THE JEWISH VOICE AND OPINION Promoting Classical Judaism
May 2014
Vol. 27 • No. 8
Iyar 5774
Two Terrorist Murders Help Staunch the Trend to Release PA Prisoners with Blood on Their Hands Terrorism has been a constant
plague in Israel with many citizens experiencing rockthrowing, firebombs, and even potential stabbings. Two recent fatal incidents have shocked the country and affected the now-imploded peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, especially the possibility of Israel releasing other terrorist prisoners. On April 14, minutes before the Passover holiday, terrorists opened fire on a family
his pregnant wife, and injuring their nine-year-old son. The family, including two other children who were not hurt, had been on their way to a seder in Kiryat Arba from their home in Modi’in. The father, Chief Baruch Mizrahi, z”l, his now-widow, Police SuperintenHadassah, and their five children dent Captain Baruch car near Hebron, murdering Mizrahi, had been head of the the father, severely wounding Technology Division in the Sigint
Unit, part of the Intelligence Brigade in the Investigations and Intelligence Branch. Two of the five Mizrahi children were not in the car at the time of the attack. Didn’t Give Up According to Hadassah Mizrahi, the family had just passed the Tarkumi checkpoint and was at the first roundabout when they saw the terrorist. Her husband shouted and pressed the gas pedal. Mrs. Mizrahi said his foot
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The “Peace Process” May Be Over, but the PA Is Still Making Demands The long-predicted demise
of the US-sponsored peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians has left the Jewish state with a number of options. According to Tourism Minister Uzi Landau and Economics Minister and Jewish Home party chairman Naftali Bennett, Israel is now free to apply sovereignty over areas of Judea and Samaria which will clearly always be part of the Jewish state, such as the “settlement blocs” in “Area C” with large Jewish populations. Likud MK Moshe Feiglin,
Deputy Knesset Chairman, said Israel could declare sovereignty over all of Judea and Samaria. Unilateral Steps According to the Palestinians, the talks fell apart because, on March 29, Israel did not release the fourth batch of 26 terrorist prisoners it had agreed to free. The Palestinian leadership had made no secret of the fact that the only reason they had remained at the table since last summer was to secure the release of the prisoners, many of whom had been convicted of mur-
dering Jewish civilians. According to many Israelis, the PA leadership’s attitude plus their adamant refusal to recognize Israel as “the Jewish state,” precluded any real progress in the talks, leading Israel to decide that further prisoner releases would be useless in terms of reaching an agreement by the April 29th deadline Secretary of State John Kerry had set when the talks began last summer. But well before the deadline was reached, the PA engaged in a series of steps, any one of
which would have sufficed to end the talks. First, the PA approached the UN with requests to seek additional ways to have its statehood recognized by the international community. This unilateral move, prohibited by the PA-Israeli negotiating agreement, prompted a bipartisan group of Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill to discuss seriously cutting US aid to the PA. At the same time, PA officials floated and then downplayed a threat to dismantle the PA altogether, warning Is-
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Inside the Voice BDS Still Marching...................................3 Kol Ami: Prepped for BDS?.................. 4 The Current Crisis............................... 5 Zionist Spring....................................11 Teaneck Election and Lawsuit......12 Parkinson’’s in Jewish Community..17 Israel Real Estate.....................................20
“Jewish Major Leaguers”.......................20 At Holy Name This Month....................21 The Log..........................................................24 New Classes........................................33 Mazal Tov.............................................33 New Minyanim..................................35 Chesed Ops.........................................35
Mazal Tov, Graduates......................36 Ess Gezint: Ice Cream for Shavuot.....38 Index of Advertisers ........................41 On Marcia’s Night Table..................42 Honor the Professional...................43 Letters to the Editor ........................44 Walk to Shul........................................46
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BDS Supporters Still Marching in the Parade; Israel May Weigh in on Guidelines for Next Year Despite speeches by Ameri-
can Jews, articles by Israelis, and even 100 shofars blown in protest, the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC-NY) and its parent body, the New York UJA/ Federation are adamant that three far-left Jewish organizations, all of which support the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, will be allowed to march in the Celebrate Israel Parade, scheduled for June 1. Those who object have few options. Some are planning to show up with signs
but not to march; others are planning to march with signs announcing their displeasure. Still others have decided to march as usual, or not to show up at all. At issue are the policies of “Partners for Progressive Israel” (formerly Meretz USA), The New Israel Fund (NIF), and B’Tselem. An open supporter of the BDS movement, “Partners for Progressive Israel” goes so far as to display on its website, under a heading entitled “Boycott These Settlement Products Sold in the US,” a list of Israeli companies that the organiza-
tion would like consumers to shun. The NIF, which claims to oppose the BDS movement, in fact finances numerous Israeli non-governmental organizations which actively advocate and promote BDS against the Jewish state. B’Tselem, a major beneficiary of NIF funding, produced a video shown at many “Israeli Apartheid Week” events held at universities and colleges throughout the world. The chairman of B’Tselem’s board of directors, Oren Yiftachel, has publicly called for “effective sanctions” against Israel. 1948 Agenda According to NGO Monitor,
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a Jerusalem-based research and watchdog organization, while about 80 percent of the NIF’s budget is allocated to internal Israeli social and economic issues, the other 20 percent is “problematic.” “The NIF has made many mistakes, providing legitimacy and funding for BDS campaigns based on the ‘1948 agenda,’ which rejects Israel’s legitimacy regardless of borders,” said the NGO Monitor. In addition, according to NGO Monitor, the NIF maintains “military secrecy… so that major mistakes are hid-
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THE JEWISH VOICE AND OPINION, Inc. © 2014; Publisher and Editor-in-Chief: Susan L. Rosenbluth Phone (201)569-2845 Managing Editor: Sharon Beck, Advertising: Rivkie Stern The Jewish Voice & Opinion (ISSN # 1527-3814), POB 8097, Englewood, NJ 07631, is published monthly in coordination with The Central Committee for Israel. A one-year subscription is $25. Periodicals postage is paid at Englewood, NJ and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Jewish Voice and Opinion, POB 8097, Englewood, NJ 07631. All advertising in the Jewish Voice and Opinion must conform to the standards of the Orthodox Rabbinic kashruth. Editorial content reflects the views of the writer and not necessarily any other group. The Jewish Voice is not responsible for typographical errors.
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Kol Ami: Prepared for BDS? Recently, the Kushner Yeshiva High School in Livingston invited Peter Beinart, a supporter of the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, to address the student body. The school’s administration said its goal was to prepare students for the “left-wing Jewish thinking as it pertains to the State of Israel” that they will encounter on college campuses. In the days and weeks after Mr. Beinart’s presentation, the school intends to have pro-Israel speakers address the students. The question last month was: Is this the proper order, or would it be better for youngsters to be prepared before being exposed to speakers such as Mr. Beinart? Y
It would have made more sense to begin by preparing students with ways to address anti-Israel propaganda prior to having the speaker, but aside from that issue, I wonder why this person was invited to speak. Does he realize why he was invited? The whole exercise seems like an odd way of approaching this situation. Michelle Gross West Orange, NJ
My 8th grade daughter says the left-wing speaker should go first so that students’ questions could be “properly” answered by the pro-Israeli. She referenced a recent movie that portrayed the confined life of a young Palestinian who wanted a better future. Although he does not represent all Palestinians, she felt it would be easy to feel sorry for him and begin to question pro-Israeli views. An Orthodox colleague said the speakers should present together, in a debate format. I tend to get hung up on details and noticed there will be pro-Israeli speakers, plural, versus one left-wing speaker. Aside from that I agree with my daughter’s suggestion. Audrey Wanich Montclair, NJ
It would be better for the students (or anyone) to be properly armed before hearing things they are not prepared to respond to. We have these lectures in order to give our children the information they need, so that when they go on college campuses or become adults, they will be prepared to give a proper response. Debra Goldberg West Orange, NJ
Teaching children how to think is ongoing and cumulative. The very nature of Talmudic discourse is based on argument and differing opinions and reasoning. In our fast-paced Instagram, Twitter world, we deal with issues with immediacy unlike previous generations. To teach students how to deal with opposing views, they should be exposed to both sides of an issue simultaneously like two op-ed pieces in the newspaper. In that way, they can compare and contrast the arguments and be able to think and respond in real time. Lea-Nora Kordova West Orange, NJ
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The Current Crisis: “Even in Laughter, the Heart Can Ache” Sometimes a story comes across our desk that wrings compassion from even the stoniest corners of our hearts. Take the plight of poor Issa Abd Rabbo. Sure, he terrorized. Sure, he murdered. Sure, he celebrated after perpetrating his deeds of derring-do. But when a felon’s not engaged in his employment, or maturing his felonious little plans, his capacity for innocent enjoyment, is just as great as any honest man’s. And so it is with Abd Rabbo who, in October 1984, murdered Ron Levi, z”l, and Revital Stern, z”l, two university students who had been enjoying a fall day south of Jerusalem. When Abd Rabbo was released from Israeli prison a few months ago as part of the “goodwill gesture” to lure the Palestinians back to the negotiating table, he good naturedly offered to tell his sad story to Palestinian TV. First the happy part. On the day he performed his holy act, Abd Rabbo had been hoping to shoot at a bus transporting Israeli soldiers, but he was tripped up when it didn’t come. “I waited, waited, and waited,” he told the interviewer. Finally, he said, “ I was forced to carry out an operation on my own, an improvisation.” As luck would have it, an Israeli car approached with not one victim, but two. Abd Rabbo, who says he didn’t “want to return empty-handed,” slipped on his mask, cocked his rifle, and found the two students sitting under a pine tree. Seeing the weapon, Ron asked Abd Rabbo if he was a guard. “No, “Abd Rabbo told him. “I’m in my home. You are not allowed here. This is our land and our country. You stole it and occupied our land and I am going to act against you.” Of course, Abd Rabbo then tied the kids up “and sentenced them to death by shooting in the name of the revolution.” One bullet each; waste not, want not. His first stop after committing murder was to visit his kind aunt who not long before had lost a son she called a martyr. Abd Rabbo ran to his aunt, telling her blissfully, “We have avenged Muhammed’s blood. Instead of one, we got two.” Abd Rabbo tearfully recalls his aunt crying out “in joy.” But then comes the sad part of the story. Abd Rabbo was caught by Israeli authorities,
and was given two life sentences for murdering two young Israelis in cold blood. Prison was hard for poor Abd Rabbo. Not only was there no one to shoot, but it was very difficult for him to pursue his special hobby of stamp collecting. “I’m proud of the stamps I collected in prison,” he told the interviewer, “but it was difficult for me to pursue my hobby in prison because there were many restrictions, few letters arrived, and the quality of the stamps was poor. Prison also affects our hobbies, and I had no special albums to put the stamps in properly, so I put them in an envelope—the same one that left
prison with me.” Despite the “restrictions,” brave, plucky Abd Rabbo managed to collect 100 stamps, which he told the interviewer “accompanied me whenever I moved between nearly all of the occupation’s prisons.” When Abd Rabbo was released from prison, he, his stamp collection, and more than two dozen other convicted terrorists who had just been freed by Israel, met PA President Mahmoud Abbas, who publicly lauded the brave stamp collector and his friends as “heroes.” Who says stories can’t have happy endings? S.L.R.
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Israel Day Parade den for at least two years after the money starts to flow.” According to Deputy Speaker of the Knesset, Jewish Home MK Yoni Chetboun, the “main goal of the NIF is to undermine the Israeli Army by knowingly financing left-wing Israeli groups that try to get young Israeli soldiers prosecuted for war crimes.” Israel’s Solution In Israel, the NIF is frequently referred to as “a clearing house for funds delivered to anti-Israel causes.” But, in Israel, there are ways to fight back. The state’s 2011 anti-boycott law allows all Israeli entities to file suit for civil damages against groups calling for boycotts against them. BDS groups are also barred from participating in state tenders. According to Ron Jager, strategic advisor to the Office of the Chief Foreign Envoy of Judea and Samaria, several offices in Israel, including the Jewish Agency, the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, and the Foreign Ministry are currently evaluating the issues raised by the debate over the Celebrate Israel Parade and are “considering the adoption of guidelines and recommendations along the lines of the legislation passed by the Knesset.” Not the First Year This is not the first year
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in the parade for any of the BDS-supporting groups. All three marched last year, and the NIF also marched in 2012. The parade organizers have bundled these groups into the “Progressive Cluster,” which also includes Americans for Peace Now, Congregation Beit Simchat Torah (the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender synagogue), T’rurah, and the West End Synagogue. While all left-wing, the others do not seem to support BDS. Beit Simchat Torah is also listed in the “LGBT Cluster.” Those opposing the BDSsupporting groups say they want “Partners for Progressive Israel,” NIF, and B’Tselem barred not only from marching in the parade, but effectively removed from the “big tent” of Jewish communal life. “Only” against Judea and Samaria The fact that some of these groups claim to endorse BDS procedures “only against Jews and Jewish-owned businesses in Judea and Samaria” is not a mitigating factor. “To the world, a boycott is a boycott, east of the Green Line or west of it. Approving one leads to the other. Boycotting Israel will spur future boycotting of those ‘bad’ Jews, for example, in Brooklyn or London,” said Rabbi Aryeh
Spero, who has been actively involved in the protests against the BDS groups. He pointed out that “conscience-struck” Jewish boycotters “never boycott Arab or Muslim businesses, despite the ubiquitous terrorism coming from PA neighborhoods and their violations of human rights.” “Their outrage is only against the Jewish state and its Jews,” said Rabbi Spero. Granting Legitimacy According to Buddy Macy, a founder of Never Again Is Now, the parade is “providing a platform for those organizations to gain respect and esteem among hundreds of thousands of parade-goers.” “Make no mistake about it: we will not permit enemies of Israel to become potential role models for the Jewish people, especially for our youth,” he said. Mort Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America, agreed. “Allowing these heinous extremist groups to march lends unwarranted credibility and respectability to these radical groups, which should be ostracized by the pro-Israel community,” he said. Floats from Judea and Samaria This year’s parade marks the event’s 50th anniversary. According to the JCRC-NY, more than 200 groups are registered, including 12 new ones, for a total of more than 35,000 marchers. Included among the new groups with floats are three that either represent or support Jewish life in Judea and Samaria: American Friends of Ariel University, The Hebron Fund, and the One Israel Fund. The other nine are: Center for Jewish Life-Marlboro, NJ; Coordinating Council for the Jewish Homeland; The Hampton
Synagogue; Monmouth Torah Links; Palm Beach Synagogue; Shalom Heritage Center and Shalom Torah Academy of East Windsor and Morganville, NJ; and the UJA of Greater Toronto. The presence of new proIsrael groups does not mean those who support BDS should be tolerated, said Rabbi Spero. “This is not about individuals’ opinions regarding Judea and Samaria. It is about not giving credence to any group that calls for boycotting any part of Israel or Jewish businesses. Boycotting is an action that far exceeds disagreement. At its core, it is a public venue designed to demonize, ultimately to make something, in this case, the State of Israel, illegitimate. It is a form of antisemitism,” he said. Protests The protests to convince the UJA-JCRC to disallow the BDS groups have been organized by JCCWatch.org, the National Conference on Jewish Affairs, and Americans for a Safe Israel (AFSI), with the active support of many other groups, including the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA). At the first rally held on April 8, Helen Freedman, executive director of AFSI, quoted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has said that BDS stands for “bigotry, dishonesty, and shame.” “He has called those who advocate a boycott against Israel ‘classical antisemites in modern garb,’” said Ms. Freedman. Howard Weber, founder of the Coalition for Israel, said BDS could just as easily stand for “blind, deaf, and stupid.” “They are blind to the fact that the reason there is no peace agreement has nothing to do with Jews living on less than
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Israel Day Parade three percent of the West Bank, but rather with the fact that the PA will not recognize Israel as the Jewish state. They are deaf to the pleadings of Palestinians who are employed by factories on the West Bank and enjoying higher wages and a better standard of living than their Arab brethren elsewhere. They are stupid because they have decided the best way to put forth their political ideology is by attempting to cripple Israel economically,” he said. Financial Motivation The rally participants were very clear on why the UJA/Federation is allowing “Israel-haters” to march in the parade. It was an answer provided by Jeff Wiesenfeld, a member of the JCRC who, while not disagreeing with the protesters, doubted they would be successful. “It was determined that the UJA stood to lose more
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financially from the left if the BDS groups were excluded than they would gain from the right,” he told The Jewish Voice. Ms. Freedman called the JCRC’s justification “unconscionable.” “A nation’s soul can’t be for sale,” she said. Mr. Wiesenfeld suggested that if the JCRC had held an open debate on the issue, “the majority of the people in the JCRC’s leadership would have agreed that the BDS groups are detestable and should not be allowed to participate.” However, there was neither a debate nor a discussion. According to Mr. Wiesenfeld, it was a decision “handed down from ‘above,’” presumably by the UJA/Federation. Jew vs Jew? At the rally, Beth Gilinsky, president of the Jewish Action Alliance and founder of the National Conference on Jewish Affairs, an umbrella group of
pro-Israel/pro-America Jewish leaders, explained that while many believe BDS is “a grassroots effort of a few Arab activists and their supporters who desire a Palestinian state,” the reality is quite different. “It is linked to and driven by radical Islamist organizations, such as Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, which are bent on Israel’s destruction,” she said. Responding to criticism in some left-wing Jewish newspapers that the protest was “pitting Jews against Jews” and creating “disunity,” Ms. Gilinsky said, “Jewish participation in the Hamas-backed BDS movement is the epitome of ‘Jew vs Jew.’” “In the name of unity, we are being asked to allow destructive forces to threaten our fellow Jews. No, we are Jews for Jews, here to proclaim that we stand in solidarity with Israel and that includes Judea and Samaria, and we are here to fight for the victims being targeted by BDS aggression,” she said. Dr. Paul Brody of the Great Neck-based Jewish Political Education Foundation stressed that those protesting the BDS groups do not object to the inclusion of many groups and individuals with different solutions, even those with which he and his organization disagree. “However, calling for boycotts, divestment, and sanctions should be a redline,” he said. For many of the protesters, the historical connection between boycotts and Jewish destruction was clear. Several speakers recalled that the Nazis began their campaign with the boycott of Jewish businesses. “100 Shofars” That causal relationship prompted hundreds of pro-
testers to show up on April 28, during a stormy rush-hour, for a “100 Shofars Rally” held in front of the UJA-Federation building on East 59th Street in Manhattan. Among those who lent their voices to support the protesters were Bill Donahue of the Catholic League and Knesset Coalition Chairman, Likud MK Yariv Levin. Calling the BDS movement “obscene and totally hypocritical,” Mr. Donahue said the Jewish community could “depend on the support of the Catholic League in protesting all Boycott Israel campaigns.” “If these people were interested in justice, they would commend Israel, not condemn it,” he said. Israeli Voices In a letter to JCCWatch. org founder, Richard Allen, Mr. Levin said he was “deeply moved” by the protesters’ efforts. “It is not logical or reasonable for Israel supporters to condone or overlook or indirectly cooperate with BDS groups which represent the antithesis of support for Israel. Refusing to recognize the State of Israel’s sovereign right to develop and maintain an independent legal position on any issue of national importance is not legitimate. The State of Israel came into being by virtue of our people’s unassailable rights having historical, legal and religious foundations. I am certain that by mutual effort our just path will surmount any attempt to strike down Jewish survival and the Jewish way of life in the land of our forefathers,” he said. He was not alone in Israel. A Diaspora Affairs Ministry official told the Jerusalem Post the government is “reconsidering its funding of the Salute to Is-
http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com rael Day Parade as a result of parade organizers’ insistence on including groups that promote BDS against Israel.” “Due to the ongoing controversy that has now erupted, the Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs Ministry will review its funding of the parade for future years, [although] not this year,” the source told the Post. Rage from NIF The protesters’ support from Israel outraged the NIF’s chairman, Daniel Sokatch, who railed against the protesters on the NIF’s website. He claimed there is “a visceral connection between those protesting the UJA and the ultra-nationalist settlers who hold so much influence in the current Israeli government.” “Both seek to narrow the scope of acceptable discourse. Both are emboldened by the collapse of the peace process. Both want to rip Israel away from its heritage as a liberal democracy,” he said. Despite the presence of Ms. Freedman, Ms. Gilinsky, and many other women on the podium, Mr. Sokatch seemed to think the anti-BDS protestors were opposed to women’s rights. “Israel is jeopardized by the rise of political forces bent on delegitimizing progressive Israelis, marginalizing Israel’s Arab minority, and shutting out women’s voices,” he said, adding that “the noisy extremists will not deter us.” In an email to supporters a few days later, Mr. Sokatch accused “settlers” of “not accepting the fact that, for us, love for Israel is ending the Occupation.” Not Defending Israel Mark Langfan, chairman of AFSI, and the developer of a topographic map to explain Israel’s security issues, discounted Mr. Sokatch’s rant as part of
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“the real evil of the pro-leftist American-Jewish organizations that parade themselves as defending Israel” while actually believing that “Israel is not a Jewish or democratic state.” “These groups’ entire raison d’être is their belief that Israel, in trying to defend itself against Muslim terrorists and murderers, is anti-democratic and not Jewish. And these groups are nevertheless welcomed by the UJA/Federation in an Israel Parade,” he said. He pointed out that Naomi Paiss, NIFs vice-president of public affairs, has said her group “opposes the occupation by Israel of areas that were seized from Palestinians.” “The NIF, like the Palestinians, would tell you that all of Israel, including the pre-1967 areas, are ‘areas Israel seized from Palestinians,’” said Mr. Langfan. During Sefira At the April 28th rally, Rabbi David Algaze issued the first blast of the shofar, which seemed to startle some of the UJA officials who were spotted watching the proceedings from the vantage of the building’s lobby. “You want to be democratic? Why don’t you ask the Jews who support you if the BDS groups should march. There is no room for those who boycott Israel. They should organize their own parade,” said the rabbi. He pointed out the appropriateness of the rally’s coming in the middle of Sefirat HaOmer, a Jewish national period of mourning for 24,000 Jewish scholars who died of a plague in the second century CE. According to Jewish tradition, they died because they did not treat each other with proper respect. Rabbi Algaze noted that while Jewish law forbids “ill
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Israel Day Parade talk” of another person, the truth, even if unpleasant, about the person is mandated if a potential union—marriage or business partnership—is in the offing. “We are protesting out loud against a major Jewish organization. We are notifying the UJA/ Federation that a union of the Celebrate Israel Parade and the three BDS groups it proposes to allow march is a dangerous and destructive union for the State of Israel. We therefore must proclaim that this union must be dissolved immediately and that no BDS groups be allowed to march with Israel’s supporters,” he said. Mr. Allen of JCCWatch pointed out that John Ruskay, currently executive vice-president and CEO of the UJA/Federation, had previously been involved in the leadership of a series of “liberal, anti-Zionist organizations,” including the notorious, and short-lived, Breira, which was accused in Israel of supporting terrorists. “John Ruskay and his group in the UJA use Jewish money to push their agenda. We hope our shofars will open their hearts,” said Mr. Allen, adding that Brian Lurie, the California-based president of the New Israel Fund, had been quoted as saying: “Why should I worry when the heads of the
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UJA/Federation and JCRC support us?” How to Respond While the anti-BDS groups are united in their outrage at the UJA/Federation, they have very different ideas on how to express it on June 1. Some parents at day schools which are participating said they might keep their children home. The anti-BDS leaders are still asking those who oppose the inclusion of the BDS groups in the parade to contact Peter Kohlmann, executive producer of the parade (212-983-4800 ext 162 or kohlmannp@jcrcny. org), and/or Michael Mittelman, director of the parade, (212-983-4800 ext 487, or mittelmanm@jcrcny.org). Rabbi Elie Abadie of the Moise Safra Community Synagogue, Congregation Magen David of Manhattan, and the Sephardic Academy of Manhattan, said he is pulling the support and the float of his congregation from the parade. Instead, he and his supporters will be assembling at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 63rd Street to protest. Mr. Allen, who will join the rabbi, said he intends to bring his shofar to blow when the BDS groups march by. Like many Jewish-religious authorities, Rabbi Abadie said he considers deliberately harm-
ing the ability of a fellow Jew to earn a livelihood to be a very serious offense. He based his ruling against marching in a parade with the BDS-supporters, whose aim is to harm Jews based on where they reside or do busiPhoto by Joe Kalter ness, on the halachic precept from the democratically elected political Book of Levitileadership of Israel and to noncus “not to stand idly by the Federation affiliated agencies blood of your brother.” and organizations,” such as the Historic Shift groups that have come to the In Israel, Mr. Jager said the fore in the fight to exclude the issue of the parade is based BDS groups from the parade. on the “major shift in the hisHe accused leaders of toric relationship between the the UJA/Federation of having State of Israel and the American“bought into the viewpoint Jewish leadership” as well as that supports the inclusion of Israel’s emerging role as the organizations that support boycenter of world Jewry and Jewcotts, divestments, and sancish identity. tions against the State of Is“During Israel’s formative rael.” Their narrative “is driven years, Israeli Prime Ministers by the Palestinian-Arab side were dependent on Americanof the conflict, even though Jewish leaders to open doors most of the Palestinian-Arab to the White House and to narrative has been proven to Capitol Hill, but those days are be historically incorrect, ignorgone. With Israel now having ing Israel’s legitimate claims the largest concentration of of sovereignty based on hisJews in the world, and with Istorical, political, and religious rael having become a military, grounds,” he said. economic, and technological “In Israel, the public unpowerhouse, it is Israel who derstands that boycotts, sancwill decide whom she defines tions, and divestment are about as a friend and whom she demainstreaming and legitimizing fines as an enemy,” he said. the hatred of Israel no less than Mr. Jager said that the they are about economic stranUJA/Federation “can no longulation,” he said, referring to ger impose policy decisions Israel’s anti-boycott law. S.L.R. that are unacceptable to the
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May 2014 / Iyar 5774
Tell Our Advertisers “I Saw It in The Jewish Voice and Opinion”
Did Barbara Toffler Inspire the Castle-Sohn Lawsuit against Observant-Jews on the Teaneck Council? Filed before the Election To Be Heard Weeks Later, Suit Is Called “Frivolous” and Worse As soon as Passover was over last
month, four observant-Jewish Teaneck Councilmen discovered that two days earlier, when none of them could respond, each of them was served with notice that they were being sued individually and in their official capacities. Complaints against them, three other local officials, and the township, had been filed by two other candidates running for the Teaneck Town Council in the May 13 election. Three of the four observant-Jewish councilmen who were served are also running in the election. Because the case will not be heard until May 30—weeks after the election—many Teaneck residents believe the lawsuit is not only frivolous, but also a politically motivated piece of theater that could cost Teaneck taxpayers thousands of dollars. Some believe there is bigotry and the desire to take revenge for past perceived insults involved as well. Jason Castle and Alan Sohn, who have identified as running mates in the May 13 election, filed the complaints with the Hackensack Superior Court, stating that despite repeated requests under NJ’s Open Public Records Act (OPRA), they had not been given access to town budget documents and other records dealing with public matters. 12,300 Documents The defendants in the case—Te-
aneck Councilmen Adam Gussen, Elie Y Katz, Mark Schwartz, and Yitz Stern; Mayor Mohammed Hameeduddin; clerk Jamie Evelina; and town manager William Broughton—said that weeks were spent gathering the requested materials—12,300 documents—all of which have already been turned over, they said. Messrs Gussen, Katz, and Stern, who are each running for re-election against Messrs Castle and Sohn, say the case was purposefully filed to garner publicity before the election, eventually to be thrown out by the court or withdrawn afterwards. “If their real goal was transparency, they could have filed their complaint with the Government Records Council in Trenton instead of in court. Then it wouldn’t have cost the taxpayers a nickel, but of course it wouldn’t have given Castle-Sohn much publicity or the perceived clout of a lawsuit. They would have lost anyway just as they will lose in court now,” said Mr. Katz. According to Teaneck Township attorney Stanley Turitz, the timing of the requests as well as the lawsuit itself was “politically motivated and intended to disrupt the workings of the Clerk’s office.” “Despite the requests being overly broad and burdensome, the Clerk’s office supplied hundreds if not thousands of documents to the plaintiffs or their representatives. We intend to prove that this lawsuit is without legal merit and
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filed solely for political advantage,” said Mr. Turitz. Mr. Turitz is representing all the defendants in their official capacities, but the defendants will need to retain their own private attorneys to represent them as individuals. Because the defendants have indemnified themselves, the township is also responsible for their personal attorneys’ fees as well. Already Done Mr. Stern said he turned over to the township clerk all the documents he had as soon as Messrs. Castle and Sohn made their initial request. Mr. Stern said additional time was needed by the township clerk to gather the large quantity of requested files because the goal was to avoid overtime costs to the taxpayers. “Messrs Castle and Sohn were fully aware of the process and the campaign shenanigans of a frivolous lawsuit can’t change that. Unfortunately, this suit will now cost the Teaneck taxpayers many thousands of dollars in legal and overtime fees and do nothing for the betterment and advancement of our town,” he said. Mr. Schwartz said he, too, turned over “any and all documents” he had. In addition, he said, he gave written authority to the township for his township emails to be searched. Many of the documents demanded by Messrs Castle and Sohn dealt with issues that arose before Mr. Schwartz was even a member of the council. “I am quite confused as to why only select councilmen received the OPRA and lawsuit,” he said. Political Stunt Mr. Katz had no doubt the entire lawsuit was “a political stunt and witch hunt being orchestrated by Sohn and Castle and paid for by every Teaneck taxpayer.” Mr. Katz said he had spent “several hours researching all of my emails and key words to comply with the records request.” “Some of their information requested dated back to 2007. Ironically, Mr. Castle acknowledged to me in a conversation two weeks earlier that he knew I worked diligently to fulfill the request. Yet, I was still sued personally because of their dirty politics,” he said.
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May 2014 / Iyar 5774
The Jewish Voice and Opinion
Among the documents allegedly demanded by Messrs Castle and Sohn are emails from Messrs Gussen, Katz, Schwartz, and Stern regarding Governor Chris Christie’s trip a few months ago to Teaneck. They have also requested communications regarding the creation of the Teaneck township website. Déjà Vu According to another candidate for Teaneck Town Council, Dr. Alex Rashin, a biophysicist and teacher from the former Soviet Union and a member of Teaneck’s Russian-Jewish community, the CastleSohn case is “more than reminiscent” of a 2011 case brought against the council by then-Council Member Dr. Barbara Toffler. In 2011, after being censured by the Teaneck Town Council for making “unsupported, inappropriate, erroneous, and speculative statements” to the press against two long-term township employees, Dr. Toffler brought a civil rights lawsuit against the council, charging the body with denying her the right of free speech. When the court dismissed her case, she filed an appeal. Finally, allegedly on the advice of her attorney, she dropped the suit, but not until she had cost the taxpayers more than $25,000 in legal fees. When she ran for reelection in 2012, she was defeated. A Replay According to Dr. Rashin, the current lawsuit against the four councilmen, the mayor, and township employees, “is nothing more or less than Toffler seeking to get even.” Although he is not being sued, Dr. Rashin said the Castle-Sohn team used OPRA to demand the petitions all candidates for Council needed in order to run, including his. “Some of the voters who signed mine asked at the time whether their signatures would surface somewhere. I told them it would not go beyond the Township Clerk, which was accurate, because in the past they never went further than that. Sohn’s and Castle’s suit has made these signatures public, and that has made me a liar, and I don’t like it. And what was the purpose? Just finding dirt. They say their lawsuit is different from Toffler’s, but no, it’s the same case,” said Dr. Rashin. Toffler Connection In fact, there is a deep connection between Dr. Toffler, whose anti-Orthodox
animus is no secret in Teaneck, and the Castle-Sohn team. Mr. Castle, a 31-yearold former Marine who has been in Teaneck for less than two years, serves as co-president of “Teaneck 2020,” an incorporated non-profit, frequently cited since its inception in 2011 as “Barbara Toffler’s group.” Among the documents sought by Messrs Castle and Sohn in their lawsuit is any information the defendants may have regarding Dr. Toffler’s Teaneck 2020 organization, including emails and texts. Because Mr. Sohn, who identifies as a member of the Orthodox-Jewish community, has made clear his affiliation with Mr. Castle and Teaneck 2020, Dr. Toffler’s
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involvement in Mr. Sohn’s candidacy has raised many questions, including the suspicion that Mr. Sohn is serving as either Dr. Toffler’s “surrogate” candidate for Council or her “token Orthodox Jew.” That suspicion rose dramatically during the last week of the campaign when it was observed that signs for the Castle-Sohn team in observant-Jewish neighborhoods carried both names. In other neighborhoods, Mr. Sohn’s name was omitted, making it appear that Mr. Castle was running alone. No Response It is not the first time Dr. Toffler has been accused of using a carefully select-
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May 2014 / Iyar 5774
Teaneck Election ed member of the observantJewish community for such purposes. Asked to comment on these allegations and his relationship with Dr. Toffler, Mr. Sohn said he had received “repeated phone calls and emails from Elie Katz, far more often than I ever do from Barbara Toffler, and I can assure you that I am not Elie Katz’s ‘token Orthodox Jew’ any more than Mr. Katz is Joe Ferriero’s or Chris Christie’s ‘token Orthodox Jew.’” Asked if that meant he had no working relationship with Dr. Toffler, Mr. Sohn had no response. Times Article Mr. Sohn has good reasons not to publicize any relationship with Dr. Toffler. In February 2007, Dr. Toffler, who refers to herself as an “ethicist’ and has boasted that she thinks of herself “as one of the most ethical people I know,” was cited by New York Times columnist Peter Applebome in a story about the growth of Teaneck’s observant-Jewish community. In that article, Dr. Toffler, then a member of the Teaneck Planning Board, said, “People worry that there’s a group that wants [Teaneck] to become an Orthodox community like some of the ones in Rockland County. [Teaneck] has always been an
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continued from page 13 incredibly diverse community, and, from my perspective, I don’t want it to become any one thing.” She has never apologized for her suggestion that Orthodox Jews were trying to take over Teaneck and turn it into “Monsey,” although she has acknowledged that her rhetoric has caused many residents, particularly among the Orthodox, to view her with suspicion. “Making Amends” Several months after Mr. Applebome’s article appeared, Dr. Toffler seemed to recognize that she might face political repercussions. She had been hoping to be reappointed to the Teaneck Planning Board, but she evidently feared her statement could prompt members of the Town Council to consider her unfit for that position. In an apparent attempt to smooth ruffled feathers, she sent an email to Mr. Stern who, at the time, was not serving on the Council, asking him as a leader in the observant community for advice about how she might regain the trust of people she had offended in the Times article. Despite warnings from community members familiar with Dr. Toffler that dealing with her could prove disadvantageous, Mr. Stern responded to her request, sending her an
Teaneck Councilman Elie Y Katz email with what he considered thoughtful and well-reasoned advice. He suggested she first apologize for the Applebome article and her quote and then educate herself on the issues the observant community considers important, such as supporting synagogue expansions and bringing ratables to the community-at-large. His recommendations were not to Dr. Toffler’s liking, and she retaliated by reading his email out loud at a Teaneck Town Council meeting without explaining that she had asked for Mr. Stern’s advice. A member of the community at the meeting said she “tried to humiliate him, making it seem as though he had sent her his advice on his own initiative, out of the blue.” When asked about the incident, Dr. Toffler defended herself by explaining that emails are not “private” and that, in her opinion, she had committed no ethical breach. Censure The case which Mr. Rashin referenced in discussing the Castle-Sohn lawsuit began in January 2011, when Dr. Toffler, then a member of the Council, struck a parked car in a Teaneck bank parking lot and then left the scene without reporting it, offenses that carry a man-
“If their real goal was transparency, they could have filed their complaint with the Government Records Council in Trenton instead of in court. Then it wouldn’t have cost the taxpayers a nickel, but, of course, it wouldn’t have given Castle-Sohn much publicity or the perceived clout of a lawsuit. They would have lost anyway just as they will lose in court now.” datory court date. Her involvement in the incident was documented by a security camera, and police came to her home in Teaneck. When a report about the incident appeared in local papers, Dr. Toffler publicly accused some Teaneck officials of leaking the information to reporters. When she was forced to admit she had no evidence to support her charges, the township employees were cleared of any wrongdoing. One month later, after giving her five days to prepare and the option to have the matter discussed publicly, the Teaneck Town Council voted to censure her. Four months later, she filed her lawsuit, which Dr. Rashin said was very similar in nature to the one filed by Castle-Sohn. Toffler’s Foes On Teaneck-related Internet sites, many members of the community have weighed in on the current lawsuit, some of them tying it to Dr. Toffler and the observant-Jewish community members she has targeted in the past. “What do Jason [Castle] and Alan [Sohn] have in common? They have become the political tools of Barbara Toffler
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May 2014 / Iyar 5774
The Jewish Voice and Opinion
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בס״ד The Carl Freyer z”l Tribute In memorial to Dr. Manfred R. Lehmann z”l and Rose and Reuben Mattus z”l
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May 2014 / Iyar 5774
Teaneck Election
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continued from page 14
and her group ‘Teaneck 2020.’ At least Toffler waited until she was actually on the Council before she sued the town costing taxpayers thousands of dollars… I think this is the first time ever new Council candidates have threatened to sue the town. If this is how they intend to start their campaign, I shudder to think about what four years of them on Council will be like. Taking a page out of Toffler’s playbook is no way to start,” wrote Teaneck resident Jonathan Mantell. Teaneck resident Miriam Levitansky suggested the suit singled out OrthodoxJewish members of the Town Council as well as Mr. Hameeduddin, Teaneck’s first Muslim elected official, whose close relationship with the observant-Jewish community has been highlighted as an example of interfaith relations at its best. She pointed out that while Messrs Katz, Schwartz, and Stern endorsed Mr. Christie for governor, Mr. Gussen did not. He ran unsuccessfully for Congress as a Democrat against incumbent Republican Scott Garrett. In the Democratic primary before the election, however, Mr. Gussen defeated Mr. Castle. “Gussen and Katz were on the council when the current Teaneck website was created but Schwartz and Stern were not, so why were they included?” asked Ms. Levitansky. “They aren’t all tall, they
aren’t all thin, they aren’t the only men on council, their terms don’t all coincide, and they aren’t the only ones on council to file tax appeals. Just what does Mr. Castle think they all have in common? It can’t just be coincidence, there must be something Castle sees that Gussen, Katz, Schwartz and Stern have in common.” Running Individually In Teaneck, each candidate runs individually for a seat on the Council. In this election, there are four open seats that are being sought by eight candidates, including the three incumbents and Messrs Castle and Sohn. While Messrs Hameeduddin and Schwartz are also on the Council, their terms are not up for re-election during this cycle. The other candidates running for the four seats in addition to Messrs Gussin, Katz, Stern, Sohn, Castle, and Rashin, are Eric Bauer, a retired Teaneck businessman and current vice-chairman of the Teaneck Planning Board, and incumbent Lizette Parker. A member of Teaneck’s AfricanAmerican community, Ms. Parker is the only incumbent running for office who is not being sued by Messrs Castle and Sohn. She has consistently been omitted by Messrs Castle and Sohn in their campaign rhetoric against the current Teaneck Council. Appeals and Budgets For example, when asked about money issues, Mr. Sohn, whose performance as treasurer of the now-defunct Teaneck Cultural Arts Council was cited as a contributing factor to that group’s demise, insisted that the three incumbents he and Mr. Castle are now suing have been fiscally irresponsible. An example, he said, is that they filed tax appeals on their properties when Teaneck’s tax rate was increased. Asked if he was implying that only the observant-Jewish incumbents had filed such appeals, Mr. Sohn did not respond. In fact, Ms. Parker filed an appeal and allegedly won a $49,000 reduction. Mr. Sohn himself allegedly filed an appeal and won a $55,000 reduction. On the issue of the Teaneck budget, Mr. Sohn again blamed the Orthodox-Jewish incumbents, neglecting to point out that Ms. Parker had voted with the majority. Asked if he and Mr. Castle were accusing
all the incumbents on the Council of fiscal irresponsibility or just the observant Jews, Mr. Sohn again did not respond. The Taxpayers’ Dime Mr. Sohn’s and Mr. Castle’s actions on this lawsuit have drawn ire not only from those being sued, but also from Dr. Rashin, who said he had originally thought there was merit in trying to see some of the documents, but now believes like so many others that these actions are politically motivated. “I cannot endorse them unless they guarantee that they would reimburse the township if even a penny of taxpayers’ money will be spent on lawyers of those they have decided to sue,” said Dr. Rashin. “There is an inconsistency in proclaiming a goal to save taxpayers money but starting out by getting into their pockets.” Further, he said, using OPRA for a “fishing expedition to find dirt on political opponents” and “forcing taxpayers to pay for it” is “simply wrong.” Saving taxpayers money is a major part of Dr. Rashin’s program. He has suggested cutting taxes through attrition and reduction of the workforce, using technology and advanced “flex-time.” He wants the township to consider selling some prime real estate, which he said could be used for luxury condos. In addition, he would like to explore developing Teaneck’s “small high-tech ‘Silicon Valley’ and/or a large retail center,” while, at the same time “drastically increasing Teaneck’s democracy, openness, and responsiveness at Council meetings.” Inexplicable Timing Asked to explain the timing of his and Mr. Castle’s lawsuit, Mr. Sohn said only that “going to court was our absolute last resort.” He did not explain why he and Mr. Castle waited such that the case would not be heard until weeks after the election. He also had nothing to say when asked if he and Mr. Castle intended to pursue the case after the election, especially if either or both of them were to win seats. The only ones who will surely lose are Teaneck taxpayers who will pay all the legal fees. S.L.R. Teaneck Municipal Elections Are Tues., May 13. How did they turn out? Go to Jewishvoiceandopinion.com
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May 2014 / Iyar 5774
The Jewish Voice and Opinion
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Michael J. Fox’s Hunt for a Cure for Parkinson’s Disease Leads to the Ashkenazic-Jewish Community Within the next few weeks, the Michael
J Fox Foundation (MJFF) for Parkinson’s Research is set to launch a new arm of its ongoing biomarker trial which will study individuals with genetic mutations associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD). One such mutation, on the LRRK2 gene, is much more common among Jews of Ashkenazic descent than it is in the rest of the population. This mutation has been identified as one of the greatest targets of interest in PD drug development. The increased prevalence of LRRK2 mutations in the Ashkenazic-Jewish community has enticed scientists at the MJFF’s Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) who are now eagerly encouraging Jews of Ashkenazi descent to be genetically tested and registered to participate in research studies. “Not everyone with the mutation will go on to develop Parkinson’s, but everyone with this mutation has something to teach scientists,” said Sohini Chowdury, manager of the PPMI study. Looking for Biomarkers PPMI operates at present in 32 clinical sites around the world—16 in the United States—to collect data and bio-samples from people with PD as well as control volunteers and people with Parkinson’s risk factors, such as the LRRK2 mutation. Now PPMI is opening a site in New York City. Launched in 2010, PPMI is a longitudinal clinical study that collects standardized clinical, imaging, and biological data in hopes of identifying a biomarker of PD progression. A biomarker is a substance, process, or characteristic of the body that signals risk of the disease, its onset, and/or its progression. Biomarkers aid in diagnosis and disease management. They also help researchers more quickly test new drugs by measuring biological changes rather than forcing researchers to wait for clinical improvement in patients. At present, there are no validated biomarkers for PD, which is something the researchers supported by MJFF are hoping to change. “A biomarker would be a game-changer and could lead to a disease-modifying therapy, which does not currently exist for PD,” said Ms. Chowdury.
Genetic Cause According to Ms. Chowdury, only approximately five to ten percent of PD cases are caused directly by genetic mutations. However, in some populations, more PD cases are attributed to genetics. Among Ashkenazic Jews—those of Eastern European descent—mutations in the LRRK2 gene account for up to 30 percent of PD cases. “This doesn’t necessarily mean there is more Parkinson’s among Ashkenazic Jews, but that the disease in that population is more often due to this genetic cause,” she said. “Given the increased prevalence of LRRK2 mutations in the AshkenaziJewish community, we are eager to help individuals in this population
get genetically tested and engaged in research studies.” According to Dr. Ken Marek, PPMI’s principal investigator and president and senior scientist at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders in New Haven, Connecticut, Ashkenazic Jews with the LRRK2 gene mutation could be key to discovering the biomarker. “Focusing on PD patients and those at risk for PD with genetic mutations will allow us to track the disease process at the earliest stages of illness. This population will teach us about the biology of PD and will accelerate our research toward a PD biomarker and more effective PD therapies,” he said.
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Parkinson’s
May 2014 / Iyar 5774
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continued from page 17
Seeking Participants Even those with the LRRK2 mutation who do not have PD are valuable to the study and its pursuit of a cure to the disease. “These individuals may show researchers more about the biology of Parkinson’s, which can illuminate new targets for therapies to stop the progression of disease,” said Ms. Chowdury. For that reason, PPMI is recruiting members of the Ashkenazic-Jewish community, including those with and without the disease, for this study. Individuals who do not have PD themselves, but have
a first-degree relative who does have it will be eligible for genetic counseling. People who already know they have the LRRK2 mutation are also eligible. Testing for Characteristics PPMI anticipates enrolling 250 people with the LRRK2 mutation and Parkinson’s and another 250 people with the mutation but without PD. These participants will be followed for five years. In April 2013, PPMI completed initial enrollment of 423 recently diagnosed PD patients and 196 controls. That month, PPMI also began recruiting individuals
with known Parkinson’s risk factors such as loss of the sense of smell and REM sleep behavior disorder. By collecting data and samples over time from people who have not been diagnosed with PD but who carry the associated genetic mutation, researchers will be able to test for characteristics that may denote greater risk of disease onset, or conversely, protection from symptoms. Drug Companies When a drug targeting LRRK2 is ready for clinical testing, this study will have assembled a group of people with this mutation for participation in studies. The MJFF has secured 15 industry partners and co-funding sponsors for PPMI including Abbott Laboratories, Biogen, BMS, Covance, Eli Lilly, GE Healthcare, Genentech, GSK, Merck, Pfizer and Roche. “We’re studying multiple cohorts— Parkinson’s patients, populations with genetic and other risk factors—in a sort of full-court press to find and validate these biomarkers. We hope this expanded study of people who carry PD genetic mutations will mean better therapies for people living with the disease today and for the many more who will soon be at risk as our population ages,” said MJFF CEO Dr. Todd Sherer. Huge Study According to Ms. Chowdury, there is no precedent for a precompetitive study of this size and scale. “And all data is shared in real-time with the research community,” she said. More information about the genetics of Parkinson’s and the current study can be found at www.michaeljfox.org/ppmi/ genetics or by calling 1-888-830-6299. Personal Commitment MJFF is the largest nonprofit funder of PD drug development in the world. Its founder, the actor Michael J Fox, was diagnosed with the disease in 1991while he was still actively engaged in television and film productions. He disclosed his condition in 1998 and committed himself to a campaign for increased Parkinson’s research. While Mr. Fox is not Jewish, his wife, actress Tracy Pollan, who played opposite him on the popular television sit-com, “Family Ties,” is. The couple’s four children, Sam, 25; twins Aquinnah and Schuyler, 19; and Esmé Annabelle, 13, were raised as Jews. S.L.R.
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Terrorism
May 2014 / Iyar 5774
The Jewish Voice and Opinion
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continued from page 1
was still on the pedal when she felt the bullet. When the car began to zigzag, she took the wheel, told the children in the back seat to duck, and kept driving away from the terrorists, while the bullets kept flying. Once she was sufficiently far away, she covered her bullet wounds with a piece of cloth and called the police hotline. She said she knew immediately that her husband had been killed. Asked where she found the presence of mind to save herself and her children, she said, “The terrorist didn’t give up, and I didn’t give up either.” Otherwise she said, “we would all have been slaughtered.” “We have five children, and they, too, will grow up and serve the country. It’s what Baruch would have wanted,” she said. Bereaved Families Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed the murder on anti-Israel incitement by the PA, including the “media fest at the funerals of several terrorists, in which a PA television reporter called the murderers ‘stars’ and ‘heroic knights.’” Since 1948, 2,495 Israelis have been killed in terrorist attacks, which have left 2,853 children without a mother or father and 99 without both parents. There have been 978 widows. Currently, there are 800 Israeli parents who have lost at least one child in a terror attack. Non-Lethal “Terrorism” Many Israelis view as cruel irony the US State Department’s description of non-lethal vandalism perpetrated by some Israeli residents of Judea and Samaria as “terrorism” in the department’s “2013 Anti-Terrorism Report.” According to the report, which investigated terror activity across the world, “Attacks by extremist Israeli settlers against Palestinian residents, property, and places of worship in the West Bank continued and were largely unprosecuted according to UN and NGO sources.” In its “Israel, West Bank, and Gaza” section, the report cites “399 attacks by extremist Israeli settlers that resulted in Palestinian property damage.” “Price Tags” For the most part, these were “pricetag” attacks against Palestinian homes and property, a term used for politically
Not Terrorism Israeli Communications Minister Gilad Erdan (Likud) expressed outrage over the State Department report which, he said, unfairly equates “price tagging” in Israel with true terror regimes. “These ‘price-tag’ attacks are not against lives, but against property. It’s graffiti, not murder. I do not accept the position that attacks on property are the same as attacks against people. It’s true that these kind of attacks could get out of hand and lead to murder, but this has not happened yet,” said Mr. Erdan.
motivated vandalism and criminal damage carried out by Jewish extremists in revenge for Arab terrorist attacks against Jewish lives. In some cases, “price tags” attributed to Jewish extremists have turned out to be actions perpetrated by Arab activists. Additionally, less violent Palestinians will sometimes conduct a “price tag” against Jewish property, instead of attacking Jewish lives. While some left-wing Israelis also equate Jewish “price tags” with murderous Arab terrorism, most politicians rail against “price tags” for harming Israel’s image.
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May 2014 / Iyar 5774
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Shia Getter Knows Everything You Need to Know About Buying Real Estate in Israel At a time when questions have
been raised about the role of hareidim in the Israeli workforce, one member of the hareidi Israeli community is busily working to attract millions of dollars to the Israeli economy. Shia Getter, author of Everything You Need to Know about Buying Real Estate in Israel, is founder and CEO of the Getter Group, Jerusalem’s largest real estate management company specializing in assisting foreign buyers with the purchase and management of homes for investment, vacation, or permanent residence.
Known in some Israeli real estate circles as “the man with common sense,” Mr. Getter moved to Israel from London 12 years ago when he was asked to manage a few apartment units. “I realized that the ‘heimishe’ style of rental management was hurting the owners living abroad, so I resolved that there was room for opening a fully professional office that would manage the property investment of those who understand the difference between ‘someone who manages my apartment’ and ‘a full service management firm that
knows what they are doing,’” says Mr. Getter. First-Class Management Since 2002, he and his company, now with seven employees, have been involved in deals totaling almost $30 million. The Getter Group manages construction projects and apartments throughout Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, and the surrounding areas with a reputation for responsibility equal to first-class management companies in the US or the UK. The company handles apartment rentals—short- and longterm—as well as vacation-home
management. He is a consultant for clients looking for investment or construction. He says he takes satisfaction in helping foreign investors who are looking “for the perfect place to call their own to make their dreams come true.” First Mistake He is convinced that many people seeking to buy properties in new developments in Israel make their first mistake when they sign the registration form and put down a deposit before going to contract. “Almost everyone who signs this form thinks it’s just a harm-
The Perfect Gift for the Jewish Baseball Lover: A Card Set Featuring “Jewish Major Leaguers” The problem of what gift to
bring for fellows too old for toy cars and not yet old enough for real ones just got easier. Now there is “Jewish Major Leaguers,” a 50-card set of Jewish baseball
players who were active in the 2010-2103 seasons. In addition to cards on the players, there are Jewish baseball history cards, and listings of “Career Leaders” and
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an “All-time Roster.” Specially featured in this edition, produced and written by Martin Abramowitz, founding president and CEO of Jewish Major Leaguers, Inc, are ten cards with items from the “Jews and Baseball” exhibit at the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia. Mr. Abramowitz, who has been called by B’nai B’rith “America’s custodian of Jewish baseball memory,” has held Jewish communal professional leadership positions in Jerusalem, Montreal, and Boston, where he now resides. He is the father of four and grandfather of seven. Easy to Order With Peter Ephross, Mr. Abramowitz co-wrote the book, “Jewish Major Leaguers in Their Own Words: Oral Histories of 23 Players,” which covers some of the Jewish players who were on Major League rosters between 1918 and 2005. A theme that emerges from the book is how thoroughly most of the players from the
first half of the 20th century identified as traditional Jews. Many said they experienced antisemitism, but had to confess that it was not as virulent as the discrimination that was targeted against African-American players. “Typically, they didn’t play on the High Holidays, while Jews who played more recently were more likely to be from mixed marriages and less likely to take the High Holidays off,” said Mr. Abramowitz. While the book can be ordered through Amazon, the card-set, which costs $36 for one set and $50 for two plus $5 shipping, can be ordered by Paypal through the website, JewishMajorLeaguers.org, or by sending a check made out to Jewish Major Leaguers to JML, 104 Greenlawn Avenue, Newton MA 02459. The email address is jewishmajorleaguers@rcn.com A perfect gift for anyone crazy about baseball, the cards can be sent as gifts with notes from the sender. S.L.R.
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Holy Name, Recognized for Patient Safety and Work-Place Excellence, Offers Innovative Treatments and Many Programs Teaneck’s Holy Name Medi-
cal Center (HNMC) was honored last month with an “A” in Hospital Safety from the Leapfrog Group. The Hospital Safety Score, which rates how well hospitals protect patients from accidents, errors, and infections, is compiled under the guidance of the nation’s leading experts on patient safety and administered by Leapfrog, an independent industry watchdog. The first
and only hospital safety rating to be analyzed in the peerreviewed Journal of Patient Safety, the score is designed to offer the information the public can use to protect individuals and their families. Calculated by Leapfrog’s Blue Ribbon Expert Panel, the Hospital Safety Score uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital-safety data to produce a single score, from a high of “A” to a low of “F,” to represent
Real Estate in Israel less piece of paper that says the company is holding the property for them. They figure that when it comes to the contract, they will take a lawyer to sort things out for them. What they don’t know is that this document is in fact binding, and each clause—the apartment plans and anything else that needs to be signed— has to be checked with an attorney before the document is signed,” he said. He pointed out that, in Israel, the fee for the company’s attorney is included in the price of the apartment. “Many people make the mistake of thinking they are paying for a lawyer to work for them as part of the contract. However, they are actually paying for the company’s lawyer who is working against the buyer. The buyer must have his own lawyer from the start,” said Mr. Getter. Finding Bargains Despite a great deal of hype about the high cost of apartments in Jerusalem, he is convinced there are still affordable properties to be found. However, he cautioned that “affordable” is not a universally understood description. “It means different things to different people. However,
a hospital’s overall record at keeping patients safe from preventable harm. More than 2,500 general hospitals were assigned scores in spring 2014. About 32 percent of them received a grade of “A.” Michael Maron, president and CEO of HNMC, credited the hospital’s “outstanding medical, nursing, technical, and administrative staff for meeting and exceeding expectations.”
“This recognition affirms our long-standing commitment to delivering the highest standard of patient care by fostering a culture of safety and quality,” he said. Best Place to Work In addition, last month, for the ninth consecutive year, HNMC, which employs more than 2,800 medical, nursing, allied health, and non-clinical staff, was named among the
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there are projects in developing areas which are more reasonable than most of the others,” he said. He pointed specifically to the Arnona neighborhood in southern Jerusalem. Located between Talpiot and Ramat Rachel, Arnona takes its name from its view of the Arnon River in Jordan which runs from the Moab Hills to the Dead Sea. More than 2600 feet above sea level, Arnona is one of the highest points in Jerusalem, affording views of the Judean Desert and the Dead Sea. “In comparison to other areas in Jerusalem, Arnona is very cheap,” said Mr. Getter. Romema He thought the same of the Romema neighborhood in northwest Jerusalem, just off the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem Highway at the main entrance to the city. While he recognized that Jerusalem’s city center is generally pricey, there are still bargains to be found. “There are some projects which have smaller apartments which are more affordable,” he said. Haneviim For many American Jews however, price is either no object or of lesser concern. Ac-
cording to Mr. Getter, one of the trends he now sees is for American Jews to enlist the services of interior designers from the minute they decide to purchase properties. “The professionals design the apartment from top to bottom, including the layout, furniture, finishings, everything down to the last detail,” he said. And where do these American Jews want to buy? Mr. Getter sees them heading for the Haneviim area, beginning outside Damascus Gate and ending at Davidka Square. Upscale In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the area was home to government offices, foreign consulates, and wealthy Jewish, Christian, and Arab residents. Today, it still boasts the same heterogeneous mix of residents and schools, and many call Rehov HaNeviim (Street of the Prophets) the most beautiful street outside the Old City. According to Mr. Getter, it is also an up-and-coming luxurious neighborhood with many higher-end buildings either already up and running or just being built. The area also boasts an upscale Africa Israel shopping mall.
Being Part of Israel Mr. Getter is not surprised that many American Jews are snapping up apartments in Israel. “Israel is close to everyone’s heart, and those people who are not able to actually live here full time still want to be part of Israel. Therefore, they buy an apartment here, which they then can use whenever they want to come, and that satisfies their longing to be part of Israel,” he says. Not surprisingly, Mr. Getter is frequently asked to share his expertise with the public. He lectures and writes regularly, especially for hareidi publications, including Hamodia, Mishpacha, and Yated Ne’eman. These days, he divides his time between educating the general public and working for his own clients. He takes pride in helping many Jews throughout the world feel comfortable purchasing properties in Israel. “Yidden from around the world are now able to sleep better at night knowing they have someone in Yerushalayim who has their interests, and only their interests, in mind as they navigate the sometimes rough road of buying their own ‘daled amos’ in Eretz Yisrael,” he said. S.L.R.
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This Month at Holy Name “100 Best Places to Work in NJ” by NJBIZ magazine. The medical center has won recognition for workplace excellence in the large-employer category every year since 2006. In the 2014 survey, Holy Name was ranked #16 overall and is the top hospital surveyed in NJ. “Our staff’s enthusiasm and the pride they take in the jobs translate to outstanding care and patient satisfaction,” said April Rodgers, HNMC’s Vice-President for Human Resources. She explained that this is reflected in the hospital’s continuing efforts to show employees how much they are valued as well as empowering them to “use their skills, advance professionally, and think creatively.” MS Center Last month, HNMC opened a spacious, 3500-square-foot, state-of-the-art Multiple Sclerosis Center. Since 1985, Holy Name has been recognized as a regional leader in MS care, the only one in Bergen County that is affiliated with the NJ Metro Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. According to Dr. Mary Ann Picone, medical director of the MS Center, the new facility is not a general neurology facility, but rather a resource specifically designed to support MS patients in the management of disability and MS-related complications. Approximately 1,800 patients from the greater New York metropolitan area visit the HNMC MS Center every year to
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take advantage of its comprehensive approach to healing. MS services are integrated throughout the hospital, allowing patients to feel supported and cared for. At HNMC, the multidisciplinary team of neurologists and other MS experts provide a full spectrum of services tailored to the unique medical and emotional needs of MS patients. These services include advanced diagnostics, novel treatment strategies, and psychosocial, rehabilitative, and supportive care. The MS Center’s commitment to seamless patient care permits most MS tests and evaluations to be performed onsite, where two boardcertified, on-staff neuroradiologists interpret imaging test results. MS patients at HNMC can participate in groundbreaking clinical trials and benefit from the medical center’s partnership with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School in Newark, Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx. Cardiology and Palliative Care In addition to its awards and recognitions last month, HNMC announced that it is one of the first hospitals in Bergen County to implant into a patient the Medtronic Reveal LINQ Insertable Cardiac Monitor (ICM) System, the smallest implantable cardiac monitoring device available. The medical center is also among the first in the nation to offer Targeted-Radiofrequency Ablation (t-RFA) therapy, an advanced procedure that provides rapid pain re-
lief from metastasized spinal tumors in a single, minimally invasive treatment. Dr. Scott Ruffo, an HNMC cardiac electrophysiologist, recently implanted the Reveal LINQ ICM device in a patient who presented with atrial fibrillation and syncope, or unexplained fainting. He explained that the device is inserted in a manner similar to the way an intravenous line is introduced. “The advanced technology allows for wireless monitoring which can be transmitted to the physician anywhere in the world,” he said. Tiny Device The Reveal LINQ ICM is approximately one-third the size of a AAA battery, making it more than 80 percent smaller than other similar cardiac monitors. Nevertheless, the device is part of a powerful system that allows physicians to monitor a patient’s heart continuously and wirelessly for up to three years with 20 percent more data memory than its largest predecessor. The system provides remote monitoring through the Carelink® Network, which allows physicians to be alerted if a patient undergoes a cardiac event. The Reveal LINQ ICM is indicated for patients who experience symptoms such as dizziness, palpitation, fainting, and chest pain that may suggest a cardiac arrhythmia. Placed just beneath the skin through a small incision of less than 1 centimeter in the upper left side of the chest, the Reveal LINQ ICM, once inserted, is nearly invisible to the naked eye. Targeting Pain Relief Dr. Samyadev Datta, HNMC pain-management specialist, recently performed the t-RFA procedure, which he called “a tremendous advancement in the palliative care options we offer our patients.” “This new targeted therapy provides rapid relief from the debilitating effects of spinal tumors in the vertebrae without interrupting a patient’s current cancer treatment schedule. We are more than pleased about the potential of this unique treatment option and the significant potential benefit for our patients,” he said. Typically an outpatient procedure, t-RFA can be performed using local anesthesia through a small incision. Before t-RFA, the anatomy of the spine meant
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that vertebral body tumors were historically difficult to access and treat. With tRFA, the physician can target precisely where the small, steerable device’s energy is delivered with the intent to heat and destroy he metastatic spinal tumor cells to alleviate pain while minimizing damage to surrounding tissues and vital structures. “In most cases, t-RFA provides pain relief in a single treatment,” said Dr. Datta. Upcoming Programs As usual, HNMC has many upcoming programs. Except where noted, these programs are free, but parking will cost $5. To register, call 877-HOLY-NAME (1877-465-9626) and press prompt #5. Tues., May 13 “Color My World,” conducted by Tanya Caesar-Waller, using coloring books designed to encourage self-expression, 7pm “Hypnosis for Smoking Cessation,” conducted by a certified hypnotist, teaches behavior modification and uses hypnosis to help you stop smoking. 7pm, $70. Wed., May 14 Diabetes Support Forum, for people with diabetes and their families, to share common concerns and learn from each other’s experiences and skills. 1pm. “Rutgers Safety Program for Coaches,” presented by Dr. James Medler, HNMC Family Practice and Sports Medicine specialist, is designed to satisfy the requirements of the NJ “Little League Law.” 6:30pm, $35. Mon., May 19 Labyrinth Walk, a contemplative walk led by Shelley Fratterola , 5:30pm (rain date, Wed, May 21). Tues., May 20 “Healthy Bones=Strong Bones: Prevention and Treatment Options for Osteoporosis,” presented by HMNC rheumatologist Miriam Silverberg, MD, at 1pm. Diabetes CORE Class, 3:30-6:30pm. Wed., May 21 Diabetes CORE Class, 3:30-6:30pm. Tues., June 3 “Act F.A.S.T. (Face, Arm, Speech, Time),” to learn the risks of stroke, lifestyle changes to lessen the risk, the importance of early intervention, and how to recognize the signs and symptoms of strokes, conducted by Judith Kutzleb. 7pm. “Lose Weight Naturally with Hypnosis,” conducted by a certified hypnotist, teaches behavior modification and uses
hypnosis to help you make permanent lifestyle changes to reduce your weight gradually and naturally. 7pm, $70. Mon., June 9 Principles of Stress Reduction: The Next Step,” presented by Linda Lohsen, BSN, RN, using eight principles to discuss ways to initiate change in the sources of stress, developing personal responses to stress and coping mechanisms. 7pm. Tues., June 10 “Social Media 101,” introduces popular social media sites, and addresses concerns about privacy and giving information to get started. 7pm. “Hypnosis for Smoking Cessation,” conducted by a certified hypnotist, teaches
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behavior modification and uses hypnosis to help you stop smoking. 7pm, $70. Wed., June 11 “Why a Healthy Tan Is Not So Healthy,” presented by dermatologist Dr. Adolfo Fernandez-Obregon, discusses the types of skin lesions to look out for, including pre-cancerous ones, as well as suggestions for protecting yourself from UV light, safe sources of vitamin D, and the dangers of tanning beds. 7pm. “Everything You Want to Know about Diabetes,” presented by endocrinologist Dr. Mark Wiesen, answers questions about treatments and gives strategies for glucose control, prevention of complications, and diabetes self-management. 7pm. S.L.R.
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May 2014 / Iyar 5774
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The Log: Do It Now
Short- and Long-Term Journalism Internships Available, includes surveillance of anti-Israel organizations in Israel and abroad, assisting in continuing investigation of UNWRA, preparation of op-eds, organization of tours for diplomats, press interviews with victims of Israel’s peace partners, interviews with Members of Knesset, NGOs, and other journalists, researching news stories and reports, Israel Resource News Agency, Center for Near East Policy Research, IsraelNewsInvestigations@gmail.com Sema Heller Netivot Shalom Summer Internship for Sharsheret, which supports young Jewish women and their families facing breast and ovarian cancer. College or graduate students are eligible for a stipend. Duties include assisting in program development, research and data entry, and coordinate mailings. Send resume and cover letter to internship@sharsheret.org American Friends of the International Young Israel Movement is looking for men and women to participate in the 3-mile Spartan obstacle-course race in Tuxedo Park, NY, on June 8. The goal is to raise $1,000 towards the dedication of a Sefer Torah to the IDF and to win a plane ticket to Israel to be at the dedication ceremony. Go to www.crowdrise.com/ redeematorah or email brocha@gtorah.com
Tues., May 13
Network with Jewish Professionals, Ameriprise Financial, Saddle Brook, 8:15am, 201-221-2728 Caregivers Support Group, for those caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease, JCC, Tenafly, 10:30am, 201-569-7900 “DNA and Jewish Genealogy,” JCC, Tenafly, 10:30am, 201-569-7900 Brunch and Learn: Film: “Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story, JCC, Margate, 10:30am, 609-822-2381 “Improving Our Relationship with Our Parents,” for women, Debbie Selengut, includes Tehillim, private home in Monsey, 10:30am, projectochel@yahoo.com Yeshivat Noam Students Visit Seniors, JCC, Tenafly, 11am, 201-408-1455 “Café Europa Photo Album,” spons by Café Europa, spons by Jewish Family Service of North Jersey, at the Fair Lawn Jewish Center, 11am, 973-595-0111 “Death as Spiritual and Financial Opportunity,” Jewish Federation of Northern NJ, Paramus, noon, 201-820-3914 Mom and Me Cooking Project, for children in kindergarten and younger, Young Israel of East Brunswick, 5pm, youthdirector@yieb.org “Transition Matters Workshop,” for parents with high school-age students with intel-
lectual and developmental disabilities who will require adult services upon exiting the school system, Jardine Academy, Cranford, 6:30pm, 800-372-6510 Chief Deputy Whip Rep Peter Roskam (R-IL), spons by NORPAC, private home in Teaneck, 7pm, 201-788-5133 “Become a Love and Logic Parent: Four Steps of Responsibility,” Rabbi Dani Staum, LMSW, Adolph Schreiber Hebrew Academy of Rockland (ASHAR), New City, 8pm, 845641-5094 or 845-357-1515 “Drink and Think: Questions about the Chabad Lubavitch Community,” Rabbi Dov Drizin, private home in Demarest, 8pm, 201-213-9569 Omer Count 29
Wed., May 14, Pesach Sheni
Art Immersion Tour and Trip to Israel, with Tobi Kahn, spons by the JCC, Tenafly, return, Wed., May 21, 201-408-1457 or 201-408-1496 “Issues in Israeli Society,” Shahat Azani, Rockland Federation, West Nyack, 9:30am, 845-362-4200 “The World Is a Wedding: How Marriage Explains Our Universe,” for women, Rebbetzin Dinie Mangel, Chabad Lubavitch, Cherry Hill, 10am, 856-874-1500 Jewish Federation of Northern NJ Women’s Philanthropy Spring Lunch: with Geraldo Rivera, honoring Gale S. Bindelglass, Rita Merendino, and Tiffany Kaplan, at Rockleigh Country Club, Rockleigh, 10:30am, 201-820-3953 MetroWest Book Club: “The Innocents” by Francesca Segal, The Woodlands Clubhouse, West Orange, 11am, 973-530-3421 “The Scopes ‘Monkey’ Trial,” Prod Ben Nelson, JCC, Tenafly, 11am, 201-569-7900 Zalmen Mlotek’s “Magical World of Yiddish Song,” JCC, Tenafly, 11:30am, 201-408-1455 Seniors Mother’s Day Luncheon, with mentalist David Lawrence, Riverdale YMHA, 11:45am, 718-548-8200 “Bring Back the Memories: “Love, Loss, and What I Wore,” Ilene Beckerman, includes lunch, JCC, Bridgewater, noon, 908-725-6994 ext 201 “Shavuot: Before the Cheesecake,” for women, Rebbetzin Sorah Shemtov, Chabad of Riverdale, 2:20pm, 718-549-1100 Fair Lawn Gown Gemach, open by appointment only, 1-2:30pm, 201-797-1770 “Mentors through Mourning: Trauma in Today’s Society,” for graduate students or school professionals, taught by a bereavement counselor, Calvary Hospital, Bronx, 4:30pm, 718-518-2173 or 718-518-2125 Rockland/New City Hadassah Multigenerational Fashion Show, The Rockleigh Country Club, Rockleigh, 6:30pm, 845-893-3441
“Understanding the Digital Native,” for parents of middle and high school students, includes “Social Media 101,” “Parenting Digital Natives: What Should and Should I Not Be Worried about?” and “Tech Tools to Enhance Learning,” Rabbi Steven Finkelstein, Seth Dimbert, and Vincent Barrassi, Torah Academy of Bergen County, Teaneck, 7pm, edtech@tabc.org Israel Action Network Training, Jewish Federation of Northern NJ, Paramus, 7pm, 201-820-3946 Shidduch Mentor Training Program, for women who are involved with singles, Sherry Zimmerman, private home in Passaic, 7pm, 973-471-5939 MetroWest Book Club: “The Innocents” by Francesca Segal, JCC, West Orange, 7:30pm, 973-530-3421 Mom’s Support Group, for mothers of children with special needs, Beth Giladi, LSW, spons by Jewish Family Service, JCC, West Orange, 7:30pm, 973-765-9050 or 973-929-3129 “Effective Communication: Effective Conflict Resolution,” Dr. Shuni Zerykier, OHEL, Teaneck, 7:30pm, 201-692-3972 Memorial Service for Rabbi Sheldon Chwat, z”l, principal of SAR Academy 1969-1983, at SAR Academy, Bronx, 7:30pm, 718-548-1717 “Paradigm Shift: Transformational Life Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe: Realizing Your Potential,” Rabbi Mendy Lewis, Chabad of Old Tappan, 7:30pm, 201-767-4008 “Paradigm Shift: Transformational Life Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe: Seeing a Beautiful Garden,” Rabbi Levi Dubinsky, Chabad of Mountain Lakes, 973-551-1898; Rabbi Mendel Mangel, Chabad of Cherry Hill, 856-874-1500, 7:30pm; Rabbi Chanoch Kaplan, Chabad of Franklin Lakes, 8pm, 201-848-0449 “Chicks with Sticks Knitting Circle,” hats for preemies, children with cancer, and IDF soldiers in Israel, private home in Highland Park, 8pm, 732-339-8492 “Be an Educated Consumer: How Do We Decide What the Halacha Is?” Rav Zvi Sobolofsky, Cong Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn, 8pm, 201-791-7676 “Tznius: A Way of Life for Men and Women,” Rav Hershel Schachter, Cong Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn, 8:45pm, 201-791-7676 Omer Count 30
Thurs., May 15
Riverdale YMHA Senior Center to Begin Accepting Donations for Its Fundraising Bazaar, including working appliances, small household goods, jewelry and accessories, books, CDs, DVDs, new clothes with tags, toys, and other gently used items, Mon-Fri, 8:30am-4pm, 718-548-8200 ext 230 or 224
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“Separate Yourself Not from the Community” Last Day to Apply for a Sarah Lily Fund for Adoption Grant of $5,000, awarded by the Riverdale YMHA to Jewish couples or individuals who live in the NY metropolitan area and are committed to building a Jewish family through adoption and who have obtained a certificate of court approval to adopt or approval from an agency to make a foreign adoption and have completed a home study allowing them to adopt, 718548-8200 ext 210 Exhibit: “Cartoonists against the Holocaust: Art in the Service of Humanity,” spons by the Holocaust Museum and Study Center, at the Technology Center, Rockland Community College, Suffern, through May 30, 845-574-4099 JCC University: “My Old Neighborhood Remembered: Growing Up in the Bronx, 1940s and 1950s,” Avery Corman, and “The Golden Age of Television,” Prof Brian Rose, includes lunch, JCC, Tenafly, 10:30am, 201-569-7900 Special Lunch for Graduating Seniors, Rutgers Hillel, New Brunswick, noon, 732-545-2407 Film: “Gentlemen’s Agreement,” JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 1pm, 845-362-4400 “Learn to Fight Back: How to Respond to Antisemitism and Anti-Zionism on Campus,” for high school students in grades 10-12 and their parents, Susan Tuchman, Esq, and Tahli Hanuka, spons by the Zionist Organization of America, at the Fair Lawn Jewish Center, 7pm, 201-424-1825 “Keep Your Eye on the P.R.I.S.E.: Understanding Parental Rights in Special Education,” Rebecca Spar, Millburn Public Library, 7pm, 973-376-1006 Dad’s Night Out, for fathers of specialneeds children, with grilling expert Craig Solomon, spons by The Friendship Circle, private home in Paramus, 7:30pm, 201-262-7172 JCC MetroWest Book Club: “The Innocents” by Francesca Segal, JCC, West Orange, 7:30pm, 973-530-3421 Teleconference: One Book, One Community: “The Golem and the Jinni” by Helene Wecker, 7:30pm, for information, 201820-3904, for the conference, 209-647-1075, access code: 846852# “Paradigm Shift: Transformational Life Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe: Seeing a Beautiful Garden,” Rabbi Avrohom Rapoport, Chabad at the Shore, JCC, Margate, 7:30pm, 609-822-8500 Women’s Circle Networking Initiative, in Hebrew, JCC, Tenafly, 8pm, 201-569-7900 “A Season of Jewish Unity and Interdependence,” Rav Hershel Schachter, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West
Orange, 8:15pm, 973-736-1407 Omer Count 31
Fri., May 16
Deadline for Applications for Music Scholarships, for students who live or study in Riverdale, provided by the Riverdale YMHA, 718-548-8200 ext 256 “All about Math: A Conference on Dyscalculia,” Dr. George McCloskey and David Berg, National Conference Center, Holiday Inn, East Windsor, 9am-3pm, 732-645-2738 Film: “Kissing Jessica Stein,” JCC, West Orange, 10am, 973-530-3400 “The World Is a Wedding: How Marriage Explains Our Universe,” Rabbi Avrohom Rapoport, spons by Chabad at the Shore,
at Linwood Library, 12:15pm, 609-822-8500 Community Shabbos Dinner, Rabbi Avrohom Rapoport, spons by Chabad at the Shore, at Cong Beth El, Margate, 6:30pm, 609822-8500 Friday Night Dinner, Rabbi Meir Konikov, Chabad of Fort Lee, 6:30pm, 201-886-1238 Chazzan Yaakov Motzen, Ba’al Tefillah for Kabbalat Shabbat davening, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 7pm, 201-837-2795 Englewood Boys Chai Lifeline Shabbaton, for teenagers battling life-threatening or longlasting illnesses, to benefit Hackensack University Medical Center in the merit of Chana Poupko, includes welcome program and Friday night
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Shabbat dinner, private homes in Englewood, 917-270-8424, 201-2480122, or 917-903-7538 Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, scholar-in-residence, Riverdale Jewish Center, through Shabbat, May 17, 718-548-1850 Rabbi Dr. Jonathan Schwartz and Members of Cong Adath Israel of Elizabeth/Hillside, at Cong Ahavat Shalom of the Teaneck Apartments, in Teaneck, all services at Torah Academy of Bergen County, Teaneck, through Shabbat, May 17, scottw83@gmail.com Dr. David Nesenoff, scholarin-residence, Cong Shaya Ahavat Torah, Parsippany, includes dinner and “A Funny Thing When I Was at the White House: Helen Thomas Making Controversial Remarks about Israel,” 7:15pm, 973-896-6577 Omer Count 32
Shabbat, May 17
Chazzan Yaakov Motzen, Ba’al Tefillah for Shabbat davening, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 9am, 201-837-2795 Scholar-in-Residence Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein, Young Israel Ohab Zedek, Bronx, 718-548-0105 Mommy and Me, for children ages newborn-3 years with a parent, Cong Arzei Darom, 10:30am, info@arzeidarom.org “Try to Mail a Letter in Israel and Other Middle East Conflict,” Dr. David Nesenoff, Cong Shaya Ahavat Torah, Parsippany, 11:30am, 973-896-6577 Englewood Boys Chai Lifeline Shabbaton, for teenagers battling life-threatening or long-lasting illnesses, to benefit Hackensack University Medical Center in the merit of Chana Poupko, includes community-wide Kiddush and luncheon at Cong Ahavath Torah, 11:30am; Shabbat Oneg for men and boys at Cong Ahavath Torah; and Seudat Shlishit at Cong Ahavath Torah, Englewood, 917-270-8424, 201-2480122, or 917-903-7538 IDF Kiddush, in memory of Ilan Tokayer, z”l, to benefit IDF soldiers and organizations, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 11:30am, 201-837-2795 Bnai Akiva Snif (Shabbat Afternoon Groups), for grades
1-6, Cong Netivot Shalom, Teaneck, 4pm, pscheininger@hotmail.com Pirkei Avos, for women, Debra Spivak, Cong Ohr Torah, West Orange, 5pm, 973-669-7320 Pearls of Prayer, for girls, includes seudah shlishit, Riverdale Jewish Center, 6:20pm, 718548-1850 “Did the Rambam Facilitate the Mission of Shebbetzi Tzvi?” Dr. David Berger, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 6:35pm, 201-837-2795 “Medinat Yisrael” Does It Still Inspire?” Avi Silverman, Cong Beth Aaron, Teaneck, 6:45pm, 201-836-6210 Omer Count 33
Motzei Shabbat, May 17
Englewood Boys Chai Lifeline Shabbaton, for teenagers battling life-threatening or long-lasting illnesses and all Englewood teenage boys, dancing and pizza, to benefit Hackensack University Medical Center in the merit of Chana Poupko, 9:30pm, 917-270-8424, 201-248-0122, or 917-903-7538 Junior Congregation Girls Night Out: Cupcake Decorating, Movie, and Sleepover, for girls in grades 4-6, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 9:30pm, 201-837-2795 Bonfire Celebrations, for Middle and High School students, private homes in East Brunswick, 9:30pm, 732-254-1860 Lag B’Omer Musical Havadallah and Kumzitz, Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, 9:30pm, 718-796-4730 Shidduch and Shadchan Lag B’Omer Melave Malka, for Modern Orthodox and yeshivish singles ages 25 and up, bring 5 copies of shidduch resume, private home in Monsey/New Hempstead, 9:30pm-midnight, 845-397-7271 Tiferes Chofetz Chaim Group: Video: “Words Build Worlds,” for women, with speakers, private home in Edison, 9:45pm, Siegelmom@optonline.net Lag B’Omer Medura (Bonfire), spons by the Passaic-Clifton Community Kollel, includes music, at Bais Medrash L’Torah (Rabbi Davis’s Shul), Passaic, 10pm, avi@ unicomtelecom.com Trip to Israel: “Studying the Holocaust through Art and Chil-
dren’s Literature,” spons by the Center for Global Engagement, The College of NJ, Ewing, return June 2, 609-771-2596
Sun., May 18 Lag B’Omer
Central New Jersey Kehilot Investing in Day Schools Program: Run with CNJKids, to help reduce tuition in Highland Park local K-8 Jewish day schools, including Netivot—The Montessori Yeshiva and Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva, part of A Run in the Park, Raritan Ave, Highland Park, registration, 7:45-8:45am; 5K start, 9am; kids races, 10am; awards ceremony, 10:30am; www.cnjkids.org “Kavod Habriyos as a Halachic Principle,” Rabbi Daniel Feldman, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 8:30am, 201-837-2795 Davening and Bikur Cholim at Daughters of Miriam in Clifton, meet at Cong Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn, 8:15am; davening, followed by breakfast and bikur cholim, 8:45am, samapprais@aim.com Torah Tuesday Breakfast, honoring Barry Gore and a memorial tribute to Steve Kovel and Norbert Schloss, Cong Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn, 8:30am, 201-791-7676 Kavvanah: An Hour of Slower Tefillah including Meditation, Song, and a Light Breakfast, Rabbi Steven Exler, Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, 9am, 718-796-4730 Mother’s and Father’s Day Breakfast, includes films: “A Shabbos Mother,” A Would-Be Mother: “New Year’s Resolution,” and A Substitute Mother: “Mother’s Dance,” presented by Prof Thomas Friedmann, Cong Sons of Israel, Manalapan, 9:30am, 732-446-3000 Fair Lawn Gown Gemach, open by appointment only, 9:3011:30am, 201-797-1770 “Black Fire and White Fire: The Mystical Power of the Hebrew Alphabet with Lag B’Omer Insights,” Rabbi Manny Vinyas, includes breakfast, Van Cortlandt Jewish Center, 9:45am, Riverdale, 718-884-6105 Learn How to Stand Up for Israel on Your College Campus, featuring Write On for Israel Teen Fellows, StandWithUs, and the Anti-Defamation League, Aidek-
man Jewish Community Campus, Whippany, 10am, 973-929-2931 Torah Re-Dedication, in memory of Al and Morton Nyman, includes brunch, Riverdale Jewish Center, 10am, 718-548-1850 Areyvut Mitzvah Clown Session, for students and adults in 6th grade and up, Lester Senior Housing, Whippany, 10:30am, 201-244-6702 Lag B’Omer Celebration with PJ Library, Bergen County YJCC, Washington Twnshp, 11am, 201-221-5782 Lag B’Omer Carnival, Cong Ahavath Torah, Englewood, noon, 201-568-1315 Lag B’Omer BBQ, Chabad of Fort Lee, noon, 201-886-1238 Lag B’Omer in Riverdale: Celebrating Jewish Unity, featuring Skyriders acrobats, music, food, games, kite-making and flying, human hamster balls, and arts and crafts, spons by Chabad of Riverdale, at Seton Park (235th St and Independence Ave), 12:303:30pm, 718-549-1100 Used Book, CD, and DVD Sale, Teaneck Public Library, through Tues., May 20, Sun, 12:30-5:30pm; Mon-Thurs, 9am-9pm; Fri, 9am6pm; 201-403-4629 or 201-837-4171 Lag B’Omer Family Picnic, spons by Chabad at the Shore, includes camp fire, hotdogs, games, at Birch Grove Park, Northfield, 12:30pm, 609-822-8500 Lag B’Omer Field Games and Campfire, spons by the JCC on the Palisades, at Alpine Scout Camp, Alpine, 1pm, 201-569-7900 Family Baseball Game: Somerset Patriots v Sugarland Skeeters, spons by Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex County, at TD Ballpark, Bridgewater, 1:05pm, Sherrilerner@hotmail.com Lag B’Omer Picnic in the Park, spons by Cong Shaare TefillahTeaneck, includes sporting tournaments, at Phelps Park, Teaneck, 2pm, 201-357-0613 Cong Beth Abraham of Bergenfield Shul BBQ, Veterans Memorial Park, Bergenfield, 2-5pm, rifferdee@gmail.com Girls Basketball Clinic, for grades 3-5, Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls, Teaneck, 2-4pm, yonina.silverman@gmail.com
http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com Lag B’Omer BBQ, Chabad Jewish Center of Monroe, NJ, 3pm, 732-656-1616 Shake-It-Up Theater Event: “Swing,” at The Leonia Playhouse, spons by Yachad, 3pm, 201-724-4093 Israeli Film Club, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 4pm, 845-362-4400 Lag B’Omer Celebration, includes BBQ and bonfire, Moon Bounce and crafts, balloon art and magic show, animal farm, and petting zoo, Chabad Center, Cherry Hill, 4-6pm, 856-874-1500 Lakeside BBQ, includes food juggling by Will Shaw, a kumzitz, and an upsherenish, spons by Chabad of Northwest NJ, Beach 1, White Meadow Lake, 4pm, 973625-1525 ext 202 Lag B’Omer Family Bonfire and BBQ, includes arts and crafts, relay races and other activities, Bris Avrohom Center, Hillside, 5pm, rabbiavremy@brisavrohom.org Steinsaltz Ambassadors Lag B’Omer Celebration, featuring children’s activities, learning, and bonfire, Donaldson Park, Grove 4, Highland Park, 5pm, rabbishmulie@steinsaltz.org Lag B’Omer Family BBQ, Young Israel of East Brunswick, 5pm, 732-254-1860 Fun Day Lag B’Omer BBQ, includes food, bonfire, music, Moon Bounce and games, and pony rides, Chabad JCC, New City, 5-8pm, 845-634-0951 ext 100 Lag B’Omer BBQ, includes softball game, spons by Young Israel of Passaic-Clifton and Cong Tifereth Israel, Passaic, on the field at The Learning Center, Clifton, 5-8pm, 973-773-2552 Cong Beth Tefillah of Paramus Dinner, honoring Rabbi Danny and Chaviva Wolff on their 19th year as spiritual leaders of the congregation, featuring guest speaker, former Senator Joseph Lieberman, at Old Tappan Manor, Old Tappan, 5:30pm, 201-968-7388 Lag B’Omer Israeli-Style Celebration, Riverdale YMHA, 6pm, 718-548-8200 Interviews for Group Leaders, for those entering 7th grade and up, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, after 6pm, youth@rinat.org “Neil Berg’s Night of Broadway Stars, an Encore Performance,” spons by Jewish Family Service
May 2014 / Iyar 5774
of North Jersey, at Indian Hills High School, Oakland, doors open, 6:15pm, performance, 7pm, 973-595-0111 Sen Mark Kirk (R-IL), spons by NORPAC, includes dinner, private home in Englewood, 7:30pm, 201-788-5133 Omer Count 34
Mon., May 19
Torah Studies: “Bribing G-d,” for men and women, Rabbi Eliezer Zaklikovsky, Chabad Jewish Center of Monroe, NJ, 7:30pm, 732-656-1616 “Paradigm Shift: Transformational Life Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe: Realizing Your Potential,” Rabbi Mendy Kasowitz, Chabad of West Orange, 973-486-2362; Rabbi Mendy Herson, Chabad, Basking Ridge, 908-6048844, 7:30pm; Rabbi Dov Drizin, Chabad of Woodcliff Lake, 8pm, 201-476-0157 West Orange Shuls Sisterhood Book Club: “Marching to Zion” by Mary Glickman, private home in West Orange, 8pm, 973-669-0938 “Women Who Mattered: Amelia Earhart, Victoria Woodhull, Alice Paul, and Lucille Ball,” Dick Burnon, Fair Lawn Chapter of Hadassah, Fair Lawn Jewish Center, 8pm, 201-791-0327 “Durable, Diverse, and Detailed: Three Ways Judaism Thrives,” Rabbi Avrohom Bergstein, Anshei Lubavitch Congregation, Fair Lawn, 8pm, 201-794-3770 “The Secrets of the Garden: Four Essential Relationship Principles Learned from the Story of Life in the Garden of Eden That Will Completely Alter Your Relationships,” for women, Chana Weisberg, includes dessert, Chabad House, Teaneck, 8pm, 201-907-0686 Omer Count 35
Tues., May 20
Deadline to Register for “Introduction to History of the Holocaust,” a one-week summer course, July 7-11, 9am-3pm, at the Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life, Rutgers, New Brunswick, 848-932-4165 OHEL Extreme “Over the Edge” Rappelling Event Down a 20-Story Building (245 Feet), to raise money for OHEL, in teams or as individuals, at Heritage Capi-
The Jewish Voice and Opinion tal Group building, Newark, 9am5pm, 718-686-3316 “The Holiness of Food,” JCC, Tenafly, 10:30am, 201-569-7900 Book Discussion: “The Natural” by Bernard Malamud, JCC, Margate, 10am, 609-822-2381 “Emunah and Bitachon,” for women, Haddassa Davids, includes Tehillim, private home in Monsey, 10:30am, projectochel@yahoo.com Lunch and Learn, Rabbi Shmuel Goldin, Cong Ahavath Torah, Englewood, noon, 201-568-1315 Film: “Making Trouble: To Be Funny, Jewish, and Female,” featuring Molly Picon, Fanny Brice, Sophie Tucker, Joan Rivers, Gilda Rader, and Wendy Wasserstein, JCC, Tenafly, 12:15pm, 201-408-1426 JCC of Middlesex County’s 30th Anniversary Celebration, includes hot kosher buffer lunch and entertainment by the David Aaron Trio, JCC, Edison, 12:30pm, 732-494-3232 “Swept by Ocean Breezes: A History of Coney Island,” John Manbeck, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 2:30pm, 845-362-4400 Jerry Waldor Fellowship Presentation, to honor outstanding Friendship Circle volunteers, Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy, Livingston, 6pm, 973-251-0200 Jewish Historical Society of North Jersey Dinner, Bergen County YJCC, Washington Twnshp, 6:30pm, 201-666-6610 or 201-906-5509 Bergen County Friendship Circle Volunteer Celebration, Cong Beth Aaron, Teaneck, 6:30pm, Zeesy@BCFriendship.com Women’s Philanthropy Spring Outreach Gala: “From an Obesity to Miss Israel,” Mor Maman,
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Miss Israel 2014, includes auction, JCC, West Nyack, Meet-and-Greet, 6pm; dinner, auction, and program, 7pm, 845-362-4200 ext 133 “Heartbeats: A Night of Song, Dance, Art, and Connection,” for women, performed and directed by students of the Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls, proceeds to benefit Chabad’s Children of Chernobyl, at Cong Beth Shalom, Teaneck, 7pm, 201-833-4307 “Become a Love and Logic Parent: Introducing the C.O.O.L. Forumula: Getting Control of Our Children, Helping Our Children Take Ownership, Getting Our Children to Do the Thinking, and Allowing Our Children to Learn from Their Decisions,” Rabbi Dani Staum, LMSW, Adolph Schreiber Hebrew Academy of Rockland (ASHAR), New City, 8pm, 845641-5094 or 845-357-1515 Informational Meeting: “A Time,” for women, organization offers advocacy, education, and support to Jewish men and women who struggle with reproductive health and infertility issues, private home in Edison, 8pm, 732-985-5069 “Understanding Prophecy as It Relates to Sefer Devarim,” for men and women, Rabbi Jeremy Donath, Cong Darchei Noam, Fair Lawn, 8:15pm, 201-773-4080 Omer Count 36
Wed., May 21
Zionist Organization of America Washington Mission, buses leaving from Teaneck, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Philadelphia, 212-481-1500 “Understanding the Holocaust and Genocide through the Arts: A Legacy of Survival,
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Tell Our Advertisers “I Saw It in The Jewish Voice and Opinion”
continued from page 27
Resilience, and Memory,” for middle school students and teachers, featuring survivors, film “The Last Survivors,” and theatre: “G*D” by Gabriel Chajnik, Raritan Valley Community College, Branchburg, 9am-12:30pm, 908-526-1200 ext 8524 “Durable, Diverse, and Detailed: Three Ways Judaism Thrives,” for women, Rebbetzin Dinie Mangel, Chabad Lubavitch, Cherry Hill, 10am, 856-874-1500 “The History of American Comedy,” David Pappell, YMHA, Riverdale, 10am, 718-548-8200 “The Scopes ‘Monkey’ Trial,” Prod Ben Nelson, JCC, Tenafly, 11am, 201-569-7900 Fair Lawn Gown Gemach, open by appointment only, 1-2:30pm and 7-8:30pm, 201797-1770 “Yiddish in the 21st Century,” Dr. Agi Legutko, The Community Room at River Ridge, Highland Park, 1pm, 732-494-3232 “Shavuot: Before the Cheesecake,” for women, Rebbetzin Sorah Shemtov, Chabad of Riverdale, 2:20pm, 718-549-1100 “Mentors through Mourning: Crisis Intervention: When Death Impacts the Classroom,” for graduate students or school professionals, taught by a bereavement counselor, Calvary Hospital, Bronx, 4:30pm, 718-518-2173 or 718-518-2125 Reception for Friends of Shalva, includes wine-tasting, sniffing and sipping premium Scotch, and sushi dinner, proceeds to benefit scholarships for Shalva’s summer camps in Israel, private home in Bergenfield, 7pm, 212-725-0900 Support Group: Strength to Strength, for parents whose
children, 15-25, are dealing with chemical dependency, psychological disorders, and/or co-occurring issues, Dr. Jeffrey Berman, JCC, Tenafly, 7pm, 201-408-1403 or 201-569-7900 Abused Women’s Confidential Support Group, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 7:15pm, 201-837-9090 “Comprehensive Estate Planning for Individuals with Special Needs,” for fathers of special-needs children, Alex Hilsen, esq, includes “Special Needs Trusts,” “Choosing a Trustee and the Role of Siblings,” “Guardianship,” “Powers of Attorney,” “Comprehensive Estate Planning,” and “Caregiver Letters of Intent,” Jewish Family Service MetroWest, Livingston, 7:30pm, 973-929-3129 “Effective Communication: Instilling Self-Esteem and Confidence,” Dr. Shuni Zerykier, OHEL, Teaneck, 7:30pm, 201-692-3972 ATARA of Cong Keter Torah Evening of Culinary Education, private home in Teaneck, 7:30pm, francineweisbrot@gmail.com “Paradigm Shift: Transformational Life Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe: Minding Your Mission,” Rabbi Mendy Lewis, Chabad of Old Tappan, 7:30pm, 201-767-4008 “Paradigm Shift: Transformational Life Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe: Realizing Your Potential,” Rabbi Levi Dubinsky, Chabad of Mountain Lakes, 973-551-1898; Rabbi Mendel Mangel, Chabad of Cherry Hill, 856874-1500, 7:30pm; Rabbi Chanoch Kaplan, Chabad of Franklin Lakes, 8pm, 201-848-0449 Shomer Shabbos Boy Scout Meeting, for boys in 6th grade or 11 years old and up, Bais Medrash
The Log is a free service provided to the Jewish community in northern and central New Jersey, Rockland County and Riverdale. Events that we list include special and guest lectures, concerts, boutiques, dinners, open houses, club meetings, and new classes. Announcements are requested by the 25th of the month prior to the month of the event. Due to space and editorial constraints, we cannot guarantee publication of any announcement. Please email them to : susan@jewishvoiceandopinion.com
L’Torah, Rabbi Davis’s shul, Passaic, 8pm, HFishman@rafterpllc.com Tehillim Group, Cong Shaare Tefillah, Teaneck, 8:15pm, 201-2895474, 917-902-9303, or 201-836-3431 Omer Count 37
Thurs., May 22
“Understanding the Holocaust and Genocide through the Arts: A Legacy of Survival, Resilience, and Memory,” for middle school students and teachers, featuring survivors, film “The Last Survivors,” and theatre: “G*D” by Gabriel Chajnik, Raritan Valley Community College, Branchburg, 9am-12:30pm, 908-526-1200 ext 8524 Somaich Achim Jewish Family Services Food Pantry Program non-perishable food and consumer items and produce available free of charge or for a nominal fee, volunteers needed, too, Cong Adas Israel, Passaic, 9:30am-1:30pm; 8-9pm, 973-246-7717 Caregivers Support Group, for those caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease, JCC, Tenafly, 11am, 201-569-7900 Jewish Federation Full House, Vegas-Style Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament, includes kosher dinner, cocktails, Scotch, stogies, live and silent auction, mentalist Oz Pearlman, Alpine Country Club, Demarest, 6:30pm, 201-820-3955 Parenting Potentials Workshop: The Sensory Toolbox: Physical and Emotional Tools for Children with Sensory Processing Issues, Deirdre Twomey, Erica Zaklin, LCSW, and Shoshana Newman, PT, Pediatric Potentials, Livingston, 6:45pm, 973-535-5010 Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David Sisterhood Donor Dinner, honoring Meredith Kellman, at the shul in West Orange, boutiques, 7pm; dinner, 7:30pm, 973-736-1407 “Kabbalastic Perspectives on the Torah,” Ed Croman, Cong Ohr Torah, West Orange, 7:30pm, 973-669-7320 “Paradigm Shift: Transformational Life Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe: Realizing Your Potential,” Rabbi Avrohom
Rapoport, Chabad at the Shore, JCC, Margate, 7:30pm, 609-822-8500 Dad’s Night Out, for fathers of special-needs children, spons by the Friendship Circle, private home in Paramus, 7:30pm, Zeesy@ BCFriendship.com JTech Meet Up Group, panel discussion of experienced startup investors discussing current market conditions impacting start ups and their investors, JCC, Tenafly, 8:30pm, 201-408-1427 Omer Count 38
Fri., May 23
Film: “Dressing America,” with producer Steven Fischler, JCC, West Orange, 10am, 973-530-3400 “Durable, Diverse, and Detailed: Three Ways Judaism Thrives,” Rabbi Avrohom Rapoport, spons by Chabad at the Shore, at Linwood Library, 12:15pm, 609-822-8500 Pre-Shabbat Sing-a-Long, spons by Areyvut, Jewish Home at Rockleigh, 4:30pm, 201-244-6702 Carlebach Davening: Musical Kabbalat Shabbat, Jewish Center of Teaneck, 201-833-0515 Prof Aaron Koller, scholarin-residence, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, through Shabbat, May 24, 201-837-2795 Omer Count 39
Shabbat, May 24
Scholar-in-Residence, Dina Najman. Young Israel Ohab Zedek, Bronx, seudah shlishit, 718548-0105 Carlebach Minyan, Cong Darchei Noam, Fair Lawn, 8:45am, rabbidonath@gmail.com Tefilat Shlomo: The Carlebach Tefila of Riverdale, includes light and healthy Kiddush, at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, 9am, 718-796-4730 Educational Prayer Service, spons by the Jewish Learning Experience, includes discussions and commentary, prayers in English and Hebrew transliteration, at Cong Zichron Mordechai, Teaneck, 9:45am, 201-966-4498 or 201-836-4334 Rabbi’s Tish: “To Serve and Protect: Stop and Frisk Revised and Revised and the Role of Law Enforcement in Society,” Rabbi Lawrence Zierler, Jewish Center of Teaneck, 11:45am, 201-833-0515
http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com Third-Grade Luncheon, with Rabbi Shlomo Hyman, Cong Ahavath Torah, Englewood, noon, 201-568-1315 Shabbat Afternoon Groups, for children ages 3 and up, Cong Ahavas Achim, Highland Park, 3pm, 732-247-0532 Pirkei Avos, for women, Cong Ohr Torah, West Orange, 5pm, 973-669-7320 Study Group: “The Thought of Rabbi Tzadok from Lublin,” Prof Alan Brill, private home in Teaneck, 5:30pm, safek7@gmail.com Carlebach Minyan, Torah Academy of Bergen County, after mincha, 347-443-2199 “The Origins of Modern Orthodoxy,” Marc Shapiro, Cong Ohr Torah, West Orange, 7:30pm, 973-669-7320 Omer Count 40
Motzei Shabbat, May 24
Shiur, Rabbi Mordechai Willig, Young Israel of Riverdale, 9:30pm, 718-548-4765
Sun., May 25
Torah Home-Education Conference, for potential and current homeschool families, includes “special-needs education,” “Get Your Child into Yeshiva/ College,” “Child-Led Learning,” “Homeschooling Husbands,” “How to Teach Chumash/Gemara,” “Creating Your Jewish Preschool,” “Rabbis Talk Home Education,” “Maintaining Your Family’s Energy,” “Educating Multiple Children,” and “Technology and Your Homeschool,” there will be panels featuring experts as well as teens and young adults, vendors, childcare, and a catered kosher lunch, at the Moriah School, Englewood, registration, 8:30am; conference, 9am; lunch and vendors, 12:35pm; conference ends, 6pm, torahhomeed@gmail.com Learning and Breakfast, for parents and children, Cong Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn, 8:30am, 201-796-0639 Graduation Kiddush, Cong Beth Abraham, Bergenfield, noon, 201-384-0434 “Paradigm Shift: Transformational Life Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe: Realizing Your Potential,” Rabbi Levi Shemtov, Chabad of Riverdale, 9:45am, 718-549-1100; Rabbi Avro-
May 2014 / Iyar 5774
hom Bergstein, Anshei Lubavitch Congregation, Fair Lawn, 8pm, 201-794-3770 Areyvut Shavuoth Magic and Chesed Program, for ages 3-10, Scott Morley, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, magic show, 10am; art projects, 10:45am, 973-736-1407 Tween Ice Cream Chill, spons by Cong Ahavas Achim, at Dairy Deluxe, Highland Park, 10:30am, aayouth100@gmail.com Cong Ohr HaTorah BBQ, Lee Place Park, Bergenfield, 4pm, OhrHaTorahBBQ@gmail.com JACS Meeting, 12-steps meeting for Jews in recovery, Rabbi Steven Bayar, Cong B’nai Israel, Millburn, 6pm, 973-379-3811 Omer Count 41
Mon., May 26 Memorial Day
Color Me Fun Family Run/ Walk, for all ages, colorful, memorable, and messy family fitness, Yeshivat Noam, Paramus, 9-11am, 201-261-1919 ext 126 Smile on Seniors, for senior men and women, includes brunch, Chabad House, Wayne, 11:30am, 973-694-6274 Rabbi Jacob Joseph Yeshiva of Edison Dinner,, honoring Rabbi and Mrs Dovid Komet, at the Renaissance Woodbridge Hotel, Iselin, 5:30pm, 732-985-6533 Torah Studies: “Fowl Play,” for men and women, Rabbi Eliezer Zaklikovsky, Chabad Jewish Center of Monroe, NJ, 7:30pm, 732656-1616 “Paradigm Shift: Transformational Life Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe: Minding Your Mission,” Rabbi Mendy Kasowitz, Chabad of West Orange, 973486-2362; Rabbi Mendy Herson, Chabad, Basking Ridge, 908-6048844, 7:30pm; Rabbi Dov Drizin, Chabad of Woodcliff Lake, 8pm, 201-476-0157 “How Do Blessings Work? Closing the Gap between Hope and Reality,” Rabbi Avrohom Bergstein, Anshei Lubavitch Congregation, Fair Lawn, 8pm, 201-794-3770 Omer Count 42
Tues., May 27
Trip to the National Museum of American-Jewish History in Philadelphia to See Exhibit:
The Jewish Voice and Opinion “Chasing Dreams: Baseball and Becoming America,” leave JCC, Margate, 8:30am, 609-822-1854 “The Jews of Paterson,” JCC, Tenafly, 10:30am, 201-569-7900 “Contemporary Music in the Orthodox Community: From the 1970s to the Present,” Mark Kligman, PhD, JCC, Edison, 10:30am, 732-494-3232 ext 3603 “Shavuos: Kabbalas HaTorah—Women Accepting the Torah,” includes Tehillim, private home in Monsey, 10:30am, projectochel@yahoo.com Friendship Circle Adult Event, for special-needs adults, Cong Beth Tefillah, Paramus, 6pm, Zeesy@BCFriendship.com AMIT Mother-in-Israel Event, honoring Ilana Kahn, includes fashion show from Marcia’s Attic and Marcia’s Attic Kids, private home in Englewood, 7:30pm, 212-477-1207 NechamaComfort Community Awareness, to help all family members who have experienced infant and/or pregnancy loss at any time in their lives, featuring a retrospective, fashion show by Zoe Levin of A Backwards Glance Vintage, a gift boutique, and refreshments, private home in Teaneck, 7:45pm, 201-692-9302 “Become a Love and Logic Parent: The Science of Control: Root of Behavior Problems at Home, Empowering Our Children, Gaining Control through Giving Them Choices,” Rabbi Dani Staum, LMSW, Adolph Schreiber Hebrew Academy of Rockland (ASHAR), New City, 8pm, 845-641-5094 or 845-357-1515 Omer Count 43
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Wed., May 28 Yom Yerushalayim
Walking Tour of Jewish Harlem, led by Marty Schneit, includes Blumstein Brothers department store, Ethiopian Jewish Commandment Keepers headquarters, homes of Richard Rodgers, Sholem Aleichem, Molly Goldberg, and Milton Berle, and Temple Israel which becae the Mt. Olive Baptist Church, kosher boxed lunch, bus leaves JCC, Edison, 9:30am, 732-494-3232 “How Do Blessings Work? Closing the Gap between Hope and Reality,” for women, Rebbetzin Dinie Mangel, Chabad Lubavitch, Cherry Hill, 10am, 856-874-1500 Fair Lawn Gown Gemach, open by appointment only, 1-2:30pm, 201-797-1770 “Shavuot: Before the Cheesecake,” for women, Rebbetzin Sorah Shemtov, Chabad of Riverdale, 2:20pm, 718-549-1100 “Mentors through Mourning: Reintegrating Children with a Life-Threatening Illness into the Classroom,” for graduate students or school professionals, taught by a bereavement counselor, Calvary Hospital, Bronx, 4:30pm, 718-5182173 or 718-518-2125 Teen Scene Club, for special-needs teens and high school volunteers, Friendship Circle, Livingston, 5:30pm, 973-251-0200 Teen Scene: Sports and Athletics, for special-needs young adults ages 13-21, with high school volunteers and Coach Chanan, spons by The Friendship Circle, Torah Academy of Bergen County, Teaneck, 6pm, 201-262-7172
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The Log
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Tell Our Advertisers “I Saw It in The Jewish Voice and Opinion”
continued from page 29
Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center Dinner, honoring Raymonde and Joseph Winkler, Delores and Peter Berkowsky, and Celine and Seth Leeds, Crystal Plaza, Livingston, 6:30pm, 973-994-2620 Second Generation, for children of Holocaust Survivors, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 7pm, 201-837-9090 “Paradigm Shift: Transformational Life Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe: Synching with the Divine,” Rabbi Mendy Lewis, Chabad of Old Tappan, 7:30pm, 201-767-4008 Flower Arrangement and Care, for women, spons by Cong OhrTorah, at Privet Flowers, Teaneck, 8pm, ohtwomensevents@gmail.com “Paradigm Shift: Transformational Life Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe: Minding Your Mission,” Rabbi Levi Dubinsky, Chabad of Mountain Lakes, 973551-1898; Rabbi Mendel Mangel, Chabad of Cherry Hill, 856-8741500, 7:30pm; Rabbi Chanoch Kaplan, Chabad of Franklin Lakes, 8pm, 201-848-0449 Omer Count 44
Thurs., May 29
Tour Netivot: The Montessori Yeshiva, for prospective parents, at the school, 9am-4pm, 732-985-4626 Armchair Tour of the Lower East Side, Marty Schneit, JCC, Tenafly, 11:15am, 201-408-1455 “Kabbalastic Perspectives on the Torah,” Ed Croman, Cong Ohr Torah, West Orange, 7:30pm, 973-669-7320 “Paradigm Shift: Transformational Life Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe: Minding Your Mission,” Rabbi Avrohom Rapoport, Chabad at the Shore, JCC,
Margate, 7:30pm, 609-822-8500 Omer Count 45
Fri., May 30
Rabbi Jay Weinstein of the Young Israel of East Brunswick, at Cong Ahavat Shalom of the Teaneck Apartments, in Teaneck, all services at Torah Academy of Bergen County, Teaneck, through Shabbat, May 31, scottw83@gmail.com Charlie Harary, scholar-inresidence, Cong Shaarei Orah-The Sephardic Cong of Teaneck, through Shabbat, May 31, 201-833-0800 Autism Symposium: Real Life, Real People, Professional and Personal Perspectives, for adults with ASD, parents, and all professionals interested in autism spectrum disorder, spons by Children’s Specialized Hospital, at Pines Manor, Edison, registration, 8:15am; “Overview and Welcome,” Amy Mansue, MSW, 8:45am; “Beyond the Wall: Personal and Professional Experience with Autism and Spectrum Disorder,” Dr. Stephen Shore, 9am; Video: “Teen’s Guide to Understanding and Communication with People with Autism,” 10:30am; “The IEP: Strategic Approaches,” Amy Smith, 10:45am; lunch, 12:15pm; “Birds Pick and Bees Sting: Real Issues of Autism and Safe Dating,” Susan Mendelson, LSW, 1:15pm; “Perspectives of Families Living with Autism,” Evelyn Delgado, Beth Giannobile, Tom Newbon, and Kelly and Mike Samson, 1:15pm; “Raising a Child with ASD and Maintaining Your Sense of Humor,” Jeffrey Cohen, 2:30pm; “Recreation and Leisure with People with ASD, Leslie Fanelli, Kaylee McGuire, Mickey McNany, and Dina Trunzo, 2:30pm; Evaluation, 3:30pm, 908-233-3720 ext 5343 Film: “The Gatekeepers,” with Dov Gardin, JCC, West Or-
There Is Always Something Happening in the Jewish Community! Check our website http://www.JewishVoiceAndOpinion.Com for classes, shiurim, lectures, and events that came in after issue went to print! Updated daily!
ange, 10am, 973-530-3400 “How Do Blessings Work? Closing the Gap between Hope and Reality,” Rabbi Avrohom Rapoport, spons by Chabad at the Shore, at Linwood Library, 12:15pm, 609-822-8500 Kids of Courage Shabbaton, hosting children and young adults with serious medical diagnoses, at Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, through Shabbat, May 31, 201adlers@gmail.com or fourboyzmom@gmail.com Scholar-in-residence Rabbi Pesach Krohn, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, through Shabbat, May 31, 973-736-1407 Prospective Members Shabbaton, includes Modern Orthodox community, easy commute to NYC, affordable houses, and many yeshiva options, Cong Anshe Chesed, Linden, through Shabbat, May 31, membership@anshechesed.org or www.anshechesed.org Omer Count 46
Shabbat, May 31
Prospective Members Shabbaton, Cong Anshe Chesed, Linden, 908-486-8616 Mommy and Me, for children ages newborn-3 years with a parent, Cong Arzei Darom, 10:30am, info@arzeidarom.org Graduation Kiddush, Young Israel of Passaic-Clifton, 11:30am, 973-330-1244 Pre-Shavuot Learning: Shavuot Scavenger Hunt, for grades pre-K-2, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 4:30pm, 201-837-2795 Pirkei Avos, for women, Cong Ohr Torah, West Orange, 5pm, 973-669-7320 Pearls of Prayer, for girls, includes seudah shlishit, Riverdale Jewish Center, 6:20pm, 718-548-1850 Rabbi Michael and Prof Smadar Rosensweig, Young Israel Ohab Zedek, Bronx, seudah shlishit, 718-548-0105 “Sing—Now—to G-d: Miriam and Moses,” Aviva Zornberg, Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, 8pm, 718-796-4730 Omer Count 47
Motzei Shabbat, May 31
An Evening of Songs by Naomi Shemmer, JCC, Tenafly,
9:30pm, 201-569-7900
Sun., June 1
Deadline to apply for a MA in Holocaust and Genocide Studies, program committed to blending scholarship with activism, includes summer study delegations to locations abroad where genocide occurred, Nathan Weiss Graduate College of Kean University, Union, 908-737-4723 or 908-737-0256 Davening and Bikur Cholim at Daughters of Miriam in Clifton, meet at Cong Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn, 8:15am; davening, followed by breakfast and bikur cholim, 8:45am, samapprais@aim.com Kavvanah: An Hour of Slower Tefillah including Meditation, Song, and a Light Breakfast, Rabbi Steven Exler, Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, 9am, 718-796-4730 “Paradigm Shift: Transformational Life Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe: Minding Your Mission,” Rabbi Levi Shemtov, Chabad of Riverdale, 9:45am, 718-549-1100; Rabbi Avrohom Bergstein, Anshei Lubavitch Congregation, Fair Lawn, 8pm, 201-794-3770 Jumping Jellybeans Music and Dance, for children ages 0-5 and a caregiver, Cong Ahavas Achim, Highland Park, 10:30am, 732-247-0532 Celebrate Israel Parade: “50 Reasons to Celebrate Israel,” Fifth Ave from 57th to 74th Streets, Manhattan, 11am-4pm, 212-983-4800 Instrument Petting Zoo and Music School Open House, JCC, Tenafly, 1-3pm, 201-569-7900 Kids in the Kitchen, for boys ages 5-8 and girls ages 5-10, spons by Anshei Lubavitch, private home in Fair Lawn, 1:30pm, rivky@flchabad.com Hoboken Jewish Book Club: “The Storyteller” by Jodi Piccoult, Panera Bread, Hoboken, 3pm, hobokenjbookclub@gmail.com Family Shavuot Cheesecake Bake-Off, for families with children in grades K-4, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 3pm, 845-362-4400 Paintball Shooting and BBQ, for teens, Chabad Center, Cherry Hill, 4pm, 856-874-1500
http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com Reverse Raffle, winner need not be present to win, first prize, $5,000 travel voucher; second prize, 1 week at the Mariott in Orlando; third prize, 40-inch flat panel LCD TV; fourth prize, laptop computer, Cong Sons of Israel, Manalapan, 5pm, 732-446-3000 Chabad of Somerset, Hunterdon, and Union Counties Annual Event, honoring Dr. Larry and Valerie Meyers and Drs John and Patricia Kallis, Grand Summit Hotel, Summit, 5pm, 908-604-8844 Making Flower Cupcakes for Shavuot, for women, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 7:30pm, 718-974-4550 Omer Count 48
Mon., June 2
Shavuot Bake Sale, Cong Agudath Israel, Highland Park, 6-8pm, 732-985-1648 Chabad of West Orange Dinner, honoring Paul and Celine Feinberg, Steven and Georgia Solotoff, Jodi Solotoff, Roz Moskovitz Bielski, featuring Bnai Jazz, Crystal Plaza, Livingston, 6:30pm, rabbi@chabadwestorange.com Jewish Federation Initial Gifts Reception, for those who contributed $25,000 or more, with speaker Noam Shalit, private home in Tenafly, 7pm, 201-820-3911 “The Middle East Unraveled,” Howard Stoffer, JCC, Tenafly, 7:30pm, 201-408-1457 Torah Studies: “Are Kings Good Things?” for men and women, Rabbi Eliezer Zaklikovsky, Chabad Jewish Center of Monroe, NJ, 7:30pm, 732-656-1616 “Paradigm Shift: Transformational Life Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe: Synching with the Divine,” Rabbi Mendy Kasowitz, Chabad of West Orange, 973-486-2362; Rabbi Mendy Herson, Chabad, Basking Ridge, 908-6048844, 7:30pm; Rabbi Dov Drizin, Chabad of Woodcliff Lake, 8pm, 201-476-0157 “The King of the Jews: An Inside Look at the Life of King David,” Rabbi Avrohom Bergstein, Anshei Lubavitch Congregation, Fair Lawn, 8pm, 201-794-3770 Support Group for Parents of Young Adults with Disabilities in Transition, Chani Herrmann, Yachad office, Teaneck, 9:15pm, eve@yudel.com
May 2014 / Iyar 5774 Omer Count 49
Tues., June 3 Tikkun Leyl Shavuot Primary Election Day
Last Day for Bergen Public Library Spring Auction, offering gift cards to kosher restaurants in the West Englewood area, 201387-4040 Tikun Leil Shavuot: “The First Commandment—Understanding G-d in History and the Concept of a ‘Personal G-d and Force in One’s Destiny,” Jewish Center of Teaneck, dairy meal, 9:30pm; learning, 10:15pm, 201-833-0515 All-Night Learning, Dinner, and Schmoozing, Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, 718-796-4730 All-Night Learning for Women: Megilas Rus, pairs of women who each learned a half-a-perek together will present so that the entire Megilla can be covered, Cong Beth Abraham, Bergenfield, 11pm, 201-384-0434
Wed., June 4, Shavuot
Learning Program, for men and women, spons by Torah Academy of Bergen County, with Rabbis Yosef Adler, Howard Jachter, Josh Kahn, David Nachbar, Nosson Rich, Ezra Wiener, at Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 5:45pm, 201-837-7696
Thurs., June 5, Shavuot
Cong Ahavas Achim Siyum, Highland Park, 11:30am, 732-247-0532 Learning Program, for men and women, spons by Torah Academy of Bergen County, with Rabbis Yosef Adler, Howard Jachter, Josh Kahn, David Nachbar, Nosson Rich, Ezra Wiener, at Cong Beth Abraham, Bergenfield, 5:45pm, 201-837-7696
Fri., June 6
Rabbi Mordechai Becher, scholar-in-residence for Shmuel Shiur,Cong Ohr Torah, West Orange, through Shabbat, June 14, 973-669-7320 “The King of the Jews: An Inside Look at the Life of King David,” Rabbi Avrohom Rapoport, spons by Chabad at the Shore, at Egg Harbor Township Library, 12:15pm, 609-822-8500 Areyvut Mitzvah Clown Session, for students and adults in 6th grade and up, CareOne, Teaneck, 4pm, 201-244-6702
The Jewish Voice and Opinion First Friday Family Services, Kiddush, Challah, and Chicken Soup, Chabad Center, Basking Ridge, 7:30pm, 908-604-8844
Shabbat, June 7
Educational Prayer Service, spons by the Jewish Learning Experience, includes discussions and commentary, prayers in English and Hebrew transliteration, at Cong Zichron Mordechai, Teaneck, 9:45am, 201-966-4498 or 201-836-4334 Shabbat Afternoon Groups, for children ages 3 and up, Cong Ahavas Achim, Highland Park, 3pm, 732-247-0532 Study Group: “The Thought of Rabbi Tzadok from Lublin,” Prof Alan Brill, private home in Teaneck, 5:30pm, safek7@gmail.com
Motzei Shabbat, June 7
Shiur, Rabbi Mordechai Willig, Young Israel of Riverdale, 9:30pm, 718-548-4765
Sun., June 8
National Council of Synagogue Youth (NCSY) Bergen County Breakfast, private home in Teaneck, 9am, 201-862-0250 “Bagels, Tefillin, and Breakfast,” Rabbi Eliezer Zaklikovsky, Chabad Jewish Center of Monroe, NJ, 9:30am, 732-656-1616 Walk to Defeat ALS—Lou Gehrig’s Disease, includes Team Zeidel walking for Irving Zeidel, at Saddle River Park, Saddle Brook, check-in, 9:30am; walk, 10:30am, dassi.zeidel@ gmail.com or 212-720-3042 “Paradigm Shift: Transformational Life Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe: Synching with the Divine,” Rabbi Levi Shemtov, Chabad of Riverdale, 9:45am, 718549-1100; Rabbi Avrohom Bergstein, Anshei Lubavitch Congregation, Fair Lawn, 8pm, 201-794-3770
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7-11, for children ages 7-11 who have difficulties reading social cues or navigating social situations, such as those with ADHD and Asperger’s, Dr. Avigael Wodinsky, includes strategies for emotion regulation, friendship skills, understanding thoughts and feelings, conversation and social-problem solving skills, spons by The Friendship Circle, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 10am, 201-262-7172 Beyond Bar Mitzvah Club, for boys in grade 8, Rabbi Yitzchok Kahan, Chabad Center, Cherry Hill, 12 noon, 856-874-1500 Theater: “Fiddler on the Roof,” Riverdale YMHA, 2pm and 7pm, 718-548-8200 ext 208 Trip to Minor League Baseball Game: Montclair Jackals c St/ Paul Saints, for families, spons by Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David of West Orange, at Yogi Berra Stadium, Montclair State University, 2:05pm, AABJDyouthdirectors@gmail.com Yachad Program, for special-needs teenagers and young adults, East Brunswick Jewish Center, 2:30pm, 732-754-7061 Karate Circle, for specialneeds children ages 5-12 and their siblings, spons by the Friendship Circle, at Kang’s Martial Arts Center, Teaneck, 4pm, 201-262-7172 Bat Mitzvah Club International, for girls ages 11-13 from throughout NJ and NY, Chaya Kanelsky, private home in Elizabeth, 4pm, 908-463-3347 or 908-662-2722 Riverdale Jewish Center’s 60th Anniversary Dinner, honoring Rabbi Dr. Jonathan and Rebbetzin Tzipporah Rosenblatt, Riverdale Jewish Center, 5:30pm, 718-548-1850
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The Log
May 2014 / Iyar 5774
Tell Our Advertisers “I Saw It in The Jewish Voice and Opinion”
continued from page 31
Get Ready for Summer Boutique, spons by SINAI Special Needs Schools, Glenpointe Marriott Hotel, Teaneck, 5:309:30pm, 201-387-8218 Heichal HaTorah Inaugural Dinner, honoring Avi and Anya Giloni and Ari and Betti Jacobson, at Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 7:30pm, dinner@heichalhatorah.org Rockland and Bergen County Adoptive Families Meet-Up and Support Group, for those who have already adopted or are in the process of adopting, internationally and domestically, private home, 7:30pm, www. meetup.com/Rockland-and-Bergen-Adoptive-Families “Kosher on a Budget: The 10 Commandments of Saving Money,” Mara Strom, Cong Tifereth Israel, Passaic, 7:30pm, 973-773-2552
Mon., June 9
“Caring for Your Community before and after a Disaster Strikes,” Jewish Federation of Northern NJ, Paramus, noon, 201-820-3914 Caregivers Support Group, for those caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease, JCC, Tenafly, 7pm, 201-569-7900 Torah Studies: “Are You Big Enough to Care?” for men and women, Rabbi Eliezer Zaklikovsky, Chabad Jewish Center of Monroe, NJ, 7:30pm, 732-656-1616 “Paradigm Shift: Transformational Life Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe: Redefining Failure,” Rabbi Mendy Kasowitz, Chabad of West Orange, 973486-2362; Rabbi Mendy Herson, Chabad, Basking Ridge, 908-6048844, 7:30pm; Rabbi Dov Drizin,
Chabad of Woodcliff Lake, 8pm, 201-476-0157 “The Strange Case of the Stick Gatherer: Real Lessons from the Bible’s Mysterious Dissident,” Rabbi Avrohom Bergstein, Anshei Lubavitch Congregation, Fair Lawn, 8pm, 201-794-3770
Tues., June 10
“The Strange Case of the Stick Gatherer: Real Lessons from the Bible’s Mysterious Dissident,” for women, Rebbetzin Dinie Mangel, Chabad Lubavitch, Cherry Hill, 10am, 856-874-1500 Caregivers Support Group, for those caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease, JCC, Tenafly, 10:30am, 201-569-7900 Theater: “Fiddler on the Roof,” Riverdale YMHA, 7:30pm, 718-548-8200 ext 208 “Become a Love and Logic Parent: Three Parenting Styles: Helicopters, Drill Sergeants, and Consultants: Guiding Children to Solve Their Own Problems and Knowing How to Respond to Our Children,” Rabbi Dani Staum, LMSW, Adolph Schreiber Hebrew Academy of Rockland (ASHAR), New City, 8pm, 845-641-5094 or 845-357-1515
Wed., June 11
MetroWest Book Club: “The People of Forever Are Not Afraid,” by Shani Bolanjiu, The Woodlands Clubhouse, West Orange, 11am, 973-530-3421 Bereavement Support Group, Rabbi Bryan Kinzbrunner and Lori Dillon, LCSW, Stein Hospice, Somerset, 4pm, 732-227-1212 Chabad of Camden and Burlington Counties Founders Dinner, honoring Michael and Tamara Kline, Donny and
Etti Oettinger, and Ari and Natalie Ohnona, at The Merion, Cinnaminson, 5:30pm, 856-874-1500 Kushner Hebrew Academy Dinner, honoring Sylvia and Arthur Stark, Dr. Beth Leiderman Statfeld, and Rabbi Yaakov and Mindy Haller, at the Marriott Glenpointe, Teaneck, 6pm, 973-597-1115 Interviews for Group Leaders, for those entering 7th grade and up, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, after 6pm, youth@rinat.org Support Group: Strength to Strength, for parents whose children, 15-25, are dealing with chemical dependency, psychological disorders, and/or co-occurring issues, Dr. Jeffrey Berman, JCC, Tenafly, 7pm, 201-408-1403 or 201-569-7900 Book Club: “The Storyteller” by Jodi Picoult, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 7pm, 845-362-4400 Sisterhood End of Year Dinner, Cong Sons of Israel, Manalapan, 7pm, 732-446-3000 Champaign Farewell to Federation of Greater Middlesex County Executive Director Gerrie Bamira, includes musical revue by the Tzofim Friendship Caravan of the Israeli Scouts, Metro Top Tower, Iselin, 7pm, 732-588-1808 Mom’s Support Group, for mothers of children with special needs, Beth Giladi, LSW, spons by Jewish Family Service, JCC, West Orange, 7:30pm, 973-765-9050 or 973-929-3129 “Paradigm Shift: Transformational Life Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe: Redefining Failure,” Rabbi Mendy Lewis, Chabad of Old Tappan, 7:30pm, 201-767-4008 “Paradigm Shift: Transformational Life Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe: Synching with the Divine,” Rabbi Levi Dubinsky, Chabad of Mountain Lakes, 973-551-1898; Rabbi Mendel Mangel, Chabad of Cherry Hill, 856874-1500, 7:30pm; Rabbi Chanoch Kaplan, Chabad of Franklin Lakes, 8pm, 201-848-0449
Thurs., June 12
Hudson County Jewish Business Networking, for Jewish professionals, includes business card exchange and discussion of haves/needs in your business, CASE Museum/Museum of Rus-
sian Art, Jersey City, 8:30am, JBN@ officefurnitureNYC.com JCC University: “The Latest Developments in the Middle East Hot Spots: Syria and Iran,” Dr. Joshua Gleis, and “The World of Short Film” Douglas Leclaire, includes lunch, JCC, Tenafly, 10:30am, 201-569-7900 Young Israel of Teaneck Dinner, honoring David and Janet Roher and Josh and Leah Wisotsky, shul, 6:30pm, 201-837-1710 MetroWest Book Club: “The People of Forever Are Not Afraid,” by Shani Bolanjiu, JCC, West Orange, 7:30pm, 973-530-3421 Theater: “Fiddler on the Roof,” Riverdale YMHA, 7:30pm, 718-548-8200 ext 208 JCC MetroWest Book Club: “The People of Forever Are Not Afraid” by Shani Bolanjiu, JCC, West Orange, 7:30pm, 973-530-3421 “Paradigm Shift: Transformational Life Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe: Synching with the Divine,” Rabbi Avrohom Rapoport, Chabad at the Shore, JCC, Margate, 7:30pm, 609-822-8500
Fri., June 13
Film: “The Real Inglorious Bastards,” with Rabbi Eliezer Zwickler, JCC, West Orange, 10am, 973-530-3400 “The Strange Case of the Stick Gatherer: Real Lessons from the Bible’s Mysterious Dissident,” Rabbi Avrohom Rapoport, spons by Chabad at the Shore, at Egg Harbor Township Library, 12:15pm, 609-822-8500
Shabbat, June 14
Rav Gittick Shabbaton in Fair Lawn, organized by Schneur Zalman Rusanov, 201-364-9339 Bnai Akiva Snif (Shabbat Afternoon Groups), for grades 1-6, Cong Netivot Shalom, Teaneck, 4pm, pscheininger@hotmail.com Nerot Women of the Year Dessert, honoring Rebbetzin Sheryl Adler and Amy Vogel, with guest speaker Michal Jacob, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 4:45pm, 201-357-5653 Pearls of Prayer, for girls, includes seudah shlishit, Riverdale Jewish Center, 6:20pm, 718-548-1850 Siyum Mishnayot, Cong Beth Aaron, Teaneck, at seudah shlishit, 201-907-0309 Y
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May 2014 / Iyar 5774
The Jewish Voice and Opinion
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New Classes This Month Sundays
Melachim Shuir, Rabbi Nathaniel Helfgot, Cong Netivot Shalom, Teaneck, 8:30am, info@netivotshalomnj.org Choshen Mishpat Chaburah, Rav Mendy Weinberger and Rav Moshe Jacobovits, Bais Torah U’Tefilah, Passaic, 9am, 917-510-6006 Halacha Shiur, Rabbi Gershon West, Yeshiva Passaic Torah Institute, 9:25am, 973-594-4774 Learn Gemara Kiddushin, Rabbi Shlomo Singer, Yeshiva Passaic Torah Institute, 9:50am, 862-371-3186 Riverdale Y Sunday Market, includes kosher baked goods, dairy products, wraps, homegrown vegetables and fruits, cheeses, and pickles and peppers, at Middle School/High School 141, Independence Ave and W 237th St, 9am-2pm; entertainment by Riverdale Rising Stars, 11am, 718-548-8200 Gemara Shiur, Rabbi Avrumy Fein, Riverdale Jewish Center, Bronx, 9:15am, 718-548-1850 Shalom Yoga, for women, Monica Gordon, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 9:30am, 201-836-8916 TorahKid Leagues, for boys, ages 5-13, and girls, ages 6-13, includes skill-building for sports with an emphasis on middos development, Highland Park High School field, girls, 9:15am; boys, 10:45am, 732-985-1050, begins June 1 Zumba, for girls in grades K-5, Shari Bursztyn, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 10:30am, damianbursztyn@optonline.net Shiur, Rabbi Zvi Sobolofsky, Cong Ohr HaTorah, Bergenfield, 7:15pm, announcements@ohrhatorah.com Gemara Chaburah: Mesechta Makos, half an amud per week, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 8:30pm, mglickus@gmail.com
Mondays
Beginners Level Continuing Jewish Education, for women, spons by Passaic Torah Institute Neve, private home in Passaic, 9:15am, 908-278-4059 Nach Shiur: Trei-Asar and Megillot, for women, Rebbetzin Mirel Stavsky, part of Matan’s Al Haperek, spons by Bais Medrash of Bergenfield, private home in Bergenfield, 9:45am, blanchebuchwald@ gmail.com or abaron3@gmail.com “12 Months—12 Tribes—12 Constellations and Lessons from King David,” Rebbetzin Leah Kohn, private home in Teaneck, 9:45am, 201-385-2575 or 646-456-0205 Intermediate Level Continuing Jewish Education, for women, spons by Passaic Torah Institute Neve, private home in Monsey, 10:30am, 908-278-4059 Hebrew Reading, for women, spons by Passaic Torah Institute Neve, private home in Monsey, 11am, 908-278-4059 Telephone Class: “My Mother, My Father, My Money,” for therapists and others interested in their relationship with money, Dr. Simon Feuerman, noon, 973-249-8111 or simon.feuerman@gmail.com Intermediate Israeli Dance, Sara Burnbaum, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, noon, 845-362-4400 The Gentlemen’s Kollel, Rabbi Jonathan Rosenblatt, Riverdale Jewish Center, Bronx, 1pm, 718-548-1850 Multi-Family Social-Skills Group to Help Children Develop Better Social Skills with Peers and Family Members, for boys ages 7-12 and at least one parent or caregiver, Anne Marie Ramos and Rebecca Garcia, includes self-esteem, anger management, conversation skills, tolerance, handling difficult situations such as teasing, non-verbal language, and self- awareness, Jewish Family Service, Clifton, 973-777-7638 ext 143 “What Jews Believe: The Roots of Our Faith,” based on “Yotzer Or” by Rav Aviner, Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, private home in Teaneck, 7:45pm, 201-836-8916
JRecovery: A Jewish Self-Help Group to Complement 12-Step Programs, Jewish Fmily and Vocational Service, Milltown, 7:30pm, 732-777-1940 Zumba Class, for women, Riverdale Jewish Center, 7:30pm, sharon.bardavid@gmail.com Program for Women Who Did Not Have the Opportunity to Experience Advanced Jewish Education in Their Youth: Chumash, Rashi, Hebrew Language, and General Jewish Knowledge, Sara Yankelewitz, spons by Neve Passaic Torah Institute, private home in Teaneck, 7:30pm, 908-278 4059 Shomer Shabbat Boy Scout Troop, Scoutmaster Daniel Chazin, Jewish Center of Teaneck, 7:30pm, 201-836-7019 Self-Defense, for women, Sensei Gene White, Young Israel of East Brunswick, 7:30pm, 732-254-1860 “Navigating Life’s Journey: A Course on the ‘Book of Numbers,’” Rabbi Asher Herson, Chabad Center of Northwest NJ, Rockaway Twnshp, 8pm, 973-625-1525 Ext. 227 Intermediate Level Continuing Jewish Education, for women, Blimie Lampel, spons by Passaic Torah Institute Neve, private home in Passaic, 8pm, 908-278-4059 Shiur on Sefer Melachim Bes: “Gain a Deeper Understanding of Eliyahu HaNavi, Elisha HaNavi, the siege of Jerusalem, and the development of the first Churban,” for women, Aviva Orlian, private home in Spring Valley, 8:15pm, 845-300-4880 Wesley Hills Women’s Hotline: Five-Minute Message of Inspiration, 9:30pm, projectochel@yahoo.com
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Mazal Tov Mazal Tov to the Bar Mitzvah Boys: Isaiah Eli Anderson, Avi Baer, Joshua Baker, Dovid Billowitz, Adam Bromberg, Avery Cantor, Ilan Cohen, Shmuel Gopin, Henri Kolb, Benjamin Koojimans, Shimon Laks, Eli Levine, Joshua Levine, Seth Maza, Daniel Peikes, Akiva Moshe Poppers, Eli Rifkind, Chaim Sauber, Jordan Simmons, Harrison Stiel, Akiva Sturm, Jordan Waldman, Dylan Isaac Zvi; and the Bat Mitzvah Girls: Isabel Goldberg, Molly Goldberg, Chani Karasick, Leah Maayan, Maya Mendelson, Avital Novogrodsky, Sophie Ostrove, Sophie Schanzer, Tehilla Tannenberg, Michaela Tess Thau, Shalva Wildman Mazal Tov to Stern College junior Kayla Applebaum of Teaneck on being awarded a Barry M Goldwater Scholarship for undergraduates who intend to pursue careers in science, math, or engineering. Ms. Applebaum is majoring in molecular biology. Mazal Tov to Dani Peyser on being selected as the representative of the USA Bible Contest in Israel Mazal Tov to Frisch Yeshiva High School students Annie Feiler, Leora Steinhart, Ayala Stone, and Tsipora Stone on working with the Kol Dichfin Challenge organized by Chopstix’s Elie Y. Katz and Noam Sokolow of Noah’s Ark. The students organized a school drive that netted Teaneck’s Helping Hands Pantry more than 100 pounds of food. Mazal Tov to the Kohelet Yeshiva High School of Merion Station, PA, on selling SodaStream to counter the BDS movement with a Buycott. Go to www.sodastreamusa. com/koheletnorthamericanproject and enter the promo code “KoheletNAProject” to receive a 20 percent discount off the listed price. Mazal Tov to Ori Putterman on being named a winner of the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program Y
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May 2014 / Iyar 5774
New Classes
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continued from page 33 Tuesdays
Torah in the AM, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, chavurah studying personalities in Chumash, 9am; Gemara Ketubot, Rabbi Menahem Meier, 9:45am; Rabbi Menachem Leibtag, 11am, 201-907-0180 Ali’s Art in the Park, for children 15-24 months, Seton Park (Independence Ave and 232nd St), Riverdale, 10:30am, 786-423-0712, begins June 3 “Torah and Tea: Women’s Round Table,” Chanie Zaklikovsky, Chabad Jewish Center of Monroe, NJ, 10:30am, 732-656-1616 “Rambam on the Parsha,” for women, Rabbi Ari Zahtz, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 11:30am, 201-836-8916 “Touch of Class,” Rabbi Jonathan Rosenblatt, Riverdale Jewish Center, Bronx, noon, 718-548-1850 Frum Alateen Meeting, Ricky Wisotsky, for girls ages 9-19, who have friends or family with addiction (i.e. codependency, internet addiction, gaming, ocd, food addiction, eating disorders, internet addiction, or substance abuse), Cong Tifereth Israel, Passaic, 7pm, 973-249-7435 Continuing Jewish Education, for women, spons by Passaic Torah Institute Neve, private home in Teaneck, 7:30pm, 908-278-4059 Jewish Learning, for men and women of all backgrounds and affiliations, Rabbi Ari Weber, spons by Ohr Somayach Monsey, at Beit Shvidler Conference Center, Monsey, 8pm, 845-422-5314 Father-Son Seder: Sugya of Tefillin (Menachos 34a), for parentsand 7th graders, Rabbi Tanchum Cohen, Cong Beth Abraham, Bergenfield, 8:15pm, 201-384-0434 Chabura, Rabbi Jason Finkelstein, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 8:15pm, 201-836-8916 Parsha HaShavua, Rabbi Jonathan Rosenblatt, Riverdale Jewish Center, Bronx, 8:30pm, 718-548-1850 Parsha, Rav Meir Goldwicht, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 8:30pm, 201-836-8916 Gemara Keddushin in Depth with Chavrusa, Rabbi Shlomo Singer, Passaic Torah Institute, 8:30pm, 862-371-3186 Gemara Class: Prohibitions of Shabbat, Rabbi Shlomo Nussbaum, spons by the Highland Park Community Kollel, Young Israel of East Brunswick, 8:30pm, 732-254-1860 Learn Gemara Kiddushin, Rabbi Shlomo Singer, Yeshiva Passaic Torah Institute, 8:45pm, 862-371-3186 Daf Yomi Y’Iyun, Rabbi Shlomo Landau, explore in-depth a topic from the week’s Daf Yomi, Young Israel of East Brunswick, 8:45pm, 732-254-1860 Rabbi Dr. Mel Zelefsky, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 9pm, 201-836-8916
Wednesdays
In-Depth Shiur on Sefer Yehoshua, for women, Temima Shulman, private home in Passaic, 9am, 973-594-8585 Intermediate Continuing Jewish Education: Textual skills in Chumash, Rashi, Navi, and davening, for women, Goldie Cohen, spons by Neve Passaic Torah Institute, private home in Passaic, 9:30am, 908-278-4059
“Rabbinic Responsa from the Concentration Camps,” for women, Rabbi Yaakov Weinstein, Young Israel of East Brunswick, 9:45am, 732-254-1860 Lunch and Learn, for seniors, Rabbi Michael Taubes, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, lunch, 1pm; shiur, 1:30pm, 201-836-8916 Friendship Circle Teen Scene, for special-needs teens and high school volunteers, Frisch Yeshiva High School, Paramus, 6pm, chani@ BCFrienship.com Navigating the Siddur and Chumash, for men and women, Michal Selber-Golomb, Riverdale Jewish Center, Bronx, 6:30pm, 718-548-1850 Sefer Ezra, Rabbi Menahem Meier, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 8pm, 201-836-8916 Weekly Israel Event, includes cooking, movies, cultural events, and speakers, Rutgers Hillel, New Brunswick, 8pm, 732-545-2407 “The Rise of Nazi Germany,” Prof Larry Domnitch, spons by the Jewish Learning Experience, at Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 8:15pm, 201-214-7742 “Digging Deeper: The Aggadic Teachings of Talmud Brachot,” Rabbi Eliezer Mischel, Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center, Livingston, 8:15pm, 973-994-2620 Shiur in Moreh Nevuchim, Dr. Isaac Chavel, Riverdale Jewish Center, Bronx, 8:30pm, 718-548-1850 Senior NCSY Shmooze, private home in Teaneck, 8:30pm, rael@ncsy.org In-Depth Talmud, Rabbi Yaakov Weinstein, Young Israel of East Brunswick, 8:30pm, 732-254-1860 Shiur, Rabbi Aharon Ciment, Cong Arzei Darom, 8:30pm, 201-530-0043 Hilchos Shabbos, Rabbi Zvi Sobolofksy, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 9:15pm, 201-836-8916
Thursdays
Torah in the AM, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, chavurah studying personalities in Chumash, 9am; Gemara Ketubot, Rabbi Menahem Meier, 9:45am; Sefer Yeshayahu, Rabbi Meier, 10:45am, 201-907-0180 Ali’s Art in the Park, for children 2-3 years, Seton Park (Independence Ave and 232nd St), Riverdale, 10:30am, 786-423-0712, begins June 12 “Women in the Tanach,” for women, Rebecca Belizon, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 10:30am, 201-836-8916 “Family Systems in Bereishit,” Leah Herzog, Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls, Teaneck, 11:20am, 201-833-4307 ext 265 Parsha Teleconference, Rabbi Ari Zahtz, spons by Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 12:30-12:45pm, 530-881-1212, access code: 784-494-382# Latte and Learning, Lazy Bean Café, Teaneck, 7pm, rael@ncsy.org Open Israeli Dance, Sara Burnbaum, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 7:30pm, 845-362-4400 Chaburah, Rabbi Pesach Skulnick, spons by Heichal HaTorah, at Beis Medrash of Bergenfield, Hachana Seder, 8:30pm; Ma’ariv, 9:15pm; Chaburah, 9:30pm, Yehuda.jacoby@gmail.com Havruta Learning: Sanhedrin, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 8:45pm, 973-736-1407 Mussar Based on the Parsha, Rabbi Baruch Bodenheim, Passaic Torah Institute, 10pm, 862-371-3186 “Parsha and Halacha,” Rabbi Michael Taubes, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 10:15pm, 201-836-8916
Shabbat
Navi Shiur on Sefer Melachim Beis, Rabbi Baruch Bodenheim, Yeshiva Passaic Torah Institute, Passaic, 9am, 862-371-3186 Pirkei Avot, for women, spons by Cong Arzei Darom, private homes in Teaneck, 4pm, 201-530-0043 Pirkei Avos Shiur through the Lens of Rabbinic Commentary and Jewish History, Rabbi Yaakov Glasser, Young Israel of PassaicClifton, 4pm, 973-330-2285
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May 2014 / Iyar 5774
“Halachos of Lashon Hara, Based on the Sefer Chofetz Chaim,” for women, Rabbi Eliezer Moskowitz, private home in Passaic, 4pm, 973-614-8329 Women’s Parsha Shiur, spons by the Young Israel of Teaneck, private homes in Teaneck, 4:30pm, 201-837-1710 Tefillah Shiur, for women, Rabbi Avraham Goldhar, spons by NevePassaic Torah Institute, private home in Passaic, 4:30pm, 973-364-1896 Pirkei Avos Shiur, spons by the Jewish Educational Center, Elizabeth, at private homes in Elizabeth-Hillside, 4:30pm, 908-353-5357 Shabbos Shiur, for women, Tziporah Oliver, spons by Cong Knesses Yisrael, private home in Spring Valley, 5pm, 845-364-0572 Perek on the Lawn: Pirkei Avos Shiur, Rabbi Gedaliah Jaffe, spons by Cong Ahavas Yisrael, private homes in Edison, 5pm, info@AYEdison.org Pirkei Avos, for 6th grade girls, Rabbi Dovid Pietruszka, private home in Bergenfield, 5:30pm, 201-384-0434 or 201-384-3479 Pirkei Avot, for men and women, Rabbi Samuel Klibanoff, spons
The Jewish Voice and Opinion
Page - 35
by Cong Etz Chaim, private homes in Livingston, 6pm, 973-597-1655 “Pirkei Avot Perek 4, Rabbi Nathaniel Helfgot, Cong Netivot Shalom, Teaneck, 40 minutes before mincha, info@netivotshalomnj.org Gemara Ketuvot, Rabbi Nathaniel Helfgot, Cong Netivot Shalom, Teaneck, after mincha, info@netivotshalomnj.org
New Minyanim
Late Weekday Ma’ariv Minyan in Englewood, 9pm, Mon-Wed, Cong Ahavath Torah; Thurs, Cong Shomrei Emunah, 201-567-9420
Chesed Ops
Gluten Free Gemach, collects all glutin-free products, private home in Bergenfield, spons by Cong Beth Abraham, 201-384-0434 Karmiel in Northern Israel is starting a gemach for Jewish books. Its small, but growing, American community needs English books especially for children and teens. Books can be dropped off at a private home in Edison, Siegelmom@optonline.net Y
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May 2014 / Iyar 5774
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Mazal Tov to the Class of 5774 (2014) Sun., June 1
Community Hebrew School Graduation, Chabad House, Margate, 11am, 609-822-8500
Sun., June 8
Jewish Educational Center Rav Teitz Mesivta Academy High School for Boys, Elizabeth, 9:30am, 908-355-4850 Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls, includes students from SINAI Special Needs School, Teaneck, 10am, 201-833-4307 Bais Yaakov High School, Passaic, breakfast for women and girls, 10am; speeches by men, 11:30am, 973-365-5813 Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey, River Edge, 8th grade girls, includes students from SINAI Special Needs School, 2:30pm; 8th grade boys, includes students from SINAI Special Needs School, 5:30pm, 201-986-1414
Mon., June 9
Hillel Yeshiva High School, Ocean, 8pm, 732-493-0420
Tues., June 10
Torah Academy of Bergen County, 12th grade boys, includes students from SINAI Special Needs School, Teaneck, 6:30pm, 201837-7696 Yeshiva Shaarei Tzion, 8th grade girls, at the Yeshiva Shaarei Tzion Boys School, Piscataway, 7pm, 732-235-0042
Wed., June 11
Yavneh Academy, 8th grade, at Teaneck High School, 7:30pm, 201-262-8494 Ben Porat Yosef, 8th grade, Paramus, 7pm, 201-845-5007
Thurs., June 12
Beth Rochel Elementary School, 8th grade girls, Monsey, 10am, 845-352-5000 Frisch Yeshiva High School, Paramus, 7pm, 201-267-9100 Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School, includes students from SINAI Special Needs School, Livingston, 7pm, 973-597-1115 Politz Day School, 8th grade, Cherry Hill, 7pm, 856-667-1013
Sun., June 15
Bruriah High School for Girls, Elizabeth, 10am, 908-355-4850 Beth Rochel High School, Monsey, 10am, 845-352-5000 Yeshivat Noam, 8th grade, at the Frisch Yeshiva High School, Paramus, 1pm, 201-261-1919 Rabbi Jacob Joseph Yeshiva High School, Edison, 2pm, 732-985-6533 Netivot The Montessori Yeshiva, 8th grade, Edison, 4pm,
732-985-4626 Rinas Bais Yaakov High School, at Cong Ohr Torah, Edison, 5pm, 732-985-5646
Mon., June 16
Yeshiva K’tana, 8th grade girls, Passaic, 7pm, 973-365-0100 Jewish Educational Center, 8th grade boys, Elizabeth, 7pm, 908-355-4850 Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva, 8th grade, at Middlesex County College, Edison, 7pm, 732-572-5052 Salanter Akiba Riverdale (SAR) High School, Riverdale, 7pm, 718-548-2727 Yeshiva Shaarei Tzion, 8th grade boys, Piscataway, 7pm, 732-777-0029 Shalom Torah Academy, 8th grade, East Windsor, 7pm, 609443-4877 Kushner Hebrew Academy, 8th grade, includes students from SINAI Special Needs School, Livingston, 7:30pm, 973-597-1115 Yeshivat Beit Hillel, 8th grade girls, Passaic, 7:30pm, 973777-0735 Yeshiva of Spring Valley, 8th grade girls, Monsey, 7:30pm, 845-356-1400
Tues., June 17
Moriah School of Englewood, 8th grade, at the Bergen Academies, Hackensack, 10am, 201-567-0208 Yeshiva K’tana, 8th grade boys, Passaic, 7pm, 973-916-1555 Adolph Schreiber Hebrew Academy of Rockland County (ASHAR), 8th grade, New City, 7:15pm, 845-357-1515 Yeshivat Beit Hillel, 8th grade boys, Passaic, 7:30pm, 973777-0735 Hillel Yeshiva, 8th grade, Ocean, 8pm, 732-493-9300
Wed., June 18
Salanter Akiba Riverdale (SAR) Academy, 8th grade, at the SAR High School, 7pm, 718-548-1717 Bruriah, 8th grade girls, Elizabeth, 7:30pm, 908-355-4850
Sun., June 22
Mesivta of Clifton, Clifton, 3:30pm, 973-779-4800 Bais Yaakov High School of Spring Valley, Monsey, 7pm, 845-356-3113
Mon., June 23
Yeshiva of Spring Valley, 8th grade boys, Monsey, 7:30pm, 845-356-1400 Y
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Terrorism
The Jewish Voice and Opinion
Page - 37
continued from page 19
He stressed that the Israeli government “strongly condemns” the “price-tag” attacks and has taken action against them. “We are very concerned. These are immoral acts and crimes that damage Israel, but they are not terrorism,” said Mr. Erdan. False Praise The State Department report does acknowledge terror against Israeli Jews in Judea and Samaria, which, unlike “price-tagging,” aims to kill people. According to the report, there were 1,271 terrorist acts in Judea and Samaria against Israeli citizens. These included firebombs, shootings, stabbings, grenades, incendiary devices, and rock-throwing. Ignoring the PA’s ongoing incitement against Israel and Jews, the State Department report insists that, throughout 2013, PA President Mahmoud Abbas “con-
ALAN L. MUSICANT
May 2014 / Iyar 5774
sistently reiterated his commitment to nonviolence and recognition of the State of Israel.” The report praises Mr. Abbas and the PA for taking “significant steps to ensure that official institutions in the West Bank that fall under its control do not create content that leads to incitement to violence.” Ignoring Incitement “The report utterly ignores the PA’s ongoing incitement against Israel and Jews—a fact that was mentioned to Kerry several times throughout peace talks,” said Arutz Sheva reporter Tova Dvorin. The incitement ranges from the glorification of Nazism and the lionization of Adolf Hitler, to programs on official PA television featuring heavilystereotyped Jews as villains (and encouraging violence against them), and various TV and radio shows that literally wipe the Jewish state off the map.
“Israeli officials have stressed that in order to achieve peace, the PA must first stop its incitement against Israel, which includes educating young children towards hatred and terrorism. The US was well aware of this incitement, as reports surfaced in February that Congress was weighing cutting aid to the PA over the ongoing smear campaign,” said Ms. Dvorin. Funding Terrorists Many Israeli politicians said Mr. Mizrahi’s murder cemented the conviction that releasing terrorists as a gesture to the PA was wrong. Economics Minister and head of the Jewish Home party Naftali Bennett said the PA under Mr. Abbas “encourages and funds murderers of Jews on one hand and, on the other, extorts Israel to free those murderers.” Last February, the PA Minister of Prisoners’ Affairs Issa
Karake announced that the PA, which has claimed poverty and begs for foreign assistance, would transfer an additional $46 million annually to terrorists released from Israeli prisons. Released Terrorists Gershon Mesika, head of the Samaria Regional Council said he would “not be surprised” if the terrorist who murdered Mr. Mizrahi was “one of the prisoners released in one of the ridiculous, immoral terroristrelease deals that were conducted this year.” Between the summer of 2013 and January 2014, Israel released three batches of 26 Palestinianterrorist prisoners as a “peace gesture” to the PA. Without this gesture, the PA would not have participated in the peace talks sponsored by the US. At the end of March, after eight months of no progress
continued on page 39
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May 2014 / Iyar 5774
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Ess Gezint: Ice Cream for Shavuot Ice cream blogger Lindsay Clendaniel probably knows nothing about Shavuot and its dairy traditions. Nevertheless, Ms. Clendaniel’s new book, Scoop Adventures: The Best Ice Cream of the 50 States (Page Street Publishing), could not be timelier.
She has carefully combed some of the top ice cream parlors in the US and reproduced their recipes. Get yourself an ice cream maker and enjoy a homemade creamy Shavuot. Chag Sameach, everyone. Y
Mimosa Ice Cream
Pennsylvania Dutch Chocolate-Covered Pretzel Ice Cream
From lu.lu Ice Cream, Bristol, VT 3 oranges ¾ cup sugar 1 cup 2% milk 1½ cups heavy cream
Pinch of salt 5 egg yolks ½ cup Champagne
Zest the oranges (just the rind, and none of the bitter white pith) directly into a food processor or blender. Add the sugar and blend until the orange zest is very fine and the sugar is fragrant. In a medium saucepan, warm the milk, cream, and salt, stirring occasionally. When the mixture just begins to bubble around the edges, remove from the heat, and mix in the orange zest and sugar. Cover and let the mixture steep for 1 hour. Strain out the orange zest using a fine-mesh strainer and discard the zest. Return the orange-infused mixture to the saucepan over medium heat and warm until hot to the touch. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside. Lightly whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Temper the eggs by slowly pouring ½ cup of the warmed cream mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly until combined. Return the warmed yolks to
continued in lower right
Gerenser’s Exotic Ice Cream, New Hope, PA
⅓ cup cocoa powder ⅓ cup water ⅔ cup sugar, divided 2 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped 1¾ cups whole milk, divided
1 Tbs cornstarch 1½ cups heavy cream, divided ½ tsp sea salt ½ tsp vanilla extract 1 cup chopped chocolatecovered pretzels
Combine the cocoa powder, water, and ⅓ cup sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a low boil, whisking constantly. As soon as you see bubbles, remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let sit for 2 minutes, and then stir the chocolate mixture until smooth. Pour into a medium bowl and set aside. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside. In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbs of the milk with the cornstarch, whisk and set aside. Combine the remaining milk, ½ cup of the cream, ⅓ cup sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring the milk mixture to a low boil. Cook until the sugar dissolves, 3 minutes. Remove the milk mixture from the heat and gradually whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Return to a boil and cook over moderately high heat until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Pour this ice cream base into the chocolate mixture and whisk to combine. Stir in the remaining 1 cup of cream. Set the bowl in the ice water bath to cool, 20 minutes, whisking occasionally. Once cool, add the vanilla. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight. Pour into an ice cream machine and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When churning is complete, gently fold in the chocolate-covered pretzel pieces. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours. Makes 1 qt.
Mimosa Ice Cream
from upper left
the pan with the remaining cream mixture. Heat the custard over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until the custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon, 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Set the bowl in the ice water to cool, 20 minutes, whisking occasionally. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Once the base is thoroughly chilled, add the Champagne, stirring well to combine. Churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 4 hours. Makes 1 qt.
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Terrorism
May 2014 / Iyar 5774
The Jewish Voice and Opinion
Page - 39
continued from page 37
and the PA’s blatant refusal to recognize Israel as “the Jewish state,” the Netanyahu government decided there was no point releasing the fourth batch of prisoners, which the PA insisted had to include Israeli-Arabs, calling into question Israel’s sovereignty. Hoping to blackmail Israel into the release, the PA took unilateral steps, including approaching the UN and affecting a unity reconciliation with Hamas, prompting Israel to cancel the talks entirely. Family and the State It was determined that the Mr. Mizrahi’s murderers had come from the nearby Arab village of Idhna, located west of Hebron. Eyewitnesses said they saw a man wearing a helmet on the side of the road firing a Kalashnikov assault rifle, but Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich, who met the injured widow at Shaarei Tzedek
Hospital in Jerusalem, said the attack was carried out by a group. Israeli police described Mr. Mizrahi as a modest man with two great loves—“his family and the state of Israel.” He had developed a solid professional reputation for his work against serious organized crime and cyber-crime. At the funeral, Mrs. Mizrahi said that “instead of growing old together and enjoying the changing of the seasons, I lost the love of my life through the bang of a bullet.” “My love, our children will grow up in your footsteps, and you will be with us. We part in body, but not in soul,” she said. No Condemnation It took the PA two days before officials issued a condemnation, which critics said was intended to bolster the Palestinians’ image following the dissolution of the peace talks. After a meeting with Mr.
Abbas in Ramallah, a group of left-wing Israeli MKs reported that Mr. Abbas had “condemned this murder and all other terror attacks.” Those who monitor the remarks of PA leaders said this is a code for also condemning Israeli efforts at self-defense, which the PA considers terrorism. Later in the day, PA Minister of Religious Affairs, Mahmoud Al-Habbash, told Israeli journalists from IDF radio, “This Israeli who was murdered, it hurts…We condemn the killing of any person. The principle of killing and violence is completely unacceptable.” “Prisoners of Freedom” Itamar Marcus of Palestinian Media Watch noted that both statements fly in the face of the PA’s policy of encouraging incitement against Israelis as well as the continued glorification of Palestinian-Arab terrorists. Mr. Marcus pointed out
that, two weeks earlier, on a live television broadcast, Mr. Al-Habbash had called terrorists in Israeli custody “prisoners of freedom.” “All the Palestinian prisoners who protected [our] land, honor, and homeland are prisoners of freedom; they are prisoners of war. They are not criminals, will never be and have never been. Their hands committed no crime. They were defending themselves. They are an inseparable part of this national Palestinian movement and one of its authentic elements,” he said, describing the terrorists, many of whom were guilty of murdering Israeli civilians. Two days later, Mr. Abbas’s spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, said the left-wing MKs who had met with the PA president had misunderstood. According to Mr. Rudeineh, Mr. Abbas had merely said, “We are
continued on page 40
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Terrorism
May 2014 / Iyar 5774
Tell Our Advertisers “I Saw It in The Jewish Voice and Opinion”
continued from page 39
against violence and a return to violence.” According to Mr. Rudeineh, Mr. Abbas did not condemn the Hebron attack at all. Zionist Response It was nothing less than Yohai Demari, chairman of the Har Hevron Regional Council, expected. At Mr. Mizrahi’s funeral, Mr. Demari said the PA’s practice of offering a “king’s welcome” to returning terrorist prisoners and naming streets after terrorists when they die, “has encouraged a cycle of terrorism and violence.” The appropriate Israeli response, he said, is to exact a price, such as enacting full sovereignty over Hebron.” “Israel should not be afraid—not of public opinion and not of the Americans,” he said. Mr. Demari had strong words for the left-wing MKs who visited Mr. Abbas after the murder. “It is absurd that they don’t put two and two together,” he said. Easy to Carry Out At the beginning of May, one or more terrorists bent on murder are believed to have struck again. Shelly Dadon, 19, was found dead in an abandoned parking lot near the industrial area at Migdal Haemek in the Galilee. There were signs of violence on her body. Police believe she was the victim of a terror attack. The murder was carried out in a grove, very close to the road that connects Migdal Haemek with Nazareth and nearby Arab villages. “For someone who knows the area well, it would be easy to carry out such a deed and
disappear,” said Mag-Gen Zohar Zvir, commander of Israel Police’s Northern District. “Someone Scary” A resident of Afula, Ms. Dadon had been on her way to a job interview but did not make contact with her family for several hours. When they found out she never showed up for the interview, they contacted the police. Ms Dadon’s body was found shortly afterwards by patrolmen in a lot, described by police as “out of the way.” Described by friends and family as “a lovely girl who just wanted to find job,” Ms. Dadon may have been stalked by her murderer. One of her cousins told reporters that, on the phone, Ms. Dadon could be heard saying “There is someone scary here. I’m being strangled,” referring to a woman. Another cousin expressed sadness at the length of time it took for emergency services to come to reach Ms. Dadon. The family pointed out that while, just a few days earlier, Mr. Netanyahu was quick to condemn an alleged act of “price-tagging” as “outrageous” and meriting the Securing Services, the Dadons had not heard from any political leaders in their time of grief. “If this had been a ‘price-tag graffiti’ incident, the whole state would have been up in arms, but when a young girl is murdered on her way to a job interview, they are all silent,” said a cousin. Sin of Being Jewish At her funeral, attended by 1,000 people, the spiritual leader of Migdal Haemek, Rabbi David Grossman, mourned Ms. Da-
don, whose only sin “was being Jewish.” While paying a shiva visit to the family, Mr. Bennett called Ms. Dadon “the daughter of us all who was brutally murdered.” “It is the responsibility of the Israeli government to ensure that our citizens will be able to walk around on the street,” he said, adding that no Israeli should be “afraid of her killers.” “Her killers should be afraid of us,” he said. “Murderers should not be released; murderers should be in jail.” No Releases According to Mr. Bennett, Ms. Dadon’s parents had only one request: Not to release murderers. “It is terrible that is what occurs to parents the moment their daughter was murdered,” said Mr. Bennett, promising to “use all my strength to prevent us from even talking about the release of murderers and shifting the focus back on protecting our children.” According to reports, Ms. Dadon’s father, Ya’akov, is very much in favor of a bill recently proposed in the Knesset which would prevent terrorists from being released. The proposed bill would allow the court to sentence a murderer to life without the possibility of parole. No Leeway Leading the charge against the bill from the Left is Israel’s Justice Minister Tzipi Livni who sees the proposed law as a way to prevent the government from freeing terrorists as gestures to the Palestinians. Mr. Bennett said that, in fact, is the goal. “Israeli governments have proven in recent decades that they can’t withstand the pressure and have repeatedly released murderous terrorists. The murderers of tomorrow are looking at us and will understand very well what our message is to them if this proposal will pass, and certainly what our message is if this proposal does not pass,” he said., vowing to fight for the bill’s passage. “We will not relent until we stop this immoral thing called releasing murderers.” After his shiva visit to Mr. Dadon, Housing Minister Uri Ariel also agreed to work for the bill. “It is forbidden to release murderers. When you release murderers each of them does the simple math. Every release encourages the next murder,” he said. S.L.R.
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rael that without the PA, the Jewish state would be responsible for administering the Palestinian territories. Finally, just before the April 29th deadline, delegations from Hamas and the PA met in Gaza in a renewed bid for Palestinian-Arab unity and reconciliation. Because Hamas is still recognized as a terrorist organization by the US, Israel, and the European Union, a unity government between the PA and Hamas would preclude any negotiations with the Jewish state and could signal the end of foreign aid from all Western countries. No US Money US officials warned the PA it risks losing $440 million. “No US governmental money will go into any government that includes Hamas until Hamas accepts the Quartet conditions. And that’s renouncing violence, recognizing previous agreements, and most explicitly recognizing Israel’s right to exist,” US Assistant Secretary for the Near East Anne Patterson told a US House hearing on the 2015 budget priorities for the Middle East and North Africa. Without foreign aid, the PA cannot sustain itself. Ms. Patterson said the PA could get
around its Hamas problem by holding an election. “That’s how they entered the political process and that’s how President Abbas should get rid of them,” she said. Not Part of the Deal While few American officials had the stomach to blame Israel for not releasing terrorists, there was a great deal of criticism raised when at the beginning of April, Israel reissued a call for bids on 708 housing units in the southern Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo, located just over the 1949 Armistice Line. Although the PA insists that Jewish neighborhoods such as Gilo must be surrendered to them with all Jews expelled, Israel has insisted that, in agreeing to negotiate with the Palestinians, it did not relinquish its right to build. While discouraging Israel from building, the US has not contradicted Israel’s understanding that a construction freeze on Jewish building in Judea, Samaria, and Jerusalem was not a condition of the peace talks. Nevertheless, Martin Indyk, the US envoy to the Middle East, said the housing announcement showed that Israel was “purposely torpedoing” the talks. “I can tell you first hand that that [announcing more building] had a very damaging effect, and by the way it was
intended to have that damaging effect. The promoters of the settlement activity are the ones who were adamantly opposed to the negotiations even though they were in a government that was committed to the negotiations,” he said at a talk presented at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Although he singled out Israel for the most serious blame, Mr. Indyk added that both sides were guilty of “bad faith” and “not serious” about peace. Blaming Israel Mr. Kerry also seemed to place the lion’s share of blame on Israel, accusing the Netanyahu government of not releasing the Palestinian prisoners and then announcing the 700 “settlement units.” “And poof. That was sort of the moment,” he said. He also blamed Israel for demanding recognition as the Jewish state. “The government of the United States and the president supports the notion of Israel being defined as a Jewish state. We believe that that should happen. But when it happens, and how it happens, has to be part of the negotiations. It’s not going to happen in the beginning,” he said.
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On Marcia’s Night Table: G-d Gave Us You By Marcia Kaplan G-d Gave Us You (Child’s Name) by Philip Haussler (Marblespark Press) is a personalized book for children about the seven days of creation. The book would make a wonderfully whimsical gift for that special child in your life. The child’s name is cleverly and colorfully incorporated into each day of the creation story. The name is also part of both covers and the spine. In addition, there is room for a message to the child from the loving
Peace Process
adult who gives it to him or her. The savta writing this review thoroughly enjoyed reading the book to the granddaughter for whom it was designed. Helping her find her name on each page was a delight. One word of caution: On the last page of the book, the publisher lists other personalized books in the series they produce. One of them is “T’was the Mouse Who Saved Christmas.” If deemed offensive, it can be whited out.
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Almost as an aside, he noted that Mr. Abbas’s moves were “clearly unhelpful.” When Israel and her supporters reacted negatively to Mr. Kerry’s statements, he tried to recover. US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Mr. Kerry did not intend to point the finger at the Jewish state. “Secretary Kerry was clear when he said that both sides took unhelpful steps, and at no point did he take part in the blame game. More than that, Kerry clarified that Prime Minister Netanyahu made courageous decisions throughout the process,” she said. “Apartheid” Mr. Kerry’s earlier “poof” remark was a trifle compared to the storm he created on Holocaust Remembrance Day by suggesting to the Trilateral Commission that Israel could become “an apartheid state” if his proposed two-state solution fails. Sen Ted Cruz (R-TX) called for Mr. Kerry’s resignation, suggesting his “shocking lack of sensitivity to the incendiary and damaging nature of his rhetoric” proves his “unsuitability for his position.” Mort Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America, agreed, recalling that, weeks earlier, Mr. Kerry had said that should Israel fail to fall in line with his proposals, the result would be renewed Palestinian violence, an invigorated campaign of anti-Israel boycotts and delegitimization, and Israel’s ultimate end as a Jewish and democratic state. “Secretary Kerry thereby sent the damaging and terrible message that the US would do nothing to stop Israel’s potential isolation. This gave extraordinary ammunition to Israel-haters and Jew-haters around the world, including on university
campuses,” said Mr. Klein. In Israel, Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz (Likud) simply said, “Kerry, shame on you. There are things you just can’t say.” Apology? Stopping short of an apology, Mr. Kerry noted his “commitment to Israel” and said “if I could rewind the tape, I would have chosen a different word to describe my firm belief that the only way in the long term to have a Jewish state and two nations and two peoples living side by side in peace and security is through a two state solution.” During that same talk to the Trilateral Commission, Mr. Kerry suggested that a change in either the Israeli or Palestinian leadership could make achieving a peace deal more feasible. He said, at some point, he might unveil his own peace deal and tell both sides “to take it or leave it.” While Mr. Kerry did not mention the new coalition between the PA and Hamas, Dani Dayan, Chief Foreign Envoy of the Council of Judea and Samaria, said the Secretary of State’s “dangerous prophesies are American ammunition for the Palestinian Hamas unity government to use against Israel as another excuse for their continued intransigence.” Politically Untenable Calling the PA’s decision to partner with Hamas a “blow to peace,” Mr. Netanyahu said he would not negotiate with the PA while it is part of a unity government with the Hamas terrorist group. However, the PA leadership made clear that all its moves were intended to force Israel to free convicted Palestinian terrorists serving sentences in Israeli prisons. The 78 terrorists freed in the three
previous prisoner-releases had been greeted as returning heroes by the Palestinian leadership. Those scenes, coupled with the grieving outrage expressed by bereaved families who watched the murderers of their loved ones freed, had made the scheduled fourth release politically untenable for the Netanyahu government. Many members of the coalition announced they would resign if the release was carried out. Without their prisoners, the PA’s fallback position was to resume “armed struggle” terrorism against Israel and to approach the UN to seek additional ways to have its statehood recognized by the international community. While the PA obviously thought the threat would bring Israel to its knees, Mr. Bennett called his bluff. “He doesn’t even have borders, let alone security, government, or independent rule. If it doesn’t look like a state and doesn’t sound like a state, it’s not a state, regardless of what they will say in the UN,” said Mr. Bennett. UN Agencies At the beginning of April, the PA announced that it had decided to seek membership in 15 UN agencies and international treaties, beginning with the Fourth Geneva Convention. They have since requested to join the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations, the convention on the rights of the child, the convention against torture, and the one against corruption. Further, Mr. Abbas said, if Israel did not release the fourth batch’s 26 terrorist prisoners, the PA would “immediately” seek membership in another 63 international agencies. The PA’s ambassador to the UN threatened that the PA could join up to
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Letters to the Editor Motorcycles for the Safe Haven Museum
During the third week in June I will join hundreds of motorcyclists in an effort to raise funds for educational endeavors promoting diversity and opposing intolerance. We have been riding for 10 years to support teaching today’s youth to sustain the defining doctrine of all free men and woman around the world; that people of all races and religions must be treated equally and without prejudice. The 10th annual Ride to Remember will be held in Oswego, NY, in support of the Safe Haven Museum and Education Center, which is dedicated to keeping alive the stories of 982 refugees from World War II who escaped from concentration camps and the horrors of the Holocaust. These men, women and children were selected to come to the US as invited “guests” of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The refugees were housed at the Fort Ontario Emergency Refugee Shelter in Oswego, from August 1944 until February 1946, well after the war had ended. This shelter was the only camp on American soil for Holocaust survivors. The museum highlights their journey to Oswego, life at the shelter, the decision to remain in the US after World War II, and the efforts to allow them to stay. The Safe Haven museum is intent on telling this story. They receive no federal or state funding and rely only on donations.. To learn more or to offer financial support, check out my page at http://www.stayclassy.org/RideToRememberSamCohen. Sam Cohen Bradley Beach, NJ
The Benkhens Clean-Up
Thank you for covering the story of the Benkhen family [“Family of Ten in Hillside Needs Your Help to Win a Clean-Up,” April 2014). While the family didn’t win, they did get $500 for being semi-finalists which they sorely needed. and the media attention made others aware. Thanks so much! Rachel Fleisher Elizabeth, NJ
What Kerry Should Have Said
Secretary of State John Kerry’s statement that his 30 years of support for Israel explains what he believes and that he never meant Israel is an “apartheid state,” is unsatisfactory, diplomatic jargonese, parsing of words, and not a retreat from his previous statement. It is a predictable window into his mind and indoctrination. He desperately wants to be center stage in an agreement, any agreement, and views Israel not from the perspective of a nation trying to negotiate for survival, but as a clever, intractable, reluctant foe of his dreams. He values his dream of a making a mark in history more than he values accuracy, fairness, objectivity, or Israel’s survival. He should have stated: “In a region in which most countries harbor almost exclusively, homogenous populations with a single religion, Islam; in a region which suppresses expression of other religions; has witnessed the plight and flight of hundreds of thousands of
fearful minorities (Christians, Jews, Kurds, Baha’is); has cavalierly burned and destroyed churches and synagogues; and until 1967, ruthlessly denied Jews the right to visit and pray at their holiest sites in Jerusalem until Israelis reconquered the city and still allowed the former perpetrators of discrimination full control of the Temple Mount, the relevance of Israel to the concept of apartheid is zero. “The current state of Israel is unique, a democracy, a haven for Christians and Muslims who wish to live in nation of Jews and abide by fairly applied laws, healthcare, educational and economic opportunities, and safety. “Apartheid is an institutional construct applied to South Africa that created barriers to separate races by skin color. The only barriers Israel constructs are those designed to protect its population from terrorists.” Bertha K Madras, PhD Professor of Psychobiology Department of Psychiatry Harvard Medical School Boston, MA The rejection of J Street’s application for membership in the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations is curious. Never mind what some may consider J Street’s controversial Mideast positions or its separately incorporated political action committee. The rejection speaks worlds about the Presidents’ Conference itself. Curiously, the vote was by secret paper ballot. But votes at the Presidents’ Conference aren’t the same as individual citizens voting for school board members. The concept of one man-one vote doesn’t apply here. Rather, the Presidents’ Conference is more akin to a parliamentary body. Votes are cast by representatives of the Presidents’ Conference’s constituent member organizations. In this context, the voters are answerable to the membership of their own organizations for the votes they cast on their behalf at the Conference. Why do so many of these representatives not want their memberships to know how they voted in their names? Commendably, some organizations, such as Ameinu and the ZOA, were quite public about their voting intentions. But why won’t all of the 22 organizations opposing the J Street application state their opposition publicly? It is in this context that one appreciates the principled contemplation by the Union for Reform Judaism to reconsider its Presidents’ Conference membership. J Street’s views and outlook may be controversial and distasteful to some. It is also clear that J Street represents a large stratum of American Jewish opinion. URJ’s potential withdrawal from the Presidents’ Conference belies the Conference’s claim to represent organized American Jewry. The Presidents’ Conference was always a rickety Rube Goldberg contraption, co-founded by a most unlikely pair of statesmen: John Foster Dulles and Nahum Goldmann. Are its pieces now falling apart? Elihu D. Davidson Morristown, NJ SLR: Whether the vote had been open or secret, it was clear that with this contentious an issue, whoever lost would seriously
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“Thought Is the World of Freedom” (R’ Dov Ber of Mazeritch)
consider leaving the group, as has the URJ. J Street would have been a mortification to most of the member organizations, and its inclusion would have prompted most of them, as well as their donors, to head for the nearest exit. Even the government of Israel won’t deal with J Street. The secret ballot spared most of Conference’s member organizations a great deal of unnecessary embarrassment. If J Street cared more about the greater Jewish community, Israel, and the Conference than it does about George Soros’s political agenda, it would not have applied for membership in the first place.
Mitzvah Calories on Shavuos
My cholesterol is very high, it’s really pretty scary, And many are the foods of which I must be extra wary, Like ice cream cakes, potato chips, and chocolate cream pies, To eat these high-caloric foods is not the least bit wise. I eat at home most of the time, no Hilton, Pierre, or Hyatt; For after all, I know it’s in my best interest to diet. I try to be health conscious and to exercise restraint; But truth to say, at times I cheat, I’m not at all a saint. Though long ago I gave up eating succulent rib steak, With Shavuos ‘round the corner, I just have to eat cheesecake! And all those other fabulous Shavuos foods like blintzes. You can’t imagine how much pleasure eating them evinces. Ingesting dairy foods is a big mitzvah on Shavuos; Incumbent upon each and every single Jew and Jewess. The Jews received the Torah on Shavuos at the mountain, But standing at Har Sinai, calories they weren’t countin’. The Lord provided Manna, it was just the right amount. They didn’t have to diet, calories they didn’t count. But when they learned that Torah was analogous to milk, They yearned for cheese and cream, delicious dairy of that ilk. We celebrate Shavuos with a wonderful addition. Partaking of fine dairy foods, a fabulous tradition. This holiday I’ll feast on cheese, throw caution to the wind. I may be quite foolhardy, but religiously I won’t have sinned. And maybe, who knows maybe, please, believe I do not jest; By observing this tradition, my cholesterol might be blessed. It might go down dramatically, or slowly by degrees. Then I’ll thank my “Mitzvah Calories;” I’ll smile and I’ll say: Cheese!
Ellen Wasserman New Rochelle, NY
Something for the Girls
We, a group of educators and parents, unaffiliated with any specific school or organization, are in the process of developing a program to provide service to high-school-age girls who need a more supportive academic environment. We have already met with a number of parents in Bergen County and have reached out to many schools. We are looking for parents or leaders who would like to become involved. Currently, there are no suitable high school programs in Bergen County, Monsey, and Passaic for girls who have academic weaknesses that cannot be addressed through a typical resource room program. Instead, these girls travel to Brooklyn, attend co-ed schools, or get passed along through our “typical” high school systems, often with social, emotional, and spiritual consequences. The program we are proposing would be hosted by an established high school in our area. The girls would attend self-contained classes within the host school, where they would receive individualized and modified instruction as needed, while participation in the general education environment would be possible. Parents who are concerned about their daughters’ ability to find success within the school system and who want their children to be prepared to be productive members of society after high school graduation, would be interested in sending their daughters to this kind of program. People who feel a communal responsibility for helping our children would want to become involved. If you would like to participate, please email girlshsprogram@ gmail.com for more details. Sarah Levy Passaic, NJ
The Jewish Voice and Opinion welcomes letters, especially if they are typed, double-spaced, and legible. We reserve the right to edit letters for length and style. Please send all correspondence to POB 8097, Englewood, NJ 07631. The phone number is (201) 569-2845. The FAX number is (201) 569-1739. The email address is susan@jewishvoiceandopinion.com
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Peace Process 550 international treaties and conventions, including the International Criminal Court (ICC). It is assumed that, as a member of the ICC, the Palestinians will file charges of war crimes against Israeli military officers and soldiers as well as political leaders. They will also claim that Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria are illegal and constitute a breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Sanctions In response to the PA’s request to the UN, Mr. Netanyahu announced a series of punitive measures, including a suspension of all high-level contacts between Israeli ministers and their PA counterparts. Meetings with Palestinian officials are forbidden and there is a halt to all civilian and economic cooperation with the PA. Israel is also suspending participation with the PA to develop a gas field in the sea off Hamas-controlled Gaza and
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continued from page 42 is putting a cap on PA deposits in Israeli banks. Israel has also enacted an additional sanction against the PA by freezing the transfer of taxes Israel collects for the authority. A senior member of Fatah warned that these sanctions will lead either to the collapse or total dismantling of the PA. Festival of Threats Mr. Bennett said he was tired of hearing the annual “festival of threats” from the Palestinians, including the one calling for their own suicide. “If we don’t do what the PA wants, they will go to the UN, they will turn into a country and slam us at the Hague. This is their ‘judgment day’ weapon,” he said, noting that the threats against Israel at the ICC may look menacing on paper, but will not affect reality. “A lawsuit against us in the Hague will mean Israel has joined the ranks of other distinguished countries brought
to court there, such as the US and the UK, and no one is telling London to withdraw from its land over it,” he said. Bringing the PA to Court Mr. Bennett said Israel and other countries should bring the PA to the Hague, especially if it achieves unification with Hamas. He cited the PA’s penchant for killing and terror against innocent civilians. “Palestinians deliberately fire thousands of rockets at schools, hospitals, and kindergartens. Shooting to harm civilians is clearly a war crime,” he said. In addition, he said, Israel can accuse the PA of conducting ongoing incitement against the Jewish state, “Every month, the PA issues stipends to murderers of women and children that Israel released as well as to those who are still in prison. This is encouraging terror. This is incitement,” he said. Shurat HaDin, a nongovernmental organization that operates against Palestinian terrorists through the courts, said it is already preparing to lodge “a tsunami” of criminal complaints with the ICC against senior Palestinians. In the documents to be filed, Shurat HaDin’s lawyers argue that senior officials from Hamas and Fatah bear direct responsibility for terror strikes by abetting and encouraging them against Israel. New Conditions Despite all its moves that would seem to negate any possibility of resuming negotiations, the PA decided on seven new conditions Israel would have to meet before the Palestinians would return to the table: First, Mr. Netanyahu would have to commit in writing to establishing a Palestinian state “with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
Second, Israel would have to release 1,200 terrorist prisoners, including some of the most notorious of the mass murderers. The third condition is implementation of an agreement on checkpoints and the removal of the “Israeli siege on Gaza,” meaning an end to Israel’s blockade on shipments to Gaza to keep weapons and missiles from reaching terrorists. The fourth condition deals with 39 terrorists who took over the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem in 2002.The siege ended when the PA agreed that the terrorists, who had nearly demolished the church, would be exiled to other countries around the world. Now the PA is demanding the return of the expelled terrorists. Commitment? The fifth condition would require Israel to grant full citizenship to 15,000 Palestinians in a process of family reunification. Sixth, Israel would have to commit to a full construction halt throughout all of eastern Jerusalem and permit the PA institutions there to reopen. Finally, Israel would have to agree to halt all entry by IDF forces into areas under PA control. This would mean Israel would be unable to arrest or patrol in Areas A or B of Judea and Samaria, where 97 percent of Palestinians live. In addition, the Palestinians are demanding that Israel relinquish Area C, the area of Judea and Samaria currently under Israeli control where 350,000 Jewish residents reside. Area C also includes the places which are essential for Israel’s security. The conditions elicited a terse comment from Mr, Bennett on his Facebook page. “You wanted a commitment?” he asked the PA rhetorically. “Here it is: Eastern Jerusalem will never be your capital.” S.L.R.
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