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7 AV 5775 • JULY 23, 2015 • VOLUME XXXIV, NUMBER 14 • PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID, SYRACUSE, NY

Temple Adath Yeshurun elects Rabbi Paul S. Drazen as the new rabbi Rabbi Paul S. Drazen was elected rabbi of Temple Adath Yeshurun at a special congregational meeting on June 4. Chaim Jaffe, chair of the Search Committee, said, “Temple Adath Yeshurun’s election of Rabbi Drazen as its senior rabbi is bashert, meant to be. As a temple community, we are privileged to have such a well-respected, authentic and hamishe member of the rabbinate join our community. We are confident that Rabbi Drazen and his wife, Susie, will inspire everyone they meet.”

Rabbi Drazen began his tenure on July 1, and he and his wife were welcomed with a congregational kiddush following Shabbat services on July 11. Temple Adath Yeshurun President Howard M. Weinstein said, “We are thrilled to welcome the

surveys measuring patterns Drazens to Temple Adath and to and trends within Conservathe greater Jewish community. tive Judaism; represented We expect that Rabbi Drazen USCJ on national and interwill lead us into the future with national policy organization great distinction.” initiatives; and wrote the Rabbi Drazen received a Safety/Security Handbook for bachelor of arts in philosophy Conservative synagogues. from Columbia University and Susie Drazen most recently his ordination from the Jewish served as director of community Theological Seminary, where services for National Council he also received an honorary of Jewish Women, New York doctor of divinity. He was the rabbi at Beth El Synagogue in Rabbi Paul Drazen Section, where she was responOmaha, NE, for 20 years, after which sible for children’s literacy programs, the he served as a senior administrator at pregnancy loss support program and the the United Synagogue for Conservative Jackson-Stricks Scholarship Program Judaism for 14 years. While at USCJ, he for students with physical disabilities. served as a consultant to synagogues; She has also served as the executive designed, implemented and analyzed director for two not-for-profit agencies;

as a program and education director for two synagogues; and as a college guest lecturer on post-World War II and the Middle East.

The Drazens are the parents of two adult children, Gila and Yonah, and his wife, Megan.

Rabbi Drazen said, “Our first Shabbatot in Syracuse have been truly wonderful. It’s been a joy meeting so many Temple Adath members and, in this short time, already being able to participate in an auf ruf and bar mitzvah. In the coming weeks and months, Susie and I are looking forward to getting to know more congregants, as well as members of the larger Syracuse community. We hope to add to their long and remarkable history as spiritual anchors of Central New York.”

Camp Seneca Lake teen leadership retreat to be held in September Syracuse teenagers have been invited to join teenagers from Buffalo and Rochester for the first time at a leadership retreat to be held from Friday-Sunday, September 11-13, at Camp Seneca Lake in Penn Yan. Buffalo and Rochester teenagers participated at the retreat in 2014, its first year.

The weekend will be open to all Jews aged 13-18, in grades eight-12. Shabbat will be observed, as well as kashrut.

The Syracuse participants will travel to the camp on a bus leaving the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse, 5655 Thompson Rd., DeWitt, on September 11 at 4:15 pm, with an arrival at camp in time to appropriately observe Shabbat. The teenagers will return home around 11 am on September 13, in time to observe erev Rosh Hashanah. The JCC will accept applications, which will be posted at www.jccsyr.org.

Richard Gordon, coordinator of teen education and Israel trips at the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester (585-4610490, ext. 8637), and Jill Komm, executive director of the Buffalo Bureau of Jewish Education (716-204-5380), organized the program last year. It is underwritten by the Louis S. and Molly B. Wolk Foundation in Rochester.

There will be Friday night services, then a mixer to introduce everyone. The teenagers will then be assigned cabins, with lights out at 11 pm. In the morning on Saturday, September 12, they will have breakfast, followed by Shabbat services.

Leadership training activities will be held before and after lunch.

Among the other programming – all supervised by staff, chaperones and religious leadership – there will be mixers, discussion groups, waterfront

activities and sports, as well as free time. The program’s goal is to have the teenagers leave the camp with “a new or enhanced” understanding of leadership-related skills, such as communication, teamwork and goal setting. For a secondary benefit, it will be intended to help build “a bond of friendship” among the participants and help them network with the neighboring Jewish communities.

The Saturday dinner will be followed by Havdalah and a campfire, with more activities.

The cost of the fully-kosher retreat, which is under the kosher supervision of Aaron Cantor (acantor@jccrochester. org), will be modest and includes food.

The teenagers will need bedding, their clothes, towels and toiletries. Each teenager has been asked to contribute $18,

which will then be donated to a cause the teenagers themselves will decide upon at the retreat. In the process, they will learn about philanthropy and tzedakah.

The Syracuse agency coordinating the trip is the JCC. Checks should be made out to the JCC and marked “Teen Leadership Retreat.” The JCC is in charge of local advertising and receiving all applications, which are on www.jccsyr.org.

Organizers are hoping to have a rabbi or cantor present from one of the three communities to lead services and be available for guidance.

They are also seeking chaperones, for whom there will be a small stipend. It is hoped that there will be, at the most, a 15to-one ratio of campers to chaperones.

For more information, contact Syracuse coordinator Ruth Borsky at 488-2525 or Ruth139@aol.com.

Nicholas Winton, Kindertransport organizer known as “British Schindler,” dies at 106 (JTA) – Sir Nicholas Winton, changed his plans when he who organized the Kinderheard about the refugee crisis transport that rescued 669 in Czechoslovakia, which had children from Nazi-occupied just been occupied by the Czechoslovakia, died on July Nazis. In the following nine 1 at 106. Winton was known as months, he organized eight the “British Schindler.” trains that carried children, The baptized son of Jewthe vast majority of them ish parents, Winton was Jewish, from Czechoslovakia a 29-year-old stockbroker to safety in Britain. Winton’s when he arrived in Prague Nicholas Winton heroism was unremarked in December 1938. He was (Photo by Peter until the 1980s, when his planning to go on a skiing Macdiarmid/Getty wife found evidence of the holiday in Switzerland, but rescues. The discovery led Images)

to a reunion with some of the children and a documentary.

Britain’s chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, praised Winton for his “exceptional courage, selflessness and modesty. ...He lived to see thousands of descendants of those whose lives he saved who were proud to call themselves members of

his family, and who were inspired by his example to undertake outstanding charitable, humanitarian and educational initiatives,” Mirvis was quoted as saying by the BBC. Winton received many honors in his later years, including a knighthood. Last See “Winton” on page 11

C A N D L E L I G H T I N G A N D P A R AS H A July 24.......................8:17 pm...................................Parasha-Devarim-Tisha B’Av July 31.......................8:09 pm................................................. Parasha-Vaetchanan August 7...................8:01 pm............................................................. Parasha-Ekev

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Golf tournament

Congregational notes

Teen Funders

The 33rd annual Jewish Home Area congregations announce new The Jewish Community FoundOpen golf tournament on August staff, upcoming Shabbat services ation’s Teen Funders announce 19 will honor two former chairs. and more. their latest allocations.

Story on page 4 Story on page 3 Story on page 5

PLUS Bar/Bat Mitzvah..................8-9 Calendar Highlights............. 10 Mazel Tov................................ 10 Obituaries................................11

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ july 23, 2015/7 AV 5775

a matter of opinion Reflections on our trip to Berlin

By Linda Alexander Reprinted from the September 27, 2007, issue of the Jewish Observer. It is being republished at the request of numerous readers.

I have been asked by many about our recent trip to Berlin. It has taken me a few days to digest my thoughts. I have had a chance to reflect on our experiences... and I am glad to share them.

We were invited as the guests of the city of Berlin, Germany, to spend a week touring, meeting dignitaries, and seeing for ourselves the rebirth of Berlin. This invitation is offered to every person who was born in Berlin and forced to leave because of the Nazi regime. The tours have been offered since 1969 and almost 15,000 ex-Berliners have been sponsored. (Frankly, I think 15,000 includes the spouses or partners who are invited to join the expatriate Berliner, but who can argue with the Germans and their ability to track numbers?)

The invitation was extended to us because, as many of you know, Steven was born in Berlin and left with his parents at a young age in December of 1939...about as late as anyone could leave. As he often says, it was “ two minutes to midnight.” Steven and I joined 50 others on thisAugust tour, one of three offered each year by the Berlin government. This year, one of the annual tours was offered in May and consisted of only Americans, one in March was for Israelis and the one in August had mixed participation. Ours was the mixed tour, and our group consisted of only five Americans, with the balance coming from France, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil and Chile.

The days for these trips to be offered to survivors are numbered. With the requirement that one had to have been born in Berlin prior to World War II, as the population ages, there are fewer and fewer people still alive. All those on our

trip were children when they left Berlin in the 1930s. The international definition of a Holocaust survivor has changed to include anyone who was “displaced by the Nazis,” which includes Steven and all the ex-Berliners on our trip. This seemed odd to many of us who believe the title survivor should pertain only to those Jews who survived a concentration camp or managed to outlive the war in Europe.

The group of 50 met in Berlin and spent a week being wined and dined, staying at the five-star Kempinsky Hotel on the Kurferstendam; dining at fine restaurants; being taken around the city on deluxe buses with tour guides; seeing the sites of Berlin by day and by night. It is truly a fascinating city.

As Steven so rightly said, “They’re back!”

The city is the third most-visited European tourist spot after London and Paris. Berlin is a bustling, cosmopolitan city of three and a half million people. It’s a shopper’s

paradise – although not so much so today with the value of the American dollar. There is the former eastern section since the wall came down in 1989, with the wide streets needed for the Russian tanks to parade, and the old Soviet Union architecture, much of which is being replaced with modern, multi-million dollar complexes. (Eat your heart out, destiny.)

Steven and I have watched the progress of this building boom (the largest in Europe), having visited Berlin on our own three times throughout the past 15 years. What seemed eerie to us this time were the rows and rows of streets with new office buildings, which gave a feeling of prosperity. But if you looked closely, only the first few floors were occupied, while the ones above were mostly empty – a huge investment in a gamble of “build it and they will come.” We wonder how this will end up.

See “Berlin” on page 6

a matter of opinion Katko-Rice joint statement on Iran

By U.S. Rep. John Katko and U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice Editor ’s note: This joint, nonpartisan opinion piece regarding nuclear negotiations with Iran was prepared by Republican U.S. Representative John

Katko (NY-24) and Democratic U.S. Representative Kathleen Rice (NY-4) at the beginning of July. It also ran in the July 10 issue of the 5 Towns Jewish Times. Katko’s district includes all of Cayuga, Onondaga and Wayne counties, and the western part

a matter of opinion Why universities need a definition of antisemitism

By Kenneth L. Marcus Does it matter how we define our words? Sometimes it does. The U.S. Department of Education understands this point, as do the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Universities need to learn it, too.

Last year, the Education Department paid the CDC to develop a uniform definition of the word “bullying.” Both agencies recognized that a uniform definition was needed to assist schools to understand what bullying is, when it occurs and whether efforts to prevent it are successful. This is a basic point, and yet it is lost on many

people, especially when the students involved are Jewish.

Later in July, the regents of the 10-campus University of California system will decide whether to adopt a uniform definition of antisemitism. They are responding to requests from several organizations, including mine, to adopt the U.S. State Department’s well-regarded definition.

This is a big issue for the UC schools, which have recently seen many high-profile antisemitic incidents.

At UCLA, student government officials questioned a Jewish student’s ability to be See “Universities” on page 10

letters to the editor Seeds of change To the Editor: PBS’s “1913: Seeds of Conflict,” shown on WCNY on June 30 painted a very unrealistic picture of an idyllic coexistence between Jews and Arabs in Ottoman Palestine. If only, it suggests, some pushy Russian Jews hadn’t insensitively disrespected their Arab neighbors, no Arab-Israel conflict might have ensued.

Nice try, but not so.

Christians and Jews both then lived there as “dhimmis,” second and third class inhabitants, respectively. There are well-documented instances of repeated anti-Jewish violence, even in the decades prior to the First Aliyah (1882). The Jews surely cannot be faulted for the grossly inequitable social conditions that then existed. They legally bought land, at very high prices, from largely absentee owners. Naturally, the Bedouin resented their inability to no longer have access to those lands, but their complaints lacked legal substance.

Particularly unfortunate was the program’s assertion that the Jews expected to

find “a land without people for a people without a land.” That slogan was coined by non-Jewish advocates, and there were many, for a return of the Jews to the land of Israel. Moreover, clear-eyed observers, such as Vladimir Jabotinsky, saw that a clash between communities was inevitable. Though some prominent early Zionists thought to forestall that by advocacy of a bi-national state, such approaches were violently rebuffed.

Many strands are woven into the origins of the Arab-Israel conflict; but surely the World War I disintegration of the Ottoman Empire; the post-war League of Nations award of a Palestine Mandate to Great Britain to prepare for a Jewish national homeland; the growth of a nationalist Arab press; and, most ominously of all, the utterly misguided British 1921 appointment of Haj Amin el-Hussein as grand mufti of Jerusalem, were far more consequential causes of following conflict than this nowcited, single, isolated incident.

Sincerely yours, Richard D. Wilkins

of Oswego County. Rice’s district includes the communities of Baldwin, Bellmore, East Rockaway, East Meadow, the Five Towns, Lynbrook, Floral Park, Franklin Square, Garden City, Hempstead, Long Beach, Malverne, Merrick, Mineola, Carle Place, New Hyde Park, Oceanside, Rockville Centre, Roosevelt, Uniondale, Wantagh, West Hempstead and Westbury, all on Long Island, NY. As American and Iranian negotiators work to finalize an agreement seeking to restrict Iran’s nuclear capabilities, many questions remain unanswered. We don’t know what is on the table in this final round of negotiations; what concessions have been made or considered by either side; or what exactly the final deal might look like. That said, there are a few basic elements this deal must include to have any chance of permanently preventing a nuclear-armed Iran.

First and foremost, Iran must agree to aggressive inspections and verification

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protocols. Our greatest concern in completing an agreement with Iran is that we have no reason to trust that Iranian leaders will abide by its terms. In fact, we have every reason not to. We need independent verification that they are following the rules, and that means inspectors must be free to go anywhere at any time – including military sites.

Our aggressive economic sanctions are what brought Iranian leaders to the table, and if they want relief from those sanctions, they have to earn it. Signing a piece of paper is not enough. If we do agree to ease sanctions, we must do so gradually, and only as we verify that Iran is fully complying with the terms of the agreement and fully cooperating with inspectors on the ground. A failure to do so must result in immediate consequences.

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AROUND CENTRAL NEW YORK Israel Scouts performance reminder The Central New York Chapter of Friends of Israel Scouts will present performances of the 2015 Tzofim Friendship Caravan at the Binghamton Jewish Community Center on Tuesday, July 28, at 7 pm; the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse on Wednesday, July 29, at 7 pm; Menorah Park on Thursday, July 30, at 2 pm; and the Utica Jewish Community

Federation of the Mohawk Valley on Thursday, July 30, at 7 pm. The Central New York Chapter of Friends of Israel Scouts has been welcoming the Tzofim Friendship Caravan to the area since 1985.

The shows are made possible with funds provided by the State and Local Partnership Program of the New York State Council on the Arts, through its

decentralization initiative administrated locally by CNY Arts. The Jewish Federation of Central New York, the Pomeranz, Shankman and Martin Charitable Foundation and individual donors make the programming possible.

For more information, contact Chairs Melinda and Bud Greenman at 457-7201.

Jewish Home Open golf includes tribute to two former chairs

By Stewart Koenig At the 33rd annual Jewish Home Open golf tournament at Drumlins East on Wednesday, August 19, during the after-golf dinner, two former chairs, David Schmuckler and Phil Stein, who died during the past year, will be honored.

Menorah Park of Central New York CEO Mary Ellen Bloodgood said, “David and Phil were the best of what our community has to offer. Their efforts on behalf of Menorah Park are immeasurable; we miss them and decided the Jewish Home Open is just the right time and

place to pay them tribute. David helped on the tournament from the very first one and continued with Phil to keep it going for 32 wonderful years. The 33rd will be for them and we hope their friends and associates will join us for the dinner that evening.”

Funds raised from the tournament, sponsorships, raffle and silent auction help ensure that seniors continue to receive “excellent, state-of-the-art” care at Menorah Park.

The Jewish Home Open will begin with lunch at 11:30 am, followed by the golf tournament. Following the golf outing will be a cocktail reception; dinner, which will

Menorah Park names Thomas Carlson new director of The Inn

By Stewart Koenig Thomas Carlson is the new executive director of The Inn at Menorah Park. The Inn is the assisted living component of the continuum of care campus at Menorah Park of Central New York.

Prior to joining Menorah Park, Carlson served as the executive director of CNY Adult Homes Inc. in Weedsport, NY. He has more than 20 years of experience directing clinical and professional staff operations, including policy and system development, project management and day-to-day reporting in non-profit and for-profit environments.

He received his bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Oswego.

Menorah Park CEO Mary Ellen Bloodgood said, “Thomas Carlson’s body of experience and compassionate nature make him a perfect fit to run The Inn. We’re thrilled that he has joined our team.”

PJ Library scavenger hunt at the zoo

PJ Library® members participated in a scavenger hunt on June 14 at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. Upon arrival, all of the children received a PJ bag that included a zoo adventure guide, stickers, a handmade pair of cardboard binoculars and animal crackers. Families were encouraged to explore the zoo using the adventure guide, and talk to their children about some of the animals and how the animals behave like people, all in connection with Jewish values. Children were also invited to take a break and decorate a visor during their visit. Organizers agreed that the turnout was “great” and the weather was “beautiful.”

The PJ Library will host a table at the Jewish Music and Cultural Festival on Sunday, August 30, at the Sam See “PJ” on page 6

Thomas Carlson, the new executive director of the Inn at Menorah Park, visited resident Emily Hammer.

Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center senior dining menu July 27-31 Monday dinner at 5 pm – salmon with pineapple and mango salsa Tuesday – pulled barbecue chicken Wednesday – Hawaiian chicken Thursday – Salisbury steak Friday – Moroccan chicken August 3-21 August menu to be announced The Bobbi Epstein Lewis JCC Senior Adult Dining Program at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse offers Va’ad Ha’ir-supervised kosher lunches served Tuesday-Friday at noon. Din-

include the tribute to Schmuckler and Stein; an awards program with door prizes; and a silent auction.

Once again this year, local media and sports celebrities will join the golfers on each hole to give a hand. Foursomes and individual golfers can register, and sponsorships are available. Donations of goods for door prizes and the auction have been encouraged, and all are welcome to attend the dinner. For golf registration, donations and dinner reservations, visit www.MenorahParkofCNY. com or contact Bill Motto at wcmotto@yahoo.com or 657-3718.

ners are served on Mondays at 5 pm throughout the summer. Reservations for dinner are required by the Wednesday before each dinner. Lunch reservations are required by noon on the previous business day.

There is a suggested contribution per meal. The menu is subject to change. The program is funded by a grant from the Onondaga County Department of Aging and Youth and the New York State Office for the Aging, with additional funds provided by the JCC. To attend, one need not be Jewish or a member of the JCC. For more information or to make a reservation, contact Leesa Paul at 445-2360, ext. 104, or lpaul@jccsyr.org.

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ july 23, 2015/7 AV 5775

congregational notes Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas New youth advisor

By Joan Bordett Congregation Beth SholomChevra Shas recently added Sara Goldfarb to the synagogue’s staff as the congregation’s youth group advisor. She will work with the Achla Chapter of United Sara Goldfarb Synagogue Youth, teenagers in ninth-12th grade, and Kadima, fifth-eighth grade.

Goldfarb expressed her “passion for working with Jewish teens” gained through experience with the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization in Connecticut, where she was said to be an

active teen leader, serving as regional membership vice president, Judaism vice president, community service vice president and social action vice president. She has experience in leadership development, program planning and implementation, social action, and membership engagement.

CBS-CS Rabbi Andrew Pepperstone said, “I am excited to have a mature, young adult with experience and expertise to work with our youth, who are our future.”

Goldfarb is a graduate of the Syracuse University College of Law and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. She is a law clerk for the Burton Blatt Institute.

For more information about the CBSCS youth groups, contact Goldfarb at cbscs.kad.usy@gmail.com.

Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas members and friends with babies and children socialized and planned their upcoming events.

Rachel Pettiford showed off her “edible Torah” at the CBS-CS Religious School open house.

Shaarei Torah Orthodox Congregation STOCS hosts breakfast with video feed from Syracusans in Israel Shaarei Torah Orthodox Congregation of Israel held a breakfast on June 28 with a live video connection with three former Syracusans now living in Israel: Yehoshua Paltiel, son of Norman and Joan Poltenson; Miriam Burstein, daughter of Steve and Nancy Baron; and David Feiler, longtime STOCS member. They fielded a number of questions about life in Israel, changes they have observed while there and their reactions to various current events.

They said that the availability and cost of housing is a “critical domestic issue,” with Feiler noting that “housing prices are rising 10-15 percent annually.

Even modest urban apartments can cost $300,000-400,000. Rental costs are also rising significantly. There have been serious attempts to increase supply, but new projects bump up against multi-year bureaucratic delays.”

All three have seen dramatic changes since moving. Paltiel said, “Imported consumer goods that were once unobtainable are now available and not exorbitantly priced.” Feiler added, “The standard of living is at European levels. There is a poverty gap, but the poor tend to be largely ‘invisible...’ but there are many private and government assistance efforts.”

Although their news comes mostly through Israeli media, they expressed disappointment over foreign media coverage. Paltiel said, “Foreign students I talk to often remark as to ‘how much calmer and normal Israel is’ from what they have seen on the news. Events abroad that loom large usually excite little local interest.

The international media display little interest in always occurring very positive happenings – humanitarian activities, at home and abroad, technological advances, etc.” In addition to the Israel21c.org site, Feiler recommended Michael Ordman’s weekly newsletter, verygoodnewsisrael.

BlogSpot.com for those who would like to keep up with more positive news.

The three agreed that Israel should not get involved in the ongoing strife in Syria. Feiler thought that “that would only invite criticism from all sides.” However, “the downgrading of arch-enemy Syria’s military” did afford Israelis some “breathing room.” All three felt that the greatest strategic threat now facing Israel was Iran.

Burstein joked that she would not “aspire to be foreign minister.”

During last summer’s Gaza War, the Feilers in Netanya were least affected.

“Sirens sounded only twice, once for a rocket overhead aimed at Haifa. The shelter in our 34-unit apartment building, while well-maintained, was not used. Instead, following government instructions, residents congregated in the central hallway.”

The Paltiels in Beth Shemesh had to go to their safe room six times. Paltiel’s mother-in-law, who lives in the southern town of Machon Oz, directly across from Gaza City, was said to be “not so fortunate,” with “sirens constantly sounding, with only 15 seconds to get to a shelter.”

Residents had previously reported “noises underneath their homes, which turned out to be a terror tunnel.” Burstein, who lives in Jerusalem, was giving birth to their fourth child, and found the time “very stressful ...with only one and a half minutes to get to a shelter.”

Temple Adath Yeshurun

Nearly 40 members of TAY Hazak and friends visited the Corning Museum of Glass on June 17. Following the tour, the group had lunch at Jerlando’s Restaurant in Watkins Glen, then stopped along Seneca Lake for ice cream before heading back to Syracuse.

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TC Shabbat in the Park Temple Concord offers celebrations in many of the parks throughout Onondaga County during the summer. By selecting parks that are spread out, organizers hope that Shabbat will be brought closer to where congregants live. Members, as well as non-members, have been invited to share Shabbat in “the beauty of the natural world.”

Shabbat services begin at 6 pm, with dinner immediately following the blessings over the candles, wine and challah.

Participants have been encouraged to bring a lawn chair. Dinners will be catered for the remaining scheduled Shabbat-in-thePark services. Participants may bring their

own meal, if they prefer, but they have been asked not to bring pork or shellfish.

Services are free and open to the public.

For meal reservations, for which there is a modest charge, with a family maximum, call 475-9952.

There will be a traditional picnic on Friday, July 31, at 6 pm, in Mill Run Park in Manlius. Shabbat will be on Friday, August 14, at 6 pm, at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center pool. The pool will be open. There will be a “Welcome Back SU BBQ” on Friday, August 28, at 6 pm, in the TC parking lot.

For more information, contact the TC office at 475-9952.

JULY 23, 2015/7 AV 5775 ■

Teen Funders allocate b’nai mitzvah funds

Do You Know?

Your Federation dollars at work – Syracuse Community Hebrew School There are many advantages

By Jackie Miron that the Syracuse Community The Jewish Federation of Hebrew School will provide to Central New York has awarded Syracuse’s small Jewish coma $20,000 Community Program munity. The school will make Fund grant to the newly-estabcertain that the educational lished Syracuse Community leaders in the community, as Hebrew School. well as the teachers, operate A joint venture of Congregawithin a community mindset. tion Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas, For example, the directors of Temple Adath Yeshurun and Jackie Miron the three religious schools will Temple Concord, the school grew out of a desire of the three participat- be regularly meeting together to plan the ing congregations to provide a high quality curriculum and professional development Jewish educational experience, together for the teachers. In addition, the teachers with an increased sense of community. will have to communicate more with one The SCHS will begin this fall for grades another to ensure that the Wednesday and three-seven and will be hosted by Temple Sunday curricula are cohesive and support Adath Yeshurun for the first two years. The student learning.

SCHS Education Director Shannon school will alternate locations every two years. It is scheduled to be hosted next by Small said, “There is a great deal of exciteCongregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas ment building around the opening of the program. One of the greatest benefits that and then Temple Concord.

Each synagogue will continue to hold the Syracuse Community Hebrew School its own religious school program on will provide to the children in the comSunday morning. The directors from the munity is an opportunity for the children individual religious schools will adapt to get to know one another, regardless of their curriculum so that it coordinates with where they attend synagogue. Building the curriculum of the SCHS. Parents will relationships in our community is vital to continue to register and pay tuition at their the growth of Jewish religion, culture, and respective synagogue religious school. tradition now and in the future.”

In our challenging and changing Each synagogue will then pay tuition to the SCHC, with the amount determined world, building bridges among students, by the number of students attending. The parents and educators will be a win-win registration forms for the individual reli- for all involved. The Pomeranz, Shankgious schools will be adapted to include man, and Martin Charitable Foundation and the Dorothy and Marshall Reisman information needed for the SCHS. The Federation grant is for costs needed Foundation provided additional fundto open and operate the school, such as ing, as well as the three congregations, textbooks, storage units, white boards, which made individual donations. These workbooks and iPads with language organizations, as well as the Jewish Fedlearning apps for learning Hebrew. The eration of Central New York, believe in grant will cover any additional expenses the success of the Syracuse Community Hebrew School. needed to establish the school.

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After this year’s discussions, the funders decided to donate to several organizations: Fayetteville-Manlius – A Better Chance – $300. This organization gives young women with a goal in life an opportunity to succeed and “meet their highest potential.”

The FMABC house in the village of Manlius provides a home for six scholars to attend Fayetteville-Manlius High School for four years to receive the education they need to qualify for college.

Forget-Me-Nots Chorus – $450. The Forget-Me-Nots Chorus was created last year to help caregivers and their loved ones with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. During a 10-week session, participants learn new songs that “spark their memories,” and are said to “make them smile.” A new song book accompanies each session.

From the Ground Up – $500. This organization helps those with learning, physical and emotional disabilities by offering therapeutic horse riding sessions.

With the help of the Teen Funders, the organization intends to provide its services to some local teenagers.

Syracuse Jewish Family Service – $550 to help seniors to “Be A Friend! Stop a Bully!” The program has small groups that gather twice each month with SJFS social workers to talk safely about themselves and “have some fun” with other

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By Jake Charlamb Individuals who become a bar or bat mitzvah, in addition to becoming an adult in the Jewish community, have opportunity to be inducted into the teen funders, a group of teenagers from bar or bat mitzvahage-seniors in high school. Teen funders participants can pool a small amount of their bar or bat mitzvah funds with other teenagers’ funds, and together they decide where that money is sent.

By pooling the money with that of other teenagers, there is more to donate and the teen funders can have a larger impact on the community. However, the process of deciding where the funds will be donated is not considered to be easy. Twice a year, the teen funders meet and review requests for assistance from various Jewish and non-Jewish organizations. They learn how to evaluate requests, they discover what is important to them an individuals and learn what the community needs to make it stronger. Within these requests is a brief explanation of what the various organizations do, along with how much money they are requesting and where they will use the funds. When the teen funders meet, they sit around a table with food and read the requests to decide to whom the money will be granted.

At the teen funders’ most recent meeting, they were able to pool together $3,300 and decide where it should be donated.

They also were said to have learned “the art of persuasion.” Each participant tried to persuade the others to donate to their preferred organization, which led to dis-

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ july 23, 2015/7 AV 5775

Girls on the Run concludes program at the JCC

By William Wallak The 10-week after school program Girls on the Run, for girls in third-fifth grade of all abilities, concluded in June with the class running in Paige’s Butterfly Run. Participants learned about self-respect, healthy lifestyles and other values. The idea behind the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse’s program is that running can be used as the basis for teaching “valuable life lessons.”

In addition to preparing the girls to run the race, Girls on the Run instructors had the girls interact with each other in various ways. They participated in group exercises and discussions aimed at them becoming physically and mentally stronger; setting goals for making healthy choices; learn-

Girls on the Run coaches Lindsay Denny and Jordan Hurd (l-r, sitting against the couch) led a group discussion with participants last spring at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse.

Berlin

The tour included visiting government buildings, which were very impressive – especially as Berlin is now the capital of Germany. We visited the mayor’s office and met the mayor; visited their capital building, and met senators and congressmen; and took a cruise down the canals with more politicians. All the dignitaries were very gracious and included in their remarks how they could appreciate how difficult it must be for all the ex-Berliners to return to this city of their birth, having left under terrible circumstances. They all spouted the party line of how welcoming Berlin is now to newcomers, and how proud they are of the new burgeoning Jewish community that is returning to Berlin... but more on that later.

The tour went to some Holocaust and memorial sites, including the new Jewish Museum designed by Daniel Liebeskind, well worth a full day’s visit, and the new Jewish memorial recently finished at a prime location one block from the Brandenburg Gate, but which we found disappointing – thousands of concrete stones, standing like gravestones, but with no words, names or story to accompany them. We felt that it lacked a message.

We also visited many sites with a Jewish theme. There are a few new synagogues, Jewish book stores and Jewish centers throughout Berlin. This is due to the influx of Jews who have moved into the city in the past 15 years – 80 percent of them are from the former Soviet Union.

Berlin now counts 12,000 Jews among their residents.

Ironically, they now enjoy more police protection than any other citizen. Contrary to the U.S., where we have a “free speech” right, in Germany it is illegal to call someone an antisemitic name. It can put you in jail, which we found ironic. It is also interesting to note that it is easy to spot any building with a connection to the Jewish community – religious, social or official business, even the Jewish

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book store, as there are two policemen standing guard outside 24/7. It is sad that this is necessary, but this fear of antisemitism is true throughout Europe.

One afternoon we were invited to make “home visits,” which is when a Berlin couple invited us to their home for coffee and kuchen. They picked us up at the hotel and drove us to their home, where we spent a few hours.

Our couple was a Berlin physician and her husband.

They were interested in Steven’s story – where his father had been a physician in Berlin and first had his practice limited to Jewish patients, and then had his practice and home taken over by a Nazi doctor. Our hosts told us how at the end of the war, their parents feared falling into the hands of the Russians, so they all ran into the arms of the Amis (Americans). Of course, they claimed that their parents were not sympathetic to the Nazis. We’ve yet to find one that was; although somehow, there were millions cheering Hitler at every rally. The Berlin couple were most interested in how Steven felt as a Jew now back for this visit – and how the general Jewish community felt now – 60 years after the war. I loved Steven’s analysis. He explained that there is one big difference now for all Jews that did not exist back in the 1930s, and that one difference means everything... and that is the state of Israel. They didn’t really understand him and he had to explain it a few times – that the existence of Israel was our sanctuary, our refuge, which we sorely missed back then.

Now we get to my part in the week’s activities. I set out with the intention of just sitting back and enjoying the week – no e-mail, no phone calls, no organizing. I would just have to get on and off the bus when told. Well, this didn’t last long. Friends of ours who had gone on the same trip a few months ago told us that they had organized a get-together one evening, when the group could share stories of their past. I left Syracuse with no intention of doing this, as organizing a Jewish group seemed more like a “busman’s holiday” to me. However, events unfolded and my emotions got the better of me. After spending the week hearing about how far Berlin had come, and the great future of the city that was ahead, I felt that there still was a place for this group to look backwards and remember.

There were untold stories that needed to be heard... and those were the stories of these former Berliners... where

PJ Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse, 5655 Thompson Rd., DeWitt.

The PJ Library, a nationally acclaimed literacy program started by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, 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 JCC and 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 PJ Library in Central New York serves children from 6-months-8-years-old in Cortland, Madison, Onondaga and Oswego counties. For more information and to sign up, visit www.pjlibrary.org or e-mail pjcny@jccsyr.org.

At right (l-r): Danielle Finkelstein, Isabella Weinberg and Marissa Spevak showed off their visors during the PJ Library zoo trip.

ing more about being a good friend and helping others in the community.

Jordan Hurd, a Girls on the Run coach, said, “The girls loved it. They were meeting new friends and would just light up when they got together each week. The feedback has just been wonderful.”

The JCC has hosted Girls on the Run for the past several years. It is a program of Girls on the Run of the Finger Lakes, and is taught by trained coaches. Started in 1996 in Charlotte, NC, Girls on the Run aims to provide pre-adolescent girls with tools to help embrace their individual strengths and prepare them for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living.

For more information, contact the JCC at 445-2360.

Continued from page 2 they came from, what their lives had been like and how they managed to survive. Throughout the week there had been no session where we were given the opportunity to meet together as a group to just share stories. This omission concerned me. Why was this not part of the week’s plan?

Whatever the reason, I set out to fill the void.

So, on the last day of the tour, I asked the hotel for a meeting room for that evening. We took the opportunity, with the use of the bus microphone, to mention that we were having this informal meeting to share stories and anyone who wanted to attend was welcome. We had no idea if anyone would show up. In the end, just about everyone came. It turned out to be a fascinating evening.

It felt like we were in the middle of a documentary.

As we went around the room, everyone had the opportunity to tell about his or her life and their parents’ lives before the war, how they got out and their life’s story since.

Most people repeated the mantra that “they almost waited too long.” Their families were proud Germans and couldn’t believe that the madness would really last. For the most part, they all wanted to come to America, but the U.S. was very stingy giving out visas in the 1930s, as was the rest of the world. The American State Department was known to be quite antisemitic and took far too few refugees.

Steven mentioned to the group that contrary to what we are told – that the “educated” didn’t go along with the Nazis – his father told him that when the Nazis came to power – announcing that the Jewish doctors, lawyers and professors would have to leave their positions – their respective professional societies were only too quick to throw them out.

There was a common thread that came through in most of their stories: how their escape from the hellhole in Germany was often due to help from some non-Jewish friend or co-worker. This soothed their souls and made them realize that not everyone was a monster and confirmed their faith in their fellow man.

All in all, it was a good trip – poignant at times, painful at times – but we were glad we went. The Berlin government certainly tried to put a positive face on their present and future. However, as we stood in front of the Berlin apartment where Steven’s grandparents were picked up in an “Alter Transport” in 1942 and sent first to Theresenstadt and then Auschwitz, where they disappeared, it brought us back to the reality of why we were there.

Continued from page 3

JULY 23, 2015/7 AV 5775 ■

JEWISH OBSERVER

JCC summer camp kicks off with fun and friendship

By William Wallak The Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse began its Camp Rishon summer day camp for preschool and school-age children on June 29.

Hundreds of children came together at the JCC in DeWitt.

Each day, campers have opportunities to interact with peers, make new friends and participate in activities. Campers can go swimming and are kept active every day.

The JCC’s Early Childhood Camp

is open to children from 6-months-5years-old, while the school-age camp is for children entering first-sixth grade.

The SyraCruisin’ Teen Travel Camp for teenagers entering seventh-10th grade, and began on July 6.

Enrollment for the JCC’s camps is weekly, with the base camp day running from 9 am-4 pm. Early and late care options are available for all campers, allowing each camp day to be extended from 7 am-6 pm for the Early Childhood Camp

and 7:30 am-6 pm for the school-age and SyraCruisin’ camps. Summer camp at the JCC this year runs through Friday, August 21.

Spots are still available for the JCC’s summer camps, with registration continuing throughout the summer, but the spots are said to be “filling fast” as

7

families finalize their mid- and late-summer plans. Current JCC membership is not necessary for enrollment in Camp Rishon. However, JCC members receive a discounted rate.

For more information about Camp Rishon or to request the camp program guide, call 445-2360 or visit www.jccsyr.org.

JMAC fund-raiser

Forty attendees helped raise $3,000 for the 2015 Jewish Music and Cultural Festival as they listened to clarinetist Robin Seletsky on June 14 at the home of Richard and Neva Pilgrim, of Syracuse. Pianist Joann Chmielowski and drummer Mark Wolfe accompanied Seletsky, who will perform with her ensemble, The Big Galut(e) at JMAC on Sunday, August 30, from noon-6 pm, at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center. For more information about the festival, visit SyracuseJewishFestival.org or the JMAC page on Facebook.

In the center of the school-age campers, Israeli Scouts (l-r) Tamar Yarkoni and Adi Peleg held a megaphone as they prepared to sing “Hatikvah” (“The Hope”), Israel’s national anthem, to close out the first day of Camp Rishon summer camp on June 29 at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse. The Scouts are staying with area host families during the JCC’s eight weeks of summer camp and assisting in the school-age camp by leading Israeli culture and enrichment activities.

IsraAID helps rebuild tornado ravaged homes in Coal City

By Viva Sarah Press Reprinted with permission from Israel21C.org and IsraAID (July 2) – The Israeli humanitarian aid relief organization IsraAID is sending an eight-member team to Coal City, IL, to help rebuild the community in the wake of an EF3 tornado that recently ripped through the town. Winds of up to 160 mph left utter destruction in its wake, including 884 damaged properties.

The Israeli team members are set to join an American army veteran group to help

Teen

homeowners gut and fix their homes. Local reports cite that 349 damaged properties are still habitable, 375 are habitable with repairs needed, 106 are uninhabitable and 54 were lost completely.

Among the IsraAID volunteers is the grandson of a Holocaust survivor. The grandmother, Bracha Heffner, was raised as a Catholic by a foster family in Germany after the Nazis murdered her father and her mother died of an illness. At 59, upon learning she was Jewish, she moved her entire family to Israel.

Continued from page 5

people, forming friendships they need to help protect themselves and each other from bullies.

The Abraham Fund – $600. This nonpartisan, non-profit Israeli organization works to advance “a shared society of co-existence and equality” among Israel’s Jewish and Arab citizens aged 11-12. The project pairs up Jewish and Arab schools and gives the students, their teachers and parents opportunities to meet and “get to know” each other. The Encounters Project is said to play “an essential role” in rebuilding Jewish and Arab relations in Israel.

Crouse Health Foundation – $900.

Kangaroo Care provides parents of premature and critically-ill babies with “a more

comfortable” place to hold and bond with their baby in a new, upholstered, reclining arm chair. This is said to help babies’ development and can improve a baby’s breathing, blood pressure and heart rate, as well as help them digest their food and aid in brain development.

After the teen funders’ donations, they receive thank-you letters from the organizations that received funds, and they always express how appreciative they are for the support. This is why teen funders say they “love being a part of the teen funders,” and why they think being a part of the organization is important. They note learning important skills, such as how to evaluate need, and that it instills values such as philanthropy in each of the participants.

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315-457-9946 elderwood.com L-r: Teen funders Jacob Charlamb, Timothy Berse Skeval, Mathew Lynne, Julia Berse Skeval, Rachel Elman, Hadar Pepperstone, Annie Weiss, Sarah Young and Sam Stoogenke. Contributors to the grant awards unable to attend were Jason Alweis, Allison Bergman, Brian Charlamb, Samantha Jaffe, Leah Kuppermann, Rebecca Margolis, Julie Silverman, Anna Smith, Abe Stanton and Emma Stein.

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REHABILITATION

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ july 23, 2015/7 AV 5775

Despite security situation, the bar/ bat mitzvah party goes on in Israel

By Maayan Jaffe JNS.org “I am the grandma, how can I not go? Am I comfortable going? No, I am not,” said Barbara Gilbert of Las Vegas.

Her grandson, Yosef Aryeh, was having his bar mitzvah this past February in Efrat, Israel. Though she says the trip makes her “very nervous,” Gilbert is still planning to travel to the Holy Land for the celebration.

But not everyone is as resolute as Gilbert. Many grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins have decided not to attend their relatives’ simchas (happy occasions) because of the security situation in Israel – a situation that ebbs and flows and whose hotspots shift from one part of the country to another.

Renee Ghert-Zand made aliyah from Palo Alto, CA, to Jerusalem in 2014. Her son celebrated his bar mitzvah on December 25, with his grandfather as the only family member on her side from outside Israel in attendance.

Ghert-Zand says the November 18 Palestinian terrorist

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attack on a synagogue in Jerusalem’s Har Nof neighborhood, which killed four rabbis and a Druze policeman, pushed possible attendees over the edge. “Later that day and the next day, I got one cancellation after another,” she says.

Gilbert’s son and daughter-in-law and their three children have been living in Israel for more than a decade, and Gilbert has seen them go through the Second Intifada and multiple Gaza wars. Yet last summer’s events on the ground left her particularly shaken and scared.

One Saturday evening when she was visiting Israel during Operation Protective Edge, a siren went off while Gilbert was walking with her daughter-in-law and 2-year-old grandson. The family, which was far from a shelter, ran to take cover at a nearby medical center. “The siren was going and it was such a loud and very scary noise,” recalls Gilbert, noting that the medical center was locked, but that her daughter-in-law and grandson ran and hid under the overhang. “I was a little older and I didn’t make it.”

During the short run, Gilbert told herself, “I am a nice person. Why do they want to hurt me?” She cried and clenched her teeth so hard that she broke a tooth. “I get tears in my eyes telling it all over again. I was just so shook up,” Gilbert tells JNS.org. “But then all Yossi (her grandson) says to us is, ‘Are you coming for my bar mitzvah? Are you coming?’ How can we say no to him?”

While it’s difficult to argue with fear, Renee Ghert-Zand feels that as someone who lives in Israel, she has her finger on the pulse of the risks involved on the ground. “People sort of get the wrong impression by watching the news,” she says. “They literally think [terrorists] are running through the streets with meat cleavers. Yes, there are random runnings over of people at bus stops and it’s terrible and scary… But daily life continues here. You never know what the situation See “Israel” on page 9

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A bar mitzvah celebration at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.(Photo by Peter van der Sluijs via Wikimedia Commons)

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Planning timetable

At birth: When the child is born start saving!

Only joking. But if you can, it’s not a bad idea to start a “bar/bat mitzvah club” savings account. If you don’t use it, put it toward college.

1-3 years ahead: ❐ Set bar/bat mitzvah date ❐ Set a budget ❐ Reserve synagogue hall for kiddush ❐ Reserve hall for additional receptions ❐ Arrange for caterer/party planner and band/music for occasion (if desired) ❐ Buy a loose-leaf binder with dividers, or start a filing system for keeping business cards, estimates, notes, lists, etc.

10-12 months ahead: ❐ Begin bar/bat mitzvah lessons ❐ Begin attending weekly Shabbat services ❐ Arrange for photographer and/or video ❐ Book hotel accommodations and investigate transportation for out-of-town guests 6 months ahead: ❐ Plan color scheme and/or theme ❐ Arrange for florist and/or decorations’ coordinator ❐ Make guest list 4-5 months ahead: ❐ Order invitations, thank you notes, imprinted napkins and personalized party favors ❐ Shop for clothing and shoes ❐ Purchase tallit, tefillin, etc. ❐ Choose a calligrapher, if desired 3 months ahead: ❐ Plan Sunday brunch (if applicable) ❐ Order printed yarmulkas, if desired 2 months ahead: ❐ Meet with photographer ❐ Meet with florist and/or decorations’ coordinator ❐ Mail out-of-town invitations 6 weeks ahead: ❐ Order tuxedos (if applicable) ❐ Take care of clothing alterations ❐ Order wine for kiddush ❐ Mail in-town invitations 4 weeks ahead: ❐ Prepare bar/bat mitzvah speech ❐ Finalize hotel reservations and transportation ❐ Meet with caterer(s) ❐ Make up welcome gifts for out-of-town guests (if desired) ❐ Arrange aliyot ❐ Send honorary gift to synagogue ❐ Meet with rabbi ❐ Make up seating charts for reception 2 weeks ahead: ❐ Give final count to caterer ❐ Check with florist and/or decorations’ coordinator ❐ Meet with rabbi ❐ Order bar/bat mitzvah cake, cookies, pastries for Friday night oneg A few days ahead: ❐ Have bar/bat mitzvah rehearsal and take bima photographs ❐ Xerox copies of speeches, room and table layout, etc. and give them to a friend to hold or drop off at synagogue and reception hall, in case you forget to bring your copies that day.

Special Day: ❐ Prepare to enjoy your simcha!

JULY 23, 2015/7 AV 5775 ■

JEWISH OBSERVER

9

Upcoming b’nai mitzvah, August 1, 2015-July 31, 2016 All dates were provided by local synagogues and are current as of publication date. They occur on the Saturday of Shabbat unless otherwise indicated.

October 10, 2016................Caleb and Colby Porter...............................Kevin and Rachael Porter........................................................................................................................ CBS-CS November 7, 2015..............Elise Beckman...............................................Marc and Karen Beckman...................................................................................................................... CBS-CS

Natalie Eisenson..........................................Dan and Sharon Eisenson...............................................................................................................................TC January 9, 2016...................Alexis Snell...................................................Matthew Snell and Randi Gilman-Snell...................................................................................................... TAY January 16, 2016.................Corinne Dushay...........................................Robert Dushay and Linda Radin............................................................................................................ CBS-CS

Willen Arakcheev.........................................Yaron and Galina Arakcheev........................................................................................................................ TAY January 23, 2016.................Benjamin Wells............................................Joshua and Alison Wells............................................................................................................................... TAY March 19, 2016...................Rebecca Blumenthal.....................................Judy Bernstein.......................................................................................................................................... CBS-CS March 26, 2016...................Abby Charlamb...........................................Larry and Jane Charlamb.............................................................................................................................. TAY April 2, 2016.......................Lilly Sorbello.................................................Marcy Gelinson and David Sorbello.................................................................................................... CBS-CS

Zachary Coelho...........................................Rick and Erin Coelho.................................................................................................................................... TAY April 9, 2016.......................Cameron Vrabel...........................................Julie Vrabel and Michael Vrabel............................................................................................................ CBS-CS April 16, 2016.....................Benjamin Oppedisano................................Rebbecca and Lenny Oppendisano................................................................................................................TC May 7, 2016........................Joshua Ovadia..............................................Seth and Laurie Ovadia........................................................................................................................... CBS-CS

Zoe Costanza...............................................Michael and Rachel Costanza.........................................................................................................................TC May 14, 2016......................Adam Thomson...........................................David and Meredith Thomson.................................................................................................................... TAY May 21, 2016......................Sophie and Rachel Scheer..........................Jeffrey and Abby Scheer............................................................................................................................... TAY May 28, 2016......................Edwin Hirsh..................................................Larry Hirsh and Jennifer Jordan Hirsh........................................................................................................ TAY June 18, 2016......................Michael Bratslavsky.....................................Gennady and Katya Bratslavsky................................................................................................................... TAY June 25, 2016......................Rachel Bronstein..........................................Michael and Alison Bronstein..................................................................................................................... TAY

Kyla Cooper..................................................Jody and Joe Cooper................................................................................................................................STOCS July 2, 2016..........................James Nelson................................................Joshua and Jennifer Nelson.......................................................................................................................... TAY Ozinsky - Keyboard July 9, 2016..........................Danielle Downie..........................................Michal and Eric Downie.Brad ........................................................................................................................

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Israel

will be here in Israel, but you have to go on with your life – plan simchas, celebrate. I would hope that those planning to come celebrate [future simchas] won’t cancel. As long as they are able to get here, they should come.”

That was the way Atara Kennedy of Silver Spring, MD, looked at the recent bat mitzvah trip she planned for her daughter, Grace. “You cannot stop living,” she tells JNS.org. “And we would not stop our trip. It would send a message to the Israelis that we have abandoned them, turned our backs.”

Atara and her daughter toured Israel from November 23 to December 7, and their visit overlapped with the high school trip of the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy, where Grace is a student. Kennedy says there was “a lot of positive energy” around the winter experience and feels her daughter got out of it what was expected: a greater understanding of the Jewish state and an even deeper connection with Israel. “Neither of us had ever been to Israel,” Kennedy says. “A party – or anything else – would not have been as meaningful.”

Authentic Israel, one of the largest facilitators of the free 10-day Taglit-Birthright Israel trips for Jews ages 18-26, also runs regular bar and bat mitzvah tours. Guy Har-Nir, Authentic Israel’s head of educational operations, tells JNS.org that while there was a decrease in tourism to Israel over the summer, “right now we see it’s coming back.” Authentic Israel

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Har-Nir says it is common for families to rethink their bar or bat mitzvah tours because of the security situation in Israel. But he says prospective tourists should know that tour providers are closely tuned in to the Israel Defense Forces and other official government agencies.

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10

JEWISH OBSERVER ■ july 23, 2015/7 AV 5775

d’var torah

What exactly does loving God mean?

By Rabbi Evan Shore Twice a day we mention in the Shema Yisroel, “...and you shall love the Lord your God.” What exactly does loving God mean? Rashi points out that we should perform all the mitzvot of God with love. Additionally, our rabbis teach us there is no comparison between a person who

mazel tov Ava Jillian Sisskind

Ava Jillian Sisskind was born on March 23 in Fairfax, VA, to Josh and Kimi Sisskind. She is the granddaughter of Steven and Robin Sisskind, of Manlius, and Michael and Pam Wolk, of West Babylon, NY.

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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.

Saturday, July 25 Erev Tisha B’Av Sunday, July 26 Tisha B’Av Tuesday, July 28 Tzofim Israel Scout Caravan to perform at the Binghamton Jewish Community Center at 7 pm Wednesday, July 29 Tzofim Israel Scout Caravan to perform at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center in Syracuse at 7 pm Thursday, July 30 Tzofim Israel Scout Caravan to perform at Menorah Park at 2 pm Tzofim Israel Scout Caravan to perform at the Utica Jewish Community Center at 7 pm Friday, July 31 Temple Adath Yeshurun PJ pre-Shabbat program in the garden at 4:45 pm Temple Concord Shabbat in the Park at Mill Run Park in Manlius at 6 pm Tuesday, August 4 Syracuse Community Hebrew School board meeting at 7:30 pm, location TBA TAY Hazak installation dinner at Twin Trees Too at 6 pm Wednesday, August 5 Jewish Observer deadline for the August 20 issue Friday, August 14 Temple Concord Shabbat at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center at 6 pm

performs a mitzvah out of love, versus one who does a mitzvah out of fear. We should approach our worship of God as a relationship where we as human beings are willing partners with the Holy One, Blessed is He. The Baal Haturim tells us that we should look to the avos (patriarchs) as role models in our desire to serve God with love. The letters that form the Hebrew word for “and you shall love” – vov, alef, hey, vet and tof – can also form the word ha-avot, the patriarchs. As Abraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov served God with complete and pure love, so should we today. It is very possible this may be an example of “the actions of the fathers should be a sign to the children.” (Talmud) The Rambam, in Hilchos Teshuva 10:2, writes, “One who serves God out of love occupies himself in Torah and the mitzvot and walks in the ways of wisdom without an ulterior motive; nor does he do it to acquire a reward.

Rather, one does what he does because it is the truth and ultimately, good will come from it.” Here, I think, the meaning of loving God is very clear. Love of God is not solely a state of mind; rather, love of God is when

Universities

impartial on the university’s Judicial Board due to her “strong Jewish identity.” At UC Davis, Jewish students were harassed during the occupation of a university administrative building by anti-Israel protesters. At UC Santa Barbara, a student wearing a Star of David necklace was spit on.

The problem is not limited to California. Earlier this year, the Louis D. Brandeis Center and Trinity College issued a report demonstrating that 54 percent of Jewish college students reported experiencing or witnessing antisemitism during the 2013-14 academic year.

To address this problem, universities must start with good definitions. As the CDC has explained, good definitions improve prevention by increasing consistency, facilitating comparison across data collection systems and enabling the comparison of research on intervention and prevention programs.

Definitions are especially important for contemporary antisemitism, because confusion surrounds the relationship between Jew-hatred and animosity toward Israel. Virtually all authorities agree that some, but not all, of the hate directed against Israel crosses the line into antisemitism.

Good definitions not only educate us about how quickly discourse can slip, even unwittingly, into dark corners, but they also foster legitimate intellectual exchanges by increasing awareness about where lines are drawn.

This serves the academic interest in robust debate that is central to a university’s mission.

The State Department provides useful examples to understand when conduct is antisemitic. The department uses the so-called “3D test.” Actions may generally be identified as antisemitic when they demonize Israel, delegitimize Israel or subject Israel to double standards.

When I was staff director at the U.S. Commission on

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for some period of time. Any final deal must strictly limit Iran’s uranium stockpile and require Iran to significantly dismantle its nuclear infrastructure, not merely disconnect equipment that could be rapidly reconnected in the future.

We must make it clear to Iranian leaders that, even after an agreement may expire, we will stop at nothing to keep their paths to a nuclear weapon forever closed.

As members of the House Committee on Homeland Security, our priority is to protect the American people. There is no question that a nuclear-armed Iran would threaten the survival of Israel, our greatest ally in the region. We must also recognize the threat that it would pose to Americans at home and abroad. Iran is the world’s largest state-sponsor of terrorism, and if they were to develop a nuclear weapon, it would only be a matter of time before an Iranian-backed terrorist group sought to bring an Iranian-built bomb onto American soil. That can’t happen.

We sincerely hope that American negotiators will reach a strong final agreement that will eliminate Iran’s path to a bomb and prevent that prospect from ever becoming a reality. But if Iranian leaders are not yet ready to make these basic concessions, then we should be prepared to maintain the aggressive economic pressure that brought them to the table in the first place.

On July 14, U.S. Representative John Katko (NY-24) released the following statement after the Obama Administration announced that it had reached an agreement in the nuclear negotiations with Iran: “As a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, I take

the mitzvah itself is performed in a state of love and perceived by others as an act of love as well.

The book Peleh Yo’etz mentions that the mitzvah of loving God is quite unique in the fact that it presents itself to us every moment of the day. As a result, we should strive to love God through our thoughts and actions with a great and intense love. The Sefer HaChinuch quoting the Sifrei asks, “How do we understand this mitzvah of loving God?” Through the study of Torah, we will come to recognize that He is the Creator of everything. As a result, He is deserving of our unconditional love.

This mindset is very important, especially in how we deal with others. I think that when we fulfill the mitzvot of God out of love, they, in fact, become easier to do. This is why, whenever I hear the phrase, “It is tough to be a Jew,” I cringe. If He asks us to do something, our response to God should be, “with love and pleasure will I do Your will.” When asked to offer his only son, Abraham’s response was quick, clear and unequivocal: “Hineini: I am here, ready and See “Loving” on page 11

Continued from page 2

Civil Rights, the Commission held a watershed briefing on campus antisemitism. After the briefing, the Commission announced that antisemitism had become a “serious problem” on many college campuses.

The commission adopted the so-called EUMC Working Definition of Antisemitism to help universities identify the lines between hateful and non-hateful incidents.

Later, the State Department adopted its own definition based closely on this model.

As with any standard, the State Department definition should be used judiciously. One must consider context. Moreover, one must recognize that some incidents that meet the definition of antisemitism (or of racism or sexism) may also be constitutionally protected free speech.

To say that an incident is hateful is not necessarily to conclude that it must be banned. In some cases, the First Amendment requires public universities to permit bigoted speech. Even then, however, it is important to recognize this speech for what it is.

Anti-Israel activists are wrong when they charge that such definitions threaten free speech. Freedom flourishes best when rules are clearly articulated and terms are well-understood. Universities have many tools to ensure that their campuses remain safe and inclusive, while respecting everyone’s civil liberties.

The correct response to bigotry is never to let it pass in silence. As the Civil Rights Commission correctly admonished, “Silence is an ally of hate.”

Kenneth L. Marcus is president of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law (www. brandeiscenter.com) and former staff director of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. This year, Oxford University Press will publish his next book, “The Definition of Anti-Semitism.”

Continued from page 2

seriously my role of protecting the American people and safeguarding our national security and the security of our allies. That means ensuring Iran, the largest state sponsor of terrorism, does not have the capability to develop nuclear weapons.

“I am troubled that today’s agreement gives Iran generous sanction relief without the necessary certifications for restricting its nuclear capabilities. There is no guarantee that Iran will abide by the terms of these negotiations. If Iranian leaders want relief from economic sanctions, they must agree to clear inspection and verification protocols, with immediate consequences if they fail to fully comply or cooperate with the terms of an agreement. Without these basic concessions, we simply cannot accept that Iran will be prevented from developing nuclear weapons.

“We embarked upon these diplomatic negotiations to prevent conflict with Iran. But by removing sanctions and unfreezing billions of dollars in Iranian assets, we risk eliminating U.S. diplomatic leverage and only increase the risk of conflict in the future.

“These concerns are shared by many of my colleagues in Congress, across party lines. Moving forward, Congress will play a critical role in the approval of this proposed agreement. I look forward to a constructive, bipartisan review of the details of this agreement, and I believe we must remain ever vigilant to prevent Iran from yielding its destructive and dangerous influence in the region and beyond.”

JULY 23, 2015/7 AV 5775 ■

JEWISH OBSERVER

11

obituaries Edward Cooperstein

Edward Cooperstein, 90, of Syracuse, died on June 26 at the Iroquois Nursing Home.

Born in Taunton, MA, he lived there until 2005. He graduated from Taunton High School, Middlebury College and Boston University Law School, and attended Bentley College for accounting. Much of his career was in retail and law, and he practiced law for more than 60 years.

He was involved with Congregation Agudath Achim of Taunton, serving in a variety of offices, and was active in the Republican Party at the local, state and national levels. He was a World War II veteran and a 33rd degree Mason.

He was predeceased by his wife, Beverly, in 2008; as well as by his 11 siblings.

He is survived by his daughter, Debra (Herbert) Goldman, of Fayetteville, with whom he spent most of the last 10 years; his son, Barry (Bonnie) Cooperstein; five grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

Burial was in Mt. Nebo Cemetery, Taunton, MA. Birnbaum Funeral Service had arrangements.

Contributions may be made to Wanderers Rest, 7138 Sutherland Dr, Canastota, NY 13032; or Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas, P.O. Box 271, DeWitt, NY 13214. 

Ruth Scornick Masel

Ruth Scornick Masel, 81, died on June 18 in Cary, NC, after a long illness.

Born in Syracuse, she had lived there most of her life. She was a graduate of Nottingham High School and Syracuse University. She was a teacher in the Jewish Community Center of Syracuse preschool program for many years.

In 1965, she and her husband moved to Cherry Hill, NJ. She had recently moved to North Carolina to be closer to her children.

She was predeceased by her husband of 55 years, Jerrold Masel, in 2012.

She is survived by her daughter, Mindy (Al) Calderon; her son, Dana; four grandchildren; her brother, Elliot Jay Scornick; several cousins; and many friends.

Burial was in North Carolina. Sisskind Funeral Service had local arrangements. 

Allen M. Rosenfeld

Allen M. Rosenfeld, 83, died on June 23 at Crouse Hospital.

He proudly served in the U.S. Army and was a distinguished member of the White House Honor Guard during the Eisenhower administration. A life resident of Syracuse, he and his wife, Joyce, raised their family in DeWitt, were members of Temple Adath Yeshurun and were active in their community. He was the owner of Allen’s Bicycle Shop, and DeWitt Lawn Mower and Engine Service until retiring.

He was predeceased by his brother, Carl.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Joyce; their children, Karen (Mitchell) Montgomery, David (Laura), and Daniel (Narlene); and two grandchildren.

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

NEWS IN bRIEF From JTA

Bill granting disaster relief to houses of worship reintroduced

Elaine Seidenberg

Elaine Seidenberg, 92, formerly of Syracuse, died at home in Boynton Beach, FL, on June 24.

She volunteered at SUNY Upstate University Hospital for many years and established and organized the Peds Party for children to help them learn about the hospital before they were admitted. In Palm Beach County, she volunteered for the Board of Elections, was a competitive tennis player and an avid walker.

She was predeceased by her husband, Seymour, in 1994.

She is survived by her son, David Seidenberg.

Burial was in Woodlawn Cemetery. Birnbaum Funeral Service had arrangements.

Contributions may be made to the Pediatric Cancer Fund, c/o The Upstate Foundation, 750 E. Adams St., Syracuse, NY 13210. 

Dr. William “Bill” Serog

William “Bill” Serog, 89, died at home in Jamesville on June 25.

Born in Bielsko, Poland, he was imprisoned in four concentration camps, including Auschwitz, from the age of 13-18, and was the only member of his extended family to survive the Holocaust. Following the end of World War II, he made his way to the United States. He obtained his high school diploma, attended Guilford College and studied dentistry at the University of Pennsylvania. He served as a dentist on the Navy ship U.S.S. Saratoga, achieved the rank of lieutenant commander and continued in the reserves. He and his wife settled in Cicero, where he practiced dentistry and they raised three children.

He was a benefactor to local and Israeli organizations.

In the 1970s and ‘80s, he made annual trips to Israel to work as a volunteer dentist. He was a member of the Central New York Indoor Flying Society, where he had many friends.

He was predeceased by his daughter, Sanna, in 2008.

He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Pirkko; his daughter, Britta; his son, Dan (Tatiana); his son-in-law, Michael Drury; and six grandchildren.

Contributions may be made to the Jewish Foundation of Central New York, William Serog Fund, 5655 Thompson Rd., Syracuse, NY 13214. 

Winton

Continued from page 1

year, the Czech government flew him to Prague in a military plane to receive the country’s highest honor.

The “Schindler” reference was to the German industrialist Oskar Schindler, who is credited with saving some 1,200 Jews in the Holocaust and whose story was made into an Academy Award-winning film, “Schindler’s List.”

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Nathan Szafran

Nathan Szafran, 90, died unexpectedly on June 5 in Las Vegas, NV. A survivor of Auschwitz, he immigrated to the United States in May 1950 and settled in Syracuse. He was drafted into the United States Army, and served in Germany during the Korean War. After discharge, he returned to Syracuse, where he met and married his wife, Shirley, after a courtship of only three months.

Despite attending school only until the fourth grade, when he had to go work with his father, he was a businessman and home contractor, who performed painting services throughout Syracuse until his retirement in 1995, when he moved to Las Vegas, where his brother, Daniel, soon joined him.

He was passionate about his family, annually taking off a month every summer to spend time with his wife and grandchildren. He also took off two to three months every year to visit his hometown of Stryków, Poland, where he had many friends.

He was predeceased by his brothers, Bejzy (Barish), Shimshon and Mosze (Moishe), and sisters Kajla Frymet and Sura Pesa Szafran, all from Stryków, and all of whom died in the Holocaust.

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Shirley Bienstock Szafran, of Syracuse and Las Vegas; his brother, and fellow Auschwitz survivor, Daniel (Simona Dulzer) Szafran, of Las Vegas; his daughter, Karyne Szafran; his son, Barry Szafran; five grandchildren; two greatgrandchildren; a nephew, Zvi Szafran; and a niece, Drorit Szafran.

He was buried at the Southern Nevada Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery. Valley Funeral Home had arrangements.

Contributions may be made to the Holocaust Survivors Group of Southern Nevada, P.O. Box 371434, Las Vegas, NV 89137. 

Loving

willing to follow Your every command.”

So when we say, “it is tough to be a Jew,” we are in fact affecting others with a negative connotation of God, His mitzvot and Judaism. I once saw an article by Rabbi Kalman Packouz on www.aish.com that quoted Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, z’l. Reb Moshe once remarked that perhaps the biggest factor in the deterioration of Jewish life in the United States was the complaint by immigrant parents in front of their children that “It’s tough to be a Jew.” What child wants to be a part of something difficult and depressing?

May we all fulfill the will of God with great love. In addition, may there be an abundance of boundless true love among all the Jewish people.

Rabbi Evan Shore is the rav at Shaarei Torah Orthodox Congregation of Syracuse, an instructor at the Syracuse Hebrew Day School and chaplain at Menorah Park.

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A bipartisan trio of House members from the Northeast reintroduced legislation that would provide direct relief to synagogues and churches damaged by natural disaster.

U.S. Reps. Grace Meng and Peter King, a Democrat and Republican, respectively, from New York, and Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican, recently introduced the Federal Disaster Assistance Nonprofit Fairness Act, which would override existing Federal Emergency Management Agency rules that exclude houses of worship from recovery funds. A similar bill introduced by Meng and Smith in the last Congress, in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, passed overwhelmingly in February 2013, but never made it through the Senate. The Orthodox Union, which lobbied for the bill, praised the lawmakers. “The recent flooding in Houston reminds us that houses of worship are equally affected by severe flooding and natural disasters,” Nathan Diament, the O.U.’s Washington director, said in a July 16 statement. “When a natural disaster occurs, most often it is the churches and synagogues that offer comfort and a place to gather for members of the community.”

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Continued from page 10

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12

JEWISH OBSERVER ■ july 23, 2015/7 AV 5775

2015 Jewish Observer of CNY Appeal

This list represents ALL the donors to the 2015 JO Appeal as of July 8, 2015.

This is NOT the Federation Annual Campaign list, which will appear in December. Thank you for your generosity. If you have not yet given, it’s not too late. To give online, click on the tzedakah box on our home page, www.jewishfederationcny.org. Make sure you click on “I would like my donation to go to” and type JO Appeal in the box – or call Bette Siegel at 445-2040 ext. 116.

So far, we have raised $25,250! We are still short of our goal by $8,200. There is still time to make your donation to the JO Appeal.

Anonymous Jerrold and Harriet Abraham Elaine Abrams Esther Adelson Mark and Katherine Adelson Harvey and Frann Albert Richard and Maxine Alderman Warren and Gail Alpern Herbert and Ettarae Alpert Sam and Tracy Alpert Adam Alweis Edward and Mary Alweis Ellen Andrews Stuart and Marlane Anish Gloria Applebaum Barbara Applebaum Mark and Barbara Arnow David Artini Edith Arwin Sidney and Shirley Ashkin Craig and Karen Atlas Timothy Atseff and Margaret Ogden William and Esther Axelrod Michael and Eunice Balanoff Evelyn Barenholtz Norman and Nancy Barnett Martha Barsha Jeffrey and Lynda Bassin Stanley and Helen Becker Martin and Nancy Belkowitz Stuart and Sheila Ben Marti Benedict Leslie and Marilyn Bennett Morton Berger Steffi Bergman Neal and Nomi Bergman Richard and Nadine Berk Steven and Laurie Berkowitz Bruce and Gail Berlin Carrie Berse and Chris Skeval Shirley Berson Ivy Besdin Mel and Phyllis Besdin Roslyn Bilford Allan and Linda Birnbaum Edwin and Barbara Biron Stephen Bittner and Karen Shible Ethel Black Miriam Bladen Julius Blank Dolores Bluman Rosalind Bodow Victor and Edith Bonin Ruth Borsky Mark and Carla Bregman Theodore Gottbrecht and Randi Bregman Kevin and Sheryl Brisson Jon and Carol Brodsky Irene Bronstein Steven and Lynn Bronstein Arthur and Nancy Bronstein William and Jill Brooks James and Jill F. Brule’ Helen Buck Jeanette Buff Bernard Bugin Harold and Joan Burstyn Richard and Nina Cantor Jeffrey Carmen Walter and Elaine Charles Dennis and Lois Charney Sherman and Carol Chottiner T. Delos Schueler and Frances Ciardullo Lynn and Cecile Cohen Paul and Linda Cohen Richard and Nancy Cohen William and Sylvia Cohen Thelma Cohn Megan Coleman Sykes and Richard Sykes William and Gail Colten David Cooper Beverly Cramer Rudolph and Leslie Rudolph Carl and Judith Crosley Lewis and Sally Cutler Michael Cynamon and Wendy Ressler Jack Cyprys Sidney and Carol Dana Josub and Solange David Stuart Davis Marvin and Frances Davis I. Stephen and Kathleen Davis Brian and Gail DePalma Andy Devorsetz Dolores Diamond Jonathan and Aveeya Dinkin Lori Dotterer Sharry Doyle Dan Hurley and Judy Drucker David and Marilyn Dwyer

Neal and Kim Eckhardt Richard Carr and Phyllis Edelstein Richard and Alberta Eggert Ronald Ehrenreich and Sondra Roth Richard Ellison and Margret Ksander Stephen and Priscilla Engel Jerry Evensky and Celia Kamps David and Lauren Feiglin Eleanor Feitler Norma Feldman Florence Feldman Sarah Feldman Daniel and Laura Feldman Robert and Vicki Feldman Rabbi Daniel and Melissa Fellman Dick and Bev Fellman Jim and Susan Fertig Mark and Susan Field Harley and Nadzieja Finkelstein Karine Shirley Fisher Jordan Fiske and Sandra Rappaport Fiske Mike and Wilma Fiss Irwin and Julie Flack Seymour and Libbie Fleisher Evelyn Fox David and Heidi Francey Allen and Anita Frank Stuart and Susan Frank Philip and Marilyn Frankel Judith Franklin Rose Franklin Paul Franklin Zelda Freeman Gary and Debbie Freeman Martin Fried Barbara Friedman Pauline Friedman Howard Friedman Richard and Theda Friedman Scott Mackler and Deborah Friedman Kenneth and Catherine Gale Edgar and Eva Galson David and Joyce Garber Rita Geller Boris and Yelena Geyfman Hans Gideon James and Barbara Gifford Elliot and Joan Gilels Robyn Gilels-Aiello Sandra Gingold Rosalind Gingold Harlan and Diane Gingold Richard and Elaine Gingold Seymour and Anne Ginsburg Victor and Carol Ginsky Ronny and Nettie Goeler Alan and Barbara Goldberg Alan and Dottie Goldberg Andrew and Elizabeth Goldberg Frank and Beverly Goldberg Joshua and Gloria Goldberg Bernard Golden Ellen Golden Marvin Goldenberg Irving Goldman Phyllis Goldman Herbert and Debra Goldman Cynthia Goldstein David Rudd and Debbie Goldwein Jerry and Mireille Goodisman Emma Goodman Suzan Gordon Daniel and Patricia Gordon Zoe Gordon-Fowler Ruby Goronkin Samuel Gramet Estelle Green Bess Greenberg David Greenberg and Cynthia Bahn Benjamin and Rebecca Greenblatt Lawrence Greenhouse Asher and Joanne Greenhouse Lewis and Glenda Greenhouse Joseph and Fran Greenman Bernard and Melinda Greenman Stephen Greeson Ann Grobosky Hannah Groskin Sylvia Groskin Norma Groskin Barbara Grossman Gary and Bonnie Grossman Steven and Cynthia Grossman JoAnn Grower Joseph and Jean Guss Moses and Tina Habib Martin and Lila Lee Hafter L. Stephen Halpern and Mary Jo Proietta-Halpern Carl Hanig Suzi Harriff Robert and Linda Herman Victor and Celaine Hershdorfer Carol Hershman Joseph Himmelsbach and Paula Trief Himmelsbach

Alexander and Charlotte Holstein Sanford and Marlene Holstein Philip and Alyse Holstein David and Sally Hootnick Gail Horwitz Paolo and Judith Huober Esther Hurwitz Lawrence and Daryl Hurwitz Jerry and Robin Illowsky Irving and Marcelene Ingber Harriet Jachles Joseph and Doris Jackler Helene Jacobs Susan Jacobs Steven and Elaine Jacobs Leon Jacobson Andrew Ursino and Janet Jaffe Joseph and Madelyne Jerry Elinor and William Jerry Robert and Margie Johnson Rita Josef Michal and Michael Juran Michael and Sara Kagan Sheldon and Mateele Kall Gertrude Kamp Eugene and Sandra Kaplan Philip and Judy Kaplan Stephen Karon Donald and Wendy Kates Allan and Arlene Katz Ronni Katzowitz Roger Kaufman Miriam Kavanagh Arlene Kellogg Steven Kepnes and Arlene Kanter Carol Kessler Norma Kider Amos and Lori Kiewe Jeffrey Kirshner and Lorraine Rapp Patricia Klein Stephen and Theresa Kline William Knodel Stanton and Andrea Knoller Harvey and Carole Koenig Stewart Koenig and Judy Schmid Sima Koffman Leonard Koldin Stephen and Wendy Koldin Conrad and Iris Koller Marlene Konsens Louise Koppelman Martin Korn and Silvia Betcher Allen and Tess Kosoff Marvin and Lynn Koss George Kowitt Theodore and Beverley Krawitz Richard and Nancy Kroot Norman and Michele Kruth Jerome and Judy Laffer Bill and Lois Lakehomer Jay and Linda Land Paula Lapin Zeman Joan Larsen Harlan and Phyllis LaVine Howard Wolhandler and Karen Lawitts Michael and Abby Lazar Joseph and Marilyn Lebediker Adrienne LeBlang Arthur and Beverly Lehrman Marilyn Lerman Priscilla Leslie Martin and Nancy Levine Bennett and Grace Levine Mark and Jeannette Levinsohn Leonard Levy Benjamin Levy and Elizabeth Fechner Levy Alan and Janice Levy H.Richard and Betty Levy Paul and Linda Liberman Marilyn Lipsy Sidney and Donna Lipton Sandra Loewenstein Gail Loonin Michael and Mindy Lorenz Adele Lucas Jay Lurie Elaine Lyon Jack Lyon Philip Rothschild and Nancy Machles Rothschild Jon Maloff Eleanor Malzman Clifford and Roberta Malzman Sidney Manes Arnold and Marilyn Manheim Helen Marcum William and Audrey Marcus Herbert and Lee Margolin Ann Marin Shush Martin Mark Matloff and Elaine Meyers-Matloff Herbert and Margie May Regina Meadvin Ken Meadvin Alexander Melnick Anne Meltzer Elaine L. Meltzer Michael and Sandra Meltzer Stephen and Elaine Meltzer

Stanley Meltzer and Patricia Randall Herbert and Ilene Mendel Edward and Laurie Menkin Harold and Rosalind Menter Stephen and Frances Merrill Andrew and Carol Anne Merritt Jack Mesnick and Ellie Hayman Alan and Bonnie Messie Laurence and Judith Metzger Steven and Karen Metzger Daniel and Holly Meyer Jeffrey and Audrey Meyer Beverly Miller Muriel Miller Marilyn Miller Mollie Miller David and Ruth Ann Miller Robert and Lynn Miller Robert and Carole Millstein Robert and Diane Miron David and Marcia Mizruchi Charles and Rebecca Moody Mark and Marjorie Morchower Saul and Estelle Morganstein Eric and Pamela Morris Karen Morton and David Pellow Randie Mosenthal Arnold Moses Michael and Joy Moss Eric Schiff and Nancy Mudrick Daniel and Jeanette Myshrall Leonard and Nancy Newman William and Alice Newman Samuel and Sybil Nord Jeffrey and Lesley Norensky Norman and Ruth Nosenchuck Larry and Shirley Novak Marilyn Novins Louis Orbach and Anastasia Urtz Marlene Paikoff Wayne and Jill Palmeter Debbie Passer Harvey and Dorothy Pearl George and Leah Peltzmacher Max and Mary Pepper Abe Pereira Robert Phillips Eileen B. Phillips Marilyn Pinsky Pomeranz, Shankman & Martin Charitable Foundation William and Rosemary Pooler Sonia Poushter Barry and Susan Rabin Selma Radin Irving and Ava Raphael Michael and Rissa Ratner Charna Reichel Phyllis Reicher Seymour and Marilyn Ribyat Judie Rice Marian Rifkin Herbert and Karen Roberts Jack and Ethel Rosen Neil and Deborah Rosenbaum Allen Rosenberg Abby Rosenberg Alan and Marsha Rosenberg Kenneth and Carol Rosenberg Joel and Linda Rosenberg Betsy Rosenfeld Judith Rossoff Isaac and Minnie Rossoff Naomi Roth Sandi Roth Eli and Sandra Roth Joseph and Dale Roth Arthur Rothman Ellen Rothschild Elaine Rubenstein Stanley and Rosalie Rubenstein Harold and Judith Rubenstein Roberta Rudolph Raymond Rudolph Richard Rudolph Lionel and Claire Rudolph Milton Sack Shelden and Andrea Sacks Safe Haven Museum & Education Center Gloria Sage Robert and Malyne Sagerman Marlene Sallerson Robert Sarason and Jane Burkhead Scott and Deborah Saroff Mark Savad and Terry Culbertson Mike and Lois Schaffer Dorothy Schlein Martin Schram and Sharon Springer Robert and Barbara Schulman Philip and Joan Schuls Jack and Sybil Schultz Gladys Schwartz Phillip and Sandra Schwartz Neal and Linda Schwartz John and Kathy Scott Steven and Laurie Segal Lindy Seidberg Bruce and Judith Seidberg

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