The Voice of the Lehigh Valley Jewish Community
www.jewishlehighvalley.org
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Issue No. 404
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December 2017
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Kislev/Tevet 5778
AWARD-WINNING PUBLICATION EST. 1977
Community gathers to celebrate older adults p16-17
Celebrate Chanukah with our special section
COM.UNITY WITH MARK GOLDSTEIN p2 LVJF TRIBUTES p8 JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE p15 JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER p18-19 JEWISH DAY SCHOOL p20 COMMUNITY CALENDAR p30-31
Volunteers to cook and deliver kosher food to older adults on Super Sunday By Michelle Cohen HAKOL Editor The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley will partner with Jewish Family Service for a fourth year on Super Sunday to debut a new program for the Valley: a kosher food delivery service based on Meals on Wheels. “It’s a really nice partnership between Federation and JFS, and our mitzvah projects tend to focus on our older adults,” said Carol Wilson, JFS older adult coordinator. Past projects have included a meet-and-greet at Country Meadows, a mezuzah decorating and hanging ceremony at Cedar Brook and a baking project at Atria using a recipe from a resident’s aunt. As for this year’s project, “When I meet with my clients, there are several themes that come up over and over again,” Wilson said. “Their ability to get to the market, bring the food home, put it away, prepare it, cook it, clean it up – it’s quite daunting, and so a lot of our clients struggle with eating nutritious food that tastes delicious.” A kosher delivery program used to exist in the Lehigh Valley coinciding with Beth Tikvah thanks to the availability of a commercial kosher kitchen, but once the program ended, the space has been left unfilled, until now, when many community agencies will cooperate to make the first delivery special. Children from PJ Library will bake and package cookies and decorate a note for the recipient of the meal, which will include several courses. Children at the Jewish Day School will prepare the soup course, and two local synagogues, Congregation Sons of Israel and Congregation Brith Sholom, will prepare two other courses. Because preparing the entire meal in one day would be daunting for volunteers, these groups will make their food ahead of time and deliver it to Federation in preparation of the big day. On Super Sunday, Federation volunteers will prepare the main course, pack the meals and deliver them to clients. In terms of the food, Wilson hopes for hearty dishes that can be frozen. “If the food is frozen, they can stash it in the freezer and use it next week, next month, or they can defrost it and have it as soon as they want it,” she said. The meals will be low-salt and low-fat, and are designed to be “basic, healthy, nutritious, delicious food.” “It will mean so much to them,” Carol added, “and not only will the delivery of nutritious, healthy food be so important to them, but the social component of the visit that comes with the delivery will be equally as important and appreciated.” Super Sunday will take place on Jan. 28, 2018. To learn more and sign up to volunteer, visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org/supersunday. Non-Profit Organization 702 North 22nd Street Allentown, PA 18104
U.S. POSTAGE PAID Lehigh Valley, PA Permit No. 64
Gaines family pursues philanthropic interests through Federation
Projects to include a community shaliach in 2018
Lewis and Roberta Gaines with their family on a trip to Israel. By Stephanie Smartschan JFLV Director of Marketing On a recent trip to Israel, Lewis and Roberta Gaines visited “Nirim in the Neighborhood” and met an Ethiopian woman in her 20s. Growing up as one of eight siblings, the woman’s parents demanded she stay home and take care of the younger children. She felt trapped and started to act out. “She got into trouble with the law, she got into drugs, she did other bad stuff and this program rescued her and now she’s a counselor there,” Lewis Gaines said. “Her story was one of the reasons we picked Nirim.” Helping Israeli children at severe risk is one of three Israel-focused projects that the Gaines family will be supporting this year through a philanthropic partnership with the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. That partnership began in 2017 with the family’s support for Israel Next Dor, a leadership development program for 12 local young and emerging
leaders that included a trip to Israel. The Gaines’ will also sponsor a dollar for dollar match on new or increased gifts to the Federation this year to support the most critical needs and innovative programs in this community. “I think as you get older, you recognize that if you can do something, you shouldn’t wait around,” Lewis said. “My primary focus is generational continuity. I’m really interested in having my children and ultimately grandchildren carry on a tradition of significant philanthropy. So I’m trying to lead by example and by encouraging them to build connections between Israel and the local Jewish community.” Lewis said he chose Federation as his partner because it is trusted and established. “The community model for raising money I think is highly valid and it has existed for a long time. You want to go with proven concepts,” he said. “It also provides an opportunity to do multiple kinds of
giving,” he added. The Gaines family will also make a significant contribution to the Hatzerim Air Force Base in Israel to create the Hatzerim Spirit and Heritage Center and will support another major project that will impact the entire Lehigh Valley Jewish community. The family will provide funding for a community shaliach in the Lehigh Valley in 2018-19. Shlichim, or Israeli emissaries, become partners with their host communities and work to engage all age groups -- especially teens and young adults -- in a range of Jewish cultural, educational and social activities. The Lehigh Valley last hosted a shlicha, Meidan Keidar, in 2012. Keidar, now on the staff of Hillel International and married to a Lehigh Valley native, also served as Israel Fellow at American University after her tenure in the Lehigh Valley. “The community shlichut program is one of the best
Gaines family Continues on page 3
com.UNITY
FROM THE DESK OF MARK L. GOLDSTEIN
Executive Director | Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley markg@jflv.org
FOR ADULTS ONLY – not to be read by our kids I wrote about this topic a few years ago. And, while years have passed, the message has not changed. In fact, it has become more important. But, I will share this with you on one condition: PLEASE DO NOT SHARE THIS COLUMN WITH YOUR CHILDREN. It contains information that we just don’t want them to have. In elementary school, I loved getting the chocolate cherry cordials, although it was strange going to a schoolwide assembly to receive the candy from nurses dressed in white. I didn’t think twice; it was a wonderful sweet treat. However, if anyone had told me that I was waiting in line for medicine, the polio vaccine in fact, I would have run for the hills. Kids have an aversion to anything that is good for them. That’s why children’s fluoride toothpaste comes in bubble gum flavors, and kids pop Flintstone vitamins and not Centrum. Parents try to “sugar coat” anything that is good for their children, lest it be met with a closed mouth or clandestinely fed to the dogs (think vegetables). While my wife and I have raised our kids in an arguably Jewish home and they attended Jewish day schools, what they are (so far) as young Jewish adults is largely due to their
experiences at Jewish camps. After aging out of the JCC day camps, our daughter summered at Camp Ramah and our son went to the Young Judaea Camps. When they returned home from camp they always exclaimed about how good it was; about all the fun they had; about all the friends they made; about all the sports and arts and crafts activities in which they participated; about their hikes, canoe trips and tent sleep-outs; about the horses and ski-boats on the lakes; and about how they could not wait to go back next summer (and the deposit was due by Dec. 1!). Funny, not once did my kids tell me that camp was a wonderful Jewish environment where they could experiment with living Judaism. Never did they shout gleefully about how their Jewish camp was a place to develop and create a Jewish community, to find Jewish roots, and to connect to the land and people of Israel. Can you imagine what would have happened if we told our kids that they were going to summer camp because this is where Jewish passion, creativity, and spirituality can grow and leadership skills can be developed? They would have run for the hills! I am not making up the powerful impact of Jewish camping. Studies have shown
that Jewish camping is one of the most powerful ways to build strong Jewish identity and commitment in young people. Research proves that teens who have attended a Jewish day or residential camp as a child grow to remain connected to their Jewish communities and Jewish life as adults. Children who experience the 24/7 Jewish environment at camp become adults who value their heritage and support Jewish causes. Indeed, research shows that Jewish camp alumni are 50 percent more likely to join a synagogue, 90 percent more likely to join a Jewish community center, 55 percent more likely to have an emotional attachment to Israel and twice as likely to donate to their local Federation than Jewish adults who never went to a Jewish camp. Our Jewish Federation, from the proceeds of our Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs, proudly supports the three most valuable aspects of Jewish identity development: formal Jewish education, like at the Jewish Day School; peer trips to Israel; and Jewish camping. We are very generous funders of scholarships and grants for all three. As for camping, every year our Allocations Committee sets aside funds for needsbased scholarships for Jewish
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Readers, Every year since I was a little kid, my family has taken Chanukah on the road with us, driving from Atlanta to Destin, Florida, for a winter vacation. We pack a menorah, and a great many traditions. On the drive down, we thank God for XM Radio and remember the year when we had to listen to Christmas songs for six hours straight, including seven different renditions of “Feliz Navidad.” We write down the road signs that make us laugh, and we hold a dramatic reading of the signs from previous years, including emu oil advertisements and gramatically incorrect chicken shacks. Once we arrive, we set up the menorah along with our other trip gear, and we spend our days taking long walks on the sand, hunting for dead jelly-
fish, and eating at our favorite restaurants. On the first night, we sing happy birthday to Mom’s faithful teddy bear, Truff, and my alien bear Bailey usually joins in on the festivities. And each night, we light the menorah, and celebrate with games and food. It may seem strange, but to me, Chanukah is so much more than lighting the menorah, spinning the dreidel, or eating latkes. It represents my family coming together on a rare occasion where nothing else is going on, and we can enjoy each other and do whatever comes to us each day. For my grandma and I, it ends up being our favorite part of the year, because we share a room and have a lot of time to spend together, just the two of us. Chanukah, for my family, means menorahs wrapped in
Shalom, Michelle Cohen
We gratefully acknowledge those individuals who have offered expressions of friendship by requesting that trees be planted in the Yoav--Lehigh Valley Partnership Park.
IN HONOR SANDY BELDON Happy 85th Birthday
Roberto and Eileen Fischmann ARIELLE AND JAMES CANTORE Birth of their daughter, Sophie SHALOM BABY ALICE AND MARK NOTIS Evie’s marriage to Noam Cohen Cooky and Mike Notis JOY AND BRIAN WERNICK Birth of their son, Ethan SHALOM BABY
TO ORDER TREES, call the JFLV at 610-821-5500 or visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org. 2 DECEMBER 2017 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
STEPHANIE SMARTSCHAN JFLV Director of Marketing
HAKOL is published 11 times per year for the Jewish communities of Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton and vicinity by the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley.
COMMUNITY SUBMISSIONS Submissions to HAKOL must be of interest to the entire Jewish community. HAKOL reserves all editorial rights including, but not limited to, the decision to print any submitted materials, the editing of submissions to conform to style and length requirements, and the placement of any printed material. Articles should be submitted by e-mail or presented as typed copy; “Community Calendar” listings must be submitted by e-mail to hakol@jflv.org or online at www.jewishlehighvalley.org. Please include your name and a daytime telephone number where you can be contacted in the event questions arise. We cannot guarantee publication or placement of submissions.
Phone: (610) 821-5500 Fax: (610) 821-8946 E-mail: hakol@jflv.org
newspaper, competitions over who can find the most dead jellyfish and who can roll the most gimels, and talking about the history of the Maccabees at the Civil War forts my dad drags us to. Chanukah, like our family, is unique and unforgettable. Wherever you bring Chanukah this year, I wish you and your family joy in the holiday and in the year ahead.
Ramah, Camp Harlam, Pinemere Camp, Camp Moshava, Camp Young Judaea, Camp Tel Yehuda, Camp Galil and others are fun places, with lots of great things to do, and lots of friends to make. Let it be our little secret that camp is actually good for children and will have a profound impact on their Jewish adult lives.
HAKOL STAFF
MAIL, FAX, OR E-MAIL TO: JFLV ATTN: HAKOL 702 N. 22nd St. Allentown, PA 18104
JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY IN MEMORY FAY KANTOR (Mother of Susan Savitch) Roberta and Robert Kritzer RUTH NULLMAN (Mother of Jeff Nullman) Valeska and Israel Zighelboim
resident camping. Information about the scholarships can be found at our website, www. jewishlehighvalley.org/scholarships. We supplement those funds with directed donations. Donors interested in providing additional scholarships to supplement the allocations grant should call me as soon as possible as I know the funds available will not meet the expected need. Rather than write this column about menorahs and latkes, now is the time for parents to consider Jewish residential camping. The spring is too late as many camps are selling out. So, please keep this information away from your kids. Don’t let them read this. Let’s just keep this information between us parents. Just tell your kids that camps like Camp
MICHELLE COHEN Editor ALLISON MEYERS Graphic Designer DIANE MCKEE Advertising Representative TEL: 610-515-1391 hakolads@jflv.org
JFLV EXECUTIVE STAFF MARK L. GOLDSTEIN Executive Director JERI ZIMMERMAN Assistant Executive Director TEMPLE COLDREN Director of Finance & Administration JIM MUETH Director of Planned Giving & Endowments AARON GORODZINSKY Director of Outreach & Community Relations EVA LEVITT JFLV President
EDITORIAL BOARD Monica Friess, Acting Chair Barbara Reisner Judith Rodwin Sara Vigneri
Member American Jewish Press Association
All advertising is subject to review and approval by The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley (JFLV). JFLV reserves the right to decline, withdraw and/or edit any ad. The appearance of any advertising in HAKOL does not represent an endorsement or kashrut certification. Paid political advertisements that appear in HAKOL do not represent an endorsement of any candidate by the JFLV.
JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY MISSION STATEMENT
In order to unite, sustain, and enhance the Lehigh Valley Jewish community, and support Jewish communities in Israel and around the world, the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is dedicated to the following core values: • Supporting Jews in need wherever they may be. • Supporting Israel as a Jewish homeland. • Supporting and encouraging Jewish education in the Lehigh Valley as a means of strengthening Jewish life for individuals and families. • Supporting programs and services of organizations whose values and mission meet local Jewish needs. To accomplish this mission the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is committed to the following operating guidelines: • Raising and distributing funds to support the core values. • Developing Jewish leaders. • Building endowments to support implementation of core values. • Committing to ongoing Jewish community strategic planning. • Fostering cooperation among organizations and community building. • Evaluating all decisions with respect to fiscal responsibility. • Identifying unmet needs and investing in community initiatives to help get them started. • Coordinating and convening a community response as an issue or need arises. • Setting priorities for allocation and distribution of funds. • Acting as a central address for communication about events, programs and services of the Jewish community as a whole. Approved by the JFLV Board of Directors on November 15, 2000
Keneseth Israel welcomes Iraqi family through Refugee Resettlement Project By Elsbeth Haymon Congregation Keneseth Israel Since June 7 when they arrived from a refugee camp in Turkey, the Battah family, originally from Iraq, has seen lots of change and progress. Sabeeha and her five boys arrived at Lehigh Valley International Airport to a group of over 40 very excited and enthusiastic volunteers from Congregation Keneseth Israel, Temple Beth El, Temple Shirat Shalom, The Barn and other organizations. Sabeeha’s sons are: Ali age 21, Hayder age 19, Sajjad age 16, Ammar age 5 and Jaafar age 3. Hayder and Sajjad are enrolled in high school and Jaafar has enrolled in the JCC preschool. The education committee members continue to work weekly with the high school boys on their schoolwork and English skills. Ali, who has hearing and speech issues, is learning to speak and to use his assistive device and is also receiving support. The process of enrolling Ammar in an intermediate unit early intervention program has begun. The medical committee continues to support Ammar and
Ali with their therapy appointments. Ammar has received additional assistive equipment. The housing committee has begun a search for a threebedroom duplex in Northampton. The family is able to afford $1,100 a month for rent and utilities, using money they have saved, income from Hayder’s job, and from father Hussein in Iraq. The donations committee has begun again to consider what is needed to furnish a home. Some creative fundraising ideas are in development. On Oct. 27, the Battah family attended Friday night services at Keneseth Israel. They were overwhelmed by the warm welcome they received. Rabbi Seth, Cantor Jeff and Karen Berta chose lovely and appropriate music and prayers. Rabbi Seth included Sue Yoder, pastor at The Barn, who read the V’ahavta in English. Rachel Cubelis sang a special song about coming to America. The committee was invited to the bimah for Aleinu and Kiddush. Abbas Khalaf, Sabeeha’s brother-in-law and an American citizen sponsoring the Battah family, was able to
share the journey that brought them all to the Lehigh Valley. He expressed his and his sisterin-law’s appreciation for all that KI and its partners in the
resettlement project are doing for them. Our committee of support for this wonderful family continues to grow and we
welcome volunteers. Contact me at elsbethhaymon@gmail. com or Maryann Snyder at najoda3@gmail.com to learn more.
Gaines family Continues on page 3 ways to build a connection with Israel,” said Jeri Zimmerman, assistant executive director of the Jewish Federation, who will oversee the program. “This young man or woman will be working with all our agencies and synagogues, will participate in community events and will really be a positive image of Israel in this community.” Additional funding will allow community agencies and synagogues to host their own Israeli-themed programs. “The impact that the Gaines family will have both here and in Israel cannot be overstated,” Zimmerman said. “They truly are leading by example, not just for their own children and grandchildren, but for our entire community.” The backbone of the Federation and, by extension, the agencies locally and overseas that it supports, remains the Annual Campaign, said Mark L. Goldstein, executive director of the Federation. But the Annual Campaign also makes it possible for the Federation to operate as a philanthropic partner for donors that have particular interests, he said. A partnership between the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley and the Yanoff-Master Charitable Fund helps the Ethiopian National Project provide scholarships to Ethiopian-Israeli medical and dental students in Israel. Other families choose to supplement their Federation annual campaign giving with direct support to the Neve Michael Children’s Home in Israel. And it is the partnership between Federation, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, the Wax Family Fund of the Lehigh Valley Jewish Foundation, Bonnie and Bobbie Hammel, the Jean B. Weiner Foundation and the B'nai B'rith Charities Foundation of Allentown, that funds PJ Library in the Lehigh Valley. “These kind of funding opportunities are critical to the growth of the Jewish community when taken in the context of overall funding,” Goldstein said. “It’s an additional funding stream that supplements the Annual Campaign and endowment giving and that helps expand the foundation of the Jewish world.”
The Gaines family will also sponsor a dollar for dollar match on new or increased gifts to the Federation this year. HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | DECEMBER 2017 3
JWRP participant reflects on experience as recruitment for new class begins By Sara-Jane Bub JWRP Participant Editor’s Note: A new JWRP experience will kick off with a trip to Israel next July (see ad below). Those interested are encouraged to apply now to Jeri Zimmerman at 610-821-5500 or jeri@jflv.org. Since returning from my trip to Israel with JWRP, many people in our community have approached me to ask: “So what’s the goal of JWRP? Why do they take hundreds of women to Israel each year?” The answer is one that I always love to give. The goal of JWRP is simply to inspire Jewish women. As our trip unfolded, it became clear to me that I wasn’t simply brought to Israel to tour the land and learn about its history; I realized that I was brought to this amazing country for the first time in the hopes that I would return home as a slightly better version of the woman I already was. JWRP set out on a mission to empower and inspire each one of us, while we learned about the land of Israel and became closer to our Judaism – in what-
ever way that meant to us as individuals. No specific agenda was pushed, just the goal of meeting each woman where she was in her life’s journey and helping her to become a slightly better version of herself. This goal was executed so beautifully in every word that was spoken during our lectures, every site we visited. Every aspect of our eight days in Israel was finelytuned to this simple agenda, and it was so powerful. Every day of our trip was like a gift beyond my imagination. I saw so much, learned so much, and bonded so closely with the women I was traveling with. During each of the JWRP lectures, I sat on the edge of my seat riveted by the thought-provoking messages delivered; I wanted to hear more about not only Jewish values, but about values and life lessons that anyone could relate to. Each class or tour imparted pearls of wisdom designed to help me become a better woman, a better wife, a better mother JWRP Continuing to page 28
A Women’s Journey to Israel Join women from all over the world for a revitalizing year of self-exploration, unforgettable experiences in Israel, and inspiring Jewish learning. Yourwomen year-longfrom journey JWRP beginsfor with Join all with overthe the world a revitalizing year of self-exploration, unforgettable experiences in Israel, and inspiring Jewish July 10 – 17, 2018learning.
8 Days in Israel
February 4-8, 2018 For more information, visit jfeds.org/HearttoHeart2018.
Your year-long journey with the JWRP begins with
Momentum Trips are free for participants excluding airfare. Additional costs for participants include $75 for tips, a $99 acceptance fee, and some meals. Participants pay a $500 deposit, which is fully refundable upon returning from the trip. This trip is designed for women with children at home under the age of 18. The Momentum Year-Long Journey continues with monthly gatherings and Jewish learning.
8 Days in Israel July 10 – 17, 2018
Working in partnership with:
Enjoy empowering Jewish classes led by world-class speakers and Israeli thoughtleaders Explore spiritual Tsfat, dynamic Tel Aviv, Masada’s desert magic, Shabbat in Jerusalem, and many more unique experiences Enjoy empowering Jewish classes led by Discover how to connect deeper with world-class speakers and Israeli thoughtyourself, your family, and your community leaders
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Ministry of Diaspora Affairs
r e a t i nAdditional g a comm o n for J e wparticipants ish future Momentum Trips are free for participants excludingCairfare. costs include $75 for tips, a $99 acceptance fee, and some meals. Participants pay a $500 deposit, which is fully refundable upon returning from the trip. This trip is designed for women with children at home under the age of 18. The Momentum Year-Long Journey continues with monthly gatherings and Jewish learning.
Handmade Afghans Working in partnership with:
Ministry of Diaspora Affairs
Creating a common Jewish future
SPONSORED BY THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY’S WOMEN’S DIVISION
welcoming new babies to the Lehigh Valley If you’re expecting, know someone who is, or have a new baby, PLEASE LET US KNOW! Contact Abby Trachtman, 610-821-5500 | abbyt@jflv.org 4 DECEMBER 2017 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
BY EVA LEVITT
All proceeds benefit projects in Israel: Food Banks in Israel Neve Michael Youth Village
For prices or to place an order, call Eva 610-398-1376. All payments are made payable to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley
For more information, please contact: Jeri Zimmerman jeri@jflv.org | 610-821-5500
THANK YOU
www.jwrp.org | #ItStartsWithWomen
to everyone who contributed stuffed animals for the recent Colorectal Team Overseas mission to Peru EVA LEVITT Patient Coordinator
JWRP group continues the journey in the Lehigh Valley
By Kira Bub and Debi Wiener JWRP Participants The 18 JWRP women are on a constant journey together of Jewish learning. Throughout the Israel trip, we were inspired to come together and search within ourselves to become better … better mothers, better wives, better daughters and more active community members. Since we returned home five months ago, together we are experiencing so much introspection about our heritage, our identity and our role in this Jewish community. The fall has been a busy time for this JWRP group in the Lehigh Valley. We collected much-needed supplies for Jewish Family Service. We participated in The Main Event for the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley’s 2018 Campaign – an inspiring evening with New York Times bestselling author Harlan Cohen. We were a group of 15 amongst almost 200 attendees at Congregation Keneseth Israel to learn about “Getting Comfortable with the Uncomfortable” and helping fill the room under the leadership of Event Co-Chairs Amy and Eric Fels and Campaign Co-Chairs Gary Fromer and Carol Bub Fromer. We met with the Wax Family Fellows to understand the importance of AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and are already creating a group to visit Washington DC in the spring. On a fun note, we are looking forward to celebrating Chanukah with a girls’ night out and representing JWRP at the LatkeVodka showdown! One of the highlights this month was a visit to the
Lehigh Valley Mikvah. Did you know that not only is this is the only mikvah in the greater Lehigh Valley, but also the only mikvah within a 60 mile radius? The rabbis teach us that if a community has limited funds, building a mikvah takes precedence over the building of a synagogue, purchasing a Torah scroll, a day school or any other mitzvah. We were privileged to see in person one of the oldest mikvahs in Israel at Masada. We also toured a beautiful mikvah in Tsfat during our Israel trip. Rebbetzin Rachel Wilensky addressed our group and gave us a personal tour of the mikvah. She emphasized the integral role a mikvah plays in a community and how our ancestors sacrificed their lives in
order to fulfill this mitzvah. She taught us about the importance of ritual and creating that special connection with your spouse. She spoke further about the importance of the role of a woman in a Jewish home and how influential we are in creating shalom bayit (peace of the home). Rachel reminded us once again why it starts with women. Anyone in the Jewish community can visit the mikvah. You can contact Rachel Wilensky (rachelwilensky@gmail.com) and she will be more than happy to assist you. As we approach the New Year and reflect on 2017, we are grateful to have had this experience. We look forward to 2018 where we can further define our role in the Jewish community.
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | DECEMBER 2017 5
What are your teens up to?
Dr. Howie Levin, Dr. Nicole Rosenthal and Dr. Barbara Katz discuss how to monitor teens’ behavior at a Maimonides Society brunch in October.
WHAT’S UP, DOC?
What social workers do By Stuart Horowitz, MSW, LCSW, ACSW, QCSW Special to HAKOL When I am asked what kind of work I do and I tell people that I am a social worker, I am no longer surprised to hear the questioner’s response. Most people do not realize the many hats social workers wear. Our training and education enables us in many different ways. In order to use the title of social worker, one must hold either a bachelor or master’s degree in social work. Most social workers also hold a license to practice. Social workers can be found in hospitals, clinics, private practices, insurance companies, colleges and universities, government agencies, nursing homes and a variety of settings. The common denominator is our mission: to seek to enhance the effective functioning and wellbeing of individuals, groups, families, organizations and communities through our work and advocacy. In other words, to promote healthy individuals and environments by working at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. This requires social workers to understand how the environment impacts the person and how the individual impacts the environment. Environ-
ment can be understood to be more than the natural environment, but the surroundings or conditions in which a person lives. We view the person holistically. The interaction between person and environment is very important to social work. It is with this context that we work to improve health. At the micro level, work is with individuals. The mezzo level references families and groups. The macro is work done with communities and government. To list all the work that social workers do to promote health would be quite exhaustive. A few examples may help clarify the various roles social workers play. Therapists treat people with mental illness and may assist physicians with mental health care needs of their patients. As educators, we help people understand and navigate different social systems, like health care and insurance. Social workers as case managers help clients find the resources they need in the community. It may include finding equipment for a person with disabilities or getting medication for a patient with diabetes. Social workers assist groups and families. They intervene to help families in conflict that may include
marital discord, dysfunction, domestic violence and child abuse. Group work can include providing support for people with chronic or terminal illness. At the macro level, social workers promote safe neighborhoods by advocating to change laws and policies on issues such as child welfare, aging, drugs and alcohol and human trafficking. The National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics requires us to stand up for those who are in need and those who are oppressed. We examine the social ills that face our neighborhoods, cities, states, country and the world by taking action. Social workers address the social ills and promote social justice. This includes anti-Semitism, racism, sexism and other forms of hatred and bigotry. We wear many hats and have one face, which is to promote health and well-being. We interface with person and environment to improve the human condition. Using our education and training we work to make the world a better place for all.
10 Israeli advances helping diabetics prevent and manage their illness By Abigail Klein Leichman ISRAEL21c Editor’s Note: November was National Diabetes Month in the U.S. and the Jewish Federation’s Maimonides Society will tackle the topic of diabetes care at its Jan. 7 brunch (see ad at left). While there is not yet a cure for diabetes, many Israeli researchers and companies offer improved approaches for avoiding, managing and treating the condition. Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas cannot make insulin – the hormone that regulates blood sugar — or when the body cannot make good use of the insulin it makes. As of 2015, approximately 415 million adults in the world have diabetes and that number is expected to rise to 642 million by 2040. At least 90 percent of cases are type 2 diabetes, characterized by insulin resistance and/or deficiency. In addition, more than 542,000 children in the world live with type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune condition where the body attacks its own insulin-making cells. Diabetes is the leading cause of heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, non-traumatic lower-limb amputations and new cases of blindness among adults. Those with diabetes have twice the normal risk of death; in 2014, diabetes was listed as the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. Here are some significant diabetes developments reported in Israel in recent years. 1. Oramed Pharmaceuticals Oramed Pharmaceuticals hopes to revolutionize the treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes through its proprietary oral insulin capsule developed through research at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Center. Currently, insulin must be 6 DECEMBER 2017 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
injected. The company has completed multiple Phase II clinical trials under an Investigational New Drug application with the US Food and Drug Administration. Oramed CEO Nadav Kidron participated in the 2017 Disruptive Growth Company Showcase NYC Conference in September in New York City. 2. DarioHealth Dario makes a personalized, pocket-sized, allin-one glucose meter coupled with a real-time mobile app to track, monitor and manage diabetes from a smartphone. Last month, this Caesarea-based digital health company received the CE Mark for its Lightningenabled Dario Blood Glucose Monitoring System, which will enable European consumers, beginning in the UK market, to use the metering device on the latest Apple devices, including the iPhone 8. The regulatory process is now starting in the U.S, Canada and Australia. The company’s new B2B2C platform, Dario Engage, helps healthcare providers in all aspects of user engagement for diabetic patients, including enrollment, coaching and ongoing communication. 3. Betalin Therapeutics Betalin is developing an implantable engineered micro-pancreas (EMP) using a natural microscaffold and all the cellular components present in a natural pancreas. These cells reconstruct the body’s internal insulin-producing capability in accordance with the blood-sugar levels. Type 1 and severe type 2 diabetes patients implanted with the micro-pancreas would no longer need to monitor their blood-sugar levels.
Diabetes Continuing to page 29
Harlan Cohen advises, entertains at Federation Main Event
Campaign co-chair Carol Bub Fromer, Cohen, Iris Epstein and event co-chair Amy Fels.
Harlan Cohen talks to Federation president Eva Levitt about her experience as a new immigrant in the U.S.
Two hundred people come to hear Cohen speak.
People, places and patience: those are the three things one needs, Harlan Cohen says, when transitioning to a new situation or stage of life. Cohen, the New York Times bestselling author of “The Naked Roommate” and one of the few male syndicated advice columnists, brought his TEDx talk to the Lehigh Valley at the Jewish Federation’s Main Event on Nov. 9. He spoke to the 200 people in attendance about how to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. He focused on situations that audience members had faced or were facing, like emigrating to a new country, entering college and having a baby. Before the main program, Cohen enjoyed a falafel dinner with 30 high schoolers and offered them advice on their forthcoming college experience. The dinner was sponsored by the Ray and Bonnie Singer Education Fund at Congregation Keneseth Israel, which hosted the event. Bennett Maserati of Allentown sponsored The Main Event, which supported the Federation’s 2018 Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs. The Federation also announced for the first time at the event that all new gifts and increases to the campaign will be matched dollar for dollar this year, thanks to the generosity of Lewis and Roberta Gaines.
Cohen speaks to high schoolers before The Main Event.
Cohen at the The Main Event, with his talk “Getting Comfortable with the Uncomfortable.”
Naomi Schachter and Tiffany Sherman enjoy post-event ice cream sundaes.
Love Never Grows Old…but Loved Ones Do At DevonHouse Senior Living, we understand that loved ones sometimes need more care than family members are able to provide. We offer the best hands-on personal care in the Lehigh Valley including: • 24 hour professional nursing services • A delicious and diversified menu that includes Jewish favorites • Free unlimited transportation • Stimulating and engaging arts and entertainment programs Call Heather Zimmerman today at 610-967-1100 for a tour. Visit our website for more information: devonhouseseniorliving.com
1930 Bevin Drive Allentown, Pa 18104 HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | DECEMBER 2017 7
IN HONOR
YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO
AIPAC IN THE VALLEY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2017 FEATURING MARK DUBOWITZ
CEO OF THE FOUNDATION FOR DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACIES
with Special Guest ANTON GUNN
FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA STATE REPRESENTATIVE AND FORMER ADVISOR TO PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
TEMPLE BETH EL
1305 SPRINGHOUSE ROAD, ALLENTOWN, PA
7:30 P.M. Program & Dessert Reception Free and open to the community FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BECOMING AN AIPAC CLUB MEMBER, PLEASE CONTACT MICHAEL YAFFE AT 215-687-4104 or MYAFFE@AIPAC.ORG
8 DECEMBER 2017 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
LAURA BLACK Happy "Special" Birthday David and Ann Packman BRUCE FELDMAN Marriage of his daughter, Lauren to John Kearney Andrea and Fred Fraenkel LISA AND BARNET FRAENKEL Marriage of their daughter, Lauren to John Kearney Sharon and Joseph Bernstein Andrea and Fred Fraenkel Suzanne Lapiduss and Family Evelyn and Jay Lipschutz Leon and Elaine Papir BETTE FRIENDENHEIM Bar Mitzvah of her grandson, Jack Roberta and Jeff Epstein Audrey and Arthur Sosis SARA GLASSMAN Happy "Special" Birthday Don and Lois Lipson Bob and Lota Post Audrey and Arthur Sosis MELVIN HOFFMAN Birth of his granddaughter, Margaret Ruth Shirley and Lou Furmansky RUTH MEISLIN Congratulations on her special honor from Jewish Family Service Peter and Melanie Senderowitz TAFFI NEY Happy "Special" Birthday Suzanne Lapiduss Speedy Recovery Arthur and Barbara Weinrach PENNY ROTH Happy Birthday Audrey and Jerome Cylinder LUANN AND RICHARD SILBERG Son Jordan Silberg’s residency program at Yale/New Haven Children’s Hospital Andrea and Fred Fraenkel SERITA SILBERG
Grandson Jordan Silberg’s residency program at Yale/New Haven Children’s Hospital Andrea and Fred Fraenkel AUDREY SOSIS Happy "Special" Birthday Don and Lois Lipson Bob and Lota Post EILEEN UFBERG Happy "Special" Birthday Roberta and Richard London SHIRLEY UHERCHIK Grandson Jordan Silberg’s residency program at Yale/New Haven Children’s Hospital Andrea and Fred Fraenkel REBECCA WILSON Mazel Tov on her Bat Mitzvah Abby Shurman IN MEMORY RICHARD DAVIMOS (Husband of Marilyn Davimos) Shaoli Rosenberg MARVIN GOLDSMITH (Husband of Arlene Goldsmith) Robby, Laurie, Ben, and Danny Wax HAMILTON HERTZ (Father of Jonathan Hertz) Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald Roberta and Robert Kritzer HARVEY KRAMER (Husband of Barbara Kramer) David and Ann Packman RUTH NULLMAN (Mother of Jeff Nullman) Robby, Laurie, Ben, and Danny Wax We gratefully acknowledge those individuals who have offered expressions of friendship through recent gifts to the Lehigh Valley Jewish Foundation. The minimum contribution for an Endowment Card is $10. Call 610-821-5500 or visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org to place your card requests. Thank you for your continued support.
In memory of Donald Burdick
Liberator and war hero Donald Burdick speaks at the Jewish Federation's Yom HaShoah program in 2010. By Shari Spark Holocaust Resource Center Coordinator Editor’s Note: Donald Burdick, a liberator and war hero who worked closely with the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley's Holocaust Resource Center to share his story and educate teens about the Holocaust, passed away in October at age 93. It’s difficult to know where to begin when describing the life of a master of Holocaust education. Donald Burdick, war hero and liberator, was such a giant. While he spoke often of his experiences in WWII and the Battle of the Bulge, Don did not come to grips with the events of the liberation of Dachau until 2010. A report in The Morning Call led to his becoming a frequent speaker to teens in the Lehigh Valley. Don’s message of “Don’t tell me the Holocaust didn’t happen. I was there.
There was a Holocaust” made a huge impact on hundreds of teens. The seven pictures Don took serve as tangible evidence of the Holocaust. The fact that he did not share his memories or his photos for 65 years does not diminish his story; if anything it made his story even more urgent, as if he needed to share it as often and to as many as possible. Told with humor, grace, horror and sadness, the retelling of his liberating Dachau on April 29, 1945, included his vivid and overwhelming memory of the smell of death, how he and his troop-mates were made to search train cars of corpses while looking for German troops, and the sight of blood and feces smeared on the walls of buildings where bodies were stacked like cordwood. But most moving was Don’s description of the regret he felt knowing that survivors had not truly been liberated:
What did the word "liberation" mean? Where would these victims go? Who would they find waiting for them? What kind of life could they return to? These thoughts haunted Don forever and moved him to tears at many of our presentations. By his words and the very fact that he chose to present his memories, he was making a profound difference. Students who heard Don’s stories will surely take his message of telling the truth about the Holocaust to heart, and have, themselves, been empowered to share the legacy of that terrible event. The rise of Holocaust denial spurred Don to tell his story. Now it is our turn to share the truth as Don remembered it so that present and future atrocities are recognized and hopefully prevented. Rest in peace, Don, and may your memory forever be a blessing.
HAPPY CHANUKAH! May your season of light be peaceful and prosperous.
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Local couple moves crowd with story of need in Venezuela
On Nov. 6, Valeska and Israel Zighelboim addressed the community about their own experiences growing up in Venezuela and provided an overview of the dire social and economic situation that the Jewish community there is now facing. Those interested in donating to help the Jewish community in Venezuela are encouraged to contact the Jewish Federation.
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | DECEMBER 2017 9
LIFE & LEGACY UPDATE LIFE & LEGACY is a four-year partnership program between the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation to secure legacy gifts and support the future of the Lehigh Valley Jewish community. Ten local organizations are participating: • • • • • • • • • •
Jewish Community Center of the Lehigh Valley Jewish Day School of the Lehigh Valley Jewish Family Service of the Lehigh Valley Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley Congregation Am Haskalah Congregation Brith Sholom Congregation Keneseth Israel Congregation Sons of Israel Temple Beth El Temple Covenant of Peace
LIFE & LEGACY DONORS AS OF NOVEMBER 16, 2017
As of Nov. 16, the partners have brought in:
129 COMMITMENTS from 75 DONORS With an estimated value of $2,216,300 72% of the way toward our COMMUNITY GOAL OF 180 We are
for Year 1, which ends April 30, 2018.
To learn more about ways that you can remember the Lehigh Valley Jewish community in your will, trust, retirement account or life insurance policy, contact any of the participating organizations.
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Rony Ackerman Rance Block Wendy Born Ross Born Dr. John and Ingelise Brown Patricia and Dr. Ian Carlis Lawrence Center Dr. Jessica Cooperman Edwin Davis Rabbi Melody Davis Risa Dorfman-Thomas David Eiskowitz Rabbi Mordechai Eskovitz Rena Fraade Renee D. Gittler Patricia and Gary Glascom Rhoda Glazier Leonard Glazier Eydie and Neil Glickstein Sandra Goldfarb Amy Golding Anita Goldman Mark L. Goldstein Allan B. Goodman
Arthur Hochhauser Dr. David and Susan Hyman Gwen Jacobs Rabbi Allen Juda Ken and Sue Kirshner Dr. Nelson and Andrea Kopyt Ferne Kushner Jennifer Lader Larry Levin Ina Levin Mary Jane Levine Eva and Dr. Larry Levitt Dr. Marc Levitt Dr. Jenni Levy Edward Levy Ursla S. Levy Pam Lott Jeannie Miller Linda Miller Mike Miller James Mueth Taffi Ney Audrey Alexander Nolte Dr. Michael Notis
Rabbi Seth Phillips Dr. Robert and Lota Post Patti Price Bruce Reich Carol Robins Robert Rockmaker Judith Rodwin Dr. Alex and Robin Rosenau Ivan Schonfeld Mark and Deena Scoblionko Joy Scott Adrian Shanker Rabbi Michael and Alexis Singer Ann K. Stehney Peggy A. Stettner Aimee Stewart Ron Ticho Arthur and Barbara Weinrach Rachel Zane Drs. Lawrence and Deborah Zohn Debbie Zoller Anonymous (5)
The courage to fight for freedom
RABBI MICHAEL SINGER Congregation Brith Sholom Like most Jews, I look forward to celebrating Hanukkah with latkes, sufganiot (donuts), the beautiful lights of the hanukkiah, and a good game of dreidel. As Adam Sandler put it, “Hanukkah is the festival of lights, instead of one day of presents we get eight crazy nights!” And yet, despite all of the celebrating and blatant commercialization there is something weighty and deep about the story of the holiday. At the core of the historical account, Jews who wished to become more Hellenized aligned themselves with the Seleucid king Antiochus Epiphanes IV who saw himself as the second coming of Alexander the Great. This
unholy alliance swept away the last remaining independent religious freedoms and tolerance of Jewish tradition and practice in the land of Israel. Instead, fellow Jews backed by the Greeks set about suppressing Judaism, oppressing their own people, and installing Greek idol worship and practices in their place. Anyone who was not loyal to their vision, and who refused to adopt pagan ways, was arrested and killed. Judaism was outlawed. This was a scary and dark time. It was in this atmosphere of fear of our fellow Jews, the government itself, and with the threat of Judaism’s extinction, that Mattathias and his sons took to the streets of Modi’in. They roused those loyal to our tradition and began a long and hard fought civil war to save the Jewish people. It was this courage to stand up for what was right, for freedom, and for our Jewish tradition despite the danger and sacrifice that is too often overlooked. It is not an understatement to say that the fate of our people, and our tradition hung in the balance. Victory was certainly not assured and the light of Torah was very nearly snuffed out. Sadly, there have been too many times in our history when these painful choices confronted our people. (Expulsions, Spanish Inquisition, Pogroms, the
Shoah, etc.) As a child, I remember hearing stories of Refuseniks who despite the Soviet Union’s prohibition of practicing any form of religion (especially Judaism) secretly lit hanukkiot even though if caught (sometimes by their neighbors), they could be thrown in jail or worse. It is my hope that as American Jews, we begin to pay greater attention to this unvarnished part of the Hanukkah story. Namely, that freedom is not free, and often it is not given willingly or without a fight. It takes dedication, persistence, and yes, sacrifice to preserve our freedoms and with it our rich tradition. There are always those who would wish to use their
power to marginalize, spread hatred, and seek to oppress others. We must rededicate ourselves to opposing not only anti-Semitism but, racism, Islamophobia, xenophobia, homophobia, and all forms of hatred and intolerance. We cannot, should not, allow this darkness to overtake us, our communities, our country, and our world. We must be particularly vigilant when we, and other religious communities, minorities, and those most vulnerable become the scapegoats, targets of discrimination, or focus of hateful attacks both verbal and physical. We know this all too well. As Elie Wiesel taught, “Wherever men and women are persecuted because of
their race, religion or political views, that place must — at that moment — become the center of the universe.” In the face of this, we as Jews can invite and share the powerful story of Hanukkah with others. Reminding ourselves in the process that we are the heirs of men and women of great moral courage who, moved by God’s spirit, have in every generation found the strength to stand up for freedom despite and in spite of the odds against them. With this in mind, may we each be rededicated and touched by the light of God, whose Word and strength have guided our ancestors and us to this day. Chag Orim Sameach! - A joyous Festival of Lights.
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HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | DECEMBER 2017 11
Partnership2Gether co-chair offers insight into Yoav-Lehigh Valley community building
give summer for the holidays! Cynthia Wroclawski meets with the Lehigh Valley Partnership2Gether committee on a trip to the U.S.
Summer Music Theatre Gift Certificates are available now! Disney’s
Beauty & the Beast By Michelle Cohen HAKOL Editor Cynthia Wroclawski, who lives in Kibbutz Revadim in Yoav, has been the chairperson of the steering committee for Partnership2Gether on the Israeli side since 2012. This partnership ties the Lehigh Valley to the Yoav region in Israel as a sister region. The system is based on mutual governance; there is a steering committee in both Yoav and the Lehigh Valley to implement programs and oversee activities. An allocation from the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley helps the programs run; the allocation “shows Israel is important to who we are,” Wroclawski said. The program is designed to build community through people-to-people programs, such as sending teenage ambassadors from Israel to work at Camp JCC during the summer and connecting families with children in elementary school through “The Same Moon” and a school twinning program. This style of programs allows people in both communities to “engage and get to know people on a personal level,” Wroclawski said. Current program development focuses on new and creative uses of technology, including a platform where teachers can share ideas and implement them together. Many programs are designed to strengthen Jewish identity, as many people in Yoav are secular, and express their Judaism as a value system and culture rather than through belief and prayer. “We are part of the Jewish people, we are one, and we are mutually responsible for one another,” Wroclawski said, including more serious matters. Two years ago, when rockets from Gaza were hitting Yoav, some members of the Lehigh Valley delegation went down to a bomb shelter with their Israeli counterparts after the sirens rang. Members of both committees stay in contact throughout the year to offer support. “What matters to you matters to us, and vice versa,” Wroclawski said, noting that when
JCCs received bomb threat phone calls earlier this year, the committee from Yoav expressed support. Wroclawski herself has lived in both Israel and the United States. Born in the U.S., she identified as a Zionist and went to Young Judaea summer camp before making Aliyah and marrying an Israeli. Over time, she found that living in Israel, it was easier to take for granted that you are part of the world’s Jewish community. Living in a Jewish country and speaking Hebrew every day, Wroclawski found that she didn’t “have to work hard to be Jewish,” and when she found out about the partnership, she saw an opportunity to strengthen her connection to Jews overseas. Due to her background in the U.S., Wroclawski was able to explain to Israeli Jews what it’s like to be a Jew in America, including issues of assimilation, to convey the importance of maintaining a relationship between Israel and Diaspora communities. This is especially important, she explained, because Israel is at the center of Diaspora Jewry, and a great deal of criticism of Israel comes from a lack of understanding. “You can’t understand unless you know someone who’s living it,” she said, which makes the partnership all the more important. She decided to take on the position in 2012 as “my contribution” to the community, and because it strengthened her value system and helped her take responsibility for her values. Wroclawski leads the committee meetings that occur in Israel once a month. At these meetings, committee members discuss community building in both Yoav and the Lehigh Valley, build an agenda for the upcoming month, review materials and brainstorm ideas for programming. “Until you meet someone and have a relationship, these ideas are very abstract,” Wroclawski said, adding that over the years, many relationships between the communities have flourished. She encourages people to reach out and create relationships that benefit both communities.
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IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT PARTNERSHIP2GETHER, please reach out to Aaron Gorodzinsky at aaron@jflv.org or 610-821-5500 ext. 337.
DO YOU HAVE ISRAEL TRAVEL PLANS?
Our sister community in Yoav offers home hospitality for guests. Contact Aaron for more information. HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | DECEMBER 2017 13
Teams to compete to make the best latke
Robyn Finberg
Lauren Rabin
Five teams will face off in front of a sold-out crowd on Dec. 14 to see whose latke reigns supreme. The teams will also make their own vodka cocktails and will present their offerings to three judges and 100 audience taste-testers. Their creations will be judged on taste, presentation, originality and pairing. The Latke-Vodka Hanukkah Cook-Off is presented by the JCC’s Adults at the J and the Jewish Federation’s Young Adult Division and sponsored by Whole Foods Market and 100.7 WLEV. “Potatoes are such a blank canvas and leave a lot of room for creativity,” said Amy Sams, adult programs coordinator at the J. “We can’t wait to see what the teams come up with.” This event is sold out, but to be placed on the waiting list, stop by the JCC Welcome Desk, call 610-4353571 or visit www.lvjcc.org.
Terrence Baker
MEET THE TEAMS TEAM: 50 SHADES OF LATKE Captain: Robyn Finberg
Robyn learned the basics of Jewish cooking at an early age. She is known to push the limits in cooking and feed many hungry people at her dinner parties. Everything she makes is a work of art. She is thankful to her teammates, Jessica Volchko, Nick Volchko, Brian Ford and Adam Smartschan for teaching her some important life lessons: 5-inch heels and good vodka can conquer the world, spice and the perfect boots are all you need, and you can always make something no matter what is in the pantry.
TEAM: A BAD MOMS HANUKKAH Captain: Lauren Rabin
Lauren leads her team with a spatula in one hand and a potato grater in the other. She is always looking for ways to spice up her latke recipes. She is thankful for this opportunity to bring her sassy cooking style to the Lehigh Valley. With her teammates Beth Kushnick,
Rachel Levin
Chelsea Busch
Ilene Ringold, Debi Wiener and Kira Bub by her side, these bad moms are ready to tempt your taste buds with a latke and vodka duo you won't forget. Join them for an unforgettable evening of friends, fun and a little fire!
TEAM: JBA (JEWS BY ASSOCIATION) Captain: Terrence Baker
Terrence was born in Youngstown, Ohio, where from a very young age, he suffered as a Browns fan. To work out his frustrations, Terrence's mom showed him how to transform simple potatoes into french fries and other delicacies. Following a culinary trip around the world, and several years of free Jewish food at the JCC, Terrence stumbled upon the perfect latke recipe. Terrence and his "Jews by association" teammates, Sara Ritter, Holly Hebron, Stephanie Bennett and Rebecca Wagner, are up to the challenge of putting their own spin on this time-honored tradition.
TEAM: L’SHANA VODKA Captain: Rachel Levin
Rachel received her degree in latkes from Bubbie University and graduated
with a double cheek pinch and a kiss on the forehead, the highest honor you can receive at Bubbie's. Following several years as a latke cook in top kitchens of Albright and NYC, Rachel can’t wait to share her talent with the world and with her team, Abby Feinberg, Adrian Shanker, Mike Smith and Cori Rubel.
TEAM: THE COUCH POTATOES Captain: Chelsea Busch
Chelsea first started cooking in high school after she was inspired by the hours she spent watching the Food Network after school. She likes to choose a recipe for inspiration, look at it, and throw in a little of this and a little of that to make it her own. Chelsea particularly likes sharing recipes among her brothers and finding and creating new twists on old classics, sometimes making them a little healthier, sometimes making them a little yummier. Every holiday is an opportunity to try a new recipe, but Chelsea knows it's always good to have a few tried and true recipes in her back pocket, especially for classics like the latke. She is excited to collaborate with her teammates Dan Friedman, Daniela Viale, Maureen Falcone and Katie Flatley.
Dr. Jeffrey Jahre Has Spent His Career on the Leading Edge Jeffrey Jahre, MD, decided to become a doctor when he was in high school in Brooklyn. The primary catalyst for this choice was his parents. “My father had to leave school when he was 12 and he always regretted that he was unable to have an education, and my mother became a teacher later in life,” says Dr. Jahre, St. Luke’s University Health Network’s (SLUHN’s) Senior Vice President of Medical and Academic Affairs and Emeritus Section Chief of Infectious Disease. “Both encouraged me to get as much education as I could.” Not only did Dr. Jahre honor his parent’s wishes, he did so at an accelerated pace, graduating from both high school and college in less than four years apiece. His hunger for learning and the extreme value he places on education has persisted ever since. Now, as he approaches 50 years as a doctor, Dr. Jahre reflects on a career during which he treated emerging diseases such as HIV, Ebola virus, Zika virus, Lyme disease and others. To enhance healthcare in our community, Dr. Jahre established the region’s first travel immunization clinic where people traveling out of the country can receive vaccines and guidance. He’s also been instrumental in growing the St. Luke’s infectious disease team to what will soon be six doctors, each with an area of expertise.
www.sluhn.org • 1-866-STLUKES
14 DECEMBER 2017 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
In addition, Dr. Jahre is helping to educate the next generation of medical professionals. St. Luke’s trains residents in 22 postgraduate areas as well as being a clinical campus for the Temple/St. Luke’s Medical School, with plans to expand its scope of offerings. Dr. Jahre says that being a part of SLUHN’s tremendous growth as a care provider and a teaching hospital has been the most rewarding aspect of his career. “St. Luke’s has gone from what was a good, solitary community hospital to a leading regional and national institution,” he says. “We are a network of seven hospitals that may soon be 10, in two states with a national reputation as a four-star hospital and a five-time winner of the Truven Award. And still, our top jobs remain what they’ve always been — providing outstanding patient care and education.”
Jeffrey Jahre, MD Dr. Jahre is St. Luke’s University Health Network’s Senior Vice President of Medical and Academic Affairs and Emeritus Section Chief of Infectious Disease. Following his graduation from Chicago Medical School, University of Health Sciences, he completed an internship and residency at Saint Vincent’s Hospital and Medical Center of N.Y.C. and a fellowship at the New York Columbia-Presbyterian University Medical Center. To contact St. Luke’s Infectious Disease Group or to make an appointment, call 484-526-6200. To contact the Travel Clinic or to make an appointment, call 484-526-6451.
Jeffrey Jahre, MD
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | DECEMBER 2017 15
Jewish community celebrates older adults at 8ish Over 80 By Michelle Cohen HAKOL Editor On Nov. 5, the Jewish community of the Lehigh Valley gathered to celebrate the lives and accomplishments of 13 remarkable people over the age of 80 who have donated their time, talents and hearts to enriching our community. Jewish Family Service of the Lehigh Valley hosted an elegant champagne brunch in their honor at Temple Beth El. The proceeds from the brunch will benefit JFS’ older adult services, including a transportation program, Shabbat and holiday events at residential settings and quarterly goody bags. Each of the honorees is a community volunteer chosen by a synagogue or Jewish agency in the Lehigh Valley. As part of the process, the organizations were instructed to choose individuals with dedication of time, talent and mensch-like qualities in the Lehigh Valley. The 13 honorees have volunteered extensively across the Lehigh Valley, each lending his or her time and dedication to the community. The event, which began with time to schmooze and partake in a buffet-style brunch, was designed to honor these 13 individuals and shower them with love and appreciation just as they have devoted so much time and effort to our community. The event also featured a brief presentation from JFS featuring the agency’s work in the community as well as a video featuring all of the honorees in their own words. Upon departing, each honoree received a certificate from JFS, proclamations from elected officials and a “Mazel Tov Jar” filled with kind and supportive messages from event attendees. As a whole, the event was intended not only to celebrate the efforts of these remarkable people, but also to inspire the whole community to improve the lives of older adults in the Lehigh Valley.
Above, the 13 honorees. Left to right (bottom row) Marshall Silverstein, Arnan Finkelstein, Marlene Finkelstein, Bernie Filler, Arthur Weinrach, Renee Gittler and Selma Roth. (top row) Lillian Goldner, Gwen Jacobs, Selma Jacowitz, Carole Rose, Ruth Sachs Meislin and Gladys Morgenstein.
Photos courtesy of Edwin Davis
Above, honoree Bernie Filler with his grandchildren before the beginning of the event. Right, honoree Renee Gittler with her grandson during the program.
Above the Silverstein family gathers to honor Marshall, one of the 13 honorees. Below, honorees Marlene and Arnan Finkelstein celebrate with their family.
Above, event attendees by the coffee station. Left, friends meet and enjoy coffee and cookies.
Above, Carole Rose spends time with family, friends and volunteer partners. Right, Federation executive director Mark L. Goldstein greets honoree Marshall Silverstein. 16 DECEMBER 2017 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
Bunny Filler, wife of honoree Bernie Filler, greets relatives and friends.
Honoree Gwen Jacobs' family gathers to spend the day with her.
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The room was packed with well-wishers from all around the community.
Above left, co-chairs Carah Tenzer and Audrey Nolte share a hug before the big day begins. Above right, honoree Ruth Sachs Meislin receives a standing ovation. JFS President Rabbi Allen Juda and Executive Director Debbie Zoller share in the day's joy.
Honoree Carole Rose greeting JCC Acting Managing Director Sandy Newman. Above, honoree Lillian Goldner enjoying the event. Right, honoree Gladys Morgenstein receives applause.
Above, Gwen Jacobs with her friends. Right, the event committee prepares to welcome guests. HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | DECEMBER 2017 17
18 DECEMBER 2017 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
BUILDING COMMUNITY
CHILD CARE
FRIENDS of the
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | DECEMBER 2017 19
20 DECEMBER 2017 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
Why 30,000 Orthodox women belong to this recipe-sharing Facebook group By Yvette Alt Miller Jewish Telegraphic Agency
anymore. “It was born out of necessity,” she said of her cooking, “and soon it became love.” Their family, Wolbe explains, moved to the United States from the Ukraine, where their grandmother was known for her cooking prowess, which she passed on. “I come from a long line of amazing cooks,” she said. “I grew up in the kitchen.” Fast forward to 2015, when Wolbe — a full-time foodie by then, with a popular kosher food blog, “Cooking with Tantrums,” as well as an online cooking show at Kosher.com — was shocked to discover the page had 16,000 members. That year, Wolbe became administrator of “I Don’t Cook But I Give Out Recipes.” She switched it to a closed group — vetting new members to make sure they actually exist — keeping it focused on kosher food and insisting on a high level of courtesy from users. “Esty does a fabulous job of setting and keeping the tone friendly, fun and helpful,” said member Vichna Belsky, 35, of New York.“Plus, it’s fun to sometimes bump into a random person someplace and discover you’re both in this group”. While the focus is on Jewish cooking, it’s emphasis is the unique needs of religiously observant Jews. “Fake shrimp ideas needed!” read one recent post (shellfish is a kosher no-no). Another declared: “Hosting a bunch of teenagers next Shabbos lunch. Need ideas for a menu that will go down well with them.” However, given that Jewish cooking — along with home cooking, in general — has become decidedly more
JENNA GRUNFELD
Getting dinner on the table is a challenge for any busy, modern family. With larger-than-average family sizes and religiously mandated dietary restrictions, however, mealtimes can be even more complex at Orthodox Jewish homes. There’s a limited number of kosher restaurants in any given area, and home-cooked Shabbat meals are often considered the highlight of the week. Take the financial burden of kosher dining with large families, combine that with the demand for weekly delicious meals for a crowd, and the pressures of feeding an observant family can become rather intense. But what if there was a way to trade time- and family-tested meals with a likeminded bunch of people? That’s where the Facebook page “I Don’t Cook But I Give Out Recipes” comes in. Born in 2007, it’s the brainchild of two Brooklyn sisters — Goldie Adler Nathan, 35, and Esty Adler Wolbe, 30 — who created a forum to allow kosher cooks from across the globe to trade recipes, swapping information about everything from chicken soup and cholent to Italian desserts and kung pao tofu. “I Don’t Cook But I Give Out Recipes,” however, quickly became more than just a recipe swap site. It has evolved into a full-fledged community of mostly Orthodox women who discuss everything from health issues to the division of labor in families. Today, its 30,000 members swap tips on marriage, child rearing, holidays and, of course, cooking. “It’s a support group,”
said Wolbe, a mother of four, of the page’s success. “Friday afternoon, when you’re busy cooking [for Shabbat], you know you’re not alone.” Kosher cooks, she points out, face burdens above and beyond most home cooks, including meeting dietary restrictions and the high cost of kosher meat. “We’re overcooking, not just on Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Wolbe said. “We overcook once a week on average.” The size and the commitment of the page’s members is particularly impressive considering that the site began as something as a joke: As a 19-year-old newlywed who lived in a cramped basement apartment, Wolbe “hated her kitchen,” per Nathan’s description. Instead of cooking for herself and her husband, Yitzy, a loan officer at a car dealership, the couple would go out to eat or visit relatives for meals. So Nathan created “I Don’t Cook but I Give Out Recipes” to tease Wolbe, who loved dishing out recipes and advice despite never actually using her kitchen. “My mother is always saying ‘how can you make fun of your sister like that?’” Nathan said with a chuckle. At first, the page was simply a forum for family and friends to share recipes or post a photo of a particularly picture-perfect meal. Soon, though, word spread among members’ extended networks, and more people began using the page to post recipes and talk about food on a regular basis. As it happens, Wolbe was just beginning a cooking odyssey of her own. When she had her first baby in 2007, eating out wasn’t so easy
Sisters Goldie Adler Nathan, left, and Esty Adler Wolbe are the founders of the “I Don’t Cook But I Give Out Recipes” Facebook page. gourmet in recent years, not all of the group’s members enjoy putting meals on the table. “The foodie world has exploded,” said Wolbe, pointing to the proliferation of cooking shows, magazines and blogs, hers included. “Everyone has the ability to be a top chef.” For some Orthodox Jewish women, who typically entertain on a weekly basis, it can be stressful to keep up. “Just wanna say, no other group has made me feel quite this inadequate,” read one recent “I Don’t Cook But I Give Out Recipes” post. “It makes me want to cry,” declared another. “I look at all these masterpieces and feel like a complete failure.” However, these and similar posts garner hundreds of responses — with some users sharing tips (such as “start simple” or choose just one or two standout dishes) and others providing reassurance that not everyone was busy producing restaurant-quality meals. “I remember one post by a mother saying ‘I just had a baby and I don’t know
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how people do it, I’m so exhausted,'” Wolbe said. “And within a few minutes, she had three weeks worth of meals. These [the people who responded] were total strangers.” Over the years, users have asked for help finding kosher accommodations while traveling or posted pictures from the supermarket inquiring about unfamiliar kosher symbols on packaged foods. Some have also tried to find jobs for members. One common post on “I Don’t Cook But I Give Out Recipes”: “Taking challah in an hour, please send names.” That’s a reference to the mitzvah, or commandment, of separating a piece of dough as one makes challah, in remembrance of the portion of dough that used to be given to the Temple priests in Jerusalem during ancient times. It’s a key mitzvah among observant Jewish women. Many women pray for others before “taking challah,” and the requests for names can generate up to a hundred requests for prayers. The requests from page members include those for recovery from illness, for children and fertility, for young women to speedily find a marriage match. “It can take 20 minutes or more” to recite all the names, Wolbe said, “which is a long time when you’re trying to make dinner for your kids.” Yet week after week, members continue to ask their fellow kosher cooks around the world for the names of loved ones for whom to pray. It’s that community-minded spirit that keeps “I Don’t Cook But I Give Out Recipes” alive. “It’s like being friends with a huge bunch of really savvy, smart and experienced cooks who are available 24/6 to help you,” said member Nechama Samuels, 42, who lives in Israel. “In return, we try to chip in and do our part to help others.” She adds: “All in all it’s a wonderful resource and even — dare I say it? — family.”
The 5 weirdest kosher foods you'll be eating in 2018 By Josefin Dolsten Jewish Telegraphic Agency "Caution: Meat and dairy sampling on show floor," read a sign at the entrance to Meadowlands Exposition Center. That may seem like an unusual warning outside a convention center, but to the crowd attending the food expo there, it made sense: Kosherfest is the world's largest kosher food trade show, where the vast majority of those attending follow the Jewish prohibition against mixing meat and dairy. More than 4,000 food industry professionals gathered for the annual two-day event, which featured more than 325 vendors showcasing an array of products, from candy to wine. Naturally, there were lots of samples. Reporting can be a tough job, but somebody had to taste everything. Amid the offerings of many obvious treats (lox varieties and bagel flavors, for example), there were some surprises. These are the five most unexpected foods and beverages JTA sampled at this year's Kosherfest. PATTERNED MATZAH Matzohgram, which was crowned by Kosherfest the best Kosher for Passover product, is matzah printed with Jewishthemed patterns, such as Stars of David and Passover greetings. The manufacturer, Independent Ink, uses colorful, edible ink that is kosher for Passover.
Customers placing large orders can also customize matzahs with any image they desire. “It gives you the ability to be creative for your seder plate," said NK Ranganathan, Independent Ink's chief operating officer. "You can have a variety of designs, and it becomes very interesting for the kids.” Customers can buy Matzohgram online: It's $10 for a box of mini-matzahs and $16 for the regular size. OXYGEN-INFUSED WATER If Oxigen's claims about its water — that it improves both postworkout and or post-hangover recovery time and mental clarity — are true, then Gatorade may have some serious competition. A bottle of the oxygeninfused beverage contains 1,000 parts per million of stabilized oxygen, compared to 5 to 40 parts per million in regular water, according to its manufacturer. Those in need of even more O's can take an Oxigen shot, which contains 5,000 parts per million. “When you drink the water, the oxygen gets into your bloodstream and goes to work immediately to aid in focus, recovery, endurance and stamina," Max Lewis, director of sales for Formula Four Beverages, told JTA. The oxygen is not in gas form, meaning it won't escape the bottle when it's opened, Lewis added. Oxigen bottles retail at stores nationwide for $1.69 to $1.99,
while the shots sell for $2.79 to $2.99. SALTED CARAMEL FROZEN PIZZA It's a pizza, it's a frozen dessert — it's a Frizza! The Salted Caramel Frizza from Elegant Desserts won the trade show's award for best dessert. The dairy-free treat consists of a cookie bottom, salted caramel ice cream and caramel sauce. “Everybody, when they come over, they go crazy about it because it’s entertaining, it’s fun, it’s different," said Benjamin Weisz, president of Elegant Desserts based in Brooklyn. At Kosherfest, the frizzas were cut into bite-sized squares, but they are meant to be served by the slice, like a pizza. Each pie contains eight to 16 servings, depending on how it's sliced. Elegant Desserts, which sells frizzas online for $36.50 each,
also sells the pies in flavors such as cookies and cream and strawberry. READY-MADE SHAKSHUKA Craving shakshuka but short on time? This sauce is perfect for any busy person who loves this Israeli breakfast food, which consists of eggs cooked with spices in tomato sauce. To make this version of the hearty dish, one only needs to open a jar, crack a few eggs and cook the delicious mess on the stovetop or in the oven. "It makes it very quick," said Tami Bezborodko, vice president of marketing for Iron Chef. "In seven minutes you can have a nice, hot breakfast." The sauce contains tomatoes and spices and comes in mild and medium spicy varieties. A 24-ounce jar retails in stores
nationwide for around $4.50. RABBI-APPROVED BBQ SAUCE Want a barbecue with a rabbinic seal of approval? Look no further. Rabbi Mendel Segal, who founded the Kansas City Kosher BBQ Festival, now offers three varieties of his RaBBi-Q sauce. Since launching in 2015, Segal has expanded his line of sauces to include flavors that draw on both his Jewish and Southern roots — the pomegranate honey barbecue sauce, which Segal came up with when making brisket for Rosh Hashanah, is a favorite. “It sells really well in the non-Jewish market, too, because nobody has a barbecue sauce that flavor yet," he told JTA. "But Jews catch onto it right away." An 18-ounce jar of sauce retails at select kosher markets nationwide for $4.99.
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Press says he created Aleph Male to tame men’s beards and promote a positive way to think about masculinity. beards” since its founding in July. “I’ve seen how it truly On a recent Friday, Eitan makes men’s beards look maPress stood in Jerusalem’s jestic and smell great,” Press, Mahane Yehuda Market ofwho sports an impressive red fering to apply balm to the beard, told JTA in a phone beards of passers-by. interview. “It takes a frizzy, Press was hoping they scraggly beard and makes would get hooked on his it look like a smooth, handproduct, an ointment that some, kingly beard.” comes in a variety of JewishAleph Male beard balms themed scents, including are made in Jerusalem using a the popular Sukkot (myrtle, base of coconut oil, beeswax, lemon, lemongrass and mint) shea butter and Vitamin E oil. and Havdalah (clove and cinPress tries to source as many namon). of the ingredients as possible The founder of the Aleph from Israel. Two-ounce tins of Male beard balm company, the ointment, which comes in Press estimates that he has five varieties (including one “anointed hundreds of unscented), cost $20 and can Gift Card 4x4 Hakol_2016_GC 11/7/2016 11:56 AM Page 1 By Josefin Dolsten Jewish Telegraphic Agency
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be shipped in Israel or to the United States. His core audience is “young Jewish Hasidic hipsters,” Press said, but he wants to make the product appealing to “anybody who has a beard.” “What I’m hoping to see in terms of this, in terms of the future, is a really strong Jewish lifestyle brand that’s helping Jewish men and men in general engage in self-care, rethink their masculinity to more overtly positive values in terms of how they relate to women and how they relate to other men,” the Jerusalem resident said. Even the name — Aleph Male is a play on the “alpha male” trope using the Hebrew letter aleph — is about an alternative way of expressing masculinity. “There’s sort of a narrative around not all beard balms, but a lot of the beard balms, of crude masculinity, or the term that is popular today is ‘toxic’ masculinity,” said Press, 40. “To me, the Aleph Male is really about changing the conversation using beard balm.” Many beard balms are marketed with old-time images of men as Vikings, lumberjacks, prospectors and outlaws. Press, who grew up in Demarest, New Jersey, and moved to Israel in 2008, says he never related to the “alpha male” cultural ideal. “Often the alpha male is associated with dominating women, dominating men. The alpha male is on top of
the pyramid and everyone is below, and really to me the Aleph Male is a man who lifts other people up,” he said. In the wake of sexual harassment allegations against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein earlier this month, as women were sharing stories of sexual assault and harassment under the hashtag #MeToo, Press shared a photo from the Aleph Male Facebook page with the caption “The Aleph Male respects and honors the feminine.” “This is an example of toxic masculinity, and as a man what can I do to respond to that?” Press remembers thinking. “Part of it is educating men about a higher vision of what masculinity is about.” Press came up with the idea of making a beard balm after a trip last year to Uman, Ukraine, where tens of thousands of Jews make a Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage to visit the grave of Rabbi Nachman, the founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement. “I was in Uman and saw in the synagogue next to [the grave of] Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, there was a guy praying there, and he had this huge red beard, and I was like ‘that guy is inside of me but I’m afraid to be that guy.’ And then I just decided I was going to grow my beard,” recalled Press, whose full-time job is running a digital marketing agency. Concerned about mak-
ing sure he still maintained a professional image at work, Press experimented with making a beard balm at home. The result was a hit among friends and a year later he started selling it. Since then he has sold some 200 cans, split evenly between customers in Israel and the United States. He also recently started selling the balm in a Tel Aviv barbershop. People aren’t just using Aleph Male for beards. Haredi Orthodox men are using the balm to style their sidelocks, and a woman recently told him she was using it on her split ends. Press also sells T-shirts with the Aleph Male logo, and is hoping to expand to beard oil, brushes and grooming products. Besides making beards soft and pleasant-smelling, and providing a new vision for masculinity, Press hopes his beard balm can help show a different side to Judaism. “A lot of people associate Judaism with this boring religion, whereas Judaism is actually a very sensual religion,” he said. “And when I say sensual, I mean being connected to our senses — in terms of tastes, and food, and smell and sounds, the sounds of shofar, the smell of the etrog, the smell of the Havdalah spices.” “We’re a very physical religion, and so part of what the Aleph Male scents are about is also educating and highlighting these aspects of Jewish culture.”
Old World Folk Band lifts hearts at Brith Sholom
Susan Leviton of the Old World Folk Band alternately mesmerized and uplifted listeners (onto the dance floor) at Congregation Brith Sholom on Oct. 29.
By Jennifer Lader Congregation Brith Sholom “Whoever treasures freedom must learn to fly.” In Yiddish with a little English thrown in, the Old World Folk Band alternately mesmerized and uplifted listeners (onto the dance floor) at Congregation Brith Sholom on Oct. 29. The audience of some 100 readily joined in the singing, from “pre-language” nigguns to
“Those Were the Days.” Ever bittersweet, the klezmer tunes reached hearts more than ever in the same weekend when rabbis across the nation stood up to speak of shocking new instances of antiSemitism, as close to home as Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The band’s lead singer Susan Leviton grew up with Dr. Jay Fisher of Brith Sholom, whose wife, Fran, was among those working hard to plan an event complete with new
twists on favorite Jewish comfort foods. Now based in Harrisburg, the Old World Folk Band performs extensively in the mid-Atlantic Region. While the food comforted the belly, the music comforted the soul. At one point, the band performed a song by Debbie Friedman: “L'chi lach, on your journey I will bless you / And (you shall be a blessing) l'chi lach.” More at 610-866-8009 or www.brithsholom.net.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg wins ‘Jewish Nobel’ foundation’s prize for lifetime achievement Jewish Telegraphic Agency The Genesis Prize Foundation awarded U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg its first lifetime achievement award. The foundation, which sponsors the annual $1 million Genesis Prize known as the “Jewish Nobel,” in its announcement on Nov. 15, praised Ginsburg’s “groundbreaking legal work in the field of civil liberties and women’s rights.” The five recipients of the Genesis Prize selected Ginsburg, 83, for the honor. In addition to this year’s winner, actress Natalie Portman, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, actor Michael Douglas, violinist Itzhak Perlman and sculptor Anish Kapoor weighed in. “We honor Justice Ginsburg as an outstanding daugh-
ter of the Jewish people who made an enduring contribution to human civilization, who is an example of talent and achievement and who is committed to bettering the world,” the five said in a joint statement. “She is a source of inspiration not just for Jews but for people of all faiths and ethnicities around the world.” In 1993, Ginsburg became the second female justice on the Supreme Court. She is one of three Jewish justices currently serving on the high court and the longest-serving Jewish justice. Ginsburg has often spoken about how her Jewish heritage has inspired her love and learning and concern for oppressed minorities. “The Jewish religion is an ethical religion. That is, we are taught to do right, to love mercy, do justice, not because there’s gonna be any reward
in heaven or punishment in hell,” she said during a surprise Rosh Hashanah appearance at a Washington, D.C., synagogue in September. “We live righteously because that’s how people should live and not anticipating any award in the hereafter.” The former president of Israel’s Supreme Court, Aharon Barak, is slated to present the award to Ginsburg at a July ceremony in Tel Aviv. “Ginsburg is an enormously distinguished judge, a trailblazing advocate for women’s equality, and a person who embodies, through her immense fortitude and moral steadfastness, the Jewish imperative to pursue justice,” Barak said in a statement. “Justice Ginsburg has done so much to pave the way for generations of women and all those seeking to participate as equals in society.” HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | DECEMBER 2017 25
from the South Jersey Region. All in all, the teens enjoyed a great night full of live music, fun and friends.
Allentown BBG Strikes Back By Fana Schoen BBG
The winning Allentown AZA chapter members from the tournies convention Nov. 3-5.
AZA attends Tournies Convention and Fall Fest By Jacob Sussman AZA On Nov. 3-5, Allentown AZA (boys) and BBG (girls) headed to the Harrisburg JCC for the annual tournies convention. Tournies convention is a convention in Liberty Region that is held every year. At this convention, BBYO chapters all throughout Liberty Region come together to compete in many different activities. These
activities include sports such as basketball, volleyball and water polo and many different activities like oratory, panel, table tennis, checkers, chess, singing, dancing and much more. Fortunately, after a hardfought weekend, Allentown BBYO (boys and girls) won tournies! Allentown reclaimed the first place trophy after our eight-year streak was broken last year, as we got second. Everyone played their hearts out and showed their Allentown pride as we came together to beat many other chapters. This year we stayed strong and showed Allentown’s fighting spirit to reach the main goal of victory. Many of the members at the convention could agree that this
was one of the best conventions they have ever been to. After this amazing weekend, Liberty Region had an event called Fall Fest. Fall Fest was a Liberty Region event on Saturday, Nov. 18, with a neighboring region known as SJR (Southern Jersey Region). This event was held in Philadelphia at the University of Arts on Broad Street. On this night, there was a live concert featuring DJ Drewski and Spose. They performed their best songs and made the night very enjoyable for everyone in attendance. Many Allentown AZA/BBG members attended and all of them had a great time listening to the music and hanging out with their regional friends. People also got to meet new people
From Nov. 3-5, Allentown B’nai B’rith Girls (BBG), alongside our brother chapter, Allentown Aleph Zadik Aleph (AZA), took on Tournaments (Tournies) Convention. The convention is a competition among all of the chapters in Liberty Region #13. BBGs and Alephs competed in competitions ranging from singing to basketball, giant jenga to water polo, oratory to dancing, and everything in between. The competition is friendly and exciting, but it is very important to the Allentown chapters. Last year’s Tournies victory would have been the eighth consecutive win for the Allentown chapters, but unfortunately, we lost our long-standing winning streak. This year, however, Allentown was out to avenge our loss of last year. We won first place, with the Harrisburg chapters in a close second: our streak revived. More important, however, than winning, to many members of the region, both in
and outside of the Allentown chapters, is the ability to make close friends and participate in friendly competition alongside like-minded people. BBGs and Alephs competing in a cake decorating contest have the opportunity to talk to and become friends with members of other chapters doing the same. Pandora Schoen (9th grade) had fun competing in oratory, panel discussion, chess and other competitions. She said that, “our whole entire chapter really bonded very nicely. It made BBYO better as a whole because everyone worked together to achieve a common goal. I sense a teamwork in the chapter that wasn’t preexisting.” The excitement and spirit that fills the air when everyone enters the JCC each day creates an atmosphere ideal for making friends and for having a great time, and everyone does. There wasn’t a member in attendance who could go a minute without smiling. On Nov. 18, we particpated in “Fall Fest,” a concert and DJ experience in conjunction with South Jersey Region (SJR). It featured the rapper Spose and DJ Drewski, as well as games and a VIP Garden and other fun surprises the night of the event. “Fall Fest” is a part of a global initiative to involve teens in BBYO year-round, not just at conventions, opening up registration to all Jewish teens, not just BBYO members, so as to allow for more recruitment all year.
PJ Library Family of the Month:
THE FRIEDMANS
We signed up our twins, Stella and Milton, to start receiving PJ Library books when they were born. I’m so glad we did! The kids love the books. I’ve been impressed by their quality and range of topics. The stories are inventive and touch on positive and universal themes like self-acceptance and the importance of embracing people of all backgrounds. Some current favorites: “Chicken Man,” “Why Dogs Have Wet Noses” and “Beautiful Yetta.” - LORI YEGHIAYAN FRIEDMAN
To learn more about PJ Library and register to receive free Jewish-themed books for children from 6 months through 8 years, visit www.pjlibrary.org.
26 DECEMBER 2017 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY
How Curious George’s creators saved the beloved monkey from the Nazis By Gabe Friedman Jewish Telegraphic Agency
of the country, and the Reys could not get a ticket. They didn’t own a car, so they decided to flee by bike, as Louise Borden explains in “The Journey That Saved Curious George.” The only problem: They couldn’t find a bike anywhere, either. Somehow, Hans did something that sounds like a plot point in a children’s fantasy book: He made two bikes that night using spare parts. That incredible act likely saved their lives, as well as the future of the monkey that would become Curious George. Before their escape, Margret rounded up all of their unpublished children’s book manuscripts, including one titled “Fifi: The Adventures of a Monkey.” The couple biked out of the city 48 hours before the Germans occupied Paris, and slept in barns and restaurants on their journey out of France. As if in return for being saved, the curious little monkey character helped saved the Reys. As “Monkey Business” director Ema Ryan Yamazaki documents, whenever they were stopped at checkpoints during their
ULLSTEIN BILD VIA GETTY IMAGES
Curious George — that curious little monkey — is beloved by millions of readers around the world. His adventures with the Man With the Yellow Hat impart important life lessons amidst silliness and mayhem. But many people probably don’t know that the children’s book character was actually born during very dark times. His two Jewish creators, Margret and H.A. Rey, fled the Nazis in 1940 — on homemade bicycles, no less — carrying their unpublished manuscripts with them. The story of the couple’s daring escape is told in the documentary “Monkey Business: The Story of Curious George’s Creators,” which premiere onlined and on ondemand platforms on Aug. 15. At the same time, in a coincidence of timing, the 2005 children’s book “The Journey That Saved Curious George,” was mailed to 8- to 11-yearolds across the country this month through PJ Library, a non-profit that champions Jewish-themed children’s books.
No matter what the format, the story of Curious George’s creators is a fascinating one. Hans Augusto Rey (née Reyersbach) and Margret Waldstein first met in Hamburg in the 1920s. Margret, who had studied art at the influential Bauhaus school and whose father was a member of the German parliament, left Germany for Brazil in 1935 to escape the rising tide of anti-Semitism. Hans had been working in Rio de Janeiro as a bathtub salesman. The pair, who had met over a decade before in Germany, married that year and moved to Paris. Hans worked as a cartoon illustrator for a newspaper, and Margret wrote copy. A French publisher was impressed with some of Hans’ animal drawings and suggested they work on a children’s book. Their first work was “Raphael and the Nine Monkeys,” and one of those monkeys would later become George. By June 1940, the situation in Paris looked grim as Hitler’s troops began to close in. Millions of people flocked to trains heading to the south
Margret and H. A. Rey in Hamburg, Germany, May, 1973.
escape, the couple brandished the manuscripts and illustrations to prove that they were not dangerous. They eventually made their way to Lisbon, then back to Brazil, then to New York. Fifi became George, and in 1941, Houghton Mifflin published the first “Curious George” book. Since then over 75 million “Curious George” books have been sold and the series has been translated into 19 languages. (He’s also the star of an animated PBS program for kids that premiered in 2006.)
H.A. Rey died in 1977, and Margaret Rey died in 1996. Yamazaki, who grew up partially in the U.S. and partially in Japan, said she was inspired by the Reys’ story of immigrant success. “With a deepening refugee crisis and inflamed antiimmigrant rhetoric across the globe, the Reys’ story has become unexpectedly more relevant in the two years I have been making the documentary,” she wrote last year. “The Reys’ refugee story has a happy ending, and represents the American dream at its best.”
HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | DECEMBER 2017 27
JWRP Continuing from page 4 a better friend, a better philanthropist, and a better human being – all of which ultimately make me a happier person. These lectures, accompanied by the amazing tours around Israel with outstanding guides and the company of the incredible women that I was traveling with, left me in a state that I can only describe as feeling completely full. Most importantly, I came away from this incredible trip with such a sense of gratitude – realizing how grateful I was for everything I already have in my life and how grateful I was for this amazing opportunity. The lessons we learned on our trip helped me to appreciate that I already was so close to reaching my goals of being the person I wanted to be and gave me so much hope for what I could accomplish in my life when I returned. Only now I had even better tools, better perspective and, most importantly, better friends to help me get there. Which leads me to the next most impactful aspect of my trip to Israel: the friendships and bonds that I created with the 17 other women from Allentown that I traveled with. We returned home from our trip feeling as though we had gained a new family – a sisterhood. Not only did the JWRP Israel trip include inspiring messages, but it was also so cleverly planned; sending mothers away on a trip without their families is ingenious. When unencumbered by the weight of my family and children pulling me in different directions, I was
able to concern myself with only my own thoughts and feelings – it allowed me to be so present and focused in each moment I experienced. When all of life’s other distractions were stripped away from us, we could connect and bond in such a concentrated way. I can’t remember the last time I’ve laughed so much in my entire life. Our trip was so full of laughter, tears and support. We returned to Allentown completely invigorated and connected. When our trip was over we were so sad to part. However, the amazing thing about sharing this experience with women in my community is that when the trip was over, it really was not over. Sharing this experience with the women of my community has served to extend the memory and the momentum of our trip. Our journey has really only just begun. The 18 of us continue to look forward to a lifetime of experiences together. JWRP asks each group they take to Israel to attend one class a month together for one year, but for our group, this is simply not enough. We are all looking forward to doing so much together in the future. We are excited to support each other in reaching our own individual goals and our collective goals as a group. The JWRP trip to Israel was the most priceless gift I could ever have been given. I returned home from my trip to Israel feeling truly inspired, and more connected to my family, my friends, my Judaism and my community. Mission accomplished! To learn more about the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project, visit www.jwrp.org.
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Diabetes Continuing from page 6 In preclinical studies in a mouse model of diabetes, approximately 70 percent of the mice in which the Betalin EMP was implanted did not need further insulin injections even for the longest period tested of 90 days after implantation. This early-stage company, spun out of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, won in the pharmaceuticals category at the Biomed Startup of the Year competition held by the Israel Innovation Authority at MIXii Biomed 2017 in Tel Aviv last May. 4. GlucoTrack Integrity Applications of Ashdod put more than a decade into developing GlucoTrack, described as the first truly noninvasive system for self-monitoring glucose levels. The GlucoTrack sensor clips onto your earlobe. A patented combination of ultrasonic, electromagnetic and thermal technologies works with a proprietary algorithm to measure physiological parameters correlated with glucose level. Results are displayed within about a minute on a USB-connected handheld control unit, which also stores and compares previous readings. The number is announced verbally, facilitating use by elderly and visionimpaired people with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes. GlucoTrack is available so far in several European countries, South Korea and Israel. 5. Sweetch The Sweetch app, now in clinical trials at Johns Hopkins Medical Center in
Maryland, predicts personal diabetes risk and encourages long-term behavioral change to prevent diabetes. According to the Tel Aviv-based company, 79 million American and 63 million EU adults are pre-diabetic; 70 percent of these will convert to diabetes within a decade. However, 150 active minutes per week has proven, in large clinical trials, to reduce prediabetes to diabetes conversion by 58 percent. “We see very promising initial meaningful clinical results in all three aspects — increased activity, weight loss and A1C [average blood-sugar level over three months] reduction,” Sweetch CEO Dana Chanan tells ISRAEL21c. Sweetch is talking with healthcare stakeholders in the United States and United Kingdom regarding future implementation of the app. 6. Insulog Many diabetics manually log their insulin injections to avoid over- or under-dosing. Insulog is a small device that snaps onto all major brands of disposable insulin pens to display the user’s most recent data. Insulog’s smartphone app uses Bluetooth technology to store injection history, including number of units administered, and blood-glucose level. Users can share this history with their physician. The company was founded in 2014 in Ramat Gan by Menash Michael, who has type 1 diabetes. He is developing the device for delivery in 2018 following a successful Indiegogo campaign earlier this year. It needs only Class 1 FDA approval with no required clinical trials. “We will market Insulog first in Israel and then
on an ecommerce platform,” he tells ISRAEL21c. 7. DreaMed Diabetes Based in Petah Tikva, DreaMed has two products: Advisor decisionsupport technology to optimize and fine-tune patient-specific insulin treatment plans (FDA and CE approval pending); and Glucositter, the first artificial pancreas system to receive the CE Mark for sales in Europe. When integrated with an insulin pump, Glucositter provides roundthe-clock monitoring of glucose levels and precise, real-time adjustment of insulin levels. 8. Nutrino Health Nutrino Health, the digital healthcare Biomed Startup of the Year winner at MIXii 2017, has developed an app (for iOS and Android) that creates a digital individualized FoodPrint using data from the user’s medical devices, wearables, activity sensors and other biological markers. Taking into account personal parameters such as allergies, food preferences and more, the system offers menus and foods especially adapted to the user, and helps diabetics understand how food affects the management of glucose levels in their blood. The free version of the app allows users to log food, exercise and medication and track these measures according to goals, taste preferences and dietary needs. They also receive access to personalized daily health tips. Premium features include a personalized meal planner, custom diet options, full recipe browser, suggestions on healthy dishes from nearby restaurants.
9. DayTwo DayTwo, based on groundbreaking research at Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science, aims to help people avoid developing diabetes by predicting individualized blood-glucose response to thousands of different foods and meals based on gut microbiome analysis and other personal parameters. This year, DayTwo and the Weizmann Institute scientists collaborated with Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Research & Development Company to evaluate DayTwo’s platform for the effective interception of gestational diabetes, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome-associated disorders. This resulted in a Series A investment of $12 million led by J&J. DayTwo currently is running trials with the Mayo Clinic and other institutions, while the product is fully commercial in Israel and US. International Chief Commercial Officer Amir Golan tells ISRAEL21c that the UK and Canada are the next potential markets. Meanwhile, the company is working with professional athletes to control blood-sugar levels and is partnering with two diabetes medical centers in Israel as well as dieticians in Israel and the U.S. 10. Super enzyme detects glucose level Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev have engineered a “super enzyme” that, if commercialized, could make blood-glucose checks easier and more accurate than the standard method of mixing a protein with a drop of blood to cause a chemical reaction. The research was reported in the Journal of the American Chemical Society in September 2017.
Our New Guide to Handling Touchy Topics with Your Parents Talking to your aging parents about touchy subjects like giving up driving or moving to a retirement community to get more help can be difficult and emotionally draining for everyone involved. So we’ve used our extensive experience to prepare a 12-page guide to help you handle the task. It includes helpful tips and insights like:
70% After age 65, an American has more than a 70% chance of needing help with the activities of daily living like dressing and bathing.
10 examples of what NOT to say to your aging parents 3 ways to avoid anger and misunderstandings Discussing the issue of giving up driving The best time to begin sensitive discussions 6 most common pitfalls for siblings trying to help their parents To get our free guide, stop by our community, or visit us online at CountryMeadows.com/Parents. And you can always just give us a call to ask a question. We’re here to help. Download for free or stop by
–American Society on Aging
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HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | DECEMBER 2017 29 PMS 118
PMS 119
PMS 3435
weis wishes you a
Happy Chanukah!
Streit’s Chanukah Candles 44 count
¢
49
U
$ 99
4
$ 49
2
U
Kosher Boneless & Skinless Chicken Breast Fillet - per pound
Fresh Kosher Whole or Cut Up Fresh Chickens - per pound
FREE U
parve
U
Golden Potato Pancakes
Tabatchnick Frozen Soups
10.6 ounce
14.5 or 15 ounce
2 $5
U
U
2 $4
U Elite Milk Chocolate Coins 0.53 ounce
3 $1
Streits Potato Pancake Mix
Tabatchnick Chicken Broth or Cream of Tomatoe Soup
Kedem Sparkling Juice
6 ounce
32 ounce
25.4 ounce
2 $3
U
2 $4
2 $7
U
Osem Falafel Mix
Streits Egg noodles
Lipton Kosher Soup Mixes
6.3 ounce
8 or 12 ounce
1.9 or 4.09 ounce
2 $4
U
4 $5
U
parve
2 $3
Raisin Challah Bread when you spend $100 in a single transaction
Raisin Challah Bread each
$ 49
3
Selected Elite Chocolate Bars 3 ounce
U
parve
4 $5
Savion or Streits Fruit Slices 8 ounce
U
parve
2 $5
Weis Proudly Accepts Prices Effective November 30, 2017 through December 20, 2017
We also carry many of your favorite Kosher deli, dairy, frozen and grocery products. We reserve the right to limit quantities. Not responsible for typographical or pictorial errors.
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