Jewish Observer Issue of 1/17/2019

11 SHEVAT 5779 • JANUARY 17, 2019 • VOLUME XXXX, NUMBER 2 • PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID, SYRACUSE, NY

Federation approves $32,387 in grants from Philip L. Holstein Community Program Fund final approval. These CommuBY JUDITH STANDER nity Program funds are made At the December 2018 meetavailable to Jewish community ing of the Jewish Federation organizations, so that expandof Central New York Board of ed, new and/or innovative Directors, six grant applications programs and services may be to the Philip L. Holstein Comintroduced to the community. munity Program Fund were They are identified during the approved. A special allocation annual budget-planning prowas also approved for a comcess and do not affect planned munity educator position. allocations to any of the FedThis annual grant program was named the Philip L. Hol- Philip L. Holstein eration’s beneficiary agencies or programs. stein Community Program Members of this year’s Allocations Fund of the Jewish Federation of Central New York in the fall 2016 in honor and Committee included Mark Field, alloin memory of Philip L. Holstein, who cations chair; Michael Balanoff, Marc died in September 2016. His insight and Beckman, Adam Fumarola, Mickey Lebefforts served as the genesis for this fund, owitz, Jeffrey Maloff, Todd Pinsky, Cheryl which aims to foster collaboration and Schotz, Ruth Stein, David Temes, Steve cooperation among local Jewish insti- Volinsky and Ellen Weinstein.

The total of projects approved for fundtutions. The fund will continue to honor Holstein’s lifelong dedication to Central ing from the Philip L. Holstein Community New York. He was the annual Campaign Program Fund in this round is $32,387. chair for two years and in 2013, he Each of these approved programs will received the Esther and Joseph Roth add a new or expanded component to the Award in Recognition of Outstanding community’s Jewish life, heritage and culture. Listed alphabetically, they include: Jewish Community Leadership.

Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Federation’s Allocation Committee Shas – $2,777 reviewed applications and chose six to Funding was approved for a pilot prorecommend to the Federation board for

Summer camp and Israel trip scholarships

BY JUDITH STANDER The Jewish Federation of Central New York is accepting applications for 2019 summer camp and Israel trip scholarships.

For children who are first-time Jewish overnight campers, there may also be incentive funds approved through the Federation’s affiliation with the international One Happy Camper Program. Eligibility for this incentive can only be determined by the One Happy Camper organization.

More information may be found at www. onehappycamper.org. There are specific eligibility guidelines and OHC will determine each individual’s eligibility and inform Federation.

There are additional local allocations from the Pomeranz, Shankman and Martin Charitable Trust that increase Federation’s ability to award camp scholarships to those families with a need for extra assistance with camp costs.

Whether the camper is a first-time or a repeat summer camper, Federation’s goal is to help make this summer experience a reality whenever possible. All information requested in Federation’s application is used to assist with determining how to offer the best assistance. All information is confidential.

The Rosalind and Isaiah Wolfson Scholarship Fund will consider applications from high school students planning their first organized trip to Israel this summer. Along with reviewing each application, a member of the Wolfson family will also participate in an interview with each applicant.

The Israel Experience Grant Program is supported by the estate of the late Helen Millstein and administered by the Jewish Federation of CNY. High school students going on an organized youth group trip to Israel in the summer of 2019 may apply for these funds.

Federation’s summer camp applications and Israel summer trips are available now, and must be completed and submitted Monday, April 1, by noon.

Applications must be filed separately for each allocation. To request application forms, contact Judith Stander at 315445-0161, ext. 114, or at jstander@ jewishfederationcny.org. Completed forms must be received in the Federation office by noon on Monday, April 1.

Area synagogues, Syracuse Hebrew Day School, Syracuse Community Hebrew School and the Rabbi Epstein School will also have forms.

gram to bring together Jews, Christians and Muslims to learn about each other’s traditions and their own in the presence of “the other.” The program, “Learning

Together with Our Neighbors,” will take place on a Sunday in June and will include Pebble Hill Presbyterian Church, CNY See “Grants” on page 2

Super Sunday is January 27

Super Sunday is January 27, from 9 am-3 pm, at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center, 5655 Thompson Rd., DeWitt. This is the Jewish Federation of Central New York’s kick-off for the 2019 Annual Campaign. Volunteers will call members of the Jewish community to ask for their pledge throughout the day.

Super Sunday is about renewing relationships and communicating Federation’s vision for the future. It’s not just about raising funds. To volunteer, contact Colleen Baker at 315-445-2040, ext. 102, or cbaker@jewishfederationcny.org, or visit www.jewishfederationcny.org. Training will be provided.

Federation Campaign Cabinet

BY JACKIE MIRON The Central New York Jewish Federation Annual Campaign is underway with new leadership and a diverse cabinet of eight people. Some of them are new to the Campaign, while others served in the previous Campaign. This year’s cabinet includes returning members Seth Goldberg and Jeff Stein, and new members Debbie Rosenbaum, Rob Fechtner, Andy Fox, Alyse Holstein, Lou Orbach, Bruce Smith, and returning member and current Chair Neil Rube.

People wonder why the cabinet members take on this role and what they want to accomplish in conjunction with raising the necessary funds. The common thread is having pride in the local Jewish community and the desire to give time and expertise from multiple years of previous service within the community. Debbie Rosenbaum said, “The Federation serves a very important function, and it’s important to give back,” while Andy Fox said, “We each have a responsibility to those that preceded us and those who follow us to build and sustain the Syracuse Jewish community.”

Jeff Stein is motivated to help, especially with “a vision for long-term success and continuity – which brings unity and goodwill.” Lou Orbach strives “to increase the number of members of the community, affiliated or unaffiliated, who participate in the Campaign as an expression of their Jewish values.”

The cabinet members have all served in myriad ways as volunteers in schools, synagogues and on the boards of many organizations. Their participation and efforts yield an endless list of responsibilities, time and giving.

Rosenbaum “hopes we can bring more unaffiliated members into the fold,” and Fox wants to “recognize people who have provided significant resources to allow the programming and institutions to remain effective.”

Who are some of the people the cabinet looks up to in the Jewish community and beyond? Stein is quick to admire community members who have the ability to look long term and address realistic challenges and goals.

See “Cabinet” on page 2

Follow the Jewish Federation of Central New York for the latest updates! @Jewish-Federation-Of-Central-New-York @JewishFederationOfCNY C A N D L E L I G H T I N G A N D P A R AS H A

January 18........................ 4:41 pm....................... Parashat Beshalach (Tu B’Shevat) January 25........................ 4:50 pm........................................................Parashat Yitro February 1....................... 4:59 pm............................................. Parashat Mishpatim

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Tutoring at the JCC

New head at SHDS

Congregational notes

The JCC will offer a free Syracuse Hebrew Day School has Local synagogues announce tutoring program for children in announced a new head of school, d i n n e r s , c o nc e r t s , y o u t h kindergarten through sixth grade. effective July 1. programming and more.

Story on page 3 Story on page 2 Stories on page 4

PLUS Classifieds................................ 6 Calendar Highlights............... 6 Health and Wellness.............. 8 Federation Campaign Centerfold

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ JANUARY 17, 2019/11 SHEVAT 5779

JCC to offer free tutoring program

BY WILLIAM WALLAK Many children can likely benefit from tutoring, but finding a convenient time to schedule it can be challenging for busy parents. The Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse is ready to help. The JCC of Syracuse, in collaboration with the Michelle Schotz Foundation Reading and Tutoring Support from Caterpillar to Butterfly and SUNY Oswego, is starting a free tutoring program.

The Caterpillar to Butterfly Reading and Tutoring Support Program will provide one-on-one reading tutoring on

Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:305:30 pm for children who are performing below their grade level in grades kindergarten-two and grades five-six. A separate small-group writer’s workshop will also be offered on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:30-6 pm for any child in grades kindergarten-two and grades five-six.

This free program will start on Monday, February 4, at the JCC, 5655 Thompson Rd., DeWitt. It will run through early May and is scheduled to return in the fall. Children must register for the entire spring session and attend both days.

Tutors for the Caterpillar to But-

terfly Reading and Tutoring Support Program are teachers finishing their master’s degrees in literacy at SUNY Oswego. As part of helping boost each student’s academic success, tutors will also help the children develop their love of reading. Children will be paired with the same teacher for the entire session. Parents will regularly receive comprehensive progress reports. The program will not meet during school breaks.

A grant from the Michelle Schotz Foundation helped launch the free Caterpillar to Butterfly Reading and Tutoring

Support Program at the JCC. “We’re very excited to kick-off this unique program and provide extra literacy support to children who come here for our After School Program, as well as any child in the community who can use the added help,” said Pamela Ranieri, JCC director of children’s programming. “Space is very limited, so interested parents should inquire as soon as possible.”

For more information and to enroll a child in the free Caterpillar to Butterfly Reading and Tutoring Support Program at the JCC, contact Ranieri at 315-4452040, ext. 123, or pranieri@jccsyr.org.

Soviet immigration has become salvation of Germany’s Jews

BY CNAAN LIPHSHIZ MUNICH (JTA) – Weeks after they emigrated from Russia and moved to Germany, the Nedlin family sought to join the local Jewish community. Registering for membership in a Jewish community – a practice common in European countries

Cabinet

Rosenbaum speaks passionately of her parents: “My father escaped Nazi Germany and taught me the importance of faith, and my mother taught me the importance of customs and traditions.”

Alyse Holstein was asked to serve on the cabinet in what she calls, “the most gracious way,” and desires to “educate others on the Federation and unite our Jewish community. Much of my family immigrated, and I believe in the importance of continuity of Jewish values and traditions.”

Grants

RISE (formerly the Turkish Cultural Center) and CBS-CS. This pilot experience will serve as a model for a much larger, ongoing communitywide, semi-annual program that would include multiple churches, mosques and synagogues throughout the Syracuse metropolitan area, along with the possibility of future collaboration with InterFaith Works.

Hillel SU Israel Fest – $7,500 Funding was approved to enhance an on-campus Yom Ha’atzmaut barbecue and festival, with multiple activities planned to display Israeli culture through stations that demonstrate the positive influences that Israel has on the U.S. The program is targeted to Jews, as well as non-Jews.

It is hoped that the event will also be an asset for recruitment on future Birthright Israel trips and Israel clubs on campus. All activities will take place in Walnut Park, outside the main campus Bird Library.

The plan is to increase engagement of students from last year’s 300 participants up to 500 this year.

Hillel SU Israel Learning Fellowship – $5,000 Funding was approved for an Israel Learning Fellowship that will engage 15 students in a 10-week course to learn about Israel and how to advocate for Israel – both on and off campus. Among the topics explored will be Zionism, diversity within Israel, the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and feminism in Israel. Incentives include dinner and a small stipend, which will be offered to students who commit and follow through with attendance and meaningful participation.

Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center – $7,110 Funding was approved to enhance the long-standing annual Community Purim Carnival that is hosted at the JCC. This event is a family event that includes kosher food, games, inflatables, entertainment and much more. Funds will be utilized for new carnival games, enhancing existing

– was a significant step for the Nedlins, who before emigrating in 1992 had grown up in the Soviet Union. There they were forced to hide or downplay their Jewish identity due to state antisemitism and discrimination against religion.

But the local community didn’t

Continued from page 1

Whatever drives and motivates this selfless group, it is obvious to many they are up for the challenge. With cooperation, sound leadership, mutual respect and hard work, the Syracuse Jewish community will be better for it, and will be stronger as a whole.

Contact Federation President/CEO Michael Balanoff at mbalanoff@jewishfederationcny.org for further information on giving to the current Campaign, or for any other Federation-related information.

Continued from page 1

games, new kosher popcorn and cotton candy machines, replenishing supplies and a new inflatable obstacle course for school-aged children that will be available for year-round use.

Shaarei Torah Orthodox Congregation of Syracuse – $2,500 Funding was approved for a project to recruit Jewish families and singles to Central New York. Two representatives from STOCS will travel to New York City to present at the Orthodox Union’s Community Fair in November. Participation in this event will be announced later in January and the Central New York area is said to have an excellent chance to be included as it meets all OU requirements for participation.

Syracuse Jewish Family Service – $7,500 Funding was approved for a project to enhance a dementia-friendly Jewish community that is informed, safe and respectful of individuals affected by this cluster of syndromes. It will include the families, care givers and mission-based agencies and institutions that may experience the impact of dementia-related issues. Phases of this project will include convening, engaging and assessing, analyzing and acting together as a community.

Community Educator Position – $15,000 The position of community educator was created with input from the multiple community agencies responsible for Hebrew and advanced Hebrew education in the community. The services of this individual will be divided among the Syracuse Hebrew Day School, Syracuse Community Hebrew School, Rabbi Jacob Epstein School of Jewish Studies, Temple Adath Yeshurun and the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center. This is a separate allocation that was also approved

by Federation’s Board of Directors at its December meeting.

reciprocate the family’s desire for contact. “At first they told us we can’t join,” Anna Nedlin, who was 5 at the time, recalled in an interview with JTA. “They didn’t want anything to do with us.” But at her parents’ insistence, “they sent our documents to Frankfurt to check if we’re really Jewish.”

The experience of the Nedlins, who eventually were allowed to join the synagogue, was a typical account of many of the 170,000 Russian speakers who immigrated to Germany following the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. The newcomers faced a rift with the 30,000 “postwar” Jews whom many expected to welcome them to Germany.

The split has had what many say is a deep, lasting and polarizing effect on a community re-established by Holocaust survivors, distracting at times from the mission of revival. It flares up in

local communal politics, but, 30 years on, has mostly healed. More often, the Russian-speaking immigrants and their children are credited with energizing and strengthening a minority group whose viability used to be uncertain.

When the post-Soviet immigration began, Jews in Germany suddenly found themselves struggling to cater to large numbers of people with little more than the shirts on their backs. It didn’t help that the newcomers had little knowledge of Judaism and attitudes shaped by decades of living under repressive governments.

Famously, many German Jews were shocked at how some newcomers would take away food that was set out as refreshments for the kiddush ceremony at synagogue. The postwar community, which was largely descended from recent Eastern European immigrants, would “look upon See “Soviet” on page 6

At right: Children stuck white roses into a Star of David sculpture at the construction site of a new synagogue in Potsdam, Germany, on November 9, the 80th anniversary of the Nazi Kristallnacht pogrom.

(Photo by Bernd Settnik/AFP/ Getty Images)

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AROUND CENTRAL NEW YORK Syracuse Hebrew Day School announces new head of school

BY PHYLLIS ZAMES The Syracuse Hebrew Day School Board of Directors announced that Laura Lavine joined the school on January 2 as co-head of school. She will share leadership of SHDS with Lori Tenenbaum through June 30, when Tenenbaum will move out of the area. Lavine will become head of school on July 1.

Abby Scheer, president of the school’s Board of Directors, said, “Laura Lavine comes to SHDS with a strong background in educational administration and a deep connection to the Syracuse Jewish community.

We welcome her to SHDS and look forward to working with her as she builds upon the school’s successes and, along with our faculty, continues to develop a top-quality secular and Jewish academic program. The school will benefit tremendously from the six-month period in which she and Lori Tenenbaum will work together to ensure a smooth transition in leadership.” Lavine has worked in the education field for 40 years, serving as administrator for several school districts, most recently as superintendent of LaFayette Central School District.

She has taught at the preschool, school-age and college levels, and her previous professional positions included speech-language pathologist, elementary principal, director of special education and assistant superintendent.

She is a native Syracusan and a lifelong member of Temple Concord, where she currently serves on the Board of Trustees. She has also served on the SHDS Board of Directors and Education Committee. She

says she looks forward to serving her Jewish community in a new way in her role at SHDS. “The Syracuse Hebrew Day School is a marvelous learning environment that serves an essential role in our Jewish community in that it provides our students with high quality secular instruction that is infused with a Jewish education that is unmatched in our region,” said Lavine. “SHDS has benefitted Lori Tenenbaum from stellar leadership over the decades, not only from individual heads, but from collaborating administrative partnerships. Barbara Davis and John Blasi, and later, Barbara and Lori, set the bar high as collaborating administrators. Lori and I are eager to continue the tradition, and I am delighted to join SHDS and look forward to doing my part to ensure the future of this gem of a school.”

For the remainder of the school year, Tenenbaum and Lavine will have separate and shared responsibilities as joint administrators of the school. Together, they will work on areas such as faculty recruitment, professional development and communication with families. Other responsibilities, such as student assessment and strategic planning, will be divided. Scheer said, “Lori Tenenbaum has been a strong leader for the faculty and has maintained a nurturing and motivating environment for day school

Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center senior dining menu FEBRUARY 4-8 Monday – stuffed cabbage Tuesday – baked herbed chicken Wednesday – meatloaf Thursday – imitation crab cakes Friday – birthday celebration – roasted turkey FEBRUARY 11-15 Monday – baked ziti Tuesday – crispy teriyaki chicken Wednesday – hot corned beef on rye Thursday – beef barley soup, egg salad sandwich Friday – TBA The Bobbi Epstein Lewis JCC Senior Adult Dining Program at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center offers Va’ad Ha’ir-supervised kosher lunches served Monday through Friday at noon. Lunch reservations are required by noon on the previous business day. There is a suggested contribution per meal. The menu is subject to change. The program is funded by a grant from the

Don’t miss the boat...

Onondaga County Department of Aging and Youth and the New York State Office for the Aging, with additional funds provided by the JCC. To attend, one need not be Jewish or a member of the JCC. For further information or to make a reservation, contact Cindy Stein at 315-4452360, ext. 104, or cstein@jccsyr.org.

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students and staff. She is dedicated to the mission of the school and the academic and personal growth of each individual student.”

Tenenbaum reflects fondly upon her years at SHDS and believes in a strong future for the school. She and Lavine will work closely together this year to assure the continuation of school traditions and culture while planning Laura Lavine for continued success and growth.

Tenenbaum said, “Over the past 16 years, I have had the distinct honor to be a part of the rich history of the Syracuse Hebrew Day School. I am looking forward to the next chapter in the story of SHDS as Laura Lavine joins our school community. Laura’s vast experience in educational administration will be an asset to our school now and moving into the future. Together, we will spend the next six months ensuring that SHDS continues to be a cornerstone of the Jewish community in Central New York. While SHDS will always be in my heart, the school will be in excellent hands under Laura’s leadership moving into the 2019 school year.”

Founded in 1960, the Syracuse Hebrew Day School is committed to providing excellent secular and Jewish education for children in grades kindergarten-six in the Central New York area. The school’s mission is to teach, inspire, and nurture future leaders of our Jewish community through an unparalleled academic experience guided

by Jewish studies and values. For more information, contact 315-446-1900 or shds@shds.org.

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ JANUARY 17, 2019/11 SHEVAT 5779

CONGREGATIONAL NOTES Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas TU B’SHEVAT SEDER WITH RABBI DANIEL AND RHEA JEZER On Saturday, February 2, at noon, following services, Rabbi Daniel and Rhea Jezer will lead the annual CBS-CS Tu B’Shevat seder, an intergenerational event that includes songs and readings, and four courses of nuts, fruits and wine or juice. This “feast for the senses” is for all ages. There will be Hebrew and English songs, and a variety of different foods.

Reservations are requested. For more information, e-mail Melissa Harkavy at director@cbscs.org.

WORLD WIDE WRAP Sunday, February 3, at 9:15 am, will be the annual World Wide Wrap, an opportunity to learn about tefillin: what is inside them, how they are made, how they are put on and worn, and how they convey meaning and purpose. There will be many sets of tefillin (righty and lefty) for everyone to try on, along with tefillin tour guides to help people put them on properly.

The event will begin at 9:15 am with a multi-media presentation, followed by a tefillin-centered service beginning at 9:45 am. Note that this is a modified schedule that leaves enough time for parents to drop their children off at Temple Concord for the joint religious school program with Sheldon Low. Due to this event at Temple Concord, the CBS-CS religious school demonstration and b’nai mitzvah “Build-A-Pair” workshop will be postponed. For more information, contact Melissa Harkavy at director@cbscs.org.

“WHAT TO SAY: A TOOLBOX FOR TWEENS AND TEENS ON CONFRONTING OPPRESSIVE LANGUAGE” On Sunday, February 3, from 1:30-3:30 pm, there will be a program for tweens and teens to help them deal with racist, sexist and antisemitic comments that people say. People often don’t want to say something that will escalate the issue,

but they don’t want to ignore it, either, accidentally affirming those sentiments.

Explore the challenges of, and some strategies for, being an “upstander” with Mara Sapon-Shevin, professor of inclusive education, at Syracuse University.

She specializes in diversity and social justice issues, including full inclusion, anti-racism teaching, bullying and harassment, cooperative learning and using the arts to teach against oppression.

Her expertise is also called upon in her role as a faculty member in disability studies, women and gender studies, and in the Program in the Analysis and Resolution of Conflicts and Collaboration (or PARCC).

SHABBAT HADOROT POTLUCK FEATURING OYS AND JOYS On Friday, February 8, there will be a Shabbat HaDorot and Oys and Joys model Shabbat table, two opportunities for families to create community and experience Shabbat in what is intended to be an engaging, kid-friendly environment.

Families with children under age 6 are welcome to come to the Oys and Joys model Shabbat table at 5:30 pm.

Everyone is welcome to join the group for a Shabbat potluck dinner starting at 6 pm, followed by the Shabbat HaDorot service at 7:15 pm.

Oys and Joys Model Shabbat Table is a 30-minute Shabbat table experience. At 5:30 pm, families with children under 6 join a Shabbat table, lighting candles, reciting kiddush and singing Shabbat songs.

Shabbat HaDorot, a service led by the pre-b’nai mitzvah students, allows students to have first-hand experience in leading the Friday evening services. The children are assigned different prayers by grade level. A listing will be sent home via e-mail closer to the date. All CBS-CS youth are invited to participate.

For more information, or to make a reservation by Monday, February 4, e-mail Program Director Melissa Harkavy at director@cbscs.org.

Temple Adath Yeshurun SHABBAT DINNER AT TEMPLE ADATH YESHURUN

BY SONALI MCINTYRE The Temple Adath Yeshurun Sisterhood will host a Shabbat dinner on Friday, January 25, at 6:15 pm. Before the dinner, Kabbalat Shabbat services will be held in the Miron Family Chapel at 5:30 pm.

Sisterhood President Alison Bronstein said, “We invite the community to join us for the celebration of Shabbat. Shabbat dinners have become something we look forward to at TAY. It’s a wonderful feeling to be together as a congregation – eating, talking and watching the younger generations run around and have fun.”

The dinner will feature brisket and there will also be a vegetarian option.

Attendees may bring their own kosher wine. There is a fee for the dinner: $18 per person, $45 household maximum (living at the same address), and free of charge for children 5 years old and younger.

Reservations are required by Monday, January 21. Go to www.adath.org to register online or call the TAY office at 315-445-0002 to register over the phone.

Paper registration forms are available at the TAY office. For more information, e-mail sisterhoodoftay@gmail.com.

L-r: Brothers Isaac and Samuel DuChene celebrated New Year’s Eve together at Rothschild Early Childhood Center’s “Noon Year’s Eve” party. Children were able to wear their pajamas during the dance party.

On January 2, approximately 20 members of the Temple Adath Yeshurun Hazak met to watch the film “A Yiddish World Remembered.” A glossary of Yiddish terms was given to those in attendance.

Temple Concord TEMPLE CONCORD DIASPORA DINNER AT DANZER’S Temple Concord’s German diaspora dinner is rescheduled to Tuesday, January 29, at 6:30 pm, at Danzer’s German and American Gasthof, 153 Ainsley Dr., Syracuse. The diaspora dinner series explores the history and culinary traditions of Jewish communities around the world. Rabbi Daniel Fellman and participants will have an informal discussion of German Jewry, followed by dinner ordered off the menu.

The series and meals are open to the community and each participant will pay for their own dinner. Call the TC office at 315-475-9952 to make a reservation.

TONY TRISCHKA PERFORMS JANUARY 19 Banjoist Tony Trischka and his band will perform at Temple Concord on Saturday, January 19, at 7 pm, as part of the Regina F. Goldenberg Cultural Series.

He will be joined by guitarist Michael Daves and fiddler Avery Merritt. General admission is $25. Tickets can be reserved at 315-475-9952, or purchased at the TC office or in the events section of www. templeconcord.org.

JEWISH ROCK ARTIST SHELDON LOW AT TEMPLE CONCORD Temple Concord’s Regina F. Goldenberg Cultural Series will present Jewish

Boot Camp. Originally rock performer Sheldon from St. Louis, MO, Low Low on Saturday, Februis a third-generation song ary 2, at 6 pm. leader living in New York Considered a “rising City, where he serves as young star” in Jewish rock the artist-in-residence at music, he performs more Temple Israel of the City than 100 concerts, “Light of New York.

Up Shabbat” services, This event is open seminars and artist-in-resto the public and is $10 idency weekends in Jewish at the door and $8 for communities throughout Sheldon Low students. It is also part of North America annually.

With the release of “Life” in September the flex subscription for the Goldenberg 2016, Low has released five full-length Series. For more information, contact the albums. A Jewish educator, he founded TC office at 315-475-9952, or office@ and is head faculty member of Songleader templeconcord.org.

Small Business Profiles If you are the owner or manager of a small business, The Jewish Observer has a unique advertising opportunity for you! SMALL BUSINESS PROFILES, the highlight of our February 14 issue, will feature an advertising section of display ads in a variety of sizes to suit your copy. Plus, for all ads over 6 col. inches, we will include a FREE mini feature using the information you provide.

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February 14 issue • Ad Deadline: February 6

JANUARY 17, 2019/11 SHEVAT 5779 ■

JEWISH OBSERVER

For the past decade, Innovation: Africa has taught developing nations how to improve their lives

BY NOA AMOUYAL (JNS) – Imagine giving birth in the dark. For those fortunate enough to have a charged smartphone, the husband will use the phone as a makeshift flashlight, enabling the doctor to see what his hands are doing. Or imagine bathing, cooking and cleaning with contaminated water, and feeling sediments of dirt brush up against your skin as you attempt mundane everyday tasks like washing your face.

For many Africans, what is inconceivable to the developed world is their reality. In Central Africa alone, “fewer than three out of five children make it through primary school, and almost half the population has no access to clean water,” according to a December UNICEF report.

“We have women who go to the hospital at night to give birth and there’s no electricity, so they use kerosene.

There are some cases where doctors and nurses ask patients to come with their own source of light,” Lerian Moshi from Tanzania told JNS. Moshi was one of the 24 local Innovation: Africa (or IA) employees who came to Israel in December for a two-week training course in innovation and community development. Their trip, which was coordinated in partnership with Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation and the Center for International Agriculture Development Cooperation, gave them “an eye-opening” look at the latest in Israeli technology that can help turn back the tide of poverty sweeping the continent.

For nearly 10 years, the New York-based Innovation: Africa has demonstrated that a little can go a long way.

With simple Israeli technology, it is teaching developing nations in the continent how to create self-sufficient infrastructure and bring access to clean water, education, refrigeration for vaccines and medicines, and food security to the region.

To date, the organization has installed Israeli solar, water and agricultural technologies in more than 200 villages in 10 African countries that has impacted the lives of some 1.3 million people. But most importantly, its program teaches local community leaders, project managers and engineers how to maintain the technologies given to them so they can be self-reliant.

“We are using Israeli innovations to empower and transform the lives of others,” said its founder and CEO, Sivan Ya’ari, at a December 18 ceremony at the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation honoring several milestones: a 10-year anniversary for IA, 60 for MASHAV and, of course, Israel’s 70th.

“President [Shimon] Peres understood that we cannot live on an island of prosperity, and that it is our duty to share,” she said. “He understood that poverty and igno-

Sivan Ya’ari sppoke with residents of a village in Uganda who are the beneficiaries of Israeli technology being exported to the continent. (Photo courtesy of Innovation Africa) rance enable terror, and that we can stop it if we chose to empower the other.”

It is a message that the African delegation has internalized during their time in Israel. “Israel believes in not letting other people suffer,” Robert Khahosi, an IA project manager from Uganda, told JNS while touring the Old City of Jerusalem. “Like Moses, who lost one sheep and had to leave his other 99 sheep to look for the missing one, Israel is going back and making sure everyone is accounted for. We are that missing sheep.”

How, then, does IA enact such radical and practical change in these communities? In Khahosi’s Uganda, for example, installing solar panels, solar pumps, water tanks and taps brought clean drinking water to villages where residents had to walk some three hours for access to non-contaminated water.

IA community developer Abraham Ngobeni saw similar transformations in his native Bushbuckridge, South Africa.

“Women would collect water from open sources, where they would just gather water with their hands on the river banks,” he told JNS. “Sometimes, they’d travel long distances to

do this. Innovation Africa changed that. In six months, we completed 11 projects. Now women don’t have to walk long distances to collect water. IA came as a savior.”

While touring Israel’s agriculture and energy-research centers, like the Volcani and Arava institutes, the delegation learned how the technology they are already using back home can be upgraded. Mercy Tayim, for one, is particularly interested in seeing the implementation of hydroponics in her home country of Cameroon.

This relatively new Israeli technology takes urban gardening to the next level. With hydroponics, no soil is needed. Instead, nutrients like fish excrement, duck manure or fertilizers are used in a water solvent. This is ideal for urban spaces that have little farmland or areas with limited fertile soil. “In many places [in my country], there isn’t much free land, so this is a great option,” Tayim told JNS. “In other places, there is a surplus of land, but it’s not fertile. So lots of areas suffer from famine. If we can train people to use these technologies, we can help relieve our food-scarcity problem.”

Exporting this technology could be useful far beyond the continent’s borders. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 54 percent of the world’s population lives in urban areas and that population is expected to increase to 66 percent by 2050.

But Ya’ari is most gratified when she sees how her organization affects people on an individual level. “It is priceless to see the eyes of children looking at a bright light bulb for the first time, and to witness children and mothers tasting clean water,” said Ya’ari.

However, Ya’ari believes IA’s work has just begun.

“Although we’ve helped over one million people, it is only a drop in the ocean,” she said. “There are still over 600 million people in Africa without energy, and 350 million people searching for water every single day.

Now that Israel is strong, by sharing its innovation we can bless other families in the world. We can fulfil our destiny, and by sharing our innovations we can take action and stand up to our responsibility to be a blessing and realize our purpose, which is to better this world.”

Hebrew InterestFree Loan

The Jewish Federation of Central New York has instituted the Hebrew Interest-Free Loan program to help Jewish people get past a temporary financial need. To learn more about the program or to see if you qualify, visit the Federation’s website, www. jewishfederationcny.org.

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ JANUARY 17, 2019/11 SHEVAT 5779

Calendar Highlights

To see a full calendar of community events, visit the Federation's community calendar online at www.jewishfederationcny.org. Please notify jstander@jewishfederationcny.org of any calendar changes.

Wednesday, January 16 Deadline for January 31 Jewish Observer Saturday, January 19

Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center Battle of the Bands at 7 pm

Temple Adath Yeshurun consecration of 2nd and 3rd

grade classes at 9:15 am Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas Lunch and

Learn about Reconstructionist Judaism with Rabbi Marley Weiner at CBS-CS at noon

TAY Tot Havdalah from 5:15- 7:15 pm Temple Concord Goldenberg Series presents Tony

Trischka at 7 pm Sunday, January 20 Screening of “Who Will Write our History?” at JCC at 2 pm Monday, January 21 Tu B’Shevat CBS-CS Mitzvah Day with Ronald McDonald House Charities of CNY at 2 pm PJ Our Way Book Club at the Apple Store from 10:30 am-noon Tuesday, January 22 Epstein School for Jewish Studies at TAY from 6:308:30 pm TC Talmud discussion with Rabbi Fellman at 12:30 pm Wednesday, January 23 Syracuse Community Hebrew School at Temple Concord from 4-6 pm Federation Board meeting at the JCC at 6 pm Syracuse Hebrew Day School Executive Committee meeting at 7 pm Thursday, January 24 Jewish Community Foundation of CNY meeting at 4:45 pm TC Sisterhood dinner at 6 pm Friday, January 25 CBS-CS Scientists in Synagogues Shabbat drash and dinner with Rabbi Michelle Fisher at 6 pm TAY congregational Shabbat dinner at 6:15 pm Saturday, January 26 CBS-CS Shabbat service at 9:30 am. Scientists in Synagogues Shabbat Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Michelle Fisher at noon CBS-CS Scientists in Synagogues wine seminar with Rabbi Michelle Fisher at Shabbat services at 7 pm Monday, January 28 Early Deadline for February 14 Jewish Observer Syracuse Hebrew Day School Board meeting at 7 pm Tuesday, January 29 Epstein School for Jewish Studies at TAY from 6:308:30 pm Wednesday, January 30 Syracuse Community Hebrew School at Temple Concord from 4-6 pm Friday, February 1 Shabbat in the Round at 7:30 pm Saturday, February 2 TC Havdalah Goldenberg Cultural Series concert presents Jewish rock performer Sheldon Low at 6 pm

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D’VAR TORAH

Parasha Yitro – Recognizing our non-Jewish family members

BY RABBI DANIEL FELLMAN Early in parasha Yitro, Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, offers blessings to Adonai. Offering blessings to God may not seem so unusual, but consider the facts of Jethro’s life. Jethro was a Midianite, a non-Israelite, and a priest at that. Yet here he was, blessing God for all that had been done to save the Israelites from Egypt.

Let’s look back for just a moment. Moses left for Midian after killing an Egyptian. In Midian he connected with Zipporah, Jethro’s daughter, and they were married and had two sons. Moses received a call from God, returning to Egypt to confront Pharaoh to free the Israelites.

So finally, after the Israelites were safely on the other

MAZEL TOV Ilyza Drew Goldinger born

Elisha Rudolph and Jedd Goldinger of Forest Hills, NY, announce the arrival of a baby girl, Ilyza Drew Goldinger. The grandparents are Christine Caldwell-Rudolph, of Manlius, and Raymond Rudolph, formerly of Manlius and currently of San Diego, CA, and Lawrence and Arlene Goldinger, of Lake Worth, FL; great-grandmothers are Hilda Goldinger, Roda Aks and Roberta Ilyza Drew Goldinger S. Rudolph, of The Villages, FL.

Soviet

the Soviet Jews as maybe not even being Jews and being uneducated [yet] taking over their communities,” said Esther Knochenhauer, 34, who was born in East Germany one year after her parents immigrated there from Russia.

Even before the reunification of Germany in 1990, the East German leader Lothar de Maiziere began welcoming Soviet Jews. Helmut Kohl, the former chancellor, adopted the same policy after unification to make amends for and reverse the Nazis’ annihilation of a Jewish presence in Germany. Following reunification, immigration requests

by Jews were expedited and given equal status to those by ethnic Germans.

The Berlin Jewish Community, under its president until 1992, Heinz Galinski, hired dozens of Russian-speaking Jews to help with the absorption of others. And many Jewish communities tried to assist penniless newcomers however they could – including charity.

But these well-intended steps sometimes stoked tensions. It made some “wrongly frame” communal politics as “a struggle between Russian speakers in power who do shady things and German-speaking opposition,” according to Sergey Lagodinsky, a Russia-born jurist who has run for leadership roles in the Berlin Jewish community’s elections.

And some dismissed the desire of Russian-speaking Jews for contact with Jewish life as utilitarian, he added.

In the European context, joining the community allows a member access to facilities as well as free or subsidized services for weddings, circumcision and b’nai mitzvah.

That suggestion was especially insulting to families like Knochenhauer’s. Her mother’s family was so attached to their Jewish identity that they continued holding Passover seder dinners in communist Russia (though, out of caution, they neither read the haggadah nor told the children what the bizarre dishes and customs were all about, she said).

Yet Nedlin and Knochenhauer’s own life stories reflect their divided community’s ability to transcend the challenges of this culture clash, which ended up becoming the community’s lifeline. This year, both women married Jewish men descended from postwar families.

Anna Nedlin was married at a Cologne synagogue to Roni Lehrer, whom she met 10 years ago at the Mahane Jewish camp. The couple, both historians, are expecting their first child.

Lehrer, 30, credits the Russian-speaking influx with more than just continuing his own Jewish family. “We wouldn’t be around if not for their arrival,” he said. “We would’ve been doomed as a community.”

Lehrer’s mother, he said, joined the Jewish community of Cologne in the early 1980s, when it was “a dwindling group of 1,000 people.” She did not expect Jewish life to survive in Cologne, planning to move to Israel at some point so that her children would grow up with Judaism,

side of the water, Jethro brings his daughter and two grandsons for a great reunion with their husband/father.

Seeing all that had occurred, Jethro offers a blessing. Not just any blessing – a Jewish blessing!

While Moses had been engaged in the struggle to free the Israelites, Jethro helped his daughter raise her two sons. He did what any grandfather would do – being an active part of their lives. But unlike many, he made sure his grandsons knew and understood their Israelite heritage, even though he himself was a Midianite priest.

In modern times, our world contains many Jethros.

Many members of other faiths are helping their Jewish children and grandchildren grow up with strong Jewish identities. They are participating in Jewish life, in the life of the synagogue, and they are helping to shape the Jewish future.

Our tradition teaches that Jethro receives a great honor for all that he did to teach Moses’ children about their Israelite ancestry. Jethro’s name adorns the Torah portion in which we read the Ten Commandments.

How are we honoring our non-Jewish family members who are helping raise the next generation of Jews? Are we giving them the same honor, the same thanks, the same heartfelt appreciation our tradition provides for Jethro?

Let’s celebrate the Jethros in our lives and honor them! Let’s acknowledge the wonderful gifts they have given and continue to give. Let’s welcome them fully into our community, and let’s celebrate our good fortune to have so many wonderful Jethros in our collective Jewish community.

Rabbi Daniel Fellman is the rabbi at Temple Concord.

Continued from page 2

her son said. But a decade later, “we’re a community of 5,500 people.”

This resulted in the 2002 re-establishment of a Jewish school in Cologne, the Lauder Morijah School, and the opening of other Jewish institutions. Two-thirds of the 60 counselors trained annually by the community for youth work in Cologne, Lehrer said, come from Jewish homes with at least one Russian-speaking parent.

Language and food differences are some of the minor issues younger mixed couples can expect, according to Knochenhauer’s Berlin-born husband, who asked not to be identified by name in the article. (Knochenhauer said his preference for keeping a low profile was typical of postwar Jews, and one of the things that sets them apart from Russian speakers who “won’t stay silent.”)

Her family “makes enough food for an army, which always makes me wonder just how many people they plan on hosting,” Knochenhauer’s husband said. But these minor differences are not comparable to the challenges of interfaith marriages with partners from very different cultures, Knochenhauer said.

Still, the arrival of many thousands of Russian speakers has had a lasting and often divisive effect on communal politics, shaping the processes of some communities to this day, everyone interviewed for this article agreed. One of the first parties representing Russian speakers in the internal elections of the Berlin Jewish Community was called “Silent Majority.” Its main platform was the members’ identity as Russian speakers. From the mid-1990s onward, the Russian-German divide became a permanent issue in internal elections campaigns, according to Lagodinsky, the jurist. “There was a lot of disappointment” among Russian speakers over how they were received by German-speaking Jews, he said.

Some politicians “played up” this sentiment, he said, naming the current president of the Berlin Jewish Community, Gideon Joffe. Born to Soviet immigrant Jews in Israel, he moved as a child to Germany. According to Lagodinsky, Joffe has “in Trumpian style played up the Russian-speaking identity card” in elections. Lagodinsky and others accused Joffe of rigging the internal elections of 2015 and clinging to power with “tricks right out of the Soviet period,” as Lagodinsky put it. Joffe, who has denied the allegations, did not reply to multiple requests for an interview by JTA. But the fact that Joffe’s main challenger, Lagodinsky, also speaks Russian as a mother tongue “shows we’ve moved as a community passed the language divide and are focusing on the main issues,” Lagodinsky said.

To Lehrer, the historian, the internal divide “is a generational issue. ...People aged 20-40 don’t care about this anymore,” he said. And whereas some aspects of the problem are “alive, it is quite literally dying out.”

JANUARY 17, 2019/11 SHEVAT 5779 ■

JEWISH OBSERVER

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OBITUARIES STEVEN L. CARLSON

Steven L. Carlson, 83, of Fabius, died on December 26 at Francis House in Syracuse. He was the son of the late Charles and Sylvia Gerber.

He worked for, and retired from, General Electric, and was employed at BOCES and the TSA at Hancock International Airport.

During his life, he was joyful and always put family first. He was very religious, had a strong faith and a good work ethic.

He was predeceased by his wife, Rachel in 2014; a son, Walter, in 2018; and sister, Marlene Kent.

He is survived by his sons, Harrison J. (Lydia) Carlson and Charles R. Carlson; his daughter, Natalie (Dominic Giambattisa) Radford; three grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; his close and constant companion for many years, Linda; and his brother, Maurice Carlson.

Burial was in the Beth El Cemetery. Birnbaum Funeral Service had arrangements.

Contributions may be made to Francis House, 108 Michaels Ave., Syracuse, NY 13208. 

LAWRENCE GREENHOUSE

Lawrence Greenhouse, 98, died on December 29 in Rochester.

Born in Syracuse, he lived there his entire life. He was partners with his brothers in the family business, Pilgrim Meat Packing. He was a magna cum laude graduate of Syracuse University, with a degree in accounting.

He was a veteran of the Army Air Corps and served in World War II. He was predeceased by his wife, Babe, in 2009; and their son, Ronnie, in 1960.

He is survived by his daughters, Nan (Howard) Miller, and Janine (Jay Wall) Price; grandchildren Rebecca (Rob), Jenna (Adam), Adena, Griffin and Paige; and great-grandchildren Lilly, Aubrey, Ashley, Rachel and Emma.

Burial was in Adath Yeshurun Cemetery. Sisskind Funeral Service had arrangements.

Contributions may be made to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Crouse Hospital of Syracuse, 736 Irving Ave., Syracuse, NY 13210 or Gilda’s Club Rochester, 255 Alexander St., Rochester, NY 14607. 

NEWS IN BRIEF From JNS.org

World Council of Churches trained 2K anti-Israel activists, funded by UNICEF

The World Council of Churches has sent nearly 2,000 participants to Israel, and Judea and Samaria, since 2002 to train them in anti-Israel narratives and assign them to communities worldwide, according to a report from NGO Monitor. With no similar program in other conflict zones, the WCC’s Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel (or EAPPI) consists of activists being sent to “witness life under occupation.” “EAPPI misuse tourist visas to enter Israel, where the group has no legal status,” according to NGO Monitor. “They are hosted in Jerusalem by a WCC affiliate, the Jerusalem Interchurch Center. Notably, the head of JIC, Yusuf Dahar, is one of the authors of the Kairos Palestine Document, which legitimizes terror, embraces anti-Jewish theology and rejects Jewish history. Similar views have been expressed by a number of WCC officials.” The NGO Monitor report also stated that EAPPI has been funded by UNICEF and countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, Finland, Denmark, Canada and Japan. Norway contributed nearly $2 million between 2017 to 2019, while Sweden gave $500,000 between 2017 and 2018. “We are sharing our research with the public and decision-makers as part of an informed discussion on EAPPI’s agenda and funding. The research highlights EAPPI’s radical agenda, which, rather than advancing or defending human rights, is a platform for conflict and antisemitism,” said NGO Monitor founder and President Gerald Steinberg.

Israel finds sixth Lebanon terror tunnel, announces completion of IDF operation

The Israel Defense Forces announced that following the discovery of a sixth cross-border attack tunnel between Lebanon and Israel, it has completed “Operation Northern Shield,” defined as a comprehensive scan of Israel’s northern border aimed at finding and neutralizing terror tunnels. Army spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus told reporters that Israeli intelligence and analysis have confirmed that no more attack tunnels exist along Israel’s northern border. “Operation Northern Shield” was launched on Dec. 4, with the IDF finding six tunnels burrowing from Lebanon into sovereign Israeli territory. Additional partial tunnels that have not yet reached Israel are also under Israeli surveillance.

The IDF stated that Hezbollah has halted construction on those tunnels since the operation began. The sixth tunnel – originating in the Lebanese village of Ramyeh from which another tunnel also emanated – was found to penetrate several dozen meters into Israel and extend 2,600 feet at a depth of 180 feet underground. It was outfitted with electricity, a rail system to move equipment, exit stairs and other sophisticated elements. Israel has said that it believes the tunnels were dug by Hezbollah to add a surprise element to any future wars with Israel, allowing terrorists to invade the Jewish state en masse and launch operations on the ground. The construction of the tunnels has taken place despite the presence of many of the 10,480 military personnel and 822 civilian staff employed by UNIFIL (the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon), an international body mandated to ensure peace and security along the Israeli-Lebanese border, with a budget upwards of $450 million a year.

UNIFIL announced that it had stepped up patrols since the tunnels were discovered.

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IDF asked to move Iron Dome to save endangered flower

Residents of Israeli communities close to the Gaza border have approached the GOC Southern Command to request that Iron Dome missile-defense systems in the area be relocated in order to protect a delicate endangered flower that lives in the area. According to a report in Ynet, residents told Maj. Gen. Herzl Halevi and Israel Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin that The endangered “we are grateful for and appreciate flower Negev Iris. your work, and there is no need (Photo by Wikipedia) to explain how meaningful your presence here is for us and for our sense of security.

But we feel it’s fundamental that we work together to preserve the surrounding sites of nature.” The flower in question is the Iris Mariae, otherwise known as the “Negev Iris,” which residents say is at risk due to the increased number of troops, and the size and power of the machinery. Military authorities replied that their positions were decided in coordination with regional councils, the Nature and Park Authority, and the Jewish National Fund, but that they would acquiesce to the request and move the Iron Dome systems to alternative locations, again in consultation with all the authorities.

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SYLVIA MIRIAM PERRES

Sylvia Miriam Shapiro Perres, 95, died on December 26 in Chicago.

Born in Poland, she and her family immigrated to New York City when she was 3 years old, After World War II, she and her husband moved to Youngsville, NY, in the Catskills, where they owned a chicken farm. They retired to Chicago and spent winters in Florida. She was an active volunteer with Hadassah. Once her children were raised, she went back to school to earn her GED. She graduated from Sullivan County Community College and started a career as a psychometrician.

She was predeceased by her husband, Isaac “Ike” Perres.

She is survived by her children, Allen (Irma) Perres, Marci (Mark) Erlebacher and Lee (Marsha) Perres; her grandchildren, Mark (Dawn) Perres, Adam Perres, Eric Erlebacher, Alec Erlebacher and Molly (Jason) Ropte; her great-grandchildren, Iris, Alex and Annabel; and her sister, Pearl Saunders.

Funeral services and burial were in Chicago. Sisskind Funeral Service had local arrangements.

Contributions may be made to the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center, 5655 Thompson Rd., Syracuse, NY 13214. 

PIRKKO LIISA SEROG

Pirkko Liisa Serog, M.D., 89, died on January 3 at home in Jamesville, after many years with Alzheimer’s.

She came to the U.S. from Finland in 1955 on a Fulbright Scholarship, after completing her medical degree at the University of Helsinki. She married a Naval officer dentist and moved to New York. She passed her state medical exams while raising children and eventually worked as an anesthesiologist at Crouse-Irving Memorial Hospital for over two decades. In retirement, she enjoyed hightech fiber arts.

She is remembered as a gracious mother, a dedicated and diligent physician, and a playful, loving grandmother, characterized by her strong determination and passion for achievements.

She was predeceased by her parents, Elina and Armas Harri; her husband of 58 years, Dr. William Serog; and her daughter, Deborah Sanna.

She is survived by her siblings, Sirpa and Esa; her children, Britta and Dan; and her grandchildren, Dhiki, Chenga, Esa, Aaron, Adrian and Jocelyn.

Birnbaum Funeral Service had arrangements.

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Wishing everyone a Happy Passover!

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ JANUARY 17, 2019/11 SHEVAT 5779

Using Israeli techniques, aid groups NEWS IN BRIEF train first responders in India, Sri Lanka Arabs demonstrate against new P.A. From JNS.org

BY JACKSON RICHMAN (JNS) – The American Jewish Committee and United Hatzalah have been training emergency responders in India and Sri Lanka on how to respond to situations such as terrorist attacks and natural disasters.

The training started on December 23 in Gurugram and spread to New Delhi, where the United Hatzalah team provided lessons to dozens of first responders, followed by conducting a combined drill for the participants, utilizing Israeli procedures.

“There are a range of ways we work to promote Israel,” Shira Loewenberg, director of the Asia Pacific Institute at AJC, which has a humanitarian fund, told JNS. Loewenberg said this particular initiative is “highlighting a strength Israel has,” which is the ability to respond to various disasters. She remarked that United Hatzalah has an “innovative and successful program” to train rescue workers.

Doing so, Loewenberg elaborated, can “create good will” between Israel and other countries. “Israel is not just about conflict,” she emphasized.

“It is eye-opening to see how emergency-response systems work in different countries, and how much we can share with one another and learn from each other,” said Dov Maisel, vice president of operations for United Hatzalah, who is leading the mission.

“The teams in India are professional and are excellent at providing assistance,” he continued. “They even had

social security law

A mass casualty incident training and preceding lecture in Gurugram, India. (Photo courtesy of United Hatzalah) a few fire-rescue motorcycles, which are similar to what we use in Israel to arrive at emergencies faster.

“We are adding to their already existing knowledge base,” he added, using “numerous styles of emergency triage and disaster management from a number of different angles. Our team is comprised of EMS experts, as well as some of Israel’s elite search-and-rescue professionals who have been at disasters all over the globe.”

Palestinians have been protesting against the passage of a relatively new social security law by the Palestinian Authority. According to a report by The Jerusalem Post, thousands of demonstrators gathered in Ramallah on Jan. 9 – with smaller rallies in Shechem/Nablus, Hebron, Bethlehem and Jenin – to express their outrage over a three-month-old law establishing a social security fund without a legislative process and a lack of certainty as to whether the funds would be secure, given the questionable future of the leadership of the Palestinian Authority. The National Social Security Movement was quoted by The Media Line as saying the measure was taken against the will of the people, and that “given the ongoing political and economic instability, social security is the last thing the Palestinian people need.” Israeli social security taxes are currently collected by Israel’s labor union, the Histadrut, but the P.A. has recently requested the funds be remitted to it. A recent demonstration at the Qalandiya checkpoint

by Palestinians who work in Israel urged Israel not to transfer the money to the Palestinian Authority, due to their concern that the workers would not get the monies back.

IKEA Israel to open store in Tel Aviv

The Swedish furniture and home accessories chain IKEA will open its fifth store in Israel later this year in Tel Aviv. The store will have just 21,500 square feet of floor space. It will focus on kitchens, reported Globes on Jan. 10.

Release, refresh, reset (NAPSI) – You don’t have to let a busy schedule break your healthy stride or keep you from crushing your goals.

You can regroup on your approach instead. By incorporating these three ways to release, refresh and reset, you can still make health a priority.

1. Release your mind by escaping into nature. Getting out into nature gives you the space and peace to release the things that bog you down. Escape the rush. Try camping in the wilderness or taking a scenic hike. Studies show that surrounding yourself with nature can have positive effects

on mental health. Ditch the office and try working outdoors at a picnic table or on a blanket in the grass. Wherever you go, whatever you do, sit back and breathe in the fresh air.

2. Refresh your exercise routine with new moves.

Inspiration derives from new experiences, which is why exercise physiologist and Bowflex fitness advisor Tom Holland recommends mixing up your daily workout routine. “Give yourself the opportunity to explore and challenge yourself in new ways,” suggests Holland. Try a new workout program, or an exercise machine that moves you in new ways, such as a cardio machine that can strengthen and activate muscles with side-to-side, push-and-pull and stand-and-squat motions that target the arms, back, hips and core, as well as common trouble spots including glutes, hamstrings and quads. By moving in all directions, you mimic everyday activities such as yard work, housecleaning or chasing after your kids. It’s a new and exciting workout that can keep you motivated.

3. Reset your soul with time for yourself. In addition to carving out time for fitness, you need to make time for yourself. Creating positive energy in a chaotic world can be challenging, but it’s important for overall health and well-being. You don’t have to be a yogi to meditate. Experts say to start small – try focusing for 10 minutes a day in a quiet place and don’t get frustrated if your mind wanders.

It takes practice but the benefits are worth the investment.

You may find you’re more calm and productive and you sleep better. Whatever helps you reset, create time in your schedule and act on it. You owe it to yourself.