9 CHESHVAN 5780 • NOVEMBER 7, 2019 • VOLUME XXXX, NUMBER 22 • PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID, SYRACUSE, NY
Owen Pell
David Hootnick book giveaway
On Thursday, November 14, at 7 pm, in a free event at Temple Adath Yeshurun, the Jewish Federation of Central New York will present Owen Pell (at right) speaking on building a world that can prevent genocide. He is president of the Auschwitz Institute for Peace and Reconciliation, and his talk will focus on a broader approach to preventing genocide.
Federation Board advancement BY BARBARA SHEKLIN DAVIS The Jewish Federation of Central New York is responding to the trends that are taking place in both Jewish and American life in the 21st century. Unparalleled levels of choice in terms of geography, community, affiliations, lifestyles, family composition and civic engagement point to the need to operate, act and engage very differently with the Jewish population than was done in the past. Under the leadership of Board Chair Ellen Weinstein and President/ CEO Michael Balanoff, the Federation is committed to undertaking new approaches to their work. One of the first steps they are taking to increase communication and provide authentic leadership is to share regular reports on board activities with the Jewish community. Following is the first such report. On September 10, the Jewish Federation of Central New York Board of Directors met with facilitator Robyn Teplitzky to discuss its role as ambassadors and leaders in the Jewish community and to effectuate a deeper dive into board policies, to assure that everyone is rowing in the same direction. The threehour session provided the board members the opportunity to explain why they had been willing to assume this responsibility. Their answers appear below: This board contributes so much to the Jewish community. I’m proud to be among you; you helped me to grow and I want to contribute.
I love Syracuse and want to see it thrive. I got a lot from this community and
I want to give back; I believe in strong relationships. I believe passionately in Jewish education as the cornerstone of a Jewish community, large or small. As a proud woman and community member, I believe it takes a village – so I’m here. I believe in the community; we are only as strong as a strong Israel. I believe in community. You cannot be a Jew alone. The future is children and Jewish education. I believe that it is important to be strong and to give people the opportunity to express their Judaism in a safe way. Federation tries to provide people who need us with what they need. I feel it is my obligation to pay it forward for the next generation; you have to give back, do tikkun olam, l’dor v’dor, offer hope and renewal. Our community has something precious: we get along across denominations, across ages. We have a community that strives and works hard to build something together. Federation is vital to the larger community. Anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism are on the rise. We need to help college students be happy to express their Judaism. There used to be a lot of negativity on the Federation board. The experience and
See “Board” on page 3
BY BARBARA SHEKLIN DAVIS Stephen King says that Hesh Kestin’s novel, “The Siege of Tel Aviv,” is scarier than anything King ever wrote. The book operates from a horrific premise: Israel is attacked by five Arab nations led by Iran and, within hours, its leaders are murdered, the IDF is routed and six million Israeli Jews are rounded up and forced into the ghetto of Tel Aviv to await starvation and death. It is enough to sink the heart of any Jewish person. But wait! There is a lot more to this book and to this story. Each year, David Hootnick gives a book to every Federation donor who increases his or her pledge to the annual Campaign by at least $100. This year, Hootnick has chosen to distribute “The Siege of Tel Aviv.” He has done so because the book moves from its terrifying opening to a very unexpected ending. Along the way, it spoofs Israel, the IDF, the American political establishment, television reporters and a host of other targets. The book is entertaining – it unabashedly perpetuates the idea that Israel is always tough, smart and victorious, no matter the odds. The cast of lead characters is novel and amusing: a cross-dressing fighter pilot, a Bedouin scout, an Israeli businessman and a Russian gangster. It’s an enjoyable read. But there is still more to this story and although the novel is fiction, the actual fate that “The Siege of Tel Aviv” suffered is chilling. The book was published by a small house, Dzanc Books, and almost immediately, a furor arose. The novel was called “Islamophobic” and “IDF propaganda,” and there were demands that it be pulled from the shelves. The publisher reacted apologetically, issuing a statement that the book “weds absurdism with satire with social commentary” and “is not in any way meant to be read literally as an Islamophobic text.” Quite
David Hootnick (at left) gives a book to every Federation donor who increases his or her pledge to the annual campaign by at least $100. This year’s book is “The Siege of Tel Aviv.” correctly, the publisher stated, “I hoped readers would understand the intent of the novel, the over-the-top absurdist narrative, drawing attention to – not championing – the ridiculous ways in which we, as a universal community, see one another and fail in our interactions.” Ultimately, however, the publisher caved, cancelling the press run and pulping all remaining copies. Kestin, a journalist who covered the Middle East for two decades, will not suffer financially from the attacks on his novel and its destruction. In fact, he will probably sell more copies because of the publicity the controversy has generated than he would have otherwise. What will suffer, however, is freedom of expression. As an article in 24/6Mag pointed out, “The attempted censorship of a novel that is no more offensive than thousands of other international thrillers because it is pro-Israel should make all serious people feel a bit queasy.” Kestin is making the first half of “The Siege of Tel Aviv” available for free on Amazon, but anyone who wants to find out what happens – and the ending is the best part – will have to buy the rest of the book. Fortunately, Central New Yorkers have another option – and the opportunity to support Jewish and American values – by increasing their Federation pledge by $100. Then they will get this clever, sardonic book for free.
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
On September 10, the Jewish Federation of Central New York Board of Directors met with facilitator Robyn Teplitzky to discuss its role as ambassadors and leaders in the Jewish community.
November 8.................... 4:30 pm............................................. Parashat Lech Lecha November 15.................. 4:23 pm.....................................................Parashat Vayera November 22.................. 4:17 pm.......................................... Parashat Chaye Sarah November 29.................. 4:14 pm..................................................... Parashat Toldot December 6..................... 4:12 pm...................................................Parashat Vayetze
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Old Jewish Syracuse
Congregational notes
Survey says...
A look at Meltzer’s Moo Motel, Interfaith events, talks, movies A new survey finds there is a Jewish cattle dealer; and old and more are announced by local w i d e s p re ad c onc e rn ove r congregations. Jewish buildings identified. antisemitism among U.S. Jews. Stories on page 4 Stories on page 2 Story on page 5
PLUS Calendar Highlights............... 6 Classifieds................................ 6 Obituaries................................. 7 Home & Real Estate............... 8
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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ NOVEMBER 7, 2019/9 CHESHVAN 5780
SYRACUSE’S OLD JEWISH COMMUNITY
Central New York Jewish cattle dealers part II – Meltzer’s Moo Motel
BY JO FRANCES (MELTZER) BROWN If you were a farmhand in Central New York, you were up before dawn to milk the cows. And, chances are, you had a radio on in the barn tuned to 540 WSYR for a highly-rated daytime radio program hosted by Robert “Deacon” Doubleday, whose agricultural talk show entertained those early-to-rise, hard-working farmers every day. After his retirement, his radio stage set, “The Wired Woodshed,” became part of the agricultural museum at the New York State Fair. Around 1950, Deacon coined the name for the Meltzers’ dairy operation in Cicero, NY. The farm became known as “Meltzer’s Moo Motel.” Hyman Meltzer, with sons Ben and Jake, bought and sold “good dairy cows” in Central New York for decades and were known for their ethics, healthy herd and something very innovative at the time: selling cows on credit. A very large billboard, positioned near the road (Route 11) announced: “H. Meltzer & Sons, Cicero, NY. MOO MOTEL.” The head of a handsome Holstein added authenticity to the sign. A “No Vacancy” placard hung below the billboard. Unwitting passersby often drove into the yard and visited the farm office, only to learn from Hymie Meltzer that they were on a family dairy farm and not checking into the local motel. Everyone had a good laugh. So, if you were interested in some good Holsteins, excellent milkers, you were in the right place. Otherwise, not so much. In 1953, Ben Meltzer traveled to Decatur, IN, home of the Reppert School of Auctioneering (still operating) to study “Livestock Judging and Pedigree Study” and began a new chapter in his business life. He and Jake ran farm sales and business liquidations from 1953 to 1989. Their first auction, held in September 1953, was described in the promotional ad copy as “a real good working dairy.” In 1976, they switched gears. The brothers, together with Jake’s son, Elliott, launched the wholesale auto auction business known as Tristate Auto Auction in Cicero. H. Meltzer and Sons was a family affair. Ben wrote the advertising copy and was the auctioneer. Jake clerked with Willis Prudom. Goldye and Jeanette, Ben and Jake’s wives, were the expert accountants/bookkeepers. Working with an extremely heavy, black Burroughs adding machine – present at all the sales – they handled the billing and payments from the clerk sheets. They worked in tandem until every last item was paid for and the
The Meltzer family’s dairy operation in Cicero, NY. The farm became known as “Meltzer’s Moo Motel” near the road Route 11, with a billboard announcing, “H. Meltzer & Sons, Cicero, NY. MOO MOTEL. L-r: Hyman (Hymie) Meltzer, unnamed cow, Ben Meltzer and Jacob (Jake) Meltzer. books were perfectly balanced. Hymie drove to the farm office most days, answered the phone and took written messages in Yiddish. These were not always decipherable, and Zayde would tell the boys: “Well, if it’s important, they’ll call back!” Famous last words! Besides handling the phone, Hymie worked the day shift at the Cicero Driving Range in later years and grew some vegetables at the range for home consumption. Born in Lithuania in 1891, Hymie sold cattle there, too. He and Sarah married in their shtetl and together left Ligmian via steamship in steerage for New York City in September 1911. They began their new life in America in Trenton, NJ, because Sarah’s older brother, Borach (Barney), had already settled there. After a brief stay in Trenton, they moved as a couple to Camillus, NY, where they both worked as cutlers for the Camillus Cutlery Company owned by a German Jew, Adolph Kastor. The company produced a million knives annually and even provided dormitory accommodations for its employees. Eventually they moved into Syracuse proper, and by then, they had had the first of their three sons, Jacob. In the 1933 Syracuse phone directory, Hyman was listed as a cattle dealer and was living with Sarah and three sons, Jacob, Meyer and Ben, on South McBride Street. Later, they moved to Standard Street, bordering the Syracuse University campus. Neighbors included family and
Old Jewish buildings Congratulations to Karen Docter, who correctly identified all the buildings in the October 10 issue of the Jewish Observer. Beginning at the upper left and moving counter-clockwise: the original Beth Sholom synagogue building on Jamesville Road at Patsy Lane (now the New School); the former Anshe Sfard synagogue on Genesee Street between Wescott and Cambridge Streets, now an office building (the 10 commandments above the door in cement are mostly obliterated, but still legible); the Babcock Mansion on the corner of East Genesee and Westcott streets, which housed the Jewish War Veterans (now condos); the 1920s Temple Adath Yeshurun, which moved to the top of Kimber Road in the 1970s (it is now the Skylar Hotel); the Temple Beth Israel synagogue; the Temple Beth El synagogue on East Genesee
Street (which morphed into Temple Beth El and moved to East Genesee Street in the 1960s, across the street from Gifford Manor, and which is now an Orthodox (Slavic) church); site of the old JCC on East Genesee and Fellows (which moved to the old Genesee Hills school building in DeWitt and is now housing for veterans); and the Young Israel of Syracuse synagogue on the corner of Allen and East Genesee streets (which morphed into Young Israel Sha’arei Torah in the old Bell Telephone building across the street from Pavone Pizza plaza almost on the corner of Jamesville Road and Genesee Street. The old building became a doctors’ office for people with blood disorders and is now a plastic surgeons’ office.). Thanks also to Dan Miller, who also sent in identifications.
friends. Alex Lyon (subject of “Jewish cattle dealers part I”) came to live with Sarah and Hyman around 1947, taking Mike Meltzer’s room in the upstairs flat. Alex came from the same area in Lithuania where Sarah and Hymie were born, about 50 miles north of Vilna in the village of Ligmian. Later, Jake and Jeanette lived in the ground floor flat with their children, Elaine and Elliott. Ben and Goldye rented a flat on Stadium Place, just a block away, after having lived with Hymie and Sarah as newlyweds in 1944.
Back on the farm, the Meltzers maintained a herd of around 90 Holsteins with a breeding bull. They operated the main farm until 1962, for a total of about 35 years. The combination of cattle dealing, the auction business and farm real estate created opportunities to join the middle class, a far cry from the poverty that earlier generations had escaped when they left Eastern Europe with big dreams in the early 1910s. The Meltzers’ auction sales advertising appeared every Sunday in the Herald Journal’s business section. There were usually multiple sales with amusing come-ons. Ben wrote the copy, clipped the ads and kept the records of every sale in scrapbooks, dating and numbering each sale. After years of doing farm and heavy machinery sales, the Meltzers assumed the bankruptcy work for much of Central New York. Their last H. Meltzer and Son’s auction sale, #874, was held in November 1989. Ben and Jake donated many acres of land to the town of Clay for parks and recreational use. One site became Meltzer Park. In a Herald Journal article about the park’s development, Jake Meltzer said, “When the hired hand had the day off, he and Ben would drive from their homes for milking by 4 am. Otherwise they arrived at five. They milked, finished other chores and called on farmers early in the morning before the dairymen went to work in their own fields. We worked 20 hours a day back then.” In addition, Ben traveled to buy cattle, routinely driving to “the north country” at least once or twice a month, traveling north to Ogdensburg
See “Cattle” on page 7
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.
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AROUND CENTRAL NEW YORK Francine Berg named cantor at Menorah Park BY STEWART KOENIG After full careers as a Syracuse School District educator and cantor at Temple Concord, Cantor Francine Berg was recently named cantor for Menorah Park. Berg will officiate Friday Shabbat services, as well as all holiday religious services, at Menorah Park’s main building that is home to a skilled nursing facility, rehabilitation services and an assisted living community. Berg will also officiate the Jewish holiday services at The Oaks, Menorah Park’s independent living community.
Originally from Geneva, NY, Berg moved to Syracuse in the ninth grade. As a member of the Temple Adath Yeshurun choir, she taught Sunday school music classes and aspired to becoming a cantor, a career not open to women at the time. It was not until the Women’s Rights Movement of the 1970s that Berg was able to realize her dream of becoming a cantor. As both Temple Concord’s cantorial soloist and cantor, her career has spanned 33 years. In addition to her role as cantor, Berg will continue her
Steven Sisskind installed as president of KAVOD Steven Sisskind was installed as the president of KAVOD, the Independent Jewish Funeral Directors Association of America at the NFDA, National Funeral Directors Association, annual meeting in Chicago on October 28. KAVOD, which translates to “honor and respect,” is an international organization of independent Jewish funeral directors who serve families throughout the United States and Canada. Pictured at right with Sisskind is outgoing President Jay Mesnikoff. Sisskind Funeral Service will be marking 15 years of serving the Jewish community of Central New York this January. Sisskind is president of the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse.
JCC taking Mah Jongg card orders BY WILLIAM WALLAK The Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center is taking pre-orders for next year’s National Mah Jongg League cards. Available in both standard and large print sizes for $8 and $9, respectively, sales of the 2020 cards will benefit the JCC’s Senior Meal Program. The order deadline is January 10. “Anyone in the community is able to order Mah Jongg cards through the JCC,” said Cindy Stein, JCC director of adult and senior programming. “It’s very convenient and a portion of the proceeds will help support our senior program. You don’t have to be a JCC member or play Mah Jongg at the JCC to place an order.” All card orders will be mailed by the National Mah Jongg League directly to purchasers’ homes by midMarch. Card purchasers will automatically receive a one-year membership in the National Mah Jongg League. Mah Jongg is played at the JCC of Syracuse on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, starting at 12:30 pm.
L-r: Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse Mah Jongg regulars Marilyn Lebediker, Adrienne Leblang, Judy Keenan and Joe Lebediker. The JCC is now taking pre-orders for next year’s National Mah Jongg League cards. New players are always welcome to join in. For more information about ordering Mah Jongg cards or playing Mah Jongg at the JCC, contact Stein at 315-445-2040, ext. 104, cstein@jccsyr.org or visit www.jccsyr.org.
Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center senior dining menu NOVEMBER 11-15 Monday – split pea soup and turkey sandwich on wheat Tuesday – crispy teriyaki chicken wings Wednesday – vegetable soup and tuna sandwich on wheat Thursday – spinach cheese quiche Friday – birthday celebration – salmon with dill NOVEMBER 18-22 Monday – vegetable soup, mac and cheese Tuesday – imitation crab cake Wednesday – herbed rubbed chicken Thursday – veggie burger with cheese Friday – Thanksgiving celebration – roast turkey
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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 315-4452360, ext. 104, or cstein@jccsyr.org.
volunteer work, directing musical programs for Menorah Park and the Forget Me Nots chorus, which features residents, many with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Working with local musician Irwin Goldberg, Berg also organizes the Menorah Chorus. She said, “Returning to Menorah Park as a cantor is like a homecoming. Leading music therapy programs for Menorah Cantor Francine Park over the last 10 years has Berg given me the chance to connect on a professional and emotional level with the residents and their caregivers – we have become a little family. I love the Menorah Park community and am honored to be their cantor and connect with them spiritually.” Mary Ellen Bloodgood, Menorah Park CEO, said, “We couldn’t be more pleased that Fran is now our cantor. Her compassion, sense of humor, love of music and a lifetime of experience assures our residents of a joyous religious experience.”
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CONGREGATIONAL NOTES Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas SHABBAT HADOROT POTLUCK FEATURING OYS AND JOYS On Friday, November 15, at 6 pm, CBS-CS’ Shabbat HaDorot for families with children 6 and older, and Oys and Joys Model Shabbat Table for families with children under 6, are two opportunities for families to create community and experience Shabbat in an “engaging, kid-friendly” environment. The evening will begin with a Shabbat potluck dinner for everyone starting at 6 pm, followed by the Shabbat HaDorot service for families with children over 6 and the concurrent Oys and Joys Model Shabbat Table at 7 pm for those with children under 6. Oys and Joys Model Shabbat Table is a 30-minute Shabbat Table experience. Families can join a “Shabbat Table,” lighting candles, reciting Kiddush and singing Shabbat songs together. Shabbat HaDorot, a service led by CBS-CS’ pre-b’nai mitzvah youth, allows children to have first-hand experience in leading Friday evening services. For more information, e-mail CBS-CS Program Director Melissa Harkavy at director@cbscs.org or RSVP at tinyurl.com/ hadorot-nov19 (no password required). USY MOVIE NIGHT On Saturday, November 16, at 7 pm, ACHLA United Synagogue Youth members can have a night at the theater, an
event open to all Jewish teens in grades nine-12 in Central New York. The exact start time may change due to movie offerings. Interested teens should e-mail Melissa Harkavy at director@cbscs.org for more information. CBS-CS HOSTS ANNUAL MULTI-FAITH THANKSGIVING CELEBRATION On the Sunday before Thanksgiving, November 24, at 4 pm, join the CBS-CS, Pebble Hill Presbyterian and Islamic Society of Central New York communities for their annual Thanksgiving celebration, a multi-faith gathering where participants can share their common values as members of faith communities. Leading the celebration will be CBSCS Rabbi Andrew Pepperstone, who will be joined by the interim pastor of Pebble Hill, Pastor Elizabeth Lymon, and Imam Mohammed Al-Fikhi. The celebration will be marked with songs, poetry, reflections and readings that aspire to remind participants that there is more that connects, rather than divides, them. After the celebration in the sanctuary, everyone can adjourn to the social hall for refreshments, friendship, music and dancing led by the Keyna Hora Klezmer Band. For more information, e-mail CBSCS Program Director Melissa Harkavy at director@cbscs.org.
Temple Adath Yeshurun On Sunday, November 10, at 9 am, Temple Adath Yeshurun will hold an interfaith family forum. Organizers realize that engaging with a Jewish community as someone from another background can be “wonderful,” “painful” or any number of experiences in between. TAY Rabbi
Yehoshua Zehavi hopes to facilitate a monthly discussion group for those who don’t identify as Jewish, but are part of a Jewish family or community, and for those partnered with someone of another background. For more information, contact the TAY office at 315-445-0002.
In celebration of Sukkot, TAY’s young children’s programming hosted a tots and families dinner in the sukkah. This program was sponsored by the Edward and Marilyn Steinberg Family Fund for Tiny Tots and Preschool Children’s Programming. Among the many families that attended were the Weinbergs, l-r: Isabella, Carolyn, Aiden and Gabriel.
Temple Concord CINEMAGOGUE PRESENTS “FANNY’S JOURNEY” BY CHANA MEIR Temple Concord’s Cinemagogue series will present the inspired-by-fact World War II drama “Fanny’s Journey” on Saturday, November 16, at 7:30 pm. Based on the autobiography of its protagonist, Fanny Ben-Ami, the film traces the journey of 13-year-old Fanny as she and her two younger sisters flee Nazi-occupied France in 1943. The story finds the three sisters in an Italian foster home for Jewish children when Mussolini’s regime falls. Realizing that the Nazis will soon invade, their caretakers set out to bring the children to safety in Switzerland. Through unforeseen circumstances, Fanny, her sisters and eight other children find themselves on their own, and a frightened Fanny manages to do the seemingly impossible – lead the group to the Swiss border and freedom. Variety called the film “a handsome, compelling period piece that deftly portrays events through the eyes of its
young protagonists.” It is in French with English subtitles. Cinemagogue events are free and open to the public, though donations are welcome. Candy and snacks will be available. For more information, contact the TC office at 315-475-9952 or office@ templeconcord.org. DIASPORA DINNER SERIES On Tuesday, November 19, at 6:30 pm, Concord’s program of ethnic food while celebrating Jewish cultures from all over the world will be held at Kiki’s Authentic Greek Food restaurant in Camillus. TC Rabbi Daniel Fellman will teach about and celebrate the connections between Jewish and Greek history, the two cultures having “a largely positive” relationship. Reservations are requested and may be made by contacting the TC office at 315475-9952 or registering online at www. templeconcord.org. BROTHERHOOD TO PRESENT VANCE LEDERMAN, CFO FOR SYRACUSE CRUNCH On Sunday, November 17, at 9:30 am,
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the TC Brotherhood will present Syracuse Crunch CFO Vance Lederman, who originally joined the Crunch as general manager. There will be a bagel and lox breakfast. Brotherhood meetings are open to the public. For more information, call the TC office at 315-475-9952. ”THE ACCUSATION: BLOOD LIBEL IN AN AMERICAN TOWN” AUTHOR BY CHANA MEIR Edward Berenson, author of “The Accusation: Blood Libel in an American Town,” will speak at Temple Concord as part of the Regina F. Goldenberg Series on Sunday, November 24, at 11 am. It is the true story of the disappearance of 4-year-old Barbara Griffiths in Massena, NY, in 1928. After a fruitless search for the child, someone suggested that she had been kidnapped and killed by Jews. The rumor spread and soon gained credence. The allegation of ritual murder, known to Jews as “blood libel,” took hold. Berenson is a historian and a Massena native. In this story of America’s only known instance of blood libel, he traces its roots to Old World prejudice, American antisemitism and the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s. His talk will also explore how remnants of all three have persisted to this day. For more information, contact the TC office at 315-475-9952 or office@ templeconcord.org. SIMCHAT TORAH AT CONCORD The Simchat Torah celebration at Temple Concord began with a dinner, where the congregation’s newest members were welcomed. This was followed
by the consecration of kindergarteners and other new students, which took place under a chuppah held at the four corners. Each child received a miniature Sifrei Torah that they held as they marched in the Simchat Torah processions around the sanctuary. The celebration was completed with the participation of congregants of all ages who sang songs of celebration as they marched around the sanctuary behind the many congregational Torahs that had been dressed in new mantles. Sweets were distributed to the children, and the adults added to the joy with their music, dancing and opportunities to carry Torah. Musical accompaniment throughout the service was provided by Joe Eglash, Mike Fixler, John Martin, Art Bronstein, Meryl Lefkowicz, Jake Hersher, Jessie Kerr-Whitt, Jim Kerr-Whitt and Todd Laffer.
L-r: Temple Concord Cantor Kari Siegel Eglash and Rabbi Daniel Fellman clapped during the dancing on Simchat Torah.
Temple Concord congregants and friends unrolled a Torah during Simchat Torah celebrations.
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Utica’s Temple Beth El celebrates 100-year anniversary BY BARBARA SHEKLIN DAVIS Utica’s Temple Beth El is a congregation of fewer than 100 people, but it is joyful about celebrating the significant milestone of its 100th anniversary. “The congregation is proud to honor tradition, celebrating the past, the present and always the future,” according to Executive Director Mundy Shapiro. Utica was first settled in 1786. Jewish settlers began to arrive soon after the village was founded. The first to make his home there was Abraham Cohen, who brought his family from Poland in 1847. By 1850, the Jewish population numbered 140. Between 1870 and 1920, five permanent synagogues and several more of short duration were established. Poland was the homeland of most of Utica’s early Jewish settlers, but emigrants from Russia and Poland in subsequent years increased the number of Jews to 2,500 in the early 20th century. Most of the early settlers were peddlers; later immigrants were manual laborers. Most moved into wholesale and retail operations, and many became wealthy. Utica’s Jews were active in local civic organizations and, between 1904 and 1958, 22 Jews held political office. The Utica Jewish community had several fraternal lodges, a YMHA and YWHA, a Workmen’s Circle and chapters of Hadassah and the Zionist Organization of America. The community contributed to World War I relief funds, the United Jewish Appeal and other charities. A Jewish Community Council was organized in 1933 to supervise and unify the many functions of the Jewish community. Beginning in 1949, the community’s affairs were recorded in the Jewish Community News, and in 1955 a Jewish Community Center was founded. While most of Utica’s Jews observed traditional Judaism, a Conservative synagogue, Temple Beth El, was founded in 1919. It met at 1607 Genesee St., with Rabbi Reuben Kaufman as its head. The congregation remained in that location for 88 years, before moving to its present site at 2710 Genesee St. in 2007. It shares the building with Reform Temple Emanu-El. Temple Beth El Cantor Kalman Socolof said, “The fact that the Jewish community in this area has lasted this long speaks for the fact that Utica is, as always, a welcoming community, giving people the opportunity to
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express themselves and to grow.” He added that though the community has changed, he doesn’t think it has diminished. “Recently, we have had an influx of one group of families from overseas,” he explains. “If you came here on a Saturday morning, you would see well over a dozen kids under the age of 12, and it’s a delight to have them here.” Temple Beth El held a two-day celebration of its centennial on October 26, beginning with a Friday service, inviting past rabbis and hosting an oneg Shabbat. A Saturday Shabbat service and kiddush was followed by an evening party. Organizers said they expected about 200 people from all over the world to come, both current and former members of Temple Beth El. Shapiro explained, “I just think Temple Beth El has given the community a lot and the community has given the temple a lot. I don’t know how we are going to do it, but we are going to be
here a lot longer. We are not giving up.” Once a commercial and industrial center in the Mohawk Valley, Utica has experienced a “significant” population decline in recent decades. Its current population numbers about 60,000 with an estimated Jewish population of 1,100. The community still supports three synagogues: Temple Beth El, Temple Emanu-El (Reform) and Congregation Zvi Jacob (Orthodox).Today, in addition to the three congregations, the Utica Jewish community has a Jewish Community Center with an active membership and many cultural events, including book groups, political round-tables, a yearly Holocaust memorial lecture and a Purim carnival. The definitive historical work on this Central New York community is “The Jewish Community of Utica, New York, 18471948,” by Rabbi S. Joshua Kohn. The work is excerpted and updated in “Ethnic Utica,” edited by Jim Pula.
New survey finds widespread concern over antisemitism among U.S. Jews BY JNS STAFF (JNS) – A vast majority of American Jews consider antisemitism to be a major problem facing the community amid widespread fear that it is increasing. According to a new survey by the American Jewish Committee, nearly nine out of 10 American Jews (88 percent) say antisemitism is a problem in the United States with more than a third (38 percent) calling it a very serious problem. Additionally, 84 percent say antisemitism has increased – with a plurality, 43 percent, saying it has increased a lot – over the past five years. “American Jews could not be clearer about the reality of antisemitism in the U.S.,” said AJC CEO David Harris. “Our survey provides, for the first time, an in-depth assessment of American Jewish perceptions of, and experiences with, antisemitism in their own country. This hatred is real, comes from multiple sources, and is growing. It needs to be taken seriously and dealt with in a sustained, multi-pronged response.”
The survey, which was conducted from September 11 to October 6 among 1,283 respondents, also found that these views are consistent across age cohorts, Jewish denominations and political affiliations. Some 84 percent of ultra-Orthodox (haredi) Jews, 80 percent of Modern Orthodox Jews, 91 percent of Conservative Jews, 94 percent of Reform Jews, 92 percent of Reconstructionist Jews and 87 percent of secular Jews say antisemitism responded that it is a very serious or somewhat of a problem, as do more than nine in 10 (93 percent) Democrats, 87 percent of independents and three-quarters (75 percent) of Republicans. Additionally, the survey also found that many U.S. Jews consider the extreme political right and left, along with Islamic extremism, as their primary threats. American Jews also overwhelmingly (84 percent) believe anti-Zionism to be a form of antisemitism, while 82 percent said that the boycott, divestment and sanctions (or BDS) movement is antisemitic.
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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ NOVEMBER 7, 2019/9 CHESHVAN 5780
D’VAR TORAH Abraham and Sarah, God’s chosen people BY RABBI JOEL GOLDSTEIN The story of Abraham is one of the more detailed, personal stories in the Torah. However, most of what we learn in the Torah only covers the last 100 years of his life (may we all be blessed to have a last 100 years). By generally skipping over the first 75 years of Abraham’s life, the Torah leaves a lacuna: we do not know why he was chosen by God. Other than the names of his family members, all we know about him before this week’s parashat, Lech Lecha, is that his wife is barren and that his father intended to take the family from Ur Kasdim (maybe southern Iraq) to Canaan (the land of Israel). His father stops short of Canaan and settles in Charan (maybe in Turkey), although the Torah never explains why. According to our rabbis, Abraham is chosen because of his auto-didactic monotheism: he discovers on his own that there is a single God who rules the entire world. However, other rabbinic sources make it clear that several other monotheists existed in Abraham’s day, none of whom was chosen for Abraham’s special mission. For example, there is a rabbinic tradition that Shem and Ever, Noah’s son and grandson, ran a yeshiva in the ancient world. Therefore, Abraham, and Sarah, as we will see, must have done something special beyond being monotheists, which compelled God to choose them. The people surrounding Abraham and Sarah may give a clue as to why God chose them. The retinue which accompanies Abraham and Sarah on their trip to Canaan includes the “people that they made in Charan.” (Genesis 12:5) Onkelos, in his traditional Aramaic translation of the Torah, translates “people that they made” as “Abraham and Sarah pledged the people to Torah.” Not only were Sarah and Abraham committed to Torah, but they convinced others to do so, as well. The Babylonian Talmud (Avodah Zarah 9a) suggests that Abraham and Sarah’s pledging people to Torah marks the beginning of an era of Torah. But what is it about the Torah of Abraham and Sarah that makes it more compelling than the Torah of Shem and Ever? What makes them worthy of being the incipient stage of the era of Torah? Maimonides (Mishnah Torah Laws of Idolatry Chapter 1, Laws 2-3) suggests that Sarah and Abraham are different in that they taught publicly, to the masses, about God. Other monotheists at their time kept to themselves, or maybe had a few select students. He suggests that Abraham wrote books and passed them on to his children. The Torah of Sarah and Abraham was a Torah that
is available to everyone and is meant to be passed down from one generation to the next. However, the willingness to teach publicly, or to pass on books, does not guarantee that people will accept the message. There must have been a second special quality to the Torah of Abraham and Sarah that both made them worthy of being chosen and compelled others to follow them. When God instructs Abraham to move to the land of Canaan, God tells him, “Go, yourself, from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1) However, Abraham’s father, Terach, was himself headed to Canaan (Genesis 11:31), though he never reached it. God essentially says to Abraham, “Separate from your father by doing exactly what your father was planning to do.” How can Abraham break from his father by following his father’s own plan? This break without a break is heightened by the claim of the tosafot (on Shabbat 10b) that Abraham first went to Canaan, then back to Charan, then back to Canaan, the second time at God’s command. That is, Abraham completed his father’s journey on his own, then abandoned it. Only then did God ask him to repeat his father’s planned journey. It is Abraham’s ability to both continue on his father’s path and simultaneously break from it that makes him worthy of God’s choosing. This is what truly separates Sarah and Abraham from Shem and Ever, and also what convinces others to follow Abraham and Sarah. While others can teach about God, maybe even publicly, Sarah and Abraham do so while cloaked in the tradition they inherited. Their message is more palatable because it delivers a radical message – to follow God – while making it seem completely unradical. They make monotheism seem like a natural continuation of Abraham’s father’s path, which is what makes him the start of the era of Torah – for the true essence of Torah is an ability to break from the past while making it seem like it is merely a continuation at the same time. Every good change made in Torah is always grounded in a past tradition – a saying, biblical verse, or the like – as if the Torah always supported this new path. Perhaps it has. May we all merit to inherit such a Torah – where we forge new paths as we, at the same time, make those paths continuations of what always was. In doing so, we inherit the Torah of Abraham. Shabbat shalom. Rabbi Joel Goldstein is the new Syracuse Hillel rabbi at Syracuse University.
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the Board are so different today. People are positive and engaging and energetic. I think that Jews are always in a situation where they have to fight for their survival, for their Jewishness, for their Jewish values. This Board is a forum, not to duke it out but to rise to the occasion. I want to do what I can to participate in the struggle to do what’s right and to maintain a Jewish community. When we moved back here, the Jewish community opened its arms to us. I’m grateful and want to give back. The main focus of my life is education. Federation reaches out to so many people in the community and I want to give back. I believe in the importance of education and having children read Jewish books. The criteria for being involved in Federation used to be the amount of money you could give. Now the criteria are what kind of commitment can you make to the community. The Jewish community needs strong volunteers and has a small pool to pull from. We need to work for the children we are never going to have the opportunity to meet – we need to pay it forward. I like the people who believe in our community; I’m looking for some harmony. In attendance at the advancement session (“It’s not a retreat,” said Chair Ellen Weinstein. “We are moving forward, not going back!”) were Rabbis Evan Shore and Daniel Fellman, Ruth Stein, Cheryl Schotz, Mark Field, Neil Rosenbaum, Anick Sinclair, Cindy Stein, Miriam Elman, Carl Rosenzweig, Alan Goldberg, Marc Beckman, Bob Wiesenthal, Steve Volinsky, Todd Pinsky, Mitchell Liebowitz, Seth Goldberg and Michael Balanoff.
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Calendar Highlights
To see a full calendar of community events, visit the Federation's community calendar online at www.jewishfederationcny.org. Please notify jstander@jewishfederationcny.org of any calendar changes.
Wednesday, 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, November 9 Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas hosts poet Jill Pearlman during and after 9:30 am morning services Sunday, November 10 Temple Adath Yeshurun – Interfaith family forum at 9 am TAY – Foundations for a Jewish Life class at 10:45 am TAY Sisterhood book discussion of “The Flight Portgolio” by Julie Orringer at 9:30 am CBS-CS rummage sale from 10 am-4 pm CBS-CS “Lost in the Library” at 10:30 am Temple Concord introduction to Judaism at 11 am PJ Library® – program on animals from 1-2 pm Sha’arei Torah Orthodox Congregation of Syracuse 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 noon and 7 pm CBS-CS Torah trope class at 8:15 pm Tuesday, November 12 Sha’arei Torah Orthodox Congregation basic Hebrew with Rabbi Shore at 8:30 am TC Talmud class with Rabbi Fellman at 12:30 pm Foundation board meeting at 4:45 pm Epstein School at CBS-CS at 6:30 pm Epstein School board meeting at CBS-CS at 6:30 pm Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center Executive Committee at 6 pm, followed by Board of Directors at 7 pm Wednesday, November 13 STOCS presents third annual Great Big Challah Bake at 5:30 pm TC Board of Trustees meeting at 7 pm Syracuse Community Hebrew School at Temple Concord from 4-6 pm CBS-CS board meeting at 7:30 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 Friday, November 15 CBS-CS pot luck Shabbat dinner at 6 pm CBS-CS Shabbat HaDorot services at 7 pm Saturday, November 16 CBS-CS Lunch and Learn with Judith Huober at 12:15 pm, following services TC Cinemagogue presents the film “Fanny’s Journey” at 7:30 pm Sunday, November 17 CBS-CS “Lost in the Library” at 10:30 am TC Brotherhood meeting at 9:30 am TC Concord Intro to Judaism at 11 am TAY – Foundations for a Jewish Life class at 10:45 am TC Goldenberg Concert presents violinist Charlie Loh at 2 pm Syracuse Jewish Family Service presents the film “The Whales of August” as part of the program “Views on Aging: Through the Movie Lens” at Menorah Park at 3 pm Monday, November 18 CBS-CS Beginning adult Hebrew at 6 pm CBS-CS Talmud class with Rabbi Andrew Pepperstone at noon and 7 pm CBS-CS Torah trope class at 8:15 pm Tuesday, November 19 TC diaspora dinner at 6:30 pm TC Talmud Class with Rabbi Fellman at 12:30 pm Epstein School at CBS-CS at 6:30 pm Wednesday, November 20 TAY board meeting at 7:30 pm SCHS at Temple Concord from 4-6 pm Thursday, November 21 Federation Board meeting at 6 pm Sunday, November 24 CBS-CS “Lost in the Library” at 10:30 am CBS-CS joint Thanksgiving program at 4 pm TC GAN program at 10:30 am TC Intro to Judaism at 11 am TC Goldenberg Series presents author Edward Berenson at 11 am Thursday, November 28 Thanksgiving Friday, November 29 JCC and Federation offices closed
NOVEMBER 7, 2019/9 CHESHVAN 5780 ■
JEWISH OBSERVER
Jewish Agency to rebrand as a global OBITUARIES ANNE MINNIE GINSBURG hub for Jewish world BY JNS STAFF (JNS) – At the Board of Governors meeting that began on October 27 in Jerusalem, and ran until October 29, the Jewish Agency announced its new strategic plan, which includes rebranding the 90-year-old organization as a hub for the Jewish world. The plan seeks to address the major challenges facing the Jewish people for the coming decade and includes strategies to launch an “uncompromised assault on antisemitism, following the hundreds of violent, life-threatening incidents” against Jews around the world in recent years, reinforce the affinity between Jews and the state of Israel, and strengthen connections between Diaspora communities. The plan was formulated through a global process – the first of its kind, according to the Jewish Agency – conducted by Jewish Agency Chairman Isaac Herzog, Chairman of the Board Michael Siegel, CEO Amira Aharonovich and Beth Kieffer Leonard, member of the Board of Governors. “This is a historic moment for an organization that has held a historic role in the life of the Jewish people over the past 90 years,” said Herzog. “The Jewish Agency
founded the state of Israel, and brought three million Jews on aliyah and established hundreds of communities throughout Israel. “We are refining our strategic mission for the coming decade, based on the challenges Jews are facing today,” he said. “In collaboration with additional partners in the Jewish communities and in Israel, we will work to provide concrete solutions to the greatest challenges facing the Jewish people at this time: mending the rifts among our people, building a two-way bridge between Israel and world Jewry, encouraging aliyah and providing security for Jews around the world.” Aharonovich, who is leading the change process within the organization, said: “Only by building a bilateral bridge, on which Jews from global communities and Israeli society march together, while deepening their acquaintance, appreciation and love, can we create a vision of mutual success, joint alliance and a united future among the Jewish people.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White Party leader Benny Gantz were also scheduled address the hundreds of Jewish leaders attending the board meeting from all over the world.
NEWS IN BRIEF From JNS.org
Twitter suspends accounts affiliated with Hamas and Hezbollah
Armed Forces program. The contract is subject to Swiss Parliament approval.
Jewish Labour Movement withdraws Social networking service Twitter has suspended nu- party support due to antisemitism
merous accounts affiliated with the terrorist organizations Hamas and Hezbollah, according to media reports on Nov. 2. Hezbollah’s Al-Manar television station protested on Nov. 2 that most of its Twitter accounts had been suspended, the AFP reported. It accused the social media company of giving in to “political pressure.” Al-Manar’s accounts in English, French and Spanish were also not available, but some accounts related to specific shows were still functioning. The Israel Defense Forces praised the move, with IDF international spokesman Jonathan Conricus tweeting on Nov. 2: “Kudos to @Twitter for suspending the accounts of terror groups #Hezbollah and #Hamas. ...Internationally recognized terror groups should never have a platform for their violent extremism,” he added. “There is no place on Twitter for illegal terrorist organizations and violent extremist groups,” a Twitter spokesperson told AFP.
Elbit Systems lands 5-year, $50 million Portuguese Defense Ministry contract
(Israel Hayom via JNS) – Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems announced over the Nov. 3 weekend that it has been awarded a $50 million contract to supply the Portuguese Air Force with a complete electronic warfare suite and customer logistics support for the new KC-390 multi-mission aircraft. The contract is to be completed over a five-year period. Under the contract, Elbit will supply the Portuguese Air Force’s KC-390s with Radar and Laser Warning Systems, an IR Missile Warning System, Countermeasures Dispensing System, a Directional IR Countermeasures system and Active ECM (or AECM) POD system. “The Portuguese Air Force is a long-standing strategic partner of Elbit Systems and we are proud of this contract award to provide enhanced survivability for their new fleet of KC-390 aircraft,” said Edgar Maimon, executive vice president and general manager of Elbit Systems’ Electronic Warfare and Signals Intelligence Unit. The week of Nov. 1, Elbit announced that it had been selected by the Swiss Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport to provide the Swiss Armed Forces with an army-wide tactical Software Defined Radio solution under the Telecommunications
Cattle
For the first time in its 100-year history, the Jewish Labour Movement in the United Kingdom will not be campaigning for members of the Labour Party outside of “exceptional circumstances and for exceptional candidates,” announced the group amid criticism over the party’s handling of antisemitism complaints. “We will not be campaigning unless in exceptional circumstances and for exceptional candidates, like our parliamentary Chair Ruth Smeeth, and members of the parliamentary Labour party who’ve been unwavering in their support of us,” said JLM in a statement. “We will not be giving endorsements to candidates in non-Labour-held seats.” JLM, which has 2,500 members, has blamed Jeremy Corbyn for enabling a “culture of antisemitism to emerge and fester” within the party. “When two accomplished and dedicated Jewish Labour MPs no longer see a place for themselves in the Labour Party, it’s clear that the party has lost its way,” added the statement. The two Jewish Labour members, Luciana Berger and Louise Ellman, left in February and in October, respectively. General elections in the United Kingdom are scheduled for Dec. 12.
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Anne M. C. Ginsburg, 93, died on June 10 near Rochester, NY. She resided in Webster for the past two years, living with her son. She was predeceased by her husband of 69 years, Seymour, in 2016; her parents, Haskell Chanchiske and Esther (Berman) Chanchiske of Syracuse; and her sisters, Lena Rapkin and Sara Wiseltier. She is survived by her son, Gary Ginsburg of Webster, and her daughter, Sharon Ginsburg, of West Virginia; a grandson, Aaron Cahill (Jaina) of West Virginia; and two great-grandchildren, Eli and Nolan. She is also survived by several cousins, nieces and nephews. Born in Elmira, NY, in 1926, she lived most of her life in Syracuse. As a child in the 1930s, she witnessed President Franklin Roosevelt dedicate the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Syracuse. She also enjoyed playing with her sisters and her male cousins, Bernie, Harold and Ed Berman of Elmira. She met her future husband at age 12 or 13 in Syracuse. She graduated with top academic honors from Central High School in Syracuse in 1944 and nursing school in 1947. She coordinated her nursing school class reunions for more than 40 years. She raised two children in Syracuse, balancing family life with a highly successful professional career. She initially worked as a hospital nurse and later, as a public health nurse. During the 1960s, she began working as a school nurse in the Syracuse public school district. She went back to school part-time, earning bachelor and graduate degrees in education from Syracuse University. She was known as “mom” by many of her classmates who were about half her age during the late 1960s. She served many years as a fifth and sixth grade elementary school teacher in Syracuse before retiring in the late 1980s, and had a positive impact on hundreds of patients as a nurse and hundreds of students as a teacher. She was a longtime member of Temple Adath Yeshurun. In the early 1990s, she and her husband moved to Delray Beach, FL, where she lived until her husband died. She was a substitute schoolteacher in Florida for many years. She enjoyed her annual visits to West Virginia and Webster, as well as several extended family milestone events at Temple Sinai in Rochester, NY. She celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary in August 1997 with family and friends in Webster. She always maintained a positive attitude and displayed much grace and dignity even as medical challenges emerged late in life. A memorial service was held on October 27 at Temple Sinai. Brighton Memorial Chapel in Rochester, NY, had arrangements. Contributions may be made to Temple Sinai, 363 Penfield Rd., Rochester, NY 14625 or www.tsinai.org.
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and environs and, occasionally, as far north as Canada, to purchase good dairy cattle. When Ben and Jake decided to give up the cattle business in the early 1960s and were “done cowing,” the herd and the farm equipment were sold. Ben decided to name a street on one of their properties in the town of Clay, today part of the highly-developed northern suburbs. It’s known as Duncowing Lane. Jo Frances (Meltzer) Brown is the daughter of Ben and Goldye Meltzer. She is a retired clinical social worker living in New York City with her husband, Arthur. She was in geriatric practice for more than 45 years, and most recently served for 22 years as the 92nd Street Y’s Himan Brown Senior Center’s program director.
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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ NOVEMBER 7, 2019/9 CHESHVAN 5780
NEWS IN BRIEF From JNS.org
Iran doubles number of advanced centrifuges, further breaching nuclear pact
In a further breach of the 2015 nuclear accord, Iran announced on Nov. 4 that it was doubling the number of advanced centrifuges it operates, the AP reported. Tehran also claimed to have a prototype centrifuge that runs 50 times faster than those allowed under the deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA. The announcement came on the 40th anniversary of the 1979 U.S. Embassy hostage crisis, when Iranian Islamist students took over the American embassy in Tehran and held 52 hostages for 444 days. Tehran has gone from producing some 450 grams (1 pound) of low-enriched uranium a day to 5 kilograms (11 pounds) a day, said Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, according to the report. Salehi also announced that Iranian scientists were working on a prototype centrifuge, the IR-9, which operates 50 times faster than the IR-1. Iran is currently enriching uranium to 4.5 percent, in violation of the accord’s limit of 3.67 percent, the AP noted.
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps salutes Iranian Jewish soldiers in memorial service
Members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps recently participated in a memorial service for Jewish soldiers in Tehran’s Jewish cemetery. A video broadcast by Iranian state media on Oct. 31 shows Revolutionary Guard members saluting, alongside Muslim clerics, as members of the local Jewish community recite the Mourner’s Kaddish and other religious texts in memory of the 13 Jewish Iranian soldiers who died during the eight-year Iran-Iraq War fought from 1980-88. All Iranian citizens, including
Jews, must serve in the Iranian military under a mandatory enlistment law. Menashe Amir, a leading expert on Iran, told Israel’s Kan public broadcaster that to be accepted by Iran’s Islamic totalitarian regime, the country’s Jewish community of 8,000 people work hard to show authorities that they are an important part of Iranian society, which includes denouncing Israel, reported The Times of Israel.
Report: Pro-Palestinian group “is main driver of Jew-hatred on campus”
A report released on Oct. 30 argued that the pro-Palestinian student group National Students for Justice in Palestine is a “ main driver of Jew-hatred on campus” at many colleges. The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy released the 96-page report ahead of NSJP’s conference the weekend of Nov. 1-3 at the University of Minnesota. Dozens of examples of NSJP members committing “gross violations” of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism were cited in the report, as well as examples of the group’s leaders and official university chapters allegedly spreading anti-Semitism on social media and at national conferences. The report, which took about eight months of research, added that the group, founded in 2010, regularly features and expresses support for convicted terrorists, and has been associated with “violence and terror ideologically and politically.” “Leaders of this organization (NSJP) are spreading vile, vicious forms of antisemitism and they are intimidating students,” Charles Asher Small, co-author of the ISGAP report and a research scholar at St. Antony’s College, Oxford, told Fox News. “They call for the elimination of the state of Israel and any form of Jewish sovereignty in the Middle East. And, anybody on campus that supports Israel or Israelis have become targets of a very aggressive campaign, be it faculty or students. They try to intimate and silence.”
Home fire risks increase as weather cools
(NAPSI) – The fall and winter seasons bring cooler temperatures, holidays and images of cozy nights by the fireplace. Yet the change in seasons also comes with the chance of severe weather and an increase in fire risks. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, more home fires occur in winter than in any other season. “Space heaters, generators and fireplaces all present fire hazards if not properly used and maintained,” said Steve Hirsch, chair of the National Volunteer Fire Council. “Residents should be aware of the dangers and take the steps to make sure their families and homes are protected.” Follow these tips to minimize home fire and safety risks:
Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room, outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of the home. Test monthly to ensure they work. Install carbon monoxide alarms and test them at least once a month. Know where the gas, electric, and water main shut-off controls are and how to use them. Place fire extinguishers in the kitchen, garage and living room, and make sure all household members know how to use them. Develop a home fire escape plan and practice it with the entire family.
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Store cooled ashes in a metal container outside the home. Have chimneys professionally inspected and cleaned yearly. Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from fireplaces, radiators, space heaters, or other heat source. Never leave lit candles unattended, and keep them out of the reach of children and pets. Residents can also take an active role in protecting their communities from hazards such as fires, medical emergencies and much more. Fire departments across the country are looking for volunteers to serve as firefighters, EMS providers and auxiliary members. “The majority of firefighters in the U.S. are volunteers – neighbors helping neighbors in an incredible and rewarding way,” said Hirsch. “We need more people to answer the call to serve.” Training is provided by the department and volunteers can serve in a variety of roles, from providing life-saving emergency response services to conducting fire prevention programs and disaster preparedness planning. Learn more by going to www.MakeMeAFirefighter.org.
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