Jewish Observer - November 13, 2014

20 CHESHVAN 5775 • NOVEMBER 13, 2014 • VOLUME XXXVIII, NUMBER 22 • PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID, SYRACUSE, NY

Changing “oy” to “joy” The Jewish Federation of Central New York held its major gifts dinner on October 27 at Temple Adath Yeshurun in DeWitt.

Rabbi Louis Feldstein, founder and CEO of Dynamic Change Solutions, was the guest speaker. Feldstein’s career includes leadership positions at the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, United Jewish Communities and Hillel at the University of Miami and Emory University.

After a d’var Torah by Rabbi Charles

Sherman, Philip Holstein, annual Campaign chair for the second year, welcomed everyone and thanked them for their continued support of the local Jewish community. He introduced Sheldon and Mateele Kall, 2015 honorary chairs, and invited Sheldon to say a few words. Sheldon spoke about growing up in Central New York and “the great influence” that the Jewish Federation had on his early life.

Feldstein spoke about how too often

people concentrate on what they are not accomplishing in their Jewish communities, rather than their successes, “which are

many.” He encouraged everyone to change the “oy” in their conversations, add a “J” for Jewish and make it into “Joy.”

Stop the Sirens Campaign The Jewish Federation of Central New York was asked by the Jewish Federations of North America this fall to pledge $33,000 toward the Stop the Sirens Campaign in response to needs in Israel. As of October 30, a total of $62,567 had been received. The October 16 Jewish Observer published just under 500 names of community members who

contributed. Since then, five more names have been added.

Those who contributed include Marc and Karen Beckman – a contribution received in August and inadvertently left off the first listing – and David Cohen, Ronald Kameny and Leonard Koldin.

Kol hakovod to everyone who donated.

On October 27, more than 40 people gathered at Temple Adath Yeshurun for the annual Jewish Federation of Central New York major gifts dinner. Rabbi Louis Feldstein was the speaker and encouraged participants to celebrate the successes of the local Jewish community.

From Ebola to Iraqi refugees, Israeli aid group tackles world’s most difficult crises

By Sean Savage JNS.org Known primarily for their military prowess and high-tech ingenuity, some consider Israelis to be overlooked in terms of global engagement. However, IsraAID, an Israeli non-profit and non-governmental organization founded in 2001, has been on the frontline of every major humanitarian crisis of the 21st century, including at current difficult situations in Iraq and West Africa.

“Our mission is to efficiently support and meet the changing needs of populations as they strive to move from crisis to reconstruction and rehabilitation, and eventually, to sustainable living,” Navonel

Glick, IsraAID’s program director, told JNS.org.

Drawing on Israel’s military expertise and healthcare system, IsraAID has lent assistance during humanitarian disasters in 22 countries, including the earthquakes in Japan and Haiti; refugee situations in South Sudan and Kenya; and Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy in the United States.

In early October, IsraAID supplied mattresses, blankets, food and hygiene kits to more than 1,000 people in the Dohuk and Erbil refugee camps in Iraq’s Kurdish region. Providing aid to refugees in the Arab world is said to be “no easy task” for an Israeli organization, especially in countries hostile to the Jewish state, such

as Iraq, which has been overrun by jihadists from the Islamic State terror group.

“This is an issue that is very sensitive, but not for the reasons that one would expect,” Glick said. “More than our security, our concern is how to make sure to protect the people that we are helping.

Having people we want to assist become the target of Islamic State sleeper cells within camps would be horrendous.”

The plight of Iraq’s Christians and Yazidis is similar to the story of the country’s former Jewish community. The modern persecution and expulsion of Iraqi religious minorities draws many parallels to the waves of attacks on, and eventual expulsion of, Iraqi Jewry during the mid20th century. Nearly 135,000 Jews were forced to leave Iraq from 1948 onwards.

“We decided to launch this project because of the incredible needs of the displaced populations fleeing death and abuse at the hands of the Islamic State,” said Glick.

“They are coming with absolutely nothing but the clothes on their backs.”

According to estimates, more than 1.8 million Iraqis have been displaced by Islamic State. Christians in particular have been singled out by the jihadists, with many being forced to convert, leave or die.

Most of the refugees living in Iraq’s Kurdish region are Christians and Yazidis who fled from Islamic State during the sum-

mer. A video recently posted by IsraAID shows the organization’s truck arriving at a refugee camp in Kurdistan, with relief workers being greeted by the refugees as they distribute the humanitarian items.

While Israel does not have diplomatic relations with Iraq, Israel and the Kurds are said to maintain “warm” relations, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has backed Kurdish independence.

“We do not want to hide our identity, and to be honest, with those who knew where we were from, we never encountered any animosity whatsoever – quite the opposite at times, in fact,” Glick said.

IsraAID is funded by a diverse group of sources, including North American Jewish communities, Christian partners, foundations, corporate sponsors and private individuals. The American Jewish Committee recently announced that it would provide assistance to IsraAID’s efforts in Iraq and West Africa. AJC has partnered with IsraAID in the past on a number of humanitarian relief missions.

“AJC has long responded to humanitarian crises around the world,” Kenneth Bandler, AJC’s director of media relations, told JNS.org. “Our partnership with IsraAID began about a decade ago to offer an international Jewish response to manmade and natural disasters, and See “Refugees” on page 8

C A N D L E L I G H T I N G A N D P A R AS H A In early October, IsraAID delivered mattresses and blankets (among other supplies) to Iraqi refugees in Kurdistan. (Photo by IsraAID)

November 14...........4:24 pm............................................... Parasha-Chaye Sarah November 21...........4:18 pm.......................................................... Parasha-Toldot November 28...........4:14 pm........................................................ Parasha-Vayetze

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Polish Jews museum

New ADL head

News in brief...

The POLIN Museum of the History Jonathan Greenblatt will succeed The U.S. and Israel start an Israeli of Polish Jews opened its core Abe Foxman as national director production line for F-35 fighter jet of the Anti-Defamation League. wings; and more. exhibition on October 28.

Story on page 9 Story on page 8 Stories on page 11

PLUS Home & Real Estate............8-9 Calendar Highlights............. 10 B’nai Mitzvah......................... 10 Obituaries................................11

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ november 13, 2014/20 CHESHVAN 5775

Israeli Cabinet approves law enabling local rabbis to perform conversions

(JNS.org) – The Israeli Cabinet on November 2 approved a law that will allow municipal rabbis to convert people to Judaism. Prospective converts will no longer need to go through Israel’s central rabbinical authority.

The law – largely intended to facilitate the conversion of many immigrants to Israel from the former Soviet Union – was originally proposed by Justice Min-

ister Tzipi Livni and Religious Services Minister Naftali Bennett. Israel’s haredi political parties opposed the law.

“These courts will bring a new spirit for the many conversion candidates, especially those who have despaired of converting,” said MK Elazar Stern (Hatnuah), The Jerusalem Post reported.

MK Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism), who opposed the law, said

that the Israeli government “has turned the issue of the Jewish people into a political commodity for trade... We’re talking about the destruction of the Jewish people. A significant portion of the rabbis in Israel and around the world will not recognize the converts as Jewish, and these converts will be injured by this and will not forgive the government for this decision.”

Livni said, “There are Israeli citizens living with us whom we encouraged to come to Israel... who aren’t Jewish according to Jewish law, and the message we are giving to them today, those who have felt like second-class citizens from the moment they landed here in the airport, is that we are opening a new gate, not one of citizenship, but a gate to join the Jewish people.”

a matter of opinion Hillel offers lunch and learns with Rabbi Daniel Fellman

By David Kimelman Fridays are usually relaxing at Hillel.

No classes means that I can catch up on my sleep, get a head start on homework before the weekend and just relax after a stressful week. However, the days can be pretty empty and there’s not always much to do. That’s why, when I heard that Rabbi Daniel Fellman was going to offer a lunch and learn about Israel on Fridays throughout the semester, I was really excited. It’s sometimes hard to find time to go to interesting events around campus because of scheduling, but this was a cool event that I knew I could attend.

I went to the first lunch and learn, and it was great. There were about 10 of us, mostly students, though we also had the Buddhist chaplain join us, which was great. Fellman started off the session by explaining that his goal for these events would be to learn about Israel in a safe

Rabbi Daniel Fellman leads a lunch and learn about Israel on Fridays at Hillel at Syracuse University.

environment, and in a way that provided a balanced history and fair narrative. We all grabbed some pizza, snacks and drinks, and got ready to dig into the session. That day we covered the beginning of the Zionist movement and talked about the founding of the state of Israel. Though there were people in attendance with various levels of knowledge, Fellman did a great job making it fun and interesting for everyone, and we all asked questions of him, and of each other.

It was great being able to talk and learn about Israel with people who have similar interests, and I think it was a very useful event for everyone who attended.

Having a series of these events will let us learn more and build off of what we have already learned. I’m looking forward to the next one.

David Kimelman is a student at Syracuse University.

a matter of opinion “The Death of Klinghoffer” fails to live up to the controversy

By Ami Eden NEW YORK (JTA) – “See it. You Decide,” the Metropolitan Opera of New York exhorted in a promotional push capitalizing on the controversy over its new production of “The Death of Klinghoffer.”Well, I saw it, and I’m not sure which was more of a letdown: the hubbub over the show or the show itself.

Let’s start with the critics and protesters, since they are responsible ultimately for turning the show into the most buzzed-about cultural happening in New York, at least since the recent close of the Jeff Koons retrospective at the Whitney Museum.

By the time I settled into my seat – after months of cries of “antisemitism” and “glorification/humanization of terrorists” filling my e-mail box – I was expecting Shylock meets “Natural Born Killers.”

Not even close. Whatever the original intentions of composer John Adams and librettist Alice Goodman when they created the opera about 25 years ago, the latest production casts the killers as not particularly likable, violent thugs and puts Leon Klinghoffer at the moral center. So much so that the show’s effort to provide a measure of absolution for the terrorists near the end comes off as contrived and heavy-handed, and is immediately trumped by the final monologue from Klinghoffer’s wife, Marilyn.

Back in June, the Anti-Defamation League, with the support of Klinghoffer’s daughters, convinced the Met to drop its planned simulcast of the show on the grounds that it might feed anti-Jewish violence in other parts of the globe.

But after actually seeing the production, this seems wrong-headed: compared to the antisemitic fare widely available on the Internet and Arabic television, this show could pass as an anti-terrorism public service announcement.

None of this is to discount the objections of Klinghoffer’s daughters to the use of their father’s cold-blooded murder as a dramatic or political device; or the concerns that ADL officials and other people of good will have over anything that might fuel antisemitic violence at a time when Jewish communities around the world are increasingly forced to look over their collective shoulder.

It’s just that, in the end, this production’s moral equivalence of Palestinian and Jewish suffering does not translate into sympathy for – or understanding of – the killers. Yes, the show’s title is offensive and morally obtuse (it was a murder, after all), but this production does not sugarcoat what happened on the deck of the Achille Lauro in 1985.

In fact, it doesn’t do much of anything – at least on the political level. (I’ll leave the musical criticism to people who actually frequent the opera.)

Maybe when “The Death of Klinghoffer” first hit the stage in 1991, it put forth some uncomfortable, rarely-heard perspectives about root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But in 2014, as an act of political subversion, the opera feels dated.

These days, New Yorkers can walk just a few blocks from where the opera is being staged to Lincoln Plaza Cinemas, where they can probably catch an Israeli-made film taking a much deeper look and asking much harder questions about Palestinian

suffering and the impact of Israel’s policies in the territories. Even some mainstream Israeli politicians have more challenging things to say than this show does about the

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conflict and a possible resolution.

Forget “Merchant of Venice.” This show and the controversy surrounding it are much ado about nothing.

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AROUND CENTRAL NEW YORK PJ Library® to hold play dates in November

Carolyn Weinberg (center), seen reading with her children Isabella (left) and Gabriel (right), is the new coordinator for The PJ Library® in Central New York.

PJ Library® in Central New York is beginning the new year with a new program coordinator, Carolyn Weinberg, who will hold various play dates at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse, 5655 Thompson Rd., DeWitt. New babies and families will be welcome on Monday, November 17, from 10 am-11:30 am; families should bring their own blanket. There will also be a family play date on Sunday, November 23, from 10:30 am-noon, which will include story time, a craft, a snack and family gym time with inflatables and other activities.

The play dates will be free and open to the public.

Families who are not members of the JCC are welcome to attend.

Weinberg, a Syracuse native, was recently appointed to lead the local Central New York chapter. She has been an active PJ Library member with her children for the past five years.

Challah for Hunger

By Rebecca Leon Rebecca Leon and her friends Lauren Weinstein and Hannah Siegel just started a chapter of “Challah for Hunger” on the Syracuse University campus. The international non-profit organization, which has chapters all around the world – has raising awareness for social justice causes as its goal.

The goal of the new chapter at Syracuse University is to bring people together to bake and sell challah to raise money to fight hunger and raise awareness for social justice causes. Fifty percent of the proceeds will go toward Mazon: A Jewish response for Hunger, a Jewish organization that fights hunger in the United States and Israel. The other 50 percent will go toward the Food Pantry at Temple Concord in an effort to help feed the Syracuse community.

There have been two bakes so far and the club has raised more than $600 to be donated to both of their chosen organizations.

In speaking about his own congregation’s partnership with Challah for Hunger, Temple Concord Rabbi Daniel Fellman said, “We are absolutely thrilled to be working with Challah for Hunger. It’s great to see motivated and energetic, young, Jewish students working for the greater good.”

The Syracuse University chapter is completely student-driven and provides the students with opportunities to help fight hunger and to volunteer. Every week, they sell three types of challah – plain, chocolate chip or cinnamon – and an additional flavor of the week.

For volunteers and many of the customers, Challah for Hunger offers opportunities to be involved in what the volunteers find to be “an enjoyable baking experience

PJ Library is a nationally-acclaimed literacy program started by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation that provides free Jewish bedtime stories, CDs and DVDs to families raising Jewish children. The PJ Library in Central New York chapter is a program of the JCC and is supported by the Sam Pomeranz Trust, Jewish Federation of Central New York, Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas, Shaarei Torah Orthodox Congregation of Syracuse, Syracuse Hebrew Day School, Temple Adath Yeshurun and Temple Concord. The PJ Library in Central New York serves children from 6months-8-years-old in Cortland, Madison, Onondaga and Oswego counties.

For more information or to sign up, visit www. pjlibrary.org or e-mail pjcny@jccsyr.org.

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Challah for Hunger is a new club at Syracuse University that bakes and sells challah, with a percentage of the proceeds going to Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger and the Temple Concord food pantry. The club’s leaders are (l-r) Rebecca Leon, class of 2017; Lauren Weinstein, class of 2016; and Hannah Siegel, a fourth year student in SU’s five-year architecture program.

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with a dedicated community.” The club gives students new skills – such as baking and marketing – leadership experiences and ways to engage in the Jewish tradition of baking challah.

The organizers feel that the endeavor is not just “your average baking club.” They consider themselves a “hunger advocacy group that fights hunger with challah.” They have urged the public to “do a mitzvah” by buying their challah online at www.suhillel. org/challahorderform.aspx.

Rebecca Leon attends Syracuse University.

Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center senior dining menu November 17-21 Monday – baked stuffed fish Tuesday – barbecue meat sandwich Wednesday – chicken stir fry over rice Thursday – Swedish meatballs over noodles Friday – beef brisket November 24-28 Monday – sesame chicken over broccoli Tuesday – lemon baked fish Wednesday – turkey with gravy Thursday – closed for Thanksgiving Friday – closed for Thanksgiving The Bobbi Epstein Lewis JCC Senior Adult Dining

Program, catered by Tiffany’s Catering Company at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center, offers Va’ad Ha’ir-supervised kosher lunches served Monday-Friday at noon. Reservations are required by noon on the previous business day and 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 and United Way of Central New York. To attend, one need not be Jewish or a member of the JCC. For more information or to make a reservation, contact Leesa Paul at 445-2360, ext. 104, or lpaul@jccsyr.org.

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ november 13, 2014/20 CHESHVAN 5775

congregational notes Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas SHORASHIM family services Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas will hold the first of its newly-created Shorashim family services on Friday, November 14, from 7:30-8:15 pm. Shorashim means “roots” in Hebrew.

Families have been encouraged to welcome in Shabbat as a family with “lots of ruach (spirit), singing and stories.” The service will be followed by an ice cream oneg. Future plans include a light Shabbat dinner before Shorashim starts.

The next monthly Shorashim Shabbat morning service is scheduled for Saturday, November 22, at 10:30 am.

The community celebration of Shabbat has been called “energetic, musical and community-building.” The program is aimed at families with children in pre-kindergarten-fourth grade and is open to everyone. New this year is an age-appropriate Torah service featuring the CBS-CS “Patchwork” Torah, where short selections from the Torah are read and used as leaping-off points for discussion about “how to live the Torah today.”

For more information, contact the CBS-CS office at 446-9570 or office@ cbscs.org.

New member lunch Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas will hold its annual new members’ Shabbat to officially welcome all of its new families on Saturday, November 22. New members will be given honors during the service. This year, included in the group will be former members of Temple Adath Israel of Oswego. The synagogue had to close and many of its members have joined CBS-CS. Following services, there will be a kiddush in honor of all of the new CBS-CS members. Each new member family has been invited to the home of long-standing members for Shabbat dinner. They have also received a new member’s gift bag.

Following kiddush, there will be a lunch and learn with Krista Rozanski, who will lead a text study session called “The First Environmentalists.” During the study session, participants can explore the creation stories from an environmental angle, discussing topics such as the environmental responsibilities given to the

L-r: Sivan Juran, Mia Cohen and teacher Tiferet Zimmern-Kahan discussed plantings at the Jewish Community Garden on a Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas third and fourth grade field trip to the garden. “first couple” and what it says say about the responsibilities people face today.

Rozanski is a student at SUNY College

of Environmental Science and Forestry, with an interest in the relationship between Judaism and the environment.

Temple Adath Yeshurun Congregational dinner

By Sonali Eaton The Mishpacha Committee of Temple Adath Yeshurun will host a congregational dinner, followed by Shabbat in the Round, on Friday, November 21. The committee hopes to

attract congregants from the groups within the TAY community: young families from the tots programs; religious school and Syracuse Hebrew Day School families; “minyanaires,” the morning minyan attendees; and families with empty nests.

The program will begin with a tot service at 5:30 pm, led by Alicia Gross.

The children and their families will join the congregation for dinner at 6:15 pm.

Dinner will be followed by Shabbat in the Round at 7:15 pm. Shabbat in the Round is

a participatory, musical service for Shabbat, and will conclude with an oneg.

Mishpacha Committee Co-Chair Joan Lowenstein said, “We are looking forward to another joyous Shabbat congregational See “TAY” on page 6

The Temple Adath Yeshurun Religious School’s pre-kindergarten and kindergarten class learned about Shabbat. L-r: Dean Bratslavsky, Tyler Wladis, Ari Gnacik, Gali Cooper, Jordynn Shapiro, Morrisa Spevak and Lilah Levy.

Temple Concord Arlee Baskin helped her grandson, Jordan Burns, as well as Parker Allman and Georgia Horn, build popsicle sticks and construction paper “arks” during the Temple Adath Yeshurun Rothschild Early Childhood Center’s Storah Time, during which the children read the story of Noah’s Ark. TAY hosts Storah Time on Tuesdays at 10 am and Shabbat Experience on Fridays at 10 am for young children, up to age 5. For more information, contact Alicia Gross at alicia@adath.org.

Women TIES Syracuse Event "Wednesday Wisdom Live Edition & Mini-Holiday Tradeshow" Co-sponsored by The Maplewood Inn and The Reporter Group Featuring: Tracy Higginbotham - President, Women TIES, LLC, and 6 Successful Central New York Women Entrepreneurs Thursday, November 20 - 11:30 am - 2:30 pm The Maplewood Inn, 7 North Street, Liverpool, New York Cost $35 RSVP to www.womenties.com or 315-708-4288 by November 18.

This is a women only event.

Temple Concord Cinemagogue to feature “A Matter of Size”

By Andrew Petro Temple Concord will feature “A Matter of Size” on Tuesday, November 25, at 7 pm, as part of its Cinemagogue series. In the film, four overweight Israeli friends become amateur sumo wrestlers. The movie shows the struggle of dealing with one’s body image. After taking a dish washing job at a Japanese restaurant, Herzl learns about sumo wrestling, a sport where people of his size can be honored and appreciated. The four men begin a journey of self-awareness and find solace in their weight through the Japanese tradition.

Cinemagogue, Temple Concord’s film series, offers a variety of films with Jewish themes, Israeli filmmakers and Jewish-American stars. The program is appropriate for all ages. Admission is free and open to the public and donations are welcome. For more information, contact the TC office at 475-9952 or office@ templeconcord.org.

“An evening of Broadway” with pianist Mary Sugar

By Andrew Petro Syracuse native pianist Mary Sugar will perform Broadway music as part of

Temple Concord’s Goldenberg Cultural Series on Tuesday, December 2, at 7 pm.

Sugar recently returned to her hometown after spending 11 years as a musical director, pianist and teacher in New York City. She spent the previous six years in Washington, DC, where she worked for the D.C. Cabaret Network, Signature Theatre and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Included in her career playing piano are the national tours of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Full Monty,” “Hairspray,” “Mamma Mia” and “The King and I.” However, she began her career in Syracuse. She was a member of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra and associate musical director and pianist for Syracuse Stage, where she played for shows including “West Side Story,” “Peter Pan” and “A Christmas Carol.”

The Regina F. Goldenberg Cultural Series, now in its 13th year, is made possible by donations to the Regina F. Goldenberg Cultural Fund at Temple Concord.

The program is appropriate for all ages. Admission is free and open to the public, and donations are welcome. For more information, contact the TC office at 475-9952 or office@templeconcord. org.

NOVEMBER 13, 2014/20 CHESHVAN 5775 ■

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released in October. She is curBy Michele Barrett rently editing a book she has In honor of her dedication given as a gift to the National and service to Syracuse UniAssociation for the Educaversity and its students for more tion of Young Children called than 40 years as an educator, “Experiencing Nature with researcher, scholar, mentor Young Children: Awakening and friend, the Falk College Delight, Curiosity and a Sense at Syracuse University has anof Stewardship.” nounced the establishment of For more than 20 years, Hothe Dr. Alice Sterling Honig nig has been the North American Endowed Scholarship Fund editor for the British journal to benefit students majoring in child and family studies Dr. Alice Sterling “Early Child Development and Care” and on the board of the at Syracuse University. The Honig National Head Start NHSA Diaendowed scholarship was created in Honig’s honor through a gift by log Journal. She has been on the editorial longtime colleague and retired SU faculty board of Child Development, the official journal of the Society for Research in Child member Bettye Caldwell.

Honig and Caldwell met at Syracuse Development. She is also a member of the University in the department of child and editorial board of PsycCRITIQUES. “I know of no one more deserving family studies in 1963 when Caldwell than Dr. Alice Honig to have an endowed hired Honig as a research assistant for the grant “Infant Learning and Patterns scholarship named for her and I am very of Family Care.” The two have remained happy to see that this is happening,” colleagues, collaborators and friends said Caldwell.

To donate to the Honig Endowed since then.

Caldwell said, “In those 51 years since Scholarship Fund, contact David SalanAlice got her first job in Syracuse, she has ger, assistant dean for advancement and become one of the most productive and external affairs in the Falk College, at most respected people in the field of early 443-4588 or dasalang@syr.edu.

In the 1960s, Caldwell’s work was in child development. She has published the area of comprehensive early childhood hundreds of articles and books. Within the university she has supervised the work of development programming primarily serving low-income preschool-age chilmany students.”

A licensed psychologist and a fellow dren and their families at the Children’s of the American Psychological Asso- Center of Syracuse. It provided the founciation and the Society for Research in dation for what became what was called Child Development, Honig has done “one of the most important components” extensive research on infants and tod- of the Great Society programs launched dlers, language development, child-care by President Lyndon B. Johnson, known practices, preschool social development, today as Head Start.

In addition to her role as a faculty fathering and the effects of divorce on children. She presents training sessions member in the department of child and delivers keynote addresses to pro- and family studies more than 50 years mote high quality childcare throughout ago, Caldwell worked with Julius the United States and in several other Richmond, then chair of pediatrics at countries, including South Korea, Sin- Upstate University Hospital, on the ingapore, France, China and Australia. For fant learning grant, along with Honig. In more than a decade, Honig (with a lawyer 1967, she formed the Children’s Center as co-leader) has conducted workshops with Richmond, who eventually became for the Onondaga County Mental Health surgeon general and went on to serve Association for parents with divorce and as national director of Head Start for Johnson. The work she and Richmond child custody issues.

She has written or edited more than a did in Syracuse as co-founders of that dozen books and more than 600 articles childhood learning initiative provided and chapters. Her latest book, “The the foundation for the national Head Best for Babies” (Gryphon House), was Start program.

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ november 13, 2014/20 CHESHVAN 5775

Children at the JCC get serious about fire safety

By William Wallak Children in the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse’s Jerome and Phyllis Charney Early Childhood Development Program learned about fire safety last month as part of Fire Prevention Week. Firefighters from the DeWitt Fire Department visited the JCC preschool students and spoke about fire and how to stay safe. The children also visited the fire department and took a close look at the trucks and other firefighting equipment.

“The children did a great job of learning and participating during our visit,” said Lieutenant Shawn Tompkins, of the DeWitt Fire Department. “We stick to

Preschool students in the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse’s Early Childhood Program prepared to explore the DeWitt Fire Department during their visit.

L-r: DeWitt firefighter Aaron Sokol helped JCC preschool student Isaac Bloom down from a fire truck cab as his classmate, Mya Burgmeier, awaited her turn.

Once again this year, The Reporter is inviting its readers and local organizations to extend Chanukah greetings to the community by purchasing a Chanukah greeting ad, which will appear in our December 11 issue (Deadline: Dec. 3). Chanukah begins this year on the evening of Dec. 16.

You may choose from the designs, messages and sizes shown here - more are available. You may also choose your own message, as long as it fits into the space of the greeting you select. (Custom designs available upon request.) The price of the small greeting is $18 (styles B & E), the larger one is $36 (styles D & F ) and the largest one (not shown, actual size is 3.22” x 3.95”) is $68 To ensure that your greeting is published, please contact Bonnie Rozen at 1-800-779-7896, ext. 244 or bonnie@thereportergroup.org. Checks can be made payable to The Reporter and sent to: The Reporter, 500 Clubhouse Rd., Vestal, NY 13850 Style D -$36 • Actual Size: 3.22” x 1.975”

May the lights of Chanukah shine in your hearts forever

JCC’s preschool kicks off fitness and nutrition program

By William Wallak To help improve the health and educational performance of its preschool students, the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse’s Jerome and Phyllis Charney Early Childhood Development Program recently rolled out a Healthy Choices Program. The fitness and nutrition program was created to help children and their families make healthy choices about food and daily activities.

Jo David, the JCC’s Early Childhood Program director, said, “We connected our classrooms with each and every family by providing educational materials to reinforce the Healthy Choices curriculum.

Families received tools to inspire action in family activities and to promote wholesome and nutritious diets with recipes and valuable food facts.”

The classroom curriculum further reinforced healthy behaviors by using “toe tokens” – little foot-shaped plastic charms – as rewards to keep the children focused on making healthy choices. “Students received the tokens as recognition for their food and activity choices, which they then displayed on their shoe laces or used to make bracelets or necklaces,” said David.

The program was said to be “wellreceived” by the children and their families, and teachers have continued to keep Healthy Choices topics as part of classroom lessons. “The more we can keep children active and eating healthy now,

The Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse Early Childhood Development Program student Carter MacCaull showed off the “toe tokens” he received because of the healthy choices he has made. Healthy Choices is a fitness and nutrition program initiated at the JCC’s Jerome and Phyllis Charney Early Childhood Development Program. the more likely they’ll continue on with these healthy habits as they get older,” added David.

The Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse’s Early Childhood Development Program is a licensed infant and toddler care facility and preschool for children ages 6 weeks-5 years. For more information, call 445-2040, ext. 120.

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Egypt gets Israel’s OK for more Sinai troops to fight Islamists

Israel has authorized Egypt to deploy two more infantry battalions in the Sinai Peninsula to fight Islamist terrorists. The authorization included permission to bring in a fleet of attack helicopters as well, Israel’s Army Radio reported on Nov. 6. Under the terms of the 1979 Israel-Egypt peace treaty, Egypt must ask Israel for authorization before sending troops into the Sinai, which is supposed to remain demilitarized. Egypt asked Israel for permission in late October following a car bomb attack in the northern Sinai that left 30 Egyptian troops dead. Following several deadly attacks on Egyptian troops in the Sinai, Egypt is also creating a security zone along its border with Gaza, forcing hundreds of families to leave their homes. The zone will be 8 miles long and 550 yards deep. It is believed terrorists in Gaza are assisting the Islamist terrorists in the Sinai by providing arms and other support. Egypt closed its Rafah border crossing with Gaza two weeks ago after another attack on its troops.

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one or two simple messages that are age specific, such as ‘stop, drop and roll,’ and keep it fun and lively.”

Other topics the firefighters discussed with the children included smoke alarms, the dangers of smoke and calling 911. Jo David, the JCC’s Early Childhood Program director, said, “These fire department visits are always very popular with the children. They really learn a lot by asking questions, role playing and interacting with the firefighters.”

For more information about the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse’s Early Childhood Development Program, call 445-2040, ext. 120.

Your name(s) Style E -$18 Actual Size: 1.5278” x 1.975”

dinner. It is always a wonderful evening when all members of Temple Adath come together to break bread and enjoy a Shabbat in the Round.”

Events like these are said to be “volunteer-driven.” Lowenstein and Committee Co-Chair Alison Bronstein coordinate volunteers from the event’s set-up to breakdown, including baking and dinner preparation. Lowenstein added, “The volunteers love donating their time to

Continued from page 4

bring the community together and we are always looking for more people who are willing to roll up their sleeves and help out.”

There will be a charge for the dinner.

Children 3 and younger will be admitted free. Reservations are required and by Friday, November 14. For more information or to volunteer, e-mail Lowenstein at jmglowe@gmail.com or Bronstein at alisonbronstein@gmail.com.

NOVEMBER 13, 2014/20 CHESHVAN 5775 ■

JEWISH OBSERVER

Marci Erlebacher receives 2014 Hannah G. Solomon Award

Marci Erlebacher was the 2014 recipient of the Hannah G. Solomon Award on October 20 at Justin’s Grill in East Syracuse. Presented by the National Council of Jewish Women Greater Syracuse Section At-Large, the award was named for the founder of NCJW and is given to women who have demonstrated “exceptional service” to the Jewish community and the community-at-large.

Erlebacher, executive director of the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse since 2001, is said to be have been “committed to improving the quality of life in Syracuse for many years.” A life member of the NCJW and Hadassah, she served on the JCC’s Board of Directors for 15 years, and was board president for six of those years, prior to being appointed executive director. Erlebacher’s past community volunteer service also includes serving as vice president of community relations for three years and board member

Marci Erlebacher

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of the Jewish Federation of Central New York for nine years. She has also served on the board of the Syracuse InterReligious Council. Erlebacher is currently an advisory committee member for Safe Haven in Oswego, board member with InterFaith Works and board member of the Syracuse International Film Festival, serving as vice president.

She said, “I am deeply moved and honored to have been chosen this year’s Hannah Solomon Award recipient. It was truly wonderful to have my family and so many friends and colleagues join me on such a special occasion. We all live and work in a very kind and supportive community, and together with so many caring local organizations we’ve been able to accomplish many great things.”

Cantor Francine Berg, NCJW Syracuse president, welcomed guests and gave some history about Hannah Solomon and the award. The Hannah Solomon award was presented to Erlebacher by her husband, Mark Erlebacher, whose presentation was said to “sometimes border on a roast, but was very affectionate and in good fun.”

This year, the group continued its annual Mitzvah Project, asking guests to bring items from a list provided by the Syracuse City School District’s McCarthy @ Beard program. The school supplies and other donated items will benefit the program, which provides specialized services for students with social, emotional, behavioral and academic concerns.

In addition, NCJW Greater Syracuse Section once again received a Pomeranz Trust grant to purchase necessities for foster children in Onondaga County’s Children’s Division.

NCJW is a grass-roots organization of volunteers and advocates who “turn progressive ideals into action.” Inspired

by Jewish values, NCJW “strives for social justice” by working to improve the quality

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of life for women, children and families and by safeguarding individual rights and freedoms. For more information about the NCJW Syracuse chapter, contact Berg at songberg@hotmail.com.

Past Hannah Solomon Award recipients in attendance joined this year’s honoree, Marci Erlebacher, and the McCarthy @ Beard Program’s principal for a photo in front of a table of donations to benefit the program’s students. Standing (l-r): Minna Buck, Marilyn Pinsky, Rosemary Pooler, Corinne Smith, Carrie Berse, Linda Alexander, Frann Albert, Connie Semel, Winnie Greenberg, McCarthy @ Beard Principal Maria Cimino, Marlene Holstein and Robin Goldberg. Seated: Vicki Feldman, Elaine Rubenstein, Erlebacher, Ona Bregman, Cantor Francine Berg and Dene Sarason.

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ november 13, 2014/20 CHESHVAN 5775

Menorah Park nomination yields award to Assemblyman Magnarelli for aging adult advocacy

By Stewart Koenig Leading Age New York, formerly the New York Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, presented its Partners in Quality Legislative Award to Assemblyman William Magnarelli at The Oaks at Menorah Park on October 28.

The award was created to recognize elected officials for their advocacy efforts on behalf of organizations that serve older adults and the individuals they serve. Magnarelli was nominated

by Menorah Park because, according to CEO Mary Ellen Bloodgood, he has

Refugees

always been at the forefront of advocacy on behalf of the elderly and consistently acts to better the lives of senior citizens.

She said, “There is not a harder working legislator for seniors in the community than Bill Magnarelli, and his dedication to seniors translates into steadfast support of Menorah Park and other organizations that dedicate their work to bettering the lifestyle, health and well-being of the elderly in the community.”

Presenting the award was Leading Age New York Executive Vice President Daniel Heim. A reception followed at The Oaks.

Continued from page 1

emergency situations.

“IsraAID’s ability to send quickly much-needed humanitarian and medical experts and supplies, and to be among the very first on the ground, is impressive and, importantly, demonstrates that Israelis can and do assist others,” added Bandler.

Currently, IsraAID is the only Israeli entity present on the ground in West Africa amid the Ebola crisis. Glick, who currently is in Sierra Leone to help lead the organization’s efforts there, described the situation as “very worrying.”

The Israeli Foreign Ministry and MASHAV – Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation – have jointly begun sending aid to the region, including the deployment of mobile field hospitals that feature isolation units and protective gear for medical professionals.

Despite increasing international assistance, more than 4,000 people have died so far in the Ebola outbreak.

“The Ebola outbreak continues to spread, and while an increasing amount of international support is coming, the healthcare workers that have been on the frontline of the fight for more than five months now are absolutely exhausted, burnt out and traumatized,” Glick said.

In Sierra Leone, IsraAID is beginning to provide training to address the psychosocial impact of Ebola. “Most people realize the very direct medical efforts necessary to tackle the disease, but only now are people starting to realize the

psychological toll that the outbreak has had on huge sections of the population – from fear of infection, to grief for whole families and communities that have been decimated, all compounded by increasing stigma toward survivors and the families of victims,” Glick said.

According to Glick, the reaction to IsraAID training has been “very positive” among the people of Sierra Leone and the country’s government – including support from the first lady of Sierra Leone, Sia Koroma, who is a trained psychiatric nurse.

Though the crisis in West Africa is serious, Glick said people around the world need to stop the panic and hysteria surrounding Ebola. He said the sensationalistic global reaction to the outbreak is leading to a growing stigma associated with people from West Africa and hampering efforts to combat the disease.

“This disease is indeed dangerous and scary, but it is not easily transmitted, and even in the affected countries, there are still millions of people that are living their lives every day,” he said.

Glick said IsraAID is committed to continuing to provide aid to Iraqi refugees as winter approaches, and he believes that the Ebola outbreak in West Africa is also a long-term project that may take several years to contain and heal.

“The road to containing and eventually beating this disease is still a ways away, and mitigating its psychological impact will probably take years,” he said.

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Assemblyman William Magnarelli (center) received an award from Leading Age New York’s Daniel Heim (left) and Menorah Park CEO Mary Ellen Bloodgood (right). The award recognizes elected officials for their advocacy efforts on behalf of organizations that serve older adults.

Museum to illuminate Jewish history of Poland

By Michele Alperin JNS.org Given that half of the six million Jews who died in the Holocaust came from Poland, many descendants of Polish Jews may be surprised to learn about the current hospitable environment for the Jewish population of their ancestors’ country. Poland experiences far less antisemitism than the typical European country and is home to a burgeoning – albeit relatively small – Jewish community (estimates suggest 10,000-20,000, but no definitive figures are available). At the same time, young non-Jewish Poles are increasingly curious about Jews and the Jewish religion.

Recognizing that this environment was fertile ground for a museum highlighting the history of Polish Jewry, a group of Warsaw-based organizers invited émigré scholars and cultural activists in New York to help promote the museum concept and identify funding sources for what two decades later became the POLIN Museum of

the History of Polish Jews, which opened its core exhibition on October 28.

The museum, located on the site of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising directly across from the Monument of the Warsaw Ghetto Heroes, has received more than $60 million from the Municipality of Warsaw and Poland’s Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. The rest of the needed funding was raised by the Association of the Jewish Historical Institute of Poland, a non-profit that has served as a caretaker of the country’s Jewish heritage for more than six decades.

As a civic initiative and state-funded institution, the museum’s target audience “is much broader than the Jewish community in Poland,” says Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, program director of the museum’s core exhibition, which traces the 1,000-year history of Jews in Poland.

“It is intended for a much broader public: Poles, including Jews; the world See “Museum” on page 12

Some home improvements can improve your health (StatePoint) – Small changes to your surroundings can have a strong impact on mood and overall health, say experts.

A relatively new movement in design and construction, called “designing for health,” aims to make homes and communities have positive impacts on the way people live, work and play.

“Encouraging movement, social interaction and physical health can address problems like obesity and our increasingly sedentar y lifestyles. Thoughtful design and home improvements can solve these

issues,” says Cyril Stewart, president at Cyril Stewart, LLC and member of the American Institute of Architects’ Design and Health Leadership Group.

Spaces that promote movement – walkable and livable communities – are an idea gaining steam, as noted by the AIA’s most recent Home Design Trends Survey.

Increasingly, designers and developers are creating pedestrian-friendly communities with access to recreational activities.

Want to foster healthy, active spaces See “Home” on page 9

NOVEMBER 13, 2014/20 CHESHVAN 5775 ■

JEWISH OBSERVER

White House aide Jonathan Greenblatt to succeed Abe Foxman as ADL chief

By Uriel Heilman NEW YORK (JTA) – The Anti-Defamation League’s new national director will be social entrepreneur Jonathan Greenblatt – a special assistant to President Barack Obama who earlier in his career co-founded the bottled water brand Ethos.

Greenblatt, 43, will succeed Abraham Foxman, who announced in February that he would be stepping down effective July 2015. Foxman, 74, has been the ADL’s national director since 1987.

The news was first reported by JTA on November 6 and followed shortly afterward by a formal announcement at the ADL’s annual meeting in Los Angeles.

The ADL said the unanimous selection of Greenblatt by the 16-member succession committee was the culmination of a two-year nationwide search led by the Atlantabased executive search firm BoardWalk Consulting.

The firm reviewed hundreds of prospective candidates from the fields of business, law, academic and nonprofit management, according to an ADL news release.

Greenblatt, a grandson of a Holocaust survivor who escaped Nazi Germany, but lost nearly all his family in the war, interned for the ADL while in college at Tufts University and later participated in an ADL professional leadership program.

His wife, Marjan Keypour Greenblatt, an IranianAmerican Jewish immigrant, worked as an associate director at ADL’s Los Angeles office for about eight years. Until last December, she was acting director of the Israel on Campus Coalition. She went on to co-found the new nonprofit Alliance for Rights of All Minorities, which promotes women’s and minority rights in Iran, and serves as its director.

“Marjan herself escaped from her native Iran after the Islamic Revolution when this ancient country that once championed tolerance instead forged a political

Home

in your own home and communit y? Stewart offers a few tips: Extend the Home – Adding porches, patios or balconies improves access to the outside world. This provides great health benefits, ranging from maximizing natural light to extending living spaces. “Many people retrofit homes with these amenities, to allow for more space and fresh air and improve ventilation,” says Stewart.

Add Strategic Seating – Strategic seating is another trend design professionals are employing to encourage movement in and around a home or community. For example, public seating in the middle of spaces that mix residential, dining and entertainment establishments ensure people need to get up and walk to those services before enjoying them. In other communities, areas designated for more quiet activities, like reading, are on the rise.

Sleep-Friendly Bedrooms – Ensure your bedroom promotes healthy sleep by making it a tranquil place. If possible, avoid sleeping in a room that is along a busy street. Install soundproof windows and use drapes, and leave the entertainment center out of your bedroom. It’s hard to get quality sleep alongside the lights and sound of the television.

Breathe Quality Air – An easy, but often overlooked solution for ensuring better health, is keeping air quality high. Fresh air aids sleep and lessens the occurrence of

Jonathan Greenblatt (Photo courtesy AntiDefamation League)

Abraham Foxman (Photo by David Karp)

ideology in the toxin of antisemitism,” Greenblatt said on November 6 in a speech delivered after the announcement, according to a transcript of remarks provided by the ADL. “Like my grandfather decades earlier, my wife had to flee the land of her birth and came to this country with the help of HIAS as a political refugee because of her Jewish identity. And so our lives and those of our children are shaped by this pernicious force, this longest hatred.”

Greenblatt and his wife have three children, all boys: Ilan, Ariel and Emet.

At the White House, Greenblatt serves as director of the Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation in the Domestic Policy Council, where his portfolio includes national service, civic engagement, impact investing and social enterprise.

A veteran of the Clinton administration, Greenblatt has been a serial social entrepreneur. Ethos, the bottled water company he and a business school classmate launched in 2003, donated a portion of its profits to finance water

diseases like asthma. Simple ways to improve air quality include finding the optimum setup to promote fresh air flow and ventilation in a building; regularly replacing and cleaning filters on air conditioners and heating systems; and confirming radon and carbon monoxide detectors are present and in working order.

These are just a few examples of how design can affect

programs in developing countries. After Starbucks bought the company, Greenblatt continued to promote clean-water funding in the developing world as the coffee company’s vice president of global consumer products. He went on to serve on the board of the nonprofit Water.org, which was co-founded by the actor Matt Damon.

Greenblatt also started an open-source platform for volunteers called All for Good, served as CEO of the media company GOOD Worldwide and founded the Impact Economy Initiative at The Aspen Institute. He has a master’s degree in business from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

In the Jewish world, Greenblatt has served on the board of the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles, and he was one of the judges in the 2011 “Next Big Jewish Idea” contest of the Los Angeles Jewish Federation.

“I have enjoyed a varied career that has spanned business, nonprofit and public service, but the common thread linking these experiences has been a commitment to tikkun olam, to repair the world, whether by building businesses, creating products, driving policy or forging partnerships,” Greenblatt said.

Foxman will formally hand over the reins to Greenblatt on July 20.

Foxman has been a singular leader for the organization. A child survivor of the Holocaust, he started at the ADL in 1965. Under his leadership, ADL expanded its reach with 30 regional offices across the United States and an office in Israel. In 2011, the last year for which data is available, the ADL reported nearly $54 million in revenue.

But Foxman’s role transcends that of leader of an organization that monitors antisemitic activity, offers discrimination-sensitivity training and runs anti-bigotry programs, including for law enforcement. He has become See “ADL” on page 11

Continued from page 8 health. For help implementing these ideas or to find recommendations for your home or community, an architect can help you decide what would work best. To find an architect in your area, visit http://ArchitectFinder.aia.org.

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ november 13, 2014/20 CHESHVAN 5775

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.

Saturday, November 15 Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center fall fun kids’ night out from 7:30-11 pm Sunday, November 16 Temple Adath Yeshurun Hazak paid-up membership at noon Monday, November 17 SHDS board meeting at 7:30 pm Tuesday, November 18 Opera at Temple Concord at 2 pm JCC Executive Committee meeting at 6 pm, followed by Board of Directors meeting at 7 pm Wednesday, November 19 Dolph Schayes book event at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse at 7 pm Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas board meeting at 7:15 pm Thursday, November 20 TAY board meeting at 7 pm Sunday, November 23 TAY Hazak Chanukah bazaar at 10 am Monday, November 24 EARLY deadline for the December 11 issue of the Jewish Observer TC Executive Committee meeting at 7 pm Tuesday, November 25 TC Cinemagogue at 7 pm Thursday, November 27 Thanksgiving

b’nai mitzvah Shayna Rae Myshrall

Shayna Rae Myshrall, daughter of Daniel and Jeanette Myshrall, of Syracuse, became a bat mitzvah on October 11 at Temple Concord.

She is the granddaughter of Gail Krauss, of Liverpool, and the late Otto Meili, and William Myshrall, of Santa Maria, CA, and the late Julie Myshrall.

Shayna is a student at Jamesville-DeWitt Middle School and attends the Rabbi Jacob Epstein Shayna Rae High School of Jewish Studies.

Myshrall In addition to her academic achievements, Shayna is a member of the swimming and diving team, is a pitcher for the girls’ fast-pitch softball team, sings in the Goodtime Singers and acts in school drama productions. She also plays the piano and cello.

She also sings and chants from Torah, and is continuing her Jewish education. She now works as a teacher’s aide at Temple Concord’s Sunday school.

For her tzedakah project, Shayna wanted to help less fortunate girls in Israel. With the help of a local organization, Lev LaLev, she raised money and collected sporting goods equipment to help fund an athletic program for an orphanage where the girls live.

around the town Signature Music gives free instruments and free music lessons to disadvantaged teenagers. The result is that 95 percent of those in the program graduate high school, compared to 50 percent otherwise, and many go on to college. Community members have been asked to donate any instruments, even ones in need of repair, as well as tuxedos, regardless of how worn or laundered, for the students who are required to wear them when performing in college. Donors can bring them to a synagogue office or the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse.

If unable to deliver them, community members can call Marge Hill at 637-6562 to arrange a home pickup.

The Syracuse Peace Council will hold its 44th annual Plowshares Craftsfair and Peace Festival on Sunday, December 7, from 11 am-5 pm, at Nottingham High School, 3100 E. Genesee St., Syracuse. Plowshares includes more than 120 area craftspeople and 20 community organizations. The show will feature ongoing live entertainment and food. Admission will be free for those younger than 16 and older than 65, with a sliding scale donation from all other attendees. For more information, contact the Peace Council at 472-5478 or http://peacecouncil.net.

d’var torah

How we choose to govern our lives

By Jeanette Powell The sixth parasha of Genesis describes the birth and early years of Isaac and Rebekah’s twin sons, Jacob and Esau. Often in ancient tales, twins who are not identical are complementary, each twin representing one half of a complete personality and each having qualities the other lacks and lacking qualities the other possesses. Jacob represents the gentle, cerebral side of a person, reaching goals by persuasion or cleverness. Esau represents the active, physical side (Etz Hayim). Is the Torah suggesting that these may represent two sides of a person’s personality that struggle for dominance? What themes might this parasha suggest or be understood as metaphors for one’s life and personality or attributes of one’s personality?

Looking at the theme of choice, we see that Rebekah came from a family of deceivers and was a strong woman.

She chose to come with the servant and marry Isaac. She turned to God directly when she was having difficulty with her pregnancy and God spoke to her. She chose to help Jacob deceive Isaac. In a time when women did not have authority, Rebekah uses her power, makes choices and gets results.

The theme of deception is strong in the story of Rebekah assisting Jacob to deceive Isaac into giving Jacob, instead of Esau, his blessing. We wonder if Isaac was complicit in the deceit, used his dwindling eyesight to take a passive role and leave it up to Rebekah to complete the deed. Both made choices in this event. Even Isaac’s apparent passivity was a choice. While each got some results, there were also consequences. Rebekah lost Jacob when Esau threatened him. She sent him away and never saw him again. Isaac realized the pain he had inflicted upon Esau. Jacob went on to be deceived by Laban. His sons continued the pattern of deceit when they sold Joseph and lied to Jacob.

How do these biblical stories help us govern our choices and our lives today? What parts of our personality are involved in choosing? We often lie to each other and to ourselves, but most of us do not want to look at that.

We often make the choice to look away and in effect, make a passive choice that we do not want to see, and in fact, often deny. Was Isaac lying to himself if he took a passive role in the event? Was he blind to the qualities of both his sons? Was Rebekah more insightful?

The biblical story gives rise to questions about how we live out our lives in a meaningful way in our world.

We have a choice to figure out how to live in this world or retreat from it and try to hide. Whatever we do, we know our choices have consequences.

Arthur Green writes, “When this new light of understanding, (the Torah) leaves its place (to enter our world), it does so with the possibility of choice – for choice is malkhut (i.e., inherent in our reality, drawn to both good and evil). Because the evil inclination is joined (with the opportunity for good), you have to outwit it. You have to serve God with the understanding you already have while also constantly focusing on the new light. This will allow you to absorb new perspective and to serve God with them.

Do this throughout your whole life.” Green also writes, “We wage a constant battle against self-deception. The

evil one can be garbed in some brilliant new insight we have.” Ebn Leader tells us, “The struggle with evil can lead us to a real fear of this world and its temptations. But Chasidism refused to allow this fear to paralyze it. The Chasidic masters insisted on embracing this world, even at the risk of temptation.” Green also said, “That is the essential optimism of the Chasidic teachings. There is a profound spiritual dynamism here, a refusal to retreat into fearing the material world. Human actions matter; we can and we must learn how to live in the world and do good.

Existence itself depends upon it.” (“Speaking Torah”) It is difficult to live in this modern world besieged with media messages that draw us to material and secular desires. We are hooked to our electronic devices that captivate us and use up our time. We communicate electronically, not face-to-face; so we do not always have the opportunity to look at the other human being.

All too often that robs us of the experience of the other person and we can lose our reverence for the other person. We are able to say unkind words and not see the consequences. We escape our responsibility.

How do we spend our time? Can we turn off the devices long enough to encounter other human beings? Can we figure out how to be in this modern world and control it instead of having it control us? Can we get away from the passive use of devices and make decisions as to how we will use them to better our lives? Can we keep violent games and videos away from our children? Can we use the time and experience to give our children lessons in non-violence and values? It takes time and courage to battle some of the messages, whether they be outrageous and inappropriate sexual content, violence, power, materialism, deceit and other evil content.

Arthur Green’s message of being “in” the world but not “of” the world is a powerful one. It takes courage to be in the world and battle the messages, to teach our children, to encourage our friends and support our community. We find courage in our choice of companions and community, and strength in caring and sharing.

When we take on life in the world, we take on responsibility for making choices and living with the results.

That takes courage. It is important to be grateful for the good people in one’s life, to value them and to give them some of our most precious gifts, the gifts of time and attention. We, as Jews, have the Sabbath, a time of rest and reflection. If we take it seriously – whether by attending service or observing its sanctity in time and space – for one day, we get some distance from the attractions of the world. Using lessons from the parasha, we can examine our own behavior. Abraham Joshua Heschel spoke of the Sabbath as a “palace in time.” This is a precious way to step back, turn off the media and some of the world. It is a time to turn to good people. It is a time to examine our tradition and find the courage to live in the world and make it a better place.

Jeanette Powell received her bachelor of arts in religious studies from Canisius College in Buffalo, NY. She is a member of Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas and is a retired executive director mental health and developmental disability programs.

NEWS IN bRIEF From JTA

Israeli gov’t minister Amir Peretz quits over 2015 budget

Amir Peretz, Israel’s environmental protection minister, resigned from the government over the proposed 2015 budget. Peretz, of the centrist Hatnua party that is part of the government coalition, announced he was stepping down at the weekly Cabinet meeting on Nov. 9. His resignation goes into effect on Nov. 11. Saying the 328 billion shekel (approximately $86 billion) budget does not help the poorest Israelis, Peretz in an interview on Israel’s Channel 2 on the night of Nov. 8 said he would “not be a part of a government that continues in this direction.” At the Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly said after Peretz criticized the government and announced his resignation, “I thank you for acknowledging that your place is not around the Cabinet table.” Peretz was bound by the coalition agreement to vote for the budget on Nov. 10. If he had not resigned, and voted against the budget, he would have been removed from his position. Hatnua has six seats in the government. Economy Minister Yair Lapid presented the budget on Nov. 9 to President Reuven Rivlin. Meanwhile, a minister in Yesh Atid, which has 19 seats – one more than Netanyahu’s Likud – said his centrist party was deciding whether to remain in the government.

Science Minister Yaakov Peri said in an interview on Army Radio that Netanyahu’s continued shifting rightward is making it difficult for Yesh Atid.

Court frees scores of Eritrean, Sudanese asylum seekers in Israel

Israel will release 138 Eritrean and Sudanese asylum seekers who the nation’s Supreme Court ruled were being held illegally. The Nov. 6 ruling was in response to a petition filed by the nonprofit organization The Hotline for Refugees and Migrants. Following the decision, the Population and Immigration Authority said that the inmates would be released

by Nov. 11 and issued new temporary residence permits.

Most citizens of Eritrea and Sudan living in Israel carry such permits. The asylum seekers were first incarcerated in accordance with the Anti-Infiltration Law, which allowed Israeli officials to hold individuals deemed to be “infiltrators” for more than three years in detention centers. The law was amended in 2013 and allowed the state to detain illegal migrants without trial for one year. That section was then struck down in September. The asylum seekers were held at the Saharonim Prison in 2012 before being transferred to the Holot Detention Center in southern Israel last December.

The petition filed by the Hotline for Refugees and Migrants argued that the state had held the asylum seekers beyond the legal time limit. “There can be no dispute over the fact that incarceration for 12 long months, added to by a year in a detention center, as was carried out under the prevailing law, is extremely unreasonable and disproportionate,” the court said in its ruling, Haaretz reported. “It is unthinkable that this court has repeatedly struck down this law, yet the petitioners are still imprisoned.”

NOVEMBER 13, 2014/20 CHESHVAN 5775 ■

JEWISH OBSERVER

11

NEWS IN bRIEF

obituaries Kathryn Ball Gaubatz

From JTA

Former Syracusan Kathryn Ball Gaubatz, 72, died on October 10 in Coral Gables, FL. She was a lover of education, travel, art, tropical plants and early music. Her passion was the Miami Bach Society.

She was a graduate of Wellesley College, received her masters of social work from the University of Chicago and held a certificate in non-profit management from Case Western Reserve University. She and her husband moved to South Florida in the mid-1970s.

She was director of public relations for Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden and also worked to save the Gifford Arboretum at University of Miami. She was active on several governmental advisory boards in the South Florida community. She became the executive director of the Miami Bach Society in 1995 after being a member of its Board of Directors since 1984. In 2000, she founded the internationally acclaimed Tropical Baroque Music Festival, now celebrating its 16th year.

She was predeceased by her husband, John, and her son, Daniel.

She is survived by her sisters, Judith Ball, of Pompton Lakes, NJ, and Jancy Ball, of Syracuse; and friends, family and musicians around the world.

Burial was in Woodlawn Park Cemetery North, Miami, FL. Arrangements were under the direction of Riverside Gordon Memorial Chapels at Mount Nebo (Kendall), Miami, FL. Contributions may be made to the Miami Bach Society, P.O. Box 4034, Coral Gables, FL 33114.’ 

ICC won’t prosecute Israel for war crimes in Mavi Marmara incident

Hospital.

He was the owner of Associated Sales Home Improvements, a World War II veteran of the Army Air Corps, a mason, a B.A. graduate of Syracuse University and a member of Temple Concord. In retirement, he enjoyed his membership at the downtown Y and took cooking classes through the Onondaga County Department of the Aging.

He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Phyllis; their children, Roger (Mary), Lonnie (Richard), Joyce and Robert; three grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Burial was in the Temple Concord section of Woodlawn Cemetery. Sisskind Funeral Service had arrangements. 

Israel and the United States inaugurated a production line for the manufacture of wings for F-35 fighter jets. The ceremony was held on Nov. 6 at Israel Aircraft Industries near Tel Aviv. Among those on hand were Moshe Yaalon, Israel’s minister of defense, and Daniel Shapiro, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, as well as officials from Lockheed Martin and IAI. “The special relationship

The International Criminal Court said it will not open a war crimes case against Israel in the Mavi Marmara incident. The Hague court on Nov. 6 reportedly closed a preliminary investigation into the May 2010 incident in which nine Turkish passengers, including one U.S. citizen, were killed in clashes with Israeli commandos who had boarded the Mavi Marmara. The ship was part of a flotilla attempting to break Israel’s maritime blockade of Gaza.

The ICC prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, said that any cases relating to Israel’s boarding of the ship “would not be of sufficient gravity to justify further action by the ICC.” The referral to the court was submitted by the Union of Comoros in May 2013. Responding to the decision, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, “Israel is of the view that there was no basis to open a preliminary examination in the first place and regrets that the precious time and resources of the Court – an institution established to combat impunity for the worst atrocities in the world – were allocated to a complaint that was legally unfounded and politically motivated.” The ministry objected to the fact that the ICC prosecutor did not address the issue of self-defense by the soldiers in the face of violence from the activists, pointing out that both Israeli and United Nations boards of inquiries had addressed the issue. Neither Israel nor Turkey is a member of the ICC, but the court looked at the case since the Mavi Marmara was registered to the Comoros Islands, which is a member.

U.S., Israel inaugurate production line Herman “Hy” Hecht for F-35 fighter jet wings Herman Hecht, 93, died on October 26 at St. Joseph’s

between the United States and Israel is stronger than any disagreement,” Yaalon said, referring to the current flap between the White House and Israel in which an Obama administration official told a U.S. reporter that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a “chickenshit” over several issues. “And there is no dispute on the gratitude that the people of Israel owe the United States for supporting our strength and security.” Yaalon said he did not feel that he was cold-shouldered during his recent visit to Washington, where he requested and was denied visits with Obama administration officials. “Some of the people could not see me since I came at an inconvenient time and they were not in town,” he said. The state-ofthe-art automated line is expected to produce four sets of wings per month that will later be attached to the F-35 fuselage in the United States. IAI is scheduled to produce more than 800 pairs of wings over the next decade. The first set will be ready for delivery to Lockheed Martin by mid-2015. The potential sales are estimated at $2.5 billion. Another Israeli company, Elbit Systems Ltd., will produce helmets for the F-35 pilots, according to reports.

Israel has bought 19 F-35s at a cost of $2.75 billion, with deliveries to begin in 2016, and plans to purchase more than a dozen more. Meanwhile, Yaalon in late October canceled a planned purchase from the United States of the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, which hovers and lands like a helicopter and flies like an airplane, due to budget cuts and changing military priorities.

Venezuela to give 1,000 Palestinians free university education

At least 1,000 Palestinians will receive a free university education in Venezuela. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Nov. 6 welcomed 119 Palestinian students who will be trained in the field of medicine through the new Yasser Arafat Scholarship Program. Maduro also announced the expansion of the program to engineering, architecture “and every field of knowledge.” The scholarship program is named for Arafat, the former head of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the first president of the Palestinian Authority.

Sandra E. Ziegler

Sandra E. Ziegler, 71, died on October 25 at her home in Fayetteville.

A life resident of Syracuse, she worked with her husband in their family business, Ziegler’s Baking Supply Co., for many years. She was a graduate of Nottingham High School and Central City Business Institute. She was a member of Temple Adath Yeshurun and competed in cards and Mah Jongg.

She was predeceased by her husband, Larry, in 1999.

She is survived by her daughters, Susan (Bill) Karkowski, of Manlius, and Marcia (Scott Alexander) Ziegler, of Fayetteville; two grandchildren; her brother, Steven (Lynn) Bronstein, of Jamesville; and a large extended family.

Burial was in Adath Yeshurun Cemetery. Sisskind Funeral Service had arrangements.

Contributions may be made to the Golisano Children’s Hospital, 750 E. Adams St., Syracuse, NY 13210. 

ADL

Continued from page 9

the leading global arbiter for what constitutes antisemitism, the go-to person for apologies and exculpation when public figures make antisemitic gaffes or missteps, and a favorite hated figure of antisemites worldwide. He also has been a staunch advocate for Israel.

“I’m confident that ADL will continue to thrive and grow under Jonathan’s leadership,” Foxman said in a statement. “I look forward to working with him to ensure a successful and smooth transition.”

Greenblatt said he is deeply honored to have been chosen for the post.

“The threats that face our community today – including the expanding specter of global antisemitism, the continued legitimization of anti-Zionism and the spreading infection of cyber-hate, are serious and sinister,” Greenblatt said. “Fighting this scourge and advocating for the rights of all is not just an intellectual pursuit – it’s personal for me, a deeply held value, one that has been seared into my soul.”

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Thank you for your trust and loyalty, Since 1934

Harvey Birnbaum 1906-1986

Harold L. Birnbaum 1901-1967

Martin J. Birnbaum

Elaine R. Birnbaum

Joel M. Friedman

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1909 East Fayette Street, Syracuse, New York 13210 315.472.5291 • 1.800.472.5182

Martin J. Birnbaum* Elaine R. Birnbaum* Joel M. Friedman *Also Licensed in Florida

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ november 13, 2014/20 CHESHVAN 5775

Museum

Jewish community; and the European and world public,” she says.

From the perspective of Polish-born philanthropist Tad Taube, honorary consul for the Republic of Poland in San Francisco, the significance of the museum’s content goes beyond Polish Jewish history. “In portraying 1,000 years of Jewish culture and history in Greater Poland, the museum traces the foundations of Judeo/Christian Western culture,” he says, referring to the contribution of Polish Jews to the various spectrums of Jewish and Christian faith in addition to significant Jewish cultural influence in philosophy, literature, theater, music and the physical sciences. Taube is the chairman of Taube Philanthropies and president of the Koret Foundation, which together provided significant funding for the museum.

Retired Polish diplomat Krzysztof (Kris) W. Kasprzyk, who has been an enthusiastic promoter of the project for more than two decades, sees the museum as particularly important to the Poland of today. “Our national cultural heritage is really impoverished without all that Jewish history in Poland had been bringing for centuries,” he told JNS.org. “This museum is like bringing fresh water to the desert – maybe that is an overblown metaphor, but we needed this venue badly.”

The museum’s goal of reaching out to both the Polish Jewish and broader Polish communities stems from the country’s increasingly welcoming environment for Jews. Chief Rabbi of Poland Michael Schudrich suggests two reasons for that trend: first, the papacy of Polish-born John Paul II, who he notes was “the first pope to ever say that antisemitism is a sin according to the Catholic Church.”

The second factor is the fall of Communism, which created not only political and economic change, but also a social upheaval. “People are willing to be more open to change than under normal circumstances,” Schudrich says, adding that younger Poles are curious about Jews, who had been largely absent or secretive about their identity in the country for 50

years after the Holocaust.

The fall of Communism, adds Kasprzyk, gave people the gift of free speech, which has allowed them to explore painful events from the past. One of these was the 1941 murder of Jews in Jewabne, a small town in northeast Poland where a Polish mob, encouraged by German Nazis, burned Jews from several surrounding communities in a barn. This incident was revealed to the larger Polish public in the book “Neighbors” by Tomasz Gross (published in 2000), and was widely and openly discussed, a process that Kasprzyk says “heals the wounds.”

Although Kasprzyk had strong Jewish connections from an early age and today cooks gefilte fish and Jewish sweets, the definitive moment in his lifetime devotion to Polish-Jewish relations came during his sophomore year at the University of Krakow.

That year, during the 1968 Polish political crisis, Kasprzyk recalls that he “witnessed the expelling from Poland of many colleagues from my high school and from the university [because of the antisemitic campaign sponsored by the Communist government], and I also witnessed labeling them simply as ‘Jews,’ as somebody who would be outside of the Polish community.

“Ever since that time, the subject of Polish Jewry was always very dear to my heart,” he says.

About two decades after the political crisis, the fall of Communism in Schudrich’s estimation marked “the first time in 50 years people [could] now think about, ‘Do I feel safe telling my children and grandchildren that they are really Jewish?”

“Since ‘89 thousands and thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of Poles, have discovered they have Jewish roots,” Schudrich says.

Schudrich, whose job is to create pathways back to Jewish identity for Poles, says the museum can play a role in that process. “For Poles with Jewish roots it can be an entry point into some kind of connection with their Jewish identity; they can learn more about their past and what

A portion of the “First Encounters” gallery within the core exhibition of the new POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews. (Photo courtesy of M. Starowieyska, D.Golik/POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews)

Continued from page 8

A wooden synagogue that is part of “The Jewish Town” gallery within the core exhibition of the new POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews. (Photo courtesy of M. Starowieyska, D.Golik/POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews) Judaism is about,” he says.

Kirshenblatt-Gimblett says the museum “can support the renewal of Jewish life” by showing to “Jews in Poland, who kept their Jewish roots a secret, that they have nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to be afraid of, and much to be proud of.”

But the museum goes beyond a sense of pride, offering a tangible resource for Polish Jews to learn about their history. “[The museum’s creation] says Jewish roots are not enough – you also need to know who you are,” says Kirshenblatt-Gimblett . “And who you are is not simply genetic. It is also historical and cultural. While the chain of transmission may have been broken, because of the Holocaust and Communism, there is an opportunity to restore that chain of transmission, and the museum can play a very important role.”

Kirshenblatt-Gimblett suggests that Jews today are not aware that their coreligionists lived in the Polish territory continually for 1,000 years. “It’s quite baffling, because they assume it was one unmitigated story of antisemitism that led to the Holocaust,” she says, explaining that if this was true, Polish Jewry would never have become a center of the Jewish world and also, for some of its history, the world’s largest Jewish community. “We place the Holocaust within the 1,000-year history of Polish Jews, not a 1,000-year history of antisemitism,” Kirshenblatt-Gimblett says.

The approach of the core exhibit is what Kirshenblatt-Gimblett calls a “theater of history” that organizes the story of Polish Jewry “as a continuous visual narrative.”

The exhibit intends to explore more than instruct, empowering the visitor. “We are not offering a master narrative, but a rather more open story, asking visitors to engage in that story and engage with primary sources and engage with debates

and with conflicting views on particular subjects,” says Kirshenblatt-Gimblett.

Regarding how the museum presents Poland and Poles, Kirshenblatt-Gimblett says, “We are a history museum and have to be intellectually responsible, so it is not our intent to improve anyone’s image and engage in any kind of polemic. We never start from the misconceptions. We think Jews will be surprised and Poles will be surprised. Jews expect that the museum will whitewash Polish history, and Poles expect an unmitigated indictment of Polish history. I think the museum will be a revelation for both.”

Some highlights of the exhibit are a hand-painted gallery of the medieval period based on Hebrew illuminated manuscripts; a comic-book version of the story of the Ba’al Shem Tov, the founder of Chasidism; a painted animation telling the story of the modern yeshiva via 24 hours in the life of the Volozhin Yeshiva; and an 85-percent scale model of the painted roof and bima of the 17th-century wooden Gwozdziec Synagogue. The model, built over the course of two years by an international group of volunteers, is based on complete drawings and sketches of both the synagogue and its ceiling.

Emphasizing why he believes this museum is as important for young non-Jewish Poles as it is for Jews in Poland and worldwide, Kasprzyk says, “The Jewish world of Poland was exterminated during the Holocaust, and I feel the Jewish world of Poland as the phantom pain – we don’t have this limb but it hurts; we feel it; it’s still there.

“This museum somehow closes the gap or brings back, very often in virtual form, what we had had for centuries,” he says. “It is very important, especially for the younger generation, because the younger generation don’t have Jews around. They don’t have Jewish colleagues or Jewish friends.”