HAKOL - October 2018

The Voice of the Lehigh Valley Jewish Community

www.jewishlehighvalley.org

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Issue No. 413

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October 2018

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Tishrei/Cheshvan 5779

AWARD-WINNING PUBLICATION EST. 1977

Learn about a coffeehouse providing support to people in recovery p5

Meet older volunteers from around the community p16-17

COM.UNITY WITH MARK GOLDSTEIN p2 LVJF TRIBUTES p8 JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE p15 JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER p18-19 JEWISH DAY SCHOOL p20 COMMUNITY CALENDAR p30-31

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

‘Who by water’: For Carolina Jews coping with Hurricane Florence, High Holiday themes resonate

Cars drive on a wet road as rain from Hurricane Florence falls in Wilmington, North Carolina, on Sept. 13.

By Ben Sales Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Stephanie Smartschan JFLV Director of Marketing When Rabbi Emily LosbenOstrov took her North Carolina congregation, Temple of Israel of Wilmington, on a Rosh Hashanah boat ride on the Cape Fear River

– before the storm – she hadn’t intended for the body of water’s name to be taken literally.

The Reform synagogue was performing the ritual of tashlich, in which Jews throw pieces of bread into the water to symbolize the casting away of sins. But by the end of the boat ride on Sept.

10, the passengers were talking

about what to do if the water threatened to swallow them up.

Conversations turned from the Jewish New Year to Hurricane Florence, which was looming off the Carolina coast. Would they evacuate or hunker down?

“People started talking about, ‘What are we going to do with the Torahs?’” Losben-Ostrov told JTA. “That fear was starting to set in. It was definitely ironic to be on the water at that time and to look around and feel the calm before the storm … and have a fear in our hearts that this incredible, wonderful community, we don’t know what’s going to be.”

On Sept. 13, Hurricane Florence began hitting the Carolinas as a Category 2 hurricane. As of press time, the after effects of the storm were still being felt and an assessment of damages was ongoing. Temple of Israel was reportedly among those to sustain significant damage and was forced to cancel Yom Kippur services.

“Due to the damage to our building, the lack of power

downtown and the overall concern for everyone’s safety, it has been decided that we must cancel services for both Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur,” the temple wrote on their Facebook page on Sept.

17. On Sept. 21, in an effort to get “back to normal,” the congregation held Shabbat services at the nearby Reibman Center.

On Sept. 18, the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley opened an emergency Hurricane Relief campaign and urged community members to contribute.

“Because of the slow pace of Hurricane Florence, we are still collecting information about the various Jewish communities that have been affected. Many areas are still evacuated and the threat of flooding continues, and so it will take some days before we have a comprehensive picture,” the notice from the Federation said.

“We know that Temple of Israel and Bnai Israel Congregation in Wilmington, and Temple B’nai Sholem in New Bern, all in North Carolina, have

sustained significant damage.

We are starting to hear about individual families and individuals whose homes have flooded,” it continued. “While the larger Jewish communities have so far escaped widespread damage, it is important that we ensure we can step in to help the smaller communities that have been heavily impacted.”

Rabbis haven’t failed to see the connection between the natural disaster and the High Holidays, where the spiritual stakes are high and water is a prominent metaphorical device.

Among the best-known lines of the holiday’s liturgy, from the “Unetanah Tokef” prayer, is “Who by water, and who by fire?”

Rabbi David Weissman of Myrtle Beach’s Reform Temple Shalom said a special prayer in advance of the hurricane on Sept.

10, and planned to make it the focus of his Yom Kippur sermon.

Rabbi Shlomo Elharar of the

Hurricane Florence Continues on page 26

Forum to focus on polling, trends as Election Day nears

By Stephanie Smarstchan JFLV Director of Marketing Lehigh Valley voters will have the chance to weigh in on a pivotal race this November as three candidates vie to replace Charlie Dent as their representative in Congress.

Candidates for Pennsylva-

nia governor and seats in the state Legislature will also be on the ballot.

One week before Election Day, on Oct. 30, the Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley will co-host a forum with Congregation Brith Sholom where a local polling expert will look at Non-Profit Organization

702 North 22nd Street Allentown, PA 18104

U.S. POSTAGE PAID Lehigh Valley, PA Permit No. 64

the trends and likely outcomes of the election.

The non-partisan forum at Brith Sholom, titled “A Blue Wave???,” will feature Dr. Chris Borick, director of the Institute of Public Opinion at Muhlenberg College.

Historically, in the first midterm election under a new president, the president’s party almost always loses seats, Borick said.

“There’s a lot of expectation because of historical cycles and current polling that the midterm elections could be a very positive one for democrats and a challenging one for republicans,” Borick said. “The big question that I think almost everybody has is just how big will democratic gains be in Congress in the midterm elections?”

“What kind of blue wave

are we looking at?,” he continued. “Might it be a ripple or a tsunami.”

Borick has been speaking at forums in the Jewish community for about 15 years. In addition to

questions regarding Israel, attendees often ask about economic issues, educational issues and environmental issues, he said.

Election forums Continues on page 6

com.UNITY

FROM THE DESK OF MARK L. GOLDSTEIN

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

Finding your way through a tense election year There are so many things I would like to write about the upcoming elections. Suffice it to say this election poses for our consideration very different candidates with differing outlooks and strategies for their leadership. Hopefully we can plow through the chatter of the 24-hour news cycle which continues to over-report and make news out of non-newsworthy matters, leaving little time for serious reporting about the candidates and their positions.

Of course, we should all take time to vote, but we should also take the time to understand the candidates and their positions.

And that is the same for our state representatives (or other local races) through your choice for President of the United States.

To help promote understanding about candidates in the highly competitive PA 7th Congressional District (formerly held by Charlie Dent), the Jewish Federation will be hosting a candidates’ forum on Sunday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. at the JCC of the Lehigh Valley.

Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions of the candidates.

Just over a week later, on Tuesday, Oct. 30, the Jewish

Federation will co-sponsor with Congregation Brith Sholom a program featuring polling expert Dr. Chris Borick of Muhlenberg College. Borick will look at the trends and likely outcomes of the upcoming election. The program will take place at Brith Sholom beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Elections also bring about questions about Federation accepting paid political advertisements in HAKOL. True, HAKOL was not always accepting of such advertisements.

About 14 years ago the HAKOL Editorial Board reviewed the issue and decided to accept paid political advertising.

As a charitable nonprofit organization, we act in accordance with IRS guidelines as well as the Federal Election Commission regulations.

Although the Federation must remain politically neutral, we are not prohibited from contact with politics or politicians.

That’s why our Community Relations Council sponsors political candidate forums, organizes missions to Washington and Harrisburg to meet with our legislators and mounts letter writing campaigns on issues of concern to the Jewish community. We are allowed to express

positions on particular issues before our elected officials, but we are not allowed to endorse any candidates.

That decision rests with you and is done so – hopefully – out of a process of educating yourself on the candidates and their positions, and then voting.

It is important for Jewish Americans, as individuals and as a community, to remain actively engaged in political discourse. Carolyn Katwan, then HAKOL editor and Federation assistant executive director, wrote in a February 2008 HAKOL column: “American Jews have exercised their right to vote enthusiastically and in percentages far greater than the national average. Our participation has served us well – on issues from Israel to civil rights to Soviet Jewry – and will continue to do so if we remain active, informed, engaged and accessible. The fact that candidates view our vote as important and significant demonstrates the role of the Jewish community in today’s electoral process.” Paid political advertising is an important way for the Jewish community to promote its accessibility to political candidates and their parties.

Over the years, our HAKOL

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Readers, This January, I began working on Shalom Lehigh Valley, our community’s biennial magazine (described in more detail on page 7). The first and largest question I had when tackling the project is something many people grapple with around this holiday-filled time of year: how to define what our community is, and each of our places in it.

It’s easy to rattle off the names of synagogues and organizations, but how will people know what is right for them? How can we bring information about Judaism to non-Jewish residents of the Lehigh Valley? These questions loomed over me and just like High Holiday services urge you to think, I began pondering what this community means.

I soon delighted to find engagement at all levels. Many of the people profiled in the magazine are longtime volunteers or event participants, but many others are newcomers to the Lehigh Valley, finding their ways to get involved.

The theme of Jews and the arts opened up a new way to look at community engagement by profiling local artists, cooks and other creators.

The main message that emerged from this process was that there is a place for everyone here. Everyone I spoke to was excited to help and share their stories, and looked forward to welcoming people to the community in whatever way they felt comfortable getting involved.

It was an eye-opening process, and I truly enjoyed seeing how welcoming and open everyone is. I did my best

Shalom, Michelle

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

NOAH MAX WEINSTEIN Mazel Tov on his Bar Mitzvah Neil and Linda Dicker IN MEMORY PETER (Brother of Renee Pollack) The Kaplan Family

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

2 OCTOBER 2018 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

STEPHANIE SMARTSCHAN JFLV Director of Marketing

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

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

We cannot guarantee publication or placement of submissions.

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

to bring this warm feeling to the magazine and hope that it can inspire people to consider their own roles in the community and figure out ways to continue or increase their involvement.

I hope you enjoy this issue of HAKOL and the brand-new 2018-20 issue of Shalom Lehigh Valley!

heart of the region and should take the time to educate ourselves. The candidates are seeking our attention and seeking our votes. Let’s wholeheartedly participate in the American political process as a knowledgeable and educated electorate. When that occurs, the best candidates shall surely win.

I am Mark Goldstein, and I approve of this message.

HAKOL STAFF

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

JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY IN HONOR LANA AND BERNIE DISHLER Shanah Tovah Brian, Emily, Al, and Sam Ford SUSAN AND MARC KOLPON Birth of their son, Joshua Isaac Kolpon SHALOM BABY DANNY WAX Thank you to the best babysitter ever!

The Zighelboim Family

Editorial Board and Jewish Federation Board of Directors have reaffirmed our policy to accept political advertising in HAKOL. This practice is mirrored in the vast majority of Jewish community newspapers sponsored by their Jewish federations. In accordance with Federal regulations, our advertising policies offer equal access to all candidates. The presence of an advertisement does not represent an endorsement of a candidate; likewise the absence of an ad from a candidate does not reflect a position by HAKOL or the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley on that candidate.

If the political prognosticators are correct, Pennsylvania – and the Lehigh Valley – will be important to the outcomes of the November elections. Our Jewish community stands at the

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

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

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

Member American Jewish Press Association

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

JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY MISSION STATEMENT

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

• Supporting Israel as a Jewish homeland.

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

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

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

• Developing Jewish leaders.

• Building endowments to support implementation of core values.

• Committing to ongoing Jewish community strategic planning.

• Fostering cooperation among organizations and community building.

• Evaluating all decisions with respect to fiscal responsibility.

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

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

• Setting priorities for allocation and distribution of funds.

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

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

Workshop to help students and parents combat anti-Semitism

By Aaron Gorodzinsky JFLV Director of Outreach & Community Relations The U.S. experienced the largest single-year increase of anti-Semitic incidents on record in 2017, according to the Anti-Defamation League’s annual “Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents.”

The 57 percent increase over the prior year included the second highest number of reported incidents – nearly 2,000 – since the ADL started tracking such data in 1979.

In Pennsylvania alone, the number of incidents went up by 43 percent. The sharp rise was in part due to a significant increase in incidents in schools and on college campuses, which nearly doubled for the second year in a row.

The reported incidents included harassment, vandalism and assault.

“Although the largest number of incidents typically occur in public areas, in 2017, K-12 schools surpassed public areas as the locations with the most anti-Semitic incidents, at 457 incidents being reported in K-12 schools and 455 in public areas,” the ADL found in its report. “For K-12 schools, this is a dramatic increase of 94 percent over the 235 incidents in 2016. Anti-Semitic incidents

on college and university campuses also increased in 2017 to a total of 204, an 89 percent increase over the 108 incidents in 2016.”

We in the Lehigh Valley are not immune to what’s happening in the rest of our state and our country. This is why the Community Relations Council, in partnership with the Anti-Defamation League, is hosting a free seminar for middle and high school students and their parents to learn how to identify these incidents and how to respond appropriately if an incident occurs at school.

The idea behind “Confronting Anti-Semitism: A Workshop for Middle & High School Students and Their Parents” is to learn how to respond to insensitive or hateful comments and behaviors, challenge myths and facts that some students or teachers might have about Judaism, the Jewish community and Israel that cross the line, and to learn the best techniques to respond appropriately when an incident occurs at a school or with a group of friends.

The CRC and the ADL have hosted similar seminars in the past where teens have shared their experiences and come out with a better understand-

ing as to why anti-Semitic comments are used and how to best deal with them in a proactive manner.

People went from expressing that “if it’s a one-time thing, I do nothing” to realizing how important it is to speak up and clarify that certain comments that might be seen as innocent or naïve may require a more proactive response.

“Confronting Anti-Semitism: A Workshop for Middle & High School Students and Their Parents” will be held on Sunday, Oct. 28, at 12:15 p.m. at Temple Beth El. For more information and to sign up, contact Aaron Gorodzinsky at aaron@jflv.org or 610-821-5500.

At a workshop facilitated by the ADL at Temple Beth El in 2016, teens and their parents learned how to combat incidents of anti-Semitism that they see or experience.

1,986 incidents of anti-Semitsm reported in the U.S. in 2017 57% increase over prior year 94% increase of incidents reported in K-12 schools 96 anti-Semitic incidents reported in Pennsylvania Source: Anti-Defamation League’s 2017 “Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents”

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | OCTOBER 2018 3

JWRP joins JFS to help people in need celebrate birthdays

By Michelle Cohen HAKOL Editor Birthdays can prove a tough challenge for people living with food insufficiency. At their meeting in September, the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project 2018 group teamed up with Jewish Family Service to create “birthday bags” for families in need.

“The Birthday in a Bag program provides everything needed to make a birthday party – cake mix, frosting, candles, decorative napkins and plates,” said JWRP participant Rachel Shurman.

“When a family lives with food insufficiency, making a birthday party is not always an option. Celebrating someone's birthday is a way to help them feel loved and experience something joyful.”

Shurman is organizing this

partnership on behalf of this year’s JWRP group, which embarked on a journey to Israel this July. Eight Allentown moms traveled together to learn more about living Jewish lives, passing on traditions and developing identity as a Jewish woman and mother.

“One of the takeaways that I got from the trip was the importance of working together to help the community,” continued Shurman, who appreciates that this project ties together “caring for the community and promoting family togetherness, which for a group of moms, really hits home.”

The birthday bags assembled by the JWRP group will be available to clients of Jewish Family Service’s Community Food Pantry, which helps people in the 18014 zip code and Jews across the

Lehigh Valley deal with food inadequacy.

“JFS is grateful that they have chosen our organization to support with their acts of giving,” said JFS Volunteer Coordinator Chelsea Karp.

WELCOMING NEW BABIES

to the Lehigh Valley OSHER YAKIRA COVEL

daughter of Dr. Neela Covel

JOSHUA ISAAC KOLPON

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

Pantry. “Tikkun olam, which means repairing the world, is a core value in our Jewish heritage. Collecting different items for those in need is our way of doing the mitzvah of tikkun olam,” Shurman said.

A ‘mission junkie’ sets out to return to Israel again

By Vicki Wax 2018 Israel Mission Chair

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

“Feeling celebrated on your birthday is the perfect way to brighten someone's day.”

Over the following year, the JWRP group will continue to meet monthly, and will collect items of need for the

There’s still time: please join me and our Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley participants on an exciting adventure to Israel!

Full disclosure – I'm a mission junkie.

From my first trip in March 1987 until now, Stan and I participated in 11 Federation missions. Although our last trip in 2015 wasn't a mission, we put together for the Wax Fellows an experience made up of many of the highlights of our 11 previous trips.

The obvious question would be then "why go again?” The answer: "why not?”

Federation Israel missions are

my Jewish vitamins. It energizes, excites and renews my spirit each time.

So many friendships have developed on these trips. I still smile when I think of bus #3 on our first trip and the lifelong connections we made. As my dear friend and teacher Jeanette Eichenwald always asks "After Jews have longed for the opportunity to return to our homeland why are we the lucky ones to be alive to see the creation of the modern State of Israel?”

If you want to learn and see things old and new, laugh, cry, eat amazing food, try great wine and have an experience of a lifetime, join us. I promise that you'll never regret going, only not going.

For more about the upcoming mission to Israel on Dec. 2-10, visit jewishlehighvalley.org/discoverisrael.

Handmade Afghans

BY EVA LEVITT

All proceeds benefit projects in Israel:

Food Banks in Israel Neve Michael Youth Village

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

All payments are made payable to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley 4 OCTOBER 2018 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

Local recovery-friendly coffeehouse provides a path forward for people in need

By Michelle Cohen HAKOL Editor Hope & Coffee is a coffeehouse where customers can purchase a hot drink, but also find companionship with people on a recovery journey from opioid addictions. The friendly employees are going through recovery as well, often unable to find other jobs due to their past. For founder Lisa Scheller, Hope & Coffee is a dream come true – her vision of a place for people in recovery to meet and find a community comes to life every day in an 1865 Victorian building in Tamaqua.

Thirty-six years ago, Scheller, a long-time supporter of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley and a leader with the American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, was working through a recovery journey of her own. “Part of my program of recovery is to give back, to be able to help others to recover,” she said, but the stigma of her experience weighed her down.

After years of contemplation and moving forward, Scheller has come to realize that “as someone who has been in recovery with a mostly happy, fulfilling and successful life, [a history of drug addiction] isn’t something I need to be ashamed of. This is a strength, and I could use my experience to provide hope, direction and inspiration for others.”

With this in mind, she approached the Tamaqua Area Community Partnership, a 501c3 organization designed to improve the quality of life in the Tamaqua region.

Scheller, who grew up there and still considers the area home, was distressed to hear about the opioid epidemic hitting the town and wanted to do what she could to help.

After discussing some ideas, Scheller and the Partnership agreed to make a coffeehouse based on helping people recover from addiction. This led to the creation of Hope & Coffee.

The coffeehouse is based on the first step of the Support, Treatment, Enforcement and Prevention (STEP) model of recovery. Hope & Coffee provides companionship and a stigma-free space for people to “gather socially and connect with each other in a warm and friendly environment,” Scheller said. “Our mission is to create a safe, family-friendly community place” for people recovering from addiction to find support from people on similar journeys as well as the community at large. The building’s tables and meeting spaces are open for the whole community to share, and hopefully for people who have not struggled with addiction to realize that people who have are not so different from them.

Executive director Micah Gursky and manager Loren Collura are working with Scheller, dedicating their lives to helping people recover.

The support of the community at large is what started the coffeehouse and is keeping it going. The project is entirely privately funded, something

that means a lot to Scheller because it signifies that “this is the community helping itself.

This is people helping themselves, each other and the community.” Once the project was started, and the building was renovated in a poignant symbol of the transformation of the lives of the people who visit, the coffee sales enabled its continuation as a self-sufficient business.

As a free-standing business, Hope & Coffee is staffed by people who are in “early recovery,” meaning that they are working through or finishing a treatment program or therapy or have been referred by the county drug court.

“This is a re-entry point into society,” said Scheller, whose memories of her journey help her see beyond what others may see from a person with a drug addiction history.

“I want to take the stigma out of recovery because we are just like everybody else.

We have families, we want to do a good job and we want to create value in our lives,” Scheller said. “When we ask a job applicant about their connection with addiction and they say, ‘I am one year in recovery from a heroin addiction,’ we look at that as a positive thing that they’re in recovery, and want to give them an opportunity for steady employment.”

“A person in early recovery needs to feel valued and like they are creating value,” said Scheller, who hopes that Hope & Coffee creates this space for employees and patrons alike. “It gives meaning to a person’s life, and meaning in early recovery can mean all the difference.”

Check next month’s HAKOL for photos from Hope & Coffee. To learn more, visit www.hopeandcoffee.org.

LV-Yoav pen pal program connects new friends across the sea As the school year begins, families from the Lehigh Valley and Yoav, Israel, are preparing to send letters to each other.

These new pen pal relationships will help the families learn about lifestyle differences between the two communities as well as the spark of kindness that brings us together.

These families from Haela Elementary School in Yoav and religious schools in the Lehigh Valley are participating in “Under the Same Moon,” a pen pal program that brings Lehigh Valley families closer together with Partnership2Gether families in Yoav. Once a month for the next six months, kids from the religious schools are taking pen to paper and learning more about daily life in Israel as well as their families, holiday celebrations, favorite traditions and more. Children on both sides also get practice in their second language The program is based on a book by the same title whose pages are filled with envelopes. Over the course of the sixmonth program, the families fill the envelopes with each other’s letters and stories, creating a scrapbook of friendship that shows that despite the distance, we all live under the same moon.

For more information about the program, contact Aaron Gorodzinsky, Jewish Federation director of outreach & community relations, at 610-821-5500 or aaron@jflv.org.

ALL JEWISH TEENS ARE INVITED TO DINNER AND DISCOVERY SESSION

SHALSHELET OPENING SESSION All teens from any Jewish background in grades 10,11,12 in the Lehigh Valley are invited to our opening dinner and session. Please rsvp.

No synagogue affiliation required.

This is NOT a youth group!

Come find out the difference!

October 22, 2018

6:30pm

Parents are invited for a Q&A about Shalshelet at 6:30pm during the opening session.

To rsvp or to find out more information, please contact Ofer shalsheletbethel@gmail.com

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | OCTOBER 2018 5

Ambucycle #709 update

Editor’s Note: This update comes from United Hatzalah in Israel, where the ambucycle sponsored by the Maimonides Society of the Jewish Federation continues to enable lifesaving assistance for people in need.

Your ambucycle rider, Asher Eliyahu, has been as busy as ever responding to calls and saving lives!

Recently one evening, United Hatzalah dispatch alerted Asher to a medical emergency nearby in Ma’alot. A little boy had been riding his bicycle in the neighborhood when he was struck by a passing motorist. The devoted volunteer quickly sped to the scene on your lifesaving ambucycle.

He discovered the 5 year-old victim traumatized and in tears, bleeding from multiple wounds sustained in the collision. Additional ambucycle medics joined Asher on location to assist. The EMTs calmed the panicked little boy, treated his wounds and completed a thorough assessment. When the intensive care ambulance crew joined them on scene, five minutes later, they found the child stable, prepped and ready for transport. The young patient was evacuated to the Western Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya for definitive care.

Your generosity enables Asher to race out and be there for others, 24/7. Thank you for partnering with United Hatzalah in lifesaving!

6 OCTOBER 2018 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

Election forum Continues from page 1

“I’m always so impressed with the insight and depth of the questions I get during talks at the various events I’ve done in the community over the years,” he said.

“Folks are highly engaged and knowledgeable about politics both nationally and locally. I always have to be extra prepared with my research because folks will want to know. They’ll double check you and ask you to defend your case and I love that.”

Through his role at Muhlenberg, Borick is just starting to conduct in-depth polling on this election cycle and will have his up-to-theminute data ready for the forum. While not everyone will be happy with the data or his analysis, he acknowledges, his only aim is to present as clear a picture as he can of what he believes will happen.

“People come in at events like this certainly with their own political beliefs, their own hopes for what should happen and sometimes my analysis doesn’t align with that,” he said. “And what I always tell them is I have one goal when I make predictions or projections and that’s to be right.”

“Chris is a marvelous

pollster,” said Dr. Gordon Goldberg, who is chairing the event.

Goldberg has presented election forums at Brith Sholom since 2002. He started right after the Bush-Gore election: “Everybody was up in arms about what took place,” he said. “I decided that that would be a good time to do this.”

In addition to the critical Congressional race, he will also touch on the contest for Pennsylvania’s governor and control of the state legislature, he said.

“There’s a United States census coming up in 2020 and control of the legislature means that they’re going to be able to redraw the boundaries,” Goldberg said. “The issue of gerrymandering, that is very much an issue. Because whoever controls the legis-

lature will be in a position to redraw the districts.”

“Election 2018: A Blue Wave???” will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 30, at 7:30 p.m. at Congregation Brith Sholom.

The program is free and open to the public. To learn more, visit jewishlehighvalley.org.

Discover the new 2018-20 issue of Shalom Lehigh Valley

By Michelle Cohen HAKOL Editor Moving to a new place and finding connections with the local Jewish community can be very difficult to do. Even in the Lehigh Valley, smaller than many metropolitan areas, there are 11 synagogues, a variety of charitable agencies and a great number of programs. Every other year, the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley publishes a magazine guiding people of every age and life stage through our

vibrant Jewish community.

This year’s issue of Shalom Lehigh Valley is on its way to homes across the Valley, as well as synagogues, realtors, shops and community organizations. Thanks to a partnership with ArtsQuest and Christmas City Printing, many non-Jews in the Lehigh Valley will learn about the lively Jewish community. Although some articles focus on newcomers, there is always something new for members of our community to discover even if you have lived here

for many years.

A project two years in the making, this edition of Shalom Lehigh Valley features a theme of Jews and the arts, including profiles of local Jewish artists, a walkthrough of the art gallery at the Jewish Community Center and information about creative programs like the Jewish Film Festival. Fun facts about Judaism and the Jewish community are sprinkled through the pages to provide an entertaining reading experience.

Even if you think you know what you need to know about the Lehigh Valley Jewish community, consider perusing the pages about community involvement, profiles of local volunteers and participants in community programs and much more.

Find new friends and new ways to connect in colorful pages filled with photos from across the Valley. Check the helpful timeline in the center of the magazine for key ways to get involved at every age from babies to older adults, and everything in between.

Shalom Lehigh Valley also serves as a resource for candle lighting times for the next two years and is home to a directory of synagogues and agencies describing each organization in their own words.

As editor of Shalom Lehigh Valley, I am very excited to present you with this portrait of our community, and I invite feedback as you encounter our community from a new lens.

Israel’s Linoy Ashram wins silver in all-around finals at World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships Jewish Telegraphic Agency Israeli athlete Linoy Ashram won the silver medal in the all-around final at the World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Dina Averina of Russia won the gold and Alexandra Soldatova of Russia took the bronze. At the world competition in 2017, Ashram won the bronze.

Ashram, 19, of Tel Aviv, also won the silver in the individual hoop final and the bronze in the ribbons competition.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Ashram to congratulate her on her medals.

“Linoy, congratulations! This is an outstand-

ing achievement. You have caused all of us to be proud.

You do this with amazing flexibility and great personal ability. This lifts the national pride of all of us. May you have very great success and we are all waiting for your continued success. Congratulations to you,” Netanyahu said in the call, according to a statement from his office.

Ashram will receive a special grant of $23,500 from the Olympic Committee of Israel, the Culture and Sports Ministry and the Israeli Commission for Sports Gambling, a sum that she will split with her coaches.

She is looking toward winning a medal at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | OCTOBER 2018 7

SPENCER PLATT/GETTY IMAGES

Nazi-looted Renoir painting returned to last heir of Jewish art dealer

U.S. attorney in Manhattan Geoffrey S. Berman, left, and Sylvie Sulitzer posing on Sept. 12 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York with the recovered Impressionist painting “Two Women in a Garden,” painted in 1919 by Pierre-Auguste Renoir. The painting, which originally belonged to Sulitzer’s grandfather Alfred Weinberger, was confiscated by the Nazis in Paris during World War II. Jewish Telegraphic Agency A Renoir painting that the Nazis stole from a Paris bank vault was returned to the heir of its owner.

On Sept. 12, U.S. authorities returned the 1919 work “Deux Femmes Dans Un Jardin” to Sylvie Sulitzer of France, the last remaining heir of her grandfather Alfred Weinberger, at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York. The painting by Pierre-Auguste Renoir,

a famed Impressionist, is worth at least $300,000.

Although Sulitzer knew her grandfather, she had no idea about the missing Renoir until a German law firm, specialists in recovering art looted by the Nazis from Jewish families, contacted her in the early 2010s, Agence France-Presse reported.

“I’m very thankful to be able to show my beloved family wherever they are that after all they’ve been

8 OCTOBER 2018 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

through, there is justice,” Sulitzer said.

Her grandfather was a prominent art collector in prewar Paris.

Four other Renoirs and a Delacroix, which her grandfather also owned, have yet to be recovered, Sulitzer told AFP. The Nazis stole the art in December 1941 from the bank vault where Weinberger stored his collection when he fled Paris at the outset of World War II. Following the war, Weinberger spent decades trying to recover his property, registering his claim with French authorities in 1947 and with the Germans in 1958.

U.S. officials said the Renoir first resurfaced at an art sale in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1975, before finding its way to London, where it was sold again in 1977. It was put up for sale again in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1999. It was last sold in 2012 in the United States for $390,000, The New York Times reported.

But it was only when it was put up for auction by a private collector at Christie’s in New York that the auction house called in the FBI. Its previous owner eventually agreed to relinquish the painting.

It is thought that up to 100,000 works of art, and millions of books, were stolen from French Jews, or Jews who had fled to France before the Nazi occupation began in 1940.

IN HONOR LARRY AND SUSAN BERMAN Birth of their granddaughter Jane and Arthur Kaplan JEANETTE AND EDUARDO EICHENWALD Bar Mitzvah of their grandson, Gideon Roberta and Robert Kritzer ROBERTO AND EILEEN FISCHMANN Birth of their grandsons Beth and Wesley Kozinn BRIAN AND EMILY FORD Pomerantz Award for Campaign Excellence Roberta and Robert Kritzer BOBBY HAMMEL Speedy Recovery Arthur and Barbara Weinrach Speedy Recovery for his mother, Ernie Mark Goldstein and Shari Spark CAROLE LANGSAM Happy 80th Birthday Fred and Barbara Sussman ARTHUR AND AUDREY SOSIS Marriage of their daughter Beth and Wesley Kozinn

CANTOR KEVIN WARTELL Thank you for all you have meant to the Jewish Community Selma Roth and Family VICKI WAX Graduations of grandsons Ben and Danny Roberta and Robert Kritzer IN MEMORY PETR BRUK (Husband of Valentina Bruk) Taffi Ney ALVIN MISHKIN (Father of Carol Furmansky) Lisa and Ellis Block Beth and Wesley Kozinn Jill and Barry Miller JILL STEWART NARROW (Wife of Hank Narrow) Anita and Syman Hirsch Jane and Arthur Kaplan MOLLYE ROTHSTEIN (Mother of Allan Rothstein) Karl and Sara Glassman MARTIN SHER (Brother of Anita Hirsch) Taffi Ney

We gratefully acknowledge those individuals who have offered expressions of friendship through recent gifts to the Lehigh Valley Jewish Foundation.

The minimum contribution for an Endowment Card is $10. Call 610-821-5500 or visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org to place your card requests. Thank you for your continued support.

LIRON ALMOG/FLASH90

Why Jews dip apples in honey on Rosh Hashanah — and why vegans say the custom is a problem

The Rosh Hashanah custom of dipping apples in honey had its start among Ashkenazi Jews.

By Josefin Dolsten Jewish Telegraphic Agency The truth is, there is no commandment in Judaism to dip an apple in honey on Rosh Hashanah. But what would the Jewish New Year be without the custom?

It’s a question that bedevils vegans, many of whom won’t eat honey because it’s an animal product.

So what’s a mock chopped liver/seitan brisket/vegetarian stuffed cabbage kind of Jew to do?

Jeffrey Cohan, the executive director of Jewish Veg, explains all the ways that honey production is problematic. In order to produce as much honey as possible, many honey producers manipulate the bees’ natural living patterns, including clipping the queen’s wings to prevent her from flying away, and replacing the honey produced with sugar water, which animal rights activists say is less nutritious. Some vegans regard the whole process as cruel and exploitative.

“Tza’ar ba’alei chayim is a core Torah mandate, so to start the new year right away by violating tza’ar ba’alei chayim does not get the year off to the best start,” he said, using the Hebrew term for the prohibition against causing unnecessary harm to animals.

One of the more common substitutes is honey made from dates, according to Cohan. Date honey is not only vegetarian but has its roots in the Bible. Dates are one of the seven species of the land of Israel mentioned in the Bible.

Scholars say that the description of “a land flowing with milk and honey” actually refers to date honey, not bee honey. “[B]ecause date syrup is actually in the Torah, it makes the most sense from a Jewish perspective,” Cohan said.

Proponents of eating date honey also cite its health benefits.

Brian Finkel, the cofounder of a company selling organic date honey, says the product has 25 percent less sugar and a lower glycemic index than bee honey and is a great source of antioxidants.

Finkel, who grew up outside Chicago but moved to Israel in 2013, first tasted date honey while studying at a yeshiva in the Jewish state after finishing high school. Silan, as the product is known there, is

a popular ingredient in cooking and baking, and as a dip.

The entrepreneur had a self-described “eureka moment” when he thought to introduce it to American consumers.

Last year, Finkel and his business partner, David Czinn, launched D’Vash Organics.

Since then, Finkel said, they have sold hundreds of thousands of bottles of date honey, in stores across the United States and through the company’s website.

The product is produced in a U.S. factory that is not certified kosher, but Finkel said he is looking to produce a kosher version so that observant Jews can have it around the holidays — and year round.

“I think it goes great with apples, it goes great with challah,” he said. “I definitely encourage people to use it on those things, around the holiday time, to make the new year that much sweeter.”

Making the new year sweeter is the whole point of the custom. Some trace it to Nehemiah 8:10, where the Jews of the Second Temple period celebrating what would eventually become Rosh Hashanah are told to “Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet.”

As for the apple, the custom was started among Ashkenazi Jews in medieval Europe, when

the apple as we know it had become more accessible due to cultivation, said Jordan Rosenblum, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who studies food and Judaism.

Apples are in season and therefore plentiful in the fall, when the holiday of Rosh Hashanah occurs. In 14th-century Germany, the Jewish sage known as the Maharil described the custom of dipping apples in honey as long established and rich with mystical meaning.

Dates did not grow in Europe, but honey made by bees was available, so that became the topping of choice, said Leah Hochman, an associate professor at the Hebrew Union CollegeJewish Institute of Religion who researches religion and food.

“You have all these Diaspora communities that are adapting to their new environments, and over time people used substitutes that had some sort of relationship to the seven species to honor the ever-longed-for return to Zion,” Hochman said.

The custom traveled with European Jews when many of them left for the United States in the 19th century. Many settled in the Northeast, a region where apples grow well.

“They have that tradition, and they come to a place that’s great for apple growing, so that further cements it,” Rosenblum said.

Hochman said that as apples and honey became associated with Rosh Hashanah, the combination gained a symbolic meaning.

“Over the course of time, the tradition became crucially important for understanding our wishes for a new year, that they’re sweet,” she said.

It also helped that bee honey is kosher, even thought the bee itself is not. Rabbis explain that unlike milk from a nonkosher animal, which may not be consumed, bee honey is derived from the nectar of a flower and not from something that’s part of the bee’s body.

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | OCTOBER 2018 9

Pride at the J

Sam Glaser to perform at Hadassah Concert

Jubilee event to honor Hadassah presidents

By Jennifer Lader Hadassah Bethlehem-Easton

When rain flooded Cedar Beach in August, the Jewish Community Center quickly stepped in to provide a new home for “Pride in the Park.” “The Jewish Community Center was so gracious to allow us to move the 25th annual Pride in the Park celebration to their grounds at such late notice,” said Adrian Shanker, founder and executive director of the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBTQ Community Center, which organized the event. “We are glad to have a strong partnership with the JCC as two organizations committed to serving a diverse and inclusive city."

HELP THE VICTIMS OF HURRICANE FLORENCE 100% of your donation to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley’s Hurricane Relief Fund will go toward hurricane relief efforts www.jewishlehighvalley.org/hurricanerelief

Jewish musician Sam Glaser will perform at the jubilee BethlehemEaston Hadassah Concert on Sunday, Nov. 4, at 3 p.m. In addition to raising funds to support Hadassah Medical Organization, the concert will honor the group’s co-presidents and past presidents. “It’s the 75th annual concert, which means it started in 1943,” says concert co-organizer Fran Fisher. “If anyone was at that concert, we want to hear from you.

The theme this year is ‘Shehechiyanu’ because Jewish musician Sam Glaser will perform we celebrate getting to at the jubilee Bethlehem-Easton this place and time.”

Hadassah Concert on Sunday, Nov. 4, Glaser’s performance at 3 p.m. is a featured stop on his "Power of the Soul" world tour. Considered one of the top 10 Jewish artists by "Moment Magazine," Glaser performs for the widest array of audiences of any touring Jewish artist. Devoted fans range from Reform and Conservative to Modern Orthodox and Chassidim. In addition to Jewish venues, including several in the Lehigh Valley, he has appeared at L.A.’s Greek Theater, Dodger Stadium, on Broadway and at the White House.

Tickets are $30 at the door, or contact hadassahbe@gmail.org or Carole at 610-554-37488. A gourmet dessert buffet follows the concert and is included in the ticket price.

10 OCTOBER 2018 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

Windows: In law and life

Currently, I am in a unique position. I could jokingly be considered the Chief Rabbi of Easton. (Of course, I am the only rabbi in Easton at this time.) I am serving both Bnai Abraham Synagogue and Temple Covenant of Peace. I have two cantors: Jill Pakman and Robert Weiner, Ph.d; two boards, two congregations and conduct services in two sanctuaries according to the custom of each community.

Both sanctuaries have windows – as they should according to the Talmud (BT Berakhot 31a). This dictum is based on the prayer space of Daniel whose “windows were open in his chamber toward Jerusalem” (Daniel

of remembrance; "l’dor v’dor" – from generation to generation; "zachor!" – remember! Judaism is a religion of ritual, story and remembrance. It is also an evolving, creative manifestation of a people determined to survive. The Easton Jewish community is the oldest in the Lehigh Valley pre-dating the Revolution. Temple Covenant of Peace was founded in 1839. Bnai Abraham followed sometime between 1886 and 1892. We go back a long way together.

There were disagreements and collaboration then and there still are today. Most families don’t see eye to eye on everything.

Although a synagogue is supposed to have windows, there were times that they did not. Windows were a liability at certain periods in history because the prayers might be heard by outsiders and be misunderstood or offend their sensibilities. I mention this because this shidduch between BAS and TCP is not only due to finances – as many seem to believe. We have come to a time where we are a more cohesive community with common goals, rituals and practice. Most of the Easton Jewish community does agree that the window to our future is fairly clear. We have more similarities than differences and we have come to know and respect each other.

We look forward to continuing the Easton Jewish community’s legacy for another 250 plus years!

By Gabe Friedman Jewish Telegraphic Agency In 1968, The Beatles put the title to their upcoming single, “Hey Jude,” on the front of their record label’s boutique store in London. The idea was to intrigue passersby before the release, Paul McCartney told GQ in a new interview.

However, the song’s name didn’t go over well with everyone. McCartney said a furious Jewish man called him up about the name (because this was the ’60s, when celebrities were apparently reachable by phone) and threatened to send his son over to beat the Beatle up.

The word “jude” (Jew in German) conjured up bad memories in the post-Nazi era, and Jews in London had enough to deal with, the man fumed.

“I said ‘hey baby, let’s cool it down, nothing to do with that,’” McCartney said.

“You’ll hear when you hear the record, it’s just a name in a song and it’s all cool.”

The man relented.

McCartney explains in the video that the song was originally titled “Hey Jules,” a reference to John Lennon’s son Julian. McCartney was feeling bad for young Julian at the time, just after Lennon

GUSTAVO CABALLERO/GETTY IMAGES

RABBI MELODY DAVIS Temple Covenant of Peace

6:11). Rav Kook offered a modern interpretation of this requirement: A synagogue must have windows so that we are aware of the needs of the outside world and pray for them as well. We do not exist in a vacuum.

As the rabbi of this community, I have been looking through the windows of my congregants: those who have grown up in this community and those who have recently made it their home: Retirees, empty nesters, young families, singles, widows and widowers, divorced people, etc. They all bring a unique perspective to the issues of bringing a family together.

There is no possible way of pleasing everyone – which doesn’t stop me from trying.

Memories are the most important window for the majority of our people. “I was confirmed here.” “My children went to pre-school here, had their b’nai mitzvah here, were married here ...” “My grandfather helped found this community.” People want their legacy to continue. Some of those reminiscences are embedded in the structures themselves which makes both spiritual homes much more precious than the materials of which they are comprised. Which building will be kept? We don’t know. The window that shows the future is still murky.

Many of our rituals reinforce this idea of collective memory: Yizkor – the service

Paul McCartney says he never meant to offend Jews with ‘Hey Jude’

Paul McCartney performing in Miami, Florida., July 7, 2017. had divorced his first wife Cynthia Powell.

But in the end, he just liked the name Jude better.

These days, McCartney — who is about to start a tour after recently releasing his 18th solo album — sees the iconic tune, which he plays at every one of his concerts, as a way of bringing people together.

“In these times, when it’s a little dark and people are sort of separated by politics and stuff, it’s so fantastic just to see them all come together singing the end of ‘Hey Jude,’” he said.

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HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | OCTOBER 2018 11

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DAN PERETZ

Israeli startups want to replace your sugar with high-tech alternatives

Udi Barkan, the research and development chef for Unavoo, maker of a stevia-based sweetener mixed with fiber from acacia trees, uses the product to sweeten desserts.

By Ben Hartman Jewish Telegraphic Agency Editor’s Note: This story is sponsored by Start-Up Nation Central.

Picture the scene: It’s Rosh Hashanah eve, the year 2023. A family sits around the table, apple slices at the ready.

But instead of dipping the fruit into a bowl of thick honey, they take turns dipping it into a bowl of diet syrup sweetened by Israeli-designed natural proteins.

That’s part of the vision of Amai Proteins, an Israeli biotech company working to develop sweet alternatives to sugar in commercial food products. The company is working on formulas that are based on proteins found in various fruits, and they have zero calories, are cheaper and

sweeter than sugar. They also don’t leave that aftertaste associated with artificial sweeteners. And they’d be kosher.

“Unlike other high-intensity sweeteners, Amai’s products are proteins and get digested in the upper gastrointestinal tract without causing any insulin response,” CEO Ilan Samish said.

That, he said, could enable diabetics to consume the sweetener while avoiding the dangerous insulin response prompted by sugar consumption.

Amai is among a burst of Israeli startups developing innovative alternative sweeteners, part of a new crop of Israeli biotech and food science companies aiming to take on the $90 billion global sugar market. They want to wean consumers and food companies off their reliance on sugar — its health effects range from obe-

sity and cardiovascular disease to diabetes and liver illnesses — and appeal to the growing demand for non-sugar, naturebased alternatives.

Israel has some 750 active startups and companies in the food and agriculture tech sectors, according to a May 2018 report by Start-Up Nation Central, an Israeli nonprofit that tracks and supports the country’s startup ecosystem. According to the organization’s public database, Start-Up Nation Finder, about 270 of the startups are food tech companies. At least a dozen of them are working on tackling sugar.

Sugar is so ubiquitous in processed food now that about 75 percent of food and beverage products contain added sugar, including in items like yogurt, protein powder and tomato sauce. Consumption of soft drinks with high sugar levels has increased fivefold in the United States since 1950. Meanwhile, sugary drinks are linked to an estimated 184,000 deaths per year worldwide, according to a 2015 study While sugar alternatives have been on the market for decades, most have an aftertaste, contain artificial chemicals or don’t produce the same “mouth feel” as sugar. Many of the new Israeli companies are focused on products that overcome those problems.

An Israeli startup called ShakeUp is working on a healthy ice cream that is low-calorie, low-fat, has no added sugar and is dairy-free. Another company, Better Juice, is crafting low-sugar fruit juice by converting the sugars into dietary fibers.

The Caesarea-based outfit Lampados International has developed a low-calorie meringue sweetener called Liteez made of prebiotic fibers and vegetable proteins that consumers can plop in a hot drink and watch melt.

Last year, Amai’s Samish and Masha

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12 OCTOBER 2018 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

Niv, the vice dean for research at Hebrew University’s Robert H. Smith Dept. of Agriculture, Food and Environment, founded a forum to boost collaboration between Israeli academics and food industry leaders in the field of healthy sugar reduction. Called the Sweet Science Forum, it’s meant to share research and brainstorm solutions in subjects like sweet perception, molecular mechanisms of sweetness and sensory analysis. Among the members are scientists from the Technion, Hebrew University and the Israeli agricultural research center the Volcani Institute; food industry giants like Tnuva, Strauss and Coca-Cola; and startups like Amai.

“It’s hard to say what will be in 20 years, but I don’t think it’s the optimal outcome to replace sugar altogether,” Niv said. “We also have to somehow convince ourselves to consume less.”

Many startups in the sweet science field were launched as a result of their founders’ personal needs.

A1C Foods, which develops products that are low carb and low on the glycemic index — how much the carbohydrates in a certain food affects blood glucose levels — was launched by Ran Hirsch, a lawyer and entrepreneur whose daughter has diabetes, and the endocrinologist who treated her, Dr. Mariela Glandt. In July, A1C was chosen by PepsiCo to be one of 10 companies to take part in its Nutrition Greenhouse incubator.

Yuval Maimon, CEO of Unavoo, maker of the natural sweetener Heylo, once owned a sprawling gelato business.

After being diagnosed with diabetes 10 years ago, he shifted gears to focus on a new venture aimed at helping people eat tasty, sweet food without consuming more sugar. Unavoo sells a stevia-based Israeli startups Continues on page 22

My first month in the Lehigh Valley

By Rotem Bar Israeli Shlicha Editor’s Note: Rotem is in the Lehigh Valley as a shlicha, a cultural emissary, who will be bringing Israeli culture, food, programming and more to the community during the next year.

As the new Jewish year begins (5779), so does my journey here in the Lehigh Valley. Both the Jewish new year and the start of my year here feel very symbolic. This past month was a month to understand how things work around here, to reflect, meet and observe just before I can dive in. The Jewish new year is a time to do “heshbon nefesh” which is the Hebrew way of saying recalculating our soul. Or in other words, How can we improve ourselves and become better people in this world?

How can we be better to our family, friends, neighbors and to those who differ from us? So during this time, not only am I doing “heshbon nefesh,” I am also thinking about the next year. How can I use my role as shlicha this year to “bring Israel to life” in the community? How can I take advantage of the opportunity that fell into my lap in the best way possible?

Even though I have just left Israel, being away during the holidays feels almost unnatural to me. Holidays in Israel feel like magic. I miss the custom of having a Rosh Hashanah toast. I miss that everyone is wearing white, everything closes early, walking in the street and passing different houses you can smell the cooking smells coming out of the different homes. I miss the calm music that plays on the radio and I even miss that the whole country stands together in traffic jams.

On Yom Kippur here, the cars didn’t stop, there weren't any bicycles on empty roads, everything outside was just like any other day of the week and the TV channels didn’t say “we will be back to regular broadcast after Yom Kippur” as they do in Israel. But even though everything on the outside was like a normal day, on the inside it wasn’t. Here, I felt the holidays because I chose to feel

them. Because the community here chooses to feel them. Yom Kippur in Allentown was my first Yom Kippur at a synagogue and I am sure I will never forget that. I feel like I now understand a little more about the Jewish community here. Unlike in Israel where you don’t have to do much in order to feel and celebrate the holidays, here it’s a choice to celebrate and practice the Jewish holidays and that means a lot.

I have met wonderful people from the community here that have opened their hearts and homes to me and I am grateful. Thank you for inviting me to celebrate the holidays with you and for making me feel welcome.

It feels like I only got here a few days ago, but already a whole month went by. I’m very excited for the year to come, I hope to meet many more community members, and I wish all of you a shanah tovah!

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1930 Bevin Drive Allentown, Pa 18103 HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | OCTOBER 2018 13

The power of groups in parenting teens

By Debbie Zoller, MSW, LCSW Jewish Family Service of the Lehigh Valley Parenting children through their teenage years can be full of challenges and rewards! JFS is offering a supportive group with therapeutic facilitation to focus on some of the specific issues around parenting teens today. Parents frequently wish to deepen their connection to their growing children. The group setting encourages parents to learn from and listen to each other. Sharing experiences helps parents to have more support on their journey. Information and resources that might be helpful beyond the group experience will also be provided.

While the teen years tend to be a time for teens to find their group of peers, it makes sense that parents of teens talk to their peers about some

14 OCTOBER 2018 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

of the issues they are facing together.

Teens have to navigate academics, physical changes, their sexuality and competitive situations. In Dr. Daniel Siegel’s book called “Brainstorm,” he writes about the changes in the adolescent brain. “While most measurable aspects of our lives are improving during adolescence, such as physical strength, immune function, resistance to heat and cold, and the speed and agility of how we respond, we are three times more likely to suffer serious injury or death during this time than we were in childhood or than we will be in adulthood. This increase in risk is not ‘by chance’ – scientists believe it comes from the innate changes in how the brain develops during this period.”

Dr. Siegel reflects that in the old days, children were often raised by a village of extended family members and close friends. Today, parents and their children are frequently more isolated and therefore don’t share the richness of supportive connections. This is another reason why it can be so constructive for parents to come together to share their concerns and challenges. Parents can talk to each other in a confidential setting so that they are responding to their teen in a more mindful and constructive way. When parents don’t have a place for themselves to explore their own feelings about their children, they probably will react more impulsively. They may see a teen’s behavior through a negative lens and then

react negatively which will produce more hostility.

Parents need a tool box to navigate the teen years. This tool box can be developed in a therapeutic group with the guidance of trained professionals. Parents may expand their ability to communicate and how to set boundaries by talking to each other. A group also offers the opportunity to gain different perspectives on decision making, budgeting, and

at risk behavior.

Frequently teens don’t recognize their parents when they become adults and parents don’t recognize their teens when they become adults.

The experience of parenting teens is diverse and unique. Think back to your own adolescence and how it felt. Therapeutic groups provide the opportunity to laugh, cry and to build strategies so that your tool box is better equipped.

Join Jewish Family Service for four sessions on

OCTOBER 8, 15, 22 & 29

12:00 - 1:30 p.m.

Jewish Family Service of the Lehigh Valley Price: $90 for the four sessions.

Scholarships available.

Pre-registration required.

For more information, contact: Susan Sklaroff-Van Hook, MA, LPC, Counseling Psychology 610-821-8722 x115 | svh@jfslv.org

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | OCTOBER 2018 15

New group of older adult volunteers to be celebrated at third 8ish Over 80ish event

By Michelle Cohen HAKOL Editor

*see store for details.

The Lehigh Valley Jewish community will gather on Nov. 11 to celebrate the lives and accomplishments of a new group of 14 remarkable older adults who have donated their time, talents and hearts to enriching our community.

An elegant champagne brunch in their honor will be hosted by Jewish Family Service at Temple Beth El. The proceeds from the brunch will benefit JFS’s older adult services.

“We have been so fortunate to already honor 29 of the community’s biggest mensches over the past two years,” said Debbie Zoller, JFS executive director. “We are excited to welcome a new class and expand our reach to those who may not be quite 80 yet.”

Rabbi Allen Juda, JFS

board president, added, “The third celebration of 8ish Over 80ish reminds us that we are fortunate to have so many wonderful and giving members of the Lehigh Valley Jewish community. Some of the honorees may be known only to one or two organizations.

Others are better known. But each of these extraordinary individuals deserves to be known and honored by all of us. They have contributed their time and resources to improve our lives and community and we will come together from across the Lehigh Valley to show that we appreciate their efforts, past and present.”

Each of the honorees has made an impact on the Lehigh Valley Jewish community and was chosen by one or more Jewish organizations to be an honoree.

The event, which will include a brief presentation from JFS as well as a video

featuring the honorees in their own words, is intended not only to celebrate the efforts of these remarkable people, but also to inspire the whole community to improve the lives of older adults in the Lehigh Valley.

"We are excited to celebrate another cohort of inspiring honorees,” said Carah Tenzer, who is co-chairing the event along with Audrey Nolte for the third time. “The Lehigh Valley is home to some terrific gems, and JFS is thrilled to highlight their accomplishments.”

“I continue to be inspired by the humility and accomplishments of our honorees,” said Nolte. “They are shining lights in our community.”

The 8ish Over 80ish brunch will take place on Sunday, Nov. 11, at 10 a.m. at Temple Beth El. To learn more about registration and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.jfslv.org/8ishOver80.

Meet the 8ish Over 80ish honorees LEONARD ABRAMS came to the Lehigh

Valley in 1955 when his father decided to move his shirt factory from Brooklyn to Fleetwood. The choice became live in Allentown or Reading, “and my wife, may she rest in peace, said ‘what’s closer to New York?’” he said. “We settled in Allentown.” About 10 years later, Lenny became active in the Jewish Community Center and later the Jewish Federation, where he served as campaign chair and president. Born out of his shirt business, Lenny co-owned Paul Fredrick, a men’s apparel store, until the business was sold late last year. Lenny believes that community connects the present to the future.

TAMA FOGELMAN has dedicated her time

and passion to Jewish Family Service as a volunteer and board member for many years.

Now a board member emeritus, she continues to support JFS with time and financial resources. “If I need her, she is there,” said JFS Executive Director Debbie Zoller, who appreciates Tama’s willingness to step forward and lend a hand. Tama is someone who “thinks globally and acts locally,” friend Beth Kozinn said of her upon an honor she received in 2011, and she is a “believer in giving back and helping out in the community and the world.”

LIBBY GLASS, Temple Beth El’s nomi-

nee, has devoted more than half of her 99 years volunteering in Jewish organizations throughout the Valley. An active member of the Temple Beth El Sisterhood and devoted lifetime member of Hadassah, Libby chaired the Housewares Department for JCC’s Nearly New Sale for 45 years. Volunteering makes her feel grateful and useful. She cherishes time with her siblings, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

When SANDRA GOLDFARB moved to the Lehigh Valley in 1957, she never dreamed she would be nominated by two organizations for 16 OCTOBER 2018 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

volunteerism. While her social life revolved around Temple Beth El and the Jewish Community Center, Sandra was an active member of Hadassah, started ORT in the Lehigh Valley, volunteered for the Federation and was a docent at the Allentown Art Museum. Taking a break, Sandra returned to Cedar Crest College to complete her college degree and followed with an MBA at Lehigh University.

After working 15 years at Concannon, Gallagher and Miller, she returned to her favorite job, volunteering. She volunteers because she wants to give back and encourage Judaism to thrive in our community. Her advice, “Get involved in something you’re passionate about and enjoy it!”

SYMAN AND ANITA HIRSCH met as teen-

agers at a JCC dance and have been married 57 years. They have spent a half -century in the Lehigh Valley dedicating their efforts to veterans and the Jewish community. Anita is a proficient writer and has published six books and written for various newspapers in the Valley. Sy currently writes a blog called, “Syman Says: A Thought for the Day.” The couple once operated a concession stand at the Velodrome, where their claim to fame became pita pizza and the Velowedge sandwich. Their commitment to a healthy and active life is evident in their passion for living. They both believe wholesome humor and volunteerism are ingredients in the recipe for a fulfilling life.

DORIS LIFLAND has been an active member of Bnai Abraham Synagogue as well as a community volunteer. To her, volunteering and helping people gives her peace of mind.

A Meals on Wheels volunteer, creator of local theatre programs and founder of URW, You are Welcome, Doris spreads cheer wherever she goes. As a new resident at Moravian Hall, she and their chaplain have planned community wide eight-day Chanukah celebrations for all of the residents.

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NORMAN AND SANDY WRUBLE

ELAINE RAPPAPORT-BASS believes her

day isn’t complete unless she’s helped someone or made someone happy. Congregation Keneseth Israel’s nominee learned to love life from her parents. Membership at KI, Temple Beth El and Congregation Sons of Israel fuels her love of Judaism. Elaine’s passion for all stages of life is spread across the community through teaching, daily minyan attendance, NODA (No One Dies Alone) and Chevra Kadisha (the Holy Burial Society). Since singing is a part of praying, it is only fitting that Elaine is part of the KI choir.

MARCIA SCHECHTER, Congregation

Sons of Israel’s nominee, believes in people.

Older adults throughout the Lehigh Valley are linked to Judaism and Jewish values because of Marcia’s caring visits. She said, “I’m capable of learning from people who I wouldn’t have noticed 20 years ago. I learn so much from my people.” Her motto is to keep doors open. She honors her husband by keeping their commitment to living an orthodox life, her mother, by planting and maintaining the beautiful garden in front of Jewish Family Service, and her father by visiting people.

EILEEN SEGAL is a retired analytical chem-

ist who believes older people don’t feel old.

They’re super-agers! An American Chemical Society Fellow, Eileen exemplifies the characteristics of an active volunteer. As a past president of Temple Covenant of Peace, she continues to organize a centenarian luncheon for Northampton County and edits the Center of Aging’s newsletter. Eileen’s motto is to give back; you always get more than you give.

FRED SUSSMAN was born and raised

in Allentown. He started his career in the textile industry, but later transitioned into the investment business. His involvement with the Jewish Federation began “the day I mar-

we’re still the ONE!

ried my wife, Barbara Kobrovsky,” to whom he has been married for 60 years. Barbara’s father, Bernie, was a founding member of the Jewish Federation of Allentown, where Fred later served as campaign chairman and president. “Bernie was very much involved and he just brought me along and I listened to him and learned from him and met other people who were equally involved,” he said.

He has maintained long-lasting friendships with many of the people he met through Federation.

FRANCES SYRIL WEINBERG came to

Allentown with her husband Martin in 1997.

Their mission was to provide support for their daughter’s family. Slowly, they became involved in the Jewish Community Center, who nominated her to be honored in 2018.

In addition to working at Nearly New for 18 years, she volunteers at St. Luke’s Hospital.

Syril believes that volunteering is her way of giving to the community. “Giving back is very important,” she said.

NORMAN AND SANDY WRUBLE have

been in the Lehigh Valley since 1970, when Norm accepted a job as principal of Saucon Valley High School, where he served for 23 years. Sandy was working as a speech therapist when she was offered the opportunity to serve as personal services manager for the Jewish wing of a nursing home. She spent 24 years working as part of the Beth Tikvah initiative at Manor Care. The Wrubles have been long-time members of Congregation Brith Sholom and were nominated because of their dedication to the congregation. They go at least three times a week, and Sandy serves on the board as membership chairman, as a member of the kiddush committee and volunteers to cook in the kitchen. The Wrubles work together on projects like the New Year directory. Both have also volunteered at Muhlenberg Hospital. “We keep very busy, but we like it that way,” Sandy said.

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | OCTOBER 2018 17

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HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | OCTOBER 2018 19

20 OCTOBER 2018 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

A man, his music and a mission

By Michele Salomon Congregation Keneseth Israel “What the world needs now is love, sweet love,” sings Dionne Warwick in her song of the same name. The sentiment is always true, though it feels more urgent in this moment of seeming political and societal division where it too often feels we’ve lost our sense of common goals, community, connection and the sense that we are all in this thing called life together.

Noah Aronson is on a mission to use his music to bring more love and peace to the world, to have people move from living in their heads to living from their hearts. On Saturday, Nov. 10, he’ll be in concert at Keneseth Israel. This marks a return engagement to Allentown for Aronson who started his college career at Muhlenberg and taught in the Keneseth Israel religious school. This time he’s bringing his band of highly accomplished musicians to share their fresh new approach to the sound of contemporary Jewish music.

Nearly every weekend, Aronson brings his talent and spirituality to Jewish communities all over the country.

From his travels, he describes a people longing for spirituality and community, not necessarily religious dogma.

He asks us to look inward and at each other. He believes that music breaks down barriers and allows us to see our common humanity. While his message is expressed through his Judaism, it’s universal and of appeal to all who are seeking spiritual comfort.

It’s clear we are in for a treat. Audiences love him,

the band and the experience.

As described by a temple in California, “Noah Aronson and his musicians brought an energy and spirituality into our sanctuary that touched every one of our congregants.

Noah’s melodies were accessible and memorable, and the style and skill of all the musicians was of the highest level. Through the words he spoke, and the songs he sang, all of our congregants felt a connection to Shabbat and each other. He found a way to incorporate known melodies with his own contemporary versions of the prayers, and it was truly a special evening.”

His approach is simple yet difficult. He suggests we work to find peace within ourselves first and, over time, this peace will emanate outward into the world.

Aronson is the living embodiment of such peacefulness.

In talking with him for just a few minutes in preparation for this article, this peaceful quality was on display, along with his contemplative and thoughtful approach and his optimism that music is a bridge to bringing people together.

In Aronson’s view, music is the vehicle, not the destination. He believes that it’s through the music where we can enter – and live from – a place of loving compassion, toward ourselves and others, even those with whom we might disagree. Further, he believes that this level of compassion is necessary as the precondition to having more meaningful discourse and debate.

His beliefs are backed by science; music is powerful and is known to impact our

ability to connect with one another, literally affecting the brain circuits involved in empathy, trust and cooperation. In a 2013 review of the research on music, Stefan Loelsch, music psychologist at the Freie University Berlin, found that music increases contact, coordination and co-

operation with others, makes us feel good, strengthens our empathy and increases cultural cohesion.

Music, as Aronson notes, is an independent force through which we can get back into our hearts as the way we engage with the world. What the world needs

now is Noah Aronson.

For more information about Aronson and to preview his music. visit noaharonson.com. For ticket and concert information please visit kilv.org/119-2018-11-11-2018-noah-aronson-artist-in-residence/ or call the office at 610-435-9074.

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HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | OCTOBER 2018 21

A delicious dilemma solved

Israeli startups Continues from page 12

sweetener that is mixed with fiber from acacia trees to offset the bitterness of stevia.

“The point is for it to be sweet and to feel like sugar when you eat it,” said Lilach Bar-Tal, Unavoo’s vice president of marketing and strategy.

As with so many Israeli startups, the target market is overseas; Israel serves primarily as a center for research and development. In most cases, the Israeli companies are targeting not consumers but major global corporations to whom the Israeli know-how and technological breakthroughs can be sold or marketed.

For example, Amai is still in the R&D stage and doesn’t expect to be on the market for two more years, according to Samish. But the company already is collaborating on uses for its sweeteners with several large food and beverage firms, including SodaStream, the Israeli beverage giant that in August was acquired by PepsiCo for $3.2 billion.

SodaStream is one of Israel’s great sweet-science success stories. Its sodas have about one-third the quantity of sugar in traditional sodas like Coca-Cola, and the company’s stock price has more than doubled over the past five years. Since April, SodaStream has been working with Amai on integrating

CARROT CRUSH INGREDIENTS: 10 organic carrots, peeled and grated on the large side of the grater 1+1/2 T. butter or margarine 8 oz. crushed pineapple with juice juice of 1/2 lemon 1/2 t. sea salt 1/2 -1 c. water 1/4 c. lt. or dk. brown sugar, pressed firmly into cup 2 T. honey TECHNIQUE: Mix all ingredients together, beginning with 1/2 c. water and adding more if necessary. Place in greased 2 qt. casserole dish, covered, stirring occasionally, for 2 1/2 hours at 350 degrees. This goes great with brisket or chicken.

By Sandi Teplitz One of the questions people have asked me concerning cooking is: when you use nonpourable brown sugar, the remainder hardens so quickly – what do I do? Actually, this tip comes from my mother, a wonderful cook and brown sugar devotee.

After using the sugar, take

a slice of never-frozen white bread and place it in the original bag with the remaining sugar, sealing it tightly with a twister. Within a short time, the bread will harden but the sugar will stay soft.

If you use pareve bread, you can then reuse the sugar for dairy or meat meals! You can also use it to make this delicious casserole ...

Sandi Teplitz has a natural affinity for food – especially baking – as her dad owned Penn Baker Supply in Scranton and taught her what made good cookies, cakes and pies. Sandi is a member of Temple Beth El and an ESL teacher for Hispanic American Organization where she teaches the newly arrived immigrants from Puerto Rico.

sweet designer proteins into SodaStream products, including low-sugar and no-sugar soda in flavors like lemon, orange and coconut, according to Samish.

Eran Baniel, CEO of DouxMatok, a startup from the central Israeli city of Petach Tikvah that manipulates sugar molecules to enhance the perception of sweetness, described the sugar business as “a very conservative, very traditional industry” suffering from reduced profits in markets across the world and looking to benefit from partnerships with innovative companies.

Ironically, global sugar demand overall is expected to accelerate over the next decade as processed food giants — like Germany’s Sudzucker, which is the largest sugar producer in Europe, and Brazil’s Cosan, a sugar and energy conglomerate — make inroads in emerging markets where sugar consumption is still relatively low.

For companies targeting sugar-conscious consumers, however, the race to find alternative sources of sweetness is on. The key, of course, is to reduce sugar without sacrificing taste.

“You can develop a very healthy product,” said Tammy Meiron, the head of Amai’s food technology department, “but if the consumer experience isn’t great and the food isn’t tasty, they won’t buy it a second time.”

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Advice for young Jewish professionals: Find your balance

By Chloe Goldstein Special to HAKOL After eight-hour work days or eighthour class days, and it can be challenging to squeeze in a mindless activity while compartmentalizing doctors appointments, going to shul, calling grandparents and cooking a bountiful dinner. So what do you do before tossing an already prepared salad from Wegmans and kicking off work shoes that are making your feet hurt? Find an activity you enjoy instead of vegging out on the same episode of “The Office” that you’ve already watched three times. Remember that a healthy activity is one that is mind-relieving but also stimulating. This should act as a brain bite between the work day and jam-packed night. How about choosing yoga or fitness?

Looking deeper, I believe that yoga can be connected to Judaism. Prayer is a form of mediation just as yoga is a way to meditate. As we prepare for the High Holidays and the subsequent holidays, it is important to sit in that chair pose to feel all the weight of the past year or stretch your arms as far as they can reach in a warrior pose

to feel empowered and ready to leap into the New Year. Yoga is important for young professionals because it represents stability, restoration and, most significantly, balance. This practice releases energy from the day but also provides new vitality to carry home.

Muhlenberg student, Maayan Malomet, class of 2021, perceives how the yoga studio functions in relation to Jewish values. Malomet said, “being Jewish has all the same components. Just like Shabbat when you put your phone away, doing yoga is the same experience. It’s not often you have the time to reflect and be in the moment. For me, yoga put things aside. I also enjoy watching sunsets, these are the two times I can put other things away.” Malomet also sees yoga as guided lesson that is a special moment in time. “It’s the most important hour of my day,” she said. Muhlenberg Hillel also hosts yoga sessions which embodies yoga as a spiritual and religious element.

On a dreary Sunday evening, I attended a sports yoga class at the West End yoga studio in Allentown to mentally prepare for the week. Heather Walka, the sports yoga instructor, has

worked at West End for nine years. has upcoming events highlighted in Her advice for millennials is: “find the corners. However, when I left the something to replenish and renew space, I felt invigorated. Strange new yourself with because our world is energy seemed to make me feel whole moving faster and faster. Studies and my spirits high. show that when you do yoga, you By self-exploring and reflecting actually perform better in the work through yoga, fitness or prayer, everyplace.” When I entered the new yet thing else can be put on pause just for homey-looking studio, I felt exhausta moment. It is through this balance Hakol.pdf 1 8/30/18 10:42 PM ed, picturing my planner that already that you can actually achieve more.

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Book review: ‘The Librarian of Auschwitz’

By Sean Boyle JDS Librarian “The Librarian of Auschwitz” (Iturbe, Antonio, NY, Henry Holt and Company, 2017) is the English translation of the 2012 Spanish Novel, “La Bibliotecaria de Auschwitz” written by Spanish journalist Antonio Iturbe. Through in-depth research and numerous interviews with Dita Kraus, Fredy Hirsch’s last librarian, we learn of the school in Block 31 of the Terezín family camp in Auschwitz and the struggles faced to stay hidden while trying to keep the children’s hope alive amid the horrors of Auschwitz.

We meet 14-year-old Dita Adler, the librarian of an illegal school in Block 31, as she runs the obstacle course of the makeshift classrooms to collect the books before Mengele and his SS guards enter for their unannounced inspection.

Fredy Hirsch had been allowed to use Block 31 as a special place for the children of the Terezín family camp to gather during the day and play games and learn German songs. Unknown to the Nazis, Fredy Hirsch was running a school with both teachers acting as “living books,” and eight smuggled books as textbooks for the over 500 children in the camp. Dita was responsible for maintaining, distributing and then hiding each afternoon the eight books, under risk of immediate execution if caught.

Dita’s powerful story is enriched with memories from her childhood in Prague and from her time in the the Terezín ghetto. Iturbe enhances the novel by weaving in the stories of Jewish heroes (and a few infamous Nazis) going through the terrors of Auschwitz-Birkenau and later Bergen-Belsen at the same time as Dita. Dita was at Bergen-Belsen the same time as Anne Frank.

Iturbe masterfully weaves the narratives so that we are left with an unforgettable experience and once again realize the power of historical fiction. We feel Dita’s fear of being personally

singled out by Mengele, the urgency of the camp’s resistance movement to start an uprising before 3,792 prisoners of the Terezín family camp were murdered, and the continued controversy surrounding Fredy Hirsch’s death.

Iturbe provides a bibliography of primary sources, seven pages of “What happened to …”, and 13 pages of postscript that provides details on how he got interested on this topic and then researched for the novel. The book also includes, immediately after the publisher’s page, a letter to the reader written by Dita Kraus.

Strongly recommended for ages 13-99, and a copy is available at the JDS Library.

Taste of Judaism – are you curious?

By Martina Obenski Congregation Keneseth Israel Not a cooking class (although some nosh will be

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provided), Congregation Keneseth Israel will host a free three-session mini course exploring Reform Judaism’s big ideas – spirituality, values and community. Totaling six hours of learning, the course is designed for those who have little or no experience with Judaism. These dynamic interactive sessions are open to the public and will be taught by Rabbi Seth Phillips, an engaging and enthusiastic educator who is open to the participant’s questions.

Congregation Keneseth Israel decided to offer these classes for three main reasons – first, there is a growing number of interfaith families in our congregation with the non-Jewish partner expressing their desire to learn more about Judaism. Second, during our summer services this year, we saw an increase in the number of unaffiliated Jews who were curious about the Reform Jewish philosophy.

Lastly, over the years KI has welcomed many local Protestant confirmation groups to Shabbat services and demonstrated some of the difference between Christianity and Judaism.

As a result, we have seen an uptick in Christians asking to learn more about the essence of our tradition.

KI offered this program

several times in the past – all to successful reviews. Participants were diverse in age and from various backgrounds – interfaith partners, spiritual seekers, Jews who were interested in re-connecting with Judaism, individuals considering conversion and those who were exploring their Jewish family heritage.

Some who never entered a Jewish space before felt overwhelmed and intimidated or concerned about whether or not they would fit in; however, final evaluations described their experience as educational, meaningful and interesting. Most importantly, several of our members who had lost touch with their religious roots expressed their pleasure in finding and re-igniting their Jewish identity.

We found that these classes were a powerful entry point for newcomers to Judaism. We anticipate that by offering this Taste of Judaism class, some of the participants will continue on to a more intense “Introduction to Judaism” course in the spring of 2019.

The sessions will be held Oct. 15, 22 and 29 from 7 to 9 p.m. and while the course is absolutely free, registration is a must – no walkins will be admitted. For questions or to register, call Martina Obenski at 610-9663226.

A sukkah in a mosque and 4 more Sukkot dwellings meant to make the world a better place

By Josefin Dolsten Jewish Telegraphic Agency Sukkot, the Jewish harvest festival, has always been a holiday about enjoying the season, accepting human vulnerability and, while eating and sleeping in a fragile temporary booth, or sukkah, appreciating divine protection. But every year Jews — and sometimes non-Jews — find ways to also make the holiday about improving the world.

We’ve rounded up a few unique sukkahs that were used at last year’s Sukkot to build bridges, break stereotypes and spark change.

In New York, rabbis marched with a portable sukkah to support immigrants Last year, two dozens rabbis, members of T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, carried a portable sukkah, which they erected outside Trump Tower. The gesture was meant as an act of protest against the president’s tough stance on immigrants and refugees. “Sukkot teaches us that what protects us is the community we build, not the walls or barriers we construct,” said Rabbi Jill Jacobs, T’ruah’s executive director.

“What makes America strong is the diverse group of people who come here seeking refuge and who build families and communities here.” HIAS, the Jewish immigration advocacy agency, was a co-sponsor.

In San Francisco, a sukkah outside a church is used to spark discussions about identity During each night of Sukkot, guests were invited to a sukkah that just happened to be located outside the Catholic St. Ignatius Church near Golden Gate Park to talk

about identity, difference, responsibility and faith. The “Open Doors” sukkah, which was organized jointly by University of San Francisco’s Swig Program in Jewish Studies and Social Justice and the Kitchen, a nondenominational Jewish community, was hosting a multi-faith vigil and featuring guest speakers on themes such as racial justice, environmentalism and mass incarceration.

In London, Jews built a sukkah inside a mosque as part of an initiative to help Syrian refugees

ter a shared society for Jews and Arabs in this country,” Khalil told Haaretz.

In Tel Aviv, a group hosted 25,000 people in a sukkah to promote pluralism The group Beit Tefilah Israeli — an “experimental and creative Jewish-Israeli congregation” — built a 7,000-square-foot sukkah at the Tel Aviv Port in order to host events for some 25,000 people of different backgrounds. “This is a place where we can meet different sectors of Israeli society

A sukkah built in a mosque brought Jews and Muslims together for celebration and dialogue in London last year. Similar practices this year will keep the conversation between the faiths flowing. in celebration — ultra-Orthodox, Reform, Ethiopian Jews, and also Arabs,” Rabbi Esteban Gottfried, who cofounded the community,

told The Times of Israel. The sukkah featured events that are religious in nature as well as yoga, lectures and musical performances.

Jewish, Christian, Muslim and secular groups launched a program to help settle Syrian refugees by building a sukkah inside the East London Mosque in the city’s Whitechapel district. “Sukkot is the festival when Jews live in temporary booths and are reminded of the frailty of their existence,” Rabbi Danny Rich, who heads the country’s Liberal Judaism movement, said at the initiative’s launch, according to The Docklands & East London Advertiser. “I expect Jews to be particularly sympathetic to those fleeing persecution and disruption with their historical experience.”

In northern Israel, an IsraeliArab couple built inter-community bridges Khalil and Reem Bakly, Muslim Arab dentists living in Upper Nazareth, invited Jews and Arabs to eat together in their huge homemade sukkah. The sukkah was 100 percent up to Jewish religious standards: The pair ordered kosher food and got an Orthodox Jew to supervise the construction. “My dream is for this to serve as a springboard for more and more gatherings of this type that will help fos-

Allentown & Lebanon Allentown & Wilkes-Barre

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | OCTOBER 2018 25

SCOTT OLSON/GETTY IMAGES

Jewish coalition helping Houston hurricane recovery lists groups aiding Florence victims

Houston residents get help making their way out of a flooded neighborhood following Hurricane Harvey, Aug. 29, 2017.

Jewish Telegraphic Agency The coalition of Jewish groups assisting relief efforts in Houston for last year’s Hurricane Harvey has listed organizations that are mobilizing to help the victims of Hurricane Florence that has pelted North and South Carolina.

The Act Now Houston coalition — a partnership of national Jewish organizations including BBYO, Hillel International, JDC Entwine, Moishe House, OneTable, Repair the World, the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston – are still sending volunteers to the Houston area to support the victims of the devastating

flooding that destroyed more than 300,000 homes in Houston alone.

In a post on Facebook, the coalition listed some groups that are mobilizing to help the victims of Hurricane Florence.

“As a community of flood survivors and helpers, our hearts are with those who are now facing Hurricane Florence,” the post said. “Like you, we are monitoring the situation and look to support local relief efforts in the days, weeks and months to come.

May the citizens facing Hurricane Florence find the safety and strength to endure the storm.”

The coalition was founded in February, more than six months after Hurricane Harvey.

Some 900 individuals from 50

groups have served more than 15,000 volunteer hours through the initiative. In the coming months, more Jewish organizations are scheduled to travel to Houston to help rebuild homes devastated by last year’s hurricane.

Early volunteers cleaned out damaged and moldy items, sanitizing what remained and installing insulation and sheetrock.

They also packed and delivered food to families affected by the hurricane damage. Now they are focusing more on rebuilding.

“Though the headlines have moved on from this time last year, we have not forgotten the most vulnerable victims of Hurricane Harvey who still need our help,” Sacha Bodner, program manager for Act Now Houston, said in a statement. “The rebuilding effort takes time, resources, dedication and the commitment of people to serve in solidarity alongside those whose lives were devastated by the storm.”

Recent programs included members of the Jewish Teen Initiative of Greater Boston, which spent four days rebuilding the home of a woman named Cynthia, including painting, tiling a bathroom, installing cabinets and flooring. Cynthia thanked the teens when they met. Moishe House-affiliated Jewish young adults traveled to Houston over the summer to assist in rebuilding a home that had been destroyed during the hurricane.

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Hurricane Florence Continues from page 1

same town’s Orthodox Beth El Sephardic Jewish Center spoke in theological terms about the storm.

“We’re in exile,” Elharar said, referring to his evacuating congregation. “Most of the congregation has left the city.

We’re waiting for the kindness of God. It’s an atmosphere of war. It reminds me of the Yom Kippur War.” On the ground, Jewish residents prepared much like their neighbors. Those who had been mandated to leave headed to drier spots in Georgia, Florida or elsewhere. Phone trees, supplies and points of contact were set up for elderly or infirm residents who stayed.

Those who were confident that their homes could withstand the storm shuttered their windows and hoped for the best.

Jewish communities followed the example of cities like Houston, whose Jewish neighborhoods were ravaged

by Hurricane Harvey last year: They locked up their synagogues or moved their Torahs to dry ground. They linked up with other Jewish communities, in Atlanta or Miami, that offered to host evacuees. They made sure vulnerable residents were cared for. They coordinated with national Jewish organizations, like the Jewish Federations or the aid groups IsraAid and Nechama, in advance of the storm’s aftermath.

“In these times, you realize you’re part of this community that’s so much bigger than your one local community,”

said Judi Corsaro, CEO of the Charleston Jewish Federation in South Carolina.

In Wilmington, Chabad Rabbi Moshe Yitzchak Lieblich planned to ride out the storm.

He compiled a list of the community members who were in town and canceled services for that Shabbat.

After days with no contact due to the aftermath of the hurricane, his congregants were able to eat a kosher meal before the start of Yom Kippur thanks to the assistance of the Chabad in Charlotte.

Rabbi Yossi Groner of Ohr HaTorah in Charlotte was able to speak by telephone to Leiblich in Wilmington on Monday, Sept. 17. Leiblich requested that he find a way to send kosher food, the Charlotte Observer reported.

Groner’s son, Ben Tzion, contacted a friend who is a helicopter mechanic and was able to secure a helicopter. It arrived at the airport in Wilmington on Sept. 18 at 1:30 p.m. carrying 150 pounds of kosher chicken and dairy products as well as ready-to-eat meals, which were delivered to families preparing for Yom Kippur, the newspaper reported.

“It was tremendous, and certainly a relief,” Leiblich told the Observer.

The Chabad of Wilmington was expected to be the only one in the city holding Yom Kippur services because of the hurricane.

To make a donation to the Jewish Federation’s Hurricane Relief Fund, visit jewishlehighvalley.org/ hurricanerelief.

Allentown AZA prepares for a new year

By Jake Wiener AZA Allentown AZA began the new year with several kickoff events and meetings. Our chapter is looking to grow membership this year, in order to create the most fun possible in AZA. September was a month for new members to explore AZA/ BBYO. New members were introduced to other members in the chapter, and the culture of AZA/BBYO. This summer, as well as the month of September, was a time for chapter members to take part in BBYO summer

experiences, as well as for new members, to be introduced to AZA/BBYO. I had the opportunity to speak with AZA chapter member, and Liberty Region’s 7th regional shilach, Brendan Fraley, about his BBYO summer experience. Brendan says, “At my summer experiences, I learned how to be a better leader, learned more about the ins and outs of BBYO and made friends from all across the world.” Many of our chapter members have done BBYO summer experiences in the past, and they all recommend that other chapter members do them as well.

To kick off the year, Allentown AZA had an apple picking event on Sept. 22. The returning and new chapter members were able to pick apples together.

After, we were able to relax with the chapter at the bonfire, eating pizza and bonding with other members. This event was a great way to kick off the year in AZA. The regional kickoff for the Liberty Region this year was on Sept. 16. It was a red, white and blue yacht party on the Spirit of Philadelphia. We were able to hang out with Jewish teens from regions near Allentown, with food and music. New members were able to get a feel for the BBYO experience.

Stay tuned for upcoming events, you do not want to miss out! If you have any questions regarding upcoming events or about signing up for BBYO, please contact allentownaza@ gmail.com, or afraley8626@ gmail.com.

Allentown BBG takes on BBYO summer

By Fana Schoen BBG Every summer, BBYO offers a wide range of summer experiences. From college stays to summers under the now iconic Perlman Tree; leadership training in Canada to trekking across the American West; visiting Israel to taking an ambassador trip to Bulgaria; BBYO summer experiences truly do have it all. This year, three members of Allentown’s Danielle Goren B’nai B’rith Girls (BBG) ventured out on BBYO summer experiences.

Gabby Grob, the 2018-19 chapter morah (vice president of recruitment), went on the sixth session of Chapter Leadership Training Conference (CLTC 6).

On CLTC 6, she learned about how to grow the chapter through BBYO’s core recruitment structure, as well as how to create moments for herself and others both in BBYO and out. Grob said, “CLTC gave me forever friends while teaching leadership skills that I plan on using throughout my BBYO experience!” She participated in a wide variety of programs during the 12-day session and had the time of her life doing so.

Pandora Schoen, the 2018-19 chapter s’ganit (vice president), also traveled to Montreal for CLTC 6. Her favorite part of

Liberty Region #13 teens at B’nai B’rith Perlman Camp this summer. the rigorous and exciting experience was the day trip into Old Montreal. She really got to see the city in a way that no BBYO summer program before her ever had. In previous years, CLTC sessions had taken place in Bethany, West Virginia, as well as in Mukwonago, Wisconsin. This year, all Bethany CLTC sessions were switched to the beautiful Camp B’nai B’rith in Montreal, Canada.

Pandora was excited to be the guinea pig for this new summer program and, once again, BBYO delivered.

Meanwhile, I, who have been elected the 2018-19 chapter sh’licha (vice president of Judaics), followed many generations of BBGs and Alephs (members of AZA) to B’nai B’rith Perlman Camp (Perlman) for a six-week summer ad-

venture. The first three weeks were International Leadership Training Conference (ILTC), a program that focused on leadership training for BBGs and Alephs internationally for our organization. The second portion of the program was International Kallah, a program that focused on Jewish education and leadership. I loved getting to meet people from all over the world, as well as reconnect with those I had met at previous BBYO events.

Members from Russia, Ukraine, Argentina and more all came to iconic Perlman for a wonderful summer that changed our lives.

All three of us learned incredible things and we are very excited to bring them back to our chapter to better Allentown BBG, as well as the Lehigh Valley Jewish community as a whole.

A S KK H

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | OCTOBER 2018 27

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Need tefillin? There’s an app for that.

By Cnaan Liphshiz Jewish Telegraphic Agency You can call a taxi, order a hamburger, rent a film and buy a book with a few clicks of a smartphone.

So why shouldn’t it be as easy to score a set of tefillin?

That, at least, was the question that led to the launch last month of Wrapp – an app its creator calls “the Uber of the tefillin world.”

It connects those who have tefillin – leather straps attached to a set of two small boxes containing scripture on parchment -- with Jews who need them for morning prayers or other rituals. And it’s free.

The brainchild of a 39-yearold Brooklyn businessman, Wrapp hit app stores last month. It already has signed up more than 4,500 providers in the United States, Israel, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. Providers offer their tefillin to those making the request within a radius of 20 miles.

The app’s creator, a follower of the Chabad Hasidic movement named Shimon – he said he did not want to reveal his last name to avoid a “downpour of emails and suggestions,” – decided on a trip to Israel two years ago that this is what the world needs, he told JTA. He met an old friend from the States who had made arrangements to borrow another person’s tefillin in Israel.

“It didn’t make sense to me that in a Jewish country, borrowing a tefillin should be such an issue. That’s when the idea came to me. I knew I was on to something big.”

Chabad is famous for soliciting Jews all over the world to partake in the tefillin ceremony. Worshippers use the straps to bind the small boxes to their forehead and bicep – a literal interpretation of the biblical injunction to bind God’s word “as a sign upon the hands and between the eyes.”

Among Chabad followers

and others, getting Jews to perform the mitzvah, or positive commandment, even once will hasten the coming of the Messiah.

Although the app is also intended for observant Jews who forgot or lost their tefillin, Shimon said the typical user would be someone who had an impulse or inspiration to don a set.

Users tend to be people “who want to connect to God. And when people do, it is a very personal thing. Someone might reach out when they’re depressed, another when they’ve just signed a huge successful deal. Others on their mother’s yahrzeit,” he added, using the Yiddish word for the anniversary of a person’s death. “It’s different for every person.”

Those in need of a set can indicate their window of availability – a half hour, an hour or two hours. Providers within a range are pinged with the request. The first provider who accepts can then schedule a session at the requester’s location or propose a different location.

The project was a bit too big to take off immediately, Shimon said. Several app developers turned him down, citing the obstacles and costs of constantly updating software with thousands of simultaneous users.

Eventually he teamed up with Spotlight Design, a branding and marketing agency owned by Chabad followers in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, the world headquarters for the Chabad movement.

“They got it, they got super enthusiastic about it and they worked on it,” Shimon said.

Shimon wouldn’t say how he was supporting the project or how much it cost.

“First of all, it’s not a onetime investment – it constantly evolves and changes, so I don’t have a figure for you,” he said. “Maybe I could tell you when Messiah comes.”

Only a few dozen requesters have used the app, Shimon said. But it has not been offi-

cially launched or marketed.

An app that lets users summon an observant Jew to a predetermined address raises some security concerns at a time when Jews are frequently singled out for violence in Europe and beyond, Shimon acknowledged.

“Yes, it’s something that we’ve taken into account, which is why there’s a 20-mile limit” on how far a provider may be summoned to deliver tefillin, he said. “The assumption here is that you as a provider know your immediate surroundings. And of course our advice is: If it’s fishy, don’t go!”

The range can be changed to one mile.

Additionally, providers need to indicate on Wrapp

that the action has been completed.

“When there’s an action that stays open for more than an hour or two, it raises flags and we can check to see what happened,” Shimon said.

Wrapp is only usable during daytime, when tefillin is usually worn.

Orthodox Judaism considers wearing tefillin a commandment that only applies to men, although some Orthodox feminists and many more women in the Conservative and other non-Orthodox movements have taken up the ritual. Two weeks ago, Wrapp received its first request from a female. Shimon said that responding is up to the discretion of the individual providers, and Wrapp currently has

no policy on the issue.

The new user turned out to be the non-Jewish caretaker of an elderly Jewish man who wanted to perform the ritual but had neither tefillin nor a smartphone.

Hillel Pikarskei, a Chabad rabbi in Paris, welcomes the “competition.” On his regular beat in Paris, which includes the leading falafel stores of the Marais, the city’s historic Jewish quarter, he said he has gotten about 13,000 Jews to put on tefillin.

“It sounds like a good thing, I like it,” Pikarskei said of the app. “You think it’s going to put me out of business? No way, my friend. I’m working in a world-renowned tourist spot. Don’t you worry about me.”

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | OCTOBER 2018 29

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

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

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 Jewish Federation Major Donor Reception 6:30 p.m., private residence. Save the date for the Jewish Federation’s major donor reception to inaugurate the 2019 Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs. Attendance requires a $5,000 minimum family commitment to the campaign. Adult children of major donors are encouraged to attend. Contact Jeri Zimmerman at 610-8215500 or jeri@jflv.org to learn more.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 Celebration Honoring Cantor Wartell 7:45 p.m, Temple Beth El. Join Temple Beth El for a celebration honoring Cantor Kevin Wartell’s 30 years at the temple. Havdalah, tribute and reception. RSVP to Temple Beth El at 610-435-3521.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 PJ Library Sukkah Hop 2 to 5 p.m., Temple Beth El. Take a bus ride around town to experience different sukkot and learn about tzedakah.

Each sukkah will feature its own activities. The “hop” will end with a dairy potluck dinner at Temple Beth El. $10 per family. RSVP to alyssa@bethelallentown.org.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 KI Harvest 5k Run/Walk 3:30 p.m., Lehigh Parkway, Allentown. Join Congregation Keneseth Israel for the 4th Annual Harvest 5K Run/Walk at Allentown’s beautiful Lehigh Parkway. The beneficiaries of this event are: The Fund to Benefit Children & Youth and The Literacy Center. Please visit helplehighvalleychildren. org and theliteracycenter-lv.org for details on these two organizations. Special awards await first time 5K racers and most improved racers! Please register via the KI website at www.kilv.org, or at www.runsignup.com, or stop by the KI office to pick up a flyer.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3 Civil Discourse: How to Disagree Constructively Part 2 7 p.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel. A workshop led

by Margie and Jonathan Hertz. Participants will study several primary texts and learn about the Sanhedrin, the ancient Jewish court of parliament. Attendees will put into practice the guidelines from both ancient and modern sages. They will participate in a mock-Sanhedrin trial to debate the pros and cons of a modern controversy: Should capital punishment be banned? Free. Call the KI office to RSVP. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4 IT ALL STARTS WITH YOU: Campaign Kick-Off 7 p.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel. Volunteers are critical to the success of the Jewish Federation Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs. Get inspired: Elad Strohmayer, spokesperson for the Embassy of Israel to the United States in Washington, D.C., will talk about the importance of Israel-Diaspora relations. Hear a few new tips and tricks: Campaign Co-Chairs Carol Bub Fromer and Gary Fromer will talk about what’s new for the 2019 Annual Campaign. Take, take, take: Campaign cards … and snacks! New and returning volunteers are encouraged to attend! RSVP by Sept. 27 to 610-821-5500 or mailbox@ jflv.org.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5 JCC Centennial Weekend: Community Shabbat SOLD OUT 5 to 8 p.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley. Services led by the Lehigh Valley Jewish Clergy Group, Shabbat dinner and family friendly activities.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6 JCC Centennial Weekend: Birthday Bash – SOLD OUT 7:30 p.m. to 12 a.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley. It’s a party for the 21 and older crowd. Re-live some of your fondest JCC memories and make new ones with dear friends!

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7 JCC Centennial Weekend: Family Fall Fest 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Camp JCC in Center Valley. Reconnect with friends from Camp JCC, jump in the moon bounce, hop on a hayride, play kickball and tetherball, decorate a pumpkin, run in the “Wild & Crazy” relay, 30 OCTOBER 2018 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

enjoy a barbecue with all the fixings, apple cider, cotton candy and more! $18 per person or $54 per family, 5 and under free. JDS Fun Run at 10 a.m. ($25 additional per person). To register, stop by the JCC Welcome Desk, call 610-435-3571 or visit www.lvjcc.org/celebration.

MONDAYS, OCTOBER 8, 15, 22, 29 Jewish Family Service Support Group The Teen Years: What’s a Parent To Do? 12 to 1:30 p.m., Jewish Family Service. Parenting children through the teenage years can be full of challenges and rewards! We will come together as a supportive group with therapeutic facilitation to examine some of the specific issues around raising teens today.

We will also explore ways to deepen the connection you have with your growing children. Come join in the opportunity to learn from and listen to each other, remembering that you are not alone. Information and resources that might be helpful beyond the group experience will also be provided. $90 for four sessions. Scholarships available. Registration required. For more information, contact Susan Sklaroff-Van Hook, 610-821-8722 x115, svh@jfslv. org.

6 p.m., Congregation Brith Sholom. Welcome Shabbat and spend the evening with our warm, welcoming community. Make your reservations by 12 p.m. on Oct. 12 (reservations are required). The price is $15 per adult or become a patron for $20; $5 per child between the ages of 5 - 13; no charge for children under 5 with maximum family charge of $45. Please pay in advance.

Make out checks to “CBS - Shabbat Dinners.” Late reservations or “at the door” price is $18 per person. Call Tammy at 610-866-8009 for reservations, transportation and more information.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20 Something For Everyone Shabbat 10 a.m., Temple Beth El. A Shabbat program for every age at Temple Beth El. 0-3-year-olds: bring a favorite grown up to BIMBOM BUDDIES. Pre-K-grade 2: enjoy games and stories in KINDERSHUL. Grades 3-6: daven with doughnuts at JUNIOR CONGREGATION. Teens: help lead youth service or visit GPS. Parents and other adults participate in the main service or drop in for our GUIDED PRAYER SERVICE. Everyone comes together for a delicious KIDDUSH LUNCH. Open to the community.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14 Young Adult Division Eat & Greet with New Israeli Shlicha 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., private residence. Calling all young adults: Rotem wants to make you an Israeli brunch!

Come meet our new Israeli emissary, Rotem Bar, as she serves up some traditional Israeli food. RSVP required to Aaron Gorodzinsky at 610-821-5500 or aaron@jflv.org.

Address provided upon RSVP.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21 Election 2018: An Evening with Candidates for PA-7 7 p.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley. A pivotal contest will take place in the PA-7 district on Election Day. Here’s a chance to discuss issues of unique importance to the Jewish community with the Congressional candidates and get your questions answered before you head to the polls. RSVP to Aaron Gorodzinsky at 610-821-5500 or aaron@jflv.org.

MONDAYS, OCTOBER 15, 22, 29 A Taste of Judaism 7 p.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel. This three-part series is perfect for those exploring Judaism for the first time, for partners or parents of Jews and for those just curious.

Free. Questions? Call Martina Obenski at 610-966-3226 or Rabbi Seth.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28 Confronting Anti-Semitism: A Workshop for Middle and High School Students and their Parents 12:15 to 3:30 p.m., Temple Beth El. A free workshop for middle and high school students and their parents. Have you ever heard someone make an anti-Semitic joke or remark and felt that you didn’t know how to respond? Are you prepared to speak up? Join the Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation as we partner with the ADL to address this issue. Learn how to confront insensitive or hateful comments and behaviors, challenge anti-Semitic myths with facts, respond to hate-motivated incidents in school and the community at large and utilize national and regional resources to fight anti-Semitism on all levels. Lunch provided by Temple Beth El at 12:15 p.m., workshop begins promptly at 1 p.m. RSVP required to Aaron Gorodzinsky at 610-821-5500 or aaron@jflv.org.

MONDAYS, OCTOBER 15, 22 & 29; NOVEMBER 5, 12 & 19; DECEMBER 3, 10 & 17 The Ethics of Exercising Power Government, Business and Personal Relationships 7:15 p.m., Congregation Brith Sholom. In the age of #MeToo, clergy abuse, Facebook information sold/ hacked, Citizens United-PACs and the power of the surveillance state, we will take a look at the dynamics of power and how they can affect people on political, social and deeply personal levels. What does Judaism have to say about how do we avoid the temptation to use power chiefly for our own advantage? How should bosses treat workers? Teachers treat students? Government treat citizens? Companies, doctors, financial institutions treat customers’ personal information? Join Rabbi Singer as we delve into Jewish ethical texts, which can shed light on these very complex and pressing issues.

Then examine case studies, which will open debate as we supplement from scholars and leaders from all sides on these dilemmas. Required text: “Jewish Choices, Jewish Voices – Power,” edited by Rabbi Elliot Dorff and Danya Ruttenberg.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18 Paint & Create Party 6:45 p.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley. Gather your friends and make new ones. Join other adults for a fun, social, evening paint party. Class is taught by Kristina Cole, owner of Paint of Mind LLC. This class includes all you need to have fun and create a 12 x 16” masterpiece to take home. Just bring your creative mind, and be ready to relax and be entertained. No experience needed. Wine and snacks provided. $36 per person. Sponsored by the JCC of the Lehigh Valley and the Shalom Lehigh Valley Committee of the Jewish Federation’s Women’s Philanthropy. To register, stop by the JCC Welcome Desk, call 610-435-3571 or visit www.lvjcc. org.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19 Tex/Mex Shabbat Dinner

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28 PJ Library Goes to the Food Pantry Sunday October 28, 4 to 5:30 p.m. Jewish Family Service.

Join PJ Library at Jewish Family Service to learn about the Community Food Pantry and go inside. Snacks, crafts and of course, a PJ Library story. Please bring a canned food item as the cost of entry. RSVP to Rebecca AxelrodCooper at racooper@jfslv.org.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30 Election 2018: A Blue Wave???

7:30 p.m., Congregation Brith Sholom. Dr. Chris Borick, director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion, will analyze polling results for the upcoming 2018 elections. Will this election follow the pattern of the party in power losing seats in a mid-term election? Join us for a lively, thought-provoking, informative evening. Dr. Gordon Goldberg will chair the event. Refreshments will be served.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1 Happy Hour, Happy Life 5:30 p.m., Wegmans. Looking for ways to enhance your knowledge of Judaism? KI is introducing a new opportunity for members to come together to learn and get to know each other. A monthly happy hour (1st Thursday of each month) where we can share our thoughts and reflection on URJ’s podcast, “10 minutes of Torah” with Rabbi Rick Jacobs (www.reformjudaism.libsyn.com). We promise a little study, a little socializing, lots of fun.

Celebrate the beauty of Shabbat

with Cantor Wartell

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

Shabbat & Yom Tov Candlelighting Times Friday, Sept. 28

6:30 pm

Friday, Oct. 19

5:57 pm

Friday, Oct. 5

6:18 pm

Friday, Oct. 26

5:47 pm

Friday, Oct. 12

6:07 pm

Friday, Nov. 2

5:38 pm

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

SUNDAYS JEWISH WAR VETERANS POST 239 2nd Sunday of the month, 10 a.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley Veterans and their significant others are invited as the guest of the Ladies Auxiliary. Come and enjoy comradeship; we’ll even listen to your “war stories.” A brunch follows each meeting. Questions?

Contact Commander Sheila Berg at 610-360-1267 or sh-berg1@ hotmail.com.

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

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

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

TUESDAYS TORAH STUDY 12:30 p.m., at the home of Cindy Daniels, 3630 Corriere Rd., Apt. 100, Easton Join Rabbi Melody of TCP to delve into the heart and soul of the Torah and how it applies to your life!

No knowledge of Hebrew is necessary, nor is registration. Contact 610-253-2031 for information.

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

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

J-DAYS: CONNECTION CORNER AT THE J – YIDDUSH CLUB 2 to 3:30 p.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley Enjoy fun, fellowship, stories and more. Discuss topics like cooking, humor, music and all kinds of entertainment in the Yiddish language. Join other adults to experience similar interests. Register for the year and participate in as many of the weekly activities as you would like. $5/season or reg-

ister for a full year: $18/year. JCC members: free. Register with the JCC Welcome Desk or call 610435-3571. Contact Amy Sams for more information about J-Days at 610-435-3571 ext. 182 or asams@ lvjcc.org.

100,000 MILES/YR FOR KOSHER! First Tuesday of the month, 7 p.m., Congregation Beth Avraham Open to all. Fascinating vignettes from a mashgiach who drives approximately 100,000 miles/year (yes, per year!) to keep the kosher supply chain intact. From rural Arkansas to frigid Nova Scotia, winter and summer, the demands are always there. Contact Rabbi Yitzchok I. Yagod, Kashruth Hotline (24/6), 610-905-2166, rabbiyagod1@gmail.com.

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

J-DAYS: CONNECTION CORNER AT THE J – MAH JONGG 1 to 3:30 p.m., JCC of the Lehigh Valley Drop in for a friendly game of mahj and conversation. Join other adults to experience similar interests. Register for the year and participate in as many of the weekly activities as you would like. $5/season or register for a full year: $18/ year. JCC members: free. Register with the JCC Welcome Desk or call 610-435-3571. Contact Amy Sams for more information about J-Days at 610-435-3571 ext. 182 or asams@lvjcc.org.

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

BETH AVRAHAM TORAH STUDY 7 p.m.

Torah: It is the common heritage that binds all Jews together. Explore the ancient wisdom of Torah together. All are welcome. RSVP: Rabbi Yitzchok I. Yagod, 610-9052166, rabbiyagod1@gmail.com.

TORAH STUDIES: A WEEKLY JOURNEY INTO THE SOUL OF TORAH 7 p.m., Chabad of the Lehigh Valley Torah Studies by JLI presents: Season Four 5778: A 12-part series.

Cost is $36 for the complete series (textbook included). For more information contact 610-3516511or Rabbi@chabadlehighvalley.com.

ADULT B’NEI MITZVAH PROGRAM

Starting Oct. 17, 7:15 p.m., Congregation Brith Sholom Goals: In part two of the adult b’nei mitzvah program, we will continue to improve our Hebrew reading skills, explore the structure of the siddur, learn about key prayers and continue our study of the te’amim (trope) for Torah and Haftarah. Required texts: “JPS English TaNaKh” or “Etz Hayyim Chumash,” “Aleph Isn’t Tough” (AnT) 1 & 2, Torah/Haftarah trope book.

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

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

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

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

CONTEMPORARY HALACHIC ISSUES FROM THE PARSHA 12 p.m., Congregation Sons of Israel This class takes Halachah from the weekly Torah portion and brings it to bear on some of the most pressing issues of our time.

CHAVURAT TORAH STUDY Saturdays following kiddush lunch, Temple Beth El Taught by Shari Spark. No sign-up needed. Length of each class will vary. Enrich your Shabbat experience by studying the parashat hashavua, the weekly Torah portion. Questions? Email Shari at shari@bethelallentown.org.

CBS WISDOM OF THE TALMUD 1 p.m., Congregation Brith Sholom Join Rabbi Singer in a lively discussion about Jewish law, ethics, customs and history, as found in the pages of the Talmud, Masechet Brachot. This year we are continuing to focus on the roots of the Amidah and what blessings are said over different foods. Books are available for order. No previous Talmud study required.

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

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

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

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

CONGREGATION BRITH SHOLOM 1190 W. Macada Rd., Bethlehem – 610.866.8009 Rabbi Michael Singer, Conservative MINYAN is at 7:45 a.m. on Mondays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. on Shabbat and holidays. RELIGIOUS SCHOOL classes every Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. at Brith Sholom and Sundays at 9:30 a.m. at Temple Beth El. CONGREGATION KENESETH ISRAEL 2227 Chew St., Allentown – 610.435.9074 Rabbi Seth D. Phillips, Reform Services begin at 7:30 p.m. every Friday night. The first Friday of the month is a FAMILY SERVICE and celebration of birthdays and anniversaries.

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

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

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

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

TEMPLE COVENANT OF PEACE 1451 Northampton St., Easton – 610.253.2031 tcp@rcn.com; tcopeace.org Rabbi Melody Davis, Cantor Jill Pakman, Reform TCP holds Shabbat morning services at 10 a.m. For more information about our Temple and activities, see our website at www.tcopeace.org or look us up on Facebook.

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

TEMPLE SHIRAT SHALOM 610.706.4595 | Cantor Ellen Sussman, Reform TSS meets in congregants’ homes once per month and at Cantor Sussman’s home once per month.

Call Cantor Sussman for details.

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | OCTOBER 2018 31

LEHIGH

VALLEY

Here’s what heart care that’s amazing everyday is all about. Anita K.’s heart was failing. She was 66 years old and too weak to even pick up her newborn grandson. She resigned herself to a life of inactivity. Then Anita went to the Lehigh Valley Heart Institute and received specialized treatment from the region’s only board-certified heart failure team. Something amazing happened. She started getting better and stronger. It’s really no surprise that when you care for twice as many heart patients

HEART

INSTITUTE

than anyone else in the region, you excel at saving lives. Our level of technology, skill and expertise puts us near the top of the best heart care in the country. And it’s right here, close to home. Just ask Anita, when she’s not too busy playing with her grandson.

To learn more about Anita’s amazing journey, visit LVHN.org/HeartInstitute.

Amazing. Everyday.

ANITA’S HEART DISEASE LEFT HER TOO WEAK TO LIFT HER GRANDSON. NOW SHE CAN’T PUT HIM DOWN.