25 TISHREI 5780 • OCTOBER 24, 2019 • VOLUME XXXX, NUMBER 21 • PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID, SYRACUSE, NY
Gail Gordon to speak about legacy giving The Jewish Community will be no solicitation. Foundation of Central New Gordon will show the auYork and the Jewish Federation dience how to create a permaof CNY will present Gail J. Gornent legacy gift to aid Jewish life for generations to come. don, senior director of planned Regardless of age, wealth or giving and endowments of the affiliation, participants will Jewish Federations of North learn how to help sustain a viAmerica, on Wednesday, October 30, from 7-8 pm, in the Gail J. Gordon brant Central New York Jewish Anne and Hy Miller Family community. This educational Auditorium of the Sam Pomeranz Jewish forum is open to the community. There Community Center, 5655 Thompson Rd., will be light refreshments. DeWitt. The evening’s theme is “EndowFor more information, or to reserve a ments are not just for the rich – they are seat, contact Kathie Piirak at 315-445the means by which anyone can make 2040, ext. 106, or kpiirak@jewishfederextraordinary, impactful gifts” and there ationcny.org.
Owen Pell to speak on building a world that can prevent genocide to the community, suggests a broader approach to preventing genocide. The Auschwitz Institute for Peace and Reconciliation is the largest NGO in the world for the training of government officials in genocide and mass atrocity prevention. It asserts that more than seven decades after the Holocaust, genocide and other Owen Pell mass atrocities remain a threat to world peace and security. To that end, effective genocide prevention requires a multi-dimensional approach to education. The Auschwitz Institute’s programs are designed by experts in the field of genocide prevention to provide comprehensive training for policymakers and forge networks of cooperation across the globe. Jews, are we self-censoring our expresIn addition to his work with the Aussions or engaging less in Jewish causes? chwitz Institute, Pell formulated the proOut of fear, are we reluctant to identify posal – later endorsed by the European publicly as Jews or limiting our Jewish Parliament – for creating a European events? We hope not, and the community title-clearing body to address claims to is coming together to make the best deci- art looted from individuals during the sions to alleviate the doubts.” Holocaust. In 2009, he counseled the U.S. Leaders feel that whatever the physical government at the Prague Conference on changes will be in local Jewish spaces, it Holocaust Era Assets. In his professional is when everyone operates cooperatively work as an attorney with White & Case and comes together as a community that LLP, an international law firm based this will exemplify our strengths, both in New York City, Pell has represented inner and outer. The commitment by families seeking the return of art looted Federation and Pomeranz, Shankman, from Jewish families during the HoloMartin is a show of confidence in local caust and working with the Commission partners to make the well-being of the for Art Recovery, advocating the rights Jewish community a priority. of Holocaust victims and their families.
BY COLLEEN BAKER The Jewish Federation of Central New York will present Owen Pell, president of the Auschwitz Institute for Peace and Reconciliation, at Temple Adath Yeshurun on Thursday, November 14, at 7 pm. He will speak on “Confronting the Problem of the ‘Other:’ Building a World That Can Prevent Genocide Before it Happens.” This free event, which is open
Cooperation on safety measures in the Syracuse Jewish community Pomeranz, Shankman, Martin BY JACKIE MIRON was necessary to address the The Jewish Federation of continuing security needs of Central New York and Pomerthe community. It has been anz, Shankman, Martin Charone year since the Tree of Life itable Foundation have each incident in Pittsburgh, PA, and committed $100,000 to the local members have exhibited Jewish Community Foundaheightened awareness to potion of Central New York to tential threats. Local leadership be disbursed over the course determined the need to alleviate of two years for the purpose Jackie Miron the financial burdens faced by of security upgrades in the the community to augment and improve Syracuse Jewish community. The list includes Menorah Park of facilities for the benefit of all. Recommendations to each recipient Central New York, the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse, were done carefully and swiftly in the last Temple Adath Yeshurun, Sha’arei Torah year so concrete advice would lead to imOrthodox Congregation of Syracuse, mediate action as the work is completed. Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas Unfortunately, experts have realized that there exists a widespread sense of fear and Chabad House. The leadership of the recipient organi- and insecurity among Jewish communizations submitted detailed written propos- ties, so local agencies have made greater als from professional sources to outline efforts to address increased antisemitism immediate security needs to enhance and and continue operating under heavier improve physical space. The disbursement security measures. Although many feel this increased seamounts have been determined, and funds will be released with proof of completed curity will solve the problem, others feel it will instill a sense of fear and reminder security improvements. The collaboration of Federation and of vulnerability and ask the question, “As
Jewish group project to plant “Trees of Life” in honor of shul victims BY JNS STAFF (JNS) – The Jewish organization United With Israel is inviting people to sponsor the planting of more than 20 different fruit trees in Israel in memory of the 12 victims of the synagogue shootings in Pittsburgh and Poway, CA. “Join us in planting 12,000 trees of life! Make the land even more beautiful
in their memory,” it said on the project’s event page. “[This is] a great opportunity to help Israeli farmers while paying tribute to the 12 holy victims of synagogue shootings, may their memories be for a blessing,” continued the plea. “Show your love for Israel by joining in this wonderful mitzvah!” See “Trees” on page 4
Hebrew Interest-Free Loan
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.
Follow the Jewish Federation of Central New York for the latest updates! @Jewish-Federation-Of-Central-New-York @JewishFederationOfCNY C A N D L E L I G H T I N G A N D P A R AS H A
October 25....................... 5:49 pm.................................................. Parashat Bereshit November 1.................... 5:39 pm.................................................... Parashat Noach November 8.................... 4:30 pm............................................. Parashat Lech-Lecha
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Symposium
Congregational notes
Old Jewish Syracuse
This year’s Sisterhood Symposium Rummage sales, challah bakes A look at three multi-generation at the J CC w il l addr e s s and more are announced by local family-owned businesses; recalling “Antisemitism in the 21st Century.” congregations. the 15th Ward; and more. Stories on page 4 Story on page 3 Stories on page 5
PLUS Classifieds................................ 6 Calendar Highlights............... 6 Obituaries................................. 7 Wedding Planning.................. 8
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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ OCTOBER 24, 2019/25 TISHREI 5780
Thou Shalt Ride
A MATTER OF OPINION Why is Columbia giving the Jew-hating Mahathir a stage? The university’s students, 10,000 of whom are Jewish, have the right to learn in a place where hatred will never be invited in
Thou Shalt Ride is a Central New York motorcycle club affiliated with the Jewish Motorcycle Alliance, whose mission is to support Holocaust education. For more club information, contact Joel Stein at airmail13220@gmail.com. L-r: Dave Feldman, Ken Bell, Peter and Beth Caplan, Joel Stein, Dave Channin and Henry Melvin (not pictured) took a fall foliage ride to Old Forge, Port Leyden, Osceola, Turin, Redfield, Richland and Pulaski.
Men at a meeting
Can you identify the men in this group? If so, what was the meeting? The man standing in the back row on the left is Abe Hoffman, Mel Charney’s maternal grandfather. Who are the other men and where were they? Some think they were at Temple Beth El. If you can clear up the mystery, contact Jewish Observer Editor Bette Siegel at 315-445-2040, ext. 116, or JewishObserverCNY@gmail.com.
Israeli conservationists work to restore endangered turtles BY JNS STAFF (JNS) – The Israeli Sea Turtle Rescue Center released 60 baby turtles into the Mediterranean Sea in Israel recently as part of a conservation program aimed at helping the population of green turtles, which are endangered worldwide. Green turtles are threatened by hunting, intrusion by humans on the beaches where they nest and pollution of their feeding grounds offshore, among other things. Only about 20 female green turtles nest along the Israeli Mediterranean coast during a breeding season that typically lasts from May until August, according to the rescue center. In 2002, the rescue center began a conservation program by recruiting turtles for breeding to help populate the sea with their offspring, according to Reuters. The group of turtles began to reach sexual maturity a few years ago and this year began breeding, with about 200 babies expected to hatch by the end of the season. Roderic Mast, president of the Oceanic Society and co-chair of the IUCN-SSC
BY ROMY RONEN AND MICHALE SCHUELER This article was published in the September 23 issue of the Times of Israel. Permission has been granted to reprint the article. On Wednesday, September 25, Mahathir Mohamad, the prime minister of Malaysia, addressed Columbia’s World Leaders Forum. Mahathir has a long history of blatant antisemitism and fear mongering. According to a 2012 post on his blog, Mahathir is “proud to be labeled antisemitic.” In his autobiography, A Doctor in the House, he claims that “Jews are not merely hook-nosed, but understand money instinctively.” Mahathir has also used known tropes of Holocaust denial to make political points, stating in one BBC interiew that “you cannot even mention that in the Holocaust it was not six million [Jews killed in the Holocaust].” In 1997, Mahathir gave a speech claiming that the failure of the ringgit was due to a “Jewish agenda” led by Holocaust survivor and philanthropist George Soros, peddling antisemitic tropes of “Jewish money” and a worldwide Jewish conspiracy in order to placate his constituents. It is true that the First Amendment guarantees that any individual, including Prime Minister Mahathir, has the right to speak his mind without government censure. It does not mean that a person can say anything without social or academic consequences. Speaking at Columbia University is a privilege, not a right. Why should Columbia University provide a forum for public expressions of antisemitism? Why should the 10,000 Jews on Columbia’s campus have to feel targeted, unsafe, uncomfortable? Why
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A sea turtle underwater. (Photo by Flickr) Marine Turtle Specialist Group, said it was critical to their chances of survival to release the hatchlings into the sea immediately. “In terms of conservation, nothing is more important than protection of turtles, and their habitats and behaviors in the wild,” said Mast. The center’s manager, Yaniv Levi, noted that “we’re only at the beginning. It’s the first year, and we expect that in the coming years we will be able to spawn 1,000 hatchlings a year.”
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should hate speech and bigotry be given a free pass? Why should the already increasingly antisemitic environments on campuses worldwide be further exacerbated by a man who has unequivocally presented himself as a hater of the Jewish people? Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a proud anti-Semite, was already hosted by the Columbia’s World Leaders Forum. Why should this occur again? We call on Columbia’s World Leaders Forum to cancel this event. If this is not possible, we call on the President of Columbia University, Dr. Lee Bollinger, to enforce a cancellation or, at least, denounce Dr. Mahathir’s previous antisemitic remarks on stage. Columbia University students have the right to live and learn in a place where hatred will never be invited in or celebrated; for, as e.e. cummings wrote in his own writings regarding antisemitism, “hatred bounces.” Romy Ronen and Michale Schueler are sophomores at Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary. Romy Ronen is a member of the Israeli-American Council-Act.IL New York Media Room and a board member of Students Supporting Israel at Columbia University. Michale Schueler is the daughter of Fran Ciardullo and Delos Schueler of Syracuse. A member of Students Supporting Israel at Columbia, she graduated from the Syracuse Hebrew Day School in 2012 and Jamesville-DeWitt High School in 2018. While in high school, she held two board positions in the TZAFON region of United Synagogue Youth. She intends to pursue a major in Talmud at the Jewish Theological Seminary and political science at Columbia university. She (and her family) belong to Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas in DeWitt. 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 Tenth annual Sisterhood Symposium: “Antisemitism in the 21st Century” The featured speaker at this year’s Sisterhood Symposium will be Miriam Elman, who will address the issue of “Antisemitism in the 21 st Century: What Does It Mean to You?” The Sam
Pomeranz Jewish Community Center jointly sponsors this series, now in its 10th year. It will be held in the JCC’s auditorium on Wednesday, November 6, at 6:30 pm.
Matthews grant to benefit JCC’s Early Childhood Program BY WILLIAM WALLAK The Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse has received a $1,000 grant from the Matthews Children’s Foundation to benefit its Jerome and Phyllis Charney Early Childhood Development Program. This latest round of funding is the result of JCC Board President Steven Sisskind’s ongoing efforts to sponsor the JCC’s grant application. “Once again, we truly appreciate the Matthews Foundation’s continued support of our children’s programs,” said Sisskind. “The terrific generosity of the foundation has played an important part in helping us to serve our preschool students and local families.” The JCC’s Early Childhood Program used the funds to purchase two new infant stroller wagons. Each holds four babies and contains four seatbelts for added safety. The wagons also allow staff to more easily care for and transport babies outside of the building. Matthews Children’s Foundation awards grants to nonprofit organizations whose purpose is to support children. It has contributed millions of dollars to date to such charities. The JCC of Syracuse has received a substantial amount in grants over the years from Matthews Children’s Foundation to benefit the JCC’s children’s programming. JCC of Syracuse Executive Director Marci Erlebacher said, “Steven has been a fantastic advocate on behalf of the JCC,
fessor of political science at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, where she has been research director in the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (or PARCC) for more than a decade. She is the editor and co-editor of six books, and the author and co-author of more than 65 articles and book chapters on topics related to international and national security, the interface between religion and politics and the Middle East. She has written and edited several books and opeds, and is listed among the top people worldwide who are positively influencing Jewish life. The cost of the dinner is $30 per person. Sponsorships for a table of eight are $250. Reservations will be accepted until Friday, October 25. To make a reservation, go to tinyurl.com/cbscs-symposium or call 315-446-9570.
S E N I L D A E D Deadlines for all articles and photos for the Jewish Observer are as follows. No exceptions will be made.
ISSUE
DEADLINE Jacob Gnacik, a preschooler in the JCC’s Jerome and Phyllis Charney Early Childhood Development Program, holds the $1,000 Matthews Children’s Foundation grant check that was recently presented to his grandfather, JCC Board President Steven Sisskind. The JCC’s Matthews grant application has been sponsored by Sisskind for many years. securing such solid support from the Matthews Foundation and other organizations. We are extremely grateful for the Matthews Foundation’s continued support of the good works that our programs are doing.” For more information about the JCC of Syracuse and supporting its many programs serving infants through seniors, contact Erin Hart at 315-445-2040, ext. 112, or ehart@jccsyr.org.
Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center senior dining menu OCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 1 Monday – baked ziti Tuesday – sweet and sour meatballs over rice Wednesday – “crab” cakes Thursday – chicken noodle soup and egg salad on wheat Friday – brisket NOVEMBER 4-9 Monday – tomato basil soup and grilled cheese Tuesday – spaghetti and meatballs Wednesday – beef stew over egg noodles Thursday – chicken rollatini Friday – stuffed flounder couscous with lemon
Despite antisemitism being considered one of the world’s oldest hatreds, there is considerable confusion about how it should be defined and what “counts” as either antisemitic expression and/or action. The evening’s program will explore the definition of antisemitism and its various contemporary manifestations in the United States. Following the presentation, participants will break into small groups, where they will have the opportunity to discuss the nature of today’s antisemitism and the ways it can best be combated. Elman, the presenter, is the executive director of Academic Engagement Network, a DC-based nonprofit that combats campus antisemitism, champions academic freedom and free speech, and seeks to promote a better understanding of Israel at American universities and colleges. She is on leave from Syracuse University, where she is an associate pro-
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.
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Wednesday, October 23......................................................November 7 Wednesday, November 6..................................................November 21 Wednesday, November 20.................................................. December 5 Wednesday, December 18...................................................... January 2
Keep Karen
DOCTER MY PROMISE TO YOU
My family and I have been Town of DeWi residents since 1972 and the Docter Family's roots in Syracuse go back to 1886. We love DeWi as you do. I pledge to con nue to listen to you and to work hard to resolve your immediate and long term concerns. I shall con nue to ac vely par cipate on the Town of DeWi Board to provide you with the best possible services DeWi has to offer, while advoca ng for economic development balanced with environmental interests and fiscal responsibility. I am here for all of you. COMMITTED TO FAMILIES • A orney • Teacher • A orney for the Child stakeholder in the NYS Child Welfare Court Improvement Project • Court Evaluator • Guardian Ad Litem COMMITTED TO DEWITT • Town of DeWi Councilor • Town of DeWi Police Commissioner • Town of DeWi Parks and Recrea on Commission Liaison • Rotary Club of DeWi , Inc. member EDUCATION • SU College of Law: Juris Doctor • SU School of Educa on: Master of Science • SU College of Human Development: Master of Arts • Cornell University Coilege of Human Ecology: Bachelor of Science • Onondaga Community College: Associate of Arts HONORS • CASA Light of Hope Award for Dedica on to the Legal Rights of Children and Families • Hon. Michael F. Dillon Law Guardian Award for Dis nguished Service to the Law Guardian Program for the Fi h Judicial District • Onondaga Community College Alumni Faces Honoree • Onondaga Community College Dis nguished Alumni Award ENDORSEMENTS • Onondaga County Democra c Commi ee • Town of DeWi Democra c Party • Town of DeWi . Conserva ve Party • Onondaga County Veterans Party • CNY Community Ac on Program (CAP) Council, United Auto Workers, Region 9 • Greater Syracuse Labor Council, AFL-CIO Paid For By Friends of Karen Docter
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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ OCTOBER 24, 2019/25 TISHREI 5780
CONGREGATIONAL NOTES Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas CBS-CS SEMI-ANNUAL RUMMAGE SALE The Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas Sisterhood, 18 Patsy Lane, off Jamesville Road in DeWitt, will hold its semi-annual rummage sale on Sunday, November 10, and Monday, November 11, from 10 am-4 pm, with a bag sale on Monday. Proceeds from the sale help support scholarships for Jewish summer camping experiences, gifts for b’nai mitzvah students and synagogue needs not in the regular budget. CBS-CS also collects toiletries and household products for clients of Vera House and Operation Soap Dish. These items may be dropped off at CBS-CS
during the above hours. For more information, contact the CBS-CS office at 315-446-9570 or e-mail manager@cbscs.org. A SPECIAL SHABBAT OF POETRY AND TORAH CBS-CS will present poet Jill Pearlman on Saturday, November 9, at 9:30 am. She will pair the lyric prose of Aviyah Gottlieb Zornberg, a scholar who blends a “deep understanding” of rabbinic sources with Western education and her own poetry. The poetry/prose reading will be followed by a discussion of the Torah themes “painted by beautiful words.” Pearlman will give a d’var Torah during morning services, followed by a workshop after services.
Temple Adath Yeshurun TAY SISTERHOOD RUMMAGE SALE The Temple Adath Yeshurun Sisterhood will hold its semi-annual rummage sale on Sunday, October 27, and Monday, October 28. The sale is open to the public. For this sale, the TAY Sisterhood is offering an early bird hour again. For $5, people can come into the sale an hour before it begins on Sunday, October 27, from 9-10 am. The sale will open to the public at 10 am and run until 3 pm on Sunday, October 27. On Monday, October 28, the sale will run from 10 am-2 pm. Monday, October 28, from noon-2 pm, is $5 bag day. For more information, contact Joan Lowenstein at 315-450-0101 or e-mail jmglowe@gmail.com. FOUNDATIONS FOR JEWISH LIFE BY SONALI MCINTYRE Beginning on Sunday, October 27, at 10:45 am, Rabbi Yehoshua Zehavi will lead the class “Foundations for Jewish
Life.” The class is intended for a range of backgrounds – for those looking to revisit childhood Jewish education with adult sophistication, and those wanting to enrich their experience of Judaism with new insights or gain basic knowledge. The class is open to everyone and is appropriate for those exploring Judaism for the first time or considering conversion. The class will incorporate Jewish history, Torah, practice and thought. The rabbi said, “Every important practice involves returning to the basics, each time at a deeper level. In Judaism, as in life, things aren’t always as they seem. Ideas that appeared simple when we were children might be far more complex and interesting from an adult perspective.” Registration for this class is requested. To register or for more information, contact the TAY office at 315-445-0002 or e-mail info@adath.org.
Sha’arei Torah Orthodox Congregation PITTSBURGH’S TREE OF LIFE SYNAGOGUE ONE YEAR LATER Following the murder of 11 Jews at prayer at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue last October, millions of people of all faiths rallied around AJC’s #ShowUpForShabbat initiative, packing synagogues in solidarity with the American Jewish community. Soon after, another shooting, this time at the Chabad of Poway, claimed the life of another Jewish person. One year later, Sha’arei Torah Orthodox Congregation of Syracuse members are again coming together to remember Pittsburgh and Poway and raise their collective voice for a world free of antisemitism, hate and bigotry. Everyone is welcome to attend. The event will be held on Saturday, October 26. Services will begin at 9 am and will be followed by a kiddush. Reservations are requested and may be made by contacting the synagogue at www.stocsyracuse.org/events, e-mail info@stocsyracuse.org, or 315-446-6194. HOW TO COOK FOR SHABBAT On Monday, November 4, at 8 pm, Rabbi Evan and Deborah Shore will present “How to Cook for Shabbat and How to Food Prep on Shabbat” at Sha’arei Torah Orthodox Congregation of Syracuse. This is the second in this year’s STOCS “HowTo” series of putting Jewish observance into practice. Rabbi Shore will describe the halachic way to reheat food, use a slow cooker, the Shabbat mode available on many ovens and similar topics. Deborah will share Shabbat-friendly recipes, practical tips and a few anecdotes about
the Shabbat cooking/learning curve. The session is open to the public. Reservations are requested and may be made by contacting the synagogue at www.stocsyracuse. org/events, e-mail info@stocsyracuse.org, or 315-446-6194. GREAT BIG CHALLAH BAKE On Wednesday, November 13, at 5:30 pm, STOCS will host its third annual Great Big Challah Bake, joining thousands of women across the globe. This event is part of The Shabbat Project, a grassroots movement that started in South Africa in 2013 to bring together Jews from across the spectrum of religious affiliation and age and from all corners of the world to experience the “delight” of one complete Shabbat in accordance with Jewish law. This year’s event will be led by Jodi Bloom, who will introduce a new recipe and a new “twist” to the baking with a variety of toppings. This year, in addition to creating challah loaves, participants can express their creativity by decorating miniature salt bowls – dipping challah into salt is one of the traditions accompanying eating challah on Shabbat. Given the positive feedback from previous gatherings, organizers anticipate that the Great Big Challah Bake will be a “rewarding, meaningful and enjoyable” event. There is a $12 charge and reservations are due by Thursday, November 7, or $16 at the door. Reservations are requested and may be made by contacting the synagogue at www.stocsyracuse.org/events, e-mail info@stocsyracuse.org, or 315-446-6194 to leave names of those attending.
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Donna Butterfield, the music enrichment teacher at the Temple Adath Yeshurun Rothschild Early Childhood Center, led children and their families in a sing-along during RECC’s “Back-To-School Night.”
Temple Concord TEMPLE CONCORD COMMUNITY BLOOD DRIVE Temple Concord will host an American Red Cross blood drive on Sunday, October 27, starting at 9 am, in the social hall. Appointments will be available every 15 minutes throughout the morning. Teens and young adults 17 years of age and up (16 with parental consent) who have not donated blood before are encouraged to sign up to make this blood drive their first. Prior blood donors are, of course, invited to sign up. Parents of school-age children can pre-schedule appointments while their children are at religious school. Donors must be willing to fill out a confidential health questionnaire and have iron level tested on-site in order to successfully donate. Donors of all blood types can donate whole blood or double red cells. Thanks go to Peggy Grossman for volunteering to take the lead in this cause. To make an appointment to donate blood
Trees
or to volunteer on October 27, contact her at 201-600-2341 or e-mail pjscorp101@ aol.com. THE MITZVAH OF CHALLAH BY TC SISTERHOOD Temple Concord Sisterhood Co-President Bonnie Leff will lead “The Mitzvah of Challah” on Sunday, November 3, at 9:30 am, in the TC social hall. The class is open to the public. There is a charge of $18 per person to cover costs. Participants will learn to make challah dough from scratch, then knead and braid it into loaves. Each ingredient in a challah recipe is essential and has its own blessing. Each person will produce two loaves, one to take home and the synagogue will appreciate the donation of the second loaf. Reservations are requested and can be made by calling the TC office at 315-4759952 or through the TC online calendar, www.templeconcord.org.
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A total of 11 Jewish worshippers were murdered on October 27, 2018, when a lone gunman entered the Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha Synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh during Shabbat-morning services. Exactly six months later, on April 27, a similar shooting took place at Chabad of Poway in Southern California, where a 60-year-old Jewish woman was killed in the synagogue lobby and three others were injured in the Clementine trees in a field in Moshav Nahalal, in attack, also on Shabbat morning the Jezreel Valley, on March 26. (Photo by Anat during services. Hermony/Flash90)
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SYRACUSE’S OLD JEWISH COMMUNITY
Businesses then and still – doing well and doing good BY BARBRA SHEKLIN DAVIS Only three percent of family-owned businesses survive into a third generation and one of the secrets of those that do is having well-articulated values and a culture in place. The Central New York Jewish community is fortunate to have three family-owned companies that are in their sixth or seventh decade of family ownership. Their commitment to values, as well as to the community, are clearly in evidence and have enabled all three to make highly successful transitions from the 20th to the 21st century. United Radio United Radio was established in 1923 by Jacob H. Rubenstein, a self-taught engineer and inventor who had a great passion for electronics and a strong desire to know how everything worked. In a small, one-man repair shop in downtown Syracuse, Jake assembled “cat’s whisker” radio kits for retail customers. His repair skills
United Radio
adapted to changes in radio and entertainment systems, and the company grew to accommodate the demand for fast, skilled specialized repair service. United Radio’s reputation for quality service generated an increasing workload. Milton, Jake’s oldest son, came into the business full time when he returned from military service in 1953. Jake’s younger son, Arnold, joined the company full time when he returned from military service in 1962. As the workload increased, Milt and Arnie created three divisions. Milt managed the two-way communications business, Arnie managed the consumer products division and Stan Marcum managed the automotive division. As the workload increased, United Radio expanded its technical and support staff, and added a computer system to help control the organizational workflow. Jeffrey Rubenstein, a third-generation member of the Rubenstein family, joined the business as systems manager. See “Still” on page 7
A glimpse into the Syracuse Jewish past from an African American perspective Excerpted from “Floor Burns: Love, Passion and the 1967 Syracuse All-city Championship” by M.C. Antil, http://www.floorburnsbook.com/ and is reprinted with the author’s permission. It would be misleading, if not inaccurate, to say the vibe of Syracuse’s 15th Ward was solely dominated by its three or so thousand African American residents. The Jews who lived, worked and worshiped there also left an indelible mark. And part of what made those few
square blocks of urban reality so remarkable and unlike any other part of town was not so much the influence of either of those groups, but their blending. Because for all the city’s claim to be a melting pot, none of its neighborhoods presented a more unique or richly diverse mix of cultures than its 15th Ward. The Ward’s often-uneasy amalgam of Jewish andAfrican American music, food, religion, idioms, dress and other forms of self-expression proved to be more than just another
Onondaga Historical Association’s permanent exhibit of Jewish contributions BY BARBARA SHEKLIN DAVIS The Onondaga Historical Association has a permanent exhibit of Jewish contributions to Syracuse and Onondaga County on the first floor of its museum at 321 Montgomery St. in downtown Syracuse. Titled “From Laying the Foundation to Forging Ahead,” it documents the role of the Jewish community in advancing the social, religious, economic and political fabric of the city and county in four areas: community, business, entertainment and athletics. The community section focuses on the old Jewish neighborhood, synagogues and people; the business section describes small to large Jewish-owned retail stores, factories and other enterprises such as Flah’s, Fleischman’s, SYROCO, Oberdorfer Foundry and United Radio. The entertainment section highlights local and nationally-known song and comedy writers, authors, actors and singers such as Harold Arlen, who wrote “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” Sime Silverman, who founded Variety magazine, and the Shubert brothers, who amassed the largest theatrical empire in America. Local Jewish athletes and sports teams, such as Dolph and Danny Schayes, Myer Prinstein, Dave Brodsky and the Young Men’s Hebrew Association’s championship basketball team, are featured in the athletics section. The exhibit’s three touch-screen computer mon-
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itors allow visitors to browse additional images, text and audio/visual interviews. The content is expandable, so members of the Jewish community may contact OHA’s exhibit staff with requests to add
ethnic Petri dish. In its heyday, the Ward was a carnival of sights, sounds and smells, and the multiple ways in which Jews and blacks lived side-by-side were just a part of what helped make it a neighborhood unlike any other in the city. While most blacks were Southern Baptist, and as such had never set foot in a synagogue, that did not mean they were ignorant of Jewish customs or observances such as Passover, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. To the contrary, when a major Jewish holiday would roll around and the bulk of the stores would close, including many corner food markets, most of the commerce on Harrison Street would come to a screeching halt. In fact, Syracuse’s 15th Ward became something of a ghost town during the major Jewish holidays. As a result, blacks throughout the neighborhood, not wishing to run out of food, liquor or any of life’s other essentials, were always aware when a Jewish holiday was nearing, and would stock up accordingly. Because stores were all closed on holidays like Passover, and there was relatively little life on the streets at
See “Exhibit” on page 6
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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ OCTOBER 24, 2019/25 TISHREI 5780
D’VAR TORAH Bereshit – in the beginning – from disorder to order to disorder to potential order BY ROBERT L. SMITH Bereshit marks the beginning of the Torah and describes the beginning of the world, and the humans that inhabit it. Some have claimed that there are two quasi-independent and sometimes contradictory stories – two versions of creation – in this reading. In contrast, I begin with the assumption that there are effectively two chapters, describing and then expanding on one consistent set of concepts. First, the overall sequence and order of creation is described through the emergence of humanity. This sequence begins with a world that is characterized as “unformed and void,” a disorderly dark and undifferentiated wasteland. Next comes a series of steps (days) representing the introduction of separations and orderliness, light and darkness, water and land, etc. and ending with plants, animals and, finally, humanity. Everything was gifted to humanity – creatures differentiated from all the other animals with the responsibility of filling the earth and mastering it. Finally, creation ends with the blessed and holy Shabbat, a day differentiated from all the other days of the week when we humans join in stepping aside from the challenges of the rest of the week, and sit back and enjoy what has been created. In the second set of readings, we learn more of the details of the creation of humans and our early attempts to live in the world, ending with the generation of Noah. We subsequently learn, at the introduction of the next reading, Noah, that the world had become corrupt and filled with lawlessness – a disorderly dark and undifferentiated society characterized by cheating and violence and anarchy. So we see a sequence of going, in the beginning, from disorder to order, but then subsequently back to disorder – a sequence that repeats itself in later chapters of the Torah – the overly-ordered Tower of Babel resulting in forced dispersion and rebuilding to Sinai; the descent into the ordered slavery in Egypt and the challenges of freedom of the Exodus; the deliverance of the Torah as a guide to seeking the proper balance – still the unfinished challenge of our times. A key question that must be addressed is whether humanity was “punished” by expulsion from the Garden of Eden. I would suggest this was not a punishment, but rather, a step in the development of humanity – a necessary step for us to carry out the charge of being fruitful, multiplying and subduing the earth. One could hardly do that within the boundaries of Eden and, indeed,
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what was there to subdue in the Garden – everything that was needed seemed to be provided? The challenge then becomes how to subdue the potential chaos of the physical world and the potential of our own negative actions. How can humans control a human inclination to explore and interact positively with one another and the world? That also sometimes turns to violence of human versus human and humans versus the world. The challenge is also how to control a world that we need to assume is governed by orderly rules that we must discover, but also by the law of entropy, which posits that when left alone, the world will always return to more and more disorder. The human need to explore, to investigate, meant that sooner or later humans would “eat of the apple.” That, after all, was how we were created, and, presumably, why we were created. Upon the creation of humanity on Day Six, God says, “Let us make humanity in our image,” raising the question of who “us” is. Is it a majestic “us,” the angels; or is God speaking to all of us through the ages, reminding us that in the beginning, down to the present moment, you and I are partners in the yet unfinished creation of humanity in the image of God, and the world in which we live? Robert L. Smith is an active member of Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas and professor emeritus of bioengineering and neuroscience at Syracuse University.
NEWS IN BRIEF From JNS.org
U.K. teacher fired after joking about sending Jewish kids to “the gas chambers”
A primary-school teacher in England was fired after allegedly “joking” to pupils about “sending them to the gas chamber” if they failed to finish their work. The teacher at Newberries Primary School, Hertfordshire, told a class of 28 10-year-olds, including 11 who are Jewish, on Oct. 10: “You better finish off your work quick, or I’ll ship you all off to the gas chambers,” according to parents. The teacher reportedly apologized afterwards, saying she was “joking” and asking the students not to tell anyone. The pupils reported the antisemitic comment to parents, who expressed outrage on school WhatsApp group chats. The teacher was fired a day after making the comments. A spokesman for Newberries Primary School said, “We can confirm that last week we were made aware that an alleged racist comment had been made by an agency teacher working within the school. We acted on this immediately, and our governors and leadership team are undertaking a full investigation. The agency teacher will not be returning.” The school said that religious leaders from different faith groups would be invited to speak to the children, as they have done in previous years. The school, with 203 students enrolled ages 4-11, is in a commuter village where about one-quarter of the 8,000 residents identify as Jewish, reported the U.K.’s Daily Mail.
Tunisia’s new president: Any ties with Israel “high treason”
Tunisia’s new president said recently that relationship or ties with Israel equals “high treason.” “ ‘Normalization’is the wrong word to use,” said Kaïs Saïed in response to a question in the final televised presidential debate about the warming of relations between the Jewish state and the Arab and Muslim world. “We should be talking about high treason.” Saïed defeated rival Nabil Karoui with 77 percent of the votes in the Oct. 13 election. Saïed said that Jews with passports other than Israeli ones were welcome to visit Tunisia’s synagogues, but there should be no “dealings with Zionists.”
Israeli farmland set to be handed back to Jordan
Israel will have to return agricultural land in the Jordan Valley to Jordan after the Hashemite Kingdom refused to extend a lease on the lands outlined in the 1994 Israel-Jordan peace treaty. The transition will affect dozens of Israeli farmers who have been working the 247 acres of land for the past 25 years.
Exhibit
other images, text or audio/visual presentations to the touch screen monitors. Books about the Jewish Community of Syracuse: “From a Minyan to a Community: A History of the Jews of Syracuse” by B.G. Rudolph (1970) “The Jewish Community of Syracuse” by Barbara Sheklin Davis and Susan B. Rabin (2011) “A Place That Lives Only in Memory – the Old Jew-
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, October 23 Deadline for November 7 Jewish Observer Wednesday, November 6 Deadline for November 21 Jewish Observer Wednesday, November 20 Deadline for December 5 Jewish Observer Wednesday, December 18 Deadline for January 2 Jewish Observer Saturday, October 26 TC Regina F. Goldenberg Series presents Tony Trischka (rescheduled from January) at 7 pm. Tickets available at templeconcord.org or call 315-475-9952. STOCS #ShowUpFor Shabbat to mark one year since the shootings in Pittsburgh and Poway at 9 am Sunday, October 27 TC Red Cross blood drive starting at 9 am TC intro to Judaism at 11 am Syracuse Hebrew Day School fall BUDS event 3:30-5 pm CBS-CS Lost in the Library at 10:30 am Monday, October 28 CBS-CS Beginning Adult Hebrew at 6 pm CBS-CS Talmud class with Rabbi Pepperstone at 12 pm and 7 pm CBS-CS Torah Trope class at 8:15 pm Tuesday, October 29 Epstein School at CBS-CS at 6:30 pm Wednesday, October 30 Community Hebrew School at Temple Concord from 4-6 pm Jewish Community Foundation of CNY and Jewish Federation of CNY present Gail J. Gordon in the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center Miller Auditorium from 7-8 pm Friday, November 1 TC Tot Shabbat at 5 pm Sunday, November 3 CBS-CS Lost in the Library at 10:30 am Menorah Park Auxiliary annual brunch at 11:30 am TC Sisterhood challah bake at 2 pm Monday, November 4 CBS-CS Beginning Adult Hebrew at 6 pm CBS-CS Talmud class with Rabbi Pepperstone at 12 pm and 7 pm CBS-CS Torah Trope class at 8:15 pm Sha’arei Torah Orthodox Congregation of Syracuse “How to Cook for Shabbat” – laws, recipes and stories with Rabbi Evan and Deborah Shore at 8 pm Tuesday, November 5 Epstein School at CBS-CS at 6:30 pm Wednesday, November 6 Community Hebrew School at Temple Concord from 4-6 pm Sisterhood Symposium at the Sam Pomeranz JCC at 6:30 pm Saturday, November 9 CBS-CS hosts poet Jill Pearlman during and after morning 9:30 am services Sunday, November 10 CBS-CS rummage sale from 10 am-4 pm TC Concord Intro to Judaism at 11 am STOCS Tea and Torah at 4:30 pm Monday, November 11 CBS-CS rummage bag sale from 10 am-4 pm CBS-CS Beginning Adult Hebrew at 6 pm CBS-CS Talmud class with Rabbi Pepperstone at 12 pm and 7 pm CBS-CS Torah Trope class at 8:15 pm Tuesday, November 12 Epstein School at CBS-CS at 6:30 pm Epstein School board meeting at CBS-CS at 6:30 pm Wednesday, November 13 Sha’arei Torah Orthodox Congregation presents “Great big challah bake” at 5:30 pm Thursday, November 14 Jewish Federation of Central New York presents Owen Pell, president of the Auschwitz Institute for Peace and Reconciliation, speaking at Temple Adath Yeshurun at 7 pm
Continued from page 5
ish Neighborhood of Syracuse, New York” by William Marcus (2012) Videos about the Jewish community of Syracuse: “Stories from the Syracuse Jewish Community” and “People and Places of the Syracuse Jewish Community,” Jay Lurie Productions “The Story of Central New York’s Jews,” WCNY, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k693udcMeFY
OCTOBER 24, 2019/25 TISHREI 5780 ■
Still
Continued from page 5
Continued growth at United Radio required it to move to ever larger quarters. Today, United Radio, located on Enterprise Parkway, is a major provider of electronics products and service for most major car manufacturers. It has more certified electronic technicians than any other independent service center in the U.S. and its three divisions service more than 3,000 units every day. Phillip Rubenstein, Arnold’s son, became president of the company in 2005 and Phil’s sister, Mara, is the company’s vice president and director of human resources. The company’s commitment to its core values is evident on its website, which states: “We believe that all people have inherent value; our differences make us stronger; family sustains, stabilizes, and defines us; honesty and integrity will build lasting relationships; we have a responsibility to each other to create a better community; learning, growing, and accepting challenges enriches and fulfills our lives.” Charney’s Men’s Clothing Phyllis and Jerome Charney co-founded Charney’s Men’s Clothing store in Eastwood in 1953 with Jerome’s father, Harry. The Charneys had met in the fifth grade and were married in 1942. Together with Harry, they started out operating a wholesale produce business, but then decided to open a clothing store on James Street. They sold clothes for the working man, and then added suits, slacks, shirts and ties. Responding to customer demand, they began to specialize in big and tall sizes. Success bred growth and the Charneys opened more stores, operating up to five at a time in many different locations. More than six decades after its founding, Charney’s operates one store in DeWitt. It carries 87 men’s suit sizes and its DeWitt location is the largest men’s clothing store in Central New York. Harry Charney died in 1983 and Jerome died in 1992. Jerome and Phyllis’ son, Mel, became president of the company his parents and grandfather founded in 1991. Mel worked in his parents’ store from the time he was old enough to open and unpack boxes of clothing and shoes. After college and army service, he decided to join the family business full time. Mel has continued the family tradition of good customer service. The store’s website declares that “they want you to feel as welcome in their store as you would in their home, and you will feel that difference.” Phyllis Charney worked at the store on Erie Boulevard East in DeWitt into her 90s. “She cared about the employees and their children,” her son said. “She knew every employee and she loved meeting the customers and just talking to them. She would assist customers in picking out suits or matching a tie with a shirt, or would reminisce with customers who remembered shopping at the original Charney’s when they were children.” Ra-Lin Ra-Lin Discount, a second generation, family-owned business, was also established in 1953 by Bernie Radin and Herman Zeitlin. For more than 60 years, Ra-Lin has been a purveyor of a wide array of consumer electronics, appliances, photography equipment, televisions, fine jewelry, watches, luggage, giftware, collectibles, sporting equipment and much more. They take pride in their broad base of products, low prices and reputation and seek to be the market leader in product availability, pricing, quality and expertise. Ra-Lin is proud of the fact that
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OBITUARIES RITA LEVINSON
Ra-Lin in the 1950s on Butternut Street in Syracuse.
Charney’s Men’s Shop in the 1950s. It’s the second store the Charneys had on James Street. It’s the old Chappell’s store that the business moved into in the early 1970s. L-r: Jerome Charney, Joel Coffin from Eagan real estate, Harry Charney, Phyllis Charney and Mel Charney. it backs up its sales with in-depth product information, and a knowledgeable staff of professionals who average over 20 years of expertise in their respective fields. Many of the employees have been part of the Ra-Lin family for almost as long as the company has been in business. Lewis Radin, Bernie’s son, is co-owner of the company, along with Marsha Poushter and Alan Poushter. Valuing the store’s tradition of customer service, he even paid the fines for customers who were ticketed for illegal parking on Black Friday. The Ra-Lin’s warehouse building adjacent to the store has also become part of an important local ecological project. Ra-Lin teamed up with the Onondaga County Save the Rain program to install a green roof on the warehouse, which mitigates an estimated 242,800 gallons of storm water runoff annually. The Jewish sages taught that “Character is tested through business” (avot d’rabi natan). All three of these long-standing and upstanding Jewish businesses demonstrate that basing a business on good character and strong values can lead to success for many generations.
Rita Levinson, 92, died on October 1 with her family by her side. Born in London, England, in 1927, she met her husband, Paul, during World War II. She came to Syracuse in 1946 on a ship with other war brides. They lived in Syracuse for the rest of their lives. She was an active member of Temple Beth El, its Sisterhood and Pioneer Women. She was an avid reader with a sophisticated understanding of social and political issues. She was an excellent cook, baker and Mah Jongg player. She was known for her flair for fashion and decorating. She was predeceased by her husband, Paul, in 2003 after 56 years together; and her 6-year-old daughter, Susan. She is survived by her daughter, Marsha (Aaron) Zimmerman; sons, Michael and Eric; and four grandchildren. She had a special bond with her granddaughter, Stacy (James Borin) Loeb. Stacy’s natural father died when she was 8 years old. Rita and Paul assisted Marsha in raising Stacy. Burial was in Beth El Cemetery. Sisskind Funeral Service had arrangements. Contributions may be made to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, 1250 Fourth St., Santa Monica, CA 90401 or at https://www.pcf.org/.
NEWS IN BRIEF From JNS.org
Friedman: Trump plan will not evict Jewish communities in Judea, Samaria
The U.S. administration will not call for the evacuation of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria under the much-anticipated Mideast peace plan, according to U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman on Oct. 16. In an interview with Israel National News, Friedman said “having seen the experience of the evacuation of Gaza, I don’t believe that there is a realistic plan that can be implemented that would require anyone – Jew or Arab – to be forced to leave their home.” Friedman referred to the Gaza Disengagement Plan of 2005, in which more than 8,000 Jews were forcibly evicted from their homes by the administration of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, in a bid to create a Palestinian state in Gaza. The plan caused major political divisions and a firestorm of debate in Israel, and was subsequently denounced across the political spectrum as a failure that resulted in nearly perpetual violence and wars along the Israel-Gaza border. Approximately 350,000 Jews live in cities and towns throughout Judea and Samaria, not including the hundreds of thousands more living in northern and eastern parts of Jerusalem that the Palestinian Authority demands as part of a new state.
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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ OCTOBER 24, 2019/25 TISHREI 5780
Past
Continued from page 5
such times, that annual commemoration of the Jews’ exodus from Egypt, as well as other major holidays, got celebrated (if only by default) by some of the Ward’s most decided non-Jews. In fact, it was not uncommon to hear an African American mother in the Ward, after having conducted a little last-minute holiday shopping for her family, offer the shopkeeper a Happy Yom Kippur or a Blessed Passover on her way out the door. Then on Shabbat, when practicing Jews were forbidden from doing work, enterprising youngsters would hang around the synagogues just before nightfall because they knew the Rabbi would need someone to turn the lights on in God’s house, since he himself was forbidden from doing so. This would usually earn the young man a dime, which back then bought a lot of things a boy in the 15th Ward could use. Many African Americans, such as Harry Titus and Jimmy Singleton, used to supplement their meager incomes by understanding some basic tenets of Judaism, such as what makes certain meat kosher. Harry and Jimmy, two of the more industrious African Americans in the Ward, would make regular pilgrimages around mid-morning to the corner of Harrison and McBride, often with their kids in tow. They’d do so because on that particular corner, just across the street from one another, stood what amounted to a perfect kosher triangle: a poultry breeder, a synagogue, and food market; in this case, Fineberg’s, a small family-owned shop with a well-appointed meat counter. Enterprising men like Titus and Singleton knew that throughout the day Jewish mothers and housewives
would come to Fineberg’s to pick out a nice live chicken, which had been raised by the breeder across the street and purchased wholesale by old Mr. Fineberg. Then, if they wanted it prepared kosher, they would take the chicken across the street and ask the rabbi to stop over and, according to Jewish law, slit the throat of the chicken. Since the consumption of blood in any quantity was forbidden by Jewish law, Fineberg would hang the bird upside down, with its head attached, and allow it to bleed out. Once that was done, it became time to pluck the bird. That was when Harry (and, often, his kids) would enter the shop and negotiate with Mr. Fineberg to perform the dirtiest part of preparing a kosher chicken; dry plucking it. While most non-kosher markets in Syracuse used big tubs of warm water to soften the chicken’s skin, which made the task of removing feathers cleaner and easier, most of the rabbis in the 15th Ward did not consider such a shortcut, however practical, kosher. Given that, and given Fineberg’s unwillingness to subject himself to the drudgery and olfactory unpleasantness of plucking feathers off dead chickens for hours on end, he gladly paid black families like the Tituses and Singletons between 10 and 15 cents a bird to do it for him. Standing at a sink until your shoulders ached and plucking feathers from chickens (with the heads attached, of course, since chicken heads made good soup stock), with only a small bowl of water to wet your fingertips, was tough. But as long as you went about your business quietly and didn’t miss any feathers, it was steady work and it paid. And in the 15th Ward back then, steady and paying were just about the two most important benefits
of any job a black man could possibly want or have. There was also a fish market, Saslow’s, next door to Fineberg’s, that used to buy fish from Ward’s small brigade of black men who fancied themselves skilled fishermen; men of all ages who would use cane poles and whatever live bait they could dig up to catch buckets of bass, perch and carp in nearby Onondaga Creek and Onondaga Lake. The amateur anglers would bring in their catches, negotiate a price and leave with a pocketful of nickels, dimes and quarters. The store’s proprietor would then resell the daily catches – especially the carp – to Jewish residents of the Ward to clean, filet and grind into tasty gefilte fish patties. In some ways, food became a unifying force in the 15th Ward. Young black kids, for example, would love going into Wallace’s, reaching into the big wooden pickle barrel in the front of the store and plucking out of the brine a fresh, plump kosher pickle. And much later, as adults, a number of Jewish former newspaper boys would admit they learned to love the smell of frying bacon and fatback by walking to and from work through the black sections of the 15th Ward. And, of course, a place like Stein’s Candy Emporium spoke the universal language of Ward children, regardless of religion, class or skin color. In fact, the shop’s endless array of candy bars, licorice, salt water taffy, gumballs, nonpareils, bonbons, rock candy, chocolate fudge, chewing gum and tiny wax bottles of rainbow-colored sugar water had a way of beckoning kids – black and white – from the farthest reaches of the Ward, if only to window shop.
First wedding held at site of Europe’s second-oldest synagogue in 1,500 years BY SHAVEI ISRAEL STAFF (JNS) – For the first time in more than 1,500 years, the ruins of a synagogue dating back to the fourth century C.E. in the Calabria area of southern Italy played host to a Jewish wedding in June. Drs. Roque Pugliese and Ivana Pezzoli, both of whom are descendants of Iberian Jews forcibly converted during the 14th and 15th centuries, were married in an “emotional and historic” ceremony at the site of the second-oldest synagogue ever found in Europe. Pugliese’s parents hid their Jewish roots while he grew up in Calabria and Argentina. Upon discovering his heritage, Pugliese decided to formally return to Judaism with assistance from the Shavei Israel organization. While Pezzoli was raised with certain Jewish traditions in her family, she was never told why. Upon researching her family history, she found that she had Jewish roots and embarked on an “extensive study” of Judaism for more than eight years before undergoing formal conversion. Pugliese and Pezzoli, both of whom are medics and met while working at a local hospital, are now living religiously observant Jewish lives. The wedding took place in the archaeological park adjacent to the southern Italian seaside village of Bova Marina, where the remains of a synagogue were unearthed
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The June 4 wedding of Drs. Roque Pugliese and Ivana Pezzoli in Calabria, Italy. (Photo by Shavei Israel)
in 1983 during the construction of a road. Among the items discovered were a mosaic floor with tiles portraying images of a menorah, a shofar, and a lulav and etrog, as well as a walled niche where the Aron Kodesh, or Holy Ark which contained Torah scrolls, once stood. The ruins face directly toward Jerusalem. Pugliese and Pezzoli chose the site for their traditional Jewish wedding as a tribute to their ancestors. “It was a remarkably moving experience to watch Roque and Ivana get married under the chuppah amid the ruins of Bova Marina’s ancient synagogue,” said Shavei Israel founder and Chairman Michael Freund, who assisted the couple with their return to their Jewish roots and was invited as a guest. “Their wedding symbolizes the eternity of the Jewish people and we hope it will inspire other descendants of Jews in southern Italy to return to their roots,” Freund remarked, adding that, “Against all the odds, the Jewish spark in southern Italy and Sicily continues to glimmer after so many centuries.”
Five tips for perfect wedding photos (NewsUSA) – Your wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime occasion – something to be celebrated and cherished. Planning it, on the other hand, can feel as if you’re preparing for war – between ensuring that Uncle Sal isn’t sitting next to his brother, because they’re still holding a childhood grudge, to budgeting for everything you want and need. The one thing you don’t want to skimp on is the memories. Choosing your photographer is one of the biggest decisions you will make. To help ensure that you get the most romantic photos of your fairytale day, Professional Photographers of America, a 29,000-plus-member associ-
ation, offers these suggestions: 1. Express yourself. What kind of photos do you like? Do they tend toward the journalistic, or is your style more whimsical, classical, or romantic? Whatever your style, be clear with your photographer so that he or she can capture your personality. 2. Say yes to the dress. It starts and ends with this iconic garment. What will make you feel like the bride you’ve always dreamed of being? Is it a flowing sundress, or a formal gown complete with train and veil? Or maybe your idea is more modern and it’s a strapless dress, in a color other than white. Whatever it is, dare to wear your dream dress. 3. Buy the shoes? Or not? Carrie Bradshaw knows shoes. And you should, too. Will you walk down the aisle in stilettos or kitten heels? Maybe cowboy boots are more your style? Can’t decide? Then leave the shoes at home and feel free to walk barefoot. 4. Rejoice in style. Your wedding day isn’t just a ceremony, it’s a celebration that brings all your family and friends together (for better or worse), and pictures of this memorable party are one way to inject your own sense of style. Be it a backyard barbecue, a tail gate at your favorite stadium, or a formal dinner, pictures of the event are a must-have. 5. Decide on your ride. Some people prefer to be whisked away by horse and carriage as if they were Cinderella herself. Others prefer luxury limos and cars as their modern equivalent. For the unique free-spirits of the world, maybe a motorcycle is more your thing. Either way, a great photo opp awaits as you leave your wedding.