We’re all more closely connected to the hostages than we realize. A Parkland High senior does the math. p8
The High Holidays are coming. See greetings from our Yoav friends, synagogue services schedules, and more. Special section
THE DESK OF JERI ZIMMERMAN p3
LVJF TRIBUTES p9
JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER p10-11
JEWISH DAY SCHOOL p12
JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE p13
DONOR LIST p14-16
COMMUNITY CALENDAR p23
The Anti-Defamation League will present a workshop on Sunday, September 29, designed to teach Jewish middle and high school kids and their family members to recognize antisemitism and anti-Israel bias and to provide tools to challenge them.
The Words to Action workshop, which will start at 6 p.m. at Congregation Keneseth Israel and include a breakout group for parents, will prepare participants to become leaders in addressing antisemitism wherever and whenever they encounter it, while encouraging them to explore and connect with
their Jewish identity and with one another.
“With the rise of antisemitism in our community, students have become especially vulnerable to episodes occurring at our schools,” said Aaron Gorodzinsky, director of development for the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, which is partnering with the ADL for this event.
“The seminar will allow them to become stronger advocates of their rights and to stand up for what they believe is the right thing to do. At the same time, we want to empower parents to be able to have educated conversa-
tions with the administration to ensure the rights of their kids to attend school in a peaceful environment is not being infringed by protestors or disruptions by other students.”
Through facilitator-led activities and discussions, workshop participants will gain essential tools, develop leadership skills, learn to analyze antisemitism as a complex system that harms society at large, evaluate the relationship between antisemitism and other forms of oppression, explore the diversity of Jewish identity and experience, and champion a
more equitable and just society through education, advocacy, and allyship. Other specific topics explored will include antisemitic jokes and Jewish portrayals in the media, responding to antisemitism online, and putting Jewish values to work.
The program, chaired by Miriam Zager, Tama Tamarkin, Lauren Rabin, Caren Lowrey, and Sara Jane Bub, is designed especially for middle and high school students, it’s also helpful for college students, summer camp counselors and staff,
and youth and other community groups. Registration is required at jewishlehighvalley.regfox. com/adl-words-of-actionworkshop or scan the QR code to attend. For further information on the program, visit adl.org/ words-to-action.
By Carl Zebrowski Editor
“In every work of art, something divine reveals itself,” said the 20th-century Jewish theologian and philosopher Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. “Art is the partnership between the divine and human in the service of unity.”
It’s fitting, then, that at this trying time for the global Jewish community, three artists from Yoav, the Lehigh Valley’s Partnership2Gether region in Israel, are coming to visit the Valley the week of September 9-13. Emphasizing the unifying power of art and in-person human connection, they’ll lead workshops that week with our synagogues, agencies, and affinity groups, engaging with community members of all ages.
Monday night, September
9, is a big event at the JCC to begin their week of presentations. Yoav’s artist-in-residence, Romina Opel, will host an art therapy session with the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley’s Women’s Philanthropy at 7 p.m., after the group’s first board meeting of the new fundraising year. Opel, who uses a range of textures and colors in her art as means of expression, identity, and resilience, will facilitate a discussion delving into the question, “What is it for me to be a Jew today during these difficult times?”
“We will explore the transformative power of art as therapy in this session, where introspection meets creativity,” she said. “Set against the rich cultural backdrop of Israel, our Jewish identity and values, participants will engage in guided artistic practices that uncover personal narratives and heal.
Discover how expressive techniques foster selfawareness and deepen connections to love and identity. It is ideal for those seeking to integrate art with personal growth and connection with Israel.”
nity who have donated $365 or more to the Federation’s 2025 campaign ($180 for NextGen, ages 30-45).
Opel, an artist and art therapist, who was born in Argentina and is “Israeli by option,” as she put it. “I find immense joy in creating new and inspiring works of art, and my heart truly lies in helping others connect with art on a deep emotional level. My goal is to nurture both artistic expression and emotional well-being, blending my love for creativity with a commitment to making a positive impact in people’s lives.”
Other programs on the artists’ itinerary include a JCC Friendship Circle, a Jewish Family Service Schmooze and Schmear meeting with retired men of the community, the Jewish Day School, the JCC Early Childhood Education, and the Jewish group home Tikvah House. They will also be at the Evening with Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus on September 10, which is open to all members of the commu-
Idit Porat and Sunny Versano are the other two artists coming from Yoav. Porat comes from Kibbutz Revadim, where she lives with her husband and daughter. After serving in the Israel Defense Forces, she went to work at an airline in Eilat, as a stewardess and filling other roles, and started studying graphic design.
Over the years she has studied art and ecology. She taught art at a high school. For 13 years she’s been working for the printing company Indigo, now in the human resources department. She does work these days in ecological building and preservation of traditional crafts.
“The most exciting thing about my profession is the communication and personal connections that are made with the help of the earth!” she said. Versano lives in Kibutz Kfar
to dedicate my life to my pas sion and founded my studio called Sunnykah,” Versano said. She works with a variety of materials and techniques and teaches art to older adults.
“I combine painting and design to create everyday products (notebooks, bugs, cups, etc.),” she continued. “I’m so grateful for the opportunity to take part in this project.”
All of the artists told Hakol they’re eager and excited about their coming visit, and they look forward to meeting everyone here.
To register for the Women’s Philanthropy art therapy session with Romina Opel on September 9, visit jewishlehighvalley.regfox.com/art-and-life.
By Israel and Valeska Zighelboim 2025 Annual Campaign
Jewish Needs Cochairs
for
We are honored to cochair the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley’s 2025 Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs. We feel most humbled to follow in Vicki Wax’s footsteps and to join our friend Billy Markson in this endeavor. Vicki and Billy have certainly been remarkable role models who have recruited us and motivated us to get involved with the Jewish Federation and many other local and national organizations.
As new members of this community 12 years ago, our inspiration to support Jewish needs had been deeply rooted by our shared heritage, our personal histories, and our understanding about the pressing needs of the communities across the Diaspora and the State of Israel. This
community has inspired us even more as our family has directly benefited from this community’s institutions and we have found ourselves surrounded by love and support during personal and communal times of need.
Our journey began in the Jewish community of Venezuela, a once-thriving community that has now been almost decimated. Growing up in such a vibrant environment instilled in us a strong sense of identity and a commitment to our Jewish values. These early experiences have shaped who we are today and have fueled our passion for giving back to the community that has given us so much.
As the son, and the granddaughter, of Holocaust survivors, we feel committed to the safety of our people. Our families’ stories of resilience, courage, and hope in the face of unimaginable adversity have been a guiding light in our lives. They remind us of
the importance of standing together as a community, supporting one another, and ensuring that the horrors of the past are never forgotten.
Today, we find ourselves in a world where antisemitism is on the rise and the State of Israel faces constant threats. These challenges only strengthen our resolve to support our community and the State of Israel. The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley plays a crucial role in addressing these issues, providing essential services and fostering a sense of unity and purpose among us.
The annual fundraising campaign is a vital part of this effort. The funds raised support a wide range of programs and services locally and globally. From institutions committed to education and culture, to social services and support for Israel, and to Jews in need all across the Diaspora. Our contributions make a real difference in the
lives of countless individuals and families, helping to build stronger, more resilient Jewish life in our community and across the globe.
We are incredibly proud of the work that the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley does, and we are committed to ensuring its continued success. But we cannot do it alone. We need your help. We need your passion, your generosity, and your commitment to making a difference.
There are many ways to get involved in this year’s campaign. You can make a donation and volunteer your time as you help spread the word about the important work that the Federation does. Every contribution, no matter how small, has a meaningful impact!
As we embark on this journey together, we are reminded of the words of Rabbi Hillel: “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am only for myself, what am
I? And if not now, when?” Now is the time for us to come together as a community, to support one another, and to ensure a bright future for generations to come.
We are deeply grateful for your support and look forward to working with you to make this year’s annual campaign a resounding success. Together, we can achieve great things and continue to build a strong, vibrant, and compassionate community. Let’s get to work!
Originally hailing from Erie, Pennsylvania, Connor Hayes has spent much of his life in the South, in Georgia and Florida. A job as a photographer and social media staffer for Camp Kweebec in Schwenksville brought him to Eastern Pennsylvania.
With a passion for Jewish studies and research, he earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Florida. During his time there,
he was heavily involved in the Hillel and Chabad, sitting on the former’s religious life committee. He received a Samuel “Bud” Shorstein Award from the Jewish studies department for his thesis on the rise and decline of Yiddish summer camp programs in 20th-century America. Following this, he relocated to Delaware to become a Springboard Fellow at the University of Delaware Hillel.
Serving on campus during the 2023-24 academic year, he supported students with Jewish learning, while also coaching and empowering student leaders to defend Israel on campus. In the aftermath of October 7, he and the rest of the Hillel team came together and organized a communitywide vigil, and brought 20-plus students to the March for Israel in Washington, D.C. In March, he traveled to Israel
to attend a Birthright-Taglit Educators Program examining immersive learning in a postOctober 7 world.
In his free time, he enjoys getting into a new book (currently “Thou Shalt Innovate” by Avi Jorisch), board game nights, live music, and historical research.
You can reach him at 610821-5500, ext. 331.
As summer comes to an end, it’s bittersweet to see it go, but the excitement of a new year brings with it hopes and possibilities. Here at the Jewish Federation, we’ve been diligently planning for the upcoming program year—scheduling committee meetings, preparing events, launching new projects, and connecting with affinity groups and event chairs. We’re enthusiastic about the opportunities that the 2024-25 year holds.
Our 2025 Campaign for Jewish Needs, chaired by Bill Markson and Israel and Valeska Zighelboim, is set to kick off with a series of exciting events. We’re thrilled to start the year with an informative major gifts reception and community program on Tuesday evening, September 10. This event is chaired by Eileen Fischmann, Eileen Ufberg, and Vicki Wax and will feature Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus, a senior fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former international spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces. This will be an important briefing you won’t want to miss.
Women’s Philanthropy, led by Laurie Wax, will commence the campaign year with a special program on Monday, September 9, featuring three remarkable artists from Yoav, our Partnership2Gether community. During their stay in the Lehigh Valley, Sunny, Idit, and Romina will lead workshops with our synagogues and agencies and engage with groups of all ages. This will be followed by a Lion of Judah/Pomegranate event on October 22. Organized by event chairs Carol Bub Fromer, Beth Kushnick, Lauren Rabin, Naomi Schachter, Tama Tamarkin, and Crissy Toff, it will take place at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia. Women’s Philanthropy is also preparing mitzvah project opportunities, and we look forward to seeing you there.
Zach Goldsmith continues to lead our Maimonides Society and we anticipate robust, programming on current topics. Our Maimonides Society is at the forefront of both philanthropy and service. The society provides a unique
IN HONOR
CAROL BUB FROMER
In celebration of receiving the Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award
Eileen and Roberto Fischmann
ELLIOT GOOTMAN
In celebration of your 80th birthday
Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald
MARILYN GOOTMAN
In celebration of your 80th birthday
Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald
JACKIE AND BENJI SCHECHNER
In celebration of the birth of your daughter, Rozalia Schechner
Alina and Dan Schechner
Jennie Schechner and Aaron Gorodzinsky
ROZALIA SCHECHTER
In celebration of the birth of our cousin Paloma and Diego Schechner
RANDI AND DONALD
SENDEROWITZ
In celebration of the birth of your grandson, Loukas Evangelos Ntonados
Eileen and Roberto Fischmann
opportunity for healthcare professionals to connect to a cause they care about and to each other. Their first program will take place on Sunday, September 22, and will feature guest speaker Suparna Damany, who will talk about getting yourself ready for the Jewish New Year.
NextGen, chaired by Chelsea Busch, Aviva Marlin, and Lyell Scherline, is gearing up to host three to four events during the year for individuals aged 30-45, aiming to inspire young leaders and strengthen our Jewish community. They are dedicated to creating a vibrant space for the next generation of engaged, empowered young adults committed to our community’s future.
We’re also excited to launch two important initiatives to address antisemitism. The Be the Narrative Student to Student program will foster engaged teen volunteers to share their Jewish identity and experiences, while a hands-on workshop for parents and students, in collaboration with the Anti-Defamation League, will provide practical tools and insights.
As we approach the first anniversary of the tragic events of October 7, we’ll commemorate this moment on Monday, October 7, with a special multimedia presentation. Chaired by Naomi Schachter, Tama Tamarkin, and Miriam Zager, this program will feature a moving video and musical tribute created by Sally Mitlas Productions, reflecting the complex emotions of grief, pride, horror, and hope.
Your participation and support are crucial in turning our communal aspirations into reality. With Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish New Year, approaching, we enter a time of reflection and renewal. It’s a chance to assess our actions
from the past year and seek ways to improve ourselves, our community, and the world in the year ahead. This season always inspires me to reflect on our collective goals and impact and the potential of what we can achieve together.
Wishing you, your family, and our entire community a sweet New Year filled with an abundance of joy, peace, and contentment.
Shanah Tovah, Metukah, U’mevurechet!
HAKOL STAFF
CARL ZEBROWSKI Editor
CHARLENE RIEGGER Director of Marketing
HAKOL is published 11 times per year for the Jewish communities of Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton and vicinity by the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. COMMUNITY SUBMISSIONS
Submissions to HAKOL must be of interest to the entire Jewish community. HAKOL reserves all editorial rights including, but not limited to, the decision to print any submitted materials, the editing of submissions to conform to style and length requirements, and the placement of any printed material. Quotes may be edited for grammar and clarity. Articles should be submitted by e-mail or presented as typed copy; “Community Calendar” listings must be submitted by e-mail to hakol@jflv.org or online at www.jewishlehighvalley.org. Please include your name and a daytime telephone number where you can be contacted in the event questions arise. We cannot guarantee publication or placement of submissions.
MAIL, FAX, OR E-MAIL TO: JFLV ATTN: HAKOL 702 N. 22nd St. Allentown, PA 18104
Phone: (610) 821-5500
Fax: (610) 821-8946
E-mail: hakol@jflv.org
IN MEMORY
JACOB ELLIS
(Son of Lisa and Andrew Ellis, grandson of Wendy and Ross Born)
Dee and Arny Kaplan
LYNDA EXTRACT
(Daughter of Eleanor Extract, sister of Andy Extract)
Vicki Wax
MARILYN LOUICK
(Wife of David Louick)
Robie and Don Barga
DENA ZAHN
(Mother of Bruce Zahn) Partnership2Gether Committee
WILLIAM THOMPSON Digital Marketing and Graphic Design Associate
DIANE McKEE Account Representative hakolads@jflv.org
JFLV EXECUTIVE STAFF
JERI ZIMMERMAN Executive Director
AARON GORODZINSKY Director of Development
DENISE AHNER Director of Finance & Administration
LEE KESTECHER SOLOMON Director of Community Engagement
CONNOR HAYES Director of Community Programming
ROBBY WAX JFLV President
WENDY EDWARDS Office Manager
GINGER HORSFORD Donor Services Associate
All advertising is subject to review and approval by The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley (JFLV). JFLV reserves the right to decline, withdraw and/or edit any ad. The appearance of any advertising in HAKOL does not represent an endorsement or kashrut certification. Paid political advertisements that appear in HAKOL do not represent an endorsement of any candidate by the JFLV.
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
Correction Michele Salomon wrote the article about Congregation Keneseth Israel’s
JCC Kline Auditorium
Let’s come
By Avraham Sacks United Hatzalah
United Hatzalah of Israel sends Hakol regular updates like the following about the ambucycle donated by the Jewish Federation’s Maimonides Society in memory of Dr. Mickey Ufberg. Volunteer EMT Yonatan Auoat drives the motorcycle-ambulance through the crowded streets of Netanya and can make it to the scene quicker than a regular ambulance
A few months ago, a 14-year-old boy lost control of his e-bike and slammed into a car, sustaining a suspected head wound and fractures to his arms and legs.
Auoat lives nearby and was the first medical responder to arrive, thanks to the Ufberg ambucycle (shown at the far right in this photo of the scene). He
synagogue when dispatch alerted him to a childbirth in progress. Thankfully, he had parked the Ufberg ambucycle at his in-laws’ home so he could remain on call over the festival. Again, he arrived first on the scene.
The woman’s panicked husband greeted Auoat at the door and quickly rushed him inside. The woman’s contractions were coming hard and fast, and Auoat assessed that there wasn’t enough time to make it to the hospital. He calmed and reassured the couple as he helped the woman lie down and started unpacking his birth kit.
An intensive care crew
Chaired by Naomi Schachter, Tama Tamarkin, Miriam Zager
ADVOCATES for
and combats
ALLOCATES funds to support our local agencies, Hillels,
camps, and to support
programming to meet the needs of our community ASSURES the continuation of our Jewish community
and
AMPLIFIES your voices and values to the wider community
APPRECIATES your generosity to make sure GOOD continues to grow throughout our community
One day this summer, art therapist Barb Hoffman visited the Tikvah House group residence for mentally disabled Jewish adults to lead a painting-on-canvas project with residents Adam, Becky, and Allie.
The theme was love and everyone used acrylic paint, markers, glitter glue pens, gel pens, and gem stickers to design a circular canvas (they
all chose that shape) and then put a message on it to give to a loved one. Each artist had a large sheet of cardboard for practicing with the different media.
Of course the group enjoyed some snacks. You can’t have a Jewish event without food! More events like this will be planned for the future.
The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley’s Women’s Philanthropy will come together 6:30-8 p.m. on Tuesday, September 17, in the JCC Kline Auditorium to create a community mosaic and for a virtual face-to-face with our friends in Yoav, the Valley’s Partnership2Gether region in Israel.
Participants will attach small, glazed ceramic tiles to a backdrop featuring a picture specially designed for the occasion—think of the tiling process as sort of paintby-number. The result will be a communal art piece that emphasizes solidarity with Israel and our partnership with Yoav.
“For our first Mitzvah project of the year, Fay Kun had the great idea to do something for Israel, especially since we are approaching the anniversary of October 7,” said Gia Kornet Jones, one of the event cochairs along with Kun, Miriam Zager, Ilene Ringold, and Rachel Levin. “A creative and hands-on project like the mosaic allows us to come together as a Lehigh Valley community while also showing our partnership in Yoav that we are thinking of them. The tile mosaic will be a blend of the American and Israeli Flags.”
Our Yoav partners will take the Women’s Philanthropy group on a virtual guided
tour of their region. This will provide an opportunity for learning more about the history of our partnership and the numerous ways our community has made a positive impact there.
Registration is required at jewishlehighvalley.regfox. com/mosaic-mitzvah-project. And please consider sponsoring tiles, which you can also do at the registration page. All proceeds will go to the Operation Swords of Iron Israel Emergency Campaign. For more information, email Lee Kestecher Solomon, director of community engagement, at lee@jflv.org or call her at 610-821-5500, ext. 328.
Romina Opel, artist-in-residence from Yoav, our Partnership2Gether community, uses art as a means of expression, identity, and resilience. She will host a session utilizing a range of textures and colors to reflect emotions and facilitate a discussion delving into “What is it for me to be a Jew today” during these difficult times.
Jacqueline C. Romero, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of PA
FEATURED SPEAKERS:
Muhammed Said Selmanlar, Peace Islands Institute Pennsylvania
Ashley Coleman, Bradbury-Sullivan LGBTQ Community Center
Rabbi Michael Singer, Congregation Brith Sholom
Esther Lee, NAACP Bethlehem
MODERATOR:
Janine
By Rabbi Shoshanah Tornberg Congregation Keneseth Israel
Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Israel. My goal as a rabbi and community leader was to listen, to learn, and to witness. It was a four-day trip in the early days of May, and there was much to listen to, much to learn, and much to witness. I share here reflections on one activist with whom we visited.
On May 7 we visited with Ronen Koehler of Brothers and Sisters in Arms in G’lilot. Like many Israelis, Koehler served in the Israel Defense Forces. Koehler has dedicated 40 years of service to the navy, 17 of which were on active duty. He is a business leader in the areas of organizational development and IT and is embedded in the “startup nation” identity of contemporary Israel. On October 7, his organization rallied a remarkable response to the crisis facing their fellow Israelis. In response to the war, Brothers and Sisters in Arms began providing agricultural
support. Many farmers were deployed in the IDF, and many foreign national farm workers left the country. Ahim LaNeshek (Brothers and Sisters in Arms’ Hebrew name) also immediately created an apolitical NGO called Brothers and Sisters for Israel, and they assisted with the thousands of evacuations of Israelis from towns near Gaza and near the northern border with Lebanon.
They began to dub their effort K’var Ba’im, meaning Here We Come Brothers and Sisters for Israel deployed their organizational efforts to get people out of dangerous areas. In the first 10 days of their operation, they rescued 10,000 people from places like Sderot.
October 7 was a Saturday, and by Sunday, October 8, Brothers and Sisters for Israel put up a civilian headquarters for donations to take south to the Gaza envelope communities and to families who were living in faraway towns as evacuees. It was in these headquarters
that we met with Koehler. Ahim LaNeshek created a civilian response to meet the wartime needs of the nation. Through this and other facilities, the group executed a huge logistical operation to manage donations and distribution of supplies.
To boost morale and to provide restaurants jobs, volunteers also stepped up to feed soldiers, using donated restaurant facilities. The group fed 30,000 meals to soldiers in the immediate aftermath of October 7. The group also became involved in pet rescue management.
Ahim LaNeshek very quickly became a giant, effective civil service organization. Countless Israelis have been personally involved in its efforts. And as the group thinks about the future of Israeli society, as they think about charting a course for preserving democracy, they have created and mobilized a profoundly effective and necessary platform of organizational and civil management.
Israeli Culture: Where Has It Been? Where Is It Going?
We are all so proud to tout Israel as a startup nation, but, Koehler opined, the private sector forgot the importance of the public sector. As a result, the services of the government’s
public sector have atrophied. In the breach left by October 7, many Israeli donors (from the private sector) showed up with funding for these community needs. Israel was not just looking to the Diaspora for funding, but was stepping up itself as Israelis began to pivot their sense of civic duty. According to Koehler, Israelis have begun to understand that being a citizen in a democracy has to be more than paying taxes. Citizens have to be involved if they do not want to cede the important social questions to politicians. Israel is beginning to understand that involvement sometimes means protesting. Sometimes it means volunteering. Sometimes it means philanthropy. The prevailing ethos used to be, “I did my army service, and now I am going to make money.” But this is changing.
Ahim LaNeshek is creating a database of people who share their values and who want to be involved in a democratic process and the growing civil society. And their message and efforts are becoming a ubiquitous part of Israeli life.
Beyond the Emergency About four weeks into the war, the emergencies had been covered, and the organizational leaders could see that a longer-
term effort was needed. This was when volunteer Avi Noam started over 120 kindergartens. This was when Ahim LaNeshek began to create youth activities and teen support programs.
Two months ago, Koehler’s team realized it was time to get ready for the future.
How can Brothers and Sisters for Israel create a sustainable civilian support organization for situations that are not necessarily emergencies?
They have begun to develop a more formal organization, hire staff, and clarify their areas of focus:
• community and education
• democratic, Jewish, humanistic social change
I was delighted to learn upon my return that funds contributed to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley through the Israel Emergency Campaign support these independent civilian efforts.
Over and over throughout my trip, I heard from leaders, activists, citizens, scholars, and others how this moment of crisis is an opportunity. It was hard not to hear in Koehler’s remarks both the enormity of the task and the compelling possibility for a better Israeli future.
Laurie and Marc Berson moved to Allentown in June 1984, with Mark coming from Pomona, New York, and Laurie from Dresher, Pennsylvania. Marc was joining a private optometric practice and Laurie was beginning her career as an early intervention speech and language pathologist.
Laurie’s Jewish identity was shaped by her traditional Conservative upbringing, weekly Shabbat synagogue attendance, many summers at Camp Ramah, and Hebrew school attendance through graduation from high school. Marc’s classical Reform observance included Hebrew school, holidays, and bar mitzvah.
For both of them, commitment to the Jewish community was modeled by their parents. Laurie’s parents were active in their temple and held leadership roles. Marc’s were lifelong members of their temple.
When Laurie and Marc moved to Allentown, their desire to establish a connection to the Jewish community was automatic. They joined Temple Beth El and have been associate members at both Congregation Sons of Israel and Congregation Keneseth Israel for many years. Their adult children, Andrew and Ronni, proudly attended the Jewish Day School through middle school. Marc is currently serv-
ing his final year as president of the day school.
For both Laurie and Marc, being a part of the Allentown Jewish community has provided comfort, connection, and support in times of sadness and simcha. They are profoundly grateful for the relationships they have made and believe their lives have been immeasurably blessed by them.
Their hope for the Jewish community of the future is for it to thrive, grow, and be enriched by the contributions
of the next generation of members. Laurie and Marc chose to make a legacy gift commitment to support this hope.
Through the Life and Legacy program, you too can ensure your lasting impact on our community, supporting its growth and vitality for generations to come. Your legacy will fund vital projects and services, preserving the values you cherish. For information on how you can make this happen, contact Aaron Gorodzinsky at 610-821-5500, ext. 337, or aaron@jflv.org
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By Max Averbach Special to Hakol
In 1980-81, during the Iran hostage crisis, Walter Cronkite, America’s most renowned news anchor, ended every segment of his show, CBS Evening News, with the number of days the hostages had been held captive in Iran. Since October 7, Jewish communities across the world have been counting each day the Israeli hostages have been held in Gaza, each day since our lives have been turned upside down and thrust into a nightmare.
There are currently 107 hostages, living and dead, being held in Gaza. Forty-one of them have been confirmed deceased, and the fates of the other 74 are unknown. Israel has a population of 9.8 million people. Starting with that figure, if you consider the Columbia University study that showed the average American knows 611 people, you can estimate that 1 of every 150 Israelis personally knows one of the hostages. The math also indicates that Israelis who do not personally know a hostage know someone who does.
There are only 15.7 million Jews in the world, with 7.2 million of them living in Israel and 6.3 million in the United States. Since most
American Jews know at least one resident of Israel, most are only two or three links away from knowing a hostage.
The hostages are more than just statistics. They are human beings, human beings who have been suffering greatly for nearly 330 days. Ever since October 7, more and more information has been revealed about their lives before their kidnappings, which has made it easier for us to make our own personal connections to them. They are people who share common hobbies, family histories, backgrounds, and struggles with us.
Recognizing the similarities between them and us allows us to see them as more than a number, even more than a name and face, but as our fellow human beings. Two members of the Lehigh Valley Jewish community, Tama Tamarkin and Alicia Zahn, have contributed some of their own personal connections to the 107 hostages. Tamarkin shared, “Hostage Eden Yerushalmi likes to do Pilates. I like to do Pilates. Bar Kuperstein is a grandson of Holocaust survivors. I too am a grandchild of Holocaust survivors. Shiri Bibas is a mother of two boys. I am a mother of two boys (and a girl). Omer Neutra is a
22-year-old Israeli American. He deferred his college acceptance to Binghamton University to move to Israel. I grew up in Binghamton and went to tennis camp at Binghamton University. My mom taught Yiddish there. I have celiac disease and so do two of my kids. Omer Shem-Tov, a 21-year-old hostage who was stolen from a music festival where he went to dance and spread peace, also has celiac disease. I have met Omer’s mom and cousin and have promised to fight for him!”
Zahn shared, “One of my sons is 26 years old and loves to attend concerts and music festivals. Almog Sarusi, 26, was kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival. My daughter graduated from Parkland High School and, as an American citizen, volunteered to join the Israeli army. She is now a dual Israeli-U.S. citizen living in Israel. Edan Alexander, 20, is an IsraelU.S. citizen who also volunteered to join the Israeli army. He was serving near the Gaza border at the time of Hamas’s attack. He was taken to Gaza as a hostage. In March, I celebrated my father’s 89th birthday with him. In March, Shlomo Mansour turned 86 in captivity. He was kidnapped from Kibbutz Kissufim, where he lived and worked as a chicken coop manager.
His wife, Mazal, managed to escape and is waiting for him along with their five children and 12 grandchildren. One of my sons is 24 years old and is living his best life in New York City. Matan Zanguaker, 24, was taken from his home in Nir Oz, and we don't even have proof that he is still living.”
For several months, posters of two hostages have resided on my dresser: Agam Berger and Oded Lifshitz. Agam Berger, 20, spent her first nine months from conception as I did: sharing a womb with a twin (Li-Yam). When Agam was in fourth grade, she started playing the violin, like many of my good friends, and, also like them, became a skilled violinist. On October 5, Agam reported to Nahal Oz for her mandatory Israel Defense Forces service. Less than 48 hours later, she was taken hostage by Hamas along with six others.
Oded Lifshitz, 84, worked for several decades as a journalist, the same career that I myself desire. As a journalist, he advocated for the Bedouins expelled from the Sinai Peninsula, was one of the first journalists to report on
the Sabra and Shatila massacres, and drove Gazans in need of medical care to Israeli hospitals. On the morning of October 7, Oded was taken hostage by Hamas alongside his wife, Yocheved. Yocheved was released in October, while Oded has not been heard from since. It would be remiss not to mention Bipin Joshi of Nepal and the eight Thai hostages that are still being held. It would be further remiss not to mention four muslims—
Degrees of separation
Continues on page 21
Jacob
IN HONOR
JOAN AND RICH BASS
In celebration of your grandson Dylan’s engagement to Sydney
Marilyn Claire
Beth and Wes Kozinn
JILL AND JEFF BLINDER
In celebration of your 50th wedding anniversary
Evelyn and Jay Lipschutz
MIRIAM AND JOHN BOTZUM
In celebration of your daughter Rav Lexie being ordained in Jerusalem at Yashrut
Jeanette and Eduardo
Eichenwald
CAROL BUB FROMER
In celebration of receiving the Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award
Jeanette and Eduardo
Eichenwald
Marlene and Arnan Finkelstein
Beth and Wes Kozinn
Roberta and Alan Penn
SAM BUB
In gratitude for your recovery
Jeanette and Eduardo
Eichenwald
LAURENCE CHACKER
In celebration of your new home
Joan and Richard Bass
WENDY EDWARDS
In celebration of your son Seth’s marriage to Haley Shine
Beth and Wes Kozinn
We
JAN AND GLENN EHRICH
In celebration of your son Noah’s marriage to Nicolette Almer
Jeanette and Eduardo
Eichenwald
EILEEN AND ROBERTO
FISCHMANN
In celebration of the birth of your granddaughter, Mila Aliette and Marc Abo
Beth and Wes Kozinn
BARNET FRAENKEL
In celebration of your retirement Aliette and Marc Abo
CAROL AND BARRY HALPER
In celebration of your 47th wedding anniversary
Aaron Gorodzinsky and Jennie
Schechner
BETH KOZINN
In celebration of your birthday
Marilyn Claire
LINDA AND HAROLD KREITHEN
In celebration of the birth of your granddaughter, Londyn Aria Lynne and Mark Shampain
ETHAN KUSHNICK
In celebration of your graduation from Tulane
The Wiener Family
ELAINE LANGER
In honor of your retirement from Temple Beth El Religious School
Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald
Marlene and Arnan Finkelstein
ALLI AND SCOTT LIPSON
In celebration of your daughter
Meredith’s graduation from Law School
Debi Wiener
DEBROSHA MCCANTS AND ERIC GOLDMAN
In celebration of the Bat Simcha of your granddaughter
Jeanette and Eduardo
Eichenwald
ELAINE AND LEON PAPIR
In celebration of your grandson
Sam’s Bar Mitzvah
Aliette and Marc Abo
LOTA POST
In honor of a speedy recovery
Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald
Marlene and Arnan Finkelstein
ENID AND BRUCE REICH
In celebration of the birth of your granddaughter, Seraphina ReichDonnelly
Elaine and Leon Papir
RANDI AND DONALD
SENDEROWITZ
In celebration of the birth of your grandson, Loukas Evangelos Ntonados
Andie and Jim Jesberger
Hank Narrow and Sheryl Martin
JERI ZIMMERMAN
In celebration of the birth of your granddaughter, Gali
Aliette and Marc Abo
Beth and Wes Kozinn
IN MEMORY
DANI
(Brother of Nurit Shalev)
Herma Abramson
Pam and Marty Pearlmutter
SUSAN
(Sister of Robert Shaw)
Robie and Don Barga
JERRY BLOCK
(Uncle of Rance Block)
Aliette and Marc Abo
MAXWELL DAVISON
(Father of Mark, Andrew and Douglas Davison)
Marlene and Arnan Finkelstein
Randi and Donald Senderowitz
Eileen Ufberg and Family
JACOB ELLIS
(Son of Lisa and Andrew Ellis, brother of Lilah, grandson of Wendy and Ross Born)
Aliette and Marc Abo
Lisa and Ellis Block
Karen and Peter Cooper
Jan and Glenn Ehrich
Jeanette and Eduardo
Eichenwald
Roberta and Jeff Epstein
Jane and Arthur Kaplan
Susan and Marc Vengrove
Vicki Wax
IRWIN GREENBERG
(Husband of Diane Greenberg)
Aliette and Marc Abo
FRANCINE KATZMAN
(Sister of Seth Katzman)
Lynne and Mark Shampain
LEN LEVY
(Husband of Janice Levy, brother of Herb Levy)
Randi and Donald Senderowitz
Eileen Ufberg
Vicki Wax
MARILYN LOUICK
(Wife of David Louick)
Pam and Greg Silverberg
GERSHON MANDELKER
(Father of Eiran Mandelker)
Sylvia and Sam Bub and Family
ADINA PORESKY
(Mother of Sandi Goller)
Eileen Ufberg
LISA SHEDROFF
(Wife of Steve Shedroff)
Stephanie and Bob Kricun
DENA ZAHN
(Mother of Bruce Zahn)
Lee and Ariel Solomon
HELEN AND SOL KRAWITZ
HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL FUND
IN MEMORY
MAXWELL (MAX) DAVISON
(Father of Mark, Andrew and Douglas Davison)
Susan Engelson Friefeld
Joan Lesavoy and Family
JACOB ELLIS
(Grandson of Wendy and Ross Born)
Susan Engelson Friefeld
HARRY ROSE
(Husband of Carole Rose)
Joan Lesavoy and Family
By Heather Lavin Program Director
Friendship Circle is back welcoming senior adults to our regular social gathering that offers special programming to entertain, educate, and engage. From musical performances and guest speakers to hands-on activities and demonstrations, each meeting provides a wonderful opportunity to connect with others in the community. A vegetarian meal is also provided at each meeting, adding a delightful culinary touch to our gatherings.
Mark your calendars for the Fall Opening Luncheon on Monday, September 9, from 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. This year’s kickoff event will
By Eric Lightman Executive Director
In late October, the JCC of the Lehigh Valley will be visited by Avi Melamed, a foremost expert in Middle East history and geopolitics. Avi’s career includes working for legendary Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek as the senior advisor on Arab affairs, as an intelligence analyst, and as an educator with the Eisenhower Institute in Washington, D.C. His nonprofit organization, Inside the Middle East, is dedicated to nonpartisan apolitical education about the Middle East, and to increasing the understanding of Israel within that framework.
Avi’s unique approach to teaching
feature a special activity led by visiting artists from Israel, offering a unique cultural experience you won’t want to miss. Join us for a memorable afternoon filled with good food, engaging activities, and the warm camaraderie that defines our group.
As we launch the 2024-2025 season, this luncheon is the perfect opportunity to reconnect with old friends and welcome new members. Enjoy a delicious lunch while we set the tone for an exciting year ahead.
We’re also excited to introduce Simon Katz, our new Membership and Program Associate. Born and raised in the Lehigh Valley, Simon is proud to call Allentown his home. He attended preschool
at the JCC and graduated from Salisbury High School before earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Sport, Tourism, and Hospitality Management with a concentration in Event Planning from Temple University.
Simon has worked as an event Planner in Philadelphia, where he planned and executed a wide range of events, from arts-focused block parties to large-scale conferences across the Mid-Atlantic region. Returning to the Lehigh Valley last fall, Simon is eager to make a positive impact in a community he’s passionate about. He’s excited to bring his experience and enthusiasm for creating memorable experiences to the entire JCC community, especially
the Friendship Circle. Don’t miss out on this exciting start to another fantastic year with the Friendship Circle! For more details, visit lvjcc.org/ friendshipcircle or contact Simon at 610-435-3571 or at skatz@lvjcc.org.
about Israel is offered as an alternative to the typical “hasbarah” talking points that are sometimes provided by Israel for Western audiences. Avi is fluent in Hebrew, Arabic and English, providing him the unique opportunity to present and encourage understanding of an unparallel perspective of the intricate Middle East tapestry. Avi also produced a five-part miniseries, “The Seam Line,” which delves into his past work with the Arab-Israeli community in East Jerusalem, and is available to watch for free on the Izzy streaming platform.
In collaboration with the JCC Association of North America, Avi will be visiting communities across North America in the
coming year to speak to audiences of all ages, faiths, and interests. The JCC is pleased to announce that he is tentatively scheduled to visit the Lehigh Valley Oct. 28-30 for multiple events. Please stay
tuned to the JCC’s e-newsletter and website for upcoming details about these events. For more information about Avi and his organization, please visit insidethemiddle-east.com.
By Heather Lavin Program Director
By Tracy Sussman Director of Membership and Marketing
By Jackie Weiss Early Childhood & Jewish Education Coordinator
This past month, Eric Lightman, the executive director of the Jewish Community Center of the Lehigh Valley, participated in a solidarity mission to Israel. The group, organized by the JCC Association of North America, comprised 40 executive staff and lay leaders representing Jewish communities across the United States and Canada.
Our ECE students had a sweet second week of school! For Rosh Hashanah this year, a couple of our ECE classes gathered in the gym for a special honeybee presentation (minus the bees).
Dr. Robbie Roeshman, a master beekeeper for 35 years, along with his wife, Adrienne London, are beekeepers in the Lehigh Valley. The presentation was a fun and interactive experience with props, beekeeping supplies, a honeybee song, and a waggle dance! The students enjoyed pretending to be bees and buzzing around the gym.
The trip was intended to bear witness to the atrocities and aftermath of the Oct. 7 attacks and the ensuing war, to show the North American community’s collective support for Israel, and to bring the experience of the current reality of life in Israel back to local communities. Over the course of four very busy days, the group toured sites and met with leaders from around the country.
The students learned that honeybees get all their food from flowers and the food consists of nectar and pollen. Afterwards, the students had the opportunity to look at a container of nectar and a container of pollen. The students now know that nectar is a liquid and pollen looks like dust.
The 2023-2024 season begins in mid-November with practices and games starting in December. We are recruiting for teams in grades 1-2, grades 3-4, and grades 5-6. We are always looking for coaches and volunteers to help us make the program a success. Practices take place during the week, with games on Sundays both at home and away. Whether they are new to the sport or are looking to play with friends, JHoops is the perfect opportunity for your child to get in the game. Our teams will once again be competing in the Rising Stars Basketball League, in both boys and girls leagues. All teams must have a required minimum number of players to run. Our time in the league for the 2022-2023 season was a huge success, giving our teams opportunities to play (and win) in a league that fits our players’ skills. Stay tuned for our home game schedule!
Additionally, the students had the opportunity to smell a honeycomb and learn how honey is made!
gardens, witnessing the devastation that befell a peaceful neighborhood in which 25% of its residents were murdered or taken as hostages.
The honeybees collect nectar from flowering plants and bring the nectar back to the hive. Once the honeybees are back in the hive, the nectar is stored inside the empty combs made of beeswax.
The group also toured the site of the Nova Music Festival where 346 people lost their lives while celebrating peace and love, in the worst single attack against Jews since the Holocaust.
The honeybees then flap their wings very quickly to remove the excess moisture. Afterwards, the honeybees make a wax to create a seal over the honeycomb for protection. Finally, beekeepers harvest the honey by collecting the honeycomb frames and scraping off the wax cap that seals the honey. The frames are then placed in an extractor to spin honey out of the comb. After the honey is extracted, it is strained to remove any remaining wax or other particles. After straining the honey, it is time to bottle, label, and bring it to you!
To register or for more information about JHoops visit lvjcc.org/JHoops.
With the opening of winter programs we will also bring back our popular JHoops Jr. classes. Both Pre-K and Kindergarten-aged athletes will have the opportunity to be introduced to basketball and learn basic skills. These practices are once a week and include inhouse recreational scrimmages.
How does honey connect to the High Holidays? Because eating apples and honey is a tradition on Rosh Hashanah, of course! We
The group also met with colleagues from the Israel Association of Community Centers who are currently working to maintain community services for Israel’s 300,000 citizens in border communities who have been evacuated for safety for the past 105 days. “I told these amazing leaders that we understand the difficulty and the importance of their work,” Eric said after returning from his trip. “They do the same work that our JCC staff do back in Allentown. But although we have had our challenges over the years, we’ve never had to deal with the type of personal and collective trauma they are now faced with.”
By Kaitlyn Stefanowicz Marketing Coordinator
By Heather Lavin Program Director
The trip’s most emotional moments came during the group’s tour of some of the devastated communities near the Gaza border, including Kibbutz Nir Oz. With a military escort and wearing bulletproof vests while fighting across the border continued just a mile away, the group walked through the burned remains of houses and
This summer, the JCC welcomed the Friends of Israel Scouts Tzofim Friendship Caravan for a special end-of-summer program made
Stagemakers Youth Theater welcomes both new and returning performers to our stage as we present The Addams Family Young @ Part. Performances are Thursday, November 9 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, November 12 at noon and 4 p.m. at the JCC of the Lehigh Valley.
On another day, the group met with President Isaac Herzog at Beit HaNasi (the President’s House) in Jerusalem, as well as former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and representatives from the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and
possible by the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. The Israel Scouts Friendship Caravan, which is comprised of 10 young men and women, spends each summer travelling across North America to bring a message of hope and peace
Combating Antisemitism. Israel’s leaders inquired about the current challenges in the North American community and how its leaders are addressing them, and shared their belief in the importance of Jewish unity worldwide and strengthening the connection between Israel and Diaspora Jewry. They also expressed how deeply meaningful it was for such a group to visit at such a difficult time.
or 13beekeeper@gmail.com for
wish all of you a happy and healthy new year. If you’re looking for a sweet way to celebrate, local honey is available all year round at the Game Preserve Apiary, which is located at 4542 Game Preserve Road, Schnecksville, PA 18078.
“Israelis are dealing with a trauma, a fear, and an anger that they have not experienced in 50
By Jodi Lovenwirth Aquatics Director
for Israel through song and dance. Camp JCC was treated to a special musical performance by the scouts on Friday, August 9. Campers were captivated by the lively songs and energetic routines, joining in with enthusiastic claps and cheers. For
years,” Eric reflected. “At the same time, they are a model of strength and resilience. They are united in the need to bring home the 134 remaining hostages as soon as possible, and eliminate the existential terrorist threat they are facing, and are willing to fight and volunteer until this task is complete. From what I learned and experienced on this trip, I believe strongly that this is the fight of all Jewish people, and anyone who embraces peace and freedom.”
one song, the troupe encouraged campers and staff to form circles and become part of the production. The group’s popular, upbeat music and impressive dance moves had everyone on their feet.
By Lisa Yoskowitz
Early Childhood Education Director
In honor of the 134 Israeli hostages, a yellow ribbon and Israeli flag representing each hostage is displayed outside the JCC of the Lehigh Valley building, installed by Naomi Schachter, Tama
To join in on the fun and celebrate the work of this great cast and crew, you can cheer them on in person in November. Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family whom her parents have never met. She confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother. Now, Gomez Addams must do something he’s never done before– keep a secret
KEYSTONE SOCIETY
Taffi Ney+(L)
from his beloved wife, Morticia.
Tamarkin and Miriam Zager. They have also created an installation in the lobby.
Ali Raza Visram+*
The job of an ECE Director is filled with day-to-day responsibilities and challenges. My job is about to get a little easier as we welcome Karli Miller to our ECE family! Karli has accepted the position of Early Childhood Administrator. They will be responsible for the day-today administration of our Early Childhood department and will play an active role on our leadership team.
FRIENDS OF THE J DONORS
Lois Albright+
Karli, often known as “Karl” around the J, is not new to the JCC. With a background that includes
Jason Alter
Sylvia & Sam Bub+
Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents.
The butterfly is a symbol of transformation, freedom, and rebirth. These butterflies have
working at the JCC for three years—initially as a welcome desk team member and then as a summer camp administrator—Karli has developed a deep connection to the JCC community and played an integral role in communication with members, participants, and campers and their families.
Director Madison William, with choreographer Marcell Mackenzie and musical director Mackenzie Lynch, have taken these young performers on a journey throughout rehearsals.
Leslie & Victor Bunick+
Marilyn Claire+
Lisa & Andrew Ellis+(L)
Iris & Jonathan Epstein+(L)
Elizabeth & Jeff Greenberg+
Pamela & Vernon Guischard+
Karli has a Bachelor’s in both English/Creative Writing and Communication Studies from Bloomsburg University and a Master’s in Communication Studies from West Chester University of Pennsylvania with an emphasis on family and relationship communication, specifically focused on diversity
Julianne & Samuel Heiney+
Amy & Douglas Jaffe+
long been viewed as heralds of good fortune. Each of the 134 butterflies has the name and age of a hostage yearning to be freed, to be home! We pray for them to be returned to us. You will notice two
Marty Katz+
Michael Krim
Suzanne Lapiduss+
Lesavoy, Butz & Seitz LLC+
Colleen & Paul McGee+
Madison’s philosophy is “process over product.” In Stagemakers productions, performers spend far more time learning and building a show than they do performing it in front of an audience. While the stage performance is the ultimate goal, it is the rehearsal process that gives performers experience and opportunity for growth. This creative team, including stage
related topics such as disability and LGBTQIA+ issues. Currently residing in Allentown with their family, two dogs, and two cats, Karli collects disability-themed toys (including Wheelchair Barbie) and enjoys building Legos in their spare time, as well as volunteering with a variety of disability based organizations. Karli had the honor of being selected as Ms. Wheelchair Pennsylvania 2020 through the Ms. Wheelchair America organization with their platform “Body Inclusivity and Advocacy for People with Disabilities” which emphasized the importance of self-advocacy and the sometimes difficult conversations that disabled
instructed by qualified coaches. Our participants will also get to compete against other JCC swim teams in the Mid-Atlantic region, including Baltimore, Harrisburg, Cherry Hill, and Delaware. These exciting competitions consist of home and away meets, leading up to the championship meet in Delaware, where the swimmers get to show off their swimming abilities and hard work.
Rabbi Seth Phillips+
Every year during late fall, the aquatics center at the JCC comes alive with smiling faces, cheering children, and blooming friendships. It’s swim season, featuring the JSeals Swim Team! This year is going to be packed with team building parties, swim meets, and lots of ruach (spirit). For anyone who doesn’t know what the JSeals is about, we are more than just a swim team, we are a family. This is a place for swimmers to build their skills while they grow their friendships. This close-knit group of friends all share their love of swimming while cheering on their teammates and watching them progress throughout the season. The 2023-2024 JSeals season begins on November 27. Each member has the opportunity to practice up to three times a week to build their swimming skills. Practices will consist of clear, concise, proven workouts,
Jill Pincus+
Ellen Osher & Robert Pritchard+
manager Tessa DeJesus and costume designer Kayla Stokes, has led a cast of over 40 middle and elementary school students through physical rehearsals that have challenged them to improve their skills as performers and cast members.
butterflies in the upper right corner. Those are the butterflies of two hostages Fernando Marman and Louis Har that were rescued and are now home with their families. #bringthemhomenow
For tickets and more information visit lvjcc.org/stagemakers.
Robert Rockmaker+(L)
Brenna & Michael Schlossberg+
Pam Lott & Ron Ticho+
Beverly & Ronald Wasserman+
folks need to have about their needs. Karli cannot wait to join the ECE team and is committed to fostering an environment where every student and family feels welcome and valued!
To have some fun throughout the season, we will have various parties including a holiday party, pizza party, and the coveted DipN-Disco, which is scheduled for January 13, 2024. Mark your calendars, you won’t want to miss it! One of my proudest moments as Aquatics Director is not only watching the swimmers earn their trophies and medals, but watching these children become a family Registration is now open for the JSeals 2023-2024 season. For more information, call the JCC at 610435-3571 or visit lvjcc.org/JSeals.
+ Previous Year Donors
(L) Life & LegacyTM Donors
*Denotes JCC Board Member List as of 2/15/24
JDS is a beneficiary agency of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley
By Megan Hyman
Folders, binders, pencils, protractors, rulers, highlighters, pencil boxes, sharpeners, erasers… The list was long but the excitement was high. For the kids, of course.
we’d be here only a few weeks at most. As the pandemic continued, we made decision after decision to establish roots and
JDS is a beneficiary agency of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley
By Megan Hyman
By Joanna Powers Head of School
We all have memories of the first day of school. Summer break was over, a new grade and new teachers were waiting and, most importantly, back-to-school shopping was completed. After multiple trips to a variety of stores (at least when I was young— now everything is at Target, if you get there on time), you were all set. A new backpack, a new lunchbox, new clothes, new Keds or Reebok sneakers, maybe even Mary Jane shoes. The smell of a fresh box of crayons and the crispness of a new notebook.
Many years later I faced back-to-school shopping as a parent, and the perspective was quite different. I was more than happy to purchase everything on the teacher’s list. But walking up to the shelf where there used to be thin markers and now only displayed thick markers is a rough feeling. Not to mention the general mood at Staples throughout August. Throw in a kid or two with very particular tastes and you have a mom who does not miss back-toschool shopping. Give me a dorm room to decorate over the search for a mandatory light green plastic folder with metal prongs and loose-leaf holes any day! Personally, I do miss Trapper Keepers and Lisa Frank supplies (Google both if necessary and interested, and no, the ones currently available are not the same).
The decision parents make about where to send their children for school is often one of the most stressful and difficult. Will the school strike the right balance between quality of education and overall child development? How will our child fit in? Luckily for our family, in a period of great uncertainty, the decision to choose the Jewish Day School of Lehigh Valley was the easiest “yes!” we’ve ever said.
We arrived in Allentown in late March 2020 with a 2-year-old son, Joseph and 4-month-old daughter, Evelyn. Having flown in from Dallas, Texas to be closer to family (Adam’s parents, Dr. David and Mrs. Susan Hyman who have lived in Allentown for nearly 50 years), we assumed
an early childhood education program, the welcoming, intimate, and warm environment at JDS was an obvious place for us to turn. The administration and staff worked tirelessly to adhere to everchanging guidelines from the CDC and still make the magic of school very real for its students. Joseph FLOURISHED in this environment, and now that he’s in his third year as a student (kindergarten!) he loves the dynamic and joyful learning experience he’s had there. I’ll never forget when he came home to recite the full Pledge of Allegiance and knew all the words to the Hatikvah at three years old!
right to school. Modern living just keeps getting better. Which brings us to the first day of JDS! We opened our doors to varying levels of anticipation, early morning grogginess, a little nervousness, joy from seeing friends, and a case or two of separation anxiety. And that was just the grown-ups. Everyone was greeted by a lawn and lobby decked out in celebration decorations and photoshoot setups to welcome new and veteran students and teachers to their home away from home. We had a special first day of school assembly in the morning where we worked on a wishing board to display our hopes and goals for the year. There’s nothing like starting things off with smiles and wonderful feelings.
The decision parents make about where to send their children for school is often one of the most stressful and difficult. Will the school strike the right balance between quality of education and overall child development? How will our child fit in? Luckily for our family, in a period of great uncertainty, the decision to choose the Jewish Day School of Lehigh Valley was the easiest “yes!” we’ve ever said.
demic as built-in playmates and friends. The JDS has enabled that relationship to strengthen – they check in on each other on the playground and love to see each other in the hallways. It’s a joy to see the older children care for the younger ones. Evelyn is always so proud when one of the “big kids” helps her with her backpack at the end of the day, and Joseph talks about his “reading buddy” constantly!
we’d be here only the pandemic sion after decision build a life here
demic as built-in playmates
The JDS has enabled strengthen – they check on the playground and other in the hallways. older children care for Evelyn is always so proud the “big kids” helps pack at the end of the talks about his “reading stantly!
By Megan Hyman
When it came time for Joseph, our now five-year-old son, to get back into an early childhood education program, the welcoming, intimate, and warm environment at JDS was an obvious place for us to turn. The administration and staff worked tirelessly to adhere to everchanging guidelines from the CDC and still make the magic of school very real for its students. Joseph FLOURISHED in this environment, and now that he’s in his third year as a student (kindergarten!) he loves the dynamic and joyful learning experience he’s had there. I’ll never forget when he came home to recite the full Pledge of Allegiance and knew all the words to the Hatikvah at three years old!
This year, his sister Evelyn was able to join the three-year-old program with the same teachers and several younger siblings of her brother’s class. She was very shy at first, but quickly overcame that and truly gets ready for school with enthusiasm. The school has supported her love of art, singing, and she’s made the sweetest friends. We LOVE getting updates and photos on the Class Dojo app throughout the day.
We arrived in Allentown in late March 2020 with a 2-year-old son, Joseph and 4-month-old daughter, Evelyn. Having flown in from Dallas, Texas to be closer to family (Adam’s parents, Dr. David and Mrs. Susan Hyman who have lived in Allentown for nearly 50 years), we assumed
Our kids became extremely close during the quarantine stage of the pan-
Editor’s note: On Saturday, February 4, JDS parent Anastasiia Zavodnyk, was invited to be a guest speaker at Refugee Shabbat at Temple Beth El.
So, who is the refugee? It’s me. I can’t speak for everyone, only for myself and my family. But let my story be something that can show the general picture. The beginning of 2022 It was a happy time for me. I had a beautiful house near Kyiv, capital of Ukraine. I had a garden full of fruit trees and berry bushes. I had great plans – I was opening my own cafe and bakery store, I was setting up a big greenhouse to plant many vegetables there. My children went to great preschool
Editor’s note: On Saturday, February 4, JDS parent Anastasiia Zavodnyk, was invited to be a guest speaker at Refugee Shabbat at Temple Beth El. Here are her remarks.
munity members rounded out a fabulous evening. There will be many more events to come, and we hope to see all of you there. Watch your email, community calendar, and newsletter (yes, it’s back too!) for all our upcoming plans. We don’t want you to miss any of our JDS spirit! As I visit the classrooms I am so proud and impressed with our students and staff. Love, learning, play, advancement, individualization, and friendship fill every moment of every day. We work in a special, holy place. Thank you for allowing us to celebrate and grow a vital foundation of Jewish pride and knowledge from sacred texts to Hebrew fluency to a deep connection
One of the major tenets of the JDS is a devotion to the development of bright, confident students who are well prepared to meet the world. This couldn’t be more representative of our experience.
This year, his sister Evelyn was able to join the three-year-old program with the same teachers and several younger siblings of her brother’s class. She was very shy at first, but quickly overcame that and truly gets ready for school with enthusiasm. The school has supported her love of art, singing, and she’s made the sweetest friends. We LOVE getting updates and photos on the Class Dojo app throughout the day.
to Israel. Woven with an exceptional general studies curriculum our students are guided to come closer to their identities, strengths, and goals every day. Whether or not they have the correct green folder (we have extra). May you all have beautiful High Holidays and feel the back-to-school excitement!
The decision parents make about where to send their children for school is often one of the most stressful and difficult. Will the school strike the right balance between quality of education and overall child development? How will our child fit in? Luckily for our fam ily, in a period of great uncertainty, the decision to choose the Jewish Day School of Lehigh Valley was the easiest “yes!” we’ve ever said. We arrived in Allentown in late March 2020 with a 2-year-old son, Joseph and 4-month-old daughter, Evelyn. Having flown in from Dallas, Texas to be closer to family (Adam’s parents, Dr. David and Mrs. Susan Hyman who have lived in Al lentown for nearly 50 years), we assumed
Sadly, our chapter in Allentown is coming to a close. For professional reasons, we are moving back to Texas at the conclusion of the school year. Our love for the community that Amy Golding, her staff, and volunteers have created will stay with us forever. The friendships we’ve made as a family through the school will remain and we know these memories made here
When it came now five-year-old an early childhood the welcoming, vironment at for us to turn. staff worked tirelessly changing guidelines still make the for its students. in this environment, his third year as he loves the dynamic ing experience forget when he full Pledge of Allegiance words to the Hatikvah
One of the major tenets a devotion to the development confident students who to meet the world. This representative of our Sadly, our chapter in ing to a close. For professional are moving back to Texas sion of the school year. community that Amy and volunteers have created us forever. The friendships a family through the and we know these memories will bring us joy for years
ing the quarantine stage of the pan
sion of where to send your child to school in the Lehigh Valley, we found the JDS an extremely supportive place, a refuge from the uncertainties that we all face in
So, who is the refugee? It’s me. I can’t speak for everyone, only for myself and my family. But let my story be something that can show the general picture.
We’ve tried to make things a little easier for our families at the JDS. While each class still has a list of materials that will be needed and can be purchased a la carte, we also work with a company, Bright School Kits, that gathers just about everything a student requires as requested by the teacher, packs it up, and delivers it
This year, his to join the three-year-old the same teachers siblings of her very shy at first, that and truly enthusiasm. her love of art, the sweetest friends. updates and photos app throughout
For any parent grappling sion of where to send in the Lehigh Valley, an extremely supportive from the uncertainties our daily lives, and the ment to instill a love of ish values.
Our kids became ing the quarantine
guage that my kids have – only because very important because we have the with their roots, which I hadn’t in my help and support made us confident
The beginning of 2022 It was a happy time for me.
I had a beautiful house near Kyiv, capital of Ukraine. I had a garden full of fruit trees and berry bushes. I had great plans – I was opening my own cafe and bakery store, I was setting up a big greenhouse to plant many vegetables there. My children went to great preschool and afterschool smart classes. My daughter started to go to ballroom classes at the best dance school in the area. My husband had a very important role with great career opportunities in the biggest energy company in Ukraine. We used to invite our friends to our little parties at home, used to see our parents when we wanted to. It was really a very great period of life; I was truly happy.
After a few days of getting acclimated (even our pre-Kers are now confident JDS residents), our annual Back to School BBQ was a welcome chance to socialize and enjoy a tasty Sunshine Cafe dinner. As families loaded up on hot dogs, burgers, chicken, and the requisite ice pops, happy kids raced around the playground as their families caught up with one another and met new friends. Teachers mingled, glad to see their students let loose and happy to get to know the families who were sharing and trusting their kids with us. Music, activities, and a fantastic population of com-
Editor’s note: On Saturday, February 4, JDS par ent Anastasiia Zavodnyk, was invited to be a guest speaker at Refugee Shabbat at Temple Beth El. Here are her remarks.
And then, on 24th of February, all was ruined. The
So, who is the refugee? It’s me. I can’t speak for every one, only for myself and my family. But let my story be something that can show the general picture. The beginning of 2022 It was a happy time for me. I had a beautiful house near Kyiv, capital of Ukraine. I had a garden full of fruit trees and berry bushes. I had great plans – I was opening my own cafe and bakery store, I was setting up a big greenhouse to plant many vegetables there. My children went to great preschool
guage that my kids have – only because of you. It is very important because we have the ability to reconnect with their roots, which I hadn’t in my childhood. Your help and support made us confident in our presence
So, what is the difference between me as a refugeesons why we came. I love Ukraine, it’s my home, home of my children and many past generations of my and
ing abroad, we simply didn’t want to, because we were satisfied with our lives and happy in Ukraine. We chose the US because it was the best option of all, but also the most difficult. It was hard, and it is hard. Not only
So, what is the difference between and other people who came here as sons why we came. I love Ukraine, it’s of my children and many past generations my husband’s family. We miss our home fore February 2022 we never thought ing abroad, we simply didn’t want to, satisfied with our lives and happy in the US because it was the best option the most difficult. It was hard, and because of usual immigrant’s difficulties ent language, different culture, finding local documents, impossible life without impossible life without a credit score, ficulty is not being allowed to go out for people, who decide to come here, big goal, who choose to live here and thing to make this “American dream” it is very hard for us, refugees, forced heart is still at our home with our parents, houses and gardens. And only our life here more like at home (through versations, care and support). Because day most important things are not material will never ever fill your heart and soul
ent language, different culture, finding job, getting all local documents, impossible life without a car, almostficulty is not being allowed to go out of the US. Maybe for people, who decide to come here, who has it like -
thing to make this “American dream” came true, but it is very hard for us, refugees, forced migrants, who’s heart is still at our home with our friends, neighbors, parents, houses and gardens. And only your help madeversations, care and support). Because at the end of the day most important things are not material things, they -
So, I want to say a big, huge thank to all of you! I am grateful for the ability day, in a safe, beautiful and ambitious grateful to all of you, for listening to porting my family and Ukraine. I believe end soon, that I can finally see my home friends and neighbors. But I, as all Ukrainians, in that fatal February, in pre-war days, our land, in our home; happy, confident days, full of ambitious plans.
So, I want to say a big, huge thank you one more timeday, in a safe, beautiful and ambitious place, the US. I’mporting my family and Ukraine. I believe that war will end soon, that I can finally see my home and hug all my friends and neighbors. But I, as all Ukrainians, still stay in that fatal February, in pre-war days, when we were on our land, in our home; happy, confident in the coming
*I use little letter instead of capital on purpose. this people anymore and it’s even hard for because what they have done and are still they are humans at all to me. And because it highlight it as my relation to them.
evening we needed to shut all lights, because ritorial defense was looking for hiding russian realized that I couldn’t stand any more. I couldn’t tend as nothing serious was happening and enough for kids. The worse for me was to fear, to feel war. It’s not what children should until they are enough old to understand everything not be hurt by it. I want my children to be confident and have strong and healthy mental So, I asked my husband to leave our home. We left on 7th of March and on 8th of sians* came to our house. They occupied killed men, raped women, stole a lot of things, houses… it lasted 4 weeks. So, it was nothing pation during WW2… it was worse, much
*I use little letter instead of capital on purpose. I don’t respect this people anymore and it’s even hard for me to call them people, because what they have done and are still doing doesn’t look like they are humans at all to me. And because it is my story, I want to
Now we are here. And we are very lucky, met people with very big open hearts full kindness, people who helped us with so many People from Jewish Day School, Jewish Community Lehigh Valley, Jewish Community Center. words to describe how grateful we are for great opportunity to know Jewish traditions
demic as built-in playmates and friends.
has enabled that relationship to strengthen – they check in on each other
Every milestone and life cycle are worth recognizing and commemorating at JFS. Marcia Schechter is the JFS outreach coordinator and celebrates two milestones this September: 18 year work anniversary and turns 85 years young. JFS is honored to recognize this extraordinary woman and to share her journey.
18 years ago, JFS saw the need for older adults to have staff visiting them at community residences. Marcia was recruited by the late Phyllis Ringel, who was Executive Director at the time, due to her nursing background. Some of the people she visited had problems articulating their thoughts due to medical or cognitive issues, but sitting with nonverbal
individuals was not an issue for her.
Marcia currently visits 40 individuals at 16 residences across the Lehigh Valley. She visits for up to an hour delivering the Hakol newsletter and a handwritten note on a variety of relevant topics from what is going on in her life, in the Jewish world, or information about the holidays. She wants to help connect people to Israel, the LV Jewish community, and to their identity.
Many people that Marcia’s helped lived in other communities and they moved to be closer to adult children. Moving to a new community and living in a long term care
residence, they might be the only Jewish person residing there. She finds receiving the newspaper, and discussing holidays and traditions makes a big difference to them. For the holidays, she also gives each client a goody bag filled with sweet treats.
Her favorite part of the job is getting to know the people and guiding each through the challenges of aging. Marcia strongly believes that JFS really helps older adults. When clients’ need more support, Marcia often connects them to Carol Wilson, JFS social worker, to assist them further. It provides both her and the individual with comfort and connection. Marcia has visited countless individuals
This month, JFS recognizes Amy Morse who has been volunteering for the past 3 years. She has been an active member of the local Jewish community.
Amy’s passion is helping with the fresh produce. On Tuesdays during the growing season, you can find Amy at Monocacy Farm Project picking
up the fresh vegetables and fruits for donation. The farm is located in Bethlehem and provides free weekly supplies to local food pantries and similar organizations through the Grow Healthy Community Initiative.
Later at the JFS pantry, Amy helps sort and stock the produce from the farm, Temple Beth El’s garden, and community donations. She was able to see her work first hand while volunteering during pantry hours. She met a local mother who was thrilled
through her work as the outreach coordinator. She is an inspiration to staff and volunteers for her love and dedication to the work.
Debbie Zoller, JFS executive director, stated, “Marcia’s kindness and willingness to approach older adults who are isolated in their communities has a tremendous impact. The most fragile individual may express their emotions as Marcia holds their hand and provides unconditional support.”
JFS wishes Marcia a happy 18 years at JFS and 85th birthday!
For information on services, please contact olderadults@jfslv.org.
IN HONOR
ZACHARY COHEN
(In appreciation)
Melissa and Patrick Chrinko
SARAH DACEY
(In honor of JFS scholarship)
Alicia and Bruce Zahn
JUANA DEL SOLAR
Linda and Harold Kreithen
VIKKI DUNN
(In honor of the birth of granddaughter Hayward Noa)
Cary and Michael Moritz
AUDREY AND RICK NOLTE
(In appreciation for Audrey’s work at JFS)
Janice and Arnold Hirshon
PHYLLIS AND HENRY PERKIN
(In honor of grandson Jacob’s Bar Mitzvah)
Susan and Marc Levin
ROBIN ROSENAU
(In honor of being the JFS board president)
Audrey and Richard Nolte
IN LOVING MEMORY
MAXWELL DAVISON
(Father of Mark, Andrew, and Douglas Davison)
Susan and Henry Lehrich
Roberta and Alan Penn
JACOB ELLIS
(Son of Lisa and Andrew Ellis, Grandson of Wendy and Ross Born)
Andrea and Oldrich Foucek
Ellen and Philip Hof
Arthur and Barbara Hoffman
Susan and Henry Lehrich
Cary and Michael Moritz
Audrey and Richard Nolte
Jennifer and Gary Oxfeld
SHIRLEY ENGELSON
(Wife of Jack Engelson)
Susan and Henry Lehrich
to take fresh vegetables and fruit to her family. She is inspired by starting healthy habits for families through JFS’s pantry.
Outside of the growing season, Amy volunteers for other projects at JFS to help support the organization. Amy mentioned, “JFS is truly impacting individuals in such a positive way. It’s a great mitzvah. I like volunteering
for an organization that is putting a little more light in the world.”
To find out more about volunteering, contact Jennifer Oxfeld at volunteer@jfslv.org.
EDYTH GLICKSTEIN
(Wife of Neil Glickstein)
Susan and Henry Lehrich
IRWIN GREENBERG
(Husband of Diane Greenberg)
Elizabeth and Jeffrey Greenberg
Susan and Henry Lehrich
FRANCINE KATZMAN
(Sister of Seth Katzman)
Susan and Henry Lehrich
MARILYN LOUICK
(Wife of David Louick)
Susan and Henry Lehrich
GERRY MELAMUT
Susan and Henry Lehrich
HARRY ROSE
(Husband of Carole Rose)
Susan and Henry Lehrich
LENNY SUSSMAN
(Father of Matthew Sussman
Jennifer and Gary Oxfeld
PHILLIP UNTERBERG
(Son of Jean Unterberg)
Susan and Henry Lehrich
$2.23 MILLION RAISED 2024 Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs THANK YOU!
Because of your support of the 2024 campaign, we are able to help when help is needed, provide a safety net for those who must rely upon it, and nurture the core institutions that are the fabric of a rich and dynamic Jewish community. THANK YOU.
PRIME MINISTERS CIRCLE
$100,000+
Wendy Born*° Ross Born°
Lewis and Roberta Gaines°
Robert z”l and Bonnie*
Hammel°
Just Born Inc°
Charles and Figa* Kline Foundation° Anonymous (1)
THEODORE HERZL
SOCIETY
$50,000 - $99,999
The Wax Goldman Family Funds
Vicki Wax*
Robert and Laurie* Wax
Steven and Nancy* Wax Goldman
KING DAVID SOCIETY
$25,000 - $49,999
Roberto and Eileen* Fischmann
Dr. Harold and Sandra* Goldfarb°
Master Family° MCS Industries
Harry Louis Yanoff & Jeanette Master Yanoff Charitable Fund
Sylvia Perkin Perpetual Charitable Trust
TREE OF LIFE SOCIETY
$18,000 - $24,999
Leonard and Enid Abrams Family Foundation
The Martin Cohen Family Foundation°
Jonathan and Iris* Epstein
Tama Fogelman Lion of Judah Endowment
The Fraenkel Family°
Gary Fromer and Dr. Carol Bub Fromer*
Hof & Reid LLC°
Daniel and Nancy* Cohen
Phillip and Ellen* Hof
Chris and Tara Reid
Dr. Richard and Barbara* Reisner°
KING SOLOMON CIRCLE
$10,000 - $17,999
Air Products Foundation
Jeffrey and Sheryl Bartos
The Philip and Muriel Berman Foundation
Dr. Jeffrey and Jill* Blinder°
Charles Cohen
Arnan and Marlene* Finkelstein
Susan Gadomski *°
Judy Auritt Klein Lion of Judah Endowment
Kobrovsky Family Fund
Michael Miller
Judith Morrison*°
Robert & Judy Auritt Klein Family Fund
Lisa Scheller*
Richard and Marsha*
Timmerman
Larry and Carolyn* Zelson
Dr. Israel and Valeska* Zighelboim
BUILDERS OF ISRAEL
$5,000 - $9,999
Dr. Marc and Aliette* Abo
Dr. Houman and Lori* Ahdieh
Sheila Berg*
Bernard and Flo Kobrovsky Special Fund
Donna Black*
Dr. Sam and Sylvia* Bub°
Dr. Mitchell Cooper and Rebecca Axelrod-Cooper*
Peter and Karen* Cooper°
Bruce Sheftel and Suparna Damany*
Glenn and Jan* Ehrich°
Jeff and Roberta* Epstein°
Ann Falchuk*
Finkelstein Family Fund
Dr. Jay and Fran* Fisher°
Dr. Jeffrey and Amir Gevirtz°
Robert J. and Susan* Grey
Barry and Carol R.* Halper°
Nat and Erica* Hyman
Ferne and Jack Kushner Fund
Dr. Wesley and Beth* Kozinn°
Martin and Judy* Krasnov°
Stuart and Lynda* Krawitz
Elaine Lerner*°
Stanley R. Liebman Estate
Steven Markowitz°
Dr. William and Jane* Markson°
Nathan Braunstein PACE
Drs. Steven and Nancy* Oberlender
Phoebe Altman Lion of Judah Endowment
Daniel Poresky°
Dr. Robert and Lota* Post°
Sandra Preis*°
Dr. Doron and Lauren* Rabin
Bruce and Enid Reich
Shaoli Rosenberg*
Sadie Berman Lion of Judah Endowment
Lorrie Scherline*°
Richard Schiff°
Vera Schiff*
Mortimer S. and Vera M.* Schiff Foundation°
Irwin and Ellen* Schneider°
Mark and Deena* Scoblionko°
Elizabeth Scofield*
Larrie and Judy* Sheftel°
Jack and Amy* Silverman°
Sylvia Rosen Lion of Judah Endowment
Dr. Frank and Tama* Tamarkin
Cristina Toff*
Eileen Ufberg*°
Lora Vaknin–Eva Levitt z”l Lion
of Judah Endowment
Dr. Robert and Carol* Wilson
James and Linda* Wimmer°
Ilene Wood*
Jeri Zimmerman* Anonymous (2)
SABRA CIRCLE
$2,500 - $4,999
Lawrence Center
Dr. William and Gail* Combs
Andrew and Dr. Lisa* Ellis
Stewart and Carol* Furmansky°
Dr. Mark and Carmyn Gittleman°
Drs. Zach and Andrea* Goldsmith
Dr. Robert and Tracy Grob
Dr. Steve and Audrey* Kanoff°
Dr. Arthur and Jane* Kaplan°
Dr. Robert and Janice* Kaplan
Dr. Harold and Linda* Kreithen°
Robert and Roberta* Kritzer
Dr. Howard and Beth* Kushnick
Dr. Michael and Carole* Langsam°
Dr. Howard and Rachel* Levin
Dr. Richard and Roberta* London°
Drs. Evan and Aviva* Marlin
Morris & Dyna Gorfinkel
Memorial Fund
Dr. Robert and Amy* Morrison
Dr. Richard J. and Amy* Morse
Mort & Myra Levy Phil Fund
Dr. Robert and Joanne* Palumbo
Dr. Alex and Robin Rosenau°
Cathy Sacher*°
Dr. Mark and Lynne* Shampain°
Dr. Elliot Shear
Michael Sollott
Dr. Arthur and Audrey* Sosis°
Dr. Jay E. and Margery* Strauss°
Dr. Kenneth and Alla* Toff°
Dr. Edward Tomkin and Sandra Wadsworth
Arthur and Barbara* Weinrach°
Dr. Michael and Miriam* Zager and Family
Anonymous (3)
GATES OF JAFFA
$1,500 - $2,499
Richard J. Mongilutz and Kelly Banach*
Richard and Joan* Bass
Dr. Noy and Andrea* Bassik
William M. and Peggy* Berger°
Dr. Marc and Lauren* Berson°
Dr. Maxwell Braverman
Richard and Kira* Bub
Dr. Michael and Nancy Busch
Drs. Elliot and Chelsea* Busch
Dr. Ian and Patricia* Carlis°
Marilyn Claire*°
Robert Cohen
Patrick and Dr. Karen* Dacey
Veronica Fischmann*
Dr. Hal and Kimberly Folander
Dr. Ari and Margee* Forgosh
Fraenkel Family Fund
Frank Penn Family Fund
Dr. Ronald and Emily Freudenberger
Rose Lee Goldberg*°
Dr. Craig Goldberg
Dr. Marsha Gordon*
Dr. Michael Greenberg
Dr. Paul Gross°
Bennett Grossman
Drs. Harvey and Melissa Hakim
Stuart and Hope Horowitz°
Dr. Jeffrey and Nancy Jahre
Rabbi Allen and Toby* Juda°
Lucy Korsky*
Elaine Langer*°
Suzanne Lapiduss*°
Dr. Henry and Susan Lehrich
Dr. Paul and Diane* Lemberg and Family
Dr. Lawrence Levitt°
Eric and Margo* Lightman
Dr. Jay and Evelyn* Lipschutz°
Ryan and Claudia* Mattison
Betty Mendelson*
Dr. Holmes and Jeannie* Miller°
John I. Silverberg* and Linda Morris
Taffi Ney*°
Dr. Mark and Alice* Notis°
Ruth Notis*°
Dr. Martin and Amy* Oselkin
Alan and Roberta* Penn°
Drs. Andrew and Flora* Pestcoe
Rabbi Seth Phillips
Jay and Marlene* Plotnick
Dr. Alison Post* and Morgan Godorov
Elaine Rappaport-Bass*°
Dr. Daniel Relles
The Ringold Family*
Dr. Scott and Debbie Rosen
Dr. Edward Rosenfeld
Selma Roth*
Dr. Marvin Sasson
Dr. Charles and Sheila*
Saunders°
Naomi Schachter*
Donald and Randi Senderowitz
Dr. Darryn and Lorey* Shaff
Dr. Andrew and Rachel* Shurman
Sussman Family Fund
Dr. Ryan and Carah* Tenzer
Ron Ticho and Pam Lott*
Dr. Darren and Stefanie* Traub
Dr. Marc and Susan* Vengrove°
Dr. Stephen and Beverly* Volk°
David and Deborah* Wiener
Gail Wolson*°
Dr. Eric and Helaine* Young
Richard and Cherie*
Zettlemoyer
Leon and Debbie* Zoller
Anonymous (4)
CHAVERIM
$500 - $1,499
Alfred T. Gifford Family Fund
Howard and Nancy Amols
Marietta Banach*
Tama Lee Barsky*
R. Bill Bergstein°
Robert and Laura* Black
Rance and Sheryl* Block°
Andrew and Dr. Christy Block*
Michael and Rita* Bloom°
Dr. Stuart and Joan* Boreen
Dr. Jeffrey and Nan* Bratspies°
Tim Brooks
Sheila Brown*
Gordon and Janet Campbell
Harvey and Elizabeth* Cartine
Daniel Pomerantz Fund
Elaine N. Deutch*
Eduardo and Jeanette* Eichenwald°
Joan Epstein*°
Charles Fletcher Family Fund
Brian and Emily* Ford
Hon. Robert and Ronnie Freedberg°
Dr. Henry and Monica* Friess and Family
Gerald and Selma Roth Family Fund
Dr. Gene and Ann* Ginsberg°
Neil and Eydie* Glickstein°
Brian and Judith* Goldman°
Aaron Gorodzinsky and Jennifer Schechner*
Alan Greenberger°
Sandra Greenfield*
H. Sheftel Memorial Fund
Arthur and Susan* Hochhauser°
Dr. David and Susan* Hyman°
Dr. John Jaffe°
Dr. Beth Jennings*
Jules and Tama Fogelman Fund
Andrew and Nancy Kahn°
Chelsea Karp*
Martin and Susanne Katz
Dr. Jay and Phyllis* Kaufman°
Glenn and Svetlana* Kaye
Drs. Andrew and Deborah*
Kimmel°
Maxine S. Klein*°
Dr. Robert and Stephanie* Kricun°
Karen Kuhn*°
Lawrence M. Lang and Elaine N. Deutch*
Gerson Lazar Family Fund
Martha B. Lebovitz*°
Bernard and Laurie Lesavoy-Lesavoy Butz & Seitz LLC
Lillian Schwab Memorial Fund
Scott and Allison* Lipson
Marcy Lunick*
Robert and Shirley* Malenovsky°
Dr. Meredith Margolis*
Marvi Family Fund
Dr. Jay and Marla* Melman°
Judy Miller*°
Jay and Bobbi* Needle
Marc Nissenbaum°
Noah Daniel Schettini Fund
Dr. Noah Orenstein and Diana Fischmann Orenstein*
Dr. David and Carole* Ostfeld°
Dr. David and Ann* Packman
Leon and Elaine* Papir° Papir Family Fund
Henry and Phyllis* Perkin
Stephen and Marianne* Phillips
Dr. Daniel Plavin
Edward and Beth* Posner° Adina Preis*
Michael and Ilene* Prokup° Randi and Donald Senderowitz Fund
Nan Ronis*
Dr. Michael and Lynn F.* Rothman
Nathan and Rusty* Schiff
Michael and Brenna Schlossberg
John Schneider
Bernard and Sara* Schonbach
Schwartz Family Fund
Richard and Dr. Cheryl* Shadick
Dr. Howard and Diane* Silverman°
Rabbi Michael Singer and Alexis Vega-Singer*
Smartschan
Dr. Richard and Arlene* Stein°
Dr. Phil and Diane* Stein
Pearl Stein*
Carol Steinberg*
Hon. Robert L. Steinberg
Dr. Frederic A. and Gilda Stelzer°
Barry Goldin and Cheri Sterman*
Aimee Stewart*°
Dr. Michael F. Stroock° and Dolores Yundt
Edward Taffet
Dr. Mark and Abby* Trachtman
Chris and Kimberly* Valuntas
Volk Family Fund
Dr. Andrew Wakstein
Dr. Ronald and Beverly*
Wasserman°
Robert and Sandy* Weiner°
Alan J. and Abby* Wiener°
Bruce and Alicia* Zahn
Jerry and Flossie* Zales°
Zelickson Family Fund
Dr. Larry and Debra Zohn°
Anonymous (6)
SHORASHIM
$250 - $499
Dr. Pamela Abrams*
Herma Abramson*
Denise Ahner*
Karen Albert*°
Richard and Regina* Angel
Baiman Family Fund
Patricia Beldon*
Belman Family Fund
David and Clara* Bergstein
Sally Brau*°
JoAnne Brostedt*
Evelyn H. Brown*°
Pamela Byala*
Robert and Jane* Cohen°
Ruth Derby*°
Dr. George and Roberta*
Diamond°
Fred and Gail* Eisenberg
Harry and Amy* Fisher
Jeffrey Fleischaker and Dr. Ophira Silbert*
Neil and Marjorie* Forgosh
Amy Golding*
Nathaniel and Joanna Golub
Allan and Mary Goodman°
Ellen Gordon*
Ricky Hochhauser*
James and Andrea* Jesberger
Jewish War Veterans PACE
Gia Jones*
Women of KI*
Iris Klein*°
Dr. Marc and Susan* Kolpon
Barbara Kritz*°
Fay Kun*
Jennifer Lader*
Merry Landis*°
Mary Laronge*
Susan Levin*
Michele Levy*
Dr. Sheldon and Paula* Linn
Lisa Ellis Fund
Mark Klein Family Fund
Debbie* Miller°
Dr. Jonathan Munves
Judith Murman*
Hank Narrow
Rabbi Steven Nathan
Howard and Jane* Pitkoff
Rabbi Moshe and Adina Re’em
Andrea Reich*
Reitars-Braunstein Family Fund
Charlene Riegger*
Ira and Erica* Robbins
Adam and Penny* Roth and Family
Lyell and Tracey* Scherline
Melvin and Pearl* Schmier
Mark and Joyce Schuman
Eugene Search
Stuart and Susan* Shmookler°
Daniel Siegel
Linda Silowka*°
Dr. Roger and Marna* Simon°
Beth El Sisterhood°
Ariel and Lee* Solomon
Ellen Sosis*
Jane Spitzer*°
Matthew and Tracy* Sussman
David Vaida and Cantor Ellen Sussman*
Tenzer Family Fund
Rochelle Topolsky*
Rabbi Shoshanah Tornberg*
Julia Umansky*
Stanley and Judith* Walker
Anonymous (6)
KEHILLAH
$100 - $249
Richard and Maria* Ain
Alfred Wiener Family Fund
Amy Born Fund
Florence Applebaum*
Elaine Atlas*°
Pnina Avitzur*
Dr. Marsha Baar*°
Barbara Bassano*
Elaine Berk*
Dr. Neal Berkowitz
Jason and Tracey* Billig
Glenn and Melisa Block°
Ira Blum and Risa Waldoks*
Alla Bolotovsky*
John Botzum and Miriam Harris Botzum
Joan Brody*°
Robert and Gail* Burger
Allen and Marjorie Carroll
Muriel Charon*
Audrey Cherney*°
Dr. Barry and Robbie Cohen
Audrey Cylinder*°
Noah Delin
Arianna Delin*
Ben Delin
Leah Devine*
Richard Director
Wendy Edwards*
David Eisenberg
Dr. Mark and Ellyn* Elstein°
Lynda Extract* z”l
Samuel and Lynn* Feldman°
Dr. Eric J. and Amy* Fels
Dr. Ellen Field*
Brad and Robyn* Finberg
Michael Finley and Audrey Ettinger*
Phyllis Ford*
Bette Friedenheim*
Dr. Michael and Traci Gabriel
Murray and Linda* Garber°
Gail Gelb*
Dr. Eric and Debbie* Gertner and Family
Gloria Ginsburg*°
Jordan and Susan* Goldman
Mark Kennedy and Arlene Gorchov*°
Nissa Gossom*
Jeff and Elizabeth* Greenberg
Dwight and Arlene* Griffin°
Lothar Gumberich z”l
Rabbi Yaacov and Devorah Halperin
Judith Harris*
Ronald Harrison°
Lori Herz*
Dr. Michael and Stacy* Hortner
Kristin Illick*
Michael and Donna* Iorio
Kimmel Family Fund
Renee B. Kleaveland*
Dr. Nelson and Andrea* Kopyt
Ruth Kugelman*°
Hadassah Lerner Grinberg*
Howard Lieberman
David and Marilyn* Louick°
Billy and Marielle Miner
Jeffrey and Dr. Lynn Milet*
Gary and Diane* Miller°
Stanley Miller z”l
Millie Berg Memorial Fund
David and Susan* Miner
Susan Musselman*
Howard and Jill Nathanson
Sandy Newman*
Dr. Evie Notis*
Jeremy and Megan* Pildis
Dr. Matthew and Denise* Pollack
Abram and Alyssa Pure Raab Fund
Dr. Mitchell and Carol Rabinowitz°
Stefanie Rafes*
Alan Raisman
Charles Richter and Lynda Pollack*
Rachel Rosenfeld*
Jack Rosenfeld
Herman Rovner
Fae Safer*
Alan and Mary* Salinger°
Dr. Norman and Jett* Sarachek°
Dr. Eric Schenkel
Warren and Rabbi Rebecca* Schorr
Sally Schraden*
Dr. Kristine Schultz*
Dr. Arthur Levine and Dr. Janet Schwartz*
Abigail Silverman*
Jessica Silverman*
Susan Sosnow*
Michael and Sybil* Stershic
Susan B. Mellan Memorial Fund
Richard Toltzis
Matthew Unger
Dr. Mark and Gayle* Unger°
Veronica Fischmann Fund
Daniel Leisawitz and Daniela Viale*
Rosalyn Weingrod *
Marjorie Weiss*
Dr. Lynn Wilson*
Amon Wirthiem
Norman and Sandra* Wruble
Anonymous (16)
GENESIS
$1 - $99
Joseph Aflalo
Sheila Basem*
Dr. Susan Basow*
Bernard and Sarina* Berlow
Stephanie Berman*
Jeffrey and Lisa* Bernfeld
Betty Burian*
Harriet Buyum*
Joyce Camm*
Marjorie Danciger*
Danielle Staiman Mitzvah Fund
Sarah Danna*
Marilyn Doluisio*°
Doba Domashevskaya*
Elena S. Cohen Charity Fund
Anita Evelyn*
Abby Feinberg*
Sandi Fine*
Georgine Fontaine*
Dr. Debra Garlin*
Roger and Cathy Gilbert
David Gottlieb
Sandi Greenberg*
Herman Gross
Alvin and Arlene* Herling°
Jamie Mellan Fund
Philip Heyman°
Adam and Stephanie*
Rick and Amy* Sams
Helene Rae Scarcia*
Joel and Linda Scheer
Julie Paige Fraenkel Fund
Dr. Lewis and Joan* Katz
Steven Kaunitz
Ginger Horsford*
Dr. Binae Karpo*
Rosine Knafo*°
$1 - $99
(continued)
Dore Kottler*
Michael and Robyn Kudryk
Dr. Jessica Lewis*
Britt Linn*
Raymond Livezey
Rochelle Lower*
Caren Lowrey*
Leonard Lutsky°
David and Susan* Manela
Louise Mapstone*
Brie Marks*
Marlee Senderowitz Fund
Robert Mayer and Jan Muzycka*
Frances Mays*
Norman Miller
Dr. Robert and Ellen Miller* and Family
Daniel and Larisa
Morgenbesser
Norman Moses
Jane Much*
Jan Muzycka*
Nancy Gevirtz Memorial Fund
Ron and Rachel Nissim
Robert Prichard and Ellen Osher*
Cantor Jill Pakman*
Dr. Alan and Joan
Parker
Sybil Preisler*
Patti Price*
Lori Pulver*
Kevin and Lauren* Reuther
Rissa Senderowitz
Philanthropic Fund
Robert Rockmaker
Lauren Sakasitz*
Shari Salkin*
Samuel Gevirtz Mitzvah Fund
Lynn Schiavone*
Annie* and Maggie*
Schutzler
Susan Selsky-Hann*
Silverman Family Fund
Micki Sinclair*
Sheila Sokalsky*
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Sandi Teplitz*°
Howard and Marilyn Tokosh
Dori Wallace*°
Dale Wallace*
Neil and Judith Wetcher
Lisa Yoskowitz*
Herman and Jessica*
Ytkin
Jessica Zolotsky*
Anonymous (10)
The donors noted above represent gifts to the JFLV 2024 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 2024 Campaign for Jewish Needs ° Indicates Silver Circle member
Aliette Abo*
Sheila Berg
Philip and Muriel
Berman Foundation
Donna Black
Jill Blinder
Wendy Born*
Carol Bub Fromer
Nancy Cohen
Karen Cooper*
Suparna Damany
Iris Epstein*
Roberta Epstein*
Ann Falchuk
Marlene Finkelstein
Eileen Fischmann*
Tama Fogelman z”l*
Lisa Fraenkel*
Susan Gadomski
Sandra Goldfarb*
Nancy Goldman
Bonnie Hammel*
Ellen Hof
Mindy Holender
Erica Hyman
Ferne A. Jack Kushner Fund
Judy A. Klein z”l*
Beth Kozinn
Lynda Krawitz
Elaine Lerner
Eva Levitt z”l*
Jane Markson
Judith Morrison
Phoebe Altman z”l*
Lota Post
Sandra Preis
Lauren Rabin
Barbara Reisner
Robert and Judith Auritt Klein Family Fund
Shaoli Rosenberg
Sadie Berman z”l*
Lisa Scheller*
Lorrie Scherline
Vera Schiff
Elizabeth Scofield
Judy Sheftel
Amy Silverman*
Marsha Abraham
Lori Ahdieh
Rebecca AxelrodCooper
Kelly Banach
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Jan Ehrich
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Marsha Gordon
Susan Grey
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Roberta Kritzer
Beth Kushnick
Elaine Langer
Carole Langsam
Suzanne Lapiduss
Aviva Marlin
Claudia Mattison
Betty Mendelson
Rill Miller
Jeannie Miller
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Alison Post
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Selma Roth
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Perpetual
Charitable Trust
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Cristina Toff
Eileen Ufberg
Lora Vaknin
Vicki Wax
Laurie Wax
Carol Wilson
Ilene H. Wood*
Carolyn Zelson
Valeska Zighelboim
Jeri Zimmerman
* Lion of Judah Endowment
Naomi Schachter
Deena Scoblionko
Lynne F. Shampain
Rachel Shurman
Audrey Sosis
Margery Strauss
Tama Tamarkin
Barbara Weinrach
Deborah Wiener
Gail Wolson
Debbie Zoller
* Pomegranate Endowment
Dr. Marc Abo
Dr. Houman Ahdieh
Richard Anderson
Dr. Marcus Averbach
Dr. Noy Bassik
Dr. Marc Berson
Dr. Jeffrey Blinder
Dr. Christy Block
Dr. Maxwell Braverman
Dr. Sam Bub
Dr. David Bub
Dr. Carol Bub Fromer
Dr. Michael Busch
Dr. Elliot Busch
Dr. Chelsea Busch
Dr. Ian Carlis
Dr. William Combs
Dr. Inna Conboy
Dr. Mitchell Cooper
Dr. Karen Dacey
Suparna Damany, PT, MSPT, CHT, CEAS, CKTP, Cert. DN
Dr. Lisa Ellis
Dr. Jay Fisher
Dr. Hal Folander
Dr. Ari Forgosh
Dr. Ronald Freudenberger
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Dr. Martin Oselkin
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Dr. Alison Post
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Stefanie Rafes, PA
Andrea Reich, MSPA-C
Dr. Richard Reisner
Dr. Daniel Relles
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Dr. Alex Rosenau
Dr. Edward
Rosenfeld
Dr. Marvin Sasson
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Dr. Elliot Shear
Rebecca Silver, CRNP
Amy Silverman, MS, LPC, NCC
Dr. Arthur Sosis
Dr. Frederic A. Stelzer
Dr. Jay Strauss
Dr. Frank Tamarkin
Dr. Ryan Tenzer
Dr. Kenneth Toff
Dr. Edward Tomkin
Dr. Darren Traub
Dr. Marc Vengrove
Dr. Andrew Wakstein
Robert Wax
Dr. Robert Wilson
Dr. Eric T. Young
Dr. Michael Zager
Dr. Israel Zighelboim
Valeska Zighelboim, BS, BSN, RN
Dr. Larry Zohn
By Rabbi Michael Singer Congregation Brith Sholom
One of the most iconic symbols of Rosh Hashanah is apples and honey. Like many Jewish holiday foods, we eat them with a deeper meaning in mind, in this case our hopes for a sweet new year: “shechadash aleinu shana tova u’metukah—renew for us a new, sweet, and good year.”
To say that this past year as a Jewish people has been difficult is an understatement.
Yet, as we welcome the year 5785, we hold both the sweetness of its potential and the heartache of our loss together all at once. In the famous song “Al Kol Eileh,” I feel Naomi Shemer captured so much of this complex emotional tension. Although she
wrote the song in 1967, it cuts close in too many ways to depicting the tragedy of October 7. In it, Shemer prays to God to watch over her Israeli family living in the midst of war and heartbreak. Some came home, but others, like the fruit of the fields that did not ripen or remained unpicked, did not. She writes:
On the honey and on the sting, on the bitter and the sweet.
On our baby daughter, watch over and take care of them my good God.
On the fire which is lit, on the pure water. On the man who returns home.
On all those, on all those; please watch over for me my good God.
On the honey and on the sting, on the bitter and the sweet.
Please don’t uproot that which is planted. Don’t forget the hope. Bring me back, and I shall return to the good land.
Watch over my God on this house, on the garden, on the wall.
From the sadness, from sud-
den fear, and from war.
Watch over on the little I have, on the light and on the children.
On the fruit that did not ripen, and wasn’t yet picked.
On all those, on all those; please watch over for me, my good God.
On the honey and on the sting, on the bitter and the sweet.
During the Yamim Noraim (the Days of Awe) we stand together in recounting the past year with its ups and downs, its joys and tears, and its sweetness and its bitterness. Our hearts yearn for
God’s compassion and forgiveness, for a sukkat shalom (a shelter of peace) that will protect us and all those we hold dear. We believe that we can change, and we hold out hope that the world can heal and change for the better too. “On all those, on all those; please watch over for me, my good God.”
L’Shanah Tovah Tikateivu v’Tikateimu! May you be written and sealed for a good new year!
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By Carl Zebrowski Editor
First came horror to the Pittsburgh Jewish community, when a gunman entered the Tree of Life synagogue on the Shabbat morning of October 28, 2018. By the time his shooting spree ended, he’d killed 11 and wounded 6. Then came hope and resolve. In the aftermath of the deadliest attack on a Jewish site in U.S. history, Pittsburgh proved its resilience. That resilience is the focus of the PBS documentary “Repairing the World: Stories from the Tree of Life,” which will be screened in the Lehigh Valley at 6 p.m. on September 25 in the Univest Public Media Center at SteelStacks in Bethlehem.
A panel discussion will follow the screening to address the film and what lessons the Lehigh Valley community can learn from it about coming together to counter hate and make the region safer for everyone. Rabbi Michael Singer of Congregation Brith Sholom, the catalyst behind bringing this public screening to the Valley, will be one of the
Tree of Life continues on page 19
Continued from page 18
handful of panelists representing various groups that are often targeted by hate. A Q&A with audience questions will conclude the night.
“We want to see how the community of Pittsburgh responded to this horrific event,” Rabbi Singer said, pointing out that Lehigh Valley groups can learn from the story of Pittsburghers moving forward from tragedy with the goal of creating a better environment for everyone. “What kind of community, what kind of world, do we want to live in?”
The documentary, created
in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice, features survivors, family members, and diverse city leaders and community members talking about their experiences after the attack and the unified community-wide effort to heal and improve their situation.
Rabbi Singer said that most people don’t even realize the danger faced by the Jewish community and other groups. “Most people would never imagine we have to have armed guards to worship,” he said. “People should have the right to worship in peace.”
Opening remarks for the screening will be given by Jacqueline C. Romero, U.S. Attorney for the Justice De-
partment’s Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The postscreening discussion will include Romero and panelists Rabbi Singer, Muhammed Said Selmanlar of Peace Islands Institute Pennsylvania, Ashley Coleman of the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBTQ Community Center, and Esther Lee of NAACP Bethlehem. The moderator will be Janine Santoro of the City of Bethlehem Office of Equity and Inclusion.
Rabbi Singer believes that events like this film screening and discussion are steps along the way to making our community a better place. “Abba,” one of his kids asked, “when will we not have to have an armed guard anymore?”
“I’m working on it,” Rabbi Singer answered. All are invited to the screening and discussion. Doors open at 5:30. For more information and to register, visit wlvt. org/repairing-theworld/.
By Carl Zebrowski Editor
It’s the Year of Jews and the Arts at Lehigh University’s Philip and Muriel Berman Center for Jewish Studies, and the center is kicking off the year, its 40th anniversary, with a presentation by and reception with artist-inresidence Siona Benjamin, a Jewish native of India, on September 10.
Her presentation, “Beyond Borders: The Art of Sonia Benjamin,” begins at 7 in Wood Dining Hall in Iacocca Hall and the reception will follow. All events for the year of special programming that runs through the spring 2025 semester are open to the public, and admission is free.
“We are thrilled to celebrate our 40th anniversary with the entire Lehigh Valley community,” said Jodi Eichler-Levine, the Berman Professor of Jewish Civilization at Lehigh who came to the school in 2015 and took over as director of the Berman center last year. “Philip and Muriel Berman were champions of both Jewish studies and the arts. By happenstance, many Berman-affiliated professors research visual and material culture, so picking the year’s theme seemed bashert (destined).”
Benjamin is from Mumbai and now lives in the
United States. Her artwork reflects her background, raised Jewish in a Hindu and Muslim India. She was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to India in 2011 and a second Fulbright in 2017, to Israel. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer, Jewish Week, Boston Globe, Times of India, and Jerusalem Post.
Year of Jews and the Arts will showcase both the visual and the performing arts. “The Berman center is intentionally bringing in artists whose work is transcultural, building bridges and asking hard questions that go well beyond Jewish communities,” EichlerLevine said. “This year
really is for everyone.”
The scheduled programming for the year features presentations on topics related to Jewish art, a workshop for hands-on creation of colorful masks, a pop-up art exhibit, and film screenings. Children’s books illustrated by Benjamin will be dropped off at the JCC for free distribution. The year of celebration will end with a concert by Pharoah’s Daughter, an American Jewish world music band copresented by Lehigh’s Zoellner Arts Center (tickets are $10 but free for Lehigh students).
For more information for Year of the Jews and the Arts events, visit bermanctr. cas.lehigh.edu/year-of-the-
Continued from page 8
Hamza and Youssef Al-Ziadna, Hisham al-Sayed, and Mohammed Al-Atrash— who still remain in captivity.
There have been increasing demands for a permanent ceasefire due to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The atrocities that took place on October 7, while only months ago, have faded into the distant past for many. For the Jewish community, there
has not been a chance to begin healing from the devastation, as the same instrument that inflicted the injury remains in action for as long as the hostages remain in captivity in Gaza. Similarly, the Gazans are unable to begin healing from their catastrophic losses while their wounds progressively widen. For there to be future peace in the region, both Israelis and Gazans need to begin to
heal. Israel has made clear that its military campaign in Gaza will not end until the hostages are released, making their emancipation vital to ending this war. Bring them home now!
Max Averbach is a senior at Parkland High School. He is a staff writer for and the content editor of the school news website The Trumpet.
Sunday, September 15, 2024, 10 a.m.
Brith Sholom, 1190 Macada Road, Bethlehem
Moderated by Executive Director Debbie Zoller, MSW, LCSW, with panelists Carol Wilson, MSW, LSW, Renee Hillman and Bill Bergstein.
Free to attend, but registration is required. Visit jfslv.org to register by September 11.
“The Ping Pong Player and the Professor: An Anthropologist Explores Fatherhood and Meaning in an Extraordinary Sport,” by Richard Sosis, Wildhouse Publishing, 2023, 312 pages.
By Sandi Teplitz Special to Hakol
It’s always a fascinating experience to know someone as a child and later follow up on that person’s life choices, particularly when it involves an interesting occupation.
Richard Sosis grew up in Allentown and became an anthropologist by profession. But his heart belonged to the sport of table tennis.
In this memoir, Sosis lovingly explores ping pong as a personal journey, involv-
ing not only his own life, but also that of his son, Eliel, who inherited his father’s passion. This sometimes funny, often intense journey is replete with examples of father-son bonding, which make for a good read, one that enables the reader to understand the complexity of the sport as well and the importance of proper preparation and kinesics. Prior to reading this, my knowledge of the sport was limited. Luckily for me and other readers, Richard uses examples of the game to illustrate its beauty. He reveals quotidian habits of successful players, allowing us to feel the sense of happiness Eliel feels when he is fully immersed in his game. Richard presents us with notabilia and delves in-depth into personal
passions.
Richard acknowledges his family members along his route and delineates their importance in his reaching his current level of playing skill. He comes across as a grateful, talented player who uses his writing skills to help us understand the game better.
Sandi Teplitz’s recipes and book reviews appear regularly in
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2024 3:00 PM AT THE JCC WEITZMAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY
Scan the QR code, or email mailbox@jflv.org or call 610.821.5500
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, SEPTEMBER 8
Sons of Israel Sisterhood Challah
Make 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Congregation Sons of Israel
Join the Congregation Sons of Israel Sisterhood to learn to make challah and challah covers. Cost is $18, which includes one challah and one challah cover. RSVP by September 4 at 610433-6089.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8
Spiritually Preparing Yourself for the Holidays
11:30 a.m., Congregation Brith Sholom and via Zoom
Congregation Am Haskalah, with Rabbi Steve Nathan, is offering meditations and text study to help you prepare for the Days of Awe. Email AmHaskalahDirector@gmail.com to RSVP.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10
Year of Jews and the Arts Opening Event
7 p.m., Lehigh University
The Philip and Muriel Berman Center for Jewish Studies kicks off its Year of Jews and the Arts with a talk by and reception with artist-in-residence Siona Benjamin. For more information bermanctr.cas.lehigh.edu/year-of-the-arts.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10
An Evening with Jonathan Conricus 7:15 p.m., Temple Beth El Jonathan Conricus, former lieutenant colonel in the IDF, will discuss the war in Israel and antisemitism in the media. Registration required at jewishlehighvalley.org.. The evening will begin with a reception with Conricus at 6:30 p.m. for those giving a gift of $5,000 or more to the 2025 campaign.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
KI Shabbat Out of the Box: Belly Dancing
10:30 a.m.-noon, Congregation Keneseth Israel
Learn belly dancing from Tavia Minnich. Wear comfortable clothing. Register at kilv.org/event/belly-dancing-with-taviaminnich.htmlby September 12.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
KI Annual Gala Honoring Ken and Sue Kirshner
5:30-9 p.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel
KI invites the community to its annual gala honoring Ken and Sue Kirshner. RSVP at kilv.org/event/-annual-ki-galahonoring-ken-and-sue-kirshner.html# by August 26.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
KI Blood Drive
9 a.m.-1 p.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel
Blood center volunteers will be at KI to administer donations during this time slot. Register at kilv.org/event/blooddrive.html.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
Annual Phyllis Ringel Memorial Lecture: The Downsizing Dilemma 10 a.m., Congregation Brith Sholom
Navigating the emotions and logistics involved in making the decision to downsize, relocate, and begin a new chapter. Attendance is free, but registration is required at jfslv.networkforgood.com/events/74085-annualphyllis-ringel-memorial-lecture. Bring a photo ID to the event.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
PJ Library Rosh Hashanah Bees and Butterflies
3:30-5 p.m., Jewish Day School
Families will work together in the JDS pollinator garden. Register at jewishlehighvalley.org.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
Women’s Philanthropy Mitzvah Mosaic Project
6:30-8 p.m., JCC Kline Auditorium
Come gather and create a communal mosaic art piece emphasizing solidarity with Israel and our Partnership2Gether region, Yoav. All proceeds will go to the Israel Emergency Campaign. Registration required at jewishlehighvalley.org.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
VISIT Israel Savings Partnership Information Session
6 p.m., private home in Allentown
This event is an information session, and there is no obligation to sign up for the VISIT Israel Savings Partnership. Light bites will be served. Registration required at jewishlehighvalley.org.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
Maimonis Brunch and Learn on Health and Welness
10 a.m., JCC
The Maimonides Society of healthcare professionals’ Brunch and Learns return for the 2025 campaign year. This edition is a restorative education session about wellness with Suparna Damany, PT, MSPT, CHT, CEAS, CKTP, Certified DN. Registration is required at jewishlehighvalley.regfox.com/brunchand-learn-health-wellness.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
Tree of Life Documentary Screening and Panel
6-7:30 p.m., Univest Public Media Center at ArtsQuest
See the new documentary “Repairing the World: Stories from the Tree of Life” about the Pittsburgh community’s response to hate in the aftermath of the deadly 2018 synagogue shooting. A panel discussion including Rabbi Michael Singer of Congregation Brith Sholom will follow, with audience members participating in a Q&A. Get free tickets at pbs39.org/events.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
Jewish Community Volunteers Workshop
8:30-10:30 a.m., JCC
The Life and Legacy program, is providing training for volunteers of synagogues, agencies, and other Jewish organizations in our community. Registration required by September 20 at jewishlehighvalley.org.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
KI 10th Annual Harvest 5K
11 a.m.-1 p.m., Cedar Beach Park
KI is hosting its annual dog-friendly 5K walk or run. Get more information and register at kilv.org/event/10th-annualharvest-5k.html.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
ADL Words of Action for Youths and Parents
6-8 p.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel
The Anti-Defamation League is partnering with the Jewish Federation to present this workshop designed for middle and high school kids and their family members to expand their understanding of and ability to address antisemitism and anti-Israel bias that crosses the line. There will be a breakout group for parents. Register at jewishlehighvalley.org.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 7
October 7 Community Commemoration
7 p.m., JCC
Gather to show our unity as a community as we remember the victims of the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust. Details and registration link to come.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22
Lions and Poms Visit the Weitzman Museum
A bus will take the Women’s Philanthropy’s Lions of Judah and Pomegranates from the JCC to visit the Smithsonian-affiliated Weitzman National Museum of Jewish History in Philadelphia. Details and registration link to come.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10
Evening of Unity in D.C. 6:30 p.m., Nationals Park
The Jewish community will gather at the Washington Nationals’ stadium for a show of unity. Find information and register at generalassembly.org/ evening-of-unity.
ONGOING EVENTS
FIRST OR SECOND SUNDAY OF THE MONTH
Bnai Shalom Cash Bingo
1 p.m., Congregation Bnai Shalom For more information call 610-2585343.
MONDAYS
Yiddish Club
2-3:30 p.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley via Zoom
All are welcome. Participants Zoom in from 5 states. No cost. Call 610-4353571, ext. 501.
MONDAYS AND THURSDAYS
Online Jewish Yoga Studio Mondays 11-11:45 a.m., Thursdays 4-4:45 p.m., Institute for Jewish Spirituality
Open to all. Sign up at jewishspirituality. org/get-started.
TUESDAYS
Weekly Torah Study 11:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Institute for Jewish Spirituality
Sign up at jewishspirituality.org/getstarted.
WEDNESDAYS
Yoga with Miriam Sandler: ChairSupported Yoga 1-2 p.m., Congregation Brith Sholom in person and via Zoom
*$10 drop-in fee payable to Congregation Brith Sholom. For more information email mbserow@gmail.com.
WEDNESDAYS
Torah Studies: A Weekly Journey into the Soul of Torah
7 p.m., Chabad of the Lehigh Valley in person and via Zoom
Cost is $54 for the course, including textbook. For more information, call 610-351-6511 or email rabbi@ chabadlehighvalley.com.
EVERY OTHER WEDNESDAY
Hadassah Study Group 12:30 p.m., via Zoom
We discuss short stories from an anthology. Always welcoming new participants! Contact mjclaire@gmail.com or 610-972-7054 to sign up.
THURSDAYS
Lishma: Learn, Listen, Listen, Learn 10:30 a.m.-noon, Congregation Keneseth Israel or via Zoom Register at kilv.org/event/learn-listenlisten-learn.html.
THURSDAYS
Basic Yiddish Class 4-5:30 p.m., JCC via Zoom
Learn to read, write, speak and comprehend Yiddish. Textbooks from Yiddish Book Center available for purchase. Contact 610-435-3571, ext. 501.
FRIDAYS
Kol HaEmek
9-10 a.m., WMUH 91.7
Radio show with Cantor Kevin Wartell. For information go to muhlenberg.edu/ wmuh.
SATURDAYS
KI Torah Study 9:30-11 a.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel For more information, contact Rabbi Tornberg using the form at kilv.org/ form/contact-rabbicall.
SATURDAYS
Wisdom of the Talmud Class After Shabbat Lunch and Schmooze, Congregation Brith Sholom For information email tammy@brithsholom.net or call 610-866-8009.
DAILY
Jewish Broadcasting Service JBS is a Jewish television channel. Find out more at jbstv.org.
DAILY
Congregation Sons of Israel Minyanim Shacharit on Mondays and Thursdays 6:30 a.m.; Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays 6:45 a.m.; Sundays 8:30 a.m. Please check the synagogue at sonsofisrael.net for the weekly listings. If you have any questions, call the synagogue office at 610-433-6089.
MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
Daily Online Meditation
12:30 p.m., Institute for Jewish Spirituality
One of their master teachers will lead a live daily guided meditation. Open to all. Sign up at jewishspirituality.org/ get-started.
