Greater Metro West 04_09_20 by rich waloff

NEW JERSEY JEWISH NEWS

G R E AT E R M E T R O W E S T E D I T I O N A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E J E W I S H W E E K M E D I A G R O U P Vol. LXX IV No. 15 | April 9, 2020 | 15 N I SAN 5780

njj ew is hnews . c o m

Local and national JCCs flailing, in desperate need of bailout N.J. native makes aliyah in the time of coronavirus State & Local 4

Mass layoffs, furloughs as Jewish Community Centers struggle during pandemic Scotch Plains cantor in “The Plot Against America”

Johanna Ginsberg NJJN Senior Writer

State & Local page 4 ➞

Despite heavy toll, some Orthodox flout distancing rules Discovering gratitude at the post office Exit Ramp 23

State & Local Crossword Opinion Calendar LifeCycle Touch of Torah Exit Ramp

4 8 11 14 15 20 23

Worshippers seen defying their leaders’ warnings about the coronavirus Hannah Dreyfus Special to NJJN

ami Frankel, a nurse working at Maimonides Medical Center in the heart of Brooklyn’s charedi Orthodox enclave of Borough Park, saw Coronavirus h e r p r o fessional life overtaken by the coronavirus in a matter of days. “At first, I worked my reg-

ular shift and was floated to a corona floor to help out,” said Frankel, who works three to four 12-hour shifts a week. “By my next shift on my regular floor, the floor was converted to a corona floor.” Even for Frankel — a health-care professional and member of the area’s expansive Orthodox Jewish community who had been warning family and friends to “social distance” for weeks — the “sudden, exponential shift” in Covid-19 cases came as a shock. While data is difficult to come by amid a still-surging pandemic, tight-knit Orthodox communities across New York and New Jersey have

Continued on page 13

he JCC of Central New Jersey in Scotch Plains is one of the lucky ones: Not a single employee has been furloughed or laid off. By contrast, in West Orange, 100 percent of employees at JCC MetroWest have been temporarily furloughed. Just a few exits south at the JCC of Middlesex County in Coronavirus Edison, only four full-time directors and two part-time maintenance workers remain. “The JCC strives to balance its budget on an annual basis and hopefully save a little for a rainy day,” said Stuart Raynor, CEO of JCC MetroWest. And today, he said, “It’s raining pretty hard.” Dorothy Rubinstein, CEO of the JCC of Middlesex County, struck a more hopeful tone, telling NJJN, “With stubborn optimism and hard work,

Continued on page 6

“It’s raining pretty hard,” said Stuart Raynor, CEO of JCC MetroWest in West Orange, about the institution’s financial situation.

Serving Our For 25 Years SERVING OUR Community COMMUNITY FOR 25 YEARS

NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ April 9, 2020

Didi and Audrey wish everyone a

Happy Passover

Serving Community For 25 Years SERVING OUR COMMUNITY FOR 25 YEARS This Year Passover WillOur Be Different From All Others Though Many Of Us Will Be Celebrating Separately We will all be together in Spirit Twice the service Twice the results We Wish Everyone a Safe and Healthy Passover DiDi Rosen and Audrey Katz Office: (973) 994-4884 DiDi Rosen cell 973-495-4801 • Audrey Katz cell 973-476-3021

Office: (973) 994-4884, ext. 1235, ext. 1246 Didi’s Direct: (973) 495-4801 Audrey’s Direct: (973) 476-3021 www.didiandaudrey.com Serving Our Community

For 25 Years SERVING OUR COMMUNITY FOR 25 YEARS L I V I N G S T O N  Office: (973) 994-4884, ext. 1235, ext. 1246    FOR       Serving Our Community For 25 Years SERVING OUR COMMUNITY 25 YEARS

Twice the service Twice the results

AudreyDiDi Rosen and Audrey Katz Twice t KatzOffice: (973) 994-4884

Didi Rosen

Twice t

DiDi Rosen and Au

DiDi Rosen cell 973-495-4801 • Audrey Katz cell

The Rosen - Katz Team

Office: (973) 994-4884

Twice the service Twice the results Twice the service Twice the results

DiDi Rosen cell 973-495-4801

Rosen and Audrey Katz #1 Team Livingston OfficeDiDi 1996-2019 DiDi Rosen and Audrey Katz Office: (973) 994-4884 Office: (973) 994-4884, ext. 1235, ext. 1246 DiDi Rosen cell 973-495-4801 • Audrey Katz cell 973-476-3021 Office: (973) 994-4884

Didi’s Direct: (973) 495-4801 Audrey’s Direct: (973) Office: (973) 994-4884, ext. 1235,476-3021 ext. 1246 Didi’s Direct: (973) 495-4801 www.didiandaudrey.com

Office: (973) 994-4884, ext. 1235, ext. 1246 Audrey’s Direct: (973) 476-3021 Didi’s Direct: (973) 495-4801 www.didiandaudrey.com Audrey’s Direct: (973) 476-3021   www.didiandaudrey.com Office: (973) 994-4884, ext. 1235, ext. 1246  

Office: (973) 994-4884, ext. 1235, ext. 1246

DiDi Rosen cell 973-495-4801 • Audrey Katz cell 973-476-3021

L I V I N G S L I V  I N G S T O N       L  I V

 

I  N G ST O

   

 N

  

Kolbo

Ellis Island, the country’s primary immigrant inspection station from 1892 until the early 1920s, was the site each year of Passover seders conducted for Jews who were not cleared to enter the U.S. A combination of causes kept some Jews there temporarily; they slept in dormitories or hospital A seder on Ellis Island. beds. Some had communicable diseases; others were the victims of red tape. When the immigrants spent the holiday on the island, representatives of local philanthropic Jewish organizations arranged for the seders, made the food, and led the evenings of readings and rituals. On seder night of 1908, Benjamin Axelrod, arguably the most famous stowaway in U.S. history, read the Four Questions in Yiddish, in the Great Hall. A native of currentday Ukraine, he tried to enter the country, where he had no close relatives, eight times, and was sent back each time; finally, he entered via Canada, stayed, and became a successful businessman in Florida. Axelrod’s story, and the Ellis Island seders, have special resonance in these days of social distancing and guest-less seders. More than 100 people were known to have attended each Ellis Island seder. They were “depressing affairs for all Jews involved,” one newspaper reported. Yiddish journalist Yakov Pfeffer, who attended one Ellis Island seder, found it a fitting Pesach metaphor for Jews seeking freedom. “When the future historian tells the story of the freedom of the Jewish people,” he wrote, “he will need to tell of the Seder night on Ellis Island.” — Steve Lipman/New York Jewish Week COURTESY YIVO

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Israel puts that in writing

An Israeli startup has inked a deal with Harvard University to make the classroom experience more productive. Tel Aviv-based Verbit has developed software to transcribe audio into text automatically. Verbit said its artificially intelligent tech can transcribe audio 10 times faster than the competition for half Harvard employs Israeli transcription the price — and at 99 percent accuracy. Harvard will offer students both the software. original class video and the text transcriptions. This makes distance learning an attractive option compared with the classic frontal lecture where students must do their own rapid note-taking. Harvard is not the only academic institution on Verbit’s growing customer list: Stanford; University of Utah; University of California, Santa Barbara; and Oakland University all use Verbit. The company has 150 customers in total, with offices in Tel Aviv, New York, and Kiev. — ISRAEL21c

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

A symbol of inspiration

At the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, top draft prospect Jerry Jeudy made headlines when he wore a Star of David necklace to his news conference. Jeudy, 20, explained that he wore the necklace because “people sometimes call me Jeu,” pronounced like Jew. The University of Alabama AllAmerican quickly apologized — tweeting “don’t mean no disrespect to the Jewish people!” — but Jerry Jeudy wearing his star of no one seemed to take offense. In an April Sports Illustrated (SI) cover profile, David necklace in February. which touted Jeudy as “the best wide receiver in the 2020 NFL draft,” Jeudy opened up about the deeper meaning behind his necklace. Turns out in the center there’s a picture of his sister Aaliyah, who was born with severe health complications and died in 2016 at age 7. “When I took care of her, I used to think, ‘When I get to the league, I’m finna find these doctors to help her learn how to talk, how to walk, stuff like that,’” Jeudy told SI. “God had other plans.” The NFL Draft begins on April 23, and Jeudy is widely considered to be an early first-round pick. — JTA MICHAEL HICKEY/GETTY IMAGES

CORRECTION — In “Coronavirus restrictions take bite out of kosher eateries” (March 26), Jerusalem Restaurant in Livingston was closed for a few days but did reopen for several weeks before Passover.

Vol. LXXIV No. 15 April 9, 2020 15 Nisan 5780 EDITORIAL Gabe Kahn, Editor Shira Vickar-Fox, Managing Editor Lori Silberman Brauner, Deputy Managing Editor Johanna Ginsberg, Senior Staff Writer Jed Weisberger, Staff Writer Abby Meth Kanter, Editorial Adviser CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Michele Alperin, Jennifer Altmann, Max L. Kleinman, Martin J. Raffel, Merri Ukraincik, Stephen M. Flatow, Jonathan Tobin BUSINESS Nancy Greenblatt, Manager Sales/ Administration and Circulation Nancy Karpf, Senior Account Executive Steven Weisman, Account Executive Lauri Sirois, Classified Sales Supervisor/ Office Manager GRAPHIC DESIGN/DIGITAL/PRODUCTION Clarissa Hamilton, Janice Hwang, Charles J. Rosenthal, Dani Shetrit EXECUTIVE STAFF Rich Waloff, Publisher Andrew Silow-Carroll, Editor in Chief Gary Rosenblatt, Editor at Large Rob Goldblum, Managing Editor Ruth Rothseid, Sales Manager Thea Wieseltier, Director of Strategic Projects Dan Bocchino, Art Director Arielle Sheinwald, Print Marketing Operations Manager Gershon Fastow, Advertising Coordinator Miriam Groner, Web Director

PUBLISHER’S STATEMENT New Jersey Jewish News, an independent voice, seeks to inform, engage and inspire its readers, covering and helping to build community. The Greater MetroWest edition of NJJN (USPS 275-540) is published weekly by the JWMW, LLC, at 1501 Broadway, Room 505, New York, NY 10036. © 2016, NJ Jewish News. All rights reserved. • Periodical postage is paid at Whippany, NJ, and additional offices. • Postmaster: Send address changes to New Jersey Jewish News, 1719 Route 10, Suite 307, Parsippany, NJ 07054-4515. NJJN was founded as The Jewish News on Jan. 3, 1947. Member, American Jewish Press Association; subscriber to JTA. TELEPHONES/E-MAIL: Main — phone: 973739-8110, fax: 973-887-4152, e-mail: editorial@njjewishnews.com, ■ Manuscripts, letters, documents, and photographs sent to New Jersey Jewish News become the physical property of this publication, which is not responsible for the return or loss of such material. SUBSCRIPTIONS: ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS (INCLUDING POSTAGE): New Jersey: $52. Out of State: $56. Call Nancy Greenblatt, 973-739-8115 or e-mail: ngreenblatt@njjewishnews.com. For change of address, call 973-929-3198. ADVERTISING: NJJN does not endorse the goods or services advertised in its pages and makes no representation as to the kashrut of food products and services in such advertising. The publisher shall not be liable for damages if, for any reason whatsoever, the publisher fails to publish an advertisement or for any error in an advertisement. Acceptance of advertisers and of advertising copy is subject to publisher’s approval. NJJN is not responsible if ads violate applicable laws and the advertiser will indemnify, hold harmless, and defend NJJN from all claims made by governmental agencies and consumers for any reason based on ads carried in NJJN.

NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ April 9, 2020

Seder under quarantine

State&Local

NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ April 9, 2020

Scotch Plains cantor takes star turn in ‘The Plot Against America’ Matt Axelrod tutors ‘rabbi’ John Turturro in HBO miniseries

Jennifer Altmann NJJN Contributing Writer

hen Matt Axelrod mingled with congregants one weekend last fall during kiddush, a few commented on the fact that he had shaved his beard. He merely nodded and smiled back. What Axelrod, who is the cantor at Congregation Beth Israel (CBI) in Scotch Plains, couldn’t reveal at the time was that he had been asked to get rid of the beard to appear as a cantor in HBO’s six-part series, “The Plot Against America.” The show, based on Philip Roth’s novel of the same name, imagines what would have happened if aviator Charles Lindbergh, whose speeches and letters included anti-Semitic and white supremacist leanings, had been elected president in 1940. It focuses on a working-class Jewish family in New Jersey who watches in dismay as Lindbergh turns the nation

A scene from “The Plot Against America,” the new HBO miniseries based on a Philip Roth novel. MICHELE K. SHORT/WARNERMEDIA

toward fascism. As the family faces open bigotry from people on the streets of Newark, they struggle to comprehend how their country has changed.

In August, Axelrod received an email from a casting company “out of the blue” asking if he wanted to audition for the role, he said. A few days

later, he sang “L’cha dodi” at a New York City casting office where others, who appeared to him to be professional actors, were also trying out. After singing “for 20 seconds,” he said, the casting people thanked him for coming. Later that week, he learned he landed the role. Airing since March 16, the production, which stars John Turturro and Winona Ryder, was created by David Simon, who is Jewish and well known for his realistic portraits of society’s ills in shows such as “The Wire,” and his collaborator Ed Burns. The six-hour “Plot” has garnered praise — The New York Times calling it “a passionate, gutting adaptation,” and New York Magazine wrote that the show was “a devastating, relevant alt-history drama.” Axelrod appears in the final episode, airing April 20, and his scenes were filmed at Temple Beth-El in Jersey City, though in the story the family lives in

Continued on page 9

Holmdel resident makes aliyah in spite of quarantine Jed Weisberger NJJN Staff Writer

s the world battled the Covid-19 pandemic, Alec Jaffe, 24, felt it was time for a change. And so on March 19, the Holmdel resident was one of 24 people to make Coronavirus aliyah, move to Israel, under the auspices of the organization Nefesh B’Nefesh. “I never felt like I belonged in the United States,” said Jaffe in an email exchange with NJJN, writing from a friend’s home in Holon, a coastal town south of Tel Aviv. “I don’t feel like I think in the same manner as most Americans. I’m much more open to what the whole world, other countries, and other cultures have to offer. I dreamed of moving abroad since I was 18.”

Alec Jaffe and his father, Robert, on a visit to Israel prior to Alec making aliyah. PHOTOS COURTESY ROBERT JAFFE

Jaffe — whose parents, Robert and Grace, and brother Ean, remain in New Jersey — attended Hebrew school and celebrated his bar mitz-

vah at Congregation B’nai Israel in Rumson. He said that he values the Zionistic elements he was exposed to more

than the Conservative religious ideology he was taught. He credits his “favorite” Hebrew school teacher, Mrs. Golan (whose first name he does not recall), with instilling in him “strong Zionist principles.” She taught about the modern State of Israel and Jaffe wrote that of all the students he “participated the most in her class.” “She taught us that every Jew has the right to become an Israeli citizen through the Law of Return,” he continued. “As far as the Hebrew language is concerned, they only taught us enough to get through our Torah portions for bar mitzvah…. I’ve been teaching myself, successfully, over the past few months.” Jaffe also reached out to Nefesh B’Nefesh, which, in cooperation with the Israeli government and The Jewish Agency for Israel, has a mission of

Continued on page 14

rwjbh.org/heroes

NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ April 9, 2020

Heroes work here.

NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ April 9, 2020

State&Local JCC

Continued from page 1 we can overcome everything.” Notwithstanding the power of positive thinking, Rubinstein added, “But we have no money.” Even Central New Jersey JCC’s executive director Mike Goldstein acknowledged that his luck is likely to run out soon. “Without receiving funding or our main revenue sources, we will have to make drastic cuts,” he told NJJN. Right now, the JCC of Central NJ is committed to continuing to pay employees in full through April 18. That said, “Our best-case scenario is that we have a normal summer. Our worst case is that this continues through January 2021.” The dire financial troubles of N.J. JCCs are not unique to them, and JCCs around the country have had to make tough decisions as well. “We’re going to be hearing about more and more JCCs undertaking substantial furloughs and layoffs of their staff,” said Doron Krakow, president and CEO of the JCC Association of North America (JCCA). Of those that have already begun that process, all are laying off at least 60 percent of their employees, and many are laying off over 90 percent, Krakow said. None of the 164 JCCs around

Employees of the JCC of Central NJ in Scotch Plains will be paid through April 18. the country are currently open and, according to Krakow, some of the largest, including JCCs in Detroit and Philadelphia, were among the first to lay off staff. Part of the problem is the JCC financial model: They rely on feefor-service programs for 80 percent of their funding. While usually this is considered a strength, Krakow said that in the current situation it seems like a “great weakness.” “With the buildings closed, the money has dried up overnight.” Some examples of fee-for-service programs include day care, preschool, aquatics, adult enrichment, and more.

WE PASSED PHARAOH,

we’ll pass this too. ‫ נעבור גם את זה‬,‫עברנו את פרעה‬

Next Year in Israel! www.masaisrael.org | findit@masaisrael.org

Goldstein said that until the pandemic the JCC of Central New Jersey had been in good financial shape, with 4,000 individual members or about 1,150 family units, the most it’s ever had. Raynor said that despite its “lean” operation, JCC MetroWest was facing impossible circumstances. We have “a large payroll and a large physical plant,” he said. “We are simply unable to sustain the level of usual expenses when little fee-for-service revenue is occurring.” Before closing on March 16, the JCC in Middlesex was on “solid” financial footing, according to Rubinstein, and had already raised more than $1.5 million of a $2 million capital campaign toward renovation and expansion (funds can only be used for those purposes). Among other improvements, they had a new roof installed in February, and had just begun renovating the lobby before the pandemic. Always on the lookout for a silver lining, Rubinstein said that renovation will be simpler to complete with the building closed and without members coming and going. By the time the doors of JCCs around the country reopen — whenever that is — Krakow estimates Jewish community institutions will require a $1 billion rescue, which he said will have to come from private Jewish philanthropy. “We know that since [Jewish communal] businesses were healthy and viable on the day before [the pandemic closed their doors], they have the ability to restore themselves to viability, but it’s going to take time,” he said. “And over that period of time, to know that they’re

going to have access to low- or nocost credit on favorable terms will give them the confidence that they need to plan for the renewal of their operations.” In the meantime, the JCC of Central NJ, JCC of Middlesex, and JCC MetroWest, like most of their peers, have moved activities online, from fitness and wellness to adult education and senior groups to arts and culture. And volunteering has not stopped. For example, as of April 1, volunteers and staff at JCC MetroWest had made 800 calls to isolated seniors and special needs individuals and continued delivering kosher Meals on Wheels to some 50 homebound seniors. JCC Central has been lucky enough to have 70 percent of its patrons continue paying for services, despite the building closure. Raynor said it was “a little too early” to know how many of its patrons will continue to pay versus those who, facing financial difficulties of their own, will freeze their regular dues. The JCC in Middlesex has a more complicated setup, as it shares a campus with the local YMCA. While both are secular organizations, the JCC has a Jewish mission and offers social services, whereas the Y focuses on fitness and childcare. Together they decided to freeze all accounts and stopped billing. Without any funding, preschool teachers were among those furloughed, so unlike other JCCs, early childhood education did not move online. Volunteering, however, is robust, even among former employees. Even though the social workers who ran the senior programming have been furloughed in Middlesex, they are spending four-to-six hours every day anyway on a volunteer basis talking with seniors. According to Rubinstein, those phone calls have become a lifeline to seniors, who don’t want to hang up. “They just want to speak about how concerned they are, and how sad they are,” said Rubinstein. One of the most important services senior adults were receiving from all of the JCCs is social interaction. “People always told us that it was because of the JCC they were able to remain in the community,” said Rubinstein. “The JCC was the center of their social and emotional well-being.” Preschool teachers have also

been reaching out to their families to check in, and a men’s group is continuing via teleconference to accommodate those who aren’t able to use Zoom or other video conferencing programs. “When you listen to the news, it makes it sound like there’s no end date. We want to make sure everyone is coping as well as possible,” said Rubinstein. All three JCCs, like many of their counterparts around the country, have benefited from webinars and content sharing via the JCCA. Many JCCs are also receiving emergency funding from local federations. For the month of April, the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest New Jersey gave JCC of Central New Jersey $54,000 in emergency funding and JCC MetroWest $53,000. (See sidebar for federation’s total allocations to community agencies for April.) All were among those applying to take advantage of the federal government’s $350 billion small business loan program, in particular through the payroll protection

program, although at press time it was still unknown whether, or how much, they would receive. “I don’t think there’s a JCC in the U.S. that isn’t putting in an application today,” Krakow said on April 3, the day banks started accepting applications. As they continue to plan for normal summers and hope for the best, Rubinstein has started to think about what reopening will look like. Depending on what kinds of gatherings will be permitted at that time, she said, “We think there will be a pent-up demand and people will jump back into our programs.” And she is hopeful summer camps will run. “We’re going to remain optimistic until we have reason not to be optimistic.” For now, however, Rubinstein, Goldstein, Raynor, and all 164 JCCs have to figure out how to keep things going with little or no money coming in. Said Rubinstein, “At least we are all in this together.” ■ jginsberg@njjewishnews.com

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Federation’s emergency funding allocations THE JEWISH FEDERATION of Greater MetroWest NJ has allocated emergency funds to local community agencies for immediate health care, food insecurity, and mental health. Because the situation is changing so quickly, federation is granting funds one month at a time. In addition to the local grants listed below, federation has allocated $50,000 overseas through its partners, the Jewish Agency for Israel and JDC; and $20,000 to two partner communities in Israel, Ofakim and Rishon LeZion, for Passover food packages. Unless otherwise noted, all grants below are a combination of federation allocations and gifts from private donors secured by federation for the following agencies: Jewish Family Service of Me-

troWest: $188,600 Jewish Family Service of Central NJ: $197,688 JCC MetroWest: $53,000 JCC of Central New Jersey: $54,296 YM-YWHA: $54,700 Daughters of Israel: $116,000 JESPY House: $20,000 (gift from private donor) JSDD: $20,000 (gift from private donor) Day School Scholarships: $87,500 JVS: $6,750 In addition, fundholders of Jewish Community Foundation of Greater MetroWest NJ have donated more than $1.4 million to date for Covid-19 emergency, the vast majority to federation and local agencies and synagogues. — JOHANNA GINSBERG

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NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ April 9, 2020

State&Local

NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ April 9, 2020

State&Local

Makot Movies By Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com Difficulty Level: Manageable

Across

1. What a cop might flash 6. Impersonate 11. 1984 Leon Uris bestseller, with “The” 14. “Have ___” (waiting room offer) 15. Licorice-like flavoring 16. “... ___ in a galaxy far, far away ...” 17. 1996 Michael Douglas historical thriller, with 67-Across 19. Bother 20. This woman 21. ___mode 22. THE Marvel name 24. Nasty, as a remark 26. One in the Indy 500 27. Outdoor eatery 30. Posts 33. Make like a Manning 34. Some dishes 36. “None so blind as those that will ___” 38. English title 39. Parts of the Exodus story that can be found in this puzzle’s movies 42. Sketchy show? 45. Ace concealer 47. Gets close 49. Israeli supermodel Ginzburg

51. Tefillah where people bow 54. City south of Jerusalem 55. An artist might sign with one 57. Like some gasses 59. Affliction 62. By way of 63. Little dog 66. Principle represented by the yin and yang 67. See 17-Across 70. Rock sub-genre 71. Less bright, as colors 72. Backs off (with “up”) 73. “Science Kid” of PBS 74. “Fur ___ “ (Beethoven) 75. Curling or hurling

Down

1. Soak 2. Queens stadium name 3. Stag, for one 4. Joke 5. “Fargo” director Coen 6. Ancient Dead Sea fortress 7. Bad QB throw 8. Farrow and Sara 9. Money ___ everything 10. Wood used for the Tabernacle 11. 2016 George Clooney comedy

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12. Concurs 13. Some wild cards 18. Those who have made aliyah 23. Neck part 24. Gov. abbr. 25. Oasis near the Dead Sea 27. Inclusive letters 28. Kind of tuna 29. 1982 Sylvester Stallone action film 31. Funny Costello 32. ___-Foy (city in Quebec) 35. Impersonate 37. ID # 40. “Solaris” author Stanislaw 41. California roll ingredient, to an Aussie 43. Peace-keeping org.? 44. Letters that might trip you up? 46. Hold on property

48. Have some matzah 49. A-listers 50. Deli cut 52. Enter forcibly, as a country 53. Yom Kippur War Prime Minister 56. “Here, I’ll do that” 58. Does a bit of lawn work 60. Bat mitzvah locale 61. Pharaoh that might have enslaved the Israelites 63. Currency south of the border 64. One on an app 65. “Hey, pal!” 68. Moines of note 69. Something the tired might take Answers to be published in the next issue.

Star

Continued from page 4 Newark. He arrived at 5 p.m. and was given his costume — a black robe, a tallit, and a mitre, the traditional headwear worn by some cantors during that period — which he had been fitted for earlier, and shown to a small room in a trailer to change. Afterward he said a production assistant came by and told him, “John wants to see you.” “John,” it turned out, was Turturro, who portrays Rabbi Lionel Bengelsdorf, an opportunistic Conservative rabbi who aligns himself with Lindbergh. The Emmy Award-winning actor wanted Axelrod to teach him “L’cha dodi” to prepare for the scene. “I sat with John for 20 minutes and basically gave him a bar mitzvah lesson,” Axelrod said. “He was very serious about learning it. He wanted to make sure his pronunciation was right.” Axelrod is not allowed to reveal details about the plot of the scene he appears in, which took place at the synagogue during a Friday night service. However,

Federation hosts Passover food drive

Cantor Matt Axelrod of Congregation Beth Israel in Scotch Plains landed a part in HBO’s “The Plot Against America.” in the scene he stands on the bima with Turturro and sings “L’cha dodi,” which means “Come my beloved” and serves to welcome the arrival of Shabbat. “I sang it over and over again. There were maybe 20 takes,” he recalled. “I would just sing each time until someone yelled, ‘Cut!’” Axelrod has served as CBI’s cantor since 1990, first as the student cantor and then full-time after graduating from the H.L. Miller Cantorial School at the Jewish Theological Seminary. He sings with the New Jersey Cantors Concert Ensemble, which

performs throughout the state to benefit scholarship funds for cantorial students. He has written two books, “Surviving Your Bar/Bat Mitzvah: The Ultimate Insider’s Guide,” and “Your Guide to the Jewish Holidays: From Shofar to Seder,” and is also a licensed pilot and flight instructor. His wife, Dr. Tali Axelrod, is assistant superintendent of schools in Parsippany-Troy Hills. The cantor was paid a standard actors’ day rate for the gig. Before he was cast in the series Axelrod had never done any acting, “and I don’t expect to ever again,” he said. Even so, “doing this was so cool. It was a bucket-list item for something I didn’t know was a bucket-list item.” Describing himself as “a big Philip Roth fan,” Axelrod said he read and loved “The Plot Against America” when it was first published in 2004. “I’m fascinated with the genre of alternate history,” he said. And with acts of anti-Semitism on the rise, Roth’s story of what might have been if Lindbergh had defeated President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1940 election “takes on a completely new and disturbing relevance,” he said. Axelrod and his family will be glued to the television when his episode is broadcast, and he hopes that viewers will appreciate the resonance of the story with the current moment. “I hope it really hits home that history has a way of repeating itself, and we always have to be on guard,” he said. “We always have to be aware of the past.” ■

NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ April 9, 2020

State&Local

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Federation staff assembled packages that included matzah, grape juice, gefilte fish, tuna, and more. ON THURSDAY, April 2, a team of professionals from the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ assembled packages of Passover food at the Alex Aidekman Family Jewish Community Campus in Whippany and 18 volunteers delivered them. Fifty-five bags were dropped off to clients of Jewish Family Service of MetroWest NJ, 25 to clients of JCC of Central NJ, and 40 to clients of JCC MetroWest Meals on Wheels. “What an honor it was to help out in our small way,” said volunteer David Sanders. “We delivered four Passover packages to the seniors in our community. They were so appreciative. I know it meant the world to them knowing that federation takes such good care of them, particularly in such dire times.” On Monday, April 6, volunteers also delivered cases of Passover food to healthcare workers at Morristown Memorial, Overlook, and St. Barnabas hospitals. If you are struggling to get the necessities you need or would like to volunteer to help, visit federation’s Covid-19 Response webpage at jfedgmw. org/covid-19response.

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Editorial

NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ April 9, 2020

How you can help during the outbreak

ven while officials in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut saw signs this week that the coronavirus was easing its deadly grip on the region, hospitals and first responders remained overwhelmed. Beyond the medical and public health challenges, millions have been left vulnerable by closures, layoffs, and stress. Nonprofits in the Jewish community are facing increased demand while being compelled to cancel crucial fund-raising events.

is a collaboration of faith-based groups providing supplemental and emergency food to low-income residents in Orange and East Orange. orangesfoodpantry.org

Below is just a partial list of ways you can help nonprofits meet clients’ needs.

American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee is providing life-saving aid for the most vulnerable, including the poor and elderly, who’ve been hardest hit by the crisis in Israel, the Former Soviet Union, Latin America, and Europe. Services include the safe provision of supplemental food, medicines, medical care, hygiene supplies, and training, as well as programs to battle loneliness and retrain the unemployed. jdc.org/coronavirusupdates

Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ is helping on multiple fronts, from basic needs, to sustaining Jewish community centers and other hard-hit institutions, to helping Israel through the crisis (see sidebar page 7). The philanthropy has sent out $1 million to partner agencies with a commitment to “keep going.” In addition, funds have been sent to support elderly Jews and Holocaust survivors in Israel and to Greater MetroWest’s partner communities in Ofakim and Rishon LeZion. Federation staff deserve commendation for mobilizing and spearheading volunteer efforts as well. jfedgmw.org Jewish Funders Network, the Jewish Federations of North America, the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies, and the North American Volunteer Network are teaming up (and raising funds) to purchase equipment and distribute personal protective equipment to health-care providers and institutions affiliated with the NJHSA and the Association of Jewish Aging Services. bit.ly/2RjnSQN Jewish Relief Agency provides a monthly delivery of kosher food to hundreds of food-insecure families throughout the state. It is a volunteer-driven program affiliated with the Rabbinical College of America in Morristown, the N.J. headquarters of the Chabad Lubavitch movement. jrametrowest.com Good People Fund based in Millburn provides financial support, guidance, and mentoring to charitable activities of modest proportions. Unchained at Last, which supports women and girls leaving forced marriages, is among the local charities supported by the fund. goodpeoplefund.org Interfaith Food Pantry of the Oranges

Areyvut, a New Jersey-based organization that engages Jewish youth, is delivering kosher meals to Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, the heavily Jewish township hit hard by the virus. areyvut.org International Relief

American Jewish World Service is working with its 487 grantee organizations across Africa, Asia, Central America, and the Caribbean to stop the spread of Covid-19. The global aid organization is providing critical aid, life-saving information, and material assistance. act.ajws.org Volunteering Selfhelp’s “Virtual Senior Center” is seeking volunteer facilitators to connect to seniors through a video chat program and share interests in the areas of art, music, history, health, social sciences, computers, and more. Volunteers who can speak English, Mandarin, Russian, or Korean are needed. Email Carmella Chessen at cchessen@selfhelp.net. Jewish Association Serving the Aging is seeking volunteers to place friendly phone calls to homebound seniors to help reduce social isolation and disconnection from the community. Contact Lori Hardoon at lhardoon@jasa.org. DOROT’s Caring Calls program lets volunteers “visit” an older adult by phone. dorotusa.org This is just a snapshot of the charitable efforts being conducted in the region. If you have an organization or project to add to the list, email us at editorial@ njjewishnews.com. ■

Letters to the Editor Destruction of Sugihara forest

I would like to thank writer Stewart Ain and NJJN for publishing “Tangled roots: What’s become of the Sugihara Righteous Forest?” (March 12). A Japanese acquaintance, now friend, asked me for directions to the Sugihara Forest. We had met in 2017 at the Western Wall. I assured him that a city official would be more competent than an American tourist in helping him. In addition, administrators at the Mirrer Yeshiva rescued by diplomat Chiune Sugihara would also be able to provide assistance. He repeated to me that his search had been fruitless. Residents had directed him to an apartment complex. He insisted that he had to continue his search, and that was in 2017. It did not occur to either of us that the Israeli government was so indifferent as to permit the destruction of the forest honoring this man. I cringe for Israel when I think of the damage done to Japanese-Jewish relations. The Japanese did not destroy the Jews who fled to Asia during World War II. It is something to contemplate. Allen Siegel

Other candidates

Though the likelihood of Sen. Bernie Sanders being the Democratic nominee and facing off against Pres. Donald Trump in November appears less likely than when Gabe Kahn wrote “The lesser of two nominees” (Feb. 20), those two men were never going to be his only choices in the general election. There will be a Libertarian candidate, a Green candidate, and perhaps others. Voters need to take a more serious look at such candidates. Writing them off as “wasted votes” is how we get such poor nominees from the Democrats and Republicans. Both parties operate from the perspective that voters are so conditioned to a duopoly that they will vote for their respective candidates, no matter how lacking they are. Furthermore, the Commission on Presidential Debates is a bipartisan organization whose main purpose is to keep other candidates off the debate stage by setting prohibitive criteria for participation. The only legitimate criterion is being on the ballot in enough states to theoretically win a majority in the

Electoral College. If voters en masse insist on debate inclusion and vote for alternative candidates, we might just get a president we could be proud of, and force the Democrats and Republicans to give us better nominees in the future. Kenneth Kaplan Parsippany-Troy Hills What is happening at this moment is unprecedented, and the ground beneath us continues to shift. But perhaps there are some silver linings to be uncovered during these trying times. We’d like to know how this pandemic is affecting you, your family, and your community. What is your synagogue doing to aid congregants through the crisis? Have you adjusted your Jewish practices or adopted new traditions? Tell us about those who have volunteered to help the elderly and other high-risk individuals, or innovative programs that organizations have launched to maintain a sense of normalcy. Please share these stories with us and we’ll try to include your accounts in future editions of NJJN. Email submissions to editorial@ njjewishnews.com and put “SILVER LININGS” in the subject line. You can also call and leave a message with your contact information at 973-739-8110. We pray for the full and speedy recovery of those who are sickened by the virus and wish everyone chazak v’amatz, “strength and courage,” as we navigate this crisis together.

Send letters to the editor to editorial@ njjewishnews.com without attachments. Indicate “letter” in the subject line of the e-mail. Include your full name, place of residence, and daytime telephone number. If you are referring to an article in NJJN, please include the headline and edition and date of the paper in which it appeared. Letters also can be mailed to Letters to the Editor, New Jersey Jewish News, 1719 Route 10, Parsippany, NJ 07054; or faxed to 973-887-5999. NJJN reserves the right to edit letters for length, clarity, content, and accuracy.

NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ April 9, 2020

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Check Enclosed 1501 Broadway, Suite 505, New York, NY, 10036 *Savings off regular $49.00 subscription price. Please allow up to 4 weeks for delivery of first issue. www.thejewishweek.com Provide an e-mail address and get our online newsletter FREE! ite is about the two German Jews whether I need to wear a tie to work, 1 year Check Enclosed 1501payment Broadway, Suite 505, New York, NY, 10036 05P17 3. Choose method: *Savings off regular $49.00 subscription price. Please allow up to 4 weeks for delivery of first issue. www.thejewishweek.com City/State/Zip 05P17 Number Expiration Date *Savings subscription price. Please allow up stories to 4 weeks for delivery issue. www.thejewishweek.com who, at the height of World War II,off regular and$49.00worry over which we’dof firstCard Card Number Expiration Date Send To: 05P17 Send To:2 years Provide an e-mail address and get our online newsletter FREE! come up with a plan to kill Hitler. put on the front page that week. 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NEW JERSEY JEWISH NEWS

G R E AT E R M E T R O W E ST E D I T I O N

A P U B L I C AT I O N O F THE JEWISH WEEK MEDIA GROUP Vol. LXX I No. 37 | September 14, 2017 | 23 E LU L 5777

njjewishnews.com

A year for ‘dreamers’ ‘We have lost a giant to realize their goals in our community’ Gary Rosenblatt

Local rabbis let Bibi hear it

State & Local 4

Las Vegas novel has roots in Newark

Arts 26

Opinion

Arts

Community

Crossword

Calendar

LifeCycle

Touch of Torah Exit Ramp

Gottesman dead at 87

of a Washington struggle beSpecial to NJJN tween moral decency and poJohanna Ginsberg litical expediency. NJJN Staff Writer t’s only fitting that The program, launched “dreamers” are in the during the Obama adminhilanthropist Jerome news on the istration, protects “Jerry” Gottesman, eve of Rosh undocumented immiHaShanah, ushering 87, of Morristown, grants who arrived in in a High Holy Day the cofounder and the U.S. as children. chair season that focuses of Edison Properties T h e s e a r e y o u n g in Newark, Jerry Gottesman was us on visions, goals, died in Israel on people — the oldest Sept. and aspirations for 10. The funeral was honored at the Joseph would now be 36 and h e l d the new year. a t G o t t e s m a n RT W Kushner Hebrew AcadBetween most are between the Academy in Randolph two emy/Rae Kushner Yeshiva The media headl i n e s h a v e b e e n The Lines ages of 22 and 28 days later, with interment at High School 69th annual — who trusted the B’nai about President Abraham Memorial dinner in May. government and pro- Park Trump’s callous decision to in Union. vided personal information to “We have lost a dear friend end the Deferred Action for and a giant in our commuenroll in the program, which nity,” said Scott Krieger, president Childhood Arrivals (DACA) allowed them to apply for leof the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, program, which could result which spans Essex, Morris, gal status and work permits, Sussex, Union, and parts of in the U.S. deporting about Somerset counties. “Thinking renewable every two years. through the lens of real estate, 800,000 so-called “dreamers” Jerry understood that building By all indications, these Jewish community meant deep who are the innocent victims investment today, but always Continued on page 20 with an eye to the future.” Continued

Deconstructing Shylock Split

on page 31

faculty of the Yale School of Drama and whose work has been shown and acductive “binary” take on what claimed across is arguably Shakespeare’s the United most controversial character. States and around s Shylock a venal vilIn its American premiere, The Compagnia de’ Colomthe world, is also lain, an embodiment of Compagnia founding director de’ Colombari’s bari, including Sorab Wadia negative Jewish stereo- innovative of Colombari. The production of “The (Graziano) and Ned Eisentypes, or a tragic vic- Merchant theater company, of Venice” will play berg (Shylock #5) in “The tim doomed by his enemies’ at Montclair State University Merchant of Venice.” an international anti-Semitic antipathy? An Sept. 19-Oct. 1 as part of the P HOTOS BY AN DR EA M ESSANA collective of expert involved in a visionary Peak Performances series. performing artgender play Shylock — was staging of “The Merchant of ists, is based in New York but The revolutionary producinitially performed in the JewVenice” claims that a daring was conceived in Orvieto, tion — in which five actors ish Ghetto of Venice last year casting move helps avoid a reItaly, in 2004. of diverse race, ethnicity, and to mark the site’s 500th anniCoonrod said she discovversary and the 400th anniverered that it is the ambiguity sary of Shakespeare’s death. that lies at the heart of ShakeThe play “seems to dig speare’s “comedy” — “In the deeper into the heart of manworld of the play, a mercy kind beneath [the] two unnever expressed for the Jew compromising poles of justice in the street is conveniently and mercy,” its director, Karin required of the Jew in the Coonrod, has said. court” — that “opens the soul Coonrod, who is on the Continued

casting uncovers ambiguity in innovative ‘Merchant’ at MSU Abby Meth Kanter

NJJN Editorial Adviser

on page 24

us.

*Savings off regular $49.00 subscription price. Please allow up to 4 weeks for delivery of first issue.

www.thejewishweek.com

05P17

NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ April 9, 2020

State&Local

Conference unites members of all faiths dedicated to Shoah education Barbara Wind Special to NJJN

t was something of a miracle that the 50th Annual Scholars’ Conference on the Holocaust and the Churches was a great success, given that it came at a time when so many scheduled gatherings First Person and events had been cancelled because of the outbreak of Covid-19. More than 75 presenters from five continents gathered to discuss various aspects of the Holocaust with one another and more than 250 others, including clergy members, professors in other disciplines, students, and Holocaust survivors. The venue was the Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies at the University of Texas (UT) at Dallas, which became the new home for the conference founded

by two now-deceased Christian professors, Franklin Hamlin Littell of Temple University and Hubert Locke of the University of Washington, Seattle. There are Greater MetroWest links to this unique conference, which brings together Holocaust scholars, theologians, poets, and artists who teach and inspire one another. For one, Kean University in Union hosted the conference in 2001. Also, Sister Dr. Rose E. Thering, a professor at Seton Hall University and namesake of its Endowment for Jewish-Christian Studies, had strong and abiding connections to the founders and other scholars who first grappled with the subject of the Holocaust and religion, including Elie Wiesel, Rabbi Irving “Yitz” Greenberg, Rev. Dr. John Pawlikowski, Rabbi Dr. Richard Rubenstein, and others. Locke, an African-American, was a highly received keynote speaker at Rutgers University and Ahavas Sholom when the Holocaust Council of Greater MetroWest collaborated with the City of

For Those Who Value Community

The preferred career resource for the Jewish community. lsirois@njjewishnews.com | 973-739-8113

Newark for one of their annual Interfaith Holocaust Commemorations. The scholars’ conference founders’ backgrounds were substantially different, although both were professors and Protestant ministers. Littell’s father was the president of Cornell College in Iowa. Locke, who published “Learning from History: A Black Christian’s Perspective on the Holocaust,” was raised in Chicago by working-class parents. Nevertheless, the two were bound by a common thread learned from Israel’s prophets. Promoting social justice based on the belief in the divine spark in all human beings, they taught that inherent dignity pertains to all, particularly in view of the Holocaust experience. A student and Methodist minister, Littell had attended a 1939 Nazi rally in Nuremburg, Germany. It was a deeply troubling, seminal experience that he said raised his awareness of the horrifying effects of Christian anti-Judaism. The atrocities perpetrated by Germany and other nations at the apex of culture and learning compelled him to dedicate his life to addressing injustice. Following the war and for 10 years during the American occupation of Germany, Littell served as chief Protestant religious adviser in the High Command assigned to the task of de-Nazification. He was an adviser to three U.S. presidents and became close friends with theologians Martin Niemöller and Reinhold Niebuhr, as well as many other scholars, writers, and artists. Among Littell’s many publications was the ground-breaking, “The Crucifixion of the Jews: The Failure of Christians to Understand the Jewish Experience.” When Littell and Locke founded the conference in 1970, they were pioneers. For half a century their efforts have encouraged both established and emerging scholars in the field of Holocaust studies to educate students and the general public about the greatest global catastrophe that was accomplished by the cooperation of socio-political-religious-artistic-philosophical-scientific-medical and technical communities. The Shoah produced seismic changes that continue to reverberate and cause fatally dangerous after-effects. As their friend and colleague, Thering always said, “When you teach the Holocaust, you teach everything.” Littell believed in education and commemoration. Many consider him a founding father of Holocaust studies, having created the master’s and doctoral programs devoted

to study of the Holocaust at several institutions. He was instrumental in creating the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. A widower, Littell married Dr. Marcia Sachs. In 1998, the two academics established the first interdisciplinary master’s degree program in Holocaust studies at what is now known as Stockton University. The 2020 conference began with a celebratory dinner on March 7. It was auspicious in that it coincided with the golden anniversary of UT Dallas, which has grown into a global leader in innovative, high-quality research and education. Students there are doing innovative research on the Holocaust. Although not infected with Covid-19, Prof. David Patterson and his wife were in isolation, having just returned from a trip abroad. The Holocaust scholar, an expert on anti-Semitism and a Jew by choice, attended the annual conference for decades before bringing it to its new home in Texas. Patterson holds the Hillel A. Feinberg Distinguished Chair in Holocaust Studies at the Ackerman Center. The conference chair was the much admired and beloved Dr. Zsuzsanna Ozsváth, the author of “When the Danube Ran Red,” a memoir about her childhood in Hungary during the Holocaust. She immigrated to America and earned a doctorate in German literature from the University of Texas, Austin. The global pandemic we now face should serve as a humbling reminder that we cannot control nature, but we must control ourselves and how we behave toward one another. Littell and Locke were prophetic and mesmerizing orators whose messages were imbued with justified rage. As theologians, they understood that Judaism and its offshoot religions are based on the preservation of memory. Poet and philosopher George Santayana wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” By fostering an international forum of researchers, scholars, and theologians, who can share their findings with one another and therefore bring this knowledge to teachers, preachers, political leaders, and the general public, the scholars’ conference is determined to pave a path to a better future for all. ■ Barbara Wind, former director of the Holocaust Council of Greater MetroWest NJ, is a writer, Holocaust scholar, speaker, and consultant.

Orthodox

Continued from page 1 been particularly hard hit by the virus, according to local medical professionals and community members. Data from New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene published April 3 showed Brooklyn’s Borough Park and Crown Heights, home to large charedi Orthodox communities, among the neighborhoods with the highest case counts in the city. County investigators in Rockland County, N.Y., said most of their area’s cases are found in Spring Valley and Monsey, also home to large Orthodox Jewish communities. Orthodox newspapers are filled with death notices, including some for leading rabbis of several chasidic movements. Deaths from the virus have overwhelmed one Brooklyn Orthodox funeral home, according to the Forward. O n M o n d a y, i n a s t r o n g l y worded rebuke, N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo urged municipalities to fine members of the Orthodox community and others for their flouting of social distancing rules. The governor called on local governments to enforce the fines he has imposed for violating the state’s stay-at-home order. Cuomo said on Monday he is doubling the maximum for such fines to $1,000. The spread has also been marked among Israel’s charedi Orthodox, according to a recent report by The New York Times. Though charedim make up only 12 percent of Israel’s population, 40 to 60 percent of coronavirus patients at four major hospitals were from the community, according to the report, citing Israeli media. Large charedi Orthodox communities were particularly vulnerable at the outset of the outbreak, with regular religious services, large families, and large gatherings an essential part of their culture. The novel coronavirus also began spreading in the United States shortly before Purim, which began on March 8, at the beginning of widespread calls for school closures, crowd restrictions, and stay-at-home orders. Packed readings of the Book of Esther and Purim parties were held around the region. It wasn’t

Hundreds of members of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community attend a funeral in Borough Park for a rabbi who died from the coronavirus. SPENCER PLATT/GETTY IMAGES

until March 18, following a call from the White House, that 15 leading Orthodox rabbis in New York, including prominent chasidic leaders, urged followers to shutter communal and educational institutions and adhere to social distancing protocols. Still, there have been complaints from within and outside the community that religious services and other gatherings have continued unabated. On March 30, nearly 100 attendees gathered near the Canadian border for the funeral of a member of the chasidic enclave of Kiryas Joel, an apparent Covid-19 victim, according to a source who was invited but declined to attend and asked to remain anonymous for fear of communal retribution. (Funeral attendees told the source about the large turnout.) And on March 29, in the charedi enclave of Lakewood, nearly 50 people were discovered by police gathering outside a private home for a wedding. Such reports have led to wide criticism of the charedim, especially on social media. But others contend that the community is being unfairly singled out for the transgressions of a few. Bernie Gips, a coordinator for the Hatzolah ambulance service in Borough Park for nearly 46 years, said he is frustrated by the public perception that the charedi Orthodox community is not taking the coronavirus threat seriously. “People think the Orthodox are not complying — it’s not so,” he said, detailing efforts his local Hatzolah chapter has made to spread word about the virus’ se-

verity to those who don’t have internet access. Among those efforts was the door-to-door distribution of leaflets. He estimated that “95 percent” of Orthodox institutions — from synagogues to kosher catering halls — are shut down at this point. Avi Shafran, director of public affairs for Agudath Israel of America, the charedi Orthodox group, argued in the Forward that the calls for distancing measures “have been heeded by all but the tiniest minority of the community.”

Making enemies

Some say members of their community still haven’t gotten that message. A Chabad-Lubavitch businessman in Crown Heights who has been particularly vocal about enforcing social distancing said he has “made many enemies” because of his attempts to “shame people into staying home.” “Congregating, around holidays

and Shabbos, is my community’s way of life. So we got hit harder.” Community insiders also say the demands for social distancing clash with other community norms, such as loyalty to religious ritual; a dearth of access to mainstream media; a steadfast belief that those engaged in religious activities will not be harmed; and a deep-rooted skepticism toward edicts imposed by authorities outside the community. “If you’ve grown up to ignore the outside world, why would that change now?” said the source from within the Borough Park community who was invited to attend the large funeral that took place last week. “In the community, we’ve always adhered to our own set of rules.” “In tight-knit Orthodox communities, there is a healthy dose of skepticism when orders come from the ‘authorities’ and not from within,” said Blima Marcus, a nurse practitioner at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and a member of Borough Park’s charedi Orthodox community. Marcus said that the Orthodox community’s limited access to popular media contribute to an underestimation and skepticism toward medical threats. “For the ultra-Orthodox, there is no TV, no radio, no secular newspapers,” she said. “The enormity of what was happening globally was not a daily reality for most of the community. Without context, orders to stay at home in 2020 seemed farfetched.” ■ Hannah Dreyfus is a staff writer at The New York Jewish Week, NJJN’s sister publication.

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NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ April 9, 2020

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Calendar

NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ April 9, 2020

Due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, most synagogues and organizations have cancelled all in-person activities for the rest of the month. Some are offering online learning opportunities or plan to reschedule. Please email calendar@ njjewishnews.com with online events open to the community.

NCJW/Essex and its Linda & Rudy Slucker Center for Women, Livingston, have postponed classes, programs, and in-person meetings through May 15, but will continue its operations remotely and will be responding to phone calls and emails. For more information, contact centerforwomen@ ncjwessex.org or 973-994-4994 or visit centerforwomenNJ.org. Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel (TSTI), a Reform synagogue in South Orange, has moved services and other programs to online platforms, including Friday evening services live via Zoom, Saturday morning Torah study, programs for teens and parents of teens, support groups for parents, morning coffee and conversation with the clergy, home projects for preschoolers, high school and college student mindfulness and yoga sessions, music and yoga programs for young children, and resources about support groups and other information. Call 973-763-4116 or go to tsti.org.

The following national and international organizations are offering various online resources: Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) offers live online classes at jtsa.edu/online-classes.

Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem offers Torah study and general resources at pardes.org. il/pardes-resources-for-those-impacted-by-covid-19. Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion’s Jewish Language Project, in partnership with JewishLive, will present the following series of online lectures by Dr. Sarah Bunin Benor. All events will take place from 7-8 p.m. on Zoom and Facebook Live. • April 16: Do American Jews Speak a Jewish Language? • April 23: Mensch, Bentsh, and Balagan: Language as a Marker of Jewish Identity • April 30: Becoming Frum: How Newcomers Learn the Language and Culture of Orthodox Judaism • May 7: Ruach in the Chadar Ochel: Language at American Jewish Summer Camps • May 14: Jewish Surnames and Name Changing Around the World: Diversity and Unity • May 21: Jewish Personal Names Around the World: Tradition and Creativity For information, contact Liza Sacks at lsacks@ huc.edu.

State&Local Aliyah

Continued from page 4 revitalizing aliyah from North America by removing or minimizing the financial, professional, logistical, and social obstacles of the complicated — and emotional — process. “It is truly remarkable to see that aliyah is continuing amidst increasingly complex global circumstances,” said Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, co-founder and executive director of Nefesh B’Nefesh, in a release. “These new olim, more than ever, represent the strong future of the State of Israel as they are determined to fulfill their dreams of helping to build the Jewish nation. We are ready to assist them throughout their entire aliyah process for them to settle into their new homes as smoothly and comfortably as possible during these challenging times.” In the upcoming week the organization plans to settle 20 more olim. Nefesh B’Nefesh has settled over 60,000 North American immigrants to Israel since 2002, of which over 90 percent have remained in the country. Jaffe is not looking back. “Honestly, I’m not the kind of person to be sentimental that much,” he said. “I wasn’t sad about leaving my family until the day of the flight. I felt homesick one day after the flight, but not now.”

Former Holmdel resident Alec Jaffe moved to Israel on March 19. Upon his arrival into Israel last month, Jaffe was quarantined for 14 days due to Covid-19 regulations. Now that his time in seclusion is, at least temporarily, complete, he plans to share an apartment with friends in the Tel Aviv area. Originally, Jaffe hoped to earn a doctorate and pursue a career in research, but he changed course, dropping out after three years of Drexel University

Mensches of MetroWest JCC MetroWest will hold its inaugural MetroWest Mensches, an evening to honor inspiring men in the local community — virtually — on Wednesday, May 13, at 7 p.m. via Zoom. The MetroWest Mensches are Eddie Hernandez, Lawrence Rein, and Stanley Shapiro, Ph.D. A Zoom link will be provided at a later date. Hernandez, an East Hanover resident, is a security guard at the JCC in West Orange following a 25-year career in law enforcement and retiring as a detective with the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office. Rein, who lives in West Orange, is treasurer of the Jewish Service for the Developmentally Disabled (JSDD); chair of the development committee at JCC MetroWest; a board member of Jewish Family Service of MetroWest, Congregation AABJ&D, West Orange Mikvah, Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy, and Keren Ness Foundation; and chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ’s Synagogue Liaison Committee. Shapiro, a Livingston resident, retired in 2007 from Johnson and Johnson as vice president of science and technology. He is a longtime active member of the JCC as well as Temple B’nai Abraham in Livingston. For information, go to jccmetrowest.org/event/ metrowest-mensches.

in Philadelphia, where he studied cognitive science. Instead of a career in academia, he decided to try his luck with emerging blockchain technology, which aims to both streamline and add new levels of security to business communications. “Once I decided not to pursue further education, I lost all motivation and dropped out,” he said. Israel’s emergence in the technology sector was an added motivation for Jaffe, who had already started “a couple of small FinTech [financial technology] blockchain businesses” of his own. “I have always tinkered with technology and want to be part of the Tel Aviv entrepreneurial scene,” he said. Not only does he hope that living in Israel will benefit him from a professional standpoint, but he wouldn’t mind if it gives his personal life a boost, either. “Another reason I came to Israel was to find a nice Jewish girl to marry,” said Jaffe, and with his quarantine over he was planning a first date with an Israeli girl that he met online through an EnglishHebrew-language exchange program. “Her English is much better than my Hebrew.” Even though he is too old to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces — for men, foreigners between 18-23 are eligible for conscription, for women 1820 — he said he “would gladly put his life on the line to defend the only Jewish state in existence.” ■ jweisberger@njjewishnews.com

Newcomers

A daughter, Simone Ava, to STEPHANIE and RYAN ABRAMOW of New York City on March 23, 2020. The maternal grandparents are Ruth and Steven Katz of Short Hills. The maternal great-grandmother is Millie Zuckerman of Livingston. The paternal grandparents are Robin and Steven Abramow of Alpine. The paternal great-grandparents are Harriet Lubins of Fort Lee and Marcelle Abramow of Boca Raton, Fla.

B’nei mitzvah

JONAH WEINBERG, son of Suzanne and Mark Weinberg of Montclair, at home on April 3. The Weinbergs are members of Temple Sholom, Cedar Grove.

Engagements

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analyst at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. Mr. Schnapp holds a juris doctorate from Delaware Law School. He is currently a law clerk for the United States Bankruptcy Court of the District of Delaware. The couple plans a 2021 wedding.

Obituaries

William “Bill” Swarts, 93, of Stroudsburg, Pa., died March 18, 2020. Born in New York City, he lived in Denville for over 40 years and also had lived in Buffalo, N.Y., for several years. Dr. Swarts graduated from New York University in 1950 and received his doctorate in chemistry from Purdue University in 1952. He served in World War II in the Air Corps as a medic in the Gunnery Division. He was interested in ecology and worked to encourage Denville to do more in the way of recycling by attending community meetings and writing letters. He and his wife, Rose, worked as servers once a month at the Morristown Soup Kitchen for about 25 years. He enjoyed playing bridge. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Rose (Davis); his son, Steve of West Palm Beach, Fla.; and his daughter, Ilene (Jeff) Austin of Stroudsburg, Pa. Services were held March 22 with arrangements by J.L. Apter Memorial Chapels of Dover.

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15 NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ April 9, 2020

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NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ April 9, 2020

LifeCycle Continued from previous page

Mr. Goldstein was a resident of the Hunterdon Developmental Center in Clinton. He enjoyed listening to music and going to synagogue in Flemington. He is survived by his brother, Bruce (Marjorie) of Chester, and his nephews, Jed and Geoffrey. Graveside services were held at Beth Israel Cemetery in Woodbridge. Memorial contributions may be made to the Chai Center for Jewish Life, 20 Shawnee Drive, Suite C, Watchung, N.J. 07069.

Jay Gold

Jay Gold, 77, a longtime resident of East Hanover, died March 27, 2020. He was born in Atlantic City. Mr. Gold had a long professional career, which began at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He later served as chief financial officer for UJA-Federation of New York and Daughters of Israel in West Orange. For much of his career, he worked at the CBS television network, where he ultimately served as the network’s vice president of finance and a chief financial leader of the CBS Broadcast Group. He received his undergraduate degree from Rutgers University and his M.B.A. from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He served his country as part of the U.S. Army Reserve. He served as president of Cedar Hill Country Club in Livingston and was a board member of Head Start, a program administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that provides a variety of services to low-income children and families. Predeceased by his sister, Judy Stomachin, he

is survived by his wife, Susan; four sons, Eric (Charlene), Michael, Bradford (Amanda), and Noah (Andrea); and seven grandchildren. Private services were held March 31; a formal memorial service will be scheduled in the future. Memorial contributions may be made to National Kidney Foundation.

Jamie Goldblat

Jamie Erica Goldblat of Springfield died March 27, 2020. Born in 1990 in Summit, she lived her entire life in Springfield. Ms. Goldblat was a 2008 graduate of Jonathan Dayton High School in Springfield. She was writing a book and loved animals, especially her cat, Chloe; arts and crafts; and her family and friends. She is survived by her parents, Robert and Elise Goldblat; a sister, Jessica (Matthew) Cohen of Bridgewater; and two nieces, Leah and Emma Cohen. Private services were held March 30 with arrangements by Menorah Chapels at Millburn, Union. Memorial contributions may be made to Familial Dysautonomia Foundation, 315 W. 39th St., #701, New York, N.Y. 10018 (familialdysautonomia.org).

A memorial will be planned for a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to RWJBarnabas Health Hospice, 95 Old Short Hills Road, Livingston.

Iris Seiden

Iris Seiden (Bromberg) of Verona died April 1, 2020. She was born in Passaic and had resided in Clifton for many years. She attended art school, where she enjoyed painting and dreamed of becoming a fashion illustrator. She enjoyed playing golf and spending winters in Florida. Predeceased by her husband of 71 years, Leonard (Lenny) Seiden, and a brother, Gerald Bromberg, she is survived by two daughters, Miriam Seiden of Lambertville and Lynn SeidenPreminger (Robert Preminger) of Canton, Conn.; and a grandson. Memorial contributions may be made to Alzheimer’s Association.

Salomon Podgursky Annemarie APTERCHAPELS.COM Davidson Annemarie Davidson, a Livingston resident for over 50 years, died March 20, 2020. She was born in Bamberg, Germany. Mrs. Davidson was a school social worker in Livingston for many years. She graduated from Hunter College and received an M.S.W. degree from Columbia University. Candle Lighting Predeceased by -her husband, Louis, cantor emeritus at Temple Emanu-El in Livingston, she is survived by her daughter, Gina (Roman); and two grandchildren.

Salomon “Sal” S. Podgursky, 84, of Whippany died April 1, 2020. He was born in 1935 in Warsaw, Poland, which he fled at the age of 4 along with his parents and older brothers. After fleeing the Germans, the family came under Soviet occupation in eastern Poland, from where in early 1940 they were deported to the Ural -Mountains. After almost two years in a Soviet internment camp, where his parents were forced to work in coal mines, the family was released, migrating to the city of Frunze (now called Bishkek) in the Soviet central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan. J.L. After World War II ended the family returned In the Philip Apter & Son Tradition Since 1902 Jason L. Apter, Manager, NJ Lic. No. 3650 to Europe, where they lived in a displaced persons’ APTERCHAPELS.COM camp, and eventually boarded one of the first boats bringing Jewish Holocaust survivors to Palestine. Due to a British blockade, the family was prevented from reaching Palestine, and were interned on the island of Cyprus for several months before entering the new State of Israel in 1948. • LIFE INSURANCE ASSIGNMENT PROGRAM In 1952, the family left Israel for Europe, mov• The financial burden is lifted from the family.

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ing to Brussels, Belgium, where he apprenticed as a cabinet maker. In 1958, the family immigrated to the United States, and were resettled in Louisville, Ky., by the Hebrew Immigration Aid Society (HIAS). By his arrival at age 23, he was a fluent speaker of Yiddish, Polish, Russian, Hebrew, and French. He went on to found Excel Service Company, a successful furniture building and restoration company in Louisville. He hired many immigrants, including Jews fleeing persecution from the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 80s and who were resettled in Louisville by HIAS. Excel Service, named after the Ixelles neighborhood in Brussels where he had learned his trade, was sold in 1993 but is still operating in Louisville. In 2018, he relocated to the Lester Senior Housing Community in Whippany. He also enjoyed painting still lifes. Predeceased by a son, Myron, and a brother, Jacob, he is survived by his wife of 57 years, Sara Jane (Fuchs); a son, Robert (Alison) of Maplewood; three brothers, Josef of Manaus, Brazil, and Charles and Henry of Louisville; and two grandchildren. Services were held April 5 with arrangements by J.L. Apter Memorial Chapels of Dover. Memorial contributions may be made to HIAS in Washington, D.C.

Hackettstown after his marriage in 1972. Mr. Baron purchased the Fifth Avenue Card Shop in the Hackettstown Mall, which was later renamed Baron’s Hallmark. Over the course of his over-40-year career, he owned four Hallmark stores in Hackettstown, Mansfield, Stroudsburg, and Mt. Pocono, Pa. He also served on the Warren County Economic Development Commission and as president of the Hackettstown Area Chamber of Commerce. He served as an incorporator and director of Skylands Community Bank, recently bought by Fulton Bank. He received his undergraduate degree from Northeastern University in 1967 and his M.A. from Boston University in 1970. In his retirement, he was an avid theatergoer. Predeceased by his first wife, P. Christine Smalec, in 2005, he is survived by his wife, Laura Zagoren Master Baron, whom he married in 2007; his daughter, Jessica Baron (Chad Afanador) of Lafayette, Colo.; two stepsons, Jeremy Master of Montrose, Colo., and Ben Master of Penacook, N.H.; a sister, Ellen Rathbun of Pierce, Colo.; and two grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to Gift of Life Family House, 401 Callowhill St., Philadelphia, PA 19123 (giftoflifefamilyhouse.org/ bridge-give/).

Rose Feldman

Rose Feldman (Landwirth), 98, of Livingston died March 31, 2020. She grew up in West Orange, lived in Union, and was a resident of Livingston for over 50 years. She and her husband Bernard spent many winters in Delray Beach, Fla. Mrs. Feldman began playing the violin at age 8 and played her final concert at age 97. She played in the Metropolitan Orchestra of NJ, formerly the “Y” Chamber Orchestra, for 48 years; and also ran the orchestra for several years. She also worked for the League of Women Voters, Jewish Federation, and in the dental office of her husband and son, Drs. Bernard & Paul Feldman. She was a member of Temple B’nai Jeshurun in Short Hills. She also enjoyed cooking and was an avid bridge player. Predeceased by her husband, whom she married in 1947, she is survived by three children, Barbara, Elliot, and Paul (Perri); and two grandchildren. Services were held April 1 at B’nai Abraham Memorial Park. Memorial contributions may be made to the Metropolitan Orchestra of NJ, P.O. Box 155, Livingston, N.J. 07039.

Norton Reiss

Norton I. Reiss, 94, of West Orange died March 27, 2020. He was born in Newark. After working at his family millwork business, Reiss Brothers in Newark, Mr. Reiss became a real estate developer. He graduated from Weequahic High School in Newark and from Cornell University with a degree in economics. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He was an active and philanthropic member of the Jewish community. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Lois; two sons, Richard (Lisa Silber) and James (Rita Knauer); his daughter, Susan Reiss (Steven) Baskin; two granddaughters; and two great-grandchildren. Private services were held March 30 with arrangements by Bernheim-Apter-Kreitzman Suburban Funeral Chapel, Livingston. Memorial contributions may be made to UJA or a charity of choice.

Norman Baron

Norman Stuart Baron, 75, of Hackettstown died March 31, 2020. He was born in the Bronx to William and Shirley Auerhahn; his mother later remarried Benedict Baron, who adopted him, and he grew up in Huntington Station, N.Y. He later lived in New York City before moving to

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17 NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ April 9, 2020

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COVID-19 RELIEF

For the latest information & happenings in the Jewish community, visit us at jfedgmw.org

KEEPING THE STORIES ALIVE

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Still looking for ways to make this Passover particularly meaningful and enlightening? COVID-19 and social distancing may be throwing a wrench into many cherished holiday traditions this year, but that shouldn’t stop us from

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NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ April 9, 2020

Greater MetroWest UPDATE

FEDERATION

NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ April 9, 2020

| SHABBAT/PASSOVER CANDLELIGHTING |

April 9: 8:21 p.m. April 10: 7:14 p.m.

Engaging the indifferent fifth son Passover Exodus 33:12-34:26 and Numbers 28:19-28:25 Rabbi Joyce Newmark

very seder, no matter how abbreviated, includes the Four Questions, the passage recited by a child to which the Maggid, the telling, the Haggadah’s account of the Exodus, is the response. Almost 2,000 years ago the Rabbis made the child’s questioning an element of primary importance in the Pesach ritual. All the unusual features of the seder are specifically designed to pique the curiosity of the children so that they will ask questions and so that their parents will have the opportunity to tell the story of the Jewish people once again. In fact, the Four Questions learned by Jewish children at a very early age are taken almost verbatim from the Mishna, which says, if the child doesn’t ask his own questions spontaneously when he sees these unusual rituals, prompt him with these. Whether the child asks his own questions or those printed in the Haggadah, children’s questions are essential to Pesach. In fact, on four separate occasions the Torah refers to the response the parent is to give “when your child will ask you.” These

Opinion

verses were then incorporated into the Haggadah in the passage about the four sons. One son is wise and perceptive, and he inquires about the proper observance of Pesach. His parents lovingly explain all the details to him. The second son is extremely antagonistic. He looks down on the whole seder ritual and wants no part of it. He mocks and questions why we trouble ourselves with all this. His parents silence him with a sharp remark. The third son looks with wonder at the marvelous happenings around him and asks, “What is this?” His parents patiently and explain in simple terms the meaning of the celebration. The fourth son is too young to even know what to ask. His parents try to interest him and tell him what it is all about. We know how to answer the four sons — even the rasha, the rebellious teenager. But a few years ago Rabbi Kass Abelson wrote a piece about the fifth son, the one we don’t know how to answer: Who is the fifth son? Well, he is the one who sits at the seder table, observing all that is going on, but asking no questions. On the other hand, he neither mocks nor rejects. He is wise enough to understand, and old enough to ask, but he simply says, “Um hm,” or “That’s nice.” He sits through the seder ritual without too much noticeable impatience and leaves as soon as politeness permits. When asked, he will say, “It

State&Local

Between the Lines Continued from page 11

at a moment when the coronavirus is predicted to peak in the New York area, maybe it’s to remind us of the essence of the festival. Passover is the most celebrated of all on the Jewish calendar because its message of redemption, freedom, and faith is universal and eternal. We mark the dramatic origin and rescue of the Jewish people, lifted from slavery and, with Pharaoh’s army in hot pursuit, miraculously transported through the Red Sea, set on the path to their future and forever homeland. Yes, that path was arduous and took 40 years. In a larger sense, the journey and struggle has never ended. But we as a people have learned patience, and faith in tomorrow. We have long been used to waiting for the night sky to give way to the dawn, and we’ve been anticipating the Messiah forever. So on seder night, I chose to end the evening with an amended phrase, praying: “Next year in Jerusalem — or at least with one another.” ■ Chag sameach. Gary Rosenblatt is editor at large at The New York Jewish Week, NJJN’s sister publication. He can be reached at Gary@jewishweek.org.

Rabbi Joyce Newmark, a resident of River Vale, is a former religious leader of congregations in Leonia and Lancaster, Pa.

Dayenu

Johanna Ginsberg NJJN Senior Writer

was all very pleasant, thank you.” But he is only being courteous, for he is really not interested. What can you do with people who won’t ask questions, who won’t argue, who view 4,000 years of Jewish tradition with polite indifference? As Elie Wiesel taught us, the opposite of love is not hate, but indifference. How do we turn our “fifth sons” from indifference to engagement? I believe our best chance is to keep trying until we find that topic that will move the fifth son to ask a question — any question. If Torah study doesn’t appeal to you, how about history? If you aren’t moved by prayer, what about music? Art, social action, cooking, philosophy, literature — everything from archaeology to zoology can be a link to Judaism — if only it prompts someone to begin asking questions, to step out of his indifference. Pesach reminds us that we are a people of questions. Jews are even famous for answering questions with questions. And so I cannot believe that there is a Jew anywhere who is so indifferent that he cannot think of at least one tiny, little question. So ask! ■

y now you have already finished at least one amazing (or shvach) seder, sang songs until midnight (or at least until the Zoom span of attention waned), washed your hands the ritually required 13 times Reporter’s (I’m certain that’s the halacha this year), drank four (or Notebook maybe 10) cups of wine, and told the story of how God delivered the Jews from Mitzrayim (Egypt), which in Hebrew means a narrow place, so that we can feel that we, too, have moved from slavery to freedom. We are certainly in another narrow place right now, confined to our homes at best, with a plague all around us and an indiscriminate Malach HaMavet, angel of death, run amok. The mezuzahs on our doors will not help us this time around, and if Elijah knocked I’m sure we would send him away. We are living in a moment when doctors and nurses (and other first responders) often have the grim task of deciding who shall live and who shall die; who will be admitted to the hospital and who will stay at home; who will get a ventilator and who will have none.

In this upside-down world, people are searching not for chametz but for matzah, for toilet paper, and more important, for face masks, personal protective equipment, and ethical guidance: When is it OK for medical professionals and other frontline workers to decide not to go back to work? Can they refuse, like a firefighter, to run back into a dangerous building on the verge of collapse? At least we are better off than our ancestors who held their seders during the bubonic plague, when they had no understanding of modern medicine and no hope for a vaccine, and were only just beginning to experiment with a quarantine. Perhaps the true miracle this year is not whether we believe God will deliver us, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, from this plague, but that so many of us are holding seders at all. That is really a supreme act of faith — in tradition, in humanity, and in the power of our stories. And perhaps like our ancestors, when we say, “Next year in Jerusalem,” it is not the place itself we long for, but a spiritual land of milk and honey where this plague does not reign, where we have hope for the future, and where our souls can find some rest. ■ jginsberg@njjewishnews.com

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Thanking God for the resiliency of the Jewish people Manny Strumpf Special to NJJN

felt conspicuous at the post office, masking my face and wearing latex gloves long before the CDC recommended it. I was in no mood to expose myself to the coronavirus. But my embarrassment soon dissipated. A longtime friend stood in line ahead of me; his face and hands, and those of the postal clerks and other patrons, also were covered. I asked Jack how he was feeling; his response was short. “Baruch Hashem,” thank God. I frowned. How could he be so thankful? The value of our investments had declined dramatically and the bottom is nowhere in sight. There’s no vaccine to prevent or cure coronavirus and vital medical supplies are in short supply. A relative who is a mental health professional told me that her patients were in desperate need of emotional and medical support. How am I able to justify my disappointment for missing my Sunday morning minyan with bagels and lox while fellow congregants are suffering the effects of the virus? Was it chutzpah of me to question Jack’s positive attitude? My friend quickly changed the subject. “So how are the kids?” he asked. I told him about my children. I explained that one grandson had

purchased his ﬁrst home in Florida, my other is a junior in college, and that my granddaughter will graduate in May with her master’s degree. “Mazel tov,” Jack responded. I then mentioned that the university cancelled a formal graduation ceremony this year. “So give her a nice gift,” was his response to me. “The value of her graduate degree doesn’t change without a ceremony. Besides, who wants to shlep to Manhattan on a hot afternoon to sit in a crowded auditorium anyway?” Come to think of it, Jack was right. We are bound to overcome the pandemic, the stock market will rebound, and I’ll return to shul. Jews for centuries have overcome crises and, as in the past, we again will pull through. We have encountered and outlasted tyrants and angry Jew-haters. During Pesach we celebrate our miraculous march to freedom from the pharaohs. Didn’t that result in our giving the world the Ten Commandments? We also recently rejoiced at Purim, an annual celebration when the Megillah relates how Esther saved us from evil Haman. Hitler failed to annihilate us. Six million of our people tragically perished in the Holocaust but we’re still here to rejoice over the accomplishments of our homeland, the Jewish State of Israel. Angry hordes of well-armed Arab soldiers attacked the Jewish state shortly after its creation and terrorists still threaten the country, but Israel remains victorious. Despite these battles, look at how far Israel has come in only 70 years.

While walking back to my car, I thought about my mother, of blessed memory, who continually mourned the loss of cousins, aunts, uncles, and other relatives in the gas chambers. When I arrived home from school each afternoon when I was a young boy, she played on the old Victrola a recording of Kate Smith singing “God Bless America.” My mother was determined to convey to her only son her gratitude to be an American. She reminded me daily that Irving Berlin, a popular songwriter at the time, was a Jew. She would be extremely proud today. Of this I am certain. Yes, dictators and other evil men have tried to rid the world of Jews but we have survived and prevailed. We have had the last word. Our strength, resourcefulness, experiences, quests for knowledge, and determination have made our world a better place in which to live, work, and play. We have contributed immeasurably to society. So Jack, if you are reading this, I tip my kipa to you. I look forward to more interesting chats and to the opportunity to publicly thank God for good health, my family, and the blessing of living in freedom and being able to practice our faith as we see ﬁt. Here’s wishing you and your family a sweet Pesach. Let us rejoice. Let us all say as loudly as we can, “God bless America,” and above all, a hearty “Baruch Hashem.” ■ Manny Strumpf is president of Hadassah Associates of Monroe Township, where he resides.

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Baruch Hashem