For a Special Simcha

and was recognized as a Golden Citizen of our organization and celebrated this award at camp. Now he is back working at camp, making a difference in our special events, all while his two sons are continuing his family’s legacy as campers.

Camp Judaea Hendersonville, North Carolina

• This year we are excited to open our brand-new cabin village. It will feature six state-of-theart cabins, a shared garden and a new soccer field. Deborah’s Village will be enjoyed for generations to come. In addition, we are always continuing to enhance our programming with fun new items like an industrial slip and slide.

Pinemere Camp

Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

• We are excited this year for the brand-new rec hall, amphitheater and chapel.

• We had a huge rec hall capital campaign to raise money to build these three new facilities. They will enhance our performing arts department and Shabbat services.

• The rec hall provides an indoor/outdoor stage where we have a musical each summer, all-camp lip sync performances, and our drama and dance activities. The amphitheater, or Del, as we call it, is an outdoor space where our whole camp can enjoy performances, havdalah, and Maccabi. The chapel is where our whole camp community comes together every Friday evening and Saturday morning for camper/ counselor-led services that include lots of singing and songs.

• Our greatest alumni success is that four of the six full-time members of our team are Pinemere born and bred.

• Our associate director, director of camper care and communication, and director of finance and operations all had parents who grew up at camp, met their spouses at camp. They have been on the full-time team for the past three to six years. Our assistant director, who joined us in April, also grew up at Pinemere. The passion our professional team has for Pinemere runs for generations.

Camp Ramah in the Poconos Lakewood, Pennsylvania

• This year we are excited to be building on the curricular arc of our eight age groups. Campers in each group will be connected to a Jewish theme or value, such as friendship and kindness. These important themes will be the foundation for our staff to develop radically creative, fun and educational programming for campers throughout the summer.

• The Ramah journey of alumnus Benji Goldberg is not so much a single story as an evolving, lifelong experience. It all started when he was two years old.

• “Ramah’s greatest impact on my life has been keeping me actively Jewish while living in Israel,” he said. “Ironically, you can find yourself disengaged with almost anything Jewish when living in a primarily Jewish country. Years of breathing joyous and vibrant Jewish summer air at Ramah Poconos has lit a strong and active light inside of me.

• “Ramah camping is the most powerful tool our beloved movement has, keeping the future generations of campers and staff involved with their Judaism and connected for years to come.

• “I have spent decades at camp making lifelong friendships and learning about myself. Now, as the Ramah Poconos director of operations and retreats, I have the privilege, with my wife Ella, of bringing our children each summer, watching the next generation of Jewish leadership grow.

URJ Camp Harlam

Kunkletown, Pennsylvania

• We launched our newly revamped introductory experience program, Rishonim, which is a 12day first-time experience for campers in grades 2 and 3. We also added a Summer Taste of Camp program to give future campers an authentic “taste” of what Harlam is all about while helping to build their confidence and readiness for an overnight camp experience. We also added new out-of-camp hiking trips for middleschool-age campers and more “free choice” programming, and built a new camper cabin.

• We are excited to celebrate 65 years of Reform Jewish camping this summer. We are offering some new things to enhance the experience, including round-trip bus transportation from central locations throughout the region, towel service at the pools and lake, two more renovated bunks, a brandnew garden space and the return of out-of-camp trips for all age groups.

The JCC would like to thank all of our donors who participated in the annual Friends of the J Campaign.

Leonard and Enid Abrams Family Foundation*+

Lori & Houman Ahdieh+(L)

Lynn Wilson & Michael Alterman+

Raquel Alvarez & Guillermo Garcia*+

Amy Born Fund

Marsha Baar+

Thomas Basseches

Frederick Bausch+

Steven Bergstein

Susan & Larry Berman+

Laura Black

Christy & Andrew Block+

Sheryl & Rance Block+(L) commemorates the victory of the Maccabees over King Antiochus IV and his soldiers. After their victory, the Maccabees rededicate the Temple in Jerusalem. A new menorah was built, but there was only a tiny jar of oil, which looked like enough to last for a day. However, a great miracle happened! The oil lasted for eight whole days.

Ira Blum

Wendy & Ross Born*+(L)

Leslie & Victor Bunick+

Chelsea & Elliot Busch+

Marilyn Claire+

Robert Cohen*+

Rt. Rev. M. Blair Couch+

Audrey Cylinder

Jenn & Gregg Dietz+

Emery Dudra+

Nicole & Adam Edwards*+

Jan & Glenn Ehrich+

Lisa & Andrew Ellis+(L)

Iris & Jonathan Epstein+(L)

Amy Faivre & Marten Edwards+

Patricia Feast+

Lynn & Samuel Feldman+

Brenda & Edward Finberg+

For that reason, a candle on the menorah or Hanukkiya is lit for each of the eight nights of the holiday to commemorate the miracle. For that reason, Hanukkah is referred to as The Festival of Lights! It is a custom to light the menorah near a window, where it can be easily seen, and each night, the light from the candles continues to grow, which serves as a

Kathy Zimmerman & Peter Fisher*+(L)

Ophira Silbert & Jeffrey Fleischaker+(L)

Emily & Brian Ford*+(L)

Phyllis Ford+

Marjorie & Neil Forgosh+

Lisa & Barnet Fraenkel*+(L)

Monica & Henry Friess+

Susan Jarrett+

Jewish Day School Board of Directors

Gia & Matthew Jones+

Roby & Rabbi Allen Juda+

Nancy & Andy Kahn+(L)

Audrey & Steven Kanoff+

Janice & Robert Kaplan+

Chelsea Karp+

Amy Katz+

Marty Katz+

Talia Katz

Alexander Kita+

Beth & Wesley Kozinn+ traditional foods are made on Hanukkah. Potato pancakes or latkes, jelly donuts, and chocolate coins, known as Hanukkah gelt, are mainstays that the entire family can enjoy! In a heated debate that many Jews find themselves on the opposite side of, it is a question of whether latkes go better with applesauce or sour cream. While we won’t take sides in this article, there are cases for both!

Lynda & Stuart Krawitz*+(L)

Stephanie & Robert Kricun+

Fay & Michael Kun+

Enid & Bruce Reich

Lauren & Kevin Reuther+(L)

Pat Rhodes*+

Carol Rieder+

Sara Ritter & Mike Smith+

Bob Rockmaker+(L)

Amy & Jesse Saborsky+

Mary & Alan Salinger+

Amy & Richard Sams+

Arlene Samuelson+

Terry Schettini+

Brenna & Michael Schlossberg+

Lanethea Mathew Schultz & Jonathan Schultz+

Annie & Maggie Schutzler

Cari Schutzler

Peter Schutzler

Suzanne Lapiduss+

Heather & David Lavin+

Paul Lemberg*+

Lisa Yoskowitz & Matt Leon+

Lesavoy Butz & Seitz LLC+

Penny Lesavoy+

Gary Levenson+

Judith & Larrie Sheftel+ winner receiving a pile of chocolate coins.

Linda & Elliot Sheftel+

Rachel & Andrew Shurman*

Jenny Hayden & Nathan Siegfried*+

Jodi Eichler-Levine & Maccabee Levine+

Margo & Eric Lightman*+(L)

Robin & David Lightman+

Marilyn & David Louick+

Jodi & Sam Lovenwirth+

Karla Lyle+

Lisa & Moshe Markowitz+

Markson Family Fund*+

Another staple is the dreidel, a four-sided spinning top with Hebrew letters on each side that stand for the phrase “a great miracle happened there,” with “there” referring to Israel (Fun fact, in Israel the letters are different with “here” replacing “there!”). Traditionally, games of dreidel are played for stashes of Hanukkah gelt, with the

The JCC of the Lehigh Valley will be celebrating Hanukkah with our annual Family Hanukkah Celebration and Community Candle Lighting on Sunday, December 18 from 3pm-5pm. We will be celebrating in style

Madeline Marte & Audberto Rolon

Jeanne Narkiewicz & Constantine Marcopul+

Sara & Marcos Martinez+

Linda Maurin+

Harry & Ethel Miller Memorial Fund

Stephanie & Adam Smartschan+

Kaitlyn Stefanowicz+

Tracy & Matt Sussman+

Tamarkin Family Fund+

Janelle Konstam & Stuart Teger+

Pam Lott & Ron Ticho+

Cristina & Jason Toff+

Eileen Ufberg+

Melissa & Matthew Unger+ with games, crafts tables, doughnuts, hot latkes and cocoa, live entertainment, and a dance party! Register online at lvjcc.org/SpecialEvents or call the JCC at 610-435-3571. We hope to see you there and wish everyone a chag sameach!

Cantor Ellen Sussman & David Vaida+

Chris Valuntas+

Ali Raza Visram+

Peggy & James Waite+

Kristina & Alexander Ward

Robert Watkins+

Beatrix Watt+