Aprill 11, 2019 Issue of Jewish Observer Newspaper

6 NISAN 5779 • APRIL 11, 2019 • VOLUME XXXX, NUMBER 8 • PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID, SYRACUSE, NY

Campaign highlights

Federation – strengthening our Jewish future

BY COLLEEN BAKER As winter slowly gives way to spring, transformation seems inevitable. While we embrace this change in the weather, it can be difficult to appreciate change in

other facets of our lives. Yet change for the better is how organizations such as the Jewish Federation of Central New York find success.

Federation works tirelessly so we

Yom Ha’atzmaut – Israel’s Independence Day On Thursday, May 9, the Syracuse Jewish community will celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day, which commemorates the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948. This year’s celebration will be held at Temple Adath Yeshurun from 5:45-8 pm. It is a collaboration of the Jewish Federation of Central New York; the Pomeranz, Shankman and Martin Charitable Foundation; the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center; all the local synagogues; the Rabbinical

Council of Syracuse; Chabad Lubavitch of Central New York; Syracuse Hebrew Day School; Syracuse Community Hebrew School; Rabbi Jacob H. Epstein School of Jewish Studies; PJ Library®; Beit Tikvah; Hillel; Menorah Park; The Oaks and Natur-Tyme. Organizers hope that this widespread participation will make this “a truly phenomenal community event.”

This year’s theme is “A Taste of Israel.”

See “Day” on page 9

Remembering…

BY JUDITH L. STANDER How do you remember names?

The Jewish Federation of Central New York invites the community to hear names that they may never have heard before. On Sunday, May 5, at Temple Concord, hundreds of names will be read and remembered during the Annual Yom Hashoah Memorial Observance. The

program will be held from 3-4 pm.

A book of remembrance, created several years ago by the Jewish Federation of Central New York, has pages of names submitted by families and friends. Each page can contain a single name but often holds the names of many from the same family or village who were lost during the years of the Shoah.

See “Remembering” on page 2

can ensure that our community is truly “stronger together.” The work is strategic, impactful and inspiring. Long before the attack on the “Tree of Life” synagogue in Pittsburgh, this community made security a high priority. As such, we have become a model community across North America, and our individual and collective planning with federal, state, county and municipal law enforcement organizations has allowed us to develop and maintain a strong, functional and respectful relationship at all levels of law enforcement.

We are looking toward our Jewish future and considering how to strengthen it. One of the core initiatives of the Federation’s Mission Statement is encouraging “Jewish Identity.” Federation funds support local Jewish institutions as we partner with them

to help them fulfill their mission.

Federation is a dynamic organization.

“As we change and grow, we will always be guided by our mission to serve our community,” said Federation President/ CEO Michael Balanoff. “We are able to do this because of the generosity of donors, supporters, volunteers, board members and families that make up the fabric of our campaign. We rely on you for our success, and we thank you for your generosity and participation.”

If you have not yet made your pledge, please do so today. We need your help in reaching a record $1.3 million. E-mail cbaker@jewishfederationcny.org or go to www.jewishfederationcny.org and click the tzedakah box. Again, our thanks for all you do for the community.

Lions of Judah present Pam Sherman

BY COLLEEN BAKER The Federation’s Lions of Judah will present nationally-syndicated columnist, actor, recovering lawyer and leadership consultant Pam Sherman in Syracuse. The Lions of Judah invite all women in the Pam Sherman community to hear Sherman speak free of charge, at Menorah Park on Tuesday, May 7, at 6:45 pm.

Led by coordinator Robin Goldberg, the local Lion of Judah group has women of all ages who “care deeply” about the Jewish future. Each woman demonstrates her dedication to the community by committing to the Jewish Federation of Central New York’s annual Campaign an individual or family gift of $5,000 or more.

Sherman conducts programs and coaches leaders all over the world in leadership communications, and how to present themselves and their stories with passion.

Her nationally-syndicated column, “The Suburban Outlaw,” can be read in Gannett publications, including the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle and USA TODAY Network. Her best-selling book, “The Suburban Outlaw: Tales from the Edge,” is sold onAmazon. Sherman recently returned

to the stage in Geva Theatre’s production of “Erma Bombeck at Wit’s End.” Sherman was profiled in People Magazine about her career transition from attorney to actor.

Reservations are preferred for this event and may be made by contacting Colleen Baker at cbaker@jewishfederationcny.org.

2019 Federation Campaign Annual Pay it forward and donate to the 2019 Jewish Federation of CNY Annual Campaign

Goal: $1,300,000

$826,324 as of April 8, 2019

Thank you for your support!

For more information, please contact Colleen Baker at 315-445-2040, ext. 102, or Cbaker@jewishfederationcny.org

C A N D L E L I G H T I N G A N D P A R AS H A

April 12............................ 7:25 pm..................................................Parashat Metzora April 19............................ 7:33 pm................................................. Parashat Passover April 20................... after 8:38 pm.................................................................Passover April 25............................ 7:40 pm.................................................................Passover April 26............................ 7:42 pm................................................. Parashat Passover

INSIDE THIS ISSUE SJFS initiative

Passover

Clean water for kids

SJFS launches a needs assessment Passover services and events Israeli technology is providing as part of “Building a Dementia are announced; holiday dessert schoolchildren in Sierra Leone recipes; and more.

Friendly Jewish Community.” with clean drinking water.

Story on page 5 Stories on pages 7, 9, 10 and 14 Story on page 13

PLUS Healthcare Greetings........ 9-11 Personal Greetings..........12-13 Classifieds.............................. 14 Obituaries............................... 15

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ APRIL 11, 2019/6 NISAN 5779

First person

Teen Taste of Israel 2019

BY EDWIN HIRSH Sixteen ninth and 10th grade students, currently enrolled in the Rabbi Epstein School of Jewish Studies, along with three adult chaperones, got a golden ticket to participate in an almost all-expenses paid adventure in Israel. This trip was sponsored and made possible by a special fund at the Jewish Community Foundation of Central New York.

The Teen Taste of Israel is just that.

It’s a chance for teens in ninth and 10th grades to experience and sample a portion of what Israel has to offer. Through touring the Old City, bargaining at the shuk, climbing Masada and late nights around the campfire, we bridged the gap between what we have learned about Israel while living in upstate New York, and what it actually felt like to be in Israel.

Being in Israel felt like meeting all the family you never knew you had. Being in Israel meant considering the past by visiting Yad Vashem and the Rabin Museum, in order to determine where we, the Jewish people, stand today and where we

hope to be in the future. Being in Israel meant having fruit, vegetables and tahini at every meal.

Each day, we would walk for hours on end and still not have seen enough. On Shabbat, we walked to local synagogues to witness and participate in a wide range of congregations, each with its own unique practices. Standing out most to me was a small congregation, akin to a “hole in the wall” – or more accurately a hidden gem – where all were joined in unapologetic boisterous musical prayer.

In particular, the teens at Epstein would like to thank Epstein School Director Cantor Paula Pepperstone, Jeffrey Scheer and Jennifer Jordan Hirsh for returning with the 16 kids they brought to Israel. Additionaly, we sincerely express our gratitude to the Jewish Community Foundation of CNY for making this experience “taste” so good. The taste left me hungry for more – more opportunities and chances to explore what it means to be a Jewish adult.

When people say that phrase, “a trip of a lifetime,” I now know what that means.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Thank you Dear Editor: Deborah and I would like to thank the entire Jewish community of Syracuse for its support over the last few weeks.

As many are aware, Jessica’s health had been deteriorating over the past six months. However, at no time did our daughter lose her belief or faith in God, sense of purpose, humor or her famous smile.

My entire family is blessed to live in

a community such as ours. Your shiva visits, calls, texts, e-mails, cards and caring enabled us to endure our great loss. Our hearts are broken and at times seem too difficult to bear. Jessica taught all of us the meaning and preciousness of life and enjoyed every moment of it.

Let Jessica’s memory be for a blessing. May we hold on to the passion for life and may we know no more sorrows.

Deborah and Rabbi Evan Shore

Purim thanks

To the Editor: It is easy for us to be discouraged by the rise in hatred against Jews and by its increasing acceptability in the world.

The message of Purim is that, no matter how persistent Jew hatred has been, the Jewish people survive. Purim is a warning that the danger of antisemitism must be confronted, but it is also an exuberant celebration of life.

Hospital patients, too, face discouragement. Faced by illness or disability, they, too, need to hear Purim’s message of hope.

They, too, can celebrate life.

On behalf of Jewish patients at Crouse Hospital and Upstate University Hospital, I thank Rabbi Yaakov Rapoport, director of Chabad Lubavitch of Central New York, for arranging to have rabbinical students, Shmuel Raichik and Yossi Bryski, read the megillah for patients at the two hospitals.

Their time and effort were much appreciated.

With best wishes to all for a sweet and meaningful Pesach, Rabbi Irvin S. Beigel, Jewish chaplain, Crouse Hospital, and associate chaplain, Upstate University Hospital

gs

Passover Gmreetin fro

Sixteen ninth and 10th grade students enrolled in the Rabbi Epstein School of Jewish Studies, and three adult chaperones went on an almost all-expenses paid adventure in Israel. The trip was sponsored and made possible by a special fund at the Jewish Community Foundation of Central New York.

Remembering

Anyone who lost family members during the Holocaust who would like their names recorded in Federation’s Book of Remembrance and remembered each year at the Annual Yom Hashoah Memorial Observance in Central New York should contact Judith Stander at Federation at 315-445-0161, ext.114, or jstander@ jewishfederationcny.org.

Every year Federation forms a Yom Hashoah Planning Committee that is charged with planning this communitywide memorial event. This year’s committee is headed by Alan Goldberg, who

Continued from page 1

said, “Each year we come together as a community to remember The Shoah and to remember our obligation to transmit the legacy and lessons of the Shoah to the next generation.”

This year’s planning group includes Michael Balanoff, Cantor Francine Berg, Sarah Charney, Susan Case DeMari, Joel Friedman, Barrie Gewanter, Ryan Howlett, Susan Jacobs, Myrna Koldin, Ilene Mendel, David Reckess, Liza Rochelson, Judith Stander, Ruth Stein, Marcy Waldauer, Ellen Weinstein, area cantors and the Syracuse Rabbinic Council.

Hebrew Interest-Free Loan

The Jewish Federation of Central New York has instituted the Hebrew Interest-Free Loan program to help Jewish people get past a temporary financial need.

To learn more about the program or to see if you qualify, visit the Federation’s website, www.jewishfederationcny.org.

of Central New York

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APRIL 11, 2019/6 NISAN 5779 ■

JEWISH OBSERVER

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AROUND CENTRAL NEW YORK Jack Lyon, entrepreneur and benefactor

BY BARBARA SHEKLIN DAVIS At the beginning of the 20th century, Jews made up the majority of the townspeople of the Lithuanian town of Vandziogala, numbering about a thousand. The Jewish population dated back to the 16th century. They were shopkeepers, tradesmen and craftsmen. The community had its own synagogue and school. All of this was destroyed in the summer and fall of 1941, when an Einsatzgruppen of Germans, helped by Lithuanian na-

tionalists, destroyed almost all of the Vandziogala Jewish community. Thirty-four people were brutally murdered near the entrance to the old Jewish cemetery. Another 300 to 400 men, women and children were slaughtered in mass executions in the nearby town of Babtai. Altogether, the Germans, abetted by local Lithuanians, murdered about 90 percent of Lithuania’s Jews, one of the highest victim rates in Europe.

Very few Jews escaped, but one, Alex Lyon, a young

man at the time, was able to hide in the woods for three and a half years, assisted clandestinely by local Lithuanians. He eventually made his way to the United States and, ultimately, to Syracuse. Helped by family and friends, he worked as a butcher until he was able to purchase a farm and property in Bridgeport and establish the Alex Lyon Livestock Company. The company primarily handled private treaty negotiations of cattle See “Lyon” on page 6

Two worlds: when did the Arab-Israeli conflict begin?

He will demonstrate that existing Arab resiOn Thursday, April 25, at 2 pm, in 010 Eggers Hall in the Maxwell School at Syracuse dents viewed new Jewish settlers as European.

University, Alan Dowty, professor emeritus Sharing evidence of overwhelming hostility of political science at the University of Notre to foreigners from European lands, Dowty Dame, will speak on “When did the Arab-Israewill show that Jewish settlers had tremendous incentive to minimize all obstacles to settleli conflict begin? Arabs and Jews in Ottoman Palestine: Two worlds collide.” He will give an ment, including the inconvenient hostility of additional talk in the Reilly room at LeMoyne the existing population.

College on “Israelis and Palestinians: Has the Dowty’s presentation is co-sponsored by gap narrowed?” Both presentations are free the Jewish Studies Program, Hillel, and a and open to the public. number of departments and programs at the Dowty is the author of “The Jewish State: Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Alan Dowty A Century Later” and “Israel/Palestine.” He Affairs, including the International Relations is a graduate of Shimer College and the University of Program, the Department of Political Science and the Chicago, where he received his Ph.D. in 1963. From Middle Eastern Studies Program. Funding for the event 1963-75, he was on the faculty of the Hebrew University is provided by a micro-grant from the Academic Engagein Jerusalem, during which time he served as chair of ment Network, an independent organization based in the department of international relations. Since 1975, he Washington, DC, that seeks to advance Israel literacy and has been based at the University of Notre Dame. He is a combat BDS and antisemitism on American campuses. past president of the Association for Israel Studies, and, Miriam Elman, the incoming executive director of in 2017, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award the Academic Engagement Network and an associate in Israel Studies from the Association for Israel Studies professor of political science at the Maxwell School of and the Israel Institute.

Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, In his talk at SU, he will trace the earliest roots of said, “Alan Dowty is a highly-regarded scholar in the the conflict to the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century, burgeoning field of Israel studies. Like all of his books arguing that this historical approach highlights constant and seminal journal articles, his latest book, focused clashes between religious and ethnic groups in Palestine. on Arab-Jewish relations in the 19th century which set

into motion the intractable Israeli-Palestinian conflict, is meticulously researched. It will make a major contribution to our understanding of the conflict and the See “Worlds” on page 11

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APRIL 15-19 servedBRETT Monday through Friday at noon. Lunch reserKUPPERMANN Monday – beef stew with noodles vations are required by noon on the previous business Tuesday – chicken rollatini day. There is a suggested contribution per meal. The (315)727-2888 Wednesday – egg salad on wheat menu is subject tobrett.kuppermann@nm.com change. The program is funded Thursday – meat loaf by a grant from the Onondaga County Department Friday – Closed for Passover of Aging and Youth and the New York State Office for the Aging, with additional funds provided by the APRIL 22-26 Monday-Friday – Closed the entire week for Passover JCC. To attend, one need not be Jewish or a member The Bobbi Epstein Lewis JCC Senior Adult Dining of the JCC. For further information or to make a resProgram at the Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community ervation, contact Cindy Stein at 315-445-2360, ext.

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ APRIL 11, 2019/6 NISAN 5779

CONGREGATIONAL NOTES Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas ACHLA USY CELEBRATES MIMOUNA On Saturday, April 27, at 8:30 pm, ACHLA USYers (United Synagogue Youth members) will meet at Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas for an evening of eating carbs once again and learning more about Mimouna, a Jewish festival from North Africa. To make a reservation, e-mail Program Director Melissa Harkavy at director@cbscs.org.

Mimouna is a traditional festival celebrated by Moroccan Jews at nightfall on the last day of Pesach and throughout the following day until sundown. Families open their homes to the public as they host a celebration with family, friends, neighbors and food.

The festival features many different cuisines, including assorted fruits, vegetables, eggs, cakes, sweetmeats, milk, wine, butter, honey, jams and a pastry called mufleta (a Moroccan-Jewish pancake).

Since the celebration coincides with the last day of Pesach, cakes and bread (previously prohibited from being eaten during

Pesach) are highlighted in the celebration.

Mimouna is a time to celebrate luck and good fortune as well as the start of spring.

OYS AND JOYS PLAYFUL PRAYER On Friday, April 28, at 11 am, Oys and Joys will join the CBS-CS Religious School pre-kindergarten program for a Playful Prayer Hour. There will be singing, dancing and playing while engaging in tefillah (prayer). Children and their grown-ups will create a parachute tent while singing “Ma Tovu,” dance to “Mirembe” and “Oseh Shalom” with peace scarves, and share gratitude with friends and family.

Every month, children from birth through age 5 and their grownups can play and explore Judaism. Recently, Oys and Joys prayed Havdalah in their pjs, danced with Bluebird Music and participated in the CBS-CS Tu B’Shevat seder.

This program is an opportunity to create community and meet other young families.

It also gives children the opportunity to explore Jewish customs and values in an “engaging kid-friendly” environment.

Scouts’ Ner Tamid award given to three generations of Nelsons The Ner Tamid is currently the only Jewish religious award for Scouts, BSA. Peri Nelson-Sukert of Mattydale, who was the first female to earn the Ner Tamid (during a brief period when female Explorers were allowed to earn it), presented the Ner Tamid to her niece, Sheila Nelson of Cicero, on March 26 at the first Court of Honor held by Troop 150 in Cicero. Troop 150 is the first all-female Scout troop in the Syracuse area. Nelson was one of the first girls in the nation to earn the award

in Scouts, BSA. The Ner Tamid award was the first religious award recognized by the Boy Scouts in the 1930s. All the other major religions have arranged for similar awards for their faith groups.

The National Jewish Committee on Scouting administers similar awards for each scouting program. The Maccabee Award is for Tiger Cubs and younger Cub Scouts. The Aleph Award is for older Cub Scouts. The See “Award” on page 7

Temple Concord TEMPLE CONCORD BROTHERHOOD GETS ADVICE ON SMARTPHONE PHOTOGRAPHY

BY STEWART KOENIG On March 24, Temple Concord Brotherhood member Mark Kotzin delivered a presentation using photos he has taken with his own smartphone to illustrate some basic photography concepts, as well as specific methods of getting better photos using smartphone cameras and applications. For years, he has served as the synagogue’s unofficial photographer.

He said, “Anyone can take a snapshot with their phone camera, but it takes a certain amount of thought, effort and technique to really create a photograph that people will appreciate.”

Kotzin regularly shoots photos in his 30-year career as a communications specialist for the CSEA labor union. His candid photos of Temple Concord events are exhibited in the temple’s hallways and bulletins, and a few dozen of his workplace portraits were recently exhibited at the ArtRage gallery.

Temple Concord Brotherhood meets monthly and is open to the community.

The next meeting will be held on Sunday, May 5, at 9:30 am.

“GIVING MEMORY A FUTURE” LIBRARY SHABBAT APRIL 26

BY CHANA MEIR Temple Concord will host two Library Shabbats on the theme of “Giving Memory a Future: a New Generation Writes Family Stories from the Shoah” on Friday, April 26, at 5:15 pm, and Saturday, April 27, at 12:30 pm.

Survivors of the Holocaust are dwindling in number. But a new generation – survivors’ grandchildren – are bringing their stories forward. These writers have both drawn out the stories of the survivors and researched their families’ histories.

The Saturday afternoon event will explore the work of these writers, including what motivates them, how their perspectives differ from writers of first-person Holocaust memoirs, and what their works add to people’s understanding of the Shoah. A light dairy Passover lunch will be served, followed by the discussion. There are no required readings, but if participants wish to prepare for the discussion, some suggested readings are “Among the Reeds”

by Tammy Bottner, “A World Erased”

by Noah Lederman, “My Grandfather’s Gallery” by Anne Sinclair and “Paper Love” by Sarah Wildman.

At the Friday evening pre-oneg, volunteers in the library will be informally discussing their recommendations for recently published books of Jewish interest. Passover munchies will be included.

Temple Concord Brotherhood President Mike Fixler and Gary Slutzky polish their smartphone photography skills at the April 24 Brotherhood meeting.

The Friday pre-oneg is free of charge.

There is a suggested $10 donation for lunch on Saturday, and payment may be made ahead of time via the online events calendar at templeconcord.org. For more information, call the TC office at 315475-9952.

“CONAN DOYLE FOR THE DEFENSE” BY AUTHOR MARGALIT FOX

BY CHANA MEIR The final offering in this season’s Regina F. Goldenberg Series at Temple Concord will be a lecture by Margalit Fox, author of “Conan Doyle for the Defense: The True Story of a Sensational British Murder, A Quest for Justice, and The World’s Most Famous Detective Writer,” on Sunday, April 28, at 11 am.

In 1908, after a wealthy woman was found murdered in her Glasgow home, German Jewish immigrant Oscar Slater was tried, convicted and sentenced to life at hard labor, despite evidence of his innocence. Outraged by this injustice, Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, used the methods of his famous detective to investigate the case and ultimately win Slater’s freedom.

Tana French, author of “In the Woods,” called the book a “wonderfully vivid portrait of the man behind Sherlock Holmes... Like all the best historical true crime books, it’s about so much more than crime.” Fox is a recently retired obituaries writer for The New York Times.

Admission for this event is $10 per person, $8 for students, and can be used as part of a Flex subscription. For more information, call Temple Concord at 315-475-9952, or e-mail office@ templeconcord.org.

Broadway and Hollywood star Bernadette Peters sang Broadway tunes accompanied

by Symphoria on March 24 at the Civic Center. Backstage afterward were (l-r): Joe Eglash, Bernadette Peters, Melissa and Rabbi Daniel Fellman, and Cantor Kari Siegel Eglash.

APRIL 11, 2019/6 NISAN 5779 ■

JEWISH OBSERVER

SJFS launches dementia-friendly Jewish community initiative

BY DEBORAH ELLIS Dementia. People have certainly heard about it. They tend to know the number of cases is on the rise; they probably know someone affected by it; many are involved in the care of someone who has it – and most people are very afraid of it, especially as they get older.

But do people really know what it is? Syracuse Jewish Family Service wants to know. Do people know how it manifests? What is going on in the brain and body and soul at different stages, and what can be done to maximize health and well-being? How to be with and help someone living with the cluster of concerns related to dementia, and their family? How to focus on quality of life and continue to live even with onset of symptoms?

To bring these questions to the fore and begin to find answers and organize community action around those answers, SJFS is launching a community needs assessment as the first phase of “Building a Dementia Friendly Jewish Community,” an initiative made possible by a community program grant from the Jewish Federation of Central New York. Consisting of a series of community focus groups and group and individual surveys tailored to individual community members, families, Jewish agency staff and leadership, as well as professionals in various community sectors such as business, financial and legal, healthcare and more. The needs assessment aims to raise awareness about dementia and begin the process of convening and educating the community. Following the outlines of a toolkit developed by Dementia Friendly America, the ultimate project goal is to transform attitudes and move people to action so that the experience

“Building a Dementia Friendly Jewish Community,” funded by the Community Program Fund of the Jewish Federation of Central New York, occupied SJFS Director Judith Huober (at right) and Meaghan Linhart, an SJFS intern from the public health program at Syracuse University. of dementia, a common one in the aging process, can be destigmatized and normalized, and its damaging effects on the community mitigated.

Syracuse Jewish Family Service Director Judith Huober said, “This community is already dealing with the issues raised by dementia.” She believes the question really is, “Are we dealing with them in a productive way that provides safe and supportive care and integrates everyone – individuals with impairments, their families

and the agencies that want to keep them involved – in a community life that mirrors our Jewish values? Do members with dementia or worries about it get information, comfort and assistance, and are they integrated into Jewish community life? Are our families and Jewish institutions being supported as they continue to involve people with some cognitive decline, or fears about it, into everyday activities of the organization? Are we using our Jewish teachings to inform how we deal with this societal issue within our organized Jewish community life and in our lives as a whole?”

Meaghan Linhart, a current SJFS undergraduate intern in public health at Syracuse University, wanted to know the potential impact of holding focus groups to begin a process of building awareness and action planning around dementia. She showed a group of her friends a short film that will be part of the focus group experience, and received feedback that told her that the experience was eye-opening for her friends. She said, “It got them interested in what they can do as members of society to interact positively with people and families affected by dementia. They said that before they had seen the film, they had assumed that people with dementia were only on a depressing one-way journey of decline, probably See “Dementia” on page 10

Shining Stars celebration May 23 at Menorah Park

BY STEWART KOENIG The 14th Shining Stars celebration is set for Thursday, May 23, from 5:30-8 pm, “under the tent” at Menorah Park, 4101 East Genesee St., DeWitt. The celebration coincides with Older Americans’ Month.

Co-chair Steven Sisskind said, “This celebration recognizes those employees, volunteers and residents that are known to ‘shine brightly’ on the Menorah Park campus.

My wife, Robin, and I are honored to announce seven very special individuals, one longtime partner and a team of professionals who bring their vitality, their generosity and their compassion to all of us affiliated with Menorah Park.”

The 2019 honorees are Reggie Adams – resident at

The Inn; Arceli Cramer, LPN, Jewish Home; Holly Eich – medical records, Jewish Home; Cameron Jefferson – dining services, Jewish Home; Sharyll Novidor – resident at The Oaks; Gina Willette – front desk, The Oaks; Torria Moore, CNA, Jewish Home/Activities, The Terrace; Samantha Peacock – housekeeping; Health Direct Pharmacy Services (Kinney Drugs); The Oaks and the staff of the Terrace, Menorah Park of Central New York.

Tickets for the event, which include dinner, range from $25 to $118. Reservations are required no later than Wednesday, May 15. For more information, contact Susie Drazen at 315-446-9111, ext. 141, or sdrazen@ menorahparkofcny.com.

Tips and tools for Jewish genealogy research

Onondaga County reference librarian Kara Conley will speak on “Tips and Tools for Jewish Genealogy Research” at the Jewish Genealogy Society of Central New York (formerly known as Syracuse Jewish Genealogy) on Sunday, April 28, at 1:30 pm, at the Manlius Library, 1 Arkie Albanese Pl., Manlius (instead of the

usual venue of the JCC in order to use library resources).

She will discuss organizing one’s research and using online resources. Organizers hope that participants will have a hands-on experience that will surely help further their pursuit of their family history. Participants should feel free to bring their own laptop.

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ APRIL 11, 2019/6 NISAN 5779

Lyon

and farm machinery, growing to become one of the largest livestock businesses in New York state. Alex was a generous man and always supportive of the Jewish community and Israel. He never returned to Lithuania and never wanted to.

Jack Lyon is Alex’s son. As Alex grew his company, Jack waited in the wings.

After getting a degree in marketing, Jack started the auction business with agricultural equipment, and then moved to construction and industrial equipment.

Eventually Alex Lyon and Son became an international auctioneer of heavy construction equipment to customers from across the United States, China, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Turkey, Israel and Africa.

Jack never particularly wanted to go to Lithuania, either, but he had cousins in Israel and they wanted to see where their families had begun. So, Jack went to Vandziogala, the town from which his father had escaped. He met people there who remembered his father (“Alex was a clever man”). He met the few remaining members of the local Jewish community, who prayed in two Orthodox synagogues, but didn’t like each other all that much.

He met local Lithuanian officials. He saw a plaque commemorating the massacre at the gates of the cemetery. And he saw the Jewish cemetery, its headstones falling down and overturned, weeds everywhere.

Continued from page 3

At left: Jack Lyon and a Lithuanian government re p re s e n t a t i v e ( t h e “microphone controller,” who introduced the people that came up to speak).

Lyon paid for a memorial unveiled at the old Jewish cemetery in Vandziogala, to remember the Jews killed there in 1941.

But no one wanted to do anything and Jack didn’t want to do anything, either. And then he had a dream. “I had a dream,” he recalls, “that somebody should do something to the cemetery. There had been Jews buried in the cemetery since 1700,” he thought. “It’s not right. These people should lie in dignity.” And he thought about the Jews killed in 1941. “Nobody ever said prayers for the dead.” So, he and his cousin brought a rabbi from Israel to say the prayers, and Jack began the work of restoration and remembrance.

For three and a half years, the same amount of time his father had hidden in the woods,

Jack worked to make sure that the people of Lithuania remembered their Jews. The process was long, challenging and frustrating; but eventually, working with Paul Packer, chairman of the United States Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad, Jack was able to make arrangements for the restoration of the cemetery and the construction of a memorial to those who had been killed. “Eastern Europe is afraid of Putin because of what happened in Ukraine,” said Jack, and that is what motivated them to agree to the project. Jack flew to Lithuania to sign the contracts. On his flight home through Warsaw, he met Holocaust survivors who had participated in the March of the Living.

It confirmed his conviction that “Hitler did a pretty good job, but we’re still here” and that “we shouldn’t let them forget that we were there” in Lithuania.

On November 8, 2018, a memorial was unveiled at the old Jewish cemetery in Vandziogala, to remember the Jews killed there in 1941. The memorial was designed

by Lithuanian architect Violeta Beigien, sculptor Lukas Siupsinskas, artist Vygintas Tvarijonavicius and engineer Vydas Jaskelevicius and was erected at the execution site.

It consists of two large concrete blocks, one featuring two stars of David, symbols of the Jewish nation. The other block depicts outstretched hands beneath the open cutout of a larger hand. “The hands represent the cry for help of the people killed in Vandziogala, their prayer,” explained the architect, “with the upper hand symbolizing an unsupported hand of help.” The main entrance is lined with sloping concrete blocks of different textures that repeat the image of the old Jewish cemetery.

The unveiling was attended by more than 300 people, including the American and Israeli ambassadors to Lithuania, representatives of the Lithuanian Cultural Heritage Department, members of the local community and Jack. The local community

had cleared the cemetery of brush, restored upturned headstones, made a pathway and constructed a small parking lot in the forest.

The Kaunas District Municipalities, with help from the Kaunas Remand Prison and students of the Vandziogala Gymnasium, had organized a campaign to plant a beech hedge. The ceremony took place on the anniversary of Kristallnacht.

The district’s mayor, Valerijus Makunas, addressed the gathering, saying, “Our goal is to focus not only on the memory of the Holocaust victims, but also to encourage citizens to build a tolerant society. What happened to the Jews could happen one day to any other nation. We all, Jews and Lithuanians, citizens of the whole world, must try to ensure that similar tragedies never happen again.”

Jack has no plans to return to Lithuania or to revisit the monument. He has restored dignity to the Jewish dead and created a memorial to those who lost their lives too soon.

He said, “The Jews of Vandziogala were good people. I asked those who survived why they stayed. Most are old and they told me, ‘We can’t make the trip – that’s why we’re here.’ I asked them how it is to be Jewish in Lithuania today. ‘They don’t bother us and we don’t bother them,’ they told me. ‘We’re still here. We’re not going away.’” But even when they do, the memorial will still be there. “There’s really a scale of justice,” Jack says. “The world’s in a mess right now.

But I believe you get back what you put into something. This is my little contribution to the world.” He adds, “You have to know where you come from. That makes it easier to get where you’ve got to go.”

Barbara Sheklin Davis is author of “100 Jewish Things to Do Before You Die” (Arcadia) and the forthcoming “Two Jews, Three Opinions” (Wipf and Stock).

NEWS IN BRIEF From JNS.org

Israeli goalie breaks Guinness World Record for age

An Israeli goalkeeper has broken the Guinness World Record for oldest soccer player to take part in a professional soccer match.

Isaak Hayik, who will turn 74 the week of April 8, managed to make some good saves on April 5 for the Ironi Or Yehuda soccer club against Maccabi Ramat Gan, though his team was defeated 5-1. Born in Iraq, Hayik was awarded at a ceremony attended by representatives of the Guinness World Record organization. Isaak and his family immigrated to Israel when he was 4, when Iraq expelled Jews in response to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.

APRIL 11, 2019/6 NISAN 5779 ■

JEWISH OBSERVER

Passover around the community

Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas (USCJ affiliated), 18 Patsy La. off Jamesville Rd., DeWitt 315-446-9570. For youth programs, call 315-701-2685.

Shaarei Torah Orthodox Congregation of Syracuse (Orthodox, affiliated with the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America), 4313 E. Genesee St., DeWitt, 315-446-6194.

Temple Adath Yeshurun (USCJ affiliated), 450 Kimber Rd., Syracuse, 315-445-0002.

Temple Concord (Reform, affiliated with Union for Reform Judaism), 910 Madison St., Syracuse, 315-475-9952.

Chabad House at SU. All services at Chabad House, 825 Ostrom Ave., 315-424-0363.

Hillel – Winnick Hillel Center for Jewish Life at Syracuse University Campus, 102 Walnut Pl., Syracuse.

There are meals available during Passover, by the SU food services at the Winnick Hillel Center for Jewish Life (102 Walnut Pl.), from April 20-27. Lunch is served 11 am-2 pm and dinner is served 5-7 pm. Lunch is about $15 per person and dinner is about $20 per person (cash only). For more information, contact the SU Food Services at 315-443-2383.

Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas THURSDAY, APRIL 18 B’dikat chametz (search for chametz) after 7:33 pm FRIDAY, APRIL 19 Conservative daily service (CBS-CS and TAY) at Temple Adath Yeshurun at 7:15 am; Siyyum B’Chorim (Fast of First Born – after the Shacharit service) Until 9:40 am mechirat chametz (sale of chametz) Until 1:10 pm biyur chametz (burning chametz). The home is totally clean for Pesach.

FRIDAY, APRIL 19, EREV PESACH No Friday evening services at CBS-CS. First seder candle lighting at 7:33 pm SATURDAY, APRIL 20, FIRST DAY Shacharit services at 9:30 am. Cantor Paula Pepperstone will lead services.

Second seder candle lighting/Havdalah at 8:42 pm SUNDAY, APRIL 21, SECOND DAY Shacharit services at 9:30 am Havdalah 8:44 pm APRIL 22-25, CHOL HAMOED PESACH THURSDAY, APRIL 25, SIXTH DAY Candle lighting at 7:40 pm

FRIDAY APRIL 26, SEVENTH DAY Services at 9:30 am Candle lighting at 7:41 pm SATURDAY, APRIL 27, EIGHTH DAY Services at 9:30 am with Cantor Paula Pepperstone reciting Yizkor Havdalah at 8:50 pm

Shaarei Torah Orthodox Congregation of Syracuse THURSDAY, APRIL 18 B’dikat chametz (search for chametz) after 8:36 am FRIDAY, APRIL 19, EREV PESACH Morning services 6:45 am followed by siyyum Eat chametz until 10:44 am Burn chametz until 11:46 am Candle lighting 7:34 pm Mincha 7:35 pm Begin seder after 8:40 pm SATURDAY, APRIL 20, FIRST DAY Morning services 9 am Mincha 7:25 pm Candle lighting 8:40 pm Start seder after 8:40 pm SUNDAY, APRIL 21, SECOND DAY Morning services 9 am Mincha 7:35 pm Havdalah 8:41 pm CHOL HAMOED SERVICES Monday-Thursday 6:30 am Mincha and Ma’ariv 7:15 pm THURSDAY, APRIL 25, EREV SEVENTH DAY Candle lighting 7:40 pm Mincha 7:40 pm FRIDAY, APRIL 26, SEVENTH DAY Chumash class 8 am Morning services 9 am Mincha 7:40 pm Candle lighting 7:42 pm SATURDAY, APRIL 27, EIGHTH DAY Chumash class 8 am Morning services 9 am Yizkor 11 am Mincha 7:30 pm Havdalah 8:48 pm

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Chametz reverts to your possession after 9:15 pm EST

Temple Adath Yeshurun FRIDAY, APRIL 19, EREV PESACH Conservative daily service (CBS-CS and TAY) with Siyyum B’Chorim (Fast of First Born) 7:15 am Complete biyur chametz by 11 am Candle lighting 7:34 pm Evening services 5:30 pm First seder, following services, promptly at 6:30 pm SATURDAY, APRIL 20, FIRST DAY OF PASSOVER Morning services 9:15 am Mincha following morning services Candle lighting 8:16 pm SUNDAY, APRIL 21, SECOND DAY Morning services 9:15 am Mincha/Ma’ariv 7:50 pm MONDAY-THURSDAY, APRIL 22-25, CHOL HAMOED Morning services 7:15 am Mincha/Ma’ariv 5:30 pm Candle lighting 7:38 pm FRIDAY, APRIL 6, SEVENTH DAY Morning services 9:15 am Mincha/Ma’ariv 5:30 pm Candle lighting no later than 7:43 pm SATURDAY, APRIL 27, EIGHTH DAY Morning services 9:15 am – Yizkor is said during services Mincha/Ma’ariv 7:55 pm Passover ends/chametz permitted 8:30 pm

Temple Concord FRIDAY, APRIL 19, EREV PESACH Kabbalat Shabbat service 5:15 at Traditions at the Links Congregational seder at 6 pm at Traditions at the Links. Reservations required and may be made using the reservation form found in the TC e-bulletin, through the TC online calendar or by calling the TC office at 315-475-9952. Deadline to register is Friday, April 12.

SATURDAY, APRIL 20 Pesach service 11 am SATURDAY, APRIL 27 Passover Shabbat service and Yizkor at 11 am

Chabad House

For information on services and meals, contact Rabbi Yaakov Rapoport at 315-424-0363.

Award

Continued from page 4

Ner Tamid may be earned by Scouts in sixth through ninth grades, and the Etz Chaim may be earned by older Scouts and Venturers in grades nine-12. Information about earning

the awards is available on Jewishscouting.org.

For more information, contact Bruce Nelson, bruce. nelson@gmail.com at 585-334-5513.

Find us on

At right: Three generations of the Nelson family have earned the Ner Tamid Scouting award.

L-r: Peri Nelson-Sukert, Sheila Nelson, Joshua Nelson, James Nelson and Bruce Nelson. Sheila Nelson of Cicero recently received the Ner Tamid Award.

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NEWS IN BRIEF From JNS.org

Study: Israel suffers least diet-related deaths in the world

According to a new study by The Lancet medical journal, analyzing dietary health around the world, Israel has the lowest rate of diet-related deaths of any country in the world. Data collected as part of the Global Burden of Disease study published on April 3 showed that just 89 out of every 100,000 Israelis die each year as a result of poor-quality diet. Israel was joined in the healthiest-diet group

by France, Italy and other countries in the northern Mediterranean region. Uzbekistan had the highest rate of diet-related deaths, at 892 per 100,000. The data pertained to nutritional imbalance and malnutrition, not obesity-related deaths. The study emphasized the addition of nuts, seafood, seeds, fiber, fruits and vegetables to the diet, and said diet-related illnesses often resulted from the over-consumption of red meat, sugar and salt.

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ APRIL 11, 2019/6 NISAN 5779

Purim around the community

SAM POMERANZ JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER From the new games and entertainment to staples such as kosher comfort food and car seat safety checks by the New York State Police, this year’s Sam Pomeranz Jewish Community Center’s annual Purim Carnival offered something for everyone.

The JCC’s March 24 annual Purim Carnival was attended by hundreds of families. The entire JCC was said to be buzzing with activity. Children in costume – a Purim holiday custom – laughed and played while collecting prize tickets to be redeemed for small toys. A table of moms in the Anne and Hy Miller Family Auditorium pored over the JCC’s newly-released camp guide as they completed summer camp registration forms. Groups of parents mingled and chatted as their children sat still for the caricature artist or watched the balloon artists creating things from seemingly nothing.

This year’s Purim Carnival featured many new games, attractions and entertainment, thanks to a Philip L. Hol-

stein Community Program Fund grant from the Jewish Federation of Central New York. The new inflatable obstacle course for children was busy all day long – as were the new cotton candy and popcorn machines.

Pam Ranieri, JCC director of children’s programming, said, “We’re so glad that everyone enjoyed all the great new additions to this year’s Purim Carnival. Once again, the food was very popular and the kids had a blast all day long. It’s so satisfying to be able to create such a wonderful event for the community to enjoy.”

As in past years, a small army of volunteers helped make the day “a huge success” by keeping everything running smoothly. “We couldn’t have pulled this off without help from our board members and all of the other dedicated volunteers and partner organizations,” said Amy Bisnett, JCC associate director of children’s programming. “And, of course, we’re so grateful for all of the families who came out to celebrate with us.

They’re the reason why we do this each year.”

PURIM WITH CHABAD More than 25 medical and law students, together with the Young Jewish Professionals came out for

Chabad’s Purim at the Bar at the Sheraton Hotel. There were two megillah readings with plenty of food and beer. Mart Cohan, Andrew Rosenfeld and Ben Cohen

Children waited for the balloon artists to finish making their requested creations at the JCC Purim carnival.

L-r: Karlie Brescia, Eliana Adcock and Kelsey Brescia showed off their painted faces at the JCC Purim Carnival.

More than 25 community members joined Chabad and residents for a megillah reading at The Oaks on the day of Purim at 3 pm. Organizers felt this was very convenient for many community members and residents who did not have the opportunity to hear the megillah at 7 or 7:15 am. Rabbi Shmuli Lezak read the megillah.

Chabad’s Murder Mystery Purim dinner, “Midnight at The Masquerade,” drew a crowd of 50 people. Attendees participated in solving a murder Isabella Dickson and Arielle Eglash at the “annual billionaires’ masquerade ball.”

Children scoped out the many prizes available before redeeming the prize tickets that they won playing carnival games throughout the day at the JCC Purim Carnival.

Happy Passover!

A place where everyone belongs.

5655 Thompson Road DeWitt, New York 315.445.2360 www.jccsyr.org

See “Purim” on page 11

Children played some of the new games – Bottle Up, Spill the Milk and Slots-O-Fun – that the JCC purchased this year, thanks to a Philip L. Holstein Community Program Fund grant from the Jewish Federation of Central New York.

Matan Pepperstone read the megillah while Cantor Kari Siegel Eglash followed along.

Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas, Temple Adath Yeshurun and Temple Concord celebrated Purim together at Temple Concord, with some of the participants performing a Purim shpiel.

Have a safe and happy Passover from all of us at

More than 100 people listened to Norman Poltenson as he performed a shpiel with musical backup from Carl Rosenzweig on the washtub bass and Jack Lyon on the washboard at the Shaarei Torah Orthodox Congregation of Syracuse Purim dinner. Amira Goldberg as Appalachian Queen Esther and Rabbi Evan Shore as Hillbilly Haman added to the fun. L-r: Carl Rosenzweig, Norman Poltenson, Jack Lyon, Amira Goldberg (partially hidden) and Rabbi Evan Shore.

APRIL 11, 2019/6 NISAN 5779 ■

JEWISH OBSERVER

Five Passover desserts so good you will want to make them year-round

BY STUART SCHNEE PR STAFF Passover is fast approaching and French-trained chef and best-selling cookbook author Paula Shoyer, who studied at the Ritz Escoffier School in Paris, is offering five Passover dessert recipes that you will want to make year-round.

Shoyer, who says her mission is to modernize traditional recipes with healthier ingredients, believes people don’t have to choose between blowing their diet and giving up beloved, favorite foods and tasty desserts, especially during the holidays.

Shoyer recommends these five holiday desserts: Florentine Bars, Lemon Quinoa Cake, Chocolate Quinoa Cake, Chocolate Avocado Cake (Keto friendly) and Triple Chocolate Biscotti. For more of Shoyer’s Passover recipes, check out her cookbook, “The New Passover Menu.”

FLORENTINE BARS Recipe excerpted from “The New Passover Menu” 20 square bars or 32 triangles 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 3 large egg whites Zest of one large orange (or 2 tsp. juice) ¼ cup dried cranberries, chopped into ¼ inch pieces 11/3 cups sliced almonds (blanched or with skin) 1 cup dark or white chocolate chips Vegetable oil for greasing pan Preheat oven to 325°F Grease a 9x13-inch pan with vegetable oil. Press in a piece of parchment paper large enough to cover the bottom and go an inch up the sides of the pan, making sure you press it into the corners. Grease the top of the parchment.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, egg whites and orange zest. Use a silicone spatula to gently mix in nuts and chopped cranberries, being careful not to crush the nuts. Scoop into the pan and use the spatula or your hands to spread evenly in the bottom of the pan. The easiest way to do this is to push the batter into the edges and corners first and then fill in the middle. You will have a thin nut layer.

Bake 25 minutes, or until nuts are golden. Let cool one hour. Pull up the parchment to lift the bar out of the pan.

Place another piece of parchment on top and then turn the bar over onto the new parchment. Peel off the bottom parchment.

Melt the chocolate chips either over a double boiler or in the microwave oven in for 45 seconds, stir, melt another 30 seconds, stir and then for 15 seconds more, if needed, until melted. Use a spatula to spread the chocolate on the bottom of the bar. If desired, you can use a serrated knife to make lines in the chocolate to decorate it. Slide the parchment and bars onto a cookie sheet and place in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up.

Day

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes and the remove to a wire rack.

To prepare the ganache topping, place the cocoa and xylitol into a small bowl.

Add the boiling water and whisk well. Add the coconut cream and vanilla and mix well. Spread all over the top of the cake. *can be substituted with almond flour LEMON QUINOA CAKE Recipe from www.kosherbaker.com

Serves 12. May be made three days in advance or frozen.

Cake ¾ cup quinoa 1½ cups water Cooking spray or 2 Tbsp. oil 2 Tbsp. lemon zest, from 2-3 large lemons ½ cup fresh lemon juice, from 2-3 large lemons

Keto Chocolate Avocado Cake (Photo

by Paula Shoyer) Cut into squares, triangles or rectangular bars. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days or freeze for up to three months KETO CHOCOLATE AVOCADO CAKE Recipe from www.thekosherbaker.com Makes one 8-inch round cake Cake 1½ cups almond flour ¾ cup dark cocoa, plus 1 tablespoon for greasing pan ¼ cup coconut flour* ½ cup xylitol 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda ¼ tsp. salt ½ cup coconut cream, from canned coconut milk ½ cup almond milk 3 large eggs 1 Tbsp. coconut oil, plus 1 tsp. for greasing pan 1 tsp. vanilla 1 large ripe avocado Ganache 5 Tbsp. boiling water ½ cup dark cocoa ¼ cup xylitol ½ cup coconut cream 1 tsp. vanilla Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch round pan with 1 teaspoon coconut oil. Add 2 to 3 teaspoons cocoa and shake all around to dust the bottom and sides. Tap out excess. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cocoa, coconut flour, xylitol, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Place the coconut cream, almond milk, eggs, coconut oil, vanilla and avocado into a food processor or blender and blend for two full minutes, scraping down the sides a few times, so that the mixture is completely smooth.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk together. Use a silicone spatula to scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Continued from page 1

Organizers want participants to have the opportunity to experience various culinary tastes of Israeli foods, such as Israeli homemade jam, a limonana (a Middle Eastern mint lemonade) and other Israeli foods.

They ask attendees to “be adventurous and come try our delectable, mouth-watering and delicious” Israeli foods. Rosanne David, the Bakergirl Dessert Company and Catering by The Oaks will also have Israeli dishes to try.

Organizers have planned this to be an evening of Israeli gourmet food tasting.

There will also be various Israeli wines shipped directly from Israel. Once again, Israeli wine sommeliers will be back to serve Israeli wines.

The event will include age-appropriate activities for younger families, an Israeli shuk (marketplace) and a free Israeli cuisine

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Rachel Chait helped make the salads for the 2018 Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration. dinner, supervised by the Va’ad. Back by popular demand, the community cantors will perform. New this year will be the Keyna Hora Klezmer Band and the Syracuse international folk dancers, who hope to impress the audience with their Israeli dancing.

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See “Desserts” on page 12

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ APRIL 11, 2019/6 NISAN 5779

Hot for the holiday: Passover gets more interesting every year

BY FAYGIE HOLT (JNS) – When food-industry insiders entered the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, NJ, for the annual Kosherfest trade show back in November, you could almost understand why their thoughts were on Passover. Displays of matzah boxes and even samples of different brands of the Passover mainstay were all over the exhibit hall. Plus, there was “Sam the Dancing Matzo Man” – a six-foot-tall mannequin that greeted attendees as they entered the convention hall. (More on Sam to follow.)

Now in its 30th year, the two-day Kosherfest conference is the destination for supermarket buyers, chefs, hoteliers, food bloggers and manufacturers to showcase, sample and order the hottest kosher foods on the market.

While many vendors are local, the festival features an international section with companies from Australia, Czech Republic, Sri Lanka and, of course, Israel.

Among those in attendance was Danielle Simpson, who works for Big Y Foods, a chain of supermarkets in Massachusetts and Connecticut. She noted that there’s been a growing demand in some of the chains’ outlets for more kosher food and so she was searching for some new bakery items. (Another colleague was there checking out items for the deli section.) “I didn’t realize everything that was available,” Simpson said, as she rushed from one booth to the next.

One bakery item that may have caught her eyes was the “Modena” cookie, which features a layer of chocolate between two cookies, from kosher-food giant Manischewitz. “Last year, I walked the aisles of the

“Sam the Dancing Matzo Man” greeted attendees at Kosherfest. (Photo by Faygie Holt)

stores, and I was seeing more and more baked goods for Passover,” said Shani Seidman, director of marketing at Manischewitz. “When we thought about expanding our bakery line, we wanted to make sure everything tasted amazing. Just because it’s for Passover doesn’t mean it should taste bad.”

The company will also be offering some new flavors for macaroon fans looking to shake up their post-seder snacking. Under their “Mishpacha” brand (mishpacha is Hebrew for “family”), the company will be selling a kosher-for-Passover instant cappuccino mix and no-sugar hot cocoa mix. Also out this year will be almond butter for easy matzah sandwiches.

According to the 2107 “Kosher Food Market” survey by marketing firm Lubicom, which puts on the Kosherfest trade show, consumers are expected to shell out some $1.5 billion dollars for items for the eight-day holiday.

Among those taking home a share of that pie is Oxygen Imports, whose date-and-orange marinade won the 2018 New Product Award in the Kosher for Passover category.

“Having a winner at Kosherfest means a lot,” said Ron Biala, CEO of Oxygen Imports, whose company took home two winner awards at the recent Kosherfest (the second was for olives in a bag). On the wholesale market level, Biala said, the buzz from winning brings in potential buyers at the industry gathering. Thanks to packaging labels that indicate the item is a Kosherfest winner, such word-of-mouth continues at the retail level as well.

“This makes it more noticeable on the supermarket shelves,” said Biala. “Customers appreciate a product that was declared a winner, and therefore, sales are higher.”

Hoping to break into the larger U.S. market is French company Rosinski Matzoth, a family-owned business that has been making matzah in the same factory just outside of Paris since 1929. They still use a baking technique created by company co-founder Albert Moskovitch, according to his granddaughter and company spokeswoman Laura Lallouette.

Rosinki’s matzah has been long-certified as kosher by local rabbis and recently obtained additional certification from the U.S.-based Star-K, a kashrut company whose logo is more recognizable to American consumers. The decision, said Lallouette, who represented the company at the booth with her father, Dominque, was made in response to requests from stateside shoppers who liked the matzah, but couldn’t get it locally.

“It made a difference because we’ve been selling in the United States for two years now. We started distributing in Florida, and we are hoping to spread to New York and California this season,” said Lallouette. “It allowed us to develop our cross-border distribution, expanding our brand outside Europe. It is also a real pride to have our matzah reach tables all over the world.”

She continued, saying, “I wish my grandfather could see it today. Before we were just in Paris, now we’ve grown in France, Europe, Israel, Morocco and Canada.

I’m just so proud.”

But Kosherfest wasn’t just about food. Several vendors showcased novelty items designed for Passover, among

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Breaking into the kosher food market in the United States motivated Rosinski Matzoth to acquire additional kosher certification. Representing the family-owned, France-based firm at Kosherfest were Laura Lallouette and her father, Dominque. (Photo by Faygie Holt) them Shulsinger Judaica/Rite Lite, whose line includes 10-plagues nail decals, temporary tattoos, games and silicone Passover spatulas. New for Passover 2019 are a matzah-themed necktie and returning “Pesocks,” or socks that come in three designs – blue and green with frogs, a brownish/gray pair that says “Lotza Matzah” on it and another blue sock – this time paired with orange that says “Pass Over” in a Yiddish-looking lettering font.

“Nowadays, socks are a stylish venue for people to express themselves, so what better way to commemorate See “Holiday” on page 11

Dementia

Continued from page 5

on their way to a facility of some kind.

But after watching the video, they realized that people with dementia can be enjoyed, helped and well-integrated in the community, and that it’s not so complicated for old and young people alike to be part of ensuring that dementia doesn’t doom people’s quality of life.”

She added an insight that everyone talks about making communities handicap accessible, but that the idea of becoming dementia-friendly never seems to come up.

“I’m really happy to be participating in this project,” she added. “I’m learning how possible it is to really do something to make things better for people with cognitive problems, and how much that can matter to them and their families.”

To participate in the initiative of building a dementia-friendly Jewish community, community members are invited to read the Jewish Observer and other publications for details on upcoming focus groups.

In the meantime, anyone may contact Linhart for a link to the online surveys so she can provide each participant with the appropriate survey link. In an e-mail, respondents are requested to provide name, address, phone number, e-mail address and what they consider their sector roles and affiliations to be, e.g., care partner of a person with dementia (even long distance), community member, and/or worker in community services, hospital, business, legal and financial, and faith community.

For example, one e-mail might read, “I am a community member, the owner of a small business and a member of a synagogue and the JCC. I’m on a few boards, and I have a parent in another state with some cognitive concerns.” The writer of that e-mail will receive invitations to the surveys for community member, business community, faith community and care partner.

A person employed at a hospital might get the hospital survey instead of the business sector one, and a lawyer would get legal and financial.

In addition to pre-planned focus groups and surveys, with a promised minimum of 10 attendees, community members may request their own focus group in a home, at the Jewish Home of Central New York or in another suitable location. Individuals may also request a oneon-one interview to complete surveys, either in person or over the phone. Contact Linhart at mlinhart@sjfs.org or 315-446-9111, ext. 228, or Huober at HuoberJ@sjfs. org or 315-446-9111, ext. 236.

Finally, SJFS is encouraging any community member to begin the process of building a dementia-friendly Jewish community in Syracuse by becoming a so-called “Dementia Friend.” Dementia Friends is an allied initiative to Dementia Friendly America, whose website invitation reads, “A Dementia Friend learns about dementia and then turns that understanding into action.

We all have a part to play in creating dementia friendly communities!” Interested individuals may sign up by going to https://dementiafriendsusa.org/ for a few very short videos and a pledge.

APRIL 11, 2019/6 NISAN 5779 ■

JEWISH OBSERVER

11

Turn your smartphone into a medical diagnostics microscope

BY ABIGAIL KLEIN LEICHMAN (Israel21c via JNS) – If your eye is oozing and red, and an infection is suspected, you need to make an appointment with your doctor and get a lab analysis before you can start antibiotic treatment.

Physicist-turned-biologist Ariel Livne wondered if the whole process could be done at home by pairing some simple optics equipment with his smartphone to analyze biological samples in the case of an eye infection, a teardrop.

That is the basis of the startup Diagnoz. me of Jerusalem, co-founded by Livne in November 2017 with Tamir Epstein with the help of a pre-seed grant from the Israel Innovation Authority.

“Our innovation is that we enable the

Worlds

Purim

datoole@syr.edu or 315-443-2367.

Dowty’s additional talk in the Reilly room at LeMoyne College on “Israelis and Palestinians: Has the gap narrowed?” will offer his thoughts on the possible paths the conflict may take post-Israel’s elections.

It is sponsored by Syracuse Mid-East Dialogue group (or SAMED) and LeMoyne College. For more information on this talk only, including date and time, contact Mark Field at 315-317-3345.

Continued from page 8

of the Jewish Law Student Association were “very encouraged” by the turnout.

This was an opportunity for members of all these groups to meet and celebrate in a Jewish environment.

Organizers felt that the Chabad Purim

Holiday

dinner at the Syracuse University Sheraton Hotel was a great success this year with a new theme. The masquerade theme fit in with Purim, since the whole idea of Purim is concealment and, although the name Esther is Persian, it means concealment in Hebrew.

Continued from page 10

Pesach?” said Naftoli Versch, a spokesperson for Shulsinger Judaica.

Then there’s a stuffed doll named “Sam the Dancing Matzo Man.” Created

by Eli Kowalski of ToyVey Toys, “Sam the Dancing Matzo Man” (he even sings his own jingle) was awarded a 2017 Top Toy of the Year Award from Creative Child’s magazine.

Thanks to a licensing deal with Streit’s matzah company, Sam’s image will appear on some 1.5 million boxes of matzah this year, and “Streit’s” logo-themed dolls are available through a website of the same name. “It took us a year-and-a-half to get the licensing rights from Streit’s,” said Kowalski, who is also a children’s writer. In fact, he explained, that it was precisely while marketing his children’s books that he realized “there isn’t much out there with Jewish content” and set out to create stuffed characters Jewish children can appreciate.

Ironically, one of the products with a clearly Passover sounding name isn’t actually good for the eight-day holiday. The Matzo Project is a year-round treat, according to company co-owner Kevin Rodriguez. His partner, Ashley Albert, came up with the initial concept.

Among its offerings are a matzah-ball soup mix; matzah chips in flavors like cinnamon-sugar and seeded everything; a matzah-chocolate-coconut-toffee snack creation called the “Ungapotchkes” (Yiddish for over-the-top); and, yes, matzah.

The company’s hallmark navy-blue packaging features an irreverent-looking bubby on them, though her appearance York

than $20. You’d put the relevant biological liquid onto the chip – whether urine, saliva or a teardrop – “in a convenient way so it’s not disgusting or unhygienic. The camera takes and analyzes the pictures, and sends you and your physician automatic results.”

Diagnoz.me is not the only Israeli company pioneering the home diagnostics sector. TytoCare of Netanya and New York sells a home exam kit and app that lets people perform basic medical exams guided by a doctor. The device includes instruments to check ears, throat, heart and lungs, skin and body temperature, and transmits those images and sounds to the physician.

Healthy.io of Tel Aviv, which recently raised $18 million in a Series B round, sells a smartphone-based home urinalysis kit and is starting a test-and-treat service

The Diagnoz.me prototype. (Photo courtesy of Israel21c) in the United Kingdom for urinary-tract infections in collaboration with pharmacy chain Boots.

Livne explains that most home diagnostics developers are using PCR, a technology that identifies the DNA of specific bacteria.

See “Medical” on page 14

Continued from page 3

prospects for Middle East peace. I’m delighted that SU’s students and faculty and the larger Syracuse community will have a chance to learn more about Dowty’s fascinating new book during his upcoming campus visit.”

The lead sponsor is PARCC (Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration) at the Maxwell School. For parking and other inquiries, contact Deborah Toole at

of Central New

smartphone to see bacteria,” Livne tells ISRAEL21c. “Once you see bacteria, you can perform medical diagnostics.

Our technology transforms a low-cost disposable together with a regular smartphone into a high-end medical diagnostics microscope.”

Still in the proof-of-concept stage, the innovation aims to enable patients to run tests at home, receive lab-grade results within minutes and instantly share them with their physician.

“We have shown that our image-analysis software can detect bacteria as accurately as a high-end lab microscope that costs over $100,000,” says Livne.

The optics add-on would be a disposable chip device sold at a pharmacy for less

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wasn’t always guaranteed. “We were both very close to our grandparents, so this voice was important. Initially, bubby was just on the corner,” relates Rodriguez, “but as we kept going that was the voice we knew people would connect to,” and so she took a larger role in the packaging.”

Rodriguez went on to explain that “matzah is a commodity. You can take something that people are familiar with and make it exciting. Especially for people who aren’t observant this gives them a way to connect with their heritage in their daily life.”

Moving any time soon?

Whether you’re moving across town or across the country, please let the Jewish Observer know so you can stay up to date on community news and quickly receive the paper at your new (or temporary) address!

E-mail jewishobservercny@gmail.com with “JO Address change” in the subject line, or call 315-445-2040 ext. 116, to let the JO know about your new address.

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JEWISH OBSERVER ■ APRIL 11, 2019/6 NISAN 5779

Desserts

4 large eggs 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (or other vanilla if for Passover) ¾ cup coconut oil 1¼ cups sugar 1 cup almond flour ¼ cup coconut flour, plus 2-3 Tbsp. to dust bundt pan 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. salt Glaze (optional) 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (from 1-2 lemons) Place the quinoa and water into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan, and cook the quinoa for 15 to 18 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed.

Let sit for 5 minutes off the stove-top. The quinoa may be made two days in advance and stored in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Use cooking spray or oil to grease a 12-cup Bundt pan. Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons coconut flour, or more if needed, over the entire greased pan and then shake the pan all around to cover and then tap out the excess.

Place the quinoa in the bowl of a food processor. Add the lemon zest and juice, eggs, vanilla, oil, sugar, almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and process until the mixture is very smooth, about 2 minutes.

Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake it for 1 hour, or longer, until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Let the cake cool for 30 minutes and then remove it gently from the pan onto a wire cooling rack.

To make the glaze, place the confectioners’ sugar into a bowl and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and whisk well. Add more juice, a teaspoon at a time, until you have a thick glaze. Drizzle or pour over the cake.

CHOCOLATE QUINOA CAKE Recipe excerpted from “The Healthy Jewish Kitchen” Serves 12. May be made three days in advance or frozen.

Cake ¾ cup (130g) quinoa 1½ cups (360ml) water Cooking spray 2 Tbsp. potato starch 1 3 / cup (80ml) orange juice (from 1 orange) 4 large eggs 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract (or other vanilla if for Passover) ¾ cup (180ml) coconut oil 1½ cups (300g) sugar 1 cup (80g) dark unsweetened cocoa

Wishing the Syracuse Jewish Community a Happy Passover!

Bonnie Rozen, Advertising Executive

May you and your family have a joyous Pesach

Continued from page 9

2 tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. salt 2 oz. (55g) bittersweet chocolate Fresh raspberries, for garnish (optional) Glaze (Optional) 5 ounces (140g) bittersweet chocolate 1 Tbsp. sunflower or safflower oil 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (or other vanilla if for Passover) Place the quinoa and water into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan, and cook the quinoa for 15 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Set the pan aside. The quinoa may be made 1 day in advance.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Use cooking spray to grease a 12-cup (2.8L) Bundt pan. Sprinkle the potato starch over the greased pan and then shake the pan to remove any excess starch.

Place the quinoa in the bowl of a food processor. Add the orange juice, eggs, vanilla, oil, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt, and process until the mixture is very smooth.

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler, or place in a medium microwave-safe bowl, and put in a microwave for 45 seconds, stirring and then heating the chocolate for another 30 seconds, until it is melted. Add the chocolate to the quinoa batter and process until well mixed. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake it for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Let the cake cool for 10 minutes and then remove it gently from the pan. Let it cool on a wire cooling rack.

To make the glaze, melt the chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl in the microwave (see above) or over a double boiler. Add the oil and vanilla and whisk well. Let the glaze sit for 5 minutes and then whisk it again. Use a silicone spatula to spread the glaze all over the cake.

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI Recipe from www.thekosherbaker.com Yield: 24-36 cookies Storage: room temperature for five days, may be frozen 4 oz. (115g) bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces 1 cup (200g) sugar ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil 2 large eggs 3 Tbsp. (40g) vanilla sugar ½ cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa 1 Tbsp. potato starch 1½ cups (180g) ground almonds ¼ tsp. salt 1 cup (170g) semi-sweet chocolate chips Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

Line a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with parchment

May your Passover seder be joyous!

Marc & Karen Beckman

A Joyous Passover To all

Elihu & Iris Cohen

Have a sweet, happy and healthy New Year!

Marc & Karen Beckman

Wishing you and your family peace, health Happy Chanukah! and happiness this Pesach

Neil and Debbie Rosenbaum

Kathy & David Gideon Marc & Karen Beckman

paper. Melt the chocolate using one of the methods described below. Remove the chocolate from the heat source, add the sugar and oil, and whisk well. Add the eggs and mix. Add the vanilla sugar, cocoa, potato starch, ground almonds and salt, and mix well. Add the chocolate chips and mix to distribute them.

Divide the dough in half and shape into two loaves, each about 9x3 inches (23x7.5cm). Place both loaves on the lined jelly roll pan and bake for 30 minutes. Let the loaves cool for 10 minutes (do not turn off the oven). Cut each loaf crosswise into ¾- to 1-inch-thick (2- to 2.5-cm) slices.

Place the cookies, cut side up, on a parchment-covered cookie sheet (or the jelly roll pan again). Bake for another 14 minutes, or until the cookies are firm to the touch on the outside, but still feel soft on the inside. Check them after 10-12 minutes so that you don’t over-bake the cookies.

Let cool for 5 minutes on the pan, and then slide the parchment and cookies onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

To Melt Chocolate: To melt chocolate, you can use the top part of a double boiler or a microwave oven. A double boiler is a specially designed saucepan that has a top bowl that fits snugly over a saucepan. For either method, first break or chop the chocolate into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces.

To melt the chocolate over a double boiler, you place water in the bottom of the saucepan and the chopped chocolate in the insert. When you bring the water to a simmer, it gently melts the chocolate in the insert. You can create your own double boiler by placing 2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 cm) of water in a medium saucepan and resting a medium-size metal bowl containing the chopped chocolate on top. Stir the chocolate occasionally, until all of it has melted.

To melt chocolate in a microwave oven, place the chocolate pieces in a microwave-safe bowl, such as a large glass bowl. Heat the chocolate for 1 minute at high power. Remove the bowl from the microwave oven and give the chocolate a good stir, mixing the melted pieces into the unmelted ones, for 30 seconds. Heat for another 45 seconds and stir well again. If the chocolate is not completely melted, heat it for another 30 seconds and stir. Repeat this process for another 15 seconds if necessary. Do not heat the chocolate in the microwave oven for several minutes straight or it will burn.

Paula Shoyer is the author of “Healthy Jewish Kitchen” (Sterling Epicure 2017), “The New Passover Menu” (Sterling 2015), “The Holiday Kosher Baker” (Sterling Press 2013) and “The Kosher Baker: Over 160 Dairy-free Desserts from Traditional to Trendy” (Brandeis 2010).

Her writing and recipes have appeared in The Washington Post, Family Circle, thekitchn, Food52, Epicurious, Joy of Kosher Magazine and other publications.

Passover Blessings Steve Stern and Fredda Sacharow

May you and your family have a joyous Pesach Robin & Neil Goldberg Seth, Leah, Abe, Harry, Shira, Jared, Eliana, Dahya, Adam, Amira, Miriam and Jeremy

APRIL 11, 2019/6 NISAN 5779 ■

JEWISH OBSERVER

13

Israeli technology helps Sierra Leone schoolchildren drink clean water from air

BY JNS STAFF (JNS) – The St. Joseph’s girls’ school in Sierra Leone’s capital of Freeport has received Israeli technology that produces fresh, safe-drinking water out of air. The technology, which comes in the form of an atmospheric water generator known as the “GEN-350,” offers the schoolchildren a source of clean water that can produce up to 900 liters of water per day.

Water pollution is one of the leading causes of death in the West African country, which has an average life expectancy of 56 years, one of the lowest in the world.

Approximately half of the population has no access to clean drinking water, and a little less than three-quarters of urban dwellers have a safe water supply available for use.

Sierra Leone’s water sources, which primarily consist of ponds, unprotected wells and freestanding water, have been contaminated by mining and chemicals used in the agricultural industry. Water-borne infections and parasites have increased the probability of Sierra Leoneans contracting diseases such as typhoid fever and Hepatitis A. The GEN-350, which offers the school a supply of fresh water on site, is a technological innovation of the Israel-based company Watergen, led by its president, Dr. Michael Mirilashvili. It was purchased from Watergen USA by the local company, SL Watergen. With a weight of just 800 kilograms, the GEN-350 is easily transportable and can be installed easily. The GEN-350 units are provided with an internal water-treatment system and need no infrastructure except a source of electricity in order to operate.

“Watergen is currently operating in many African countries,” said president of Watergen USA, Yehuda Kaploun, “and even more announcements about other countries in Africa using our machines and technology will be forthcoming.”

Watergen’s efforts to make fresh, pure water available around the globe earned the company its place on the World Economic Forum’s list of the world’s top technology pioneers in 2018.

NEWS IN BRIEF

At right: Schoolchildren in Sierra Leone’s capital of Freeport lined up for clear water on campus, supplied by an atmospheric water generator known as the GEN-350. (Photo

by Drusso/Shtevi Photography)

Happy Passover!

Ona & Bernie Bregman

Mildred Siminoff

U.S. designates Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist entity

Activists remove 40 neglected animals from zoo in Gaza

Approximately 40 neglected zoo animals were evacuated on April 7 from a dilapidated zoo in the Gaza Strip by an international animal-welfare group, the fourth such rescue mission from the Hamas-controlled area. Veterinarians and volunteers from Four Paws International arrived in Rafah in southern Gaza to evacuate five lions, five monkeys, four ostriches, three peacocks, two wolves, foxes, porcupines, 10 squirrels and a hyena to be resituated in Jordan and South Africa. According to Four Paws staff, many of the animals, which were smuggled into Gaza through tunnels leading from Egypt to Gaza, appeared to have suffered from trauma and neglect. Gaza zoo animals have been rescued three previous times by animal-rights activists, who have sent numerous missions to provide medical care for the critters. In the past, animals have been found having died of cold and hunger. Just this past January, four lion cubs died at the zoo in Rafah. Uri Madar, agriculture coordinator for the Israeli body responsible for the crossings with the Gaza Strip, said his organization, COGAT, “sees this evacuation as a mission of ethics and will continue working in support of animal welfare in the Gaza Strip.”

Ê

Michael & Euni Balanoff

Wishing you and your family h Ros yhealth p p peace, a Hand happiness this Pesach

From JNS.org

The Trump administration on April 8 announced that the United States will officially designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist group. “Today, I am formally announcing my administration’s plan to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including its Quds Force, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act,” said U.S. President Donald Trump. This is the first time that a part of a foreign state has been officially designated as a terrorist group. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on April 8 that the designation will take effect on April 15, and that doing so is “recognizing a basic reality.” In retaliation, Iran said it would designate the U.S. military as a terrorist group. The IRGC has been a main part of Iran’s ambitions for regional hegemony through its presence in countries such as Syria and Iraq, assisting the regime’s proxies, including Hezbollah. The U.S. move is part of the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran since withdrawing from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and reimposing sanctions lifted under it, in addition to enacting new financial and other penalties.

Wishing you and your family peace, health and happiness this Pesach

Ruth & Joel Stein

Has hanah !

and family Michael & Euni Balanoff

Passover Greetings to you and yours Wishing you a Happy Chanukah Rabbi Rachel Esserman, Executive Editor, The Reporter Group

May you and your family have a joyous Pesach

Georgina, Paul, Joshua, Gabriel and Laima, Gina, Althea and Aaron (z”L”) Roth

light • peace • love

Cantor Francine & Barry Berg

Wishing peace, Michael & Euni health Balanoff and happiness to all this Passover

Let the New Year be the start of only the sweetest things!

Georgina, Paul, Joshua, Gabriel and Laima, Gina, Althea Sydney Tenenbaum & Deidre Zehner and Aaron (z”L”) Roth

Visit the JO online at jewishfederationcny.org and click on Jewish Observer

14

JEWISH OBSERVER ■ APRIL 11, 2019/6 NISAN 5779

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, April 13 Temple Adath Yeshurun learners’ service at 9:15 am Sunday, April 14

TAY Hazak hosts Mike Waters at 1 pm

Tuesday, April 16 Temple Concord Talmud with Rabbi Fellman at 12:30 pm JCC Executive Committee meeting at 6 pm, followed

by Board of Directors at 7 pm

Wednesday, April 17

Syracuse Hebrew Day School seder Lunch and learn with Rabbi Andrew Pepperstone at the Bistro at Menorah Park at noon

Foundation Board meets at 4:45 pm TC BOT meeting at 7 pm Friday, April 19 Passover first seder TC Kabbalat Shabbat at Traditions at The Links at 5:15 pm TC Shabbat and Community Pesach dinner at Traditions at The Links at 6 pm Temple Adath Yeshurun first night seder at 6:30 pm Saturday, April 20 First day Passover Sunday, April 21 Second day Passover Tuesday, April 23 Epstein School for Jewish Studies movie night at TAY from 6:30-8:30 pm Thursday, April 25 Alan Dowty speaks on the beginnings of the Arab-Israeli conflict in 010 Eggers Hall in the Maxwell School at Syracuse University at 2 pm Friday, April 26 Seventh day Passover JCC and Federation offices closed TC Library Shabbat pre-oneg and discussion 5:30 pm Saturday, April 27 TC Library Shabbat light lunch and book discussion at 11 am Sunday, April 28 TC – Author Margalit Fox speaks at 11 am Jewish Genealogy Society of Central New York will meet at the Manlius Public Library, 1 Arkie Albanese Pl., Manlius, at 1:30 pm Tuesday, April 30 TC Talmud with Rabbi Fellman at 12:30 pm InterFaith Works dinner honors Alan Goldberg at 5:30 pm Epstein School for Jewish Studies at TAY from 6:308:30 pm

Medical

Diagnoz.me uses a different technology, fluorescence microscopy, which has been around for more than 100 years, but it wasn’t until around 2017 that smartphones had the right high-level specs to make it possible.

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D’VAR TORAH Here he comes: it’s a bird…. it’s a plane… it’s Eliyah hanavi (Elijah the prophet)

BY RABBI DANIEL JEZER Of all parts of the seder, the one item that most captured my kids’ imagination was opening the door for Elijah.

They would run to the door, open it and run back to the table to watch the wine that was set aside for Elijah diminish. They were sure that he came to our seder and drank a l’chaim with us. Maybe they were quite accurate, even though we adults all thought that our kids were kind of funny and imaginative in their belief.

Who actually was Elijah, and why does he appear at the seder? Elijah was a prophet in the Kingdom of Israel the 9th century B.C.E. The main burden of his message was to reaffirm the covenant God had made with Moses and the Israelites. He railed against idolatry as a violation of the covenant. The Bible relates that at the end of his life, he did not die as do all others. A fiery chariot descended from the heavens, Elijah stepped into the chariot and ascended skyward (and into Jewish folklore).

In our folklore, Elijah comes to pay us a visit on several different occasions. At a brit milah, the mohel ascribes one chair as the “Chair of Elijah” and places the baby on that chair symbolizing the hope that the child will live to see the messianic age, the age of peace and harmony among all people (Elijah is said to be the announcer of the Messianic age). Elijah comes at Havdalah, at the conclusion of Shabbat when we sing “Eliyahu Hanavi.” Shabbat is a day celebrating the covenant between God and the people of Israel. Elijah comes in the afternoon of Tisha B’Av, the fast day commemorating the destruction of the Temple. He

B’NAI MITZVAH Joseph Seidman

Joseph Seidman, son of Brad and Stacy Seidman of Cicero, became bar mitzvah at Temple Concord on March 30. He is the grandson of Stan and Sherry Seidman of Flushing, NY, and Ed and Linda Eisenberg of Brewerton, NY. He is a graduate of the Syracuse Hebrew Day School and attends the Rabbi Jacob Epstein School of Jewish Studies and Gillette Middle School in North Syracuse.

He has a black belt in karate. Joseph Seidman For the last year, he has been helping his sensei at karate with the junior classes. He also conducted a kick-a-thon to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

comes, symbolizing the renewal of the covenant, even as it was abrogated with the destruction of Jerusalem.

The seder is a celebration of the Exodus from Egypt.

The Exodus story is the key story in Judaism as it celebrates the foundation of our people described in the covenant between God and the people of Israel. “I will take you to be My People and I will be your God. And you shall know that I, the Lord, am your God who freed you from the labors of the Egyptians.” (Exodus 7:6,7) This is the master story of Judaism and the foundation upon which we live our Jewish life. This is the basic contract that gives our Jewish life meaning.

At the seder we relate the story in words, in song and in food. We recreate the event and thank God for the Exodus, thereby renewing the covenant. We eat a feast as befits the marking of all momentous events. At the conclusion of the meal, Elijah, symbolically representing God at this covenant renewal time, comes and drinks the wine, offering a l’chaim to us. The covenant has been renewed.

And yet, in many haggadot, at the same celebratory joyous time that Elijah makes his appearance, there are a number of very disturbing Biblical verses recited that contradict the message of Elijah: “Pour out your fury on the nations that do not know you… for they have devoured Jacob and desolated his home… Pursue them in wrath and destroy them from God’s heavens.”

The juxtaposition of these terrible sentences with the presence of Eiljah is not accidental. We know our history.

We know of the terrible afflictions our people have suffered.

We know that the promise of the covenant, that God will protect us has not always worked out. We have not always been saved from an Egypt. It is at this point in the seder that some sing the words “Ani Ma’amim” or other songs or poems commemorating the most recent tragedy of our people, the Holocaust. These verses are a reminder to us that, although we have faith in the covenant, we still need to also face realities. The history of the covenant is not simple. It has been, and continues to be, very complex.

Nonetheless we hold dear to the covenant. We recount the story of the Exodus each and every day. Its message helps form us, and resonates deeply inside us.

We have faith that the future will at some point be brighter than the past. And we know that Elijah comes to our homes to drink a l’chaim, “to life” to help us renew our faith and seal that covenant, so that peace and tranquility will come to Jerusalem, to Israel and to all humanity. May it be soon in our day.

Rhea and our entire family wish all of you a very happy Pesach.

Rabbi Daniel Jezer is rabbi emeritus at Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas in DeWitt.

Continued from page 11

you have. If you need a prescription, that can be done electronically as well,” says Livne.

The founders won an NIS 3 million (nearly $830,000) prize at the dHealth 2018 Summit held in Rishon Letzion.

Livne and Epstein have decided that Diagnoz.me’s first-use case will be vaginal infections. That’s the most common gynecological problem, accounting for more than 10 million office visits per year in the United States.

“We looked at a number of different infections and vaginal infections stood out because they are very common, but unfortunately, most women don’t go for treatment because it’s so unpleasant,” explains Livne.

“Possibly 80 percent of women do anything to avoid going to the gynecologist, so they try over-the-counter

and home remedies instead. But they are in pain, and it lowers their quality of life. We can help these women because collecting the sample and running the test is very easy and done in private.”

The technology can be adapted to detect each type of relevant bacteria, in this case those that cause vaginal infections.

Diagnoz.me is now raising seed funding. Livne estimates that it will take about two to three years for the product to reach the market.

Meanwhile, Livne and Epstein are seeking strategic partnerships and continuing to develop the product with a medical advisory board, including, among others, the former head of the Women’s Health Department at the Lin Center in Haifa and an OB-GYN who heads Femicare VZW in Belgium.

APRIL 11, 2019/6 NISAN 5779 ■

OBITUARIES PHILIP BERNARD FREEDMAN

Philip Bernard Freedman, 90, died on March 24 in Gainesville, FL. He was born in the Bronx and remembered a happy childhood with neighborhood friends with whom he caused mischief. His father, an immigrant and World War I veteran, worked in a bakery and brought home fresh rolls every morning before school. As a young man, Phil lived and worked in Manhattan, enjoyed live musical theater and sold menswear. He eventually moved to Syracuse. He was a successful professional sales representative of women’s sleepwear, taking his products to small department and specialty stores across upstate New York. He loved it because he loved connecting with people. He had a warm sense of humor and made people laugh, even in his last years, months and weeks.

He was predeceased by his parents, Abraham and Anna; his sister, Shirley; and his wife, Selma.

He is survived by his daughters, Jill (Dave Nelson) and Alisa (Jeffrey) Roth; and grandchildren Julia, Benjamin, Joshua, Katelyn and Alexandra. He was a sweet, loving and devoted husband, father and grandfather, and a loyal and trusted friend.

Burial was in Beth El Cemetery. Sisskind Funeral Service had arrangements. 

SEYMOUR “JOE” RIBYAT

Seymour “Joe” Ribyat, 94, of DeWitt, died on March 18 at Loretto in Syracuse.

Born in Utica, NY, he attended Syracuse University College of Applied Science, graduating with a degree in civil engineering and a major in structural engineering. After graduation, he worked for Bell Aircraft in Buffalo, NY, before joining the Army, where he served as an instructor in the U.S. Army signal core at Fort Monmouth, NJ. He and his wife, Marilyn, relocated to Syracuse in 1949. He worked for Solvay Process and several other firms. He established his own business, Seymour Ribyat PE Consulting Engineer in 1957. For 40 years, he provided structural engineering and architectural services throughout New York state. In 1997 he joined forces with a longtime architect friend to form Architectural Engineering Investigations PC. He was a founding member of the Syracuse Chargers Track Club. In 1979, he helped create the Syracuse Chargers program for the developmentally disabled.

This program continues to provide running, walking and socialization for developmentally disabled adults.

He was an ardent long-distance runner beginning in the early ‘50s before running was fashionable. During his running career, he completed 31 marathons from 1971 to 1988, including four Boston marathons.

He is survived by his wife, Marilyn; children, Robert, Susan (John Johnson), and David; grandchildren, Lauren (Joe Mannozzi), Liz Johnson-Wichert (Patrick Wichert); and many nephews, nieces and friends.

Burial was in Adath Yeshurun Cemetery. Birnbaum Funeral Service had arrangements. 

NEWS IN BRIEF From JNS.org

Synagogue in Izmir, Turkey, targeted by firebomb

Amid the persecution Jews face in Turkey, a synagogue in the city of Izmir on the Aegean coast was firebombed.

A man threw a Molotov cocktail onto the sidewalk outside of Beth Israel Synagogue, which ended up not being damaged. The incident was first reported on April 2 by the Turkish-language Salom Jewish news site. “There is no difference between attacks targeting synagogues, churches and mosques; they all target social peace with their hate,” said Mustafa Yeneroglu, the Istanbul lawmaker for the ruling Justice and Development Party. The Turkish-Jewish community, in a statement, lauded the Izmir Security Directorate for responding decisively in apprehending the suspect and denounced “this heinous attack threatening our lives, peace and unity.”

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NY state budget allocates security funding for Jewish camps for first time

BY JNS STAFF (JNS) – For the first time ever, the New York state budget allocated security funding for summer camps.

It also consists of doubling funding available to protect nonpublic schools, day-care centers and cultural museums at risk of hate crimes, with $30 million for STEM and an additional $7 million for the Comprehensive Attendance Policy and for Mandated Services Reimbursement, totaling $193 million.

The Orthodox Union, through its state advocacy operation Teach Coalition, has fought for security funding on the national, state and city levels, in addition to recently hiring full-time staff to provide direct assistance to schools and synagogues in their efforts to apply for state and federal grant funding.

“Together, with the support of our partners, including nonpublic schools, parents and even the students themselves, our community has raised our collective voice and advocated respectfully but forcefully for the necessary funding for our schools and children,” said Orthodox Union President Moishe Bane.

“More than 700 people came to our mission in Albany earlier [in March] and helped make the Jewish community’s voice heard,” said Orthodox Union Executive Vice President Allen Fagin. “We encourage more parents, grandparents, teachers and school administrators to get involved because the greater our voice the more we can achieve to benefit our schools. It’s important that people join us and act for our children.”

Rare ancient seal of Jewish king’s officer discovered in City of David in Jerusalem

BY JNS STAFF (JNS) – The Israel Antiquities Authority and Tel Aviv University discovered a 2,600-year-old bulla seal impression bearing the inscription “(belonging) to Nathan-Melech, Servant of the King” in the City of David just outside the Old City of Jerusalem, according to an announcement on March 31.

The surprise discovery was lauded as empirical evidence of the veracity of Jewish accounts of their history in Jerusalem.

“Although it is not possible to determine with complete certainty that the Nathan-Melech, who is mentioned in the Bible, was in fact the owner of the stamp, it is impossible to ignore some of the details that link them together,” Dr. Anat Mendel-Geberovich of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Center for the Study of Ancient Jerusalem, who deciphered the seal, said in a statement. Natan-Melech is named as an officer in the court of King Josiah in Kings II 23:11.

The bulla was discovered in a First Temple period public building that is part of the excavations in the City of David National Park’s Givati Parking Lot. Additional artifacts were also discovered.

“Since many of the well-known bullae and stamps have not come from organized archaeological excavations, but rather from the antiquities market, the discovery of these two artifacts in a clear archaeological context that can be dated is very exciting,” Professor Yuval Gadot of Tel Aviv University and Dr. Yiftah Shalev of the Israel Antiquities Authority said in a statement.

“They join the bullae and stamps bearing names written in ancient Hebrew script, which were discovered in the various excavations that have been conducted in the City

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A bulla inscribed with the name of Natan-Melech, an official in the court of King Josiah. (Photo by Israel Antiquities Authority) of David until today,” continued the statement. “These artifacts attest to the highly developed system of administration in the Kingdom of Judah and add considerable information to our understanding of the economic status of Jerusalem and its administrative system during the First Temple period, as well as personal information about the king’s closest officials and administrators who lived and worked in the city. The destruction of this building in a fire, apparently during the Babylonian conquest of the city in 586 B.C.E., strengthens our understanding of the intensity of the destruction in the city.”

A stamp-seal made of “bluish agate stone, engraved with the name ‘[belonging] to Ikar son of Matanyahu,’” was also discovered, according to the release.

Sending warm wishes of peace and happiness to your home this Passover.

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Israeli spacecraft “Beresheet” captures first pictures of moon’s surface

The Israeli spacecraft “Beresheet,” which entered lunar orbit on April 4 on its journey to the moon, is on an “excellent” track, according to overnight data from the SpaceIL and Israel Aerospace Industries engineering teams at their control room in Yehud, Israel. During its lunar orbit, “Beresheet” will be at its nearest point to the moon at 292 miles from the lunar surface and the farthest from the moon at 6,462 miles. The spacecraft is expected to land on the moon on April 11.

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JEWISH OBSERVER

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JEWISH OBSERVER â– APRIL 11, 2019/6 NISAN 5779