Hakol - June 2024

FROM THE DESK OF JERI ZIMMERMAN p3

LVJF TRIBUTES p9

JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER p12-13

JEWISH DAY SCHOOL p14

JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE p15

COMMUNITY CALENDAR p27

Federation names its annual award winners

who made possible another successful year of bringing people together and raising funds for Jewish needs. An picnic-style buffet will begin at 6 p.m. Attendance is free.

The winners of this year’s awards are Lewis Gaines, the foundation’s investment strategies, the endowment fund has outperformed the benchmark over the last 10 years in both up and down markets. Heading into the future, he and Goldman Sachs, the fund’s investment advi-

more diverse and including include more women and other healthcare professionals. He is among the brightest all-around leaders in the Lehigh Valley community.

The Schiff Award will be presented to Hank Butler

for teaching and spreading tolerance through words and actions. As executive director of the Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition, which represents Jewish communities across the state, Butler has helped pass important legislation to fight bigotry and hate. Successes have included legislation to deter violence inspired by hate, to promote religious understanding in schools and society at-large, and to

educate government officials on issues of concern to the Jewish community.

During the meeting portion of the event, the Federation’s current board of directors will vote on new nominees. See page 3 for the full list.

Dinner will be served at 6 p.m., and the awards presentations and voting will follow.

Find your way through the storm of misinformation Longtime KYW reporter gives advice for sussing out wartime truth

By Carl Zebrowski Editor

Hadas Kuznits was an inspired choice to address the Lehigh Valley Jewish community about two important problems today’s Jewish communities are facing: coping with and fighting against antisemitism and evaluating the accuracy of news stories related to the war in Israel. The idea came to Barry Halper when he was listening to KYW Newsradio recently and heard Kuznits reporting on an issue related to Israel. He followed up on that idea, and weeks later, Kuznits came to the Valley to spend the day, May

older adults in the morning, students at the Jewish Day School around lunchtime, and teens in the late-afternoon with pizza and refreshments on offer.

Kuznits knows a lot about the gathering and reporting of news, having worked for over 20 years at KYW, one of the most respected news organizations in the Philadelphia region. She also is Jewish, meaning she knows what it’s like to feel a close connection to the Israelis who suffered the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, and to the Israelis and Diaspora Jews who have lived through the many challenges and losses of the subsequent

She also knows what it’s like to read, watch, and listen to the news, through traditional outlets and social media, and wonder how much of it is true. At best, too much of the information being circulated at this time—during a war in Israel that coincides with an ongoing rise in antisemitism around the world— may be questionable. In her talk with the teens, Kuznits offered practical guidance on, among other things, evaluating reports from news organizations and on social media. Here are some tips she gave the audience:

money, while Russian operatives, for example, may spread lies to sew divisiveness in the United States and elsewhere.

Use common sense and research to determine the truth It’s no surprise that there are a lot of lies and inaccuracies being scattered about. Use common sense. “I want you to be skeptical when you see things online.” While you’re reading something on a screen, open other browser tabs to do realtime fact-checking on information and claims that seem questionable.

“I want you to think about the ‘why’ all the time. What is somebody’s motive to say they love Russia, Iran, Gaza?” Some people post clickbait to make

Don’t mistake commentary for news

Keep the two separate in your head. The first is reporting. The second is opinion. The tone of the presentation can be a giveaway. “News sounds like this,” she said in an even voice: “Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah.” Then she tinged her delivery with agitation. “Commentary sounds like this: Blah! Blah! Blah! Blah!”

Find reliable information sources

Don’t look to TikTok. What’s

to be learned from “sound bites” posted by kids with only superficial knowledge of situations? Watch all cable news, not just one channel. “Sometimes they get it right. Sometimes they don’t.” And remember that sources change. “Just because something is good today doesn’t mean it’s not going to deteriorate later.” For background information of greater depth, “read books.” Get recommendations from people and sources you trust. “Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth,” the 2021 New York Times bestseller by Tel Aviv native and Los

Ange-

Hadas Kuznits (center) with teens from the May 20 afternoon teen program.

Wartime

Foundation assets hit all-time high

By Lewis Gaines Lehigh Valley Jewish Foundation Investment Chair

The Lehigh Valley Jewish Foundation has delivered outstanding results for more than five years. As a result of our strong investment returns and increased participation by community organizations, assets reached an all-time high of $44.7 million at the end of March 2024. Community funds grew to 43% of the total. We have evolved into a true community foundation.

While most Jewish Foundations do not publish their investment returns, the ones that do have very similar portfolio structures and long-term results. Their typical growth and income funds have lots of foreign stocks and also a large al-

location to smaller companies. Their portfolios match the standard investment advice provided by the major advisory firms (overdiversify). As a result, the long-term results from five major Jewish Foundations closely mimic one another and the performance of the Morningstar Moderate Allocation Index.

The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley has chosen a different path for the foundation. While we maintain a typical stock/bond allocation of 68/32%, we have a strategic focus on: 1) large-cap domestic equities (S&P 500 index), 2) low-cost passive index funds, and 3) the lowest advisory fees in the industry.

As a result of our focused low-cost strategy, we have generated long-term results that are significantly

higher than the typical Jewish foundation. We delivered a remarkable one-year return of 20.9% compared to the typical foundation return of 12.8%. More importantly, our three- and five-year results show incremental returns 4% above the typical foundation. In the context of endowment investing, this increment is highly significant, as most endowments distribute 5 to 7% of their assets annually. The extra 4% provides for future distribution and asset growth. Put more simply, our foundation is growing assets while most others are distributing all their return.

The dollar impact of these increased returns has been dramatic. The donut chart breaks down the sources of the last five years’ growth as foundation assets grew from $24.9

million to $44.7 million. During this period, we had net cash additions of $2.5 million. Most of the new funds came from increased investment from many community organizations. Over this five-year period, we generated an investment return of $17.4 million, which includes an extra $6.8 million above the typical foundation return of $10.6 million. Our outperformance was also helped by our fee structure (0.32% vs. the typical 0.65% of assets). At first glance this fee difference may seem insignificant, but it has saved us approximately $500,000 over the last five years. Because the foundation assets have grown and our long-term returns are well above our current distribution rates, we will be able to increase ongoing distributions. These distributions

support the Federation and the community organizations that receive allocated funds. Our community organizations have invested about $19 million with the Federation. As a result of the high returns, they have increased their financial flexibility as well. While short-term movements in the stock and bond markets can be disconcerting, our portfolio structure has shown longterm returns of about 9%. Although our portfolio is distinctive, we work closely with Goldman Sachs to test our strategic assumptions and are prepared to make changes if needed.

Unity in action

Reflecting on the tumultuous year behind us, I am deeply moved by the dedication of all those who contributed to the success of our campaigns amidst unprecedented challenges. Your tireless efforts have been instrumental in meeting crucial needs both locally and globally. From supporting our essential local agencies like the Jewish Day School (JDS), Jewish Family Service (JFS), and the Jewish Community Center (JCC), to rallying behind an exceptional Israel emergency effort led by Israel and Valeska Zighelboim, your impact has been profound. Despite the shifting ground, your steadfast support has kept us prepared and resilient. It’s abundantly clear that we are part of an incredibly generous community, and I extend my

heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you who generously contributed to our 2024 Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs and to our Israel Emergency Campaign. Your support has empowered us to make critical funding decisions and provide vital services on your behalf.

Under the exceptional leadership of our president, Robby Wax, and our dedicated campaign cochairs, Billy Markson and Vicki Wax, alongside the outstanding leadership of our Women’s Philanthropy president, Laurie Wax, and our committed NextGen chairs, Chelsea Busch, Rachel Levin, Aviva Marlin, and Lyell Scherline, we have weathered the challenges of the past year and ensured the continuity of Jewish community services locally, in Israel, and around

the world.

We witnessed remarkable grassroots efforts in support of Israel and the initiative to bring our hostages home, spearheaded by Naomi Schachter, Tama Tamarkin, and Miriam Zager. Together with our agencies, we have met the increasing demands for social services, ensuring the operation of our food pantry and support for our seniors. We have also provided crucial funding to ensure the safe opening of summer camp, as well as supporting our day school to navigate the academic year securely.

In the face of rising antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment, our Community Relations Council (CRC) under the leadership of Bruce Reich has provided vital support, advocating for

our community, enhancing education, and bolstering security measures.

The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is most appreciative of your generous support of our annual campaign, which enables us to address diverse needs simultaneously, from social services to crisis response, both locally and globally. Our campaign sustains an unparalleled network of agencies, allowing us to respond swiftly, particularly in times of dire need. It was through this campaign that we were able to stand in solidarity with Israel during the unfathomable attack of October 7 and to combat virulent antisemitism at home this year.

I extend my deepest gratitude to our volunteers, lead-

ers, and professional staff, who have tirelessly worked to address the many challenges we’ve faced together throughout this difficult year.

As we conclude the 2024 Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs, I am heartened by your unwavering support and ongoing commitment to ensuring the strength and resilience of our community. With warm regards, I wish you a restful and enjoyable summer and eagerly anticipate our continued collaboration as we prepare for the 2025 program year.

Jewish

Thursday, June 6, 2024, 6:00 p.m. at the JCC

The Board Nominating Committee recommendations are: (as of May 30, 2024)

DIRECTORS, 3-YEAR TERMS (ENDING IN 2027)

Jay Fisher

Brian Ford

Beth Kozinn

Naomi Schachter

Ron Ticho

Dr. Robert (Bob) Wilson

HONORARY BOARD MEMBERS, 1-YEAR TERMS (ENDING IN 2025)

Robert J. Grey

Rita Scheller

Jean Weiner Nati Lerner, Mayor of Yoav

The Officers Nominating Committee recommendations are:

President

Robby Wax

Vice Presidents

Aliette Abo

Dr. Bill Markson

Lauren Rabin

Bruce Reich

Dr. Israel Zighelboim

Secretary

Beth Kozinn

Treasurer Iris Epstein

HONORARY

President Ross Born

HONORARY

Treasurer Roberto Fischmann

HONORARY

Vice Presidents

Leonard Abrams

Wendy Born

Daniel E. Cohen

Barnet Fraenkel

Murray Goodman

Trustee

Vera Schiff

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

IN HONOR

ELIZABETH AND JAKE GREENBERG

In celebration of Jonah’s engagement to Erica Lehman Jill and Jeff Blinder

IN MEMORY

ELLEN BROWNE

(Mother of Greer Goldstein)

Marilyn Claire

ELISSA (LISA) SHEDROFF

(Wife of Steven Shedroff)

Jill and Jeff Blinder

Bev and Ron Wasserman

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

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

COMMUNITY SUBMISSIONS

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

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

Phone: (610) 821-5500

Fax: (610) 821-8946

E-mail: hakol@jflv.org

HAKOL STAFF

CARL ZEBROWSKI Editor

CHARLENE RIEGGER Director of Marketing

WILLIAM THOMPSON Digital Marketing and Graphic Design Associate

DIANE McKEE Account Representative hakolads@jflv.org

JFLV EXECUTIVE STAFF

JERI ZIMMERMAN Executive Director

AARON GORODZINSKY Director of Development

DENISE AHNER Director of Finance & Administration

LEE KESTECHER SOLOMON Director of Community Engagement

ROBBY WAX JFLV President

WENDY EDWARDS Office Manager

GINGER HORSFORD Donor Services Associate

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 June 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

LV endowment fund distributions increase over last year

By Mike Miller Lehigh Valley Jewish Foundation Chair and Aaron Gorodzinsky Director of Development

The mission of the Lehigh Valley Jewish Foundation (LVJF) Endowment Fund is to support the Jewish Federation in honoring the Jewish values of tzedakah and tikkun olam (charitable giving and repairing the world) by providing a community endowment fund for collecting permanent resources and facilitating planned giving to support Jewish causes and provide opportunities for donors. The LVJF supports the

Federation’s distribution of funds annually, and for other purposes, to: 1) care for people in need here at home, in Israel, and around the world, and 2) nurture and sustain the Jewish community today and for future generations.

At the last endowment committee quarterly meeting on May 1, the committee approved a 4.6% distribution for legacy philanthropic funds to a variety of beneficiaries recommended by donor advisors for each of their funds. The dollar amount was $189,000 and was based on a three-year average value of the funds. This amount was slightly more than the

previous year’s distribution dollars.

The committee also approved a 4.6% distribution for restricted and designated funds to be used in accordance with the restrictions and designations of the donors of the funds. Some of those distributions were to be used to supplement the Federation’s Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs. At the May 1 meeting, the committee approved a dollar amount of $281,000, also based on a three-year average value of the funds. This amount was a $23,000 increase over the previous year.

Also approved was a

5.25% distribution for unrestricted funds, after covering endowment annual operating expenses on a break-even basis, to be used to supplement the Federation’s annual campaign for purposes that would be recommended by the Federation’s allocations committee and approved by the Federation board. At the May 1 meeting, the committee approved a dollar amount of $304,000, also based on a three-year average value of the funds. This amount was a $30,000 increase over the previous year.

Our endowment fund performance has been excellent and has exceeded our

7 reasons to set up a gift annuity now

By Mike Miller and Lynne Shampain Special to Hakol

If you’re retired or close to it, you may want to consider a charitable gift annuity (CGA) offered through the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. If you’re married, you can include your spouse in this plan. The American Council on Gift Annuities increased gift annuity rates three times within 18 months,

making many rates the highest they’ve been in 16 years. The advantages of a CGA are:

• Income tax deduction the year the gift is made

• Possible lower tax bracket in the year of the annuity income

• High annuity rates

• Fixed income payments for your lifetime

• Support the future of our Jewish community

• No legal fees to set up and

the Federation handles the details

• If you fund a CGA with appreciated securities, you can avoid a portion of the capital gains tax

If you are 70 1/2 or older and own an IRA, you can make a onetime gift of up to $53,000 in 2024 to fund a CGA with a qualified charitable distribution. This would reduce your taxable income even if you itemize deductions. You could also roll over

Another local mission to Israel

up to $53,000 from a 401(k) to an IRA first.

If you are 73 or older, you must take a required minimum distribution (RMD) from your IRA. Then you may pay taxes on that RMD, depending on whether you donate all or part of it. Now, in 2024, you can turn your RMD or part of it into a CGA that pays you for your lifetime. This opportunity may not exist after 2024.

Now is the time to talk

Two JCC staffers make journey of service and connection

By Isaac “Yitzi” Powers JCC Welcome Desk Associate and Alaina Schaeffer JCC Youth and Camp Assistant Director

Both of us had the privilege of participating in a weeklong mission trip to Israel in May through the Birthright Israel Onward program, made possible by the Jewish Community Center Association volunteer program and organizations like Tlalim Israel Outdoors and the Birthright Israel Foundation.

Our mission trip was a profound reminder of the strength and resilience that comes from leaning on family and community, especially in the wake of tragedy. This theme resonated deeply throughout our experiences, which included volunteering in agriculture, visiting sites of recent and past hardships, and engaging with the local community.

One of the most impactful moments of the trip was our visit to the Nova Music Festival site. The festival was a scene of devastation on October 7, when a series of surprise attacks by Hamas militants shook Israel to its core, inflicting hundreds of casualties and

a profound sense of loss. As we walked through the site and along Route 232, the emotional weight of that day was palpable. Listening to survivors and seeing the aftermath firsthand brought home the stark reality of the conflict, as well as the resilience of those who lived through it.

Amid these heavy moments, our group found solace and purpose in our volunteer work. One morning, we were tasked with pitting dates in the agricultural sector. This seemingly simple task hadn’t been performed at full capacity since November, making our contribution vital. Another day, we connected ropes to pepper plants, a collective task that was significantly expedited by our group’s efforts. It was heartening to hear from local farmers how much our help meant to them and how it allowed them to focus on other pressing needs.

The sense of community was further strengthened during our time at an Israeli food pantry. Here, we packed food that was immediately distributed to those in need. Witnessing the direct impact of our work, as people received what we packed, was a powerful experience. It highlighted the ongoing necessity of such support systems, especially in the wake of crises like the October 7 attacks.

Our trip was enriched by moments of cultural exchange and learning. Playing beach volleyball with Israelis in Tel

Aviv was a joyful reminder of the normalcy and vibrancy of everyday life, even amid ongoing challenges. Our geopolitical briefing provided us with a deeper understanding of the current situation in Israel, ensuring that we were well informed and connected to the larger context of our volunteer efforts.

One of the most memorable and intimate experiences was being invited into our madrich’s (guide’s) home to hear his father’s story. Living in the southern region, the family was directly impacted by the conflict, and their personal narrative added a layer to our understanding of the ongoing struggles. This moment encapsulated the spirit of familial connection that defined our trip. Despite being far from our own homes, we were made to feel like part of their family, reinforcing the idea that all of Israel is one big family.

The closing of our trip

guidelines for many years. By giving during our lifetimes, and on a testamentary basis, we get to share our passions, provide a legacy, and see and feel the value of our philanthropy for today and for future generations in perpetuity. Judaism teaches the belief that donors benefit from tzedakah as much or more than the beneficiaries. There are many opportunities to do this through the variety of fund offerings in the endowment fund. See LVJFgiving. org for more information.

with your financial advisor to see whether this option is right for you. You can visit LVJFgiving.org to find more details. You can also contact Aaron Gorodzinsky, the Federation’s director of development, at 610-821-5500 or aaron@jflv.org for a complimentary CGA illustration or to learn more and to see what others in our community are doing.

was a reflective and emotional time. Sharing our most meaningful experiences with each other underscored the deep bonds we had formed. For us, the most significant takeaway was the sense of unity and support that permeated every aspect of our journey. Through volunteering, listening to personal stories, and simply spending time together we were constantly reminded of the importance of standing together as a community.

This mission trip reinforced a crucial lesson: in the face of tragedy, it is vital to lean on your family, no matter how distant they may seem. All of Israel is one big family, and everyone knows someone directly impacted by recent events. The immediate and overwhelming support from the entire state, the Jewish people, and volunteers like us expressed the strength of this bond.

As we returned home, we carried with us a renewed

sense of the importance of community and family. This trip has shown us that even in the darkest times, the light of human connection and solidarity shines brightly. We are honored to have contributed to this mission and to have experienced the unbreakable bond of the Israeli and Jewish community firsthand.

Being a part of this mission was a humbling experience. While the people we helped may not be our biological family, they are our family in spirit. The unity and resilience of the Jewish people and the State of Israel are inspirational, and we are grateful to have been a small yet meaningful part of this effort.

Social media influencer speaks to Women’s Philanthropy

By Charlene Riegger Director of Marketing

Amy Albertson, an Asian American Jewish social media influencer with over 35,000 followers on Instagram (@theamyalbertson), spoke to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley’s Women’s Philanthropy Dollar-a-Day Spring Event on May 9.

The event, chaired by Marilyn Claire, Beth Kushnik, and Ellen Sosis with division chair Aviva Marlin, began with Laurie Wax, Women’s Philanthropy president, introducing Crissy Toff as a new Lion

of Judah. Lee Kestecher Solomon, the Federation’s director of community engagement, presented the Lion pin to Toff.

Ellen Sosis was the moderator for the rest of the presentation with Albertson. After providing some background on her college experiences, Albertson spoke about the situation on college campuses and advised three actions for students. First, be sure to report any antisemitic incident, not only to make the authorities aware, but also in case of future litigation. Second, do not engage with protesters or those in

encampments. They are too far gone in their beliefs, and you will not change their minds. Last, talk to people who aren’t protesting. They might not know or understand what is going on, and those are the people you can reach and educate.

Albertson also spoke about visiting Israel after October 7. She mentioned volunteering and visiting the Nova Music Festival site, but the thing that struck her most was that Israelis were in “action mode” rather than “sad, victim mode.” Even Israelis that needed help for themselves were still

volunteering to help others. She encouraged the women in the audience to donate and, if possible, go on the Solidarity Mission with the Federation in August 2024. During the Q&A session, Vicki Wax asked, “Why do we lose the media, and what can we do?” Albertson replied that she didn’t have any definitive reasons with sources, but did quip, “It’s ironic that we don’t have the media when they think we control it.” She went on to say that Israel does what it needs to do, and sometimes people think she’s a bully. Also, Israel often has soldiers in

uniform speaking to the press. In Israel, where so many people are or were soldiers, a uniform isn’t triggering, but to Americans, a military uniform can be jarring.

Albertson ended the presentation by imploring the women to go out and speak to people to help dispel antisemitic tropes. Since Jewish people are in the minority, strong allies are needed to help dispel negative myths. “Let them get to know you and realize you are just a human being, and probably a pretty awesome one because you have Jewish values,” she said.

Wartime truth

Continued from page 1 les resident Noa Tishby, is one solid place to start.

Think twice about responding to posts

Don’t argue with social media posts for argument’s sake. “Your end goal is to make positive change.” So it’s better to ignore the irrational, though one possible alternative is to screenshot a post and post that yourself with a simple “You can see what I’m dealing with.” Remember: “When you engage with a crazy person, an

extremist, you can’t tell who’s the crazy person.”

Otherwise, the answer to this question may depend on whether you know the person who made the post in real life. If you do, you could respond offline: “Consider picking up the phone.” Make sure to lead with curiosity and empathy. “If you do this one on one with people, you will make change.”

Concluding the afternoon program was Jeri Zimmer-

man, executive director of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, a sponsor of the Kuznits visit. “We always want to solve problems,” she said, but reality can be tricky. “There is no magic bullet for what we are feeling right now.”

Kuznits acknowledged that there was no avoiding the fact that Israel and the Jewish community are going through an extremely trying time right now. “Take care of your mental health,” she said, explaining that it’s OK to take breaks from keeping up with the news and actively advocating for Israel. “We’ll come back to it.”

Do you have an emergency kit in your car? You should. And here’s what to include:

First aid kit—Car accidents aren’t the only time you may need a first aid kit.

Phone charger—Keep an extra in your car!

Jumper cables—Still a mainstay to keep for your use or for others.

Blanket—This has many uses, as a pillow to elevate your body in case of shock, for warmth, and even as a splint.

Flares/flashlight—Both are good to have in your car in case of emergency.

Ice scraper (winter)—Pennsylvania law states that you must clean the snow and ice off your car within 24 hours of a storm. Definitely clear them off before you drive.

Sand/cat litter (winter)—These two may help you out of a sticky situation.

Small shovel (winter)—For when you’re really stuck but it’s not an emergency, so you don’t want to call anyone for help.

For questions or to talk about security concerns in general, contact me at 872-400-0239 or tbrooks@securecommunitynetwork.org.

She promised that things will work out in the end. “We’re going to be OK,” she told the teens. “We will not be de-

We do have allies in this world.”

MAIMONIDES SOCIETY

Happy Hour

THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2024 5:30-7:30 PM

Registration is required. Please scan the QR code or visit jewishlehighvalley.org/calendar or email mailbox@jflv.org

Please make your pledge by June 30 for the 2024 Jewish Federation’s Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs.

For almost 70 years, Federation has been HERE FOR GOOD.

And with your help, we’re not going anywhere.

Hadas Kuznits at Congregatio9n Keneseth Israel on the morning of May 20 for the adult program.

Champion Sponsor:

Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs

stroyed.

Q&A with older adults delves into news reporting, bias

By Billy Thompson Digital Marketing Associate

The presentation longtime KYW Newsradio reporter

Hadas Kuznits made to older adults on the morning of May 20, a program cosponsored by the Jewish Federation and Jewish Family Service, was much the same as the one she made to teens that afternoon. Older adults asked Kuznits some challenging questions after her talk: Why is so much of media biased?

Because there is a lot of bias in newsrooms. Fighting from the inside, I can say there are a lot of problems in newsrooms. A lot of this is to do with budget cuts. People used to get their news from three news stations. These stations got all the shares and advertising,

By Carl Zebrowski Editor

While in the Lehigh Valley on May 20 to speak to the community about the problem of inaccuracy in the news and on social media, Hadas Kuznits also talked about the trip she and her 11-year-old son made to Israel in March.

Arriving at the airport, they saw posters with hostages’ faces hanging everywhere. “This is the only thing on Israelis’ minds—bringing home the hostages,” Kuznits said. So much daily focus remains on remembering them and demanding their immediate return.

Yet life goes on, even during wartime after a horrific attack on innocent people and as hostages remain captive by the enemy. “You can continue

and they could really focus on good journalism. Nowadays, it’s split up between cable and internet, and it’s so fractured that news organizations are struggling to find funding and they’re cutting their staffs, and that’s making it harder to report with the breadth that they used to.

The Gaza Health Ministry casualty numbers were reported and reported, and there are consequences to those reports. The proverbial feathers in a pillow: once they’re released you can’t put them back. Those were the standard reports, and everyone referenced them. That’s what you’re hearing from protestors at the encampments. Even on my station (KYW), I had to tell them that if we planned on reporting with those numbers, we have to say

to live your life and also be in mourning and be sad,” Kuznits said.

The next day, they went to agricultural sites, where many visitors from the Diaspora had come to help with the production of food, doing the much-needed work of foreign workers who left Israel after the Hamas attacks. Israel is famous for its fresh, flavorful produce, a benefit of needing to grow all its own food because its neighbors refuse to supply it. But that takes a lot of work. One farmer on a video Kuznits shot heartfully thanked the visiting volunteers: “You spent so much money to get on your knees and pick peppers with us.”

The Anu Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv enlightened the travelers about Jewish people all over the

they’re from the Hamas ministry of health, because Hamas runs it. If you hear reports, be sure to ask, “According to whom?”

I lived in Israel for 17 years in the ’70s and ’80s. There was a famous bar in Jerusalem where reporters used to meet. Maybe there was only one reporter allowed in Gaza City, and that reporter would come back to Jerusalem and tell all the fellow reporters what they saw. That story would then be distributed around the world, claiming it as their own.

If you don’t see or do the work yourself, that article has to be attributed. Look at your new sources critically and ask, “Where is this coming from?”

A lot of times when I hear something bad about a company, like an investigative

world and what it means to be Jewish. Kuznits talked with an 11-year-old boy there who told her, “To be Jewish means to be strong, to not give up. I’ve learned that we’ve had a lot of tough times…, but we never gave up at all.”

Antisemitism plays a big role in what he was saying. Anti-Zionism too. “When people say anti-Zionism is not antisemitism,” Kuznits said, “don’t believe them. It is.” Israel is the only country people will say doesn’t have a right to exist, she explained.

The day after that was a heavy one. “We went to these holy sites where the massacres happened,” she said. They saw Sderot, a town near the Gaza border that Hamas took over on October 7 until the Israel Defense Forces liberated it the next day. Kuznits interviewed

TUESDAY, JUNE 18, at 7:05 PM

TICKET PACKAGES MAY ALSO BE PURCHASED AT THE FOLLOWING INSTITUTIONS:

To purchase tickets online, scan the QR code or visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org/ironpigs

You may also contact JFLV at 610-821-5500 or mailbox@jflv.org

report, you sometimes hear, “We contacted such and such company, but they didn’t get back to us.” I often wonder why that is and why you hear it so frequently. Sometimes, when a company is accused of something, they intentionally don’t reply to news sources. When proPalestinian rallies became newsworthy, I reached out to the organizers and they didn’t get back to me. I knew there would be particular scrutiny of my story, especially with me writing it. I knew my Jewish sources would get back to me, so I chose not to feature any specific voices in my story. I reported right down the middle, because I didn’t want there to be a bias. So, ask how are reporters telling a story? Sometimes there are other ways to tell a story.

a man on camera who said, “This is where they brought all the cars”—the cars, that is, that Hamas attackers had burned up. He talked about how Hamas had planned the attack for years and how operatives came from 29 different locations and everything was mapped out.

One of the uplifting takeaways from the week-long visit was the reminder that the Jewish people are one big family. “Anywhere in the world you go where there are Jewish people,” Kuznits said, “you’re home.”

Ancestry, common ground, tradition, values all pull the people together as one, in Israel and around the world. “We have a culture that we have kept for 3,000 years,” Kuznits said.

The Kuznits’s time in Israel

I use politifact.com, snopes. com, and factcheck.org when I’m trying to fact-check stories before I share them. I was curious about your assessment of those websites and if you have enough confidence in their accuracy. I think that all these sites should be used together in conjunction. You can’t just rely on one source. Maybe most of something you hear is real, but there’s a tidbit of unverified information, so it’s always good to use all three.

ended, of course, back at the airport, with its posters of hostages. Throughout their travels, reminders of the hostages had been everywhere, from posters like these to ralliers in the streets campaigning for their return.

“I kind of feel like I know them personally by now,” she said. “I’m leaving Israel with a very heavy heart.”

Keneseth Israel’s busy mid-May weekend

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Students plant flowers as a last-day-of-school mitzvah project.

Volunteers change the flags on veterans’ graves in the KI cemetery.

A Women of KI Creative Shabbat service with a KIddush social before and a festive oneg after.

Knitting with Maggie.

Shabbat Yoga.

A bake sale benefitted the religious school.

MY LIFE, MY LEGACY

Mark and Lynne Shampain

Our story with the Lehigh Valley Jewish community began in the 1980s when we settled in Allentown, which was midway between my parents in Northeastern Pennsylvania and Mark’s parents in New Jersey. Mark opened an allergy practice and I put my master of social work degree to use in children’s services. We joined a young leadership group with the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley and hosted one of the speaker programs in our empty living room. What wonderful lifelong friends we made!

The Jewish Federation had a Business and Professional Women’s Group in which I was involved, while

Mark joined the new Maimonides Society. I attended many of the brunch-lectures with him, which included a bus trip to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Women’s Philanthropy 365 was always a special evening with dinner and a program.

A year after my mother died, I found her Pomegranate pin, and knew I wanted to join this society of generous women. Their programs and activities have been so inspiring!

As longtime members of Congregation Keneseth Israel, I saw the names of friends on a large placard in the temple lobby. They were members of Life and Legacy who had made a plan to support the temple after their lifetimes.

I then knew that Mark and I had to join this society, since we already had made plans in our wills to support our local Jewish organizations. Shortly thereafter, Jim Mueth invited me to join the Life and Legacy team for our Jewish Federation, in 2019. What an honor

Accepting applications for Segel scholarship

Applications are being accepted from Lehigh Valley Jewish students for the Frank and Ada Segel Family Student Scholarship program.

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

Students who have been accepted or are enrolled in a post-secondary educational institution, who have a dem-

onstrated record of service to the Jewish community and to the Lehigh Valley community at large, and who meet additional specific criteria established by the program’s scholarship committee are invited to apply. A scholarship may be awarded to one or more students on an annual basis for up to $3,000. Decisions for awarding scholarships will be at the discretion of the committee.

Please call Congregation Sons of Israel at 610-433-6089 or email office@sonsofisrael. net for more information and to obtain an application. Applications, along with supporting materials, should be submitted by Monday, June 17.

CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES!

Marsha Adler Gordon, D.D.S.

Wanda J. Janik, D.M.D. Farah Ali, D.D.S.

1525 Hausman Road

Allentown, PA 18104 610.433.5111

www.gordonpediatricdental.com

to work with Bobby Hammel z”l, Arthur Weinrach, and Iris Epstein on this team! Such commitment to the future of our Jewish community!

In the last few years, Mark and I established a donor advised fund through the Jewish Federation. This fund makes it very easy to support our favorite causes and organizations, both Jewish and secular. We are also happy to support the Jewish Day School through the Educational Improvement Tax Credit program or Lehigh Valley Jewish Scholarship program. We are so grateful for the important work of our Jewish organizations and want them to continue for many more generations—to be Here for Good!

IN HONOR

MARILYN CLAIRE

In celebration of your grandson

Holden’s Bar Mitzvah

Lisa and Barnet Fraenkel

Carole and Michael Langsam

STEFFIE AND STEVE SZILAGYI

In celebration of your daughter

Meredith’s marriage to Kyle

Lisa and Barnet Fraenkel

IN MEMORY

ELEANOR FLETCHER

(Mother of Steve and Allan Wiener)

Lisa and Barnet Fraenkel

LENNY GURVITZ

(Father of Ellie Gurvitz)

Lisa and Barnet Fraenkel

JEAN MANDEL

(Mother of Andy Mandel)

Lisa and Barnet Fraenkel

HARRIET MAY

(Mother of Cindy Levine and Larry May)

Lisa and Barnet Fraenkel

DAVID SUSSMAN

(Husband of Phyllis Sussman)

Lisa and Barnet Fraenkel

SYLVIA SUSSMAN

Mother of Janet and Susan Sussman

Lisa and Barnet Fraenkel

IN HONOR

SAM BUB

Best wishes for your return to good health

Joan and Richard Bass

Roberta and Jeff Epstein

Beth and Wes Kozinn

Randi and Don Senderowitz

SYLVIA BUB

In celebration of your birthday

Fran and Anthony Godfrey

SYLVIA AND SAM BUB

In celebration of your granddaughter Rachel’s graduation from medical school

Beth and Wes Kozinn

CHELSEA AND ELLIOT BUSCH

In celebration of the birth of your daughter, Gali

Aaron Gorodzinsky and Jennie

Schechner

MARILYN CLAIRE

In celebration of your grandson

Holden’s Bar Mitzvah

Beth and Wes Kozinn

RUTH DERBY

In celebration of your birthday

Beth Kozinn

JOAN EPSTEIN

In celebration of your birthday

Ruth Derby

MARLENE AND ARNAN

FINKELSTEIN

In celebration of your granddaughter’s college graduation

Deena and Mark Scoblionko

CAROL AND GARY FROMER

In celebration of your daughter

Rachel’s graduation from medical school

Beth and Wes Kozinn

Laurie, Robby, Ben and Danny

Wax

IRIS KLEIN

In celebration of your birthday

Ruth Derby

BETH AND HOWARD KUSHNICK

In celebration of your son Ethan’s graduation from Tulane and his acceptance into Emory Law School

Laurie, Robby, Ben and Danny

Wax

ENID AND BRUCE REICH

In celebration of your grandson

Zach’s Bar Mitzvah

Aaron Gorodzinsky and Jennie

Schechner

ILENE AND MICHAEL RINGOLD

In celebration of your son Andy’s graduation from Parkland High School and his acceptance into The University of Florida

Laurie, Robby, Ben and Danny

Wax

SHEILA AND CHARLIE SAUNDERS

In celebration of your grandchildren’s college graduations

Marlene and Arnan Finkelstein

DEENA AND MARK SCOBLIONKO

In celebration of your granddaughter Sabrina’s graduation from the University of Michigan

Marlene and Arnan Finkelstein

STEPHANIE AND STEPHEN

SZILAGYI

In celebration of your daughter

Meredith’s marriage to Kyle

Roberta and Robert Kritzer

Elaine and Leon Papir

JERI AND LEN ZIMMERMAN

In celebration of the birth of your granddaughter, Gali

Wendy and Ross Born

Aaron Gorodzinsky and Jennie Schechner

Suzanne Lapiduss and Family Laurie and Robby Wax

IN MEMORY

BILL DUNLEAVY

(Husband of Laurie Cohen)

Randi and Don Senderowitz

SHIRLEY ENGELSON

(Aunt of Susan Engelson Friefeld)

Amy and Greg McCoy

LENNY GURVITZ

(Father of Ellie Gurvitz)

Marlene and Arnan Finkelstein

BOBBY HAMMEL

(Husband of Bonnie Hammel)

Dee and Arny Kaplan

JEAN MANDEL

(Mother of Andy Mandel)

Marlene and Arnan Finkelstein

Randi and Don Senderowitz

ETHEL MELAMUT

(Mother of Brenda Morris,

Deborah Minkoff and Jonathan Melamut)

Dee and Arny Kaplan

STANLEY MILLER

(Father of Cindy, Sharon and Lara Miller)

Marlene and Arnan Finkelstein

JILL SCHONFELD

(Wife of Ivan Schonfeld)

Marlene and Arnan Finkelstein

Beth and Wes Kozinn

LISA SHEDROFF

(Wife of Steve Shedroff)

Emily, Brian, Al and Sam Ford

DAVE SUSSMAN

(Husband of Phyllis Sussman)

Randi and Don Senderowitz

Evelyn Brown

HELEN AND SOL KRAWITZ

HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL FUND

IN HONOR

LYNDA AND STUART KRAWITZ

In celebration of your 40th wedding anniversary

Susan Engelson Friefeld

IN MEMORY

STANLEY MILLER

(Father of Cindy, Sharon and Lara Miller)

Susan Engelson Friefeld

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 jewishlehighvalley.org to place your card requests. Thank you for your support.

'The Moment Music Stood Still'

By Lauren Rabin Special to Hakol

On May 14, 2024, I visited the Nova Music Festival exhibit “Oct. 7, 06:29 a.m. The Moment Music Stood Still” in New York City with five of my local Jewish friends. Since October 7, 2023, many of us have been unable to comprehend the horrors our Jewish brothers and sisters experienced at the music festival in Israel at the hands of Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization. What was meant to be a rave of peace, coexistence, and love turned into the worst massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust.

At sunrise, terrorists rained over the festival by parachute, violently taking

the lives of 370 people while kidnapping 40 into Gaza (in total approximately 1,200 people were killed in Israel that day and 240 were taken hostage). It has been difficult for me to make sense of the horrors, until I visited the Nova exhibit, where the October 7 massacre became very real.

The exhibit, notably produced by media mogul Scooter Braun, among others, is meant to be an in-depth remembrance of the attack, which coincided with the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah (the conclusion of the annual cycle of Torah readings, accompanied by song and dance). In a recent interview, Braun said he did not want the exhibit to be a “political” statement, since “no kid dancing deserves to die.” He wanted people to realize that it could have been “any of us.” The exhibit,

whose run in Lower Manhattan was extended through June 16, proved to be an apolitical documentation of what occurred on October 7 at the festival.

As we stood in line to enter the exhibit, we recognized a familiar face. One of the survivors of the festival was standing ahead of us. The reality of what we were about

to witness started sinking in fast. The exhibit began in a small room with a large screen showing footage of people from all over the world singing and dancing. We were engulfed by joy and excitement through colorful descriptions of the festival prior to 6:29 a.m. on October 7.

The movie was then cut short, and we were guided into a larger room, feeling apprehensive. Tents, clothing, recorded testimonials, phone calls, and photos over-

whelmed us as we made our way inside the first part of the main exhibit. The smell of gunpowder and incense filled the air while fear squeezed my chest. We had quickly moved from celebration to chaos.

In the early hours of the morning of October 7, partygoers were told to run and hide, as alarms wailed, rockets fired, and armed paragliders filled the ombre

Music stood still

tangerine sky. As I walked the rubble-lined floors of the exhibit, live videos on small televisions and cell phones interrupted my path. Is this what it was like as people ran, concert staff and attendees in every direction, desperately trying to escape? Which video do I watch first? Which way am I supposed to walk? Phone calls from victims to their family members saying goodbye echoed in my head as I tried to block out the transcripts of terrorists bragging of their killings to their parents. Images of young, beautiful people hiding in bushes 3 feet tall were seared in my brain. There was no path forward, only right and left. I had lost my five friends. I then ventured, alone, into a small room where I listened to an employee of Zaka (an organization recognized by the U.N. that helps with rescue and recovery globally and throughout Israel) recount details of the casualties, too gruesome to share here, as the smell of the gunpowder increased and made me dizzy. To be completely transparent, I thought it was over. I expected to turn the corner and be reacquainted with my friends to process what we had seen and heard. As I continued to walk, an extremely large room swallowed me whole with even more items from the festival and testimonies of the attack. I was numb and queasy anticipating more.

The large room was daunting. It was emotional but I didn’t cry. I was numb. Many burnt cars blocked my path. Circling the room were small television screens playing testimonials of innocent victims’ experiences during the attack. I wanted to learn more but crumbled at every account. The videos told stories of strangers helping and caring for one another and comforting those who couldn’t hold on. Portable bathrooms with bullet holes lined one wall of the exhibit. I had recently watched a screening of “Supernova: The

Music Festival Massacre” and listened to two women share their harrowing experience of hiding in a portable bathroom with another young gentleman for nine hours as they heard terrorists murdering their friends outside. Eventually they were rescued and remain the few who survived on-site. Their hiding place sat in front of me. It was small. It still smelled. They must have been terrified.

The large room was filled with shoes, art, and clothing that were left behind at the festival when the attacks began. Birkenstocks, Nikes, and Converse were recognizable and personal. Personal because my friends and family own similar styles. This could have been any of us.

In the center of the large room was an installation of the Nova festival dance floor. Surrounding the installation were curtains with illuminated wings flying upward. How can something so beautiful sit in the center of something so horrifying? Numb, I continued to walk past more burnt cars, the portable bathrooms, and a makeshift bar and DJ stand where broken coolers were strewn on the ground. I listened to a story of a mother who crawled into a cooler to avoid gunshots. Those around her were murdered as she hid, cold and claustrophobic, until help arrived. I couldn’t watch any more videos, but I was compelled to finish. I wanted to honor every single victim and survivor.

I sucked on a mint to settle my stomach as I walked through the final room, which perfectly displayed photos of all the 370 innocent victims.

A table sat adjacent with the opportunity to leave a note. I wished each victim and their families peace. I prayed for them. This could have been my family. My children. They were beautiful. At a rave to celebrate love, art, music, community, hope, friends, family, and life. Their lives violently cut short by hate.

I was reunited with one

friend before we exited the exhibit. Hats, T-shirts, sweatshirts, and bracelets were for sale with 100% of the proceeds going toward the survivors and their families. We bought some things. That didn’t seem like enough. We then met our friends outside and promised one another to share this experience so it is never forgotten. As a grandchild of Holocaust survivors, I was always taught that the one thing no one can ever take away from you is knowledge. We will continue to share the events of October 7 to honor every victim and survivor and to prevent it from occurring again. I will never forget. Never again means now.

ECE Celebrates 100 Students — New Classroom to Open This Fall

By Lisa Yoskowitz Early Childhood Education Director

Typically, risk taking is not my forte. I am not raising my hand to volunteer to bungee jump. I am not a foodie and am not adventurous enough to try new and unusual things to eat. And I definitely do not like the idea of leaping head first into a project when I have very little idea of what I am up against. But that is exactly what I did five years ago when I started my position as Early Childhood Education Director here at the JCC.

I made a commitment to myself and the JCC that I would grow the ECE program’s enrollment back to its peak level of two decades ago. But little did I know that, seven months into my new position, a pandemic would cause us to shut down and change life as we knew it. The enrollment increase we had already started to see - from about 60 children to 75 - was halted in its tracks, and we reopened in June of 2020 with only about 40 children, as families were forced to make difficult health decisions and faced challenging employment situations. But we are not quitters! Twenty-

two miles into running a marathon, I definitely find myself questioning my sanity, but not finishing is never an option. The same can be said for how I approach my job at the JCC. We have never given up on the idea of making the ECE a vibrant place with full classrooms, where all families of all faiths are welcome. Where staff come to work each day with the passion necessary to make learning a fun adventure! And this hard work and perseverance from our team has resulted in not only an enrollment rebound, but reaching new heights. Just a few months ago, we reached a milestone of

100 children enrolled in our Early Childhood Education program, with most of our now-renovated classrooms having waitlists. To make room for more students and welcome new families, work has begun to renovate an additional classroom, which will be ready for the new school year this fall. And while some may see opening a new classroom and recruiting more students as a risk-taking venture, I embrace another challenge as I continue the commitment I made to to grow our program and help our JCC and our community for years to come.

Competition Ramps Up For New JHoops Season

ECE Celebrates Rosh Hashanah With Some Sweet Guests

JCC Executive Director Visits Israel for Solidarity Mission

By Heather Lavin Program Director

By Tracy Sussman Director of Membership and Marketing

By Jackie Weiss Early Childhood & Jewish Education Coordinator

Additionally, the students had the opportunity to smell a honeycomb and learn how honey is made!

This past month, Eric Lightman, the executive director of the Jewish Community Center of the Lehigh Valley, participated in a solidarity mission to Israel. The group, organized by the JCC Association of North America, comprised 40 executive staff and lay leaders representing Jewish communities across the United States and Canada.

Our ECE students had a sweet second week of school! For Rosh Hashanah this year, a couple of our ECE classes gathered in the gym for a special honeybee presentation (minus the bees).

Dr. Robbie Roeshman, a master beekeeper for 35 years, along with his wife, Adrienne London, are beekeepers in the Lehigh Valley. The presentation was a fun and interactive experience with props, beekeeping supplies, a honeybee song, and a waggle dance! The students enjoyed pretending to be bees and buzzing around the gym.

The trip was intended to bear witness to the atrocities and aftermath of the Oct. 7 attacks and the ensuing war, to show the North American community’s collective support for Israel, and to bring the experience of the current reality of life in Israel back to local communities. Over the course of four very busy days, the group toured sites and met with leaders from around the country.

The students learned that honeybees get all their food from flowers and the food consists of nectar and pollen. Afterwards, the students had the opportunity to look at a container of nectar and a container of pollen. The students now know that nectar is a liquid and pollen looks like dust.

The 2023-2024 season begins in mid-November with practices and games starting in December. We are recruiting for teams in grades 1-2, grades 3-4, and grades 5-6. We are always looking for coaches and volunteers to help us make the program a success. Practices take place during the week, with games on Sundays both at home and away. Whether they are new to the sport or are looking to play with friends, JHoops is the perfect opportunity for your child to get in the game. Our teams will once again be competing in the Rising Stars Basketball League, in both boys and girls leagues. All teams must have a required minimum number of players to run. Our time in the league for the 2022-2023 season was a huge success, giving our teams opportunities to play (and win) in a league that fits our players’ skills. Stay tuned for our home game schedule!

gardens, witnessing the devastation that befell a peaceful neighborhood in which 25% of its residents were murdered or taken as hostages.

The honeybees collect nectar from flowering plants and bring the nectar back to the hive. Once the honeybees are back in the hive, the nectar is stored inside the empty combs made of beeswax.

The group also toured the site of the Nova Music Festival where 346 people lost their lives while celebrating peace and love, in the worst single attack against Jews since the Holocaust.

The honeybees then flap their wings very quickly to remove the excess moisture. Afterwards, the honeybees make a wax to create a seal over the honeycomb for protection. Finally, beekeepers harvest the honey by collecting the honeycomb frames and scraping off the wax cap that seals the honey.

The frames are then placed in an extractor to spin honey out of the comb. After the honey is extracted, it is strained to remove any remaining wax or other particles.

To register or for more information about JHoops visit lvjcc.org/JHoops.

With the opening of winter programs we will also bring back our popular JHoops Jr. classes. Both Pre-K and Kindergarten-aged athletes will have the opportunity to be introduced to basketball and learn basic skills. These practices are once a week and include inhouse recreational scrimmages.

After straining the honey, it is time to bottle, label, and bring it to you! How does honey connect to the High Holidays? Because eating apples and honey is a tradition on Rosh Hashanah, of course! We

The group also met with colleagues from the Israel Association of Community Centers who are currently working to maintain community services for Israel’s 300,000 citizens in border communities who have been evacuated for safety for the past 105 days. “I told these amazing leaders that we understand the difficulty and the importance of their work,” Eric said after returning from his trip. “They do the same work that our JCC staff do back in Allentown. But although we have had our challenges over the years, we’ve never had to deal with the type of personal and collective trauma they are now faced with.”

wish all of you a happy and healthy new year. If you’re looking for a sweet way to celebrate, local honey is available all year round at the Game Preserve Apiary, which is located at 4542 Game Preserve

Stagemakers Brings the Spooky This Fall

By Heather Lavin Program Director

The trip’s most emotional moments came during the group’s tour of some of the devastated communities near the Gaza border, including Kibbutz Nir Oz. With a military escort and wearing bulletproof vests while fighting across the border continued just a mile away, the group walked through the burned remains of houses and

Stagemakers Youth Theater welcomes both new and returning performers to our stage as we present The Addams Family Young @ Part. Performances are Thursday, November 9 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, November 12 at noon and 4 p.m. at the JCC of the Lehigh Valley.

On another day, the group met with President Isaac Herzog at Beit HaNasi (the President’s House) in Jerusalem, as well as former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and representatives from the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and

Combating Antisemitism. Israel’s leaders inquired about the current challenges in the North American community and how its leaders are addressing them, and shared their belief in the importance of Jewish unity worldwide and strengthening the connection between Israel and Diaspora Jewry. They also expressed how deeply meaningful it was for such a group to visit at such a difficult time.

JSeals Is Back, Making a Splash This November

“Israelis are dealing with a trauma, a fear, and an anger that they have not experienced in 50

By Jodi Lovenwirth Aquatics Director

In honor of the 134 Israeli hostages, a yellow ribbon and Israeli flag representing each hostage is displayed outside the JCC of the Lehigh Valley building, installed by Naomi Schachter, Tama

To join in on the fun and celebrate the work of this great cast and crew, you can cheer them on in person in November. Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family whom her parents have never met. She confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother. Now, Gomez Addams must do something he’s never done before– keep a secret

KEYSTONE SOCIETY

Taffi Ney+(L)

Ali Raza Visram+*

FRIENDS OF THE J DONORS

Lois Albright+

Tamarkin and Miriam Zager. They have also created an installation in the lobby.

from his beloved wife, Morticia. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents.

The butterfly is a symbol of transformation, freedom, and rebirth. These butterflies have

Director Madison William, with choreographer Marcell Mackenzie and musical director Mackenzie Lynch, have taken these young performers on a journey throughout rehearsals.

Leslie & Victor Bunick+ Marilyn Claire+

Lisa & Andrew Ellis+(L)

Iris & Jonathan Epstein+(L)

Elizabeth & Jeff Greenberg+

Pamela & Vernon Guischard+

long been viewed as heralds of good fortune. Each of the 134 butterflies has the name and age of a hostage yearning to be freed, to be home! We pray for them to be returned to us. You will notice two

Road, Schnecksville, PA 18078. Contact Dr. Robbie Roeshman and Adrienne London at

years,” Eric reflected. “At the same time, they are a model of strength and resilience. They are united in the need to bring home the 134 remaining hostages as soon as possible, and eliminate the existential terrorist threat they are facing, and are willing to fight and volunteer until this task is complete. From what I learned and experienced on this trip, I believe strongly that this is the fight of all Jewish people, and anyone who embraces peace and freedom.”

Madison’s philosophy is “process over product.” In Stagemakers productions, performers spend far more time learning and building a show than they do performing it in front of an audience. While the stage performance is the ultimate goal, it is the rehearsal process that gives performers experience and opportunity for growth. This creative team, including stage

Marty Katz+

Michael Krim

Suzanne Lapiduss+

Lesavoy, Butz & Seitz LLC+

Colleen & Paul McGee+

Rabbi Seth Phillips+

Every year during late fall, the aquatics center at the JCC comes alive with smiling faces, cheering children, and blooming friendships. It’s swim season, featuring the JSeals Swim Team! This year is going to be packed with team building parties, swim meets, and lots of ruach (spirit). For anyone who doesn’t know what the JSeals is about, we are more than just a swim team, we are a family. This is a place for swimmers to build their skills while they grow their friendships. This close-knit group of friends all share their love of swimming while cheering on their teammates and watching them progress throughout the season. The 2023-2024 JSeals season begins on November 27. Each member has the opportunity to practice up to three times a week to build their swimming skills. Practices will consist of clear, concise, proven workouts,

Jason Alter Sylvia & Sam Bub+

Julianne & Samuel Heiney+

Amy & Douglas Jaffe+

Jill Pincus+

Ellen Osher & Robert Pritchard+

butterflies in the upper right corner. Those are the butterflies of two hostages Fernando Marman and Louis Har that were rescued and are now home with their families. #bringthemhomenow

Robert Rockmaker+(L)

Brenna & Michael Schlossberg+

Pam Lott & Ron Ticho+

manager Tessa DeJesus and costume designer Kayla Stokes, has led a cast of over 40 middle and elementary school students through physical rehearsals that have challenged them to improve their skills as performers and cast members. For tickets and more information visit lvjcc.org/stagemakers.

Beverly & Ronald Wasserman+ + Previous Year Donors

instructed by qualified coaches. Our participants will also get to compete against other JCC swim teams in the Mid-Atlantic region, including Baltimore, Harrisburg, Cherry Hill, and Delaware. These exciting competitions consist of home and away meets, leading up to the championship meet in Delaware, where the swimmers get to show off their swimming abilities and hard work. To have some fun throughout the season, we will have various parties including a holiday party, pizza party, and the coveted DipN-Disco, which is scheduled for January 13, 2024. Mark your calendars, you won’t want to miss it! One of my proudest moments as Aquatics Director is not only watching the swimmers earn their trophies and medals, but watching these children become a family Registration is now open for the JSeals 2023-2024 season. For more information, call the JCC at 610435-3571 or visit lvjcc.org/JSeals.

Life & LegacyTM Donors

JDS is a beneficiary agency of the Jewish

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

Closing Time

Why JDS?

By Joanna Powers Head of School

For a month that has only four days of school at the JDS (this year, anyway), June starts out with gusto! The eighth-graders go on their annual trip, first grade performs a beautiful rendition of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” and receives their siddurim, and we hold an event 10 years in the making—our eighth-grade graduation ceremony.

By Megan Hyman

Thereach new heights next year. We reach out to families, teachers, support staff, and, of course, the children themselves to prepare for their return in the fall. Each student is well known and cared about by all of us, and their journey, whether they have just started or are a few years away from their own graduation, is customized and designed for each individual shining star.

we’d be here only a few weeks at most. As the pandemic continued, we made decision after decision to establish roots and

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

an early childhood education program, the welcoming, intimate, and warm environment at JDS was an obvious place for us to turn. The administration and

Why JDS?

Why JDS?

When it came time for Joseph, our now five-year-old son, to get back into an early childhood education program, the welcoming, intimate, and warm environment at JDS was an obvious place for us to turn. The administration and staff worked tirelessly to adhere to ever-

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

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

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

we’d be here only the pandemic sion after decision build a life here

demic as built-in playmates

The JDS has enabled strengthen – they check on the playground and other in the hallways. older children care for Evelyn is always so proud the “big kids” helps pack at the end of the talks about his “reading stantly!

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

When it came now five-year-old an early childhood the welcoming, vironment at for us to turn. staff worked tirelessly changing guidelines still make the for its students. in this environment, his third year as he loves the dynamic ing experience forget when he full Pledge of Allegiance words to the Hatikvah

Graduation is an evening devoted to celebrating our graduates, their journeys, and all the families, teachers, and community members who guided them along their way. We are so proud of their accomplishments, but our hearts break knowing that they will be leaving the nest. At the same time, we bask in the comfort that the JDS has prepared them for their next chapter. They have the academic and interpersonal skills to succeed in their new schools and adjust to a new reality.

One of the major tenets a devotion to the development confident students who to meet the world. This representative of our

Sadly, our chapter in ing to a close. For professional are moving back to Texas sion of the school year. community that Amy and volunteers have created us forever. The friendships a family through the and we know these memories will bring us joy for years

ing to a close. For professional reasons, wesion of the school year. Our love for the community that Amy Golding, her staff, and volunteers have created will stay with us forever. The friendships we’ve made as a family through the school will remain and we know these memories made here

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

While these last few days of school are the most profound for our eighth-graders, every one of our students is filled with excitement about the school-free summer while still being a little emotional about leaving their home away from home, even for a few months. Yearbooks are signed, desks are cleaned out, and class parties fill the halls with joy. Before we all know it, the school is quiet and the rooms are empty.

sion of where to send your child to school in the Lehigh Valley, we found the JDS an extremely supportive place, a refuge from the uncertainties that we all face in

For any parent grappling sion of where to send in the Lehigh Valley, an extremely supportive from the uncertainties our daily lives, and the ment to instill a love of ish values.

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

Who is the refugee? It’s me.

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

Who is the refugee? It’s me.

This is also a time when we reflect on the wonderful students who are not flying away just yet. We want to know what made them soar this year and how their experiences at the JDS can

So, who is the refugee? It’s me. I can’t speak for everyone, only for myself and my family. But let my story be something that can show the general picture. The beginning of 2022 It was a happy time for me. I had a beautiful house near Kyiv, capital of Ukraine. I had a garden full of fruit trees and berry bushes. I had great plans – I was opening my own cafe and bakery store, I was setting up a big greenhouse to plant many vegetables there. My children went to great preschool and afterschool smart classes. My daughter started to go to ballroom classes at the best dance school in the area. My husband had a very important role with great career opportunities in the biggest energy company in Ukraine. We used to invite our friends to our little parties at home, used to see our parents when we wanted to. It was really a very great period of life; I was truly

Our kids became ing the quarantine

Who is the refugee?

So, who is the refugee? It’s me. I can’t speak for everyone, only for myself and my family. But let my story be something that can show the general picture.

The beginning of 2022 It was a happy time for me.

That’s when a different kind of work begins. Teachers inventory and organize their closets, classroom and hallway floors are waxed, supplies are ordered, and classrooms are decorated and prepared for their new incoming residents. Bulletin boards come to fruition, chairs and tables are counted and adorned with students’ names, and curricula receive final touches. Nooks and crannies are scrubbed

and paint touch-ups are artistically completed. Files are perfected and schedules are refined. There are summer days that are more full than a school day. We stay busy and focused all year round!

I had a beautiful house near Kyiv, capital of Ukraine. I had a garden full of fruit trees and berry bushes. I had great plans – I was opening my own cafe and bakery store, I was setting up a big greenhouse to plant many vegetables there. My children went to great preschool and afterschool smart classes. My daughter started to go to ballroom classes at the best dance school in the area. My husband had a very important role with great career opportunities in the biggest energy company in Ukraine. We used to invite our friends to our little par ties at home, used to see our parents when we wanted to. It was really a very great period of life; I was truly happy.

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

While the administration, faculty, and staff see to every detail in preparation for the 2024-25 year,

enemy drone. It scared me to death, I never ever felt like this before. Next weeks were very scary for me. The

And then, on 24th of February, all was ruined. The war started. And what did we know about war? Only history WW2 from books and movies…and some hor rible stories from our grandparents. We decided to stay, because it was our home. We thought that our village was now a target for the enemy and even if they would come. We heard stories from our grandparents who remembered a time when their homes were under oc cupation during WW2 so we kind of could guess how it could be in our case. But we were wrong, very very wrong. Because in village aren’t many people – it’s dif ficult to feel panic. We heard sounds of missile strikes, the house was shaking every time, but personally I really felt it on the second week, end of February. I needed to take my youngest daughter to doctor. So, we were going by car there. It wasn’t far but we needed to go through a checkpoint which was created as a part of country protection actions. There I saw real soldiers, guns, bul lets laying on the ground, tanks for the first time in my life. And it wasn’t museum exhibition, it was real life situation. But worst was that something just fly above my head and then I heard and felt shot near me. It was enemy drone. It scared me to death, I never ever felt like this before. Next weeks were very scary for me. The enemy soldiers were closer and closer to our village. At

we could not do any of it without the generosity and support of our community. We are endlessly fortunate to have the Jewish Federation, JCC, Jewish Family Service, local synagogues, law enforcement departments, alumni, current and former parents, lay leaders, clergy, and devoted neighbors and friends, near and

far, who help and guide us every step of the way.

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

So, who is the refugee? It’s me. I can’t speak for everyone, only for myself and my family. But let my story be something that can show the general picture.

When the JDS doors open to students again at the end of August we will be ready, eager, and waiting. Everything we do is for them and because of you. Thank you!

So, what is the difference between me as a refugee and other people who came here as immigrants? Reasons why we came. I love Ukraine, it’s my home, home of my children and many past generations of my and

I had a beautiful house near Kyiv, capital of Ukraine. I had a garden full of fruit trees and berry bushes. I had great plans – I was opening my own cafe and bakery store, I was setting up a big greenhouse to plant many vegetables there. My children went to great preschool and afterschool smart classes. My daughter started to go to ballroom classes at the best dance school in the area. My husband had a very important role with great career opportunities in the biggest energy company in Ukraine. We used to invite our friends to our little par ties at home, used to see our parents when we wanted to. It was really a very great period of life; I was truly happy.

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

ing abroad, we simply didn’t want to, because we were satisfied with our lives and happy in Ukraine. We chose the US because it was the best option of all, but also the most difficult. It was hard, and it is hard. Not onlyent language, different culture, finding job, getting all local documents, impossible life without a car, almost

guage that my kids have – only because very important because we have the with their roots, which I hadn’t in my help and support made us confident here, in the US! So, what is the difference between and other people who came here as sons why we came. I love Ukraine, it’s of my children and many past generations my husband’s family. We miss our home fore February 2022 we never thought ing abroad, we simply didn’t want to, satisfied with our lives and happy in the US because it was the best option the most difficult. It was hard, and because of usual immigrant’s difficulties ent language, different culture, finding local documents, impossible life without impossible life without a credit score, ficulty is not being allowed to go out for people, who decide to come here, big goal, who choose to live here and thing to make this “American dream” it is very hard for us, refugees, forced heart is still at our home with our parents, houses and gardens. And only our life here more like at home (through versations, care and support). Because day most important things are not material will never ever fill your heart and soul

ficulty is not being allowed to go out of the US. Maybe for people, who decide to come here, who has it like -

war started. And what did we know about war? Only history WW2 from books and movies…and some hor rible stories from our grandparents. We decided to stay, because it was our home. We thought that our village was now a target for the enemy and even if they would come. We heard stories from our grandparents who remembered a time when their homes were under oc cupation during WW2 so we kind of could guess how it could be in our case. But we were wrong, very very wrong. Because in village aren’t many people – it’s dif ficult to feel panic. We heard sounds of missile strikes, the house was shaking every time, but personally I really felt it on the second week, end of February. I needed to take my youngest daughter to doctor. So, we were going by car there. It wasn’t far but we needed to go through a checkpoint which was created as a part of country protection actions. There I saw real soldiers, guns, bul lets laying on the ground, tanks for the first time in my life. And it wasn’t museum exhibition, it was real life situation. But worst was that something just fly above my head and then I heard and felt shot near me. It was enemy drone. It scared me to death, I never ever felt like this before. Next weeks were very scary for me. The

houses… it lasted 4 weeks. So, it was nothing like occupation during WW2… it was worse, much worse. And

thing to make this “American dream” came true, but it is very hard for us, refugees, forced migrants, who’s heart is still at our home with our friends, neighbors, parents, houses and gardens. And only your help made our life here more like at home (through relations, conversations, care and support). Because at the end of the day most important things are not material things, they will never ever fill your heart and soul with love, kind-

So, I want to say a big, huge thank to all of you! I am grateful for the ability day, in a safe, beautiful and ambitious grateful to all of you, for listening to porting my family and Ukraine. I believe end soon, that I can finally see my home friends and neighbors. But I, as all Ukrainians, in that fatal February, in pre-war days, our land, in our home; happy, confident days, full of ambitious plans.

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

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

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

*I use little letter instead of capital on purpose. this people anymore and it’s even hard for because what they have done and are still they are humans at all to me. And because it highlight it as my relation to them.

evening we needed to shut all lights, because ritorial defense was looking for hiding russian realized that I couldn’t stand any more. I couldn’t tend as nothing serious was happening and enough for kids. The worse for me was to fear, to feel war. It’s not what children should until they are enough old to understand everything not be hurt by it. I want my children to be confident and have strong and healthy mental So, I asked my husband to leave our home. We left on 7th of March and on 8th of sians* came to our house. They occupied killed men, raped women, stole a lot of things, houses… it lasted 4 weeks. So, it was nothing pation during WW2… it was worse, much

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

Now we are here. And we are very lucky, met people with very big open hearts full kindness, people who helped us with so many People from Jewish Day School, Jewish Community Lehigh Valley, Jewish Community Center. words to describe how grateful we are for great opportunity to know Jewish traditions

strengthen – they check in on each other

Robin Rosenau, JFS Board President, Passes

Robin:

I am honored to have served as JFS’s president for the past two years and sincerely thank both the board and the staff for their trust and collaboration.

JFS fights food insecurity, provides older adult case management, offers counseling, facilitates accessibility and inclusion planning for many Jewish organizations, and combats social isolation. Our amazing executive director, Debbie Zoller, together with a small but mighty staff and 80+ tireless volunteers, continually strive to provide these social services and more. I particularly am proud of the agency’s ability to pivot and adapt in realtime. Two examples are the post-pandemic transition from remote to primarily in-person provision of services and the offering of both individual counseling and group sessions to help Jewish community

members process the pain of the October 7th attacks.

The Jewish Family Service Board of Directors consists of 20 dedicated community leaders. These men and women hail from many parts of the Lehigh Valley, from Allentown to Easton, Bethlehem, Orefield, Hellertown, Emmaus, Palmerton, and beyond. Our board members bring a wide range of skill sets, experiences, and perspectives, strengthening the agency. Together with our staff and community, this fiscally responsible group also raises much needed funds for programming.

Throughout my time on the board, Debbie and I focused on improving internal processes. Best practices and efficiency promote continuity, regardless of who occupies a specific board or staff position at any one time. This work will allow JFS to

Congratulations JFS Scholarship Winners

continue to best serve the community.

I first joined the board in 2004, and after two years resigned to become the JFS coordinator for the BenefitsCheckUp project. When I was invited to rejoin the board in 2015, I did not envision ever serving as president. I have always believed in the power of JFS to improve the lives of members of our community. I am delighted that my friend Audrey Nolte will soon become the next president of JFS. She brings a wealth of experience and is incredibly dedicated. I look forward to continuing my service on the executive committee as immediate past president.

Audrey:

In a recent interview, journalist Dan Rather was asked to explain his productivity during the past 20 years of retirement. I believe the format of his

Gaines Family Foundation Prize in Engineering awarded to Sarah Dacey, who is majoring in civil engineering at Penn State

· Martin Philip Memorial Scholarship awarded to Sada Fleischaker, who is majoring in biochemistry at Connecticut College

Martin Philip Memorial Scholarship awarded to Mordechai Singer, who will be studying entrepreneurship

IN HONOR

SAM BUB

(Speedy Recovery)

Roberta and Alan Penn

JFS VOLUNTEERS, BOARD AND STAFF

(In appreciation)

Aviva Marlin

CHELSEA AND ERIC KARP

(In honor of Anna’s graduation)

The Mahjong Ladies

KAREN KUHN

(In honor of her birthday)

Marilyn Claire

Beth Kozinn

RABBI ALLEN JUDA

(In appreciation)

Barbara Platt

RACHEL AND ANDY SHURMAN

(In honor of Theo’s graduation)

The Mahjong Ladies

response will clarify my motivation to lead JFS as its next president. Every day Rather asks himself three questions: “Who am I? Why am I here? What can I contribute?”

I am a wife, mother, grandmother, twin sister, educator, and the daughter of two Holocaust survivors. My parents of blessed memory taught me that every life matters. Each individual is responsible for pursuing social justice and that I am accountable for making the world a better place through Torah, worship, and deeds of lovingkindness.

support or caring. My goal is to strengthen programming, outreach, and communication between our hardworking staff, generous volunteers, and talented board members.

As a lifelong learner, I am a hospice volunteer, active member of KI, and believe in the vision of JFS that no one should suffer hunger, isolation, abandonment, emotional or physical distress, lack of community

If you see me attempting to play golf or pickleball, biking or practicing yoga, cuddling with my grandsons, knitting or reading a book, feel free to say hello. You’re invited to join JFS as we advance from strength to strength.

Plant an additional row in your garden or pick up a little extra produce at the store to donate to our Community Food Pantry.

Donations can be brought to JFS, Monday-Thursday 9am-3pm, Friday 9am-1pm. Learn more at www.jfslv.org/produce.

VICKIE SEMMEL

(In honor of her birthday)

Audrey Schlaepfer

IN LOVING MEMORY

MARTIN ARUM

(Husband of Gail Arum)

Connie Evans

CORA CARLIS

(Mother of Ian Carlis)

Roberta and Alan Penn

LISA SHEDROFF

(Wife of Steven Shedroff)

Monica and Martin Lemelman

JILL SCHONFELD

(Wife of Ivan Schonfeld)

Rabbi Allen and Toby Juda

Barbara and Fred Sussman

DAVE SUSSMAN

(Husband of Phyllis Sussman)

Barbara and Fred Sussman

ROBERT SUSSMAN

(Yahrzeit for Father of Fred Sussman)

Barbara and Fred Sussman

Robin Rosenau and Audrey Nolte

Shavuot and the gift of our timeless Torah

By Rabbi Moshe Re’em

Temple Beth El

There is a unique notion in Judaism that present generations are to have shared in the collective, historic experience of the people of Israel. Thus, on Passover, we read in the Haggadah, “In every generation a person must view her/himself as if s/he was freed from

Egypt.” With regard to Shavuot, the festival marking the giving of the Torah, a famous midrash makes a similar claim. “Rabbi Abahu said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani: Why does it say (in Deuteronomy 29:13-14) ‘I make this covenant, with its sanctions, not with you alone, but with those who are standing here with us this day before the Lord, our G-d and with those who are not with us here today.’ All the souls were there (standing at Mt. Sinai when the Torah was given), even when their bodies had not yet been created.”

What does it mean to be present and to experience Sinai today, even though the event took place thousands of years

ago? One possible way to understand this is to say that in connecting with Torah today, by making it relevant in our lives, it is as if we stood at Sinai when the Torah was being given. Studying Torah on the eve of Shavuot, learning its lessons and making them applicable to our current lives, is one way of signifying the eternal aspect of the lessons of Torah.

There are several characteristics of the festival of Shavuot that are unique. First, the name of the holiday itself is quite unique. Translated literally, the Hebrew term means “weeks.” By referencing time, as opposed to space, the holiday marks something quite profound. The great Jewish philosopher Abraham Joshua Heschel

famously noted that Judaism is a religion that privileges time over space. He wrote this specifically in connection with Shabbat, being a day that sanctifies time. However, hidden within the name Shavuot is this notion of valuing time over space. As a concept, time universalizes and transforms Judaism as a portable religion. It can be practiced anywhere. Its observance needn’t be tied to a specific place. Whether Jews were found in Egypt, ancient Israel, Babylonia, Spain, North Africa, Eastern Europe, or the Americas, their Judaism could be taken with them. Additionally, the sanctification of time befits the timeless quality of Torah.

The values and lessons contained within Torah transcend time. Torah never grows old and never gets stale. Its message is an eternal one. Shavuot’s other name, Zeman Matan Torateinu, the “time of the giving of the Torah,” alludes to this idea. Hence, in every generation, as Rabbi Abahu said, we stand at Sinai, making its message relevant and passing on its values to the next generation. Indeed, the gift of Torah is what unites us as a people, wherever Jews are found. Wishing all of you a Chag Shavuot Sameach!

Packed house at TBE celebrates book release

By Carl Zebrowski Editor

You could judge from the crowd at Temple Beth El on the morning of Yom HaShoah the esteem the Lehigh Valley Jewish community has for Larry and Eva z”l Levitt. All these people had turned out to celebrate the release of the book that tells Eva’s story of Holocaust survival and devoting herself to living by Jewish values.

Written by Larry Levitt and Stephanie Smartschan, “Evitchka: A True Story of Survival, Hope, and Love,” took more than two year to create, with participation by Eva before she died in 2023. The capacity crowd in TBE’s auditorium included friends and relatives of the Levitts,

members of the community, and representatives of the book’s publisher. “We feel especially lucky to have the full family here,” said Jeri Zimmerman, executive director of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley.

The idea to bring Stephanie into the book project was Eva’s, Larry said, adding, “Eva never made a mistake about people.” The three met once a week to work together. Stephanie did a lot of research and talked to a lot people, particularly because Eva was so young in the early 1940s and wouldn’t know details.

Once the manuscript was complete, Larry and Stephanie presented it to Crave, a small publisher in Leesport that a friend had recommend-

ed. “I reviewed it initially when it came in,” copublisher Christina Steffy said after the presentation, “and it was a very powerful story about this incredible woman. I got the impression from reading it that she was very kind, very humble. She was certainly in the background of everybody else’s story, didn’t seem like someone who would tell her own story.

“But it was something that very much needs to be told, and Larry and Stephanie decided to bring her story forward and show that this amazing woman just supported everybody. And so it was wonderful to get to be the publisher.”

Dr. John Castaldo, Larry’s friend of nearly 40 years, who joined Larry’s neurology

practice in 1986, was with his wife, Karen, among the nearly 200 in attendance to celebrate the book and Eva’s life. “This book was his labor of love,” he said. “I knew all these stories because Larry had told them to me, so it was nice to see them come into print, and I hope others will appreciate them as well.”

Karen brought up a time their daughter went over to Larry and Eva’s house to interview Eva’s dad, Laci, a Nazi camp survivor who has a large part in the book, to write a paper for school.

“He actually told all of these stories of the Holocaust,” Castaldo said. “It was just heart-wrenching because to hear it from someone who lived it was so much different than to read about it from a

history. He was telling it in the ‘I form’: ‘I did this.’” “Evitchka” is available now from The End bookstore in Allentown and other small shops as well as from the usual large book outlets.

Checking

HaShoah and the life lessons of Eva Levitt z”l

By Carl Zebrowski Editor

“World War II and the Shoah ended 79 years ago,” Shari Spark, director of the Holocaust Resource Center and organizer of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley’s 2024 Yom HaShoah commemoration, told the audience in the JCC at the evening commemoration on May 5. “But tonight the history cannot feel closer.”

This night, dedicated to remembering the victims of the Holocaust, the Valley Jewish community heard the story of Eva Levitt z”l, one of its most beloved and respected members for the last few decades. Levitt, who died in 2023, was one of only six out of 200 Jewish children living her town, Humenné, Czechoslovakia, to survive the Nazis. “Let me repeat that,” said Eva’s husband, Larry Levitt. “200 children, six survivors.”

Several hours before the Yom HaShoah commemoration, hundreds in the community had gathered for the official release of the book, “Evitchka: A True Story of Survival, Hope, and Love,” which Larry, a retired neurologist, cowrote with Stephanie Smartschan, a journalist turned Jewish community marketing professional.

“Evitchka” is Eva’s story in two parts: part one the Holocaust and part two the rest of her life.

When the Nazis came to Humenné, Eva’s family was among the Jewish residents permitted to stay, because her father, Laci Ritter, did “essential work,” running a lumber yard that employed 200. “He lived a pretty good life up to the war,” said Smartschan. By 1944, doing essential work was not enough. “I know we are in trouble now,” Laci said during an interview he later did as part of director Stephen Spielberg’s Shoah Foundation project to docu-

ment the stories of Holocaust survivors.

The family fled, but not without incident. “On the way into hiding,” Laci said, “they catch me.” He was taken to Auschwitz, where a Nazi officer told him and the friend with him to rest. “Laci said, ‘I want to work,’” Larry told the audience. Fortunately the Nazis took him up on that. His friend, who remained behind, was taken to the gas chambers.

Eva’s mother, Olga, her aunt Munci, and young Eva (aka Evitchka), continued on their way. Along their route, they practiced saying the Hail Mary so that if Nazis ever confronted them, a natural-sounding recitation of the Catholic prayer would “prove” they were not Jewish. They succeeded in their escape and ended up living in hiding with a Catholic couple, Geza and Klara Hajtas, who had previously promised Laci help if his family ever needed it.

The Nazis came to that area at the end of 1944, and the gestapo wound up at the Hajtas house looking for Olga. The harassment continued. “After a few days of this,” Smartschan said, “she was so exhausted.” Smartschan said Olga started thinking, “Would my daughter, Eva, have a better life without me?”

Soon after that, two gestapo soon showed up and took Munci in for questioning. They beat her over and over, trying to get her to talk. She kept denying she was Jewish.

“They were strong,” she said in an interview later for the Shoah Foundation. “My eyes got full of blood. I didn’t say a word. I just let them hit me. It was freezing cold. I was shivering.”

She did not talk, and the two sisters and Eva survived the war. “It was through the wonderful efforts of those Catholics that they survived,”

said Larry.

Laci survived too—though other relatives did not—and the three reunited and ended up in the United States. Years later Eva met, as Larry put it, “a soon-to be doctor named Larry Levitt at Queens College.” They dated.

Larry talked about how Eva had three suitors, two of them named Larry. The choice from among the three appeared to be coming down to one of the Larrys, when the other Larry announced to Eva that they should see other people. “Boy, did he make a big mistake!” Larry Levitt said.

Larry and Eva married and had three kids. In the 1970s they moved from New York to Allentown, where Larry founded and developed the neurology department at Lehigh Valley Hospital.

In the 1980s they made contact with the Hajtases and went to Czechoslovakia to visit. Larry said the couple had helped other fleeing Jews too, 17 of them. They earned the Holocaust museum designation “righteous gentiles.”

“Why did you do it?”

Larry asked Geza. “You and the whole family could have been shot.” Larry recalled the response: “A good life comes from working hard and helping other people.”

Five years after that visit, Eva and Larry had a chance to return the favor the Hajtases had done for Eva so many years earlier. Geza had a serious medical problem that doctors in Czechoslovakia couldn’t treat, so the Levitts brought him here to see Dr. Stanley Zeeman, a cardiologist associated with Lehigh Valley Hospital.

Zeeman believed surgery would work. It did, and after Geza recuperated, he returned home. He lived another eight years, comfortably.

Larry ended the presentation about Eva by asking what this evening was all about.

Leaders represent Lehigh Valley in state capital

Bruce Reich, chair of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley Community Relations Council, and Aaron Gorodzinsky, the Federation’s director of development, represented the Federation at the State of Pennsylvania’s 40th annual civic commemoration of the Holocaust on May 6. Hosted at the governor’s office in Harrisburg, the event was attended by Governor Josh Shapiro, elected officials of both parties, and Holocaust survivors and families of victims, who honored the memory of the 6 million who were killed. It served as a reminder, especially with the rise of antisemitism, that “never again” is not just a phrase.

He pointed to the book’s dedication page, the words in the book he considered most important: “We dedicate this book to Eva, aka Evitchka, who has inspired us to live our lives the way she lived hers.” He then called on his granddaughter, Talia Vaknin, to sum up what Eva meant to the Jewish community—to anyone who was fortunate enough to meet her or hear

her story.

“Evil does not begin with murder,” Vaknin said. “No. It begins when good and decent people like ourselves, who are too busy with their own lives, fail to speak out. Let’s take Eva Levitt’s advice seriously and try to make a difference.”

Community remembers 10/7 victims on Yom HaZikaron

By Carl Zebrowski Editor

“In Israel, Yom HaZikaron begins with the sound of the siren all over the country,”

Lee Kestecher Solomon, director of community engagement for the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, told the audience in the JCC Kline Auditorium on May 13. “Everyone stops and stands in silence.”

Audience members then stood up as a siren sound played in memory of fallen Israeli soldiers and victims of terrorist attacks. This year the feeling is different from most years—the fallen include those killed in an ongoing war, including four people lost from the Lehigh Valley’s Partnership2Gether community of Yoav.

“We can still hear the cries of those celebrating peace and love who were slaughtered in the fields at the Nova Music Festival,” Jewish Federation Executive Director Jeri Zimmerman said of the victims of the Hamas attacks that started the war

on October 7, 2023. She said the Valley community was gathered this day to remember especially the soldiers who have fallen since that fateful day.

Ariel Solomon, husband of Lee, who organized this Israel Memorial Day program, spoke about a friend of theirs, Hayim Katsman, who was killed in Kibbutz Holit by Hamas terrorists on October 7. Ariel and Lee used to be neighbors of the 32-year-old peace activist in this kibbutz 3 miles from the Gaza Strip.

“Part of living in a kibbutz is knowing everyone around you,” said Ariel. Everyone has an open invite to dinner. If you were walking by a house and smelled the aroma of mealtime, you might stop for a bite.

After the bombing began on October 7 and air-raid sirens went off, Katsman ran over to the home of a neighbor with kids to help out. They all hid inside. Then the terrorists arrived.

“They murdered Kayim as soon as they burst in,” Ariel

said. They also murdered the parents. Right in front of their children’s eyes. (The children survived.)

Ironically Hayim had been an active advocate for peace between Israelis and Palestinians and had done volunteer work in Gaza. “He helped Palestinian farmers,” Ariel said. “Being also a DJ, he loved to play Arabic music.”

Eric Lightman, executive director of the JCC, pointed out to the audience that most people filling the chairs have known Israeli soldiers. On his mission to Israel in January, he spent some time with soldiers, who were as friendly as all Israelis he’s ever known.

“I realize that these soldiers are not only defending Israel,” he said. “They’re defending Jews everywhere. They’re defending me. They’re defending you. We must support them just as they support us.”

“Tonight we remember them,” he continued. “We remember those who fought for life against those who

glorify death. We pledge to secure peace. We pray that this day will be here soon.”

Other leaders of the Valley Jewish community stood to remember Israelis killed or kidnapped on October 7. Miriam Zager spoke of Shani Louk, the 22-year-old dreadlocked dancer at the Nova Music Festival who became one of the public faces of innocent life brutally ended by Hamas attackers.

Relatives knew Louk as the life of the party. “At every family gathering she would make her cousins laugh,” Zager said. Another irony in this horrific sage so full of them: “Maybe some people are not as good as others,” Zager said Louk was known to believe, “but not evil.”

Louk attended the festival of peace and love with her partner, 30-year-old Oryon Hernandez of Mexico. “They tried to escape the terrorists in their car,” Zager said.

Three weeks later Louk’s family found out that Louk was confirmed murdered.

Tama Tarmarkin told the

Houman Ahdieh, M.D.

Daniel Ross, M.D.

Irena Cherfas, M.D.

Mark Krakauer, M.D., M.Phil Lindsay Tilghman, O.D.

Kelsey Paciotti, O.D. Magi Labib, O.D. Amanda Hadeed, O.D.

story of Mia Schem, another victim of Hamas at the Nova festival. Hamas kidnapped this 21-year-old artist, bringing her in with a gunshot wound. Surgery followed— with a plastic knife and no anesthesia.

Her captors brought in children to mock her and forced her to wear a hijab.

“There were days they wouldn’t let me eat at all,” she said later. The good news is that she survived, released with the group of 50 hostages during the November ceasefire after 110 days in captivity.

In a social media post after she was freed, Schem said the remaining hostages must be returned immediately.

“We have no time to waste,” she said. “Every day there feels like an eternity. It could be any of you. It was me.”

The evening of many remembrances, prayers, and sacred songs ended with the singing of the Israeli national anthem, “Hatikvah.”

Mitzvah carnival!

Kids run from station to station at celebration of Israel’s founding

By Billy Thompson Digital Marketing Associate

The Lehigh Valley Jewish community came together at Congregation Keneseth Israel on May 14 for a carnival to celebrate Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day. The evening began with Mayor Matt Tuerk reading a proclimation acknowledging Jewish American heritage month.

Greeting attendees were KI staff and a poster of Srulik, the cartoon mascot of Israel who stands

for strong Jewish values. Beyond the entrance were streamers and banners with Israeli flags and colors, leading people to the auditorium or to the room where refreshments were served.

The auditorium was filled with activity stations. Carnival-goers were invited to a Planting for Israel station with Rabbi Michael and Mordechai Singer from Congregation Brith Sholom. There, kids learned how Jewish people have cultivated their land. The natural beauty of

Israel was pictured in various books on display at a reading station under the banner of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley’s Holocaust Resource Center. Next to that was a Where’s Waldo-style Find Srulik station.

For kids interested in more-tactile activities, the Jewish Federation supplied a sand pit. Children were tasked with digging for “ancient artifacts” as though they were in Israel, experiencing the history of their people. Once colored ceramic tiles there were

dug up, kids glued them to a canvas designed to look like an Israeli flag. Arts-and-crafts activities were prominent. There was a Star of David decoration station, a station to make your own tzedakah box, a kippot-decorating station, and a banner-decorating station. There were also stations dedicated to writing letters and thank-you cards to Israeli soldiers to let them know they’re in everyone’s hearts and prayers.

The aisles between stations were a mix of

parents chatting and kids weaving back and forth as they played games of tag. The loudest laughs of the evening came from kids paying Red Light, Green Light atop a giant map of Israel.

Community leaders and public figures took the floor to express their support for Israel. Allentown Mayor Tuerk spoke of the long history the Lehigh Valley Jewish community shares with the city.

TUESDAY, JUNE 18 at 7:05 PM

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2024

DEVON BERKOVE

Son of Ethan and Kyra Berkove

MORAVIAN ACADEMY

Varsity soccer cocaptain and 2022 division 1A state champion, soccer scholar-athlete, Jewish Heritage Club leader, USY president, AP Scholar Award, high honor roll all four years.

Devon will attend Bucknell University.

NOAH COHEN*

Son of Dana and Ofer Cohen

JACK M. BARRACK

HEBREW ACADEMY

Lacrosse, AZA regional board, Friendship Circle. Noah will attend the University of Central Florida to major in computer engineering.

TALIA COHEN*

Daughter of Dana and Ofer Cohen

JACK M. BARRACK

HEBREW ACADEMY

Varsity basketball captain, lacrosse, tennis, dance, school Hebrew newspaper editor, mock trial, BBG Morah recruiter, Friendship Circle, Speak Up leader, Excellence

science (pre-veterinary medi cine).

SARAH DACEY

Daughter of Karen and Patrick Dacey

PARKLAND HIGH SCHOOL Engineering Club, National Honor Society, German Honor Society, Math Honor Society, Science Honor Society, Jewish Culture Club, BBYO, Pinemere Camp counselor. Sarah will attend the Pennsylvania State University to study civil engineering.

ISAAC DAHAN*

Son of David Dahan and Naomi Schachter

JACK M. BARRACK

HEBREW ACADEMY Squash player, SquashBond volunteer, Maccabiah Games

U.S. representative, mock trial vice captain, Model U.N. delegate, Science Club, school play, DECA, BBYO, SAACA volunteer, certified SAT tutor, CTeen. Isaac will attend Brown

Jacob will attend the Lehigh University School of Business.

JULIAN ETTINGER-FINLEY

Son of Audrey Ettinger and Michael Finley

PARKLAND HIGH SCHOOL

Spanish Honor Society president, National Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, orchestra and Strolling Strings (violin), honors and advanced honors orchestras, Cedar Crest College VOICE Choir (bass), GSA past vice president, chorale, DaCore Suzuki Talent Education, Temple Beth El religious school teacher and volunteer. Julian will attend Drexel University, Pennoni Honors College, to study biology toward a career as a health professional.

SADA FLEISCHAKER

Daughter of Jeff Fleischaker and Ophira Silbert

August 18 - 22, 2024

• A visit to the Nova Festival memorial site

• A visit to Kibbutz Shefayim

• Volunteer opportunities

• A visit to the Hostages Square

• A visit to the Western Wall

• AND MORE!

The cost of the trip, not including airfare, is $3200 (Single supplement $950).

Email aaron@jflv.org to confirm your spot.

lin), Parkland Aquatic Club, varsity swim team, lifeguard, swim instructor.

Sada will attend Connecticut College to major in biochem istry and to swim.

MIKAELA GARBER*

Daughter of Laura and Todd Garber

JACK M. BARRACK

HEBREW ACADEMY

Dance, school newspapers, Mental Health Matters Club, tutor, Lehigh Valley Health Network volunteer, preschool assistant, CTeen, StandWith Us intern and liaison, Shalom Hartman Fellow. Mikaela will do a gap year in Israel and then attend Binghamton University.

ALEXANDRIA GRACE

Daughter of Jacqui Schwartz and Andy Schwartz (stepfather)

Magida EMMAUS HIGH SCHOOL National Honor Society, French Honor Society, B’nai

Devon Berkove Noah Cohen Talia Cohen

Sarah Dacey Isaac Dahan

Jacob Dubow

Julian Ettinger-Finley

Sada Fleischaker Mikaela Garber Alexandria Grace

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2024

B’rith Girls treasurer, Activism Club treasurer, Emmaus Aquatic Club lifeguard, varsity volleyball.

Gwyneth will attend the Cornell University College of Arts and Sciences to major in chemistry and chemical biology.

GRANT PINSLEY

Son of Nina and Mark Pinsley

PARKLAND HIGH SCHOOL

Debate team captain, mock trial captain, Political Science Club president, chorale, Tri-M Music Honor Society, honors orchestra, National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, National Math Honor Society, National Social Studies Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America, political campaigns volunteer, Lehigh Valley Justice Institute volunteer.

Grant will attend Tufts University to major in political science and philosophy.

ish Culture Club president, National Honor Society, Math Honor Society, Friendship Circle.

Matthew will attend the University of Wisconsin, Madison, with an interest in studying economics.

SIDNEY ROSENBERG

Son of Angela and Marc Rosenberg

SOUTHERN LEHIGH HIGH SCHOOL

National Honor Society treasurer, Future Business Leaders of America treasurer, soccer team, track and field, Camelot for Children junior board.

Sidney will attend the Lehigh University School of Business.

BENJAMIN SHIMON*

Son of Allison and Shay Shimon PARKLAND HIGH SCHOOL

South Parkland Youth Association soccer captain and football team, Jewish Ameri-

Son of Rabbi Michael and Alexis Vega-Singer

JACK M. BARRACK

HEBREW ACADEMY

business and industry and finance.

JULIUS VAN ALLEN

to major in economics.

ETHAN SILVER

Son of Rebecca and Ross Silver

PARKLAND HIGH SCHOOL

Parkland TV executive producer, debate team captain, National Honor Society officer, school chorale, English Honor Society, Mathematics Honor Society, Social Studies Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, International Thespian Society, All-State Chorus, school theater, Temple Beth El madrich.

Ethan will attend Northwestern University.

Varsity swim team captain, DECA Stocks, and Investing Club president, USY copresident.

Mordechai will attend the University of Pittsburgh School of Business.

JACK VALUNTAS

Son of Kimberly and Chris Valuntas

PARKLAND HIGH SCHOOL

Theater, International Thespian Society, Jewish Culture Club secretary and treasurer, BBYO board, school chorale, Performing Arts Club, Festival of the Arts Club.

Jack will attend West Virginia

Son of Stacy and Jim Van Allen

EASTON AREA HIGH SCHOOL

Eagle Scout, engineering program, Model United Nations, debate team, Technology Student Association. Julius will attend American University in a three-year accelerated honors program in politics, policy, and law and then continue on to law school.

*ATTENDED JEWISH DAY SCHOOL

Stacey Lipson

Gwyneth Magida Grant Pinsley

Matthew Ringold Sidney Rosenberg

Benjamin Shimon

Ethan Silver

Mordechai Singer Jack Valuntas

Julius Van Allen

MAZAL TOV BARRACK CLASS OF 2024!

Dairy-ish Rice Pudding for Shavuot

By Sandi Teplitz

You can be a vegan and still enjoy delicious dessert with this easy-to-make last course. Accompany it with biscotti dipped in nondairy melted chocolate and a good Sauterne.

Ingredients:

1 quart full-fat oat milk

2 14-ounce cans unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk, preferably Goya

1 cup rice

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

A generous 1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup total apricot and red raspberry Bonne Maman preserves for swirling on top

Technique:

In a large saucepan, combine the oat milk, 1 can of the coconut milk, nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar, and half the salt. Bring to a boil over low heat, then reduce heat and cook on low for half an hour, stirring frequently.

Stir in the remaining coconut milk, bring to a boil again, reduce heat and cook on low for 10 more minutes, stirring.

Remove from heat, add the remaining salt, then stir and bring to

Swirl the preserves on top. Chill. Serve directly from the refrigerator.

Sheftel memorial softball tourney returns for 20th year

About 1 million arrests are made in the United States each year for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Justin Sheftel was killed in 2005, shortly after graduating from Parkland High School. He was in Ocean City, Maryland, celebrating senior week when he was struck by a car. The driver was speeding and driving under the influence.

In memory of him, his friends set up a softball game that turned into the annual Justin Sheftel Memorial Softball Tournament and has raised over $700,000 for scholarships and to support various charitable organizations throughout the Lehigh Valley. This year’s tournament is coming up, on June 15, at the Lehigh County Sports Fields in Allentown.

Sixteen softball teams will complete and over 700 people are expected to attend. Mike

Raymond from Fox Sports Radio will broadcast live, and IronPigs mascots Ferris and FeFe will be roaming around. Philadelphia Phillies Hall of Famer Steve Carlton will return.

There will be a variety of games and activities for the kids and local food trucks, including Vince’s Cheesesteaks, Take a Taco, and DonutNV. Red Robin is again sending mixologists to run a friendly Taste the Mocktails competition.

An all-star baseball clinic will feature former pro and college athletes. It’s free to youths who participate in nonprofit youth, school, and little league organizations. Blake Barthol, a Parkland High School graduate and Coastal Carolina University baseball player, and Devyn Demchak, a Northampton Area High School graduate and Drexel University softball player, will be among the instructors.

The event begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 7 p.m. The rain date is June 16. For more information and to register for the clinics, visit justinsheftel.com.

“We Are Not Strangers,” by Josh Tuininga, Abrams, 2023, 208 pages.

By Sean Boyle Congregation Keneseth Israel

Josh Tuininga’s first graphic novel, “We Are Not Strangers,” is based on stories from his Uncle Marco about his grandfather called Papoo. At Papoo’s funeral, Uncle Marco met, for the first time, several Japanese families who came to pay their last respects.

Uncle Marco discovered that Papoo had helped several Japanese families that were forced to sell their businesses and homes or risk losing them to their local governments due to tax liens while they were incarcerated during World War II. Papoo never told anyone in his family

what he had done, and only at his funeral did relatives begin to understand the great work he did for the local Japanese community. At the time, helping those incarcerated because their heritage traced back to an enemy nation risked being seen as a traitorous act.

After portraying the funeral, Tuininga quickly introduces the basic differences between Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews and then tells about Papoo being raised on a small island in the Ottoman Empire and emigrating to Seattle, where he joined the local Sephardic and larger immigrant/minority community in the city’s Central District. This is where he befriends Japanese fellow business owners.

As Papoo peruses his daily newspaper, the reader is able to read the headlines

about the war in Europe and the atrocities occurring to Jews. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the headlines describing measures to restrict freedoms of the ethnic Japanese mirrored the measures used earlier in Europe against Jews. It compelled Papoo to help his Japanese neighbors, demonstrating what could’ve happened and what should’ve happened in other communities around the world. Although many of the graphic novel’s panels have no character dialogue, the “silence” makes the reader sense the shouting that something needs to be done to help the Japanese.

heavily on Densho (densho. org), a nonprofit organization documenting histories from Japanese Americans who were incarcerated during the war.

Although this is a fictional story based on a true one, Tuininga included periodaccurate landmarks in his images. The book contains a Notes and Sources section at the end that provides details about the historical landmarks in Seattle’s Central and Nihonmachi Districts, as well as about other locations. Tuininga also includes a list of the newspapers he pulled his headlines from and other resources he used to help him accurately portray the culture at the time of the Japanese and Sephardic communities.

highly recommended for ages 13-120, especially for anyone who is not aware of the mass incarceration of U.S. citizens during World War II.

Because Papoo died in 1987, and the Japanese he assisted during the war have since passed away, Tuininga used materials he researched with the assistance of Devin Naar, professor in Sephardic studies at the University of Washington. He also relied

by

Owens, Little A, 2024, 267 pages.

By Sandi Teplitz Special to Hakol

We all know the story: A once prolific writer experiences writer’s block and has to come to terms with it. The problem is complicated by an unforgiving deadline.

Zibby Owens, a podcaster by profession, wrote a book about this filled with humor and human foibles that allows us a peek into the underworld of publishing. Through twists and turns, she manages to incorporate the themes of marriage vs. friendship,

“We Are Not Strangers” was selected as an Honor Book for the Sophie Brody Book Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement in Jewish literature. It’s

kids vs. career, and truth vs. betrayal. She keeps it real by bringing in current issues that affect all modern-day women: book clubs, carpools, Instagram, and Zoom, assailing the media as a wrecker of intimacy and veracity—all of this with a meta, Jewish contemporary edge. You’ll hardly finish a page without a chuckle or two, which we can all use more of during these tense times.

Owens herself is the proprietor of a bookstore and the mother of four “pretty fabulous kids.” She is currently writing a middle-school book series that she intends to

Sean Boyle is Congregation Keneseth Israel’s librarian and also serves as vice president, president-elect, of the Association of Jewish Libraries.

publish soon. Hopefully, “Blank,” her debut novel, will be followed by another. Our world needs more from this bookfluencer.

“Blank,”

Zibby

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.

THURSDAY, JUNE 6

Community Celebration and Annual Meeting

6-8 p.m., JCC

Come out to celebrate the volunteers and contributors who made the Jewish Federation’s 2023-24 campaign year a success. A buffet dinner will be served, and annual awards will be given out. Registration required at jewishlehighvalley. org/calendar.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12

Chabad Shavuot Celebration

5:30 p.m., Chabad of the Lehigh Valley

Hear the Ten Commandments. Enjoy the dairy buffet and ice cream party. For more information, visit chabadlehighvalley.com/shavuot5784.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12

ECE Shavuot Ice Cream Party

5:45-6:45 p.m., JCC

Join the JCC Early Childhood education at the JCC to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Shavuot with an ice cream party! Nondairy ice cream will be available. All ages are invited. Admission is free, but advance registration is required. Contact Jackie Weiss at jweiss@ lvjcc.org for more information. Register at signupgenius.com/ go/409054FA9AB23A6FE349904912-eceshavuot.

TUESDAY, JUNE 18

Jewish Heritage Night at the IronPigs

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

Join the community at the ballpark in Allentown for a night of baseball, “Hatikvah” sung before the game by JDS kids at home plate, and kosher food. $23 tickets include a field-level seat, a voucher for a glatt kosher meat meal certified by the Lehigh Valley Kashrut Commission, and a Jewish Heritage Night cap; $17 tickets include a field-level seat and a Jewish Heritage night cap. (Please, no mixing of different-price tickets within a family.) Most LV synagogues, JDS and the JCC are selling tickets. Or buy tickets online at jewishlehighvalley.org/ironpigs

SUNDAY, JUNE 30

PJ Library Bees and Butterflies

9:30 a.m., Jewish Day School

Families will work together in the JDS pollinator garden. Any food harvested will go to Jewish Family Service. There will be crafts and snacks and, of course, a PJ Library story.Register at jewishlehighvalley. org/calendar.

SUNDAY, JUNE 30

Women of KI Day at the Lake 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Lake Nockamixon

Set your GPS for the Nockamixon Boat Rental in Quakertown and, entering Lake Nockamixon at any of the entrances, find the group at one of the pavilions. Potluck or bring your own picnic. No alcohol is permitted, but pets are. Kayak, paddleboard, bike, run. Boat rentals are available. Call 610-435-9074 for more information.

THURSDAY, JULY 18

Maimonides Society Happy Hour

5:30 p.m., TBD

Join your fellow Maimonides Society Healthcare Professionals to enjoy delicious cocktails & appetizers! Register at jewishlehighvalley.org/ calendar.

ONGOING EVENTS

FIRST OR SECOND SUNDAY OF THE MONTH

Bnai Shalom Cash Bingo

1 p.m., Congregation Bnai Shalom

Join Bnai Shalom for its monthly bingo games on the first Sunday of most months but on the second Sunday of September and December. For more information call 610258-5343.

MONDAYS

Yiddish Club

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

Experience the joys of Yiddish via Zoom as part of Adults at the J. The group meets weekly to discuss topics like cooking, humor, music and all kinds of entertainment in the Yiddish language. All are welcome to enjoy fun, fellowship, stories and more. Participants Zoom in from 5 states. No cost. Call 610-435-3571, ext. 501.

MONDAYS AND THURSDAYS

Online Jewish Yoga Studio

Mondays 11-11:45 a.m., Thursdays

4-4:45 p.m., Institute for Jewish Spirituality

Mindful body practices help us find shelter right where we are, in our bodies in this very moment. Join yoga teacher and IJS faculty member Rabbi Myriam Klotz or Cantor Lizzie Shammash as she guides you in an all-levels yoga and movement session informed by Jewish spiritual teachings and designed to relieve stress as we increase awareness of breath and grounding through our bodies. Open to all. Sign up at jewishspirituality.org/get-started.

TUESDAYS

Weekly Torah Study

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

Rabbi Jonathan Slater will lead a weekly program: “Torah Study to Sustain The Soul,” aimed at addressing an aspect of spiritual life that will help us navigate this time of uncertainty and isolation. Open to all. Sign up at jewishspirituality.org/ get-started.

WEDNESDAYS

Yoga with Miriam Sandler: ChairSupported Yoga 1-2 p.m., Congregation Brith Sholom in person and via Zoom

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

WEDNESDAYS

Torah Studies: A Weekly Journey into the Soul of Torah 7 p.m., Chabad of the Lehigh Valley in person and via Zoom

Torah Studies by the Jewish Learning Institute presents Season Three 5784, a 12-part series, in person and via Zoom. Cost is $54 for the course, including textbook. For more information, call 610-351-6511 or email rabbi@chabadlehighvalley. com.

EVERY OTHER WEDNESDAY

Hadassah Study Group

12:30 p.m., via Zoom

We discuss short stories from an anthology. Always welcoming new participants! Contact mjclaire@ gmail.com or 610-972-7054 to sign up.

THURSDAYS

Lishma: Learn, Listen, Listen, Learn 10:30 a.m.-noon, Congregation Keneseth Israel or via Zoom The program is held most Thursday mornings. In person, enter through the 23rd Street entrance. Register at kilv.org/event/learn-listen-listenlearn.html. For the Zoom link, email jperry@kilv.org.

THURSDAYS

Basic Yiddish Class 4-5:30 p.m., JCC via Zoom

Learn to read, write, speak and comprehend Yiddish. Textbooks

from Yiddish Book Center available for purchase. Contact 610-4353571, ext. 501.

FRIDAYS

Kol HaEmek

9-10 a.m., WMUH 91.7

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

SATURDAYS

KI Torah Study

9:30-11 a.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel

Join Rabbi Shoshanah Tornberg for a study session making sense of the week’s Torah portion. Enter the building through the 23rd Street door. For more information, contact Rabbi Tornberg using the form at kilv.org/form/contact-rabbicall.

SATURDAYS

Wisdom of the Talmud Class

After Shabbat Lunch and Schmooze, Congregation Brith Sholom

Join Rabbi Michael Singer in a discussion about Jewish law, ethics, customs and history as found in the pages of the Talmud. Any necessary books are available in the synagogue office. No previous Talmud study required. For information email tammy@brithsholom.net or call 610-866-8009.

DAILY

Jewish Broadcasting Service

JBS is a Jewish television channel. Find out more at jbstv.org.

DAILY

Congregation Sons of Israel Minyanim Shacharit on Mondays and Thursdays 6:30 a.m.; Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays 6:45 a.m.; Sundays 8:30 a.m.

Congregation Sons of Israel welcomes all to the daily Shacharis and Mincha/Maariv services, which are conducted in the main sanctuary of the synagogue. Please check the synagogue at sonsofisrael.net for the weekly listings. If you have any questions, call the synagogue office at 610-433-6089.

MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY Daily Online Meditation 12:30 p.m., Institute for Jewish Spirituality

One of their master teachers will lead a live daily guided meditation. Join to share 30 minutes of Jewish mindfulness. Open to all. Sign up at jewishspirituality.org/get-started.

Our five health institutes. Where what’s next happens.

At our five specialized health institutes, we’re always evolving. Here, you’ll find advanced medical techniques and technologies, the latest clinical trials through alliances (with innovators like Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center) and a dedicated team –your team – focused on getting you better. Five institutes. Five more reasons why we’re the leading health network in the region. Learn more at LVHN.org/institutes

Kristopher Grajny, MD Lehigh Valley Fleming Neuroscience Institute