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21 TEVET 5777 • JANUARY 19, 2017 • VOLUME XXXVIII, NUMBER 2 • PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID, SYRACUSE, NY

Successful Jewish community mitzvah project to benefit Samaritan Center

L-r: In December, Mary Beth Frey and Kathy Scott delivered socks to the Samaritan Center donated by the Jewish community. A grant from the Pomeranz, Shankman, Martin Charitable Foundation will pay for socks and hand warmers that will be delivered in late January.

BY KATHY SCOTT Organizers said the “outpouring of generosity” from the Jewish community was “warmly received” by the Samaritan Center guests this past holiday season. More than 135 pairs of socks, and more than 240 pairs of hand warmers, were collected. Some of the supplies were delivered to the Samaritan Center on December 21, and distributed Christmas Day at the annual Temple Concord holiday meal served that day. The Pomeranz, Shankman, Martin Charitable Foundation made a donation that allowed participants to order more supplies that will be distributed to the center in late January. Samaritan Center Executive Director Mary Beth Frey said, “The Samaritan Center is very grateful for the generosity of the Jewish community, and we wish them a very happy Chanukah! As winter officially starts, these additional supplies will definitely be in high demand!” This effort was said to be a collaboration of many individuals, whose efforts “added up to make a difference in hundreds of people’s lives.” Among those thanked were Mark Kotzin, of Temple Concord, who contacted all the local rabbis; Temple Adath Yeshurun Executive Director Barbara Simon, who coordinated efforts on behalf of that synagogue; Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas

L-r: Sue Gordon and Jen Satterlee wrapped hand warmers to be delivered to the Samaritan Center. Manager of Congregational Services Joan Bordett, who coordinated that synagogue’s efforts; and Jackie Miron and the Jewish Community Foundation of

Jewish Observer early deadline The deadline for the February 16 Jewish Observer has been moved to Monday, January 30. As always, articles may be sent earlier.

After day of 16 bomb threats, FBI to coordinate with Jewish community in “new reality” BY BEN SALES NEW YORK (JTA) – The FBI and Department of Homeland Security will be assisting local Jewish Community Centers in bolstering security after 16 JCCs received bomb threats on the same day. On January 11, officials from the FBI and Homeland Security conducted a conference call with U.S. Jewish communal leaders to discuss the incidents of January 9, what they stem from and how to craft protocols to handle such incidents in the future. Some communities already receive federal grants to provide for security. The bomb threats, none of which appear credible, hit JCCs up and down the East Coast, in addition to two in the United Kingdom, prompting evacuations of buildings and campuses. According to Jewish communal security officials, the bomb threats came both from robocalls and from live telephone calls. It remains unclear whether one person or group was behind all the threats. The U.S. JCCs affected ranged from one in northern New Jersey to several in the Southeast – including in Florida,

Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. In addition, JCCs in Maryland, Delaware, Tennessee and Pennsylvania received threats. Several Jewish institutions also received bomb threats the previous week. The simultaneous threats were unprecedented, according to Paul Goldenberg, the director of the Secure Community Network, a group affiliated with the Jewish Federations of North America that coordinates security for the Jewish community. “We’re in a completely different world now than we were a couple years ago,” Goldenberg told JTA. “What is unprecedented is in the shortest period of time we received a substantial number of bomb threats. These offenders are leveraging technology to intimidate and/ or terrorize communities.” The FBI is investigating the bomb scares, according to Goldenberg. One of the threatened communities, in Wilmington, DE, received a bomb threat at 11:45 am on January 9 and evacuated some 200 people from a complex housing four Jewish organizations. Everyone from preschoolers at

Central New York, who reached out to the project’s organizers with an additional grant from the Pomeranz, Shankman, Martin Charitable Foundation.

a Jewish day school to senior citizens eating lunch left the building within a few minutes. They returned about 90 minutes later. Seth Katzen, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Delaware, said communal officials were in touch with local FBI and police, who responded immediately, and that the evacuation was completed without panic. “There was a scare, but a manageable uneasiness,” he told JTA. “Everyone moved extremely well. It was to create panic and inconvenience, which it did. That is our new reality.” Neither Goldenberg nor the Anti-Defamation League explicitly tied the bomb threats to the rise of antisemitic attacks during and after the 2016 presidential campaign. Goldenberg said making such a link may be tempting, but would be

2017 Federation u Annual Campaign Goal: $1,200,000

613,546

$

as of Jan. 16, 2017

To make a pledge, contact Jessica Lawrence at 445-2040 ext. 102 or jlawrence@jewishfederationcny.org.

See “FBI” on page 3

C A N D L E L I G H T I N G A N D P A R AS H A January 20................4:44 pm........................................................ Parasha-Shemot January 27................4:53 pm............................................................Parasha-Vaera February 3................5:02 pm.................................................................Parasha-Bo

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Protests in Poland

Epstein School

Congregational notes

An incident at a Polish café The Epstein School announces Upcoming talks, kids’ events, inspires non-Jewish Poles to wear its spring semester courses, performances and more are kippot to protest antisemitism. including “Packing for College.” announced by local synaogues. Story on page 3 Story on page 2 Stories on page 4

PLUS Calendar Highlights............. 10 B’nai Mitzvah......................... 10 Obituaries................................11 Health and Wellness............ 12


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