HAKOL September 2017

The Voice of the Lehigh Valley Jewish Community

www.jewishlehighvalley.org

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Issue No. 401

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September 2017

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Elul/Tishrei 5777

AWARD-WINNING PUBLICATION EST. 1977

Say farewell to our Yoav teens p16-17

Prepare for the High Holidays in this month’s special section

COM.UNITY WITH MARK GOLDSTEIN p2 LVJF TRIBUTES p8 HONOR ROLL p12-15 JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE p18 JEWISH DAY SCHOOL p19 JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER p20-21 COMMUNITY CALENDAR p30-31

Federation brings faiths together for security conference

By Stephanie Smartschan JFLV Director of Marketing Two pictures flashed on the screen.

One was of a police car outside of the JCC in York after a bomb threat earlier this year. The other was of a room inside a mosque in Minnesota, destroyed by an IED just a week prior.

Fortunately, no one was hurt in either incident. But the pictures were meant to demonstrate what brought members of Jewish, Christian and Muslim organizations together on Aug. 15 in Allentown – to discuss how to be prepared in the event of an emergency.

“We’re living in a time where security is in the back of everyone’s mind,” said Aaron Gorodzinsky, director of outreach and community relations for the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, which hosted the conference. “We wanted to open this as an opportunity for everyone who has been thinking about security, but doesn’t really know where to start.”

The Federation has hosted meetings of local Jewish organizations to discuss security preparedness for years. But this year, in the wake of rising threats to all faith-based organizations, the Federation partnered with the Lehigh Conference of Churches and the Muslim Association of the Lehigh Valley, and invited the Department of Homeland Security for the first time.

Representatives from 30 interfaith organizations attended the conference, which happened to take place just

three days after the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.

“All religious institutions must be equipped with the knowledge they need to respond to threats and incidents as they arise,” Gorodzinsky said prior to the conference.

“By bringing our communities together, we will not only receive important information from security officials, but we will strengthen the relationships we have with each other.”

“Creating an environment of peace and harmony in our community is a responsibility for all faith leaders,” said Mahfuzul Khondaker, Ph.D, secretary of the Muslim Association of the Lehigh Valley.

“Muslims in the Lehigh Valley are committed to building a broader coalition with other faith groups, political leaderships and government agencies to make sure that we all respect each other with all our diversities and build a prosperous society for all of us.”

James Cratty, protective security advisor for the Department of Homeland Security, led the discussions on security planning and what to do in the event of a bomb threat.

Each organization should have members assigned to work on security, should develop relationships with local law enforcement and should test and practice their response, he said.

“I think the most important takeaway today is that we work together, that we have a plan and that we have a team that’s watching what is going on and is ready to react should Non-Profit Organization

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something bad happen,” Cratty said after the conference.

Nabeela Barbari, senior policy adviser for the Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, talked about the resources her office can offer. “Physical security is key, but there’s also non-physical security stuff,” she said, like stepping in when a person or institution’s civil rights are being violated.

Megan Sands, intelligence analyst for the Pennsylvania Criminal Intelligence Center, talked about the importance of reporting suspicious activity.

When a car pulled up onto the curb in Times Square in 2010, it was a nearby T-shirt vendor that alerted authorities that there was something suspicious, she said. The car was rigged with bombs, but the crisis was averted.

“My intention is not to scare you. It is to educate you and to make you situationally aware,” she said.

James Cratty, protective security advisor for the Department of Homeland Security, talks with representatives from 30 faith-based organizations about security preparedness and emergency management.

Former Lehigh Valley rabbi reflects on her experience in Charlottesville Editor’s Note: This piece is written by Rabbi Malkah Binah Klein, who was known as “Melissa” during her time as the spiritual leader of Congregation Am Haskalah from 2002 to 2009. She was very involved in the local Jewish community and served as the chair of the Lehigh Valley Jewish Clergy Group. She now lives in Philadelphia, but was in Charlottesville during the violent protests. She plans to do some teaching in Allentown this year. Learn more at her website, www.thrivingspirit.org.

I spent this past Shabbat in Charlottesville with a small group of rabbis as part of a delegation from T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights. The rabbis and other spiritual leaders who went to Charlottesville fulfilled many roles, some on the front lines of the protests, some as witnesses, and some as protectors and nurturers.

There is much for us to learn from being present.

I felt called to play a support role. One aspect was to be present with the local Jewish community. The synagogue is very close to the park where much of the action was happening, and we could see small groups of neo-Nazis walking by after our morning service on Saturday. After services, congregants arranged for the Torahs, the precious holy scrolls upon which the five

books of Moses are handwritten in Hebrew, to be stored safely outside the synagogue before locking up the building. A member of the congregation said, “a building can be rebuilt. The Torahs are irreplaceable." Among the treasured

Charlottesville Continues on page 26

com.UNITY

FROM THE DESK OF MARK L. GOLDSTEIN

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

Marking transitions Jewish tradition gives us opportunities to mark certain transitions. We have ceremonies for youth to acknowledge their transition to Jewish adulthood.

We mark the weekly distinction between the holiness of Shabbat and the rest of the week with wine, the scent of spices and a braided candle at Havdalah.

Several transitions are very important to me right now. Many of you are aware of my current health challenges. I am on a cancer journey that began just before Passover. The good news is that I am responding to the first phases of the treatments and as I write, I am entering the next phase. I have been anxiously awaiting the next phase; for me it offered an important “next step” in this journey. And with next steps, there is a feeling of accomplishment that you are moving beyond the first/prior step. So, for me – personally – moving to the next step of treatment (a series of surgeries) was important, both physically and mentally.

A few months ago I was moved by a presentation before the Jewish Federation Allocations Committee by Dr. Rachel Wilensky, the chairperson of the Lehigh Valley Community Mikvah. She spoke about the role of the mikvah in Jewish life, and noted that

“even” men visited the mikvah.

She highlighted that the mikvah offers an important distinction of time, a recognition of a before and an after. In addition to observance of laws relating to family purity, the mikvah is an element in conversions to Judaism, before weddings, and even in the “koshering” of dishes, pots and pans, and kitchen utensils – all having distinctions in time – a clear demarcation between before and after. Her presentation inspired me to consider a mikvah immersion for myself (a first for me).

The surgeries were an important transition for me that I wanted (needed) a Jewish way to mark the before-and-after distinction.

We are fortunate in the Lehigh Valley to have a true community mikvah. It is formally owned and managed by the Hebrew Family League according to traditional Jewish laws. Equally important is its accessibility to all Jews; Jewish clergy from all denominations use the mikvah for religious purposes which they oversee (e.g. conversion).

Conversations with Rachel Wilensky and Rabbi David Wilensky helped me become more comfortable with my first mikvah immersion. Rabbi Wilensky and Mark Gurvis, a dear friend, both gave me readings

and prayers to recite before and during the immersion. The readings helped me find the faith and spirituality that I was seeking.

The actual immersion was a brief experience. The building is clean, beautiful and spa-like, adding to its serenity. Instead of the requisite single immersion, I opted for 6: one for myself and my health, one for my wife, one for my daughter, one for my son, one for Israel, and one for my community. The multiple immersions represented the whole of my life, a completeness, as I prepared for and marked the time between my treatment phases.

I have often described myself as a person of faith, but less so a person of spirituality. The visit to the mikvah might have changed that for me. The warmth of the room and the water, the solitude, and the calmness of the experience made me feel the closeness of God. While intellectually I don’t relate to healing powers of the water, the “mayim chayim” (waters of life) immensely impacted my mental and emotional outlook.

Being emotionally prepared for the future, ready to move on in the life transition, is perhaps the waters’ healing powers.

This time of year also marks other transitions for our community.

When I was young, I imagined the Book of Life as a giant floating book in the sky, stuffed with the names of every single person written in an impossibly small font. What I pictured, basically, was the Jewish version of Santa’s list – a division between good and bad, with individual deeds moving people from one side to the other.

As I got older, however, I began to think once more about the image we’re presented with: G-d writing names in the book, moving a metaphorical pen to place people in one category or another. In this way, I find it interesting to think of the Book of Life as G-d’s yearly writing project.

Every new writing project is a blank slate. Who are the characters that will populate the world of the story? Where will it take place? And what action will drive the characters forward on their journey?

Each of these elements of story is based on the author’s choices. These choices can have a lasting impact on the world; today’s literary canon would be very different if Jane Austen had written horror stories or J. R. R. Tolkien had written mysteries.

Rosh Hashanah, for me, is about choices. Not only the choice to try to be a good person according to your beliefs, but the choice to engage in actions that lead to being a good person.

These actions can be as complicated as beginning a yearlong volunteer commitment or as simple as calling a family member to say hello. With these actions, we take an active step in determining where G-d’s pen is going and writing our own fates.

Not everyone is a creative writer, but on Rosh Hashanah, everyone has a chance to work on this book – your own personal Book of Life. Just as a writer defines the world of his or her story, it’s up to you to make story-building decisions for

Shalom, Michelle Cohen

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

IN HONOR MARCIE KUHNS Birth of her sons, Maxwell Charles and Mason Matthew SHALOM BABY KEREN AND MATTHEW SALTZ Birth of their daughter, Shir Irit SHALOM BABY ABBY WIENER Happy “Special” Birthday Roberto and Eileen Fischmann IN MEMORY DAVIS GREEN (Father of Mindy Matloff) Georges and Jan Bensimhon

RUTH GREEN (Mother of Mindy Matloff) Georges and Jan Bensimhon LEE HAMMEL (Brother of Bobby Hammel) Lisa and Andy Ellis ADRIA SALOW (Mother of Virginia Rivera) Georges and Jan Bensimhon ARTURO SALOW (Father of Virginia Rivera) Georges and Jan Bensimhon BERNIE WEINBERGER (Son of Gail Weinberger) Alex and Rose Jakoby

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

2 SEPTEMBER 2017 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

STEPHANIE SMARTSCHAN JFLV Director of Marketing

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

COMMUNITY SUBMISSIONS

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

yourself. Where will the story of your upcoming year take place?

Who will be the supporting characters along the way? And, most importantly, what choices will you make to determine the plot of your life in the upcoming year?

In this time of individual creation, I wish you all the best of luck in creating the stories you would like to create for your life in the upcoming year.

to find strength in the transition from the past to the future. Since it is not, we join together for the new year at our synagogues during the High Holidays. We join together for the new year by participating in the Federation’s Annual Campaign.

We mark the distinctions between the past and the future because we believe that tomorrow will be better than today.

HAKOL STAFF

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

We cannot guarantee publication or placement of submissions.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Readers,

The schools at the Jewish Day School and Jewish Community Center, as well as at synagogues with religious schools, are days or weeks away from the start of a new school year. A new fiscal and program year has all organizations preparing to implement their plans to improve Jewish life in the Lehigh Valley. And shortly, the holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are our individual and communal opportunities to mark the transition from the past (year) to the new year. And, at the Jewish Federation, we are preparing to roll out the 2018 Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs.

Individually and communally, we transition from the past to the future. Our goals and wishes are for strength, health and happiness. I trust we all join together in our hopes and efforts to enhance our Jewish community.

Would that the mikvah was large enough for the entire community

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

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

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

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

Member American Jewish Press Association

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

JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY MISSION STATEMENT

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

• Supporting Israel as a Jewish homeland.

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

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

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

• Developing Jewish leaders.

• Building endowments to support implementation of core values.

• Committing to ongoing Jewish community strategic planning.

• Fostering cooperation among organizations and community building.

• Evaluating all decisions with respect to fiscal responsibility.

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

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

• Setting priorities for allocation and distribution of funds.

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

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

New Federation campaign chairs look ahead to exciting year

By Stephanie Smartschan JFLV Director of Marketing Carol Bub Fromer and Gary Fromer, co-chairs of the Federation’s 2018 Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs, recently sat down with HAKOL to talk about their backgrounds, their involvement in the Lehigh Valley Jewish community and their hopes for the upcoming year.

What brought you to the Lehigh Valley?

C: My family emigrated from South Africa to Allentown in 1977 because they favored a vibrant and active Jewish community. For Gary and I, the Lehigh Valley offered an intimate community that was attracting young Jewish families like us, with many dynamic Jewish organizations.

C: As a member of the Federation board for many years, one can definitely appreciate a sense of change and transition. We have a lot of seasoned and very generous philanthropic families that are getting older and we welcome the challenge of trying to reignite the campaign, reinvigorate our volunteers and engage our younger generations.

The Federation will hold its “Main Event” on Nov. 9. Talk to me about how you came up with the idea?

C: I came across Harlan Cohen when our eldest went to college because he wrote a national bestseller called New campaign chairs Continues on page 26

G: It was not only a great place to raise kids, but an opportunity to be near family.

How did you get involved in the Jewish community and how have you been involved since?

G: Within a year of moving here, our first child was born and was immediately immersed in the JCC’s Early Childhood Education program. Both of our children attended the Jewish Day School through eighth grade, where each of us has served as active board members. We’ve participated at Sons of Israel, at Beth El and at other synagogues in the area. Carol also recently served on the board of Jewish Family Service. We are very grateful for the variety of opportunities we‘ve had to participate in and to help guide our Jewish organizations.

C: Like Gary said, the ECE program at the JCC offered so many great programs for toddlers, it was a great place to hang out, meet other families, join committees and get involved.

Beth El sisterhood was another thriving community where I met some wonderful girls who remain dear friends to this day. We were also involved in the Young Adult Division at the Federation, and there we met yet another group of wonderful individuals. The Federation provided speakers every month, educational updates and a trip to AIPAC. Our involvement naturally led us to further participate in the Jewish community, and was a great stepping stone for Gary and me.

Also, being raised in a very Zionistic family didn’t hurt – Israel was always at the forefront of my life, so it was an honor to raise not only money, but awareness for our Jewish brothers and sisters abroad.

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Why are you taking on this role in the campaign?

G: I’ve served on the Allocations Committee for the last several years and chaired it the last two, so I’ve become intimately familiar with the needs of our agencies locally and those of our agencies serving the needs of Jews abroad. The Annual Campaign is the vehicle for us to provide for the JCC, the JDS and JFS as well as educational series at our synagogues, Jewish films, Israeli shlichim in the summer and much else. When I considered how much our community and Jews in need around the world depend on the Annual Campaign, it was a difficult request to turn down.

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2017 3

INTRODUCING ISRAEL@70

Editor’s Note: To celebrate Israel’s 70th birthday, HAKOL will be featuring articles on innovations from the medical, technological, and scientific fields as well as news and social features from Israel throughout the upcoming year.

Argentinian-Israeli doctor honored in Buenos Aires for treating Syrian war victims

An Argentinean-Israeli doctor was honored at the Buenos Aires city parliament as an “outstanding personality in the human rights field” for assisting victims of the Syrian civil war.

Dr. Alejandro Roisentul, who has lived in Israel for the last 28 years, received the kudos for his part in bringing Syrian patients to Ziv Medical Center in Safed, Israel.

“Syrian injured people, even children, who came to the border of Israel by foot, in very bad condition. The IDF brought them to our hospital and we the Israeli doctors, helped them, cured them. They looked at us as the enemy but after being taken care of in Israel they changed their views. I hope that these small steps also can help toward peace,” Roisentul told Argentinean media.

Roisentul was born in Buenos Aires in 1964 and graduated as a dentist from the University of Buenos Aires in 1986. Three years later, he moved to Israel and

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

WELCOMING NEW BABIES to the Lehigh Valley

Marcie Kuhns and her husband Matthew, of blessed memory, welcomed twin boys,

MAXWELL AND MASON

in January 2017. Mazel tov to Marcie and big brother Noah on this double addition.

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

4 SEPTEMBER 2017 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY OF THE NEGEV

Jewish Telegraphic Agency

joined the Israel Defense Forces. Currently he is head of the Maxillofacial Surgery Unit of Ziv Medical Center, a hospital located in Safed, in northern Israel, about 40 miles from the Syrian border.

The ceremony on Aug. 8 was attended by parliamentarians, the country’s human rights secretary and the Israeli ambassador. The official website of the Buenos Aires parliament describes Roisentul as “an Israeli that heals and saves lives of Syrians who do not know their neighbors or have a distorted view (of them).”

Roisentul told local media that seven Syrians were treated at Ziv in 2013 and “more than 1,500 Syrian have been treated for free since then just in our hospital. I have received people with serious injuries to their head and mouth, most of them can’t talk or eat correctly, and they return to Syria with a smile on their face. We also help them with clothes and sometimes they live for months in the hospital … people without a place to go.”

Roisentul also gave a lecture to the Maxillofacial Argentinean Society, held private meetings with Argentinean professors of medicine and meetings in Jewish institutions.

An extended interview with Roisentul was aired on one of the most popular prime time talk shows. In October, he will be recognized by the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.

An Israeli R2D2?

Making science fiction come to life in the BGU robotics lab.

American Associates of Ben-Gurion University It’s as simple as ABC. Robotic technology has made a significant impact in fields from health care to agriculture and service industries, improving speed, quality and cost.

Thanks to a major initiative in robotics research coming out of Israel, the technology is only getting better.

Robots will soon be endowed with “intelligent” behavior, inspired by biological models and human behavior.

They will be able to continuously adapt anew, be capable of performing under unforeseen conditions, and will have capacities well beyond those of current robotic systems.

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev’s ABC Robotics Initiative promises to generate the advancements you’d expect from one of the world’s most innovative research institutions. The goal is to focus on multidisciplinary, application-oriented research and the development of autonomous robotic systems in areas that solve medical, agricultural and industrial challenges.

“Robots require humanlike cognitive capabilities to successfully enter real-world settings and cope with dynamic and unstructured human environments,” says Yael Edan, founder and director of the initiative and a member of BGU’s Department of Industrial Engineering and Manage-

ment. “This requires robots to be equipped with advanced perception and dexterity, as well as the ability to adapt to changing conditions and to efficiently learn new tasks.”

Robots are being equipped with specific physical and behavioral characteristics to make interaction with humans comfortable and natural. Development criteria include innovation, multidisciplinary collaboration between faculty members, and international collaboration that address ABC needs: agricultural, biological and cognitive; several of these criteria are dependent upon external funding sources.

Agricultural Robots – Autonomous (self-thinking/ driven as opposed to remote control or human-driven) robots are being developed for targeted spraying and selected harvesting of crops. They must perform these tasks without damaging the fruits and vegetables, while also determining the ripe from the unripe, the fruit from the plant, and the weed from plant. The research focuses on developing “intelligent" platforms for the agro-management of high-value crops and on innovative humanrobot collaborative models and systems.

Biological Robots – Studying nature and the world around us, robots that crawl like snakes are being invented that can be miniaturized to perform biopsies or deliver

targeted drugs in the human body, or enlarged to perform pipe maintenance or search and rescue operations. Other robot designs imitate spiders, fish, lizards and cats to perform tasks in environments where legs and wheels won’t do.

Cognitive Robots – Research focuses on endowing robots with higher-level cognitive capabilities that allow for intelligent perception, reasoning, decision making, manipulation, collaborative functioning and learning.

This type of robotics research is underpinned by computational neuroscience, psychological and physiological approaches. These robots are helping the elderly or injured walk, helping the paralyzed communicate, assisting surgeons and driving autonomous vehicles.

“Ben-Gurion University is developing robots to benefit humans and improve the safety and security of Israel and the world,” says Amir Shapiro, head of BGU’s Robotics Lab in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

The ABC Initiative is supported by the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.

Together with supporters, AABGU is helping the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev to foster excellence in teaching, research and outreach to the communities of the Negev, spreading cutting-edge innovation from Israel to the world.

Visit aabgu.org to learn more.

Handmade Afghans

BY EVA LEVITT

All proceeds benefit projects in Israel: Food Banks in Israel Neve Michael Youth Village For prices or to place an order, call Eva 610-398-1376.

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

JCPA president discusses helping Jews advocate Editor’s Note: The following is an interview with David Bernstein, the president and CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. Bernstein met with the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley’s Community Relations Council (CRC) on Aug. 14 to offer examples of advocacy from other CRCs nationwide and help our local CRC come up with advocacy goals and learn effective ways to take action.

Can you please give a brief overview of what you talked about at the event?

One of the things that the JCPA does is aids JCRCs [Jewish CRCs, a name used in some cities] to become the most effective advocates and spokespeople in their communities, and we look at what other JCRCs are doing around the country, and we try to identify the best practices and the like ... So, I [talked] a little bit about what other JCRCs are doing, the general directions of the community relations network and how a JCRC might grapple with some of the strategic challenges in the local community.

What are some of the challenges facing Jews today?

I think that there are a number of trends, or megatrends, if you will, that govern what kind of work we do.

One is that Jews are becoming a smaller and smaller percentage of a larger and diversifying American society. By 2040, America will be majority nonwhite, and we will be living in – if trends don’t change, and we have no

reason to believe that they will – suburbs of cities, far removed from any of these ethnic communities. How are we going to navigate the complicated ideological, political and demographic waters in this changing America? That requires effective community relations.

Two, we’re facing a very polarized political reality. The right is becoming righter, the left is becoming lefter, you see the emergence of an alt-right which we saw in sickening display in Charlottesville, we also are seeing some disturbing trends in the left where people are too quick to conflate issues like Israel with oppressive regimes, and so forth. We are facing a more ideological, polarized reality that requires us to be more effective advocates.

Third is, we’re facing delegitimization of Israel. Around the country, we’re all trying to best advance a clear, thoughtful, realistic and nuanced understanding of Israel and make sure that the American left does not go in the direction of the European left on Israel, and that’s a tall order.

Fourth, America, like much of the western world, is going through a profoundly challenging moment in our history. Computers and robots are taking over what humans used to do, and that is rendering many people unemployable. Not just unemployed, but unemployable, because machines are able to do their work. That causes tremendous disaffection among large swaths of society, and that’s playing out in the political system. There’s a long-term

fear that just as we faced when America and the rest of the western world went from an agricultural economy to an industrial economy, that we will also face that kind of excruciating transition that causes wars and political instability. I’m afraid that’s what we’re going through, and that’s going to cause all kinds of issues for us in the Jewish community.

With all these issues out there, how does the JCPA help determine the priorities for communities like the Lehigh Valley?

There’s diversity in the country at

large, and there’s diversity in local communities, and there’s diversity in the state, and one has to look at all of these at once when you determine priorities.

So, one of the first things I want to know about any community is: what’s the nature of diversity in this community? Is it primarily whites? Is it primarily African-Americans and whites? Is there an emerging Latino community? Is there an emerging Asian-American

David Bernstein Continues on page 29

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HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2017 5

WHAT’S UP, DOC?

Raising adolescents in the social media world

By Dr. Howard Levin Special to HAKOL

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As a newly minted child and adolescent psychiatrist, my family and I have planted our roots in the Lehigh Valley with the start of my work at St. Luke’s University Health Network over the past year. As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, I have heard first-hand the prominent role social media plays in adolescents’ lives during their middle school and high school years and the many new dangers that face them as they progress from childhood into mature, young adults. In this article, I will discuss some of the common issues adolescents face navigating the social media world that have contributed to their seeking treatment for mental health concerns.

1. Cyberbullying: With the ever-increasing number of social media apps and the ability to have messages disappear from view after they are opened, bullying has taken on a whole new level both inside and outside the classroom. Victims of bullying previously had a reprieve at the end of the school day to retreat to the safety of their own home. In the social media age, cyberbullying may continue to torment teens around the clock.

2. Online dating: As adolescents become interested in dating, they may feel more comfortable seeking out relationships online versus approaching peers at school to ask them out. Given the impulsive nature of adolescents, frequently they are not thinking of the potential consequences

of meeting up with somebody they have been talking to online.

While the television show Catfish has helped to show how adolescents and adults can be duped by online imposters, teens can still be convinced at times that their online partner can be trusted. Some adolescents may quickly build trust in these relationships and over-share personal information that they later regret when the relationship is over.

3. Sexting: It is impossible to keep up with all the different apps that teenagers use to communicate with each other to purposefully fly under the radar of their parents’ monitoring.

Apps like Snapchat enable teens to send messages or pictures to each other that will disappear after a few seconds of showing up on the phone. Frequently, when the relationship ends, adolescents may have feelings of guilt or remorse regarding explicit texts or photos that were sent and significant anxiety about what may happen to those private thoughts or images that their ex-boyfriend or girlfriend may have stored on their phone.

4. Social media and phone addictions: Another frequent concern expressed by parents is the inability to get their teenager off their cell phone. It has become increasingly difficult to have family activities that aren’t being interrupted by the constant texting or social media updates.

While it is easy to outline all the challenges faced by adolescents, it is much harder to provide definitive answers on how best to address these problems. What works well for one family may be impossible to implement for another. My best advice to parents would be to try to maintain an open dialogue of communication with your teen, and continue to do fun-filled family activities or meals together at least a couple of times per week. If you are going to monitor your teen’s phone usage, let them know up front as most teenagers are going to find ways to subvert the monitoring no matter how hard you try to keep them safe, leading to less information being openly shared. The more trust there is between teens and their parents, the more likely the adolescent will come to their parents when problems arise allowing for the teachable moments that will carry the teenager well into their adulthood.

Israel’s BDS website: Brought to you by the Weizmann Institute of Science Building Dialogue through Science, or BDS, (www.israelbds. org) is the name of a website that features the many and varied scientific studies that rely on close collaboration between Israeli researchers and those in different countries. These range from the SESAME synchrotron, a Middle-Eastern facility based in Jordan that serves life-sciences researchers from Egypt to Iran; efforts to discover the processes that lead up to the fantastic stellar explosions known as supernovae, in which Israeli researchers are alerted to possible events in the California night sky; brain research; quantum physics studies; scientific archaeology; and much more.

Featured on the website are popular articles that describe the history of Israeli-international scientific cooperation, research that has resulted from that cooperation and the people involved, as well as links to scientific papers.

“Building dialogue through science, rather than building walls, has always been our way of doing things,” says Weizmann Institute of Science President Daniel Zajfman. “If we are going to work against the other BDS, we must do so with real information. That is the intent of the site we have created. When scientists cooperate in their research, they bring back to their countries an understanding of the ways people can work together on

6 SEPTEMBER 2017 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

For some adolescents suffering from depression, the barrage of pictures on social media of peers having fun may increase their feelings of isolation and being left out from the popular social circle.

many levels – over and above the scientific – including respect for other cultures and a desire for peaceful coexistence. That is why we believe that cooperation between Israeli scientists and those in universities and research institutes around the globe must be preserved at all costs.”

The hope, indeed, is that anyone visiting the website will understand what the world stands to lose from cutting off ties to Israel’s researchers and preventing students and labs around the globe from enjoying the fruits of Israeli advances. Valeria Ulisse, an Italian research student studying the development of the nervous system at the Weizmann Institute of Science sums it up: “In Italy I was in a really good lab but I was missing something internally. I wanted to improve my knowledge, to start a new project, to change my life and I found the place to do it.”

Indeed, Israeli science is open to collaboration with anyone, independent of their political opinions: “Research thrives on the meeting of different worldviews, and it is important to preserve that freedom to meet and discuss, even with those with whom we don’t always agree,” Zajfman said.

For more information, please contact the Media Department of the Weizmann Institute of Science, news@ weizmann.ac.il, 08-9343852/6.

JFS and JCC team up to bring Yiddish Club to Country Meadows

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By Michelle Cohen HAKOL Editor Twenty older adults, including members of the Yiddish Club as well as residents of Country Meadows of Allentown, gathered together to share stories, sing songs and interact in Yiddish on July 25.

The event, which was sponsored by Jewish Family Service of the Lehigh Valley and the Jewish Community Center of the Lehigh Valley, brought Yiddish Club residents to Country Meadows so that the residents, many of whom have mobility problems, could attend the meeting and speak a language many remembered from childhood.

As people filed into the room, the Yiddish Club members distributed two handouts, one with some vocabulary words about family members and locations, the other containing five traditional Yiddish songs written out with Hebrew letters and transliterations. After brief introductions

by JFS Volunteer Coordinator Chelsea Karp, JCC Adult Program Coordinator Amy Sams and Jeff Warschauer, the new cantor from Congregation Keneseth Israel, everyone was ready to begin.

Yiddish Club member Murray Bonfeld came equipped with a humorous story that he told and trans-

lated to break the ice, and then Cantor Jeff introduced a simple melody where attendees were invited to call out values that are important to them like sholem (peace) or liebe (love) that were integrated into the song.

During a break from the singing, Bonfeld and fellow club member Chet Ringel introduced some more words and phrases to the group, including unusual words that are sometimes hard to translate, such as ceiling, practice and carrot. Bonfeld then led a read-aloud of the packet with family words, which led to a conversation about where some of the attendees learned Yiddish. The origins of their knowledge were vast; while some people learned Yiddish as a child or adult, others were able to understand certain words because of their knowledge of German or even Pennsylvania Dutch!

Cantor Jeff began another song at that point: Bay mir bistu sheyn, a melody full of compliments for a beautiful woman. The conversation then turned to favorite Yiddish proverbs, sayings, phrases and endearments for grandchildren.

After an hour and 15 minutes of socializing and singing, the attendees enjoyed some homemade rugelach from Karp. “Being at this special program made me think of

my great grandmother, Bubby Anna, who spoke Yiddish when I went to visit her. How amazing that this language can connect us to our past, yet give us the gift of an afternoon of learning and togetherness right here in our community,” she said, adding that JFS will be bringing Yiddish Club to older adult residences quarterly from now on.

“I am so pleased how everything fell into place,” added Sams. “Chelsea and I shared the same goal of positively impacting the community by partnering our Jewish agencies together. We had fun every step of the way and are grateful to the JCC Yiddish Club for their willingness and excitement to share their experience and knowledge with the residents of Country Meadows. We are also thankful to the folks at Country Meadows for welcoming us into their home and their openness to meet new people and try something new. It was such a great opportunity to introduce Cantor Jeff to the community, and share his talents. We are very excited to continue our endeavor in bringing people together and meeting the needs of the Jewish community.”

This program was the first example of “Yiddish Club on the Road,” and the next program will take place on October 24 at Atria in Bethlehem.

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First Spain-born liberal rabbi ordained Jewish Telegraphic Agency The main rabbinical seminary in Europe for Reform and Masorti Jews ordained the first ever Spain-born Progressive rabbi, the seminary’s spokesperson said.

Rabbi Haim Casas, who was born and raised in Cordoba, was ordained at a ceremony in London the first week of July along with six other rabbis of the Leo Baeck College, the institution said in a statement.

Casas, who was born in 1981, plans to return to Spain, where he will be serving that country’s growing Progressive communities, as well as congregations in France and Switzerland, the statement also read.

Leslie Bergman, the previous president of the European Union for Progressive Judaism, confirmed to JTA that, to his knowledge, Casas is the first Spain-born Progressive rabbi ever ordained.

His ordination was “especially poignant,” Leo Baeck College principal Rabbi Deborah Kahn-Harris said in the statement, as the “Jewish community in Spain has only re-emerged very recently” following its near-total destruction in the centuries that followed the mass expulsions and forceful conversions to Christianity that took place during the Spanish Inquisition from 1492 until its abolition in the 19th century.

Casas was ordained by Leo Baeck College dean Rabbi Charles Middleburgh in Spanish, “respecting his

Sephardi heritage and the truly historical nature of the ordination itself,” the statement read.

In 2005, together with a Spanish couple who shared his passion for Sephardic Judaism, Casas started a cultural center and museum called Casa de Sefarad in the heart of the Jewish quarter of Cordoba. In 2010, he opened Casa Mazal, a cultural café devoted to Sephardic gastronomy.

In recent years, Progressive communities have seen significant growth in Spain as a result of a mix of factors, including heightened interest in Judaism, facilitated by the internet and the secularization in society in that country, which used to be a dictatorship until the 1970s.

The arrival of hundreds of Jewish families from Argentina, where Reform and Progressive Judaism is relatively popular within the Jewish community compared to many countries of Continental Europe, has also contributed to the growth of that stream of Judaism in Spain.

In addition to Casas, the ceremony at Leo Baeck College ended with the ordination also of Rabbi Robyn Ashworth-Steen to serve at the Manchester Reform Synagogue; Rabbi Kath Vardi to North West Surrey Reform Synagogue; Rabbi Hannah Kingston to North Western Reform Synagogue; Rabbi Naomi Goldman to Kol Chai Hatch End Jewish Community and Rabbi Danny Newman to Finchley Reform Synagogue.

Rabbi Daniel Lichman will be working for Student Chaplaincy.

IN HONOR ALAN AND DONNA BLACK Happy 55th Wedding Anniversary Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald WENDY BORN Becoming JFLV Honorary VP Lisa and Barnet Fraenkel NATE BRAUNSTEIN Happy 90th Birthday Marlene and Arnan Finkelstein Shirley and Lou Furmansky Jim and Andie Jesberger Edith Miller Vicki Wax Happy "Special" Anniversary Vicki Wax LAURA GITLIN New position as Dean of Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions Barry and Sybil Baiman FRANCIE AND ANTHONY GODFREY Birth of their grandson, Charlie Alexander Vicki Wax MARK GOLDSTEIN Speedy Recovery Suzanne Lapiduss Don and Lois Lipson DON AND LOIS LIPSON Granddaughter’s graduation Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald AUDREY AND RICK NOLTE Birth of their grandson, Jack Ross and Wendy Born ELAINE AND LEON PAPIR Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary Lisa and Barnet Fraenkel RABBI JONATHAN AND JOANNA POWERS In honor of family simchas Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald ELAINE RAPPAPORT-BASS Bar Mitzvah of her grandson, Joshua Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald MICHAEL AND ILENE RINGOLD Sam’s graduation Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald SHEL AND LOLLY SIEGEL Happy 60th Wedding Anniversary Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald AUDREY AND ARTHUR SOSIS Ellen’s engagement to Scott Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald FRANK AND TAMA TAMARKIN Hannah’s graduation

Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald MICKEY AND EILEEN UFBERG Birth of their grandson Marlene and Arnan Finkelstein BARBARA WEINRACH Speedy Recovery Vicki Wax ABBY WIENER Happy "Special" Birthday Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald BERNIE WIENER Happy 100th Birthday Edith Miller IN MEMORY LILY CLINE (Mother of Pam Byala) Roberta and Richard London Vicki Wax BARBARA FRIEDMAN (Mother of Shari Schenk) Rita and Mike Bloom BETTY GREENBERG (Mother of Jeffrey “Jake” Greenberg) Lisa and Barnet Fraenkel HERB GUBOW (Husband of Toby Gubow) Cindy and Harold Daitch Debbie Rottman LEE HAMMEL (Brother of Bobby Hammel) Lisa and Barnet Fraenkel Stuart and Lynda Krawitz Elaine and Leon Papir RONALD E. HAYS (Son-in-Law of Rita and Joe Scheller) Ross and Wendy Born ILAN CHAIM MUNOZ MILLER (Grandson of Joy and Bob Miller) Ross and Wendy Born Mark Goldstein and Shari Spark GAYLE COLEMAN RADER (Daughter of Natalie Coleman) Marlene and Arnan Finkelstein Lisa and Barnet Fraenkel LENNY ROSS Rita and Mike Bloom ALYSSA SCHLOSSER (Daughter of Alexa Karakos) Wendy and Ross Born JFLV Board and Staff The Smartschan Family BERNARD TOMKIN (Father of Ed Tomkin) Andrew and Flora Pestcoe ROBERT YUDELL

(Father of Emily Freudenberger) Mark and Alice Notis HELEN AND SOL KRAWITZ HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL FUND IN HONOR NATE BRAUNSTEIN Happy "Special" Birthday Stuart and Lynda Krawitz STUART AND LYNDA KRAWITZ Thank You Susan Engelson Friefeld SANDY NEWMAN Mazel Tov on Brian’s wedding Stuart and Lynda Krawitz ED O’BRIEN Happy "Special" Birthday Marsha and Mark Krawitz JANE SCHIFF Thank You Susan Engelson Friefeld LYNDA AND RICHARD SOMACH Marriage of daughter, Samantha Stuart and Lynda Krawitz IN MEMORY MOTHER (of Kinga Mikolajczyk) Stuart and Lynda Krawitz SIDNEY ENGELSON (Husband of Henriette Engelson) Stuart and Lynda Krawitz David and Elizabeth Lischner (Father of Susan Engelson Friefeld) Robin Amouyal Stuart and Lynda Krawitz The Robbins Family (Brother of Jack Engelson) KEN FOSTER (Father of Tracy Shar) Stuart and Lynda Krawitz HARRY LANDE (Father of Marsha Krawitz) Barry and Sybil Baiman Rusty and Nate Schiff Judy and Larrie Sheftel 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 610-8215500 or visit www.jewishlehighvalley. org to place your card requests. Thank you for your continued support.

First a Pioneer, Then a Leader Leo A. Heitlinger, MD, Pediatric Gastroenterologist From an early age, Leo A. Heitlinger, MD, of St. Luke’s Pediatric Gastroenterology, knew he wanted to help children and their families grappling with serious illness.

“When I was eight, a friend of mine developed leukemia and in those days getting cancer as a kid was a death sentence,” he says. “Watching my friend and his family struggle through that illness changed my life and certainly made me want to help kids and families.”

Years later, while finishing his residency, Dr. Heitlinger became interested in an emerging specialty, pediatric gastroenterology. After completing a fellowship, he was among the first physicians to become board certified in the specialty.

Pediatric gastroenterologists treat nutritional problems, as well as diseases and disorders of the digestive system and liver. Because children are smaller and still growing, these conditions often present quite differently than in adults.

Pediatric gastroenterologists are specially trained to perform diagnostic tests of a child’s digestive system and to manage nutritional problems including placement and management of feeding tubes and intravenous nutrition.

Working with pediatricians and family doctors, Dr. Heitlinger and nurse practitioner Susan B. Holecz, CRNP, also treat infants, children and adolescents for common conditions such as constipation, celiac disease, diarrhea, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

Once a pioneer, today he is a recognized leader in the specialty. For many years, he chaired the American Academy of Pediatrics, Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition and helped to write care and nutrition policies related to diseases and disorders of the digestive system and liver.

The desire to help children and their families remains at the center of his practice. “Getting the entire picture of what the family is working with – and against – is the first step in developing a plan that can improve the child’s health and make it easier for the family to cope,” Dr. Heitlinger says.

Dr. Heitlinger is board certified in pediatrics and pediatric gastroenterology.

A fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, he has chaired the Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition for many years.

He graduated from New York Medical College, completed his residency at the University of California Irvine and a fellowship at the Children’s Hospital of Buffalo in New York.

To contact Dr. Heitlinger or make an appointment, call 484-526-7575.

For the family’s convenience, the practice offers day and evening hours and has two locations: the Doctor’s Pavilion at St. Luke’s University Hospital – Bethlehem and St. Luke’s West End Medical Center.

www.sluhn.org • 1-866-STLUKES

8 SEPTEMBER 2017 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

Leo A. Heitlinger, MD

Leo A. Heitlinger, MD

Jewish ‘AT&T Girl’ cast as Marvel’s Squirrel Girl superhero

Community Selichot service to combine traditional themes with innovative prayers

By Michelle Cohen HAKOL Editor

JEROD HARRIS/GETTY IMAGES FOR YAHOO

Actress Milana Vayntrub attending the Yahoo Screen Launch Party For Paul Feig’s “Other Space” at The London in West Hollywood, California, April 14, 2015.

By Josefin Dolsten Jewish Telegraphic Agency Watch out, Gal Gadot — there’s another Jewish female superhero making her debut. This time it’s Milana Vayntrub, known for portraying the chipper, witty AT&T clerk in commercials for the cellphone provider and her recurring role on the NBC series “This Is Us.” Vayntrub, who came to the United States as a toddler from what was then the Soviet Union, has been cast to play Squirrel Girl in the upcoming Marvel TV series “New Warriors,” the Hollywood Reporter reported.

In the original comic, Squirrel Girl’s powers include a prehensile tail, strong buck teeth, sharp claws — and the ability to communicate with and command actual squirrels.

Joining Vayntrub on “New Warriors,” which is scheduled to premiere on Freeform in 2018, are Derek Theler (“Baby Daddy”), Jeremy Tardy (“Dear White People”), Calum Worthy (“Austin & Ally”), Matthew Moy (“2 Broke Girls”) and Kate Comer (“The Comeback”).

Vayntrub, 30, and her family came to the United States as refugees from their native Uzbekistan when she was 2. Their journey was an arduous yearlong escape via Austria and Italy that

ultimately brought them to Los Angeles.

She grew up in a heavily Russian section of West Hollywood, California, and in a 2016 interview with JTA recalled the challenges of learning what it meant to be Jewish after arriving from a place where Judaism was legally suppressed.

“My grandmother was a nanny for an Orthodox Jewish family, and she would come home and tell us about that,” she said.

“And then we would be, like, ‘OK, I guess it’s time to learn about Passover.’”

Little by little, the Vayntrubs reconnected with their heritage, eventually joining a synagogue.

Vayntrub is the founder of Can’t Do Nothing, an organization that assists refugees worldwide.

Join the Lehigh Valley Jewish community for a Selichot service at 8:30 p.m. on Sept.

16 at Congregation Brith Sholom in Bethlehem to prepare for the High Holidays with reflection and prayer.

The event, sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Jewish Clergy Group, is designed to bring together members from all Jewish walks of life to begin the High Holidays as one community.

Rabbi Sheila Peltz Weinberg will be the evening’s speaker. Having served as a congregational rabbi for 17 years, Weinberg has also worked in the fields of Jewish community relations, Jewish education and Hillel.

She is a spiritual director to a variety of Jewish clergy, and is the creator and co-leader of the Jewish Mindfulness Teacher Training Program.

The program will focus on forgiveness, using examples from her new book "God Loves the Stranger."

"I think when people think of 'forgiveness' they think of G-d forgiving us of our sins on the High Holidays. In truth, the topic of forgiveness reaches much deeper," said Rabbi Moshe Re'em of Temple Beth El, who was one of the event's organizers. "Why do we refuse to forgive those we want to love? Why are we so hard on ourselves? Forgiveness is not merely a private matter between yourself and G-d.

Unfortunately, it gets in the way of loving relationships between family members

and friends. During this time of year as we prepare ourselves for a new beginning, I thought it would be helpful to invite Rabbi Sheila Peltz Weinberg and Debbie Zoller, the executive director of Jewish Family Service, to help us think about what forgiveness means and how to help facilitate the process."

Weinberg and Zoller will tackle the issue in this light, focusing on how to forgive oneself and others.

As for Zoller’s involvement, she brings to the table her own experience as a social worker and therapist dealing with people who have gone through difficult times and blame others or themselves, and have a lot of difficulty trying to understand what happened and start the forgiving process. “To be a forgiver is healthier,” she said, adding that being able to let go of things that hurt you is ideal for healing.

During the discussion, Weinberg and Zoller will share their different perspectives of shared events in their own lives. Weinberg is Zoller’s aunt, and together, they hope to share the messages of forgiving oneself for not being perfect and accepting oneself and others. “Each of us has the capacity to forgive despite the pain, and ultimately, it is healthier to practice forgiveness,” Zoller said.

As for the services, this year, the clergy have constructed a program around the ideas presented by Weinberg. "To harmonize with the speaker's message, the non-Orthodox service

will emphasize participation and meditation,” said Rabbi Seth Phillips of Congregation Keneseth Israel. “Highlights from the liturgy will be interspersed with creative readings and wordless melodies to create an atmosphere conducive to contemplation.

There will also be an original guitar composition by Rabbi Moshe Re'em and new KI Cantor Jeff Warschauer.

There will be an Orthodox service at the traditional time of 1 a.m. at Sons of Israel."

The Community Selichot Service is open to all. Please bring a donation of cleaning supplies for Jewish Family Service.

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2017 9

Yoav committee member reflects on commitment to cooperation through Partnership2Gether

Richard (right) greets this year's cohort of teens from Yoav before their return trip to Israel.

By Michelle Cohen HAKOL Editor Richard Shecory, a member of the Lehigh Valley’s Partnership2Gether coalition in Yoav, is a 55-year-old IDF Air Force veteran who has worked for Intel for 30 years and speaks four languages. His wife, Iris, is a 3rd6th grade teacher, and they have three children. Their son Tamir, age 18, came to the Lehigh Valley as a Camp JCC counselor two years ago, which jumpstarted Shecory’s journey to becoming active with the partnership.

Tamir, who is now taking a gap year between school and the army and volunteering in Tucson, Arizona, loved his experience as a camp counselor in the Lehigh Valley, which encouraged his father to take a more active role in maintaining the partnership.

Shecory was in the Lehigh Valley in the middle of August, chaperoning this year’s teens as they made their journey back to Israel. When asked about why he wanted to volunteer for this job, he said that he communicated extensively with committee members in the Lehigh Valley over the phone,

and wanted to “get some ideas of the community and how things go,” meet the people who he talks to on the phone and understand community dynamics.

He arrived in the Lehigh Valley several days before the teens flew home, and he was very thankful for the people who “made a lot of effort to welcome me.” He was hosted in a local Jewish home and attended “very welcoming” Friday night services at Congregation Keneseth Israel. He thanked Vikki and David Dunn, Carolyn Katwan, Alan Salinger, Miriam Zager and Aaron Gorodzinsky for their hospitality during his visit.

“You have a strong community,” he observed, adding that he had a “great” time and didn’t have a single day that wasn’t filled with activities. “The trip was successful, and I am looking forward to sharing impressions with other committee members.”

Before his son Tamir’s summer in the Lehigh Valley, Richard didn’t know about the partnership, he said, but his opinion quickly changed. “I saw how much it mattered to him and I wanted to give back somehow by being part of this,” he said.

Richard is now a member of a committee in Yoav that includes a variety of people from many economic and career backgrounds.

“I bring the high-tech industry to

the group,” thanks to his work at Intel, he said, and he has worked with the technology for the The Same Moon project as well as finding other ways to bridge the distance between Yoav and the Lehigh Valley.

He has also led tours of the Intel factory for visitors from the Lehigh Valley. He described the committee as “a group of people trying to bring ideas about how to bring the two communities together and come up with fun things to promote Israel and the connection,” and part of his involvement includes meeting with Lehigh Valley representatives and proposing and implementing ideas for new programs.

In Shecory’s mind, the best part about the partnership is that “members of the committee have real connections to the people here.” He described families who have befriended each other and communicate overseas with Skype calls and presents.

Looking ahead to the future, Shecory said, “We need to spend much more time on the young community and see how we connect them.” He hopes to help organize a group that includes people of all ages that can build progress to connect the two communities.

“With enough focus on the right things, and cooperation, we can change the problems” in both communities, he concluded.

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English is a strange language

RABBI MELODY DAVIS Temple Covenant of Peace English is a strange, complicated and fascinating language. The etymology of the word "turn" comes to us from the Greek word tornos meaning “lathe, a tool for drawing circles.” The verb meaning “an act of turning, a single revolution” comes down to us from the late 15th century. Old English turnian "to rotate, revolve," is in part also from Old French torner "to turn away or around; draw aside, cause to turn; change, transform.”

We use the word "turn" in many interesting ways.

Turn can refer to change: leaves turning color in the autumn, turning 60, turning

milk sour or turning one’s stomach. It can also point to becoming involved in an undertaking; e.g., “after graduating, she turned to her career energetically.”

We can also “turn to another aspect of the situation.” We can turn to someone for help or turn to something dangerous: “he turned to drink for comfort.” We can turn against one another.

We can turn over a new leaf, turn a page, turn our head, turn our hand to something and turn a blind eye or a deaf ear. We can turn someone loose, turn a phrase, turn a place upside down, turn a profit, turn up our nose or turn up our toes.

We can turn things to our advantage, turn the tables on someone, turn something to dust or turn swords into ploughshares. We can turn on, turn off, turn in, turn out, turn aside or turn back.

We turn a key in a lock; make a right turn and – God willing – take a turn for the better.

Return comes from Old French retorner "turn back, turn round, return" from re – "back” and torner – "to turn."

Let us turn now to the Hebrew word for return

which is shuv – cua. The word for repentance is teshuvah – vcua,. This word is not found in the torah as such but its root cua appears innumerable times. Ramban (1194-1270), who was both a physician and a great Torah scholar, suggests that the mitzvah mentioned in these verses which we read on Yom Kippur morning refer to repentance: "Surely, this Instruction, ha-mitzvah ha-zot – vumnv ,tzv – which I command you this day is not too baffling for you, nor is it beyond reach. It is not in the heavens, that you should say, 'Who among us can go up to the heavens and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?'

Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who among us can cross the sea and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?' No, the thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it." (Deut. 30:11-14) According to Ramban’s interpretation, we are taught that repentance is "not in the heavens ... nor beyond the sea" but "very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it."

The Torah is telling us that

we can do this. Even though we may feel overwhelmed by our shortcomings, we can look at the past year and effect change. We can return to our best selves, to possibilities, to the potential within. The process of returning to God is very near: in our mouths, in our hearts, and in our actions.

Maimonides (1135 - 1204), who was also a preeminent scholar and physician, offers a corroborative second opinion: "What constitutes teshuvah? That a sinner should abandon his sins and remove them from his thoughts, resolving in his heart never to commit them again ... He must verbally confess and state these matters which he resolved in his heart" (Hilchot Teshuvah 2:2).

These are the steps involved in the process of repentance: 1. Recognition of one's sins as sins 2. Remorse 3. Desisting from sin 4. Restitution (where possible) 5. Confession (vidúi).

Judaism does not recognize confession of personal sin to a religious figure as sufficient to obtain forgiveness. There

is no designated authority to whom one can confess sins; rather, sins between persons require the asking and granting of forgiveness by the parties concerned while sins between persons and God require the asking of forgiveness by the penitent and the granting of forgiveness only by God. Our tradition is quite clear, however, that following the steps without desisting from the sin, does not constitute teshuvah. You can’t skip a step and you shouldn’t return to the sin.

Therefore, teshuvah involves speech, heartfelt internal resolve, and renewed action — it is "in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it" (Deut. 30:14). All of us have the potential to follow the above precepts and to strive to better ourselves in the year ahead.

May we all embrace the process of teshuvah in the upcoming season of holiness. May we call upon the Holy One to turn us back – Hashiveinu – ubchav to our best selves. (Lam. 5:21) (There’s that root again!)

May we exercise our ability to return to God with our mouths, with our hearts and with our hands.

Shana tovah!

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steelstacks.org/comedy | 610-332-3378 HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2017 11

KEHILLAH $100 - $249 Richard and Maria* Ain Florence Applebaum* Elaine Atlas*° Pnina Avitzur* Dr. Marsha Baar*° Karen Bader*° Karen Bardawil* Don and Robie* Barga Michael and Barbara* Bassano Belman Family Fund Dr. Neil Belman Millie Berg Memorial Fund Elaine Berk* Neal Berkowitz Scott Berman Dr. Jason and Roslyn* Birnbaum Dr. Joan Bischoff* Randi Blauth* Glenn and Melisa Block° Amy Born Fund John Botzum and Miriam Harris* Botzum Joan Brody*° Victor and Leslie* Bunick Robert and Gail* Burger Chelsea Busch* Sara Camuti* Muriel Charon* Audrey Cherney*° Zachary and Ginny* Cohen Jerome and Audrey* Cylinder° Edwin and Rabbi Melody* Davis Brooke Dietrick* Arianna Delin* Ben Delin Noah Delin Leah Devine* Amy Douglass* David and Vikki* Dunn Dr. Abbott and Judy* D’ver° Barbara Einhorn* Howard and Shirley Falk Lisa Ellis Fund Michael Finley and Audrey Ettinger* Samuel and Lynn* Feldman° Brad and Robyn* Finberg Harris and Sandi* Fine Vivian Fishbone* Harry and Amy* Fisher Lance and Marian* Flax Eric and Rebecca* Fleisch

Jeffrey Fleischaker and Dr. Ophira Silbert* Andrea Denny Foucek* Julie Paige Fraenkel Fund Bette Friedenheim* Murray and Linda* Garber° Arnon and Hagit* Gavish Jerome and Gloria* Ginsburg° Gary and Pat* Glascom Becky Goldenberg* Julia Goldberg* Brian and Judith* Goldman° Nathaniel and Joanna Golub Mark Kennedy and Arlene Gorchov* Aaron Gorodzinsky Donald Greenberg Jeff and Elizabeth* Greenberg Arlene Griffin*° Merle Grollman* Tom and Rita* Guthrie° Marion Halperin*° Rabbi Yaacov and Devorah* Halperin Suzanne Harris* Dr. Leo and Marilyn Heitlinger Alvin and Arlene* Herling° Syman and Anita* Hirsch Stuart and Hope* Horowitz° Stacy Hortner* Michael and Tina* Imerman Charles and Dale Inlander° Baron and Marjorie Jasper Alexa Karakos* Katz Family Dr. Lewis and Joan* Katz Daniel and Anne* Kaye Ludmila Khodorkovsky* Kimmel Family Fund Renee B. Kleaveland* Jerry Knafo Dr. Arnold and Barbara* Kritz° Ruth Kugelman*° Gary and Jennifer* Lader Dr. Samuel and Sharon* Land Gilbert and Judy* Lappen Mary Laronge* Dr. Judith Lasker*° Frederick and Sherry Lesavoy° Paul Levy and Helen Mack-Levy Joan Lichtenstein*° Dr. David and Elizabeth* Lischner Dr. Zalman Liss° Dr. Henry and Pat Luftman

Reba Marblestone* Steven Markowitz° Matt and Allison* Meyers Janis Mikofsky* Gary and Diane* Miller° Norman and Maxine* Miller° Natalie Millrod* Rabbi Alan and Patricia* Mittleman° Steven and Judy Molder Gladys Morgenstein*° Alex and Elaine* Morrow Judith Murman* Hank and Jill* Narrow Dr. Douglas and Ruth* Nathanson Howard and Jill Nathanson Norma Neff*° Paula Nelson* Audrey Nolte* Robert Orenstein Debbie Ovitz*° Joseph and Eve* Peterson Dr. Peter Pettit Linda Piesner* Jay and Marlene* Plotnick Dr. Matthew and Denise* Pollack Patti Price* Abram and Alyssa Pure Dr. Jason Radine Martin Rapoport Eric Rappaport and Choty Andres* David Reiff Reitars-Braunstein Family Fund Ruth Reiter* Charles Richter and Lynda Pollack* Ira and Erica* Robbins Dr. Joel Rosenfeld Myra Rosenhaus* Debra Ross* June Rothkopf* Wendy Rothstein* Fae Safer* Alan and Mary* Salinger° Gerald and Etta* Salman° Richard and Amy* Sams Dr. Norman and Jett* Sarachek° Helene Rae Scarcia* Seith Schentzel Ivan and Jill* Schonfeld Leon Schneider Mark and Joyce Schuman* Dr. Arthur Levine and Dr. Janet

Schwartz* Dr. Michael Schwartz Brian Segel Lynne Shampain*° Stanley Shrager Barry Siegel° Sheldon and Lolly* Siegel Serita Silberg* Linda Silowka*° John Silverberg° Abigail Silverman* Jessica Silverman* Ruth Skoglund* Jonathan Smith Dr. Yehuda and Victoria* Smooha° Anne Snyder-Lyons* Susan Sosnow* Morgan Stanley Dr. Stanley and Manya Stein Michael and Sybil* Stershic Rabbi Danielle Stillman* David Vaida and Cantor Ellen Sussman* Matthew and Tracy* Sussman Kenneth Szydlow Norman Tahler Julie Thomases* Alan and Enid* Tope° Sharon Trinker* Dr. William and Rae Tuffiash° Sharone and Lora* Vaknin Chris and Kimberly* Valuntas Dr. Steven Vale and Dr. Jennifer Gell* Volk Family Fund Dr. Arkady and Ilana* Voloshin Marcia Weingartner* Philip and Lynn* Weinzimer Marjorie Weiss* Alfred Wiener Family Fund Norman and Sandra* Wruble Anonymous (27) GENESIS $1 - $99 Marvin and Sylvia* Adler Joseph Aflalo Aaron Alkasov Gregory and Seli* Allen Richard and Regina* Angel Scott Appleman Harris Apsell Max Averbach

Zoe Averbach* David and Carmit* Bach Terrence Baker Jayson and Nurit* Baron Dr. Susan Basow* Marla Beck* Delores Bednar* Michael Benioff Arthur and Phyllis Berg Stephanie Berman* Jeffrey and Lisa* Bernfeld Jason and Tracey Billig Jerome Block Igor and Alla* Bolotovsky Gerald and Audrey Brandis Mark Breitbart Tammy Breslin* Lawrence and Rebecca* Brisman Ron Brodsky Jenna Brody* Neil and Diane Brown Jerry and Wilma Brucker Betty Burian* Ivan Buyum Joyce Camm* Dena Cedor* Linda Chmielewski*° Dr. Barry and Robbie* Cohen Brad and Sharon Cohen Elena S. Cohen Charity Fund Michelle Cohen* Dr. Karen G. Cook* and Caity Kanengiser Marjorie Danciger* Eric and Joanne* Daniels Betty Diamond* Roberta Diamond*° Linda Dietrick* Marilyn Doluisio*° Sandra Dror* Vicki Duerr* Helen Ebert* Wendy Edwards* Stewart Eichelbaum David Eiskowitz Alyssa Emswiler* Ben and Abby* Feinberg Joseph Epstein and Sheryl Feinstein Rabbi Mordechai Eskovitz Anita Evelyn* Inna Eyzerovich* E.G. Jerry Farris* Susan Fegley*

Campaign Chair Iris Epstein, Deena Scoblionko, guest speaker Rabbi Joel Seltzer, President Mark Scoblionko and Eva Levitt at the major donor reception for the 2017 campaign.

Seasoned campaign volunteer Vicki Wax helps Hartley Lachter and Amy Golding get their team going in a March Madness-style competition to bring in campaign donations.

Roberta Penn and Ann Ginsberg enjoy hearing the stories behind local heirlooms at the Women’s Division Spring Event.

The inaugural cohort of Israel Next Dor prepares to depart for their trip to Israel. The group built connections on the trip and brought a great deal of enthusiasm back home.

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Sharon Feldman* Brenda Finberg* Fredda Fischman* (z”l) Claudia Fischmann Fund Diana Fischmann Fund Veronica Fischmann Fund Adele Fisher* Diane Fisher*° Keith and Randi* Fraley Mark and Lauri* Franko Michael and Sandra Freeman Emily Freudenberger* Ann Friedenheim* Dr. Michael and Traci Gabriel Fran Gaines* Laura Garber* Linda Garber*° Dr. Debra Garlin* Gail Gelb* Nancy Gevirtz Memorial Fund Samuel Gevirtz Mitzvah Fund Cathy Gilbert* Lauren Glick* Caroline Goldblat* Shelley Goldberg* and Family Anita Goldman* Susan Goldman* Dr. Malvin and Lillian* Goldner David and Tova* Goldstein Martin Goldstein° Nissa Gossom* Deena Gottlieb* Ronald and Ann* Gould Betty Greenberg*° (z”l) Judith Greenberg* Rabbi Zalman Greenberg Rosaly Greenberger* Harry and Paula* Grines Marcel Guindine Sharon Guindine* Samuel Guncler William and Sharon* Hamilton Bernice Harris* Dolores Heller* Philip Heyman° Rima Hirsch* Carolyn Hoffman* Dorothy Hoffman*° Dr. Michael Hortner Robert and Arlene* Hurwitz Michael and Donna* Iorio Dr. Lubov Iskold* Nina Jackson* Sondra Jacobs*° Rabbi Janine Jankovitz* Harry and Grace* Kagan Dr. Susan Kahlenberg* Honey Kandel* Sidney and Helene* Kaplan Harriet Karess* Lorraine Karess* Gary Kaskowitz Francine Katzman* Chaim and Carol Kaufmann Ilena Key* Noah Kirshner Nathan Kline Rosine Knafo*° Blanka and Walter Knie Holocaust Education Fund Jeffrey Koch Deborah Kohler*° Dr. Elwood and Marilyn* Kolb° Paul and Dore Kottler Dr. Neal Kramer Dr. Ronald Krisch David and Jordan Kurlansik Peter and Madeline* Langman Andrea Lass* Ellen Lebowitz* Daniel and Daniella Leisawitz Maur and Doe* Levan° Myron Levenson Bob and Ilene* Levin-Dando° Lee and Mary Jane* Levine Barbara Levinson* Nancy Levy* Julian Lewis Doris Lifland* Marylou Lordi* David and Marilyn* Louick° Jodi Lovenwirth* Rebecca Lovingood* Rochelle Lower* Caren Lowrey* Gloria Lowy* Art Lukoff Leonard Lutsky° Ronald and Patricia Malvin Yitzhak and Elvira* Mana Eli and Rikki* Mandel Silvia Mandler* David and Susan* Manela Louise Mapstone* Beth Marquardt* Aliza Martin* Chahine Marvi* Robert Mayer and Jan Muzycka* Debrosha McCants* Diane McKee* Ruth Meislin*° Susan B. Mellan Memorial Fund Eugene Meyer and Dr. Lisa

Jean Todes* Dr. Robert and Ellen Miller* and Family Robert and Joy* Miller Stanley Miller Susan Mohr* Daniel and Larisa Morgenbesser Anne Morris* Rene Moskowitz* Joseph Mozes Memorial Fund Jane Much* William and Sharon* Mullin Michael Mylnarsky Myra Needle* Terry David and Shirley* Neff Richard Nelson Maurice and Sandy* Ojalvo Robert Prichard and Ellen Osher* Cantor Jill Pakman* Dr. Alan Parker Mark and Nina* Pinsley A. Jane Pitkoff* Mildred Poliner*° Anna Polonsky* Adina Preis* Aron Preis Alan Raisman Kevin and Lauren Reuther Linda Rich* Dan and Mary* Rockman Theresa Romain* Jodie Rosenblum* Phyllis Rothkopf* Pamela Rozsa* Barbara Rudolph* Michele Salomon* Deborah Sarachek* Mary Lou Scarf* Andrew Schaeffer Jon Schaeffer Lynn Schiavone* Ellyn Schindler* Rachel Schmeidberg* Melvin and Pearl* Schmier Nolie Schneider* Lewis Schor° Rabbi Rebecca Schorr* Donald Schwartz Joy Scott* Eugene Search Lorraine Secouler* Philip Segal Marlee Senderowitz Fund Randi and Donald Senderowitz Fund Rissa Senderowitz Philanthropic Fund Robert and Maryanne Appleby-Shaffer Adrian Shanker Alan Shapiro Ezra Shapiro Shay and Allison* Shimon Dr. Stephen Shore Dr. Carl Shulze Silverman Family Fund Abigail Silverman Fund Jessica Silverman Philanthropic Fund Debra Skinner* Michael Smith Rabbi Aryeh Spera Danielle Staiman Mitzvah Fund Alan and Lori Starr Levgen Sukhar Norman and Cindy* Sussman° Donald Thaler Sandi Teplitz*° David Teumim Harriet Theodore* Howard and Marilyn* Tokosh Earl and Sondra* Toland Judy Toubin* Alex Tsikanovsky Wendy Turner* Ufberg Family Fund Inna Vishnevetsky* Nicholas and Jessica* Volchko Lynn Waite* Dori Wallace*° Eugene and Alice Ward Cantor Kevin Wartell° Les and Anita* Weintraub Dr. Brian and Joy* Wernick Neil and Judith Wetcher Barbara Wolfgang* Gladys Yass* Herman and Jessica* Ytkin Anonymous (28)

The donors noted above represent gifts to the JFLV 2017 Campaign for Jewish Needs. Every effort is made to correctly recognize all of our generous donors and honor their listing requests. If there are any inaccuracies or omissions, please call the Federation office at 610-821-5500. * Indicates an individual woman’s gift to the 2017 Campaign for Jewish Needs ° Indicates Silver Circle member

LION OF JUDAH DONORS Aliette Abo* Sadie Berman Lion of Judah Endowment* Rebecca Binder Donna Black Jill Blinder Wendy Born* Carol Bub Fromer Nancy Cohen Karen Cooper* Iris Epstein*

Roberta Epstein* Eileen Fischmann* Tama Fogelman* Lisa Fraenkel* Jane Kay Friedberg Susan Gadomski Sandra Goldfarb* Susan Grey Bonnie Hammel* Ellen Hof Erica Hyman Deanne Kaplan*

Judith Auritt Klein Lion of Judah Endowment* Beth Kozinn Elaine Lerner* Eva Levitt* Rhoda Prager Barbara Reisner Shaoli Rosenberg Lisa Scheller* Rita Scheller Lorrie Scherline

Vera Schiff Janice Schwartz Elizabeth Scofield Edith Simon Shari Spark Shelley Stettner Vicki Wax* Jean Weiner Carol Wilson Ilene Wood* Jeri Zimmerman * LOJE

POMEGRANATE DONORS Sandy Abeshaus Marsha Abraham Rebecca AxelrodCooper Kelly Banach Sheila Berg Beverly Bloch Marilyn Braunstein* Sylvia Bub Patty Carlis Marilyn Claire Helen Cook Karen Dacey Beth Delin Tamar Earnest Lisa Ellis Amy Fels

Marlene Finkelstein Veronica Fischmann Shirley Furmansky Ann Ginsberg Linda Glickman Edyth Glickstein Norma Goldenberg Nancy Goldman Marsha Gordon Patricia Gribben Carol Halper Esther Halperin Barbara Katz Deborah Kimmel Lynda Krawitz Roberta Kritzer Ferne Kushner

Beth Kushnick Lois Lipson Lisa Markowitz Jane Markson Claudia Mattison Jeannie Miller Linda Miller Judith Morrison Taffi Ney** Nancy Oberlender Diana Orenstein Lota Post Judith Rodwin Robin Rosenau Nicole Rosenthal Selma Roth Cathy Sacher

Deena Scoblionko Martha Segel Judy Sheftel Ronnie Sheftel Ruth Sheftel Amy Silverman* Audrey Sosis Margery Strauss Tama Tamarkin Eileen Ufberg Janet Ulman Laurie Wax Barbara Weinrach Gail Wolson Valeska Zighelboim Kathy Zimmerman * LOJE ** POME

MAIMONIDES SOCIETY DONORS Marc Abo Houman Ahdieh Michael Alterman Howard Altman Marcus Averbach Alan Berger Marc Berson Jeffrey Blinder David Bub Sam Bub Carol Bub Fromer Michael Busch Ian Carlis William Combs Mitchell Cooper Karen Dacey Beth Delin Tamar Earnest Lisa Ellis Bruce Feldman Eric Fels Jay Fisher Peter Fisher Hal Folander Ronald Freudenberger Henry Friess Jeffrey Gevirtz Gene Ginsberg

Mark Gittleman Lawrence Glaser Harold Goldfarb Andrea Goldsmith Zach Goldsmith Marsha Gordon Robert Gordon David Greenberg Robert Grob Jonathan Hertz Eric Holender Howard Horne David Hyman Howard Israel John Jaffe Jeffrey Jahre Arthur Kaplan Robert Kaplan Barbara Katz Deborah Kimmel Wesley Kozinn Harold Kreithen Robert Kricun Michael Kun Howard Kushnick Brian LeFrock Paul Lemberg Howard Levin

Lawrence Levitt Richard London Moshe Markowitz William Markson Gerald Melamut Jay Melman Michael Moritz Alan Morrison Robert Morrison Richard Morse Mark Notis Nancy Oberlender Steven Oberlender Gary Oxfeld Robert Palumbo Robert Post Richard Reisner Daniel Relles Michael Ringold Alex Rosenau Jarrod Rosenthal Marvin Rosenthal Nicole Rosenthal Abraham Ross Michael Rothman Andrew Schwartz Stuart Schwartz Howard Selden

Darryn Shaff Elliot Shear Amy Silverman Ray Singer Arthur Sosis Frederic Stelzer Jay Strauss David Sussman Frank Tamarkin Adam Teichman Ryan Tenzer Kenneth Toff Edward Tomkin Darren Traub Michael Ufberg Marc Vengrove Stephen Volk Andrew Wakstein Robert Wax Benjamin Weinberger Robert Wilson Eric Young Michael Zager Israel Zighelboim Larry Zohn

2017 CAMPAIGN VOLUNTEERS Aliette Abo Houman Ahdieh Isabella Alkasov Sheila Berg Marc Berson Jeffrey Blinder Rance Block Ross Born Wendy Born Carol Bub Fromer David Caine Marilyn Claire Daniel Cohen Temple Coldren Karen Dacey Wendy Edwards Glenn Ehrich Jan Ehrich Andrew Ellis Iris Epstein Amy Fels Eric Fels Eileen Fischmann Peter Fisher Brian Ford Emily Ford Barnet Fraenkel Jeffrey Gevirtz Gene Ginsberg Lawrence Glaser Vicki Glaser Sandra Goldfarb Amy Golding

Nathaniel Golub Ellen Gordon Harvey Hakim Barry Halper Yaacov Halperin Robert Hammel Hillel Students- Lafayette, Lehigh, Muhlenberg Susan Hochhauser Allen Juda Martin Katz Lisa Kirshner Beth Kozinn Roberta Kritzer Danielle Kroo Beth Kushnick Hartley Lachter Merry Landis Suzanne Lapiduss Paul Lemberg Eva Levitt Lawrence Levitt Edward Levy Henry Luftman Moshe Markowitz William Markson Betty Mendelson Jeannie Miller Michael Miller James Mueth Sandy Newman Taffi Ney Mark Notis

Mark Pinsley Nina Pinsley Lota Post Elaine Rappaport-Bass Jeffrey Rembrandt Judith Rodwin Carole Rose Jarrod Rosenthal Nicole Rosenthal Lynn Rothman Stuart Schwartz Mark Scoblionko Amy Silverman Nicole Smith Mark Stein Ellen Sussman Frank Tamarkin Tama Tamarkin Eileen Ufberg Michael Ufberg Robert Wax Vicki Wax Arthur Weinrach Barbara Weinrach Carol Wilson Robert Wilson Israel Zighelboim Kathy Zimmerman

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2017 15

Israeli teens reflect on Allentown visit

Summer shlicha Rivka Elbert greets Yoav teens Shani Kalmanovich, Ela Gilan, Ohad Katz and Idan Nahum on the day they arrive from Israel.

It was another great summer in the Lehigh Valley for four Israeli teens and one summer shlicha. Here, they reflect on their experiences: SHLICHA RIVKA ELBERT: It’s been an experience of a lifetime, being in the Lehigh Valley community. It feels like home to me. Everyone is very warm and welcoming and everyone is so excited to hear that I’m from Israel. It makes me feel very, very welcome. The camp is amazing, it’s been very interesting to bring Israel to the camp, and it seems like the kids and the counselors want it.

I love being at camp and doing things with the kids. The kids are very, very important to me, and interesting, and every day is a new day with them to learn new things. The hosting family that I was staying with was amazing, they take me places, it feels like they are my American Jewish family, so it’s very fun and I like it here a lot and I hope I can come back next year too!

SHANI KALMANOVICH: The first thing that I want to say is this is an amazing experience for me. It’s the first time that I am in the United States and I had [such] a great time! I enjoy every day. I do new things for the first time here that they didn’t have in

Israel, and the people here, they’re so nice, everyone is so polite and I feel a lot of [warmth] and love. I feel very comfortable and I just love this place and this area is a beautiful area.

Everything is green, with trees, and I like it.

ELA GILAN: The people are so nice and they take two strangers to their home and it’s like the nicest thing. Camp is really fun, it doesn’t feel like work at all, we come here and we have the best time. The kids are so cute and we have a really good time with them and the counselors. I tried new things here that I didn’t do in Israel, like mini-golf and tubing. We do really cool stuff with the families.

OHAD KATZ: It’s cool here. It’s my first time in the States and I really love it. I love the camp, I love the people. I love the families, and I’m doing cool stuff with the families. It’s awesome here!

IDAN NAHUM: It’s my first time in the United States too, and all of the families that we stayed with are totally amazing. We’re having a lot of fun here at camp, guiding and meeting people, children.

It’s very fun here.

Rivka’s story: Inspiration from the past

By Rivka Elbert Summer Shlicha Editor’s Note: In the following article, Rivka Elbert, the 22-yearold head of the teens’ delegation, opens up about her family’s past and the reason why she felt the calling to do this job.

My parents made aliyah to Israel from the Soviet Union in 1987, and my dad was a prisoner of Zion, which means he was a prisoner for 18 months for Zionist activism and for treason. My mom and him sent their first application to come to Israel in 1976, and for 12 years they waited to come to Israel. They fought a very hard fight against the Soviet Union and the KGB, which arrested them and did horrible stuff to them.

The thing that helped them the most was the American Jewish community. They saved my parents from the hell they were in. They sent money, there were rallies for them, “Let my people go” rallies, and those people just 16 SEPTEMBER 2017 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

paid a lot of money and did a lot of activism as a Jewish community of America to bring my parents to Israel and free my dad from prison.

My mom went on two hunger strikes during that time, one time by herself for 45 days and the other time with my dad for 46 days. My brother, who was 14 at the time, traveled around the Soviet Union collecting signatures to let my dad go out of prison and he went on a hunger strike too, for 10 days.

I feel this family story I have connects to what I do here, in the Jewish community here. The Jewish community in the Diaspora is very important for us Jews in Israel, and I feel the connection is very, very important. It’s a joy and happiness for me to come here and keep doing what my parents did, which is Zionism. I feel that the things that people did for my parents, this is my only way to give back to a community that saved my family’s life, and probably I would not be here if not for

those people from the Jewish American community.

I feel very connected to the Jewish American community.

It always feels like home to me. Every time that I visit the States, I go and I visit them, I go to LA and New York City, where the people were. It feels a lot like I’m always welcome, and it makes me feel that my mission is worth it with the warm welcoming I have.

The Jews in America are helping Israel a lot, just with their presence of being Jews, with the JCCs and all of those things around. I read the last HAKOL and I saw you guys celebrated Yom HaAtzmaut here. Singing Hatikvah every morning in camp – we pledge allegiance to the United States but then the second thing we do is we sing Hatikvah and raise the Israeli flag. It makes me feel that Jews all around the world have a connection to each other in that way, and I feel like my family’s big story and history with this community means it’s my turn to fill in those blanks.

Experiencing summer in the Lehigh Valley and beyond

Laurie and Marc Berson take the teens for a boat ride at Lake Nockamixon.

The teens participate in a shakshuka competition at a host family’s home.

Ready for some fun at Camp JCC.

More lake fun with the Bersons.

The teens visit Washington, D.C.

Iris and Jon Epstein and their children take the teens to New York City.

The teens help to lead pre-Shabbat prayers at Camp JCC.

The teens and the Epsteins take on NYC.

Rivka enjoys time with the girls in D.C.

It’s a dance party at Camp JCC!

The girls are ready for some shakshuka.

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TCP celebrates a musical summer

Temple Covenant of Peace

Rocking with the Main Street Cruisers

The Main Street Cruisers, led by our own Mark Gutman, graciously played for our Rock Shabbat on July 21. Music of the ‘50s and ‘60s served as the vehicle for a rollicking night of joy and prayer. This service featured the Bar’chu sung to “Barbara Ann,” V’shamru to “Goin’ to the Chapel,” Shalom Aleichem to “Downtown” and many more. Rabbi Melody Davis wrote additional English lyrics to further elucidate the text. (Very rabbinic!)

Above, Pictured L-R: Lynn MastioRice, Jennifer Heilakka, Paul Rice, Jim Reichard, Rabbi Melody, Annelise Davis, Lenny Longo and Mark Gutman. (Not pictured: Bill Morrison)

A Grand Night for Singing

TCP hosted A Grand Night for Singing which featured secular music from Broadway, folk, rock and classical genres. This is a tradition in the Scandanavian countries where people get together with their friends for an evening of music and desserts.

Folks sang from karaoke tracks with the lyrics projected.

Musician in Residence Weekend: Adrian Durlester

Pianist/performer Adrian Durlester sang and accompanied Rabbi Melody (pictured right), Spencer and Annelise Davis with grace, talent and charm at our Friday evening service. Saturday evening showcased Adrian in one of his many shows: An Evening with Tom (Lehrer) and Allan (Sherman). Adrian led the audience in

“Pollution,” “Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah,” “My Zelda” and more.

Hava Nashira camp-style Shabbat

Musicians from the Hava Nashira conference added their talents to TCP’s monthly Shabbat dinner and camp service.

The congregation was led into Shabbat with guitars, drums, clapping and great ru’ach (spirit).

Another road to Middle East peace?

By Lawrence Levitt Special to HAKOL Permit me to take special pride in our son Marc's recent trip to

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Israel, and its possible relevance to Middle East peace. Marc grew up in Allentown and attended the Jewish Day School and Parkland High School.

He is a pediatric surgeon who works at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, where he heads the Center for Colorectal and Pelvic Reconstruction.

His specialty is addressing the problems of children born with congenital colorectal problems such as imperforate anus or Hirschsprung disease, conditions which each occur in 1 of 5,000 births. Such patients are unable to defecate normally and require complex surgery often after an initial colostomy (bag for stool) in order to live. He has

done 5,000 such operations.

He and his international colleagues travel all over the world to teach surgeons and nurses how to care for these anomalies.

In the past number of years they have travelled to Ethiopia, Ghana, China, Russia, Croatia, South Africa and Costa Rica.

My wife, Eva, usually travels with the team, Colorectal Team Overseas (www.CTOverseas. org) and brings Just Born candy and stuffed animals to distribute to the children at the hospitals where they operate.

Most recently, Marc travelled to Israel, where he did eight such cases in collaboration with the surgeons at Hadassah, Shaare Tzedek and Schneider Children’s Hospitals. The last case involved a 4-year-old who had such a malformation, specifically a fistula or abnormal connection between the rectum and bladder such that stool contaminated his urine. This was causing severe infections and would eventually lead to kidney failure. The child had had three prior surgical attempts to fix the problem without success.

Marc and Yaron Armon, chief of pediatric surgery at Shaare Tzedek, were able to repair the fistula and restore him to normal anatomy, so that he could lead a normal life.

Of special note is that the child, a Muslim, was brought from Gaza with his mother to Israel. The Palestinian Authority transferred funds to Shaare Tzedek to cover the child’s hospital costs. Marc performed the operation pro bono. Through a translator, and through tears, the mother expressed thanks that her child was “finally fixed,” and she was so thankful to Israel and the surgical collaboration it helped foster. I can only hope and pray that such gestures of goodwill contribute to eventual peace in the Middle East. I can dream, can't I?

Join the JCC for plentiful activities for adults

By Amy Sams Jewish Community Center of the Lehigh Valley Adults of all ages were busy this summer getting a sneak peek at some of the programs available at the JCC this fall and beyond. The J-Adults Summer Sampler highlighted J-AMP (Jewish-Focused Aging Mastery Program), JARTS, J-Gourmet, J-Days and J-To Go. The Summer Sampler kicked off with J-To Go: Yiddish Club on The Road. The JCC and Jewish Family Service of the Lehigh Valley partnered for an afternoon of connection and outreach at Country Meadows of Allentown.

Residents of Country Meadows and members of the JCC Yiddish Club were treated to music led by Cantor Jeff Warschauer, shared stories, refreshments and fellowship.

J-To Go programming offers adults a variety of “offsite” opportunities, such as shows in New York City and Philadelphia or outings in the community. This fall, the Yiddish Club will once again be out in the community. This time, the Yiddish Club will join residents of Atria Bethlehem for the afternoon.

New this fall is J-Arts for adults, offering a variety of art classes throughout the year. The summer sampler included two workshops to try out: a writing workshop and a healing gemstone bracelet workshop. Scheduled for the fall are an evening six-week mosaics class and an afternoon six-week creative writing class. J-Arts will continue with a pottery class and more!

As noted in the July/August issue of HAKOL, the JCC is running a second round of the 12 week Jewish-Focused Aging Mastery Program (J-AMP) this fall, beginning Sept. 11. The course includes expert speakers and group discussion aimed at improving the aging process. Dr. Jenni Levy will once again lead the

session on advance planning. Dr. Levy shared insight into making the best choices for medical care during the summer sampler workshop in August. Rabbi Rebecca Einstein Schorr will start off the course discussing Jewish perspectives on aging mastery, and will wrap up the course in December addressing what it means to live fully the rest of our lives.

J-Days will continue to give adults their very own “connection corner at the J.” Love to play mah jongg and other games? Want to enjoy the company of others who also grew up hearing or speaking Yiddish in their homes? J-Days is an opportunity to spend time with other adults with similar interests.

J-Days programming currently offers a day for Yiddish and a day for games. Register for the year or a season at a time. Light refreshments and a comfortable space are provided.

Do you have an interest you would like to share with others such as knitting or current events? New programs will be added to the weekly schedule in response to additional shared interests.

Are you a foodie looking for a unique and fun experience in our own backyard? Make sure you try out our J-Gourmet series. Are you in search of the perfect cocktail or want to know more about the wine and cheese scene?

Be sure to participate in J-Gourmet events throughout the year.

Adult programming at the JCC offers many opportunities to grow, learn and have fun.

Whether it's a behind-the-scenes look into your favorite restaurant, an outing to a show or a workshop to expand your knowledge, our goal is to offer something for everyone. Visit lvjcc.org/adultsatthej for details about our fall programming and more!

Contact Amy Sams at asams@lvjcc.org with questions.

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2017 23

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Happy Rosh Hashanah!

Your friends at Provident wish you a happy and prosperous New Year.

Editor’s Note: BBYO is a youth group for teenagers comprised of AZA for boys and BBG for girls.

Hello, HAKOL readers! I am Fana Schoen (Mazkirah Board member ‘17-’18) and I am the proud Allentown B’nai B’rith Girls (BBG) member taking over writing monthly articles on behalf of Allentown BBG for you to read for this year, and I cannot wait to get started!

Allentown BBG has had an awesome summer since HAKOL readers last heard from us. We had an awesome night with Allentown Aleph Zadik Aleph (AZA), during which we gathered for a movie and havdalah end-of-year event. It was fun for both the AZA and BBG chapters to get together and watch “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” for a fun night of bonding. Pandora Schoen, a newer member of our BBG family, thought that the night was “super fun! I’m so glad that everyone in Allentown is so welcoming and ready to have me join them as friends. I met so many kind people and I can’t wait to continue coming to BBYO!” After that, many of our AZA and BBG members embarked on summer programs

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all over the globe. Brendan Fraley, who went on Perlman Summer, a combination of two summer programs called International Leadership Training Conference (ILTC) and Kallah, found “That it was really cool to meet people from all around the United States and the world ... it was cool to explore my Judaism at Kallah.”

On my summer program, Chapter Leadership Training Conference (CLTC) 4, I had an amazing time meeting friends and learning new things about my strengths and weaknesses as a leader.

As Allentown gears up for another great year, we can hardly wait for our regional kickoff in September. This

year we will all take a cruise on the Delaware River for a dance party and dinner on a yacht on Sept. 10 (register online at bbyo.org/libertykickoff). We can’t wait to see all of our friends from all over Liberty Region BBYO whom we have not seen all summer long. After that event, we will head off to our first regional convention of the year, Regional Leadership Training Institute (RLTI) from Sept. 15-17 (register online at https://form.jotform. us/72074702553150), where we will have lots of fun furthering our knowledge of BBYO and becoming better leaders. We can’t wait to see what the year holds for Allentown BBG and AZA!

10 Indian-Jewish ‘lost tribe’ couples remarried in Israel Jewish Telegraphic Agency

w w w. P r ov i d e n t . B a n k

Allentown BBG and AZA members getting ready to watch a movie at the end-of-year event.

Ten Indian-Jewish couples from the Bnei Menashe “lost tribe” were married in a Jewish ceremony at an absorption center in northern Israel.

The group wedding remarriage ceremony in the Kfar Hasidim community was part of the couples’ formal conversion to Judaism.

The couples, who immigrated from India, ranged in age

from their 20s to their 70s.

The couples were among 102 new immigrants who emigrated from Mizoram in late February. Their aliyah was facilitated by the Shavei Israel organization, which tries to find lost Jews throughout the world.

“After realizing their dream of making Aliyah and returning to the Jewish people, the 10 Bnei Menashe couples now have an additional reason to celebrate,” Shavei Israel founder and chairman Michael Freund said in a statement. “They have now been remarried in a traditional Jewish wedding ceremony which symbolizes the new lives they are building here in the Jewish state.”

The Bnei Menashe are believed to be descended from the biblical tribe of Manasseh, one of the Ten Lost Tribes exiled from the Land of Israel more than 2,700 years ago. In 2005, then-Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar endorsed the Bnei Menashe’s claim to Jewish ancestry, but required them to convert to Orthodox Judaism.

Some 3,000 Bnei Menashe have immigrated to Israel in recent years, with another 7,000 remaining in India.

How a Chinese-Jewish chef finds inspiration on a North Dakota farm

By Gabe Friedman Jewish Telegraphic Agency

MOLLY YEH

appeal — and gave her a lot to write about. Last fall, she released a book on the whole story (with plenty of recipes) titled “Molly on the Range: Recipes and Stories from An Unlikely Life on a Farm.”

At first, she experienced some “culture shock” in her new North Dakota community, which she called “challahless” and “babka-less.”

“Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago and living in New York, it didn’t even strike me as a possibility that a place could really exist without tons of Jews,” Yeh said. “If I wasn’t going to be maintaining Jewish identity and celebrating Jewish holidays and cooking Jewish food on the farm, nobody was going to be.”

She made it her mission to inject some Jewish food and culture into the farm community. Perhaps none of her recipes captured the goal as well as her Hummus With Meat All Over It, which she wrote about in the Forward, a Jewish publication that she occasionally contributes to.

“Question: How do you make a plate of hummus filling enough for a bunch of big burly farmers? Answer: Put meat all over it,” she wrote.

The Hagen family quickly took to Yeh’s Jewish foodmaking ways. During her first year on the farm, for example, Passover coincided with Easter — so the family invited her to bake loaves of challah to include in their Easter meal.

“My mother-in-law is a hummus-making machine now,” Yeh said.

In turn, Yeh took to the Midwestern flavors she was surrounded by. She now often includes ingredients grown on the farm, such as beets and rhubarb, in her recipes.

She admitted that it can be hard to find ingredients she needs for some of her more unusual recipes — tahini and hibiscus flour were two that she had recently ordered online while speaking with JTA recently from her North Dakota home. She often longs for the array of quirky ingredients that can be found in New York markets like Fairway or Zabar’s.

The trade-off, she says, is that in summer she can walk outside and snatch fresh veg-

etables from the farm, such as cucumbers and tomatoes, to make an Israeli-style breakfast salad.

Reproducing some of her other New York Jewish food staples has been a little more difficult — even for an accomplished chef. Her first attempt at bagels was, in her words, a complete failure.

“I have no choice, I have to keep going!” she said.

CHANTELL QUERNEMOEN

Not much could have prepared Molly Yeh for moving from New York City to Grand Forks, North Dakota — a city of a little over 50,000 residents near the state’s eastern border with Minnesota.

At the time of her move in 2013, Yeh (pronounced “yay,” as her website explains with several exclamation points) was a Juilliard graduate and classically trained percussionist playing professional gigs around New York City. She often hosted concerts in her Brooklyn apartment and enjoyed biking around the city with her then-boyfriend to see how many shows and events they could cram into one day.

She was passionate about food — especially when it came to Jewish staples like the matzah ball soup and hummus she had loved since childhood in a Chicago suburb, where she grew up with an Ashkenazi mother and Chinese father. But her casually updated food blog, which she had started a few years before during a family vacation, was of secondary concern.

When she chose to follow her boyfriend-turned-husband to his family beet farm in North Dakota, food gradually became more of a priority. Newly unemployed, Yeh took a job in a local bakery working a late-night shift.

She began to put more energy into her food blog, which then started to gain some traction online. Betty Crocker soon contacted her to contribute recipes.

Four years later, the 28-year-old Yeh is one of the internet’s most popular food bloggers, with 245,000 followers on Instagram. Her site, my name is yeh — it uses only lowercase letters as an aesthetic choice — offers a cornucopia of impeccably photographed culinary treats (she also takes all the photos).

Many of her creations incorporate foods and ingredients that are popular in Jewish and Israeli cuisine, such as challah, shakshuka, hummus, tahini and shawarma. Some of the entries on her site, such as the scallion pancake challah and hummus dumplings, point to her dual heritage.

Besides the recipes and photos, Yeh is known for her personal, funny and engaging blog voice. She often mentions her husband, Nick Hagen, whom she calls “eggboy” in blog posts, because he used to eat several eggs each day.

Sometimes she gives her recipes humorous names, such as the “ex-boyfriend latkes.”

Yeh’s move to North Dakota kickstarted her efforts to make her work stand out in the crowded food blogosphere, but it also gave her an unexpected narrative that only added to her unique

Left, Yeh often incorporates family farm ingredients, such as rhubarb, into her culinary creations. She calls these Mini Rhubarb Princess Cakes.

Above, Molly Yeh has taken the food blogging world by storm with her bubbly personality and creative recipes.

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HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2017 25

New campaign chairs Continues from page 3

Charlottesville Continues from page 1 Torahs put away for safekeeping was one rescued during the Holocaust.

After services, my local host and I were attempting to walk over to a café where many of the visiting clergy were gathered; however, the timing was such that we could not cross the street and rather witnessed a parade of various groups of white supremacists, primarily younger men, marching down the street after their rally had been declared unlawful.

I saw medics leading journalists who had been pepper-sprayed to the medic tent at the church that had been set up as a safe space. I saw groups of counter-protestors marching down the perpendicular street to face the white supremacists, and I even saw an older white woman in a tie-dyed shirt with the word “love” printed on it, standing right in the middle of the street they were marching through. I left the area when mace was set off in the midst of the protesters, I’m not sure by whom.

We then went to the safe church, where those who had come in the name of justice, kindness and love could rest and get care as needed.

Over the course of the afternoon, there were times when the church went on lock-down because there was concern about violence in the immediate area. There were also times when the clergy was asked to come outside and hold the space, for fear of who might be coming up the street.

We have a tradition to chant a passage from the prophets each week at synagogue (the haftarah).

This past week’s haftarah includes the following verse (Isaiah 50:11): “All of you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from My hand: you will lie down in torment.” The prayer that flowed through me sitting in synagogue in the center of Charlottesville on Shabbat morning is that the flames of hate burning in these young men take the natural course of a fire, which is to burn themselves out. Fires can cause damage while they are burning, and our work is twofold: to protect those vulnerable to flames and to not further feed the flames.

How we do this work of facing the flames of hate is worthy of much discussion within and between our communities at this critical time in our world’s history. We

must resist the forces that work to separate us. We must limit our consumption of news that is designed to get us worked up without giving us direction, and rather find channels to become knowledgeable and engaged as we work to protect our country.

My role in Charlottesville was to be a witness, a nurturer and a keeper of the spiritual center. I pray for each of us to find our voice and our special role in these times of transformation.

I shared these words at a candlelight vigil in the Roxborough neighborhood of Philadelphia Sunday night. We ended with a chant from Psalm 23, shavti b’veit adonai, which literally means, “May I dwell in the house of God.” I understand this to mean, “May I know the deep abiding truth of our interconnectedness.” The chant is composed by my teacher, Rabbi Shefa Gold, and includes the English interpretation, “I place myself in your care.”

“The Naked Roommate” which talks about getting comfortable with the uncomfortable and how to transition in uncomfortable situations. I stumbled across him and his TED talk and I was immediately impressed and moved by what he had to say. Plus, I thought he really could reach other people because who’s not uncomfortable at least once a day in their life? Harlan is a nationally syndicated columnist and speaker and will be talking about grit and resilience. He’s very engaging, very interactive with the audience and he really has a sense of how to connect with all ages. Federation will be hosting him on Nov. 9. At 5 p.m., he will lead a one-hour discussion and pizza dinner just for teenagers, and then at 7 p.m., we will open the adult program.

We invite everyone to join us for what promises to be a really wonderful and enlightening evening. Stay tuned.

What are you looking forward to in this year’s campaign?

C: We’re really excited to work with a wonderful group of campaign volunteers and highly engaged donors.

Look, we all know that the needs are compelling and the task is sometimes overwhelming, but fundraising can be fun too. Working alongside other volunteers, event planning and nurturing relationships are all part of the experience and there are many special moments along the way. We warmly welcome everyone who wants to get involved.

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In Charlottesville, the local Jewish community presses on

By Alan Zimmerman President of Congregation Beth Israel, Charlottesville, Virginia Editor’s Note: This piece was originally published at ReformJudaism.org.

At Congregation Beth Israel in Charlottesville, Virginia, we are deeply grateful for the support and prayers of the broader Reform Jewish community. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of Heather Heyer and the two Virginia State Police officers, H. Jay Cullen and Berke Bates, who lost their lives on Aug. 12, and with the many people injured in the attack who are still recovering.

The loss of life far outweighs any fear or concern felt by me or the Jewish community during the past several weeks as we braced for this Nazi rally – but the effects of both will each linger.

On Saturday morning, I stood outside our synagogue with the armed security guard we hired after the police department refused to provide us with an officer during morning services. (Even the police department’s limited promise of an observer near our building was not kept — and note, we did not ask for protection of our property, only our people as they worshipped).

Forty congregants were inside. Here’s what I witnessed during that time.

For half an hour, three men dressed in fatigues and armed with semi-automatic rifles stood across the street from the temple. Had they tried to enter, I don’t know what I could have done to stop them, but I couldn’t take my eyes off them, either. Perhaps the presence of our armed guard deterred them. Perhaps their presence was just a coincidence, and I’m paranoid. I don’t know.

Several times, parades of Nazis passed our building, shouting, “There's the synagogue!” followed by chants of “Seig Heil” and other anti-Semitic language. Some carried flags with swastikas and other Nazi symbols.

A guy in a white polo shirt walked by the synagogue a few times, arousing suspicion.

Was he casing the building, or trying to build up courage to commit a crime? We didn’t know. Later, I noticed that the man accused in the automobile terror attack wore the same polo shirt as the man who kept walking by our synagogue; apparently it’s the uniform of a white supremacist group. Even now, that gives me a chill.

When services ended, my heart broke as I advised congregants that it would be safer to leave the temple through the back entrance rather than through the front, and to please go in groups.

This is 2017 in the United States of America.

Later that day, I arrived on the scene shortly after the car

plowed into peaceful protesters. It was a horrific and bloody scene.

Soon, we learned that Nazi websites had posted a call to burn our synagogue. I sat with one of our rabbis and wondered whether we should go back to the temple to protect the building. What could I do if I were there? Fortunately, it was just talk – but we had already deemed such an attack within the realm of possibilities, taking the precautionary step of removing our Torahs, including a Holocaust scroll, from the premises.

Again: This is in America in 2017.

At the end of the day, we felt we had no choice but to cancel a Havdalah service at a congregant’s home. It had been announced on a public Facebook page, and we were fearful that Nazi elements might be aware of the event.

Again, we sought police protection – not a battalion of police, just a single officer – but we were told simply to cancel the event.

Local police faced an unprecedented problem that day, but make no mistake, Jews are a specific target of these groups, and despite nods of understanding from officials about our concerns – and despite the fact that the mayor himself is Jewish – we were left to our own devices. The fact that a calamity did not befall the Jewish community of Charlottesville on Aug. 12 was not thanks to our politicians, our police or even our own efforts, but to the grace of God. And yet, in the midst of all that, other moments stand out for me, as well.

John Aguilar, a 30-year Navy veteran, took it upon himself to stand watch over the synagogue through services Friday evening and Saturday, along with our armed guard. He just felt he should.

We experienced wonder-

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ful turnout for services both Friday night and Saturday morning to observe Shabbat, including several non-Jews who said they came to show solidarity (though a number of congregants, particularly elderly ones, told me they were afraid to come to synagogue).

A frail, elderly woman approached me Saturday morning as I stood on the steps in front of our sanctuary, crying, to tell me that while she was Roman Catholic, she wanted to stay and watch over the synagogue with us. At one point, she asked, “Why do they hate you?” I had no answer to the question we’ve been asking ourselves for thousands of years.

At least a dozen complete strangers stopped by as we stood in front of the synagogue Saturday to ask if we wanted them to stand with us.

And our wonderful rabbis stood on the front lines with other Charlottesville clergy, opposing hate.

Most attention now is, and for the foreseeable future will be, focused on the deaths and injuries that occurred, and that is as it should be. But for most people, before the week is out, these events will degenerate into the all-tofamiliar bickering that is part of the larger, ongoing political narrative.

We will get back to normal, also. We have two b’nai mitzvah coming up, and soon, Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur will be upon us, too.

After the nation moves on, we will be left to pick up the pieces. Fortunately, this is a very strong and capable Jewish community, blessed to be led by incredible rabbis. We have committed lay leadership, and a congregation committed to Jewish values and our synagogue. In some ways, we will come out of it stronger – just as tempering metals make them tougher and harder.

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HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2017 27

TBE and PJ Library to celebrate Sukkot with sukkah hop

By Michelle Cohen HAKOL Editor

Regency Real Estate Contact Larry Ginsburg Cell: 610-393-0892 Office: 610-432-5252 Larry.Ginsburg@BHHSRegency.com Local Ownership. Local Commitment.

Come join Temple Beth El and PJ Library for a trek to a sampling of local sukkot on Oct. 8.

The experience, fit for the whole family, will begin at Temple Beth El, when the families will have the option to board a bus or drive their own cars to three different sukkot. Each sukkah will have its own activity and snack, including a stop at the JCC to read a PJ Library story. The day’s events will revolve around the theme of tzedakah and giving back to the community. The sukkah hop will end back at Temple Beth El with a potluck dinner.

The event is open to the entire community.

For more information, contact Michelle Rohrbach at 610-435-3521 or michelle@bethelallentown.org.

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A Harry Potter Podcast is my unexpected Jewish parenting resource

By Rabbi Rebecca Rosenthal www.kveller.com

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If you are a Harry Potter lover who hasn’t been listening to the “Harry Potter and the Sacred Text” podcast, just stop reading right now and go listen. I guarantee you will be hooked in the first ten minutes.

This podcast, created by two Harvard Divinity School grads named Vanessa Zoltan and Casper ter Kuile, reads Harry Potter in much the way you would a traditional sacred text, by taking apart every detail of the story and trying to understand it in new ways.

Now, you might not think that a podcast about Harry Potter, that often employs Christian spiritual practices, has anything to do with Jewish parenting, but I have found four ways that this podcast speaks to me as a parent, as a Jew and as a Jewish parent.

It reminds us that anything can be sacred “Harry Potter” is a series of books that I return to time

and time again, always able to notice and learn something new when I read them. But the practices outlined in this podcast remind me that something doesn’t have to be labeled a “sacred text” to be one. I often find myself annoyed at people who tell you to savor every moment while your infant is keeping you up all night or your 4-year-old is rejecting everything you offer for dinner, but there is something to the idea that, even in the mundane moments, you can find something sacred if you are willing to look. Listening to this podcast often reminds me to remember the sacredness of parenting, even if every moment doesn’t feel that way.

It helps us to pull values out of seemingly mundane situations Every week, the podcast reads one chapter of the books through a theme. They explore issues of curiosity and jealously, of love, loyalty and mercy. In one episode, the hosts talked about the fact that they choose the theme before they

actually read the chapter and that by focusing on that theme while they prepare, they see new connections and ideas.

As parents, we sometimes get stuck in one narrative about a child or a situation. By consciously pulling out a different value, we can see another side to every story, and to every person. By training ourselves in this practice, we might be able to begin to understand the child who constantly asks why, why, why, why, why as curious instead of annoying and where that curiosity can take us.

It provides a new lens for thinking about an old thing One of the most important things we do as Jews is to approach our ancient text with modern eyes. Throughout all time, Jews have looked at the writings of their predecessors and tried to understand them in light of the world in which they are now living. In this podcast, Casper and Vanessa help each of us use our values to make sense of Harry Potter and the world in which we live, in much the same way that I, as a parent, try to use ancient Jewish values to help my children make sense of their world. Reading “Harry Potter” in this way has provided me with deeper and more interesting insights into the narrative.

It reminds us not to get stuck in the way we have always done things.

Everything has moments of blessing inside of it At the end of the podcast, Casper and Vanessa take turns blessing one of the characters, and it is rarely the person you think they are going to bless.

Vanessa has given beautiful blessings to Ginny Wesley for her strength and love for Harry, and Casper has even blessed Harry’s nemesis Draco Malfoy, in recognition of the fact that no one is totally a villain. They remind us that, even in challenging moments, we can find blessings in those around us.

Judaism teaches: Who is wise?

One who learns from everyone.

Casper and Vanessa’s practice of blessing major and minor characters reminds us of this adage.

28 SEPTEMBER 2017 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

David Bernstein Continues from page 5

community? What are the various religious groups? Is there a strong evangelical contingent?

Is there a strong mainline policy contingent?

You start to look at the local demographics. Who are the power centers in the community? It’s not just ethnic or religious, it can be civic leaders or a powerful rotary club, and then you have to say: who do we get to know? Who are the most powerful forces in this community, how do we get to know them, and how do we integrate them into everything that we do as a community?

That’s how we can take a strategic look at a particular community.

When you’ve determined priorities for a community, how do you go about helping that community figure out how to be an advocate with these issues?

The first thing you want to do is get clear on what you’re trying to do, and if you’re not clear, it becomes a sort of hodgepodge of different activities and programs that don’t add up to the kind of public profile you’re looking for.

One of the things that we ask people is: what are you not going to do? We saw this in Hillels. Hillels, for many years, did programs where they’d invite students, and whoever came came. Many Hillels started to change that paradigm. They started to ask themselves how to engage the most students, and the program might be one way, but there may be others.

Maybe it’s a coffee outside the building, and so they began to rethink how they did their work. I think we need to do

the same. It’s not necessarily about what programs we do to entertain members of our community, but how are we going to reach the people we’re trying to reach in the best, most effective way possible?

in Hartford, Connecticut. That doesn’t mean it’ll perfectly apply to the Lehigh Valley, but it may, and because I’m hearing it from all these different people, I’m getting a sense of the range of possibilities.

Do you have any examples of how the JPCA has helped communities dealing with some of the recent issues, like the Kotel conflict?

We’re providing talking points and positions and so forth. I will say, it can be very challenging, because in addition to representing the Jewish community relations movement, we are an umbrella of 16 national organizations, which includes the four religious denominations, including Orthodox, conservative, reform, and Reconstructionist. When we started to talk about the Kotel issue, part of the issue was our internal conversation with the various streams of Jewish life.

For us, it’s challenging.

Some JCRCs and Federations don’t operate under that constraint, so they don’t need to reach an understanding with the Orthodox Union and the Union of Reform Judaism, whereas we do. But, we are constantly advising individual JCRCs in the way that they can best handle challenging issues in their community, be it an individual anti-Semitic act, to trying to get to know a community that they haven’t gotten to know, to what do they say about the elections? We’re trying to help them along just as we’re trying to figure these things out for ourselves.

But we do this from a unique vantage point, because I know what many others are doing, too. That’s the expertise I can bring – I know what’s happening in Boston, in York, Pennsylvania, in San Francisco,

Why should we, as Jews, be working to advocate for these issues?

There are a couple of good reasons. One is because we’re citizens in addition to Jews, and we care about issues around us. We know that a society that’s tolerant and pluralistic is a society in which Jews are more likely to be secure and thrive.

Two, we know that if we want to influence what other ethnic and religious communities think about us, or think about Israel, or about the world, we’re going to have to also take positions on issues that they care about. There’s a great phrase: “In order to have a friend, you have to be a friend.” We have to be a friend, as well, if we want friends.

How do we find a balance when it comes to representing the entire Jewish community, all of the movements, and all of the different organizations, when it comes to dealing with difficult issues that are dividing our community?

Sometimes, the job of the umbrella is to find consensus.

Consensus does not mean unanimity, it means that there’s a critical mass of people who we can represent a collective voice. That necessarily means, however, that not everybody will be happy with that consensus, because they didn’t fall in the area of consensus.

So, we do our best, through a democratic process, to try to ascertain where that baseline is, and sometimes we’re not able

to reach it. There are issues that are just too challenging, where we cannot honestly say that we’re representing a consensus, so we stay out of those issues.

At the end of the day, we can often say that we’ve had extensive consultations, we know where the various groups are coming from, and a critical mass of stakeholders believe that we should be saying X or doing X. But, you know, it’s a challenge. Sometimes, the wiser thing may be to say nothing, because we’re worried about profoundly alienating one segment of the community. There is a value in and of itself in unity, and sometimes, that means not fighting certain fights.

What do you think is the most critical issue affecting the majority of Jewish communities in the next election cycle?

I think we’re all being affected, in ways that we can’t even understand, by the polarized political culture. It’s a culture that’s amplified in social media, created in social media. It’s one that’s a product of a gerry-

mandered system of elections in which we draw in districts in order to maximize partisan feelings, and I think people can create their own realities, they can develop connections with their own tribe and ignore what everyone else is saying, and so the sense of the common good is diminished.

That is a security risk for the Jewish community. It brings out the extremes in society, and when you couple with that some of the economic transitions, I think we could be in for a very challenging time.

I contrast that with when I came into the field in the early 1990s, when things seemed pretty good for the Jews externally. We had our internal problems, we had a Jewish continuity crisis, but anti-Semitism was at an all-time low, Soviet Jewry had been successfully released from captivity, we thought we were on the throes of a Middle East peace, there were a lot of trend lines and we all thought that we didn’t have to worry about the external world. Lo and behold, 25 years later, we’re facing some very serious external challenges.

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HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2017 29

Community Calendar To list an event in the Community Calendar, submit your information on our website, www.jewishlehighvalley.org, under the “Upcoming Events” menu.

All events listed in the Community Calendar are open to the public and free of charge, unless otherwise noted. Programs listed in HAKOL are provided as a service to the community. They do not necessarily reflect the endorsement of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. The JFLV reserves the right to accept, reject or modify listings.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 27 Welcome Back BBQ 5 to 7 p.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel. Reconnect with friends, celebrate the end of summer and the beginning of another school year! Enjoy some fun before the holidays! Food, entertainment, great conversation! FREE. MONDAY, AUGUST 28 J-GOURMET: In Search of the Perfect Cocktail at The Dime 5 to 7 p.m., The Dime Restaurant, 12 N. 7th St. Allentown. Join other foodies looking for a unique and fun experience right in our own backyard.

Come to The Dime this summer for a fun and refreshing cocktail class. Lehigh Valley Style voted “Best Bartender” in the Lehigh Valley, The Dime’s own Lucas Heckenberger, will take you through the history of cocktails, one taste at a time. In a JCC exclusive event, Lucas will dazzle and delight each attendee and guide the class through classics and new trends in the cocktail scene. Attendees will get the chance to design and make an original cocktail using ingredients provided in an “Iron Chef” style competition. Two-hour class includes all beverages, hors d’oeuvres and a swag bag from The Dime including recipe cards, a special cocktail takeaway gift and discount coupons for the shops in the Hamilton Street District. Limited spots available. This event is for adults 21+ only.

Price: $48; $38 JCC members. Hungry? The Dime is offering our J-Gourmet class participants a 10 percent discount coupon toward dinner if they’d like to stay and dine after the class. Register: call 610-435-3571 or stop by the JCC Welcome Desk.

Register online at www.lvjcc.org.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30 180 Club Dinner and Raffle 6 p.m., Bnai Abraham Synagogue, 1545 Bushkill St. Easton. Cocktail hour with entertainment, delicious kosher dinner by Exquisite Caterers and $5,000 raffle open to all. Cost: $180 per ticket, admission for 2. Contact 610-905-9628 for information. Sponsored by Bnai Abraham Synagogue and Temple Covenant of Peace.

BIRTHS, WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARIES, SPECIAL HONORS & MORE!

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 JCC Fall Sampler Open House 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley. Kick off the fall by joining the JCC for “just try it” children, teen and adult programs, group exercise classes and meet the trainers. Sample what the J has to offer while enjoying complimentary popcorn and snow cones, and stop by the Red Cross blood drive. Visit www.lvjcc.org to learn more.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 PJ Celebrates Rosh Hashanah 3:30 p.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley. Join PJ Library for a delicious Rosh Hashanah apple and honey dipping bar, Rosh Hashanah craft and of course, a PJ Library story. Special guest reader Rabbi Moshe Re’em of Temple Beth El will also blow the shofar. To register, contact Abby Trachtman at abbyt@jflv.org. PJ Library is a national program administered locally by the Jewish Federation, the JCC and the Jewish Day School.

In addition to this program on Sept. 10, sample other programs that the JCC has to offer for children, teens and adults from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Visit www.lvjcc.org to learn more.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 JDS Sunset Fun Run and Carnival 5 p.m., Camp JCC in Center Valley. Join the Jewish Day School for their first annual fun run to benefit the school. You choose your path: 5k run/ walk, 1 mile run/walk or just come to have fun at the carnival! Check-in at 5 p.m., carnival begins at 5:15 p.m. with kosher Chinese dinner, games, crafts, raffles and much more! Tickets for food and activities are available for purchase. Run/ walk starts at 5:45 p.m. Run and raffle winners announced at 7:30 pm. Rain or shine. Visit www. jdslv.org to purchase tickets or learn more.

MONDAYS, SEPTEMBER 11 - DECEMBER 18 Jewish-Focused Aging Mastery Program®: J-AMP 2 to 3 p.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley. The Jewish-focused Aging Mastery Program is a 12-session program that includes expert speakers, group discussion and various levels of mastery aimed at improving the aging process.

The 12-session course covers subjects such as exercise, sleep, healthy eating and hydration, financial fitness, advance planning, healthy relationships, medication management, falls prevention and community engagement. J-AMP incorporates Jewish perspectives on aging and addresses living fully the rest of our lives. The course is for adults of all ages and all faiths.

Price: $109, JCC MVP $89. No class Oct. 2 or 11. To register for programs, please call 610435-3571 or visit www.lvjcc.org.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 NEW Community-Wide Selichot Program & Services: The Power of Forgiveness 8:30 p.m., Congregation Brith Sholom. Featuring Rabbi Sheila Peltz Weinberg in conversation with Debbie Zoller, executive director of Jewish Family Service of the Lehigh Valley. Rabbi Weinberg teaches mindfulness, meditation and yoga to rabbis, Jewish professionals and lay people in the context of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. She serves as a spiritual director to a variety of Jewish clergy including students and faculty at HUC-JIR in

New York. She is creator and co-leader of the Jewish Mindfulness Teacher Training Program and has published widely on such topics as feminism, spiritual direction, parenting, social justice and mindfulness from a Jewish perspective. Rabbi Weinberg will share insight on the topic of forgiveness from her latest book, “God Loves the Stranger.” You are invited to an evening of introspective learning, new creative and engaging services and Lehigh Valley community camaraderie. Sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Jewish Clergy Group. Please bring cleaning supplies for Jewish Family Service.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 Jewish Federation Major Donor Reception 6:30 p.m., private residence. Join the Federation for a private reception with Thane Rosenbaum, novelist, essayist and distinguished fellow and director of the Forum on Law, Culture & Society at the NYU School of the Law. Attendance requires a $5,000 minimum family commitment to the 2018 Campaign for Jewish Needs. Adult children of major donors are encouraged to attend. Dietary laws observed. For questions or to RSVP, contact Jeri Zimmerman at 610-821-5500 or jeri@jflv.org.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 2 Chair Supported Yoga 1:30 p.m., Congregation Brith Sholom. We are very pleased to announce that we will again be offering a chair supported yoga class at Brith Sholom. The class will run for a total of 10 weeks.

The cost per participant for the 10 sessions is $95.

Chair supported yoga is suitable for people of all ages, abilities and disabilities. For those who are active and have a regular yoga practice or did in the past, the chair allows for deep and sustained full range of motion without the burden of full self-weight support. The chair also allows folks with no experience at all or with injuries or physical limitations to find their fullest range of motion in all joints and muscle groups safely within the limits of their restrictions. People with balance or stability issues can do this class as well as people with dizziness issues. To register and pay for the course, please contact Tammy at the Brith Sholom office, 610-866-8009.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 2 J-Gourmet: Wine & Cheese Pairing at The Dime 5 to 7 p.m., The Dime Restaurant, 12 N. 7th St. Allentown. In another exclusive JCC event, it’s all about cheese as we gather the most popular creameries in the Lehigh Valley and allow them to showcase their best and brightest cheeses of 2017, paired with outstanding wines to give compliment. Apple Valley, Caulkins, Collective, Klein and Wittman’s will all be on hand to discuss their process and the Lehigh Valley’s award winning “cheese-scene.” What makes the best choice, the best pairings and the guide on what to consider when breaking out the cheese at parties and other events. Two-hour class with a take-home “cheesy swag bag” for each attendee. Limited spots available. Ages: 21+ only.

Hungry? The Dime is offering our J-Gourmet class participants a 10 percent discount coupon toward dinner if they’d like to stay and dine after the class. Price: $48, $38 JCC members.

Register now by calling 610-435-3571 or online at www.lvjcc.org.

Celebrate the beauty of Shabbat

Help HAKOL honor members of our community for their accomplishments by submitting information for Honorable Menschens!

Visit JewishLehighValley.org/Hakol, to submit newsworthy items — FOR FREE!

QUESTIONS?

hakol@jflv.org or 610-821-5500

30 SEPTEMBER 2017 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

with Cantor Wartell

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

Shabbat & Yom Tov Candlelighting Times Friday, Sept. 1

7:14 pm

Friday, Sept. 22

6:39 pm

Friday, Sept. 8

7:03 pm

Friday, Sept. 29

6:28 pm

Friday, Sept. 15

6:51 pm

Friday, Oct. 6

6:16 pm

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

SUNDAYS JEWISH WAR VETERANS POST 239 2nd Sunday of the month, 10 a.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley Veterans and their significant others are invited as the guest of the Ladies Auxiliary. Come and enjoy comradeship; we’ll even listen to your “war stories.” A brunch follows each meeting. Questions? Contact Commander Sheila Berg at 610360-1267 or sh-berg1@hotmail. com.

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

Adult Hebrew, Chabad Tefillin is for Jewish men and boys over the age of bar mitzvah, to learn about, and gain appreciation for, the rich and enriching Jewish practice – the mitzvah – of donning tefillin. Contact 610-351-6511.

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

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

Contact Cynthia at 610-739-2755 for reservations.

TUESDAYS TORAH STUDY 12 p.m., at the home of Cindy Daniels, 3630 Corriere Rd., Apt. 100, Easton Join Rabbi Melody of TCP to delve into the heart and soul of the Torah and how it applies to your life! No knowledge of Hebrew is necessary, nor is registration. Contact 610-2532031 for information.

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

YACHAD TORAH STUDY GROUP 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley It doesn’t matter how much you know, it matters how much you want to know. Bring your curiosity to Yachad’s Torah study group and discover the wonders, adventures and

meaning of the Torah. Moderated by lay leaders. Held in the front gallery at the JCC. Email barbart249@ aol.com for information about individual sessions.

YIDDISH CLUB 2 to 3:30 p.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley Experience the joys of Yiddish. The group meets weekly to discuss topics like cooking, politics, humor, music and all kinds of entertainment in the Yiddish language. All are welcome to join this lively, weekly discussion. There is something for everyone no matter if you know a few words, or are a fluent speaker.

Enjoy fun, fellowship, stories and more. Coffee and cookies served.

Questions? Contact Amy Sams at asams@lvjcc.org. New members welcome. Walk-ins welcome.

100,000 MILES/YR FOR KOSHER! First Tuesday of the month, 7 p.m., Congregation Beth Avraham Open to all. Fascinating vignettes from a mashgiach who drives approximately 100,000 miles/year (yes, per year!) to keep the kosher supply chain intact. From rural Arkansas to frigid Nova Scotia, winter and summer, the demands are always there.

Contact Rabbi Yitzchok I. Yagod, Kashruth Hotline (24/6), 610-9052166, rabbiyagod1@gmail.com.

CHOVOT HALEVAVOT: NURTURING THE INNER FEELINGS OF A JEW 8:45 p.m., Congregation Sons of Israel For both men and women and no prior knowledge of Jewish texts is necessary. The class will be studying the classic work of Rabbi Bachya Ibn Pekudah of 11th century Spain which will focus on cultivating the thoughts and emotions of self-reflection, trust, belief, humility, devotion and love.

WEDNESDAYS 101 JUDAISM CLASS 10 a.m., Temple Covenant of Peace Join Rabbi Melody for the 101 Judaism Class. All welcome! Contact 610-253-2031 for information.

GAMES FOR ADULTS AT THE J 1 to 3:30 p.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley Join other adults for your choice of game such as mahjong, canasta, checkers and more. Gather your friends and make new ones. Visit the JCC Welcome Desk or call 610-4353571 to learn more.

HADASSAH STUDY GROUP Every other Wednesday, 1:30 p.m., Temple Beth El Allentown Hadassah presents a stimulating series of short story seminars. All are welcome to attend these free sessions in the Temple Beth El library. The group will be reading selections from anthologies available from Amazon.com. For dates and stories, e-mail Lolly Siegel at spscomm@aol.com or call 610439-1851.

BETH AVRAHAM TORAH STUDY 7 p.m., Congregation Beth Avraham Torah: It is the common heritage that binds all Jews together. Explore the ancient wisdom of Torah together. All

are welcome. RSVP: Rabbi Yitzchok I. Yagod, 610-905-2166, rabbiyagod1@gmail.com.

TORAH STUDIES: A WEEKLY JOURNEY INTO THE SOUL OF TORAH 7 p.m., Chabad of the Lehigh Valley Torah Studies by JLI presents: Season Four 5777: A 12-part series. Cost is $36 for the complete series (textbook included). For more information contact 610-351-6511 or Rabbi@chabadlehighvalley.com.

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

THURSDAYS CHRONIC CONDITIONS GROUP 2nd Thursday of the month, 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., Jewish Family Service The group is open to anyone that is coping with living with a chronic condition and looking for others to share life issues and garner support.

Co-led by Susan Sklaroff-VanHook and Rebecca Axelrod-Cooper. Call 610821-8722 to learn more. There is no charge for the group.

A MOTHER’S DELIGHT: MAIMONIDES - RABBI AND DOCTOR 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel Join a welcoming group of KI members and their friends to discuss a variety of topics relevant to the Jewish lives we have – or want to have. No prerequisites except an open mind and a willingness to listen to each other. For more information or to get on the email list, contact shari@kilv.org or call 610-435-9074.

TORAH ON TILGHMAN 12:15 p.m., Allentown Wegmans Cantor Ellen Sussman of Temple Shirat Shalom leads a lunch and learn on the Torah. RSVP to contactus@ templeshiratshalom.com or 610-8207666.

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

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

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

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

BNEI AKIVA 5:45 p.m., Congregation Sons of Israel An Israel-centered fun program for kids ages eight to 14. This program is free and open to the public. For information and to RSVP, call 610-4336089.

Congregations

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

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

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

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

CONGREGATION BRITH SHOLOM 1190 W. Macada Rd., Bethlehem – 610.866.8009 Rabbi Michael Singer, Conservative MINYAN is at 7:25 a.m. on Thursdays, 10 a.m. on Saturdays and holidays. RELIGIOUS SCHOOL classes every Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. at Brith Sholom and Sundays at 9:30 a.m. at Bnai Abraham Synagogue.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TEMPLE ISRAEL OF LEHIGHTON 194 Bankway Str. Lehighton – 610-370-9591 Rabbi Rachel Rembrandt, Pluralistic Shabbat evening services are held monthly beginning with potluck at 6:30 p.m. followed by services at 7:30 p.m. All other regular monthly events can be found at templeisraeloflehighton.com.

TEMPLE SHIRAT SHALOM 610.730.6272 Cantor Ellen Sussman Friday night SHABBAT WORSHIP SERVICES held at 7 p.m. at The Swain School, 1100 South 24th St., Allentown. For more information, contact us at templeshiratshalom.org or 610-730-6272.

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | SEPTEMBER 2017 31

L’Shana Tova!

EAT BETTER, SPEND LESS.

Weis Markets extends to you and your family a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!

1

$ 99 Fresh Kosher Whole Chicken

1

1

$ 99

per pound

Fresh Kosher Cut-up Chicken

$ 99

per pound

Fresh Kosher Chicken Leg Quarters

per pound

$ 49

3

KOSHER PAREVE

U

PAS YISRAEL

Round Challah Plain or w/ raisins - each

U

U

$ 99

Gefen Honey Bear - 12 ounce

U

79

¢

Rokeach Memorial Candles each

2

2 $6

Jason Breadcrumbs 15 ounce

U

2 $4

2 $7

Manischewitz Matzo Ball Mix Kedem Sparkling Grape 4.5 or 5 ounce Juice - 64 ounce

U

U

2 $3 Lipton Kosher Recipe Secrets - 1.9 or 4.09 ounce

2 $1 Kedem Tea Biscuits 4.2 ounce

visit us at www.weismarkets.com or connect with us on Prices through October 11, 2017.

We also carry many of your favorite Kosher deli, dairy, frozen and grocery products.

We reserve the right to limit quantities. Not responsible for typographical or pictorial errors.

weis