HAKOL - November 2014

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY The Voice of the Lehigh Valley Jewish Community

NOVEMBER 2014 | CHESHVAN/KISLEV 5775

PJ Library picks local author Congressman Ted Deutch to be featured speaker at 60 Day Challenge Reception

By Stephanie Smartschan JFLV Director of Marketing

EBOLA RAISES CONCERNS as local doctors weigh in.

See page 5.

Lehigh Valley native Congressman Ted Deutch will take the stage on Sunday, Nov. 16, at the JCC of Allentown, providing an insider’s view of Washington politics and his perspective as a leading Jewish voice.

The event, sponsored by the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, is a way to say “thank you” to supporters of the Israel Emergency Campaign and the 2015 Campaign for Jewish Needs.

“We asked a lot of our community members over the summer during the conflict in Israel, and they more than stepped up to the plate,” said Iris Epstein, chairperson of the 2015 Campaign for Jewish Needs, who was in Israel at the start of the violence. “On the heels of that, we are again asking

SENIOR PROGRAMMING gets a boost with new coordinators. See page 7.

for their support of our Annual Campaign, so we wanted to do something really special.”

The event will take place at the tail end of the 60 Day Challenge, which began just after Rosh Hashanah and will run until Thanksgiving.

“While the campaign will remain open until June 30, donors are able to have a huge impact on priorities and funding for next year by making their pledges now,” said Judy Diamondstein, assistant executive director of the Federation. “Israelis are still recovering, Jews in Ukraine are being displaced, anti-Semitism is on the rise around the world and the needs in our own community only

Ted Deutch

Continues on page 3

Young Adult Division collects food for Thanksgiving

By Sarah Chimino JFLV Marketing Intern

CRANBERRIES begin their journey to your table. See page 28.

No. 370 com.UNITY with Mark Goldstein 2 Women’s Division

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LVJF Tributes

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Jewish Family Service

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Jewish Community Center 18-19 Jewish Day School

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Community Calendar

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The Young Adult Division of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, along with Jewish Family Service, is hosting a food drive this month to collect needed items for local families for Thanksgiving.

Items needed include instant mashed potatoes, stuffing, canned yams, roasting pans, mini marshmallows (kosher) and cranberry sauce. Also, turkey vouchers for grocery stores would be greatly appreciated, said Rebecca Axelrod-Cooper, the community impact coordinator at Jewish Family Service.

Items for the drive will be collected through Nov. 16 in labeled

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

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

bins at the Federation office, the JCC, the Jewish Day School and local synagogues.

On Sunday, Nov. 23, Young Adult Division members and PJ Library families will gather to put together packages for Thanksgiving. Adults will package the items for distribution while children will have the opportunity to bake brownies, build centerpieces, decorate bags and listen to a PJ Library story.

Young Adult Division members and their families will be delivering the baskets to personally wish their neighbors a happy holiday.

Up to 35 families in the Lehigh Valley will receive food packages, and the rest of the

items collected will help the 100 or so families a month who utilize the food pantry.

The Jewish Family Service Community Food Pantry serves the entire 18104 area, along with all Jewish families in the Lehigh Valley, with both kosher and non-kosher items. Visit www. jfslv.org to learn more.

“We have not done this before and this new partnership with the Young Adult Division is really exciting,” AxelrodCooper said. “Hopefully this is the beginning of an ongoing project.”

To learn more and see a complete list of the food items needed, visit www. jewishlehighvalley.org/thanksgiving.

By Jennifer Lader Editor, HAKOL Mara Rockliff was skeptical when her agent first asked her to write a children’s picture book with a Jewish theme.

Now she is set to read that book, “Chik Chak Shabbat,” at the Bethlehem Area Public Library’s “Potluck and Pages” event on Tuesday, Nov. 11, at 6:30 p.m. -- and Rockliff is bringing the cholent.

Rockliff, who lives in Berks County, originally felt she had drifted from her Jewish upbringing, which included healthy doses of the original Jewish children’s book, “Allof-a-Kind Family” by Sydney Taylor. But then she learned more about PJ Library and found she identified with its families. Before she knew it, she had written “Chik Chak Shabbat” (rhymes with tick tock).

PJ Library recently chose Rockliff’s book as a PJ Library book of the month, destined to reach 300 Lehigh Valley children enrolled in the program and many thousands more beyond the Valley.

In “Chik Chak Shabbat,” a Jewish resident of an apartment building makes cholent for Shabbat each week and invites her neighbors, who hail from all over the world, until one week she isn’t able to make a Shabbat dinner and the neighbors take matters into their own hands.

“Chik chak” is Hebrew, Rockliff said. “When I visited Israel in the 1980s, it was a popular expression meaning ‘quick’ or ‘in a jiffy.’ There was even a fast food place called Chik Chak Chicken.”

When asked about herself, Rockliff prefers to give the fun answer: “I’ve ridden an elephant, swallowed fried grasshoppers, lived on a commune, flown a hang glider (and crashed), picked coffee beans and fed them to a monkey [and] peered into a live volcano …” But she has also written “The Grudge Keeper” and the award-winning picture books “Me and Momma and Big John” and “My Heart Will Not Sit Down.”

Under the pen name

PJ Library

Continues on page 16

com.UNITY It’s All About Who Sometimes I sit back and wonder what’s going to move our community forward. I think about our partnership programs in Israel and around the world and wonder how to maximize our resources and serve more people. One would think the answer is money. Just raise more money.

But that’s not entirely the case. As important as money is to our Jewish communal enterprise, that is only a piece of how we operate, and operate effectively.

A prominent businessman, philanthropist and Jewish communal leader, Cleveland’s Mort Mandel, wrote a book in which he describes the key element of his civic, charitable and business success: “It’s All About Who.” Not who you are, but who you hire. That concept became the title of the book.

Mort is a self-made billionaire, entrepreneur and philanthropist. With his brothers, he cofounded a company in 1940 that grew in value to over $3 billion dollars. Mort’s volunteer and philanthropic activities are legendary, certainly because of his grandiose generosity,

but largely because he translated what he knew created success in business to his volunteer, non-profit world. It’s All About Who You Hire.

His premise is simple: Hire and keep extraordinary people. When you have the best people in the right seats on the bus something magical happens. Smart strategy, strong culture and excelling execution tend to follow. It’s so simple, but not always implemented.

But that’s what we do at our Jewish Federation and in the myriad of organizations we support through our Annual Campaign.

We have a tremendous cadre of “A” list (Mandel’s highest category of hires) Jewish communal professionals in the Lehigh Valley: rabbis; cantors; supplementary school teachers; synagogue administrators; program directors; Jewish family life educators; office and administrative staff; day care staff; day camp staff; day school teachers; counselors and therapists; case managers; principals and executive directors; graphic designers,

FROM THE DESK OF MARK L. GOLDSTEIN

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

newspaper editors and marketing staff; bookkeepers and CFOs; cafeteria staff; facility maintenance staff; health and fitness professionals; fundraisers; programmers; and caring and patient professionals who work with our emotionally challenged children, our skeptical teens, our precious preschoolers and our elderly.

Jewish communal professionals chose this profession for a myriad of reasons: passion, drive, a calling, a job, a career. Most – I, for one -- stay in this profession for one reason: to make a difference. We seek to improve the quality of Jewish life, to strengthen our communities, to impact change, working long hours in a challenging profession with rules that constantly change in communities and organizations that sometimes do and sometimes don’t. We work days and evenings, weekdays and weekends, targeting our efforts to strengthen Jewish life. We work for a constituency that demands nothing short of excellence.

I have not worked outside of the Jewish community

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Readers, I heard recently that this month is known as “Mar Cheshvan” – sad Cheshvan – because the holidays have ended. Perhaps we also feel sad, or rather daunted, because now the work of repair-rebuild-recreate begins.

This month in HAKOL, we bring you tales of unpromising beginnings that yielded big results: Author Mara Rockliff doubted

her suitability for writing a Jewish-themed book; a rugged landscape is made to yield bushels of cranberries and Rabbi Yitzchok Yagod takes us there for the harvest; and a youth group must be revitalized, as youth organizer Ethan Weg shows us.

We find that the very conditions of challenge put success within reach. I’ll bet it is for your worthy endeavors, too.

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.

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

Day Challenge to complete much of our campaign by Thanksgiving. We take seriously the challenge to grow and enrich our community. And we do that through the intersection of human capital and financial capital. It is an awesome combination. It can be used to enrich lives, change lives and comfort souls.

And it does.

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

Mark H. Scoblionko President, JFLV

EDITORIAL BOARD

Monica Friess, Acting Chair Barbara Reisner Judith Rodwin Sara Vigneri

Member American Jewish Press Association

Shalom, Jennifer Lader

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 DEBRA LUNICK (Mother of Marcy Staiman) Lisa and Barnet Fraenkel YIFTACH RAPOPORT (Son of Mor and Danni Rapoport) Partnership2Gether Steering Committee HARRIET SINBERG (Mother of Peggy Rau) The Fraenkel Family BART WIENER (Stepson of Jean Wiener) Lisa and Barnet Fraenkel FATHER (of Dr. Matti Sarfatti Harcavii) Partnership2Gether Steering Committee

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

2 NOVEMBER 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

HAKOL

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

JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY IN HONOR EILEEN FISCHMANN In honor of receiving the Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award Steven Aronsky BENJAMIN GREENBLATT Birth of his first great-grandson, Jacob Adler Fein Roberta and Robert Kritzer AARON GORODZINSKY 2014 Normal Edell Award for a Young Jewish Communal Professional Roberto and Eileen Fischmann TAFFI NEY In thanks for all her years of dedication to the Federation Roberto and Eileen Fischmann Stan and Vicki Wax

since I was a team leader at Baskin Robbins during my high school 10th grade year.

I transitioned to an afterschool job at the Nashville Jewish Community Center and have never looked back. And I have had no regrets. I am immensely proud of my profession, a feeling reinforced daily as I observe and interact with Jewish communal professionals in the Lehigh Valley. The employees of our agencies and synagogues are immensely competent and caring. Those of us who lead understand Mandel’s principle. It is all about who you hire.

We are in the middle of our Annual Campaign and in the throes of a 60

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

JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY MISSION STATEMENT In order to unite, sustain, and enhance the Lehigh Valley Jewish community, and support Jewish communities in Israel and around the world, the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley is dedicated to the following core values:

• Supporting Jews in need wherever they may be.

• Supporting Israel as a Jewish homeland.

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

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

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

• Developing Jewish leaders.

• Building endowments to support implementation of core values.

• Committing to ongoing Jewish community strategic planning.

• Fostering cooperation among organizations and community building.

• Evaluating all decisions with respect to fiscal responsibility.

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

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

• Setting priorities for allocation and distribution of funds.

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

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

‘You stood for people like me’

Speaker shares moving story of emigration at Community Patrons Reception

By Stephanie Smartschan JFLV Director of Marketing Alina Spaulding was only 3 months old when her father, an Olympic hopeful in Ukraine in the 1970s, suffered a serious skiing accident during training. In that one moment, her life would change forever.

As an athlete, her father had been deemed a “useful” Jewish person in the former Soviet Union. By the time he was brought down the mountain after his accident, the family had been evicted from their apartment.

“My father, who was perceived to be this great contributor to the team, was not even taken to the athletes’ hospital that was located directly at the bottom of the mountain where he trained,” Spaulding said. “Instead, he was taken to a polyclinic in a ghetto that was nearly an hour outside of that city. There he waited for eight days to be seen by a doctor because he was Jewish and he had just become worthless.”

In order to have the surgery he needed for his broken leg, Spaulding’s mother was told she would have to procure the items needed – blankets, anesthetic, etc. – on the black market. It took her six months, and still the surgery was deemed a non-success and her father was given no more than five years to live.

“I want you to get that my father was in the type of physical condition that it takes to be an Olympic hopeful and he was about to lose his life over a broken leg,” said Spaulding, who related her story to Jewish Federation donors at the Community Patrons Reception on Sept. 29. The reception honored families that have pledged a minimum of $1,800 to the Jewish Federation

of the Lehigh Valley’s 2015 Campaign for Jewish Needs.

“In 1976, my mom first heard that there’s this organization and it’s called something like the JDC, the Joint Distribution Committee, and they come to Russia and they rescue Jews. And my mom was like, no way … Nobody is going to come to Kharkov in the Ukraine to rescue our family because no one even knows that we’re there. And this, my friends, is where my mom was wrong. Because in the ‘70s and in the ‘80s and in the ‘90s, you and people like you convened in your homes, in your JCCs, in your synagogues, and … you and people like you stood for people like me.”

In 1979, over 55,000 Jews were rescued from the former Soviet Union. Among them were Spaulding and her parents. From Austria to Italy and ultimately to the U.S., Federation dollars paved the way for her to have a better life.

In 1994, when Spaulding graduated from Muhlenberg College, her father was there. Since then, she has shared her story around the world, inspiring Jewish engagement and philanthropy. She is involved in humanitarian causes in the United States and overseas, traveling to Minsk to build a more vibrant and healthy Jewish community in Belarus. She has been awarded a number of highly prestigious fellowships and recently served as the head of school at the Akiva Jewish Day School of Nashville.

“Everything I have and everything I will accomplish and everything I will ever contribute to another human being,” she said, “is because of you and people like you standing for me at a critical moment.”

For more photos, visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org.

Clockwise from left, Sylvia Bub, Eva Levitt, Brooke Dietrick, Merry Landis and Deena Scoblionko at the first ever Community Patrons Reception on Sept. 29.

Jon Epstein with Alina Spaulding

Bob Post and Ron Segel

Ted Deutch Continues from page 1

continue to increase.”

The event is open to donors at all levels and supporters will have an opportunity to make a pledge to the Annual Campaign and/or the Israel Emergency Campaign at the event.

Deutch represents Florida’s 21st District. A lifelong pro-Israel advocate, he spent his summers at a Zionist summer camp, worked as a student activist in high school and college and held many leadership positions with local and national Jewish organizations.

Deutch first gained national recognition in the Florida State Senate when he helped to pass the nation’s first law mandating that public pension funds not be used to advance Iran’s illicit quest for nuclear weapons. His work led to an invitation to give testimony before Congress on Iran sanctions, strategy discussion with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and, eventually, his own legislation in the House of Representatives to crack down on companies that financially support Iran’s nuclear weapons program. He is also an author of the U.S. – Israel Missile Defense Cooperation Act and the U.S. – Israel Strategic Partnership Act, bipartisan legislation that passed the House with over 400 votes.

A dessert reception at the event will feature a cake to celebrate the near-culmination of the 60 Day Challenge. The event will begin at 7 p.m. at the JCC of Allentown. To register, visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org.

Pledges to the Annual Campaign and the Israel Emergency Campaign may be made by calling 610-821-5500 or donations may be made online at www. jewishlehighvalley.org. Make your pledge before Thanksgiving and receive a special gift, along with access to this exclusive event.

Congressman Deutch’s Bethlehem roots

By Jennifer Lader Editor, HAKOL Ted Deutch’s roots run deep in the Lehigh Valley. He and his four siblings were born and raised in Bethlehem, as was their mother, Jean Deutch. Grandparents Abraham and Tillie Mindlin married and settled there after immigrating from Russia just before World War I. As a young mother on the South Side of Bethlehem, Tillie would look up and see the students com-

ing from Lehigh University without ever imagining that her firstborn, Morris Mindlin, would graduate from that school and become an attorney and community leader.

How much more unimaginable it would have been that her grandson would become a member of Congress.

Jennifer Lader has compiled a book-length history of the Bethlehem Jewish community. For more information, go to www. jenniferlader.com.

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | NOVEMBER 2014 3

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

Lunch & Learn speaker inspires the women of Israel Jewish Agency for Israel

future of the state of Israel.

Editor’s Note: Michal Barkai is the founder of Alma Derech-Eretz, a pre-military program aimed at empowering young women as talented leaders of Israel’s future. Lehigh Valley Lions of Judah had the pleasure of meating Michal at the International Lion of Judah Conference in September and said her enthusiasm and energy will make her an excellent speaker for the Women’s Division Lunch & Learn on Tuesday, Dec. 9.

HOW WAS THE JEWISH AGENCY – A BENEFICIARY OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION – INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS?

HOW DID THIS ALL BEGIN? Sponsored by The Jewish Agency, I began a preparatory program that was a dream come true for me – a program aimed to empower girls who come from all over Israel, from vastly different places and mentalities. Here, we have Sephardic and Ashkenazi, religious and secular, sabra and non-sabra, but everyone is similar in that everyone is passionate about the

The Jewish Agency embraced and adopted this project with great warmth, seeing that we are on the cutting edge of shaping the future of Israeli society, regardless of economic class. And it’s from places like this that the future of leadership will emerge. The Jewish Agency supports us with both resources and strategy.

HOW MANY YOUNG WOMEN WERE A PART OF YOUR FIRST COHORT, AND HOW IS IT LOOKING TODAY? The first Mechina started in August 2013 in Ofakim, and it included 20 amazing young women from all over Israel. They

came from the north in the Hermon to the south in Mizpe Ramon. We chose Ofakim because it is the heart of our work in the periphery of Israel. We have plenty to learn from Ofakim and from the people of Ofakim, and we also have plenty to give there. The Alpha Foundation for Ofakim supports us both financially and in spirit.

HOW DOES THE JOURNEY HAPPEN? WHAT DOES THE PROGRAM ITSELF INCLUDE? The young women come for half a year, from August to February, after a careful admission process. They defer their army service for a half-year, to study, travel around Israel, and prepare for the army experience. The president of our Mechina, General-Res. Amira Dotan, meets with them. They meet other strong women in the IDF, and are exposed to the variety of work in the IDF. It’s the very DNA of our

Mechina program, to strengthen the way for women’s leadership to flourish. We do everything we can to show them how women’s leadership has specific ways to power. They study history, Judaism, yoga, creative writing, physical education, philosophy, gender studies, coaching sessions on relationships, all with the help of three advisors, an educational counselor, six teachers, many volunteers and I.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES THAT FACE YOUNG WOMEN? Their biggest test is the army service, and in particular life after the army service, making life decisions, that they should lead meaningful lives, lives confident in the personal strengths they have.

The program on Dec. 9 will begin at 12 p.m. at the JCC of Allentown and is $12 including lunch. Men and women welcome.

Breast cancer and Jewish genetics TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9 12 to 1:30 p.m., JCC of Allentown

Join the Women's Division of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley for a Lunch & Learn program with Michal Barkai, founder and director of the Alma Preparatory School for Female Leadership in Israel, which provides pre-army education for young girls from Israel’s socio-economic peripheries.

Program is $12, including lunch..

Men & women welcome. RSVP to 610-821-5500 or mailbox@jflv.org.

Sponsored by the Women’s Division of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley

Local doctors Mark Gittleman, left, and Israel Zighelboim answer questions about breast cancer genetics and treatment at an event on Oct. 22 sponsored by the Jewish Federation’s Maimonides Society, Myriad Genetics and Temple Beth El. The doctors addressed how Ashkenazic Jews in particular are affected and the process for screening gene mutations such as BRCA I and II that are prevalent in the Jewish community. “There is value in knowing if I have a mutation that predisposes me to have a genetic susceptibility syndrome, not only because I know I can get cancer and I know what type of risk I’m dealing with, but there are things I can do to prevent it,” Zighelboim said. To view a video of the presentation, visit www. jewishlehighvalley.org/maimonides or like the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley on Facebook.

THANKS TO ALL WHO DONATED

stuffed animals 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 NOVEMBER 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

in support of the medical mission to Africa for children with colorectal problems NEXT STOP: COSTA RICA -- Eva Levitt

Local doctors weigh in on Ebola

Despite increased fears of Ebola, the flu causes tens of thousands more deaths in the U.S. each year. With similar initial symptoms, getting a flu shot can help decrease the likelihood of an emergency visit to the hospital.

By Monica Friess Special to HAKOL

Dr. Jahre and Dr. Rosenau are members of the JFLV’s Maimonides Society.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED to deliver meals

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2014 Perform a mitzvah this holiday season and deliver Meals on Wheels to those in need.

COORDINATED BY THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY

Contact Abby Trachtman at 610-821-5500, abbyt@jflv.org.

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AUTHOR + FOUNDER, COLLABORATIVE LAB

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GET READY FOR NEW WAYS OF THINKING. GET READY TO BE INSPIRED. It’s coming. The premier leadership retreat for Federation volunteer leaders and professionals. Get ready to meet dynamic political figures, renowned intellectuals and philanthropic visionaries. Get ready for new thinking. New inspiration. Get ready for an amazing time!

� NOVEMBER 9-11, 2014 � NATIONAL HARBOR, MD

GET READY! GAIL NORRY AND HOWARD FRIEDMAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY CO-CHAIRS 2014

We are committed to making the General Assembly inclusive and accessible to all.

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For more information and the latest guidelines on Ebola, go to CDC.gov.

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Though the likelihood of contracting Ebola in the Lehigh Valley is quite low, the disease, nevertheless, is the subject in the forefront of many people’s minds. As HAKOL goes to print, in the U.S., one man has died of the illness he contracted in Liberia, and two healthcare workers involved in his care have tested positive. Information and guidelines from the CDC seem to change daily, and the general public is frightened.

Two Lehigh Valley residents who are directly involved in local emergency preparedness have provided needed insight into this emerging crisis.

Dr. Alex Rosenau currently serves as president of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), a professional advocacy society comprised of 33,000 members. He is also senior vice chair of emergency medicine at Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN). Rosenau said he feels assured about the area’s healthcare system and the level of training being given to providers in the event of a local occurrence.

“Our EMS systems, hospitals and professional societies are keeping current with the guidelines, practicing disaster drills and sharing expertise with colleagues in the region,” Roseneau said.

“LVHN has a strong disaster management team and a strong infectious disease department, and they are taking appropriate steps to prepare for the rare but real possibility of a patient with Ebola showing up in the emergency department (ED).”

Dr. Jeffrey Jahre is the senior vice president of medical and academic affairs at St. Luke’s University Hospital and is an infectious disease specialist. In a recent briefing for the staff at St. Luke’s regarding the hospital’s readiness, he expressed frustration about the frequent changes in CDC recommendations but said, “Despite the CDC’s uncertainty, St. Luke’s is actively planning for all situations.” He is confident in the hospital’s ability to be proactive and also stated that the hospital will deliberately exceed the CDC standards for safety in its selection of personal protective equipment.

Because there is no proven treatment for Ebola – only experimental ones – Jahre said hospitals must focus on three areas: A patient must be kept isolated until he or she can be transferred. Jahre said there are only four hospitals in the country

with separate biocontainment units and adequate personnel to care for these patients. He is confident that hospitals in the Lehigh Valley can control the situation and prepare a safe transfer. An Ebola patient can lose up to 10 liters of body fluid per day and, therefore, must be kept fully supported with fluid replacement therapy in order to prevent organ failure.

Healthcare workers must continually receive updated training and information. Rosenau and Jahre said simulation drills have been instituted in the area’s hospitals and that personnel will be prepared in the event Ebola presents in the ED. As president of ACEP, Rosenau provides invaluable insight into the state of the country’s EDs. A recent report card issued by ACEP stated that there is a low surge capacity – this is a measurable representation of ability to manage a sudden influx of patients – in the nation’s hospitals.

“At the last government sequester, disaster funding was cut by 50 percent,” Rosenau said.

“Adequate support and resources must be committed on a national basis to ensure challenges will be met.” He also stressed that a way to cut down on visits to the ED is to get a flu shot.

“Ebola is scary but unlikely,” Rosenau said, “and the flu is a reality that killed over 25,000 people in the U.S. last year.” The differences in viral illnesses are difficult to discern in early stages.

Both Ebola and influenza will begin with similar flu-like symptoms; EDs are already dealing with cases of the flu, and ED visits will only increase as fear of contracting Ebola increases.

Jahre cited the need for increased funding to prevent the spread of Ebola and stressed the need to get to the source in West Africa to learn how to stop its spread.

“We live in a global village,” he said, where an infected person is just a plane ride away. “As Jews, we are taught not to stand idly by the blood of our brethren. We are our brothers’ keeper.”

Rosenau echoed this sentiment. “We’re all related and are in this together. Getting this right is in the true spirit of tikkun olam.”

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Contact Judy Diamondstein at 610-821-5500 or judy@jflv.org for information.

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | NOVEMBER 2014 5

Cartoonists who spoke out against Kristallnacht

COURTESY OF THE DAVID S. WYMAN INSTITUTE FOR HOLOCAUST STUDIES

Left, A Christian Science Monitor editorial cartoon, by J. Parker Robinson, responding to Kristallnacht.

Right, Six days after Kristallnacht, Paul Carmack, staff cartoonist for the Christian Science Monitor, drew a cartoon titled “The Best Answer to Race Persecution.” It showed a large hand, labeled “Humanity,” handing a document titled “Assistance” to a crowd of Jewish refugees.

By Rafael Medoff JNS.org “I could scarcely believe that such a thing could occur in a 20th-century civilization,” President Franklin Roosevelt declared in the wake of the Nazis’ Kristallnacht pogrom, which devastated the German Jewish community on Nov. 9-10, 1938.

Most Americans, like their president, were appalled to read of Nazi stormtroopers burning down hundreds of synagogues, ransacking thousands of Jewishowned businesses, murdering some one hundred Jews, and hauling 30,000 more off to concentration camps. In the days following the pogrom, three American

6 NOVEMBER 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

editorial cartoonists would try to channel the public’s sympathy for the victims into concrete steps to help German Jewry.

In response to Kristallnacht, President Roosevelt recalled the U.S. ambassador from Germany for “consultations” and extended the visitors’ visas of the approximately 12,000 German Jewish refugees who were then in the United States. But at the same time, FDR announced that liberalization of America’s tight immigration quotas was “not in contemplation.”

In the wake of Kristallnacht, humanitarian-minded Members of Congress introduced legislation to aid German Jewry. The Wagner-Rogers bill proposed the admission of 20,000 German refugee children outside the quotas. Nativist and isolationist groups vociferously opposed the Wagner-Rogers bill.

Typical of the opposition’s perspective was a remark by FDR’s cousin, Laura Delano Houghteling, who was the wife of the U.S. Commissioner of Immigration.

She warned that “20,000 charming children would all too soon grow into 20,000 ugly adults.”

An appeal to FDR by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to support Wagner-Rogers fell on deaf ears, and an inquiry by a Congresswoman as to the president’s position was returned to his secretary marked “File No action FDR.” Mindful of polls showing most Americans opposed to more immigration, Roosevelt preferred to follow public opinion rather than lead it. Without his support, the Wagner-Rogers bill was buried in committee.

Ironically, when Pets Magazine the following year launched a campaign to have Americans take in pure-bred British puppies so they would not be harmed by German bombing raids, the magazine was flooded with several thousand offers of haven for the dogs.

Most American editorial cartoonists, like most Americans, exhibited little interest in the plight of Germany’s Jews. But there were exceptions. A handful of cartoonists used their platforms not only to express sympathy for the refugees but also to call for practical steps to help them.

Six days after Kristallnacht, Paul Carmack, staff cartoonist

for the Christian Science Monitor, drew a cartoon titled “The Best Answer to Race Persecution.” It showed a large hand, labeled “Humanity,” handing a document titled “Assistance” to a crowd of Jewish refugees.

Five days later, the Christian Science Monitor published another editorial cartoon responding to Kristallnacht, this time by J. Parker Robinson. It showed a mass of people, labeled “Jews,” marching past a sign pointing to “Exile,” with a giant question mark looming over the horizon.

He titled the cartoon “Wanted: A Christian Answer.” The question was the fate of the Jews; the answer, the cartoonist insisted, was for Christians to accept their moral responsibility to help the downtrodden.

Meanwhile, in the pages of the Chicago Daily News, another cartoonist pleaded for help for Germany’s Jews. Staff cartoonist Cecil Jensen drew a group of Jewish refugees on a large rock, surrounded by turbulent ocean waves. They can see, in the distance, a 17th century-style ship, labeled “World Rescue Efforts.”

Whether or not the ship will save the refugees is unclear. Jensen titled the cartoon “Mayflower,” invoking America’s own powerful historical symbol of refugees from religious persecution reaching a safe haven.

Sadly, few Americans heeded the appeals of Paul Cormack, J. Parker Robinson, and Cecil Jensen, despite the horrors of Kristallnacht. When a “Mayflower” ship called the St. Louis approached America’s shores just a few months later, President Roosevelt turned it away.

Expressions of sympathy were not matched by deeds. There were no U.S. economic sanctions against Nazi Germany, no severing of diplomatic relations, no easing of immigration quotas.

The Roosevelt administration’s muted reaction to Kristallnacht foreshadowed the terrible silence with which it would greet the Nazis’ Final Solution.

Dr. Rafael Medoff is founding director of The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies. This feature is adapted from his forthcoming book,” Cartoonists Against the Holocaust,” coauthored with Craig Yoe.

JEWISHSENIORLIFECONNECTION

New programming for seniors is coming

By Sandy Newman, JCC Myra Saturen, JFS and JFLV Staff Senior support services in the Lehigh Valley will get a boost in the coming months thanks to new hires at the Jewish Community Center and Jewish Family Service. The expansion of the Jewish Senior Life Connection program answers the call of the Jewish Community Strategic Plan to cater to a growing senior population. By providing needed services like transportation and social opportunities, Jewish Senior Life Connection allows seniors to continue to live healthy, active lives and enjoy the rich resources the Lehigh Valley has to offer.

JCC welcomes Melissa Hakim Melissa Feltingoff Hakim, M.D., has joined the JCC as senior services coordinator.

Hakim moved to Allentown when she was in elementary school and spent much time at the JCC while growing up. She remained actively involved, most recently as a group exercise instructor for the past five years – her kickboxing class runs four times per week.

A graduate of Emmaus High School, Brandeis University and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Hakim brings her years of experience and wealth of knowledge to this new venture at the J. Her hus-

band Dr. Harvey Hakim is actively involved in the JCC’s Sports and Wellness Committee, and their three children Ben, Hannah and Max are also products of the JCC environment. It’s quite fitting that Hakim’s next adventure keeps her close to home where her heart is, at the J. Hakim said she is excited about the opportunity to engage older adults in social, recreational and cultural programs and events at the JCC and in the greater Lehigh Valley.

She will reach beyond the JCC to expand existing programs and develop offerings to actively involve seniors in the areas of lifelong learning and intellectual stimulation in social settings with events, speakers, lessons and clubs.

Creating a Jewish senior life network at the JCC and on the road will help to involve seniors in the next stage of entertainment and learning. She will work with the existing Friendship Circle as the staff liaison as well as create programs and collaborate with other Jewish and general community organizations.

Hakim brings extensive program planning and leadership to this new position and the staff looks forward to supporting her efforts in this important role. While senior services is a new initiative and programs are in the planning stages, ideas in the works include a: book discussion, knitting circle, walking club, art class, lunch pro-

Melissa Hakim

gram, exercise class, movie matinee, current events group and the hosting of Shabbat dinners. The JCC looks forward to enhancing its role in serving senior adults and working closely with the Jewish Federation’s Senior Services Task Force.

Funding for this position is made possible by the Sylvia Perkin Perpetual Charitable Trust and the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley.

If you have an idea or a suggestion, Melissa Hakim will be happy to hear from you. She may be reached at 610-435-3571 or mhakim@ lvjcc.org.

JFS welcomes Carol Wilson Carol Wilson has joined the Jewish Family Service staff as the JFS facilities coordinator through the Jewish Senior Life Connection program. Wilson meets with and develops relationships with key administra-

UPDATE: The GO Program and Groups on the GO While new programs are in the works, The GO Program and Groups on the GO are already helping seniors gain access to quality transportation for individual outings and group trips.

The GO Program utilizes trained volunteer drivers to provide about one ride per week to adults over age 65. Since April, 35 people have enrolled in the program and use the

service for rides to lunch, doctors’ offices, nail salons, grocery stores and more.

New drivers are always welcome.

Introduced in July, Groups on the GO invites Lehigh Valley organizations that host events or programs to apply for funds to offset the cost of transporting groups of seniors.

Congregation Am Haskalah has already applied for, and

will receive, funds toward the deposit on a full-size bus for two different day trips in spring 2015. There is still funding available and applications can be found at www.jewishlehighvalley. org/seniors.

If you know of someone, or a group of people, over age 65 with places to GO, call Jewish Family Service at 610-821-8722 for more information.

Carol Wilson

tors at senior care communities that have Jewish residents and with Lehigh Valley Jewish clergy to provide relevant, rich and meaningful programs of Jewish interest to residents.

She involves residents in deciding the subjects of the programs.

Wilson also educates staff at care facilities about Jewish holidays, religion and culture to enhance their sensitivity to Jewish residents.

A native of Pittsburgh, Wilson earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Goucher College and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pittsburgh. She did medical social work in the Endocrinology Department at Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, where she worked with families and groups, started a summer camp and helped medical residents understand the psychosocial aspects of patients’ illnesses.

Wilson is active in the Jewish community and

serves as president of the Women’s Division of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. During the 17 years she has lived in the Lehigh Valley, she also served on the executive committee and as the chair of the membership committee at Temple Beth El, and has served on the executive committee and board of the Jewish Day School.

Wilson’s husband, Dr. Bob Wilson, is a physician who specializes in pain management. The Wilsons have two children, Ben, 14, and Rebecca, 10.

Wilson is excited about her work at JFS. “I love our community and am happy to play a role in implementing and enriching programs at senior care communities,” she said.

“This is an exciting time to be part of JFS as it expands its outreach efforts to Jewish seniors in a meaningful way.”

To reach Carol Wilson or learn more about upcoming activities, call 610-821-8722.

VOLUNTEER DRIVERS NEEDED Formal training Insurance coverage Mileage reimbursement Drive who you want, when you want.

Call Rebecca Axelrod-Cooper at Jewish Family Service, 610-821-8722 In partnership with ShareCare Faith in Action HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | NOVEMBER 2014 7

Taffi Ney retires from Federation JFLV Staff Taffi Ney has retired from the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley after nearly 28 years of professional service.

“Ross and I have known Taffi since before she began working at the Federation because she was our neighbor,” said Wendy Born, longtime friend and past president of the Federation. “We watched her grow and blossom as a Jewish communal professional over the years.

Taffi has always taken her job seriously and has a real passion for what she does. Taffi excels in building and maintaining relationships with Federation donors. Just as a good neighbor is defined as someone who takes an interest in others and is willing to offer support when needed, Taffi has displayed that sense of ‘neighborly spirit’ and caring in her years at JFLV.” Ney joined the accounting department staff in February of 1987 and soon became the lead financial administrator for the Federation.

Ten years later, Ney moved into fundraising and became the director of financial resources and then the director of planned giving and endowments. She later also filled the vacancy in the Federation’s annual campaign director position and ultimately became responsible for all of the Federation’s financial resource development activities, with the well-deserved title of

IN MEMORY

MOTHER (of Linda Levy) Donald and Randi Senderowitz DEBRA LUNICK (Mother of Marcy Staiman) Donald and Randi Senderowitz Laurie and Robby Wax Stan and Vicki Wax HARRIET SINBERG (Mother of Peggy Rau) Donald and Randi Senderowitz BART WEINER (Stepson of Jean Weiner) Ross and Wendy Born Donald and Randi Senderowitz Stan and Vicki Wax From r., Taffi Ney with Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley Past President Wendy Born and Executive Director Mark L. Goldstein at Super Sunday 2014. While Ney is retiring from her professional service, she still plans to be a committed volunteer.

associate executive director until 2007, when she transitioned to the position of donor development officer.

Many other changes as well occurred at the Federation during Ney’s tenure: The change from manual to automated/computerized systems, from ledger cards to a sophisticated database, and five

IN HONOR

executive directorships.

“Yet throughout her near-28 years,” said Mark L. Goldstein, who has served as executive director of the Federation since 2002, “Taffi has remained an important constant at our Federation and for our donors and leadership – many of whom she counts as her closest of friends.”

Program takes a look back at ‘The Goldbergs’

By Jessica Cooperman Muhlenberg College On Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 7:30 p.m., Professor Charles Richter of Muhlenberg College’s Department of Theatre and Dance will lead a program titled “An Evening with the Goldbergs” at Congregation Keneseth Israel in Allentown. The program will examine the classic 1950s television show, the work of its creator and star, Gertrude Bell, and the program’s important place in 20th century American Jewish culture.

The program will “explore the ways that this show became crucial in shaping America's perception of the post-Holocaust American Jewish community,” Richter said.

“We will delve into how and why the major American television networks, all controlled by Jews, tried to discourage Jewish content in the mass media, and will look at the effect of the McCarthy era blacklists on American Jewish theatre artists,” he said. “We will also get a chance to see two complete episodes of ‘The Goldberg's,’ including the rarely seen, but very significant ‘Kol Nidre’ program.”

Richter is a professor of directing, theatre history, and theory, and the founding chair of the Department

of Theatre and Dance at Muhlenberg College, where he has taught for over 30 years. He is the artistic director of the Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre and has directed more than 60 productions for the Muhlenberg College Theater, as well as productions in New York, Cincinnati and Dallas. He is a recipient of the NBC/ Kennedy Center Gold Medallion for service to the American College Theatre Festival and the City of Allentown’s Arts Ovation Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts.

This event is part of Muhlenberg College’s Jewish Studies Program’s series on “Imagining Jews: From the Ancient World to the American Present.” The series and this program were made possible by the Legacy Heritage Jewish Studies Project, directed by the Association for Jewish Studies (AJS), and co-sponsored by Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, the Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding, and the Berman Center for Jewish Studies at Lehigh University. It is free and open to the public.

For information about other upcoming events in this series, see the ad on Page 9 or the Community Calendar on Page 30 or contact Jessica Cooperman at cooperman@muhlenberg.edu.

STUART ALPERIN Speedy Recovery Stan and Vicki Wax WENDY BORN Happy ‘Special’ Birthday Lisa and Ellis Block VICTOR AND LESLIE BUNICK In honor of Nicole’s marriage Lynn and Samuel Feldman JEANETTE EICHENWALD Happy New Year Eydie and Neil Glickstein IRIS EPSTEIN Thank you for presenting an amazing program Temple Beth El Sisterhood AARON GORODZINSKY 2014 Norman Edell Award for a Young Jewish Communal Professional Carol and Gary Fromer ROBERT AND ARLENE HURWITZ Bar Mitzvah of their grandson Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald DAVID AND SUSAN HYMAN Engagement of son Adam to Meghan Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald WES AND BETH KOZINN Birth of their grandson Ross and Wendy Born Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald DAVID AND ELIZABETH LISCHNER Marriage of their son Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald JERRY AND ETHEL MELAMUT

Happy 60th Wedding Anniversary Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald TAFFI NEY In honor of her many years of service to the Federation Carol and Gary Fromer HOWARD AND JANE PITKOFF Bar Mitzvah of their grandson Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald ALISON POST Bar Mitzvah of her son, Zev Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald ROBERT AND LOTA POST Bar Mitzvah of their grandson Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald RICHARD AND BARBARA REISNER Birth of their grandson Jeanette and Eduardo Eichenwald PENNY ROTH Happy Birthday Audrey and Jerome Cylinder HOWARD AND SUSAN SHERER Birth of their grandson, Ezra Ross and Wendy Born FRANK AND TAMA TAMARKIN For their consideration and kindness Muriel Kosen RABBI DAVID WILENSKY Happy New Year Eydie and Neil Glickstein

HELEN & SOL KRAWITZ HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL FUND IN MEMORY

MIKI ZIMRING (Mother of Randy Zimring) 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.

Our new website will answer your questions and help you set up the plan for you A planned gift involves some planning – but it’s really quite easy and will help both you and our mission.

The planning tools at www.lvjfgiving.org can help you create a legacy in your will or trust, increase lifetime income for you and your spouse and pass on assets to your heirs through a taxwise charitable gift plan.

To learn more about the benefits of making a planned gift, contact Jim Mueth at 610-821-5500 or jim@jflv.org or visit www.lvjfgiving.org.

8 NOVEMBER 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

Remember me: The Spiritual C L E R G Y Power of Bikur Cholim WRITINGS FROM THE

CANTOR KEVIN WARTELL Temple Beth El One of the greatest experiences of my career has been my recent training in clinical pastoral education.

CPE enables the clergy member to become more in tune with inner thoughts and, as a result, more connected to the congregants we serve.

Through study, peer review and clinical visitation in a nursing home, hospital or hospice situation, CPE affords the opportunity for growth, both as a professional and as a human being.

One of the great attributes of Judaism is the mitzvah of bikur cholim, visiting the ill in our midst.

As family geography has changed over the decades, many

are not able to visit loved ones in the same way that I remember visiting my grandmother, of blessed memory, when I was a child.

Every Sunday afternoon after religious school was lunch at Grandma’s.

Grandma lived in the same home that she brought her children home to from the hospital. She lived with my aunts and uncle, who by then had occupied that same home with her for decades.

She died in that same home at the age of 86 years.

Recently, a dear friend brought to my attention research which only confirmed what I believed to be the case from a spiritual aspect concerning the reaction of bikur cholim on community members diagnosed with the terrible illness known as Alzheimer’s disease.

The concern has to do with whether it is still possible to connect in a meaningful way with someone who has the disease.

Anne-Marie Botek of Agingcare. com writes: “While dementia undoubtedly alters relationships, it can't completely erase them, according to heartening new research that uncovers a truth many Alzheimer's caregivers have always known: Just because a person can't remember doesn't mean they can't feel.

Instead, researchers at the University of Iowa’s Carver School

of Medicine have discovered that people with Alzheimer’s are still “profoundly impacted emotionally by events they cannot recall.” Botek quotes the researchers as saying that “the more impaired a person's memory of a specific event is, the stronger their feelings—both positive and negative—about that experience will be.” This new research confirms my belief of a sacred soul, trapped in an ill body.

What these researchers are saying is that spending time with loved ones with Alzheimer’s really can help their quality of life and feeling of well-being. Botek concludes: “These life-affirming activities don't have to be overthe-top — bringing your mom her favorite cookies and telling her your love her; reading your wife's favorite gossip magazines to her; watching a funny movie with your dad. Big or small, science proves that positive experiences can enhance your loved one's life in a major way.”

Bikur cholim, a mitzvah that sometimes today is left to professionals can really be a rich reward for each of us to experience.

For more information on how you can get involved in bikur cholim, contact any of my colleagues of the Lehigh Valley Jewish Clergy Group, or our very own Jewish Family Service at 610-821-8722.

Life is a sacred story…the power of memory is an eternal flame.

Keeping loans local.

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HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | NOVEMBER 2014 9

Did you know you can donate produce to the JFS Food Pantry?

By Allen Carroll Special to HAKOL Jewish Family Service serves the Jewish and non-Jewish people in the area with two food banks – kosher and nonkosher. JFS does a wonderful service by providing the ever-increasing food insecure population with food to feed themselves and their families. One area in which they are not able to procure donations is produce.

I’ve been donating fresh produce for a while now and can tell you that the recipients really appreciate it. I can see by the smiles on the faces of those visiting the food pantry that they want and need fresh produce.

As many of you know, produce in the supermarkets is very expensive and out of reach for many struggling souls. I shop for produce at Produce Junction and Aldi’s.

They have prices that are one

third to one half as expensive as supermarkets; Aldi’s features produce picks of the week for some incredible deals. I then stock up on these items and bring them to JFS on Tuesday or Thursday mornings between 9 and 10 a.m. only.

Non perishable produce can be brought at other

times. It is a joy and privilege to be able to help our hungry community members in this way.

For further information, you may contact me at alca7@juno. com. To learn more about the food pantries, contact Jewish Family Service at 610-8218722.

Feeding America releases new findings from Landmark Hunger Report Feeding America, the nation’s largest provider of charitable food assistance to low-income Americans, in October announced additional findings from its landmark report, “Hunger in America 2014.”

The study represents findings from 200 Feeding America food banks, all of which annually provide more than three billion meals to people facing hunger through 58,000 food pantries, kitchens and meal service programs, including Second Harvest and by extension Jewish Family Service of the Lehigh Valley Initial findings released in August reported that, at some point in the year, more than 46 million people are currently relying on food assistance from an agency served by Feeding America, including 12 million children and seven million seniors.

The study is the largest and most comprehensive study of people seeking charitable food assistance in the United States ever conducted.

AMONG THE FINDINGS OF THE STUDY: • 40 percent of households report that, in the past year, they have watered down food or drinks to make them last longer, in an effort to have enough food to feed everyone in the home. This rate rises to 45 percent among households with children in the home.

• 69 percent of households report choosing between paying for utilities and paying for food in the past year.

Thirty-four percent report making this choice every

10 NOVEMBER 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

month. This is a particularly tough choice to make in the midst of harsh, cold winters, especially in homes that include seniors and children.

• Nearly five million households not currently enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps) may qualify for the program based on their reported household income.

• Only 5 percent of the households served by Feeding America are homeless.

• 57 percent of households report choosing between paying their housing costs and buying food in the past year. 27 percent report making this choice every MONTH. • Nearly a quarter (24 percent) of agencies served

by Feeding America report reductions in services in the past year, totaling 11,000 agencies that have needed to cut the hours they operate, lay off staff or limit the area they can serve.

• An estimated 28 percent of feeding programs (such as food pantries and meal programs) report having less food available than needed to meet client needs.

More than 60,000 people confidentially answered questions about their personal circumstances for the study.

Hagel, meeting with Yaalon, reaffirms U.S. commitment to Israeli security Jewish Telegraphic Agency U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel reaffirmed the “deep commitment” of the United States to Israel’s security at a meeting with his Israeli counterpart.

Hagel in his meeting Oct. 21 with Israeli Minister of Defense Moshe Yaalon at the Pentagon in Washington also noted the importance of the U.S.-Israel defense relationship.

The defense chiefs discussed the

coalition efforts to counter ISIS, Iran and other regional issues. They also agreed to continue to work together to maintain the strength of the U.S.-Israel security relationship, according to a Pentagon statement.

Israel and the United States have disagreed on what could be the terms of a nuclear agreement between the world powers and Iran. Israel wants all of Iran’s centrifuges to be dismantled, while the United States is willing to consider leav-

ing a limited civilian nuclear program in place with strict international monitoring.

“We must not forget that the United States is really the State of Israel’s most important strategic ally,” Yaalon said in Washington following the meeting, according to the Times of Israel. “In every aspect they are the leading power in the world, whether it is economically or militarily or diplomatically, and it is good that we have the opportunity to share our opinions.”

Yom Kippur not yet an official U.N. holiday, but might be next year

By Sean Savage and Alina Dain Sharon JNS.org The holiest day on the Jewish calendar isn’t among the 10 holiest days on the United Nations calendar. But Israel and many other countries hope that changes by the time next year’s Day of Atonement arrives.

In July, amid Israel’s summer war with Hamas and global anti-Israel protests, U.N. ambassadors from 32 countries wrote a letter to a U.N. General Assembly committee that urged the recognition of Yom Kippur (Oct. 3-4 this year) as an official U.N. holiday. The U.N. currently marks 10 holidays, including the Christian holidays Christmas and Good Friday as well as the Muslim holidays Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, but there is no Jewish holiday on that list.

The messages of Yom Kippur—that “every person’s deeds are weighed on the heavenly scales of justice and the blessings of the coming year are determined by the good deeds performed in the service of others”—are “universal” and as such deserve to be marked by the U.N., the letter said.

The letter came in support of an Israeli initiative on the issue that was launched in May. Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Ron Prosor had sent his own letter asking the 192 other U.N. envoys to join Israel’s campaign for the holiday’s recognition.

“It is about time Jewish employees at the U.N won’t be obligated to work on Yom Kippur,” Prosor wrote. “Such discrimination at the U.N. must end,” he added.

Currently, the Israeli Permanent Mission to the U.N. is

working within the U.N.’s vast bureaucracy to get Yom Kippur recognized.

“The issue of Yom Kippur is of a cultural/religious nature,” Yotam Goren, a diplomat who works for Israel’s U.N. mission, told JNS.org. “It can be an issue that bridges divisions and speaks to the universal values we all hold closely, including reconciliation, forgiveness and tolerance. The hope is that these values will prevail and be heralded by all member states in the upcoming negotiations.”

Goren represents Israel on the U.N. Fifth Committee, which is the world body’s administrative and budgetary committee that decides on issues such as holidays. The committee begins deliberating on the Yom Kippur issue this month, with a possible decision coming by December. The matter will be voted on by all 193 U.N. member states.

A number of major Jewish organizations and leaders are also advocating for Yom Kippur’s recognition at the U.N. Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, also believes that by recognizing Yom Kippur, the international community could take a step in the right direction.

“Given the traditional hostility of the United Nations to Israel” as well as “the rise of anti-Semitism and [Israel] delegitimization efforts,” recognizing Yom Kippur at the U.N. would be a message “that the modern religion is recognized, and the role of Judaism among the world’s great religions would be enshrined by the United Nations by at least having one [official Jewish] holiday,” Hoenlein told JNS.org.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23 3:30 p.m.

Jewish Day School

Young Adult Division members and PJ Library families are invited to participate in the culmination of a month-long tikkun olam initiative to collect food and other items for the Jewish Family Service Food Pantry prior to Thanksgiving. Adults will package the food items while children will have the opportunity to bake brownies, build centerpieces, decorate bags and listen to a PJ Library story.

Visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org/ thanksgiving to learn more.

“Once the capital of American steel, this burgeoning art community shows its grit with a photography festival to compete with the big cities.”

Amy Bedik American Photo

Carl Palmer Band November 23 | 7:30 pm Upcoming Shows The Cured:

Dave Davies

The Ultimate Tribute to The Cure

sponsored by WDIY 88.1 FM

November 1 | 8 pm

November 22 | 7:30 pm

Jacob Whitesides

Philadelphia Funk Authority

Fowler Blast Furnace Room November 11 | 7 pm

Laurie Berkner November 16 | 3 pm

Brian Posehn November 21 | 8 pm

November 26 | 8:30 pm

The Aardvarks & The Sofa Kings

sponsored by Trifecta Technologies

November 29 | 7:30 pm

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

kathy ryan

An exciting weekend of

EXHIBITIONS, PRESENTATIONS AND PARTIES November 7-9 | Bethlehem, PA | invisionphotofestival.org FEATURING:

Larry Price artist in residence Kathy Ryan | David Maialetti | Andrea Modica Slideluck Lehigh Valley Party | and more

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

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | NOVEMBER 2014 11

Editor’s Note: The October edition of HAKOL featured a special center section on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement and can be accessed at www.jewishlehighvalley.org/hakol. Here, we continue to examine BDS and the responses to the movement, which seeks to delegitimize Israel.

Woolworths of South Africa threatens to sue BDS over protests Jewish Telegraphic Agency Woolworths of South Africa said it may take the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) lobby to court for threatening its staff and customers.

The BDS movement has held more than 40 protests at Woolworths stores throughout the country in recent weeks.

“Our employees, of all faiths and cultures, are telling us that they are feeling increasingly threatened by the protests,” spokesman Babs Dlamini told the South African daily The Times in October. “What’s more, the families of our employees have reported being abused and sworn at

by BDS. “If this continues we will consider taking further precautions, including legal action against the individuals involved.”

It is not known if the protests have

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hurt Woolworths sales.

BDS reportedly plans to continue to pressure the company, Woolworths Holdings Limited, until its annual general meeting on Nov. 26.

Dlamini told the Times that Woolworths was not sure why it was being targeted because “more than 95 percent of our food is sourced locally [and] the government continues to authorize trade with Israel.”

BDS activist Mohammed Desai told the Times that the movement knows there are other companies in South Africa with ties to Israel, but said: “For now, Woolworths is our target. They are making a grave mistake by ignoring us and if we go to all those retailers our campaign will be diluted.”

In South Africa, BDS has received support from the African National Congress’ Youth League, and the Times reported that the movement has lobbied influential ANC supporters to put pressure on one of Woolworths’ largest shareholders, the Government Employees Pension Fund, which holds 17.2 percent of the shares.

Woolworths, one of the largest companies in South Africa, is not related to the U.S. chain F. W. Woolworth Company.

Daughter of Hamas’ Haniyeh treated at Israeli hospital Jewish Telegraphic Agency JERUSALEM -- A daughter of Gazan Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was treated in October at a Tel Aviv hospital, according to reports.

Haniyeh’s daughter received emergency treatment at Ichilov Hospital, the hospital confirmed, according to Haaretz. She remained hospitalized in Israel for about a week.

The hospital did not name the daughter — Haniyeh has 13 children — and did not disclose her ailment.

Palestinian officials would not confirm the hospital stay to Israeli media.

Ichilov Hospital said it treats more than 1,000 patients each year from the Gaza Strip and Palestinian Authority.

Lancet editor in editorial regrets, but does not retract, Gaza letter Jewish Telegraphic Agency The editor of The Lancet wrote in the British medical journal that he regrets the polarization caused by the publication of an open letter accusing Israel of a “massacre” in Gaza, but did not retract it.

The letter to the people of Gaza was published in The Lancet during this summer’s conflict in the strip between Israel and Hamas. Several dozen physicians from the West signed the letter, which also accused Israel of “cruel” and “vicious war crimes.”

“At a moment of unbearable human destruction in Gaza, the unintended outcome of the Manduca et al letter was an extreme polarization of already divided positions,” The editor, Dr. Richard Horton wrote in the latest issue of The Lancet fol-

Lancet editor

Continues on page 13 12 NOVEMBER 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

Partnership2Gether program 'twins' Yoav schools with JDS

The Yoav region’s school twinning team, set to interact throughout the year with the Jewish Day School of the Lehigh Valley: R. to L., Lili Rein, vice principal of Sdot Yoav; Dafi Batat, English teacher; and Yifat Koren, homeroom teacher and head of computer communications curricula.

By Yonit Waldner Peleg Partnership2Gether Coordinator, Yoav Region and Aaron Gorodzinsky JFLV Director of Outreach and Community Relations An elementary school in Yoav, Israel, is partnering with the Jewish Day School of the Lehigh Valley this year to create long-lasting friendships and provide a warm introduction to life on both sides of the ocean.

For Yoav, the Lehigh Valley's Partnership2Gether community, the "twinning" program will help to realize a dream that every person who visits Israel from the Lehigh Valley will come to Yoav and feel at home.

Lili Rein, a mother of three and grandmother of four, has served as the vice principal of Sdot Yoav for the past six years under the leadership of Principal Lea Ginsburg. She

is supervising the twinning program.

“When we were approached by the Partnership2Gether coordinator with the idea of school twinning [with the day school], I was very excited,” Rein said. “We were [already] thinking of how to expand our horizons and connect with other Jewish schools abroad.”

A native of Argentina, Rein explained, "My family immigrated to Israel when I was a child and I remember the Jewish Day School I attended.

I view the connection with the Jewish community in the Diaspora as vital to the continuance of the Jewish People."

The twinning program was launched with the current school year. Both schools hope it will be a fruitful and meaningful relationship for the schools, the students and their families for years to come.

Right now, fifth through

eighth graders at the Jewish Day School are writing letters to their Israeli counterparts, Head of School Al Goren said.

The long-term goal of the program, he said, is to send JDS 8th graders to study in Yoav and tour Israel with their Yoav friends.

Facilitated by Partnership2Gether Yoav - Lehigh Valley as part of an ever growing basket of programs fostering connections and relationships between the communities, the program creates an opportunity for staff of both schools to work together and to develop a joint curriculum or project.

Leading the program in Yoav are two teachers: Dafi Batat, an English teacher, and Yifat Koren, a homeroom teacher who also heads the computer science and communications curricula. They are working with Dana Kind from JDS. The teachers and vice principal from Sdot Yoav will take part in an educators' delegation to Lehigh Valley sponsored by the partnership this coming December together with two teachers from the Haelah elementary school in the north of the Yoav region.

“We are very excited to have the opportunity to meet the community and to introduce our school and its unique programing,” Rein said. “On both a professional as well as a personal level, I am looking forward to learning and sharing with my peers, the teachers of the JDS.”

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To learn more about the Partnership2Gether Yoav-Lehigh Valley programs visit: www.jewishagency.org/yoav.

Lancet editor Continues from page 12

lowing a visit to Israel and Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa. “This schism helped no-one and I certainly regret that result. I have seen for myself that what was written in the Manduca et al letter does not describe the full reality.”

Horton said that the journal has proposed new guidelines to deal with “submissions that lie at the difficult intersection of medicine and politics.” Under the guidelines, “editors should always pause, reflect, and consult before publishing any manuscript that might unnecessarily polarize, or foster or worsen political division.”

He also announced that the journal would publish a series on Israel’s health and medical research system.

NGO Monitor, a Jerusalembased research institute that monitors nongovernmental organizations, in a statement called Horton’s editorial “another step towards ending the exploitation of this journal for demonizing Israel,” but said it did not go far enough since it failed to retract or apologize

for the publication of the open letter.

The group called on Horton to issue a formal retraction and apology and to remove the letter from The Lancet’s website.

NGO Monitor unearthed evidence tying two of the letters’ authors to support for David Duke, who circulated a video supporting the white supremacist.

Following the publication of the letter, Horton was invited to visit Israel to see Jewish-Arab medical cooperation firsthand.

“At Rambam I saw an inspiring model of partnership between Jews and Arabs in a part of Israel where 40 percent of the population is Arab,” he wrote in Lancet. “I saw Rambam offering an open hand, gladly grasped by families from Gaza, the West Bank, and Syria, who were living with life-threatening healthcare needs. I saw Rambam as one example of a vision for a peaceful and productive future between peoples, which I learned exists throughout Israel’s hospitals.”

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | NOVEMBER 2014 13

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JDS graduate wins film award

Palmerton filmmaker and Lehigh Valley Jewish Day School graduate Noah Berlow is the winner of the 2014 Outstanding Young Alumni Award presented by the Ithaca College Alumni Association for his achievements in the art of filmmaking and his ability to tell stories that reflect and impact culture.

“The imagination and curiosity nurtured in my childhood at the Jewish Day School—especially Mrs. Beth Kidd Jenny--played a huge role in my passion for storytelling and still inspires me to this day,” Berlow said. “Mrs. Beth Kidd Jenny introduced our class to the great works of literature including her favorite, William Shakespeare, earlier than most young students would encounter them.

PJ Library Continues from page 1

Lewis B. Montgomery, she wrote all 12 books in the popular Milo & Jazz Mysteries chapter book series. Rockliff is also the author of “Get Real: What Kind of World Are You Buying?,” a

16 NOVEMBER 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

“But it was not just Mrs. Kidd Jenny’s teaching me how to analyze fiction and write creative stories that impacted me. She also was a major influence in teaching me the importance of learning history. Around seventh grade, she introduced us to European history for the first time and we learned in detail the horrors of the Nazi Holocaust. Mrs. Kidd Jenny bravely showed our class documentary films that exposed the Nazi party and Hitler’s plan for the final solution and she encouraged critical thinking in class discussions. I am grateful to her for this in-depth education which inspired a lot of my early work--remembering history and realizing the importance of telling our stories.”

Berlow interned with Steven Spielberg’s Survivors of the SHOAH Visual History Foundation, and was the editor of the 2007 BAFTA award-winning documentary “Recollections: Eye Witnesses Remember the Holocaust.”

After graduating from Ithaca in 2004, Berlow came into his own as a visionary storyteller with the ability to use his versatile tone to travel between the worlds of entertainment and serious documentaries.

Berlow is known in Los Angeles as a go-to filmmaker for music videos, behind-the-scenes music documentaries, and video shoots for Rolling Stone and US Magazine. He has produced and edited films that were screened on VH1’s Palladia network including Sully Erna’s “Journey to Avalon,” a feature film, “Video Girl,” shown on BET, and a documentary, “Kumpania: Flamenco Los Angeles,” which won Best Documentary at the Memphis International Film Festival.

While these stories are meant to inform and entertain, others have a more serious purpose: to educate and help bring about social change.

A documentary about female genital mutilation (FGM) entitled “Our World: Dropping the Knife—Kurdistan,” which Berlow produced and edited, was viewed under the title “Handful of Ash” by Kurdish Parliament in 2011. They responded by outlawing the horrific practice.

In 2013, the film was broadcast to a potential audience of 30 million viewers on BBC Arab TV.

tween-friendly guide to the social and environmental impact of our shopping choices, which has become required reading in many middle schools across the United States and around the world.

Rockliff clearly loves words, as seen in the entire story she made based on the term “grudgekeeper.” In the spirit of Goldie and her neighbors in “Chik Chak

Shabbat,” she invites all to try her cholent at the Bethlehem library in November and offers these parting words: “Buon appetito, Maze karein, Que aproveche, and B’tayavon!”

Noah Berlow lives in Los Angeles, where he manages his film production company, Immortal Cinema International, LLC, and the Immortal Cinema Veterans Foundation.

The Bethlehem Area Public Library is located at 11 West Church St. in Bethlehem. To sign up for free books through PJ Library, go to jewishlehighvalley.org or visit pjlibrary.org.

LV-Yoav pen pal program expands JFLV Staff Under the Same Moon is a pen pal program that brings Lehigh Valley families closer together with Partnership2Gether families in Yoav, Israel.

This year, kids from three Lehigh Valley religious schools are taking pen to paper and learning more about daily life in Israel.

The program is based on a book by the same title and consists of six

different units that explore the lives of our families in both locations. Using the time-honored pen pal tools – pen and paper – the program gets kids sharing with kids about their families, daily routines, the way in which they celebrate the holidays and other topics. The main idea: Despite the distance, we all live “Under the Same Moon.”

As the project launches its second year, families from Congrega-

tion Keneseth Israel, Temple Beth El and the Bnai Abraham SynagogueCongregation Brith Sholom religious schools will be matched with families in the Yoav Regional Council and will begin writing letters to each other in the coming months.

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

Kids write to kids and share stories of life in the Lehigh Valley and in Yoav, all while living “Under the Same Moon.”

When was the last time you read a Jewish-themed book?

There's never been a better time:

NOVEMBER IS JEWISH BOOK MONTH.

Shalom TV becomes Jewish Broadcasting Service Press Release Shalom TV, hailed as America's Jewish television network, is now "JBS" – the Jewish Broadcasting Service.

The rebrand reflects the network’s expanding role on the world Jewish scene as it positions itself to become the global English-language Jewish channel. Shalom TV became the first Jewish network on American television with the 2006 launch on Comcast as a Video On Demand service.

Within four years, Shalom TV became a VOD service on virtually every major television provider, reaching more than 40 million American homes.

From the moment it premiered in 2012 as a 24/7 channel, viewership has skyrocketed. Daily news from Israel, and extensive coverage of events in Israel, has

established Shalom TV as the “go-to” channel throughout the Jewish community.

“Our viewers and analysts alike shared with us that Shalom TV particularly distinguished itself this summer as the only channel on American television to concentrate on the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza on a daily basis,” said JBS President and Executive Producer Rabbi Mark S. Golub.

A wide array of outstanding Jewish and non-Jewish figures, reflecting the entire political spectrum, participated in Shalom TV's ongoing series, "Israel In Turmoil.”

JBS provides multiple news programs each day, public affairs programming, major event coverage, twicedaily educational children's programming and an array of Jewish studies programs that make it possible for view-

ers to learn to read Hebrew, study a page of Talmud, be introduced to the world of the Jewish tradition and sit with the rabbinic minds at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem.

JBS will continue to be the television home of the 92nd Street Y's presentations from its Kaufman Auditorium, offer a Jewish Film Festival with multiple movies each week, and continue to be the only channel on American television to televise live Friday evening Shabbat services each week for those unable to attend a synagogue in person.

To learn more, go to jbstv.org.

Young filmmaker to debut at ArtsQuest Center

By Sarah Chimino JFLV Marketing Intern The 4th Annual Greater Lehigh Valley Filmmaker Festival this year will feature a short film by Jacob Lader. “The Global Freeze,” described as a mock documentary, is Lader’s first film to appear on the silver screen.

“I think global warming is a big problem. I guess I wanted to get it across in a silly way and more people might think about it,” said Lader, who is a student at Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts and a member of Congregation Brith Sholom.

Originally filming just for fun, he said he realized that the project should be about “something bigger.” With global warming in the news and under discussion at

school, he decided to “totally twist it around” and consider the opposite happening.

When asked how he got started on filmmaking, Lader replied, “I always really liked to do that kind of thing. I used to make little movies with a regular camera for home.” He added that he gets a lot of support from his family.

As for Jewish inspirations, he pointed to preserving nature as a Jewish value. In addition, at the end of the film, the message is that the viewer can help through conscientious everyday activities – another theme in Jewish life.

The 4th Annual Greater Lehigh Valley Filmmaker Festival will be held Nov. 6-8 at the Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas. The movie schedule is expected to be announced at www.artsquest.org.

PJ LIBRARY Family of the Month: THE ZEMBLES Reading has been a favorite activity for Leo and Eden since they were infants.

They particularly enjoy the PJ Library books and the opportunity to learn about Jewish themes and culture. They especially love getting a package in the mail each month addressed to them! Thank you, PJ Library!

SUSANNA & ROBERT ZEMBLE 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.

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | NOVEMBER 2014 17

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HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | NOVEMBER 2014 19

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Pennsylvania White House: Nazi war criminals should toughens stand not be receiving Social Security against Iran Jewish Telegraphic Agency

JFLV Staff A new Pennsylvania law sets restrictions on doing business with those who invest in Iran’s energy sector.

On Oct. 21, Gov. Tom Corbett signed the new law, which had been introduced by State Sen. Mike Stack (D-NE Philadelphia) and State Rep. Dan Frankel (D-Pittsburgh) with bipartisan support.

The law is seen as establishing a limit and sending a strong message that those who do business with the Iranian energy industry are not welcome to do business with Pennsylvania.

“All Jewish federations and other Jewish organizations in Pennsylvania united to encourage our legislature to support this important bill,” said Aaron Gorodzinsky, director of outreach and community relations for the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. “We are very fortunate to be in a state that is taking such a strong stand against Iran.”

The Philadelphia Exponent reports that “the legislation bars any company that invests more than $20 million in Iran’s energy sector from entering into a state procurement contract worth more than $1 million through the Pennsylvania Department of General Services.”

The Pennsylvania Department of General Services must also now keep lists of companies that make such investments in Iran. Companies seeking procurement contracts of more than $1 million with the state would need to certify they are not on this list.

The United States Congress has already passed some of the strongest sanctions against doing business with Iran to prevent that country from achieving nuclear weapon production.

22 NOVEMBER 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

Nazi war criminals should not be receiving Social Security benefits, a White House spokesman said.

Deputy press secretary Eric Shultz made his comments on Oct. 20 in response to an investigation by The Associated Press that found that dozens of suspected Nazi war criminals and SS guards collected millions of dollars after being forced out of the United States.

"Our position is we don’t believe these individuals should be getting these benefits," Shultz said at an informal news briefing at the White House. "As the Justice Department has said, they have worked aggressively to pursue Nazi criminals with the aim of ensuring they’re brought to justice. The Social Security Administration and the Department of Justice have to work together

within the confines of the law to cut off these benefits for these criminals."

Schultz also said that the Justice Department has brought more than 100 Nazi criminals to justice.

The Social Security payments were made possible by a legal loophole that gave the Justice Department leverage to persuade Nazi suspects to leave the U.S. If they agreed to go, or fled before deportation, they could keep their Social Security benefits, according to interviews and internal U.S. government records, AP reported on Oct. 20 following a two-year probe.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) on Monday sent letters to the Inspectors General of the Social Security Administration and the Department of Justice demanding that the agencies initiate investigations into the receipt of Social Security benefits by suspected Nazi war criminals.

“It is deeply concerning that these

individuals continued to receive Social Security benefits even after the Justice Department identified them as Nazi war criminals,” said Maloney, a co-author of the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act. “The Office of Special Investigations had a mandate to remove these individuals from the United States, and the law is very explicit in saying that those who participated in the Nazi persecutions or genocide should have their benefits terminated upon their removal. In some cases that did not happen."

There are at least four living beneficiaries, including Jakob Denzinger, a former guard at Auschwitz. Denzinger, 90, lives in Croatia, where he receives approximately $1,500 a month in Social Security payments.

The AP investigation featured interviews, research and analysis of records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act and other sources.

Amended charges have suspected KC JCC shooter facing possible death sentence Jewish Telegraphic Agency The alleged gunman in a shooting spree at two Jewish agencies in Kansas City is facing a potential death sentence after prosecutors amended charges against him.

Prosecutors in Johnson County, Kansas, on Oct. 17 dismissed a charge of first-degree murder against Frazier Glenn Miller, also known as Frazier Glenn Cross, and consolidated the

charges to capital murder, which carries a potential death sentence, the Kansas City Star reported.

Miller, 73, is accused of killing three people on April 13 outside the Overland Park JCC and the nearby Village Shalom senior facility. None of the victims were Jewish.

Miller also is charged with three counts of attempted first-degree murder for allegedly shooting at three others.

During their search of Miller’s home

in Aurora, Missouri, located about 200 miles from Kansas City, FBI agents found anti-Semitic paraphernalia, including a copy of “Mein Kampf” and a book Miller had written titled “A White Man Speaks Out.” They also found a user’s manual for a shotgun, three boxes of ammunition and computer printouts with directions to area synagogues and kosher eateries, as well as the details of a Kansas City-area talent contest.

Muslim Association of LV condemns ISIS

The Muslim Association of Lehigh Valley WHITEHALL – The Muslim Association of Lehigh Valley, in conjunction with Muslim organizations and scholars in the United States and throughout the world, are horrified and outraged by the atrocities that are being committed by the so-called Islamic State (IS), and on behalf of the Muslim community in the Lehigh Valley

strongly condemns IS and states that this group is claiming a "caliphate" in areas of Iraq and Syria but in reality is comprised of thugs and killers and is an insult to Islam and to the Arab people.

A simple concept in the Muslim faith as mentioned in the Quran, states that there shall be no compulsion in religion (Surat al-Baqarah 2:256). The killing of innocent non-Muslims is a perverse and diabolical interpre-

Dr. Gwen S. Greenberg

tation of the Muslim faith.

The Muslim Association of Lehigh Valley stands united with the Christian and Yazidi from the Mosul and Sinjar areas in Iraq and grieve for their suffering Muslims.

The Association views the actions of IS as inhuman, un-Islamic and totally repugnant. No religion condones the murder of children or the desecration of houses of worship. The Association strongly condemns the action of IS and rejects the claim that all Muslims are required to pay allegiance to its leader.

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The Muslim Association of Lehigh Valley (MALV) represents a diverse and vibrant community of Muslims residing in the Lehigh Valley and occasionally hosts open houses at its Schadt Avenue location in Whitehall, which includes a house of worship and a school. Contact MALV at 610799-6224 or visit www.malv.org to learn more.

Israel’s emerging Muslim-majority ally report, an Israeli spy drone shot down while doing reconnaissance over Iranian nuclear sites originated from an air base in Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan enclave. If this report is true, it suggests that Israel’s ties to Azerbaijan are much further along than originally understood.

Undoubtedly, Israel sees the tremendous potential in its relationship with Azerbaijan, as does Azerbaijan with Israel.

American supporters of Israel must do their part to reinforce that relationship in Washington.

As was discovered with Turkey, Muslim-majority allies don’t grow on trees.

By David Bernstein JNS.org Beginning in the early 1990s, Turkey became the one Muslim-majority country that maintained a robust strategic relationship with Israel. The two countries developed strong trade ties. Israel helped update the Turkish air force and Turkey allowed the Israeli air force to train in its airspace. There were major plans underway to further upgrade strategic ties.

In an unfortunate turn of events, Turkey’s elected prime minister (and now president), Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, decided to take the once highly secular country in a very different direction and re-aligned Turkey’s foreign policy with other interests in the Middle East. Not long into his tenure, Erdoğan became a public critic of Israel, driving a wedge between Turkey and Israel in the wake of the 2010 Gaza flotilla crisis. Relations between the two countries remain strained.

Israel and its supporters have never fully recovered from the loss of the country’s Muslim ally and the potential it had to transform Israel’s broader relationships in the region.

But now, along comes Azerbaijan—the world’s first Muslim-majority democracy, which is fast taking the place of Turkey in becoming a crucial ally of Israel in the Muslim world. It’s no surprise that of all Muslimmajority countries, Azerbaijan would fill the void. Like Turkey before Erdoğan, Azerbaijan has proudly and sometimes aggressively reinforced its secular

society, banning the hijab (veil) in schools.

In a gathering with the Jewish community held in the Washington, D.C., area last month, Azerbaijan’s ambassador to the United States, Elin Suleymanov, recoiled from the criticism his country received from the U.S. and others for its tough line on maintaining its secularism. “We are criticized because our girls are not forced to wear the hijab, and this is the worst problem in the Middle East?” he said. [At odds were the ideas of religious freedom and the prevention of radicalization.]

To date, Israel’s relationship with Azerbaijan has taken an almost identical trajectory as its early ties to Turkey. As it had with Ankara, Israel has steadily ratcheted up defense ties with Baku. In September, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon visited Azerbaijan, one of a number of such recent defenseoriented visits.

As it had with Turkey, Israel has established a vital economic lifeline to Azerbaijan, which provides the Jewish state with 40 percent of its imported oil.

As with Israeli-Turkish relations, bilateral ties between the two countries signal Azerbaijan’s desire to strengthen its connections to the U.S. and the West. The country has become an invaluable NATO supply line to Afghanistan and has joined NATO war efforts.

When much of the rest of the world interrupted flights to Israel during the conflict with Hamas last summer, Azerbaijan continued flying.

According to one recent

David Bernstein is the former executive director of The David Project and a former senior official at the American Jewish Committee.

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Jewish Telegraphic Agency Mayor of Rome accompanying city's high schoolers on Auschwitz trip

No charges for British lawmaker George Galloway for 'Israelfree zone' comment

ROME, Italy – Mayor Ignazio Marino of Rome traveled to Poland leading city high school students on the annual “Memory Journey” Holocaust education trip to Auschwitz and Krakow.

Some 144 pupils from 24 high schools in Rome were flown to Poland in mid-October on an Italian Air Force jet. In addition to Marino they were joined by a team of educators, the president of the Rome Jewish community and Holocaust survivor Sami Modiano.

This year’s trip came less than a week after Marino announced that the long-delayed construction of Rome’s first Holocaust Museum would begin by January on the grounds of Villa Torlonia, the Roman residence of World War II fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.

British lawmaker George Galloway will not be prosecuted for calling for his constituency to be “declared an Israel-free zone.

The Crown Prosecution Service said in mid-October that there was not enough evidence to file any charges against Galloway, despite numerous complaints made to the West Yorkshire Police that he was inciting racial hatred.

Police categorized it as a "hate incident," according to reports.

“This has been an extremely expensive waste of police and CPS time forced on them by ultra-Zionists who were pursuing a vendetta against me," Galloway said following the announcement that he would not be prosecuted.

"My comments were aimed at the state of Israel -- which I repeat what I said at the time is an il-

“In order to show my love, I had to risk losing a little bitof hers.”

legal, savage and barbarous state – and had nothing whatever to do with race or religion.”

He added, “I take back not a word and I will continue to forcefully condemn Israel. It remains the case that there is a worldwide boycott of Israel, its goods, its services, its academics."

Galloway, of the Socialist Respect party, called on his constituency to "truly make Bradford an Israel-free zone.”

In August, speaking in his northern England district, he said, reportedly in reaction to the Israel-Gaza conflict, “We don’t even want any Israeli tourists to come to Bradford even if any of them had thought of doing so.

We reject this illegal, barbarous, savage state that calls itself Israel – and you have to do the same.”

Galloway said that Israeli goods, services and academics were likewise unwelcome.

He skipped the recent vote in Britain's House of Commons recognizing a state of Palestine because it also accepted the existence of the state of Israel.

British lawmaker quit Parliament post to vote no on Palestine motion A British lawmaker resigned his parliamentary post to vote against a nonbinding motion recognizing the state of Palestine.

Mike Freer, who represents the heavily Jewish districts of Finchley and Golders Green, resigned as parliamentary private secretary to business minister Nick Boles of the Conservative Party to vote on Oct. 13. He was one of 12 lawmakers to oppose the motion, which passed with

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24 NOVEMBER 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY Hakol_Show My Love_4x10.indd 1

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274 votes. More than 300 members of the House of Commons did not appear at Parliament to vote on the measure.

Ministers and private secretaries are required by protocol to abstain from votes on motions put forward by the opposition shadow government.

“It would have been easy to hide behind the protocol but the two-state solution we all want to see should be the end, not start of the process,” Freer told the Jewish News website. “The Government had to follow the protocol, but the irony is that I had to resign to support government policy.

“It’s an issue I feel strongly about and it was the right thing to do for my constituents. I’ve been a supporter of Israel and the two-state solution long before getting involved with Finchley and Golders Green. This decision was rooted in my personal beliefs, not just the constituency.”

Prime Minister David Cameron and much of his Conservative Party abstained from voting on the motion, which was sponsored by opposition Labor lawmaker Grahame Morris.

Jewish lawmaker Ed Miliband, who heads Labor, ordered all party lawmakers to vote in favor of the recognition.

The vote has no practical significance, as the British government is not obliged to change its policy.

Argentine far-left leader gets prison term for threatening Jewish rally BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – The leader of the Argentine

far-left group Quebracho was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for threatening a Jewish community demonstration.

Fernando Esteche was sentenced in October after pleading guilty that day to charges of intimidation and violence against the 2006 protest in front of the Iranian Embassy in Buenos Aires.

Local Jewish groups said their rally was “against terrorism and in favor of peace.” The Quebracho group held a counterdemonstration supporting Hezbollah and against the State of Israel in reaction to the Israel-Lebanon conflict at the time. Esteche said he was protesting Israel’s “massacre against the Palestinians.”

The day of the demonstration, Esteche told the Argentine media that “we come here to repel the fanatics and to prevent the same type of aggression and arrogance that they carry in the Middle East and they want to do here with fundamentalist youth in Argentina.”

Esteche, who serves on the faculty at the National University of La Plata’s journalism school, has spoken publicly against Israel in demonstrations and in the media.

He was sentenced in a summary trial of two criminal cases involving protests and intimidation: the counterdemonstration at the Iranian Embassy and another against the International Monetary Fund in 2004.

After been threatened by “sticks and insults,” the Jewish demonstrators were forced to leave the site of their August 2006 rally.

The local Jewish political umbrella DAIA expressed satisfaction with the sentence.

World News Briefs 19th-century synagogue complex restored in Lithuania After seven years of renovations, a unique complex made up of two 19th-century synagogues opened to the public in the Lithuanian town of Joniskis.

The Joniskis Synagogue Complex made its official debut in October, the Russian Jewish news agency AEN reported Oct. 15.

The complex in northern Lithuania comprises the Red Synagogue, which dates to 1865, and the White Synagogue, from 1823, according to the World Monuments Fund, which participated in the restoration.

Countless Lithuanian synagogues were destroyed by the Nazis and later by the Soviet government. After the war, the buildings were abandoned and reused for various purposes, according to the fund.

Dutch Christians boycott church over exhibit on jailed Palestinian children UTRECHT, The Netherlands – A group of Dutch Christians boycotted Utrecht’s Domkerk Church over an exhibition on jailed Palestinian children that they said encouraged anti-Semitism.

The exhibition, titled “Room No. 4,” was brought to the Domkerk – one of the Netherlands’ best-known churches and one of Utrecht’s tourist stops – by the Dutch Coalition for Palestinian Children in Israeli Detention.

The exhibition, which has already ended, featured pictures of adult models portraying Palestinian children who are suffering in Israeli detention facilities. In early October, the group announced its decision to boycott the exhibition for its duration.

Among the boycotters was Hebe Kohlbrugge, a writer and a member of the Domkerk Church.

“Many people cannot differentiate between Israel and Jews,” Kohlbrugge told the Trouw daily newspaper. “People wearing kippot are being harassed over Israel’s actions. Thus criticism of

Israel becomes anti-Semitism.”

Kohlbrugge also said that the church’s history of anti-Semitism makes it an unsuitable venue for criticizing Israel.

“Before you point fingers, better look at the ones pointing in your direction,” he added.

Jaap Hamburger, whose group belongs to the Dutch Coalition for Palestinian Children in Israeli Detention, wrote an Op-Ed on the news website joop. nl denying the exhibition encouraged anti-Semitism.

In the exposition, the church placed a board displaying members’ complaints against the exhibit, but said it decided to host it anyway because of its “commitment to children’s rights.”

The Liberal Jewish Community of Utrecht also condemned the hosting of the exhibition at the church.

Fire hits 18th-century Romanian Jewish cemetery One of Romania’s oldest Jewish cemeteries was hit by fire that consumed some 50 acres.

The fire spread on Oct. 13 through the Jewish cemetery of Iasi, which opened in the 18th century and contains 80,000 graves, the local news website ziaruldeiasi.ro reported. It consumed dense vegetation that grew between headstones, the result of many years of neglect.

Firefighters put out the blaze and stopping it from spreading.

The report did not say how many headstones were damaged and to what extent.

The fire may have been started by locals who periodically burn dry vegetation as a way of clearing agricultural land and preventing uncontrolled fires, according to the news site.

A similar fire in 2012 consumed large parts of the nearby Jewish cemetery of Pacurari, damaging several dozen headstones. Footage from that fire showed ancient graves surrounded by flames that fed off a thick bed of dry grass, twigs and dead trees.

Iasi used to be among the centers of Jewish life in Romania until its entire Jewish population was annihilated in 1941 in a series of pogroms perpetrated by locals and through the deporta-

Joniskis Synagogue Complex tion of Jews to Nazi-run and local concentration and death camps.

The cemetery of Iasi features a monument in memory of the

15,000 Jews murdered by locals in pogroms. More than 350,000 Jews were murdered in areas held by pro-Nazi Romanian

troops during World War II. The country currently has approximately 6,000 Jews, according to the European Jewish Congress.

“

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | NOVEMBER 2014 25

LV religious schools welcome new year – and you!

GATHER ROUND Bnai Abraham-Brith Sholom religious school kids have said goodbye to desks and moved up to the table for creating fun projects, talking about big topics like “great Jewish debates,” and loving Jewish life. For more information, call 610-2585343 or 610-866-8009.

LEGO MY SUKKAH! Congregation Keneseth Israel’s 4th-6th graders participate in a competition to create “the most accurate sukkah built out of Legos.” This sukkah was then submitted to Habitat for Humanity’s Lego house competition. KI students raised almost $200 to submit this entry and the funds will be donated to Habitat’s annual campaign. For more information, contact 610-435-9074.

PLENTY TO SEE AND DO At Chabad Hebrew School,” where there is never a dull moment,” students participate in this year’s Shofar Factory. The school’s mission is to provide and promote the highest quality after-school Judaic education to a diverse community of Jewish children.

For information, call 610-351-6511.

OUT AND ABOUT The Temple Shirat Shalom religious school enjoys a visit to Crown Heights, New York. For more information on the school, contact 610-730-6272 or email contactus@templeshiratshalom.org.

GIVE A MITZVAH, DO A MITZVAH

For the love of animals Sydney Lilly isn’t shy; she is very friendly, loves acting, school plays and sports. The seventh grade Lower Macungie Middle School student also loves animals. “Sydney has been vegetarian since the age of nine.

She does it because she wants to protect animals,” said her mother, Lisa Lilly. “It seems like a natural fit that she would want to help animals for her mitzvah project.”

Sydney will be called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday Nov. 1, at Congregation Keneseth Israel. “I wanted to do a mitzvah project that would help animals. I love all animals, even hyenas and whales. I think they are so interesting,” Sydney said.

As part of her mitzvah project, Sydney will be collecting items for the Lehigh County Humane Society.

The Lehigh County Humane Society (LCHS) was a pioneer in establishing the humane movement in Pennsylvania. All homeless animals brought to the Lehigh County Humane Society find sanctuary.

Upon entering the shelter, each animal is examined, medicated if necessary, housed and fed. Aggressive efforts are made to find each one of these animals a new home. Frequently, the Society collaborates with reputable adoption partners such as breed rescues and foster groups.

Collection boxes will be set up at Congregation Keneseth Israel and at the Jewish Community Center for this cause. Sydney will be collecting blankets, dog and cat food and pet toys to donate to the LCHS. “They need all kinds of things to take care of the animals, not just toys, “ Sydney said, adding, “I’m too young to help with the animals at the Humane Society, so for another part of

my project I’m going to be visiting with pets.

I put up posters in my neighborhood advertising my services. I will charge $5 for a 20 minute visit. All of the money I make I will donate to the Humane Society.” To contact Sydney and set up a pet visit e-mail her at sydneylilly13@gmail.com.

Sydney is also asking the guests at her bat mitzvah celebration to participate in her project. “She put a little note in the invitation asking her friends and relatives to bring an item to donate to the Humane Society,” Lisa said. “I am so proud of all her efforts.”

“It is an example of Sydney’s kindness to all living things,” said Brad Lilly, Sydney’s father.

For a complete list of items that the Lehigh County Humane Society needs, please visit www.thelehighcountyhumanesociety.org.

In addition to her mitzvah project, Sydney has made her first adult gift of tzedakah to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs. For help developing your mitzvah project, contact Abby Trachtman, program coordinator at abbyt@jflv.org or call her at the Federation office at 610-821-5500.

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Federation staff member receives young leadership award

J-Pro Network (formerly the national Jewish Communal Service Association) has awarded its 2014 Norman Edell Award for a Young Jewish Communal Professional to Aaron Gorodzinsky, the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley’s director of community relations and outreach.

Gorodzinsky joined the Federation staff in 2013 after receiving his master’s degree in Jewish nonprofit manage-

ment from Hebrew Union College. Since then he has been the primary professional for the Community Relations Council, the Young Adult Division and the Partnership2Gether program with Yoav, Israel.

The Edell Award was established in 2000 by the family of Norman Edell to honor his long career as a Jewish communal professional, as well as his dedication to professional development,

especially for new professionals in Jewish communal work. The Edell Award selects a promising young Jewish communal professional – in the field for less than five years – and provides for their first attendance to the Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly conference. The Edell Award hopes to give younger professionals a clearer sense of the national system, unique opportunities for learning practice and most importantly, the motivation to continue their careers in Jewish community work.

“We are elated that Aaron has received this national recognition,” Federation Executive Director Mark L. Goldstein said.

The JFNA General Assembly will take place in Washington, D.C. from Nov. 9-11, 2014 (www.generalassembly.org).

Anyone interested in attending the GA should contact the Jewish Federation. Special young adult scholarships are available.

USY gets new beat This September something new and exciting came to the Lehigh Valley – Eastern Pennsylvania United Synagogue Youth’s newest chapter, Lehigh Valley USY, known as LEVUSY. Orchestrated by coadvisors, and Muhlenberg College students Ethan Weg and Josh Ull, this change has involved the cooperation of all three Lehigh Valley Conservative synagogues.

Lev, aside from being short for Lehigh Valley, is also Hebrew for heart. LEVUSY’s goal is to bring heart back to the once-thriving USY community in the Lehigh Valley.

With the help of President Alex Blumenthal and the rest of the LEVUSY board, things have gotten off to a fast start. Already the process of rebuilding the chapter, including the three independent Conservative communities, has been challenging, but with some creative marketing tactics, the communities’ help and some handy web design and social media creativity things are really looking up.

As an organization, USY is committed to inspiring and empowering Jewish teens to reach beyond their

religious identity.

Through social action, religion education and Israel advocacy, those who participate in this incredibly transformative high school program will be part of an alumni network of thousands throughout the world.

As seen with former Israel Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren, to New York One reporter, actress and former USYer Jessica Abo, the experiences this chapter will provide for local teens will last far beyond their senior graduation. Offering programs for students in fifth through seventh grades and in eighth through 12th grades, there’s something for everyone.

The organizers and current members look forward to meeting new members and growing events to be bigger, better and bolder.

Do something different because Lehigh Valley Kadima and USY is ready; you’re going to love it!

For more information, please contact LEVUSY at lehighvalleyusy@gmail.com, visit LEVUSY on Facebook or Twitter (@LEVUSY), or visit the brand new website Lehighvalleyusy. wix.com/LEVUSY.

Potluck and Pages

Pajama Havdallah

Join local author Mara Rockliff at the Bethlehem Area Public Library to celebrate the release of “Chik Chak Shabbat,” which will soon become a PJ Library book. The event is free and co-sponsored by PJ Library. Mara will read the story while families enjoy a potluck dinner. Please bring a dish to share.

For kids along with their parents. Candlelight, music, good-enough-for-dinner snacks, stories and other fun. Free program open to the community. Pajamas welcome.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11 6:30 p.m.

Bethlehem Area Public Library, 11 West Church St., Bethlehem For more information or to register for the event, contact the library at 610-867-3761.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22 5 p.m.

Temple Beth El, 1305 Springhouse Rd., Allentown RSVP to 610-435-3521, shari@bethelallentown.org.

Giving Thanks and Helping Families in Need PJ Library families are invited to participate in the culmination of a monthlong tikkun olam initiative to collect food and other items for the Jewish Family Service Food Pantry prior to Thanksgiving. Children will have the opportunity to bake brownies, build centerpieces, decorate bags and listen to a PJ Library story.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23 3:30 p.m.

Jewish Day School, 2313 W. Pennsylvania St., Allentown Contact Abby Trachtman at 610-821-5500 or abbyt@jflv.org to register or learn more.

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | NOVEMBER 2014 27

Surprises surface with familiar berry

By Rabbi Yitzchok Yagod Congregation Beth Avraham

A THANKSGIVING DINNER TURKEY

Defrost in refrigerator. Season with Sazon and adobo; stuff with a whole Spanish onion and some celery. Allow to remain in refrigerator overnight. Cook at 325 degrees for 20 minutes per pound.

CRANBERRY RASPBERRY SAUCE

Combine 1 pound of fresh cranberries with a bag of sweetened frozen raspberries and 1/2 c. orange juice. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, until jamlike. Cool, then chill.

SESAME BROCCOLI

Cook 2 pounds of fresh broccoli and cut into 2-inch pieces. In a pot, combine 2 1/2 T. sugar, 2 T. toasted sesame seeds, 2 T. peanut oil, 2 T. vinegar and 2 T. soy sauce. Bring to boil, then pour over broccoli.

Serve within the hour.

PARSLEY RICE

Combine 8 c. of hot cooked rice with 1/4 c. finely chopped fresh parsley, 1/2 stick Earth Balance margarine, melted, and several sprinkles of Lawry's garlic salt.

PEAR PIE

6 firm Anjou pears, peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick 1/2 c. sugar 3 T. cornstarch 3 T. lemon juice 1 t. grated lemon peel 1 10-inch unbaked pareve pie shell Ingredients for topping: 1/2 c. flour 1/2 c. sugar 1/2 t. each cinnamon and powdered ginger 1/4 t. mace 1/3 c. cold Earth Balance margarine Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine first five pie ingredients and spoon into shell. For topping, combine flour and spices in a bowl.

Cut in the margarine with a pastry cutter. Sprinkle evenly over the top.

Bake for 45 minutes, covering edges if they brown too quickly.

Cranberries are one of nature’s most mysterious fruits. Although they are native to New England and can be grown in many states, there is so much that is not commonly known since most commercial cranberries are grown in very out of the way locations before making it to our Thanksgiving Day tables and other meals. Let’s us travel to a typical growing field to see the mysterious berry, vaccinium macrocarpon, and its surprises.

We head out to find a coastal growing area and it is hard not to be distracted by the beautiful red, gold and flaming yellow amber leaves against a backdrop of a clear pristine blue sky. The weather in coastal New England is now quite brisk with an early morning crispy chill; the air is bracingly fresh. Suddenly, we see a huge lake that is crimson red because of the vast number of floating red cranberries. This, my friends, is a bog. Yet, there is much more here than we initially see.

What is a bog? A bog is a strange eco-system composed of sphagnum peat moss, sand, gravel and a highly acidic soil that creates an environment so harsh that it is almost sterile for just about any living plant.

Nothing else is growing here in our bog, yet the beautiful cranberry, surprisingly, loves this environment and thrives in it.

What about the plant itself? Now the area is under water so we have to look closer to see the plant, which actually does not spend most of the growing season in this flooded environment but needs the floods occasionally, as we shall soon see.

The cranberry looks like a vine

and from a Torah/kosher perspective is really a tree. Even here, mysteries abound, since the blessing (bracha) beforehand is often mistaken for “ha’adama,” similar to of strawberries, but really should be “ha’etz” which is that of grapes and apples.

The plant does not commercially produce fruit until it has about five years of growth. Once growing, the plant is so hardy that it just keeps on working almost indefinitely. Some plants in our Massachusetts bog are 150 years old and still fruitful.

The berry has many health benefits, many of which are derived from the acidic soil; here, it shares similarities with its local cousin , the wild blueberry.

Why the flood? Why is it grown in such hard-to-reach environments?

The grower explains that the berries were initially so difficult to detach form the tree that the rakes that are commonly used for other berries just did not work. Every berry had to be singly pulled from the tree, in a backbreaking, labor intensive and very expensive operation.

In order to be financially solvent, the growers had to find another method. They discovered that if they flood the fields, then the berries will be easily removable in viable quantities.

The bog is manually flooded and a special machine with paddles detaches the berries and lets them float on the water until they are vacuumed up by large harvest equipment.

The flood has another kosher benefit: Any berry that was compromised by the presence of insects will generally not float on the water due to the telltale holes and sinks to the bottom.

The fields are manually flooded for short periods in the summer to

discourage the growth of predatory insect pests and in the spring to protect the plants from late frost. The cranberry has a very high acid content which is the source both of the tart taste and of its highly touted health benefits such as discouraging infection.

Common bacteria do not like the high acidity and there are many startling discoveries regarding this berry.

In Eastern Canada, the berry is even more acidic and perhaps even healthier for you, as long as you manage the taste without piles of sugar. This writer has conducted a summertime experiment which involved taking a bag of organic (no chemicals used) raw, washed wet Canadian cranberries and leaving it in a hot area for three weeks. The surprising result : They did not spoil and were totally edible! No mold, no fungus, no bacteria. In one pH test, they were about 1.1 – a level too harsh for common mold.

Our visit to the cranberry bogs complete, we turn to leave, but not before we enjoy some tart, red berries that make us pucker our lips from the acidity.

Rabbi Yitzchok Yagod provides kosher supervision in many U.S. and Eastern Canadian companies under his trademark symbol.

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The Jerusalem Post Crossword Puzzle

By David Benkof Special to HAKOL Designing puzzles with the knowledgeable but not necessarily bilingual Jew in mind, David

Benkof says, “No more than a very few clues per puzzle expect the solver to simply translate between Hebrew and English.” Note that some answers may actually be two words

written as one, without a space between them.

For answers to the crossword puzzle, visit the Federation website at www.jewishleighvalley.org.

ACROSS

1. He was the Ben Gurion of India 6. Uzi need 10. The ___ experiment (psychological measure of conformity) 14. The red heifer is a very rare one 15. Make aliyah, literally 16. On October 1, 2014, she and Ashton had a baby girl 17. Broadcast Howard Stern 18. Acknowledged that the ark was open 19. Nation of Esau’s descendants 20. Katie Couric hosted it from 2006 to 2011 23. One of the Greats known as “The Jewish Lake” 24. Larry Page’s job at Google, Inc. 25. It helps Barry Scheck exonerate convicts (abbr.)

26. Daniel Snyder’s Washington Redskins grp.

29. “___ People” (“Gypsy” song) 31. Year three decades before the Romans destroyed the Temple 33. A bekishe is a long black one favored by Hasidic Jews 35. “Triumph of the Will” filmmaker Riefenstahl 37. Derech ___ (common decency) 41. Biblical names for some disputed territories 44. Closer to Yiddish-type humor 45. Spelling of nepotism?

46. Poison a well 47. We do it twice on Passover night 49. Member of a “restricted” country club 51. Dr. Mathilde Krim researched them 52. New Deal gov’t agency to which Henry Morgenthau, Jr. allocated money 55. Call for rescue from Gilligan and the Skipper, too 57. He visited Buchenwald with Barack in 2009 59. It can include anywhere from 353 to 385 days 64. Dalet, in numerology 65. Spanish artist who made lithographs caled “Aliyah, the Rebirth of Israel” 66. Bar Refaeli weighs 58 of them 68. Actor Astin 69. How Herod said he was?

70. JDate successes 71. Direction Canadian Jews face when they pray 72. Middle name of Sherie Scott, who

played Ursula in Broadway’s “The Little Mermaid” 73. To nosh

DOWN

1. Amar’e Stoudemire’s sports org.

2. He succeeded Antonio as LA’s mayor 3. Za’atar, for example 4. Its pieces became famous because of a 1982 Spielberg film 5. They help make milchigs 6. Anti-Semitism movie “Gentlemen’s ___” 7. Orb whose genesis is described in Genesis 1:16 8. Chazzan’s specialty 9. “Biloxi Blues” did it on Broadway in 1985 10. “Nice blessing!”

11. Haman wore a three-___ hat 12. Krusty is a Jewish one 13. “The hand of Miriam” 21. Actress Davis who co-starred with James Franco in “Eat Pray Love” 22. Mendy’s supernatural friend, in a Lubavitch comic book 26. Hadassah alt.

27. Questions, cups, or sons at the seder 28. “Lydia the Tattooed ___” (Groucho favorite) 30. Create a Brandeis scholarship fund 32. Flatow and others 34. Angered by a nudnik 36. Neither a Cohen nor a Levi 38. Eve 39. Prepared the strings on a tallit 40. Microwaves a knish 42. Something to do while saying “Modeh Ani” 43. Pew separator 48. 1995 Jeff Goldblum film about an albino teen 50. One way to swear 52. “Flaming ba’al teshuvah” is one for newly Orthodox Jews 53. “If I ___ Rich Man” (song about Tevye’s fantasy) 54. Fatah’s Mahmoud 56. Something for a dybbuk to do to people 58. Improves the Atlanta Jewish Times 60. Jeremiad 61. Freed of rock music?

62. Goldstar and others 63. Home for half of Italy’s 35,000 Jews 67. ID for the ego?

January 25, 2015

AT THE JCC OF ALLENTOWN

Make the call or answer the call VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for morning and evening shifts Contact Aaron Gorodzinsky, 610-821-5500, aaron@jflv.org

www.jewishlehighvalley.org

HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | NOVEMBER 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.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2 Maimonides Society Brunch 10:15 to 11:45 a.m., JCC of Allentown. Visiting physician Dr. Dov Englestein, a urologist from Western Galilee Hospital in Nahariya, Israel, will speak about the practice of urology as well as his perspective as an Israeli. Free for Maimonides members and spouses, $10 for non-members. Sponsored by the Maimonides Society of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2 Meet & Greet with Israeli Cellist Matt Haimovitz 3 p.m., Miller Symphony Hall, 23 North Sixth St., Allentown.

Enjoy an opportunity for the Jewish community to meet renowned Israeli cellist Matt Haimovitz at a Symphony Hall concert featuring Beethoven No. 5. Matt Haimovitz has inspired classical music lovers and countless new listeners by bringing his artistry to concert halls and clubs, outdoor festivals and intimate coffee houses, any place where passionate music can be heard. Haimovitz made his debut in 1984, at the age of 13, as soloist with Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic. Tickets are $35 plus fees, and are being reserved on the orchestra level for this special promotion. Call the box office at 610-4326715 to purchase tickets and say code: synagogue. To learn more, visit www.allentownsymphony.org.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3 TBE Sisterhood Mah Jongg 6:30 p.m., Temple Beth El. We will begin to play promptly at 6:45 p.m. Please be there by 6:30 p.m. to register.

We play for about three hours. If you are a Mah Jongg player, please come and join us for sisterhood, laughter, and a great bunch of fun. $10 per player donation to TBE Sisterhood. New faces always welcome to play. For questions or to RSVP, contact Ilene Rubel, 610-776-1577 or IRUBEL@aol.com.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4 Imagining a Nation, Imagining an Empire: Ottoman Jews and Zionism 7 p.m., Muhlenberg College Hillel, 2238 Chew St., Allentown. Featuring Mark Stein, professor of history and chair of the History Department at Muhlenberg College.

The event is part of a year-long series on Imagining Jews: From the Ancient World to the American Present. It is sponsored by the Jewish Studies program at Muhlenberg College, the Philip and Muriel Berman Center for Jewish Studies at Lehigh University, the Institute for JewishChristian Understanding at Muhlenberg College and the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. Program is free and open to the public thanks to a generous grant from the Legacy Heritage Jewish Studies Project, directed by the Association for Jewish Studies.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6 Thirsty Thursdays 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., JCC of Allentown Auxiliary Auditorium.

Social Hour at the J. Stop by the J at the end of the day.

Join other adults at the JCC, sit back, relax and chat about similar interests, and get to know your fellow members and friends. Share your experiences with others and take away new ideas! Light refreshments will be served.

Call or stop by the JCC Welcome Desk to register and reserve your space, 610-435-3571. $5 per person; FREE for JCC members. Contact Amy Sams at asams@lvjcc. org to learn more about Adults at the J.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8 TCP’s 175th Anniversary Gala Dinner 6:30 p.m., Temple Covenant of Peace. Havdallah service, kosher sit-down dinner and dancing. Extended deadline to RSVP. To learn more, contact TCP at 610-2532031 or www.tcopeace.org.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9 Brunch and Lecture: The Middle East Today Brunch 9:30 a.m.; Lecture 10:15 a.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel. KI’s Adult Education Committee welcomes the community to join us for brunch, prepared by KI Brotherhood, and a lecture on the “Middle East Today.”

Professor Mark Stein, chair of the Muhlenberg College History Department, will present. He has taught and lectured on the Middle East, and Islamic and Mediterranean history at numerous institutions including the University of Chicago and Harvard. At Muhlenberg, Dr. Stein teaches courses on the Modern Middle East, Women in the Middle East, the Arab Israeli Conflict and other related topics. Brunch at 9:30 ($5 with advance RSVP; $7.50 walk-ins) and lecture at 10:15 (lecture is free). Please RSVP by Nov. 6 to the KI office at 610-435-9074.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11 Potluck and Pages with Author Mara Rockliff 6:30 p.m., Bethlehem Area Public Library, 11 West Church St., Bethlehem. Join PJ Library at the Bethlehem Area Public Library to celebrate the release of “Chik Chak Shabbat” with local author Mara Rockliff. The book will be added to the PJ Library book list in the coming months. Mara will read the story while families enjoy a potluck dinner. Please bring a dish to share; there will be beverages and a vegetarian version of cholent, the traditional Jewish dish Goldie Simcha shares with her multicultural neighbors in “Chik Chak Shabbat.” There will also be a fun art project and a donation box to collect nonperishable food for New Bethany Ministries’ food bank.

The event is free and registration is not required.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12 Jews Imagining: Medieval Jewish Folktales 7:30 p.m., Congregation Brith Sholom, 1190 W. Macada Rd., Bethlehem. Featuring Sharon Albert, a lecturer in the Religion Studies Department at Muhlenberg College. The event is part of a year-long series on Imagining Jews: From the Ancient World to the American Present. It is sponsored by the Jewish Studies program at Muhlenberg College, the Philip and Muriel Berman Center for Jewish Studies at Lehigh University, the Institute for JewishChristian Understanding at Muhlenberg College and the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. Program is free and open to the public thanks to a generous grant from the Legacy Heritage Jewish Studies Project, directed by the Association for Jewish Studies.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16 Healthy U @55+ Series Presents “WHAT’S WRONG WITH ME, DOCTOR?”: Common Symptoms and When To Be Concerned 10 a.m., Congregation Brith Sholom, 1190 W. Macada Rd., Bethlehem:CBS is pleased to present Dr. Larry Levin, board certified in internal medicine, who is associated with Muhlenberg Primary Care practice. Dr. Levin will talk about a variety of topics, such as fever, chest pain, diabetes, swelling, dizziness and many other common symptoms. This is, indeed, a program for everyone. Don’t miss it!! Healthy breakfast served. To learn more or RSVP, e-mail tammy@brithsholom.net.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16 60 Day Challenge Reception with Congressman Ted Deutch 7 p.m., JCC of Allentown. As a thank you for taking the 60 Day Challenge and supporting the Israel Emergency Campaign, the Jewish Federation invites you to be our guest at an exclusive reception with Florida Congressman and Lehigh Valley native Ted Deutch. A lifelong pro-Israel advocate, he spent his summers at a Zionist summer camp, worked as a student activist in high school and college and held many leadership positions with local and national Jewish organizations. He has

been spotlighted by the Washington newspaper Roll Call as a young, rising voice in the House Democratic Caucus and was named one of America’s top 10 Jewish politicians to watch by the Jewish Daily Forward. RSVP by Monday, Nov. 10, to 610-821-5500 or register online at www.jewishlehighvalley.org. Haven’t taken the challenge yet? Don’t worry, there’s still time! Make your pledge to the 2015 Campaign for Jewish Needs by calling 610821-5500 or donate now at www.jewishlehighvalley. org/60.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18 Imagining Jews Presents An Evening with the Goldbergs 7:30 p.m., Congregation Keneseth Israel, 2227 W. Chew St., Allentown. Charles Richter, professor and director of theater in the Theater and Dance Department at Muhlenberg College, will examine the classic 1950s television show, the work of its creator and star, Gertrude Bell, and the program’s important place in 20th century American Jewish culture. The event is part of a year-long series on Imagining Jews: From the Ancient World to the American Present. It is sponsored by the Jewish Studies program at Muhlenberg College, the Philip and Muriel Berman Center for Jewish Studies at Lehigh University, the Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding at Muhlenberg College and the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley.Program is free and open to the public thanks to a generous grant from the Legacy Heritage Jewish Studies Project, directed by the Association for Jewish Studies.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19 Phantoms Hockey JCC Night at the PPL Event Center 7:05 Game Time*, PPL Center 701 Hamilton St., Allentown. Lehigh Valley Phantoms vs. Hershey Bears.

Pre-game behind-the-scenes arena tour. Tickets will be distributed at the JCC Welcome Desk. Call or stop by the JCC Welcome Desk to register and reserve your space, 610-435-3571. $32 per person; JCC members $26 per person. Contact Amy Sams at asams@lvjcc.org to learn more about Adults at the J. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20 Film Review: “Nicky’s Family” 1:30 p.m., 1733 Millard St. Bethlehem. “Nicky’s Family” is a gripping documentary that tells the mostly unknown story of Sir Nicholas Winton, a young Englishman who organized the rescue of 669 Jewish Czech and Slovak children just before the outbreak of World War II. As a result of his heroic efforts, today there are over 6,000 descendants who live all over the world. Free event.

Contact Judy Lappen, 610-868-1594. Sponsored by Bethlehem-Easton Hadassah.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22 PJ Library Pajama Havdallah 5 p.m., Temple Beth El. For kids along with their parents.

Candlelight, music, good-enough-for-dinner snacks, stories and other fun. Free program open to the community.

Pajamas welcome. RSVP to Shari Spark at 610-435-3521 or shari@bethelallentown.org.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23 YAD & PJ Library Thanksgiving Food Drive Project 3:30 p.m., Jewish Day School of the Lehigh Valley. Jewish Federation Young Adult Division members and PJ Library families are invited to participate in the culmination of a month-long tikkun olam initiative to collect food and other items for the Jewish Family Service Food Pantry prior to Thanksgiving. Adults will package the items for distribution while children will have the opportunity to bake brownies, build centerpieces, decorate bags and listen to a PJ Library story. Contact Aaron Gorodzinsky at 610-821-5500 or aaron@jflv.org to register or learn more or visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org/thanksgiving.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28 TBE Shira Chadasha Service 7:30 p.m., Temple Beth El. Share in our Shira Chadasha service. Come celebrate a musical Shabbat service with contemporary American and Israeli music.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7 IJCU First Friday Luncheon Discussion 12 p.m., Muhlenberg College, Seegers Union, Rooms 111-112. What a rabbi knows about the Sermon on the Mount with Rabbi Seth Phillips of Congregation Keneseth Israel. Free and open to the public. To learn more, visit www.ijcu.org.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7 Interfaith Shabbat 6:30 p.m., Congregation Am Haskalah, 1190 W. Macada Rd., Bethlehem. We are joining the Interfaith Family Initiative (interfaithfamily.com) to host an interfaith Shabbat. Bring your whole family, all your relatives, and your friends of any religion. The service will be short and interfaith friendly. Contact Scott Berman, 610-360-4677 or sibshrink225@msn.com.

30 NOVEMBER 2014 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY

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

Celebrate the beauty of Shabbat

Shabbat & Yom Tov Candlelighting Times Friday, Nov. 7

4:33 pm

Friday, Nov. 28

4:18 pm

Friday, Nov. 14

4:26 pm

Friday, Dec. 5

4:17 pm

Friday, Nov. 21

4:21 pm

Friday, Dec. 12

4:17 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 Veterans and their significant others are invited as the guest of the Ladies Auxiliary.

Come and enjoy comradeship; we’ll even listen to your “war stories.” A brunch follows each meeting. Questions? Contact Commander Sheila Berg at 610-2852729 or sh-berg1@hotmail.com.

TEFILLIN CLUB & ADULT HEBREW SCHOOL 9:30 a.m. Tefillin; 10 to 11 a.m. Adult Hebrew, Chabad Tefillin is for Jewish men and boys over the age of Bar Mitzvah, to learn about, and gain appreciation for, the rich and enriching Jewish practice - the mitzvah - of donning Tefillin. 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.

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; paid up members are treated to two major programs with a catered luncheon.

Regular weekly meetings and lunch - $6.

First visit - NO CHARGE. Weather permitting. Contact Betty at 610-395-6282 for reservations.

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 lifecycle 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 THE EVOLUTION OF JEWISH PRAYER 10:45 a.m., JCC of Allentown Rabbi Wilensky takes this class through time and space as he traces the development of Tefillah from antiquity to modern times. Sponsored by Congregation Sons of Israel.

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 610-4353571 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.

LATTE & LEARN 8 to 9 p.m., Starbucks, Schoenersville Road, Bethlehem Grab your favorite Starbucks quaff and jump right in as we relate the weekly Torah portion to world events, western civilization and even our own relationships. No Hebrew is required, but a spirit of inquiry and a sense of humor might come in handy! Contact Rabbi Mizrachi 207-404-0474; opshiloh@gmail.com; www.torahovereasy.blogspot.com.

WEDNESDAYS SUPPORT GROUP FOR ADULT CHILDREN CARING FOR AGING PARENTS 1 to 2:30 p.m., Jewish Family Service, 2004 Allen St., Allentown Please join us in a support group for adult children caring for aging parents. Weekly meetings for 12 weeks, excluding Dec. 24 and 31. Co-facilitators: Rebecca Axelrod-Cooper and Susan Sklaroff-Van Hook. Pre-registration is required. Call 610821-8722 or e-mail racooper@jfs-lv.org.

A contribution of $5 per session would be appreciated, but is not required.

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, 610-9052166, rabbiyagod1@gmail.com.

EXPLORATIONS IN SHOFTIM (JUDGES) 7 p.m., Sons of Israel Facilitated by Mrs. Abby Weiner, this is one of the Allentown’s most popular classes and a continuation of last year’s Explorations in Yehoshua. This class provides in-depth study of the text, and provides critical historical context for the events that follow in Jewish history.

HUSBANDS ANONYMOUS First Wednesday of the month, 7:30 p.m., location upon signup Calling all wives! Send your husbands to this class! Rabbi WIlensky guides us on how to become more attentive, caring, sensitive partners, and how to strengthen and deepen our spousal relationships in the context of Torah. Contact Sons of Israel for exact dates and locations.

TORAH STUDIES: A WEEKLY JOURNEY INTO THE SOUL OF TORAH 7:30 p.m., Chabad Torah Studies by JLI presents: Season One: An 11-part series. Cost is $36 for the complete 11-week series (textbook included).

For more information contact 610-3516511 or rabbi@chabadlehighvalley.com.

ORTHODOX JEWISH LIVING: WHAT IS IT & 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, well-known 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.

WHERE CHRISTIANITY & JUDAISM DIFFER 10:45 a.m., JCC of Allentown Have you ever had to explain Judaism to non-Jewish co-workers? With sensitivity and tact, Rabbi Wilensky discusses both the commonalities and divergences between the Jewish and Christian faith systems. Sponsored by Congregation Sons of Israel.

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 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. For more information please call Bnai Abraham Synagogue at 610-258-5343.

SHABBAT BEGINNER’S GEMARA 8 a.m., Congregation Sons of Israel Facilitated by Dr. Henry Grossbard, this is an excellent primer for developing the analytical tools necessary for in-depth study of the Talmud. Dr. Grossbard, a dynamic and erudite scholar in his own right, helps students understand the argument-behind-the-argument, using Rashi, Tosafos and commentaries.

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 610-2585343.

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 long-term commitments are required to participate as we discuss Torah together.

ISSUES IN CONTEMPORARY HALACHAH 12 p.m., Congregation Sons of Israel Applying the ancient wisdom of Jewish Law to modern challenges is one of the most fascinating aspects of Jewish life. Join Rabbi Wilensky as he takes Halachah from the weekly Torah portion and brings it to bear on some of the most pressing issues of our time.

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

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 Leiah Moser, Reconstructionist Weekly Shabbat services and a monthly family service with potluck dinner. Religious school meets Sunday mornings. Email am.haskalah.office@gmail.com to learn more.

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

CONGREGATION BRITH SHOLOM 1190 W. Macada Rd., Bethlehem – 610.866.8009 Rabbi Michael Singer, Conservative MINYAN is at 7:45 a.m. on Mondays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. on Saturdays and holidays. RELIGIOUS SCHOOL classes every Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. at Brith Sholom and Sundays at 9:30 a.m. at Bnai Abraham Synagogue.

CONGREGATION KENESETH ISRAEL 2227 Chew St., Allentown – 610.435.9074 Rabbi Seth D. Phillips | Cantor 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. MINCHAH/MAARIV: 20 minutes before sunset. FRIDAY EVENING: 20 minutes before sunset, 7 p.m. in the summer. SHABBAT MORNING: 9 a.m. SHABBAT AFTERNOON: 90 minutes before dark.

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

Shabbat morning services at 9 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 Style Shabbat morning service on the 4th Saturday of the month at 10:30 a.m. A Family Shabbat Service is held on the second Friday night of each month at 6:30 p.m. 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 a Family Game / Movie night on the first Saturday of every month at 6 p.m. 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 | NOVEMBER 2014 31

Have you taken the 60 Day Challenge yet?

THERE’S STILL TIME!

Make your pledge to the 2015 Campaign for Jewish Needs before Thanksgiving and receive a special gift and an invitation to an exclusive reception with Congressman Ted Deutch!

WHAT IS THE 60 DAY CHALLENGE?

An exciting opportunity to be among the first to make a pledge to the 2015 Campaign for Jewish Needs

WHEN CAN I MAKE MY PLEDGE? Today until Thanksgiving

WHY SHOULD I PLEDGE NOW?

Because Israelis are still recovering from a summer of conflict, unrest in Ukraine is leaving Jews displaced and scared, anti-Semitism is on the rise around the world and our community at home needs us to prepare the next generation for whatever is to come.

HOW CAN I HELP?

Call 610-821-5500 to make a pledge or visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org/60 to donate now.

SUNDAY, NOV. 16, 2014 7:00 p.m., JCC of Allentown

A lifelong pro-Israel advocate, Rep. Deutch spent his summers at a Zionist summer camp, worked as a student activist in high school and college and held many leadership positions with local and national Jewish organizations. He has been spotlighted by the Washington newspaper Roll Call as a young, rising voice in the House Democratic Caucus and was named one of America’s top 10 Jewish politicians to watch by the Jewish Daily Forward. He was born and raised in Bethlehem.

RSVP by Monday, Nov. 10, to 610-821-5500 or register online at www.jewishlehighvalley.org.

Open to supporters of the Annual and Israel Emergency Campaigns.