Volume 9, Number 2 Spring 2019
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Serving the Local New Orleans, Northshore, and Baton Rouge Jewish Communities
The 50 Jews Everyone Should Follow On Twitter By JTA Staff (JTA) — In today’s world, dominated by an accelerated, unpredictable, unrelenting news cycle, Twitter remains a valuable tool for learning and sharing information. Despite forecasts of its demise — amid grumblings about its role in allowing the spread of disinformation, and predictions that a longer word count would cost the medium its punch and edge — Twitter is still central to the online conversation. In recognition of its continued relevance, we have compiled a list of 50 Jews who everyone should follow on the social network to stay informed, entertained and involved in the conversations that are most important to the contemporary Jewish community. It is important to note that this is not a list of the 50 most famous Jews on Twitter, or the 50 Jews with the most followers. Some of the people on this list have only a few thousand followers, some have over a million. What unites them all is deep, meaningful engagement with Jewish news and culture, and an ability to drive the conversations around those topics. The list is not all serious news, either: There are chefs, actors, activists and rabbis on it, too. This is our third iteration of the list (the first two came in 2009 and 2016), and we believe this version better reflects the diversity of the modern Englishspeaking Jewish community. Each short bio in the list below, which is in alphabetical order, contains a link to a more detailed description of the tweeter, complete with sample tweets and context. Happy tweeting. – Gabe Friedman Lili Bayer Reporter, Politico Europe Bayer sends valuable and often Jewish-themed dispatches from Hungary, where the far-right prime minister has used anti-Semitic imagery and rhetoric to attack political enemies. @liliebayer Peter Beinart Contributing Editor, The Atlantic
Peter Beinart is to liberal Zionism what Deepak Chopra is to alternative medicine. Beinart, who is also a Forward columnist, has become a leading torchbearer for an embattled movement and its ideals. @PeterBeinart Mayim Bialik Actress and founder, Grok Nation A popular sitcom star, neuroscientist, writer and digital entrepreneur, Mayim Bialik shares parenting advice, political opinions and nods to traditional Jewish practice. @missmayim
Senior Writer and Analyst, CNN Politics The former 538 wonk’s feed is a fun combination of nitty gritty American political facts, election forecasts and Jewish references. @ForecasterEnten Lisa Goldman Journalist and founding editor, +972 magazine This veteran Middle East reporter curates an up-to-the-minute feed jampacked with progressive takes on U.S. and Israeli news and policies. @lisang
Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt Life/Features Editor, Forward Tweeting at the intersection of Orthodoxy and feminism, ChizhikGoldschmidt is the voice of an underrepresented cohort. @avitalrachel William Daroff SVP for Public Policy, Jewish Federations of North America Daroff, among the early adopters of the medium in the communal world, maintains an active feed on Israeli news, American politics and all other things Jewish. @Daroff Sophie Ellman-Golan Deputy Head of Communications, Women’s March Ellman-Golan’s Twitter bio features the hashtag #JewishResistance, a symbol of how central her Judaism and progressive politics are to her identity. @EgSophie Harry Enten
Daniella Greenbaum Conservative columnist The recent college graduate has quickly made a name for herself as an outspoken Jewish voice on the right and a frequent critic of what she refers to as the “mob” of politically correct voices on Twitter. @DGreenbaum Jason Greenblatt President Trump’s chief Middle East negotiator The real estate lawyer-turnedIsraeli-Palestinian negotiator’s feed is part peace offering, part window into the struggle to make the ultimate deal. @jdgreenblatt45 Jonathan Greenblatt CEO, Anti-Defamation League Boundary-breaking spiritual leader Jonathan Greenblatt is at the An openly gay African-Amerifront lines of fighting anti-Semi- can Jew by choice, Lawson is many tism — from both the right and the things to many people: rabbi, socileft — and his Twitter feed showcases the ADL’s work to identify See TWITTER 31 and fight “cyberhate” with 21ston Page
century tools. @JGreenblattADL Lahav Harkov Senior Contributing Editor, The Jerusalem Post Harkov’s feed serves as a comprehensive stream of Israeli parliament happenings. A “proud Zionist,” she’s a pugnacious fighter for her principles. @LahavHarkov Rabbi Jill Jacobs Executive Director, T’ruah At the helm of a rabbinic group with a mission to advance human rights, she’s a strong advocate on Twitter for refugees and a fierce opponent of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hawkish policies. @rabbijilljacobs Ron Kampeas Washington Bureau Chief, Jewish Telegraphic Agency He has long been one of the most trusted voices reporting on American policy on Israel and relations between the two states. On Twitter, he’s insightful and funny, with a keen eye for the absurd. @kampeas Jacob Kornbluh National Politics Reporter, Jewish Insider He’s the author of a newsletter devoured by those fascinated by the intersection of Jewish-American life and Beltway politics. His Twitter feed is inside baseball at its best. @jacobkornbluh Andy Lassner Executive Producer, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” Ellen Degeneres Show” producer doesn’t mince words (sometimes Yiddish ones) when criticizing the Trump administration with chutzpah. @andylassner Rabbi Sandra Lawson
Community Happenings
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March 24, 2019 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Jewish Children's Regional Service-PJ Library in the Park Contact: Jennette Ginsburg 504-215-8757 pj.jennette@jcrs.org March 27, 2019 6:00PM - 8:00PM Limmud-Dine & Learn Private homes Contact: Gail Chalew 504-261-5138 chalewzim@gmail.com www.limmudnola.org March 28, 2019 6:00PM - 9:00PM Jewish Endowment Foundation-Annual Event Contact: Patti Lengsfield 504-524-4559 (Phone) 504-524-4259 (Fax) patti@jefno.org www.jefno.org
Experience Accountability Results
March 29, 2019 8:00PM - 9:30PM Congregation Beth Israel 4004 W. Esplanade Ave. Metairie, LA 70002 Beth Israel-Community Dinner 504-454-5080 Contact: David Posternock office@bethisraelnola.com www.bethisraelnola.com March 30, 2019 6:30PM - 10:30PM Congregation Beth Israel 4004 W. Esplanade Ave. Metairie, LA 70002 Jewish Children's Regional Service-Gala Contact: Mark Rubin (504) 828-6334 mark@jcrs.org www.jcrs.org
Wednesdays, March 27th April 10th, 7:30PM
Pesach on West Esplanade Practice, Politics and Palate March 27th - "Covenants of Kindness, Covenants of Blood: Rethinking Pesach in the Torah"
With Rabbi Gabe Greenberg at Beth Israel, 4004 West Esplanade Avenue, Metairie Moshe's name is not mentioned in the Passover Haggadah. Surprisingly, it is the story of Avraham that is central to the Biblical understanding of Passover. We'll explore Avraham's legacy and how it sheds light on our own Seders. April 3rd - “Making The Story Sing”
With Rabbi Deborah Silver at Shir Chadash, 3737 West Esplanade Ave, Metairie Some ideas to enrich and enliven your Seder. April 10th - “A Story of Fire and Water”
Candace’s qualifications are at candacewatkinsformayor.com
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Friday, March 29th, 8:00PM
Shabbat Dinner with Ambassador Yoram Ettinger, “The Upcoming Israeli Elections: Who’s Who and How do they Work?”
Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger is an insider on US-Israel relations, Mideast politics and overseas investments in Israel’s high tech. He is a member of the American-Israel Demographic Research Group (AIDRG), which has documented dramatic flaws behind demographic fatalism on one hand and a Jewish demographic momentum on the other hand. He is a consultant to members of Israel’s Cabinet and Knesset, and regularly briefs US legislators and their staff on Israel’s contribution to vital US interests, on the root causes of international terrorism and on other issues of bilateral concern. Members: $18 per Adult, $9 per Child / Non-Members: $25 per Adult, $18 per Child RSVP Required: RSVP@BethIsraelNOLA.com or (504) 454-5080
with Rabbi David Gerber at Gates of Prayer, 4000 West Esplanade Avenue, Metairie Passover is the origin of the Jewish People. Through Moses we learn the commandments of our faith. Through fire and water, we learn spiritually. 2
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Community Happenings
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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
Talmud Tales II: Tuesdays this spring March 19, 26 April 2, 9, 16 6:00 PM Mautner Learning Center
Sugiyot Everyone Should Know With Rabbi Silverman For over 1,500 years, the Talmud has served as the most authoritative “how-to” guide for Jewish rituals, holiday observances, prayer, and innumerable other mitzvot. Far from a simple laundry list of legalistic language, though, Talmud is comprised of hundreds and hun-
dreds of sugiyot - sections of text linked by common topics or questions - which record the ancient rabbis’ discussions and debates, and illuminate how their decisions affected the daily life of Jews. Join Rabbi Silverman for a fiveweek continuation of last year’s Talmud Tales - open to everyone, regardless of previous participation! Questions or inquiries? Contact Rabbi Silverman at tsilverman@tourosynagogue.com Members: No Charge Non-Members: $50 RSVP to: Info@Tourosynagogue.com
Table of Contents Community Happenings
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Chai Lights
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Holiday Features
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Education
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Alma
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Bookshelf
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Sports
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Arts & Culture
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Entertainment
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Health
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The Nosher
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International News
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Judaism
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Kveller
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Israel Under Radar
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Limmudfest New Orleans Is Delighted to Present... Food for Thought Dinner with a Purpose March 27, 2019 7:00—9:00 p.m. One night. Twelve dinners in twelve private homes. Twelve dynamic Limmud presenters. Twelve seats at each table.
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Learn something, engage in stimulating conversation, meet new people, and eat delicious food: what could be better? This unique event is expected to fill-up quickly, so don’t wait too long to register. Reserve your seat today. Any questions? Contact info@ limmudnola.org. Spring 2019
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Community Happenings
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Monday Movies In Metairie
April 2, 2019 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM New Orleans JCC - Uptown Join us on the last Monday of the 5342 St. Charles Avenue month for Movies in Metairie. Free New Orleans, LA 70115 and open to the community, movie Author - Rachel Kadish, snacks will be served. "The Weight Of Ink" March 25 Rachel Kadish, author of the Goldring-Woldenberg award-winning book THE WEIGHT JCC - Metairie OF INK will speak about 3747 W. Esplanade Ave. her"electrifying and ambitious" Metairie, LA 70002 novel which takes place in London in the 1660's and in the early 21st The Post century. Toni Morris has said she is Ages: 18 & up a "gifted writer, astonishingly adept Free and open to the community at nuances, narration, and the polintact: Katelyn Sileo tics of passion." Phone: 504-887-5158 Sponsored by Cathy and Morris Email: katelyn@nojcc.org Bart, this event is free and open to March 28, 2019 the community. 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM Cathy And Morris Bart Jewish New Orleans JCC - Uptown Cultural Arts Series 5342 St. Charles Avenue Contact: Judy Yaillen New Orleans, LA 70115 Phone: 504-897-0143 Email: judy@nojcc.org
Chef
When Chef Carl Casper's plans April 9, 2019 for opening a restaurant in Los 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM Angeles fail to pan out, he returns New Orleans JCC - Uptown home to Miami and debuts a food 5342 St. Charles Avenue truck instead. While trying to New Orleans, LA 70115 regain his zest for cookery, Carl Book Club - Asymmetry By also tries to mend his fractured Lisa Halliday family ties. Written and directed A brilliant and complex examiby Jon Favreau, this movie stars nation of power dynamics in love him, Sofia Vergara, Scarlett and war. Johansson, John Leguizamo, Reviewed by Rabbi Yonah SchilDustin Hoffman, Oliver Platt, ler, Tulane Hillel Bobby Cannavale and Robert Contact: Judy Yaillen Downey, Jr. Movie snacks will be Phone: 504-897-0143 served. RSVP by Monday, March Email: judy@nojcc.org 25 to Rachel Ruth at 897-0143 x161 or rachel@nojcc.org. April 10, 2019 No charge members and non7:00 PM - 9:00 PM members New Orleans JCC - Uptown Contact: Rachel Ruth 5342 St. Charles Avenue Phone: 504-897-0143 New Orleans, LA 70115 Email: rachel@nojcc.org Author - Jamie Bernstein, "Famous Father Girl" Famous Father Girl A Memoir of Growing up Bernstein will be discussed by Call Our Trained Experts & Experience the Difference the author, Jamie Bernstein. The oldest daughter of revered composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein offers a rare look at •Monthly Payment Plans her father on the centennial of • Drywood Termite Fumigation his birth in a deeply intimate and broadly evocative memoir. Cathy And Morris Bart Jewish Cultural Arts Series Sponsored by Cathy and Morris Bart, this event is free and open to the community. Contact: Judy Yaillen Phone: 504-897-0143 Email: judy@nojcc.org 4
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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. ĂŹ
Happy Passover to all my Jewish friends! Thank you for your support.
Beth Israel Mazel Tov...
To Steven Graffeo (an 8th Grader) for making the Haynes High School Varsity Baseball Team
Happy Passover to all of my Jewish friends!
Gates of Prayer Mazel Tov...
To Leslie & Nathan Fischman, Fagey Fischman and Peggy Cohn on the birth of their granddaughter and great granddaughter Noa Dorothy Mizrahi. Parents are Annie & Jonathan Mizrahi. To Marsha & Skip Zander on the birth of their two granddaughters: Lucy Devon Ludwin whose parents are Erin & Steve Ludwin and Sophie Brooke Polin whose parents are Jamie & Steve Polin. To Rebecca & David Brennan on their son, Joshua Brennan, attaining the rank of Eagle Scout. To Jessica & Zev Arnold on the birth of their daughter, Millicent Isabel Arnold.
Karen Carter Peterson
Sincerely,
Senator, District 5
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Sharon Weston Broome Mayor-President
From our table to yours, Happy Passover to our many friends and customers in the Jewish community
AcquistApAce’s Covington Supermarket
Temple Sinai Mazel Tov...
We have the largest selection of Wine, Beer, & Spirits in the state!
To Matt Glodowski, Melissa Harris, and Mark Wagner on graduating from the two-year Katz-Phillips Leadership Development Program. The program trains outstanding Jewish men and women in the Greater New Orleans Jewish community for positions of leadership. To Sydney Gold on her acceptance to Syracuse University. Sydney is the daughter of Sheila and Tim Gold. To Elly Patron on her third place wins in Impromptu and Lincoln Douglas at the Ben Franklin debate tournament, and her second place finish in extempt at the Cecelia Sweetheart debate tournament. Elly is now qualified for state-level debate competitions. She is the daughter of Mindy Brickman and Mark Vicknair. To Audrey Singer on her acceptance to the University of Pennsylvania. Audrey is the daughter of Courtney and Michael Singer.
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Best Wishes for a Happy Passover to All of My Friends and Supporters in the Jewish Community
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CONDOLENCES ...to Neil & Jennifer Schneider and Family on the loss of Neil’s grandmother, Edith Shear ...to Joyce Fertel, Robert & Barbara (Fertel) Stern, Dr. Alan & Jennifer Fertel, Dr. Dan & Marcy Fertel and J. Joseph Blotner on the loss of husband, father and brother-in-law, Sydney Fertel
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Holiday Features
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4 Hacks to Make Your Passover Seder More Fun By Emily Aronoff Teck (Kveller via JTA) – No joke: I love hosting the Passover seder I love feeding people — I’m both Jewish and Southern, so this is deeply engrained in me. I love educating people, and I love being Jewish, so the seder is a perfect opportunity to gather the ones I love for a meal — a meal during which they are actually open to me sharing all sorts of fun facts, songs and stories. If it were up to me, I’d fill every shared meal with readings and inspired discussions. That’s not realistic, of course. But during a Passover seder, at least, people are much more game. So I like to take full advantage of the opportunity and go above and beyond the typical readings and tunes that most people expect. Yes, I’m a mom — but my toddler and baby weren’t my primary motivation for adding some sass to our seder. (Although one of my alltime favorite seder moments was last year, when our swaddled newborn, placed in a basket, formed a particularly memorable tablescape.) For years I’ve been motivated to find new and different ways to invite my seder guests to see the joy in Judaism that I see every day. Everyone — kids and adults — loves to play, learn and connect with one other. Passover is the perfect time for that. So here are a few of my seder hacks that I’d totally recommend if you’d like to ensure your festive meal is, in fact, festive. Make-your-own haroset bar Having your guests concoct their own haroset is so much fun. On a side table in our dining room, I set up an array of diced fruits, nuts, and a selection of honeys, wines and juices. (Pro tip: Martinelli’s makes the best apple juice!) I put out cheap, reusable plastic shot glasses so guests can make multiple variations to find their favorite. Sometimes a few of the grown-ups make a concoction that much more closely resembles sangria than haroset, but hey, that’s part of the fun! Digital Haggadah Like many families today, I like to make my own Haggadah, or seder guide. But instead of making photocopies, I do it in Powerpoint. We usually drag a big-screen TV into the dining room — though this THE
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year we’ve upgraded: We invested in a small projector, so instead we’ll project the Haggadah on a wall. (This is for those who are willing to use electronics on a yom tov.) I love doing this for several reasons. I can personalize the presentation and I can make changes up to the last minute. I’ll assign readings by writing a person’s name, add images of the people who are attending (I can add even add photos from previous year’s seders, which is particularly fun since we have little kids who have grown a lot in the last year). It’s a multimedia presentation: We play this video about The Four Sons instead of reading that passage; we’ll sing along with the Maccabeats’ version of “Dayenu.” Plus, no one is ever on the wrong page, and everyone is looking up and around instead of down. Storybook breaks Though we follow the Haggadah, we frequently pause to share parts of the story using picture books. It doesn’t seem to matter that there are usually more adults than kids at my seder, everyone welcomes the change of pace. We like to say the Four Questions all together, reading from this awesome picture book that’s both in English and Hebrew, and we read “The Longest Night” to help us imagine the experiences of the enslaved people. We also have several copies of the “Dayenu” board book (thanks PJ Library!), so we have multiple people holding onto it as we sing it in English (just before we watch the video mentioned above). Schtick it up I love schtick. But what I don’t love are some of the more popular ways to work it into the seder. (Take those Ten Plagues finger puppets — the plagues weren’t cute, so let’s drop those, OK?) There are myriad other ways for putting some pep into the seder. For example, we like to put the kids in laundry baskets — we give them a ride around the table when we talk about baby Moses in a basket (we do it while singing “Little Taste of Torah”). See SEDER on Page
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My Only Passover Tradition: Not Having One
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By Abby Seitz (Alma via JTA) – My family doesn’t have a seder. I have zero memories of shoving my brother out of the way for the afikomen. I asked a lot of questions as a kid, but none of them were “Why is this night different than all the other nights?” My Jewish upbringing was nonexistent. I never envied others who had a bat mitzvah or a giant family seder — I had no idea what I was missing. I first stumbled into a synagogue at 15, when I went with family friends for Rosh Hashanah services. I was totally moved by the traditions, the community and the liturgy. But I lived an hour from the synagogue, so incorporating Jewish holidays and rituals into my life would have to wait until I was in college. As soon as I arrived at college, I searched for the Jewish community I didn’t have as a child. I found a few — Hillel, a traditional Conservative synagogue and a postdenominational community led by a rabbi who, looking back on it, reminds me a lot of Rabbi Raquel from “Transparent.” All had communal services and celebrations throughout the Jewish calendar — until Passover. That was the holiday when everybody went home. I panicked until one of my friends was kind enough to invite me home with her. I spent my first real Passover in Columbus, Ohio, with Monica and 30 of her family members. I was intimidated — I was in a room with dozens of people who had been breaking matzah together for years and I had never seen a seder plate in my life. I pretended like I knew what I was doing, stumbled through the Haggadah and inaugurated my first Passover tradition: not having one. The Haggadah says, “Anyone who is famished should come and eat, anyone who is in need should come and partake,” encouraging families to leave a seat or two open for those who don’t have plans or aren’t able to host their own seder. Thanks to the hospitality and graciousness of strangers, I haven’t done the same thing for Passover twice. Every year, I find myself at a
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random table taking on new customs for the night. At Monica’s, I took part in their tradition of cooking fresh matzah buttercrunch hours before dinner started. I learned about incorporating veganism into the seder at Evan’s, where his family substituted an avocado for the egg on the seder plate. Merav’s family each used their own Haggadah and sang the most beautiful tunes throughout the night. At a community seder we discussed feminism and modernday slavery as we poured a special cup for Miriam and indulged in fair-trade chocolate. This year, I will be embarking on a three-day Passover retreat that has promised me a weekend of matzah, meditation and a low-ropes course. Not knowing where I’ll be for Passover can be stressful, and I always worry that I’m imposing by relying on others to host and feed me. However, as the great Drake once said, YOLO. I’m 21, still exploring my Jewish identity, and I don’t feel obligated to follow a single custom. By switching it up each year, I’ve had the opportunity to see the many ways one can be Jewish. Trying on different traditions gets me thinking about how I can host my own seders down the road and save a seat for another curious and college-aged gal looking to diversify her own Jewish practice. For a lot of people, Passover is about family. While I wish my family came together every spring to feast and retell the story of the Exodus, making new friends and embracing new traditions each year is just as liberating. (Abby Seitz is a freelance journalist in Chicago.)
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What It’s Like to Be a Non-Jewish Counselor at a Jewish Summer Camp
Education TOP RESIDENTIAL PRODUCER
CAROLYN TALBERT
By Josefin Dolsten
Alejandro Padron at Camp Mountain Chai (Javier Hernandez/Camp Mountain Chai)
A few years ago, Joe Gurski had never met a Jewish person and knew little about Judaism apart from things he had seen on television. Today the 24-year-old, who lives in Manchester, England, has many Jewish friends and can recite Shabbat prayers in Hebrew. Gurski, who grew up Catholic but now identifies as agnostic, learned all this while working as a counselor at Camp Wise, a Jewish summer camp in Chardon, Ohio. “I was able to recite the prayers really well, and I was probably saying them louder than the kids were,” he recalled of his first summer as a counselor in 2015. Gurski is among a number of non-Jewish counselors — many of them international — who learn about Judaism through working at Jewish camps in the United States. Jodi Sperling, a senior consultant on overnight camping at the JCC Association of North America — it runs a network of 120 day camps and 24 overnight camps, including Camp Wise — estimates that 5-8 percent of staff at its overnight camps are not Jewish. Some of the international counselors, such as Gurski, learn about the camps through organizations that match young people with camps looking to hire staff, such as Camp America. Sperling says that having international non-Jewish staff provides a learning experience both for campers, who are exposed to new cultures, and the counselors. “[A]n outcome of having nonJewish staff working at our camps is that our camps then become educators of people who are going out into their communities and becoming advocates of Jews and of Israel,” she said. Alejandro Padron, a 21-year-old from Venezuela, is an example of such an advocate. The university THE
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student, who is Catholic, had some familiarity with Judaism prior to working at his first Jewish summer camp in 2016. He had learned about the Holocaust and even gave a speech at his school in a ceremony for International Holocaust Remembrance Day. But working at two Jewish camps — Camp Inc Business Academy in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and Camp Mountain Chai in Angelus Oaks, California — made him want to get even more involved. Since working at the camps, Padron has started volunteering at the Anne Frank Space, a Caracas-based organization, where he teaches about the Holocaust and tolerance. He said he was motivated by meeting people at camp who were descended from Holocaust survivors. “To me it’s very natural and a very organic thing to do because I know people [whose relatives] have been through that,” he said. Prior to working at camp, Padron had only met one Jewish person, so being immersed in the culture was a bit of a culture shock. He remembers arriving for his first summer at Camp Inc and being confused by Jewish rituals. “We arrived on Shabbat,” he recalled, “so we have the Shabbat dinner and all these celebrations we do at camp. I remember sitting there reading the prayers and being so scared because ‘[What] am I getting into?’” Now Padron knows the grace after meals, blessings for food and prayers from the siddur — all in Hebrew. “I really see myself [being] into this ritual and this content and promoting that with the kids,” he said. “It’s so enriching.” Gurski, who worked at Camp Wise for five years — first as a video specialist, then as a counselor and finally as a supervisor — said celebrating Shabbat was the highlight of his weeks at camp. “We get to take time to reflect on the week and appreciate what we have and the fact that we’re at camp,” he said. “To me, Friday night services is the time I felt most spiritual.” Katie Plowright, from Oakland, See SUMMER CAMP on Page
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How Jewish Summer Camps Are Talking About Consent in the Age of #MeToo By Josefin Dolsten
Camp Havaya has instituted policies to ensure coupling up is not a focus. (Courtesy of Camp Havaya)
(JTA) — Every summer, Jewish parents spend thousands of dollars to send their children to summer camp to learn about Judaism, make friends and be part of a community. They sometimes have another hope, too: that their child
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will meet his or her future spouse at camp. It’s not an unattainable dream. Many articles have been written about couples who met at Jewish summer camp. At Canada’s Camp Moshava in Ontario, all four siblings in one family met their future spouse. Camp Ramah, the Conservative movement’s network of 15 overnight and day camps, even has a blog dedicated to couples who met through camp. In 2015, Ramah partnered with JDate to create a dating service for alumni. But in recent years — as the #MeToo movement and other events have led to increased awareness and discussion of gender norms and relationship dynamics — camps are examining the darker side of summer romance. “I think that once you’re starting to make your camp’s goal — secretly or underlying — the continuity of Jewish children, then hookup culture is something you’re intrinsically accidentally doing,” said Sheira Director-Nowack, director of Camp Havaya in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. Director-Nowack said that her camp, which is affiliated with the Reconstruct i o n i s t movement, has shied away for years from a focus on romantic relationships. The staff has taken measures to prevent campers from feeling pressure to engage in relationships or hookups, such as by not putting on dances where kids are encouraged to partner up.
“That has dramatically changed certain things,” she said. “We don’t offer that as an activity.” At Camp Ramah, too, the staff is told not to emphasize dating. “Staff is openly talking about this idea of healthy relationships, of making sure that they are not suggesting to campers, or even among themselves, that camp needs to be a place where you are looking for your romantic partner or any type of partner,” said Amy Skopp Cooper, the camp network’s national associate director. Last year, the Foundation for Jewish Camp cited the #MeToo movement in launching an initiative to prevent sexual harassment and abuse. As part of the Shmirah Initiative, the organization conducts staff training at Jewish camps about sex, gender and consent. Marina Lewin, the foundation’s chief operating officer, said that developing relationships — friendships and romantic ones — is “part of the joy of Jewish camp.” “The key is to make sure that it’s age appropriate and appropriate for living in a situation where you’re living in close quarters with others,” she said. Camp Bob Waldorf in Los Angeles partners with the UCLA Rape Treatment Center to train staff about issues of consent, boundaries and harassment. “We’re not trying to build a community that’s free of romance or exploration in that way,” director Zach Lasker said, “but what a golden opportunity if that is what happens at camp, to try our best to ensure that it’s done with respect and consent.” Rules regarding romantic relationships vary at camps. At Camp Havaya, there are no specific rules dictating what types of activities are off-limits aside from sex. “I always say to our staff, for some kids kissing is really, really involved, for another kid it’s not, so we’re not a huge fan of policymaking in that area,” Director-Nowack said. At Camp Tawonga couples have to abide by the “CHAKWACO” rule — an acronym that stands for
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“consensual hugging and kissing with all clothes on.” (Courtesy of Camp Tawonga) At Camp Tawonga in Northern California, kids have to abide by the “CHAKWACO” rule — an acronym that stands for “consensual hugging and kissing with all clothes on.” Any physical contact has to occur in public areas and campers cannot go into bunks that aren’t their own. Campers also attend sessions about consent and relationships tailored by age. The very youngest kids learn about consent in the framework of friendship. As the kids get older, the sessions also address relationships and dating. For the oldest campers, ages 16-17, the discussion may touch on sex. Camp Tawonga’s executive director, Jamie Simon, says it is “more challenging” to address the issues with counselors, who are ages 18-24. “For a lot of them on their college campuses, they are having sex and they are having romantic relationships, so the ‘CHAKWACO’ rule wouldn’t work,” she said. Counselors are allowed to date each other, but they are not allowed to talk about any relationships in front of campers. In recent years, Simon has noticed that counselors come into training sessions with more knowledge about the topic. “[A decade ago,] it was the first time they had ever heard about consent,” she said. “So it was a lot more revolutionary or cutting edge in that a lot of the sexual health curriculum in the high schools in the mid-2000s was about protection, was about using a condom, was about slut shaming and not doing that and why that was bad, but there wasn’t a lot about ‘You have to ask me before touching my body.’” She wants to lessen societal pressure that campers may feel to form romantic connections. “We try to take the pressure away from feeling they have to find a mate or a partner,” she said, “because they have that everyday. They’re inundated with that pressure.” THE
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because, like I said, Sionne is bor- to spend more time together before ing. But, the bubbies successfully making a final decision. I mean, gather the characteristics she’s duh. looking for in a man: ambitious, Rich, Gibson, and Mendelson’s fun, tall, dark, and handsome (how chutzpah and sass is the only reason surprising!). to watch this show, because so far, Sionne is matched with a man every other aspect is a drag. The who rides a motorcycle — Gibson most exciting part of Sionne’s date found this especially sexy, and even was when she asked the guy what went for a joyride — and when the he would do with $100,00, to which bachelorette returns from her date he did not have an answer. Riveting with her date, the judges reveal stuff! what they think about the pair’s Despite everything I just said, erally calls one of her co-hosts a chemistry. Seeing as Sionne and the I’m looking forward to dissecting betch, which might be the highlight nice Jewish boy only met once, the future episodes of this low-budget of the first episode). Gibson, a forconclusion was pretty anti-climac- Jewish dating show, but I’m mostly mer dancer on American Bandtic. All parties decide that they need in it for the badass bubbies. stand, has four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, so she’s kind of the ultimate bubbe. Interestingly, she didn’t find out she was ...to all My Jewish Friends Jewish until a DNA test revealed her Ashkenazi roots later in life. “I was adopted and it turned out Steve Stefancik this Catholic school girl is a memSt. Tammany Parish Council ber of the tribe,” she told The Algemeiner. “When I was younger, I used to always love bagels, so maybe that was a sign.” (If that were the case, then everyone’s Jewish, right?) Mendelson, the third co-host, says her knack for matchmaking One-on-One Tutoring Services Available comes from her bubbe. “My grand• Pre-K through College mother Gitel, in the old days, would • 98% Satisfaction Rate match anybody, even if they had a • Increase two letter grades in as clubbed foot,” she said. “She would little as 60 days! say ‘there’s a cover for every gar• At your home, the library, or even bage can.'” And that, folks, reminds a near-by coffee shop! me that love is real. In the first episode, which aired Don’t Wish For It. Work For It! on February 11, the power trio meets 20-something UCLA graduate Sionne. Sitting in three armchairs in a room that looks like the inside of a synagogue, the three Always hiring great talented tutors! judges introduce themselves to the If you are an educational enthusiast, call us today. very boring Sionne (sorry, Sionne). 504-308-1069 • ckolf@clubztutoring.com The conversation is pretty awkward
The New Jewish Dating Show ‘Bubbies Know Best’ Is Awkwardly Hilarious By Arielle Kaplan When it comes to reality TV dating shows, Jews haven’t had a whole lot of representation. Sure, once in a while there’s a token Jewish contestant on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette — and we can’t forget Jewish leads Andi Dorfman and Jason Mesnick — but their Jewishness was barely ever a topic of conversation. So it is with great pleasure that I can announce the Jewish reality dating show you’ve been yearning for is finally here, and boy is it something. Hosted by self-proclaimed “New York City wingwoman” Erin Davis, and available for streaming on Jewish Life TV (why no, I didn’t know that existed until this week either), Bubbies Know Best centers on a panel of three bubbies who attempt to match a single Jewess with a compatible Nice Jewish Boy. Though they may look the part, bubbies Linda Rich, Bunny Gibson, and S.J. Mendelson are not your average Jewish grandmothers — unless your grandma will happily ride on the back of a single NJB’s motorcycle. Rich, bubbe to seven grandchildren, is a trailblazer. She was the first female cantor to sing at a Conservative synagogue, and she has the attitude of a bad b_tch (she lit-
Happy Passover...
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Bookshelf
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A New Book Sheds Light on Little-known American Jewish Women Throughout History By Josefin Dolsten
Jewish women play mahjong at Wordman Park Pool, 1924. (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, [LC-DIG-npcc-11609])
NEW YORK (JTA) — While looking at family photos, historian Pamela Nadell noticed how female relatives dressed differently with each generation. Her great-grandmother wore a high lace collar and covered her hair with a wig, like some Orthodox Jews. Her daughter’s go-to is a pair of skinny jeans. Nadell, a professor of Jewish studies and women and gender studies at American University, saw an evolution in the images
— not only in how her family members thought about being Jewish but of American Jewish women at large. That inspired her latest book, in which she chronicles the history of American Jewish women. Nadell calls it “the culmination of a lifetime of scholarship.” “America’s Jewish Women: A History From Colonial Times to Today,” which will be released on March 5, combines the stories of prominent Jewish women — among them poet Emma Lazarus, labor organizer Bessie Hillman and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg — with those of women whose names are much lesser known. Nadell, 67, doesn’t like to refer to the latter as “ordinary” but rather as “women whose lives were spread over smaller canvasses.” “I don’t want to just talk about
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the famous,” she said in a phone interview. “That’s not really women’s history. Women’s history is understanding the breadth and trajectory of women’s lives writ large.” In the book, readers learn about Rachel Lazarus, who moved to Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1821 after marrying a widower. Disappointed by the small Jewish community and in search of a congregation, she and her husband started praying in an Episcopal church. Lazarus ended up converting to Christianity on her deathbed, against her husband’s wishes. Her letters to the mostly forgotten British novelist Maria Edgeworth offer a valuable portrait of Southern domestic life in the early 19th century. There is also Rose Hatkin, an immigrant to the United States in the early 1900s, who “could feel grateful for her three-room domain that held her two brass candlesticks carried all the way from Poland, an icebox, a cabinet for meat and dairy dishes, and an inkwell, a souvenir from her Niagara Falls honeymoon.” Nadell sees many parallels between the history she covers and issues facing American Jewish women today. She documents instances of anti-Semitism in the
20th-century women’s movement, such as at a conference in Copenhagen in 1980, when the Israeli delegates “were shouted down and even physically menaced” and a nonJewish author “heard people say that having Jews … in the women’s movement ‘gave it a bad name.’” Speaking to JTA, Nadell drew a line between those experiences and current allegations plaguing the Women’s March, whose organizers have been criticized for not doing enough to call out anti-Semitism and some of whom have expressed support for the openly anti-Semitic Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. “I think it’s important that readers know that there was anti-Semitism in the women’s movement in the 1970s and 1980s and 1990s,” she said. “This isn’t new. How can you effect change if you don’t know the past?” The author also sees a parallel between Jewish women’s involvement in the labor movement in the early 1900s and Jewish women’s activism today. “Jewish women’s involvement today in fighting for better conditions or protesting changes they don’t want to see happen, like 28
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Happy Passover to all of my many friends in the Jewish Community! Thank you for your continued support!
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Jon Daily Call or Text: 225-400-1221 E-mail: jon@jondailycpa.com
JEFFERSON PARISH DISTRICT ATTORNEY
PAUL CONNICK, JR.
Good luck and kindest regards,
Happy Passover to all my friends in the Jewish Community.
Jon Gegenheimer Clerk of Court, Jefferson Parish 12 Spring 2019
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Alan Dershowitz Is Ready to Write an Introduction to the Mueller Report. It’s Already a No. 1 Seller on Amazon. By Marcy Oster
Alan Dershowitz at NEP Studios in New York, Feb. 3, 2016. (John Lamparski/ Getty Images for Hulu)
(JTA) — Alan Dershowitz is at the ready for more writing — and he already knows what he writes is flying off the virtual bookshelves. Dershowitz is selling special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on his investigation with an introduction by; you guessed it, the outspoken Harvard law professor himself. Amazon is scheduled to ship the book at the end of the month, and it’s already the No. 3 bestseller in its Civics and Citizenship category and ranked 617th among all books, the Boston Globe reported. Amazon also is touting it as the No. 1 best-seller in the popular cat-
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egory of Federal Jurisdictional Law. It says the book will be 960 pages and be available in paperback or on Kindle. Meanwhile, Amazon also is selling The Washington Post’s version of the Mueller report, with related materials from the newspaper, at 720 pages in paperback or on Kindle and the same delivery date. The Globe points out that nobody knows when, or if, the report will be made public. But if and when the report does come out, the Dersh told the newspaper’s Nestor Ramos that he will be ready. “I’m a fast reader and a fast writer,” he said. “Even though I’m 80 years old, I still do things quickly.” Dershowitz published a similar book in which he wrote the introduction for Kenneth Starr’s report on Bill Clinton. And Dershowitz even wrote an introduction to the document that needs no introduction: the Constitution. Dershowitz in recent months has
gone to the mat for President Donald Trump despite being a liberal Democrat. But he told the Globe that he can write a fair introduction to the Mueller report regardless of the findings.
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Sports
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Boston’s Jewish Community Stunned By Allegations Against Robert Kraft By Penny Schwartz BOSTON (JTA) — His name home and in Israel is legendary. adorns the headquarters of Boston’s And of course he is the owner of Jewish federation. the beloved New England Patriots, His giving to Jewish causes at the NFL’s most successful 21st-
century franchise, winner of this year’s Super Bowl and a near-religious force binding together Boston and its suburbs. The news last week that Robert Kraft, 77, was charged with soliciting prostitution sent shock waves through this city and a philanthropic community, Jewish and otherwise, that saw him as a benefactor and role model. Ask people for reactions and the word you hear most is “saddened,” followed quickly by a reminder that individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Some point to his age; to the loss in 2011 of his wife of almost 50 years, Saturday March 30, 2019 | 10am-5pm Myra; to the idea that an indiscretion at a massage parlor Sunday March 31, 2019 | 10am-5pm should be weighed against the at the Pontchartrain Center $400 million he has given to charity over the years. ADMISSION Service Members will receive “What has been reported at PRICE: $2 off their admission. this time is certainly concerning,” the Combined Jewish Children under 12 are free. Philanthropies, Boston’s Jewish federation, wrote in an email to the Jewish TelegraphThis year’s show will feature exhibitors SHOP AND COMPARE ic Agency. who have the latest in kitchens, THE BEST PRICES “For several generations, the remodeling, flooring, as well as Kraft family has committed FOR EVERYTHING the latest trends in outdoor living their time, energy and resourcIN YOUR HOME and so much more. es to support organizations and programs that have benefitted the health and well-being of the citizens of Greater Boston and our region. They have played a • FREE SAMPLES transformational role in the life of our Jewish community; • TASTINGS • COUPONS helping seniors, families and • RECIPES FROM OVER 30 BRANDS young people in need as well as working to unite and foster TASTES OF LOUISIANA understanding between people Liquor • Beer • Wine of different backgrounds,” the statement read. COOKING SHOWS The Kraft family donated By Creative Cajun Cooking $10 million to renovate the philanthropy’s downtown Boston Every participant at the show has building, which was dedicated a chance to win great door prizes, in a ribbon-cutting ceremony including spa days, restaurant last April attended by Kraft and certificates and much more! his sons, Jonathan and Daniel, There is something for the who serves on the CJP board. entire family at the The building now houses a Pontchartrain Home Show. Pontchartrain Home Show boardroom named for Myra www.jaaspro.com Kraft, who also served on the philanthropy’s board. The Harry Kraft Center for Jewish
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Robert Kraft, center, along with members of his family, celebrates the grand opening of the Kraft Family Building at the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston, April 27, 2018. (Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston)
Education was named in memory of Kraft’s father, a longtime and beloved teacher at Congregation Kehillath Israel, the Conservative synagogue in nearby Brookline where Kraft attended religious school as a child. Harry Kraft, who owned the Crown Dress company, also led youth services and served as the synagogue’s president. CJP did not provide the amount of money donated in recent years by the Kraft family. In 2013, the Robert and Myra Kraft Family Foundation donated $1.12 million. It also supports a program that funds teen trips to Israel, according to the CJP website. Other area Jewish organizations and religious institutions that have benefited from Kraft’s philanthropy did not respond to JTA’s request for a comment. Over the years, the Krafts have donated to Kehillath Israel and Temple Emanuel in Newton, both with Kraft family ties, and the Hillel Center of Columbia University and Barnard College, housed in the Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life. Kraft is an alumnus of Columbia. Kraft Stadium and the $6 million Kraft Family Sports Campus in Jerusalem are physical reminders of his support for the American Football in Israel league. The family also endowed the Myra and Robert Kraft and Jacob Hiatt Professor of Christian Studies at Brandeis University, Myra’s alma mater; a companion endowed chair in Jewish studies was founded at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, the residence of Jacob Hiatt, Myra Kraft’s father, a Holocaust survivor who became a wealthy businessman and philanthropist. Having a Christian studies position within the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies Department at See ROBERT KRAFT on Page THE
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Disney’s ‘Andi Mack’ Is Seriously Groundbreaking — And Incredibly Jewish By Linda Buchwald
Joshua Rush, left, playing Cyrus Goodman, and Jonah Beck as Asher Angel in a scene from “Andi Mack.”
This article originally appeared on Kveller. If you and your tweens still aren’t watching the Disney Channel show “Andi Mack,” you must start ASAP. It deals with so many kinds of identities, including Jewish, in a way not usually seen on TV aimed at the pre-teen set. “Andi Mack” — the first Disney Channel show to focus on an AsianAmerican family — has broken new ground for the channel time and again. The premise is that Andi (played by Peyton Elizabeth Lee) discovers that Bex (Lilian Bowden), the woman she thought was her sister, is really her mother, and the people she thought were her parents are her grandparents. Though the show doesn’t talk about premarital sex outright, the fact that it has a character who was a teen mom already gave this series game-changer status. In its three seasons, “Andi Mack” has dealt with everything from sexuality to gun safety to anxiety. A recent episode, “One in a Minyan” (even the episode titles are smart!), achieved another major milestone, and it happened at a shiva, no less. Cyrus Goodman (Joshua Rush) is the first openly gay main character in a Disney Channel series (yes, another first!). The series had previously — and sensitively — handled his coming out to his best friends, first Buffy (Sofia Wylie), then Andi (at his bar mitzvah — sensing a theme here?). In both instances, Cyrus spoke about having a crush on their friend Jonah Beck (Asher Angel), but he didn’t actually use the word “gay.” At his grandmother’s shiva, however, he regretted never telling her, so he decided it was time to come out to Jonah. At the buffet table, he was explaining all the food items — kugel, lox and so on — then THE
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simply said, “That’s gefilte fish. Skip that. And I’m gay.” That’s the first time a character on a Disney Channel ever said the words “I’m gay.” Jonah’s response? “Yeah. OK. Cool.” It was a beautiful moment of acceptance in the most heimishe way possible — in front of an enormous spread of Jewish comfort food. Think of how many Jewish gay teens watched that and felt seen. If you need more convincing, here are nine reasons we can’t get enough of “Andi Mack.” 1. It teaches kids about Judaism beyond the token bar mitzvah episode. If there is a Jewish character in a tween show, it will typically be acknowledged once or twice — maybe a bar mitzvah episode, maybe a Hanukkah episode. As we mentioned, this show’s bar mitzvah episode was epic — though the series touches on less frequently discussed traditions, too. “One in a Minyan” really showed how Jewish people grieve. The characters spoke about covering mirrors during a shiva, and Cyrus explained what a minyan was as they recited the Mourner’s Kaddish. To top it off, there was a funny subplot about kugel. Kugel! 2. Acceptance is a constant theme. “Andi Mack” features many forms of diversity, which is constantly celebrated. In addition to accepting Cyrus’s sexuality, there’s a delightful episode in season 1 in which Buffy is asked to straighten her curly hair because a student complained it was blocking his view of the blackboard. At first she complies — but then she stands up for herself and her hair like the badass she is. Ten out of 10 curly-haired Jewish women can relate to this! 3. It accurately depicts anxiety and panic attacks. Jonah, the seemingly laid-back ultimate frisbee-playing guy, suffers from anxiety, just as many children and adults do. You can’t always judge the cool boy by his cover. 4. The way it depicts male friendships is so healthy. The male characters are often
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vulnerable with each other. Before Cyrus came out to Jonah, Cyrus helped him through a panic attack. The best way to fight against toxic masculinity is for young men to see role models like these. 5. It deals with these heavy topics without making them “very special episodes.” Sometimes children’s television can be so hit-you-over-the-head with its messaging that it seems inauthentic, but “Andi Mack” manages to work these plotlines in in an organic way. 6. That said, when episodes deal with difficult topics, they often include PSAs from the cast. These are simple and effective, and they are great conversation starters if you are watching with your kids. Watch the gun safety and communication ones to get an idea of the range. 7. It is educational AND entertaining for children AND adults. I’m in my 30s, and my sister is in her 20s, and we have conversations with our mother about the show every week. It really is for all ages. Just try not to get invested in the relationship between Bex and Andi’s dad, Bowie (Trent Garrett). I dare you.
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8. Bex and Bowie are not perfect parents, but they’re trying. Andi was 13 when she found out who her real parents are, and Bex and Bowie are still learning how to fit into these roles. They definitely make mistakes, but they love and care about Andi, and it’s inspiring to watch them grow. 9. These teens are great actors. We won’t won’t name names, but some child actors can be seriously obnoxious — so it’s a miracle that every actor on “>Andi Mack” is talented and not at all annoying. They have to handle some difficult scenes and knock it out of the park every time. Give Joshua Rush an Emmy already! “Andi Mack” airs at 8 p.m. Fridays on the Disney Channel. You can also watch on the DisneyNOW app.
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Entertainment Happy Passover to my friends in the Jewish Community!
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By Comparing It to Anne Frank, This Man Nails the Problem With Oscar Winner ‘Green Book’ By Lior Zaltzman
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This article originally appeared on Alma. (JTA) When “Green Book” won the Academy Award for best movie on Sunday night, arguably the most coveted prize of the ceremony, “BlacKkKlansman” and “Do The Right Thing” director Spike Lee stormed to the back of the auditorium and kept his back turned for the entire speech. The gesture culminated a great controversy around the movie, which has been sweeping the awards this season despite some heavy consternation. “Green Book” has been accused of having a white savior complex, whitewashing racism and being inaccurate to the true story it’s based on, among other things. The movie depicts Anthony “Lip” Vallelonga, played by Viggo Mortensen, who is hired to drive around Don Shirley, played by Mahershala Ali (who won a Golden Globe for the role), a virtuoso African-American jazz pianist, as he plays clubs in 1962’s racist and segregated American South. The film was co-written by Vallenlonga’s son and largely focuses on his perspective — with which Shirley’s family took great issue. The Shirley family claims that they weren’t contacted or interviewed as preparation for the film, and subsequently the film is told only from the perspective of white people. Looking at the team behind the movie, it doesn’t seem like a wild accusation: And not only that, Shirley’s family has argued that the movie is full of inaccuracies, going as far as calling it a “symphony of lies.” In fact, in their acceptance speech, the filmmakers never even thanked Dr. Shirley. Yet I think it’s fair to say that some people still don’t understand why this movie riles so many people. But one man, Peter Birken-
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head, has found the perfect analogy to explain the controversy to those who still don’t get it. Imagine, he wrote on Facebook in a post that’s now been shared 1.4K times and counting, if a new movie came out about Anne Frank, but that it was focused on the experience and the bravery of one of her saviors, Miep Geis. That instead of the horror Anne and her family went through, the movie focused on “Geis’s dawning realization that, since Anne is so well mannered and refined and cultured, perhaps not every Jew is a sniveling, greedy, termite secretly planning to destroy civilization.” Feels wrong, right? Or imagine, Birkenhead urges, that the movie was filled with inaccuracies and poorly researched. What if the people making this hypothetical Anne Frank movie “never get in touch with any of Anne Frank’s descendants, or even the Anne Frank museum in Amsterdam. They don’t do much research at all.” Birkenhead’s post (which really should be read in full) also reminds us that the reason “Green Book” is drawing so much anger is that it’s not an outlier, but yet another film in a continuum of films, like “Driving Miss Daisy,” which depict the same dynamics and celebrate white saviors, created from the perspective of white people. Speaking of “Driving Miss Daisy,” if you still need more clarity on that pop culture legacy, consider listening to this episode of the incredible New York Times podcast “The Daily” (hosted by a super talented member of the tribe, Michael Barbaro) that explores the problematic movie. You might think that Birkenhead’s comparison and examples are a little exaggerated; they are not. Racism is a scourge that would’ve been overcome if it were simply about white people just meeting people of color and getting along with them. A narrative that applauds a white person for overSee GREEN BOOK on Page THE
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Israel Ranked 10th Healthiest Country In the World
The Israeli flag (Wikimedia Commons)
(JTA) — Israel is the 10th healthiest country in the world — 54 spots ahead of the United States. The Bloomberg Healthiest Country Index, published Sunday, ranked 169 nations based on factors such as life expectancy and access to sanitation and medical care. Countries were penalized for tobacco use and obesity, among other health risks.
Unsurprisingly, the Mediterranean diet — common in Israel, as well as Spain and Italy, numbers one and two on the list — was noted in Bloomberg’s analysis. “Mediterranean diet, supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts, had a lower rate of major cardiovascular events than those assigned to a reduced-fat diet,” says a study cited by Bloomberg. The rest of the top 10, in order, are: Spain, Italy, Iceland, Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, Australia, Singapore and Norway. The U.S. placed 64th, largely in part to its high obesity rate. Recent figures from the Centers for Disease Control estimate about 40 percent of the country, or over 93 million citizens, are obese.
Dr. Irwin Goldstein Shares His Strong Opinions About The FDA Recently, in Phoenix, Arizona, Dr. Irwin Goldstein, Chief Editor of the Journal of Sexual Medicine, gave a lecture…more comparable to a rant…about the FDA. So why would a scholar and a chief editor be raging about the FDA? It is because we still have 24 FDA approved drugs to help men with sexual dysfunction and ZERO for women! In addition, to prove safety for a man, researchers only need 2 years of data, but for women, 5 years are required. There is nothing in particular that demands this increase in the length of research data, but it is blocking new drugs for women. Fortunately drugs are not the only answer available to women today. Thanks to Dr. Charles Runnels, the inventor of the O-shot for women, we have protocols involving Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), which is obtained from the patient by various processes. The most common of which is a double centrifugation process. This isolate of the patient's own blood product is activated and injected back into the patient. Activated platelets are known to have at least 424 regenerative and growth factors. It attracts stem cells to the area with their own regenerative and healing capabilities, and it brings about angiogenesis, or new circulation. In THE
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the case of its use in the O-shot it can treat and resolve women's urinary incontinence and bladder leakage, it can strengthen the vaginal wall, and it can return sensation to the clitoris. The ‘O' stands for orgasm, for good reason! For women, PRP is also used in Dr. Runnel's Vampire Facelift, Vampire Facial, Vampire Breast Lift, and Vampire Wing Lift procedures. But, above all the use of PRP is safe. And, since it is not a drug, it is not part of the FDA's jurisdiction..ì
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A Good Night’s Sleep Is Only a Gadget Away By Jennifer Frey
A new baby monitor and smartphone app called Nanit Plus provides a bird’seye view of babies in their cribs and has enough sleep-tracking tech to put even the most neurotic of parents at ease. (Courtesy of the Technion)
It’s been an exhausting day. You flick off the lights, sink into the covers and wait for luxurious sleep to wash over you. Instead, the minutes tick by as you toss and turn, plagued with thoughts of unfinished to-do lists, unanswered emails and missed phone calls. Sound familiar? Nearly one in three adults in the U.S. suffers from sleep deprivation, brought on for any number of reasons including stress, restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea and even newborns. Those numbers are rising as the lines between work and home become blurred. Sleep deprivation has serious
Happy Passover to my friends & supporters in the Jewish Community!
Wesley Bishop State Senator District 4
health consequences. Getting six or fewer hours of sleep per day can increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease, weight gain and depression. “There is so much about sleep we don’t understand,” said Dr. Asya Rolls, associate professor at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. “But what we do know is that when sleep is disrupted, almost everything goes wrong.” The Technion has a long history in sleep research. Its president, Peretz Lavie, established Israel’s first sleep lab at the Technion in 1975, authored two books on sleep disorders and prodded the government to cancel early morning classes for high schoolers. Researchers at the Technion and at the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech are drawing on science, technology and medicine to find better solutions than counting sheep. A Patch to Diagnose Sleep Apnea Take wireless communications, essentially an omnipresent technology nowadays. Dr. Amir Reuveny, a fellow at the Jacobs Institute’s Runway Startup Postdoc Program, is employing wireless and advanced sensing technology to better diagnose chronic sleep disorders, starting with sleep apnea. Some 22 million Americans suffer from the disorder, in which breathing stops and starts repeatedly during sleep. Yet a staggering 80 percent of cases go undiagnosed. So Dr. Reuveny has co-founded Tatch to develop a wireless, easyto-use body patch to diagnose and manage chronic sleep disorders while the patient sleeps. The patch, containing sensors and a communication component, measures key diagnostic parameters for sleep apnea, including breathing, heart rate and body position. The findings are sent to the patient’s smartphone and then to the cloud for a
Happy Passover to My Friends and Constituents in the Jewish Community Polly Thomas • Representative District 80
18 Spring 2019
doctor to review. In March, Dr. Reuveny started pilot programs of the patch in New York and New Jersey hospitals. If successful, Tatch will be a welcome alternative to existing home diagnostic tests that are often inaccurate, and sleep labs, which require patients to be hooked up to electrodes with constant monitoring. “I wanted to create an impact in health care,” said Dr. Reuveny, whose father suffers from sleep apnea. “By making sleep diagnosis more accessible and affordable, Tatch allows more people to get the right treatment, making their life better and longer.” Dr. Reuveny hopes to receive FDA approval in 2020, and then expand the testing to other sleep disorders. Nanit Monitors Baby, So You Can Sleep
A good night’s sleep is essential for health and memory, researchers have found. (Courtesy of the Technion)
Maybe those who know the most about sleep, or the lack thereof, are parents of newborns. Parents lose about 44 nights of sleep during the first year of their child’s life. That could be changing thanks to the baby monitor and smartphone app Nanit Plus. “We use technology to help babies and their families sleep better,” said Dr. Assaf Glazer, who developed Nanit Plus at the Runway Program. “You can’t be the parent you want to be when you’re sleep deprived.” Nanit Plus provides a bird’s-eye view of the child in their crib and has enough sleep-tracking tech to put even the most neurotic of parents at ease. Using advanced computer vision and machine learning, Nanit monitors everything from how often the baby wakes to how often parents visit the crib. Its Insights program provides morning-after debriefs on how well baby and parents did, along with coaching tips. And Nanit’s newest innovation, Breathing Wear, is a swad-
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dling blanket or band designed to monitor your baby’s breathing. Real-time alerts notify the parent if the baby does not breathe for more than 20 seconds. In a six-month study of 6,000 babies monitored by Nanit Plus, the company found that the babies slept 10 percent longer and went to bed an hour and 20 minutes earlier than the national average. Dr. Glazer is conducting research with Cornell Weill Medical College, the Technion and other universities. A Wake-Up Call: The Dangers of Sleep Deprivation Scientists know that sleep, memory and health are connected — how is the mystery. The Technion’s Dr. Rolls is unraveling with pioneering sleep research. In experiments with mice, in which their sleep is interrupted every 60 seconds, she found that the mice had difficulty recognizing familiar objects. “The processes of memory consolidation require not only a certain overall quantity of sleep but sleep that is uninterrupted,” she said, advising against keeping cellphones next to your bed. In another animal study, Dr. Rolls showed that sleep deprivation affects the hematopoietic stem cells that are commonly used in bone marrow transplants to treat cancer. “We expend so much time and energy finding the right donors for bone marrow transplants, but we don’t know why some are successful and others are not,” she said. So she experimented with sleepdeprived mice and found that their hematopoietic stem cells had difficulty migrating to the bone marrow. Two hours of recovery sleep restored the cells’ effectiveness. Sleep accounts for one-third of our lives and has a tremendous impact on the other two-thirds. “If we understand what happens during sleep that prevents things from going wrong,” Dr. Rolls said, “we’ll be able to utilize these natural resources to maintain our body’s homeostasis.” The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology powers breakthroughs that are advancing Israel and changing lives around the world. For more information, visit ats.org. THE
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Your CBD Store
“Thinking about all the people in my community I could help by bringing CBD to their attention and bringing awareness to what all it does, is the biggest inspiration into my movement!” says Crystal Nugent, owner of Your CBD Store. I have struggled with general anxiety and many anxiety attacks since I was a teenager, which can be crippling and frightening. I thought my general anxiety was overwhelming enough, but my anxiety attacks would consume everything like a black hole and cause me to blackout! If anyone knows that feeling in the pit of your heart & stomach like everything is just too much and you just can’t possibly think of ever being able to get past it. Well, you’re not alone; according to World Health Organization, 1 in 13 people globally suffer from anxiety. At such a young age I was prescribed anti-anxiety medicines such as Zoloft, Wellbutrin, Lexapro, and even Klonopin and Xanax for my attacks. As you can imagine these always had me feeling like I’m in a fog and hiding from the world, they turned me into what my friends and family referred to as a hermit crab. Who wants to continue to live like this? NOT ME!! A dear friend with Crohns Disease suggested I try CBD. She went on to tell me how she started taking good quality CBD and it helped her get over all issues and complications associated with her Crohns disease. I naively said to her well, “I don’t have Crohns or any
condition like that. Why would this help me?” Well, simply put, CBD is a cannabinoid, and our body naturally produces them already. Some, or most of us, just don’t produce enough, for one reason or another. All CBD is doing when you take it, is prompting your body to produce more of it, in turn putting your body into a balance we all know as homeostasis, and that’s how it’s able to target the vast amount of ailments you hear about all the time. After about a week of taking SunMed CBD, I was able to get off ALL my prescription meds!! This is when I knew, not only did I have to bring the highest quality CBD to our area but, I had to educate each and every customer that walks
through the door on it, too! So, that’s what we do! I opened the very first brick and mortar CBD Stores in New Orleans, Metairie, and on the West Bank. Having a high quality product is key to doing CBD correctly, so we don’t just carry any CBD, we carry a product line that is thoroughly tested so you can truly know for sure that what we say is in the bottle, actually is in the bottle! YOUR CBD STORE is our brand of stores and are located at 3613 Magazine St., New Orleans, and 6824 Veterans Blvd., Metairie, and our newest location at 1818 Manhattan Blvd., Harvey.ì Call Our Trained Experts & Experience the Difference
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Chicken Fricassee: A Jewish Classic By Ronnie Fein
Happy Passover to my many friends and colleagues from...
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ROYCE DUPLESSIS STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 93 Louisiana House of Representatives
Happy Passover to my friends in the Jewish Community. Thank you for your support!
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(The Nosher via JTA) – Some experts say that food isn’t love, but I disagree. The glorious memories I have of my mother’s chicken fricassee have everything to do with love. This dish of hers was beyond delicious; it showed she cared. We were brought up to believe that the wings were the best, most precious part of the chicken, and here was this wonderful meal that was basically all chicken wings. It couldn’t get better than that. Except that my mother added meatballs, which my father loved, and potatoes, which we all thought was one of earth’s greatest treasures. Gizzards – a leftover add-on from the days when inexpensive filler foods stretched a meal for big families — sure, we ate them too, respecting tradition, loving their chewy goodness. Chicken fricassee was one of the premier family foods of my childhood. I loved it. After I married and had children, I made it for my family. My kids hated it. What’s more, anytime I cooked braised chicken of any sort, they called it fricassee and made snarky remarks about it. That’s basically what chicken fricassee is – braised chicken. Although, technically speaking, in a true fricassee there’s no prebrowning, but who really cares? My mother made it old-fashioned, Ashkenazi Jewish style, with paprika, schmaltz and onions, but the method is simple, no matter what you include: Brown the ingredients, then simmer them slowly with liquid and seasonings. The recipe is amazingly forgiving. You can avoid the centuries-old argument about whether braising is best done on the stovetop or in a slow oven – either will do. You can use wings, as my mom did, or other parts; leave out the meatballs or gizzards if you like; add vegetables such as potato, carrots, mushrooms and peas. My mother did all that, depending on what she had in the
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house. You can also cook chicken fricassee in advance. I make a big batch on Sunday and break it into freezer portions. When I need a ready-meal, I’ve got one! Fortunately for me, tastes often change over the years. My kids now like the dish, and the grandkids actually ask for it. So, chicken fricassee is back on the menu for my family! Just the way my mother made it (except for the schmaltz). Ingredients: • 16-20 ounces chopped beef, veal, turkey or a combination • 1/2 cup matzah meal • 1 large egg • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or melted chicken fat) • 12-15 chicken wings, cut into sections • 1 pound chicken gizzards • 3 medium onions, sliced • 1 tablespoon paprika, approximately • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste • 2 cups water, approximately • 4 medium all purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks, optional • 4 carrots, cut into chunks, optional • 10 ounces coarsely cut mushrooms, optional Directions: Preheat the oven to 400 F. • In a large bowl, combine the chopped meat, matzah meal and egg, and mix thoroughly. Shape the meat mixture into 1 ½-inch balls and place them on a large baking sheet. • Bake the meatballs for 16-18 minutes, turning them occasionally, or until lightly browned on all sides. Remove the meatballs from the oven and set aside. • Reduce the oven heat to 300 F. Pour the vegetable oil into a large sauté pan over mediumhigh heat. Add the wings a few at a time and cook them for 6-8 minutes, turning them occasionally, or until lightly browned. Remove the wings from the pan and set aside. • Add the gizzards to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, See FRICASSEE on Page THE
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Passover Rainbow Cookie Recipe By Shannon Sarna simply replace the 1/2 cup butter with 1/2 cup nondairy shortening or margarine. You will need three 8-by-8-inch square pans to make this recipe (you can buy disposable if you don’t want to invest in buying (The Nosher via JTA) – I love pans). I also strongly recommend rainbow cookies. Love. And they using a food scale to measure the are a serious obsession for my entire quantity of batter in each layer. family. So when I made this recipe Ingredients: Passover-friendly last year, it was a For the cake: wonderful, delicious game-changer for our Passover celebrations. • 4 eggs Simply replace the regular flour • 1 cup white sugar with 1/2 cup matzah cake meal and • 4 ounces almond paste, broken 1/2 cup almond flour (note: not into little pieces or processed in almond meal). food processor for 30 seconds To make this recipe non-dairy,
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
or margarine • 1/2 cup matzah cake meal • 1/2 cup blanched almond flour (not almond meal) • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1/2 teaspoon kosher-for-Passover vanilla extract • red and green food coloring (about 8 drops each)
• For the filling: • raspberry jam • Special equipment: 3 square baking pans, offset spatula, food scale.
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease your pans. Add parchment paper to bottom of each pan. Grease again and add light dusting of matzah cake meal. Tap pan to remove any For the chocolate glaze: excess flour. • 1 cup dark or semisweet choco2. Using a hand mixer (or whisk late chips attachment to stand mixer), mix • 1 tablespoon vegetable shorten- eggs and sugar until thick and yeling or vegetable oil See COOKIE RECIPE 29 • pinch salt on Page
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International News US Jewish Communities Support Muslim Neighbors at Prayer Services and Vigils
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Nearly 100 French Jewish Gravestones Vandalized With Swastikas on Day of Marches Against AntiSemitism
By Marcy Oster
Tributes are left near the al noor mosque in christchurch, New Zealand, march 16, 2019. (Fiona Goodall/getty images)
(JTA) — Jewish communities throughout the united states attended vigils and services at mosques in their communities to express support and concern in the wake of the murder by a white supremacist of at least 50 muslim worshipers at two new zealand mosques. The Bend the Arc Jewish Action Organization created an interactive map to allow users to locate a vigil or solidarity rally near them. The Levine Center to end hate and the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester organized members of the jewish community to stand outside of the Islamic Center of Rochester on Sunday to show support and solidarity, including with messages on handmade signs. Two Cleveland-area rabbis were scheduled to speak sunday at an interfaith vigil for peace and understanding organized by the Suburban Chagrin Valley Islamic Center. The Islamic Center of Boulder, Colorado invited the jewish community to attend a multi-faith vigil on sunday “to honor the victims, to pray for them and to call for peace.” In San Francisco’s bay area, jews attended prayers on friday
afternoon at several mosques, with jewish groups encouraging their members to attend, including Peninsula JCC, Peninsula Temple Beth El, Peninsula Temple Shalom, Congregation Beth Jacob, the S.F.-Based Jewish Community Federation and the Jewish Community Relations Council, J. The Jewish News of Northern California reported. In the South bay area, jews attended friday services at the South Bay Islamic Association in San Jose. The New York Jewish Community joined hundreds of fellow New Yorkers who gathered at Washington Square Park for an interfaith prayer session and vigil. The event was moved to an earlier time to allow Sabbath-observant jews to attend. Following the New Zealand attack, a lawmaker from Britain’s labour party called for action against a neo-nazi radio station called Radio Aryan, which broadcasts anti-jewish and anti-muslim hate, the London-based Jewish Chronicle reported. Lawmaker Stephen Doughty has been working for months to put a stop to the pirate radio station that broadcasts on social media. The station, which broadcasts daily readings from Hitler’s Mein Kampf, is transmitted from a secret location in Britain. The station has praised the manifesto of Brenton Tarrant, the man arrested for being the gunman in the New Zealand mosque shootings.
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Some of the 80 gravestones vandalized in a Jewish cemetery in the eastern French village of Quatzenheim, Feb. 19, 2019. (Frederick Florin/AFP/Getty Images)
(JTA) — Almost 100 gravestones at a Jewish cemetery in France were discovered vandalized with swastikas hours before the start of marches Tuesday against the recent rise in anti-Semitic attacks in the country. French President Emmanuel Macron visited the cemetery in the eastern French village of Quatzenheim, near the border with Germany, on Tuesday afternoon and promised that his government would take action. Local Jewish community representatives joined Macron as he stood in front of the graves vandalized with blue spray-painted swastikas and observed several moments of silence, The Associated Press reported. The French president is sched-
uled to hold a moment of silence with other French leaders on Tuesday evening at the Holocaust memorial in Paris. French police reported last week that anti-Semitic acts in France rose by 74 percent in 2018 over the previous year, and a wave of antiSemitic incidents centered on Paris has swept the country in recent weeks, spurring 14 political parties to urge a protest rally in response. The parties, including Macron’s La République En Marche!, and the CRIF Jewish umbrella group called on French citizens to rally Tuesday in Paris and several other French cities in demonstrations under the banner “No to anti-Semitism.” In response to the cemetery vandalism, Israel’s immigration minister, Yoav Galant, in a tweet called on French Jews to “come home” and immigrate to Israel. “The desecration of the graves in the Jewish cemetery in France is reminiscent of dark days in the history of the Jewish people,” he wrote. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a statement Tuesday called the vandalism “shocking” and said French and European leaders must take a strong stand against the “plague” of anti-Semitism.
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Best Wishes to my many Jewish Friends and constituents for a Happy Passover! Kirk Talbot
State Representative District 78 © 2019 First Bank and Trust, A First Trust Company.
22 Spring 2019
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There Are a Record Number of Hate Groups Active in the US, Civil Rights Center Finds
Happy Passover to all of my friends in the Jewish Community.
Thank You for your continued support.
By Josefin Dolsten
White supremacists exchange insults with counterprotesters as they attempt to guard the entrance to Emancipation Park in Charlottesville, Va., Aug. 12, 2017. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
(JTA) — The number of active hate groups in the United States is at a record high — and many are anti-Semitic in nature. That comes from a report released Wednesday by the Southern Poverty Law Center saying that 1,020 hate groups were active last year, an increase of about 7 percent from 2017. The number exceeds the record of 1,018 groups in 2011; the Montgomery, Alabama-based civil rights organization started counting hate groups in 1990. The SPLC found that the number of both white supremacist and black nationalist groups — such as the Nation of Islam and the Black Hebrew Israelites — has increased. Its intelligence project director, Heidi Beirich, told reporters in a phone call that the majority of groups in both categories are antiSemitic. However, the number of some types of organizations, including neo-Nazi and Ku Klux Klan chapters, fell last year. Statements about immigrants and Muslims made by President Donald Trump and commentators on Fox News have helped stoke white nationalist sentiments, the SPLC said. “The organized hate movement may be showing signs of disappointment with Donald Trump, but the president, aided and abetted by Fox News, continues to push his noxious anti-immigrant and antiMuslim ideas into the public consciousness — fueling fears of a forthcoming white-minority country,” according to the report. THE
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Since Trump’s election the SPLC has faced — and denied — charges that its research and methods have been compromised by a left-leaning cultural agenda and that it paints some legitimate rightwing groups and critics of Muslim extremism as hate groups. The SPLC report also said that the anti-Semitic black nationalist groups capitalized on comments by the president in recruiting new members. Beirich said groups had responded to Trump’s statements, such as calling African nations “shithole countries” and deriding NFL players who refused to stand for the national anthem to show solidarity with marginalized people of color. “These are all things that black hate groups are using to try to draw people to their ranks,” she said in a response to a question by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “There are strains of anti-Semitism in the bulk of these groups.” The report fears that acts of violence such as the attack on Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue in October by a white supremacist gunman, Robert Bowers, will rise. “[T]here are no signs that the violence, which has been all too common over the past two decades, will let up,” it read. “In fact, if the hate movement abandons politics as a solution to demographic change, as recent denunciations of Trump by prominent white supremacists seem to indicate, more angry lone wolves like Bowers may see violence as a solution.” A report released by the AntiDefamation League last month found that the vast majority of extremist-related murders in the country were linked to far-right extremism.
Judge Sidney H. Cates, IV
Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans
The Historic New Orleans Collection & the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra present
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New orleaNs! a free concert Wednesday, March 20, 2019 • 7:30 p.m. • St. Louis Cathedral Join us to celebrate the composers and performers who have traveled the world sharing homegrown New Orleans sounds with a global audience. For details on the concert and live streaming, visit hnoc.org or LPOmusic.com. This project is sponsored in part by the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and Foundation, WLAE-TV, and Valentino Hotels.
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Judaism Best Wishes to my friends in the Jewish Community! Thomas J. Capella Jefferson Parish Assessor
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Nobody Knows What Zionism Means Anymore. Two Historians Help Explain Why. By Ariel Sobel LOS ANGELES (JTA) – I was born in 1995, which means a lot of things. The Twin Towers toppled when I was only in kindergarten. I’m a digital native. In my lifetime, Israel has always existed. And most people have no idea what the word “Zionism” means. At lunch recently with a friend who is Jewish and deeply knowledgeable about politics, she illustrated just how serious the misunderstanding is. After two hours of talking about progressive activism, her eyes widened in horror when I noted that I am a Zionist. “Doesn’t that just mean you’re against Palestinian rights?” she asked. “Of course not,” I replied, and asked her if she knew what the term Zionist actually means. She didn’t. I explained to her that Zionists are simply people who believe in the right of Jewish people to have self-determination in their ancestral homeland. Rather than supporting a specific administration or everything Israel does, “Zionism is Jewish self-determination,” Sara Yael Hirschhorn, visiting assistant professor in Israel studies at Northwestern University’s Crown Family Center for Jewish and Israel Studies, told me recently. “It’s co-signing that Israel should exist, that Jews have a right to selfdetermination no more or no less than any other nationality, that Jews are not only a religion but they’re also a people and a nation, that they have the right to have control over their own affairs, that their existence is not only predicated on being a minority in some other country.” Although some critics would argue otherwise, Zionism does not dictate that Jews deserve self-determination at the expense of the Palestinians, though some Zionists do believe that and have tried their best to make it so in modern Israel. But critically, their discriminatory views did not develop out of their Zionism but rather because of other implicit biases and fears. My Zionism implores me to advocate for the
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Now that Israel actually exists, progressives have no idea what to make of Zionism. (Kena Betancur/Getty Images)
self-determination of Palestinians and other ethnic groups in the broad fight for indigenous rights. No nation should win freedom by marginalizing another one, and many Zionists and anti-Zionists alike make the mistake of assuming we cannot provide statehood and dignity to both. After our lunchtime conversation, my friend realized that she’s a Zionist, too. I’ve had this interaction in every pocket of Los Angeles with countless people my age, both Jewish and non-Jewish. I’ve explained what Jewish self-determination and Zionism means over Brazilian food in Century City, lattes in South Central and hummus in Hollywood. Everywhere I go, it seems that other people are redefining the term and associating it with things I would never co-sign. While Zionism looks different for every Zionist, I am vocally against the oppression of Palestinians, the occupation of the West Bank and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s administration. Only 3 percent of American Jews identify as “generally not proIsrael,” but the majority of proIsrael American Jews also say that they are critical of “some” or “many” of Israel’s policies. Jonathan Sarna, the director of the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University, assured me that my friends are not the only Americans who have a serious misunderstanding of Zionism. “Most American Jews and certainly most American non-Jews, haven’t the slightest idea of Zionism,” Sarna told me. “There are many Jews, not just many American See ZIONISM on Page THE
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ZIONISM Continued from Page 24 liberals, who somehow think that Zionism is about expelling Arabs or doing all sorts of things, which it certainly has nothing to do with.” Among many young people, even young Jews, Zionism has become synonymous with settler colonialism, Islamophobia and sometimes just racism. Yet these very people who have no idea of the meaning of the term are redefining it and even using it as a slur. Many otherwise progressive people have made it clear that they want Zionists out of their spaces and out of existence. How has the meaning of Zionism been lost on most of my peers? Weren’t we the generation who reframed feminism to mean “gender equality,” which is its true definition, rather than whatever misogynists pretend it to mean? Did the ability to identify with Jewish self-determination vanish once the reality of a Jewish state sunk into the American consciousness? Perhaps the modern state, warts and all, has made Zionism easier to vilify. “I don’t think Zionism is cosigning Benjamin Netanyahu’s politics, but it is co-signing the idea of a state of Israel that currently exists and not one that we might have fantasized in 1896,” Hirschhorn said. “We can’t rewind the tape of history to come up with a different possibility.” With a modern state, Jews objectively wield more power than we’ve had in centuries – and “people find Jewish power inherently threatening,” Hirschhorn told me. “There are plenty of anti-Semites in this world that have wanted Jews to be powerless and have taken advantage of their powerlessness,” she added. “The State of Israel
today represents the idea that that is never going to happen again and, removing the Palestinian issue from this calculus, there are people in this world that don’t like the idea that Jews now have a state and have the ability to protect themselves and possibly protect others.” Rather than a nuanced and complex appreciation for Jewish selfdetermination and protection, “Zionism on Twitter is #occupation, #genocide, #settlercolonialism, #evil. That’s what Zionism is for our generation,” Hirschhorn said. For my peers, that nuance has vanished like a selfie sent through Snapchat. As a writer, I receive comments that I’m a racist Zionist every time I’m vocally Jewish on the platform. Lately I’ve become increasingly disillusioned with the Israeli government, but I’m also standing stronger than ever in my belief that the state itself must exist. “Zionism’s supposed to be about creating a safe haven, and that selfdetermination was the only way to protect ourselves as a people from anti-Semitism,” according to Hirschhorn, who said that most young American Jews, unfortunately, see Israel as a vacation spot more than as a necessary homeland. “People of our generation don’t relate to that idea that Israel or Zionism is sort of a safe haven. Other than Pittsburgh, which seemed to be sort of a shock to a lot of the American Jewish community, we generally have the feeling that we live safely and comfortably in another country under leadership or rulership that isn’t necessarily our own.” This may explain why, as Sarna explained, when Jewish safety is threatened, Jewish support for Zionism generally goes up. Thankfully, America has generally been safe for Jews. Unfortunately, that means that not every American Jew appreciates
the need for a Jewish state. “After thousands of years of being colonized or sent into [the] Diaspora or disempowered or persecuted or killed, Zionism allowed Jews self-determination in a land that had historically been theirs and to which they returned,” Sarna said. “Young Jews don’t even remember that there was a time when no one would accept Jews. They imagine, ‘Oh, Jews are white folks and they’re powerful and everybody wants them. The president, who is not so fond of Hispanic immigrants, loves Jews. He recognized them at the State of the Union,’ and they imagine it’s always been that way.” As the first recent generation of my family not to be displaced by Nazis, I simply cannot forget our history of exile. I do not believe that any country other than a Jewish state is capable of being a truly safe
home for Jews. Some may see that as a symptom of intergenerational trauma, but for me it’s an analysis of history. From Iran to Ukraine, every country we’ve lived in has turned on us. Many Jews in the United Kingdom and France feel that their nation is in the process of doing just that. But just like the Black Power, LGBTQ liberation and feminist movements that blossomed in the 1960s, the Zionist movement has been perpetually and falsely maligned by those who view pride in Jewish culture and existence as violence. In the end, perhaps that’s at the root of why the word Zionism has been snatched from under us: Zionism inherently calls for Jewish power, which is something much of the world will always feel unsettled by.
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Kveller These 7 Jewish Comedians Prove Moms Are Really, Really Funny By Arielle Kaplan
This article originally appeared on Kveller. When screenwriter Amy Sherman-Palladino gifted the world with “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” we here at Kveller went wild. At last there was a show (a major hit, no less!) that seemed to be aimed directly at American Jews — specifically speaking, Jewish mothers. Although the titular character Midge Maisel has been criticized for being an absentee parent to her
two young children, she is equally praised for her spitfire standup comedy. Jews and humor notoriously go together like cream cheese and bagels, but another unwavering and less flattering stereotype is that women — even Jewish women — aren’t funny. The marvelousness of Mrs. Maisel is that her comedic genius busts that sexist trope and gives Jewish mothers pursuing stand-up the representation and validation they deserve. The thing is, Mrs. Maisel isn’t real. She’s a perfectly curated character with seemingly zero flaws that no Jewish mother — or any woman — should compare herself to. Luckily, there are real life Jewish stand-up “momedians” who prove that women can be funny and exemplary parents. Obviously, we
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rounded them up for you. 1. Chelsea Peretti “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” star Chelsea Peretti has been a member of the the momedian club for just two years, but her comedy career started long before that. Married to fellow comedian Jordan Peele, we loved when the 40-year-old mom pumped breast milk for her son Beaumont Gino at the Oscars last year. Peretti is notorious for joking about inheriting both her Jewish and Italian parents’ noses, Jewish men and incest, and overall her incredibly dry humor. Though she hasn’t performed live in quite some time, the former “Saturday Night Live” writer’s hourlong special, “One of the Greats,” is currently streaming on Netflix. If you’re not too sore from laughing when you’re done watching it, give Peretti a follow on Twitter. In 2014, Paste Magazine included her in their roundup of the best Twitter accounts — and we couldn’t agree more. 2. Robin Fox For 17 years, Robin Fox was a certified New Jersey housewife. That all changed when she picked up a mic and never put it down. For
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the past decade, Fox has given crowds throughout the tristate area the content they came for: suburban Jewish mom jokes. Her sets include stories about her 27-year marriage, raising children and life as a stay-at home mom. Having performed at popular venues like Gotham Comedy Club, Broadway Comedy Club and Caroline’s, when you see Fox on the stage, you know you’re in for a treat. 3. Judy Gold Judy Gold is a household name — that is, unless you’ve been living under a rock for a while. While raising her now young adult sons, the lesbian Jewish comedian worked her tuchus off and snagged not one but two Emmys for her work as a writer and producer on “The Rosie O’Donnell Show.” Gold has championed nearly every medium: She hosts the “Kill Me Now” podcast, starred in two one-woman shows and appeared on numerous TV shows. Her latest album, “Kill Me Now,” came out last year, and she’s also a hilarious guest on Kveller’s very own podcast, “Call Your See COMEDIANS on Page
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Israel Under Radar
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Benjamin Netanyahu’s Corruption Scandals, Explained By Ben Sales
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu walking into a press room to make a statement to the press in his offices in Jerusalem, Feb. 28, 2019 in Jerusalem, after Israel’s Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit announced his decision to indict him for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three separate cases. (Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images)
(JTA) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is going to court on corruption charges — he says he’s innocent. Netanyahu was indicted in three cases Thursday pending a court hearing. It’s the first time in Israel’s history that a sitting prime minister faces criminal charges. Oh, and elections are in fewer than six weeks. What exactly is Netanyahu accused of? How is he defending himself? Does this mean he’ll lose the election? Who is Benjamin Netanyahu, and what is he accused of? Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister for a decade, is up for re-election on April 9. He’s running for his fifth term. He was first elected in 1996 for one term, then returned to office in 2009 and hasn’t left. He leads the right-wing Likud party. But he could be in trouble. After years of investigation, his country’s attorney general charged Netanyahu in three separate corruption cases. Two have to do with Netanyahu buying himself positive press, and the third alleges that he received illegal gifts from a rich donor. The Israeli Police have numbered them Case 1000, Case 2000 and Case 4000. (Don’t worry about 3000 — that investigation was dropped.) Case 1000: Netanyahu is accused of accepting illegal gifts from Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan, including Cuban cigars and pink champagne. The gifts totaled about $200,000. In return, Netanyahu allegedly helped secure a U.S. visa for Milchan and supported a law that would give tax breaks to the billionaire if he moved back to Israel. Case 2000: Netanyahu is accused of advancing a law that would have THE
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hurt one newspaper in exchange for positive coverage from a rival paper. In Israel, the two leading papers are Yediot Acharonot and Israel Hayom. Yediot is generally anti-Netanyahu. Israel Hayom is almost always pro-Netanyahu — and it’s also free, thanks to funding from the American casino mogul Sheldon Adelson. Case 2000 alleges that Netanyahu made this deal with Yediot’s publisher: Netanyahu would support a law banning free daily papers — that would hurt Israel Hayom. In return, Yediot would give Netanyahu positive coverage. Case 4000: Netanyahu is accused of supporting looser regulation of Israel’s telecom giant, Bezeq, in exchange for favorable coverage from a news website Bezeq owns called Walla. Sounds like Netanyahu really wants positive news coverage. Allegedly. But Netanyahu and the Israeli press don’t really get along. Like his ally, President Donald Trump, Netanyahu says the local press is out to get him. He accuses the media of being left-wing and dishonest, and likes to use the term “fake news” a lot. He doesn’t translate it: He just says “fake news” while speaking Hebrew. That’s a big part of his defense: Since the investigations began a couple of years ago, he has attacked the media again and again for accusing him of corruption — seeking to depose him in court because he keeps winning elections. Netanyahu does have a few allies in the media, including Israel Hayom, which has consistently supported him since it was founded by Adelson, a Netanyahu ally, in 2007. (Yes, this is the same paper he allegedly said he’d hurt through legislation. Kind of ironic.) And this year, as part of his reelection campaign, Adelson launched a pro-Netanyahu TV channel. How else is Netanyahu defending himself? Defiantly. Since the investigations began in 2016, Netanyahu has insisted that “Nothing will happen — because nothing happened.” In a speech following the announcement of the indictment Thursday, Netanyahu didn’t give an inch. He called the criminal proceedings a left-wing conspiracy and
said he would beat the charges. “For three years, they’ve gone after us politically — an unprecedented hunting expedition, with one goal — to depose the right-wing government led by me,” the prime minister said. “The primary goal is to influence the elections, even when they know this house of cards will completely collapse after the elections.” But wait — Netanyahu is facing criminal charges. Will he have to step down? Nope. There’s no law that forces a sitting prime minister to resign if indicted. Plenty of people — including Netanyahu’s opponents — have said that he should resign for the good of the country. They say a sitting prime minister can’t be tied up in court while he has to run the country. But Netanyahu is standing his ground, and legally, it looks like he’s within his rights. A final hearing, probably after the election, will determine whether the charges go forward. Has this ever happened before? Yes and no. Netanyahu is the first prime minister to be indicted for corruption — but that’s only because previous prime ministers have resigned before the process got this far. In 2008, Ehud Olmert resigned amid allegations of bribery, even before police recommended that he be indicted. Olmert eventually was convicted and served time in prison. And in 1977, Yitzhak Rabin resigned after it became public that he and his wife held illegal foreign
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bank accounts totaling $10,000. Rabin ran again 15 years later and won. He would sign a historic peace treaty with the Palestinians but two years later be assassinated by a Jewish extremist. Netanyahu, though, hasn’t backed down, staying in office even after police recommended that he be indicted, and after the indictment came through. That’s never happened before; we’re in uncharted waters now. What does this mean for the election? Unclear. Netanyahu is in a tight race with a new centrist party called Blue and White (the colors of Israel’s flag), which has a narrow lead in the polls. And a poll by The Times of Israel published Thursday says the indictment could hurt Netanyahu at the polls, moving some rightwing voters over to his rival. But here’s where it gets complicated: Even if Netanyahu wins fewer votes in the election on April 9, he could still win the election. Israel has a parliamentary government, so what matters is which party can get a majority in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, to back them. So even if Netanyahu finishes second, he will stay as prime minister if there is a rightwing majority overall — and it’s willing to back him. So Netanyahu could still serve another term, even under indictment? Maybe. Let’s talk on April 10.
Best Wishes to my many Jewish friends and constituents for a happy Passover
Charlie Kerner Justice of the Peace
Jefferson Parish 3rd Justice Court
Best Wishes to my many Jewish Friends and constituents for a Happy Passover!
Monique G. Morial Judge, First City Court, New Orleans Spring 2019
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Education SUMMER CAMP Continued from Page 9 California, also connected with Shabbat. The 24-year-old, who grew up with Catholic and Buddhist traditions, got to experience Shabbat while working at Camp Tawonga in Groveland, California. She had attended a Jewish day camp as a child, but since it was not a sleepaway camp she did not get to experience Shabbat. Unfamiliar with many of the Hebrew prayers, Plowright found new unique ways of connecting at Camp Tawonga. “When people were singing these different prayers,” she said, “I would often take time to take the idea of Shabbat, which is a time for reflection, and I would instead say the prayers I would think about my past week and reflect and look forward towards the next week.” Jenni Zeftel, director of Jewish day camp and strategic programs at the Foundation for Jewish Camp, said that while some families seek all-Jewish camps, others may look for an environment that reflects the diverse communities they live in. “For camps that are looking to
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serve that kind of Jewish family or that part of the Jewish population, I think it’s really important that their staffing reflect that approach as well by including counselors and other staff members who don’t identify Jewishly,” she said. Plowright said her presence at the camp also helped campers — Jewish and not — who were less familiar with Jewish rituals. “[T]here are kids who go to Tawonga who aren’t Jewish, so I think for them it’s nice to have a face of somebody who was also not Jewish,” she said. “Or there are also kids who also don’t know all the prayers or songs.” Padron’s experience was a bit different. In fact, many of the kids were surprised when they learned about his background. “Sometimes they said they don’t believe me that I’m not Jewish,” he said. “But I was like, ‘Hey, I’m serious, I’m not Jewish. I really love doing these things, but I’m not Jewish, and that’s OK.’” (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.)
NEW BOOK Continued from Page 12 restrictions on abortion rights, I see a direct line to the earlier women that I talk about in the book,” she said. Some parallels concern internal community issues. Nadell shows that even in colonial times, Jewish families and congregations were worried about intermarriage. A Jewish colonial-era woman named Abigail Franks wrote that she was “Soe Depresst that it was a pain … to Speak or See Any one” after her daughter Phila married a non-Jewish man. Two centuries later, Nadell writes, another Jewish woman, Sarah Pene, secretly married a Catholic man after her mother refused to accept him despite his offer to convert. Around that time there was increased consternation about the phenomenon, though rates of intermarriage were far lower than today. In 1939, Nadell writes, “a Chicago rabbi denounced a recent spate of intermarriages.” Nadell says there’s been talk about Jews and intermarriage, especially involving Jewish women, since colonial days. “I write about Abigail Levy Franks’ reactions to her daughter Phila’s intermarriage,” she said, “and I don’t think anyone having
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the conversation about intermarriage today knows anything about that.” While writing the book, Nadell found that certain women stood out. One of her “favorites” is Caroline Spiegel, a Quaker woman who converted to Judaism before marrying her husband Marcus. At the end of 1861, Marcus enlisted to fight for the Union Army in the Civil War and the two corresponded by letters. His letters survived while Caroline’s did not, so historians have mainly focused on his experience. “I was really drawn to her story,” Nadell said. “His letters are published and they are so well known, but nobody has ever really thought to read them to see what they told us about the life of a wife whose husband was away during the Civil War.” Ultimately, she hopes the book will help increase awareness of the importance of studying Jewish women’s history. “We talk about African-American women, we talk about Latinx women, we talk about Native American women,” she said. “We write about women of different social classes, we write about women from the South. I also think we need to recognize that America’s Jewish women have a distinctive history.”
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ROBERT KRAFT Continued from Page 14 Brandeis has opened up opportunities for students, said Bernadette Brooten, who holds the Kraft chair in Christian studies at the suburban Boston school. She noted the many Jewish students taking her courses on Christianity and non-Jewish students taking courses she teaches on Jewish subjects. Brooten scholarship focused on the subject of slavery and sexual exploitation dating back to ancient religious traditions. As the Boston Globe was the first to point out, her field of study provides a troubling juxtaposition with the charges facing Kraft, which came out of a police probe of human trafficking allegations at several massage parlors in and around Palm Beach, Florida. Brooten told JTA that she was saddened by news of the allegations against Kraft, which she noted he has denied. (Kraft pleaded not guilty on Monday to two charges.) Brooten said the Krafts have been aware of her work and is grateful for their support over decades. For Brooten, the allegations and wider probe, in which some 100 men were swept up, are not about Kraft but rather raise the broader problem of human trafficking. “This is shedding light on forced sexual labor,” an issue dating back
to ancient history and one that has been tolerated by religions, she observed. “Slavery is all around us, in ways we aren’t aware of,” she said, including at massage parlors that may be around the corner or in the ways the foods we consume are grown and brought to market. One welcome development, Brooten said, is that authorities in the Florida case are not treating the women as criminal prostitutes but as victims and providing them with services. The news of the allegations against Kraft were shocking to Jonathan Sarna, the Joseph H. and Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History at Brandeis. Sarna has known the Kraft family going back decades. “Robert Kraft is among the most admired Jewish leaders and philanthropists in Boston,” Sarna wrote in an email. “Many of us (including me) knew his remarkable parents … knew his in-laws in Worcester, and knew (and loved) his late wife, Myra. When I think of model Jewish leaders who have given back to their community, I think of Robert Kraft.” Sarna said it was important to keep in mind that Kraft is innocent until proven guilty. “My own sense is that we should let the story play out before passing judgment,” he said.
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coming his personal racism, and that skims and ignores what it means to live with racism every day, is crafted to make white people feel good and comfortable instead of thinking how they may or may not contribute to racism. You know the saying “some of my best friends are black/Jewish/ gay” from someone who then goes ahead and expresses a racist or bigoted belief? It’s entirely possible for white people to work for, or have people of color, work for them or even have them as friends, and yet still benefit from systemic racism and hold racist beliefs. One can enjoy “Green Book” — see it as a well-crafted movie with a talented cast. But it’s important to think twice about the good feeling it leaves you with, especially if you are a white person watching the movie. Maybe compliment it afterward with some Spike Lee movies.
We’ll use bubble machines and water sprayers when we talk about the parting of the Red Sea and, for babies, we will play afikomen peeka-boo using scarves or cloth napkins. We use materials like kinetic sand and wax craft sticks, so everyone can craft little avatars of themselves, encouraging each guest to “imagine if you were a slave in Egypt.” Trust me, with a little creativity (and not a ton of work!), you can have a lot of fun at your Passover seder. I hope your seder is meaningful, memorable and enjoyable. Chag Sameach! (Emily Aronoff Teck is a multi-tasking mom, musician and educator. “Miss” Emily visits Jewish communities to share celebrations and songs with young children and their grown-ups, and manages JewishLearningMatters.com. She earned her doctorate in education in 2018 at Gratz College.)
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COOKIE RECIPE Continued from Page 21 low. Add crumbled almond paste and combine. 3. Add melted butter (or margarine), matzah cake meal, almond flour, salt and vanilla. 4. Divide batter into 3 equal amounts. (Try using a food scale if eyeballing is too difficult.) Leave one plain. Add green food coloring to one batch of batter. Add red food coloring to the other batch of batter. 5. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until just set and no longer wet in the middle. 6. Allow to cool completely. 7. Place chocolate, shortening and pinch of salt in a glass bowl. Microwave for 30-second intervals
until melted. Stir vigorously to ensure there are no clumps. 8. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of a platter or baking sheet. Add red cake layer to parchment paper. Spread thin layer of raspberry jam. Top with white layer. Add another thin layer of raspberry jam. Top with green cake. 9. Carefully spread half the melted chocolate on top. Place in refrigerator for 15-20 minutes or until completely hard. 10. Turn over and spread remaining chocolate on other side. Place back in refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight. 11. Trim edges and slice into cookies. Serves 18-24 cookies. (Shannon Sarna is the editor of The Nosher.)
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COMEDIANS Continued from Page 26 Mother.” Listen to it here! 4. Natasha Leggero Subjectively speaking, Natasha Leggero is the funniest Jewish momedian on Instagram. Who else would share a photo of themselves dripping in gold jewelry while breastfeeding their daughter? Glamorous, hilarious and gorgeous, the “Another Period” star’s shock-comedy hasn’t changed much since she welcomed her daughter last year with her husband (and fellow Jewish comedian) Moshe Kasher. The Italian comedian converted to Judaism before marrying her Orthodox-raised husband, and though she hasn’t performed stand-up since giving birth, Leggero and Kasher recently released their hour special “The
Honeymoon Special” on Netflix. 5. Talia Reese By day, Talia Reese serves lunch in her daughters’ school with other yeshiva moms. By night? The Orthodox momedian performs stand-up with “a bunch of foulmouthed comics.” The New York lawyer, married to another Jewish lawyer, manages to juggle a world of raunchy humor while maintaining a religious lifestyle. “He wouldn’t be upset if he caught me in bed with another man,” Reese has joked about her husband. “Unless we were eating a ham sandwich.” Catch her spitting witty Jewish jokes at your local synagogue, Stand Up NY, Comic Strip Live or the Greenwich Village Comedy Club — you won’t regret it. 6. Jamie Aderski South Jersey native and New
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York City-based comedian Jamie FRICASSEE Aderski loves to talk about how Continued from Page 20 unprepared she was for kids. Curfor 4-5 minutes or until lightly rently expecting her second child, browned. Remove the gizzards Aderski’s one-woman show “Cry from the pan and set aside. Baby: My (Reluctant) Journey Into • Add the onions to the pan and Motherhood” was featured in The cook them, stirring occasionNew York Times and had three soldally, for 6-8 minutes or until out extended runs at The People’s lightly browned and softened. Improv Theater. If you missed that • Using the same pan (if large performance, never fear! Aderski’s enough) or an ovenproof casselatest stand-up show, “Celibate and role, return the meatballs, wings Pregnant,” is running until April. and gizzards to the pan. When she’s not fending off disses from her mother-in-law, Aderski • Spoon some of the onions on enjoys white wine and raw oysters. top of the meats. Sprinkle the 7. Amy Schumer ingredients with the paprika, OK, so she’s not a mom yet, but salt and pepper. You might have the Long Island-bred Amy Schumer to use layers, depending on the is very nearly in the momedian size of the pan; if so, season club. Infamous for her sex jokes, each layer before adding the Schumer’s second upcoming Netfnext. lix special “Growing” promises to • Pour in 2 cups water. Either stay on brand, but you can expect cover the casserole and bake knee-slapping takes on the joys of the fricassee for 45 minutes womanhood, marriage and pregOR turn the cooktop heat to nancy. The “I Feel Pretty” star has low, cover the pan and cook been scrutinized for her explicit on the stovetop for 45 minutes. content but, an exemplary feminist, Add the optional ingredients if she stands tall in the face of trolls. desired, cover the pan and cook While you wait for her special to an additional 50-60 minutes, or come out, binge her newish podcast until the meats and vegetables “3 Girls One Keith” on Spotify, and are tender. Check the pan occaread her autobiographical book sionally and turn the ingredients “The Girl with the Lower Back Tatgently if the ones on top seem too,” which helped her land a spot dry. Check fluid levels and add as the first woman on Forbes’ highmore water if needed. est-paid comedian list. (Ronnie Fein is a freelance food and lifestyle writer. She has written for the food sections of daily newspapers and is the author of four cookbooks. She was also a contributing editor to “The New Cook’s Catalogue,” the 25th anniversary edition of the James Beard original.)
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Media Sponsors
Southern Costume Company is the largest costume shop in the South and the premier resource for your Purim events! We can customize your individual and group costumes and accessories. We have our own design team and seamstresses available, as well as 1000’s of costume rentals to choose from!
IMAGE: Featured auction item. Courtney Egan, Dreamcatchers, Detail, non-interactive version, 2013, HD video, size variable
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24-0219 Art in Bloom ad - The Jewish Light.indd 1
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www.thejewishlight.org
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TWITTER Continued from Page 1 ologist, musician, and food activist. @rabbisandra Amadi Lovelace Writer and activist Lovelace is a black Jew, a queer Jew and a disabled Jew, and her voice is critical to understanding what it means to be Jewish in America today. @amaditalks Josh Malina, Actor The former “West Wing” star has a devoted fan base, thanks in large part to his frequent tweets about liberal politics and Jewish culture and humor. @JoshMalina Bethany Mandel Conservative journalist As a columnist at the Forward and elsewhere, she’s unafraid to take unpopular positions, regardless of whether the topic is politics, parenting or Instant Pot recipes. @bethanyshondark Avi Mayer Assistant Executive Director, American Jewish Committee A prolific tweeter, he’s built a reputation across Jewish institutions as an articulate advocate for Israel and Zionism who doesn’t shy away from flame wars with prominent opponents. @AviMayer Jennifer Mendelsohn Journalist and genealogist Her high-profile project “Resistance Genealogy,” which digs into the immigrant histories of prominent anti-immigration advocates, found a perfect home on Twitter. @CleverTitleTK Debra Messing, Actor The “Will & Grace” star is Twitter’s Jewish mamele. She uses her popular feed to advocate for progressive causes and women’s rights, with an infusion of Jewish identity. @DebraMessing Adam Milstein Philanthropist Hawkish pro-Israel advocacy is the theme of Milstein’s highly trafficked feed. He calls out the BDS movement, Palestinian leaders and the Iranian regime to applause. @AdamMilstein Josh Nathan-Kazis Staff writer, Forward Nathan-Kazis is one of Jewish journalism’s best investigators, who frequently unearths hard truths about Jewish organizations and powerful figures in the communal world. @joshnathankazis THE
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Elad Nehorai Orthodox writer He’s known online by his Twitter handle, @PopChassid, and for bravely tackling tough issues in the Orthodox community of which he is a part. @PopChassid Ma Nishtana, Rabbi, author The African-American rabbi discusses persistent racism in the Jewish community and challenges stereotypes with hashtags such as #thisiswhatjudaismlooksliketoo. @MaNishtana Eve Peyser Politics and culture writer, Vice The avowed anti-Zionist captures the feelings of many young, unaffiliated Jews in recent years: fear of contemporary anti-Semitism, mixed with a newfound sense of pride forged through that adversity. @evepeyser Rebecca Pierce Filmmaker and activist As a core member of a Jews of color group associated with the leftwing Jewish Voice for Peace, Pierce fights for racial justice and speaks out loudly against contemporary Israeli policies. @aptly_engineerd Joel Pollak Senior editor-at-large, Breitbart News The Shabbat-observant Breitbart editor has become one of the right’s — and Israel’s — fiercest defenders on Twitter. @joelpollak Barak Ravid Israeli journalist When it comes to Israeli politics and U.S.-Israel relations, Ravid is a persistent scoop machine. @BarakRavid Yair Rosenberg Senior Writer, Tablet Few people on Twitter have poked holes in online anti-Semitism as consistently as Yair Rosenberg. He has a real plan for getting the haters off of Twitter, if the company will only listen. @Yair_Rosenberg
Known for her insightful posts about the intersection of disability and Jewish text, thought and practice, she also leads Twitter chats about the week’s Torah portion. @RutiRegan Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg Rabbi-in-Residence, Avodah She shares her progressive politics, her extensive knowledge of Jewish texts — and why frequently, in her opinion, the latter supports the former. @TheRaDR Talia Lavin Researcher, Media Matters for America This former New Yorker factchecker is one of the most edgy liberal voices on Twitter, where she opines about everything from Tinder dating to borscht to being subjected to online anti-Semitism. @chick_in_kiev Sigal Samuel Associate Editor, The Atlantic A novelist and former opinion editor at the Forward, Samuel has an eye for catching some of the most interesting Jewish stories — and stories that should be of interest to Jews — in journalism today. @SigalSamuel Adam Schiff, Congressman The Southern California representative’s knack for turning words into arrows have made him a go-to TV talking head — and a worthy Twitter foil to President Trump. @RepAdamSchiff Chemi Shalev Senior Columnist, Haaretz He’s among the sharpest writers on U.S.-Israel relations and U.S. affairs generally, from the perspective of the Israeli left. @ChemiShalev Ben Shapiro Conservative writer and broadcaster
As one of the most outspoken — and ubiquitous — voices on the right, the observant commentator makes his Jewish identity central to his enterprise. @benshapiro Dan Shapiro Laura Rozen Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Diplomatic Correspondent, AlShapiro, who stayed in Israel after Monitor Rozen has used her vast reservoir his ambassadorial tenure, has served of knowledge about Israel and the as a valuable, level-headed insider’s Middle East to become one of the voice on foreign policy and U.S.most respected tweeters about the Israel relations in particular. @DanielBShapiro intelligence community. Sarah Silverman, Comedian @lrozen She has garnered a reputation for Rabbi Ruti Regan genuinely engaging with fans and Rabbinic Disability Scholar-incritics on Twitter, and for voicing Residence, Matan her opinions about politics and hotwww.thejewishlight.org
button Israeli issues. @SarahKSilverman Amy Spiro Culture Reporter, The Jerusalem Post Spiro is a window into the arts from a front-row seat in Israel and is proud to show off how culture flourishes in the modern Jewish state. @AmySpiro Jake Tapper, CNN Anchor In an age of extreme political polarization, Tapper has emerged as a leading moderate voice, calling out hate speech and pointing out hypocrisies, whether from inside the White House or from those who lead Women’s March. @jaketapper Noga Tarnopolsky Middle East reporter The multilingual journalist’s intersectional feed offers insider perspectives and insights from across the globe at a rate of roughly two tweets per waking hour. @NTarnopolsky Michael Twitty Culinary historian A chef and award-winning writer, Twitty is also a proud AfricanAmerican Jew and openly gay man, and he often tweets about how these identities intersect. @KosherSoul Jonathan Weisman New York Times editor After being harassed during the 2016 election season, Weisman emerged as one of the most prominent and outspoken tweeters about anti-Semitism in the United States. @jonathanweisman Bari Weiss New York Times opinion editor and writer Weiss, who has become one of the most talked-about voices in journalism today, often highlights buzzworthy Jewish topics in her work. @bariweiss Molly Yeh Chef and food blogger Born to a Jewish mother and a Chinese father, Yeh now lives on a North Dakota farm, where she combines her heritages to create unique, millennial takes on Jewish food culture. @mollyyeh Rabbi Josh Yuter Twitter Talmudist The former New York-based rabbi now dishes out daily doses of Talmud — and a fair share of Jewish-themed puns — from Israel. @JYuter
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