Friday, January 8, 2021 24 Tevet 5781 Vol. 93 | No. 2 | ©2021 $1.00 | jewishledger.com
The Great Jewish Food Wars 1
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INSIDE
this week
CONNECTICUT JEWISH LEDGER | SINCE 1929 | JANUARY 8, 2020 | 24 TEVET 5781
11 Torah Portion
12 Briefs
16 Milestones
17 Crossword
18 What’s Happening
19/20
Spotlight on….............................................................................................................. 5 Paul Bass, an old-fashioned newspaper man for whom being a journalist is part of being Jewish.
The Nuclear Option....................... 5 Connecticut’s Senator Chris Murphy pushes for the swift return to the Iran nuclear deal, in an online interview with JStreet.
Obituaries
21 Business and Professional Directory
22 Classified
Blessed is the Vaccine......................................................10 Spiritual leaders weigh in on the proper bracha to recite when getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Or should you utter a blessing at all?
ON THE COVER:
What is the proper condiment to eat with latkes – applesauce or sour cream or ketchup? Ketchup? Seriously? Anyway, the point is, nothing gets a good heated Twitter debate going more than Jewish foods. But is it really about the food? Or are these debates really bigger conversations about “Jewish authenticity” and who gets to call the shots as to what American Judaism looks like? PAGE 14 jewishledger.com
Chanukah O’ Chanukah!................................................... 8 Scenes from pandemic-safe Chanukah celebrations all around Connecticut.
CANDLE LIGHTING
Sponsored by:
SHABBAT FRIDAY, JAN. 8 Hartford: 4:20 p.m. New Haven: 4:20 p.m. Bridgeport: 4:21 p.m. Stamford: 4:22 p.m. To determine the time for Havdalah, add one hour and 10 minutes (to be safe) to candle lighting time.
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UP FRONT
CONNECTICUT JEWISH LEDGER | SINCE 1929 | JANUARY 8, 2020 | 24 TEVET 5781
SPOTLIGHT ON…
Paul Bass, an old-fashioned reporter in a digital age, says ‘being Jewish is part of being a journalist’ BY STACEY DRESNER
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EW HAVEN – Several years ago, journalist Paul Bass met with Rabbi Michael Whitman, then spiritual leader of Young Israel of New Haven, to discuss loshon hora – “evil tongue” in Hebrew, or speaking ill of others – and the Chafetz Chaim, which covers ethics and the laws of speech. At that time, Bass and his wife, Carole Bass, also a journalist, were preparing for a course they would soon teach about loshon hora and journalism at The Havurah Institute. For Bass, an observant Jew and the founder of the nonprofit digital newspaper The New Haven Independent, seeking rabbinical guidance about loshon hora was more than a theoretical exercise. “It’s an important part of how I think about life and my work,” he said. Bass’s work at The Independent is to provide in-depth news coverage of New Haven – or, as per his newspaper’s website, “Its neighborhoods. Its government. Its people – from the knuckleheads to the dreamers and schemers, and everyone in between.”
With reporter’s notebook in hand and a knitted kippah perched on his head, Bass, 60, can be found out and about – at public meetings; at the courthouse checking records, and just about anywhere and everywhere news is happening in the city of New Haven. “I’ll never lose the thrill of going, with notebook and camera in hand and meeting somebody, finding out something interesting they are doing,” he told the Ledger. “Public meetings are our bread and butter. I like all kinds of stories. There’s really not a story I don’t like to do.” Over the past 15 years, Bass and his small staff of reporters have dug into local stories, not just reporting the news, but helping to bring about change. “There has been a whole traffic calming movement that started from our reporting in the early years: police accountability, zoning, economic development, criminal justice – just caring about and debating from all points of view,” Bass says, not boastfully, but matter-of-factly. “Paul is to my mind, and I say it with the highest respect for journalists, the old fashion reporter,” Rabbi Herbert Brockman,
PAUL BASS, EDITOR OF THE NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT IN THE OFFICE OF HIS WESTVILLE HOME WHERE HE HAS CONTINUED TO CHURN OUT STORIES SINCE THE BEGINNING OF COVID-19.
rabbi emeritus of Hamden’s Congregation Mishkan Israel, told the Ledger. “That is, one who respects his readers and works hard to tell the story truthfully in the belief that the more informed we are, the better the community will be. And making our community a better place has always been Paul’s mission, his life’s mission. The story was never about him, but about the people, real people. He is at the top professionally. “I see Paul in the mold of the early 20th century Yiddish newspapermen [who wrote for the] Forwarts, Morgan Journal, Der Tog. Paul’s neshama [soul] grows out of the belief that news was life and life was news and to spread it around to the grineh yidden [Jewish immigrants] and help them become better Jews and better menschen was his goal. He is a Connecticut treasure.” Bass feels “incredibly lucky” to have served the New Haven community. “We have covered New Haven for 40 years. I feel like I’m just starting to get it figured out. Being a reporter connects you to a community and helps you. Your notebook’s a passport, so that you can visit other people’s lives, get behind borders to get a deeper understanding of how a city operates,” he says. While its comprehensive coverage of New Haven and its mission to make the community a better place is the hallmark of The Independent, the news site has also been a trailblazer in the world of digital publications. “We were one of the first two in the country to be an online only, local nonprofit professional newsroom, where you have a salary and healthcare insurance and cover daily news online only in the NPR nonprofit news model,” Bass says. “Now there are over 300 in the association called INN, the Institute for Nonprofit News. But in the early years – like the first five years – there would be six of us and they would fly us to all of the conferences. Now we’re like a little blip.” Some ‘little blip.’ In 2013 The Independent was featured in The Wired City: Reimagining Journalism and Civic
Murphy backs swift resumption of Iran nuclear deal
C
hris Murphy took a side Wednesday night, Dec. 16 – in favor of the Biden administration resuming the Iran nuclear deal as soon as possible upon taking office. Murphy took that position during a conversation with a group pushing that same view: J Street. The Connecticut U.S. senator talked foreign policy at a Zoom “Chanukah party” held by the Connecticut chapter of the group, a “pro-Israel, propeace” advocacy alternative for liberal American Jews. Fifty-five people “attended” the party.
SEN. MURPHY AT WEDNESDAY EVENING’S J STREET CHANUKAH EVENT.
Murphy and J Street have been closely aligned throughout Murphy’s career in Washington. The group was influential during the Obama administration, then in exile during the Trump years. As the group prepares to regain influence, it invited Murphy, an influential voice on foreign affairs in Washington, to chat with J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami at Wednesday night’s Zoom party. Ben-Ami began by asking Murphy his position in a current debate about how Biden should approach the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal . The Obama-Biden administration
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BY PAUL BASS
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Paul Bass CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
Life in the Post-Newspaper Age, a book by Dan Kennedy, exploring the growth of online news. “People studied us and we helped a bunch get started by giving advice,” Bass says. Now, The New Haven Independent has a sister publication, The Valley Independent Sentinel, covering the lower Naugatuck Valley; and a companion radio station, WNHH Community Radio, 103.5 FM on the dial and live-streamed on the Independent website. The station broadcasts a number of locally-based talk shows focusing on the economy, crime, the arts, and more. All three are operated under the umbrella of the Online Journalism Project of which Bass is executive director. Today, The New Haven Independent has a staff of five full time reporters and a crew of freelancers; The Valley Independent has 1.5 full-timers and a few freelancers; and the radio station has 1.5 full time employees and 20 volunteer hosts, the majority Latino and African American members of the community. “We partner with La Voz Hispana, the Spanish newspaper, our offices are together. We run the radio station together and we share material content,” Bass says. The combined budget for the operation is $670,000. Funding comes from individual contributions and large philanthropic donors and grants from foundations like The Seedlings Foundation, The Community Foundation of Greater New Haven, the Peter and Carmen Lucia Buck Foundation, and The Valley Foundation in Derby.
“I see journalism as being tied into being Jewish” The New Haven Independent actively reports stories five days a week, and one of the two days off is Saturday because Bass does not – and will not –cover the news on Shabbat. “Since the ‘90s we haven’t driven or worked or used computers or phones or anything like that. I love that. Shabbat and chagim [holidays] really keep me focused. They replenish me, ground me,” says Bass, who considers himself “Conservadox” and belongs to Beth El-Keser Israel or BEKI, the Conservative synagogue in New Haven. “I see Journalism as being tied into being Jewish. Everything from our concern with the word, to having a purpose in life,” Bass says. Likewise, eschewing loshon hora has become a part of his reporting. “I think about it every day. It’s not as simple as ‘you never say something bad about somebody.’ It’s more complicated,” he explains. “It’s about the necessity of bringing forth unpleasant information that 6
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can have a constructive purpose, versus the necessity not to humiliate people. And everyday you navigate that tension.” Bass dedicated efforts not to spread loshon hora have become an ingrained policy at The Independent. For example, he says, “We will not print the name of someone arrested, unless they are outliers and people command us… unless we get their side, talk about how a case is resolved, or if they are public figure… that is one thing that we do that I would say is very much in keeping with what I’m thinking about on Shabbat.” Bass hasn’t always been shomer Shabbos. “I didn’t grow up observant. I did have a bar mitzvah. We lit the candles until I was eight and my mother died. And after that we didn’t like candles,” Bass said. “I always loved being Jewish; we weren’t observant. But then I got I got observant in my early 30s with my family. That was nice.” When my kids were really young we started to light candles and started learning more and going kosher, and observing Shabbos and going to shul. When my first daughter had her bat mitzvah we started doing tefillin every day together. That was years ago, 1993 or 94.” The White Plains, N.Y. native has been a hard-boiled new reporter since second grade. “I put out little newspapers,” he laughed. “And then I started working on school papers and in high school I started working for the local daily in White Plains.” Upon graduation from Yale University in 1982, where he had worked on the Yale
Daily News and also wrote for the New Haven Register and New Haven Advocate, Bass stayed in New Haven where he freelanced for several years at publications like the Sunday New York Times, USA Today and Connecticut Magazine. In 1986, Bass and his wife Carole, also a Yale graduate, started a weekly print version of The New Haven Independent. When they terminated it in 1989, Bass began working for the Advocate full time. In 2004, he took off a year to write a book, Murder in the Model City: The Black Panthers, Yale, And the Redemption of a Killer. In 2005, he and Carole started the digital version of The New Haven Independent to fill what he saw as a void in the city as local newspapers shrank or disappeared. “I think New Haven local news coverage was disappearing before 2005,” Bass says. “But once we started up and started covering the zoning board, and the school board, and local politics and neighborhoods, all of a sudden others competed with us again. Even though we weren’t competing for revenue. So it was an ideal situation. The competition was for stories, not for revenue, so more money started supporting more reporting. …I think we’re not a news desert anymore. People are more involved.” And the Independent’s brand of digital journalism enables it to get late-breaking news coverage to its audience much quicker than traditional print newspapers. For example, during the Black Lives Matter protests in May, Bass was on hand to cover what he thought would be a tiny march that no one knew about. Next thing
he knew, “here were thousands marching onto the highway, onto I-95 and facing off with the State Police and I was doing a Facebook Live video. Fifty-thousand people watched. And lots of people came,” he recalls. “And then when the Christopher Columbus statue was taken down our reporter was the only person [who] did a Facebook Live video that showed a fight that broke out, and half a million people watched it. It became the basis for legal proceedings because that was the only capturing of what actually happened.” Having that kind of influence, he says, “is fun.” “During COVID and Black Lives Matter it reinforced for us how much people count on this local digital media to get information to connect with each other.” In the Jewish community, Bass presented thorough coverage of Rabbi Daniel Greer’s arrest and conviction for sexual abuse and rape. And he has also highlighted crime that has affected the growing Chabad community in New Haven’s Beaver Hills neighborhood as well as the opening of new kosher businesses.” (Read “Crime Wave Rattles, Unites New Haven Neighborhood,” reprinted by the Ledger, Nov. 3). “I think it is a great time to be a local journalist – it’s thriving,” Bass says. “It’s more fun to do this kind of journalism because you can come in and link video photography and writing old-fashioned text, and tell stories in a lot of different ways. You’re more connected to your readers. Your opinion matters less than
Murphy CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
struck the deal. The Trump administration pulled out of it; Iran resumed work on developing its nuclear capability while the Trump administration levied sanctions on the nation. Biden has been expected to swiftly cancel sanctions and resume abiding by the terms of the original deal in return for Iran doing the same. Republicans and some Democrats have argued that Biden should not rush. Instead, they argue, Biden should use leverage he’ll inherit from Trump to renegotiate the deal on better terms for the U.S., including limits on Iran’s ballistic missiles and on support for the Palestinian group Hamas. The New York Times’ Brett Stephens and Thomas Friedman also make that argument. “I believe the Biden administration should on day one declare its intention to reenter the JCPOA and begin the process of getting back into compliance,” Murphy told Ben-Ami, echoing J Street’s position. “I don’t think that will easy. But our [European] partners are ready to back us up.” Murphy argued that the experience of the Trump administration tested the leverage argument – and showed that sanctions didn’t lead Iran to step back from Hamas or come to the table on ballistic missiles.
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“We had four years to test that theory. The Trump administration turned up sanctions hotter than they existed before the JCPOA,” Murphy argued. “The Iranians didn’t even come to the negotiating table. They restarted their nuclear program. It was a spectacular failure. The smart way forward is to take the nuclear weapons issue off the table so you can then negotiate the other issues.” Murphy also said he “agree[s] 100 percent” with J Street that Biden should “on day one” lift Trump’s suspension of aid to Palestinian refugees. He called for Biden to reexamine the Trump administration’s commitment to “sell a dizzying array of arms” to the United Arab Emirates in return for striking a peace agreement with Israel. Those weapons could provoke fighting in the Middle East or end up in the hands of “really bad actors in the region,” Murphy argued. This article is published with permission of The New Haven Independent (newhavenindepenent.com) where it first appeared.
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your reporting and thinking counts more, which is fun.” Covid-19 has not slowed the Independent staff down. “We have been working at home since March. We’ll probably go back to the office in the summer. We’re working out in the field everyday, but we’re taking a lot of precautions. We’re not going indoors for the most part. But all digitals have gotten a lot more readers during the pandemic,” said Bass. He wrote a piece on his brother’s death right as Covid struck, and the adjustments they had to make while attempting to give him a traditional Jewish funeral. (The piece also ran in the Ledger, March 30, 2020. The Ledger often reprints New
Haven Independent stories.) Just another example of the melding of Bass’s journalism and Judaism. “I always say being a Jew is part of being a journalist. You want to have a purpose to your life that leaves it better than when you started – just a little better; and that you have to incorporate the values of what it means to be a good human being to be part of a community. I think that is definitely part of the mission of a Jew,” he says. “It’s good though. It’s good to be a Jewish journalist because, you do get a day off, and you have centuries worth of thought and discussion about what a purposeful life is and how to be a part of a community that inform your work.”
Jewish nonprofits advice on securing slices of $284 billion pandemic relief bill BY RON KAMPEAS
(JTA) – Nearly a third of the $900 billion Congress is set to approve in a pandemic relief will go to a new round of payroll protection, and the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) is set to reprise the role it played earlier this year and explain how nonprofits can get their share. “We are pulling back together again the team of experts both from within the JFNA and lay leaders who train themselves on the program to offer volunteer support to help fill out forms and connect banks and such,” Eric Fingerhut, the group’s CEO, said in an interview Monday, Dec. 28, after news broke of agreement between Republicans and Democrats on the $900 billion stimulus plan. Congress approved the plan, part of a larger $2.3 trillion spending package on Tuesday, Dec. 22. Some $284 billion will be set aside for forgivable payroll protection loans for small businesses, including nonprofits, administered through the Small Business Administration. The money will go to small businesses and nonprofits that missed out during the first round of $349 billion in loans, and to those that did get loans but can show sufficient losses to qualify for additional funds. The JFNA helped lead lobbying for the relief and offered webinars and one-on-one advice for Jewish and non-Jewish profits for the first round of loans. The group held an initial training for this round on Dec. 23, even as the full terms of the new loans were not yet known. The loans will be jewishledger.com
available through March 31. What is known is that businesses and nonprofits employing 300 people or less qualify, as opposed to 500 or less in the previous round. Entities applying for a second loan must show a 25% loss in gross receipts against the same quarter in 2019. Also featuring in the $2.3 trillion spending bill that President Donald Trump is expected to sign: • Private schools, including religious schools, will be eligible for $2.7 billion in relief out of the $900 billion coronavirus stimulus package. • Funding for nonprofit security grants, a program initiated in 2005 at the behest of Jewish organizations, has doubled from $90 million in 2020 to $180 million in 2021; • The Emergency Food and Shelter Program will receive $130 million, up from $120 million two years ago. Jewish welfare agencies are among those who tap into the program. • A program to assist Holocaust survivors – launched by president-elect Joe Biden when he was vice president – will get $5 million. For more information contact your local Jewish Federation or visit JFNA.org.
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At the Hebrew Center for Health and Rehabilitation, we also offer a variety of other services and amenities to ensure your stay is as comfortable as possible. THESE SERVICES INCLUDE: • Passport to Rehabilitation Program • Long-Term Skilled Nursing Care • Specialized Memory Care • Respite Care Program • Palliative Care and Hospice Services Coordination
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L IKE U S ON
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CONNECTICUT CELEBRATES A COVID-SAFE CHANUKAH IN NEW HAVEN
IN WEST HARTFORD
“It’s a holiday of lights, and this is a time in the world where we could use some more light,” said Joshua Levitt who, with his wife Amanda, brought their three children to a drive-in Chanukah party held on Sunday, Dec. 14 in a municipal parking in Westville Village. Fifty carloads of families like the Levitts reserved spots at the annual event hosted Chabad of Westville. This year orgaizers made sure to keep the tradition going in a Covid-19-safe environment. As drivers pulled into the parking lot, they were handed goody bags filled with latkes and applesauce, jelly donuts and Chanukah gelt, and a flag that read “Shine your Light.” Before lighting a giant menorah with a tiki torch, Rabbi Chanoch Wineberg, who organized the event with his wife Mushka., said, “Just look how all of you have shown up in your vehicles, and your vehicle turns into a haven where you can proudly enjoy a safe menorah lighting.” The event wrapped up with families standing outside of their cars while social distancing, to catch chocolate gelt thrown by members of the New Haven Fire Department. Children wearing masks screamed with delight while grabbing handfuls of the treats. Sarah Lalou, who attended last year’s event, said that the lighting this year was even more special. “You can feel in the atmosphere that everybody is happy to be here tonight,” she said. “It has an entirely new meaning this year because it’s happier and brings light into our lives.”
More than 1,500 people were on hand for the “Fire & Ice” Chanukah celebration hosted by Chabad of West Hartford in the parking lot of West Hartford Town Hall. An annual event, this year the party took an unusual turn – instead of gathering en masse in the center of Blue Back Square, it was moved to the Town Hall parking lot to accommodate the 420 vehicles filled with party-goers, in order to ensure a safe, COVID-free event. The evening shined a spotlight on our heroic health care workers, as Madison Kates, 12, a student at Chabad Hebrew school, delivered a Chanukah message comparing the lessons and inspiration of Chanukah to our health care personnel, and Dr. Adam Steinberg, vice president of Hartford Health Care, led a short a prayer for the health and well being of the community. Chasidic superstar Benny Friedman upped the energy with a joyous concert; and each vehicle received a kit with crafts, treats, prizes and more. Said West Hartford resident Sandrine Sebag: “While we couldn’t gather physically together, …the message of Chanukah was deeply felt as hundreds of people sang from their cars to celebrate. Thank you Chabad for bringing light to our community and providing us with a message of hope during this difficult time!”
This article is an excerpt of an article by Courtney Luciana that appeared in from The New Haven Independent.
WEST HARTFORD MAYOR SHARI CANTOR AND CHABAD OF WEST HARTFORD EDUCATION DIRECTOR RABBI SHAYA GOPIN, DANCED WITH A GIANT DREIDEL AT THE FIRE & ICE CELEBRATION.
JOSHUA AND AMANDA LEVITT AND THEIR 3 CHILDREN GOT INTO THE SPIRIT OF THE HOLIDAY AT THE CHABAD OF WESTVILLE CHANUKAH CELEBRATION. (COURTNEY LUCIANA)
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12-YEAR-OLD MADISON KATES DELIVERED A SPECIAL MESSAGE ABOUT CHANUKAH AND OUR COURAGEOUS HEALTH CARE WORKERS.
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IN TRUMBULL Preschoolers at Temple B’nai Torah Nursery School in Trumbull had fun celebrating Chanukah by playing dreidel, eating latkes and lighting menorahs!
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Opinion
What blessing should you say when you get the COVID-19 vaccine? Rabbis offer guidance BY LAURA E. ADKINS
(JTA) – Jewish liturgy offers blessings for seemingly every occasion, from ritual moments (such as lighting Shabbat candles) to sublime experiences (seeing a rainbow) to mundane acts (going to the bathroom). But what is the right blessing – or “bracha” – to say upon receiving the COVID-19 vaccine? Is it even appropriate to say a blessing at all? This moment, which felt far off at the beginning of the pandemic, now appears to be on our doorstep. is arriving at record speed. So we reached out to rabbis from different denominations to get their opinions. All said the occasion merits a Jewish response, even as Orthodox rabbis noted that formal blessings with God’s name are reserved for certain situations. But beyond that, they turned to different ideas from within Jewish texts and tradition. Here’s what they told us. (Note: Do you have a different response to this question? Email us your thoughts at judiej@jewishledger.com.)
Rabbi David Wolpe, Sinai Temple in Los Angeles I would say three, actually: the shehecheyanu blessing, thanking God who brought us to this day; “She’asah li nes bamakomhazeh,” who has done a miracles or me in this place; and “Shenatan michochmato l’basar v’adam,” who has given of His wisdom to flesh and blood. In a recent “daily connection” video, I cited the biblical Joseph saying the second of these blessings when he returns to the pit he was thrown into, and I suggest we should say the same.
Rabbi Emily Cohen, West End Synagogue in New York City I’ll be inviting each member of my synagogue to bench gomel on the Shabbat after they receive the vaccine. Gomel is a prayer said by Jews who’ve come through a harrowing threat to life, like giving birth, a major illness or a car crash. It’s received by the congregation and responded to by the full community, each person asking for more good to come to the one who has survived. 10
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One day, when we are able to gather as a complete community in our sanctuary, I will lead us all in the most profound of shechecheyanus, offering full-throated gratitude for being brought to the moment of collective, in-person religious expression for the first time in well over a year.
Rabbi Yosie Levine, The Jewish Center in New York City The impulse to recite a blessing upon receiving the COVID-19 vaccine is a laudable one. As a general matter, brachot insist that we pause and reflect on how we can endow otherwise mundane moments in our lives with a sense of sanctity. But not everything warrants a bracha. There is an argument to be made that the distribution of the COVID vaccine calls for the recitation of birkat shehecheyanu, the blessing that acknowledges how indebted we are to our Maker for permitting us to reach a given milestone. In the midst of the untold suffering brought about by this pandemic, the almost miraculous production of a vaccine represents a dose of unusually good news. As the Talmud teaches, hearing exceptionally good tidings is reason enough to recite this blessing. At the same time, however, we typically adopt a minimalist approach to brachot. We tend to follow precedent. We might say that the list of occasions that call for birkat shehecheyanu is fixed. As such, from the perspective of Jewish law, the best practice would be to recite the bracha while omitting the name of God. Many people are in the habit of doing this – perhaps unwittingly – upon hearing another kind of news. At a funeral, mourners say the bracha of dayan haemet, expressing that God’s ways are just even if they are inscrutable. But others recite this blessing without God’s name by saying simply “baruch dayan haemet.” It’s an elegant compromise that allows one to express the intent of the blessing without running afoul of potentially reciting a bracha in vain. In the case of the COVID vaccine, there may be yet another reason to say shehecheyanu. Though the practice has largely fallen out of vogue, Jewish law
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mandates this bracha in a case where a person sees his/her friend for the first time in 30 days. Considering that this vaccine will allow people in isolation to soon reintegrate with their friends and family, there will be much to celebrate. To put it differently, how could we not acknowledge the extent to which we are grateful for having reached this moment? What a blessing.
Rabbi Ben Greenfield, The Greenpoint Shul in Brooklyn One must offer words of praise and blessing to Hashem upon the amazing event of receiving this vaccine! That is clear. The question is if one should do so using one of the official, canonical brachot of our tradition, which would entail uttering God’s sacred name. Here, too, the short answer is yes, complicated only by the fact that there are so many brachot which apply that it is hard to know which one is correct! Shehechyanu, recited upon occasional events that spark gratitude (e.g. buying new furniture, eating new fruit, important rain falling on one’s field) seems, at first glance, to easily qualify. On the other hand, ha-Tov v’ha-Meitiv (who is good and causes good) should be recited if the event is shared by multiple people (e.g. rain falling on a shared field), and receiving a vaccine is of both personal and public health benefit. Finally, ha-Gomel (who rewards the undeserving with goodness, and who has rewarded me with goodness) is recited upon rescue from an illness. A strong argument can be made for this blessing, too. My master and teacher, Rabbi Dov Linzer, addresses all these possibilities and advises reciting HaTov, and to do so before receiving the first shot. COVID has been a dark reminder of an eternally true fact: Our lives and our health are connected with those of strangers we will never meet. To have the opportunity to protect ourselves and, in doing so, grant protection to others is a gift from God worthy of a most heartful “HaTov v’hameitiv.”
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TORAHPortion Shemot
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BY RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB
his week, we will begin our march toward Passover. For it is on this Shabbat that we begin the book of Shemot, the story of the Exodus. And henceforth, for many weeks, every weekly Torah portion deals with the drama of our servitude and our redemption, with the heroes of the Exodus and with its villains. Each parsha provides us with an opportunity to prepare ourselves, intellectually and spiritually, for the holiday that lies ahead. Among the many preparations, we are called upon to conduct a challenging preparation which is often overlooked. I refer to the passage in the haggadah which originates in the Mishnah and which reads: “In each and every generation, a person is obligated to see himself as if he personally left Egypt, as it is written, “and you shall explain to your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I went free from Egypt.’” (Exodus 13:8). Note the phrase “for me when I went free.” We are called upon to personally visualize ourselves as having experienced the Exodus in all of its detail. For me, this is the greatest challenge of the entire Passover experience: picturing myself as a helpless slave, then personally witnessing a series of wondrous miracles; living through the original Passover experience, hurriedly gulping down that first Passover festive meal; feeling the burst of sudden freedom and marching as a free man into an unknown wilderness. Can I possibly relive the powerful emotions that my ancestors felt millennia ago? It is in response to such questions that I suggest a careful reading of all the Torah portions that we will encounter, beginning this Shabbat and continuing for many weeks. We begin with a teaching of the commentator Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman, Ramban or Nachmanides. He provides a brief introduction to the entire book of Shemot, commonly called the Book of Exodus. But the very point of his introduction is to reject the common title of this second book of the Bible. Instead, he insists that the book be known as the “Book of Redemption,” Sefer HaGeulah. Why? Ramban considers the second book of the Torah to be the sequel to the first book, which iscommonly referred to as the book of Genesis. For Ramban, Genesis is primarily a book about the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is less a book about the creation of the universe than it is a book about the creation of the people of Israel. Its theme is “the status
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of our forefathers,” by which he means the ethical and moral stature of our first ancestors. With the descent of our people into Egypt, exile, and slavery, there is a loss of “the status of our forefathers,” a diminution of their ethical and moral stature. Redemption is the process by which we regain that status, that ethical and moral stature. Redemption is not the Exodus from Egyptian bondage. Rather, it involves the revelation at Sinai, the construction of the Tabernacle, and, ideally and ultimately, the return to the Land of Israel. Redemption is the reclaiming of the ethical and moral stature of our patriarchs. Following this approach, the requirement of “seeing ourselves as if we personally left Egypt” is less about imagining ourselves as slaves or as marching out of Egypt as free men. It is about the implications of freedom for our reclamation of the ethical and moral stature of our forefathers. Ramban offers us a profound insight: a slave, a person in bondage, is not free to act ethically and morally. This is certainly true of a person who is literally enslaved. careathomebyjfs.org I 860.233.4470 I West Hartford, CT 06117 I CTDCP #HCA0000490 But it is also true of one whose choices in life are dictated by political propaganda, cultural influence, pressures to conform blindly, and other forces with which we are all very familiar nowadays. CareatHomeByJFS.4.625X4.875Ad.FM2digit.indd 1 7/27/20 Ramban’s 13th century concept of “the status of our forefathers” is explained beautifully in the 19th century commentary of Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehudah Berlin, known as the Netziv, in his introductory remarks to the book of Genesis. For the Netziv, the defining quality of our Patriarchs was the characteristic of yashrut, which he defines as an ethic that transcends piety and saintliness and extends to the ability to relate to people very different from oneself, working together with others in a harmonious and constructive fashion. We now know of one way that we can “see ourselves as if we have left Egypt.” To do so, we must each come to grips with what it means for us to experience redemption. Following Ramban and Netziv, our charge is to reclaim what the former calls the “status of our forefathers” and what the latter terms the ability to act yashar. We must improve our ethical conduct, our interpersonal relationships, by cooperating with others in our Affordable Living for Older Adults 62+ and surroundings and especially with those Individuals with Disabilities who are different from us. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were yesharim, and it is 156 Wintonbury Ave., Bloomfield, CT by emulating their “status” that we “leave Call (860)243-2535 or visit us at www.federationhomes.org Egypt,” depart bondage, and experience Sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford redemption.
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Briefs KKK flyers espousing Trump’s fraud allegations hit California town (J. the Jewish News of Northern California via JTA) – Recruitment flyers for the Ku Klux Klan that also espoused false claims made by President Donald Trump alleging fraud in November’s election were found outside more than a dozen homes and businesses in a small Northern California town. The flyers, which were discovered over the weekend in Tulelake, advertised the Loyal White Knights sect of the hate group. They were weighted down in ricefilled Ziploc bags and tossed into front yards, Police Chief Tony Ross said. The Loyal White Knights, a virulently racist and antisemitic group based in North Carolina, is “perhaps the most active Klan group in the United States,” according to to a 2016 report from the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism titled “Tattered Robes.” The flyers said “The KKK Wants You!” with a picture of a hooded klansman pointing a la Uncle Sam. They advertised a weekly call-in talk show and the web address for the Loyal White Knights. “The radical Left,” the flyers read, “is giving Your hard earned money To countries and programs That are benefiting their Communist agenda instead Of Helping the American people Keep a roof over their heads.” Referring to the voting in November, the flyers said that “The Democrats pulled every foul trick in the book to steal this election from Trump! The Fight is not over! Ballots are still being counted!”
US says it’s ready to prosecute Daniel Pearl murder suspect (JNS) The U.S. Department of Justice stands ready to prosecute Omar Sheikh, who had his conviction for the 2002 murder of American Jewish journalist Daniel Pearl overturned this month by a provincial court in Pakistan. In a statement on Tuesday, Dec. 29, Acting U.S. Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen said: “We understand that Pakistani authorities are taking steps to ensure that Omar Sheikh remains in custody while the Supreme Court appeal seeking to reinstate his conviction continues. The separate judicial rulings reversing his conviction and ordering his release are an affront to terrorism victims everywhere. We remain grateful for the Pakistani government’s actions to appeal such rulings to ensure that he and his co-defendants are held accountable. If, however, those efforts do not succeed, the United States stands 12
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ready to take custody of Omar Sheikh to stand trial here. We cannot allow him to evade justice for his role in Daniel Pearl’s abduction and murder.” The Pakistani Supreme Court is scheduled to resume its hearing about Sheikh on Jan. 5. The Pearl family’s attorney, Faisal Siddiqi, said he expects the court to rule on the appeal by the end of January. The United States announced a grand-jury indictment against Sheikh for acts of terrorism against Pearl, who at the time was working for The Wall Street Journal, as well as an American tourist who was kidnapped in India in 1994.
UC Merced opens inquiry into professor’s antisemitic tweets (J. the Jewish News of Northern California via JTA) – The University of California, Merced has launched an inquiry into the conduct of a teaching professor at its engineering school whose Twitter account featured a pattern of antisemitic posts. Abbas Ghassemi’’s tweets included a photo of a “Zionist brain” with labels such as “frontal money lobe,” “Holocaust memory centre” and “world domination lobe.” The same image can be found on the website Jew World Order, which peddles antiSemitic conspiracy theories. Ghassemi also tweeted about the U.S. government, media and banking all being controlled by Zionists and Israel on 10 separate occasions between October and December. He also frequently referred to the State of Israel as “IsraHell.” The account, launched in 2019, had tweeted over 2,220 times before it was deactivated. “The opinions presented in this Twitter account do not represent UC Merced or the University of California,” Chancellor Juan Sánchez Munoz wrote in a letter posted to the university’s website Tuesday evening, Dec. 29. “They were abhorrent and repugnant to us and to many of our colleagues and neighbors; they were harmful to our university, our students, and our years of work to build an inclusive and welcoming community. We have called upon the dean and department chair to work with the Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Personnel to conduct an inquiry into potential violations of our standards, the UC Faculty Code of Conduct or other policies of the university, to determine what consequences are appropriate,” the letter stated. Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Gregg Camfield also signed the letter. In addition to the inquiry, the university will also develop programming for the upcoming semester that addresses “free speech, hate speech and antisemitism in academia and promotes ways to challenge discriminatory insinuations when and wherever they emerge within the university community.” The university also said it will be making policy updates “that make clear the rights and the responsibilities of
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our community members to adhere to all applicable policies and expectations against intolerance, particularly when using social media.” According to an individual familiar with the matter, Ghassemi has retained legal counsel specializing in First Amendment issues in academia.
Israel has vaccinated over 10 times more of its population than US (JTA) – As of Thursday, Dec. 31, Israel has vaccinated about 8% of its population against COVID-19, while the United States has vaccinated less than 1%, according to data reported by the two nations. Israel’s Health Ministry said Thursday that the country had beaten its target of 150,000 daily inoculations for the second straight day. By Thursday, nearly 800,000 of its nearly 9 million citizens had received the first of the two doses involved in the Pfizer vaccine. Israel’s Channel 12 News added that a million doses of the Moderna vaccine, which have not yet been used there, have already arrived, far ahead of the March target date. Meanwhile, frustration has mounted in the U.S., as the Centers for Disease Control reported this week that just over 2 million Americans have been given the first vaccine dose, far fewer than the 20 million targeted by President Donald Trump’s Operation Warp Speed for 2020. Over 11 million doses have been shipped across the country. In both countries, a lag in data reporting could be behind a skew in the numbers. But Dr. Both countries are also experiencing case surges. Israel, which has enacted a third nationwide lockdown, reported 5,253 new cases on Wednesday, its highest total since October. In the U.S., California has been particularly hard hit.
U of London refunds tuition to Jewish student who complained of antisemitism (JTA) – The University of London refunded tuition it received from a Canadian-Jewish student who dropped out due to alleged antisemitic harassment. The $20,000 refund granted to Noah Lewis this month by the School of Oriental and African Studies follows an apology, as well as $680 in compensation that he was offered last year for what he alleged in a complaint. Lewis, who began studying at the university in 2018, said that classmates called him a “Nazi” and “white supremacist” after he said he would write an academic paper about “systemic biases” against Israel at the United Nations, he wrote in the letter. At the School of Oriental and African Studies, antisemitic graffiti and symbols were found on lockers, desks and toilet walls targeting “Zionists,” he also alleged in his May 2019
complaint, in which he requested the tuition refund. A school panel apologized to him for the “emotional trauma … experienced due to the perceived antisemitic discrimination which he had to endure” and offered the $680 compensation, but did not recommend returning his tuition. Lewis, aided by UK Lawyers for Israel and the Lawfare Project, appealed the panel’s decision, leading to the refund. The appeal panel said that Lewis’ original complaint may require external reinvestigation, as its handling “had not been adequate.”
Simon Cowell to serve as judge on ‘The X Factor Israel’ (Israel21C via JNS) Legendary amateur music talent-show judge Simon Cowell will join the judging panel on “The X Factor Israel” in its long-awaited fourth season to be aired in 2021. Cowell created the singing competition 16 years ago and was formerly a judge on “The X Factor” in the United Kingdom and the United States. He also judges contestants on “Britain’s Got Talent” and “America’s Got Talent,” and reportedly is working on a new American reality TV series, “50 States to Stardom.” “The X Factor Israel” has never had a foreign judge before. It last aired in 2018 when it was hosted by supermodel Bar Refaeli. Cowell, who had to take time off from live TV after breaking his back in a bike accident in August, told the press that he “can’t wait to see what Israel have to offer” in terms of undiscovered talent. He said he has been to Israel once before but had not visited Tel Aviv and is excited about the opportunity. “When I got the invite, I didn’t even hesitate. It was, ‘Yes, I really want to do this.’ ” “The X Factor Israel” has led to stardom for singers such as Eden Ben Zaken, who was one of the five most-played female Israeli artists on Spotify for 2020, as well as Eden Alene, Israel’s representative to the next Eurovision Song Contest. Israeli TV network Reshet 13 released a statement noting that “Cowell is one of the biggest and most influential music figures in the world,” and that this is the first time he will judge in a country outside of the United States and Great Britain. “His participation as a judge in the Israeli format provides an opportunity for international exposure for Israeli singers. This is a huge achievement for Israeli TV.”
Jared Kushner’s company plans to raise $100 million in Israel bonds (JTA) – Jared Kushner’s family real estate business wants to raise at least $100 million in capital through Israel’s bond market, according to papers filed near the end of his tenure as President Donald Trump’s main jewishledger.com
Israel and Middle East adviser. The Wall Street Journal reported on Dec. 29 that Kushner Cos. would sell the bonds on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. During his four years as a senior adviser to his father-in-law, President Donald Trump, and a leader of the administration’s Middle East policy team, Kushner has been accused of using his political position for his company’s financial gain through multiple loans that Kushner Cos. or close business allies have received through government lenders. Kushner Cos., which the Journal reported owns billions of dollars worth of U.S. properties, has carried over $1 billion in debt for years. Although Kushner sold the majority of his stake in the company to family members at the beginning of Trump’s term, some insist that conflicts of interest have persisted. The timing of the Israel bonds move could give Kushner’s critics more ammunition, the Journal and Bloomberg report. Kushner has helped spearhead a series of moves that have been applauded by the conservative pro-Israel community, including moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv and recognizing Israeli sovereignty in disputed areas such as the Golan Heights. Kushner also has close ties to Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Bloomberg pointed out Kushner was in Israel a week ago on a diplomatic mission.
Jonathan Pollard arrives in Israel 35 years after arrest for spying (JTA) – Some 35 years after his arrest for spying for Israel, Jonathan Pollard arrived in the country with the intention of staying there. Pollard and his wife Esther arrived on a private plane provided by American billionaire Sheldon Adelson and were greeted at the airport by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Pollards kissed the ground upon arrival. A former civilian analyst for the Navy, Pollard was arrested in 1985 outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C, where he tried to obtain asylum as counterintelligence agents were closing in on him for spying. The embassy turned Pollard and his then wife Anne away. Pollard pleaded guilty to passing classified information and was sentenced to life in prison – the only American ever given that sentence for spying for an ally. Pollard was paroled in 2015. In November, parole restrictions that had restricted his movements were lifted. Netanyahu said two prayers with the Pollards: Shehecheyanu, the blessing traditionally recited to mark special occasions, and matir asurim, a blessing praising God as the liberator of captives. “Now you can begin your lives anew in freedom and happiness,” Netanyahu said. “Now you are home.” “We are ecstatic to be home at last after jewishledger.com
35 years and we thank the people and the Prime Minister of Israel for bringing us home,” Pollard said at the airport.
Boston woman becomes Israel’s first American female Air Force pilot (JTA) – A 21-year-old from Boston is the first female American Israeli Air Force pilot. Lt. O, whose father was a longtime IAF veteran, was among 39 candidates in a class of 500 to make the grade. She was also one of only two female pilots to complete the grueling three-year course. (Israel’s military censors will not allow her last name to be published.) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin were on hand last week for the Negev Desert ceremony. “I’m really ecstatic,” Lt. O said of her graduation. “It took a while until I could feel all the excitement. As soon as my family landed I felt it. Until then I had a bunch of tests and flights.” Lt. O, an Israel native who was raised in the United States, was trained to fly a Boeing 707. She will take on a role that consists of aerial refueling operations and hauling cargo, including medical supplies needed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. She follows in the footsteps of her father, Boaz, who was an IAF navigator for 22 years before moving to the United States. Her mother, Naomi, who served as an IDF communications officer, now works for the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, which provides services to lone soldiers. Her older sister is in Israel and plans special forces operations for its Navy. Lt. O said that she had it “much easier than other lone soldiers” because she already spoke Hebrew and was familiar with Israeli culture, but that the training was still “the most challenging thing” she had ever done. And while her Israeli upbringing stateside was an asset, joining the military was still a significant “culture shock.” Lt. O initially planned on studying medicine stateside before deciding to move back to Israel and enlist in the IAF. It was, she told JTA, “definitely the right decision.”
PA set to pay lump sum to terrorists before new year (PMW via JNS) Though the Palestinian Authority is set before the year’s end to pay terrorists three months’ salary, to avoid Israeli law from banning the move, banks operating in the region are refusing to process the payments. The P.A. has long paid a monthly stipend to terrorists jailed for attacking and murdering Israeli citizens. This can run as high as $3,470 a month for those who have served 30 years or more in jail. Stipends are also paid to the families of those who died carrying out such attacks. But under a military decree in February that applied Israeli anti-terror legislation
to Judea and Samaria, any person who carries out a transaction which “supports, promotes, funds or rewards” terror will be subject to a prison sentence of up to seven to 10 years, depending on the severity of the crime. According to the legislation, the directors and staff of banks operating in the region would be liable for criminal prosecution if they continued to process the payments made by the P.A. to the terrorists and their families. Three weeks prior to the law being due to take effect – originally scheduled for May 9 and then moved to Dec. 31 – Palestinian Media Watch wrote to the banks to warn them of their liability. In response, the Association of Banks in Palestine wrote to the P.A. finance minister to “emphasize the risks to which the banks will be exposed as a result of the presence of these accounts [of prisoners, released prisoners, and families of martyrs and prisoners] in them. They added: “Based on the plenary session of the Association of Banks [in Palestine], all of the banks hereby ask Your Honor to stop transferring any sums into these accounts. The banks will transfer the balances in these accounts to the Ministry of Finance’s account.” The banks also began to freeze the accounts used for the payment of terror salaries. These actions sparked turmoil among Palestinians–violence broke out – as some Palestinians fired shots and threw Molotov cocktails at the banks that refused to continue servicing the terrorists and their families, prompting condemnation by the P.A.’s Monetary Authority; meanwhile, Fatah’s Revolutionary Council called the law a “decision to launch a war” by Israel. According to PMW Legal Strategies director Maurice Hirsch: “Despite the international condemnation of the P.A.’s ‘pay for slay’ policy, the P.A. is doing everything in its power to ensure the continued payment of the terror rewards. While the P.A. has enough money to pay the terrorists three months in advance, just recently, it was the E.U. that contributed 76 million shekels (almost 20 million euros), to support poor Palestinians. At the same time, COVID-19 is raging in the P.A.-controlled areas. Instead of purchasing life-saving medical equipment, the P.A. is squandering tens of millions of shekels on rewarding terror.”
A third ‘Wonder Woman’ with Gal Gadot already in the works
theatrical release, the studio said. “Wonder Woman 1984” had the best debut for a film in the coronavirus era, according to Variety, raking in over $16 million in theatrical sales. Warner Bros. rattled the industry earlier in December when it announced that it will release all of its 2021 films on streaming platforms at the same time as they debut in theaters. There is no timetable yet for the third “Wonder Woman” film, and Variety added that Gadot’s “Cleopatra” remake in the works could complicate scheduling.
Palestinian ‘military expert’: Rabbis teach Jewish kids to ‘kill all nonJews’ (PMW via JNS) During an interview broadcast on official Palestinian Authority television, “military expert” Wasaf Erekat claimed that Jewish children are taught by their rabbis to kill all non-Jews. The interview was aired on the Dec. 16 episode of a program called “PLO–Conventions and Agreements,” according to Israeli NGO Palestinian Media Watch. “The Israelis train their children to carry weapons,” Erekat told the host. “Our children don’t carry weapons. … They train them with weapons and train them based on the principle: ‘Kill everyone who is not Jewish,’” he said, adding, “The rabbis implant this indoctrination in the children of Israel: ‘Kill everyone who is not Jewish.’ ” Needless to say, there is no such principle in Jewish thought. Later in the interview, Erekat said he was “in favor of resisting the occupation [i.e., Israel] by any means,” a phrase often used by Palestinian leaders as a euphemism for violence against Israeli civilians. This is not the first time such views have been aired on official Palestinian television. In the series “Fida’i” (“Self-sacrificing fighter”), produced by Al Aqsa TV in 2015 and rebroadcast in Gaza this year, a Jewish family is seen at the hospital bedside of a relative who was beaten and injured. As they discuss who the attacker might be, a young boy says: “Definitely an Arab. I hate Arabs. I want to kill them!” A male relative responds: “My dear Noam, I want you to be like this. You should always hate Arabs. All our lives we hate Arabs. We don’t love Arabs.” A female relative adds: “We hate Arabs, dear. All of us.”
(JTA) – Just two days after the debut of “Wonder Woman 1984,” Warner Bros. announced that it’s not through with the Gal Gadot superhero just yet: A third movie in the series is being “fast-tracked,” Variety reported Sunday, Dec. 27. While “Wonder Woman 1984” was released on HBO Max as well as in theaters on Dec. 25, the next installment will have a more traditional JEWISH LEDGER
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We spent 2020 fighting about food on Twitter. Why? BY SHIRA HANAU
(JTA) – Even after the candles burned out on the last night of Chanukah, when the dreidels were put away and the gelt long since eaten, Jews were still debating the appropriate toppings for their latkes. There was team applesauce and team sour cream, equally staunch in their arguments that theirs were the most authentic of the toppings. Some argued that the two should coexist on the same potato pancake – but agreed that ketchup was off limits. Even Dr. Anthony Fauci was drawn into the debate, going to bat for the sour cream supporters. The Latke Wars, as some dubbed the debate, weren’t the first Jewish food fights to unfold on the battlefield of Twitter – and they are unlikely to be the last. In fact, Jewish food wars on social media are a near constant, cropping up every few months when someone offers a risky take on the merits of chocolate hummus or a variation of kugel. But is the faceoff really about sour cream and applesauce, or is there more on the line than condiment preferences? When Alex Zeldin first confessed to Twitter two years ago that he finds hamantaschen, the triangle-shaped Purim cookies, to be unredeemable culinarily and beloved only for their nostalgic value, the backlash was fierce. “I was like, I have to be a little bit careful about those because I am wading into things that are borderline sacred to people,” he said. But instead of pulling back on his food opinions, Zeldin has only doubled down. He frequently posts controversial food takes for his more than 10,000 followers, like his opinion, voiced as early as Nov. 30, that applesauce has no place on a latke – the first shot fired in this year’s Latke Wars. The conversations he cultivates exemplify the nature of Jewish food discussions on social media, where the barrier to entry is low and the jokes are plentiful, but the stakes (no pun intended) are often higher than expected. 14
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While Zeldin tries to keep the tone of the arguments lighthearted, others say social media arguments about Jewish food are really proxy wars for deeper tensions in Jewish life. Rather than constituting a silly diversion from the more weighty political discussions that often dominate the platform, they say, the food debates point to deeper existential questions about modern Jewish identity that are constantly churning for many Jews but not possible to hash out on Twitter. Offering a contrarian take on hamantaschen or polling about ketchup fits neatly into 280 characters in a way that, say, hashing out the historic dominance of white, Ashkenazi Jews in public Jewish life or the way multi-faith families are welcomed into synagogues does not. Posting that latkes served with mango chutney don’t count as “Jewish” may seem less toxic than debating the status of someone’s conversion to Judaism. But for the person who takes their latkes with mango chutney, the claim can still feel like an attack on their identity. “Here we’re getting a witness to the fact that food and folkways and culture are also really significant anchors in Jewish identity in practice,” said Yehuda Kurtzer, president of the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, who eats his latkes with applesauce (he calls it an “unimpeachable classic”) and sometimes creme fraiche and smoked salmon. “And the fact that people fight about it shows the extent to which they’re passionate about those as really significant anchors of their identity.” To Rachel B. Gross, a professor of Jewish studies at San Francisco State University, the debates about the proper way to eat Jewish foods and which foods are actually Jewish are really about drawing boundaries to determine which of the people who consume those foods are “in” or “out.” “I think what could be happening here could be described as Jewish nationalism, and certainly Jewish boundary-making in a long history with people using food in this way,” said Gross, whose forthcoming book
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“Beyond the Synagogue: Jewish Nostalgia as Religious Practice” includes a section on the role of food in modern Jewish identity. Food is precisely about ethnic boundarymaking, according to Ari Ariel, a professor of history and international studies at the University of Iowa who has written about Middle Eastern Jewish food and is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York. “If you’re trying to define an ethnic group, that generally means defining attributes of that group, and food ways is always a big part of that,” Ariel said. But for Jews, who have adopted local cuisine from the places they’ve lived all over the world, there is no unified cuisine shared by all. Instead there are many, from Georgian Jewish food and Yemenite Jewish food to Eastern European foods such as latkes. For some observers of social media food discussions like the one about latke toppings this month, the conversations can feel exclusive of those who eat different foods or don’t come from an Eastern European, Ashkenazi background. In a year in which the food publishing world has undergone numerous scandals in which ethnic foods have been stripped of their historic roots, and the Jewish community has gone through a reckoning with its own racial and ethnic diversity, conversations about food can be extra freighted. Rabbi Ruth Abusch-Magder, education director at Be’chol Lashon, an organization that aims to raise awareness of diversity within the Jewish community, said she finds the discussions about latkes to be frustratingly narrow. “I was just watching people get into these fights and maybe they’re just joking around. But for some people, those jokes feel exclusive,” she said, wondering why tostones, bunuelos and other fried foods aren’t part of the discussion when people talk about Chanukah foods. “Or they still create an exclusive vision of what Jewish is. And Jewish is so broad.” “The consequence of calling it [latkes]
SOME S REAL
Jewish food is to say Jews are Ashkenazi Jews who eat latkes,” said Ariel, whose father is Yemenite and often makes zalabiyyah, a kind of Middle Eastern doughnut, for Chanukah. To Anthony Russell, a Yiddishist and singer who is Black, the debates that break out on Twitter over Jewish foods like latkes are about much more than the dominance of Eastern European Jewish traditions in American Jewish life, though he eats his own latkes with applesauce and sour cream, calling himself “a traditionalist lol.” They’re about bigger conversations, he said, about “who’s representative of American Judaism, what does American Jewish culture look like, what does it taste like, who gets to call the shots as to what American Judaism looks like.” Some of the food arguments touch on longstanding disagreements over “Jewish authenticity” and what food, music or rituals are “authentically” Jewish. “There is a larger and really uncomfortable debate about what is authentically Jewish and how should that look in public?” Kurtzer said. “And if for a lot of people their identity is tied into their food, and I think it is, it’s not surprising that when that conversation takes place in public, it makes people uncomfortable, it makes them angry.” Gross said she tries to take a Twitter break every time a holiday is coming because she finds the food fights, and the accompanying claims about Jewish authenticity, tiring. There is not one jewishledger.com
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SAY SOCIAL MEDIA ARGUMENTS ABOUT JEWISH FOOD ARE LLY PROXY WARS FOR DEEPER TENSIONS IN JEWISH LIFE. (ILLUSTRATION BY GRACE YAGEL)
essentially Jewish food, she said, and claiming there is oversimplifies the variety within Jewish cuisine. “If you’re claiming that there’s an authentic Judaism, you’re not accounting for the vast ways that Judaism has been lived throughout time and space,” Gross said. “You’re getting a really flat picture and … you’re not allowing for change.” What is essential to Jewish culture, according to cookbook author Leah Koenig, is the fact that food is often tied to the memories that make up Jewish identity, like family dinners or visits to grandparents. “A lot of the folks in the younger generation are not necessarily super connected to Jewish traditions, but they did grow up eating deli or they did grow up having latkes on Chanukah,” Koenig said. “So for them, it’s also an identity thing … It feels very, very personal.” Sometimes the social media food fights veer into claiming certain foods, like kugel or gefilte fish or brisket, are unequivocally bad. But Koenig also sees an effort underway among Jewish food writers to reinvent those foods and improve upon them. And sometimes, the memories of the food are more important than whether or not it tasted good then or tastes good now. “Even if the food was culinarily not that great, there’s still the layer of memories and nostalgia on top of it,” Koenig said. “There’s this sense of what the meal felt like that colors people’s memories of what the food tasted like.” Reinventing Jewish food can also mean jewishledger.com
discovering dishes from other Jewish cuisines – like swapping out a sweet brisket recipe for an herby Persian lamb stew or kibbeh for meatballs. But without in-person events and face-to-face interactions, opportunities to expand our food horizons are limited to what we can make in our own kitchens or order as takeout. In the absence of food festivals, we get food fights and Latke Wars. “They’re just words, but you can’t eat the words,” Russell said. “You can’t eat the argument, so it never actually goes anywhere.” Even so, Zeldin sees an upside. To him, the food tweets are more about having fun discussions about questions of Jewish identity than any specific foods. And in his experience, the discussions are a way to bring together Jews of different political stripes and religious affiliations who might otherwise not agree on much at all. For those who might feel too intimidated to join Jewish discussions online, food, which is something everyone has experience with, can be an easier entry point to the conversation. “You can just say, well this is what my bubbe used to do,” Zeldin said. “And it’s much more of an invitation that way, even if they’re disagreeing with me, they’re still engaging, “I’m not trying to piss anybody off,” he insists. “But I’m thrilled to get people talking about it.”
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Bi-Cultural Hebrew Academy to Honor Community Leaders at Celebration Dinner STAMFORD – Several leaders of the Connecticut Jewish community will be honored for their commitment to Jewish education and their dedication to community service at the Bi-Cultural Hebrew Academy (BCHA) 2021 Celebration Dinner, it was announced recently by dinner co-chairs, Vered and Mark Links and Shira and Marc Nerenberg. The annual dinner, which for the first time will take place virtually, will be held Sunday, February 28, 6:30 p.m. The evening will pay tribute to Guests of Honor Stephanie and Josh Bilenker. Other honorees include Nicole and Jonathan Makovsky, who will receive the BCHA Young Leadership Award, and Doris Zelinsky, recipient of the Morton G. Scheraga President’s Award. The 2021 Alumni Award will be presented to eight BCHA graduates who are all currently serving in the Israel Defense Forces. Along with the many other courageous BCHA alumni who have previously completed tours of duty in the IDF, these soldiers are being recognized for their selfless contribution and commitment to the safety and well-being of the Jewish state. The eight are Meital Wiederhorn of Westport, Judy Fogel of Stamford, Nathan
JFACT advocacy leads state to release $5 million for security upgrades to synagogues and others On Friday, Dec. 18, the State Bond Commission released $5 million in funds for much needed security upgrades for Houses of Worship and other threatened nonprofits. The Jewish Federation Association of Connecticut (JFACT), which led this advocacy effort, welcomed the approval of this money because nonprofits are struggling to maintain services while investing in their security measures. Release of the funds comes at a time of increasing concern among American Jewish communities over the steep rise in antisemitism and antisemitic incidents throughout the country, which has been well-documented by the Anti-Defamation League and the FBI. Like other Jewish communities nationwide, Connecticut has made combatting antisemitism its number
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Haron of Stamford, Nathan Links of Stamford, Mia Brenner of Stamford, Maya Wiener of Ridgefield, Ella Feuerstein of Weston and Michal Yaari, who resides in Zichron Yaakov, Israel. Jacqueline Herman, who is retiring as Bi-Cultural’s Head of School at the end of this academic year, will receive the Stamford school’s inaugural Walter Shuchatowitz Award for Excellence in
BI-CULTURAL HEBREW ACADEMY 2021 CELEBRATION DINNER CO-CHAIRS (L TO R) SHIRA NERENBERG AND VERED LINKS
BCHA GUESTS OF HONOR STEPHANIE AND JOSH BILENKER
one priority. One of the manifestations of this rise in antisemitism has been an increase in attacks on Jewish communal institutions. The $5 million will allow Houses of Worship across Connecticut to help secure their buildings against a possible future attack. “On behalf of the Jewish communities across Connecticut, we thank the Governor and other members of the State Bond Commission for releasing these funds,” said Michael Bloom, executive director of the Jewish Federation Association of Connecticut. “The State of Connecticut has a leading role to play in public safety, and these dollars will help our Jewish nonprofits increase their security measures.” Once the program is created by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, organizations will be able to apply for up to $50,000 which can be used for: • The reinforcement of entryways with ballistic glass, solid core doors, double door access, computer-controlled electronic
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Education, named for the school’s founder and first principal who died in November 2019. “As with many Jewish institutions, this year is a particularly challenging one for BCHA,” says Rabbi Tzvi Bernstein, Dean of the school. “We are, therefore, extremely excited to have this group of honorees. In this regard, our theme this year of “Hishtadlut” is perfectly suited for these honorees. Hishtadlut conveys our obligation to use all of our resources in difficult times to accomplish the goals and expectations
locks, remote locks on all entrance and exits, and door buzzer systems; • The use of cameras throughout a building and at all entrances and exits, including the use of closed-circuit television monitoring; • Penetration-resistant vestibules; AND • Other security infrastructure improvements and devices as they become industry standards. “We know that the Governor and other state leaders have many pressing issues to address. We are grateful that they continue to prioritize the need to help ensure that Jewish community institutions and other threatened organizations are in a better position to protect the people they serve,” noted JFACT President Gary Jones. Eligible nonprofit organizations will be able to apply for funds in the new year. JFACT intends to host a webinar in the coming weeks to answer questions from Jewish non-profits about this important funding opportunity. For more information, contact JFACT at (860) 7275701, or aweber@jfact.org.
that Hashem has for each of us. Each and every one of our honorees has not allowed the pandemic to interfere with their service to the Jewish community and as such exemplify the dinner theme.” In addition to the dinner co-chairs, the dinner journal co-chairs are Jodi Hadge, Liat Sharabi Karsch and Maria Reicin. For more information on the Bi-Cultural Hebrew Academy Celebration Dinner, contact Rachel Cohen at rcohen@bcha-ct. org or (203) 329-2186.
B’NAI MITZVAH JONAH SCHULMAN, son of Jessica Rubin and Gary Schulman, celebrated his bar mitzvah on Saturday, Dec. 19, at The Emanuel Synagogue in West Hartford.
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LETTER Biden must reject Obama’s flawed vision of Israel and the Jews
THE KOSHER CROSSWORD JAN. 8, 2021 “Vowelization” By: Yoni Glatt
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Many Jews are wondering what President elect Biden will think and to about the Jewish people and Israel. We can’t let him ignore Israel or, especially with the benefit of recent events, pretend that Obama’s “colonial” era view of Israel, should be part of his thinking. Biden should be urged to define the Jewish people in an up-todate way: An origin and genetically indigenous Middle East people, some of whom, for centuries, remained in their homeland or other parts of the Middle East (half of Israel’s population today is from the Middle East, not Europe); and that the Jewish people have returned to the new and improved nation of Israel, a model – albeit imperfect – for the world. Yes, never forget the Holocaust; but stop defining the Jewish people solely as the victims of the Holocaust. Yes, it happened. But the Europe where it happened was just an interim stopping point for the Jewish people, many of whom, since 1948, have returned to their ancient homeland. Biden should reject Obama’s notion that Israel is just a result of “evil” 18th, 19th and 20th century colonialism. And, by the way, even under that notion, everyone, including Biden, should acknowledge that most of today’s current Middle East nations are simply the result of the same colonial dynamics that resulted in the rebirth of the Jewish nation of Israel. Yes folks, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan et al are all figments of colonial era imaginations. Lester Freundlich Stamford
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SHABBAT DINNER TRADITIONAL DAIRY LUNCHEON DELI SANDWICH PLATTER DINNER MENU
Across 1. What most people do when reading Torah 6. Say, in Israel 10. Kind of shot 13. “___ is Born” 14. Spy that’s an animal 15. Sever 16. Some kiddush options 18. It’s much bigger than the Risk board makes it look: Abbr. 19. Plural of is 20. Word with “while,” old-style 21. Horowitz who goes undercover to make short videos 22. Eavesdropping org. 23. Great Torah sage that was a
gladiator in his youth 27. ID info., in the U.S. 28. ___ Academic College (in northern Israel) 29. Samurai’s sash 31. Spelling whose first name is actually Victoria 33. Need for most cars 34. Israel’s 4th largest city 38. QB’s try 39. “A” Bronte sister 40. “___ Einai” 41. Words before “radio”, for a streaming network 43. Pirate’s exclamation 45. VIP in many a beit midrash 48. Hot tub spot
51. Start to please...and yet not? 52. Minimal bit 53. Made like David in battle (almost always) 54. “Frasier” role 55. Like one eager to get home and eat after Yom Kippur 58. Body spray option 59. Fisher who married Cohen 60. Does some smoothing over 61. “Danny and the Dinosaur” author Hoff 62. “I have ___ a stranger in a strange land” (Ex 2:22) 63. Annie’s dog
Down 1. It’s a wrap 2. Asian leaders that often were not friendly to Jews 3. On the ocean 4. “Not interested” 5. Household appliances 6. Not as it should be 7. One of 13, some years 8. Craft item 9. Low-___ image 10. Pink birds 11. State with Cajun 10-Down 12. Downs’ opposite 17. Small, brown bird 21. Letters for those with stage names
24. Many Midrashim, e.g. 25. Colo. neighbor 26. “___ Pinafore” 27. Dina to Levi, for short 29. Traditional (Jewish) ideology 30. Handy for snacking 31. SpikeTV, formerly 32. Bull cry 35. “Attention!”, to Shakespeare 36. Aware of, as a scam 37. Ending for “cash” or “front” 38. Basic need 42. “I see” sounds 43. Himalayan of 24-Down 44. Singer Morissette 46. Fine cotton thread 47. “The Parent Trap” actress
Lindsay 48. Exhibit faintness 49. Disraeli currency worth much more than Israeli currency 50. On shpilkes 54. ___ Al Ghul (“Batman Begins” villain) 55. Eve, once 56. Find a purpose for 57. Vilna Gaon, with “The”
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WHAT’S HAPPENING Jewish organizations are invited to submit their upcoming events to the our What’s Happening section. Events are placed on the Ledger website on Tuesday afternoons. Deadline for submission of calendar items is the previous Tuesday. Send items to: judiej@jewishledger. com.
The COVID-19 Vaccine and Judaism “The COVID-19 Vaccine: The Intersection Between Jewish Law, Ethics and Public Policy,” a two-part talk presented on Zoom by Young Israel of West Hartford and led by Rabbi Tuvia Brander, will be held on Tuesdays, Jan. 5 and 19 at 8 p.m. The series will explore the ways in which Judaism addresses vaccine prioritization, development, and distribution, including whether a bracha (blessing) should be recited and what obligation exists to be vaccinated. Join at youngisraelwh. org/zoom. For more information or to submit questions in advance, email info@ youngisraelwh.org
Short Story Coffee Break
Jan. 7 – A Room on the Roof by Savyon Liebrecht Jan. 21 – Stories from We Love Anderson Cooper by R. L. Maizes who will join us via Zoom to answer your questions! Feb. 4 – The Spinoza of Market Street by Isaac Bashevis Singer Feb. 18 – Purim Nights by Edith Pearlman
He is the author of two books: Strangers in Many Lands, a family and personal history, and On the Edge of the Abyss, a translation and annotation of essays written by his father, Rabbi Kalman Chameides between 1932 and 1936. For information and the Zoom link, visit jhsgh.org/poland/
and a surprising tale of possible murder. Participants need not have read the book to enjoy the discussion. Visit our website www. orshalomct.org to register.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 19 The COVID-19 Vaccine and Judaism
THURSDAY, JANUARY 14
Friends of the Library and Sisterhood of Congregation Beth Israel in West Hartford will present “A Conversation about Louise Glück, 2020 Nobel Laureate for Literature,” on Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. The virtual conversation is presented by CCSU Professor Aimee Pozorski and moderated by Karen Beyard, Learning Center coordinator. Poems for discussion will be available for pre-registrants. For more information, visit cbict.org/calendar.
“The COVID-19 Vaccine: The Intersection Between Jewish Law, Ethics and Public Policy,” a two-part talk presented on Zoom by Young Israel of West Hartford and led by Rabbi Tuvia Brander, will be held on Tuesdays, Jan. 5 and 19 at 8 p.m. The series will explore the ways in which Judaism addresses vaccine prioritization, development, and distribution, including whether a bracha (blessing) should be recited and what obligation exists to be vaccinated. Join at youngisraelwh. org/zoom. For more information or to submit questions in advance, email info@ youngisraelwh.org
Book Group discussion: Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
THURSDAY, JANUARY 21
Speaking of Nobel laureate Louis Gluck
Prof. Joyce Saltman will lead a discussion of the novel Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, at this new 2021 book group hosted online by Congregation Or Shalom of Orange on Jan 14 at 7:30 p.m. The book is an ode to the natural world, a heart-breaking coming-of-age story,
Teaching Jewish Diversity; Dismantling the “White, Male Jew Prof. Aaron Hahn Tapper of the University of San Francisco will discuss “Teaching Jewish Diversity; Dismantling the “White, Male Jew” on Jan. 21 at 7:30 on Zoom, as
SUNDAY, JANUARY 10
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6
A Virtual tour of Jewish Paris with Karen Reb Rudel
ZOOM & Learn: “Moses Through the Eyes of Madras & Art”
Participants will experience the history of the Jewish community in Paris with stories from Holocaust survivors and their families, rabbis, and others, on Jan. 10 at 6:30 p.m. Among the sites to be visited are Le Marais (a main Jewish neighborhood), Place de Vosges, Hotel de Sully, Synagogue Hector Guimard (the oldest synagogue in Paris), Musee Carnavalet, SHOAH Holocaust Memorial Museum and more.For more information, visit cbict.org/calendar.
Through the ages, the powerful stories of the Bible have been illuminated in legend and on canvas. In this class, held on Zoom on Wednesdays in January, 11 a.m.-noon, Rabbi Alvin Wainhaus of Congregation Or Shalom in Orange will discuss dramatically different artistic and folkloristic takes on Moses. To register or for more info, visit Coshalom@sbcglobal.net or call (203) 7992341.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 7
TUESDAY, JANUARY 12
The Biblical Prophets and Social Justice Prof. Deena Grant of the Hartford Seminary will discuss “The Biblical Prophets and Social Justice” on Jan. 7 at 7:30 on Zoom, as part of the 2021 series of virtual lectures surrounding the theme of “The Jewish Roots of Social Justice,” presented by the ALEPH Institute, a learning initiative sponsored by the Mandell JCC and UConn Judaic Studies. The Jan. 7 lecture will focus on Biblical prophets, such as Amos, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, who witnessed and called out JEWISH LEDGER
THURSDAYS, JANUARY 7 FEBRUARY 18 Readers are invited to discuss short stories by Jewish authors at the “Short Story Coffee Break,” hosted on Zoom by Congregation Beth Israel of West Hartford on the first and third Thursdays of each month at 11 a.m. Led by Learning Center Director Karen Beyard. For more information or to register and receive a copy of the next short story and Zoom link, email kbeyard@cbict.org.
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systemic social injustices. It will explore the prophetic argument for social justice as well as the prophetic experience of failure, in order to understand the role of prophecy within the larger context Israel’s salvation, exile, and restoration. For more information, visit judaicstudies.uconn.edu or mandelljcc.org.
“Poland, the Jews, and My Family” with Dr. Leon Chameides Dr. Leon Chameides will discuss Poland and Polish Jewish history and how members of his family were affected by them at “Poland, The Jews, and My Family,” a virtual talk sponsored by the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford and CT Voices of Hope, on Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. Dr. Chameideswas born in Poland and spent the war years hidden in a Ukrainian Greek-Catholic monastery. He went to England in 1946 and came to the United States in 1949. He was director of pediatrics at Hartford Hospital for 10 years.
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The 9th Annual Saul CohenSchoke Jewish Family Service Lecture Series presents: “Coping with the New Normal: Recover, Recharge and Rejoice” Schoke Jewish Family Service presents the 9th Annual Saul Cohen-Schoke JFS Lecture, a series of three online presentations by prominent authors focusing on how to “recover, recharge and rejoice” while adapting to the new normal created by COVID-19. Funded by Mimi Cohen and Saul Cohen, z”l, the free lectures are held at 7:30 p.m., and are co-sponsored by UJA/JCC Greenwich, Federation for Jewish Philanthropy of Upper Fairfield County and the UJF Greater Stamford, New Canaan and Darien, in partnership with the Jewish Book Council.. To register, visit www.ctjfs.org/saulcohen-jfs-lecture. For more info, contact Matt Greenberg at (203) 921-4161 or mgreenberg@ctjfs.org.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 13 Jason B. Rosenthal, author of My Wife Said You May Want to Marry Me: A Memoir, the response to an essay published in the Sunday New York Times by his wife, Amy Krouse Rosenthal. The essay, called “You May Want to Marry My Husband,” went viral. Soon after, Krouse Rosenthal died of ovarian cancer Rosenthal will talk about the issues related to processing grief and finding the path to hope and joy amongst the pain.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 10 Tiffany Shlain, Emmy-nominated filmmaker and author of 24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day A Week, will discuss “Tech Shabbat,” which focuses on regaining your inner calm and connection to people instead of screens.
TUESDAY, APR. 27 Best-selling author Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, co-founder of the Happiness Studies Academy who also taught Happiness Studies at Columbia University, will discuss how to achieve happiness and rejoice in life under challenging circumstances. jewishledger.com
JANUARY 5 – FEBRUARY 28 part of the 2021 series of virtual lectures surrounding the theme of “The Jewish Roots of Social Justice,” presented by the ALEPH Institute, a learning initiative sponsored by the Mandell JCC and UConn Judaic Studies. This session offers one way to both teach and deconstruct the dominant stereotypes that Jews reinforce when teaching about Jews and Judaism. For more information, visit judaicstudies.uconn.edu or mandelljcc.org.
Israel in West Hartford, and JewGood, a branch of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford that empowers young professionals to engage in philanthropy, are hosting “Purim on Tap,” a virtual discussion of the Purim story on Feb. 11 at 6:30 p.m., with refreshments. For more information, visit cbict.org/calendar.
Celebrate Tu B’Shvat! January 28th, @ 7:00 pm.
Jewish Ethics, Social Justice, and the 21st Century Rabbinate
Celebrate with Rabbi Marisa James, Director of Social Justice Programming at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, NYC. Tu B’Shvat takes place at the full moon as Israel’s almond trees blossom! Learn about the universal message of this little-known holiday with our own Rabbi Marisa James. Rabbi Marisa, who celebrated her Bat Mitzvah at Congregation Or Shalom, has been leading our High Holiday services as our Visiting Rabbi and Cantor. Visit our website www.orshalomct.org to register.
Rabbi Stephanie Ruskay of the Jewish Theological Seminary will discuss “Jewish Ethics, Social Justice, Community Organizing and the 21st Century Rabbinate ” on Feb. 18 at 7:30 on Zoom, as part of the 2021 series of virtual lectures surrounding the theme of “The Jewish Roots of Social Justice,” presented by the ALEPH Institute, a learning initiative sponsored by the Mandell JCC and UConn Judaic Studies. Rabbi Ruskay will focus on raising the scope and profile of social justice work and community organizing skills in the role of the contemporary rabbi. For more information, visit judaicstudies.uconn.edu or mandelljcc.org.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 31
Beyond the Ghetto Gates with author Michelle Cameron The book Beyond the Ghetto Gates by Michelle Cameron is set in 1796-97, a rare happy epoch in Jewish life when Napoleon marched into Italy and demolished the ghetto gates, freeing the Jews who had long been trapped behind them. This virtual book discussion with Cameron on Feb. 18 at 7 p.m., explores issues the novel raises issue that remain pertinent today, including antisemitism, the conflict between assimilation and religious tradition, intermarriage, and the struggle between love and familial duty. For more information, visit cbict.org/calendar.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28 Bi-Cultural Hebrew Academy’s gala goes virtual “Engaging with Fortitude” is the theme of the Bi-Cultural Hebrew Academy 65th Annual Celebration Dinner to be held virtually on Sunday, Feb. 28 at 6:30 p.m. At this year’s dinner, the pre-K through grade 12 Stamford school will pay tribute to several community leaders, including: Guests of Honor Stephanie and Josh Bilenker; Young Leadership Award
Israel and the Jewish Reform Movement Anat Hoffman, executive director of the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) will discuss “The Legal Status of the Reform Movement in Israel” on Jan. 31 at 11 a.m. She will address the challenges of having Reform conversions and weddings recognized, equal governmental funding, and the challenges facing Reform congregations. For more information, visit cbict.org/calendar.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7 In the Footsteps of David and Goliath: A Virtual Tour Yoramm Preminger will lead a virtual tour of the Elah Valley, the site of the battle between David and Goliath, on Zoom, Feb. 7 at 1 p.m. The biblical text aid in the exploration of the geographical setting for the battle, as participants look at some of the sites mentioned such as Azekah and Sha’arayim. The story opens a window into the important historical period of the early days of the Kingdom of Israel. For more information, visit cbict.org/calendar.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11 “Purim On Tap” for Young Adults The Tribe, a group for adults in their 20’s and 30’s organized by Congregation Beth jewishledger.com
recipients Nicole and Jonathan Makovsky; Doris Zelinsky, recipient of the Morton G. Scheraga President’s Award; and the many school alumni who are currently serving in the Israel Defense Force. In addition, Jacqueline Herman, who will be retiring as Bi-Cultural head of school at the end of this academic year, will receive the inaugural Walter Shuchatowitz Award for Excellence in Education. For more information, call (203) 3292186 or visit bcha-ct.org. Looking for God in All the Right Places with author Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin will discuss his book Looking for God in All the Right Places, on Zoom, Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. Rabbi Slakin is well known for his writing, teaching and activism. He has written or edited three Torah commentaries – two of which are for teens. Several of his books have won national awards. His award-winning blog, “Martini Judaism: for those who want to be shaken and stirred,” is published by the Religion News Service. He is currently spiritual leader of Temple Israel in West Palm Beach, Florida.For more information, visit cbict.org/calendar.
OBITUARIES CAPLAN Martha Jo Caplan, 63, of West Hartford, died Dec. 2. Born in Hartford, she was the daughter of Eleanor (Neiditz) Caplan of West Hartford, and the late Jerome E. Caplan. She was a member of The Emanuel Synagogue. In addition to her mother, she is survived by a brother Richard Caplan and his wife, Laurie of Wilmington, Vt.; her nephews, Jonathan Joseph Caplan and Nathan Jerome Caplan; and many aunts, uncles, and cousins. CHAET Sharon (Stoltz) Chaet, 71, died Dec. 21. Born in Hartford, she was the daughter of Morris and Henrietta Stoltz. She was a member of the Chabad of the Shoreline in Guilford. She was predeceased by her son Aaron Nicholas. She is survived by her daughters, Rachel Nicholas and fiancé John Hernandez of Hartsdale, N.Y., Rumore and her wife Heather Rumore of New Haven; her grandchildren Johnny and Joshua Hernandez; her sister Lorraine Kuszek of East Berlin; and several nieces, nephews, cousins and their families. FOSTER Dorothy (Brenner) Foster, 104, of North
Miami, Fla., formerly of Manchester, died Dec. 14. She was the widow of Louis L. Foster. Born in New York, N.Y. and raised in Newtown, she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Edith (Gutmann) Brenner. She was a member of Temple Temple Beth Sholom (now Beth Sholom B’nai Israel). She is survived by her son Samuel C. Foster and his wife Janet of Beverly, Mass.; her grandson Russell Mofsky and his wife Kristen McLean of Miami; and her greatgranddaughter Lola Mofsky-McLean, along with many nieces and nephews. She was also predeceased by her son David Sherman Foster; her sisters, Anna Brenner Myers, Sarah Hochman, Gertrude Bergad, and Muriel Bernstein; and her brothers, William Brenner, Herman Brenner and Robert Brenner. GLOTZER Janice (Franklin) Glotzer, 94 of Glastonbury, died Dec. 11. She was the widow of William B. Glotzer. Born in Hartford, she was the daughter of the late Marcus and Lee (Olshan) Franklin. She is survived by her daughters, Sherry Harriman and her husband Jim of South Glastonbury, and Ellen Stoltz and her husband Joel of Tucson, Ariz.;
her grandchildren, Marni Lane and her husband Jason, Josh Harriman and his wife Kimberly, Jeremy Stoltz and his wife Alyssa, and Shira Matityahu and her husband Boaz; her great-grandchildren, Tucker and Alexa Lane, Amby Harriman, William, Madison and Jace Stoltz, and Moshe, Benyahim, Simcha and Emunah Matityahu; her brother Richard Franklin and his wife Carol of Carlisle, Penn.; and her sisters-in-law, Rachel Glotzer of Norwalk and Arline Glotzer of Roslindale, Mass. She was also predeceased by her sister Adele Fox, and her greatgranddaughter Colette Lane. GOLDSTEIN Mel Goldstein, 102, of Stamford, died Dec. 24. He was the son of Joseph and Hattie Goldstein of Brooklyn, N.Y. He served in the United States Armed Forces during World War II. He is survived by his sons, Howard Goldstein and David Goldstein, generations of nephews and nieces, and caregivers who remain part of the family.
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HEVENSTONE Judith Z. Hevenstone z”l, 80, of Bridgeport, Conn. passed away Saturday December 12, 2020. Born in Bridgeport, she was the daughter of Meyer z”l and Ethel (Swirsky) Zwerdling z”l. Judy was an active member of Congregation Rodeph Sholom of Bridgeport, Conn. where she was a board member. More recently she was a member of Congregation B’nai Torah of Trumbull, Conn. Judy is survived by her husband of 62 years Harvey and children, Robin (Paul) Gordon, of Cheshire, Conn., Hazzan Steven (Kathy) Hevenstone, of Dix Hills, NY and Michael (Sara) Hevenstone of Stratford, Conn., and her cherished grandchildren, Nathaniel, Aaron, Alison and Emilia. Judy also leaves her sister Beverly (Irwin) Peck of Shelton, Conn. as well as nieces, nephews and dear friends. She is predeceased by her older sister Charlotte z”l (Robert z”l)) Bazer. A private family funeral will take place, officiated by Rabbi Colin Brodie and Hazzan Steven Hevenstone. Donations may be made in Judy’s Memory to one of the following: American Kidney Fund, www. kidneyfund.org; Congregation B’nai Torah in Trumbull, Conn. at www.bnaitorahct. org/payment.php. Funeral arrangements provided by Abraham L. Green and Son Funeral Home of Fairfield, Conn. HOLTMAN Arnold David Holtman, 72, of Ellington, died Dec. 10. Born in Hartford, he was the son of the late Max and Amy (Keyfitz) Holtman. He is survived by his children, Joseph Holtman and his wife Lora Rath of Arlington, Va., Michael Holtman and his wife Kristin of Terryville,
and Allison Holtman and her husband Jacob Shemkovitz of Brooklyn, N.Y.; his grandchildren, Madison and Owen Holtman and Eloise and Nathan Shemkovitz; and his sister Lonnie Scheinblum of Guilford. He was predeceased by his brother-in-law, Michael Scheinblum. He was previously married to Rhonda Kraimer Holtman of West Hartford and Laura Crane of Rockville. KAGAN Elaine G. Kagan, 87, of Boca Raton, Fla., formerly of West Hartford, died Dec. 28. She was the wife of Eugene Kagan. Born in Newark, N.J., and raised in Hartford, she was the daughter of the late Rose White Silverman and her stepfather Charles Silverman. In addition to her husband, she is survived by her daughters. Tammy Kagan Levine, Caren Kagan Evans and Julie Susan Kagan; her grandchildren, Ross Weiner and his wife Jane, Elizabeth Weiner Miller and her husband husband Andy, and Rachel and Joshua Evans; her great-grandchildren, Spencer and Lilly Weiner and Evan Miller; and several nieces and nephews She was also predeceased by her son-in-law Marc Levine. LASCHEVER Dolores Laschever, 92, died Dec. 22 in Simsbury. She was the widow of Barnett D. Laschever. Born in Buffalo, N.Y., she was the daughter of the late Meyer N. and Rose (Banditson) Palanker. She was also predeceased by her son Adam. She is survived by her children, Jonathan Laschever and his wife Kathryn, of Branford, Sara Laschever and her
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husband Tim Riley of Concord, Mass., Ann-Rebecca Laschever and her husband Claudio Kupchik of Woodmere, N.Y., and Valerie Chausse and her husband Keith of Litchfield; 10 grandchildren and 6 greatgrandchildren. LEVY Ida Levy, 92 of West Hartford, Dec. 18, from complications due to Covid-19. She was the widow of Henry Levy. Born in Vienna, Austria, she was the daughter of the late Chaim and Anna Sack, and the sister of the late Max Sack. A Holocaust survivor, she and her family fled Vienna after experiencing the Kristallnacht pogrom in 1938. They fled to Thessaloniki, Greece where the family was then imprisoned by the Nazis. She met her late husband of after they were liberated in 1945 from the Bergen-Belsen and Auschwitz concentration camps. The couple worked tirelessly to promote Holocaust education and awareness throughout their lives in the U.S. The remainder of her family perished in the Holocaust. She is survived by her children, Esther Tafrizi and husband Shmuel of Brooklyn, N.Y., Joseph Levy and his wife Helayne of Venice, Calif., and Ann McCarthy and her husband Kevin of Westbrook; 9 grandchildren and 8 greatgrandchildren. MAYERSON Bertram Lawrence Mayerson, 92, of East Hartford, died Dec. 9. He was the husband of Elizabeth Barrett Costa Mayerson, and the widower of Dorothy Gillette Mayerson. He was born in Mineola, N.Y., the son of the late Jacob and Rachel Mayerson. He served in the United States Air Force during the Korean Conflict. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his sons, Brent Mayerson and his wife Elizabeth of Bolton, and Jeffrey Mayerson and his wife Kathryn of Lewiston, Me.; his grandson Kent Mayerson and his fiancé Alexandra Mekus; his step-daughter Deborah Costa and her husband Michael Griffaton and their sons Daniel and David Griffaton of Pickerington, Ohio; and many cousins.
PISETSKY Norma (Levinson) Pisetsky, 86, of Hamden, formerly of Milford and Woodbridge, died Dec. 19. She was the widow of Marvin Pisetsky and the partner of the late Charles Sterling. Raised in Springfield, Mass., she was the daughter of the late Gertrude (Cashner) and Myer Levinson. She is survived by her sister Sylvia (Levinson) and her husbandRalph Memolo, Brookline, Mass.; her nephew Jay Levey of Worcester, Mass.; her sisters-in-law, Phyllis Schloss of Pittsburgh, Penn., and Felda Yron of Israel; her brother-in-law Calvin Price and his wife Elaine of Delray Beach, Fla.; Charles Sterling’s children, Jane and Michael Swirsky of Pleasantville, N.Y., Peter and Laurie Sterling of Boca Raton, Fla., and John and Cathie of Sterling, Ariz., and their families; and several nieces, nephews and cousins. She was also predeceased by her sister Miriam (Levinson) Levey and her husband Herman Levey; and two nieces, Phyllis and Andrea Levey. YELLIN Roslyn “Roz” Yellin, 98, of Delray Beach, Fla, died Dec. 8. She was the widow of Robert Yellin. She was the daughter of the late David and Fannie (Beck) Levin of New Britain. She was a member of Beth El Temple in West Hartford. She is survived by her daughter Marlene Wilson of Raleigh, N.C.; her brother Ira Levin of West Hartford; her grandson Eric Wilson of New York, N.Y.: her granddaughter Stacey Wilson and her husband Robert Williamson of Portland, Or.; and her greatgrandchildren, Tyler and Emily Williamson. She was also was predeceased by her son, Michael Yellin. The Ledger prints a basic obituary free of charge. Free obituaries are edited to fit the newspaper’s style. Obituaries that those submitting would like to run “as is,” as well as accompanying photos, may be printed for a charge. For more information: judiej@jewishledger. com, 860.231.2424.
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CT SYNAGOGUE DIRECTORY To join our synagogue directories, contact Howard Meyerowitz at (860) 231-2424 x3035 or howardm@jewishledger.com. BLOOMFIELD B’nai Tikvoh-Sholom/ Neshama Center for Lifelong Learning Conservative Rabbi Debra Cantor (860) 243-3576 office@BTSonline.org www.btsonline.org BRIDGEPORT Congregation B’nai Israel Reform Rabbi Evan Schultz (203) 336-1858 info@cbibpt.org www.cbibpt.org Congregation Rodeph Sholom Conservative (203) 334-0159 Rabbi Richard Eisenberg, Cantor Niema Hirsch info@rodephsholom.com www.rodephsholom.com Jewish Senior Services Traditional Rabbi Stephen Shulman (203) 396-1001 sshulman@jseniors.org www.jseniors.org CHESHIRE Temple Beth David Reform Rabbi Micah Ellenson (203) 272-0037 office@TBDCheshire.org www.TBDCheshire.org CHESTER Congregation Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek Reform Rabbi Marci Bellows (860) 526-8920 rabbibellows@cbsrz.org www.cbsrz.org
COLCHESTER Congregation Ahavath Achim Conservative Rabbi Kenneth Alter (860) 537-2809 secretary@congregationahavathachim.org EAST HARTFORD Temple Beth Tefilah Conservative Rabbi Yisroel Snyder (860) 569-0670 templebetht@yahoo.com FAIRFIELD Congregation Ahavath Achim Orthodox (203) 372-6529 office@ahavathachim.org www.ahavathachim.org Congregation Beth El, Fairfield Conservative Rabbi Marcelo Kormis (203) 374-5544 office@bethelfairfield.org www.bethelfairfield.org GLASTONBURY Congregation Kol Haverim Reform Rabbi Dr. Kari Tuling (860) 633-3966 office@kolhaverim.org www.kolhaverim.org GREENWICH Greenwich Reform Synagogue Reform Rabbi Jordie Gerson (203) 629-0018 hadaselias@grs.org www.grs.org
Temple Sholom Conservative Rabbi Mitchell M. Hurvitz Rabbi Chaya Bender Cantor Sandy Bernstein (203) 869-7191 info@templesholom.com www.templesholom.com HAMDEN Temple Beth Sholom Conservative Rabbi Benjamin Edidin Scolnic (203) 288-7748 tbsoffice@tbshamden.com www.tbshamden.com MADISON Temple Beth Tikvah Reform Rabbi Stacy Offner (203) 245-7028 office@tbtshoreline.org www.tbtshoreline.org MANCHESTER Beth Sholom B’nai Israel Conservative Rabbi Randall Konigsburg (860) 643-9563 Rabbenu@myshul.org programming@myshul.org www.myshul.org MIDDLETOWN Adath Israel Conservative Spiritual Leaders: Rabbi Marshal Press Rabbi Michael Kohn (860) 346-4709 office@adathisraelct.org www.adathisraelct.org
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NEW HAVEN The Towers Conservative Ruth Greenblatt, Spiritual Leader (203) 772-1816 rebecca@towerone.org www.towerone.org Congregation Beth El-Keser Israel Conservative Rabbi Jon-Jay Tilsen (203) 389-2108 office@BEKI.org www.BEKI.org
ORANGE Chabad of Orange/ Woodbridge Chabad Rabbi Sheya Hecht (203) 795-5261 info@chabadow.org www.chabadow.org
Orchard Street ShulCongregation Beth Israel Orthodox Rabbi Mendy Hech t 973-723-9070 www.orchardstreetshul.org
Congregation Or Shalom Conservative Rabbi Alvin Wainhaus (203) 799-2341 info@orshalomct.org www.orshalomct.org
NEW LONDON Ahavath Chesed Synagogue Orthodox Rabbi Avrohom Sternberg 860-442-3234 Ahavath.chesed@att.net
RIDGEFIELD Congregation Shir Shalom of Westchester and Fairfield Counties Reform Rabbi David Reiner Cantor Debora Katchko-Gray (203) 438-6589 office@ourshirshalom.org
Congregation Beth El Conservative Rabbi Earl Kideckel (860) 442-0418 office@bethel-nl.org www.bethel-nl.org NEWINGTON Temple Sinai Reform Rabbi Jeffrey Bennett (860) 561-1055 templesinaict@gmail.com www.sinaict.org NEWTOWN Congregation Adath Israel Conservative Rabbi Barukh Schectman (203) 426-5188 office@congadathisrael.org www.congadathisrael.org NORWALK Beth Israel Synagogue – Chabad of Westport/ Norwalk Orthodox-Chabad Rabbi Yehoshua S. Hecht (203) 866-0534 info@bethisraelchabad.org bethisraelchabad.org Congregation Beth El-Norwalk Conservative Rabbi Ita Paskind (203) 838-2710 Jody@congbethel.org www.congbethel.org
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Temple Shalom Reform Rabbi Mark Lipson (203) 866-0148 admin@templeshalomweb.org www.templeshalomweb.org
SIMSBURY Chabad of the Farmington Valley Chabad Rabbi Mendel Samuels (860) 658-4903 chabadsimsbury@gmail.com www.chabadotvalley.org Farmington Valley Jewish Congregation, Emek Shalom Reform Rabbi Rebekah Goldman Mag (860) 658-1075 admin@fvjc.org www.fvjc.org SOUTH WINDSOR Temple Beth Hillel of South Windsor Reform Rabbi Jeffrey Glickman (860) 282-8466 tbhrabbi@gmail.com www.tbhsw.org SOUTHINGTON Gishrei Shalom Jewish Congregation Reform Rabbi Alana Wasserman (860) 276-9113 President@gsjc.org www.gsjc.org
TRUMBULL Congregation B’nai Torah Conservative Rabbi Colin Brodie (203) 268-6940 office@bnaitorahct.org www.bnaitorahct.org WALLINGFORD Beth Israel Synagogue Conservative Rabbi Bruce Alpert (203) 269-5983 richardcaplan@sbcglobal.net www.bethisrael/wallingford. org WASHINGTON Greater Washington Coalition Rabbi James Greene (860) 868-2434 admin@jewishlifect.org www.jewishlife.org WATERFORD Temple Emanu - El Reform Rabbi Marc Ekstrand Rabbi Emeritus Aaron Rosenberg (860) 443-3005 office@tewaterfrord.org www.tewaterford.org WEST HARTFORD Beth David Synagogue Orthodox Rabbi Yitzchok Adler (860) 236-1241 office@bethdavidwh.org www.bethdavidwh.org Beth El Temple Conservative Rabbi James Rosen Rabbi Ilana Garber (860) 233-9696 hsowalsky@bethelwh.org www.bethelwesthartford.org Chabad House of Greater Hartford Rabbi Joseph Gopin Rabbi Shaya Gopin, Director of Education (860) 232-1116 info@chabadhartford.com www.chabadhartford.com
Congregation P’nai Or Jewish Renewal Shabbat Services Rabbi Andrea Cohen-Kiener (860) 561-5905 pnaiorct@gmail.com www.jewishrenewalct.org Kehilat Chaverim of Greater Hartford Chavurah Adm. - Nancy Malley (860) 951-6877 mnmalley@yahoo.com www.kehilatchaverim.org The Emanuel Synagogue Conservative Rabbi David J. Small (860) 236-1275 communications@emanuelsynagogue.org www.emanuelsynagogue.org United Synagogues of Greater Hartford Orthodox Rabbi Eli Ostrozynsk i synagogue voice mail (860) 586-8067 Rabbi’s mobile (718) 6794446 ostro770@hotmail.com www.usgh.org Young Israel of West Hartford Orthodox Rabbi Tuvia Brander (860) 233-3084 info@youngisraelwh.org www.youngisraelwh.org WETHERSFIELD Temple Beth Torah Unaffiliated Rabbi Seth Riemer (860) 828-3377 tbt.w.ct@gmail.com templebethtorahwethersfield. org WOODBRIDGE Congregation B’nai Jacob Conservative Rabbi Rona Shapiro (203) 389-2111 info@bnaijacob.org www.bnaijacob.org
Congregation Beth Israel Reform Rabbi Michael Pincus Rabbi Andi Fliegel Cantor Stephanie Kupfer (860) 233-8215 bethisrael@cbict.org www.cbict.org
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