HAKOL - March 2014

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY The Voice of the Lehigh Valley Jewish Community

MARCH 2014 | ADAR I/ADAR II 5774

A community of superheroes

What’s your Purim?

By Susan McNamara Temple Shirat Shalom and Annabel Williams JFLV Marketing Intern

CONFRONTING ANTI-SEMITISM A seminar for teens and parents. See page 3.

Thanks to our 135 amazing volunteers and the generosity of our community, the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley raised $69,000 on Super Sunday! Together, we do extraordinary things. See more on Pages 16-17.

Former POW recalls ‘that vacant time’

BASEBALL & JEWS Find out about the IronPigs’ plans for Jewish Heritage moments Night. See page 7.

By Jennifer Lader Editor, HAKOL

inside

MARCH 2014 ADAR I/ADAR II 5774

Centerpiece becomes conversation piece

2

What is the best birthday gift you ever got?

4

Family plants roots, and a tree grows in the Lehigh Valley

2

Adult Bat Mitzvah journeys within Judaism

5

A simcha in Israel: Mother of Bar Mitzvah shares lessons learned

3

BELIEVE IT OR NOT Spring is almost here; see our special section.

Israel’s ancient and historic trees

6

A Jewish wedding in France: Now the ceremony can take place

7

No. 365 com.UNITY with Mark Goldstein 2 Women’s Division

4

LVJF Tributes

8

Jewish Family Service

15

Jewish Day School 18-19 Jewish Community Center Community Calendar

20 30-31

Sidney Parmet of Allentown calls the late winter of his 20th year “that vacant time.” Not for himself, but for his mother.

That’s because he was then, 70 years ago, officially “missing in action,” last known to be with his army company in Italy.

In fact, as late winter melted into spring, Parmet’s captors transferred him to a prisoner of war camp in Germany.

Although his family name means “parchment” and his great-grandfather was a scribe in Russia, Parmet has never written down his story. However, he has done extensive research of the people and locations involved. The Congregation Brith Sholom member shared his story in a recent interview at his Allentown home.

Parmet and his older brother Morton were born in Pottsville.

Their parents, Benjamin and Anna, had met in New York and moved to Pennsylvania.

Benjamin had family connections here, his cousin being Dr. David Parmet, deliverer of babies in Allentown. Benjamin also knew the anthracite region because of his peddling trade, including

Non-Profit Organization 702 North 22nd Street Allentown, PA 18104

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

Pottsville in Schuylkill County, and was quite willing to live there.

In Pottsville, Anna opened a millinery shop and hired a Catholic woman to look after the children; Parmet claimed to have been “a spoiled brat” by the time he was five or six years old. That soon changed because, attending public school, he “had many fights from being Jewish, from the anti-Semitism.”

Sadly, Benjamin died before Parmet became a Bar Mitzvah.

After that, he said, “I used to do bookwork that my mother couldn’t handle too well.”

World War II broke out around the time Parmet graduated from high school and he enlisted in an Advanced Specialized Training Program with the intention of becoming a dentist like his brother Morton. However, the program “disbanded because they needed manpower instead of doctors and dentists,” Parmet recalled.

After all, “it was a war.”

After a number of stops, his unit shipped out in 1943, travelling across North Africa as replacements for American troops in Italy. Referring to the 45th Division that conducted the original offensive on Naples, Parmet said the American forces had many casualties and withdrew to an area near Rome for a rest, just below Monte Cassino.

“That’s where I come in,” Parmet said. He had become a “B.A.R. Man” – operating a Browning Automatic Rifle, which he said was “like a machine gun.” To reach Italy, his unit climbed into amphibious boats called LCIs – Landing Craft Infantry – and made a surprise landing in Italy that was therefore fairly easy.

However, they landed at “three plus one” – three days

Sidney Parmet

after Anzio, the battle for which was, Parmet said, “a debacle.”

According to the official U.S. Army website, Italy “in the next four months would see some of the most savage fighting of World War II.” “We were vastly outnumbered,” Parmet recalled.

“The only thing that saved us was our artillery. The Germans had the high ground and could open up on the ships. This was the thing that made Anzio such a devastating experience.

“It felt as though the whole German army was coming down on us,” Parmet said. He later learned that the German General Kesselring, part of the Wehrmacht – Germany’s regular army – led the charge.

The American unit was able to hold the front despite, Parmet said, “constant shelling for a month” by securing themselves in a cleft of a rocky area. In all, 60,000 Allied soldiers and 50,000 German soldiers died in Italy during the war.

One day, Parmet made his way with 31 others of his company to a battered unit on this front, where there were

Former POW

Continues on page 9

Purim is a holiday of sweetness and joy, a time when we reflect on the power of an individual and the victory of the Jewish nation in the face of destruction.

Purim is a time for celebration and for the giving of food gifts to friends and family. Mordecai, one of the Purim heroes, instituted the practice of Mishloach Manot, as it says in the Megillah: “Mordecai ... enjoined the [Jews] to make the 14th day of the month of Adar ... feasting and joy, and sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.”

In keeping with the theme of Purim in March, many special events and activities will take place across the Valley.

The sisterhood of Temple Shirat Shalom has put together a fundraiser in which every family of the congregation will receive a gift from other congregation members for a small donation by the senders.

On Saturday, March 15, Temple Covenant of Peace will present its annual Purim play based on the famous musical “Annie.” Congregation Brith Sholom will hold a Megillah reading for kids and adults -- full costumes encouraged.

Chabad of the Lehigh Valley and other congregations will host “adult only” parties on Saturday evening. Chabad’s party will feature a havdalah service and Megillah reading, followed by hors d’oeuvres, open bar and lively music.

Congregation Keneseth Israel’s Megillah reading will be followed by light snacks and desserts for adults and is BYOB. Live music will be provided by Allentown’s local band, Just So. Costumes are optional.

Temple Beth El hosts “Shushan ha-BEER-ah.” This adult party will include the Megillah reading, karaoke, snacks, dessert and beer.

On Sunday, March 16, Chabad will host a Purim Bubble Mania party for families, which will include Mishloach Manot, the Megillah reading, a masquerade, buffet and a play/Purim shpiel by the religious school students.

Jewish Family Service will hold a special adult Purim brunch for Jewish singles ages 50 to 70 at Congregation Brith Sholom.

Also at Brith Sholom, families are invited for a megillah reading and ice cream bar. The program will include the joint religious school with Bnai Abraham Synagogue.

The JCC of Allentown will host its annual Community Purim Palooza that afternoon, featuring games, a moon bounce, face painting, arts and crafts and more.

Come in costume!

That evening, Congregation Sons of Israel will hold a Woodstock Purim, featuring Michael Rosman, Flame Throwing Juggler, along with a costume contest, tie-dying and live music by “The Sons of Israel.”

For details about these events and more, see the Community Calendar on page 30. Visit www. jewishlehighvalley.org for updated information about all Purim events.

com.UNITY

FROM THE DESK OF MARK L. GOLDSTEIN

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

Lehigh Valley: Who are you and where are you?

Shmuel Sisso was born in Morocco and moved to Israel.

As a preeminent lawyer, he built and ran a very successful law firm in Israel and spent some years as partner of a New York law firm. Years later, he entered Israel’s diplomatic corps and served as Consul General in New York City. From 2003 to November 2013, Sisso was the highly successful mayor of Kiryat Yam in Northern Israel.

He won his last election with an unprecedented 83 percent of the vote, backed by cross-party support. In late November 2013, Sisso was elected director general and chief executive officer of the venerable World ORT. Since then he has made two trips to New York City.

Last month I joined Sisso, another World ORT representative and two Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley donors for an intimate breakfast at a New York “power breakfast” restaurant.

The donors are interested in helping Israel enhance its educational system and World ORT is a natural partner.

Walking out of the restaurant, Sisso whispered to me: “Where is the Lehigh Valley, and who are you folks in the Lehigh Valley?” He explained that he had been to New York twice since becoming World ORT’s CEO and already he had two meetings with the Lehigh Valley; during his first visit to New York in December he met with another Lehigh Valley donor who is working through our Jewish Federation

and World ORT to provide college scholarships to Jewish students in Uruguay.

Sisso noted that he had not yet even met with the New York Jewish Federation, the largest in North America and a significant funder of World ORT, but had already had two meetings with Lehigh Valley!

I get that a lot.

Travel around the Jewish Federation world and people often wonder who we are and where we are. Our reputation and accomplishments are no secrets. Jewish community leaders throughout North America know that the first Maimonides Society for medical professionals was established in the Lehigh Valley. The ranks of Jewish women’s philanthropy are well aware that the sterling silver Pomegranate Pin was created by three very committed Jewish Federation Women’s Division leaders in Allentown. Today, over 8,000 pins have been distributed throughout North America to women contributing a minimum of $1,800 to a Jewish Federation annual campaign.

Lehigh Valley is represented on the Jewish Federation of North America’s Board of Trustees, National Young Leadership Cabinet, National Women’s Philanthropy Cabinet, and twice in the last 10 years on the JFNA Executive Committee. Our participation in the Operation Exodus efforts to resettle Jews from the former Soviet Union was in the highest percentile of communities.

Like Shmuel Sisso, Yaron

Sideman has come to be impressed by the Lehigh Valley. Since becoming Israel’s Consul General in Philadelphia in late 2012, Sideman has been to the Lehigh Valley five times. His visits here, most coordinated by the Jewish Federation, have included meetings with Rep. Charlie Dent, Mayor Sal Panto, Mayor Ed Pawlowski, the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Air Products, The Morning Call and college administrators across the Valley. He was the featured speaker at a Jewish Federation Annual Meeting.

Acknowledging that his five visits to the Lehigh Valley are more than to any other city in his region outside of Philly, Sideman joked during his last visit that his staff thinks the Lehigh Valley is the second largest city in his region. And that’s saying a lot since his region also includes Pittsburgh, Louisville, Columbus and Cleveland.

Through the efforts of a Lehigh Valley donor family and their relatives in Fayetteville, N.C., our Federation has provided scholarships to every Ethiopian Israeli medical or dental student since 2005.

These medical and dental students have travelled around the U.S. on speaking tours and have addressed international conferences, sharing with everyone about the Lehigh Valley. When I was in Israel this past November, I joined six of the medical

Want to get happy? That’s what Jewish tradition tells us we’re supposed to do in the month of Adar. Whether you’re already there or need a lift, check out the early folk group, The Weavers, singing “Tzena, tzena, tzena” on YouTube. You’ll even hear the late Pete Seeger, who cofounded the folk group in 1948, sing in Hebrew.

This month, as we anticipate the raucous happiness of Purim, Rabbi

Daniel Stein shares his personal reflections on Seeger.

Our teen correspondent takes us to Hungary in memory of the 70th anniversary of the Nazi invasion there, and we find new cause for concern in that land. Finally, lest the snow banks cause you to forget, spring is nearly here and we bring you our Homes & Gardens special section.

Note that one of Seeger’s early recordings was “You are My Sunshine.” With the challenges of the recent months, a little sunshine might

LEHIGH VALLEY 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.

Mail, fax, or e-mail to: JFLV ATTN: HAKOL 702 N. 22nd St. Allentown, PA 18104

who we are. We are a caring, committed and concerned Jewish community. But sometimes it takes someone from elsewhere to help us realize what we are all about.

Otherwise we would just keep on doing our work, enhancing Jewish life, without taking a moment to appreciate just how special our community is.

HAKOL STAFF Jennifer Lader Editor

Allison Meyers

Graphic Designer

Diane McKee

Advertising Representative TEL: 610-515-1391 hakolads@jflv.org

JFLV EXECUTIVE STAFF Mark L. Goldstein Executive Director

Judy Diamondstein

Assistant Executive Director

Temple Coldren

Director of Finance & Administration

Stephanie Smartschan Director of Marketing

Jim Mueth

Director of Planned Giving & Endowments

Aaron Gorodzinsky

Director of Outreach & Community Relations

Taffi Ney

Donor Development Officer

Barry J. Halper President, JFLV

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:

just go a long way in the Valley at the moment.

Shalom, Jennifer Lader

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

IN MEMORY LIDA FEIG (Mother of Alex Feig) Joel and Muriel Glickman

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

2 MARCH 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

HAKOL

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

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Readers,

students in a meeting with Jewish leaders from Toronto, Miami, Boston and St. Louis.

But this time, the question/ comment was different. A past president of the Toronto Federation stated to me about the Lehigh Valley: “I don’t know where you are, but I know who you are. You guys are a wonderful and caring Jewish community who make the most of your ability to improve Jewish life. What you do with what you’ve got is nothing short of miraculous, especially with these students.”

People coming in contact with the Lehigh Valley might not know where we are.

But they will very quickly know who we are. And more importantly, we know

• 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

‘You don’t mean me, do you?’

Workshop equips teens to respond to anti-Semitism

By Aaron Gorodzinsky JFLV Director of Outreach and Community Relations A free workshop is being offered for middle school and high school students and their parents to learn strategies to use when anti-Semitic situations arise, especially in a school setting. The Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation, in

partnership with the AntiDefamation League, is hosting the event, which will be held at the JCC on Sunday, March 30, from 12:30 to 3 p.m. There will be separate but parallel sessions for middle schoolers and high schoolers.

The workshop, Confronting Anti-Semitism Taking Action against Hate, offers effective responses to insensitive or hateful

comments and behaviors. The techniques teens learn can be used in a variety of settings, including with teachers, in the school hallways or among friends.

Jewish teens in the Lehigh Valley have expressed concern over certain incidents that have arisen in the past.

These incidents range from the scheduling of school related activities or sport

practices during Jewish holidays to comments during lunchtime or in the classroom. While some of these incidents are not necessarily anti-Semitic in nature, teens will learn how to address them in a proactive and positive way.

Two years ago, the CRC and the ADL held a similar seminar that was well attended by Jewish Lehigh Valley teens and parents. At the meeting, several teens shared their experiences and said they developed a better understanding of why antiSemitic comments are used and how to best deal with them.

In the course of the workshop, some of the teens went from saying, “If it’s a one-time thing, I do nothing” to realizing that certain comments that could be seen as innocent or naïve still require a response.

During the last part of the workshop, teens shared their concerns about the

misconceptions that exist in their schools regarding Israel. One teen said that “a lot of people don’t know about Israel as much as we do.” Or, as another said, “it’s possible that they’ve heard the complete opposite of the truth.”

For parents and other adults who also attended the seminar, the comments of the teens offered further insight into what teens face today. All those attending appeared to realize that they are not alone.

Even those who are the “only Jew” in their class or school face certain situations that, it turns out, are not so unique after all. And that reality makes it possible for any Jewish teen to have a ready response.

To find out more or to register for “Confronting AntiSemitism - Taking Action against Hate” contact Aaron Gorodzinsky at aaron@jflv.org or 610-821-5500 or visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org.

Register Now Early Bird Deadline

MARCH 14, 2014

MONDAY, JUNE 9 at Lehigh Country Club

2319 S. Cedar Crest Boulevard | Allentown ALL INCLUSIVE

Decadent dairy brunch, on-course refreshments, cocktails & scrumptious dinner buffet

$10,000 PUTTING PURSE!

Entry into putting contest with speciality package Special prizes for runners up

$5,000 GRAND RAFFLE PRIZE!

Every player takes something home in our reverse raffle

GET A HOLE IN ONE … AND WIN A LEXUS! Two-year lease on a current model

BID ON A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME TRIP!

Play at the Lexus National Championship at Pebble Beach in December 2014, an $8,000 value!

REGISTRATION DEADLINE - MAY 16, 2014 Even if you know your way around Jewish Lehigh Valley, there may be a few surprises out there and Shalom Lehigh Valley will bring them to you.

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE 610.821.5500 | www.jewishlehighvalley.org

Coming in the fall of 2014, this full-color magazine will focus on what's new, noteworthy and right next door. While you anticipate Shalom Lehigh Valley, see if you recognize this photo. Visit www.shalomlehighvalley.org to find out where it came from. Or, if you already know, test a friend's knowledge of Jewish Lehigh Valley.

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | MARCH 2014 3

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

One act of bravery leads to life-saving gift

By Stephanie Smartschan JFLV Director of Marketing Arielle was a junior at George Washington University when she got her cheek swabbed.

Her father had recently been diagnosed with lymphoma, and adding herself to the national registry for bone marrow and blood stem cell transplants seemed like an appropriate tribute.

Not long after, at age 56, Neil Dicker was diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Then running a successful dental practice in Bethlehem, Dicker had never met Arielle, but that one cheek swab and the stem cell transplant that followed would save his life.

Ten years after his diagnosis, Dicker, now a spokesman for the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation, will share his story at a Women’s Division Lunch & Learn program on March 12.

“It fulfills my life-long ambition at this point in time of being able to give back to the community, of encouraging young people to get on the international registry and to feel that I am internally motivated to be part of a process that ultimately can lead to saving a life,” Dicker said.

Founded by Jay Feinberg after his own battle with leukemia, the Gift of Life foundation is a

Lunch & Learn

Finding the Hero in You Join the Women’s Division of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley for Neil Dicker’s presentation, “Finding the Hero in You,” on Wednesday, March 12, 2014, from 12 to 1:30 p.m. at the JCC of Allentown.

Cost is $12, including lunch. Men and women welcome.

SAVE THE DATE

Women’s D i visi on D o llar-A-Day Spring Event Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Featuring Shira Kohn and her research on Jewish sororities To learn more, visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org.

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

WELCOMING NEW BABIES to the Lehigh Valley If you’re expecting, know someone who is, or have a new baby, PLEASE LET US KNOW! Contact Abby Trachtman, 610-821-5500 | abbyt@jflv.org 4 MARCH 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

world leader in facilitating transplants for children and adults suffering from many life-threatening diseases, including leukemia and lymphoma. With 236,000 registered donors, more than 2,700 transplants have been facilitated.

The odds of finding a match among non-family members, particularly in the Jewish community, are extraordinarily rare, Dicker said.

That’s why Dicker feels it’s important that as many Jews as possible register for this database, and why he has already shared his story at many area synagogues.

Along with Linda his wife, Dicker, father of four and grandfather of two, has been a member of Temple Beth El in Allentown for 25 years.

With this talk, he hopes to impress his point not only on those in attendance, but their children and grandchildren, and the classmates of those children and grandchildren, and so forth.

“The ramifications from what I could say could really be like a ripple effect,” he said. “Maybe one of the people I talk to will talk to their granddaughter who’s 19 and she’ll go back to her Hillel house and get them to run a donor drive.”

“Out of all the things you do in a lifetime … if you were to save a life, what’s more important than that really?” he said.

Allentown woman takes life-changing first steps

By Pat Luftman Special to HAKOL In June of 2013, with my heart breaking, I watched my husband receive emergency kidney dialysis and all I could think was “Please God, don’t let this be permanent, slave to a machine that keeps him alive.” Thankfully, Henry only required one dialysis treatment, but the image remained with me. Later that year, I attended a life-changing presentation at Congregation Brith Sholom in Bethlehem and discovered there are ways we can all help.

A panel of participants discussed their personal experiences with organ donation.

Some were recipients of kidney transplants; one had a daughter who was a cornea recipient. In addition, Larry Rafes, kidney recipient and member of Congregation Keneseth Israel, showed a short video about a 100-mile kayak journey he made 18 months after his transplant to raise awareness of organ donation. Prior to the transplant, he had been tethered to a dialysis machine for up to four hours a day, several days per week.

As I listened to Rafes speak about how his life had been dramatically improved by

his transplant, I felt moved to become an organ donor myself. I signed up through the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation the next day – it isn’t necessary to wait for license renewal time -- and now proudly carry a note attached to my license that I am an organ donor.

In addition, I arranged for Temple Beth El to have Rafes present the program there in January of 2014. In a dramatic twist a few days before the scheduled date, Rafes, who had gone back on dialysis in December, received his second kidney transplant from a Jewish donor.

The other speaker for the Temple Beth El program, Vickie Dash, is a two-time kidney recipient who was so moved by her journey that she created stunning artwork to chronicle her experience. Plans are now in the works for the two to present their program to the Shalshalet students at Beth El, too.

According to the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Conservative Movement’s Rabbinical Assembly, Jews have an obligation to do what is possible to save a life, including organ donation. In Orthodox Judaism, organ donation is in general allowed and encouraged when it can save another’s

life without harm to oneself; however, an Orthodox rabbi with expertise in the area of organ donations needs to be consulted in order to properly guide the organ donation process.

Further down the road, tahara, the Jewish ritual cleaning and dressing of a body for burial, is not in any way affected or prohibited if organs have been donated.

Today, more than 88,000 people in America are waiting for a kidney transplant; sadly, about 12 of these patients die every day because there aren’t enough donors. According to a Morning Call article, over 350 people are on the transplant waiting list at Lehigh Valley Hospital alone. And they wait … and wait. What if it was your child or spouse or friend who needed a transplant to live a longer, healthier life?

You can sign up to become an organ donor by visiting the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation website at http://tinyurl.com/ mvo88vg. You may also contact Larry Rafes (484-951-8299) or Vickie Dash (570-889-5887) to schedule a 90-minute program. For more about transplants, call Gift of Life, which coordinates life-saving and life-enhancing transplants for those who wait, at 1-800-366-6771.

Save the Date

Join the JFLV at the 2014 INTERNATIONAL LION OF JUDAH CONFERENCE September 7-10 in New York City

Join the most powerful, dedicated and generous Jewish women in the world for a world-class conference.

For information, contact Judy Diamondstein at 610-821-5500 or judy@jflv.org.

WWW.LIONCONFERENCE.ORG

MEN’S NIGHT OUT:

Rediscover the Jewish Delicatessen

By Annabel Williams JFLV Marketing Intern On April 10, the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley’s annual Men’s Night Out will take the form of a deli night with guest Ted Merwin, Ph.D, a professor, writer, journalist and noted public speaker. He is a sought-after lecturer on the history of Jewish food and the author of “In Their Own Image: New York Jews in Jazz Age Popular Culture,” as well as of the forthcoming book, “Pastrami on Rye: An Overstuffed History of the Jewish Delicatessen.” Merwin is a professor of religion and Judaic studies at Dickenson College and lives in Harrisburg, Pa. For Men’s Night Out, Merwin will provide a

history and a cultural perspective on the Jewish deli.

Katz’s is one such deli. This kosher-style establishment opened in New York’s Lower East Side in 1888. Katz’s is still present today and represents the beginning of the rise of the “Jewish deli.” Today such a deli is a place where barriers between social classes are broken; a place of community and, in some, kosher eating -- a hub of food and culture.

Merwin has spent his career studying the phenomenon of Jewish culture that has sprouted from delicatessens across America, uniting a dispersed peoples coming from all over Eastern Europe. He associates much of his Jewish upbringing with the time spent in his family’s deli, waiting tables and creating sandwiches.

Join Merwin for Men’s Night Out to learn more about the deli and how it has shaped Jewish communities throughout the last two centuries. It promises to be a delicious evening: The night will include a deli dinner with plenty of libations and Dr. Brown’s soda.

A minimum pledge of $365 to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley’s 2014 Campaign is required to attend. To register for the event by Thursday, April 10, and for pricing information, call the Jewish Federation office at 610-821-5500, e-mail Judy Diamondstein at judy@jflv.org or visit www. jewishlehighvalley.org.

How Interfaith Marriage is Transforming America

SUNDAY, MARCH 9 10:30 a.m., Temple Covenant of Peace

Please join us as we welcome Naomi Schaefer Riley to the Lehigh Valley. Ms. Riley will speak on her New York TimesReviewed book, "'Til Faith Do Us Part: How Interfaith Marriage is Transforming America." The event is free and open to the public. A light breakfast will be served at 10:30 a.m. Sponsored

by Bnai Abraham Synagogue, Temple Covenant of Peace, The Jewish Book Council and the Easton Leadership Council of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. Contact rabbi@ bnaiabraham.org to learn more.

Calling all photographers:

Beautiful photos of Jewish Lehigh Valley sought in photo contest

The Jewish Federation is looking for a stand-out photo for the cover of the upcoming edition of Shalom Lehigh Valley.

The cover photo should have amazing clarity and content that “says” Lehigh Valley Jewish community. It should be distinctively Lehigh Valley if possible and may be an indoor or outdoor setting.

The photo may include as the setting or in the background a Lehigh Valley Jewish institution; however, this setting or background should be not so overly identifiable that it appears to be the focus over all other Jewish places.

The photo may be a candid, or naturally-occurring, photo or it may be posed by the photographer. Any highly identifiable individuals in the

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Sponsored by Dan’s Camera City

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COVER PHOTO CONTEST

photo must sign releases in the event the photo is chosen for use in the publication.

The photo should be 10” x 12” at a minimum and 300 dpi at a minimum to go on a 9.25” x 11.125” page with a bleed. This is a portrait-oriented photo.

In addition to the technical considerations and beauty of the image, the “message” of the photo matters, too.

“Warm, welcoming, caring about one another and diverse” are all words that have been used to describe the Lehigh Valley Jewish community. The photographer should capture the essence of these or other positive messages about the community. The Federation reserves the right to not select a winner.

The photographer of the winning photo for the Cover Photo Contest will get publication on the cover of Shalom Lehigh Valley, with credits. The winner will also receive a complimentary 24” x 36” canvas-wrapped print, a $300 value, courtesy of Dan’s Camera City, along with 10 copies of Shalom Lehigh Valley and recognition in HAKOL.

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“What a great photo!” If you hear these words a lot, or even from time to time, there is a new photo contest for you and the subject is Jewish Lehigh Valley.

Do you have a beautiful, striking or awesome photo of a Jewish gathering, place or moment in the Lehigh Valley? How about three, four or a dozen such photos?

The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is seeking just these kinds of photos for the upcoming edition of Shalom Lehigh Valley, with publication in Lehigh Valley Style also possible. You can enter as many times as you want at no cost.

Send us your best, clearest and highest resolution photo.

They should be super clear -minimum 300 dpi. The subject may include but is not limited to: BBYO, candle-lighting, Chanukah, day camp, cooking, celebrating, bar or bat mitzvah, wedding, veterans, Friendship Circle, holidays. However, the photo should have been taken in the last three years.

Photos may be landscape or portrait in orientation. The photographer must provide a caption describing the content and also name each identifiable person and must ascertain and confirm via e-mail or in writing that the people in the photo have agreed that the image may appear in Shalom Lehigh Valley or Lehigh Valley Style.

If your photo is selected for publication, you’ll get credit in Shalom Lehigh Valley, and possibly Lehigh Valley Style.

Your name will also be entered in a drawing to win a $25 gift certificate to Dan’s Camera City. Your name will be entered once for each photo that gets published.

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COMMUNITY PHOTO CONTEST

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Submission deadline for both the Cover Photo Contest and the Community Photo Contest is March 28, 2014. All photos and captions may be submitted to jenniferlader@jflv.org.

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | MARCH 2014 5

BETHLEHEM FEDERATION SHABBAT SUNDAY, MARCH 22 9:30 a.m., Congregation Brith Sholom

As CNN’s correspondent in Jerusalem from 1988 through 1993, Linda Scherzer covered the first Palestinian uprising, or Intifada, the Gulf War and the Middle East Peace process. During her years with CNN, Linda was probably best known for her interview with former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu through a gas mask while Israel was undergoing a scud missile attack.

At Israel TV she was Arab Affairs correspondent for Mabat, Israel’s Hebrew Language news program, becoming the first North American ever to work as an on-air reporter for the Hebrew news. While at Israel Television, Linda traveled to Damascus where she produced a series of reports on Arab attitudes towards Israel and the peace process.

By Judy Diamondstein JFLV Assistant Executive Director In January, Diamondstein traveled to Israel for the “Israel Immersion Experience” of Fundraising University, a program launched last summer for a select group of senior development professionals in the Jewish Federations of North America system. The program focuses on understanding changes in the Federation system as well as the overall philanthropic landscape, but it also showed her a little-seen world within Israel …

Among the many programs we visited, standing out among them to me was our work within the haredi – ultra-Orthodox -community. We began the day in the haredi neighborhood of Me’ah She’arim in Jerusalem where we met Shlomo, who toured us through his neighborhood and provided the context to understand the world we were entering.

The black clothing of the people stood out in sharp contrast to the lightness of the Jerusalem stoned buildings.

Plastered to some buildings were large white posters with thick Hebrew letters.

Shlomo told us that this is the

main source of news for the community, as they are not to have contact with the outside world through the Internet or media. Next, we stopped in front of a school.

When boys reach the age of 3 years they are completely swaddled from head to toe in a large tallit, picked up and carried to their school. When unwrapped, they “open their eyes” to learning and the place where Talmud and Torah will live at the center of their education. Computers, math and science are not generally a part of their learning. Girls’ studies include more math and science so that they have some skills to enter the workforce upon graduation. Haredi boys are groomed to become Torah scholars.

Mafteach is a center which provides vocational counseling, support and tools necessary to effect grassroots change within the Haredi community.

The Schachar program is run by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), a beneficiary organization of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, in partnership with the municipality of Jerusalem and other NGOs working with the

The service is open to the public.

YOAV - LEHIGH VALLEY

Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley

YOUNG ADULT DIVISION SOCIAL OUTINGS NETWORKING VOLUNTEERING ... and so much more!

The Young Adult Division of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is the place to build connections.

Join us for our next exciting event.

Find out how you can get involved Contact Aaron Gorodzinsky, 610-821-5500, aaron@jflv.org or visit jewishlehighvalley.org

6 MARCH 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

After participating in Fundraising University, Judy Diamondstein spent time in the Lehigh Valley’s Partnership2Gether community of Yoav. Pictured above, from left to right, past Partnership Coordinator Nurit Grossman with Yoav Regional Council Mayor Matti Sarfatti Harcavi and Diamondstein, and new Partnership Coordinator Yonit Waldner Peleg with P2G Chair Cynthia Wroclawski.

CREDIT: BEN SALES

With Linda Scherzer, former Middle East correspondent for CNN and Israel Television

Footprints lead around the world

A wall of pashkvilim, or posters bearing communal announcements, in the Jerusalem haredi neighborhood of Me’ah She’arim. Judy Diamondstein recently visited the area as part of an “Israel Immersion Experience” with Fundraising University. ultra-Orthodox.

During our visit at Mafteach, we observed a workshop designed to familiarize the haredi men with working life. The program helps them prepare resumes, look for jobs, practice interview skills and provide the soft skills necessary to empower them to pursue the next steps with confidence.

And here, in addition to offering assistance, we found common ground, for as participants in the Fundraising University program we are working on leadership skills, presentation skills, strategic management and goal setting.

In addition to visiting the haredi community in Jerusalem, we made visits to Tel Aviv and sites within the burgeoning Negev. Of particular note, we visited Sheatufim, the Israel Center for Civil Society, which is working closely with Israeli NGOs and the Jewish Federations to build and expand the third sector of Israeli society — the social sector and philanthropy.

There we met with representatives from the Lautman Foundation, Committed to Give (a philanthropic-driven initiative to expand private philanthropy in Israel) and the Gandyr Foundation which, through their philanthropy, are breaking new ground in the social sector

and exploring new funding partnerships.

Spending a day in Yerucham was also quite interesting, as this small development town in the isolated south is undergoing a transformation through a technology boom, the investment of a new Israeli army base and the solid strength of the Phoenicia Glass Works.

The Glass Works was a main reason for our visit as Jewish community leader Mort Mandel had purchased the company and transformed it through the business culture and relationships with employees from failing business to profitable company. Mandel recently published a book, “It’s All About Who You Hire, How They Lead … and Other Essential Advice from a SelfMade Leader,” and Fundraising University participants read the book in preparation for the visit.

Whenever I am in Israel, I look forward to meeting the people who participate in the many programs our Federation funds through our partners, The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), the JDC, the Ethiopian National Project (ENP) and World ORT. It is not an exaggeration to say that wherever we traveled we could see the footprints of our system at work and the incredible results of our investment that have helped Israel grow and evolve over the past 65 years.

Golf Tournament tees off June 9 Register by March 14 for early bird prices

By Jessica Sweeney JFLV Development Intern

The Annual Mortimer S. Schiff Memorial golf tournament combines time on the green with recognition of work to reduce prejudice. This year’s tournament is set for June 9. Register by March 14 for early bird prices.

The Mortimer S. Schiff Memorial golf tournament is set for Monday, June 9, at Lehigh Country Club. The tournament focuses on a theme of prejudice reduction.

In dedicating a significant portion of their lives to teaching tolerance and acceptance of others, Mort Schiff, z”l, and his wife Vera held as core values compassion, generosity, charity and responsibility in order to encourage people to

Kippot and crackerjacks: IronPigs to host Jewish Heritage Night in May

By Annie Williams JFLV Marketing Intern The Lehigh Valley IronPigs baseball team will be hosting their very first Jewish Heritage Night on Thursday, May 22, at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown. Perhaps even more groundbreaking is the recent decision by the IronPigs to license the official IronPigs kippah in recognition of the Jewish community of the Lehigh Valley.

“We’ve done some heritage nights over the years, but we haven’t had a Jewish Heritage Night, so it just seemed like a natural progression for 2014,” said Jon Schaeffer, director of new media for the IronPigs. As for the kippah, Schaeffer believes that the IronPigs are one of the only minor league baseball teams in the country to license an official Jewish head covering with the team logo.

The idea for Jewish Heritage Night and the kippah has long been in the mind of Barry J. Halper, president of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley and fan of the IronPigs since their first season six years ago.

Halper began attending games as a partial season ticket holder in 2008, and enjoys bringing his family to baseball games so close to home.

“Jews and baseball have always had a strong connection,” Halper said in a recent interview.

He is a fan of the major league team the Philadelphia Phillies, to whom the IronPigs feed players after seasons in the minor league. While attending a Phillies game, Halper noticed that the major league team had an official kippah for sale and this sent him straight to the IronPigs requesting that the team design their own kippah with the famous pig on top.

Of course, the IronPigs jumped on board with the idea.

Halper contacted Adam Fondl, director of merchandise and his team at the IronPigs, and in December 2013, the team began selling their very own, official

kippah. Halper was one of the first fans to purchase one.

“I like having an official kippah, and not a knock-off,” he said.

To Halper, though, his IronPigs kippah means more than supporting a baseball team. The team kippah is a symbol of community coming together to support each other and have fun. “The IronPigs are a wonderful organization and give a lot to the Lehigh Valley community in many ways,” said Halper. “The kippah and Jewish Heritage Night are ways of showing our Jewish pride in supporting the organization and a recognition of a very close, long-standing relationship between baseball and the Jewish community.”

Schaeffer, of the IronPigs organization, said, “I think we want to support every community of the Lehigh Valley, whether that is the Jewish community, other faithbased communities or other demographical areas.” Schaeffer’s work with Jewish Heritage Night is aligned with Halper’s expectations for the event -- to provide a connection for the Lehigh Valley and experience

Jewish culture as a team.

“We say the IronPigs has something for the entire community. It’s a family-friendly venture for those within the city of Allentown and the areas that surround it, and we want to support the communities that make up the Lehigh valley,” Schaeffer said. “The Jewish community is certainly part of that.”

Halper proudly wears his new kippah to synagogue and is frequently given compliments or asked “Where can I get one?” The answer is online at the IronPigs website and also in merchandise stores at the stadium as the season begins.

Jewish Heritage Night will feature group tickets in which the group will be given the opportunity to purchase a baseball cap with “IronPigs” written in Hebrew on the cap.

Along with the kippah and baseball cap, Jewish Heritage Night on May 22 will provide kosher offerings at the stadium and all can expect to participate in Jewish-themed games and music.

connect with others based on commonalities rather than differences.

Not only does this event raise money for a great cause, but it’s also about bringing golfers together for a day of relaxation, recreation and fun, while uniting and inspiring all who attend.

It’s also about recognizing the importance of social justice: Following the day of golf, the Mortimer S. Schiff Award for Prejudice Reduction will be presented to this year’s winner during dinner.

In addition to a round of 18 holes, the tournament includes a putting contest, side games, and a reverse raffle. Although some may win big, every player is a winner in the reverse raffle, with a $5,000 grand prize. Last year, Peter Cooper, owner of Lexus of Lehigh Valley, even surprised guests with passes to the U.S. Open to go up for auction.

This year, the putting purse is again valued at $10,000, with a big prize for the finalist, even

without sinking the final putt.

In addition, players will have the opportunity to bid on- and possibly participate in- a once in a lifetime trip to play at the Lexus National Championship at Pebble Beach in December.

What more could golfers ask for! In fact, early bird registration is open until Friday, March 14, and, with that, the opportunity to save $50 per player.

The general participation and sponsorship deadline is Friday, May 16, but the tournament is limited to the first 120 players that register. The full value of the entry fee is $500 for a single player, $900 for couples, and $1,850 per foursome.

Player registration includes 18 holes of golf, access to the driving range, a decadent dairy brunch, on-course snacks and beverages, a goody bag, dinner in the clubhouse, entry in the reverse raffle and the opportunity to participate in the auction.

Meet you on the green!

To purchase tickets for Jewish Heritage Night or purchase a kippah, go to the IronPigs website at www.milb.com.

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | MARCH 2014 7

Pianist in tune with Israel makes Aliyah

Evgeny Kissin uses his high profile to raise awareness about Israel. A native of Russia who has lived in England and France, he recently became an Israeli citizen.

By Monica Friess Special to HAKOL It’s become almost commonplace to read about yet another celebrity who has taken a stance against Israel and in favor of boycott, divest and sanction (BDS). Stories of artists who support the state are rare and refreshing. We recently learned, for instance, that Scarlett Johansson appeared in a prominent ad supporting an item produced jointly by Palestinians and Israelis in the West Bank. But there was one celebrity whose story you may have missed -- that of pianist Evgeny Kissin’s fervent love of Israel and the

journey that led him to become an Israeli citizen.

Kissin, a two-time Grammy Award-winning concert pianist, was born in Moscow in 1971. A child prodigy, he made his concerto debut at the age of 10, and at age 11 gave his first solo recital in Moscow.

At age 12, he performed Chopin’s piano concertos 1 and 2 with the Moscow State Philharmonic. The concert, which was recorded live and produced as a two-LP album, brought him international recognition and renown, and he has become one of the world’s premier artists, performing about 40 to 60 concerts a year in major cities throughout the world.

Though he was raised in a thoroughly assimilated home in Moscow and knew little of Jewish history or religion, Kissin identified strongly as Jewish. In a 2011 interview, he told Jerusalem Post reporter Maxim Reider that as a young child he wanted his grave stone to read, “Here lies Evgeny Kissin, a son of the Jewish people, a servant of music.”

Passionate about politics and world events, Kissin kept himself well informed of the ongoing state of the Middle East and privately lamented Israel’s struggles. In 2011, Kissin launched a world tour with a debut concert in Jerusalem. He also began publicly speaking about his identity and voicing his opinions about the Jewish state. Asked Evgeny Kissin

Continues on page 23

LEHIGH VALLEY JEWISH FOUNDATION THE JEWISH COMMUNITY’S ENDOWMENT FUND Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley

IN MEMORY

FLORENCE AGREST (Mother of David Hyman) Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald Sandra and Harold Goldfarb Robert and Roberta Kritzer Arthur and Barbara Weinrach LEAH BUB (Mother of Sam Bub) Tama and Frank Tamarkin CHARLES GOLDBERG (Husband of Darlyne Goldberg) Leonard Abrams Adam and Penny Roth Donald and Randi Senderowitz RICHARD HENRY (Husband of Maxine Henry) Fred and Barbara Sussman BEVERLY KOLB (Daughter of Elwood Kolb) Shirley and Louis Furmansky Suzanne Lapiduss CAROLE KOVED (Sister of Stan Wax) Sybil and Barry Baiman Peggy and Bill Berger Carol and Gary Fromer Beth and Wesley Kozinn Michael and Linda Miller Tama and Frank Tamarkin Carol and Perry Zirkel (Aunt of Nancy Wax Goldman) Carol and Gary Fromer (Aunt of Robert Wax) Carol and Gary Fromer JACK KUSHNER (Husband of Ferne Kushner) Wendy and Ross Born Shirley and Louis Furmansky Donald and Randi Senderowitz Adam and Penny Roth Selma Roth

BERTYE LEVY (Mother of Herb Levy) Beth and Wesley Kozinn HARRY SHERMAN (Father of Barbara Sherman Sussman) Michael and Linda Miller ROLAND SIGAL (Father of Marcie Friedman) Wendy and Ross Born Sandra and Harold Goldfarb Donald and Randi Senderowitz Barbara and David Sussman MAX STETTNER (Husband of Shelley Stettner) Beth and Wesley Kozinn IRVING WEINGROD (Father of Robin Rosenau) Beth and Wesley Kozinn Michael and Linda Miller MARY CATHERINE WRIGHT (Mother of Jennifer Lader) Stan and Vicki Wax

IN HONOR

MEL BACKER Happy 90th Birthday Selma Roth MARCIA AND MILES BERKOW Marriage of Son, Ben Laura and Bob Black JEROME CYLINDER Speedy Recovery Selma Roth HENRIETTE ENGELSON Special Birthday Arthur and Barbara Weinrach KAREN KUHN Birth of grandson, Asher Jacob Kuhn-Watson Beth and Wesley Kozinn Robert and Roberta Kritzer

BUDDY AND LAURIE LESAVOY Engagement of daughter, Hayley Adam and Penny Roth MORTON MILLER Happy 90th Birthday Selma Roth MARK AND ALICE NOTIS Engagement of daughter Ricki to Meir Suzanne Lapiduss & Family ROBERT PALUMBO Speedy Recovery Stan and Vicki Wax EILEEN AND MICHAEL UFBERG Larry Ufberg – ‘Top Docs’ in Endodontics, Philadelphia Magazine Sam and Sylvia Bub Larry Ufberg’s Award Sam and Sylvia Bub

HELEN & SOL KRAWITZ HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL FUND IN HONOR STAN STEIN Special Birthday Joani Lesavoy and Sid Greenberg

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.

American Values at Work.

Consumer | Commercial | Community

7 Offices Valleywide • 610-882-8800 • embassybank.com

8 MARCH 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

Former POW Continues from page 1

“eight or nine men left.” His company’s mission was to “carry our wounded away, withdrawing through a ditch … We had no tank, no nothing, just a company.”

In the process, they found themselves facing “a German tiger tank with an .88 mm gun and German infantry all around us.”

“They had us carry their dead and wounded in a stream that was red with German blood.

[Some of them] were huddled in there shivering,” Parmet said.

He realized at that time, he said, “Anyone is human, whether it’s the enemy or it’s you. We carried some of the Germans killed in the stream. They marched us into Rome, about 20 miles, and into a large barn called the Film Studio.

There were a couple thousand [prisoners] of all nationalities.”

The conditions there shocked Parmet: “There were two oil drums used for toilets and at the end of the day, they were overfilled. The rations were meager, a loaf of German bread and a pat of margarine, some weak tea or soup. We would be told if we were eight men to a loaf, or less.”

Unbeknownst to Parmet, but as required after three weeks, the army notified his mother that he was “missing in action.”

Naturally, Anna was quite upset.

Parmet’s thoughts at this time revolved around “when we were gonna get the heck out of there, or where we would go. [We were] just glad that we were living.”

To maintain his equilibrium Parmet said, “I tried to occupy myself with my thoughts.

[Previously,] a most influential thing happened in North Africa.

We were at an outdoor movie and there was a black man and he had been through the North Africa

campaign, not on the front line – because at that time black men were relegated to being transport workers. [The temperature] was probably in the 30s and there weren’t many of us because it was so cold. This man introduced me to the 23rd Psalm, ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil …’ I had a little Jewish Bible in my breast pocket and it went through the war with me.”

The prisoners were eventually taken to Germany and installed in Stalag 7, north of the town of Memmingen and near Lake Constance and Cologne in Germany. Here, they received Red Cross supplies. These included packages of Spam, biscuits, a candy bar and instant coffee and tea. The men at the camp were British colonials, New Zealanders, Australians, Canadians and some Americans.

Significantly for Parmet, the camp was “all under the Wehrmacht, not SS.” Parmet was allowed to write to his mother, who was quite relieved to hear from him.

Meanwhile, Parmet was transferred to a work camp, Stalag 7B, which included prisoners of war from Russia – or the Soviet Union – North Africa, France and Australia. He eventually became friendly with a Jewish volunteer soldier from the then-British Mandate in Palestine.

The prisoners were made to carry train rails -- “they were heavy, 12 men to it” -- and dig air raid shelters for the Germans.

They emptied cesspools and, for a nearby German air training school, worked on uniforms “which were quite elaborate with swords and daggers.”

Parmet said: “I wondered why [the Allies] never attacked and one time they did. A German staff car with officers in it [was destroyed] and one of the air raid shelters

The Jews and WWII Italy During World War II, deportations of Italian Jews began only after the Nazis occupied Italy in September 1943.

According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, many Jews in Rome found refuge in the

The camera that a fellow GI gave Sidney Parmet upon his liberation from a German POW camp in 1945. we built was a tomb to about 300 Germans because the concussion of [a bomb] sealed it off.”

Meanwhile, he said, the prisoners managed to obtain copies of the German newspaper where they “read about the Jews.” Parmet and the other prisoners had been asked to complete a form at the time they arrived and he was aware that there were about 14 other Jews, with other mixed troops, which now also included Maoris and British troops, and that the Jews were one time sent “all at the same time to the same place and that was the extent of the separation.”

Parmet said that being close to Switzerland probably helped and that people occasionally came through to inspect the camp. Rations consisted of a slice of bread, or two or maybe three of them a day, a coffee made out of roasted barley (“awful”) and, once, fish. They would be given cigarettes and soap once a month. In addition, the Geneva Conventions required that they be paid for work, so they would be given Tashcengeld and beer.

Of their guards, who were older men, Parmet and the others “didn’t expect much”

for, early on, when one of the prisoners refused to go outside as ordered, “they just bayoneted him.” Over time, though, the guards came to jokingly refer to the few American prisoners as “Amerikana shgangsters” because of the gangster films they had seen.

They would tell the prisoners that “things are going to get better because the Kaiser will come back.”

Once, an Allied plane flew low over the camp and “waved” by tipping its wings. The prisoners were able to smuggle radios into the camp in milk cans and listen to the BBC at night: Germany was slowly being occupied.

One morning, the men woke up to find that the guards had left and they were on their own, yet they did not leave the camp for about two weeks. Once during this time, Parmet recalled, “We went out to the town people and they let us stay in the farm house.

They treated us so hospitably.

There was a feather bed you just sank down into.”

Finally, Parmet said, “some GIs came through; they gave me a box camera.” Parmet hitched a ride and made his way to France.

“I was in Paris on V-E day and traded a haircut for a bar of soap,” he said.

He returned to America by ship. “The most beautiful sight we saw was the Statue of Liberty,” he said. “I was gone for two and

homes of Christian friends or in Catholic institutions, but methodical round-ups and searches led to the deportation of more than 2,000 Roman Jews to Auschwitz. About 8,000 Italian Jews in all were deported.

a half years, until May of 1945.”

But the war wasn’t entirely over. “By July,” Parmet said, “I was in Japan.”

In between, he had a 90-day leave for rest and rehabilitation, so he went home. “I was glad to be with my mother again,” he said.

[His stay in Japan was brief] and he was discharged in July as well. He attended Muhlenberg College on the GI Bill before entering Temple University and graduating from its dentistry school in 1951.

“But the big event was in ’50,” Parmet said, for that was when he married his wife, Harriet. Because she was from Philadelphia and Parmet wanted to remain close to his mother, they settled in Allentown, where they raised their two sons. Morton was already a dentist in the area so, in order not to compete with him, Parmet opened an office in Northampton, where he practiced for 50 years, until just five years ago.

Parmet still has the Zeiss Ikon camera that the GI gave him. Of all the subjects of the immediate post-war period that he photographed, for Parmet looking back, there is only one subject of note so many years later: “I took a picture of my mother,” he said.

“And the polka dots on her dress were so clear.”

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | MARCH 2014 9

Middle East researcher sparks debate at Muhlenberg Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley partners with Lehigh Valley STYLE to present SHALOM Lehigh Valley STYLE SHALOM Lehigh Valley STYLE will be re-published as part of SHALOM Lehigh Valley COMMUNITY magazine, a biennial contemporary publication with engaging content & photography, including information on agencies, services, organizations, synagogues, education, volunteering, senior life and youth activities.

BUSINESSES & PROFESSIONALS

support SHALOM LEHIGH VALLEY

Reach out to STYLE readers and the local Jewish community.

Contact DIANE McKEE

Advertising Representative 610-821-5500, ext. 323 610-515-1391 hakolads@jflv.org

SUNDAY, APRIL 6, 2014 10:30 a.m. | JCC of Allentown Please join us for brunch as we honor outstanding Hillel students from Lafayette College, Lehigh University, Moravian College and Muhlenberg College A tribute to Mort and Myra Levy, of blessed memory, who established this award to recognize young leaders.

RSVP to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, 610-821-5500, marlene@jflv.org.

Dr. Asaf Romirowsky

By Ethan Weg Special to HAKOL When Dr. Asaf Romirowsky spoke recently at Muhlenberg College about the Middle East, his listeners got a taste of the conflict.

The former Israel Defense Forces international relations liaison officer and coauthor of “Religion, Politics, and the Origins of the Palestine Refugee Relief” focused his comments on what he said is the principal obstacle in achieving substantial negotiations between the two parties -- “the Palestinian refugee problem.”

When analyzing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and peace process, Romirowsky said, many Middle East experts and enthusiasts believe that there are three main issues that need to be addressed before any progress toward peace can be made: settling disputes over the green line created after the 1967 Six-Day War, determining to what capacity Jerusalem can be the capital of two states and managing Palestinian individuals who claim refugee status.

According to Romirowsky, who is also an adjunct scholar at the Foundation for Defense for

Anat Hoffman: American Jews have stake in Israeli affairs

By Jessica Cooperman Special to HAKOL American Jews should become more active in debates about religious pluralism in Israel, Anat Hoffman, chairwoman of the Women of the Wall, urged in her talk at the Zoellner Arts Center in Bethlehem on Jan. 28.

Hoffman kept the audience engaged with stories that were alternately amusing and upsetting, but her talk pressed all of those present to think about the relationship between religion, government and individual rights in Israel today.

Her concerns about the balance between “church and state” in Israel were not limited to the controversy surrounding the Wall. As the executive director of the Israel Religious Action Center, Hoffman is also involved in a broad range of social, legal and political debates about religious pluralism and Israeli democracy. She spoke to the audience about the action center’s fights to ban religiously justified gender segregations on public buses (a fight it won) and to force the Israeli government to give equal recognition to rabbis ordained in non-orthodox Jewish denominations (it secured

10 MARCH 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

Democracies and the Middle East Forum, IsraeliPalestinian peacemakers should focus their attention on finding a resolution for the millions of Palestinian individuals currently labeled as refugees.

Of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Romirowsky said, “At the core of the problem …

Palestinian identity is entrenched with the idea of Palestinian refugee [status].”

He argued that in order to find a solution to this specific element of the conflict, the composition of Palestinian identity must be restructured. However, he acknowledged that by asking Palestinian individuals to forgo their refugee status, in essence, he is requesting them to relinquish their individual personal identities.

For his listeners, Romirowsky’s approach illustrated just how challenging the situation in the Middle East is today. Yet, the reform of Palestinian identity has been one of Romirowsky’s signature ideas for years; it is laced with complexities and is why, to many, he is very controversial in his beliefs.

The climax of the presentation came at its conclusion, during the question-and-answer session, when Emran Lallow, a Muhlenberg freshman of Palestinian descent from Jordan, spoke.

Lallow argued that by taking away the Palestinians’ right of return, his Palestinian identity would inherently be negated. Lallow said, “It is the only thing I have left,” and that besides the hope of returning to the land his ancestors once occupied, he has no physical connection to anything else Palestinian.

Wrapping up his thoughts, Lallow said, “I know it is complicated, but both sides are going against peace.”

Although Romirowsky’s principles seemed harsh to many, his intentions appeared noble.

Likewise, though Lallow did not agree with Romirowsky’s propositions, he too appeared set on a moral solution -- a time when both parties are peacefully governed by their own, on their own terms, on their own land.

almost equal recognition).

Hoffman has described herself as a “professional troublemaker,” but professional activist is more accurate. She got her start in consumer activism, demanding that the Israeli phone company, Bezeq, provide customers with itemized phone bills. She also served on the City Council of Jerusalem for 14 years, but it is through her involvement in founding and working with Women of the Wall that Hoffman has attracted international attention.

Women of the Wall, established in 1988, advocates for the right of women to wear prayer shawls, hold organized prayer services and read aloud from the Torah at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. The site of the Wall, however, is controlled by an ultra-Orthodox rabbinic organization, funded by the Israeli government, which fervently opposes nonOrthodox prayer at the site.

Hoffman and the Women of the Wall have faced insults and arrests but have continued to challenge restrictions on women’s prayer in the courts, the media and at the Wall itself.

The Religious Action Center is active in battles against all forms of racial and gender discrimination in Israel, and

is particularly committed to fighting racist speech and inducement to racial violence made by rabbis on salary from the state. Hoffman affectionately joked that issues concerning Judaism in Israel “are much too important to be left to Israelis,” but commented more seriously that struggles over the role of religion in state policy, and the balance of rights between Orthodox, liberal and secular Jews, as well as nonJewish citizens of Israel, go to the heart of how the Jewish state will define itself in the future – and that this is an issue in which American Jews have a stake.

WRITINGS FROM THE

CLERGY

CANTOR JENNIFER DURETZ PELED Congregation Keneseth Israel The late Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach often said, “when we sing, it’s as if we are praying twice.”

Certainly, Carlebach was not alone in finding connection with God through song. Music allows us to express our beliefs and connects us with our community and God. Music often hits us way down in the kishkas with far more effect than spoken word. For both the singers who study the texts of the music they sing and congregants who increase their understanding of these texts through listening, music is an educational device, revealing Jewish history.

For example, the younger generations of Jews have become more aware of Sephardic and Ashkenazic culture through Ladino and Yiddish music than in any other

Music inspires heart and soul way. Of course, in order for singers to communicate effectively with their listeners, solid musicianship and knowledge of Judaism is necessary.

In a sense, music is the most powerful spiritual language, which is why every organized religious community I can think of has a musical component to their worship experience. Christian communities have utilized fine choral music for centuries to enhance their services. Anyone who has traveled to Israel recognizes the sound of the muezzin as he signals Muslims that it is time to pray with his sacred chant flowing from the mosque’s minaret. Hindus chant Kirtan, Bhajan and Raagas as part of their prayer experience. According to our Jewish tradition, we know that the Levitical choir included singers and musicians playing on harps, trumpets, lyre and cymbals.

Choral music during Shabbat services has been a hallmark of Reform Judaism since its inception.

In fact, the “traditional” melody for the Sh’ma prayer taught to our youngest children is not as old as we think. This melody has been attributed to Austrian Salomon Sulzer who composed synagogue music during the 1800s. Much of his music was composed for cantor and choir and even had congregational responses written into the

sheet music.

I recently read an article in The Aspen Times written by Rabbi David Segal which read the following: In a striking study by the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, scientists measured the heart rates of choir members.

Not only did their heart rates slow down while singing due to measured breathing, but something miraculous happened: Their heartbeats synchronized! As National Public Radio reported, “The readout from the pulse monitors starts as a jumble of jagged lines but quickly becomes a series of uniform peaks. The heart rates fall into a shared rhythm guided by the song’s tempo.” The cliché that “many hearts beat as one” is now a medical fact.

If you enjoy singing and wish to inspire people, steady your heart rate and learn more about the Jewish people, language, history and prayers, join your synagogue’s choir. If your synagogue does not have a choir or if you are unaffiliated and wish to participate in group singing, please contact Shari Spark who directs N’imah, the Lehigh Valley’s Jewish community choir. Her contact information is: shspark@ptd.net.

Shawn Colvin and Steve Earle Songs & Stories, Together Onstage March 19 | 7:30 pm

25 W. Third St. Bethlehem, PA

Summer CampS  Weekly camps from June 16-July 21 for ages 4-17  Full-day and half-day camps  Small class sizes  Sibling and multiple week discounts

Upcoming Shows Blood, Sweat & Tears Featuring Bo Bice March 5 | 7:30 pm

The Steel Wheels March 6 | 7:30 pm

The Irish Comedy Tour

 Camps include:

SteelStacks High School Jazz Band Showcase Finals

Tinsley Ellis

March 8 | 7:30 pm

Lehigh Valley Music Awards 15 March 9 | 4 pm

• Drawing & Painting

sponsored by King, Spry, Herman, Freund & Faul, LLC

• Bas-relief Sculpture

March 16 | 4 pm

• Video Game Design

Maria Bamford March 20 | 8 pm

Rick Braun

March 7 | 7:30 pm

sponsored by WDIY

• Puppetry & Mask Making

March 21 | 7:30 pm

Crystal Bowersox of American Idol March 23 | 7:30 pm

SPANK! Harder

• Outdoor Photography • Pottery: Wheelthrowing • Basket Weaving • Mosaics • Hot Glass • Jewelry Making • Magic • Plus, many more!

March 26-29 | 8 pm

Musikfest Café™ at SteelStacks™ 101 Founders Way | Bethlehem, PA 18015

Tickets available at: steelstacks.org | 610-332-3378

Camp details and registration available at: bananafactory.org | 610-332-1300

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | MARCH 2014 11

Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley 2014 Campaign for Jewish Needs

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT $1,444,423 (as of 2/17/14): Together, we do extraordinary things

Because of your support of the 2014 campaign, we are able to help when help is needed, provide a safety net for those who must rely upon it, and nurture the core institutions that are the fabric of a rich and dynamic Jewish community.

THANK YOU. PRIME MINISTERS CIRCLE $100,000+ Ross Born Wendy Born* Robert and Bonnie* Hammel Anonymous (1) THEODORE HERZL SOCIETY $50,000 -$99,999 Edward Kesten KING DAVID SOCIETY $25,000 - $49,999 Tama* Fogelman and Family Fischmann Family Fund* Roberto and Eileen* Fischmann The Fraenkel Family Dr. Harold and Sandra* Goldfarb TREE OF LIFE SOCIETY $18,000 - $24,999 Peter and Karen* Cooper KING SOLOMON CIRCLE $10,000 - $17,999 Nathan and Marilyn* Braunstein Charles Cohen and Rebecca Binder* Dr. Jeffrey and Jill* Blinder Seidel Cohen Hof and Reid Daniel and Nancy* Cohen Phillip and Ellen* Hof Chris and Tara Reid Norman Seidel Gary Fromer and Dr. Carol Bub Fromer* Murray Goodman Robert J. and Susan* Grey Robert and Judith Auritt Klein Family Fund* Kobrovsky Family Fund Elaine Lerner* Orgler Family Fund Nan Ronis* Mortimer S. and Vera M.* Schiff Foundation BUILDERS OF ISRAEL $5,000 - $9,999 Dr. Arthur and Phoebe* Altman Sadie Berman Lion of Judah Endowment Fund* Hon. Alan and Donna* Black Ellis and Lisa* Block Pearl Brooks* Dr. Sam and Sylvia* Bub Marc and Judy* Diamondstein Jonathan and Iris* Epstein Arnan and Marlene* Finkelstein Susan Gadomski * Mark L. Goldstein and Shari Spark* Allen and Patricia* Gribben Nat and Erica* Hyman Bernard and Florence Kobrovsky Special Fund Dr. Wesley and Beth* Kozinn Dr. Lawrence and Eva* Levitt Stanley R. Liebman Estate Michael and Linda* Miller Daniel Poresky Dr. Richard and Barbara* Reisner Dr. Alex and Robin* Rosenau Shaoli Rosenberg* Paul Sacher Lorrie Scherline* Irwin and Ellen* Schneider Mark and Deena* Scoblionko Elizabeth Scofield* Larrie and Judy* Sheftel Edith Simon* Dr. Frank and Tama* Tamarkin Dr. William and Pauline* Trachtenberg Dr. Michael and Eileen* Ufberg Dr. Robert and Carol* Wilson Dr. Israel and Valeska* Zighelboim Anonymous (2) SABRA CIRCLE $2,500 - $4,999 Dr. Marc and Aliette* Abo Dr. Houman and Lori Ahdieh

Dr. David and Sara-Jane* Bub Andrew and Dr. Lisa* Ellis Henriette Engelson* Dr. Peter Fisher and Kathy Zimmerman* Louis and Shirley* Furmansky Dr. Mark and Carmyn Gittleman Dr. Lawrence and Vicki* Glaser Barry Halper Drs. Andrew and Deborah* Kimmel Jeffrey and Carol* Kranitz Stuart and Lynda* Krawitz Robert and Roberta* Kritzer Dr. Richard and Roberta* London Dr. Moshe and Lisa* Markowitz Marla Melman* Taffi Ney* Dr. Noah Orenstein and Diana* Fischmann Orenstein Dr. Robert and Lota* Post Rhoda Prager* Sylvia and Herb Rosen Foundation Frances & Abraham Schwab Memorial Fund Dr. Stuart A. and Janice Schwartz Ronald and Martha* Segel Jack and Amy* Silverman Dr. Arthur and Audrey* Sosis Arthur and Barbara* Weinrach Dr. Michael and Leslie* Weinstock James and Linda* Wimmer Anonymous (1)

GATES OF JAFFA $1,500 - $2,499 Richard J. Mongilutz and Kelly Banach* Dr. Marc and Lauren* Berson Michael and Rita* Bloom Dr. Scott Brenner and Cheryl Figlin-Brenner* Lawrence Center Marilyn Claire* Dr. William and Gail* Combs Dr. Arnold R. Cook Helen Cook* Glenn and Jan* Ehrich Norman Falk Claudia Fischmann* Veronica Fischmann* Dr. Jay and Fran* Fisher Dr. Ronald and Emily Freudenberger Dr. Henry and Monica* Friess and Family Dr. Gene Ginsberg Dr. Ronald J. and Linda Glickman Neil and Edyth* Glickstein Dr. Gordon and Rose Lee* Goldberg Dr. Robert M. Gordon Morris & Dyna Gorfinkel Memorial Fund Dr. David Greenberg Kenneth and Ellen* Greene Dr. Paul Gross Drs. Harvey and Melissa Hakim Esther Halperin* Hausman Family Dr. Howard and Susan* Israel Dr. John Jaffe Roland and Dorothy Joseph Jane Kaplan* Dr. Robert and Janice Kaplan Muriel Kosen* Martin and Judy* Krasnov Dr. Joshua and Teri* Krassen Dr. Harold Kreithen Dr. Robert and Stephanie* Kricun Jack(z�l) and Ferne Rodale* Kushner Dr. Michael and Carole* Langsam Dr. Brian LeFrock Dr. Paul Lemberg Martin and Monica* Lemelman Mort & Myra Levy Philanthropic Fund Dr. Jay and Evelyn* Lipschutz Dr. Gerald and Ethel* Melamut Robert and Betty* Mendelson Dr. Holmes and Jeannie* Miller Dr. Richard J. Morse Dr. Mark and Alice* Notis Dr. Michael and Ruth* Notis Dr. Robert and Joanne* Palumbo Dr. Edward Rosenfeld Dr. Marvin and Janet Rosenthal Dr. Abraham and Nancy Ross and Family Selma Roth* Dr. Wayne Saunders Dr. Darryn Shaff Marshall and Nina* Silverstein Dr. Raymond and Bonnie Singer Lynda Somach* Richard and Allison Staiman Dr. Ronald and Melissa Stein and Family Dr. Frederic A. and Gilda Stelzer

12 MARCH 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

Dr. Jay E. and Margery* Strauss Fred and Barbara* Sussman Fred and Barbara K.* Sussman Dr. David and Barbara* Sussman Dr. Adam Teichman Dr. Darren and Stefanie* Traub Dr. Andrew Wakstein Gordon and Kathy* Weil Steven and Margo* Wiener Susan Wild* Anonymous (4)

CHAVERIM $500 - $1,499 Richard and Karen* Albert Steven Aronsky Tama Lee Barsky* Sanford and Patricia* Beldon Steven Bergstein and Nanci Goldman Bergstein Larry and Susan W.* Berman Joseph and Sharon* Bernstein Rance and Sheryl* Block Regina Brenner* Ellie Brooks* Richard and Kira* Bub Harvey and Elizabeth* Cartine Dr. Jessica Cooperman* Dr. Karen Dacey* Hon. Maxwell Davison Richard and Ruth* Derby Dr. George and Roberta* Diamond Gerald Weisberger and Gail Ehrens* Eduardo and Jeanette* Eichenwald Dr. Mark and Ellyn* Elstein Dr. Thomas and Roni* Englert and Family Dr. Neil and Ellen* Feldman Jules and Tama Fogelman Family Fund* Frank Penn Family Fund Hon. Robert and Ronnie Freedberg Alfred T. Gifford Family Fund Goldfarb Family Fund Barry Goldin and Cheri Sterman* Prof. Gary Gordon and Elizabeth McMahon Alan Greenberger Ralph and Anna Mae* Grossman Jay Haltzman Aron and Julie* Hochhauser Arthur and Susan* Hochhauser Dr. Arthur and Barbara* Hoffman Roslyn Holtz* Gwen Jacobs* Dr. Joseph Jacobs Audrey Kanoff* Seth and Kathi* Katzman Dr. Corey and Lisa* Kirshner Dr. Mark and Iris Koshar Jeffrey Kramer Beth Kushnick* Dr. Hartley Lachter and Dr. Jessica Cooperman* Lawrence M. Lang and Elaine N. Deutch* Dr. Paul H. and Elaine* Langer Gerson Lazar Family Fund Martha B. Lebovitz* The Eva Levitt Knitting Project Dr. Irwin and Linda Lewis Dr. Sheldon and Paula* Linn Lois Lipson* Dr. Norman Maron Edith Miller* Michael Molovinsky Dr. Jonathan Munves Dexter and Sally Neadle Bobbi Needle* Gerald and Bernice* Nepon Sandy Newman* Carole Ostfeld* Leon and Elaine* Papir Alan and Roberta* Penn Allen and Sandra* Perlman Drs. Andrew and Flora* Pestcoe Rabbi Seth Phillips and Marge Kramer* Dr. Mitchell and Carol Rabinowitz Elaine Rappaport-Bass* Rabbi Moshe and Adina Re'em Dr. Norman and Jett* Sarachek Sheila Saunders* Dr. Murray and Marcia* Schechter Dr. Michael and Heidi* Schiffman Lillian Schwab Memorial Fund Schwartz Family Fund Dr. Howard and Tamara Selden Sally Shapiro* Howard and Susan* Sherer Dr. Harry and Ruth Shleifer Dr. Andrew and Rachel* Shurman Helaine Sigal* Mark and Maryellis Sigmon Dr. Bruce and Donna Silverberg

Dr. Howard and Diane* Silverman Hon. Robert L. Steinberg Kevin Stempel Dr. David and Laurie Strassman Dr. Michael F. Stroock Frank and Zenora Surnamer Fred and Barbara K.* Sussman Fund Marsha Timmerman* Dr. Stephen and Beverly* Volk Dr. Ronald and Beverly* Wasserman Robert and Sandy* Weiner Louise Weinstein* Gerald Weisberger and Gail Ehrens* Deborah Weiss* Jerry and Flossie* Zales Richard and Cherie* Zettlemoyer Debbie Zoller* Anonymous (14)

SHORASHIM $250 - $499 Dr. Mark Stein and Sharon Albert* Vivian Appel* Miriam Bandler* Randy and Jodi* Barson Dr. Sherri Bassner* Patricia Beldon* Judy Belmont* David and Clara* Bergstein Richard Bergstein Amy Born Fund* Sally Brau* Allen and Marjorie Carroll Arnold and Judy* Cohen Marcia K. Cohen* Robert Cohen and Michelle Hindin Martin Cohen Family Foundation Donald Denburg Fred and Gail* Eisenberg Jack and Shirley* Engelson Matt and Melissa* Falk Dr. Alex Feig Samuel and Lynn* Feldman Marcia Felkay* Finkelstein Family Fund Harry Fisher Charles Fletcher Memorial Fund Brian and Emily* Ford Carol Furmansky* Rabbi Jonathan Gerard and Dr. Pearl Rosenberg Dr. Eric and Debbie* Gertner and Family Renee Gittler* Rhoda Glazier* Glazier Furniture Ann Goldberg* Libby Golomb* Allan and Mary Goodman Lothar and Wendy Gumberich Ronald and Joan* Harrison Ms. Carol Jaspan* James and Andrea* Jesberger Irving Kaplan Dr. Jay and Phyllis* Kaufman Bernard and Laurie Lesavoy-Lesavoy Butz & Seitz LLC Dr. Edward Levy Gilfrid and Michele* Levy Dr. Lisa Lindauer* Robert and Shirley* Malenovsky Dr. Norman and Roberta* Marcus Paul and Natalie Millrod Cary Moritz* Dr. Douglas and Ruth* Nathanson Marc Nissenbaum Dr. Michael and Martina* Obenski Henry and Phyllis* Perkin Stephen Phillips Daniel Pomerantz Fund Edward and Beth* Posner Julian Rappaport and Toby Brandt David Reiff Harry and Carole* Rose Rosenau Family Fund Lynn F. Rothman* Joel and Linda Scheer Terry Schettini and Barbara Yudis* Henry and Isabel Schiff Dr. Arthur Levine and Dr. Janet Schwartz* Lynne Shampain* H. Sheftel Memorial Fund Stuart and Susan* Shmookler Dr. Roger and Marna* Simon Sons of Israel Sisterhood Dr. Bruce and Ardeth* Smackey Anne Snyder-Lyons Peter and Sheila* Sokalsky Michael and Jane* Spitzer Cindy Stein* Dr. David Stein Dr. Mark Stein and Sharon Albert*

Dr. Jonathan Tenzer Family Fund Selma Tomkin* Sharon Trinker* Robert and Marcia* Weill Martin and Frances* Weinberg Alicia Zahn* Debby Ziev* Anonymous (10) KEHILLAH $100 - $249 Linda Adler* Richard and Maria* Ain Isabella Alkasov* Florence Applebaum* Elaine Atlas* Pnina Avitzur* Karen Bader* Joan Balkwill* Karen Bardawil* Michael and Barbara* Bassano Belman Family Fund Dr. Harry and Donna Berger Elaine Berk* Scott Berman Dr. Joan Bischoff* Randi Blauth* Andrew and Dr. Christy* Block and Family Glenn and Melisa Block Dr. Neil and Christy Boderman Ilya Borshansky John and Miriam Harris* Botzum Dr. John and Ingelise* Brown Kareem Brown Jerry and Wilma Brucker Robert and Gail* Burger Betty Burian* Sara Camuti* Allen and Marjorie Carroll Audrey Cherney* Dr. Robert Cohen Coleman Family Fund Jerome and Audrey* Cylinder Arianna Delin Fund Noah Ryan Delin Fund Benjamin Delin Mitzvah Fund Leah Devine* Dr. George and Roberta* Diamond David and Cindy* Drill Dr. Wayne and Heather Dubov David and Vikki* Dunn Dr. Abbott and Judy* D'ver Edward Eidelman Barbara Einhorn* Lisa Ellis Fund* Michael Finley and Audrey Ettinger* Eleanor Extract* Jerome and Judith* Fields Brad and Robyn* Finberg Vivian Fishbone* Jeff and Jackie* Flashnick Phyllis Ford* Paul S. and Melissa Frank Jerry and Bette* Friedenheim Dr. Allan and Sandra* Futernick Jerome and Gloria* Ginsburg Gary and Pat* Glascom Betsy Glazier* Becky Goldenberg* Brian and Judith* Goldman Susan Goldman* Arlene Gorchov* and Mark Kennedy Donald Greenberg Jeff and Elizabeth* Greenberg Arlene Griffin* Ruth Gross* Simon and Elaine Hammel John and Miriam Harris* Botzum Alvin and Arlene* Herling Marjorie Hertz* Anita Hirsch* Dr. Neil and Janet* Hogan Dr. Michael and Stacy* Hortner Charles and Dale Inlander Lisa Jeffery* Dr. Lewis and Joan* Katz Daniel and Anne* Kaye Renee B. Kleaveland* Rabbi Melissa Klein* and Neysa Nevins Lillian Kobrovsky* Ruth Kugelman* Dr. Michael and Fay* Kun Gary and Jennifer* Lader Gilbert and Judy* Lappen Mary Laronge* Frederick and Sherry Lesavoy Robert and Cindy* Levine Joan Lichtenstein* Scott Lipson Maya Liss* Dr. Zalman and Maya* Liss Dr. Henry and Pat Luftman

Marvi Family Fund Susan Mellan Memorial Fund* Eugene Meyer and Dr. Lisa Jean Todes* Donald and Julia* Miles Gary and Diane* Miller Norman and Maxine* Miller Sharon Minick* Gladys Morgenstein* Dr. Robert and Amy* Morrison Tom and Sarah* Morse Judith Murman* Jill Stewart Narrow* Jerome and Norma* Neff Richard and Paula* Nelson Richard and Audrey* Nolte Robert Orenstein Debbie Ovitz* Papir Family Fund Dr. Ilan and Sima Peleg Dr. Peter Pettit Rabbi Jonathan and Joanna* Powers Patti Price* Raab Fund Bruce and Enid Reich* Ruth Reiter* Dr. Joel Rosenfeld Monro and Mimi Roth Herman Rovner Alan and Mary* Salinger Gerald and Etta* Salman Michele Salomon* Richard and Amy* Sams Leonard and Arlene* Samuelson Helene Rae Scarcia* Seith Schentzel Noah Schettini Fund Ellyn Schindler Mike Schindler Leon Schneider Dolly Schocker* Stanley Shrager Barry Siegel Serita Silberg* Mimi Silberstein* Abigail Silverman* Jessica Silverman* Dr. Roger and Marna* Simon Adam and Stephanie* Smartschan Dr.Yehuda and Victoria* Smooha Rabbi Aryeh and Beth Spera Michael and Sybil* Stershic Kenneth Szydlow Alla Toff* Gary and Sharon Trinker Philmore and Rose* Tucker Dr. William and Rae Tuffiash Drs. David and Leslie Ufberg Dr. Mark and Gayle* Unger Volk Family Fund Dr. Andrea Waxman* Lynn Waite* David Weiner Dr. Steven Weintraub Alfred Wiener Family Fund Norman and Sandra* Wruble Zelickson Family Fund Dr. Robert and Susanna* Zemble Anonymous (32) GENESIS $1 - $99 Linda Adler* Marvin and Sylvia* Adler Alyssa Ahdieh* Howard and Nancy Amols Choty Andres Carmit Bach* Don and Robie* Barga Leon(z"l) and Jewel* Baringoldz Dr. Harold Basseches Thomas Basseches Donald and Andrea* Bastian Marla Beck* Michael Benioff Judith Bennis* Lillian Benton* Aaron Berger and Nissa Gossom* Phyllis Berkowitz* David Bernfeld Jeffrey and Lisa* Bernfeld Caryn Bernstein* Edith Blinderman* Jerome and Loretta Block Stephen and Ellen* Blumberg Alla Bolotovsky* Sidney and Esther* Bratt Benjamin Brenner Fund Loretta Brickman* Neil and Diane Brown Victor and Leslie* Bunick Kate Burdick* Ivan Buyum Joyce Camm* Allen and Marjorie Carroll Dena Cedor* Dr. Barry and Robbie Cohen Dr. Laurie Cohen* Elena Cohen Charity Fund Edwin and Rabbi Melody* Davis Eileen Denitz* Betty Diamond* Marilyn Doluisio* Sandra Dror* Shelley Drozd* Niles Dubin Vicki Duerr* Helen Ebert* Nancy and Brion Ebert Seth Edwards Emily Eider*

David Eiskowitz Joseph Epstein and Sheryl Feinstein Christine Eubanks* Anita Evelyn* Stuart and Susan* Fause Sharon Feldman* Dr. Ellen Field* Anna Figlin* Brenda Finberg* Millie Fingerman* Michael Finley and Audrey Ettinger* Fredda Fischman* Claudia Fischmann Fund* Diana Fischmann Fund* Veronica Fischmann Fund* Julie Fraenkel Fund* Marla Freedman* Joyce Freeman* Michael and Sandra Freeman Barbara Friedenheim* Jenna Fromer* Rachel Fromer* Fran Gaines* Lewis and Roberta* Gaines Steve Gallin Murray and Linda* Garber Dr. Todd and Laura* Garber Dr. Debra Garlin* Arnon and Hagit* Gavish Hagit Gavish* Gail Gelb* Eugene Genkin Nancy Gevirtz Memorial Fund Samuel Gevirtz Mitzvah Fund Pearl Glatt* Jeff and Carrie Glazier Bernice Glickman* Anita Goldman* Laura Ruth Goldman Dr. Malvin and Lillian* Goldner David Goldstein Martin Goldstein David and Tova* Goldstein Dr. Richard Gordon Dr. Stephanie Goren-Garcia Aaron Gorodzinsky Betty Greenberg* Hildi Greenberg* Rosaly Greenberger* Harry and Paula* Grines Jonah Grob Merle Grollman* Ervin Gross Lila Gross* Shirley F. Gross* Henry and Ruth* Grossbard Gayanne Grossman* Marcel and Sharon Guindine Max Hakim Marion Halperin* Bernice Harris* Gloria Hartglass* Dolores Heller* Etta Heller* Ted Herstein Philip Heyman Rima Hirsch* Syman and Anita* Hirsch Carolyn Hoffman* Dorothy Hoffman* Robert and Arlene* Hurwitz Michael and Donna* Iorio Vladimir and Dr. Lubov* Iskold Nina Jackson* Dr. Donald and Carol Jaffe Douglas and Amy* Jaffe Baron and Marjorie* Jasper Sidney and Helene* Kaplan Harriet Karess* Katz Family Stephanie Katz* Stanley and Marilyn* Kaufman Chaim and Carol Kaufmann Steven Kaunitz Glenn and Svetlana* Kaye Lionel and Ellen* Kier Nathan Kline Rosine Knafo* Deborah Kohler* Fred and Alyssa* Komarow James and Kathleen Koones Sondra Krem* Diane LaBelle* Jacob Lader Andrea Lass* Maur and Doe* Levan Gustav and Zelda Levin Bob and Ilene* Levin-Dando Michael and Barbara Levinson Dr. Ken and Kathy Levitt Eileen Lewbart Stacy Lewis* Doris Lifland* Steven Lipson David and Marilyn* Louick Rebecca Lovingood* Rochelle Lower* Howard and Edith Lustig Leonard Lutsky Ronald and Patricia Malvin Sylvia Mandel* Jorge Mandler David and Susan* Manela Mindy Manhoff* Louise Mapstone* Joe and Rebecca* Marchese Pamela Marth* Ryan Mattison Robert Mayer and Jan Muzycka* Peter and Gail McIntyre

Ruth Meislin* David Melman Betty Mikofsky* Dr. Robert and Ellen Miller* and Family Robert and Joy* Miller Stanley Miller Susan Mohr* Anne Morris* David and Jane* Much William and Sharon* Mullin Mark Nadler Namm Family* Richard Neulight Rochelle Nisberg* Sandy Ojalvo* Ellen Osher* and Robert Prichard Lena Packer* Cantor Jill Pakman* Ben Palumbo Barbara Pass-Glazier* Mark and Nina* Pinsley Rachael Pinsley* Scott Pinsley The Pitkoff Family Howard and A. Jane* Pitkoff Jay and Marlene* Plotnick Mildred Poliner* Adina Preis The Purple Fund Alan Raisman Eric Rappaport Lillian Ratarsky* Anna Ratmansky Linda Rich* Robert Rockmaker Dan and Mary Rockman Fran Rodriguez* Michael Rose Cary Rothstein* Wendy Rothstein* Barbara Rudolph* Eileen Rugh* Allison Rusgo* Peter and Melanie* Salzarulo Julia Sams* Natalie Sams* Deborah Sarachek* David and Myra Saturen Helene Rae Scarcia* Mary Lou Scarf* Jon Schaeffer Audrey Schaefer* Elana Schettini Fund Rachel Schmeidberg* Melvin and Pearl* Schmier Lewis Schor Marlee Senderowitz Fund Rissa Senderowitz Philanthropic Fund Carolyn Shapir* Silverman Family Fund Abigail Silverman Fund Jessica Silverman Philanthropic Fund Marc and Carrie* Silverstein Micki Sinclair* Debra Skinner* Danielle Staiman Mitzvah Fund* Alan and Lori Starr Arieh Sternberg Norman and Cindy* Sussman Matthew and Tracy* Sussman Jesse Szvetecz Norman Tahler Hannah Tamarkin* Sandi Teplitz* David Teumim Donald Thaler Glenn Theodore Harriet Theodore* Earl and Sondra* Toland Doris Tomback* Ufberg Family Fund Inna Vishnevetsky* Nicholas and Jessica* Volchko Lauren Waldman* Rachel Waldman* Dori Wallace* Alice Ward* Anne M. Warschauer* Gershen and Faith Weiner Isadore and Dorothy* Weiner Kristina Weiner* Gary and Marsha* Weingartner Les and Anita* Weintraub Corinne Wernick* Marjorie Weiss* Brian Wernick and Joy Rothman Neil and Judith Wetcher Barbara Wolfgang* Gladys Yass* Evelyn Yevelson* Helaine Young* Herman and Jessica* Ytkin Krista Ytkin* Daniel Zahn Sam Zahn Anonymous (27)

Special T-shirts for the PJ Library kids make the Super Sunday program an even bigger success.

Alan Penn and Gail Combs hit the phones.

Tiffany Sherman with her daughter Bailey at the PJ Library program.

The donors noted above represent gifts to the JFLV 2014 Campaign for Jewish Needs. Every effort is made to correctly recognize all of our generous donors and honor their listing requests. If there are any inaccuracies or omissions, please call the Federation office at 610-821-5500. * Indicates an individual woman’s gift to the 2014 Campaign for Jewish Needs

Federation Executive Director Mark L. Goldstein with past presidents Danny Cohen and Bobby Hammel, and Taffi Ney. HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | MARCH 2014 13

Pete Seeger a lifelong source of inspiration

By Rabbi Daniel Stein Bnai Abraham Synagogue This article first appeared on Lehighvalleylive.com. Reprinted with permission from the Express-Times.

At about five o’clock one January morning, my wife — who had been reading the news while nursing our daughter — woke me up.

“Pete Seeger died,” she told me, with the kind of sadness reserved for the passing of a close relative.

Although I admired Pete, I didn’t know him personally. And yet, like for so many others, he was a part of my family; he was a kind of musical grandfather. His words and wisdom are woven into the narrative of my life and my career in service to others as a rabbi.

I grew up in a union home; my dad was on the board of the local teachers union, and he was always playing folkera LPs. My personal favorite, and the most worn out of the collection, was “Pete Seeger and Brother Kirk Visit Sesame Street,” in which Pete teaches Oscar the Grouch about conservation. On Labor Day, as we prepared to march in the parade, the soundtrack would always include Pete leading a chorus of “Solidarity Forever.”

When I was 10, my father took us to see Pete sing at a local benefit for the Farm Labor Organizing Committee. At intermission, he asked for anyone who could read music to join him backstage; at my parents prodding, I joined this ad-hoc chorus. For my entertainment, he “lost” his banjo

pick in plain sight, and explained that the concert could not continue until he found it. He allowed me to save the day — breaking my apparent nervousness, and helping me to cherish the moment of singing with a voice I’d already heard my entire life. After the concert, while signing a poster for me, he told me that if I really wanted to be a musician, I would have to practice every day. Inspired by his advice, I did, ultimately earning my degree in music.

As an adult, I became inspired again as I learned the narrative of Pete’s life. In the 1950s, when he was called to testify in front of the House Committee on Un-American Activities for performing at socialist events, Seeger did not plead the Fifth as many had done in his place. Rather, Seeger “plead” the First Amendment: He claimed that, as an American, he had the freedom to assemble with any group he pleased, and Congress had no right to compel him to testify about his audiences.

His testimony won him a citation for contempt of Congress, several weeks in jail and a spot on the blacklist. Columbia Records dropped him, and it would be decades before he would appear on network television.

And yet, for years, as he sang at summer camps and in high school gymnasiums, he continued to include ‘‘The Star-Spangled Banner’’ in many of his concerts. A veteran of World War II, he always felt that the flag belonged to all Americans, and that protest was a patriotic act.

In our lives we are called upon to

make unpopular decisions which, in our hearts, we know are right. Whether standing up for a person who cannot stand for themselves, or taking a political stand that goes against the views of our neighbors, we frequently fear the perceptions of others. It would be naive to say those fears are unfounded.

In 1948, Pete and his band, the Weavers, had the number one album in the country. In 1958 he was hard-pressed to find a paying audience for his music.

In our lives, when we make unpopular choices, the same could happen to us. Yet Pete’s life teaches an important lesson. He never lost his optimism or his patriotism. He continued to protest and continued to sing ‘‘The Star-Spangled Banner,’’ never becoming bitter.

His courage of conviction, sense of self-confidence and the knowledge that

his cause was right nourished his soul, even as audiences turned their backs.

Years after my first meeting, I had the chance to meet him again at the Beacon Pumpkin Festival. I approached him, perhaps at a poor time, and thanked him for all the good work.

“You’re only thanking me because you don’t know all the damn foolish things I have done,” he said.

It is surely appropriate to remember Pete Seeger for all he accomplished — for workers, for civil rights, and especially in promoting a vision of peace.

What he would truly have wanted, though, would be for us to continue agitating for those values today. He likely would have reminded us of the words attributed to one of his heroes, songwriter Joe Hill: “Don’t mourn — organize!”

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14 MARCH 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

St. Luke’s West End Medical Center 501 Cetronia Road • Allentown, PA 18104 484-426-2540 www.sluhn.org/humanperformance

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | MARCH 2014 15

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Same BAT time, Super BAT results

By Jennifer Lader Editor, HAKOL

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It was a Sunday and Aliette Abo had just gotten home from a weekend away. But it wasn’t just any Sunday. It was Super Sunday, the day when the volunteers and staff of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley make calls to raise money in support of the Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs.

Abo wasn’t expecting a call because she had already made her annual contribution. However, she said, “I got home and there was a message on my answering machine.” It was Gail Cohen calling to thank Abo for her contribution. “It was very nice to get the call and Gail was efficient, effective and very friendly.”

Susan Berman and Amy Fisher were among the volunteers making the thank you calls. “It’s not something people are used to and some were surprised,” Berman said.

Iris Epstein, who co-chaired Super Sunday with husband Jonathan, enjoyed the day for other reasons. “People are here from all walks of life,” she said that morning. “We have children here cheering on their parents while also enjoying stories, singing songs and doing arts and crafts. We have people here for the first time; people like me, here for seven or so years and our most dedicated who have volunteered here for over 25 years.

“We are all here for a common goal,” Epstein said. “The money we raise today will help do so much for our vulnerable. To name a few, it will help us feed people who are hungry, it will help us keep families together, it will help fund workshops to educate both Jews and non-Jews about anti-Semitism. It will ensure seniors receive their medication and it will help us send children to camp who otherwise would not be able to attend. The money raised today will help Federation be the glue that binds the Jewish community with one another locally, around the world and with Israel.”

Together, we do extraordinary things

135 volunteers made 628 thank you calls to donors who had

previously pledged their support to the 2014 campaign;

2,000 outreach calls to potential donors; received 330 pledges, which totaled $68,513 made

Thank you to everyone who volunteered and everyone who gave!

You are supporting Jewish life in the Lehigh Valley, across the country and around the world.

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Thank you to our sponsors & partners:

If you did not have an opportunity to answer the call on Super Sunday, please contact JFLV at 610-821-5500 or visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org.

PHOTO KEY: 1. Students from Muhlenberg College Hillel 2. Jeannie Miller and Carole Rose 3. Israel and Valeska Zighelboim 4. U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent and state Sen. Pat Browne 5. Danny and Robby Wax 6. Carol Kranitz and observer 7. Volunteers from Congregation Keneseth Israel 8. State Rep. Mike Schlossberg 9. Super Sunday Cochair Jonathan Epstein 10. Volunteers from the Jewish Day School 11. Rabbi Seth Phillips 12. Bob Wilson, state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, Barry J. Halper

TO SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT www.jewishlehighvalley.org

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | MARCH 2014 17

18 MARCH 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

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20 MARCH 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

Replaced his knees,

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Chaplain-in-residency nurtures Jewish life at Phoebe Ministries

By Annabel Williams JFLV Marketing Intern Rabbi James E. Egolf has a favorite saying when it comes to attendance at services he leads: “You’re welcome whether you’re here because you’re Jewish, or you’re here because you’re curious.” Egolf is well into his one-year residency as chaplain at Phoebe Ministries on the Phoebe Allentown and Phoebe Wyncote campuses, and will speak at the annual Phoebe Institute on Aging conference to be held at Allentown’s Temple Beth El on

Wednesday, March 26, at 10:30 a.m.

Phoebe Ministries specializes in the healthcare, housing and support services of seniors. When Phoebe was founded in 1903, the non-profit organization was originally affiliated with the United Church of Christ. Over the century, though, Phoebe has become a welcoming home for diverse religious life, bringing in programs to meet the needs of peoples of all faiths and cultures.

The Phoebe Institute on Aging Conference is one of the home’s outreaches to a diverse religious community. During Egolf’s keynote at the March conference, he and Dr. E. Allen Richardson will speak on “Finding Wholeness in the Aging Process: Jewish and Buddhist Perspectives.” This co-led conversation will provide insight into ways Judaism and Buddhism approach aging and illness.

Egolf is a part of Jewish life at Phoebe under the Clinical Pastoral Education program. As a former student with Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), Egolf was able to experience life at the Phoebe home through an

internship with fellow student Cantor Kevin Wartell of Temple Beth El. Egolf so valued this time as a chaplain student at Phoebe that he chose to return for his residency. After this year of residency, Egolf will have completed his education with the CPE program and will officially become a professional chaplain.

Egolf explained in a recent interview that most chaplains who serve in hospitals are speaking with patients who are in short term care. Phoebe’s residents, however, are generally in care for longer periods of time.

“Whether it’s a short term rehab where stays are about 30 days or in a long term situation when people live there for years,” Egolf said, “you really have a chance to get to know people outside of their illness and more in depth [in] terms of who they are, where they’ve been, and what they’ve done.”

Through his service at Phoebe, Egolf has met residents who experienced firsthand World War II’s Battle of the Bulge. Last year, Egolf learned one story of a resident who flew a B-17 aircraft in WWII who unfortunately became ill one day, keeping him on the camp base. His crew left on a mission without him and

“Our parents are soul mates.

How could we move them apart?”

Rob and Sue always marveled at how close their parents were throughout their marriage. So when their father’s early-stage memory loss threatened to separate him from their mother, they feared what it would do to each of them.

They visited us, and we discussed our shared living options, allowing spouses with different care needs to stay together. Now, their parents are still together, and Rob and Sue are still admiring their strong union.

From independent living to specialized memory care, we have a range of advice and solutions to help your family—all on a vibrant campus with activities, social events and individualized services.

never returned.

“A lot of these things stay part of who [the residents] are and often they stay very silent,” said Egolf, “but [the residents] will talk about them from time to time and it’s always a blessing to have stories shared with you.” This type of one-on-one patient care is the perspective that Egolf will bring to the aging conference.

Referring again to his favorite saying about service attendance, Egolf said, “Often it’s a real mix ” that draws people to participate.

Egolf serves not only the Jewish community of Phoebe Ministries, but people of many different beliefs and traditions. This past holiday season, Egolf held a Rosh Hashanah service as well as a Chanukah program for the Phoebe residents. Last year, he led a Passover seder with Cantor Wartell and is currently planning Purim and Passover seder programs for this spring.

Egolf said there is much interfaith attendance at these programs. “When someone comes who is Jewish, it’s a feeding of their soul in terms of their tradition and what they’re used to,” he said. “When someone comes and they’re curious, it’s more like ‘Well you

know, I may be here and I may not be leaving, but at the same time I still want to grow, and I still want to become.’

Egolf’s work as a chaplain at Phoebe has brought him much understanding of the variety of traditions around providing care. At the lecture for the Phoebe Institute on Aging, Egolf will offer insight on the Jewish traditions of healing and care giving, using texts to focus on the roles of the patient and the provider.

For Egolf, Phoebe Ministries is about “not allowing the point of age to be the defining moment.” That is the special mindset that Egolf brings as a nurturer of Jewish tradition for Phoebe’s residents and why he is speaking at the conference on aging. He said, “One of the things about being in a setting such as Phoebe is that there’s still a lot of life in people. There are still a lot of possibilities in people.”

Phoebe Institute on Aging Spring Conference will be held at Temple Beth El in Allentown on Wednesday March 26, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. To register for the event, visit www. phoebe.org or call 610-794-5135 for more information.

Bulletin board for youth programs Congregation Keneseth Israel and the Jewish Community Center have installed a bulletin board for the benefit of all Jewish youth organizations and synagogue programs for youths. The bulletin board is located next to the vending machines near the front door of the JCC. Feel free to display your flyers for upcoming youth programming.

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Court agrees to protect Hadassah hospital from creditors Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Hadassah Medical Center was given a 90-day stay of protection from its creditors.

The Jerusalem District Court agreed on Feb. 11 to the temporary freeze in debt collection against the hospital, which has a deficit of $367 million.

The decision left Hadassah Director General Avigdor Kaplan in charge of the hospital, along with the current management, according to Haaretz.

The court also acceded to the demand by doctors that they continue to be given malpractice insurance. Without the insurance, the doctors said they would have quit.

Hospital staffers, who received only half their January salaries due to the center’s deficit, remained on strike at the time of the freeze, offering only urgent treatment on a Sabbath and holiday schedule, although they did return to work in late February.

Israel’s Health Minister Yael German has said there will be layoffs of medical staff at Hadassah, which has two campuses in Jerusalem. Earlier, she announced a financial recovery package offered to the hospital, including a government loan of more than $14 million to be matched by Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America. The national board of Hadassah sent a message on Feb. 13 to the Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO) and those it serves expressing solidarity during HMO’s restructuring process.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the crisis on Feb. 10.

“We need to find a solution that strikes a balance between the need to preserve Hadassah hospital and to prevent another crisis from recurring in another few years because it will be the citizens of Israel that will bear the burden of the cost,” he said.

Hadassah Medical Center is one of the largest hospitals in Israel and the only one specializing in head trauma.

The local Hadassah chapter based in Bethlehem and Easton, officially known as Bethlehem Group of Hadassah Greater Philadelphia Chapter, in February reaffirmed its support for Hadassah Medical Center and is already planning its 71st annual benefit concert, to be held on October 26, 2014, at the Banana Factory in Bethlehem.

Evgeny Kissin Continues from page 8

by Reider to explain this seemingly sudden desire, Kissin responded that he was never ashamed of his Judaism, but felt that it was something very special, “and therefore not to be talked about in public -- like love … But about a little over a year ago, I felt that I had to do it in order to counter the raging antiIsrael hysteria in much of the world.”

Not an overtly political person, Kissin nevertheless feels compelled to use his privileged position to reach out to the world. “Since … hundreds of thousands of people all over the world were coming to my concerts and buying my recordings,” he said in the Jerusalem Post article, “I felt that I had to tell them: ‘If you like my art, this is who I am, who I represent and what I stand for.’”

Until recently, Kissin made his home primarily in England and France. In 2013, feeling he could better support the Jewish homeland as an Israeli, he approached Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky to petition for Israeli citizenship.

In a letter to Sharansky, Kissin wrote, “... Since long ago I have felt that Israel, although I do not live there, is the only state in the world with which I can fully identify myself,

Interfaith marriage subject of Easton breakfast Press Release Naomi Schaefer Riley wrote in a December 2012 New York Post article that “some 45 percent of marriages in the past decade were interfaith.” The former Wall Street Journal editor made them the subject of her book, “‘Til Faith Do Us Part,” which examines what religious intermarriage means in America today. Riley is set to speak and a light breakfast to be given at Temple Covenant of Peace in Easton on Sunday, March 9, at 10:30 a.m.

The 2001 American Religious Identification Survey found that 27 percent of Jews, 23 percent of Catholics, 39 percent of Buddhists, 18 percent of Baptists, 21 percent of Muslims and 12 percent of Mormons were married to a spouse with a different religious identification. Riley writes that the rapidly growing number of mixedfaith families is a sign of openness and tolerance among religious communities in the United States.

However, she writes, what is good for society as a whole often proves difficult for individual families. She describes her research findings that interfaith couples are less happy than others and that certain combinations of religions are more likely to lead to divorce.

Drawing on in-depth interviews with married and once-married couples, clergy, counselors, sociologists and others, Riley informs readers that many people enter into interfaith marriages without much consideration of the fundamental spiritual, doctrinal and practical issues that divide them. She writes that couples tend to marry in their 20s and 30s, a time when romantic ideals are high and as a result,

deeply held religious differences are overlooked. However, those differences can pose a real challenge when individuals begin to return to their faith as they grow older, have children and experience major life changes.

The talk and the book itself are expected to start a discussion around this topic that touches so many families.

The event is free and open to the public. Sponsored by Bnai Abraham Synagogue, Temple Covenant of Peace, The Jewish Book Council and the Easton Leadership Council of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. Contact Hakol 4x4_March_Mathis_Layout 1 2/6/2014 1:31 PM Page 1 rabbi@bnaiabraham.org to learn more.

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whose case, problems, tragedies and very destiny I perceive to be mine. If I, as a human being and artist represent anything in the world, it is my Jewish people, and Israel is the only state on our planet which I want to represent with my art ...”

In December of 2013, Israel granted citizenship to Kissin, a “son of the Jewish people” and staunch champion of the Jewish homeland.

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | MARCH 2014 23

Beatles’ Jewish manager remembered 50 years after band’s American debut

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Above, The Beatles wave to fans after arriving at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on Feb. 7, 1964, marking their first appearance in the U.S. RIght, Brian Epstein, manager of the Beatles, receives the Edison Award for the Beatles at the Grand Gala du Disque in 1965.

response to the news was mixed, according to Philip Norman’s book “Shout! The Beatles in Their Generation.”

“Olive Johnson, the McCartney family’s close friend, received a call from Paul’s father (Jim) in a state of some anxiety over his son’s proposed association with a ‘Jewboy,’” Norman wrote. “Since Olive knew the world so well, Jim asked her to be at Forthlin Road on the evening that Brian called to outline his intentions for Paul.

‘He turned out to be absolutely charming,’ Olive says. ‘Beautifully mannered but completely natural. He and Jim got on well at once.’”

Epstein grew up in a postwar British society in which many people overtly and comfortably indulged in antiSemitism.

Lewis said large numbers of the British have been antiSemitic.

“It was not a virulent form [of anti-Semitism], but it was mostly in the aristocracy, bubbling below the surface,” Lewis told JNS.org. “It was a nasty tone. This was part of the British way. They weren’t fighting the Nazis [in World War II] because they were anti-Semitic. They were fighting them because they were dominating Europe and bombing Britain.”

In terms of prejudice, Epstein had to deal with two things in England that helped contribute to his personal unhappiness and fear.

“One was being Jewish and the other was being gay, at a time when the word gay wasn’t even in common usage,” Lewis said. “What Brian went through is not fully appreciated but should be appreciated by the Jewish and gay world. What a great man. Without this British, Jewish, gay man, the world would never have heard the Beatles.”

Lewis said Epstein “has long been the most unsung hero

CREDIT: ERIC KOCH/ANEFO VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

VIP TRAVEL

Amid the celebrations and hoopla surrounding the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ arrival in America and their appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” the man Paul McCartney called “the fifth Beatle” is not often mentioned. But experts say that without him, the Beatles as we know them would not have existed.

That man is Brian Epstein, the band’s Jewish manager, who died of an accidental drug overdose in 1967.

Epstein’s grandfather, Isaac Epstein, was from Lithuania and arrived in England in the 1890s at the age of 18. His grandmother, Dinah, was the daughter of Joseph and Esther Hyman, who had emigrated from Russia to England.

Asked to write an introduction to Epstein’s autobiography, “A Cellarful of Noise,” Beatles scholar Martin Lewis -- who emceed the Fest for Beatles Fans in New York City this month to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the band’s U.S. arrival on Feb. 7, 1964 -- said Epstein’s death “was a major contributing factor to the breakup of the Beatles.” John Lennon himself said when the manager died, “I knew that we were in trouble then.”

Lewis’s association with the Beatles dates back to 1967, when as a teenage fan he was engaged to compile the discography for Hunter Davies’s official biography of the group. Years later, he wrote, hosted and produced the TV documentary “Re-Meet The Beatles!”

“Epstein discovered the Beatles and guided them to mega-stardom, making them the most successful musical artists of all time,” Lewis told JNS.org.

“But, regrettably, the man who did so much for the Beatles, and who died tragically in 1967, has become a comparatively forgotten man since his death. Almost a ‘nowhere man.’”

Lewis in June 1998 helped launch a website that became the command center for a campaign to have Epstein inducted into the non-performers’ section of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

With combined online and hardcopy petitions, the site gathered more than 50,000 signatures, and in December 2013 -- 15 years after the petition was started -- it was announced that Epstein would receive the 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Ahmet Ertegun Award for Lifetime Achievement (formerly the nonperformer award).

Born in 1934 in Liverpool, England, Epstein first got involved in the music business when he took over the record department of his family’s music store, NEMS. Epstein immediately recognized the Beatles’ potential as performers and recording artists.

He signed them to a management contract in early 1962 and was the driving force behind getting the band a recording contract with Parlophone later that year.

Yet Epstein’s relationship with the Beatles was not all rosy.

When the band members first told their families that Epstein would be their manager, the

CREDIT: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

By Robert Gluck Jewish News Service

across the Beatles’ universe.”

“First of all, to be crystal clear, everything in the Beatles’ world starts with their incredible talent,” he said. “Without their genius for music there would have been nothing. But, as my dear friends Derek Taylor, Ray Coleman, George Martin and Andrew Loog Oldham all made clear to me over the years, without Brian Epstein’s passionate belief in them and without his Herculean efforts, the Beatles’ genius might well have gone undiscovered by the world.”

Though Peter Brown, a personal assistant to Epstein and the Beatles during the 1960s, wrote in his memoir that he had once found a suicide note written by Epstein, Lewis maintains that Epstein’s death came from an accidental drug overdose.

“The inquest was absolute,” Lewis said. “However, he had unhappiness. He was always fearful. Knowing the parasitic and venal attitudes of the English tabloids, he never wanted his personal life to be a burden on the Beatles. He lived in fear that if he was ever outed publicly, or involved in some upsetting circumstance where his homosexuality came to public light, that would hurt the Beatles. It was constant running anxiety but not depression.”

Five decades after the band’s historic appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” Lewis explains that Epstein understood how the Beatles “needed to have their rough edges polished to get on television.”

“To do that he got them to wear suits and do that synchronized bow,” Lewis said. “He told them to put the focus on their music, not just telling jokes. All that polish was essential. He did this before they got on television, and then when they did get on they were polished and ready to go. They were hugely excited to be in America. The reason they looked so confident was because Brian had instilled that in them.”

Pinemere Camp introduces new director PRESS RELEASE If you’re thinking about overnight camp, you might want to turn your attention to Pinemere Camp in the Poconos. Pinemere Camp, established in 1942, recently brought on a new executive director, Mitch Morgan. Originally from St. Louis, Mo., Mitch grew up attending and working at Camp Sabra in mid-Missouri, and most recently was the director of Camp Kingswood in Maine.

Robby Wax, a current camp parent and member of the board of directors, said, “Mitch’s energy and passion are infectious. Honestly, I haven’t been this excited about camp since I was a camper myself. We’re really looking forward to Mitch making our great camp even better.”

Morgan believes in the amazing power of Jewish overnight camp and a camp’s ability to help foster an individual’s Jewish identity. “I found my connection to my own Judaism at camp, and I want to help families find day and overnight camps that help them do the same. There are a lot of amazing camps, and there’s a right one out there for your family!”

With summer rapidly approaching, Pinemere Camp has been quite busy meeting with families at camp fairs, JCCs, synagogues and even meeting one-on-one with many families in their homes. Morgan says that the camp is meeting with more new families than they ever have in the past. With nearly 90 percent retention, the camp is expecting to grow by roughly 15 to 20 percent over last summer.

Data published by the Foundation for Jewish Camp shows that adults who attended Jewish overnight camp are more likely to affiliate and stay connected to their Judaism. With the recent publication of the Pew Study, many people are looking at camps more seriously as a major part of a child’s Jewish upbringing. Morgan says that, to explain why camp works so well, he uses a quote from a parent who once said, “I send my child to school for a Jewish brain, and to camp for a Jewish heart.”

Morgan has participated in the Yitro Fellowship in partnership with the Foundation for Jewish Camp, the Chazon Fellowship on Israel Education through the iCenter, and is currently a Fellow in the Lekhu Lakhem program in partnership with the JCC Association

Pinemere Camp in the Poconos has a new executive director, Mitch Morgan. of North America. He is known as a community builder, program innovator, creative Jewish educator, lover of music and the outdoors and a sports

PJ LIBRARY Family of the Month: THE GOLDSTEINS Maya and Isabel love the PJ Library because of the books. The writing and lessons coupled with unmistakable Jewish values make the collection a true treasure in our home. We are grateful to be part of this wonderful program.

To learn more about PJ Library and register to receive free Jewish-themed books for children from 6 months through 8 years, visit www.pjlibrary.org.

enthusiast. Morgan is excited to join the Pinemere family and hopes to work with families throughout the region to help everyone find their camp.

phoebe.org/piaconference | 610-794-5135

The Phoebe Institute on Aging Spring Conference Cultural and Faith Implications in Caregiving Wednesday, March 26, 2014 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Temple Beth El

PJ LIBRARY

Pre-Passover Dinner & Story Walk

Please join PJ Library for a night before the first Seder spaghetti dinner.

We will have a fun search for chametz, a story walk, dinner and, of course, a PJ Library story.

SPECIAL GUEST READER RABBI SETH PHILLIPS.

DATE: Sunday, April 13, 2014 TIME: 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

LOCATION: JCC of Allentown $12/adult, $8/child. Advanced registration and payment to the JCC Welcome Center required by April 8. Contact Brenda Finberg at bfinberg@lvjcc.org for information.

1305 Springhouse Road • Allentown, PA 18104

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS: Rev. Eric J. Hall President and CEO of HealthCare Chaplaincy Network

Rev. George Handzo Director of Health Services, Research and Quality of HealthCare Chaplaincy Network

Social Work and Pastoral Care CE’s Available

JCC OF ALLENTOWN 702 N. 22nd St., Allentown, PA 18104

JOIN PJ LIBRARY FOR MORE GREAT EVENTS: Tot Shabbat at Congregation Keneseth Israel Saturday, March 8, 2014, 10 a.m.

Tot Shabbat at Temple Covenant of Peace Saturday, March 22, 9:15 a.m.

Davening with Donuts at Temple Beth El Saturday, April 5, 10 a.m.

RSVP BY MARCH 17

Call 610-794-5135 or visit phoebe.org/piaconference to register HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | MARCH 2014 25

Birthright expands eligibility for free trips to Israel

By Jacob Kamaras Jewish News Service The Taglit-Birthright Israel program has expanded eligibility for its free 10-day trips to Israel for Jewish young adults ages 18-26. Teenagers who went on an educational trip to Israel during high school were previously not eligible for Birthright trips, but can now participate, confirmed Noa Bauer, Birthright’s vice president of international marketing. Birthright is supported by Jewish Federations across North America, including the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley.

Birthright’s eligibility guidelines previously stated, “If you have been to Israel before but only with your family or on other personal business, you are still eligible. However, if you have been to Israel as part of a touring group, educational program, study program or an organized extended residential program since you were 12 years old, you are not eligible."

While those who have taken educational trips to Israel after turning 18 are still not eligible for Birthright, youths who took such trips before 18 can now go on Birthright from ages 18-26, Bauer told JNS.org.

“I think everybody thought about [the change in the eligibility guidelines] for many years, and everybody wanted to have it,” Bauer said.

“It was a matter of funding, and I think today you see more anti-Israel things on campus, and we realized over the years that people that have been to Israel again have more confidence for talking about Israel, and geopolitics, and anything pertaining to Israel after visiting with Birthright Israel. I think we’re one of the best platforms to do that for college students.”

In the 13-plus years since philanthropists Charles Bronfman and Michael Steinhardt joined

forces with the Israeli government, the Jewish Agency for Israel, global Jewish communities and other philanthropists to fund Birthright, the program has taken about 350,000 young Jews to Israel.

Birthright recently said that more than 17,000 Jewish young adults would participate in its trips this season, the largest number of winter participants for Birthright since the program was founded in 2000. The program expects to reach 50 percent of Jewish young adults worldwide over the next five years.

Lone Soldier writes home

Sami Meir-Levi and friends make cookies and have an afternoon picnic. “We made the sushi ourselves,” Meir-Levi said.

Editor’s note: Sami Meir-Levi graduated from high school in the Lehigh Valley in the spring of 2012, then headed for Israel.

She writes to us each month of her experiences as a lone soldier -- an Israeli soldier without family living in Israel.

Shalom HAKOL readers, I hope you all are staying warm and safe this winter.

I’m shocked by the pictures my parents have been sending me. If it makes you feel better, it rained this past weekend ... I mean it’s nice and sunny now, but don’t worry we all get a share of the bad weather. What I’m trying to say is the weather there is terrible, the weather here is beautiful so, Yalla, get on a plane and come visit already!

One of the things I really miss about the winter is coming inside the house after playing in the snow and having some nice warm cookies with hot chocolate. I was with my friends this past weekend and one of the girls wanted to make cookies for her boyfriend. I said I’d be happy to help so she looked up a recipe and we got started. I realized that the recipe called for a lot of butter but I didn’t think anything of it, so we continued with the recipe.

We tasted a little of the batter -- ‘Wow, that was buttery’ -but again we figured it would taste better once it was baked.

Within the first 10 seconds of our cookies being in the toasty oven, they melted! It was so sad. We took them out after noticing and waited around for them to cool. A few minutes went by and we look over to see our liquid cookies have now turned into a thin, soft, buttery … I guess you could say mush?

Don’t judge but … we tried a little; this is what happens when you get too curious. Now I’m not sure which is worse, too-buttery cookies or army food. Either way, your arteries may not make it. The moral of my cookie story is: I can cook -my friend can’t -- the end.

Miss you all like crazy, please stay safe for the rest of the winter and make yummy -- not buttery -- cookies!

Miss you all,

Sami Meir-Levi The Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley and other Federations in North America fund the Lone Soldier program.

26 MARCH 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

Alternate Winter Break yields surprise gifts

By Aliyah Rabbat Special to HAKOL While on a recent trip to Los Angeles, Calif., I experienced many eye-opening encounters.

My participation on this trip was through a program sponsored by Young Judaea called Alternative Winter Break. Alternative Winter Break is when a group of about 30 kids from ages 14 to 18 travel to another state to help improve quality of life and/or living conditions for residents in that state. This past winter, there was an option to go to New Orleans or Los Angeles. I chose Los Angeles because it gave me more opportunities to interact with people who have not experienced a lot of assistance from the Jewish community in the U.S. Each day I completed a different community service task.

These tasks included cleaning and restoring a Boys & Girls Club, organizing and sorting food donations at the Los Angeles Food Bank, cooking and serving meals at PATH, serving over 500 lunches (in less than a hour!) during the Midnight Mission, and my favorite, throwing a Christmas party on Christmas day for children who are less fortunate than the participants on AWB. The Boy & Girls Club is a camp for children who cannot afford to go to a camp. PATH is an organization that stands for People Assisting the Homeless. At PATH they provide a six-month rehabilitation center for people who have been “knocked on their feet” and cannot get up without help from those who are able.

When I first interacted with these less fortunate and homeless people, I did not know what to say.

I had no clue how the conversation would be carried out. I felt like we probably had nothing in common.

To my surprise, the woman I first came in contact with instantly opened up to me and explained how and why she got to where she was in that moment of her life.

I was so amazed, not only about what she had overcome, but how open she was about it. I think what amazed me most was her humble honesty. She also shared with me her plan to get her life together; I was immediately impacted by this.

Another insightful moment was at the Christmas party that we threw for the children whose parents could not afford to get them Christmas presents. While there, I played with two young boys. The first was a boy less than a year old who could not yet speak, and who was not spoken to; nor was he approached by any other children, nor participants from the trip. This immediately bothered me, so I went up to that little boy, held his hand, and suddenly realized something. His hand was very dry and cracked. I didn’t know why, but I figured this was why he was seemingly outcast from his peers.

We went to the table, took a gift (everyone on the trip brought three gifts to give to the children) and I showed him how to unwrap it.

Later, when his cousin came to get him, she said “Thank you.”

I replied, “There’s no need to thank me, I should thank you, he taught me a lesson.” I explained to her how no one approached her cousin, and how it bothered me. She told me it was just a skin disorder but that not many people want to be near him because of it.

She asked me what lesson the boy had taught me, and I explained to her that it was the lesson of

judgment. In all walks of my life, I must be conscious of judgment; mine of others, and others of me. I know this always; it’s just sometimes hard to push through as I did in L.A. But the rewards were incredible for me. While on this trip, I experienced some of the most moving things in my life but I also experienced some of the most rewarding things, too.

This trip gave me a new perspective; that “homeless” people might not have always been homeless, and even if they are “homeless” they are no different than I, we are all human beings.

We all have hopes, fears, pride and something to share. “Homeless” is used in our society as a label to define people, when the truth is, it only defines a temporary condition.

I am grateful to the people who contributed in such a way that helped defray the costs of my trip.

Without their help I would not have been able to make an impact

on the people of Los Angeles, and I would not have been able to learn the lessons that I did. The feeling of tikkun olam was truly my gift this winter.

Anyone interested in AWB 2014 can contact A. Fretwell at andrew.fretwell@youngjudaea.org or winterbreak@youngjudaea.org.

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | MARCH 2014 27

Senate approves ToomeyBlumenthal-Schumer Resolution to protect Iraqi Jewish artifacts

Chinese violin, Chineseand and violin , technology technology andand art.art.

Because Bright young minds

The U.S. Senate unanimously approved a bipartisan measure to help safeguard roughly 2,700 Jewish artifacts discovered in Iraq in 2003. U.S. Senators Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) say they believe the treasures – which include Torah parchments and ancient prayer books – should be housed in a location that is accessible to scholars and to Iraqi Jews and their descendants who have a personal interest in the artifacts.

American soldiers uncovered a collection of Jewish historical items stolen from Iraqi Jews by Saddam Hussein, who hid them in the basement of the Iraqi secret police headquarters. In 2003, the U.S. and the Coalition Provisional Authority signed an agreement whereby the U.S. would preserve the artifacts and then send them back to Iraq. The collection, which cost U.S. taxpayers nearly $3 million to preserve, is being displayed by the National Archives and Records Administration. The United States agreed to return the materials to Iraq in 2014, despite the fact that only a handful of Jews live in Iraq today.

“These priceless artifacts were stolen by the former government of Iraq,” said Sen.

Toomey. “We should not ship the collection back to a country where their owners no longer reside. With the passage of this bipartisan resolution, I am pleased all of our colleagues agree with me and Sens. Blumenthal and Schumer that the State Department should reexamine returning the collection to Iraq.”

Mark L. Goldstein, executive director of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, said, “In letter and phone calls, we expressed our appreciation to Sen. Toomey for his leadership on safeguarding these Iraqi Jewish treasures. There is no longer a Jewish community in Iraq; their heritage and artifacts were largely stolen from them; and they belong stored and displayed in a manner accessible to Iraqi Jews, their descendants and scholars. We applaud Senators Toomey, Blumenthal, and Schumer.”

The National Archives and Records Administration opened an exhibit in Washington, D.C., that displayed 24 of the recovered objects from Oct. 11, 2013, to Jan. 5, 2014.

The archive is also being displayed in New York City from Feb. 4 to May 18, 2014. The archive is scheduled to be sent back to Iraq in June 2014.

deserve a feast of opportunities.

Chile's Palestine soccer club leaves map on uniforms despite fine

Moravian aCadeMy

Ignite a love of learning that will last a lifetime.

Bethlehem, pa | pre-k through grade 12 | www.moravianacademy.org

28 MARCH 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

Chile's Palestine soccer club unveiled new uniforms retaining a controversial map encompassing all of Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.

The uniforms, in a recent match against Universidad de Concepcion, replaced old jerseys in which the map represented the No. 1 on the numbers in the backs.

The new uniforms have the map on the front and the back of the jersey.

Chile's top soccer league, the National Association

of Professional Football of Chile, or ANFP, on Jan. 20 fined the team for the old uniforms. The ANFP ruled that the team, which wore the original jerseys in three games this year, must redesign the uniforms to include only numerals for player numbers.

In punishing the Palestine team, the ANFP said it was opposed to “any form of political, religious, sexual, ethnic, social or racial discrimination.” The decision

followed a complaint by Patrick Kiblisky Fried, the Jewish president of Chile’s Deportivo Nublense SDAP club, which plays in the same league.

“The fact that the Palestinian soccer club chose to keep the map of Israel on their shirt, claiming all of it as Palestinian territory, provides further proof that the ideology of the leaders of the Palestinian community of Chile is very extremist, and it is based on the denial of all connection of the Jewish people with the land of Israel," Maximiliano Grass, director of the ChileIsrael Council, the Zionist Federation of Chile, told JTA. “As a matter of fact, even when they cannot use the previous shirt anymore, they've taken advantage of media coverage to sell more than 7,000 of them around the globe. With this kind of attitude, it is very unlikely that we are able to reestablish constructive dialogue with the local Palestinian community any time soon.”

The club was founded in 1920 by Palestinian immigrants to Chile. The Palestinian community in Chile is believed to be the largest outside of the Middle East. At least 300,000 Chileans are of Palestinian descent, according to reports.

ON THIS DATE: Invasion of Hungary

A memorial to Hungarian victims of the Holocaust on the shore of the Danube River in Budapest.

By Josh Goldin Teen Correspondent On March 19, 1944, Germany invaded Hungary, setting in motion a massive deportation of Jews to almost certain death in concentration camps or to a tenuous life of slave labor in Hungary’s work camps. Few survived and, of those who did, it was often thanks to diplomatic intervention by Raoul Wallenberg and other foreign officials.

Prior to the invasion, in June 1941, the Hungarian National Central Authority for Controlling Foreigners initiated the deportation of those Jews who they considered stateless -- either refugees or longtime residents who could not prove family citizenship in 1850 -- by turning them over to German control. They were then gunned down into mass graves by SS units, 15,000 people in one case, making this the first five-digit victim mass murder. Two-thirds of Hungarian Jewry was destroyed between 1941 and 1945. Hungarian Jews were murdered in nearby Ukrainian fields, in Hungary’s ghettos, and even in Budapest streets.

The German army used a special unit, SEK, to “de-Jewify” Hungary. The SEK was led by Adolf Eichmann, and had only 20 officers and 100 support staff – such as guards and drivers -- to accomplish their objective. Without the help of Hungarian officials, Eichmann’s team would not have had enough staff to organize the collection and deportation of the 760,000+ Jews who were living throughout Hungary.

Miklos Horthy, Hungary’s prime minister during World War II, was largely responsible for Hungary’s alignment with Germany and Italy. He

appointed a team to serve the Nazi interests and his appointees cooperated with Hitler with what has been called “unexpected zeal.” After the battle of Stalingrad, in which Germany was defeated and the Hungarian army took high causalities, Horthy realized Hitler could lose the war. He then in 1944 tried to break the alliance between Hungary and Germany, but so enraged the Nazis that they invaded the country and appointed a pro-Nazi leader to head Hungary.

Still, Horthy and Hitler remained close associates and loyal allies through much of the war. The speed and efficiency with which Hungarian authorities accomplished the largest Jewish deportation of Hungary’s Jews surprised and delighted the Nazis.

In just a few months, a total of 437,000 Jews were transported to Auschwitz-Birkeneau. By July 1944, the only Jews remaining in Hungary were approximately 200,000 people serving in Budapest labor units and living in the Budapest ghetto.

On July 9, 1944, Raoul Wallenberg, Americantrained Swedish diplomat, arrived in Hungary.

With permission from the Swedish government, Wallenberg distributed protection certificates issued by Sweden. He used Swedish funds to establish hospitals, nurseries and safe houses.

Wallenberg strengthened his efforts as colleagues from other neutral countries joined the rescue efforts and is credited with saving 100,000 lives.

However, by the time Soviet forces liberated Budapest in February 1945, there were just 97,000 Jews in Hungary and Wallenberg was soon gone.

Soviet officials report he was last seen in midJanuary 1945 although other reports indicate he died in a Soviet prison in 1947.

Hungary’s far-right Jobbik rallies in former synagogue Jewish Telegraphic Agency Hungary’s far-right Jobbik Party held a political rally in a former synagogue, despite protests.

The rally by the party, whose ultra-nationalist platform is laced with anti-Semitism and anti-Roma policy, was held Feb. 15 in the former synagogue in the town of Esztergom, located 29 miles north of Budapest.

The building currently is operated by the local government as a cultural and meeting center.

Several hundred demonstrators protested the meeting. They stood outside the former synagogue during the Jobbik rally reading the names of the 500 Holocaust victims who were deported to Auschwitz from the town in 1944.

Jobbik party leader Gabor Vona told the demonstrators that “there is an atmosphere of hysteria due to the Holocaust Memorial Year in Hungary, which wants to make Hungarians feel guilty.”

Despite a heavy police presence at the rally, there were several incidents between Jobbik supporters and demonstrators.

Hungarian authorities had given official permission to the

Jobbik Party to hold its rally in the synagogue, since the synagogue is now owned by the municipality and not by the Jewish community.

This in the wake of last autumn’s much-protested unveiling of a bust of Miklos Horthy, Hungarian ally to Hitler, outside a Budapest church.

On Nov. 2, protesters wore yellow Stars of David and chanted “Nazis go home” at supporters of Horthy, who was prime minister of Hungary from 1920 to 1944.

The unveiling was organized by a pastor with far-right ties, the French news agency AFP reported.

Horthy passed anti-Jewish laws and oversaw the first deportations of Hungarian Jews in 1944, before Germany took over the country.

Marton Gyongyosi of the Jobbik party called Horthy a “national savior” during the church service in honor of the dedication, the Hungarian news agency MTI reported, according to AFP. Gyongyosi has made antiSemitic comments in the past and last year called for a list of Hungarian Jews to be drawn up as they posed “a national risk.

JEWISH TEENS: Experience/Education Scholarships available

Scholarships will be awarded to individuals for Jewish teen education experiences that will enrich the recipients, enhance the community, and increase the likelihood of future engagement with Jewish life.

Scholarships are provided by the JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY’s annual campaign, on a non-needs basis.

TEENS MAY REQUEST SCHOLARSHIPS FOR: n n n n n

Conventions Jewish youth group summer programs Jewish summer camps Certain trips to Israel Leadership development programs

DEADLINE: MARCH 31, 2014 LIMITED FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE.

Scholarship forms are available at www.jewishlehighvalley.org

For details on all scholarship opportunities, contact:

610.821.5500 | www.jewishlehighvalley.org The Federation is accepting contributions, including named scholarship funds, to increase the availability of scholarships granted.

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | MARCH 2014 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.

SATURDAY, MARCH 1 TCP Family Game Night 6 p.m., Temple Covenant of Peace. D&D, Scrabble, charades, Pinochle and more. Contact 610-253-2031.

THURSDAY, MARCH 6 Temple Beth El Healing Service 1 p.m., Temple Beth El. We will be creating a safe space to bring our pain, our questions and our yearning. This one-hour service will include music, silent meditation, traditional prayers and Torah study. The entire community is invited to participate.

SATURDAY, MARCH 8 PJ Library Tot Shabbat 10 a.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel. Bring the little ones for a Tot Shabbat service with songs and blessings and of course, a PJ Library story. For more information contact KI at 610-4359074 or Cantor Jenn at cantor@kilv.org.

SUNDAY, MARCH 9 CBS HealthyU@55+ Series 10 a.m., Congregation Brith Sholom. Have you seen all the TV commercials about “AFIB?” Our expert, Dr. Darren Traub, cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist, will speak on all you need to know. What is it? Symptoms, treatments, prognosis.

You will not want to miss this important presentation. Healthy breakfast served. Cost: CBS members - FREE, guests $4. Contact Tammy Watts, 610-866-8009.

SUNDAY, MARCH 9 ‘Til Faith Do Us Part: How Interfaith Marriage is Transforming America 10:30 a.m., Temple Covenant of Peace. Please join us as we welcome Naomi Schaefer Riley to the Lehigh Valley. Ms. Riley will speak on her New York Times-reviewed book, “’Til Faith Do Us Part: How Interfaith Marriage is Transforming America.” The event is free and open to the public. A light breakfast will be served at 10:30 a.m. Sponsored by Bnai Abraham Synagogue, Temple Covenant of Peace, The Jewish Book Council and the Easton Leadership Council of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. Contact rabbi@bnaiabraham.org to learn more.

MONDAY, MARCH 10 Temple Beth El Sisterhood Mah Jongg 6:30 p.m., Temple Beth El. We will begin to play promptly at 6:45 p.m. We play for about three hours. $10 per player donation to TBE Sisterhood. NEW FACES ARE ALWAYS WELCOME TO PLAY! To RSVP, contact Ilene Rubel, 610-776-1577 or IRUBEL@ aol.com.

TUESDAY, MARCH 11 Bethlehem Easton Hadassah Book/Film Club 1:30 p.m., 3326 Margate Rd., Bethlehem. Israeli Film: “Fill the Void.” Contact: Maria Ain, 610-694-0940.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12 Women’s Division Lunch & Learn: Finding the Hero in You 12 to 1:30 p.m., JCC of Allentown. Neil Dicker, a retired Lehigh Valley dentist and active member of the Jewish community, will talk about his experience with cancer and the stem cell transplant that saved his life. Program is $12, including lunch.

Men and women welcome. RSVP to 610-821-5500 or sbolmer@jflv.org.

FRIDAY, MARCH 14 Family Shabbat Experience Honoring Special People In Your Lives 4 to 6 p.m., JCC of Allentown. Join us for a Shabbat experience and blessings including a sing-a-long with local cantors, a Shabbat lesson and dinner catered by the Noshery.

Grandparents and extended family members are welcome to attend. Interfaith families and all levels of observance welcome. Join us for community services following dinner at local synagogues which will be listed at the event. Sponsored by the JCC of Allentown Membership Department. Registration and payment are required by Friday, March 7. For more information and to register for this event, please contact the JCC Welcome Center in person or by phone at 610-435-3571.

Cost: $18 adults; $12 member value price; $10 children ages 4-10, $8 member value price; 3 and under free.

SATURDAY, MARCH 15 TCP’s Purim Schpeil - Based on Annie 6:15 p.m., Temple Covenant of Peace. TCP proudly presents it’s annual Purim Play based on the fabulous musical “Annie” and featuring YOUR friends and family. The evening will begin with Havdalah followed by the show, a costume parade and a festive array of hamentashen, desserts, fruit and beverages, plus games for all ages. All welcome! Contact 610-253-2031.

SATURDAY, MARCH 15 KI Adult Purim Party 7:30 p.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel. Megillah reading will be followed by light snacks, dessert and BYOB. Live music will be provided by local band Just So. The band specializes in oldies, classic rock and folk music. Costumes are optional, and the event is adults only. $9 per person.

30 MARCH 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

SATURDAY, MARCH 15 TBE Shushan ha-BEER-ah Adult Purim Party 8 p.m., Temple Beth El. Megillah reading, karaoke, snacks, dessert and beer. $10 per person. RSVP by March 5. Call Temple Beth El at 610-435-3521 or e-mail Ilene@bethelallentown.org.

This Purim celebration is for ADULTS only … Join us on Sunday morning for family fun!

SUNDAY, MARCH 16 Jewish Family Service Purim Singles Party 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Congregation Brith Sholom. For ages 50-70. Enjoy light refreshments and some activities geared to the holiday. Have fun and meet other singles. $3 per person.

RSVP to Debbie Zoller, 610-821-8722 or dzollerjfs@hotmail. com.

SUNDAY, MARCH 16 Purim Bubble Mania 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Chabad of the Lehigh Valley. Mishloach Manot, Megillah reading, a masquerade, buffet and a play/ Purim shpiel by Hebrew school students. Bubble artist Doug Rougeux will be entertaining with his bubble creations. Admission is $10. RSVP at www.chabadlehighvalley.com, events@ chabadlehighvalley.com or 610-351-6511.

SUNDAY, MARCH 16 Community Purim Palooza at the J 12:30 to 3 p.m., JCC of Allentown. A family-friendly event for kids of all ages. Enjoy games, a moon bounce, face painting, arts and crafts, food and prizes. Come in costume! Game tickets are 50 cents each. Moon bounce passes are $2 a round, or $5 for unlimited bouncing.

SUNDAY, MARCH 16 Woodstock Purim Se’udah 5 p.m., Congregation Sons of Israel. Featuring Michael Rosman, the Flame-Throwing Juggler. Costume contest with prizes.

Beading and tie-dye crafts. Live music by “The Sons of Israel.”

Full Israeli dinner: $18 per person, $10 children under 12, $45 max for families. RSVP with payment by March 11 to 610-4336089.

MONDAY, MARCH 17 The Middle East with Neil Lazarus 6 p.m., Muhlenberg College, Moyer Hall, Miller Forum.

Neil Lazarus will be discussing the Middle East and the current situations in Syria, Iran, Israel and Iraq. He is an internationally acclaimed expert in the fields of Middle East politics and public diplomacy with a reputation for interesting, engaging and informative presentations. Sponsored by the Muhlenberg College Democrats and Muhlenberg College Republicans.

Open to the public.

MONDAY, MARCH 17 TBE Men’s Club Poker 7 p.m., Temple Beth El. Come and “Ante-Up,” Texas Hold-emstyle. Come play cards with us, and bring your friends. The TBE Men’s Club is sponsoring an evening filled with laughter, refreshments, a big game on TV and a “Flush,” “Straight,” “4 of a Kind,” and “Full House” card playing skills – highest totals at the end of the night win prizes! Open to the entire community.

Cost: $10 per person. Please RSVP “All-in” to Roy Benasaraf at royben@ptd.net or call 610-216-0190.

TUESDAY, MARCH 18 URW Meeting with Speaker 10 a.m., Bnai Abraham Synagogue. The program speaker will be a member of RV Care-A-Vanners, which is a volunteer program for people who travel in a recreational vehicle and wants to build Habitat for Humanity houses. If interested, please contact Sandy Zarbatany at 610-258-8997.

TUESDAY, MARCH 18 Beginning Again and Recovering the Future in Ancient Judaism 4:10 p.m., Lehigh University, Maginnes Hall, Room 102.

With Hindy Najman, associate professor of ancient Judaism, Yale University. Sponsored by the Philip and Muriel Berman Center for Jewish Studies. Free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Berman Center at 610-758-4869, inber@lehigh.edu, or visit http://lehigh.edu~inber/inber.html.

THURSDAY, MARCH 20 How Newcomers Learn the Language and Culture of Orthodox Judaism 4:10 p.m., Lehigh University, Maginnes Hall, Room 102.

With Sarah Benor, associate professor of contemporary Jewish studies, Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion.

Sponsored by the Philip and Muriel Berman Center for Jewish Studies. Free and open to the public. Contact 610-758-4869, inber@lehigh.edu, or visit http://lehigh.edu~inber/inber.html.

FRIDAYS 8 - 9:30 AM WMUH 91.7 Featuring Cantor Wartell muhlenberg.edu/wmuh

SATURDAY, MARCH 22 PJ Library Tot Shabbat 9:15 a.m., Temple Covenant of Peace. Bring the little ones for a Tot Shabbat service and enjoy a PJ Library story, songs and activities. To learn more, contact Temple Covenant of Peace at 610-253-2031 or tcp@rcn.com.

SATURDAY, MARCH 22 Bethlehem Federation Shabbat 9:30 a.m., Congregation Brith Sholom. Linda Scherzer, a former Middle East correspondent for CNN and Israel Television with extensive experience covering the Arab-Israeli conflict, will be the featured speaker at a special Shabbat service in Bethlehem, sponsored by the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. Open to the public.

SUNDAY, MARCH 23 The Bible Through the Artist’s Lens 11:15 a.m., Temple Covenant of Peace. Join us for a brunch and learn where Heather and Nathan Kanofsky will present the Exodus through sculpture and visual arts and Kate Bullard will speak on the history. Contact 610-253-2031 to learn more.

SUNDAY, MARCH 23 IJCU Day of Dialogue 1 to 4 p.m., Muhlenberg College Moyer Hall, Miller Forum.

Interfaith dialogue today: What, how and why? With Honna Eichler, managing editor of the online community State of Formation. $10 registration fee. www.ijcu.org.

SUNDAY, MARCH 23 Congregation Sons of Israel Purim Gala 6 p.m., Congregation Sons of Israel. This event will honor Marcia and Murray Schechter, longtime Lehigh Valley residents and dedicated community volunteers. Contact 610-433-6089.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26 Imagining Jews: Living Between Question Marks 7 p.m., Lafayette College Hillel. With Ruth Knafo Setton, writer-in-residence, Berman Center for Jewish Studies, Lehigh University. Part of a year-long series of free community lectures on “Imagining Jews: From the Ancient World to the American Present,” presented by Muhlenberg College. Free and open to the public thanks to a generous grant from the Legacy Heritage Jewish Studies Project. All of the programs in Muhlenberg’s series are co-sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Lehigh Valley, the Berman Center for Jewish Studies at Lehigh University and the Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding at Muhlenberg.

THURSDAY, MARCH 27 JCC Women’s Lunch Hour 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., JCC of Allentown Auxiliary Auditorium.

Life, Lunch and a Lesson: where women come together to learn, understand and support each other. Our March lesson will be led by Reb Melody on Jewish Advice, a Bintl Brief to Dear Abby. Doors will open at 11:30 a.m. for lunch; Lesson will begin at noon with a lively discussion to follow. Cost: $18 per person; $12 JCC member value price. Register at the JCC Welcome Center in person or by calling 610-435-3571.

Advance registration and payment is required by Friday, March 21.

FRIDAY, MARCH 28 Temple Beth El Shira Chadasha 7:30 p.m., Temple Beth El. Temple Beth El invites you to share in our Shira Chadasha Service. Come celebrate a musical Shabbat Service with contemporary American and Israeli music.

SUNDAY, MARCH 30 Confronting Anti-Semitism: A Free Workshop for Middle and High School Students and their Parents 12:30 to 3 p.m., JCC of Allentown. 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. To learn more or register, contact Aaron Gorodzinsky at 610-821-5500 or aaron@jflv.org or visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org.

SUNDAY, MARCH 30 Bella Note with Tommy Zito and Friends 6 p.m., Temple Covenant of Peace. Tommy Zito & Friends are back! Come join us for an evening of great entertainment, a delicious Italian dinner followed by luscious desserts. Feel free to BYOB. Cost $25 per person or $10 for children under 12.

Contact 610-253-2031.

Celebrate the beauty of Shabbat

Shabbat & Yom Tov Candlelighting Times Friday, March. 7

5:42 pm

Friday, March 28

7:05 pm

Friday, March 14

6:50 pm

Friday, April 4

7:12 pm

Friday, March 21

6:57 pm

Friday, April 11

7:19 pm

Community Calendar Ongoing Events SUNDAY to FRIDAY DAF YOMI 7:30 a.m., Congregation Sons of Israel Are you intrigued by thought-provoking, stimulating and provocative religious discussion?

Are you enamored by the depth and scope of the Jewish legal system? Are you curious about Judaism’s perspective on marriage, tort law, Jewish burial, holiday observance, prayer, blessings and, for that matter, nearly any Jewish topic? Then Sons of Israel’s daily “Daf Yomi” class is for you. 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 Allentown A brunch follows each meeting – bagels, cream cheese, lox, herring, pastry and coffee. The veteran and significant other are invited as the guest of the Ladies Auxiliary.

Come and enjoy camaraderie and we will even listen to your “war story.” Questions? Call David Weiner at 484-764-7466 or 610-7392755.

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.

Adult Hebrew is an opportunity for you to learn about your heritage and expand your Jewish knowledge so that you can keep up with your child. Contact 610-351-6511.

TSS HEBREW & ADULT EDUCATION CLASSES 10 a.m., JCC of Allentown Interested in learning Hebrew for the first time or brushing up your skills? Marcia Berkow teaches adult Hebrew beginning at 10 a.m., followed at 11 a.m. by David Vaida, who will you take you through the great moments across all 5,774 years of Jewish history. Free and open to all. RSVP at learnwithus@templeshiratshalom.org or 610-820-7666.

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

TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY PRESENTS THE EMERGENCE OF THE MODERN MIDDLE EAST 4 to 6 p.m., Bnai Abraham Synagogue Six Sundays beginning March 23. $36 per person which includes Kosher deli dinner. For more information call Bnai Abraham Synagogue at 610-258-5343.

MONDAYS FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., JCC of Allentown Friendship Circle is a place for people to meet, make new friends and enjoy each other’s company. We welcome all adults over 50. Friendship Circle meets weekly for lively and enjoyable programs and a delicious lunch. Annual dues - $25. Regular weekly meetings and lunch - $6. First visit NO CHARGE. THE RHYTHM OF JEWISH LIVING 8 to 9 p.m., Temple Beth El Taught by Rabbi Moshe Re’em. This course will examine the ideas, beliefs and practices that define and shape Jewish life through daily, weekly, annual and life-cycle observances. The is designed as a year-long course for those wishing to learn more about the religious observances of Judaism, theology of the holidays and ritual practices. The course is organized around the Jewish calendar, but includes other daily Jewish rituals.

TUESDAYS COFFEE WITH RABBI STEIN 1 to 2 p.m., Wegmans on Rt. 248, Easton/ Nazareth “Meet under the Guitar” and chat about any subject of interest, national, world, community, congregation. Come with your thoughts and point of view. Contact Bnai Abraham Synagogue, 610-258-5343, office@ bnaiabraham.org.

YACHAD TORAH STUDY GROUP 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., JCC of Allentown It doesn’t matter how much you know, it matters how much you want to know. Bring your curiosity to thet Yachad Torah study group and discover the wonders, adventures and meaning of the Torah. Each FREE session is taught by one of our dedicated clergy members or a respected Jewish educator. Held in the Teachers’ Learning Center/Holocaust Resource Room (lower level, JCC). Call 610435-3571 for information about individual sessions.

JFS-LV’S YIDDISH CLUB 1:30 p.m., Jewish Family Service Kibbitz in the mama loshen! You don’t need to be fluent — just come and enjoy! Call 610-821-8722 for more information.

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.

THE DAVEN-CI CODE: UNLOCKING THE SECRETS OF JEWISH PRAYER 8 p.m., Congregation Beth Avraham Weekly discussion group focusing on the structure, nuance and poetry of Jewish prayer. (Hebrew competence is not required.)

Free and open to all.

LATTE & LEARN 8 to 9 p.m., Starbucks, Schoenersville Road, Bethlehem Come help us figure out the weekly Torah portion! Laid back, lots of fun, no Hebrew required. This event is sponsored by Congregation Beth Avraham. This event is free and open to the public. For information, Rabbi Yitzchok I. Yagod at 610-905-2166.

WEDNESDAYS CHRONIC CONDITIONS SUPPORT GROUP Second Wednesday of the month, 10 a.m., Jewish Family Service Beginning in February, this new support group will meet monthly for six months. Cost is $5 per group, assistance available if needed. If interested, contact Rebecca Axelrod-Cooper at 610-821-8722 to set up a pre-screening appointment.

JEWISH CURRENT EVENTS First Wednesday of the Month, 1:15 p.m., Country Meadows, Bethlehem Rabbi Stein conducts a current events class at Country Meadows. Residents express their opinions and have the opportunity to ask questions. Sponsored by Bnai Abraham Synagogue. For more information, call 610258-5343.

HADASSAH STUDY GROUP Every other Wednesday, 1:30 p.m., Temple Beth El Allentown Hadassah presents a stimulating series of short story seminars. All are welcome to attend these free sessions in the Temple Beth El library. The group will be reading selections from anthologies available from Amazon.com. For dates and stories, e-mail Lolly Siegel at spscomm@aol.com or call 610-439-1851.

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

Who knows? It might even be fun! RSVP: Rabbi Yitzchok I. Yagod, 610-905-2166, rabbiyagod1@gmail.com.

IN-DEPTH STUDY OF THE BOOK OF JUDGES 7 p.m., Sons of Israel Abby Wiener teaches an in-depth study of the Prophets. We are currently learning the book of Judges with commentaries and other resources to give us a feel of the time, the people and the lessons in the story. For class location, please call Congregation Sons of Israel at 610-433-6089.

HUSBANDS ANONYMOUS First Wednesday of the month, 7:30 p.m., location provided upon signup Join Rabbi David Wilensky from Congregation Sons of Israel for a class for men on ways to improve their marriage. All wives are encouraged to encourage their husbands to attend.

TORAH STUDIES: A WEEKLY JOURNEY INTO THE SOUL OF TORAH 7:30 p.m., Chabad Torah Studies by JLI presents: Season Two: A 14-part series. Cost is $36 for the complete 14-week series (textbook included). For more information contact 610-351-6511 or Rabbi@chabadlehighvalley.com.

ORTHODOX JEWISH LIVING: WHAT IS IT AND HOW? 8 p.m. To learn more, contact Rabbi Yizchok I. Yagod, 610-905-2166 or rabbiyagod1@ gmail.com THURSDAYS ADULT EDUCATION CLASS 10:15 to 11:15 a.m., Bnai Abraham Synagogue No preparation or prior knowledge is required.

Rabbi Daniel Stein leads an eager-to-learn group. We examine the Torah, Judaism, the holidays, Hebrew and Yiddish literature, wellknown stories and poetry. Cost: $10 each semester. Contact 610-258-5343, office@ bnaiabraham.org.

MOMMY & ME 10:30 to 11:15 a.m., Chabad Led by Morah Devorah Halperin and Mrs. Alli Lipson, Mommy & Me is an innovative program for babies and toddlers to experience Jewish traditions in a stimulating, fun and creative atmosphere. Cost is $10 per class, $40 for full session. For information and to register, morahdevorah@chabadlehighvalley.com.

SEALED IN THE BOOK OF LIFE 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel Join Rabbi Seth and a friendly group of seekers who are exploring the proposed new Reform High Holy Day Machzor to discover its ancient wisdom and modern sensibilities.

Newcomers always welcome. Knowledge of Hebrew not required. Come with an open heart and do your part to improve your High Holy Day experience. Contact Ms. Sandra Hari, 610-435-9074. Free and open to the community.

TORAH ON TILGHMAN 12:15 p.m., Allentown Wegmans Cantor Ellen Sussman of Temple Shirat Shalom leads a lunch and learn on the Torah.

Shopping is optional. RSVP to contactus@ templeshiratshalom.com or 610-820-7666.

FRIDAYS TCP TOT SHABBAT SERVICE 4th Friday of the month, 5 p.m., Temple Covenant of Peace This wonderful program introduces children to Shabbat ritual and songs with activities designed especially for our youngest congregants and their families. Arts and crafts, stories and prayer round out the children’s activities.

SIMCHA SHABBAT 1st Friday of the month, 6:30 p.m., Bnai Abraham Synagogue Please join us for our musical Simcha Shabbat and stay for a special oneg to follow. For more information please call Bnai Abraham Synagogue at 610-258-5343.

SHABBAT INTRODUCTION TO TALMUD 8:15 a.m., Sons of Israel On Shabbat mornings, come to an Introduction to Talmud class with Dr. Henry Grossbard.

This class is free and open to the public.

JAVA AND JEANS 4th Saturday of the month, 10 a.m., Bnai Abraham Synagogue Join us for our monthly Shabbat service to discuss current topics of interest as they relate to Jewish laws and practices. For more detailed information, call 610-258-5343.

CHAVURAT TORAH STUDY Each Shabbat following kiddush lunch, Temple Beth El No sign-up needed for this class. Taught by Shari Spark. Enrich your Shabbat experience by studying the parashat hashavua, the weekly Torah portion, with other congregants, each Shabbat in the library at approximately 12:45 p.m. No previous knowledge or longterm commitments are required to participate as we discuss Torah together.

BNEI AKIVA 5:45 p.m., Congregation Sons of Israel An Israel-centered fun program for kids ages eight to 14. This program is free and open to the public. For information and to RSVP, call 610-433-6089.

Congregations BNAI ABRAHAM SYNAGOGUE

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

CHABAD OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY

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

CONGREGATION AM HASKALAH

1190 W. Macada Rd., Bethlehem – 610.435.3775 Student Rabbi Tamara Cohen, 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 Allen Juda, Conservative MINYAN is at 7:45 a.m. on Mondays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. on Saturdays and holidays. RELIGIOUS SCHOOL classes every Tuesday/Thursday at 4:15 p.m.

CONGREGATION KENESETH ISRAEL

2227 Chew St., Allentown – 610.435.9074 Rabbi Seth D. Phillips | Cantor Jennifer Duretz Peled, 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 Wednesdays at 4 p.m. and Sundays at 9:30 a.m.

CONGREGATION SONS OF ISRAEL

2715 Tilghman St., Allentown – 610.433.6089 Rabbi David Wilensky, Orthodox SHACHARIT: Sundays at 8:30 a.m., Mondays and Thursdays at 6:30 a.m., Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 6:45 a.m. For MINCHA, MAARIV.

TEMPLE BETH EL

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

Shabbat morning services at 9 a.m. followed by Kiddush. Religious school classes every Tuesday/ Thursday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 10 a.m. Midrasha school classes Monday at 7 p.m. Shalshelet — Temple Beth El’s new innovative high school program — meets bi-monthly on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 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, religlious school director, at school at bethelallentown.org.

TEMPLE COVENANT OF PEACE

1451 Northampton St., Easton – 610.253.2031 Tcp@rcn.com; tcopeace.org Rabbi Melody Davis | Cantor Jill Pakman Reform TCP holds Shabbat evening services every Friday night at 7:30 p.m., and a Renewal Shabbat morning service on the 4th Saturday of the month at 10 a.m. A Family Shabbat Service is held on the second Friday night of each month. Our services reflect a diverse culture of traditional, innovative and musical experiences with a Reform Jewish context. Religious School meets on Sunday mornings from 9:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. We have family potluck dinner at 6:30 p.m. on the fourth Friday of the month. For more information about our temple and activities, see our website at www. tcopeace.org or look us up on Facebook.

TEMPLE SHIRAT SHALOM

Cantor Ellen Sussman Friday night SHABBAT WORSHIP SERVICES held at 7 p.m. at The Swain School, 1100 South 24th St., Allentown. For more information, Contact Us at templeshiratshalom.org or 610-820-7666.

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | MARCH 2014 31

weis wishes you a Happy Purim David Elliot Fresh Kosher Chickens Cut-up Chicken Fryers

2 $249 $649

$ 49 Per pound

Whole Broiler Chickens

Kosher Ground Beef

Per pound

Per pound

Hamantaschen

2

$ 99 Mechaya - 10 ounce

Holiday Candies Cashew Caramel Clusters

Savion Fruit Slices

Parve K Pas Yisroel

Kedem Apple Juice

Fox’s U-Bet Syrup

$

$

1.99 2.99 1.79 1.99

8 ounce

$

U

Savion Marshmallows

2 3 5 ounce

U

64 ounce

6 ounce

$ /

$

U

Joyva Ring Jells

2.49

U

Magic Max’s Cotton Candy

9 ounce

$

22 ounce

99 1 ounce

U

Weis Proudly Accepts

¢

Prices Effective February 23, 2014 through March 15, 2014

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

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

Medford Farms Honey Bear

2 5 12 ounce

U

$ /