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18 ADAR II 5774 • MARCH 20, 2014 • VOLUME XXXVIII, NUMBER 6 • PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID, SYRACUSE, NY

Federation seeking survivors and names for “Book of Remembrance”

By Judith Stander Survivors The Yom Hashoah Planning Committee of the Jewish Federation of Central New York is planning the community

Yom Hashoah Memorial Observance, which will be held on Sunday, April 27, at 3 pm, at Temple Adath Yeshurun, this year’s host congregation.

This year’s program will mark the 75th

Rabbi Bob Alper comedy night rescheduled

Rabbi Bob Alper

Expressing appreciation for the community’s understanding, the Jewish Federation of Central New York canceled a Campaign thank you event scheduled for March 12 because of inclement weather. The comedy night with Rabbi Bob Alper has been rescheduled for Wednesday, April 9, at Temple Concord, 910 Madison St. Alper will perform at 7 pm, after a 6 pm kosher wine tasting. Due to the sponsorship of Berkshire Bank Foundation, there will be no charge for admission.

Free parking will be available in the Temple Concord lot, 910 Madison St.; at the 1200 East Genesee St. medical office building; in the parking lot of Grace Church, 819 Madison St.; and in the parking lot at 404-406 University Ave.

anniversary of the last Kindertransport, an operation that helped hundreds of children escape from Europe to safety just as World War II began. In addition, the Safe Haven Project in nearby Oswego will recognize its 70th anniversary and will be a part of this year’s event.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum defines a survivor as a person who was displaced, persecuted and/or discriminated against by the racial, religious, ethnic and political policies of the Nazis and their allies. In addition to former inmates of concentration camps and ghettos, this includes, among others, refugees and people in hiding.

Local survivors who may not yet have participated in Yom Hashoah events in Central New York, especially anyone who was rescued by the Kindertransport, is of special interest to Federation staff so that they can be recognized at the program as a survivor.

When the Safe Haven program at Fort

Ontario in Oswego was in operation, local community members provided help in a variety of ways to these European refugees. Anyone who was active with the refugees should contact Judith Stander at 445-0161, ext. 114, or jstander@jewishfederationcny.org for more information.

Federation Book of Remembrance The Jewish Federation of Central New York maintains a leather-bound “Book of Remembrance” in its archives, which contains the names of many individuals and families lost during the Holocaust.

Each year at the annual community Yom Hashoah memorial observance, the names are read aloud to help ensure that they are always remembered.

To submit names of family members lost in the Holocaust for inclusion in the Federation’s Book of Remembrance, contact Judith Stander at 445-0161, ext. 114, or jstander@jewishfederationcny.org.

Spotlight

Breakthrough Israeli brain-mapping technology was showcased at AIPAC conference

is complicated, said Gadot.

“The human brain is a highly complex See “Brain” on page 7

Our goal is 2014 donors in 2014!

brain-related disorders, including developmental problems (autism and ADHD, for example), neurological disorders (brain injuries, epilepsy), mental problems and neurodegenerative disorders. But understanding these diseases and disorders can be highly complicated – because the brain

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“Such information can be vital to making progress against a host of disorders and conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s and Traumatic Brain Injury, and to improving health and well-being for hundreds of millions of people throughout the globe,” Gadot said.

Today, two billion people suffer from

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President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with ElMindA founder Ben-Gurion University Prof. Amir Geva (far left) and ElMindA CEO Ronen Gadot, during Obama’s visit to Israel in March 2013. (Photo by Kobi Gideon)

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By Maayan Jaffe JNS.org It was one year ago February that President Barack Obama announced plans for a landmark effort to better understand the workings of the brain. It was seven years before then that a now-burgeoning company in Herzliya, Israel, began developing the ground-breaking brain mapping and imaging technology that will play a role in achieving the president’s goal by helping detect and manage a host of brain-related disorders and conditions.

ElMindA’s Brain Network Activation (BNA) takes cognitive-electrophysiology to a new frontier, unparalleled by any other test. The breakthrough technology was exhibited at the 2014 AIPAC Policy Conference early in March 2-4. ElMindA was selected to exhibit its technology over hundreds of other Israeli companies.

Ronen Gadot, CEO of ElMindA, explained in an interview with JNS.org that the seeds for the company were planted 35 years ago, with the preliminary research done

by Ben-Gurion University Professor Amir Geva, a graduate of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. He said the BNA technology is based on non-invasive recordings of multi-channel electrocephalography (EEG) event-related potentials (ERPs), and a comprehensive multi-dimensional analysis of such recordings. The BNA algorithms use innovative sets of signal processing, pattern recognition, clustering and machine-learning techniques to seek and map activated neural pathways in task-related data points

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The 2014 Campaign is underway!

To make your pledge, contact Marianne at 445-2040 ext. 102 or mbazydlo@jewishfederationCNY.org.

C A N D L E L I G H T I N G A N D P A R AS H A March 21..................6:59 pm.............................................................Parasha-Shemini March 28..................7:07 pm.................................................................Parasha-Tazria April 4.......................7:15 pm.............................................................Parasha-Metzora

INSIDE THIS ISSUE “20s and 30s” event

Jews and music

Kosher supermarkets

The JCC will host the second Mandy Patinkin will perform in Some stores in the Winn-Dixie “20s and 30s” breakfast event Syracuse; the JCC teen spring mu- supermarket chain in the South on March 30. sic show; and a klezmer concert. focus on kosher foods.

Story on page 3 Stories on page 5 Story on page 7

PLUS Calendar Highlights................10 B’nai Mitzvah............................10 Mazel Tov...................................10 Obituaries.................................. 11

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ march 20, 2014/18 ADAR II 5774

a matter of opinion Beating back the assault on Israel’s legitimacy

By Jerry Silverman and Rabbi Steve Gutow NEW YORK (JTA) – Leaders of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement say they are protesting Israel’s policies in the West Bank. They are doing far more than that.

BDS advocates routinely oppose a two-state solution and seek to delegitimize the sovereign, Jewish state of Israel. In some cases, BDS becomes the latest form of antisemitism.

The BDS movement aims to isolate and punish Israel, using the same techniques applied to apartheid South Africa. Not hesitating to misrepresent facts and ignore context, these Israel bashers take advantage of ignorance and naïveté within civil society circles, mostly in Western Europe, to advance their anti-Israel agenda.

BDS advocates view the situation in the West Bank through a one-way lens, seeing only a single perspective. They cite, for example, the security checkpoints that make life difficult for Palestinians, but conveniently overlook the reasons for those checkpoints. They ignore the fact that hurting Israel’s economy would also hurt Palestinians who earn their livelihoods from Israeli-owned businesses.

BDS backers don’t bother to protest the many countries that have horrific human rights records, instead singling out the world’s only Jewish state, often based on false or misrepresented information.

A tipping point for the Jewish commu-

nity’s response to BDS came in 2009 when a number of anti-Israel groups called for a boycott of the Toronto International Film Festival because one of its themes was Tel Aviv’s 100th anniversary. The Toronto and Los Angeles Jewish Federations joined forces and, with the involvement of major figures in the entertainment industry, fashioned an effective response.

With calls for BDS escalating in the mainline Protestant churches, on college campuses and elsewhere, Jewish community leaders realize that the situation calls for more than an ad hoc approach: Local communities need a strategic approach with national support and coordination.

In 2010, the Jewish Federations of North America, representing more than 150 local Federations, allocated significant resources so that the Israel Action Network could serve this purpose. The Jewish Council for Public Affairs – with its 16 national member organizations, including all four of the religious movements, and 125 Jewish Community Relations Councils, which work with non-Jewish coalition partners on a range of international and domestic concerns – was the JFNA’s obvious partner.

One principle that guides this work is that we should understand our audiences.

And when we speak with others, we should do so with a respect for the sensitivities of that constituency so that our important messages are authentically heard. Whether on a campus, in a church or speaking with

an LGBT group, we should always be clear that we stand as partners, sharing the goal of a future with peace and security – not one of conflict and BDS. Experience and research demonstrate that what works best with these audiences – mostly made up of political and religious progressives – is not an all-good-vs.-all-bad characterization of Israelis and Palestinians. Instead, a more nuanced narrative is the one that is likely to defeat the one-sided and hostile stance of those seeking to delegitimize Israel.

This means honestly conveying the situation’s complexity, expressing empathy for suffering on both sides (without implying moral equivalency) and offering a constructive pathway to helping the parties move toward peace and reconciliation based on two states for two peoples.

Whether we are dealing with a boycott of Israeli academic institutions adopted by the American Studies Association or an attempt to remove Israeli products from a Brooklyn food co-op, the most effective opponents of these initiatives are the people who travel in those circles.

While we in the organized Jewish community should not remain silent in the face of Israel’s delegitimization, we should strongly support and accentuate the efforts of these third-party validators who share our values and viewpoints. The 247 (and counting) universities and colleges that have denounced academic boycotts generally – and academic boycotts of Israel specifi-

cally – are just such validators.

It is not enough to only expose the true goals of the boycotters and their allies.

Israel’s supporters must also go on the offensive and drain the swamps of ignorance that allow the poisonous ideas of the Jewish state’s opponents to incubate. Thus, we are taking the initiative to inoculate vulnerable politically progressive sectors, presenting a more factual perspective on Israel and taking prominent leaders to the region to see the real situation firsthand.

The Israel Action Network, of course, does not work alone in this arena. On a daily basis, numerous organizations stand up for Israel.

Through the IAN, JFNAand JCPAare working together to convene around a common strategic planning table not only our affiliates, but also a range of other North American, Israeli and European groups in order to share best practices and coordinate our collective resources in confronting this global danger.

There is no imminent threat to the critical and broad North American support for Israel. But American support for Israel is not something to be taken for granted in light of the organized campaign we now face. While should not be panicked, we cannot be complacent either. We pledge to continue to work hard to prevent any erosion of that support.

Rabbi Steve Gutow is president and CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs.

Jerry Silverman is president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America.

a matter of opinion AJC Interreligious Affairs Mission to the Vatican

By Wu-Teh Hsiang From February 12-15, Wu-Teh Hsiang participated in an American Jewish Congress intereligious affairs mission to the Vatican. This is his account. Hsiang and his wife, Marjory Baruch, are members of Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas.

My daughter, Mina Hsiang, and I, together with seven members of my wife Marjory Baruch’s family, were fortunate to be included among the more than 50 participants of the AJC Mission to the Vatican delegation. Due

to scheduling difficulties, my wife was not able to take part in this wonderful trip.

The main purpose of this fascinating, informative and inspiring mission was to further improve Christian-Jewish relations and dialogue. We had a very full schedule throughout the four days we were in Rome.

The group had a meeting with Archbishop Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state; Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews; and Father Norbert

Hofmann, as well as U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Ken Hackett. We also had private tours of the Jewish Museum of Rome and the Roman Ghetto, Castel of Sant’Angelo, Mausoleum of Hadrian and a visit to the Sistine Chapel, through a private entrance.

The group also participated in a press conference on Catholic-Jewish and VaticanIsrael relations.

The highlight of the trip was a private audience with Pope Francis, when each delegation member had an opportunity to shake hands with the pope and have a brief conversation.

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Wu-Teh Hsiang, a part of the American Jewish Congress intereligious affairs mission to the Vatican in February, shook hands with Pope Francis.

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Mina Hsiang, daughter of Wu-Teh Hsiang, posed with Pope Francis.

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The trip concluded with Shabbat activities. We had Shabbat dinner with Catholic hierarchy, including three cardinals, two bishops and Israel’s ambassador to the Holy See. We also attended Shabbat morning prayers at the Great Synagogue of Rome.

After the trip to Rome, we continued to Brussels for the 10th anniversary of the Transatlantic Institute, which was founded to support diplomatic outreach to Europe, with a goal of building mutual understanding and promoting the welfare and interests of Jewish communities around the world.

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AROUND CENTRAL NEW YORK JCC “20s to 30s” event

By Nick Finlayson Local Jewish 20-30-year-olds have been invited to gather on Sunday, March 30, at 10 am, at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse, where the second

PJ Library play date

PJ Library® in Central New York will hold a family play date on Sunday, March 23, from 10:30 am-noon, at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse.

Activities will include a story, a snack and time in the family gym class with inflatables. Families need not be JCC members to attend.

PJ Library is a nationally acclaimed literacy program See “PJ” on page 5

L-r: Lily Engel, Kayla Graber and Kara Engel played with blocks before a story at the February PJ Library family play date.

“20s to 30s” event will be held. The event will be part of a continuing effort to learn how to better serve the younger Jewish population in the area.

The JCC hosted a breakfast for the group on January 19, with more than 20 people attending. Feeling this reinforced the need for this kind of group, organizers hope that bringing young individuals together in discussion will create a “think tank environment” to gather useful information about what the demographic desires from the local Jewish community.

The “20s to 30s” initiative is planned and coordinated

by Howard Weinstein, president of Temple Adath Yeshurun and vice president of the JCC Board of Directors, and Marci Erlebacher, the JCC’s executive director. The goal of this type of forum is “to create a comfortable environment for younger individuals to be open with their feedback,” which will help organizers collect information on how to routinely bring the group together professionally and socially, while providing an atmosphere that gives individuals the kind of experience they are seeking.

The initial purpose of the “20s to 30s” event was to brainstorm how to boost this demographic’s participation by shaping synagogue programs and activities so that the age group is more comfortable participating in the local Jewish community. Organizers said there was “great interest” at the first event in obtaining and merging all synagogue and community calendars so individuals don’t have to isolate themselves in individual synagogues and can take advantage of everything the entire community has to offer.

Weinstein said, “There was a need to create a ‘Jewish community without walls,’ so the ‘20s to 30s’ group would

Lipman’s Kosher Meat Market deliveries coming to the JCC Beginning on Wednesday, March 26, Lipman’s Kosher Meat Market in Rochester will make deliveries to the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center for all, members and non-members, in time for Passover. Customers have been encouraged to place their orders as early as possible. Food will be available for pick-up at the JCC front office on

Wednesdays from 1-6 pm.

After Passover, Lipman’s will deliver to the JCC once a month on a Wednesday. To view Lipman’s full line of kosher meats and groceries, visit http:// lipmanskoshermarket.com. Orders may be placed by calling 585-271-7886. For more information about the service, call Tiffany’s Catering at 475.7630.

Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center senior dining menu March 24-27 Monday – cream of broccoli soup and potato pierogi Tuesday – Jewish Ethnic Day – chicken schnitzel Wednesday – liver with onions Thursday –fried fish Friday – lamb chops March 31-April 4 Monday – grilled smoked Gruyere and tomato sandwich Tuesday – TBA Wednesday – TBA Thursday – TBA Friday – TBA The Bobbi Epstein Lewis Jewish Community Center

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Senior Adult Dining Program, catered by Tiffany’s Catering Company at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center, offers kosher lunches served Monday-Friday at noon. Reservations are required by noon on the previous business day and there is a suggested contribution per meal.

The menu is subject to change. The program is funded by a grant from the Onondaga County Department of Aging and Youth and the New York State Office for the Aging, with additional funds provided by the JCC and United Way of Central New York. To attend, one need not be Jewish or a member of the JCC. For more information or to make a reservation, contact Leesa Paul or Larry Crinnin at 4452360 ext. 104, or lpaul@jccsyr.org.

be able to participate in an unrestricted way in any or all activities offered. Input at this meeting is vital in order to proceed with this project, which will likely affect them for many years to come.”

Erlebacher added, “We are still in the fact-finding phase, learning how to get this age group involved within the community. We are truly energized about the future, and look forward to the continued insight and direction in helping to make this community more exciting and vibrant.”

As a result of the first event, attendees Jill and Mark Levy hosted a brunch at their home. Weinstein said, “Hopefully, those who attended will share their thoughts from that brunch. Those involved have had time to percolate ideas and now will be the time to forge ahead with concrete plans for the future.”

The JCC will serve a light breakfast on March 30. Free babysitting services will be provided, with a reservation, to help encourage parent participation. For more information, contact the JCC at 445-2360.

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Klezmer Concert

ISSUE

Wednesday, March 19............................ April 3 Wednesday, April 2.............................. April 17 Featuring master tsimbl player Monday, April 14, early...........................May 1 Pete Rushefsky Wednesday, April 30..............................May 15

March 27 Concert 8:00 pm Saperstein Jewish Center, Colgate University

Free and open to the public.

For information contact Deborah Justice at drjustic@syr.edu or 315-443-4321.

Co-sponsored by the SU Humanities Center in the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Central New York Humanities Corridor, from an award by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Klezmer Concert

Featuring master tsimbl player Pete Rushefsky March 27 Concert 8:00 pm Saperstein Jewish Center, Colgate University Free and open to the public.

For information contact Deborah Justice at drjustic@syr.edu or 315-443-4321.

Co-sponsored by the SU Humanities Center in the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Central New York Humanities Corridor, from an award by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Visit the JO online at jewishfederationcny.org and click on Jewish Observer

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ march 20, 2014/18 ADAR II 5774

congregational notes Congregation Beth SholomChevra Shas

The Women’s Connection The Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas Women’s Connection will host a Passover card-making class on Thursday, March 27, at 7 pm. The class will allow adults at all levels of ability to make a holiday card of their own design. Participants will learn to design a card and will be offered the chance to use various papers, coloring materials, rubber stamps and embellishments, such as ribbons, labels and flowers.

Z’MIRAT Shabbat (Songs of the Sabbath) Cantor Robert Lieberman will lead services for Z’mirat Shabbat on Friday, March 28, at 6:15 pm. Jonathan Dinkin will add piano accompaniment, with Mark Wolfe on percussion. The service will begin at 6 pm with an asefat Shabbat, a social gathering with snacks, before starting at 6:45 pm. All services will be open to the public. For more information, contact the CBS-CS office at 446-9570 or office@cbscs.org.

CBS-CS Hazak Presents a Concert, “Spring Fever with an israeli Twist” CBS-CS Hazak will present the concert “Spring Fever with an Israeli Twist,” featuring Sue Jacobs and the Seneca String Quartet, on Sunday, March 30, at 2 pm.

Among the pieces performed will be tefillah, Yiddish music, love songs, Broadway show tunes and movie music. The program will be free and open to the public. Coffee and pastries will be served. For more information, contact CBS-CS at 446-9570 or office@cbscs.org.

The Women’s Connection Torah Fund Dinner and Program The Women’s Connection of Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas will hold its annual Torah Fund dinner and entertainment event on Thursday, April 3, at 6:30 pm.

Kevin Metzger, a junior music major at Syracuse University, will perform a program of guitar music, which will be a part of his junior recital. Dorothy Goldberg is the chair of the program.

Women’s League for Conservative Judaism Torah Fund is said to give every person an opportunity “to participate in preserving, promoting and perpetuating Conservative/ Masorti Judaism.” It supports students at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City, the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles and the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem.

Metzger is the son of Barbara and Phil Metzger, and the grandson of Celaine and Victor Hershdorfer.

The program will be open to the community. There will be a charge to attend the dinner, with all proceeds going to the Torah Fund. For more information or to make a reservation, contact the CBS-CS office at 446-9570 or office@cbscs.org.

CBS-CS Matzah University CBS-CS will hold Matzah University, an opportunity for people of all ages to learn more about the holiday of Pesach and how to observe it, on Sunday, April 6, at 9:30 am.

Children through the seventh grade can visit 14 stations representing the 14 parts of the order of the seder. At each stop, they will receive an item for order of the seder bags, and will participate in a hands-on activity and/or taste a variety of food. Teenagers and adults can enjoy a keynote speaker and will have a choice of several workshops.

Organizers hope that this learning opportunity will be an annual event. For the children, the morning will conclude with a Pesach-themed weekday service.

For more information, contact Julie Tornberg, director of youth and education, at 701-2685 or director@cbscs.org.

Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas scholars-in-residence Rabbis Shawn (on guitar) and Simcha Zevit (right) prepared to say good-bye to Shabbat with Havdalah at a Saturday night concert of Jewish music as part of their weekend-long residency, “Raising Holy Sparks: Explorations in Jewish Prayer.” Also pictured, in background at left: Jeff and Judy Stanton, who played guitar and violin. Not shown: Mark Wolfe, who added percussion.

Temple Adath Yeshurun Adult Education Chavurah The Temple Adath Yeshurun adult education chavurah will present the second and third lectures in the Jewish art series on Sundays, March 23 and 30. The programs are held at the synagogue and are led by Samuel D. Gruber, a lecturer in Jewish studies at Syracuse University.

The March 23 lecture will focus on 20th century Jewish photographers who began to document traditional Jewish life in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The goal of these photographers was said to be not only to preserve memories of “a culture already in transition,” but also for nostalgia, something Jewish painters had already begun. Jewish charities in America hired photographers to document the needy conditions of Jews to help promote aid programs and stimulate private contributions. Gruber will then move to Jewish artists who embraced photography for its experimental and expressive qualities, as well as those who joined the new artistic avant-garde of Expressionism, Constructivism and Dada, and the new field of photo-journalism, concluding with the New York School of Photographers.

In the third and final lecture of the series, on March 30, Gruber will discuss the question, “What is Jewish art?” Some Jewish artists grew up in a world where Judaism was often defined by the Holocaust and Israel, while others were raised on pop art, comic books and television.

Having also witnessed group empowerment movements, they have pushed the traditional definitions of Jewish art to include new media

Kahlan Goldberg participated in “Crazy Hair Day” to celebrate Dr. Seuss’birthday at the TAY Rothschild Early Childhood Center. and an entire new range of subject matter.

This lecture will look at some of the many, and often competing, trends of art, as well as artists considered to be the most accomplished and, sometimes, provocative.

The programs will begin at 9:30 am with a light breakfast, followed by the lecture at 10 am. The lectures are open to the community. For more information, e-mail adulted@adath.org.

Hazak Hazak members will lead parts of the Shabbat service for their annual Hazak Shabbat on Saturday, March 29. Aliyahs See “TAY” on page 6

Temple Concord Adult Education Temple Concord Rabbi Daniel Fellman has been teaching a year-long course on American Jewish communities. The final two classes will explore the South. At the class on Sunday, March 23, from 11 amnoon, participants will discuss the ideology of small town life in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Georgia. Other subjects to be discussed include social connections, camps and ballyhoo, a form of celebration.

The final class, on Sunday, April 13, will examine the “New South” and will take a closer look at the different movements in Judaism. Thee classes will be free of charge and take place on Sunday.

Religious studies graduate student Maria Carson will teach a class on” Jewish Peoplehood,” the last of three classes on Tuesday, April 1, at 7 pm. The class will focus on the relationship of understanding Judaism as a religion and understanding it as a cultural identity. Special attention will be paid to early reformer Abraham Geiger’s articulation of Judaism as a liberal religion, and Mordecai Kaplan’s understanding of Judaism primarily as a civilization, with particular cultural rites and norms.

Alana Jacowitz showed off her Purim mask at the Temple Concord family Havdalah program on March 1. Behind her were Betty Lamb and Kim Smolen.

WRJ Shabbat The Women of Reform Judaism will lead Shabbat services on Friday, March 28, at 6 pm. They will be joined by the Temple Concord band, Ruach. Each year, the WRJ leads a Shabbat service. Members speak in their own words, as well as the words and prayers from the siddur.

Youth activities Katan-Con, the group for families with See “TC” on page 8

USY

United Synagogue Youth participants from Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas and Temple Adath Yeshurun held a “Sprinter Kallah” in Syracuse in February. The kallah offered the students the opportunity to socialize and learn together.

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JEWISH OBSERVER

“An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin”

Famous Artists will present Mandy Patinkin and Patti LuPone in “An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin,” for three performances only, on Tuesday, May 6-Thursday, May 8, at the Crouse Hinds Theater at the Oncenter.

The duo, who appeared together in Tony Award® winning-performances in Andrew Lloyd Weber’s “Evita” in 1980, will bring their critically-acclaimed theater concert to the Oncenter. Tickets are on sale now at the Oncenter Box Office and Famous Artists. For more information, visit http://BroadwayInSyracuse.com.

Since “Evita,” they have both starred in film, television, the concert stage and on Broadway. “An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin” brings them together again in a show described by Charles Isherwood of The New York Times as “Nothing short of fearless! An emotional intensity that can scorch.”

The show includes choreography by fellow Broadway veteran and friend Ann Reinking, who won a Best Choreography Tony Award® for the revival of “Chicago.” They are accompanied on piano by Music Director Paul Ford.

LuPone most recently starred on Broadway in the

musical “Women on the Verge of a Nervous throughout the United States.

Breakdown.” She swept the 2008 theater In his 1980 Broadway debut, Patinkin won awards, winning the Tony, Drama Desk and a Tony Award for his role as Che in Webber’s Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Actress “Evita,” and was nominated in 1984 for his in a Musical and the Drama League Award for starring role as George in the Pulitzer PrizeDistinguished Performance for her performance winning musical “Sunday in the Park with as Rose in “Gypsy,” the critically-acclaimed George.” In 1997, he played a sold-out engageBroadway production of the Jule Styne-Stephen ment of his one-man show, “Mandy Patinkin Sondheim-Arthur Laurents musical. This past in Concert,” with all profits benefitting five spring, she appeared as Joanne in the New York charitable organizations. Patinkin has appeared Philharmonic’s concert production of Stephen in numerous stage productions, including “The Sondheim’s “Company,” as well as in the criti- Mandy Patinkin Wild Party” in 2000, for which he received a cally-acclaimed film version, which played a (Photo by Brigitte Tony nomination. He has also appeared in nulimited run in movie theaters. She also made merous films and was nominated for a Golden LaCombec) her debut with the New York City Ballet in its Globe in 1984 for the film “Yentl.” Among new production of Weill’s “The Seven Deadly Sins.” She his television appearances was his role in the CBS series won an Outer Critics Circle Award for her own concert, “Chicago Hope,” for which he won a 1995 Emmy Award “Patti LuPone on Broadway.” After completing her training and received a Golden Globe nomination. He currently with the first class of the Drama Division of New York’s stars in the Showtime series “Homeland.” He began his Juilliard School, she began her career as a founding mem- concert career at Joseph Papp’s Public Theater in 1989 and ber of John Houseman’s The Acting Company, playing a has recorded multiple albums. variety of leading roles on and off-Broadway and on tour Tickets are on sale now at The Oncenter box office at 435-2121, Famous Artists at 424-8210 and Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000. For more information, visit http://BroadwayInSyracuse.com. Y94 FM and WSYR News Channel 9 sponsor the Famous Artists Broadway Theater Series.

The Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse will host its annual spring music showcase The Jcc and CONg. Beth Please support SholoM Graciously on Saturday, March 29, from 8:30-11 pm, at The SPOT our advertisers accept Donated Vehicles.

(Syracuse Project 4 Our Teens), located in the Sears wing and tell them of ShoppingTown Mall. The event will be for eighth“MAKE IT YOUR NEXT MITZVAH” you saw their ad th 12 grade students only. Tickets will be available at the here in door for a modest price. Snacks will also be available CALL Tax deduction The for purchase. “mike the car guy” Featured will be local bands from the January 18 Battle of the Bands event also hosted by the JCC. Several bands Mike Lessen-256-6167 had entered the competition and Home Court Advantage donatecars@twcny.rr.com won the grand prize, which included studio recording time, courtesy of SubCat Recording Studios, and a cash prize, courtesy of the JCC. Featured in this year’s showcase will be Light the Sky and Unrestricted Submarine “Furniture is more than a moment in time.

Warfare, which placed second and fourth, respectively, We can restore, refinish & repair family memories.” in the battle competition.

-- Ron Cosser For more information on the event, contact Katie Sutliff at 445-2360, or ksutliff@jccsyr.org.

JCC teen spring music show

Erica Ylitalo and Sean King, of Unrestricted Submarine Warfare, participated in the 12th annual battle of the bands at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse in January. They placed fourth in the competition.

THE

Re-sounding klezmer Klezmer musician Pete Rushefsky will perform on the tsimbl, which is a rare zither, at a lecture and demonstration on Thursday, March 27, from 5-6 pm, at Syracuse University in Bowne Hall, room 111. He will also perform a concert later that day at 8 pm in the Saperstein Jewish Center at Colgate University.

Rushefsky is the director of New York City’s Center for Traditional Music and Dance. He oversees the CTMD archives, which contain a collection of audio and video tapes, photographs and printed matter documenting research and programming of folk, ethnic and immigrant-performing arts traditions of cultural communities in New York City, from the founding of CTMD

in 1968 to the present. In his own performance work, as one of the few revivalist tsimbl players, Rushefsky draws upon early recordings of klezmer music from the turn of the 20th century. By linking his performances to these historical source recordings, he seeks to connect klezmer’s past and present.

Both events will be free and open to the public. They are co-sponsored by the SU Humanities Center in the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Central New York Humanities Corridor, from an award by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

For more information, contact Deborah Justice at drjustic@syr.edu or 443-4321.

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JCC Senior Adult Program welcomes Larry Crinnin The Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse recently welcomed Larry Crinnin to its senior adult program. Leesa Paul and Larry Crinnin will share the position of senior adult program director.

Paul and Crinnin believe that sharing the job will provide various benefits, such as improved recruitment and retention of staff, increased breadth of skills and

PJ

Continued from page 3

started by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. It sends free Jewish bedtime stories, CDs and DVDs to families raising Jewish children. In Central New York, the PJ Library is a program of the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse and is supported by the Sam Pomeranz Trust, the Jewish Federation of Central New York, Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas, Shaarei Torah Orthodox Congregation of Syracuse, Syracuse Hebrew Day School, Temple Adath Yeshurun and Temple Concord.

The PJ Library in Central New York serves children from 6-months-8-years-old.

For more information or to sign up, visit www.pjlibrary. org or e-mail Alicia Cafarchio Gross, program coordinator, at pjcny@jccsyr.org.

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experience, allowance for unusual schedule needs of staff and experience in working as a team. They explained that job sharing, once thought of for new mothers, is now acceptable for adults in the “sandwich generation” who need flexibility for doctor appointments and other necessities that keep parents living independently and their children involved in extracurricular activities and other Larry Crinnin daily activities.

Crinnin’s most recent position was as director of a local senior companion program, which matches seniors with elderly clients throughout the community, offering companionship and assistance, with activities of daily living that helps clients remain independent in their homes. He also has a background in ministry and pastoral care, as well as chaplaincy experience focused on seniors and the elderly living in assisted living and nursing home communities.

For more information, contact Paul or Crinnin at 445-2360, ext. 104, or lpaul@jccsyr.org or lcrinnin@ jccsyr.org.

™

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ march 20, 2014/18 ADAR II 5774

Chabad House

Privacy is said to be such an Privacy and Jewish Law overriding principal, related to

By Carl Rosenzweig the dignity of man, that people Chabad House at Syracuse are required to respect another’s University and the SU Jewish Law privacy even if that individual Students Association sponsored is willing to relinquish it. Yaffe a talk by Rabbi Shlomo Yaffe, posited that people should not “Privacy and Prying Eyes: Judawatch most reality TV and that ism on the Laws of Privacy in the they have no right to diminish Age of Prying Eyes,” on March 3 everyone’s dignity by appearing at the SU College of Law. Yaffe, in them. dean of the Institute of American Yaffe is also the director of the and Talmudic Law in New York Institute for Judaic Knowledge, Rabbi Shlomo City, explored privacy and Jewbased in Newton, MA, and a ish law.

Yaffe member of the editorial staff Yaffe said that the importance at Chabad.org.

He has lectured and led of privacy dates back to the biblical story seminars and continuing legal education of Bilaam, who, according to rabbinic programs throughout North America, as tradition, praises Israel [the people] for their modesty and concern for privacy, well as Africa, Australia, Latin America and which is seen as a fundamental ethical Europe. He has written articles for various and moral right, the basis for Jewish law forums and the Jewish Learning Institute’s rather than a response to specific cases. “Living with Integrity” course.

He recently completed a stint as Since privacy is considered a basic right, Jewish law is able to confront modern scholar-in-residence at Chabad at Hartechnology without the need to legislate vard, serving the greater Harvard and new rules for each new technology. He Massachusetts Institute of Technology explained that examples of the laws of pri- communities, and has been a visiting vacy are scattered throughout the Talmud. scholar in several communities.

Model Matzah Bakery

Chabad Lubavitch of Central New York will hold a model matzah bakery on Sunday, April l6, from noon-2:30 pm, at the Wegmans in DeWitt. The morning hours will be reserved for schools and groups.

There will also be a model seder table on display, offering various details and insights into the seder. Chabad Rabbi Yaakov Rapoport will be available to answer questions.

The model matzah bakery will be fashioned after the handmade shmura matzah bakeries in Brooklyn, NY, and Jerusalem.

Children and adults will have a chance to grind the wheat into flour, and mix, knead, roll and bake their own matzah.

Shmura, which means “watched” in Hebrew, is used to describe the round, hand-made matzah in which the wheat is carefully watched and protected from any contact with water from the moment

TAY

of harvest, until the matzah is ready to be kneaded into dough and baked. The wheat is only harvested on a sunny day and the millstones are cleaned thoroughly before it is ground into flour. Special care is taken during its transportation. When it arrives at the bakery, the flour is kept in a special dry room. The rationale is that any contact with water before the flour is ready to be mixed and made into dough could cause leavening in the wheat and disqualify its use for Passover. In ordinary matzah, the wheat is watched only from the time of milling. Shmura matzah is baked entirely by hand, under “intense scrutiny.”

The Model Matzah Bakery is made possible by a grant from the Syracuse Jewish Federation.

For more information, call Rapoport at 727-0973.

By Uriel Heilman NEW YORK (JTA) – When Abraham Foxman steps down next summer from his longtime post as national director of the Anti-Defamation League, he’ll be leaving his successor with a much brighter picture on antisemitism in America than when Foxman joined the organization in 1965.

In an age when antisemitic incidents appear to be on the upswing in many parts of the world, America tops the list of countries where Jews suffer least from antisemitism, Foxman says.

Jews can live, study and work anywhere they want in America. Yes, there’s Mel Gibson, Louis Farrakhan and the occasional swastika scrawled on a synagogue wall, but Jews in America for the most part live free of discrimination or the threat of violence.

“Statistically, yes, the picture is pretty good,” Foxman told JTA in a recent interview.

“We’ve made an awful lot of progress in this country in terms of social antisemitism.

“Socially, Jews in America have ‘made it.’

But it hasn’t eliminated some of the vestiges of antisemitism,” he said. “America is not immune to antisemitism. We’re not immune to racism and bigotry and prejudice.”

In Europe, the wellsprings of antisemitism are relatively well-known: the far right, which is the traditional bastion of neoNazism; the far left, where Israel-bashing sometimes translates into antisemitism; and Muslim extremists.

But where is the antisemitism in America? Partly what makes it so difficult

to find is that it’s hard to agree on what constitutes antisemitism.

Most of what we talk about when we talk about antisemitism today fits in one of three categories.

The most obvious and easiest to define is classic antisemitism: Jew-baiting, swastika scrawling, physical violence. A recent example cropped up last fall in the Pine Bush School District in upstate New York, when The New York Times ran a front-page story describing how Jewish students there were being bullied, beaten, taunted and harassed while authorities looked the other way. Last month, three Jewish families from the district filed a lawsuit claiming that their children were forced to endure “rampant antisemitic discrimination and harassment.”

Then there’s Israel-related antisemitism, where there is wide disagreement even among Jews over what constitutes antisemitism. When does anti-Zionism become anti-Jewish? Is the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement antisemitic? College campuses from California to Florida have become the flashpoint for these battles.

Finally, there is attitudinal antisemitism.

Approximately 12 percent of Americans hold deeply entrenched antisemitic views, according to ADL polling, which uses an 11-question index to measure antisemitic opinions. Respondents are asked if they agree with such statements as Jews have too much power in America, Jews are more loyal to Israel than to the United States, and Jews have See “Antisemitism” on page 9

At left: A member of the National Socialist Movement stands behind police tape line during a rally near Los Angeles City Hall on April 17, 2010. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

Continued from page 4

and prayers in Hebrew and English will be given to current Temple Adath Yeshurun Hazak members. An extended kiddush will follow the service.

TAY member and former TAY President Mark N. Schulman, from the Koldin Law Center, will present a program on healthcare wishes and choices on Sunday, April 6, at 1 pm. It has been designed to inform participants on the various issues involved in making healthcare choices.

Topics will include wills, power of attorney, health care proxies, revocable and irrevocable trusts, avoiding probate,

Medicaid eligibility and health care decisions. There will be an opportunity to ask questions and light refreshments will be served. The event will be free and open to the public.

Religious School model seders Again this year, the TAY Religious School will hold model seders to teach the students about Passover. The model seder for the third-seventh grades will be held on Wednesday, April 9, at 4:30 pm. The tots, pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and first grade will have a model seder on Sunday,

Camp Rothschild

June 30 - August 29 (closed Friday, July 4)

Centrally located near downtown Syracuse, DeWitt, Jamesville, and Fayetteville.

For children 1st grade through 12 years old • Daily Swimming Lessons & Free Swim

Specialty Choices include: • Photography • Dance • Nature/Science Activities • Clay Sculpting • Magic Tricks • Art Projects • Facepainting • Building • Drama/Theater • American Sign Language • Sports and Athletics • Orienteering AND SO MUCH MORE! Weekly Field Trips & Camp Shirt Included (on-site heated swimming pool)

•

Antisemitism in America today: Down, but not out

• Kosher lunch and snacks included

450 Kimber Road, Syracuse, NY 13224 ph: (315) 445 - 0049 • fax: (315) 445 - 9530 email: camprothschild@adath.org • www.camprothschild.org

April 13, at 10:30 am.

The students will learn the Passover story, symbols and songs. Students will have an opportunity to try Passover foods, such as matzah and charoset.

Camp Rothschild

By Sonali Eaton Camp Rothschild, the summer program at the Temple Adath Yeshurun Rothschild Early Childhood Center, has announced the summer’s programming.

Children in first grade-12-years-old can participate in a program that includes daily Red Cross swimming lessons in a heated, in-ground pool; arts and crafts; drama and theater; nature and science; sports and athletics; weekly-themed activities; and specialty courses.

Among last year’s themes to be repeated this summer are “Happy Birthday,” “America!,” the RECC games, “race around the world,” “mad scientist” and “superhero convention.” New themes include “animal antics,” “the amazing space race,” “fairytales, legends and myths” and “time tunnel.”

Once a week, campers will go on a theme-related excursion to locations such as the Museum of Science and Technology, Rosamond Gifford Zoo, Big Don’s Wild River Mini Golf and Green Lakes. In addition, the camp will continue holding a choice of specialty mini-courses: clay sculpting, photography, dance, sports and scientific experiments.

Campers will again have a choice period in the morning that operates on a rotating schedule weekly. Music Mondays will allow children to practice singing, rhythm

L-r: Aidan Shaver participated in Wheels Wednesday at the Temple Adath Yeshurun Camp Rothschild. and percussion or drumming. On Target Tuesdays, children will participate in archery. For Wheels Wednesdays, children can bring their skates and bikes to ride or go on a hike. On 30-Minute Thursdays, children will learn how to cook healthy meals in 30 minutes or less. During Fitness Fridays, children will participate in “high-energy” moving through yoga, dance and track. The camp will use the sports fields at neighboring Christian Brothers Academy High School several times throughout the summer for games and physical activities.

For more information, contact camprothschild@adath.org, call 445-0049 or visit www.camprothschild.org.

MARCH 20, 2014/18 ADAR II 5774 ■

JEWISH OBSERVER

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Southern supermarket giant Winn-Dixie bets big on kosher

By Uriel Heilman BOCA RATON, FL (JTA) – Stroll past the kosher section of most large supermarkets in America and you could be forgiven for thinking that Jewish diets consist mainly of jarred gefilte fish, unsalted matzahs and Tam-Tam crackers. Not so at the WinnDixie supermarket in this affluent South Florida suburb.

There’s a kosher bakery with fresh pizza and dairy and pareve desserts; a meat and deli counter with hot foods like chicken wings, potato kugel and meatballs; a refrigerated case with cold salads; pre-packaged Winn-Dixie-branded matzah balls, chicken soup and carrot “tzimmis”; and even a kosher sushi chef who makes rolls to order.

Just don’t ask for eel: Non-kosher sushi is not available in this store.

The whole operation is supervised by a team of kosher supervisors, or mashgiachs, who work for Winn-Dixie and are certified by the Orthodox Rabbinical Board of Broward and Palm Beach Counties, known as the ORB. “I’ve lived in a lot of Jewish communities, especially in New Jersey, and no standard supermarket has the breadth of merchandise that Winn-Dixie has,” Chanie Kirschner, a mother of four who moved to the area a year and a half ago, told JTA. “It’s a huge convenience. At their full-service deli you can walk up to the counter and get your meat cut for you, which is something even the local kosher supermarket doesn’t have.”

The Winn-Dixie in Boca is one potent illustration of the growing U.S. market for kosher food and the lengths to which major grocery chains are going to cater to kosher

Brain

The kosher section at Winn-Dixie’s Boca Raton store is larger than that of many kosher-only supermarkets. (Photo by Uriel Heilman) consumers. It’s also a sign of the rising demand for kosher food in South Florida, where Winn-Dixie, a chain with more than 480 stores in five states in the South, now has three stores with in-store kosher operations – in Boca, Aventura and Tamarac.

The Jacksonville-based company, which is owned by BI-LO Holdings, spent nearly $3 million revamping its store at 7024 Beracasa Way in Boca Raton last year to focus on kosher (the store also carries non-kosher items). Company officials say the investment is paying off: Since the turnover was completed last fall, business in the store’s newly kosher departments has tripled.

“We knew it would be a successful store. That’s what you get when you build what the community wants,” said Deborah Shapiro, Winn-Dixie’s director of loyalty

Continued from page 1

multilayered organ composed of many billions of neurons, organized into complicated interconnecting neural networks. Typically, each neuron is connected to tens of thousands of other neurons through connections called synapses. Electrochemical signals that are passed between neurons through these synapses allow them to communicate,” explained Gadot, noting that until ElMindA there was no way to properly analyze and explain these signals.

Other tests, such as ImPACT evaluation, are affected by environmental (subjective) factors such as fatigue, hunger or other distractions, and can be “gamed” by the athlete taking them. MRIs take pictures, but even after applying “fancy techniques,” doctors can only look at how the brain is using energy and in what pattern.

“It’s like a Google map,” Gadot elaborated. “If you look at a map, it will help you understand how to get from one place to another. But it does not show traffic, congestion. Looking at the structure of the brain is like looking at the map itself…

Brain disorders cause a change in traffic, in flow of information. We are looking at the traffic.”

Concussions are the most common brain injury, affecting as many as 3.8 million people in the United States, according to some studies. Given the great variability in symptoms and presentations, the clinical diagnosis of concussions is particularly difficult. Additionally, once a concussion is diagnosed, determining when the patient is clear to return to full activity is an even bigger challenge.

“Until now… physicians tried to estimate it by looking at symptoms, at cognitive problems – slow reaction, attention issues.

But sometimes while the symptoms would get better, the brain was not fully recovered.

Growing evidence shows that going back to play or hitting the head before full brain recovery can cause permanent brain damage,” said Gadot.

This past fall, 150 youth hockey players participated in an ElMindA clinical research study to measure changes in BNA during the sport season in both concussed and non-

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concussed athletes as compared to preseason BNA baseline scores. In addition, the study correlated the BNA test score over the course of the hockey season in both concussed and non-concussed athletes to the current standard of care measures. The research was used much like an x-ray to tell not only when during the season a player had a concussion, but also when a player did not. Those results will be available this spring.

Dr. Sarah Haecker, whose son, Hudson,plays hockey on a Minnesota team, pushed to launch the study in her hometown.

In an interview with CBS, Haecker said her son was diagnosed with a concussion in the previous season and was back on the ice two weeks later.

“If I could have had the ability to use this test or see this test last year after the hit, it would have been a huge relief to me,” she told CBS. “As a mom, it takes the pressure off of me to determine when I think he should be able to go back.”

The BNA test takes about 40 minutes.

Doctors can read and interpret the results instantly. ElMindA has tested 1,000 people in concussion research over the last several years, including hundreds with diagnosed concussions. “We have a much better sense of what is going on in people’s brains now than three years ago,” he said.

ElMindA is working in conjunction with a group of top Israeli partners, including those in academia, neurotech companies and the government. It has partnered with some of the leading academic, medical and industrial partners in America, including Harvard Medical School, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the University of Michigan, among others. The BNA technology is currently being reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration.

“Our vision is that our brain health will take a more significant part in our general health,” said Gadot. “With assistance of tools like ours, we will be able to better monitor the health of our brain on a regular basis and develop better treatments.”

Maayan Jaffe is a freelance writer based in Overland Park, KS. She can be reached at maayanjaffe@icloud.com.

marketing and the person who spearheaded the company’s expansion in the kosher market. “We want to make ourselves a one-stop shop.”

The Winn-Dixie in Boca is hardly the only big-box supermarket in the country with in-store kosher facilities. A Kroger in Atlanta has its own kosher Chinese restaurant. There are large kosher deli counters at Jewel-Osco in the Chicago area, Ralphs in the San Diego suburb of La Jolla and Acme in central New Jersey. Stop and Shop bakeries all over the Northeast are kosher.

What makes the Boca Winn-Dixie unique is the unusual volume and variety of its offerings, including a kosher nonperishables section that’s larger than many kosher-only supermarkets. The store also has many yarmulke-clad stock boys and checkout clerks.

Supermarkets first began experimenting with in-store kosher operations two decades ago, mostly with kosher bakeries, but over the last 10 years the market has expanded dramatically, says Menachem Lubinsky, an expert on the kosher food industry and CEO of Lubicom Marketing Consulting.

“Supermarkets are recognizing that it just makes economic sense to court this particular constituency,” Lubinsky said of kosher consumers. “It’s a lead-in to keep the customer shopping the rest of the store, which sometimes is more lucrative than what they’re buying in the kosher sections.”

A lot goes into turning a supermarket kosher. First, there’s the market research, which in Boca’s case meant surveying a three-mile radius around the store to assess

demand. The company collected data from Jewish Federations, institutions and local synagogues; interviewed Jewish community leaders; convened focus groups of shoppers and even considered the local Muslim community, whose needs for halal meat can be satisfied by kosher.

Winn-Dixie, which went into bankruptcy for a year in the mid-2000s, already had figured out that niche markets could be a big win – not just kosher, but Hispanic and organic too.

Winn-Dixie’s first successful kosher operation was a small deli counter that opened in 2004 in a store in Aventura, near Miami. That was followed in 2007 by the opening of a kosher deli and bakery in its Tamarac store, and then an expansion in 2011 of the Aventura store that doubled the kosher deli’s size and added a meat cutting room and bakery. Business soared. Within months, Winn-Dixie was adding specialty items from Israel and New York, and drawing up plans for Boca, which would be its biggest-ever kosher operation.

Meanwhile, Shapiro, an Orthodox Jew who was Winn-Dixie’s kosher category manager at the time, was leading a companywide kosher expansion, getting kosher certification for as many Winn-Dixie private-label products as qualified for it. In the last eight years, the company’s kosher brand presence has grown by 80 percent, according to Shapiro.

The company also launched a WinnDixie-branded kosher line of pareve (non-dairy) baked goods, including blackand-white cookies, linzer tarts, macaroons, rainbow cookies and challah. Today, customers can walk into any Winn-Dixie store in the five states the company operates – Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi – and buy challah or have the store order it for them.

In all, 135 Winn-Dixie stores carry some specialty kosher items, though only the three in South Florida have in-store kosher supervision.

One of the biggest hits at the flagship store in Boca has been the kosher pizza, which at $9.99 for a pie with toppings is a steal by kosher standards. Some customers take home unbaked pies; others have the store bake the pizzas for them and then eat them at the store’s small seating area.

“The kosher pizza is so popular that even in our stores where we don’t have kosher

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ march 20, 2014/18 ADAR II 5774

When Claude Lanzmann turned his lens on a rabbi who answered to Eichmann

By Tom Tugend LOS ANGELES (JTA) – When French director Claude Lanzmann finished filming and editing his eight-hour epic “Shoah” in 1985, he still had stashed away nearly 11 hours of interviews with one man. The man was Benjamin Murmelstein, the last president of the Jewish council, or Judenrat, in the Theresienstadt (Terezin) ghetto in Czechoslovakia and the only Nazi-installed “elder of the Jews” not killed during the Holocaust.

Compressed into the three and a half hour documentary “The Last of the Unjust,” the interviews conducted in 1975 reveal a man then 70 years old who in Lanzmann’s estimation was highly intelligent, ironic, did not lie, was hard on others and on himself, and was blessed with total recall.

Murmelstein also displayed a sardonic wit, upending the title of Andre Schwarz-Bart’s novel “The Last of the Just” into the self-designated “Last of the Unjust,” which was adopted by Lanzmann for his film title.

The roles played by the members of the Jewish councils in the Nazi-controlled ghettos of Lvov, Warsaw, Vilna and Lodz are still the stuff of debates, books and plays. Were these men stooges who did the dirty work of the Nazis to save their skins and enjoy the illusion of power? Or were they brave, well-meaning individuals who sacrificed themselves in the hope of saving at least some of their fellow Jews?

Murmelstein comes across as having had a mixture of motives, hopes and ambitions, though apparently more intelligent and self-aware than other ghetto leaders. A Viennese rabbi and deputy to the Jewish community president, Murmelstein first met Adolf Eichmann in 1938, after the Nazi takeover of Austria. Eichmann ordered Murmelstein to organize the forced emigration of Austrian Jews, and even his detractors acknowledge Murmelstein’s role in helping more than 120,000 of Austria’s 200,000 Jews flee the country.

Over the next seven years, until the end of the war, the Viennese rabbi and the Nazi Holocaust organizer met and sparred again and again. Murmelstein may have gotten to know Eichmann better than any other Jewish leader. As such, Murmelstein demolishes philosopher Hannah Arendt’s portrait of Eichmann as a mere bureaucrat carrying out orders and the personification of “the banality of evil.”

In reality, Murmelstein testifies, Eichmann was a “demon” – a thoroughly corrupt one at that – who also was a fanatic and violent antisemite, participating directly in the burning of Vienna’s synagogues during Kristallnacht. Murmelstein lambastes Eichmann’s 1961 trial in Jerusalem as “a poor trial run by ignorant people,” and approvingly quotes a newspaper critic on “the banality of Mrs. Arendt’s own conclusions.”

While obviously trying to cast his own role as ghetto elder in as favorable a light as possible, Murmelstein, under sharp questioning, acknowledges his own short-

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Filmmaker Claude Lanzmann, left, spoke with Benjamin Murmelstein, the subject of “The Last of the Unjust.”

(Courtesy of Cohen Media Group) comings. He owns up to enjoying a sense of power and, oddly, even of adventure, as well as to a reputation among his Jewish “subjects” as tough and mean. But mainly he sees himself as a pragmatist among the selfdeluded, noting, “If a surgeon starts crying during an operation, the patient dies.” In general, Murmelstein holds a high opinion of his importance, arguing, “I had to save myself to save the ghetto.”

After the war Murmelstein, who held a diplomatic passport from the International Committee of the Red

Kosher

pizza, it doesn’t go as fast as the kosher pizza in Boca,” Shapiro said. “The loss that we get from not having pepperoni doesn’t outweigh the gain we get from offering kosher pizza.”

Despite the scope of its kosher offerings, Shapiro says Winn-Dixie is not trying to drive kosher-only markets out of business. The owner of the closest local kosher grocer in Boca declined to discuss the impact of Winn-Dixie’s expansion on his business.

“We’ll never be able to carry 100 percent of what they offer,” Shapiro said. “He can have four different cuts of veal and five different cuts of lamb; I might have just a lamb chop. We are there for the convenience of a one-stop shop, so if you decide you want to make spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, we have the basics – plus a little bit extra.”

TC

toddlers-first grade, has social activities planned throughout the year. The programs are meant to help families build community, become acquainted and have fun. The families will meet on Sunday, March 30, at Beaver Lake, for a family-friendly hike. For more information or to make a reservation, contact the group’s co-chairs, Amy and Aaron Spitzer, at aaron.spitzer@gmail.com.

The Junior Youth Group will get together on Sunday, March 30, immediately after Sunday school, for an afternoon of GaGa and other games. The group is for students in fifth-seventh grade. In addition to having fun, the group intends to help develop members’ leadership skills, with assistance from their advisor, Kathy Scott.

The Temple Youth of Concord is the group for students in grades eight-12. The group holds a variety of social events throughout the year, as well as the opportunity to spend time at regional events with Jewish teenagers from various areas. The teenagers will hold their second annual chocolate seder on Sunday, April 6, at 1 pm. At the seder, participants will go through the steps of the Pesach seder and eat chocolate, as well as a few strawberries. The event has been popular in the past.

Concord and Adath Joint Shabbat The congregations of Temple Concord and Temple Adath Yeshurun will have a Shabbat meal and services together on Friday, April 4, at Temple Concord. The event will begin with Tot Shabbat at 6 pm, followed by dinner at 6:30 pm.

Services with the adult choirs from both synagogues will begin at 7:30 pm.

This past December, TC and TAY renewed a longstanding tradition of celebrating Shabbat together. Members of both congregations enjoyed a Shabbat meal and services together at TAY, developing new friendships and connections. Members of both synagogues considered the evening “a success,” and decided to hold a the second shared Shabbat this year.

To make a dinner reservation, contact Temple Concord at 475-9952. There will be a small fee for the dinner.

Scholar Series presents Geoff Mitelman

By Lasse Loeber Jepsen Rabbi Geoffrey A. Mitelman, an award-winning expert on the intersection of religion and science, will lecture on the science of the yetzer hara as part of Temple Concord’s Scholar Series on Tuesday, April 8, at 6 pm.

Cross, easily could have fled Europe. Instead he chose to remain in Czechoslovakia and stand trial on allegations of collaborating with the Nazis. After 18 months in prison, he was acquitted of all charges. He died in Rome in 1989 at 84.

“The Last of the Unjust” is, above all, a fascinating examination of the human condition in extremis, especially in clinging to hope when every escape seems barred. For example, when Eichmann and Nazi propaganda initially painted Theresienstadt as a lovely spa that lucky Jews could enjoy if they turned over all their money to the “Eichmann Fund,” 40,000 elderly Jews eagerly signed on.

In a lengthy interview with Lanzmann featured in the film’s production notes, the filmmaker mentions that even Murmelstein, who had no illusions about Nazi cruelty and trickery, “said he didn’t know about the gas chambers and that’s absolutely true.

“In Theresienstadt, the Jews were afraid of deportation to the East, but they couldn’t imagine the reality of death in the gas chambers,” Lanzmann said.

Lanzmann illustrates the desperate longing for survival in the ghetto by quoting one inmate, who said, “He who wants to live is condemned to hope.”

And in words all latter-day analysts of Jewish action and inaction during the Holocaust might take to heart, the film concludes, “The elders of the Jews can be condemned, but they cannot be judged.”

Continued from page 7

The remodeling in 2013 of Winn-Dixie’s Boca Raton store to focus on kosher has attracted numerous Orthodox employees. (Photo by Uriel Heilman) Continued from page 4

L-r: Hali Seidberg, Tobey Kresel and Jennie Seidberg posed for a photo at the Purim-themed TC family Havdalah.

Yetzer hara is commonly understood as a person’s “evil inclination,” or being unable to control one’s impulses – an internal battle Jewish tradition has studied for thousands of years. During his lecture, Mitelman will explain how this ancient concept connects with the latest studies, as well as provide input on how to not give into one’s baser impulses.

Mitelman is the founding director of Sinai and Synapses and a CLAL resident. He was ordained by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, where he received the Cora Kahn Prize from the Cincinnati faculty for the most outstanding sermon delivery and oratory.

An alumnus of Princeton University, he has received multiple awards for outstanding scholarship in biblical and Judaic studies. His writings have appeared on the homepages of several websites, including The Huffington Post, Science and Religion Today, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, My Jewish Learning and WordPress.

Admission will be free and open to the public, and donations will be welcome. For more information, contact Temple Concord at 475-9952 or office@templeconcord.org.

Family HAVDALAH Temple Concord members of all ages prepared for Purim during the family Havdalah program on March 1.

Participants created masks using a variety of material and decorations. Once the masks were completed, dinner was served. After dinner, participants made hamantashen, and the program concluded with a Havdalah service.

MARCH 20, 2014/18 ADAR II 5774 ■

JEWISH OBSERVER

In Bucharest, a Jewish theater struggles to cheat death once more

By Cnaan Liphshiz BUCHAREST, Romania (JTA) – When secret police opened fire on protesters near her home, Maia Morgenstern headed for the Jewish State Theater. It was 1989 and Morgenstern, then 27, and a few of her friends took refuge in the theater as protesters outside clashed with forces loyal to Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. Hundreds died in two weeks of chaos that culminated with Ceausescu’s execution and the end of decades of communist tyranny.

For Morgenstern and her friends, the theater was a natural destination amid the chaos. Between the bunker-like walls of its 19th-century building, Romanian Jews have historically found a rare space in which they

could come together as a community even during their country’s bloodiest periods. “It was my second home,” said Morgenstern, who became the institution’s manager in 2012. “We went there because it offered us a sense of safety.”

Throughout Romania’s tumultuous 20thcentury history, the Jewish State Theater remained open and Jewish, providing the capital’s Jewish community an island of sanity and a sense of continuity through difficult times.

More recently, the theater has become a cultural bridge, attracting large nonJewish crowds to its Yiddish-language performances, an unlikely development made possible by simultaneous translation

At left: Nicolae Botezatu, seated, and the cast of Bucharest’s Jewish State Theater performed last y e a r. ( P h o t o by the Jewish State Theater of Bucharest)

Antisemitism

a lot of irritating faults. (Some critics have noted that some of these statements, such as one about Jews sticking together more than other Americans, also could be answered in the affirmative by respondents who admire Jewish cohesiveness and success rather than harbor genuine anti-Jewish attitudes.)

The proportion of Americans who hold these viewpoints has held relatively steady in recent years, at 12 to 14 percent. In 1964, by contrast, roughly 30 percent of Americans held such views.

Among those with antisemitic attitudes today, African-Americans and Latinos have disproportionately high numbers – above 30 percent. Foxman attributes the persistence of antisemitism among African-Americans to denial of the problem and a dearth of black leaders speaking out against antisemitism.

Among Latinos, the attitudes are seen as a holdover from Latin America, where traditional Catholic antisemitism persists and antisemitic attitudes are higher than in America. Once they acculturate to the United States, Latino antisemitism declines: Among first-generation immigrants, about 40 percent hold antisemitic attitudes; among those born here, the number falls to 20 percent.

There are two ways to look at these numbers. On the one hand, as ADL officials often note, some 35 million Americans hold antisemitic views. On the other, what are the practical consequence of these attitudes?

“In America, the nature or extent of antisemitism has nothing to do with the security of Jews in the United States,” said Jerome Chanes, a fellow at the Center for Jewish Studies at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

“There are still crazies out there – 2 percent of people who virulently hate Jews – but who cares? It has nothing to do with the ability of Jews to live normal lives in America or participate in the political process,” Chanes said. “I’m sure there’s antisemitism out there, but to tell you the truth, I don’t know where it is. It’s on the Internet, it’s on Farrakhan, but it has no impact on the ability of Jews to participate in society.”

Of the 5,790 bias incidents in 2012 recorded by the FBI, 19 percent were motivated by religious bias, compared to 48 percent by racial bias and 20 percent by sexual-orientation bias, according to the

Ê

Continued from page 6 bureau. Of the 1,166 religious bias incidents, 60 percent were anti-Jewish, while the next highest number was anti-Muslim incidents at 13 percent. The approximately 700 incidents of bias against Jews ranged from vandalism to physical assault.

“It’s distressing that Jews are still the No. 1 religious target of bigotry,” Foxman said.

“Pine Bush is a wake-up call to say to me that you know what, you have to be careful that these statistics don’t lull you.”

That’s partly why, Foxman says, he’s so quick to speak out when a celebrity says something he considers antisemitic. “If you let the celebrities get away with it, how can you come to a seventh-grader and say you need to stand up and say no?” he said.

“You use celebrities to set a certain standard or message. Therefore, when they engage in what I consider antisemitic expressions, it’s not like the average Joe or Sam or Chaim. Because they have this status that our society has given them and therefore it does reverberate,” Foxman said.

“The gas chambers in Auschwitz did not begin with bricks; they began with words, with ugly words. Because there was no one who stood up and said, ‘Don’t say that!’ I will not be silent.”

By the same token, the ADL takes seriously the spread of antisemitism on the Internet, though the organization has not quite figured out how to solve the myriad problems it faces there. Foxman describes the Internet as a “tsunami” of hate speech.

To its critics, the ADL is in the business of selling antisemitism, ratcheting up Jewish anxiety for the purposes of fund-raising. The organization’s annual budget in 2011 was $54 million and it has 30 regional offices across the country along with one in Israel.

But at the ADL, its educational and training programs, antisemitism monitoring and legislative and legal efforts are seen as key to “keeping a lids on the sewers” of prejudice, as Foxman puts it.

“There’s a lot of extremism in this country,” Foxman said. “We still have prejudice – against Hispanics, African-Americans, gays and lesbians, Mormons, Asians. The battle for a civil, respectful, tolerant society continues. We haven’t won that battle.

We have not found an antidote, a vaccine.

Until we find that vaccine, it’s going to be with us.”

9

At right: The roof of Bucharest’s Jewish State Theater collapsed under the weight of snow on January 25.

(Photo by the Jewish State Theater of Bucharest)

technologies and Morgenstern’s star status.

As an actress, Morgenstern has appeared in dozens of Romanian films and television shows and, in 2004, came to the attention of English-speaking audiences when she portrayed Mary in Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ.”

But the institution’s future was plunged into uncertainty recently after a snowstorm destroyed parts of its dilapidated roof and interrupted performances for the first time in decades. The theater is now mounting a campaign to repair the structure and ensure the institution’s survival. In February, a cast of 20 performed the comedy “Mazl Tov and Justice for All” on the street in front of the theater to raise awareness about its plight.

“This show is meant to be a warning to public opinion, but also for the authorities,” said a statement announcing the show. “Do not let a theater with a unique tradition and identity disappear from Europe’s cultural landscape because of carelessness.”

The Bucharest city council has promised to repair the theater. Legally, it is required to do so, as the building is registered as a

national monument. But Morgenstern is skeptical. She says the council had made repeated promises to upgrade the building before the accident, but nothing happened.

Complicating matters is that the building was neglected for so long that merely repairing the roof won’t suffice. Morgenstern points to deep cracks that crisscross the ceiling, pillars and beams. The cost of fixing it all is estimated at several million dollars.

“The building is so rundown that a renovation won’t do,” Morgenstern said. “It needs restoration, not renovation.”

On January 25, about 80 square yards of the theater’s roof caved in under snow, producing a cascade of moisture that destroyed the building’s old wood floor. The theater suspended shows, which had been running every other day.

Before the roof collapse, the theater had a mostly non-Jewish cast that performed 70 percent of its shows in Yiddish before a predominantly non-Jewish crowd. Attendance jumped over the past year from 50 audience members a week to roughly 500. Staff say See “Theater” on page 12

P A S S O V E R Deadline: March 26 (April 3 issue) Passover is traditionally a time for sharing with family, friends and strangers. While your seder table may not be large enough to fit all these people, you can share the warmth of this holiday with the entire local Jewish community by placing a Passover greeting in The Jewish Observer.You may choose from the designs, messages and sizes shown here - more are available.

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To ensure that your greeting is published, simply fill out the form below and choose a design that you would like to accompany your greeting, or contact Style A Bonnie Rozen at 1-800-779-7896, ext. 244 or bonnie@ thereportergroup.org. Checks can be made payable to The Reporter Group and sent to: The Jewish Observer of CNY, 500 Clubhouse Rd., Vestal, NY 13850.

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ march 20, 2014/18 ADAR II 5774

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.

Saturday, March 22 JCC Kid’s Nite Out from 7:30-11 pm Sunday, March 23 Temple Adath Yeshurun adult Chavurah presents Jewish art program at 9:30 am PJ Library play date at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse at 10:30 am Saturday, March 29 TAY Hazak Shabbat at 9:15 am Temple Concord Cinemagogue at 7 pm JCC teen music show at The SPOT in ShoppingTown from 8:30-11 pm Sunday, March 30 Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas Hazak presents the Seneca String Quartet at 2 pm TAY adult CHAVURAH presents Jewish art program at 9:30 am Tuesday, April 1 TC presents discussion on Jewish peoplehood at 7 pm Wednesday, April 2 Deadline for the April 17 issue of the Jewish Observer TAY Hazak meeting at 8:45 am Sunday, April 6 TAY Hazak presents program on health care wishes at 1 pm Tuesday, April 8 Federation CRC meeting at 4:45 pm TC Scholars series with Rabbi Geoffrey Mitelman at 6 pm Saturday, April 12 TC AOut of Egypt@ program at 12:30 pm TC ALast Night of Ballyhoo@ reading at 7 pm Sunday, April 13 TC bloodmobile at 9 am TC Brotherhood program at 9:30 am TC Women of Reform Judaism program at 10 am

b’nai mitzvah Max Bradley Schulman

Max Bradley Schulman, son of Mark and Diane Schulman, of Jamesville, became bar mitzvah on March 8 at Temple Adath Yeshurun.

He is the grandson of Barry and Sharon Slosberg, of Fayetteville and Delray Beach, FL, and Robert and Barbara Schulman, of DeWitt and Coconut Creek, FL. He is in the seventh grade at Jamesville-DeWitt Middle School and attends the TAY Religious School.

Max Bradley He has opened a b’nai mitzvah fund Schulman at the Jewish Community Foundation of Central New York. He enjoys sports, especially basketball.

NEWS digest From JTA

Jewish state recognition, prisoner release on agenda for Abbas-Obama meet

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to hold firm in his refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state when he meets with President Barack Obama at the White House. The March 17 meeting in Washington, DC, will center on the ongoing negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, as well as Israel’s planned release of Palestinian prisoners scheduled for late March. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made recognition of Israel’s Jewish character a key condition of any final peace agreement, but Abbas has said the condition would undermine Palestinian refugees’ right to return to Israel. Israeli opposition leader Isaac Herzog also says the Palestinians must recognize Israel as a Jewish state, the Times of Israel reported. As to the prisoner release, which is scheduled for March 28, some members of Israel’s governing coalition have voiced their opposition. The release would implement the fourth and final stage of Israel’s agreement last year to free 104 Palestinian prisoners as a condition for resuming peace negotiations. On March 15, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon criticized Abbas for being inflexible in the talks, calling him “not a partner” for an agreement. Yaalon has criticized the negotiations in the past, saying he doubts their chances for success.

d’var torah

Taking time to heal a holy choice

By Iris Koller As with all Torah portions, parasha Tazria has been commented upon extensively by rabbis and scholars. Those who are more contemporary and equality-focused tend to speak about the inherent inequality of the first chapter, which outlines the period of “uncleanliness” that a woman faces after giving birth, which is 30 days if she gives birth to a son, and twice as long if she gives birth to a daughter.

Others have focused on the issues of skin and body diseases being representations of the way we behave... skin eruptions coming from lashon hara – the evil tongue – or those “eruptions from our mouths.” Different rabbis have looked at the role of the priests as medical diagnosticians, some commenting on how our tradition has never separated everyday life from the ritual; some seeing Judaism encompassing it all; and others noting how rabbis can still be seen as healers.

As someone who likes to walk a road less paved, I want to focus on something very different. I want to share with you an office incident that struck me as a symptom of a far greater societal problem.

One of the office staff was coughing, while the other was complaining of a severe stomach bug. When asked why they hadn’t stayed home, they said they felt too pressured by work and returned the following day with the same illnesses. Later that day, the manager walked in and instead of encouraging the sick staff to go home, sprayed the office with Lysol, which affected another staffer’s asthma and allergies, forcing that person to leave.

I know that the answer to “How can I stay home? I have too much work to do” is not unique, but rather is the prevalent attitude of American society today. If people stay home, they are considered weak and others feel they have “lost their edge.” We are all expected to do more with less, to work harder, faster and more. Mom’s chicken soup and a few days in bed seem to be long-forgotten fantasies. So, we work and stay sick longer. Worried about getting someone else sick? Just get some drugs or spray some chemicals to keep the germs away; never mind that we are creating new, resistant germs in the process.

Even children today feel too pressured to stay home and, for the most part, parents find it too difficult to juggle their own schedules to keep them home for any longer

mazel tov Schwartz-Strosberg wedding

Jennifer Schwartz and David Strosberg were married on August 18 at Agudas Achim Synagogue in Columbus, OH. Schwartz is the daughter of Robert and Barbara Schwartz, of Manlius. She is a Drs. Jennifer Schwartz and graduate of FayDavid Strosberg etteville-Manlius High School, Vanderbilt University and SUNY Upstate Medical University.

Strosberg is the son of Jeffrey and Marsha Strosberg, of Albany. He is a graduate of Albany High School, University at Albany-SUNY and SUNY Upstate Medical University.

Both are physicians and are completing their residencies in surgery at the Ohio State University Hospitals in Columbus, OH.

than a school might require. When I worked in the public schools, I was always saddened when kids came to school sick. Often when we needed to call a parent to come and pick up a child who had fallen ill during the day, the parent was upset with us. At the same time, as a parent, I well understood the juggling and bargaining that happened whenever one of my children got sick. Whichever parent stayed home, no matter what work we might have tried to stay on top of from home, we knew we would be buried upon our return to the office.

What does this all have to do with parasha Tazria?

Leviticus, chapter 13, lines 1-3, states, “The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: When a person has on the skin of his body a swelling, a rash, or a discoloration, and it develops into a scaly affection on the skin of his body, it shall be reported to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons, the priests. The priest shall examine the affection on the skin of his body: if hair in the affected patch has turned white and the affection appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a t’zarat – a leprous affection; when the priest sees it, he shall pronounce him unclean.” (Jewish Publication Society translation) The text goes on to say that a person with a t’zarat must be isolated from others until their infection clears. Who makes the decision as to whether the infection is indeed contagious? The priest – one of the people “in charge” – gives permission for someone to “stay off the job” and take the time needed to heal. Only when the priest has determined that the person was healed was she or he welcomed back into the community.

It is not quite the same welcoming back that we do in our offices today. When we return to our office after an absence of any kind, there is often a huge pile of work and e-mails. Colleagues often comment on how much they were burdened or stalled by our not being at our desks.

Our ancestors reacted quite differently. The individual who had been ill and isolated was welcomed back by the priest with a ritual of sanctification, a ritual very similar to the one that was used to ordain the priests. Instead of feeling “less than” for taking time to heal, the person was elevated, made to feel holy.

Why were they celebrated? We can only guess that perhaps it was because they had survived, or because they stayed away so that others would not get sick, or because we need rituals to help us re-orient after time away.

Whatever the reason, there is much we can learn. We can learn to make the choice to stay home when we are sick – for our sake; to keep others healthy; to begin to stem the tide on the growth of super bugs. We can learn to welcome back and celebrate those who make this healthier choice, instead of letting their work pile up or making them feel weak or guilty for not being there when they were “needed.”

We can advocate for more supportive sick leave policies and laws that will allow all workers to take needed time for themselves and family members. We can bring enough people together to say that this lifestyle of “more and faster” is not what we need. Life needs to slow down; we need time to rest, to heal, to absorb what we have learned; and to appreciate what we have. And, always, we can remember that when we do these seemingly ordinary things, we are being God’s partners in our holy job of making this world a better place.

May your week be filled with health – and the time to enjoy it. Shabbat shalom.

Iris Koller, a longtime member of the Central New York Jewish community, was the director of membership and programs at Temple Concord, the principal of the Rabbi Jacob Epstein High School of Jewish Studies and the coordinator of PJ Library® in Central New York. She is currently the executive director of the Lorraine and Jack N. Friedman Commission for Jewish Education of the Palm Beaches in Florida.

NEWS IN bRIEF From JTA

Palestinian youth throw stones at Israeli police on Temple Mount

Palestinian youth pelted Israeli police with stones at the Temple Mount for the third time in a month. The stone-throwing occurred on March 16 near the Mughrabi Gate, where non-Muslims enter the holy site, according to the Times of Israel. No policemen were injured. The incident follows two riots in February at the same gate. On Feb. 27, protesters threw firecrackers at police, injuring two. Israeli Housing Minister Uri Ariel arrived at the Temple Mount shortly after the March 16 rioting for a scheduled visit that was cut short due to the unrest. “The reality where there are disturbances on the Temple Mount and these prevent Jews from ascending is unacceptable,” said Ariel, a member of the right-wing Jewish Home party, according to the Times of Israel. “I went up this morning and I intend to continue to do so in the future.”

Al-Qaida affiliate claims responsibility for Lebanon border attack

A terrorist group linked to al-Qaida claimed responsibility for an attack on an Israeli army jeep on Israel’s border with Lebanon. No soldiers were injured in the March 14 attack, in which the terrorist group, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, fired shots at an Israeli patrol, according to the Times of Israel. The Israel Defense Forces, believing the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah was responsible for the attack, had retaliated by firing on Hezbollah positions. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is fighting Syrian President Bashar Assad in Syria’s civil war. The attack follows intensified fighting between Israel and Islamic Jihad, a terrorist group based in the Gaza Strip. The flare-up ended on March 13 with the restoration of the 2012 truce brokered by Egypt.

MARCH 20, 2014/18 ADAR II 5774 ■

JEWISH OBSERVER

11

obituaries Lorraine Baskin

Lorraine Livshin Baskin, 85, died on March 12 in the Jewish Home at Menorah Park.

A life resident of Syracuse, she was a graduate of Nottingham High School. She worked at Henry Frank Co., the Jewish War Veterans and with her late husband, Aaron, owner of M/B Auto Service, who died in 2006. She was a member of Temple Adath Yeshurun.

She was predeceased by her husband, Aaron, in 2006, as well as her brothers, Norman, Joseph and Irving Livshin.

She is survived by her sons, Jeffrey (Arlee) Baskin, and Michael Baskin; four grandchildren; a great-grandson; and a nephew.

Burial was in Frumah Packard Cemetery. Birnbaum Funeral Service had arrangements.

Contributions may be made to the Minyan Fund at Temple Adath Yeshurun, 450 Kimber Rd., Syracuse, NY 13224, or to the Foundation at Menorah Park, 4101 E. Genesee St., Syracuse, NY 13214. 

Irwin Birnbaum

Irwin Birnbaum, 84, of Syracuse died on March 5 at St. Joseph’s Hospital.

Born in Rochester, NY, he was raised and lived the remainder of his life in Syracuse. He attended Syracuse University for his undergraduate studies and graduated from the Syracuse University School of Law. He had a private law practice before becoming an assistant district attorney with Onondaga County in the 1960s. He subsequently returned to private practice, specializing in scientific litigation. He was a major innovator in the areas of medical malpractice and product liability, and was renowned for his skill in the courtroom. He received national recognition for his pioneering work, especially with regard to damages caused by exploding champagne bottle corks. He served on multiple healthcare-related boards. One of his most notable contributions was to ENABLE, an organization that focuses on issues surrounding cerebral palsy in Central New York. He was also an adjunct professor of law at Syracuse University. A lifelong advocate for civil rights, he was honored at the White House during President Jimmy Carter’s administration. Later in life, he continued his pro bono work, acting as a guardian ad litem. He was an avid skier, sailor, cyclist and glider pilot. He and his family spent nearly 40 summers in the Thousand Islands at their cottage in Thousand Island Park.

He was predeceased by his wife of 51 years, Leta K. Birnbaum, in 2004.

He is survived by his daughter, Wendi M. Birnbaum (Bob); his son, Daniel Birnbaum (Josh); a brother, Martin J. Birnbaum (Elaine); a sister, Linda B. Friedman (Joel); and his companion of nine years, Marcelle Willock.

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

Contributions may be made to ENABLE, 1603 Court St., Syracuse, NY 13208, or the American Diabetes Association, 1701 N. Beauregard St., Alexandria, VA 22311. 

Dr. Joseph Gold

Dr. Joseph Gold, 84, died on March 1 at Crouse Hospital.

He was the director of the Syracuse Cancer Research Institute, which he founded in 1966, and was still actively working on his research. He was the developer of hydrazine sulfate, a breakthrough drug in the treatment of cancer that is now used worldwide. He was a member of Temple Adath Yeshurun and many medical associations.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Judith; their sons Shannon (Timothi Graham) Gold and Sky (Glenny) Gold; and three grandchildren.

Burial was in the Beth El Cemetery, Whitesboro, NY. Sisskind Funeral Service had arrangements.

Contributions may be made to the Syracuse Cancer Research Institute, 600 E. Genesee St., Syracuse, NY 13202. 

Joan S. Harris

Joan Seligman Harris, 90, formerly of Manlius, died on March 12 at Menorah Park.

Born in New Jersey, she graduated from the Beth Israel Hospital Nursing School. She had a long and selfless career as a nurse. Always wanting to help others, she was an active community volunteer.

She was predeceased by her husband, Victor J. Harris, in 1995; her sister, Frances Nobel; and her brother, Ralph Seligman.

She is survived by her children, Paula (Robert Corwin) Ressler, of Rochester; Wendy (Michael Cynamon) Ressler, of DeWitt, and William (Rinat Ran) Ressler, of Minneapolis, MN; a stepson, Jack Harris, of Virginia; eight grandchildren; five great-granddaughters; and six nephews.

Services were private. Sisskind Funeral Service had arrangements.

Contributions may be made to Hospice of Central New York, 990 7th North St., Liverpool, NY 13088; Alzheimer’s Association of Central New York, 441 W. Kirkpatrick St., Syracuse, NY 13204, or its national office; or Menorah Park of Central New York Employees’ Fund, 4101 E. Genesee St., Syracuse NY 13214. 

Leonore Rene France Spector

Leonore Spector, 95, died on March 5 at Menorah Park.

A lifelong resident of Syracuse, she graduated from Nottingham High School. She was an active golfer and bridge player, and was very active in the Jewish community. She worked at the Jewish Community Center, the Israel bond office and was secretary at Temple Beth El for many years.

She was predeceased by her sister, Jeanne Gordon.

She is survived by her daughters, Heidi (David) Francey, of East Syracuse, and Shel (Donal) Little; four grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Burial was in the Adath Yeshurun Cemetery. Birnbaum Funeral Service had arrangements.

Contributions may be made to the Foundation at Menorah Park, 4101 E. Genesee St., Syracuse, NY 13214. 

NEWS IN bRIEF From JTA

David Brenner dies at 78

David Brenner, a longtime standup comedian whose observational humor is credited with inspiring many top comics, has died. Brenner, a Philadelphia native, died at his home in New York City on March 15 after battling cancer.

He was 78. A favorite of Johnny Carson, Brenner appeared on “The Tonight Show” more than 150 times – reported to be a record – starting in the 1970s. The former documentary filmmaker was a regular on TV talk shows and starred in four HBO specials. “David Brenner was a huge star when I met him and he took me under his wing,” comedian Richard Lewis said in a statement. “To me, historically, he was the godfather of hip, observational comedy. He mentored me from day one.” Lewis added, “His passing leaves a hole in my life that can never be replaced.” Several of his uncles became rabbis, but Brenner told the Philadelphia Jewish Voice in 2008 that “I never had the calling.” Brenner was performing his standup routine regularly as late as last year.

NEWS digest From JTA

Two pieces of Nazi-looted Dutch art to be returned

The Dutch government said it will return two Nazi-looted paintings to the heirs of a Jewish Holocaust victim. “Amsterdam Town Hall” by Gerrit Berckheyde and “View of a Dutch Harbour with Figures” by Adam Willaerts – both from the 17th century – belonged to the Dutch Jewish collector Sam Bernhard Levie, the Advisory Committee on the Assessment of Restitution Applications for Items of Cultural Value and the Second World War wrote on its website recently. Holland’s minister of education, culture and science, Jet Bussemaker, has accepted the advice, the commission said, and will return the paintings to Levie’s heirs. Levie sold the artworks in September 1940, several months after the German occupation of the Netherlands, to the art dealer Walter Andreas Hofer, who acted as an agent for Nazi party boss Herman Goring.

Levie was deported to the Sobibor death camp in Poland, where he was murdered in 1943. The statement did not say how much money Levie received from the sale. The paintings were shipped to Germany and then returned to Holland and incorporated into the government’s national art collection.

The Willaerts painting was on loan at the Centraal Museum in Utrecht. The Berckheyde painting was at the Amsterdam Museum. Last year, a different advisory committee found that dozens of Dutch museums are in possession of at least 139 items with “problematic origins.” The list published by the Committee for Museum Acquisitions in October of works from 1933 onward includes priceless items that are in the hands of 41 museums, including such renowned institutions as the Rijks and Stedelijk museums.

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ march 20, 2014/18 ADAR II 5774

NEWS IN bRIEF From JTA

Quebec candidate apologizes for views seen as antisemitic

A candidate in Quebec’s provincial election accused of spreading views seen as antisemitic, but a leading Jewish group rejected the apology. On March 15, Louise Mailloux, a Parti Quebecois candidate running in a Montreal district, said her past statements that baptism and circumcision amounted to “rape” and that kosher products are a hidden “tax” intended to fund “religious wars” were not intended to offend. “I never wanted to offend or hurt anyone,” Mailloux said in a release issued by the Parti Quebecois. “If that has happened, I very sincerely apologize.” On March 16, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs called the apology “meaningless” and renewed its called on the Parti Quebecois and its separatist premier, Pauline Marois, to “assume responsibility to categorically deny this antisemitic conspiracy theory peddled by their candidate.” In previous writings, Mailloux, who teaches philosophy at a Montreal college, called kosher certification “robbery,” a “rip-off” and a hidden “tax” paid “directly ... to the synagogue.” She had also called for a ban on kosher and halal food products. Mailloux in an interview published on March 13 said she “absolutely” stood by her views. Marois, informed of her candidate’s comments on the same day, backed Mailloux. “She supports our secular charter [that would ban religious symbols worn by public employees] and I appreciate her support,” said Marois, who added that Mailloux “is an eloquent writer” and “I respect her point of view.” Marois said the Parti Quebecois is “not an antisemitic party.” The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said Mailloux’s remarks echoed a conspiracy created and spread by the Ku Klux Klan, “and championed by many other racist and neo-Nazi groups.”

White powder mailed to Hungarian Jewish leader

An envelope containing white powder sent to a representative of Hungary’s Jewish communities did not contain any dangerous materials. The envelope was mailed recently to Andras Heisler, president of the Mazsihisz federation of Hungarian Jewish communities, according to a report on March 12 by the ATV station. Separately, police in Tatabanya, which is approximately 30 miles west of Budapest, reported that swastikas and antisemitic slogans were daubed on several tombstones in the city’s Jewish cemetery. No suspects have been apprehended, the EFE news agency reported on March 14. On March 24, hundreds of European rabbis are scheduled to convene in Budapest for the biannual conference of the Rabbinical Center of Europe. “The choice of Hungary as the host country for the event is designed to demonstrate to the Hungarian authorities the common concerns of European Jewry regarding the situation of the Hungarian Jewish community, as well as sending out a message of solidarity with the Hungarian Jewish community, and European Jewry as a whole,” the center’s director, Rabbi Menachem Margolin, wrote in a statement. Last year, Ira Forman, the U.S. State Department’s envoy for combating antisemitism, said Hungary’s government should do more to halt the phenomenon. Jobbik, a far-right party with a history of antisemitism, is the third largest party in Hungary with 43 of the 386 seats in Parliament. Earlier this year, the Mazsihisz organization and other Jewish groups said they would not attend government-led commemorations on the 70th anniversary of Hungary’s occupation by the Nazis because the government was obfuscating the role played by Hungarians in the murder of Hungarian Jews.

The Rabbinical Center of Europe’s conference is not connected to the commemoration plans, a spokesman for the center told JTA on March 16.

Yiddish poetry wins first prize at international children’s book fair

A book on Yiddish published by a Polish Jewish group has won first prize at one of the world’s leading professional fairs for children’s literature. The book, “Majn Alef Bejs,” was announced this month as the 2014 winner of the first prize

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in the nonfiction category of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, which will open on March 24 in the northern Italian city. “A stunningly produced alphabet of Yiddish poems, this book instantly united the Jury as the outright winner for the Non-Fiction category,” the jury wrote on the website on the annual book fair. The book combines approximately 30 Yiddish poems of Jehoszua Kaminski, who was born in 1884, with illustrations by Urszula Palusinska, who was born a century later. Each poem is used in the book to teach readers a single letter of the Yiddish alphabet, which is identical to the Hebrew alphabet. Each Yiddish poem contains a translation to Polish by translator Wojciech Wilczyk. The book was produced by the Krakow-based CZULENT Jewish association with funding from three organizations and 50 private donors, according to CZULENT’s Anna MakowkaKwapisiewicz. “Yiddish is the language of our grandparents,” she told JTA. “It is totally forgotten in Poland. The book is a tribute to our heritage.”

Tunisia: Israelis are welcome with prearranged papers

Israeli tourists may enter Tunisia with pre-arranged papers, and Jews should feel comfortable attending a major Jewish festival in May, the Tunisian tourism minister said. Amel Karboul contacted JTA in the wake of the denial of entry recently to Israeli tourists aboard a Norwegian cruise liner. “We are open to all visitors,” Karboul said on March 13 in a phone interview from Paris, where she had met with Jewish groups, including representatives of the American Jewish Committee.

“I want to use this occasion to invite the Jewish community to come and celebrate this pilgrimage with us.” Norwegian Cruise Lines said the policy requiring pre-arranged visas was a new one and that the denial of entry to 20 Israeli passengers aboard its Jade ship was discriminatory. It canceled stops in Tunisia until the country resolved the matter. Karboul said the policy was always in place, and that she was attempting to reach out to officials of Norwegian Cruise Lines to explain what happened. She said visitors from countries such as Israel who do not have a visa waiver agreement with Tunisia must arrange visas beforehand. Karboul named Egypt and Brazil as other countries where citizens must arrange visas prior to arrival. In the case of Israel, which has not had diplomatic relations with Tunisia since 2000, Karboul said would-be visitors are faxed the requisite papers from Tunisian legations outside Israel. Tunisia is seen as perhaps the sole success of the 2011 Arab Spring, which saw the ouster of longtime dictators in a number of Arab countries. Its government is democratically elected and features peaceful collaboration between liberals and Islamists. “We receive seven million tourists from all over the world” each year “and they are all welcome regardless of nationality, religion,” she told JTA. Each year, hundreds of Jews of Tunisian descent, including from the Israeli community, attend Lag B’Omer festivities on the island of Djerba.

This year, the festival, marking a break during the 49 days of mourning between Passover and Shavuot, falls on May 18.

The Jewish presence on the island is believed to date back to the first exile, in the sixth century BCE.

Metal stamps used for Auschwitz tattoos acquired by museum

Metal stamps used to tattoo numbers on Auschwitz prisoners have been acquired by the Auschwitz Birkenau

Theater this was made possible by Morgenstern’s outreach to nonJews and her celebrity status.

Romanian leaders had long visited the theater on Jewish holidays as a gesture of closeness to the Jewish community.

But Morgenstern wanted ordinary Romanians to come. She enlisted support from friends in the entertainment industry and launched a public relations campaign that helped raise the theater’s profile among non-Jewish patrons. Morgenstern also drew non-Jewish acting students to the theater, helping them hone their craft at a private acting academy.

Some students began performing at the theater and are now part of the rescue campaign, giving interviews to local and international media.

“I think it would be a tragedy for all Romanians if this place is lost,” said Irina Varius, an 18-year-old, non-Jewish acting student who rehearses at the theater every day.

During the Holocaust, the theater’s importance grew for Bucharest’s Jews because it was the only Jewish cultural institution left standing. It was also the only venue open to dozens of Jewish actors, among them some of the greatest names in Romanian theater. Artists like playwright Moni Ghelerter and director Alexanderu Finti had been barred from working elsewhere because of racist laws passed under Romanian leader Ion Antonescu. About half a million Romanian Jews perished in the Holocaust, but Bucharest’s 100,000 Jews were never deported or harmed.

“Throughout the Holocaust era, Jewish theater professionals continued to work at the Jewish theater, turning the theater into a pillar of civil society for Jews,” according to Liviu Rotman, a Jewish historian at the National University

Memorial and Museum. The stamps consist of removable metal plates with protruding needles arranged in the shape of numbers. The incomplete stamp kit found and now displayed at the museum includes one zero, two threes and two sixes or nines. “It is one of the most important findings of the recent years,” Piotr Cywinski, director of the Auschwitz Museum, said in a statement on the museum’s website posted the week of March 14.

“We couldn’t believe that original tools for tattooing prisoners could be discovered after such a long time,” he said. “Even a tattooed number is rare to be seen now as the last prisoners pass away. Those stamps will greatly enrich the new main exhibition that is currently being prepared.”

Kiev rabbi assaulted in suspected antisemitic attack

Two unidentified men assaulted a rabbi in Kiev in a suspected antisemitic attack. The men assaulted Rabbi Hillel Cohen, who runs the Ukrainian branch of the Hatzalah emergency services organization, on March 13 on the street, his wife, Racheli, told JTA. “They struck him in the leg, shouting antisemitic slurs, calling him a ‘zhyd,’” she said, using the Ukrainian word for “kike.” “This was clearly an antisemitic attack.” Cohen was treated for minor injuries in a hospital and is recovering at his home in Kiev. In an interview in February with JTA, Cohen said that the Ukrainian revolution increased the risk of antisemitic attacks because of the general breakdown of public order. “Things began getting really uncomfortable when the rioters started setting up spontaneous roadblocks to keep police and army troops from reaching the action zone,” he said. “It was very uneasy, being pulled over in a car full of Orthodox Jews by club-wielding Cossacks.”

In January, a Hebrew teacher was assaulted outside his Kiev home by four men, but escaped without serious injury. Later that month, a rabbinical student was stabbed by three men while returning from synagogue, sustaining moderate to serious injuries. The week of March 10, vandals removed part of the fence around the Jewish cemetery of Kolomyia in western Ukraine, according to a report by the HTK television channel. In February, a synagogue in Zaporizhia in eastern Ukraine was hit with firebombs that caused superficial damage to its facade.

Several days later, another synagogue in the Crimean Peninsula was daubed with graffiti reading “Death to the Jews.” Viktor Yanukovych, the former Russian-backed Ukrainian president, fled in February to Russia. The Kremlin has blamed the revolution on “antisemites” and “neo-Nazis,” and on March 13 accused the West of condoning for political reasons the xenophobia of the ultra-nationalist and anti-Russian Svoboda party, which had a prominent role in the revolution. Ira Forman, the Obama administration’s special envoy for combating antisemitism, said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statements on antisemitism in Ukraine were not credible.

In an interview published on March 13 in the Jewish Daily Forward, Forman said Putin’s assertions were not credible. “We have no indication that what President Putin has been saying about antisemitism has been a true reflection of what’s happening on the ground,” he said. Ukrainian Jewish leaders also disputed Putin’s allegations.

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for Political Science.

The theater was originally established in the city of Iasi and is among Europe’s earliest Yiddish-language institutions, according to Rotman. The theater’s current building in Bucharest served as a Jewish community center until 1941, when it became the home of the Jewish theater, later renamed the Jewish State Theater.

For the moment, rehearsals for planned shows continue in rooms unaffected by the roof collapse. The result is a soundtrack that combines rejuvenation with decay as the sounds of wind and water gushing in through the roof mix with the young voices of actors trying to wrap their tongues around Yiddish songs they barely understand and may never get to perform. Theater leaders hope the shows might still be staged at temporary venues.

“Like the Jewish people, the theater must remain practicing – even in exile,” says Andrei Munteanu, the theater’s Moldova-born director.

Under Ceausescu, the building was condemned as part of his plan to modernize Bucharest. Shortly before his ouster, he sent bulldozers to destroy other monumental buildings around the theater, including a synagogue and an Orthodox church.

Rotman believes Ceuasescu planned to demolish the theater, but didn’t get to it in time. But to Morgenstern, the theater’s survival 25 years ago means it can cheat death once more. “During the revolution, we came here amid heaps of earth and craters all around,” she recalled. “The theater towered above the ruins like a sole survivor of a bombardment. It’s got one more narrow escape in it yet.”