37 minute read
Musical Chanukah present
WESTERN MASS. – Every year Mak’hela: The Jewish Chorus of Western Massachusetts performs special Chanukah concerts for the residents of JGS Lifecare’s Leavitt Family Nursing Home and nearby senior living community, Glenmeadow.
“The last couple of years we have gone to both nursing homes in one day; we call it our ‘double-header,’” said Joni Beck Brewer, president of Mak’hela and an alto in the chorus.
This year, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, performing concerts in nursing homes is obviously not possible. So the members of Mak’hela put their heads – and voices -- together to create A Chanukah Present from Mak’hela, with a virtual Chanukah concert that not only the seniors will be able to watch virtually, but that will be available to Mak’hela fans everywhere on YouTube.
The concert includes guest performances by the Jewish Community of Amherst Klezmer Ensemble Workshop.
To create “A Chanukah Present” each of Mak’hela’s 25 members videotaped themselves and recorded the audio of themselves singing their particular parts in six songs.
The group worked with Brian Bender, a sound engineer, musician and owner of Face The Music Studio in Shutesbury, who mixed each of the Mak’hela performances together to create the virtual concert.
“We’re very excited about this concert because this is something we’ve done for several years,” Joni Brewer said. “We’re so glad that we’re going to be able to do it in some way but it took a lot. We had to learn how to do all of this different kind of work.”
BY STACEY DRESNER
Brewer said that the members of Mak’hela had stopped meeting just before Covid struck.
“Our last concert was at the JCA at the beginning of March,” she said. “I think we had maybe two rehearsals after that and then [Covid-19] started up and we had to stop. And the more we’ve learned about choral singing it’s like one of the worst things that you can do,” she said, referring to evidence that the virus could be transmitted through aerosols expelled by people singing in close first because none of us had ever done it before,” Joni said. “We thought we would just do one and see how it went and see how people responded. We didn’t even know if our members would go for this. A lot of them are older and not really [versed in the] technology.”
So as an experiment, all of the singers sang and recorded one song – “Eleh Chamda Libi.”
“It’s often the song that we come into a concert with. We process in with this very
proximity.
“It’s been hard because, in addition to having concerts that we’re not able to do it’s also hard for the members because, for them, it’s more than just a place where they go and sing. People have developed relationships. One woman who had just moved to the area told me we were her only friends that she had met so far, and then she couldn’t see us.”
The group stayed in touch through some zoom meetings over the past several months. Somewhere along the line the idea of a virtual Chanukah concert was pitched.
“We figured, ‘Well, we better try this lively song,” Joni explained.
Bender mixed all of the voices together to create one solid performance.
“We had a great response,” Joni said. “And even though some people felt like it was hard to do, when they saw what it looked like, with all of us together, they were sold on it.”
A complicated process
The members of Mak’hela began to work on the recordings for the virtual concert near the beginning of October.
“To make the video, each singer had to record their voice separately in their own home,” Brewer explained. “While they’re recording that, in their headphones they’re listening to the piano or whatever the accompaniment is, so that everyone is staying on the same beat.”
Everyone also had to videotape themselves singing the songs on their smart phones.
“They needed two devices – like an iPad attached to their headphones, so they could hear the piano, and then another device to record themselves… We have people who live by themselves who have had to do it all by themselves. I’m very grateful that I’ve got this guy here,” Joni said, pointing to her husband Bruce, a Mak’hela board member, “because I think it’s hard. You’ve got to start recording with this one and then start that one. And you don’t want to be looking at your music the whole time. It gets complicated.” “It’s been a challenge,” agreed Elaine “Lainie” Broad Ginsberg, Mak’hela’s music director and conductor. But Ginsberg has also helped to make the process a bit easier with her own musical expertise, said Brian Bender.
“The first thing I get from Lainie is a piano accompaniment track,” he explained. “She records herself playing the piano… She then also sings all of the separate choir parts and records each one as a reference for the singers. I then mix them together and generate new videos -- piano plus soprano, piano plus alto, piano plus tenor and piano plus bass -- and then I do one that is piano with all of the parts. She then sends them out
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Deb Krivoy named Chief Operating Officer of Springfield JCC
SPRINGFIELD - Deb Krivoy, M.Ed., has been named the chief operating Officer at the Springfield Jewish Community Center.
As COO Krivoy now manages the programming staff, oversees the JCC’s Havurah Initiative, and leads Women in Power, a yearlong fellowship initiative for mid-career Jewish professionals.
A seasoned educator and Jewish nonprofit leader with 25 years of broad-based experience in curriculum design, professional development, community partnerships, arts administration, and audience engagement, Krivoy has previously served as the JCC’s director of Cultural Arts, having curated and managed the Pioneer Valley Jewish Film Festival and Literatour Jewish Book Festival for more than five years. “This opportunity presented itself, and although the timing may seem strange in the midst of the pandemic, it was a great opportunity for me to take advantage of and to have more of an impact agency-wide,” Krivoy said. “I come out of a background of a lot of program design, project management, people management, and those are things that transfer over quite well.” Prior to joining the Springfield JCC, Krivoy was the director of Avoda Arts, a New York-based nonprofit DEB KRIVOY that trained hundreds of day school and congregational schoolteachers on ways to integrate the arts into Jewish education. While at Avoda, Deb co-founded the Six Points Fellowship for Emerging Jewish Artists, which distributed innovation funding and professional development support to cohorts of artists, musicians, and performers. She also created Reel Learning, a high school media program that bundles powerful short films with educational resources to explore issues of Jewish identity, culture, and history.
Krivoy is a past board vice president of Lander-Grinspoon Academy and currently serves on the advisory board of Circles for Jewish Living. She holds a Master’s degree in Instructional Design from the University of Massachusetts and a BA in Communications from Pennsylvania State University. She and her family live in Northampton.
Seth Stutman is JCC’s new Membership & Marketing director
SPRINGFIELD -- Seth Stutman has been named the Springfield Jewish Community Center’s Membership and Marketing Director, a newly created position.
For the past four years, Stutman has served as the JCC’s summer camp director, where he oversaw a nearly 30 percent increase in revenue and engagement at camp while unlocking new grants and partnerships. Between OyBay, the JCC’s annual auction, to navigating the pandemic, Stutman has dabbled in almost every department at the JCC.
Prior to the JCC, Stutman was co-host of “Mass Appeal” on WWLP for six years, and held several positions in the field of broadcast journalism.
He lives in South Hadley with his wife and daughter. SETH STUTMAN
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Torathon 2020
CENTRAL MASS. -- Torathon, an evening of online learning presented by the Jewish Federation of Central Mass., will take place Saturday, Nov. 14 at 6:30 p.m.
The theme this year is “Great events/ personalities/ideas that have shaped Judaism.”
Torathon will offer many different class offerings, and a chance to study Jewish topics presented by local rabbis, cantors, educators and community lay leaders from the comfort of your home.
Torathon will begin with Havdalah at 6:30, followed by 18 course offerings of adult Jewish study divided into three hours during the rest of the evening.
Registration is required to attend. There is no charge to attend but attendees are encouraged to consider making an optional donation to support Torathon.
Torathon is funded by a grant from the Jewish Federation of Central Massachusetts and the Rotman Family Foundation.
Springfield JCC Program on the Legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
SPRINGFIELD -- The Springfield Jewish Community Center and the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts will host a virtual discussion titled “Honoring Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Former Law Clerk’s Reflections” on Thursday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. via Zoom. Attorney Rachel Wainer Apter, who clerked for the late Justice during share memories of her time working for the Justice and will reflect on RBG’s indelible influence and legacy. Apter is the director of the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights.
The discussion will be moderated by attorney and Longmeadow native Rebecca Cohen-Shrage Fischer, who serves as the executive director of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence.
This event is part of the Springfield JCC’s Life Lessons: The William and Margery Sadowsky Center for Adult Learning and is co-sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Western Mass.
This event is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required. To register, call (413) 739-4715 or email arts@springfieldjcc. org.
Secrets of the Bible
Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) and Lubavitcher Yeshiva Academy (LYA) is offering a new six-session course titled Secrets of the Bible: Iconic Stories, Mystical Meanings, and Their Lessons for Life.
“People tend to read biblical stories as they do primitive mythology,” Rabbi Yakov Wolff, the local JLI Instructor. “Our course invites participants to look deeper and discover the underlying themes and relevant life lessons that these stories were designed to convey.”
Throughout its sessions, Secrets of the Bible explores major life themes, including human subjectivity and bias, the underpinnings of relationships, negotiating spiritual growth with practical impact, why inspiration is fleeting and how to make it last, understanding equality and privilege, and navigating parallel spiritual and material life paths.
Secrets of the Bible is being offered on zoom on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Upon registering for the course, you will receive the zoom link. Rabbi Wolff will offer a live socially distanced class on Thursday at law offices of James Smith, 1331 Main St. in Springfield, MA on Thursdays from 12:45 – 1:45 p.m.
“Secrets of the Bible presents wonderful ancient biblical stories in fresh and modern ways that deal with universal human dilemmas,” explained Dr. Erica Brown, director of the Mayberg Center for Jewish the 2011-2012 Supreme Court term, will
Education and Leadership at George Washington University. “The wisdom it shares should not remain a secret.”
Like all JLI programs, this course is designed to appeal to people at all levels of knowledge, including those without any prior experience or background in Jewish learning. All JLI courses are open to the public, and attendees need not be affiliated with a particular synagogue, temple, or other house of worship.
To register call (413) 348-4978.
Jewish Women’s Foundation of the Berkshires Awards $38,700 in New Grants
PITTSFIELD -- The Jewish Women’s Foundation of the Berkshires (JWF) recently announced grant awards totaling $38,700 for 12 local organizations. Recipients needed to demonstrate the ability to maintain their programming during the pandemic and/ or respond to newly-identified needs. The grants range from $2,000 to $3,500 and run for one year. Funded programs fall into three of JWF’s priority areas are: • Increasing access to food, housing, and other essentials for Berkshire residents: Berkshire Baby Box, Berkshire Community Diaper Project, Berkshire Hills Regional School District Project Connection, Berkshire Grown, Construct, Roots Rising (Formerly The Alchemy Project) • Promoting self-sufficiency: Berkshire Center for Justice, Berkshire Immigrant Center, Literacy Volunteers • Empowering Youth and Young Adults: Gladys Allen Brigham Community Center/ Girls Inc. of the Berkshires, Railroad Street Youth Project, Community Health Programs
In its eleventh year, JWF, under the auspices of the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires, has granted more than $400,000 to community organizations. JWF is committed to the Jewish mandate of Tikkun Olam – helping to repair the world and making it a better place. JWF carries out its mission by providing funding, volunteers, mentoring, and support services to local agencies. JWF has nearly 150 members who are passionate about giving back to the Berkshires community.
For information about the grants program, contact Lauren Spitz, Chair of the Grants Committee, at LaurenSpitz@gmail. com or visit www.jewishberkshires.org/ jewish-womens-foundation
LITERATOUR: A COMMUNITY-WIDE CELEBRATION OF JEWISH BOOKS AND AUTHORS
SPRINGFIELD – The Springfield Jewish Community Center’s fall season of Literatour brings an exciting lineup of exceptional authors, celebrities, and cultural influencers, whose books represent a broad range of topics.
Through Literatour, book lovers come together to listen, meet and interact with their favorite authors in a variety of forums, including author meet-and-greets, book signings, panel discussions, concerts, and more.
All fall Literatour programs will be held via Zoom.
On Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 3 p.m., Literatour will feature B. A. Shapiro, author of The Collector’s Apprentice.
Everyone in Belgium believes Paulien Mertens stole millions in a sophisticated con game perpetrated by her then-fiancé. To protect herself from the law, she creates a new identity – a Frenchwoman named Vivienne Gregsby – and sets out to recover her father’s art collection to prove her innocence. When the eccentric American art collector Edwin Bradley offers Vivienne the perfect job, she’s soon caught up in the Parisian world of post-Impressionists and expatriates. As she gets more involved, her life becomes even more complicated: her ex-fiancé returns with unclear motives and Vivienne is arrested for Edwin’s murder.
B. A. Shapiro is the author of eight novels, including the award-winning New York Times bestseller The Art Forger and the bestseller The Muralist. This program is
co-sponsored by Glenmeadow Retirement Community.
On Monday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m., Fred Sokol, author of “Destiny” will be featured.
Morris Kahn and Mendel Greenbaum have been friends for more years than either cares to remember. United by shuffleboard, a house they share with the women they love, and an abiding affection masked by constant bickering, they embark on a spurof-the-moment road trip triggered by a yearning to see the ocean. The two men, facing the realities of aging as they approach their eighties, nevertheless revel with both exuberance and curiosity in what life offers them-friendship, the natural world, and fried clams.
Admission to both of these Literatour Zoom programs is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, contact Bev Nadler, director of Adult Programs, at bnadler@springfieldjcc.org.
March of the Living launches global interfaith initiative to commemorate Kristallnacht
(JNS Wire) On Nov. 9, 1938, a two-day pogrom began during which the Nazis burned more than 1,400 synagogues and Jewish institutions in Germany and Austria on ‘Kristallnacht’ (The Night of Broken Glass), a critical moment in the chain of events that led to the Holocaust.
On Nov. 9, 2020, March of the Living marked Kristallnacht with a message of unity and hope, through a unique international campaign. Titled “Let There Be Light”, March of the Living will invite individuals, institutions and Houses of Worship across the world to keep their lights on during the night of Nov. 9, as a symbol of solidarity and mutual commitment in the shared battle against antsemitism, racism, hatred and intolerance.
As part of this historic virtual initiative, people from all over the world were able to add their voice to the campaign. Individuals of all religions and backgrounds are invited to write personal messages of hope in their own words at the campaign website
The main synagogue in Frankfurt (one of the few not destroyed on Kristallnacht) will be illuminated as well as other places of religious and spiritual significance across the world. Personal messages and prayers from the virtual campaign will be projected on the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. As such, against the backdrop of rising antisemitism and racism, the shadow of Covid-19, these individual expressions of optimism and unity will help illuminate the world against darkness and hatred.
March of the Living President Phyllis Greenberg Heideman & March of the Living World Chair Dr. Shmuel Rosenman: “We must use our voices to tell the world that attacks on Jews and non-Jews alike, whether on the basis of religion, race, color or creed are inexcusable. In the days when synagogues and holy places for various religions are attacked on a regular basis all over the world, it is our duty to speak out loudly and clearly.”
Head of the Jewish Community Frankfurt am Main, Prof. Dr. Salomon Korn: “Antisemitism and racism threaten our society as a whole, they endanger our values and our democracy. Together we want to send a signal against the increase of antisemitism and hate-speech all over the world. We want to raise awareness against growing discrimination and intolerance and
bring the light of humanity in these difficult times”.
John Farmer, director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics, at the Miller Center: “Kristallnacht marked a fundamental turning point in the historical movement from culturally based anti-Semitism to state-sanctioned genocide. On Nov. 9, 1938, the antisemitic propaganda to which the Jewish population had been subjected for years was transformed to open violence, sanctioned by the state. Commemorating that dark day in human history is particularly significant today, as the hatred that has been rising over social media has begun erupting into violence against the Jewish and other faiths. It is imperative that such darkness be refuted by light: the light that will shine on houses of worship throughout the world tonight, and the light of truth that shames all forms of hatred.”
Note: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, for the first time since its inception, the annual March did not take place in Poland this year. Instead, as part of a virtual commemorative project, March of the Living launched an international digital initiative in which Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin was the first to lay a virtual plaque on the virtual train track of Birkenau, followed by Holocaust survivors and their families. In total, more than 18,000 people from 60 countries around the world took part in the online event.
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News and Jewish Community Update
VIRTUAL GA INSPIRES
Each autumn, thousands of Jewish leaders and community members come together for Jewish Federation’s General Assembly. This marquee conference of the Jewish world has taken place for many decades -- close to 90 years. This year would have been my twelfth year attending the conference in person, but because of COVID it was held virtually. It was still just as informative and inspiring as it always has been, and without the need to travel and
STEVEN SCHIMMEL, because it was free
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR to attend, there were even more people participating. The General Assemblies are important to Federation’s work; they are inspirational and informative gatherings where attendees learn about the programs and projects they support. A “who’s who” of Jewish leaders headline the event and I have always enjoyed listening to the great speakers and brilliant presentations -- this year was no different. And of course with so many challenging issues facing our Jewish communities, there was an endless opportunity to join in workshops highlighting the many ways Federation is working around the world to help our global Jewish family through these troubled times. This GA was an eye-opening reminder that while our mission of strengthening Jewish life remains constant, Jewish communities are ever changing. The importance of adaptability and creativity is paramount, and always has been an important part of who we are as a people. This is especially helpful to remember while we work through our current challenges. There are lessons to be learned both from our history -- a history that includes thousands of years of survival through persecution and tragedy -- and lessons to be learned from our present work in the diverse spectrum of Jewish communities. The GA gives us an opportunity to learn about ways we can replicate the different approaches taken by communities around the world to keep Jewish lives safe during the pandemic, safe from anti-Semitic attacks, and safe from apathy and assimilation. All communities are constantly adapting to survive while keeping Judaism alive. The GA is an opportunity to learn from those who are just like us but are in far-flung places with comparatively little resources. I was reminded time and time again of how fortunate we are and how much more we are capable of. Even with all of the difficulties we are facing today we can ensure our success simply by making sure that more of our family members, friends, and most importantly, our children choose to be an active part of the Jewish community. Jewish Federation puts tremendous effort into helping Jews and providing the essentials for a Jewish life for so many around the world, and I encourage everyone to take part in it. The GA was an eye-opening reminder that so many of our fellow Jews are living in a very different world. I am grateful for our strong and supportive local Jewish community. Collectively, we should do all we can to make sure everyone can and will want to be a part of it. I hope that next year there will be even more GA attendees from Central MA and I hope next year will be in person. But one thing is certain – I am sure it will be inspiring.
jewishcentralmass.org
STAY CONNECTED
PJ LIBRARY AND PJ OUR WAY Daily Virtual PJ Library Programs at www.pjlibrary.org/familyactivities Bi-Monthly PJ Library Storytime with Beth Tikvah and Congregation B’nai Shalom (see flyer) PJ Library Storytime at the Virtual Hanukkah Bash with the Worcester JCC and Worcester Art Museum
YAD Virtual Shabbat November 20th, 7:30 pm Virtual Game Night TBA Hanukkah Celebration December 13th, TBA JewMass Virtual Hanukkah TBA
CHAVERIM TBA
COMMUNITY-WIDE Hanukkah Festivities December 10-17 – TBA
A Psychological Comparison of Israeli and American Upbringing with Dror Ben Ami, Young Emissary 2010-11, December 13th, 9:00 am via Zoom. Please keep in touch with all ongoing virtual events by visiting our Facebook pages or contacting Mindy Hall, mhall@jfcm.org
GREAT COMMUNITY TURNOUT FOR “COMBATTING ANTISEMITISM” WITH DR. RACHEL FISH ON NOVEMBER 1ST
YAD CELEBRATES A VIRTUAL OCTOBER SHABBAT & COUNCIL MEETING
News and Jewish Community Update
jewishcentralmass.org
“I’m a teacher, and education is very important to me, and handing down tradition is extremely important to me. That’s why leaving a legacy was the perfect opportunity.” –Barbara Rossman, Legacy Donor
The Jewish Federation of Central Mass would like to honor our local community members who have committed to leaving a legacy gift as part of our LIFE & LEGACY program.
We are proud to present the list of LIFE & LEGACY donors as of November 4, 2020.
Myra & Jay Aframe Susan & Howard Alfred Abbe Allexenberg Michael Allexenberg Benita Amsden William Amsden Anonymous (66) A. Averbach Brad Avergon Cynthia Avergon Robert Bachrach Mike & Anita Z”L Backer Robin Baer Bernard Bailin Elizabeth & Joel Baker Margot Barnet Jacqueline Bechek Cara Berg Powers Jordan Berg Powers Mark Birnbaum & Meg Hoey Patricia Bizzell Rabbi & Mrs. Yakov Blotner Robert & Stacey Blumberg Lydia Borenstein Morton and Lorraine Brond David Bunker Deborah Bunker Eric Capellari Robert & Shari Cashman Ethel K. Chaifetz Mark & Julie Chapleau Alberta Chase Lori Chastanet Paul Chastanet Michelle V. Cochran Alysa & Mitch Cohen Janice & David Cohen Jonathan Cohen Lisa Cohen Rabbi Valerie Cohen Alan Cooper David Coyne Jonah Cuker Douglas Cutler Melvin Cutler Herbert K. Daroff Judy & Stu Deane Evelyn Dolinsky Robyn Lori Bernstein Donati EJ Dotts Shelley Dubin & Dennis Lindenberg Victoria Dubrovsky Rabbis Joe & Lisa Eiduson Donna & Joel Elfman Gary Englander Marlene Farbman Deborah Fins Edith Fisher Everett Fox Joshua Franklin Jody Fredman Jason & Laurie Fromer Stuart Glass Norman Glick Z”L Lillian Glixman Z”L Steven Goldstein & Sharon Brown Goldstein Jennifer & Sam Goodman Harvey & Patti Gould Carole & Mark Grayson Jeffrey Greenberg Joel N. Greenberg Barbara Greenberg Z”L* Minna & Ira Gregerman Jamie Grossman Rabbi Rachel Gurevitz Gary Gurwitz Rabbi Debra Hachen & Peter Weinrobe Mindy Hall Steven & Debra Heims Family Peter Herman and Stefanie Bradie Sarah & Neil Herzig Ilene S. Hoffman Emily Holdstein James Holdstein Joshua Honig Bernard Z”L & Beverly Hurwitz Martha Hurwitz Col. Irving Yarock Post 32 Jewish War Veterans Benjamin Joseph Cynthia Kalish Frank W. Kanserstein Cheryl & Gary Kasof Carol Goodman Kaufman Joel M. Kaufman, MD Eli & Iris Kraus Elliot Krefetz Sharon Krefetz Anna M. Krendel Steve Krintzman Nancy B. Leavitt Phillip Leavitt Van Leichter & Marcy Supovitz Dana Levenson Steven B. Levine Z”L Vincent Librandi Howard & Thelma Lockwood Z”L Judith Luber-Narod Benjamin and Cara Lyons Robert Mack Gordon Manning & Karen Rothman Kim & Mike Manning Gregory Manousos & Amy Rosenberg Judith K. Markowitz Stacey & Stephen Marmor Deborah Martin Michelson Family Errol Mortimer Alan Moss Jeffrey Narod Barbara Newman Stephanie Oakan
Allison & David Orenstein Marcy Ostrow Matthew Ostrow Sondra Padow
Glenn & Pamela Penna Marlene Persky*
Marlene & David Persky
George and Becky Pins
Elizabeth Raphaelson
Jonathan Rappaport
Ghodrat & Lida Refah Mary Jane Rein Toby Z’’L and Chuck Richmond Harriet & Jordan Z”L Robbins Barry Robins Suzanne Robins
Emily & Martin Rosenbaum Martha Rosenblatt* Rachel and Myron Rosenblum Barbara Rossman
David & Sandra Roth Bernie Rotman Benita Rotman Ida Rotman Z”L Hope Rubin Ruth Rubin Adam Sachs
Jonathan & Anne Sadick
Larry & Eileen Samberg Yael Savage Roberta Schaefer Steven Schimmel
Paul & Zelda Schwartz
Benson & Norma Shapiro
Mark & Debra Shear
Rachel & Philip Sher
Dan Shertzer
Allan Shriber
Judy Shriber
Debra L. Shrier
Richard Shrier
Fred Shuster
ON BEHALF OF THE Marcy Shuster BOARD AND STAFF Edward & Merna Siff
OF THE The Sigel Family Foundation
JEWISH FEDERATION OF Bonnie & Richard Silver
CENTRAL MA, Ronald J. Silver
WE WISH YOU ALL Richard P. Silverman
A VERY HAPPY HEALTHY AND SWEET NEW YEAR. Carol Sleeper* Michael & Carol Sleeper
Bradford A. Smith
Lauren P. Smith
Michael & Susan Smith Morris Snieder Z”L Elaine Solomon Paula Sommer Denise Sosnoff Steven Sosnoff Morty Sreiberg Dotty & Jerry Starr Howard & Carolyn Stempler Alan & Nina Stoll Mari & Allen Storm Andrea Sullivan Rabbi Michael Swarttz Lisa Thurlow Laura & Richard Traiger Dr. Sheila Trugman Wayne Ushman Patricia & Leonard Vairo Brenda Verduin-Dean Bruce & Ellen Wahle Mark Waxler Brian Weiner William Weinstein Ellen Weiss Matthew Weiss Irving & Selma White Michael & Beth Whitman Steven and Kimberly Willens David Wilner Wendy Wilsker Steve & Lori Winer Steve & Judy Wolfe Sharon & Alan Yaffe Jody & Alan Yoffie Allen Young Joyce Zakim Pamela Zinn
LIFE & LEGACY PARTNERS Beth Tikvah Synagogue • Clark University Hillel • Congregation Beth Israel • Congregation B’nai Shalom • Congregation Shaarai Torah West • Jewish Family & Children’s Service • Jewish Federation of Central MA • Jewish Healthcare Center • Temple Emanuel Sinai v Temple Israel • Worcester JCC
AN * INDICATES A LION OF JUDAH ENDOWMENT.
TO CREATE YOUR JEWISH LEGACY, CONTACT LEAH SHULDINER AT LEGACY@JFCM.ORG
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
deserving of civil rights protections. The order used as its definition of antisemitism the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition, which is controversial because it includes some forms of Israel criticism. The order has already resulted in Education Department investigations of extreme anti-Israel activity on campus. Some Democrats embrace the IHRA definition, but civil liberties groups fear that its use as an enforcement tool inhibits speech freedoms. The Biden campaign has not said what its plans are for the executive order.
The Deal of the Century
The Trump team told Benjamin Netanyahu plan before annexing territory, and that
The Second Guy
Kamala Harris’ husband, Douglas Emhoff, is Jewish; he will not only be the “second gentleman” (caveat: No one has settled on a term for the job), he will be the first Jewish second spouse. Emhoff has been vocal about his Jewish identity, and it will be interesting to see how that plays out in a role that has been used to advance education initiatives.
Immigration
Immigration policy carries a special emotional weight for many Jewish Americans who are mindful of their own heritage of being refugees – and of the devastating toll that the world’s hesitation to accept refugees caused for Jews during the Holocaust. Trump pursued an aggressively anti-immigrant agenda, including by reducing refugee admissions and separating children from their parents at the border, sometimes permanently. Biden has vowed to launch a task force to reunite those families and to dramatically capital and moved the U.S. Embassy to the
increase refugee admissions.
The Abraham Accords
Biden’s message since Tuesday has been unity. He wants to achieve comity with Republicans. “It’s time for America to unite and to heal,” was his first postannouncement statement. He’s reportedly got a few Republicans in mind for his Cabinet.
One obvious way that his commitment to bipartisanship will play out in his Middle East policy is in the Abraham Accords, the normalization agreements brokered by Trump between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Sudan and Bahrain. Biden has said he likes the accords. His aides have said he urged rapprochement between Israel and the Gulf states during Obama’s second term when he was vice president.
So should we expect more of the same? Perhaps: Other Arab countries that have long had unofficial ties with Israel, including Oman and Morocco, might announce even before the inauguration.
Saudi Arabia will likely want the carrot that the UAE has secured, a major arms deal; Trump has cajoled Israel into not objecting to the sale of stealth combat jets to the Emirates.
But Democrats are unhappy about the sale, and that unhappiness would grow exponentially with any proposed arms sale to Saudi Arabia. Democrats object to the devastating war Saudi Arabia is conducting in Yemen and have not forgotten the kingdom’s role in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
In January, Trump finally rolled out the Israeli-Palestinian peace proposal he had touted for three years. One component of the deal that would come off the table with a Biden presidency would be the eventual partial Israeli annexation of West Bank territory. Even in that instance, though, there’s not much practically different between the Trump and Biden postures: he needed Palestinian buy-in to the peace never was going to happen.
Biden will reinstitute the emphasis on the two-state outcome as an endgame, but don’t expect a major push for peace from his White House. Biden will have on his foreign policy team plenty of Obama veterans and they feel burned by their two failures (2010-2011 and 2013-2014) to get to a deal. The sense on Biden’s foreign policy team is that peace has to be organic, and must be initiated by the Israelis and the Palestinians.
The Trump recognitions
Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s The big fish, however, may hold out.
city. He also recognized Israel’s claim to the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War. Biden has said that Trump’s Jerusalem recognition was ill-timed, absent an IsraeliPalestinian deal, but has also said he would not reverse it. He has not commented on the Golan, but with Syria still convulsed in violence and instability even as its civil war dies down, don’t expect any dramatic Biden action in this area. Biden has suggested that Trump was too accommodating of the Assad regime, so he’s not about to hand the same regime a plum.
Aid to Israel
During the primaries, some Democratic candidates spoke of conditioning defense to Israel on its behavior; Biden repeatedly rejected that proposal outright. He intervened to keep the word “occupation” out of the Democratic platform.
The Palestinians
Biden has said he will reestablish the diplomatic ties with the Palestinians that Trump ended because the Palestinians would not play along with his peace plan. Expect a return of the Palestine Liberation Organization envoy to Washington and a reopening of the Jerusalem consulate that deals specifically with Palestinians – Trump wrapped its functions into the embassy.
Biden has also said he would resume the assistance to the Palestinians that Trump cut off while observing American laws that ban funding for the Palestinian Authority as long as it pays salaries to the families of Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis or Americans. That leaves Biden some leeway; he could direct funds to NGOs that operate separately from the Palestinian Authority, and to UNRWA, the United Nation agency that administers relief to the Palestinians.
Iran
Biden has faulted Trump for exiting the Iran nuclear deal. Trump said the deal, which exchanged sanctions relief for a rollback of Iran’s nuclear capability, was too generous and not strict enough. Israel’s Netanyahu government was in agreement with Trump; Benjamin Netanyahu lobbied intensely against the deal, which was brokered by President Barack Obama, and which Biden helped sell to Congress.
Trump’s withdrawal angered European partners to the deal and has pushed Iran’s economy to the brink of collapse – but it has done nothing to stem Iran’s nuclear development. In fact, since the U.S. pullout, Iran has accelerated its nuclear development, blaming the United States for violating the deal.
Biden wants back in, in part because he wants to repair ties with Europe, and also because he believes the deal is the best means of keeping Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He has said he wants to make it stricter, extending the “sunset clauses,” which allow Iran to wind down some of the restrictions. Not so clear is whether Biden would want restrictions on Iran’s missile program and its regional adventurism rolled into a renewed deal.
ELECTION 2020 SHORT TAKES
(JTA) – Besides the presidential election, the 2020 elections featured hundreds of races across the country with huge implications for local and national politics.
Several had higher stakes for the Jewish community, whether they involve key Jewish politicians or issues that American Jews are particularly concerned about.
Congresswomen Elaine Luria and Elissa Slotkin prevail
By Philissa Cramer (JTA) – Two Jewish moderate Democrats in the House of Representatives – Elaine Luria in Virginia and Elissa Slotkin in Michigan – have narrowly held onto their congressional seats.
Luria and Slotkin are two Jewish members of the so-called “Gang of Nine,” a group of moderate Democrats with national security backgrounds who were elected in 2018 to seats that had previously been held by Republicans. A third Jewish ELISSA SLOTKIN lawmaker in the group, Max Rose in New York’s 11th District, is lagging far behind his Republican opponent, although he has not conceded the race.
Luria, a Navy veteran, was defending her incumbency in Virginia’s conservative 2nd District, where she has faced sharp criticism from some constituents when she changed her mind and voted to impeach President Donald Trump after learning that he had pressured Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden. She had been considered likely but not assured of winning.
Slotkin, too, had been considered likely to win but faced criticism for her vote to impeach Trump. A former CIA analyst, she is known as a “pothole politician” for her efforts to help her constituents solve practical problems in their lives.
Marjorie Taylor Greene becomes Congress’ first adherent of the antisemitic QAnon theory
By Gabe Friedman (JTA) – Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene will become the first member of Congress who has expressed belief in the QAnon conspiracy theory, which is rich in antisemitism.. Greene, whose Democratic challenger dropped out of the race in September, has made headlines throughout the campaign cycle for her promotion of the theory. She signed an online posting in 2018 that accused Jewish billionaire George Soros and the Rothschild family of being involved in the conspiracy, which alleges that powerful figures run an international pedophile ring and influence world policy.
In a rare move for them, the Republican Jewish Coalition endorsed her Republican primary opponent in July, without comment. Greene’s eventual Democratic opponent, Kevin Van Ausdal, dropped out of the race in the very conservative 14th district, in part because Greene’s supporters made him too fearful to campaign.
President Trump has endorsed Greene, calling her a “future star” of the Republican Party, and the National Republican Congressional Committee gave her campaign $5,000 in September.
Former Jewish Federations head wins North Carolina congressional race
By Ron Kampeas (JTA) – Kathy Manning, a former immigration attorney who led two national Jewish organizations, won a congressional seat in North Carolina. Manning defeated Lee Haywood, her Republican opponent in an open Greensboro-area district. The 6th District was redrawn KATHY MANNING by the courts and became a Democratic stronghold, leading incumbent Republican Mark Walker to retire.
Manning, 63, was the first woman to chair the Jewish Federations of North America from 2009-2012, and she was a founding chairwoman of Prizmah, the umbrella body for Jewish day schools of all denominations. She ran an unsuccessful race in 2018 when she ran in what was then the 13th District.
Cori Bush, Democrat who supports BDS, wins Missouri congressional race
By Ben Sales (JTA) – Cori Bush, a Democrat who expressed support for the movement to boycott Israel, is set to become the St. Louis area’s next congresswoman.
Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, who also support the movement to boycott, divest from and sanction Israel – known as BDS – are also expected to win.
A now-deleted page on Bush’s campaign website had said she supported BDS. If she still holds those views, it will bring the number of BDS supporters in the Democratic caucus to three.
Projections are showing that Bush won handily, defeating Republican Anthony Rogers. She defeated Lacy Clay, the longtime Democratic incumbent, in a primary earlier this year. BDS was not a notable issue in the Bush-Clay race, which hinged on the divide between progressive
CORI BUSH and establishment politics. Bush is a racial justice activist who was backed by progressives including Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Clay, a more centrist Democrat who had succeeded his father in the seat, had attempted to use Bush’s BDS support against her late in the campaign, highlighting it in a mailer.
Omar was declared the victor in her Minnesota congressional district, showing her staying power despite accusations of anti-Semitism. Last year, Omar drew condemnation from both sides of the aisle for suggesting that Jews pay politicians to be pro-Israel. She apologized for the comment but has continued to be a target of criticism from Democrats.
In August, Omar fended off a wellfunded primary challenger, Antone MeltonMeaux, who made attacking her Israel comments a key part of his campaign.
She and Tlaib, who is the first Palestinian-American woman in Congress, are both members of the “Squad,” a group of four progressive freshman congresswomen.
Frankel beats Loomer in Florida race that encapsulated a Jewish culture war
(JTA) – Lois Frankel won reelection in her South Florida House district, fending off a challenge by the right-wing selfdescribed “Islamophobe” Laura Loomer. The Associated Press called the race in the state’s 21st district shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday. The race pitted two Jews at different poles of the socio-political culture wars against each other – a moderate Democrat in Frankel and a far-right agitator in Loomer, who plays LOIS FRANKEL on her Jewish identity in her adamantly anti-Muslim rhetoric.
“We’re putting the Jews on trial here in District 21,” Loomer told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in September. “They His father was the physics and
have a choice between a Republican Jew who is going to advocate for their survival in their best interests, or they can stand with self-hating Jew Lois Frankel, who is doing the bidding for the jihadists in the Democrat Party who are just literally walking Jews to the gas chamber.”
Loomer, who has been banned from platforms such as Twitter for her rhetoric, was supported by the Trump campaign. President Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara campaigned for Loomer in Florida in the fall.
A Jewish Democrat helms Fox News’ ‘decision desk” – and infuriates Trump
By Gabe Friedman (JTA) Fox’s call came so early, in fact, that the network’s anchors seemed surprised. President Trump was reportedly furious with his favorite network, and he criticized the decision in an early morning White House appearance, specifically dismissing “the gentleman who called it.”
That gentleman was Arnon Mishkin – a Jewish registered Democrat from New York who is the leader and face of the Fox numbers team. Mishkin called that Arizona would go blue at around 11:30 p.m. Eastern time. At around 12:30 a.m., he appeared on air, and Fox host Bret Baier pushed him to declare that he was “100%” certain about his call.
“Absolutely. We made it basically after a half hour of debating ‘is it time?’” Mishkin said.
The call injected life back into the Biden campaign, which was reeling as it watched tallies in swing states such as Ohio and Florida grow insurmountable Trump leads. Other networks would call Arizona for
Trump’s campaign is arguing he can still prevail there.)
Mishkin, 65, would seem an unlikely election analyst for the news network that
ARNON MISHKIN has increasingly been associated with the Republican Party. A registered Democrat, both his parents were Holocaust survivors, as he detailed in a speech to his Upper West Side synagogue B’nai Jeshurun in 2001.
Biden hours later. (Some have not yet, and engineering professor Eli Mishkin, whose obituary said he was the first person to receive a doctorate from the Israel Institute of Technology. His mother Esther volunteered at YIVO, the institute for Jewish research that preserves European Jewish history.
Tuesday night wasn’t the first time Mishkin angered Republican politicians tracking election night results. In 2012, after he called that Ohio would go for Barack Obama, Fox analyst Karl Rove disputed the claim. That prompted host Megyn Kelly to dramatically walk off set and into the room where Mishkin and his colleagues were at work. Mishkin said on camera that he was “quite comfortable” with his call. Obama would win Ohio.
