CT Jewish Ledger • November 12, 2021 • 8 Kislev 5782 by 2020 Media

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INSIDE

this week

CONNECTICUT JEWISH LEDGER | SINCE 1929 | NOVEMBER 12, 2021 | 8 KISLEV 5782

17 Crossword

25/26 Around CT

28 Briefs

30 What’s Happening

31 Torah Portion

En Garde.............................................. 5 Antisemitism is like playing whack-a-mole, coming from both the extreme right and the extreme left, says Deborah Lipstadt, the nominee for antisemitism envoy. Either way, it must be fought with strength, courage and intensity.

High Honors....................................... 5 Described as “a force of nature,” Voices of Hope founding member Sharone Kornman will receive the organization’s L’Dor V’dor Award at its upcoming Evening of Hope fundraiser.

Happiness is….................................20 The NY Times is at it again…painting a 5,000-word dismal picture of a dysfunctional, deeply divided and generally miserable Israel. And Israelis respond with a Twitter hashtag called #SadSadIsrael showing them enjoying their lives.

Obituaries

33 Business and Professional Directory

22 Classified

Arts & Entertainment........................................................23 Actress Susie Essman has become a comedy legend for her portrayal of Larry David’s antagonist on the long-running series, now in its 11th season.

The Ledger Scoreboard....................................................15 Jewish ace pitcher Max Fried delivered the Atlanta Braves to their first World Championship since 1995 with six shutout innings in Game 6 of a World Series heralded as the most Jewish in baseball history.

CANDLE LIGHTING ON THE COVER: Our annual “Giving” issue is the perfect time to introduce readers to Spiral — an Israeli startup that combines digital banking with doing good. “Spiral is also trying help people feel connected, to make the world a better place by being more socially responsible,” says the neobank’s co-founder and CEO Shawn Melamed. PAGE 10 jewishledger.com

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SHABBAT FRIDAY, NOV. 12 Hartford 4:15 p.m. New Haven: 4:15 p.m. Bridgeport: 4:16 p.m. Stamford: 4:17 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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CONNECTICUT JEWISH LEDGER | SINCE 1929 | NOVEMBER 12, 2021 | 8 KISLEV 5782

Sharone Kornman to be honored at Voices of Hope fundraiser BY STACEY DRESNER

EST HARTFORD – Sharone Kornman was only 26 years old and new to West Hartford in 1990 when she first attended a meeting of the Hartford Holocaust Commemoration Committee. “I didn’t know anybody but I knew someone through a family connection and she said you should come to this Holocaust commemoration committee meeting at the JCC,” recalled Kornman, who New Jersey native whose parents were both Holocaust survivors. “Most everybody in the room was a survivor. I was really young and I

Antisemitism envoy nominee Deborah Lipstadt poised for battle BY DMITRIY SHAPIRO

wasn’t from here… The few 2G’s [Second Generation’s] in the room were in their 40s. And there were a lot of strong personalities – people with a certain way of wanting to do things.” As a young newcomer – and perceived as a bit of an outsider – Kornman says she found the meetings to be a bit difficult, but she kept attending. “I didn’t go because it was fun or a good way to meet people. I went because this was something I felt I had to do,” she says. Kornman has not only stayed involved in the planning of the annual Holocaust commemoration in West Hartford for the past 30 years, but she is a founding

member of Voices of Hope, the nonprofit educational organization created by descendants of Holocaust survivors from across Connecticut. Kornman will be Voices of Hope’s L’or V’dor honoree at this year’s Evening of Hope fundraiser, “Celebrating 13 Years: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow,” on Nov. 17. The virtual event will be on YouTube Live at 7 p.m. “Sharone is amazing. She is constantly brainstorming about how to engage people and how to get Voices of Hope out into the community,” said Adele Jacobs, a Voices of Hope board member and daughter of the CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

SHARONE KORNMAN IN FRONT OF A TREASURED FRAMED DISPLAY OF PHOTOS OF HER PARENTS LIVES DURING AND AFTER WORLD WAR II.

(JNS) U.S. President Joe Biden’s nominee to serve as Special Envoy for Combating and Monitoring antisemitism Deborah Lipstadt said on Thursday that she was most worried about the rise in casual antisemitism and the questioning of the importance of the Holocaust among today’s society more than overt demonstrations of antisemitism. As calls to end the delay in her confirmation process were increasing this week, Lipstadt appeared in a Zoom presentation by the Los Angeles-based American Jewish University (AJU), speaking with Professor Michael Berenbaum, director of the Sigi Ziering Institute there. Lipstadt appeared from the University of Virginia campus, where a day earlier she gave expert testimony in the civil trial of the deadly 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va. She related some of the testimony she heard at the trial, of the trauma Jews reported seeing white-supremacist marchers with tiki torches chanting “Jews will not replace us.” The route of the march went by a synagogue during Shabbat-morning services on Aug. 12. Concerned for their physical safety, the rabbi told the congregation to sneak out of the synagogue through the back door in small groups, along with the Torah, fearing physical danger. “I know of no other time in American Jewish history where Jews had to escape through the back door with a Torah [scroll] because of physical danger,” said Lipstadt. Berenbaum noted that some current antisemites don’t deny the Holocaust but think it was not successful enough and asked her to assess the phenomenon. “What scares me more is the people who say it wasn’t important. ‘Enough about the Holocaust,’” she said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

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Kornman

Lipstadt

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

Fred Jacobs z”l, a Holocaust survivor and longtime committee chair of the Hartford Holocaust Commemoration Committee. “She is an integral part of Voices of Hope.”

Second Generation Kornman says that she just always knew her parents were Holocaust survivors. “There is not a moment. There’s not a big reveal…you just know that about them,” Kornman said. “But I did not fully know the details. There was sadness, but they did not transpose that kind of trauma on us, which I know happened in other families.” Growing up in Teaneck, New Jersey, her parents, Irene and Eugene Frisch who were both from towns in Poland that are now a part of Ukraine – had a group of friends who were also survivors from Poland and considered one another family. Irene had only been 11 when the Nazis invaded her town of Drohobycz, Poland. It was the young Catholic Polish woman named Fania who was the nanny of Frisch and her two older siblings who ended up saving their lives. When the war began, Frania had to leave the family because non-Jewish Poles were not allowed to work for Jews. Irene’s family was moved into the ghetto when she was 11. When Irene’s mother heard of a particular “Aktion” – a Nazi campaign rounding up and killing Jews in the ghetto – Irene’s mother knew that she needed to do something to protect her young daughter. “During these Aktions they went after children and old people,” Kornman explained. On Christmas eve 1942, Frania arrived at the ghetto knowing that the guards would be drunk and less watchful. She slipped Irene out of the ghetto and into her tiny apartment, where the little girl hid under a bed. After a few months, Irene’s mother and sister also made it to the apartment where they stayed hidden until they were liberated by the Russians near the end of 1944. Irene’s father had been hiding in the woods until he was captured. He spent time in several concentration camps before being liberated. After spending time in Israel and then back in German, Irene followed her older sister, Pola, to the U.S. in 1961. It was Pola who fixed her sister up with a nice young man she had met in Israel, named Eugene Frisch. Eugene was born and raised in Kolomyea, a more rural town in Poland near the base of the Carpathian Mountains. (His paternal grandparents were early Zionists who made aliyah to Israel in the 1920s). The Nazis invaded just after Eugene finished his first year in jewishledger.com

college. He tried to get home to his family, but could only get on a train Russia where he ended up in a work camp. He lost his mother and brother during the war. “He didn’t talk very much about these things and we didn’t really know very much,” Kornman said. After spending time in a displaced person camp in Italy after the war, Eugene went to Israel, then the U.S. Three months after the two went out on a blind date, Irene and Eugene were married. They raised Sharone and her younger brother in Teaneck. Kornman said that she was already an adult and married when her mother wrote her first story about her wartime experiences. “Something possessed her to start writing and I can’t tell you what it was. But she sent the story into the New York Daily News and they published it on page 4,” Kornman said. “That really whet her appetite, so then she started to write a lot of stories. Later on, she would go and speak at schools after she retired.” Irene’s stories have appeared in the Connecticut Jewish Ledger, Lilith Magazine, The Jewish Standard and several books. Irene moved to West Hartford several years ago. By then, Kornman was ensconced in the West Hartford community with her husband Paul and their three children, Jacob, Israel, and Joseph. Kornman has practiced law in Hartford for 30 years. She and her family are members of The Emanuel Synagogue. She has remained active in the Hartford Holocaust Commemoration Committee. “I kept going because I felt an obligation, and eventually more 2G’s showed up. Some of the survivors passed away, or moved to Florida – some of them were just tired. Basically the 2G’s became more active.” Thirteen years ago at a Holocaust Commemoration at the Connecticut State Capital, Alan Lazowski – son of survivors Rabbi Philip and Ruth Lazowski and owner of LAZ Parking – came up with the idea to form an organization of the second generation and families of survivors that would promote Holocaust education and remembrance. That was the beginning of Voices of Hope. “The initial charge of the organization was to prepare us to tell our parents’ stories when they weren’t around anymore,” Kornman said. Today, besides that important duty, Voices of Hope provides community outreach; Holocaust-themed films, art exhibits and book discussions; educator workshops, webinars and museum trips;

scholarships and grants; curriculum and resources of educators; and organizes school speaking engagements with survivors. And now, besides telling their parents’ stories, VOH members are working to tell their own stories as 2Gs. Kornman and other descendants have been trained via the Hartford organization “Speak Up” which holds workshops to help people craft their own stories for the stage. Kornman’s story was about her and her mother’s first trip back to Irene’s hometown. “I was in the first grouping of that and it was very exciting to be part of that. That was where we really kind of learned that we have a story – the moment where I learned it is not my job to tell my mother’s story; that’s her story. My job is to tell my story, but when I tell it you should also learning something about my mother’s story.” Kornman was also involved in Voices of Hope’s first conference for descendents, held at the University of Hartford in February of 2018. “She was one of the co-chairs of the conference that we hoped would be an annual event. It was hugely successful, but it has been derailed by Covid,” Adele Jacobs said. “Sharone was also the idea person for the 2G Book Club. And she was also one of the idea people for the virtual speaker series that we’ve had consistently almost every month since Covid started. She kept us kind of in people’s faces, getting authors and speakers. She made it incredibly interactive and engaging.” This year Jacobs is presenting the L’or V’Dor award to Kornman at the Evening of Hope, started several years ago to raise funds for VOH and to highlight the organization and its members. “In my speech I describe Sharone as a force of nature,” Jacobs said “Voices of Hope wouldn’t be what it is today without Sharone.”

‘What are they complaining about?’ There were 18 million Jews in the world prior to the Holocaust and 12 million after the war, meaning that onein-three perished, she said. However, she added, it’s difficult for contemporary society to view Jews as victims because “we don’t present as some of our traditional victims of discrimination and deep-seated prejudice.” “We recovered; we have a State of Israel. Jews have been very successful certainly in this country and in many other countries. We have strong communities,” said Lipstadt. “So other people look at us and say, ‘What are they complaining about? Oh, stop. Don’t talk to me about that Holocaust anymore.’ ” Lipstadt noted that it’s important to call out antisemitic actions, but labeling someone an antisemite should be rare in order to preserve the impact of that accusation. “I would say this about the Holocaust and about antisemitism: We have to cut with a scalpel and not with an ax,” she said. “Someone may say something negative, let’s say, about Israel, and we may think it’s utterly unjustified, and it may be utterly unjustified, but it may not be antisemitic. … I’m very rare to call someone an antisemite because I don’t know what’s in their heart.” Berenbaum asked Lipstadt why she decided to accept the ambassadorship position despite having the freedom of her current position as Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust studies at Emory in Atlanta. Lipstadt replied that after people began mentioning her name as a candidate for the position, she didn’t think she wanted the job. But a friend convinced her that she could make a difference in the role. Antisemitism, she said, was like playing whack-a-mole, coming from the political extreme right and the extreme left. On the far-right, it represents itself as replacement theory, she said; on the farleft, it represents itself as Jews are white, rich, privileged, and therefore, cannot be victims. “I am an equal-opportunity hater of antisemitism. If it’s coming from people next to me whose other political views I share or it’s coming from people whose political views I share not a wit, if they’re expressing the antisemitism, I want to fight it with the same degree of strength and courage and intensity. I don’t care where it comes from—wherever it comes from, it must be fought,” she insisted. ‘It starts with the Jews, but doesn’t end with the Jews’ Lipstadt said that she thinks that with CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

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A bank with a charitable ethos and no building BY BRIAN BLUM

(Israel 21cShawn Melamed’s home office is filled with high-tech equipment – computers, microphones, cameras for Zoom. But the most visible keyboard is not connected to his laptop. It’s a full-sized one meant for making music. Melamed, who cofounded and serves as CEO of Spiral, a startup combining digital banking with doing good, is equally at home in corporate boardrooms and dance clubs, where he creates electronic music as a DJ and producer. He performs under the funky name “Alchemist Spider.” “I like connecting people from all walks of life. You connect people through music. Spiral is also trying help people feel connected, to make the world a better place by being more socially responsible,” Melamed tells ISRAEL21c.

these behemoth banks. They lost touch completely with their customers. These two trends created a very fertile ground for disruption.” As of September 2021, there were 246 neobanks around the world. Among them: Chime, now with 15 million US customers and a valuation of $25 billion; and Revolut, an all-European digital bank, valued at $33 billion. Israel has one too: First Digital, established by Mobileye founder Amnon Shashua. Clearly, neobanks have become big business. Seeking a way to differentiate Spiral, Melamed came up with the idea of combining banking with charitable giving.

Neobanking

The Spiral mobile app looks like other online banking tools – there’s your daily balance and your most recent transactions. But if you’d like to give to a charity or charities, the app enables you to allocate a certain percentage from what you earn, or send a one-off donation, to a specific organization. There are some 1.5 million nonprofit charities in the United States, all searchable from within the Spiral app. “Who would you like to give to?” Melamed asks me. I think for a second. “The Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem,” I tell him. It’s where my wife and I met. Melamed does a quick search and Pardes pops up right away. He picks an amount – $5 – taps send, and Pardes is now a few dollars richer. Spiral will mail a check to Pardes, along with a colorful note indicating that if Pardes chooses to become an official partner charity, Spiral can make direct deposits into its bank account. Pardes will also be able to post videos and other content on the app so that Spiral customers can see how their money would be used. Spiral has 100 partner charities, including United Way, American Friends of Hebrew University, Earthday, Rainforest Trust and the United Nations and Eden Reforestation. Any charity with a 501c3 designation in the US is eligible. Spiral issues a summary report whenever you like. It’s especially helpful at tax time, showing exactly where you donated in the last year and the total amount. Spiral also has a one-to-one matching program up to $150, so that $5 Melamed just donated to Pardes became $10.

Spiral is a “neobank,” an independent financial institution that piggybacks on a more established one. If you bank with Spiral, you’ll see Spiral’s branding. But your deposits are held by the other completely regulated bank, with FDIC insurance protecting up to $250,000 of your savings. Neobanks are online only. That’s fine with most customers, Melamed says, who are nowadays used to doing everything on their phones and would rather not spend any more time than they have to in a brickand-mortar building. There’s a second trend fueling the rise of the neobanks, Melamed explains. “Historically, you had a relationship with your bank’s branch manager. The bank might support the local 5K run. Then, small banks started consolidating to become

SCREENSHOT COURTESY OF SPIRAL

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The most generous nation How does Spiral afford all those goodies? That’s part of the magic of the banking business: Banks take your deposited money and reinvest it in other assets, generating revenue or doling it out as a loan with interest. That allows Spiral to make and match donations. Charities don’t pay to be a part of the Spiral system. Spiral was founded by two Israelis – Melamed and his chief marketing officer Dan Blumenfeld – but set up shop in New York to be closer to its main market. “The US is called ‘the most generous nation,’” Melamed tells ISRAEL21c. “Six out of 10 households donate to charities. It comes out to about $470 billion a year.” Spiral will focus on the US for the next four to five years, Melamed says. Europe will come next. “In 10 years,” says Melamed, “people will look for a cohesive banking experience regardless of their location.” In other words, you won’t necessarily pick a bank where you live but the best bank for your needs.

Digital nomads Melamed is taking the same global approach to staffing Spiral. The company closed a funding round of $14 million just before the Covid-19 pandemic shut down much of the world. “We had an office for only about two months,” Melamed says. He has no intention of opening a physical office again – just like his neobank. “More people are becoming global digital nomads,” Melamed notes. They can work anywhere. “We have Israelis who moved to the US, we have employees in Mexico, Portugal and Costa Rica.” Melamed was raised in Mevaseret Zion, a suburb of Jerusalem. He started his first company, Correlix, in Israel, before moving with it to the US in 2008. Correlix was acquired by TS-Associates in 2012. Melamed then joined 60,0000-employee Wall Street company Morgan Stanley, which was looking for an entrepreneur to run business development. “I thought I’d do it for a year or two, but I really liked it. I had a senior role and was working closely with the COO, who is now on the board of Spiral.” Melamed became the head of Morgan Stanley’s innovation office. “It was a great opportunity to learn how to innovate at scale,” he says.

SHAWN MELAMED, CEO OF SPIRAL. PHOTO COURTESY OF SPIRAL

After five years, the entrepreneurial spirit came calling again and he decided to create “a bank with a heart – something to guide people to live a better life.”

Long-term journey Spiral launched to the public just three months ago and is closing in on 5,000 customers. Melamed says customers can earn up to 15 times more on their savings than at the average bank. Most users donate small amounts to charity, although a few give in the thousands of dollars. “It’s a long-term journey,” he stresses. “We’re not building a startup to sell in three years. We’re trying to create a company that will last for 20 years with tens of millions of customers.” What’s next for Spiral? Credit cards, personal loans and mortgages, Melamed says, all while continuing with matching donations and giving cash bonuses to customers of up to $126 a year. Paradoxically, perhaps, the Covid-19 crisis didn’t dry up donations. In fact, donations in 2020 grew by 13 percent, Melamed says. “A lot of people and a lot of causes needed help, so people donated more.” Spiral is not the only Israeli-founded financial services firm that gives back – high-flying insurance company Lemonade pledges that if there is any money left between the premiums you pay and claims that needed to be paid out, Lemonade will donate it to a worthy cause. Now that “New York is waking up and going back to work,” Melamed says, there could be more money earned, more donations and even more opportunities to engage his other passion: making music while Spiral makes money for its neobank customers. For information on how you can get a Spiral account in North America, visit spiral.us. This article is reprinted with permission of israel21.org.

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Lipstadt CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

an increasing number of Muslim-majority countries normalizing relations with Israel as part of the Abraham Accords—namely, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco—it’s a good time to help those countries better get to know Jews and define antisemitism. She also said she was very concerned by other countries making antisemitism part of their national agenda for winning political power. “No healthy democracy has ever tolerated the existence of antisemitism and remained a healthy democracy,” she said. “If you care about being a healthy democracy, you have to care about antisemitism because, as we often say, it starts with the Jews, but doesn’t end with the Jews.” AJU president Jeffrey Herbst presented Lipstadt with questions from viewers, one of which asked how social media has impacted antisemitism. Lipstadt said it acts as an accelerant. “I don’t know if it was Maimonides— Rambam—who talked about a knife as a neutral instrument. In the hands of a killer, it’s a weapon. In the hands of a surgeon, it can save a life. “Social media has done great things: Look, we’re having this seminar on social media with hundreds of participants,” she said. “At the same time, it can be used for very evil things. And so I think it definitely accelerates what’s going on. People who would never have had a voice before—some

DEBORAH LIPSTADT

of those people, it’s good that they have a voice, but it can also be used for evil.” Hatred on social media, she said, had been brewing for years, but the open platform allows it to be revealed, and once it’s out of the box, it’s hard to put it back in. Berenbaum added that the strategy for combating antisemitism used to be to quarantine it. With social media, he said, that’s hard to do because antisemites can find their support system. “We’ve got to figure out; we’ve got to invest in studying the Internet and socialmedia platforms,” emphasized Lipstadt. “I don’t think anybody quite knows [how]; it’s a different ball game.”

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THE LEDGER SCOREBOARD

Max Fried pitches Atlanta Braves to first World Series win in 26 years BY JACOB GURUS

(JTA) — Jewish ace pitcher Max Fried delivered his Atlanta Braves to their first World Championship since 1995 with six shutout innings in Tuesday’s Game 6 of a World Series heralded as the most Jewish in baseball history. The 27-year-old lefty held the Houston Astros to four hits, overcoming a potentially serious injury to strike out six without surrendering a run or a walk. The game contained what might have been the most Jewish play in any Major League Baseball matchup ever: In the bottom of the second inning, Astros star third baseman Alex Bregman stepped up to the plate and sliced Fried’s second pitch to right field, where Braves outfielder Joc Pederson easily caught it for out number two. To most fans, the sequence was a mundane flyout with no significance. But to Jewish fans, the play showcased three Jewish players performing on the sport’s biggest stage. For Pederson, who entered the series on a red-hot tear immortalized by his nickname Joctober, the victory gave him a second consecutive World Championship. Pederson played for the 2020 World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers. He celebrated the achievement with a cigar and his trademark pearl necklace.

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The fourth Jewish player to appear in the World Series, Astros backup catcher Garrett Stubbs, entered the game as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning. He did not bat. Fried’s success on the mound came after a scary moment in the bottom of the first inning. With the lanky pitcher covering first base on a ground ball, the Astros’ Michael Brantley came charging down the basepath, stepping on Fried’s ankle instead of the base. Replays showed Fried’s ankle almost flatten under Brantley’s cleat. For his teammates and coaches, it was a frightening few moments. But Fried popped right back up, and pitched deep into the game. “I just told myself that I was going to go out there and be 100% me, just try to pitch and try to win a ballgame,” Fried said after the win. “I knew I could empty the tank. I knew it was the last outing of the year. I was definitely running on fumes at the end of the playoffs, but I knew I had to be ready for one more.” Aside from Fried’s sparkling Game 6 start, the Jewish players had a cold series. Pederson had just one hit in 15 at bats, while Bregman knocked two, one of them a double, in 21 at bats. Bregman also struck out seven times, to Pederson’s four.

MAX FRIED PITCHES IN GAME 6 OF THE 2021 WORLD SERIES, TUESDAY, NOV. 2, 2021. (MARY DECICCO/MLB PHOTOS VIA GETTY IMAGES)

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NOVEMBER 12, 2021

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THE KOSHER CROSSWORD NOV. 12, 2021 “That’s Not What That Means” By: Yoni Glatt

Difficulty Level: Easy

Vol. 93 No. 46 JHL Ledger LLC Publisher Henry M. Zachs Managing Partner

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ANSWERS TO NOV. 5 CROSSWORD

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Across 1. Kathmandu is its capital 6. Makes like a baby 11. “Jeopardy!” ques., actually 14. Simple skirt style 15. From this day on 16. Tree fluid 17. “Used TNT on a dreidle” 19. “General” of Chinese food 20. “Buona ___” (Italian phrase) 21. Lo Green of music 22. Upper body 24. “The schach on that Sukkah needs to be higher” 28. “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” airer, once 31. Tel Aviv to Jerusalem dir.

32. Like a great meal 33. ___ problem (finds fault) 35. Be in a play 36. “Welcome Back, Kotter” star Kaplan 39. “So excited to start sefirat ha’omer!” 43. Four, in Israel 44. “That’s hilarious!”, for short 45. Chekhov who wrote “Uncle Vanya” 46. Alternative to Times New Roman 48. Dosage units: Abbr. 50. Metro stop: Abbr. 51. “Let me know how many l’chaims there are”

55. Gather 56. Newton who was a Panther 57. Ethiopian of Italian opera 61. Harry Potter’s best friend Weasley 62. “Sorry, no more pita bread” 66. “Star Trek” captain Jean-___ Picard 67. Hanging sunlight blocker 68. Shooting sport 69. Mother lode’s load 70. Participates in a seder 71. Highly unlikely name for a Jewish man

Down 1. Steals 2. Palindromic magazine 3. Place to fish or dock 4. Sadat assassinated for making peace with Israel 5. Writer Tolstoy 6. It’s often consumed on Shavuot 7. Watch again 8. Pick on the field, for short 9. Nature prefix 10. Band of seven 11. Jessica Meir, and now William Shatner, e.g. 12. The longest parsha 13. Many a Mel Brooks film 18. CBS military law series

23. Home of Crater Lake National Park 25. Israeli singer Avidan 26. Kind of support for a PC user 27. More than dislike 28. Beef-grading govt. agcy. 29. Baal ___ (ancient form of idolatry) 30. Puma competitor 34. Lip-curling faces 35. 2021 NL Champions 37. Jewish daughters 38. Vesuvius’s Sicilian counterpart 40. Kind of korban 41. Part in a play 42. People in a play 47. “Strange...”

48. Makes sore from friction 49. Give free tickets to 51. Monte ___ (Monaco principality) 52. Subject of Pepe Le Pew’s quest 53. Mouthwash brand 54. 21st century Torah giant 58. Swedish furniture retailer 59. Consider to be 60. “ ___ boy!” 63. “Mentalist” Geller 64. Get some sun 65. Disney’s “Special Agent” bear

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NOVEMBER 12, 2021

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The Mandell Jewish Community Center is built on community. “Community” is our middle name - at the heart of our mission. As a non-profit organization, the Mandell JCC relies on the generosity of our donors.Thank you to our Pillars, Pacesetters and Community Donor Circle; 1915 Legacy Society; J Next; and Endow Hartford 21 donors. Your generosity puts you at the Center of those who believe in the JCC and the work we do. With your support, we will continue to give people in our community a place they can count on, people they can connect with, and experiences they can’t find anywhere else. Generation to generation.

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NOVEMBER 12, 2021

OPINION

Anti-Israel bias in one of America’s biggest newspapers matters BY JONATHAN S. TOBIN

(JNS) It’s not true that biased reporting about the Middle East has no impact on Israel. In the last week, a New York Times feature about a road trip taken by two of its staff through the small country generated a surge of interest on Twitter from Israelis. The 5,000-word article paints a dismal picture. Just about everyone they met as they traveled from the northern border with Lebanon to the southern port of Eilat was dissatisfied and disillusioned with the country. The Israel they depicted was dysfunctional, deeply divided and generally miserable. It was all summed up by one elderly Israeli quoted in the piece who said if his father, who had helped found one of the nation’s kibbutzim in the pre-state era, were to look at the country now, he’d say, “ ‘This wasn’t the child we prayed for.’ And then he’d return to his grave.” While most Israelis will tell you they don’t read or care about foreign press coverage, this story generated a mass response. While few would deny that their nation has a lot of problems and that its politics are pretty crazy, they also take pride in the fact that surveys have consistently shown that it is also one of the happiest places on earth. Measuring happiness is complicated, but when you take into account responses about people’s satisfaction in their lives, pollsters have come up with a fairly objective standard. And it shows that Israel ranks 12th in the world (up from 13th the year before) in the happiness index of its citizens, ranking only below some Scandinavian and European countries, as well as New Zealand. So to show the Times and its readers their contempt for this sort of shoddy agenda-driven writing, a Twitter hashtag was created called #SadSadIsrael in which Israelis posted pictures of them enjoying their lives from north to south and everywhere in-between. Scanning those posts actually provides readers with a much better picture of what life in Israel really looks like. Why did the Times writers come up with such a different picture? Call it confirmation 20

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bias or just prejudiced reporting; the result was perfectly in line with the paper’s general tone of coverage of Israel. Their journey was intended to produce exactly what they pre-ordained. They went looking for a particular idea about the country, and that’s what they found. The same applies to a subsequent article in the upcoming issue of the Times Sunday Magazine with the portentous title of “Inside the Unraveling of American Zionism.” It focuses on the 93 rabbinical and cantorial students who signed a letter condemning Israel during the fighting with Hamas last May. Subsequently published in the Forward, the letter was a disgraceful and self-important rant filled with virtue signaling and pseudo-religious contempt for Israel that displayed the signers’ tunnel vision about the conflict and lack of understanding of the dilemmas faced by the Israeli people. The piece, by former Tablet writer Marc Tracy, wasn’t wrong to link their views to anti-Zionism. The students didn’t merely disdain Israeli policies; they called for an end to U.S. military aid to the Jewish state. Even worse, they fully embraced the Palestinian nakba (“catastrophe”) narrative about the illegitimacy of Israel’s creation. They also went full-bore intersectional by endorsing the comparison between the Palestinian war to destroy Israel with the struggle for civil rights in the United States. In so doing, they validated the toxic myth that Israel is a function of “white privilege,” and, whether intentionally or not, gave a permission slip to American antisemites on the left to demonize Israelis and American Jews. Frankly, it’s a disgrace that several dozen students at the non-Orthodox seminaries could be mobilized to sign such a document at a time when more than 4,000 rockets and missiles fired by Hamas were raining down on Israelis, and while antiZionist rhetoric on the floor of the House of Representatives helped incite antisemitic violence on the streets of American cities. It’s also evidence of the way some have fully

| NOVEMBER 12, 2021

SIPPING HOT COCOA I N A MALL, PART OF THE“#SADSADISRAEL” CAMPAIGN. (TWITTER)

embraced the fashionable ideologies of the left, even if it places them in opposition to basic principles of Judaism, such as the importance of the land of Israel or even the right of Israelis to self-defense against terrorism and would-be terrorists. On the other hand, to treat 93 extreme leftists as somehow representative of the complete “unraveling” of American Jewish support for Zionism is neither a serious analysis nor good journalism. It’s true that the American Jewish community has changed since the heyday of support for Israel in the post-Holocaust period that stretched from 1948 to the Yom Kippur War. As Tracy pointed out, after that, many highly assimilated Jews began to revert to the pre-World War II position of many in the community that was not sympathetic to Zionism. And it’s indeed a stretch to consider 93 students and their spiritual mentor, the appalling writer Peter Beinart, as thought leaders. Beinart, who in a few years went from posing as

the avatar of liberal Zionist to endorsing the Palestinian “right of return” and the destruction of the Jewish state, may be the poster child for such disillusionment, but to pretend that he is representative of Jewish opinion is simply untrue. After all, polls continue to show that although an overwhelming majority of American Jews are loyal Democratic voters and aren’t fans of recent Israeli governments, most say that Israel is important to them and they consider Israelis family. Other surveys demonstrate that nine out of 10 American Jews back Israel over the Palestinians. The point here is that to treat a feature about a six-month-old letter that did nothing to shape Jewish opinion about Israel as a harbinger of the end of Jewish support for Israel was irresponsible. It was also not original. The Times has been publishing similar pieces predicting the end of American Jewish Zionism for 50 years, giving Israel’s opponents the same sort of

RELISHING AN AUTHENTIC ISRAELI-ARAB MEAL, PART OF THE “#SADSADISRAEL” CAMPAIGN. (TWITTER)

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ENJOYING THE SAND AND SEA, PART OF THE “#SADSADISRAEL” CAMPAIGN. (TWITTER.)

sympathetic and out-of-proportion coverage in previous decades that they’ve given the current batch of anti-Zionists. The newspaper of record has a long history of hostile coverage of Israel and indifference to Jewish suffering dating back to its editorial policy of ignoring the Holocaust as it was happening. In the last decade, however, it has grown worse. Whereas in the decades after the Second World War, the paper’s editors didn’t give platforms to those advocating for the destruction of the one Jewish state on the planet and hosted a number of pro-Israel columnists on its op-ed page, today the Times considers such advocacy to be fair comment and employs several writers who regularly take that line. The dropping of even the pretense of objectivity in most of its news coverage on just about any topic in recent years has also led to more anti-Israel bias. The question is, does this matter? Some pro-Israel activists and most Israelis will say “no.” Israelis have always considered worrying about international opinion to be not in keeping with their goal of making their actions more important than what other people say about them. American friends of Israel say they stopped reading the Times years ago and that doing so is a waste of time. Still, it’s a mistake to ignore what remains one of the most widely read publications in the world. While the trend that Tracy’s article inflates into an “unraveling” is discussing the opinion of only a small minority, the support it gets from the newspaper that is still viewed by liberal Jews as the flagship of journalism can only strengthen it. Undermining Israel’s image by negative articles serves to help those trying to transform the Democratic Party from jewishledger.com

At the Hebrew Center for Health and Rehabilitation, we understand that comfort and familiarity is a key part of the journey to wellness. We also understand that maintaining your religious beliefs and principles is fundamental in continued enrichment of life. ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S YOUNGER CITIZENS, PART OF “#SADSADISRAEL” CAMPAIGN. (TWITTER)

one with an increasingly vocal anti-Israel element to one in which that faction dominates. That’s why it’s important that the calumnies of the Times never be allowed to go unanswered. If that answer can be in the form of mass mockery, as is the case with #SadSadIsrael, then all the better. Ignoring the danger of allowing the “apartheid Israel” lie to gain traction in popular culture or even in Jewish forums is folly. Nor should Jewish organizations be shy about speaking up in condemning the sorts of actions that the seminary letter represents since it is providing cover for antisemites elsewhere. While the vast majority of Americans remain steadfast friends of Israel and are generally unaffected by media bias, the one group that is impacted by it—and especially, at the Times—are American Jews. Fighting for Jewish opinion in this country means that no one who cares about Israel can afford to not care about what the Times publishes, no matter how wrongheaded or biased it might be.

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L IKE U S ON

Jonathan S. Tobin is editor in chief of JNS—Jewish News Syndicate. JEWISH LEDGER

NOVEMBER 12, 2021

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‫הלל @ טריניטי‬ | NOVEMBER 12, 2021

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Susie Essman, TV’s most outrageous Jewish mother, talks ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ and cancel culture BY ANDREW LAPIN

(JTA) — On the wall of Susie Essman’s powder room hangs a giant portrait of herself. Actually, the portrait is of Susie Green, Essman’s beloved, foul-mouthed character on “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” HBO’s longrunning improvisational sitcom exploring the social rules that govern all of our lives, and especially those of the one percent. It comes from an episode in the show’s 10th season, which aired in early 2020 just before the pandemic, when the infamously misanthropic Larry David (the series creator, who also stars as a version of himself) has the artwork commissioned as a gift for his longtime frenemy. In the episode, a series of comic misunderstandings results in Susie’s portrait being pelted with tomatoes and chucked into the trash. But in real life, an intact painting exists. And Essman, a longtime comic actress and stand-up comedian who has known David since the 1980s and, like him, wears her Jewishness proudly on her sleeve, snapped it up for herself. “It’s absolutely one of my prized possessions,” Essman told JTA. But in “Curb”’s 11th season, currently airing Sunday nights on HBO, Essman says Susie will get many more big moments with Larry. For fans of one of the Jewiest shows on TV, the prospect of these two antagonists going at each other yet again is a sign that there is still some joy left in the world. JTA spoke to Essman about the show’s longevity and Jewishness. This interview, which took place the week after the second episode of the season aired, has been edited for length and clarity. JTA: Between “Curb” and Comedy Central’s “Broad City,” you’ve really cornered the market on– Essman: Jewish mothers. Where do you draw on your portrayals from? Well, I happen to be Jewish, and I happen to be a mother. And I’ve had mothers and I’ve had many friends, mothers and aunts and uncles and grandmothers. And, you know, I mean, Jewish mothers are like all other mothers. Just a little bit more so. You’ve known Larry David since the mid-80s. Does his longevity surprise you at all?

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You know, I always say that if we were hanging out at the bar at “Catch a Rising Star” in 1986, and I said to a bunch of the comics hanging out there that Larry David was going to be richer and more successful than any of us, nobody would have believed it. And not because he didn’t have the talent. He always had the talent. But he never really seemed to care that much. He didn’t seem that ambitious, you know, and he was never one, still, to pander. He always just marched to his own drummer. So yeah, it does surprise me. Although even back then, we all knew that he was a brilliant genius. His writing was so incredible. His stand-up bits were so unusual and unlike anybody else. So in that sense, it doesn’t surprise me. But it surprises me knowing Larry as a person that he’s become so successful. When the show invokes Judaism, it’s not necessarily in the friendliest light. And yet, the show’s portrayal of Judaism resonates with so many Jews. Do you have any insights as to why that might be? Because it’s honest. And because it’s funny, you know, and I think people see themselves, and that’s what comedy does. Comedy is a reflection. And people see themselves in it, and if it’s not themselves, they see their family members, somebody that’s connected to them in some way, and it’s resonant. Do you have a favorite Jewish moment from the show? I would say my favorite Jewish moment was from [season 5 episode] “The Ski Lift,” when I have to pretend to be Larry’s Orthodox wife. Reading that, I was just like, “Oh my God, this is pure gold.” I could not wait to shoot. And ultimately, what’s interesting is, that’s one of the very top of Larry’s favorite episodes. Do you have a hand in coming up with Susie’s outfits, which are so delightfully garish? Yes, I do. I mean, our wardrobe designer Leslie Schilling is terrific. She presents me with everything and then we kind of go through it together and put the combos together, and I approve or disapprove or whatever. So yes, I have a strong say in what she wears. Which is the most fun part, for me, of the character. Susie Green thinks

she has the greatest taste in the whole world. She thinks she’s always right. You know, she thinks [Larry’s ex-wife] Cheryl dresses like crap. I created the character to be this, that she is just this completely secure woman with no reason to be. That’s what’s fun. Because I’m a comic: I’m analytical, I’m insecure, I analyze everything and double-guess everything. I wanted to play a character so different from me, and she’s just complete security and complete belief in herself. And that’s why she could dress that way. And she, you know, she thinks that she’s making a statement, a fashion statement, and that she has unparalleled taste. It’s very conscious — she clearly picks those outfits. With every season, how do you find new ways to explore the character? I can only do what’s in the confines of the outline, whatever Larry and [series showrunner] Jeff Shaffer give me to do. But each year they give me more and more. It never gets dull to me. The relationships kind of change and grow. I mean, this season, Larry and I have a lot of stuff where we’re in cahoots with each other. We’re like partnering up together. So that was kind of fun and interesting and different. We’re still antagonistic, we’re not all of a sudden besties. But in a way we are. Susie and Larry’s relationship is kind of like siblings, you know: we fight and we’re screaming, we yell and I kick him out of the house and then the next day, I’m like, ‘Hey, Larr, want to go to a dinner party?’ It’s like, all is forgotten and forgiven and you just move on, like how you are with family. Is it hard to do comedy in the “cancel culture” era. So much of the show has been about breaking taboos. Is it harder to do the show now? No, because Larry does not care if he’s politically incorrect and who he offends. He doesn’t care. He’s an equal opportunity offender. If he doesn’t care, then I certainly don’t. It gives me tremendous freedom to do whatever I want to do. And you know, I mean, I always feel like Larry is so politically incorrect. He’s sticking his finger in the eye of it, in a sense. What about with your own stand-up, how has that changed for you? You know, I haven’t done stand-up for a couple of years. But it does worry me, because I do think that the job of comedians

SUSIE ESSMAN AS SUSIE GREEN IN “CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM.” (JOHN P. JOHNSON/HBO)

is to push the envelope. And I think that too many people feel like they have their hands tied right now, and that concerns me. Especially for younger comics. I know when I was starting out, there was no Twitter and there were no phones in the clubs, and you could kind of find your own line. Sometimes you go too far and you feel that little thing crawling up your spine. You’re kind of figuring out who you are and what your persona is on stage. And by necessity you need to make mistakes and go over the edge sometimes. And it was okay — you pull back and you figure out what works for you. But now it’s so public. Like if you do that, all of a sudden it goes viral. And you’re ostracized, castigated for it. It’s an experimental art form. And when you don’t have that freedom, it can be problematic. Could Susie get her revenge on Larry and Jeff in the finale? There was the episode where she seemed like she was trying to kill Jeff — Oh, she was not trying to kill Jeff. That was Larry’s fantasy. As the owner of the character, I don’t think she was trying to kill Jeff. I think she’d like to kill him sometimes, he’s always cheating on her. But in a certain way, she doesn’t really care as long as she’s got the money and the house and the clothes and the car. Susie’s had her moments, but her comeuppance is her anger, right? She expresses quite readily to both of them whatever she feels like. She seems to have an unhealthy amount of anger. She has a healthy amount of anger. I mean, I have women come up to me on the street all the time thanking me, because women have a really hard time expressing their anger, and Susie doesn’t. I think she gives permission to women all across our great land, and all across the world, to express their anger. “Curb Your Enthusiasm” is currently airing its 11th season on HBO, and the entire series is streaming on HBO Max.

JEWISH LEDGER

NOVEMBER 12, 2021

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9/28/21

6:21 PM

Contemporary Israeli Voices 2021 19TH ANNUAL FALL SERIES

Thursday, November 18, 2021

Live Online Multi- media presentation with Q&A session with the audience

8:00 PM

The Foreign Mother Tongue

Writing between Arabic and Hebrew in Israel/Palestine

CMY

Sayed Kashua is author of three well-received novels, the creator of the hit Israeli TV series, "Arab Labor," and was a long time columnist for the Hebrew-language daily Haaretz. Through his writing he opens up new and unusual conversations about Arab identity, Palestinian identity, and Israeli identity and explores what it means to sit at a point of intersection between them. Sayed Kashua is a prominent author, screenwriter, and journalist, born in Tira, Israel. A Palestinian citizen of Israel, Kashua writes in Hebrew and is known for his books and humorous columns in the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz. Kashua is the author of the essay collection Native: Dispatches from an Israeli-Palestinian Life, and the novels Second Person Singular, winner of the prestigious Berstein Prize; Let It Be Morning, Shortlisted for the international IMPAC Dublin Literary Award; and Dancing Arabs, which was adapted into a film - "A Borrowed Identity". His most recent novel Track Changes was published in English in 2020.

Sponsored by the Center for Jewish Studies Organized by Dalit Katz, Director 24

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| NOVEMBER 12, 2021

To register for this virtual lecture, please visit our website at http://civ.site.wesleyan.edu/ Free Admission/ Open to the Public jewishledger.com

AROUND CONNECTICUT

Senator Matt Lesser receives legislative scholarship award

ARTFORD—State Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown) is the recipient of the Legislative Leadership Award following his work regarding mental health issues. Members of ‘Keep The Promise Coalition’ presented the award to Senator Lesser virtually during an awards ceremony. Lesser worked on legislation along with Representatives Sean Scanlon and Brenda Kupchick that was signed into law in 2019 that ensures insurance coverage for people in the state suffering from mental health and substance use disorder conditions as they would for other illnesses. The law – known as the “Mental Health Parity Act” – delivers parity for behavioral healthcare, recognizing that mental health and substance use conditions are equal to physical illnesses. The bill requires that insurance

companies not place more stringent limits on mental health and substance use disorder benefits than for medical and surgical benefits. It also requires insurance coverage of substance abuse services if required by a court. Lastly, the bill requires that insurance companies file annual reports with the state certifying that they are complying with parity. This past session, Lesser led debate on legislation that will extend telehealth services in Connecticut for another two years. The legislation passed with unanimous bipartisan support. This extension allows health care providers and patients to continue using a vital tool for Connecticut residents seeking health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, those who are unable to leave their home, may be able to continue using telehealth services for not only physical health but mental health reasons.

SENATOR MATT LESSER

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United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut

NOVEMBER 12, 2021

AROUND CT New Haven Jewish Foundation marks $75 Million and celebrates community impact.

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JEWISH LEDGER

| NOVEMBER 12, 2021

oodbridge – The Jewish Foundation of Greater New Haven recently announced a significant community milestone: as of Sept. 2021, the Foundation’s community assets totaled $75 million. The organization distributes an average of $3 million annually, with over 80% benefitting local Jewish programs and organizations. The Jewish Foundation is currently led by Chair Scott Hurwitz and Executive Director Lisa Stanger. Under Stanger’s her 13-year tenure, the endowment grew from just over $20 million in 2005 to over $75 million today. Recent initiatives like the COVID-19 Maimonides Response Fund, which was established in partnership with the Jewish Federation, deployed over $500,000 in grants for critical human needs to help local synagogues, social service agencies and schools stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly, the Foundation has awarded grants to benefit programs and projects for Jewish elderly residing in the Greater New Haven area. In addition, the Foundation has awarded over $500,000 to date in security grants, in memory of Arthur and Yvette Eder, which have provided local synagogues, the JCC, Camp Laurelwood, and area day schools with funds to provide and enhance security systems. “Strong investment returns, generous donors, and professional stewardship helped get us to $75 million,” said Hurwitz. The Foundation is very proud of our approach to managing our endowment funds. We have an active working investment committee, led by co-chairs Steve August and Craig Sklar. … Lisa’s expertise in endowment law, charitable and tax planning, and philanthropic advising, as well as her passion for our community have made her an invaluable community asset. We are lucky to have her at the Foundation. The Foundation prioritizes working with donors to help them support causes most important to them. “I view my most important role as that of a philanthropic advisor,” said Stanger. Jackie Koral, a member of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees and the immediate past-chair of The Towers at Tower Lane notes that endowment funds are crucial in sustaining programming and operations at the Towers year after year, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. “Having a reliable source of funds in perpetuity is the best way to ensure that our community will be prepared to meet the needs of today, tomorrow and the future,” she said. Joel Karp, past-president of the Jewish

Federation, the JCC and Camp Laurelwood, and the past chair of five different fundraising campaigns for the Federation, strongly believes in the importance and the impact of the Jewish Foundation. He sees a great calling in his current capacity as a volunteer securing gifts for the Annual Campaign, as well as Legacy gifts and Perpetual Annual Campaign Endowment (PACE) gifts. ”If it wasn’t for the Foundation, our Jewish institutions would not have the support they need in order to thrive,” he said. Stanger emphasizes that although the $75 million is an important milestone, more important is the impact. “Last year we distributed over $3 million, over $2.5 million was to local Jewish organizations and synagogues. In the past 10 years alone we have distributed $34 million,” she said. Dr. Craig Sklar, who served as Chair of the Jewish Foundation when this achievement was reached, sees this as a beginning of a more vibrant future. “I view it as a start ... The more we raise, the more we can do to ensure the future of our community. There is still so much work to be done,” Sklar said. Hurwitz continued, “We have just achieved a significant milestone, but still have work to do. Although we currently manage over 700 funds for community partners and individual donors, much of the community is not aware of our work. One of our primary objectives over the next several years will be to expand our impact. We will continue to support our community partners as they grow their endowments, as well as help individuals plan and achieve their philanthropic goals. We look forward to working side by side with our entire community as we continue the Foundation’s important work.” Dirk Bird, Vice President of Planned Giving and Endowment Management at The Jewish Federations of North America, explained how the Foundation’s achievement reflects, on a national scale, the remarkable role that Jewish Foundations and Federations play in their respective communities. “We applaud the significant efforts of the Jewish Foundation of Greater New Haven and their recent achievement of reaching a $75 million endowment,” Bird said. “Your work today is securing the critical resources to enable future generations to live vibrant Jewish lives in the future. We appreciate their commitment to their local Jewish community and the effect this has on Jewish communities everywhere. jewishledger.com

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NOVEMBER 12, 2021

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Briefs Israeli scientists ID coronavirus proteins that harm blood vessels (Israel21c via JNS) A team of Israeli experts has solved the mystery of which proteins in the SARS-CoV-2 virus are responsible for causing the severe vascular damage seen in Covid-19 patients. The novel coronavirus is made up of 29 proteins. Five of those proteins were identified as damaging to blood vessels in a study led by Tel Aviv University researchers Ben Maoz, Uri Ashery and Roded Sharan. “We see a very high incidence of vascular disease and blood clotting, for example stroke and heart attack, among Covid patients,” said Maoz. “We tend to think of Covid as primarily a respiratory disease, but the truth is that coronavirus patients are up to three times more likely to have a stroke or heart attack. All the evidence shows that the virus severely damages the blood vessels or the endothelial cells that line the blood vessels. We wanted to find out which proteins in the virus are responsible for this type of damage.” Also participating in the study were Rossana Rauti, Yael Bardoogo and Meishar Shahoah of Tel Aviv University and Prof. Yaakov Nahmias of the Institute of Life Sciences at the Hebrew University. The results were published in the journal eLife. “Our research could help find targets for a drug that will be used to stop the virus’s activity, or at least minimize damage to blood vessels” in Covid-19 patients, said Maoz.

Booker Prize goes to novel about South African Jewish mother

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JEWISH LEDGER

| NOVEMBER 12, 2021

(JTA) — The prestigious Booker Prize for fiction has gone to a South African’s novel about a Jewish woman’s dying wish. Author Damon Galgut picked up the £50,000 ($68,000) prize at a ceremony on Wednesday in London. The Promise spans 40 years of recent South African history, and kicks off when the mother of a white farm-owning clan insists that the family’s Black maid inherit the house she lives in — despite apartheid laws preventing Blacks from owning property. The mother in the novel returns to her Jewish roots after converting to her husband’s evangelical Christian faith. In a review of the book, the Jewish Chronicle noted that “Galgut’s descriptions of Jewish observance are impressively detailed, and Judaism comes off well compared with other religious and spiritual traditions that feature in the novel.” The chair of the judging committee, Maya Jasanoff, described it as “a tour de force.” The Booker Prize is awarded annually to the best novel written in English and published in Britain or Ireland.

Thomas Nides confirmed as US ambassador to Israel (Israel Hayom via JNS) The U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed U.S. President Joe Biden’s nominee for ambassador to Israel, making banking executive Thomas Nides the United States’ top envoy to its closest ally in the Middle East. Nides, who is the managing director and vice chairman of Morgan Stanley, was confirmed by a voice vote in the Senate, which is evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. The confirmation ends a nearly 10-month period in which Washington had no ambassador in the Jewish state. The Biden administration took its time with the post, eventually naming veteran diplomat Michael Ratney to serve as interim chargé d’affaires until the confirmation process was finalized. Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan congratulated Nides, saying he was sure the new envoy “will further strengthen the special bond between Israel and the U.S.” Nides was confirmed in a voice vote on the Senate floor after Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) filed reservations to the nomination, blocking Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Robert Menendez from fast-tracking the process via a unanimous vote. The Missouri senator said that he objected on behalf of his Republican colleagues to Nides, along with seven other nominees, presented for confirmation by Menendez. The latter blasted the move, saying, “It is mind-boggling all of those who get up here and talk about our ally, the State of Israel, but we won’t have an ambassador there to help us meet the challenges that Israel faces.” The Republican opposition to Nides was unusual, as the confirmation of U.S. envoys to Israel is rarely contested. Nides, who fostered effective working relationships with Israeli officials during his years with the Obama administration, was not expected to meet any snags.

Plans to reopen consulate for Palestinians is confirmed (JNS) Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Matt McKeon confirmed on Wednesday, Nov. 3, that the administration is seeking to reopen the U.S. Consulate for Palestinians in its original location in Jerusalem. McKeon was grilled by Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.), co-chair of the House Republican Israel Caucus, during his testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee and asked whether he was involved in planning the reopening of the consulate. McKeon confirmed that he was, telling Zeldin that the administration was contemplating opening the consulate at a facility already owned by the United States on Agron Road in Jerusalem in the western half of the city. “The main purpose of this consulate—and the main reason we want to use the one on Agron Road—is that [it] is the mechanism through which we have engaged the Palestinians in the past and for well over a century before it was closed, ‘ said McKeon. jewishledger.com

Zeldin asked whether the administration believes that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. McKeon confirmed that it was the administration’s position, though he did not want to weigh in on Zeldin’s follow-up question as to whether officials also believe the city should remain undivided. McKeon said, “I believe we still regard Jerusalem as a finalstatus question,” he said. “But I want to get you a more precise answer for the record.” Zeldin pointed out that the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, which then-Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) voted for, states that Jerusalem should remain the undivided capital of Israel. He also cited a recent video where the Palestinian Authority said the purpose of putting an embassy in Jerusalem was to divide the city. “So the Palestinian Authority wants the U.S. government to do this,” stated Zeldin. “Their intent, their purpose, their motivation is to divide Jerusalem.” Earlier this week, more than 200 House Republicans sent a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden expressing strong opposition to reopening the consulate.

UAE Soccer team set to compete in Israel (JNS) A national soccer team from the United Arab Emirates will compete in a soccer tournament in Israel for the first time ever. The UAE’s national youth team will take part in Israel’s international Gavri Levy winter youth tournament from Dec. 12-17. Youth teams from Russia and Germany will also compete in the tournament. According to the IFA, the UAE Football Association (UAEFA) said its team arrived in Israel last week and UAEFA president Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi may also visit the Jewish state as head of the Emirati delegation. “Many good people on both sides have worked for this moment and for the deepening of cooperation in a variety of fields, believing that football is a wonderful means of bringing the two countries closer together and strengthening them,” declared IFA chairman Oren Hasson. “After quite a few years, the tournament will include four teams this time— and beyond football, there will be significant other activities in cultural and historical spectacles.” The UAEFA and the IFA signed a collaboration agreement in Dubai following last year’s signing of the Abraham Accords.

Online campaign ridicules ‘Times’ article describing Israelis as ‘angry’ (JNS) A viral social-media campaign poking fun at The New York Times was the No. 1 Twitter trend in Israel, even garnering the attention of the nation’s official Twitter account. The newspaper published an article on Oct. 26, titled “Whose Promised Land? A Journey Into a Divided Israel,” in which the publication’s Jerusalem bureau chief Patrick Kingsley used depressing and somber descriptions to depict Israelis and their country. In response, the media watchdog organization CAMERA jewishledger.com

launched a social-media campaign on Monday called “#SadSadIsrael.” “The Times’s article seemed to be asking for ridicule,” said CAMERA analyst Gilead Ini, who started #SadSadIsrael. “After 10 days of traveling throughout the country, Kingsley somehow only stumbled upon Israelis who viewed their country as a land of ‘tensions,’ ‘inequities,’ ‘divisions,’ ‘unrest,’ ‘fury,’ ‘ambivalence,’ ‘illegitimacy,’ ‘alienation,’ ‘injustice,’ ‘discrimination,’ ‘bias,’ ‘abuse,’ with ‘slums’ and ‘shabby,’ ‘tired’ and ‘garish’ towns— and hardly a bright spot to be found.” Israelis have been tweeting joyous pictures of themselves with the satirical hashtag #SadSadIsrael. Photos show them at weddings, restaurants, the beach, bars and concerts, dancing in bomb shelters, on hikes and enjoying time with family and friends. The official Twitter page for the State of Israel uploaded a photo of Israelis smiling while eating falafel sandwiches and said in a message to The New York Times, “We’re sooo sad. #SadSadIsrael.” Some Twitter users also noted that in March, Israel was ranked the 12th happiest country in the world by the World Happiness Report, and the year before, the 13th. Ini said: “Kingsley’s ‘journey,’ and the 5,000-word essay that followed, said a lot more about the ideological agenda of The New York Times than it did about Israel.”

FIFA fines Scottish soccer association after fans boo Israeli national anthem (JNS) FIFA has fined Scotland’s governing body of soccer after some Scottish fans booed the Israeli national anthem “Hatikvah” at the start of a World Cup qualifying match last month between the two countries. The incident took place on Oct. 9 at Hampden Park in Glasgow before Scotland went up against Israel’s national soccer team, as both nations competed to move forward to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. It is customary for the national anthems of the teams to be played before the start of international matches. FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee said in a report that the Scottish Football Association is being held responsible for fans violating article 16 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. SFA must pay 10,000 Swiss Francs ($10,955) and was also penalized for fans displaying an inappropriate flag during the match, which ended with Scotland winning 3-2. SFA was officially fined for a “disturbance during national anthems [and] use of objects—flags—to transmit a message that is not appropriate for a sports event.” Jewish News said during the match, anti-Israel demonstrators outside Hampden Park also held signs that compared Zionism to “racism” and said Israel should not be permitted to participate in the competition.

JEWISH LEDGER

NOVEMBER 12, 2021

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.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9 From the ICC Command Center: AntiBDS Emergency Ops Have a child in high school or college? Hear Jacob Baime and Megan Nathan, leading strategists in the war on today’s shifting forces of antisemitism, speak on Zoom on Nov. 9, 7:30 - 9 p.m., hosted by UJA/JCC Greenwich. Register and receive Zoom link at ujajcc.org. Baime is executive director of Israel on Campus Coalition, a public affairs professional, and an expert on pro-Israel campus affairs. As former national field director with AI-PAC, he oversaw strategic campus initiatives and managed AIPAC’s national training platforms for college and high school students. He most recently served as area director in AIPAC’s New England Region. Megan Nathan is managing director of the Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC) where she provides pro-Israel students with the tools to support Israel and fight BDS on campus. She worked at the US Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC) where she built coalitions of leaders from top NGOs, Fortune 500 companies, and the U.S. military to educate Americans about the importance of global development. Most recently, she worked at a crisis PR firm. “Black Voters Matter” free webinar LaTosha Brown, co-Founder and executive director of Black Voters Matter Social activist, political strategist, and jazz singer, will discuss “Black Voters Matter: Our Obligation to Democracy and Equality,” in collaboration with Open Visions Forum. The webinar is free, but registration is required. Sponsored by the Bennett Center for Judaic Studies of Fairfield University. For more information, contact Jennifer Haynos at bennettcenter@fairfield. edu or (203) 254-4000, ext. 2066.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10 Christian Kabbalists of 17th Century Europe Max DuBoff, a PhD student in Classics and Philosophy at Yale University, will explain how some European Christians became interested in Kabbalah to address puzzles about the nature of God and creation; via Zoom, sponsored by Congregation Beth El - Keser 30

JEWISH LEDGER

Israel (BEKI), 85 Harrison St., New Haven. To request the Zoom link: office@beki.org or (203) 389.2108 x114

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11 Author Elyssa Friedland to speak at Virtual Book Club Author Elyssa Friedland will discuss her new book Last Summer at the Golden Hotel, in conversation with Rebecca Anikstein, at the next Virtual Book Club meeting, hosted by UJA-JC Greenwich on Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m. on Zoom. Friedland is the author of four novels. She attended Yale University and Columbia Law School, and worked as an attorney until turning to writing full time. She currently teaches creative writing at Yale. Attendance is FREE. To register or for more information: ujajcc.org. 10th Annual Saul Cohen-Schoke JFS (Virtual) Lecture Rabbi Steve Z. Leder will discuss “If You Have to Go Through Hell, Don’t Come Out Empty-Handed” as keynote speaker of the 10th Annual Saul Cohen-Schoke JFS Lecture, presented by Schoke Jewish Family Service of Fairfield County. Co-sponsored this year by the Stamford JCC, the virtual lecture will take place on Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m. Rabbi Leder will discuss finding meaning in all sorts of painful losses: How can individuals transform loss into more than just loss? How can suffering be more than just painful? What do the sages teach about transcending pain and loss? Currently senior rabbi of the Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles, Rabbi Leder is the author of four books including The Beauty of What Remains; How Our Greatest Fear Becomes Our Greatest Gift and More Beautiful Than Before; How Suffering Transforms Us. Newsweek Magazine twice named him one of the ten most influential rabbis in America. For more information or to register, visit: https://www.ctjfs.org/saulcohen-jfs-lecture/

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14 Rabbi Jacob Schacter to speak at West Hartford Kristallnacht commemoration Author and historian Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter will discuss “Commemorating Kristallnacht: An Obligation to Remember,” as keynote speaker at the 4th Annual Margot Jeremias Memorial Kristallnacht Commemoration Lecture on Nov. 14, 7:30 pm. The lecture will be held at Young Israel of West Hartford, 2240 Albany Ave, and will also be streamed live on Zoom at YoungIsraelWH. org/Zoom. It will be co-hosted by the Young Israel and Voices of Hope. Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter is a professor of Jewish history and Jewish Thought and

| NOVEMBER 12, 2021

senior scholar at the Center for the Jewish Future at Yeshiva University. He previously served as dean of the Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik Institute in Boston. A prolific writer, he is author of the award-winning A Modern Heretic and a Traditional Community: Mordecai M. Kaplan, Orthodoxy, and American Judaism, The Lord is Righteous in All His Ways: Reflections on the Tish‘ah be-Av Kinot by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik (2006). He is currently completing a new Hebrew edition of the autobiography of Rabbi Jacob Emden, an 18th century Jewish figure. Admission is free. For more information, visit youngisraelwh.org.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13 Funny man Alan Zweibel in Stamford Author and funny man Alan Zweibel will discuss his new book Laugh Lines at the Stamford Jewish Community Center, 1035 Newfield Ave., on Nov 13 at 7:30 p.m. The event, hosted by the JCC and United Jewish Federation of Stamford, New Canaan and Darien, will be moderated by Alan Weiss. will be held in person. A Zoom option will be available. The event is free; sponsors at $50 per household will receive a wine and cheese gift bag and will be invited to meet and greet Zeibel at 7 p.m. For information: dianesloyer@ ujf.org or cfreeman@stamfordjcc.org. To register: uff.org/alan.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15 Israel on Campus: What to Know before You Get There Lappin Foundation’s Teen Antisemitism Task Force invites Jewish high school juniors and seniors to Israel on Campus: What to Know before You Get There. The program will take place on Monday, Nov.15 at 7:30 p.m.on Zoom. Stephanie Margolis, New England High School Coordinator at StandWithUs, will explore transitions and trends from high school to college campus and ways to navigate difficult conversations. The program is FREE. Register at LappinFoundation.org. For more information, email Sharon Wyner at swyner@ lappinfoundation.org.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16 Making Bloomfield Home A panel including Steve Aronson, David Baram, Michael Cohen, Miriam Fleishman, Sheila Frankel, and Henriette Herzfeld, will share reflections on the Jewish history of Bloomfield, memories of growing up in town, and aspects of synagogue and community life on Nov. 16, 7:30 p.m. Moderated by Rabbi Debra Cantor. Join us to share your own recollections. At B’nai Tikvoh-Sholom

in Bloomfield. Co-hosted by The Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford and The Neshama Center for Lifelong Learning at B’Nai Tikvoh-Sholom. For more information or to register: jhsgh.org.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17 Voices of Hope 13th Anniversary Celebration

Sharone Kornman will be the L’dor V’dor honoree at the Voices of Hope virtual “Evening of Hope 2021” event marking the group’s 13th anniversary, to be held on Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. The event can be viewed on YouTube Live. In addition to the presentation of the L’Dor V’Dor award, the organization’s members and donors will also be honored. For more information or t oregister email info@ctoicesofhope.org, or call (860) 470-5591.

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 18 Israel Trip Info Session The Emanuel Synagogue (160 Mohegan Drive, West Hartford) will host an Israel Trip Info Session on Nov. 18, 7:30-9 p.m.,—Learn about unique Israel trip led by Emanuel Executive Director Kobi Benita. For more info, visit Emanuelsynagogue.org.

Novelist Sayed Kashua to speak at Wesleyan’s Contemporary Israeli Voices Wesleyan University’s 19th Annual Contemporary Israeli Voices presents bestselling novelist Sayed Kashua on Nov. 18 at 8 p.m. Author of three well received novels and the creator of the hit TV series Arab Labor, Kashua will present “The Foreign Mother Tongue., in which he will discuss Arab identity, Palestinian identity and Israeli identity, and explore what it means to sit at a point of intersection between them. The Contemporary Israeli Voices series, sponsored by Wesleyan’s Center for Jewish Studies and organized by Dalit Katz, celebrates the voices of women and minorities. All presentations are free. To register, visit http://civ.site. wesleyan.edu. “A History of Holocaust Trials? Under discussion in Fairfield Lawrence R. Douglas, JD, will deliver a lecture entitled “A History of Holocaust Trials: From Nuremberg to Demjanjuk and Back Again,” to mark the 75th anniversary of the Nuremberg Trials on Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m. Lawrence R. Douglas, JD, James J. Grosfeld Professor of Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought, Amherst College; author, The Memory of Judgment: Making Law and History in the Trials of the Holocaust (2001), The Right Wrong Man: John Demjanjuk and the Last Great Nazi War Crimes Trials (2016). The webinar is free, but registration is required. jewishledger.com

NOVEMBER 9 – DECEMBER 5 Sponsored by the Bennett Center for Judaic Studies of Fairfield University. For more information, contact Jennifer Haynos at bennettcenter@fairfield.edu or (203) 2544000, ext. 2066.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20 Harmony Times Two in Concert The JCC in Sherman presents Harmony Times Two in Concert featuring Noelle and Tyler and LUMOS, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m., Noelle and Tyler combine their unique vocal talents to bring you acoustic, harmonized covers of some of the best folk rock from the 60s and 70s. The singer/songwriter duo of Susanna Marker and Al Burgasser known as LUMONS, have been performing together continuously for more than a decade. Their special vocal harmonies accompanied by music written and arranged by them for guitar and violin (and other instruments) make for a unique sound spanning a wide range of style and content Reservations required. Tickets: $20/ member; $25/nonmembers. Concerts will be held indoors. Masks are required, regardless of vaccination status. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit jccinsherman.org. our website

Join Jewish teens in baking 150+ pumpkin pies to donate t local agencies for their Thanksgiving meals on Nov. 21, 11:30 a.m. at Congregation Beth Israel. Open to all teens in 8th-12th grades. Bring a friend. For more information or to RSVP: cara@jtconnect.org, (860) 727-6110. Interfaith Thanksgiving Service in South Windsor The Greater Hartford community is invited to join the annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service hosted by Temple Beth Hillel and led by clergy members of different religions, on Monday, Nov. 22, 7 p.m., The service will be held online and in person (masks required) at Temple Beth Hillel, 20 Baker Lane, South Windsor. The annual event will feature inspirational readings, remarks and music from Beth Hillel’s Rabbi Jeffrey Glickman and Cantor Scott Harris, and many area clergy. The Rev. Anne Fraley of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in South Windsor will deliver this year’s sermon. The service will be live-streamed on www. tbhsw.org or on Temple Beth Hillel’s Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/tbhsw. For more information, call (860) 282-8466, ext. 0, visit www.tbhsw.org, or email Rabbi Jeff Glickman at rabbi@tbhsw.org.

Gershwin at the Mandell JCC

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1

Israeli jazz pianist, vocalist and composer Guy Mintus performs an entire album of music dedicated to Jewish composer George Gershwin at the Mandell JCC, 335 Bloomfield Ave., on Nov. 21, 7 pm. Co-sponsored by Consulate General of Israel I New England Ted Kapan & Bobbie Woronow and Delamar Hotels. Mintus injects his trademark highvoltage energy, including rapid-fire piano fills and a pulsating jazz beat, to what’s normally a placid lullaby. (Read an interview with Guy Mintus in next week’s issue of the Jewish Ledger.) Tickets: $25/adults; $18/student. For more information, visit mandelljcc.org.

An Evening of the Gershwins

Mark Oppenheimer, the author of five books, director of the Yale Journalism Initiative, and a host of the podcast Unorthodox, will discuss his latest book, Squirrel Hill: The Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting and the Soul of a Neighborhood, at 11 a.m., during the BEKI Sisterhood Book and Gift Fair. Admissin: FREE; masks required. At Congregation Beth El—Keser Israel, 85 Harrison St., corner of Whalley Avenue, New Haven. For more information: office@beki.org or (203) 3892108 x114.

jewishledger.com

Vayetzei

JTConnect Annual Pumpkin Pie Bake

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21

Mark Oppenheimer, author of “Squirrel Hill,” in New Haven

TORAHPortion

Join us on Dec. 1, 7 p.m., for an evening of music by the Gershwin brothers featuring the singing quartet of Rebecca Cooper, Marissa Cortese, Jacob Litt and Brian Rosenblum, who will be accompanied by a threepiece orchestra. Also back for an encore is Broadway producer Jack Viertel, who will give commentary on lyrics, plays and the history of George and Ira Gershwin. Hosted by UJA/JCC Greenwich. Proof of vaccination required. At Ferguson Library in Stamford. Tickets: $36/in advance; $50/at the door.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5 In Concert with Mozart, Vivaldi & Chanukah A concert with Cantor Joseph Ness and Cantor Stephanie Kupfer on Dec. 5, 7 p.m.. Tickets: $25/ seniors (65+) and students; $2/FREE for children 12 & under. For tickets, visit: tinyurl. com/BacktotheMusic. Tickets also available at the door. Virtual tickets also available. At Beth El Temple, 626 Albany Ave. in West Hartford. Free parking, Handicap access.

BY RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB

any years ago, when I was studying for my doctorate in psychology, one of my instructors was a specialist in human physiology who only lectured sporadically. Instead, he had each of us choose a topic of interest to us, research it thoroughly, and present our findings to the class. I still remember some of the topics I selected. One was a talk I gave about tears. I entitled the talk “”Shedding Tears: A Uniquely Human Behavior.” It amazed me at how little was known about tears back then. And, as I’ve discovered, not much more is known about the subject today. We still know little about the physiological explanations for the correlation between tears and mood improvement, and questions as to why women shed tears more easily than men are still largely unresolved. We are on solid ground when we explain why onions stimulate tears, or why our noses run when we cry. We remain in the dark when we attempt to understand the significance of the fact that crying for emotional reasons seems to be unique to humans. Crocodiles shed tears, but not because they are emotionally upset or aesthetically inspired. The phenomenon of human tears is connected to this week’s parsha, Vayetzeh (Genesis 28:10-32:3), in these verses: “Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older one was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah had weak eyes; and Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance.” Many find it curious that the Bible accentuates Rachel’s physical beauty. There is, however, ample precedent for that. Her predecessors, Rebecca and Sarah, are both described as exceedingly beautiful. Why is Leah’s physical appearance denigrated? Why do we need to be told that her eyes were weak, soft, and tender? Is this facial feature of Leah’s a virtue or a blemish? And if so, why mention it? Rashi comments, “Leah supposed that she was destined to marry Esau, hence she shed tears. She heard people say that Rebecca had two sons and Laban two daughters. Surely, the older daughter will marry the older son, and the younger daughter the younger son.” The assumption that she was destined to spend her life with the wicked Esau troubled her greatly, and she cried until her tears disfigured her beautiful face. Chassidic masters have interpreted

this seemingly superficial difference between Rachel’s pristine beauty and Leah’s imperfect appearance as symbolic of two types of moral heroines. Rachel represents the perfect tzaddeket who encounters no challenges to her moral perfection. Leah, on the other hand, exemplifies the person who overcomes obstacles and experiences setbacks in her struggle to achieve the status of tzaddeket. Leah’s tears are the tears of a ba’alat teshuvah, one who has known disappointment and failure in her progress toward perfection and whose tears are an essential component of her moral triumph. This view of tears as part and parcel of the struggle of the searching soul is found time and again in King David’s Book of Psalms. In psalm 42, we read: “Like a hind crying for water, my soul cries for You, O God...my tears have been my food day and night; I am ever taunted with, ‘Where is your God?’” And in psalm 56, we learn that not only do tears comprise the experience of the spiritual seeker, but that the Almighty keeps track of tears, cherishing them and preserving them: “You keep count of my wanderings; You put my tears into Your flask; into Your record.” Finally, the book of Psalms teaches us that tears shed in the interest of drawing closer to God not only are eventually effective, but that those tears are transformed into songs of joy. Thus, we have become familiar with the phrase in the Shir HaMaalot, or Song of Ascents, psalm 126, which reads: “They who sow in tears shall reap with songs of joy.” Leah’s weak eyes are not a physical defect. Her tears are emblems of her moral strivings. Her tears are not signs of weakness or cowardice; quite the contrary, they encompass her strength of character. We would be well advised to learn from Leah how and when to cry. Let me conclude with this Talmudic teaching, found in Tractate Berakhot 32b: “Rabbi Elazar also said: Since the day the Temple was destroyed, the gates of prayer were locked, as it is said: ‘Though I plead and call out, He shuts out my prayer.’ (Lamentations 3:80) Yet, despite the fact that the gates of prayer were locked, the gates of tears were never locked, as it is stated: ‘Hear my prayer, Lord, and give ear to my pleading, keep not silence at my tears.’ (Psalms 39:13)”

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OBITUARIES BARATZ Fran Sears Baratz, 102, died Nov. 1. She was the widow of Wilbur Baratz. Born in Norwich, she was the daughter of the late Herman and Emma Sears. She was also predeceased by her sister Sara Slosberg. She is survived by her sister Ruth Berlin and her husband Bert of West Hartford; her sons, Bruce, Robert and his wife Robin, and James and wife Donna; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren BASKIN Myrna Fenn Baskin, 91, of Hamden, and Palm Beach, Fla., died Oct. 27. She was the widow of Arnold M. Baskin, M.D.. Born in New Haven, she was the daughter of Ann and William H. Fenn. She is survived by her brother John Fenn; her children, Suzanne Baskin Slade and her husband Jonathan of Potomac, Md., and Nancy Fenn Baskin and her husband Jorge Plutzky of Chestnut Hill, Mass.; and her grandchildren, Amanda Slade of Boston, Mass., Jeffrey Slade of Washington, D.C., Abigail Baskin of Cambridge, Mass., and Emily Baskin of New York, N.Y. BERKMAN Jerome Berkman, 80, of Stamford, died Oct. 20. He was the husband of Louise. He was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. and raised in Middletown, N.Y. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughters, Adena Conway and her husband Daniel, and Melanie Milgram and her husband Andrew; his grandchildren, Jonathan, Simon, Noah, Abraham, Madeline and Hannah. FALK Dr. Stuart Falk, 91, of Farmington, died Oct. 28. He was the husband of Vivian (Silver) Falk. He was the son of the late Louis and Julia (Levin) Falk. He served as a captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corps from 1955-1957 and in the Army Reserve. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children, Robert Falk of North Reading,

Mass., Marsha Falk Deluse and husband Mark of Farmington, CT, and Michael Falk and wife Janice of Windsor; his grandchildren, Michelle and Alex Deluse, Becca Falk, Laura and Liz Falk; and his sister Carol (Falk) Zinman of Aventura, FL. FEIGENBAUM Pamela Gayle Feigenbaum, 69, of Chesterfield, Mo., formerly of Fairfax County, Va. died Oct. 28. Born in Hartford, she was the daughter of the late Morris and Sylvia (Kotkin) Feigenbaum. She was a member of Nusach Hari B’Nai Zion synagogue in Olivette, Mo. She is survived by her sisters, Susan Feigenbaum and her husband Jay Pepose of Chesterfield, Mo., and Jane Ellis of Glastonbury; and her nephews and nieces, Brian and Karen Ellis, David, Max, Sam, and Morissa Pepose. She was predeceased by her brother-in-law Edward Ellis. GREENBLATT Jay Brian Greenblatt, 50, of Danbury, died Oct. 31. Born in Hartford, he was the son of Cynthia and David Greenblatt of Clinton. In addition to his parents, he is survived by his sister, Stacy Reed and her husband Dennis; his nephews Sam and Matt; his niece Addy; and several other family members. GREENFIELD Lawrence Greenfield, 82, of West Hartford, died Oct. 31. He was the husband of Diane Greenfield. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., he was the son of the late Syd and Bernie Greenfield. He served in the U.S. Army. He was a longtime member of Beth El Temple in West Hartford. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his sons, Michael Greenfield and his wife Kim DeChellis, and Steven Greenfield and his wife Ellen; his grandchildren, Brett Greenfield, Jake Greenfield and Samantha Greenfield; and her niece Laurie Bernstein Smith and her husband Jeremy Smith.

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KLEIN Jeanne Grace Sosnowitz Klein, 94, died Oct. 25. She was the widow of Dr. Harold Todd Klein. Born in Stamford, she was the daughter of the late Ida Ross Sosnowitz and Ralph Sosnowitz. She is survived by her sister Ruth Miller; her son Robert Klein; here daughter Sue Ellen Raphaelson and her son-in-law Stephen; her granddaughter Jennifer Andresen and her husband John;

Tyler Herron, former Team Israel pitcher, dies at 35 BY JACOB GURUS

(JTA) — Tyler Herron, a former major league baseball prospect who pitched for Team Israel during their Cinderella run in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, died this week at 35. No cause or exact date of Herron’s death have been reported. Several of the minor league teams he played for posted tributes to Herron on social media on Thursday, Nov. 4. The West Palm Beach native and former Palm Beach Cardinals pitcher passed away at the young age of 35. Herron, who grew up in Florida, had a Jewish father and grandmother. He appeared in three games during the 2017 World Baseball Classic and called it “the best experience I’ve ever had in baseball.” Team Israel finished sixth in the international tournament, despite being ranked outside of the top 40 countries in the world before entering. Team Israel Baseball posted a note on social media on Thursday: “He is

and her great-grandsons, Julian and Jordy. She was also predeceased by her sister Beatrice Wofsey, and her brother Donald Sosnowitz. She was a lifetime member of Temple Beth El. For more information on placing an obituary, contact: judiej@ jewishledger.

remembered fondly by all his teammates and coaches from Team Israel. Israel Baseball sends its deepest condolences to Herron’s family and loved ones.” Want more sports stories? Sign up for The Jewish Sport Report newsletter. A native of West Palm Beach, Herron was a standout high school pitcher. During his senior year, the right-hander led the country with a 0.25 earned run average, striking out 81 batters in 57 innings. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the first round of the 2005 Major League Baseball draft, and in 2007 was ranked by Baseball America as the organization’s 10th best prospect. But he never made it to the major leagues. During a 16-year career, Herron played for several minor league teams in multiple organizations, as well as in foreign and independent leagues — including in Puerto Rico. The head of the Puerto Rico Players Association told El Nuevo Dia that an investigation into Herron’s death is underway. This year, Herron pitched for the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks of the independent American Association league, his fourth separate stint with the team.

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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 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 Joshua Ratner (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 Kevin Peters (203) 869-7191 info@templesholom.com www.templesholom.com

HAMDEN Congregation Mishkan Israel Reform Rabbi Brian P. Immerman (203) 288-3877 tepstein@cmihamden.org www.cmihamden.org

Congregation Beth El-Keser Israel Conservative Rabbi Eric Woodward rabbi@beki.org (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

Temple Beth Sholom Conservative Rabbi Benjamin Edidin Scolnic (203) 288-7748 tbsoffice@tbshamden.com www.tbshamden.com

Orchard Street ShulCongregation Beth Israel Orthodox Rabbi Mendy Hecht 203-776-1468 www.orchardstreetshul.org NEW LONDON Ahavath Chesed Synagogue Orthodox Rabbi Avrohom Sternberg 860-442-3234 Ahavath.chesed@att.net

MADISON Temple Beth Tikvah Reform Rabbi Danny Moss (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 admin@myshul.org www.myshul.org MIDDLETOWN Adath Israel Conservative Rabbi Nelly Altenburger (860) 346-4709 office@adathisraelct.org www.adathisraelct.org NEW HAVEN The Towers at Tower Lane Conservative Ruth Greenblatt, Spiritual Leader Sarah Moskowitz, Spiritual Leader (203) 772-1816 rebecca@towerlane.org www.towerlane.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 Temple Shalom Reform Rabbi Cantor Shirah Sklar (203) 866-0148 admin@templeshalomweb.org www.templeshalomweb.org NORWICH Congregation Brothers of Joseph Modern Orthodox Rabbi Yosef Resnick (781 )201-0377 yosef.resnick@gmail.com https://brofjo.tripod.com

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WALLINGFORD Beth Israel Synagogue Conservative Rabbi Bruce Alpert (203) 269-5983 info@bethisraelwallingford.org www.bethisraelwallingford.org

Kehilat Chaverim of Greater Hartford Chavurah Adm. - Nancy Malley (860) 951-6877 mnmalley@yahoo.com www.kehilatchaverim.org

Congregation Or Shalom Conservative Rabbi Alvin Wainhaus (203) 799-2341 info@orshalomct.org www.orshalomct.org

WASHINGTON Greater Washington Coalition for Jewish Life Rabbi James Greene (860) 868-2434 jewishlifect@gmail.com www.jewishlifect.org

The Emanuel Synagogue Conservative Rabbi David J. Small (860) 236-1275 communications@ emanuelsynagogue.org www.emanuelsynagogue.org

PUTNAM Congregation B’nai Shalom Conservative Rabbi Eliana Falk - Visiting Rabbi (860) 315-5181 susandstern@gmail.com www.congregationbnaishalom.org

WATERFORD Temple Emanu - El Reform Rabbi Marc Ekstrand Rabbi Emeritus Aaron Rosenberg (860) 443-3005 office@tewaterfrord.org www.tewaterford.org

SIMSBURY Chabad of the Farmington Valley Chabad Rabbi Mendel Samuels (860) 658-4903 chabadsimsbury@gmail.com www.chabadotvalley.org

WEST HARTFORD Beth David Synagogue Orthodox Rabbi Yitzchok Adler (860) 236-1241 office@bethdavidwh.org www.bethdavidwh.org

Farmington Valley Jewish Congregation, Emek Shalom Reform Rabbi Rebekah Goldman Mag (860) 658-1075 admin@fvjc.org www.fvjc.org

Beth El Temple Conservative Rabbi James Rosen Rabbi Rachel Zerin Cantor Joseph Ness (860) 233-9696 info@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

SOUTH WINDSOR Temple Beth Hillel of South Windsor Reform Rabbi Jeffrey Glickman (860) 282-8466 tbhrabbi@gmail.com www.tbhsw.org

Congregation Beth Israel Reform Rabbi Michael Pincus Rabbi Andi Fliegel Cantor Stephanie Kupfer (860) 233-8215 bethisrael@cbict.org www.cbict.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

Congregation P’nai Or Jewish Renewal Shabbat Services & Holidays Rabbi Andrea Cohen-Kiener (860) 561-5905 pnaiorct@gmail.com www.jewishrenewalct.org

United Synagogues of Greater Hartford Orthodox Rabbi Eli Ostrozynsk i synagogue voice mail (860) 586-8067 Rabbi’s mobile (718) 679-4446 ostro770@hotmail.com Young Israel of West Hartford Orthodox Rabbi Tuvia Brander (860) 233-3084 info@youngisraelwh.org www.youngisraelwh.org WESTPORT Temple Israel of Westport Reform Rabbi Michael Friedman, Senior Rabbi Cantor Julia Cadrain, Senior Cantor Rabbi Elana Nemitoff-Bresler, Rabbi Educator Rabbi Zach Plesent, Assistant Rabbi (203) 227-1293 info@tiwestport.org www.tiwestport.org WETHERSFIELD Temple Beth Torah Unaffiliated Rabbi Alan Lefkowitz 860-529-2410 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

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