THE SUMMER EDITION
SHAL M
non-profit org. U.S. postage paid permit #2134 New Haven, CT
The Voice of the Greater New Haven Jewish Community
NEW HAVEN SUMMER 2016 • NISAN-AV 5776
Greater New Haven Welcomes IsraelFest By Caitlin Peterson Freelance Writer Making its debut on Yom Yerushalayim, IsraelFest, a celebration of the anniversary of Israel’s independence, will take place on Sunday, June 5, from 2-6 p.m. at the JCC Campus in Woodbridge. The event is free and open to the community; however, there will be a charge for food and some activities. Kesher, a collaboration of Greater New Haven synagogues and the Jewish Federation, is sponsoring the major festival. “IsraelFest will bring our community together around something celebratory,” Rabbi Rona Shapiro, of Congregation B’nai Jacob, one of the organizers of the event, said. “It will be wonderful to feel that strength of our community and to gather in fun and celebration. We don’t do that enough.” Shapiro highlights the importance in taking time to commemorate Israel, “To celebrate IsraelFest is to remind ourselves that Israel is the greatest miracle the Jewish people have experienced since we came out of Egypt, and even though Israel is not perfect — no country is — there is much to celebrate. At IsraelFest, people will have a chance to touch and taste Israel and to learn about some of the incredible things that go on there.” Stacey Battat, the coordinator of IsraelFest, as well as the Kesher liaison, concurs, “IsraelFest allows us to celebrate and understand the importance of Israel to the Jewish community.” Ecstatic about the first ever IsraelFest in the Greater New Haven area, Battat is confident that it could make a considerable difference in the community. The event will
CONTINUED ON PG. 12
WESTVILLE SYNAGOGUE TO HONOR STANGER
Yemen Blues Takes the Stage By Jeannette Brodeur SHALOM NEW HAVEN Editor Named the number one World Music ensemble by Montreal’s daily newspaper “Le Devoir, and the best album for 2011 by CVS Sweden,” Yemen Blues, will be headlining New Haven’s first ever IsraelFest at 4 p.m. on June 5 at the JCC. The group, which has toured the world with more than 300 live shows in the last four years, mixes original music with Yemen and West African influences along with contemporary grooves from funk to mambo and the deep soul of old chants. Yemen Blues states that they have created a sound that “swirls with the Yemenite tradition of Muslims, Christians or Jews, with contemporary overlays of rock and roll, jazz and blues.” Yemen Blues is touring to promote their new album entitled “Insaniya” (Humanity) that is produced by the legendary Bill Laswell. “Insaniya” marks a visionary collaboration between Laswell and Yemen Blues focusing on hard groove, rich vocals, clarity and heavy
sound, and features one of the greatest voices of the Sahara, Mariem Hassan, as well as the Yemenite star Tziyon Golan and Oxmo Puccino, one of the greatest rappers in France history.
Vocalist Ravid Kahalani, who founded Yemen Blues in 2010, said the group’s first album was more of a jazz arranged sound. “It was recorded in one room and in one take. Also, it was the first time we used a melodic instrument (keyboard) and tried a little of the electronic sound,” he explained. While in “Insaniya” their songs are “shorter and more funky in a way, as well more simple and clean on the arrangement side of it,” Kahalani said. “We think this collaboration created another step for Yemen Blues into the more popular world and crossing into a little of the so called ‘world music’ scene but still keeping the YB musical language in it. So after the incredible mind and the amazing magical director Omer Avital on the first album, we enjoyed the new way of our sound with the one and only Bill Laswell.”
FALK NAMED AS FIRST WOMAN RABBI CHAPLAIN AT YNHH Rabbi Eliana Falk juggles a diverse workload with help from her family and faith. See page 3.
Kahalani said the group just released a great new video that is on their Facebook CONTINUED ON PG. 13
Demographics, Decisions: Projecting Jewish Vote in 2016 By Alina Dain Sharon JNS.org
WOODBRIDGE TEEN WINS RUSSIAN SINGING COMPETITION Dalia Medovnikov was the only American to win first place in an international voice competition in Russia. See page 4.
When it comes to projecting the Jewish vote in 2016, understanding demographics might lend some semblance of sanity to an election that most observers would compare to a roller coaster ride.
INSIDE
America’s primary election season is inching closer to its conclusion: the Republican National Convention in Cleveland from July 18-21 and the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia from July 25-28.
From the desk of Judy Diamondstein
2
JCC
JNS.org surveyed Jewish demographic experts for their take on how American Jews might vote in the remaining primaries and in November’s general election. How Jews vote and why it matters While Jews represent just 2 percent of the American population, surveys indicate that more than 90 percent of Jews who are registered to vote make it to the polls, compared to 74 percent of all Americans. Additionally, in 2013, 70 percent of U.S. Jews were living in New York, California, Florida, New Jersey, Illinois, and Pennsylvania—states whose combined 167
On May 15, the Westville Synagogue will honor Executive Director of the Jewish Foundation of Greater New Haven Lisa Stanger at their 2016 gala. See page 3.
4-6
Federation
3, 4, 8, 10, 12-14
Foundation
3, 8, 9, 20
Agencies
8, 9, 11, 19, 21-23
KESHER
15-17
Community Calendar American-Jewish voting patterns by denomination. Credit: Pew Research Center.
CONTINUED ON PG. 20
18
Tributes & Remembrances
7
Welcome to America (English/Russian)
8
FROM THE DESK OF
Judy Diamondstein Chief Executive Officer I jdiamondstein@jewishnewhaven.org
You Have the Power to Save the World… the Strength of a People, the Power of Community It’s not just our tagline. It means something. You might think that in 2016, sixty-eight years after the founding of the State of Israel, that Jews are safe and free. The mission of aliyah (immigration to Israel) and absorption into the state must be complete. After all, the Berlin Wall fell, Soviet Jewry has been resettled, and the last planes of Ethiopian Jews have left for Israel. Yet, we just learned of a secret operation to rescue the last 50 Yemeni Jews who faced imminent threat and persecution. The Jewish Federation system has partners on the ground all over the world looking out for the needs of Jews. In some cases, that means clandestine operations, and in other places, it means providing Hesed centers—like a Jewish Community Center and Jewish Family Service together, that provide warmth and support, Jewish culture and education, and access to medical care and nutrition. In places where Jews may be elderly or infirm or displaced by war, the Jewish Federation is there to provide home visits, food packages and financial assistance. This past summer, I had the opportunity to travel to Tiblisi, Georgia, on the Jewish Federations of North America Campaign Chairs and Directors Mission. Tiblisi took me by surprise. It was a beautiful, European-feel city with cobblestone streets, interesting architecture and breathtaking countryside. And while it was obvious that effort had been made to revitalize parts of the city to encourage tourism, much remained extremely poor and dilapidated. The Georgian economy was in a free fall and the future prospects were grim. While many able Jews had left Tiblisi for a better life in Israel, there still remained a small but proud Jewish community with synagogues, a JDC-supported Hesed center, Jewish Agency for Israel programs that were educating young people and assisting with future aliyah and support programs to help the most vulnerable.
As part of the mission, we had the opportunity to visit members of the Jewish community. One family I visited lived in a small, two-room apartment on the first floor of a decaying building. As we walked in, and I made my way down a short hallway, my foot fell through the floorboards. While it was obvious that the family was living under difficult circumstances, they did their very best to make their home welcoming for us. The family consisted of two grandparents raising their grandson, Georgi. They were pensioners, unable to work for many years due to a lack of jobs in the difficult economy and later, medical issues. Their grandson, an artist and soccer player, was 14 years old but appeared to be about 9 or 10 years old due to malnourishment. As we sat in their home and listened to their stories about life in Tiblisi, it was clear that they benefitted from the many services provided for them through the JDC—medical care, counseling, educational services and food assistance. As the conversation came to a close and we thanked them for their hospitality, they stopped us and the grandmother said, “No. Thank you. We need to thank you because if it weren’t for the Jewish community in far-away places like the United States that care about us, we would be dead.” Wow. What a moment. You could hear a pin drop as we sat trying to process what they had said. They understood that it was anonymous Jews from far away who provided them a lifeline and that our connection existed because we are one Jewish community. The strength of a people. The power of a community. The Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven runs an annual campaign to meet the needs of Jews in Tiblisi, in Israel and right here in Greater New Haven. Our Jewish community counts on the power of the collective to respond wherever and whenever it is needed. One gift is
HAPPY 68 BIRTHDAY ISRAEL!
TH
Correction Robyn Teplitzky, of Woodbridge, was recently named the new senior director of the Mandel Center for Excellence for
YOM HAATZMAUT MAY 12
the Jewish Federations of North America. Her title was listed incorrectly in the last edition of Shalom New Haven.
SHALOM NEW HAVEN | SUMMER 2016 2
so powerful. You have the power to save the world, and we are your partner. This is the season of budgets and planning. Community volunteers populate our finance and planning and allocations committees. They wrestle with the knowledge that there is never enough money to meet compelling needs in our community, but that they will have to determine community priorities and make the tough decisions. As resources decline, their job gets tougher and tougher, but the needs only increase. If you have not yet made a pledge, I hope you consider doing so today. And if you have made your pledge, thank you. Of course, the campaign doesn’t close until July 31, so if you have the ability to add a bit more, every dollar will make a difference.
next hear from us in the fall as we ready for the High Holidays and increase our Shalom New Haven publication from five to six issues. We hope you enjoy reading it cover to cover, patronize our advertisers (tell them you saw their ad in Shalom New Haven) and give us feedback on how we can make it even better. B’shalom,
This is the summer issue of Shalom New Haven, so please accept my best wishes for fun in the sun and relaxation. You’ll
SHAL M NEW HAVEN SHALOM New Haven is published five times per year and delivered free of charge to the Greater New Haven Jewish community by the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven. ___________________________________
SHALOM NEW HAVEN STAFF
MAILING LIST To add your name to our mailing list, please call (203) 387-2424, x307 or e-mail shalomnh@jewishnewhaven.org. ___________________________________
Advertising Sales TEL: (203) 387-2522, x216 shalomnh@jewishnewhaven.org ___________________________________
ADVERTISING SNH reserves the right to decline advertising that conflicts with the mission of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven or does not meet our design standards. Publication of advertising does not constitute an endorsement of kashrut. ___________________________________ COPY DEADLINES Copy deadlines for the upcoming Shalom New Haven issues are: • July 25 for Sept. /Oct. issue • Sept. 26 for Nov. /Dec. issue • Nov. 23 for Jan. /Feb. issue • Feb. 1 for March /April issue • March 28 for May/June issue ___________________________________
Jeannette Brodeur SHALOM New Haven Editor Christina Cagliotti-Diglio Graphic Designer
EXECUTIVE STAFF Stephanie Wain President Judith A. Diamondstein Chief Executive Officer Scott Cohen Chief Financial and Operations Officer Lisa Stanger Foundation Director Shelley Gans JCC Director ___________________________________ Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven 360 Amity Rd., Woodbridge, CT, 06525 (203) 387-2424, fax: (203) 387-1818 jfgnh@jewishnewhaven.org jewishnewhaven.org
SUBMISSIONS To submit an article or photo, please email shalomnh@jewishnewhaven.org, att: Jeannette Brodeur, Editor. Please include your contact information when submitting. Space is limited and is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Submission does not guarantee publication. All articles are subject to approval by editorial committee.
Shalom New Haven is printed on recycled paper with soy-based inks. Please recycle.
Stanger to Receive Honor from Westville Synagogue By Jennifer Bayer Federation Assistant Development Director
On Sunday, May 15, the Westville Synagogue will honor Executive Director of the Jewish Foundation of Greater New Haven Lisa Stanger at their 2016 gala. “The Westville Synagogue chose to honor Lisa because she has been such a key and important figure in the Jewish community, not only as the executive director of the Jewish Foundation, but as someone who has cared for the welfare of all segments and members of our community. In a very modest, but bright and informative way, she has educated our community on the ways in which endowments and the Foundation have been and will continue to be integral in securing the future of our community,” stated Dr. Mark Schwartz, Westville Synagogue President. Because of Stanger, New Haven’s future is bright and our legacies will shine for years to come. During the ten years that she has headed up the Jewish Foundation of Greater New Haven, our community has seen tremendous growth in its financial security and future planning. During her tenure, the Foundation endowment grew from $25 million to $50 million with 300 new funds added and more than $34 million in donations for that period.
During this time, the Foundation distributed over $19 million dollars in charitable grants, over 85 percent of which were to the Greater New Haven Jewish community. In addition, PACE funds have increased ten-fold from $1 million to $11 million and will distribute more than $400,000 to the Jewish Federation annual campaign this year. Stanger has brought critical and key new programs to our community for the benefit of everyone. For example, the Create a Jewish Legacy initiative, now entering its third year, has been extremely successful with over $6.5 million in commitments from more than 300 households. “Lisa has been an incredible proponent of legacy giving, reaching out to all segments of the Greater New Haven Jewish Community to give donors the opportunity to have a significant impact on organizations they value, without writing a check today, resulting in the future growth of organizational endowments that will provide those organizations with financial stability so that they may continue to provide greatly needed programs and services for many years to come,” states Arlene D. Schiff, National Director, LIFE & LEGACY program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, a partner in the Create a Jewish Legacy program. Each day, Stanger helps members of our community think about and decide what
Falk Serving as First Woman Rabbi Chaplain at YNHH By Cindy Papish Gerber Freelance Writer She’s a rabbi, educator, award-winning writer, interfaith council member, national fellow with Rabbis Without Borders, a wife, mother and grandmother. During her 12-year tenure as the Communications Director of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven, Eliana Falk also served as editor for Shalom New Haven. And since October, she’s taken on an additional role -- as the first woman Rabbi Chaplain at Yale New Haven Hospital and St. Raphael’s (YNHH). “How do I juggle it all?” Rabbi Falk confidently tackles this question; explaining how her diverse responsibilities, including her weekday commute between clerical commitments at Beth El Synagogue in Woodbury, (where she has served as spiritual leader for eight years) to her chaplain post in New Haven, are both, “challenging and energizing.” “When I am doing what I love, it works,” she says, modestly, adding that, “I could not do it by my strength alone. I have a lot of support: a wonderful and patient husband, family and faith that sustain me.” While at the helm of “SNH,” which she refers to, “as my labor of love for the community,” she worked at the JFGNH office with her husband, artist and designer Alan Falk. Collaboration came naturally to the couple, after meeting at a mutual workplace some 30 years ago, throughout their partnership running a graphic design
business and their time at JFGNH. “I could not have asked for a better partner” she states,” in the office or at home.”
At YNHH, Falk credits the “pluralistic rabbinic training” tools she received at the Academy for Jewish Religion (AJR) in Yonkers, NY, with her ability, “to serve patients anywhere on the spectrum of Jewish observance, or non-observance.” “My hope is that all Jewish patients will feel at ease speaking their hearts and minds as they do the very challenging physical, emotional and spiritual work of lying in a hospital bed. So many patients struggle with illness, fears or frustration.”
Stanger (R) assists a member with Create a Jewish Legacy information.
matters most, individually and communally, and how they can help perpetuate the programs and organizations that mean the most to them.
at the 2016 Westville Synagogue Gala are Sherry and Edward Shrager, Guita Epstein Wilf and Steven Wilf, who will be receiving Shul Service Awards.
Beyond that, she has helped individuals, synagogues, agencies, camps and schools realize their goals and dreams in tangible ways. Also being honored
The gala begins at 5 p.m. and will include a buffet and dessert along with a special cocktail sampling guided by John CONTINUED ON PG. 20 S. Ginnetti,
Bayer Promoted to Assistant Development Director of Federation As part of an overall effort to re-energize and strengthen the development department at the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven, Jennifer Baron Bayer has been promoted to the role of Assistant Development Director and will begin her new position in mid-August. Bayer has been working as a Foundation Associate with her key responsibility working with the Women of Vision initiative. Her prior experience includes work as a consultant for the Stern School of Business at New York University, serving as the director of student life at the Stern School of Business, working as associate director of advising and student services and as an academic advisor. Bayer holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oberlin College and a Masters of Arts in counseling psychology and a Masters of Education in counseling psychology from Columbia University. In her new position, Bayer will continue her responsibilities at the Foundation and will hold the women’s philanthropy portfolio for the Federation as she serves as an integral member of the development staff team.
“My role, as is that of all chaplains, is to provide opportunities for exploring the panoply of emotions that accompany their transitional moments,” she explains, “to find meaning and identify their own strengths and spiritual resources. I draw on the richness of Jewish texts, traditions and stories to assist patients explore spiritual aspects of healing.” Her seemingly effortless navigation through a, “packed” schedule stems from the constantly challenging, creative work as a rabbi and her belief in “who I am, and what I do.” This resolve stems not from any standard ‘a-ha’ moment, but CONTINUED ON PG. 20
SHALOM NEW HAVEN | SUMMER 2016 3
Message from
Stephanie Wain Federation President
This Marks a Time of Many Transitions What I loved most about being President of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven was meeting so many terrific people committed to our community, forging new friendships and most of all, working closely with Sydney Perry. Sorry to be so mushy, but I am still in the afterglow of attending the gala for Sydney. What a glorious event it was, where 675 community members laughed and cried as we celebrated Sydney and her accomplishments. Co-Chairs Stacey and David Trachten and Iny and Joel Karp, with the help of the staff, orchestrated one of the most beautiful events I have seen in our community. It was an amazing tribute to Sydney. Kudos! I was never so proud, while at the same time blessed, to be part of such a wonderful community. This spring is a time of many transitions. I will be stepping down as President of the Jewish Federation / JCC. It has been an honor. I think my tenure will best be remembered as overseeing the transition of Sydney’s retirement and the search for a new,
dynamic CEO. With our search committee, chaired by Dr. Norman Ravski, we struck gold. Judy Diamondstein has hit the ground running and is already leading us in new and exciting directions. In addition, Dr. Jeffrey Hoos and Bob Felice will both be ending their successful, three-year chairmanships of the Foundation and JCC respectively. Both men were willing to stay on an extra year to ensure the grooming of their successors and well, they were doing such an amazing job, we convinced them to stay on longer. Please come to our June 7 annual meeting, where we will be inducting Dr. Norman Ravski as the new President of the Jewish Federation, Scott Hurwitz as the new President of the JCC, and Dr. Steven Fleishman as the new Chair of the Foundation. Again, thank you for the opportunity to serve our remarkable community. I look forward to seeing you all at future Federation and agency events! Biz hunertuntsvantsik!
Teen Wins International Voice Competition in Russia
Federation Once Helped Her Mother Fight Deportation By Jeannette Brodeur SHALOM NEW HAVEN Editor Fourteen-year-old Dalia Medovnikov, the daughter of Russian-born Marina Milgram, the Information Technology Manager for the Federation for the last 20 years, has won the international Amber Nightingale voice competition in Kaliningrad, Russia. This was Dalia’s first big competition and she was the only American to win first place out of 175 singers. She competed in the 12-14 year-old age group against 30 other young people from all over the world. Dalia sang four arias for the spring competition – one in Russian, one in Italian, an American folk song by John Jacob Niles and “I Feel Pretty” from the musical “West Side Story.” Dalia is training to become an opera singer. She started singing at age 8 when she won the role of young Cosette in the Amity Regional High School production of “Les Miserables.” She has only been classically singing since she was 12. The reason Dalia was inspired to sing was thanks to the nurturing guidance and encouragement of her acting teacher, Andrea Kennedy, of Amity Regional High School. “She inspired Dalia so much,” Milgram said. “She was crying when I sent her a video of Dalia performing in the first round of the competition.” “She told Dalia that she gave her all that she could give her, and now it was her chance to go further and spread her
wings,” Milgram said of Kennedy, who shares in Dalia’s win. Now, Dalia has been studying with Yale’s professor of Russian Opera Emily Olin of New York City. Before this competition, she travelled to Manhattan every Friday to practice with Olin. For the competition, Dalia travelled 10 hours by plane with her father, Sasha, who was also born in Russia, to Moscow. There, they stayed with Sasha’s brother and his family. The whole family travelled with them to Kaliningrad to see Dalia perform. “It was nice to have that support,” Dalia CONTINUED ON PG. 22
Do You Know About the JCC Library? The JCC Library is a Jewish library, filled with great books, DVDs and reference resources for all age groups. When a librarian is not at the desk, we have a “do-it yourself” system for taking materials out. The library collection database is online and available to browse from home. You can search titles, authors or subjects by accessing http://jewishnewhaven. mysurpass.net. If we do not have a book or DVD in our collection, we can search to see what other library may have it. You can reach us at (203) 387-2424, x 330, and leave a message.
•JCC 360 Amity Road, Woodbridge | www.jccnh.org SHALOM NEW HAVEN | SUMMER 2016 4
Marrakech’s Village Café Open for Business at the JCC By Samantha Rijos Marketing Associate The Village Café, a kosher dairy kitchen under the supervision of Rabbi Mayer Abramowitz, is now open for business at its new location in the JCC, 360 Amity Road, Woodbridge. The business made its debut the first week of April, when crowds of people attended the last Sunday Funday of the season, which included the Spring Fling Gift Show and open houses for both the Yeladim Early Learning Center and the JCC Day Camp. The café is operated by Marrakech, Inc., which offers services and programs for persons with disabilities as well as for those with similar service needs. The organization helps people who face barriers gaining employment, getting support services, accessing housing and participating fully as contributing members of the community. Chef Michele DuBois said her first goal of opening the café is to “make everyone happy or as many people as we can. We’re going to try our best.” The café’s hours of operations are Mon.Thurs. 7:30 a.m.- 6 p.m.; Fri. 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Sun. 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
The Village Café has a set menu featuring items such as freshly made sandwiches and salads, bagels, muffins, grab and go snack items and their signature Way Hip Chocolate Chip Cookies. Smoothies, hot and iced coffees, teas and sodas are also available for purchase. Look for discounts and specials each month. DuBois said she is open to any suggestions customers may have. Customers can fill out a survey at surveymonkey. com/r/VillageCafeJCC. Jewish Federation CEO Judy Diamondstein finds the Village Café to be the perfect pit-stop during her busy day. With healthy and portable items, there’s no need for her to leave campus. “I enjoyed breakfast and lunch on their opening day,” Diamondstein said. “Both were delicious and healthy and, with my busy schedule, were a welcome change to my routine.” Not only is DuBois the chef, but she manages the location with three additional staff members and about two to three Marrakech interns at a time. “I started in the food industry about 13 or 14 years ago,” she said. “Something just clicked in my head; I just loved to cook. I’m most excited about the oppor-
Hours of Operation: M-Th 7:30a - 6p Friday 7:30a - 4p Sunday 7:30a - 2p
spend $10
get 2 cookies or a bag of chips free
Photo by Eric Ginnish Federation CEO Judy Diamondstein (R) welcomes President and CEO of Marrakech Heather LaTorra (L) on the Village Cafe’s opening day.
tunity to meet new people and use my cooking skills again. I love the café scene. I love that type of flow and atmosphere, so it’s going to be exciting!” “I am thrilled that Marrakech brought the Village Café to the JCC,” said Diamondstein. “It's such a win-win to find a partner who shares our mission of helping people and who exemplifies one of the greatest goals we share: helping others on the path to self-sustainability.
Our community will benefit greatly from the offerings of the Village Café, and I am thrilled to welcome them aboard.” You can stay up to date with the Village Café by following them on social media. Follow them on Instagram @ VillageCafeNH or on Facebook at facebook.com/villagecafenh. Are you a local farmer looking to collaborate with the kosher dairy kitchen? Reach DuBois at (203) 387-2522, x 389.
FREELANCE WRITERS NEEDED Shalom New Haven is looking for enthusiastic freelance writers who can engage our readers in the Greater New Haven Jewish community. Send us your resume and clips or links to your writing.
One per customer. Not to be combined with other offers. Expires 6/19/16.
To apply: shalomnh@jewishnewhaven.org.or call Jeannette Brodeur at (203)387-2522, x 216.
SHAL M NEW HAVEN
SHALOM NEW HAVEN | SUMMER 2016 5
Lerner’s “The Bridge Ladies” Takes the Trick By Mara Balk, Ph.D. JCC Program Director Author Betsy Lerner’s memoir, “The Bridge Ladies,” (which was released May 3) is based on her mother’s weekly bridge game that has been happening every week for more than 50 years. But more than that, it’s a story about the power of knowledge to change long-held misconceptions and familial relationships. “The Bridge Ladies” paints intimate portraits of five women who have been present in the author’s life since birth, but whom she never knew much about, or never cared to know, until now. For much of her life, Lerner considered the game of bridge as “this thing that my mother always did that none of us ever cared about.” Yet just a few weeks ago, she found herself traveling to Reno, Nevada, with her mother and two sisters for the National Bridge Championships. Five years ago, this family trip would never have taken place. As the middle daughter of three, Lerner grew up staunchly resisting the cultural norms of her mother’s generation. A selfdescribed “rebellious teenager… with a lot of disrespect for [her] parents’ life and the Jewish community,” Lerner left New Haven imagining she would never live here again. But when her husband got a job at Yale
Press, Lerner—in her mid forties—arrived back in her childhood birthplace, just six miles away from her mother and all the baggage that came with the relocation. “We were trying to get along as best we could with a lot of flare ups of conflict and what not,” Lerner says. But when the elder Lerner needed surgery, Betsy lived with her mother for a week to help out. “During that week, every day one of her bridge ladies came with a meal, or dessert, or just a visit. And I was very moved by their loyalty.” Lerner thought, “If I was in my eighties and was sick, I’d get a few emoji’s and texts, and that would be the end of it.” Intrigued by these women, to whom she had never paid much attention, Lerner asked permission to sit in on their weekly bridge game. Within a few visits, the author realized, “They were amazing. What you saw on the outside is not who they were on the inside, necessarily.” Lerner’s initial observations fell on the ladies’ appearance and demeanor, because “I had no idea what they were doing.” Not a self-explanatory game, bridge requires memorization, concentration and commitment. She quickly felt, “Oh, I have to learn how to play.” So Lerner, still commuting to New York City for work, began taking lessons at the Manhattan Bridge Club, which she describes as “an extraordinary experience.” “The people who are drawn to it are… a cast of characters… divorcees, people out of work, retired people, people whose spouse plays and they want to get in on the action, people who used to play and want to take it up again. There are all kinds of reasons. But the people who stay with the lessons—you
SHALOM NEW HAVEN | SUMMER 2016 6
either become quickly obsessed with this game or you walk away.”
“Sometimes I think that a ‘Bridge Lady’ could have her arm caught on fire on the way to bridge and she would get there and say she was fine,” -- Betsy Lerner “It’s not like a game of Monopoly,” Lerner says. “It takes a lot of practice and a lot of playing to get good at it, and even then, you never feel like you’re actually good at it.” With this, the story turns to the underlying narratives that writing “The Bridge Ladies” brought to light. “I mean it was right in front of me and I didn’t see it. I didn’t see that getting to know my mother’s friends would mean I would also get to know her.” Lerner goes on, “Playing her game, doing something with her, doing something together, which we really just don’t do… we just didn’t share. It became an opportunity to do that, and it’s been remarkable. It’s really transformed our relationship.” As a breed, the Bridge Ladies embody stoicism to a “B.” Dressed, put together, and never to be seen without lipstick, Bridge Ladies are elegant and classy. “Sometimes I think that a ‘Bridge Lady’ could have her arm caught on fire on the way to bridge and she would get there and say she was fine,” Lerner jokes. More seriously, she notes, “their pain is private, their worries are private,
and they would not talk about them. I’m sure other bridge groups do, but these women of a particular age and time don’t do that at all.” Despite their attention to keeping up appearances, under the auspice of the memoir, Lerner was able to ask questions of her mother and the bridge ladies that touched on topics they never would have discussed otherwise. And despite the pain associated with reliving uncomfortable moments, Lerner describes the outcome as one that produced a stronger bond between her and each of the ladies. “Maybe it took five or six interviews, but when one of them finally really told me what it was like losing their husband, or concern for a child who was falling off the path, or their own fears with illness… whenever they really opened up, I just felt that I loved them. I wanted to help them and know them better.” Through rich descriptions of the Bridge Ladies’ lives, their world views, and her experience as a once rebellious daughter, Lerner’s story is hilarious, gutwrenching, inspirational and emotional. Her honesty and depth engage the reader with universal appeal and also speak directly to those with a Bridge Lady in their own family. For local New Haveners, references to familiar restaurants and landmarks make the read especially sweet. The JCC of Greater New Haven is honored to celebrate Lerner and the five Bridge Ladies on Sunday, May 15, at 4p.m. at the JCC, 360 Amity Road, Woodbridge. The event is free and will feature book signings, a panel discussion, and of course a little something to eat and drink.
Tributes & Remembrances
H
onoring your loved ones with a donation to our Jewish community has never been simpler.
A Jewish Federation, Jewish Foundation, and/or JCC tribute card is a wonderful way to remember a loved one or honor a special occasion. With a tribute card, there’s no wondering, no shopping, no wrapping. Your donation can impact our community today, or plant the seeds for future generations. To purchase a tribute card, go online:
www.jccnh.org www.jewishnewhaven.org www.newhavenjewishfoundation.org or call: JCC Tributes Ruth Gross at (203)387-2522, x310 Federation Tributes Keilah Bisbee at (203) 387-2424, x325 Foundation Tributes Tiberius Halai at 203-387-2424, x312
Thank you for supporting our community.
__________________________________
JEWISH FEDERATION __________________________________
In memory of
SOLOMON & EDITH REICHBIND Jonathan Bell & Debbie Fernbach CAROLYN ABEL & BILL LEDEWITZ’S SISTER Sydney Perry SOLOMON REICHBIND & FLORENCE SKLAR RESNICK Sydney Perry SOLOMON REICHBIND Steven & Ana White SOLOMON & EDITH REICHBIND
Dana Schwartz
In honor of
SUSAN SAUNDRY’S MILESTONE BIRTHDAY David Ortoleva ANDY SARKANY FOR HIS HOLOCAUST REPRESENTATION AT GUILFORD HIGH SCHOOL Ellen Botwick __________________________________
JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER __________________________________
In memory of ELLIOT GANT Velma & Stuart Grodd ANNE AUERBACH Harriet & Irving Calechman GEOFFREY HARTMAN
Harriet & Irving Calechman
In honor of JUDI HAHN’S GRANDSONS Sue Cohen GAIL HALPRIN’S RECOVERY Lisa Stanger ELYSE & ALEX’S MARRIAGE Sue & Lenny Skope ROBYN TEPLITZKY’S NEW JOB & AWARD & JAKE TEPLITZKY’S ACCEPTANCE TO UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI Sue & Lenny Skope __________________________________
JEWISH FOUNDATION __________________________________
Beckerman Family Supporting Foundation Perpetual Annual Campaign Fund In memory of ELAINE DIAMOND
David & Ruthann Beckerman
Beckerman Family Camping Experience Fund For Camp Laurelwood, JCC Day Camp & NH Reg. Fresh Air Fund In memory of GEORGIA ASHFORTH David & Ruthann Beckerman
Daughters of 1853 Nursing Scholarship Fund In memory of REGINA WEIL BAUMANN, CLAIRE BAUMANN GINSBURG, RUTH BAUMANN & LEICHTEV DELIA ZUNDER WEIL
Mr. & Mrs. Dennis S. Barnes ARDEN STEPHANIE (BENDER) FOWLER Stacey Alison Fowler Breheny RALPH L. GROSSMAN, CHARLOTTE ULLMAN LABOV, HARRY W. LABOV, HANNA STODEL ULLMAN, JOSEPH ULLMAN LABOV, AND SHIRLEE ELSTON LABOV Ruth L. Grossman BISSIE B. KRAFT & JEANNE KRAFT ALTERMAN Betsy & Lawrence E. Rosenthal
Friends of The Jewish Coalition For Literacy Endowment Fund In honor of DONNA HERSH’S MILESTONE BIRTHDAY; WISHING A SPEEDY RECOVERY TO JANE TENDLER; WISHING A SPEEDY RECOVERY TO BAILEY FOREMAN Brenda & Robert Brenner DONNA HERSH’S MILESTONE BIRTHDAY
Susan & Barry Buxbaum
Julie Kover Fund In memory of SUSAN D’URSO
Phyllis C. Kaufer
George & Susan Krall Family Pace Fund In memory of MURRAY EDELSTEIN Susan & George Krall
In honor of
DONALD CHEPOVSKY’S MILESTONE BIRTHDAY
Susan & George Krall DR. ROBERT VOGAL’S MILESTONE BIRTHDAY Susan & George Krall
Special Thanks
TO THOSE WHO HELPED MAKE IT HAPPEN CO-CHAIRS INY KARP JOEL KARP STACEY TRACHTEN DAVID TRACHTEN MEREDITH ABEL JODY DIETCH CRAIG LUNDELL PETER OLIN JEANETTE KUVIN OREN JUDY SKOLNICK FEDERATION STAFF
Porsche • Volvo • Mercedes • BMW
Woodbridge
the Auto Body shop inc. – American and Foreign Specialists –
203-397-2909 • Fax 203-389-4002 Free Estimates - Frame Machine Professional Insurance Help - Loaner Car Available – Interstate Car Carrier Service–
36 Lucy Street, Woodbridge, Connecticut 06525 SHALOM NEW HAVEN | SUMMER 2016 7
Welcome to America Human Trafficking
Program Set for May 17 The Wepawaug-CT Valley-West Rock chapter of Hadassah, in partnership with the Jewish Community Relations Council and the JCC of Greater New Haven, presents “Human Trafficking: Slavery in the 21st Century,” on Tuesday, May 17, at 7:30 p.m. at the JCC of Greater New Haven, 360 Amity Road, Woodbridge. This program is free and open to the public.
Joseph Vinnitsky, 102, shown here with Yelena Gerovich, never misses an opportunity to meet his friends and Rabbi Levitin at JCC events.
The panelists include Kay Chernush, founder of ArtWorks for Freedom, an organization which uses the power of art to raise awareness and fight modern day slavery and Human Trafficking; Jillian Gilchrest, Senior Policy Analyst for the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women, State of Connecticut; Connie Cirillo Freeman, National Hadassah Advocacy Team Leader; and Rabbi Joshua Ratner, Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven, as moderator.
Let’s Celebrate Together
Human trafficking, a $150 billion industry, is the forceful recruitment for sex trafficking or involuntary servitude. It is a problem around the world and throughout the United States. Human trafficking not only robs victims of their freedom, but impacts entire communities. For further information, call (203)799-6924.
By Yelena Gerovich
Initiative Allows Jewish Historical Society to Begin Cultural Heritage Tours
New American Acculturation Coordinator
In ancient Israel, every seventh year was a Shemitah (sabbatical) year. For an entire year, the nation’s economy came to a standstill as all farmers and agrarian workers abandoned their fields and went to the study houses where for a full year they focused on their spiritual, rather than physical, needs. Jews in the former Soviet Union risked their lives by gathering together and observing Jewish holidays. Life is so different for them in the United States. During the winter and spring, the New American Acculturation Program offers educational programs as well as Hakhel gatherings, Purim and Passover celebrations and “Dictionary or Computer” workshops. The responsibility to arrange Jewish holiday celebrations lies primarily on the
leaders – rabbis and communal activists – of each community. All of these programs are possible thanks to funding and grants from the state Department of Social Services, the Jewish Federation Association of Connecticut, the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven, and the Women of Vision Society. For their work with our community, special thanks are extended to Rabbi Levitin and his family, Rabbi Zaltzman and Rabbi Torenheim.
The New American Acculturation Program is planning Lag B’Omer, Shavuot, and Independence Day celebrations as well as many more educational programs and lectures. For more information about the New American Acculturation Program, including sponsorships of specific programs, please contact Yelena Gerovich at (203) 387-2424, x321, or e-mail ygerovich@ jewishnewhaven.org.
Давайте встречаться чаще! В античном Израиле каждый седьмой год был годом Шмита. Число «семь» имеет особое значение в мире иудаизма. Источник этого – Кабала, из которой известно изречение «все седьмые – любимые». Это качество «седьмых» выявляется наиболее ярко в двух знаменитых «седьмых» – в седьмом дне недели, субботе, и в седьмом годе, «субботнем годе». Еще их называют так: «суббота человека» и «суббота земли». Швиит или шмита –это названия субботнего года. В течении этого года экономика страны замирала, сельскохозяйственные работы останавливались. В течении годa Шмита полагалось не обрабатывать нивы, виноградники, собирать в запас плоды; последние надлежало предоставлять в общее пользование рабам, пришельцам, всем домашним животным и диким зверям. Год назывался также «годом прощения», потому что заимодавцы должны были в этот год прощать долги своим должникам, давался отдых всем рабочим хлебопашцам, их рабам и домочадцам. В этом же году отпускался на свободу всякий израильтянин, попавший в рабство. Нынешний год- год после Шмита. Земле прошлый год дарил покой, свободу и процветание. Ведь и землю нельзя эксплуатировать бесконечно. Время от времени она должна отдыхать и накапливать силы для следующих рабочих годов. И еще: год шмита дает возможность человеку заняться иной деятельностью – духовной, дать пищу своей душе. Люди собирались вместе для обсуждения и обдумывания своих духовных, а не физических потребностей. Подобно субботе, когда человек отдаляется от материального мира физического труда и духовно обновляется для последующих шести рабочих дней, дается человеку целый год, чтобы он поднялся на новый духовный уровень. Евреи в бывшем Советском Союзе многим рисковали соблюдая религиозные обряды, традиции, празднуя еврейские праздники. Наша жизнь в Америке совсем другая. Благодаря образовательным программам для эмигрантов из бывшего Советского Союза мы собираемся вместе и празднуем год Шмита, Пурим, Пасху, обмениваемся компьютерными новинками, изучаем английский язык. Благодаря многим организациям и местным лидерам это стало возможным. Особое спасибо семьям рабая Левитина, Залцмана и Торенхейма. Мы планируем праздновать еврейские и американские праздники, интересные лекции и программы! Звоните, приходите! Это так приятно - встречаться по хорошим поводам! С вопросами и предложениями обращайтесь к координатору культурнообразовательных программ Елене Герович по тел. 203-387-2424 доб.321 ygerovich@ jewishnewhaven.org
SHALOM NEW HAVEN | SUMMER 2016 8
Through the Community Grants Initiative, the Jewish Foundation and Federation of Greater New Haven are thrilled to support the new Cultural Heritage Tours Project which creates an exciting opportunity to see and appreciate the history of New Haven in a whole new way. This series of walking tours tells the stories of several ethnic groups in New Haven. The Jewish Historical Society of Greater New Haven is participating as part of the Ethnic Heritage Center a consortium of five local historical societies that also includes the Greater New Haven African American Historical Society, the Connecticut Irish American Historical Society, the Italian American Historical Society of Connecticut and the Connecticut Ukrainian American Historical Society. Rhoda Zahler, former president of the Jewish Historical Society, was inspired by an exhibit she saw in Bar Harbor, Maine, called “Museum in the Streets,” – a collection of signs and photos on historic buildings. She said, “I thought this idea would be great for New Haven. We have so much history here.” Presenting these tours as part of the Ethnic Heritage Center was a natural choice. She continues, “This is something that had never been done, social history tours of sites in our community that have been important to several of the many cultural groups in New Haven, showing what each has experienced and contributed.”
from the City of New Haven, New Haven Museum Historian Robert P. Forbes, PhD, as well as from a local collector of historic pictures and postcards, Joe Taylor. The tours launch in three neighborhoods -- Dixwell Avenue, Wooster Square and Downtown New Haven. Visitors will receive booklets and maps at the sites and access to a website with additional information, photos from the community, and oral history interviews. Committee members from the historical societies will guide the tours. “We would also like to involve college and high school students in the tours project as it expands,” Bertrand said. “That is certainly one of our goals. It is also our hope that additional cultural groups will form historical societies to share their histories in our community for future tours.” The tour includes sites that are linked to some of the most prominent and influential Jewish leaders and organizations in New Haven. For example, it will include a visit to the William Pinto House—a Federal-style house, built in 1810, linked to some of the earliest Jews in New Haven. It will also include the Leopold Waterman House. Leopold Waterman was the first president of Congregation Mishkan Israel and a founding member of B’nai Brith.
“It’s interesting to see the similarities in how different groups have coped with a new environment – but also how they have preserved that which is unique and special about their culture.”
An additional site includes where Maurice Podoloff, one of the most important Jewish figures in the history of American sports (American Hockey League Hall of Fame and the NBA’s Naismith Hall of Fame) started his athletic career.
“The grant we received from the Jewish Foundation was the beginning of our fundraising effort,” explains Val Bertrand, president of the Ethnic Heritage Center. “We were able to more than match the grant with donations from all five societies and from individuals in our communities.” The project has also gotten enthusiastic support
For more information about the Cultural Heritage Tours, call the Jewish Historical Society at (203) 392-6125 or the Ethnic Heritage Center at (203) 392-6126. A website for the tours is currently under development but not yet available. It will have a link to the Ethnic Heritage Center website: www.ethnicheritagecenter.org.
Community Grants Yield Great Returns The Jewish Foundation and Federation’s community grants initiative continues to support and impact our community. These funds help local Jewish groups attend to capital and community needs. Recent grant recipients –Temple Beth David, the Hebrew Congregation of Woodmont, and Westville Synagogue explained how these funds continue to impact our community.
Judaism is about community; it is about seeing the faces of those we pray with and around. We are replacing the straight, parallel pews with curved pews that will add a center aisle to our sanctuary and make it handicapped accessible. The Jewish Foundation’s $50,000 matching grant helped make this project possible and will change the prayer experience of the Temple Beth David community for many years to come.”
Temple Beth David in Cheshire, is refurbishing their historical sanctuary. “Our sanctuary was built in 1834 as a Methodist church,” Rabbi Josh Whinston explains. “It is a lovely space and you can really feel the history of it and the prayers of the thousands of people who have prayed in it. That being said, it was designed for Methodists in the 19th century and wasn’t totally conducive to Reform Jews praying in the 21st century.
Chabad Jewish Center of Milford, home of the Historic Hebrew Congregation of Woodmont is building a new center for Jewish life in Milford which will include: a synagogue, social hall, library, offices, and museum. “In October of 2012, we had a fire that destroyed our historic synagogue,” Rabbi Schneur Wilhelm explains. “After that event, we decided to rebuild bigger and better. We’re grateful to the Federation for the opportunity
Families Eligible for Jewish Scholarship Initiative Through the generosity of a caring donor in our community, Greater New Haven families are eligible to receive needbased assistance for local day school, Jewish camp, and religious school, for one or more children attending one or more programs. Assistance from JSI supplements other scholarships. The application process is simple, and the awards are meant to encourage our community to benefit from Jewish learning. Qualifying programs include: local day or synagogue schools, Jewish camps, preschools, Hebrew High School, and youth programs. Don’t miss out!
DEADLINES ARE AS FOLLOWS: Summer Camp Applications: Monday, May 2, 2016 Day School Applications: Friday, July 15, 2016 Please note: camp, day school and religious programs each require their own applications and have separate deadlines. Applications can be found online at jewishnewhaven.org/scholarships. For questions about the process, contact Jennifer Bayer at jbayer@ jewishnewhaven.org.
HHNE 5K Unity Fun Run Set for June 1
The Hebrew High School of New England invites the entire community to participate in its annual 5K Unity Color Run scheduled for Wednesday, June 1, at 5:30 p.m. at the school, located at 300 Bloomfield Ave., West Hartford. The Color Run is a fun healthy way to join together to celebrate our community in all its colorful diversity. Individuals and groups of all different faiths and ethnicities are invited to participate as runners, walkers or volunteers in
a 5 kilometer or 2.5 kilometer route. Runners and walkers will be showered with colored powder made of non-GMO corn starch. Participants will start the 5K wearing white t-shirts, but will cross the finish line in the colors of the rainbow! HHNE will also be collecting non-perishable food items to benefit Foodshare and the Anja Rosenberg Food Pantry. To register or to learn more, go to: hhne. org.
and for their generosity! Studies show that when people know their donation is being matched, they give 20 percent more. So, we believe this grant encouraged people to give more towards our much larger goal of building a Jewish center in Milford.” Westville Synagogue in New Haven was able to repair their “dinosaur” air-conditioning system and find value in a community goal. “The grant made all the difference for our synagogue,” explains President Mark Schwartz. “The estimate to replace the units was $65,000 – an enormous sum of money for us.” Luckily the grant they received got them to 50 percent of their goal and they were able to match the rest. To learn more about the Jewish Foundation’s community grants initiative, visit newhavenjewishfoundation.org.
Scholarships Available Women of Vision Grant for High School Seniors Applications Due May 31 The Emma Kohn Podoloff Scholarship Fund of the National Council of Jewish Women’s Greater New Haven Section at the Jewish Foundation, sponsors a scholarship to advance the scholastic and vocational education of Jewish high school seniors who have been admitted to college. An academic average of “B” or better, plus verified financial need, qualifies a student to be considered. The applicant must reside in the Greater New Haven catchment area. The awards will average $1,500, depending on the number of qualified applicants and funds available. The awards are given directly to the students.
The Jewish Foundation’s Women of
Any student who fits the criteria can access the application packet by email request to Jennifer Bayer at jbayer@ jewishnewhaven.org or call (203) 3872424, x320, for more information. The application is also available online at http://jewishnewhaven.org/ scholarships.
please contact Jennifer Bayer at jbayer@
Vision Society is pleased to announce the 2016-2017 grant application process. Synagogues, agencies, and organizations are encouraged to apply for programs that enhance the lives of women and girls in our community. Applications are due on May 31. To receive an application packet and detailed guidelines to the grant process, jewishnewhaven,org or at (203)3872424, x320. The application can also be found online at newhavenjewishfoundation.org. Click on “News.”
Federation’s Jewish Coalition for Literacy Volunteers in Action
JCL’s present chair, Donna Hersh, and incoming chair, Beth Kaufman, from right to left, discussed plans for JCL’s Volunteer Appreciation Event being held at Long Wharf Theatre May 17, under the direction of Beth Milles, Long Wharf’s Educational Director. The meeting also included programs for the 2016-17 school year, where JCL’s 170 volunteers, and counting, will, again, offer an hour a week to enjoy reading and conversation, one to one, with elementary students in the New Haven Public Schools. JCL, is a non-denominational program that recruits, trains, places and supports volunteer reading partners to read one hour per week, one to one, with children who benefit from the support of a caring adult in New Haven public schools. To join these dedicated JCL volunteers, please contact Brenda Brenner at (203) 387-2424, x308, or bbrenner@jewishnewhaven.org.
SHALOM NEW HAVEN | SUMMER 2016 9
Have We Jews Lost the Ability to Cope With Dissenting Voices?
Teplitzky to Receive 2016 Kipnis-Wilson Friedland Award
The Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven is part of a network of Jewish Federations across North America, 155 strong. We are supported by Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). JFNA CEO Jerry Silverman penned the article below in light of our commitment to religious pluralism and the disturbing language emanating from Israel’s Knesset and within the broader Jewish community, especially in light of divisive issues recently confronting us.
Robyn Teplitzky will receive the KipnisWilson/ Friedland Award at the International Lion of Judah Conference (ILOJC), which will take place Sunday, Sept. 11 through Tuesday, Sept. 13 in Washington, D.C.
By Jerry Silverman JFNA President & CEO
Amid the vitriol of the Iran deal debate, Israel’s politics and ultra-Orthodox attacks on Reform Jews, we Jews have lost sight of “love thy neighbor as thyself,” which now means accepting other Jews' opinions only if they agree with you. The language is painful to hear, particularly coming from fellow Jews. Knesset Member Moshe Gafni called Reform Jews "a bunch of clowns who stick a knife in the holy Torah." MK Yisrael Eichler criticized an Israeli Supreme Court decision allowing nonOrthodox Jews to use public mikvaot, likening it to permitting a “mentally ill person” to “come to the operating room and decide the rules of medicine and force the hospital to have an operation by whatever way works." Israeli Tourism Minister Yariv Levin called Reform Jews “a dying world” that would assimilate and disappear in another two or three generations. We’ve seen women who were holding liberal prayer services at the Kotel pelted with rocks and debris, and the police who tried to protect them called “Nazis.” The scars of such invective are often longer-lasting than physical wounds, searing into our consciousness. The language also betrays something about the speakers and provocateurs, that they seem to have forgotten Jewish teachings about courtesy and civility,
beginning with the Torah commandments to “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:18) and “You shall not hate your sibling in your heart” (Lev. 19:17), and including the Pirkei Avot guidance to “judge every person favorably” (1:6). Rather than judging favorably, these critics of liberal Judaism and its adherents are speaking harshly of others without any true understanding themselves of non-Orthodox Judaism; they ignore that even Jewish practice as they know it has evolved throughout the centuries. As just one example, look at photos of the Kotel in the 1800s and early 1900s — you’ll see no mechitza to separate men from women. That was a later addition. Because of compromises that the nonOrthodox streams of Judaism were willing to make, that mechitza will remain, and women’s and mixed prayer groups will have a separate prayer space on the southern end of the Western Wall, ensuring that the Kotel remains a symbol of Jewish peoplehood, however individuals define that peoplehood. But will we also be able to separate hate speech from political speech? Sadly, we saw similar, sometimes even harsher, vitriol during the debate over the Iranian nuclear agreement, with some Jews not even wanting to go to their local Shabbat services lest they get into an uncomfortable debate on the accord. Rabbis have shared that speaking about Israel from the pulpit has become difficult due to the polarization of congregants. In fact, a Jewish Council for Public Affairs report found that nearly half of the 500 mostly Conservative and Reform rabbis surveyed “hold views on Israel that they won’t share publicly, many for fear of endangering their reputation or their careers.” Yehuda Kurtzer, president of the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, suggests in a recent blog that, rather than being fearful of taking a stand on an important political situation, Jewish leaders and organizations should instead take a position and — just as in
Are You Seeking a Rewarding Career? Current Openings: Director of Marketing Director of Development PJ Library Coordinator For more information, please contact HR Director, Marlyn Henry at mhenry@jewishnewhaven.org SHALOM NEW HAVEN | SUMMER 2016 10
the Mishnah — also present an opposing view. “Very simply,” Kurtzer writes, “Publish the dissent. Make the decision, make the case for it, and then publish the dissenting viewpoint or viewpoints.” Publishing the dissent, he explains, “gives voice to the losing arguments and to those articulating them, and signals confidence, humility, and a wholesale embrace of the dissenters, even in light of the failure of their dissent to become policy.” We need to be open to listening to one another no matter what background or opinions one has. I worry most that we have lost the concept of “love they neighbor as thyself” — that is unless you practice or you share similar standings on issues. A record 18,000 attended AIPAC’s recent policy conference, more than half of them non-Orthodox. Would the political parties and those speaking out against the non-Orthodox movement rather those thousands instead had stayed home? I doubt it. Israel is a promise to all Jews, a gift for all Jews everywhere, not based on where you reside or what you think. Many Orthodox movements understand this, and have found great success in reaching out to non-Orthodox Jews—discussing, sharing, debating and educating on the big and small issues of the day. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Yesh Atid party leader Yair Lapid and too few Orthodox leaders have condemned some of these remarks, but more needs to be done. We are too small a people for those unwilling to recognize liberal Jews as part of the Jewish people to close the shtetl gates to our love of Israel. We will come to Israel, and we will continue to push to celebrate the good and to be there in crisis. To those who don't want to listen and sling arrows, we say: Put down your arrows, come to the Shabbat table and have a dialogue. Let's debate and argue, but let's stop with the awful tone.
In 2004, National Women’s Philanthropy established the Kipnis-Wilson Friedland Award in recognition of Norma Kipnis Wilson and Toby Friedland, founders of the Lion of Judah pin. This award recognizes extraordinary women who have set a high standard for philanthropy and volunteerism in their communities. Teplitzky is currently the JNFA Senior Director of Mandell Center for Leadership Excellence. She is the past Director of Annual Giving and the co-chair of the Diversity Committee at Hamden Hall Country Day School. Shirley Scholder, past recipient of the Kipnis Award, noted, “Robyn is a dedicated philanthropist, a strong supporter of Israel, a leader committed to Jewish causes and so deserving of this prestigious recognition.” Teplitzky has contributed her energy and leadership in the Jewish Community of Greater New Haven for the past 25 years. She has been committed to the issues of equality and understanding. She is the Regional Chair of the Board for the Connecticut Anti-Defamation League and has co-chaired the Grossfeld Family National Youth Leadership Mission to Washington D.C. Most recently, Teplitzky was a founding member and facilitator for the Women’s Philanthropy and Jewish Family Services FOOD4KIDS community service program. Teplitzky has received recognition in the community as the recipient of the Connecticut Valley B’nai B’rith Youth Eitz Chaim Award, Congregation B’nai Jacob Presidential Citation, and the Mal and Rae Webber ADL Leadership Award.
Jewish Historical Society Celebrates 40th Anniversary on June 5 at JCC
Dear Mr. President
On Sunday, June 5 at 10 a.m. at the Jewish Community Center, the Jewish Historical Society of Greater New Haven will host a celebratory brunch marking its 40 years of service to the community as well as honoring Dr. Barry Herman, a past president of the society and a long-time supporter of its mission.
The Master of Ceremonies for the event will be Editor of the “New Haven Independent” Paul Bass. Speakers will include Mayor Toni Harp, who will present a proclamation from the City of New Haven and Judith A. Diamondstein, Chief Executive Officer of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven. Judith Schiff, one of the founders of the society, will also speak. Schiff is the chief research archivist at Yale’s Sterling Library, and the official City of New Haven Historian. She has been the Society’s Harvey and Eleanor Ladin Archives Director for many years. For details about attending the brunch, as well as placing an advertisement in the event’s program book, call the Society’s office at (203)392-6125 or e-mail: jhsgnh@ yahoo.com. The Jewish Historical Society of Greater New Haven began preserving the history of the Jewish Community of Greater New Haven in 1976. During that 40-year period, the society has been collecting pictures, newspaper articles, letters, interviews, and memorabilia documenting the history of Jewish life in Greater New Haven. Its nine volumes of “Jews in New Haven” contain articles about Jewish life in New Haven dating back over 100 years.
Temple Emanuel Hosts Free Screening of ‘Stateless’ Documentary on May 22 A free screening of “Stateless,” a documentary about the emigration of Soviet Jews during the late 1980s, and a discussion with its director, Michael Drob, as well as members of Temple Emanuel who have endured this very journey, will be held at Temple Emanuel, 150 Derby Ave., Orange, on Sunday, May 22, at 2 p.m.
The children of the Yeladim Early Learning Center are pictured here proudly displaying their messages to President Barack Obama. As part of a curriculum focus on the Presidents’ Day holiday, the children wrote about what they might do if they were the President. After carefully illustrating their thoughtful and insightful ideas, they discussed the possibility of sending these thoughts to the White House so that the “real” President of the United States could consider them. They are now anxiously awaiting a reply.
Bring your Little One to a Very Special . . .
Tot Shabbat at
It is presented by Temple Emanuel Adult Education program, with support from the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven. In the late 1980s, Soviet Jews were once again given permission to leave the USSR. At that time, the Soviet Union was home to the largest population of Jews in Europe. Unlike their ‘refusenik’ predecessors, those coming to the United States were now burdened with having to prove “reasonable fear of persecution,” a concept simply not understood by those born into maltreatment. Because of this, thousands had their applications for refugee status denied, leaving them in Italy -- stateless. This is the first documentary film to offer a unique view of this experience as recalled by the émigrés themselves and with political context by representatives of Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, New York Association for New Americans, American Jewish Committee and others. This project was made possible through a grant by the BluePrint Fellowship project of COJECO, funded by the UJA-Federation of New York and Genesis Philanthropy Group. To register for the program, please go to: http://templeemanuel-gnh.org/. For more information on the documentary, go to http://www.stateless.us/.
clip THIS AD
fitness center pool spa (NOT INCLUDED IN FREE WEEK) basketball racquetball activities for all ages & More
FOR A FREE WEEK MEMBERSHIP
THREE years in a row!
For more information about Yeladim, contact Lynn Bullard, lynnb@jccnh.org, (203) 397- 7415 x278.
Temple Emanuel
Friday, June 10 th
•
5:30pm
We’ll welcome Shabbat together with joy and songs! Then, join the rest of the Temple Emanuel community for a family-friendly Shabbat Dinner after the service. 150 Derby Avenue Orange, CT 0647 7
To sign up for dinner, visit our website at
www.TempleEmanuel-gnh.org
A warm, welcoming community that will enrich both your child’s life and yours!
2016 Summer Music Series Wednesdays 5-8 PM
June 15 • June 29 July 13 • July 27
JCC•360 Amity Road, Woodbridge Admission: FREE Kosher BBQ food available for purchase. Indoor seating available. BYOB
Hot food ... cool tunes ... good times! More: Mara Balk, marab@jccnh.org, (203) 387-2522, x300
BEST FITNESS CENTER | BEST WEIGHT-LOSS | BEST ZUMBA | WWW.JCCNH.ORG Must be 18 yrs or older and present a valid driver’s license. New members only.
360 Amity Road, Woodbridge, CT • 203.387.2522 • www.jccnh.org
SHALOM NEW HAVEN | SUMMER 2016 11
Local Holocaust Survivors Receive City of New Haven Proclaimation
(L-R) Seated Towers residents (and survivors) Dr. Ralph Friedman and Helene Rosenberg Standing, Judy Diamondstein, CEO, Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven, Fay Sheppard, Chairperson New Haven Holocaust Committee, Mayor Toni Harp, City of New Haven and Mark Garilli, President/CEO, Tower One/Tower East.
Cool Reads for Hot Days Summer’s Best Books
IsraelFest
band and we are very fortunate to have them here in New Haven. Their music is a unique blend of middle eastern and blues and I think people will experience something different and special.” Yemen Blues is an Israeli band featuring lead singer Ravid Kahalani.
FROM PAGE 1 be something to look forward to and, “much like Greek Fest,” Battat explains, “IsraelFest is about culture, food, dancing. It is a cultural celebration.” Striking down preconceptions, Battat stresses that IsraelFest is not just targeted towards the Jewish community, rather, it’s for everyone in the area to learn more about “the best face of Israel,” in a non-politicized way.
The group is known for their diversity and their ability to create a captivating and expressive sound. “Ravid Kahalani,” Shapiro says, “is just amazing to watch. I think there is something for everyone here.” The festival will also include an art exhibit featuring 20 tables of premier Israeli art from Bar Kocva, a celebrated Israeli artist whose exhibit begins on IsraelFest at the JCC of Greater New Haven and runs through June 7.
Not only will there be educational booths, games, and an Israeli carnival, but there will be music. Shapiro is thrilled to have Yemen Blues perform at the festival. They are “an incredible
SAVE THE DATE JCC HAHN SHELLING PLAYGROUND
Come and Hear about the Newest Reads for the Summer with Presented by
Roxanne J. Coady Owner, R.J. Julia Bookstore
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
6:30 pm- dinner | 7:30 pm- presentation private home • space is limited (directions upon registration)
Couvert: $36 (kashrut observed) Evening Sponsor: $54
Reservations required
Contact: Jen Bayer, jbayer@jewishnewhaven.org
Online registration begins May 20 • www.jewishnewhaven.org
RIBBON CUTTING & DEDICATION CEREMONY
SUNDAY, JUNE 26, 2016 NOON-2PM JCC, 360 Amity Road, Woodbridge, CT
SUNDAY, JUNE 5 2-6 p.m. I JCC
360 Amity Road, Woodbridge, CT I Rain or Shine
2-4 p.m. Celebrate Israel With, food, art, dance, music, educational booths & more!
4 p.m. Yemen Blues A premier Israeli band performing fusion Middle East blues, featuring lead singer and collaborator with The Idan Raichel Project, Ravid Kahalani. “One of the most exciting bands in world music right now.” - Time Out Chicago
Bringing the Jewish Community Together. Jewish Federation and Synagogues of Greater New Haven
SHALOM NEW HAVEN | SUMMER 2016 12
Yemen Blues
between us and creating new things all the time.” What does Kahalani hope New Haven
FROM PAGE 1
audiences take from their music?
page and has been very successful.
“Apart from good times, dancing and
“It shows what we want to say to the
experiencing a good performance, my
world!” he said and added. “So the plan
biggest goal is that people will see music
is to spread this, win the Grammy and perform and bring the good change to as many people as we can.”
as something to remind us of our basic goodness and similarities between people when they look at the other,” he
He said Yemen Blues is excited to play
said.
in New Haven, the group’s third stop on
Yemen Blues features top musicians
its North American tour.
from New York, Israel and Uruguay.
“We are blessing the opportunities to
Band members include:
play anywhere in the world, its the best
Avi Lebovich (Israel) – Trombone
thing we can ever do,” Kahalani said.
Itamar Borochov (USA) – Trumpet
“As far as i remember, this will be our
Rony Iwryn (Israel/ Uruguay)- Latin
first time in New Haven.”
Percussion
While Kahalani grew up in a traditional
Itamar Doari (Israel)- Mid East
Yemenite family in Israel, he doesn’t see
Percussion
his Jewish roots as his only source of
Hilla Epstain (Israel) – Cello
inspiration.
Galia Hai (Israel) – Viola
“I don’t see things like that,” he admit-
Hadar Noiberg (USA)- Flute
ted. “For me, it’s most inspiring to see
Omer Avital (USA) – Oud, Bass, Vocals
the different, other cultures, other music
Ravid Kahalani – (Israel/Finland) –
melodies, etc. We are all influenced
Vocals, Gimbri, Percussion.
from each other through all history. This is how we create culture, from being
For more information on the group, go
and seeing the beauty in the difference
to: http://www.yemenblues.com/.
2016 ANNUAL MEETING
TUESDAY, JUNE 7 7 P.M. JCC • 360 AMITY ROAD WOODBRIDGE LEADERSHIP TRANSITIONS INCOMING
OUTGOING
FEDERATION PRESIDENT
DR. NORMAN RAVSKI
DR. STEPHANIE WAIN
FOUNDATION CHAIR
DR. STEVEN FLEISCHMAN
DR. JEFFREY HOOS
JCC PRESIDENT
SCOTT HURWITZ
ROBERT FELICE
HONORS & AWARDS FEDERATION PRESIDENT’S AWARD JCC PRESIDENT’S AWARD ROBERT M. PITE AWARD ROBERT EISNER COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD HARRY LENDER YOUNG LEADERSHIP AWARD
SHALOM NEW HAVEN | SUMMER 2016 13
Shavuot Offers Opportunity to Re-Engage with Our Tradition hand and were awed by it.
By Rabbi Josh Ratner JCRC Director Shavuot, which begins at sundown on June 11, is perhaps the least celebrated Jewish holiday.
Integrated Aesthetics
& Body Therapies
May
June
Organic Spray Tanning
Lash Lift
Smooth Contour Facial or Body Treatment
Purifying Facial
$29
$179 or $965 (series of 6) - 60 minutes Visibly tone, tighten & reduce the appearance of cellulite.
July
Brows to Brazilian Speed Waxing Aroma Essential Back Facial Cooling Massage $79- 30 minutes
Bamboo Massage
$100
$115 - 60 minutes
$115 - 60 minutes
Deep Pore Cleansing $125 - 60 minutes
Medical Acne Treatment $135 - 60 minutes
August
Back-to-School
$80- 45 minutes
$125- 60 minutes
Teen Acne Facial $85- 60 minutes
Remineralizing Salt massage
$115- 60 minutes
Join our mailing list DebM@iaTherapies.com or Integrated Aesthetics Facebook page for monthly specials
One Bradley Road, Suite 702, Woodbridge CT 06525
A few intrepid souls stay up late into the night, assisted with caffeine and cheesecake, to engage in adult learning. Many also attend services. But Shavuot lacks the immediate draw of elaborate rituals, like its sibling holidays Sukkot and Passover. It doesn’t have the family-friendliness of Chanukah or Purim. By the time Shavuot rolls around in May or June, we are often ready for a holiday of our own! This lack of celebration, to me, is a lost opportunity because of the theological potency of the day(s): Shavuot provides us with a chance to celebrate the essence of Torah.
The rabbis of old resolved this problem by asserting that our contemporary study of Torah is itself, a form of revelation! “The rabbi of Kotzk was asked: ‘Why is Shavuot called the time the Torah was given rather than the time we received the Torah?’ He answered: ‘The giving took place on one day, but the receiving takes place at all times.’” (Martin Buber, Tales of the Hasidim). The process of revelation might have begun at Sinai, but it continues to unfold in our present day. Shavuot, then, provides us with a precious opportunity to re-engage with our tradition. It enables us to see ourselves as if we, too, are standing at Sinai, hearing God’s words. And then, as our ancestors did before us, to act.
Shavuot is tied thematically to the giving of the 10 Commandments at Mount Sinai because the Torah reading for Shavuot (Exodus 19 and 20) includes the Decalogue. Standing at Sinai, experiencing the fire and thunder of the heavens, became a foundational moment for the Jewish people.
Whether this is through pursuing a course of study, volunteering to help Congolese refugees through J-CARR (Jewish Community Alliance for Refugee Resettlement), volunteering at The Towers or Jewish Family Service’s food pantry, or participating in any of the other wonderful opportunities discussed in this issue, my hope is that we will be inspired to find new ways to engage ourselves and our communities over the summer.
They experienced this revelation first-
Hag Sameah!
Camp Laurelwood Donations Needed At Camp Laurelwood, we are proud of our mission "...to explore and enhance Jewish identity and values, encourage healthy lifestyle choices, and lay the foundation for positive, lifelong friendships." Your donations (of any kind) help support this mission. If you would like to donate a gift, we will gladly accept the following items from our wish list: Canoes, kayaks, softball/baseball equipment (gloves, bats, balls), tennis
SHALOM NEW HAVEN | SUMMER 2016 14
But how can we, living thousands of years later, connect to such experience? How do we shrink the chasm between first-hand encounter and ancient text?
racquets, printers, laptops, desktop PCs, refrigerator, mini-fridge, microwaves, toaster ovens, sleeper sofas, 25-32 inch flat screen TVs, mounting brackets, backpacks, tables, chairs, end tables, nightstands, coffee tables, office chairs, garbage cans, file cabinets, shelving units, cabinets Please call us at (203) 421-3736 or e-mail info@camplaurelwood.org to arrange for pick-up. Thank you to everyone in the Camp Laurelwood family for your continued support!
Synagogue/Federation Collaboration of Greater New Haven
Outdoor Shabbat Programs Increase Summer Attendance at Area Synagogues
“The synagogue, generically speaking, is the bedrock institution of the total Jewish community. It alone is the aquifer for the social capital that nourishes and drives the vaunted organizational structure that marks American Jewry... While its ritual is a bridge to the divine, it is also a force for cohesion and the language of social values." Dr. Ismar Schorsch Chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary 2005 American Jewish Year Book By Jeannette Brodeur SHALOM NEW HAVEN Editor As the temperature rises, the attendance at many synagogues tends to drop, still, many area congregations are finding creative ways to keep members interested in going to shul in the summer months. At Temple Emanuel in Orange, the congregation will gather on Friday, July 1, for its annual “Shabbat Under the Stars” program on the patio. Rabbi Michael Farbman encourages members to “grab a lawn chair or a blanket” and celebrate Shabbat outside. Farbman said the program started in 2010 and has been a success. On Friday, July 29, members are asked to bring a beach chair or blanket and bug spray and head to Walnut Beach in Milford (113 E. Broadway) to celebrate “Shabbat on the Beach.” Farbman said this program only started two years ago, but it has slowly grown into a bigger crowd of more than 50 people. “Lots of people just saw it in the paper and came to join us - which we were delighted to see,” he said. “We will sing together and greet Shabbat by the shore,” Farbman said of the beach program. “Please spread the word and invite your family and friends to join us. If it’s raining, Shabbat services will be at Temple Emanuel, but we hope for a beautiful night under the stars.” Temple Emanuel also holds its annual barbeque picnic and Shabbat Under
the Stars program on Friday, Sept. 9, at the shul. The festivities start at 4:30 p.m. with a fair for children with activity booths, a 5 p.m. cookout, and a 6:30 p.m. service under the stars, followed by an Oneg in the Social Hall. Farbman said the annual picnic attracts a large crowd of more than 100 people. Farbman said the outdoor worship programs have really taken on a life of their own. “I was delighted to work with committed Temple Emanuel members to make this special Shabbat experience a reality,” he said. “People love nature, people love community, Temple Emanuel members love to sing and share food - so this was an instant hit!” Families with children attend the outdoor programs as well as many regulars of all ages, according to Farbman. “It’s a true cross-communal experience.” The real inspiration behind Temple Emanuel’s outdoor programs was not so much to increase attendance, but to provide an opportunity for a different kind of Shabbat experience, Farbman explained. “Summer is more relaxed, and it's so nice to be outside, as long as you remember bug spray, and celebrate Shabbat as the day slowly ends. Last year we were blessed with the most
amazing sunset on the beach - what an incredible way to end the week and welcome Shabbat, surrounded by friends, family and community.” At Congregation Or Shalom in Orange, the congregation also celebrates Shabbat on the Beach at Gulf Beach in Milford on July 29 and Shabbat at the Orange gazebo on Aug. 26. Both programs are popular and well attended, according to Rabbi Alvin Wainhaus. “For approximately six years now, we’ve been gathering at the gazebo of the town of Orange, for an end of summer ‘welcome back’ Friday night service and Oneg Shabbat,” Wainhaus said. “Over a hundred people participate. I lead the gazebo service in an informal manner, using my guitar for accompaniment.” “Our second summer event is a new one, that proved to be a big hit last summer,” he continued. “It’s a mid-summer Friday night at the Beach service. Again, with guitar in hand, but this time I was barefoot, we met at Gulf Beach in
Milford for our first ever ‘service under the stars.’”“The attendance at ‘Shabbat at the Beach’ was wonderful,” Wainhaus remarked, “especially by families with children. Both of these services were the brainchildren of members of our congregation. We’ll certainly be holding both again this summer.” Temple Beth Tikvah in Madison will also be holding a “Shabbat on the Beach” service on Aug. 21 at 7:15 p.m. at East Wharf Beach, 122 East Wharf Road in Madison. It includes a 45-minute service followed by kiddush and challah. The synagogue’s “Shabbat Under the Stars” event is B.Y.O.C. – Bring Your Own Beach Chair! For more information on any of these events, go to the synagogue’s websites: Temple Emanuel: http://templeemanuel-gnh.org/. Congregation Or Shalom: www.orshalomct.securesites.com/ Temple Beth Tikvah: www.templebethtikvahct.org/.
Beth Israel holds 17th Annual Kiddush Isle of Klezbos Performs May 22 Cup Golf Classic Tournament On June 17, Beth Israel Synagogue of Wallingford will hold its 17th Annual Kiddush Cup Golf Classic Tournament. This tournament will be held at Traditions Golf Club in Wallingford. The Kiddush Cup raises funds for the Wallingford Emergency Shelter as well as Beth Israel Synagogue. To sponsor this event or to register, please contact Richard Caplan at (203) 2694421 or Tarn Granucci (203) 214-1874. Information can also be found at http://www.bethisraelwallingford.org/KiddushCup. html. Historic Beth Israel Synagogue in Wallingford is “the little congregation with a big heart.” This friendly community, over 110 years old, has a diverse and active membership. We pride ourselves on being a haven for interfaith families. Programming highlights our desire to encompass all the elements of Judaism – prayer, learning and gathering – into meaningful and fun filled events. For more information, contact Alida Cella at (203) 949 8656 or s_alida@hotmail. com. Further information can be found on our website: www.bethisraelwallingford. org.
On Sunday, May 22, at 4 p.m., Congregation Mishkan Israel, 785 Ridge Road, Hamden, presents a fun and appealing concert by the all-female klezmer powerhouse Isle of Klezbos. The band has been hailed as “brilliant, intense, [and] eclectic” by “New York Music Daily” for their “intoxicating mix of a hundred years’ worth of classic and original klezmer, Latin, jazz, and film music.” This will be a special octet appearance by the genre-defying Isle of Klezbos, which usually performs as a sextet. “HEEB Magazine” loves the band’s “sumptuous sound,” and “Edge New York City” raves: “These ladies are damned good musicians, period.”The group has toured from Vienna to Vancouver and has been seen on “CBS Sunday Morning” as well as CNN and PBS. “Jewish music is a celebration of
our diversity,” said Cantor Arthur Giglio of Congregation Mishkan Israel (CMI), “and what better way for CMI to celebrate our diversity than to present the Isle of Klezbos? They are not just any female klezmer band; these extraordinarily talented musicians are the musical ethos of our diversity and inclusiveness. Their music spans multiple styles and genres. They represent all that makes Reform Judaism unique.”
Doors open at 3:30 p.m., and the concert begins at 4 p.m. Audiences should arrive early to get the best seats. This is a family-friendly event. Tickets are $36, with a special price of $10 for children 6 and up and college students. Children age 5 and under are free. Tickets can be purchased online at www.cmihamden. org.
SHALOM NEW HAVEN | SUMMER 2016 15
Synagogue/Federation Collaboration of Greater New Haven
How Do We Make Each Day Count? Congregation Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek Welcomes New Rabbi By Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg Cong. Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek “Teach us to treasure each day, teach us to treasure each day, that we may open our hearts to Your wisdom. Teach us to treasure each day.” This beautiful chant, written by Rabbi Aryeh Hirschfield is based on Psalm 90:12, which reads more literally, “teach us to count our days rightly, that we may obtain a wise heart.” We are currently in the period of the Counting of the Omer, the 49-day period between Pesach and Shavuot. During this period, we count each day, remembering each step of the journey from the split Sea of Reeds to Mount Sinai. It is a time of anticipation and of uncertainty. We are thankfully free from slavery, but now what? When we finally reach Mount Sinai, at Shavuot, we will learn that our freedom is for the purpose of living a life of holiness, in covenant with God, and in community with each other. But before we get to the mountain, the period of the Omer itself has much to teach us. The practice of counting every day raises this question – how do we make each day count? What would it mean to truly treasure each day? As I write this column, I’m anticipating a big transition, as is my congregation. I am approaching the end of my nine-year tenure serving CBSRZ, and my family is preparing to move to Queens where I’m developing a vision to create a new, progressive, independent Jewish spiritual community. And my beloved CBSRZ community is preparing to welcome a wonderful new spiritual leader – Rabbi Marci Bellows. But this isn’t only a time of transition
for us. As we approach the end of a school year and the end of the fiscal year for many Jewish institutions, there are multiple transitions taking place in our community and in our families. For one, we are saying goodbye to Sydney Perry and welcoming Judy Diamondstein as the new CEO of our Jewish Federation.
That anticipation and uncertainty of the Omer period is quite real in our personal and communal lives right now. In response, we are called upon to count - each and every day. One way to understand the counting is as a reminder that every day is utterly new and that we shouldn’t miss what it has to teach us. Each day contains gifts and difficulties and surprises that will unfold for us in every moment. The counting guides us to fully experience the unique texture of each day. If we can maintain this awareness that each day is a gift, we discover many opportunities for gratitude. Of course, in any transition, there is sadness too. As we count, we can also grieve the loss that we might be feeling as we let go of where we have been. “Teach us to treasure each day that we may open our hearts to Your wisdom.” Treasuring and fully experiencing each day – the loss and the gratitude- can open up space within to embrace what is coming next. Counting each day can open our hearts to new wisdom, to new leadership, to new relationships. May we each experience the blessings of this Omer period, treasuring each day.
One Campus Project Completed at Temple Emanuel In March, the early 20th-century house that once contained Temple Emanuel’s school rooms and offices was demolished, completing the final phase of the synagogue’s One Campus project. Rabbi Michael Farbman and members of the congregation held a ceremony on Dec. 12, 2015, to officially close the house, and removed the mezuzah from the front door. Last fall, in preparation for the opening of the new Jonas and Barbara Miller Family education wing, large plantings that had grown in front of the house for many years were moved to new gardens surrounding the unified Temple Emanuel. In addition to providing a single location for synagogue life, the building has also been fitted with solar panels. The 116 panels have generated over 19 megawatt hours of energy since they were activated in January. Before the demolition was slated to begin, both the Orange Volunteer Fire Department and the New Haven office of the FBI asked to use the house for drills. The FBI drills were closed to the public. The Fire Department, on the other hand, welcomed observers. With permission given to utilize the house in any way needed, the fire fighters broke down doors, smashed through windows and walls, and even cut holes in the roof, practicing daytime and nighttime emergency simulations. In the coming months, members of Temple Emanuel will design and implement a landscaping and beautification program for the area where the house once stood. Please go to the Temple Emanuel website, www.templeemanuel-gnh.org, to check out the spring and summer events, for a schedule of services and for information about their religious school.
SHALOM NEW HAVEN | SUMMER 2016 16
Congregation Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek (CBSRZ) in Chester has announced that Rabbi Marci Bellows will take over religious leadership of the synagogue on July 1. Members voted unanimously to ratify the decision on March 17.
“Rabbi Bellows will bring song, courage, excitement and wisdom to our community,” said Congregation President Stephen Davis. “We are delighted to welcome another great leader to follow Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg and work alongside Cantor Belinda Brennan.” Rabbi Goldenberg has successfully led the congregation for the past nine years. She will be establishing a new congregation in the New York metropolitan area focused on innovative styles of worship to involve young, unaffiliated Jews. "As I begin a new chapter in my rabbinate, and as our family moves to a new community, I'm filled with gratitude for the time we have had here in the beautiful Connecticut River Valley,” Rabbi Goldenberg said. “Our time at CBSRZ has been filled with meaningful moments of learning, celebration and connections. And we have treasured the small town experience, living in Deep River and sending our kids to Deep River Elementary School. We will miss the wonderful people we've met, and hope to stay in touch. We won't be too far!" Rabbi Bellows has been for seven years the spiritual leader of Temple B'nai Torah in Wantagh, New York, a synagogue with some 400 families. Prior to that, she was an assistant rabbi and director of Adult Programs at Temple Shaaray Tefila in New York. Beyond her synagogue responsibilities, she has written for New York Jewish Week and for the Union for Reform Judaism’s 10
Minutes of Torah and has been a faculty member at URJ's Crane Lake Camp and a participant in various URJ programs. Rabbi Bellows' mother was a cantorial soloist for 27 years at the family's synagogue in Skokie, Illinois, where Bellows grew up. She is a graduate of Brandeis University and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York. “It is truly an honor and pleasure to be selected as the next rabbi at CBSRZ. The congregation, known for its warmth, wisdom, and wide variety of programming, is beautiful inside and out. I look forward to being part of its distinguished legacy and impact on the area,” Bellows said. Congregation Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek—Hebrew for ‘House of Peace, Pursuers of Justice’—last year marked its 100th birthday. Congregants come from 36 towns, from Hartford to Westbrook, Norwich to New Haven. Its sanctuary, situated near the Connecticut River, is renowned in the international art world as the only public building ever designed by 20th century master artist Sol LeWitt. It was the subject of a film called “We Built This House”. Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek is a home for both traditional ritual and pioneering spirituality, earning it the tagline “ancient and cool.” It also regularly hosts music and learning programs open to the community. More information may be found on the new website www.cbsrz.org
BEKI Answers Call to Help Those in Need “If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he was a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you.”
Leviticus 25:35
As part of its active Tikun Olam/Social Action initiatives and outreach to the wider community, Congregation Beth El – Keser Israel (BEKI) literally answered the call to help out with a wonderful program together with Trinity Church on the Green. As part of Trinity’s Chapel on the Green project (a weekly short service and lunch on the New Haven Green), on March 27, about 15 BEKI volunteers and two religious school classes met at the synagogue to prepare more than 200 sandwiches, fruit, and snacks. Then a second group of about 12 volunteers distributed the food at the New Haven Green to those in need. Volunteer crews consisted of adults, teens and children, and, in some cases, whole families. This project was an opportunity to learn and participate in the continuing local efforts to shelter and feed the large number of people living in poverty in the greater New Haven area. In the last few months alone, BEKI has hosted a group of men and women experiencing homelessness as part of Abraham’s Tent, a partnership project with Columbus House and other religious institutions; has participated in the Chapel on the Green project; has sent a crew to build with Habitat for Humanity; and has a dedicated team working with JCARR, the Jewish community’s coalition working with IRIS on local refugee resettlement. For more information about BEKI’s Tikun Olam initiatives, contact co-chairs Darryl Kuperstock and Steve Werlin. www.BEKI.org
Synagogue/Federation Collaboration of Greater New Haven
CMI’s 11th Annual Comedy Deli Night B’nai Jacob Features Godfather of Boston Comedy Lists Summer Programming
On Saturday, June 4, Congregation Mishkan Israel’s Brotherhood of Men & Women presents its 11th annual Deli Night. The evening, which begins at 6 p.m., includes an allyou-can-eat buffet of great deli food, wonderful music by the David Chevan Quartet, and a performance by comedian Don Gavin. Known as the “Godfather of Boston Comedy, Gavin has a slew of television and movie credits to his name. He was one of the original founders of the famous Ding-Ho Comedy Club in Cambridge, MA. Gavin has toured every state of the union performing in clubs, theatres, festivals, colleges and corporate events. The community is invited to attend. Congregation Mishkan Israel is located at 785 Ridge Road in Hamden. For more information, call the synagogue office at (203) 288-3877.
May 1, Sunday morning, 10 a.m. Ben Watsky In His Majesty’s Scholarly Service: Teaching and Learning East of the Jordan River
Mishkan Israel Nursery School Offers Summer Camp Stumped about what to do with your preschool children this summer? Send them to Mishkan Israel Summer Camp. The program starts on June 13 and ends on August 25. Sign up for as many weeks as you’d like.
As one of a handful of Jews at King’s Academy, a boarding school outside Amman, Jordan, Ben lived and worked in a land whose every stone is steeped in history and legend, but whose contemporary struggles can feel all too real. Ben is excited to return to B’nai Jacob where he grew up to share lessons learned from his wanderings in the desert.
The camp serves children ages six weeks to five years and runs 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Families can select from half-day and full-day programs, two to five days per week. Campers will enjoy doing art projects, science and nature experiments, gardening, playing games, engaging in water sports, building, and playtime. The Mishkan Israel Nursery School Summer Camp is located on Ridge Road in Hamden. For more information, contact Susan Witten Nason, Early Childhood Director at (203) 2882375.
tive rates, flexible schedule particularly suited for working parents and unique enrichment classes like cooking, Spanish, music and dance.
Mishkan Israel Nursery School Accepting Fall Registrations
The school serves infants six weeks to five years. Both part-day and full-day options are available. The school is multi-cultural and open to the community.
The Mishkan Israel Nursery School is taking registrations for the 2016-17 School Year. The program is known for its wonderful curriculum and teachers, diversity of students, competi-
For more information and to arrange a tour, contact Susan Witten Nason, Early Childhood Director at (203) 288-2375.
BEKI Offers Torah for Hungry Minds, Souls Congregation Beth El–Keser Israel (BEKI) in New Haven offers a wide array of adult education opportunities for the committed, the curious and the concerned. Adults seeking wholeness and holiness through Torah or who want to explore their relationship with tradition find food for their hungry minds and souls at BEKI. Adult Studies at BEKI are a supportive setting for exploring and developing spiritual and communal identity through study and discussion of classical and contemporary texts and ideas. Torah for the Hungry Mind provides the opportunity for single adults and couples to meet others who share their interests and commitments in a warm and wholesome setting. Most classes and programs are open without charge. See www.beki. org. Classes, programs and services are open to all without respect to age, gender, personal status or synagogue affiliation. BEKI encourages all adult Jews to become part of the synagoguebased community of their choice.
Classes & Programs Shabbat Shalom Torah Study meets every second Saturday morning year-round from 10:45-11:45 a.m. in BEKI‘s office. The SSTS combines study, prayer and discussion based on the weekly Scriptural readings and Sabbath prayers. Taught by Steven Fraade, Alan Lovins and others, the SSTS provides an open setting for religious enrichment for adults wishing to further their understanding of the texts and liturgy. Rashi Study Group with Jon-Jay Tilsen meets most Monday mornings from 7:45- 8:30a.m. in the George G. Posener Beit Midrash to study Rashi’s commentary on the Torah. Knowledge of English, Hebrew and Old French are helpful but not necessary. Rashi purported to explain the peshat of the text (the meaning in its historical, literary and linguistic context). Visitors and new participants are welcome. Hebrew and English texts are available.
Principles of Judaism: Torah on One Foot With Jon-Jay Tilsen. Monday Nights, 6:10- 7:15p.m. (Immediately following 5:45 p.m. Minha and Maariv services). For adults wishing an overview of the Principles of Jewish thought and life. Ideal for people new to Judaism, considering conversion, or wishing to undertake a systematic study and practice of Judaism. Topics include the Torah; Halakha (Jewish Law); The Mitzva System; 3,600 Years of Jewish History; God of Israel; Fundamental Observances; Conservative and Other Judaisms; Messiah; Eternal Life; Talmud Torah; The Sabbath; Homeland. Free of charge. The sessions were recently described by a new attendee, “The rabbi leads a small-group discussion on various aspects of Torah, with opportunity for open discussion, questions, responses, quite in the spirit of Torah study, but no embarrassment if the questioner speaks out of ignorance or truculence. I was drawn to it initially by the tantalizing title TORAH ON ONE FOOT (unwritten reference to Rabbis Hillel and Shamai); keep returning because of the succession of ideas explored. Helps fill in some of the multiple gaps in my education.” LaMaazel: The Jewish-Spiritual Way in Childbirth and Parenthood is a series of workshops presented occasionally for expectant parents and others interested in spiritual approaches to pregnancy, birth and naming. The Sanhedrin Talmud Study Group meets weekly on Thursdays from 1-2 p.m. in BEKI‘s Library for Talmud study. The group has met weekly since 1999. For many participants, this is their first direct experience with Talmud text. The group focuses on the issues raised in the Talmud, with less attention to the technical aspects of the text. For information contact Rabbi Tilsen at jjtilsen@beki.org. Hebrew Language classes are held periodically at beginner and intermediate levels. Three different courses are offered; see the calendar at WWW.BEKI.ORG for details.
Shir Hadash May 21, 9-10 a.m. A songful, prayerful, soulful service led by Cantor Kanfer and Rabbi Shapiro. Our intent will be to use the power of our music and the kavanah of our words and hearts to make God’s presence manifest. Music available online. Anyone willing to sing is welcome. Participants welcome to stay for the regular morning service or not. Dip your toe in the water and join us. Kids welcome too. Gan Hayeled Sundays Runs every Sunday that religious school is in session, from 9:30 a.m.to 12:30 p.m. It will be for three-and four-year olds and will be a "drop off" experience. There is no charge. The program is being offered as a way to reach out to the community and introduce the Gan Hayeled experience to more families. The curriculum will be a play-based Judaic program, taking advantage of our long history of providing a warm, caring environment in which children can develop social skills while also learning about Jewish holidays, traditions and values. Gan Hayeled has a top-notch playground right outside the classroom and the class will be able to take advantage of that space for this program. Although the class is free, prior registration is required. On Going Programs: Bread & Torah Rabbi Rona Shapiro Shabbat mornings, 9-9:45 a.m. Rabbi Shapiro explores the weekly Torah portion and how its story relates to our own. Lively discussion over bagels and coffee. No experience necessary. Shabbat Schmooze Every Friday evening at 6 p.m. Gather with us to schmooze with wine and cheese before Shabbat services. Services start at 6:30 p.m. All are open to the public. No RSVP required.
SHALOM NEW HAVEN | SUMMER 2016 17
Community Calendar To list an event in the Community Calendar, submit your information on our website, www.jewishnewhaven. org, under “Community Directory” menu. _______________________
Temple Beth Tikvah’s First Friday
New Haven, 360 Amity Road,
Assessments , June 12, 11 a.m.
Shabbat Service begins at 6 p.m.
Woodbridge, Space is limited.
to noon, Congregation Or Shalom,
Beckerman Jewish Film Series:
Cost is $18 JCC Members/$21 com-
205 Old Grassy Hill Road, Orange,
‘Rosenwald’
munity per class. Additional dates:
June 22, 11 a.m. to noon, Temple
May 9, 7-9 p.m., Temple Beth David,
July 11, Sept.12. RSVP: Mara Balk.
Emanuel, 150 Derby Ave., Orange.
3 Main St.,Cheshire. Space is lim-
(203) 387-2522 x300, marab@jccnh.
Hebrew High School Of New
ited. RSVP: Mara Balk. (203) 387-
org.
England 5k Color Run, June 12,
2522 x300, marab@jccnh.org.
The Towers’ Fall Prevention
5:30-7 p.m.,Hebrew High School of
Yom Hazikaron Ceremony
Series, Part III: Medication
New England,300 Bloomfield Ave.,
May10, 7-8 p.m., JCC of Greater
Management
West Hartford. Registration at 5:30
New Haven, 360 Amity Road,
May 18, 11:a.m. – noon,
p.m., Start time at 6:15 p.m.
Woodbridge.Contact Amalya
Congregation Or Shalom, 205 Old
Jewish Historical Society 40th
Brownstein, (203) 387-2522 x385,
Grassy Hill Road, Orange. May 19,
Anniversary Brunch, June 5, 10
amalyab@jccnh.org.
11 a.m. – noon, Temple Emanuel,
a.m. to 1 p.m., JCC, 360 Amity
The Towers’ Fall Prevention
150 Derby Ave., Orange.
Road, Woodbridge.
Series, Part Ii: Exercise: It Works,
Beckerman Jewish Film Series:
Israelfest New Haven, June 5, 2-6
It’s Safe and It’s Fun!
‘Shine’
p.m., JCC of Greater New Haven,
May 11, 11 a.m. – noon,
May 18, 7:-9 p.m., Tower One/Tower
360 Amity Road, Woodbridge.
Congregation Or Shalom 205 Old
East, 18 Tower Lane, New Haven.
Jewish Federation, Jewish
Grassy Hill Road, Orange. May 12,
Free discussion following the film.
Foundation & JCC Combined
11 a.m. - noon, Temple Emanuel,
Temple Beth Sholom Nosh And
Annual Meeting, June 7, 6:30-9:30
150 Derby Ave. Orange.
Learn, May 19, 10-11:30 a.m.,
p.m., JCC of Greater New Haven,
Beckerman Jewish Film Series: ‘In
Temple Beth Sholom, 1809 Whitney
360 Amity Road, Woodbridge. Free
Search Of Israeli Cuisine’
Ave., Hamden.
and open to the public.
May 12, 7-9 p.m., Whitney
Celebrate Spring! Plant Sale &
The Towers’ Fall Prevention
Humanities Center, 53 Wall St., New
Maypole Festival & Massaro Farm
Series, Part VI: Planning the Next
Haven, Space is limited. RSVP:
Open House, May 22, 10 a.m. – 2
Steps, June 8, 11 a.m. to noon,
Mara Balk. (203) 387-2522 x300,
p.m., Massaro Community Farm, 41
Congregation Or Shalom, 205 Old
marab@jccnh.org.
Ford Road, Woodbridge.
Grassy Hill Road, Orange. June 9,
Temple Beth Sholom Stand Up
Family Fun Day Featuring Touch-
11 a.m. to noon,Temple Emanuel,
Comedy Night
A-Truck May 22, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.,
150 Derby Ave., Orange.
May 14, 8:30-11 p.m.,Temple
JCC of Greater New Haven, 360
Jewish Foundation Conversation
Beth Sholom, 1809 Whitney Ave.,
Amity Road, Woodbridge.
Series, June 8, 12-2 p.m., JCC
Hamden. Refreshments, $36 in
Documentary: ‘Stateless’
of Greater New Haven, 360 Amity
advance, $40 at the door. Call (203)
May 22, 2-5 p.m., Temple Emanuel,
Road, Woodbridge. Bus transpor-
288-7748.
150 Derby Ave. Orange. Followed
tation provided from Tower One/
Spring Migratory Bird Walk
by a panel of community members
Tower East and Whitney Center.
Massaro Farm, May 15-16, 9 a.m.,
sharing their experiences.
Free Kosher lunch. Advanced RSVP
Massaro Community Farm, 41 Ford
Couch To 5k Clinic, With
required.
Road, Woodbridge.
Woodbridge Running Company,
Chamber Of Commerce Health
Beckerman Jewish Film Series:
May 23, 6-6:45 p.m., JCC of Greater
Care Breakfast, June 14, 7-9:30
‘Dough,’ May 15, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30
New Haven, 360 Amity Road,
a.m., JCC of Greater New Haven,
p.m., Madison Art Cinemas, 761
Woodbridge.
360 Amity Road, Woodbridge,
Boston Post Road, Madison. $10
Federation Board of Directors
Farewell Party To Vicky Fisher &
May 4, 5-7 p.m., Musical Intervention
Breakfast nosh provided.
Meeting, May 24, 7-8 p.m., Jewish
Ron Zamir, June 14, 6:30-8 p.m.,
23 Temple St. New Haven.
Westville Synagogue Annual
Federation of Greater New Haven,
JCC of Greater New Haven, 360
2016 Builders of Hope Breakfast
Spring Gala
360 Amity Road, Woodbridge,
Amity Road, Woodbridge. Show your
May 5, 7:30-9 a.m., Fantasia, 404
May15, 5-10 p.m. Honoring: Lisa
The Towers’ Fall Prevention
thanks and say shalom to our Israeli
Washington Ave., New Haven.
Stanger Executive Director, Jewish
Series, Part IV: Risk Factors
Emissaries.
Speaker: Joe Pantoliano.
Foundation of Greater New Haven,
Associated with Age-Related
Grill ‘N Chill, June 15, June 29,
Beckerman Jewish Film Series:
Shul Service Awards:Sherry and
Vision Loss, May 25, 11 a.m. to
July 13, July 27, 5-7 p.m., JCC, 360
‘Son Of Saul’
Edward Shrager, Guita and Steven
noon, Congregation Or Shalom,
Amity Road, Woodbridge.
May 5, 7-9 p.m., Madison Art
Wilf.
205 Old Grassy Hill Road, Orange,
Farm To Table Cooking Series,
Cinemas, 761 Boston Post Road,
Beckerman Jewish Film Series:
May 26, 11 a.m. to noon,Temple
July 11, 7-9 p.m., JCC of Greater
Madison. Info: jccnh.org
‘Sarah’s Key’
Emanuel, 150 Derby Ave., Orange.
New Haven, 360 Amity Road,
Yom Hashoah Commemoration
May 16, 7 p.m. | $7 ($5 with JCC
YOM YERUSHALAYIM
Woodbridge.
May 6, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.,
Membership ID), Intro & Talk-back
June 5
EREV TISH’A B’AV
Connecticut General Assembly,
with Film Expert Hank Paper, Best
EREV SHAVUOT
Aug. 13
Legislative Office Building, 300
Video Film & Cultural Center, 1842
June 11
TISH’A B’AV
Capitol Ave., Hartford.
Whitney Ave., Hamden. Space is
SHAVUOT
Aug. 14
Temple Beth Tikvah Shabbat
limited. RSVP: Mara Balk. (203) 387-
June 12 - 13
Jewish Foundation Conversation
Service Hosts The Shalom Group
2522 x300, marab@jccnh.org.
The Towers’ Fall Prevention
Series, Aug. 31, 12-2 p.m., Whitney
May 6, 6-7 p.m.,Temple Beth Tikvah,
Farm To Table Cooking Series
Series, Part V: Clearing Clutter/
Center, 200 Leeder Hill Drive,
196 Durham Road, Madison.
May 16, 7-9 p.m. JCC of Greater
Downsizing – Self Home
Hamden.
YOM HASHOAH May 5 YOM HAZIKARON May 11 YOM HAATZMA’UT May 12 LAG B’OMER May 26 Family Movie Series 12-2 p.m. Free family movies every Thursday and Sunday in the JCC Living Room until June 26. JCC of Greater New Haven, 360 Amity Road, Woodbridge. Contact: jccfamily@jccnh.org Lounge Night At BEKI 6:30-7:45 p.m., every two weeks on Monday, Wednesday until July 31. BEKI (Beth El Israel Kesser), 85 Harrison St., New Haven. “People Forget...New Haven Remembers” 7-9 p.m., Documentary film at Temple Beth Sholom, 1809 Whitney Ave., Hamden, Call (203) 288-7748 bethsholomhamden@aol.com The Towers’ Fall Prevention Series, Part I: Safe Stance May 4, 11 a.m. – noon, Congregation Or Shalom, 205 Old Grassy Hill Road, Orange. May 5, 11:a.m. - noon, Temple Emanuel, 150 Derby Ave., Orange. Free Expressive Arts Festival: Fellowship Place’s Expressive Arts Program
SHALOM NEW HAVEN | SPRING 2016 18
Woodmont Gala Dinner Honors Three Past Presidents Save the date. Monday, June 6: gala dinner: building on tradition - celebrating 90 years of the Hebrew congregation of woodmont.
Ezra Academy Celebrates 50th Birthday at Gala On March 12, 350 supporters gathered to celebrate Ezra Academy’s 50th birthday at the annual gala. The event included alumni, current and past parents, faculty and staff, local dignitaries, Jewish community leaders, and friends and family members of this year’s honorees.
Honoring our past three presidents: Drs. Jay and Heidi Dworkin, Dr. David and Ina Fischer, Joel and Leslie Levitz. See our website for details.
Once only a dream of a small group of community members in 1966, Ezra has grown into a dynamic, educational institution.
ONGOING:
The Ezra community is bound together by Jewish values and traditions, a commitment to the State of Israel, to the practice of Gemilut Chasadim (acts of loving kindness) and Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), and by its communal commitment to a rich and rigorous secular and Judaic education.
Every Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. Shabbat morning services followed by a delicious kiddush luncheon. Friday evenings, first and third Friday of each month at 7 p.m. - Kabbalat Shabbat services followed by Oneg appetizers Services are open to all; no membership required. Upcoming Events: New 6-week Course - "Strength and Struggle" - Explore six intriguing, disturbing, and controversial biblical personalities and events from the times of the Prophets. Six Wednesday evenings, beginning May 11. $79/person, $125/couple. To register, visit www. JewishMilford.com.
Through the generosity of those in attendance and numerous friends of Ezra Academy who were unable to attend, more than $150,000 was raised to support scholarships and fund new
Judaic curriculum and technology for the school. Each year, the gala celebrates Ezra Academy’s accomplishments as well as honoring a family who has had a large impact on the school and community. This year’s gala honored Alan and Elizabeth Reznik and Eleanore Reznik for their long-standing commitment to Ezra Academy, Jewish education and the broader Jewish community. Alan and Elizabeth have long been an integral part of the Greater New Haven Jewish community, in addition to being committed supporters of Ezra Academy; all three of their children, Samuel, Michele and Jane, are Ezra Academy alumni. Alan’s parents, Barry and Eleanore have been strong supporters of their own local Jewish community, The Weizmann Institute and Shaare Zedek in Israel, as well as Ezra Academy. Elizabeth’s family, the Kayes, was also actively involved in both the New Haven and B’nai Jacob communities. In addition to giving their time, the Reznik
Lag B'Omer - Thursday, May 26, 5:307:30 p.m.: Celebrate Lag B'Omer with a BBQ at the Beach at Trubee Doolittle Park in Milford. Holiday of Shavuot: June 11 at 10:30 p.m. - Traditional late-night study session.
Monday, June 13 - Shavuot morning services at 9:30 a.m.; Yizkor will be recited at approximately 11 a.m. All events take place at HCW-Chabad, 15 Edgefield Ave., Milford, unless otherwise noted. Check our website www.JewishMilford. com for more details and RSVP info. Keep in touch! Subscribe to our mailing list and keep up-to-date with all that's happening at our center: www.JewishMilford.com/ subscribe.
Congregation Sinai Tag Sale Set for June 5 On Sunday, June 5, from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m., Congregation Sinai, 1000 New Haven Ave, Milford, will hold a Tag Sale. The event will be held rain or shine.
This year, Ezra Academy also celebrated the newly created Alumni Network Association, and 50 years of graduates. Rafi Prober (Ezra 92’), was their first Inductee to the Ezra Academy Hall of Fame. He took his identity, his Jewish learning and values, and used them to guide his life’s work in extraordinary ways. As an attorney, Prober worked for years on a pro bono case that successfully sought reparations for Holocaust survivors who were transported to death camps during World War II on the trains of the French railroad. What began as the vision of their founders in 1966 has become a remarkable school with a 50 year history. The school is thrilled with the success of this year’s gala, and looks forward to celebrating Ezra Academy with the community for another 50 years.
If your family is facing memory loss, we’re here to help.
Women's Rosh Chodesh Study Group Tuesday, May 17, 7 p.m. – “Cuisine: The Art of Self-Transformation.” Final class in our Art & Soul series highlighting lessons from different art forms and their deeper significance in Judaism.
Sunday, June 12 at 12 p.m. - Come hear the 10 Commandments followed by a delicious dairy lunch.
family has generously established several funds at the Jewish Foundation of Greater New Haven in support of Ezra Academy.
Lean on Coachman Square Your friends through the journey
Whether you’re just starting to notice memory changes in Mom or Dad, or are looking for a caring community providing 24-hour support, we’re here for ou.
Family Resources at Coachman Square: • Live Now, Live Engaged™ memory care • Free Memory Screenings • Caregiver Consultations & Support Groups
• Engagement Boxes for better communication • Short Stays, offering care while you’re on vacation
Tour and receive your free Family Guide to Memory Care, filled with activities for staying connected.
Everything must go. A huge variety of household items, toys, lamps, and linens are just some of the many things available. Congregation Sinai of West Haven/ Milford 1000 New Haven Avenue Milford, CT 06460 (203)301-0558 Fax: (203)301-0543 website: www.congsinai.org
A Benchmark Senior Living Community
21 Bradley Road • Woodbridge, CT 06525
203-397-7544
AWA R
D
-W
INNING
MEMORY CARE
SHALOM NEW HAVEN | SUMMER 2016 19
The Vote FROM PAGE 1 electoral votes make up more than half of the 270 electoral votes a presidential candidate needs to win the election. In 2013, the Pew Research Center’s “Portrait of Jewish Americans” survey showed that 70 percent of Jewish voters were Democrats, compared to 49 percent of the general American public. One exception, however, is Orthodox Jews. The Pew study said that 57 percent of Orthodox Jews identify or lean Republican, while 36 percent identify or lean Democrat. But Orthodox Jews represent “a very small part of the Jewish population, just 10 percent,” noted Dr. Steven M. Cohen, a research professor of Jewish social policy at Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR). Other Jewish groups likely leaning Republican are what Cohen calls “ethnic Jews”—those who are more “culturally conservative,” including immigrant Russian-speaking Jews, who “see a conservative political philosophy as most opposed to the government that oppressed them for decades.” When did U.S. Jews become liberal? While today’s American Jews lean overwhelmingly Democrat, that wasn’t always the case. “In the late 19th century, from roughly 1864 until roughly 1916, American Jews voted Republican in overwhelming numbers,” said Dr. Steven Windmueller, a demographer from Hebrew Union College’s Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management. Dr. Ira Sheskin, a demographer at the
Stanger Honored FROM PAGE 3 owner of 116 Crown in New Haven. Ginnetti will focus on the artful combinations of distilled spirits, liquors, bitters, fruit juices, and sugar, resulting in a perfectly formed cocktail. The evening is sure to be a cool hit, with Ginnetti, who is a mixologist and former adjunct professor in the hospitality program of the University of New Haven. He creates every new cocktail served at 116 Crown, which are often referred to as the best
Sue and Leonard Miller Center for Contemporary Judaic Studies at the University of Miami, explained that “the nature of the parties does change over time” and that “back in the 1800s, Republicans and Democrats held different views than they do today.” From 1916 onward, the Jewish vote went to the Democratic Party. Jews continued voting predominantly Democratic through President Barack Obama’s two campaigns. But while Obama garnered anywhere from 74 to 78 percent of the Jewish vote in 2008, depending on whose data is used, his Jewish support dropped to 69 percent in the 2012 election. This growth in Jewish Republican votes might be attributed to younger Jews who don’t affiliate with a party or who register to identify as independents, although only 17 percent of Jews ages 18-29 identified as Republican in Pew’s 2013 survey. According to data provided by Sheskin, Jews voted for Republican presidential candidates at an average rate of 32 percent across the 19721988 elections. In the 1992-2012 elections, Jews voted Republican at an average rate of 22 percent,“still well below what it was in the 1970s and 1980s,” said Sheskin. Why do Jews vote overwhelmingly Democratic? Dr. Leonard Saxe, director of the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies and the Steinhardt Social Research Institute, both at Brandeis University, told JNS.org, that Jews “have always been a group concerned about the general social welfare, because we were the objects of discrimination and prejudice, the target of the horrific actions of the Nazis. We’ve always been social-liberal and that’s been associated in this country with the Democratic Party.” in Connecticut. He has been featured locally, nationally and internationally in both print and on television. John routinely shares his insights and has built and nurtured a mixology class at the University of New Haven. He also currently teaches a mixology class at Yale University. To register for the gala or to add your well wishes to the tribute book, call the Westville Synagogue at (203)389-9513. You can also contact Barbara Zalesch at BarbZal918@aol.com. Couvert is $118 per person. Kashrut will be observed. There will be drinks with alcohol and non-alcohol options.
Sheskin argued that the Republican Party has shifted a great deal to the right over the last 20 years.
leave Poland…His Jewish identity might play a bit more of a role if he was active in the Jewish community in some way.”
Another reason Jews lean Democrat, he said, is that they “are very pro-science.” For example, many Jews support the scientific consensus on climate change.
Sanders’s religion could have theoretically been a selling point for Jewish voters, but “in some ways it makes his position on the Gaza war stand out even more starkly,” Saxe said. Similarly, the experts agree that the fact that Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump is a convert to Judaism isn’t likely to motivate Jews to vote for her father, at least not any more than how Chelsea Clinton being married to a Jew would potentially convince Jewish voters to vote for her mother.
What does this mean for the primary and general elections? Pew’s 2013 survey showed that 30 percent of Jewish voters described themselves as moderates. Saxe believes, therefore, that most Jewish voters are likely to support Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders. Sanders—a Jew himself—may be alienating some Jewish voters with his critical stance on Israel’s actions during its 2014 war with Hamas. The Sanders presidential campaign also hired Simone Zimmerman, an outspoken critic of Israeli government policies, as its Jewish outreach coordinator. The campaign later suspended Zimmerman over her profanity-laced social media posts about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. HUC-JIR’s Cohen, however, said that Israel is generally not a major factor in most Jews’ voting decisions because “each political perspective sees its candidate as doing right by Israel.” Cohen projected that “if it were a CruzClinton competition, Cruz wouldn’t win out. Clinton is the more natural choice for most American Jews.” When it comes to the fact that Sanders is Jewish, the demographic experts largely agree that his religion has little bearing on whether or not Jewish voters will cast their ballots for him. Sanders’s Jewish identity, said Sheskin, “seems to be predicated on the fact that his parents were persecuted and had to
First Woman Chaplain FROM PAGE 3 an,”awakening and realization to being called to this service.” “Once it unfolded in my heart “she shares, “There was simply no turning away from it.” Feeling,” blessed with many role models and mentors,” Falk credits her family, members of Beth El, her hospital patients and her many teachers at AJR and rabbinic colleagues in GNH for their ongoing support.
On the Republican side, the experts say it is much more difficult to determine how Jews feel about Donald Trump. In addition to his controversial statements on immigration, Muslims, and Mexico, Trump initially said he intends to be “neutral” on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He later backtracked on that stance, saying he simply wants to appear neutral so that he can make a deal to settle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.Despite Trump’s recent speech to the AIPAC conference, which was perceived as strongly pro-Israel, Sheskin doesn’t “see how Trump could do anything that’s going to get him some reasonable percentage of the Jewish vote.” Broadly speaking, many voters appear to feel torn about both parties’ candidates, a sentiment that echoes in the Jewish electorate. “I think you have a whole corps of Jewish voters, Republicans and some independents, and even maybe a few Democrats, who in a sense are holding out until they see what happens in Cleveland at the Republican convention in July,” Windmueller said. She also recognizes, Rabbi Richard Eisenberg, who inspired her to become a rabbi. “He, in fact, ordained me,” she adds. Falk is profoundly grateful that Yale is committed to providing Jewish spiritual care. ”I have faith that if I keep walking forward”, she says,” G-d will continue to reveal my path and give me the strength to walk it.” ***************************** For more info, contact: eliana.falk@ ynhh.org, www.bethelwoodbury.org/ rabbi.html
TELL OUR ADVERTISERS
you SAW IT
IN
SHALOM NEW HAVEN SHALOM NEW HAVEN | SUMMER 2016 20
Madison Teen Completes Entire Talmud By Rabbi Yosse Yaffe Director, Chabad-Lubavitch of the Shoreline
Yehoshua Yaffe recently celebrated his completion of studying the entire Babylonian Talmud on Monday, April 11, at Yeshivas Beis Dovid Shlomo, 292 Norton Parkway, New Haven.
The entire Talmud consists of 63 tractates and (in standard print) is more than 6,200 pages long. Written in a combination of Hebrew and Aramaic, the Talmud contains the teachings and opinions of thousands of rabbis dating from before the Common Era through the fifth century CE.
the scholar Abaye, a rabbi in 3rd century CE Babylonia. He said, “If I saw a scholar who completed a tractate, then I would make a holiday for the rabbis” (Tractate Shabbos 118b-119a).
over the years at Southern Connecticut Hebrew Academy (Orange, CT), Yeshiva Beis Dovid Shlomo (New Haven) and—currently—Yeshivas Lubavitch Manchester (Manchester, England).
Yehoshua’s father Rabbi Yossi Yaffe recognizes his son’s unique achievement:
Judaism regards the study of its traditional texts as a primary way to connect to G-d’s will and wisdom. Completing a tractate—or even the entire Talmud— becomes a milestone, not an end. On the annual holiday of Simchas Torah, Jews celebrate the end of the yearlong study of the Torah—and they immediately begin it again. The new cycle of study is truly “new,” with a deeper level of comprehension, commitment and spiritual connection.
“Yehoshua has committed himself in an extraordinary way, and we are so proud of him. He has done this all in his free time, outside of his regular course of studies at yeshiva. And that “regular” course of studies extends from 7:30 in the morning until 9 at night, so you see the time frame he was working with.”
Yehoshua is the eldest son of Rabbi Yossi and Rochel Baila Yaffe, directors of Chabad-Lubavitch of the Shoreline. At his Bar Mitzvah four years ago, Yehoshua concluded his first tractate. Since then, he has studied and reviewed the rest of the Talmud with the commentaries of Rashi and Tosafos.
The discussions cover a variety of subjects, including halakha (Jewish law), the Bible, Jewish ethics, philosophy, customs, history, and lore. The Talmud serves as the basis for all codes of Jewish law and--in conjunction with the Bible--is the most important written work of Judaism. The custom to celebrate upon completing a tractate derives from
JFS Shalom Group Seeking Shoreline Members
Shoreline Jewish Festival Set for July 10
The JFS Shalom Group is seeking Jewish adults with developmental disabilities who reside in the Shoreline community. Currently, the Shalom groups boasts more than 40 members who enjoy holiday themed educational gatherings throughout the year. To help introduce this group to the Shoreline area, the JFS Shalom Group will meet on May 6 at Temple Beth Tikvah, (196 Durham Road, Madison), for the Erev Shabbat. The service will be at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m. For more information, contact Rachel Scolnic Dobin at (203)389-5599, x 109, or rsdobin@jfsnh.org. JFS Offers New Summer Social Skills Group for Children Don’t let your child’s progress in social skills wane over the summer months. You can help maintain and expand your child’s skills through this unique offering. Jewish Family Service of Greater New Haven, Inc., is now taking registrations for a Summer Social Skills Group. This social skills program addresses the play needs and social skills deficits of children ages six to eleven years of age. Dates and times will be determined by the participants in each group. Group size is limited to 6 children. For more information or to register your child, contact Amy G. Rashba, LCSW, at (203) 389-5599, x 113, or arashba@jfsnh.org
Rabbi Yaffe also extends thanks to Yehoshua’s Judaic Studies teachers
The Shoreline Jewish Festival has become an annual summertime tradition. This year's festival--the 11th annual -- promises to be better than ever. Live bands play everything from klezmer to Jewish folk to Jewish rhythm and blues. Everyone enjoys the fresh kosher delights like falafel and shwarma Children enjoy the rides and Jewishthemed arts and crafts. Judaica, books, art and various vendors sell their wares all day. Admission is free. Food, crafts and vendor items are for sale. For more details, go to: www.shorelinejewishfestival.com. Artists and vendors can reserve a booth for the day for an $85 fee. To help sponsor this event, or to reserve a booth, send an e-mail to chabad@snet. net or call (203) 645-4635. Go online to: www.jewishshoreline.org.
Social Skills Group (6-8 years old) These small group sessions enable children to interact and learn new skills with a group of appropriately matched peers. Sessions include a lesson targeting identified skills, cooperative play time (crafts, games, activities) and discussions organized to practice and enhance targeted skills. A parent briefing follows each session. A parent/child interview and an intake form are required prior to registration. All children who may benefit from a social skills group are welcome to participate in these sessions. Social Skills Group (9-11 years old) This small group will focus on increasing appropriate peer interactions and practicing skills related to getting along with peers and working cooperatively in a group setting. Fun social skills games and projects will provide activities to reinforce positive appropriate behaviors. A parent/child interview and an intake form are required prior to registration. All children who may benefit from a social skills group are welcome to participate in these sessions.
STAY IN THE
KNOW! Text follow jccnhalerts to 40404 for JCC facility updates, cancellations & closings.
Classes • Workshops • Gallery Palette Art Studio offers traditional art classes, such as drawing, oil painting, watercolors, and other 2D media, for students of all ages and experience levels. Contact us to find out more about our unique program. (475) 282-1802 mail@paletteartstudio.com www.paletteartstudio.com SHALOM NEW HAVEN | SUMMER 2016 21
Jewish Historical Society Is Treasure to Community By Jeannette Brodeur SHALOM NEW HAVEN Editor Where can you find a pocketbook that once belonged to Golda Meir, as well as other one of a kind objects, archives that contain synagogue, cemetery, Jewish organizational records, papers, genealogies, diaries, newspaper articles and scrapbooks from noteworthy events dating back to the mid-1800s and more than 400 audio/video tapes including oral histories, 10,000 photographs and 1,500 books of Judaic history, encyclopedias and novels with a Jewish theme? The Jewish Historical Society of Greater New Haven. Housed in an unassuming metal building at 270 Fitch Street on the campus of Southern Connecticut State University, the Jewish Historical Society shares the space with four other historical societies as part of the Ethnic Historical Archives Center, commonly known as the Ethnic Heritage Center. The Jewish Historical Society first started in the attic and basement of founder and first president, Harvey N. Ladin, who lived at 289 Central Ave. in New Haven. For many years, Ladin saved and collected photographs and memorabilia depicting Jewish life in New Haven. He helped officially organize the society in 1976. With the help of a matching grant from the New Haven Foundation, the Jewish Historical Society was able to establish its archives in the Jewish Home for the Aged in New Haven in 1979. Not long after, a large two-year grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities allowed the group to hire its first professional archivist, Edith Hurwitz, who began cataloguing and organizing its growing collection. As the Jewish Historical Society began to outgrow its space at the Jewish Home for the Aged, the group sought a large facility for its burgeoning collection. Southern Connecticut State University invited the group to join the Ethnic Historical Archives Center in 1997. After Carl Newlin retired as historical society’s archivist in 1999, Marvin Bargar took over and has remained the archivist for the last 16 years. The position is more than a job for Bargar, it is a labor of love and something he is truly passionate about. Jewish Historical Society of Greater New Haven President Albert Harary also shares that passion and spends much of his time at the Ethnic Heritage Center, offering tours, holding meetings and lectures to educate the public on what the society does and about local Jewish history. Harary said the society is truly a treasure because it has research materials and acquisitions that no one else has in the entire world. “Our mission is to preserve the history of the New Haven Jewish community,” he said. The Jewish Historical Society of Greater New Haven is always looking for donations, Harary added. When peo-
Teen Wins FROM PAGE 4 said. “Visiting Russia was a very interesting experience,” she admitted. “It was nice to see my family and see where my parents and my grandparents came from.”Dalia was very nervous performing in front of the judges, who are famous opera singers in the Soviet Union. “During the first act, I felt like coughing, but I held it together.”She admitted that she is her own worst critic. “Even after a good performance, I’m still critical of how I sang and felt that I could have done better,” Dalia said. “I’m still not fully recovered yet from the experience.”Her mom, even though she was thousands of miles away, was very nervous for Dalia the day of the competition. “I felt so emotional that day,” Milgram admitted. “I couldn’t concentrate.”When she returned to school, Dalia said she received a wonderful welcome and congratulations from Amity Regional High School, where she is a freshman. “My classmates were very curious about how I did and the princi-
(L-R) Jewish Historical Society President Albert Harary and Archivist Marvin Bargar.
ple are downsizing or getting ready to move, they often find bits of Jewish history, photos or books that they might not know what to do with and he said the society would gladly accept them for their archives. Since the Jewish Historical Society of Greater New Haven was first formed, the group has published nine volumes of “Jews in New Haven,” which highlight photographs, essays and articles written by professional researchers, local authors and students. The group also publishes quarterly newsletter and hosts several program meetings every year, including lectures with well known speakers, films and panel discussions. Harary said the group also takes trips to places like the Jewish Museum in New York City and the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, Mass. The historical society now boasts more than 400 members. Bargar, who has been a member for 40 years, marveled at the requests the society gets from people all across the United States and all over the world on a daily basis to help track down information. He said the biggest request is from people who are studying their family’s genealogy. The society carries obituaries that have been printed in the New Haven newspaper as well as the Jewish Ledger, The New York Times and even in the area synagogue bulletins. Over the years, Bargar said he’s gotten to work on some interesting projects with people. He even had the chance to work with an author from Seattle who visits every year and is doing research on Maier Zunder, who was the first Jew to serve as the head of the New Haven Board of Education in 1881. Bargar added that another author contacted him to do
pal wrote something nice on Twitter,” she said. What’s next for Dalia? She is auditioning for a precollege program at the Julliard School in New York City to learn music theory and earn college credits and also beginning to look into colleges. “It’s a little early,” she laughs, “but it never hurts to start looking.” She’s also participating in the Boston University College of Fine Arts “Young Artists Vocal Program” at Tanglewood this summer like she did last year. The intensive program helps nurture and encourage gifted young singers, like Dalia, who wish to pursue professional studies and performance. While Dalia does hope to become a professional opera singer, she’s remarkably practical for such a young person. “It’s a very hard area to get into,” she said. “You can’t plan on it as a life-long career. I’d like to be a judge for competitions and teaching vocal performance. I like to help people. It’s very rewarding. ”If it wasn’t for the help of the Federation, Dalia may not have had the chance to compete in Russia because her mother would have never had the opportunity to stay in the United States and eventu-
SHALOM NEW HAVEN | SUMMER 2016 22
some research on the security guard in the well-known Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti armed robberymurder case from 1920. Many books were written about Sacco and Vanzetti, but this author found out that the wife of one of the security guards was named Sarah and she was from Russia and her family was living in New Haven. Bargar even helped an elderly man from California reconnect with an old girlfriend. “He was in town for his 50th high school reunion and he had looked for this woman for years,” he explained. “We were able to find her. She never married and lived in Hamden. He went to meet her and she still remembered him. He was crying when he told me about it, he was so happy.” “This job is a lot of fun,” Bargar said. “I love the research,” he said. Bargar is now working with the historical society hoping to complete the 10th volume of Jews of New Haven. All of the materials at the historical society are categorized on a computer and backed up, Bargar said. All printed materials and photos are carefully stored to prevent deterioration and any news articles are also photocopied and saved as well. Archiving all of the materials the society receives is an enormous task and Bargar is looking for help. The Jewish Historical Society of Greater New Haven is looking for a part-time (20 hours a week) paid assistant to assist Bargar archive all of the items. Contact the historical society for more information on the position. Also, to donate items, call the society at (203) 392-6125. For more information about the historical society, go to: http://jhsgnh.org/.
ally, come settle in Woodbridge. Milgram said she first came to the United States from Moscow, Russia, as a visitor. At that time, the State Department had decided that there was no more antiSemitism in Russia and called Milgram “a removal case.” “I was supposed to be deported back to Russia,” she said. Milgram had hired two lawyers to help her fight the U.S. Immigration Department unsuccessfully and was scheduled to be deported, but then she reached out to the Federation and former Federation CEO, Susan Fromm Shimelman, who put her in touch with Marvin Lender, one of the Federation’s well known donors. “I will never forget how he helped me stay here,” she said. “He put me in touch with the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society and they assigned me a lawyer for free and he was able to help me get a labor certification through the Federation by proving I was the only one qualified for the computer job here at the Federation.”Milgram said the Federation had to advertise for the position and interview people to prove to the Immigration Department that she was irreplaceable. “Marvin found me a
lawyer,” she said. “He was amazing. I felt I was in good hands. The new lawyer knew exactly what was happening in Russia and he helped me win the case.” Milgram had worked many different jobs in the United States including as a live-in babysitter, caregiver, an oral surgeon’s assistant, a billing specialist, a data base administrator and eventually, in Information Technology, which she still works in today. The Federation sent her to Microsoft classes and helped pay for her training. After Milgram’s labor certification came through, within a year, her parents came to the area from Russia and resettled as refugees with help from the Federation. Milgram met her husband, Sasha also of Moscow, Russia, here in New Haven, even though they found out later that they had grown up on the very same street in Moscow. “We were neighbors and we didn’t even know it,” she said, with amazement. “I guess it was fate that we would meet.” The two married and had two children, Dalia and Ellie, 12. Sasha is also in Information Technology and has helped his wife learn more about the field. They have been married for 15 years.
New Haven Delegation Joins 18,000 Supporters of US-Israel Alliance at AIPAC Conference By Arthur Seltzer, M.D. Special to Shalom New Haven More than 20 pro-Israel activists, plus a large Yale student delegation, participated in the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee Policy Conference on March 21 in Washington D.C. It was an opportunity for the Presidential candidates (except Bernie Sanders who declined to attend) to present their policy comments regarding Israel and the challenges we face in the Middle East. Each candidate supported the unbreakable ties between America and Israel based on our shared values and democracy and the mutual security benefits of a strong Israel. The importance of supporting Israel’s security needs was emphasized, and all candidates criticized the failure of the Palestinian leadership to condemn the current antiIsrael wave of terror, and the need to end the culture of hate promoted in the Palestinian media. The conference included plenary sessions and numerous breakout learning opportunities to hear from experts on Israel, the Palestinians, security, technology and innovation, the Arab world, and beyond. Several well attended sessions also addressed the approaches to fight the growing problem of anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism on the American college campus. The legislative agenda included three items. First, in the wake of the Iran Deal or JCPOA, our group lobbied for renewal of the Iran Sanctions Act, which is set to expire in December. The architecture of
the sanctions legislation needs to be kept intact so that sanctions may be “snapped back” if Iran violates the terms of the deal. Iran has not moderated despite the JCPOA as political crackdown on journalists and dissidents continue, and 90 percent of the potential candidates for the recent election were disqualified. Iran has continued to act aggressively in the region, sending IRGC troops to support Assad in Syria, sending sophisticated missiles to Hezbollah in Lebanon, supporting Hamas in Gaza, and offering $7,000 to any successful terrorist in the Palestinian territories. Iran has tested ballistic missiles, including one with the Hebrew inscription that “Israel must be wiped off the face of the earth.” Bipartisan efforts are underway to establish sanctions legislation to address Iranian ballistic missile activity and aggression in the region. Second, we lobbied for the need for direct negotiations without preconditions between Israel and the Palestinians. We opposed any attempt to bring the conflict to the UN Security Council or other international body.
qualitative military edge (QME) given its security challenges.
Finally, in view of the growing threats on all borders and beyond, the importance of support for $3.1 billion in military/ security aid and the prompt completion of a Memo of Understanding (MOU) proposing 10 years of security aid were emphasized. Israel must maintain its
Leader of the Israeli opposition Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Netanyahu both said that AIPAC is a major contributor to the continued strong US-Israel relationship. The importance of continued bipartisan support for Israel was emphasized throughout the conference.
Despite the Jewish community being small, the pro-Israel AIPAC community grows and includes African Americans, Christians, Latinos, and individuals from across the political spectrum. Our group welcomes others to join us when we go to the nation’s capital again on March 26-28, 2017, to support a strong US-Israel relationship.
Have You Met Us Lately?
Join us for Shabbat Schmooze, Fridays at 6:00 pm preceding 6:30 pm Services
A Friendly, Warm, Inclusive Family Atmosphere Outreach program for K-2, membership
not required for the first year
Special, Free Sunday morning Pre-School Program Award winning Religious school for grades K-7
Monthly Family Services Weekly catered Kiddush Engaging Adult Education and Social Action Programs Active Family Festival Celebrations
Stop by for Coffee and a Tour
Call today to set up an appointment with our Executive Director Jody Dietch
203-389-2111
SHALOM NEW HAVEN | SUMMER 2016 23