5 ELUL 5778 • AUGUST 16, 2018 • VOLUME XXXIX, NUMBER 16 • PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID, SYRACUSE, NY
Spotlight on Jewish community volunteer leaders – Sarah Pinsky BY BARBARA SHEKLIN DAVIS Optimism and positivity are defining qualities of Sarah Pinsky, wife of attorney Todd Pinsky and mother of Charlotte, 8, and Nathan, 6. She also recently celebrated her 15th anniversary at the nonprofit KaBOOM!. But her extremely busy life does not stop her from devoting time and effort to enriching the Jewish community of Central New York – or from seeing the bright side of every situation. Born in Grand Rapids, MI, the youngest of four girls, Sarah is an extremely proud graduate of the University of Michigan, where she met Todd in a singing group. After a brief time living in Atlanta, they moved to Chicago, where Sarah started her work with KaBOOM!, a non-profit that works with organizations across the country to create great places for children to play in underserved communities. She manages a team of employees based in Washington, DC, and also works with several of KaBOOM!’s largest corporate partners. Her work involves a lot of travel. At one point, after Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, she commuted each week from Chicago to work with municipalities and organizations in the devastated areas to help rebuild playgrounds for children living amid the destruction. Even after 15 years, her enthusiasm for her work continues to this day. She said “KaBOOM! provides an opportunity for people in a community to get involved, to come to the table. We start by sitting down with the children to have them draw their
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daughter Charlotte in the JCC’s dream playground. We ask the Early Childhood Development children what they want and we Program.” She credits the JCC try to fulfill their wishes. We with giving her family a circle can’t do M&M-filled pools, but of close friends; she even joined we try to realize what they ask the JCC board. “It is the perfect for, to keep promises to them.” symbol of what you want in a Her work is not just about the Jewish community,” she said. playgrounds, it’s about helping She feels really positive a community come together. about the Syracuse Jewish She said, “We involve many community. “I feel a lot of oppeople in many ways. We walk timism. There is a lot of energy them through it, but they do the Sarah Pinsky and people are moving back. work. And people get stronger through the process. They learn how to ask Families that have been here for generafor donations and work with the media, for tions are still committed. There is some example.” She finds the whole procedure ‘giving fatigue’ and a lot of comparisons magical and said, “After eight weeks of with the past, but I don’t have that history. planning, the playground build is actually I see a small Jewish community that still a ‘done in a day’ event. We start with an supports four temples, Chabad, Hillel, a empty field and 200 volunteers. By 2:30 Jewish Community Center, a day school in the afternoon, there is a new playground that is finding a new path and trying to waiting for children. It’s amazing. I have explore ways to attract new families. I been to hundreds of our playground proj- see progress. It means so much for me to take my children to events like JMAC ects and each one moves me to tears.” Seven and a half years ago, the Pinskys and to see Jewish and non-Jewish families left Chicago to move back to Manlius, together. I see other young Jewish families Todd’s home town, so they could be closer and leaders stepping forward, organizing to his parents, Stephanie and Roy. Sarah events, providing financial support.” Still, she recognizes that the community works full-time from a home office and considers herself a Central New Yorker. is in transition and sees great value “when She attributes a lot of her affection for the you bring different dynamics together: area to the warm reception she received folks who have been here their whole lives from the Jewish community when she first and people with new perspectives.” In the arrived. “Linda Alexander took me out for seven years she has lived here, she has seen coffee and told me how to get involved a shift in the thinking of the leadership, and was very generous with her time and toward valuing the input and engagement advice. Marci Erlebacher learned that we of younger community members. “We needed childcare and made a spot for our need young people to step forward,” she said. “You have to respect the past and the way things are done, though, and be thoughtful about making change. It’s important to establish a comfort level with the people who have been doing the work and committing the time and the passion, in most cases for decades, and the young people who have really great new ideas.
Sisterhood Symposium to be held October 16 BY WILLIAM WALLAK The Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas Sisterhood and the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center are gearing up to present another Sisterhood Symposium this fall. The program “Marriage, Intermarriage and Jewish Families Today” will be held on Tuesday, October 16, at 6:30 pm, at the JCC, 5655 Thompson Rd., DeWitt. The event’s featured participants will be Brandeis University Joseph and Esther Foster Professor of Judaic Studies Sylvia
Barack Fishman and CBS-CS Rabbi Andrew Pepperstone. (See page 4 for additional information.) Attendance at the event will include dinner. Table sponsorships will include recognition in the printed program. For more information and to register, contact CBS-CS at 315-446-9570 or office@cbscs.org. William Wallak is the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center’s marketing director.
We have to meet in the middle.” Like her peers, Sarah feels the stress of the many roles she fulfills. “My time and our money are in demand. We are constantly trying to prioritize how we support groups in our orbit.” In addition to the JCC, she is also on the Syracuse Jewish Cemeteries Association board and now serves on the Jewish Community Foundation of Central New York board. In this role, she utilizes her background in fund-raising and communications. “I think that the way we sometimes communicate about events and organizations can give people a reason to think we are not thriving, but we have a great opportunity to reintroduce our institutions, to clarify what they stand for and what they are doing. As programming and leadership evolve, what we say needs to better reflect what is happening now. “I’m very proud to be Jewish,” Sarah said. “When I describe myself, or when I talk about parts of my life, after wife and mother, being Jewish is one of the first things I say. I see that in my children. Charlotte and Nathan are the same way. When they draw pictures of themselves, there’s always a Star of David, a Jewish representation. “We have gotten so much from the Jewish community here,” Sarah summed up. “We did not have those connections in Chicago. Here we were immediately embraced. I can’t help but want to give back. I want to see a strong Jewish community. I want to make sure that the same institutions I love and feel grateful for are here and thriving in the future. I want to do for others what was done for me. I’m very happy to pay it forward and honored to have that chance.” This series on Jewish community volunteer leaders is being sponsored by Ona Cohn Bregman and Bernie Bregman.
Come celebrate our 100 year of service on October 14! th
Linda Alexander as our Guest of Honor, Presentation of the President’s Award to Mark Wladis, Entertainment by comedian Scott Blakeman
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The Jewish Federation of Central New York has instituted the Hebrew Interest-Free Loan program to help Jewish people get past a temporary financial need. To learn more about the program or to see if you qualify, visit the Federation’s website, www.jewishfederationcny.org.
C A N D L E L I G H T I N G A N D P A R AS H A
August 17........................ 7:46 pm.................................................. Parashat Shoftim August 24........................ 7:35 pm.................................................. Parashat Ki Tetze August 31........................ 7:23 pm..................................Parashat Ki Tavo (Selichot)
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Congregational notes Honey farms in flames Beneath the surface
PLUS
Local synagogues announce a Honey farms in Israel’s south have A look at some American archbarbecue; Shabbat at a Chiefs seen bees and hives destroyed by eologists who have helped unearth game; a film showing; and more. Palestinian incendiary kites. Israel’s history. Story on page 5 Stories on page 4 Story on page 7
Seniors...................................... 7 Prep. for Rosh Hashanah...8-9 Calendar Highlights............. 10 Obituaries................................11
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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ AUGUST 16, 2018/5 ELUL 5778
JCC campers experience Israel without leaving home
BY ANKUR DANG It’s the start of a new camp day at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse. On the JCC’s grounds in front of the building, school age and teen campers in the JCC’s Camp Joe and Lynne Romano are “buzzing with excitement” as peals of laughter punctuate the mostly indistinct hum of conversation. The late July weather is warm, but pleasant, and everyone says they are looking forward to the fun that lies ahead. As the campers start scattering to their respective activities, some hang back and wait in a small circle around the JCC’s two visiting Israeli Scouts, Michal Dargatsky and Adi Rozenthal. In the short time that they have been at the JCC, they’ve become close friends with each other, the children and the other camp counselors. “The crazy energy of the people, I think that is what I will miss the most,” said Dargatsky, 16. A chemistry and Arabic dual major, she says she is passionate about jazz and contemporary forms of dance and has performed regularly in Israel. She has shared her love for dance with the JCC campers and is glad to see that many of them have been taking ballet lessons since they were toddlers. “I can only imagine how cute they must look in a tutu and tiny ballet shoes,” she says with a laugh. “But it is good to start young. I started learning dance at a fairly young age as well.” Rozenthal, 17, is a theater major, and while she is also a hip-hop dancer, she is more into outdoor sports, hiking and paragliding. The JCC campers often bombard her with lots of questions. “How is the view from so high above?” “Have you ever collided with other gliders?” “Do you get scared?” “What if you fall?” “Can you see the cars on the ground?” “Do you really feel like a bird?” She says she is happy to answer them all, but sometimes, the questions are a
little funny. “One kid wanted to know if I go to school on a camel,” Rozenthal said. “And another one asked if my feet hurt when I walk on the sand. These questions are a bit silly, but the kids are young and most of them don’t know much about the Middle East, so they ask questions based on what they see on the TV, which often portrays our entire region like one big desert.” Dargatsky and Rozenthal have helped remedy this situation during their brief time at the JCC. Through quiz games, food, songs and the Hebrew language, they have educated the campers about Israel. The children say they are now excited to visit major cities like Haifa and Ramat Gan. They know about the technology start-ups in Silicon Wadi on Israel’s coastal plains. And they are emotionally invested in Israeli basketball teams like Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem which are among the top teams in Europe and Asia. Israeli pop culture icons such as Netta Barzilai, Idan Raichel, Ofir Ben Shitrit, Odeya Rush, Inbar Lavi and Gal Gadot have become part of the everyday schmooze among the older kids. Most of them can now greet each other with basic courtesies and say common phrases such as “How are you?” in Hebrew. And all of them say they love nougat-filled Bamba. Josh Van Alstyne, assistant director of school age programs at the JCC, says that having Dargatsky and Rozenthal is perhaps one of the best parts of the summer camp this year. “The kids absolutely love them,” he says. “The first thing they ask when they get here is, ‘Where are the Scouts? Where are Michal and Adi? It’s pretty cute.” Van Alstyne also says that this year, the Scout experience was richer for the JCC community. “The Israeli Scouts always bring a new perspective and a breath of fresh air to the
L-r: Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center Israeli Scouts Michal Dargatsky, school-age camper Isabella Weinberg and Adi Rozenthal before the JCC’s Camp Romano opening circle.
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JCC camper Selena Hamlin and Israeli Scout Michal Dargatsky. camp,” he says. “Some Scouts take the first few weeks of camp to simply adjust to each other’s working style. Michal and Adi were like sisters from day one. They work perfectly with each other and just their way of working as a team taught our kids a lot.” “Michal is like my sister,” agrees Rozenthal. “We didn’t know we were going to be paired with each other when we applied to come here. But then we came on the plane together, and that was where we started forming a bond. We are very lucky that we have formed a genuine friendship over the last few weeks. It will be strange when I go back and don’t wake up next to her. Maybe I will wonder if she is awake already, brushing her teeth in the bathroom. And then, after a minute I will realize I am back home in Tel Aviv and she is back in Rehovot.” “I will miss you, too,” Dargatsky says to Rozenthal, her voice wistful already even though they are still here for a few more weeks. “But we will keep in touch and meet when we can.” In addition to missing each other, both girls will also miss certain things about America and Syracuse. “I am going to miss the size of the Coca-Cola,” says Rozenthal with a smile. “And the size of your mall,” she adds, referring to Destiny USA.
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Adi Rozenthal (right) was all smiles with JCC camper Jonathan Harper during the Tzofim Friendship Caravan’s performance for JCC campers on July 18. Dargatsky chuckles at her friend’s humor, but her thoughts are more pensive in this moment. She says she is humbled by the warmth, diversity and unity of the Jewish community in Syracuse. She and Rozenthal have stayed with a different host family each week, and they say it has been surprising to them that most Jewish families in Syracuse have friends from across denominations and levels of observance. “It is amazing to see how people are so accepting, so comfortable with each other,” Dargatsky says. “People are religious while fully taking part in secular life. They do what feels right without having to choose between their religion and what they need. No one judges each other. That is very special. And I will miss it.” Ankur Dang is the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center’s communication specialist. All articles, announcements and photographs must be received by noon Wednesday, 15 days prior to publication date. Articles must be typed, double spaced and include the name of a contact person and a daytime telephone number. E-mail submissions are encouraged and may be sent to JewishObserverCNY@gmail.com. The Jewish Observer reserves the right to edit any copy. Signed letters to the editor are welcomed: they should not exceed 250 words. Names will be withheld at the discretion of the editor. All material in this newspaper has been copyrighted and is exclusive property of the Jewish Observer and cannot be reproduced without the consent of the publisher. Views and opinions expressed by our writers, columnists, advertisers and by our readers do not necessarily reflect the publisher’s and editors’ points of view, nor that of the Jewish Federation of Central New York. The newspaper reserves the right to cancel any advertisements at any time. This newspaper is not liable for the content of any errors appearing in the advertisements beyond the cost of the space occupied. The advertiser assumes responsibility for errors in telephone orders. The Jewish Observer does not assume responsibility for the kashrut of any product or service advertised in this paper. THE JEWISH OBSERVER OF CENTRAL NEW YORK (USPS 000939) (ISSN 1079-9842) Publications Periodical postage paid at Syracuse, NY and other offices. Published 24 times per year by the Jewish Federation of Central New York Inc., a non-profit corporation, 5655 Thompson Road, DeWitt, NY 13214. Subscriptions: $36/year; student $10/ year. POST MASTER: Send address change to JEWISH OBSERVER OF CENTRAL NEW YORK, 5655 Thompson Road, DeWitt, NY 13214.
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AROUND CENTRAL NEW YORK JCC offering East Coast Swing dance classes BY WILLIAM WALLAK The Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center’s Neulander Family Sports and Fitness Center recently started offering an adult East Coast Swing dance class on Thursdays, from 6:45-7:45 pm, throughout August and September. There is a nominal cost to attend each class at the center, which is located at 5655 Thompson Rd., DeWitt. Pre-registration is
not required, and attendees should check-in at the fitness center. No experience is necessary to take this class. Attendees are encouraged to wear dance shoes, although they’re not required. Shoes with smooth soles are more than adequate. Attendees are not required to come to every class meeting; they may attend as often as they’d like. The East Coast Swing
dance class instructor is Maria Cirino, who has been dancing and teaching dance locally for more than 25 years. For more information about the East Coast Swing dance class, contact the JCC’s Sports and Fitness Center at 315-234-4522 or visit www.jccsyr.org. William Wallak is the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center’s marketing director.
A Spector/Warren Fellow in Israel BY BETTE SIEGEL Michael Crosby is a former Spector/Warren Fellow in Holocaust and Genocide Education and a Baldwinsville native entering his 11th year teaching in Liverpool, most of it at Liverpool High School. He applied for the fellowship during his senior undergraduate year at the Syracuse University School of Education because he felt that the Holocaust was a topic he was not Michael Crosby at prepared to teach as he did not have Jerusalem. a “robust content knowledge.” He was in Israel on a fellowship to study at Yad Vashem and then attended the 10th annual conference on Holocaust education. He became interested in the Holocaust, particularly in the social and political threads that underlie it, and said, “It is hard to comprehend how it was humanly possible to execute such hatred. The buildup to the Final Solution through gradual policy and propaganda is fascinating and disturbing. There are powerful lessons to be gleaned from that period of history. I am very careful not to compare other events and people to the Holocaust and its perpetrators. However, there are elements of all genocides that can be reflected upon and act as warning signs for the present and future. These lessons are important for students.” His master’s degree is in literacy education, grades five-12. He has been an adjunct at Syracuse University for about four years and taught “Literacy Across the Curriculum.” He would eventually like to get a second master’s degree in political science if he can find a scholarship. He lives in Baldwinsville with his husband, who
is from Pittsburgh. They love their family, traveling and immersing themselves in new cultures. He said it is very important to learn about people around the world and bring that back to his students as much as possible, and he hopes that by sharing his experiences his students’ minds are broadened. Crosby said he always shares these quotes with students to remove the Western Wall in the spotlight from Adolf Hitler as the sole factor of the Holocaust and to make them consider the power of indifference, the importance of speaking out in their everyday lives, and to have them think about the significance of education and the remembrance of history. “The line to genocide was not one Hitler would cross alone.” (Pg. 159, “War & Genocide,” Doris L. Bergen) “In any case, leading Nazis found out that unanimous approval was not required. Indifference of the majority was all that was needed to carry out many plans.” (Pg. 62, “War & Genocide,” Doris L. Bergen) “[N]o matter what others may do, no matter what others may do to you, no one can ever take your education or your mind away from you.” (Naomi Warren) He was “very honored and excited” when he was accepted for the week of study in Houston and he soon realized that it was “truly enlightening” because there was so much he didn’t know about the Holocaust. When he saw there was an opportunity to participate in the program at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, he said he was eager to apply. He also wanted to collaborate with other educators from across the country about how they fit Holocaust education into their courses – especially with
the constriction of standards and testing. Crosby found his experience at Yad Vashem “powerful.” The campus was “beautiful and every element of it had been well thought out.” There were symbolic elements
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Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center senior dining menu AUGUST 20-24 Monday – dinner at 5 pm – orange-glazed Cornish hen Tuesday – spaghetti and meatballs Wednesday – tuna sandwich with sliced tomato Thursday – beef chili Friday – Marsala meatballs over rice AUGUST 27-31 Monday – dinner at 5 pm – salmon croquettes Tuesday – hamburgers with sautéed onions and mushrooms Wednesday – macaroni and cheese Thursday – sweet and sour meatballs over rice Friday – stuffed flounder The Bobbi Epstein Lewis JCC Senior Adult Dining Program at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center offers Va’ad Ha’ir-supervised kosher lunches served Tuesday through Friday at noon. Dinners are served on Mondays at 5 pm throughout the summer through August 28, thanks in part, to the Dr. Morton and Mrs. Libby Maloff Summer Senior Dinner program. Reservations for dinner are required by the Wednesday
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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ AUGUST 16, 2018/5 ELUL 5778
CONGREGATIONAL NOTES Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas CBS-CS BACK TO SHUL BBQ Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas will hold its annual back-to-shul barbecue on Monday, September 3, from 4-6 pm. The event will feature kosher barbecue prepared by CBS-CS members, arts and crafts, and a bounce house. Participants are asked to bring donations of school supplies for a Syracuse public school, food for the Temple Concord Food Pantry and toiletries for Operation Soap Dish. For more information or to make a reservation, e-mail manager@ cbscs.org or go to https://tinyurl.com/ CBS-CSBBQ. CBS-CS SISTERHOOD SYMPOSIUM: MARRIAGE, INTERMARRIAGE – JEWISH FAMILIES TODAY Brandeis University Joseph and Esther Foster Professor of Judaic Studies Sylvia Barack Fishman will be the speaker at the
ninth annual Sisterhood Symposium on Tuesday, October 16, at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center at 6:30 pm. Fishman, professor emerita of contemporary Jewish life, is the author of eight books on marriage and families and numerous articles on American Jewish life and culture, plus other aspects of how American Jews construct their lives. She will address issues such as how younger Americans think about their Jewish identities; what their attitudes toward dating, marriage and the creation of Jewish families are; how Jewish families and intermarriage have changed over time; and what people can do to support the Jewish connections of diverse Jewish households. Reservations may be made by contacting the CBS-CS office at 315-446-9570 or manager@cbscs.org.
Temple Adath Yeshurun SHABBAT L’DOR V’DOR AT TAY BY SONALI MCINTYRE On Saturday, August 18, Temple Adath Yeshurun will introduce a new multi-generational program where aliyot will be given to children as well as adults. There will be a break before the Torah service. The children, teens and adults will split up for stories, snacks and study. There will be something for every age and stage of life. Afterward, everyone will return to complete the service.
TAY member Jaclyn Sisskind Gnacik said, “This break will last 20-30 minutes and have a choice of activities available, from tot yoga to story time, as well as teen and adult parasha to study.” Shabbat services begin at 9:15 am. Following services, there will be a kiddush sponsored by the Reverend Solomon and Marsha Kaplan kiddush Endowment Fund and the TAY Sisterhood. For more information, contact the TAY office at 315-445-0002 or info@adath.org.
Temple Concord SHABBAT AT THE CHIEFS GAME BY CHANA MEIR As part of its 2018 summer series, Temple Concord will take its Shabbat services out to the ballgame on Friday, August 24. Services will start at 6 pm, followed by the Syracuse Chiefs/Rochester Red Wings baseball game. Attendees are invited to share dinner by purchasing food and drinks at the game. The game is part of the Chiefs’ Potato Palooza Weekend, dedicated to the Salt Potatoes (as the Chiefs will be temporarily renamed for the weekend) and summer in Central New York. The first 1,000 fans 21 or older through the gate will receive a free Salt Potato jersey, and a fireworks display will follow the game. This event is open to the community. Reservations may be made by contacting the synagogue at office@templeconcord. org or 315-475-9952, or by registering via the online calendar at www.templeconcord.org. “HUMOR ME” – TEMPLE CONCORD CINEMAGOGUE BY CHANA MEIR The father-son comedy “Humor Me” kicks off Temple Concord’s Cinemagogue series season. The film will be shown on
Synagogues become nightclubs in Eastern Europe BY CNAAN LIPHSHIZ TRNAVA, Slovakia (JTA) – Growing up, Robert Sajtlava remembers playing near what used to be his native city’s Orthodox Synagogue. A rectangular structure with a deceptively unimpressive facade, its ornate ceiling and interior walls suffered extensive damage from the precipitation leaking through the roof and, occasionally, by trespassers who came through the rickety fence. “It was a ruin,” said Sajtlava, a 28-year-old catering professional, who is not Jewish. Since 2016, however, Sajtlava comes to that building every day as the manager of Synagoga Café – a chic establishment that a local contractor opened that year inside the space of the former synagogue. The launch followed a complicated and costly renovation project that retained and preserved much of what remained of the
Fellow
L-r: Camp counselor Andrew Balliet turned the jump rope for Jacob DeStevens and Elijah Bailey during Fitness Friday – a “high-energy, moving and grooving” period at Camp Rothschild, the weekly summer camp at Temple Adath Yeshurun.
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Saturday, August 25, at 7:30 pm. The movie is the directorial debut of Sam Hoffman, founder of the website, Old Jews Telling Jokes (https://www. oldjewstellingjokes.com/), which was adapted into a book and an Off-Broadway show. It follows the story of Nate Kroll (played by Jemaine Clement, of “Flight of the Conchords”), a playwright whose life goes into a tailspin following the loss of his job and wife. When he doesn’t realize his lease is up, and also loses his apartment, he’s forced to move in with his father, Bob (Elliot Gould), who lives in a retirement community. Self-serious Nate struggles to deal with Bob’s constant joking, while his father tries to teach him that “Life is going to happen, whether you smile or not.” In addition to Clement and Gould, the cast includes Bebe Neuwirth, Annie Potts and singer Ingrid Michaelson as Nate’s love interest. Cinemagogue events are free and open to the public, and candy and snacks will be available. Donations are welcome. For more information, contact the TYC office at 315-475-9952, or office@ templeconcord.org.
that told the human story of the Holocaust. Every day he was there, experts addressed the group on many different topics. The participants had time to work with other educators and discuss the best practices for teaching the content. The experience did not focus as much on the Final Solution as it did on the buildup to the Holocaust, the stories of hope and survival, and how the political and social lessons could transcend that period in human history. Once again, following the experience at Yad Vashem during the fellowship and International Conference, he realized there was even more that he didn’t know, and it left him with more questions. One night the group was given a lecture on the current state of Israeli politics and how that had emerged from historical events. Crosby said, “As Americans, I think we get a very narrow view of Israel in our media. My friends, colleagues and parents were all concerned about my safety accepting this trip. I never felt unsafe or threatened when in Jerusalem. It was a gorgeous city and the people were nothing short of welcoming.” He recounted, “My experience on Shabbat at the Western Wall was unforgettable. I am not Jewish, and in some
187-year-old structure. In a recent and controversial development in Eastern Europe, former Jewish houses of worship left abandoned after the Holocaust are being renovated for commercial ends by contractors who capitalize on their Jewish history and incorporate it into a brand. Critics view the businesses as exploitative cultural appropriation in the wake of a tragedy. Advocates argue it reflects respect and nostalgia for Jews in addition to providing a vehicle for at least some preservation of heritage sites. The trend is especially visible over the past decade with the commercialization of several former synagogues and houses of worship. In 2013, Krakow’s Chewra Thilim was turned into a nightclub and, in 2016, into the Hevre bar, whose interior design highlights its Jewish past. In 2012, See “Synagogues” on page 6
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ways that made me feel like I had no place being there on Shabbat. As I watched the dancing and singing, a man told me to join in. When he saw my reluctance, he offered his arm, so he could lead me in the dancing and singing. He then brought me down to his circle at the Western Wall to join the prayers. There was no pressure to stay or even to pray. Everyone just welcomed me as if I had known them my whole life. To me that evening said so much about the human experience. “I went to Jerusalem to learn about the Holocaust, and I did that. I also feel like I left Israel understanding a culture and people a bit better. Now when I see people, I encourage them to go to Israel if they have the opportunity. No amount of time will be wasted exploring the city (new and old), learning about the culture and comprehending our human story a bit better. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to learn from scholars around the world. I will now do my best to continue in their footsteps by offering a professional development session this school year and integrating what I learned into my teaching. I am so happy to be home, but I also cannot wait to come back to Israel.”
AUGUST 16, 2018/5 ELUL 5778 ■
JEWISH OBSERVER
Fire kites sting Negev honey farms just before Rosh Hashanah
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including 5,000 located near the border BY MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMAN with Gaza. Of those 5,000, some 200 hives (JNS) – When you drive into Israel’s have been destroyed and thousands more Sha’ar HaNegev Region in the northwestern indirectly impacted by the fires. And while Negev, the fields are burnt and black. The annual plants can be planted and regrown trees are broken, and the smell of acrid with little impact on next year’s honey smoke stings the eyes and nose. “It is a very season, he explained, other varietals, like upsetting view,” said Zeev Meidan, general eucalyptus trees, cannot be grown in a year. manager of the Israeli Honey Council. As such, there will be long-term impact on Meidan, who in the past was employed the industry that has yet to be determined. as a beekeeper at the area’s Kibbutz Yad Additionally, Amitai said the situation Mordechai, has been spending extra time has taken an emotional blow on the beein the southern district to support the keepers who worked all year only to watch region’s honey farmers, many of whom their efforts undone in a blaze. “It is terrible have been the target of arson attacks by to watch your hives burn up alongside euHamas. He said fires in the Gaza periphery calyptus trees, flowers and grazing land,” caused by aerial arson attacks launched by said beekeeper Ido Eden. “Nearly all the flammable kites and helium balloons have grove was burnt, and with it, my hives. We caused millions of shekels worth of damage are talking about eight dunams of land with to the beehives of Kibbutz Erez and Yad 32 hives. I was planning to go on vacation Mordechai in the period just before Rosh with my family, but now I’m not so sure. Hashanah, the height of the honey harvest. It just feels terrible.” On average, Meidan said, the hives would Yahel Ben-Aris, volunteer coordinator be producing as much as 50 kilograms of A beehive in flames from an incendiary kite at a honey farm in southern Israel near the Gaza Strip. (Photo by Alon Sigron) for the MetroWest New Jersey Federahoney each this season. tion-Kibbutz Erez partnership, expressed “After many months of labor, we were supposed to collect the honey from our hives,” said Boaz explained that in addition to the bees themselves being similar sentiments. “I don’t know what to say… you Kanot, chairman of the Israel Beekeepers Association. scorched, when the fields are burnt then any remaining just look out at the fields and see fire – another kite, “The recent fires have burned dozens of beehives full bees cannot produce honey because there are no flowers another balloon – it’s crazy,” said Ben-Aris. “It doesn’t of honey just before it was meant to be packaged and on which to graze. “Flowers do not grow overnight, so make sense.” Ben-Aris lives in Kibbutz Erez. He said there are a distributed. This is a huge loss to the industry in general in the near future there will not be enough flowers to make honey,” he said. Fewer bees also mean “that they minimum of six fires per week, and sometimes as many as and the beekeepers specifically.” three a day. The best way to contain them is to arrive on Many beekeepers rely on income from this season will not be able to pollinate the fields.” According to Meidan, the country produces around the scene fast. The kibbutz has put together an emergency to support themselves throughout the year, explained Yitzchak “Hakale” Amitai, manager of Kibbutz Erez’s 3,500 tons of honey per year, of which little or none response firefighting team with equipment purchased building and infrastructure. He said the beekeepers is exported. The country imports about 1,000 tons of largely from donations made by the MetroWest New provide taxes from the profits to the kibbutz, which will honey, which together with local production just meets Jersey Federation. He said there is a constant need to the needs of Israelis, especially around the holidays. replenish items like fire hoses, which are quickly worn also suffer a financial blow. The government has committed to help offset the loss He said Israel’s northern farmers and imports this year down from the fires. “There were days that teams would go out to extinguish to individual farmers, but only about half of the funds should make up for the loss of the honey in the Sha’ar HaNegev Region, and honey prices should remain stable the fire and holes in the hoses would have water spraying have been transferred thus far, said Meidan. everywhere,” Ben-Aris said. “These are firefighters with Amitai said the beehives are not located inside the through the High Holidays and Sukkot. See “Honey” on page 6 Meidan said Israel has around 120,000 beehives, kibbutzim, but in open land all around their periphery. He
Hillel Springboard Innovation Fellow trains young Jewish professionals BY LAUREN GOLDBERG Hillel at Ithaca College joins 20 college campuses across the United States and Canada in hosting a Springboard Innovation Fellow. The Springboard Fellowship was launched in 2016 by Hillel International to train young Jewish professionals in highly-valued skillsets and place them at local Hillel campuses for two years. The participation of Hillel at Ithaca College in this program showcases just one sign of the continuing growth within the campus Jewish community. Currently, it is estimated that approximately 1,000 undergraduate students at Ithaca are Jewish. As the Innovation Fellow for IC Hillel, Austin Reid said he will seek to engage students who may be under-involved in Jewish life on campus. Some specific groups Reid hopes to engage with include LGBTQ+ Jews, Jewish athletes and interfaith students. He said, “I feel incredibly lucky to have been hired by Hillel at Ithaca College, and I am excited to help further the growth and development of Jewish student life here on the South Hill. I am especially excited to work with so many passionate students who are already doing so
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many great things at IC! I also hope that, through my role, more people in the wider Ithaca community can be made aware of the quality student programming being done at Hillel. This is a job where I feel like I am truly making a difference!” Innovation Fellows are trained in “Design Thinking” methodology to “spark new ideas, connect with students and infuse creativity into Jewish life on campus.” Reid plans to help facilitate several different types of programs, including a monthly series highlighting the histories and traditions of Jewish communities from around the world. Hillel at Syracuse University Interim Director Rabbi Leah Fein said, “The Springboard Fellowship is an incredible way for the next generation of Jewish leaders who are interested in innovation to channel their expertise directly into Jewish non-profit work.” Reid said, “The goal with this monthly program is really to showcase that Judaism is a global faith which has thrived in many different regions. Judaism is one of the most diverse faiths in the world, but this diversity is sometimes overlooked.”
He is a graduate of Capital University in Columbus, OH, where he majored in history and political science. During his time at Capital, Reid reestablished an organized Jewish community on his campus and engaged in interfaith activities. The Springboard Fellowship is a re-imagining of the Steinhardt Jewish Campus Service Corps Fellowship, which Hillel ran from 1994-2008, and which trained a generation of emerging Jewish communal leaders through their roles in Jewish student engagement. For more information about Jewish student life at Ithaca College, e-mail ithacahillel@gmail.com. Lauren Goldberg is the executive director of Hillel at Ithaca College.
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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ AUGUST 16, 2018/5 ELUL 5778
Synagogues
Warsaw saw the opening of Mykwa Bar, a drinking establishment with a translucent floor over what used to be a mikvah, or ritual bath. It occurs also in Western Europe: A 207-year-old synagogue in the city of Deventer, in the eastern Netherlands, is in the process of becoming a restaurant whose design will reference its previous function, according to the new owners. At the Synagoga Cafe, yuppie patrons sip pricey cappuccino on tables that are aligned with a platform on which worshippers would climb to open the wooden Torah ark. Flanked by marble columns that the renovators brought in to replace the ones that were plundered decades ago, the ark towers over the customers, with its reliefs of the tablets of the Ten Commandments in Hebrew and the word Jehovah. Overhead, what used to be the women’s section is now a second bar, complementing the one near the main entrance and facade, with its Star of David locked within a round window. The renovators did away with the separate entrance that once led upstairs in keeping with Orthodox requirements for separation of the sexes. But they kept the original stone stairs, which now lead up from the main entrance of the cafe, which has a capacity for 80 patrons. Even the collection box, with the Hebrew word for charity emblazoned over its slot, has remained intact. Europe had some 17,000 synagogues before World War II, according to research published this year by the London-based Foundation for Jewish Heritage. But the foundation has been able to locate throughout the continent only 3,318 structures that have been known to function as synagogues, and just 762 are used as such today. Some of the structures mapped by the foundation, especially in former communist countries, have been turned into residential homes – one notable example is the Rusne shul in western Lithuania. Others, like the Krosniewice synagogue in central Poland, became funeral parlors. Poznan in the country’s west even has a swimming pool that used to be a synagogue. In many cases, Jewish communities sold the buildings or received compensation for them. In others, Jewish communities still own the former shuls and are renting them to third parties. But these conversions differ from projects like the Synagoga Café and Mykwa Bar in that hardly any of them feature a conscious effort to commemorate the building’s Jewish past, much less capitalize on it. As with similar establishments in the region, the scene at Synagoga Café draws mixed reactions from Jews. “It’s certainly a jarring experienced with mixed emotions,” reads a Facebook post by Meir Davidson, an Israeli tourist from the Tel Aviv area who chanced upon the café on a Friday evening in February. “I mean, the local Jewish community didn’t just pack up and leave.” Trnava, a city of 65,000 with so many churches that it is sometimes called “the Rome of Slovakia,” counted a Jewish community of some 3,000 before the
Continued from page 4
Patrons at the Synagoga Cafe in Trnava, Slovakia, on September 13, 2017. (Photo by Wikimedia Commons) Holocaust. Some 2,500 were deported to Auschwitz, leaving a congregation of only 100 by the 1960s. Even the survivors gradually left, leaving the unused Orthodox Synagogue and the neighboring Status Quo Synagogue, which was reopened in 2016 following renovations and now functions as an art gallery and concert hall with a memorial space. But the congregants’ tragic fate is not mentioned anywhere at Synagoga Café. Davidson’s Hebrew-language post on Facebook triggered a torrent of indignant reactions. “Disgraceful,” wrote Shani Luvaton of Jerusalem. “They’d never do it to a church or mosque.” Removing the Jewish motifs would have “actually been less confronting. This mix of espresso and cheese cake and the Torah Ark doesn’t work.” Some noted that Israel and the United States have their fair share of deserted or defunct synagogues that have been turned into something else. The former Ansche Chesed Synagogue on New York’s Lower East Side is now an arts center. The Beth Abraham Synagogue in Auburn, ME, was sold last year to a developer to be turned into apartments. But Sara Ben Michael of Haifa objected to the comparison. “Shocking,” she posted on Facebook. “The Jews didn’t leave this synagogue. They were sent to concentration camps and exterminated.” The Holocaust’s shadow and the absence of complete and informed acknowledgment of the genocide lie at the heart of resistance to the phenomenon, said Richard Schofield, a British artist based in Lithuania. He will publish a book this year titled “Back to Shul” featuring photographs from nearly 100 former synagogues that he toured last August. “The murder of the people who used to frequent the shul, the destruction of their centuries-old communities, it creates a different attitude and reality,” he said. In this context, Schofield said, “it’s hard to keep a rational attitude.” And yet he tends to support projects that result in the preservation of disused
Honey day jobs and, when it happens on Shabbat, they have to leave their families three times. It’s very hot right now, and these fires are so hot, too.” Retirees from across the country have been volunteering in the area, sitting in watch towers to monitor for aerial attacks and inform the firefighting response team. Strikingly, even as their fields are destroyed and fires sting the production of the area’s honey, residents and leadership alike say they have empathy for the plight of the Gazans and do not want to go to war with Hamas. Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council Mayor Alon Shuster told JNS that arson is not something new for the region. Rather, there were rounds of fires set by Gaza activists near the border for years. The big shift now is that these fires are reaching further into the region, propelled by kites and balloons. While he said that the results are tragic economically, emotionally and agriculturally, “we are lucky none of the burning kites have put people in danger.”
and decaying synagogues that otherwise would be destroyed, even if it is done for profit. Of the 2,556 buildings that used to be synagogues in Europe, but no longer function as such, at least a third are in a condition ranging from poor to unsalvageable. Among the functioning synagogues, fewer than 10 percent are in those bad conditions. Sajtlava, the manager of Synagoga Café, argues that the decision to renovate the synagogue and retain parts of its Jewish heritage stem from a sense of commitment. “Listen, it would have been much easier and cheaper for my boss to find a different nice building, which was not ruined and not listed for preservation like this one was, and open a lovely café in it,” he said. But his employer, Simon Stefunko, instead spent millions of dollars on a renovation that took years to complete, “so something would remain from the Jewish community here. I think it’s beautiful.” Continued from page 5
Shuster said he doesn’t want a military solution to be the only solution. “A war will just temporarily stop the fires, but it will not stop Hamas from attacking us again,” he said. “Of course, Hamas is a terrible partner for negotiations… But we must move to a situation where Israel opens dialogue with Hamas – for the people of Israel and Gaza. While this is hard on us, the people in Gaza are suffering in ways we cannot even imagine or describe.” Meidan added that “Hamas should know that not only does the arson not help them, it is not only hurting the Jews. It is bad for nature and killing bees – innocent insects that don’t deserve to die.” And he believes the people of the Sha’ar HaNegev Region are resilient. “We will not be broken,” he said. Ben-Aris said the first flowers that pop up as the land starts to recuperate are striking red anemones, which he said will ignite the fields in “vibrant” color. “It will be very pretty,” he said. “This new life – that is the message I would send back to Hamas.”
Honey farmers inspected bee hives that had caught fire from incendiary attacks from the Gaza Strip. (Photo by Alon Sigron)
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Beneath the surface: The untold story of Americans unearthing Israeli archaeology BY MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMAN (JNS) – Can archaeology bring biblical history to life? According to historian and Deputy Minister Michael Oren, it depends who you ask. Speaking at a June 10 Jerusalem event celebrating the opening of the “Seals of Isaiah and King Hezekiah Discovered” exhibit at the Armstrong International Cultural Foundation in Oklahoma, as well as 50 years of archaeological collaboration between the Armstrong Foundation and Israel, Oren said that in Jerusalem, archaeology serves as a tool for proving the Jewish people’s roots in the land. “By digging down into the earth of the holy land and finding our answers in there, we established our roots here and showed... we’re not interlopers or migrants, we‘re not survivors of the Holocaust that Europe dumped here,” as even Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas claimed as recently as a month ago. “We are indigenous people.” Archaeology, said Oren, is key to “our validity, legitimacy and security... Archaeology is not just about revealing the past. It is about acquiring the present and ensuring our future.” Oren said this notion rings especially true with the most recent findings of Hebrew University biblical archaeologist Eilat Mazar: The seals of Hezekiah and Isaiah.
Eilat Mazar at the Ophel site (Photo courtesy of Eilat Mazar) In a rare public speech, Mazar explained the significance of the 2,700-yearold royal seal impression of King Hezekiah and the purported seal of the Jewish prophet Isaiah, both foundational pieces of the Oklahoma exhibit. The seals were found 10 feet away from each other in the
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same layer of soil in 2009 and are dated to the eighth century. The Hezekiah seal, upon which it is written, “Belonging to Hezekiah [son of] Ahaz, King of Judah,” is the only seal impression belonging to an Israelite or Judean king ever found in a controlled scientific excavation. It took several years for Mazar to complete her studies of the findings. The seal of Isaiah was only reported this year because Mazar and her team had difficulty interpreting it. There continues to be debate as to whether the seal really belonged to the prophet, but Armstrong Foundation founder Gerald Flurry said he believes there’s no question about it. He said the seal dates to precisely the time the prophet was alive in Jerusalem; it was found near the royal Ophel area, where Isaiah served. Hezekiah and Isaiah are mentioned together in the same biblical verses 16 times. “Let the stones of Hezekiah and Isaiah speak,” said Flurry. “They have a thundery voice of hope.” The June 10 event was the first time the seals were open to the media. They were on display via live video from the Armstrong Auditorium in the city of Edmond, OK. The partnership between the Armstrong Foundation and Mazar goes back 50 years, to Mazar’s grandfather, archaeologist Benjamin Mazar, who was commissioned by Israel in 1968 to run Hebrew Univer-
sity’s archaeological dig near the Temple Mount. At that time, Herbert Armstrong, an ambassador of the Worldwide Church of God, and Mazar came into contact. According to Brad Macdonald, curator of the “Seals of Isaiah and King Hezekiah Discovered” exhibit, Armstrong and Benjamin Mazar struck up a friendship, and Armstrong started sending students to volunteer on the excavation. Ultimately, hundreds volunteered and the excavations were supported by Armstrong financially for almost 10 years. When Armstrong died in 1986, his successors abandoned his legacy until, in 1989, Gerald Flurry, an Ambassador graduate and Worldwide Church of God minister, opened the Philadelphia Church of God to continue Armstrong’s legacy. In 1996, he established the Armstrong’s Ambassador International Cultural Foundation and then Herbert Armstrong College. Flurry got in touch with Mazar in 2005 after she started digging in the City of David. In 2006, Flurry sent two college students. Macdonald said it went so well that since then, more than 50 have been sent by Armstrong College to Jerusalem to work on Mazar’s excavations. The students comprised most of the laborers on Mazar’s most recent dig, which was also fully funded by the foundation. See “Archeology” on page 12
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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ AUGUST 16, 2018/5 ELUL 5778
Selichot around the community CONGREGATION BETH SHOLOM-CHEVRA SHAS On Saturday, September 1, Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas will hold a Selichot program, “Selichot: The Doorway into the New Year.” Participants will “open the door” to get a glimpse of what the coming year may hold for them. This year’s Selichot service will combine media, discussion and davening, so people may study and reflect throughout the evening as a way to prepare for the spiritual work of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. There will be refreshments at 8:45 pm, with the 9:15 pm Selichot service led by Rabbi Andrew Pepperstone and Cantor Paula Pepperstone. The synagogue is located at 18 Patsy Ln., off Jamesville Road, Jamesville. For more information, contact the CBS-CS office at 315-446-9570 or manager@cbscs.org. SHAAREI TORAH ORTHODOX CONGREGATION OF SYRACUSE On Saturday, September 1, at 10:30 pm, Shaarei Torah Orthodox Congregation of Syracuse will hold its pre-Se-
lichot program, a panel discussion on “How Different Generations View Judaism.” The panel will be primarily comprised of Baby Boomers and Generations X, Y and Z, who will offer their own perspectives. Intergenerational differences and commonalities will be explored. Refreshments will be served and Selichot services will follow the program. The program is free and open to the public, as are the services. On subsequent days, Selichot will follow Ma’ariv. The synagogue is located at 4313 E. Genesee St., DeWitt. For more information, visit www.stocsyracuse. com, or contact the STOCS office at info@stocsyracuse. com or 315-446-6194. TEMPLE ADATH YESHURUN BY SONALI MCINTYRE On Saturday, September 1, at 8:30 pm, Temple Adath
Shana Tovah from
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From our family to yours, wishing you a year full of happiness and joy!
Max Fuchs (left in prayer shawl) sang in Aachen, Germany, during the first Jewish service to be held on German soil since the rise of Adolf Hitler, which was broadcast on NBC on October 29, 1944. Rabbi Chaplain Sidney Lefkowitz is next to him. Temple Adath Yeshurun will host a screening of the film “GI Jews: Jewish Americans in World War II,” which tells the story of the more than 500,000 Jewish men and women who served in World War II. (Photo courtesy Max Fuchs)
Yeshurun will host a screening of “GI Jews: Jewish Americans in World War II,” a feature-length documentar y that had its national broadcast premier on PBS on April 11. The film tells the stor y of the more than 500,000 Jewish men and women who served in World War II. Hollywood director Mel Brooks and former Secretar y of State Henr y Kissinger are among the veterans who share their experiences through interviews, photos and archival video footage. The film’s description is “They narrate how they fought for their nation and their brethren in Europe, while at the same time struggling with antisemitism within their ranks. After years of struggle, they emerge transformed, more powerfully American and more deeply Jewish.” “GI Jews” made its way to several major Jewish film festivals in 2018, including official selection at the Washington Jewish Film Festival and the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, and was shown at the Jewish film festivals in Chicago, Miami, Palm Beach and Dallas, as well as at the Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature. Documentary filmmaker Lisa Ades, who has produced and directed films for PBS and cable television for more than 25 years, produced and directed “GI Jews.” It is also produced by Syracuse University graduate Amanda Bonavita, who has worked in commercial television, as well as documentary/narrative film for the last 15 years. Maia Harris, who has written and produced documentaries for PBS for many years and received two Emmy Awards, is the film’s writer. It is a production of Turquoise Films, Inc. in association with THIRTEEN Productions LLC for WNET – the PBS flag station in New York. Major grants were provided by the National Endowments for the Humanities, Corp. for Public Broadcasting, and Righteous Persons Foundation. The story is based on Deborah Dash Moore’s book, “GI Jews: How World War II Changed a Generation,” which was inspired by her father’s service in the war.
L ’ Sh a nah Tova h
See “Selichot” on page 10
A dollop of honey and a dollop of sweetness for the upcoming year!
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JEWISH OBSERVER
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Wishing You A Sweet New Year L’Shana Tova Tikatevu 2018- 5779
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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.
Wednesday, August 15 Deadline for August 30 Jewish Observer Wednesday, August 29 Deadline for September 13 Jewish Observer Saturday, August 18 Temple Adath Yeshurun Shabbat L'Dor V’Dor at 9:15 am Temple Concord Havdallah at Sylvan Beach at 6:30 pm Tuesday, August 21 TC High Holy Day class with Rabbi Daniel Fellman at 12:30 pm Jewish Community Foundation of CNY annual meeting at 6 pm Wednesday, August 22 TC board meeting at 7 pm Thursday, August 23 Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas B’Ivrit film series at 7 pm Friday, August 24 TC – A Baseball Shabbat at the ballpark at 6 pm Saturday, August 25 TC Cinemagogue – “Humor Me” at 7:30 pm Tuesday, August 28 TC High Holy Day class with Rabbi Daniel Fellman at 12:30 pm Wednesday, August 29 TAY Executive Committee meeting at 6:30 pm, followed by board meeting at 7:30 pm Thursday, August 30 CBS-CS B’Ivrit film series at 7 pm Friday, August 31 Blood drive at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center from 10 am – 4 pm TC Share-a-Pizza Shabbat at 6 pm Saturday, September 1 CBS-CS program, "Selichot: The Doorway into the New Year” at 8:45 pm Shaarei Torah Orthodox Congregation of Syracuse Selichot discussion on how different generations view Judaism at 10:30 pm TAY Selichot program screening the film, “GI Jews: Jewish Americans in World War II” at 8:30 pm TC Selichot program screening the film, “Casablanca,” followed by a discussion of the movie’s themes at 8 pm
D’VAR TORAH
The moral of the story is avoid polygamy BY RABBI URI C. COHEN Anyone who thinks polygamy is a good idea should read more Archie comics. – Binyamin Weinreich A thousand years ago, Rabbeinu Gershom famously banned polygamy (multiple wives). Yet in parashat Ki Tetze (Deut. 21:15), the Torah allows it. Doesn’t that imply that polygamy is acceptable? The short answer is no, because the Torah allows a number of problematic behaviors as a concession to human weakness. (The most famous example is owning slaves, but some opinions
B’NAI MITZVAH Kassidy Ruth Hirsh
Kassidy Ruth Hirsh, daughter of Jennifer Jordan Hirsh and Larry Hirsh of Cicero, became bat mitzvah on May 26 at Temple Adath Yeshurun. She is the granddaughter of Gale and David Hirsh of Savannah, GA, and Kathleen and Edwin Jordan, formerly of Cicero and both deceased. She attends the Syracuse Community Hebrew School and the TAY Religious School. She is a student Kassidy Ruth Hirsh at Gillette Road Middle School. She enjoys field hockey, dance, reading and crafts.
Sheila Jolee Nelson
Sheila Jolee Nelson, daughter of Jennifer and Joshua Nelson of Cicero, became bat mitzvah at Temple Adath Yeshurun on August 4. She is the granddaughter of Bruce and Candy Nelson of Cicero. She is the great-granddaughter of Joanne Warm, Sidney Suher and Ina Suher of Rochester, NY. She attends the TAY Religious School and is a student at Gillette Sheila Jolee Nelson Road Middle School. She enjoys being in the Girl Scouts and on the student council and does community service and art.
JDC and Israel team up to alleviate African poverty through agtech BY JNS STAFF (JNS) – In a ceremony in Jerusalem on July 31, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and Israel’s Ministry of the Economy formalized their partnership to leverage Israeli agricultural technology as part of JDC’s new Tikkun Olam Ventures (or TOV) program, which seeks to alleviate poverty among Africa’s smallholder farmers. Attendees included Shay Rinsky, director general of the Ministry of Economy and Industry; Mandie Winston, director of JDC’s international-development program; and American businessman and philanthropist Seth Merrin, who has long been involved in investment work in the developing world, including his ongoing efforts at the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda. “Israel has incredible skills and technologies to share that will make the world a better place and significantly improve the lives of many,” said Merrin.
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L-r: Shay Rinsky, director general of the Ministry of Economy and Industry; philanthropist Seth Merrin; and Mandie Winston, director of JDC’s internationaldevelopment program. (Photo by JDC) “TOV is a novel philanthropic model that creates the perfect public-private partnership to implement the technology and the training necessary to significantly improve the yields of the farmers, which begins the journey out of poverty. It is incredibly exciting to think about how many lives we will impact over the coming years,” he said. TOV’s partnership with the Israeli government will include the transfer of Israeli agtech knowledge to experts, businesses and smallholder farmers in emerging economies, as well as the development of knowledge in Israel about both the needs of smallholder farmers to promote innovation and effective business models for reaching smallholder farmers. The partnership will also foster “knowledge communities” in Israel to disseminate and develop knowledge gained through TOV’s work in Africa, which is already underway in seven farming demonstration sites in Ethiopia. “This initiative is an important platform for the Ministry of Economy and Industry to give the developing world access to Israeli solutions to the challenges faced by so many,” said Eli Cohen, Israel’s minister of economy and industry.
apply the same idea to offering sacrifices, having a king, and perhaps even eating meat.) A longer, fascinating answer is presented by Rabbi Yaakov Anatoli (1194-1256) in his “Malmad HaTalmidim.” (The book’s title means prodding the students.) He starts by asserting that polygamy is not what the Torah wants, and he elaborates: “This is the point of the Torah’s story that one woman [Eve] was created from the side of Adam to be a helper corresponding to him (Genesis 2:18). It wasn’t two wives, because most of the time that’s just painful. For this reason, it says soon afterward, ‘[A man leaves his parents] and sticks with his wife, and they become one’ (verse 24). True, the Torah does not forbid polygamy. “When something makes no sense, it’s enough for the Torah to try to prevent it by telling a story. For example, the Torah does not forbid getting drunk, but hints through stories [that it’s a bad idea]. In the same way, the Torah does not forbid polygamy. Who would even dare to do such a thing? If only (halvai) a marriage dealing with one woman and her children would work out! “It was kings, with their vast wealth and power, whom the Torah felt the need to warn not to marry many wives (Deut. 17:17). For ordinary men, there was no need for a warning. They would warn themselves off! “How about Avraham and Yaakov, who married more than one wife? The stories detail the specific reasons that compelled each of them to do so. Yitzchak was happy with one wife, the wise Rivkah. [And they had a married life that was much better than that of Avraham and Yaakov.] (Malmad HaTalmidim, Tazria, starting on p. 101a. www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager. aspx?req=6272&st=&pgnum=224)” In other words, the Torah doesn’t need to forbid marrying multiple wives, just as it doesn’t need to forbid getting drunk. In each case, just seeing the miserable experiences of others should lead people to avoid it. The Torah’s stories point in this direction as well. Rabbi Anatoli is reminding us that we’re supposed to learn lessons from the Torah in general – not just its commandments, but also its stories. (See Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, “Telling the Story,” 21 January 2015; www.rabbisacks.org/ telling-story-bo-5775.) While Jewish law is a major part of the Torah, it isn’t the entire Torah. Sometimes stories – such as the unhappy results of Avraham and Yaakov’s polygamy – are the best way to get the message across. Rabbi Uri and Dr. Yocheved Engelberg Cohen, the first couple of the Syracuse Kollel, now live in Ramat Beit Shemesh. Uri teaches in Midreshet HaRova and Midreshet Moriah in Jerusalem.
Selichot
Continued from page 8
The film touches on many of the themes to usher in the holiday: self-reflection, the impact an individual can make and tikkun olam (repairing the world). The film’s screening at Temple Adath Yeshurun is funded by the Abraham and Anita Altman Adult Education Fund. The film beings at 8:30 pm. Mincha services will be at 7:35 pm. Following the screening, there will be a dessert reception sponsored by the TAY Sisterhood at 10 pm. Selichot services will be led by Rabbi Carl Wolkin and Ba’alat Tefillah Esa Jaffe and will begin at 10:30 pm. The approximately 90-minute film and Selichot services are open to the community and there is no charge to attend. For more information, call 315-445-0002, visit www.adath.org or e-mail info@adath.org. Temple Adath Yeshurun is located at 450 Kimber Rd., Syracuse. TEMPLE CONCORD BY CHANA MEIR Temple Concord will observe the opening of the High Holidays with a Selichot program and service on Saturday, September 1, starting at 8 pm, with a screening of the film “Casablanca,” followed by a discussion of the movie’s themes. The film features a Jewish director and a cast of mainly refugees from Adolf Hitler, all of which underline its central theme – that Rick can only achieve emotional and moral wholeness if he forgives Ilsa and returns to the fight against fascism. Rabbi Daniel Fellman said, “Some of us need the whole month of Elul to figure that out. Bogie gets it in just under two hours.” Following the movie and discussion, there will be a special oneg, followed by Selichot services in the sanctuary, that will feature haunting melodies performed by the Knesset Shalom Singers. The congregation will participate in changing the mantles on the Torahs from blue to white to begin preparing for the High Holidays. For more information, contact the TC office at office@ templeconcord.org or call 315-475-9952. Temple Concord is located at 910 Madison St., Syracuse.
AUGUST 16, 2018/5 ELUL 5778 ■
OBITUARIES ANNA R. HOOTNICK
Anna R. Hootnick, 103, died on July 30. She was born in Boston. She had an incredible memory and always shared fascinating stories with her family. She was a talented bridge player, an avid reader and ready to travel at a moment’s notice. She was predeceased by her husband of almost 75 years, Jacob Hootnick, in 2011. She is survived by her sons, Kenneth (Linda) of Denver, CO; Laurence (Evelyn) of Manhattan, NY; David (Sally) of Manlius, NY; and Lewis (Judy) of Marblehead, MA; 13 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. Burial was in Anshei Lebovitz Cemetery, Woburn, MA. Sisskind Funeral Service had arrangements. Contributions may be made to the Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02116; the Onondaga County Public Library System, 447 S Salina St., Syracuse, NY 13202 or a library of your choice.
HAROLD RUBENSTEIN
Harold Rubenstein, 86, died July 30 at home in Delray Beach, FL. Born in Syracuse, he was a graduate of Central High School and attended Syracuse University, St. Lawrence University, and graduated cum laude in 1955 from the M.J. Lewis College of Podiatry (now the New York College of Podiatric Medicine). He served in the U.S. Army after completing podiatry school in 1955 and was honorably discharged in 1957. He believed the challenges of Army medicine sharpened his professional skills. Upon completing his service to the military, he opened a private podiatry practice in Syracuse, practicing until he retired in 2000. In addition to managing his busy private practice, he was responsible for initiating and developing a foot care clinic at the Van Duyn County Home, and also treated patients at the Joslin Clinic in Syracuse. He served as president of the CNY Podiatry Division and sat on the executive board of the NYS Podiatric Medical Association, serving as president from 1967-68. He was appointed to the NYS Board for Podiatry for a 10-year term and served as chairman from 1976-77. He served as chairman of the Council for Management of the Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery. He and his wife created an international publication for podiatrists and their staff which was known for its hard-hitting investigative journalism. He enjoyed teaching and served as clinical assistant professor in the department of orthopedic surgery and the department of medicine at SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse. He often took friends fresh-water fishing on his boat. He was an SU sports fan and for 40 years sat in the SU press box recording statistics for the NCAA at all SU home football games. He loved SU basketball and attended almost every home game. He also enjoyed traveling to see the team play its rivals or for post-season competition. An amateur photographer, he amassed thousands of slides of family and friends and his travels. He recently converted these slides to create a digital four-generation family saga. For many years he was an active member of Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas in DeWitt, where he was a charter member. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Judith Allen Rubenstein; his children, Mark (Jessi), of Jupiter, FL, Lori Fazzio (Steven) of Manhattan Beach, CA and David (Laura) of North Caldwell, NJ; his grandchildren Max, Julia, Ilana, Jack and Meryn; and his brother, Melvin “Mel,” of Manlius, NY. Sisskind Funeral Service had local arrangements. Donations may be made to the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology (MOST), 500 S. Franklin St., Syracuse, NY 13202; or Palm Healthcare Foundation Inc., 700 S. Dixie Hwy., Suite 205, West Palm Beach, FL 33401 in support of the Rubenstein Family Behavioral Health Fund; or a charity of your choice.
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Israel gets set to land first spacecraft on the moon
BY ISRAEL KASNETT (JNS) – “Houston, the Eagle has landed” will soon be a common refrain for Israelis. While entrepreneur Elon Musk sent one of his Tesla cars into space last year on top of his SpaceX rocket, this year, Musk will help deliver Israel’s first unmanned lunar spacecraft atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, where it will assume a course that will take it to its final destination: the moon. At a press conference at defense contractor Israel Aerospace Industries’ facility on July 10, Israeli nonprofit company SpaceIL announced its intention to send Israel’s first unmanned spacecraft into orbit in December and, two months later, land it on the lunar surface. Israel would then join the exclusive club of nations that has accomplished this feat since the 1960s, becoming the fourth nation to land a craft on the moon after Russia, the United States and China. Ido Anteby, chief executive of SpaceIL, outlined the schedule. He explained that SpaceIL will test the spacecraft through October, and in November, the company will deliver it to the Cape Canaveral launch site in Florida. The launch date is set for December; two months later, on February 13, the spacecraft is expected to land on the moon. “It’s a very compact spacecraft,” saysAnteby. “We worked together with the IAI team and SpaceIL team on very sophisticated engineering to get [it] all the way to the moon.” SpaceIL is backed by a number of donors, including U.S. casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, the Schusterman Family Foundation and South African-born billionaire entrepreneur Morris Kahn. Kahn said costs associated with the program hover around $95 million. He emphasized that he will underwrite any gaps in funding, saying “this project will not stop, will not have any problem, because of money.” He also called on the Israeli government to follow through with its pledge to fund 10 percent of the project. “When the rocket goes into orbit,” Kahn said, “I think we will all remember where we were when Israel landed on the moon. ...Space is going to be very important to the future.”
Ofer Doron, head of IAI’s MBT Space Division, spoke near the SpaceIL team’s spacecraft during a press conference at the Israel Aerospace facility in Yahud on July 10. (Photo by Flash90) Speaking to JNS, Kahn said, “I think this will give us a sense of tremendous pride. … I think this will have an impact on future generations.” According to SpaceIL, once the spacecraft disengages from the launch rocket, it will begin orbiting Earth in continuously larger elliptical orbits. This long and complex course will allow the spacecraft to reach the moon with minimal fuel consumption. At a certain stage in its orbit, the spacecraft will reach a point that is near the moon. It will then ignite its engines and reduce its speed to allow the moon’s gravity to pull it in, and will begin orbiting it. The entire journey, from launch to landing, is expected to last about eight weeks. In addition to taking photos on the surface of the moon, the spacecraft will measure its magnetic field at the landing site, using a magnetometer installed on it. The measurements are intended for research conducted at the Weizmann Institute of Science-UCLA. Once it completes its mission, the spacecraft will remain on the moon, displaying the flag of the state of Israel. SpaceIL’s spacecraft is not only small – it measures 2 meters-by-1.5 meters and weighs 600 kilograms (1,323 pounds) – but also significantly less expensive than those usually launched into deep space. This will be the smallest spacecraft to land on the moon to date. That’s one small achievement for the world, but one giant leap for Israel.
PEXTON MEMORIALS (FORMERLY GROSKIN MEMORIALS) MONUMENTS, MARKERS, CEMETERY LETTERING, PLANTINGS ARRANGED
Illustration of the SpaceIL lunar space craft.
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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ AUGUST 16, 2018/5 ELUL 5778
NEWS IN BRIEF From JTA
Southern Israeli cities try to resume normalcy as cease-fire goes into effect
Following a brief calm in the exchange of fire between Israel and Gaza militants, towns near the border with the coastal strip resumed normal services as a de facto cease-fire went into effect. On Aug. 10, the municipalities of Netivot and Sderot, as well as smaller towns near the Gaza Strip, did not renew emergency regulations that had been in place for most of the past week. The regulations prevented holding any gatherings outside sheltered areas, including summer camp activities, as well as public transportation. The resumption of activity – including by the Ashkelon-Sderot line of the Israel Railways – followed the de-facto cease-fire that started the night of Aug. 9, the Israel Broadcasting Corp. reported. More than 150 rockets hit southern Israel over the past week in what is being called one of the most violent exchanges with Hamas since Israel launched a massive military operation in 2014 against the terrorist group over its firing of rockets into Israeli towns. The Israeli Air Force has struck more than 150 targets across the Gaza Strip, including military training camps, weapons caches and terrorists themselves. Several people have died in the strikes, according to Hamas. On the Israeli side, several people were hurt, sustaining light to moderate injuries. The cease-fire with Hamas was reached with Egyptian mediation, according to Al Jazeera. An Israeli official denied that Israel had engaged in any talks on a cease-fire, telling the Israel Broadcasting Corp. that Israel has a longstanding policy of striking in Gaza only in retaliation to strikes on Israel.
Missouri Republican who said “Hitler was right” wins state House primary
A Missouri Republican who has made antisemitic and other bigoted statements handily won a primary for the state’s House of Representatives. Steve West, who promotes antisemitic conspiracy theories on a radio show he hosts, defeated three other candidates on Aug. 7 in the bid for a seat representing Clay County. He won with 49.5 percent of the vote; the second-place finisher had 24.4 percent. “Looking back in history, unfortunately, Hitler was right about what was taking place in Germany. And who was behind it,” West said on KCXL radio in January 2017, The Kansas City Star reported on Aug. 9. He has spoken of “Jewish cabals” that are “harvesting baby parts” from Planned Parenthood, abuse children and control the Republican Party. West also has a YouTube channel on which he has made homophobic, antisemitic, Islamophobic and racist statements, according to the Star. West will face Democratic incumbent Jon Carpenter in November. On Aug. 9, the Missouri Republican Party denounced West’s “shocking and vile” comments. “West’s abhorrent rhetoric has absolutely no place in the Missouri Republican Party or anywhere. We wholeheartedly condemn his comments,” the party told the Star. Reached by the Star, West said his comments were taken out of context, but went on to criticize both Judaism and Islam. “Jewish people can be beautiful people, but there’s ideologies associated with that that I don’t agree with,” he said. “Jews today are a remnant of the tribe of Judah that rejected Christ.” The local chapter of the Anti-Defamation League said it was not sure why West’s comments had not been publicized earlier. “I’m trying to get a sense of why he flew under the radar, and I’m not sure I have a great answer,” said Karen Aroesty, who directs the organization’s operations in Missouri, Southern Illinois and Eastern Kansas. “What is a person
who is elected into a position of power going to do with beliefs like this?” she asked. West’s campaign platform does not mention Jews, but contains a section titled “Islam is a Problem for America” and says that “most parents don’t want their children recieving (sic) alternative sex ed, or having to deal with or be around the LGBT clubs.”
Israeli hospitals see record-breaking baby boom
Several hospitals in Israel have reported record-breaking numbers of deliveries of newborns. Maternity wards in most of Israel’s hospitals are at capacity, with some mothers being referred to other departments and others having their babies delivered in hallways, Ynet reported on Aug. 9. The uptick is connected to rising fertility rates and the fact that there is a significantly higher number of births during the summer months compared to winter, according to the report. August is typically the month with the most births. Soroka Hospital in Beersheba broke its record for births in a month with 1,518 deliveries in July, slightly more than the 1,510 in July last year. The record number is nearly a 10 percent increase over the average of 1,395 births recorded there during the month of July over the past six years. Soroka has approximately 17,000 births annually; Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem has been delivering more than 22,000 babies a year on its two campuses. Two other hospitals also set records for July: Ichilov in Tel Aviv and Haemek in Afula. Ichilov, which had the second-largest number of births, saw 1,014 births in July – a nearly 10 percent rise above its monthly average of 916 births. It opened a new maternity ward in July with 51 private rooms and a new infant department. Haemek is among the smaller hospitals that also witnessed a noticeable increase. It had 392 births in July, compared to 341 in that month last year. In 2016, Israel had 181,405 deliveries – August led the way with 16,540 – and a fertility rate of 3.11 children per mother. It’s by far the highest fertility rate among the members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, which has 34 industrialized nations. Israel had a fertility rate of four children per mother in 1970, but it dropped to 2.9 by 1999 before climbing to its current level. The average fertility rate within the OECD is 1.7 children per mother.
Senators urged to back bill targeting Hamas and Hezbollah for using human shields
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee and the Anti-Defamation League are urging lawmakers to co-sponsor a Senate bill targeting Hezbollah and Hamas for using human shields. The bill, introduced the week of Aug. 3 by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Joe Donnelly (D-IN) would sanction those who use civilians to shield themselves while carrying out attacks. It singles out Hamas and Hezbollah as egregious violators. Three Democrats and 12 Republicans have sponsored the bill thus far, but a statement on Aug. 10 by the Anti-Defamation League – a relatively liberal nonpartisan group – could drive up Democratic co-sponsorship. “We strongly agree that the use of human shields by terrorist groups is illegal, harms innocent civilians, and impedes necessary efforts at self-defense by democracies such as the United States and Israel. There’s clearly a need for this legislation,” the ADL told JTA in a statement. “It would impose concrete penalties against all terrorist groups that do this and encourage the United States to pursue a Security Council Resolution that would force the international community to do more to put a stop to this odious practice.” Also backing the bill are B’nai B’rith International and the Orthodox Union. The bill calls Hezbollah, the terrorist Lebanese militia, and Hamas, the terrorist group controlling the Gaza, as “repeated” practitioners of an action that violates international law. It notes reports that Hezbollah is concealing missiles in villages in Lebanon and that Hamas routinely launches missiles at Israel from densely populated areas.
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Together, Mazar and the students unearthed evidence of King David’s palace, King Solomon’s royal quarters, the governor Nehemiah’s wall, the seals of two Judean princes mentioned in Jeremiah 37, and most recently, the golden Menorah Medallion and bronze coins. Mazar said she remembers when the students supported her grandfather’s work. “I was 10 or 11 at the time, and I used to go into the field and talk to them, which helped me learn English,” she said. “They were so enthusiastic, really amazing – just like they are now when they come to my excavations. Nothing has changed.” Mazar called Armstrong’s students Israel’s best archaeological collaborators no one knows about. Because the Herbert Armstrong College students helped Mazar uncover both the Hezekiah and Isaiah seals, the foundation was granted the honor of hosting the artifacts’ world premiere, said Macdonald. The exhibit will be open in Oklahoma until August 19 and then the artifacts will return to Israel. Flurry said the exhibit is the “story of repentance, redemption and national salvation. It is the story of how God, through a remarkable king-prophet alliance, saved a city and its people from terrorism, war and conquest. It is the ultimate story of hope.” Macdonald said the archaeological exhibition will illuminate how Jerusalem avoided annihilation at the hands of the Assyrian army at the end of the eighth century BCE. He said he hopes the exhibit will “bring biblical history to life and connect people to their roots, allowing the past to empower the future.” He also noted that for him, these findings are among a long list of artifacts found that directly relate to the Bible and prove to him its validity. “In archaeology, there is all kinds of evidence
Continued from page 7
The Isaiah Bulla. (Photo courtesy of Eilat Mazar)
The Hezekiah Bulla (Photo courtesy of Eilat Mazar) the Bible is true,” said Macdonald. Mazar said she’s not quick to jump to conclusions. While one might consider the Bible a historical source, she said that when an archaeologist starts digging, “you must put aside what you think you know because when the artifacts are found, they will teach you what you need to know. You cannot force your own ideas on them.” Still, her team found Hezekiah’s seal. And she said, “You cannot argue with that.” Mazar added that “the result of my work is that such a huge percentage of the Bible turns out to be accurately described. The power of archaeology is that you have tangible evidence.”