Hakol - April 2023

What’s most special about Passover? See what our contributors think in our special pullout section in the middle.

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By Carl Zebrowski

Editor

The Summit to Combat Antisemitism on March 12 started with a joke.

U.S. Rep. Susan Wild told the audience at the region’s first-ever antisemitism summit that while she was getting ready for the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley and Anti-Defamation League event, she texted the organizer, Aaron Gorodzinsky. She “thanked” him for scheduling the event early on the first morning of daylight saving time, after everyone was just robbed of an hour’s sleep.

The reply was quick and droll, as those who know the

Jewish Federation’s director of campaign and security planning might have expected: “Antisemitism never sleeps.” The crowd cracked up. The comment was welcome comic relief to those who may have arrived a little uptight, given the subject matter about to be discussed. It was also true.

As the crowd at Muhlenberg College soon heard from a host of panelists that included Wild, State Rep. Mike Schlossberg, law enforcement officials, and experts on hate crimes and security, antisemitism in fact does not sleep.

Panelists spent the day explaining the specific threats it poses and what governments, organizations and individuals are doing and can start doing to combat them.

From 2020 to 2021, reports

of antisemitic incidents increased 34% across the nation to an average of seven per day, according to the ADL. Pennsylvania, for its part, led the nation with 473 reports of antisemitic and other hate propaganda.

“I’ve heard the profound concern in my constituents’ voices,” said Wild, who represents Pennsylvania’s 7th District in Congress. “Antisemitism is an existential threat to everything that matters to us, including democracy itself.”

Locally, this past December, some attendees at Bethlehem’s Christkindlmarkt wore T-shirts with messages of hate. In October 2018, a gunman opened fire at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh and killed 11 people in the deadliest attack ever on the U.S. Jewish community. This

February, a 28-year-old man was charged with hate crimes after police said he fired at two Jewish men walking home from synagogues in Los Angeles. Acts of hate are fueled by today’s polarized politics and the ease of spreading ideas on social media, Jonathan Greenblatt, executive director of the Anti-Defamation League, said in a video prerecorded for the event. “Antisemitism isn’t just a Jewish problem,” he said. “It’s a problem that affects all of us. It’s the canary in a coal mine.”

Schlossberg, who represents the state’s 132nd House District, voiced a particular

interest in this area. “We as Jews must make sure that

Pushing back against hate with faith and hope

By Carl Zebrowski Editor

It was at the end of a long day of discussion that Bethlehem Interfaith Group (BIG) clergy members took the Summit to Combat Antisemitism stage on March 12 to talk about “Faith and Hope Against Hate.”

“Faith and Hope can make a difference,” said Rabbi Michael Singer of Congregation Brith Sholom, who founded the organization in 2017 by knocking on doors to recruit clergy members of diverse faiths after his synagogue

began receiving hate mail. His goal in creating the group was to bring together religious leaders to push back against hatred while promoting diversity, inclusion and togetherness. “I wanted to build it about not just what we were against,” he told the crowd at Muhlenberg College, “but what we were for.” Today 24 houses of worship are part of BIG.

Rick Dow of the Lehigh Valley Quaker Meeting admitted to the crowd at the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley and Anti-Defamation League event that he had

previously been sheltered from many acts of hatred. “I live in a very safe world,” he said. “I was astounded when I heard that the Jewish community had to screen its mail.”

As audience members had heard all day long, the world is not safe for everyone. Antisemites, white supremacists, neofascists and others are enjoying — and “enjoying” seems to be the right word — normalization and empowerment.

Some groups that consider themselves religious devotees register among the concerns here, said the Rev. Deborah Appler of the Moravian Seminary. “One of the main challenges is combatting the rise of Christian nationalism.”

The Rev. Suzanne Trump, pastor of St. John’s Windish Lutheran Church in Fogelsville, told the crowd, “We can’t be silent any longer.” She admitted that she and her

congregation would have to resist a Lutheran tendency to “isolate” from other faiths. “We all have much more in common than we have that is different.”

The emphasis on unity continued with the Rev. Keitha Wiggins-Kennedy of St. John’s A.M.E. Zion Church. “If you come for him,” she said, “you come for me. That’s why we’re standing together. We’re not going to allow you to come for any one of us.”

She said that antisemitic acts and other expressions of bigotry warrant a fast and firm response. “When we have the opportunity to set the record straight, we have to stand and do that. It tears down that wall of hate that others are trying to build.”

Trump added that the interfaith group is a key factor in its members’ ability to stand up when necessary. “BIG gives me the courage to speak out, knowing I am not alone.”

‘Antisemitism is an existential threat’: Susan Wild Summit panelists brief community on hate trends, counterefforts, what’s next

Antisemitism summit Continues on page 5

Rabbi Michael Singer of Congregation Brith Sholom, the Rev. Deborah Appler of the Moravian Seminary, the Rev. Keitha Wiggins-Kennedy of St. John’s A.M.E. Zion Church, the Rev. Suzanne Trump of St. John’s Windish Lutheran Church, and Rick Dow of the Lehigh Valley Quaker Meeting

U.S. Representative Susan Wild

Ein li eretz acheret (I have no other country)

The Jewish calendar reminds us that this is a busy time, from Passover through the Season of Independence, including Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), Yom Hazikaron (Israel Memorial Day) and Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence Day — 75 years this year). It is with all these events in mind that we spend time with family and friends, reflecting on festivities or sharing our collective memories.

There is commentary of the Haggadah about the Jewish people’s responsibility to have compassion for the weak and vulnerable: “You shall protect and respect one who is different, for you, more than any other people on earth, know what it is to be different.”

Passover teaches us to make the world a more compassionate place. It is because of compassionate people like you that, during this time, we’ve been able to offer innovative programming that provides meaningful connection and involvement. And while doing all of this and more, we continue to connect with our extended family and to help our brothers and sisters in need locally, in Israel and around the world.

Passover leads us into the Season of Independence, beginning with Yom Hashoah. The Holocaust played a significant role in the founding of the modern Jewish State of Israel. On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion announced the establishment of the State of Israel, saying, “The Nazi Holocaust, which engulfed millions of Jews in Europe, proved anew the urgency of the reestablishment of the Jewish State, which would solve the problem of Jewish homelessness by opening the gates to all Jews and lifting the Jewish people to equality in the family of nations.” We hope you will join us as we commemorate Yom Hashoah on Monday, April 17, at 7 p.m. at the JCC, hearing from Fay Kun, who will share about her mother — “Frieda’s Story: Life, Love and Survival.”

One week later, we will observe Yom Hazikaron, on Monday, April 24, at Congregation Keneseth Israel at 7 p.m. The modern Jewish State of Israel exists because of the sacrifice and heroism of those who fell as a result of war and unthinkable terrorism.

According to Rabbi David Hartman z”l of the Shalom Hartman Institute, the plac-

ing together of Yom Hazikaron — the day of remembrance — followed by Yom Ha’atzmaut — the day of our independence as a state — reveals a profound characteristic of the Israeli psyche and of its value systems. Only as one grasps the way we move so uniquely from weeping to celebration does one understand in the deepest sense what memory, history and the hope for a better future life means for the Jewish people.

The current situation in Israel has been like nothing before in her short history. Daniel Gordis wrote, “What matters is that what you have seen play out in recent weeks has been an extraordinary exhibition of love of country, of devotion to Zionism, of almost completely violencefree protests by hundreds of thousands of people for three months. What you have seen is the melding of (whatever little bit remains of) the left and the center, joined by many on the right who were so deeply worried about the split in the nation that they, too, though they favored the reforms, said it was time to stop. It was time to heed the people.”

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community, Yoav, at this trying time. We hope discussions will turn to dialogue and repair.

It is appropriate to share the statement issued by the Lehigh Valley Clergy Group: “As we are about to celebrate Passover, the Festival of Freedom, we stand with Israel as it faces an unprecedented crisis. Our tradition teaches that Tzedek and Mishpat, divine justice, demands the protection of all. As American Jews, we hear, care, and pray for a peaceful resolution to this internal conflict and welcome conversations over the differences that will lead towards a stable agreement between the two sides that will be faithful to the democratic ideals upon which the State was founded.”

As Jews the world over watch the current events in Israel unfold, it is a sobering reminder of the fragility of global Jewry — and a reminder of the interconnectedness of the Jewish world. So, too, should this be

a reminder within our own community that our strength is in our connectedness. We are at our most vulnerable when we are divided.

Please join us as we come together as a community for Israel’s 75th Independence Day on Wednesday, April 26, at the JCC 4:00-6:00 p.m. We’re going to celebrate. And as Daniel Gordis also stated, although it will not be a carefree party or unsullied by what has happened, it will be profound. It will be a day of thanksgiving. A day of pride. A day of hope.

Wishing you and your families a Zissen Pesach and a meaningful Chag Ha’atzmaut!

Looking forward to seeing you at these community events.

HAKOL STAFF

CARL ZEBROWSKI

Editor

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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. Quotes may be edited for grammar and clarity. 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.

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The Lehigh Valley-Yoav Partnership Park in Blessed Memory of Mark L. Goldstein

We gratefully acknowledge those individuals who have offered expressions of friendship by requesting that trees be planted in the Mark L. Goldstein Friendship Park, a Yoav-Lehigh Valley Partnership Forest.

IN HONOR

ROSS BORN

In honor of receiving the National Confectioners Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award

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IN MEMORY GRAY

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Aaron Gorodzinsky

IRA (BOB) BORN

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Carole and Michael Langsam

RICHARD DERBY

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Marilyn Claire

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TAMA FOGELMAN

(Mother of Mark Fogelman, sister of Maxine Klein)

Lisa and Barnet Fraenkel

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JEROME (JERRY) GINSBERG

(Husband of Gloria Ginsberg)

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JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH

MISSION STATEMENT

VALLEY

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.

WOMEN’S PHILANTHROPY OF THE JEWISH

OF THE LEHIGH

30 volunteers pack supplies for women in need

By Crissy Toff Special to Hakol

The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley’s Women’s Philanthropy division partnered with the Dignity Grows organization on March 22 for a party where 30 volunteers packed 150 bags full of essential hygiene products for women in need.

Dignity Grows empowers women by providing menstrual and hygiene supplies to those who need them.

Federal benefit programs do not cover items like period products, and people often don’t think to donate them to food pantries. Providing these helps improve selfesteem and self-confidence.

Volunteers for the event included members of the

Jewish community and students from Lehigh University. They all came together to fill zipper-top totes with a month’s supply of soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste, and menstrual products.

Each tote included a personal note from the packer inside. Notes ranged from well-wishes to thoughtful quotes to a simple heart with the word “Love” in it, as the night’s littlest packer, Gemma Jones, provided. Jewish Family Service will distribute the totes to those in need in the Lehigh Valley.

“The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, Women’s Philanthropy division, and the Dignity Grows partnership has been great for our community to make an

impact, giving women products that would not normally be covered under food stamps or provided by food pantries,” said Dignity Grows program chair Rachel Levin. “This is the sixth packing party in our community. So far we have donated to eight organizations. This round, the bags we packed were given to Family Promise of Allentown and Jewish Family Services.” A special thankyou to Charlie Epstein, who helped make this donation possible in honor of his bar mitzvah. The concept of

tikkun olam (repairing the world with good deeds) focuses on the pursuit of social justice and is an essential message of Judaism. There is a notion that Jews bear responsibility not only for their own well-being, but for the welfare of society at large. It is an essential part

of our Jewish community to help one another — both our friends and strangers.

If you’re interested in joining the next Dignity Grows tote-packing party, please contact Lee Solomon, the Federation’s associate director of development, at lee@jflv.org.

Chai Club to hear expert on Jewish spiritual practice

By Carl Zebrowski Editor

The Women’s Philanthropy division of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley will hear from Ruchi Koval, cofounder and associate director of Congregation JFX (Jewish Family Experience) in Cleveland, speak at its Chai Club Dinner on May 16.

She’ll talk about the ancient Jewish concept of personal transformation called Mussar, which was the subject of her 2021 book “Soul Construction: Shape Your Character Using 8 Steps from the Timeless Jewish Practice of Mussar.”

Koval, an Orthodox Jew, has been a Jewish educator for two decades, leading

self-development groups for adults and teens, and mentoring other educators around the world, while she and her husband, JFX’s Rabbi Sruly Koval, raised seven kids. She’s also a certified parenting coach, motivational speaker and musician.

The ancient practice of Mussar was revived in the 1800s by the Lithuanian rabbi Israel Salanter, and it recommends assessing one’s own character traits, such as honesty, patience, generosity, power of speech, forgiveness, happiness. Becoming aware of these traits, a person can then gradually and systematically work to refine them.

“In this way, we begin to become spiritually transformed,” Koval said, “and,

by definition, our relationships with others, and with ourselves, can dramatically improve.”

Lori Palatnik, founding director of Momentum, is a fan of Koval’s. She said of “Soul Construction” that “Ruchi Koval has written a handbook for self-growth that is like a close, wise (and funny) friend reaching their hand out to you to pull you up … and up!”

Koval’s friend Shari has been studying Mussar with her for 22 years. “There’s nothing in my life that hasn’t changed by studying Mussar, because everything changes when you have your Mussar eyeglasses on,” Shari said. “Mussar has made my life fuller, bigger, better and

brighter. Everything is more Technicolor. The joy, the gratitude, which is where I naturally go, has been enhanced exponentially, even when I’m having a bad day.”

The Chai Club Dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the JCC. It’s open to donors who have made a pledge to the Jewish Federation Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs at or above $180. To register to attend, visit jewishlehighvalley.org/ calendar.

Handmade Afghans

BY EVA LEVITT

SPONSORED BY THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY’S WOMEN’S DIVISION

Antisemitism summit

continues from page 1

every targeted group is protected,” he said, pointing out that state government is working on legislation to broaden protections.

The state legislature is also working to adopt the widely recognized International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism. Making that definition official would give Pennsylvania law enforcement a more solid foundation for investigating incidents and making arrests.

the ADL Center on Extremism.

The organized groups supply a sort of basis for their convictions and promote that through social media, said Dave Wilson, director of the duty desk of the Secure Community Network. Individual sympathizers and small clusters of them cobble together their own makeshift credos from what they find. “Every one is a very unique brand of extremism,” he said, “cherrypicking ideas to match their political beliefs.”

Social media also provides this sympathetic audience with methods and procedures for sowing chaos. The information spreads quickly and widely. “Every single day there’s a new tactic, a new trend,” said Wilson.

said. “All our work can be undercut but people who have infiltrated those organizations.’

Others panelists were concerned about online gaming and the connections naïve youths may make while playing. John Piser, regional director for SCN, believes that the upward trend for incidents of antisemitism and acts of hate will continue.

But there’s reason for optimism too. “What keeps me up is the level of hatred that’s out there and the growth of it,” Piser said. “What gives me hope is the response to that.”

The systems in place and the responses to incidents often succeed, Wilson said, despite that “almost every week we’re finding a direct

credible threat.” Ben Popp continued along that line. “We don’t hear about when information gets sent and nothing happens,” he said. “We only hear about the bad things. But rest assured that actions get thwarted.”

Success is a result of surveillance, reporting, tracking, cooperation, investigation and decisive action. All of those began to be pursued in earnest after the Tree of Life attack, Wilson said. SCN and ADL both grew, monitoring mechanisms were upgraded, and communication and cooperation among the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and the host of state and local emergency and

law enforcement authorities improved.

In the end, there’s no substitute for the training, planning, funding and other elements required to combat antisemitism effectively. Persistence is also crucial. As Aaron Gorodzinsky put it, “Everything we’ve accomplished in the Lehigh Valley took years and hundreds of hours.”

Crimes of hate, contrary to what many people think, are not the result of centralized planning. They aren’t typically coordinated by organized extremist groups. “It’s useful to think of extremism as loosely organized networks, bound mostly by ideology,” said Ben Popp of

There are some recent trends panelists found particularly troubling. “I’m really concerned about the harassment of kids in middle school, high school and college,” said Andrew Goretsky, regional director for the ADL. “It’s really important that were taking steps to combat that.”

Congresswoman Wild said she’s worried about insiders working to undermine organizations. “One of my deepest concerns is infiltration into our police forces, military services and positions of authority,” she

Andrew Goretsky, ADL regional director; Ben Popp, ADL Center on Extremism; Lieutenant William Slaton, Pennsylvania State Police; Kristin Daniels, Pennsylvania Homeland Security acting director; and Dave Wilson, SCN duty desk director.

Aaron Gorodzinsky, JFLV director of campaign and security planning, and Adam Teitelbaum, JFNA associate vice president of public affairs and IAN executive director.

A ceremony to honor the 6 million Jews lost in the Holocaust. Fay Kun share’s the story of her mother, Frieda Fried, through words, pictures and recently available video.

Memorial reading of names begins at 6:00 p.m. Register at jewishlehighvalley.org/calendar

Ross Born talks Just Born at 100, his dad, their legacy

By Carl Zebrowski Editor

Back when Ross Born’s father-in-law was in the hospital for a heart valve replacement, Ross and his wife, Wendy, traveled to Chicago to visit him.

At the check-in desk, a staffer greeted them. They gave their name. She looked at Ross. “Are you the Peeps guy?!” she asked. She called out to anyone in earshot, “The Peeps guy is here!” Some who heard eventually wandered over to the Borns.

“They’re all excited to talk about how they played with their food,” Ross recalled.

“My father-in-law gained a lot of fame because of his connection to Peeps.”

In fact, the whole Born family gained a lot of fame because of Peeps, the marshmallow treats that owe their existence to Ross’s dad, Bob. This January, Bob, the Father of Peeps, died. That was one of three momentous events

the Born family has experienced in the past several months. The others were Ross’s retirement as co-CEO of the Just Born company, and Just Born’s year of celebration for its 2023 centennial anniversary.

It was 100 years ago that Bob’s father, Sam, born 32 years before in Russia, opened a candy shop in Brooklyn. He put up a sign in the window to let passersby know the confections on display were “just born,” as in “freshly made.” His company had its name.

Sam relocated to Bethlehem in the following decade. By 1940 the company had created Mike and Ike, and 10 years after that, Hot Tamales — the brands of chewy, capsule-shaped candies that put Just Born on the map.

In 1946, Bob joined the company, bringing his Lehigh University engineering degree and his experience as a U.S. Navy lieutenant and radar specialist. He made his mark there in 1954, soon after Just Born bought a Lancaster company that specialized in jelly beans and also made marshmallows by hand.

Bob put his technical knowledge to work streamlining the 27-hour process to make marshmallows. By the time he perfected an automated method, the candy we know as Peeps was coming off the manufacturing line in just 6 minutes, start to finish. Today’s machines can turn

out 6 to 7 million Peeps a day, Ross said. Easter chicks are the iconic form, but Peeps fill store shelves year-round, in various shapes and colors, including for Christmas, Halloween and other holidays.

When Hakol talked with Ross a week after the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley and the Anti-Defense League cosponsored the Summit to Combat Antisemitism, he thought about his dad’s early years with Just Born in context of the current problems with hate crimes. He said his dad was always proponent of diversity.

Ross recalled his dad doing personnel work after World War II. Bethlehem Steel, fresh from enormous growth as it supplied the U.S. military effort, boomed through the postwar years and was able to pry workers away from other local factories by offering double the pay. Turnover at Just Born was high, and new faces multiplied along the lines.

A substantial portion of the newcomers were minorities, a development some of the existing staff didn’t like. One day, a few decided to do something about it. “Workers went into my dad’s office and said they can’t work with these people,” Ross recalled. He said Bob replied, “No, I don’t expect you to work with those people. You can leave now.”

His dad’s attitude never changed, Ross said. “He was

one to embrace and celebrate differences,” Ross continued. “He met with the Pope, and not just for a photo shoot. Interfaith relations were really important to him.”

Ross lamented that bigotry and hate have hardly diminished. What do you do about them? “Why did people pledge their allegiance to Hitler?” he wondered. “We blame the Chinese for COVID, Japan for World War II. My dad really struggled with that: How do you change minds?”

The need for an antisemitism summit is itself evidence that targeted groups continue to struggle with those realities. The Jewish Federation and like-minded organizations have their work cut out for them.

Back in his younger days, Bob was very active in the Federation. At one point he chaired its Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs. It was during the Arab-Israeli Six-Day War in 1967. Ross was 14 back then and made his firstever donation. “I provided $36 to the Federation to for resettlement of refugees,” he said. “My father solicited me for that.”

Ross recalls the lives of all the Born family revolving around the valley’s Jewish community. He said the JCC was “where the Jewish community spent its time,” himself too. When he wasn’t

there, he was at Temple Beth El, the family’s synagogue, where father and son were both in the choir. “Friday nights,” he said, “we went up in the loft there and sang.”

That legacy of community involvement continued. Over the years, Ross and Wendy have held various leadership roles in the Jewish community and beyond. “I think I’m on 24 different boards,” Ross said. He’s currently honorary president of the Jewish Federation.

Wendy has been even more active. She’s a past president of three of the valley’s Jewish agencies: the Federation, Jewish Family Service and JCC. She also has been on the board of Congregation Keneseth Israel. She’s currently an honorary vice president for the Federation.

Ross and Wendy’s two

Ross Born

Continues from page 6

daughters and their families inherited the Born commitment to volunteering.

Their daughter Dr. Lisa Ellis lives in the valley and is a member of the Federation’s Maimonides Society of healthcare professionals. Her husband, Andy, is on the JFS board. Their son, Ross said, is involved in BBYO and “cares a lot about being a Jew.” Their daughter is now preparing for her bat mitzvah. “She’s very engaged in doing ‘Jewish stuff,’” Ross said.

Their other daughter, Amy, lives with her husband and two kids in the Boston area. Her day job is in organizational psychology and organizational development. “She’s one of the

leading human resources people in the country,” Ross said.

Then there’s her volunteer work. “She epitomizes the engaged Jew,” Ross continued. “She’s a leader, on the Holocaust Museum and other boards. She’s on a really interesting board, Keshet. It’s the Jewish LGBTQ+. She’s the only straight person.”

Looking back through the past and forward to the future, Ross gives his father a lot of credit for the family’s continuing role in the Jewish community. “My dad had a lot of influence,” he said. “There’s the perfect example of one generation to another to another.”

Federation to launch Young Leadership division in September

The Jewish Federation held an inaugural meeting on March 18 to plan the launch of a Young Leadership division this September. The new division will offer events for young families and young adults in the community.

At this first meeting, attendees discussed the role of the Jewish Federation, ways for young leaders to get involved and the importance of creating more bonds within the community. The evening continued with “paint night” led by Julia Umansky, director of gift planning and EITC. Please keep an eye out for more information or get in touch with Lee Solomon at lee@jflv.org.

6 things you can do right now to combat antisemitism

By Carl Zebrowski Editor

Panelists at the Summit for Antisemitism did more than update the crowd on the current state of antisemitism and what’s being done to address the problem. Their coverage of the day’s topics can be pared down to a to-do list for the defense. Here are some things you and your businesses and organizations can work on now:

1. Be Aware

Know what to look for. There are more possibilities than you may think. Consider the number 18, for example. You know it as a symbol of good luck. But it’s also a symbol for Adolf Hitler — the 1 stands for A and the 8 for H, based on the letters’ places in the alphabet. Hate groups are no doubt proud of themselves for coopting the good luck symbol for their own ends, if they realize it. 18 still means luck, of course, but not if it’s spraypainted on a synagogue door. To learn about more hate symbols you may not know, visit the Anti-Defamation League’s hate symbols web page at adl.org/resources/hate-symbols/search.

Also, pay attention to trends. “What we see in the bigger cities makes its way to the smaller communities,” said Aaron Gorodzinsky of the Jewish Federation. “We know what’s coming.”

2. Prepare

“You can’t build the organizations and systems you need when you need them,” said Adam Teitelbaum, associate vice president of public affairs for the Jewish Federations of North America. Make sure your organizations are building relationships with other groups, improving security measures

and training their people in advance on what to do right now and what to do if the unthinkable happens.

3. Report, Report, Report

That exact wording came from Lieutenant William Slaton of the Pennsylvania State Police. People tend to keep quiet about incidents that they’ve witnessed, sometimes uncertain whether an act was worthy of follow-up. A national survey of Hillels concluded that about twothirds of those who experienced an antisemitic act did not report it. “If you’re unsure,” Slaton said, “just report it to law enforcement.” If the incident is an emergency or just happened, call 911. If not, you can report it to the ADL at adl.org/reportincident.

Once you report the incident to authorities, organizations ranging from the ADL to local police to the FBI will work together as necessary to investigate and take further action. Don’t follow up your reporting by unnecessarily making the news public. “There’s a tendency to post it on your social media,” said Andrew Goretsky of the ADL. “Don’t do that. We don’t want to give them any more publicity.”

4. Lobby Local “I cannot emphasize enough how much of this is based on local participation,” Teitelbaum said. Critical decisions on legislation, law enforcement, security funding and education all start there, yet too many efforts focus on the national.

So, attend local school board meetings and voice needs and concerns. Bad things can happen at the school board level, with elected members potentially blocking education efforts and worse. Experience shows

that attitudes and actions there spread to the state and national levels. Also, call your various elected representatives to press for legislative action. “Hearing from constituents directly is one of the most impactful things,” said U.S. Rep. Susan Wild.

5. Educate

Teach your kids about the Holocaust, antisemitism and hate crimes.

“Go home today and have a conversation with the younger people in your life,” Teitelbaum said. “When we stand on the shoulders of the generation before us, we can see a future the previous generation couldn’t. And the generations after us are standing on our shoulders.”

See that your schools are teaching the other kids about those things too. And remember that they’ll require informational and physical resources to do that. “It’s our responsibility to make sure the schools have what they need,” Gorodzinsky said.

6. Come Together

“Unless everybody is safe, no one’s safe,” said Robin Schatz, director of government affairs for the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. Jewish institutions are better prepared than others, Gorodzinsky said, so they can guide others on what actions to take and how to improve security. “We have guards. We have cameras,” he said. “The bad guys don’t just go home and have a cup of coffee. They go to the next available church.”

Yom Hazikaron Ceremony

ISRAEL MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVANCE

iurfzv ouh

Commemorating the lives of fallen IDF soldiers and those who lost their lives in terrorist attacks

MONDAY, APRIL 24

6:00 p.m. | Congregation Keneseth Israel SERVICES WILL BE HELD PRIOR TO THE CEREMONY AT 5:45 P.M.

A remembrance room will also be set up in the JCC board room from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. where visitors can guide themselves through the displays of information and visuals related to fallen Israel Defense Forces soldiers.

IN HONOR

MARC ABO

In honor of a return to good health

Vicki Wax

ROSS BORN

In honor of receiving the National Confectioners Association’s Lifetime

Achievement Award

Jeanette and Eduardo EICHenwald

Arlene and Dwight Griffin

Carol and Barry Halper

EILEEN AND ROBERTO FISCHMANN

In honor of your daughter Veronica’s marriage.

Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald

Aaron Gorodzinsky and Jennie

Schechner

EMILY AND BRIAN FORD

In honor of your son Al’s Bar Mitzvah

Beth and Wes Kozinn

Vicki Wax

LISA AND BARNET FRAENKEL

In honor of the birth of your grandson, Michael Sebastian

Aliette and Marc Abo

ARLENE HURWITZ

Wishing you a speedy recovery

Hank Narrow

COOKY AND MICHAEL NOTIS

In honor of the birth of your greatgrandchild

Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald

NANCY AND STEVE OBERLENDER

In honor of your daughter Isabelle’s engagement to Mark

Laurie and Robby Wax

MIKE SCHLOSSBERG

In honor of being elected Majority

Caucus Chair

Carol and Barry Halper

JENNIFER AND CLIFF TRACY

In honor of your son Evan’s engagement

Sandra and Harold Goldfarb

We

CBS Visiting Scholars

IN MEMORY

IRA (BOB) BORN

(Father of Ross Born)

Aliette and Marc Abo

Marilyn Braunstein

Arlene and Dwight Griffin

Pam and Greg Silverberg

Cherie and Rick Zettlemoyer

RICHARD DERBY

(Husband of Ruth Derby, brother of Albert Derby)

Aliette and Marc Abo

Sandra and Harold Goldfarb

Janet Kovalchick

Beth and Wes Kozinn

Roberta and Robert Kritzer

Sara and Bernie Schonbach

Vicki Wax

TAMA FOGELMAN

(Mother of Mark Fogelman, sister of Maxine Klein)

Aliette and Marc Abo

Wendy and Ross Born

Sylvia and Sam Bub & Family

Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald

Roberta and Jeff Epstein

Carol and Stewart Furmansky

Sandra and Harold Goldfarb

Beth and Wes Kozinn

Norman Moses

Taffi Ney

Penny and Adam Roth

Selma Roth

Randi and Donald Senderowitz

Arlene and Richard Stein

Vicki Wax

RACHEL FRIEDMAN

(Mother of Adina Re’em)

Eileen Ufberg

JEROME (JERRY) GINSBERG

(Father of Larry Ginsburg)

Randi and Donald Senderowitz

CAROLYN HOFFMAN

(Daughter of Barbara and Art Hoffman)

Wendy and Ross Born

Roberta and Robert Kritzer

SY KLIONSKY (Step-father of Frank Tamarkin)

Vicki Wax

LOIS GRAUER MELVOIN

(Aunt of Wendy Born)

Arlene and Dwight Griffin

NATALIE MILLROD (Mother of Terry Noel)

Roberta and Jeff Epstein

Evelyn and Jay Lipschutz

Pam and Greg Silverberg

Audrey and Art Sosis

Arlene and Richard Stein

MICHAEL ROSENBLUTH

(Dear friend of Len Zimmerman)

Carol and Barry Halper

VERA SILVERMAN (Mother of Kathi Katzman)

Randi and Donald Senderowitz

ELLEN (ELLIE) WEINBERGER (Wife of Ben Weinberger)

Joan and Richard Bass and Family

Monica and Ken Blumberg

Diane and John Loughman

Linda and Chuck Newmark

HELEN AND SOL KRAWITZ HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL FUND

IN HONOR SUZY AND GREG HARRIS

In honor of Abbey’s engagement to Ben

Lynda and Stuart Krawitz

IN MEMORY

TAMA FOGELMAN (Mother of Mark Fogelman)

Susan Engelson Friefeld

Joan Lesavoy

CARMELA PERROTTA HABER

(Wife of Marvin Haber, mother of Lauren Haber and Allison Haber)

Susan Engelson Friefeld

CBS Visiting Scholar

Featuring Rabbi Naamah Kelman & Elan Ezrachi, PhD

Friday April 21 at 6 PM (Dinner w/ reservation - 7 PM)

Saturday April 22 at 9 AM during service (Kiddush luncheon to follow)

Friday session - "Israel in Contemporary Judaism”

Saturday session - “Emerging Trends between Israel & American

Featuring: Rabbi Naamah Kelman & Elan Ezrachi, PhD

April 21 & 22 at Congregation Brith Sholom

Friday, April 21 at 6:00 p.m.

Session Topic: “Israel in Contemporary Judaism” and dinner with reservation at 7:00 p.m.

Saturday April 22 at 9:00 a.m. during service

Congregation Brith Sholom – 1190 West Macada Road, Bethlehem, PA RSVP to Tammy 610-866-8009

Session Topic: “Emerging Trends between Israel and American Jewry” with kiddush luncheon to follow.

Rabbi Naamah Kelman became the first woman to be ordained by the Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem in 1992, where she is currently the Dean. Raised in New York, she has lived in Israel since 1976; where she has worked in community organizing and the promotion and establishment of Progressive and Pluralistic Judaism for Israelis. Rabbi Kelman has been among the founders of the first Progressive Day school. She has been involved in the professional development of the Israeli Rabbinic students and the establishment of “Mazorim” Spiritual Care/Israeli Chaplaincy. She is a board member of Rabbis for Human Rights, MELITZ and is deeply engaged in interfaith dialogue and feminist causes.

Elan Ezrachi, PhD is a consultant in the areas of Jewish Peoplehood education and Israel engagement and the recent author of Awakened Dream/50 Years of Complex Unification of Jerusalem. Born in Jerusalem and after six years as a helicopter pilot in Israel’s Air Force, Elan went on to pursue a career in Jewish education. He received his doctorate from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. His dissertation topic was: “The Dynamics of interaction between American Jews and Israelis”. He presently teaches at the University of Haifa in the MA programs on American Jewry and on Jewish Peoplehood. Elan is a community activist in Jerusalem, chairperson of Ginot Ha’ir Community Council and the chair of Yeru-Shalem, the Coalition for an Inclusive Jerusalem.

Congregation Brith Sholom | 1190 West Macada Road | Bethlehem, PA 18017 | RSVP to Tammy 610-866-8009

Rabbi Naamah Kelman became the first woman to be ordained by the Hebrew Union College 1992, where she is currently the Dean. Raised in New York, she has lived in Israel since worked in community organizing and the promotion and establishment of Progressive and for Israelis. Rabbi Kelman has been among the founders of the first Progressive Day school. involved in the professional development of the Israeli Rabbinic students and the establishment Spiritual Care/Israeli Chaplaincy. She is a board member of Rabbis for Human Rights, MELITZ engaged in interfaith dialogue and feminist causes Naamah Kelman is deeply engaged and feminist causes. She is married to Dr. Elan Ezrachi and they have three children and five Elan Ezrachi, PhD is a consultant in the areas of Jewish Peoplehood education and Israel recent author of Awakened Dream/50 Years of Complex Unification of Jerusalem Born after six years as a helicopter pilot in Israel's Air Force, Elan went on to pursue a career in received his BA and MA from Hebrew University in Education and Jewish Thought and Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. His dissertation topic was: "The Dynamics of American Jews and Israelis". He presently teaches at the University of Haifa in the MA programs Jewry and on Jewish Peoplehood. Elan is a community activist in Jerusalem, chairperson Community Council and the chair of Yeru-Shalem the Coalition for an Inclusive Jerusalem.

Revived ‘Fiddler’ coming to Easton’s State Theatre

thoughtful, celebratory and enduring.”

The original Broadway production of “Fiddler,” which opened in 1964 with Brooklyn’s Zero Mostel in the lead role of Tevye, was the first musical in history to surpass 3,000 performances. The show won the Tony Award for Best Musical and eight other Tonys.

The tour of the Tony Award-nominated Broadway revival of “Fiddler on the Roof” is coming to the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Easton on the nights of April 24 and 25.

The classic musical from Tony-winner Joseph Stein and Pulitzer Prize winners Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick is revived here by a cast working under Tony-winner Bartlett Sher,

director of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “South Pacific,” and “The King and I.”

The revival introduces a new generation to the story of Tevya the Russian shtetl dairyman and the timeless songs, like “If I Were a Rich Man,” “Sunrise, Sunset” and “Tradition,” that have been adored by so many.

“This ‘Fiddler’ is like its characters,” wrote the Chicago Sun Times: “resilient,

Several years later, Chaim Topol, the Tel Aviv native who died in early March at age 87, fronted a “Fiddler” cast for an even larger audience. With a tone more serious than Mostel’s, he played the pious Jewish dairyman for the 1971 film adaptation, whose studio scenes were shot in London, where he’d starred in the original West End production in 1967.

Tickets for the State Theater shows are on sale at statetheatre.org and 610252-3132.

Application period opens for Segel family scholarship

Applications for the Frank and Ada Segel Family Student Scholarship will be accepted from Lehigh Valley Jewish students who have been accepted to or are enrolled in a postsecondary educational institution, have a demonstrated record of service to the Jewish community and to the Lehigh Valley community at large, and meet additional specific criteria established by the scholarship committee.

The scholarship was established through a philanthropic bequest by Frank and Ada Segel’s daughter, Helen Segel. Helen recognized the importance of higher education and the need for financial assistance to students in the Jewish community. Frank and Ada were members and friends of Congregation Sons of Israel, and Helen wanted to honor their memory with this act of tzedakah.

Decisions for award-

ing scholarships will be at the discretion of the scholarship committee. A scholarship may be awarded to one or more students on an annual basis for up to $3,000. Please call Congregation Sons of Israel at 610-433-6089 or email office@sonsofisrael.net for more information and to obtain an application. Applications, along with supporting materials, should be submitted by June 15.

MARK L. GOLDSTEIN AWARD for outstanding Jewish professionals

GEORGE FELDMAN ACHIEVEMENT AWARD for Young Leadership

SUNDAY, MAY 21 12:30 P.M. to 2:00 P.M. Join Shalom Baby for a play date. Meet other families with young children. There will be snacks, crafts and schmoozing. Register at jewishlehighvalley. org/calendar

Passover, of course. But what about those other holidays?

By Nurit Galon Special to Hakol

All the holidays have their own special character and meaning and truly do portray the history of the Jewish people. At this time of year, it’s Passover, and others right behind it, including “the Yoms.”

We usually learn about Passover from when we’re very small. We know it’s a gathering of family and friends, with special foods, even games, including the search for the hidden matzo. But how much do we know about the other days that make up the Jewish calendar, each very special?

The Omer, April 6-May 25

In Israel, which was predominantly an agricultural community and in some areas still is, the Omer is a period of 50 days leading up to Shavuot and the reception of the Torah at Mt. Sinai, but to the farmers it is a time of harvesting, of bringing in the wheat, and nothing must disturb the flow of work. Weddings and other ceremonies are permitted only on Lag Ba’Omer (the 33rd day of counting the Omer), when the children are busy collecting wood for the traditional bonfires.

Shavuot, May 25-27

This is really an agricultural celebration. A stage is set up in the fields, offerings (including all the babies born that year!) are brought to the main stage, and big tractors perform a rondo, to the delight of all the children. There are dancing, homemade cakes and food, kite competitions and a report from the head of the field crops (hopefully announcing profits!). Eventually everyone goes home tired but happy. This is indeed an agricultural community celebrating a good year in harmony with nature.

Yom Hashoah, April 18

The Holocaust continues to shock and frighten us. Every year as we hear the horrific stories of Holocaust survivors on Holocaust Remembrance Day and try to understand the apathy of the countries that could have made the difference between life and death, we cannot help but ask, “Could it happen again?” And what can we do, each one of us, to make sure it doesn't? Are we teaching our coming generations to be on the watch? Is the world a safer place today?

Yom Hazikaron, April 25

Two days a year at ex-

actly 11 a.m., the sound of a siren sweeps over all of Israel and everything stops. Drivers leave their cars. People are still. In addition to the many ceremonies commemorating Yom Hashoah and Yom Hazikaron (Israel Memorial Day), the siren effectively reminds the whole country of the price we have paid and continue to pay for our tiny country.

Yom Ha’atzmaut, April 26

When I was in the army here, a year after I made aliyah (immigration to Israel) in 1962, my army group marched in the Israel Independence Day parade in Tel Aviv. I will never forget the thousands of Holocaust survivors who lined the streets with flags in their hands and tears streaming down their

faces. All the soldiers, tank crews, pilots cried too. At last, a free people in their own land!

If we accept that a people that forgets, or will not learn from, its past may not prepare well for its future, then we may be happy that our holidays will continue to remind us of our history and traditions and what we must do to ensure our continued survival.

To all our friends and family in the Lehigh Valley Jewish community, our partners in Partnership2Gether, we send you greetings for Pesach and wish you all good health and a happy and joyful year.

FIRST AND ONLY MEDICAL SCHOOL.

Halle Bagshaw was born and raised in Quakertown. After attending Duke University in North Carolina, she came back home to begin her medical career at Temple/St. Luke’s medical school. Now in her second year, she is enjoying the school’s collaborative, supportive environment, and is looking forward to exploring specialty options during her rotations in the near future. There are a million reasons to come back home – especially when home has a 100 Top Teaching Hospital.

sluhn.org/SOM

HALLE BAGSHAW QUAKERTOWN, PA

Docs brief Maimonides peers about burnout

By Carl Zebrowski Editor

If you work in healthcare, there’s a better chance than not that you’re experiencing burnout. That was the framing message of the March 19 presentation by Drs. Chelsea Busch, Kristine Schultz and Lynn Wilson to the Jewish Federation’s Maimonides Society with the theme “Burning the Candle at Both Ends: Addressing Burnout in Healthcare.”

More than 50% of healthcare workers have experienced these problems, said Dr. Zach Goldsmith as he introduced the speakers for the Sunday morning event. In 2021, 63% of physicians reported feeling burned out — almost twice the percentage of previous years.

That number falls in line with the fact that COVID-19 pandemic fueled burnout among healthcare professionals. But the alarming trend had already begun before COVID.

The three presenters know the problem well. “We represent the three biggest specialties that have been affected by burnout,” said Schultz: emergency medicine (Schultz), geriatrics (Wilson) and psychology (Busch). All three of their spouses work in healthcare too, which Schultz points out is itself a factor that increases the risk of burnout.

What is burnout?

Before the presenters could delve into how to fix the problem, they had to define it. Most important, they emphasized, was that burnout is a systemic, organization prob lem, not a personal one. The individual is not to blame. Burnout is a long-term workrelated syndrome character ized by depersonalization (considering other people, such as patients, a burden), emotional exhaustion (“You don’t have any empathy left to give to patients,” Schultz said), a feeling of decreased personal achievement (“per sonal exhaustion,” she said). Symptoms include irritability, anxiety, insomnia and lack of focus. Among the behavioral can be procrastination, illness, lateness. Depression, drug abuse and possibly suicidal thoughts can occur.

At the heart of the problem is a work-life mismatch. Most people experiencing burnout complain about workload. Other potential factors are control over the work itself, adequate rewards, agreement between a worker’s values and the organization’s values. People with the least power in the system are most at risk, such as residents. “They’re the people who are working 80 hours a week at very low pay,” Wilson said. Others are women, minorities, LGBTQ+ and those in specific specialties.

What can you do for yourself?

“If you’re able to iden-

tify burnout early, you can manage it,” Wilson said. “Those who have managed it have increased empathy for patients. They have improved physical and mental health.” Providers also see improved patient outcomes when burnout is managed better.

If you’re experiencing what seems to be an inordinate amount workrelated stress, you need to figure out what’s causing it. Several standardized tests are available that lead a test taker through questions whose answers can determine whether the underlying problem is burnout.

If it is, the first step of the cure is focusing on yourself. “You have to have your own back?” said Wilson. “No one else is going to do that for you.” You need to figure out how you spend your work time versus how you want to spend your work time. Decide what tasks to defer, to delegate or to delete.

Wilson explained that deleting certain tasks was a proactive rather than negative action that keeps time open for what matters most. “When we say no to something we don’t want to do,” she said, “we’re saying yes to something else.”

Not all stress is bad, Busch pointed out. Though too much is destructive, some is good. “If we don’t have enough stress,” she said, “we get depressed and bored.” But learn the limit. “We don’t want ‘stress leading into stress leading into stress.”

If you reach your limit, there down.

How can you get your organization to change?

“There’s only so much you can do as an individual,” said Busch. The organization also has to address the problem. It needs to fulfill some basic responsibilities: set up a wellbeing task force, cultivate a

culture of fairness, sincerely embody the stated organizational values, and give employees choices, autonomy and flexibility to adjust their work-life balance.

A wellness task force is essential, a group that can help assess worker burnout and address it as necessary. Also essential is the “leadership champion,” Busch said, leaders who can make sure polices are being carried out throughout the organization and push for necessary adjustments.

Hearing others’ success stories can help motivate efforts against burnout. The American Medical Association’s Steps Forward website at edhub.ama-assn.org/stepsforward posts testimonials form healthcare professionals

describe what they did to improve their situations, including low-cost initiatives of the sort that organizations appreciate.

The overall situation in the healthcare professions needs to change soon. “We have a lot of people leaving the field,” said Busch. Some are retiring early. Some are staying in the field and getting large sign-on bonuses to move to new employers. But then the situation just repeats. The bonuses may bring people in, she said, “but those are not the things that are going to keep people. And bonuses to newcomers can exacerbate inequalities.”

Busch ended the presentation with a turn outside organizations. She called for advo-

pass laws, for example, that curtail the excessive influence of insurance companies. “Go out and vote,” she said.

Next up for Maimonides

The next Maimonides Brunch and Learn will be a summit on women in healthcare on May 7. “This is a summit to celebrate the women healthcare professionals in the community,” said Dr. Zach Goldsmith, president of the society.

In July, the Jewish Federation will host its annual thank-you gathering of healthcare workers. Aaron Gorodzinsky, who coordinates society activities for the Federation, said the event will probably be at the Shelby in Lower Macungie, but stay

Drs. Zach Goldsmith, Chelsea Busch, Kristine Schultz and Lynn Wilson

Odes to a mother’s days Amy Oselkin publishes book of poems on loss, hope and joy

By Carl Zebrowski Editor

Amy Oselkin started writing poetry when she was a girl. She’s kept at it ever since, and now she has a published book of poems to show for it.

In time for National Poetry Month in April and Mother’s Day in May, she’s released “The Story Behind the Poem: A Reflection on Mommyhood, Miscarriages and Marriage.” The collection of grown-up verse explores the joys of being a mother, the pain of losing a baby and the realities of married life.

“I hope that even though this is my personal story, women will connect with it,” says the Los Angeles native who now lives with her husband, Martin, and three children outside Allentown. “You are not alone.”

The story laid out in the book starts with Oselkin meeting Martin in 2001 at Emory University in Atlanta, where the self-described

“Valley girl” double-majored in journalism and theater studies. After graduation they moved to Los Angeles. A medical residency soon took Martin to New York City. It was during that time, in 2006, when they were stuck on opposite sides of the country, that she wrote the earliest poem in the book.

Oselkin soon moved to NYC and took a job as senior lifestyle editor for “In Touch Weekly,” covering celebrity fashion, beauty and fitness — and weddings too, including the Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes extravaganza in Italy. For the last decade she has worked for Clarks Shoes, selling its footwear on QVC from the corporate TV studio in West Chester.

The most personal poems in the book are those about her two miscarriages. After her first, she wondered what comes next, and what about trying again? “What happens when a baby doesn’t come to light?”

She lived in Philadelphia at the time, before settling in the Lehigh Valley, where Martin works as a physician in diagnostic radiology and neuroradiology with St. Luke’s University Health Network. “I don’t even like going to that area anymore,” she said.

One of the main goals of the publishing project is that other women who have gone through similar experiences will discover a feeling of connection and hope in her poems. “Your experience is unique,” she said, “but there are other women, when you’re ready, who are able to share in your pain and help you heal.”

Another reason for the book was to create a record of the family for the kids when they’re grown up. Those are the happy poems. As she phrased it, “The joy of motherhood is also in the book.”

Some of her favorites are also her kids’ favorites. The subject matter is just what you

might expect. “The ones they like best are the ones about them,” she said.

Of course, as every mother knows, not every part of the motherhood story is warm smiles and giggles.

“I did gag multiple times cleaning Dylan’s dirty diapers,” she said. “It’s really gross.

Then there’s Martin again. Publishing this book of poems with family photos and the stories behind the poems was his idea. He gets the book’s last poem to himself: “After all these years you still surprise me / It’s the little things that make me so happy / … I know loving me must be tough / So thank you, I realize I don’t say it enough.”

She also thanks the Lehigh Valley Jewish community and the “wonderful friends here”

who have supported her publishing effort. “I’m grateful to my friends who are sharing so many stories with me already.”

“The Story Behind the Poem” is available now at Barnes and Noble and Amazon. Oselkin will appear for a book-signing at the Barnes and Noble store at the Lehigh Valley Mall from 1-3 p.m. on April 29.

Penn student earns Goldberg scholarship for Israel study

Savanna Cohen, a sophomore studying neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania, has been awarded the Melvin M. Goldberg Fellow-

ship for Research in Israel for 2023.

Cohen, a native of Johannesburg, South Africa, plans to continue her education

after graduating from Penn to get a doctorate degree and pursue a career in research focusing on neurological disorders. Through the fellowship, she will be working as a lab intern this summer with Dr. Ofer Yizhar at the Weizmann Institute of Science near Tel Aviv.

The fellowship provides $5,000 for a college student to study and perform research in Israel. It is awarded based on the student’s aptitude, interest in Israel and motivation to arrange a personalized research program.

Cohen said Dr. Rebecca Bornstein at Penn will be her mentor. “She has been incredibly helpful and welcoming during this process,” Cohen said. “I applied to the fellowship with her guidance, and I am incredibly grateful to have been selected.

“I am extremely excited to get the opportunity not only to live in Tel Aviv for the next few months, but also to contribute to groundbreaking research that has the potential to have a tangible impact on many people’s lives.”

The Goldberg family has roots in the Lehigh Valley

extending back to the 1960s, when Melvin moved his family to the area and began working at Bethlehem Steel as a researcher. The family joined Congregation Brith Sholom in Bethlehem, and all the kids attended Hebrew school.

Less than 20 years later, Melvin died, and not long after that, his parents, Harry and Birdie; his wife, Ann; and his children gathered to discuss his legacy and memory.

His son Ken had traveled to Israel soon after his father’s death and spent six months doing research there. Many opportunities were available for Israelis looking to study and work in the United States, but not so for Americans wanting to do the same in Israel. On his return home, Ken sat down with his grandparents and family friend Lenny Abrams and discussed that lack of opportunity. Abrams

suggested developing a fellowship in Melvin’s honor, and the Melvin M. Goldberg Fellowship for Research in Israel was born.

Ken now manages the program from the University of California, Berkeley.

“My father loved all aspects of engineering and also art and activism,” he said. “We thought helping students do research was something he would be honored by.”

610.821.8722

JFS to Honor Volunteers with Appreciation Event

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month, a month to recognize the impact volunteers make on our businesses and in our community. More than 80 active volunteers from all over the Lehigh Valley help Jewish Family Service realize the vision that no one in the community should suffer hunger, isolation, abandonment, emotional or physical distress, or lack of community support and caring. They do this by delivering and visiting with Mazel Meal clients, driving older adults to appointments, being a friendly phone caller, leading holiday

programs at long term care residences, and helping in the community food pantry.

Each year, JFS celebrates their volunteers by hosting an appreciation event to say thank you and show gratitude. “The time and compassion given by volunteers is enhancing the lives of our clients by helping them feel less isolated and more connected to the Jewish community,” says Debbie Zoller, executive director.

The volunteer department at JFS is run by Jennifer Oxfeld, a former elementary school educator

who found her niche as a volunteer for many Jewish agencies. She is well aware of how good it feels to give back to the community. Oxfeld takes special care to match each potential volunteer with the opportunity that is the right fit for their interests. “Our volunteers continually tell me how much they enjoy what they do, and how good it feels to be a part of the important work of JFS,” says Oxfeld.

Oxfeld joined the agency in 2021 and has grown the volunteer corps by 25% since her start. Volunteers are cross-trained to be able

Phyllis Ringel Memorial Lecture

Sunday, September 10

With Speaker Barbara Yudis, LSW

Barbara is a mental health practitioner in the Lehigh Valley, specializing in child, adolescent, and adult care for the last 35+ years.

Jewish Family Service welcomes the community to the 2023 Phyllis Ringel Memorial Lecture on Sunday, September 10, at 10:00 a.m. via Zoom. Dedicated to enhancing family values, this year’s presentation, “Social Media and Teens: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” will examine the effect social media has on our children. Details and a registration link coming soon!

ROSS BORN

In Honor of receiving lifetime achievement award from NCA

Susan & Howard Sherer

Debbie Zoller, JFS Staff & Board

ISAAC & SAMANTHA HOF

In Honor of the birth of Malcolm

Karen & Peter Cooper

ELLEN & PHIL HOF

In Honor of the birth of Malcolm

Karen & Peter Cooper

Debbie Zoller, JFS Staff & Board

LINDA & HAROLD KREITHEN

In Honor of the marriage of son

Jeff to Minjeoung

Debbie Zoller, JFS Staff & Board

SHARON & SAM LAND

In Honor of the marriage of daughter, Sarah

Debbie Zoller, JFS Staff & Board

AMY & RICH MORSE

Mazel Tov on the birth of their granddaughter

Linda & Jim Wimmer

JUDY & ANDY MURMAN

With gratitude for a speedy recovery

Linda & Jim Wimmer

ELAINE & LEON PAPIR

In honor of grandson Al’s Bar

Mitzvah

Jane & Arthur Kaplan

FLORA & ANDY PESTCOE

In Honor of the birth of first grandchild

Jane & Bill Markson

MARY & ALAN SALINGER

In Honor of the birth of granddaughter, Maxine

Debbie Zoller, JFS Staff & Board

ARLENE SAMUELSON

Best Wishes for a speedy recovery

Helene & Leno Scarcia

contribution

to help out in a variety of roles in order to increase the impact of JFS on the lives of clients. “This has resulted in an increased number of volunteers; which has allowed JFS to be able to provide more volunteer-led programs to reach a larger clientele base,” says Oxfeld.

Oxfeld continues, “It is my honor and privilege to know them all. For some people, A job is just that… A job. For me, my job is about all of the people who I get to interact with on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Working for JFS has enriched my life, and I hope our volunteers have

that same feeling as they represent us in serving the community.”

JFS will celebrate their volunteers at a Volunteer Appreciation event on April 24th at Jay’s Local. All active volunteers will receive an invitation to join the festivities. “We want to honor the wonderful caring individuals who continually show their dedication and enthusiasm for Jewish Family Service,” says Oxfeld. To get involved, contact joxfeld@jfslv.org

From left to right: Alicia Moreno and Casey Goldblatt volunteering at the Community Food Pantry; new aprons for on-site volunteers; Allen Abbott hands out pizzas from Stromboli’s on Take A Slice Out of Hunger Day; Fay Kun and Miriam Zager prep meals for Mazel Meals deliveries; and Doris Denherder packs dog food for the furry friends of the pantry clients.

Jill Max

JILLIAN SZILAGYI

Congratulations on achieving your PhD!

Aimee & Ozzie Stewart

IN LOVING MEMORY

IRA (BOB) BORN

(Father of Ross Born)

Susan & Larry Berman

Karen & Peter Cooper

Audrey & Rick Nolte

Sue & Howard Sherer

RICHARD DERBY

(Husband of Ruth Derby, Brother of Albert Derby)

Roberta & Robert Kritzer

Debbie Zoller, JFS Staff & Board

TAMA FOGELMAN

(Beloved mother, sister

grandmother and friend)

Lenny Abrams & Family

Natalee & Charles Bass

Sheila Berg

Susan & Larry Berman

Marilyn Braunstein

Marilyn Claire

Gail Ferber

Marlene & Arnan Finkelstein

Bette Friedenheim

Sara & Karl Glassman

Leanne Glueck

Ruth & Walter Green

Elizabeth & Jeff Greenberg &

Family

Mary Ellen Jaindl-Roper

Josie Kivort

Robert Kivort

Roberta & Robert Kritzer

Karen Kuhn

Lori & Mark Kuller

The Lelling Family

Craig Ludwig

Terrie & Jeffrey Manchester

Jane & Bill Markson, Judy

Sanders, & Grace Sanders

Kimberly & Kevin McMahon

Edith Miller

Mike Miller

Roberta & Alan Penn

Phyllis & Henry Perkin

Sandy & Joe Pohutsky

Beth & Ed Posner

Elaine Rappaport-Bass

Dolores Rockman

Linda & Mike Rosenfeld

Helene & Leno Scarcia

Sandra & Jack Schonberger

Ellen Glazier Schwartz

Sandy Schwartz

Judy & Larrie Sheftel

Diane & Howard Silverman

Audrey & Art Sosis

Lynn & Steve Wiener

Linda & Jim Wimmer

Rick & Cherie Braunstein

Zettlemoyer

Debbie Zoller, JFS Staff & Board

JEROME GINSBURG (Husband of Gloria Ginsburg)

Audrey Cherney

Carol & Barry Halper

Edith Miller

Robin & Alex Rosenau

CAROLYN HOFFMAN

(Daughter of Barbara & Arthur Hoffman)

Phyllis & Henry Perkin

Helene & Leno Scarcia

Debbie Zoller, JFS Staff & Board

NATALIE MILLROD

(Mother of Terry Noel)

Roberta & Alan Penn

MICHAEL NATHAN

(Father of Phyllis Kaufman)

Karen Kuhn

VERA SILVERMAN

(Mother of Kathi Katzman)

Debbie Zoller, JFS Staff & Board

Building Bridges in Generations through a Growing Mah Jongg Community

L’dor V’dor is a saying in Judaism meaning from Generation to Generation. Mah Jongg is game of skill and luck played by four people that is deeply ingrained in the culture of many Jewish families that has been passed down from one generation to the next. It’s a popular tile-based game that originated in China in the 1800s and the growth of American Mah

Jongg took hold after World War II as Jewish American women moved to suburban areas and were looking to build social connections.

Coming out of the pandemic, many of our members yearned to rebuild social connections. As a result, we introduced beginner Mah Jongg lessons during the summer of 2021. In the past 18 months, we have taught more than forty people, across all genders, faiths, and ages, the game of American Mah Jongg. New and seasoned players have connected at the JCC to participate

in leisurely drop-in games every Monday and Wednesday afternoon. Members tell us it is a great way to stimulate your mind and sharpen your memory while socially interacting, and making new friends.

At the end of February, we also hosted our first live Mah Jongg tournament where players competed against each other to see who can achieve the highest score by the end of the game. All levels of players from beginners to advanced enjoyed breakfast,

schmooze time, and three rounds of play. Fay Kun was our overall champion of the day while many players claimed the highest score at their tables for each of the three rounds of play.

Overall, playing Mah Jongg can be challenging and fun. Beginner and refresher lessons begin in April and our next tournament will be held in the fall. Join us - we would love to welcome you into our growing Mah Jongg community.

Tracy Sussman Membership and Marketing Director

Hanukkah is on the horizon

cocoa, live entertainment, and a dance party! Register online

Stagemakers cast explores indigenous culture

Thank

A&A Limousine Service

Capital Blue Cross*

Cintas

Herbein & Company Inc.*

HSA Mechanical Services, Inc.*+

McGriff Insurance Services

RKL,LLP+

Giant Food Stores*

Heather Lavin Program Director

The Loomis Company+ LVIC*

Vanguard Cleaning Services of NE PA+ Weinstein Realty*+

Jeanette & Eduardo Eichenwald

Bruce Ershler

The cast of Disney’s “Moana Jr.” wowed the audience and was able to fully embrace their roles with the help of PBS39 and the Museum

of Indian Culture. Stagemakers would like to thank PBS39 for their support of the staff’s work to educate the cast about indigenous cultures and lifestyles. PBS39 provided educational resources based on the series and character

Marc Nissenbaum*+

Deborah & Harold Whittaker+

Molly of Denali. In addition, the organization funded the cast’s workshop with the Museum of Indian Culture’s educator Christine Applegate, who taught indigenous life skills and advised on the production’s dramaturgy.

+ Previous Year Donors

* Over $500

(L) Life & LegacyTM Donors

Participants worked on hand weaving baskets, fishing line, and nets which were used for props and created masks and symbolic stamps to hand-stamp linen, which became part of the costumes for the production.

These additional donors have made a gift since our initial donor list was published in last month’s issue of Hakol. A complete, up-to-date donor list can also be found on the JCC website.

List of additional donors as of 3/14/23

JDS is a beneficiary agency of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley

Why JDS?

Why JDS?

By Megan Hyman

Our family moved to Reading, Pennsylvania from Ohio in the fall of 2018. We were only supposed to be here for one year, then our plan was to move on and find our forever home. Because we were only supposed to be here for a year, we didn’t work to build our community. However, in the fall of 2019, we decided to stay.

Right as we were working on making friends and building our village, the pandemic hit, which was incredibly isolating. When our oldest daughter, Mara, was ready to start kindergarten in the fall of 2021, our local elementary school seemed too large and impersonal. Not to mention we were still very worried about COVID exposures and interruptions to Mara’s education. Some of our local friends suggested that the Jewish Day School of the Lehigh Valley, which is 40 miles away in Allentown, might be a good option for us as they had a great experience the year before.

I honestly very skeptical, as sending our five-year-old to school 50 minutes away didn’t seem like it could possibly be worth it. However, I made the drive up to Allentown with Mara that summer to check out the school.

By Jody Musso

decision parents make about where to send their children for school is often one of the most stressful and difficult. Will the school strike the right balance between quality of education and overall child development? How will our child fit in? Luckily for our fam

Why JDS?

demic as built-in playmates and friends. The JDS has enabled that relationship to strengthen – they check in on each other on the playground and love to see each other in the hallways. It’s a joy to see the older children care for the younger ones. Evelyn is always so proud when one of the “big kids” helps her with her backpack at the end of the day, and Joseph talks about his “reading buddy” constantly!

By Megan Hyman

Thenurtured literally down to each brick. After a couple hours there, our family made the decision to enroll Mara in kindergarten.

Mara’s love of learning simply exploded during her kindergarten year. Morah Trisha had a way of making the kids excited about anything and everything. Mara would literally bounce out of bed in the morning eager

an early childhood education program, the welcoming, intimate, and warm environment at JDS was an obvious place for us to turn. The administration and staff worked tirelessly to adhere to everchanging guidelines from the CDC and still make the magic of school very real for its students. Joseph FLOURISHED in this environment, and now that he’s in his third year as a student (kindergarten!) he loves the dynamic and joyful learning experience he’s had there. I’ll never forget when he came home to recite the full Pledge of Allegiance and knew all the words to the Hatikvah at three years old!

This year, his sister Evelyn was able to join the three-year-old program with

Gerbasio has made Mara a truly well-rounded learner. For a small school, the amount of enrichment and specials is phenomenal. Even in elementary school, they are exposed to so many different things, including learning a third language, Spanish. A benefit of a small school is the ease and flexibility of field trips. Even with short notice, when an opportunity presents itself, kids are able to partake in unique experiences all around town.

One of the major tenets of the JDS is a devotion to the development of bright, confident students who are well prepared to meet the world. This couldn’t be more representative of our experience.

The decision parents make about where to send their children for school is often one of the most stressful and difficult. Will the school strike the right balance between quality of education and overall child development? How will our child fit in? Luckily for our family, in a period of great uncertainty, the decision to choose the Jewish Day School of Lehigh Valley was the easiest “yes!”

Sadly, our chapter in Allentown is coming to a close. For professional reasons, we are moving back to Texas at the conclusion of the school year. Our love for the community that Amy Golding, her staff, and volunteers have created will stay with us forever. The friendships we’ve made as a family through the school will remain and we know these memories made here will bring us joy for years to come.

we’d be here only the pandemic continued, sion after decision build a life here When it came now five-year-old an early childhood the welcoming, vironment at JDS for us to turn. staff worked tirelessly changing guidelines still make the magic for its students. in this environment, his third year as he loves the dynamic ing experience he’s forget when he came full Pledge of Allegiance words to the Hatikvah

This year, his to join the three-year-old the same teachers siblings of her brother’s very shy at first, that and truly gets enthusiasm. The her love of art, the sweetest friends. updates and photos app throughout

Editor’s note: On Saturday, February 4, JDS par ent Anastasiia Zavodnyk, was invited to be a guest speaker at Refugee Shabbat at Temple Beth El. Here are her remarks.

The second I stepped foot into the JDS and met Sara Schonbach and Amy Golding, I had a feeling that the JDS was going to turn our world upside down. The tour just got better and better. Everyone we met was so welcoming. Staff and parents were there painting the school during their free time in the summer! It was clear that the JDS was loved and

So, who is the refugee? It’s me. I can’t speak for every one, only for myself and my family. But let my story be something that can show the general picture. The beginning of 2022 It was a happy time for me. I had a beautiful house near Kyiv, capital of Ukraine. I had a garden full of fruit trees and berry bushes. I had great plans – I was opening my own cafe and bakery store, I was setting up a big greenhouse to plant many vegetables there. My children went to great preschool and afterschool smart classes. My daughter started to go to ballroom classes at the best dance school in the area. My husband had a very important role with great

We arrived in Allentown in late March 2020 with a 2-year-old son, Joseph and 4-month-old daughter, Evelyn. Having flown in from Dallas, Texas to be closer to family (Adam’s parents, Dr. David and Mrs. Susan Hyman who have lived in Allentown for nearly 50 years), we assumed

For any parent grappling with the decision of where to send your child to school in the Lehigh Valley, we found the JDS an extremely supportive place, a refuge from the uncertainties that we all face in our daily lives, and the perfect environment to instill a love of learning and Jewish values.

Who is the refugee? It’s me.

to find out what the plans were for that day.

Morah Trisha really jumpstarted her passion for reading, which has exploded under Mrs. Gerbasio’s care during first grade this year. Mrs. Gerbasio is amazing at nurturing each child’s strengths and passions, while encouraging and supporting their weaknesses. Mrs.

In addition to the outstanding general academics and specials, the Hebrew and Judaics program is simply incredible. I am amazed at how quickly Mara is learning Hebrew. Most importantly, she hasn’t simply memorized the prayers, but has truly learned what they mean and why they are important to Judaism and her daily life. She has learned what each holiday is about, why it’s important and how it is celebrated. She has started to teach her two and three-year-old sisters what she has learned in school, which is so sweet to watch. Her Jewish identity has grown more than I could have hoped and she loves being a part of the Jewish community both at the JDS and at home in Reading. Although we have a wonderful Jewish community here in Reading that has become our “local tribe,” we absolutely love the extended community that we have found at the JDS.

Our kids became ing the quarantine

Who is the refugee?

guage that my kids have – only because of you. It is very important because we have the ability to reconnect with their roots, which I hadn’t in my childhood. Your help and support made us confident in our presence

I had a beautiful house near Kyiv, capital of Ukraine. I had a garden full of fruit trees and berry bushes. I had great plans – I was opening my own cafe and bakery store, I was setting up a big greenhouse to plant many vegetables there. My children went to great preschool and afterschool smart classes. My daughter started to go to ballroom classes at the best dance school in the area. My husband had a very important role with great

The 50 minute drive to and from school each day is absolutely worth it for us to have our daughter excel both academically, as well as socially and spiritually.

So, what is the difference between me as a refugee and other people who came here as immigrants? Reasons why we came. I love Ukraine, it’s my home, home of my children and many past generations of my and my husband’s family. We miss our home a lot. And before February 2022 we never thought about emigrating abroad, we simply didn’t want to, because we were satisfied with our lives and happy in Ukraine. We chose the US because it was the best option of all, but also the most difficult. It was hard, and it is hard. Not only because of usual immigrant’s difficulties such as different language, different culture, finding job, getting all local documents, impossible life without a car, almost impossible life without a credit score, but the real difficulty is not being allowed to go out of the US. Maybe for people, who decide to come here, who has it like big goal, who choose to live here and can stand everything to make this “American dream” came true, but it is very hard for us, refugees, forced migrants, who’s heart is still at our home with our friends, neighbors, parents, houses and gardens. And only your help made our life here more like at home (through relations, conversations, care and support). Because at the end of the day most important things are not material things, they will never ever fill your heart and soul with love, kind-

So, I want to say a big, huge thank you one more time to all of you! I am grateful for the ability to be here today, in a safe, beautiful and ambitious place, the US. I’m grateful to all of you, for listening to my story, for supporting my family and Ukraine. I believe that war will end soon, that I can finally see my home and hug all my friends and neighbors. But I, as all Ukrainians, still stay in that fatal February, in pre-war days, when we were on our land, in our home; happy, confident in the coming

evening we needed to shut all lights, because ritorial defense was looking for hiding russian realized that I couldn’t stand any more. I couldn’t tend as nothing serious was happening and it enough for kids. The worse for me was to let fear, to feel war. It’s not what children should until they are enough old to understand everything not be hurt by it. I want my children to be happy, confident and have strong and healthy mental So, I asked my husband to leave home.

We left on 7th of March and on 8th of March sians* came to our house. They occupied all killed men, raped women, stole a lot of things, houses… it lasted 4 weeks. So, it was nothing pation during WW2… it was worse, much worse.

like this before. Next weeks were very scary for me. The enemy soldiers were closer and closer to our village. At words to describe how grateful we are for it. And this great opportunity to know Jewish traditions and lan-

like this before. Next weeks were very scary for me. The enemy soldiers were closer closer to our village. At

*I use little letter instead of capital on purpose. I don’t respect this people anymore and it’s even hard for me to call them people, because what they have done and are still doing doesn’t look like they are humans at all to me. And because it is my story, I want to highlight it as my relation to them.

Now we are here. And we are very lucky, because met people with very big open hearts full of kindness, people who helped us with so many People from Jewish Day School, Jewish Community Lehigh Valley, Jewish Community Center. Not words to describe how grateful we are for it. great opportunity to know Jewish traditions

JDS is a beneficiary agency of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley

JDS is a beneficiary agency of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley

KI to honor do-it-all leader known simply as ‘Martina’

By Dr. Mike Stroock Congregation Keneseth Israel

In the world of entertainment, there are Elvis, Madonna, Beyonce. In the world of sports, there are LeBron, Shaq, Serena. They’re so good at what they do that they’re universally recognized by one name.

In the world of Congregation Keneseth Israel, there’s someone who’s involved in so many areas of temple life that she’s known to the clergy, staff and fellow congregants by a single name: Martina.

Martina is living proof of the adage “If you want to get something done, ask a busy person.” Although she already wears numerous hats at KI, she seems unable to say no when anyone asks for her help. She has a doing and giving nature, and is detail oriented and extremely organized.

You might assume her dedication and zeal stems from a lifetime of service to Judaism, but no. Martina began life as Tina Zulick in the small Schuylkill County coal-mining town of St. Clair

(population around 5,000, with 36 churches and 35 bars). Both her parents were nonpracticing Christians, so she had no formal early childhood religious education. When she was 9, one of her neighbors, perhaps thinking she needed saving, began to take her along to her Methodist Church. Tina attended Sunday school there and sang in the choir, but within a few years she became disenchanted and left it behind.

She graduated from nursing school in 1969 and went to work at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. At a fraternity party one evening, she saw her future. He was cute, he could dance and he was going to be a doctor! He introduced himself as Mike Obenski. He was in veterinary school, and Martina found him caring, funny and focused, and they had much in common.

They fell in love and discussed marriage, but since he was Jewish, they were concerned about raising children in an interfaith household.

Mike broached the idea of

Martina converting to Judaism, and to her surprise, she found its beliefs similar to her own. She completed the process and they were married in August 1970. They would go on to have three children — Chad (of blessed memory), Rachel and Bryson — and eight grandchildren.

Mike and Martina moved to the Lehigh Valley in 1972 when Mike joined a veterinary practice in Bethlehem (he opened his Allentown Clinic for Cats later). They joined KI that same year, and Martina immediately became involved in Sisterhood. That year, she won the Sisterhoodsponsored cooking contest. She became very active in outreach and chaired the Outreach Committee several times over the next decade. She also helped create and coordinate Sisterhood Shabbat Services.

Martina’s dedication to KI includes many years of service on the board of trustees, including two years as president. She chaired the Second Century Endowment Drive, raising $1.2 million almost single-handedly. She has chaired a rabbi search

committee and a rabbi-installation weekend event.

Some other activities Martina has been involved with over the years include recruiting and coordinating the temple volunteers and hosting and speaking to various church confirmation classes about worship from different perspectives when they visit KI. She helped bring A Taste of Judaism and An Introduction to Judaism classes to KI many years ago and continues to run both. “By coordinating these programs,” she says, “I help point out not just our religious differences but also our similarities. Building the bridge of understanding makes everyone a better person, and I like being a part of that.” More recently, she organized the Family Promise initiative at to provide overnight support and meals to homeless families.

Martina is adept at leading Shabbat services and does so in cases where the rabbi cannot. She coleads the Yom Kippur meditation service, and four years ago she became an adult bat mitzvah. Currently, she chairs the Re-

ligious Practices Committee.

One of her latest projects involved reviewing all the board minutes from the last 80 years to develop a manual of policies and procedures that would ensure that previously approved motions are consistent with current practices. Martina has chosen to immerse herself into being Jewish. She and Mike routinely attend services at KI and feel comfort in the beauty of the prayers and the music.

It’s only fitting that KI publicly recognize this extraordinary woman for all she has done and continues to do. The congregation will hold a brunch to honor and celebrate her at 10 a.m. Sunday, April 23.

TBE has valley’s 1st interactive yahrzeit board

By Cindy Schneider Temple Beth El

Temple Beth El is the first synagogue in the area to have an interactive yahrzeit board.

The board is a huge computer monitor, like a big screen TV. The screen displays individual boxes, each designating a deceased person and each interactive.

As the story goes, a rabbi was visiting a memory care facility. He noticed that at each door there was a box, like a diorama, where each resident’s life story was depicted in pictures, articles, memorabilia, events and

anything else that helped tell about that person’s journey through time. It struck the rabbi as a very humanistic way to keep a memory alive.

In exploring this idea, the rabbi discovered the company Interactive Yahrzeit. Development teams there had worked to bring together software design and lighting design in a host synagogue to create a beautiful way to keep loved ones alive.

To set up the board, information on a deceased person is entered, including birth and death dates and a Hebrew name. The family can add other factual data or pictures.

The finished piece, complete with a wooden frame created by David Goodman, is quite beautiful, a standout addition to the temple décor. People can search for and read about family members, maybe add a few highlights and, of course, reminisce and read about those whose names they recognize from the past. I found it extremely addictive. You don’t want to lose your spot. As generations are added to the board, using it will eventually be a better experience than searching genealogy sites.

JFLV Super Funday and JCC Purim celebration

On March 5, the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley held Super Funday at the Jewish Community Center of the Lehigh Valley, which included a phone-athon and a PJ Library event. During the phone-a-thon, Jewish Federation volunteers closed $25,000 in gifts. Kids from area synagogues performed Purim spiels. Afterwards, all the children gathered for the PJ Library event to make hamantaschen and decorate and assemble mishloach manot (Purim gift bags). The JCC held its Purim celebration carnival in the gym and concluded the event with a magic show in the auditorium.

Draw Yomi: Art and Text in Contemporary Jewish Life

Jacqueline Nicholls

Visual artist (UK)

6:00 p.m.

- Exhibition: Goodman Lobby, Open to the Public

April 27, 2023

The artwork will be on display from April 26-27.

7:00 p.m. - Lecture: Diamond Theater, Zoellner Arts Center

In January 2020 Jacqueline completed her seven and half year drawing project, Draw Yomi, to learn a page of Talmud a day following the Daf Yomi cycle, and respond each day with a drawing.. What does an artist notice that a yeshiva student might not see? When the hands are busy, the mind is thinking differently and the art making process offers new ways to subvert and create meaning. Using a wide variety of drawing mediums, Jacqueline used her art to engage with the traditional Talmud in untraditional ways, and develop fresh insights into this ancient text. On display at Lehigh University are some digital films and a special selection of Jacqueline’s notebooks, curated from the 2,711 drawings in the Draw Yomi collection.

Jacqueline Nicholls is a London based visual artist, award-winning visual poet, Jewish educator and cultural events producer. Jacqueline’s art practice explores handwriting as a form of drawing. This interest is informed by her Jewish heritage, a tradition that values scholarly word-play and textual interpretations as religious acts. Handwriting is her method of grappling with the patriarchal authoritative texts of the tradition, taking them in hand as a feminist critique. Her work shifts between representational to abstraction as she considers the emotional potency of ambiguity.

abstraction as she considers the emotional potency of ambiguity.

Emily Greenberg collects hygiene items for JFS

Saturday April 1. The Lower Macungie Middle School seventh grader is active in choir, band and technical crew at school. She also plays soccer and loves riding horses. In planning her mitzvah project, Emily, with the help of her mom, decided to try to pair her parsha (weekly Torah portion) with her project. Emily’s parsha is Tsav. Among other ideas, it deals with the rules of keeping kosher.

we contacted Jen Oxfeld at JFS to talk about a mitzvah project.”

Emily Greenberg, daughter of Bruce and Sandi Greenberg, was being called to the Torah as a bat mitzvah at Congregation Keneseth Israel on

“I thought I could do something food related,” Emily said. Sandi added, “We knew about the Jewish Family Service Community Food Pantry, so

JFS’s food pantry provides emergency assistance to individuals and families in the 18104 zip code, regardless of religion. It also serves Jewish clients across the Lehigh Valley. Stocked with food and personal items, the pantry is supported through contributions from the community and maintained by volunteers. Food pantry clients are able to choose which items they receive. JFS works in partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank.

“Jen Oxfeld explained that the food pantry could

really use personal care and toiletry items this month, so Emily pivoted her mitzvah project from food to personal care items,” Sandi said.

Emily has placed a collection box at Congregation Keneseth Israel where items can be dropped off. She and her family will also pick up items from donors. Please contact her at emilygmitzvah@gmail. com to make arrangements.

Besides collecting items, Emily is also donating her time to JFS. She has been helping to stock the shelves for food pantry clients.

Her father and I are ex-

tremely proud, said Sandi. Emily is empathetic, kind, generous and caring. We are proud she chose not only to collect donations, but also to give some of her time as well.

In addition to the mitzvah project, Emily has made her first adult gift of tzedakah to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs.

For help developing a mitzvah project, contact Abby Trachtman, project coordinator, at abbyt@ jflv.org or call her at the Jewish Federation office at 610-821-5500.

Nate Lowrey sends cards to Holocaust survivors

Nate Lowrey, son of Caren and Keith Lowrey, became a bar mitzvah at Temple Beth El on March 18.

The Springhouse Middle School seventh grader knew exactly what he would do for his mitzvah project. As a fourth-generation Holocaust survivor, supporting survivors is near and dear to his heart, and he is doing so through the Blue Card.

The Blue Card was established by the Jewish community in Germany in 1934 to help Jews already being affected by Nazi restrictions through loss of jobs, forcibly closed businesses and other forms of oppression. In 1939, the Blue Card was reestablished in the United States to continue aiding refugees of Nazi persecution resettling in America. The organization’s name derives from the original blue paper cards issued to Jewish donors who raised funds for those who had lost jobs. Each time a donation was made, a stamp was put on the card as a record.

After the Holocaust, the mission of the organization expanded to helping survivors of the Shoah from all over Europe travel to the United States to start a new life. Today, the Blue Card continues to help Holocaust survivors in need in the United States by providing direct financial assistance and tools for mental, emotional and physical health.

As the number of living survivors declines, their

need for financial assistance increases. Since its inception, the Blue Card has provided funds that improves the daily lives of Shoah victims in need and leads to a more secure future. The Blue Card actively aids 3,000 Holocaust survivor households.

For his mitzvah project, Nate is “virtual volunteering” and having religious school students participate as well. He went to each Hebrew school classroom and spoke to the students about the Blue Card.

“We created virtual greeting cards of short videos about ourselves that I uploaded and sent to survivors to cheer them up,” he said. He had the older students design their own Passover cards to be sent to survivors.

He plans to have cardsigning station that consists of Passover cards/ greeting cards along with Blue Card information pamphlets and merchandise for guests to sign if they’d like upon entering his bar mitzvah party. There is a card-signing station in the vestibule of Temple Beth El for anyone who would like to participate. Simply design or sign a card and slide it in the slot to make a survivor’s day.

Finally, Nate will donate a portion of his bar mitzvah proceeds to the Blue Card. His goal as a fourth-generation Holocaust survivor is to increase awareness of the Holocaust and the Blue Card organization. Check the Blue Card website for

additional information at www.thebluecard. org.

Keith and Caren Lowrey are very proud of their son. “It has been wonderful to watch him grow and to see all that he’s achieved over the past year,” they said. “His determination, drive and dedication to his bar mitzvah have been admirable, and we can’t wait to see the end result of all his hard work. We are so proud of what Nate has accomplished this year.”

In addition to his mitzvah project, Nate has made his first adult gift of tzedakah to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley Annual Campaign

for Jewish Needs.

For help developing a mitzvah project, contact Abby Trachtman, project coordinator, at abbyt@ jflv.org or call her at the Jewish Federation office at 610-821-5500.

Bnai Shalom wows crowd with inventive Purim spiel

Congregation Bnai Shalom presented a unique perspective on the Purim story on Sunday, March 5, featuring songs from the Broadway show “Wicked” reinterpreted with new lyrics, dance, and engaging, imaginative costuming.

Writer, director and costume designer Annelise Davis delved deep into the psyches of well-known characters and provided an opportunity for them to become more than cardboard cutouts. This new interpretation clearly resonated with the

audience, which applauded enthusiastically throughout the show.

Many attendees remarked that they had never considered a backstory for Haman, the villain, and were impressed with the alternative midrashic interpretations. “It was also a story of forgiveness and understanding and the call for each of us in our daily lives to truly treat each other as we would want to be treated ourselves,” observed one audience member.

One hundred twenty-five people attended from the Le-

should

high Valley, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Wilkes-Barre. Clearly their GPS devices found Easton!

Six hundred ninety-four hamentashen were devoured during intermission, along with cheese and fruit platters, wine, soft drinks and snacks.

The basket raffle was a huge success.

Patrons wondered about future performances. Comments overheard during intermission included: “How can they top this?” “Unbelievable voices.” “Such great energy.” “The costumes positively glowed.”

As the curtain fell, the cast was already considering fresh ideas for next year’s Purim spiel, including the formation of a Lehigh Valley Interfaith Theater Troupe. Maybe?

All Bnai Shalom Purim spiel photos: Edwin A. Davis Photography.

Judy Heumann, ‘mother of the disability rights movement,’ second-generation Holocaust survivor, dies at 75

Jewish Telegraphic Agency

In Judith Heumann’s 2020 memoir, the lifelong advocate for people with disabilities describes feeling shocked upon being invited to read from the Torah at her synagogue in Berkeley, California. Not only were women permitted to carry out the sacred task, unlike in the Orthodox synagogue of her Brooklyn childhood, but the bimah, or prayer platform, had been made accessible just for her. “Oh my God, I thought, I’ve never been asked to do an aliyah,” Heumann wrote, using the Hebrew word for the ritual. “I learned how to do it.”

The moment was just one of many when Heumann, who died on March 4 at 75, charted ground that had previously been off-limits to wheelchair users like her. Since contracting polio as a toddler, Heumann broke down barriers for disabled children and educators in New York City schools, protested until federal legislation protecting people with disabilities was passed and advised multiple presidential administrations on disability issues.

A cause of death was not immediately given for Heumann, whose website announced her death on March 4, 2023 in Washington, D.C. Heumann had lived there for 30 years, since being tapped by the Clinton administration to serve as assistant secretary of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services.

Heumann was born in 1947 to two parents who had separately fled Nazi Germany as children in the 1930s; all of her grandparents and countless other family members were murdered in the

Holocaust.

She said she believed it was her parents’ experience that led them to reject doctors’ advice to have their daughter institutionalized after she contracted polio and lost the use of her legs.

“They came from a country where families got separated, some children sent away, others taken from their families by the authorities and never returned — all part of a campaign of systematic dehumanization and murder,” she wrote in her memoir, “Being Heumann.” “Their daughter, disabled or not, wasn’t going anywhere.”

Instead her parents, and in particular her mother, Ilse, set about to advocate for her. When the city school system said Judith could not attend her neighborhood school, Ilse got a rabbi to agree that she could attend his yeshiva if her daughter learned Hebrew. Judith did, but the rabbi did not keep his word. Instead, Ilse lined up an array of activities for Judith, including thrice-weekly Hebrew school classes accessible only if her father carried her in her chair up a flight of stairs, until the city opened a program for children with disabilities.

There, Heumann wrote, she first encountered “disability culture” — what she described as “a culture that has learned to value the humanity in all people, without dismissing anyone for looking, thinking, believing or acting differently.” She would experience and then help craft this culture during a decade at summer camp, in a movement captured in the 2020 documentary “Crip Camp,” and then throughout a lifetime of advocacy that earned her the moniker

“mother of the disability rights movement.”

One notable win came in 1970, after Heumann graduated from college with a degree in speech therapy. Told that she could not teach in New York City schools because she could not help children leave in case of fire, Heumann sued. She was represented in part by an attorney who would argue Roe v. Wade in front of the Supreme Court, and the case came before Judge Constance Baker Motley, the only woman on the NAACP legal team that argued Brown v. Board of Education. The city quickly settled and Heumann ultimately got a job at her old elementary school.

The public fight propelled Heumann into the leadership of an inchoate disability rights movement. Two years later, she participated in New York City protests in favor of federal anti-discrimination laws that President Richard Nixon ultimately signed. In 1977, she was one of dozens of disability advocates to occupy a federal building in San Francisco in a demonstration calling for enforcement mechanisms. Their advocacy led to Section 504, a federal statute that requires entities receiving government funds to show that they do not discriminate on the basis of disability.

The episode was dramatized on Comedy Central’s “Drunk History.” Heumann was played by Ali Stroker, a Jewish actress who was the first wheelchair user to perform on Broadway. Heumann was also recognized as Time Magazine’s 1977 Woman of the Year in a 2020 retrospective.

Heumann was a cofounder of the Center for Indepen-

Artist to present page-a-day Talmud project at Lehigh

April 26 and 27 for the program “Draw

with the Lehigh University Art Galleries, the event will explore the work that Nicholls developed over more than seven years of studying a folio of the Talmud each day, a practice known traditionally as daf yomi, or daily folio. For each Talmud page, she created her own page of visual art.

An exhibition of selected pieces from this corpus of 2,711 images will be on display at the Zoellner Arts Center both days along with some digital films Nicholls created for this project. At 7 p.m. on the 27th, she will talk about her daily folio project in the center’s Diamond Theater. The talk is free and open to the public.

For more information contact Lehigh’s Office of Research and Graduate Programs at incasgrd@lehigh. edu or 610-758-4280.

dent Living in Berkeley before returning to the East Coast and the government advisory roles. Through it all, Heumann remained involved with the Jewish communities where she lived, including by having a bat mitzvah ceremony as an adult. In Washington, she was a member of Adas Israel Congregation.

In 2016, she cited tikkun olam, the ancient rabbinical imperative to repair the world, during a 2016 White House event during Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month. “The Jewish community has an obligation, I believe, to be leaders,” said Heumann, then special advisor for international disability rights in the State Department.

She also traveled as an adult to her father’s hometown in Germany, Hoffenheim, where she was taken to the site of the synagogue that the Nazis destroyed but noted that no one there spoke openly about what had happened to the local Jews.

In “Being Heumann,” she connected the experience

to her own efforts to bring people with disabilities into the mainstream. “What a pervasive influence silence and avoidance have had on my life,” she wrote. “Why wasn’t I in school? Silence. Why aren’t we allowed on buses? Silence. Why can’t disabled people teach? Silence. Where are all the Jews going? Piercing silence. “I refuse to give in to the pressure of the silence,” she concluded.

The London-based Jewish visual artist Jacqueline Nicholls will be featured at Lehigh University’s Zoellner Arts Center on

Yomi: Art and Text in Contemporary Jewish Life.” Presented by the Philip and Muriel Berman Center for Jewish Studies at Lehigh University in partnership

Judy Heumann attends the 2022 Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization Summit at the United Nations in New York City, on May 20, 2022. (Chance Yeh/Getty Images)

The first and last drawings of the Draw Yomi Talmud drawings project. (www.jacquelinenicholls.com)

‘The Personal Librarian’

By Sandi Teplitz Special to Hakol

Most people remember J. P. Morgan, a man who amassed wealth as a banker and lavishly spent it on art and rare manuscripts. His story has been published by many, but until recently, the person who propelled him to fame was hardly known: Belle da Costa Greene, his personal librarian, confidante and genial companion. This book tells her story, and opens up a plethora of issues involving racism and antisemitism.

Greene was born of Black

parents with differing views of what constituted success. Her father was the first person of color to graduate from Harvard University and preached equality. Her mother, a pragmatist, believed that a person’s Blackness was a ticket to low pay and lower status. Both parents recognized the value of an education. Belle’s father eventually left the household when her mother insisted that the children pass as white to get ahead.

The book explores Belle’s personal and professional life, and includes an in-depth story of her affair and friend-

ship with Bernard Berenson, a writer and art expert who was forced to convert from Judaism to Christianity to retain his prominence as an authority on Italian Renaissance art. Both lived lives of deception to achieve renown among their contemporaries. But at what price? Belle’s eristic demeanor at once contrasts with and is admired by the wealthy patrons who judge people primarily by their treasures rather than by their contributions to society. The ethos of their world reveals the tenacious hold that ill-won power has on society. Whether you are a fan of

romance, historical fiction or the art world, you will discover an extraordinary depiction of public figures struggling with personal issues. Benedict and Murray handle the characters with sensitivity and leave the reader to consider both their strengths and their flaws.

“The Personal Librarian,” by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, Berkley, 352 pages, 2022.

Coming Soon!

MONDAY, APRIL 17

Yom Hashoah commemoration

7 p.m., JCC Kline Auditorium

The commemoration program will include the presentation “Frieda’s Story: Life, Love and Survival,” with Fay Kun telling the story of her mother, Frieda Fried, through words, pictures and recently-made-available video. The memorial reading of the names of Holocaust victims will begin at 6. Register at jewishlehighvalley.org/calendar.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 21-22

CBS Visiting Scholar

6 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. Saturday, Congregation Brith Sholom

Rabbi Naamah Kelman, dean of Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem, and Elan Ezrachi, instructor at the University of Haifa, will speak on “Israel in Contemporary Judaism” on Friday and “Emerging Trends Between Israel and American Jewry” during service on Saturday. Dinner will be served at 7 on Friday (reservations required) and kiddush luncheon will follow the service on Saturday. The event is cosponsored by CBS and the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. RSVP to Tammy at 610-866-8009.

SUNDAY, APRIL 23

KI brunch honoring Martina Obenski

10 a.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel

Keneseth Israel invites the community to a brunch to honor and celebrate Martina Obenski, who joined the synagogue in 1972 and is known for wearing many hats there. For more information, contact the synagogue at 610-435-9074 or through its website at kilv. org/contact-us.

MONDAY, APRIL 24

Yom Hazikaron Remembrance

Room

9 a.m. to 5 p.m., JCC Boardroom

Visitors can guide themselves through the displays of information and visuals related to fallen Israel Defense Forces soldiers in the JCC Boardroom.

MONDAY, APRIL 24

Yom Hazikaron ceremony

6 p.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel

Join in this Israel Memorial Day observance to honor fallen Israel Defense Forces soldiers and those who have lost their lives in terror attacks. Register at jewishlehighvalley.org.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26

Yom Ha’atzmaut carnival

4:30 p.m., JCC Washington Street field

Celebrate Israel’s 75th birthday at this festival with Israeli music, food, face painting, games, prizes and more. At 5:30, 12 torches representing the 12 tribes of Israel will be lit to mark Israel Independence Day. Twelve people from the community will be chosen to light the torches based on their contributions to Israeli and Jewish society. You’re invited to nominate someone to be among those 12. Please volunteer to help at the event. Register to attend at jewishlehighvalley.org/ calendar.

WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY, APRIL 26-27

Draw Yomi: Art and Text in Contemporary Jewish Life

Lehigh University Zoellner Arts Center

A selection of art from visual artist Jacquelline Nicholls’ page-a-day Talmud project will be on display along with some digital films in the Zoellner Arts Center. At 7 p.m. on the 27th, Nicholls will talk about her project in the arts center’s Diamond Theater. The presentation is free and open to the public. For more information contact Lehigh’s Office

Community Calendar

of Research and Graduate Programs at incasgrd@lehigh.edu or 610-758-4280.

THURSDAY, MAY 4

Federation Main Event: A Night of Comedy With Modi

7 p.m., JCC

The Israel-born comedian the New York Times called “the next Jackie Mason” is coming to the Lehigh Valley for a Jewish Federation Main Event. Modi has performed all over television and at live venues around the globe, including frequently for Jewish Federation audiences. Buy tickets or be a sponsor at jewishlehighvalley.org/mainevent!

SUNDAY, MAY 21

The Great Shalom Baby Play

Date

12:30-2 p.m., JCC

Join Shalom Baby for a play date. Meet other families with young children. There will be snacks, crafts and schmoozing. Contact Abby Trachtman at abbyt@jflv.org with questions.

THURSDAY, JUNE 8

Jewish Community Celebration and Annual Meeting

6 to 8 p.m.

Save the date for the Jewish Federation’s annual community celebration, meeting and presentation of awards. Details to come. Meanwhile, nominations are open for the George Feldman Achievement Award for Young Leadership and the Mark L. Goldstein Award for Outstanding Jewish Communal Professionals. Visit jewishlehighvalley.org/ awards for more information on these awards and/or to nominate someone.

TUESDAY, JUNE 13

Jewish Heritage Night at the IronPigs

7:05 p.m., Coca-Cola Park

Come out to Coca-Cola Park in Allentown with the Jewish community, see friends and watch the Iron Pigs play the Toledo Mud Hens. Kosher food will be served. Details to come.

ONGOING EVENTS

MONDAYS Yiddish Club

2 to 3:30 p.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley via Zoom

Experience the joys of Yiddish via Zoom as part of “Adults at the J.” The group meets weekly to discuss topics like cooking, humor, music and all kinds of entertainment in the Yiddish language. All are welcome to join this lively, weekly discussion. There is something for everyone no matter if you know a few words or are a fluent speaker. Enjoy fun, fellowship, stories and more. Participants Zoom in from 5 states. No cost. Contact Janis Mikofsky at the JCC of the Lehigh Valley, 610435-3571, ext. 501.

MONDAYS

KI Seminarion

7-9 p.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel via Zoom

Join Rabbi Phil Cohen for this Zoom class. For information, contact Vicki Dunn at 610-4359074 or vdunn@kiallentown.org.

MONDAYS AND THURSDAYS

Online Jewish yoga studio

Mondays 11 to 11:45 a.m., Thursdays 4 to 4:45 p.m., Institute for Jewish Spirituality

Mindful body practices help us find shelter right where we are, in our bodies in this very moment. Join yoga teacher and IJS faculty member Rabbi Myriam Klotz or Cantor Lizzie Shammash as she guides you in an all-levels yoga and movement session informed by

Jewish spiritual teachings and designed to relieve stress as we increase awareness of breath and grounding through our bodies. Open to all, no experience needed. Sign up at jewishspirituality.org/get-started.

TUESDAYS

Weekly Torah study

11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Institute for Jewish Spirituality

Rabbi Jonathan Slater will lead a weekly program: “Torah Study to Sustain The Soul,” aimed at addressing an aspect of spiritual life that will help us navigate this time of uncertainty and isolation. Open to all, no previous knowledge needed. Sign up at jewishspirituality.org/get-started.

TUESDAYS

Torah on Tuesdays with Bnai Shalom

12:30 p.m., at a private home Torah on Tuesdays interactive Torah study group. Contact office@bnaishalomeaston.org for more information.

WEDNESDAYS

Judaism for Our Time with Bnai Shalom

11 a.m., Congregation Bnai Shalom via Zoom

Register in advance for this meeting. For information call 610-258-5343.

WEDNESDAYS

Yoga with Miriam Sandler: ChairSupported Yoga

1 to 2 p.m., Congregation Brith Sholom in person and via Zoom

Be seated in a comfortable chair, preferably armless (folding works well). Some standing poses holding onto the chair are offered, though students may choose to remain seated. Modifications are given. Open to the public in person and live stream available to all via Zoom. *$10 drop-in fee payable to Congregation Brith Sholom. For more information email mbserow@gmail.com.

WEDNESDAYS Torah Studies: A Weekly Journey into the Soul of Torah

7 p.m., Chabad of the Lehigh Valley in person and via Zoom

Torah Studies by the Jewish Learning Institute presents Season Three 5783, a 12-part series, in person and via Zoom. Cost is $36 for the course, including textbook. For more information, call 610-351-6511 or email rabbi@chabadlehighvalley.com.

EVERY OTHER WEDNESDAY Hadassah study group

12:30 p.m., via Zoom

We discuss short stories from an anthology. Always welcoming new participants! Contact Marilyn Claire at mjclaire@gmail.com or 610972-7054 to sign up.

THURSDAYS Basic Yiddish class

4 to 5:30 p.m., JCC via Zoom

Learn to read, write, speak and comprehend Yiddish. Textbooks from Yiddish Book Center available for purchase. Contact Janis Mikofsky at 610-435-3571, ext. 501.

3RD THURSDAY OF THE MONTH

Belonging to Bethlehem: A Jewish Story Sampler

1:15-2:30 p.m., Congregation Brith Sholom or virtual

In this six-session workshop, you’ll hear the stories that made the Bethlehem Jewish

community, starting from 1890. You’ll also learn writing techniques and have time to write stories from your life or family. $10 per session. Light refreshments served. Instructor Jennifer Lader is a writer, storyteller and author. Registration required at tammy@ brithsholom.net or 610-866-8009.

FRIDAYS

Kol HaEmek

8:30 to 9:30 a.m., WMUH 91.7

Radio show with Cantor Kevin Wartell. For information go to muhlenberg.edu/wmuh.

3RD FRIDAY OF THE MONTH

KI Shabbat B’Yachad

5:30-7 p.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel

Art projects, songs, snack stories, prayer and dinner. Geared toward kids ages 5-10, but perfect for younger siblings too. RSVP at kilv. org.

SATURDAYS Wisdom of the Talmud class

After Shabbat Lunch and Schmooze, Congregation Brith Sholom

Join Rabbi Michael Singer in a discussion about Jewish law, ethics, customs and history as found in the pages of the Talmud. The fall-winter class begins a new volume of the Talmud: “Mesechet Megillah.” Books are available in the synagogue office. No previous Talmud study required. For information email tammy@brithsholom.net or call 610866-8009.

DAILY Jewish Broadcasting Service

JBS is a Jewish television channel featuring daily news from Israel; leading Jewish figures, issues and events of Jewish importance; call-in programs; Jewish studies; 92nd Street Y; live Friday and holiday services for those at home; children’s programs; films; music; books; and entertainment. jbstv.org.

DAILY Congregation Sons of Israel minyanim

Shacharit on Mondays and Thursdays 6:30 a.m.; Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays 6:45 a.m.; Sundays 8:30 a.m.

Congregation Sons of Israel welcomes all to the daily Shacharis and Mincha/Maariv services which are conducted in the main sanctuary of the synagogue for Covid-19 safety. Please check the synagogue at sonsofisrael.net for the weekly listing of the starting time for Mincha/Maariv. Face masks are not required, but strongly recommended. If you have any questions, call the synagogue office at 610-433-6089.

MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

Daily online meditation

12:30 p.m., Institute for Jewish Spirituality

One of their master teachers will lead a live daily guided meditation. Join with people from around the world to share 30 minutes of Jewish mindfulness. Open to all, no experience needed. Sign up at jewishspirituality. org/get-started.

To list an event in the Community Calendar, submit your information on our website, www.jewishlehighvalley.org, under the “Upcoming Events” menu. All events listed in the Community Calendar are open to the public and free of charge, unless otherwise noted. Programs listed in HAKOL are provided as a service to the community. They do not necessarily reflect the endorsement of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. The JFLV reserves the right to accept, reject or modify listings.