Allentown teen hangs mezuzah with Gov. Shapiro

By Talia Vaknin Special to Hakol

I feel a sense of warmth and comfort each time I come across a doorpost with a mezuzah. So I felt honored to take part in hanging the firstever mezuzot in the Pennsylvania governor’s residence.

During my junior and senior years at Jack M. Bar- rack Hebrew Academy, I participated in the Jewish Leadership Initiative (JLI), a selective program that allows students to explore their leadership and enhance Jewish life at the school. Our teacher had the idea to start an annual JLI retreat, a bonding and educational experience for our class, and the destination was up for discussion. One of my fellow JLI members, Jonah Shapiro, son of Gov. Josh Shapiro, explained that as the family had not been in the governor’s residence long, they had yet to hang mezuzot.

So, at the end of January, we were off to Harrisburg!

Upon our arrival, we met with the residence staff to teach them about the meaning and significance of a mezuzah and why this visit filled our class with so much joy. They attentively listened as we explained that Jews hang mezuzot to protect a Jewish home or space, referring to the Exodus story when God passed over the homes with doorposts smeared in lamb’s blood during the final plague in Egypt.

I spoke about Governor Milton Shapp, in office from 1971 to 1979. Shapp changed his last name from Shapiro fearing that his Judaism would hurt his election chances. I pointed out the remarkable transition from Shapp nervously concealing his Judaism to the Shapiro family celebrating Shabbat dinners on Friday evenings in the same house.

My classmates and I hung mezuzot all around the house, but as I hammered the mezuzah at the front entrance with Governor Shapiro, the physical reminder that Jews must be outwardly proud of our people struck me because, after thousands of years of hostility, perseverance is still part of the Jewish character. Collectively, we recited the blessing over the mezuzah: “Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to affix a mezuzah.” Our history, grit and bravery are displayed loud and proud for all of Pennsylvania in one of its most historic buildings.

Diabetic woman phones for help then nearly passes out

In early 2022 the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley’s Maimonides Society of health-care professionals donated a motorcycle-ambulance to the mostly volunteer United Hatzalah emergency services in Israel in memory of Dr. Michael Ufberg z”l. Ambucycle No. 1283 and its rider, EMT Yonatan Auoat, continue to make a life-or-death difference with speedy responses through the congested streets of the city of Netanya.

By Avraham Sacks United Hatzalah

A woman in her 50s recently learned that she had diabetes after suffering symptoms since childhood without a diagnosis. She began the routine of injecting insulin and monitoring her glucose level, but there can be quite a learning curve to that.

One evening she was a little overzealous with the insulin, and her blood sugar dropped to a dangerously low level. Fortunately, she realized what was happening and called the emergency hotline for help.

EMT Yonatan Auoat was at home nearby when he received the urgent alert from dispatch. He ran outside to Ambucycle No. 1283, sped past the evening traffic and pulled up quickly to the address on Unterman Street.

Hurrying inside, he discovered the woman semiconscious. He calmed her down and administered oral glucogel to help stabilize her blood glucose level. He continued to monitor vital signs and her condition gradually improved. When the ambulance arrived, he updated his colleagues on the situation and assisted with patient transfer. The woman was then evacuated to the hospital for further treatment and observation and was later released.