Great Metro West 6-4-2020 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. 23 | June 4, 2020 | 12 S IVAN 5780

njj ew is hnews . c o m

In-person prayer to return … for some Several Orthodox synagogues to hold limited services outdoors Johanna Ginsberg NJJN Senior Writer

Battling Covid: Innovation and Uncertainty Israel Now: Special Section

Rabbi Norman Lamm, 92, former president of Yeshiva University, died May 31 of natural causes.

‘Architect of Modern Orthodoxy,’ Norman Lamm succumbs at 92 The rabbi, author, and administrator saved Yeshiva University while seeking a synthesis of Torah and contemporary culture Steve Lipman Special to NJJN

Remembering the generous spirit of Lois Lautenberg (at right) State & Local 4

State & Local 4 Opinion 11 Calendar/Community 14 LifeCycle 15 Touch of Torah 20 Exit Ramp 23

or several years a couple dozen widows of supporters of Yeshiva University (YU) and other isolated members of the school’s community would receive a phone call on Friday afternoon. The caller would ask about the people’s health, their family, discuss university events, and wish the people a Shabbat shalom. The caller was Rabbi Norman Lamm, the university’s president. The calls, partly pastoral, partly a way to keep in touch with contributors to the university, were an unpublicized facet of Lamm,

who died May 31, 2020, at 92 of natural causes. Lamm, who served as the third president of the school, from 1976 to 2003, succeeding Dr. Samuel Belkin, was remembered this week as a combination of Torah scholar, administrator, and fundraiser, who both saved the Modern Orthodox movement’s flagship institution from the brink of bankruptcy, and improved the movement’s standing in the wider Jewish and non-Jewish world. During his tenure at the school, he bolstered its academic standards, with YU now ranked among the country’s top university’s in many national listings. “It could not have been done without Rabbi Lamm,” Richard Parkoff, a real estate investor who has been a financial supporter of the school for several decades, told NJJN. Lamm was “both an architect of and a spokesman for Modern

Continued on page 13

n the afternoon of June 1, Mike Cumberton, a maintenance worker at Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center in Livingston, was using bright orange spray paint to draw squares on the parking lot pavement behind the synagogue. The 40 squares, each carefully measured six feet apart, will serve as the Modern Orthodox congregation’s new outdoor “sanctuary” for its daily minyan, set to restart on June 4. Worshippers (no more than 25 for now, per current New Jersey guidelines) will have to wear masks and stay in their respective square for the duration of the service. Swaying while praying is okay, but three steps forward and back for the Amidah? Only if you can stay in your square, according to Rabbi Elie Mischel. Being the decision-maker on this issue has weighed heavily on Mischel. He hears from people who have wanted to open sooner and understands their perspective, but “they’re not the ones with the responsibility, and they don’t have it on their heads if, God forbid, somebody gets sick,” he told NJJN during a phone interview. Mischel also worries that congregants will inadvertently get too close to each other. “People forget. They’re good people, and they want to follow the rules, but then they’re not six feet away from each other, and the mask slips off their nose and it’s not OK,” he said. “Taking the community perspective has made me a little more humble and much more careful.” The Vaad Harabonim of MetroWest NJ announced on May 26 that synagogues affiliated with the organization — provided they adhere to strict guidelines enacted to prevent the further spread of Covid-19 — could resume holding limited prayer services on June 4. Their decision closely follows the framework of the May 8 guidelines issued jointly

Continued on page 8

NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ June 4, 2020

WE PAY CASH FOR Antique Furniture Modern Furniture

Judaic Art and Silver & Chinese Art and Porcelain

Modern Art

Top Dollar for Any Kind of Jewelry & Chinese Porcelain

Oil Paintings

Military Items

Bronzes

Coins – Individual or Entire Collections

Silver

Cameras

Porcelain

Entire Home Contents

Mens & Ladies Watches

Property/Real Estate Purchases – Fast Closings

ANS ANTIQUES We come to you • Free Appraisals

CALL US!

201-861-7770 • 201-951-6224 Visit us at www.ANSAntiques.com aadsa726@yahoo.com Shommer Shabbas

Kolbo

Benjamin Netanyahu, the TV series, is coming to HBO. “Bibi,” the longtime Israeli prime minister’s ubiquitous nickname, will be based on the bestselling biography “The Netanyahu Years” written by veteran Israeli journalist Ben Caspit, Variety reported in May. The series is set to be produced by HBO is turning “The Netanyahu Tel Aviv-based production company Years” into a miniseries. Abot Hameiri, which is best known for producing Israeli versions of “X-Factor,” “America’s Got Talent,” “The Bachelor,” and “Survivor” and is now behind the Israeli television show “Shtisel.” Award-winning screenwriter Kirk Ellis has been hired to write the screenplay. “Ben Caspit’s insightful reporting demonstrates how private life always shapes public affairs, and there’s no shortage of conflict — or opinions — when it comes to Benjamin Netanyahu,” Ellis said in a statement, according to Variety. Ellis won two Emmys as writer and co-executive producer on David McCullough’s “John Adams” biography for HBO. “Bibi” will be the first television series about Netanyahu, who has been Israel’s prime minister since 2009. He previously served in the post from 1996 to 1999. — JTA

973.810.0110

hwcg.com/south-orange

The safety and care for your loved one is our primary concern. • Our nurses maintain constant contact with our clients and families • All caregivers are appropriately equipped with PPE • We help with grocery shopping, meal preparation and light housekeeping

Young explorer

A 6-year-old Israeli boy discovered a 3,500-year-old tablet during a visit to an archaeological site in the Negev desert. Imri Elya from Kibbutz Nirim found the artifact at Tel Jemmah, and turned it over to the National Treasures Department of the Israel Antiquities Authority. The 1.1-inch-by-1.1-inch clay tablet is engraved with a depiction of a man wearImri Elya with the ancient tablet and ing a skirt leading a naked captive whose hands are tied behind the back. The tablet a certificate from the Israel Antiquiseems to indicate ethnic differences beties Authority. tween captor and captive; the captor’s hair is curled and his face is full, while the captive is thin and his face elongated. It is the first such tablet ever found in Israel. Researchers estimate that the artifact dates to between the 12th and 15th centuries BCE, a period during which the Egyptian empire ruled the area. The tablet “opens a visual window to understanding the struggle for dominance in the south of the country during the Canaanite period,” according to a statement from the Israel Antiquities Authority. — JTA

ISRAEL ANTIQUITIES AUTHORITY VIA JTA

‘Tradition’ reprise

Wonder of wonders: “Fiddler on the Roof” is returning to the big screen. MGM will produce a remake of the iconic 1964 musical about the struggles and joys of Jewish life in the fictional Eastern European shtetl of Anatevka, according to Deadline. The new film will bring some star Chaim Topol in the 1971 “Fiddler on power from Broadway: Director Thomas Kail served in the same role for “Hamil- the Roof” movie. ton” and has collaborated with its creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda (famously a “Fiddler” fan), on other shows. Steven Levenson, who wrote the acclaimed musical “Dear Evan Hansen,” will pen the screenplay. The remake will be carrying on a tradition of more than 50 years. “Fiddler” first had audiences saying “L’chaim” when it opened on Broadway in 1964 starring Zero Mostel as Tevye and winning nine Tonys. It saw many sunrises and sunsets, at one time holding the record for longest-running Broadway musical at nearly 10 years. The movie version came out in 1971 and garnered three Oscars, as well as nominations for best actor for Topol and best picture. Broadway brought back another revival in 2015, and a Yiddish-language “Fiddler” ran off-Broadway until this year. — JTA RDB/ULLSTEIN BILD VIA GETTY IMAGES

Vol. LXXIV No. 23 June 4, 2020 12 Sivan 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, 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, Operations Manager Gershon Fastow, Advertising Coordinator

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 ■ June 4, 2020

New script for ‘Bibi’

State&Local

NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ June 4, 2020

Lois Lautenberg, a ‘humble’ benefactor devoted to local Jewish community Sherry Kirschenbaum Special to NJJN

ois Lautenberg of West Orange, whose philanthropy and activism on behalf of Israel and Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ impacted many lives, died May 30, 2020, at the age of 88. “Lois was a role model and inspiration to all who knew her,” said Dov Ben-Shimon, federation’s executive vice president/CEO, in a Facebook post. “She was instrumental in making so much happen in Greater MetroWest — locally, in Israel, and around the world.” Lautenberg held leadership roles in almost every federation agency over a span of 50 years. She was a past campaign chair and president of Women’s Philanthropy, a lifetime member of its board, and a longtime member of federation’s board of trustees. As chair emeritus of the Holocaust Council of Greater MetroWest NJ, she was devoted to Holocaust education and remembrance as the means of achieving “Never Again.” “She had charm, grace, and elegance,” said Sylvia Cohn, a friend of Lautenberg for 50 years. “Lois’ support of federation was deep

Lois Lautenberg, who died May 30, is remembered as “a role model and inspiration to all who knew her.”

and genuine, but she was always humble about what she was able to do for the community…. Lois had a remarkably good sense of humor and the rare ability to be a very good friend. When I look back, I see how much history Lois and her family and my family shared together. I’ll miss her enormously.” Lautenberg was a strong supporter of the United Jewish Appeal annual campaign and raised money for it until her death. According to those who knew her, she loved being a Lion of Judah and believed in the legacy of endowing a Perpetual Annual Campaign gift to ensure a strong and vibrant Jewish future. The Lautenberg name is on buildings, meeting rooms, and hallways in places supported by the Greater MetroWest community around the globe. Lautenberg also held leadership positions at JCC MetroWest in West Orange, State of Israel Bonds, JESPY House, Jewish Service for the Developmentally Disabled, and the Sister Rose Thering Fund for Education in JewishChristian Studies at Seton Hall University. Barbara Drench, chair of the New Century Fund, part of federation’s Centennial Campaign, and a past Women’s Philanthropy president and campaign chair, met Lautenberg at the

Chaos in the ‘Land of 10,000 Lakes’ Max L. Kleinman NJJN Contributing Writer

o this day, I look back with great fondness of the seven years and 14 winters spent in Minneapolis during my tenure as CEO of the Minneapolis Jewish Federation. Perennially ranked as As I See It one of the best metropolitan areas in which to live, the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul have a rich cultural life, top-flight sports teams, parks, beautiful lakes, and great colleges and universities. It is the home of iconic companies such as General Mills, Pillsbury, 3M, and others, and has a diverse and well-educated labor force. In contrast to us sharp-elbowed, in-your-face Northeasterners, the friendly (though often passive-aggressive) character of its residents is described as “Minnesota nice.” It wasn’t always that way. Noted journalist Carey McWilliams wrote in “The Nation” that the Minneapolis of the 1940s was the “capitol of anti-Semitism in the United

States,” as the many Lutherans in the state shared the same animus against Jews as their founder, Martin Luther. It took the leadership of Minneapolis Mayor Hubert Humphrey (later a U.S. senator and the vice president) to combat this hatred and to strengthen the local Jewish community. Reinforcing this acceptance, starting in 1974 Minnesota, with a Jewish population of less than 1 percent, elected four Jewish U.S. senators. By all philanthropic measures, the Jewish community, as well as the larger Twin Cities faith and civic communities, are among the leaders nationally in per capita philanthropic giving and volunteerism. That and the easygoing nature of the locals left me particularly stunned at the murder of George Floyd by a member of law enforcement and his apathetic colleagues. This heinous act justified the initial peaceful protests that followed, but coming on the heels of similar incidents in Georgia, Kentucky, Florida, and elsewhere — and eerily reminiscent of the Eric Garner case — public officials should have been better prepared to combat the violence that followed. As of this writing, the reactions of the Minneapolis mayor, Minnesota governor, and Minneapolis police department have been stunningly inept. Yes, Mayor Jacob Frey acted quickly to have Officer Derek Chauvin, who leaned his knee on Floyd’s neck to keep him pinned to

the ground, fired, arrested, and charged with murder and manslaughter. Yet Frey and the governor waited too long to call in the National Guard, and as a result rioters were able to overwhelm the peaceful protestors and torch and loot hundreds of stores. Most egregiously, the police fled rather than protect the third precinct, which burned to the ground. As the Minneapolis Star Tribune opined in a recent editorial: “Frey’s flawed calculation, that ‘the symbolism of the building cannot outweigh the importance of life,’… [signaled] that lawlessness would reign once police fled, leaving businesses and residents on their own.” And so 911 calls went unanswered as fires burned and shops were looted, and authorities were slow to respond to the violence and millions in damage. And instead of taking responsibility, the mayor and governor spun the narrative that outsiders and white supremacists were behind the riots to deflect attention from their woeful performance. Our friends in Minneapolis told us they were subject to curfews and that many businesses, including large chains such as Target and CVS, were closed. They were embarrassed by how their proud city had fallen in the nation’s esteem by the violence and the authorities’ inability to control it.

Continued on page 20

JCC MetroWest in the late 1970s. “Lois was a woman ahead of her time in a lot of ways,” said Drench. “She saw a bigger picture and wasn’t afraid to act on it. She dared to make a difference, step up, and say ‘yes.’ “‘No’ was not part of her vocabulary. She was an icon and a role model for literally generations of community members.” Lautenberg was the recipient of numerous honors, including the prestigious Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award presented by National Women’s Philanthropy of Jewish Federations of North America. The award recognizes women who have set a high standard for philanthropy through volunteerism and financial commitment in their individual communities. Lautenberg’s passion for the local Jewish community was matched by her love of Israel and her commitment to building enduring relationships with the Jewish state. She was the first chair of Project Renewal, a program dedicated to developing and nurturing the connection between the neighborhood of Ramat Eliahu in Rishon Lezion and Greater MetroWest, and was a frequent visitor to Israel.

“Lois will always be remembered in Israel as the ‘first lady’ of Ramat Eliahu,” said Amir Shacham, associate executive vice president, Global Connections, at Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest, who is based in the federation’s Israel office. “Her generosity in establishing this Greater MetroWest first partnership and her continuous involvement will stay with us forever.” A namesake park marks the entrance to the neighborhood now known as Neve Eliahu. Among many other projects, Lautenberg supported the creation of the ISHA Center, a safe place for women and at-risk girls in Ofakim, Israel. In addition, she traveled around the world on missions, learning firsthand about the work of federation. Other Jewish causes supported by Lautenberg included Hadassah, National Council of Jewish Women, ORT America, and her synagogue, Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel in South Orange. Her volunteerism and support extended to the Newark Museum and the Montclair Art Museum. For all of her visibility as a community

Sushi MENU APPETIZERS

CHEFS SPECIALS

EDAMAME $7

CHOICE OF ROLL $10 california/tuna/spicy tuna/salmon/spicy salmon

SEAWEED SALAD $7

NIGIRI TUNA (MAGURO) SM $8/LG $12 SALMON (SAKE) SM $8/LG $12 KOBE BEEF (WAGYU) SM $16/LG $20 EEL (UNAGI) SM $8/LG $12 YELLOWTAIL (HAMACHI) SM $8/LG $12 WHITE TUNA (HIRO MAGURO) SM $8/LG $12

VEGGIE CUCUMBER & AVOCADO ROLL $8 VEGGIE FRUIT MAKI $14

HOUSE SPECIAL

SHRIMP TEMPURA ROLL $14 RAINBOW ROLL $16 california roll topped with tuna, salmon, yellowtail, shrimp, avocado DRAGON ROLL $18 shrimp tempura, cucumber, avocado, eel, eel sauce KOBE MAKI $21 shrimp tempura, cucumber, avocado, crab meat, kobe beef HOUSE MAKI $22 crisp spicy tuna, cucumber, seared sashimi, tobiko, tempura flakes

NIGIRI SPECIAL $22 6 piece tuna, salmon, yellowtail, shrimp chef’s choice

FRENCH CAKE $18 spicy salmon, avocado topped w/ salmon, yellowtail, tobiko, tempura flake spicy sauce

CHIRASHI $27 sashimi assortments with tobiko, seaweed salad, sushi rice

MANGO SALMON ROLL $18 salmon, avocado, cucumber, topped with salmon, mango, mango sauce

At Orange Lawn Tennis Club | 305 N Ridgewood Road, South Orange, NJ 07079 f I “DBOrangeLawn”

leader, Lautenberg’s children and grandchildren were the center of her life. The children recalled Lois as a loving mother fiercely devoted to protecting and caring for them and continuing to remain an integral part of their lives as adults. In a family statement, her children highlighted her generosity of spirit and support of her Jewish community. It read in part, “Each of us leaves a mark that is ours only. It can’t be copied. It can’t be replaced. There was only one Lois Lautenberg. There will never be another.” Lautenberg is survived by three daughters, Ellen Lautenberg Hendel (Douglas) of Westport, Conn., Nan Lautenberg Morgart of Newport, R.I., and Lisa Lautenberg Birer (Douglas) of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; her son, Josh (Christina) of Edwards, Colo.; and 10 grandchildren. A service was held June 1 with arrangements by Bernheim-Apter-Kreitzman Suburban Funeral Chapel, Livingston. Memorial contributions may be made to a fund in Lautenberg’s name at Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ.

Experience Chef David’s hand-crafted, next-level sushi at home!

Available Wednesday & Thursday evenings for takeout curbside pickup! Last order must be received by 6:30PM

To order: 973-552-2280 dborangelawn.com

PLATTERS 16-PIECE COMBO $15 spicy tuna roll and california roll 18-PIECE COMBO $30 spicy tuna roll and house special roll 32-PIECE COMBO $50 6 piece nigiri, california roll, house special roll and salmon avocado cucumber roll 53-PIECE COMBO $90 12 piece sashimi, 12 piece nigiri, california roll, spicy tuna roll, shrimp tempura roll, house special roll

NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ June 4, 2020

State&Local

NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ June 4, 2020

State&Local

Philip Horn: a leader ‘passionate’ about Judaism, Israel

Jed Weisberger NJJN Staff Writer

hilip Horn and his family lived in Jerusalem from 1971-75 when he was the director of the YMCA there. The building was used as a shelter during the 1973 Yom Kippur War and, according to his daughter, the experience stayed with him. Determined to defend all forms of assaults on the Jewish state, more than 35 years later when he served as chairman of the World Affairs Committee under the Community Relations Committee (CRC) of MetroWest, Horn developed a workshop to teach college students the skills they would need to stand up to anti-Israel bias on campus. “On some campuses the attack on Israel has been very great,” he told NJJN in 2010 when the program was launched. “We need people who are going to speak up. We have a latent corps of potential activists in college. We need to train them and give them the confidence to speak up.” Horn, a fundraiser, teacher, and champion of

Philip Horn, who died May 25, 2020, advocated for the release of Jonathan Pollard, an American charged with spying for Israel. COURTESY ELANA PREZANT

Caringfor forYou... You... Caring for You... Caring

Every Step of the Journey

Every Step ofthe theJourney Journey Everyfor Step of Caring You... Every Step of the Journey

Jewish causes, died May 25, 2020. He was 82. “He loved his family, Judaism and Zionism, the Brooklyn Dodgers and then the Mets, and was a fun father to be around,” said Elana Prezant, his daughter, who lives in Teaneck and serves as the JCC of Northern New Jersey’s coordinator of “Open Hearts Open Homes,” a program that brings Israeli teenagers who live near the Gaza border to New Jersey each summer for a break. Horn, whom his daughter called a devoted family man, spent many years in development for United Jewish Appeal, Israel Bonds, the Jewish Theological Seminary, and Yeshiva University, in addition to the CRC. Horn moved in 2000 from Teaneck to West Orange, where he lived for 19 years. Born Jan. 23, 1938, Horn earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and history from Brooklyn College and a master’s in social work from Boston University. He was conversant in modern Hebrew and believed American rabbis and Hebrew school teachers should feature the language in services and classes. “My father would visit friends’ classes and remind them of that, and, at times, would correct their usage of Hebrew, all in fun,” Prezant said. Rabbi Joel Pitkowsky of Congregation Beth Sholom in Teaneck, who spoke at a memorial service for Horn on May 26 (conducted via Zoom), said he found these visits by his friend useful and entertaining. “I would look forward to Phil coming,” Pitkowsky said during the service. “He always wanted to do what was good and what was right.” Rabbi Stanley L. Asekoff, rabbi emeritus at B’nai Shalom in West Orange and the rabbi when the family attended the synagogue, also said he enjoyed his time with Horn. “He was so passionate about Judaism and everything he believed in,” Asekoff said. Horn, an avid writer, publicly expressed his opinion on Israel, Zionism, and other subjects, including the imprisonment of Jonathan Pollard, a former intelligence analyst who pled guilty to spying for Israel and was released in 2015 after serving 30 years in jail. Predeceased by a granddaughter, Stephanie Prezant, Horn is survived by his wife, Tania; two daughters, Elana (Jeff) Prezant and Gila (Jerry) Fortinsky of Larchmont, N.Y.; his son, Jonathan (Jacqueline) of Israel; a brother, Rabbi William Horn (Dena) of Summit; a sister, Francine Kirshner of Merrick, N.Y.; and seven grandchildren. Services were held May 26 with arrangements by Robert Schoem Memorial Chapel in Paramus. ■

inging forfor You... ing forYou... You... veryvery StepStep of the ing for You... very Step theJ ofofJourn the

Whether you or your loved one require assistance in a private home,

Whether you oryour your loved onerequire require assistance private home, Whether you or loved one assistance inin aaprivate assisted living facility or long-term care facility, our caring andhome, assistedliving livingis facility or long-term carean facility, ourcaring caring and dedicated team here toor provide you with individualized plan assisted facility long-term care facility, and Whether you or your loved one require assistance inour a private home, of care to meet your needs, wherever you call home. dedicated team is here to provide you with an individualized dedicated team is here to provide you with an individualized plan assisted living facility or long-term care facility, our caring and plan ofcare care tomeet meet your needs, wherever you callhome. home.plan of to your needs, wherever you call dedicated team is here to provide you with an individualized Skilled Nursing Support and Private Duty Nursing of careNursing to meet your needs, wherever you call Nursing home. Personal Careand Assistance Skilled Nursing Support and Private Duty Nursing Skilled Support Private Duty Non-Medical Companionship Personal Care Assistance Skilled Nursing Support andAssistance Private Duty Nursing Personal Care Pastoral/Spiritual Care Personal Care Assistance Non-Medical Companionship Non-Medical Companionship Non-Medical Companionship Pastoral/Spiritual Care Pastoral/Spiritual Care For more information, please Pastoral/Spiritual Care call 732-649-3502 or email athome@wilfcampus.org. Formore moreinformation, information,please pleasecall call For www.wilfcampus.org For more information, please call 732-649-3502 oremail email athome@wilfcampus.org. 732-649-3502 or athome@wilfcampus.org. 732-649-3502 or email athome@wilfcampus.org. www.wilfcampus.org Commitment.www.wilfcampus.org Compassion. Community. www.wilfcampus.org

Commitment. Community. Commitment. Compassion.Community. Community. Commitment.Compassion. Compassion.

very Step of the Journ

jweisberger@njjewishnews.com

7 NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ June 4, 2020

SAFETY. TRUST. CONSISTENCY. Hi Tech Extra Oral Suction to minimize aerosols Better Than Hospital Grade True Hepa Filtration in each operatory Constant whole office bi-polar ionization technology To kill airborne viruses Touchless fixtures in our restroom facility Virtual Reception via our patient portal Communicate from your car or home Evenings and Weekend Hours Teledentistry

580 S. Livingston Ave Livingston, NJ 07039 (973) 992-3990

NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ June 4, 2020

State&Local Prayer

Continued from page 1 by the Orthodox Union (OU) and the Rabbinical College of America (RCA). Included among the 13 principles outlined in the OU/RCA statement is that before holding services, synagogues must wait two weeks after governors allow gatherings of more than 10 people, as long as there is no subsequent uptick in cases. June 4 is two weeks after May 22, the date New Jersey began allowing gatherings of up to 25 people outside. Suburban Torah is one of 10 Orthodox synagogues affiliated with the Vaad Harabonim of MetroWest NJ planning to hold outdoor, in-person minyans beginning June 4. Some, like Congregation Ohr Torah in West Orange, are following a similar pattern as Suburban Torah. They are marking off spots in the parking lot, and everyone will bring their own chair and siddur and will keep the same spot all week, according to Rabbi Marc Spivak.

Mike Cumberton painting boxes in the parking lot at Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center in Livingston. Each box will serve as a member’s personal space when services resume outdoors on June 4. PHOTO BY JOHANNA GINSBERG

For both of the respective congregations, one person will be responsible for every aspect of the Torah reading on Mondays and Thursdays: As Mischel described,

one person will be tasked with bringing the Torah scroll outside from the ark inside the sanctuary, reading the portion, and will then be honored with all three aliyot as

well as hagbah and galilah (raising and wrapping the Torah back up) before returning it into the building. Ahawas Achim B’nai Jacob and David in West Orange will begin to hold simultaneous community backyard minyans on Friday night, June 5. While the OU/RCA guidelines specifically advise against private backyard services — where social distancing cannot be properly monitored or controlled — it does not prohibit those that are organized and authorized by synagogue leadership, and “where compliance [with social distancing measures] is properly monitored and maintained.” A few are planning to open at the same time as other congregations but weren’t ready to share exact details when speaking to N J J N . “ We a r e c o n s i d e r i n g a bunch of options and we really don’t know what we are doing yet. Sorry!” wrote Rabbi Chaim Marcus of Congregation Israel in Springfield. Some Orthodox congregations

CONGREGATION ISRAEL OF SPRINGFIELD th ANNUAL TRIBUTE CELEBRATION

RABBI ISRAEL E. TURNER MEMORIAL AWARD

GUESTS OF HONOR

SHARON and AVI BORENSTEIN

YOUNG LEADERSHIP AWARD EDWARD KONIGSBERG MEMORIAL AWARD

HOWARD GLUCKMAN

MICHAL and JOSH GEIGER

AISHET CHAYIL AWARD

DANIELLE PEPPER

JOSEPH TAMMAM MEMORIAL YOUTH COMMUNITY SERVICE SCHOLARSHIP AWARD

AVI STERN

ONLINE TRIBUTE JOURNAL AND REGISTRATION: WWW.WIZADJOURNAL.COM/CISANNUALDINNERJOURNAL2020 Led by Rabbi Chaim Marcus, Congregation Israel is one of the fastest-growing modern Orthodox synagogues in NJ, serving a close-knit congregation of singles, young families and seniors who love Torah, learning and chesed. Searching for a welcoming, dynamic community with affordable housing and abundant resources for Jewish living? Consider CIS! To learn more, call: 973.467.9666 or email: cis-office@congregationisrael.org

SUNDAY • JUNE 14, 2020 • 8PM VIRTUAL PROGRAM

not under the Vaad are making their own decisions on when to reopen. The Elizabeth community affiliated with the Jewish Educational Center will hold limited-attendance outdoor minyanim beginning June 4, according to Rabbi Elazar Teitz, who said they’ve been coordinating with the Vaad. But the Mount Freedom Jewish Center, affiliated with the progressive Orthodox Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, will remain closed for the time being. “The numbers suggest that we are still at the peak,” said Rabbi Menashe East. “Until we see declination of total cases, not just fatalities, it’s positively dangerous to open our parking lots.” Several rabbis who spoke with NJJN said they were feeling pressure from some congregants to open earlier. However, “when there’s even a doubt of pikuach nefesh, of saving a life, the doubt always takes precedence,” said Rabbi Mendel Solomon of Ahavath Torah: Chabad at Short Hills, where the details of the outdoor minyan are still being worked out. For non-Orthodox congregations, the calculus is different, as a daily minyan is not usually the main focus of their religious practices. Rather, liberal congregations often prioritize larger Shabbat gatherings, which, with some exceptions in the Conservative movement, they have maintained via Zoom and found to be effective. And among those that do offer a daily minyan, liberal rabbis have permitted the recitation of the Mourner’s Kaddish online, whereas the vast majority of Orthodox rabbis disagree with the practice. Even so, some Conservative and Reform synagogues have begun to discuss holding in-person services and other events, but there’s less pressure to move forward quickly. Temple Sholom in Scotch Plains contemplated holding a Friday night “tailgate” Shabbat service, but decided against it. “With current restrictions, people would have to remain in cars with windows closed. It is neither feasible nor safe,” wrote Rabbi Joel Abraham. B’nai Shalom in West Orange and Temple B’nai Or in Morristown are both considering limited openings. Still, B’nai Or is strug-

gling with how they would limit attendance, and are asking, “Is the experience of being together, with a limited number of people, socially distant from others, wearing masks, maybe not singing (?), better than an online prayer experience?” Rabbi Michael Satz wrote in an email to NJJN. Only one liberal synagogue that was in touch with NJJN, Temple Shalom in Succasunna, has a plan to open immediately. Temple Shalom will hold its first outdoor service on June 5. Chairs will be placed six feet apart for the family service, which is limited to the first 25 people who sign up; the rest of the congregation can watch via livestream. “We are flattening the curve and the people are more diligent in maintaining the basic precautions, such as wearing the mask and keeping the distance, [so] I feel more comfortable to be able to open the synagogue for the services,” said Rabbi Inna Serebro-Litvak. Responses from the “Hell, no” camp regarding opening were blunt and to the point. Rabbi Dr. Andy Dubin of the Jewish Center of Northwest Jersey in Washington said simply, “Absolutely not.” And Rabbi Andrew Sklarz of Temple Beth Am of Parsippany wrote in an email to NJJN, “We are certainly not considering anything as early as June 4 other than Zoom. For everyone’s safety and protection.” Rabbi David Vaisberg of Temple B’nai Abraham in Livingston wondered what the benefit is of creating a service experience that only a select group of people could attend. The current model would exclude children and at-risk individuals, no one could sing for fear of droplets spreading the virus, and the service would be focused on those in the room, which could lessen the weightiness for worshippers watching remotely. “Is that the experience the congregation is waiting for?” asked Vaisberg. “Would it really move them? Or would it create more conflict?” And he’s worried about putting people at risk. Obviously he’s looking forward to when they can finally reopen, he said. “But we’re doing this to live another day.” n jginsberg@njjewishnews.com

West Orange woman to receive Orthodox ordination

Jennifer Geretz, at right, is among the eighth cohort of women to receive ordination from Yeshivat Maharat. COURTESY YESHIVAT MAHARAT

JENNIFER GERETZ is among nine women receiving Orthodox ordination from Yeshivat Maharat. The eighth annual semicha ceremony will take place virtually on Tuesday, June 9, at 4 p.m. Geretz is a Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ chaplain at St. Barnabas Medic a l C e n t e r / RW J B a r n a b a s Health in Livingston and is among the spiritual leadership of Maayan, a congregation in West Orange. “The emergence of women Torah scholars, rabbis, and leaders in our day shows that we can rise to new spiritual heights by fulfilling Judaism’s ancient mandate to respond

to the cry of those who have been othered, disparaged, and disenfranchised” is among the remarks Rabbanit Jennifer Geretz will share in her graduation speech. The other graduates are Atara Cohen, Michal Kohane, G l o r i a N u s b a c h e r, A m a l i a Haas, Judith Levitan, Daniella Pressner, Alana Suskin, and Agnes Veto. This cohort marks 43 women in total who have received semicha from the Maharat program. They serve in clergy roles in synagogues, schools, hospitals, universities, and Jewish communal institutions. RSVP for the ceremony at yeshivatmaharat.org/semikha.

Sandi M. Malkin Interior Designer

(former interior designer of model rooms for NY’s #1 Dept. Store)

For a Totally New Look Using Your Furniture or Starting Anew. Staging also available.

973-535-9192

9 NJ Jewish News n njjewishnews.com n June 4, 2020

State&Local

Editorial

NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ June 4, 2020

Rabbi Norman Lamm 1927-2020

n the 1970s, while the United States was mired in a recession, the only university in the country under Orthodox Jewish auspices was awash in red ink. Because of poor financial procedures in the previous years, Yeshiva University (YU) was facing an uncertain future, with an uneven academic reputation and a total endowment of $25 million, a pittance compared to most universities. Rabbi Norman Lamm, elected as YU’s third president in 1976 — the first American-born leader of the school — is widely credited with not only saving the university from bankruptcy but setting it on a path of prosperity. His Torah U’Maddah philosophy and personality, combining a strict commitment to both halacha (Jewish law) and advanced secular knowledge, helped persuade a wide range of benefactors, many from beyond the Orthodox community, to support and advance the institution and secure its future. Lamm, who died on Sunday at 92, fortified YU’s endowment and advanced its academic standing as well as its reputation within and beyond the Jewish community. As a skillful administrator, pulpit rabbi, Talmud scholar, author, orator, academic, and rosh yeshiva of YU’s rabbinical school for six decades, he embraced and proclaimed a form of Modern Orthodoxy for thousands of young men and women at YU and its sister school, Stern College. Under his tutelage, YU established the Sy Syms School of Business, which offered young Orthodox Jews the tools to compete in a competitive employment market. He expanded the Ferkauf Graduate

School of Psychology, the Wurzweiler School of Social Work, and Talmud study for women at Stern College. Some of his ideas, like a business school at a yeshiva, drew criticism in some Orthodox circles. Lamm’s powers of persuasion, and the growth of the business school, serve as testimony that he was on the right path. Prior to coming to YU, he served for 25 years as spiritual leader of the Jewish Center on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. In an earlier, little-known footnote to his life, he, as a college student majoring in chemistry in 1948, helped contribute to Israel’s success in the 1948 War of Independence by devising a formula for ammunition for Jewish soldiers’ firearms. “It was one of the highlights of my life,” he recounted years later. A misstep that the rabbi admitted he had taken in his first decade in the YU presidency clouded his reputation. Ten years after he retired as president, accusations surfaced that he had failed to take seriously enough sexual abuse allegations against several faculty members of the YU high school. At the time, he had the faculty members dismissed but took no further action. When in 2013 he stepped down from his positions as chancellor and rosh yeshiva, he sought forgiveness. “I acted in a way that I thought was correct, but which now seems ill conceived,” Lamm wrote. His willingness to admit his mistakes, like the words of praise he earned from so many (see obituary on page 1), underscore Lamm’s long life of leadership and commitment. May his memory be a blessing. ■

He embraced

and proclaimed a form of Modern

Orthodoxy

for thousands of young men and women.

Letters to the Editor Shoah education in NJ

Congratulations to Doug Cervi and best of luck in his new executive director position (“New NJ Commission on Holocaust Education head committed to making communities ‘safe and nurturing,’” May 28). My father, a WWII Dachau liberator, worked with the staff of Stockton University — where Cervi is an adjunct professor — as part of his speaking engagement coordination in the last 20 years of his life. He spoke to thousands of students in N.J. and the mid-Atlantic region. Stockton maintains an excellent commitment to Holocaust education. My father used his memoir, “A Teenager’s Journey Through War and Peace,” as a cornerstone of his talks to students. I was so glad to see it in the library at Ventnor Middle School when I substitute taught there this winter. My father’s overall message, regardless of the level of modernity that surrounds us, was “beware of evil.” Kudos to NJJN staff writer Jed Weisberger for a well-written piece. Lisa Zaslow Segelman Via njjewishnews.com

‘Annexation’ is wrong term

Regarding the editorial “The high price of annexation” (May 14), it’s true that annexation of the territory designated for Israel in the most recent peace proposal would be controversial and draw criticism from some. But the criticism doesn’t stand up to scrutiny, starting with the fact that what’s being considered isn’t actually annexation, a term which applies only to territory taken from another, rightful owner. Here’s what would be done: rule by military decree would be replaced with civilian Israeli law, a step that’s really long overdue. For half a century, Israel has given its enemies a veto power over the normalization of life for Israelis living in areas Egypt and Jordan captured and occupied after invading Israel in 1948. This hasn’t brought peace one step closer. Replacing military decree by civilian law won’t make things worse. The most powerful argument by those opposed to this step — mostly by people who automatically oppose everything Israel does — is that it would foreclose the so-called

“two-state solution.” The record shows that argument is poppycock. The reunification of Jerusalem didn’t stop Israeli prime ministers Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert from offering parts of Israel’s capital to the Palestinian Arabs. Nor did the application of Israeli civilian law to the Golan Heights prevent prime ministers Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, Barak, Olmert, and even Benjamin Netanyahu from offering to withdraw in order to achieve peace. Except for the unavoidable separation between Gaza and the Judea and Samaria portion, the territory slated to be given to the Palestinian Arabs in the American plan is contiguous and far more viable than the scattered pieces the original United Nations Partition Plan slated for what became Israel, but the Zionist leaders accepted that plan. Improvements can be made, but they require negotiations between the parties and an interest in a peaceful resolution of differences. Israel is eager for both, but it doesn’t have a partner. Indeed, it’s now a dozen years since Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas last pretended to negotiate seriously and four years since his foreign minister declared the Palestinian Arabs would never again negotiate directly with Israel. Let’s leave the invalid criticism of Israel to our enemies. Alan Stein President Emeritus, PRIMERConnecticut Founder, PRIMER-Massachusetts and PRIMER-Israel Promoting Responsibility in Middle East Reporting Annexation can have alienating effects on how the world sees, treats, and befriends Israel. This has become a hot political issue that can have devastating repercussions. For political and humanitarian reasons we cannot leave the Palestinian people with no defined area for a homeland and free access to important biblical Jewish sites. There must be a coalition of world leaders (not just Pres. Donald Trump) who together can propose compromise. I am a supporter of “we fought the war and won it” but not without humanitarian solutions. The Arab nations are our enemies in the Middle East. But we Jews are stuck having to find a way to live together. Anita Lieb Cedar Knolls

Rabbi Avi S. Olitzky Special to NJJN

believe in equality and equity. I fight against racism. I believe every human being is created in God’s holy image. And yet, I previously grimaced when I heard the rallying cry “Black Lives Matter.” I grimaced really for one reason only: the stance the Movement for Black Lives platform took on Israel back in 2016. The comprehensive document referred to Israel as an “apartheid state” and condemned the United States for its “alliance with Israel and [being] complicit in the genocide taking place against the Palestinian people.” Such rhetoric broke my heart. For the past four years, every time I saw a “Black Lives Matter” placard, I shuddered at the anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic themes it raised for me. It evoked a generations-old rift between the Jewish and the black community, one that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel so vehemently tried to repair over 50 years ago. A rift that I worked to repair during my time with the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York when I was a college student. But something changed for me this past week. St. Louis Park, Minn., has been my home for the past 12 years. St. Louis Park was G e o r g e F l o y d ’s home, too. But we lived in, and related to, two different worlds. Tragically, that was because of the color of our skin. Wa t c h i n g George’s senseless death shook me something fierce. For me, it was a haunting image that rocked me to my core. And still, my black friends and neighbors told me they saw something more than that. They saw a history of police brutal-

ity. They saw hundreds of years of neck-kneeling oppression. They saw white privilege leaving the black community behind. They saw a society and country that has repeatedly failed them. And then I realized I was thinking “they” and not “we” — an implicit communal divide. Growing up in South Brunswick, I had friends from all walks of life, diverse races, and religions. I was raised in a home where we welcomed all peoples and treated everyone equally. But equality is not the same as equity. Living here in Minnesota I notice the disparity even more. I see that my children’s circle looks different than mine did growing up, simply because of the geographic makeup of our communities. And part of that is the intrinsic racial divide in this state. The Twin Cities were once a hotbed for racially restrictive deeds and covenants. Mapping Prejudice has revealed in its research over 30,000 racist property deeds dating back to 1910. A once racially integrated state became a center for segregation and anti-Semitism alike. The creation of Olsen Memorial Highway, and subsequently Interstate 94 in the 1970s, destroyed and isolated neighborhoods on the north side — and the black community that thrived there. And that really is just a glimpse into the systemic historic divide. By nearly all measures — poverty, unemployment, at-risk youth, homeownership — the disparity between those with white skin and those with brown bodies is one of the largest in the country. Jewish tradition teaches that we are to be a “light unto the nations.” But when we spend all that time

It’s on

all of us

to bridge

a historic divide.

shining and speaking and teaching, we simply aren’t doing enough listening. And I am very much guilty of that. I know that I need to listen more. Just like not all white people are evil and not all cops are bad cops, not all members of the black community are anti-Israel or anti-Semitic. When those around me say “Black Lives Matter,” they don’t mean “cursed be Israel.” They don’t mean Jews are the enemy or that Israel is an apartheid state. They mean: “We people of color have been oppressed for centuries. And you have not put us on your priority list of urgent changes in this world. And we are hurting and suffering — and our children are dying. Why don’t we matter to you? Why does it seem like we only matter to us?” To my black brothers and sisters: I see you now, I hear you now. Black lives do matter. George Floyd’s

life mattered. “Black lives matter” doesn’t mean that other lives don’t matter or that all lives don’t matter. But all lives cannot matter unless we work to ensure that black lives matter. In eight minutes and 46 seconds, the world changed. Now it is on us to make certain that George Floyd’s death will not be in vain. We can argue and joust and cry about Israel another day. Today, we have a categorical moral imperative to hear the pain of our black brothers and sisters. We have to recognize the holiness in their struggle and their plight. And I know in my heart of hearts that I have to stand with them. We have to stand with them. And so now and evermore we must all say Black Lives Matter. And it is high time for the world to wake up to that reality, welcome it, and assimilate it. n Rabbi Avi S. Olitzky is a senior rabbi of Beth El Synagogue in Minneapolis.

The Officers, Board and Staff of Jewish Family Service of MetroWest and Rachel Coalition express their deepest sorrow on the passing of

Lois Lautenberg cherished friend, leader and long time supporter.

Lois was a founding member of the JFS Horizon Endowment Fund and a committed volunteer for the JFS CareLink Program, and in doing so, strengthened our MetroWest community for generations. May the Lautenberg Family be comforted among the mourners of Zion.

11 NJ Jewish News n njjewishnews.com n June 4, 2020

Our holy obligation to make black lives matter

Opinion

NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ June 4, 2020

Opinion

Our silence equals consent

Former defense attorney remembers too many clients roughed up by police Johanna Ginsberg NJJN Senior Writer

earing descriptions of police brutality and seeing people’s bruised bodies was a regular feature of my work nearly 30 years ago when I was a criminal defense attorney for the Legal Aid Society in Brooklyn. I almost got used to it. Reporter’s I’d go into Notebook the area behind the courtroom where our incarcerated clients were waiting to speak with us. Some were confused about why they’d been arrested. Some knew. Many complained about their treatment at the hands of the police. There was a black eye, a punched shoulder, a bruised rib, a twisted hand, a broken bone, a sprain. Police brutality did not begin with Eric Garner or Sandra Bland or Tamir Rice. George Floyd — murdered last week by a Minneapolis police officer — is just the most recent name on a horrifyingly long list of black people dying at the hands of police officers, a list which goes all the way back to the beginning of law enforcement in the United States. (According to

“The History of Policing in the United States,” policing in the South began as slave patrol; in the North it began as a way to control disorder in urban areas, but the police were notoriously corrupt and violent, and the definition of disorder changed depending on who was in power at the time. Either way, there were few African Americans doing the policing.) There were moments as a defense attorney when I would allow myself to think the violence was too much, too frequent to be real. It was suffocating if I thought too much about it. But I knew the story writ large, told over and over and over again, was true. Of course not all cops are bad and not every person arrested is subjected to violence. Many officers offer nothing but selflessness and bravery and are in it for all the right reasons. Others are just trying to make a living and feed their families. But the system they are working in is flawed. Some of my clients were white and some were women, but mostly they were black and brown men, because they were the ones who

RATED EXCELLENT TOP SPANISH Food 23

Decor 18

Service 21

Cost E

“Still the gold standard in the Ironbound,” this Newark Spaniard has been pleasing patrons with “plentiful helpings” of “consistently good” seafood, steak, and traditional Spanish fare plus “old-world service” for two decades; the “partylike atmosphere” makes it “good for large groups...”

Fornos of Spain The Finest in Spanish Cuisine & Seafood Daily ls on Specia e h c n u L M 11:30-3P Mon-Fri

Call for Reservations & Easy Directions! (2 blocks from Penn. Station)

47 Ferry Street • Newark • (973) 589-4767 Free On-Site Parking

Mon-Thurs 11:30am-10:30pm • Fri 11:30am-11:30pm • Sat-Sun 12 noon-11:30pm Private Rooms for Parties of 20-90 People

www.fornosrestaurant.com Zagat is a registered trademark of Zagat Survey, LLC, which is unaffiliated with InTheSpotlight.com. 888-272-8782 ®2009

lived in neighborhoods heavily patrolled by police. It’s no secret that African Americans are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. In 2016, African Americans were 5.9 times more likely to be incarcerated than whites, according to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics. That same year they comprised 27 percent of all individuals arrested, double their proportion of the U.S. population, according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program. If there was a charge of resisting arrest, I knew almost certainly there would be bruises and a description of being roughed up. That’s how it worked. “Resisting arrest” had a pshat and a drash: respectively, a literal meaning and deeper-level meaning. The pshat was that it could be true that a person resisted arrest; but the drash was that it was also the cover story for brutality. When the violence was one-sided and perpetrated by police, this charge was the system’s clever, built-in way to cover it up. We did not have smartphone video back then, in the early 1990s. But it seemed to me that, in certain cases, we didn’t need a recording to grasp what happened. I vividly remember one young man in particular who was beaten to a pulp by police, spent a long time in the hospital, and had what were likely life-long injuries. He spoke softly, limped, had photos of his many injuries, and carried around a thick file detailing what had happened to him. The only charge against him was resisting arrest. If there was no underlying criminal charge, why was he arrested? Whatever led to his unlucky interaction with the police, it was not criminal. Yet the prosecutor would not drop the charge because my client had filed a complaint with the Civilian Complaint Review Board, an independent body tasked with investigating charges of police misconduct and then issuing its findings and recommendations to the police commissioner. His case dragged on and on. If the system could not act quickly to dismiss a case with trumped-up charges, how could it be relied upon to do justice

in more nuanced cases? When I left that job and started writing in the Jewish world, the contrast was stark. Today’s Jewish world is a mostly safe, mostly affluent, mostly white haven, especially among its established institutions where I have worked. Sure, as a people we carry scars and trauma from the past, but most of us, as a community, are not afraid, every day, for our lives or for the lives of our brothers or fathers or husbands or sons or mothers or sisters or wives or daughters. For us, police are people we learn to trust and rely upon, especially in a climate of rising anti-Semitism. They protect our institutions and our families. They are our partners, not the enemy. I don’t watch the videos as they go viral. I can’t watch murder. I don’t even like violent movies for entertainment — because I don’t find it entertaining. I’m sure it isn’t good for the soul, and it always brings me back to Brooklyn. At that time in my life, I could walk away from a world of violence in policing by changing jobs. AntiSemitism is not institutionalized, and I am the beneficiary of white privilege. People who are black never get to walk away. But some experiences stay with you, no matter how long ago they happened. Even now my stomach sometimes drops when I see a police officer, vestiges of the dread I developed for them during my time at Legal Aid. They had a lot of power over me and my clients, and I had to learn how to act around a certain swagger that some, though not all, of the guards displayed in jails: just the right amount of deference, never let them see you bristle. They could arbitrarily decide to allow us to see our clients or not, make us follow every last rule to a tee or not, let us stay until we were finished or cut our meetings short. They called us “counselor.” Some used the word matter-of-factly, as a show of respect, or because they didn’t know our names. Others used it instead of our names, as if to erase them, with just a hint of a sneer. Some used their position to communicate that in my taking on

Continued on page 20

ISRAEL NOW A SPECIAL ISSUE OF THE NEW YORK JEWISH WEEK AND NEW JERSEY JEWISH NEWS | JUNE 2020

BATTLING COVID: INNOVATION AND UNCERTAINTY As Israel reopens, we look at how coronavirus is rewriting the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s script. A SPECIAL REPORT

A model medical response

PAGE 4

The reopening debate PAGE 6 Pondering an altered future PAGE 8

The Jewish Week | New Jersey Jewsih News ■ ISRAEL N✡W ■ June 2020

ISRAEL N✡W CONTENTS

An Ethical Shoulder to Lean On As the coronavirus crisis drags on, a rominent ethicist becomes the go-to person for doctors and others on a range of weighty issues.

Spirit of Innovation Marks War Against Covid

TAU Researchers 4 Fighting Covid-19

Israeli hospitals teamed with the high-tech sector and the military to battle the virus.

A Reopening Riddled with Anxiety

U.S. patent for vaccine design and success in antibody-based therapies.

Israelis caught between ‘letting society live’ and fear of moving too quickly to end the lockdown.

How Tel Aviv Creatives

6 Made Art Out of the Covid-19 Crisis

Into the Brave New Post-Covid World From Arab-Jewish relations to religion to healthcare, Israelis ponder an altered future.

Designers, photographers, artists and storytellers have turned a crisis into an opportunity to delight and distract a socially distanced public.

THE WEIZMANN EFFECT INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS AND A SCIENCE-LITERATE WORLD We all possess a deep-rooted desire to know. As one of the world’s leading multi-disciplinary scientific research centers, the Weizmann Institute in Israel demonstrates that this natural curiosity can be developed through education. Our highly selective graduate school produces top scientists uniquely qualified for medicine, industry, and academia. Our Davidson Institute of Science Education is a major force in creating a science-literate citizenry. By understanding the science behind all aspects of life, we improve the quality of society. This is The Weizmann Effect, and it is your opportunity to do some lasting good for humanity. A BETTER WORLD IS IN YOUR HANDS. To find out how you can become part of The Weizmann Effect, call: 800-242-2947. Or visit us online: WEIZMANN-USA.ORG

What does Hadassah Hospital do when faced with a crisis? What we do every day. We treat with compassion. We heal with state-of-the-art medicine. We research with a warrior mindset. For over 100 years Hadassah’s hospitals have defined modern healthcare in Israel, most recently serving as a global model in the fight against COVID-19. Together, we are healing the world.

Help save lives and give hope. hadassah.org/SaveLives donorservices@hadassah.org 800.928.0685

HADASSAH THE WOMEN’S ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA, INC. ©2020 Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc. Hadassah, the H logo and Hadassah the Power of Women Who Do are registered trademarks of Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc. Photography: Eli Atias

Hadassah COVID Ad for NYJewishWk_F.indd 1

6/1/20 3:18 PM

The Jewish Week | New Jersey Jewsih News ■ ISRAEL N✡W ■ June 2020

Saving lives. Giving hope. Every day.

The Jewish Week | New Jersey Jewsih News ■ ISRAEL N✡W ■ June 2020

Spirit of Innovation Marks War Against Covid Israeli hospitals teamed with the high-tech sector and the military to battle the virus. Doug Chandler Contributing Writer

s soon as they learned of Covid-19 and the dangers it posed to Israel as well as the rest of the world, top staff members at Sheba Medical Center faced a key question related to their mission. The medical center already knew it would need “every doctor we can get and every nurse we can get” to fight the novel coronavirus, Dr. Eyal Zimlichman, its chief medical and chief innovation officer, told The Jewish Week. “But what about innovation staff, data scientists and engineers? How essential are they? “And it took us about seven minutes to get to an understanding that innovation is not only essential, but critical, if we’re going to try to win this war against the virus.” As it turned out, that understanding became not only crucial for Sheba, the largest hospital in the Staff members at the Galilee Medical Center, a teaching hospital in Nahariya serving the western Galillee, monitor Middle East and, according to a 2019 patient data at one of the center’s command-and-control posts. R O N I A L B E R T F O R T H E G A L I L E E M E D I C A L C E N T E R , N A H A R I Y A article in Newsweek, one of the 10 best in the world, but for other Israeli the number of active cases in Israel tor of Hadassah’s Ein Kerem Hospital, seriously and they drastically curhospitals, too. Israeli hospitals large climbed, eventually reaching a high who spoke at a May 20 webinar spon- tailed traffic from the outside world. and small have become partners in of 10,000, and other hospitals began sored by the Jewish Council for Public The latter, he noted, was only possible the past few months with their coun- taking patients, as well. They included Affairs. Medical centers had already because Israel is a small country, with try’s high-tech sector and the Israel Hadassah Medical Center, the largest discharged most of their cases, he said. one international airport, and because Defense Forces in developing new hospital in Jerusalem and one of the (Israel’s health minister warned Israelis have been in semi-quarantine technology that would allow them to centers designated to receive corona- on Sunday that a new lockdown was for years, albeit for security reasons. treat coronavirus patients while keep- virus patients. Hadassah had already possible given a sharp spike in cases, “We’re a population used to dealing their own staff safe. made headlines in mid-February when mainly at schools. Prime Minister Ben- ing with sudden emergencies,” Halevi Sheba was chosen — in light of its one of its infectious-disease special- jamin Netanyahu, in a nationally tele- said. “What that means is that once scope, location and nature — by Is- ists, Dr. Ran Nir-Paz, was asked by vised address on Sunday, urged Israelis you impress on Israelis that it’s a liferael’s Ministry of Health to house the the government to fly to Japan to treat to “continue adhering to the rules” of or-death situation, we’re generally country’s first coronavirus patients. Israelis from the Diamond Princess. social distancing in order to avert an- able to follow the rules.” A 2,000-bed medical center in Ramat Forecasts presented at the end of other lockdown. At Sunday’s cabinet Gan’s Tel Hashomer neighborhood, March to Prime Minister Benjamin meeting, Netanyahu stressed that the War-like Footing close to Tel Aviv, Sheba took root in Netanyahu reportedly warned that economy “has to remain open,” acs for innovations, Sheba 1948 as Israel’s first military hospital. as many as 40,000 Israelis would die cording to The Times of Israel.) adopted what it calls a miliIt remains a government-run hospi- should the government do nothing, Doctors and other observers intertary-like strategy to fight the tal today, and its 150-acre campus and that 10,000 would die under the viewed by The Jewish Week credited disease. Helmed by Dr. Yitshak Kreis home to such national institutions rosiest of scenarios. the government, which took early iss, a former brigadier general and a as the Israel Center for Disease ConBut nothing even close to those and decisive action to limit the virus’ former surgeon general in the IDF, the trol, the equivalent of the CDC in the scenarios took place. From the end of spread; Israeli scientists, engineers and hospital made rapid-fire assessments United States. February to May 20, the number of con- high-tech professionals; and the com- based on shared input; acted immeThe first coronavirus patients in- firmed cases in Israel totaled 16,667 pa- mitment among Israelis in general. diately while planning for every scecluded only the 11 Israeli citizens who tients, of whom 13,504 recovered and Yossi Klein Halevi, an Israeli- nario; and kept information flowing had flown home from Japan near the 279 died. Throughout that time period, American author and a senior fellow on key data points, such as expected end of February after being quaran- the number of new cases per day ranged at the Shalom Hartman Institute, said patient loads, the availability of beds tined on the Diamond Princess cruise from one to 20 throughout the entire Israel’s leaders did two things right and the quantity of medical supplies. ship, where they were passengers. But country, said Dr. Yoram Weiss, direc- from the outset: They took the virus “It’s imbedded in our DNA to be pre-

5 The Jewish Week | New Jersey Jewsih News â&#x2013; ISRAEL Nâ&#x153;ĄW â&#x2013; June 2020

pared, to drill, to practice, to have enough supplies,â&#x20AC;? said Yoel Har-Even, director of the hospitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s international division and a retired IDF colonel. The ethic is to act rather than ask questions, he added during a recent podcast. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you know what to do, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ask others. Just do what you have to do and plan for the future.â&#x20AC;? Over at Hadassah, Dr. Nir-Paz said in a Zoom call with The Jewish Week that he attributes the ethic not to the military, but to what he called the Israeli spirit. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re committed to something, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re committed all the way. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no other choice.â&#x20AC;? Whatever the source of that ethic, it propelled the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s major hospitals to pioneer a host of new high-tech systems in such areas as telemedicine, robotics and contact screening. Zimlichman and other Sheba staff members described some of the innovations at their hospital during a private webinar for American donors and friends of the medical center that the Jewish Week was allowed to join. EarlySense: a monitor placed under the mattress that continuously measures the patientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heart rate, respiratory rate and motion. The device uses an algorithm to predict if the patientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health is about to deteriorate. TytoCare: a device with special adaptors that allows doctors to examine a patientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s throat, heart and lungs while sitting in a different room. Contact screening: a system developed by AnyVision, a surveillance and facial-recognition company, that connects with 600 video cameras throughout the hospital to track contact between patients and staff members, as well as monitor who is and isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t

Medical staff at Sheba tend to a patient at a special coronavirus intensive care unit. It took workers at the hospital 72 hours to build the massive unit, which includes 100 beds and was built in what used to be an underground parking garage.

continued on page 19

COURTESY SHEBA MEDICAL CENTER, TEL HASHOMER

Join us on 570&#; ,70' UVTGCOKPI " 2/

#XCKNCDNG QP FGOCPF CHVGT VJG DTQCFECUV

Streaming via %GNGDTCVG+UTCGN0; QTI (CEGDQQM CPF ;QW6WDG

)KXKPI VJCPMU VQ QWT HTQPVNKPG YQTMGTU DGPGĆ&#x201A; VVKPI %18+& TGNKGH %GNGDTCVG+UTCGN0; QTI

CelebrateIsraelParade @celebrateisrael

#TodahFrontLineHeroes

The Jewish Week | New Jersey Jewsih News ■ ISRAEL N✡W ■ June 2020

A Reopening Riddled with Anxiety Israelis caught between ‘letting society live’ and fear of moving too quickly to end the lockdown.

Michele Chabin Contributing Editor

erusalem — Larry Derfner, 68, knows that if he contracts the coronavirus, he could be at higher risk of life-threatening complications than younger people, but he supports the Israeli government’s decision at the beginning of May to end the country’s month-long lockdown. “Israel has done a great job in containing the coronavirus, and now it’s time to let people live, let society live,” said Derfner, a journalist, noting that fewer than 300 people have died in Israel, apparently thanks to an early lockdown that saw schools, shuls and businesses shuttered. Sarah Nadav, a behavioral economist and a single mother, isn’t so sure that it’s time to “let society live,” at least in the way it was accustomed, pre-Covid. In the grip of a mid-May heat wave, Israelis flocked to beaches even before restrictions on outdoor activities were officially relaxed. Nadav is deeply troubled by the speed with which Israel has gone from lockdown to

Israeli students at the Orot Etzion school in Efrat wear protective face masks as they return to school in early May. G E R S H O N E L I N O N / F L A S H 9 0 almost fully open, sometimes backtracking along the way. “The way Israel is reopening is haphazard at best,” Nadav said. The Israeli government’s seemingly sudden about-face to permit many companies, all stores, schools and parks to reopen within a matter of weeks has been a welcome development for some Israelis and a cause of worry for others. (Last Friday, amid a spike in coronavirus cases and fears that social distancing measures were not being followed as closely as they had been, health officials were considering once again halting school for grades seven through 12.) During Passover, Israelis were ordered to stay home and not visit with el-

derly relatives, to limit the virus’ spread. Tens of thousands of families held their seders via Zoom. As recently as Israel Independence Day, April 28, citizens were ordered to stay within 100 meters of their homes, with all public celebrations cancelled. Israel even took the difficult decision to close all places of worship, and to keep them closed during Passover, Easter and Ramadan. In mid-May, with the absolute number of deaths and the fatality rate low compared to other countries, the government opted to allow young children to return to school to allow homebound parents to work. (This week, as more coronavirus cases have been found at schools,

The newfound freedoms are

giving people “a false sense

of confidence.”

thousands of students were sent into quarantine in Jerusalem, Hadera and Beersheva, according to The Times of Israel.) “Any lockdown destroys the economy, and when you have 25 to 30 percent unemployment, even in six months’ time we expect unemployment will be 10 to 15 percent,” said David (Dudu) Gershon, a professor of economics at the Hebrew University School of Business. The rate of unemployment prior to the outbreak was about 4 percent. Gershon predicted that 25 percent of Israeli restaurants will shut down, and that “there will be a generation of people who will find it extremely hard to keep jobs. “That will include high tech workers,” he continued. “The father of one of my sons’ classmates was a high tech worker. Now he’s working as a supermarket cashier to feed his family.” Israel’s economy contracted by 7.1 percent in the first quarter of 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the sharpest decline in 20 years, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics. Derfner is worried that unless people are allowed to return to work, it could take a decade or more for the economy to recover. “Israel’s unemployment rate is nearly 30 percent. We are galloping into an unimaginable economic depression, and with it will come a national psychological depression. How many lives will that cost? What will it do to the living?” he asked. “I have two sons in their 20s. I didn’t raise them for such a future, and I’ll be damned if they have to go on living this crippled life to protect me and my generation. It’s not right. Let them live.” According to a much-discussed study Gershon co-authored with Hebrew University colleagues Alexander Lipton (Business School) and Hagai Levine (School of Public Health), Israel didn’t need to lock down the country in the first place. “If a state like the State of Israel takes non-closure mitigation steps such as physical distancing as much as possible while continuing work, isolating patients and those who were in close contact with

continued on page 18

TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY: At the Forefront of the War Against Coronavirus Vaccine Development

Neopharm Group has signed an agreement with Tel Aviv University's RAMOT, its technology transfer company, to work in collaboration with a team led by Professor Jonathan Gershoni of the School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology to develop a novel and potentially life-saving COVID-19 vaccine. Professor Gershoni has received a US patent for his vaccine candidate.

Scientific Research

Across campus and departments, TAU is seeking solutions. Five expert scientific teams and over 140 researchers are working aggressively to better understand the virus and swiftly develop candidates for vaccines and treatments. TAU faculty are applying AI techniques to Health Ministry data to improve quarantining efforts and contain the disease, and TAU built a dedicated lab to dramatically increase the number of Corona tests being processed in Israel—a critical step in conquering the disease.

Global Pandemic Center

The Center for Combating Pandemics is the first of its kind in the world. It will bring together university experts from different academic fields, including medicine, biology, mathematics, physics, economics, engineering, education and psychology to work with other experts from hospitals and research institutions to advance research and assist Israel and the world in battling future outbreaks.

To learn more about TAU's promising work in the global fight against Coronavirus: aftau.org/coronavirus

1 800 989 1198

AFTAU.ORG

The Jewish Week | New Jersey Jewsih News ■ ISRAEL N✡W ■ June 2020

We act. We change. We lead.

The Jewish Week | New Jersey Jewsih News ■ ISRAEL N✡W ■ June 2020

Into the Brave New Post-Covid World

From Arab-Jewish relations to religion to healthcare, Israelis ponder an altered future.

Michele Chabin Contributing Editor

he lockdown came early. In early March, Israel closed its borders and put into place tough restrictions on people’s movements. Some of the measures were draconian, some thought — the government, despite grave privacy concerns, used cell phone data for public health purposes in tracking people infected with Covid-19. The early and disciplined actions worked, and Israel has been able to flatten its Covid-19 curve: By late May, the country recorded only three deaths for every 100,000 people; the figure for the United States was 10 times higher. Now that the government is easing restrictions — schools, synagogues and hotels have reopened, and the beaches are packed — Israelis are taking stock of the changes the virus has wrought on society, and pondering what these changes might mean for the future. By all accounts, one of the pandemic’s silver

linings has been the strengthening ties between Arab and Jewish citizens of Israel. According to a poll by the Israel Democracy Institute released in early May, 56 percent of Jewish Israelis and 64 percent of Arab Israelis believe that relations have improved between Jews and Arabs IDF soldiers delivering food to Israeli Arabs for Ramadan. Acsince the start of the outbreak. (At cording to polls, Israelis believe the coronavirus crisis has brought the same time, the survey found that Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs closer together. I D F. I L more than 6-in-10 Israelis believe that relations between charedi Orthodox Jews — some Blue & White political party, initially courted the Arab of whom have been criticized for flouting social dis- Joint List coalition of Arab parties during the latest tancing rules — and the rest of Israelis were damaged campaign season “demonstrated to many Israelis that during the outbreak.) we are an important part of the political process,” “Relations between Jews and Arabs were already Abu Rass said. “It also reminded us and others that improving prior to the Covid-19 crisis,” said Thabet everyone has one vote. There aren’t many times when Abu Rass, co-director of the Abraham Fund Initia- we feel equal, but on Election Day, we were equal.” tives, an organization that promotes equality in Israel. Arab Israelis have also received a great deal of “They have improved even more during the crisis.” positive media attention — and gratitude from the The fact that Benny Gantz, the head of the centrist public — for being on the front lines in the fight

countries, because it is accustomed to dealing with mass casualty events. His hospital, which built nine Covid wards within a couple of weeks (some are now closed due to far fewer people needing to be hospitalized), frequently holds mass casualty drills. It also helped that Israel has universal health care, so citizens did not hesitate to seek treatment. While Israel has dealt very well with Covid-19, Halevy said, the virus also exposed Israel’s woefully inadequate supply of hospital beds, the extremely long hours medical residents are required to work and other problems within the under-funded health care system. Halevy said that if the Israeli government is smart, it will learn valuable lessons from the pandemic: It will increase funding in order to hire more doctors and nurses, and will encourage telemedicine, especially for routine matters like prescriptions and assessments.

“This will ease the load on primary physicians, and hopefully older physicians will adopt telemedicine, too,” Halevy said. Israel’s healthcare system, though the envy of many a country, “is severely under-budgeted,” Halevy said. “I believe our calls for higher budgets will be treated favorably during the next couple of months. Hopefully there will be more slots to hire physicians, more investment in infrastructure, and the congestion in the emergency rooms will be eased.” Whereas other Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries spend an average 8.59.3 percent of their GDP on healthcare, Israel spends just 7.5 percent, Halevy said. “Some of my colleagues think I’m naïve, but if the crisis has achieved anything, it’s the recognition that Israel has to increase its healthcare spending.” ✡

Religious Life

abbi Seth Farber, a congregational rabbi and founder of ITIM: The Jewish Life Advocacy Center, said that when it came to religious practices and Covid-19, the government acted “responsibly” by demanding that all places of worship — synagogues, mosques and churches — be closed. “It limited the size of and required necessary precautions (social distancing, masks) at gatherings, such as weddings. It issued reasonable protocols regarding the use of ritual baths. The government developed practical burial solutions that both maintained religious traditions and protected public health.” In some instances, Rabbi Farber said, some religious authorities “demonstrated unprecedented courage and halachic creativity,” which, he said, has “spurred a new discussion focusing on human needs and halacha,” or Jewish law, “that will hopefully be continued beyond the crisis.” Rachel Stomel, director of English communications for the Center for Women’s Justice, lauded the “innovative and empathetic spirit” of several rabbis who permitted minyans to be held via Zoom and circumcisions to be performed on balconies (which allow more people to “attend” while maintaining social distancing). But she lamented that no such empathy has been extended to longstanding women’s issues. “Men temporarily trapped at home can turn to a virtual minyan, but where can women turn when they are permanently trapped in dead marriages as agunot?” she asked, referring to women whose husbands refuse to grant them a religious divorce. “Do the rabbis not see our suffering as a crisis? Is it that women’s issues do not warrant solutions because they are not seen as an aberration from the norm?”

Healthcare

n the medical front, Jonathan Halevy, president of Shaare Zedek Medical Center, said Israel’s experience with Covid-19 demonstrated that Israel’s health system was better prepared for a pandemic than health systems in many other

WE SALUTE ISRAEL ON HER 72ND BIRTHDAY

JODRÉ BRENECKI, LLP IS A FULL-SERVICE LITIGATION PRACTICE SPECIALIZING IN:

9 The Jewish Week | New Jersey Jewsih News ■ ISRAEL N✡W ■ June 2020

against the virus. The fact that 30 percent of Israeli hospital staff members are Arab is a source of pride for both Arab and Jewish citizens, Abu Rass said. “It’s shown that when it comes to the virus, we are combating it together.” Another first: Arab Israelis got to see a positive side of Israel’s security apparatus. The IDF delivered tons of food packages to Arab families under lockdown, just in time for Ramadan. “For the first time in 72 years we saw soldiers in uniform on a positive mission, helping people get food. Our polls show that the overwhelming majority of Arab citizens mistrust the Israeli police, but the police have been helping us during this crisis. Israel is taking our citizenship more seriously, and is doing a really good job helping the Arab community,” Abu Rass said. To maintain this forward momentum, the Abraham Fund Initiatives plans to contact every government minister, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, about the challenges facing the Arab adan. Accommunity. s has brought “The time is right. Jews and Arabs understand that unless we work together, there will be no equality,” Abu Rass said.

The Jewish Week | New Jersey Jewsih News ■ ISRAEL N✡W ■ June 2020

An Ethical Shoulder to Lean On As the coronavirus crisis drags on, a prominent ethicist becomes the go-to person for doctors and others on a range of weighty issues.

Nathan Jeffay The Times of Israel

sraelis can be a rough-and-tumble, self-reliant lot, but a strange thing happened as the coronavirus crisis has dragged on through March and April and into May: they sought counsel about an unseen enemy that follows no ethical rules. Israelis have been inundating a prominent ethicist with requests for moral guidance during the coronavirus crisis, from doctors who want to quit work to people angry about Ikea opening while cemeteries remained closed. “Normally, I get just five questions a week, but over the last two months I’ve received hundreds,” Yuval Cherlow said. Everyone gets an answer, but

While Cherlow is a yeshiva head and director of the Center for Jewish Ethics at Tzohar, an alliance of Orthodox rabbis, he receives questions from a wide spectrum of Israeli society and draws on secular ethics as well as religious ideas. “We’ve had doctors saying they are afraid and asking if it’s ethical for them to quit,” Cherlow told The Times of Israel. “People have said they are afraid for their families and for themselves. It’s not just about looking after themselves, it’s a conflict between two commitments they feel.” “One doctor put it this way: ‘Who do I have a bigger commitment to? Patients or my children?’” he said. Cherlow told the questioner that quitting in the crisis would be like abandoning a bunker during war.

Rabbi Yuval Cherlow delivering a lecture at Bar Ilan University’s Azrieli School of Medicine. P H OTO S C O U R T E S Y O F T Z O H A R

Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, meeting with a group of Chinese MBA students visiting Israel. sometimes it’s not what they want to hear. Questions come from people frustrated by lockdown restrictions, decrying them as illogical and hoping this gives them the moral high ground. “But we’re dealing with a virus that doesn’t follow our rules of logic,” said Cherlow, who sits on a Health Ministry ethics committee and has lectured widely on ethics, including at a 2018 conference of the United Nations cultural body UNESCO.

“I compared their situation to soldiers. Over the years they got benefits as doctors, with training and a salary, so they have a commitment to give back when needed, as soldiers do in a battle,” he said. He also reasoned that a doctor’s young family is more equipped to fight the virus, if they catch it, than patients at hospital who are in need of care. But Cherlow’s answer was different when a hospital cleaner asked the same question, because, as a contract worker, and someone who has received less

training and investment from the state, he has a smaller level of obligation. “His commitment is lower,” Cherlow said. “He is part of the war so he has a commitment to the hospital but if his danger is high, for example because he lives with his parents, he could easily say he doesn’t want to do it.” In the end the cleaner decided to continue working. “He didn’t quit because, weighing the factors, I outlined that he does a very important job, and this recognition was important to him,” said Cherlow.

Over the last few days, so many parents have been asking him whether it’s ethical to send children back to school despite the chances of them spreading the virus that he published a Times of Israel blog post on the subject. Risk is part of life and there is “no ethical or moral obstacle to a parent deciding to send his or her child back to school,” he concluded. Some have contacted him to discuss the ethics of the government’s response to the outbreak, including from some journalists who were exempt from cell phone tracking to protect confidential sources. “I replied that if it was a personal privilege for reporters it would be unethical,” he said. “But reporters do work of public importance and they need to be able to keep sources secret to do their job, so it’s justified.” He receives questions about financial ethics from businesses that are hard hit by the crisis, and educational institutions that needed to close after people paid for classes. He also gets inquiries about some of the ugliest effects of the lockdown. “In the last ten days there are more and more questions from women saying they are suffering from violence,” he said in an early May interview. Some come from women who doubt their ethical right to take action against the violence, and receive swift reassurance from Cherlow. There are also messages from social workers,

People in the Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem in early May after it reopened according to the new government orders. O L I V I E R F I TO U S S I / F L A S H 9 0

tion, but a medical one. If people hug each other for comfort in cemeteries but don’t do that in Ikea, it’s a medical issue. Part of our mission is to say what is an ethical question and what isn’t.” In a similar vein, when synagogues were closed (they are now open under social distancing rules), frustrated worshipers who may have expected a sympathetic ear from Cherlow, as an Orthodox rabbi, ended up disappointed. People turn to him saying it is illogical that dem-

onstrations are allowed but synagogue services still aren’t. “It has an ethical factor, given there are values attached to demonstrating and values of freedom of religion,” he said. “But practically speaking it’s different. In synagogues people are close together, meeting three times a day, while demonstrations are occasional and less concentrated.” The solution adopted by the state regarding prayer (until mid-May when the restrictions were

continued on page 12

HUNGRY AT HOME

Covid-19 has crippled Israel’s economy, leaving so many more vulnerable and hungry citizens.

You can help our team deliver 110,000 Meals-on-Wheels each month. DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT! DONATIONS WILL BE MATCHED DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR

5316 New Utrecht Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11219 | 877.736.6283 Please consider joining our matching campaign. Visit our website at donatemp.org

Donations to American Friends of Meir Panim are tax deductible in the US registered under EIN number 20-1582478

The Jewish Week | New Jersey Jewsih News ■ ISRAEL N✡W ■ June 2020

who want ethical advice to consider alongside professional guidelines. One query related to a woman experiencing violence who insisted that she didn’t want her husband removed from the home. The social worker was considering whether to use his professional powers to “force” the husband out of the home, or whether this would undermine the woman’s freedom of choice. “I said that from the ethical perspective the assumption is that she is the decision maker,” Cherlow said. “But when there are good reasons in extreme situations, it may be that you are 100 percent sure she doesn’t really have freedom of choice. If she is living under this kind of threat the ethical thing is to send the husband away from the home.” As well as dispensing ethical advice, Cherlow has been busy calling people out when he feels they are trying to frame non-ethical questions in ethical terms. “One of the main crises for people is the fact that the virus doesn’t obey ethical rules, and because of this, people have been feeling that the reality they have been living isn’t fair,” he said, explaining that this means coronavirus regulations can often seem unfair even if they are justified. Many bereaved families were furious on Israel’s Memorial Day last week, when cemeteries were shut, even though other restrictions, such as those governing retail, had been relaxed. Cherlow commiserated but refused to acknowledge an ethical element. He explained: “Was it ethical to keep cemeteries closed but open Ikea? I said it’s not an ethical ques-

The Jewish Week | New Jersey Jewsih News ■ ISRAEL N✡W ■ June 2020

Shoulder to Lean On

continued from page 6 lifted) was that people can gather for services, but outdoors. Cherlow considers it a good compromise, but with a problem. The outdoor services are limited to 19 worshipers, and many communities have given men preference for the limited amount of space, while women rarely participate. He acknowledged that Orthodox religious law doesn’t give women the same obligation to pray with a quorum as men and doesn’t count them toward the quorums, or minyanim. But Cherlow said that there is an ethical imperative to ensure that all citizens, men and women, feel equally empowered to be part of communal religious life if they wish. “The government law is OK, but practically, people are organizing minyanim and aren’t leaving capacity for women to pray at the services, and this is an ethical issue,” he said. “We need to find a solution in which 50 percent of the population doesn’t feel excluded from minyanim.” ✡

TAU Researchers Fighting Covid-19 U.S. patent for vaccine design and success in antibody-based therapies.

Staff Report

n their fight against Covid-19, researchers at Tel Aviv University have been awarded a U.S. patent for an innovative vaccine design for the corona family of viruses, and a university laboratory reports Dr. Natalia Freund, it has successfully isolated above, and Prof. Jonathan two antibodies that would Gershoni, right. neutralize the virus’ ability P HOTOS COU RTESY OF TEL AVIV U N IVER SIT Y to infect human cells. The patent from United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) was granted to TAU Prof. Jonathan Gershoni of the School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology at TAU’s George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences. Approved in March, it is for a vaccine that targets the most vulnerable point in a coronavirus’ structure — its Receptor Binding Motif (RBM) — through which it penetrates human cells. The Swiss-based biopharmaceutical company, NEOVII, is working with TAU to develop the vaccine. “We have been working on coronaviruses for the last 15 years, developing a method of reconstructing and re-

constituting the RBM feature of the spike protein in SARS CoV and subsequently in MERS CoV,” explains Prof. Gershoni. “The moment the genome of the new virus was published in early January 2020, we began the process of reconstituting the RBM of SARS CoV2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and expect to have a reconstituted RBM of the new virus soon. This will be the basis for a new vaccine, which could be ready for use within a year to a year and a half.” The two suitable antibodies were identified in patients recovering from Covid-19, according to Dr. Natalia Freund who heads the Laboratory for Human Antibody Responses at TAU’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine. “The use of antibodies bears significant potential as a treatment for high-risk coronavirus patients and as a preventative measure for at-risk groups, like medical workers and essential employees, exposed to the virus,” she explains. In the long run, identifying effective antibodies against virus neutralization could also accelerate the development of vaccines for the disease. ✡

During these challenging times and always, we’re here for you and your loved ones.

Karen Chernick JTA

Stein Assisted Living Wilf At Home 1400 Prospect Avenue · East Meadow, NY 11554 · (516) 483-4205 www.eastmeadowjc.org

Wilentz Senior Residence Stein Hospice Wilf Transport The Education and Resource Center Experience the Wilf Campus difference.

Supporting Israel and the remarkable efforts of our health care heroes!

Commitment. Compassion. Community.

“WE INTERRUPT THIS WEEK FOR AN IMPORTANT NEWS BREAK.” Now you’ll find updates on world,national,and local news as it happens all week long.

www.thejewishweek.com

esigner Yoa around his south Tel Aviv bloc saw a discarded latex glove on ters later he spotted another on By the time he looped back ho over a dozen photos of them of the coronavirus crisis. Un inspiration hit. “I had a photo gallery fu recalls. “When I looked ove about the shapes and colors m of things — a nest full of bab a rabbit.” He scanned the photos and tails to turn them into charact for example, hates being ask today. Avikam the purple wa what day it is, and doesn’t car On Instagram, Gati receiv response to his oddball cast o acters and started a new acco stories — encouraging follo own photos of throwaway glov to call attention to the litterin from the pandemic. To date, o Tel Aviv and beyond have pos (Don’t worry about him, h After photographing the glo

13 The Jewish Week | New Jersey Jewsih News ■ ISRAEL N✡W ■ June 2020

rotein in SARS explains Prof. new virus was an the process , the virus that reconstituted the basis for a within a year to half.” suitable antie identified in overing from ccording to Dr. nd who heads ory for Human Responses at ler Faculty of

How Tel Aviv Creatives Made Art Out of the Covid-19 Crisis Designers, photographers, artists and storytellers have turned a crisis into an opportunity to delight and distract a socially distanced public.

of antibodies cant potential patients and as s, like medical d to the virus,”

ibodies against e development Designer Yoav Gati makes doodles out of discarded gloves. C O U R T E S Y O F Y O A V G AT I / V I A J TA

Karen Chernick JTA

esigner Yoav Gati was walking around his south Tel Aviv block in March when he saw a discarded latex glove on the street. A few meters later he spotted another one, and then another. By the time he looped back home he had collected over a dozen photos of them, clearly a product of the coronavirus crisis. Unexpectedly, artistic inspiration hit. “I had a photo gallery full of gloves,” Gati recalls. “When I looked over them, something about the shapes and colors made me see all sorts of things — a nest full of baby birds, a monkey, a rabbit.” He scanned the photos and added doodled details to turn them into characters: Roger the fish, for example, hates being asked if he’s got plans today. Avikam the purple walrus doesn’t know what day it is, and doesn’t care. On Instagram, Gati received an enthusiastic response to his oddball cast of coronavirus characters and started a new account called @glove. stories — encouraging followers to share their own photos of throwaway gloves, both for fun and to call attention to the littering that has sprouted from the pandemic. To date, over 100 people from Tel Aviv and beyond have posted photos. (Don’t worry about him, he’s being sanitary: After photographing the gloves, Gati carefully

disposes of them using a stick.) “It’s become a thing, sort of a new coronavirus routine,” Gati says. “This is great fun for me — I’ve been able to raise awareness about an issue that was bothering me personally, and it also helps others and myself express creativity.” Gati isn’t alone among Tel Aviv creatives looking for a way to counter the negative aspects of

‘A yearning for the city’s streets grew more and more intense during the lockdown period.’ the lockdown, which is now easing. For the past couple of months, Israeli designers, photographers, artists and storytellers have started new projects that offer a boost to their surrounding — yet socially distanced — public. Hagai Farago, an architectural photographer and screen-printer, created a cut-and-fold booklet of iconic Tel Aviv transportation vehicles. Shared

for free both on his personal portfolio and on the Tel Aviv municipality website, the booklet has been downloaded hundreds of times. At a time when the city’s residents are urged to shelter in place, Farago’s toy-sized versions of buses, shared taxis and electric scooters tap into a collective longing for mobility. “A yearning for the city’s streets grew more and more intense during the lockdown period,” Farago said. “From a model of a taxi for my nephews, the idea expanded to a booklet of transportation vehicles, and another booklet [coming soon] of Tel Aviv buildings.” Illustrator Yali Ziv also had homeschooling kids in mind when she released a complimentary set of downloadable coloring pages for “confusing days” in late March, with a note to “feel free to color outside the lines and send me the results.” Known for her love of greenery in her usual work for Israeli and international commercial clients, these black and white pages show local flowers, and women happily indoors with their houseplants and cats. Meanwhile, in south Tel Aviv, well-known street artist Dede Bandaid recently started drawing on real shekel bills — protecting the faces of the poets who grace Israeli currency with masks. He tailors the size, shape and color of the masks to each of the country’s four bill types. Dede will spend some of these notes to get them circulating. “The idea to draw on money is something I’d

continued on following page

The Jewish Week | New Jersey Jewsih News ■ ISRAEL N✡W ■ June 2020

CELEBRATING

ISRAEL @ 72! Senior Rabbi Eric Eisenkramer Rabbi Emeritus Eric Milgrim Cantor Andrew Edison Cantorial Soloist Robyn Streitman, The Board of Trustees, Congregation and Staff

Temple B’nai Shalom a welcoming, uplifting & inclusive Reform congregation East Brunswick, NJ 732.251.4300 www.bnaishalom.com

The Jewish Community Center of Middlesex County

Celebrates Israel at 72

Dorothy Rubinstein Chief Executive Officer

Barbara Muhlgeier President

1775 Oak Tree Road Edison, NJ 08820 732.494.3232 www.jccmc.org

CELEBRATING

ISRAEL @ 72! JEWISH WAR VETERANS SUPPORTS ISRAEL You served JWV needs you Contact Stan Shapiro CMDR JWV Post 125 732-493-2948 shapvet@aol.com

Artists

continued from previous page also do when I was younger, but here it takes on a completely new and different meaning,” he says. “As an artist used to creating in the public sphere and for a very diverse audience, this format of money bills connects the idea of community with what you have with you at home, and will one day reach someone else.” It was initially hard for Dede to find businesses where he could spend his embellished shekels, though. Nonessential shops were shuttered for

weeks (although some have begun to reopen), leading designer and photographer Teddy Cohen to collect, photographically, over a thousand notices posted in the windows of Tel Aviv businesses. “Each sign is interesting and unique,” Cohen says. “Some of them are heartwarming, funny, optimistic, correct, angry.” Cohen, like Gati, began by photographing things near his apartment. But when he started noticing that these signs were everywhere, he photographed them more intentionally — and has now documented store notices signs in all of the city’s commercial areas. The messages range from notes about own-

www.skyviewwine.com 888.SKY.VINO

www.columbuswines.com 212.865.7070

OUR FAMOUS PASSOVER OUR FAMOUS PASSOVER OUROUR FAMOUS FAMOUS PASSOVER PASSOVER SALE HAS BEGUN! SALE HAS BEGUN! SALE SALE HAS HAS BEGUN! BEGUN 15

The Jewish Week | New Jersey Jewsih News ■ ISRAEL N✡W ■ June 2020

www.skyviewwine.com 888.SKY.VINO www.columbuswines.com 212.865.7070 Over 600 Kosher Wines & Spirits on Sale

www.skyviewwine.com 888.SKY.VINO

www.columbuswines.com 212.865.7070

Lowest Prices Guaranteed

Celebrate Israel PASSOVER OUR PASSOVER FAMOUS OUR FAMOUS Over 600 Kosher Wines& & Spirits Over 600 Kosher Wines Spirits Sale Wishing you and your SALE HAS BEGUN! SALE HASon BEGUN! All Israeli Wines Discounted

Over 600 Over Kosher 600 Kosher Wines Lowest & Wines Spirits Spirits on Saleon Sal family a& Zissen Pesach. Prices Guaranteed Lowest Prices Guaranteed

Over 600 Kosher Wines & Spirits on Sale

Over Lowest 600 Kosher WinesFree&Delivery Spirits on Sale Prices Guaranteed

Lowest Order Prices Lowest Guaranteed Prices Guarantee from Home Lowest Prices Guaranteed New York,

Long Island Go online and let us provide and Westchester and your free” delivery. “contact

Wishing you with minimum purchase family a Zissen you Pesach. Wishing and your

Wishing you andfamily your Wishing Wishing you and youyour anda Zissen yourPesach. family a Zissen Pesach. Free Delivery New York, Long Island Shipping Available Free Delivery and Westchester with Throughout minimum the New York, United States purchase Long Island and Westchester

Shipping available throughoutFree the Delivery with minimum purchase New York, United States*

familyfamily a Zissen aFreeZissen Pesach. Pesac Delivery Shipping Available

The street artist Dede Bandaid began illustrating facemasks on real Israeli bills.

New York, Long Island

Shipping Available DUE TO COVID-19 THE STORE Throughout the IS ONLY OPEN ONLINE United States Delivery & Curbside PICK UP Service Only!

Freeand Delivery Free Delivery Westchester with Newminimum York, Long New York, IslandLong Is purchase Please allow a minimum of 4 hours to processand curbside Westchester orders. and Westchester with w Shipping Available purchase minimum purchase minimum

C O U R T E S Y O F D E D E B A N D A I D / V I A J TA

One of Teddy Cohen’s storefront photos. C O U R T E S Y O F C O H E N / V I A J TA

ers missing their happy customers, being out of eggs or even practical things, such as the fact that not more than one customer is allowed in at a time. Called “Dear Customers,” the project (now with a designated website) documents the current historic moment. His website filters the images by keywords, such as: love, understanding, gloves, take away, instructions, masks, routine. “It’s obviously sad to see closed businesses, lots of the signs are written in a sad, apologetic and a mostly

uncertain tone,” he said. “But a lot of the signs are also written with an optimistic tone — ‘we’ll get through this together,’ ‘we’ll see you soon,’ ‘it’ll be OK’ — with love and a yearning for the business’ customers, which is fun to see.” For the past few years, screenwriter Noa Berman-Herzberg (also known as @serialpickler on Instagram) has collected people’s stories of opportunities gone sour, usually over evenings spent eating her homemade pickles. These days, she compiles a list of stories of prospects lost to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, and she’s developing an English-language podcast to showcase the sour stories. “Everyone, everyone is missing something during this time,” she says. This extends to her personally, as well, since her weekly radio show is currently on hiatus, and she’s home from teaching at the Screen-Based Arts Department at Jerusalem’s Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. Instead, Berman-Herzberg hosted a public Zoom session on sour stories last week. “Sharing sour stories is especially meaningful to people during this time,” she notes. “The feeling that we’re all in this same hard situation together and the opportunity to hear what other people have missed is very comforting.” ✡

Long Island

Throughout the *Shipping where allowed by law, rules andand Westchester Unitedapply. StatesPrices * restrictions and selection with minimum purchase may vary.

5681 Riverdale Avenue, Bronx, NY 10471 888.SKY.VINO (759.8466) Hours: Monday-Saturday: 11AM-7PM | Sunday: 12PM-6PM Skyviewwines.com (Free Parking)

Throughout the United States

Shipping Available Shipping Available Throughout Throughout the the QUEENS JEWISH COMMUNITY COUNCIL States United States Anniversary Salutes Israel on her 72 ndUnited Skyview Wines & Spirits

Columbus Avenue Wines & Spirits 730 Columbus Avenue @ 96th Street Bronx, NY 10471 New York, NY 10025 • After School MentoringColumbus Avenue Wines & Spirits Skyview Wines & Spirits 888.SKY.VINO (759.8466) (212) 865-7070 Holiday Outreach 5681•Riverdale Avenue Programs 730 Columbus Avenue @ 96th Street Store Hours: 9:30 AM –9:00 PM Store Hours: 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM Bronx, 10471 Group New York, NY 10025 • PeerNY Support PM – 6:00 PM (Sunday) 888.SKY.VINO12:00 (212) 865-7070 12:00PM-8:00PM (Sunday) • Youth at(759.8466) RiskSkyviewwines.com Counseling Columbuswines.com Store Hours: 9:30 AM –9:00 PM Store Hours: 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM • Shalom Bayis: Happy (Free Parking) 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Sunday) 12:00PM-8:00PM (Sunday) 5681 Riverdale Avenue Family and Youth Programs

Marriage Counseling Skyviewwines.com Columbuswines.com (Free • Tax Parking) Assistance *Shipping where allowed by law, rules and restrictions apply. Prices and selection may vary.

Protecting our Elderly Immigrant Services Each store independently owned and operated. Prices and selection may vary.

• Managed Care Facilitation: • Citizenship/Acculturation Each store independently owned and operated. Prices and selection may vary. • CHP, FHP, Medicaid, • Family Crisis Assistance Medicare, and EPIC. • Entitlements: HEAP, Skyview Wines &SSI, Spirits Columbus Avenue Wines & Spirits • Counseling SCRIE ACCESS-A-RIDE 5681 Riverdale Avenue 730 Columbus Avenue @ 96th Street • Caring for the Homebound •Bronx, Low Income Housing NY 10471 New York, NY 10025 • Lifeline Communicators • Women Pre-Job Training 888.SKY.VINO (759.8466) (212) 865-7070 • Medicare Part D • ESL classes Store Hours: 9:30 AM –9:00 PM Store Hours: 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM Enrollment Facilitation 12:00 PM • Legal Services – 6:00 PM (Sunday) 12:00PM-8:00PM (Sunday) • Holocaust Transportation • Single Stop Skyviewwines.com Columbuswines.com • Home Energy Assistance (Free Parking)

Advocacy

• Uniting the voice of Queens Jewry • Action on behalf of Israel • Task Force on Youth at Risk • Against Domestic Violence • Housing

Cultural Events

Combating Hunger

• “Music Under the Stars” • Food Pantry/packages Concert Series • Food Stamps Each store independently and operated. Prices and selection may vary. • Lectures/Special Events • owned Cash Vouchers • Women in Judaism Series • Nutrition Education • Cultural Club • Meals on Wheels

119-45 Union Turnpike • Forest Hills, NY 11375 • (718) 544-9033

Skyview Wines & Spirits

Columbus Avenue Wines & Spirits

The Jewish Week | New Jersey Jewsih News ■ ISRAEL N✡W ■ June 2020

SPONSORED CONTENT

The Jewish Week | New Jersey Jewsih News ■ ISRAEL N✡W ■ June 2020

Reopening

continued from page 6 them, maintaining personal hygiene including using masks, and stricter measures for the high-risk population, then almost always there can be no general closure for the entire population,” the April 2020 study stated. The then-director general of Israel’s Health Ministry, Moshe Bar SimanTov, defended the strict measures. He compared the coronavirus death toll in Israel, 300, to the 7,000 people who by that time had died in Belgium, a similarly sized country. Mental health professionals seem to agree that the gradual end of lockdown here — including the opening of gyms and the green light for socially distant outdoor events of up to 50 people — is good for the public. “I think there’s a huge positive impact to the ability to go back and lead a social and family life,” Limor Aharonson-Daniel, head of the Prepared Center for Emergency Response Research at Ben Gurion University of the Negev. Family connections play a “central role” in Israel, so being separated “caused a lot of stress, across the gen-

erations.” Even those without strong family ties found it difficult to remain isolated, she said. But the ability to get together, albeit in masks and standing six feet apart, doesn’t mean that everyone is ready to re-enter. “I think we’re all a bit scared,” Aharonson-Daniel said. “We know the consequences [of reopening] aren’t immediate. We’ll know in about two to three weeks, and in the meantime we’re kind of holding our breath” to see whether there will be a second wave of infections. Nadav is feeling that sense of anxiety. “There are no clear guidelines, nobody knows what is or is not allowed anymore and there is no way to track what is safe or unsafe. If there was a slow reopening that happened in stages, we’d need to stagger events every two weeks and we’d be able to see what caused the numbers to go up, or if they remain low. At this point, we have no idea what would be driving a spike because it could be one of many things.” Nadav said she is worried about the health of the country’s workers. “If you open a store, the chances

“I think we’re all a bit scared,” said Limor Aharonson-Daniel, head of the Prepared Center for Emergency Response Research at Ben Gurion University. “We know the consequences [of reopening] aren’t immediate.” that a customer will get exposed to the virus are low but the chance that the store worker will get exposed is high,” she said, citing studies related to viral load exposure. “Public transportation brings many people together into an enclosed space with circulating air from an air conditioner, which is also problematic. Then add to this that

workers need to take public transportation to get to their jobs and it’s a recipe for disaster.” The newfound freedoms are giving people “a false sense of confidence,” Nadav said. “Israelis need to be prepared to make serious changes, perhaps move or cut their expenses. They need to understand the gravity of what we are going through and not be buoyed by false hope, which will lead them to put off making important financial decisions. Leiah Elbaum agrees. She said she resents being called overly cautious for debating whether to send her five kids back to school. “The implication that anyone concerned about reopening or sending [children] back to school is just a ‘nervous Nelly’ from the quaking-attheir-shadow-tin-foil-hat brigade does a grave disservice to many very thoughtful and serious parents who are quite calmly and carefully studying the existing research and statistics,” she said. “Even if one is not high risk, given the unpredictable nature of this new disease it is not unreasonable for many to urge caution, because so little is still known about longer-term consequences of this illness.” ✡

Respect. Tradition. Compassion. For four generations, New York’s Jewish Community has turned to Sinai Chapels for guidance and comfort in their time of need. We honor and respect all Jewish traditions and customs, attending to every funeral detail according to each family’s personal and religious preferences.

To learn more, contact us today:

718.445.0300 | 800.446.0406

Happy 72nd Israel From Strength Happy 72nd Israel to Strength

From Happy 72 nd Strength Israel Strength Be well, to stay safe! From Strength Be well, stay safe! to Strength

Be well, stay safe!

Join our events ononZoom Joinmany our many events Zoom 6094977 896 4977 Zoomentr ent Call896 forfor Zoom Call 609

Adath Israel Cong Israel Join our Adath many events onCongr Zoom! 1958 Lawrencevi 4977 for Zoom entr Call 609 896 1958Lawrenceville, Lawrencevi N Lawrenceville, N www.adathisra Adath Israel Congr

www.adathisra 1958 Lawrencevil Lawrenceville, N www.adathisra

Spirit of Innovation doms are giving

of confidence,”

continued from page 5

be prepared towearing a mask and who needs to go perhaps moveinto quarantine. hey need to un- Healthcare command posts: softwhat we are go-ware systems that connect all the data buoyed by falserelated to various patients, including vithem to put offtal signs and ventilator measurements, ncial decisions. and allows it to be seen from a remote es. She said shecommand post. rly cautious for Robotic assistants: technology nd her five kidsdeveloped before the advent of Covid-19, but put to use during the panthat anyonedemic to enable doctors and nurses to ening or send-treat their patients from afar. school is just a Even some of Israel’s regional hospitals have he quaking-at-made what could be lasting contributions. At the t brigade does aGalilee Medical Center, a teaching hospital servy very thought-ing 600,000 Israelis in the Western Galilee, an oral who are quiteand facial surgeon teamed up with researchers from dying the exist-the Technion and the Ministry of Defense to create cs,” she said. an anti-viral sticker that enhances surgical masks, high risk, givenadding an extra layer of protection. Pilot trials of ure of this newthe sticker are now being conducted at GMC and nable for manyfive other hospitals around the country, said Dr. Tsvi e so little is stillSheleg, the center’s deputy director-general. m consequences Meanwhile, Israeli scientists and physicians are involved in research regarding potential tests, treatment protocols and vaccines to defeat the virus. Hadassah’s Yoram Weiss said in late May that his hospital was working on 17 different clinical trials. One of many trials at Sheba involves testing a sensor chip created by the Israeli start-up NanoScent to see if a simple nasal breath test could identify Covid-19 — technology that could be used to screen people en masse at stores, airports and border entry points. At the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, more than 50 projects were underway by the end of April. Researchers have developed an epidemiological model showing how it might be possible to suppress the coronavirus while allowing for “sustainable, albeit reduced, economic activity,” a magazine published by the institute recently reported. The model suggests five days of lockdown, followed by two days of work, every week. Another model suggests that people can work in two-week cycles — four days at work, followed by 10 days at home. Happy 72nd Israel

From Strength Happy 72nd Israel to Strength

From Happy 72 nd Strength Israel Strength Be well, to stay safe!

From Strength well, stay safe! toBeStrength

Be well, stay safe!

Join our events ononZoom! Joinmany our many events Zoom! 6094977 896 4977 Zoomentry entry Call896 forfor Zoom Call 609 Adath Israel Congregation Israel Join our Adath many events onCongregation Zoom! 1958 Lawrenceville Road 4977 for Zoom entry Road Call 609 896 1958Lawrenceville, Lawrenceville NJ 08648 Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 www.adathisraelnj.org Adath Israel Congregation

www.adathisraelnj.org 1958 Lawrenceville Road Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 www.adathisraelnj.org

BE Virtual! Check out our online services & programs! www.bethel.net 609-443-4454

50 Maple Stream Rd. East Windsor, NJ

CELEBRATING

ISRAEL @ 72! Yom Huledet Sameach (‫)יום הולדת שמח‬

With love and dedication, Temple B’nai Abraham The Early School & The Jewish Learning Program

Transport aides at Sheba Medical Center wheel a patient from one end of the hospital to another within a mobile isolation stretcher. The stretcher prevents whatever germs or microbes are within the device from getting outside. Inset: a mobile isolation stretcher in Sheba’s lobby. COURTESY SHEBA MEDICAL CENTER, TEL HASHOMER

As Israel reopens its economy in a measured way, one of the country’s healthcare reporters, Michal Halperin, offered an assessment, while acknowledging that much about the virus is still a mystery. “I don’t think it’s a mistake,” she said of the reopening. “But you’ll have to ask me in a few weeks and we’ll see.” ✡

CELEBRATING

ISRAEL @ 72!

300 East Northfield Rd Livingston, NJ, 07039 973-994-2290 tbanj.org

72 YEARS OF PERSEVERANCE AND INNOVATION

Perseverance and Innovation Like Israel, that’s what we do at

Temple Beth El of Somerset Shabbat and Havdalah Services Daily Morning Minyan Adult Education Classes Book Discussion Group Even Funerals and Shiva Visits All on Zoom! Our Building is Closed But Our Temple is Open

tbesomerset@gmail.com 732-873-2325 www.templebethelsomerset.org

The Jewish Week | New Jersey Jewsih News ■ ISRAEL N✡W ■ June 2020

blic transportaand it’s a recipe

The Jewish Week | New Jersey Jewsih News ■ ISRAEL N✡W ■ June 2020

IT’S A CONSENSUS:

90 points

mosaic consensus 90.indd 7

8/27/19 12:13 PM

NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ June 4, 2020

Appreciation Lamm

Continued from page 1 Orthodoxy, and using his position at YU as a perch he helped buttress that ideology in a substantial way,” said Rabbi J.J. Schacter, a professor of Jewish history and Jewish thought at the school. “He was uncomfortable with the word ‘modern,’ so he invented the word ‘centrist’ to describe his brand of Orthodoxy — between the extremes of totally favoring contemporary culture on the one hand and totally rejecting contemporary culture on the other.” Friends and colleagues praised Lamm as a serious man with a vibrant sense of humor, a skilled orator who excelled in one-on-one conversations, and a master teacher who could translate advanced Talmudic concepts into terms that someone with a minimal Jewish educational background could understand. He was also a devoted family man who would spend seder night with the family of a friend whose husband and father had died suddenly in Israel, and as a committed Orthodox Jew who maintained respectful relations with members of other branches of Judaism. “In a world always lurching with centrifugal force more and more to the extremes, he commanded the center as an ideal life, mandated by G-d,” Richard Joel, the rabbi’s successor as YU president, said in an email interview. “And he modeled that as if the world was at stake, because it was. As a scholar he was nonpareil, thorough and exacting while poetically philosophical.” “The purpose of Torah is neither some kind of arbitrary spiritual exercise, nor the beating of man into submission in order to aggrandize the divine ego,” Lamm said in a 1971 sermon. “Rather, Torah is the divine instrument for man’s spiritual welfare and fulfillment. The Torah is God’s formula for man’s moral development. The prescriptions may be difficult, they may entail discipline and renunciation, but the purpose of Torah and commandments is the good of mankind.” After stepping down from the YU presidency in 2003, Lamm continued to serve as chancellor of the university and rosh yeshiva of YU’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. He retired in 2013 amid accusations that the university had taken an insufficiently forceful stand against accusations leveled against staff members at YU’s boys’ high school during his tenure.

Primacy of Torah

A Brooklyn native, Lamm studied at the Mesivta Torah Vodaath yeshiva before entering Yeshiva College, where he majored in chemistry and graduated summa cum laude in 1949, as class valedictorian. Upon graduation, he pursued advanced scientific studies at the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. He was ordained at YU in 1951; he earned a doctorate in Jewish philosophy from the university’s Bernard Revel Graduate School in 1966. During Israel’s War of Independence in 1948, he worked on a munitions research project under the direction of Dr. Ernst D. Bergmann, who later became the head of the Israel Atomic Energy Commission. The rabbi’s first pulpit job was in Springfield,

Mass., where he founded an Orthodox scholarly journal, “Tradition,” which dealt with contemporary matters of Jewish law and reflected his position between the Orthodox and secular worlds. He was a prolific author, writing more than a dozen books. He served for 17 years on the YU faculty, culminating in his appointment as the Erna and Jakob Michael Professor of Jewish Philosophy in 1966. Jeffrey Gurock, a professor of American-Jewish history at Yeshiva University who served for a time as Lamm’s academic assistant, said the rabbi prepared extensively for speeches and sermons and never spoke in public without notes — “even two or three lines” of key words and concepts. Lack of preparation, the rabbi would say, “showed disrespect for his audience.”

Rabbi Norman Lamm welcomes New York City Mayor Ed Koch to an event in 1986. COURTESY YESHIVA UNIVERSITY PHOTO DEPT

‘I was wrong’

Lamm’s career was stained at the end by his acknowledgement that he had failed to respond adequately to allegations of sexual abuse against YU rabbis in the 1980s. When he retired, in failing health, from the mostly ceremonial post of chancellor, the rabbi surprised many people by writing a resignation letter that included an apology for mishandling the allegations. He said he was aware of concerns about two staffers, one an administrator who allegedly groped students and rubbed himself against them during wrestling bouts, and the other a teacher who allegedly sexually abused and sodomized students. Lamm wrote that he regretted handling them the way many such incidents were treated at the time: quietly and internally. “At the time that inappropriate actions by individuals at Yeshiva were brought to my attention, I acted in a way that I thought was correct, but which now seems ill conceived. I understand better today than I did then that sometimes, when you think you are doing good, your actions do not measure up,” Lamm wrote in his letter. “True character requires of me the courage to admit that, despite my best intentions then, I now recognize that I was wrong.” Rabbi Mark Dratch, Lamm’s son-in-law and executive vice president of the Rabbinical Council of America, has said that his father-in-law was plagued by guilt over his role in failing to halt the abuse. “That people suffered was tremendously bothersome to him, and he regretted that,” Dratch

said. He added that the controversy will “cloud” but not “define” Lamm’s career. “It’s not his legacy,” Billet said. “The greatest asset of his leadership was leadership through ideas — through speaking and through writing. He wasn’t afraid to take a stand,” Dratch told JTA. Although a spokesman for the Modern Orthodox movement, Lamm urged Orthodox synagogue groups to cooperate with bodies of Reform and Conservative Judaism regarding problems confronting the American-Jewish community. “A withdrawal,” he said, “is a symbol of the splitting of Orthodoxy from the rest of the American Jewish community.” In 1989 and 1990 Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir asked the rabbi to help defuse the crisis related to the “Who is a Jew?” issue, which had erupted when a Reform convert wanted to make aliyah. Lamm devised a solution for the denominational crisis that required delicate diplomacy as well as good will on all sides. Rabbi David Ellenson, chancellor emeritus of the Reform movement’s Hebrew Union CollegeJewish Institute of Religion, called Lamm “a person of great integrity and great scholarship. “His devotion to Torah, the Jewish people, and Yeshiva University was absolute, and people felt that when they were in his presence. I think that was a key to his great success while in office,” Ellenson said in an email interview. “He was always personally gracious to me and he invited me several times to speak with his students at both YU and RIETS. This surely testifies to his expansive spirit. The Jewish people have lost a great leader.” Lamm’s writings and teachings on Jewish law have been cited in two landmark decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court: the 1966 “Miranda decision” regarding police interrogation of suspects held in custody and a 1967 case involving guarantees against self-incrimination. Also in 1967, Lamm testified before a U.S. Senate subcommittee on the right of privacy from the perspective of Jewish law. His wife, Mindella, 88, died April 16, 2020, of Covid-19. In his later years, Lamm faded from public life as he suffered from an illness that affected his memory, a family member said. Lamm was hardly the only famous member of his family. His brother Rabbi Maurice Lamm, who died in June 2016, was the author of a classic howto book, “The Jewish Way in Death and Mourning,” among other works. His sister’s son, Shalom Auslander, wrote a popular 2007 memoir, “Foreskin’s Lament,” about rejecting Orthodoxy, and also wrote and created Showtime’s “Happyish.” Predeceased in 2013 by his daughter Sara Lamm Dratch, Lamm is survived by two sons, Shalom, a real estate developer who at one point was involved in a controversial chasidic development in the upstate New York village of Bloomingburg, and Joshua Lamm, a psychiatrist; a daughter, Chaye Warburg, an occupational therapist in Teaneck; 17 grandchildren; and numerous great-grandchildren. ■ Steve Lipman is a staff writer for The New York Jewish Week, NJJN’s sister publication. JTA contributed reporting.

Calendar

NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ June 4, 2020

Due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, most synagogues and organizations have cancelled all in-person activities for the rest of the spring. Some are offering online learning opportunities or plan to reschedule. Please email calendar@njjewishnews.com with online events open to the community. THURSDAY, June 4 “Jewish Humor Through the Pandemic.” Led by Rabbi Steven Bayar, the three-part series will be sponsored by National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), West Morris Section, and held via Zoom, today and June 11 and 18, at 1:15 p.m. Email iadpr@aol.com. “COVID: The Global Challenge.” Thomas Friedman, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The New York Times, will hold an online conversation at 6 p.m. with New York Jewish Week editor in chief Andrew Silow-Carroll. Sponsored by the Jewish Week Media Group and UJA Federation of New York. A Q&A will

follow. To register, go to jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/thomas-friedman-covid-the-globalchallenge. Camp@Home Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel (TSTI) will begin Camp@Home, for children in preschool through second grade, on Monday, June 15. Camp counselors will guide families through a mini day-camp experience. The 10-week program will be broken into flexible one-week modules with regular programming and special activities. Campers and counselors will begin the day virtually with a musical gathering; other activities include Lego Masters, American Sign Language, Animal Action, Wonder Wednesdays, Dance Party, and Mindful Movement and Breathing. To register for a future open house or for more information, email tsticamp@ gmail.com.

WEDNESDAY, June 10 Personal Survivor History: Ruth Knopp. Sponsored by Center for Holocaust, Human Rights and Genocide Education (Chhange) at Brookdale Community College and held at 11:30 a.m. via Zoom discussion. To register and receive the Zoom URL, go to tinyurl.com/ y9g63nng, or contact Nicole Rizzuto at 862202-6846 or contact@chhange.org. Annual Raffle Drawing. YM-YWHA of Union County, Union, noon. Call 908-289-8112, ext. 14, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. “Israel: What to Expect After a Year of No Government.” Sponsored by Temple B’nai Abraham, Livingston, and held with Michael Koplow, Ph.D., policy director of the Israel Policy Forum via Facebook Live/Zoom, Michael Koplow 7:30 p.m. Email tbainfo@tbanj.org for the link or go to tbanj.org.

Community Personal Mention

FLOWERS FOR SHAVUOT — Smile On Seniors™, a program of Chabad of West Orange, launched a project for Shavuot, P.P.P. Paint Pots and Plant, in which Chabad codirector Altie Kasowitz and her children hand painted flower pots and planted flowers into pots outside area senior living facilities. For information, visit smileonseniors. com or call Altie at 973-818-2937.

Gary S. DeBode of Summit was elected president of American Associates, BenGurion University of the Negev (AABGU) at a board meeting held virtually on May 7. DeBode, who currently serves on AABGU’s board of directors, became involved with the organization through the Zin Fellows Leadership Program, which is designed to build a community of “next generation leaders” who are committed to furthering the vision of Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, for Israel’s Negev region. He has served on the boards of Partnership for Jewish Learning and Life and Greater MetroWest Jewish Camp Enterprise, and as co-chair of the Tour de Summer Camps New Jersey at Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ. He is married to Archie Gottesman and has three daughters, Lilli, Sophie, and Ella.

Peter Jacob, M.S.W., L.S.W., coordinator of Project CEASSE (Combatting Elder Abuse Through Supportive Services and Education), a program of Jewish Family Service of Central NJ (JFSCNJ), Peter Jacob was recently awarded the Jane Addams Social Work Visionary Award by the School of Social Work at Monmouth University. Jacob has a Master of Social Work degree from Washington University in St. Louis and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Kean University. He has served Union County addressing issues such as homelessness and mental health primarily among the older adult population. For information on the program, contact pjacob@jfscentralnj.org or 908-352-8375.

LifeCycle JUSTIN SILVERMAN, son of Abby and Barry Silverman of Livingston, May 30 via a Mincha Zoom service. The Silvermans are members of Temple B’nai Abraham, Livingston.

Obituaries Bernice Stein

Bernice Stein, formerly Bernice Schnell (nee Braverman), of Livingston died May 25, 2020, on her birthday. She was born in Newark. Mrs. Stein taught English at Bloomfield High School and Seton Hall University and worked as a lawyer for Riker Danzig Scherer & Debevoise and then for Beneficial Corporation until she retired in 1989. She attended Hillside High School and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Rutgers College and

Rutgers Law School. Among her interests, she was a competitive bridge player, avid theatergoer, book club member, and world traveler who also enjoyed puzzles and knitting. She was a supporter of the arts. Predeceased by her first husband, Richard (Dick) Schnell, in 1971, and her second husband, the Hon. Kenneth R. Stein, in 2018, she is survived by two sons, David and Gordon Schnell and their wives Sara and Polly; three stepchildren, Linda Stein Truesdale, Debbie Stein Salinger, and Richard (Kristina) Stein; four grandchildren from her first husband; and seven grandchildren through her second husband. To learn more about her life, visit forevermissed.com/bernicestein/about.

Israel Bonds expresses great sorrow at the passing of

Lois Lautenberg,

a true leader of the community, the Jewish people, and the State of Israel. We extend our deepest condolences to the Lautenberg family. “May you be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.”

Howard Cohen General Chairman

Lee Schwartz Executive Director

Irwin Rochlin

Irwin Rochlin, 84, of Jackson died April 22, 2020. He was born in Brooklyn and had lived in Union before moving to Jackson. He also resided part-time in Boynton Beach, Fla. Mr. Rochlin worked at Prescription Center in West Orange until his retirement. He graduated from Brooklyn College of Pharmacy. He was an avid golfer and tennis player. He was a New York Giants football season ticket hold-

Zev Scherl – Roy Tanzman Campaign Co-Chairmen

Metropolitan NJ Regional Council and the Staff of Israel Bonds

Have You Considered Pre-Planning? Whether the need is immediate, you are interested in preplanning, or just looking for information, Bernheim Apter Kreitzman's funeral directors are here to help you ease the burden on your family during a difficult time. Call for a free consultation.

Continued on next page

DELI KING OF CLARK

Celebrating 35 years in business. (732) 574-2040 • www.delikingofclark.com

Full Service Kosher Deli, Restaurant and Catering

Serving the Community Since 1892 www.bernheimapterkreitzman.com

Delivery Available for Shivas, Bris, B’nai Mitzvot

Located in Clarkton Shopping Center • 30 Clarkton Dr • Clark, NJ 07066 Under the supervision of Rabbi Dr. Bernhard Rosenberg

goldstein

funeral chapel, inc. THE ONLY JEWISH OWNED AND OPERATED FUNERAL HOME IN MIDDLESEX COUNTY

1-732-777-0032 Martin Goldstein, Mgr. nJ liC. no. 4025 2015 Woodbridge Avenue • Edison, NJ

68 Old Short Hills Road Livingston, NJ, 07039 (973) 422-0600 Louis J. Urban, Mgr., NJ Lic. No. 3537 Monuments and Catering Services Available Funeral Home Services and Merchandise are Cost Guaranteed Webcasting Medicaid Spend Down Assistance We Specialize in Funeral Services in Israel and Anywhere in the USA Through our extensive Network

NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ June 4, 2020

B’nei mitzvah

NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ June 4, 2020

LifeCycle Continued from previous page er for over 60 years and attended all their home games. He enjoyed summer vacations in Nantucket and Tanglewood, Mass. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Doris Levine Rochlin; two daughters, Kelly (Michael) of Westfield and Stacey (Adam) of Livingston; his son, Jeffrey

(Stacy) of Westwood; a sister, Marilyn; and seven grandchildren. A private burial was held with arrangements by J.L. Apter Memorial Chapels of Cedar Grove; a memorial service will be planned at another date. Memorial contributions may be made to American Cancer Society.

ill in March. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Rosalie; four daughters, Andrea (Richard) Ribakove, Beth Riemer-Schachtel (John Schachtel), Geri (Mark) Singer, and Jennifer (Keith) Allen; eight grandchildren; and three greatgrandsons. Memorial contributions may be made to New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund (njprf.org) or Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org).

Gary Riemer

Gary Riemer, 85, of West Orange died April 30, 2020. Born in Newark, he grew up in Irvington and South Orange. Mr. Riemer was president and CEO of a 103-year old family business, Mooney-General Paper Company, for many years. He continued working until he 4 Generations of Service Excellence became ill. He graduated from Columbia High School and the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania, where he was a A Sanford B. Epstein Company Jeffrey Cohen We are th member of the Tau Epsilon Phi e Jeffrey Alan Cohen, 78, died May ONLY fraternity. Fern M. Epstein Raiken-E pstein He served for two years in the 25, 2020 in Palm Beach Gardens, Monumen Indoor Showroom conveniently located t Fla. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he Company Army at Fort Dix. 731 Boulevard • Kenilworth NJ 07033 He served on the 3M Advisory lived in Livingston for over 45 years Please call for an appointment Board, was president of the Garden and also had a residence in Palm (908) 245- 3400 State Paper Trade Association, a Beach Gardens for the past 15 years. Mr. Cohen was one of the origDuplication or Personalized Memorial Designs in Bronze or Granite member of the Hudson Pulp & inal franchise owners for Valpak Engravings Done in All Cemeteries • Dedication Plaques and Commercial Designs Paper Board, and a member of Direct Marketing Systems, mainIn Home Service • Pre-Need Arrangements the board of directors of Mohawk Savings & Loan. He was also a taining his co-ownership of the Open Monday – Friday www.raikenepsteinmonuments.com member of Maplewood’s Unity company with his late wife, raikenepstein@aol.com Mark S. Ross Robin L. Ross Marsha, for over 40 years. Club for many years. APTERCHAPELS.COM Predeceased by his wife of An avid golfer, he was a lifelong member of Green Brook 50 years, he is survived by two Country Club in North Caldwell daughters, Jamie (Eric) Kirschner and a member of the Sunday and Robyn (Mike) Lozier; a brothMorning 40 bowling league (and er, Neal; and four grandchildren. íåìù A private burial was held with its oldest bowler) for 69 years. He íåìù Robin L. Ross Mark S. Ross, Esq. arrangements by Bernheim-Apterenjoyed playing backgammon and Licensed Director Manager 415Funeral Morris Ave., Springfield, N.J. 07081 N.J. Lic. No. 4283 N.J. Lic. No. 3716 Kreitzman Suburban Funeral Chapel, bridge and playing in weekly gin 345 Main St., Chatham, N.J. 07928 49 Whippany Rd., Whippany, N.J. 07981 (973) 665-1800 - Candle Lighting Livingston. Memorial contributions rummy card groups; his Monday www.rosschapels.com Phone 973-665-1800 Toll Free 855-606-3600 Toll Free (855) 606-3600 Fax (973) 467-1230 www.rosschapels.com may be made to Pulmonary Fibrosis night game began in high school, Mark Samuel Ross, Esq., Manager., N.J. Lic. No. JP03716 345 Main Street 415 Morris Avenue 49 Whippany Road. carried over to his college years, Foundation (app.mobilecause.com/ Chatham, NJ 07928 Springfield, NJ 07081 Whippany, NJ 07981 Robin L. Ross, Licensed Funeral N.J. Lic. No. JP04283 and Director, only stopped after he became vf/PFFTribute/JeffCohen).

raiken-epstein monuments, inc.

Ross’ Shalom Chapels

J.L.

Apter Memorial Chapels In the Philip Apter & Son Tradition Since 1902

You Plan For Life’s Milestones...

Jason L. Apter, Manager, CANTOR NJ Lic. No. 3650

APTERCHAPELS.COM

-Candle Lighting-

Plan ahead for your services also

Services available from $4695* Up to a $500 donation made from each funeral. Restrictions apply.

Friday, June 5th 8:07pm

Jason L. Apter, Manager, NJ Lic. No. 3650

486 Pompton Ave • Cedar Grove, NJ I 2122 Millburn Ave • Maplewood, NJ I 156 Main St. • Newton, NJ I 1 Baker Ave • Dover, NJ I Somerville Area

877.278.3765 • 973.366.1700 •

467-2691

TRAINED AND CERTIFIED AT BIKUR CHOLIM HOSPITAL JERUSALEM, ISRAEL greatmohel.com

• B’nai Mitzvah • Marriage • Retirement

TOLL FREE

MOHEL

RICHARD NADEL (973)

FLA

561.742.4500 • 908-575-1800

*Graveside/SOP package includes professional charges, preparation, and local transportation. Does not include casket, vault, shroud and cash disbursements such as cemetery fees, death certificates, gratuities. Request our general price list. Call for details. Policies not accepted within a contestability period. Funds received from insurance company are irrevocably yours.

Essex, Morris, Somerset area and Sussex Counties ONLY NON-PROFIT Jewish Funeral Home.

“WE INTERRUPT THIS WEEK FOR AN IMPORTANT NEWS BREAK.” Now you’ll find updates on world, national, and local news as it happens all week long.

www.thejewishweek.com

Gerald Keil

Gerald (Jerry) William Keil, 91, of Hillside died April 9, 2020. Born and raised in Hillside, he had lived in West Orange for 56 years. Mr. Keil spent a few years in public accounting with Touche Ross and Company and then spent the majority of his professional career at J.H. Cohen, a top 20 national accounting firm. While at J.H. Cohen, he was a senior partner and led its tax practice before retiring in 1998. He also taught tax accounting at Seton Hall University as an adjunct professor and was a member of the AICPA. He graduated from Hillside High School and earned his B.S. in accounting from New York University, graduating first in his class. He subsequently earned his J.D. and L.L.M. from New York University Law School. He spent two years during the Korean War serving as a corporal in the Army. Growing up, he had a passion for playing brass instruments and became a distinguished French horn player, attaining all-state status as a high school senior. He was a member of Oheb Shalom Congregation in South Orange for nearly 50 years. He enjoyed traveling, visiting national parks with his wife and children, and traveling all over the United States and internationally, including Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Israel, and South America. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Phyllis (Mand); two sons, David and Robert; daughters-in-law, Suzanne and Victoria; two sisters, Anne Gould and Sue Beck; and four grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at a future date. Memorial contributions may be made to Alzheimer’s Association (act.alz.org).

David Beckerman

David M. Beckerman, 95, of Boca Raton, Fla., died May 29, 2020. Born in Hartford, Conn., he resided in West Orange and Short Hills before retiring to Boca Raton several years ago. Mr. Beckerman practiced law in the firm of Beckerman & Beckerman with his son, Jeffrey, until his retirement two years ago. He graduated from University of Missouri with an undergraduate degree and also from its law school, and practiced law first in Missouri and then in New Jersey. He was a longtime member of Congregation B’nai Jeshurun and a member of Cedar Hill Country Club and Boca West Country Club. Predeceased by his wife, Lenore, in 2017, he is survived by his son, Jeffrey (Wendy); and seven grandchildren. A private service was held in Florida.

Memorial contributions may be made to any Alzheimer’s research charity in memory of his wife.

Charlie Brunswick

Charles (Charlie) Brunswick, 98, of the Bronx died May 24, 2020. Born in 1922 in Berlin, he remained there until 1941, leaving Germany with his parents and brother on the last train departing from Berlin and coming to the United States, settling in New York City. He later lived in Scranton, Pa.; Schenectady, N.Y.; Burlington, Vt.; and Monroe Township before moving to Manhattan after his wife’s death and later to the Bronx. Mr. Brunswick enlisted in the Navy and later attended City College of New York, earning a degree in mechanical engineering. He worked for over 30 years at General Electric as an engineer and later as a manager. After his retirement, he enjoyed traveling with his wife in Asia, South America, the Middle East, and Australia. In New York, he enjoyed going to the opera and museums, and sharing meals with his grandchildren. Predeceased by his wife of over 50 years, Liesel (Roth), in 2009, he is survived by his

son, Ralph of New York City; his daughter, Amy (Aron) of Morristown; a brother, Fred; and five grandchildren. Private services were held with arrangements by Orland’s Ewing Memorial Chapel, Ewing. Memorial contributions may be made to HIAS, which assisted Mr. Brunswick after he arrived in the United States as a refugee.

Obituaries must be received no later than four months after the funeral. Submit at www.njjewishnews.com/lifecycle, by e-mail to obits@njjewishnews. com, or by mail to Obituaries Editor, New Jersey Jewish News, 1719 Route 10, Parsippany, NJ 07054-4515. There is no charge for obituary listings; NJJN reserves the right to edit for style and length. A photo (color or black and white) can be included with your listing for a $36 fee. For payment, please call editor Lori Brauner at 973-739-8116 with your credit card information or mail a check made payable to “JWMG LLC” to the address above.

When the time draws near... turn to the family that understands your family. Losing a loved one is the most difficult of life’s experiences you will ever have to endure. It can be the expected result of a long-term illness, or it can happen so unexpectedly. Either way, one is rarely prepared for the experience and mostly unsure of the process that lays ahead. At Menorah Chapels, we’ve been guiding the bereaved through this difficult process for over 40 years. Our warm and caring staff has over 260 years of combined experience to help guide you through the Funeral Service. Our professional team works closely with you to ensure that your arrangements reflect your wishes, and most importantly, your financial situation. Knowledgeable in every detail of Jewish Tradition and Rituals, we will be there with you in this time of need to ensure that your every concern and wish is addressed. We are the only strictly Jewish Funeral Home in Union County that maintains its own building, and we do not share our completely renovated facility with any other funeral home. In your time of need, we are here to offer a helping hand.

Menorah Chapels at Millburn 2950 Vauxhall Road, Union, NJ 07088 908-964-1500 Karen Ross Kerstein, Manager, NJ Lic. No. JP03663 Rudolph H. Kindel, President, NJ Lic. No. JP03158 Worldwide Arrangements New York · Florida · California · Israel Out of State: 1-800-437-5151

Established 1975 Independently Owned Handicap Accessible

www.menorahchapelsatmillburn.com

...We Truly Care

Not affiliated with any other funeral home

17 NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ June 4, 2020

LifeCycle

NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ June 4, 2020

Update pages provided by Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ

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

Jewish Federation and Jewish Community Foundation of Greater MetroWest NJ are deeply saddened by the passing of our long-time friend and benefactor

LOIS LAUTENBERG Lois was a past Women’s Philanthropy Campaign Chair and President. She served as a Lifetime Member of the Women’s Philanthropy Board and was a longtime member of Federation’s Board of Trustees. The Lautenberg name stands proudly on buildings, meeting rooms and hallways in our Greater MetroWest community around the world. Lois will always be remembered in Israel as “the 1st lady of Ramat Eliyahu.” She was a dedicated co-chair of The Holocaust Council and held many leadership roles in Federation and its agencies. Lois was an active and longtime board member of JESPY. She was passionate about the work of Federation, loved being a Lion of Judah and believed in the legacy of endowing a Perpetual Annual Campaign gift to ensure a strong and vibrant Jewish future. Lois was a role model and inspiration to all who knew her. Our community has lost another icon and a true friend. We extend our deepest condolences to her four children, Nan, Ellen, Lisa and Josh, their spouses and families. May they be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem. Scott Krieger President, Federation

Dov Ben-Shimon EVP/CEO, Federation

Steven D. Levy President, Foundation

Kim Hirsh Executive Director, Foundation

Michael Goldberg Chair, Campaign

Rebecca Pollack Vice President, Campaign

Jody Hurwitz Caplan President, Women’s Philanthropy

Diane Bakst Director, Women’s Philanthropy

JEWISH COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

Federation cares for people in need, builds Jewish life, and saves the world, one person at a time, every day. Building an inclusive community is a priority. Contact us and we will make every effort to meet your needs.

Update pages provided by Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ

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

E L E C T I O N S

COVID-19 RELIEF

2 0 2 0

Everything you need to know about

VOTING by MAIL in the NJ primary

HANNA WECHSLER

Thursday, June 11 1-2 p.m.

Governor Murphy recently passed an executive order requiring that mail-in ballots be sent to all registered Democrats and Republicans and vote-by-mail ballot applications to unaffiliated and inactive voters, establishing New Jersey as a national leader in ensuring primary voting access during the COVID-19 pandemic. • How can we be assured that our votes will be counted and the process is secure?

Join us for a Zoom conversation with Uyen “Winn” Khuong, executive director of Action Together NJ, and Jordana Horn Gordon, chair of CRC Elections 2020 Initiative. For more information and to register visit

jfedgmw.org/votingbymail Zoom information will be provided upon registration.

Questions? Contact Mara Gellman at mgellman@jfedgmw.org

COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMMITTEE

• What are the logistics of voting by mail? • How might this process work during the general election in November?

Co-sponsored by Jewish Labor Committee and Zioness/NJ

NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ June 4, 2020

Greater MetroWest UPDATE

FEDERATION

NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ June 4, 2020

| SHABBAT CANDLELIGHTING | June 5: 8:07 p.m.

The many paths to the divine Naso Numbers 4:21-7:89 Rabbi Richard Hirsh

ome years ago, I was on a rabbinic study mission to Israel with a number of other colleagues, one of whom was Rabbi Arnold Jacob Wolf, may his memory be a blessing. Arnie, as he was known to everyone, was an idiosyncratic rabbi, truly one of a kind. He reveled in being mischievously disruptive, prodding, and provoking. We were on an El Al flight. I was sitting across the aisle from Arnie. They brought out the in-flight dinners, and the flight attendant placed a hermetically sealed tray in front of him. “Zeh kasher?” he asked. “Is this kosher?” “Of course, this is absolutely kosher,” replied the flight attendant. Arnie scanned the hechsher, the kosher certification label, then turned to the increasingly impatient flight attendant, and declared, “this is not kosher, this is treif (non-kosher).” “Of course this is kosher; in fact, it is even glatt kosher!” came the angry reply. “Exactly,” replied Arnie, “and anything glatt kosher is treif!” The poor flight attendant just looked at him, but Arnie was not yet done. “Glatt kosher is a needless stringency,” he said, “and implies that people who merely ‘keep kosher’ are somehow less devout about their religious practice. This in turn violates the prohibition on ‘halbanat panim,’ causing someone embarrassment. Anything that a Jew does that causes embarrassment to another Jew is therefore treif!”

The flight attendant looked down at Arnie, paused for a moment, and then said: “So, would you like the fruit plate instead?” Jewish tradition teaches that the Torah yields 613 commandments incumbent on the Jewish people. One would think that this daunting total would be sufficient for most Jews, yet this week’s Torah portion teaches of additional stringencies that in biblical times one could assume under the status of being a “Nazirite,” one consecrated to the service of God. One who wished to become a Nazirite did so by taking a vow, avoiding grape products (especially wine), abstaining from cutting one’s hair, and keeping adequate distance from a corpse (a prohibition normally only incumbent on Kohanim, descendants of the line of Aaron.) One who became a Nazirite entered into a temporary, voluntary status. When the time of the vow was fulfilled, the Nazirite was released from the restrictions through a series of sacrificial rituals. Every religious tradition shows evidence of a tendency toward excessive pietistic performance, the submission to stringencies that designate one as exceptionally dedicated to the divine. While the inclination toward religious devotion is admirable, it also carries with it the risk of creating a hierarchy of devotees, whose scrupulousness suggests that lesser observance is inadequate. Regrettably, what often starts out as an honorable quest to strengthen one’s own religious identity can result in the adoption of a severe lifestyle that separates a person from one’s community or even one’s family. The restrictions on the Nazirite may in fact have been designed to make

Continued from page 4 What are some of the lessons to be gleaned? We must address the endemic racism in our midst such as how some members of the police treat minorities during day-to-day encounters and through every stage of the judicial process. We must confront the economic and public health inequalities in our country, although publicly acknowledging these inequalities is only a first step, though necessary, in tackling a systemic problem that will take generations to repair. And even as we undertake this post-mortem, we must reaffirm our support for the men and women in blue, many of whom are minorities, who risk their lives for us every day. They are our “911” writ large. Peaceful, non-violent protests are part of our democracy’s DNA

Rabbi Richard Hirsh engages in independent rabbinic projects in Bryn Mawr, Pa.

Opinion

State&Local As I See It

people think twice before swearing a vow or making a promise. With a few exceptions, Jewish tradition has avoided the ideal so often found in other spiritual traditions, in which isolation from, rather than integration into, the everyday routines of life is seen as a higher level of devotion. Jewish tradition has almost no equivalent to the traditions of monks and monasticism, those who leave everyday life for a cloistered community, where, for example, celibacy for clergy was the expectation. The urge toward exemplary religious devotion can be noble and healthy. There is nothing inherently wrong with trying to increase one’s participation in religious ritual, or in simple terms, doing more mitzvot. The more we weave Jewish practice into our lives the more it can shape and influence our spiritual growth. But such choices should be seen as acts of involvement and not of isolation. Others whose levels of observance differ need not be disparaged. There are many paths to the One God. And as we learn from the Torah as well as from an in-flight encounter between a rabbi and a flight attendant, what we choose to do should not elevate us at the expense of embarrassing others. What we choose to do should promote community, not provoke isolation. What we choose to do should help us to build bridges, not barriers. Most importantly, what we choose to do should connect us to, and not separate us from, each other.

and must be protected, but reckless violence and looting directed against the police and innocent bystanders and businesses must be condemned. No matter the circumstances, we are all responsible for our actions, and apologists for the violence — for example, a political scientist wrote in Vox that the burning of a police station is a revolutionary act while looting should be condemned — are part of the problem. As Steven Belton, president of the Urban League of the Twin Cities, said: “Violence is not an honorable or healthy recourse for our personal or collective anger and mourning. The memory of George Floyd deserves better.” So does the land of 10,000 lakes. ■ Max L. Kleinman is president of the Fifth Commandment Foundation; from 1995 to 2014 he served as CEO/ executive vice president of Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ.

Silence

Continued from page 12 this role, I had made myself another person they needed to control, and that I was powerless. The intimidation was built into their jobs. Today if I get pulled over for something routine, I sometimes panic. Then I remember I’m a 50-something white woman and so I am most likely safe. A tall black man with an athletic build? He should probably worry. Under 40? Shake a little more. Almost 30 years have passed, and despite all the different policies and trainings, the only change with regard to violence in policing, it seems, are the civilian video cameras. If these witnesses are not able to save lives, at least they are helping to share what is happening with a broad audience, finally.

No wonder the simmering rage is breaking the surface. Sometimes it feels like my only response is, what took so long? It is heartening that the Jewish community is paying attention. The Orthodox Union, Hadassah, National Council of Jewish Women, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, and many local rabbis and Jewish organizations are issuing statements condemning the racism built into our system. But words need to be followed by actions. As individuals and as a community we have to engage in the difficult work ahead. We have to become allies and supporters. We have to speak out and act out. We have reached a moment where silence equals consent, and we can never consent to brutality. ■ jginsberg@njjewishnews.com

Susan Hammer

Your

Real Estate SRS, ABR

SRS, Susan ABR ®Hammer

Your Cutting Edge Realtor® ® Sales Associate Susan Realtor Hammer SRS, ABR

Realtor Sales Associate Sales AssociateYour Cutting Edge Realtor® ® Susan Hammer SRS, ABR Cutting Edge Realtor Realtor® Sales Associate C: 973-715-1996 Residential/Commercial

Realtor®

ently Operated

PROFESSIONAL HOME HEALTH CARE C: 973-715-1996

Susan Hammer SRS, ABR Realtor Sales Associate ® Realtor® Sales Cleaning Associate Services YourSRS, Cutting Susan Hammer ABR Edge Realtor ®Your

Cutting Edge Realtor®

RealtorC: Sales Associate A GOLDEN TOUCH ® 973-715-1996 Susan SRS, ABR Your®Hammer Cutting Edge Realtor O: 973-251-0100 Ext 158 Realtor Sales Associate Let a “nice Jewish

O: 973-251-0100 Ext 158

Email: Your Cutting Edgesusanhammer@kw.com Realtor O: 973-251-0100 Ext 158 susanhammer@kw.com C: 973-715-1996 Email: boy” cleanC: your 973-715-1996 home. C: 973-715-1996 In-Home & In-Facility care MLS O: 973-251-0100 O: Ext973-251-0100 158 Email: Ext 158 C: 973-715-1996 O: 973-251-0100 Extsusanhammer@kw.com 158 Low $$. Quality work. ®

Multiple Listing Service

MLS

NAR C: 973-715-1996 Email: susanhammer@kw.com Email: susanhammer@kw.com Email: O: 973-251-0100 4245 Town Center Way O: 973-251-0100 Extsusanhammer@kw.com 158 Ext 158 Please callWay MLS 4245 Town Center MLS National Association of Realtors

National Association of Realtors

NAR

Since 2001

Multiple Listing Service

National Association of Realtors Each Office is Owned and Independently Operated

NAR

Livingston, New Jersey 07039 Email: susanhammer@kw.com Email:New susanhammer@kw.com National Association of Realtors Livingston, Jersey 07039 Each Office is Owned and Independently Operated MLS NAR 4245 Town MLS Center Way NAR MLS Livingston, New Jersey 07039 Multiple Listing Service

Multiple Listing Service

Each Office is Owned and Independently Operated

National Association of Realtors

NAR

4245 Town Center Way Experience the Difference NAR Livingston, New Jersey 07039

National Association of Realtors

973-376-9417. References. Insured

for anCenter aging parent is complicated. We understand that. 4245Caring Town Way Livingston, New Jersey 07039 New Jersey families care for their loved ones.

4245 Town Center Way 4245 Town Center Way For the past 20 years, our family has helped thousands of Livingston, New Jersey 07039 New Jersey Livingston, 07039 Each Office is Owned and Independently OperatedWay Each Office is Owned and Independently Operated 4245 Town Center

Each Office is Owned and Independently Operated

REAL ESTATE Apts For Rent 1380 NORTH AVE. 1254 CLINTON PL. 20 ELM ST.

Three of Elizabeth’s finest elevator apt. houses. For immediate or future rentals in studios or spacious 1 or 2 bedroom apartments, please see Superintendent on premises or contact: BROUNELL & KRAMER REALTORS (908) 686-1800

LOOKING FOR A HOME IN FLORIDA? CHECK OUT OUR PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY!

Plots For Sale

Beth Israel Cemetery Woodbridge 2 plots adjacent Asking $6000/OBO Call before Noon 201-306-4261 Mt. Lebanon Cemetery Iselin 2 plots Each valued at $3280 Offered for $2000 each/OBO Call 570-578-1626

2 Cemetery Plots King Solomon Memorial Gardens Clifton $2,500 ea. (OBO) Contact: KC 1- 602-882-1850

ATTRACT TALENTED JOB SEEKERS IN OUR CLASSIFIEDS

Livingston, New Jersey 07039 Team of Polish woman One thing we have learned is to “hear between the lines.” will clean your home/ That way we provide your family with the caregiver with just the right skills – and chemistry – your loved one will love. apartment/office Experience-excellent English Own transportation 201-679-5081 Alsaigh2@aol.com

ADVERTISER SPOTLIGHT

SUSAN HAMMER Key to Your Success

Susan Hammer’s reputation precedes her! Susan’s expertise and knowledge in real estate benefits her clients and accomplishes their goals. Her successful, unique, and creative marketing strategies consistently seals the deal! As she states,” For many years I have been a local resident and involved in the community. I know the area like the back of my hand! I love when everyone

says hello and my clients ask me, ‘Do you know everyone?’ I guess I must!” The best referrals are from her previous clients which is a testimony to her work. She listens, evaluates, and creates a strategic plan to best meet their objectives. Negotiating and navigating the process is an important aspect of the closing; that’s what makes her unique!

From listing to closing, Susan Hammer is a Win-Win and the Key to Your Success! When looking for a qualified Realtor Associate contact: Susan Hammer C: 973-715-1996 O: 973-251-0100 ext. 158 susanhammer@kw.com

NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ June 4, 2020

CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS Susan Hammer SRS,CLASSIFIEDS ABR

NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ June 4, 2020

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY Furniture

WHY GIVE IT AWAY WHEN YOU CAN SELL IT! Get Top Dollar for your 50s, 60s & 70s MODERN Furniture, Lighting and Art.

Antiques

WE PAY $ NEED EXCELLENT IN-HOME HEALTH CARE? CASH FOR

Antique furniture • Modern furniture Modern Art • Oil Paintings • Bronzes Silver • Porcelain Mens & Ladies watches Top Dollar for Any Kind of Jewelry & Chinese Porcelain

A N S ANTIQUES We come to you • Free Appraisals MODERN TODAY CALL COOPER COOPER MODERN

CAll US!

FOR YOUR COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION

201-861-7770 201-951-6224

973-486-0813

You’ll be paid what you deserve for your cherished Modern items! WWW.COOPERMODERN.COM

Email: aadsa726@yahoo.com Shommer Shabbas

ADVERTISER SPOTLIGHT

CHECK OUT OUR PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY AND CLASSIFIED SECTIONS! Professional Organizer

EILEEN BERGMAN PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER

973 303 3236

www.eileenbergman.com eileen@eileenbergman.com Providing judgment free and confidential home organizing services to the MetroWest Community for over 5 years. Empty Nesters/Families In Transition Snowbirds/Seniors/Baby Boomers

“FIND A JOB YOU ENJOY DOING, AND YOU WILL NEVER HAVE TO WORK A DAY IN YOUR LIFE.” – MARK TWAIN

Tyler Antiques – A Heimish Family Business For four generations, Tyler Antiques has continued the traditions started in a small, family-run antique business in early 1900’s Europe. A treasured newspaper clipping written in Dutch highlights the beginnings of what is now a thriving business in our area since 1940. Specializing in many areas of fine art and heirlooms, Tyler Antiques buys oil paintings, jewelry, silver, Chinese art and porcelain, estate jewelry, watches, Tiffany, bronzes and more. Whether you’re selling one piece or an entire collection,

Tyler Antiques will travel to you – on your schedule to view your pieces and make you an offer. Over many years, Tyler Antiques has earned the trust of their customers who provide them with a fine list of referrals and recommendations. Their reputation for fair, honest and reliable service is known throughout the New York and New Jersey areas they serve. Call Tyler Antiques today at 201-8944770 or 718-496-9484. You can also reach them by email at tylerantiquesny@aol.com

Dentists

Get the SMILE of your DREAMS

Gentle Caring Dentistry LInDA E. StonE, D.M.D, F.A.G.D. VAnnA n. StonE, D.M.D

201 South Livingston Ave • Suite 2C • Livingston, NJ 07039

973-994-3112

ExitRamp

Eli Reiter Special to NJJN

s “peak TV” grows more niche, the medium has become more diverse in setting and subject matter, and for the better. This raises a question about audience investment: Can a viewer with no interest in a show’s milieu — say, the world of rap — possibly care about it? An easy answer is that characterdriven TV shows are the solution; if we’re interested in the characters, we’re absorbed in their storylines regardless of their vocations. Characters employed in some occupations have always been compelling, like those featured in the continuously growing “Law And Order” franchise, the nth season of the medical soap opera drama “Grey’s Anatomy,” and any crime show (“The Sopranos,” “Boardwalk Empire,” “Weeds”). Which brings me to “Dave,” starring Dave Burd, a show produced by FXX and available on Hulu, just renewed for a second season. Can NJJN’s resident culture kvetch be touched by a show that is beyond what he knows? (I know, there is much competition for the role.) The show is about a white middleclass Jewish rapper with hip-hop talents

who wants to be both a star (rapper moniker: Lil Dicky) and a regular person (name from bris: Dave). He’s the kind of person who calls his parents before cashing out his bar mitzvah money 15 years after the celebration to pay a famous hip-hop artist to collaborate with him on a song. Dave calls his parents out of respect; Lil Dicky hands the money over. Dave worries he was scammed after being ghosted by a would-be connection who promised to deliver a collaboration with a more established artist; Lil Dicky rips it in the studio with the rapper YG. He calls his parents about money, and his father, in an exchange about technology and new means of information sharing and financial income (Dave mentions the 15 million views of his YouTube videos), asks the question every dad asks, “But why can’t you profit off all those views?” With the affect of a nice Jewish boy, Dave’s character fuels a classic fish-outof-water story, with Dave swimming in a pool with more settled and sureof-themselves people. I couldn’t stop watching. Dave is successful in his music career, but he is unable to capitalize on it. His music videos get millions of hits,

his tweets go viral, and he even pulls off social media coups with parodies of Jim Carrey in “The Mask.” But he attracts attention that leaves his rapping peers unimpressed. I see myself in Dave because he’s grappling with not falling into the trap of being someone he isn’t. Whether the character is mild-mannered Dave (trying to be a nice guy and not hurtful to anyone around him) or the rapper Lil Dicky (trying not to be too much a part of rap culture in a way that would seem inauthentic), I identify with him; I too am often the occupant of rooms where I’m the minority and face a similar dilemma. Do I try to ﬁt in to the world around me or stay true to myself? I ﬁnd myself rooting for Dave and his quest to upgrade from being a “YouTube Rapper” to something more “serious.” He rolls with a ragtag posse: a childhood friend turned sound engineer, a roommate turned manager, and a girlfriend turned ex-girlfriend. And there are the minor celebs — rappers Trippie Redd, Benny Blanco, Ot Genasis, and Marshmello — who all make appearances in the show, and now in my Wikipedia search history. Believe it or not, “Dave” actually takes on some serious issues, albeit with bizarre and sidesplitting results. There is the episode about GaTa, a friend of

Dave’s and hype man for Lil Dicky, who suffers from bipolar disorder; in a ﬂashback scene, he freaks out in a mall sneaker store and is taken into custody by security guards and later learns of his disorder from a doctor. It becomes clear to Dave why GaTa made the perfect front man — it’s his disorder-induced high energy. The actor who plays GaTa is actually bipolar, and the plotline raises awareness of mental health issues in communities of color. The plot, which makes use of humor when you least expect it, moves in unexpected directions. In a poignant, mid-season episode, Dave realizes that his childhood friends were laughing at him, not with him. The penultimate episode is about him losing his girlfriend at her sister’s wedding, when he is too distracted by a career move and doesn’t help her with her speech. Ultimately, “Dave” is about Dave chasing opportunity, only to lose the most important thing in his life because of that pursuit. The ﬁnale is an anxiety-fueled hallucinogenic dream that comes when Lil Dicky is negotiating with a large record label. It lands with me, despite the Grand Canyon-like chasm between Dave and me, let alone Lil Dicky and me. ■ Eli Reiter is a teacher and writer and host of the Muslim-Jewish storytelling series.

PROFESSI O NAL DIRECTORY

Tyler Antiques EST. 1940

WE BUY Paintings • Silver • Jewelry • Porcelain Bronzes • Rugs • Furniture • Judaica Chinese Objects A HEIMISHE FAMILY BUSINESS FOR THREE GENERATIONS!

Shomer Shabbos

(201) 894-4770 C: (718) 496-9484 tylerantiquesny@aol.com

Are your

ASSETS PROTECTED?

Serving ALL of Union, Morris, Essex, Passaic and Hudson Counties

Do you have an up to date plan in place that will protect your assets? Let us help put your legal affairs in order: • Asset Protection • Wealth Preservation • Minimizing/Avoiding Estate Taxes • Avoiding Litigation • Streamlined Estate Settlements LAW OFFICES OF

STEVEN ROBERT LEHR 973.575.8002

www.lehrlaw.com

33 CLINTON RD. STE. 100 WEST CALDWELL, NJ 07006

Companionship • Meal Preparation Bathing Assistance • Memory Care Errands & Shopping • Transportation Medication Reminders & More! Kosher Lifestyle Care Available Hourly, Daily & Live In Help Available

(973) 808-3475

Owners Casey Holstein & David Katz www.synergyhomecare.com

NJ Jewish News ■ njjewishnews.com ■ June 4, 2020

The Jewish rapper who would be a mensch

You’ve taken every precaution. So have we. Welcome back. If you’ve put off any medical care due to COVID-19, please don’t delay it any longer. As a high reliability organization, we’ve taken every precaution and continue to provide health care services. We have initiated a resumption of services in adherence to all public health guidance and regulatory policies. Learn more at rwjbh.org/WelcomeBack

RWJ-107 Welcome Back_8.75x11.75_SBMC.indd 1

5/27/20 1:54 PM