HAKOL - June 2018

The Voice of the Lehigh Valley Jewish Community

www.jewishlehighvalley.org

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Issue No. 410

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June 2018

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Sivan/Tamuz 5778

AWARD-WINNING PUBLICATION EST. 1977

Revisit local women’s events p4-5

Congratulate this year’s graduating high school seniors p16-18

COM.UNITY WITH MARK GOLDSTEIN p2 LVJF TRIBUTES p8 JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE p15 JEWISH DAY SCHOOL p19 JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER p20 COMMUNITY CALENDAR p30-31

JDS students lobby for EITC

By Stephanie Smartschan JFLV Director of Marketing On May 2, sixth and seventh grade students from the Jewish Day School of the Lehigh Valley traveled with their teachers and community members to Harrisburg to advocate for issues that are important to them, including the continuance of the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program.

They joined with 800 students from 13 Jewish day schools and other private schools in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The JDS students had the opportunity to speak with members of the state House of Representatives to thank them and encourage them to continue supporting the EITC program.

“I live in Allentown and if my family did not receive an EITC scholarship from pre-K to 4th grade

to help support my Jewish education, I wouldn’t be here today as a 7th grader from the JDS speaking to you,” one student said.

Through the program, Pennsylvania businesses and qualified individuals who make a donation to a registered scholarship organization receive a substantial tax credit and are able to provide scholarships to children across Pennsylvania to assist them in attending the schools of their choice.

The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is a registered scholarship organization, and donations made through Federation support students at the Jewish Day School and Jewish Community Center.

“It makes a significant difference in the minds of the legislators to see students engaging in the EITC Continues on page 28

Jewish Day School students show their appreciation for EITC in Harrisburg.

Jewish Federation to honor award winners and leaders

VALESKA ZIGHELBOIM George Feldman Achievement Award for Young Leadership

By Stephanie Smartschan JFLV Director of Marketing The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley will honor individuals who exemplify

BRIAN & EMILY FORD Pomerantz Award for Campaign Excellence

CANTOR KEVIN WARTELL Schiff Award for Prejudice Reduction

FORMER REP. CHARLIE DENT President’s Award

ISRAEL NEXT DOR Celebrate the graduation of the class of 2018

leadership at its Community Celebration & Annual Meeting on June 14.

The picnic-style event will celebrate the accomplishments of the past year and

look ahead to the local Jewish community’s future. It will include barbecue fare, drinks and dessert. All are welcome.

Chosen by a committee of her peers, Valeska Zighelboim will receive the George Feldman Achievement Award for Young Leadership.

“While Valeska has only been in the community for five years, she has emerged as a leader throughout the community,” one of the nominations for Zighelboim read.

She has served on both the Jewish Day School and Temple Beth El boards. At JDS, she is on the executive committee and is the vice president of development. In this role, she chairs fundrais-

ing events including the annual JDS Gala. She also serves as secretary of the board of the JDS Supporting Foundation.

This year, Zighelboim and her husband, Israel, championed through Federation a campaign to help the Jewish community of Venezuela. It was a deeply personal cause – Valeska and Israel both grew up there. With their help, the community raised $17,000 to help in a time of dire need.

“Valeska’s decision to share her story and fight for the people of Venezuela was truly inspiring,” said Jeri Zimmerman, assistant executive director of the Federation.

“We were fortunate to partner

with such a strong community leader and look forward to all that she will bring to our community in the future.”

For their work championing the day that brings in the greatest number of donations to Federation’s Annual Campaign every year, Brian and Emily Ford will receive the Pomerantz Award for Campaign Excellence.

As co-chairs of Super Sunday for the past three years, the Fords helped the community raise a total of $113,000 and engage hundreds of volunteers.

“More than simply a

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Annual Meeting Continues on page 28

com.UNITY

FROM THE DESK OF MARK L. GOLDSTEIN

Executive Director | Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley markg@jflv.org

Standing still never gets you anywhere Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a “stand still” kind of person. Even with my illness I get restless the less I move. I don’t stand in one place for a long time. And I don’t intend for the Jewish community to do so either.

Spring in the northeast is a great time to address not standing still. The winters here can certainly make you appreciate the warmer weather of the spring and the feeling that we can do so much more. The weather is less inhibiting; the greening of the lawns, the colors of the flowers and the greater daylight hours call to us to move forward. Spring means graduations and lots of new beginnings.

That’s the good news.

Spring also means the Federation’s annual allocations process. Everyone knows Federation runs a fundraising campaign. But many are unaware of, or take for granted, the annual allocations process. I have been doing this work for 33 plus years, and frankly, I enjoy raising the money more than spending the money. Even the Talmud points out how difficult it is to allocate limited funds. In Tractate Shabbat, it is written “May I be among the collectors of communal funds, and not among the allocators.”

We don’t raise money for the sake of raising money. What would fundraising be were it not

for the fund distribution process? We have an excellent committee of community volunteers who review the funding requests from our beneficiary agencies, synagogues and organizations.

They do a marvelous job ensuring the accountability, entrusted by our donors, of the entire fundraising and fund distribution process.

Invariably, the requests from our beneficiaries far exceed the available funds in our allocations process. And when we don’t have enough funds for new programs or to expand existing programs, we start to stand still.

That’s the bad news.

The Jewish Day School has asked for increased funding to improve their educational offerings. They want to provide special resources for students who need additional help learning.

They want to expand educational technology. Both are projects parents expect of every school.

Jewish Family Service seeks to expand two programs which first went through successful pilots. One increases home-delivered meals to Jewish elderly and another provides expanded programming for seniors in a special partnership with the Jewish Community Center.

And speaking of our JCC, they want to sustain an expanding afterschool enrichment program that must underwrite costly bus transportation.

Our campus Hillels are all refocusing from being programcentered to being engagementcentered. At a time when we are sensing separation and isolation from other groups, our Bethlehem Jewish community and the Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding are both focusing on expanding interfaith outreach.

The synagogues who share in the Jewish Family Life Education grants make a compelling case for growing this informal, content-enriched “in-reach” into Jewish life. And the past few years have reminded us that our efforts to address anti-Semitism, prejudice and anti-Israel propaganda cannot be lessened.

And space in this column does not allow me to begin to address the needs of Jews around the world.

And I could go on.

For our community to move forward, we need the right amount of several things.

We need visionary leadership at our agencies and synagogues, the front-line of service delivery in our community, to call our attention to how we can improve Jewish life in the Lehigh Valley.

We have that.

We need responsible agencies and synagogues able to deliver effective programs. We have that.

We need a communal vision and leadership able to distribute

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Readers, I still remember the ordinary February afternoon of my senior year in high school, when I opened up the mailbox to find a thick package from Colgate University with “Congratulations!” on the front. It was the moment I’d dreamed of all year, and I couldn’t wait to start on my new life journey.

The high school seniors highlighted in this issue face the same exciting prospect of choosing a new path for life this summer, and I join the rest of the HAKOL staff to wish them the absolute best in their future endeavors, whether this means work, college, the army, or more.

The sky’s the limit!

It seems fitting to have the high school seniors at the center of an issue where many of the

stories discuss journeys. Some members of our community have begun the metaphorical journey of examining their family’s past and learning new skills, and others took trips as physical journeys, traveling around the world to learn more about Judaism, advocate for Jewish causes and spend time with their loved ones.

Every journey is unique. The likelihood of two people having the same exact story, even if they have traveled together, is very small, which may feel isolating in some of life’s less pleasant journeys. However, putting together this issue has helped me see that there is a lot that ties us together, even if our specific experiences vary.

The excitement and newness of change, with a tinge of apprehension, is a feeling many

Shalom, Michelle Cohen

We gratefully acknowledge those individuals who have offered expressions of friendship by requesting that trees be planted in the Yoav--Lehigh Valley Partnership Park.

MARLENE OZARK Mazel Tov on her retirement Barry and Carol Halper IN MEMORY JOSEPH EISEN Maureen Hamilton SAMUEL KATON Maureen Hamilton

TO ORDER TREES, call the JFLV at 610-821-5500 or visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org.

2 JUNE 2018 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

STEPHANIE SMARTSCHAN JFLV Director of Marketing

HAKOL is published 11 times per year for the Jewish communities of Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton and vicinity by the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley.

COMMUNITY SUBMISSIONS Submissions to HAKOL must be of interest to the entire Jewish community. HAKOL reserves all editorial rights including, but not limited to, the decision to print any submitted materials, the editing of submissions to conform to style and length requirements, and the placement of any printed material. Articles should be submitted by e-mail or presented as typed copy; “Community Calendar” listings must be submitted by e-mail to hakol@jflv.org or online at www.jewishlehighvalley.org. Please include your name and a daytime telephone number where you can be contacted in the event questions arise.

We cannot guarantee publication or placement of submissions.

Phone: (610) 821-5500 Fax: (610) 821-8946 E-mail: hakol@jflv.org

of us can identify with, and it is this empathy that helps to tie us together as a community.

This summer, I hope you are all able to find satisfying journeys to embark upon, and as always, the community will be here to support you along the way.

contribution. While you can pay now, you contribution is not due for some time. But we need your pledge by the close of our fiscal year on June 30 to count in our allocations process.

In more ways than one, without your support, involvement and generosity, we become a “stand-still” community. And I know this community won’t “stand” for that.

HAKOL STAFF

MAIL, FAX, OR E-MAIL TO: JFLV ATTN: HAKOL 702 N. 22nd St. Allentown, PA 18104

JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY IN HONOR HERMA ABRAMSON Mazel Tov on receiving “Woman of Achievement” award Her Grandchildren ROBERTO AND EILEEN FISCHMANN Birth of grandsons, Jacob Harrison and Cole Aaron Vicki Wax Israel and Valeska Zighelboim

funds to emerging priorities while addressing the efficacy of funding existing services. We have that.

So what do we need more of?

We need more people involved in raising money, more donors, and more increasing contributions.

So, let’s make it easier on those who decide on the distributions. Let’s help them decide how to grow and strengthen our community as opposed to what services we must reduce or cease. Let’s focus on what we will do as opposed to what we can’t do.

Please call us at 610-821-5500 or go to www.jewishlehighvalley.org and make your commitment to our Annual Campaign.

Please contact us if you can find your way to increasing a pledge or contribution previously made. Our need at this time is a pledge, a commitment to make a

MICHELLE COHEN Editor ALLISON MEYERS Graphic Designer DIANE MCKEE Advertising Representative TEL: 610-515-1391 hakolads@jflv.org

JFLV EXECUTIVE STAFF MARK L. GOLDSTEIN Executive Director JERI ZIMMERMAN Assistant Executive Director TEMPLE COLDREN Director of Finance & Administration JIM MUETH Director of Planned Giving & Endowments AARON GORODZINSKY Director of Outreach & Community Relations EVA LEVITT JFLV President

EDITORIAL BOARD Monica Friess, Acting Chair Barbara Reisner Judith Rodwin Sara Vigneri

Member American Jewish Press Association

All advertising is subject to review and approval by The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley (JFLV). JFLV reserves the right to decline, withdraw and/or edit any ad. The appearance of any advertising in HAKOL does not represent an endorsement or kashrut certification. Paid political advertisements that appear in HAKOL do not represent an endorsement of any candidate by the JFLV.

JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY MISSION STATEMENT

In order to unite, sustain, and enhance the Lehigh Valley Jewish community, and support Jewish communities in Israel and around the world, the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is dedicated to the following core values: • Supporting Jews in need wherever they may be.

• Supporting Israel as a Jewish homeland.

• Supporting and encouraging Jewish education in the Lehigh Valley as a means of strengthening Jewish life for individuals and families.

• Supporting programs and services of organizations whose values and mission meet local Jewish needs.

To accomplish this mission the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is committed to the following operating guidelines: • Raising and distributing funds to support the core values.

• Developing Jewish leaders.

• Building endowments to support implementation of core values.

• Committing to ongoing Jewish community strategic planning.

• Fostering cooperation among organizations and community building.

• Evaluating all decisions with respect to fiscal responsibility.

• Identifying unmet needs and investing in community initiatives to help get them started.

• Coordinating and convening a community response as an issue or need arises.

• Setting priorities for allocation and distribution of funds.

• Acting as a central address for communication about events, programs and services of the Jewish community as a whole.

Approved by the JFLV Board of Directors on November 15, 2000

Israel Next Dor graduates reflect on a year of learning Editor’s Note: The first class of Israel Next Dor in the Lehigh Valley will graduate on June 14 at the Jewish Federation’s Community Celebration & Annual Meeting. These 12 up-and-coming leaders traveled to Israel together last summer and spent the past year learning and building connections back home. HAKOL reached out to the participants and some describe here their experiences in their own words.

Abby and Ben Feinberg: The experience after returning from Israel has been immersive. We have a better understanding of our local Jewish community’s current needs and future goals. We’ve also been excited to feel our voices are heard by the community when we are requested to provide feedback or suggestions.

Nissa Gossom: This past year has been a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the Jewish Federation and the Jewish community in the Lehigh Valley while making long-lasting friendships. It has also given me the opportunity to reflect on how I can be a bigger part of shaping our Jewish community.

Jessica Kamber: I rediscovered my Jewish identity and the importance of it. This was sort of like my rebirth into my Jewish faith. Something that was near and dear to me as a child was rekindled through my participation in this program.

Howie Levin: The Israel Next Dor experience has served as an introduction to myself and our family of the vibrancy of the Jewish community in the Lehigh Valley. The friendships we’ve made, activities we’ve become involved in and connections to Israel that were formed before, during and after the trip have been invaluable in helping to establish our Jewish identity in the Lehigh Valley. I hope the Jewish Federation continues this program going forward to help continue to grow the future leaders of the Jewish community in the Lehigh Valley.

Rachel Levin: I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of Israel Next Dor. The connections and relationships I have built in my community and Israel are due to this program. I have made lifelong friends. I am forever changed as a person for the better.

Mike Smith: This experienced changed my personal and professional life for the better by helping strengthen my Jewish identity while introducing me to a new set of friends that I can have at my side the rest of my life. The number of inside jokes, memories and thought-provoking moments made during the trip still make me laugh, smile and think.

Alan Raisman: We not only traveled to Israel, but found ways to continue to give back, creating future Jewish leaders in the Lehigh Valley. We will always

remember to answer the call on Super Sunday. We will always thank those contributing to the important work being done by the Jewish Community Center, Jewish Family Service and the Jewish Day School. We will work to grow the Young Adult Division by creating events, attending events and telling the story of how we got involved with the Federation. And we will look at what our next steps can be, from joining boards of Jewish nonprofits to attending events on behalf of Israel Next Dor. Our trip may be over, but our involvement is just beginning.

Andrea Reich: I'm so grateful for the Israel Next Dor trip. Not only did I make new friends, it was a catalyst to become more involved in the community. I look forward to becoming more involved in the community through volunteering and social activities.

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | JUNE 2018 3

WOMEN’S PHILANTHROPY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY

Women gather to eat, drink, laugh at Spring Event

By Michelle Cohen HAKOL Editor One hundred women came together to share stories and laughter as part of the Federation Women’s Philanthropy Spring Event on May 9.

The evening began with a cocktail hour and an eclectic menu of falafel and sushi. Iris Epstein, Women’s Philanthropy president, presented Lion of Judah and Pomegranate pins to donors before gathering the

crowd for the main event.

Event co-chairs Debi Wiener and Chelsea Karp introduced Beth Schoenberger, the mother of an IDF Lone Soldier in a missile defense unit, and she shared her daughter Maddie’s story and photos as an example of the impact of Jewish life for young people.

The highlight of the evening was comedian Robin Fox, who had the whole audience laughing with her jokes about Jewish holidays, raising families, womanhood and more.

Attendees listen and laugh as comedian Robin Fox shares stories of her family, upbringing, traditions and more at the Women’s Philanthropy Spring Event on May 9.

Federation President Eva Levitt, left, and Women’s Philanthropy President Iris Epstein, right, with new Pomegranates Eileen Ufberg, Beth Kozinn and Lauren Rabin.

Selma Roth, Marcia Cohen and Ferne Kushner enjoy the evening.

Women’s Philanthropy President Iris Epstein with event co-chairs Debi Wiener and Chelsea Karp.

Beth Kozinn, Eileen Lewbart, Liz Scofield and Carol Steinberg enjoy dinner.

Robin Fox captivates the audience with relatable humor.

A table of attendees enjoys a falafel and sushi dinner before the program.

Handmade Afghans

BY EVA LEVITT

All proceeds benefit projects in Israel:

Food Banks in Israel Neve Michael Youth Village

For prices or to place an order, call Eva 610-398-1376.

All payments are made payable to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley

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

welcoming new babies to the Lehigh Valley If you’re expecting, know someone who is, or have a new baby, PLEASE LET US KNOW! Contact Abby Trachtman, 610-821-5500 | abbyt@jflv.org

WOMEN’S PHILANTHROPY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY

Allentown couple shares moving family Holocaust story

Ruth as a baby with her parents and grandparents, and Ruth today.

By Stephanie Smartschan JFLV Director of Marketing Editor’s Note: A recent trip to Germany to lay stones at the site of Ruth Hamburger’s childhood home led her son Henry Luftman and his wife Pat down a path of rediscovery. The Allentown couple shared what they found and what they experienced at a Jewish Federation Lunch & Learn on May 4.

Standing at side-by-side podiums, Henry and Pat took turns reading letter after letter. Letters from a “mutti” and a “papa” to their only child – Ruth. A child who they would never see again.

Ruth Hamburger and her parents and grandparents were deported from their home town of Malsch, Germany, on Oct. 22, 1940, and sent to Camp de Gurs in in southern France, close to the Spanish border. The camp was comprised of 380 cabins separated by fences with no windows, insulation or running water, sacks of straw for beds and typhoid fever and dysentery common.

With the help of an international group including American Quakers, Henry’s mother, with her parents’ approval, was moved in January 1941 at the age of 11 to a children’s home in nearby Osprey.

Over 17 months, Ruth’s parents sent her 68 letters, all of which she kept. The letters have been recently rediscovered by her children and translated from their native German by Henry’s brother.

March 1941: “My dear Ruth … I am very glad that you like it there and that you have such a nice little bed.

I am almost jealous of how nice it is for you and that you don’t have to wade through the muck here anymore …”

September 1941: “Now dear Ruth, for the New Year, I wish you all the best as only a mother can wish her dear child. Stay well and good and then everything will be well

and the good God will lead us all back together again …”

August 1942: “Dear Ruth, I was very glad to hear that you are well in your last letter. You need not worry if you don’t get any mail for a while. Stay healthy and good.

Warmest greetings and countless kisses from your Mutti.”

After their last letter in August 1942, Flora and Heinrich Hamburger were sent from the internment camp to Auschwitz where they were murdered. Her grandparents, Justine and Isak Hilb, died earlier at Camp de Gurs.

With the help of an aunt after the war, Ruth made her way to America in 1947, at the age of 17, and continues to live in Massachusetts. She married her husband Alvin in 1951 and had three sons.

This winter, Ruth and her family were invited back to Malsch for a ceremony to install “stolpersteines” at the site of the family’s former home. These memorial stones – which literally translate to “stumbling blocks”– are part of a project that has spread throughout Germany and surrounding countries. There are currently 60,000 “stolpersteines” placed at the “last residence of choice” of those deported during the Holocaust.

While Ruth was unable to make the trip, her sons were in attendance. They were celebrated upon arrival and treated as honored guests by the townspeople, none of whom are Jewish.

As the stones were installed – one for each of the five household members – a local high school student read a biography of the family and local school children, all 10 years old – the same age as Ruth when her family was deported – quietly sang Jewish songs.

“My mother-in-law is among the happiest people that I’ve ever met in my life,” Pat said near the conclusion of her presentation. “She giggles a lot, she doesn’t talk

Pat and Henry Luftman read letters from Ruth’s parents to a rapt audience at the Lunch & Learn. about the past a lot and I rarely hear her say a bad word about anyone. What I realized on this trip was – particularly for me as I am a Jew by choice … our lives all take different paths depending on the turns we take.”

“If my mother-in-law had not chosen hope over despair because of what happened to her, I would not be standing with you today because this gentleman would not exist,” she said, gesturing to her husband. “My son, who is with us today, would not exist. My daughter, who we adopted from China, would be living with a different family, perhaps in a different country. So the ripples that come from one person’s experience go out in many, many, many

Lunch & Learn attendees enjoy a meal before the Luftman family’s presentation. different directions and touch many, many lives. I owe my

mother-in-law the life that I have today and I salute her.”

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Local leader travels to Spain and Morocco on Federation mission

Above left, over 130 Chèvre of National Young Leadership Cabinet participated in the study mission to Morocco and Madrid. Above right, Iris Epstein of Allentown with Raphael “Raffi” ElMaleh, the group’s guide, who has family ties that date back to the time of the 2nd Temple.

By Iris Epstein Special to HAKOL As a member of Federation’s National Young Leadership Cabinet, I have the opportunity to represent our community on a study mission each year. This year, I traveled to Morocco and Spain, where I got to learn about the long and rich history of Jews in both of these countries and how persecution triggered Jewish migration between the two countries. I also got to see first-hand how dollars raised by our Federation’s Annual Campaign go directly to care for the most vulnerable of their populations, helping to solidify our Jewish heritage, and foster relationships across

cultures through education and strategic communal programs.

Morocco is a beautiful and diverse country. I got a good taste of Morocco by visiting Marrakech, a fortified city with its captivating medina that is surrounded by modern neighborhoods, Casablanca, the country’s economic and business center and Rabat, the political capital.

Just like the diverse landscape, Jews in Morocco are also diverse with both their Ashkenazi and Sephardi inhabitants. Jews have been living in Morocco since their exile from Jerusalem after the destruction of the first temple in 587 BC with a second wave fleeing in from Spain in 1492

6 JUNE 2018 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

after Queen Isabella issued the Edict of Expulsion. This long existence of Jews in Morocco binds the Muslim and Jewish communities together in a bond so strong that when the Nazis wanted to impose anti-Jewish laws and send Jews to concentration camps, King Mohammed V told them, “there are no Jewish citizens, there are no Muslim citizens, they are all Moroccans.”

At one time, there was a vibrant Jewish community in Morocco with upwards of 300,000 Jews living there.

Today, however, Jews there only measure about 2,5003,000. Many Moroccan Jews emigrated for Zionist reasons, some to escape persecution

and others left for better economic prospects. Despite this migration, Morocco does have one of the most tolerant environments for Jews in an Arab country: the king actively protects its Jewish community and has gone to great lengths to revive its Jewish heritage.

During our briefing with Nasser Bourita, Morocco’s foreign minister, he shared with us that under the king’s order, the country has taken significant steps to work with the Jewish community to preserve Jewish culture, including the restoration of 170 Jewish cemeteries and synagogues, and the creation of the only Jewish museum in the Arab world.

With decreasing numbers of Jews living in Morocco, David Toledano, the president of the Jewish community of Rabat, told us that it is more important now than ever to preserve the history and culture of Moroccan Jews and foster the connection with the thousands of Moroccan Jews that return on a pilgrimage to the country every year during Passover.

Between meetings with local leaders and visits to synagogues and the Jewish museum, I also got to see Federation’s dollars in action helping the Moroccan Jewish community. Through our partnership with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, our funds recently helped to open the Jewish Community Center in Casablanca. We also provide scholarships to children so they can obtain a Jewish education.

I also visited a Jewish school where both Jewish and Muslim kids attend, and together, they learn Jewish history, traditions and Hebrew. I saw first-hand the beauty of co-existence as two best friends, one Muslim and one Jew, wore confused expressions when asked if there was any tension between Muslim and Jewish teachers and students. The question didn’t make sense to them

because for these two faiths in their community, peaceful co-existence is the norm.

Our overseas allocation helps foster relationships like these by allowing us to build community and strengthen the bond across cultures through education and strategic communal programs.

Support of our Federation’s Annual Campaign also helps make aliyah to Israel possible. Additionally, it provides shelters, kosher foods and medical services for the elderly and other vulnerable Jews, not only in Morocco, but across the world. I enjoyed tea and cookies with seniors at the Levine Senior Residence, and by being there, our group brought compassion and ruach to their nursing facility.

No translators were necessary as the common language of a warm smile and heartfelt hug transcended all language barriers.

As our time in Morocco came to an end, I boarded a plane with the rest of the 130-plus mission participants and we traveled to our next destination: Madrid. Jews have lived in Spain since biblical times. They have experienced times of great oppression and hardship as well as periods of growth and renewal. Today, there are approximately 40,000 Jews in Spain with about 15,000 in Madrid, where the majority are made up of MoroccanSephardi who returned to Spain in the late 1950s after centuries of exile. Additionally, Madrid in the 1970s saw the arrival of Ashkenazi Jews primarily from Latin America and other European countries.

Returnees have had to rebuild their communal Jewish infrastructure from scratch. We had the privilege of meeting some of Madrid’s Jewish leaders including David Hatchwell Altaras, the immediate past president of the Jewish community Morocco and Spain mission Continues on page 29

Parkland High School teens study the Holocaust with a survivor and a survivor’s daughter

By Michelle Cohen HAKOL Editor In a large auditorium at Parkland High School, 300 teenagers watched Marcel Guindine gesture with his hands, pointing to a small group of people.

“If you were Jewish children in the Holocaust, only you 30 would have survived,” he said solemnly, as pens flew over paper.

Guindine, a Holocaust survivor, spoke to the high school students on April 27, hoping to teach them not just that the Holocaust happened, but that ordinary people like him had to find ways to survive.

He was joined by Fay Kun, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, who shared the story of her mother and her aunts and uncle, who all survived concentration camps.

Both speakers were introduced by Shari Spark, coordinator of the Holocaust Resource Center. This Federation program enables survivors and their families to give testimonies in schools, and also provides exhibits and artifacts that travel around to different schools in the Lehigh Valley.

This is increasingly important in a time when few Holocaust survivors remain alive.

“As time goes by, fewer and fewer of the Holocaust survivors are around to tell their story and inform the world of what happened. I try to fulfill my role as a survivor of that nightmare to inform as many people as I can in the hopes of avoiding another Holocaust from every happening again,” Guindine said, explaining why he became involved with the HRC. At Parkland, Spark’s main message was that the Holocaust did not begin with concentration camps, but rather with systematic devaluation of Jews that led to worse consequences over time. Kun began her story in this way as well, starting with her mother’s life in times of peace and then moving slowly toward the journey to Auschwitz. Her mother was 15 when she was in Auschwitz, around the ages of the raptly listening audience.

Kun told stories of her mother’s guilt, like when her mother lost track of her in line and thought she had been selected to go to the gas chambers, which prompted her to tell the Nazi guard that she was older, and get changed from the work line.

She and her two sisters survived together, although she continued to suffer from nightmares from her experiences in Auschwitz and other concentration camps for the rest of her life. Now that she has passed away, Kun considers it her responsibility to carry on their stories.

In terms of the students, her message was simple: step up and stop bullying and other forms of ostracizing that

can lead to greater terrors over time.

Guindine, who spoke next, told the story of his Polish mother and his father, a French soldier. When Jews were threatened, his father’s job kept him and his mother safe, even when other Jews who lived in the same apartment building were taken away. When times got too dangerous, Guindine’s mother turned him over to the Red Cross as an orphan before hiding in a carpentry shop. When the war was over, his mother found him in a small town, and they later moved to the United States together.

The two speakers had a profound effect on the students, who were instructed to take notes on their reactions and the elements of each story that compelled them. One student, Thaddeus Graham, said, “They were enlightening.

They opened my eyes to how horrible things were in Europe at the time, which is very beneficial to learn about.”

Attending teachers were also enthusiastic about the message. BJ Dugan, who accompanied his students to the assembly, said that “firsthand accounts from both speakers get [the students] to understand what could have happened to them,” which engages them more than reading broad facts from a history book.

“I feel the importance of carrying on the history,” Kun said of the day’s events.

“Someone needs to take the torch and keep the story alive so kids can understand the scope of what people went through.”

As for the ultimate message of the day, Kun stated it simply: when a student asked if the Holocaust could happen again, Kun replied, “That’s why we do this.”

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | JUNE 2018 7

JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY

Nominees for the 2018-19 Board of Directors

The Federation’s Board consists of thirty-three (33) elected directors serving staggered three (3) year terms. Each year, therefore, the Nominating Committee nominates eleven (11) directors for three-year terms. The nominated directors will be presented for election at the:

Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley ANNUAL MEETING Thursday, June 14, 2018, at 6:30 PM at the Jewish Community Center The Board Nominating Committee recommendations are: (as of May 17, 2018) DIRECTORS, 3-YEAR TERMS (ENDING IN 2021) Aliette Abo Larry Center Scott Delin Dr. Peter Fisher Beth Kozinn

Beth Kushnick Mike Miller Dr. Bob Wilson Ilene Wood

HONORARY BOARD MEMBERS, 1-YEAR TERMS (ENDING IN 2019) Robert J. Grey Jean Weiner Rita Scheller Hon. Matti Sarfatti Harcavi, Ronnie Sheftel Mayor, Yoav

The Officers Nominating Committee recommendations are: President Eva Levitt

Treasurer Iris Epstein

Vice Presidents Aliette Abo Dr. Carol Bub Fromer Dr. Eric Fels Gary Fromer Dr. Bob Wilson

HONORARY President Ross Born

Secretary Lawrence Center

HONORARY Treasurer Roberto Fischmann

HONORARY Vice Presidents Leonard Abrams Bob Born Wendy Born Nathan Braunstein Daniel E. Cohen Barnet Fraenkel Murray Goodman Robert Hammel Martin Zippel

Pursuant to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley by-laws, “any twenty (20) members of the Federation may, by petition, present to the Secretary the name of any one qualified member for nomination. No member may sign more than one such petition. No person shall be eligible for election as a member of the Board of Directors unless his or her name shall thus have been submitted to the Secretary or nominated by said Nominating Committee.”

8 JUNE 2018 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

IN HONOR ALIETTE AND MARC ABO Birth of their granddaughter, Alex Maxx Vicki Wax BOB BLACK Speedy Recovery Roberta and Jeff Epstein Vicki Wax PETER AND KAREN COOPER Birth of their grandson Phil and Ellen Hof Karen Kuhn and Family IAN DAVIS Graduation from Lehigh University Gloria Lowy, Jeff and Eitan Rudski JEANETTE AND EDUARDO EICHENWALD Bar Mitzvah of their grandson Iris and Jonathan Epstein ROBERTO AND EILEEN FISCHMANN Birth of grandsons Ross and Wendy Born Carol and Stewart Furmansky Karen Kuhn and Family Jay and Evelyn Lipschutz Elaine and Leon Papir JANET GELB Speedy Recovery Jill and Hank Narrow MICHAEL AND ELLEN GORDON Engagement of Matthew Karen Kuhn and Family PHIL AND ELLEN HOF Birth of their grandson, Emmett Ross and Wendy Born BETH KOZINN In honor of her receiving the Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award Ross and Wendy Born Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald Karen Kuhn and Family Elaine and Leon Papir Diane and Howard Silverman Bev and Ron Wasserman

JAY AND EVELYN LIPSCHUTZ Birth of their granddaughter, Jordana Jeff and Jill Blinder NICOLE AND JARROD ROSENTHAL Bar Mitzvah of Mitchell Iris and Jonathan Epstein ADAM ROTH Happy Birthday Audrey and Jerome Cylinder MARGIE AND JAY STRAUSS Birth of their granddaughter Ross and Wendy Born EILEEN UFBERG Speedy Recovery Elaine and Leon Papir CANTOR KEVIN WARTEL Schiff Award for Prejudice Reduction Diane and Howard Silverman IN MEMORY FATHER (of Leslie Bunick) Marla and Brian Strahl SISTER (of Lolly Siegel) Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald ELSIE (Sister-in-law of Marilyn Bergstein) Selma Roth BETTY GREENBERG (Mother of Jeff Greenberg) Mark and Alice Notis SIDNEY GREENBERG (Partner of Joani Lesavoy) Edith Miller Adam and Penny Roth and Family Selma Roth Donald and Randi Senderowitz Fred and Barbara Sussman (Father of Jeff Greenberg) Ross and Wendy Born Carol and Stewart Furmansky

Edith Miller Mark and Alice Notis Adam and Penny Roth and Family Donald and Randi Senderowitz Robby, Laurie, Ben and Danny Wax The Weinsteins & Kipnes (Brother of Irwin Greenberg) Adam and Penny Roth and Family ARNOLD KRITZ (Husband of Barbara Kritz) Ross and Wendy Born IRVING MANDEL (Brother-in-law of Ruth Sheftel) Donald and Randi Senderowitz REBA SCOBLIONKO (Mother of Mark Scoblionko) (Sister-in-law of Ronnie Sheftel) Karen Kuhn and Family MILTON SHEFTEL (Husband of Ronnie Sheftel) Karen Kuhn and Family MARSHALL SILVERSTEIN (Husband of Nina Silverstein) Karen Kuhn and Family IRVING SPECTOR (Father of Leslie Bunick) Marla and Brian Strahl HELEN AND SOL KRAWITZ HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL FUND IN HONOR RANDY ZIMRING Happy ‘Special’ Birthday Joani Lesavoy IN MEMORY HARRIET HARTMAN (Mother of Laurie Hartman) Mark and Marsha Krawitz

We gratefully acknowledge those individuals who have offered expressions of friendship through recent gifts to the Lehigh Valley Jewish Foundation. The minimum contribution for an Endowment Card is $10. Call 610-821-5500 or visit www.jewishlehighvalley. org to place your card requests.

Thank you for your continued support.

High schoolers celebrate confirmation at KI and Beth El

KI student Jared Livezey

KI student Daniel Roose

KI student Hannah Schindler

KI student Stefania Schoen

KI student Jacob Sussman

KI student Alex Valuntas

Students from Temple Beth El prepare for their upcoming confirmation ceremony.

They each decided how they wanted to contribute,” said Alicia Zahn, religious school director at Temple Beth El. “This year, the kids studied midrash with Rabbi and reflected back on their prior years of religious school.

They also explored different social action projects with Cantor,” Zahn described the process for the year before confirmation. “One of the highlights of their experiences was cooking a meal for

70 people and serving the meal at the Allentown Rescue Mission.”

As for continuing their Jewish journeys, “Shalshelet, our community high school program, is ready to welcome each of them next year,” Zahn said.

The Shalshelet program is for all Jewish teens in the Lehigh Valley and focuses on topics that teens choose to explore from multiple viewpoints.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FRANK MITMAN

A new group of high school students will affirm their commitment to the Jewish faith this year as they lead services for their confirmations at Congregation Keneseth Israel and Temple Beth El. Confirmation, according to Rabbi Seth Phillips of KI, is “a new Jewish ceremony that comes from the 19th century reformers who thought that at 13 (the age of bar mitzvah), modern children were too young to appreciate their Jewish status and responsibilities. Also, confirmation was a ceremony that included girls, who even in the Reform movement were not eligible to have a bat mitzvah until the 20th century.”

At KI, Jared Livezey, Daniel Roose, Hannah Schindler, Stefania Schoen, Jacob Sussman and Alex Valuntas will lead a service on Erev Shavuot, on Saturday, May 19, at 7:30 p.m.

“As the students take a next step in solidifying their Jewish experience, we link them with their ancestors who stood at Sinai to receive the Torah” during the service, Phillips added.

At Beth El, confirmation students will help lead the Shavuot service on May 20 at 9 a.m. “They will lead different parts of the Shavuot service – some of them will chant Torah and some of them will lead other prayers.

Meet our new summer shlicha

Congratulations �

Adi Shecory will be the shlicha (emissary) accompanying the four Israeli teens who will be working at Camp JCC this summer.

We are excited to announce that Adi is from the Yoav region, the Lehigh Valley's partnership community and home of the four teens, and will bring her own personal flavor of the region and a better understanding of what our teens are going through. She lives in Kefar Harif and has served in the IDF. Shecory's father, Richard, is a member of the Partnership2Gether committee in Yoav and escorted the teens last year. Her brother was one of the teens who worked at Camp JCC in 2015.

Adi will be supervising the teens at camp and making sure they feel at home.

to the Class of 2018!

We are proud of your success and look forward to watching you do great things!

Lauren Ash Peter Atkins Matthew Barnes Nicholas Battisti Robert Beck Charlotte Bloys Nickolas Boylan Hugh Brolly Rachel Burcaw Carley Caruth Connor Casey Nicholas Cruz Brian Dadio

Katherine Davis Taylor de Castro Justine Dell Daniel DePillo Andrea DiRenzo Jack Dubreuil Tucker Eighmy Daniel Elmi Isabelle Endress Grayson Fedorov Elizabeth Frailey Eve Freudenberger Arnav Gupta

Bailey Hancharik Taylor Hesse Elliot Hoke Zachary Jones Caroline Joseph Angelica Kalsi Sukhmani Kaur Hannah Katz Anish Kaza Kathryn Keller Logan Kelley Isabella Khan Sarah Kudzin

Lotus Lichty Brandon Loftus Bryan Lu Jason Ma Nicole Masucci Gabriel McDowell Sophia McWilliams Jacob Meissner Roshaun Memon Miracle Mitchell Cassie Nataro Chaehyeong Park Ashley Pearce

Eliza Phenneger Luke Pillarella Matthew Pulcini Qofi Quainoo Forest Reeves Alexandra Reph Jonathan Riker Clayton Sanborn Tyler Schellenberg Alea Shakil Caroline Spugnardi Philip Stefanov Dante Trapasso

Juan Vidal Abigayle Ward Andrew Warner Benjamin Wax Max Weiler Jack Weiner Eleanor Werner Samuel Wertz Noah Young Hunter Zahm Neophytos Zambas Hadley Zonay

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | JUNE 2018 9

Israel wins Eurovision song contest PEDRO GOMES/GETTY IMAGES

Left, Singer Netta Barzilai waves to the audience at Altice Arena in Lisbon after Israel’s song “Toy” is announced winner of the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest.

Jewish Telegraphic Agency

PA House of Representatives celebrates Israel's birthday

State Rep. Mike Schlossberg presents a unanimous proclamation celebrating Israel’s 70th birthday to Federation President Eva Levitt, Executive Director Mark L. Goldstein and Assistant Executive Director Jeri Zimmerman on behalf of the PA House of Representatives.

For the fourth time in its four decades of participating in the Eurovision song contest, Israel has won the international competition.

The song “Toy” by Netta Barzilai, 24, secured Israel’s victory at the Eurovision contest this year at the finals in Lisbon, Portugal. The victory means Israel will host the event next year. Barzilai’s song is a warning to a boy not to treat her like a toy.

Israel’s song, which is performed in English, has consistently been ranked on betting sites in first place or at least in the top three at the festival, a hugely popular phenomenon in Europe that combines elements of “American Idol”-style song competitions and the Olympic Games.

The score is determined by points given by the contest’s official juries and by callers. “Toy” won the match with a combined score of 529 points, giving it a huge lead of 93 points over Cyprus, which came in second, and a 187-point lead over Austria in third place. The score for “Toy” was the fourth-highest in the contest’s

history.

The track by Barzilai, whose stage name is Netta, is about female empowerment and was inspired by the #MeToo movement, she has said.

“The song has an important message,” she is quoted as telling the Daily Express before winning the contest, which features artists from dozens of countries in and around Europe, plus Australia.

“The awakening of female power and social justice, wrapped in a colorful, happy vibe,” she said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Netta and indicated that the festival next year will be hosted in Jerusalem.

“You have brought the State of Israel a lot of pride. Next year in Jerusalem!” wrote Netanyahu on Twitter to Netta.

Speaking about the chicken noises she makes during the song, she told Wiwibloggs: “The noises are supposed to imitate the voices of a coward — a chicken. Someone who doesn’t act the way he/she feels and treats you like a toy.”

The three Israeli songs that had won the contest before “Toy” — “A-Ba-Ni-Bi” in 1978, “Hallelujah” in 1979 and Dana International’s “Diva” in 1998 — were sung in Hebrew.

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Celebrating b'nei mitzvah at all ages

Some years ago, I traveled to Boston to celebrate my mother’s 75th birthday. As is part of her normal Shabbat practice, we attended services at Congregation Beth El of the Sudbury Valley, a renowned Reform synagogue. We were all sitting together when, suddenly, I heard my mom being called for an aliyah – this in itself was a thrilling surprise. But when she picked up the yad (Torah pointer) and started to read from the Torah, I nearly fell off my seat.

She had managed to keep her entire adult Bat Mitzvah a secret. At 75 years old, my mom was called to the Torah,

been particularly important, something I’ve been waiting to do my whole life.”

As I write this, we are about to observe Shavuot, a time to celebrate Torah and the covenant between God and the Children of Israel. According to our tradition, all Jews were present at the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. When I reflect on this, I feel so proud of these inspiring teenage and adult b’nei mitzvah who can experience such a direct connection to Sinai by being called to, and reading, Torah.

In a time when congregation size is shrinking and there is a real concern about the future of synagogue life, these are some of the people who will secure our future.

As many of you know, I’ll be leaving the Lehigh Valley in June. It has been a privilege to be part of this unique community where all work together openly and cohesively.

I want to express my thanks to Rabbi Seth Phillips for his clergy partnership. Thank you, also, to the staff at Keneseth Israel and all the wonderful congregants and new friends at Congregation Keneseth Israel and beyond. Your warmth and friendship have meant the world to me and to my wife, Deborah Strauss.

ASAF ZVULONI/ISRAEL NATURE AND PARKS AUTHORITY/FLASH90

CANTOR JEFF WARSCHAUER Congregation Keneseth Israel

and read from the Torah, for the very first time. I can barely explain how this affected me – tears filled my eyes and joy, astonishment and pride filled my heart. My mother, a refugee from Germany, elementary school teacher and poet, was now also a Bat Mitzvah. Years later, my elder sister also decided to become an adult Bat Mitzvah. For both my mother and my sister, the process of learning Hebrew and trope connected them to Jewish tradition as nothing had before.

One of the most satisfying aspects of my work as a cantor is helping to prepare a bar or bat mitzvah. Watching a student go from the first, tentative steps to confident and poised reading and leadership is always a joy. But when that person is an adult, particularly a woman who is reading from the Torah for the first time, the sense of joy is particularly striking. Although women were and are teachers and leaders at many congregations, for some, being called to the Torah is an important marker of inclusion and honor. As one woman said to me, “Although I appreciate that there are many ways to feel included in Klal Yisrael, for me, learning to read Torah and being called to the Torah on Shabbat has

Israeli-American study leads to sunscreen restrictions in Hawaii to protect coral reefs

A scuba diver swims in the Eilat Dolphin Reef.

JNS.org Due to a scientific study conducted in partnership with Israeli scientists, the Hawaii state legislature banned the use of certain sunscreens, citing danger to the state’s delicate coral-reef ecosystem.

A study uniting marine scientists from Tel Aviv University, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, the U.S. National Aquarium, the Haereticus Environmental Laboratory and the U.S. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, concluded that oxybenzone and octinoxate— two chemicals commonly used in sunscreen— are harmful for coral reefs.

The study sampled coral reefs off the coast of Eilat, Hawaii and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Researches determined that the chemicals were found

in the highest concentrations in the coral reefs that were the most frequented by tourists, and that they contributed to bleaching of the reefs, morphological deformities, DNA damage and endocrine disruption.

The good news: Many sunscreen manufacturers are already phasing out the two ingredients in favor of more natural alternatives.

The authors of the study estimated that 10 percent of global reefs are at risk of high exposure, and that the chemicals were found in seawater within the American coral reefs in concentrations as low as 62 parts per trillion—the equivalent of a drop of water in six-and-a-half Olympic-sized swimming pools—and as high as 1.4 parts per million, more than 12 times the amount that would damage coral.

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | JUNE 2018 11

Shalshelet teens enjoy trip to DC

By Sophie Valuntas Shalshelet Student

DESIGNS, LLC

On April 29, students from the Shalshelet class, comprised of Jewish teens from all over the Lehigh Valley, departed on our annual out-of-town trip.

This year would be especially unique because not only did we travel to Washington D.C., but we also stayed overnight.

The class advisors, Ofer Shimoni and Alicia Zahn, chaperoned.

After arrival, we checked into the hotel and ate lunch before going to our first stop: the National Holocaust Museum.

While most of us had been to the museum previously on the eighth grade religious school trip, we still found ourselves absorbing every piece of information as if it were our first time hearing it. Walking through our people’s dark and horrific past provided an enriching experience that allowed us to remember and honor the memory of the victims. Not only were we seeing it through more mature eyes this time, but there was an added exhibit at the end that none of us had seen before.

The addition was a display about the crisis in Syria that made us think about what “Never Again” really means today.

We mixed educational activities with fun. One of the liveliest activities was when we visited The Great Escape, an escape room where the group would be locked in a room and given one hour to use the clues provided to find a way out. We tested our skills solving riddles, puzzles and math equations in order to find the key that would let us es-

cape. We cooperated and tried not to scream at each other, but we did not quite succeed in escaping on time, although we were very, very close! After a long day, we headed to the Char Bar for a delicious kosher dinner and then back to the hotel to get some rest before the busy day that lay ahead.

The next morning, we found our way to the National Mall to go on a tour of some of the nation’s most famous monuments, with a Jewish twist. Each monument we visited, our tour guide provided some Jewish history connected to the monument, in addition to its national significance. Some of the monuments we visited include the Washington Monument, the World War II Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and the Albert Einstein Memorial located in front of the National Academy of the Sciences.

Directly after the tour, we enjoyed lunch at the FDA’s public food court. From there, we changed into business attire and made our way to Sen. Pat Toomey’s office to sit down and meet with a representative of the Pennsylvania

senator. During the meeting, we led a discussion which focused on the refugee crisis and gun control, two topics we all feel strongly about and wished to advocate for. Each student was able to participate and voice their opinions to the representative, who at the end of the meeting praised everyone for leading such a wellspoken and well-educated discussion. Next, we were given time to explore the various Smithsonian museums on our own. We spread out in groups and chose to visit the National Air and Space Museum, the United States Botanic Garden, the National Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of American History.

This marked the end of our educational, fun and valuable trip.

One of the participants, Joelle Pitkoff, summarized the experience: “We were able to see DC through a Jewish perspective and able to have a great time with friends!”

We thank our advisors, Ofer and Alicia, for taking us and giving us an unforgettable weekend. What a great culmination of a great year in Shalshelet!

Appreciating Israel

A bonfire to celebrate Lag B'Omer overlooking Ashdod.

By Leah Mueth Local MASA Participant For the past couple of months, I have been feeling a little burned out about teaching and about living in Israel and I’ve been missing the comforts of home more than normal. Earlier this month, we attended a ceremony honoring fallen soldiers for Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, and while my burnout wasn’t cured by this ceremony, it did help me appreciate this country more. Seeing young people give up their lives in their home country just to serve in the 12 JUNE 2018 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

Israeli army and ultimately give their lives for a Jewish state to continue was a surreal and aweinspiring experience. Watching footage of thousands of Israelis gather behind these lone soldiers at their funerals only reinforced what I’ve been experiencing during my time here: unconditional hospitality from strangers that makes you feel welcome in a rare and strange situation. As I’m writing this, I have about six weeks left of this program. I am definitely excited to get back to the U.S., but as the end is approaching, I’m making sure to cherish every moment I have left.

Experiencing Israel through our children’s eyes

IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS:

A walking tour of the Lower East Side, led by Forward President Sam Norich and followed by brunch.

SUNDAY, JUNE 10 11:00 am - 1:30 pm Tickets are $25 per person.

Space is limited.

By Josh Kroo Special to HAKOL A love of Israel has been a core part of my family values since before I can remember.

In fact, Danielle (my wife) and I met at an Israel-focused Jewish summer camp more than 15 years ago. Both of us visited Israel multiple times during our youth and even lived in Israel (separately) on Young Judaea’s Year Course program during the late 1990s. In more recent years, my parents began making an annual trip to Israel and we had the chance to join them a few times. Suffice it to say that Israel is a place we both cherish deeply.

This love of Israel and its importance is something Danielle and I are passionate about instilling in our children. It’s why we send them to Jewish Day School and Jewish summer camps, and when the opportunity arose to take them to Israel this spring, we jumped on it.

While we have been to Israel many times, Danielle and I were eager to experience the country and culture through our young children’s eyes. With Samson being 7 and Lily 4, we felt it was a good time to make the trip. It was also incredibly special to experience it with my parents and my sister’s family. Having three generations in Israel at once was something unique and special.

The trip, needless to say, was incredible. The things we did weren’t necessarily new to us, but they felt new experiencing them through the kids.

Walking through the history of the old city of Jerusalem, floating in the Dead Sea (minus a slight salt in the eyes problem) and being showered by a waterfall on a hike in Ein

Gedi are all experiences that we will cherish and remember. Visiting our friends’ home on a kibbutz and just experiencing the culture, food and language was instantly more memorable than it was on past trips. Hiking through the world’s largest (erosion) crater in Mitzpeh Ramon (something I’ve done many times) was all of a sudden new and different. We even rode a camel in a gas station parking lot – what could be more memorable and uniquely Israeli than that?

Our hope is that our kids look back on this trip as fondly as we do and that it becomes a first big step in fostering a care and passion for this amazing country. I can say that for Danielle and me it was like the adventure beginning all over again.

To purchase tickets or to find out more, contact Roberta Caplan at caplan@forward.com or (212) 453-9446.

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | JUNE 2018 13

JFS hosts lecture about digital safety

JCC Stagemakers perform for Mother’s Day

By Tracy Sussman JCC of the Lehigh Valley The JCC Stagemakers youth theater group entertained the community with their Mother's Day performance of “Once Upon a Mattress.” It is a spin on the story of the “Princess and the Pea.”

14 JUNE 2018 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

The audience learned that it wasn't in fact a pea at all that caused Princess Winnifred a sleepless night so she could marry Prince Dauntless the Drab. The audience was carried on a wave of wonderful songs with the all-too-familiar fairy tale of royal courtship with a hilarious spin.

Jewish Family Service of the Lehigh Valley hosted its annual Phyllis Ringel Memorial Lecture on May 6 with featured speaker Howard Sherer, who has had a 44-year career in the investment and management industries.

Sherer was introduced by JFS board member Audrey Nolte and board president Rabbi Allen Juda, and quickly dove into the topic of safety in the digital age. He defined important terms like cybersecurity, spoofing and Trojan horse, and provided information about hacking schemes and scams from domestic hackers as well as foreign governments.

After delving into hackers’

motives, Sherer provided practical tips for staying safe, including not clicking on spam emails even if they look like they come from a friend or relative, hanging up on suspicious phone calls and checking for suspicious devices at gas pumps and other public places.

He offered attendees handouts about identity protection and stayed to answer questions from the audience; several audience members also shared their own stories of hacking and some tips that could have prevented their situations.

A lecture is held annually in memory of Ringel, a past JFS executive director.

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | JUNE 2018 15

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MAZEL TOV CLASS OF 2018 Son of Sandra Skepton Dror PARKLAND HIGH SCHOOL Loves playing guitar and writing music. Plans a career in biochemistry with the United States Air Force.

West Dance Centre, French Club, dance team, track team, Lehigh Valley Zoo volunteer.

Plans to attend Delaware Valley University majoring in conservation and wildlife management.

EMILY GALLANT

DAVID KARP

JOSEPH DROR*

Daughter of Joshua and Beth Gallant PURNELL SCHOOL Outstanding Achievement in Art, Athletic Director’s Award for Sportsmanship, High Honor Roll. Vice president for junior class, student ambassador, Big Sister. Varsity soccer, varsity basketball, JV lacrosse, JV tennis, yearbook photographer, Adlibbers improv group, “The Wizard of Oz” production (supporting lead, Wicked Witch of the West), worked at American Eagle Outfitters as stylist. Plans to attend American University and study communications (TV and media film).

JONAH GROB

Son of Robert and Tracy Grob PARKLAND HIGH SCHOOL Member of the National, Math, English, and History Honor Societies as well as Debate Team, German Club and Jewish Culture Club. National Merit Commended Scholar. Co-Captain of the tennis team and manager of the girls’ team. Active member of BBYO and has served as chapter and regional treasurer.

Plans on studying neuroscience.

BRENNA HAAS

Daughter of Stuart and Susan Haas PARKLAND HIGH SCHOOL Involved in USY in grades 8-12.

Plays guitar and performs with Allentown School of Rock.

Plans to attend Kutztown University to study communication design.

MAX HAKIM

Son of Harvey and Melissa Hakim PARKLAND HIGH SCHOOL President of the Festival of the Arts Club, president of PNN Films, secretary of Performing Arts Club, Secretary of Jewish Culture Club, Mid-Atlantic Student Emmy Award (best long-form fiction film) ‘17, Best Director Award at Greenfield Youth Film Festival ‘17, Second Place Narrative Film at Rough Cut Film Festival ‘17, Official Selection at the Lighthouse International Film Festival ‘17, Freddy Award Nomination (featured male ensemble member) ‘17, member of PMEA District and Regional Chorus ‘17 and ‘18. National Honors Society, English Honors Society, International Thespian Society, Tri-M Music, school plays and musicals, Parkland Chorale, BBYO. Plans to attend Boston University to major in film.

KARA HORTNER*

Daughter of Michael and Stacy Hortner PARKLAND HIGH SCHOOL Performance team at Studio

Son of Eric and Chelsea Karp PARKLAND HIGH SCHOOL Cross country, spring track, fitness team, Brazilian jiu jitsu, Key Club, Jewish Culture Club.

Friendship Circle, Shalshelet, BBYO. Plans to attend Lehigh University PC Rossin School of Engineering.

BENJAMIN KATZ

Son of Aaron Katz and Joanne Cohen-Katz SALISBURY HIGH SCHOOL Marketing awards through DECA for graphic design work, Marketing Club, Advertising and Design Club. Plans to attend Jefferson University (formerly Philadelphia University) and major in graphic design.

BRAYDEN KOCH*

Son of Jeff and Anna Koch PARKLAND HIGH SCHOOL National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, PALS, Spanish Club, Jewish Culture Club.

Allentown AZA president and membership vice president.

Parkland varsity volleyball, basketball with SPYA and JCC. Plans to attend University of Pittsburgh for pre-med.

JACOB LADER

Son of Gary and Jennifer Lader LEHIGH VALLEY CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS Volunteer at St.Luke’s University Health Network with three Bravo awards and Hour Honor Hero with over 300 hours. Vice president of National Art Honors Society chapter, founder and president of Scientia Symposium. Hope and Healing Juried Art Show, organized and founded a synagogue community teen room, West Side Park cleanup organizer, TaeKwonDo, cross country, organic farm volunteer. Plans to attend Muhlenberg College and study neuroscience and visual arts on a pre-med course.

JOSH LEMBERG

Son of Paul and Diane Lemberg PARKLAND HIGH SCHOOL National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, Math Honor Society, French Club Historian, confirmed at Temple Beth El, Jewish Culture Club treasurer, AP Scholar with Honor, two time EPC Champion for track and field.

Model UN, French Club, band, varsity track and field (pole vault), Welcome Pack, tutoring, Student Council, PALS Club.

Allentown AZA, JCC Skunks basketball team, soccer referee, lifeguard, BBYO International Song Leading Committee & Steering Committee, AZA Regional Havdallah Chair, PreEclampsia Walk of Cranford NJ Publicity Committee. Plans to attend the University of Rochester.

18 JUNE 2018 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

RUBEN LEVEL*

Son of Oliver and Alice Level NAZARETH AREA HIGH SCHOOL AP Scholar and captain of the science olympiad and scholastic scrimmage teams. Varsity tennis, best buddies, chess club, and Model UN. Active in BBYO and USY. Plans to attend the University of South Carolina and dual major in international business and marketing.

STEVEN LIPSON

Son of Scott and Allison Lipson PARKLAND HIGH SCHOOL President of FBLA, editor-inchief of “Trumpet” newspaper, president of Jewish Culture Club, president and captain of debate team, varsity tennis player. Lehigh Valley Friendship Circle, BBYO regional board, Camp Harlam. Plans to attend University of Michigan and major in communications.

SOPHIA McWILLIAMS

Daughter of Wayne McWilliams and Susan Kahlenberg MORAVIAN ACADEMY National Field Hockey Association All American Scholar Athlete, Dean’s Scholars Program at Moravian Academy, Moravian Academy Pride Mentor Ambassador, secretary of UNICEF, co-president of Jewish Heritage Club, varsity field hockey, Animal Welfare Club, Model Congress, DECA, debate. Mazkirah and S’ganit in BBYO. Plans to attend the University of Richmond on a pre-law track.

BENJAMIN PALUMBO

Son of Robert and Joanne Palumbo PARKLAND HIGH SCHOOL Vice president of programming on AZA board, varsity tennis team, Jewish Culture Club, participated in Mr. Parkland competition. JCC Skunks basketball team, camper/CIT at URJ Camp Harlam, classroom aide at Temple Beth El religious school. Plans to attend Parsons School of Design and major in illustration.

JOELLE PITKOFF*

Daughter of Mark and Miriam Pitkoff PARKLAND HIGH SCHOOL Vice president of Judaic programming for Allentown BBG chapter, Philadelphia Impact Fellow for Jewish National Fund at Alexander Muss High School in Israel, board member for Jewish Culture Club. PALS club, assistant to physically handicapped adult. Plans to attend Temple University and study public health.

DANIEL ROSENFELD

Son of Edward Rosenfeld and Wendy Rosenfeld PARKLAND HIGH SCHOOL Assistant coach for the Swain School basketball team, cross country, track and field, Chess Club, Mr. Parkland competition, Ultimate Frisbee Club, Jewish Culture Club, JCC basketball team, BBYO. Plans to attend either Farleigh Dick-

inson University or Gettysburg College to pursue a liberal arts education.

BENJAMIN SCHORR

Son of Warren and Rabbi Rebecca Schorr BREHM PREPARATORY SCHOOL Future Business Leaders of America, Keep Carbondale Beautiful, Friendship Circle.

Plans to attend LCCC for general studies and transfer to a four-year college for a bachelor’s degree in video game design.

EMMA SMITH

Daughter of David Smith and Jenni Levy LEHIGH VALLEY CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS National Dance Honor Society inductee in 2017, Prom Committee, Spanish Club, synagogue youth group, Special Olympics volunteer, Da Vinci Center volunteer. Plans to attend San Diego State University and major in dance.

JASON SPIEGELMAN*

Son of Gershon Spiegelman and Randi Bruch WILLIAM ALLEN HIGH SCHOOL Stage Manager and KEY GRIP for the William Allen Theater Arts, William Allen marching band officer and music librarian. marching band, Cavaliers jazz band, choral, choir, pit orchestra, orchestra, concert band, stage manager, theater.

Inner District Wind Ensemble, High Notes Gala, Camp Nageela, USY, BBYO, NCSY. Plans to attend West Chester University with a business major focusing on theater arts.

BENJAMIN SZYDLOW

Son of Ken and Lisa Szydlow SAUCON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL Debate team captain, track team captain, cross country team captain, Investment Club president, Eagle Scout, Future Business Leaders of America, National Honor Society, Lower Saucon Township Environmental Advisory Committee. Plans to attend University of Pittsburgh majoring in finance and business administration.

SOPHIE VALUNTAS

Daughter of Christopher and Kimberly Valuntas PARKLAND HIGH SCHOOL BBYO Morah, S’ganit and N’siah. Parkland theater department (performing and costume crew), National Honor Society, Shalshelet, Friendship Circle, voice lessons. Plans to attend Quinnipiac University’s five-and-a-half-year entry-level master’s program for occupational therapy.

BENJAMIN WAX*

Son of Robby and Laurie Wax MORAVIAN ACADEMY Moravian Jewish Heritage Club president, varsity tennis team co-captain. Member of Moravian Academy’s 2015 Pennsyl-

vania State Champion Tennis Team and 2015-18 PIAA District Champion Tennis Team.

Moravian tour guide, Literary Magazine Club. Pinemere Camp CIT, CIT2 and junior counselor. AZA, Shalshelet, Temple Beth El. Plans to attend Emory University.

JORDYN WIENER*

Daughter of David and Debi Wiener PARKLAND HIGH SCHOOL Editor-in-chief of the Trumpet newspaper, National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, National Social Studies Honor Society, PALS Club, Key Club, Jewish Heritage Club, newspaper, track, Friendship Circle, BBYO, Peaceable Kingdom volunteer. Plans to attend the University of Florida prepharmacy/PharmD program for pharmaceutical research.

RUBY WIENER

Daughter of Stephen and Lynn Wiener SALISBURY HIGH SCHOOL National Honor Society, secretary of Model UN, cross country student representative/ treasurer, Scholastic Scrimmage, Debate Team, four-year varsity cross country team (captain), four-year varsity swim team (co-captain), varsity track, Best Buddies, academic tutor, Student Advisory, BBYO, member and performer for Repertory Dance Theatre throughout middle and high school. Plans to spend the summer at the Alvin Ailey Professional Division Summer Dance Intensive, and then attend Emory University as an intended biology/pre-med major with a dance minor.

BENJAMIN WILSON*

Son of Robert and Carol Wilson JACK M. BARRACK HEBREW ACADEMY Vice President of Student Assembly, Mark P. Klein Exemplary Student award, Camp Harlam Olin Fellow, lacrosse team captain, swim team captain, Israel Club, Tea Club, BBYO. Plans to go on Kivunim Gap Year in fall 2018 and attend University of Pittsburgh Honors College in fall 2019.

SAM ZAHN

Son of Bruce and Alicia Zahn PARKLAND HIGH SCHOOL Student Council president, Boys Tennis captain, German Club president, Debate Team captain, Mock Trial lead lawyer, BBYO regional president, Allentown AZA chapter president, Jewish Culture Club founder and president, National Honor Society. Student Council, varsity tennis, German Club, Debate Team, Mock Trial, Jewish Culture Club, National Honor Society of English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Art. Friendship Circle, Shalshelet, Temple Beth El religious school aide. Plans to attend UNC Chapel Hill and study political science. *ATTENDED JEWISH DAY SCHOOL

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | JUNE 2018 19

20 JUNE 2018 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

JDS celebrates Mother’s Day with special planting

By Amy Golding Jewish Day School of the Lehigh Valley On May 11, the Jewish Day School of the Lehigh Valley celebrated Mother’s Day. As customary, students in pre-K invited their moms into the classroom for a cup of tea and a time-honored celebration of interviews, games, and merriment. This year, the JDS added a new ritual.

Dr. Frank Schweighardt, Da Vinci Science Center trustee, donated an Asian pear tree to the JDS. To commemorate this wonderful donation, sixth grade students prepared a presentation that united life science and Judaics as students joined together to plant this young seedling at the conclusion of their Mother’s Day Tea. As in the story of Honi and the Carob tree, sixth graders planted this young pear tree for the JDS pre-K and kindergarten students to enjoy when they are in sixth grade.

JACK M. BARRACK HEBREW ACADEM CONGRATULATES THE CLASS OF 20 Jacquelyn Sonia Baker

Zoe Wallis Grossinger

Sophia Lechtzin

Sophia Dorelle Os

Aaron Carl Bernstein

Alexandria Lexie Gutierrez

Andrew Jonathan Levin

Ofek Peres

Anna Jelin Bernstein

Julian Marc Hirsch

Sarah Maury Levin

Hannah Leah Per

Elliot Lewis Bernstein

Gabrielle Sarah Hoessly

Dakota Sylvie Levy

Nita Elyse Rome

Justin Michael Boguslavsky

Samuel David Jaron

Anna Faye Lieberman

Joseph Hillel Rud

Dina Malka Botwinik

Benjamin Judah Joffe

Avi Lipton

Tali Devorah Satlo

Lindsay Max Chevlin

Amanda Ellen Josephs

Jordan David Lulu

Ethan Henry Savit

Alec J. Cohen

Joshua J. Jutcovich

Maayan Sara Sandler Malomet

Rita Leah Scheer

Joshua Avraham Needleman

Eli Daniel Katz

Benjamin Mizrachi

Alice Temma Schm

Matthew Adam Kolansky

Michael Seth Montague

Ruth Halle Schmi

Samuel Jacob Engel

Rachel Hannah Kolman

Ari Joshua Nahmani

Maya Anna Shapi

Samuel Ellis Falkowitz

Ariel Koltun-Fromm

Michael J. Naim

Charles Reid Silve

Cohen

Lauren Julia Fisher

Jacob Stein

Oren Samuel Gabbay

Mia Chayn Stein

Tali Beth Glickman

Samuel Turk Tolub

Georgia Elizabeth Gobora

David Gabriel Trea

David Benjamin Gordon

Mira Tamar Warm

Jacob Joseph Gordon

Yosef Gavriel Weit

Alissa Nicole Gorson-Marrow

Reena Keren Woln

Stefanie Bryn Gorson-Marrow

Chaim Avram Bet 272 S. Bryn Mawr Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010

610-922-2350 I admissions@jbha.org I jbha.org © 2016 JBHA

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | JUNE 2018 21

Separated by the Holocaust, old friends find each other 76 years later

BART BARTHOLOMEW/SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER

Simon Gronowski and Alice Weit, who had a reunion 76 years after being separated by the Holocaust, were honored at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, April 12, 2018.

By Gabrielle Birkner Jewish Telegraphic Agency

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22 JUNE 2018 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

When Alice (Gerstel) Weit last saw Simon Gronowski, she was 13 and he was 10 and, by Alice’s recollection, “the most adorable boy ever.” When they reunited in April, 76 years later, “I opened the door and there he was, a frail, little old man,” she said.

At the threshold of Alice’s apartment, the old friends embraced, and they wept.

“They weren’t talking; they were speaking with their eyes,” said Simon’s grandson Romain De Nys, 24, who witnessed the reunion.

Two days later, Alice and Simon were guests of honor during the Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Yom HaShoah, program at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles.

Alice had long believed that Simon — the little brother of her childhood best friend, Ita — had perished with his family at Auschwitz. It wasn’t until last summer, after a family member’s internet search turned up Simon’s memoir, that she learned he had survived the war.

“I broke down and cried like a little baby,” Alice said.

A few weeks later, she found out that Simon was still alive and working as a lawyer in Brussels.

Simon was just as emotional when he received an email from one of Alice’s sons saying that his mother was looking to reconnect.

“I replied right away that I want to see her,” Simon said.

It’s no wonder, given their families’ unique connection.

For 10 harrowing days in October 1941, as Alice, her mother and two siblings waited to be smuggled out of Nazi-occupied Belgium, they hid above the Gronowskis’ leather goods store, which was frequented

by Nazi officers. The Brussels shop was frequented by Nazi officers, and the Gronowskis risked their own lives to shelter the Gerstels.

When Alice and her family left that day, “I said goodbye, but I believed I’d see them again,” Simon told JTA. “At this moment, I didn’t know Auschwitz.”

The Gerstels managed to escape Europe, traveling through France and Morocco before boarding a ship bound for Cuba. They ultimately resettled in the United States, where Alice married, had two children and worked as a real estate agent.

The Gestapo arrested Simon and his family in February 1943. They were sent to the Mechelen transit camp, then put on a train bound for Auschwitz. En route, the train was breached by the Belgian resistance, and some passengers were able to flee. With his mother’s help, 11-yearold Simon jumped from the train and escaped through the woods. His mother, Chana, and sister Ita, who was on a subsequent convoy, would die at Auschwitz.

Young Simon was aided by a Belgian police officer, and he spent the remainder of the war sheltered in the homes of Catholic families. Simon’s father, Léon, also survived the war in hiding, but died shortly thereafter, when Simon was only 13.

Years on, Simon put himself through law school, married (now divorced) and had two children. An amateur jazz pianist, Simon was invited in 2014 to play alongside filmmaker Woody Allen at New York’s Carlyle Hotel, where Allen performs regularly with his band.

But for decades after the war, Simon did not talk about what he had endured. In 2002 he published a memoir, “The Child of the 20th Convoy,” and began speaking in schools about what happened to his family during the Holocaust.

When he stood before the crowd at the Museum of Tolerance, he said he ultimately decided to share his story “on behalf of victims of all barbarities,” including those who died

in the 20th century genocides in Armenia and Rwanda. He also decried the pernicious forces of hate and Holocaust denial, and called democracy “ a struggle of everyday.”

At the event, Alice praised Simon’s mother, whom she credits with saving her family.

“Your mom was the personification of the saying, ‘If you save one life, you save all humanity,’” she said.

Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, which runs the Museum of Tolerance, told JTA that Holocaust memory is at a critical moment, as “a generation of perpetrators, victims, liberators and bystanders are all leaving the stage of history.”

“The question is how will we be remembering the Shoah [Holocaust] after the eyewitnesses are gone?” said Cooper, citing Holocaust denial abroad, the rise of far-right candidates in the United States and a new study showing that many U.S. millennials lack a basic knowledge about the Holocaust.

The study found that 22 percent of respondents between the ages of 18 and 34 had not heard of the Holocaust or weren’t sure if they had heard of it. The same survey, spearheaded by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, also revealed that 41 percent of respondents of all ages could not identity the concentration camp Auschwitz.

Against this backdrop, Cooper said Alice and Simon’s reunion “is a sign of hope, but also a challenge, a reminder to step up.”

In advance of Simon’s arrival, Alice spent days preparing “a Yiddishe meal” of chopped liver, gefilte fish, matzah ball soup and brisket for her friend.

The reunion gave Simon an opportunity to connect with the closest thing he has to his lost family, said Dann Netter, one of Alice’s sons.

“For us,” Netter said, “it provides the opportunity to say thank you.”

IDW PUBLISHING/YOE BOOKS, JTA COLLAGE

How comic books taught American kids about the Holocaust

“We Spoke Out: Comic Books and the Holocaust” features 18 comics that dealt with the Holocaust.

By Josefin Dolsten Jewish Telegraphic Agency In 2008, famed comic book artist Neal Adams and Holocaust historian Rafael Medoff teamed up to create a comic about Dina Babbitt, a Czech Jewish artist forced by the infamous Dr. Josef Mengele to paint watercolors of Roma prisoners in Auschwitz. They hoped to bring attention to a little-known figure in the Holocaust.

But their work on the comic, published by Marvel, also led them to ponder a larger issue: the surprising degree to which comic books had addressed the genocide in Europe.

“We were surprised and impressed to discover that a number of mainstream comic books had taken on Holocaustrelated themes in their story lines at various points over the years,” Medoff, the founding director of the David Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, told JTA in a phone interview.

Medoff and Adams — known for his iconic work on DC Comics’ Batman and Green Arrow — decided to explore how a genre aimed at entertaining youths tackled one of history’s darkest chapters.

The results of the research is their new book, “We Spoke Out: Comic Books and the Holocaust,” which was co-written with author and artist Craig Yoe. In the decades immediately following World War II, many high school students did not learn about the Holocaust, and TV programs, movies and books only addressed it sporadically, Medoff told JTA. “It struck us that comic books apparently were one of the ways in which American teenagers were learning about the Holocaust at a time when most of them were not learning about it in school,” he said.

Adams, who designed the book’s cover image, created three of the comics reproduced in full in the book: “Night of the Reaper,” a 1971 comic featuring Batman and Robin and a Holocaust survivor bent on revenge; “Thou Shalt Not Kill!,” a 1972 comic about a golem that kills Nazis in Prague; and “The Last Outrage,” the 2008 comic he

created with Medoff about Babbitt’s life.

The book also features three works by the late Jewish comic book icon Joe Kubert, the Polish-born pioneer at DC Comics who founded The Kubert School for budding comics artists.

Captain America, a superhero who fought the Nazis in a comic book series that began in 1940, is featured in a 1979 comic about a Holocaust survivor’s experiences at a fictionalized concentration camp.

Notably, it was the first time in the character’s long run that the persecution of the Jews was mentioned.

Many of the 18 comics in the book feature Holocaust survivors seeking vengeance against Nazis, and some present superheroes. Jews wrote about or drew half the comics.

Adams, 76, said comics provide a way to present the horror of the Holocaust in a way that people can “endure it.” As a 10-year-old living in West Germany, where his father was stationed with the U.S. Army, he was shown three hours of footage of concentration camps being liberated. He was so traumatized by what he saw that he did not speak for a week afterward.

‘You’re just seeing it over and over again, the devastation, people living in their own filth, and after a while you just can’t,” he said of the experience. “The idea of this [book] was to take this down to smaller chunks so that people could endure it.”

Yoe said comics also allow readers to take time to think about what they are learning.

“One of the advantages to comics over movies and TV is that you can read at your own pace, especially important stories like these,” he said. “You can stop and ponder a particular panel, or go back and look at the other thing.”

Comics have taken on other weighty issues, including racism, drug abuse and the environment, but such story lines are the exception.

“Most comic book stories of course are just about superheroes chasing supervillains, but there have been many important exceptions to that,” Medoff said.

The authors note several distinct ways the Holocaust

was depicted at various times.

In the 1950s and early ’60s, comics tended to portray the Holocaust in general terms, without references to Jews as the victims.

“It seemed to me as a historian that this reflected the general mindset in American society at that time, in the ’50s and early ’60s, which was to play down ethnic differences and to universalize the Holocaust as if it was something that kind of happened to everybody,” Medoff said.

In the following decades, he said, writers were more likely to explicitly identify Holocaust victims as Jewish.

Medoff believes the book can be a useful teaching aid in educating about the Holocaust.

“Unfortunately, classroom Holocaust education has not been as effective as we hoped it would be,” he said, citing a recent survey that found that many U.S. millennials lacked basic knowledge about the Holocaust. “[C]omic book stories offer a way to communicate these history lessons to students that might be more effective than some of the ways that have been used until now.”

Adams said that need is especially urgent today.

“Anyone who’s even paying attention to modern politics ought to be warned that if you do not study history, you’re doomed to repeat it,” he said. “We’re on the crux of some very difficult times, and a book like this is a good reminder.”

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | JUNE 2018 23

JOHN PHILLIPS/GETTY IMAGES

J.K. Rowling is giving a master class in identifying anti-Semitism and it’s magical

By Ron Kampeas Jewish Telegraphic Agency There’s an unsettling debate underway in Britain about whether the right or the left is more anti-Semitic, and videos of Jewish members of Parliament reading out some of the anti-Semitic invective they’ve suffered have gone viral.

J.K. Rowling, the non-Jewish author of the Harry Potter series, decided to weigh in, defining anti-Semitism for her 14.4 million Twitter followers.

She posted a screen grab of a non-Jew gentile-splaining what Judaism is — “Judaism is a religion not a race” — and gently explained why this is hardly relevant to defining antiJewish bias.

“Most UK Jews in my timeline are currently having to field this kind of crap, so perhaps some of us non-Jews should start shouldering

24 JUNE 2018 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90

J.K. Rowling attends the 70th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) at Royal Albert Hall in London, Feb. 12, 2017.

the burden,” she said. “Antisemites think this is a clever argument, so tell us, do: were atheist Jews exempted from wearing the yellow star? #antisemitism.”

Rowling’s head-smacking was almost audible as she sorted through responses to that tweet, including one that said arguing against anti-Semitism was “culturally insensitive” to Muslims.

“When you only understand bigotry in terms of ‘pick a team’ and get a mind-boggling response,” she said.

She also reacted with impatience — attaching a GIF of an exasperated Hugh Laurie — when someone argued that Arabs can’t be anti-Semitic because they are Semites. “The ‘Arabs are semitic too’ hot takes have arrived,” she said.

“Split hairs. Debate etymology,” she said in a tweet attached to a definition of anti-Semitism as “hostility to or prejudice against Jews.”

“Gloss over the abuse of your fellow citizens by attacking the actions of another country’s government. Would your response to any other form of racism or bigotry be to squirm, deflect or justify?”

Rowling got in so deep, she forgot for a moment that her followers mainly want to chat about, well, Harry Potter. “How wonderful that you’re experiencing it for the first time!” one said to another who posted that he had just started reading the series. “Enjoy!!”

Rowling quoted the reply, and said: “For a second there I thought @jessiebacho was telling me it was wonderful that I was experiencing antisemitism for the first time… then I realised she was responding to somebody who just finished reading Harry Potter for the first time #ReadCarefullyBeforeCursing.”

Seeing anti-Semitism everywhere? J.K., welcome to our nightmare.

In historic first, Giro d’Italia race kicks off in Israel

Hundreds of fans and supporters cheering as the Giro D’Italia, one of the most prestigious road cycling races in the world, which began in Jerusalem, May 4, 2018.

Jewish Telegraphic Agency The Giro d’Italia kicked off in Israel on May 4, the first non-European country to host large segments of the bicycle race in its 101 years in existence.

The 2018 Giro, whose coming to Israel is the initiative of the Canadian-Jewish businessman Sylvan Adams, was to run for three weeks, ending in Rome on May 27.

In Israel, the race’s 22 teams of 176 riders began with a 6-mile time trial in Jerusalem, a 103-mile race from Haifa to Tel Aviv and a 140-mile race from Beer Sheva to Eilat.

Over that weekend, major traffic arteries throughout Israel, including its coastal road, were blocked.

Along with the Tour de France and Spain’s Vuelta, the Giro is one of the world’s three major cycling tournaments.

The teams listed on the Giro’s website as competing hail from 13 countries, including one team from Israel, three from the United States,

another three from Italy and two from France. Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates also sent teams although those countries have no official diplomatic relations with Israel. Also competing is a team from South Africa, whose ruling party supports a blanket boycott of Israel.

The predominantlyMuslim nation of Kazakhstan is also represented, along with the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Australia.

According to the Israel Broadcasting Corporation, Adams spent nearly $20 million in facilitating the Giro’s arrival to Israel. The Israeli government spent another $8.3 million. Some 1,500 media professionals covered the Giro in Israel, according to the report. Last year, some 840 million people worldwide saw parts of the race on television, it also said.

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel had appealed the Giro organizers not to come to Israel, comparing what they terms its “military occupation” of Palestinians to apartheid in South Africa.

“I believe BDS is a very small movement, they don’t interest me and they don’t scare me at all,” Adams said.

“This is the antidote to BDS, this is showing ourselves to a billion television viewers.”

Adams, a cycling enthusiast who moved to Israel two years ago, also said he sees special symbolism in the race’s terminus of Rome, the seat of an empire whose army nearly 2,000 years ago destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem after quelling a Jewish rebellion for sovereignty.

“And 2,000 years later, we’re friends with the Romans, the Giro d’Italia comes here,” he said. The race’s sponsors in Italy changed the end of the route exceptionally, making Rome its final destination instead of Milan “to express the symbolism,” Adams said.

This teen had a gender neutral b’nei mitzvah

By Josefin Dolsten Jewish Telegraphic Agency

sibility for other non-binary kids in the future,” Esther told JTA in an email.

Using a Hebrew name that relayed family ties and fit into the larger Jewish tradition was important to Esther, said their mother, who wrote about Esther’s b’nei mitzvah in The Jewish Chronicle.

“If you have a name that doesn’t give that tie into your family and your history, you are much more isolated, and that compounds isolation that I know Esther still does feel — if you are non-binary or trans and you are the only person in your shul that are already in a different position,” Thorpe said.

In the end Esther chose “Esther m’beit Miriam,” meaning “Esther from the house of Miriam.”

In addition to the liturgical changes, Esther had of course to read their Torah portion and write a drash, or sermon. Since the family lives a three-hour drive from York, Esther did their learning via videochat with Webber and a congregant, Hava Fleming.

In December, Esther led the service in front of some 100 people. Afterward there was a celebration with food, ice cream, popcorn machines and doughnuts, as the rite fell during Chanukah. The event was significant not only because it may have been the country’s first genderneutral b’nei mitzvah but also because it was York’s first bar, bat or b’nei mitzvah ceremony in over 50 years.

The city’s Jewish history is mainly known for a 12th-century anti-Semitic massacre in which all the Jewish residents were killed.

Despite the adaptations, there were still some lingering issues. Though immediate friends and family were respectful of Esther’s gender identity, others gave “bat

COURTESY OF MIRIAM TAYLOR THORPE

When Esther Thorpe came out as non-binary a year ago, identifying neither as male nor female, Miriam Taylor Thorpe was worried. Esther’s mother already had a child come out as gay and feared that Esther, 14, would have trouble finding a Jewish community that would be accepting and inclusive.

The family was already planning for Esther’s bat mitzvah, but with the new revelation, Miriam wondered how her child could be comfortable taking part in a Jewish ceremony whose very name — bar mitzvah for boys and bat mitzvah for girls — is gendered.

“I was quite concerned because if something is important in your coming of age, it should reflect who you are as a person and not squeeze you into the traditional two genders that we happen to have just because of history,” Miriam, who lives with her husband, Martyn, and seven children in the village of Otterburn, in northeast England, told JTA. As transgender and gender nonconforming people gain more acceptance, synagogues are having to think about how to welcome those with a diverse set of gender identities. Statistics about gender identity in children are hard to come by, but a University of Minnesota study published last year found that 2.7 percent of children in the state identify as transgender or gender nonconforming.

Catherine Bell, senior director of program and leadership at Keshet, a Massachusetts-based group that promotes LGBTQ equality, said the organization gets requests on how to make religious ceremonies inclusive of different gender identities.

“A real frontier for the work that Keshet does these days is around gender identity and gender diversity, a lot around transgender inclusion and making sure non-binary and trans youth are included,” Bell told JTA. The Union for Reform Judaism — the congregational arm of the movement in the United States — has a toolkit for synagogues that includes a section on how to tailor b’nei mitzvah ceremonies to align with the child’s gender identity, said Rabbi Leora Kaye, director of program.

“What we’re seeing now is that there are families and there are congregations that are very open to exploring with the kids that are becoming bar and bat mitzvah how they want to be identified,” Kaye told JTA. The Thorpe family worked with the student rabbi of their synagogue, York Liberal Jewish Community, to adapt the

ceremony, which was held in December. Gabriel Webber is a first-year student at London’s Leo Baeck College, a rabbinical school associated with the Liberal movement, a partner under the worldwide Reform umbrella. As part of his research ahead of the ceremony, he came across examples of ceremonies for non-binary children in the United States but not in the United Kingdom.

“Although this is the first one that we’ve had on the radar, it’s going to be far from the last one,” Webber said.

Webber spent a lot of time thinking about how to eschew gendered words in Hebrew during what they came to call Esther’s b’nei mitzvah, using the Hebrew plural term b’nei, which could refer to a mixedgender group of people. Esther uses “they” as a singular pronoun rather than “he” or “she.”

Before settling on b’nei mitzvah, Webber looked for other possibilities. He found that other non-binary people had used terms such as “ban mitzvah” (“ban” is a made-up word that combines the Hebrew words for boy and girl, “ben” and “bat”) and “zera mitzvah” (“zera” means seed or offspring in Hebrew).

“Esther uses ‘they’ pronouns, which is also a plural being used as a singular, so [b’nei] fit, and it wasn’t making up Hebrew, which is probably better than making up Hebrew,” Webber said.

He also looked into how to call up Esther to read from the Torah. Traditionally, readers are called up using their first name in Hebrew followed by “ben” or “bat” (son or daughter) and their parent’s or parents’ names.

Finding the right way to be called up to the Torah held a major significance for Esther.

“It felt like a big respon-

Esther Thorpe, left, identifies as non-binary and had a gender-neutral b’nei mitzvah ceremony with the help of student rabbi Gabriel Webber.

mitzvah” cards and gifts geared toward girls, Miriam Thorpe said.

“It was quite easy to make the service be reflective of [Esther being] non-binary, once you have a rabbi that’s on board with it and you have a congregation that’s prepared to take that through,” she

said, “and as soon as you left the service you’re back to it’s either a bar mitzvah or a bat mitzvah and there’s nothing in between.”

Still, Esther is happy about how things turned out.

“I feel better,” they said. “I feel part of a community, accepted and acknowledged.”

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | JUNE 2018 25

The top 7 dog names inspired by Jewish food

@KUGEL_THE_JEWISH_DOODLE ON INSTAGRAM

in Zach Braff’s movie, “Wish I Was Here.” Kugel hits the sweet spot of unique, Jewish and a great sounding name.

Kugel the goldendoodle from Maryland.

“Jewdle” is a common abbreviation for “Jewish goldendoodle.”

By Emily Burack My Jewish Learning Naming your dog can be difficult.

Guides online say you want to avoid the most popular names, avoid human names, pick a name with one or two syllables, and choose something with — as “The Art of Naming a Dog” writes — a “crisp, commanding consonant” (like a “k” or a hard “c”).

What better way to avoid human names and popular dog names than with Jewish food names? Hear us out …

1. Kugel Kugel is possibly the best Jewish food to name your dog after. This Jewish food dog name is so great, it even made it into a children’s book. Kugel the dog — in a series of books by Ann Koffsky — loves helping Kayla get ready for Jewish holidays.

Kugel is also the name of the dog

2. Babka This also meets the requirements of a great dog name: two syllables with a hard consonant. It’s such a great dog name that our very own editor of The Nosher, Shannon Sarna, named one of her rescue dogs Babka. And like her namesake, Babka the dog is as sweet as can be.

In a food piece on babka from the New York Times in 2007, “Inviting an Old Favorite to the Hanukkah Table,” they feature a couple who runs Mrs. London’s (a bakery in Saratoga Springs, New York) who named their dog Babka. Why? “He was just shaped like one.”

According to “Dog Names in New York City” (a very fun interactive map if you need to kill some time), there are only three dogs named Babka in the entirety of the city. So you would definitely be unique.

3. Bagel More common than “Kugel” and “Babka” — perhaps because the food is more common — Bagel is another great, short name that would work for your dog. There are so many dogs named Bagel on Instagram.

Perhaps the type of person to name their dog “Bagel” is the same type of person who would run an Instagram for their dog?

In 2009, a dog named Bagel went missing in New York (from a Jewish woman, of course), and New York Magazine‘s Daily Intelligencer ran a fun story imagining the hijinks Bagel got up to.

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4. Matzah Ball or Matzah This name works best when your dog legitimately looks like a matzah ball.

However, let’s be honest, the name works pretty well even when your dog doesn’t look like a matzah ball.

Essentially: This name works for all dogs.

According to the rules, this name is not *as* good as Kugel, Babka, or Bagel (because it’s two words), but it’s still fun and different. However, you can also go with the one word Matzah, or the nickname Matzy. There are many options.

5. Latke This is another great two-syllable dog name. (And, coincidentally, another Jewish children’s book dog.) There’s significantly less #latkethedog posts on Instagram. “Latke” is a niche and goofy choice, but naming your dog Latke will always make you smile.

6. Pickles Pickles, like Bagel, is very popular on Instagram (#picklesthedog has over 4,500 posts). It’s also a common pig name (which is also apparently a thing on Instagram).

Name your dog Pickles if you have either a deep and undying love for pickles, or just a good sense of humor.

This also works if you want to name your dog a not explicitly Jewish name, because there are many non-Jewish pickles out there.

7. Brisket Brisket also hits the marks of a great name, and it’s uncommon enough that non-Jews may not even know your dog is named after a food. According to Instagram, this name is more common for smaller dogs.

Einstein Bros. put mac & cheese on a bagel because why not?

By Shannon Sarna My Jewish Learning Americans do a lot of weird and wacky stuff to bagels: from flamin’ hot cheeto-flavored to rainbow bagels, we’ve gone well beyond plain or everything bagels topped with cream cheese and lox.

Popular bagel chain Einstein Bros. has recently joined the ranks with the launch of three new “craveable flavors across America,” a green chile bagel representing the Southwest, a hash brown bagel representing the South and a mac & cheese bagel representing the Midwest.

While most weird bagel combinations — like beet bagels or kimchi cream cheese — completely gross me out, and while I am far from a nice Midwestern gal, I love comfort food and I am deeply intrigued by this cheesy, carb love child. After all, I love mac & cheese. And I love bagels. What could be bad about this mash-up, other than the fact that the closest location to me is at LaGuardia airport? Guess it’s summer road trip time.

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At Embassy Bank, we are committed to staying local and providing the Lehigh Valley with low cost, high value products and superior customer service.

If you are tired of bank merger headaches, then it’s time to say HELLO to Embassy Bank for the Lehigh Valley where you won’t be sold, you’ll be appreciated.

(610) 882-8800 • embassybank.com 8 Offices Valleywide: Allentown • Bethlehem • Easton • Nazareth 26 JUNE 2018 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

Tahini Marshmallow S’mores Make a fruit glaze by combining a stick of sweet butter, melted, with 1/4 c. honey, the juice of a lime and 1/4 t. vanilla. Halve 3 pounds of fresh ripe pitted fruit. Mix with the glaze. Grill cut side down for 11 minutes, turning when halfway finished, and basting as needed. Serve with ice cream while still warm, preferably Talenti Sicilian Pistachio or Raspberries & Cream. This goes well with a steaming cup of French vanilla coffee.

By Sheri Silver My Jewish Learning Tahini is certainly having “a moment.”

This ancient condiment is just about everywhere these days – most notably on the sweeter side of things, in treats and desserts.

Stuffed into croissants. Turned into cake pops. Folded into brownie batter.

And I love it all.

This savory ground sesame seed paste taste lends an unexpected flavor and texture to so many different kinds of desserts, without overpowering. Even better, it can provide some depth and dimension to otherwise “one note” sweets.

Like marshmallows.

Don’t get me wrong – I LOVE homemade marshmallows – and they are miles above and away from the packaged variety. But, at the end of the day, a marshmallow is nothing more than a pillow of sweet, spongy sugar.

Rolled in sugar.

So I knew that it would be the perfect foil for a generous swirl of tahini.

And boy was I right. All of a sudden that “one note” marshmallow had it all going on – and I immediately fired up the stove, roasted a few and sandwiched them with graham crackers and squares of semi-sweet and white chocolate.

Delicious.

Individually wrapped “stacks” of s’mores ingredients are a fun, easy and different dessert to put out at all of your upcoming warmweather celebrations, barbecues and picnics!

INGREDIENTS 1 cup cold water, divided 3 envelopes unflavored gelatin (kosher gelatin is available at natural food stores, some kosher markets and on Amazon) 2 cups sugar ¾ cup light corn syrup pinch of salt ½ cup + 2 Tbsp tahini confectioner’s sugar white and dark chocolate squares graham crackers, cut in half to form squares

DIRECTIONS 1. Cut two squares of parchment or wax paper, to fit the bottom of a 9” x 9” baking pan.

Coat the pan with non-stick cooking spray, place one of the paper squares in the bottom and spray the paper.

2. Place ½ cup of the cold water into your mixer – sprinkle with the gelatin and let set.

3. Place the remaining ½ cup cold water into a medium saucepan, along with the sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring till the sugar is dissolved. When the mixture boils, cover the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the cover, attach a thermometer and continue to cook – without stirring – till the temperature reaches 240 degrees.

4. Remove from heat, turn the mixer on low and slowly add the sugar mixture. When the mixture starts to thicken, gradually increase the speed – eventually bringing it up to high.

Beat for 5 minutes.

5. Add ½ cup tahini to the mixture and quickly but gently fold in, using a greased rubber spatula – do not over mix so that you can still see the swirls of tahini throughout.

Transfer to your baking pan and drizzle the remaining 2 Tbsp tahini over. Use a thin knife to swirl the drizzle. Spray the reserved piece of parchment paper with non-stick cooking spray and place, sprayed-side down, over the marshmallow. Press gently to level and even out the top. Wrap with plastic wrap and let sit overnight.

6. Sprinkle a work surface with confectioner’s sugar; place some more in a medium bowl. Remove the top sheet of parchment from the marshmallow and invert onto the work surface. Peel off the bottom sheet of paper and sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.

Use a greased knife to cut squares, then roll the cut edges of each square in the bowl of sugar.

7. Make your s’mores by roasting the marshmallows and sandwiching them with a piece of chocolate between 2 graham cracker squares. Marshmallows may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | JUNE 2018 27

Community members and students gather with Sen. Pat Browne.

EITC

Continues from page 1 political process and advocating for their priorities from an early age,” said Aaron Gorodzinsky, director of outreach and community relations for the Jewish Federation, who accompanied the students on the trip.

One of the most significant parts of the trip, Gorodzinsky said, was sitting down with state Sen. Pat Browne, who is the chair of the Appropriations Committee, and asking him personally to continue to support the program.

“The senator was very impressed by how eloquent and how informed the kids were about the program and the political process,” he said.

Since 2001, the Federation has been able to distribute over $1.8 million in scholarships benefiting low-income families at the JCC and JDS. Applications must be submitted online on July 2, 2018 (not before) and the Federation

SUMMER ART CAMPS

& THE FASHION ACADEMY

Annual Meeting

1 WEEK CAMPS JUNE 18 – AUGUST 17

Continues from page 1

AGES 5-17

REGISTER TODAY! WWW.BAUMSCHOOL.ORG

28 JUNE 2018 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

510 Linden Street Allentown, PA 18101 610.433.0032

phone-a-thon, Super Sunday acknowledges our own munity as vibrant Jewish community as the room is buzzing all day with volunteers of all ages. The event requires

helps businesses to prepare and process.

Some companies find that when they add in federal tax deductions, they save the same amount on taxes that they contributed to scholarships.

“It’s such a win-win for businesses,” said Mark L. Goldstein, executive director of the Federation. “They can receive a significant tax credit and feel good knowing they are helping students who need it most.”

New this year, qualified individuals can now participate in the EITC program.

Through a “special purpose entity” set up by Federation, individuals can reduce their personal tax liabilities and contribute to students’ success. Shareholders, partners, members or employees of business firms: most anyone can participate.

To learn more about the EITC program, if you qualify and how to apply ON July 2, 2018, call the Jewish Federation at 610-821-5500 or visit www. jewishlehighvalley.org/eitc.

countless hours of preparation, and so it is no surprise that having spearheaded Super Sunday for three years in a row, Brian and Emily Ford are most deserving of the Pomerantz Award,” said Carol Bub Fromer, co-chair of the Federation’s Annual Campaign. “Their enthusiasm and smiles energize our callers until the last hour.”

“Brian’s and Emily’s commitment to our Jewish community serves as a role model to us all,” she added, “and it is a pleasure to present them with this award.”

Cantor Kevin Wartell will be honored with the Schiff Award for Prejudice Reduction at the community celebration. He will again be honored at the Mortimer S. Schiff Memorial Golf Tournament on June 18, which brings in money to support the Federation’s prejudice reduction efforts.

Wartell is closing out his 30-year tenure as cantor and educator at Allentown’s Temple Beth El this year.

“Kevin has shown up more regularly and for longer than anyone on the interfaith scene in the Lehigh Valley,” said the Rev. Dr. Peter Pettit, director of the Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding at Muhlenberg College and a past recipient of the Schiff Award. “His personable style is disarming and wins him friends across religious lines long before the issues of religious difference ever begin to emerge.”

For his many years of

faithfully serving the Lehigh Valley community and advocating on behalf of Israel and issues of Jewish interest, former U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent will receive the President’s Award. Dent recently served seven terms in Congress.

“He’s always been supportive of the Jewish community and Israel and we feel that he deserves recognition as he retires from his position,” said Eva Levitt, president of the Jewish Federation.

The Federation will also celebrate the graduation of the 12 young leaders who make up the first cohort of Israel Next Dor (see story on page 3) and present a tribute to Juana del Solar, an almost 91-year-old Allentown woman who is planning to donate her house to the Jewish community (see story in May edition of HAKOL).

A new board and officers will be elected and outgoing committee leaders and board members will be recognized.

The event is sponsored by Altitude Marketing, Bennett Maseratti of Allentown, Embassy Bank, Gross McGinley, RCN and Scherline & Associates.

The Jewish Federation’s Community Celebration & Annual Meeting will take place on Thursday, June 14, at 6:30 p.m. at the JCC of the Lehigh Valley.

Barbecue and open bar, free and open to everyone. RSVP by June 8 to 610-821-5500 or mailbox@ jflv.org or register online at jewishlehighvalley.org/events.

Morocco and Spain mission Continues from page 6

of Madrid and chairman of Taglit Birthright Europe. We were deeply inspired by their passion and dedication in not only revitalizing their community, but also promoting interfaith dialogue and building relationships with Israel and the diaspora.

Spain and Israel have a complicated diplomatic relationship with Spain only recently recognizing Israel in 1986. During a briefing with Daniel Kutner, the Israeli ambassador to Spain, he noted the importance of the relationship between Israel and Spain but also pointed out that Israel has reservations on how Spain votes on some initiatives, since they do not want to upset Arab countries.

He also notes that it is difficult for Israel to forget Spain’s complicated history with its Jewish people.

Until the late 14th century, Jews enjoyed a long history of peaceful coexistence with Muslims and Christians. This was most evident when we explored the city of Toledo which is also called the “City of Three Cultures.” A beautiful city containing many medieval Christian, Arab and Jewish monuments in the old city, Toledo was known for merging these different

cultures to create a unique feeling in the city. As a result, customs evolved like blowing the shofar three times on Friday morning to remind the Jews to prepare for Shabbat.

Also, the interior designs of the two synagogues, El Transition Synagogue and Santa Maria la Blanca Synagogue, seem more Arabic than Jewish. The synagogues were converted to churches after the Jews were expulsed from Spain in 1492, and remain as museums today.

In Spain, Federation dollars bring Jews to Israel on different types of experiences like Birthright and longerterm experiences like Masa as well as aliyah. In May 2017, the Centro de Estudios Ibn Gabirol-Colegio Estrella Toledano School became a World Ort school and as a result, their teachers and students are now able to take advantage of a global educational and training network of Jewish day schools. We had the opportunity to visit this beautiful Jewish school that has children from diverse backgrounds including non-Jews who are attracted to the school’s reputation as being one of the best nonCatholic private schools in Spain. The school believes having non-Jewish children is a good indication of their prestige and acceptance by the general population and allows them to foster multi-

Above, welcoming Shabbat with children from the Centro de Estudios Ibn Gabirol-Colegio Estrella Toledano School in Madrid. Right, schoolchildren in Morocco proudly wear their kippot and tzitzit. cultural understanding and help break down barriers.

The school administrators stated that they specifically diversify admissions to prevent creation of a “Jewish ghetto” where their children could be artificially isolated from the rest of the Spanish society in which they live. It was a memorable experience for our entire group to share an early Shabbat with over 300 children from the school as Kippah Live, a men’s acappella group from Israel, led us in song and dance, not as strangers, but as one Jewish family.

Each time I participate in a Federation mission, I become

increasingly aware that we are indeed one large, global Jewish family. And, as Jews, we are all responsible for one another. With the money raised through the Federation’s Annual Campaign, we provide programs that strengthen our Jewish identity and enable quality Jewish education worldwide. We also do our best to ensure every Jew has access to medical care, kosher food and to live their lives with dignity.

I have seen firsthand the impact that we have around the world, and know that there is still much work to be done. Please answer the call and contribute to the Federa-

tion’s Annual Campaign so that we can continue to build community and care for the most vulnerable locally, overseas and in Israel.

St. Luke’s has been named one of Truven Health Analytics™ 100 Top Hospitals in the Nation in the Major Teaching Hospitals category for the fourth year in a row.

To learn more visit:

stlukes100top.org

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | JUNE 2018 29

Community Calendar 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.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 30 Jewish Heritage Night at the IronPigs 7:05 p.m., Coca-Cola Park. Join the Lehigh Valley IronPigs for their 5th annual Jewish Heritage Night.

Limited tickets remain. Visit www.jewishlehighvalley. org/ironpigs to learn more. Sponsored by the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley.

THURSDAY, MAY 31 Lion of Judah and Pomegranate: Baking a Difference 6:30 p.m., private residence. Lion of Judah and Pomegranate women are invited to an exclusive evening with Challah for Hunger CEO Carly Zimmerman. Carly will talk about the organization’s innovative work cultivating future generations of Jewish community leaders. Participants will have the chance to braid and take home their own challah. RSVP by May 24 to 610-821-5500 or mailbox@jflv.org.

FRIDAY, JUNE 1 Mizmor Shir 7:30 p.m., Temple Covenant of Peace. Join us for a musical Shabbat experience. Followed by a festive oneg. All welcome! Sponsored by the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley’s Easton Leadership Council and Temple Covenant of Peace.

SATURDAY, JUNE 2 PJ Library Mazel Tots of the Knee-High Valley 10:30 a.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel Songs, a story and fun activities, in the Shabbat spirit, for the youngest among us. RSVP to the KI Office at 610-435-9074.

SUNDAY, JUNE 3 History Hop and Jump Around 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley.

History Hop: Celebrate our centennial with champagne and a “hop” through the JCC’s history. We will be revisiting the sites integral to our past. The hop will include: the first Allentown synagogue, the first Sons of Israel, the first JCC, Jewish Family Service, Jewish Day School. Price: $54. Jump Around: Drop the kids off at a fun and unique jump rope clinic. Children (ages 5 and up) will learn fun techniques and skills with jump ropes. The clinic will be hosted by The Just Jumpin’ Camp and the day will culminate with a performance from the Bungee Jumpers team who previously performed at Pen State’s THON and for the 76ers. Price: $36. Guests from both events will share breakfast together and join back up after the hop and jump for cake and the Bungee Jumpers show. To register, stop by the JCC Welcome Desk, call 610-435-3571 or visit www.lvjcc.org.

SUNDAY, JUNE 3 KI Annual Gala Tikkun Olam: Hands Together Repairing the World 5 p.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel. Honoring Elsbeth Haymon and Maryann Snyder. Cocktail reception at 5 p.m., dinner 6 p.m., performance at 7:30 p.m., dessert reception at 8:30 p.m. RSVP

by May 18 to 610-435-9074.

MONDAY, JUNE 4 Friendship Circle Weekly Meeting & Lunch The Troubadour Music 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley.

Contact Cynthia at 610-739-2755 for reservations.

Weather permitting. Friendship Circle is a place for people to meet, make new friends and enjoy 30 JUNE 2018 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

each other’s company. We welcome all adults over 50. Annual dues $30; paid up members are treated to two major programs with a catered luncheon. Regular weekly meetings and lunch $6.

First visit NO CHARGE. TUESDAY, JUNE 5 Jewish Federation Dinner and Call 6 p.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley. Join the Jewish Federation for a fun night of pizza, beer and social action. Help us close our Annual Campaign to provide the funding our agencies need for next year. RSVP by June 1 to Aaron Gorodzinsky at 610821-5500 or aaron@jflv.org.

SUNDAY, JUNE 10 JCC Annual Meeting 10 a.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley. Join the JCC for brunch, followed by the State of the J and remarks by President Kathy Zimmerman and Acting Managing Director Sandy Newman. A slate of new directors will be presented and voted upon.

Staff will be acknowledged for their years of service and key sports and wellness awards will be presented. Please RSVP by June 4 to news@ lvjcc.org.

MONDAY, JUNE 11 Friendship Circle Weekly Meeting & Lunch Lehigh Valley Pops 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley.

Contact Cynthia at 610-739-2755 for reservations.

Weather permitting. Friendship Circle is a place for people to meet, make new friends and enjoy each other’s company. We welcome all adults over 50. Annual dues $30; paid up members are treated to two major programs with a catered luncheon. Regular weekly meetings and lunch $6.

First visit NO CHARGE. TUESDAY, JUNE 12 Jewish Federation Dinner and Call 6 p.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley. Join the Jewish Federation for a fun night of sushi, saki and social action. Help us close our Annual Campaign to provide the funding our agencies need for next year. RSVP by June 8 to Aaron Gorodzinsky at 610821-5500 or aaron@jflv.org.

THURSDAY, JUNE 14 Jewish Federation Community Celebration & Annual Meeting 6:30 p.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley. Join the Jewish Federation to honor our amazing volunteers, leaders and graduates! Valeska Zighelboim, George Feldman Achievement Award for Young Leadership, Brian & Emily Ford, Pomerantz Award for Campaign Excellence, Cantor Kevin Wartell, Schiff Award for Prejudice Reduction, and former U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent, President’s Award.

Celebrate the graduation of the inaugural class of Israel Next Dor. Barbecue and open bar. Open to everyone. RSVP by June 7 to 610-821-5500, terri@jflv.org, or register online at www.jewishlehighvalley.org/events. Sponsored by Altitude Marketing, Bennett Maseratti of Allentown, Embassy Bank, Gross McGinley, RCN and Scherline and Associates.

SUNDAY, JUNE 17 Dip Dip Hooray Pool Party

12 to 3:30 p.m., Camp JCC in Center Valley, 5831 Vera Cruz Rd. Enjoy a poolside dance party, craft by the pool, hot dog BBQ lunch and more.

Pool Party: Free. BBQ lunch: $5 (not LVKC supervised). Please RSVP to Jodi Lovenwirth at 610-4353571 by Friday, June 15.

MONDAY, JUNE 18 Mortimer S. Schiff Memorial Golf Tournament 5:15 p.m., Lehigh Country Club Join the Federation for cocktails and dinner to honor Cantor Kevin Wartell with the Schiff Award for Prejudice Reduction. Proceeds from the Mortimer S. Schiff Memorial Golf Tournament support prejudice reduction and tolerance education programs in local schools, as well as the Federation’s broader mission to help Jews and non-Jews here in the Lehigh Valley and across the globe, wherever there is a need. Visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org/golf to learn more.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20 LIFE & LEGACY Year 1 Community Celebration 6:30 p.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley. LIFE & LEGACY teams and donors, prospective donors, organization leadership and anyone involved who has contributed to our success: Join the Jewish Federation and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation to celebrate the success of Year 1! Final community numbers will be revealed. Heavy hors d’oeuvres and open bar. RSVP by Friday, June 8, to 610-821-5500 or mailbox@jflv.org or register online at jewishlehighvalley.org/events. In partnership with the Jewish Federation, Jewish Community Center, Jewish Day School, Jewish Family Service, Congregation Am Haskalah, Congregation Brith Sholom, Congregation Keneseth Israel, Congregation Sons of Israel, Temple Beth El and Temple Covenant of Peace.

FRIDAY, JUNE 22 Shabbat Under the Stars 6 p.m. dinner; 7:30 p.m. service, Congregation Keneseth Israel and Muhlenberg College lawn.

Potluck dinner at KI. Please sign up for what you are bringing when you register. Plan on a quantity to feed 8-12 people (no desserts). Oneg following services at KI provided by Sisterhood. Register online at www.kilv.org or call the office at 610-4359074.

SUNDAY, JUNE 24 KI and TBE Trip to the Jewish Museum in Philadelphia 8:30 a.m. departure. Includes a 90-minute docent-led tour, free time for lunch and a return to the museum for individual viewing. The featured exhibit is Leonard Bernstein. Depart Allentown at 8:30 a.m.. Arrive at the museum at 10:30 a.m..

Depart for Allentown at 2 p.m.. $50 per person.

Please RSVP to KI at 610-435-9074 or TBE at 610435-3521. Sponsored by Congregation Keneseth Israel and Temple Beth El. WEDNESDAY, JULY 4 Chairs on the Stairs 7:30 p.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel front steps and lawn. Bring lawn chairs and food/ beverages to share while enjoying the Allentown Fireworks from the best seat in the house! Informal and fun! No RSVP required-just show up!

Celebrate the beauty of Shabbat

with Cantor Wartell

FRIDAYS 8-9:30 AM WMUH 91.7 muhlenberg.edu/wmuh 484.664.3456

Shabbat & Yom Tov Candlelighting Times Friday, June 1

8:08 pm

Friday, June 22

8:18 pm

Friday, June 8

8:13 pm

Friday, June 29

8:18 pm

Friday, June 15

8:16 pm

Friday, July 6

8:17 pm

Ongoing Events SUNDAY to FRIDAY DAF YOMI 7:30 a.m., Congregation Sons of Israel Meeting all year long, this class covers the gamut of Talmudic law, studying one page of the Talmud each day, and completing the Talmud over the course of seven and a half years. Basic Jewish background is recommended.

SUNDAYS JEWISH WAR VETERANS POST 239 2nd Sunday of the month, 10 a.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley Veterans and their significant others are invited as the guest of the Ladies Auxiliary. Come and enjoy comradeship; we’ll even listen to your “war stories.” A brunch follows each meeting. Questions? Contact Commander Sheila Berg at 610-360-1267 or sh-berg1@hotmail. com.

TEFILLIN CLUB & ADULT HEBREW SCHOOL 9:30 a.m. Tefillin; 10 to 11 a.m.

Adult Hebrew, Chabad Tefillin is for Jewish men and boys over the age of bar mitzvah, to learn about, and gain appreciation for, the rich and enriching Jewish practice – the mitzvah – of donning tefillin. Contact 610-3516511.

TALMUD CLASS FOR BEGINNERS! 10 to 11 a.m., Congregation Beth Avraham of Bethlehem-Easton For information,contact Rabbi Yitzchok I. Yagod at 610-905-2166.

MONDAYS FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley Friendship Circle is a place for people to meet, make new friends and enjoy each other’s company. We welcome all adults over 50. Annual dues $30; paid up members are treated to two major programs with a catered luncheon. Regular weekly meetings and lunch – $6. First visit – NO CHARGE. Weather permitting. Contact Cynthia at 610-739-2755 for reservations.

TUESDAYS TORAH STUDY 12 p.m., at the home of Cindy Daniels, 3630 Corriere Rd., Apt. 100, Easton Join Rabbi Melody of TCP to delve into the heart and soul of the Torah and how it applies to your life! No knowledge of Hebrew is necessary, nor is registration. Contact 610-253-2031 for information.

PIRKEI AVOT (THE ETHICS OF THE FATHERS) 1:15 p.m., home of Cindy Daniels, 3630 Corriere Rd., Apt. 100, Easton Join Rabbi Melody of TCP for this wonderful class. Contact 610-253-2031.

YACHAD TORAH STUDY GROUP 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley It doesn’t matter how much you know, it matters how much you want to know.

Bring your curiosity to Yachad’s Torah study group and discover the wonders, adventures and meaning of the Torah.

Moderated by lay leaders. Held in the front gallery at the JCC. Email barbart249@aol.com for information.

J-DAYS: CONNECTION CORNER AT THE J YIDDUSH CLUB 1:30 to 3 p.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley Enjoy fun, fellowship, stories and more.

Discuss topics like cooking, humor, music and all kinds of entertainment in the Yiddish language. Join other adults to experience similar interests. Register

for the year and participate in as many of the weekly activities as you would like. $5/season or register for a full year: $18/year. JCC members: free. Register with the JCC Welcome Desk or call 610-435-3571. Contact Amy Sams for more information about J-Days at 610435-3571 ext. 182 or asams@lvjcc.org.

100,000 MILES/YR FOR KOSHER! First Tuesday of the month, 7 p.m., Congregation Beth Avraham Open to all. Fascinating vignettes from a mashgiach who drives approximately 100,000 miles/year (yes, per year!) to keep the kosher supply chain intact.

From rural Arkansas to frigid Nova Scotia, winter and summer, the demands are always there. Contact Rabbi Yitzchok I. Yagod, Kashruth Hotline (24/6), 610-905-2166, rabbiyagod1@gmail. com.

WEDNESDAYS 101 JUDAISM CLASS 10 a.m., Temple Covenant of Peace Join Rabbi Melody for the 101 Judaism Class. All welcome! Contact 610-2532031 for information.

J-DAYS: CONNECTION CORNER AT THE J MAH JONGG 1 to 3:30 p.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley Drop in for a friendly game of mahj and conversation. Join other adults to experience similar interests. Register for the year and participate in as many of the weekly activities as you would like. $5/season or register for a full year: $18/year. JCC members: free. Register with the JCC Welcome Desk or call 610-435-3571.

Contact Amy Sams for more information about J-Days at 610-435-3571 ext. 182 or asams@lvjcc.org.

HADASSAH STUDY GROUP Every other Wednesday, 1:30 p.m., Temple Beth El Allentown Hadassah presents a stimulating series of short story seminars. All are welcome to attend these free sessions in the Temple Beth El library. The group will be reading selections from anthologies available from Amazon. com. For dates and stories, contact Marilyn Claire, mjclaire@gmail.com, 610-972-7054.

BETH AVRAHAM TORAH STUDY 7 p.m.

Torah: It is the common heritage that binds all Jews together. Explore the ancient wisdom of Torah together. All are welcome. RSVP: Rabbi Yitzchok I. Yagod, 610-905-2166, rabbiyagod1@gmail. com.

TORAH STUDIES: A WEEKLY JOURNEY INTO THE SOUL OF TORAH 7 p.m., Chabad of the Lehigh Valley Torah Studies by JLI presents: Season Three 5778: A 12-part series. Cost is $36 for the complete series (textbook included). For more information contact 610-351-6511 or rabbi@chabadlehighvalley.com.

ORTHODOX JEWISH LIVING: WHAT IS IT & HOW? 8 p.m. Contact Rabbi Yizchok I. Yagod, 610-905-2166, rabbiyagod1@gmail. com.

THURSDAYS CHRONIC CONDITIONS GROUP 2nd Thursday of the month, 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., Jewish Family Service The group is open to anyone that is coping with living with a chronic condition and looking for others to share life issues and garner support. Co-led by Susan Sklaroff-VanHook and Rebecca AxelrodCooper. Call 610-821-8722 to learn more. There is no charge for the group.

PRO-TEXT CON-TEXT: IMAGES OF ISRAEL IN SACRED LITERATURE 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel Join a welcoming group of KI members and their friends to discuss a variety of topics relevant to the Jewish lives we have – or want to have. No prerequisites except an open mind and a willingness to listen to each other. For more information or to get on the email list, contact shari@kilv. org or call 610-435-9074.

TORAH ON TILGHMAN 12:15 p.m., Allentown Wegmans Cantor Ellen Sussman of Temple Shirat Shalom leads a lunch and learn on the Torah. RSVP to contactus@templeshiratshalom.com or 610-820-7666.

J-DAYS: CONNECTION CORNER AT THE J CANASTA AND CARDS 1 to 3:30 p.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley Beginners are welcome to join in this weekly drop-in game.Join other adults to experience similar interests. This is a time to connect with others. The JCC will provide the space and light refreshments. Register for the year and participate in as many of the weekly activities as you would like. $5/season or register for a full year: $18/year. JCC members: free. Register with the JCC Welcome Desk or call 610-435-3571. Contact Amy Sams for more information at 610435-3571 ext. 182 or asams@lvjcc.org.

FRIDAYS J-DAYS: CONNECTION CORNER AT THE J COLORING KLATCH 1 to 3:30 p.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley Join in the adult coloring craze to relax and socialize! We will supply coloring templates, colored pencils, and a comfortable, relaxing environment. Join other adults to experience similar interests.

Register for the year and participate in as many of the weekly activities as you would like. $5/season or register for a full year: $18/year. JCC Members: Free.

Register with the JCC Welcome Desk or call 610-435-3571. Contact Amy Sams for more information at 610-435-3571 ext.

182 or asams@lvjcc.org.

SHABBAT BEGINNER’S GEMARA 8 a.m., Congregation Sons of Israel Facilitated by Dr. Henry Grossbard, this is an excellent primer for developing the analytical tools necessary for indepth study of the Talmud.

CHAVURAT TORAH STUDY Each Shabbat following kiddush lunch, Temple Beth El Taught by Shari Spark. No sign-up needed. Length of each class will vary.

Enrich your Shabbat experience by studying the parashat hashavua, the weekly Torah portion.

ISSUES IN CONTEMPORARY HALACHAH 12 p.m., Congregation Sons of Israel Join Rabbi Wilensky as he takes Halachah from the weekly Torah portion and brings it to bear on some of the most pressing issues of our time.

CBS WISDOM OF THE TALMUD 1 p.m., Congregation Brith Sholom Join Rabbi Singer in a lively discussion about Jewish law, ethics, customs and history, as found in the pages of the Talmud. Focusing on the roots of the Sh’ma and Amidah, foundations of Jewish prayer, found in Masechet Brachot.

Books are available for order. No previous Talmud study required.

BNEI AKIVA 5:45 p.m., Congregation Sons of Israel An Israel-centered fun program for kids ages eight to 14. This program is free and open to the public. For information and to RSVP, call 610-433-6089.

Congregations BNAI ABRAHAM SYNAGOGUE 1545 Bushkill St., Easton – 610.258.5343 Conservative MORNING MINYAN services are Thursday mornings at 7:25 a.m., SHABBAT EVENING services are Fridays at 8 p.m., SHABBAT MORNING services are Saturdays at 9:30 a.m., RELIGIOUS SCHOOL classes are Wednesdays at 4:15 p.m. and Sundays at 9:30 a.m.

CHABAD OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY 4457 Crackersport Rd., Allentown – 610.336.6603 Rabbi Yaacov Halperin, Chabad Lubavitch SHABBAT EVENING services are held once a month seasonally, SHABBAT MORNING services are held Saturdays at 10 a.m., RELIGIOUS SCHOOL classes are held Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. and Sundays at 10 a.m.

CONGREGATION AM HASKALAH 1190 W. Macada Rd., Bethlehem – 610.435.3775 Student Rabbi Jake Adler, Reconstructionist Weekly Shabbat services and a monthly family service with potluck dinner. Religious school meets Sunday mornings. Email am.haskalah.office@gmail.com to learn more.

CONGREGATION BETH AVRAHAM 439 South Nulton Ave., Palmer Township – 610.905.2166 | Rabbi Yitzchok Yagod, Orthodox SHABBAT EVENING starts half an hour after candle lighting. SHABBAT MORNING starts at 9:30 a.m., followed by a hot kiddish.

CONGREGATION BRITH SHOLOM 1190 W. Macada Rd., Bethlehem – 610.866.8009 Rabbi Michael Singer, Conservative MINYAN is at 7:45 a.m. on Mondays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. on Saturdays and 9 a.m. on holidays. RELIGIOUS SCHOOL classes every Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. at Brith Sholom and Sundays at 9:30 a.m.

CONGREGATION KENESETH ISRAEL 2227 Chew St., Allentown – 610.435.9074 Rabbi Seth D. Phillips | Cantor Jeff Warschauer Reform Services begin at 7:30 p.m. every Friday night.

The first Friday of the month is a FAMILY SERVICE and celebration of birthdays and anniversaries.

RELIGIOUS SCHOOL classes are held Tuesdays at 4 p.m. and Sundays at 9:30 a.m.

CONGREGATION SONS OF ISRAEL 2715 Tilghman St., Allentown – 610.433.6089 Rabbi David Wilensky, Orthodox SHACHARIT: Sundays at 8:30 a.m., Mondays and Thursdays at 6:30 a.m., Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 6:45 a.m. MINCHAH/MAARIV: 20 minutes before sunset. FRIDAY EVENING: 20 minutes before sunset, 7 p.m. in the summer. SHABBAT MORNING: 9 a.m. SHABBAT AFTERNOON: 90 minutes before dark.

TEMPLE BETH EL 1305 Springhouse Rd., Allentown – 610.435.3521 Rabbi Moshe Re’em | Cantor Kevin Wartell Conservative WEEKDAY MORNING minyan services at 7:45 a.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m. SHABBAT EVENING services at 7:30 p.m. with the last Friday evening of the month featuring our Shira Chadasha Service.

SHABBAT MORNING services at 9:30 a.m. followed by kiddush. RELIGIOUS SCHOOL classes every Tuesday at 4 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. Midrasha school classes Monday at 6:30 p.m. Shalshelet meets bimonthly on Monday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Shalshelet (the chain) is open to ALL 10th, 11th and 12th grade students in the Lehigh Valley.

For more information, contact Alicia Zahn, religious school director, at school@bethelallentown.org.

TEMPLE COVENANT OF PEACE 1451 Northampton St., Easton – 610.253.2031 Tcp@rcn.com; tcopeace.org Rabbi Melody Davis | Cantor Jill Pakman Reform TCP holds Shabbat evening services every Friday night at 7:30 p.m. and a Renewal Style Shabbat morning service on the 4th Saturday of the month at 10:30 a.m. A family Shabbat service is held on the second Friday night of each month at 6:30 p.m. Religious school meets on Sunday mornings from 9:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. For more information about our Temple and activities, see our website at www.tcopeace.org or look us up on Facebook.

TEMPLE ISRAEL OF LEHIGHTON 194 Bankway Str. Lehighton – 610-379-9591 Pluralistic Shabbat evening services are held monthly beginning with potluck at 6:30 p.m. followed by services at 7:30 p.m. All other regular monthly events can be found at templeisraeloflehighton.com.

TEMPLE SHIRAT SHALOM 610.706-4595 Cantor Ellen Sussman TSS meets in congregants’ homes once per month and at Cantor Sussman’s home once per month.

Call Cantor Sussman for details.

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | JUNE 2018 31