Jewish Observer Newspaper by Jewish Federation of CNY

18 TISHREI 5779 • SEPTEMBER 27, 2018 • VOLUME XXXIX, NUMBER 19 • PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID, SYRACUSE, NY

The Jewish Federation of CNY 100th anniversary celebration BY ANDY FOX The Jewish Federation of Central New York is in the midst of its 100th anniversary. Established in 1918, the Federation strives to build community and ensure the continuity of Jewish life by encouraging the participation of all Jews in the region in activities offered by its family of agencies, area synagogues, and other Jewish organizations and institutions. The Jewish Federation of CNY is a comprehensive communal organization dedicated to promoting and enhancing Jewish life throughout Central New York.

To celebrate this centennial anniversary, Federation has invited the community to a free event on Sunday, October 14, at 7 pm, at Temple Concord in Syracuse. The focus of the evening, chaired by Andy Fox and Wendy Meyerson, will be “Revisiting our Roots” as the community looks back on the many accomplishments of the Syracuse Jewish community over the past century. As part of the milestone, the Federation will honor former Federation President/ CEO Linda Alexander, who will be on hand to help celebrate. The cornerstone of the program will be the presentation

of the President’s Award to Mark Wladis, who has been the chairman of the Jewish Federation’s Annual Campaign for the past three years and led the fund-raising efforts to new heights as he revitalized the Campaign strategy. After the awards presentation, the audience will be entertained by comedian Scott Blakeman, who will perform his contemporary Jewish humor act as seen on the Bar Mitzvah Show at the Montreal Just for Laughs Festival, the Jewish Historical Museum in Amsterdam and the Kung Pao Kosher Comedy Festival

in San Francisco. He performs regularly at New York’s 92nd Street Y and the New York Friars Club, where he is a member. Refreshments will be served. Sponsorships for this community event have been provided by Raymour and Flanigan, Key Bank, Natur-Tyme, United Association Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 267, AAA of Western and Central New York, American Food and Vending, Phillip Rubenstein and Cami Riley, and several Wladis family members. Andy Fox is the co-chair of the Federation’s 100th anniversary celebration.

A message from Federation’s Campaign chair

Chairing Federation’s Campaign is a role as much as an honor Temple Adath Yeshurun, took BY NEIL RUBE comfort knowing that the JewHaving agreed to serve as ish Community Center (now chairperson of the 2019 Fedthe Sam Pomeranz JCC) had a eration Annual Campaign, I’m wonderful preschool, and were pleased to introduce myself to made to feel culturally at home you and share a bit about me, among the first friends we made my thoughts and my hopes for in the community. Thank you, the campaign. Jaffes, Rochelsons and Steins. My wife Erica, our twin My focus has always been on sons, Teddy and Harry, and I family first, followed closely by moved to Central New York 24 years ago when our boys were Campaign Chair my professional responsibilities (the last 18 years of which have Neil Rube just eight weeks old. Although been as general counsel to RayI was the only Jew at my new company (and I missed a major league mour and Flanigan Furniture). Still, I’ve ballpark with a grass field), our family tried to be mindful of the opportunity – and quickly felt welcome here. We joined duty – to be involved in helping our ar-

Taking back the quad as part of strategic efforts to support Israel BY JACOB KAMARAS (JNS) – Describing the group he leads as “probably the most important pro-Israel organization you’ve never heard of,” Maccabee Task Force Executive Director David Brog argues that a speaker here, a table at an activities’ fair there, won’t shift the discourse about Israel on college campuses. Instead, he outlines a detailed, four-pronged strategy to do so. Launched in 2015 with the funding and vision of philanthropists Dr. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson, MTF worked to combat antisemitism and the BDS movement on 40 campuses during the 2017-18 academic year (up from six campuses in the organization’s first semester) through providing students with “the strategies and resources they need to tell the truth about Israel.” Aiming to produce 20 to 30 independent events and strategies per year, per campus, MTF ended the year having held 891 pro-Israel events and bringing a total of 746 campus leaders to Israel on 34 separate trips. Anti-Israel student

government resolutions passed on only three of the 40 campuses where MTF worked; the measures were voted on at 10 of those campuses after 16 such votes were initially expected. And now, the organization is doubling its footprint. MTF will operate on 80 campuses during the 2018-19 school year, says Brog. The expansion means that “we’ll now be on every campus in America facing a serious BDS and delegitimization challenge,” he tells JNS. MTF’s overarching goal is to defeat the BDS movement on university grounds, but what does that really mean? “It means to combat the delegitimization, the demonization of Israel. BDS is just one tactic – a shorthand for the deeper challenge,” says Brog. “What’s often the best way to combat the delegitimization of Israel is proactively promoting Israel.” According to Brog, MTF has spent the past three academic years perfecting its action plan for campuses and doing so See “Quad” on page 2

tistic and spiritual communities, and have served on the boards of Syracuse Opera, WCNY, Temple Adath Yeshurun and the Jewish Federation of Central New York. I agreed to chair this year’s Campaign because I believe in what Federation does; but more importantly, in what Federation means. Jewish people and organizations here and abroad, are facing an increasing array of political, physical and economic challenges and threats. We in Central New York are fortunate to have a Federation served by dedicated staff and volunteers whose daily focus is helping those in need and making sure that Jews have a vibrant community to call home. Do you think – as I do – that we can’t risk taking Federation for granted? Do you think – as I do – that the fabric of our community would start to fray if Federation’s ability to fund the Syracuse Hebrew Day School, JCC and many other institutions and programs were jeopardized? I believe we have a shared responsibility to make sure everyone in our community realizes

how important our Federation is and impress upon them how vital it is that our Federation thrives. Finally, chairing the Campaign is a role as much as an honor. I’m playing the role of leader, teammate and contributor. I am in the process of assembling a Campaign Cabinet to help me strategize on how best to reach out to the many generous donors we already have, connect with the dedicated solicitors who year in and year out spend their time and energy raising funds for the Federation, and identify potential untapped sources of giving within our community. At the same time, we need to anticipate the hurdles our Campaign faces, such as a dwindling population of contributors, competition for charitable dollars, new tax laws that may reduce charitable gifts, and concerns that markets may have peaked. There is much to be done. I look forward to updating you all on the Campaign in the coming months, and I wish all of you a new year of health, happiness and peace.

C A N D L E L I G H T I N G A N D P A R AS H A

September 28.................. 6:33 pm............Parashat Sukkot-Shabbat Chol Hamoed September 30.................. 6:29 pm...........................................Erev Shemini Atzeret October 1................ after 7:28 pm.............................................. Erev Simchat Torah October 5......................... 6:21 pm.................................................. Parashat Bereshit October 12....................... 6:09 pm.................................................... Parashat Noach

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Jewish Genealogy

SJFS classes

Congregational notes

On October 14, the Jewish SJFS is teaming up with OASIS to Sukkot and Simchat Torah events; Genealogy Group will present a offer classes on aging; SJFS will a book discussion; film showing also offer Mind AerobicsTM. talk by Jay Sage at the JCC . and more are announced. Stories on pages 3 and 5 Story on page 3 Stories on page 4

PLUS Home and Real Estate........4-5 Calendar Highlights............... 7 Obituaries................................. 7 Classifieds................................ 8

JEWISH OBSERVER ■ SEPTEMBER 28, 2018/18 TISHREI 5779

Quad

with “humility” – listening to its partners rather than dictating to them; witnessing and analyzing what works and what doesn’t; sharing the effective strategies from campus to campus; and funding its partners’ desired courses of action. The inspiration for combating BDS came from the Adelsons, says Brog, who were “so deeply disturbed by this new antisemitism. ...Sheldon Adelson grew up in a time when Jews were physically attacked on the streets of Boston for being Jewish, and it disturbed him deeply that Jews are once again afraid to be publicly Jewish and publicly pro-Israel in America” due to BDS activity on campuses and elsewhere, notes Brog, who adds that the Adelsons wanted “to bring this fighting spirit, the spirit of being proud of Israel to these campuses.” Chanel Shirazi, a junior at George Mason University, where she is president of the George Mason Hillel student board and vice president of the Israel Student Association, says MTF has helped create an environment in which a BDS resolution hasn’t reached the student government. This comes despite GMU hosting the anti-Israel group Students for Justice in Palestine’s 2016 national conference, and employing “a lot of professors who were very foundational in SJP programs,” according to Shirazi. “The Maccabee Task Force has been able to help us improve our Israel presence on campus and the positivity surrounding Israel, in a way that harmful things which could go through a student government don’t reach that point,” Shirazi tells JNS. Each item in MTF’s action plan fits into one of four silos. First, the group’s trips to Israel recruit three to five pro-Israel students and 15 to 20 non-Jewish students, the latter “often people who have led the charge for BDS,” notes Brog. “With the delta between the reality of Israel and the lies being told about Israel being as large as it is, a trip to Israel works its inevitable magic,” says Brog. “A trip to Israel is transformational. We have yet to have a student come back from this trip and still support BDS.” The MTF Israel trip marked the first time Shirazi visited Israel with non-Jewish students. “I was able to witness and be a part of this community that truly uncovered Israel as more than just a conflict zone, but as a hub of culture and technological innovation for the world,” she says. Rabbi Ilan Schwartz, assistant director of Ohio State University Hillel-Wexner Jewish Student Center, tells JNS that MTF’s Israel trip “helped students understand that Israel is not black and white – that there’s not just one way to look at what’s going on in Israel. [Participants] were comfortable going back to their friends and saying they went to Israel, which demystified it for a lot of people on campus.” Second, MTF trains pro-Israel activists on campus. “It took us a while to figure out the right

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way to do it,” says Brog. “We found that those students who are potential activists just don’t have the time and resources to travel to conferences, so what works best for us is bringing the training to the campus and offering a stipend.” OSU Hillel was able to develop an Israel education and advocacy fellowship thanks to its partnership with MTF, and the initiative enabled that community “to really think big,” says Schwartz. Third, MTF funds coalition-building by identifying a diverse group of partners on campus for its events and other initiatives. And fourth, the organization has been “taking back the quad,” says Brog. “We’ve allowed the anti-Israel students to dominate the quad for too long,” he says. “They do their ‘Israeli Apartheid Week’; they stride the quad like giants and nobody challenges them. We told our partners, ‘If they’re going to do an anti-Israel hate week, why can’t we do a public pro-Israel celebration?’ Take that Yom Ha’atzmaut [Israeli Independence Day] celebration you were doing behind the closed doors of Hillel and turn it into a public pro-Israel week.” At GMU, pro-Israel students now counter the “Students Against Israeli Apartheid” group’s week-long display with “Israel Week.” “We don’t mention [the anti-Israel side],” says Shirazi, articulating the priority of not allowing anti-Israel activists to dictate the conversation on campus. MTF, she says, helped George Mason students organize events featuring Arabs and Muslims who spoke about what it’s like to be Israeli citizens; Israel Defense Forces’ lone soldiers; and Palestinian human-rights activist Bassem Eid, who detailed the negative consequences of BDS for Palestinians. The sum of MTF’s four-part strategy, according to Brog, is a “comprehensive enough and deep enough approach to really transform a campus, to change the debate about Israel on campus in a way that I don’t think one-off events ever have.” MTF was “very much Miriam and Sheldon Adelson’s vision,” and they set the first criteria for choosing which campuses to operate on, says Brog. “They wanted to go to the worst campuses – the campuses facing the most serious BDS and delegitimization of Israel,” he says. “It’s only because the Adelsons have been willing to invest in this effort and take it so seriously that we’re able to offer the strategies and fund the strategies. Others might have identified some strategies, but they’re not often able to fund them.” Brog recalls that “a whole lot of people were skeptical about this project when it started, but it’s worked. ...People told me, ‘Oh, the Adelsons might not be able to influence campuses,’” he says. “But Sheldon and Miriam show up to speak to our students, and the students love it. They see a man and a woman who’ve devoted themselves to the Jewish people. The students’ response is one of appreciation and gratitude, as it should be.”

A MATTER OF OPINION LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Hospital patients appreciated hearing the Rosh Hashanah shofar To the Editor: On behalf of the Jewish patients at Crouse Hospital and Upstate University Hospital, I thank Moshe Mortner for blowing shofar on Rosh Hashanah at the two hospitals and Rabbi Yaakov Rapoport, director of Chabad Lubavitch of Central New York, who arranged this visit. I also am grateful for my chaplain colleagues who escorted Mortner around the hospitals. The feedback from patients who had

the opportunity to hear the shofar was extraordinary. The shofar sound brought back memories of past years and helped patients connect with their heritage and community. Yasher koach to Moshe Mortner and Rabbi Rapoport for their efforts. May they continue to serve God and the Jewish people for many years to come. Rabbi Irvin S. Beigel, Crouse Hospital Jewish chaplain and Upstate University Hospital associate chaplain

JCC’s After School Program kicks off another school year BY ANKUR DANG The Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center prides itself on “being the nucleus of the local Jewish community.” While every day at the JCC is filled with diverse activities, the first week of school and the children’s return to the JCC’s After School Program is in a class unto itself. Amy Bisnett, associate director of children’s programming, said, “As always, there are many familiar faces, but we have a number of new children as well. We have over 100 children registered and, on any given day, between 70 and 90 children attend the JCC after school. We are trying to squeeze in as many outdoor activities as we can while the weather is still good.” In addition to seasonal outdoor activities, the children also play sports and games in the gym, work on their homework, do arts and crafts, and participate in the weekly Shabbat celebration on Friday afternoon, followed by a movie on the big screen. See “School” on page 6

JCC After School Program participant Jenna Cummings climbed on playground equipment.

School-age children arrived at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse to attend the After School Program during the first week of the 2018-19 school year.

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AROUND CENTRAL NEW YORK Jay Sage to speak on Jewish genealogy On Sunday, October 14, the Jewish Genealogy Group will present Jay Sage at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center at 1:30 pm.

With the drop in the cost of DNA sequencing, DNA testing is now considered not only affordable, but “wildly popular.” After presenting the basic biology behind DNA

SJFS teams up with Syracuse OASIS to offer classes on themes of aging BY DEBORAH ELLIS POETRY, FILM, ZEN AND BRAIN HEALTH Syracuse Jewish Family Service is out to get people thinking – positively – about getting older. Even if they’re still in college. “Here at SJFS we call aging ‘a developmental process starting at birth,’” explains SJFS Director Judith Huober. “In other words we’re all doing it, all the time – until we’re not, anymore. So considering the alternative, why does aging get such a bad rap?” OASIS aims to provide “a unique educational program for older adults who want to learn and be productive throughout life. It’s your time to enjoy lifelong learning and healthy living classes, travel, volunteer opportunities and much more,” according to its website, and the classes the organization pitches are designed to stimulate the mind and body, as well as create the social opportunities that make later life a time of life to strive for and enjoy. One class the two organizations’ staff are excited about is “Poetry as Spiritual Practice: An Intergenerational Women’s Experience,” which will bring together women college students from Syracuse University and LeMoyne

College with older women (age 50 and up) who register through OASIS to read and write poetry around themes of aging – from whatever perspective they bring to it. Local poet and poetry teacher Gloria Heffernan will guide the group to use poetry to explore issues of spirituality and aging, co-facilitated by Huober. The class will meet on eight consecutive Thursdays from 1-2:15 pm, and was to start on September 20; a public reading to be scheduled at mutual convenience will offer the students a chance to celebrate their accomplishments. Huober is re-booting her film class, “Views on Aging: Through the Movie Lens,” with four new films and discussions, on one Sunday each month from 3-5:30 pm – September 30, “Second-hand Lions”; October 21, “The Age of Adaline”; November 18, “The Lady in the Van”; and December 16, “The Straight Story.” Huober says she likes to get people thinking and talking about some of their – and society’s – assumptions about aging, to develop some interest in using film as one of the creative arts that brings about well-being at any age, and to have a “nice social afternoon” at the same time.

testing, Sage will discuss the types of tests and the role that they can play in genealogical research. Examples, including an evolving case study from his own testing, are intended to illustrate how conclusions can properly be drawn from test results, with an emphasis on the appropriate uses of the tests and on what can and cannot be learned from them. Sage retired as a physicist from MIT Lincoln Laboratory to pursue his interest in Jewish genealogy. He currently serves as vice president of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies. He is a past president of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Boston and serves as one of its journal editors. He was one of the chairs of the international conference on Jewish genealogy when it was held in Boston in 2013. For more information, contact Mike Fixler at fixler44@gmail.com.

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Menorah Park Auxiliary annual meeting features local journalist The annual meeting of the Menorah Park Auxiliary will be held on Sunday, October 14, at 11:30 am, in the Jim and Arlene Gerber Bistro at Menorah Park. This year’s brunch will feature local restaurant reviewer Jane

Marmaduke Woodman, who is also a published poet. The event is open to the public and there is a moderate fee. To make a reservation, contact Kristen Oja at 315446-9111, ext. 255.

Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center senior dining menu OCTOBER 1-5 Monday – closed for Shemini Atzeret Tuesday – closed for Simchat Torah Wednesday – spinach cheese quiche Thursday – crispy baked teriyaki chicken wings Friday – orange-glazed chicken OCTOBER 8-12 Monday – tomato-basil soup and grilled cheese Tuesday – hamburger with sautéed onion Wednesday – Flu clinic. Hot corned beef sandwich Thursday – vegetable lasagna roll Friday – stuffed flounder with lemon The Bobbi Epstein Lewis JCC Senior Adult Dining

Program at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center offers Va’ad Ha’ir-supervised kosher lunches served Monday through Friday at noon. 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 further information or to make a reservation, contact Cindy Stein at 315-445-2360, ext. 104, or cstein@jccsyr.org. DONATE YOUR CAR TO BETH SHOLOM, CONCORD, OR THE JCC, THRU C*A*R*S (a locally owned Manlius company)

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ SEPTEMBER 28, 2018/18 TISHREI 5779

CONGREGATIONAL NOTES Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas SIMCHAT TORAH AT CBS-CS On Tuesday, October 2, at 5:30 pm, Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas will celebrate Simchat Torah with a Torah service that will start with singing and dancing with the CBS-CS Torahs, accompanied by the CBS-CS Simchat Torah band. Attendees are encouraged to sing and dance with the Torahs. Between the hakafot there will

be savory and sweet appetizers. After the seven hakafot, everyone can return to the main sanctuary where the congregation will read the conclusion of the Torah, the seven days of creation from the beginning of the Torah, and the beginning of the Book of Joshua. The service is open to the community. For more information, contact CBS-CS at 315-446-9570 or manager@cbscs.org.

At left, l-r: Davin Moodie (in front), Myah Pettiford, Anya Reckess and Kayla Graber dressed up for the “photo booth” at the CBSCS back to shul barbecue on September 3.

Temple Adath Yeshurun his family and his reputation. “Waking Lions” won the Jewish Quarterly Wingate Prize and was listed as a New York Times Notable Book of 2017. The author, Gundar-Goshen, was named one of 10 women to watch in 2017 by BookPage. The free TAY Sisterhood book discussions are open to the community. For more information, contact the TAY office at 315-445-0002 or info@adath.org. TAY SISTERHOOD RUMMAGE SALE The TAY Sisterhood will hold its semi-annual rummage sale from Sunday, October 14, through Tuesday, October 16. It is open to the public. The Sisterhood is offering an early bird hour again. For $5, people can come into the sale an hour before it begins on October 14, from 9-10 am; the sale will open to the public from 10 am-3 pm. On October 15, the sale will run from 10 am-2 pm, and on October 16, the sale will run from 10 am-1 pm. October 16 is also $5 bag day. For more information, contact Joan Lowenstein at 315-450-0101 or jmglowe@gmail.com.

TAY SISTERHOOD BOOK DISCUSSION: “WAKING LIONS” On Sunday, September 30, at 10:45 am, the Temple Adath Yeshurun Sisterhood will host its monthly book discussion on “Waking Lions” by Israeli author Ayelet Gundar-Goshen. The group will meet in the Muriel and Avron Spector Library. “Waking Lions” follows the story of neurosurgeon Eitan Green, who has a beautiful police officer for a wife and two young boys. His world turns on its axis when, one night following an exhausting hospital shift, as he is speeding along a deserted road by moonlight, he strikes an African migrant who dies, and decides to flee the scene of his crime. The following day, a knock at the door reveals the victim’s widow. She is holding Green’s wallet and says she knows what happened. In exchange for her silence, she does not want money, but rather something that will destroy Green’s safe existence and throw him into a world he could never have anticipated, filled with secrets and lies. The deadly mistake leaves him going to any lengths to save

Temple Concord NEWS IN BRIEF From JNS.org

Honoring Polish rescuers in Warsaw who risked all to save Jews during the Holocaust

The sacrifices of Polish rescuers of Jews living in Warsaw during the Holocaust was honored on Sept. 16 in one of the largest gatherings of Shoah rescuers in the Polish capital – and in what may be one of the last of the annual occasions due to the ages of these Righteous Gentiles, with some older than 100. The annual program, hosted by the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous at the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jewry, has become the largest and most prominent ceremony honoring Polish rescuers. The JFR, established in 1986, provides monthly financial assistance to around 180 elderly and needy Polish rescuers of Jews during the Shoah. The JFR will send approximately $600,000 to rescuers in 2018 living in Poland, according to the organization. “These are heroic people of exceptional character who risked their lives, and often the lives of their families, to save Jews during the Holocaust,” JFR Executive Vice President Stanlee Stahl said in a statement. “This special event is designed to recognize them and given them the proper honor they deserve.” “You are heroes not only because you have done the right thing, but because it was so hard in the horrible times of the second world war to do so,” Deputy Israel Ambassador to Poland Tal Ben-Ari Yaalon said at the event. “Often, I have thought to myself if I would have been brave enough were I in your shoes. I still can’t honestly say, and I pray to God never to have my courage tested in that way.”

Mauro, is sent to live with his grandparents. Events after the sudden death of his grandparents lead to a religious Jew named Shlomo, who assumes the care of Mauro. The film is semi-autobiographical, as the director’s parents were briefly arrested by the Brazilian military in 1970 and the five children were under the care of a Jewish grandmother and an Italian Catholic grandmother. Cinemagogue events are free and open to the public, and candy and snacks will be available. Donations are welcome. For more information, contact the TC office at 315-475-9952 or office@ templeconcord.org. GAN ABOUT NOAH’S ARK, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14 A program about Noah’s Ark will be held for toddlers ages 2-5 at Temple Concord on Sunday, October 14, at 10:30 am. The program will be filled with art, movement, stories and music. It is open to the community and is appropriate for children, grandchildren, family and little friends. Call the TC office at 315-475-9952 for more information.

SUKKOT – SCOTCH TASTING AND SUSHI EATING Temple Concord will hold two food and drink events during Sukkot. On Saturday, September 29, at 7 pm, Rabbi Daniel Fellman will host “Scotch in the Sukkah.” Participants can taste a variety of Scotch whiskeys and there will be snacks. On Sunday, September 30, at 6 pm, Cantor Kari Siegel Eglash will host “Sushi Under the Stars” outside in the synagogue’s sukkah, where a sushi dinner will be served. Both events are casual and open to the public, and all are invited. For pricing information and to make reservations, contact the TC office at 315- 475-9952 or sign up using the online calendar, www. templeconcord.org. TEMPLE CONCORD CINEMAGOGUE Temple Concord will present “The Year My Parents Went on Vacation” on Saturday, October 13, at 7:30 pm. Directed by Cao Hamburger, “The Year My Parents Went on Vacation” is set in 1970. When his parents flee the politically repressive Brazilian regime, their son,

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Syracuse Jewish Family Service offers Mind Aerobics BY DANIELLE MASURSKY With grant funding from the Community Foundation of Central New York, Syracuse Jewish Family Service at Menorah Park is set to launch the Mind AerobicsTM Suite of Cognitive Programs in Onondaga County, making this the first region in New York State to offer these programs. The agency completed a two-day training and demonstration of the program at the end of August, with a group of about 20 staff, interns and interested professionals from the community lining up to learn how to facilitate the 24-session, 12-week classes in this system of programs, which unlike others that are more generally available, is the only one based on a solid 20-year research foundation and demonstrated to provide benefits with a direct impact on participants’ every day, real-life concerns. SJFS Director Judith Huober said, “The goal of SJFS is always to improve our clients’ quality of life. We are so excited to bring the older adults and families of our region a solid, research-based program that answers their everyday concerns: can I do something to help myself maintain stability in my cognitive abilities, to gain tools to cope better and to shore up my social and emotional functioning?” Mind AerobicsTM was developed in Connecticut by the New England Cognitive Center under the leadership of Patti Celori Said, executive director. NECC’s initial research led to collaboration with Dr. Jeffrey Buchanan at Minnesota State University Mankato. He conducts independent research on Mind AerobicsTM. NECC’s work has been supported by the MetLife Foundation and received the American Society on Aging’s 2013 MindAlert Award and the 2006 Archstone Award for Excellence in Program Innovation. NECC’s model combines the latest advances in neuropsychological research with sound educational principles to create effective interventions that enhance

Residents of the Inn at Menorah Park participated in a demonstration “taste” of the Mind AerobicsTM program during the agency’s two-day training August 28-29.

brain health, independence, and quality of life. Patti Celori Said stated, “MindAerobicsTM provides a comfortable, enjoyable, small group learning environment, which incorporates a variety of creative activities that are both fun and challenging, and which are specifically designed to appeal to the adult learner.” Mind AerobicsTM programs are designed to provide older adults with comprehensive mental workouts. The suite focuses on older adults who wish to maximize mental functioning as well as individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. A course of 24 sessions provides an interlocking series of exercises designed to challenge and improve functioning in six key areas of cognitive function, including language, memory, reaction time/processing speed, visual-spatial relations, attention/concentration and problem solving/ executive functioning. SJFS Assistant Director Ellen Somers said, “Many people are aware of online games that claim to improve cognitive functioning. However, by conducting the evidence-based Mind AerobicsTM programs in a group format, participants benefit from the added social support from their peers and trained instructors.” SJFS will be rolling out four of the suite’s six curriculum-based classes for individuals at different levels of cognitive impairment, from very mild to severe, and will

Classes

SJFS Assistant Director Ellen Somers, LMHC, is considered one of the area’s foremost experts on cognitive aspects of aging. Her class, “Lifelong Brain Health,” has been the biggest draw at the Onondaga County’s ICare Institute. She provides an overview of the most current research on lifestyle habits that affect brain health, with a focus on cognitive activities, physical exercise, nutrition, relaxation/stress reduction and social engagement. The class will meet six times on Tuesdays between October 9 and November 20 (no class on October 16) from 1011:30 am. The class fee includes the text. “Zen and the Art of Graceful Aging” with SJFS’s Peg Miller, LMSW, has been considered a popular offering at OASIS for several years. Miller creates a “strong group spirit” that supports and encourages the class to enjoy a new take on an ancient wisdom as a way to prepare heart and mind for the journey ahead. She uses humor, storytelling and simple exercises to support a “graceful aging experience.” The class will meet on six consecutive Tuesdays

More than 45 people attended the August 27 information session about Syracuse Jewish Family Service’s new Mind AerobicsTM program, funded by the Community Foundation of Central New York. screen and recommend to interested individuals the right level with the best tools for their level of impairment. All programs are conducted in small groups of eight-12 participants that meet twice weekly for three months. This year’s classes will be piloted at Menorah Park and several community-based locations; eventually, SJFS expects to have all levels of the program running concurrently in different locations in various parts of the county. Huober said, “We are so excited to be able to bring this project to our region. We believe this is the future of

See “Mind” on page 8

Continued from page 3

from October 9 through November 13, from 2:30-3:30 pm. Although the classes are aimed mostly at adults over 50, all members of the community are welcome to participate, with the limitation that the poetry class is for women only. The film class is designed to appeal to all ages. The classes will all meet in the Anne and Hy Miller Theater in the Arts and Minds Community Room at Menorah Park, 4101 East Genesee St., Syracuse, NY 13214. Registration can be done on the OASIS website at www.oasisnet.org/ Syracuse-NY or in person at the first class. Community members may opt into the film class at any time, although the full fee must be paid at the first session attended. Information on fees is available at both the OASIS and the SJFS websites, and a $5 gift card will be given to all residents of the Menorah Park campus who register for a class. The OASIS semester processing fee is waived for both the poetry and the film classes. More information is available at www.sjfs.org, by e-mailing info@sjfs.org, or by calling 315-446-9111, ext. 234.

Maximize your basement’s potential BY SCOTT MCGILLIVRAY (NAPSI) – A finished basement can offer a little extra room to give a growing family space to breathe and, with so many uses, may be the exact solution to what your home is missing – storage space, a soundproofed media room, craft room, guest room or income suite. Here are some tips from www.roxul. com on how to give your basement a 180-degree make-over: 1. Waterproof it. Check the interior foundation and floors to make sure there are no existing moisture issues, water damage or mold problems. Address any primary moisture issues before finishing the space. Examine grading to ensure water runs away from your foundation. 2. Soundproof it. Installing acoustic insulation can provide an excuse for cranking up the subwoofer, hosting a get-together or letting the kids run wild. Soundproofing can maximize your basement’s peace, quiet and privacy. 3. Add or replace flooring. Installing a new floor can improve the overall comfort level and look of your basement. Vinyl, laminate, ceramic tile and engineered hardwood are great options. Say no to carpet, which can harbor mold and allergens, particularly in the basement, and don’t forget to lay a subfloor. 4. Add color. Transform the dull and boring space into an inviting oasis or a colorful playroom with a simple coat

Always There For You

of paint. If your basement has low ceilings or limited natural light, choose lighter, warmer tones to brighten the space. To add some drama, consider adding depth and visual interest to your space with a different-colored accent wall. 5. Accessorize it. Throw pillows, rugs, lighting and artwork are simple additions that can immediately enhance or change your basement’s look and feel. Scott McGillivray is the host of the series “Income Property” on HGTV Canada, a real estate investor, contractor, author and educator. Follow him on Twitter @smcgillivray.

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ SEPTEMBER 28, 2018/18 TISHREI 5779

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BY DR. YOCHEVED COHEN Death is perhaps the ultimate slap in the face to humanity. We are almost powerless to combat it or defy it. Nevertheless, we long to overcome it. Despite this longing, we cannot even easily define death. At what point does one cross from life to death? The Torah reading of Simchat Torah relates to this enigma. “It was there in the land of Moav that God’s servant Moshe died at God’s word. He buried him in the valley, in the land of Moav, opposite Beit Peor. No one knows his burial place to this day.” (Deuteronomy 34:5-6) These verses report the death of the most revered leader of the Jewish people, Moshe, in a rather strange fashion. On the one hand, we have a very clear and unambiguous statement that Moshe died and was buried, seemingly in the normal human way. On the other hand, after providing us with a detailed description of where Moshe was buried, the verse adds that no one knows where he is buried. Additionally, who buried Moshe? The only subject available would seem to be God. Apparently, God buried Moshe in an undisclosed location. This would be vastly different from the way most people leave this world. Did Moshe die a normal death and have a normal burial or not? The Talmud (Sotah 13b-14a) addresses this issue. Rabbi Berachyah there comments that the Torah provides detail after detail in describing the location, and nevertheless it concludes that “no one knows his burial place to this day.” The Talmud then tells the story of an unsuccessful attempt by the Romans to find Moshe’s mysterious burial place. They come up with a seemingly foolproof way to find the grave, yet they fail, for this grave and this burial are evidently outside the realm of the strictly natural.

School

The JCC’s After School Program also runs vacation camps for school-age children to attend on holidays and other days off from school. The next vacation camp will be held on Columbus Day, Monday, October 8. It will feature a field trip to Home Depot so campers can make their own

This concept presumably informs the opinion in Pirkei Avot (5:6) that Moshe’s grave was created at twilight on the eve of the Sabbath. Here, at the border of the natural and the supernatural, at a time when profane and sacred, the mundane creation and the holy Sabbath are indistinguishable, the grave of Moshe came into being. As Dr. Rella Kushelevsky states, this “gives an additional dimension to the illusive nature of the grave of Moshe: not only does it disappear in space, it disappears in time as well.” (“A Study of the Midrashic Sources on the Death of Moses,” www.biu. ac.il/JH/Parasha/eng/sukot/kushel.html) If you think that’s radical, compare this incredible quote from the same page in the Talmud: “Some say Moshe did not die. It is written: ‘Moshe died.’ And it is written elsewhere (Exodus 34:28), ‘He [Moshe] remained there with God [for 40 days and 40 nights].’ Just as there he (was not dead but rather) was standing in the service of God, so too here (at the end of Moshe’s 120 years, he did not die, but rather is still standing) in the service of God.” Since the verse states clearly that Moshe did die (regardless of precisely who buried him precisely where), presumably this suggestion is not meant to be taken literally. It reveals a wish that even if regular people cannot evade death, at least Moshe, a spiritual giant, should be able to do so. It suggests as well that he succeeded, to a certain extent, in doing so. For Moshe’s legacy continues everywhere Torah is studied and lived. By transcending himself, Moshe indeed lives on. Dr. Yocheved Engelberg Cohen and Rabbi Uri Cohen, the first couple of the Syracuse Kollel, now live in Ramat Beit Shemesh. Yocheved works as a Hebrewto-English translator and is currently translating Rabbi Eliezer Melamed’s Peninei Halakha series.

Continued from page 2

bookends to take home. JCC membership is not required for a child to attend, although members receive discounted rates. For more information about the JCC’s After School Program and other programs for school-age children, call 315-445-2360 or visit www.jccsyr.org.

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At right: Children in the JCC’s After School Program participate a variety of games and activities weekdays in the lounge. Clockwise from bottom left: Gabriel Yang, JCC after school counselor Leo Christopoulos, Yo r d a n o s S e i d , Morgan Johnson and Harman Singh Butalia.

Our Wedding, Prom and Party Planning Guide is coming soon! Issue Date: October 25 • Ad Deadline: October 17 To advertise in this keepsake section, contact Bonnie Rozen at 724-2360, ext. 244 or bonnie@thereportergroup.org.

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SEPTEMBER 27, 2018/18 TISHREI 5779 ■

OBITUARIES MARILYN DWYER

Marilyn Dwyer, 83, died on September 11 at Upstate University Hospital after a brief illness. A lifelong resident of Syracuse, she graduated from Central High School. She was a former member of Temple Concord. She was the floral manager of the Wegmans of Liverpool until retiring. She was predeceased by her husband, William; her brother, Robert Bloom; and her sister, Gertrude Stern. She is survived by her children, William Jr. (Sandra), David and Michael; a granddaughter; her sisters, Carol (Bob) Krampetz, Linda (Richard) Kelso and Ellen Kulesa; and 10 nieces and nephews. Burial was in the Onondaga County Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery. Sisskind Funeral Service had arrangements. 

NEWS IN BRIEF From JNS.org

British premier May vows to tackle antisemitism

British Prime Minister Theresa May vowed on Sept. 17 to eliminate the “scourge of antisemitism,” apparently referencing Jeremy Corbyn, who has been accused of fomenting antisemitic and anti-Israel sentiment in the Labour Party, which he leads. May also promised to remain an outspoken ally of Israel. “I stand with the UJIA. I stand with Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people,” May said at the United Jewish Israel Appeal Dinner. “And I stand with the entire Jewish community in Britain.” Although she said antisemitic voices don’t represent the “overwhelming majority of people in [the] country,” she asserted that “I do not believe that those voices will ever win. ...Together, we will defeat the scourge of antisemitism and hatred in all its forms,” she continued. “And together, we will proudly support Israel as the homeland for the Jewish people.”

Russia blames Israel after Syria shoots down its plane, killing 15 soldiers

Russia is blaming Israel after Syria, its ally, shot down a Russian plane on Sept. 17, killing 15 Russian troops. Footage of the event shows bombs exploding while air-defense rockets launch upwards. No video from the event has demonstrated a successful interception. The Israeli Air Force confirmed the attack via Twitter on Sept. 18, expressing sympathy for the Russian losses but blamed Syria’s air defenses, which it accused of firing haphazardly. “Israel holds the Assad regime, whose military shot down the Russian plane, fully responsible for this incident,” the IDF said in a statement. “Israel also holds Iran and the Hezbollah terror organization accountable for this unfortunate incident.” “The IDF and the Russian army have a deconfliction system, which was agreed upon by the states’ leaders, and has proven itself many times over recent years,” added the IDF. “This system was in use tonight as well.” According to Russian media, four Israeli F-16s conducted the attack in which Israel delivered just a one-minute warning to Russia, which operates large military bases in Syria. “The Israeli pilots used the Russian plane as cover and set it up to be targeted by the Syrian air-defense forces,” the Russian Defense Ministry said, according to Russian media. “As a consequence, the Il-20, which has radar cross-section much larger than the F-16, was shot down by an S-200 system missile.” “As a result of the irresponsible actions of the Israeli military, 15 Russian service personnel perished,” Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told Russian state media. “This absolutely does not correspond to the spirit of Russian-Israeli partnership.”

Turkey takes steps toward repairing damaged relations with Israel

Amid shared concerns over Iran’s regional aggression among other interests, Israel and Turkey have been attempting to mend relations with one another despite their subtle differences, according to an Israeli media report on Sept. 17. Were the latest discussions to mark progress, both nations would return their respective ambassadors in early October, according to the daily Yediot Achronot. Such a move would occur five months after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoðan blamed Israel for its response to violent protests along the Gaza border, labeling the country as a “terrorist state” that commits “genocide.” Turkey recalled its ambassador and kicked out Israeli ambassador Eitan Na’eh and his country’s consul in Istanbul. Israel retaliated by expelling Turkey’s consul-general in Jerusalem and summoned its deputy ambassador in Tel Aviv. However, Turkey has been silent over alleged Israeli airstrikes over the Sept. 16 weekend against Hezbollah and Iranian targets in Syria. The country also faces an economic downturn with a failing currency in light of a diplomatic falling-out and trade disagreement with the U.S.

GEORGE MAYER SELLINGER

George Mayer Sellinger, 76, died on August 28 in Great Cacapon, WV, due to complications of Parkinson’s disease. Raised in Syracuse, he was a graduate of Syracuse University College of Law. He worked 30 years for the Internal Revenue Service in Washington, DC. After retiring in 1997, he split his time between Tucson, AZ, and Berkeley Springs, WV. In 2016, he became a fulltime resident of West Virginia. He was an avid baseball fan, with the Dodgers as his favorite team. He loved The New York Times crossword puzzle, and had an encyclopedic knowledge of trivia, sports and world history. One of his proudest achievements was cycling across the United States. He was predeceased by his parents, Benjamin and Florence Sellinger; and his brother, Theodore Sellinger. He is survived by his wife, Maureen Mylander; and his daughter (from a previous marriage to Marlene Bunis Sellinger), Leigh Sellinger, of Jersey City, NJ. Sisskind Funeral Service had local arrangements. 

MARILYN COHN WIGGERS

Marilyn Cohn Wiggers, 74, of Skaneateles, died on September 12 at Francis House in Syracuse. Born in Syracuse, she graduated from Nottingham High School. She then earned her bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University. After graduation, she worked for General Electric and then Lockheed Martin in Liverpool, NY. She was a member of Temple Adath Yeshurun and a member of the Elfin Society. She is survived by her husband, Garrett Wiggers; her daughter, Rebecca (Michael Ruth) Wiggers; one grandson; her brother, Harry (Irmgard) Cohn; sisters-inlaw, Kathleen (John) Norman and Marybeth Wiggers; cousin Marlene Blumin; and multiple nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and cousins. Burial was in Adath Yeshurun Cemetery. Birnbaum Funeral Service had arrangements. Contributions may be may to Doctors Without Borders at donate.doctorswithoutborders.org or a local food pantry. 

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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.

Friday, September 21 Early deadline for October 11 Jewish Observer Wednesday, October 10 Deadline for October 25 Jewish Observer Saturday, September 29 Temple Concord presents Scotch in the sukkah with Rabbi Fellman a 7 pm Sunday, September 30 TC presents Sushi under the Stars with Cantor Kari at 6 pm Monday, October 1 Shemini Atzeret – yizkor JCC and Federation offices closed TC Simchat Torah and new member welcome dinner at 5:30 pm – reservations required Tuesday, October 2 Simchat Torah JCC and Federation offices closed TC Talmud with Rabbi Daniel Fellman at 12:30 pm Wednesday, October 3 TC Board of Trustees meeting at 7 pm Syracuse Community Hebrew School at TAY from 4-6 pm Sunday, October 7 TC gan program at 10:30 am National Council of Jewish Women honors Cheryl Schotz at Justin’s Grill at noon Tuesday, October 9 Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center Executive Committee meeting at 6 pm, followed by board meeting at 7 pm Epstein School at TAY from 6:30-8:30 pm Wednesday, October 10 Syracuse Community Hebrew School at TAY from 4-6 pm Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas Board of Trustees meeting at 7:30 pm Syracuse Jewish Genealogy Group – Jay Sage at the JCC at 1:30 pm Saturday, October 13 TC Noach Havdalah at the Wild Park in Chittenango at 6 pm TC Cinemagogue: “The Year My Parents Went on Vacation” at 7:30 pm Sunday, October 14 TC Sisterhood meeting at 9:30 am Menorah Park Auxiliary membership brunch at The Bistro at 11 am Federation Major Donors event at 6 pm, followed by community event at 7 pm Tuesday, October 16 Sisterhood Symposium at the JCC at 6 pm Epstein School at TAY from 6:30- 8:30 pm Wednesday, October 17 Syracuse Community Hebrew School at TAY from 4-6 pm

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Everyone a Happy Rosh Hashanah ! g n i h s i WThank you for your trust and loyalty since 1934.

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ SEPTEMBER 28, 2018/18 TISHREI 5779

JCC celebrates Rosh Hashanah

BY ANKUR DANG Twin girls Alex and Rory Sartin, 4, do everything together. They sit with each other in class; they play with the same toys; they almost always know what the other one is thinking; and they both enjoy getting their hands sticky with playdough. This was especially evident when the girls played with honey playdough that they made from scratch in honor of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. In keeping with thespirit of welcoming 5779, the Jerome and Phyllis Charney Early Childhood Development Program at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center celebrated Rosh Hashanah on September 7. The Sartin sisters’ ECDP classroom, Room A, also put together a pretend dinner table to signify the first meal of the new year. “The food is not real, but it still looks tasty,” giggled Alex as she washed her honey-smeared hands. “But I could eat the playdough if I wanted to. It smells nice.” Meanwhile, classroom B was engaged in a storytelling session followed by an arts and crafts activity in which the children made their own shanah tovah greeting cards

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L-r: ECDP students Alden Groat and Gabriel Tanner used the apple “block” stamps they made. and decorated them with real apple “block” prints. While the children were enjoying their celebrations, in another part of the JCC, the Bobbi Epstein Lewis Senior Adult Dining Program was also commemorating the holy days with a Rosh Hashanah luncheon. Sha’arei Torah Orthodox Congregation of Sha’arei Torah Orthodox Syracuse Rabbi Evan Congregation of Syracuse Shore ushered in the new Rabbi Evan Shore blew the year by blowing the sho- shofar to kick-off the JCC’s far for the JCC seniors Rosh Hashanah luncheon on in the auditorium. “This September 7. day is more than just the beginning of a new year,” he said to the group of seniors. “It is also an affirmation of creation and our continued existence.” He went on to talk about the religious significance of Rosh Hashanah as explained by the sages in the Talmud. His talk was followed by prayers, after which, the lunch was served. “We love to see our seniors come back every year,” said

Jewish Motorcyclists Alliance outing

Fifteen motorcyclists from New York, New Jersey and Ohio met in Watkins Glen for a Finger Lakes ride. Three clubs participated: Thou Shalt Ride of Central New York, Chai Riders of NY/NJ Metro and Shul Boys of Cleveland. These clubs are members of the Jewish Motorcyclists Alliance. The mission of the JMA is to support Holocaust education.

L-r: JCC Jerome and Phyllis Charney Early Childhood Development Program participants Alex and Rory Sartin mixed flour and honey to make honey playdough.

JCC seniors listened to Rabbi Evan Shore speak during the JCC’s Rosh Hashanah luncheon. Cindy Stein, director of adult and senior programming. “It is a blessing for me to see our seniors celebrate the holidays. Rosh Hashanah, the New Year, is definitely the time to be glad that we are all here together with friends.”

Mind

Continued from page 5

the kind of person-centered, self-empowered approach for older adults and their families that SJFS is all about.” To schedule an appointment to be screened, or for more information, members of the community should contact Somers at 315-446-9111, ext. 225, or SomersE@sjfs.org. SJFS is a multi-faceted social services agency dedicated to promoting, strengthening and preserving individual, family and community well-being in a manner consistent with Jewish values and beliefs. With the goal of preserving choice, dignity and independence, SJFS provides home-delivered and community-based services to older adults that facilitate aging in place, including programs for persons with early memory loss, counseling and psychotherapy, geriatric care management (including financial case management and assistance with personal finances), Kosher Meals on Wheels, advocacy, psychosocial education, transportation and errand services, and more. As the human services arm of the Jewish community, SJFS is dedicated to holistic, preventive, wellness-oriented integration of social and human services offered without regard to race or creed to all residents of Central New York. SJFS receives support from the United Way and the Jewish Federation of Central New York, the Central New York Community Foundation, the Dorothy and Marshall M. Reisman Foundation, as well as other grant-making foundations and corporations. SJFS is a member of the continuum of care community of Menorah Park.