3 SIVAN 5776 • JUNE 9, 2016 • VOLUME XXXVII, NUMBER 12 • PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID, SYRACUSE, NY
Installation of Rabbi Drazen at Temple Adath Yeshurun BY BARBARA S. SIMON AND SONALI Y. WIJESURIYA Temple Adath Yeshurun will celebrate the installation of Paul S. Drazen as rabbi on Sunday, June 26, at 1:30 pm. Organizers feel that the installation of a rabbi is “a time for the congregation and wider community to come together.” The event will mark the first time in nearly 40 years that the synagogue has installed a rabbi. The tradition of formal installation of leaders is said to trace back to Joshua being appointed to succeed Moses. The installation will be officiated by Rabbi Daniel Pressman, a colleague and good friend of Rabbi Drazen. Also participating will be Rabbi Gerald Skolnick, past president of the Rabbinical Assembly and chazzan Henry Rosenblum, past president of the Cantors Assembly, both now serving the Forest Hills Jewish Center. Clergy from all Syracuse synagogues have been asked to participate to make it “a memorable community event.” Leaders in the Jewish community and Greater Syracuse community have also been invited to attend. TAY President Howard M. Weinstein said, “After less than one year as the rabbi of Temple Adath Yeshurun, Rabbi Drazen has made an enormous impact on our synagogue and the entire Jewish community. He has brought innovative thinking, fresh ideas and energy to our community. His kindness and respect for all has brightened
and enlivened our synagogue. Susie to our community. They We are incredibly fortunate are genuine people and authento have ‘snatched up’ Rabbi tic Jews who have individually Drazen and his wonderful wife, and collectively transformed Susie, from their positions in our temple community and New York City. Their contrihave made significant changes that will serve our community butions will assuredly continue well for generations to come.” long into the future.” For the installation, the Rabbi Drazen has a bachsynagogue will publish a comelor’s in philosophy from memorative program, which Columbia University, another will be available throughout the bachelor of arts and a master Rabbi Paul S. of arts, as well as rabbinic weekend and sent out electronDrazen ordination, from the Jewish ically to the TAY membership. Theological Seminary and a doctor of The program will display messages from divinity, honoris causa, from JTS. He was friends, family and colleagues, as well as an assistant rabbi at Beth El Synagogue in local businesses. It will be an opportunity Minneapolis for three years and was the for the TAY membership and the Syracuse rabbi for 20 years at Beth El Synagogue Jewish community to “officially” welcome in Omaha, NE. He was considered an Rabbi Drazen and his family to Syracuse. “integral” part of the United Synagogue of Funds raised from the program will be used Conservative Judaism for 14 years, during to create a scholarship fund for children which time he guided congregations in to attend informal Jewish educational programming, leadership development experiences such as Camp Ramah and and operational excellence. He has served United Synagogue Youth. on hospital ethics committees, committees The installation will be one part of a scholto curb domestic violence and was presi- ar-in-residence weekend featuring Rabbi dent of a religious broadcast consortium. Pressman. He will present three learning Rabbi Drazen and his wife, Susie, have opportunities at Temple Adath Yeshurun two children, Gila and Yonah, as well as between Thursday-Saturday, June 23-25. a daughter-in-law, Yonah’s wife, Megan. He served Congregation Beth David in Chair of the Installation Committee Saratoga, CA, as senior rabbi for 33 years. Chaim Jaffe said, “It is a pleasure and hon- During his tenure there, Beth David won or to formally welcome Rabbi Drazen and numerous Solomon Schechter awards and
Pro-Israel heavyweights press hard for two states BY RON KAMPEAS WASHINGTON (JTA) – In a rare and sharp split with Israeli government policy, a group of Jewish community leaders wants to get a proposal for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the next president’s desk. Two complementary U.S. and Israeli working papers, which were to be launched the week of May 25, propose immediate actions Israel can take to prepare the ground for two states and a longer-term security structure that aims to satisfy Palestinian ambitions for sovereignty and Israeli security needs. Elements of the proposals, including relocating settlers and preparing for Palestinian sovereignty in Jerusalem, are considered radical departures from the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s current government, perhaps the most right wing in Israeli history. Tactically, getting the next president to kick-start new talks is also anathema to Netanyahu, who regards outside pressure as counterproductive. The organization behind the push, the Israel Policy Forum, is not new to such initiatives. It was established in the early 1990s at the behest of then-Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who went over the head of what was then a hawkish pro-Israel establishment to seek U.S. Jewish backing for his peace talks with the Palestinians. This time, however, the party doing the
reaching over is not the Israeli prime minister, but Jewish community heavyweights who have helmed major Jewish organizations, from the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations to the Anti-Defamation League. In the last 18 months or so, the Israel Policy Forum has signed to its board Alan Solow and Robert Sugarman, past chairmen of the Presidents Conference, the Jewish community’s foreign policy umbrella group. Sugarman also is a past president of the ADL. On board, too, are Robert Elman and Robert Goodkind, past presidents of the American Jewish Committee, and Susie Gelman, a past president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and an early funder of The Israel Project. Solow, Sugarman and Gelman, with Israel Policy Forum staff, met recently with JTA. The Israel Policy Forum has never disbanded, but the new heavyweights represent the kind of clout it hasn’t seen in years. The initiative formally launched at a conference in Washington, DC, on May 31, showcasing proposals for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from veterans of the Israeli and American diplomatic establishments – represented by commanders for Israel’s Security and the Center for a New American Security, respectively. Mainstream Jewish groups have long been resistant to openly challenging Israel on security issues. Solow said that was
less of a consideration in Israel’s volatile political climate. “One doesn’t know what Israel’s government is going to look like in a week,” he said. Solow also noted the stasis following the collapse of the last round of Israeli-Palestinian talks in 2014 that has driven Democrats to criticize Israel more freely as they see the prospects of two states diminish. “Taking on the perspective from those in the pro-Israel community, the only reasonable Zionist solution is to have two states for two people,” Solow said. Both likely presidential nominees, Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton, have said they would like to address Israeli-Palestinian peace. “Every time a new administration comes into office, these issues get a fresh look, that’s a historical fact,” said Solow, probably the Jewish leader who has been closest to President Barack Obama. The board members lend the initiative political clout in an election year in which much media attention on pro-Israel voices is focused on Republican mega-donors
was known for its innovative programming. Rabbi Pressman graduated from University of California, Los Angeles, and was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. He is the author, with Rabbi Ronald Isaacs, of several prayer books. Many synagogues around the world have used Rabbi Pressman’s “Torah Sparks,” a weekly discussion guide to the Torah portion distributed by the United Synagogue. He was also on the commentary committee for Chumash Etz Hayim. Rabbi Pressman will discuss “Civil Discourse in Jewish Tradition” on June 23 at 7:30 pm, immediately following the annual meeting. A “brunch and learn” will be held on June 25 at 10:45 am, after the Torah service. The topic will be “I Don’t Believe the Torah is the Literal Word of God; so Why Should I Care what it Says?” Finally, there will be a study session that evening at 7:45 pm, before Mincha and Ma’ariv, on “Murphy’s Law and Jewish Law.” It will be followed by services at 8:45 pm. All of these learning opportunities will be free and open to the community. Reservations have been requested for the brunch and learn on June 25 and for the installation on June 26, which will be followed by a dessert reception. Reservations can be made by contacting 445-0002 or info@adath.org. To send a message or place an advertisement in the commemorative program, contact Sonali Wijesuriya at sonali@adath.org.
2016 Federation Annual Campaign Goal: $1,200,000
1,052,660
$
as of June 6, 2016
To make a pledge, contact Marianne Bazydlo at 445-2040 ext. 102 or mbazydlo@jewishfederationcny.org.
See “States” on page 3
C A N D L E L I G H T I N G A N D P A R AS H A
June 10......................8:25 pm.....................................................Parasha-Bamidbar June 11......................after 9:37 pm.................................................... Erev Shavuot June 12......................after 9:38 pm.............................................................Shavuot June 17......................8:28 pm............................................................ Parasha-Naso June 24......................8:30 pm...............................................Parasha-BeHa’alotcha
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Congregational notes
Shavuot
Community Guide
PLUS
Talks, concerts and more are Chabad presents an online course, The annual Community Guide is B’nai Mitzvah........................... 3 announced by area congregations. “Scroll Down,” for Shavuot. included in this issue. Calendar Highlights............... 4 Story on page 3 Stories on page 2 Stories on pages 1A-20A Obituaries................................. 4
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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ JUNE 9, 2016/3 SIVAN 5776
CONGREGATIONAL NOTES Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas CBS-CS MOVING UP SHABBAT Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas will celebrate various academic milestones during its Saturday, June 18, Shabbat service. All students completing a level of studies, secular and/or Judaic, will be recognized, including those graduating high school in the congregation’s annual “High School Send-Off.” The congregation will present the annual Dr. Gustave and Alice Pearlman Award to graduating high school seniors who have maintained involvement in Jewish life, read Torah and “exemplified the values” that Alice Pearlman, who recently passed away, shared with her late husband, Gus Pearlman, who was the congregation’s Torah reader for 25 years. She established the award after her husband’s death. It will now be awarded in honor of both. There will be an “It’s Cool to Daven in Shul” service that morning. Post-bar and bat mitzvah students will lead services and read
Torah. Following services, there will be the synagogue’s monthly Shabbat Spot kiddush, which that morning will be sponsored in honor of the auf ruf of Sam Kessler, who received the Pearlman Award when he was a graduating high school senior. HAZAK The Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas Hazak group will present “American Jewish Gangsters,” a program by Jeffrey Kahn, on Sunday, June 26. He is the medical director of rehabwoRx Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, PLLC. There will be a brunch at 10 am, with the program beginning at 10:30 am. The event will be open to the community. Kahn will discuss the role of Jewish gangsters in the development of organized crime in the U.S. He will describe his experiences when he crossed paths with gangsters, some Jewish and others not, and the “shocking news” that he found out on the day of his bar mitzvah.
Shaarei Torah Orthodox Congregation LYNN KOSS TO SPEAK ON THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF THE MEDIA’S COVERAGE OF ISRAEL Lynn C. Koss will speak on “Who gets hurt? The unintended consequences of the media’s coverage of Israel” on Sunday, June 26, at Shaarei Torah Orthodox Congregation of Syracuse’s 10 am brunch, at STOCS, 4313 E. Genesee St., DeWitt. A speech-language pathologist in private practice with a background in linguistics, Koss says she is reminded daily that “communication is a gift that is too often taken for granted. It has the power to hurt or to heal.” It is believed that the media’s ability to communicate their messages on a grand scale “magnifies their responsibility.” She said that “by necessity” newspapers and other media make choices on what to include and what to exclude. She feels that sometimes these choices are made with good intentions; sometimes not, and that, at times, obfuscation is chosen over clarity. She will explore the patterns that emerge from these choices; as well as the
consequences of these choices. She feels that “too often, they are not harmless and can produce long-lasting, deleterious results.” She will discuss several examples. The event will be free and open to the public. Reservations will not be required. SIMLY TSFAT Simply Tsfat, a trio of classically-trained, Safed, Israel-based, Chasidic musicians, has played to audiences around the world, including in Syracuse last year. The group will appear again in concert on Wednesday, June 29, at 8 pm, at Shaarei Torah Orthodox Congregation of Syracuse, 4313 E. Genesee St., DeWitt. The musicians’ performances on violin, acoustic guitar and acoustic flamenco guitar are an eclectic mix of Hebrew, English, dance, instrumental and song, and present an interpretation of Chasidic life and music interspersed with stories, anecdotes and teaching. Those who did not hear them last time have been encouraged to attend the event, which will be free and open to the public. Reservations will not be required.
Shaarei Torah Orthodox Congregation of Syracuse will once again present a trio of Chasidic Israeli musicians, Simply Tsfat, in a free concert on Wednesday, June 29. L-r: Violinist Yehonasan Lipshutz; native Israeli and acoustic flamenco guitarist Yonatan Tzarum; and vocalist and storyteller Elyahu Reiter. The trio played last June at the synagogue. Participants at the Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas 2016 Shabbaton at Asbury Camp and Retreat Center in Silver Lake recorded their memories of the weekend on quilt squares to reflect “the rest and joy” of the Shabbaton. The finished quilt will hang in an area outside Rabbi Andrew Pepperstone’s office at the synagogue.
D’VAR TORAH Numbers are part of everything BY ALAN SUKERT Numbers – our lives are governed by them. They are part of everything we do. They identify us; they categorize us; they tell others about us; they describe our accomplishments; they define our goals and dreams; they define our successes and failures. Social security numbers, credit card numbers, addresses, telephone numbers, grade point averages, batting averages, adjusted gross income, number of children, number of siblings – all the numbers that describe our lives and us. Being a mathematics major in college, I have lived with numbers my whole life. Numbers are important to us as Jews, also. The fourth book of the Torah, Bamidbar, is titled “Numbers” in English. There are 613 commandments in the Torah, seven days in the week, seven weeks between Pesach and Shavuot, etc. Jewish Gematria, assigning numbers to the letters of the Jewish alphabet, has become part of our tradition. Numbers also play an integral part in this week’s parasha, Bamidbar, especially the number 603,550. At the very beginning of parasha Bamidbar, God orders Moses to “Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, by their polls; from 20 years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: ye shall number them by their hosts, even thou and Aaron; And with you there shall be a man of every tribe, every one head of his father’s house.” After totaling up the count for the 11 tribes, other than the Levites, the number of adult males 21 and older was 603,550; the Levites were counted separately and numbered
22,000. This request is reasonable – the Jewish people were going to have to fight eventually to gain control of the Promised Land, so it made sense to know just how many adult Jewish males were actually available to fight – but it does bring up some interesting questions. For example, why only adult males 21 years of age or older? Why was it important to count each tribe individually? Why was it important that each person be associated with the head of the house of each person? Wouldn’t it be enough to say, “Take a count of the number of adult males 21 years of age and older who are available to fight?” These are all good questions and a person could write multiple d’vrei Torah in answering each one. Instead, I would like to take all these questions together because I think they all share one common thread – an understanding of human nature. We are all individuals. We all want our individual accomplishments to be known and appreciated by others. Each of us wants to be treated as a unique and important human being. At the same time, we have an instinctive need to be part of a group; to be part of a “collective,” if I can borrow the term from Star Trek. It is a clear dichotomy – to be an individual, yet at the same time, be part of a group. So how does one do both at the same time? We see in parasha Bamidbar one way that it is possible to do both. Each Jewish adult male is individually counted. God is saying, “I value each Jewish adult male (and by extension every Jewish female) as an individual with his unique dreams, aspirations, skills, contributions; so I want See “Part” on page 3
Temple Concord SEASONED CITIZENS PRESENTS BROADWAY ARIAS BY GERIATRIC QUARTET Temple Concord will present a Seasoned Citizens program on Tuesday, June 14, at 2 pm. The program will feature the Geriatric Quartet, featuring Phil Eisenman on basso, Nancy Pease on piano, Gail
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Exline on flute and Gayle Roth, a soprano. They will highlight Broadway opera arias, whose titles will be announced at the program’s beginning. The program will be free and open to the public. Free parking and accessibility will be available in the synagogue lot, located at 910 Madison St., Syracuse. All articles, announcements and photographs must be received by noon Wednesday, 15 days prior to publication date. Articles must be typed, double spaced and include the name of a contact person and a daytime telephone number. E-mail submissions are encouraged and may be sent to JewishObserverCNY@gmail.com. The Jewish Observer reserves the right to edit any copy. Signed letters to the editor are welcomed: they should not exceed 250 words. Names will be withheld at the discretion of the editor. All material in this newspaper has been copyrighted and is exclusive property of the Jewish Observer and cannot be reproduced without the consent of the publisher. Views and opinions expressed by our writers, columnists, advertisers and by our readers do not necessarily reflect the publisher’s and editors’ points of view, nor that of the Jewish Federation of Central New York. The newspaper reserves the right to cancel any advertisements at any time. This newspaper is not liable for the content of any errors appearing in the advertisements beyond the cost of the space occupied. The advertiser assumes responsibility for errors in telephone orders. The Jewish Observer does not assume responsibility for the kashrut of any product or service advertised in this paper. THE JEWISH OBSERVER OF CENTRAL NEW YORK (USPS 000939) (ISSN 1079-9842) Publications Periodical postage paid at Syracuse, NY and other offices. Published 24 times per year by the Jewish Federation of Central New York Inc., a non-profit corporation, 5655 Thompson Road, DeWitt, NY 13214. Subscriptions: $36/year; student $10/ year. POST MASTER: Send address change to JEWISH OBSERVER OF CENTRAL NEW YORK, 5655 Thompson Road, DeWitt, NY 13214.
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3 SIVAN 5776 • JUNE 9, 2016 • VOLUME XXVII, NUMBER 12 • PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID, SYRACUSE, NY
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JEWISH OBSERVER COMMUNITY GUIDE ■ JUNE 9, 2016/3 SIVAN 5776
Advertiser Directory
Table of Contents Jewish Federation of Central New York................................... Page 3A Federation Agencies Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center....................... Page 4A Jewish Family Service...................................................... Page 5A Schools Rabbi Jacob H. Epstein School of Jewish Studies............ Page 6A Syracuse Community Hebrew School.............................. Page 6A Syracuse Hebrew Day School........................................... Page 6A Jewish Community Foundation of Central New York............. Page 7A Jewish Observer........................................................................ Page 7A Jewish War Veterans Post 131................................................... Page 7A Friends of Israeli Scouts............................................................ Page 8A Jewish Music and Cultural Festival.......................................... Page 8A Judaic Heritage Center of Central New York............................ Page 8A Chabad-Lubavitch of Central New York................................ Page 11A Chabad of Oswego.................................................................. Page 11A Area Synagogues Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas....................... Page 12A Congregation Degel Israel.............................................. Page 14A Shaarei Torah Orthodox Congregation of Syracuse........ Page 14A Temple Adath Yeshurun.................................................. Page 13A Temple Beth El - Geneva................................................ Page 14A Temple Concord.............................................................. Page 13A Ahavath Achim Mikvah.......................................................... Page 11A Va’ad Ha’ir.............................................................................. Page 11A Local Jewish Cemeteries......................................................... Page 15A Women’s Organizations Hadassah........................................................................... Page 9A Na’amat USA – Avodah Chapter...................................... Page 9A National Council of Jewish Women.................................. Page 9A Senior Living Menorah Park ................................................................. Page 16A Oaks at Menorah Park..................................................... Page 17A Syracuse University Hillel................................................................................ Page 10A Jewish Studies Program.................................................. Page 10A Sorkin Chabad House...................................................... Page 10A Kashrut Guide ........................................................................ Page 15A Advertiser Directory................................................................. Page 2A
Disclaimer
All information contained in the Jewish Observer’s Community Guide was provided by the individual synagogues and organizations. The JO accepts no responsibility for the information provided by contributors.
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Advertiser Page Barks & Rec......................................................................................... 3A Berkshire Hathaway Home Services - Elaine Meyers-Matloff.... 4A Birnbaum Funeral Service...............................................................11A Cazenovia Jewelry............................................................................. 3A Charitable Auto Resource Service................................................... 3A Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas....................................... 7A Dog Doody Duty................................................................................ 9A Fayetteville Hair Design................................................................... 3A Geddes Federal Savings & Loan.................................................... 13A Genesee Grande Hotel, The.............................................................. 5A Health Care
Asthma & Allergy Associates............................................. 17A
Dr. Joseph Catania, Orthodontics...................................... 17A
Dr. William Tucker............................................................... 16A
Frameology Optical.............................................................. 17A
Malara Eyecare & Eyewear Gallery................................... 16A
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Heckled Hen, The.............................................................................11A Jewish Community Center............................................................... 8A John Arquette Properties - Barbara Miller...................................... 6A King David’s Restaurant..................................................................11A Kreher’s Poultry Farms................................................................... 15A Menorah Park - Kosher Catering..................................................... 2A Pexton Memorials.............................................................................. 3A RealtyUSA - Beth MacCrindle........................................................ 15A RealtyUSA - Cheryl Schotz............................................................... 9A Sisskind Funeral Service................................................................... 9A Temple Adath Yeshurun.................................................................. 10A Temple Concord................................................................................. 6A Village ACE Hardware...................................................................... 2A Yankel & Company Catering - Traditions at the Links............... 12A
About the cover
This year’s Community Guide cover was created by Jenn DePersis, production coordinator of The Reporter Group, which publishes the Jewish Observer.
JUNE 9, 2016/3 SIVAN 5776 ■
JEWISH OBSERVER COMMUNITY GUIDE
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Jewish Federation of Central New York 5655 Thompson Rd. DeWitt, NY 13214 Phone: 315-445-0161 Direct Voice Mail to Departments: 315-445-2040 ext. 106 Fax: 315-445-1559 Website: www.jewishfederationcny.org President/CEO: Linda Alexander Federation as Communal Organization The Jewish Federation of Central New York is dedicated to nurturing a thriving Jewish community in Syracuse and throughout Central New York. Established in 1918, Federation strives to build community and ensure the continuity of Jewish life by encouraging the participation of all Jews in activities offered by the Federation and its family of beneficiary agencies, area synagogues and other Jewish organizations. Today, Federation serves a community of about 7,000 Jews living in Syracuse and the surrounding area, as well as people in need in Israel and 60 countries worldwide. Federation is viewed as the central address for the Syracuse and Central New York Jewish community. Federation Board of Directors The Jewish Federation of Central New York Board of Directors works cooperatively with community leaders from synagogues and Jewish and civic organizations to identify community needs and help ensure that those needs are met. The Federation’s Community Relations Committee identifies and educates against antisemitism; maintains strong and positive interfaith relationships; advocates for Israel and world Jewry; and works to safeguard and defend the civic, economic and religious rights of all Jewish people. The Federation Board of Directors leadership team for 2016-2017 is Chair Ruth Stein; Vice Chair Ellen Weinstein; Annual Campaign Chair Mark Wladis; Finance Chair Steven Volinsky; Allocations Co-Chairs Cheryl Schotz and Ellen Weinstein; Community Relations Chair Michael Balanoff; Communications Chair Mark Field; Human Resources Chair Joel Friedman; and Young Leadership Co-Chairs Neil Rube and David Temes.
Board members include Adam Alweis, Marc Beckman, Cantor Francine Berg, Sidney Cominsky, Miriam Elman, Alan Goldberg, Philip Holstein, David Horowitch, Elliott Meltzer, Todd Pinsky, Neil Rosenbaum, Carl Rosenzweig, Rabbi Evan Shore, Bruce Smith and Jef Sneider. Linda Alexander serves as the president/CEO. Financial Goals Fund development is one of the most important activities of Federation. Increased financial support for vital programs and services is critical to the growth and stability of the Jewish community. Through its allocation process, Federation makes funding decisions in the interest of the community’s needs, goals and priorities. Federation helps the community identify its philanthropic passions and provides a wide range of opportunities to fill them. The Annual Campaign is the backbone of Federation’s fund development efforts. In 2016, Federation surpassed its $1 million goal thanks to the leadership of Campaign Chair Mark Wladis and his team of volunteer solicitors. Each year on Super Sunday, a one-day phone-a-thon, more than 100 volunteers gather to raise more than $70,000 for the Annual Campaign. Federation is grateful to generous community members for their support. Each contribution to the Annual Campaign supports a variety of programs provided by a network of local and overseas beneficiary agencies. Local agencies and programs supported by the Annual Campaign include the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center, Syracuse Jewish Family Service, Syracuse Hebrew Day School, Rabbi Jacob H. Epstein School of Jewish Studies, Hillel at Syracuse University, Ahavath Achim Mikvah, Judaic Heritage Center, Syracuse Jewish Cemeteries Association, the Jewish Observer, Jewish Music and Cultural Festival, Israel Independence Day celebration, InterFaith Works, Israel Experience program for teens, Friends of Israeli Scouts and the Beit Tikvah home for women with developmental disabilities. The Federation’s Community Program Fund offers grants to local Jewish agencies, organizations and synagogues.
Super Sunday requires many volunteers for this one day phone-a-thon to the community to raise funds for the Jewish Federation of Central New York and the Jewish institutions, agencies and programs it supports. L-r: Sondra Goldberg, Orit Antosh, Mara Charlamb and Robin Ciciarelli were among the volunteers.
PEXTON MEMORIALS (FORMERLY GROSKIN MEMORIALS) MONUMENTS, MARKERS, CEMETERY LETTERING, PLANTINGS ARRANGED
Established 1970
Call for appointment 697-9461
The Community Program Fund made the following possible: video stories of the old Jewish community as told to the Judaic Heritage Center; a collaborative Jewish theater project for children through the JCC and Syracuse Hebrew Day School; handbook on Jewish funeral and mourning customs through the Syracuse Rabbinical Council; support for the daily kosher Senior Meal Program at the JCC; a special grant to help needy Jewish members of the community through Syracuse Jewish Family Service; “Teach Jewish Heroes through Cards” through Chabad Lubavitch of Central New York ; “Packing for College: Where does Judaism Fit?” through the Rabbi Jacob Epstein School; promoting kosher take-out dinners through Menorah Park; training and follow-up for all the religious school teachers in the Syracuse area on the topic of special education in the Jewish classroom through SAJE (Syracuse Area Jewish Educators); scholarships for SU Hillel students to attend national conferences; enriched Syracuse Hebrew Day School extracurricular activities; a social media liaison for the Syracuse Hebrew Day School; a Syracuse Community Hebrew School end-of-year dinner for families from Temple Adath Yeshurun, Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas and Temple Concord; and Community Ambassadors from Relationship Judaism Work Group. Federation’s overseas partners are the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, the Jewish Agency for Israel and World ORT. As a member of the Jewish Federations of North America, Federation provides funding for the rescue and relief of Jews in need around the world, and assists those making aliyah to Israel. Thousands of people around the world are affected by a single gift to the Jewish Federation of Central New York Annual Campaign. Federation offers community members the opportunity to continue their support of local and overseas agencies in perpetuity, through the Perpetual Annual Campaign Endowment (or PACE) program. A PACE gift creates a restricted endowment fund at the Jewish Community Foundation of Central New York dedicated to endowing a donor’s Annual Campaign gift. Federation also establishes emergency relief funds to offer a way for local community members to help out when natural
A new family-friendly Federation event, “Meet at the MOST,” brought more than 300 people to the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology on a Saturday evening to mingle and enjoy themselves. Parker, Alexis and Ethan Scaramuzzino were among the children who enjoyed the MOST event. disasters and other catastrophes strike around the world. Federation distributes 100 percent of the money collected to its overseas partner agencies that provide direct services to victims. This year, the Federation will again offer funding to families for Jewish summer overnight camp experiences. Community Activities Federation offers a wide range of social, cultural, educational, community service and fund-raising activities, and sponsors programs to help educate Jewish leadership and the entire community. Federation coordinates the community’s annual Holocaust remembrance program, which honors and remembers not only those who were lost during the Holocaust (the Shoah), but also those who survived to share their stories with the generations that follow. Through Federation’s Shalom Syracuse program, Community Concierge Jacki Goldberg personally delivers welcome baskets to new Jewish members of the community. Each welcome basket is filled with gifts for a new home, and information from Jewish organizations and synagogues, as well as local arts, leisure and entertainment venues in the secular community.
See “Federation” on page 19A
More than 100 volunteers came together to make calls at the Jewish Federation of Central New York’s annual phone-a-thon in January.
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Federation Agencies Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse
5655 Thompson Rd. DeWitt, NY 13214 Executive Director: Marci Erlebacher Phone List: JCC Front Desk: 315-445-2360 JCC Neulander Family Sports and Fitness Center: 315-234-4JCC (234-4522) Direct dial to departments: 315-445-2040 For membership inquiries, contact the membership director: 315-445-2360 Fax: 315-449-4539 Website: www.jccsyr.org Hours of Operation: Main Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 8 am-9 pm, Fri. 8 am-6 pm, Sun. 9 am-5 pm Fitness Center Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 5:30 am-9 pm, Fri. 5:30 am-6 pm, *Sat. 8 am-4 pm, Sun. 7 am-6 pm Pool Hours: Sun.-Fri. 9 am-7 pm, Lap Swim – Mon.Fri. 8 am-12 pm, *Sat. 10 am-7 pm During Camp Rishon (June 27-August 19): Mon.Fri. 3:30 pm-8 pm, Lap Swim – Mon.-Fri. 8 am-9 am, *Sat. 10 am-7 pm, Sun. 9 am-7 pm *Saturday hours are for the Fitness Center and pool only. No transactions of business or special activities are carried out during Shabbat. Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse: A place where everyone belongs. Share in a long tradition. Come to the place where the Syracuse Jewish community has come together for generations to celebrate, educate, organize and have fun. With programs and services for infants from 6-weeks old to seniors, there is something for everyone at the JCC. Membership options vary. Call 445-2360 to schedule a tour. JCC Neulander Family Sports and Fitness Center Meet your fitness goals with the support of the JCC’s Sports and Fitness Center. With state-of-the-art fitness equipment, certified personal trainers and expert group exercise instructors, members receive the support they need to work toward their goals. The fitness facility includes Life Fitness cardio and circuit training equipment; a weight room; collegiate-sized gymnasium; aerobic and dance studio; indoor running/walking track; two outdoor heated pools; massage therapy; available physical therapy; and clean locker rooms/showers with towel service. Fitness Center programming features group exercise classes ranging from group cycle, TRX and Zumba to yoga, chair classes, senior fit and adult tap dance. New members receive a free, one-hour personal training session. With memberships offered for teens and individuals age 14 and older, as well as family and senior memberships, the JCC is the right place to meet your fitness goals. Pool and Swim Lessons The JCC’s outdoor heated pool is open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. It’s a great gathering
L-r:JCC Neulander Family Sports and Fitness Center director and personal trainer Pat Scott helped motivate fitness member Peggy Goodell during a personal training session. The JCC’s Sports and Fitness Center offers fitness members a free 30-minute fitness assessment.
place for members and their guests to cool off, relax and exercise. The two JCC pools include a small kiddie pool and a large pool featuring shallow and deep ends. Group, semi-private and private swimming lessons for infants as young as 6 months old, older children and adults are offered seven days a week through August. Swim lessons are taught by Red Cross certified instructors. Swimmers of all skill levels are welcome. Health, Physical Education and Recreation Among the classes the JCC’s HPER program offers to children age 3 and older are gymnastics, karate, sensory gym, basketball, rookie sports and various dance classes, including ballet, tap and jazz. The JCC gymnastics program offers preschool classes, as well as a gymnastics team that participates in competitions. Jerome and Phyllis Charney Early Childhood Development Program Learn, explore, develop and socialize with the JCC’s Early Childhood Development Program. Designed for infants through pre-kindergarten, the program focuses on all four areas of development: social-emotional, language, cognitive and gross motor. The ECDP is licensed by New York state and is a member of Onondaga County Child Care Solutions. ECDP also uses the Creative Curriculum® and is a participant of QUALITYstarsNY, which currently holds a four out of five-star rating. The Creative Curriculum aligns with the Early Learning Guidelines and is approved by New York state. The ECDP creates a safe environment that nurtures children and features preschool and pre-kindergarten focused on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) as well as early literacy skills. With flexible scheduling, enrichment classes and affordable programming, the ECDP is the perfect fit for any family. After School Care Offered for school-age children in kindergarten-sixth grade, the JCC’s state-licensed after-school program is fun and educational, providing safe care for children after the school day ends. Children enjoy their afternoon with healthy snacks, activities and supervision. After-school children use the JCC gymnasium for games and activities, the children’s room for arts and crafts, a homework room for homework help, outdoor fields, GAGA pit, basketball courts and the JCC playground and outdoor pool to make the most of warm spring and summer afternoons. Before School Care Offering Jamesville-DeWitt elementary students a safe and comfortable place to go in the morning before the school day begins. This convenient and flexible program includes free busing to school. Kids Night Out Give yourself a night off while your kids enjoy a night out at the JCC. Kids Night Out, held on Saturday nights three times a year, is full of activities, fun foods and new-release movies. Vacation Camps and Snow Days School vacation camps and snow-day care at the JCC allow children to get the most out of their days off from school with field trips, games, special events and activities during school holidays, breaks and unexpected snow days. Camp Rishon The JCC’s Camp Rishon summer day camp offers different enrollment options for three distinct age groups. The early childhood camp is for children 6 weeks old through those entering kindergarten. The school-age camp is open to children entering grades one-six and the SyraCruisin’ teen travel camp is for young teens entering grades seven-10. The early childhood camp
At right: Children in the JCC’s Jerome and Phyllis Charney Early Childhood Development Program are offered many handson learning opportunities, such as making matzah when the Chabad House Lubavitch of Central New York visits with its Model Matzah Bakery. L-r: Model Matzah Bakery volunteers Miki Dahan and Natan Eisenberg made matzah with ECDP preschoolers Jacey Zheng, Connor Manchester, Seth DeRosa Anderson and Ethan Gadarian.
Certified swimming instructor Jeff Hust (far right) gave a swim lesson to Zoe Mastronardi (left) and Wyatt Cole during summer camp 2015 at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse. All campers from 18 months through sixth grade participate in daily Red Cross swim lessons and free swim time in the JCC’s outdoor heated swimming pools. offers developmentally-appropriate, interactive, indoor/ outdoor activities geared toward fun-filled days with friends. The school-age camp offers everything from the traditional summer camp experience with Nitzanim to specialty camps focused on a specific interest area such as art, sports, rocketry, gymnastics, fishing and more. Camp programming includes daily Red Cross-certified swim lessons and recreational swimming, optional overnights and early- and late-care options. Each weekly SyraCruisin’ teen travel camp features local and/or regional field trips and one mitzvah or community service day. Overnight trips are also scheduled for certain weeks. With new adventures planned each day, each session will be different from the previous one. New this year for campers entering grades seven-10 is the Junior Camp Aide program, which helps to prepare future JCC camp aides and counselors in training. Teens aged 14 and 15 who are a part of a JCC family membership can take advantage of the camp aide or counselor in training programs to learn the skills needed to become a camp counselor. Teens Teen events at the JCC bring together teens from all over the Syracuse area. The annual Battle of the Bands hosts local high school bands and their fans for a friendly concert and competition. The JCC’s teen programming strives to enrich the lives of teens in grades seven-12 by promoting an atmosphere of recreation, education, volunteerism and entertainment. The JCC’s primary goal is to gather teens of all ages to create new friendships in a safe and enjoyable environment. Adults The JCC’s adult programming offers a variety of social, cultural and educational events. Programs include arts, guest lectures, entertainment, defensive driving classes, special events, movie screenings, panel discussions and more. Senior Adults With programs for seniors to broaden their horizons or simply have fun, the JCC is the place to connect with new and established friends. The JCC’s Bobbi Epstein Lewis Senior Adult Dining Program, open to individuals age 60 and older, is the only senior nutrition program available outside of New York City serving kosher meals five days per week. Senior kosher lunches are offered Monday-Thursday, except in the summer when the program offers lunch Tuesday-Friday and dinner on Monday evenings from June through August. The program is funded in part by the Onondaga County Department of Aging and Youth and the New York State
See “JCC” on page 19A
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Jewish Family Service 4101 East Genesee St. Syracuse, NY 13214 Phone: 315-446-9111, ext. 234 Fax: 315-446-1537 Office e-mail: info@sjfs.org Website: www.sjfs.org Director: Judith S. Huober Office hours: Mon.-Fri. 9 am-5 pm (4 pm closing, winter Fridays); evening counseling hours by appointment Syracuse Jewish Family Service at Menorah Park is the human services arm of the Jewish community. A notfor-profit agency, it is dedicated to helping individuals and families in the Jewish and general communities maximize their self-determination, realize their potential and live with dignity. With its origins in the United Jewish Charities of 1891, SJFS was incorporated in 1939 and has always been guided by the Jewish values of family, community, diversity, respect and autonomy. Placing emphasis on issues relating to aging, SJFS provides services on site at the Menorah Park campus and in community-based locations throughout Onondaga County. Its programs focus on care management and behavioral and emotional health, and include counseling and psychotherapy, psychosocial education, geriatric care management, financial case management and assistance with personal finances, Kosher Meals on Wheels, advocacy, transportation and errand services, crisis intervention, volunteers/Jewish communal service and other service learning, as well as oversight of Beit Tikvah, Menorah Park’s kosher group home for the developmentally disabled, and other exceptional needs programs. SJFS is supported by the United Way, the Jewish Federation of Central New York, the Onondaga County Department of Aging and Youth, the Women’s Fund of Central New York and many others. Watch for new programming this year focusing on brain health. CNY PEARLS, the Program to Encourage Active Rewarding LiveS SJFS piloted and spearheads CNY PEARLS, the Program to Encourage Active Rewarding LiveS, the region’s only evidence-based geriatric depression program, which is delivered to clients in their homes free of charge. BeWell Initiative: Behavioral and Emotional Wellness Empowers Later Life The therapeutic role of CNY PEARLS is balanced by wellness programming through SJFS’s BeWell Initiative: Behavioral and Emotional Wellness Empowers Later Life. BeWell integrates case management, therapy and counseling services, and family life education. Featuring CNY PEARLS and BeWell learning groups, BeWell is the area’s only program to focus on psychogeriatric wellness, education and service needs for older adults and their families. BeWell operates on a multi-domain wellness framework, including financial and spiritual health, and is expanding this year to integrate other domains into BeWell programs such as cognitive health, nutrition, and exercise and fall safety. Family Time with the Family Service In 2016, SJFS launched a new series of family-oriented events to extend wellness opportunities to the entire Jewish community. Storytime with a Jewish maggid and “A Time to Plant” will be followed this year with other programs supporting individual and family well-being. Kol Chai Kol Chai coordinates community funds and other resources to support the continuing expense, beyond short-term crisis intervention, of providing case management, counseling, psycho-education and other services to help members of the Jewish community prevent or recover from crisis or personal emergency. The goal of Kol Chai is to use SJFS community resources to the greatest effect to maximize social and
Dirt improves mood. SJFS volunteer and former staffer Barbara Baum (far right) helped one area family learn that fact the hands-on way at “A Time to Plant” on April 10, the second event in the new Family Time with the Family Service series.
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At right: Loneliness in later life is an even bigger risk factor to health than obesity, according to new research. SJFS staffer Rob Hoston and musical colleague Kimo Cortini donated their talents to help make “A Time to Plant” a lonelinessbusting, health-building success. emotional wellness among community members, and help Jewish individuals and families prevent and/or emerge from a crisis with the necessary resources, life skills and koach to be able to care for themselves and face a better future. Programs offered by Syracuse Jewish Family Service AgeWise Solutions is a relationship-based program to empower individuals and families to successfully navigate life transitions and manage issues of later life or disability. SJFS’s professional geriatric care managers offer personal support and guide individuals and families through the maze of Medicare, veterans’ benefits, home care choices and coordination of services, insurance claims, transportation, communication among family members, home maintenance issues – in short, anything families need to give them peace of mind each day. Care managers also help seniors and individuals with disabilities manage household bills and paperwork – writing out checks, balancing financial statements, reading and writing personal correspondence, and completing applications, insurance forms and other official paperwork. A sliding fee scale keeps services affordable to most. A Ride and More provides transportation (with or
At right: To tell a story is to activate the whole brain – and that of the listeners too. This past winter, Maggid Jim Brulé got lots of brains – and hearts – activated at Jewish Stories of Families through the Ages, the first event in the new Family Time with the Family Service series.
without a patient advocate) to local medical appointments and on errands, including grocery shopping. Kosher Meals on Wheels provides affordable, nutritious meals and regular social contact for senior adults and individuals with disabilities who are unable to prepare meals for themselves. Respite meals are also available for clients and their caregivers. SJFS is the only regional provider of fresh, home-delivered kosher meals. SJFS provides more than 11,000 kosher meals a year to individuals who are unable to shop for and prepare their own meals. The KMOW coordinator performs regular in-home assessments, and provides information and linkage to the SJFS continuum-of-care management and the Onondaga County social services safety net. The program is subsidized by the Onondaga County Adult and Long Term Care Services. EISEP (Expanded In-home Service for the Elderly Program) provides non-medical care management to help seniors retain their independence and live in their own homes. Care managers coordinate personal care, light housekeeping and ancillary services. The program is administered through a contract with Onondaga County Adult and Long Term Care Services. Se “JFS” on page 19A
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The Syracuse Hebrew Day School
5655 Thompson Rd. DeWitt, NY 13214 Phone: 315-446-1900 E-mail: shds@twcny.rr.com Website: www.shds.org Head of School: Lori Tenenbaum The Jewish community’s future leaders are being created today at the Syracuse Hebrew Day School. A vibrant institution at the forefront of Jewish education in Syracuse, the school serves students from kindergarten through sixth grade, and offers a progressive program of general and Judaic studies com- Syracuse Hebrew Day School students in kindergarten-sixth The SHDS Drama Club put on a full-scale musical production plemented by a full range of co-curricular grades. of “Hansel and Gretel.” programs in technology, music, art, physical goals for general studies parallel and frequently exceed different racial, religious and ethnic heritages enroll their education and drama. Each child at SHDS is recognized as a unique learner with an individualized those of the public schools. The school’s staff is highly children at the day school, seeking a strong academic educational goal. The school’s mission is “… to teach, qualified, experienced and committed. SHDS students program and a values-based education. SHDS graduinspire and nurture future leaders of our Jewish com- are encouraged to pursue their interests in the arts, and ates not only continue their Jewish education after they munity through an unparalleled academic experience annually win awards for writing, art and science. The leave the school, but often take positions of leadership Judaic program is integrated into every child’s day and in youth groups and as teachers in religious schools. guided by Jewish studies and values.” At 56 years old, SHDS is one of the oldest community includes total immersion in Hebrew, as well as the study Each year, SHDS graduates rank among the leaders of day schools in the United States. Parents who enroll their of Jewish ethics, values, customs, history, prayer and their public or private high school classes and attend children at SHDS do so because of two factors: they traditions. As graduates become bar or bat mitzvah, they some of the finest colleges in the country. The school’s program provides a foundation for success in all aspects want an educationally superior program and they want display maturity, confidence and knowledge. Families with varying levels of observance and many of life and learning in the 21st century. a superior Judaic program. The school’s curriculum and
The Rabbi Jacob H. Epstein School of Jewish Studies P.O. Box 161 Syracuse, NY 13214-0161 Located at CBS-CS for academic year 2016-2017 on Tuesdays for grades 8-10, or Thursdays at Wegmans Café on East Genesee for grades 11-12 Phone: 315-766-0442 E-mail: EpsteinCNY@gmail.com Website: www.EpsteinCNY.org Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/EpsteinCNY Twitter: @EpsteinCNY Director: Cantor Paula Pepperstone One of Epstein’s teens said, “Once a week, I spend time exclusively with other Jewish teens at the Epstein School. Despite various levels of observance, we are brought together by the fact that we are all Jewish. As our small Epstein community projects into the outside world, I am instantly connected to an even larger Jewish community citywide, statewide and worldwide.” Throughout the school year, Jewish teens from across the community gather at the Epstein School to see friends, further Hebrew skills, explore ethics and Jewish arts, learn Jewish texts and the wisdom the Jewish tradition can bring to current events, and prepare to be Jewish in the larger world. Study after study shows that ongoing Jewish learning through the high school years is critical to engagement in Jewish life as an adult. Teens are intellectually ready to wrestle with abstract
concepts – and hopefully, enjoy the process – and grow to appreciate the complexities of the Jewish tradition. For more than 40 years, the Epstein School has provided all this and more. Highlights of the last two years included the first biannual highly-subsidized Teen Taste of Israel trip (made possible by an endowment fund at the Jewish Foundation of Central New York); attending and discussing a local production of “Anne Frank”; the school’s second annual siyyum (celebration of learning), where students made presentations based on their classes via a variety of media; and introducing “Packing for College,” which explores navigating being Jewish on a college campus, and will be made possible in the future by a Community Program Fund grant from the Jewish Federation of Central New York.
L-r: Natalie Eisenson and Colby Porter used a weaving loom to learn during a class on Jewish textile arts taught by Sarah Saulson at the Rabbi Jacob Epstein See “Epstein” on page 18A School of Jewish Studies.
Syracuse Community Hebrew School Located at Temple Adath Yeshurun for 2015-2017 450 Kimber Rd. Syracuse, NY 13224-1899 E-mail: schs.syracuse@gmail.com Education Director: Shannon Small The Syracuse Community Hebrew School formed in the fall of 2014 as a joint venture of the three main collaborating synagogues, Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas, Temple Adath Yeshurun and Temple Concord. Funding from the Jewish The Syracuse Community Hebrew School third grade class. Federation of Central New York, the Dorothy and Marshall M. Reisman Foundation The SCHS is an inclusive program and has experiand the Pomeranz, Shankman and Martin Charitable enced teachers and assistants in every class, a special Foundation have made it possible to keep the venture education teacher and a special education assistant. cost neutral to parents and congregations, a key goal The education director, Shannon Small, has made efof the initial process. The SCHS plans to rotate among forts to ensure that every functional level be addressed the three member synagogues, spending two years at and that every child be able to participate. The staff is each location. In the fall of 2015, SCHS began its first confident that there is no educational challenge that year in operation at Temple Adath Yeshurun. cannot be addressed. The school’s mission statement reads: “SyraThe rabbis from the three sponsoring congregations cuse Community Hebrew School will provide high share a combined message: “The SCHS was created to See “SCHS” on page 18A quality Hebrew education to prepare students for Jewish life in synagogue and at home. The school will foster a sense of Jewish community throughout the Greater Syracuse area and engage students in grades 3-7, of all abilities and levels, in a creative learning environment.”
In recognition of Jewish Disability and Inclusion Month, the SCHS celebrated “Inclusion Day.” The seventh-graders completed a puzzle of perspectives.
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Communal Organizations The Jewish Community Foundation of Central New York Inc. 5655 Thompson Rd. DeWitt, NY 13214 Phone: 315-445-2040, ext. 130 Fax: 315-234-4350 E-mail: lalexander@jewishfoundationcny.org Website: www.JewishFoundationCNY.org Executive Director: Linda Alexander The Jewish Community Foundation of Central New York Inc., founded in late 2001, is a tax-exempt, not-forprofit organization established to help provide the fiscal structure needed to ensure the continuity and vitality of Jewish life in Central New York. It was designed to make giving easy, personally satisfying and effective, while providing contributors the maximum income, gift and estate tax benefits allowed by law. The Foundation continues to operate on an extremely low overhead, thanks to the time and efforts volunteered by its trustees and committee members. The Investment Committee has been chosen from among the most qualified professionals in the community. The Foundation currently administers more than 320 funds, including synagogue and agency funds, endowment funds, donor advised funds and B’nai Mitzvah Funds. To date, $16 million has been donated to the Foundation, with more than $10 million in grants distributed
Jewish Observer
5655 Thompson Rd. DeWitt, NY 13214 Local Editor: Bette Siegel – 315-445-2040, ext. 116 Editorial fax: 315-445-1559 Editorial and change-of-address e-mail: JewishObserverCNY@gmail.com Advertising Representative: Bonnie Rozen – 800779-7896, ext. 244, or 607-724-2360, ext. 244 Advertising fax: 607-724-2311 Advertising e-mail: bonnie@thereportergroup.org Website: www.jewishfederationcny.org The Jewish Observer is published by the Jewish Federation of Central New York 24 times a year, with only one issue each in July and December, and is mailed free of charge to every known Jewish household in Central New York. It has been in print for more than 30 years and is the main source in Syracuse of local, national and international Jewish news. The paper seeks to build and enhance a sense of local and global Jewish connection. The paper is now available online on the Federation website, www.jewishfederationcny.org. Every community organization, synagogue and agency uses the Jewish Observer as a means of promoting its activities and programs. Advertising revenue and an allocation from Federation’s Annual Campaign help support the general costs of the publication, while the paper’s annual appeal to readers helps support the costs of local coverage. The Editorial Oversight Committee for the Jewish Observer is chaired by Bernard Bregman. Bette Siegel has been the local editor since 2000.
Don’t miss the boat... advertise! For information on advertising, please contact Bonnie Rozen at bonnie@ thereportergroup.org or 800-779-7896, ext. 244.
from donor advised funds to Jewish and non-Jewish charities – with 85 percent of that money staying right here in Central New York. One of the programs of which the Foundation board is proudest is its B’nai Mitzvah Fund program, which encourages teens to learn tzedakah at an early age. The program is offered to all youngsters celebrating their bar or bat mitzvah each year. The goal is to give teens the opportunity to learn about the world of philanthropy and social action through hands-on involvement. Teens have the opportunity to contribute a minimum of $250 of their savings or bar/bat mitzvah gifts to set up a donor advised fund in their own name at the Jewish Community Foundation. The Pomeranz, Shankman and Martin Charitable Foundation agreed to match these funds for
each teen, raising each fund to a minimum of $500. The teens may direct that donations be sent from their fund to any nonprofit organization, Jewish or not, local or out of town. In addition to individual distributions, a Teen Funders Committee, made up of B’nai Mitzvah Fund holders who designate some of their fund to a pooled fund, meet twice a year and make group decisions on the grants. The teens operate much like an Allocations Committee, considering requests for grant proposals and deliberating over their decisions as a group. One way to ensure a healthy Jewish future is through the establishment of endowment funds. Endowed gifts are a permanent resource whose earnings may be used to meet the long-term and future financial needs of
See “Foundation” on page 17A
The founding members of the Jewish Community Foundation of Central New York Standing (l-r): *Bernard Goldberg, *J. Jeffrey Solomon, *Philip Pinsky, Mark Field, Sheldon Horowitch, William Pearlman, Warren Wolfson, Deborah Friedman, Nancy Belkowitz, Martin Irwin, Sheldon Kruth, Cheryl Patt, Linda Alexander, William Berinstein, Lynn Smith, Richard Friedman, Neil Bronstein, Debrah Shulman, Arnold Rubenstein and Sheldon Kall. Sitting (l-r): Howard Port, David Holstein, Alexander Holstein, Edward Green and Michael Balanoff. (*Deceased)
Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America, Onondaga Post 131 5655 Thompson Rd. DeWitt, NY 13214 Phone: 315-445-2360, ext. 209 Office hours by appointment Post meets at the Jewish Community Center occasionally. Notices are sent out to members in advance. Post Commander: Bruce S. Fein Sr. Vice Commander: Isaac Rossoff Adjutant: Allen Rosenberg Jewish war veterans associate themselves for a number of wide-ranging reasons: because they are Jewish veterans; to continue a proud tradition of Jewish-American patriots; to ensure that returning veterans, and all who came before them, receive the benefits and care which they have earned; to help poor and homeless veterans assume their rightful place in the community; to affirm Jewish military service to the U.S.A. for more than 350 years; to fight antisemitism at home and abroad; to stay informed on the latest developments in veterans affairs, foreign affairs and Israel through JWV press releases and the award-winning member publication, “The Jewish Veteran.” JWV works to ensure Jewish war veterans
benefit from the myriad programs offered, including scholarships for descendants of JWV members; a network of veterans’ service officers; member life and health insurance coverage and a prescription program; audio-visual library resources; the JWV disaster relief fund; care packages to service personnel; and a host of other programs that will make a difference in one’s life and the lives of others. Members participate in annual Veterans’ Day and Memorial Day observances. They are responsible for the placement of more than 500 American flags at the graves of local Jewish veterans for Memorial Day weekend, with the help of funeral home director Steven Sisskind and the Syracuse Hebrew Day School students. Every year, members participate in the Holocaust Day of Remembrance. They also provide American flags for any nonprofit organization requesting one. The Post is part of the larger JWV Western District Council, which includes Posts in Rochester and Buffalo, as well as the Department of New York and the national organization, which each hold an annual convention. Post 131 is also part of the Onondaga County Veterans’Council.
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Central New York Chapter of Friends of Israel Scouts
6889 Hearthstone Lane Liverpool, NY 13088-5926 Phone: 315-457-7201 E-mail: MelindaL@twcny.rr.com Chairs: Melinda and Bud Greenman Since 1985, the Central New York Chapter of Friends of Israel Scouts has welcomed the Tzofim Friendship Caravan to the area. Founded in 1919, the Israel Scouts was the first Zionist youth movement in Israel and the first egalitarian Scouting movement in the world, where boys and girls participated together. The first delegation was sent to the United States in 1958. These encounters planted the seeds that are being nurtured and cherished throughout North America almost 50 years later. Today, the Israel Scouts (Tzofim) remains the only non-political youth movement in Israel and is supported mainly by the Ministry of Education and Culture. Like Scouts the world over, the Tzofim are “always prepared” and learn the
principles of “working with spirit” and “providing community service.” Two summer programs have been developed for North America. One is a delegation of senior Israel Boy and Girl Scouts, who serve as counselors in camps throughout the United States. Delegates share their experiences and backgrounds with other counselors and campers, teaching them about Israel’s culture and history through songs, dances, games and group discussions. The second program is the Tzofim Friendship Caravan, which travels throughout North America, visiting summer camps and cities. While all members of the delegation represent Israel, the Tzofim Friendship Caravan members use song and dance as their means of expression. The Caravan is comprised of 10 musically-talented teens and two adult leaders. To become part of the Friendship Caravan, the Tzofim must go through a four-tier elimination process
and are then selected based on personal interviews, their knowledge of Israel, English communication skills, general group interaction and leadership abilities. After they are selected to be part of the Caravan, the young people rehearse weekly for four months in Tel Aviv, under the direction of entertainment professionals. By the end of the rehearsal period, they have attained the level of a professional entertainment troupe. A unique aspect of the Tzofim Friendship Caravan is the relationship that can be formed with the community. The local chapter strives to develop a partnership between Israelis andAmericans from different ethnic backgrounds and cultures. Housing for the Scouts is arranged with a cross-section of local Jewish families. The hosting relationship goes beyond simply providing food and a bed. The host families become surrogate families during the Scouts’ stay. Combined with the opportunity for the Israeli teens to
The 2016 Tzofim (Israel Scouts) Friendship Caravan. teach one-on-one about Israel, this personal contact is considered invaluable. Local families have found that hosting an Israel Boy or Girl Scout, who are all 17 and going into their senior year of high school, can create lasting memories.
Jewish Music and Cultural Festival
c/o Jewish Federation of Central New York 5655 Thompson Rd. DeWitt, NY 13214 Phone: 315-682-8489 or 315-446-7810 E-mail: vickifeldman@gmail.com Website: www.syracusejewishfestival. org The 17th Annual Jewish Music and Cultural Festival will take place on the campus of the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse on Sunday, September 25. JMAC will feature a variety of Jewish music, including klezmer from Eastern Europe, and contemporary Jewish music on the Price Chopper Main Stage. Featured bands will include Ken Frieden and the Wandering
Klezmorim; Farah; Sy Kushner’s Jewish Music Ensemble; and Robin Seletsky and Big Galut(e). Festival goers will have the opportunity to purchase an updated selection of Lower East Side kosher food under Va’ad supervision, and catered by The Oaks Catering. The Open Hand Theater will bring some of its larger-than-life puppets, and children can enjoy the Price Chopper hopper, as well as additional activities all day that will be hosted by the Jewish Community Center. More information on new activities will be forthcoming closer to the festival. Vendors will sell a variety of items at all price points, and the local Jewish community organizations will once again
be represented with information tables. The festival is free, thanks to sponsors that include Jewish Federation of Central New York; CNY Arts; the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse; the Paul B. and Georgina H. Roth Charitable Foundation; the
Reisman Foundation; a grant from State Senator John DeFrancisco; and the Pomeranz, Shankman and Martin Charitable Foundation. Corporate sponsors include Price Chopper, Raymour and Flanigan, M&T Bank and the Jewish Observer.
At right: JMAC holds an annual fund-raiser to raise money to keep the festival free. This year’s fund-raiser featured the Wandering Klezmorim, which included (l-r) Ken Frieden, Sam Young, Jonathan Dinkin and Maurice Mengel. (Photo by Len Levy)
JMAC 2015 festival-goers danced the horah, along with a puppet from Open Hand Theater. For more information, visit the JMAC website, www. syracusejewishfestival.org.
Judaic Heritage Center of Central New York
4101 East Genesee St. Syracuse, NY 13214 The Judaic Heritage Center was chartered in 2004 by the Board of Regents of the state of New York to operate as a historical society and a nonprofit educational corporation. The JHC has a 501(c) (3) federal tax exemption. Its mission is to preserve and disseminate the heritage of the Jewish community of Central New York, with a goal of fostering intergenerational awareness and knowledge of the heritage of the Central New York Jewish community, and making that history come alive through publications, lectures and exhibits. The JHC has collaborated with the Onondaga Historical Association to archive
See “Heritage” on page 15A
In 2013, the Judaic Heritage Center of Central New York published “A Place That Lives Only in Memory,” by William Marcus, based on an earlier JHC exhibit on the old Jewish neighborhood of Syracuse’s 15th Ward.
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Women’s Organizations Syracuse Chapter of Hadassah Contact: Elaine Dubroff (www.hadassah.org) Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, was founded in 1912 by Henrietta Szold. Hadassah works to advance health and medicine in Israel and promote healthy living in the U.S. It also works to define Zionism for the 21st century and to train and mentor the Jewish leaders of tomorrow. Hadassah projects in Israel include: Hadassah Medical Organization, a world-renowned medical complex in Jerusalem, which provides medical
care to more than one million patients a year. It has a non-discrimination policy, providing medical care to both Jews and Palestinians, and is a major employer of Palestinians. HMO is internationally known for its pioneering medical research and its hospital, in addition to normal operations, has 20 operating rooms below ground that are impervious to biological and chemical attack. Hadassah Academic College in Jerusalem, which provides scholarships to train students in a variety of technical fields.
Youth Aliyah villages, which provide services to immigrants and at-risk children in Israel. Hadassah in the U.S. supports health advocacy, Jewish education and women’s issues. The organization also works to identify and encourage young leaders through Young Judaea and leadership training. It advocates on behalf of Israel, including at the U.N., sends influential secular leaders to Israel and sponsors curriculum watch for public school texts. For more information, visit www.hadassah.org.
Na’amat – Avodah Chapter Contact: Nancy Barnett Co-Presidents: Nancy Barnett and Karen Roberts Na’amat, the Hebrew acronym for “Movement of Working Women and Volunteers,” works to enhance the quality of life for women, children and families in Israel, the U.S. and around the world. It is the largest Jewish women’s organization in the world. Na’amat women are active locally, nationally and globally in 10 sister countries, plus Israel. For more than 80 years, Na’amat USA, International Movement of Zionist Women, has had one mission: to support the women and children of Israel through a network of social services that includes centers to combat domestic violence, day care centers, technological high schools and centers for women’s rights. Na’amat addresses issues ranging from religious pluralism to improving the status of women at home and in the workplace, from caring for children to legal advocacy to striving for Middle East peace. Na’amat helps single parents and new immigrants build lives for themselves. Na’amat’s goal is to help women help themselves.
Ruth Stein was selected as this year’s Na’amat Woman of Achievement based on her sustained involvement in the Jewish and secular communities. She is flanked by the chapter co-presidents, Karen Roberts (on the left) and Nancy Barnett (on the right). Na’amat Israel is comprised of 30 branch affiliates and is Israel’s largest women’s organization. Its western counterpart, Na’amat USA, has a membership of 50,000
women. The local Avodah chapter sponsors regular meetings, where speakers share their insights, expertise and experiences. Each year, the chapter chooses a “Woman of Achievement” and honors her at a luncheon, during which a Na’amat scholarship is presented in her name. The award provides funding for an Israeli student to receive training in one of a variety of programs offered in Na’amat centers. Na’amat’s Avodah chapter selected Ruth Stein as its 2016 Woman of Achievement, to recognize her outstanding contributions to the local Jewish community and the Syracuse community-at-large. The Avodah chapter’s officers include Nancy Barnett, co-president; Karen Roberts, co-president and treasurer; Norma Groskin, tributes; Lois Weiner and Pam Morris, immediate past presidents; and Faith VanVoolen, board member. Meetings are open to the public. For more information about Na’amat, its role in elevating the status of women and children in Israel, membership, or to purchase tributes, cards and scholarships for special occasions, contact Barnett at 487-1215.
National Council of Jewish Women, Greater Syracuse Section Contact: Cantor Francine Berg Phone: 315-446-6612 E-mail: songberg@hotmail.com The National Council of Jewish Women is a national organization of volunteers and advocates which, inspired by Jewish values, strives to improve the quality of life for women, children and families, and safeguards individual rights and freedoms. Founded in 1893, NCJW has been at the forefront of social change – championing the needs of women, children and families, and taking a progressive stance on issues such as child welfare, women’s and human rights, and reproductive freedom. Among the challenges Americans and the world face are poverty, injustice and violence. Although significant, these challenges are not insurmountable. Committed to social justice, peace and human rights, NCJW hopes to leave the world a safer, more inclusive and more prosperous global community. Recently, at the March 2016 NCJW Washington Institute, nearly 400 NCJW members marched in a silent procession from the U.S. Supreme Court to the U.S. Capitol to deliver hundreds of pocket Constitutions and signed notes to Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee Senator Chuck Grassley. NCJW members said to the Senate: “#Do Your Job and move forward the process of filling the U.S. Supreme Court vacancy in a fair and timely manner. End partisan obstruction and honor the Constitution!”
Hannah G. Solomon luncheon, when attendees were asked to bring items for the Onondaga County Child Protection Services Agency to the luncheon. The first year was a successful community event. Suitcases were collected for children involved in the child protective system. In subsequent years luncheon attendees were asked to donate children’s clothing and outerwear, as well as baby items, to Onondaga County Children’s Division. At the Hannah G. Solomon luncheon honoring Davis, the NCJW, Greater Syracuse Section At-Large continued its efforts on behalf of youngsters in Central New York by asking members and luncheon guests to bring items
Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse Executive Director Marci Erlebacher presented the 2015 National Council of Jewish Women Greater Syracuse Section Hannah G. Solomon Award to Barbara Davis, former Syracuse Hebrew Day School head of school; education director of the Rabbi Jacob Epstein High School of Jewish Studies; and youth education director for Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas. Locally, the Greater Syracuse Section annually honors a woman in the community with the Hannah G. Solomon Award, which is given to someone who has changed the lives of others through leadership efforts and services on a community level. Barbara Davis was the 2015 recipient. Beginning in 2008, a tradition was instituted at the
See “NCJW” on page 14A
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JEWISH OBSERVER COMMUNITY GUIDE ■ JUNE 9, 2016/3 SIVAN 5776
University-Affiliated Organizations Hillel at Syracuse University Winnick Hillel Center for Jewish Life 102 Walnut Place Syracuse, NY 13210 Phone: 315-422-5082 Fax: 315-422-5083 E-mail: hillel@suhillel.org Website: www.suhillel.org Building business hours: Mon.-Thurs. 10 am-6 pm, Fri. 10 am-5 pm Executive Director: Brian Small Hillel is the center of Jewish life on the Syracuse University campus and offers social justice, religious, cultural and social programming. In addition to focusing its efforts on the 3,000 Jewish students attending Syracuse University and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Hillel actively reaches out to other regional academic institutions, including, but not limited to, Cazenovia College, Onondaga Community College, SUNY Upstate Medical University and Le Moyne College.
Hillel at Syracuse University hires eight engagement interns every year to take their peers out and personally connect them to Jewish life on campus. Students at Hillel are engaged and empowered to celebrate Jewish life by participating in Shabbat, High Holiday services, traditional holiday meals and Passover sederim. Hillel also offers social action programs,
informal Jewish learning, lectures, speaker events on campus and more. In addition to serving undergraduates and graduate students, Hillel at Syracuse University also offers an array of programs to the Syracuse Jewish community and the community at large. The Winnick Hillel Center for Jewish Life at Syracuse University is a 16,000-square foot, state-of-the-art facility located at the corner of Walnut Place and Harrison Street. Shabbat services are open to the public and, during the academic year, start at 6 pm on Fridays with a community candle lighting. Shabbat dinner follows services. Reform and Conservative services are led by student leaders. Shabbat dinner includes a vegetarian option and reservations are required by the previous Wednesday. To learn more about the Shabbat dinners, or to make a reservation, visit Hillel’s website, www.suhillel.org. For information about upcoming events, contact the Hillel office at 315-422-5082, or visit Hillel’s website, www.suhillel.org.
Jewish Studies Program at Syracuse University 441 Hall of Languages Syracuse University Syracuse, NY 13244-1170 Phone: 315-443-1011 Fax: 315-443-8093 Website: http://asacademics.syr.edu/JewishStudies/ requirements_JewishStudy.html Director: Zachary Braiterman Contact: zbraiter@syr.edu Administrative Support: Arts and Sciences Office of Curriculum, Instruction and Programs The Jewish Studies Program at Syracuse University offers a wide variety of classes, a minor in Jewish studies and a major in modern Jewish studies. The interdisciplinary program explores Jewish history, culture and religion. Faculty research and teaching focus on the Hebrew Bible, modern Hebrew and Yiddish fiction, European and American literature, Israel studies, and modern Judaic thought and culture. The director is Professor Zachary Braiterman. Core faculty members include B.G. Rudolph Endowed Chair Ken Frieden, Harvey Teres, Miriam Elman, James Watts, Sanford Sternlicht, Laurence Thomas, with affiliated faculty members and adjunct instructors Sarah Barkin, Erella Brown-Sofer, Samuel D. Gruber, Michael Barkun, Alan Goldberg (emeritus), Amos Kiewe, Jaklin Kornfilt, Laura T. Marhoefer, Yuksel Sezgin and Karina von Tippelskirch. The program depends upon generous support from the Holstein Family Endowment, the Harrison G. Levin Endowment and the Arlene and R. Raymond Rothman
Endowment. The Benjamin Fellowship underwrites an assistantship for graduate work in Judaic studies. In addition, the annual B.G. Rudolph Lecture in Jewish Studies has brought speakers such as Israeli writer Etgar Keret and Professors Robert Alter, Benjamin Harshav, Paul Mendez-Flohr, Moshe Rosman and James Kugel to the university. Among the program events are lectures on campus, field trips and klezmer concerts.
Graduate and undergraduate students may submit Holocaust-related essays to the annual Kalina Prize competition. The Jewish Studies Program works closely with Syracuse University Press on the book series “Judaic Traditions in Literature, Music and Art.” Faculty members offer numerous lectures and presentations in the community, and the program has played a key role in raising funds for the Norwich Jewish Center Restoration Project.
Sorkin Chabad House
825 Ostrom Ave. Syracuse, NY 13210 Phone: 315-424-0363 Fax: 315-424-0309 Secondary address: 113 Berkeley Dr. Syracuse, NY 13210 Services: Fridays, April-October at 7:15 pm, November-March at 6 pm; Saturday minyan 10 am; during June, July and August, call first before Shabbat to confirm availability of services. E-mail: chabad@syr.edu Website: www.chabadsu.com Facebook: Chabad House at Syracuse University Rabbi: Yaakov and Chanie Rapoport The Sorkin Chabad House offers a Jewish “home away from home” atmosphere where students can enjoy Shabbat and holiday meals, coupled with conversation and stories. The Shabbat table, one of the many Chabad
functions, is a setting for young Jewish men and women to meet and socialize. Whether on a Friday night or during the week, guest speakers provide an opportunity for students to expand their horizons, meet new people and become more Jewishly connected. The Sorkin Chabad House includes the Charney Great Room for Shabbat meals, classes and other gatherings, the Weinstein Davening Center and the Chava Rapoport kitchen, where the Shabbat and yom tov meals are prepared. There is also a student lounge, library and activity room. Guest speakers have included Zvi Bielski, son of Zus Bielski, one of the Bielski partisan brothers whose story was told in the movie “Defiance”; Dan Alon, one of the five surviving Israeli athletes of the ‘72 Munich Olympics massacre; Dr. Yisroel-Ed Suskin, an authority on marriage and relationships; Rabbi Laibl Wolf, an international lecturer on Jewish mysticism; Yaffa Eliach, author of Chasidic tales of the Holocaust; Rabbi Emanuel Schochet, an international lecturer and author of more than 70 books and articles on Jewish law, history and mysticism; Rabbi Tzvi Freeman, author of “Bringing Heaven Down to Earth”; and stand-up comedian Richard Morris, who has appeared on “Late Night With David Letterman” and was one of the show’s original writers. Morris spoke about comedy and his return to Torah observance. The Sorkin Chabad House’s primary activities include Shabbat and yom tov services (Friday night and Saturday minyan); Shabbat and yom tov meals; challah baking; weekly “pita and parasha” classes; a series of classes on “What do Jews Believe?”; Jewish holiday information tables in the Schine Student Center on the Syracuse University campus; falafel night; Holocaust Awareness Week; World of Good Campaign; the Sukkamobile on campus; Jewish Heritage Week and book fair; Chanukah menorah distribution; mishloach manot and shmurah matzah distribution; Seder-to-Go; and anti-missionary programs and literature. The Sorkin Chabad House is constantly introducing new programs, such as a Jewish scribal arts demonstration in the Schine Student Center. The Chabad/Hillel women’s Rosh Chodesh group gives young Jewish women at Syracuse University the opportunity to bake traditional foods, such as Shabbat challah and hamantashen, and explore their Jewish heritage through discussion and mitzvot. In the past, the Sorkin Chabad House at SU arranged for its Sukkamobile to visit SUNY Oswego, SUNY Cortland, Colgate University and Hamilton College, and also provided Purim and other holiday programs. Over the past year and a half, three new Chabad Houses, branches of Chabad House at SU, have opened in the Central New York area, in addition to Chabad of Oswego, which opened eight years ago, under the directorship of Rabbi Yossi and Chana Madvig. The new Chabad Houses are Chabad of Clinton, 8 Dwight Ave., See “Chabad” on page 15A
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JEWISH OBSERVER COMMUNITY GUIDE
Chabad-Lubavitch of Central New York
113 Berkeley Dr. Syracuse, NY 13210 Phone: 315-424-0363 Fax: 315-424-0309 Secondary address: 825 Ostrom Ave. Syracuse, NY 13210 E-mail: chabad@syr.edu Website: chabadsyracuse.com Director: Rabbi Yaakov Rapoport Educational Director: Chanie Rapoport Chabad-Lubavitch of Central New York is the Syracuse branch of ChabadLubavitch International. Chabad is actively working to assure a Jewish tomorrow by bringing Jews closer to the joy of Torah and Jewish traditions in more than 63 countries. Chabad’s underlying doctrine is ahavat Yisrael – love, care and concern for the Jewish people. Pioneers in reaching out to Jews and Jewish communities, Chabad makes no distinction between Jews – all are welcome. Chabad’s mission is to enrich the Jewish identity of each and every Jew regardless of affiliation or level of observance. Chabad’s primary activities include Kosher Awareness Week; home kashering service; mezuzah authenticity check; provision of kosher mezuzot and tefillin; public Chanukah menorah lightings in Hanover Square, Hancock Airport and
area malls and shopping centers; olive oil pressing workshop; hospital and nursing home visitations; community Purim dinner; Passover experience and model matzah bakery; Jewish life exhibit at the New York State Fair; shofar making workshops; bat mitzvah club; publication of the Jewish art calendar and the Jewish holiday guide newspaper; and various ongoing classes on Torah and mysticism. The most important mitzvah or commandment in Judaism is to learn Torah. Chabad offers multiple adult education classes, including “Exploring the Talmud,” at the Sorkin Chabad House on Tuesday nights at 8 pm; “In the Garden of Torah,” a weekly Torah study class held at the Jewish Community Center on Wednesday nights at 8:30 pm; and a weekly downtown lunch and learn on the “Psychology of the Soul” at the State Tower Building on Thursdays at noon. Chabad also offers a number of six-week mini-series throughout the year on topics such as “Introduction to Jewish Mysticism,” “What do Jews Believe,” “Fundamentals of Jewish Faith,” “Introduction to the Talmud,” “Light Out of Darkness” and “The Other Side of the Holocaust.” Chabad also offers one-on-one tutorials on Jewish prayer, how to put on tefillin,
Chabad of Oswego 56 Franklin Ave. Oswego, NY 13126 Phone: 315-342-3330 Cell: 315-236-2116 E-mail: rabbi@jewishoswego.org Website: www.JewishOswego.org Directors: Rabbi Yossi and Chana Madvig Friday dinner: September-May at 5:30 pm (students only) Saturday kiddush/lunch: SeptemberMay at 12:30 pm (everyone welcome); June, July and August, call first to confirm availability. Eight years ago, RabbiYaakov Rapoport, director of Chabad Lubavitch of Central New York, selected Rabbi Yossi and Chana Madvig as directors of Chabad of Oswego. The organization is dedicated to helping strengthen the feeling of Jewish community in Oswego in every way possible. One of Chabad of Oswego’s cornerstone programs is weekly Shabbat meals, complete with singing, stories and inspiration. The warm and friendly
atmosphere has earned it a reputation as a “home away from home” for students and families alike. Chabad of Oswego offers many educational opportunities, including classes on the weekly Torah portion and one-on-one learning. Chabad of Oswego also offers students an opportunity to join the Sinai scholars society.” Participating students receive a stipend to attend an eight-week course, complete with a Shabbaton, field trip and stimulating Jewish learning. For Oswego community children, there is a Hebrew school, holiday story and craft hour, and bar or bat mitzvah lessons for pre-teens. The Chabad House also hosts a Jewish lending library that has novels, biographies, books on Jewish philosophy, Jewish history and Jewish law. To find a book, call Chabad or search its database at www.librarything.com. If you’re in or near the Oswego area, give the rabbi and rebbetzin a call, and visit Oswego’s Jewish oasis.
the fundamentals of Judaism and other areas of Jewish knowledge. For children, there is dial-a-Jewish story (424-0333) and the Chaya Mushka Children and Youth Lending Library. Chabad offers for sale (by appointment) books and Judaica, in addition to mezuzot
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and tefillin at the Sorkin Chabad House. Call 424-0363 for more information. Coming soon: Look for the opening of a new Chabad House, in the summer of 2016, in the Fayetteville-Manlius area to better serve the Jewish community. There will be more details in the Jewish Observer.
The Ahavath Achim Mikvah
The Ahavath Achim Mikvah provides Central New York with a beautiful and modern mikvah that maintains an ancient custom. The mikvah corresponds to the mikvahs found in Israel that are more than 2,000 years old. A mikvah is a crucial component of a Jewish community, serving as the mainstay of family purity and as the culminating activity of traditional conversions. The Ahavath Achim Mikvah is heavily used by new brides, converts and families who follow Jewish family purity values and traditions. It is also available on the eve of the High Holidays, as well as on Friday afternoons for men who wish to undergo a ritual purification as part of their spiritual preparation. The mikvah is a community facility serving all of Central New York and is used
The Ahavath Achim Mikvah is on the grounds of Menorah Park. by visitors from all over the world. Those interested in using the mikvah or learning about this ancient, beautiful and meaningful tradition can contact Rose Rosenzweig at 475-7606, Chanie Rapoport at 424-0363 or Janice Levy at 329-0191.
The Syracuse Va’ad Ha’ir
4313 E. Genesee St. DeWitt, NY 13214 Phone: 315-446-6194 E-mail: rabbi@stocsyracuse.org Rav Hamachshir (Rabbinic Administrator): Rabbi Evan Shore The Syracuse Va’ad Ha’ir provides kosher supervision to products and institutions, certifying them for the kosher consumer. Mashgichim (supervisors) are employed by the Va’ad Ha’ir to ensure that establishments adhere to the highest standards before the symbol certifying acceptability can be applied. The following are the local establishments under the Syracuse Va’ad Ha’ir: CONSUMER CLIENTS: Bagel Lovers Inc. (Ithaca) Carvel, East Genesee St., DeWitt Fins and Tails Seafood Store (fresh whole fish only) Harrison Bakery Winnick Hillel Center for Jewish Life at Syracuse University Jewish Health and Rehabilitation
Center Senior Apartments Inc. (The Inn) Jewish Community Center of Syracuse Jewish Health and Rehabilitation Center at Menorah Park Jewish Home of Central New York, Residential Living Inc. (The Oaks) The Oaks of DeWitt (breakfast, lunch and dinner available) INDUSTRIAL CLIENTS: Benbow Chemical Packaging Inc. Express Wash Inc. General Chemical LLC Natrium Products Inc. Keith Titus Corporation – Page Olive on Brooklea (Olive oils that are marked as kosher) The Va’ad also provides kashrut supervision services on a one-time basis to any agency requiring such services. To receive up-to-date kashrut news, updates and alerts, e-mail jedda@aol.com. Those with any kashrut questions, concerns or problems should contact Rabbi Evan Shore at rabbi@stocsyracuse.org or 446-6194.
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JEWISH OBSERVER COMMUNITY GUIDE ■ JUNE 9, 2016/3 SIVAN 5776
Synagogues Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas Location: 18 Patsy Lane, Jamesville, NY 13214 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 271, DeWitt, NY 13214 Phone: 315-446-9570 E-mail: office@cbscs.org Website: www.cbscs.org Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 9 am-5 pm, Fri. 9 am-4 pm Rabbi: Andrew Pepperstone – rabbi@cbscs.org Rabbi’s Study: 315-446-5125 Rabbi Emeritus: Daniel A. Jezer President: Sam Young – president@ cbscs.org Director of Youth and Education: Julie Tornberg, director@cbscs.org Kadima/USY Advisor: cbscsusy@ gmail.com, cbscskadima@gmail.com Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas is a welcoming egalitarian synagogue dedicated to the active participation of its members in all areas of synagogue life. An inclusive congregation, CBS-CS promotes Jewish values and encourages the growth of its members by offering a variety of interactive religious services, educational offerings and social events with the aim of building community and enriching the life of each member. CBS-CS works to engage and support people from all walks of Jewish life, regardless of knowledge or background. Members of the community are welcome to join its services and participate in the many educational, holiday and social events offered. Service Schedule: Friday Kabbalat Shabbat and Ma’ariv (evening) services at 6 pm, preceded by asefat Shabbat (schmoozing and a quick
nosh) at 5:45 pm; Shabbat services on Saturday at 9:30 am; and Sunday morning service at 9 am. The community is invited to services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, as well as all major Jewish holidays. There is babysitting on Shabbat mornings, as well as on the High Holidays. Clergy and Staff Rabbi Andrew Pepperstone, CBS-CS’s spiritual leader, received rabbinic ordination in 2002 from the Jewish Theological Seminary. He sees the synagogue as an entry point into Jewish life for everyone, regardless of knowledge or background, and seeks to establish meaningful relationships with, and between members, of the congregation. Julie Tornberg, director of youth and education, has been involved in Jewish education for many years. She sees youth and their families as an integral part of synagogue life and offers intergenerational opportunities as often as possible. Ritual Life CBS-CS encourages the active participation of congregants of all ages in services, including frequent interactive Torah study. Congregants lead services, chant the haftarah, read from the Torah and give d’vrei Torah. Periodically, children in third through seventh grades participate in Friday evening services. Postb’nai mitzvah students are encouraged to participate as leaders and readers. Several times a year, Zmirat Shabbat gives participants a Friday evening experience enhanced with musical instruments. Once a month, people gather for a Shabbat morning meditation. Following services, there is a monthly Shabbat Spot with a
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Staff, USY helpers and children enjoyed the annual Congregation Beth SholomChevra Shas PJ Havdalah Parents’ Night Out celebrating Havdalah, eating dinner, creating Havdalah bags and watching a movie. light lunch when congregants stay longer to schmooze, play games and participate in Lunch and Learns. Home minyanim are arranged for families sitting shiva after the death of a loved one. Jewish Festivals Jewish festival celebrations are geared to all ages, from introspective events for Tisha B’Av and Selichot, to the musical celebration of Simchat Torah. Cantor Paula Pepperstone serves as the chazzan for Selichot, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, as well as major festivals. There are multi-generational celebrations for Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Chanukah, Tu B’Shevat, Purim and Shavuot. Religious School The CBS-CS Religious School, which meets Sunday mornings from 9 am-noon, provides educational experiences that are warm, inviting, thought-provoking, creative, flexible and interactive, and helps connect its students to their Jewish heritage, culture and community. The curriculum is dynamic, evolving to meet the needs of the CBS-CS children and families. Each Sunday morning ends with an interactive multi-media prayer service. Students in third through seventh grades attend the Syracuse Community Hebrew School on Wednesdays from 4-6 pm. Youth Programming CBS-CS seeks to transmit a love of Judaism to its children through enjoyable and meaningful activities, and to establish a sense of community among their families. Periodic Family Shorashim (roots) services are open to the entire community and are aimed at families with children pre-kindergarten through fourth grade. The Friday evening Shorashim service is followed by an ice cream sundae oneg. “Rosh Hodesh: It’s a Girl Thing” for middle school girls, strengthens students’ ties to Judaism and each other, and promotes healthy self-esteem. Kadima, the Conservative movement’s youth group for sixth-eighth-graders, holds events and outings, including engaging in social action programs.
USY (United Synagogue Youth), for ninth-12th-graders, engages teens in social and educational activities, including regional conventions, overnight trips to other chapters and participation in community service projects. The congregation provides subsidies to the families of all students who attend regional conventions. CBS-CS seeks to keep post-high school young adults connected to Jewish life with Jewish holiday mailings. Adult Programming Adult programming offers an extensive program of courses and lectures taught by Rabbi Andrew Pepperstone, other Jewish professionals, outside specialists, and many talented and knowledgeable congregants. Programming includes Hebrew reading classes and a variety of small study and discussion groups. CBS-CS will bring Rabbi Lawrence Troster, an expert on Jewish environmentalism, for a Scholar-In-Residence program March 31-April 2, 2017. CBS-CS is a member of the Alliance of Communities Transforming Syracuse (or ACTS), a coalition of religious and non-profit organizations working for social change in the local community. Rabbi Pepperstone is currently the co-chair of its Clergy Caucus. The Chesed Committee provides meals for families sitting shiva or those who are ill. CBS-CS Hazak provides a variety of activities with Jewish themes in the areas of entertainment, education and culture, as well as the opportunity to socialize, for adults ages 55 and over. Events include movies, humorous presentations, concerts and educational programs. All events are open to the public. The Sisterhood Sisterhood includes women of all ages and interests. The Sisterhood provides funds for synagogue activities, assists youth through camperships for Jewish summer experiences and sponsors many programs throughout the year. Sisterhood plants a tree in Israel in honor of a new baby and provides the first Shabbat dinner See “CBS-CS” on page 19A
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Babies at the Zoo: Members of the CBS-CS Oys and Joys of parenting group, Lindsey and Andrew Voigt with Daniel, Yolanda Febles with Asher and Davin, and CBS-CS Director of Youth and Education Julie Tornberg met at the Burnet Park Zoo.
JUNE 9, 2016/3 SIVAN 5776 ■
Temple Adath Yeshurun
450 Kimber Rd. Syracuse, NY 13224-1899 Phone: 315-445-0002 Fax: 315-446-0667 E-mail: info@adath.org Website: www.adath.org Religious School: 315-445-0038 Rothschild Early Childhood Center: 315-445-0049 Rabbi: Paul Drazen – rabbidrazen@ adath.org Rabbi Emeritus: Charles Sherman Ba’alat Tefillah: Esa Jaffe – ejaffe@ adath.org Director of Education: Shannon Small – ssmall@adath.org Executive Director: Barbara S. Simon – barbara@adath.org Temple President: Howard Weinstein, M.D. Director Rothschild Early Childhood Center: Alicia C. Gross – alicia@ adath.org Temple Adath Yeshurun, “Congregation of the Righteous,” a Conservative synagogue affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, serves the spiritual, educational and social needs of its members, and provides a gathering place for the people of Central New York. It was founded in 1867 by a group of young men, mostly from Neustadt, Poland. For almost 50 years, Temple Adath Yeshurun occupied the corner of South Crouse Avenue and Harrison Street until its move to its present location on Kimber Road. The current building, designed by architect Percival Goodman, was dedicated on June 20, 1971. Temple Adath was chosen to participate in the USCJ- Ruderman Inclusion Action Community. Its building is fully accessible for wheelchair users, is equipped with a hearing assistance system and provides large print prayer books. Service Schedule Temple Adath hosts Syracuse’s Conservative daily egalitarian services (co-sponsored by Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas), Monday through Friday at 7:30 am (followed by break-
fast) and 5:30 pm. Sunday services are at 9 am (at CBS-CS) and 5:30 pm. Kabbalat Shabbat services are held on Fridays at 5:30 pm. Shabbat morning services are at 9:15 am; end of Shabbat service times vary with sunset. Call the TAY office or check www.adath.org for the Saturday evening service times. Babysitting is available every Shabbat. Mishpacha Shabbat is a monthly program for youth, which includes a tot service, junior congregation for children in kindergarten-sixth grades, and participation by b’nai mitzvah and teens in the main service. TAY has a long history of using music to enhance services and prayers. Several times a year, Ba’alat Tefillah Esa Jaffe, accompanied by a klezmer-style band, leads a high-energy Friday night service, Shabbat in the Round, as well as musical Shabbatot on Saturday mornings. The TAY lay choir often participates in Shabbat and yom tov services. There is open seating for High Holiday services and youth services are offered, as well as babysitting. Selichot services have included speakers or premiers of movies. L’dor V’dor… Our Youth, Our Future TAY invests considerable resources in nurturing its young people. Tot Shabbat, a monthly Friday night child-oriented service, is followed by a dinner for tots, parents and grandparents. Torah Tots, a monthly Sunday morning program, is geared to the celebration of holidays. Temple Adath Yeshurun Religious School includes grades pre-kindergarten-seventh grade and meets Sundays from 9 am-noon. The hands-on, interactive curriculum teaches Hebrew reading, prayer, Bible, Israel, lifecycle events and Jewish holidays. Elective classes such as Israeli dancing, Jewish food around the world and Jewish storytelling are offered. For the sixth-graders and their parents, there are b’nai mitzvah programs three times during the school year. There are also three parent workshops that provide additional support to parents who are planning a bar/bat mitzvah. TAY proudly
JEWISH OBSERVER COMMUNITY GUIDE
Temple Concord
910 Madison St. Syracuse, NY 13210 Phone: 315-475-9952 Fax: 315-475-9954 E-mail: office@templeconcord.org Website: www.templeconcord.org Office Hours: Mon.-Th. 8:30 am-5 pm, Fri. 8:30 am-3:30 pm Rabbi: Daniel J. Fellman – rabbifellman@templeconcord.org President: Joe Greenman – president@templeconcord.org Chief Administrative Officer: Cheri Lass – administrator@ templeconcord.org Cantor/Educator: Cantor Kari Siegel Eglash Founded in 1839, Temple Concord, the only Central New York congregation affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism, is the ninth oldest Jewish congregation still active in the United States. The 104-year-old sanctuary, placed on the National Register of Historic Places in May 2009, resounds with the joy of Jewish life. Temple Concord serves a large and diverse membership from Central New York. Everyone is welcome, be they Jews by birth or by choice, someone seeking to learn about Judaism, or someone who is part of an interfaith relationship. The synagogue is alive with people of all ages studying and singing, engaging in informal discourse during Torah and Talmud study; learning about Judaism; studying Hebrew; or conversing with friends during the oneg Shabbat or outside the Judaica shop on a Sunday morning. Lifelong Learning Adults regularly participate in workshops and classes, including Torah study every Saturday morning before Shabbat worship, Tuesday Talmud at 12:30 pm and regular Sunday morning classes taught by Rabbi Daniel Fellman, all of which offer an opportunity for Jews and other community members to learn about Judaism and its customs, culture, theology, values
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and history. Sessions for those interested in conversion are available. Adult Hebrew classes offer multiple levels of Hebrew that teach an understanding of Jewish liturgy, along with building Hebrew fluency and translation skills. The synagogue offers high quality, educational experiences for youths of all ages. Parents and the youngest children of the congregation gather for a monthly Tot Shabbat, “Kadima” sessions for elementary school-age children, family dinners and monthly programs for preschoolers. Temple Concord is home to the community’s largest religious school. Children in kindergarten through seventh grades meet Sunday, from 9 am-noon. Temple Concord’s students in third through seventh grades participate in the Syracuse Community Hebrew School, a joint venture with other area synagogues, meeting weekly on Wednesdays, from 4-6 pm. Temple Concord also participates in the Rabbi Jacob Epstein High School for Jewish Studies. Building upon classroom curricula, programs are offered for families to build connections with each other and integrate the lessons learned in the classroom into everyday life. Searching for Adonai in nature, apple picking on Sukkot and participating in family Shabbat dinners and lunches, as well as Havdalah programs and other activities outside the classroom and synagogue walls, help families live in the rhythm of Jewish time and make learning come alive. JYG (Junior Youth Group) and TYCon (Temple Youth of Concord) for children in fifth-12th grades plan social, educational and social action activities. TYCon teens regularly participate in NFTY (North American Federation of Temple Youth) regional events. The synagogue also has a Sisterhood and a Brotherhood, both of which have monthly programs and are involved in many synagogue activities.
See “TC” on page 18A
See “TAY” on page 19A
At right: Temple Adath Ye s h u r u n R e l i g i o u s School students in grades three-five planted seeds in the Syracuse Jewish Community Garden. The beans were to put out their “first fruits” in time for Shavuot, giving the students an understanding of the agricultural roots of upcoming holidays.
Temple Concord celebrated Shabbat with the sounds of children singing.
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JEWISH OBSERVER COMMUNITY GUIDE ■ JUNE 9, 2016/3 SIVAN 5776
Shaarei Torah Orthodox Congregation of Syracuse
4313 E. Genesee St. DeWitt, NY 13214 Phone: 315-446-6194 Fax: 315-446-7936 Rabbi: Evan Shore Rabbi’s e-mail: Rabbi@stocsyracuse. org Website: www.stocsyracuse.org President: Norman Poltenson Shaarei Torah Orthodox Congregation of Syracuse is a Centrist Orthodox synagogue affiliated with the Union of Orthodox Congregations of America. Congregants come from a wide range of religious backgrounds; all are welcome to explore the richness and modern-day relevance of Jewish scholarship and lifestyle. Service Schedule: Monday-Friday 6:45 am (Rosh Chodesh 6:30 am); Sunday and legal holidays 8 am; Saturday 9 am (9:15 am winter); weekday afternoon service: approximately 15 minutes before sunset; and 7:15 pm throughout the summer. Call the synagogue office, or check the website, for exact times. STOCS maintains daily morning and afternoon minyanim throughout the year. It has become a regular services stop-off point for travelers, particularly those plying the Toronto-New York City route. There is
an active junior congregation, and children regularly prepare and deliver short d’vrei Torah at kiddush. The congregation’s youth are active in the local chapter and regional National Conference of Synagogue Youth. Shabbat and holiday dinners and luncheons are held throughout the year. The monthly Sunday morning speakers series is popular. In the fall of 2014, the synagogue hosted Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, former chief rabbi of the United Kingdom, as its scholar-in-residence and former Israel Defense Forces Chief Rabbi Israel Weiss. Learning is central at Shaarei Torah. Rabbi Evan Shore conducts weekly classes on the parasha, Talmud, “Jewish Thought” and halachah (Jewish law), and shares words of Torah at every minyan. The women’s parasha group meets on Rosh Chodesh for a women-only minyan. Members of the congregation and guest speakers often present lectures in their areas of expertise. STOCS members are actively involved in community organizations and pro-Israel activism. They have played a leading role in establishing and ensuring the ongoing viability of the eruv. For more information about Shaarei Torah, visit its website, which also provides a number of informative articles and videos; e-mail the rabbi; or call the shul office. Guests are always warmly welcomed.
Regional Synagogues Congregation Degel Israel
557 Thompson Blvd. Watertown, NY 13601 Phone: 315-782-2860 Website: http://watertownsynagogue. org President/Media Contact: Mary Elizabeth Oar – 315-486-7137 Past President: Neil Katzman – 315788-0930 (evenings) E-mail: neil@softwaterbygeorge.com Established in the early 1890s and originally called Standard of Israel, Congregation Degel Israel is an egalitarian synagogue serving the Jewish community of the North Country. In 1985, the synagogue changed from traditional Conservative to egalitarian. Congregation Degel Israel celebrates Friday night Shabbat the first and third Fridays at 7:30 pm, and occasional Saturday morning Shabbat services and all holidays, including High Holiday services. Guests are always welcome. Sunday school meets occasionally. Call the synagogue for more information.
Temple Beth-El – Geneva
755 South Main St. Geneva, NY 14456 Phone: 315-789-2945 Website: www.BethElGeneva.org E-mail: BethElGeneva@gmail.com Rabbi: Ann Landowne E-mail: rabbiann.tbegeneva@gmail. com President: Donna Cator E-mail: dcator@frontier.com Temple Beth-El of Geneva is an inti-
mate, diverse Jewish congregation, seeking to be a center for spiritual fulfillment, life-long learning, social and cultural enrichment, and community leadership. It is engaged in and committed to teaching Jewish heritage as an evolving tradition. TBE is affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism and serves Jews from all backgrounds throughout the Finger Lakes Region. Members reside in Geneva, Canandaigua, Penn Yan, Romulus, Seneca Falls, Oswego and other surrounding communities. The synagogue is located on the shores of Seneca Lake, in the historic South Main Street District of Geneva. The spiritual leader of Temple Beth-El is Rabbi Ann Landowne. Consult its website (www.BethElGeneva.org) or call the office (315-789-2945) for the most up-to-date service times. A family Kabbalat Shabbat service generally begins at 5:45 pm on the first Friday of each month, followed by a pot-luck community Shabbat dinner. A Shabbat morning Torah service is generally held on the second Saturday at 10 am from September-May, and Shabbat evening worship services begin at 7:30 pm. Weekly Torah study with the rabbi meets on Saturdays at 10 am. For information about other synagogue programming, consult the synagogue’s monthly newsletter, “Temple Topics,” which can be found on the Temple Beth-El website. In addition, people can be added to the e-mail list and receive the “Weekly Update” about upcoming synagogue events by e-mailing the synagogue, the rabbi, or the synagogue president.
Simply Tsfat played to a sizable audience at Shaarei Torah Orthodox Congregation of Syracuse on June 1, 2015. (Photo courtesy of Robert Shprintzen)
Purim was celebrated at Shaarei Torah Orthodox Congregation of Syracuse. (Photo courtesy of Robert Shprintzen)
NCJW to donate to McCarthy@Beard, a program run by the Syracuse City School District. In addition, NCJW, Greater Syracuse Section, received a Pomeranz Trust Challenge Grant to raise $1,000 to purchase staple necessities for foster children in Onondaga County’s Children’s Division. With the Pomeranz Grant and the Challenge Grant, more than $3,000 worth of winter clothing and other necessities were donated to the county program. The Greater Syracuse Section has worked with Syracuse Jewish Family Service at Menorah Park to help implement, fund and provide volunteers for the Tachlis program, a religious inclusion program for almost 125 Jewish individuals with exceptional needs
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who reside in Central New York group homes. Most of these individuals have no families or guardians to expose them to, or provide them with, Jewish traditions and values. The program educates the professional staff that oversees these group homes in regard to Jewish traditions, values, foods, holidays and celebrations, and encourages the importance of Jewish communal participation for their Jewish clients. NCJW was one of the founding organizations that established the Museum of Science and Technology in the 1960s, and then funded and helped with the creation of the Children’s Room. For more information about NCJW, contact Cantor Francine Berg at songberg@hotmail.com.
Current and past Hannah G. Solomon Award winners.
ir ad here in e th w sa u . o .. y t rs e a d To our rea dvertisers know th a r u o t u go to get le o y to n e u o h y w d r e in b m m e re I want to important to rem so is It ! ices that you R rv E V se R ir E e S B th O se H u IS r W o THE JE ing at their store th e m so y u b r o e ey want to know. h T ! R E V R E S your hair don B O IN THE JEWISH D A R U O Y W A S I say Thank you, Bonnie Rozen tive Advertising Execu
JUNE 9, 2016/3 SIVAN 5776 ■
Kashrut Guide KOSHER MEAT Frozen poultry products can be found at various locations in local markets, including: BJ’s Tops Price Chopper Wegmans Fresh beef and chicken can be purchased from: Price Chopper (corner of Midler Avenue and Erie Blvd. East location only) Carries a full line of fresh chicken, beef, veal and lamb. Wegmans in DeWitt Carries a full line of fresh chicken, beef, veal and lamb. Lipman’s Kosher Market 1482 MonroeAve., Rochester, NY14618, 585-271-7886 Deliveries are usually on the first Wednesday of the month to Temple Adath Yeshurun and the JCC. Call Lipman’s for more information. BAKED GOODS AND DESSERTS Carvel in DeWitt only Dunkin Donuts on Erie Blvd. and ShoppingTown Mall (Donuts only) BJs Bakery East Syracuse (items marked with Kof K) (Bread baked in BJs’ ovens is not certified) 4322 E. Genesee St., Syracuse, 446-6047 Harrison’s Bakery 1306 W. Genesee St., Syracuse, 422-1468 Wegmans (The Va’ad does not certify the deli counter) Price Chopper BJ’s Pre-packaged baked goods for the holidays KOSHER WINE Upper Towne Center at Fayetteville, next to the YMCA, 637-8909 RESTAURANTS The dining room at The Oaks 18 Arbor Lane, DeWitt, 449-3309 Call for times. Winnick Hillel Center for Jewish Life at Syracuse University 102 Walnut Place, Syracuse, 422-5082 Holiday meals, in particular every day during Passover. Call for additional information regarding kosher dining at SU. Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse 5655 Thompson Rd., DeWitt, 445-2360, ext. 104 Senior meals served Mon.-Fri. at noon. JCC Café Mon.-Fri. for takeout. Shabbat takeout meals weekly on Fridays. Call JCC for further information. CATERERS The Oaks at Menorah Park 18 Arbor Lane, DeWitt, 449-3309 Providing on- and off-premise catering for kosher events Traditions 656-5298 Providing on- and off-premise catering for kosher events The Bakergirl Dessert Company Inc. 415-6328 Providing on premise full and/or dessert-only catering for kosher events
Chabad
JEWISH OBSERVER COMMUNITY GUIDE
Syracuse area Jewish cemeteries
Chevra Shas....................................................................... Jamesville Avenue ...................................................................................... Syracuse Jewish Cemetery Association Ahavath Achim.................................................................. Jamesville Avenue ...................................................................................... Foundation of Jewish Home of Central New York ...................................................................................... Syracuse Jewish Cemetery Association Anshe Sfard ...................................................................... (Beth El) Jamesville Avenue ...................................................................................... Syracuse Jewish Cemetery Association Workmens Circle............................................................... Syracuse Jewish Cemetery Association Adath Yeshurun................................................................. Jamesville Avenue and Thurber Street ...................................................................................... Syracuse Jewish Cemetery Association Frumah Packard ................................................................ Jamesville Avenue and Thurber Street ...................................................................................... Syracuse Jewish Cemetery Association Poiley Tzedeck ................................................................. Jamesville Avenue ....................................................................................... Temple Beth El ....................................................................................... Syracuse Jewish Cemetery Association Linas Hatzedeck................................................................ Jamesville Avenue ....................................................................................... Syracuse Jewish Cemetery Association Beth Israel.......................................................................... Colvin Street and Jamesville Avenue ...................................................................................... Temple Beth El ....................................................................................... Syracuse Jewish Cemetery Association Rosenbloom Cemetery...................................................... Colvin Street ...................................................................................... Temple Concord ...................................................................................... Syracuse Jewish Cemetery Association Beth El............................................................................... Upper and Lower ...................................................................................... Colvin Street and Hughes Place ...................................................................................... Syracuse Jewish Cemetery Association Young Israel....................................................................... Oakwood Cemetery ...................................................................................... Jamesville Avenue Beth Sholom...................................................................... Oakwood Cemetery ...................................................................................... Comstock Avenue Temple Concord................................................................ Woodlawn Cemetery ...................................................................................... Grant Boulevard Thanks to Post 131, Jewish War Veterans of the U.S., for supplying the information.
At left and below: Maps showing the locations of the cemeteries for which the Syracuse Jewish Cemetery Association is responsible. (Maps provided by Steven Sisskind)
Heritage
and preserve the JHC’s collection of Jewish manuscripts, photographs, historical documents, artifacts, letters, maps, books, audiotapes and other records relating
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Clinton, NY 13323-1614 (phone 315-381-3491), under the directorship of Rabbi Diddy and Devorah Waks, serving the Jewish students and faculty at Hamilton College; Chabad of Madison County, Campus Chabad House, 122 Lebanon St., Hamilton, NY 13346 (phone 315-825-9012), under the directorship of Rabbi Shmuly and Chaya Haskelevich, serving the Jewish students and faculty at Colgate; and Chabad of Cortland, 28 Pleasant St., Cortland, NY 13045 (phone 607-218-5118), under the directorship of Rabbi Mendel and Neechana Deena Hecht, serving the Jewish community of Cortland and the Jewish students and faculty at SUNY Cortland. The Sorkin Chabad House also works in conjunction with the Mayanot Institute in recruiting and sending Jewish students on Birthright Israel. Chabad now also offers a new program, IsraeLinks, for those not eligible for Birthright.
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M.L. Oberdorfer Brass Company with two carloads of men circa 1920 from the B.G. Rudolph Papers, which are the plates used in his book, “From a Minyan to a Community: A History of the Jews in Syracuse.” This is but one of hundreds of pictures in the archives of the Judaic Heritage Center of Central New York.
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to the history and culture of the Jews in the area. The archived materials housed at OHA are available for public viewing and research by appointment. The JHC published “A Place That Lives Only in Memory” by William Marcus, based on the earlier JHC exhibit on the old Jewish neighborhood of Syracuse’s 15th Ward. The book is available for purchase at synagogue gift shops and OHA. Another project was gathering the stories of Jewish war veterans who served in World War II and archiving their video interviews. In 2014, the JHC completed a 90-minute documentary video titled “Stories from the Syracuse Jewish Community,” created and filmed by Jay Lurie, which is also available for sale. The most recent project is the production of a new 90-minute video, “People and Places,” created and filmed by Lurie. It will be available later this summer. Also in conjunction with the Jewish Federation of Central New York, JHC is working with the Onondaga Historical Association to create a permanent exhibit at the OHA on the Jewish Contribution to the Community. The JHC is looking for volunteers to help it with its mission and seeks memorabilia from the public to add to its collection. For more information, contact Howard Port at 4491200 or Sidney Lipton at 682-8489.
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JEWISH OBSERVER COMMUNITY GUIDE ■ JUNE 9, 2016/3 SIVAN 5776
Senior Living Menorah Park At left: The entrance to the Jewish Health and Rehabilitation Center at Menorah Park.
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Hodes Way 4101 E. Genesee St. Syracuse, NY 13214 Phone: 315-446-9111 Website: www.menorahparkofcny.com Chief Executive Officer: Mary Ellen Bloodgood Meeting tomorrow’s needs for the next generation, Menorah Park is a non-profit, non-sectarian, continuum-of-care campus that goes beyond traditional care offered to active seniors. Having celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2012, Menorah Park provides a number of experiences and specialized services that include longterm skilled nursing, independent living, assisted living, short-term rehabilitation services, home health care and a medical model adult day program. Menorah Park is a kosher campus that honors Jewish holidays and traditions. Shabbat services are offered every Friday night and Saturday morning, and the community is welcome to attend. To make everyone feel at home, worship services are also offered for residents who practice different faiths. Come to Menorah Park and make the next years of your life, or someone you care for, the best that they can be. Jewish Health and Rehabilitation Center Director of Admissions Courtney Stevenson Phone: 315-446-9111, ext. 168 The Jewish Health and Rehabilitation Center at Menorah Park provides care for adults requiring skilled nursing and short-term rehabilitation. With 132 beds, including private rooms, the residents enjoy an expert and compassionate staff, comprehensive rehabilitation services, spiritual care services and activities. A specialty unit is available for Alzheimer and dementia patients on The Terrace, which is designed for the safety and well-being of these residents. The Sellin Rehab, located within the Jewish Health and Rehabilitation Center, is for people who have recently been discharged from area hospitals and need rehabilitative services to help regain their independence and restore lost or diminished life skills. Considered experts in their field, the therapists have worked in geriatric physical and occupational therapy for many years. The rehab team consists of professionals from different disciplines working together to give each resident individual services. The holistic approach includes physical therapists, occupational therapists, a speech/language
therapist, physicians, nurses, a social worker and a dietician. The professional team works closely with the resident and family to create a treatment plan designed to bring each person to self-sufficiency and have a safe return to the community. Residents can take advantage of: Café and private family dining rooms Beauty salon and barbershop Gift shop Libraries Gardens and walking paths Synagogue Reflections Room Rothschild Adult Day Program Contact: Mark Griffen, R.N. Phone: 315-446-9111, ext.128 The Rothschild Adult Day Program at Menorah Park serves adults of all ages with physical and psychosocial healthcare needs. It is a medical model day program serving adults with health care needs, including medical management, therapies, education, support, activities and social work. Efforts extend beyond the senior community and across cultural, physical and mental barriers to create a positive atmosphere where everyone can achieve daily living skills. Sam Pomeranz Residence at The Inn at Menorah Park Director: Tom Carlson Phone: 315-446-9111, ext. 180 Eventually, we all need a little extra help. The Inn at Menorah Park, a licensed adult home and assisted living residence, enables residents to enjoy a home-like environment with the reassurance that help is always available to assist them. A caring staff provides the support and personal assistance that allow residents to maintain a high quality of life. Each resident has an individualized care plan that reflects their specific needs and preferences. Over time, the care plans reflect the changing needs of residents. Residents at The Inn can choose from a variety of spacious floor plans, including large one bedroom and master suites. Many of the apartments offer kitchenettes, ample storage and large bathrooms with walk-in safety showers. Each apartment is equipped with an emergency response system that allows residents to get help when they need it. Ahavath Achim Apartments Program Coordinator: Mary Kimberly Phone: 315-449-3309 The Ahavath Achim Apartments offer moderately-priced apartments that provide
See “Menorah” on page 19A
The Drumlins Country Club was packed on August 19, 2015, with approximately 110 golfers playing in the 33rd annual Jewish Home Open to benefit Menorah Park.
Cantor Francine Berg created the Forget-Me-Nots, a chorus comprised of more than 35 Menorah Park residents, many with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
JUNE 9, 2016/3 SIVAN 5776 ■
JEWISH OBSERVER COMMUNITY GUIDE
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Senior Living The Oaks at Menorah Park 18 Arbor Lane DeWitt, NY 13214 Phone: 315-449-3309 Fax: 315-449-1566 E-mail: MKimberly@ menorahparkofcny.com Website: www.menorahparkofcny.com Office Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9 am-5 pm Director: Mary Kimberly The Oaks at Menorah Park is an independent retirement community for active seniors who desire elegant apartments, gourmet meals, beautiful grounds and superior services. Residents may choose from among one-bedroom, one-bedroom with den, two-bedroom and two-bedroom deluxe apartments. Residents individualize their apartments with their own furniture and belongings to suit their tastes and styles. They can choose from different rental options, customizing their rental plan to best suit their needs and paying only for the services they want. The basic monthly rental includes gas and electric, 24-hour emergency response, continental breakfast and à la carte dining options. Basic cable TV, free Wi-Fi and housekeeping are all included in the rent. Among the community areas are a social center, courtyard café, restaurant-style dining room, private dining room, library, exercise room and barber/beauty shop. In addition, The Oaks is the only kosher fine dining facility in Central New York and it also caters. The public is welcome to dine in or take out a wide selection of
fine glatt kosher offerings. Friday services are held at 5 pm, with Shabbat services on the second and fourth Saturday of the month at 11 am. Worship services are also offered at Menorah Park for The Oaks’ residents who practice different faiths. Gracious dining is provided every day at The Oaks. The mornings begin with a continental breakfast. At lunchtime during the week, homemade soups, salads and sandwiches may be purchased at the Courtyard Café. Elegant dinners are prepared by The Oaks’ chef Monday through Saturday and are served in a beautifully-appointed dining room. There is a brunch on Sunday. The wellgroomed grounds, walking path, patio and gazebo may be enjoyed at one’s leisure. Transportation to doctors’ appointments, grocery stores, banks and dry cleaners is provided for a small fee. There is ample parking for residents and valet parking is available in inclement weather. The Oaks offers an array of specialized wellness programs, including personalized exercise and fitness classes. The country-like setting is just minutes from the heart of Syracuse. At The Oaks, residents are close to major medical centers, as well as all the recreational, cultural, shopping and entertainment venues that Central New York has to offer. For active adults who cherish privacy and independence, The Oaks is the only place to be.
The Oaks offers kosher fine dining to the public and is the only kosher fine dining facility in Central New York. Community members often join residents to enjoy a meal in the dining room at The Oaks.
The Oaks at Menorah Park is an independent retirement community for active seniors.
Foundation
chosen organizations. A program can be tailor-made to support a dimension of charitable giving that is particularly compelling and important to the donor. Alternatively, a donor might prefer to limit the benefits to a specific agency, organization or synagogue. Plans can readily be designed to implement any and all wishes. The memory of loved ones and the accomplishments of community leaders can be perpetuated through funds specially created in those individuals’ names. The Foundation hopes to serve as the repository of permanent endowment funds for the entire Central New York Jewish community. Another type of fund administered by the Foundation is Donor Advised Funds. Opened with a minimum of $2,500, these funds were created to make giving relevant and meaningful to people of all ages. Gifts can be made in cash, stock or by credit card. Not only does this simplify record keeping at tax time, but it also makes it possible to translate tzedakah into frequent flyer miles if the donor uses a credit card. Once a fund is established, donors can then recommend grants to qualified Jewish and general community charitable organizations, such as an alma mater, professional group or favorite health-related organization, locally and around the country. The Foun-
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dation handles all the administrative and investment responsibilities and furnishes the donor with periodic reports of the fund’s activities. One hundred percent of the amounts contributed to the fund’s principal may be distributed. Board members since founding include Nancy Belkowitz, William Berinstein, Jeffry Berman, Neil Bronstein, *Asher Black, Gerald Black, Melvyn Charney, I. Stephen Davis, Mark Field, Deborah Friedman, Edgar Galson, Lionel Gilels, *Bernard Goldberg, Neil Goldberg, Edward Green, Victor Hershdorfer, Alexander Holstein, David Hootnick, Sheldon Horowitch, Martin Irwin, Sheldon Kall, Sheldon Kruth, Benjamin Levine, Steven Miron, *Leslie Neulander, Cheryl Patt, William Pearlman, Marilyn Pinsky, *Philip Pinsky, Norman Poltenson, Howard Port, Paul Roth, Arnold Rubenstein, Elaine Rubenstein, Philip Rubenstein, Jeffrey Scheer, Cheryl Schotz, Debrah Shulman, Steven Sisskind, Lynn Smith, *J. Jeffrey Solomon, Paul Solomon, John Sonne, Gershon Vincow, Steven Wells and Warren Wolfson. (*Deceased) David Holstein is the founding attorney. For more information, contact Executive Director Linda Alexander, who will answer questions, facilitate strategic grant-making and administer any funds that might be established.
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JEWISH OBSERVER COMMUNITY GUIDE ■ JUNE 9, 2016/3 SIVAN 5776
Epstein
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by the Jewish Federation of Central New York, parents of students, donors and the community’s synagogues. Enrollment is open to any student in grades eight-12, and registration is available online at www.epsteincny. org. Classes meet on Tuesdays from 6:30-8:30 pm for grades eight-10, and on Thursdays from 7-8 pm, for juniors and seniors.
TC
Seniors can participate in the Seasoned Citizens group. There is also a Katan Con (Little Concord) group for families with young children. A regular series of lectures, films and concerts provides education and entertainment free to all who wish to come. The Lois Arnold Gale Library houses more than 3,000 volumes, ranging from toddler board books to talmudic texts. One of the largest collections of Judaic resources in Central New York, the library contains a variety of media, including the Ida Benderson Collection of tapes, videos and contemporary Jewish music. Another section of the library is dedicated to TC lifetime member Louis Marshall, considered one of the most powerful American Jews of the 20th century, with books about him and other memorabilia. Temple Concord also houses the Rakov Museum collection of artifacts – some dating back to the Temple period – while others are ritual objects and Torah scrolls from Eastern Europe, testimony to the pre-Holocaust era. The sanctuary’s aron hakodesh houses Torah scrolls saved from destruction during the Holocaust. Temple Concord also annually presents three monthly series that are free and open to the public: The Regina F. Goldenberg Cultural Series presents assorted musical performances from Students from the Rabbi Jacob H. Epstein School of Jewish Studies on the 2015 Teen classical, jazz, dance and choral; the Taste of Israel trip, a 10-day touring trip to Israel for Epstein’s class of 11 ninth-grade Cinemagogue Series offers a variety of students and three chaperones for a hands-on Jewish educational experience. The films with Jewish themes, Israeli filmtrip was made possible by an endowment fund at the Jewish Foundation of Central makers and Jewish-American stars; and the Scholar Series presents Syracuse UniNew York. The next trip will be in 2017. versity professors and other experts from the community on a variety of political, Continued from page 6A cultural health and educational topics. For more information, or to become Worship Opportunities provide a high quality Jewish education Services in Hebrew and English are to the Jewish students in our community. involved with the SCHS, contact Small When we commit to educating our chil- at schs.syracuse@gmail.com; any of the held the first Friday of every month at dren, we are investing in the future of board members listed below; or the rabbi 7:30 pm (followed by an oneg Shabbat) the Jewish people. This is an opportunity or president of CBS-CS (446-9570), TAY and other Fridays at 6 pm (preceded by for our students to learn in an engaging (445-0002), or TC (475-9952). The Board a “pre-oneg”). Many services feature environment and develop strong Jewish of Directors includes Howard Weinstein, the Knesseth Shalom Singers (adult identities that will carry into adulthood. president; Sam Young, vice president; Irv choir), Shirat Shalom Singers (youth Our students will be coming from diverse Bodofsky, second vice president; Alison choir) or Ruach (the TC band). There backgrounds and it is important that we Bronstein, treasurer; Rachael Porter, respect and understand our differences as secretary; Rebecca Oppedisano; Steve well as what we have in common. ‘Haver- Volinsky; Diane Wladis; and Small. Ex im kol Yisrael,’ all Jews are connected, officio board members include Rabbi one to another and we are all part of the Paul Drazen, Cantor Kari Siegel Eglash, Jewish community. By working together, Rabbi Daniel Fellman, Rabbi Andrew Pepperstone, Julie Tornberg and legal we can strengthen our community.” The SCHS is open to all Jewish chil- consultant Joe Greenman. To find dren, whether they are members of the out more, visit the website www.syracusecommunityhebrewschool.com. three organizing synagogues or not. Shalshelet (chain) links Epstein students while they are also madrichim (teachers’ aides) in the community’s religious schools and Syracuse Community Hebrew School, increases their compensation, and is made possible through a grant from the Community Program Fund of the Jewish Federation of Central New York. The Epstein School is sponsored
SCHS
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is a lay-led service every Saturday at 11 am, except when there is a b’nai mitzvah. All Friday night services in July and August are at 6 pm, and several are held outdoors at community parks and are followed by barbecue or picnic dinners (check the service schedule at www.templeconcord.org). Services are held for all holy days and festivals. Every Member Counts The synagogue works to build its congregational family through a variety of ritual and social events. Members decorate the congregation’s sukkah each fall and member teams often help those who have home sukkot. Chanukah and Pesach are marked with synagoguewide events. The congregation’s website and weekly e-bulletin keep members up-to-date on synagogue events. Social Action Temple Concord continues to have a strong commitment to social action. Members maintain the synagogue’s twice-yearly commitment to serve a meal at the Samaritan Center and have established a partnership with the J.T. Roberts School in Syracuse. The synagogue houses “The Jewish Community’s Response to Hunger,” a food pantry that serves more than 150 families weekly and provides connections to local job counseling and social service agencies, fulfilling the highest level of tzedakah, helping people move toward independence. The congregation’s Social Action Committee collaborates with Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas and Temple Adath Yeshurun on various issues, including dealing with hunger in Central New York. Temple Concord is an active member of the interfaith advocacy group ACTS, Alliance of Communities Transforming Syracuse. Temple Concord is located on the Connective Corridor in the Syracuse University neighborhood. Once the city’s primary Jewish community address, the location remains at the crossroads of Routes 81 and 690, offering easy access from all directions.
Candles were lit at a TC Chanukah dinner.
SCHS sixth grade students played Hebrew games.
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To advertise, contact Bonnie Rozen at 800-779-7896, ext. 244 or bonnie@thereportergroup.org Cantor Kari Siegel Eglash and Rabbi Daniel Fellman on the bima at Temple Concord.
JCC
Office for the Aging and Administration for Community Living. The JCC also offers seniors various opportunities to stay active and involved in the community to help maintain their independence and social connections. Many seniors spend hours at the JCC playing Mah Jongg and bridge, and attending the Neulander Family Sports and Fitness Center’s group exercise classes. Other senior programming includes entertainers, birthday celebrations and movies. Neighborhood Advisor The JCC’s Neighborhood Advisor program offers outreach, information and referral services to seniors age 60 and older living in the DeWitt, Fayetteville and Manlius areas. This free, confidential service provides information about programs available in the community. It helps seniors obtain necessary services so they can live independently in their homes. The Neighborhood Advisor program is run by the Onondaga County Department of Adult and Long Term Care Services. PJ Library® The PJ Library® (PJ is for pajamas) is a national literacy program started by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation that gives free Jewish bedtime stories, CDs
JFS
Community Hearts and Minds brings therapy and counseling services to children, families, couples, individuals and groups. Services are provided on a sliding fee schedule. Third-party insurances, including Medicare, are accepted. The SJFS Volunteer Program puts hundreds of individuals to work each year in a variety of programs and capacities, including the delivery of Kosher Meals on Wheels; friendly visiting on and off campus; performing errands for clients; general office assistance; special event and project coordination; provision of holiday gifts and cards for individuals who are homebound and isolated; assisting at a food pantry; or a host of opportunities on the Menorah Park campus. If anyone has a talent to share, SJFS will find a volunteer opportunity to match it. Internships and service learning are available in coordination with various accredited degree programs. Schools participating include Onondaga Community College, Le Moyne College, SUNY Oswego and Syracuse University. Community service opportunities are also available for companies, Key Clubs and class requirements, as well as court-mandated community service. The Community Links Social Action Program is a model point-of-entry program in cooperation with the Temple Concord Food Pantry. SJFS social workers and interns provide counseling
CBS-CS
for the family. Program highlights include a trip to the Glimmerglass Festival, the annual potluck dinner, the Symposium held in partnership with the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse,
JUNE 9, 2016/3 SIVAN 5776 ■ Continued from page 4A
and DVDs to families raising Jewish children ages 6 months-8 years old. To enroll, visit www.pjlibrary.org and start receiving this monthly gift. The PJ Library in Central New York chapter also offers play dates and other family-friendly interactive events. PJ Library in CNY is a program of the JCC of Syracuse and serves children in Cortland, Madison, Onondaga and Oswego counties. It is supported by the Pomeranz, Shankman and Martin Charitable Foundation, the 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. For more information and/or to sign up, visit www.pjlibrary.org or e-mail pjcny@jccsyr.org. PJ Our Way is the newest chapter of PJ Library for older kids. It’s designed to meet the developmental needs of 9-11-year-olds by offering choice and creative outlets. Each month, kids visit the PJ Our Way website to choose one book from a selection of four titles with Jewish themes. The books are then mailed to them and they can post comments and reviews online. Enroll online at www. pjourway.org. Continued from page 5A
and advocacy, as well as information and referral to a variety of existing programs and services through both SJFS and a network of social service agencies. The Tachlis of Inclusion program reaches out to Jewish clients with special needs, bringing them Jewish holiday and cultural experiences, as well as training in cultural competency to residence staff and other service providers. SJFS provides oversight, Jewish programming and liaison to Beit Tikvah, Menorah Park’s kosher group home. Jewish Family Service has a nondiscrimination policy and provides services to people of all backgrounds and economic levels. Fee subsidies are available for individuals and families who demonstrate financial hardship. Insurance for approved services, including Medicare, and major credit cards are accepted. Syracuse Jewish Family Service is partially funded by the Jewish Federation of Central New York and is a beneficiary agency of the United Way of Central New York. It receives reimbursement and funding from the Onondaga County Adult and Long Term Care Services, the New York State Office ofAging, the Central New York Community Foundation, and program and client fees, as well as charitable contributions and other charitable underwriting. It is a member agency of the Association of Jewish Family and Children’s Services and Meals on Wheels Association of America. Continued from page 12A
the annual Torah Fund dinner, movie and game nights, and study sessions. Sisterhood bakes thousands of hamantashen for the Purim mishloach manot baskets sent to the entire congregation.
JEWISH OBSERVER COMMUNITY GUIDE
Federation
Federation maintains an online community calendar, a comprehensive place to find all local Jewish events. Federation’s website is the first place to go for information about community events, services and activities, and to find links to a variety of news sources, as well as links to local, national and international Jewish agencies. As part of its extensive efforts to keep local Jewish residents safe, Federation maintains a communications network to facilitate the coordination of efforts between law enforcement agencies and local Jewish agencies in the event of a
Menorah
security, amenities and services for independent adults. Coupled with social opportunities and companionship, these apartments provide a safe and pleasant environment for adults seeking affordable living. Menorah Park Home Care Director of Menorah Park Home Care: Beverly Klein Phone: 315-446-9111, ext. 249 Providing adults with high quality healthcare is Menorah Park’s goal to help seniors meet the challenge of “aging in place” with the dignity and respect they deserve. Services are available for those living in the community, as well as those in private residences or group living arrangements. In collaboration
TAY
co-sponsors the Syracuse Community Hebrew School for students in third through seventh grades. The confirmation program, “Conversations with Rabbi Drazen,” allows 10th grade students to think deeply about their commitment to Jewish life. The United Synagogue Youth program (grades nine-12) and Kadima group (sixth-eighth grades) provide settings for young people to enjoy social events and participate in community service projects. The synagogue encourages and helps finance USY trips for regional conventions. The TAY Rothschild Early Childhood Center offers a free, optional Jewish enrichment program open to the wider Syracuse Jewish community: Storah Time on Tuesdays for ages 2-5, and Shabbat Experience on Fridays for children from birth-5 years. The RECC provides childcare for children from 6 weeks through pre-kindergarten. The RECC uses a curriculum that prepares children for kindergarten through handson activities and project based learning. The RECC offers before-and after-school programs for school-age children. Preschool children can enroll in a summer experience, including swim instruction, and Camp Rothschild, geared toward 5-12-year-olds, offers weekly field trips, athletic activities, including swimming, and crafts, as well as mini-courses such as gardening, clay sculpture and engineering. Children aged 12-15 in the C.I.T. program participate in camp activities and assist counselors while developing leadership and communication skills.
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Continued from page 3A
threat to the safety of the community. Federation also coordinates a “digital mapping” program of all Jewish structures, institutions and agencies in Syracuse and surrounding areas. Federation welcomes the energy, enthusiasm and skills of all those willing to work on behalf of the Jewish people. To learn more about the Jewish Federation of Central New York, its beneficiary agencies and other Jewish community resources, visit the website at www.jewishfederationcny.org or contact President/CEO Linda Alexander at 445-2040, ext. 130, or Lalexander@jewishfederationcny.org. Continued from page 16A
with families and physicians, registered nurses develop individualized care plans that include personal care, nutrition and medication management. The Foundation at Menorah Park Contact: Susie Drazen Phone: 315-446-9111, ext. 141 Many of the programs and services offered for the residents at Menorah Park are made possible thanks to the fund-raising support and guidance of the Foundation. When you give to Menorah Park, you help provide the very best care now and for future generations. Menorah Park accepts all levels of gifts, and provides many opportunities to fulfill your giving interests and philanthropic goals. Continued from page 13A Congregational Activities
TAY offers a range of social, cultural and educational programming. Adult Jewish learning programs, such as Pause Button, a monthly Shabbat morning study; interactive discussions under the direction of Rabbi Drazen; and movies of Jewish interest are open to the community and held throughout the year. Other programming includes scholar-in-residence programs, Tikkun Leil Shavuot, “Pizza in the Hut” for Sukkot, an annual Chanukah dinner and Hava Nagrilla, a barbecue prepared by the men of the congregation, followed by a musical Friday night service, Shabbat in the Round. The TAY Citizen of the Year dinner honors national and local people, including, most recently, Hillary Clinton, Mitch Albom and Joshua Malina. Social Organizations The TAY Sisterhood sponsors educational and social events, including a monthly book discussion group, weekly mah jongg and adult education classes open to the entire congregation. The Sisterhood’s rummage sales are considered the best garage sales in town and provide resources for TAY. The TAY Hazak group for adults 55 and above has more than 125 active participants who gather for movies, lectures, luncheons, cooking demonstrations, musical programs, and local and regional excursions. Temple Adath Yeshurun, an engaging, egalitarian Conservative congregation, provides the education, welcoming atmosphere and community that inspires its members to fulfill the words of Isaiah: “For My House shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”
At left: Men of CBS-CS had fun barbecuing at the annual Back to Shul barbecue on Labor Day.
L-r: Lisa Joseph and Alison Bronstein helped prepare a congregational Shabbat dinner hosted by TAY Sisterhood.
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JEWISH OBSERVER COMMUNITY GUIDE ■ JUNE 9, 2016/3 SIVAN 5776
of Central New York
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PUBLISHING SCHEDULE • 2016-2017 Special Sections
Issue No.
Publication Date
Y1613
June 23
Home & Real Estate
June 15
Y1614
July 21
Bar/Bat Mitzvah Party Planning Guide • Auto • Personal & Business Services • Dine Out
July 13
Y1615 Y1616
August 4 August 18
Women in Business** • Auto Seniors • Back to School • Home & Real Estate
July 27 August 10
Y1617 Y1618 Y1619
September 1 September 15 September 29
Back to School • Primaries • Fall Home & Real Estate Prep. Rosh Hashanah • Dine Out • Financial Planning Rosh Hashanah • Greetings • Health Care • Pets • Elections
August 24 September 7 September 21
Y1620 Y1621
October 13 October 27
Elections • Small Business Profiles** • Auto • Life Planning Elections • Wedding Planning • Dine Out
October 5 October 19
Y1622 Y1623
November 10 November 24
Home & Real Estate • Auto Chanukah Gifts
November 2 November 15*
Y1624
December 8
Chanukah • Greetings • Health Care • Pets • Auto
November 30
Y1701 Y1702
Financial • Dine Out Health & Wellness • Summer Camps
December 28 January 11
Y1703 Y1604
January 5 January 19 February 2 February 16
Simcha & Party Planning Guide • Auto Small Business Profiles** • Tax & Financial Planning
January 25 February 8
Y1705 Y1706 Y1707
March 2 March 16 March 30
Seniors • Auto • Dine Out Spring Home & Garden • Summer Camps Prep. for Passover
February 22 March 8 March 22
Y1708 Y1709
April 13 April 27
Passover • Health Care • Pets • Holiday Greetings • Auto Wedding & Prom Guide • Gifts for Mother’s Day • Dine Out
April 5 April 19
Y1710 Y1711
May 11 May 25
Women in Business** Gifts for Dads & Grads Summer Fun Insert**
May 3 May 17 May 10*
Y1712 Y1713
June 8 June 22
Annual Community Guide •Healthcare• Pets • Auto Home & Real Estate
May 31 June 14
Y1714
July 20
Bar/Bat Mitzvah Party Planning Guide • Auto • Personal & Business Services • Dine Out
July 12
Y1715 Y1716 Y1717
August 3 August 17 August 31
Women in Business** • Auto Seniors • Back to School • Home & Real Estate Back to School • Primaries • Prep. Rosh Hashanah
July 26 August 9 August 23
Y1718 Y1719
September 14 September 28
Rosh Hashanah • Greetings • Health Care • Financial Planning Fall Home & Real Estate • Dine Out
September 6 September 19*
Y1720 Y1721
October 12 October 26
Elections • Small Business Profiles** • Auto • Life Planning Elections • Wedding Planning • Dine Out
October 3* October 18
Y1722 Y1723
November 9 November 23
Home & Real Estate • Auto Chanukah Gifts
November 1 November 15
Y1724
December 7
Chanukah • Greetings • Health Care • Pets • Auto
November 29
Financial • Dine Out * Early Deadline **Includes free write-up (due two days before ad copy)
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JUNE 9, 2016/3 SIVAN 5776 ■
AROUND CENTRAL NEW YORK Chabad SHAVUOT For the holiday of Shavuot, Chabad Lubavitch will present an “on-point/off–beat” course on the transmission of the Torah, with a comprehensive introduction to Jewish texts from the Five Books of Moses to the present. “Scroll Down” is a 10-part online course designed to orient viewers on the process of the Torah’s transmission and exposition through the ages. A combination of entertainment and education, the program is designed to be enjoyed in short bursts of approximately 12-minute episodes. The series premiered on May 31, in time for the festival of Shavuot, the giving of the Torah, on Saturday, June 11. A new episode is released each Tuesday. Participants can join the series at any time. The course designer, Michael Chighel, leads a tour among the people, places and events that have shaped the Jewish library. He received his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Toronto for his dissertation on the Book of Job. He taught philosophy and Jewish studies in Canada at York University, Queen’s University and the University of Waterloo. He headed the Jewish learning program at the
Lauder Business School in Vienna from 2008-15, where he also taught courses in political economy and ethics. He has published various articles on Jewish thought. It is hoped that the knowledge people gain from the course will result in “a comprehensive grasp” of the scope and structure of the Jewish library, as well as an understanding of the difference and relationship between the written and oral Torah; an appreciation of the essential function of midrash in reading and understanding the Bible; a general sense of how the rabbinic tradition operates; and an appreciation of “the true roots” of Jewish genius. For more information, contact Rabbi Yaakov Rapoport at 315-727-0973 or rabbirap@gmail.com; or visit www. chabadsyracuse.com/ and click on “Scroll Down” to enroll in the course. Chabad Lubavitch of Central New York encourages everyone to participate in Shavuot , Sunday-Monday, June 1213, to celebrate the giving of the Torah. On Sunday, June 12, it is hoped that people will go to synagogue for Shavuot services. For more information, visit www.chabadsyracuse.com.
Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center senior dining menu
JUNE 13-17 Monday – baked ziti Tuesday – beef stew Wednesday – tuna salad plate Thursday – Hawaiian chicken Friday – sweet and sour brisket JUNE 20-24 Monday – dinner – grilled Cornish hen Tuesday – imitation crab cakes Wednesday – grilled hamburgers Thursday – spaghetti and meatballs Friday – Israeli chicken The Bobbi Epstein Lewis JCC Senior Adult Dining Program at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center
States
such as casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and hedge funder Paul Singer, who have sharply hawkish outlooks. Adelson, who endorsed Trump in May – reportedly to the tune of $100 million-plus – is often depicted in the media as the bellwether of the “pro-Israel” donor class. David Halperin, the Israel Policy Forum’s director, said he had secured meetings with Republicans to discuss the project, but with more difficulty than he had with Democrats. “In the current political climate, we would like to make this more bipartisan,” he said. Solow said polling demonstrates that the “overwhelming number of American Jews support the position we’re taking.” The fact that members of the IPF board have held “significant leadership roles” in American Jewry “will provide additional credibility” to the initiative, he said. The Israel Policy Forum is planning private and public presentations for Jewish community leaders and members of Congress. The board members will be a key presence.
Part
to count every adult male as an individual.” Each of us is special, so each of us deserves to be counted and treated as a unique individual. However, God does not stop there. He then adds that each Jewish adult male will be counted not only by tribe, which is certainly a grouping, but also by the house of the male’s father; in other words by the male’s family. Think of it – we are all part of a family and as humans, we want to identify with our family and all our relatives. They are a part of us and we are part of them. It is not enough to count the adult Jewish males as individuals; we have to count them also as members of a household and members of a tribe. These are the groupings that define who we are, where we come from and that make us the individuals we are. So in parasha Bamidbar, Moses is commanded to count the adult Jewish males not only as individuals, but also as members of a group, satisfying both of our instinctive needs at the same time. I believe, however, that there is more than just that involved here. This is the Torah, after all. God is not only appealing to our human needs for individuality and to be part of a group; there is also a spiritual component involved. As unique individuals, we are free to do mitzvot and follow God’s laws, find our spiritual path and internalize how each of us can follow God’s commandments, make the world a better place in the spirit of tikkun olam and
Ê
offers Va’ad Ha’ir-supervised kosher lunches served Tuesday-Friday at noon. Dinners are served on Monday at 5 pm throughout the summer, due in part to the Dr. Morton and Mrs. Libby Maloff Summer Senior Dinner program. Reservations for dinner are required by the Wednesday before each dinner. 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 more information or to make a reservation, contact Cindy Stein at 445-2360, ext. 104, or cstein@jccsyr.org.
Continued from page 1 Sugarman said the plan for two states would couple with a “robust and detailed effort” to keep Israel secure, a commonplace posture in Israel – at least on the center and left – he said was missing from the American Jewish conversation. Much of Israel’s right now rejects the two-state solution. AIPAC in principle is in favor of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, but the pro-Israel lobbying group would never consider getting ahead of the Israeli government in advancing how to define two states as these plans do. For J Street, the organizing principle is two states, and since its 2008 founding the more liberal lobbying group has made inroads among Democrats. The emphasis of the proposals is on preparing Israel psychologically, politically and militarily for two states while countering what the authors of the Israeli plan describe as “fear mongering” from those who oppose Palestinian statehood. Sponsored: “Why Be Jewish?” Edgar Bronfman’s clarion call to a generation of secular, disaffected and unaffiliated Jews. Continued from page 2 attain the spiritual heights each of us has the capability of reaching. Yet, at the same time, part of our spirituality can only be undertaken as a community. We come together to celebrate Passover seders as a family, not as individuals; we count the omer as a community, not as individuals; we shake the lulav and etrog in synagogue together rather than individually. God knows that spirituality, just like our instinctive human needs, has both an individual component and a group component. By counting the adult Jewish males as individuals as well as members of a family and a tribe, God is making a statement about our instinctive human needs and our spiritual needs; they are intertwined. One final word. I did not forget the question of why only males 21 years and older were counted. It is just more basic human understanding in my view. God is telling us that even back in biblical times, teenagers were fundamentally no different than they are today. It takes a level of maturity and understanding that one hopefully reaches after the teenage years to follow in full God’s commandments and be able to participate in the type of fight the Jewish people were going to have to engage in to capture the Promised Land. We see now how a command to take a census says so much more about us as individuals and as a group. I wish governments viewed taking a census in such human terms. Alan Sukert is an engineer with Xerox Corp in Rochester and a member of Temple Adath Yeshurun.
JEWISH OBSERVER
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B’NAI MITZVAH Edwin Ross Hirsh
Edwin Ross Hirsh, son of Jennifer Jordan Hirsh, of Cicero, and Larry Hirsh, of Holbrook, became bar mitzvah at Temple Adath Yeshurun on May 28. He is the grandson of Kathleen and Edwin Jordan (both deceased), of Cicero, and Gale and David Hirsh, of Savannah, GA. He attends the Gillette Road Middle School, the TAY Religious School and the Syracuse Commu- Edwin Ross Hirsh nity Hebrew School. He is an active member of the student council and Family Career and Community Leaders of America at Gillette. He is also the recipient of the Kashuba Award at Gillette. He enjoys playing tennis and plays the trumpet and violin. He also enjoys playing cards and board games. He is one of the teen funders at the Jewish Foundation of Central New York, where he holds a B’nai Mitzvah Fund.
Rachel Scheer
Rachel Scheer, daughter of Abby and Jeff Scheer, became bat mitzvah at Temple Adath Yeshurun on May 21. She is the granddaughter of Mark and Robin Kasowitz, of Manlius, the late Ronnie Kasowitz, and J. Herbert and Ina Scheer, of Williamsville. She is a graduate of the Syracuse Hebrew Day School and is a student at Wellwood Middle School. She attends the Rabbi Jacob Epstein Rachel Scheer School of Jewish Studies. She enjoys dancing, playing the piano and reading. She is one of the teen funders at the Jewish Foundation of Central New York, where she holds a B’nai Mitzvah Fund.
Sophie Scheer
Sophie Scheer, daughter of Abby and Jeff Scheer, became bat mitzvah at Temple Adath Yeshurun on May 21. She is the granddaughter of Mark and Robin Kasowitz, of Manlius, the late Ronnie Kasowitz, and J. Herbert and Ina Scheer, of Williamsville. She is a graduate of the Syracuse Hebrew Day School and is a student at Wellwood Middle School. She attends the Rabbi Jacob Epstein Sophie Scheer School of Jewish Studies. She enjoys reading, playing the piano and tennis. She is one of the teen funders at the Jewish Foundation of Central New York, where she holds a B’nai Mitzvah Fund.
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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ JUNE 9, 2016/3 SIVAN 5776
BUSINESS BRIEFS Menorah Park named a topperforming nursing home by the New York State Department of Health
BY STEWART KOENIG Menorah Park of Central New York is one of 33 “Top-Performing Nursing Homes” in New York state according to the New York State Department of Health’s Nursing Home Quality Initiative. The ranking is based on designated criteria on which all licensed nursing home facilities in the state are measured, and is tabulated on the prior year’s score. Menorah Park CEO Mary Ellen Bloodgood said, “We’re pleased to once again be named a top-performer. The care our staff – from maintenance and administration to certified nursing assistants, recreational specialists and our doctors and nurses – takes with our patients can’t always be measured, as it is in the NHQI; so we are pleased to be recognized.” The NHQI is an annual quality and performance evaluation project aimed to improve the quality of care for residents in Medicaid-certified nursing facilities across New York state. Nursing homes are awarded points for quality and performance measures in quality, compliance and efficiency. The points for all measures are then tabulated to create an overall score for each facility.
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, June 11 Erev Shavuot Sunday, June 12 Shavuot, day one Monday, June 13 Shavuot, day two B JCC and Federation offices closed Tuesday, June 14 Syracuse Hebrew Day School sixth grade trip Temple Concord Seasoned Citizens at 2 pm Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas Sisterhood member dessert and elections at 6:30 pm Wednesday, June 15 CBS-CS board meeting at 7:30 pm CBS-CS, TC, and Temple Adath Yeshurun downtown lunch and learn at noon Wednesday, June 16 Menorah Park annual meeting at 5:30 pm Friday, June 17 TC annual meeting and dinner at 6 pm CBS-CS Shirat Shabbat with Lisa Levens at 6 pm Saturday, June 18 CBS-CS Moving Up Shabbat and Pearlman Award Wednesday, June 22 SHDS graduation at 7 pm Thursday, June 23 CBS-CS Sisterhood study session with Rabbi Andrew Pepperstone TAY annual meeting at 7 pm TAY Scholar-in-Residence at 7:30 pm Friday, June 24 CBS-CS Zmirat Shabbat with Cantor Robert Lieberman and Jonathan Dinkin on piano at 6 pm Saturday, June 25 TAY scholar-in-residence at 10:45 am and 7:45 pm Sunday, June 26 CBS-CS Hazak presents program on gangsters at 10 am TAY installation of Rabbi Paul Drazen at 1:30 pm Shaarei Torah Orthodox Congregation of Syracuse presents brunch, featuring Lynn Koss speaking on “Who gets hurt? The unintended consequences of the media’s coverage of Israel.” Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center of Syracuse presents the program “Seniors Reaching Out” at 2 pm Wednesday, June 29 STOCS presents Simply Tsfat in concert at 8 pm at STOCS Wednesday, July 6 Deadline for the July 21 issue of the Jewish Observer
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OBITUARIES LILLIAN AUERBACH
Lillian Auerbach, 105, died on May 19 at home. Born in Boston, she was a bookkeeper for the Builders of Allentown Inc., of Allentown, PA. She is survived by a son, Jerry. Burial was in Sharon Memorial Park, in Sharon, MA. Sisskind Funeral Service had arrangements.
GERTRUDE FISHMAN
Gertrude Fishman, 93, died on May 21 at Menorah Park. Born in Poland, she was a Holocaust survivor and had been a resident of Syracuse for more than 65 years. She was an active member of Temple Beth El, its Sisterhood, Temple Adath Yeshurun and Na’amat. Her family remembers the holiday meals she prepared with love. She was predeceased by her grandson, Scott Bryan Dubnoff; and her sisters, Nadzia and Hela. She is survived by her husband of more than 70 years, Max; their children, Estelle (Ira) Dubnoff, of Fayetteville; and Steven (Marybeth) Fishman, of Manlius; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Burial was in Beth El Cemetery. Sisskind Funeral Service had arrangements. Contributions can be made to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 100 Raoul Wallenberg Pl. SW, Washington, DC 20024.
ADAM FRANK
Adam Frank, 16, on Manlius, died May 23 at home. Born in Syracuse, he was a junior at Fayetteville-Manlius High School and a member of Temple Concord. He had worked at Wegmans, loved snowboarding, Batman comics, DC comics, and superhero movies and TV shows. He will be remembered for his kindness, loyalty, his great heart and his terrific smile. He is survived by his parents, Mark and Judy Frank; his sister, Hannah; and a large and loving extended family. Burial was in the Temple Concord section of Woodlawn Cemetery. Sisskind Funeral Service had arrangements.
GLORIA LOIS GERBER GOLDBERG
Gloria Lois Gerber Goldberg, 88, died on May 13 as a result of a stroke suffered earlier in the month. Born in Rochester, she graduated from the University of Rochester summa cum laude. She earned a master’s in education from Syracuse University. She lived in Syracuse, Chicago, Dayton and London before settling in Syracuse in 1963. She taught French and Spanish in the Westhill School district for more than 20 years, had a lifelong love of French language and culture, and had a passion for foreign travel. She spent a year teaching English as a Fulbright exchange teacher in Brittany. She served for several years on the Temple Concord Education Committee. She and her husband had been members there since 1963. She was an active member of the Syracuse Friends of Chamber Music and the Social Art Club. She played bridge regularly with two groups and together with her husband was part of a monthly gourmet book group. She was predeceased by her sister, Wilma Gerber Lipsky, of Homer, TX. She is survived by her husband of 67 years, Joshua Goldberg, professor emeritus of physics at Syracuse University; her son, Zachary Goldberg, of New York City; and her daughter, Miriam Goldberg, of Madison, WI. Garland Brothers Funeral Home had arrangements. A celebration of her life will be held in a few months. Contributions can be made to the Krasner Fund of Syracuse Friends of Chamber Music, P.O. Box 215, DeWitt NY13214.
JACOB THEODORE GOLDMAN
Jacob Theodore Goldman, 31, died unexpectedly on May 24 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Born in Washington, DC, he graduated in 1998 from the eighth grade at Syracuse Hebrew Day School. He then graduated from Manlius Pebble Hill School in 2002 and SUNY Geneseo in 2007. He was a graduate of the 2010 class of the SUNY Buffalo Law School and was currently enrolled in the San Juan Bautista School of Medicine in Caguas, Puerto Rico. He was predeceased by his grandparents, Norman Goldman, Beverly Cooperstein and Edward Cooperstein. He is survived by his parents, Debra and Herbert Goldman, of Fayetteville; his siblings, Rebecca, Samuel and Sarah Goldman; his grandmother, Sheila Goldman; and aunts, uncles and cousins. He is also survived by his fiancée, Mayra Silvestre Olivas. Burial was in the Beth Sholom section of Oakwood Cemetery. Birnbaum Funeral Service had arrangements. Contributions can be made to Wanderers Rest, P.O. Box 535, Canastota, NY 13032; or San Juan School of Medicine in Caguas, Puerto Rico.
MARVIN KATZ
Marvin Katz, 95, died on May 27 in Syracuse. Born in Syracuse, he spent most of his life there. He served as a medic in the Army for five years during World War II. After the war, he worked as a salesman and then bought a retail/wholesale dry goods company. He bowled and played golf for many years. He also loved to play poker. He and his wife traveled widely. He and his wife would have been married 69 years on May 29. He is survived by his wife, Gloria; his daughter, JoAnn Gorman (Marty); his son, Gary; five grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and his daughter-in-law, Jackie Katz. Burial was in the Temple Concord section of Woodlawn Cemetery. Birnbaum Funeral Service had arrangements. Contributions can be made to the Foundation at Menorah Park, 4101 E. Genesee St., Syracuse, NY 13214.
ALLEN KIER
Allen Kier, 89, of Syracuse, died on May 19. A life-long resident of Syracuse, he graduated from Nottingham High School and attended Syracuse University. He retired from Gallinger Real Estate in 2008, where he worked following his many years in the newspaper business. He enjoyed being a salesman and worked his way up from selling newspapers to being the advertising sales manager at The Post-Standard. He was active with the Radio Amateurs of Greater Syracuse for several decades and held an advanced ham radio license. He spent much time speaking with people on the air across the world or across town. He volunteered for the ham radio lab at the Museum of Science and Technology in Syracuse, and provided communications for many other community events. When he was not talking on ham radios, he enjoyed reading books, learning the computer and working around the house. He was devoted to his synagogue, Temple Beth El, and served as president and in many other positions. He was predeceased by his wife of 49 years, Bobbi, in 2004; his nephew, Jeff Rosenberg; and his sister, DeeLoures Kier Rosenberg. He is survived by his sons, Howard (Sheryl) Kier, of Schaumburg, IL, and Rick (Karen) Kier, of Jamesville; five grandchildren; and two step-grandsons. He is also survived by his friend and companion, Trudy Spector, of Syracuse; as well as many nieces with whom he was very close. Burial was in Adath Yeshurun Cemetery. Sisskind Funeral Service had arrangements. Contributions can be made to a charity of choice.
ANITA WAITE
Anita Waite, 60, of Fayetteville, died on May 20 at the Iroquois Nursing Home in Jamesville. Born in Mineola, NY, she had been a Syracuse resident for almost 40 years. After graduating from East Meadow High School, she earned her bachelor’s degree from the Syracuse University School of Education, and a master’s in psychology from SU as well. She taught special education in the Canastota School District for almost 40 years. She was a dedicated teacher who cared deeply for her students and fellow teachers. She was an active member of NYS United Teachers throughout her career. She is survived by her husband, Sam; their daughter, Corinne; her brother, Richard (Ellyn) Miller; and two nieces. Burial was in New Montefiore Cemetery on Long Island. Sisskind Funeral Service had arrangements.
S. MICHAEL WALZER
S. Michael Walzer, 101, died on May 19 at Menorah Park. Born in Mt. Vernon, he had been a resident of Syracuse for the past 20 years. He was a graduate of New York University with a degree in accounting. He was a practicing CPA and entrepreneur until retiring. He was a member of the New York State Society of CPAs, a former member of Temple Beth El and a current member of Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas. He was predeceased by his wife, Eleanor, in 2007. He is survived by his son, Mark; daughter, Barbara, of Syracuse; two grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Burial was in Cedar Park Cemetery, Emerson, NJ, beside his late wife. Sisskind Funeral Service had arrangements. Contributions may be made to the Israel Cancer Research Fund, 295 Madison Ave., Suite 1030, NY, NY 10017.