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11 IYAR 5775 • APRIL 30, 2015 • VOLUME XXXIV, NUMBER 9 • PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID, SYRACUSE, NY

JCC annual meeting and gala to be held June 7 munity and to the advancement of the JCC, will be given to Herbert (Hecky) Alpert, Michael Moss and George Wladis. The Kovod Gad- Herbert “Hecky” Debbie Goldwein Nancy Kasow Michael Moss George Wladis ol Award, Alpert Hebrew for “great honor,” considered the JCC’s high- is a member of B’nai B’rith, American also served on the boards of the Syracuse est honor, will be presented to Debbie Jewish Committee, Jewish War Veterans, Symphony and Syracuse City Schools Goldwein and Nancy Kasow. The teen World Jewish Congress and the American Education Foundation. funders of the Jewish Community Foun- Holocaust Museum.

Goldwein, JCC board member and dation of Central New York will receive Moss, a businessman and historian, board secretary, became familiar with the the Kovod Award, Hebrew for “honor” is an active member of Temple Concord JCC at an early age, attending preschool, and “importance.” in Syracuse. He served on the board teen programming and summer camp at Alpert is a native of Syracuse’s 15th of the Syracuse Area InterReligious the JCC in Wilkes-Barre, PA. After graduWard. When he wasn’t in school or Hebrew Council, now InterFaith Works, from ating from Syracuse University, she and school, he was at the Cedar St. “Y” – the 1981-84 and, from 1985-86, he was her husband, David Rudd, opened their forerunner of today’s JCC. A Syracuse the board secretary. The Jewish Com- business, Dalton’s American Decorative University graduate, Alpert served in the munity Foundation of Central New York Arts, in 1981. She went on to work for U.S. Army in Korea and was a certified honored Moss in 2006 with its first the United Way of Central New York public accountant. He and his wife, Et- Annual Legacy Award in recognition in community planning and allocations, tarae, were married in 1954, and have of his support of the Jewish community. and then fund-raising. In 1991, Goldwein four children and five grandchildren. The He has chaired the annual Campaign of began working full-time in their busiAlperts were one of the founding families the Jewish Federation of Central New ness, where she continues to work today. of Congregation Beth Sholom in 1962, York and has been president of Temple Goldwein’s connection to the JCC of now named Congregation Beth Sholom- Society of Concord, now named Temple Syracuse began in the mid-1980s, when Chevra Shas, and he was its first president. Concord, and the Syracuse Jewish her daughter, Kylee, attended the Early He also was treasurer, held board positions Children’s Foundation. Moss was a Childhood Development Program. Soon and served on numerous committees. His founding board member of the Syracuse afterward, Goldwein started volunteering See “Gala” on page 6 community service also includes serving Jewish Cemeteries Association, the on the board of the Jewish Observer, Food Bank of Central New York and treasurer of Jewish Family Service, trea- the Judaic Heritage Center of Central surer of the Jewish War Veterans and New York. He also provided historical president of the Epstein School. Herbert accounts for the film “Stories from the Syracuse Jewish Community.”

To make your pledge, Wladis was born and raised in Syraplease contact Marianne cuse, and as a child went to JCC summer day camp in Thorndon Park. He at 445-2040 ext. 102 or attended Nottingham High School and mbazydlo@jewishfederationCNY.org.

Syracuse University, and in 1959 started Goal: The Wladis Companies, an insurance $1,000,000 broker. Wladis and his wife, Roberta, $993,818 were married in 1960. They have four as of April 27, 2015 sons and nine grandchildren. A philanthropist and longtime supporter of the JCC and the Jewish community, George has given to various causes that help children. In 2011, he received the JCC’s Kovod Gadol Award. Two years later, he and Roberta supported the JCC’s 150th Annual Meeting and Gala by becoming The Jewish Community Foundation of Central New York teen funders are a part the event’s naming sponsor. They also started a scholarship fund that enables of the Foundation’s B’nai Mitzvah Fund program. children to attend JCC summer camps.

George is a former board member of the Jewish Federation of Central New York, having served as Campaign chair and on its Executive Committee. He has

By William Wallak The Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse is preparing to holds its biggest event of the year, its 152nd annual meeting and gala, which will be held on Sunday, June 7, from 11 am-2 pm, at Owera Vineyards in Cazenovia. The event will feature an awards ceremony recognizing a variety of service in support of the JCC and the community.

The gala is considered to be the JCC’s largest and most important annual fundraiser. It will include a brief business meeting, followed by the awards presentation.

As in previous years, the event’s proceeds will provide funding for scholarships to individuals in the JCC’s early childhood, after school, summer camp and senior programs. Last year, due to many supporters, the JCC granted more than $30,000 in scholarship requests, served 6,000 meals to seniors and offered fitness classes at a discount to those in need.

JCC Executive Director Marci Erlebacher said, “We are thrilled to hold our gala at Owera again and to celebrate all of this year’s wonderful honorees. The winery’s warm and inviting atmosphere will provide the perfect backdrop for the event’s elegant French country brunch. It’s sure to be another spectacular affair as we recognize those who have given so selflessly to the JCC and to the community.”

Six awards will be presented at this year’s gala. All of the honorees will have their names placed on plaques at the JCC for their respective awards and will receive a token in their honor. The JCC’s Hall of Fame Award, which recognizes and celebrates individuals who have dedicated themselves to the Syracuse Jewish com-

2015 Federation paign Update Cam

We’re almost there!

Community briefing – save the date

The Jewish Federation of Central New York will present Israeli Deputy Consul Amir Sagie on Monday, May 4, at 7 pm, at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center. Sagie will give a community briefing on the situation in Israel and ways the Central New York community can assist Israel.

C A N D L E L I G H T I N G A N D P A R AS H A May 1........................7:47 pm............................. Parasha-Acharai Mot-Kedoshim May 8........................7:55 pm............................................................ Parasha-Emor May 15......................8:03 pm....................................... Parasha-Behar-Bechukotai

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Drought in CA

Teen funders

Israel aiding Nepal

California should look to a country Teen funders are accepting grant Israel is sending aid to Nepal after that beat its own chronic water applications from local charitable a 7.8-magnitude earthquake left organizations. shortage: Israel. thousands dead or missing.

Story on page 3 Story on page 2 Story on page 5

PLUS Wedding..................................8-9 Calendar Highlights............. 10 Did You Know......................... 10 Obituaries................................11

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ april 30, 2015/11 IYAR 5775

Recycling toilet water and four other Israeli answers to California’s drought

By Ben Sales TEL AVIV (JTA) – For help facing its worst drought in centuries, California should look to a country that beat its own chronic water shortage: Israel.

Until a few years ago, Israel’s wells seemed like they were always running dry. TV commercials urged Israelis to conserve water. Newspapers tracked the rise and fall of Lake Kinneret, Israel’s biggest freshwater source. Religious Israelis gathered to pray for rainfall at the Western Wall during prolonged dry spells.

However, the once perpetual Israeli water shortage appears to be mostly over.

California’s water supply, meanwhile, is

at record lows, prompting restrictions on household use and leading farmers to deplete the state’s groundwater reserves.

From water recycling to taking the salt out of the plentiful seawater, here are five ways that Californians can benefit from Israel’s know-how.

Israeli cities recycle three-quarters of their water.

Israeli farms don’t just use less water than their American counterparts, much of their water is reused. Three-quarters of the water that runs through sinks, showers, washing machines and even toilets in Israeli cities is recycled, treated and sent to crops across the country through specially

marked purple tubes. According to the Pacific Institute, which conducts environmental research, California recycles only 13 percent of its municipal wastewater.

Israel also encourages recycling by giving reused water to farmers tax-free.

“If you take water from the city, you don’t pay a tax, but if you have a well and you take that water you pay a lot of money for every cubic meter,” said Giora Shaham, a former long-term planner at Israel’s Water Authority. “If you’re a farmer in Rehovot and you have water that doesn’t cost money, you’ll take that water.”

Israel gets much of its water from the Mediterranean Sea.

Israelis now have a much bigger water source than Lake Kinneret: the Mediterranean Sea. Four plants on Israel’s coast draw water from the sea, take out the salt, purify the water and send it to the country’s pipes – a process called desalination.

The biggest of the four plants, opened in 2013, can provide nearly seven million gallons of potable water to Israelis every hour. When a fifth opens as soon as this year near the Israeli port city of Ashdod, 75 percent of Israel’s municipal and industrial water will be desalinated, making Israelis far less reliant on the country’s fickle rainfall.

See “Water” on page 11

a matter of opinion My son’s encounter with anti-Jewish hatred

By Michael Douglas (JTA) – Last summer our family went to southern Europe on holiday. During our stay at a hotel, our son Dylan went to the swimming pool. A short time later he came running back to the room, upset.

A man at the pool had started hurling insults at him.

My first instinct was to ask, “Were you misbehaving?”

“No,” Dylan told me through his tears.

I stared at him. And suddenly I had an awful realization of what might have caused the man’s outrage: Dylan was wearing a Star of David.

After calming him down, I went to the pool and asked the attendants to point out the man who had yelled at him. We talked. It was not a pleasant discussion.

Afterward, I sat down with my son and said: “Dylan, you just had your first taste of antisemitism.”

My father, Kirk Douglas, born Issur Danielovitch, is Jewish. My mother, Diana, is not. I had no formal religious upbringing from either of them, and the two kids I have with Catherine Zeta-Jones are like me, growing up with one parent who is Jewish and one who is not.

Several years ago Dylan, through his friends, developed a deep connection to Judaism, and when he started going to Hebrew school and studying for his bar mitzvah, I began to reconnect with the religion of my father.

While some Jews believe that not having a Jewish mother makes me not Jewish, I have learned the hard way that those who hate do not make such fine distinctions.

Dylan’s experience reminded me of my first encounter with antisemitism, in high school. A friend saw someone Jewish walk by, and with no provocation he confidently told me: “Michael, all Jews cheat in business.”

“What are you talking about?” I said.

“Michael, come on,” he replied. “Everyone knows that.”

With little knowledge of what it meant to be a Jew, I found myself passionately defending the Jewish people. Now, half a century later, I have to defend my son.

Antisemitism, I’ve seen, is like a disease that goes dormant, flaring up with the next political trigger.

In my opinion there are three reasons antisemitism is appearing now with re-

correction

newed vigilance.

The first is that historically, it always grows more virulent whenever and wherever the economy is bad. In a time when income disparity is growing, when hundreds of millions of people live in abject poverty, some find Jews to be a convenient scapegoat rather than looking at the real source of their problems.

A second root cause of antisemitism derives from an irrational and misplaced hatred of Israel. Far too many people see Israel as Kirk Douglas, right, with son Michael and grandson an apartheid state and blame Dylan at Dylan’s bar mitzvah in May 2014. (Photo the people of an entire reli- by Infinity Kornfeld Studios) gion for what, in truth, are internal national-policy decisions. Does from the heart and life of every man and anyone really believe that the innocent every woman.”

In New York, Cardinal Timothy M. victims in that kosher shop in Paris and at that bar mitzvah in Denmark had Dolan is well-known for building a bridge anything to do with Israeli-Palestinian to the Jewish community. His words and policies or the building of settlements actions and the pope’s are evidence of the reconciliation between two major 2,000 miles away?

The third reason is simple demograph- religions, an inspiring example of how ics. Europe is now home to 25 million to 30 a past full of persecution and embedded million Muslims, twice the world’s entire hostility can be overcome.

Jewish population. Within any religious community that large, there will always be an extremist fringe, people who are of Central New York radicalized and driven with hatred, while rejecting what all religions need to preach Binghamton Syracuse – respect, tolerance and love. We’re now Office Office Rabbi Rachel Esserman seeing the amplified effects of that small, Bette Siegel Executive Editor Syracuse Editor radicalized element. With the Internet, its Diana Sochor Publisher virus of hatred can now speed from nation Layout Editor Jewish Federation of Michael Nassberg to nation, helping fuel Europe’s new epi- Central New York Inc. Assistant Editor demic of antisemitism. It is time for each Ruth Stein Jenn DePersis of us to speak up against this hate.

Chair of the Board Production Coordinator Linda Alexander Speaking up is the responsibility of our Alaina Cardarelli Federation Graphic Artist political leaders. French Prime Minister President/CEO Bonnie Rozen Manuel Valls has made it clear that anMark Field Advertising tisemitism violates the morals and spirit Vice President for Representative Communications Kathy Brown of France and that violent antisemitic Editorial Bookkeeper acts are a crime against all French people Production and 5655 Thompson Rd. that must be confronted, combated and Management DeWitt, NY 13214 stopped. He challenged his nation to tell The Reporter 500 Clubhouse Rd. the world: Without its Jews, France would Vestal, NY 13850 no longer be France.

Speaking up is the responsibility of Billing Office our religious leaders, and Pope Francis 500 Clubhouse Rd., Vestal, NY 13850 has used his powerful voice to make his 1-800-779-7896 position and that of the Catholic Church Jewish Federation of Central New York Inc. clear, saying: “It’s a contradiction that Web site: a Christian is antisemitic. His roots are www.jewishfederationcny.org Jewish. Let antisemitism be banished

The obituary for Gerda B. Friedeman in the April 16 Jewish Observer inadvertently omitted the names of her family. It should have read, “Gerda B. Friedeman, 100, died on March 26 at home in Ft. Myers, FL. She was predeceased by her husband of more than 60 years, Rabbi Simon Friedeman, in June 2001. She is survived by her daughter, Ruth (Joel) Stein of Syracuse, NY; her son, Elliott (Joyce) Friedeman of Fort Thomas, KY; six grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.”

The Jewish Observer truly regrets the error and apologizes for the omission.

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It’s also the responsibility of regular citizens to take action. In Oslo, members of the Muslim community joined their fellow Norwegians to form a ring of peace at a local synagogue. Such actions give me hope – they send a message that together, we can stand up to hatred of the Jewish people.

So that is our challenge in 2015, and all of us must take it up. Because if we confront antisemitism whenever we see it, if we combat it individually and as a society, and use whatever platform we have to denounce it, we can stop the spread of this madness.

My son is strong. He is fortunate to live in a country where antisemitism is rare. But now he, too, has learned of the dangers that he as a Jew must face. It’s a lesson that I wish I didn’t have to teach him, a lesson I hope he will never have to teach his children.

Michael Douglas, award-winning actor/producer and United Nations messenger of peace, received the 2015 Genesis Prize, which honors “exceptional people whose values and achievements will inspire the next generation of Jews.”

This article first appeared in the Los Angeles Times.

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AROUND CENTRAL NEW YORK Grant applications requested by teen funders

By Nancy Belkowitz and Linda Alexander The Teen Funders Committee of the Jewish Community Foundation B’nai Mitzvah Program is accepting grant applications from local charitable organizations.

Grant recipients will be announced by the teen funders following their Sunday, May 17, meeting.

All applicants must be legally recognized charitable organizations. Grant applications must be received no later than Thursday, May 14, by the Jewish Community Foundation B’nai Mitzvah Program at 5655 Thompson Rd., DeWitt, NY 13214.

Grant requests can be for funding up to $1,000 and ap-

plicants must provide details of the proposed project and explain how it advances the organization’s mission. For grant application information, contact Kathie Piirak at 445-2040, ext. 106, or kpiirak@jewishfederationcny.org.

The Jewish Community Foundation’s b’nai mitzvah program teaches the Jewish value of tzedakah through hands-on participation. More than 100 b’nai mitzvah funds have been established throughout the past 10 years. A b’nai mitzvah fund requires a minimum $250 donation from the teenager at the time of bar or bat mitzvah. The donations are matched by the Pomeranz, Shankman, Martin Trusts for an opening balance of at

least $500. The teenagers advise as to which charities the funds may be distributed.

All b’nai mitzvah fund holders have been invited to join the Teen Funders Committee meeting. At the teen funders’ meetings, the teenagers are asked to contribute some of their fund money to a pooled fund to be distributed by the group. Last fall, the teenagers funded projects from Family Tapestry Inc., American Friends of Leket Israel, Court Appointed Special Advocates and PJ Library®.

For more information, contact Nancy Belkowitz, teen funder coordinator, or LindaAlexander, executive director of the Jewish Community Foundation, at 445-2040, ext. 130.

Na’amat to honor Ona Cohn Bregman as 2015 Woman of Achievement

Every year, Na’amat’s Avodah chapter selects one woman who embodies the values of the organization and its members, “building communities and making the world a better place for women, children and everyone else.” This year’s event will be held on Sunday, May 3, at 10:30 am, at Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas.

This year’s Na’amat Woman of Achievement is Ona Cohn Bregman, a clinical social worker in private practice and retired associate professor of the Syracuse University School of Social

Ona Cohn Bregman

Work. She has been active on not-for-profit, professional and religious organization boards, and is currently involved with Community Wide Dialogue of InterFaith Works and ACTS, the Alliance of Communities Transforming Syracuse, an interfaith, urban-suburban, multicultural grass-roots social policy change organization. A published academic author, she has been recognized for her graduate teaching and received a lifetime achievement award from the Mental Health Association of the

JCC Ice Cream Social to be held May 13

By William Wallak The Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse’s After School Program will hold its annual ice cream social and raffle fund-raiser on Wednesday, May 13, from 4-6 pm, at the JCC, 5655 Thompson Rd., DeWitt. The event, a springtime tradition, will be open to the public and everyone has been invited. All proceeds will directly benefit the JCC’s after school program, which serves children in kindergarten-sixth grade.

Mick Hagan, director of Children and Teen Services, said, “This is such a fun event and an enjoyable way for us to celebrate spring each year with our program’s families and the community. We really appreciate all of the great support that we receive, especially from local businesses

who generously donate items for our raffle.”

The JCC is accepting donated raffle items such as goods, services and gift certificates from area businesses through Friday, May 8. All businesses that donate raffle items will have their names displayed at the event. The JCC’s after school program serves more than 130 families and children from 15 different schools, including the Jamesville-DeWitt, Syracuse city and Fayetteville-Manlius districts, as well as private schools such as the Syracuse Hebrew Day School and the New School.

For more information about the JCC ice cream social or to donate raffle items, contact Hagan at 445-2040, ext.

129, or mhagan@jccsyr.org.

Onondaga County Medical Association.

Na’amat will honor Bregman with a luncheon, tribute and musical presentation. The chapter plans to donate an educational scholarship in her name to a female Israeli student. Vocal entertainment will be provided by Carrie Berse and Jeff Unaitis.

The event will be open to the community and reservations will be required. There will be a fee for the luncheon. For more information or to reserve a seat, contact Nancy Barnett, chapter co-president, at nancy@ thebarnetts.net or 487-1215.

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Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center senior dining menu May 4-8 Monday – baked ziti Tuesday – meatloaf with gravy Wednesday – chicken rollatini Thursday –salmon with dill sauce Friday – honey-glazed chicken May 11-15 Monday – lasagna Tuesday – Salisbury steak Wednesday – sliced turkey with gravy Thursday – hamburger on a bun Friday – beef brisket The Bobbi Epstein Lewis JCC Senior Adult Dining Program at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center offers Va’ad Ha’ir-supervised kosher lunches served Monday-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 Jewish Community Center. To attend,

To advertise, please contact Bonnie Rozen at 800-779-7896, ext. 244 or bonnie@ thereportergroup.org

The Jcc and CONg. Beth SholoM Graciously accept Donated Vehicles. “imagine benefiting our schools”

one need not be Jewish or a member of the JCC. For more information or to make a reservation, contact Leesa Paul at 445-2360, ext. 104, or lpaul@jccsyr.org.

Gigantic Multi-Family Garage Sale

May 1-3 • 8am- 6pm Bamerick Rd., Jamesville Designer Purses, Shoes, Clothes and Jewelry, Glassware, Dish Sets, some Furniture, Linens, Art Work and Frames, Electronics, Aerus Cleaning Products, Housewares, Serving Pieces, Lawn Tools and Still Unpacking...

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ april 30, 2015/11 IYAR 5775

congregational notes Chabad Chabad Lubavitch of Central New York will hold its annual Lag B’Omer barbecue and bonfire at Mill Run Park in Manlius on Lag B’Omer, Thursday, May 7, from 5:30-8 pm. The event will include food and Lag B’Omer activities.

One Lag B’Omer tradition is for children to play with a bow and arrow. This year, there will be a bow making presentation

by Jacob Sanua of the Primitive Survival Skills group at SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry. There will be an admission fee to attend, with a reduction for children.

Lag B’Omer is the 33rd day of the omer count and is a festive day that is celebrated with outings, bonfires and other events.

It also commemorates another event, according to the Talmud, when during the weeks between Passover and Shavuot

a plague raged among the disciples of Rabbi Akiva because they did not act respectfully toward one another. No happy occasions were observed during this period of mourning. People stopped dying on Lag B’Omer, so the day’s theme carries the theme of Ahavat Yisrael, the imperative to love and respect one’s fellow human being For more information or to make a reservation, contact Chabad at 424-0363 or chanie18@juno.com.

As the feast day starts on Wednesday, May 6, in the evening, Chabad House at Syracuse will hold a barbecue for Syracuse University and high school students at the Chabad House, 825 Ostrom Ave., on May 6 at 8:30 pm. The barbecue will give participants an opportunity for high school seniors to interact with college students.

Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas CBS-CS celebrating our youth During the first two weekends of May, Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas will celebrate various milestones of its youth. All students completing a secular and Judaic level of studies will be recognized on Saturday, May 2, including those graduating high school in the congregation’s annual high school send-off.

Alice Pearlman will present the annual Gus Pearlman Award to a graduating senior who has maintained involvement in Jewish life, read Torah and who exemplifies the values of her late husband, Gus Pearlman, who was the congregation’s Torah reader for 25 years.

There will be an “It’s Cool to Daven in Shul” service that morning. Post-bar and bat mitzvah students will lead services and read Torah. Following services, there will be the synagogue’s monthly Shabbat Spot Kiddush. Attendees have been encouraged to stay for food, socializing, singing and playing board games.

Prior to Shabbat Hadorot services on Friday, May 8, which begin at 6 pm, all second grade students will receive a siddur to signify the beginning of their more formal Jewish studies. The children’s parents will come together on Sunday, May 3, to write a message to their child on a bookplate to be placed in their child’s siddur and to learn more about how they can support their children as they progress in their Jewish learning and growth. The youth of the congregation will participate in services. Additionally, that evening, the CBS-CS Religious School teachers will be recognized and thanked for their efforts this year. The event will conclude with an oneg Shabbat in honor of the faculty and the second grade students.

Lunch and Learn At the monthly Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas lunch and learn following services on Saturday, May 2, around noon, Jeanette Powel will share her insights into the book “Once Upon A Country” by Sari Nusseibeh.

Seven years ago, Powell said she knew very little about Palestine. She spoke

with Omid Safi, a professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, who spoke at CBS-CS. He recommended reading Edward Said, Rashid Khalidi and Nusseibeh. While she found all of the books to be “valuable and informative,” Powell found Nusseibeh’s book, “Once Upon a Country,” the most impressive, saying that the difference in the three authors is that “Nusseibeh, while an advocate for his home country, Palestine, was able to try to see the point of view, pain and experience of the Israelis.” She felt that his book is not only a biography, but also a brief history of the Palestinian struggle, his own activism for peace and his work with former Shin Bet Director Ami Ayalon to establish a civil initiative for peace.

Powell will speak further about this book and Nusseibeh on May 2, including a recent conversation she had with him about what he is currently seeing and feeling.

The lunch and learn will be open to the public, whether they have already read the book or would like to learn more. For more information, contact CBS-CS at 446-9570 or office@cbscs.org.

Sisterhood experiences Shabbat rest Sisterhood members attended a retreat at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health during the weekend of March 13-15. A small group joined together in western Massachusetts, where they engaged in “rest and rejuvenation.” Vegetarian meals were provided, along with lectures and activities.

Some group favorites included a de-cluttering workshop, practical massage and yoga/meditation. The women in attendance roomed together and had many opportunities to relax together. They also observed Shabbat at the center, with electric Shabbat candles, challah and Havdalah.

Participants felt they had the opportunity to have “meaningful rest and quietude,” and experience a “temporary freedom from the responsibility of providing for others,” “allowing a renewal of energy, spirit and holiness.”Attendees hoped to perpetuate the annual Sisterhood retreat in the future.

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To advertise, contact Bonnie Rozen at 800-779-7896, ext. 244 or bonnie@thereportergroup.org

Temple Adath Yeshurun Peace and conflict lecture at Temple Adath Yeshurun

By Sonali Eaton The Temple Adath Yeshurun Men’s Club will host Jacob Stoil, who will speak on “Peace and Conflict,” on Sunday, May 17, at 9:30 am Stoil is a visiting instructor in the Peace and Conflict Studies Program at Colgate University. He is in the process of earning his doctorate in history from the University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. He holds a bachelor’s in war studies and a master’s in the history of warfare from King’s College, London.

TAY member Leo Eisner first heard Stoil speak at the Rotary Club of DeWitt several weeks ago and said, “I considered his talk not only exceptional, but impor-

tant. The most impressive part of his talk was the way he answered questions from our group. While not editorializing, he spoke with references of fact that were to-the-point and easy to understand.”

Stoil’s research interests include military history and war studies; indigenous forces; military adaptation and development; militaries in the developing world; and conflict and gender. His fieldwork includes research in the Horn of Africa and multiple research trips to Israel.

A light breakfast will be served prior to the lecture. The program will be free and open to the community; however, reservations will be appreciated. For more information or to make a reservation, contact the synagogue at info@adath.org or 445-0002.

Temple Concord Community invited to dine and learn about Jewish communities of Ireland Temple Concord will discuss Ireland on Tuesday, May 12, at 6 pm, as part of its Jewish Diaspora Dinner Series. Participants will meet for dinner at Coleman’s Authentic Irish Pub, 100 S. Lowell Ave., Syracuse, where Rabbi Daniel Fellman will discuss the Jewish communities of Ireland. The event will be open to the public, but reservations will be required and can be made by contacting the TC office at 475-9952.

Cinemagogue presents “The Other Son”

By Drew Lovejoy Temple Concord’s Cinemagogue series will explore what it means to be Israeli or Palestinian with the 2012 film “The Other Son,” a story about two families on different sides of a conflict, on Saturday, May 16, at 7:30 pm.

In the film, Joseph Silberg, a proud Israeli youth about to serve in the Israeli Defense Forces, learns from medical tests that he is not his parents’ child, but a Palestinian. Joseph was switched by mistake with Yacine Al Bezaaz on the day of his birth after they were evacuated from a hospital during a missile attack. As both families meet each other and learn to accept one another, “The Other Son” explores xenophobia and fear of others – and how trying

situations can foster real change in a person’s mind.

Temple Concord’s Cinemagogue film series offers a variety of films with Jewish themes, Israeli filmmakers and JewishAmerican stars.

The program will be appropriate for all ages. Admission will be free and open to the public, but donations will be welcome. For more information, contact the TC office at 475-9952 or office@ templeconcord.org.

Syracuse Pops Concert

By Drew Lovejoy The Syracuse Pops Chorus will perform as part of Temple Concord’s Regina F. Goldenberg Cultural Series on Tuesday, May 19, at 7 pm.

The all-volunteer, local chorus has been singing under the direction of Lou Lemos since 2004. Its repertoire often consists of standards from composers such as Irving Berlin and Stephen Sondheim, and also features newer works from local composers.

Temple Concord’s Regina F. Goldenberg Cultural Series is in its 13th year of bringing music and the performing arts to Syracuse.

The program will be appropriate for all ages. Admission will be free and open to the public, but donations will be welcome. For more information, contact the TC office at 475-9952 or office@ templeconcord.org.

Veteran Israeli diplomat reflects on American journey

By Jacob Kamaras JNS.org Throughout the course of more than three decades working for Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Meir Shlomo has represented the Jewish state in India, Denmark, Peru, El Salvador and Boston. However, he says he never saw “such a level of grass-roots support” for Israel like what he has witnessed in the Southwest United States.

Shlomo, the consul general of Israel to the Southwest U.S., ends his Houston-based assignment in mid-May and will return home to assume a post as the Israeli foreign ministry’s second-ranking diplomat dealing with North American affairs. The top official in that division is Ambassador Liora Herzl, deputy director general for North America. Shlomo’s previous role was head of mission at the Boston-based Consulate General of Israel to New England.

“It’s really almost overwhelming,” Shlomo said in an interview with JNS. org, describing support for Israel in the

Southwest, where he has served since August 2010. That support comes not just from Israel’s usual advocates, such as Jews and Evangelical Christians, but from “the regular Americans,” he said.

“People that I meet all the time, when they know that I’m presenting about Israel, they come out and say something nice about Israel,” said Shlomo. “That happened everywhere [I represented Israel for the ministry], but here [in the Southwest]... it’s really heartwarming to see this kind of grass-roots support that we have. It’s very visible, and people feel the urge to make a statement out of it. It’s one thing to support Israel, and another thing to say it out loud.”

Why is the Southwest so warm to Israel? Besides the large Evangelical Christian community in the region, Shlomo believes it may come down to the famous slogan, “Don’t Mess with Texas.”

“Texans share a lot of the same attitude as Israelis, that we say what we think and we think what we say, and that makes it See “Diplomat” on page 12

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JEWISH OBSERVER

The Jewish Foundation of Central New York is being honored by InterFaith Works

By Bette Siegel The Jewish Community Foundation of Central New York, Inc. is one of seven philanthropic organizations being honored by InterFaith Works of Central New York at its InterFaith Leadership Award Dinner on Wednesday, May 6. The other organizations are Allyn Foundation, Central New York Community Foundation Inc., the Gifford Foundation, the Dorothy and Marshall M. Reisman Foundation, the John Ben Snow Foundation and the United Way of Central New York.

The event will begin with a reception at 5:30 pm at the SRC Arena and Events Center on the Onondaga Community College campus, with dinner following at 6:30 pm. Tim Atseff and Peggy Ogden

are serving as honorary co-chairs.

The organizations are being honored for their contributions and commitment to the quality of life in Central New York, but this is the first time they have been honored collectively.

Jewish Community Foundation Executive Director Linda Alexander said, “We are thrilled to be included among these other philanthropic Central New York philanthropic foundations that are also being honored. Our Jewish Community Foundation has become an integral and important force in the community, working in partnership with all Central New York non-profits. Our teen funders program is a model for teaching hands-on charitable giving at a young age.”

Tickets and sponsorship information can be found at

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www.interfaithworkscny.org or by contacting InterFaith Works’ development office at 449-3552, ext. 120, or drobertson@interfaithworkscny.org.

InterFaith Works of Central New York, through education, service and dialogue, seeks to “affirm the dignity of each person and every faith community” and works to create relationships and understanding. Founded in 1976, InterFaith Works addresses social divisions leading to community action and policy change. Empowering people in need, including refugees, the elderly and institutionalized, InterFaith Works’ service and educational programs include the Center for New Americans, Ahmad and Elizabeth El-Hindi Center for Dialogue, as well as senior services and spiritual care programs.

SJFS kicks off workshops to promote financial literacy and prevent elder financial abuse

By Carrie Scholz Experts say that many older adults today live one budgeting mistake, one unforeseen expense or one experience of victimization away from disaster. Now, due to the support of the Jewish Federation of Central New York, Syracuse Jewish Family Service is starting a pilot program to help, $enior¢ents, an addition to SJFS’s “BeWell Initiative: Behavioral and Emotional Wellness Empowers Later Life” learning groups.

The objective of the program, which combines SJFS’s personal financial services support to older adults with its psychoeducational group programming, is to empower older adults to acquire the financial literacy and coping skills needed to avoid scams and fraud, and to make good decisions regarding money management; applying for benefits; managing prepaid debit and credit cards; and protecting themselves from financial abuse and exploitation by caregivers, family members and strangers.

Four mix-and-match workshops will make up the series, which will begin with a screening and facilitated discussion of “Fleeced: Speaking Out Against Senior Financial Abuse,” a National Community Reinvestment Coalition documentary. Designed to introduce groups to the issue of financial fraud and abusive financial products, the film shows examples of individuals and families who turned from

victims to advocates who speak out on behalf of others.

Building on this introduction, the series will also incorporate “Savvy-Saving Seniors,” a toolkit developed by the National Council on Aging. The program will integrate the course material into AgeWise Care Solutions, SJFS’s geriatric care management and counseling program, to create what has been called a “supportive, educational, behavior-changing group experience” for older adults. The topics of the three workshops will be money management and financial literacy; frauds and scams; and managing and protecting government-issued and prepaid debit cards.

Participants will receive handbooks on each topic.

Information, strategies, tips, role playing and exercises, along with work on emotional coping and stress management skills, will be integrated into discussions with shar-

ing and debriefing of personal stories and experiences.

SJFS Director Judith Huober said, “We are so grateful for the Community Program Fund grant from Federation, as well as a grant from the Women’s Fund of Central New York, both of which are helping us bring this powerful and informative film and the rest of the workshop series to our community. We are really excited to offer expertise to benefit our own community that we have gained through a long-term collaboration with the Syracuse Area Domestic and Sexual Violence Coalition Elder Abuse/Justice Committees and years of providing financial affairs support to our older clients.”

SJFS will reach out throughout the next few months to organizations to book workshops at their locations.

For more information, call Deborah Ellis at 446-9111, ext. 256.

Israelis sending help to Nepal, looking for their own

By Ben Sales TEL AVIV (JTA) – Rabbi Chezki Lifshitz was in the middle of the Torah reading on April 25 when he felt the ground shake. It was “as if a small windmill was underground and was moving the entire area,” the Kathmandu Chabad rabbi said.

That night, by the end of the first phase of Nepal’s worst earthquake in 80 years, hundreds of Israelis were crowded into Lifshitz’s courtyard, huddled in their tents and sleeping bags. Local hospitals were saturated with patients, so Lifshitz recruited local doctors to treat lightly injured Israelis at his home. “All the Israelis got here quickly and just stayed here in shock,” Lifshitz told the Israeli radio station Reshet Bet that night. “People were frightened and scared. The buildings here are swaying as if they’re a leaf in the wind.”

Some 200 Israelis are among those reported missing in the wake of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal on April 25. More than 2,000 people in and around the capital of Kathmandu were reported killed as of April 26, with the number expected to rise.

No Israelis have been reported dead, according to the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

Nepal has long been a popular destination for young Israelis, many of whom travel there for extended periods following their years of mandatory military service.

Israelis have taken to social media to share news of missing relatives. A 260-person Israel Defense Forces mission carrying 95 tons of supplies and 40 doctors was scheduled to depart for Nepal on April 26, where they will remain for two weeks. When it arrives on April 27, half the Israeli team will set up a field hospital – including operating rooms, X-ray equipment and pediatric care – to provide emergency medical services to the wounded.

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See “Nepal” on page 8

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ april 30, 2015/11 IYAR 5775

PJ Library collects more than 116 pairs of pajamas for Golisano Children’s Hospital

By Carolyn Weinberg The PJ Library of Central New York ® collected more than 116 pairs of pajamas during the March PJ Library pajama drive. The pajamas were donated to the State University of New York Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital and were distributed by child life specialist Maggie Zick.

Zick was “extremely grateful” and appreciative of the donation, saying, “The pajamas are going to bring a lot of comfort to a lot of families. You’d be surprised at how often patients and their parents need a clean outfit.” Organizers thanked everyone who helped make the first PJ Library pajama drive “such a successful and meaningful mitzvah.”

The PJ Library is a nationally-acclaimed literacy program, started by the Harold

Grinspoon Foundation, that gives free Jewish bedtime stories, CDs and DVDs to families raising Jewish children. The PJ Library Central New York chapter is a program of the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse and is supported by the Pomeranz, Shankman and Martin Charitable Foundation, Jewish Federation of Central New York, Jewish Community Foundation of Central New York teen funders, Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas, Shaarei Torah Orthodox Congregation of Syracuse, Syracuse Hebrew Day School, Temple Adath Yeshurun and Temple Concord. The local chapter serves children from 6-months-8-yearsold in Cortland, Madison, Onondaga and Oswego counties. For more information and to sign up, visit www.pjlibrary.org or e-mail pjcny@jccsyr.org.

PJ Library Coordinator Carolyn Weinberg delivered more than 116 pairs of new pajamas to Maggie Zick, child life specialist at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital.

Syracuse Hebrew Day School students win honors and awards at Central New York Science and Engineering Fair

By Melissa Neri Students from the Syracuse Hebrew Day School went to the Central New York Science and Engineering Fair on March 22 at the SRC Arena at Onondaga Community College.

In its 36th year, the fair gives area students in fifth-12th grade the opportunity to present projects they have worked on independently and in school.

At SHDS, all fifth and sixth grade students complete a project as part of the science curriculum. The students research and develop their hypotheses beginning in January, and spent the next three months concentrating on the scientific method. The resulting project was presented in class for practice, and all students were encouraged to continue to the larger community fair.

Fair attendee and SHDS Head of School Lori Tenenbaum said, “The students’ scientific thinking was deep, their display boards were artfully crafted, and they presented with poise and confidence.”

In all, 19 SHDS students competed in the fair this year, with 90 percent earning honors and/or special awards: Max Fagelman, highest honors; Kiru Morrissette and James Nelson, high honors; Henia Zames, high honors; and Shaynah Sikora and Meilin Lamanna, Lockheed Martin Award. Also receiving awards were sixth grade students Rebecca Blumenthal, highest honors, NASA Space Grant Award and Broadcom Masters Award; Hannah Goldberg, highest honors, American Chemistry Society Award and Broadcom Masters Award; Ryan Hinshaw, highest

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honors and Broadcom Masters Award; Elise Beckman, high honors and Lockheed Martin Award; Kyla Cooper,Yuval Kelchner and Rachel Scheer, high

honors; and Miles Marnet, Sophie Scheer and Itai Spinoza, honors.

See “Awards” on page 7

Nineteen Syracuse Hebrew Day School students competed in this year’s Central New York Science and Engineering Fair on March 22. Ninety percent of those competing won awards.

Gala

at the JCC and sitting on the ECDP committee. She then became chair of the children’s committee. She joined the JCC board in 1991 and was the program development committee chair during the time of the Neulander Family Sports and Fitness Center’s creation. Her previous roles include co-chair of the JCC’s annual Purim Carnival and board vice president. Goldwein has been an executive Committee member for the past 12 years and has been serving as the board’s nominating committee chair for more than a decade.

Kasow retired in January after more than 33 years of dedicated service as the JCC’s executive assistant and office manager. She joined the JCC in 1981 and held essentially the same position during her entire tenure, although her job evolved throughout the years in response to the changing times. She took on additional responsibilities, such as managing the administrative office’s dayto-day operations and interfacing with the JCC’s Board of Directors and its various committees. This included serving as the liaison to the Super Bowl raffle committee and sitting on the annual meeting and gala committee.

Kasow has seen the JCC evolve and mature, becoming what has been called “the prominent fixture in so many people’s lives today.” Due to her knowledge and experience with the JCC, she has often been relied upon as the office’s unofficial resident historian. In the months since her retirement, JCC staff have occasionally contacted Kasow for a variety of background information.

The teen funders of the Jewish Community Foundation of Central New York are part of the Foundation’s B’nai Mitzvah Fund program. The Foundation administers the b’nai mitzvah funds for local Jewish teenagers.

There are more than 55 local teenagers who opened these funds when they became bar or bat mitzvah. The

Continued from page 1 teenagers contribute a portion of their individual funds to a pooled fund and meet twice a year to decide as a group on distributing grants to Jewish and non-Jewish local, national and international charities. After reviewing and discussing each application at these meetings, the teenagers choose which grant applications to fund. They look to ensure that their funds are used in meaningful ways and that the grants will make a difference to the requesting agency and its constituents. The teen funders have made grants to various charities totaling more than $24,000 in the past five years, including supporting JCC programs such as PJ Library® of Central New York, The SPOT, After School Program and the Joshua Ian Davis and Scott Bryan Dubnoff Memorial Playground, among others.

Invitations for the JCC’s annual meeting and gala were mailed earlier this month. There are still corporate and individual sponsorships available, as well as program booklet advertiser spots, all of which will support the event. To purchase tickets, for information on event sponsorships and advertising, or to place a congratulatory message in the program booklet for any of this year’s honorees, contact Mariette DeWolf at 445-2360, ext.

112, or mdewolf@jccsyr.org.

Located on Thompson Road in DeWitt, the JCC was established in 1861 and is the second oldest JCC in North America. It offers a range of programs and services for all ages, including infant and toddler care, preschool, before and after school care, vacation camps for school-age children, summer day camps, teenage social and fitness programs, a sports and fitness center, an outdoor heated pool, swimming lessons during the summer, adult programming and services for seniors, including a senior kosher meal program.

APRIL 30, 2015/11 IYAR 5775 ■

The community gathered on April 19 at Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas to commemorate Yom Hashoah, the annual commemoration of the Holocaust. This year’s theme of the art and essay contests was, “Why we should continue to study the Holocaust.” Marcus Lombardo took first place, and Noah Kotzin took second place, in the high

Yom Hashoah

school essay division. The middle school essay winners were Elise Beckman in first place and Tyler Aitkin in second.

Adult essay winners were Cheryl Wolfe in first place and Harold Schwartz in second place.

Art competition winners were Haley Fowler-Conner, first place in the high school division; Abigail Charlamb, first

L-r: Rabbi Daniel Fellman, Rabbi Andrew Pepperstone, Cantor Paula Pepperstone, Cantor Kari Siegel Eglash and Ba’al Tefilla Esa Jaffe sang “Hatikvah” at the end of the program. (Photo by Mark Kotzin)

place, and Rebecca Blumenthal, second place, in the middle school division.

The Jerome and Phyllis Charney Family Foundation partially underwrote the event. Sponsors of the Yom Hashoah art

At the community Yom Hashoah observance, held on April 19 at Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas, Myrna Koldin waited for a Holocaust survivor or family member to light a memorial candle as the audience looked on. Front row, seated (l-r): Rabbi Yaakov Rapoport, Rabbi Evan Shore, Rabbi Irvin Beigel and Rabbi Daniel Fellman. (Photo by Leonard Levy)

NEWS IN bRIEF From JNS.org

“Bookkeeper” of Auschwitz on trial in Germany

Oskar Groening, the 93-year-old former Nazi SS guard who served at the Auschwitz death camp from 1942-1944 and was known as the camp’s “bookkeeper,” is facing justice the week of April 21 in a German court in a trial attended by several Holocaust survivors who were Auschwitz prisoners. Although he did not personally kill anyone during his time at the concentration camp, Groening is accused of complicity in the murders of 300,000 Hungarian Jewish prisoners. On April 22, Groening described how he was told by his superiors to work the “ramp,” the area where arriving Auschwitz prisoners were split into two groups: those who were put to work and those who were sent to the gas chambers.

“There was a little baby left lying behind on the ramp, after the main group was marched away, and it was crying,” Groening told the court,the British newspaper The Independent reported. “I turned round and saw one of my comrades pick up the child. He grabbed it by the legs and smashed it again and again against the iron side of a truck until it was silent – when I saw that my world broke down. [When] I saw what my comrade did with the baby, I told him I thought what he did was wrong, but my comrade replied, ‘What did you want me to do – run after the mother and give her back her baby? You can’t do that. I had to kill the baby,’” said Groening. Earlier that week, Groening asked for forgiveness and admitted that he is “without question morally complicit in the killing of millions of people.”

Rachel Elman wins Science Fair awards Manlius Pebble Hill eighth grade student and Syracuse Hebrew Day School alumna Rachel Elman won several awards at the Science and Engineering Fair as well. She won the Le Moyne College Excellence in Mathematics or Computer Science award, junior division, fourth-eighth grades, which recognizes one project in that

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Rachel Elman

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and essay contests include the Berg family, Birnbaum Funeral Services, Jewish War Veterans Post #131, Victoria Foreman Kohl, Hillel at Syracuse University and the Small and Mendel families.

Marion Blumenthal Lazan, a survivor of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany, spoke to Howard Schwartz after the program and autographed copies of her book, “Four Perfect Pebbles.” Blumenthal Lazan has made it her mission to share her story of survival. The book’s title comes from her game while in the camp, that four perfect pebbles represented her family, and if she found the pebbles, it meant that her family would all survive. (Photo by Mark Kotzin)

Awards

JEWISH OBSERVER

Continued from page 6 division. Receiving the award is said to demonstrate excellence in these fields.

Elman also won a regional award and the Honeywell Summer Science Week at the MOST scholarship, which recognizes eighth grade students who have shown an interest in science and research and provides admission to a week-long summer science field camp. Elman received one of the 10 awards.

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ april 30, 2015/11 IYAR 5775

Nepal

The other half will conduct search-and-rescue missions in collapsed buildings.

IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner expects Israel’s field hospital to be the first in operation in Nepal. In the past, the IDF has set up field hospitals following natural disasters in Haiti, the Philippines and Japan. “It’s one of the missions the IDF sees itself prepared for and willing to do,” Lerner told JTA. “The Home Front Command is ultimately built to carry out evacuation-type scenarios in Israel, so they are planning and preparing and executing for buildings that have collapsed here. If we can take that knowledge and help people across the world who are in desperation, it’s the right thing to do.”

A separate, private mission organized by three Israeli emergency response organizations – United Hatzalah, Zaka and First Israel – left Tel Aviv for Nepal on April 26 and aims to stay two to three weeks. Along with search-and-rescue operations, the mission will provide basic medical care to far-flung villages near the quake’s epicenter whose health clinics are either destroyed or saturated with wounded. IsraAid, which has sent aid missions to 28 countries, and Magen David Adom are also sending delegations.

“There’s an inclination in Israel and the world to come to the center of the action, where the cameras are,” said Dov Maisel, United Hatzalah’s volunteer chief operating

A statue of the Buddha surrounded by debris from a collapsed temple in Bhaktapur, Nepal, on April 26.

(Photo by Omar Havana/Getty Images) officer and the mission’s deputy head. “So there are lots of people who don’t get the care they need.”

In Israel, friends and relatives of the 200 missing hikers have shared photos and contact information on Facebook while coordinating an extensive grass-roots search online. A Facebook page, Earthquake in Nepal, Updates and Search for Israelis, went live on the evening of April 25, while a public Google spreadsheet is tracking information on the missing. The Kathmandu Chabad’s

Continued from page 5 Facebook page is also filled with photos and updates on missing Israelis.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Oren Rozenblat estimates that many missing Israelis are “out of touch” on hikes in remote regions rather than wounded or killed.

“Hikers in Nepal don’t call mom every day,” Rozenblat said. “They may be in a place without reception, without a phone. That doesn’t mean they have a problem. We don’t know of any Israelis that need help, are wounded or need to be rescued.” Alongside the search effort, the Foreign Ministry is providing special assistance to 25 Israeli babies born to surrogate mothers in Nepal.

For many Israelis, Nepal and other destinations in south Asia have been a place to unwind after military service and enjoy a more relaxed pace of life. “It’s recreation and leisure – it doesn’t have the intensity that Israel has,” said Chaim Noy, a professor of communications at the University of South Florida who wrote the 2007 book “Narrative Community: Voices of Israeli Backpackers.”

The Israelis now en route to the Himalayan nation are arriving for a weightier purpose. “A person in trouble, he doesn’t care who helps him, but when he sees it’s Israel, he’s even happier,” Maisel said. “He can’t believe that they came from a small state halfway around the world to help him.”

Note to brides and grooms: don’t forget to buy each other a present (NewsUSA) – If you’re reading this stor y, you’re probably one of the approximately 825,000 couples who are now planning your wedding. So here’s

perhaps the single most important reminder – and grooms do seem to need more reminding than brides – anyone will offer: Tradition holds that you both

exchange wedding presents.

(Yes, grooms, even though you just bought her an engagement ring.)

But what to get? “Gifts should come from the heart,” says WeddingChannel.com.

Well, yes, but that still leaves a lot of room for error. So here are some tips to keep in mind whether you two opt for some type of jewelry – a popular choice – or something else.

Practicalit y can wait. Etiquette dictates that gifts be exchanged at one of three times: the night before the wedding, the morning of the ceremony, or right before you leave on your honeymoon. So you could see where this has the potential for becoming a bigger disaster than Chernobyl if the groom’s idea of “practical” is, say, a toaster.

See “Present” on page 9

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JEWISH OBSERVER

Tennessee General Assembly becomes first state legislature to condemn BDS

By Sean Savage JNS.org The Tennessee General Assembly on April 21 became the first state legislature in the U.S. to formally condemn the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel.

Senate Joint Resolution 170, initially passed April 9 by the Tennessee Senate in a unanimous 30-0 vote, was approved by the Tennessee House of Representatives in an overwhelming 93-1 vote on April 21, with Democratic State Representative G.A. Hardaway the lone dissenter.

The resolution, which is expected to be signed the week of April 27 by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, declares that the BDS movement is “one of the main

vehicles for spreading antisemitism and advocating the elimination of the Jewish state,” adding that BDS activities in Tennessee “undermine the Jewish people’s right to self-determination, which they are fulfilling in the state of Israel.”

Furthermore, the resolution states that the BDS movement and its agenda are “inherently antithetical and deeply damaging to the causes of peace, justice, equality, democracy and human rights for all the peoples in the Middle East.”

The bill was initiated by Laurie Cardoza-Moore, founder of the Christian Zionist group Proclaiming Justice to the Nations. Cardoza-Moore worked local Jewish and Christian organizations to bring the resolution to the state legislature.

A guy’s guide to selecting the perfect engagement ring (NewsUSA) – Getting engaged is a very personal and intimate experience for a couple. But for many guys, the purchase of the engagement ring can be a bit overwhelming.

Color, clarity, cut, carat weight – there’s a lot to consider!

But by understanding the basics of diamonds and keeping the future bride in mind, guys can find the process of selecting a ring much less daunting.

Philadelphia-based jewelry designer Craiger Drake of Craiger Drake Designs offers the following tips to help men select a ring that their bride will love: Know the 4Cs. Men should always consider the color, clarity, cut and carat weight of a diamond. Color and clar-

Present

Continued from page 8 personal is appreciated. One of the best examples is a guy who had a photographer secretly capture the moment he proposed in New York’s Central Park, and then presented the results to his bride on the day of their wedding. The downside, of course, is that pulling it off requires imagination and – in this instance – a lot of advance planning.

Jewelry can be “traditional” without being boring. Case in point: the Argyle diamonds trend, which fulfills the quest of even the most eco-minded couples for diamond fashion jewelry since the stones are produced in a socially and environmentally responsible way from the Argyle mine in Australia.

Being

ity, less commonly understood, are critical to the quality of the stone. Choose a diamond valued higher on both the color and clarity grading scales to limit the presence of color and unwanted inclusions. Carat and cut, on the other hand, are personal preferences. Keep the bride’s personality in mind to select a size and a shape that will complement her style.

Get certified. To guarantee the diamond’s authenticity and quality, be sure to purchase a diamond that is certified from the Gemological Institute of America. The diamond’s certificate outlines all the individual characteristics of the stone, including the 4Cs, serving as proof of the diamond’s identity and value.

Be “unique.” For many women, an engagement ring is their most treasured piece of jewelry. A rose gold band or colored side stones, for example, can accent a traditional ring with a touch of color. To personalize the piece further, consider custom designing a one-of-a-kind ring tailored to the bride’s individual style.

A final piece of advice: Remember what the ring signifies. “With so much to bear in mind, it can be easy to lose the romance of selecting an engagement ring,” said Drake. “Although it is valuable to know the basics of a diamond, what’s most important is for men to remember the reason they’re buying it.”

“With the current climate of increasing antisemitism, anti-Israel and anti-Zionist campaigns, Tennesseans and all people of conscience should endorse public statements of support for our Jewish brethren living in Tennessee and pro-Israel students attending colleges and universities in our state,” Cardoza-Moore said.

According to a PJTN press release, “BDS has an active presence in Tennessee, particularly through The U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, a group that is a leader of BDS. University of Tennessee Knoxville alumnus Reverend Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou, a leader in the U.S. Campaign, was this year’s keynote speaker at the national meeting of Students for Justice in Palestine, a college campus group that has spearheaded anti-Israel demonstrations.”

See “BDS” on page 11

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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.

Sunday, May 3 Conversation with Rabbi Charles Sherman at Temple Adath Yeshurun at 10:30 am TAY Hazak at Syracuse Stage at 2 pm Monday, May 4 Syracuse Hebrew Day School Education Committee meeting at 7 pm Tuesday, May 5 Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas Hazak presents Sandra Chai in a talk about Amedeo Modigliani and Anthony Caro at 6:30 pm Jewish Community Center Early Childhood Education Program teacher appreciation dinner at Traditions at the Links at 6:30 pm Wednesday, May 6 InterFaith award dinner honoring seven organizations, including the Jewish Foundation of Central New York, at Onondaga Community College at 5:30 pm CBS-CS executive committee meeting at 7:30 pm Thursday, May 7 Lag B’Omer Syracuse Hebrew Day School academic fair from 6-7:30 pm Friday, May 8 SHDS hosts grandparents and special friends day Monday, May 11 Temple Concord board of trustees meeting at 7 pm Wednesday, May 13 Deadline for the May 28 issue of the Jewish Observer JCC ice cream social to benefit after school program from 2:45-6 pm Thursday, May 14 Jewish Federation of Central New York board meeting at 5:30 pm Saturday, May 16 Temple Concord Cinemagogue presents “The Other Son” at 7 pm

mazel tov Mondlick-Bold wedding

Leah Bold and Joshua Mondlick were married on December 31 at the Phoenix Art Museum in Phoenix, AZ. Officiating was Rabbi Rony Keller.

Bold is the daughter of Gloria and Steven Bold, of Millsboro, DE. Mondlick is the son of Anne and Marvin Mondlick, of Fayetteville, and the Joshua Mondlick and grandson of Sarah FeldLeah Bold man, of DeWitt.

Leah graduated from West Virginia University and is a leasing manager for the Taubman Company. Joshua is a graduate of Union College, Buffalo Dental School and the Veteran’s Administration Hospital periodontics program in Manhattan.

He is a board certified periodontist in Peoria, AZ. They reside in Phoenix, AZ.

d’var torah

The meaning of kedoshim – it’s more than holiness

By Alan Sukert “You shall be holy, because I, Hashem your God, am holy.” That is the way parasha Kedoshim begins in this week’s double sedrah of Acharai Mot-Kedoshim. The concept of holiness is a fundamental to not only us as Jews, but to everyone. We can take up volumes talking about what constitutes holiness in the context of this statement by God to the “entire congregation of b’nai Yisroel” via Moses – observance of Shabbat, respecting one’s father and mother, tzedakah, honesty, not observing idol worship, paying workers fair wages on time, etc.

However, it’s “kedoshim,” the word itself, that interests me. We translate it as “holy;” but according to the rabbis, the actual Hebrew word “kedoshim” has more nuances than just holiness, as that term means in English. There is a component of dedication and devotion that doesn’t translate into English. To be truly holy, one has to be willing to dedicate and devote oneself to those things that will make us holy – acts such as observing Shabbat; taking care of the poor, sick and elderly; or treating others fairly – acts that have to border almost on stubbornness and obsession. We can’t truly be holy if we are not willing to put in the effort necessary to do that, and that takes a commitment that is difficult for us humans to do most of the time. In fact, it is easier not to do it, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strive to do it with all our being.

To make that point, later on in parasha Kedoshim, God states the mitzvah, “Do not pervert justice, do not favor the poor nor shall you honor the mighty; judge your neighbor righteously.” It is interesting that this is presented in the negative rather than the positive; but many of the mitzvot in the Torah are stated in the negative. Look at the Ten Commandments. The meaning of this mitzvah seems to be clear enough – judges should not favor any one group for fear of consciously or unconsciously steering judgment toward the favored group. Holiness in this context means one should be impartial in all judgments so that everyone gets the same fair, impartial justice.

I was thinking about all of this as I listened to the throng of candidates announcing that they’re running for president. In recent days, we have seen several candidates announce they are running for president, and many more will do so in the next few weeks. Regardless of which political party you support, parasha Kedoshim has an important message for your candidate: be holy in everything you do and in your positions on the issues that are of concern to all your future constituents. I am not talking about just religious observance, although many of the announced and soon-to-be-announced presidential candidates portray themselves as very religious people.

I am talking about favoring one group over others.

One hears all the time how candidates talk about supporting the “middle class.” Fair enough; but if you follow parasha Kedoshim, candidates should not be focusing just on the middle class, even though that’s where the majority of the votes will likely come from in an election. Candidates should focus on all classes – middle, low income, poor and even the wealthy.

To be truly holy in the spirit of the Torah, candidates should not favor any one class because that will cause them to endorse policies and actions that favor the class in question at the expense of the other classes. It shouldn’t just be about helping the middle class lower the cost of

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education (although I certainly support that), keeping taxes within reason or other initiatives that favor the middle class. Candidates should also be supporting initiatives to raise the wages of low-income workers so they can afford to feed their families, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and help the homeless and downtrodden, as well as policies that encourage the wealthy to use their wealth to help others in a positive fashion. Otherwise, candidates are not judging all their neighbors righteously as the Torah commands us to do. And, in the spirit of Kedoshim, candidates should support all groups with the same amount of dedication and devotion as they do the core group that forms the basis of their support.

It can’t be just about what is good for each of us as individuals; we have to expect our candidates to espouse what is good for everyone of all faiths, income brackets, sex, occupation, etc. Otherwise, it really isn’t good for anyone. Candidates should take this lesson of the Torah and the corresponding lesson from Pirke Avot to heart – “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?”

Alan Sukert is an engineer with Xerox Corporation in Rochester and a member of Temple Adath Yeshurun.

Do You Know?

Enabling Inclusion at SHDS – your Federation dollars at work in our community

By Jackie Miron Recently, a $5,000 grant was awarded to the Syracuse Hebrew Day School from the Syracuse Jewish Federation. Titled “Enabling Inclusion at the Syracuse Hebrew Day School,” the grant will allow SHDS to recruit and retain all Jewish students in the Jackie Miron community, regardless of learning differences.

The project’s goal is to provide a subsidy to families whose children require support services such as speech/ language, occupational therapy or physical therapy. The mission statement of the school is “to teach, inspire and nurture future leaders of our Jewish community through an unparalleled academic experience guided by Jewish studies and values.” That unparalleled academic experience provides a truly individualized education, where each child is given the tools to learn and grow.

At times, students may have needs that require the support of a resource teacher to provide academic enrichment or remediation. SHDS provides resource hours for push-in and pull-out services for students with an Individualized Educational Plan, as well as those who may just need a little extra help. For students who require resource hours or other support services that the school is unable to provide, parents have been faced with the decision of having students bussed to a Jamesville-DeWitt school, which interrupts the school day, or paying out of pocket for private services that can be quite costly.

This grant would allow parents the option of having support personnel come to SHDS to provide services for their child at a reduced cost. The parents will be billed for any services rendered by the professionals, then they will be reimbursed 75 percent of their cost through the grant.

Head of School Lori Tenenbaum described the new program as “helping to fulfill our mission of providing the most individualized experience to all students. The project will strengthen and increase the feeling of community and caring at SHDS.” Your Syracuse Federation dollars are continuing to make a big difference for students at the Syracuse Hebrew Day School.

NEWS IN bRIEF From JNS.org

Israel’s Teva seeks to acquire drug manufacturer Mylan for $40 billion

(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) – The Israeli pharmaceutical giant Teva has made a $40 billion offer for the drug manufacturer Mylan N.V. If the acquisition goes through, it will be the largest Israeli business deal ever. The two companies would have a combined 400 short-listed drug requests with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and another 80 submitted for the first time.

Water

obituaries Laura Eisenmann

Laura Eisenmann, 94, died on April 19 at Menorah Park.

Born in Frankfurt, Germany, her family fled Nazi Germany in 1936 for New York City, where she and her husband raised their family. In 2005, she moved to The Oaks of DeWitt to be closer to her family.

Long before the women’s movement, she was a pioneer in the workforce, working many years as an advertising executive before retiring in 1989 as a vice president. She dedicated her life to her career, volunteer work and family. As the family matriarch, she instilled a hard work ethic, the importance of family and tradition, and a passion for helping others.

She was predeceased by her husband of more than 50 years, Kurt.

She is survived by her daughter, Fay (Murray) Rutner, of DeWitt; three grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and her sister, Inge Dayton.

Graveside services were in King Solomon Cemetery, Clifton, NJ. Sisskind Funeral Service had arrangements.

Contributions may be made to Shaarei Torah Orthodox Congregation of Syracuse, 4313 E. Genesee St., DeWitt, NY 13214. 

Felix S. Taras

Felix S. Tara, 83, of Manlius, died suddenly at home on April 12.

Born in Moscow, Russia, he met his wife, Lilian, while attending college in Moscow, and they were married in 1960. Despite growing up without a father due to Stalin’s regime, he had a successful career as an aeronautical engineer in Russia and fulfilled his dream of immigrating to the United States with Lilian in 1992 to join their son, Michael, and daughter-in-law, Alla, in Syracuse.

He designed and built model airplanes and wrote a book on constructing ultralight helicopters. His interests later migrated to propeller-powered parachutes, which he purchased, and flew once, against everyone’s strong urging. Only in recent years was he finally convinced to focus on radio-controlled models. He spent many hours a day in his workshop; on the airfield, where he had many friends of all ages; or commenting in online forums regarding the most optimal construction techniques. He and his late wife volunteered in the Senior Companion Program, where they touched many lives.

He was predeceased by his wife, Lilian, in May 2013.

He is survived by his son, Michael (Alla); and two grandchildren.

Burial was in the Temple Concord section of Woodlawn Cemetery. Sisskind Funeral Service had arrangements. 

NEWS IN bRIEF From JTA

Russia says missile deal with Iran will not happen in near future

Russia will not sell Iran advanced surface-to-air missiles in the near future, Russia’s deputy foreign minister said. Russia earlier in April said it would lift its embargo on the sale of S-300 missile systems to Iran, antagonizing Israel and the United States. The advanced missile defense system could reinforce Iran’s protection of its nuclear facilities. “I do not think that it is a matter of the near future,” Sergey Ryabkov told Russia’s Tass news service on April 23. “It is far more important that a political and legal decision has been taken to open up such an opportunity.” Ryabkov was referring to the framework nuclear deal signed in Aprilbetween Iran and six world powers, including Russia. The White House claimed that Russia’s missile sale to Iran could derail the completion of the Iran nuclear deal, and Israel argued that it was evidence of Iran’s aggressive motives in the Middle East. In response to Russia’s sale, Israel floated the idea of selling arms to Ukraine. “Israel views with utmost gravity the supply of S-300 missiles from Russia to Iran,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on April 19. “Especially at a time when Iran is stepping up its aggression in the region and around the borders of the state of Israel.” Russia made a deal to sell Iran the missiles in 2007, but backed off off following strong opposition from the United States and Israel. On April 21, President Barack Obama said that the U.S. could penetrate the S-300 system. “Our defense budget is somewhere just a little under $600 billion. Theirs is a little over $17 billion,” Obama said of Iran on MSNBC’s “Hardball With Chris Matthews.” “Even if they have some air defense systems, if we had to, we could penetrate them.”

Ê

APRIL 30, 2015/11 IYAR 5775 ■

Desalination costs money, uses energy and concerns environmental activists who want to protect California’s coast and the Pacific Ocean. One cubic meter of desalinated water takes just under four kilowatt-hours to produce. That’s the equivalent of burning 40 100-watt light bulbs for one hour to produce the equivalent of five bathtubs full of water.

But despite the costs, San Diego County is investing in desalination. IDE Technologies, which operates three of Israel’s four plants, is building another near San Diego, slated to open as soon as November. Once operational, it will provide the San Diego Water Authority, which serves the San Diego area, with 50 million gallons of water per day.

“It’s a carbon footprint, but the technology is advanced enough that the cost of the process is lower than it used to be,” said Fredi Lokiec, IDE’s former executive vice president of special projects. “The environmental damage done because of a lack of ability to provide water to residents and agriculture because of the drought, because of overdrawing of groundwater, also has a price.”

Israelis irrigate through pinpricks in hoses, not by flooding.

No innovation has been more important for Israel’s desert farms than drip irrigation. Most of the world’s farmers water their crops by flooding their fields with sprinklers or hoses, often wasting water as they go. With drip irrigation, a process pioneered in Israel 50 years ago, water seeps directly into the ground through tiny pinpricks in hoses, avoiding water loss through evaporation.

Four-fifths of all water used in California goes to agriculture, and California’s farmers have been draining the state’s groundwater as rain has stopped falling. But as of 2010, less than 40 percent of California’s farms used drip irrigation, according to the Sacramento Bee. Netafim, a leading Israeli drip-irrigation company, says the practice cuts water use by up to half. Netafim spokeswoman Helene Gordon told JTA that 90 percent of Israeli farms use drip irrigation.

“It can’t be that there’s such a huge water shortage, and they’re talking about a shortage of drinking water, and on the other hand they pour huge amounts of water into the ocean that could be used for agriculture,” said Avraham Israeli, president of the Israel Water Association, which advises Israeli water companies on technology development.

Israel’s government owns all of the country’s water.

Israel treats water as a scarce national resource. The government controls the country’s entire water supply, charging citizens, factories and farmers for water use.

Residents pay about one cent per gallon, while farmers pay about a quarter of that.

In California, though, many farms drill from private wells on their property, drawing groundwater as rain has thinned. Some have even begun selling water to the state. State regulations to limit groundwater use, signed last year, won’t be formulated until 2020.

“Technology is not good enough,” said Eilon Adar, director of Ben-Gurion University’s Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research. “You have to change some of the regulation. You have to impose more limitations

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JEWISH OBSERVER

11

Continued from page 2 on water. California’s local consumers have to give up some of their rights.”

Adar and Israeli, however, both noted that adopting Israeli-style regulations in California would be near impossible, as some of California’s water rights holdings are more than a century old.

But government ownership doesn’t solve problems for all of the region’s residents. The Israeli human rights NGO Btselem says the West Bank suffers from a water shortage due to unequal allocation of the state’s water. According to Btselem, Israelis receive more than twice the amount of water per capita as Palestinians in the West Bank.

Water conservation is drilled into Israeli culture.

When an ad appeared on Israeli TV in 2008 showing a woman whose body crumbled to dust because of that year’s water shortage, a parody Facebook group suggested skin lotion. But the ad was just the latest iteration of an Israeli ethos to save water wherever possible.

Kids are taught to turn off faucets and limit shower time. Israelis celebrate rain – at least at first – rather than lamenting it. Lake Kinneret’s daily surface level shows up alongside weather reports in the paper. In 2008, at the height of a decade-long drought, Israeli, the Israel Water Association president, dried out his lawn and replaced it with a porch to save water.

Israelis’ close attention to rainfall and drought comes from an education and culture that teaches them the importance of every drop in an arid region. With no end in sight for California’s drought, Adar said Californians would do well to adopt a similar attitude.

“You take an 8-year-old boy, you pump into their head that they have to save water as a scarce national resource,” he said. “In 10 years’ time, they’re 18 years old and they get it. It’s in their blood.”

BDS

Continued from page 9 Tennessee State Senator Dolores Gresham, who cosponsored the resolution along with State Representative Sheila Butt, said the state’s legislature “chooses to preserve its values by publicly condemning this blatantly antisemitic, anti-Israel bigotry and send a clear message that Tennessee condemns such views.”

Joanne Bregman, a local Jewish activist and attorney who advocated for the resolution’s passage, told JNS. org that the Tennessee General Assembly’s action could serve as a template for other U.S. states to recognize the growing threats of the BDS movement and antisemitism.

She added that the Christian-initiated bill should be a “wake-up call” for the Jewish community to be the ones “who need to fill the public information void” on BDS and antisemitism.

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ april 30, 2015/11 IYAR 5775

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Brazil’s Jewish defense minister, Jaques Wagner, told local Jews that he supports passing controversial anti-terrorist legislation favored by their community’s leadership. Wagner, who was made minister in December, confirmed his support for the bill during a recent meeting in Brasilia with Fernando Lottenberg, president of the CONIB umbrella group representing communities and groups belonging to Brazil’s Jewish community, CONIB wrote in a statement on April 22. Proponents of the bill, initiated in 2013 by coalition senators, say it is necessary because it will empower authorities to crack down on terrorist groups before they actually carry out violence – for example at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Citing the absence of definitions for what constitutes terrorism, activists and other critics worry it could be abused to stifle dissent at a time when Brazil’s cities repeatedly are being rocked by street riots over perceived failures in government spending, including on the Olympics. The bill, which is pending review by the senate’s human rights commission, was fast-tracked last year after a cameraman, Santiago Andrade, was fatally wounded in a street riot. Still, CONIB, which has long expressed its concern over the presence of Hezbollah and other terrorist operatives in the South American country, supports the legislation and defines it as urgent, according to a CONIB statement from April 15. CONIB is also lobbying for a law that would ban Holocaust denial in Brazil.

The CONIB leaders’ meeting with Wagner coincided with a diplomatic mission to Brazil by the American Jewish Committee. AJC Executive Director David Harris said the AJC delegation expressed “admiration for Brazil’s pluralistic values and support for coexistence and peace,” but also raised during the meeting with Wagner Brazil’s consistent voting in favor of anti-Israel resolutions at the United Nations.

Rocket fired at Israel from Gaza near end of Independence Day

A rocket was fired at southern Israel from the Gaza Strip in the final hours of the country’s Independence Day. Sirens blared in the Sderot region for the first time in months due to the April 23 rocket, which caused no injuries or damage. It landed within Israeli territory in an open area of the western Negev. Since the August cease-fire that ended last summer’s war between Israel and Hamas, the Israel Defense Forces has reported several instances of weapons testing within the Gaza Strip that have set off false alarms in Israel, according to the Times of Israel.

Diplomat

much easier to communicate,” he said.

Shlomo, 60, explained that Israelis also have much in common with the Hispanic community, another significant demographic in the Southwest.

“Israel is a country of immigrants, and for us, the Hispanic experience is not just words, it’s actually something that Israelis are still going through,” he said. “Jews still come to Israel and go through this immigration experience, which is a very complicated experience, so I think there is also a lot of commonality there.”

Another bond between Israel and the Southwest is the energy sector – in particular due to the fact that Israel’s two major offshore gas fields, Tamar, discovered in 2009, and Leviathan, discovered in 2010, are both operated by the Houston-based firm Noble Energy. “We have a very good relationship with Noble Energy, and we try to be a bridge to whatever concerns they have vis-à-vis the Israeli market,” Shlomo said.

According to Shlomo, the Israeli Consulate to the Southwest U.S. has been reaching out to other independent oil companies about exploring the Israeli market, but has been met with some obstacles. “Unfortunately, the Exxons and the Shells of the world do not come to Israel for reasons that I will leave to the imagination of everybody else. I won’t speculate on it, but it’s a fact: they are not coming,” Shlomo said, likely referring to Arab influence over American energy giants.

Nevertheless, he noted that the Southwest Consulate has managed to help arrange a few delegations of various energy companies to visit Israel, including one trip headed by Mary Landrieu, the former U.S. senator from Louisiana. “It’s a win-win, because we (Israel) will win from their (energy companies’) expertise, and they will win because it looks like there is a huge potential in this area to explore it and find even more gas fields,” said Shlomo.

In addition to his various overseas posts, Shlomo has headed the foreign ministry’s Public Diplomacy Division, which is responsible for Israel’s public diplomacy campaigns throughout all of its missions around the world. Asked to assess the current challenge of working on the Jewish state’s international image, Shlomo said that, unlike the task of marketing most other entities, promoting Israel involves the dual agenda of positive marketing and responding to intense opposition.

Continued from page 4 “What have you not?” said Shlomo.

“From Arabs who will take the Arab side no matter what, to vehement antisemites who have found a new way to be antisemitic by being anti-Israel and kind of disguising their antisemitism. There is a very active negative campaign against Israel...

It’s an active war. No other commercial or country brand is actually fighting this kind of intense negative war, so that’s a huge challenge, because it’s not only about marketing Israel. It’s about dealing with the opposition to the Israeli brand that we are trying to market.”

The other challenge when it comes to enhancing Israel’s image, Shlomo said, is limited funds – a $10 million worldwide public diplomacy budget within the foreign ministry during a “good year.”

Yet, as a diplomat focused on specific regions, Shlomo has had the chance to focus on the micro, and in both Boston and Houston, he has seen Israel’s image cast in a largely positive light.

“I think in both cases I found the Jewish communities to be very warm communities, very supportive communities, very engaging communities, communities that care about what’s going on in Israel, and communities that work to deepen the U.S.-Israel relationship... That’s the most important thing for us, to care about Israel, because indifference is probably the biggest enemy that we have in the long run,” he said.

Upon returning to Israel for what is likely a three-year foreign ministry assignment, Shlomo said he hopes to enhance Israelis’ understanding about America.

“Since I spent eight years in the United States... since I was in two very different regions, the East Coast and then the Southwest, I would like to bring more of my knowledge about the United States [to Israel],” he said. “Because the United States is not only the East Coast and the West Coast, there’s a big chunk in between these two coasts, and not too many people [in Israel] factor that in when they speak about the United States. I would like to bring this wider perspective about the United States, about the issues that the United States is facing.

“At the end of the day, a strong United States is a vital interest of the whole free world, including Israel, and we would be fools not to be well-wishers for the United States to be a strong country, a strong leader, because the fate of the Western world is pretty much dependent on that.”