8 TISHREI 5775 • OCTOBER 2, 2014 • VOLUME XXXVIII, NUMBER 19 • PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID, SYRACUSE, NY
Grant applications requested by teen funders By Nancy Belkowitz and Linda Alexander The Teen Funders Committee of the Jewish Community Foundation B’nai Mitzvah Program has requested grant applications from local charitable organizations. Grant recipients will be announced by the teen funders following their meeting on Sunday, October 26. All applicants must be legally recognized charitable organizations. Grant applications must be received no later than Thursday, October 23, by the Jewish
Community Foundation B’nai Mitzvah Program at 5655 Thompson Rd., DeWitt, NY 13214. Grant requests may be for funding up to $1,000 and applicants must provide details of the proposed project and explain how it forwards the organization’s mission. The B’nai Mitzvah Program at the Jewish Community Foundation teaches the core Jewish value of tzedakah through “hands-on” participation. More than 100 b’nai mitzvah funds have been established throughout the past 10 years.
A b’nai mitzvah fund requires a minimum $250 donation from the teenager at the time of the bar or bat mitzvah. The donations are matched by the Pomeranz, Shankman and Martin Trusts for an opening balance of at least $500. The teenagers may advise which charities will receive funds from the Jewish Community Foundation and how the funds may be distributed. All b’nai mitzvah fund holders may attend Teen Funders Committee meetings, where the teenagers are asked to contribute
some of their fund money to a pooled fund to be distributed by the group. Last spring, the teenagers funded Syracuse Africa Bound, Enable and Transitional Living Services, From the Ground Up Therapeutic Horsemanship, Hand in Hand, Krembo Wings, Beit Tikvah, Menorah Park and Connecting Soul to Soul. For more information, contact Teen Fund Coordinator Nancy Belkowitz or Jewish Community Foundation Executive Director Linda Alexander at 445-2040, ext. 130.
Most Israelis favor greater religion-state separation, new study shows By Ben Sales TEL AVIV (JTA) – During the past 18 months, the governing coalition in Israel has passed legislation to extend the nation’s mandatory conscription to the haredi Orthodox – a group currently exempted from military service – and Knesset leaders have advanced bills that would allow for civil unions and ease restrictions on Jewish conversions. But a new study shows that the majority of the Israeli electorate remains unhappy with the amount of religious influence on Israeli life and law. The annual report, which was released on September 22 by Hiddush – a 5-year-old organization that lobbies the Knesset to promote religious freedom – revealed that 61 percent of Israelis support increased religion-state separation and 78 percent are dissatisfied with the government’s actions on religion-and-state issues. Specifically, two-thirds of Israelis back legalizing civil marriage, up from 61 percent in 2010. And 64 percent of Israelis support recognizing Conservative and Reform conversions, a slight rise from the 60 percent in 2010. On both issues, no less than 100 percent of haredim polled supported Israel’s longstanding policies in which the Orthodox Chief Rabbinate maintains control
over Jewish marriages and recognizes only Orthodox conversions. Still, onethird of haredi respondents joined the 71 percent of Israelis who disapproved of the Chief Rabbinate. “For haredim who think Israel should be a theocracy, it’s described as a government of destruction,” said Rabbi Uri Regev, the CEO of Hiddush. “On the other side, [those favoring religion-state separation feel] the government has never really been attentive,” said Regev, noting that successive governments have prioritized defense policy over religious liberalization. The Knesset’s largest party, the centrist Yesh Atid, pushed through a law this year to include haredim in Israel’s mandatory draft. The mandate doesn’t go into effect for another three years, and 61 percent of Israelis – including 98 percent of haredim themselves – don’t believe haredi Jews will ultimately be drafted. The passage of the draft law this year came amid rising haredi-secular tensions, which culminated with at least 300,000 haredim taking to the streets of Jerusalem in mass protest in March. According to the Hiddush poll, 68 percent of Israelis viewed haredi-secular tensions as one of the worst internal conflicts in Israel. “Last year was characterized by a lack
of communication between the sectors,” Aharon Kravitz, a haredi journalist and activist, told JTA. “People talked about the haredim. Nobody talked with the haredim. There’s a lack of understanding and that influences public opinion.” There was agreement with the haredim on at least one point: A majority of Israelis, including four-fifths of haredim, backed affirmative action to place haredim in government jobs. As in previous years, the poll also found that Israelis have bridged a once-stark religious-secular divide. Among the 800 total respondents, 49 percent identified
as secular, 17 percent as traditional-notso-religious, 13 percent as traditionalreligious, 12 percent as religious and 9 percent as haredi. According to the survey, 42 percent of Israelis observe the Sabbath in some way, whether according to traditional Jewish law or through customs such as lighting candles and blessing wine. “Simplistic divisions are really missing the point,” Regev said. “Respect for Shabbat is not only the domain of those who define themselves as religious. There are varying degrees of personal respect and observance that Israelis follow.”
Israel is Under Fire. Please Donate to Help
Stop the Sirens is a community-wide campaign responding to urgent needs in Israel. The fundraising effort is coordinated by the Jewish Federation of CNY in cooperation with the Jewish Federations of North America. We had originally hoped to raise $33,000, but thanks to the generosity of the community, we have received hundreds of gifts totaling over $60,000. Our goal was $33,000
To make your pledge, please contact Marianne at 445-2040 ext. 102 or mbazydlo@jewishfederationCNY.org.
thank you!
As of 9/29/14
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C A N D L E L I G H T I N G A N D P A R AS H A
Secular Israelis outside the Cinema City theater in Jerusalem on February 25 demonstrated in favor of allowing movie theaters to open on Shabbat. (Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
October 3.................6:24 pm................................................Parasha-Yom Kippur October 8.................6:16 pm............................................................... Erev Sukkot October 9.................after 7:14 pm...............................................................Sukkot October 10...............6:12 pm......................................................... Parasha-Sukkot October 15...............6:04 pm............................................... Erev Shemini Atzeret October 16...............after 7:03 pm......................................... Erev Simchat Torah October 17...............6:01 pm....................................................... Parasha-Bereshit
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Sukkot
Film screening
Congregational notes
Local synagogues announce The JCC will sponsor a screening Holiday celebrations, speakers their Sukkot holiday services and of Israeli filmmaker Dani Menkin’s and more are announced by local film “Is That You?” on October 12. synagogues. events. Story on page 3 Story on page 2 Stories on page 4
PLUS Home and Real Estate........... 6 B’nai Mitzvah........................... 6 Calendar Highlights............... 6 Obituaries................................. 7