter yud and asked his teacher, “What is this dot?”

He answered, “The letter yud.”

Then the teacher pointed to two yuds together. He explained, “Those two yuds together spell the Holy Name of God.” Fascinated, the boy Yaakov looked in the Chumash (the printed version of the Torah) to find these two dots and discovered two other dots, one above the other.

“That’s a colon,” his teacher said. The boy was worried. “The dots look alike.

How will I remember the difference?”

“Easily,” his teacher replied. “When the two dots sit next to each other as equals, they are the Name of God. When one lords it over the other, then they aren’t the name of God.” "From this," Reb Yaakov declares, "I learned that when two Yids (Jews) sit together as equals, God is present. But if you raise another above yourself, or yourself over another, then there is no real meeting, no equality, and no Divine Presence.”

Bride and groom. At the wedding of the son of Reb Avraham Yaakov of Sadigora to the daughter of Reb Zvi HaKohen of Rimanov, the groom’s grandfather stood up and said to the father of the bride, “Let me share with you the yichus (venerable lineage) of our family.”

He then listed numerous relatives with scholarly pedigrees, ending with, “So, my dear friend, please share with us your lineage.”

“My parents died when I was 10,” Reb Zvi said softly. “I didn’t know them well enough to tell you anything about them other than they were righteous and good-hearted people. After their deaths, a relative apprenticed me to a tailor. During my apprenticeship, I learned two rules by which I govern my life: Do not spoil anything new, and fix anything old.”

With that, the groom’s grandfather leaped to his feet, shouting joyously: “This is a marriage of two great lineages. These children are doubly blessed!”

Unity creates a sense of cohesiveness and common purpose, while diversity allows for different voices and perspectives. How can the Jewish worldview of unity balanced by diversity influence how you live your life?

Literature to share A Book About Bupkes by Leslie Kimmelman. Bupkes, a Yiddish word for nothing or lacking, is turned on its head in this delightful picture book for children. It seems that something can be made from nothing! Find out how Zoe does so while helping others in her community. It’s a book to bring to life at home — almost like magic — try it.

Cooking alla Giudia by Benedetta Jasmine Guetta. One of the most fascinating features of this cookbook is the inclusion of background information for the Jewish culinary traditions in Italy, with descriptions of how Jewish cooking significantly influenced Italian cooking. Gorgeous images of foods and Italian locations and unique histories of many individual recipes feed the eye and mind, while the recipes themselves use easily accessible or familiar ingredients — or simple substitutions — keeping the chef happy. Winter is the perfect time to warm up the kitchen with some food adventures.

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • FEBRUARY 2024

Cuban-Style Kasha Varnishkes Old-world comfort food gets a bold, colorful twist.

By Orge Castellano, The Nosher Culinary crossroads often give rise to dishes that are more than the sum of their parts. This vegetarian Cuban take on kasha varnishkes encapsulates a narrative as rich and varied as its flavors.

During my college years, I was introduced to kasha varnishkes by Yuliya, a dear friend from Connecticut whose roots traced back to Soviet Russia. A passionate discussion about Russian literature and ballet on a frosty evening led us to her dorm kitchen, where she unveiled her family’s adapted version of the classic Russian kasha. The twist?

Bowties, an influence of Italian-American ingredients on Ashkenazi cuisine in the U.S. Kasha varnishkes swiftly earned its place in my culinary heart and repertoire with its soothing, soft texture and unpretentious yet bold flavors.

Over time, I’ve adapted the dish to make it my own, incorporating Cuban flavors that resonate with me, and blend seamlessly with kasha varnishkes' nutty undertones.

Notes

1. While this recipe uses vegetable stock for its neutral flavor profile, you can opt for a more robust taste by dissolving two chicken stock cubes in hot water. For a quicker alternative, use three tablespoons of chicken/vegan salt.

2. Shallots lend a delicate and slightly sweet undertone to the dish, however, if you’re in a pinch or prefer a more robust oniony flavor, regular onions can step in seamlessly. They have a bolder flavor, so adjust quantities based on your preference.

3. When tearing the mushrooms, ensure the pieces are relatively uniform; this ensures that every bite is cooked through evenly.

4. While farfalle (bowtie pasta) is recommended for its ability to hold onto flavors, you might explore other medium-sized pasta shapes known to cradle sauces well. Think penne or fusilli. Just ensure you cook al dente.

5. Parsley isn’t just for color. Its fresh, herbaceous notes balance the

Orge Castellano

rich flavors of the dish. If you’re feeling adventurous, consider other fresh herbs like cilantro or chives to add a different layer of freshness.

3 Tbsp. olive oil 3 medium shallots, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced ½ tsp ground cumin 1 medium-to-large red bell pepper, diced 1 orange or yellow bell pepper, diced 1 cup fresh shiitake or portobello mushrooms, roughly torn 3 cups canned chickpeas 2 ½ cups fresh spinach, finely chopped 2 cups vegetable stock 8 oz. pasta farfalle (bowtie) 1 ½ cups buckwheat groats (kasha) freshly ground black pepper kosher salt ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, torn, for garnish (optional) Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once heated, add the shallots and garlic and cook seven to eight minutes until soft. Stir in bell peppers and cumin, cooking until peppers are tender, about 10 minutes. Tear the mushroom caps in medium, uniform pieces and integrate them in. Once they brown, fold in the chickpeas and spinach until wilted. Pour vegetable stock, reduce heat, and let it simmer for about 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is reduced.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta, a half teaspoon of salt, and cook following the package instructions or until al dente. Drain the pasta and set aside.

In a separate medium-to-large saucepan, bring one-and-a-half cups water and one cup vegetable stock to a boil; stir in the kasha and about one teaspoon kosher salt. Cover and simmer until the groats are soft, about 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork, cover and let stand off the heat.

Transfer the vegetable mixture to the pot with the pasta, followed by the cooked buckwheat, and mix all together. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a serving bowl; garnish with chopped parsley (optional) and serve warm. Serves six to eight.

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • FEBRUARY 2024

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Arts&Culture

A rabbi answers her congregants’ question: Why do they hate us?

By Andrew Silow-Carroll, JTA When I asked Rabbi Diana Fersko why she decided to add to the growing list of recent books written about antisemitism, she referred to Passover.

On the holiday, Jews tell and retell the familiar story of the Exodus, she explained, and often add to it. The reasons for and solutions to antisemitism must also be told again and again, in ways, she said, that “connect to the past, and talk about what’s happening now.”

Her new book, We Need to Talk About Antisemitism, also has a Passover motif.

So much of contemporary antisemitism, she writes, is about “narrowing” – the same way that the Israelites’ identity in Egypt (Mitzrayim, or “The Narrows,” in Hebrew) was restricted to a “specific, inflexible, and incomplete Jewish stereotype.” She sees such narrowing in the way even well-meaning people expect Jews to look or behave. “Narrowing” is what leads the far right to assign Jews to a conspiracy to undermine the West.

And the left “narrows” Jews when they slot members of a diverse, complex community as White people who are leveraging their privilege to oppress others, especially Palestinians, and who themselves have no claim on victimhood.

Fersko is the senior rabbi, since 2020, at the Village Temple, a Reform congregation in Manhattan. She began at the start of the coronavirus epidemic, and her efforts to engage congregants despite the lockdown were the subject of a piece in The New Yorker.

Her 10 years in the rabbinate have also coincided with a rise in reports of antisemitic incidents, from vile social media campaigns to the killing of 11 Jews at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018.

She wrote the book in part as a response to the questions she has gotten from members of her congregation.

“I’ve been having to preach about antisemitism for the decade or so that I’ve been a rabbi,” she told me. “Congregants started telling me their stories, and asking me their everyday questions.

I felt like my congregants were asking amazing questions that I couldn’t answer on the fly. They deserved more serious answers, longer answers, and they deserve a book that hopefully helps them with the everyday antisemitism that they faced.”

century. My parents and their generation remember having to change their last names to get a better job, there were certain clubs you couldn’t belong to, there were schools that wouldn’t allow you in. What are the main ways people are feeling antisemitism today, in your experience?

The answer depends on your Susan Rosenberg Jones life stage. If you are a teen, the an- Rabbi Diana Fersko swer is what is happening on social media, or at school. What I’ve seen I took this to mean that Jews don’t is that there is almost no teen who has have the right to tell our stories. Or by not experienced or witnessed some level telling our stories, it diminishes the of direct and personal antisemitism. So pathway to justice for other groups, for them, I think it’s meteorological, it’s which I don’t believe is true. I certainly atmospheric, it’s just out there. And it’s believe in the growing fight towards something they encounter all the time justice (for all groups), and a growing on TikTok, on Snapchat, in the hallways, awareness of injustice that we’re strugetc. gling with in all our communities. But I I’ve also seen it come up in the work- think antisemitism is a part of that awakplace, as our society is more and more ening. We need to acknowledge that reliant upon identity, and having a focus antisemitism is real, that it’s back and in on that in our professional setting. It many troubling and tricky forms. And I comes up when Jews are asked to sort think Jews have a right and an urgency themselves in a category that they’re not and a need to tell our stories. fully comfortable with, or being denied the chance to organize and gather Or as you write in the book, “The libas Jews where you see other groups eral world has not embraced the notion organizing and gathering and having a that Jews have a meaningful history to desire to share with tell. They are surprised that instead of people that have simi- being associated with victimhood, Jews lar experiences. are becoming increasingly associated with words like ‘privilege.’”

When you talk about Yes. It seems shocking, because we people being dedon’t follow the same patterns as other nied the chance to minorities in our culture, right? It’s not organize, you tell necessarily that we’re a racial minority. that story about the We’re not a religion only. We are also parents in a New an ethnicity and a history and a people York City private school who wanted and culture. We don’t fall into the kind to form a Jewish affinity group, but of sorting that the wider culture likes the administration told them, “Now’s to do. And so we’re misunderstood. I not the time.” What was in the mind of think there needs to be a fair amount of the administration? What were they so education about how Jews are a people, nervous about? and just demonstrating to people that I’ve heard this story many times, from actually Jews today in the U.S. are less multiple people and different versions. safe than we’ve ever been here.

The Jewish parents wanted to gather, like the other affinity groups in school, You feel that? That American Jews have where their identity would be honored never been less safe in America? and celebrated. The administration, in I recently went to a briefing with difmany of these cases, has pushed back ferent organizations and backgrounds and said, “The optics don’t look good.” I in New York City where we spoke with think the idea there is the false idea that the commissioner of police. And every Jews are privileged, Jews have proximJew there had a story about a concern ity to power, and that Jewish gatherings of physical violence — like me. I’ve somehow take away from other types of received threatening postcards in the justice — which I just find very upsetmail on multiple occasions over multiple ting because of course Jews have always years. Or someone in Brooklyn who was been so closely tied to the idea of justice. talking about the change of tone in his

'We don't fall into the kind of sorting that the wider culture likes to do. And so we're misunderstood.'

You catalog a lot of recent incidents of antisemitism in your book, but I want to compare what is happening now in America to, say, the middle of the 20th

PAGE 24

That reminds me of another point in your book, when you write that a book editor rejected the manuscript because it “centered Jews.” What do you think they meant?

The JCC Cultural Arts & Book Series presents Rabbi Diana Fersko via Zoom, 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 22. The program is free. Register at jewishdayton.org/events or 937-610-1555.

neighborhood and feeling concerned about doing everyday tasks like walking down the street. I think there is a lot of anxiety and tension over the freedom to be Jewish in public ways. And I think that’s scary.

I want to get back to the older congregant who says, “Things are not so bad compared to when I was a kid.”

And certainly Jews have, in general, freedoms and material comfort in this country that they never had before.

When I first started talking about antisemitism from the bima, that was the main piece of pushback that I got. I completely agree: What’s happened to us has been remarkably successful. And I think that’s wonderful. And I want it to stay that way. I want Jews to be able to be Jewish, in public and in private, and I want Jews to be able to be represented in cultural institutions, in academia, in medicine, in media, and in any field you can think of.

And I think that we need to be aware that this has happened before. Jews have been successful before — not just in Germany, but in the Golden Age in the medieval period, when Jews were thriving and living with Christians and Muslims in the same area. But guess what? It didn’t last and it ended horribly on the Iberian Peninsula. So I don’t think we can fool ourselves and say, “Oh, look, you know, we’re over represented in a certain field, and therefore, we have nothing to worry about.” But it’s a wonderful fantasy.

You write at length and powerfully about right-wing extremism and the violent threat it poses, from the Tree of Life murders in Pittsburgh to the “Jews will not replace us” march in Charlottesville, Virginia. It’s a big part of the book and I don’t want to diminish that in any way. But I detect – and if I am wrong, tell me so – that the antisemitism of the moment that you find particularly confounding is on the left, perhaps because it comes from a world that includes your political allies on so many other issues.

First of all, I want to say I’m not trying to make an equivalence. Physical

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • FEBRUARY 2024

violence is the worst thing. Physical violence is the greatest threat and the greatest harm, and I see that from the neo-Nazi consortium more than any other group in the United States. So I just want to be clear about that.

When I write about the liberal world — and I don’t even mean politically liberal, I just mean broadly — that’s what I know. That’s who I am. And frankly, that’s what I love. Those are the values, ideas, and people that I really want to be at home in. And I want the Jewish community to feel at home and welcomed and understood in those circles. And when I see an expansion of antisemitism in that world, it causes me grave concern, and I feel obligated to speak out as a liberal leader.

What Jewish groups might call antisemitic, left-wing and pro-Palestinian groups might defend as harsh but justified criticism of Israel’s human rights record. How do you tell the difference?

There’s no perfect answer, but what I tell people is to focus on the outcome of the conversation. If there’s a real outcome that would affect either Israelis or Palestinians, then I tend to be interested in it. Maybe this is a real conversation, if we want to learn from each other.

If the outcome is only to create antisemitism on a college campus, then I do not think that conversation is worth having.

I hear a growing number of people that are just very uncomfortable being publicly Jewish on college campuses.

And that’s wildly unacceptable.

my role as a civic participant in student government, climate change, whatever sort of organization it is, based on the fact that I’m Jewish.” I don’t see a conflict at all in being a Zionist and being objective.

You talk about a certain kind of Christian antisemitism in the book, which could be described as appropriation — it’s not about killing Jesus, but almost the opposite: “You’re just like us,” which can be its own sort of denial of Jewish legitimacy.

Christian antisemitism historically has been about polarization: You are nothing like us, we are good, you are bad. But the Christian antisemitism of today is much different. And it often says that we’re the same as Christians.

Growing up in Connecticut, I got so much of this: “What are you doing for Jewish Christmas?”

There was a sort of pervasive identity denial, where there was a disbelief that I actually didn’t participate in any Christian rituals.

That’s so much better than the Christian antisemitism of the past, but I also think it needs to be talked about because it is reducing who we are as a people and eliminating our voices from public discourse.

The resurgence in antisemitism and intolerance in general of the past few years has coincided with the rise and presidency of Donald Trump, although a lot of people disagree whether he is the cause or the symptom. Trump’s name barely appears in your book. What do you think has changed in the past few years that has led to antisemitism’s comeback?

I’m not sure I’m the best person to answer that, but what I’ll say is that in my book, I interviewed thirdgeneration survivors. And one of them answered that question, and what she said was that all hate has basically risen as part of social media expression, where it has become normal to say horrible, hateful things online or see them said about you. I don’t think that’s the best answer to your question, because I really don’t know. But the truth is, I also am fighting what I see every day.

There’s a place for your child at Hillel Academy.

'I tell kids and their parents, find a Jewish community when you get to campus.'

How do you suggest they respond?

I tell kids and their parents, find a Jewish community when you get to campus. The first week, march yourself into Hillel or some other Jewish body and plant yourself there and make yourself known, because these conversations are not easy. And you will need the support and feedback of your community in order to know where you stand, to figure out your ideas.

You write about the dual loyalty charge, that Jews are suspect because of their attachment to Israel. Similarly, you cite cases in which liberal Jewish students are blocked from progressive coalitions on the assumption that as Zi- You are in New York City, which has onists they can’t be “objective” not just a huge and growing Haredi Orthodox on Israel but other things of concern community and the largest Jewish to progressives. How do you explain, population in general outside of Israel. let’s say to a non-Jewish audience, that Do you see common ground among many Jews want their kids to identify Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jews in very closely with Israel but that closecombating antisemitism, or are they ness does not imply dual loyalty? fighting this on two different tracks?

You know, you can love a family I think we need to fight antisemitism member and still think about other on all levels. There are a lot more levels things at the same time. It’s not a hard than just liberal Jews and Haredi Jews. concept. When somebody comes to you, Liberal Jews too can be divided and and accuses you of not being able to subdivided. be objective because you’re a Jew, then I would love to see more coming that’s your opportunity to say “actually, together of the Jewish people, but I actuwhat you’re accusing me of, it’s dual ally think that we’re on our way. And I loyalties, here’s the history of dual loyal- see signs of hope, and community and ties, and here’s how you’re diminishing Continued on Page 26

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PAGE 25

Survivors reunited after 80 years — one formerly from Dayton — tell their tale in short documentary

By Julia Gergely New York Jewish Week In March 2022, Jack Waksal thought he recognized Sam Ron, the keynote speaker at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s annual South Florida dinner in Boca Raton. But he couldn’t quite place him — after all, at 97, Waksal had met thousands of people in his lifetime.

But when Ron said the word “Pionki,” all the memories came rushing back. Ron, formerly known as Shmuel Rakowsk, and Waksal had been best friends as teenagers when they worked side by side making gunpowder at the Pionki labor camp in Poland for nearly a year during the Holocaust.

Waksal was blown away by the coincidence of meeting Ron again at a gala nearly 79 years after they first became friends half a world away. After Ron’s speech, Waksal made his way over to his table. In a new documentary about their rekindled friendship, Jack and Sam, Waksal recalls the first words he spoke to Ron in nearly 80 years: “I said, ‘You’re my brother!’”

“It is such a beautiful love story,” director Jordan Matthew Horowitz said after a screening Dec. 3 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, New York’s Holocaust museum. “It’s a beautiful story of friendship that’s endured so much over such a long period of time.”

The screening was part of the filmmakers’ push to get the film in front of documentary branch members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as they begin voting on the shortlist of Oscar-nominated short documentaries. (Jack and Sam clocks in at 20 minutes.) Around 40 voters, film industry leaders and other documentary filmmakers attended this screening.

Jack and Sam premiered at Provincetown International Film Festival in June and has since been shown at 21 film festivals across the globe including at DocNYC in November. Jewish actresses

Sarah Silverman and Julianna Margulies signed on as executive producers for the film in October.

“My wish for the film is that everybody sees it, especially right now. I think from sixth grade to 12th grade, this film should be mandatory viewing,” said Margulies in a talkback after the screening. The actress, who starred in the television series E.R., has been outspoken about the rise in antisemitism and Jewish representation in Hollywood in recent years.

Margulies, who is on the board of the Museum of Jewish Heritage, said she is personal friends with Waksal’s granddaughter and believes the story in the film is crucial given the antisemitism experienced on and after Oct. 7, when Hamas attacked Israel. (She was also fresh off an apology after making disparaging comments about Black Americans who have not supported Jews after Oct. 7.)

“Right now, it is such a heightened moment. Especially in terms of education and misinformation, it is our absolute responsibility as adults and human beings to make sure that we do everything we can to get these films seen,” she said. “The timing of this is extraordinary. We have to push as hard as we can to show the evidence of what people refuse to believe.”

“Having testimony and recordings of history like this is so important,” said Jack Kliger, the CEO of the museum. Horowitz “has added a lot to the body of the work that will live on for many years and I appreciate that.”

Horowitz said that, as Holocaust survivors number fewer and fewer, the two men’s story was important before Oct. 7. But in the wake of Hamas’ attack on Israel and the international outburst of antisemitism in the months since, it has become even more relevant. “I had no idea how the world can change so rapidly,” he said.

The film begins with Waksal and Ron narrating the story of their childhoods

Antisemitism

ignoring, and failing to educate young people about the ways Jewishness is flourishing or could flourish on its own diverse, creative terms.

I do very much appreciate the Dara Horn argument (in People Love Dead Jews, her 2021 book about antisemitism), which is basically, we need to celebrate Jewish life. And I think that is one of the best ways to fight antisemitism.

I’m very interested in Jews doing Jewish things in a very assertive, active way.

And I think that will only serve to strengthen our community, which will help us to stand up as Jews when we need to.

Julia Gergely

Arts&Culture

After the war, Jack Waksal moved to Dayton, where he lived until 1992

Continued from Page 25 positivity from many of my rabbinic colleagues across the denominational spectrums, that we understand that this is a serious threat. And we’re willing and eager to organize with each other to fight it.

You’re book is titled We Need to Talk About Antisemitism. I sometimes feel there is already a lot of talk about antisemitism – admittedly, Jewish conversation is my full-time job — and I have heard others say that by concentrating on the threats against them, Jews are

PAGE 26

(From L) Actress Julianna Margulies, filmmaker Alexandra Shiva, and director Jordan Matthew Horowitz discuss Jack and Sam at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, New York, Dec. 3.

in Poland over traditional documentary footage of pre-Holocaust European life in cities and ghettos. Both were born in 1924, Waksal in Jedlinsk and Ron in a town near Krakow. They remember Kristallnacht, the Nazi-led pogrom of 1938, and both lived in ghettos before being moved to labor camps.

Horowitz enlisted animator Lukas Schrank to recreate Waksal and Ron’s depictions of being transported via cattle cars to labor camps and the details of their lives there, including their harrowing memories of taking their first showers in weeks but not knowing if water or gas would come out of the faucet.

The film also animates Waksal’s story of escaping the labor camp after hearing that some residents would be moved to Auschwitz. He and a group of 15 others escaped together and lived in a nearby forest for more than six months before the war ended. Only six of the group of 15 survived the whole winter.

The movie doesn’t cover why Ron didn’t join them; Horowitz cited interviews with Ron, who explained that both staying and leaving carried risks and he found it an impossible choice to make. He instead was moved to Sachsenhausen, another concentration camp, and then was sent on a death march, during which he didn’t eat for more than a week. He was on the march when the American army liberated the group in the spring of 1945.

After the war, Waksal moved to Dayton, where he lived until 1992 and became a successful owner of a scrapyard. Ron joined B’richa, an underground organization that helped Jewish orphans escape to Palestine. He briefly moved to Israel, and in 1956 settled in Canton, about 200 miles from his wartime companion.

When they retired, both men moved to South Florida, never knowing they had lived and continued to live close to one another. That is, until the U.S. Holocaust Museum dinner in March 2022. After the dinner, Waksal and Ron became close again, visiting each other frequently, updating each other on the last eight decades of their lives, and sharing their story at local high schools.

“It’s like a miracle,” Ron says in the film of his renewed relationship with Waksal.

Horowitz said he began working on the film a year and a half ago, just a few weeks after Ron and Waksal reunited.

“I actually never thought I would ever make a Holocaust-themed movie,” he said. “I just didn’t feel like there’s anything I could add to the conversation that hasn’t been said many times before. But then when I heard about their story, I was so moved by it.”

Horowitz conducted extensive interviews with both men over the course of 2022. They also both spoke at a screening of the documentary at Florida Atlantic University in August, which Horowitz said was “one of the highlights of my personal and professional career.”

Ron died on Oct. 11 at age 99. Waksal, meanwhile, is 99 and attended the March for Israel on Nov. 14 in Washington, D.C. with his daughter and granddaughter.

“We’re just trying to get as many eyes on this as possible,” Horowitz said.

“That’s what Jack wants more than anything. He is so concerned with the state of the world and he feels like he has such valid points to make about it that he’s getting it in front of as many people as possible.”

“As he says, this is why I survived, to tell this story,” Margulies said.

THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • FEBRUARY 2024

Courage to speak up and listen Lorraine Fortner passed away Continued from Page 12 audience is as tormented and despaired as they come? But in today’s world of muting and blocking, I also find myself wondering: What came first — the speechlessness or the deafness?

For the Jews in Egypt, an oppressive reality obscures their hearing. For Moses, self-doubt obstructs his ability to speak. To argue about which came first is a chicken-or-egg problem: Both speaking and listening require going strongly against the grain.

What's striking about Moses’ humble rise to leadership is that it’s also a story about the beginnings of courage. Supported by his brother Aaron and God’s interventions in the Egyptian court, Moses seems to develop greater confidence with the passing of each plague.

As the second plague unfolds, Moses begins clever negotiations with Pharaoh. Around the third plague, God makes a point of telling Moses that the Israelite encampment will be spared the effects of the plagues, helping Moses build goodwill among his people. And by the time the fourth plague hits, Moses has a full conversation with Pharaoh, advocating for the Israelites’ right to worship outside the land of Egypt. The man who began as a hesitant spokesperson fearing the rage and apathy of his audience has emerged as a leader and liberator.

Perhaps the courage to believe in change is the toughest kind of courage to cultivate — more difficult even than the courage to speak, to hear, or to lead.

Yet it’s the courage to believe in the possibility of change that ultimately sets the Jews on the path to freedom. Gradually, they overcome both speechlessness and deafness as they witness real changes to the status quo, changes they believed were impossible.

Will we today regain the courage to say what we think, to hear what we don’t want to hear? To set ourselves on this path, it’s worth learning from the early days of Moses’ leadership. Courage is not necessarily born to us, but it is something we can build. And the first step is to believe, in some small way, that the impossible can change.

Sometimes all it takes to fuel that belief is an intimate dinner with old friends to remind us that we’re not alone.

Rabbi Rebecca Blady is executive director of Hillel Germany and cofounder of Base Berlin, an initiative of Hillel International.

OBITUARIES

Levin (Alison), Howard Mipeacefully in her sleep at her chaels, Gary Friedberg, Robert home on Jan. 2. Lorraine was Levin, and Michael Levin (Pam); born in Terre Haute, Ind. She nieces, Danielle Young, Diane graduated from Indiana State Brun (Hal) and Elaine Smith University, then from the (Steve). He is survived by his Marshall-Wythe School of Law former wife, Stephanie Levin, at the College of William and and her sons who were also Al’s Mary in Virginia. She worked nephews, Brian Wolff (Rebecca), at LexisNexis for over 40 years. M. TwoFeathers, and Jason She was active in several comLambek (Dara). He is also surmunity organizations and vived by numerous great nieces activities, including the CityFolk and great nephews and many dance group, volunteering at other relatives and friends. Al performances and otherwise and his twin, Lou, spent their supporting the arts, among entire lives together. They were others. She was also very active each other’s best friend. When with Temple Beth Or. She enpeople would ask about their joyed domestic (especially state being twins, they referred to or national parks) and interthemselves as “womb mates.” national (including numerous They served together at Okicounties and most continents) nawa in the Army from 1944 to travels, often choosing the 1946, surviving being strafed less traveled or more unusual by the Japanese on the first day places. She is survived by one that they arrived on the island. brother, Walter (Patricia), one Throughout all their 98 years, sister, Leslie, one sister-in-law, they maintained that intense Lorinda, and several nieces, identical twin connection. It nephews, great nieces, and great was a bond that transcends all nephews. She was preceded in others. In their later years, they death by her parents (Robert became snowbirds spending and Vera) and one brother (Jim). the winter in Florida along with Arrangements are pending.

Sara Litwin. Al was a kind and gentle soul who always was Donald Klass, age 89 of concerned about the welfare Waynesville, passed away on of others. He was like a second Dec. 22. Donald was preceded father to Brian, Michael, and in death by his daughter Debo- Jason. He was always willing rah, and two sisters, Barbara to listen to them and provide Sokol and Marilyn Sigell. He is guidance and support throughsurvived by his wife of 57 years, out their lives. Al was one of the Harriet; two sons, David and owners of Levin Service ComMichael; two granddaughters, pany along with his brothers Natalie and Vivian; sister, Joan Sam and Lou. They built many Levin; brother-in-law, David of the entertainment venues Sigel; and special nephew, that Daytonians have enjoyed Thomas Sigel. Interment was at through the years. They were Riverview Cemetery. originally in the beer and wine carryout business, but expanded Allen Levin was born in into the drive-in theater busiColumbus on Oct. 16, 1925, ness in the late 1940s. They built to Morris and Molly (Winter) the Sherwood Twin Drive-in Levin. He died peacefully on Theater, Dixie Drive-in, the Dec. 23 at Bethany Village in Captain Kidd Drive-in along his Homewood apartment with with many others throughout his sister-in-law, Karen Levin, Ohio and in Chicago. Their present while he passed. He crown jewel was the Kon-Tiki was preceded in death by his Theater on Salem Avenue. They wife, Barbara Levin (Jacobalso built the Rhino Restaurant son); infant son, Bradley Levin; in Downtown Dayton. They father, Morris Levin; mother, purchased Caesar’s Creek Flea Molly Levin; brothers, David Market in the early 1980s and Levin and Samuel Levin; and built Treasure Aisles Market. sister, Mardelle Friedberg. He As you can see, their business is survived by his twin brother holdings were quite diverse.

Louis Levin; nephews, Ryan After Sam Levin passed away,

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THE DAYTON JEWISH OBSERVER • FEBRUARY 2024

his monies were used to endow the Levin Family Foundation.

Al was immensely proud to take on the role of philanthropist in his later years. He was a trustee of the foundation and actively involved in the distribution of funds up to the time he passed away. He was very pleased that he could have a positive impact upon the lives of so many people here in Dayton and abroad.

Interment was at Beth Abraham Cemetery. The family is requesting that any donations be made to Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton.

We would like to thank Danny Reveal for being a caregiver and friend to Al; the Touching Hearts staff – Patryk Cook, Brenae Thomas, Isabel Green, Kelly Calicoat, Amy Jernigan, Alyssa Henry, Sherri Whitaker, and Rebecca Spoonemore; and finally, the nurses from Ohio's Hospice of Dayton, Robin Schrand and Nate Rosfeld. When you think of Al, be sure to smile. He would like us to remember him for all the happiness he brought us throughout his life.

Steven Robert Markman, age 76, passed peacefully on Jan. 2. He was born in Cleveland in 1947 to Max and Lillian Markman. He graduated from Brush High School before studying aeronautical engineering at The Ohio State University. He joined the U.S. Air Force after graduation, where he was a missile maintenance officer. Following discharge, he married Helen and they moved to Dayton.

He earned his graduate degree from the University of Dayton and continued his career with the Department of Defense for 33 years. Steve was state of Ohio and Dayton Post 587 commander with the Jewish War Veterans, active in the MG Club and Tae Kwon Do. He was an avid wood worker and aquarium enthu-

siast. He volunteered many years refurbishing airplanes to display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. Steve was preceded in death by his parents, Max and Lillian Markman, his in laws, Dr. David and Eleanor Krongold, and his brother, Jeffrey Markman. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Helen Markman; children, Jacob (Tammy) Markman and Eve (Dustin) Schmidt; grandchildren, Kara Stutz, Eli Markman, Aubrey Schmidt, and Dahlia Schmidt; great-grandchildren, Easton Stutz and Colton Stutz; sister, Sandy (Steve) Marcus; sister-in-law, Ilene Markman; brother-in-law, Martin (India) Krongold; numerous nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews, and great-great-nieces and nephews. Interment was at David’s Cemetery. Donations can be made to Temple Beth Or, Chabad of Greater Dayton, or to a charity of your choice.

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PAGE 27

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