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2 Jewish Standard MAY 24, 2019

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Page 3
A Vampire Weekend seder
● What would a Vampire Weekend Passover seder
look like? The indie band’s new music video gives
a hint.
The new video for “This Life,” a song off its re-
cently released album “Father of the Bride,” spends
most of its final two minutes showing scenes from
a seder shot in black and white.
Lead singer Ezra Koenig parks himself at one end
of the table with his guitar, and Mark Ronson, the
Jewish producer who has worked with artists such
as Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus and Bruno Mars, dons a
kippah and gives a toast.
Recently, Koenig posted an image of a Vampire
Weekend-branded shirt to Instagram that reads
“Vampire Weekend formally invites you to a seder.”
One of the band’s other recent music videos
takes place in a couple Upper West Side Jewish
landmarks — Zabar’s and Barney Greengrass —
and guest stars Jerry Seinfeld. Koenig addressed
his Jewish identity in an interview before the re-
lease of the album, which contains a track that ref-
erences the Balfour Declaration — the British state-
ment that helped lead to the founding of Israel.
“Father of the Bride” heavily features the vocals
of Danielle Haim, the leader of the Jewish sister the Israeli-American producer who has worked with
band Haim, and some production by Ariel Rechtshaid, Vampire Weekend and Haim in the past. GABE FRIEDMAN/JTA

How would you like CONTENTS

your Torah emoji? NOSHES .........................................................4
BRIEFLY LOCAL ........................................ 16
COVER STORY ........................................... 18
● Less than a year after the Unicode Consortium added JEWISH WORLD .......................................26
a bagel to its set of official emoji, a Jewish organization OPINION ..................................................... 30
is starting a campaign to introduce a Torah emoji. THE FRAZZLED HOUSEWIFE ..............35
Sefaria, which hosts a humongous library of Jewish CROSSWORD PUZZLE ...........................35
texts, including the Talmud, on its website, announced CALENDAR .................................................36
OBITUARIES ............................................... 41
this week that it will file an official request to add a
CLASSIFIED ADS ..................................... 42
Torah scroll to the library of tiny images people put in
REAL ESTATE............................................ 44
text messages.
But in the spirit of interactivity, Sefaria is seek- PUBLISHER’S STATEMENT: (USPS 275-700 ISN 0021-6747)
is published weekly on Fridays with an additional edition
ing input on what kind of Torah image to request. An every October, by the New Jersey Jewish Media Group, 1086
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does not constitute a kashrut endorsement. The publishing of
a paid political advertisement does not constitute an endorse-
ment of any candidate political party or political position by
the newspaper or any employees.

Zooming in on Beresheet’s impact The Jewish Standard assumes no responsibility to return

● “Think gouge rather than crater.”
That’s the verdict of scientists
analyzing the first images of the
crash site of the failed Israeli
moon probe, which the American
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
spacecraft made in April and pub-
lished last week.
The picture shows a white
smudge radiating off to the bot-
tom left of the image — that’s
southward. There’s a dark splotch
in its center, about 10 meters in
diameter. Beresheet crashed after
unsolicited editorial or graphic materials. All rights in letters
and unsolicited editorial, and graphic material will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright
the rocket slowing its descent purposes and subject to JEWISH STANDARD’s unrestricted
failed. Most of its velocity was right to edit and to comment editorially. Nothing may be
reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from
horizontal relative to the moon — the publisher. © 2019
it crashed at a 10 degree angle.
“While not a successful soft Candlelighting:
landing, the Beresheet impact
Friday, May 24, 7:57 p.m.
provides another example of
small impact events,” scientists Shabbat ends:
reported on the Lunar Recon- Saturday, May 25, 9:04 p.m.
naissance Orbiter’s website. “The
study of these impacts is giving
us new insights into how the lunar On the cover: Students at Ben Porat
regolith (soil) evolves over time.” Yosef perform in “Lion King Jr.”
LARRY YUDELSON
COURTESY ENVISION THEATER

JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019 3

Noshes
BOOKWORMS REBEL:
Flying high, one
way or another
The teen comedy
“Booksmart,”
opening on May
24, centers on Amy
(BEANIE FELDSTEIN,
25) and Molly (Kaitlyn
Dever), best friends
and high school
seniors, who decide to
break out of their
bookish rut by going
to a wild graduation
party. But they don’t
know where it is. First,
they accidentally go to
a party on a yacht
hosted by a rich
classmate (SKYLER
GISONDO, 22). They
are accidentally
drugged at this party.
Then they go to
another classmate’s
(NOAH GALVIN, 24)
wrong party before
they finally make it to
the right one. A lot of
weird stuff happens
there, but it all comes
out fine in the end.
LISA KUDROW, 55,
has a supporting role
as Amy’s mom.
“Aladdin,” a live-ac-
tion remake of the hit
1992 Disney animat-
ed film of the same
name, also opened
on May 24. Canadian
actor Mena Massoud,
an Egyptian Coptic
Christian (like Rami
Malek), plays Aladdin,
and Will Smith plays
the Genie. The score
(the music other than
the songs) was writ-
Want to read more noshes? Visit facebook.com/jewishstandard
Englewood | Harriman
4 JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019
ten by ALAN MENK-
EN, 69. He also wrote
the score for the 1992
film and co-wrote
the original version
songs with the late
HOWARD ASHMAN
and Tim Rice. Menken
wrote two new songs
for the remake with
the Oscar-winning
(“La La Land”) team
of BENJ PASEK, 33,
and Justin Paul.
Platt all over
Broadway star
BEN PLATT, 25,
who won the
Tony in 2017 for best
actor in a musical
(“Dear Evan Hansen”),
now is on a limited
tour; he’s promoting
his debut solo album,
“Sing to Me.” It
consists of 12 original
songs, all written by
Platt. Many of the
tunes are soulful pop
ballads detailing
Platt’s journey as an
openly gay man
searching for love.
Platt came out as gay
publicly this year, but
he came out to his
parents when he was
12. He told recent
concert crowds that
he informed his
parents, back home in
Los Angeles, on a
phone call from Israel
when was visit-
ing there.
Last February, it was
Put audi logo
Secaucus
“Yesh li delay / Ani b’jetlag / Haya li
overweight / Kaniti handbag”
— The opening stanza of the new song from the Israeli
group Hatikva 6, “Haivrit Hachadasha,” which translates
to “The New Hebrew” and highlights how English words
are entering the Israeli vernacular. The chorus goes like
this: “Oh my God! Safa kasha. Haivrit Hachadasha.”
mother was an accom-
plished painter. After
her family moved to
Los Angeles, Lipton
tried her hand at
acting and succeeded
quickly. But she made
the still unusual choice
of retiring from acting
in 1974 to raise a family.
She shocked many
people by marrying
Beanie Feldstein Skyler Gisondo Noah Galvin African-American
music legend Quincy
Jones, and she sur-
prised others when she
returned to TV suc-
cessfully in 1992, in
“Twin Peaks.”
Many years ago,
there were exaggerat-
ed reports that Lipton
was into the whole
gaggle of hippie-type
religious things. The
reality was that she
Ben Platt Rashida Jones Kidada Jones raised her two daugh-
ters (the actresses
announced that Platt to be in the show. Jewish. Of course, RASHIDA JONES,
would co-star in “The BARBRA STREISAND, Jews come in all colors now 43, and KIDADA
Politician,” an up- 77, also reportedly is and types. But there’s JONES, now 45) in
coming Netflix series considering appearing no denying that most Reform Judaism, and
that’s described as a in “The Politician.” of the pretty, willowy they went to Hebrew
“music-driven” satir- blondes who got, and school. Rashida has
ical comedy about a On Peggy Lipton still get, a dispropor- been particularly vocal
wealthy politician from PEGGY LIPTON, tionate share of about identifying as a
Santa Barbara. The se- best known as high-profile roles aren’t Jew and Lipton must
ries is being produced the pretty, tribe members. In have been gratified
by the same three guys willowy blond star of other respects, too, last year when Rashida
who produced the hit the ’60s series “The Lipton defied stereo- gave birth to her first
musical series “Glee.” Mod Squad,” died on types. She was raised grandchild, ISIAIAH
One of those produc- May 11 of cancer. She mostly in a ritzy, JONES KOENIG. His
ers is BRAD FALCHUK, was 72. Over the years, heavily Jewish Long father is EZRA KOE-
48, who married I’ve found that most Island suburb, but her NIG, 34, the leader of
GWYNETH PALTROW, Jews express a bit of parents were much the popular band Vam-
46, last year; Paltrow delight when they find more arty than most of pire Weekend.
reportedly is in talks out that Lipton is/was their neighbors. Her –N.B.
California-based Nate Bloom can be reached at
Middleoftheroad1@aol.com
WE HAVE EXPRESS SERVICE, LOANER AND VALET PROGRAMS OR
WE CAN EVEN FIX YOUR CAR ON LOCATION. WELCOME TO THE FAMILY.
BenzelBusch.com
 JS-5

It was a wonderful celebration of the historic

DOUBLING OF SECURITY FUNDING
in NJ for our schools that Governor Murphy, State
Legislature, Jewish Federations, coalition partners,
activists and schools made possible.

Teach NJ will
continue working
for our schools and
MAKING HISTORY
TOGETHER

teachnj@teachcoalition.org | 201.655.9948

JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019 5

 JS-6*

Local
‘Democracy, it just works’
Small group of local protestors sparks second shift for Magen David Adom fundraiser
LARRY YUDELSON

W
hen life hands your breakfast for Israel
a competing protest for Palestine, what
do you do? Why, you make a lemonade
stand for Israel.
At least, that’s how it went down on Teaneck’s Mait-
land Avenue on Sunday.
Inside Congregation Beth Sholom, 200 people gath-
ered to support the American Friends of Magen David
Adom, the Israeli version of the Red Cross. The guests
included Senator Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) Assembly-
man Gary Schaer (D-Dist. 36), Teaneck Mayor Moham-
med Hameeduddin, and Teaneck Councilman Mark
Schwartz. The breakfast was organized by Teaneck Dep-
uty Mayor Elie Katz and his wife, Esther.
“We raised thousands of dollars for Magen David
Adom,” Mr. Katz said.
That was on the south side of Maitland.
On the north side of Maitland, 17 protesters held Pal-
estinian flags and signs with such slogans as “When do
we Jews notice that Israel is a terrorist state?!” and “Stop
killing Gaza’s children!”
And then someone snapped a picture of the protest,
and forwarded it to a friend: Rabbi Dov Lipman, a former
member of the Israeli Knesset. He posted the picture to
Facebook, where it was shared 126 times and generated A lemonade stand on Teaneck’s Maitland Avenue raised $1,100 for Magen David Adom after it was
222 comments. hastily set up as a counterprotest to a pro-Palestine anti-Israel demonstration on the same block.
“It was sent to me by a Teaneck resident who asked me
to post it with the goal of generating a counterprotest,” said. “I was a member of three differ-
Rabbi Lipman said. ent youth groups. One at Spring Valley
The post had its desired effect, as a small group of High School where I went to school.
counterprotesters gathered. When the breakfast fin- One at Temple Beth Am. And one at
ished, attendees joined the counterprotest as they left Nanuet Hebrew Center, where they
the synagogue. elected me president.”
And one family that lives on Maitland saw the post on When he was in his 20s, Mr. Siegel
Facebook and came home to set up a lemonade stand lived and worked in Israel for a time.
catering to the counterprotesters. The stand raised $1,100 “I was the house pianist at the Plaza
for Magen David Adom. Hotel in Tiberias,” he said. This was in
Richard Siegel of Teaneck, who organized the original the early 1980s.
pro-Palestine anti-Israel protest, said the scene on Mait- His views on Israel didn’t shift until
land Avenue “was pretty intense. around 2004.
“I felt like it could get violent,” he said. “So I pulled “I basically found out much later in life
the plug on it and got everybody out of there. I asked the I had been lied to about Israel,” he said. “I
police to escort us to our cars. I didn’t want anybody to had been told all my life we went there to
get hurt on my watch. be nice neighbors to the Arabs. That we Naturei Karta members showed up in Teaneck to join Rich
“I think it was effective,” Mr. Siegel said of his demon- never caused them any harm. That they Siegel, who is right behind them.
stration. “The Jews of Teaneck now know they are just hate Jews for no reason, like everyone
opposed in their Zionism. Maybe the day before yester- hates Jews for no reason.
day they didn’t know that. People were visibly shocked, “The older I got, the less believable my programming Palestinian who lives in Union City. Deir Yassin Remem-
and I was glad to see it.” became. I started seeking out information. The first thing bered was founded in 2006 to memorialize the Arabs
Mr. Siegel said he regularly travels to demonstrate I did was I read the Israeli revisionist historians, starting killed on April 9, 1948, in the village of Deir Yassin out-
against Israel. “Every year I go to Washington to demon- with Benny Morris and continuing through Ilan Pappe. side Jerusalem. How many were killed and whether it was
strate against the AIPAC convention,” he said. “I try to I found out what really happened. We imposed a major a cold-blooded massacre is a matter of dispute, particu-
show up to demonstrate against the Celebrate Israel ethnic cleansing on the native population of Palestinians. larly since both Jews and Arabs at the time had motives
parade in New York.” “Once I found that out, I had to be active in sup- for exaggerating the death toll and the number of civil-
He organizes demonstrations of his own less often. “I porting the people I once considered to be my ene- ians among the casualties, which totaled at least 101. The
organized some demonstrations in Closter in 2014. I’ll mies,” Mr. Siegel said. founder of Deir Yassin Remembered, Daniel McGowan,
probably do more coming up,” he said. As part of that support, Mr. Siegel recently took dedicated a memorial to Deir Yassin in his hometown
Mr. Siegel grew up in Rockland County. “When I over operation of Deir Yassin Remembered; he shares of Geneva, New York. In 2009, apparently the last year
was a kid, I was a Zionist youth group president,” he those responsibilities with his friend Nedal Hassan, a in which it filed IRS 990 forms required to be filed by
6 JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019

charitable organizations, the group received just under
$11,000 in contributions, which it spent primarily on
scholarships and on its website.
Mr. Siegel disputed Southern Poverty Law Center’s
charge that his group supports Holocaust denial.
“They’re wrong about that,” he said. “We had one
member of our board, Paul Eisen, who I removed, a Jew-
ish gentleman from London. He was so incensed with
the way the Holocaust is being misused to justify Zionist
atrocities in Palestine. He was also incensed in the way
that there’s not free speech on the Holocaust. There are
at least a dozen countries where you can get jail time for
saying things about the Holocaust. Even if they’re saying
things that are not true, we believe in free speech.
“In reaction to all that, Paul Eisen started calling him-
self a Holocaust denier. In my opinion that was terribly
irresponsible. Hitler murdered members of Paul Eisen’s
family and murdered members of my family. Paul Eisen
took this strategy to try and shock people. I think it was a
bad strategy. Deir Yassin Remembered has no Holocaust
deniers and does not associate with Holocaust deniers.”
Mr. Siegel said he was happy that four ultra-Ortho-
dox Jews from Neturei Karta joined his demonstration.
(Neturei Karta is the Satmar breakaway group that
defines itself with its hatred of Israel.)
“That really incensed our opposition, because they
didn’t want to see Orthodox Jews opposing Israel,” he
said. “I thought it was important to have them with us to
make the statement that the protest was not Jews versus
non-Jew, but rather it’s Zionists vs non-Zionists.”
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In my opinion, public
displays of anti-
Semitism — no matter
how small — should
never be ignored
or swept away with
any explanation
or justification.
Other protesters included Mr. Hassan, some other Pal-
estinians, “and a few friends of various backgrounds who
just came out to support the Palestinian cause.”
He said the goal was not to protest Magen David Adom.
“We have nothing against ambulances,” he said.
“This was an event billed as a breakfast for Israel. It
happened on the weekend of the anniversary of Isra-
el’s independence day. It was a pro-Israel event and an
Israeli independence day celebration.”
Ruthie Levi, who lives four short blocks away from
Congregation Beth Sholom, was upset by Rabbi Lip-
man’s post about the demonstration — and by the
response it generated.
Among the comments that sparked her ire: “Time for
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Local
rest of Jews in Teaneck to come home.” “So upsetting —
it’s not the same America it used to be.” “May 19, 1938.
‘Who ever thought it could happen in....’now, Teaneck.”
She posted a different picture of  the demonstration on
her Facebook page and wrote: “America is a land of free
speech & assembly. Our local Teaneck PD did a great job
of keeping all groups separate (a counter pro Israel group
sprung up, approx 30 people).
“Reading the comments (which Dov has continued to
let run wild, without curating or correcting them), you
would have thought that Teaneck was embroiled in a
battle for its very existence. The ignorance of the facts
was unbelievable, the tales that were spun & the racism
exhibited was abhorrent, the virtual muscle that was
flexed was dangerous & inflammatory. & the comments
from those living in Israel about the end of  Teaneck being
nigh, etc. were absolutely absurd & self serving, quite
honestly. Protests happen, ahem, even in the holy city of
Jerusalem. Democracy, it just works.”
But Rabbi Lipman said his post was important and
responsible.
“I believe that people trying to sweep away the signifi-
cance of such a blatant, public display of anti-Semitism in
Teaneck and suggesting that the protest was insignificant
is misreading the situation and a mistake,” he said.
“In my opinion, public displays of anti-Semitism — no
matter how small — should never be ignored or swept
away with any explanation or justification — and cannot
be accepted as legitimate examples of free speech and the
right to demonstrate or protest.”
MORE
SCIENCE.
LESS
FEAR.
JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019 7
 JS-8*

Local

The vaxx wars

As a Monsey rally advocates against measles vaccines, local activists push back
JOANNE PALMER

A
s the local measles outbreak continues, and
as it remains particularly high in charedi
neighborhoods in New York State, particu-
larly in Rockland County, the anti-vaxxing
movement continues to stress its opposition to the vac-
cination that would protect children and their families
from the highly contagious, frequently dangerous, more-
often-than-never fatal disease.
The anti-vaxxing initiative did not start in the chassidic
or charedi worlds, and even in those tight-knit commu-
nities by far most parents have their children vaccinated,
but the disease has spread there nonetheless.
On May 13, anti-vaxxers held a rally in a large ballroom,
divided by a mechitzah, in Monsey, where both Jewish
and non-Jewish speakers told them that the government
was trying to harm them through the use of vaccines, and
that they owed it to their families, their communities, and
God to keep their children safe from those chemicals.
The speakers included Rabbi Hillel Handler of Monsey,
a Satmar chasid and Holocaust survivor who the New
York Times reported as having said “We chasidim have
been chosen as the target,” and Andrew Wakefield. The
English ex-doctor, who spoke by Skype, is responsible for
creating the idea that there is a link between the MMR
vaccination and autism; he first published that theory
in the medical journal Lancet, which has disavowed it,
and Wakefield was barred from practicing medicine as a
result. Subsequent studies have shown no link; the fact
that a child’s autism often manifests at the same time as
the vaccine is given is an unfortunate coincidence, cor-
relation not causation.
Rabbi Handler, too, is something other than he
appears, perhaps someone darker. According to the
New York Daily News, “Handler has fiercely attacked
observant Jews for reporting child sex abuse to police,
claiming such accusations should be handled by rab-
binic authorities. He once even defended a rabbi who
was convicted of raping his own daughter, saying the
girl was lying about the abuse.”
That rabbi is Rabbi Yisroel Weingarten, who was con-
victed of rape and imprisoned in 2009.
In the Daily News, Rabbi Handler goes on to call
New York City’s “Mayor de Blasio a ‘nasty German’ and
claimed it was ‘in his DNA’ to hate Jews.
“Like the Fuhrer, he says: ‘Blame the Jews. They’re
contaminating the whole city,’” the paper quotes
Rabbi Handler.
Another speaker at the rally was Dr. Lawrence Palev-
sky, a well-known anti-vaxxer who seems lighter on
science than on incitement. He suggested that the vac-
cines were mutating and that the government was tar-
geting the chasidic and charedi communities with vac-
cines that would sicken them.
Aside from the rally, the chasidic and charedi com-
munities have been getting much of their informa-
tion about vaccination from a group called Peach,
for Parents Educating & Advocating for Children’s
Health. Peach has put out a pamphlet containing legiti-
mate-sounding untruths about vaccination, buttressed
by robocalls making the same arguments.
L’via Weisinger of Teaneck is a registered nurse and a
co-founder and former board member of the Orthodox
8 JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019
Andrew Wakefield, who wrote the debunked study falsely connecting autism and the MMR vaccine, in
London in 2010. He spoke by Skype at the rally in Monsey two weeks ago. PETER MACDIARMID/GETTY IMAGES
New Square is included in Rockland’s measles
cluster. URIEL HEILMAN
Jewish Nurses Association. A modern Orthodox Jew, she a
deeply committed member of the Orthodox community
and she is fervently engaged in helping break down the
beliefs that keep people from vaccinating their children.
Working with Blima Marcus, a nurse practitioner from
Borough Park and another member of the Orthodox Jew-
ish Nurses Association, as well as others, she is spread-
ing the word about a new organization — mainly nurses
but some doctors as well — who are working to oppose
anti-vaxxing theory and practice.
The group, called Emes — which means truth, in both
Hebrew and Yiddish — has put together a pamphlet con-
testing Peach’s. It’s called Pie — “we made pie out of their
peaches,” Ms. Weisinger said — it explains all the vacci-
nations children take, and it’ll be out soon. Slice of Pie,
which looks only at the MMR vaccine (MMR is measles,
mumps, and rubella), is available now, both in pdf form
and already printed out. (For information about how to
get hard copies, which Emes hopes will be distributed
widely, email vaccinetaskforce@gmail.com.)
There are good reasons for the chasidic and charedi
communities to fall for the anti-vaxxers’ narrative. “It’s
an insular community,” Ms. Weisinger said. “They have
a lack of formal education that could allow them to tell
the difference between science and pseudo-science.
They are not on the internet. They are not reading
mainstream news. They are getting their information
from robocalls, from Peach, and until now we didn’t
know how much of a problem it was.” But the outbreak
of measles, and then the turnout for the rally, “showed
us how effective they are, and how ineffective our
response has been, because of our lack of information
about how deep the problem is.”
The people who fall for the pseudo-science “aren’t
stupid people,” she said. “They are very caring women,
who are raising their children with beautiful values. They
are clean, they take their children’s health very seriously,
they take them to doctors, but they have been fed this
anti-vaxx agenda for quite a while.” And until now it’s all
been entirely below everyone else’s radar.
Word of the rally, like Peach’s arguments, has been
spread mainly by word of mouth and through phone
calls. There are anti-vaxx hotlines, where people
who might be wavering can call to have their beliefs
shored up. And there are robocalls, which seem to
go to Brooklyn, Lakewood, and Monsey. They’re in
Yiddish, which people in those communities speak.
“I don’t get them,” Ms. Weisinger said. “I’m modern
Orthodox, but I’m not in their demographic.” They
don’t seem to go to Teaneck.
But friends of Ms. Weisinger did get them, as voice-
mails, and she was able to listen to them. “She” — the
unidentified voice on the line — “was spouting studies
and I was thinking that if I didn’t know better, I wouldn’t
know how to refute it. I would totally fall for it. It is scary.”
If you don’t know the science, she said, there is no
real way to tell real science from official sounding fake
 JS-9 JS-26

Local

science; if you build a structure of logic based on that

unreal base, it will continue to seem real — until you or
someone you know gets measles.
And this is picking up on a larger cultural problem,
the assault on science and the attack on truth that has
become a miasma through which all of us struggle. If
science isn’t real, if lies are as good as truth, then who
knows what to believe?
But viruses don’t care. They just look for human
beachheads.
The phone calls and voicemails and pamphlets and
now the rally find a receptive audience, Ms. Weisinger
said, because the target audience “truly believes that
there is a conspiracy, that the CDC” — that’s the Centers E A R N YO U R M . S .W. i n S O C I A L W O R K a t TO U R O CO L L EG E
for Disease Control, a federal agency — “is hiding stuff,
that Big Pharma is making money from it. They believe
that they don’t need ‘artificial immunity.’”
Another reason why measles poses a particular
risk to the chasidic and charedi community, despite
parents vaccinating their children “at the same per-
centage as the rest of the population — and records
show that in the rest of the Orthodox community
the rates of vaccination are higher than the aver-
age — because of the insularity and the large families
and all the simchas that everyone goes to and all the
shopping in all the crowded stores, everyone mingles
a lot. It is a very connected community. That’s why
measles spreads like wildfire.”
Another reason for the way measles has attacked
that community is that specialists believe that this
outbreak came there from Israel and from Russia, she
added. There’s a low vaccination rate in Russia, so
there’s a risk there.
Emes is trying to fight this outbreak. “We want to
educate people,” Ms. Weisinger said. “We want to give
the evidence-based science to those people who have
been misinformed. We want to allay their fears, show
them the real story, meet them where they are. We
want to validate their fears, hear their concerns, listen
to what they are saying instead of making fun of them.
“We acknowledge that yes, there are some risks,
but the risks are far smaller than they have been
led to believe.
“We do parlor meetings, we go into the communi-
ties, we do presentations, we invite people who have
questions to come talk to us.
“We want to teach people how to discern between
truth and fiction.”
What can the average, vaccinated person do to help? FOR MORE INFO CONTACT:
For one thing, talk. Talk to your family and friends. Miriam Turk, LCSW
For another, take care of yourself too. “The CDC 646.630.1471 or
recommends that anyone born from 1957 through miriam.turk@touro.edu
1980 should get their titers (the amount of anti- Alan Singer, PhD
bodies in a person’s blood) checked; some health 347.532.6348 or
gssw alan.singer4@touro.edu
departments in high risk areas are recommend- .tou
ing to skip the titers and just get the booster,” Ms. ro.e
du
Weisinger said. “There is no risk to doing it. But if
you have documents showing that you’ve had two
injections, you should be okay.”
APPLY NOW! Applicants with an undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or higher who
That’s because “three to five percent of people don’t
seroconvert,” Ms. Weisinger said. Getting it the second register by June 30 may receive a $7,500 scholarship to be applied toward
time reduces that percentage even further; by then, if the first year’s tuition.
everyone is vaccinated but the vaccination isn’t effec-
tive for a miniscule percentage of those people, herd
immunity would kick in. SEPARATE CLASSES for MEN AND WOMEN • CONVENIENT LOCATIONS in BROOKLYN AND NYC
But in order to have herd immunity, you need DR. STEVEN HUBERMAN, PHD, DEAN
a herd.
Why else would you have to worry about it, if you’re
not in an affected neighborhood? Because, among
SEE VAXX WARS PAGE 39
JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019 9

Local
Remembering Stephen P. Cohen
Fund in Teaneck intellectual’s memory supports coexistence efforts in Israel
Larry Yudelson
H
ow do you memorialize a
man whose life included
memorable meetings with
Arab leaders like Anwar
Sadat, Yasser Arafat, and Haffez Assad —
as well as with their Israeli counterparts?
That’s the question the family and
friends of Dr. Stephen P. Cohen faced
after he died in January 2017.
“I wanted to come up with a mean-
ingful way to honor his memory that
aligned with his mission and vision in
life,” Elaine Shisgal Cohen, his widow,
said. At first she thought of starting a
foundation, “but I realized very quickly
how much work would be entailed.”
Instead, she decided to create the Ste-
phen P. Cohen Seekers of Peace Fund
under the auspices of the New Israel
Fund — where, not altogether coinciden-
tally, Rabbi Ayelet Cohen, the middle of
the Cohens’ three daughters, works as
director of its New York/Tri-State region.
“I started the job shortly before my
father’s death,” Rabbi Cohen said. “It’s
very meaningful for me to be doing this
work at this moment. I find myself fre-
quently running into old friends of his.”
With help from friends and col-
leagues, the Cohen family was able to
raise $150,000 for its memorial fund. “I
had this goal of having the fund last for
five years,” Dr. Cohen said.
So how to spend $30,000 a year in a
way that would make a difference?
The fund’s first allocation went to a
New Israel Fund program called “Low-
ering the Walls.”
“It has a goal of increasing tolerance
and decreasing racism in Jerusalem,
which sadly is the Israeli city with the
great number of hate crimes and inci-
dents of racism and intolerance,” Dr.
Cohen said.
Esther Sivan is the director of Shatil,
the New Israel Fund’s division in Israel
that works for social change and sup-
ports grassroots activists. She explained
the details of how Lowering the
Walls works.
Save the Date
When: Thursday, June 13, following
evening minyan at 8:15 p.m.
Where: Congregation Beth Sholom,
354 Maitland Ave., Teaneck
What: Evening in memory of
Steven P. Cohen, featuring Rabbi
Ayelet Cohen in conversation with
Esther Sivan.
10 Jewish Standard MAY 24, 2019
JS-10*
Participants of diverse backgrounds in the Lowering the Walls program
work to increase tolerance and ease tensions in Jerusalem.
The program brings together a dozen
or so activists from different sectors of
Jerusalem — ultra-Orthodox and secu-
lar Jews, Muslim and Christian Arabs,
newcomers and Ethiopians — to work
together on common projects. “Part of
the course is learning how to get to know
each other,” Ms. Sivan said. “They study
subjects together. They talk about rac-
ism. They talk about diversity, and how
to build a community that all of us are
part of.”
And then they work together to bring
these lessons back to their workplaces.
“We were very fortunate to have peo-
ple who really have influence,” Ms. Sivan
said. “Like a medical worker at Hadas-
sah Hospital, who leads the hospital’s
school for sick children. She took what
she learned in our program, and devel-
oped a way to teach and talk about the
different religious holidays in the dif-
ferent sectors, while everybody in the
room is respecting the different habits
and customs of the different religions
with kids who speak different languages,
who come from different cultures, who
are observant or secular. That is a very
nice translation into everyday life of
what is studied in the program.
“Another example is an Arab resident
of Jerusalem from Beit Safafa,” an Arab
village within Jerusalem’s municipal
borders that straddles the 1967 border
between East and West Jerusalem.
“All his life his family was very against
him becoming friendly with Jews. They
wanted him to study in the university
but not get to close to Jews. Now he sees
things differently. He had this dream
of working with high school students,
having a small business teaching com-
puter programming.”
After going through the Lowering the
Walls program, this man opened a busi-
ness with a Jewish partner. “He works
sometimes in Jewish schools and some-
times in Arab schools. His Jewish friend
works sometimes in Jewish schools and
sometimes in Arab schools.”
Four cohorts have completed Low-
ering the Walls. “We already have
60 alumni and are considering hav-
ing it next year in a different city,” Ms.
Sivan said.
The New Israel Fund founded Shatil
38 years ago. “It was aiming at building
a civil society in Israel, which hardly
existed then,” Ms. Sivan said. “We had
the big institutions, the big welfare ser-
vices, some nonprofit organizations, but
there were hardly any advocacy groups
that were devoted to actually chang-
ing policies.”
Rabbi Cohen said that working for
the New Israel Fund was a natural fit.
“I feel like I’ve known about the New
Israel Fund for as long as I can remem-
ber,” she said. “I always felt their work
was so essential. They were focused on
many issues I care about when I think
about Israel. It really feels like an incred-
ible time to be working for democracy
in Israel and strengthening the relation-
ship between progressive American Jews
and Israel.
“What was amazing to discover, when
I joined the New Israel Fund, was that
practically every single Israeli organi-
zation I had ever heard about that does
work on social and economic justice, on
women’s rights, on advancing shared
society, on working for equality for Arab
Palestinians within Israel — every one
of those organizations had been or is a
grantee of the New Israel Fund or has
received support from Shatil.”
All this connects to Rabbi Cohen’s
upbringing as Dr. Cohen’s daughter. “We
understood really deeply how essential
Israel and the peace process was to my
father, and by extension to our family,”
Rabbi Cohen said.
“As kids, we had the opportunity to
live in Israel and deeply fall in love with
Israel, for that to be inseparable from
the pursuit of peace. We grew up with
a deep understanding of the humanity
of Palestinians and of Arabs. My father
truly interacted with his Palestinian and
Arab colleagues as friends. He wanted us
to have those relationships too. When-
ever possible he connected us with the
kids of the people he was working with.
I remember specifically the daughters of
a few Jordanian friends and colleagues
of his.
“We were so proud of him. We felt he
was part of such an essential and hope-
ful process. It had a huge impact on each
of us,” Rabbi Cohen said.
While the Cohen family’s first grant,
to the Seekers of Peace Fund, looked
within Jerusalem’s borders, the second
year’s grant is to a group of Israeli aca-
demics looking outside Israel’s borders.
The Forum for Regional Thinking aims
to change discussions about the Mid-
dle East that take place within Israel. It
brings together Israeli academic experts
in the cultures and societies of the vari-
ous Arab countries “to help shift Israeli
public opinion and discourse,” Rabbi
Cohen said.
“They really understand what’s going
on in these countries, that there could
be new opportunities for cooperation
and new possibilities,” she said. “They
talk about these ideas in accessible ways.
They write op-eds and hold evenings in
coffee houses.”
She said this program would please
her father, who started his career as an
academic in the field of social psychol-
ogy. “He was a big mind looking for
other big thinkers to think about things
in a new way,” she said. “He was very
interested in the way that Israel fits into
the region, the Middle East.”
 JS-11

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JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019 11


Local
‘Hill 54 does not answer’
Hackensack filmmaker recalls making the film in Mitzpe Ramon in 1954
CHARLES TICHO
I
“ ’ll kill that bloody driver!” The words echoed over
the hills of the Negev Desert in 1954. “I swear, I’ll
kill him!”
At the bottom of the hill, which is topped by the
ancient Nabatian Avdat fortress, stood Thorold Dickenson,
6 foot 3 inches tall, white hair flowing wildly around his
head, arms outstretched and flailing, looking very much
like an irate Moses in the wilderness and shouting his
curses toward a chaos that was happening in front of him.
Despite all the noise, the explosions, the trucks and jeeps
rushing downhill, and the troops firing their guns, I could
clearly hear Thorold’s voice screaming in my earphones —
and he did not really use the word “bloody.”
We had arrived here in the middle of the Negev Des-
ert just three days earlier and were in the second week
of shooting the first real all-Israel motion picture pro-
duction of “Hill 24 Does Not Answer,” a dramatization
of events that took place during Israel’s War of Indepen-
dence. During the first week of shooting, one of the few
helicopters in Israel was damaged. The accident nearly
cost some lives. Now, during the second week, things
were not going too well either. For two days we had been
filming scenes of Israeli forces as they attack, trying to
dislodge Egyptian soldiers from the Avdat fortress. Now
we were at a point where the Egyptians were abandoning
their positions and were supposed to rush helter-skelter
down the mountain and, as the audience was expected
to assume, back to Egypt.
This involved major preparations. Dynamite charges
had to be buried so that explosions could be fired at
appropriate moments as the Egyptian soldiers ran out of
the fortress and climbed onto their vehicles, and the two
jeeps and the Egyptian Army truck charged down the hill.
But there was just one problem.
Instead of rushing down the hill, the truck would roll
slowly downhill till the clutch was engaged and the motor
was started. Only then would it finally get moving, but
much too late. The assistant directors climbed up the hill
to the truck and painstakingly explained to the driver,
who also was the owner of the truck, what he was sup-
posed to do. Now, the second take of this scene was being
shot, and once again the truck was ruining the scene and
causing the director, Thorold Dickenson, to bring his fury
down upon the poor driver.
The driver’s problem was simple. The battery on his
truck had gone dead, and he did not want to waste his
own precious gasoline keeping the truck idling while the
lengthy preparations were taking place between takes.
Only a promise to repay him for the wasted gasoline
finally convinced the driver to follow the instructions,
cooperate with the production and make the next take
of the scene a success.
What does all this have to do with Mitzpe Ramon? In
1954, a very modest military installation was the nearest
civilized place near Avdat, so that’s where the crew and
equipment was housed.
Producing the first major film in Israel with a mostly
Israeli crew, cast, and resources was truly a daunting
project. The helicopter and truck incidents were just the
first of a string of problems and challenges that had to be
overcome. Today there is a sizable town, with hotels, a
museum, restaurants, and industry at Mitzpe Ramon. In
12 JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019
JS-12*
Charles Ticho during the shooting of “Hill 24 Does Not Answer” in 1954 and near Ticho House
in Jerusalem today. Dr. Avraham Ticho and his wife, artist Anna Ticho, were his uncle and aunt.
Mr. Ticho was pressed into service as an actor;
his scene ended up on the cutting room floor.
1954 there was nothing more than a small fenced-in area
about the size of a soccer field, with a half-dozen wooden
military barracks. But there was water, an electric gener-
ator, and a chance for civilized living.
The male crew members were housed in two of these
small barracks and the women in a third. There was
a dining room/kitchen house and one shower room
where the men and the women took turns cleaning up
the day’s dust, dirt, and sweat. At the far side, along
the fence, there were two outhouses. The arrangement
made for tight living conditions and occasional frayed
nerves — particularly about which gender had the first
turn in the shower.
I was the recording engineer. I sat in the sound truck
that supplied the power to the camera and the recorder.
A bank of batteries that I had to recharge every evening
would supply the power to a generator that, in turn,
would run the camera motor and a Westrex 35 millimeter
magnetic recorder inside the truck. Actually, it was some-
what of a miracle that the truck had gotten there at all.
Not only was I the recording engineer, I also was given
the job of driving the truck. On a Thursday evening I
suddenly learned that my American driver’s license did
not qualify me to drive a truck in Israel and that I had
to get an Israeli truck-driver’s license. Rather naively, I
arrived at the licensing bureau on Friday morning and
announced that I came to get my truck license.
“You must be kidding!” was what I understood the
clerk to say in Hebrew when I told him what I wanted to
do. “These things take three to four months at least.” “No,
you don’t seem to understand,” I insisted. “I’ve got to be
on location in the Negev on Sunday morning, or a whole
film crew and a cast of hundreds will be sitting around
with nothing to do.” “Look,” said the clerk, “this is Friday.
We close at 1 o’clock, and there is no way that you can get
a license to drive a truck in four hours.” I kept insisting,
and I asked to talk to the head of the department. A half
hour went by before I was finally ushered into an office
to see a man who fortunately spoke enough English to
understand what I was trying to do.
I pleaded my case forcefully to him. He seemed sympa-
thetic, and at last I convinced him of the urgency of my
request. He took me under his wing and processed me
through the various steps I had to complete. In quick suc-
cession the application forms were filled out, I took the eye
test, passed the physical examination, and took the writ-
ten examination, which the director kindly translated for
me. Each of these steps was taken in front of the startled
faces of the clerks and the envious and outraged eyes of the
poor other applicants, who were standing in long lines at
each station waiting for their turn. “Where are your photo-
graphs?” the department head asked. “Photographs! God!
I should have thought of that! What do we do now?”
It was almost 12 o’clock. Time was running out. I was
getting desperate.
Fortunately, there was a photo store for just this pur-
pose across the street. After a brief argument I convinced
the owner to stay open past noon, and 15 minutes later
I was rushing back with pictures in hand. “OK” said the
director, “Now for the driving test.” “Driving test! Where
do I get a truck?” I looked around bewildered. Things
were looking dark.
I rushed out of the building just as a truck owned by
a driving school was pulling out of the parking lot. I ran
after him. “Please, please can I use your truck? I have
to take a test,” I pleaded. The driver hesitated. “First
you’ve got to take at least one lesson,” he insisted. “There
is no time for that. I’ve got to take the test.” The driver
insisted that at least I must show him that I knew what I
was doing. So I hopped into the cab. The driver quickly
SEE FILM PAGE 14
 JS-13

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JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019 13


Local
Outsmarting the scammers
JCRC workshop will offer strategies, tips to seniors and all age groups
LOIS GOLDRICH
A
riella Noveck, director of the Jewish Feder-
ation of Northern New Jersey’s Jewish Com-
munity Relations Council, has a large port-
folio; among other tasks, she interfaces with
diverse religious groups and brings community members
to meet with their legislators.
“Once a month, groups of people meet with state legis-
lators from each district in our area to discuss and advo-
cate for key issues affecting our community,” Ms. Noveck
said. The advocacy group meets with others as well. Last
Monday, for example, the JCRC brought some 10 people
to meet with Sheriff Anthon Cureton of Bergen County.
When the group makes these visits, “we discuss dif-
ferent topics, such as Israel, protecting the elderly, and
aging,” among other issues, Ms. Noveck said. One topic
that has received increasing attention is scamming, the
use of fraudulent schemes to swindle, manipulate, or
otherwise defraud a business or individual. On May 29,
the JCRC will co-sponsor a program on this issue. (See
box.) The free workshop, called “Fight the Scammers,”
will present strategies and tips to use to spot and protect
against scammers on the phone, on the web, on email, or
even at the front door.
Ms. Noveck’s interest in this issue was piqued last year,
when scammers targeted her husband, using the identity
of a car insurance company. She also has heard horror
stories from a number of federation members.
In one such scheme, last year, “a family was called and
told to shut off their phone or something would happen
to their kids,” she said. “They told them to shut their
phones so that the kids couldn’t call them. It was a whole
scheme. They asked for $3,000.”
While attending a recent program on synagogue secu-
rity at the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, Ms. Noveck
learned that the prosecutor’s office also offers a course on
scamming. On May 29, the prosecutor’s office will bring
that course to JFNNJ. The Kaplen JCC on the Palisades,
Film
FROM PAGE 12
explained the gears to me, and we were off on a quick
spin around the block.
It was a good thing that I had this preliminary ride,
because the gearbox apparently had been ruined by ear-
lier learners and was very difficult to operate. It was 10
minutes before closing time when an examiner joined me
in the truck to test my driving skills. As luck would have it,
his daughter lived in Chicago, and when I told him some
complimentary details about her new neighborhood, he
saw no reason to make this examination too thorough.
Five minutes later I was back in the director’s office.
I had passed the driving test. Ten minutes later, as the
building was being locked up for the day, I walked out
of the building with my brand new and hard won truck
driver’s license in my pocket. As I was walking over to
the bus station, the clerks, who were leaving the build-
ing and were gathered in the parking lot, applauded as
I passed by.
I had apparently made history.
14 JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019
JS-14*
the Jewish Home Family, Jewish Family
and Children’s Services of Northern New
Jersey, JCC-NNJ, and J-ADD are co-spon-
soring it.
The program is being billed as “inter-
generational” — that’s both interest-
ing and possibly counterintuitive. But
though most people assume that scams
are targeted mainly to the elderly —
and many certainly are — scams can be
directed at everyone, no matter how old
or young you are.
Some legislation does focus specif- Ariella Noveck
ically on the elderly. Ms. Noveck said
she had hoped that Representative Josh Gottheimer
(D-5th Dist) might attend the May 29 meeting because he
recently co-sponsored a bill creating the bipartisan Senior
Security Act. The bill’s co-sponsor was Representative
Trey Hollingsworth (R-Ind.); and it passed Congress on
April 30. When he addressed colleagues about the bill —
and presented several seniors who had been scammed
out of their savings — Mr. Gottheimer spoke passionately
about stopping financial predators.
“It’s appalling,” he said, according to his website. “It’s caught, who do they call, what do they do, and what
offensive. It’s unacceptable.” His legislation, he contin-
ued, “will take on senior fraud and scams head on and
will help the Securities and Exchange Commission and
federal prosecutors crack down on these senior-preying
hucksters.”
The website noted as well that according to a report
that the Senate Special Committee on Aging released
this year, older Americans lose approximately $3 billion
each year to financial scams and abuse. A separate survey
from the Investor Protection Trust found that approxi-
mately seven million Americans have reported being
victims of exploitation, but only one in every 24 cases of
elder exploitation actually gets reported.
Still, seniors are not the only group in danger of being
targeted. “We should be looking at our kid’s credit
Ben Brightwell was one of four British crew members
brought over to head up the film departments. Ben was
the chief sound engineer and my boss on this project.
The others were the chief cameraman, the script clerk
and, of course, Thorold Dickenson, the director. Ben was
not all that bright — a fact that he often would demon-
strate. Here in the desert, after hearing that Arabs at times
attacked Jewish settlers, he was extremely upset that we
usually were the last ones to leave the location. We had
to gather up all the cables we had run to the camera and
to the microphones before we could leave. So, no mat-
ter how fast we moved, everyone was long gone before
we were ready to leave. Night falls quickly in the desert,
and we often traveled in the dark. “Stick your guns out
the windows so people will see that we are armed,” Ben
would insist as we departed for the half-hour drive back
to Mitzpe Ramon.
The truck was hard enough to drive on the unpaved
desert road. Now I had to do it with a gun butt clutched
between my thighs. However, the chance of being
attacked was a real possibility in 1954 and we had to be
prepared. This is why the police in Beersheva insisted
reports,” Ms. Noveck said, pointing out
that newborns are equally vulnerable.
Indeed, according to a 2015 report from
the Carnegie Mellon University Cylab
Security and Privacy Institute, one study
showed that children were 51 times more
likely than adults to become victims of
identity theft. That means that someone
used the child’s Social Security number
to commit fraud, whether opening credit
accounts, taking out loans, or applying
for government benefits or a job.
Generally, Ms. Noveck said, the crime
is discovered only when the children are
older, and by then the debts may have piled up and will
seriously affect their credit status. One sign of such fraud
is that a child may begin receiving pre-approved credit
card offers in the mail; another is that the parent may
receive calls from a collection agency.
“Our goal is to protect everyone so that they’ll look
at what they’re getting in the mail or on the phone,”
Ms. Noveck said, explaining why she thinks the work-
shop is so important. “And if they think they’ve been
are the next steps? You have to be aware of what is
around you.
“Hopefully, the course will provide key ideas so that
you’ll think not once, or twice, but three times.”
Who: The Jewish Community Relations Council of the
Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey
What: Will co-sponsor a workshop, “Fight the Scammers”
When: On May 29 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Where: At the federation’s offices,
50 Eisenhower Drive, Paramus
For more information and to register: Email Ariella at
ariellan@jfnnj.org, or go to jfnnj.org/fightthescammers or
call (201) 820-3946.
that anyone traveling south from the city had to have a
rifle or a handgun.
Ben was not the only one who was concerned. Mildred
Solomon, an American visitor in Israel who was acting
as a secretary on the production, felt a certain kinship
toward me, a fellow American. Unfortunately, this affin-
ity caused her to feel free to wake me in the middle of
the night so that I could escort her, rifle in hand, while
she marched out to the fence line to use the outhouse.
I would stand there on guard while she relieved herself
and I would march her back to her quarters when she
was done. I made it my business, after a few of these
nightly sojourns, to remind Mildred not to drink too
much water at dinner and to be sure to use the toilet
before going to sleep.
After Mitzpe Ramon the crew went to Haifa, Naharia,
Acco, and several other locations, but nothing was as
memorable as the two weeks in Mitzpe Ramon.
Charles Ticho of Hackensack, a retired producer and film
director, was born in what was then Czechoslovakia and
has lived there and in Israel.
 JS-15

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for class options
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JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019 15

Briefly Local

Teach NJ annual dinner draws more

than 200 guests
More than 200 peo- The dinner cele-
ple attended Teach brated the historic
NJ’s inaugural annual wins that Teach NJ has
dinner, “Making His- secured for the day
tory,” on May 15 at the school and yeshiva

Newark Museum. The
organization, a divi-
sion of the Orthodox
Union’s Teach Coa-
lition, aims to make
New Jersey’s nonpub-
lic schools safer, stron- Governor Phil Murphy
ger, and sustainable.
Governor Phil Murphy of New Jer-
sey was the keynote speaker, and he
and the state legislature were honored
for allocating $22.6 million in security to a record $50 million for the 2018-
funding for nonpublic schools.
Many interfaith leaders, includ-
ing representatives of the Catholic
and Muslim communities who work
with Teach Coalition to advocate for
security funding for all religious day
schools, were among the guests.
More than 15 state legislators —
including Assemblyman Gary Schaer
(36th District, Passaic), Assembly-
woman Eliana Pintor Marin (29th Dis-
trict, Newark), former Gov. Richard
Codey (27th District, Livingston) and
Assemblyman Gordon Johnson (Dis-
trict 37, Teaneck) — were there as well.
Zahal Shalom prepares
for 27th delegation
Zahal Shalom of Bergen
County prepares to host
a delegation of wounded
Israel Defense Force veter-
ans, who will arrive on June
2. The annual celebratory
COURTESY HNMC
community. This year,
Teach NJ achieved
an unprecedented
and historic increase
in nonpublic school From left, Dr. Sharyn Lewin is with health and wellness cancer experts
security funding by including Holy Name Medical Center cardiologist Dr. Raval Zankahana,
doubling the alloca- radiologist and women’s digital imaging specialist Dr. Lisa Weinstock, and
tion to $22.6 million. It HNMC nutritionist Debbie Besson.
also advocated for the increase in total
funding for nonpublic school security,
nursing, technology, and textbook aid
Own your own health panel
The Lewin Fund to Fight
2019 school year. Women’s Cancers presented
Teach NJ, part of the Orthodox “Own Your Health” at Temple
Union’s Teach Coalition, was founded Emanuel of the Pascack Val-
in 2015 to advocate for equitable ley in Woodcliff Lake. The
government funding for nonpublic host and moderator, Dr.
schools in New Jersey. It has secured Sharyn N. Lewin, the fund’s
an additional $100 million in fund- executive director, also is the
ing for day schools, which is used to medical director of gyneco-
increase security, enhance educa- logic oncology at Holy Name
tion, and defray higher tuition costs. Medical Center in Teaneck. A
Approximately 170 day schools and large audience gathered for
yeshivas receive support through the panel and participated in
Teach NJ efforts. For more informa- the question and and answer Alayne Pick, event chair, left, of Montvale, is
tion, go to teachcoalition.org/nj. session that followed, and a pictured with attendees Alice Osur of Wayne,
significant number of them and Beth Chananie of Paramus.
had on-site genetic testing.
They May 5 meeting also included brunch.
Sponsors included Holy Name Medical Center, Temple Emanuel of the Pascack
Valley, Myriad, Sharsheret, Valley Chabad, Hadassah, the Orangetown Jewish Center,
and Temple Israel and JCC in Ridgewood. For more information, call (929) 224-2293
or go to TheLewinFund.org.
Yom HaZikaron
and Yom HaAtzmaut
in the community
JO ROSEN PHOTOGRAPHY

gala to welcome them is set

for Thursday, June 6, at 6:30
p.m., at Temple Beth Rishon
in Wyckoff. The delegation
will be here for a two weeks.
Zahal Shalom, a non-profit
organization in Northern
New Jersey, works to help
alleviate the injuries that Israeli veter-
ans suffer as a result of their IDF ser-
vice. Many soldiers incur a multitude
of physical and emotional injuries that
express their gratitude for the veter-
ans’ service to Israel. Zahal Shalom’s
program of cultural, educational, and
social events enriches the lives of the
The Jewish Center of Teaneck hosted
community program marking Yom
HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut on
May 8. It included included a siyum
mishnayot in memory of the more than
23,000 soldiers who died defending
Israel and the 3,500 victims of terror.
Lieutenant Omry Naftali, a retired IDF
combat officer, spoke, and there were
prayers and dancing in honor of Yom
MICHAEL LAVES

can affect them for a lifetime. The orga-
nization’s programming is designed
to enable veterans to enjoy stress-free
experiences in America and bond with
American families, which benefits them
in their long-term recovery.
Volunteers open their hearts and
homes to forge lifelong relationships
that support the veterans hopes.
Hosts benefit from sharing the expe-
rience with them, and are proud to
16 JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019
veterans, promotes new senses of
opportunity, and fosters bonds of love
and support; hundreds of community
members also participate in many of
the events, and are affected by them.
Zahal Shalom has hosted hundreds of
soldiers so far, and many of them have
been changed by their experiences
with the organization. For more infor-
mation, go to zahalshalom.org/gala.
Ha’atzmaut. Jonathan Rimberg provided
the music.
Program supporters included Drs.
Esther and Morton Fridman, Dr.
Richard and Ellen Gertler, Shari and Lieutenant Omry Naftali
Nathan Lindenbaum, and Rochel and
Yossi Stechler.
The JCT, along with shuls from the Teaneck-Bergenfield community including Beth
Aaron, Beth Abraham, Bais Medrash of Bergenfield, Bnai Yeshurun, Keter Torah,
Netivot Shalom, Ohr Saadya, Rinat Yisrael, Shaare Tefillah, Shaarei Orah, Young
Israel, and Zichron Mordechai, co-sponsored the celebration.
 Briefly Local

Judea Pearl honored

with courage award
UCLA computer scientist Judea Pearl of our student-supported meetings at
will receive CAMERA’s inaugural colleges across the country.

PHOTOS COURTESY JCCP/CBT

Jacob and Sandra Bauer
Paramus shul to honor four
The JCC of Paramus/Congregation
Beth Tikvah will hold its 37th annual
journal dinner dance on Sunday, June
23, at 4:30 p.m. This year, it honors San-
dra and Jacob Bauer of Bergenfield and
Julie and Howard Leopold of Oradell.
The couples will be recognized for their
years of service to the congregation. The
annual celebration honors congregants
and a commemorative journal is pub-
lished in conjunction with it.
Sandra and Jacob Bauer have been
involved in the synagogue since they
joined in 2002. Sandy Bauer has been
an active member of the Community
Affairs committee and was involved
with the nursery school. Jack Bauer
had an integral role in the shul’s merger
with the New Milford Jewish Center,
Congregation Beth Tikvah. He has been
a vice president and president, helping
to implement security measures and
modernize the building’s infrastructure.
Holocaust museum
benefit in November
Ometz award for courage in recog- “This past year, members of SJP
nition of his public renunciation of burned Israel’s flag and physically
his status as a “distin- assaulted students at
guished alumnus” of our events, and their
New York University. consi stent threats
Pearl will receive the and intimidation
award at CAMERA’s have made it difficult
Howard and Julie Leopold gala, celebrating “The to walk proudly as a
Promise of Israel and Jew on campus,” said
the Battle for Truth”
on June 2 at 5:30 p.m.,
Adela Cojab, a CAM-
ERA-supported stu-
He established the Human Resources in New York Cit y. dent at NYU.
committee that he co-chairs. Ron Dermer, Israel’s Ms. Cojab added
Julie and Howard Leopold joined the ambassador to the that Dr. Pearl’s deci-
JCCP/CBT in 1995 and became active United States, will sion to confront the
members. As Men’s Club vice president, receive CAMERA’s Judea Pearl university about SJP
and then as president, Howie Leopold Emet award. was inspirational.
led talent shows, comedy nights, trips to Professor Pearl took “As students at NYU,
the Meadowlands, and golf outings. He his former school to task in April when we are grateful to Professor Pearl
also was a Young Couples club co-presi- the school announced that it would for holding NYU accountable for its
dent, shul vice president, and president. give the President’s Service award reckless selection of SJP and failure
He has been a member of nearly all of to the anti-Israel student group Stu- to protect its students,” she said. “His
the shul’s committees. Julie Leopold was dents for Justice in Palestine. In his letter was the first form of public sup-
an officer of the Association of Parents renouncement letter to NYU’s Pres- port we received, inspiring alumni
and Teachers for many years, co-chairs ident Andrew Hamilton, Dr. Pearl and donors nationwide to stand
the annual APT Bingo night, and has run wrote: “In the past five years, SJP has with NYU’s Jewish students. I wish
many programs, including a cappella resorted to intimidation tactics that more academics had the courage of
concerts, dinners, and comedy/magic have made me, my colleagues and my Professor Pearl.”
shows; she also assists at the Purim students unwelcome and unsafe on Dr. Pearl, who grew up in Tel Aviv,
carnival. our own campus. The decision to con- is the father of the journalist Daniel
For more information, or to place a fer an award on SJP renders other NYU Pearl, who was murdered by Islamic
journal ad, call (201) 262-7691 or go to awards empty of content and suspect terrorists in 2002 while he was on
jccparamus.org. of reckless selection process.” assignment in Pakistan. Dr. Pearl said Choos
“Professor Pearl was absolutely cor-
rect when he said SJP crushes other
that his life experience and the rise of
what he called Zionophobic racism in
pharm
student meetings,” said Yoni Michanie, academia had made it necessary for that st
a campus coordinator for CAMERA on
Campus. “SJP activists have barged
him to take a stand.
For more information, go to www.
apart f
into and deliberately disrupted many camera.org. the res

Park
The Holocaust Museum & Center for All proceeds will benefit Holocaust
Tolerance and Education’s annual ben- and tolerance education programs. For
efit brunch is set for Sunday, Septem- information, call (845) 574-4099, email
Our pharmacy stands
Phar
ber 15, at 10 a.m. It will honor Judy HolocaustRCC@gmail.com, or go to
Josephs. Jules Stern is the the Elie Wiesel holocauststudies.org.
Memorial award recipient. apart from the rest...
Federation plans women’s lunch
Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey will hold
its annual Women’s Philanthropy spring luncheon
at the Rockleigh on Wednesday, May 29, from 10:15
a.m. to 2 p.m.
Honorees include Women’s Philanthropy past Discounted Freeda, Solgar, and Blue Bonnet Vitamins Your one-s
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Teicher are the luncheon co-chairs. For reservations,
M-F 9-6, Sat 10-1 Free Delivery
call (201) 820-3953 or go to www.jfnnj.org/SL. Alan Zweibel
(Across from Sammy’s) JS

JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019 17

Cover Story

Rebecca Lopkin stands in

front of the Globe Theater in
London. Envision Shakespeare
is one of her programs.

‘Imagine.
Create. Perform.’
Rebecca Lopkin’s Teaneck-based school theater
company helps children collaborate and grow
Joanne Palmer can forget that you’re in a seat in a win- That’s just the audience. friends and a platform when she was

W
hen you’re at the the-
ater, watching a per-
formance, if it really
works, if the perfor-
mance and the writing and the direc-
tion and the set and the costumes come
together in the way their creators meant
them to, you can be transported. Meta-
phorically, of course — there is no mag-
ic-carpet-like wafting — but you literally
18 Jewish Standard MAY 24, 2019
dowless room watching people onstage
say other people’s words.
That’s because theater can be magic.
As you sit there in the audience, in the
dark, watching, listening, you find your-
self journeying. When it all works right,
you find yourself understanding more
about other people. Or being exhila-
rated, or laughing until your stomach
muscles hurt, or crying despite your
absolute refusal to allow it.
The heightened emotions, empathy,
exploration, combined sense of freedom
and safety, and sense of belonging that
theater at its best can give theater people
— and particularly that it can give theater
kids, students who are drawn to it — can
be even more transformative.
Rebecca Lopkin of Teaneck under-
stands that because she was a theater
kid, as her mother was before her; it
gave her an entrée to a new school and
in high school. Now, as the founder of
Envision Theater, she works in local day
schools, giving students there the same
opportunity she had to be nurtured and
uplifted by theater.
Rebecca Strulowitz Lopkin grew up
in West Orange, but her story really
begins when she was 12, and her par-
ents decided to move to North Miami
Beach. Until then, Rebecca, the oldest of
four children, went to the Hebrew Youth

Academy in West Caldwell. (The school
later moved to Livingston and was
renamed the Joseph Kushner Hebrew
Academy, but that’s an entirely different
story.)
Rebecca was going into seventh grade.
That can be a hard time to move, but her
parents, Sheila and Larry, put her in a
new school, the Samuel Scheck Hillel
Community Day School in North Miami.
And the new school had an even newer
thing, a theater program.
“When I was brand new in the school,
they were holding auditions for ‘Oliver!’
and I decided to audition,” Ms. Lopkin
said. “I HAD to audition. And I got a part.
I was Mrs. Sowerberry; she and her hus-
band are undertakers. I had a great song,
‘That’s Your Funeral.’ The song is about
the art of being an undertaker, and how
much they love it.
“At the end of the scene, my character
ends up inside a coffin, and I get to do
like this,” she said, as she mimed plank-
ing backward. “It was super fun.
“From there on, I was bitten by the
bug for real.
“I did every play that was available all
through school, so I was in many plays
JS-19
Cover Story
Ben Porat Yosef students
perform “Hakuna Matata”
from the “Lion King Jr.”
through twelfth grade,” she continued.
Her mentor, Michael Andron, started the
program, and he also “started a chapter
of the International Thespian Society,”
she said; the society is an educational
program for high school students. She
became the chapter president; Mr.
Andron started a traveling theater com-
pany, and she joined that too. “What-
ever he created, I got involved in,” she
said. “He pushed me.”
The next logical step was to study
theater in college, she knew. “I had my
heart set on being an actor. My goal was
to attend Tisch,” NYU’s spectacularly
competitive, enormously prestigious
performing arts school. I auditioned, I
was accepted — I still have that letter! —
but I chose not to go to the program.”
Why would anyone who wanted
to be in theater turn down Tisch? “I
stayed with NYU, but I chose to study
educational theater, in the school of
education.” Moriah students are cute if scared puppies in “101 Dalmations.”
Why would she do that?
“Because the educational theater pro- in teaching theater. I decided that it always taught.” This way, she said, she
gram allows you to study acting, direct- was a better idea for me, because I still could pursue both her passions, learn
ing, stagecraft, everything about theater, could pursue theater, but I am a natural how to combine them, “so it was a
but it also allows you to get certification teacher. Even when I was a student, I really good fit.”
Jewish Standard MAY 24, 2019 19
 JS-20

It’s “The Circle of Life” at BPY’s “Lion King Jr.”

She earned both an undergraduate
and a master’s degree in NYU’s school of
education — acting and directing all the
way — and then, logically enough, she
taught. “For many years, I was a class-
room teacher, and I would integrate the
arts into my classes,” Ms. Lopkin said.
She taught second and fourth grades, at
Ramaz on Manhattan’s Upper East Side,
at Kinneret in Riverdale, at Maimonides
in suburban Boston, and at Yavneh in
Paramus. (Her husband, Benjy Lopkin,
is a pediatric dentist with a practice in
Parsippany; some of those moves were
to accommodate dental school.)
She also hunted down community
theater groups and acted with them
whenever she could, although she was
held back at times by the difficulty of
finding companies whose schedules
accommodated Shabbat. She also had to
accommodate her children; Ms. Lopkin
has three, 17-year-old Molly and 13-year-
old twins Jack and Judah.
When the twins were born, Ms. Lop-
kin decided that although she loved
classroom teaching, “I was done with
it,” she said. “I decided that I would ded-
icate myself to theater education.”
The world in general is full of groups
and organizations that those of us who
know nothing about the field know noth-
ing about. Many of those groups and
organizations have their headquarters
in New York; many of them are perform-
ing arts groups. Her first gig was with the

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 JS-21

Cover Story

New York Theater Workshop. “They

hire teaching artists,” she explained;
you have to audition first. The jobs are
not full-time or long-term; instead, “You
work on different residencies in New
York public schools, for 10 or 12 weeks.”
It’s a model she’s adapted for Envision BPY students
Theater. rehearse “Lion
In that first job, Ms. Lopkin “went to King Jr.”; below,
an elementary school, where I worked TABC presents
with children to adapt a story into a “Treasure Island.”
play. There was a process, using impro-
visation to write a script, and then they
would perform it. It was great — a great
way to ease back into working.” The job
offered flexible hours, took her all over
Manhattan and the Bronx — she’d say no
to jobs in the city boroughs less easily
accessible from Teaneck — and gave her
the chance to work with children and in the city, and reaching out to schools. She
theater. could run drama clubs and afterschool pro-
Soon, Ms. Lopkin realized that as wonder- grams, she told administrators; she began with
ful as working in the city can be, given that she the schools her children went to, and then to
had small children, a lot of ambition, and a others where she’d had connections. More and
challenging schedule as an artist and an obser- more referrals helped her business grow. Now,
vant Jew, she would do well working closer most of her work is in Bergen County, although
to home, and if possible in her own business. she still works with the Lincoln Center Theater,
So she built the business — Envision Theater which hires teachers to offer four-week ses-
— using the teaching artist model she’d seen sions to students who go to one Lincoln Center

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Jewish Standard MAY 24, 2019 21

 JS-22

Cover Story

production a semester. That Lin- the second part of the name —

coln Center group takes New York
City high school students to some
of its productions. This fall they
went to “To Kill a Mockingbird,”
and the fall trip is to see “My Fair
Lady.” So they see American and
British plays, musicals and straight
plays, plays about racism and
class structures and also musicals
with brilliant wordplay and peri-
od-piece costumes and assump-
tions. The students prepare for
the productions by discussing the
plays’ themes, the background,
the characters, and the stagecraft.
She couldn’t give that one job up
no matter what, Ms. Lopkin said.
“It is just a fabulous program, and
I love the mission. I love being able
to work with the public school stu-
dents and their teachers.”
In 2013, with her business grow-
ing, Ms. Lopkin decided that it was
time to incorporate. She formed Envi-
sion Theater. The name sounds ethe-
real, if perhaps also a bit disconnected.
What’s that about? One of the many
things that Ms. Lopkin learned is how
Imagine. Create. Perform. It
was just right.
Since then, Ms. Lopkin has
been adding partner schools
in Bergen County, Long Island,
and New York. She fits the pro-
grams she offers to the nature,
structure, and belief system of
each of them.
Locally, she runs drama
clubs, directs productions,
and works collaboratively
with classroom teachers. She
has set up a program called
Envision Shakespeare at Ben
Porat Yosef, the Yavneh Acad-
emy and Yeshivat Noam, all in
Paramus; the Moriah School in
Englewood; the Rosenbaum
Yeshiva of North Jersey (bet-
ter known as RYNJ) in River
Envision teaches a theater class at Ben Porat Yosef. Edge; Yeshivat He’Atid and
the Torah Academy of Bergen
hard it is to name something. “We were the name came to me. I envisioned it!” County (aka TABC) in Teaneck, and the
sitting around with some of my siblings At first that name also seemed silly, but it Idea School in Tenafly. She also works
and siblings-in-law, and everyone was quickly grew on them because it encap- with the Kushner Academy in Living-
throwing out ideas, and I kept saying sulated her vision; soon it no longer ston. She works with eight to 10 contrac-
no, because they were so silly. And then seemed funny, or grandiose. She added tors; they’re teaching artists, the job title

NOTICE
ANNUAL MEETING OF JEWISH FEDERATION OF NORTHERN NEW JERSEY
Wednesday, June 26, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. at Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT, pursuant to Article II, Section 2 of the By-Laws of the above named Corporation, the Annual Meeting of its members
will be held on Wednesday, June 26, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. at Jewish Federation, 50 Eisenhower Drive, Paramus, NJ 07652.

Jason M. Shames, Chief Executive Officer

and Executive Vice President
Date: May 24, 2019
NOMINEES FOR ELECTION AS OFFICERS FOR ONE (1) YEAR TERM
PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENTS SECRETARY INCOMING PRESIDENT
Roberta Abrams Ron Rosensweig, Financial Resource Development Larry Weiss (JUNE 2020)
Rena Donin Schlussel, Planning & Allocations Lee Lasher
Bruce Brafman, Treasurer
IMMEDIATE
Jayne Petak, At Large PAST PRESIDENT
Stephanie Goldman Rosen

NOMINEES FOR ELECTION AS TRUSTEES FOR TWO (2) YEARS

Lisa Marcus Abramowitz Fred Fish Andrew Kent Daniel Shlufman
Lauri Bader Judy Taub Gold Michal Levison Jeff Tucker
Ruth Cole David J. Goodman Zvi S. Marans, MD Donna Weintraub
Karen Farber Adam Groveman Paula Shaiman Tracy Zur

Other members may be nominated for election as Trustees by the filing of a petition in the office of the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President within fifteen (15) days
after such notice. Each petition shall be signed by not fewer than twenty-five (25) members who will be qualified to vote at the Annual Meeting.

THE FOLLOWING WILL BE CONTINUING THEIR TWO (2) YEAR TERMS AS TRUSTEES
Dana Post Adler Glenn Kissler Nathan J. Lindenbaum Louise Tuchman
Suzette Diamond Marni Kriegel, MD Susan Penn Fran Weingast
Sarita Gross Geoffrey Lewis Will Rukin Larry Weiss
Daniel Herz

201-820-3900 www.jfnnj.org

22 Jewish Standard MAY 24, 2019

 JS-23

Cover Story

she once held. to do a little bit of everything — and I went on Net-

“My goal is to find out what a school needs, to flix for something to watch while I painted. I found a
work with the school to create programming to cater documentary about Shakespeare education for pub-
to those needs,” she said. We have been hired to do lic school students in L.A., and I was like, ‘This has to
everything from a fifth grade drama program on a happen here!’ Because nothing like this exists here.
weekly basis to special programming.” At TABC, “in “So I reached out to my friend Nancy Adelman”
the Bare Witness program, I collaborated with the — a master English teacher who’s now at the Idea
Holocaust studies teacher, and we worked collabo- School — and I said, ‘I just watched this documen-
ratively with the students to listen to survivor testi- tary, and I want to do this. Do you want to do it with
mony and adapt those stories to the stage,” she said. me?’” Of course, the answer was yes.
At Yeshiva Har Torah in Queens, “my teaching artist Envision Shakespeare is a competition for Jewish
did a bullying prevention program called ‘Stand Up high schools in New York and New Jersey, Ms. Lop-
Speak Up’ using theater.” kin said. Schools sign up for it in September. Each
She is driven by the desire “to bring performing school is assigned the same scene; working with a
arts to as many Jewish day schools as I can,” Ms. Lop- student director and faculty adviser, they study, cast,
kin said. As a day school alumna and the mother of research, and produce it. And then, in March, “one
day school students, she is profoundly committed to of the schools hosts Envision Shakespeare Day. I
day school education, which she believes provides bring in professional actors and directors, who teach
essential education to Jewish children. But, she said, and give workshops during the day.” This year, Frisch
“there is just not enough opportunity for the per- hosted; the other schools that participated this year
forming arts in Jewish day schools. They do educa- were TABC, Ma’ayanot, and the Idea School, as well
tion wonderfully. They do sports wonderfully. But as SAR in Riverdale, Bruriah in Elizabeth, the West-
arts — not so much. So I see it as my personal mission chester Hebrew High School in Mamaroneck, and
to bring the performing arts to as many Jewish day Brooklyn’s Yeshiva of Flatbush.
schools as I can.” As the list makes clear, this is a wide range of
Envision Shakespeare is a direct response to Ms. schools from across the Jewish spectrum.
Lopkin’s desire to provide that missing part. During Envision Shakespeare Day, which includes
“About five or six years ago, I was in my basement a competition, each of the groups gets to present its TABC presented “Treasure Island” in the fall; here,
painting scenery — because in this business you have version of the same scene; performances alternate students build a set for the production.

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Jewish Standard MAY 24, 2019 23

 JS-24

Cover Story

with workshops taught by the professional actors and
directors Ms. Lopkin brings in. There always is a keynote
speaker. “We always bring in an Orthodox Jew who is work-
ing in the arts,” Ms. Lopkin said. “Part of the purpose is to
show them that you can continue to be Orthodox and have
a career in the arts.”
This year, there were about 85 students at Envision
Shakespeare Day. The keynote speaker was Paula Eiselt of
Teaneck, the documentary filmmaker whose most recent
work was “93Queen,” about the all-women chasidic ambu-
lance service in Brooklyn. Last year it was Leah Gottfried,
the filmmaker whose most well-known work is the web
series “Soon By You.” The year before that it was Peter
Avery, the theater director for the whole New York
City public school system.
The students meet the speakers and the judges,
awards are given out and so are prizes for trivia com-
petitions, and “everyone gets a competitor T-shirt and
we say, ‘See you next year,’” Ms. Lopkin said.
Another of the goals is to foster the idea of compe-
tition and fellowship as perhaps in tension but not in
opposition to each other, she added.
One of her challenges is finding the right script
for the right school, she said. “I am always reading
scripts. I have piles and piles of scripts.” They have
to be right for the students’ ages and developmen-
tal stages, and they have to be appropriate for each
school’s own culture and religious sensibilities, which
of course adds another wrinkle. Take “The Sound of
Music” — upbeat, set in history, with great music and
many parts for kids. She can’t use it. It begins in a
convent, and its main character is a would-be nun.
The language has to be acceptable, or it has to be
tone-down-able.
Some schools just don’t want Broadway plays or
musicals; they think that the values in those shows
are not compatible with their own. Others don’t share
that blanket rejection, but there is much that they
cannot accept.
Also, the rights have to be available; that’s not
always the case.
day school programs,” she added.
She works with many children on the autism spec-
trum, she said; theater gives those children an ease
that often doesn’t come naturally to them.
“I have known one particular student who I worked
with in elementary school and through middle school
and now in high school,” she said. “I have known her
for six or seven years, and the growth that she’s had
within herself is incredible. I’ve had long conversa-
tions with her mother about that.
“For example, at the beginning, we were doing a
scene in her elementary school where you have to
look the other person in the eyes, and it was so hard
for her, but she learned to do it. Now, in the high
school program that I direct, she’s like a welcome
wagon. When a new student comes in, she’s the first
to walk over, shake her hand, and say hi.
“She’s still on the spectrum. That doesn’t change.
But her ability to interact with others has changed.
“There was another, similar student who I’ve
known throughout elementary school. At his bar
mitzvah — he did the whole thing, the speech too —
and his parents said to me, ‘We want to thank you so
much for the program. Because when we asked him
if he was nervous about the bar mitzvah, he said no,
not at all. I am so comfortable because I have done so
much theater that I am so prepared!’ His parents told
me that they could not have imagined that.”

SENIOR
Some schools use the principle of “kol isha” — the
prohibition on men hearing a woman’s voice. That
principle is turned into policy in different ways. At
Ben Porat Yosef, Ms. Lopkin said, once girls have
Theater allows all kids, off or on the spectrum, to
discuss their feelings, and therefore to be more aware
of them. “In high school, about 20 minutes before
the audience comes in, we do a gratitude circle,” Ms.

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turned 12, the age of bat mitzvah, they cannot sing
* solo in the presence of men. The students performed
in “The Lion King,” and “we had a workaround,” she
said. “Each of the female soloists was paired with a
shadow speaker. “We used stagecraft to make it work.
n d Wednesdays 3 PM
ays a
“And the head of school was very gracious,” she
- 10 P
M o nd M added. “He came to our rehearsal, and he explained
what the halacha says and how he interprets it,
and how we can make it work. It was a learning
opportunity.”
That head of school, Rabbi Saul Zucker, agrees that
Ms. Lopkin came up with a sensitive way to handle
the situation. “Every school is going to have its own
guidelines and sensitivities; at BPY we are comfort-
Tilapia able with having groups of girls sing but not with hav-
Florentine
ing solos, and Rebecca usually does musicals, so she
goes out of her way to rewrite some parts and stage
blocking to ensure that what they do conforms to the
school’s standards.”
Art is essential, Ms. Lopkin said. “There are a mil-
lion reasons why, from the confidence you gain to
the collaboration you learn to the responsibility you
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Lopkin said. “The lights are off, and we go around the
circle, and I say, ‘If you want to share what you are
grateful for in this program you may, and if you don’t
want to, you don’t have to.
“Kids are not always so quick to share, especially
boys in boys’ schools, but this allows it. It allows for
sharing and risk taking.
“We establish the concept that everyone is here to
support each other. This is an environment where
you are allowed to take risks without any negative
consequences. We are here to take risks and to sup-
port each other.
“For a lot of kids, this is their safety zone. It’s the
place where you build friendships with people in
other grades. It is an equalizer.
“In the theater, everyone is important, whether
you are a supporting character or a lead, on stage or
backstage. Theater is collaborative.
“One of the things I love most about theater, par-
ticularly in high school, is that there is always a spot
for everyone,” Ms. Lopkin concluded. “It’s not like
in sports, where if you’re not an athlete you can’t be
on the team. I don’t work that way. Everyone can be
in my program. I don’t cut people. There’s always a
place for you.”
Ben Porat Yosef’s Rabbi Zucker thinks that Ms. Lop-
kin is doing an admirable job.
“Rebecca is fantastic,” he said. She works with ele-
mentary and middle school students, and her big

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productions “are amazing for school
spirit. She gives the students a chance
to really shine, and to develop their
creative talents.
“Rebecca invests in every student.
She not only works with them to
teach them to act wonderfully and
to sing wonderfully, but she specifi-
cally invests in developing and build-
ing and strengthening their sense of
self-confidence and pride.
“It is an amazing thing to watch
students blossom under her tutelage;
students who are on the shy side, who
are on the quiet side, who get up on
stage. For them, it is transformative.
“She is beloved by the kids,” he
added. “And I have great admiration
for her.”
Rabbi Asher Yablok is TABC’s head Cruella de Vil and her henchmen Horace and Jasper sing “My Beautiful Coat”
of school; TABC is an all-boys high at a dress rehearsal for “101 Dalmatians” at Moriah.
school. “Over the course of the last
few years we have expanded our theater opportunities
for our students,” he said. “We now have two produc-
tions a year, one in the fall, one in the spring, and we
also offer an eleventh-grade elective in theater direc-
tion; that one has a film component to it.
“It has evolved into a passion of mine — instituting an
evening of the arts, where we celebrate all the arts in
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JS-25
Cover Story
of students who I usually interact with in
the halls and in class; students for whom
theater does not come naturally as well as
students for whom theater is their usual
outlet. When we did ‘Bare Witness,’ stu-
dents who weren’t the ones who normally
would sign up for a play were inspired and
moved by it.”
This year’s productions also include “Trea-
sure Island,” which was in the fall, and the
upcoming “A Few Good Men” ( which inci-
dentally had a script that demanded some of
Ms. Lopkin’s profanity-to-clean-speech trans-
lation skills, she reported).
“It gives me such pleasure to sit in the
audience and witness the students’ self
confidence, sense of humor, their timing,
and their ability to connect through drama
while sharing a message with their audi-
ence,” Rabbi Yablok said.
And it provides important life skills, he
added. “I think about our TABC graduates,
the school by showcasing not only drama but also short students who will graduate after four years who are the
films, music composition, and visual arts. future leaders of our community. This experience” — the
“Rebecca Lopkin has been a catalyst for that expan- theater work with Rebecca Lopkin — “will spill over to
sion of the arts here.” the ability to speak in front of a crowd, to have a sense of
Rabbi Yablok appreciates the way that the theater drama and know how to create a moment. Whether or
program has allowed him to see facets of his students not they pursue a career in drama, it allows our students
that otherwise would not be visible. “I see dimensions to become dynamic graduates.”
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Jewish Standard MAY 24, 2019 25

Jewish World
American Jews concerned about anti-Semitism and disapprove of Trump, survey finds
Ron Kampeas
WASHINGTON — A survey of American
Jews showed continued disapproval of
President Donald Trump, with anti-Semi-
tism high and Israel low on the priority list
for Jewish voters.
The survey, conducted for a liber-
al-leaning Jewish organization, the Jew-
ish Electorate Institute, by Greenberg
Research, which does polling for Dem-
ocratic candidates, showed 71 percent
of Jewish American likely voters dis-
approved of Trump and 29 percent
approved. That’s consistent with polling
since Trump’s election.
A generic Democrat would score 67
percent of the Jewish vote in the presi-
dential election, while Trump would get
just 23 percent.
The national survey of 1,000 Jewish
voters, taken between May 6 and May 12,
is consistent with past polling of a con-
stituency that leans strongly Democratic.
According to the RealClear Politics aggre-
gator, national averages show Trump’s
disapproval ratings in the low 50s and his
approval ratings in the low 40s.
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26 Jewish Standard MAY 24, 2019
JS-26*
In a favorability rating chart, Trump
scored 70 percent unfavorable and 26
percent favorable, in contrast to his pre-
decessor, Barack Obama, who scored
70 percent favorable and 27 percent
unfavorable.
The pollster asked respondents about
only two Democrats running for the par-
ty’s presidential nomination, Sen. Ber-
nie Sanders of Vermont and former Vice
President Joe Biden, who are leading in
the national polls. Biden performed con-
siderably better than Sanders, who is Jew-
ish, although both men bested Trump.
Biden’s favorable/unfavorable score was
66/29 and Sanders, who is running well
to the left of Biden, was 51/43. U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a “Make America Great Again”
The poll showed Israeli Prime Minister campaign rally at Williamsport Regional Airport in Montoursville, Pennsyl-
Benjamin Netanyahu’s favorable/unfa- vania on May 20, 2019. Drew Angerer/Getty Images
vorable score as 45/38. Netanyahu used
to score high approval among Ameri- of his handling of the U.S.-Israel relation- showed that a substantial majority of Jew-
can Jews, but his sustained clashes with ship and 45 percent disapproving. Trump ish voters, 64 percent, disapproved of
Obama on Palestinian and Iran policy, has forged a close relationship with Net- Trump pulling out of the Iran deal, while
and his closeness to Trump, appear to anyahu, moving the U.S. embassy to 36 percent approved.
have eroded American Jewish support. Jerusalem, recognizing Israel’s claim to Trump was underwater on a range
On issues, the only area where Trump the Golan Heights, pulling out of the Iran of other issues, including abortion (60
earned positive marks was on relations nuclear deal, and distancing the United unfavorable/40 favorable), immigration
with Israel, with 55 percent approving States from the Palestinians. The survey See anti-Semitism page 43
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It’s a Democratic lovefest
at a Reform movement policy conference
RON KAMPEAS
WASHINGTON — Senior Democrats
in Congress embraced the agenda of
the Reform movement, including gun
control, immigration reform, abortion
rights, and dealing with climate change.
The agenda and the cheers for
Democrats underscored the degree to
which the Reform movement opposes
Trump administration policies, partic-
ularly on immigration.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca-
lif.) opened Tuesday’s session at the
Religious Action Center’s Consultation
on Conscience.
“In the coming weeks we want to
make America more American by
passing the Dream Act or Promise
Act,” Pelosi said to applause, referring
to a bill in the House, backed solely by
Democrats, that would protect undoc-
umented migrants who came to the
United States as minors from depor-
tation. A companion bill in the Senate
has bipartisan backing.
“We must ensure that the Dreamers
… can continue to bring their hopes
and dreams to fruition to succeed in
our country, blessing and enriching
America,” she said.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) also
advocated immigration reform. Her
denunciations of the Trump admin-
istration policy drew loud applause.
“We cannot let Trump define who we
are as Americans and what makes us
great. The only immigration crises we
have right now are ones that are man-
ufactured by this administration,” Jay-
apal said, citing the extended deten-
tion of migrants at the border and the
rollback of Obama administration pro-
tections for undocumented migrants
who arrived as minors.
Other Democrats who spoke
included Sen. Chris Coons of Dela-
ware, Rep. Ted Deutch of Florida, and
Rep. Kim Schrier of Washington.
Deutch, whose district includes Park-
land, the scene of the February 2018
high school massacre, spoke of advanc-
ing gun control legislation. Schrier
talked about protecting abortion rights,
which a number of states have severely
restricted in recent weeks.
The alignment between the Reform
movement and the Democratic Party
has been so strong in recent decades
that it has spawned jokes. But the Reli-
gious Action Center’s agenda lines up
closely with the majority of American
Jews, according to many studies of vot-
ing patterns. The Orthodox minority,
Jewish World
by contrast, has been much agencies to refrain from asking
more likely to suppor t prospective employees about
Republican presidential can- their criminal background before
didates in recent years. they have secured a tentative
The sole Republican speak- job offer.
ing at this week’s event was There was an emphasis at the
Paul Teller, the special assis- conference on youth leaders in
tant to President Donald the movement. That includes Zoe
Trump for legislative affairs. Terner, the social action vice pres-
Teller acknowledged the lib- ident of NFTY, the Reform youth
eral tenor of the event with movement. Terner has taken a
jokes. “I was told I was the lead in advancing voting rights
only Republican who said and gun control.
yes,” Teller said to laughter. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, speaks at Matt Deitsch, a brother of a sur-
“You’ve seen all these elected the Reform movement’s Consultation on Conscience vivor of the Parkland shooting, is
leaders, people you know, in Washington on May 21, 2019. a leader of a gun control group,
and then this schmuck from  COURTESY OF THE RELIGIOUS ACTION CENTER March for Our Lives. Elias Rosen-
the White House comes up.” feld, a Venezuela-born “dreamer”
Teller touted legislative initiatives Later on Tuesday, 700 activists, who who attends Brandeis University, has
in which the Trump administration were among 1,200 of the attendees at this become an immigration reform advocate.
has worked closely with liberals, par- year’s conference, lobbied on Capitol Hill “I hope that people feel the importance
ticularly on criminal justice reform, for the Dream Act and for bills advanc- and weight of their vote, and not only
a favorite issue of Jared Kushner, ing criminal justice reform, including the show up on Election Day but all the days
Trump’s son-in-law and a top adviser. Fair Chance Act. The latter, which has in between,” Terner said.
“In this toxic environment, it bipartisan backing, would require federal  JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY
brought together left and right,
Republicans and Democrats, liberals
and conservatives,” Teller said of last
year’s First Step Act, which loosened
strict sentencing requirements and
introduced assistance for convicts
after release.
Sandi M. Malkin, LL C
Introducing Teller, Rabbi Ron
Segal, the president of the Central Interior Designer
Conference of American Rabbis, said
(former interior designer of model
it was critical to work with the Trump
rooms for NY’s #1 Dept. Store)
administration on common causes at
a time of polarization.
“It is essential we celebrate a diver- For a totally new look using
sity of views and never forget that
value,” Segal said. “We remain firmly
your furniture or starting anew.
nonpartisan and we seek out oppor-
Staging also available
tunities to work together on issues of
common concern with all elected offi- 973-535-9192
cials, regardless of political party.”
The rift among Democrats on Israel
issues — a number of freshman politi-
cians appear to be somewhat willing
to question U.S. support for Israeli pol-
icies — did not feature at the consulta-
tion, whose focus is almost entirely on
domestic issues.
In his address, Deutch, who is Jew-
ish, alluded to his efforts to have Dem-
ocrats confront some of their party
members, particularly Rep. Ilhan
Omar (D-Minn.) for comments seen as
anti-Semitic.
“Our fight against hate is one that
is shared across lines of faith, race
and politics,” he said. “We’ve got to
deal with it wherever it lies no matter
how uncomfortable the conversations
may be.”
JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019 27
 JS-28*

Jewish World

How Debra Katz became one of

the nation’s top #MeToo lawyers
Josefin Dolsten

Fighting for the underdog has been a passion for

Debra Katz for as long as she can remember.
Years before she would go on to win awards for her
work as a civil rights attorney and represent Christine
Blasey Ford in one of the nation’s most high-profile
sexual assault allegations, Katz stood up for a differ-
ent kind of victim.
“If there was a kid on the bus who was being bul-
lied, I was the person who stood up for that kid,” she
recalled in a phone interview last week. “If somebody
had their baseball cards taken, I was the one who
demanded that the bully return them.”
Katz, 60, also knew she wanted to be a lawyer from
the time she was young, but it was a case early in her
career that narrowed her focus.
In the early 1980s, after graduating from the Uni-
versity of Wisconsin Law School, Katz landed a fellow-
ship that allowed her to work on the landmark case
Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson, in which a bank teller
named Mechelle Vinson alleged harassment at work.
The case advanced to the U.S. Supreme Court and led
to the justices ruling to recognize sexual harassment
as a category of workplace discrimination.
Since then, Katz has become one of the top lawyers
of the #MeToo movement. Last year she represented
Blasey Ford, the woman who accused Supreme Court
Justice Brett Kavanaugh, then a nominee, of assault-
ing her when they were teens. The Jewish lawyer, who
sat next to Blasey Ford during her testimony before
the Senate Judiciary Committee, describes it as “one
of the greatest professional honors I’ve ever had.”
Her work with Blasey Ford and a range of other
cases related to the #MeToo movement — she rep-
resented Irwin Reiter, who says he objected to Har-
vey Weinstein’s treatment of an assistant, and Chloe
Caras, who accused celebrity chef Mike Isabella of
harassment — propelled her name further into the
mainstream.
“I’ve worked really, really hard on behalf of peo-
ple for decades to try to get justice, and it does feel
like this is a time we can accomplish more and it’s
very gratifying,” Katz said. “It also creates a sense of
urgency with our work, where we feel that the world
is looking.”
Katz, a founding partner of the Washington, D.C.-
based firm Katz, Marshall & Banks, LLP., will be
honored Wednesday by T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call
for Human Rights with its Raphael Lemkin Human
Rights Award.
“Debra Katz brings to life the Torah’s insistence
that every person is a creation in the image of God,
and deserves to be treated with utmost dignity,” T’ru-
ah’s executive director, Rabbi Jill Jacobs, wrote in an
email. “She has courageously lived out these values
in defending women survivors of harassment and
assault by powerful men.”
Jacobs also referred to Katz’s work on behalf
of a woman who accused Jewish philanthropist
Michael Steinhardt of sexual harassment. Earlier
this year, seven women accused the megadonor and
co-founder of Birthright Israel of propositioning them
and making inappropriate remarks in professional
settings. (Steinhardt, 78, has admitted to “boorish,
Debra Katz, left, looks on as Christine Blasey Ford testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on
September 27, 2018.
disrespectful and just plain dumb” behavior, but he
denies harassment.)
Katz represented Sheila Katz (no relation) in her
complaint about Steinhardt relating to her work at
Hillel International. A Hillel investigation into the
allegations concluded that Steinhardt had harassed
Sheila Katz and another woman.
As part of the investigation, Hillel decided not to
accept a $50,000 donation from Steinhardt and
removed his name from its board of governors. Sheila
Katz has called on the Jewish community to take such
complaints seriously as they happen.
The attorney echoed her client’s demand.
“It is important for the Jewish community to have
a reckoning like every other community, to ask the
question of why he was permitted to behave like this
and why did individuals who know better enable the
behavior or excuse the behavior,” she said.
Katz, who grew up in a Reform Jewish family in
Woodmere, one of Long Island’s Five Towns, cred-
its Judaism with her passion for helping people who
have been victimized.
“It’s hard to describe this in any other way,” she
said, “but those were values as a Jew that I was raised
with, that we were strangers in a strange land, and we
protect the strangers, and that has always been the
guiding principle for me.”
That attitude has made Katz respected — and
feared. The Washington Post has described her as
“the feared attorney of the #MeToo moment.” In
2007, she was named one of the country’s “Top 10
Plaintiffs’ Attorneys to Fear the Most” by Human
Resource Executive Magazine.
“I think it means that when we show up in cases,
corporations know that we’ve vetted the cases care-
fully, the cases are strong, and we’re going to fight like
hell for our clients,” she said.
Win McNamee/Getty Images
As Katz gained prominence representing Bla-
sey Ford, she faced scrutiny from the right, which
accused her of being a Democratic operative. And for
the first time in her 35 years of being a lawyer, she
faced anti-Semitic death threats. They forced Katz to
have security at her home and office. “All the threats
began with ‘you’re a Jew,’” she said.
Her face appeared on anti-Semitic fliers on a num-
ber of college campuses blaming Jews for the alle-
gations against Kavanaugh — he also denies them.
Also, Katz says the FBI told her that her photo was
among a number of images that appeared on the van
of the man who sent explosive devices to CNN, Barack
Obama, Hillary Clinton, George Soros, and others.
The experience was “horrible and scary,” Katz said,
as was the thought that “anti-Semitism is such a power-
ful force in the country right now, and I’m in the scope.”
Outside of work, Katz enjoys hiking. She lives on
a farm in Barnesville, Maryland, with her wife and
17-year-old son, whose hobby — raising chickens —
recently caught the attention of Martha Stewart.
Katz also has a home in Takoma Park, Maryland,
and belongs to Am Kolel, a Jewish Renewal commu-
nity in Beallsville. She also attends synagogues in
Washington, D.C., including the Orthodox Adas Israel
and the nondenominational Sixth & I.
Despite recent progress, Katz says there is plenty
of work to be done in terms of fighting sexual harass-
ment and assault. She sees a tension between the
increased willingness of the public to take seriously
allegations and the policies of the Trump administra-
tion to curtail women’s and reproductive rights.
“Both things are going on at once,” she said, “and
it will be nice when those things converge, when we
actually have an administration that cares about and is
receptive to these issues and a society that is looking.”
 Jewish Telegraphic Agency

28 Jewish Standard MAY 24, 2019


Al Sharpton admits to using ‘cheap’ rhetoric about Jews
RON KAMPEAS
WASHINGTON — Al
Sharpton appealed to
Reform Jews for a united
front in facing down
anti-Semitism, racism,
and other forms of bias
and acknowledged his
role in stoking division,
recounting how the Rev.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s
widow reprimanded
him for his “cheap”
rhetoric.
The civil rights
activist and MSNBC
host reportedly has
expressed regrets pri-
vately to Jewish leaders
for the incendiary rhet-
oric that helped fuel the
deadly Crown Heights
riots in 1991. But Mon- Al Sharpton speaks at the Reform movement’s
day’s remarks here at Religious Action Center conference in Wash-
the Religious Action ington, D.C., on May 20, 2019.
Center’s Consultation
on Conscience were the closest he
has come to acknowledging his role in
public.
The invitation earned criticism
for seeming to rehabilitate a figure
at the center of a number of anti-Se-
mitic clashes in the 1990s. After the
accidental killing of a black child in
Brooklyn by a car driven by a member
of the Lubavitcher rebbe’s entourage,
African-American protesters targeted
religious Jews in the Crown Heights
neighborhood.
Yankel Rosenbaum, a graduate stu-
dent affiliated with Chabad-Lubavitch,
was stabbed to death in the rioting.
Sharpton also was accused of incit-
ing the violent firebombing of a Jew-
ish-owned clothing store in Harlem
in 1995.
Without mentioning the Crown
Heights riots specifically, Sharpton
said he could have “done more to heal
rather than harm.” And he said that
all the public criticism he received
paled next to the rebuke from Coretta
Scott King, who was known for her
closeness to the Jewish community. It
appears to be the first time Sharpton
has shared the tale publicly.
“One of the things she said to me,
she said, ‘Al, the purpose of our move-
ment has never been to just get civil
rights for us, it’s to protect and stand
for civil and human rights for every-
one,’” he recalled.
“She said that ‘sometimes you are
tempted to speak to the applause of
the crowd rather than the heights
Jewish World
the right to stand up when they go into “That there are members of our Crown
Charleston.” Heights family and our Chabad family that
Rabbi Mordechai Lightstone, who runs are in pain over this actually creates a lot
social media for Chabad, the movement of pain for us, and we’re sorry about that,”
whose members were principally targeted he said.
in the 1991 riots, watched the livestream “At this moment — when children are
of the speech and expressed his outrage being separated from their parents at the
on Twitter. border, and Jews are being murdered in
“The willingness to wash away our pain the synagogues, and people of color are
is so cruel,” he said. The Religious Action being gunned down in their churches, and
Center “needs to deplatform hate … Not people in mosques are being firebombed
give it a pulpit and whitewash it.” — we need to stand together, and Reverend
Lightstone, who with his wife is also Sharpton has stood with us these past cou-
director of Tech Tribe, a Chabad center ple of years.”
in Brooklyn, was tweeting in his personal In the same interview, Rabbi Rick Jacobs,
SPENCER PLATT/GETTY IMAGES
capacity as a resident of Crown Heights, the president of the Union for Reform Juda-
he said. ism, said that Sharpton’s role as an ally in
Rosenbaum’s brother, Norman, wrote in this moment of increased bias and violence
a Washington Examiner op-ed that invit- should be factored into understanding why
ing Sharpton “sends a very dangerous and he was invited to speak.
intolerable message to the anti-Semites “There are many chapters in Reverend
among us.” Sharpton’s life,” Jacobs said. “We are in a
Rabbi Jonah Pesner, the Religious Action moment of urgency, and Reverend Sharp-
Center director, acknowledged the pain ton has spoken up and has stood strongly
that Sharpton’s appearance must be caus- with the Jewish community.”
ing others.  JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY
of the cause, and you will say cheap
things to get cheap applause rather
than do higher things to raise the
nation higher.’
“She said, ‘I know that you may KIN SUMMER
TS
A
not have done things you’re accused
NEIL KL
CAM
of, but you could have spoken out
PS
louder, if you are going to be in the
King tradition and if you are going to
be invested in your roots, and if you
are going to be what we invested in
you to be.’ S
“All of the editorials and the cartoons,
A L L C A M P TO
O P E N
N OW
IC !
and all that have raised various ques- THE PUBL
tions in my controversial career, never
really impacted me like Mrs. King, who
I grew up [with] in that movement, that
had a gentle but firm way of correcting
some of my excesses.”
R E A T I
C @ its be V I T Y
st
Sharpton’s overarching message to
the Reform gathering was that blacks
and Jews must overcome past differ-
ences to confront an increase in bias
against all groups, particularly under
President Donald Trump. He noted MIX-AND-MATCH SPECIALITY CAMPS FOR A FULL SUMMER
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Referring to the white supremacists
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JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019 29
Editorial
What happened in Chicago
TRUTH REGARDLESS OF CONSEQUENCES

The PTSD of the

I
f you’re going to be attacked by a terrorist, the when it happens to you, but it’s not out of the blue.”
best way to go is to have that terrorist be stupid
and incompetent.
So it’s that tension — you know it happens to other
people but you believe that it doesn’t happen to you.
Holocaust and
That’s what seems to have happened in Chi-
cago, where a would-be arsonist’s failed attempts at
Logic tells you that can’t possibly be true for everyone,
but if we lived in a logical world, we would live in an
anti-Semitism

making Molotov cocktails left them to sputter futilely in
the parking lot of Anshei Sholom B’nei Israel.
You know how just about all synagogues call them-
selves warm and welcoming? Anshei Sholom, by all
accounts, actually is warm and welcoming (and there-
fore has no need to hurl around those words, as if they
were, I don’t know, Molotov cocktails). It’s a modern
Orthodox shul that’s unusual in its openness, while
never leaving the constraints of halacha. It’s attracted
a wide range of people, some newcomers to Jewish life,
some who never felt at home in shul until they found
home there. It’s flourishing; in fact, it’s often a destina-
tion for Jewish youth groups and interfaith and Jewish
studies major from colleges, ranging from nearby North-
western and University of Chicago to schools across the
country.
It’s in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, a place con-
stantly compared to the Brooklyn of a decade or two
ago, when it was more accessible, less chichi, and really,
seriously diverse.
It’s also right across the street from the JCC Chicago,
with its nursery school and kids’ programs.
Late last Saturday night, an incompetent fire-bomber
walked within security camera range and left his three
little presents. They burned out, and puzzled congre-
gants discovered them the next morning. Someone
called the police.
That same day, the police said that they were inves-
tigated smashed car windows near synagogues in the
city’s West Rogers Park neighborhood. (On the other
hand, that’s such an entirely Jewish place that it would
be hard not to be near a synagogue there.)
So what does all of this mean?
“We’re holding up okay,” Anshei Sholom’s rabbi,
David Wolkenfeld, said on Tuesday morning. (He’s
got connections to this area — really, who doesn’t?
His wife, Sara Tillinger Wolkenfeld, grew up in
Teaneck.) “It’s been a very busy 36 hours since it
happened. The police, the FBI, and local news sta-
tions are taking it very seriously.
“But at the end of the day, there was no damage, and
everyone was unhurt. People are nervous, but they are
okay. They have a lot of resolve and fortitude.
“We are not naïve. We know about the existence of
people who do this sort of thing. So it’s really shocking
unrecognizable one.
It’s also the tension between wanting security and
wanting freedom.
Anshei Sholom has taken security very seriously,
Rabbi Wolkenfeld told me. “We’ve been security con-
scious for years,” he said. “We are constantly tweaking
the system, trying to make constant improvements. A
few years ago, we put in a more advanced camera sur-
veillance system.” So, before Pittsburgh, right? “Yes, way
before Pittsburgh.”
Neither Rabbi Wolkenfeld nor his congregants are
Pollyannas.
But on the other hand, “We don’t want to end our
real commitment to keeping the shul open. We have
all sorts of people who come here for the first time,
either out of curiosity or as guests at a bar mitzvah
or with their schools. We get confirmation students
from the Reform synagogue in the area. We get many
people who are unfamiliar with orthodox tefillah, or
with shuls in general. We are proud of that, and we
have no intention to change it.
“But still we have to be aware.”
As we head toward Memorial Day, there is a certain
irony to this.
Memorial Day, which honors the memory of the
people who died in the service of this country, to make
and keep us free, wasn’t made official until the middle
of the 20th century. But it started, as Decoration Day,
right after the Civil War, that calamitous conflict that
brought into petrifyingly sharp relief the divisions that
have plagued us from before that war and have become
more virulent since then, if that is even possible.
So far, most of us have been kept safe by the inept-
itude of the haters around us (and to be sure, by the
good will and loving kindness of most of us, because
after all there are very few people who fit into abso-
lutely no undesirable groups. How many straight
white thin handsome young WASP men are there?).
We certainly should pray for our enemies’ continued
incompetence, but we should pray as well, this Memo-
rial Day, for the courage and tenacity and strength and
wisdom we will need to make this country — and this
world — the place that Abraham Lincoln, just years
before the first Decoration Day, which he did not live
to see, told us it should be. —JP
A
uschwitz, Poland — For the 75th anniversary of
the deportation of Elie Wiesel to Auschwitz, I
accompanied his son Elisha to Sighet, Roma-
nia, for the special commemoration. Each of us
brought our 13-year-old sons for what was an unforgettable
occasion.
It’s always difficult to determine to what extent children
should be exposed to the Holocaust. I have visited Auschwitz
many times just over the past few years. Still, it scars and
numbs me every time. And I’m an adult immersed in the
literature my whole life.
Over the last two summers
I have taken my family to the
death camps and killing fields
of Europe and wrote up our
trips in a soon-to-be-pub-
lished memoir called “Holo-
caust Holiday: One Family’s
Descent into Genocide Mem-
ory Hell.” Toward the end of a
multi-week trip that included Rabbi Shmuley
Treblinka, Maidanek, Aus- Boteach
chwitz-Birkenau, the Warsaw
ghetto, the Lodz ghetto, and
Mathausen, among many others, my older children began
to rebel. Why was I subjecting them to this living purgatory?
In Israel, they said, they experienced a living, breathing Jew-
ish nation, and they felt the comfort of God’s comforting
presence. In Europe, by contrast, they saw a vast Jewish
cemetery, where God seemingly was absent.
I explained. The six million victims of the Holocaust
were our brothers and sisters. Our children and parents.
Our wives and our mothers. They cry out from the grave
to be remembered. We will never forget them, regardless
of how empty or barren it makes us feel and regardless of
how it affects our relationship with God.
At Sighet Elisha Wiesel gave a masterful speech — an
instant classic — about the simple triumph he seeks as the
son of a survivor to lead a normal life. To raise healthy
children, preserve a loving marriage, incorporate Jewish
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach is the author of 32 books,
including his most recent, “The Israel Warrior.” Follow
him on Twitter @RabbiShmuley.

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30 JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019


tradition into daily living, and honor the mur-
dered victims of his family. Right after he spoke a
young woman whose grandparents likewise had
been deported from Sighet to Auschwitz spoke
of the PTSD she had suffered as a third gener-
ation Holocaust survivor. She described how a
therapist had helped her identify the trauma of
being the grandchildren of survivors, and how
she has learned to cope.
As anti-Semitism now begins to spread through-
out the world, we in the Jewish community should
be aware of our own trauma as we see it all reap-
pear. That we must fight it is clear. But how we
explain to our children is not as evident.
Do we want our children to feel that when they
walk down the street everyone is staring at them?
Do we want them to be self-conscious and
uncomfortable with their Jewishness?
As Elisha and I walked with our children in
Krakow after visiting Auschwitz, we came to an
outdoor market where paintings were sold. Kra-
kow is a city where Pope John Paul II is literally a
saint and is rightly respected as a giant of moral
greatness. So it wasn’t surprising to see paint-
ings that captured the pontiff’s piety in prayer.
But what was shocking was seeing the paintings
right next to him of rabbis surrounded by money,
holding gold coins — even holding bitcoins! —
rather than praying or studying. It was a disgust-
ing display of anti-Semitism, so vulgar that if I had
not posted the pictures on my Facebook page no
one would have believed it. (A few months back,
in the same market in Krakow, my son Mendy
and I saw a revolting painting of a serene-looking
Hitler holding spring flowers. It was the Sabbath
so we could not photograph it.) But even as I pro-
tested this overt display of anti-Jewish prejudice,
I was careful to show my son, who had just had
his bar mitzvah in Israel, that he dare never shirk
in public from being a proud Jew. I tried to show
him the same as we walked the streets of Nice
and Marseilles in France last summer, even as the
local Jewish community told us how dangerous it
was to wear yarmulkes.
Now, we should not put our children in danger.
But should we not also factor in the psychologi-
cal harm of being too self-conscious, rather than
acting natural, as Jews? Is fearing anti-Semitism
not its own form of PTSD?
I believe we have to confront the slow creep
of anti-Semitism just as soon as it starts making
tracks. We must fight anti-Semites like Rashida
Tlaib who shockingly said that she has a “calm-
ing feeling” when she thinks of the Holocaust,
because, she claims, the Palestinians provided a
“safe haven” for Jews in Palestine “post the Holo-
caust.” Aside from the disgusting juxtaposition of
the words “calming” and “Holocaust” appearing
in the same sentence, Tlaib is a brazen liar.
The truth, of course, is that the Jews escaping
Hitler who made it to British-mandated Palestine
were met with pogroms against Jewish communi-
ties, revolts against Jewish immigration, Arab sup-
port for Hitler’s Holocaust, and a determination
on the part of Israel’s Arab’s neighbors to launch
genocidal wars against the Jews that have not
The opinions expressed here are those of the authors, not necessarily those of the newspaper’s editors, publishers, or other
staffers. We welcome letters to the editor. Send them to jstandardletters@gmail.com.
abated till today. Indeed, before the Holocaust,
Palestinian Arabs made a habit of massacring
their Jewish neighbors. In April 1920, five Jews
were murdered by Arabs rioting in Jerusalem. In
May 1921, 47 Jews were murdered by Arabs rioting
in Jaffa. In August 1929, 133 Jews were murdered
by Arab rioters in Safed, Jaffa, and Hebron. In the
years leading up to the Holocaust, local Arabs also
partook in a brutal three-year revolt against the
English to stop the rescue of Jews escaping Hitler’s
rise. Their efforts paid off, with the British reduc-
ing Jewish immigration from a high of 62,000 in
1935 to just 10,000 in 1937.
Even more significant was how during the
Holocaust, Arab leader Haj Amin Al Husseini,
the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, was a staunch ally
and admirer of Hitler. After launching a failed
Nazi-backed rebellion against the British, he
fled to Berlin at the Fuhrer’s invitation, where
he was given a villa and a generous monthly
salary. During the war, he helped recruit Mus-
lim soldiers from the Balkans for the SS and in
radio broadcasts exhorted the Arabs to launch
jihad against the British and “kill the Jews.” After
the Holocaust, Arab armies partook in a geno-
cidal war against the fledgling State of Israel. Six
Arab nations invaded Israel with the stated goal
of “driving the Jews into the sea,” — attempting a
second genocide of the Jews just three years after
the first. This time, however, a newborn Jewish
army repulsed the invasion, reclaiming for Jews
their ancient, God-given homeland.
But as we battle the Tlaibs and Ilhan Omars
of this world, let us be careful never to trivialize
the Holocaust.
Recently I attended an Englewood Council
meeting that is considering spot-zoning the area
directly across the street from me for a Care One
home for the elderly. The argument being made
by the company to place a large institution in an
area zoned for single-family homes is that the
facility will administer to the needs of the Ortho-
dox community who need to be within walking
distance of relatives who may live there. But rab-
bis of the community got up to support the for-
profit idea by invoking the image of elderly Holo-
caust survivors walking around Englewood lost.
The home would be essential for them.
This immediately provoked a response from
an Englewood resident who got up and spoke of
the much worse and “endless” holocaust of Afri-
can-Americans that continues till this day and
compared to which six million is a small number.
For good measure he quoted the “honorable”
Louis Farrakhan. I got up and responded that
Farrakhan was an anti-Semite whose poisonous
hatred of the Jews directly contradicts that of
Martin Luther King, the greatest American of the
20th century, who said that all of God’s children
are created equally in His image.
So there it was. At a hearing over a construction
project at Englewood, New Jersey, the Holocaust
had been invoked in a commercial project and in
a rebuttal, both for and against. Which just goes to
show that choosing our battles in the never-end-
ing fight against anti-Semites is critical.
Opinion
A Memorial Day
look at Jewish
wartime sermons
E
ach week rabbis are challenged to present their congre-
gants with a meaningful message about the issues of the
moment. Often, those issues touch on the over-extended
realm of politics.
I am a rabbi who does not discuss politics, and I made that clear
before I assumed my position. I generally choose to speak about that
which unites, I will not endorse a particular party or politician (that’s
illegal anyway), and I model respect for the officers of government
(however challenging that has become). Still, three years into my ten-
ure, my congregants know that I consider many topics that are usually
labeled “political” as, in fact, religious.
Human rights, the environment, the responsibility to protect, and
the God-given right to justice are religious issues. This attends not only
to my pulpit; it places me squarely within more than two hundred
years of what might be termed the mod-
ern rabbinate.
As Memorial Day approaches and we
honor those whose lives were cut short
by the demands of war, I draw inspiration
and strength from a remarkable collec-
tion of sermons found in “Jewish Preach-
ing in Times of War 1800-2001,” collected
by Rabbi Professor Marc Saperstein, now
of the Leo Baeck College, for the Littman
Library of Jewish Civilization. The book Rabbi
reaches from the Napoleonic Wars at the Elchanan
beginning of the 19th century all the way Weinbach
to responses to 9/11.
For me, three things stand out from this
important collection.
First, it is a fascinating contrast when rabbis on opposite sides of a
conflict present their interpretation of Scripture and rabbinic literature
and reach very different conclusions. A dramatic example is a rabbinic
exchange during the Civil War. (I quote heavily from Rabbi Saperstein
throughout this piece.)
When a sermon delivered on January 4, 1861, a Day of National Fast
and Humiliation proclaimed by President Buchanan (imagine that!),
Rabbi Maurice J. Raphall of New York preached “The Biblical View of
Slavery,” challenging Christian preachers who condemned slavehold-
ing as a sin, asserting that the biblical “doom of Ham’s descendants,
the African race” remained in full force to this day, and insisting that
slavery is never condemned as sinful in sacred scripture.
On the opposite side, Rabbi David Einhorn of Baltimore excoriated
Rabbi Raphall’s position with savage sarcasm — “is Slavery a moral
evil or not?” As a result, Rabbi Einhorn’s name appeared on the list of
abolitionists to be targeted by secessionists, and he was persuaded to
flee northward for his safety. Interestingly, the board of trustees of his
congregation wrote to him that when changed conditions might make
it possible for him to return, “it would be very desirable for your own
safety, as well as out of consideration for the members of your congre-
gation, if in the future there would be no comment in the pulpit on the
excitable issues of the times.”
Unwilling to be bound by any such restriction, Rabbi Einhorn moved
on to positions in Philadelphia and New York.
Second, it is encouraging that so many of my colleagues and I stand
fast in the great tradition of compassion for our enemies. On Thursday,
SEE SERMONS PAGE 34
Elchanan Weinbach is the rabbi of Congregation Shaarey Israel in
Montebello. He has been a pulpit rabbi for 13 years, a school head for
15 years, and a consultant, presenter, or scholar in residence in New
York, Kansas City, and Florida, and at LimmudLA.
JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019 31
Opinion
Oy vey — or why I still believe in Israel
O
“ y vey!” occasionally appears to be the Jew-
ish people’s national anthem more than
“Hatikvah,” which accents hope. I went to
Israel to exercise my voting privileges as
an Israeli citizen.
I went, I saw, and I lost, or at least the party I voted for did.
Because of this, I, along with other Israelis, worry about
Israel’s future. What happens to Israel if the expansionists
realize their dream of annexation of the West Bank thereby
bringing as many as 2.7 million Palestinians under Isra-
el’s jurisdiction? What happens if the right-wing onslaught
against the Supreme Court, one of the most trusted public
institutions in Israel, succeeds? If the Supreme Court is neu-
tered, what institution will stand in the way of voiding pal-
pably unjust and undemocratic legislation? And as so many
American Jewish leaders have recognized and bemoaned,
these questions exercise a great swath of American Jewry as
well, and not to Israel’s benefit.
Oy vey!
But wait. Listen to some of the most important words in
Israel’s Proclamation of Independence:
The State of Israel “will foster the development of the
country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; it will be based
on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets
of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and polit-
ical rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race
or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience,
language, education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy
Places of all religions….”
Of late, these high aspirations have fallen on hard times,
but not for the first time in Israel’s history. Yet whenever
it looks like these aspirations are about to turn into wisps
being driven away by the storm clouds of the moment,
quiet but persistent breezes blow them back to their proper
place in Israel’s consciousness.
The good news about Israel that we don’t get
Nobody likes to lose, especially when the stakes are
high. So yes, I am disappointed about my party and
I’VE BEEN THINKING
Four magic words
W
hen I was growing up, we had watches,
diapers, telephones, stores, mail, and
milk.
Now, with the advent of digital
watches, disposable diapers, cell phones, online shop-
ping, email, and two percent milk, we have analog
watches, cloth diapers, landlines, brick and mortar
stores, snail mail, and whole milk.
Don’t you just love retronyms and how they so vividly
paint a picture of variety and change?
Which brings me to friends (no, not the sitcom).
I had lots of friends when I was growing up, each and
every one of whom I met and interacted with personally. In
fact, even 65 years later I still do so with some of the same
ones, like I did this year over a Pesach lunch of matzah
pizza, frittata, and memories. But with the proliferation
of email and Facebook, we now have friends whom we’ve
never met — hence, the retronym of real friends to distin-
guish them from Facebook or email friends.
One of the ways I try to merge the two is by making an
effort to meet Facebook friends, as they say, IRL (in real
32 JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019
its cohorts being the opposition rather bona fides seeking a marriage sanctioned by
than in the coalition. But I know that in Jewish law. Some people who fall into this
Israel, as in the States, there are grass- category are people seeking a decorous West-
roots movements that are successful in ern-style wedding with a rabbi of their choice
preserving the high aspirations declared rather than with a state-appointed one. Some
in Israel’s Proclamation of Independence of them have converted to Judaism with Giur
and our Declaration of Independence. K’Halakhah, an alternative to the rabbinate’s
Who are they, and what are they doing? conversion courts, which makes use of legit-
imate halachic leniencies that make conver-
Religion and personal status issues Rabbi sion to Judaism a more accessible process.
Let’s start with the organizations Hiddush Dr. Michael There are 40 Orthodox rabbinic judges who
and Itim. Both work toward the protection Chernick serve this conversion court, many of them the
of religious freedom and rights in Israel. lights of modern Orthodoxy—Rabbi Shlomo
Hiddush polls Israelis about such issues Riskin, Rabbi Nachum Rabinovitch, Rabbi
as support for civil marriage and their feelings about Haim Amsalem, Rabbi David Stav, and others of this caliber.
religious pluralism, the religious coercion ensconced in The rabbinate does not recognize these conversions, and
Israeli law, the chief rabbinate, and much more. Over- until Chuppot came on the scene the rabbinate would not
whelmingly, the polls show the majority of Israelis to be allow these converts to marry “real Jews.”
social liberals even when they are political conservatives. This Catch-21 is finished. Chuppot has become the go-to
Hiddush and Itim fight the chief rabbinate in court when agency for marriage when the rabbinate won’t accept you as
it overreaches the boundaries of its authority. This occurs Jewish enough to be married by it.
when excessive demands are made of people who have to The majority of Israelis favor legislation that would
prove their Jewish status in order to marry. This occurs again permit civil and pluralistic religious marriage. (That’s 67
when people who converted with the rabbinate 15 years ago percent of the general Jewish population, according to a
find their conversions nullified, in contradiction of halachic Hiddush poll from 2018). This would allow the 300,000 to
norms. The victory rate for both these organizations in their 400,000 Russian émigrés — some people estimate the real
legal suits against the rabbinate is high. number is closer to 700,00 — to marry and register their
Polls show that most Israelis would not marry through marriages. Now the charedi-dominated Ministry of the Inte-
the rabbinate if they were to marry again, yet the chief rior considers them as “without religion.”
rabbinate remains the only legal authority for contract- Yisrael Hofshi (Free Israel) is stirring up the masses and
ing a marriage or receiving a divorce in Israel. For the last pushing the civil and pluralistic marriage agenda. It even
five years the percentage of Jews marrying under the aus- got a first reading of a civil and religiously pluralistic mar-
pices of the chief rabbinate has decreased by 7 percent per riage law in the Knesset. The blockage of such legislation
annum. Who, if anyone, is performing or facilitating these can go on only so long in the face of Yisrael Hofshi’s ongoing
people’s “illegal” weddings? hammering at this issue in the press and in videos detailing
Rabbi Aaron Liebowitz, an Orthodox rabbi, recently the suffering that couples go through because there is no
founded an organization called Chuppot. It caters specifi- civil or religiously pluralistic marriage in Israel. Research
cally to couples who do not want to marry through the chief shows the government-backed religious establishment to
rabbinate or cannot do so even though they are Jews with be the greatest promoter of halachic intermarriage in Israel.
life), which I’ve done successfully a num- How refreshing that was. He had dis-
ber of times over the years. This happened cussed a controversial and complex issue
most recently just after Pesach, when the concerning conversion in Israel. In seri-
scholar-in-residence in our shul, Prof. Jef- ously analyzing that issue, though, not only
frey Woolf, was a FB friend with whom I did he not dismiss one side with a sound
finally had the opportunity to speak face bite, he noted the strengths and weak-
to face, no books involved. nesses of each side of the matter.
Although we’ve often disagreed, in posts OTOH. We need two hands for so many
and comments, over theological, social, things: opening a bottle, buttoning a coat,
and political matters, our encounter was Joseph C. tying shoes, playing baseball (yes, I know
extremely pleasant. And it was particularly Kaplan about Pete Gray and Jim Abbott, the excep-
so after shul (mea culpa, he sat behind me tions who prove the rule), applauding, and
during services and we actually chatted a playing guitar, for example. Well, thought-
bit then as well) when I told him (honestly) how much ful and meaningful argument and discussion is also a two-
I enjoyed his sermon. And then I added: “I especially handed task, perhaps even more difficult than Pete field-
liked your use of the magic words.” He gave me a puz- ing and throwing and Jim pitching.
zled look; he knew he hadn’t said please, thank you, or OTOH helps us think; indeed, it often makes us think.
abracadabra. It was clear he had no idea what I meant, OTOH adds a richness that otherwise is missing; it fleshes
so I explained: “‘On the other hand’; you made an argu- out issues, forcing us to question our own preconceived
ment and then you said ‘on the other hand’ and gave the notions. OTOH is the yellow light in a discussion, teaching
other side.” us to slow down a bit and take some more time before

One of the greatest forces for gender equality in Israel is
Mavoi Satum (“Dead End”). Mavoi Satum originally started
in order to help women and some men facing get refusal,
which prevented their remarriages because they could not
get a religious divorce. Mavoi Satum has extended its man-
date to providing guidance to couples who want to marry
without benefit of clergy and who are prepared to protect
each other from the effects of get refusal. This is accom-
plished by signing civilly recognized prenuptial agreements
that promote giving a get should a marriage fall apart.
Details of how to draw up such a prenup and the legalese
that makes it binding have been published in a guide Mavoi
Satum recently published and circulated to the public.
Peace, coexistence, and human rights
How many of us here in the States know the stories of Neve
Shalom, Yad B’yad Schools, Seeds of Peace, Shorashim/
Jurud/Roots, the Rana Choir of Jaffa, Machsom Watch and
many other co-existence organizations and human rights
protections organizations in Israel? Some of these, like
Yad B’yad Schools and the Rana Choir, bring Israeli Jews
and Arabs together in cooperative cultural, educational,
and social ventures. You can hear the Rana Choir of Jaffa
on YouTube with Jews and Arabs singing Chad Gadya
together, each in their own language and then in each oth-
er’s tongues. You can find out about the Yad B’yad Schools,
which teach Jewish and Israeli Arab children in the same
classrooms in a bilingual and bicultural setting. These are
the sources of my tikvah, my hope for Israel.
The tendency to blame everything “wrong” with Israel
on the settlement movement is based on not knowing
about Shorashim/Jurud/Roots. This organization brings
together peace-seeking Jewish settlers (yes, they exist!) and
their next-door peace-seeking Palestinian neighbors (yes,
they exist!) to figure out how they can know each other bet-
ter, make peace with one another, and create a better real-
ity and future for themselves and their children.
You will have more faith in the future of Israel and what
someday may be Palestine when you become au courant
with the work of Seeds of Peace. Originally, Seeds of Peace
brought Palestinian and Israeli young people from Israel
to Maine, away from scenes of conflict into neutral space.
we get to where we think we want to go or, sometimes,
where we end up going — not always the same place.
This is true in writing as well as preaching. I recently
read a column in the Jewish Standard arguing that a
single-payer health care system is a terrible one, which
would be catastrophic for the United States to adopt. Per-
haps. While I don’t really know quite enough to have a
definitive opinion, my initial inclination is that such an
abrupt change in our health care insurance system would
not be the best way to deal with what is a serious national
problem that grows as our current system continues to be
undermined by harmful legislation and lawsuits.
I was bothered by the article. Not necessarily by its con-
clusions, though I thought they were vastly overstated,
particularly its claim that such a system would be espe-
cially bad for the Jews. Really? It’s a Jewish issue now?
More importantly, though, my major difficulty was the
complete lack of any OTOH.
There are certainly serious issues with a single payer
system, though, as I have said before, my personal expe-
rience is that the very best health insurance I ever had in
several decades is Medicare, the single payer system for
those over 65.
But just as there may be problems with single payer
Over the summer, talking and camping together under
the guidance of conflict resolution experts changed per-
ceptions and allowed for openness to the narratives of the
Other as well as the reshaping of those narratives.
Now, older teens from many areas of conflict have joined
the Seeds of Peace family. There are presently more than
7000 ambassadors for peace who are Seeds of Peace grad-
uates. The organization keeps tabs on their alumni and
supports them in their work toward peaceful conflict res-
olution in many countries, but especially in Israel and the
Palestinian Authority territory.
As I write, the Alliance for Middle East Peace has arranged
a joint Israeli-Gazan Palestinian bike ride and marathon for
peace, with facilitation by Kibbutz Beeri. It was supposed to
take place on May 16 but was postponed due to excessive
heat. It will happen as soon as the weather cools down. Per-
haps other things will cool down because of this effort as well.
The Kotel, religious pluralism, and renewal
Last Friday night, 400 people came for a joyous and mov-
ing Masorti/Conservative movement Kabbalat Shabbat ser-
vice at Azarat Yisrael, the much-disputed egalitarian prayer
area at the Kotel. The plan is to make such events ongo-
ing until the promised building of a dignified and beauti-
ful egalitarian prayer space becomes a reality. The Masorti
and Yahadut Mitkademet movements, once mainly Israeli
Anglo, now are overwhelmingly home to native-born Israe-
lis. These, along with Tefillah Yisraelit, an organization that
brings 600 to 800 Israelis to Tel Aviv’s shores for Kabbalat
Shabbat services, are helping thousands of Israelis to re-es-
tablish their ties to Judaism in a way that is meaningful to
them. These movements need your support.
Such efforts — and there are many more that I have not
listed — do not make it into the Anglo-Jewish press, let alone
the New York Times. And that’s a pity.
What we can do
So, here are few suggestions about what you can do to
make better news come from Israel:
You can press our local federation to provide an alloca-
tion to iREP, the Israel Religious Equality Platform, which was
created and supported by the Jewish Federations of North
systems in other countries, as the article noted, are
there no serious problems with the health care insur-
ance in America? Is there no OTOH that almost 30 mil-
lion people in the United States have no health insur-
ance at all? Or that many people with high deductibles
policies cannot afford to pay for, and thus must forgo,
necessary medical care? Or that there’s no transpar-
ency about the cost of medical care and thus a complete
inability to do comparison shopping?
Is there no OTOH that drug companies can, and some-
times do, double and triple the price of life-saving drugs
without rhyme or reason (other than profits) resulting
in deaths? Or that there are too many medical expenses
bankruptcies (no matter what the actual number is)?
Or, or, or. Such a complicated issue cries out for some
OTOH. All we were given, though, was one hand clapping.
Of course, I didn’t expect the column to include all
these arguments. I certainly understand that the pri-
mary view of a column is the point of view and the opin-
ion of its writer. And I also understand about word lim-
itations from editors (thank you Word for having word
counts appear automatically in the newest version).
But completely ignoring the other hand weakens, not
strengthens, the argument.
Opinion
America, the parent body of local Jewish federations. iREP
provides grants to many of the grassroots organizations I just
described. Some of us have begun the process of introduc-
ing iREP to our local federation, but it will take a grassroots
groundswell of donors to bring our federation into the coa-
lition that voluntarily supports iREP with local federation
money. If you want more good news about Israel, iREP has
the potential for making that good news happen.
There are grant-giving organizations that provide
needed funds to progressive organizations in Israel. The
New Israel Fund is a major source of this kind of fund-
ing. If you want more good news from Israel, consider
supporting the NIF’s work.
There is a magnificent Vision Statement for a Jewish and
Democratic State of Israel. Written by an American Ortho-
dox rabbi and an Israeli Reform rabbi, it has been signed by
more than 1,300 supporters from all over the world and by
21 organizations representing thousands more. Go on line
to rrfei.org/petitions/vision-israel-jewish-democratic-state/
and see what the Statement has to say about what Israel
might look like. If you agree with the Vision Statement,
become a signatory. The more world Jewry supports the
Vision Statement, the more its supporters can present it as
a unifying mission statement for those Israelis and Israeli
organizations who desire their homeland to be Jewish in
terms of ethical principles and democratic in practice.
Involvement with grassroots Israel and its organizations
will open your eyes to another side of Israel’s story. If you
stand behind and strongly support these projects and
movements, you can be a catalyst for changing the per-
ceived face of today’s Israel from a grimace to a smile.
“Od lo avdah tikvati”—”I have not yet lost my hope.” And
though you and I may not perfectly complete the work of
creating an ideal Israel, we are not free to cease trying.
Rabbi Dr. Michael Chernick and his wife, Miriam Stern, live
in Teaneck. He received his doctorate from the Bernard Revel
Graduate School and rabbinic ordination from the Rabbi
Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. He holds the Deutsch
Family Chair in Jewish Jurisprudence and Social Justice at
the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New
York; his area of expertise is the Talmud.
(In thinking about my own columns, I realize I was,
at times, also probably guilty of ignoring OTOH. Can’t
change history, but I’ll try to do better in the future.)
I’m sure some of my doctor friends will have answers
to certain of my OTOH’s. And that’s fine. We can and
should discuss them. Maybe I’ll realize some of the prob-
lems I see aren’t as real as I think they are; maybe they’ll
realize that some problems they minimize are truly seri-
ous ones. Or maybe we’ll still disagree — while of course
remaining IRL friends. But at least we’ll have had a seri-
ous discussion of the issues rather than a Potemkin village
view of a difficult problem.
I don’t know how I’d vote on instituting a single payer
system. And I don’t know exactly where I come out on
the conversion issue Prof. Woolf discussed from the
pulpit. But I do know I’d want to get my head and my
hands around those issues before I decide. One head
but both hands.
Joseph C. Kaplan, a regular columnist, is a long-time
resident of Teaneck. His work also has appeared in various
publications including Sh’ma magazine, the New York
Jewish Week, the Baltimore Jewish Times, and, as letters to
the editor, the New York Times.
JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019 33
Letters
Pascrell on radicalized hate
The spate of deadly domestic extremist violence against
houses of worship and nonprofit institutions is a growing
threat to virtually every corner of the United States. It is
imperative that elected officials like myself do everything
in our power to combat this weaponized hatred whenever
it rears its hideous head.
To that end, I recently helped lead bipartisan legislation
that would authorize a security grant program for religious
institutions and non-profits. I’ve also worked to increase fed-
eral funding for the Federal Non-Profit Security Grant Pro-
gram from $13 million to $60 million, and we are requesting
$75 million in the next budget. Through letters and conver-
sation, I am working closely with my colleagues to fully fund
these critical programs so that religious communities can
have the security they deserve. As the Old Testament tells
us, silence is consent. In the face of this new wave of radical-
ized hate, I promise that I will never be silent.
Bill Pascrell, Jr., Member of Congress (D — NJ Dist. 9)
Remembering Herman Wouk
My late mother, Shirley Friedberg Neustein, was a child-
hood friend of Herman Wouk, who attended the boys divi-
sion of a Zionist camp (Keeyuma/Carmelia) in the 1920s and
30s. The camp was picturesquely situated on Lake Cham-
plain in Milton, Vermont. My mother and Herman kept up
with each other until my mother died in 2001.
I gathered bits and pieces of Herman’s personal side, his
banter, humor, zest for living in spite of personal tragedy,
from the anecdotes my mother shared with me. Beginning
with the camp days, where the boys and girls who were
separated during the week would come together for Friday
night Shabbat prayer service, my mother was very much
intrigued with Herman, a couple of years her senior. She viv-
idly described how during short breaks in the prayer service
he would suddenly lift his head from the siddur, canvassing
the room with penetrating eyes. She would often tell me
she could see “the wheels of his mind” turning as he scru-
pulously examined every fellow camper in the prayer hall.
They all wore white shorts for the Sabbath, as was required
by the camp director. Yet behind the banality of clothing,
Herman saw the richness of color in each fellow camper.
He soon became friends with my mother, and when he
invented the character “Shirley” in “Marjorie Morningstar”
he called my mother to apologize profusely, swearing she
was nothing at all like the protagonist in his book! Though
he did concede he consciously used her name because of
his friendship with my mother, another “Shirley.” In May
1962, my mother put together a monumental camp reunion,
bringing together the young Zionists who had now become
Sermons
FROM PAGE 31
5 December, 1805, a “Day of General Thanksgiving for the
success of his majesty’s fleet under Lord Nelson, off Tra-
falgar” was observed throughout both the churches and
the synagogues of England. On all such occasions, Jews
gathered in their synagogues at the same time that their
Christian neighbors assembled in their churches; a special
liturgy was followed, and the chief rabbi delivered a ser-
mon explicating the meaning of the events celebrated. On
this occasion, Rabbi Solomon Hirschel departs from the
general vilification of the enemy found in the sermons of
his fellow clergymen, instead devoting considerable atten-
tion to whether it is proper to rejoice at the victory of one’s
own nation when this victory entails suffering and death
among the enemy.
I can say from experience that compassion for an
enemy in war, when the general tone describes that
34 JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019
household names in literary, political, and business circles.
Arthur Miller, Norman Lear, Moss Hart, Paul Goodman, Bob
Treuhaft, Andrew Goodman (founder of Bergdorf Good-
man), to name just a few. Herman was immersed at the time
in “Youngblood Hawke,” secluding himself in the Virgin
Islands so as to devote full concentration to his novel. Unable
to appear at the reunion, Herman made a poignant audio-
tape recounting his camp memories. My mother brought
scissors with her, and out of respect for Herman’s sensitiv-
ity she cut the cassette tape immediately after it was played.
The room stood still, as the former campers listened closely
to Herman’s reflections on his camp days: stories, commen-
taries, and humor about life among an oasis of trees for a
Jewish boy growing up in the Bronx. Many will say Herman,
an extraordinarily gifted Pulitzer Prize winning novelist, was
“larger than life.” My late mother would say, if she were here
today, that Herman was someone who clearly showed signs
of “greatness” as a young lad even before he ever took pen to
hand to write his first novel!
Amy Neustein, Ph.D., Fort Lee
Trash bin of history
After reading the opinion piece by Rabbi Dr. Fine in the May
10 issue (“Why I am keeping my subscription to the New
York Times”), I could understand where the term “off the
rails” stems from.
His inclusion and comparison of the Times to the Torah
is at best misguided and at worst sickening. What makes it
even worse he is a rabbi. I don’t care what denomination he
belongs to, but his comparisons belong in the trash bin not
a Jewish newspaper. I am not even mentioning his defense
of the Times history and their apologies towards Israel and
Jews. Those apologies had to be squeezed out of the news-
paper and are not worthy of of serious thought. Proof is
that the next day they ran a cartoon of Netanyahu with tab-
lets coming down from a mountain. What religious signifi-
cance does Bibi and the government have today. None, but
the Times thinks that is the thrust of Israel’s government.
Sad that a rabbi believes their “new approach” and even
sadder that he uses the Torah to compare it to.
Marc Aron, Teaneck
Rabbi Goldstein’s heroism
Your coverage of the Poway shooting in your May 3rd edi-
tion was informative and well done — although I am puz-
zled why it was relegated to pages 30-32, and needlessly
included a photo of a Moslem girl in the crowd of partic-
ipants in the post-shooting vigil. However, what is more
glaring, is the omission in either the May 3rd or May 10th
paper of the moving and heartfelt speech of Rabbi Yisroel
Goldstein — who lost one of his fingers in protecting other
enemy as being anything from tyrannical to Amalek,
is certain to upset many congregants; still, it is the task
of the rabbi to address this spiritual matter that tran-
scends politics. The Rabbis of the Talmud declare God
as having compassion on the Egyptians at the splitting
of the sea. Can we not manage the same?
Finally, the grimmest task facing any rabbi is to eulogize
the death of children, which all soldiers are. How inspi-
rational, therefore, is the sermon Rabbi Ronald B. Gittel-
sohn gave at the U.S. Marine Corps cemetery at Iwo Jima in
March 1945. In it he pleads that the opportunity presented
by the sacrifices of The Great War not be wasted.
I quote from his sermon: “This war, with all its fright-
ful heartache and suffering, is but the beginning of our
generation’s struggle for democracy. When the last bat-
tle has been won, there will be those at home, as there
were last time, who will want us to turn our backs in
selfish isolation on the rest of organized humanity, and
thus to sabotage the very peace for which we fight. We
worshippers at the synagogue shooting — at the National
Day of Prayer at the White House on May 2nd. I realize that
perhaps your paper was already “at press” and the story
took place after printing, but why the pronounced silence
and omission in the following week’s (May 10) paper? While
Rabbi Goldstein was not originally included in the roster of
speakers, President Trump, who previously and personally
called and spoke with Rabbi Goldstein for 20 minutes, spon-
taneously called upon him to speak, and share his message
of hope, pride and positivism in the face of evil and dark-
ness. Rabbi Goldstein quoted from the Rebbe, Rabbi Men-
achem M. Schneerson, that the way to react to darkness is
with light, and in the early 1980s, shortly after the assassina-
tion attempt on President Reagan, the Rebbe urged making
a daily moment of silence as a standard practice in public
schools. Rabbi Goldstein, in drawing tears from the White
House gathering, remarked that the Rebbe taught him, that
as a Jew, you are a soldier of God, and you need to stand
tall and stand fast, to do what it takes to change the world.
These words— urging all to increase in acts of goodness and
kindness — visibly touched and drew tears from those at
the gathering, with the president thanking the rabbi for his
courage, grace and devotion in touching every heart and
soul in America. This was truly a “Kiddush Hashem.”
William Z. Shulman, Esq., Union City
Anti-Semitism from the left
“Normalization of Bias” (May 10, 2019) speaks of the sta-
tistics and insight that show a trend toward increasing
anti-Semitism. I disagree with Mr. Abe Foxman when he
says: “The good news is that anti-Semitism is latent...” Latent
means underdeveloped, hidden, or concealed. It is not. In
the article, Mr. Foxman says: “Taboos have been destroyed
by Trumpism and by politics.” The article speaks about
right-wing extremism but stops short and doesn’t include
the progressive left and the “woke” culture that has brought
the mainstreaming of anti-Semitism to the Congressional
halls. We are almost deaf to the progressive left assaults after
living for years with blatant (not latent) anti-Semitism on the
university and college campuses around the country.
For many years there existed a debate as to whether
anti-Zionism was really anti-Semitism. At this point in time
most Jews would agree that it is, as it has shown itself more
openly anti-Jewish. The historian Victor Davis Hanson writes
about this topic, most recently in his article “Why Progres-
sive Anti-Semitism — and Why Now?” in the National Review.
American Jews are living in the midst of increased and
mainstreaming anti-Semitism. At the very least it behooves
our Jewish leaders be more open about all the places it is
coming from.
Varda Hager, Teaneck
promise to you who lie here: we will not do that. We
will join hands with Britain, China, Russia in peace,
even as we have in war, to build the kind of world for
which you have died.” (It is interesting to note that the
last sentence was edited out of the official version on
record with the United States Army Chaplain Center
and School.)
The upcoming Memorial Day is a time for religion to give
honor to the fallen and comfort to the bereaved, and to
bring its bright and critical light to bear on all sides of our
many conflicts. As our prophets and rabbinic leaders have
done for millennia, and as these shining examples from the
modern rabbinate have modeled for us, let us remember
clearly the tragedy of war, the responsibility to seek univer-
sal peace, the ever-present need for a careful and probing
examination of the motives towards war on all sides.
This much we owe to the memory of our fallen, to the
victims of war — combatants and civilians — and to the dic-
tates not of politics but of our religion.
 The Frazzled Housewife
Is a roll of film a carb?
I
love taking pictures.
Even when I was younger, I
always had whatever camera
was in style. Remember Pola-
roids? You took a picture, it magically
came out instantly, and then you could
watch it develop. It was truly miracu-
lous. Of course if you put your fingers
on it accidentally the
whole thing got ruined
and it was really cool to
dissect the actual picture
to see what was going
on — though they were
a little on the expensive
side, so you tried to be as
careful as possible. If you
are wondering why that
technological marvel no Banji
longer exits, it is proba- Ganchrow
bly because the camera
weighed about 12 pounds
and didn’t really fit into anything to
make it easier to shlep it around.
For my eighth-grade graduation, my
aunt and uncle got me a Nikon camera.
That one was totally awesome because
I had to install the film myself — hook it eras. I apologized for having to break up
up, roll it through — it was a very com-
plicated process, and I felt very mature
and intelligent when I got the thing to
work. I also had to use the lens to focus ease it took to take the pictures…it was
so the picture wouldn’t be fuzzy. Of
course, when you take pictures with a
camera like that, it takes a tad bit lon- and still have no idea how to develop
ger. OK, it takes a lot longer to get the them. Any of them. There are hun-
picture in focus, and you have to hope
everyone has enough patience to get
the shot. And after you use the whole
roll of film, you pray that you forwarded grown five inches since I have been
the film enough that when you open
the camera, you don’t expose it and
ruin the whole roll. It was always hit or them. I don’t even know where to
miss and I probably hit and missed an
equal amount.
Then you brought the film in and
waited a week to 10 days to get your
pictures back. And then you have those
memories forever.
My next camera had a cool red case
and it was programmed to do every-
thing, so I just popped the film in the
back and closed it. Fantastic. It was so
high tech that the date of the picture
appeared on the bottom of the actual
picture. Of course I could never figure
out how to put the correct date in so
I have a whole bunch of albums filled
with pictures that have the wrong date
on them. Oh well. At least the pictures
are all in focus.
Kosher Crossword
“LET’S GET PHYSICAL” BY YONI GLATT
KOSHERCROSSWORDS@GMAIL.COM
DIFFICULTY LEVEL: MEDIUM
And then came the digital camera. You
could take pictures and then see what
they looked like so you could decide if
you wanted to retake the picture. Tech-
nology is amazing! You can see the pic-
ture before you develop it! Woweeee!
I loved this little silver device. When it
broke, I paid to fix it because I loved it
so much. Unfortunately, in
the two weeks it took to get
my precious camera back,
out came the iPhone. And
as you all know, life as we
knew it would never ever
be the same. The iPhone
was great. You could call
people, you could text
people, you could take pic-
tures of people, you could
video people, all in one
handy dandy product.
As some of you know, it
took me a while to give in to the iPhone
trend. It isn’t that I thought it wouldn’t
last, I was just afraid to become a part
of the culture. But once my boys got it
for me, I said goodbye to all of my cam- Across Down
1. Moses wore one for the last third of 1. Queens Mr.
his life 2. Pulls off
with them. I told them how easy it was
5. Meshuggah 3. Parve dessert option
going to be for me to take pictures. The 10. Police-alert letters 4. Laker often referenced by his first
quality of the pictures was better, the 13. Mahktesh bounce-back name
14. Sarai’s husband 5. Move one’s tail, as a dog
all wonderful. 15. Sea eggs 6. Superior of Maria in “The Sound of
Except for one crucial thing. I had 16. Sodom’s destruction, to one lis- Music”
tening? 7. Most 5-Across
18. “Flags of ___ Fathers” 8. Charles Foster and Erica
19. Burns up 9. “Heavens!” to a texter
dreds and hundreds of pictures on 20. Sleep-___ (night-time tablet) 10. Near by
my phone. Three years worth of pic- 21. Bean for Creed on “The Office” 11. Spring upon
tures. Son #3 has started shaving and 22. Black History Mo. 12. MP Luciana who resigned from the
23. What the Bielski brothers were Labour Party in protest of Jeremy
known for? Corbin
taking pictures on my phone, and I
26. Many Monopoly props. 17. Land of Acre: Abbr.
still can’t figure out how to develop 28. Monogram of 1948 Nobel winner 21. Tom ___ Riddle
for literature 22. Like Eglon, in Judges
start, or how much it will end up cost- 29. Word with tall or short 24. Director Cohen, and others
ing to develop 700 pictures. And then 30. ___ gedola (separated produce) 25. Some bags
my phone starts telling me that I have 32. Show that launched the careers of 27. Levi or Levy, e.g.
Moranis and Ramis 31. ___ Boys Choir
no space left in my camera and I have
34. Tzitzit speculation? 33. Grand Canyon, for one
to start deleting some pictures. Which 38. Former soccer org. 35. The world over
ones do I delete?? I can’t delete them 39. Like Choni HaMa’agel for 70 years 36. Not inert
yet. I don’t have them in an album and 41. Bad Boko 37. Party founded by Yair Lapid
I can’t get them in an album because I 44. Takes too much, for short 40. Org. in education
still don’t know how to develop them. 46. Brewer’s device 41. Belonging to the husband of
47. Hoffman’s “Ishtar” or Spielberg’s Zeresh
So you see my problem…
“The BFG”, e.g.? 42. Observes Yom Kippur, perhaps
Maybe I will ask Alexa what to do, or 50. “Ching” preceder 43. Many a movie rating, nowadays
Siri…at least they won’t laugh at me. 51. Particle of dust 45. Give a little tzedakah
Say Cheese!!!!! 52. “And Esau ___ to meet him” 48. Carl ___ aka Absorbing Man (Lee/
(Genesis 33:4) Kirby creation)
Banji Ganchrow of Teaneck is still 53. Spy Hari 49. Dietitian’s stat
55. Unwelcomed Sukkah guest 54. Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov
in denial that son #3’s high school
56. Physics aspect pertaining to the 56. They go from town to town: Abbr.
graduation is in two weeks. But will mishpacha? 57. Oozy stuff
probably still take pictures and cry. 59. Formerly known as 58. RBs pick them up
60. Force of note
61. “Metamorphoses” writer
62. Fig. in identity theft The solution to last week’s puzzle
63. More like Stallone? is on page 43.
64. Mosby and Striker
JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019 35
 JS-36*

Calendar
Aaron and the OU congregant Yaacov
Women’s Initiative Metzger, 10 a.m. All
will present a special materials supplied.
“Counting Towards Children younger
Sinai” scholars than 8 require adult
program, with Racheli supervision. 950
Luftglass, director of Queen Anne Road.
Judaic studies at YULA (201) 836-6210 or
Girls High School bethaaron.org/event/
in Los Angeles. At TulipOrigami.
5 p.m., she will discuss
“Yirmiyahu’s Field of
Dreams: The Roots
Tuesday 
of Redemption” and may 28
at a shiur between
7:50 Mincha and 8:50 Lunch and Learn in
Maariv services, her Teaneck: Rabbi Beni
topic will be “The Krohn of Young Israel
Female Protagonists: of Teaneck discusses
Sefira’s Path from Shir “Mourning Over a
ha-Shirim to Ruth.” Rebuilt Jerusalem?
All are welcome. 950 Halachic and Hashkafic
Queen Anne Road. Ramifications of
(201) 836-6210 or the Six Day War” at
bethaaron.org. Congregation Bnai
Yeshurun, for the
Monday  Teaneck Orthodox
Retiree Association
may 27 (TORA). Lunch at
noon, talk at 12:45 p.m.
641 West Englewood
Ave. bnaiyeshurun.org/
tora.

june The David Glukh Klezmer Ensemble performs traditional

klezmer and beloved Yiddish and international music
2 selections at the Jewish Home at Rockleigh for the 17th
annual Myrna and Alan Cohen Spring Concert at 2:30
Dr. Shana Posy
How Ruth shaped
King David: In
p.m. Refreshments. 10 Link Drive. (201) 750-4231. Jewish Home Family
anticipation of Film in Teaneck:
Shavuot, Dr. Shana Temple Emeth’s adult
Posy of Highland education group
associate professor, Park, where she learns screens “Defiance,”
Friday  as its scholar-in-
residence. During
Saturday  and teaches Torah, 7:30 p.m., as part
may 24 may 25 discusses “Overlooked of a “Movies That
services beginning No More: Ruth’s Long Mattered” series
at 7 p.m., and again Shadow,” for the adult with Jewish-themed
Shabbat in during Shabbat films. Refreshments.
education committee
Ridgewood: Temple morning services 1666 Windsor Road.
at Congregation Rinat
Israel & JCC marks Lag starting at 9, he will (201) 833-1322 or
Yisrael in Teaneck,
B’Omer with its annual discuss “Entryways emeth.org.
8:30 p.m. 89 West
Campfire Shabbat; it into Torah via Rabbinic Englewood Ave.
includes a barbecue, Commentary.”
a service with guitar Rabbi Dr. Robert After Kiddush, he
(201) 837-2795.
Wednesday 
accompaniment, and will lead text study. Origami workshop in may 29
Harris Courtesy OJC
dessert around the 8 Independence Teaneck: In time for
bonfire, beginning at Shabbat in Ave., Orangeburg. Shavuot, Congregation Yoga & Torah in
6 p.m. 475 Grove St. Orangeburg: The (845) 359-5920 or Racheli Luftglass Beth Aaron continues a Closter: Temple
(201) 444-9320 or Orangetown Jewish theojc.org. free origami workshop Emanu-El offers
synagogue.org. Center welcomes Dr. Shabbat in Teaneck: series with “Tulips “Yoga & Torah” with
Robert Harris, Jewish For Parshat Behar, in a Flowerpot,” led instructor Shari Brooks
Theological Seminary Congregation Beth by origami artist and and Cantor Israel

36 Jewish Standard MAY 24, 2019


and Bruria Singer,
10:30 a.m. A holistic
workout that stretches
the mind and body
while connecting
spiritually with Torah
teachings, song, and
prayer. 180 Piermont
Road. (201) 750-9997
or templeemanu-el.
com.
Fighting scammers:
The Jewish Federation
of Northern New
Jersey and the Bergen
County Prosecutor’s
Office offer an
intergenerational
seminar, “Fight
the Scammers,” at
JFNNJ headquarters,
6:30 p.m. 50
Eisenhower Drive,
Paramus. JFNNJ.org/
fightthescammers or
(201) 820-3946.
Essence of prayer
in Suffern: The
Chabad Jewish
Center of begins a
new six-week course,
“With All My Heart,”
exploring the art of
prayer and spirituality,
by the Rohr Jewish
Learning Institute,
7 p.m. 350 Haverstraw
Road, Suffern, N.Y.
(845) 368-1889 or visit
JewishSuffern.com.
Walk, family fun day to help
those with special needs
The Friendship Circle of Rockland’s
Friendship 1K walk is on Sunday, June
2, at the Eugene Levy Fieldhouse at
Rockland Community College, Suf-
fern. Registration and T-shirt pickup is
at 12:30 p.m.; the Hoop Wizard show at
1; the opening ceremony and walk are
at 1:30, and the Friendship Fair, with
inflatables, rides, train, games, crafts,
JS-37*
Calendar
Kedar concludes minyan that begins Jewish texts at the
Shabbat in Closter:
Thursday  a series, “Insights
into the Troubled
at 7:30, Rabbi Craig
Scheff teaches classes Rabbi David S.
Montebello Jewish
Center, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
may 30 Middle East,” for the on Jewish tradition Widzer and Cantor 34 Montebello Road,
CSI Scholar Fund and mental health. 8 Elizabeth Goldmann Montebello, N.Y.
of the JCC of Fort Independence Ave., lead services with the (845) 357-2430 or
Lee/Congregation Orangeburg, N.Y. Unplugged Band and montebellojc.org.
Gesher Shalom (845) 359-5920 or offering a blessing
and its sisterhood. theojc.org. for all high school
seniors, 7:30 p.m., 221
The discussion will
Schraalenburgh Road. Singles
be “How Can We
Understand the
Friday  (201) 768-5112 or tbenv.
Problems in the Middle
East?” Refreshments,
May 31 org.
Sunday 
12:15 p.m.; speaker at Shabbat in Monday  June 2
Rabbi Meeka Simerly 12:45. 1449 Anderson Orangeburg: Pride
Ave. (201) 947 1735. Month kicks off at the
June 3 Singles meet in
Morning study in Orangetown Jewish Caldwell: New Jersey
Wayne: Rabbi Meeka Ellis Island Center with Pride Golf/tennis/cards in Jewish Singles 45+
Simerly holds a presentation: Senior Shabbat services, Alpine: The Jewish meets at Congregation
study session “The Source welcomes 7 p.m., and Shabbat Home Foundation Agudath Israel with
Writings — Megillot, veteran stage actor morning at 9 a.m. 8 hosts its 25th annual a surprise performer,
Song of Songs, Mark Simmons for a Independence Ave., outing with golf, 2:30 p.m. Program
Psalms,” at Temple one-man presentation, Orangeburg, N.Y. tennis, and cards at includes a sing-along,
Beth Tikvah, 11 a.m. “Ellis Island: Passage (845) 359-5920, the Montammy Golf joke telling, food,
Coffee. Also June 27. to All Things Possible,” ojcpride@gmail.com, Club, rain or shine. The fun, mingling, and
950 Preakness Ave. 6:15 p.m., with dinner, or theojc.org. event honors Howard a dessert buffet. 20
(973) 595-6565. for Senior Source Chernin. mshulman@ Academy Road. Sue,
at the Shops at Shabbat in New jewishhomefamily.org. (973) 226-3600,
Riverside, Second City: The Nanuet ext. 145, or singles@
Floor, Hackensack. Hebrew Center hosts Lunch and learn: agudath.org.
Reservations, a “meet and mingle” Rabbi Joshua
(201) 342-0962 or open house with Finkelstein explores
seniorsourcenj.org. Tot Shabbat, 5 p.m.;
barbecue with music
Healing/harmony/ by NHC’s Temple Announce your events
and learning in Dudes, 5:30; and We welcome announcements of upcoming events. An-
Orangeburg: Rabbi services at 6:30. 411 nouncements are free. Accompanying photos must be high
Paula Mack Drill and South Little Tor Road, resolution, jpg files. Send announcements 2 to 3 weeks
Mordechai Kedar Amichai Margolis lead off Exit 10 of the in advance. Not every release will be published. Include a
Courtesy JCC of Fort Lee a spring service of Palisades Parkway, New daytime telephone number and send to:
healing and harmony at City, NY. (845) 708-9181
The Middle East: the Orangetown Jewish or nanuethc.org. pr@jewishmediagroup.com • 201-837-8818 x 110
Scholar Mordechai Center, 6:30 p.m. After
Reconstructionist art circle
meets next month in Ridgewood
Reconstructionist Congrega-
tion Beth Israel in Ridgewood
offers a fun session on creative
art led by Rabbi Leiah Moser
on Sunday, June 2, from 10
a.m. to 1 p.m. After Rabbi
Moser gives a short presen-
tation on the role of visual
art and imagery in Judaism
through the ages, there will
be an art project based on
texts drawn from psalms and
the Reconstructionist prayer
book, facilitated by RCBI
member Roselyn Altman. No
prior experience is neces-
sary and refreshments will be
served. Email reservations to
Photo provided
food, and entertainment, follows. RCBI@synagogue.org. RCBI
The day raises crucial funds and meets in Temple Israel & JCC.
community awareness for the Friend-
ship Circle, a nonprofit organization
for people with special needs. The
college is at 145 College Road. For
information, call (845) 368-1889 or go
to RocklandFriendshipWalk.com, or
email friends@rocklandfriendship.com.
Jewish Standard MAY 24, 2019 37

Calendar
Local Broadway producer receives
the Ellis Island Medal of Honor
Wendy Federman of Alpine, an eight-
time Tony Award winning Broadway
theater and film producer, received an
Ellis Island Medal of Honor this year.
Other recipients included recording
artist Paula Abdul, CNN correspondent
Sanjay Gupta, IBM’s CEO Ginni Rom-
etty, former Google chair Eric Schmidt,
and the CEO of the Coca-Cola Com-
pany, Muhtar Kent.
The medal is awarded to one-hun-
dred Americans, both native-born and
naturalized, whose accomplishments
in their fields and inspired service to
the nation are worthy of commen-
dation. The medals recognize peo-
ple who have made it their mission
to share with those less fortunate
their wealth of knowledge, indomita-
ble courage, boundless compassion,
unique talents, and selfless generosity.
The group of accomplished Amer-
icans gathered in Ellis Island’s Great
Hall, the original registry room that
served as the gateway for 12 million
immigrants to the U.S., for the annual
Ellis Island Medals of Honor black-tie
gala, where they received and cele-
brated their award in the light of the
Statue of Liberty.
Ms. Federman also has received
an Olivier award, seven Drama Desk
awards, 10 Outer Critics Circle awards,
and 11 Drama League awards for some
of her nearly 80 co-productions. She
was nominated for six Tony Awards
this year and was recognized for her
own extraordinary professional career
and the inspiration she provides for
others. In addition, she was honored
for her commitment to the theater arts
Learn about your Jewish genes
Beginning on June 4, the Jewish Fed-
eration and Foundation of Rockland
County’s adult education depart-
ment will offer a four-week course on
the basics of Jewish genealogy. The
course, which will meet on Wednes-
days, will be given by Harriet Gross-
man Teplitzky. She hopes to debunk
some of the myths that have grown up
Rockland to launch arts newsletter
The Arts Council of Rockland is launching a new collaboration with Rockland Cul-
ture, made possible by a grant from Rockland County Tourism, to provide a free
weekly arts calendar newsletter. The first issue covers June through October. The
newsletter will list offerings over a broad range of arts and cultural events and
happenings in Rockland County, including exhibits, film, theater, and original
music. For more information, go to artscouncilofrockland.org.
38 Jewish Standard MAY 24, 2019
JS-38*
Community lecture honors
Rabbi Isaac L. Swift, z’l
In commemoration of Gateways Organization
the yahrzeit of Rabbi and an instructor and
Isaac L. Swift, Rabbi doctoral candidate at
Mordechai Becher of Yeshiva University. He
the Gateways Organiza- taught at Ohr Somayach
tion and Yeshiva Univer- and Neve Yerushalayim
sity will discuss “Moving in Jerusalem for 15 years
Mount Sinai: Revelation, and he was a chaplain
Synagogues, and Shuke- in the Israel Defense
Photo provided
ling” on Wednesday, Forces. He has answered
June 5. Rabbi Swift was thousands of questions
the rabbi emeritus of on AsktheRabbi.org and
Congregation Ahavath Rabbi Mordechai presents a Talmud class,
Wendy Federman Torah in Englewood and Becher “Dimensions of the Daf,”
a founder of the Moriah on cable television with
and the generosity of her time in her School and the Frisch Academy. The the Jewish Broadcasting Service. Rabbi
many philanthropic causes related to lecture, co-sponsored by Ahavath Torah Becher’s latest book, “Gateway to Juda-
her profession. She has spent count- and the Rabbi Isaac L. Swift Chair of ism,” is in its ninth printing. His wife,
less hours throughout her career men- Judaic Studies at the Kaplen JCC on the Chavy, is a graduate of Bryn Mawr Col-
toring aspiring producers, actors and Palisades, is at the Englewood shul, 240 lege and Hebrew University, and three of
writers. Ms. Federman is a member of Broad Ave., after 8 p.m. Mincha. his sons have served in combat units of
the John F. Kennedy Center’s National Rabbi Mordechai Becher, originally the IDF. For more information, call (201)
Committee for the Performing Arts. from Australia, is senior lecturer of the 568-1315.
She also has been a trustee on many
boards, including Bergen Performing
Arts Center in Englewood, Gilda’s Club
Northern New Jersey, Foundation for
Gender Equality, and Penguin Reper-
tory Theater in Rockland County.
Sisterhoods are busy bees
Since the medal was founded in
1986, the Ellis Island Honor Society
has honored distinguished and diverse
Americans, including seven presi-
dents of the United States, and Nobel
Prize laureates Elie Wiesel and Malala
Yousafzai. The U.S. Senate and House
of Representatives have officially rec-
ognized the Ellis Island Medals of
Honor, and each year the recipients
are listed in the Congressional Record.
To see the full list of 2019 recipients,
go to EIHonors.org. At a recent Glen Rock Jewish Center sisterhood meeting, members learned
how to create beautiful beaded head coverings.  Courtesy GRJC
about the difficulty in learning family
history in the wake of the Holocaust.
Discussions will touch on family trees,
vital records, census data, passen-
ger ship lists, and birth, marriage,
and death certificates. Tuition for
the course is $80. To register, email
adulteducation@jewishrockland.org.
The sisterhood of Temple Beth Sholom of Fair Lawn held its annual dinner
and fashion show with clothing by Soft Surroundings in Paramus Park. From
left, emcee Helen Fleischmann, program coordinator Liz Schwarz, and mod-
els Janet Singer, Renee Eliscu, and Sue Friedman. Guitarist Andrew Sorger,
right, entertained.  Courtesy TBS
 JS-39

Local/Calendar

Vaxx wars
FrOM PaGe 9
many other reasons, “there are doc-
tors here who may not realize how
much at risk this community is,” she
said. “They don’t realize that their
patients are going to a wedding in
Borough Park or in Lakewood, or
going to Rockland to go shopping.”
The parents almost definitely have
been vaccinated, but they might
need a booster. “The average secu-
lar or Reform or Conservative Jew in
town reads the newspaper, goes to
a non-Jewish doctor, and it doesn’t
even occur to them that they are at
risk,” she added.
Dr. Maury Buchalter is a pediatrician
at Tenafly Pediatrics; he works in the
Fort Lee and Clifton offices.
“Based on our recent outbreak, we
decided to enforce the pro-vaccination
status of our practice,” he said. “So we
informed our patients by email and
newsletter that we are insisting that
they get the MRR vaccine on time.
“In the past, we have let patients
defer it up to a point, say for example
someone wanted to get it at 2 instead
of at 1, we said that as long as it was
prior to school entrance, that was
okay. But we have stopped doing that.
Now we insist that patients get their
vaccine on time, which is one year
of age for the initial one. If parents
refuse, we ask them kindly to go some-
where else.
“The recommended routing sched-
ule for the MRR vaccine has been the
first one at 1 and the second at 4.”
Of course, children with medical
exemptions do not get vaccinated, but
there are very few such exemptions.
Sometimes the practice gives the
vaccine early. Babies cannot get it until
they are six months old, but if they are
between six as 12 months and about to
go to a high-risk area, such as Israel,
they can get it then. That means that
they’ll eventually have to get two more,
because a vaccine administered before
a baby is about 1 doesn’t have the same
long-term benefits.
“It is very important to know that the
MRR vaccine is very safe,” Dr. Buchal-
ter said. “It is a very good vaccine, and
measles is potentially a very dangerous
disease.
“I have heard that some parents
who don’t vaccinate — particularly in
Rockland — are doing measles parties.”
That’s when parents bring their chil-
dren to spend time with a child who has
been diagnosed with the disease, hop-
ing that they’ll catch it then, and get it
over with. (As bad as it is for children to
get communicable childhood disease,
it’s often even worse if they get them as
adults.)
“That is a very dangerous thing to
do,” Dr. Buchalter said.
Penguin Rep Theatre upgrades
sound, lighting, and safety
The Penguin Rep Theatre in Stony Point,
N.Y., has been updated with assistive listen-
ing devices, new lighting and sound equip-
ment, handrails, and more, according to
its founding artistic director, Joe Brancato.
“Thanks to the assistance of State Sen-
ator James Skoufis, Penguin received a
$57,000 grant from New York State
to install sound amplification equip-
ment to accommodate the hearing-im-
paired and handrails for easier and safe
access to seating, as well as to replace
and upgrade outdated equipment,” Mr.
Brancato said. There is also new seat-
ing outside the theater, including café
tables, chairs, and picnic tables near the
organic garden.
According to its executive director,
Andrew Horn, “there are eight infrared
devices, similar to those in Broadway
theaters, which will be available without
charge on a first-come, first-served basis
before each performance.”
Penguin Rep Theatre, an award-win-
ning professional theater, opened its
42nd season on May 19 with a revival
of “Art,” Yasmina Reza’s international
hit play, 20 years after its successful
Broadway run. The 108-seat theater, at
7 Crickettown Road in Stony Point, is a
repurposed 1880s hay barn that has bee
updated with air conditioning and heat-
ing and wheelchair accessible entrances.
Parking is free.
This season, sponsored by Orange and
Rockland Utilities, also is supported by
the New York State Council on the Arts
with the support of Governor Andrew
Cuomo and the Legislature, Rockland
County, the town of Stony Point, the
Shubert Foundation, the Cory and Bob
Donnalley Charitable Foundation, and
donations from Joseph Grosso, Barry
and Helene Lewis, and Morton Wol-
kowitz. For more information, go to
penguinrep.org or call (845) 786-2873.

Paramus readies Relay for Life

Paramus will hold its seventh annual
American Cancer Society Relay for
Life — a celebration of the yearlong
effort to raise funds for nonprofit —
on the weekend of June 14 and 15 at
Paramus High School. So far, more
than $53,000 has been raised; the
goal is $115,000. An opening cere-
mony will feature the Paramus Boy
Scouts presenting the colors, followed
by speeches. The Sparks Special Needs
Cheerleaders are making posters
for each of the survivors and will be
cheering them as they walk. Activities,
games, prizes, music, and food all are
Get the lift
part of the fun of Paramus Relay.
Online registration is open until
you need.
June 13 and there will be onsite regis-
tration as well. For information, go to
RelayForLife.org/ParamusNJ, or call
the American Cancer Society at (800)
227-2345.

Grateful Dead bergenPAC tribute

Tickets are on sale for the Dark Star Orchestra Sum-
mer Tour 2019, presented by the Couri family, at
CouRteSy BeRGeNPaC

bergenPAC on Thursday, August 8, at 8 p.m.

Shabbos mode option available on all our lifts.
Described by the Washington Post as “The hot-
test Grateful Dead tribute act; a cover band for Custom StairLift Home Elevator Patient Lift Wheelchair Lift
people who don’t like cover bands,” Dark Star
Orchestra passionately channels the free spirit of
the Grateful Dead rather than simply performing
their hits note by note. The band performs each Dark Star Orchestra
show based on a set list from the Grateful Dead’s 30
years of extensive touring, or it uses the band’s catalog to program a unique set
list for the show. For tickets, go to ticketmaster.com or call the box office at (201) ShabbosLift Solutions™
227-1030.
Call for FREE consultation (646) 543-8811
Ask about our bonus additional-year warranty and our pre-owned StairLifts
Jewish standard MaY 24, 2019 39
Jewish World
Why so many Jews love the band Phish
GABE FRIEDMAN
G
ary Stein remembers the first
time someone played a Phish
song for him in high school.
It was “Divided Sky,” an intri-
cate 11-minute tune that shows off the
group’s diverse jam rock chops.
Stein, who’s now a 30-year-old his-
tory doctoral student living in Los Ange-
les, quickly became infatuated with the
band, which takes cues from the Grate-
ful Dead and a host of other genres, from
prog rock to bluegrass.
Unfortunately for Stein, that was right
around the second time that Phish broke
up, in 2004. But the group reunited in
2009, and Stein was more than ready to
see them live. He traveled from New York
to see three consecutive reunion shows in
Hampton, Virginia, and over the next few
years he estimates he saw it play over 60
times. Since 2009, in total, Stein has been
to more than 100 Phish concerts.
Stein was brought up Orthodox, and
he still keeps a kosher home, observes
most Jewish holidays, and has a Shab-
bat dinner on Friday nights. But he
describes the live experience of a Phish
concert as equally transcendent, if not
more so, than any religious experience
he’s ever had.
“There are many of those moments
during a show when you just close your
eyes and you just feel like you’re where
you’re supposed to be with the people
you’re supposed to be with, and I think
that music takes you to that place,” Stein
said. “Phish is basically my religion,
more than anything else.”
Stein is far from alone.
Phish, which formed at the University
of Vermont in 1983, has cultivated one of
the most dedicated rock fan bases in the
world, thanks in part to its virtuosic live
improvisation — like the Grateful Dead,
Phish is known for its extensive instru-
mental jams and never playing the same
show twice. There’s a grassroots “Phish-
head” subculture that revels in bootleg
concert recordings (the band encour-
ages fans to record their shows), show
set lists, and band merchandise. Many
fans regularly follow the band across
parts of the country, essentially “tour-
ing” with them, seeing several of its
shows in a row.
It’s also widely known — at least
within the Jewish community — that
Jews are very overrepresented among
the faithful.
So over the weekend, at the inaugural
academic conference on Phish culture,
which took place at Oregon State Univer-
sity, there was a panel dedicated to Jews
and Phish. The full title — “People of the
(Helping Friendly) Book: Jews, Judaism
40 JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019
Phish performs on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” on October 10, 2016. The band members are, from left,
Page McConnell on keyboard, Trey Anastasio on guitar, Jon Fishman (barely pictured) on drums, and Mike Gordon
on bass. 
and Phish” — alludes to the Helping
Friendly Book, which appears in the
story of Gamehendge, the fictional set-
ting of many Phish songs. Gamehendge
is inhabited by a race of people called
Lizards and doubles as a nice encap-
sulation of the wacky humor evident
throughout the band’s catalog.
One of the scholars who probed the
connections between Jews and Phish
on Sunday was Oren Kroll-Zeldin, an
assistant professor of Jewish studies and
other subjects at the University of San
Francisco. He lays out a series of factors
that brought the two worlds together
over time. The first tangible cultural
nexus was hippieish summer camps that
were permeated by Phish and its music
through the late 1980s and ‘90s. Kro-
ll-Zeldin notes that a large percentage
of American Jews have formative expe-
riences at Jewish summer camps, from
which Jewish social networks — they are
more tightly knit than many realize —
disseminate a specific culture.
Then there are the liberal arts colleges
and universities in the Northeast where
Phish also thrived at that time — and
where Jews also are represented in dis-
proportionate numbers.
But more generally, Kroll-Zeldin
points to the broader disillusionment
with mainstream Jewish institutions that
young Jews began showing in the ‘80s
and ‘90s — citing multiple Pew Center
surveys on Jewish culture.
“I think the key finding of my research
is that Phish is one of many vehicles
through which Jewish fans connect on a
meaningful level with their cultural Jew-
ish identity,” Kroll-Zeldin said. “Phish
provides an alternative venue to build
Jewish community and Phish shows
become a site where fans can have
meaningful Jewish experiences outside
the confines of traditional Jewish life.”
Phish fandom — and for many, the
ANDREW LIPOVSKY/NBC/NBCU PHOTO BANK
specific experience of attending Phish
concerts — filled a spiritual void that
began to open up in that younger Jew-
ish generation. That was certainly the
case for Aimee Weiss, a 33-year-old who
works for a private grantmaking orga-
nization in New York City. Like many of
her peers, she first heard Phish at Jew-
ish summer camp. She doesn’t know
exactly how many Phish shows she has
seen, but guesses “under three figures.”
“For a time (pre-my Phish days),
more traditional Jewish infrastructure
and practices brought me safety, medi-
tation, mental healing, etc. My relation-
ship with Judaism has changed of late,”
she said in an email. “In the absence of
deeply meaningful and more traditional
Jewish spaces, I sought to fill the spiri-
tual vacuum. When the setting and your
headspace are just right, a show fulfills
what I used to go to shul for.”
Rabbi Josh Ladon, the West Coast
education director for the Shalom Hart-
man Institute of North America, who
was part of the conference panel with
Kroll-Zeldin, conducted a study of Jew-
ish clergy who say Phish has influenced
their sense of Jewish spirituality or
community. Among the 340 responses,
many pointed to Phish’s live improvisa-
tion in addressing the spiritual quality
of their concerts. Improvisation takes
agency and creativity, Ladon said — con-
cepts that respondents brought back to
their Jewish religious lives.
“They’re projecting and saying this
improv is really important to my spiritual
life because it requires me when I’m lis-
tening to be mindful … it requires me to
take seriously the possibility of things not
working out the way they were intended,”
Ladon said. “There is something about
when you go to a Phish show, many
people know what’s going on, and peo-
ple [in the survey] write about that feel-
ing of wanting to have their synagogue
community to understand what’s going
on [during a service].”
Phish has even helped Jews feel and
become more Jewish, as documented
in articles Ladon came across in his
research and his own study. The most
well-known example is the reggae rap-
per Matisyahu, who went through an
intense Phish phase before becoming
Orthodox, seeing around 50 of its con-
certs. Ladon said some of his respon-
dents said they became modern Ortho-
dox rabbis in at least some small part
because of Phish’s influence on their
spirituality. One even became charedi.
Two members of the band — bassist
Mike Gordon and drummer Jon Fish-
man, whose surname inspired the band
name — are Jewish. Gordon went to a
Solomon Schechter Jewish day school in
Newton, Massachusetts, and his father
was a leader in the Boston Jewish com-
munity, notably with local groups that
supported the Soviet Jewry movement.
In a possible nod to their Jewish fan
base, the band is known for playing
live versions of “Avinu Malkeinu” and
“Yerushalayim Shel Zahav.”
For Ladon, Jewish Phish fandom is an
important manifestation and represen-
tation of modern Jewish American life
— and it’s not the only place that Jewish
scholars should be looking to in order
to explore contemporary Judaism. He
points to the huge Kabbalat Shabbat
held at the annual Burning Man festival
in Nevada, for example.
“Jews in America are living their lives
as part of a broader culture, and so to
understand deep notions of Jewish
spirituality, you have to look at not just
sources constructed by Jews who are
rabbis and inside the Jewish world, but
also see how the spiritual experiences of
broader modern American culture can
influence it,” he said.
 JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY

Manuel Erb
Manuel Erb, 76, of River Vale, formerly of Hillsdale,
died May 1.
Born in Argentina, he was active in Rotary Interna-
tional and was a Paul Harris Fellow.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Eva, née Hei-
delberg; children, Karen D’Ambrosio (Louis) and Erica
(Wendy Wagner); siblings, Heriberto, Raul, and Rene
Erb, and Nora Hilu; six grandchildren, and nieces and
nephews. Donations can be made to the Gift of Life,
Rotary District 7230. Arrangements were by Louis
Suburban Chapel, Fair Lawn.
Dr. Arthur Mahler
Dr. Arthur Frank Mahler, 90, of Paramus and Boynton
Beach, Fla., died May 16.
Born and raised in Paterson, he was a University of
Pennsylvania graduate, earned a DDS from New York
University, and was a U.S. Air Force Dental Corps Captain
from 1953-1955.
His many honors include Diplomat International Con-
gress of Oral Implantologists, and Fellow of American and
International Colleges of Dentists, and of the Academy
of General Dentistry. He volunteered at the Daughters of
Miriam dental clinic weekly for 25 years.
Predeceased by a brother, Dr. Donald; he is survived
by his wife, Suzanne, née Ellen; two children, and five
grandchildren. Donations can be made to the Alzhei-
mer’s Association; arrangements were by Robert Scho-
em’s Menorah Chapel, Paramus.
Rosalind Mann
Rosalind Mann, née Oscar, of Hollywood, Fla., for-
merly of Fort Lee, died May 16.
Predeceased by her husband, Bernard in 2002, she
is survived by children, David of Fort Lee, Howard of
Englewood, and Carol Mann Rosenblatt of Hollywood;
a sister, Ruth Bruder of Manhattan; nine grandchil-
dren, and 19 great-grandchildren. Arrangements were
by Eden Memorial Chapels, Fort Lee.
Ina Nebelkopf
Ina J. Nebelkopf of New Milford, formerly of West New
York, died May 16.
She was a member of the JCC of Paramus/Congrega-
tion Beth Tikvah.
Predeceased by her husband, Freddy, she is sur-
vived by children, Elyse, and Susan Altman (Larry),
and three grandchildren. Donations can be sent to
Temple Avodat Shalom, River Edge. Arrangements
were by Louis Suburban Chapel, Fair Lawn.
Ann Osur
Ann Osur, née Blender, 70, of Wayne, formerly of Fair
Lawn, died May 19.
She is survived by her husband of almost 49 years,
Donald, children, Tracy Warsaw (Ryan), Scott (Alli-
son); and Kari Shron (Brad); brothers, Richard and
Dennis Blender; six grandchildren, and nieces and
nephews. Donations can be made to the Cure Alzhei-
mer’s Fund. Arrangements were by Robert Schoem’s
Menorah Chapel, Paramus.
Regina Salomon
Regina Salomon, née Granas, 93, of Boca Raton, Fla.,
formerly of Fair Lawn, and Paterson, died May 21.
A Holocaust survivor, she immigrated to the
Obituaries
United States in 1952. Predeceased by her husband, offices in professional associations including president of
Aron; she is survived by daughters, Marie Silverman the American Academy of Physical Education. After retir-
(Barry), Doris Rapel (Harold), and Karen Eisen (Michel ing in 1981, he did a post-doctoral internship in clinical
Ehrentreu); six grandchildren and eight great- grand- psychology and began a second career as a licensed psy-
children. Donations can be sent to the Center for chologist in private practice, joining his wife, Dr. Rosalee,
Advancing Holocaust Survivor Care. Graveside service to form Weiss & Weiss Psychological Associates, P.A.
is May 24, 11 a.m., at King Solomon Memorial Park Predeceased by a daughter, Lynn, he is survived by
in Clifton. Arrangements were by Louis Suburban his wife, Rosalee. Arrangements were by Gutterman
Chapel, Fair Lawn. and Musicant Funeral Home, Hackensack.
Dr. Raymond Weiss
Dr. Raymond A. Weiss of Teaneck died May 16.
A University of Illinois graduate, he earned a mas-
ter’s from Springfield College, a Ph.D. from New York
University, and Ed.D. from Teachers College, Colum-
bia University.
A visiting scholar, he lectured at the University of Funeral Planning Simplified
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 JS-42 YBH of Passaic seeks p/t exp’d
MS tchrs in aftn for 2019-20 sch yr:
• Language Arts
• Science
• Social Studies (World & Jewish History)
BA req’d. Master’s Degree pref’d.

Classified
Send cov let & res: ppersin@ybhpassaic.org

YBH of Passaic is seeking exp’d elem sch

(201) 837-8818 tchrs for

AllMS
YBH
Boys
YBH of
of &
tchrs
positions
Passaic
in
are aftn
p/t
Master’s dgre ••pref’d.
seeks
Girls Divs
Passaic seeks
for
in
Language
forp/t
MS tchrs in aftn for 2019-20 sch
2019-20
aftn.
Join our
BA
Arts
&
exp’d
2019-20
p/t exp’d sch yr.
yr:
exp req’d;
sch yr:
Language Artscollegial & prof
team. Send cov let &••res: Science
ppersin@ybhpassaic.org
Science
•• Social
Social Studies (World &
Studies (World & Jewish
Jewish History)
History)
Situations Wanted Situations Wanted BA
YBH
BA req’d.
req’d. Master’s
seeks P/T and
Master’s Degree pref’d.
F/T ECD
Degree pref’d.
Florida Condo For Sale Crypts For Sale Help Send
Wantedcov let & res: ppersin@ybhpassaic.org
Send cov letteachers & assistants.
& res: ppersin@ybhpassaic.org
2 indoor above ground
boca WEST burial crypts
A responsible woman looking
chha looking to care for elderly, Email cover letter & resume:
to care for elderly. Live-in or out.
Boca Raton, Forida at Sanctuary of Abraham & Reliable! Pleasant! Experienced!
M-W all day, Th-Fri until 3:30pm. YBH
YBH ofof Passaic is
is seeking
seeking exp’d
ppersin@ybhpassaic.org
Passaic exp’d elem
elem sch
sch
11 yrs experience, excellent tchrs
tchrs for
for Boys
Boys & & Girls
Girls Divs
Divs for
for 2019-20
2019-20 schsch yr.
2 Bedroom penthouse apartment Sarah at New Cedar Park
with beautiful views. Cemetery in Paramus. The
References. Waiting for your call
references, own transportation. yr.
Lovely, furnished crypts are on the 2nd floor, units
347-816-1363
973-592-8759 or yonzee23@ All
All positions
YBH of
positions are p/t
p/t in
in aftn.
arePassaic BA
BA &
seeks
aftn. exp
exp req’d;
girls
& req’d;
Best area in Florida 3117 & 3118, level 5. Currently Experienced, Caring, loving,
yahoo.com Master’s
Master’sgymdgre pref’d.
dgretchr for Join
pref’d. our
our collegial
2019-20
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collegial & prof
prof
Call Mrs. G worth $15,000; asking $10,000. team. Send cov let & res: ppersin@ybhpassaic.org
compassionate CAREGIVER will
chha seeks hourly job, day Send res & refs: ppersin@ybhpassaic.org.
team. Send cov let & res: ppersin@ybhpassaic.org
914-589-4673 Ruth 516-314-4310 care for elderly. Day or overnight.
& night in Rockland County to
Reliable, excellent references.
care for elderly; experienced in YBH seeks P/T and
and F/T ECD
Own car. Call 201-755-8658 YBHseeks
YBH is seeking
P/T P/TF/T
or ECD
F/T
Situations Wanted dementia & alzheimer’s care.
teachers & assistants.
Refs available. 845-200-6846 Assts
teachers & assistants. &
in Limudei Kodesh
Email
General cover for
Studies,
Email cover letter & resume:
resume:sch yr.
2019-2020
letter &
Courteous, professional service;
will shop, run errands, drive to
Situations Wanted ppersin@ybhpassaic.org
Send cov ppersin@ybhpassaic.org
let & res: ppersin@ybhpassaic.org
appointments; 11am-6pm Mon-Fri.
Marcia 973-413-7207 YBH of Passaic
Passaic seeks girls sch yr:
YBH ofYBH Passaicof seeks for 2019-20
seeks girls
Need Better Control Of Your Company?
Roofing gymSchool
• Middle
gym tchr for
tchr for 2019-20
Special sch yr.
Services
2019-20 sch yr.Coord
CPA/MBA available to take on role of Controller Send res
res• &
& refs: ppersin@ybhpassaic.org.
ppersin@ybhpassaic.org.
Send Middle
refs: School Learning
or CFO. Smaller environment preferred. Over 20
Ctr Tchr for General Studies (PM)
ROOFING · SIDING
HACKENSACK GUTTERS · LEADERS
years experience with all aspects of accounting.  YBH is
Send resYBH is seeking
& refs: P/T
P/T or
or F/T
ppersin@ybhpassaic.org
seeking F/T
Free ROOFING
OOFING Roof
Pleasant personality and a team player. Senior Care Assts
Assts in in Limudei
Limudei Kodesh
Kodesh & &
Email Jay at jtepp777@gmail.com.
Estimates CO. Repairs General
General Studies,
Studies, for for 2019-2020
2019-2020 sch
sch yr.
yr.
INC. Send cov let & res: ppersin@ybhpassaic.org
Send cov let & res: ppersin@ybhpassaic.org
201-487-5050 83 FIRST STREET
HACKENSACK, NJ 07601
Help Wanted
YBH
YBH ofof Passaic
Passaic seeks
seeks for
for 2019-20
2019-20 sch
sch yr:
yr:
Antiques •• Middle School Special Services Coord
Middle School Special Services Coord
Northern NJ Jewish funeral home seeks an •• Middle
Middle School
School Learning
Learning
Sterling Associates Auctions experienced licensed funeral director. Candidate
must be familiar with Jewish law and rituals Send
Ctr Tchr
Ctr
Send res
Tchr for
res &
for General
& refs:
General Studies
Studies (PM)
(PM)
refs: ppersin@ybhpassaic.org
ppersin@ybhpassaic.org
SEEKING CONSIGNMENT AND regarding burials. Excellent benefits.
Email resume to dt3191@yahoo.com.
OUTRIGHT PURCHASES
Sculpture · Paintings · Porcelain · Silver
Jewelry · Furniture · Etc. YBH of Passaic seeks p/t exp’d
MS tchrs in aftn for 2019-20 sch yr:
TOP CASH PRICES PAID • Language Arts
201-768-1140 · www.antiquenj.com • Science
info@antiquenj.com • Social Studies (World & Jewish History)
537 Broadway, Norwood, NJ 07648 BA req’d. Master’s Degree pref’d.
Send cov let & res: ppersin@ybhpassaic.org Driving Service
ASK ABOUT OUR FREE APPRAISAL SERVICE.
CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT. YBH of Passaic is seeking exp’d elem sch
Antiques
tchrs for Boys & Girls Divs for 2019-20 sch yr. Reliable Transit Car Service
All positions are p/t in aftn. BA & exp req’d; Covering all Metro NY/NJ airports or any drivable distance

Antiques Wanted We pay cash for

Master’s dgre pref’d. Join our collegial & prof
team. Send cov let & res: ppersin@ybhpassaic.org
Your safety and comfort is our primary concern

Antique Furniture
YBH seeks P/T and F/T ECD For more information,
WE BUY Modernteachers & Furniture
assistants. call or text 914-523-4000
Email cover letter & resume: email: jshain@lanline.com
Modern Art
ppersin@ybhpassaic.org
• Oil Paintings • Silver
YBH Paintings
of Passaic seeks girls
• Bronzes • Porcelain
SendBronzes ❖ Silver
gym tchr for 2019-20 sch yr.
res & refs: ppersin@ybhpassaic.org. Merchandise Wanted
• Oriental Rugs • Furniture Chinese Porcelain & Art
VINYL RECORDS
YBH is seeking P/T or F/T
• Marble Sculpture • Jewelry Men’s Assts
& Women’s Watches
in Limudei Kodesh &

• Tiffany Items • Chandeliers Top

General Studies, for 2019-2020 sch yr.
Send Dollar
cov let & res:for any kind of
ppersin@ybhpassaic.org WANTED
• Chinese Art • Bric-A-Brac Jewelry, including
YBH of Passaic costume
seeks for 2019-20 sch yr: Immediate cash for your
• Middle School Special Services Coord 60’s vinyl records.

Tyler Antiques
• Middle School Learning Prefer classic rock.
ANS A
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42 Jewish Standard MAY 24, 2019

 Send cov let & res: ppersin@ybhpassaic.org JS-43
YBH of Passaic is seeking exp’d elem sch
YBH
tchrs for Boysof &
Passaic seeks
Girls Divs forp/t exp’d sch yr.
2019-20
AllMS tchrs in
positions areaftn foraftn.
p/t in 2019-20
BA & sch yr:
exp req’d;
• Language Arts
Master’s dgre pref’d. Join our collegial & prof
team. Send cov let &•res:
Science
ppersin@ybhpassaic.org

Classified/Jewish World
• Social Studies (World & Jewish History)
BA req’d.
YBH Master’s
seeks Degree
P/T and pref’d.
F/T ECD
Send cov let & res: ppersin@ybhpassaic.org
teachers & assistants.
Email cover letter & resume:
YBH of Passaic is seeking exp’d elem sch
ppersin@ybhpassaic.org
tchrs for Boys & Girls Divs for 2019-20 sch yr.
All positions
YBH of arePassaic
p/t in aftn. BA &
seeks exp req’d;
girls
Help
Master’sgym
WSend
team. Send
anted
dgretchr
cov
pref’d.
for 2019-20 sch yr. & prof
Join our collegial
let & ppersin@ybhpassaic.org.
res: ppersin@ybhpassaic.org
Anti-Semitism
res & refs: from page 26 Medicare and Social Security, with 58 percent of respon-
(67 unfavorable/33 favorable) and healthcare (69 unfa- dents listing it as “one of the most important.” Combat-
YBH
YBHseeks P/T and
is seeking P/TF/T
or ECD
F/T vorable/31 favorable). Notably, his score on dealing ing anti-Semitism scored next-highest, at 54 percent.
teachers
Assts & assistants.
in Limudei Kodesh &
Email cover for
letter & resume:sch yr. with anti-Semitism was 71 percent unfavorable and 29 Third was affordable health care at 53 percent, and after
General Studies, 2019-2020 percent favorable. Trump has downplayed the threat that, gun safety laws came in at 50 percent, combating
ppersin@ybhpassaic.org
Send cov let & res: ppersin@ybhpassaic.org
of white supremacists, even after an alleged white white supremacists at 49 percent, and combating ter-
supremacist carried out the worst attack on Jews in rorism at 47 percent. “Whether the candidate supports
YBH ofYBH of Passaic
Passaic seeks
seeks for girls sch yr:
2019-20
gymSchool
tchr for 2019-20 sch yr.Coord U.S. history, in October in Pittsburgh, and has been Israel” was among the lowest, with 28 percent saying it
• Middle Special Services
Send res• & refs: ppersin@ybhpassaic.org.
Middle School Learning seen as equivocating in condemning the far right. was “one of the most important” issues.
Ctr Tchr for General Studies (PM) Jewish Democrats said the survey validated their con- “Interviews were conducted online through a ran-
YBH
Send res is seeking
& refs: P/T or F/T
ppersin@ybhpassaic.org cerns about Trump. “American Jews vote their values domly selected panel,” the pollster said, referring to
Assts in Limudei Kodesh & and strongly disapprove of President Trump’s handling a process in which voters who have previously indi-
General Studies,
Yeshiva Ktanafor
of2019-2020 sch yr.
Passaic-Girls of nearly every issue, especially immigration and com- cated a willingness to participate in surveys are ran-
Send cov let & res: ppersin@ybhpassaic.org
Looking for bating anti-Semitism,” Halie Soifer, the executive direc- domly selected for email solicitations to join in a sur-
Teachers with Experience tor of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, said. vey. The system is becoming more popular because of
YBH ofCreativity
Passaic seeks for 2019-20 sch yr:
and Commitment Matt Brooks, the Republican Jewish Coalition’s execu- the increased difficulty in recent decades of reaching
• Middle School Special Services Coord
A few choice positions tive director, said the news was good for Trump. respondents over landlines. The poll had a margin of
• Middle School Learning
At Yeshiva Ktana of Passaic-Girls “The Jewish numbers for Trump are a floor and error of 3.2 percentage points.
Ctr Tchr for General
Secular Studies (PM)
Studies
Send res & refs: ppersin@ybhpassaic.org generic Dem numbers are a ceiling,” Brooks said on The Jewish Electorate Institute describes itself as
Afternoons Only Twitter. “No one who now says they’re for Trump are “dedicated to deepening the public’s understanding
Resume: SSCHLOSS@YKOP.ORG going to change their minds. He will get a higher share of Jewish American participation in our democracy.”
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Jewish Standard MAY 24, 2019 43


House
calls
EDITH LANK
Coordinating the Move
Dear Edith: Please give me an idea of how
to coordinate the sale of my present home
with the move-in date for my new home.
We have a tentative date of August 2019 for
the new house’s completion. - M. H.
Answer: Real estate brokers can help
dovetail the two transactions. If you don’t
already know which firm you’ll use to mar-
ket your present home, your builder may
have names they can suggest.
In some circumstances, a developer
will not start construction until you have
an accepted offer on your present house.
It’s a simple matter to put provisions in
both the sale and purchase contracts to
ensure you won’t be caught with nowhere
to live, or, on the other hand, you may
find yourselves stuck with two monthly
payments. Your attorney and the broker
can explain how it’s usually accomplished.
Lawyer Not Required
Dear Edith: I am waiting for approval
from the Department of Veterans Affairs
in regard to buying a home out West - a
new home to be built. The mortgage
company, broker and the VA all say a law-
yer is not necessary to complete the sale.
Is this true? - O. Q.
Answer: No law says you must employ
a lawyer when buying real estate. That’s
true everywhere.
Beyond that, local custom varies from
state to state. In some places, people don’t
use attorneys for residential real estate. In
Contact Edith Lank at www.askedith.
com, at edithlank@aol.com or at 240
Hemingway Drive, Rochester NY 14620.
Jimmy
the Junk Man
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44 Jewish Standard MAY 24, 2019
JS-44*
Real Estate & Business
those locations, legal safeguards for buy- your house, the home sellers’ income of ownership is legal and uneventful?
ers are built into the process somewhere. tax exemption will probably cover  - A. Q.
You’re safe following community practice. only your third of the profit on your Answer: Legal and uneventful - a
And yet, if I were buying anywhere, I’d tax return. good description of the closing every-
retain my own attorney no matter what Assuming they don’t live with you, one always hopes for.
they told me about local customs. your sons will owe tax on the other To take care of the complexities
two-thirds. Consult an accountant involved in settling your land contract,
Sons Are Co-Owners immediately, but I doubt there’s much by all means, put the matter in the
Dear Edith: When my wife died, I trans- you can do at this point. hands of an attorney - and one who
ferred my home into three names includ- specializes in residential real estate. If
ing my two sons and myself. I plan to sell Without the Deed you don’t know how to locate such a
Dear Edith: I find myself in a quan-
the home at a profit of approximately lawyer, ask a couple of real estate bro-
dary. My mother died two years ago.
$150,000 over what I paid for it. Will I kers for suggestions. They know who
She and I were joint tenants with right
be allowed the home sellers’ income tax specializes.
of survivorship. I never had the deed
exemption? I am 73 years old. - I. B.
Answer: If your sons are co-owners of
brought up-to-date, and I am unable to Information
locate the deed. Is it possible to obtain on Foreclosure
a copy of it? How do I go about doing Dear Edith: Do you have a publica-
J
J
this? - M. S. tion entailing what happens to a per-
im
im
Answer: If you had right of survi- son when their house goes into fore-
vorship, you became full owner auto- closure? - X.
matically when your mother died. You Answer: No, but I know that if
didn’t have to do anything about it. you’re facing foreclosure, you should
You don’t need the deed to prove
your ownership. That document
have a lawyer’s guidance through the
the
the
whole mess. If you can, sell the house
should be in the public records of the
county where the property is located.
RESIDENT
on the open market - quickly - rather
than go through foreclosure.
If you do want a copy, get in touch If it is priced WE
low enough for a quick
with the county clerk’s office. •your real
sale, sometimes Att estate bro-
ker can get the lender to hold off forDe
Wants Uneventful Closing a few months. Even if you lose money W
CALL Dear Edith: My wife and I plan to pay
TODAY
on the sale, you’re better off than
off the existing balance owed on our incurring the legal expenses and credit
201- 6
home. It is a land contract. What steps
should we take to ensure the transfer
problems that follow foreclosure.
Creators.com
We do not trans
 JS-45*

Real Estate & Business

Here’s HoW
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ments are not equal, the room is not square. Mea- covered by the edge molding. The other planks More than 411,000 likes.
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Like us on
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Even though it will be painfully obvious to you Send your questions to Here’s How, 6906 Royalgreen
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them to acquire the same moisture level as the room. Creators.Com

Jewish standard MaY 24, 2019 45

 JS-46*

Real Estate & Business

Top Cisco prize marks latest Boys Town Jerusalem win

Nearly 20 years after Boys Town
Jerusalem inaugurated the very
first Cisco Networking Academy
in the Middle East, the school has
been granted Cisco’s “Above and
Beyond Award” for 2019 as the
best such academy in the entire
European region. The prestigious
international award is the latest
in a string of impressive prizes
recently granted to the school’s
faculty, graduates and students.
IDF Col. Yaniv Avitan, a 1994
graduate of Boys Town Jerusa-
lem, was granted the eminent
2018 Israel Defense Prize of the
Israeli Ministry of Defense. Col.
Avitan heads the crack IDF team
which developed a technological
means to detect Hamas terrorist
attack tunnels, making the IDF
the world’s first army to reach this
phenomenal capability.
Col. Avitan’s teacher, Boys Town
Jerusalem instructor Shlomo
Saruk, was recently named by
the Ministry of Education as Isra-
el’s top Computer Science and
Networking Teacher for 2019.
Renowned for his ingenuity,
innovation and devotion to his
students, Saruk has headed the
school’s winning Cisco Network-
ing Academy since its inception,
as well as initiating some of the
nation’s top computer technology
programs.
This has been a bumper year as
well for Boys Town Jerusalem stu-
dents to clinch trophies. A sophis-
ticated robot hand-built by three
of the school’s ninth graders aced
first prize for Mechanical Design in
the recent Jerusalem Regional First
Lego League - Israel Robotics Com-
petition. In an additional robotics
triumph, BTJ’s team of twelve high
school students scored third place
in the renowned FIRST-Israel Tech
Challenge(FTC) robotics contest,
a national contest in which 45 of
Israel’s top teams vied. Not to be
outdone, the school soccer team
was named national champions in
their high school league.
“Since the day our school
opened its doors in 1948 as a
haven for youngsters fleeing the
Holocaust and the tyranny of Arab
countries, we have cultivated gen-
erations of Israel’s leaders,” said
Rabbi Meir Linchner, dean of stu-
dents. “Although a large number
of students face poverty and strife
at home, we challenge them with
an intensive curriculum of aca-
demic, technological, and Jewish
studies — plus endless encourage-
ment, assistance, and love. The
results speak for themselves: Our
over 7500 grads are making great
contributions to Israel’s technol-
ogy, commerce, education, the
military and public service. Every Winning Boys Town Jerusalem Robotics team mem-
one is a winner!” bers hoist their trophy.

Happy Memorial Day

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46 Jewish Standard MAY 24, 2019

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