Volume 7, Number 2 Purim/Passover 2017
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Serving the Local New Orleans, Northshore, and Baton Rouge Jewish Communities
9 Things You Didn’t Know About Purim By Julie Wiener
(My Jewish Learning via JTA) -- With costumes, spiels and lots of drinking, Purim is one of Judaism’s most raucous holidays. You might know about beautiful Esther thwarting evil Haman’s plans, the custom of getting drunk and what hamantaschen are. But we’re guessing there’s a few things about Purim, which this year starts at sundown March 11, that might surprise you. 1. Esther was a vegetarian (or at least a flexitarian). According to midrash, while Queen Esther lived in the court of King Ahasuerus, she followed a vegetarian diet consisting largely of legumes so that she would not break the laws of kashrut (dietary laws). For this reason, there is a tradition of eating beans and peas on Purim. (After all, you’ll need something healthy after all the booze and hamantaschen.) 2. You’re supposed to find a gobetween to deliver your mishloach manot, the gift baskets traditionally exchanged with friends and family on Purim. The verse in the Book of Esther about mishloach manot stipulates that we should send gifts to one another, not just give gifts to one another. As a result, it’s better to send your packets of goodies to a friend via a messenger than to just give them outright. Anyone can act as a go-between, so feel free to recruit the postal service or even that nice guy in the elevator to help you deliver your gifts. 3. The Book of Esther is the only biblical book that does not include God’s name. The Book of Esther also makes no references to the Temple, to prayer or to Jewish practices such as kashrut [keeping kosher]. 4. Hamantaschen might have been designed to symbolize Haman’s hat — or his ears or pockets. Or something a little more womanly. Some say these cookies represent Haman’s ears (the Hebrew name for them, "oznei Haman," means just this), and refer to a custom of
Queen Esther's diet consisted largely of legumes so that she would not break kashrut laws. (Wikimedia Commons)
cutting off a criminal’s ears before his execution. Another theory is that the three corners represent the three patriarchs whose power weakened Haman and gave strength to Esther to save the Jews. Yet another theory: Because the German word tasche means “pouch” or “pocket,” the cookies could signify Haman’s pockets and the money he offered the king for permission to kill the Jews. Finally, in recent years, some feminists have suggested the cookies, which after all are not dissimilar in appearance to female reproductive parts, were meant to be fertility symbols.
5. In 1945, a group of American soldiers held belated Purim services inside Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels’ confiscated castle. According to JTA coverage at the time, the Jewish chaplain “carefully arranged the candles over a swastika-bedecked bookcase in Goebbels’ main dining room,” and Jewish soldiers explained to their Christian comrades in attendance “about Haman and why it was so fitting that Purim services should be held in a castle belonging to Goebbels.” 6. The Book of Esther, which many scholars theorize is fictional, may be an adaptation of a Babylo-
nian story. Some scholars argue that the Book of Esther adapted stories about these pagan gods — Marduk becoming Mordechai and Ishtar transformed to Esther — to reflect the realities of its own Jewish authors in exile 7. The Jewish calendar has a regular leap year with two months of Adar (but only one Purim, which falls during the second Adar). To ensure that the holidays remain in their mandated seasons, the Jewish calendar was ingeniously adjusted to accommodate the 11-day difference between the lunar and solar years. In the fourth century C.E., Hillel scheduled an extra month at the end of the biblical year, as necessary. The biblical year begins in spring with Nissan (Exodus 12: 1-2) and ends with Adar. Hillel, in conjunction with the Sanhedrin (Jewish supreme court), chose to repeat Adar (Adar I and Adar II) every third, sixth, eighth, 11th, 14th, 17th and 19th year over a 19-year period. 8. Purim is celebrated one day later inside walled cities than it is everywhere else. The Book of Esther differentiates between Jews who lived and fought their enemies for two days within the walled capital city of Shushan and those who lived in unwalled towns, where only one day was needed to subdue the enemy. The rabbis determined we should make that same distinction when memorializing the event. Accordingly, if a person lives in a city that has been walled since the days of Joshua (circa 1250 BCE), as Shushan was, Purim is celebrated on the 15th of Adar, a day referred to as Shushan Purim. 9. Just after the 1991 Gulf War, Israel’s most popular Purim costume was of the Israeli army spokesman whose face appeared on TV every time a Scud missile alert sounded — and people snacked on “Saddamtaschen” instead of hamanSee 9 THINGS on Page
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Milestones of Constructing Louisiana’s Airport It has been one year since the groundbreaking ceremony was held marking the official commencement of North Terminal construction. By the end of the first year of construction, residents and passengers alike could already see the beginnings of the terminal structure coming out of the ground with all pilings having been placed for the terminal, concourses, elevated road, and parking garage. The Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR), a joint venture between Hunt, Gibbs, Boh, and Metro companies, has
been working to stay on-schedule and on-budget since the project’s beginning and has done an extraordinary job through challenges with Louisiana’s difficult landscape. The new terminal is being built on a greenfield site separate from current operations and has no impact on our airlines or passengers. The capital program includes the construction of a new world-class terminal, enabling projects like a new on-airport roadway system and FAA navigational aid relocation, and third party projects that include a
flyover interchange access from I-10 and an aircraft fuel hydrant system. To ensure the new facility can accommodate the Airport’s exponential growth, the Airport updated its activity forecast which indicates anticipated future passenger traffic. Based on this updated information, Mayor Landrieu and the New Orleans Aviation Board (NOAB) decided it is necessary to begin a five gate expansion. The North Terminal Project always included plans for a future expansion, but the updated data showed
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that the plans needed to be activated earlier than projected. The Airport has experienced a record-breaking number of nonstop destinations, airlines, and passengers over the last several years. From 2013, when the terminal was originally designed, to today, six new airlines and multiple new nonstop destinations have been added at Armstrong International. MSY is slated to experience even more growth with the start of new international flights to London fourtimes weekly with British Airways beginning in March and Frankfurt, Germany, twice-weekly with Condor starting in May. These airlines will utilize wide-body aircraft that hold nearly 40 percent more passengers than the average aircraft flying into MSY. Expect to see additional, noticeable developments on the North Terminal Project starting between April and May when the CMAR plans to begin paving the aircraft apron. Installation of the exterior glass walls of the terminal building and setting precast slabs for the parking garage will be begin between May and June. In November, contractors will begin on the interior walls and finishes. The food and beverage packages for the North Terminal were recently selected. The NOAB approved the selection of proposals from Delaware North and Chase Catering and Concessions LLC joint venture and the HMSHost, Coaxum Enterprises, and Kaleidoscope partnership at the Board’s last meeting. See AIRPORT REPORT on Page THE
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on Thursday evenings from 6:00TOURO 7:30pm beginning March 16 for a chance to learn about and discuss Saturday, March 11 - 5:30PM Jewish history, texts, beliefs, lanTouro Synagogue Brand New Time! Brand New guage, prayer and rituals. PM Contact Rabbi Silverman Festivities! with any questions or inquiries at Family Purim Celebration tsilverman@tourosynagogue.com Join us in costume for this brand Registration Fees: Members - No new, festive Purim celebration for Charge / Non-Members - $50 ì the whole family! Gragger-making! Face painting! Pizza dinner! Purim Sing-a-long! BETH ISRAEL Havda-lah! SAVE THE DATE! Interactive and kid-friendly tellSaturday Night, March 11th ing of the Megillah with Rabbi SilCongregation Beth Israel verman and Cantor Mintz! 4004 W. Esplanade Avenue, This event is free, but please Metairie RSVP to info@tourosynagogue.com Annual Purim Celebration so we can plan to have enough pizza and hamentaschen for everyone. ì Chapter 5777: Purim, The Shushan Chronicles Monday, March 27 - 10:30 am Featuring: Mautner Learning Center at - Our Annual Tradition of Touro Synagogue Breakfast for Dinner! Touro Book Group - Megillah Reading with YCT Student, Daniel Atwood! In the Darkroom by Susan Faludi - Cosmic Snacks & Special Join us on Monday, March 27 as Star Wars Themed Drinks! Pat Reardon leads our discussion - Much, much more! ì Thursday, March 16, 7:00PM
Congregation Beth Israel 4004 W. Esplanade Avenue, Metairie Myron Sugarman: A History Of Jews & The Mob This lecture will dazzle you with details of the Mob’s impact on the rise of German influence in the US in the 1930’s and the Mob’s role in supplying money and weapons to the underground armies during Israel’s fight for independence. Please RSVP To: RSVP@BethIsraelNOLA.com or (504)454-5080 ì on Susan Faludi's In the Darkroom. This meeting is open to all women who wish to attend. Please contact Marjorie Weiner at 504-398-1669 with any questions. ì Thursdays this Spring: March 16, 23, 30; April 20, 27; May 4 6:30
Touro Synagogue The Basics: A Crash Course in Judaism, Jewry and Jewish-ness
With Rabbi Silverman
Have you ever wondered, “What does Judaism say about ___?” or “Why do Jews do ___?” Ever wanted to delve into a topic of Judaism – theology, Bible, practice, prayer – but didn’t know where to begin? If so, this is the class you’ve been waiting for. Join Rabbi Silverman THE
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Friday, March 31st, following 7:00PM Davening
Community Events Sunday, March 12 11:00 am
Gates of Prayer Purim- Family Celebration Join us as we welcome Frank Levy, Interactive Storyteller ~ Costumes~ Hamantaschen! Fun for the whole family! ì tant Dean of Experiential Learning at Tulane University and served continuously as the longest serving United States Attorney in the nation with over 11 1/2 years of continuous service. RSVP Required. Members Early-Bird Price (RSVP by Tuesday, March 28th): $18 pp Adult / $9 pp Child Non-Members: $25 pp Adult / $18 pp Child RSVP to RSVP@BethIsraelNOLA.com or by calling the synagogue office at (504) 454-5080 ì
CHABAD Sunday, March 12 at 5:00 pm
Torah Academy 5210 W. Esplanade Ave. Featuring: Panorama Jazz Band, Sunday, April 2nd New York Decor & Menu, Chil5PM - 7PM dren's Program and Entertainment At Congregation Beth Israel, and much, much more 4004 West Esplanade AveThinking about skipping this nue South, Metairie year? Fuhgeddaboutit! RSVP www.jewishlouisiana. Watch Party & Wine Tasting Headlining Yarden Israeli Wines com/purim ì and a screening of the documentary America Undiscovered by Susan Neisloss Jews in the South Featuring Bill Goldring Philanthropist & Distiller and Joel Brown, Owner of Kosher Cajun “Big Easy’s Kosher King overcomes life-changing tragedies” For more info, contact the Beth Israel office at (504) 454-5080 or Office@BethIsraelNOLA.com ì
Beth Israel Jim Letten -Shabbat Gates of Prayer Dinnerwith Special Guest, Jim Letten Presents “The Tension Between Religious Saturday March 11 Liberty and Civil Rights in the US” 7:00 - 9:30 pm An Alumni of the Tulane UniOpen Bar 7:00 - 8:00 versity Law School, Mr. Letten is Lula Restaurant - Distillery currently with the Butler-Snow 1532 St. Charles Avenue Law Firm, where he consults and New Orleans LA 70130 provides representation on crimiMegilah, Munchies, Martinis nal and regulatory investigations & More by government agencies, as well Adult Purim Celebration as government audits, civil fraud Megillah Reading ~ Costume cases and international trade and regulatory issues, including estab- Contest (with fabulous prizes!!) Alcohol/Soft Drinks/Appetizers lishment of FCPA/UK Bribery Act No Charge. RSVP to office@gatecorporate compliance and integrity sofprayer.org ì programs. He has served as Assiswww.thejewishlight.org
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Purim/Passover 2017
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Community Events
Date: March 12, 2017 Time: 11:30 am - 3:30 pm
New Orleans JCC - Uptown 5342 St. Charles Avenue New Orleans, LA 70115 Adloyodah - Purim Carnival Contact: Rachel Ruth Phone: 504.897.0143 Email: rachel@nojcc.org No charge members and nonmembers ì Date: March 13, 2017 Time: 11:45 am - 1:30 pm
New Orleans JCC - Uptown 5342 St. Charles Avenue New Orleans, LA 70115 MORRIS BART SR., LECTURE SERIES AT THE J: FROM THE WILDS OF IRELAND Contact: Rachel Ruth Phone: 504.897.0143 Email: rachel@nojcc.org Morris Bart Sr., Lecture Series at The J: From The Wilds of Ireland to The Wilds of LouisianaIrish Immigration to New Orleans Usually, when we speak about the Irish Diaspora to the USA, New Orleans is not among the cities that first come to mind as centers of Irish population and culture. We think of the city as a savory gumbo of Spanish, French, Creoles, AfroCaribbean and Africans and pay little attention to the pull effect this strategically placed port city on the Mississippi might have had on an island with a long history of losing her population through outward migration. Years of research has demonstrated that the Irish are a fundamental part of the cultural fabric of New Orleans. The results are an adventurous, often tragic but ultimately triumphant history of Erin’s people in this most exotic of cities. It is a story of high drama, of great courage, of resourcefulness and determination, of faith in God,
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family, kin and community; it tells of great loss and even greater accomplishments and success. In short, it makes for an excellent story. We hope you will join us on March 13 when Dr. Kelley will explore these themes and argue that New Orleans should be considered as much an Irish city as a French, Spanish or Creole one. And just in time for St. Patrick's Day celebrations! Lunch will be served. RSVP by Thursday, March 9 to Rachel Ruth at 897-0143 x161 or rachel@nojcc.org. No charge member / $10 nonmember ì Date: March 21, 2017 Time: 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
New Orleans JCC - Uptown 5342 St. Charles Avenue New Orleans, LA 70115 JCC Book Club - The Complete Stories Printed for the first time in English, this compilation of 85 short stories by famed Brazilian author Clarice Lispector, presents all the stories that made her a legend. No charge members and nonmembers ì Date: March 23, 2017 Time: 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
New Orleans JCC - Uptown 5342 St. Charles Avenue New Orleans, LA 70115 COMMANDER'S PALACE LUNCHEON For many years Robert Kohlmann sponsored an elegant luncheon at Commander's Palace for the JCC senior community. We will continue to honor his memory at this year's luncheon. Reservations are limited and required by Thursday, March 16 to Rachel Ruth. No charge members and nonmembers. Contact: Rachel Ruth Phone: 504.897.0143 Email: rachel@nojcc.org ì
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If your group has an event that you would like for us to include on the Community Calendar please e-mail the information to jewishnews@bellsouth.net. All submissions are subject to acceptance by the Editor. ì Date: March 26, 2017 Time: 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Goldring-Woldenberg JCC Metairie 3747 W. Esplanade Avenue Metairie, LA 70002 JCC SUMMER CAMP REUNION - METAIRIE JCC SUMMER CAMP REUNION - METAIRIE It is almost time for Summer Camp! Join us as we host our annual JCC Summer Camp Reunion. There will be familyfriendly activities, music, and lots more! Lunch will be served. All Ages No charge members and nonmembers Contact: Terrance Perkins Phone: 504-887-5158 Email: terrance@nojcc.org ì Date: March 30, 2017
Time: 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
New Orleans JCC - Uptown 5342 St. Charles Avenue New Orleans, LA 70115 Movie Day: Frida Julie Taymor directs this Oscarwinning biopic of painter Frida Kahlo (played by Selma Hayek), focusing on her often rocky relationship with husband Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina) and her controversial political and sexual reputation (she was a communist and openly bisexual). Movie snacks will be served. RSVP by Monday, March 27 to Rachel Ruth at 897-0143 x161 or rachel@ nojcc.org. No charge members and nonmembers Contact: Rachel Ruth Phone: 504.897.0143 Email: rachel@nojcc.org ì
Table of Contents Community Events
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Chai Lights
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Community Highlights
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Holiday Features
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Education
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Bookshelf
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Sports
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Afts & Culture
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Health
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The Nosher
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Focus on Issues
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National
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Kveller
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Israel Under Radar
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INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIANS AND JEWS URGES UNITY TO COUNTER LATEST WAVE OF ANTI-SEMITIC ATTACKS
The Fellowship collects over 10,000 signatures for statement against anti-Semitism The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (The Fellowship), which has 1.6 million Christian donors in North America and around the world, issued a statement today condemn-ing the latest wave of anti-Semitic attacks nationwide and urging Christians and Jews to build bridges in response to hatred. The statement came as The Fellowship also connected with more than 1.8 million Christians via social media against a recent spike in anti-Semitic and other hate crimes nationwide and collected more than 10,000 signatures condemning anti-Semitism. “We have heard from so many of our Christian brothers and sisters expressing their pro-found dismay at the recent rise of anti-Semitic and hate crimes nationwide, and offering their love and support. Hatred only reinforces our mutual determination and resolution to continue building bridges between Christians, Jews, and other faith communities, each and every day, to counter anti-Jewish bigotry,” said Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, president and founder of The Fellowship. The Fellowship’s social media campaign urges Christians to support and sign a statement condemning the ongoing surge in anti-Semitism and hate crimes, while urging respect for religious tolerance in America. The Fellowship plans to ultimately present the Christiansupported statement to President Donald Trump. The statement, titled “We stand with the Jewish community against anti-Semitism” and posted on The Fellowship’s Facebook page, said: “As a Christian and supporter of
Touro Synagogue Mazel Tov to... Andi Lestelle on becoming President of the Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana Sherril Herman on the birth of her granddaughter Mia Be Slaine Andi and Terry Lestelle on the birth of their grandson Grey James Friesenhahn THE
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The Fellowship, I stand with the Jewish people as they en-dure rising attacks and displays of antiSemitism in America and abroad. Never again will we remain silent in the face of such threats. We stand side by side with our Jewish brothers and sisters in deploring the attack on the Jewish cemetery in St. Louis, threats to Jewish Community Centers, and other such attacks. We declare that there is no place in America for hatred, even as we pledge to build bridges of love, healing, and unity in our nation.” Four waves of bomb threats have targeted Jewish Community Centers across the country in recent weeks and officials nationwide have recorded a spike in anti-Semitic vandalism and other hate crimes. Vandals damaged some 200 headstones at the Chesed Shel Emeth Ceme-tery in Universal City, Mo., just outside St. Louis, last week, drawing national attention, while on Saturday a playground and elementary school in the Buffalo suburb of Orchard Park was defaced with swastikas and other ant-Semitic graffiti. On Sunday, meanwhile, vandals dam-aged 100 headstones at the Mt. Carmel Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia. The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (The Fellowship) was founded in 1983 to promote better understanding and cooperation between Christians and Jews, and build broad support for Israel. Today it is one of the leading forces in helping Israel and Jews in need worldwide – and is the largest channel of Christian support for Israel. Led by its found-er and president, Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, The Fellowship now raises more than $140 million per year, mostly from Christians, to assist Israel and the Jewish people. Since its founding, The Fellowship has raised more than $1.3 billion for this work. The organization has offices in Jerusalem, Chicago, Miami, Toronto, Seoul, and Sao Paulo. For more information, visit www.ifcj.org.ì Rachel and Ward Bowron on the birth of their son Leon James Bowron and to grandparents Nancy and Steve Timm, great grandmother Majorie Bissinger Emily and Zach Kupperman on the birth of their daughter Lauren Hyatt Kupperman and to grandparents Mara and Stephen Kupperman, and great grandmother Dotty Jacobs.ì
Chai Lights ChaiLights features announcements of births, B'nai Mitzvahs, engagements, weddings, and honors. To request your special event be published in The Jewish Light send your material to United Media Corp., P.O. Box 3270, Covington, LA 70435 or e-mail jewishnews@bellsouth.net. Events are published on a first come, first served basis, as space permits. Photographs are welcom; professional ones preferred. The must be clear and in focus. ì
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Chabad
Mazel Tov to... Jim and Sabina Altman, on the bris of Jim's GREAT-GREAT GRANDSON today, in Houston. The baby was named Gabriel Moshe Altman, and we expect great things from him, as befitting the fifth living generation of the Altman family. May he grow to a life of Torah, family, and good deeds. Parents, Baruch & Hila Fogel and to big brother, Meir Michael Fogel on the birth and brit milah of Moshe Yosef Fogel! Rob Steinberg and Patrice Jones on their engagement! Henry & Susan Rosenblat on the birth of fraternal-twin grandchildren, Riley Claire & Gavin Joseph Rosenblat! ì
Mazel Tov to... Shloimie & Tzivyah Greenwald upon the birth of their son. Special Mazel Tov to the grandparents, Uzzi & Rivkah Kehaty. Baruch & Hila Fogel upon the upcoming Bris of their son. Simon & Linda Waknin upon the engagement of their daughter Shirley to Matthew Levine. Rabbi Yossie & Chanie Nemes upon the upshernish of their grandson Mendel Slaviticki. Eli & Toby Lew upon the Bar Mitzvah of their son Yitzi. Special Mazel Tov to the grandparents, Morris & Malka Lew and Mrs. Blesofsky. Rabbi Yossi & Rivky Chesney upon the birth of their son. ì
Gates of Prayer Mazel Tov to... Karen Davidson, on the birth of her grandson, Cooper Mason Davidson. Parents are Robin & Carey Davidson. Darrah & Ben Caplan, Julie & Mike Green and Carrie & Austin Marks, who recently graduated from the Jewish Federation’s KatzPhillips Leadership Development Program. John Shalett for his recent election as Vice-Chair of the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners. Brooke & Jonathan Weinstein, Kathy & Neil Rabin, Elaine Rabin and Louis Stern on the birth of their son, grandson and great grandson, Eli Samuel Weinstein. ì
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Temple Sinai Mazel Tov to... Jamie Reimer and Mike Aloia on their recent wedding and to the entire Reimer family. Kelley and Guy Brenner on the engagement of their daughter Becca to Frankie Grooss. Frankie is the son of Robyn Honquest and Frank Grooss. EllenRae Shalett on being awarded a “20 year pin” by the National Association of Temple Administrator. The Besthoff family for Katz and Besthoff being named one of the 300 for 300 for the New Orleans Tricentennial..ì
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Life CYCLE
(CONDOLENCES)
If you have a condolence that you would like for us to include in Life Cycle please e-mail the information to jewishnews@bellsouth.net. All submissions are subject to acceptance of the Editor. ì
Chabad
In Memoriam Dr. David Kaufmann
Temple Sinai
In Memoriam Our deepest sympathies for the loss of Irwin Isaacson, husband of Julanne Isaacson, father of Beth Israel Walter Isaacson and Lee Isaacson, Condolences to... Claire Katz, Philip & Ruth stepfather of Kit Haspel, Judy Katz and Larry & Nita Katz on Haspel and Tom Haspel. the loss of husband & father, Leonard “Boo” Katz. To Carla & Adam Jacob on the Touro Synagogue loss of Carla’s grandfather, Howard Touro Synagogue extends its Margol. deepest sympathies to the families and friends of... In Memoriam... Gates of Prayer Norberto Schor friend of Ana Condolences to... and Juan Gershanik Tamara Jacobson on the death Rose Phillips Mendlinger of her brother, Sydney Warren cousin of Morris Phillips. Kluger. Burton Wade brother of Woody Katie Dunn on the death of her Widofsky. father, Tony Tranchina. Gerald Donald Baker father of Jill Israel.
Happy Passover... ...to all My Jewish Friends Julie Stokes
Representative, District 79
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Send editorial to us via e-mail at jewishnews@bellsouth.net or reach us by phone at (504) 455-8822. Our mailing address is United Media Corp. P.O. Box 3270, Covington, LA 70434 • To place advertising in THE JEWISH LIGHT, call United Media Corp. at: New Orleans (504) 455-8822 Northshore (985) 871-0221 Baton Rouge (225) 925-8774 THE JEWISH LIGHT carries Jewish Community related news about the Louisiana Jewish community and for the Louisiana Jewish community. Its commitment is to be a “True Community” newspaper, reaching out EQUALLY TO ALL Jewish Agencies, Jewish Organizations and Synagogues. THE JEWISH LIGHT is published monthly by United Media Corporation. We are Louisiana owned, Louisiana published, and Louisiana distributed. United Media Corporation has been proudly serving the Louisiana Jewish Community since 1995. Together, we can help rebuild Louisiana. We thank you for the last 22 years and we look forward to an even brighter tomorrow.
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David Kaufmann OBM - A Loss for New Orleans by Rabbi Mendel Rivkin It is with a heavy heart and profound sadness that I share the news of the passing of community leader, my fellow (senior) Shliach, family friend and longtime neighbor, Dr. David Kaufmann. Dr. Kaufmann was one of the first (if not the first) people to get involved with Chabad in 1975 when my parents arrived in New Orleans. While pursuing gradu-ate studies at UNO and later Tulane, he also pursued his other passion, Jewish learning. David was a regular at our home and entertained us kids with songs and stories. He always had a pipe and a chess board handy. After marrying Nechama and starting their family; and completing his PHD in English at Tulane, David and Nechama joined the staff of Chabad as Shluchim to New Orleans. For years they directed Camp Gan Israel and then also became the directors of Chabad’s activi-ties on Tulane’s campus. David also spearheaded the highly popular Chanukah @ Riverwalk program and continued to coordinate it until recent years. His true love was learning, especially Chassidus and the teachings of the Rebbe, which he shared at every opportunity. David had a profound influence on many people as a Shliach, teaching and inspiring in his unique manner, and also as a professor of English and Jewish studies at Tulane. For years he led a Tanya study group with a diverse group in attendance. His classes on the Rebbe’s “sichos” (talks) were much anticipated. I will take the liberty of sharing that he developed a deep friendship with Mr. Bill Norman and they continued their weekly study ses-sions all through David’s illness until very recently, and even then David was talk-ing about resuming as soon as he reclaimed his strength. He was influential in the growth of Torah Academy serving in many capacities over the years, not the
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least of which was Chess Club instructor, once leading the club all the way through the tournaments, nearly to the top of the city rankings. David was an author of many books spanning several genres. He was also a trans-lator and an editor. He was a pioneer in using the internet and email for Jewish outreach, through which he developed a relationship with the legendary online Jewish figure, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Kazen. For years, Dr. Kaufmann authored the Slice of Life section in the weekly L’chaim Newsletter published by Lubavitch Youth in New York. All of the above aside, most central to David’s life was being a Chosid and Shliach of the Rebbe, and of course, his family. He deeply regarded the Mitzvah of honor-ing parents. His pride and joy were his wife, children and grandchildren. This past summer, Dr. Kaufmann stood before us at Project Talmud, and bravely spoke about Faith in Times of Crisis. It was – at times – an emotional presentation that strongly impacted the listeners. We all had hoped that it would be strictly a rear-view mirror perspective. Alas, it was not meant to be and this morning our community suffered the loss of one of our best. Our hearts are broken for the loss but even more so for Nechama and their chil-dren, Saadya (Chaya Sarah), Rachel (Mendy) Traxler, Shmuel (Rivky), Chaya (Ber-ry) Silver, Yosef (Chana), Chana (Yaakov) Hellinger, and Devorah Leah. May Ha-shem comfort you among the mourners of Tzion and Yerushalayim and may we very soon experience the Geulah, the time when “death will cease forever and Hashem will wipe the tears off every face.” We wish to extend condolences to Toni Weiss and Gary Remer upon passing of her father, Kurt Strauss. I remember him coming to Chabad on occasion with Toni to say Kaddish after his wife's passing and he always seemed like a person who made the most of life. He passed at the age of 95. May his memory be for a bless-ing to the whole family. Shabbat Shalom Rabbi Mendel Rivkin ì THE
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Wishing you and your family a Happy Passsover! Judge Desirée M. Charbonnet Municipal Court
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Hadassah Stands with JCCs Against Anti-Semitism Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America, stands in solidarity with our friends and partners at local JCCs throughout the USA. The recent acts of anti-Semitism that have negatively impacted and threatened activities at the JCCs affect young and old, Jew and non-Jew alike. Terror and threats do not discriminate when they wreak havoc. Hadassah is proud to partner with the JCC Association in bringing preventative health programs to communities around the country. We look forward to strengthening our bonds with local JCCs and to continuing our support of this valuable institution. They do not stand alone.
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Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc. 40 Wall Street, New York, NY 10005 www.hadassah.org Purim/Passover 2017
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Community Highlights
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Gates of Prayer
Louise Hayem Manheim Nursery School
Gates of Prayer Presenting
March 31-April 2 Musician-in-Residence
Friday, March 31 8:00 pm Erev Shabbat Services with Kol Simcha
Saturday, April 1 10:30 am Shabbat Morning Worship 5:30 pm Living Room Concert at Kevin and Janet Krane’s home for Dor Ha’Bet (Baby Boomers) 8:00 pm Concert @ New Orleans Jazz Market for TRIBE (20’s and 30’s)
Sunday, April 2
10:00 am Family Concert Preceding the Nursery School Fundraiser ì
Happy Passover to all of our friends and customers from...
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John Manzella
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9 THINGS Continued from Page 1 taschen. Spokesman Nachman Shai’s “reassuring tones earned him the sobriquet 'National Valium,'" while Israel was being pelted with Iraqi missiles, according to a JTA report at the time. That year, while many costume-makers avoided the temptation to make Saddam Hussein costumes (it would be like a Hitler costume, one vendor told JTA), bakeries hawked “Saddamtashen,” which “look andì taste exactly like hamantaschen.” (Julie Wiener is managing editor of My Jewish Learning.) ì
Community members, You have shown strength, resilience and determination in response to the bomb threats that have plagued our JCCs over the last two months. Your tireless com-mitment to maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for all people in the community is inspiring. It's time we demand that our government agencies work as hard as you are to put an end to this hate. It's time that we made that call. Visit JCCA.org/one-call. Find the number of your government representative and follow our script to demand that the Department of
Homeland Security, FBI (U.S.) and Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the RCMP (Canada) act swiftly to put an end to these threats and the rise of anti-Semitism in North America. It's takes less than five minutes to make the call and make your voice heard. Share this campaign with your friends, family, JCC members and with the greater community. Threats against the JCC are threats against the entire community. #IStandWithTheJCC, JCC Association Let Your Voice Be Heard ì
Happy Passover...
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...to all My Jewish Friends Representative John “Jay” Morris III District 14 THE
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Community Events
JEWISH LIGHT
JCRS PRESENTS
HONORING THE FORMER AND CURRENT LEADERSHIP OF JCRS
APRIL 1, 2017
NEW ORLEANS HYATT REGENCY
Dinner created by Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts Music by the NOCCA Jazz Ensemble reserved tables & sponsorship opportunities are available now for information visit www.jcrs.org or toll-free 800-729-5277
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Community Highlights
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Rabbi Nathaniel Share Religious School Planting an Olive Tree for Tu B’Shevat!
Louise Hayem Manheim Nursery School The Butterfly Class loved their visit with Sergeant William Jones.
Sergeant Jones came to talk to the class about community helpers.
Coach Bag Bingo at Gates of Prayer is back! Saturday, April 8, 7:00 pm $25 for Sisterhood Members, $30 Guests. 10 bingo games, 10 NEW Coach Bag prizes! Wine, cheese, desserts served to all participants. Please RSVP to JenniferDaley at jdsports27@hotmail.com to reserve your spot!
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13 Kitschy & Weird Purim Gifts for the Entire Family
Holiday Features
By Joanna Valente
Purim is almost upon us. It starts 4. Purim Lollipops (gluten free & the evening of March 11 and ends vegan!), $24 at Etsy. the evening of March 12. This basi5. Purim dolls, $18.99 at Amazon. cally means it’s that fun time of year 6. Purim Basket (Mishloach where you and your kids get to Manot) Kit for 10 Bags, $24 at dress up, eat candy, and give a Etsy. mishloach manot (Purim gift bas7. Foam Purim Masks Set of 3, ket) to your friends and family. Oh, $11.34 at Amazon. and think about dictatorial oppres8. Purim Stickers, $3.99 at Amazon. sion, state-sponsored racism, and 9. Purim Cookie Cutters, $5.99 at different ways of resisting that Amazon. oppression of course. (Boo, Haman.) 10. Purim Puppets, $17.95 at AmaBecause of the costumes and carzon. nivals, Purim paraphernalia is some And now here are some of the of the most out there of all the Jew- weirder Purim items I’ve found on ish holidays. So to honor that spirit, the internet (because c’mon, what’s I rounded up some of my favorite the internet without a little weird?): cute, silly (and just plain strange) 11. Purim Pinata, $29 at Amazon. Purim stuff that your entire family It apparently holds 3 lbs. of will get a kick out of. I mean, who toys and candy (which you doesn’t want Purim cookie cutter have to purchase separately). and hamantaschen lollipops? Hmm… First, the cute and silly: 12. Purim License Plate, 12.99 at 1. Purim Princess outfits, $29.99 Amazon. at Etsy. 13. Purim Knock Out Haman Pen, 2. Hamantaschen Earrings, $24 at $4.49 at Amazon. This one Modern Tribe. apparently lights up. I think it 3. Queen like Esther shirt, $39.99 perplexes me the most. ì at Modern Tribe.
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Wishing my many friends & supporters in the Jewish Community a happy Passover.
Candice Bates-Anderson Judge Juvenile Court, Section C
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Jews celebrating Purim in Brooklyn. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
(Kveller via JTA) -- When I explain Purim to those less familiar with the holiday, I tell them It’s kind of like Jewish Halloween. Not so much because of the history and story behind each (Purim has no ghosts), but related to the joyful spirit, costumes, food and fun. Full disclosure: My neighborhood doesn’t celebrate Halloween in the way other areas decorate with cobwebs, spiders and screaming doormats. In my little suburban neighborhood nestled in Silver Spring, Maryland, the population is predominately Orthodox. I might be a bit of an outsider with my cultural Jewish upbringing and unaffiliated interfaith family, but luckily our ‘hood doesn’t check your synagogue membership at all. The arms of the community are always open, especially this month. In our community, we celebrate Purim with hundreds of kids running from house to house. Bedazzled with costumes of Batman and Mordechai, they load in and out of cars, dropping off and picking up mischloach manot, holiday gift baskets. We have a large street in the neighborhood that closes off to have a “Purim on Fulham” festival that is driven by the folks who live on that long block. The celebration doesn’t stop there. There are also countless carnivals and events held nearby. My kids love assembling the mishloach manot, handing them out to a neighborhood in a candied frenzy state. My husband, the engineer, marvels at the endless creative themes of the mishloach manot, ranging from international food themes to playon-words baskets, along with Lego groggers and gourmet hamantaschen. The excitement mounts in my house as my children stuff the paper bags and draw on the outside of the sacks—and it’s only matched by the myriad of moon bounces that pop up on street corners.
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For us, it’s a fun day. The fact that we don’t do the more observant part of the holiday — like attend a Megillah reading or fast beforehand — is inconsequential. People welcome us regardless, but like any neighborhood, it’s a two-way street in respect. We are careful to make sure the mishloach manot include the diverse food items needed for differing blessings, and that everything has clear kosher labels. Purim is a joyful holiday. Our joy is increased by bringing kosher wine to the meals we are invited to and by our friends translating the blessings into English for us. In addition to Purim, while my husband and I often work on these holidays that are deemed of the utmost significance in Judaism, our Orthodox friends don’t judge us or make us feel wrong. There is such a deeply rooted understanding that we all celebrate our Judaism and other holidays in our own respective ways. Purim by nature is an interfaith holiday: Esther saves the Jewish people by teaching tolerance to Ahasuerus to save her people and have them coexist together in Shushan. I feel that same spirit of inclusion daily in our neighborhood. In a conventional neighborhood, people are united simply by geography. Literally, of course, we share a ZIP code, garbage day pickup schedule, a post office and the same unfortunate power grid in winter storms. But a neighborhood can be so much more than a regional district. It’s a shared identity. In a close-knit community, people are united by common goals, collective activities and group events that give the residents a sense of true belonging. Nowhere was this more apparent than in the countless instances witnessed over the past years and the holiday season. My neighbors have opened their homes, hearts and kitchens to us during the holidays, and for Shabbat meals. When someone has a sick family member, the neighborhood provides food. Neighborhood Facebook pages exist for toy and costume swaps as well as “I just need See INTERFAITH on Page THE
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10 Tips For a Less Stressful Passover By Duby Litvin
(My Jewish Learning via JTA) -- Passover requires a great deal of preparation, especially if you are making your home kosher for Passover. These 10 tips will help you organize and prioritize, so you can enjoy the holiday. 1. Don’t wing it, plan it Planning is imperative. Think of your house as your corporation and you are its CEO. You are in charge. Just like a big company would plan out its functions, you also want to work on “Project Passover.” When you have a plan in place, things will go much smoother. 2. Delegate to your team, including children As CEO it is your job to delegate and supervise all the tasks. The
more you delegate the better off you will be. If you can afford it, hire a cleaning person to help. Have your spouse or a teenage son or daughter take care of the shopping. Even if you think the job is small and easy, the less on your plate the better. The best thing with children under 6 is to have someone else take them out of the house, so you can clean without them underfoot. Older children can handle small jobs, such as wiping down toys and surfaces. In the kitchen, these little helpers can do peeling, juicing, cracking nuts or other introductory jobs. Know what your child can or can’t handle and let him or her feel important. 3. Passover cleaning vs. spring cleaning Imagine sitting down to a beautiful Passover seder – the house is sparkling clean, the chandeliers are glistening, the windows are sparkling -- and you’re falling asleep. While it’s lovely to have them sparkle and shine, chandeliers and windows are not imperative to making your home kosher for Passover.
Passover cleaning is any place that there’s a very good chance that food was brought in. If you know there was no food brought there, then it doesn’t have to be cleaned. Even food that’s been stuck on the wall, if it’s more dirt than food, it doesn’t have to be scrubbed. For something to be considered chametz, it needs to be edible and accessible. 4. Poor man’s bread or bread that makes us poor For those buying only foods certified kosher for Passover, the holiday can be very expensive. But you don’t have to make matzah or other processed foods mainstays of your meals. Instead, focus on in-season fruits and vegetables. Before heading to the supermarket, create a menu and shopping list, then stick to it. 5. Don’t buy an entire kitchen your first year If you are making your house strictly kosher for Passover, you will need to pack away your yearround dishes and cookware and replace them with Passover ones. However, you can build up your
Passover collection gradually. Start with just the few crucial items the first year and each year buy a few more things 6. Your best friend is your list From a cleaning to-do list to detailed shopping lists, from lastminute reminders to menus, lists will save your life. Don’t let the mental to-do list overwhelm you – get it all down on paper and rest assured nothing will be forgotten. Keep everything in one place (or on your smartphone). 7. Passover doesn’t have to be Pinterest worthy While many people believe everything has to be picture-perfect, simplifying can make your life much easier. Plan a new and fancy dish here and there if it gives you pleasure, but don’t feel like you must. Where possible, cook things in advance and freeze them. 8. Leave the bitterness to the maror The last thing you want is to have a chip on your shoulder when See 10 TIPS on Page
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Wishing our friends at the Jewish Community Center a Happy Passover
9 8 5 - 6 2 6 - 4 4 3 1 • D o n a h u e Fav re t . c o m
Jewish Community Center Additions and Renovations Illustration Courtesy of Mathes Brierre Architects March 2017 Ad.indd 1
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The 5 (or so) Habits of Successful Seder Leaders By Edmon J. Rodman
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LOS ANGELES (JTA) -- What kind of leadership style works best for a seder? During a period when we are experiencing a shake-up in national leadership, you may want to re-examine the relationship that exists between leader and participants at the Passover meal. Though seder leaders and participants are not elected, there is still a seder mandate that governs your relationship: Everyone present -- the wise, the wicked, the simple, and even the one who does not know how to ask a question -- are all involved in the evening’s proceedings. Attending a Passover seder remains an “extremely common practice” of American Jews, according to Pew Research Center, with approximately 70 percent participating. Despite its broad mandate, however, meaningful seders rarely function as true democracies. The seder is a complicated undertaking with symbolic foods, actions and storytelling, and on this night that is different from all others, the call is for an assertive leader who can guide a tableful of guests through a sea of ritual needs. Since Passover is an eight-day holiday of freedom, and the seder a celebration of the going out from Egypt, you may think the people are clamoring for a democratic free-form kind of dinner — from chanting the kiddush to singing "Chad Gadya." But after leading a family seder for over 30 years, my experience has been that if I give everyone a free hand to comment and question, and the seder runs long, revolution erupts, with the guests vigorously chanting “When do we eat?” And if I try to rule the table with an iron kiddush cup, my poll numbers plummet, especially among the restless, 20-something contingent, who start texting madly under the table, presumably plotting a resistance. Defying typical political alignment, I have found that on the nights when the seder works -when most every question has been asked, and tradition and innovation have been shared -- my style of leadership has fallen somewhere between being a benevolent dictator and a liberal talk show host. I say “benevolent dictator” because it is part of the leader's job
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to find a way for everyone to retell the Passover story and ultimately exit the slavery of Egypt -- even though they may not necessarily feel the need. Going around the table urging guests to share the reading is one way, and calling up guests beforehand to discuss and assign a specific section of the seder is another. Especially for whoever is going to lead the Four Questions -- at our table, usually the youngest who can read Hebrew -- it helps to ask them personally beforehand rather than springing the task on them on the night of the seder. Such quiet lobbying helps reorient one from being an audience member into one, as the Haggadah says, who can see themselves as if they had left Egypt. As “liberal talk show host,” I get that the Haggadah is filled with questions that must be questioned as well. I once opened a seder by asking, “What does it mean when the Haggadah says: 'Let all those who are hungry come and eat with us?'” Especially in a year such as this one, where even benign conversation is abuzz with politics, there are going to be varying responses, from the bitter, like maror, to the sweet, like charoset. At the time, you may not think that these opposing points of view are what binds a seder together, but recall that in the Haggadah, when the five rabbis are sitting in Bnei Brak telling and interpreting the story of the Exodus, each has something different to add, and it is the whole of their interpretations taken together that heightens our understanding of the text. Those not leading but participating in the seder, don’t think that you are off the hook in setting its tone. In his book “Keeping Passover,” Ira Steingroot points out that being a seder guest “doesn’t mean that you have to be the life of the party or a maven (authority), and you certainly do not want to monopolize the conversation, but you have a role to play in the drama of the seder.” In fact, it is your responses and feelings that determine whether everyone at the table makes it past the plague of ennui. To aid in that quest, be sure you are following See SEDER LEADERS on Page THE
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Education Best Wishes for a Happy Passover
Thank You For Your Support.
Sheriff Tony MancuSo
THE
Security at Summer Camps: What You Need to Know By Ben Harris
Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office 5400 East Broad St. • Lake Charles, LA 70615 (337) 491-3600
Best Wishes to my many Jewish friends and constituents for a happy Passover! Marlin Gusman Orleans Parish Sheriff
Wishing my many friends & supporters in the Jewish Community a happy Passover
Judge Joe Landry
Municipal and Traffic Court of New Orleans, Section D
TATE OF
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Staff at Camp Harlam in Pennsylvania, one of the Union for Reform Judaism's 16 summer camps. Pre-camp staff training is critical when it comes to security, according to experts and camp directors. (Courtesy of Camp Harlam)
(JTA) — Chicagoan Christie Tate isn’t one to be easily cowed. A lawyer and writer, Tate lives with her husband and two kids on the city's South Side, which has seen a surge in violent crime over the past year. Last year, her kids got a day off from school because of an active shooter threat. Over the summer, someone was murdered in her alley. But while Tate doesn’t want to change her lifestyle out of fear, the recent spate of bomb threats at Jewish community centers across the country gave her pause as she considered whether to send her kids back to a JCC camp this summer. “I don’t believe that we should go running and alter our lives and our summer plans because of threats,” Tate told JTA. “But then when I was doing my research, I saw the pictures of the kids standing on the sidewalk during a bomb threat, having been evacuated — it just became more real. I just thought, 'Oh my God.' I was swayed by that, which is probably a problem.” Despite the wave of recent threats against Jewish institutions, coupled with a spike in anti-Semitic activity in recent months, no one has been seriously injured by a security breach at an American Jewish summer camp. The worst incident many camp leaders could remember was in 2012, when a group of intruders drove through a religious camp in Pennsylvania yelling anti-Semitic slurs and damaging property. But many Jewish camp leaders aren’t taking any chances. “The foundation of our success is all about the sacred trust that exists between our parents, our campers and our communities and our camps,” said Paul Reichenbach, director of camping and Israel pro-
grams for the Union for Reform Judaism, which operates 16 summer camps across the country. “Parents have to have confidence that the people and place to where they’re going to send their children, in whom they’re going to entrust their children, has as their highest priority their child’s welfare.” As with many Jewish summer camps, the Reform movement’s security efforts were beefed up significantly following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001. The movement launched a security manual for their camps, created specific job requirements for camp safety personnel and established protocols for responding to a range of threats. It also retained the services of an Israeli security firm, which recommended security improvements from entrance gates to lighting and video surveillance. The camp’s security protocols are reviewed and updated annually. Many involved in security at Jewish camps say that training and advance preparation are key — perhaps even more important than guards or barriers, both of which are increasingly common. Among the preparedness steps camps are taking: the development of protocols that determine who does what in the event of an emergency. Preseason security training for camp staff has become commonplace. Camp leaders are also strengthening their relationships with local law enforcement, and many law enforcement agencies conduct annual site visits to familiarize themselves with the camp environment and provide advice. “In the end, it’s all about training,” said Jeremy Fingerman, CEO of the Foundation for Jewish Camp. “Training itself builds awareness. You can never train enough. By continuing to train you’re building that sort of level of awareness.” Security at summer camps presents a number of unique challenges not faced by urban Jewish institutions, which typically have a defined perimeter and controlled access points. Camps are open, their borders often marked by little more than a tree line, and everyone involved in their security acknowlSee SUMMER CAMPS on Page
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Bookshelf
JEWISH LIGHT
How Purim is a Call to Leadership
Happy Passover...
By Abigail Pogrebin
"My Jewish Year: 18 Holidays, One Wondering Jew" (Courtesy of Fig Tree Books)
(JTA) — Purim is a dark story marked by a crazy party. I’m still unsure why a close brush with extermination became, in the Middle Ages, an opportunity for costumes and farce, but there you have it. It’s the fifth century BCE, about a hundred years after the First Temple’s destruction. The Jews who were exiled to Babylon are now ruled by the Persian king Ahaseurus, who thinks highly of himself. In the city of Shushan, the king’s adviser, Haman, is a cruel Jew-hater. He hatches a plan to kill all the Jews and draws lots (“purim”) to pick the day it will happen, persuading Ahaseurus to go along. A proclamation is made throughout the kingdom: On that day, all Jews shall be killed. A Jew named Mordechai entreats his cousin, the gorgeous Queen Esther, to prevent it by pleading for mercy with her husband the king. Esther was married to Ahaseurus essentially against her will. He chose her out of a bevy of prospective wives at a banquet after banishing his then-wife, Vashti, who refused to display her beauty for his guests. (Some say she refused to dance naked.) Esther’s Jewish roots were kept secret when she married the king, so for her to now entreat her husband would mean exposing her Judaism — not to mention that in those days it was life threatening to approach the king without having been summoned. Nevertheless, she plucks up the courage, successfully appeals to her THE
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husband and foils the massacre. The king kills Haman and his sons, and then, because the proclamation could not officially be canceled according to Persian law, the Jews can only defend themselves with a preemptive strike. Some say they took self-defense too far, slaughtering 75,000. Purim’s modern observance, at least in Reform synagogues I’ve visited, does not focus on that brutal coda, highlighting instead the reenactment of cruel Haman and courageous Esther. The ritual is to read aloud the story from a scroll of parchment known as the megillah, which has the biblical book of Esther inscribed on it. The narrative is then often theatricalized with wacky costumes in a play called a spiel — pronounced “shpeel.” Whenever Haman is mentioned during the satire, people “boo” vigorously or spin noisemakers, called groggers, to drown out his name. Purim is, hands down, the biggest party of the Jewish year. Simchat Torah pales by comparison, with its sips of single malt. This is the Big Megillah (wordplay intended), and we’re supposed to get so trashed that we can’t tell the difference between Mordechai (good guy) and Haman (really bad). I decide to sample some of the elaborate spiel-prep under way in New York City, so I spend an evening watching rehearsals at the Stephen Wise Synagogue on the Upper West Side of New York City, where congregant Norman Roth, 76, a retired accountant, has been writing and directing the shul’s spiel for the past three decades. Some of his past triumphs line the stairway in colorful, theatrical show posters with titles like “Michael Jackson’s The Thriller Megiller,” “Les Mis — Les Megillah,” and “Oh What a Spiel — The Jersey Boys Megillah.” This year’s theme is Elvis. One of Roth’s lyrics riffs on “Blue Suede Shoes,” when the king tells Haman, “Don’t you step on my Shushan Jews.” Roth takes great pride in his spiel scripts. And he points out that in his librettos, Haman never dies. “We have very few men in the See LEADERSHIP on Page
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...to all My Jewish Friends Louis Fitzmorris
Assessor St. Tammany Parish
Best Wishes to my many Jewish friends and constituents for a happy Passover
Charlie Kerner Justice of the Peace
Jefferson Parish 3rd Justice Court Happy Passover
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Sports
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This Women's Sport You've Never Heard of is Taking Israel by Storm By Andrew Tobin
TEL AVIV (JTA) – Every week, thousands of women across Israel gather to play a sport almost no one outside the country has heard of. For that matter, few Israelis knew about catchball – or “cadur-reshet” in Hebrew -- a decade ago. But in recent years it has become the most popular sport among adult women in the country, with nearly all the players over 30 years old. “It’s like a disease among middle-aged women here,” said Naor Galili, the director-general of the Maccabi sports association in Israel. “We like it. We love it. We fully support it.” Now the Israel Catchball Association is trying to spread the feminist fever to women around the world. A major step will be catchball’s appearance for the first time at the Maccabiah Games in Israel this summer. The hope is that the thousands of Jews who attend the
multi-sport games from around the world will be inspired to ask: What is catchball? Catchball is like volleyball, but easier because catching and throwing replaces bumping, setting and spiking. Israelis adapted the sport from Newcomb ball, which was named for the Louisiana women's college where it was invented over a century ago. Today, Americans rarely play Newcomb ball outside of gym class. Meanwhile, catchball leagues in Israel boast more than 12,000 female members. That is twice as many adult women as belong to basketball, soccer, volleyball and tennis leagues combined, according to data from Israel's Culture and Sport Ministry. Hila Yeshayahu, 41, plays for the Herzliya-based squad Good Heart and handles marketing and business development for the Catchball
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A match at the Israeli catchball tournament in Kfar Saba, Feb. 21, 2017. (Courtesy of the Israel Catchball Association)
Association, to which the team belongs. She said women start playing catchball because it is fun and easy -- and stick with it for the sense of community and personal empowerment. “Catchball is a present women give themselves. It’s a chance to do something healthy with other women and come back home with more strength and more passion,” she said. “When I step out the door in my uniform, my kids aren’t on my shoulder; my husband isn’t on my shoulder. I’m 18 years old again. I’m Hila, and I can do anything.” Yeshayahu's twin sister also competes for a team in the association, and their 11-year-old daughters play together in a new girls' league. On a Tuesday evening, Yeshayahu and her team faced off against A.S. Moment at a high school gym in Ramat Hasharon, not far from Herzliya in central Israel. The crowd consisted of a few husbands and sons on the sideline. But the atmosphere was competitive, with a referee, scorekeepers and players wearing numbered uniforms. When A.S. Moment won two sets to none, Good Heart players slumped onto the court, and several tearfully threw their knee pads toward the bench. (The first two sets are scored up to 25 points, while a third set in the best-of-3 match would go to 15. The victor must win a set by at least two points.) Good Heart coach Liron Shachnai, 34, a marketing and sales manager by day, said most of her players have little experience losing. Competitive sports in Israel are male-dominated, she said, so women do not have the opportunity to learn sportsmanship growing up. “You have women who are over 40 going home crying, saying [the
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opposing players] think they’re better than us,” she said. Still, by the next practice Thursday evening, the players were looking toward the future. It helped that this weekend, they will compete in the Catchball Games in the southern resort town of Eilat. The tournament is catchball’s biggest event and a highlight of the year for many players. "You should see all the photos they're posting on Facebook. They can barely wait," Yeshayahu said. In its sixth year, the Catchball Games are expected to draw more than 1,500 women from all of Israel's leagues, and even a few teams from abroad. Leaving their husbands and children at home, women will don pink Israel Catchball Association T-shirts for four days of competition and socializing. Local schools will host hundreds of matches, and the top two teams will face off for the championship. Offcourt festivities will include a parade, Eilat’s first night road race and a standup comedy show. Alexandra Kalev, a sociology professor at Tel Aviv University, says the success of catchball in Israel can be seen as a challenge to the roles women have traditionally played in the country’s sport and culture. Women’s sports in Israel are underfunded and little covered in the media, and women are expected to work and handle most household responsibilities. “Catchball can empower women, especially at a stage in life when they are weakened,” Kalev said. “They are discriminated against in the labor market, overwhelmed by home chores and child rearing and experiencing the changes that age See WOMEN'S SPORT on Page THE
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This is Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Workout. Spoiler Alert: It’s Ridiculously Hard. By Gabe Friedman
Ruth Bader Ginsburg at an event at the Temple Emanu-El Skirball Center in New York City, Sept. 21, 2016. (Michael Kovac/Getty Images)
(JTA) Ruth Bader Ginsburg isn’t getting any younger. As the Jewish Supreme Court justice comes up on her 84th birthday next month, many of her fans are praying that she lives through the Trump presidency. It isn’t hard to tell how Ginsburg herself feels about the current political situation. In an interview with the BBC last week, she avoided mentioning President Trump by name — as she did last July, when she was harshly criticized for lambasting the former real estate magnate before the election — but said that the U.S. is not “experiencing the best of times” right now. She also said she is worried about the freedom of the press, argued that the current Congress is “not working” and praised the recent Women’s March on Washington. But she has already been a darling for a long time among liberals — who have recently started begging her to eat more kale and keep track of her bone density so that she might have a better chance of staying on the court for at least the next four years. There is one thing that should calm these nervous RBG supporters: Twice a week, she completes a grueling, all-body workout devised by a former army reserves sergeant. On Monday, Politico’s Ben Schreckinger published a first-hand account of what Ginsburg’s workout feels like. He met with Ginsburg’s personal trainer, Bryant Johnson — who also trains the court’s other
Jewish justices, Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan — and completed the Ginsburg workout in an excruciating 90-minute session. “I’m no athlete, but I’m young and reasonably fit. I thought the workout would be pattycake, but it was much harder than I expected,” Schreckinger wrote. Below is an outline of all the exercises Schreckinger mentions in his article. It may not make you wise enough to decipher a federal court case, but it will likely make you stronger. (Although, if you complete it while watching “PBS NewsHour,” like Johnson says Ginsburg does, you may have a pretty good grasp of current events.) The RBG workout (All exercises include three sets of 10-13 repetitions) • 5 minutes on the elliptical • Stretches • Machine bench press (Ginsburg, who is 5’1” and thin, presses 70 pounds) • Leg curl machine • Leg press machine • Chest fly machine • Lat pull down machine • Seated rows • Standing rows • One-legged squats • Push-ups (Ginsburg started doing them against the wall, but progressed to doing them on her knees and now with straight legs) • Standard plank (30 seconds) • Sideways planks (30 seconds on each side) • Hip abduction exercises • Squats against exercise ball and wall • Dumbbell curls against exercise ball and wall • Platform step-ups • Squats on an upside-down bosu • Medicine ball tosses while standing up off of a bench and sitting back down. ì
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Arts & Culture INTERFAITH Continued from Page 12 one thing from Costco,” which comes in handy more times than you can count. One such helpful example was when I needed to bring my older son to the emergency room when my husband was out of town for business. I posted a message and within minutes, friends showed up to babysit. I recently heard a community described as a circle to which you feel you belong. If you’re away, that circle will miss your presence; it reaches out to you when you’re absent, and you long for it when you’re not there. We are happy to celebrate another Purim here. Our minivan will brim with hamantaschen and smiles. Happy Passover from...
Carol A. Stuckey, DDS Specialty of Orthodontics
As we drive up the streets sharing in the festivities, we celebrate in our own way, and our neighbors in another. And I know that just as we get pumped up to celebrate Purim, our friends and neighbors will be excited to see my interfaith family’s Easter egg hunt just a few weeks after we put away the groggers and masks. Because that’s how we, as a community, roll. (Dana Marlowe champions people with disabilities in the workforce and for accessible technology innovation as the principal partner of Accessibility Partners, LLC. She is the creator of Support the Girls, a charitable organization that accepts donations of bras, tampons and maxi pads for homeless women.) ì Best wishes to our many friends!
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Purim/Passover 2017
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JEWISH LIGHT
NEW YORK (JTA) — The book is large and fits comfortably on a lap. The color photographs nearly fill each page. Each image depicts real people doing everyday Jewish things — a young girl eating matzah ball soup; a bubbe and her grandchildren lying in the grass; a man wearing tefillin, praying. The sentences are in large print; they are simple ("Mother says the blessing over the candles") and easy to read. But the book is not for young children learning how to read, nor is it for parents to introduce Judaism to their preschoolers. Rather it is designed for those suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive type of dementia that causes a slow decline in thinking, memory and reasoning. The book — a series of independent pictures and captions — requires no memory to read and follow along, allowing those with memory-loss issues to enjoy and engage with each image on its own terms. “L’Chaim: Pictures to Evoke Memories of a Jewish Life,” by Eliezer Sobel, is probably the first book of its kind — a Jewish-themed book created explicitly for adults with Alzheimer’s or dementia. “There’s such a richness to Jewish content and imagery and history and culture,” Sobel, 64, told JTA. “There are so many Jewish people in Jewish nursing homes, and Jewish families with loved ones who have dementia.” Sobel's family is among them. The author took inspiration from his mother, Manya, 93, a refugee who fled Nazi Germany and has suffered from Alzheimer’s for 17 years. As her memory deteriorated, her language slowly disappeared with it, Sobel said. Eventually, a few years ago, it seemed gone for good. However, “One day I walk into
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the living room, and she was thumbing through a magazine, reading the big print headlines aloud, correctly,” he recalled. “I said, ‘Omigod! Mom can still read!'" Sobel, who lives in Red Bank, New Jersey, said he headed to the local Barnes & Noble to get her a picture book for dementia patients. “It seemed like the most obvious thing in the world,” he said. Instead, he learned that such a thing didn’t really exist. After unsuccessful trips to bookstores and searches online, Sobel called the National Alzheimer’s Association. He said the librarian he spoke with on the phone was stumped at first — she said that while there were more than 20,000 books for caregivers, she didn't know of anything for the patients themselves. Eventually the librarian turned up a few books for Alzheimer's patients: Lydia Burdick has a series of three books for adults with the disease, including "The Sunshine On My Face." In subsequent years a few more have appeared, such as those by Emma Rose Sparrow. Still, the market for such products is very small, even though some 5.8 million Americans have Alzheimers, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Inspired, Sobel — a writer (previous books include the novel "Minyan: Ten Jewish Men in a World That is Heartbroken") and leader of meditation and creativity retreats — published his first book for adults with dementia, “Blue Skies, White Clouds: A Book for Memory-Challenged Adults” in 2012. Like "L'Chaim," the book is a series of large color photographs of things like birds, trees and babies with captions such as "The baby is fast asleep" and "Snow covers the trees." “If patients see the pictures, say the names of the pictures, make some comments or are in any way affected by the books, that’s a good thing, period,” David Teplow, a professor of neurology at UCLA, told JTA. (Teplow provided a blurb for "Blue Skies": "It certainly appears to be necessary to fill a void in this area of publishing, namely the realistic representation See ALZHEIMER'S on Page THE
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NOSHER
Compost Cookie Hamantaschen Recipe
(food)
By Shannon Sarna
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil • additional crushed cornflakes,
(Nosher via JTA) — If you’ve never made compost cookies, but you love desserts that are a little salty and a little sweet, this cookie (and hamantaschen) are for you. Do a quick Google search for “compost cookie” and you will come up with dozens of recipes. But the original compost cookie was born out of the genius dessert brain of Christina Tosi of Milk Bar, one of my baking heroes. The recipe for her famous cookie (and cakes and crazy desserts) can be found in her cookbook, which I adore and highly recommend for those who love baking projects. I'm a huge fan of classic hamanastchen dough filled simply with jam or Nutella. But I wanted to get a little crazy with the actual dough this year, which is where the compost part comes in. In Tosi’s famous cookies, she adds cornflakes, pretzels, potato chips and even coffee grinds. You know, like you add the coffee grinds to your compost? It’s sort of an “everything but the kitchen sink” sort of cookie The cookies are complex, fun and absolutely delish. Get creative and crazy with your toppings because, after all, it’s Purim. Ingredients: For the dough: • 1 cup butter (or margarine) • 1 1/4 cup sugar • 2 teaspoons vanilla • 2 tablespoons milk or almond milk • 2 eggs • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder • 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour • 2 tablespoons crushed potato chips • 2 tablespoons crushed cornflakes • 1 tablespoon coffee grounds For the filling: • Nutella, dulce de leche or cookie butter For the toppings: • 1 cup white chocolate chips THE
JEWISH LIGHT
potato chips, cookie crumbs or sprinkles Directions: In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter until creamy. Scrape down sides of bowl and add sugar. Beat again until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla and milk. Scrape down sides again. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, crushed cornflakes and crushed potato chips. Note: I recommend crushing the potato chips and cornflakes in a food processor to get them very fine, but you can also crush them in a plastic baggie using a mallet or rolling pin for coarser crumbs. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until dough comes together. Scrape dough from bowl and form into 2 rounds. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Preheat oven to 400 F. When ready to bake, roll out dough onto lightly floured surface until 1/4 inch thick. Cut dough into rounds and fill with 1/2 teaspoon filling (either chocolate spread, cookie butter or dulce de leche). Pinch up circle into triangles very tight. Place on baking sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper and pop in freezer for 10 minutes. Bake for 7-9 minutes. Allow to cool completely. In a small, microwave-safe bowl, melt white chocolate chips and vegetable oil in 30-second intervals, stirring vigorously between until completely smooth. Dip part of each cookie in chocolate and place on top of a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Add sprinkles, crushed cornflakes, potato chip or cookies on top if desired. Allow chocolate to set completely before storing in airtight container. (Shannon Sarna is the editor of The Nosher.) The Nosher food blog offers a dazzling array of new and classic Jewish recipes and food news, from Europe to Yemen, from challah to shakshuka and beyond. Check it out at www.TheNosher.com. ì www.thejewishlight.org
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Focus Issues
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on
JCC Bomb Threat Probe Hindered by Tech Disguises By Ben Sales
NEW YORK (JTA) -- A person calls a Jewish institution, makes a bomb threat and hangs up. The call lasts no more than a minute, the caller’s voice is disguised and the call is made to look as if it came from inside the building. How do you catch the culprit? That’s the question the FBI is facing in investigating the 65 bomb threats that have hit JCCs and Jewish federations in three waves throughout January. The latest string of threats, targeting 17 JCCs across the country, occurred Tuesday. The first waves came on Jan. 9 and 18.
Paul Goldenberg, director of the Secure Community Network, which advises Jewish groups and institutions on security, said even if the caller is one person in a room somewhere, technological advances have made identifying the perpetrator much more difficult. “They’re sophisticated enough to leverage technology on their behalf,” he said. “They're using a machine that masks their voice. They’re using a technology that allows them to look like they're calling from the inside.” None of the threats appeared to be credible, and JCCs largely were able to evacuate and resume business as usual. But security experts, including former FBI agents, said that the bureau would still take the threats seriously. “It’s a hate crime, and they’ll throw all the resources they can at it,” said Jim Hartnett, a former FBI supervisor who now serves as director of security for the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. “They have the technology. It may take some analysis and some resources. They’ll be successful in pursuing and identifying the individual or individuals that are behind this.” Now the FBI has to figure out how to get there by overcoming the technological disguises adopted by callers. Brenda Moxley, former assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s criminal branch in Miami, said that investigating phone calls used to mean tracing a landline, a relatively simple procedure in comparison to the present. A Jan. 18 call made to a Jewish institution obtained by JTA used a voice disguise and lasted one minute. The caller said the bomb was placed inside a bag, threatened to kill Jews and hung up. “If you compare this to things that would have happened years
Happy Passover to my many friends and colleagues from...
Judge Ethel Simms Julien Civil District Court Division N
22 Purim/Passover 2017
ago, technology has changed,” said Moxley, who now serves as director of community security for the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. “Technology has advanced in ways that make it hard for law enforcement to keep up with.” The FBI won’t comment on ongoing investigations, but spokeswoman Samantha Shero told JTA that the investigation would start with agents speaking to the people who received the calls, then pooling information among states. Retired FBI supervisor Paul Vecchi told JTA that the key to such investigations is getting as many details about the call as soon as possible. It’s incumbent on the person who took the call, Vecchi said, to record as much as they can. Agents can then analyze the caller’s word choice, tone and any background noise, such as sounds from a kitchen or a city street. These steps help, he said, even if the origin and voice of the caller is unknown. If agents can associate the caller with a militant group or network of criminals, they may be able to fill in the pieces. “It’s all about the behavioral analysis and determining what we call a behavioral sign -- behavior that can be actually attached to a person or group in order to do what we have to get somewhat of a characteristic of the bomber,” said Vecchi, who is now an assistant professor of criminal justice at Missouri Western State University. “Someone who doesn’t speak English as a first language will say things that are not quite right English-wise.” Goldenberg said he’s optimistic the person or people who made the threats will be caught. But the FBI is still investigating bomb threats to Jewish institutions in two Florida cities a year ago. The statute of limitations on bomb threats is five years. Even if there are no leads, it
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doesn’t mean agents will abandon the search. The case will reopen, Vecchi said, as soon as a new bomb threat comes in. “If it’s just basically a guy calling, that’s documented in the files and it’s in the system,” he said. “Then, when the next one comes in, the investigation stays open." ì
AIRPORT REPORT Continued from Page 2 The selections will now be presented to the New Orleans City Council for approval before being officially recognized as the food and beverage selections for the North Terminal. The two packages selected will bring a mix of local and national brands that passengers are sure to appreciate. Great local chefs will bring their unique flavors to the new facility bringing the New Orleans essence to passengers traveling through the Airport. As the first and last representation of New Orleans for most visitors, it is very important for our airport to reflect New Orleans and Louisiana in a way that makes its residents proud. We are confident that the new North Terminal will do just that. Mark Reis, Interim Director of Aviation for Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport may be reached at airport@flymsy.com. Check your local listings for the air time of the Armstrong International Airport 30 minute television program, “Airport Alive” or view it on the airport website, www.flymsy. com, by clicking on the “Airport Alive” link on the “News and Stats” page. You can now follow the airport on facebook.com/MSYAirport and Twitter @NO_Airport. To find out how to be a volunteer at the airport, click on “Ambassador” on the airport’s website homepage. ì
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on Issues
For JCCs Threatened Three Times, Stockpiling Blankets, Diapers and Resilience By Ben Sales
The Gordon JCC in Nashville is one of three Jewish institutions that has received three bomb threats since the beginning of 2017. (Courtesy of Gordon JCC)
(JTA) -- Growing up in a small town in Georgia, Harriet Shirley may have had more exposure to Jews and anti-Semitism than the rest of her fellow Christians. She had Jewish acquaintances, read Holocaust nonfiction as a teen and later visited concentration camps on a trip to Europe. But she was still dumbfounded when the Gordon Jewish Community Center in Nashville, Tennessee, where she worked as the health and wellness director, received three separate bomb threats since Jan. 9. Shirley had assumed antiSemitic violence was a thing of the past -- a notion her Jewish co-workers did not share. “Honestly, it makes me angry,” she said. “It also makes me sad. I recognize that a lot of my co-workers have had to live with this stuff their whole lives. It just makes me sad. “It’s so unfortunate and so stupid that this kind of hatred against any group still exists. We really ought to be past this" Since the beginning of 2017, nearly 100 bomb threats have been made to more than 70 JCCs and Jewish day schools across the United States. For most, the threat is a one-time event. But the Nashville JCC and two others -- in Birmingham, Alabama, and Wilmington, Delaware -each have endured three. All three were hit on Jan. 18, when at least 30 JCCs across the country were victimized. Nashville and Birmingham were part of the first wave on Jan. 9, and Birmingham and Wilmington were hit in the last one on Monday. All the calls in five waves of threats have been hoaxes. The JCCs report that members are still entering the doors. But for THE
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staff, the repeated threats have been a shocking and exhausting experience that at times has made everyday work a challenge. "It's trying, it's stressful, it's everything the people behind these telephone threats want to happen," said Seth Katzen, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Delaware, which shares a building with the Wilmington JCC. "But we stay vigilant, we stay on task, we follow protocol, we follow procedure. I'm sure it's on the back of people's minds, but we're a resilient community. We will not let this get to us." In all three facilities, nearly all the members have stayed despite the bomb threats. In Nashville, only one of 1,600 members has dropped their membership due to the threats. In Birmingham, two of 200 preschoolers have left the school. Katzen said to the best of his knowledge, none of the more than 100 students had left the Wilmington JCC's preschool. Leslie Sax, executive director of the Nashville JCC, attributed its high retention rate to its security procedures, which were first formulated following the 9/11 attacks in 2001. The building is removed from a busy area, and a guard is always present near the preschool. In addition, Sax has sent emails out to members following each of the five waves of JCC bomb threats, whether or not her facility was targeted. “We always struggle: Are we too secure for friendliness?” Sax said. “It’s that balancing act we all have to do. We want to be welcoming, but we also want to be secure.” Even as the JCC has tried to maintain its routine, Sax has noticed people making adjustments to deal with the threat of an evacuation. The JCC has stockpiled diapers and formula for preschoolers, as well as blankets for swimmers. Some swimmers now leave their car keys near the pool instead of in the locker room. And to stay in contact with the media, Sax has learned to take her phone charger with her in case she needs to exit the building. “To go for a fire drill, you know to leave the building and congregate,” Sax said. “But when you
don’t know if you’re going to be able to go back in the building, you think about what exactly are we going to need to bring?” All three of the most-targeted JCCs are in relatively small Jewish communities. But neither Sax nor Betzy Lynch, executive director of the Levite JCC in Birmingham, feels that they’ve been targeted due to their size. “I’m going to make the assessment that it’s probably coincidental,” Lynch said. “I don’t know if there’s any rhyme or reason to why people are chosen or how they're chosen. Maybe it’s just random and we got the short straw multiple times.” Lynch said the community’s intimate feel has been an advantage in dealing with the threats. Birmingham’s Muslims, whose mosque recently received death threats, have also reached out, organizing a recent interfaith prayer rally together with the Jewish community. “This community is incredibly resilient,” Lynch said. “The outpouring of support we’ve had from the general community as well has been phenomenal. Birmingham is an incredibly generous and philan-
thropic and faithful community.” Shirley, the Nashville health director, said she continues to be shocked by the threats. In the meantime, she’s tried to use them to teach her 14-year-old twins about the experience of being a minority in the United States. “[I’m] trying to explain to them that even though we don’t really recognize it, our heritage, our family group, is one of privilege in a way,” she said. “We’re not part of any of those groups that’s the focus of hatred.” ì
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Happy Passover to all my friends in the Jewish Community, thanks for your continued support! Belinda Constant Mayor City of Gretna
Wishing my many friends & supporters in the Jewish Community a happy Passover.
Paul Hollis State Representative, District 104
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ADL: Juan Thompson's Arrest Alone Won't Stop 'Unprecedented' Wave of Anti-Semitism By Ben Sales
Juan Thompson on a panel for BRIC TV in Brooklyn, June 24, 2015. (You Tube/ BRIC TV)
NEW YORK (JTA) -- Thanking the FBI and police for the arrest of Juan Thompson, who allegedly made eight bomb threats to Jewish institutions, the AntiDefamation League called the current wave of anti-Semitic acts "unprecedented." Call Our Trained Experts & Experience the Difference
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"Law enforcement at all levels is a close friend to the Jewish people in America," Evan Bernstein, ADL's New York regional director, said at a news conference Friday. "Just because there's been an arrest today around our bomb threats does not mean that the threats have disappeared or will stop." Earlier in the day, sources told the media that Thompson was a "copycat" and that the investigation continued into finding the hoaxers behind the dozens of other bomb threats reported since January. The news conference was convened after law enforcement announced Friday that Thompson had been charged in connection with the deluge of bomb threats received this year by Jewish institutions. Thompson, 31, of St. Louis, allegedly made bomb threats to JCCs, Jewish schools and an ADL office as part of his cyberstalking of a former romantic partner. The ADL and several other Jewish groups had met Friday with FBI Director James Comey. According to a statement from the groups in attendance, which were not listed but included the ADL, the Jewish Federations of North America and the JCC Association of North America, the meeting concerned recent anti-Semitic acts and collaboration between Jewish institutions
and law enforcement. "All the organizations in attendance expressed the deep gratitude of the entire community for the extraordinary effort that the FBI is applying to the ongoing investigation," the statement said. "The representatives of the Jewish community left with the highest confidence that the FBI is taking every possible measure to resolve the matter as quickly as possible." According to statistics compiled by the New York Police Department, anti-Semitic acts have nearly doubled in early 2017 as compared to one year earlier. The ADL said that due to the reach of the internet and the quantity of recent bomb threats, white supremacists are more emboldened than ever. "We're in unprecedented times," said Oren Segal, director of the ADL's Center on Extremism. "We've never seen, ever, the volume of bomb threats that we've seen. White supremacists in this country feel more emboldened than they ever have before because of the public discourse and divisive rhetoric." In total, more than 100 Jewish institutions, mostly JCCs, have received bomb threats since the beginning of the year. The last two weeks saw vandalism at Jewish
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cemeteries in Philadelphia, St. Louis and Rochester, New York, as well as two more waves of bomb threats called into JCCs, schools and institutions across the country, representing the fourth and fifth waves of such harassment this year. No explosive device was found after any of the calls. The ADL called on President Donald Trump to take action against anti-Semitism, including by directing the Department of Justice to launch a civil rights investigation into the threats, and by creating a federal interagency task force on combating hate crimes chaired by the attorney general. "We need action to stop these threats," Bernstein said. "History shows that when anti-Semitism gains the upper hand, courageous leaders need to speak out and take action before it's too late." Segal said the ADL has been tracking Thompson, a disgraced former journalist, since he fabricated the identity of a cousin of Dylann Roof, the gunman who killed nine at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015. On its Twitter feed Friday, the ADL posted information gleaned from the U.S. Attorney's complaint and media portraying Thompson as a former journalist -- he was fired from his job at the online news site The Intercept for inventing quotes and sources -- who had recently "became more hostile to whites in general." According to the ADL, he has posted inflammatory tweets about white police officers and the "white New York liberal media." ì
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5 Things You Can Do Right Now to Help Your Local JCC
Kveller
By Jordana Horn
(Kveller via JTA) — My mother swims at the JCC. These days, she packs a “go bag” with all of her stuff to bring to the pool in case she is evacuated in her bathing suit by a bomb threat. It doesn’t seem unlikely. This is not what America should be. “Well, what can I do?” people ask me. They feel powerless. Let me tell you this: You are not powerless. Here are five things you can do to stand up against hate today. 1. Join your local Jewish community center. Today, I am joining my local JCC. I am not a member, but I think it is time I became one to show my solidarity. By the way, you can join regardless of whether or not you are Jewish — they have a great gym, pools and classes, just like a YMCA or YWCA, and welcome everyone. Join at the cheapest level as a gesture of support. Tell the membership people exactly why you are doing it. Post a picture of yourself at the JCC, or holding your new membership card, and explain why you’re a new member. Kindness can go viral. 2. Support other communities going through pain. There is a GoFundMe, for example, for the families of Alok Madasani and Srinivas Kuchibhotla, the two Indian men shot by a white racist in Kansas; there is also one for Ian Grillot, the young man who went after their shooter and was shot himself. A small amount is nothing to be ashamed of — think of it as your coffee money. The perpetrators and victims may vary, but the hate is all the same, whether directed at us as Jews or Hindus or Muslims or anyone else. You can also give a donation to the Anti-Defamation League or another anti-hate group in honor of someone special in your life. Be public about your donation, posting about it on Facebook or THE
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Instagram or Twitter or whatever, to show that you are stepping up. Explain why, too, so that someone else can get the idea and do the same. 3. Call your representative in Congress at their local and Washington offices. A friend of mine offered this suggestion, and I think it is a great one: Ask [your representative] to issue a statement condemning the JCC bomb threats. While we can’t expect much from a president openly hostile to all religious minorities, we can ask for more on a state level – and hope that strong words and actions may provide a deterrent. Tell your representative to speak out on behalf of their Jewish constituents. Urge them to conduct an investigation against bomb threats in their state — 18 states had bomb threats one day recently. Here’s a short script: "My name is (NAME) and I’m your constituent from (ADDRESS, ZIP CODE). I’m urging the Representative to make a statement against the rising tide of bomb threats against Jewish institutions across the country and in our state [if you live in a state that had a bomb threat] and to urge an investigation in [city where the threat occurred]. Please show your patriotism through solidarity with a community that is now living in fear of violence.” 4. Talk about it socially. Don’t act like nothing is happening. That silence is part of what sows the seeds of fear — when people who are not affected (non-Jews, non-Muslims, non-Indians, whomever) turn a blind eye and pretend nothing is happening. IT’S HAPPENING. Talk about it everywhere – online and in reality. Show that you are an ally to those who are suffering. 5. Write a note. Take five minutes out of your day and write an email. You could write to the staff of the JCCs who had to hold the hands of 3-year-olds being evacuated, all the while terrified that they would lose their own lives. You could write to the ADL and thank them for doing the good work of standing up against hate. You could write to a parent whose child was evacuated, just reaching out to
make sure they are doing OK, to show them that they are not alone and have your support. You could write to a friend who is a minority, saying “I realize it might sound strange, but I wanted you to know that amid all this hate, I have your back. You are not alone. You are my fellow American, and I am with you.” I went to the zoo the other day with my kids and saw a sign on a tree that said, “It takes 200 years for a tree to grow to this size; it takes 20 minutes to chop it down.” So often, it can seem like acts of hate or violence or evil or treachery are more powerful than acts of love because they happen quicker and are more violent. But they are not because acts of love and kindness are so meaningful, they are what make life worth living. (Jordana Horn is a contributing editor to Kveller. She is a journalist, lawyer, writer, mother of six, travel aficionado and self-declared karaoke superstar.) Kveller is a thriving community
of women and parents who convene online to share, celebrate and commiserate their experiences of raising kids through a Jewish lens. Visit Kveller.com. ì
Happy Passover to my friends & supporters in the Jewish Community!
Wesley Bishop State Senator District 4
Happy Passover to my many friends in the Jewish Community. Thank you for your continued support! Constable Tasso “Tiger” Taylor III St. Tammany Parish, Ward 3
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Israel Under Radar
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These Upscale Israeli Hotels are Only for New Moms and Babies By Debra Kamin
TEL AVIV (JTA) — The pedestrian bridge is drenched in sunlight and has the soft fragrance of baby powder. Like the hotel it leads to, it’s exclusive and hard to find — you have to get directions ahead of time, then maneuver the elevator system of the crowded, chaotic building next door. In the lobby, a woman smiles as she lounges with her husband on a burnished leather sofa, admiring a table of gifts set before her. At the front desk, a staffer in a crisp black suit clicks away at her keyboard. In the dining room, waiters are preparing a buffet lunch with bowls piled high with produce, local cheeses, marinated olives and fresh fish. The 26-room hotel — its beds fluffed with down pillows and plush duvets, and sparkling en-suites with gleaming tile, rainforest shower heads and elegantly arranged toiletries from the Dead Sea — is so popular that it's completely booked
nearly every day. In every room, a woman luxuriates in privacy and comfort. And at every woman’s side, often in a plastic wheeled bassinet, lies a newborn boy or girl. Welcome to Baby Lis, a private hotel adjacent to Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv that caters exclusively to new mothers and their newborns. There are four such maternity hotels in Israel — better known to pregnant women and new parents as “milonit,” or "baby hotels." The hotels are part of a unique network of maternal support and pampering that sets Israel apart from many other countries when it comes to the treatment of postpartum women. Israeli mothers enjoy three months of government-mandated maternity leave and new legislation allows paternal leave for their partners. But for those who choose to and are able to pay extra, a few nights in the milonit after giving birth help launch women into new mother-
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hood with an extra dose of luxury. “I want the women to feel like they are staying at Carmel Forest Spa, but with a baby,” says Baby Lis manager Natalie Hurvitz, referring to the exclusive northern Israeli resort known for, among other things, hosting Bar Refaeli’s 2015 nuptials. “I just want them to be calm, for everything to smell good.” Israel's three other milonit are Hadassah Baby hotel in Jerusalem, which is run by and sits on the campus of Hadassah Ein Kerem; Baby Assaf, which is run by the Assaf Harofeh Medical Center in Tzrifin; and Sheba Baby, which sits on the first floor of the obstetrics department at Chaim Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer and is managed by the hospital. What makes the Ichilov Hospital’s Baby Lis hotel unique is that it’s private -- owned and operated by the Vital Hotel chain, it is considered the country's most luxurious baby hotel. As a result, it has a price tag to match: One night in a basic private room at Baby Lis will run a new mother about $423, which includes three gourmet meals a day. (Rooms at Hadassah Baby, by contrast, can be reserved for as little as about $211 per night, with a three-night minimum stay; a meal plan is optional.) Sheba Baby, which opened more than 17 years ago, was Israel's pioneering baby hotel. At its inception, it was also a private hotel. Baby Assaf, meanwhile, is the youngest of the bunch, having opened in 2013. Each hotel is different — Alexandra Foigel, the manager of Baby Assaf, for example, said her property offers an experience more akin to a quaint bed and breakfast than a posh resort. “We only have 17 rooms, and our atmosphere is like a tzimmer,” Foigel said, referring to the cabin-style guest houses that Israelis flock to for countryside vacations. “Our rooms feel less like a hotel room and more like a home," she added. "We have wonderful porches with great breezes, every woman gets personal attention and care, and the atmosphere here is small,
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A standard room at Baby Assaf, outfitted with an open-air patio and a rocking chair for nursing mothers. (Courtesy of Baby Assaf)
loving and homey.” For the hospitals, having a maternity hotel on site makes economic sense, Hurvitz said, because hospitals make money from insurers every time a woman gives birth, and an onsite maternity hospital helps draw in women. Health care in Israel is statesponsored and mandatory, and full coverage comes at a low monthly fee. Every citizen must pay into one of the nation’s four health maintenance organizations, and the government-designated “health basket,” by law, demands that all four HMOs fully cover the cost of a hospital birth, as well as basic prenatal care. But many Israelis opt to pay slightly higher monthly fees, generally between $11 and $27 per month, for supplemental coverage, referred to in terms like “gold,” “platinum” and “complete” by the health-care organizations. These packages include perks like subsidized acupuncture and expanded prescription plans, as well as an option to be reimbursed for part of the cost of a stay at a milonit. (The reimbursement option can also be applied to services like genetic testing, amniocentesis and postpartum care.) Most supplemental insurance will cover the cost of one night at Baby Lis, or two at the less expensive hotels. The average stay is two to three nights, although some women stay as long as a week, often asking that family members contribute toward the cost in lieu of traditional baby gifts. “I stayed two nights, but I would have stayed three or four if someone had gifted it to us,” said Rachel Schonwald, a Texas native who now lives in Tel Aviv. When it came time to deliver her son Gilad last spring, she chose to give birth at Ichilov in large part because of Baby Lis. See HOTELS on Page THE
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What Does Forced Heirship Mean? In Louisiana, Civil Code article 1493 states that for a person to claim to be a forced heir of a decedent, they would have to prove the following conditions1. That they are the child (natural or adopted) of the decedent. And; 2. That they were 23 years old or younger at the time the decedent died. Or; 3. That they are permanently incapable of taking care of themselves because of a mental or physical incapacity. The question of Forced Heirship is only raised if the individual has been disinherited by the decedent. In other words, the decedent did not leave their child an inheritance, or in the common language, “They were cut out of the will.” Disinherison as this is called, must be written expressly in the will and for one of eight just causes. Louisiana Civil Code Art. 1621 states that the following are valid reasons for the disinherison of children; (1) The child has raised his hand to strike a parent, or has actually struck a parent; but a mere threat is
not sufficient. (2) The child has been guilty, towards a parent, of cruel treatment, crime, or grievous injury. (3) The child has attempted to take the life of a parent. (4) The child, without any reasonable basis, has accused a parent of committing a crime for which the law provides that the punishment could be life imprisonment or death. (5) The child has used any act of violence or coercion to hinder a parent from making a testament. (6) The child, being a minor, has married without the consent of the parent. (7) The child has been convicted of a crime for which the law provides that the punishment could be life imprisonment or death. (8) The child, after attaining the age of majority and knowing how to contact the parent, has failed to communicate with the parent without just cause for a period of two years, unless the child was on active duty in any of the military forces of the United States at the time. If none of the above have occurred, the disinherited child has
a claim as a forced heir and can ask for a share of their parent’s estate. The portion is equal up to 25% of the value of the estate. Of course, the best way to assure that your estate is distributed according to your wishes is to have a comprehensive estate plan. Your
estate plan should be done with the assistance of an attorney who is experienced in estate planning and who can discuss the variety of options available with wills and/or trusts. -Woody Keim, Estate Planning Attorney ì
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Best Wishes for a Happy Passover! The Honorable Erroll G. Williams Orleans Parish Assessor’s Office www.nolaassessor.com
2016 – 17 MONTAGE FINE & PERFORMING ARTS SERIES UPCOMING EVENTS LOYOLA INVITATIONAL CHORAL FESTIVAL: GALA CONCERT March 18, Roussel Hall
BOSTON BRASS WITH THE LOYOLA UNIVERSITY WIND ENSEMBLE April 1, Roussel Hall
Free of charge
Tickets available at loyno.edu/events
THE SPITFIRE GRILL – A MUSICAL March 24 – 26 & March 30 – April 1 Lower Depths Theatre
AMERICAN VOICES: CONTEMPORARY CHORAL WORKS April 3, Roussel Hall
Directed by C. Patrick Gendusa Tickets available at loyno.edu/events
University Chorus and Chamber Singers present music by Samuel Barber, Dan Forrest, Eric Whitacre, Morten Lauridsen, and other American composers. Free of charge
For more information & tickets, please visit loyno.edu/events
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Sobel's mother arrived in the U.S. at age 14, shortly after Kristallnacht in 1938. Though she escaped of images and ideas for people with Germany with her immediate fammemory and cognitive impair- ily — her grandmother was left ment.”) behind and died in a labor camp Plus, Teplow added, “There are — she remained scarred by her lot of Jewish people who have experiences and raised her kids to Alzheimer’s disease and other be wary of outsiders. dementias. Certainly it’s an impor"Fair Lawn, New Jersey, was tant project for the Jewish commu- kind of like 'Leave It To Beaver' — nity.” perfectly safe and lots of Jewish For Sobel, having a Jewish- families," Sobel said of his homethemed follow-up to "Blue Skies" town in the New York City suburbs. was a bit of a no-brainer. "But my mom kept an axe under the "It seemed natural to me," he bed when my dad wasn't home." said. "It's who I am; who we are. The family kept kosher; they had Especially my mother, the history Friday night Shabbat dinners and of her Holocaust experience — it Sobel attended synagogue on Saturwas a big part of my growing up, days with his father. how she and her family got out, "My mother's idea of keeping what they experienced." Shabbat was she didn't clean the house; she'd do something she enjoyed," he recalled. "We'd drive — but not past the rabbi's house." Sobel said that while he and his mother "were at loggerheads for a lot of my adult life," when her Alzheimer's set in, she was released from her terrible memories. "It was almost a blessing to be around her; someone who radiated Good-looking leather will get you a lot of attention. However, leather needs a lot of attention to stay good looking. love and welcoming to Bring your leather and suede handbags, pocketbooks to everyone," he said. "I was Liberto Cleaners and we’ll restore them to their freed up to feel and former glory and keep them looking new. express my love for her, (504) 861-7812 which had been bottled 8128 Willow Street • New Orleans, LA 70118 up since my teenage years." The books, he said, seemed to provide her some comfort and — just as important — entertainment. Sobel's father, Max, took care of his mother until he fell and suffered a traumatic brain injury himself three years ago, on their 67th wedding anniversary. (He died in November.) "I watched my father, tearing his hair out, looking for things to do with her," Sobel said. "There are so few resources for that. "If she enjoyed being with the book in the moment, we could do it again the next day, or the next hour. We could read it 100 times — it never got old." ì
ALZHEIMER'S Continued from Page 20
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WOMEN'S SPORT Continued from Page 18 brings on all of us. These leagues really come at the right time of their lives and allow them to be empowered. The message is: We are strong.” The rise of catchball in Israel began in 2005, when Ofra Ambramovich started Mamanet, a league for mothers in the central city of Kfar Saba, where she lives. She learned the sport from Haim Borovski, an Israeli gym teacher from Argentina. Thanks to Ambramovich's entrepreneurship, dozens of municipalities have since started their own Mamanet leagues. In her mind, catchball is primarily a mom-powered social movement. "Catchball gives mothers something for themselves, a reason to be healthy and part of the community," Ambramovich said. "And the mother is the agent of the family, so she's the perfect role model. When the mother does well, everyone benefits." In 2009, the Israel Catchball Association branched off from Mamanet in an effort to make the sport more competitive. The association welcomed non-mothers and allowed women to form their own teams rather than requiring them to participate through their children's schools -- though they maintained Mamanet's age minimum of 30. Today, the association offers leagues at four skill levels. The Israel Catchball Association claims 5,000 players, and Mamanet claims 12,500. Both groups claim superiority and dispute each other's numbers, but everyone agrees the total number of women playing is more than 12,000. It is also clear the sport is growing rapidly, and even reaching into Israel's most traditional communities. Many Orthodox Jewish women play catchball in headscarves and skirts. And there is a mostly Druze team in Daliyan al-Carmel in northern Israel. When Anaia Halabi, a 35-year-old school counselor, started the team seven years ago, it was a radical idea. "For women to leave their husbands and their children to play was a big change for the village," she said. "It is not considered suitable for women to be outside the home at night. Not all the husbands approve." But over time, Halabi said, the husbands have grown more accepting, and the local municipality began paying for a van to transport
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the team to games outside the village. At the same time, the team has arranged not to play late night games, and a three-club local league has been formed to allow women to compete without leaving the village. With the sport firmly established in Israel, the Israel Catchball Association has started looking overseas. Part of the motivation is that to qualify as an official sport and receive funding from the Israeli government, catchball must be played competitively in at least 52 countries. So far, the only leagues the association knows of outside Israel are in Mexico and the United States. But they are encouraging the sport in more than half a dozen other countries, mostly through Israeli expats. Gal Reshef, a 35-year-old Israeli lawyer, founded a catchball group in Boston in 2015 and last year expanded it into the U.S.A. Catchball Association in partnership with the Israel Catchball Association. She said the vast majority of the nearly 100 women in the Bostonet Catchball Association, as well as in the handful of other teams across the country, are Israelis. But Reshef is confident catchball will, um, catch on with American women, too. "I think in the States, the situation is the same as in Israel. If you're a middle-aged woman who didn't have the chance to play sports growing up, there are very few options," she said. "The great thing is anyone can play catchball, and it creates an amazing uplifting community." At least one Bostonet team is slated to participate in the catchball exhibition tournament at the Maccabiah Games in July. Thirty-six Israeli teams will be there, along with a couple from London and Berlin. Reshef predicted that by the time the next games roll around in four years, teams from around the world will be playing catchball in the real tournament -- and after that, maybe the Olympics. ì
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LEADERSHIP Continued from Page 17 show, so we need Haman for the closing number. We never kill him off,” he says. I ask Roth if it gives him pause to know he’s leaving out the real bloody end of the story — the 75,000 slain. “I don’t think God really let that happen,” he says. “That’s human beings writing that story, not God.” But it’s in the megillah, I point out. “It’s not in my megillah,” Roth counters. But my amusement is tempered when I remember I have to fast before this holiday. It must be embroidered on a sampler somewhere: “Before Jews party, they should suffer." The day before Purim is Taanit Esther, the Fast of Esther. This will be my fourth fast of the year, with two more to go. Taanit Esther is not in the Bible, but was created by the rabbis in the eighth century. The fast springs from the book of Esther — in the Bible’s “Writings” section — when Esther decides to prepare herself to confront her husband by fasting for a day. One Esther expert is Erica Brown, a Washington, D.C.-based author and educator. “The thing that I most admire about the Esther story,” she tells me over the phone, “is its notion of the tests that are thrown at an individual and the way in which they transform themselves as a result.” Brown continues: “Esther’s cousin, Mordechai, says to her, essentially, ‘How do you know you weren’t put in this position of royalty for exactly this moment?’ I would throw in the Sheryl Sandberg ‘Lean In’ way of looking at this, of initially having the insecurity to say, ‘I’m not the right person. I can’t do this for any number of reasons.’ You opt out of your own future. And then you have someone like Mordechai who says, ‘No, this is your time. Take advantage. Leap into that.’” I think about the challenges I’ve avoided; the moments I’ve chickened out. A few come to mind, both large and quotidian: causes I didn’t fight for (gun control), people I haven’t aided (domestic-abuse victims and Rwandan refugees), articles I didn’t pitch (a long list), physical feats I avoided (parasailing). But this holiday forces me to THE
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reflect on leadership — what it means to be thrust forward when that wasn’t your plan. Seven months earlier, I was asked by the current president of New York’s Central Synagogue if I would be interested in being considered to succeed him. The very request left me choked up. The job is not only a tremendous honor, it’s also daunting and important. I love Central in a way I never expected to love an institution. I’ve seen how clergy can deepen daily life, how a synagogue community can anchor a family. But if you had asked me back in college, when I was focused on being an actor or writer, if I thought I’d end up as a shul president, I’d have said, “In what universe?” Now this invitation feels like a blessing and a test: Can you do your part to guide a place that has challenged and changed you? Obviously, being a board president isn’t comparable to Esther’s assignment. But Judaism is always asking us to apply epic stories to everyday decisions. I say yes to Central’s president and yes to Esther’s fast, even though it’s another holiday that few around me observe. “The joy of victory in her story is so much more colorful, rich and deep when you participate in the suffering,” Brown says. “The joy that I experience every Purim is heightened by the fact that I’ve fasted and I’ve tried to put myself in that moment of risk — leadership risk — that Esther took all those years ago because so much pivoted on that one individual.” I love Brown’s term “leadership risk” because as I get older, I’ve come to see how those words are conjoined. Trying to lead is risky, but then so is not trying. Despite my mother’s feminist inculcation, I often worry that people will see audacity in my saying “I’m up to the task.” Esther reminds me to stop apologizing for myself and get on with it. Then again, she was saving lives, which is a little more pressing. (Adapted from Abigail Pogrebin’s "My Jewish Year: 18 Holidays, One Wondering Jew" [Fig Tree Books], in which journalist Pogrebrin documents an immersive, highly personal exploration of the Jewish calendar.) ì
Happy Purim!
Best Wishes to my many Jewish Friends and constituents for a Happy Passover! Kirk Talbot
State Representative District 78
Happy Passover to My Friends and Constituents in the Jewish Community Polly Thomas • Representative District 80
N E W O R L E A N S MU S EU M OF ART AND THE G ARDEN S T UDY CL UB INVITE YOU TO THE 29TH ANNU AL
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ART IN BLOOM, March 16 – 19, showcases over 100 exhibitors of spectacular floral designs. Proceeds benefit educational projects and exhibitions at NOMA and community projects of the Garden Study Club of New Orleans. Recipients of Garden Study Club grants include the New Orleans Botanical Garden, Longue Vue House and Gardens, the historic parterre garden at the Beauregard-Keyes House, rain gardens at City Park, and the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden.
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Education
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Best wishes to my friends in the Jewish community for a happy Passover. Thank you for your continued support.
Chief Judge Sidney H. Cates, IV Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans
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edges the need to strike a balance between safety and preserving the sense of freedom and openness emblematic of the camping experience. They also have to contend with an evolving security climate. While radical Muslims presented the foremost security challenge in the wake of 9/11, that is no longer the case. Many camp leaders noted the case of Anders Breivik, who gunned down 69 Norwegians at a summer camp on the island of Utoya in 2011, as well as the Sandy Hook school shooting in 2012. “My concern is not just from jihadists anymore,” said Paul Goldenberg, the director of the Secure Community Network, the organized American Jewish community’s security arm. “We’re starting to see a real uptick from the white supremacist side of the house right now. Some of these people are calling for death to the Jews. It’s pretty serious.” Goldenberg stressed that he knows of no specific threats against Jewish camps and would not hesitate to send his own grandchildren to one, a sentiment shared by many other Jewish camp directors. And while most directors contacted for this story were hard-pressed to name a single serious security breach at a Jewish summer camp, a handful of recent incidents have raised the alarm. In the summer of 2012, several intruders drove through Camp Bonim, a religious boys camp in rural Pennsylvania, according to local police who later arrested five suspects. In 2015, it was Camp Agudah Midwest, a religious camp in Michigan, where two vandals spray-painted a swastika and damaged a building, according to The Associated Press. That incident came two weeks after an attack at upstate New York's Camp Karlin Stolin, in which three teenagers threw bottles and coins at campers and staff. Officials at all three camps declined JTA’s request for comment. But security experts say the incidents only serve to highlight the dangerous level of unpreparedness at some Jewish summer camps. "If anything, the risk has continued to rise,” said Joshua Gleis, a security consultant who works extensively with Jewish institutions. “I do think that camps certainly need to continue to button up
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security as you see schools, houses of worship, community centers doing right now. Many camps are not taking the actions that I think they should. While many have been improving, I know many camps that have still not changed their security structure significantly." Camp Seneca Lake in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, isn’t one of them. On the advice of the State Police, camp owner Irv Bader now has guards check all trucks entering the camp for deliveries. The camp has also hired 24-hour armed security — “not rent-a-cops,” Bader said — and installed a network of security cameras that are monitored around the clock. At night, the camp is illuminated with high-wattage lighting. “It looks like daylight in the camp,” Bader said. “I do it because it’s necessary,” he said of his security precautions. “The world is crazy today. And you’ve got too many crazies around. It’s a deterrent." Despite the heightened sensitivity, many camp directors say the most common threat to the wellbeing of campers comes not from violent attack, but from the weather. Jamie Simon, the director of Camp Tawonga in Northern California, said she is far more concerned about an earthquake than an intruder. (In July 2013, her camp was hit by tragedy when a counselor died after a tree fell on her.) Still, the camp installed a video camera last year at its front gate so it can screen visitors remotely. Camp Tamarack in Michigan is taking the camera tool even further. New technologies allow surveillance systems to learn about normal movement in an area and send an alert when it detects something anomalous. For a camp like Tamarack, that sort of assistance is invaluable. The facility is among the largest Jewish residential camps in the country, covering over 1,000 acres and 400 structures. “It’s a force multiplier,” said Gary Sikorski, the director of communitywide security for the Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit. “You can monitor areas that would be almost impossible to monitor with an individual.” (This article was made possible with funding by the Foundation for Jewish Camp. The story was produced independently and at the sole discretion of JTA’s editorial team.)ì THE
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HOTELS Continued from Page 26 For Schonwald — like many of Israeli women interviewed for this article — the choice to shell out extra shekels in exchange for postpartum pampering was well worth it. Schonwald's son was re-hospitalized with jaundice after they had been released from the hospital and were ensconced at Baby Lis, and the experience was beyond therapeutic, she said. "It would have been so much harder in the maternity ward, not have this oasis to escape to when he was put back in the hospital,” Schonwald said. “The food and the bed were the best, and that’s really all that matters right after you’ve given birth.” All four milonit serve as a luxurious stopgap between the sterility of the hospital ward and the long, uncharted days and nights with a newborn at home. As early as 12 hours after a complication-free birth, women can be discharged from a hospital's maternity ward into the care of the adjacent maternity hotel. Once ensconced in her private room, she can either keep her baby with her or send the newborn to the onsite nursery, where hospital nurses care for the infants while simultaneously doling out pain medications for mothers and offering counseling and support for breastfeeding. It’s a model that's rarely seen in other countries. In the United States, VIP birthing suites offer celebrities and A-listers an experience that pairs spa treatments and catered gluten-free food with epidurals and water baths. In Asia, luxe “maternity hotels” transfer the entire childbirth experience into a five-star suite, giving the ultra-rich
the option to give birth amid Egyptian cotton and goose down. But the Israeli model is unique. Women give birth in the maternity ward under the care of doctors, spend a night or two recovering in a hospital ward, and then can either head home with their bundles of joy or walk next door to the hotel designed for postpartum women. While the four hotels vary in amenities and price points, they share some distinctive features: All rooms are private and, while the hospital’s nurses are on hand for administering pain medications and doctors are always on call in case of emergencies, they don’t make rounds. That means women recovering from the intense physical challenge of delivering a baby are offered the ultimate gift: sleep. Additionally, there are two or three full buffet meals, and lectures on how to bathe your baby and what to expect in the first few weeks. There are lactation consultants who offer seminars and assistance. The rooms feature rocking chairs and changing tables, and the beds are outfitted with a remote control that can raise the bottom half of the mattress (to help postpartum mothers reduce swollen ankles). For Tal Hirschbien Spector, 36, a mother of two who lives in Ness Tziona, that pampering was worth the price when she delivered her younger child, Lielle, four months ago. Spector delivered at Tel Hashomer hospital, a decision, she said, that was based in part by the presence of the milonit. “With Yonatan I was awake for three days,” she said, referring to the birth of her older child. “This time I got two full nights of sleep before coming home, and it put me in a better mindset as a mother.” ì
Wishing my many friends & supporters in the Jewish Community a happy Passover.
10 TIPS Continued from Page 13 it comes to holiday traditions. If you do feel resentful about the amount of work that goes into holiday preparations, then something needs to change ASAP. Try to shift your thinking from “yet another thing I have to do” to a place of “we have an opportunity here.” Focus on what’s most important about Passover: the seders, time with family and loved ones. 9. Have fun and create new traditions My mother-in-law makes a special orange soup for Passover, and all her grown children now make it as well, because it’s a beloved tradition. You may think, who cares, it’s just soup … or it’s just the annual Passover week trip to the park. But these are exactly the things that make Passover special. Here are some ideas to make holiday prep more fun: putting music on when cleaning, giving out prizes (to yourself as well as others) for accom-
SEDER LEADERS Continued from Page 14 along, asking questions and responding to the leader’s prompts. I have also learned that regardless of leadership style -- some of us are like Moses pointing the way, others are more like Miriam, leading through interpretation and song -- you will still need to do your homework. Whichever your style, Steingroot’s book is a great source, as well as “Passover: The Family Guide to Spiritual Celebration” by Dr. Ron Wolfson with Joel Lurie Grishaver, and" A Different Night, The Family Participation Haggadah," by David Dishon and Noam Zion. Taking my own advice, a few nights before our first encounter with all things matzah each year, I go through the Haggadah and anno-
plishing specific tasks, special new toys for the holiday, create photo contests with friends or family members of “funniest items found while cleaning for Passover.” 10. When all is said and done, get it in writing! Passover is over, and the last thing you want to do is look at one more list, let alone go through it. But hang in there and jot down what worked, what didn’t, if you bought too much matzah or not enough. Write down that new trick you came up with to help the kids enjoy the seder. You will thank yourself next year. (Duby Litvin lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her husband, Shmully, and when she is not making lists, she owns a small kosher bakery and dabbles in writing children's literature. Connect with her at MrsDuby@gmail.com or go to www.DubysPesachLists.com.) For more Passover planning tips from Duby Litvin, go to www. DubysPesachLists.com ì
tate, searching for my afikomen: a way to connect the story of traveling from slavery to freedom to the lives of my guests. One year I held up a Passover chocolate bar and referred to it as “the bean of our affliction,” calling attention to the children who are sometimes exploited to harvest cacao beans and as a way to discuss if we, too, were participating in slavery. This year to provoke discussion, before we open the door to Elijah, I plan on asking guests to imagine what would happen if the prophet, as we imagine him -- a robed and perhaps turbaned man from the Middle East -- was detained at airport customs? (Edmon J. Rodman is a JTA columnist who writes on Jewish life from Los Angeles. Contact him at edmojace@gmail.com.) ì
R. Reid Falconer
State Representative District 89 Louisiana House of Representatives
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Happy Passover from all of us to all of our friends and clients in the local Jewish Community!
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