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2 JEWISH STANDARD FEBRUARY 8, 2019
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Page 3
Netta Barzilai
embraces inner
pink rhino
l For everyone who thought she was just a one-hit
wonder, Israeli singer Netta Barzilai has released a new
single since winning the Eurovision contest last May.
And it’s already generating plenty of buzz.
“Bassa Sababa,” Arabic for “Bummer, That’s Awe-
some,” dropped on Friday. The song is a celebration of
her life since winning Eurovision — the good, the bad,
and the very, very pink.
The music video accompanying the song features Bar-
zilai, 26, dressed as a pink rhino, charging after the man
who has dumped her as they are about to be married.
She calls on him to “Stop!/ Call your mama/ Run/
Tell her I’m a Rhino/ My killer girls are coming/ If you
won’t hide you’re done.” And “Stop!/ Hold the trigger/
Watch/ My horn is bigger/ I win/ I love my thicker fig-
ure/ I grew a thicker skin.”
The official “Bassa Sababa” video on YouTube had
more than two million views as of Sunday evening in
Israel along with 9,000 comments.
Barzilai told the Associated Press that the song is a love,” Barzilai told AP. “But what they don’t know is
more “raw, real” version of female empowerment than that’s actually what empowered me.”
her Eurovision winner, “Toy.” She wrote the song with Stav Beger and Avshalom
The video also features a lot more pink: other cos-
tumes, a car, bubbles, goo, and hooded students. There
Ariel. Barzilai uses her famous looper alongside an Afri-
can beat and techno-electronic music.
CONTENTS
also are 50 dancers draped in pink. In a statement released with the song, Barzilai said: Noshes���������������������������������������������������������4
The video was filmed in more than a dozen locations “I learned this year from my fans that I’m stronger than briefly local���������������������������������������� 14
in Kiev, and came in at a cost of some $275,000 — the I think I am. The light and the joy within me and the finance & planned giving������������ 18
cover story�������������������������������������������24
most expensive Israeli music video ever, according to people around me can conquer all the darkness that
jewish world����������������������������������������31
reports. comes from inside and out. A rhinoceros is an animal
oPINION������������������������������������������������������36
“After this experience, the people made me into some with a very thick skin, that protects itself and its herd by home, sweet home����������������������������40
kind of idol for empowerment, self-acceptance, and attacking, not feeling.” Marcy Oster/JTA arts & culture������������������������������������ 43
calendar������������������������������������������������ 44
THE FRAZZLED HOUSEWIFE��������������47
crossword puzzle���������������������������47

Shiri: Play Israeli music obituaries���������������������������������������������� 49


classified ads������������������������������������� 50
real estate���������������������������������������������53
l There’s a new music app out, and good portion of Israeli artists aren’t PUBLISHER’S STATEMENT: (USPS 275-700 ISN 0021-6747)
I can’t get enough of it. on Spotify. It was a treat to hear is published weekly on Fridays with an additional edition
every October, by the New Jersey Jewish Media Group, 1086
It’s called Shiri, which is Hebrew Yaakov Rotblit for the first time in Teaneck Road, Teaneck, NJ 07666. Periodicals postage paid
for “my song.” Sponsored in part 30 years. at Hackensack, NJ and additional offices. POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to New Jersey Jewish Media Group,
by the Israeli government, it’s a Unfortunately, you can’t replay a 1086 Teaneck Road, Teaneck, NJ 07666. Subscription price
streaming jukebox of decades of song or even go back to the begin- is $30.00 per year. Out-of-state subscriptions are $45.00,
Foreign countries subscriptions are $75.00.
Israeli music. ning. Which was a problem when a
The appearance of an advertisement in The Jewish Standard
Shiri boasts that it offers higher song suddenly jumped to my fore- does not constitute a kashrut endorsement. The publishing of
royalties to artists than any other ground consciousness for featuring a paid political advertisement does not constitute an endorse-
ment of any candidate political party or political position by
streaming service, but the good a melodic, harmonic chorus of the the newspaper or any employees.
news for users is that the service is words “Sloan Kettering.” WTF? The Jewish Standard assumes no responsibility to return
free and without commercial inter- I stopped the app, read the name unsolicited editorial or graphic materials. All rights in letters
and unsolicited editorial, and graphic material will be treated
ruptions. of the performer, and then was able as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright
Unlike services such as Spotify, to listen to Ariel Horowitz’s 2016 purposes and subject to JEWISH STANDARD’s unrestricted
right to edit and to comment editorially. Nothing may be
you can’t choose to listen to indi- album “Hagiborim Sheli” at leisure reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from
vidual albums or specific artists. on Spotify. Yes, “Sloan Kettering” the publisher. © 2019

Instead, you choose your three fa- is about cancer. No, I don’t fully
vorite artists — I went with Shlomo understand the song yet, but I’m Candlelighting:
Artzi, Si Hi-Man, and Mashina, playing it on repeat. Friday, February 8, 5:04 p.m.
reflecting the music of my time in And I’m very grateful to Shiri for Shabbat ends:
Israel three decades ago — and letting me explore new dad-friend-
Saturday, February 9, 6:05 p.m.
it plays a remarkable playlist that ly Israeli music.
reflects the quality of singer-song- You can download Shiri from the
writers and dad rock that I loved Apple and Android app stores, by Call 201-837-8818
then and loved now. It does a far searching for the Hebrew word. judgement on the catchy chorus or bit.ly/jsubscribe
better job than Spotify in going (The app is Hebrew-only at the mo- of “Sloan Kettering” at http://bit.ly/ for convenient
wide within the genre, and deep. A ment.) And you can make your own ArielSK. Larry Yudelson
home delivery.

Jewish Standard February 8, 2019 3


JS-4*

Noshes “There were only 53 people there.


Now 3,000 people remember it well.”
— From the New York Time’s obituary of Izzy (originally
Israel Goodman) Young, the 1960s folk music revival’s
guiding spirit, about a concert he presented in 1961 —
which happened to be Bob Dylan’s first in New York.

TRIBAL N0MINEES:

Drake towers
over Grammys
CBS will present Mem’ries… The Mag-
the Grammy ic”). Streisand, 76, has
awards ceremony won seven Grammys.
live on February 10 The ITZHAK
at 8 p.m., but the vast PERLMAN documenta-
majority of the awards ry “Itzhak”, directed by
are not presented on ALISON CHERNIK, 46,
TV. Here’s my list of is up for a best music Drake Barbara Streisand
Jewish nominees in the film Grammy. It com- Emmy Rossum
TV-worthy categories. petes with “Quincy,”
This list’s superstar is a film about famous
rapper DRAKE (aka producer Quincy Jones
Aubrey Drake Graham).
As usual, Drake, 32, got
that was made by his
daughter, RASHIDA
At the movies
many nominations — it JONES, 42. ● “Cold Pursuit” is an action thriller with a lot of irrev-
was seven this year. The Grammys are erent comic lines. Nels Coxman (Liam Neeson) works
Four are for “God’s not quite on the same for the small town of Kehoe, keeping its roads plowed
Plan,” a song that Drake schedule as the Oscars. during the long winters. Coxman and his wife (Laura
wrote and performed, A song (“This is Me”) Dern) are devastated by the death of their son, who
and which was the most from “The Greatest probably was involved with drug dealers. Coxman
streamed song of 2018 Showman,” a 2017 film,
turns into a vigilante, killing the associates of a drug
on Apple and Spotify. was Oscar-nominated Mark Ronson Larry Klein
lord he believes caused his son’s death, picking them
“God’s Plan” is nominat- last year for best song.
off one at a time. Sometimes he uses his snowplow.
ed for song of the year, It is up in 2019 for a with the late WARREN Miracle workers
record of the year, best Grammy for “best song ZEVON and Bonnie “Miracle Workers,” (Opens Friday, February 8)
rap song, and best rap written for a visual Raitt. His producing a comedy, starts EMMY ROSSUM, 32, plays Kim, a rookie Kehoe
performance. “God’s media.” It was com- career took off in 1985, on TBS on Feb. 12 police officer who doesn’t have much to do until dead
Plan,” released as a posed by the team of when he worked with at 10:30 p.m. bodies start turning up everywhere. Rossum is best
single, later appeared BENJ PASEK, 33, and his then-wife Joni DANIEL RADCLIFFE, known as the co-star of the hit Showtime series “Shame-
on the album “Scorpi- Justin Paul. The song Mitchell on her “Dog 29, who played Harry less.” She announced last August that she would leave
on,” which is up for “Shallow,” written for Eat Dog” album. Since Potter, stars as Craig, a the show at the end of its ninth season. Her last new
album of the year the 2018 film “A Star 1995, he has been a low-level angel respon- episodes began airing on January 20. –N.B.
honors. is Born,” also is nomi- full-time producer of sible for handling all of
The band Maroon 5, nated. It was co-com- albums featuring top- humanity’s prayers. His
led by ADAM LEVINE, posed by MARK flight jazz musicians boss, God (Steve
39, is nominated for RONSON, 43. and jazz vocalists. Buscemi), spends most is the creator of the Simon’s brother,
best duo/group per- LARRY KLEIN, 62, is He’s produced sever- of his time on his TV series. Rich is a NATHANIEL, 38, is a
formance for the song nominated for produc- al albums for his wife, hobbies instead of former SNL writer novelist and journalist.
“Girls Like You.” The er of the year. He’s a Brazilian-born singer paying attention to and the creator of the An article he wrote for
band recorded this really cool renaissance LUCIANA SOUZA, 52. mankind’s problems. FX cable series “Man the New York Times
tune with hot singer guy who has worked The couple married in As I’ve noted before, Seeking Woman.” He’s is the basis for “Dry
Cardi B. Those with with a who’s who of 2002; the officiant was Radcliffe’s mother is the son of FRANK Run,” a major movie
more staid tastes jazz and rock stars for MORDECAI FINLEY, Jewish and he identi- RICH, 69, the former now being filmed. It’s
will be cheered by the last 45 years. He 63, a Los Angeles rabbi fies as Jewish, although New York Times the- about a (real) lawyer
BARBRA STREISAND’s began in the 1970s as who renewed Klein’s he isn’t religious. ater critic and opin- who took on Dow
43rd Grammy nomi- a bass player for top Jewish faith and super- The series is based ion columnist who Chemical for creating
nation (for her album acts like BOB DYLAN. vised Souza’s conver- on a novel by SIMON now writes for New environmental dam-
“The Music… The Later, he wrote songs sion to Judaism. RICH, 34, who also York magazine. age. –N.B.

Want to read more noshes? Visit facebook.com/jewishstandard California-based Nate Bloom can be reached at
Middleoftheroad1@aol.com

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JEWISH STANDARD FEBRUARY 8, 2019 5


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Local
On the outs over an intern
RCBC decides to bar members allowing female rabbinic trainees
LARRY YUDELSON women, mainly about intimate matters.

P
Rabbi Schiowitz took pains to say that
ushing back against efforts by none of this was personal.
liberal Orthodox Jews to allow “There’s a lot of warmth and respect
women to serve as clergy, the for Rabbi Helfgot personally. The hope
Rabbinical Council of Bergen would be that he would stay in the RCBC.
County is preparing to oust a member for The question is going to be what they will
allowing a woman training for ordination to do next year.”
serve as an intern in his congregation. While Rabbi Helfgot’s statement didn’t
The member is Rabbi Nathaniel Helf- explicitly say what the synagogue will do
got, leader of Congregation Netivot Sha- when it comes to choosing next year’s
lom in Teaneck. intern, it did say that the congregation
After the Jewish Standard reported in Rabbi Nathaniel Helfgot, Rabbi Kenny Schiowitz, Marianne Novak “has always been a leader and pioneer in
November that Netivot had hired Mari- expanding the opportunities for women”
anne Novak to be a rabbinic intern, the RCBC amended leaders treat their positions and treat our community. and gave no indication that he wants to change that.
its bylaws to push Netivot and Rabbi Helfgot outside of its “It’s absolutely out of step with the values of our com- Rabbi Helfgot’s full statement follows:
communal tent. Ms. Novak is studying for ordination at munity. They basically took the tactics of communal “The RCBC has, for many decades, served as an
Yeshivat Maharat; when she is ordained, she will take the ostracism and isolation that you reserve for get refusers umbrella organization of Orthodox rabbis that has helped
title either of rabbah or of rabbi. and sexual deviants and have employed it against people establish and develop the physical and spiritual infrastruc-
The new RCBC bylaws do not allow as members rabbis who disagree with their views,” he said. ture and helped foster the communal wellbeing of the
of congregations that let women hold rabbinic positions “Never did I imagine that the reaction to the Maharat burgeoning observant community in Bergen County. The
or internships that are part of ordination programs. interns would be this,” he said. “I expected scholarship council has always had a wide diversity of rabbis who rep-
“Roughly three quarters voted for it,” Rabbi Kenny arguing against it. Instead of scholarship, what our com- resent the big tent of the Orthodox community in our area.
Schiowitz, the RCBC’s president, said. Rabbi Schiowitz munity got was cowardice and bully tactics. The com- Many of my co-members are dear and treasured friends,
leads Congregation Shaare Tefillah in Teaneck and heads munity shouldn’t accept it. This is something we see in including my close friend, the newly elected president, R.
the Talmud department at the Ramaz Upper School in charedi communities, not in the modern Orthodox. Kenneth Schiowitz, who is a thoughtful and outstanding
Manhattan. He said he was among the minority that “This is not about members of the RCBC having to communal rabbi, talmid hakham, and educator. The coun-
voted not to sanction Rabbi Helfgot. accept or support the idea of woman rabbis. Nobody ever cil members who I know well, work tirelessly for the com-
“People were concerned that Rabbi Helfgot’s associa- asked or should ask them to do that. munity and are devoted spiritual leaders to their members
tion as part of the RCBC gave his hiring of a female rab- “Netivot was on the receiving end of what happened and the broader Orthodox and general Jewish community.
binic intern some sort of endorsement from the RCBC, this time. Next time it could be a different shul. Once our “It is thus, with pain and sadness, that I must express my
which was concerning,” Rabbi Schiowitz said. community accepts that our rabbis can use our commu- strong disagreement and disappointment at the RCBC’s
The bylaw change does not take effect until September. nal institutions this way, everyone is fair game.” recent vote to adopt a bylaw that would restrict the rab-
“We didn’t want to do anything drastic like have some- Rabbi Schiowitz said the RCBC was not trying to tell binic authority and autonomy of its members, beginning
body terminate an agreement that was already made,” Netivot what to do. in Sept. 2019, on learned and committed women serving
Rabbi Schiowitz said. “Netivot is an independent organization and its mem- in spiritual leadership roles or being trained for those
The council met twice to debate their response to the bers have the right to make their own decisions for them- roles in the synagogue context. This is an issue that has
rabbinic intern. Rabbi Helfgot spoke at both meetings, selves,” he said. “In the same way, the RCBC is an inde- been and continues to be in vigorous debate in the Mod-
Rabbi Schiowitz said. pendent organization and its members have the right to ern-Orthodox community. In the last decade a range of
Rabbi Helfgot and other Netivot leaders declined to define itself and its bylaws. I believe that our decision was views has been articulated by various rabbis and scholars,
discuss the issue with the Jewish Standard. Rabbi Helfgot the result of thought-out, transparent, and democratic both here and in Israel on the fundamental issue. As such
issued a statement both praising the RCBC as an institu- process in which all members had a voice. different communal models have emerged as to the prac-
tion and expressing his “disagreement and disappoint- “It’s not the same as saying you’re not Orthodox,” tical implementation of including learned women in spir-
ment” with its decision. Rabbi Schiowitz said. “The RCBC sets its own standards. itual and Torah leadership. For many decades, the infor-
But the decision brought sharp criticism from Yigal The majority of the RCBC members identify with the nor- mal policy of the RCBC has been to allow each member
Gross, an attorney who lives in Teaneck and is a member mative Orthodox institutions like the Rabbinical Council to reach the best halakhic and public policy decisions for
of four Orthodox congregations, among them Netivot. of America and the Orthodox Union. The RCBC is saying that rabbi’s individual shul and its members on matters of
Last year, he and his wife, Tamar Warburg, sponsored we want to be a traditional, normative, consensus-type dispute within the Modern-Orthodox community and this
her predecessor, Dina Brawer, who also studied at Yeshi- Orthodox organization. If you want to be a trailblazer and decision is a shift away from that norm.
vat Maharat. do things that are not normative, that is your choice, but “I was hired by the members of Congregation Netivot
Writing in a blog post in The Times of Israel, Mr. Gross that would be outside of the RCBC.” Shalom to be its rabbi, religious leader and spiritual guide in
said that singling out Rabbi Helfgot for exclusion “seems What would he say to teenage girls who look to Yeshi- matters of halakha and public policy. I have attempted to fill
like the bullying excesses of a mindless mob.” vat Maharat and its students as role models? this role, to the best of my ability, in accordance with Torah
Mr. Gross’s blog post brought into the light a story that “Why would you want to go into the field of being an and halakhic principles as applied in the context of my indi-
Netivot leadership had hoped to keep quiet. Orthodox clergy member when the OU and the RCA are vidual community. Netivot Shalom has always been a leader
“The piece was not written with input from anyone opposed to it?” he said. “There are a lot of places for and pioneer in expanding the opportunities for women to
in Netivot,” Mr. Gross told the Jewish Standard. “But the women to take important leadership roles in the Orthodox enhance their avodat Hashem, explore their educational,
issues that are at stake here transcend the interests of community. In the normative Orthodox community, it will intellectual and religious heritage and take on meaningful
one shul and women rabbis. They pale in comparison be framed as an educator, scholar-in-residence, or yoetzet communal and spiritual leadership roles, within the guide-
to the larger communal issue, which is how our rabbinic halacha,” a woman who answers questions from other lines of halakha in all its majesty and breadth.”
6 JEWISH STANDARD FEBRUARY 8, 2019
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JEWISH STANDARD FEBRUARY 8, 2019 7


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Local

‘So many ways to be kind’


Synagogue to honor couple who endowed a Gratitude Award
LOIS GOLDRICH non-judgmental, very welcoming. Anyone can move

I
in and feel comfortable. One of our biggest things is
t should have been obvious from the start that showing gratitude for each other, appreciating each
Janet Hod was, well, a bit different. After all, she other, performing acts of kindness.” She said the mark
said, she wasn’t available to speak on Friday of a caring community is to “forget about ourselves and
because that Shabbat she would be hosting the take care of each other.”
entire Yeshiva University men’s basketball team. Ms. Hod’s outreach is not limited to her synagogue.
“It will be a bit crazy here,” she understated, noting “I help wherever I’m needed,” she said, whether that’s
later that she does this every year. “I’ve had three sons with Chabad of Teaneck, bikkur cholim, or another
on the team, and two are still there,” she explained. In group that can use a hand. And yet, with all these sig-
addition, her husband, Lior, as well as his brother, Ayal, nificant acts of generosity, perhaps the latest one is the
are former YU basketball stars. most unusual.
Still, hosting and feeding 18 young men is a big deal. As part of the March 10 honoree dinner, the Hods
Lior and Janet Hod, who have lived in Teaneck for have endowed a new award, to be presented annually.
about 30 years, will be honored by their synagogue, The first such award will be presented to Danny Dau-
Young Israel of Teaneck, on March 10. “We helped to rio, who delivers mail to the shul, the Hods, and many
found the shul 20 plus years ago and I help to run the local families. But he does much more, Ms. Hod said,
shul — basically, I run the office,” Ms. Hod said. She’s explaining why Mr. Daurio will receive the shul’s first
also helping with the synagogue’s expansion project. Gratitude Award.
“We’ve grown tremendously,” she said, noting that “Danny is the kindest, most giving person,” she said.
membership is now around 240 families. “There are Janet and Lior Hod “He goes far beyond” his job description. During a
a lot of young people, from families whose children recent hurricane, when the post office was closed and
decided to stay in the community,” she added; in fact, Her home, indeed, would seem to be a remarkable trucks couldn’t get down the street, “he drove around
her own daughter moved across the street. “There was place. the neighborhood to make sure people were OK. He
a big need to expand the building,” she said. “My kids are amazing,” she said of her daughter and shoots hoops with the kids, checks on the elderly. He
Perhaps, given the family’s matter-of-fact approach three sons, who range in age from 21 to 27. “They take would make Mr. Rogers proud.
to hosting 18 young men for the weekend, it should in other kids on their own. I take pride in watching “Mr. Rogers would love our neighborhood,” she con-
not have been surprising to learn from Ms. Hod that them show empathy and kindness, to make these kids” tinued. “Danny is family. You don’t have to be Jewish to
“we have four biological children but lots of kids” — often with special needs — “feel part of the group. be part of the community. He’s a good, kind person. A
who grew up in their home because “they needed “My daughter started in middle school, getting lot of dinners are about fundraising. The bigger piece
homes — kids who come from troubled homes, or involved in a charity helping kids with malaria. When is to represent who you are as a community. Every year,
who are studying away from home. One family lost she went to Rutgers, she got involved with the Embrace we want to endow a gratitude award to show appreci-
the mother and we were helping to raise the kids until Kids Foundation, which helps families who have chil- ation for a member of the community whose kindness
a remarriage. dren with cancer. She’s now on the board.” Ms. Hod makes our community better, who’s a role model.
“We have an open home,” she said, adding that peo- hopes, she said, that she’s taught her children to help “Danny is so excited. We invited him to bring his
ple arrive there “completely through word of mouth.” “within and beyond the community — it’s a balance.” whole family.” The shul also has written to the Postmas-
The reason for this outreach lies in the Hods’ own his- As for her husband, “Fate brought us together. We ter General with news of the award; it is hoped he will
tory. “People did it for my husband and me, and we have similar goals in life. We’re blessed in many ways. respond in some way. “It’s our way to say thank you to
passed it on,” she said. “We both had challenging sit- We feel that whatever we have is a gift,” leading them to someone who is special.
uations in childhood.” It is also noteworthy Janet Hod open their home to those who need it. “He’s amazing. I “I think there’s nothing better in life than being able
converted to Judaism before she turned 21. “I wanted to couldn’t do it without a partner.” to help somebody — and there’s so many ways you can
do that since high school,” she said. “I fell in love with She also is proud of her synagogue. “Our whole com- help. It doesn’t have to be financial. You can say hello
Judaism as a family-oriented, home-based religion.” munity is really unique in that it is Orthodox but very to a neighbor. There are so many ways to be kind.”

Who: Lior and Janet


Hod will be guests of
honor, Elana and Eli Katz
will receive the Charlie
Gartenberg Memorial
Service Award, and
Danny Daurio will receive
the Gratitude Award
What: At the Young
Israel of Teaneck’s
anniversary dinner
When: March 10 at
5:30 p.m.
Where: Fair Lawn Jewish
Center, 10-10 Norma Ave.,
Fair Lawn
Postal worker Danny Daurio,
How: (201) 837-1710
recipient of the first Gratitude Award www.yiot.org
endowed by the Hods. The Hods with their daughter, son-in-law, and three sons.
8 JEWISH STANDARD FEBRUARY 8, 2019
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"Who will give me wings...I will fly..."


“ ‫אעופה‬...‫”מי יתן לי אבר‬
~ Tehillim/Psalms 55:7 ~

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Marriott Glenpointe Hotel, Teaneck NJ
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JEWISH STANDARD FEBRUARY 8, 2019 9
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Local

Is your marriage just fine? Or is it great?


Rabbi Dr. Ari Synter will examine the stressors
in Orthodox marriages and how to overcome them
ABIGAIL KLEIN LEICHMAN “While previous research on marriage game changes, and the relationship won’t

I
in the Jewish community lumped all affil- erode over years of those types of fights.”
f you were asked to describe your iations together, we have to take the time The Gottmans offer workshops based
marriage, would you say it’s great, to understand each population of the Jew- on their book, “Seven Principles for
troubled, or fine? ish community and how to respond to its Making Marriage Work.” Rabbi Sytner is
Many people would answer unique challenges,” he said. “I looked at trained to offer the workshops and will do
“fine,” and that sounds, well, fine. But the least studied population, in my own so in Bergen County.
it indicates room for improvement, backyard.” Orthodox couples are not immune to
according to Rabbi Dr. Ari Sytner of Ber- He noted that the high cost of housing, serious issues found in the greater popu-
genfield, a licensed couples therapist tuition, food, and summer camp often lation, he said. When he asked nearly 200
and professor at Yeshiva University’s adds stressors that put Orthodox couples divorced Orthodox Jews what factors con-
Wurzweiler School of Social Work. into survival mode, and that this leaves tributed to the breakup, he was shocked
On February 11, he’ll speak at Teaneck’s little energy for nurturing their marriage. to find infidelity mentioned by almost a
Congregation Beth Aaron on “When a “I was interested in finding out the quarter of respondents, sexual addiction
Marriage Is Fine, Is It Really? What Sci- trends of couples in crisis within each by 17 percent, physical abuse by 33 per-
ence and Torah Teach Us about Making a population and understanding who cou- cent, and verbal abuse by 55 percent.
Good Marriage Great.” (See box.) ples are turning to when their marriage is The latter is a subject with which he is
“The premise of this presentation is in trouble — rabbi, friend, family member, well acquainted, because he lectures on
that when things are ‘fine’ you may actu- or therapist?” behalf of Shalom Task Force, a national
ally be at higher risk of your relationship Rabbi Synter had been a pulpit rabbi Rabbi Dr. Ari Synter agency that helps Jewish individuals and
eroding, and there are things you can do for 13 years — in Des Moines, Iowa, and families struggling with domestic abuse.
to turn it around,” Rabbi Sytner said. Charleston, South Carolina — so he was “So many people suffer in silence and
“The latest research has found that aware of the assumption that Orthodox feel trapped,” he said. “We need to raise
when couples report their relationship men have greater access to their rabbis awareness that there is help and we must
as ‘fine,’ it may indicate that they are
simply coasting, while in fact the founda-
than do their wives, because men gener-
ally spend more time in shul. If that were
When getting educate young men and women of dating
age to look for red flags and respond to
tion to their relationship may be slowly true, it could put women at a disadvan- through the day them in an appropriate way.”
eroding over time, causing the couple to
grow apart. They may have begun toler-
tage; studies in church communities indi-
cate that access to a pastor and ritual ser-
and paying the Personality clashes were cited by 54
percent of divorced respondents, and
ating a new reality where the norm is a vices make people of both genders more bills is the goal, 57 percent cited communication prob-
lack of joy or romance, and the relation-
ship may be operating in a robotic man-
resilient.
To find out what really is going on, he
a couple may lems. “That speaks to the question of the
shidduch process,” Rabbi Sytner said.
ner. When getting through the day and partnered with the ARCC Institute of New have entered an He was referring to matchmaking cul-
paying the bills is the goal, a couple may
have entered an uninspiring pattern,
City, a research institute that conducts
behavioral health research among Ortho-
uninspiring ture in Orthodox circles. This typically
involves parents, professional match-
which can lead them to feeling a sense dox Jews. pattern, which makers, or volunteer matchmakers sug-
of loneliness.”
Research on church communities,
He discovered that an equal number
of men and women responding to the
can lead them to gesting potential mates based on a “dat-
ing resume” provided by the single. This
however, has found that congregational survey — 72 percent — reported that they feeling a sense resume describes the person physically
support and affiliation are associated
with lower rates of divorce and higher
went to a rabbi when their marriage was
in trouble, dispelling the myth that men of loneliness. and philosophically and lists what he or
she is looking for in a spouse.
rates of satisfaction in marriage. in the Orthodox community were receiv- “How are we preparing our children
Curious to see if this correlation also ing more rabbinic support than women. that they lack skills to constantly work on to understand themselves and then fig-
holds true for Orthodox couples, Rabbi He also found that marriages in all Ortho- their relationship and build upon it.” ure out the ideal personality to match
Dr. Sytner spent five years studying mar- dox communities face their share of Here he is drawing on the work of Seat- them with?” Rabbi Synter asked. “In
riage and divorce trends in three Ortho- challenges. tle-based clinical psychologists John and Orthodox communities the process
dox subgroups: modern Orthodox, “Each community struggles with differ- Julie Gottman, who have researched rela- often starts on paper where the person-
chasidic (ultra-Orthodox) and yeshivish ent issues that may lead them to divorce, tionships for 40 years. ality doesn’t quite come through.
(strict-leaning). and no community is immune, including “After studying 3,000 couples over the “We should be doing more work on
the modern Orthodox,” he said. “This years, Dr. Gottman is able to observe a a premarital level in high school and
What: “When a Marriage Is Fine, Is may be surprising to some, as the mod- couple having a conversation or a fight college, and I am a strong believer in
It Really? What Science and Torah ern Orthodox population invests heavily and in the first five minutes he can pre- premarital counseling for all engaged
Teach Us about Making a Good in higher education. Yet being well-read dict whether or not they will ultimately couples. If we can reverse-engineer a
Marriage Great” and well-educated does not correlate with divorce, with 94 percent accuracy,” Rabbi successful marriage, we can teach cou-
Who: Rabbi Dr. Ari Sytner, a fewer risk factors for divorce.” Sytner said. ples starting out to avoid certain mis-
licensed couples therapist and What exactly are those factors? “So there are things couples are doing takes and implement certain practices.”
professor at the Wurzweiler School “A common misconception you’ll hear right or wrong in how they interact. It’s not Rabbi Sytner and his wife of nearly 21
of Social Work on the street is that people divorce over about the children, money, or other stress- years, Chana, have four children, who
When: Monday, February 11, 8 p.m. money, in-laws, children, and intimacy. I ors. It comes down to how you communi- range in age from 12 to 19. He is pleased
would argue that those are not the reasons cate and reinforce the fundamental friend- to see that local day schools are inviting
Where: Congregation Beth Aaron,
for divorce but the topics around which ship. If couples learn how to make a small speakers from organizations like Shalom
950 Queen Anne Road, Teaneck
couples’ relationships devolve. It’s really course correction here or there, the entire SEE MARRIAGE PAGE 35
10 JEWISH STANDARD FEBRUARY 8, 2019
JS-11

JEWISH STANDARD FEBRUARY 8, 2019 11


JS-12*

Local

FIRST PERSON number to pay for her daughter’s dinner. The restau-

Calling all angels


rant said it couldn’t do that.
Even at death’s door, D is a force to be reckoned with.
She asked for the manager, explained the situation (no
doubt in a shaky, medicated voice), and was told not
LOIS GOLDRICH to worry, that the restaurant would provide appetizers

A
free of charge, with no expectation of repayment. (They
number of recent events have prompted me will, of course, be repaid, but what a gesture!)
to rethink the whole idea of angels. My personal angel died this past week. Dr. Sam Cas-
Not the kind that stood in front of sell — doctor, humanitarian, visionary — was my family’s
Balaam’s donkey or wrestled with Jacob, internist long before he founded BVMI, the Bergen Vol-
but — please just indulge me — angels more closely in unteer Medical Initiative — which provides health care to
line with the popular conception, the warm, caring the working poor. When my daughter was younger, she
presences that surround us with light. Not literally, of suffered a breathing problem, for which he suggested
course, but one can almost imagine the goodness radi- we go straight to the hospital. Just in case she needed an
ating out from them. Epipen, he drove in the car behind us, ready to adminis-
A friend of mine recently had a brush with death. ter whatever help was needed. Who does that?
She won. As it happens, even in the moment when Rachel Hanuka, left, and Lois Goldrich, both of Last week, I met a few other angels, staff, and volun-
she sensed that she had the option of simply letting go, Fair Lawn, volunteered at the Federation Apart- teers at the Federation Apartments in Paterson, helping
she did not see a tunnel or hear her grandmother’s voice ments in Paterson. to provide programming and special food for its res-
beckoning her. An uber-rationalist, she probably would idents to start off the new year. (OK, so it took place
scoff at my notion of angels. But the story she told later, restaurant. January 8. Almost last week.) Interesting place — fabu-
of the two friends who saved, and later guarded, her My sick friend’s daughter came out every day from lous mix of races, religions, and accents. But the peo-
life, sent my thoughts soaring heavenward. Queens, maintaining a harrowing schedule to do so. ple who serve them treated them all as honored guests,
One friend rushed her to the hospital and stayed When, at last, her mom was out of ICU, she took a and their joy shone through.
with her pretty much throughout the several weeks much-needed break to celebrate New Year’s Eve in her This year, I want to be an angel as well. I want to
of heart-stopping uncertainty. The other joined her family’s traditional way, dining at a particular restau- help without being asked, to serve without recogni-
almost immediately at the hospital, not so much to rant with New Jersey friends. tion, to pay forward every wonderful gift I’ve ever
keep vigil but to do whatever needed to be done. You Rallying temporarily and wanting somehow to thank received. Who knows, maybe the better angels of our
can’t pay that back. her daughter, my friend — let’s call her D — called the nature can prevail, creating a powerful force for good
And then there was the manager of the Paramus restaurant, asking them to accept her credit card in a troubled world.

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HaZamir JS Ad FINALr2.indd 1 2/5/19 11:24 AM
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Briefly Local

N.J. Jewish Business Alliance takes its agenda to Trenton


New Jersey Jewish Business Alliance
members began a day of advocacy by
meeting with state Senate President
Steve Sweeney and talking about the
state’s high taxes. Next, the group went
to the State House annex for lunch with
members of the legislature, including
Assemblymen Robert Auth, Anthony
Bucco, Clinton Calabrese, Jamel Holley,
and Gordon Johnson, and Assembly-
woman Valerie Vainieri Huttle. The con-
versation centered on challenges facing
New Jersey businesses. The day culmi-
nated with a meeting at the governor’s
office between NJJBA members and Deb-
orah Cornavaca, the governor’s deputy
chief of staff. Topics discussed included From left, Chesky Weinberger, HR manager at Fabuwood; Eric Margules, president/CEO of Margules Properties;
the minimum wage, taxes, opportu- Jack Halpern, partner at Atlantic Realty; state Senate President Steve Sweeney; David Rosenberg, NJJBA’s executive
nity zones, and incentives for growing director; Ted Zangari, real estate chair at Sills Cummis & Gross; Simcha Jacobowitz, director of business development
businesses. at B&H; Rabbi Avi Richler; Sruli Richler, CEO of the Surplus Company; Avi Kelin, associate attorney at Genova Burns,
Ted Zangari, chair of real estate and Moshe Schwartz, president of Schwartz Realty.
department at Sills Cummis & Gross,
said, “Today’s event confirmed for our if you are not at the table, you are on the “Meeting with such high-ranking about our business concerns.” said Eric
members that politics is not a spectator menu. Today, NJJBA was literally at the people in the state government gave us Margules, president and CEO of Mar-
sport. When it comes to policymaking, table in Trenton.” a unique opportunity to talk to them gules Properties.

Benay Taub, vice president


of the Kaplen JCC on the
Palisades, Bob Cook, Liba
Vaynberg, Tovah Feldshuh,
Judy Cook, Ned Eisenberg,
and Ed Asner

Liba Vaynberg, Jerry


Schweibel, Tovah
Feldshuh, JCC board of
trustees member Robin
Miller, Ned Eisenberg,
and Ed Asner

Reading by Ed Asner and Tovah Feldshuh stirs audience in Tenafly


Several hundred people filled the Taub Audito- incredible feedback from the audi-
rium at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades in Tenafly ence, thanking us for presenting
to see an emotional reading of Jeff Cohen’s play this topic here, and the cast and
“The Soap Myth,” a story about Holocaust survi- crew, in turn, raved about our
vors who have been forced to make their way in audience and their thoughtful
a world where there are people who distort the response to the evening.”
truth or deny that the Holocaust ever took place. Following the performance and
Ed Asner — seven-time Emmy and five-time Golden the moderated talkback Q&A with
Globe award-winner — played the lead, a passion- the playwright and cast, Patron
ate Holocaust survivor who is encouraged by a of the Arts subscribers attended
young journalist to document his personal experi- a post-event meet and greet, with
ence. Tovah Feldshuh — two-time Emmy and four- photo opportunities with the cast,
time Tony Award nominee — played a Holocaust at a private dessert reception. The
denier, and Liba Vaynber played a young journal- program was held on January 27
Liba Vaynberg, Ed Asner, Tovah Feldshuh, and Ned Eisenberg with
ist who pursues the story and is caught between as a tribute to International Holo-
playwright Jeff Cohen at audience talkback Photos Courtesy JCCOTP
many versions of the same narrative. caust Remembrance Day. The
“Our presentation of ‘The Soap Myth’ provided an about such an important topic, and also served as a reading was directed by Pam Berlin and included Ned
emotional and deeply moving evening for our Patron stark reminder about the need to educate future gen- Eisenberg, who played a number of serious and comic
of the Arts supporters,” said Nina Bachrach, the JCC’s erations, especially since it is now documented that roles.
director of arts and culture development. “It was both 30 percent of Americans do not believe that six mil- Maggie Kaplen and the Kaplen Foundation were the
humbling and powerful to host a live performance lion Jews were killed in the Holocaust. We received program’s presenting sponsors.

14 Jewish Standard February 8, 2019


JS-15

UPCOMING AT KAPLEN JCC on the Palisades


Neil Klatskin Summer Camps
REGISTER FOR ANY CAMP BY MARCH 31 AND
NOT IN TE RE ST ED
SAVE $25/WEEK*
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Transportation, extended care and Hebrew immersion
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DAY CAMP
Age 3–Grade 2, June 24-Aug 16, 9 am-4 pm
SPECIALTY CAMPS
Grades 3+ June 24-Aug 30, 9 am-4 pm
*Restrictions apply. Call for details.

Israel in the Lobby


Join us for arts and crafts, songs, information and
great activities about winter in Israel and learn
about “Family Day” in Israel. In English and Hebrew.
Presented by Tzofim (Israeli scouts) and Emek.
Mon, Feb 11, 3:30-5:30 pm, Free
EXCITEMENT
JCC U—Winter Term
Keep Learning PA

Professors and experts present on diverse topics.


On Feb 21 in the morning film historian Max Alvarez
will present Hollywood on the Campaign Trail, a
look back at how presidential elections have been
depicted in film, and in the afternoon author Jane
Isay will discuss her book Unconditional Love: A
Guide to Navigating the Joys and Challenges of
Being a Grandparent Today.
Thur, Feb 21, 10:30 am-2 pm, $35/$42
Visit jccotp.org/JCCU

COMMUNITY ADULTS FAMILIES

Welcome to the World Sign up to Play Pickleball Tot Shabbat


Have a friend, family member or neighbor at the J! AGES 3-24 MONTHS
who just had a baby? Did you just have a WITH STAVRI TENNIS ACADEMY Looking for a way to meet other moms and
baby? Let us know! We’d love to welcome Learn how to play the fastest growing babies? Join us for a fun-filled Shabbat experience
the little bundle of joy to the community sport for adults — Pickleball — a game with music by the amazing Matty Roxx, singing,
with a special gift! Welcome to the World that combines elements of badminton, movements, and stories!
gift boxes include a baby gift and valuable tennis, and table tennis, played with a Fridays, 9:30-10:15 am, $10 drop-in fee
gift certificates. wiffle-like ball.
Sign up at jccotp.org/welcomebaby Beginners Clinic: Mondays, Feb 11-Mar 4,
choose 8, 9, 10, 11 am or 12 pm
TO REGISTER OR FOR MORE INFO
For more info about open play time and
class listings, visit jccotp.org/pickleball VISIT jccotp.org
STAY IN THE KNOW! LIKE US ON
PA Program offered as part of the JCC Patron of the Arts
Program. Find out more at jccotp.org/patrons.
facebook.com/KaplenJCCOTP

KAPLEN JCC on the Palisades TAUB CAMPUS | 411 E CLINTON AVE, TENAFLY, NJ 07670 | 201.569.7900 | jccotp.org
Jewish Standard February 8, 2019 15
JS-16*

Briefly Local

Photos courtesy BPY


Jessica Kohn Alan and Liz Mitrani Cheryl Weiner Ilana Tachauer
Rosenberg

Ben Porat Yosef to celebrate 18th anniversary and honor five


Ben Porat Yosef will hold its annual din- faculty member at Stern College. She and scholar-in-residence committees. The the last 13 years; she also coordinates
ner on Saturday, February 23, at 8 p.m., her husband, Yehuda, live in Teaneck Mitranis have four children. the Jewish and Israeli holiday events
at Montammy Country Club in Alpine. and are members of Congregation Rinat Cheryl Weiner Rosenberg of Engle- for the department. She volunteers at
This year’s dinner celebrates BPY’s Yisrael. They have four children. wood has been involved as a BPY leader school events and is active in the PTO.
18th anniversary and will honor five Liz and Alan Mitrani of Englewood, for many years. She has been raffle and Ilana has been a director of the Early
people who have served as pillars of BPY parents and community lead- dinner campaign chair, dinner co-chair, Childhood Group at Congregation Aha-
the BPY community, making a positive ers, spearhead the Shlichim Welcome board member, secretary, and pres- vath Torah in Englewood for more
impact on students and their families Committee, making sure the shlichim ident. She also is the senior director than a decade and is a division head at
every day — Jessica Kohn, Liz and Alan are comfortable, their transition to of marketing and communications Moshava Ba’ir. She and her husband,
Mitrani, Cheryl Weiner Rosenberg, and America smooth, and their shlichut for Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Leon, have three children.
Ilana Tachauer. experience memorable. The Mitranis Schools, and is on the executive com- The Ben Porat Yosef annual dinner
Jessica Kohn of Teaneck, affection- are active members of the Benaroya mittee of Teach NJS and the leadership is a critical part of its yearly fundrais-
ately known to the BPY family as “Morah Sephardic Center at Congregation council of the Jewish New Teacher Proj- ing efforts, ensuring that the school is
Jessica,” is BPY’s early childhood direc- Ahavath Torah in Englewood. Liz ect. She recently completed the Berrie able to deliver excellence in yeshiva
tor, associate principal, and founding Mitrani is on the youth planning and Fellows Leadership Program and has education while providing an acces-
educator. Morah Jessica joined BPY in Sephardic group committees at Aha- been elected a member of the Engle- sible education, regardless of finan-
2000 to create a child-centered one-of-a- vath Torah. Alan Mitriani is an active wood City Council. She and her four cial circumstance.
kind early childhood program. She is an member of the Kaplen JCC on the Pali- children live in Englewood and primar- For more information, go to
active member of every teaching team sades and a dedicated volunteer at Aha- ily attend Kehilat Kesher Synagogue. www.bpydinner.org or email Gabri-
and looks forward to her weekly story- vath Torah, where he is on the board Ilana Tachauer has taught Hebrew elle Altman at gabriellealtman@
time visits with each class. She also is a as well as the Israel engagement and at BPY’s early childhood program for benporatyosef.org.

Making mitzvahs meaningful


Last month, more than 25 fam- charitable ideas for every aspect Families from Glen
ilies registered for the “Making of their celebration, from invita- Rock were among
Bar/Bat Mitzvahs More Mean- tions to décor and favors. The the participants at
ingful” workshop, which gave workshop highlighted many the “Making Bar/
them the chance to explore local Jewish organizations, Bat Mitzvahs More
opportunities to incorporate including the Jewish Association Meaningful” workshop.
community service into their for Developmental Disabilities
b’nai mitzvah planning. The and Bergen Reads, JFNNJ’s lit-
free workshop was held at the eracy program. Topics included
Park Ridge Marriott and was philanthropic opportunities to
coordinated by the Volunteer support Israel, including Leket,
Center at Jewish Federation of Israel’s National Food Bank, and
Northern New Jersey, tween Jewish National Fund programs.
programming at the JCC of One participant said that
Northern New Jersey, and Mitz- after participating in the work-
vah Market, the largest online shop, she will connect her
resource for families planning mitzvah project to her Torah Event facilitators,
bar and bat mitzvahs. portion, which happens to from left, Erica
“It is important to find some- be about food. That gives Danziger of the
thing that you are passionate her many options to collect, JCC of Northern
about,” Emma Goshin, who donate, or volunteer to help New Jersey, Beth
became a bat mitzvah at the people in need of food, both Figman of the
Glen Rock Jewish Center, said. locally and in Israel. Jewish Federation of
“Connecting the project to you For more information about Northern New Jersey,
is a key part of a bat or bar mitz- choosing a mitzvah project and Sheri Lapidus of
vah. It represents something or community service oppor- Mitzvah Market.
that you care about and that you tunity, call Beth Figman at
want to fix in the world.” (201) 820-3947 or email her at
Participants heard about BethF@jfnnj.org.
16 Jewish Standard February 8, 2019
JS-17

JEWISH STANDARD FEBRUARY 8, 2019 17


JS-18

Finance &
Planned Giving
NAAMA BARAK 1,000.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
US tech giant and chipmaker Intel met with Intel Israel CEO Yaniv Garty
has decided to invest $11 billion in a earlier this week, praising Intel’s “spe-
new production plant in the south- cial plan to absorb young people from
ern Israeli city of Kiryat Gat, a move distressed areas and introduce them
that will bring thousands of jobs to the to the world of tomorrow.”
blue-collar area. Intel will reportedly receive a $1 bil-
Israeli Finance Minister Moshe lion grant from the Israeli government
Kahlon called the move “an unprec- for its investment.
edented decision that is expected to “The moment the company comes
bring thousands of jobs to the south.” to Israel and invests $10 billion, and
Intel already has two facilities in it receives a grant of 9 percent, that
Kiryat Gat and offices elsewhere in means 91 percent of it stays here,”
Israel. Having established a presence Reuters quoted Kahlon as saying in an
in Israel in 1974, Intel now reportedly interview on Army Radio. “There are
employs about 12,000 Israelis — about always such discounts, there are always
60 percent in R&D and half in high-vol- incentives.”
ume manufacturing of microproces- Intel has yet to disclose details of the
sors that power the world’s computing investment. In 2018, Intel reported its
devices. exports from Israel reached $4 billion. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with Intel Israel executives in Jerusa-
The upcoming production plant  ISRAEL21C.ORG lem on January 30, 2019 to discuss expansion plans.
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MM - 2-28-2019.indd 1 1/31/2019 1:48:43 PM
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Finance & Planned Giving

Israelis break records in 2018 online shopping spree


Ali Express and eBay lead the chart, while Amazon, Next, and Asos also make gains
NAAMA BARAK delivered from abroad, weighing a packages arriving in Israel originated in largest cities. Tel Aviv residents ordered
total of 14,100 tons, according to the China, the United States, and the United the largest net amount of packages in 2018
Ask an Israeli where her purse is from, Israel Postal Company. Kingdom. — a whopping 5.1 million, averaging 9.53
and you’ll likely receive the smug The leading items ordered by According to Israel Post, around 43 mil- parcels per person.
answer, “from abroad.” This of course Israelis were clothing and footwear, lion packages were delivered to Israel’s 20  ISRAEL21C.ORG
comes as no surprise to anyone who’s kitchen accessories and other house-
ever strolled down New York’s Fifth wares, together with electronics,
Avenue or London’s Oxford Street, computers and gadgets. Vitamins
since there are few things Israelis and cosmetics, which are often much Let us mind your business -
love more than shopping outside the cheaper outside of Israel, were also
bounds of the Holy Land. ordered en masse.
we just might see what you are missing
In recent years Israelis have dis- The leading retailer in 2018 was Ali
covered the pleasures of ordering Express, from which 50 percent of Steven Morey Greenberg, Esq.
from the comfort of their own homes, orders were made. It was followed by Greenberg & Lanz, LLC
or, considering the national mobile firm favorite eBay, while the biggest
Business Attorneys
phone addiction, from work or on jump in orders was identified in Ama-
the bus. For quite a few people, not zon and British clothing merchants Please phone us for a free consultation
a week goes by without an overseas Next and Asos. regarding your business concerns including:
package arriving in the post. Next even has a Hebrew website, Strategic and Succession Planning, Acquisitions/Sales,
The year 2018 was a record-breaker and is a particular favorite among Partnership Disputes and Litigation.
in the field of online commerce. Israeli moms buying clothes for
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You Can Make a


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Feeding the Hungry


Caring for the Elderly
Helping those in Crisis

Your meaningful gift ensures that JFCS


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Donate.jfcsnnj.org
Call 201-837-9090 www.jfcsnnj.org
JEWISH STANDARD FEBRUARY 8, 2019 19
JS-20

Finance & Planned Giving

Never click on the


links provided in
suspicious emails.
Type the link into
the search bar your-
self if necessary.
CREATORS.COM
PHOTO COURTESY OF
LAVONDA WALTON.

Keep it secret, keep it safe


Surprising ways financial information
can be divulged to a variety of scammers
CHELLE CORDERO prey, with emails promising things like

I
unexpected and (very) distant inheri-
t’s not paranoia if they really are tances. These emails provide phishing
out to get you. links - links that take you someplace
With the proliferation of scams other than what you clicked on — and
and frauds committed over the embedded viruses that can send your
internet, by phone, through the mail, private info around the globe or even
Establish a Donor Advised Fund with and even face-to-face, it’s hard to know hold your computer data hostage for a
who to trust anymore. If we, or a loved ransom. The FBI is the lead investiga-
Jewish Federation one, fall victim to one of these rip-offs, tive agency against cybercrimes in the
the repercussions can be enormous, U.S. The bureau, along with the Depart-
• Give stock that has gained in value to lock in your leaving financial ruin and emotional ment of Justice, investigates and prose-
profit and avoid capital gains taxes devastation. cutes cybercriminals.
According to the Norton Cyber Online scammers target individuals,
• Organize your charitable giving in a single account Security Insights Report, “143 million vulnerable children, small businesses,
Americans were affected by cyber- major corporations and even agen-
• Contribute assets at any time and request crime in 2017.” They lost a collective cies involved in our national security.
distributions at your convenience $19.4 billion. Cybercrimes occur over Phone spammers have a similar list of
computers and via the internet. Crim- targets as these internet villains and
• View and track your charitable giving online inals often use the internet to find can pose as salespeople, government

• Get a single tax receipt


• Receive a charitable tax deduction when you
itemize deductions Power of attorney is essential
• Engage family in philanthropic decision making to save time, avoid confusion
• Demonstrate Jewish Federation’s impact as a All adults should have three planning POA accomplishes the same thing
philanthropic force in the broader community documents: a general durable power of for a minimal fee and takes effect
attorney (POA), a will, and an advance immediately.
directive for health care. Let’s talk You can choose who will serve as
about the first one, a POA. your agent and what powers they have.
A will takes effect when you die. But The POA is durable, meaning it takes
what happens if you become unable effect even if you become incompetent.
to manage your affairs before you die? Subject to your restrictions in the doc-
Not just when you are old and possi- ument, a POA allows your agent to do
bly suffer from dementia, an accident anything you could do except make a
at any age can leave you in a coma or new will. It works while you are alive.
with significant mental impairment. Once you die, your will takes over.
Who handles your affairs then? For a minimal cost, a POA can give
Without a POA, someone will be great piece of mind that your affairs
appointed as your guardian. This will be handled as you would want
requires a lawsuit, written opinions them to be.
For more information, please contact of two physicians, multiple weeks of For further information, contact
Robin Rochlin at 201-820-3970 or robinr@jfnnj.org time, a court hearing, and thousands attorney Michael L. Prigoff at (201)
of dollars in legal fees and costs. A 568-4000, or mlp@njlaw.com.

20 JEWISH STANDARD FEBRUARY 8, 2019


JS-21

Finance & Planned Giving

employees, and even kidnappers pre- phone or email in response to a con-


tending to have the target’s own fam- tact they did not initiate. If someone
ily members. An internet predator
may pose as an employee of an agency
such as the FBI, with a robotic voice
calls representing a supposedly valid
business, such as a local utility com-
pany, ask for a callback number and
What’s special
threatening arrest and prosecution if then verify the number indeed goes
an “immediate payment” is not made.
Victims of this scam are often advised
to send money via gift cards, which
to that company before returning the
call. Remember that most companies
will never request invasive personal
about a Jewish
should already set off alarms. information in such an impersonal way.
These are some of the more common
frauds being committed:
Phone calls to the elderly in which
While the announcement of a major
prize win is certainly exciting, be
careful if instructions follow to send
legacy gift?
the caller poses as a friend of an indi- untraceable money (through gift cards,
vidual (often a beloved grandchild) etc.) as a deposit to get the prize paper-
who is in major trouble overseas and work rolling. If the deal sounds too
needs money sent immediately. The good to be true, it probably is. Sound-
caller may even pose as the grandchild ing off with a trusted friend can help
(or other relative) and ask for money you recognize scams before falling prey
directly. Seniors who receive one of and losing life savings or worse.

You care about Jewish community.


these calls need to confirm the identity Protect your identity and monitor
of the alleged relative. In the case of your financial health. Monitor all of
trouble overseas, they should verify the your credit card and bank statements
location of the named relative. Social and alert the institution if there is any
media often provide enough informa- unauthorized activity. There are many, A “legacy gift” means that you donate
tion for a scammer to pull off this ruse. many services out there that will offer
Email and phones are well-used to monitor your credit for a fee. There current assets or put plans in place for a
routes when the bad guys are looking are also quite a few who will help you
future gift that will generate income for
for your personal financial information. monitor your financial health for free.
The deception may be someone pos- Review your credit reports every year future charitable needs.
ing as a bank clerk, mortgage holder, from each of the main credit reporting
or government agent offering to fill out companies — Equifax, Experian and
an important form to save unnecessary TransUnion. you are entitled to a free
trouble. All the mark has to do is pro- report every year. If you find fraudu- Top 10 reasons to make a legacy gift to
vide the Social Security number, credit lent information in your file, ask each
card numbers, and other personally company to post a fraud alert. You can Jewish Federation
identifying information. Weeks later, also “freeze” your credit in order to
they’ll find excessive charges on their prevent your credit information from • Demonstrate gratitude for life’s blessings
credit card and new accounts opened falling into the wrong hands.
• Give back or “pay it forward”
in their name. Sometimes, someone’s  CREATORS.COM
entire identity is stolen. People should • Inspire children and grandchildren
never give out personal information by
• Impart Jewish values and traditions
• Contribute resources for a specific cause
Investors Foundation selects • Provide financial stability for Jewish organizations
The Elisabeth Morrow School here and in Israel
for a grant to support ‘the strings’ • Care for Jews in need, always

The Investors Foundation, which pro- other performing arts venues around • Benefit from tax savings
vides grant funding for not-for-profit the area. This year alone, they opened • Be remembered for doing good
organizations that enrich the com- for such diverse artists as violinists
munities served by Investors Bank, Joshua Bell and Itzhak Perlman, drum- • Protect your investment in the community
has awarded a $2,500 grant to sup- mer Sheila E., and ensembles the Black
port The Elisabeth Morrow School’s Violin and Sybarite5.
string program. The Elisabeth Morrow School is a
The grant recognizes more than 23 pre-kindergarten through eighth grade
years of excellence in the performing independent school. For further infor-
arts and education at the Elisabeth mation, go to elisabethmorrow.org.
Morrow School in Englewood and Investors Bank, headquartered in
the landmark efforts of founder and Short Hills, is a full-service community
director Amelia Gold. Upon receiving bank that has been serving custom-
the grant, Gold said “We cannot thank ers since 1926. With over $25 billion
Investors Foundation enough for pro- in assets and a network of more than
viding opportunities for our young art- 150 retail branches, Investors delivers
ists and encouraging the richness of the personalized services and products For more information, please contact
performing arts at EMS.” tailored to the needs of its customers. Robin Rochlin at 201-820-3970 or robinr@jfnnj.org
The various EMS ensembles are fre- Investors Bank is a member of the FDIC
quent guests at bergenPAC, NJPAC, and and an equal housing lender.
JEWISH STANDARD FEBRUARY 8, 2019 21
JS-22

Finance & Planned Giving

How risky is cryptocurrency? Don’t bet the bank


CARRIE SCHWAB-POMERANTZ

Many of my children’s friends have dab- What cryptocurrency Offerings (or ICOs), which involve an selling of this kind of currency — yet.
bled in investing in bitcoin and other is and how it works investor purchasing cryptocurrency That means that bitcoin is a lot less
forms of cryptocurrency, so I’ve also The idea behind cryptocurrency is pretty coins that aren’t part of a registered stable and secure than what’s being
heard about the unbelievable amounts of straightforward: It’s a form of digital cur- offering but that promise a future stake issued by Uncle Sam.
money that can be made (and then poten- rency that lets you make online payments in a startup venture. In these cases, the In addition, even though cryptocur-
tially lost). And I certainly understand that to other people or businesses without startups create their own “coins” to rencies have been designed to be theft-
it can be fun to try something different and having to go through a third party such as sell to investors. proof, there’s also a chance of fraud and
cutting-edge. But when people tell you a bank. Records of these online transac- I know that cryptocurrency sounds cybercrime. In June 2011, for example,
these stories, what they usually forget to tions are logged on a public ledger called super high-tech, but digital currency the Japan-based Mt. Gox (which was
mention are the risks involved. a blockchain, which is stored and dupli- has actually been around, in one form then the largest bitcoin exchange) expe-
In fact, I often compare buying crypto- cated on thousands of computers around or another, for years. Loyalty programs rienced a security breach in which $450
currency to gambling in Las Vegas. It can the world. This is how the system remains like airline frequent-flyer miles, as well million worth of bitcoin was stolen. In
be fun to gamble, and you might walk away relatively accountable and transparent. as hotel and credit card rewards, are December 2017, Slovenian cryptocur-
with bundles. But you shouldn’t do it with There are currently about 1,500 types of all forms of digital currency. The ben- rency exchange NiceHash was hacked
money that you need to buy a house, pay cryptocurrency, including bitcoin, Ethe- efits you receive from these programs for a $64 million loss. However, keep
for college, or put toward your retirement. reum, Ripple, and Zcash. You can buy are not in dollars but in each compa- in mind that cryptocurrency exchanges
Therefore, I think you’re right to be the “coins” in a variety of ways, including ny’s self-created currency. So this is based in the U.S. must register as a
concerned. I also think that the best way paying cash for them on an exchange like something a lot of us are familiar with national securities exchange with the
to make a decision is to arm yourself with Coinbase; providing goods or services in already, just in a slightly different form. Securities and Exchange Commission,
the facts. exchange for the currency; or purchasing which has mandatory requirements
them from a bitcoin ATM. After you’ve Buyer beware: regarding cybersecurity.
Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz is a certified bought cryptocurrency, you store it in an The risks are real In the case of ICOs, there’s substan-
financial planner. Her weekly column, “online wallet.” Like you, I’ve heard about people tially less investor protection than in
“Ask Carrie,” can be found at creators.com. You may have also heard of Initial Coin making staggering sums off of cryp- traditional securities markets, with
tocurrency. Let’s take bitcoin as an more opportunities for fraud and
example. When bitcoin launched in manipulation and fewer protections
2010, the price of one coin was equal for investors. That may soon change,
to 1 cent. In December 2017, that same however, as a judge recently ruled that
coin was worth around $20,000. The ICOs are considered securities.
value of bitcoin rose more than 1,000 On a more personal note, I don’t like
Investors Bank is glad to be percent in 2017 alone. With those kinds
of returns, you’d think we’d all want
that cryptocurrency has been associ-
ated with the more unsavory side of
a part of your community. to get in on the game, right? But by
August 2018, a single bitcoin’s worth
finances, like money laundering and
the black market as well as the dark-
Investors Bank is an independent, full-service bank operating over was back down to $6,000. net, whose online marketplaces allow
150 branches in New Jersey, New York City and Long Island. Which brings me to one of the things criminals to buy and sell illicit goods
I want to stress most: Cryptocurrency and services.
Visit investorsbank.com to learn more about our full range has been extremely volatile. And you’re at risk in a much sim-
of personal and business products and services. Warren Buffett, the CEO of Berk- pler way, too. You need a login ID
shire Hathaway and someone I really and password to access cryptocur-
admire, has said that he won’t touch rency exchanges. If you forget those
bitcoin. He understands that its dra- or they’re lost or stolen in a hacker
matic rise and fall has been driven or phishing scam, you can lose your
mostly by supply and demand — the access — and your currency. Unfortu-
currency has no inherent value. In nately, with no issuing or regulating
other words, he views cryptocurrency country or authority for cryptocurren-
as speculation, not investment. I agree. cies, there’s very little recourse in cases
The distinction is important to of fraud or theft. And law enforcement
understand. Investing involves taking often has limited ability to seize it.
a calculated risk in order to achieve
an expected return based on the price Only if you don’t need
and quality of what something is worth the money...
today. Speculating, on the other hand, As I mentioned in my Las Vegas anal-
means buying something regardless of ogy above, I think that buying crypto-
its value — to attempt to make a profit currency is a serious gamble. It’s fine
by later selling it to someone else for a if you want to purchase some — and
higher price. speculating could be a lot of fun —
Trading in cryptocurrency is also but you should only do it with money
largely unregulated. The coins are not you can afford to lose. If your goal is
backed by a government or a central to grow the money you’ll need for the
bank, like the U.S. dollar is. And the future, you’re better off sticking to
855-iBank4U (855.422.6548) Member FDIC U.S. Securities and Exchange Commis- more traditional investments instead.
investorsbank.com Equal Housing Lender sion doesn’t oversee the buying and  CREATORS.COM

22 JEWISH STANDARD FEBRUARY 8, 2019


JS-23

Finance & Planned Giving

8 joint U.S.-Israeli projects win development grants


Eight cooperative development proj- Platform for measuring and enhanc- • Somatix Technologies (Ra’anana, to 974 projects that the BIRD Founda-
ects between U.S. and Israeli com- ing cyber readiness and tech tal- Israel) and Catholic Senior Housing and tion has approved for funding during
panies have won $7.3 million in ent competency. Health Care Services (Bethlehem, Pa.) will its 41-year history. Submissions are
grants from the Israel-U.S. Binational • Juganu (Rosh Ha’ayin, Israel) and develop a digitalhHealth system, SafeBe- reviewed by evaluators appointed by the
Industrial Research and Develop- Just Greens (Newark, ) will develop a ing – ‘Aging in Place’ Lifestyle with Excep- U.S. National Institute of Standards and
ment (BIRD) Foundation. With addi- Tunable White Spectrum Smart LED tional Peace of Mind. Technology and the Israel Innovation
tional private-sector funding, the Based Fixture for automated horticul- These eight projects are in addition Authority. ISRAEL21C.ORG
value of the projects is approximately ture processes.
$20.4 million. • Leviticus Cardio (Petah Tikva,
• 4Cast Systems (Petah Tikva, Israel) Israel) and Jarvik Heart (New York)
and Adelos Inc. (Polson, Mont.) will will develop the Wireless Jarvik
MICHAEL LEBSON PRIGOFF, ESQ
develop an upstream – advanced pipe- 2000 LVAD. Real Estate Managing Attorney
line disaster prevention system. • Mitos Medical (Netanya, Israel)
• Compedia Software & Hardware and FiberTech Medical (Baltimore) will & WILLS, ESTATES & TRUSTS
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design and manufacture a Surround
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develop VolunteerVR – virtual real-
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• MS Tech (Herzliya Pituah, Israel)
and Tekwave Solutions (Alpharetta,
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• HackerU (Ramat Gan, Israel) and
Ga.) will develop a rapid field analy-
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JEWISH STANDARD FEBRUARY 8, 2019 23


JS-24

Cover Story

Two friends laughed together


at Sinai at TABC last year.
photos courtesy sinai schools

Rose, thorn, bud


Some reflections on a day at three Sinai School programs
Joanne Palmer dinner, see the box; to find out more administrators. each other — I felt the love so strongly

L
about what it does, keep reading here.) But until I sat there among the girls, I that it nearly knocked me over.
ast week, I found myself sitting I know what Sinai does — it takes chil- hadn’t realized — should have realized, So with that preface, let’s get back to
in a circle of six girls, some of dren who have a range of special needs, but hadn’t — that the single most import- the Sinai Schools.
their teachers, the director intellectual or emotional or physical or ant factor, the one thing that makes The Sinai Schools work with students
of their program, and some behavioral deficits — and it tailors an everything else work, the thing that you from first grade until the school year
other visitors, far more moved and education to each of them. It gives each can’t put into a spreadsheet but you can when they turn 21; it uses a fastidiously
infinitely more engaged than I had any one of its students the attention and care feel and recognize, is love. tailored education and inclusion — usu-
reason to expect to be. he or she needs to flourish to the extent As we went around the circle with the ally concepts so different from each other
We were at Ma’ayanot, the girls high of his or her abilities; it carefully bal- exercise Rose, Thorn, Bud — what do as to be nearly impossible to pull off at
school in Teaneck; the six girls in the cir- ances on its high wire, tugged between you have or what happened to you or the same time — to bring its students as
cle were part of the program the Sinai appropriately high expectations and too- what did you do today that is unequiv- close to the mainstream as makes sense
Schools runs there. soft kindness, which would camouflage ocally good, what is or has been a prob- for each one, and at the same time it
I have written about Sinai for years. but not undo a lack of real trust. lem, what on your horizon will bring you demystifies and destigmatizes those stu-
(As always, I write about it a few weeks I knew that Sinai demands patience joy — as I saw that the girls were able not dents for the neurotypical majority.
before its annual dinner, when it raises a and intuition and knowledge and intel- only to think about their blessings and It does so by placing its schools
large proportion of the funds it needs to lectual courage and resolve and clear- challenges, but also to speak in public, to inside larger yeshivas. It now works
fuel its work. To learn about this year’s sighted realism from its teachers and be themselves, to accept themselves and with seven partner schools — three of
24 Jewish Standard February 8, 2019
JS-25

Cover Story

A teacher works with


Sinai at RYNJ students
a few years ago.

Students
practice their
moves at
RYNJ.

them elementary, RYNJ in Teaneck, occupational and speech but also music
SAR in Riverdale, and Kushner in Liv- and art — that will help students make
ingston, and four of them secondary, sense of the world and their place in it.
TABC, Ma’ayanot, and Heichal HaTorah Last week, I went to three of those
in Teaneck, and again Kushner in Liv- schools — RYNJ, TABC, and Ma’ayanot
ingston. Its students join with the stu- — talked to the Sinai heads of school
dents in the surrounding schools when and students there, walked the halls,
appropriate — most of the Sinai students listened, and watched. It deepened my
at the high school in Kushner join Kush- understanding of what Sinai offers its
ner students at least some of the time, students, and the entire community.
and many of them go on to standard col- Here’s some of what I learned.
lege programs. Even when the students Marcy Glicksman directs Sinai at
cannot be in class together, they can eat RYNJ. She heads a large program; the
or ride the bus together. Friendships students in it, from first through eighth
develop. Understanding takes root. grade, have a huge range of needs, some
Meanwhile, teachers and adminis- visible, some not.
trators plot out courses of study and Much of what she, like other Sinai
intensive therapy — including not only directors, uses is from the Responsive
Jewish Standard February 8, 2019 25
JS-26

Cover Story

Classroom program. Responsive Class-


room, which is not only for students
with special needs and is not aimed
particularly at Jewish schools, uses “an
evidence-based approach to educa-
tion that focuses on the strong relation-
ship between academic success and
social-emotional learning,” its website
tell us. Translated from educationalese,
it means that it takes students’ emotional
well-being very seriously, and under-
stands that students who do not feel at
home with themselves, who are grap-
pling with shame or unduly high levels
of insatiable frustration, cannot learn.
Students are taught to talk and to lis-
ten. “You cannot learn if you feel threat-
ened,” Ms. Glicksman said. Students,
even those in elementary school, often
come to Sinai angry because they’ve
been misunderstood and therefore mis-
treated; part of the education is about Another Sinai at RYNJ student beams
breaking through that anger to the Students show off their Tu B’Shevat projects at Sinai at RYNJ. with pride.
problems and beneath that to the hope
at their core.
The children are encouraged to do
their best; they are honored by being
given the chance to fail. It is through
failure that these students — like any stu-
dents — can learn, Ms. Glicksman said.
We saw a group of three students and
three adults play a game called “the
warm wind blows”; it involves listen- Occupational therapist
ing closely to simple questions, and sit- Darbie Rabinowitz
ting or standing in response, and asking works with a student at
another. It’s a Responsive Classroom Sinai’s program at the
method; the intensity and kindness with Joseph Kushner Hebrew
which the adults — two teachers and a Academy in Livingston.
therapist — watched the children as they
played the game was extraordinary.
The game develops social skills, which
clearly do not come naturally to these
students but you could see being built,
one slow step at a time.
Other small groups of students
worked quietly, with teachers rotating to
talk to them. Some of them clearly had
special needs; others did not. to cure, should they be able to cure just some unclear demographic reason, how to budget the proceeds, use some
Two eighth-graders stood and talked one. It’s a thoughtful and challenging Sinai enrolls far more boys than girls. of them to settle the expenses, and then
to each other, and then to us. One was and quintessentially pre-teen message. At TABC — formally the Sinai Karasick figure out what to do with the rest of it.
clearly recognizable; he was Binyamin, There are 44 Sinai students at RYNJ Shalem High School at TABC — I met Some of the boys in TABC at Sinai are
the focal point of the Sinai School’s film now, Ms. Glicksman said; the classes Sinai’s director there, Esther Klavan, and entrepreneurial, but the instinct to sell
“Sweet Boy” a few years ago. Then, he are created not by age but by a range of Rachel Peyser, its director of student life. has to be harnessed to real-life practical-
was a gorgeous small boy who had been other factors, and each student’s pro- TABC also welcomes boys who had ity that does not come easily to them.
nearly disabled by rage and hobbled by gram is individual. “It looks different for not been in Sinai for elementary school; Ms. Klavan and Ms. Peyser talked
the underlying problem that frustrated each child,” she said. they’re glad to take them whenever they about the vocational program that
him so terribly. Now, he’s a pre-teen, Once they reach high-school age, the show up, Ms. Klavan said, although the places each of the boys in workplaces,
self-confident, no longer angry, no lon- students most likely to be able to be earlier they enter Sinai’s system, the less chosen to fit both their aptitudes and
ger hobbled. Does he have anything to mainstreamed go to the Maor program damage the school will have to undo. their interests. Local businesses work
say to Jewish Standard readers, he was at Kushner. That’s also the only coed Years of failure leave deep scars, she said. with the school; boys learn how to
asked. “I am awesome!” he said. high school program, not because Sinai Both Ms. Klavan and Ms. Peyser shelve and stock and clean and help
Clearly that is true. prefers either coed or single-sex schools, stressed the diversity of their students; with food service, among other tasks.
Binyamin was standing with his friend but because of the choices of the larger they also talked a great deal about the They learn responsibility; that once you
Ezra, who wrote a morning message for schools in which they are housed. life skills classes that will help these boys have a job you have to go to it and do it
the school to consider. He discussed the Sinai boys who do not go to Kush- once they age out of Sinai’s programs. respectfully and fully; you have to dress
claim that Israeli scientists are working ner go first to TABC; after they turn 18, We were offered warm kugel that one of properly, control yourself properly,
on a treatment that will cure all cancers, they go to Heichal HaTorah. Girls go to the boys had baked; to create them, he’d behave properly.
explained how important that would Ma’ayanot from high school until they had to shop, assemble the ingredients, None of the jobs are make-work; some
be, and then challenged the students to turn 21. Everyone ages out of the pro- and then figure out how to sell them; local retail businesses, such as Grand
determine which disease they’d choose gram at 21, when state aid ends; for once he’d sold them he had to learn and Essex, rely on TABC Sinai students
26 Jewish Standard February 8, 2019
JS-27

Cover Story

at particularly busy times. how watchful the thera-


One student has a real pist was, inevitably was
aptitude for mechanics to be moved by it.
that might well allow him We passed a creative
to get a job in a garage writing class; the stu-
when he is older. Another, dents were asked to
who has problems being describe something they
quiet inside but flourishes saw, as accurately as
outdoors, works at the possible. (That’s always
Tenafly Nature Center. Yet a hard exercise for any
another, who is skilled at writer, on any level.)
graphic design, got a job One student asked a
working for Senior Source teacher to stand still as
in Hackensack. All learn he described her. “She’s
habits of mind that will half blue, half black, and
help them later. half gray,” he said; in
They are taught aca- fact, she was wearing all
demics as well, but as three colors, although
they get older, the empha- not precisely in that pro-
sis for some of them at portion. “She’s short,”
TABC Sinai shifts to life he added. “Smaller
skills, which will be more A student speaks at the circle as, from left, Sam Fishman, Joanne Palmer, Rochel Field, and another than me.” All those
important for them. “We student listen. things were correct; the
teach them the soft skills teacher verified them,
they need to be employable,” Ms. Kla- Once they graduate from TABC and where a student and a therapist were and the student, with teenage imperi-
van said. go on to Heichal HaTorah, the boys meeting one-on-one. The therapist is ousness, allowed her to go.
As all jobs are for all of us, these jobs spend more time at work and less time also a musician; we stopped to listen to In one classroom, three students were
are a combination of necessary tasks and at school. him play as the student sang. The choice learning about the concept of making
fulfilling ones; as in so much of life, Ms. As we walked down the hall from Ms. of music is directed by the student, Ms. change, using the example of buying a
Klavan said, everything is a trade-off. Klavan’s office, we passed by a room Klavan said; to listen to him, to watch slice of pizza at E.J.’s in Teaneck; another

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Annual Book and Seforim Sale


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dence, and sense of self. Each Monday, one of them
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DURING SALE! ALL TALAISIM girls spoke. As is true throughout Sinai, each stu-
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we went around the circle, each trusting the others
as each talked about her hopes and fears for the
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28 Jewish Standard February 8, 2019


Sun-Thurs 10-8, Fri 10-2, Closed Saturday
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JS-29

Cover Story

efficiently, teachers, therapists, and everyone else More than NEED SOMETHING PRINTED?
has to work together closely. Each teacher and ther- 411,000 likes.
apist has a good deal of supervision, and informa- We pride ourselves on Quality and Service!
tion is shared. When everyone gets together, “there
are three-hundred years of special ed experience in
Like us on • Stationery • Invitations • B/W and
that one room,” Rabbi Rothwachs said. Facebook. • Business Cards • Booklets Color Copies
The ratio of staff to students is unusually high, • Carbonless • Postcards • Fax machine
although it is not purely a student to teacher ratio, Forms • Labels • T-Shirts, Vinyl Bags
Mr. Fishman said; many of the staff members are • Brochures • Banners and more!…
therapists or other professionals.
Although each student is different, many join UNDER NEW
the school with a similar presenting symptom — OWNERSHIP
anger. The older they are when they come to Sinai,
the angrier they tend to be, Mr. Fishman, Rabbi facebook.com/ 23-51 Fair Lawn Avenue, Fair Lawn, NJ (opposite Radburn CVS)
Rothwachs, and Ms. Hepner Gross agreed. That’s jewishstandard fairlawn.minutemanpress.com · Monday - Friday 9-5
because they’ve had to struggle for years; they can’t 201-791-0550 · Free Parking
do what has been expected of them, they fall behind,

LAST CALL!
and the misery compounds. Often, parents don’t
want to believe that Sinai is the best place for their
children, even though it often turns out that Sinai is
the one place that will give their children a future.
And then there is the question of paying for it.
There is no question that Sinai is expensive. It’s
far more expensive than most parents can afford.
Many parents do not want even to try for it, because
they are sure that they cannot afford it. But that’s
EVERY SUIT IS BEING SOLD AT OR

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not so, Mr. Fishman said.
When Rabbi Rothwachs meets a prospective stu-
dent and the student’s family, it is his job, work-

%
ing along with his team, to decide if Sinai can help;
there are some conditions that the school is not
equipped to handle, he said. As always, Sinai’s
administrators are realistic. But if they think they
can work with the child, they admit him or her. UP TO
By the time he sees a student’s family, that stu-
dent already has been accepted, Mr. Fishman said.
The next step is up to him. “If we can help you, it is
my job to make it work,” he said. It’s not a painless
process, but it is a doable one.
He knows what it’s like. One of his children went
through Sinai when the school was new; that son is
doing just fine now. And he also remembers what
it’s like not to have enough money, and to feel dif-
ferent and isolated and shamed for that reason.
“My parents struggled financially,” Mr. Fishman
said. “We lived in Brooklyn, and I remember one
day being pulled out of class — I was at a yeshiva
— and having to sit on a bench.” It was because his
parents hadn’t paid his tuition bill. It was mortify-

Starting Thurs. Feb. 7th


ing. That memory still energizes him.
He’s been involved with Sinai since its beginning,
first as the chair of its scholarship committee, and

DON’T MISS THIS SALE


then as a professional. “I want parents to feel that
if they are at the right school, then we can help
them,” he said. “We value promptness — once a
parent applies, we generally give them a response
within one to two days. And we value courteous- Boy’s
ness, compassion, and confidentiality.” Suit Dept.
Red Tag
So how do they do it? SALE!
“A big part of it is that we are lucky to be in a very
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generous community,” Rabbi Rothwachs said. And BELOT!
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because of the internet, people around the world
*Msrp.
have heard about it. “We got a donation from Israel,
and it came with a long letter,” Ms. Hepner Gross
said. The gist of the letter was that although the BORO PARK: FLATBUSH: LONG ISLAND: LAKEWOOD: TEANECK:
writer doesn’t need Sinai now, “you never know 5020 13th Avenue 1505 Coney Island Ave. 467 Central Avenue 1700 Madison Ave. 215 W. Englewood Ave.
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move to be closer to Sinai, Rabbi Rothwachs said. Due to nature of this sale we will not be offering alterations even with a charge. No phone orders please.
“We have a family who relocated from Holland,
Jewish standard February 8, 2019 29
JS-30

Cover Story

Florida, and another one from London.” Other educators The Sinai team also values the way their deeply Jewish They came back to the children.
are interested in trying to replicate the model. “I am get- institution reaches out into the non-Jewish world. “What “Behind each child is a story,” Rabbi Rothwachs
ting calls from across the country,” he said. “Not a month is the probability that Sinai’s biggest donor would be Holy said.
goes by without a call like that.” Name — a Catholic hospital?” Mr. Fishman asked rhetor- Chaya Ziporah, like many Sinai students, is
“There aren’t any other schools that go to the lengths ically. “And then the next thing is we have the Inserra immediately recognizable to anyone who’s watched
that we go to for inclusion,” Mr. Fishman said. “We don’t family, and then we have Cross River. It is so gratifying.” Sinai videos. She’s a vivacious teenager who’s been
own any of our buildings. We have to form relationships.” “We’ve come so far in 37 years,” Ms. Hepner Gross at Sinai since she was a little girl.
That necessity has ended up being a clear virtue. “That said. “Then, it was a question of whether kids with spe- Her English reading skills have improved tre-
means that we really have to make inclusion work.” cial needs should have an education. Now, we are proud mendously in the last year, he said, but her Hebrew
There are schools that are very good at special educa- to be able to give them the best special education possible reading lagged; it’s harder to teach rote reading
tion, he added, “but they’re self-contained. Nobody com- — and it’s also a Jewish education.” skills in a language you don’t understand, and
bines the models of special education and inclusion the “You are getting a world-class, accredited education on Chaya Ziporah’s Hebrew comprehension is not
way we do.” top of the Jewish education,” Mr. Fishman added. nearly up to her English.
This is not a terrible problem, but it nagged.
Reading Hebrew is of great value in her family.
“Her teachers, Miriam Mathel and Rochel Field,
came up with an ingenious solution,” Ms. Hepner
Gross took up the story. “She started a weekly tehil-
lim” — psalms — “prayer session for the girls, to be
led by Chaya Zipora.” That made her feel important
— in fact, she is important, every student is import-
ant — so she devotes time and energy to it. And of
course, the more successful she is, the better she
feels about herself, and the more energy she has for
that and other tasks.
The particulars of that story will not resonate
with everyone, but the underlying values might.
So at the bottom, at the heart, at the core of all
of these children’s stories, beneath the realism and
the care and the attention and the intensity, is love.

What: Sinai School’s annual dinner


When: On Sunday, February 24; the buffet
opens at 4:45 and the presentation begins
at 6:30.
Where: At the Marriott Glenpointe Hotel,
100 Franklin W. Burr Boulevard in Teaneck
To make reservations: Go to www.sinaischools.
org/dinner/2019 and follow the link.

This year, Sinai has dedicated the Rachel


Schulman Memorial Fund. It’s in memory
of Sinai’s associate director, who lived a life
devoted to children, to special education,
to Jewish education, and to the way those
passions were able to come together at the
Sinai school.
Rachel believed with deep conviction
that every Jewish child is owed a Jewish
education, and that every child can be
reached and taught and loved, no matter
what his or her disabilities. It takes time and
patience and conviction, she knew, but it
could be done. She knew that because she
did it.
She was a master teacher; not only did
she teach special needs children, she also
taught teachers how better to teach those
children. She was gifted and generous in
passing on her skills.
Rachel lived in Teaneck with her husband,
Dr. Seymour; she died in February 2018.
Sinai has decided to honor her memory by
creating a fund that will support the things
she loved — students, by contributing to
scholarships, and teachers, by contributing
to their professional development.
A video in her honor will be screened at
Sinai’s dinner, and there is a link on Sinai’s
webpage, www.sinaischools.org, that goes
to the memorial fund.

30 Jewish Standard February 8, 2019


JS-31*

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says he is still ready for face-to-face diplomacy after
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“We continue to meet ordinary Palestinians and
are always available to meet their leadership,” Pres- DRS. EPHRAIM
13 & CHAVA CASPER
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tiator said on Twitter on Monday after a Palestinian
official, Hanan Ashrawi, mocked him for touting ANNUAL
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Greenblatt said he would continue to use Twitter BREAKFAST
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TO MAKE A RESERVATION KEYNOTE SPEAKER
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In the same thread, Greenblatt said: “Who says
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Ashrawi, a member of the Palestine Liberation
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blatt — in a tweet, naturally.
“The instant gratification of a tweet can never be
a substitute for a serious engagement in search of
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Greenblatt replied: “Dr. Ashrawi — my door is Stop Abusive Relationships at Home
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The band has decided to pull out of the Keshet network’s
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Jewish World

halacha — Jewish law — to explore the possibility of Sab- India and one from France — are blind. One member Last month, the Israeli pop star Omer Adam turned
bath-friendly microphones and instruments. The insti- has Williams syndrome, a developmental disorder; two down an offer to perform at Eurovision over the Sabbath
tute reportedly was reluctant to take on the project due have Down syndrome; one is visually impaired, and work requirement. Adam, 25, is not religiously obser-
to the “mass desecration of Shabbat” that the rehears- one is a disabled war veteran. vant but makes it a point of not working on Shabbat.
als would entail, Israel Hayom reported. Shalva, the Israel Association for the Care and Inclu- Israel won the right to host the 2019 Eurovision
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Senate approves bill


targeting BDS and
bolstering aid to Israel
RON KAMPEAS

WASHINGTON— In a 77-73 vote the U.S. Senate


approved a bill that codifies $38 billion in defense
assistance to Israel and also provides legal cover to
states that target the boycott Israel movement.
The bill, sponsored by Senators Marco Rubio Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls invites the community to our
(R-Fla.) and Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.), had stirred con-
troversy because a number of Democratic senators
said that while they oppose the Boycott, Divest-
ment and Sanctions movement targeting Israel, they ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND DINNER
also were concerned that state laws aimed at BDS
impinged on speech freedoms.
Among the Democratic dissenters are declared CONG. KETER TORAH
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‫כ׳׳ו אדר א׳ תשע״ט‬ 600 R O E M E R AV E N U E AT 8:30 P M
sachusetts, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, and TEANECK, NJ
Kamala Harris of California. Rubio, writing in the
New York Times, defended the bill against charges
that it would violate free speech. Democrats sup- Please join us in expressing hakarat hatov to our honorees:
porting the anti-BDS component included Senator
Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.).
The bill now goes to the U.S. House of Repre-
sentatives, where the Democratic majority will
break it up into its components, and its leader-
ship is likely to bury the anti-BDS section while
advancing the other components.
In addition to the money for Israel and the pro-
posed anti-BDS laws, the bill intensifies sanctions
on Syria’s Assad government and reinforces ties
with Jordan.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee HON. JUSTIN BRASCH DR. ROBERT
praised the Senate for passing the bill and defended MRS. TAMAR APPEL
& JULI SMITH BRASCH & OFRA WIND Faculty Recognition Award
the anti-BDS component and urged the House to bass Keter Shem Tov Award Amudei Ma’ayanot Award
all the bill’s provisions. “The legislation has no impact
on the right of Americans to personally boycott Israel
or oppose Israeli policies,” AIPAC said. “The bill’s
scope is limited to commercial activities between To make a pledge and reservation, please visit: www.maayanot.org/annual-dinner
companies and state and local governments.” or contact dinner@maayanot.org
The American Civil Liberties Union complained
that “the Senate chose politics over the Constitu-
tion and trampled on the First Amendment rights
of all Americans.”  JTA WIRE SERVICE

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Editorial
Support Sinai
KEEPING THE FAITH

Magnifying the evil


T that is extremism
he question of stigma with special needs and works with
comes up so very often. them. It does an extraordinary job

E
It seems to be the curse at helping families pay for its labor-
of a close community. and work- and love-intensive pro- xtremism — on both the right and Extremism, however, does not have to
If you don’t have a community, if gram. It takes children whose needs, the left — is gaining a firmer, much be violent to be dangerous. Extremism has
you live in the kind of impersonal if left untreated, would have dogged dangerous foothold in the United so polarized our politics that governing has
anonymity that early silent films them for life, and treats them. States. become almost impossible, putting the secu-
showed, all those ceaseless marches Those children enter the main- Extremism takes many forms, the most vir- rity and economy of this nation at risk. It
of unindividualized strangers; if you stream, and go on to lead happy ulent being that which presents itself in acts likely will get even worse as the 2020 presi-
live in the kind of stereotypical city and productive lives. It takes other of violence, especially from the right, as study dential election cycle unfolds. Democrats and
apartment building where no one children, whose needs are disabling, after study continues to show, although the Republicans are poles (and polls) apart from
ever knows her neighbors, then it and helps them also lead happy and extreme left too has been prone to it. each other on all manner of social, economic,
wouldn’t matter. productive lives, even if those lives There always have been those in our society, and security issues. They also are divided
Of course, those places are are outside the mainstream. even at the highest levels, who valued extrem- on these issues internally. The ranks of their
mythological. Very few people live When parents wait too long — ism and even promoted it. “I extreme wings continue to grow,
entirely anonymous lives, and they when their fear of admitting a prob- would remind you that extrem- in no small measure due to the
have to work hard to get them. lem, either to the outside world or ism in the defense of liberty is demonizing rhetoric that has
The Jewish community in north- even to themselves, understandably no vice,” the late Arizona Sena- overtaken our public discourse
ern New Jersey tends to be partic- but still lamentably gets in their way tor Barry M. Goldwater said in — rhetoric that uses code words
ularly close-knit. Mostly that’s won- — their children are affected by that. accepting the 1964 Republican as red flags but actually are
derful. It holds each other so tight Many children who come to Sinai nomination for president. devoid of real meaning.
that it’s hard to fall through it. have to struggle with the rage that Others, however, under- A majority of Democrats, for
But it also can make people grew within them as they were stood the dangers of extremism. example — 57 percent of them
self-conscious. It’s like full-time misunderstood, as they tried to fit “What is objectionable, what is — now have a “positive view” of
Facebook or Instagram, where you into places and spaces where really dangerous about extremists is Shammai socialism as the way to go in
have to curate perfection for your there was no room for them. The not that they are extreme, but Engelmayer America, according to a Gallup
friends, who are putting on that teachers and administrators know that they are intolerant,” the poll released in August. Social-
same performance for you, except that, and they have the patience late Senator Robert F. Kennedy ism, as defined by Merriam-Web-
you can’t ever stop, except maybe to bore through it, but it takes time noted. “The evil is not what they say about ster, “advocates that the means of production,
at night with the lights out and the and energy. their cause, but what they say about their distribution, and exchange should be owned or
shades drawn. It’s easy to tell people that they opponents.” regulated by the community as a whole.” On
That’s why people whose chil- should overcome all the many rea- A current example of that is President the other hand, 71 percent of Republicans show
dren have special needs often sons why it’s hard to admit imper- Trump’s claim that House Speaker Nancy an “upbeat attitude toward capitalism,” which
tended not to admit it, not to see it, fection in their children, which Pelosi “wants open borders” and “doesn’t Merriam-Webster defines as an “economic and
not to act on it, until it was almost implies that they too are imperfect. mind human trafficking.” Such statements can political system in which a country’s trade and
too late. (Spoiler — so are the rest of us. Every and often do promote violence. We saw that industry are controlled by private owners for
If only problems would go away single one of us.) But it’s true. Giv- in October, when pipe bombs were sent to profit, rather than by the state.”
when we ignore them! Life would ing into the stigma about admitting prominent Democrats — Hillary Clinton, for- These numbers bode well for Republican
be far closer to paradise than it is anything — drug addiction, or men- mer Vice President Joe Biden, and Senators chances in 2020, says Gallup, because it sug-
now, should that be true. But it tal illness, or physical illness — just Cory Booker and Kamala Harris among them gests that “a political campaign favorable to
doesn’t work that way. It is correct gives that condition more time and — and to George Soros and Robert DeNiro, and socialism would not play well in a general
that at times small matters work energy to feed off. we saw it again only a few days later in the election.” Yet, at least at this early stage, that
themselves out. Children some- The Sinai Schools is an extraor- mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue is where Democrats are headed in their race
times go through phases, and then dinary institution. As we do every in suburban Pittsburgh. Both were inspired by to choose a nominee.
grow out of them. Infections some- year, we urge our readers to sup- the inflamed rhetoric coming from the right Centrist Republicans, meanwhile, see sup-
times can be fought off. Bodies do port it. If you have a child who regarding immigration issues. Calling physi- port for their party fading among groups they
heal themselves at times. Time does might qualify for it, go talk to some- cians who perform abortions “baby killers” consider key to winning elections at state and
work miracles — from time to time. one there. If you do not, support it led to the murders of several of them or peo- local levels, especially among wealthy, edu-
But the natural tendency to put financially. You will be helping to ple working for them, and to bombings and cated suburban voters. That shift is most pro-
off dealing with problems often improve our world, and in fact the attempted bombings of their clinics. nounced among women, leading Republican
backfires spectacularly. whole world. —JP
The Sinai Schools take children Shammai Engelmayer is rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel of the Palisades, now in Fort Lee.

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Opinion

Senator Lindsay Graham to tell Fox News, “We’ve got to


address the suburban-woman problem, because it’s real.” Seeking balance
The centrist Republicans would love to move away from
the far right extremist brink on which they have been through a conjunction

I
perched precariously since the emergence of the Tea Party
in 2009 and the rise in the power of the evangelical Chris- n to d ay ’s f a s t - p a c e d a n d
tian vote. Fear of the power their extremists within wield at ever-changing world, it feels eas-
the polls, however, stays their hand, at least for now. ier than ever to become over-
The irony is that neither extreme actually is fully com- whelmed and overstimulated —
mitted to the philosophy of that extreme. The socialism and based on my experience in the first
Democrats supposedly believe in has nothing to do with month of 2019, things are not slowing
government taking over “the means of production, distribu- down any time soon. take be on March 1-2. It will give us all a
tion, and exchange.” For all the talk about a redistribution Life always has included its fair share chance to feel more present.
of wealth, no politician, including avowed socialist Senator of chaos, of course, but what’s changed If you’re looking to unplug more fre-
Bernie Sanders of Vermont, advocates that, and it is unlikely is the way screens of all types have bur- Jeremy J. quently than one day per year, how
Democratic voters want that, either. What they really advo- dened us with ceaseless awareness of Fingerman about one day per week? That was the
cate is a series of social reforms, such as universal health care, that chaos in real time, and on a global advice of Tiffany Shlain, the Emmy-nom-
and a more equitable and affordable higher education sys- scale. But it’s not just news alerts that inated filmmaker and founder of the
tem. The constant demonizing rhetoric regarding the people have us feeling anxious and exhausted. The need to Webby Awards, when she spoke at a recent FJC Lead-
Sanders refers to as “the one-percenters” (he hovers in and maintain an online presence, curate our existence ers Assembly. Every Friday night, her entire family
out of that category himself, by the way) enflames passions by sharing carefully-chosen pictures and stories, and observes “Tech Shabbat,” which involves unplugging
on both sides, however, only widening the divide. constantly monitor every virtual “like” and interaction from all technologies and not turning them on again
On the right, “capitalism” is less about private owner- keeps us glued to our screens. until Saturday evening. As she writes on her website,
ship and more about libertarian-leaning demands for gov- I’ll admit to an overreliance on technology myself. “Unplugging for a day makes time slow down and
ernment to stay out of our lives. It is about letting Amricans When I do happen to look up at my fellow bus riders makes me feel more present with my family. I not only
make their own choices, without government interference, during my daily commute, nearly every passenger is appreciate this quality time with them, but it has also
except when government interference suits their purpose, looking down into their smartphone screen, oblivious made me appreciate technology in a whole new way.
as in the abortion debate, or doing anythingto diminish to anyone or anything else. By Saturday night we can’t wait to plug back in.” The
Social Security protections. It’s tempting to claim that we’d be better off if all profound impact this practice has had on her family
“Socialism” and “capitalism” thus have become code of us unplugged completely, but in reality, the use of over the last five years is reflected in her short film on
words meant to scare people away from the center, push- technology often is essential to the success of our work. the subject.
ing them to either the right or the left. What’s more, our use of screens often is a paradox. I agree with Tiffany that while there’s something
Judaism views all extremes as anathema. When it comes While it’s true that too much screen time can erode very Jewish about unplugging once a week, there’s
to God’s laws — and especially the bulk of those laws, which face-to-face relationship skills, technology also allows also something very Jewish about plugging back in
deal with ethics, morality, and social consciousness — the us to pursue, maintain, and enhance meaningful rela- with a renewed sense of gratitude and appreciation.
middle path is the only path. Said Moses to Israel in some tionships with people who live far away from us. Technology can provide us with warm and mean-
of his last words, “Do not turn aside to the right or to the In my own work at the Foundation for Jewish Camp, ingful human connections as well. I recently watched
left,” he said ( and not for the first time); “follow only the for example, I constantly tout the benefits of screen-free a YouTube video, for example, paying tribute to an
path that the Lord your God has enjoined upon you.” (See summers at Jewish camps. Yet I fully acknowledge the associate’s significant milestone birthday. It featured
Deuteronomy 5:29-30.) truth that helping to create meaningful and impactful moving and lovely well wishes from people all over the
His successor, Joshua, echoed that message in somewhat summers for more and more young people necessitates world. While of course a YouTube video is no substi-
stronger terms. “But be most resolute to observe faithfully all the effective use of screens year-round. The issue, then, tute for celebrating a birthday surrounded by friends
that is written in the Book of the Torah of Moses,” he said in isn’t technology itself. The issue is one of seeking bal- and family, it’d be difficult to argue that receiving a
one of his final addresses to the people, “without ever deviat- ance: how to find it, and how to maintain it. thoughtful “happy birthday!” from a far-flung friend
ing from it to the right or to the left.” (See Joshua 23:6.) Certainly when campers experience an unplugged somehow erodes the value of face-to-face interaction.
Isaiah went even further. “[W]henever you deviate to the summer at Jewish camp, without smartphones and By celebrating with people near and far — both in per-
right or to the left,” he warned, “your ears will hear the computers — perhaps for the first time that they can son and through the use of screens — our sense of joy-
command from behind you: ‘This is the road; follow it!’” remember — they discover that while technology is a ful connection is increased.
(See Isaiah 30:21.) useful tool, they have the innate ability to connect to When we discuss the benefits of technology ver-
Maimonides (the Rambam) saw the centrist path as the others, have fun, and find validation without it. They sus the necessity of screen-free time, I suggest we
only way to for us to do good in our lives. “Good deeds,” learn to be adaptive, agile, flexible, and resilient, and remove the word versus and replace it with a much
he wrote in chapter 4 of his work “Eight Chapters,” are they develop and refine these skills that they bring back more generous word — and. That and provides
“equally balanced, maintaining the mean between two with them once their time at camp has ended. space for a multitude of complex and seemingly
equally bad extremes, the too much and the too little.” But how do those of us who are no longer camper contradictory truths. The word and allows us to
Moderation, he said, is the “proper rule of conduct,” while age find a similar balance between our plugged in and steer clear of extremes and seek balance, to create
extreme behavior, right or left, is “absolutely pernicious.” unplugged time? I’d like to share two thought-provoking a life that honors both weekday and Shabbat, work
“It often happens, however, that men err…,” Rambam ideas from members of the Jewish community who have and rest, technology and face-to-face interaction.
wrote, “imagining that one of the extremes is good, and is a inspired me in their work to answer this very question. As we enter the second month of 2019, I wish
virtue….[T]he really praiseworthy is the medium course of I remember when Reboot created the Sabbath all of us a year full of and — a year of seeking and
action to which everyone should strive to adhere….” Manifesto, encouraging all of us slow down our lives finding balance.
“If a man will always carefully discriminate as regards his in this increasingly hectic world. I even attended
actions, directing them to the middle path, he will reach a conference once where they handed out little Jeremy J. Fingerman has been the CEO of Foundation
the highest degree of perfection possible to a human being, bags to store our cell phones. To this day, I still use for Jewish Camp since 2010, and he is a vice president of
thereby approaching God, and sharing in His happiness. mine (see photo)! I know the simple act of intention- JPRO Network, the network of North American Jewish
This is the most acceptable way of serving God....” ally putting away your phone can have a profound communal professionals. He lives in Englewood with his
We all would do well to heed these words as the 2020 cam- impact. Reboot’s next National Day of Unplugging will family. Write to him at Jeremy@jewishcamp.org.
paign unfolds. The wider we let the gulf grow between left
and right, the narrower we allow the center to become, the The opinions expressed here are those of the authors, not necessarily those of the newspaper’s editors,
greater the danger we impose on the American future. publishers, or other staffers. We welcome letters to the editor. Send them to jstandardletters@gmail.com.

JEWISH STANDARD FEBRUARY 8, 2019 37


JS-38*

Opinion

Political parties and Israel: Spread the blame evenly

I
f I read one more article about the two new Dem- opening until last week. More Republicans Recep Tayyip); and is populated mostly
ocratic House members, out of the 235 Democrats abstained on that vote than Democrats. with people who are coarse, ungracious,
there, who are suspect or worse on Israel, I think Interestingly, Democratic Representatives and demeaning to the dignity of their fed-
I’ll plotz. Ocasia-Cortez and Tlaib voted in support eral office (see President Trump’s state-
These pieces, usually written by Republicans, tend to of the envoy. ments and conduct as president).
suggest that the Democratic Party in Congress is led by On the other hand, on February 5, 2019, Most Republicans’ failure to criticize

NOA GREEN
first-termers Representative Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez by a vote of 77 to 23, the Senate voted to Trump’s offensive and dangerous pro-
(D-N.Y.) and Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.). approve the bipartisan Anti-BDS Act of nouncements and behavior, while trou-
These predominantly Republican writers refer to 2019, which authorizes state and local bling and unacceptable, perhaps should
offensive remarks about Israel made by the two newcom- governments to prohibit a boycott, divest- Steven R. not be taken as their blanket agreement
ers rather than the statements and votes of the Demo- ment, or sanctions against Israel or “Israeli Rothman with the president on those things.
crats’ leaders on Israel: Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, Eliot controlled territories.” I would have voted But when either a Democrat or Republi-
Engel, Chuck Schumer, Bob Menendez, Nita Lowey, Ben in favor of the act. But some federal courts, can is wrong, I believe each elected official,
Cardin, Adam Schiff, Jerry Nadler, Carolyn Maloney, Ted one Republican senator, and 21 Democratic senators, all and all intellectually honest people, are obligated to pub-
Deutch, Brad Sherman, Joe Manchin, Albio Sires, Josh of whom oppose the BDS movement, voted against the licly express disapproval.
Gottheimer, and Brad Schneider, among many others. bill, arguing on First Amendment grounds. In addition, and most important, the imperative for
Clearly, however, each political party has some who If you intend to discuss the views of the two parties on all Americans regarding the presence in our govern-
are not fully supportive of America’s strongest ally in the Israel objectively, however, you cannot paint either party ment of those who speak and vote unfairly about the
Middle East, the Jewish State of Israel. accurately with a broad and dirty brush. Jewish State, or worse, advocate that we isolate our
For example, in August of 2018 and continuing today, Otherwise, you could claim that the Republican Party country and Israel, is to hold those elected officials
Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky has put a hold accepts white supremacists (think Charlottesville, about accountable at the ballot box.
on final passage of the U.S.-Israel Security Assistance Act which President Donald Trump said “you also had some As to whether, as many Republican writers argue,
of 2018, which would have officially recognized the $32 very fine people on both sides”); is isolationist (recall the Democratic Party is particularly at fault in these
billion aid package for Israel that first was negotiated by the 2016 campaign when candidate Trump said he matters, I would profoundly disagree. Instead, I sug-
President Barack Obama. As of this writing, the Republi- would “certainly look at” pulling out of NATO because gest that they need to focus most of their attention on
cans have been unable or unwilling to persuade Senator “it is obsolete,” a position he explored as president with their own vineyards.
Paul to drop his objections, and the bill still is in limbo. senior administration officials throughout 2018; accord-
Also, on January 11, 2019, Republican Justin Amash ing to the New York Times and Trump’s December 23, Steven R. Rothman of Englewood served eight terms in the
(R-Mich.) was the only representative to vote against the 2018 surprise tweet that he was going to “pull out [all] House of Representatives. He has been an attorney for 40
establishment of a special envoy to monitor and combat U.S. troops from Syria” in coordination with one of the years and formerly served as Englewood mayor and as a
ati-Semitism; President Donald Trump did not fill that world’s worst Israel antagonists, Turkey’s President Bergen County Surrogate Court judge.

Jewish identity and diversity demands school choice

T
he Jewish community does itself the best the barrier for many families remains our non-Jewish friends and neighbors
service possible when it identifies and pri- to the same — sky-high prices. The orga- when they face the similar challenge
oritizes its needs and wants. nizational Jewish world could create of finding an excellent education that
Undoubtedly, the lists of the many and subsidies in the form of scholarships they can afford. That answer is the
diverse elements of the community are as varied as for youth groups, summer camps, and school choice movement.
the wide-ranging types of Jewish organizations. From supplementary Sunday schools, but still From charter schools to education
synagogues to advocacy groups, from summer camps more must be done to lower the barriers in which the public funding is attached
to old-age homes, there is a virtual smorgasbord of of accessibility and entice more parents to the student and follows that student
communal institutions. Yet running through this to enroll their children. to the best school for him or her, the
richness of communal life are common threads, both Communal institutions must not only Joshua school choice movement has the ability
pragmatically and value-based. increase scholarships but must apply Einstein both to help inner city and rural work-
Of primary importance is the thread of Jewish edu- the power of positive public pressure ing class families get the best educa-
cation, from Reform to chasidic, and including every- to Jewish for-profit institutions such as tional bang for their buck and to help
one in between. That’s because the Jewish commu- kashrut agencies, kosher eateries, Judaica stores and the Jewish community give the next generation a
nity needs a Judaic foundation for future generations companies, as well as synagogues (which are obvi- Jewish education.
if we are to continue to grow and prosper. Jewish sum- ously nonprofit) to support Jewish education. They With the sky-high price of Jewish schools and the
mer camps, supplementary schools, youth groups, can be encouraged to sponsor a scholarship to a Jew- decades-long failure of status quo public schools
and, of course, the home all are amazing incubators ish summer camp, donating directly, and hosting a to provide quality public education to generations
of Jewish knowledge and education. fundraiser for a Jewish youth group, or providing free of inner city and rural working class children, it’s
All should be doubled down on by the organized com- or discounted catering to the local Jewish supplemen- a moral imperative for the Jewish community to
munity in order to infuse more Jewish children with a tary schools. And then they should be lauded for it. support public education innovations such as the
solid Jewish educational foundation. And the stats repeat- The possibilities are endless, and it is in the interest school choice movement.
edly show that Jewish schools are the best vehicle for of Jewish for-profit institutions and synagogues to do
transmitting Jewish education. That’s true whether they so, because when there are more people raised in and Joshua Einstein is a founding member of the Hudson
are pluralist community schools, yeshivas, Conservative engaged with Jewish education, there will more people County Regional Jewish Council, an elected member
day schools, or even the legally non-Jewish, secular but who will keep kosher, buy Judaica, and affiliate with a of the New Jersey Republican State Committee, sits
Hebrew-focused public charter schools. Jewish organization. on the executive board of the New Jersey State Young
From Jewish schools to summer camps, supplemen- When it comes to primary Jewish education, the Republicans, and has been published in more than 14
tary Sunday or weeknight schools to youth groups, answer is simple. In fact, it often is repeated by newspapers and websites on Jewish and political topics.
38 JEWISH STANDARD FEBRUARY 8, 2019
JS-39*

Opinion

I’VE BEEN THINKING It therefore wasn’t unusual that when So here I am, three years and 52 col-

Column A... Rabbi Dr. Eugene Borowitz, one of the lead-


ing Reform theologians of the 20th Cen-
umns later, thinking how different it all
would have been had the Jewish Week

I
tury with whom I had a close relationship done what it usually had done and printed
thought that the confluence of starting my fourth through Sh’ma magazine, died in late Janu- my submission. I probably would have
year writing in this space and the occasion of my ary, 2016, I was moved to write some per- written a couple of articles over the past
50th column would be a good time for some reflec- sonal remembrances. My thought was that few years, when the spirit moved me. And
tion about the past three years. But then I checked reminiscences by a member of the modern that would have been that.
my Times of Israel blog page and discovered that my math Orthodox community about a towering Thus, not only would I not have writ-
was a bit off, and, oops, this is my 52nd column (which Reform leader had a noteworthy slant that Joseph C. ten about all the things I’ve written about,
could have been meaningful if done over the course of one might be of interest. Kaplan I most probably wouldn’t truly have
year. Three, not so much). The two nationally known Jewish publi- thought about many of those things. Hav-
So I ask each of you to disregard the two that you liked cations to which I first tendered the article ing this column meant I had to find topics
the least (or hated the most), so we can pretend this is my through people I knew well, however, gently but firmly to write about, and in doing so I’ve been forced to more
50th. I, of course, will abide by your decisions since I love declined my submission. Disappointed but not defeated, carefully notice and seriously consider experiences I oth-
all my columns, like my children, equally. I thought local, and though I didn’t know anyone at the erwise might have passed over without a second glance.
But reflect on what? Major changes in my personal Jewish Standard, I sent it the article over the transom, My family giving up break time on Yom Kippur to watch
life like turning 70, retiring after 46 years of practicing with the hope the publication might appreciate what I me get an aliyah at mincha; a well responded to erev
law, or my youngest daughter — our mezhinka — getting thought was a different and curious angle. Pesach post on TeaneckShuls; a rabbi’s impromptu com-
married? Might have been a good idea if I hadn’t done It seemed to have struck a chord because the article ments on a lengthy Friday afternoon commute; a spur-
so already. Perhaps significant issues in our society like was accepted the next morning in a 5:30 email from the of-the-moment stop at a childhood home; a yom tov visit
the slow death of civil discourse, the Confederate statue editor (who likes walking her dogs at that time, as she with a friend of more than 65 years. Nothing really special
brouhaha, Supreme Court nomination battles, or the explained when I noted the ungodly hour). She asked for at first blush. But writing a column requires second and
#MeToo movement? Another good idea that might have a headshot and short bio by the close of the business day, third blushes, and seemingly mundane occurrences take
worked, except been there, done that. so the article could appear in the next issue. on deeper and more lasting and significant meanings.
Then of course I could always reflect on the single most And so it did. Writing this column has also given me pause to think
important global change in the past few years — the Novem- While I thought that was a satisfactory end to this epi- about and appreciate the fact that disappointment some-
ber 2016 election result, which has led to one of the most sode, the editor apparently had other things in mind. I times truly can be a prelude to opportunity. You only
dispiriting times in American history, as awful as others in had emailed her a few quibbles over some of the editing have to be wise enough to spot and seize the opportunity
my lifetime such as the McCarthy era, the Kennedy assas- of the piece as printed, and our email chat turned into a despite the disappointment — or, as was I, lucky enough to
sination, the Vietnam War, Watergate, and 9/11. But, as I telephone one. We first agreed to disagree about my objec- have a wise friend offer the opportunity on a silver platter.
tried to explain earlier, I’ve decided not to write about such tions, and then, after playing a bit of Jewish geography, she The last few years have been, for me, a time of change
matters in depth. That’s a decision I reserve the right to asked if I’d like to write on a more regular basis. — mostly, though not exclusively, for the good. And having
change — but not just yet. Frankly, that was not something I had ever really thought the opportunity to write this column, meet many new peo-
So rather than reflect on what has happened since I about, and initially I was a bit thrown. The arrogant part ple, and make new friends through it while learning about
started writing here, let me ruminate a bit on the start. By of me thought that I wrote when I wanted, for whom I myself and appreciating what is important to me, has been
January 2016, I had been writing articles for more than 40 wanted, and about what I wanted. The more honest and a major highlight of those years.
years for various Jewish periodicals like Sh’ma magazine, frightened part doubted that I actually would have enough I’ve always had a passion for writing and a passion for
the Baltimore Jewish Times, the New York Jewish Week, to write about regularly. learning. How wonderful for this column to unite the two.
and the Edah Journal. The calm voice of the editor intruded on these
I wrote those articles sporadically, when the muse thoughts (some of which I may have actually uttered out Joseph C. Kaplan, a regular columnist, is a longtime
hit me, and submitted them to whichever publication I loud) and said it could be every four or six weeks, what- resident of Teaneck. His work also has appeared in various
thought most appropriate. They weren’t always accepted, ever made me comfortable. And it could be about — and publications, including Sh’ma magazine, the New York
of course, and so I have a file — small but unfortunately this was the scary clincher — whatever I liked. Jewish Week, the Baltimore Jewish Times, and, as letters to
not empty — of articles that found no home beyond mine. I gulped, took the plunge, and said yes. the editor, the New York Times.

LETTERS

CUPON is not anti-Semitic other civic issues, is operating out of prejudice and hate. Thank you, Jewish Standard
Larry Yudelson’s “A Scary Time for Us” ( January 25) is an CUPON of Greater Nanuet cannot control the Reading many articles about the current decline (nay,
example of biased, unfair, and negligent journalism that thoughts and speech of every member of Nanuet’s large demise) of the print newspaper, I want to thank you
is more often than not the norm these days. and diverse community. Can the Jewish communities for your news, views, and reviews, mainly about this
Mr. Yudelson’s piece advances the notion that any Mr. Yudelson writes about control all of their members? area of North Jersey, but often about national and
citizen’s group in Rockland County that objects to the We have, however, made it abundantly clear that we do international news.
sale to or development of property by a Jewish organi- not tolerate hate speech of any kind and that our aim Your stories are truly welcomed, read, and appreci-
zation is de facto anti-Semitic, and subtly tars any con- and primary purpose is to preserve the health, safety, ated. The advertisements are attractive, the insight on
cerned member of our community with that insult. We and welfare of our residents. local Jewish life and comments on the Jewish world are
at CUPON (Citizens United to Protect Our Neighborhood) Mr. Yudelson did not give CUPON of Greater Nanuet particularly cogent and enjoyed (even though I often
of Greater Nanuet categorically reject anti-Semitism in all the courtesy of an interview (even though our group disagree with some of them). How pleasant it is to open
its forms and we have made it clear since our formation was willing to speak with him) and chose instead the paper manually, cut out some suggestions (includ-
that we will not tolerate bias against anyone on the basis to write a piece that peddles hearsay and uses the ing recipes), and share opinions read with my husband
of their race, religion, or ethnic background. actions of a few outliers and social media trolls as sup- (even though I sometimes disagree with him also!!).
We understand that anti-Semitism is a real threat to port for his assertions of anti-Semitism. In fact, the Thank you again — and again....
Jewish communities here and nationwide, but we take article reflects the kind of bullying that the people he Edie Sobel, Fort Lee
great umbrage at the suggestion that our group, whose did interview so passionately decry.
primary concern is how our small town will be affected We hope the Jewish Standard will do better in Ms. Sobel is a former editor of the Jewish Community
by over-development, projects that weaken its infrastruc- future coverage. News of Passaic and Bergen counties.
ture, traffic, and environmental hazards, among many CUPON of Greater Nanuet
JEWISH STANDARD FEBRUARY 8, 2019 39
JS-40

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42 JEWISH STANDARD FEBRUARY 8, 2019


JS-43*

Arts & Culture

Matthew Broderick,
left, and Geza Rohrig
in “To Dust.”
All About the 360, Inc.

It’s another odd couple — and it’s about grief

A
Curt Schleier Shmuel has done everything Judaism “Son of Saul,” which won the Oscar for close relationship with his mother, and
requires of him: He’s torn his coat, sat best foreign language film. mourning didn’t come in seven-, 30-, or
chasidic cantor and a jaded shiva, observed shloshim (the 30-day Rohrig makes plausible the wide 365-day internals.
community college biol- mourning period). But none of it makes shifts in mood from absurdist comedy “I’m still in mourning 10 years later,”
ogy teacher don’t seem him whole. (to study the process of bodily decay, he said.
like two people likely to “I fear for her,” he says. “I fear her soul they steal and suffocate a pig) to painful In his research, Snyder found kabbal-
become fast friends. is suffering.” moments (for instance, when Shmuel’s istic suggestions that support the dic-
In “To Dust,” the debut film from Behind his angst is a dictum from young children can’t figure out what’s tum from Ecclesiastes. It maintains that
director Shawn Snyder, they make a Ecclesiastes: “Then the dust will return wrong with their father). decomposition purifies the soul, which
hilarious team. to the earth as it was and the spirit unto It makes for a film of intriguing con- lingers over the physical remains, some-
The odd couple plot is not all light- God who gave it.” trasts: religion and science, humor and times painfully so, until the process is
hearted though. For Snyder, 37, the core He feels the latter cannot occur until sadness. And it’s all handled with grace completed.
of the film is how to deal with the loss of the former is complete — and he has no and aplomb. It’s an impressive debut “I never felt comfortable at my moth-
a loved one. idea how long that takes. Only when her for Snyder, who followed the old adage er’s grave,” he said. “I never felt I was
“I watched my mom lose her mom body has completely decomposed and “write what you know.” communing with her there.”
about five years before I lost my own her soul risen, he feels, can he cease “I am Shmuel and my writing partner” Snyder prefers to remember his
mom,” Snyder said in a telephone inter- worrying about her. — Jason Begue — “is Albert,” he said. This mother as she lived, the woman who
view. He recalls seeing “the value she” — To get answers his rabbi can’t provide, is an exaggeration — Snyder isn’t charedi refused to allow him to cancel a trip to
his mother — “found in mourning in the the cantor commits charedi blasphemy — but he was well versed in Jewish prac- Australia when she first was diagnosed
Jewish way.” — he turns to science. tice and tradition. with cancer. “The thing I carry and cher-
When his mother died, he also found By chance, he winds up consulting Snyder grew up in South Florida, ish about Judaism is this intense human-
comfort in Jewish tradition, but he Albert, the biology teacher, a nebbish attended a Jewish elementary day ism, the idea of discussion, of ques-
yearned for more. For a year he accom- who wears his divorced wife’s bathrobe school, was a bar mitzvah, and then tioning, the idea of two Jews and three
panied his father to say Kaddish for her around the house. Albert reluctantly was confirmed. He also majored in opinions,” Snyder said. “And for me art
once or twice a week, and he found the teaches reluctant students in a dead- religion at Harvard. Having grown up is a form of religious engagement.”
ritual “incredibly wise” — but somehow end job where no one respects him, so in “a strong Jewish community, a bub- It is through the art of filmmaking
insufficient — for his emotional needs. he reluctantly joins in Shmuel’s search ble almost,” he suddenly found himself that Snyder further engaged his grief:
“I believe grief is idiosyncratic and for answers. “studying at a liberal arts institution in a The film is dedicated to his mother. He
depends on the relationship between In the role, Matthew Broderick ably pluralistic department.” Not surprisingly, is constantly reminded of her when he
the people who are lost and the people reprises the bumbling, get-along schtick his Judaism waxed and waned. looks at his 4-year-old daughter.
who survive,” Snyder said. that has become a staple of his act- The waning was spurred in part by “I see my mom in her,” he said. “And
A similar crisis faces the film’s main ing resume. Shmuel is played by Geza his mom’s death, and he felt the Jewish it’s amazing how the tradition and cul-
protagonist, Shmuel, the cantor, fol- Rohrig, a modern Orthodox Jew best strictures of mourning were restrict- ture come rushing back through her.”
lowing the death of his wife, Rivkah. known for starring in the Hungarian film ing. Snyder had an extraordinarily JTA Wire Service

Jewish Standard February 8, 2019 43


JS-44*

Calendar
featuring author
Speakeasy in Jane Larkin, who will
Ridgewood: Temple explore the “Oys and
Israel & JCC in Joys of Being a Parent
Ridgewood transforms or Grandparent of a
into a speakeasy with Child in an Interfaith
an evening of dancing Relationship,” 10 a.m.
to two bands, the Fir Viewpoints is a shul
Kashes-Fire Catchers committee that was
of Temple Israel and formed to celebrate
the Sub-Bourbonites of the diversity of the
the Glen Rock Jewish Jewish community.
Center. The evening 1666 Windsor
includes a scotch Road. Reservations,
tasting, light bites (201) 833-1322
and dessert, a trivia or viewpoints@
contest, and a 1920s emeth.org.
costume competition,
with prizes for the
best gentleman’s
and lady’s costumes.
Adult and other
beverages served. 475
Grove St. (201) 444-
The JCC Thurnauer School of Music at the Kaplen JCC 9320 or speakeasy@
FEB. synagogue.org.
on the Palisades in Tenafly celebrates its annual Gift of
10 Music Gala benefit featuring conductor Gerard Schwarz,
cellist Julian Schwarz, and pianist Marika Bournaki, with
Sunday   
FEBRUARY 10
William Mehrvarz
Thurnauer’s student ensembles, at the Bergen County COURTESY CJC

Academies in Hackensack, 4 p.m. Honoring Karen Reisner and Craig World Wide Wrap Religious freedom/
Barnett with the Gift of Music Visionary award and maestro Gerard in Montebello: The human rights: William
Montebello Jewish Mehrvarz is the guest
Schwarz with the Distinguished Artist award. Elliott Forrest of WQXR Center’s men’s club speaker at the Clifton
radio will host the event. 200 Hackensack Ave. (201) 569-7900 or and sisterhood host Jewish Center, 10 a.m.
World Wide Wrap, a Born into a Muslim
jccotp.org/gom. PHOTOS COURTESY JCCOTP
program encouraging family, Mehrvarz
the mitzvah of putting became fascinated
on tefillin, 9 a.m. with Judaism at 13
Tzipporei Shalom Scout families and Breakfast follows. 34
Dance party in after reading the Old
Friday    and Tavim, sessions
for children, teen
alumni of all faiths. 558
High Mountain Road. Nanuet: The Nanuet Montebello Road, Testament. He was
FEBRUARY 8 programs, and a (201) 560-0200 or Hebrew Center Montebello, N.Y. (845) forced to flee Iran
welcomes Forever 357-2430 or www. when it was learned
closing session with www.tenjfl.org. montebellojc.org.
Young, a golden oldies that he was planning
Rabbi Dr. Jacob
Israeli wine sale and and doo wop party to convert to Judaism.
Schacter. Childcare
tasting/art fair: The and dance band, Refreshments. 18
provided. 345 Maitland
Jewish Center of featuring NHC’s Bruce Delaware St. Register,
Ave. Dinner and lunch
Teaneck’s men’s club Pollack on drums, (973) 772-3131.
reservations, (201)
833-2620 or www. hosts an Israeli wine 7:30 p.m., 411 South
cbsteaneck.org. sale and tasting, 7:30 Little Tor Road. (845)
p.m. Professional Israeli 708-9181 or www.
winemakers will be nanuethc.org.
Saturday    on hand to answer
Comedy in Wayne:
Rabbi Dr. Jacob FEBRUARY 9 questions. Taste
Congregation Shomrei
J. Schacter dozens of Israeli wines,
nosh on assorted fine Torah offers a night
Shabbat in Franklin of laughs featuring
Shabbat in Teaneck: Lakes: Temple cheeses, and order
Congregation Beth wine at a special JCOT critically acclaimed
Emanuel of North crowd-pleasing
Sholom holds its Jersey offers its Scout discount through Wine Mike Reiss
annual Shabbaton, Country of Bergenfield. comedians, 8 p.m. Jane Larkin
Shabbat program, Tickets include show,
“Torah and Its (Dis) 7 p.m., including an Art fair with Israeli COURTESY EMETH Book brunch: The
contents,” throughout artists on site. Open to hors d’oeuvres, and
exotic animal program dessert. 30 Hinchman United Synagogue
Shabbat, with 22 at 7:30, Havdalah, everyone 21 and older. Breakfast in Teaneck: of Hoboken hosts
classes, all taught 70 Sterling Place. (201) Ave. (973) 696-2500 Temple Emeth’s
and desserts. All Boy, or adminassist@ a book brunch
by congregants, Girl, and Israeli Scouts 833-0515 or jcot.org. Viewpoint group about “Springfield
performances by shomreitorahwcc.org. sponsors a breakfast
welcome, as well as Confidential” with

44 JEWISH STANDARD FEBRUARY 8, 2019


JS-45*

Calendar

author/ four-time Center offers “Mondays through transformation Creativity and Tanach meets at Congregation
Emmy Award-winner with Maimonides” teachings, heart- Analysis Eliminated Agudath Israel for
Mike Reiss, 10:30 a.m. — a look at the opening chanting, the Awe of Talmud food, fun, to mingle,
A hilarious look at philosophy, theology, and deep silence. Torah?” for the adult and share a dessert
the legendary series and legal jurisprudence 300 North Broadway, education committee buffet, 2:30 p.m. 20
the “Simpsons” by its of Maimonides Upper Nyack, N.Y. at Congregation Rinat Academy Road. Sue,
longest-serving writer (Rambam). (845)-358-3767 or Yisrael, 8:45 a.m. Rabbi (973) 226-3600,
and producer. Brunch. Participants will study csinyack.org. Taragin has taught at ext. 145, or singles@
115 Park Ave. (201) sections of his Guide Yeshivat Har Etzion for agudath.org.
659-4000 or office@ for the Perplexed and
Sunday    the past 24 years; he
hobokensynagogue.
org.
Mishneh Torah, 7:30
p.m. 34 Montebello Rabbi Arthur Weiner FEBRUARY 17
also teaches at Migdal
Oz and is the author
Sunday   
Road, Montebello, N.Y. of an internet Talmudic FEBRUARY 17
Film in Fair Lawn: (845) 357-2430 or Jews of Italy: Rabbi methodology shiur.
The Fair Lawn Jewish www.montebellojc.org. Arthur Weiner 389 West Englewood Seniors meet: Singles
Center/Congregation continues “History of Ave. (201) 837-2795. 65+ of the JCC
B’nai Israel screens the Making marriages the Jews of Italy,” a Rockland meets for
documentary “From great: Rabbi Dr. Ari six-session class, at lunch at Sutter’s Mill
the JCC of Paramus/
Swastika to Jim Crow,”
4 p.m. The 90-minute
Sytner discusses
“When a Marriage Congregation Beth Singles of Suffern, noon. 214
Route 59, Suffern,
movie discusses some is Fine, Is It Really? Tikvah, 2:30 and again N.Y. Individual checks.
of the similarities
between anti-Semitism
What Science and
Torah Teach Us About
at 8:15 p.m. 304 East
Midland Ave., Paramus.
Sunday    Reservations, Gene,
(845) 356-5525.
in Nazi Germany (the Making a Good (201) 262-7691. Rabbi Moshe Taragin
FEBRUARY 10
Swastika) and racism Marriage Great” at
in the American South Congregation Beth Women’s health/ Shiur in Teaneck: Singles meet in
(Jim Crow). Part of Aaron in Teaneck, 8 fitness social night: Rabbi Moshe Taragin Caldwell: New Jersey
Jewish Federation p.m. 950 Queen Anne The Kaplen JCC on the considers “Has Brisker Jewish Singles 45+
of Northern New Road. (201) 836-6210. Palisades of Tenafly
Jersey’s One Book One and Englewood
Health offer “Mind,
Community program.
Refreshments.
Tuesday    Body, & Sole” at the
10-10 Norma Ave. FEBRUARY 12 Kaplen JCC in Tenafly,
Reservations, (201)
796-5040. Life care planning:
7-9 p.m. Food and
“mocktail” tastings, Englewood Health/Kaplen JCC
Jewish Association
for Developmental
meet-and-greet
Englewood Health will host a women’s evening
Disabilities offers an Physician Network
providers, and JCC The Kaplen JCC on the Palisades of mocktail tastings, the chance to meet
ID/DD informational
workshop, “Lifespan trainers. Aromatherapy, Tenafly and Englewood Health offer Englewood Health Physician Network
Advocacy Issues for acupuncture, chair “Mind, Body, & Sole” on Wednesday, providers and JCC trainers, aromather-
Children and Adults massages, fitness February 13, from 7 to 9 p.m., at the apy, acupuncture, chair massages, fit-
with Special Needs,” and yoga demos,
meditation, nutrition Kaplen JCC in Tenafly. Participants are ness and yoga demos, meditation, nutri-
for family members
with intellectual consults, and stress asked to wear their most chic sneakers tion consults, and stress management.
or developmental management. Wear and casual clothing. It’s free, but registration is requested;
Book discussion in disabilities, 7 p.m. your most chic The evening includes food and EnglewoodHealth.org/calendar.
Teaneck: The Jewish Attorney Maria Fischer sneakers and casual
Center of Teaneck’s is the guest speaker. clothing. 411 E.
Leaves of Faith Refreshments. Program Clinton Ave., Tenafly.
Book Club discusses at J-ADD offices, 50 RSVP online at
Cynthia Ozick’s “The
Puttermesser Papers”
Eisenhower Drive,
Paramus. Register
EnglewoodHealth.org/
calendar.
Judaica House lists items
— “Puttermesser: Her at (201) 754-1835 or for its book and seforim sale
Work History, Her
Ancestry, Her Afterlife”
Rnewman@j-add.
org; include email, cell
Thursday   
and “Puttermesser and number, and names of FEBRUARY 14 Teaneck’s Judaica House, Ltd. stocks off all tzitzith and tallaism; and buy
Xanthippe,” 8 p.m. 70 guests registering. a variety of Jewish scholarly and reli- three yarmulkes, and get a fourth
Sterling Place. (201) Performance in Park
gious texts in Hebrew and English, one free. Judaica House has served
833-0515. Ridge: The Hadassah
Wednesday ,   Players of the Pascack as well as a full line of fiction, cook- the community in Englewood and
FEBRUARY 13 books, and more. It is offering 30 per- Teaneck since 1974. The store is at 478
Monday    Valley/Northern Valley
chapter perform a cent off every book and every sefer Cedar Lane in Teaneck. For informa-
FEBRUARY 11 Performance in River musical, “Momma from February 10 through February tion, call (201) 801-9001 or go to www.
Vale: The Hadassah Knew Best,” at
Temple Beth Sholom, 24. In addition, there is 20 percent judaicahouse.net.
Players of the Pascack
Valley/Northern Valley 8 p.m. 32 Park Ave.
chapter perform a Refreshments. (201)
musical, “Momma 880-4614.
Knew Best,” at the
Jewish Home Assisted Friday  Ski Shabbaton for millennials
Living, 2:30 p.m. The
original production FEBRUARY 15 During Presidents weekend, February Saturday night. Participants can ski at
was written by Berthe 15 to 17, college students and young nearby Montage Mountain. The week-
Nathanson, Hannah Shabbat in Upper professionals are invited to a Shabbat end is open to singles or couples, 18
Rabbi Joshua Price, and Arlene Rifkin Nyack: Congregation
Sons of Israel begins getaway at the historic Radisson Lack- and older, from any background. For
Finkelstein about memories of
the 1940s and 1950s. its “Meditation and awanna Station Hotel in Scranton, Pa. information, go to myPoconoKosher.
Midrash Monday: 685 Westwood Ave. Musical” weekend, 7 There will be kosher dining all week- com or email info@mypoconokosher.
Rabbi Joshua Refreshments. (201) p.m. Reb Brian Yosef end in the hotel’s ballroom, an oneg com.
Finkelstein of the 880-4614. of Torah of Awakening
shares awakenings Shabbat, and live stand-up comedy on
Montebello Jewish

JEWISH STANDARD FEBRUARY 8, 2019 45


JS-46*

Calendar

New Rockland course


addresses faith challenges
The Jewish Federation & Foundation of Rockland Coun-
ty’s Adult Education Department offers “Wrestling With
Faith,” a six-week course from the Rohr Jewish Learn-
ing Institute that will address common challenges peo-
ple have with God. Taught by Rabbi Avremel Kotlarsky,
Chabad Lubavitch of Rockland’s executive director, it

PHOTO PROVIDED
begins Wednesday, February 20, at 7 p.m., at the JCC
Campus, 450 West Nyack Road, West Nyack.
The cost of the six-week course is $110. To sign up, go
to www.jewishrockland.org, email Roberta at adulted-
ucation@jewishrockland.org, or call (845) 362-4200, Rabbi Avremel
Woodcliff Lake sisterhood enjoys social ext. 130. Kotlarsky
The Sisterhood of Temple Emanuel of left, and co-president Wendy Zuckerberg PHOTO PROVIDED
the Pascack Valley held its annual sister- is fifth from the left. They met to plan
hood winter social at a member’s home. upcoming events.
Co-president Rachel Baskin is third from

Norpac accepts registration


Wayne shul schedules outing for its lobbying effort in D.C.
to musical ‘Tootsie’ on Broadway Norpac hosts its annual Mission to
Washington on Tuesday, May 21.
break into assigned groups — usually
four to six people — and meet with
Temple Beth Tikvah is planning a trip to are welcome. For information, call (973) Nearly 1,000 people will partici- members of Congress and their staff
see the Broadway musical adaptation of 595-6565, ext. 13, or email tbtrssecy@ pate in the important day of U.S.-Is- to discuss this year’s talking points
“Tootsie.” Tickets go on sale in May. All optonline.net. rael relations advocacy with mem- about pressing legislation on U.S.-Is-
bers of Congress. Mission attendees raeli concerns. The event wraps up in
are bused (or can take their own the early evening and transportation
transportation) to Washington in home is provided.
the morning, and go to a brief ple- There are special early-bird rates.
nary session at the Warner Theatre Participants can register online at
that includes presentations by con- www.norpac.net. For information, call
gressional leaders. Participants will (201) 788-5133 or avi@norpac.net.

Talks on Torah and humor


Dr. Zack Mann will be the Theological Seminary,
scholar-in-residence for the where he is an adjunct
Shabbat of February 22 to assistant professor. He
23 at Temple Emanuel of is chair of the Jewish
the Pascack Valley in Wood- studies and Hebrew
cliff Lake. On Friday at 8 depar t ment of the
p.m., he will ask “But Is It Rodeph Shalom School
humor? — the Torah and the in Manhattan. His wife,
Origins of Jewish Comedy.” Brii, grew up in the
During Saturday services at Pascack Valley with
9:30 a.m., the topic will be, Dr. Zach Mann her parents, Rona and
“But Is It Jewish? Is there Arthur Weinberg, and
Such a Thing as Jewish Humor?” After her sister, Pamela.
lunch, the discussion will be, “But Is It The talks and services are open to
Good for the Jews? Evaluating Jewish the public, but an RSVP is required.
Humor.” Email execdir@Tepv.org, call (201) 391-
Dr. Mann earned his Ph.D. in mod- 0801, or go to www.tepv.org.
ern Jewish studies from the Jewish

Announce your events


We welcome announcements of Send announcements 2 to 3 weeks
upcoming events. Announcements in advance. Not every release will be
are free. Accompanying photos published. Include a daytime tele-
must be high resolution, jpg files. phone number and send to:
 pr@jewishmediagroup.com • 201-837-8818 x 110

46 JEWISH STANDARD FEBRUARY 8, 2019


The Frazzled Housewife Kosher Crossword
“TO SOME DEGREE” BY YONI GLATT
KOSHERCROSSWORDS@GMAIL.COM
DIFFICULTY LEVEL: MANAGEABLE

And this happened


to me…
T
his column is to be filed nothing do to with me — not anything I
under “things that only hap- did — just something that happened to
pen to me.” Is it because I am me, something that most likely hasn’t
a middle child? Possibly. Is it happened to many other people. A
because I have such low self-esteem? few weeks ago, I received a Facebook
Probably. But those options are for just message from someone I had never
two things I am sharing with you. The heard of. She sent me a message say-
other one is a whole different kind of ing that she thought that I know some
“these things only happen to me…” of her relatives. So I quickly respond
So let us begin the journey. with a “????” She asks for my number,
When I was 15 years old, my brother I give it to her, and here is the story.
and I were fortunate enough to have This woman had just done 23 and Me
parents who wanted to take us to Paris which is some kind of genealogy test-
and London. My dad always ing situation where you
took his vacations very seri- can find long-lost rela-
ously, and he took this one tives. Well, it turns out
even more seriously. So that this woman’s bio-
many sights, so little time, logical father was my
so many AAA travel books. neighbor, who died in
There was a lot involved, the house explosion 10
but my dad was going to years ago.
get it done. Yes, you are reading
We stayed in the nicest correctly. This woman Across Down
hotels, a couple of sheiks Banji just found out that her 1. Some Israelis
6. Words before end or angle
1. “Dear” writer
2. Driving range?
offered my dad some good Ganchrow biological father (and
10. Altar’s alcove 3. Homer paths
cattle in exchange for me to his girlfriend) gave her 14. Anti-Semitic character played by 4. “Harrumph!”
be their bride (those dudes up for adoption when a Jew 5. Music setups
really dig the big ladies). We saw Mon- she was born. Now she had known that 15. 2018 NFC champions 6. Scents
et’s house in Giverny. It was lovely. One she was adopted, but she only recently 16. Collinsworth who called games 7. ___ and feathers
night we were supposed to go see the found out the circumstances surround- with the 15-Across 8. Kiss equipment
17. Events most yeshiva boys skip 9. “Snowden” org.
Eiffel Tower. You go to the top, there is ing her adoption. How did she find me?
before their weddings 10. Playing a part
some kind of tour — all so exciting. But Well, when the house exploded, my 20. 1,760 make a mi. 11. 24-Across are her descendants, for
I did something not nice to my brother. name was all over the news, and there 21. Air balls miss them short
I have no idea what. All I do know is was an article, well, several articles, 22. Squeaky door part 12. The Assyrians laid one on
that it didn’t involve drugs or physical written about what happened. So here 23. “Go ___ Watchman” (Lee book) Jerusalem
violence, so chances are I probably this woman was calling me, because I 24. Harry and George, e.g. 13. More than a third of Mississippi?
26. Marvel character who might know 18. A little more than a quart, to a Brit
just was obnoxious to him and chances am now the only connection she has to
kabbalah 19. Protected animal, for short
are even greater that he deserved it. her biological father, who she now will 30. Bring about, as suspicion 23. Concert keepsake
But, wouldn’t you know it, my mom never meet, because he is no longer 31. Kermit’s greeting 24. Formally proper
grounded me from going to the Eiffel with us. 32. FICA fundee 25. “Go team!”
Tower. So if anyone ever asks you if you I put on my social worker hat and I 35. Animal needed for the passing 26. Notable chipmunk
know anyone who went to Paris and told her what a wonderful and kind over 27. “___ my uncle used to call it...”
36. Office manager on “The Office” (start of a punchline)
didn’t see the Eiffel Tower, now you do. man he was, which he really was. I
37. On-the-go Sony devices, for short 28. Analogy
Next story — my friend and I arranged made sure she knew that the explo- 38. “Gift” to be skeptical of 29. “Not ___ know of”
a bus for her Sweet 16 and turns out, sion was an accident and not a suicide, 39. Give off 33. Fast card game
we made a little extra money from the because it wasn’t a suicide, and I tried 41. Shea and Arthur Ashe 34. “....___ Hashem nagilah v’nishmi-
arrangement. We decided to take the to answer any questions she had about 43. Hang with a chevra chah bo”
day off from school, go to the mall, go her grandparents and anything else. 46. Pop-up costs 36. Photos, briefly
48. It can be more 37. Doggie digits
the movies, and have a great day off. How crazy is that story? It was like a
49. 19th-century German poet 39. First name in cosmetics
And it was! We saw two movies, we real life “Law & Order” episode!! But I Heinrich 40. Animated man with a Tavern
bought matching watches. It was so fun. am really happy that this did happen to 50. Not fizzing 41. Vapor
And then we got back to school and I me, because I was able to help her fill 51. One on a beat 42. Mic check word
was surrounded my classmates telling in some gaps and then get her in touch 54. Arnold Rothstein and Meyer 44. Ana and Barbara
me that my mom came to school to tell with other people who knew her father. Lansky, e.g. 45. Like the U.S. and Israel
58. Crosswords ox 46. Sportscaster Rashad
me that my haircut appointment was So there was that.
59. Historical Robert 47. Country music star Carter
changed. But Banji wasn’t in school. 60. They’ve become cool, nowadays 50. Available
Needless to say, that day didn’t end Banji Ganchrow of Teaneck still has not 61. Rather and Fogler 51. Give a hoot
as well as it started, but we had fun figured out who gave her the two free 62. Property paper 52. Shoppe sign word
anyway… Billy Joel tickets a few years ago. That is 63. Say “Shalom” 53. “Hey, over here”
And the final story. Now this one has the mystery she would like to solve!! 55. Notable cow color
The solution to last week’s puzzle 56. 2016 W.S. losers to the Cubs
is on page 51. 57. ___ Tamid

JEWISH STANDARD FEBRUARY 8, 2019 47


Jewish World

Is there a need for yet another


big Washington pro-Israel group?
RON KAMPEAS

WASHINGTON — “Democratic” and “pro-Israel” didn’t


use to make news when coupled, but the New York Times
thought it newsworthy this week when yet another group
staking its claim to the territory emerged this week.
After the Times broke the story Monday about the
establishment of the Democratic Majority for Israel, the
group’s release hit the inboxes of other reporters.
“Our mission at Democratic Majority for Israel is to
strengthen the pro-Israel tradition of the Democratic
Party, fight for Democratic values and work within the
progressive movement to advance policies that ensure a
strong U.S.-Israel relationship,” Mark Mellman, its CEO,
said in the release.
Boil those three points down to two — advance pro-Is-
rael policies among Democrats, promote Democrats over-
all — and you have the credo for at least two other groups,
the Jewish Democratic Council of America and J Street.
( J Street once nominally supported one or two Republi-
cans per cycle, but at least since Trump’s election it has
endorsed only Democrats and advocated for policies iden-
tified with the party that have little or nothing to do with Former Clinton administration communications director Ann Lewis, seen in October 2018, is a member
Israel, including opposing Trump’s immigration policies.) of the new group Democratic Majority for Israel. KRISTA KENNELL/PATRICK MCMULLAN VIA GETTY IMAGES
So naturally that begs the question, why is there a need
for a third group with essentially the same agenda? What “We have a longstanding position in support of secu- ensuring that Israel not become a partisan issue in Con-
distinguishes the Democratic Majority for Israel? rity cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian gress, and we have been very vocal on this.”
Mellman, a longtime Democratic pollster, made his Authority,” AIPAC spokesman Marshall Wittmann told The difference can also be seen in the group’s names:
case to JTA. Jewish Insider last week after reports emerged that fund- One includes “Israel,” the other includes “Jewish.”
“A central thrust for us is making sure the Democratic ing for the security cooperation, which Israel favors, is “We are focused on mobilizing and serving as the voice
Party remains pro-Israel,” he said in the face of increas- under threat. of Jewish Democrats and the Jewish electorate,” Soifer said.
ing attacks on the Jewish state by some within the party. That still leaves another question: Why don’t Mellman The difference in emphasis between “Jewish” and “pro-Is-
Jeremy Ben-Ami, J Street’s president, said that after he and company go all in for the Jewish Democratic Council rael” also is evident in who backs each group — the Jewish
scoured the new group’s website, he thinks that the miss- of America, which hews more to AIPAC’s pro-Israel style Democratic Council’s board is Jewish, while the Democratic
ing element there is substance. He wondered: “Would than it does J Street’s? Majority for Israel has plenty of non-Jews on its board.
they have supported the Iran [nuclear] deal, do they sup- An example: The Jewish Democratic Council backs Mellman agreed that the group’s emphasis is on Israel,
port two states, would they support Democrats who want anti-Israel boycott movement legislation under consider- while noting that its mission statement includes a pledge
to reinstate funding for UNRWA,” the U.N. agency that ation in Congress, as does AIPAC; J Street, which opposes to fight for progressive values domestically.
administers relief to the Palestinians? the boycott movement, also opposes the legislation, join- “Their focus is making sure the Jewish community
In fact, the site’s mission page says “We support, and ing left-leaning groups that say the bill would impinge on remains Democratic,” he said of the Jewish Democratic
will promote, a two-state solution with the Palestinians, speech freedoms. Council. “We’re focused on making sure the Democratic
achieved through direct bilateral negotiations.” Mellman did not proffer an opinion on the arguments Party remains pro-Israel.”
Mellman gave the impression to me that the group was that Democrats are having over the anti-Boycott, Divest- Those differences are more than symbolic. Support
still feeling its way on the issues, although he emphasized ment and Sanctions bill, instead saying that the role of for Israel among Democrats has diminished, particularly
its stated support for the two-state outcome. The Iran his group would counter Republican attempts to turn among younger progressives. The Jewish Democratic
deal, he said, is old news. differences over the bill into a wedge issue. “There are Council and J Street both have as their agenda co-opting
The Trump administration has halted UNRWA fund- no Democratic senators who are pro-BDS,” he said, and reaching out to Democrats who might be prone to
ing, pleasing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while contrasting a claim by the bill’s sponsor, Senator Marco alienation from Israel: the former by building coalitions
spurring fears from Israeli security officials that the Rubio (R-Fla.). on non-Israel related issues, J Street by creating a defini-
slash will destabilize the region. Israel’s government has The Jewish Democratic Council’s director, Halie Soifer, tion of “pro-Israel” that allowed for criticisms of its gov-
rejoiced as Trump pulled the United States out of the Iran said the difference between her group and the Democratic ernment policies.
deal, and both governments have played down two states Majority for Israel was a matter of scope: The latter is more Democratic Majority for Israel appears not to be
as an outcome. about Israel, while the Jewish Democratic Council advo- averse to isolating and marginalizing the Israel-skeptical
An array of figures who have been closely allied with cates for issues relating to Israel and domestic agendas. within the party, and Mellman said the group was ready
the American Israel Public Affairs Committee have signed “We also advocate for a wide range of issues aligned to do battle. He did not mention names, but there have
on to the new group. Along with Mellman, they include with our values, which include but are not limited to sup- been notable tensions since the midterms with newly
former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, Dem- port of Israel,” Soifer said. elected members who embrace the boycott Israel move-
ocratic strategist Paul Begala, Clinton administration Ron Klein, the former Florida congressman who is ment, Representatives Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), and Ilhan
communications director Ann Lewis, and former AIPAC chairman of the Jewish Democratic Council, said that his Omar (D-Minn.).
staffer Todd Richman. But Mellman has said that Demo- group also served as a bridge between the Jewish commu- “Our first goal is to engage with” the critics “to edu-
cratic Majority for Israel is independent of AIPAC. nity and Democrats. cate and persuade and advocate and bring them to
AIPAC opposed the Iran deal and backs two states, but “We are not just reaching out to the Jewish commu- alignment with where most of the party has been,”
it is not outspoken about the outcome. It also has backed nity, we are reaching out to non-Jewish Democrats if they Mellman said. “But at the end of the day, if there is
funding for the Palestinians — but in the quietest way possi- are interested in knowing about what the Jewish commu- an intellectual and political battle to be waged, we’re
ble, issuing generic statements of support only when asked. nity thinks about domestic issues,” he said. “We, too, are here to wage it.” JTA WIRE SERVICE

48 JEWISH STANDARD FEBRUARY 8, 2019


Obituaries

Charles Maer
Gloria Reinish
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David Quentzel, 88, of Englewood, formerly of Romania, died the Society of Women Engineers and IEEE. Gloria
January 27. taught at Fairleigh Dickinson University for over 50
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Arrangements were by Louis Suburban Chapel,
Thomer, and Ariel and Dmitriy Migdalovich. She
Fair Lawn.
was predeceased by her beloved husband of 70 years,
Martin, and her granddaughter, Shelby Reinish. The The Christopher Family
funeral was on February 3 at at Gutterman Musicant, serving the Jewish community
Instagram photo aside, Hackensack, NJ, with burial at Cedar Park Cemetery,
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Jewish standard FeBrUarY 8, 2019 51


Jewish World

Synagogues are now dying or being sold


in a once-vibrant Brussels neighborhood
CNAAN LIPHSHIZ From 2010 to 2018, an average of 205
Belgian Jews made aliyah annually — a
BRUSSELS — When he was growing 54 percent increase over the annual
up, Joel Rubinfeld always was eager to average of 133 immigrants to Israel
accompany his parents to their down- from Belgium from 2005 to 2009,
town synagogue here. according to Israeli government data.
The sermons were OK, he said, but Generally wealthier and more poly-
the real clincher was the full-size ping- glot than their French counterparts,
pong table at the Sephardic Synagogue many more Belgian Jews have left for
on Pavillion Street. “Placing that table English-speaking countries.
was a stroke of genius by the rabbi,” In 2015, the chief rabbi of Brussels,
Rubinfeld, 50, recalled with a smile. Avraham Guigui, grabbed headlines
“Children and teenagers would play for when he said following a wave of ter-
hours as others scampered around the rorist attacks in the city that “people
building’s spacious yard.” understand there is no future for Jews
Three decades on, however, the syna- in Europe.” In addition to immigration
gogue’s former building and yard stand to Israel, “there is immigration by Jews
deserted and overgrown with vegetation to Canada and America. Recession is
in what has become one of the Belgian driving the young people to leave Bel-
capital’s seediest areas. It borders a red A commemoration for the four people killed in May 2014 at the Jewish Muse- gium,” the rabbi said.
light street, with display windows featur- um of Belgium in Brussels. The attack was a key factor in the immigration of Rubinfeld concurs.
ing skimpily dressed prostitutes trying to Belgian Jews to Israel. CNAAN LIPHSHIZ “You see the absence of people, former
seduce passersby. schoolmates who now live in Florida, Mel-
Once the beating heart of a Brussels By the mid-1980s, many of the Jews second-oldest Jewish house of worship, bourne, London,” he said.
Jewish community of about 20,000, who lived downtown, near the Nord and “is dying,” its president Rozenberg, said. The passing last year of laws forbidding
since 2012 this area has seen the shut- Midi train stations, already had left for “In truth, it’s been dying since before I techniques used in the kosher slaughter
tering and sale of two of its four syna- more affluent neighborhoods. Their syn- became its president in 2002,” he said, of animals in two out Belgium’s three
gogues, as well as the closure of the agogues and major cultural institutions but adding, “so far, we are there, very states — though not in Brussels — has
Maimonides School, which used to be remained downtown well into the 1990s, much in existence.” dealt another blow to many members of
Belgian Jewry’s flagship institution. but the area had become a hub for crimi- Not far from Stalingrad, the larger the kingdom’s Jewish minority. Designed
Coinciding with rising anti-Semitism, a nal and extremist activity. Clinique Synagogue, the other syna- to limit the much larger industry of halal
government-led crackdown on religious This deterioration and the security gogue downtown, is facing similar chal- meat, the bans also are hurting the pro-
freedoms, and growing emigration by challenges it brought to a Jewish school lenges. An imposing corner building duction of kosher meat.
Belgian Jews, this decline easily can be with hundreds of students were major with a capacity of more than 500 wor- Even in the relatively secular commu-
seen as ominous for the future of Brussels’ reasons why Maimonides closed in 2015. shippers, it stands mostly empty. nity of Brussels, the bans are “worrying
Jews. Despite these issues, however, there Many Jews who lived downtown left Rubinfeld’s father, a Holocaust sur- because once one religious freedom is
is also evidence that the same community not to get away from their Muslim neigh- vivor who opened a bag factory down- targeted, then there is the possibility of
is reconsolidating in the city’s leafy and bors, but because they had accumulated town, celebrated his bar mitzvah at others following suit, like brit milah,”
more affluent south, adapting success- enough wealth to afford living in a richer Clinique many years ago. or circumcision, Benizri said. On a per-
fully to urban demographic changes. neighborhood, said Daniel Rozenberg, “No, I can’t say I feel too safe here,” sonal level, he said, he would feel “less
“Of course it saddens me when an the president of the Stalingrad Syna- Rubinfeld said outside the shul, which sur- comfortable living in Belgium” unless
institution that was one of our communi- gogue, one of the two shuls that still vived an attempted arson attack in 2014. his community succeeds in its legal
ty’s most important assets closes down exist in downtown Brussels. Standing near his black SUV and talking to efforts to reverse the bans.
and dies out of security concern,” Yohan But fundamental differences in the a journalist, he drew curious looks from Still, Benizri does not feel that his
Benizri, the president of Belgium’s two populations’ attitudes to immigra- groups of teenagers on their way home community is in decline. Brussels has
CCOJB federation of French-speaking tion complicate matters, he said. from high school. “Two able-bodied men about a dozen synagogues, two schools
Jewish communities, said about Mai- “The Jewish community has made may not mind being eyeballed,” he said. and a radio station.
monides’ closure. an effort to integrate into the Belgian “But consider the elderly Jew. Would you “The focus of Jewish life has shifted
The closure and sale of two down- society that had welcomed it,” Rozen- come to pray here if you were him?” from the synagogue to cultural activi-
town synagogues reflects “more than berg said. “Today, where our parents’ Against this background, both the Sep- ties. We still have a strong sense of Jew-
anything the fact that Jews in Belgium generation used to live there are only hardic Synagogue, with its ping-pong ish identity,” he said. “Declining com-
and throughout Western Europe are less Muslims, who do not display the same table, and the nearby Rogier Street Syna- munities tend to be graying, with few
interested in going to shul,” he said. desire to integrate, and they don’t gogue were sold in 2016. Perhaps fearing young members. And I don’t think this
But at the same time, Brussels’ two employ the same level of energy to gen- vandalism, the new owners of the Sephar- our situation.”
remaining Jewish schools, which are in the erate prosperity.” dic promptly removed the Star of David Benizri cited the annual Lag b’Omer
capital’s south, “have never had higher Muslim leaders no doubt would dis- from its facade, even though it was regis- sports event in southern Brussels
attendance,” Benizri said, adding that the agree with Rozenberg’s analysis, but the tered for preservation. attended by hundreds of Jews from Bel-
same area has seen the opening of at least shift he describes are accurate: Down- Amid attacks like the attempted arson gium’s five large Jewish youth movements.
three synagogues over the past 30 years. town Brussels has far fewer Jews than it at Clinique and the slaying of four peo- Asked about the viability of his com-
The change began in the 1970s, with had a few decades ago. The Stalingrad ple at the Jewish Museum of Belgium munity’s future, he said “No one has a
the arrival of Arab and African immi- Synagogue — a cavernous space rich with that same year, immigration to Israel crystal ball.”
grants. Many settled in the affordable wood furniture that was set up in what by Belgian Jews increased to what was “There will always be a Jewish presence
downtown neighborhoods where Jews of used to be a residential home — can barely termed “a silent exodus” by Rubinfeld, in Brussels,” he said. “Instead of making
Eastern European descent had lived for count on getting together a minyan. who heads the Belgian League Against predictions about the future, I just try to
about a century beforehand. Stalingrad Synagogue, the capital’s Anti-Semitism. serve them as best I can.” JTA WIRE SERVICE
52 JEWISH STANDARD FEBRUARY 8, 2019
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A prominent example of Bauhaus architecture on Levanda Street in Tel Aviv.  Over $9 million in closed sales in 2018!

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Bauhaus turns 100


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2018 Realtor of the Year (EBCBOR)

in Tel Aviv’s White City


The iconic architecture style makes the metropolis
BY APPOINTMENT
t TEANECK t
a World Heritage Center. Here’s the what, why and how
NAAMA BARAK adorning buildings, the International style favored

T
clean lines, whether straight or curvy, and was devoid
he city of Tel Aviv can boast of being many of embellishments.
things — Israel’s cultural mecca, vegan It also favored function over form and focused on build-
capital of the world, and one of the most ings that would serve their residents. This is one of the
LGBT-friendly cities on the planet. reasons International-style buildings don’t look the same
It can also, somewhat surprisingly, boast of being all over the world, as different places have different needs.
a World Heritage Site. Yes, just like the Taj Mahal and “If you build a house in France, then the climate is
Machu Picchu. very different from here in Tel Aviv. Accordingly, the
To be more precise, it’s the White city area of Tel houses built here were different. They were looking to
Aviv that’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, thanks suit the climate here,” says Micha Gross, the director of
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JEWISH STANDARD FEBRUARY 8, 2019 53
 Real Estate & Business

Bauhaus
FROM PAGE 53
Another local feature of the Interna-
tional style influenced by the hot climate,
and one easily observed when walking
around Tel Aviv, is flat roofs. “There’s the
flat roof that’s very useful here. You can
go up on it, create a garden, hold parties,
hang the washing,” Gross says.
Despite these variations, the local build-
ings still adhere to the universal principles
of the International style. Aside from being

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE BAUHAUS CENTER


super functional, they are characterized by
their asymmetry, a notion that was revolu-
tionary at the time.
They were also built using reinforced
concrete and are held up by pillars and not
the walls themselves, thanks to the techno-
logical developments of the time.
Tel Aviv’s White City spans from Allenby
Street in the south of the city up to the Yar-
kon River in its north. On the east it’s bor-
dered by Ibn Gabirol Street and Begin Road,
and to the west by the Mediterranean. Not
all of the buildings in this large area are in International Style buildings are characterized by their asymmetry, as seen in this grouping on Begin Road in Tel Aviv. 
the International style, but those that are
stand out in their clean and clear style. which was hard at work even before
“They say there’s about 4,000 buildings the 2003 UNESCO recognition that
built in that style in Tel Aviv. About half of really gave the conservation efforts a
them are designated for conservation,” says seal of approval.
Gross. The decision depends on many fac- The Tel Aviv Bauhaus Center is cel-
tors, he explains, including whether it is ebrating Bauhaus’ centennial with a
original, where it stands, and whether the number of exhibitions and events.
architect was important. First up is an exhibition exploring the
This last point is particularly interesting. works of architects Josef Rings and
Gross estimates that around 150 architects Erich Mendelsohn, which will run at
worked in the International style in Tel Aviv the center on Dizengoff Street during
at the time, but not all of them are known. February and March 2019.
“Some of them built more, others less. It’s The next exhibition at the center will
a really big group,” he says. “The majority take place at the end of June, and will
were born in Russia, Ukraine, and Poland focus on Dizengoff Square, possibly the
but studied in Germany.” only Bauhaus-style square anywhere. In
Out of all these architects who ended
A Bauhaus style building on Idelson Street in Tel Aviv. September, the center is set to run an
up in Israel, only six actually studied at “There’s no ‘Bauhaus cathedral’ or exhibition on architect Arieh Sharon.
the Bauhaus school, a fact that hasn’t
prominent architects. He put into prac- ‘Bauhaus palace’ by definition. What’s The center will also run special
stopped the Bauhaus name from beingtice the social ideals taught at the German special is that everything is for the tours marking 100 years of Bauhaus.
much more commonly known in Israel school, for example by building cooperative benefit of the residents. That’s also Tours are guided or self-guided with
than “International style.” workers’ housing in Tel Aviv. why it’s not so loud. Every building the help of an audio guide available
A Bauhaus student who immigrated to“Bauhaus is actually a democratic, even reflects these ideas.” in English, German, Chinese, French,
a little socialist, movement,” Gross says.
Israel was Arieh Sharon, one of Israel’s most Gross also notes that the Interna- Italian, Russian, and Hebrew.
tional style was greatly appreciated “You just need to walk around the
by the people of its time. “They saw White City and enjoy the variations

Jimmy J
J
in it the birth of a new state, of a free on the same theme,” Gross explains.

im
im
life, of Jews who come here to live in a “A house that’s circular, another with
modern way, without religion, without straight angles, yet another with pro-
too much tradition, while aiming for trusions — it’s interesting to see how
the future.” the same thing is changed over and

the Junk Man Gross’ current favorite Bauhaus spot


in Tel Aviv is the recently renovated Diz-
over again.”
the
the
Now that many International build-
RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL RESIDEN
engoff Square, surrounded by a variety
of International-style buildings.
ings are being restored and reno-
vated, Gross believes that attention
WE CLEAN OUT: Bauhaus buildings are undergoing also needs to WE be paid to the ideals
Basements •Basements
Attics • Garages • Fire Damage renovations all across the White City, •
that they represent: theAtt
modernism,
Construction Debris • Hoarding Specialists
Construction but Gross estimates that only one-third democracy, and liberalism of the pre-D
WE RECYCLE of them have been restored so far — vious century, in the Weimar Repub- W
CALL TODAY FOR A FREE ESTIMATE CALL including renovations carried out 20
TODAY lic before World War II.

201-66•1845-600-5941
- 4940
years ago that Gross jokingly muses “It’s very important for us today. If
201-661-4940
We do not transport solid or hazardous waste
201- 6
now need to be restored again.
In charge of conservation is Tel
we could make some sort of connec-
tion here it would be very successful,”
We Avivdo City Hall’s conservation not
team, he concludes. tran ISRAEL21C.ORG

54 JEWISH STANDARD FEBRUARY 8, 2019


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