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Jewish Standard, May 24, 2019
Jewish Standard, May 24, 2019
88
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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
Want to read more noshes? Visit facebook.com/jewishstandard California-based Nate Bloom can be reached at
[email protected]
Teach NJ will
continue working
for our schools and
MAKING HISTORY
TOGETHER
[email protected] | 201.655.9948
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
JS-7
Local
charitable organizations, the group received just under rest of Jews in Teaneck to come home.” “So upsetting —
$11,000 in contributions, which it spent primarily on it’s not the same America it used to be.” “May 19, 1938.
scholarships and on its website. ‘Who ever thought it could happen in....’now, Teaneck.”
Mr. Siegel disputed Southern Poverty Law Center’s
charge that his group supports Holocaust denial.
In my opinion, public She posted a different picture of the demonstration on
her Facebook page and wrote: “America is a land of free
“They’re wrong about that,” he said. “We had one displays of anti- speech & assembly. Our local Teaneck PD did a great job
member of our board, Paul Eisen, who I removed, a Jew-
ish gentleman from London. He was so incensed with
Semitism — no matter of keeping all groups separate (a counter pro Israel group
sprung up, approx 30 people).
the way the Holocaust is being misused to justify Zionist how small — should “Reading the comments (which Dov has continued to
atrocities in Palestine. He was also incensed in the way
that there’s not free speech on the Holocaust. There are
never be ignored let run wild, without curating or correcting them), you
would have thought that Teaneck was embroiled in a
at least a dozen countries where you can get jail time for or swept away with battle for its very existence. The ignorance of the facts
saying things about the Holocaust. Even if they’re saying
things that are not true, we believe in free speech.
any explanation was unbelievable, the tales that were spun & the racism
exhibited was abhorrent, the virtual muscle that was
“In reaction to all that, Paul Eisen started calling him- or justification. flexed was dangerous & inflammatory. & the comments
self a Holocaust denier. In my opinion that was terribly from those living in Israel about the end of Teaneck being
irresponsible. Hitler murdered members of Paul Eisen’s Other protesters included Mr. Hassan, some other Pal- nigh, etc. were absolutely absurd & self serving, quite
family and murdered members of my family. Paul Eisen estinians, “and a few friends of various backgrounds who honestly. Protests happen, ahem, even in the holy city of
took this strategy to try and shock people. I think it was a just came out to support the Palestinian cause.” Jerusalem. Democracy, it just works.”
bad strategy. Deir Yassin Remembered has no Holocaust He said the goal was not to protest Magen David Adom. But Rabbi Lipman said his post was important and
deniers and does not associate with Holocaust deniers.” “We have nothing against ambulances,” he said. responsible.
Mr. Siegel said he was happy that four ultra-Ortho- “This was an event billed as a breakfast for Israel. It “I believe that people trying to sweep away the signifi-
dox Jews from Neturei Karta joined his demonstration. happened on the weekend of the anniversary of Isra- cance of such a blatant, public display of anti-Semitism in
(Neturei Karta is the Satmar breakaway group that el’s independence day. It was a pro-Israel event and an Teaneck and suggesting that the protest was insignificant
defines itself with its hatred of Israel.) Israeli independence day celebration.” is misreading the situation and a mistake,” he said.
“That really incensed our opposition, because they Ruthie Levi, who lives four short blocks away from “In my opinion, public displays of anti-Semitism — no
didn’t want to see Orthodox Jews opposing Israel,” he Congregation Beth Sholom, was upset by Rabbi Lip- matter how small — should never be ignored or swept
said. “I thought it was important to have them with us to man’s post about the demonstration — and by the away with any explanation or justification — and cannot
make the statement that the protest was not Jews versus response it generated. be accepted as legitimate examples of free speech and the
non-Jew, but rather it’s Zionists vs non-Zionists.” Among the comments that sparked her ire: “Time for right to demonstrate or protest.”
MORE
SCIENCE.
LESS
FEAR.
A member of the Memorial Sloan Kettering - Hackensack Meridian Health Partnership
Local
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 Andrew Wakefield, who wrote the debunked study falsely connecting autism and the MMR vaccine, in
English ex-doctor, who spoke by Skype, is responsible for London in 2010. He spoke by Skype at the rally in Monsey two weeks ago. PETER MACDIARMID/GETTY IMAGES
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, There are good reasons for the chasidic and charedi
and Wakefield was barred from practicing medicine as a communities to fall for the anti-vaxxers’ narrative. “It’s
result. Subsequent studies have shown no link; the fact an insular community,” Ms. Weisinger said. “They have
that a child’s autism often manifests at the same time as a lack of formal education that could allow them to tell
the vaccine is given is an unfortunate coincidence, cor- the difference between science and pseudo-science.
relation not causation. They are not on the internet. They are not reading
Rabbi Handler, too, is something other than he mainstream news. They are getting their information
appears, perhaps someone darker. According to the from robocalls, from Peach, and until now we didn’t
New York Daily News, “Handler has fiercely attacked know how much of a problem it was.” But the outbreak
observant Jews for reporting child sex abuse to police, of measles, and then the turnout for the rally, “showed
claiming such accusations should be handled by rab- us how effective they are, and how ineffective our
binic authorities. He once even defended a rabbi who response has been, because of our lack of information
was convicted of raping his own daughter, saying the about how deep the problem is.”
girl was lying about the abuse.” The people who fall for the pseudo-science “aren’t
That rabbi is Rabbi Yisroel Weingarten, who was con- New Square is included in Rockland’s measles stupid people,” she said. “They are very caring women,
victed of rape and imprisoned in 2009. cluster. URIEL HEILMAN who are raising their children with beautiful values. They
In the Daily News, Rabbi Handler goes on to call are clean, they take their children’s health very seriously,
New York City’s “Mayor de Blasio a ‘nasty German’ and Jewish Nurses Association. A modern Orthodox Jew, she a they take them to doctors, but they have been fed this
claimed it was ‘in his DNA’ to hate Jews. deeply committed member of the Orthodox community anti-vaxx agenda for quite a while.” And until now it’s all
“Like the Fuhrer, he says: ‘Blame the Jews. They’re and she is fervently engaged in helping break down the been entirely below everyone else’s radar.
contaminating the whole city,’” the paper quotes beliefs that keep people from vaccinating their children. Word of the rally, like Peach’s arguments, has been
Rabbi Handler. Working with Blima Marcus, a nurse practitioner from spread mainly by word of mouth and through phone
Another speaker at the rally was Dr. Lawrence Palev- Borough Park and another member of the Orthodox Jew- calls. There are anti-vaxx hotlines, where people
sky, a well-known anti-vaxxer who seems lighter on ish Nurses Association, as well as others, she is spread- who might be wavering can call to have their beliefs
science than on incitement. He suggested that the vac- ing the word about a new organization — mainly nurses shored up. And there are robocalls, which seem to
cines were mutating and that the government was tar- but some doctors as well — who are working to oppose go to Brooklyn, Lakewood, and Monsey. They’re in
geting the chasidic and charedi communities with vac- anti-vaxxing theory and practice. Yiddish, which people in those communities speak.
cines that would sicken them. The group, called Emes — which means truth, in both “I don’t get them,” Ms. Weisinger said. “I’m modern
Aside from the rally, the chasidic and charedi com- Hebrew and Yiddish — has put together a pamphlet con- Orthodox, but I’m not in their demographic.” They
munities have been getting much of their informa- testing Peach’s. It’s called Pie — “we made pie out of their don’t seem to go to Teaneck.
tion about vaccination from a group called Peach, peaches,” Ms. Weisinger said — it explains all the vacci- But friends of Ms. Weisinger did get them, as voice-
for Parents Educating & Advocating for Children’s nations children take, and it’ll be out soon. Slice of Pie, mails, and she was able to listen to them. “She” — the
Health. Peach has put out a pamphlet containing legiti- which looks only at the MMR vaccine (MMR is measles, unidentified voice on the line — “was spouting studies
mate-sounding untruths about vaccination, buttressed mumps, and rubella), is available now, both in pdf form and I was thinking that if I didn’t know better, I wouldn’t
by robocalls making the same arguments. and already printed out. (For information about how to know how to refute it. I would totally fall for it. It is scary.”
L’via Weisinger of Teaneck is a registered nurse and a get hard copies, which Emes hopes will be distributed If you don’t know the science, she said, there is no
co-founder and former board member of the Orthodox widely, email [email protected].) real way to tell real science from official sounding fake
8 JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019
JS-9 JS-26
Local
Local
H
I joined the New Israel Fund, was that
ow do you memorialize a practically every single Israeli organi-
man whose life included zation I had ever heard about that does
memorable meetings with work on social and economic justice, on
Arab leaders like Anwar women’s rights, on advancing shared
Sadat, Yasser Arafat, and Haffez Assad — society, on working for equality for Arab
as well as with their Israeli counterparts? Palestinians within Israel — every one
That’s the question the family and of those organizations had been or is a
friends of Dr. Stephen P. Cohen faced grantee of the New Israel Fund or has
after he died in January 2017. received support from Shatil.”
“I wanted to come up with a mean- All this connects to Rabbi Cohen’s
ingful way to honor his memory that upbringing as Dr. Cohen’s daughter. “We
aligned with his mission and vision in understood really deeply how essential
life,” Elaine Shisgal Cohen, his widow, Israel and the peace process was to my
said. At first she thought of starting a father, and by extension to our family,”
foundation, “but I realized very quickly Rabbi Cohen said.
how much work would be entailed.” “As kids, we had the opportunity to
Instead, she decided to create the Ste- live in Israel and deeply fall in love with
phen P. Cohen Seekers of Peace Fund Israel, for that to be inseparable from
under the auspices of the New Israel the pursuit of peace. We grew up with
Fund — where, not altogether coinciden- a deep understanding of the humanity
tally, Rabbi Ayelet Cohen, the middle of Participants of diverse backgrounds in the Lowering the Walls program of Palestinians and of Arabs. My father
the Cohens’ three daughters, works as work to increase tolerance and ease tensions in Jerusalem. truly interacted with his Palestinian and
director of its New York/Tri-State region. Arab colleagues as friends. He wanted us
“I started the job shortly before my The program brings together a dozen but not get to close to Jews. Now he sees to have those relationships too. When-
father’s death,” Rabbi Cohen said. “It’s or so activists from different sectors of things differently. He had this dream ever possible he connected us with the
very meaningful for me to be doing this Jerusalem — ultra-Orthodox and secu- of working with high school students, kids of the people he was working with.
work at this moment. I find myself fre- lar Jews, Muslim and Christian Arabs, having a small business teaching com- I remember specifically the daughters of
quently running into old friends of his.” newcomers and Ethiopians — to work puter programming.” a few Jordanian friends and colleagues
With help from friends and col- together on common projects. “Part of After going through the Lowering the of his.
leagues, the Cohen family was able to the course is learning how to get to know Walls program, this man opened a busi- “We were so proud of him. We felt he
raise $150,000 for its memorial fund. “I each other,” Ms. Sivan said. “They study ness with a Jewish partner. “He works was part of such an essential and hope-
had this goal of having the fund last for subjects together. They talk about rac- sometimes in Jewish schools and some- ful process. It had a huge impact on each
five years,” Dr. Cohen said. ism. They talk about diversity, and how times in Arab schools. His Jewish friend of us,” Rabbi Cohen said.
So how to spend $30,000 a year in a to build a community that all of us are works sometimes in Jewish schools and While the Cohen family’s first grant,
way that would make a difference? part of.” sometimes in Arab schools.” to the Seekers of Peace Fund, looked
The fund’s first allocation went to a And then they work together to bring Four cohorts have completed Low- within Jerusalem’s borders, the second
New Israel Fund program called “Low- these lessons back to their workplaces. ering the Walls. “We already have year’s grant is to a group of Israeli aca-
ering the Walls.” “We were very fortunate to have peo- 60 alumni and are considering hav- demics looking outside Israel’s borders.
“It has a goal of increasing tolerance ple who really have influence,” Ms. Sivan ing it next year in a different city,” Ms. The Forum for Regional Thinking aims
and decreasing racism in Jerusalem, said. “Like a medical worker at Hadas- Sivan said. to change discussions about the Mid-
which sadly is the Israeli city with the sah Hospital, who leads the hospital’s The New Israel Fund founded Shatil dle East that take place within Israel. It
great number of hate crimes and inci- school for sick children. She took what 38 years ago. “It was aiming at building brings together Israeli academic experts
dents of racism and intolerance,” Dr. she learned in our program, and devel- a civil society in Israel, which hardly in the cultures and societies of the vari-
Cohen said. oped a way to teach and talk about the existed then,” Ms. Sivan said. “We had ous Arab countries “to help shift Israeli
Esther Sivan is the director of Shatil, different religious holidays in the dif- the big institutions, the big welfare ser- public opinion and discourse,” Rabbi
the New Israel Fund’s division in Israel ferent sectors, while everybody in the vices, some nonprofit organizations, but Cohen said.
that works for social change and sup- room is respecting the different habits there were hardly any advocacy groups “They really understand what’s going
ports grassroots activists. She explained and customs of the different religions that were devoted to actually chang- on in these countries, that there could
the details of how Lowering the with kids who speak different languages, ing policies.” be new opportunities for cooperation
Walls works. who come from different cultures, who Rabbi Cohen said that working for and new possibilities,” she said. “They
are observant or secular. That is a very the New Israel Fund was a natural fit. talk about these ideas in accessible ways.
Save the Date nice translation into everyday life of “I feel like I’ve known about the New They write op-eds and hold evenings in
what is studied in the program. Israel Fund for as long as I can remem- coffee houses.”
When: Thursday, June 13, following
evening minyan at 8:15 p.m. “Another example is an Arab resident ber,” she said. “I always felt their work She said this program would please
of Jerusalem from Beit Safafa,” an Arab was so essential. They were focused on her father, who started his career as an
Where: Congregation Beth Sholom,
village within Jerusalem’s municipal many issues I care about when I think academic in the field of social psychol-
354 Maitland Ave., Teaneck
borders that straddles the 1967 border about Israel. It really feels like an incred- ogy. “He was a big mind looking for
What: Evening in memory of between East and West Jerusalem. ible time to be working for democracy other big thinkers to think about things
Steven P. Cohen, featuring Rabbi “All his life his family was very against in Israel and strengthening the relation- in a new way,” she said. “He was very
Ayelet Cohen in conversation with
him becoming friendly with Jews. They ship between progressive American Jews interested in the way that Israel fits into
Esther Sivan.
wanted him to study in the university and Israel. the region, the Middle East.”
TEANECK’S
NECK’S
CEDAR LANENE
FAMILYLY NS
FESTIVAL VETERA
MEMORIAL DAY UR
C R A F T S • I N T E R N AT I O N A L F O O D S • G R E AT S H O P P I N G
G O
MON, MAY 28, 2018 SALUTI
N
11AM-6PM Rain or Shine
11AM
Service at the
Municipal Green
12 PM
Black Box
Singers garet
Maraker
12:15 PM
t a g u e
Mon A
nette
AAnnttooui
Theresa Sareo Izzy d
Infiel
12:30 PM
f
Pro ..
dA
Memorial Day Veterans Tribute Davigford
La n
Presentation of the Hon. Lizette Parker
Memorial Award for Civic Achievement:
to Prof. David J. Langford
Special Guests of Honor:
Margaret Aaker,
Co-Founder Teaneck Farmers Market
Izzy Infield,
President Teaneck Volunteer Ambulance Corp.
J & J Pharmacy, rmacy
& J Pha , Owner
Celebrating Its 70th Anniversary J
edida
ael F
Matt Okin, M i c h
son
Founder & Artistic Director Genia
P e t e r
Black Box Performing Arts Center
Genia Peterson,
Founder
Educating Every Child
Carl Sabatino, Mattn Cartlino
Vietnam War Oki Saba
Veteran & Author
Blueberry Pie Eating Contest 1:30 PM r
Teaneck Community Chorus 2 PM Linda
Mille
Local
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- Charles Ticho during the shooting of “Hill 24 Does Not Answer” in 1954 and near Ticho House
duction of “Hill 24 Does Not Answer,” a dramatization in Jerusalem today. Dr. Avraham Ticho and his wife, artist Anna Ticho, were his uncle and aunt.
of events that took place during Israel’s War of Indepen-
dence. During the first week of shooting, one of the few “You must be kidding!” was what I understood the
helicopters in Israel was damaged. The accident nearly clerk to say in Hebrew when I told him what I wanted to
cost some lives. Now, during the second week, things do. “These things take three to four months at least.” “No,
were not going too well either. For two days we had been you don’t seem to understand,” I insisted. “I’ve got to be
filming scenes of Israeli forces as they attack, trying to on location in the Negev on Sunday morning, or a whole
dislodge Egyptian soldiers from the Avdat fortress. Now film crew and a cast of hundreds will be sitting around
we were at a point where the Egyptians were abandoning with nothing to do.” “Look,” said the clerk, “this is Friday.
their positions and were supposed to rush helter-skelter We close at 1 o’clock, and there is no way that you can get
down the mountain and, as the audience was expected a license to drive a truck in four hours.” I kept insisting,
to assume, back to Egypt. and I asked to talk to the head of the department. A half
This involved major preparations. Dynamite charges hour went by before I was finally ushered into an office
had to be buried so that explosions could be fired at to see a man who fortunately spoke enough English to
appropriate moments as the Egyptian soldiers ran out of understand what I was trying to do.
the fortress and climbed onto their vehicles, and the two I pleaded my case forcefully to him. He seemed sympa-
jeeps and the Egyptian Army truck charged down the hill. Mr. Ticho was pressed into service as an actor; thetic, and at last I convinced him of the urgency of my
But there was just one problem. his scene ended up on the cutting room floor. request. He took me under his wing and processed me
Instead of rushing down the hill, the truck would roll through the various steps I had to complete. In quick suc-
slowly downhill till the clutch was engaged and the motor 1954 there was nothing more than a small fenced-in area cession the application forms were filled out, I took the eye
was started. Only then would it finally get moving, but about the size of a soccer field, with a half-dozen wooden test, passed the physical examination, and took the writ-
much too late. The assistant directors climbed up the hill military barracks. But there was water, an electric gener- ten examination, which the director kindly translated for
to the truck and painstakingly explained to the driver, ator, and a chance for civilized living. me. Each of these steps was taken in front of the startled
who also was the owner of the truck, what he was sup- The male crew members were housed in two of these faces of the clerks and the envious and outraged eyes of the
posed to do. Now, the second take of this scene was being small barracks and the women in a third. There was poor other applicants, who were standing in long lines at
shot, and once again the truck was ruining the scene and a dining room/kitchen house and one shower room each station waiting for their turn. “Where are your photo-
causing the director, Thorold Dickenson, to bring his fury where the men and the women took turns cleaning up graphs?” the department head asked. “Photographs! God!
down upon the poor driver. the day’s dust, dirt, and sweat. At the far side, along I should have thought of that! What do we do now?”
The driver’s problem was simple. The battery on his the fence, there were two outhouses. The arrangement It was almost 12 o’clock. Time was running out. I was
truck had gone dead, and he did not want to waste his made for tight living conditions and occasional frayed getting desperate.
own precious gasoline keeping the truck idling while the nerves — particularly about which gender had the first Fortunately, there was a photo store for just this pur-
lengthy preparations were taking place between takes. turn in the shower. pose across the street. After a brief argument I convinced
Only a promise to repay him for the wasted gasoline I was the recording engineer. I sat in the sound truck the owner to stay open past noon, and 15 minutes later
finally convinced the driver to follow the instructions, that supplied the power to the camera and the recorder. I was rushing back with pictures in hand. “OK” said the
cooperate with the production and make the next take A bank of batteries that I had to recharge every evening director, “Now for the driving test.” “Driving test! Where
of the scene a success. would supply the power to a generator that, in turn, do I get a truck?” I looked around bewildered. Things
What does all this have to do with Mitzpe Ramon? In would run the camera motor and a Westrex 35 millimeter were looking dark.
1954, a very modest military installation was the nearest magnetic recorder inside the truck. Actually, it was some- I rushed out of the building just as a truck owned by
civilized place near Avdat, so that’s where the crew and what of a miracle that the truck had gotten there at all. a driving school was pulling out of the parking lot. I ran
equipment was housed. Not only was I the recording engineer, I also was given after him. “Please, please can I use your truck? I have
Producing the first major film in Israel with a mostly the job of driving the truck. On a Thursday evening I to take a test,” I pleaded. The driver hesitated. “First
Israeli crew, cast, and resources was truly a daunting suddenly learned that my American driver’s license did you’ve got to take at least one lesson,” he insisted. “There
project. The helicopter and truck incidents were just the not qualify me to drive a truck in Israel and that I had is no time for that. I’ve got to take the test.” The driver
first of a string of problems and challenges that had to be to get an Israeli truck-driver’s license. Rather naively, I insisted that at least I must show him that I knew what I
overcome. Today there is a sizable town, with hotels, a arrived at the licensing bureau on Friday morning and was doing. So I hopped into the cab. The driver quickly
museum, restaurants, and industry at Mitzpe Ramon. In announced that I came to get my truck license. SEE FILM PAGE 14
12 JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019
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and Children’s Services of Northern New that newborns are equally vulnerable.
riella Noveck, director of the Jewish Feder- Jersey, JCC-NNJ, and J-ADD are co-spon- Indeed, according to a 2015 report from
ation of Northern New Jersey’s Jewish Com- soring it. the Carnegie Mellon University Cylab
munity Relations Council, has a large port- The program is being billed as “inter- Security and Privacy Institute, one study
folio; among other tasks, she interfaces with generational” — that’s both interest- showed that children were 51 times more
diverse religious groups and brings community members ing and possibly counterintuitive. But likely than adults to become victims of
to meet with their legislators. though most people assume that scams identity theft. That means that someone
“Once a month, groups of people meet with state legis- are targeted mainly to the elderly — used the child’s Social Security number
lators from each district in our area to discuss and advo- and many certainly are — scams can be to commit fraud, whether opening credit
cate for key issues affecting our community,” Ms. Noveck directed at everyone, no matter how old accounts, taking out loans, or applying
said. The advocacy group meets with others as well. Last or young you are. for government benefits or a job.
Monday, for example, the JCRC brought some 10 people Some legislation does focus specif- Ariella Noveck Generally, Ms. Noveck said, the crime
to meet with Sheriff Anthon Cureton of Bergen County. ically on the elderly. Ms. Noveck said is discovered only when the children are
When the group makes these visits, “we discuss dif- she had hoped that Representative Josh Gottheimer older, and by then the debts may have piled up and will
ferent topics, such as Israel, protecting the elderly, and (D-5th Dist) might attend the May 29 meeting because he seriously affect their credit status. One sign of such fraud
aging,” among other issues, Ms. Noveck said. One topic recently co-sponsored a bill creating the bipartisan Senior is that a child may begin receiving pre-approved credit
that has received increasing attention is scamming, the Security Act. The bill’s co-sponsor was Representative card offers in the mail; another is that the parent may
use of fraudulent schemes to swindle, manipulate, or Trey Hollingsworth (R-Ind.); and it passed Congress on receive calls from a collection agency.
otherwise defraud a business or individual. On May 29, April 30. When he addressed colleagues about the bill — “Our goal is to protect everyone so that they’ll look
the JCRC will co-sponsor a program on this issue. (See and presented several seniors who had been scammed at what they’re getting in the mail or on the phone,”
box.) The free workshop, called “Fight the Scammers,” out of their savings — Mr. Gottheimer spoke passionately Ms. Noveck said, explaining why she thinks the work-
will present strategies and tips to use to spot and protect about stopping financial predators. shop is so important. “And if they think they’ve been
against scammers on the phone, on the web, on email, or “It’s appalling,” he said, according to his website. “It’s caught, who do they call, what do they do, and what
even at the front door. offensive. It’s unacceptable.” His legislation, he contin- are the next steps? You have to be aware of what is
Ms. Noveck’s interest in this issue was piqued last year, ued, “will take on senior fraud and scams head on and around you.
when scammers targeted her husband, using the identity will help the Securities and Exchange Commission and “Hopefully, the course will provide key ideas so that
of a car insurance company. She also has heard horror federal prosecutors crack down on these senior-preying you’ll think not once, or twice, but three times.”
stories from a number of federation members. hucksters.”
In one such scheme, last year, “a family was called and The website noted as well that according to a report Who: The Jewish Community Relations Council of the
told to shut off their phone or something would happen that the Senate Special Committee on Aging released Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey
to their kids,” she said. “They told them to shut their this year, older Americans lose approximately $3 billion What: Will co-sponsor a workshop, “Fight the Scammers”
phones so that the kids couldn’t call them. It was a whole each year to financial scams and abuse. A separate survey When: On May 29 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
scheme. They asked for $3,000.” from the Investor Protection Trust found that approxi-
Where: At the federation’s offices,
While attending a recent program on synagogue secu- mately seven million Americans have reported being 50 Eisenhower Drive, Paramus
rity at the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, Ms. Noveck victims of exploitation, but only one in every 24 cases of
For more information and to register: Email Ariella at
learned that the prosecutor’s office also offers a course on elder exploitation actually gets reported. [email protected], or go to jfnnj.org/fightthescammers or
scamming. On May 29, the prosecutor’s office will bring Still, seniors are not the only group in danger of being call (201) 820-3946.
that course to JFNNJ. The Kaplen JCC on the Palisades, targeted. “We should be looking at our kid’s credit
Ben Brightwell was one of four British crew members that anyone traveling south from the city had to have a
Film brought over to head up the film departments. Ben was rifle or a handgun.
FROM PAGE 12
the chief sound engineer and my boss on this project. Ben was not the only one who was concerned. Mildred
explained the gears to me, and we were off on a quick The others were the chief cameraman, the script clerk Solomon, an American visitor in Israel who was acting
spin around the block. and, of course, Thorold Dickenson, the director. Ben was as a secretary on the production, felt a certain kinship
It was a good thing that I had this preliminary ride, not all that bright — a fact that he often would demon- toward me, a fellow American. Unfortunately, this affin-
because the gearbox apparently had been ruined by ear- strate. Here in the desert, after hearing that Arabs at times ity caused her to feel free to wake me in the middle of
lier learners and was very difficult to operate. It was 10 attacked Jewish settlers, he was extremely upset that we the night so that I could escort her, rifle in hand, while
minutes before closing time when an examiner joined me usually were the last ones to leave the location. We had she marched out to the fence line to use the outhouse.
in the truck to test my driving skills. As luck would have it, to gather up all the cables we had run to the camera and I would stand there on guard while she relieved herself
his daughter lived in Chicago, and when I told him some to the microphones before we could leave. So, no mat- and I would march her back to her quarters when she
complimentary details about her new neighborhood, he ter how fast we moved, everyone was long gone before was done. I made it my business, after a few of these
saw no reason to make this examination too thorough. we were ready to leave. Night falls quickly in the desert, nightly sojourns, to remind Mildred not to drink too
Five minutes later I was back in the director’s office. and we often traveled in the dark. “Stick your guns out much water at dinner and to be sure to use the toilet
I had passed the driving test. Ten minutes later, as the the windows so people will see that we are armed,” Ben before going to sleep.
building was being locked up for the day, I walked out would insist as we departed for the half-hour drive back After Mitzpe Ramon the crew went to Haifa, Naharia,
of the building with my brand new and hard won truck to Mitzpe Ramon. Acco, and several other locations, but nothing was as
driver’s license in my pocket. As I was walking over to The truck was hard enough to drive on the unpaved memorable as the two weeks in Mitzpe Ramon.
the bus station, the clerks, who were leaving the build- desert road. Now I had to do it with a gun butt clutched
ing and were gathered in the parking lot, applauded as between my thighs. However, the chance of being Charles Ticho of Hackensack, a retired producer and film
I passed by. attacked was a real possibility in 1954 and we had to be director, was born in what was then Czechoslovakia and
I had apparently made history. prepared. This is why the police in Beersheva insisted has lived there and in Israel.
14 JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019
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For more information visit jccotp.org/senior-services
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modern, spoken Hebrew language and an evolving relationship with your food, the Visit jccotp.org/seniors-special-events for upcoming
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Open to native and non-native grow it, and other CSA participants. Call Judi Nahary 201.408.1450 or
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COURTESY HNMC
Newark Museum. The community. This year,
organization, a divi- Teach NJ achieved
sion of the Orthodox an unprecedented
Union’s Teach Coa- and historic increase
lition, aims to make in nonpublic school From left, Dr. Sharyn Lewin is with health and wellness cancer experts
New Jersey’s nonpub- security funding by including Holy Name Medical Center cardiologist Dr. Raval Zankahana,
lic schools safer, stron- Governor Phil Murphy doubling the alloca- radiologist and women’s digital imaging specialist Dr. Lisa Weinstock, and
ger, and sustainable. tion to $22.6 million. It HNMC nutritionist Debbie Besson.
Governor Phil Murphy of New Jer- also advocated for the increase in total
sey was the keynote speaker, and he
and the state legislature were honored
funding for nonpublic school security,
nursing, technology, and textbook aid
Own your own health panel
for allocating $22.6 million in security to a record $50 million for the 2018- The Lewin Fund to Fight
funding for nonpublic schools. 2019 school year. Women’s Cancers presented
Many interfaith leaders, includ- Teach NJ, part of the Orthodox “Own Your Health” at Temple
ing representatives of the Catholic Union’s Teach Coalition, was founded Emanuel of the Pascack Val-
and Muslim communities who work in 2015 to advocate for equitable ley in Woodcliff Lake. The
with Teach Coalition to advocate for government funding for nonpublic host and moderator, Dr.
security funding for all religious day schools in New Jersey. It has secured Sharyn N. Lewin, the fund’s
schools, were among the guests. an additional $100 million in fund- executive director, also is the
More than 15 state legislators — ing for day schools, which is used to medical director of gyneco-
including Assemblyman Gary Schaer increase security, enhance educa- logic oncology at Holy Name
(36th District, Passaic), Assembly- tion, and defray higher tuition costs. Medical Center in Teaneck. A
woman Eliana Pintor Marin (29th Dis- Approximately 170 day schools and large audience gathered for
trict, Newark), former Gov. Richard yeshivas receive support through the panel and participated in
Codey (27th District, Livingston) and Teach NJ efforts. For more informa- the question and and answer Alayne Pick, event chair, left, of Montvale, is
Assemblyman Gordon Johnson (Dis- tion, go to teachcoalition.org/nj. session that followed, and a pictured with attendees Alice Osur of Wayne,
trict 37, Teaneck) — were there as well. significant number of them and Beth Chananie of Paramus.
had on-site genetic testing.
They May 5 meeting also included brunch.
Zahal Shalom prepares Sponsors included Holy Name Medical Center, Temple Emanuel of the Pascack
Valley, Myriad, Sharsheret, Valley Chabad, Hadassah, the Orangetown Jewish Center,
for 27th delegation and Temple Israel and JCC in Ridgewood. For more information, call (929) 224-2293
or go to TheLewinFund.org.
Zahal Shalom of Bergen
County prepares to host
a delegation of wounded
Israel Defense Force veter-
ans, who will arrive on June
Yom HaZikaron
2. The annual celebratory and Yom HaAtzmaut
in the community
JO ROSEN PHOTOGRAPHY
can affect them for a lifetime. The orga- veterans, promotes new senses of Ha’atzmaut. Jonathan Rimberg provided
nization’s programming is designed opportunity, and fosters bonds of love the music.
to enable veterans to enjoy stress-free and support; hundreds of community Program supporters included Drs.
experiences in America and bond with members also participate in many of Esther and Morton Fridman, Dr.
American families, which benefits them the events, and are affected by them. Richard and Ellen Gertler, Shari and Lieutenant Omry Naftali
in their long-term recovery. Zahal Shalom has hosted hundreds of Nathan Lindenbaum, and Rochel and
Volunteers open their hearts and soldiers so far, and many of them have Yossi Stechler.
homes to forge lifelong relationships been changed by their experiences The JCT, along with shuls from the Teaneck-Bergenfield community including Beth
that support the veterans hopes. with the organization. For more infor- Aaron, Beth Abraham, Bais Medrash of Bergenfield, Bnai Yeshurun, Keter Torah,
Hosts benefit from sharing the expe- mation, go to zahalshalom.org/gala. Netivot Shalom, Ohr Saadya, Rinat Yisrael, Shaare Tefillah, Shaarei Orah, Young
rience with them, and are proud to Israel, and Zichron Mordechai, co-sponsored the celebration.
16 JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019
Briefly Local
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 [email protected], 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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Alan Zweibel, a five-time Emmy Award-winner
COURTESY JFNNJ
‘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
dowless room watching people onstage The heightened emotions, empathy, in high school. Now, as the founder of
hen you’re at the the- say other people’s words. exploration, combined sense of freedom Envision Theater, she works in local day
ater, watching a per- That’s because theater can be magic. and safety, and sense of belonging that schools, giving students there the same
formance, if it really As you sit there in the audience, in the theater at its best can give theater people opportunity she had to be nurtured and
works, if the perfor- dark, watching, listening, you find your- — and particularly that it can give theater uplifted by theater.
mance and the writing and the direc- self journeying. When it all works right, kids, students who are drawn to it — can Rebecca Strulowitz Lopkin grew up
tion and the set and the costumes come you find yourself understanding more be even more transformative. in West Orange, but her story really
together in the way their creators meant about other people. Or being exhila- Rebecca Lopkin of Teaneck under- begins when she was 12, and her par-
them to, you can be transported. Meta- rated, or laughing until your stomach stands that because she was a theater ents decided to move to North Miami
phorically, of course — there is no mag- muscles hurt, or crying despite your kid, as her mother was before her; it Beach. Until then, Rebecca, the oldest of
ic-carpet-like wafting — but you literally absolute refusal to allow it. gave her an entrée to a new school and four children, went to the Hebrew Youth
18 Jewish Standard MAY 24, 2019
JS-19
Cover Story
Academy in West Caldwell. (The school through twelfth grade,” she continued.
later moved to Livingston and was Her mentor, Michael Andron, started the
renamed the Joseph Kushner Hebrew program, and he also “started a chapter
Academy, but that’s an entirely different of the International Thespian Society,”
story.) she said; the society is an educational
Rebecca was going into seventh grade. program for high school students. She
That can be a hard time to move, but her became the chapter president; Mr.
parents, Sheila and Larry, put her in a Andron started a traveling theater com-
new school, the Samuel Scheck Hillel pany, and she joined that too. “What-
Community Day School in North Miami. ever he created, I got involved in,” she
And the new school had an even newer said. “He pushed me.”
thing, a theater program. The next logical step was to study
“When I was brand new in the school, theater in college, she knew. “I had my
they were holding auditions for ‘Oliver!’ heart set on being an actor. My goal was
and I decided to audition,” Ms. Lopkin to attend Tisch,” NYU’s spectacularly
said. “I HAD to audition. And I got a part. competitive, enormously prestigious
I was Mrs. Sowerberry; she and her hus- performing arts school. I auditioned, I
band are undertakers. I had a great song, was accepted — I still have that letter! —
‘That’s Your Funeral.’ The song is about but I chose not to go to the program.”
the art of being an undertaker, and how Why would anyone who wanted
much they love it. to be in theater turn down Tisch? “I
“At the end of the scene, my character stayed with NYU, but I chose to study
ends up inside a coffin, and I get to do educational theater, in the school of
like this,” she said, as she mimed plank- education.” Moriah students are cute if scared puppies in “101 Dalmations.”
ing backward. “It was super fun. Why would she do that?
“From there on, I was bitten by the “Because the educational theater pro- in teaching theater. I decided that it always taught.” This way, she said, she
bug for real. gram allows you to study acting, direct- was a better idea for me, because I still could pursue both her passions, learn
“I did every play that was available all ing, stagecraft, everything about theater, could pursue theater, but I am a natural how to combine them, “so it was a
through school, so I was in many plays 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
She earned both an undergraduate at Kinneret in Riverdale, at Maimonides held back at times by the difficulty of it,” she said. “I decided that I would ded-
and a master’s degree in NYU’s school of in suburban Boston, and at Yavneh in finding companies whose schedules icate myself to theater education.”
education — acting and directing all the Paramus. (Her husband, Benjy Lopkin, accommodated Shabbat. She also had to The world in general is full of groups
way — and then, logically enough, she is a pediatric dentist with a practice in accommodate her children; Ms. Lopkin and organizations that those of us who
taught. “For many years, I was a class- Parsippany; some of those moves were has three, 17-year-old Molly and 13-year- know nothing about the field know noth-
room teacher, and I would integrate the to accommodate dental school.) old twins Jack and Judah. ing about. Many of those groups and
arts into my classes,” Ms. Lopkin said. She also hunted down community When the twins were born, Ms. Lop- organizations have their headquarters
She taught second and fourth grades, at theater groups and acted with them kin decided that although she loved in New York; many of them are perform-
Ramaz on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, whenever she could, although she was classroom teaching, “I was done with ing arts groups. Her first gig was with the
2 37 213
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bk - JEWISHStandard MAY
STANDARD - TREASURY MM24, 2019
- 5-31-2019.indd 1 5/2/2019 11:16:52 AM
JS-21
Cover Story
MUSIC EVENT
17th Annual
Myrna & Alan Cohen
Annual Spring Yiddish Concert
Sunday, June 2, 2019
2:30 P.M.
featuring
David Glukh
Klezmer Ensemble
An afternoon of traditional Klezmer with
Beloved Yiddish & International Music Selections
Cover Story
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.
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
Cover Story
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Cover Story
with workshops taught by the professional actors and Avery, the theater director for the whole New York day school programs,” she added.
directors Ms. Lopkin brings in. There always is a keynote City public school system. She works with many children on the autism spec-
speaker. “We always bring in an Orthodox Jew who is work- The students meet the speakers and the judges, trum, she said; theater gives those children an ease
ing in the arts,” Ms. Lopkin said. “Part of the purpose is to awards are given out and so are prizes for trivia com- that often doesn’t come naturally to them.
show them that you can continue to be Orthodox and have petitions, and “everyone gets a competitor T-shirt and “I have known one particular student who I worked
a career in the arts.” we say, ‘See you next year,’” Ms. Lopkin said. with in elementary school and through middle school
This year, there were about 85 students at Envision Another of the goals is to foster the idea of compe- and now in high school,” she said. “I have known her
Shakespeare Day. The keynote speaker was Paula Eiselt of tition and fellowship as perhaps in tension but not in for six or seven years, and the growth that she’s had
Teaneck, the documentary filmmaker whose most recent opposition to each other, she added. within herself is incredible. I’ve had long conversa-
work was “93Queen,” about the all-women chasidic ambu- One of her challenges is finding the right script tions with her mother about that.
lance service in Brooklyn. Last year it was Leah Gottfried, for the right school, she said. “I am always reading “For example, at the beginning, we were doing a
the filmmaker whose most well-known work is the web scripts. I have piles and piles of scripts.” They have scene in her elementary school where you have to
series “Soon By You.” The year before that it was Peter to be right for the students’ ages and developmen- look the other person in the eyes, and it was so hard
tal stages, and they have to be appropriate for each for her, but she learned to do it. Now, in the high
school’s own culture and religious sensibilities, which school program that I direct, she’s like a welcome
of course adds another wrinkle. Take “The Sound of wagon. When a new student comes in, she’s the first
Music” — upbeat, set in history, with great music and to walk over, shake her hand, and say hi.
many parts for kids. She can’t use it. It begins in a “She’s still on the spectrum. That doesn’t change.
convent, and its main character is a would-be nun. But her ability to interact with others has changed.
The language has to be acceptable, or it has to be “There was another, similar student who I’ve
tone-down-able. known throughout elementary school. At his bar
Some schools just don’t want Broadway plays or mitzvah — he did the whole thing, the speech too —
musicals; they think that the values in those shows and his parents said to me, ‘We want to thank you so
are not compatible with their own. Others don’t share much for the program. Because when we asked him
that blanket rejection, but there is much that they if he was nervous about the bar mitzvah, he said no,
cannot accept. not at all. I am so comfortable because I have done so
Also, the rights have to be available; that’s not much theater that I am so prepared!’ His parents told
always the case. me that they could not have imagined that.”
SENIOR
Some schools use the principle of “kol isha” — the Theater allows all kids, off or on the spectrum, to
prohibition on men hearing a woman’s voice. That discuss their feelings, and therefore to be more aware
principle is turned into policy in different ways. At of them. “In high school, about 20 minutes before
Ben Porat Yosef, Ms. Lopkin said, once girls have the audience comes in, we do a gratitude circle,” Ms.
NIGHTS!
turned 12, the age of bat mitzvah, they cannot sing Lopkin said. “The lights are off, and we go around the
* solo in the presence of men. The students performed circle, and I say, ‘If you want to share what you are
in “The Lion King,” and “we had a workaround,” she grateful for in this program you may, and if you don’t
said. “Each of the female soloists was paired with a want to, you don’t have to.
shadow speaker. “We used stagecraft to make it work. “Kids are not always so quick to share, especially
n d Wednesdays 3 PM
ays a
“And the head of school was very gracious,” she boys in boys’ schools, but this allows it. It allows for
- 10 P
M o nd M added. “He came to our rehearsal, and he explained sharing and risk taking.
what the halacha says and how he interprets it, “We establish the concept that everyone is here to
and how we can make it work. It was a learning support each other. This is an environment where
opportunity.” you are allowed to take risks without any negative
That head of school, Rabbi Saul Zucker, agrees that consequences. We are here to take risks and to sup-
Ms. Lopkin came up with a sensitive way to handle port each other.
the situation. “Every school is going to have its own “For a lot of kids, this is their safety zone. It’s the
guidelines and sensitivities; at BPY we are comfort- place where you build friendships with people in
Tilapia able with having groups of girls sing but not with hav- other grades. It is an equalizer.
Florentine
ing solos, and Rebecca usually does musicals, so she “In the theater, everyone is important, whether
goes out of her way to rewrite some parts and stage you are a supporting character or a lead, on stage or
blocking to ensure that what they do conforms to the backstage. Theater is collaborative.
school’s standards.” “One of the things I love most about theater, par-
Art is essential, Ms. Lopkin said. “There are a mil- ticularly in high school, is that there is always a spot
lion reasons why, from the confidence you gain to for everyone,” Ms. Lopkin concluded. “It’s not like
the collaboration you learn to the responsibility you in sports, where if you’re not an athlete you can’t be
Home of the Handmade Milkshake assume to the creativity you can discover. on the team. I don’t work that way. Everyone can be
“It’s about the students’ growing ability to build in my program. I don’t cut people. There’s always a
Buy One 141-147 N. Dean Street empathy and compassion. It exposes you to people place for you.”
Entree who are not like you, so you have to understand what Ben Porat Yosef’s Rabbi Zucker thinks that Ms. Lop-
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menu only
like them one day you will understand them. “Rebecca is fantastic,” he said. She works with ele-
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of 2 beverages 201-568-8088 “That’s true for everyone, but even more true for mentary and middle school students, and her big
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Cover Story
productions “are amazing for school of students who I usually interact with in
spirit. She gives the students a chance the halls and in class; students for whom
to really shine, and to develop their theater does not come naturally as well as
creative talents. students for whom theater is their usual
“Rebecca invests in every student. outlet. When we did ‘Bare Witness,’ stu-
She not only works with them to dents who weren’t the ones who normally
teach them to act wonderfully and would sign up for a play were inspired and
to sing wonderfully, but she specifi- moved by it.”
cally invests in developing and build- This year’s productions also include “Trea-
ing and strengthening their sense of sure Island,” which was in the fall, and the
self-confidence and pride. upcoming “A Few Good Men” ( which inci-
“It is an amazing thing to watch dentally had a script that demanded some of
students blossom under her tutelage; Ms. Lopkin’s profanity-to-clean-speech trans-
students who are on the shy side, who lation skills, she reported).
are on the quiet side, who get up on “It gives me such pleasure to sit in the
stage. For them, it is transformative. audience and witness the students’ self
“She is beloved by the kids,” he confidence, sense of humor, their timing,
added. “And I have great admiration and their ability to connect through drama
for her.” while sharing a message with their audi-
Rabbi Asher Yablok is TABC’s head Cruella de Vil and her henchmen Horace and Jasper sing “My Beautiful Coat” ence,” Rabbi Yablok said.
of school; TABC is an all-boys high at a dress rehearsal for “101 Dalmatians” at Moriah. And it provides important life skills, he
school. “Over the course of the last added. “I think about our TABC graduates,
few years we have expanded our theater opportunities the school by showcasing not only drama but also short students who will graduate after four years who are the
for our students,” he said. “We now have two produc- films, music composition, and visual arts. future leaders of our community. This experience” — the
tions a year, one in the fall, one in the spring, and we “Rebecca Lopkin has been a catalyst for that expan- theater work with Rebecca Lopkin — “will spill over to
also offer an eleventh-grade elective in theater direc- sion of the arts here.” the ability to speak in front of a crowd, to have a sense of
tion; that one has a film component to it. Rabbi Yablok appreciates the way that the theater drama and know how to create a moment. Whether or
“It has evolved into a passion of mine — instituting an program has allowed him to see facets of his students not they pursue a career in drama, it allows our students
evening of the arts, where we celebrate all the arts in that otherwise would not be visible. “I see dimensions to become dynamic graduates.”
Jewish World
American Jews concerned about anti-Semitism and disapprove of Trump, survey finds
Ron Kampeas In a favorability rating chart, Trump
scored 70 percent unfavorable and 26
WASHINGTON — A survey of American percent favorable, in contrast to his pre-
Jews showed continued disapproval of decessor, Barack Obama, who scored
President Donald Trump, with anti-Semi- 70 percent favorable and 27 percent
tism high and Israel low on the priority list unfavorable.
for Jewish voters. The pollster asked respondents about
The survey, conducted for a liber- only two Democrats running for the par-
al-leaning Jewish organization, the Jew- ty’s presidential nomination, Sen. Ber-
ish Electorate Institute, by Greenberg nie Sanders of Vermont and former Vice
Research, which does polling for Dem- President Joe Biden, who are leading in
ocratic candidates, showed 71 percent the national polls. Biden performed con-
of Jewish American likely voters dis- siderably better than Sanders, who is Jew-
approved of Trump and 29 percent ish, although both men bested Trump.
approved. That’s consistent with polling Biden’s favorable/unfavorable score was
since Trump’s election. 66/29 and Sanders, who is running well
A generic Democrat would score 67 to the left of Biden, was 51/43. U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a “Make America Great Again”
percent of the Jewish vote in the presi- The poll showed Israeli Prime Minister campaign rally at Williamsport Regional Airport in Montoursville, Pennsyl-
dential election, while Trump would get Benjamin Netanyahu’s favorable/unfa- vania on May 20, 2019. Drew Angerer/Getty Images
just 23 percent. vorable score as 45/38. Netanyahu used
The national survey of 1,000 Jewish to score high approval among Ameri- of his handling of the U.S.-Israel relation- showed that a substantial majority of Jew-
voters, taken between May 6 and May 12, can Jews, but his sustained clashes with ship and 45 percent disapproving. Trump ish voters, 64 percent, disapproved of
is consistent with past polling of a con- Obama on Palestinian and Iran policy, has forged a close relationship with Net- Trump pulling out of the Iran deal, while
stituency that leans strongly Democratic. and his closeness to Trump, appear to anyahu, moving the U.S. embassy to 36 percent approved.
According to the RealClear Politics aggre- have eroded American Jewish support. Jerusalem, recognizing Israel’s claim to Trump was underwater on a range
gator, national averages show Trump’s On issues, the only area where Trump the Golan Heights, pulling out of the Iran of other issues, including abortion (60
disapproval ratings in the low 50s and his earned positive marks was on relations nuclear deal, and distancing the United unfavorable/40 favorable), immigration
approval ratings in the low 40s. with Israel, with 55 percent approving States from the Palestinians. The survey See anti-Semitism page 43
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Jewish World
at the center of a number of anti-Se- not have done things you’re accused
NEIL KL
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mitic clashes in the 1990s. After the of, but you could have spoken out
PS
R E A T I
C @ its be V I T Y
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in 1995. Sharpton’s overarching message to
Without mentioning the Crown the Reform gathering was that blacks
Heights riots specifically, Sharpton and Jews must overcome past differ-
said he could have “done more to heal ences to confront an increase in bias
rather than harm.” And he said that against all groups, particularly under
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making Molotov cocktails left them to sputter futilely in unrecognizable one.
the parking lot of Anshei Sholom B’nei Israel. It’s also the tension between wanting security and uschwitz, Poland — For the 75th anniversary of
You know how just about all synagogues call them- wanting freedom. the deportation of Elie Wiesel to Auschwitz, I
selves warm and welcoming? Anshei Sholom, by all Anshei Sholom has taken security very seriously, accompanied his son Elisha to Sighet, Roma-
accounts, actually is warm and welcoming (and there- Rabbi Wolkenfeld told me. “We’ve been security con- nia, for the special commemoration. Each of us
fore has no need to hurl around those words, as if they scious for years,” he said. “We are constantly tweaking brought our 13-year-old sons for what was an unforgettable
were, I don’t know, Molotov cocktails). It’s a modern the system, trying to make constant improvements. A occasion.
Orthodox shul that’s unusual in its openness, while few years ago, we put in a more advanced camera sur- It’s always difficult to determine to what extent children
never leaving the constraints of halacha. It’s attracted veillance system.” So, before Pittsburgh, right? “Yes, way should be exposed to the Holocaust. I have visited Auschwitz
a wide range of people, some newcomers to Jewish life, before Pittsburgh.” many times just over the past few years. Still, it scars and
some who never felt at home in shul until they found Neither Rabbi Wolkenfeld nor his congregants are numbs me every time. And I’m an adult immersed in the
home there. It’s flourishing; in fact, it’s often a destina- Pollyannas. literature my whole life.
tion for Jewish youth groups and interfaith and Jewish But on the other hand, “We don’t want to end our Over the last two summers
studies major from colleges, ranging from nearby North- real commitment to keeping the shul open. We have I have taken my family to the
western and University of Chicago to schools across the all sorts of people who come here for the first time, death camps and killing fields
country. either out of curiosity or as guests at a bar mitzvah of Europe and wrote up our
It’s in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, a place con- or with their schools. We get confirmation students trips in a soon-to-be-pub-
stantly compared to the Brooklyn of a decade or two from the Reform synagogue in the area. We get many lished memoir called “Holo-
ago, when it was more accessible, less chichi, and really, people who are unfamiliar with orthodox tefillah, or caust Holiday: One Family’s
seriously diverse. with shuls in general. We are proud of that, and we Descent into Genocide Mem-
It’s also right across the street from the JCC Chicago, have no intention to change it. ory Hell.” Toward the end of a
with its nursery school and kids’ programs. “But still we have to be aware.” multi-week trip that included Rabbi Shmuley
Late last Saturday night, an incompetent fire-bomber As we head toward Memorial Day, there is a certain Treblinka, Maidanek, Aus- Boteach
walked within security camera range and left his three irony to this. chwitz-Birkenau, the Warsaw
little presents. They burned out, and puzzled congre- Memorial Day, which honors the memory of the ghetto, the Lodz ghetto, and
gants discovered them the next morning. Someone people who died in the service of this country, to make Mathausen, among many others, my older children began
called the police. and keep us free, wasn’t made official until the middle to rebel. Why was I subjecting them to this living purgatory?
That same day, the police said that they were inves- of the 20th century. But it started, as Decoration Day, In Israel, they said, they experienced a living, breathing Jew-
tigated smashed car windows near synagogues in the right after the Civil War, that calamitous conflict that ish nation, and they felt the comfort of God’s comforting
city’s West Rogers Park neighborhood. (On the other brought into petrifyingly sharp relief the divisions that presence. In Europe, by contrast, they saw a vast Jewish
hand, that’s such an entirely Jewish place that it would have plagued us from before that war and have become cemetery, where God seemingly was absent.
be hard not to be near a synagogue there.) more virulent since then, if that is even possible. I explained. The six million victims of the Holocaust
So what does all of this mean? So far, most of us have been kept safe by the inept- were our brothers and sisters. Our children and parents.
“We’re holding up okay,” Anshei Sholom’s rabbi, itude of the haters around us (and to be sure, by the Our wives and our mothers. They cry out from the grave
David Wolkenfeld, said on Tuesday morning. (He’s good will and loving kindness of most of us, because to be remembered. We will never forget them, regardless
got connections to this area — really, who doesn’t? after all there are very few people who fit into abso- of how empty or barren it makes us feel and regardless of
His wife, Sara Tillinger Wolkenfeld, grew up in lutely no undesirable groups. How many straight how it affects our relationship with God.
Teaneck.) “It’s been a very busy 36 hours since it white thin handsome young WASP men are there?). At Sighet Elisha Wiesel gave a masterful speech — an
happened. The police, the FBI, and local news sta- We certainly should pray for our enemies’ continued instant classic — about the simple triumph he seeks as the
tions are taking it very seriously. incompetence, but we should pray as well, this Memo- son of a survivor to lead a normal life. To raise healthy
“But at the end of the day, there was no damage, and rial Day, for the courage and tenacity and strength and children, preserve a loving marriage, incorporate Jewish
everyone was unhurt. People are nervous, but they are wisdom we will need to make this country — and this
okay. They have a lot of resolve and fortitude. world — the place that Abraham Lincoln, just years Rabbi Shmuley Boteach is the author of 32 books,
“We are not naïve. We know about the existence of before the first Decoration Day, which he did not live including his most recent, “The Israel Warrior.” Follow
people who do this sort of thing. So it’s really shocking to see, told us it should be. —JP him on Twitter @RabbiShmuley.
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E
being the grandchildren of survivors, and how years leading up to the Holocaust, local Arabs also
she has learned to cope. partook in a brutal three-year revolt against the ach week rabbis are challenged to present their congre-
As anti-Semitism now begins to spread through- English to stop the rescue of Jews escaping Hitler’s gants with a meaningful message about the issues of the
out the world, we in the Jewish community should rise. Their efforts paid off, with the British reduc- moment. Often, those issues touch on the over-extended
be aware of our own trauma as we see it all reap- ing Jewish immigration from a high of 62,000 in realm of politics.
pear. That we must fight it is clear. But how we 1935 to just 10,000 in 1937. I am a rabbi who does not discuss politics, and I made that clear
explain to our children is not as evident. Even more significant was how during the before I assumed my position. I generally choose to speak about that
Do we want our children to feel that when they Holocaust, Arab leader Haj Amin Al Husseini, which unites, I will not endorse a particular party or politician (that’s
walk down the street everyone is staring at them? the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, was a staunch ally illegal anyway), and I model respect for the officers of government
Do we want them to be self-conscious and and admirer of Hitler. After launching a failed (however challenging that has become). Still, three years into my ten-
uncomfortable with their Jewishness? Nazi-backed rebellion against the British, he ure, my congregants know that I consider many topics that are usually
As Elisha and I walked with our children in fled to Berlin at the Fuhrer’s invitation, where labeled “political” as, in fact, religious.
Krakow after visiting Auschwitz, we came to an he was given a villa and a generous monthly Human rights, the environment, the responsibility to protect, and
outdoor market where paintings were sold. Kra- salary. During the war, he helped recruit Mus- the God-given right to justice are religious issues. This attends not only
kow is a city where Pope John Paul II is literally a lim soldiers from the Balkans for the SS and in to my pulpit; it places me squarely within more than two hundred
saint and is rightly respected as a giant of moral radio broadcasts exhorted the Arabs to launch years of what might be termed the mod-
greatness. So it wasn’t surprising to see paint- jihad against the British and “kill the Jews.” After ern rabbinate.
ings that captured the pontiff’s piety in prayer. the Holocaust, Arab armies partook in a geno- As Memorial Day approaches and we
But what was shocking was seeing the paintings cidal war against the fledgling State of Israel. Six honor those whose lives were cut short
right next to him of rabbis surrounded by money, Arab nations invaded Israel with the stated goal by the demands of war, I draw inspiration
holding gold coins — even holding bitcoins! — of “driving the Jews into the sea,” — attempting a and strength from a remarkable collec-
rather than praying or studying. It was a disgust- second genocide of the Jews just three years after tion of sermons found in “Jewish Preach-
ing display of anti-Semitism, so vulgar that if I had the first. This time, however, a newborn Jewish ing in Times of War 1800-2001,” collected
not posted the pictures on my Facebook page no army repulsed the invasion, reclaiming for Jews by Rabbi Professor Marc Saperstein, now
one would have believed it. (A few months back, their ancient, God-given homeland. of the Leo Baeck College, for the Littman
in the same market in Krakow, my son Mendy But as we battle the Tlaibs and Ilhan Omars Library of Jewish Civilization. The book Rabbi
and I saw a revolting painting of a serene-looking of this world, let us be careful never to trivialize reaches from the Napoleonic Wars at the Elchanan
Hitler holding spring flowers. It was the Sabbath the Holocaust. beginning of the 19th century all the way Weinbach
so we could not photograph it.) But even as I pro- Recently I attended an Englewood Council to responses to 9/11.
tested this overt display of anti-Jewish prejudice, meeting that is considering spot-zoning the area For me, three things stand out from this
I was careful to show my son, who had just had directly across the street from me for a Care One important collection.
his bar mitzvah in Israel, that he dare never shirk home for the elderly. The argument being made First, it is a fascinating contrast when rabbis on opposite sides of a
in public from being a proud Jew. I tried to show by the company to place a large institution in an conflict present their interpretation of Scripture and rabbinic literature
him the same as we walked the streets of Nice area zoned for single-family homes is that the and reach very different conclusions. A dramatic example is a rabbinic
and Marseilles in France last summer, even as the facility will administer to the needs of the Ortho- exchange during the Civil War. (I quote heavily from Rabbi Saperstein
local Jewish community told us how dangerous it dox community who need to be within walking throughout this piece.)
was to wear yarmulkes. distance of relatives who may live there. But rab- When a sermon delivered on January 4, 1861, a Day of National Fast
Now, we should not put our children in danger. bis of the community got up to support the for- and Humiliation proclaimed by President Buchanan (imagine that!),
But should we not also factor in the psychologi- profit idea by invoking the image of elderly Holo- Rabbi Maurice J. Raphall of New York preached “The Biblical View of
cal harm of being too self-conscious, rather than caust survivors walking around Englewood lost. Slavery,” challenging Christian preachers who condemned slavehold-
acting natural, as Jews? Is fearing anti-Semitism The home would be essential for them. ing as a sin, asserting that the biblical “doom of Ham’s descendants,
not its own form of PTSD? This immediately provoked a response from the African race” remained in full force to this day, and insisting that
I believe we have to confront the slow creep an Englewood resident who got up and spoke of slavery is never condemned as sinful in sacred scripture.
of anti-Semitism just as soon as it starts making the much worse and “endless” holocaust of Afri- On the opposite side, Rabbi David Einhorn of Baltimore excoriated
tracks. We must fight anti-Semites like Rashida can-Americans that continues till this day and Rabbi Raphall’s position with savage sarcasm — “is Slavery a moral
Tlaib who shockingly said that she has a “calm- compared to which six million is a small number. evil or not?” As a result, Rabbi Einhorn’s name appeared on the list of
ing feeling” when she thinks of the Holocaust, For good measure he quoted the “honorable” abolitionists to be targeted by secessionists, and he was persuaded to
because, she claims, the Palestinians provided a Louis Farrakhan. I got up and responded that flee northward for his safety. Interestingly, the board of trustees of his
“safe haven” for Jews in Palestine “post the Holo- Farrakhan was an anti-Semite whose poisonous congregation wrote to him that when changed conditions might make
caust.” Aside from the disgusting juxtaposition of hatred of the Jews directly contradicts that of it possible for him to return, “it would be very desirable for your own
the words “calming” and “Holocaust” appearing Martin Luther King, the greatest American of the safety, as well as out of consideration for the members of your congre-
in the same sentence, Tlaib is a brazen liar. 20th century, who said that all of God’s children gation, if in the future there would be no comment in the pulpit on the
The truth, of course, is that the Jews escaping are created equally in His image. excitable issues of the times.”
Hitler who made it to British-mandated Palestine So there it was. At a hearing over a construction Unwilling to be bound by any such restriction, Rabbi Einhorn moved
were met with pogroms against Jewish communi- project at Englewood, New Jersey, the Holocaust on to positions in Philadelphia and New York.
ties, revolts against Jewish immigration, Arab sup- had been invoked in a commercial project and in Second, it is encouraging that so many of my colleagues and I stand
port for Hitler’s Holocaust, and a determination a rebuttal, both for and against. Which just goes to fast in the great tradition of compassion for our enemies. On Thursday,
on the part of Israel’s Arab’s neighbors to launch show that choosing our battles in the never-end- SEE SERMONS PAGE 34
genocidal wars against the Jews that have not ing fight against anti-Semites is critical.
Elchanan Weinbach is the rabbi of Congregation Shaarey Israel in
The opinions expressed here are those of the authors, not necessarily those of the newspaper’s editors, publishers, or other Montebello. He has been a pulpit rabbi for 13 years, a school head for
staffers. We welcome letters to the editor. Send them to [email protected]. 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
O
“ y vey!” occasionally appears to be the Jew- its cohorts being the opposition rather bona fides seeking a marriage sanctioned by
ish people’s national anthem more than than in the coalition. But I know that in Jewish law. Some people who fall into this
“Hatikvah,” which accents hope. I went to Israel, as in the States, there are grass- category are people seeking a decorous West-
Israel to exercise my voting privileges as roots movements that are successful in ern-style wedding with a rabbi of their choice
an Israeli citizen. preserving the high aspirations declared rather than with a state-appointed one. Some
I went, I saw, and I lost, or at least the party I voted for did. in Israel’s Proclamation of Independence of them have converted to Judaism with Giur
Because of this, I, along with other Israelis, worry about and our Declaration of Independence. K’Halakhah, an alternative to the rabbinate’s
Israel’s future. What happens to Israel if the expansionists Who are they, and what are they doing? conversion courts, which makes use of legit-
realize their dream of annexation of the West Bank thereby imate halachic leniencies that make conver-
bringing as many as 2.7 million Palestinians under Isra- Religion and personal status issues Rabbi sion to Judaism a more accessible process.
el’s jurisdiction? What happens if the right-wing onslaught Let’s start with the organizations Hiddush Dr. Michael There are 40 Orthodox rabbinic judges who
against the Supreme Court, one of the most trusted public and Itim. Both work toward the protection Chernick serve this conversion court, many of them the
institutions in Israel, succeeds? If the Supreme Court is neu- of religious freedom and rights in Israel. lights of modern Orthodoxy—Rabbi Shlomo
tered, what institution will stand in the way of voiding pal- Hiddush polls Israelis about such issues Riskin, Rabbi Nachum Rabinovitch, Rabbi
pably unjust and undemocratic legislation? And as so many as support for civil marriage and their feelings about Haim Amsalem, Rabbi David Stav, and others of this caliber.
American Jewish leaders have recognized and bemoaned, religious pluralism, the religious coercion ensconced in The rabbinate does not recognize these conversions, and
these questions exercise a great swath of American Jewry as Israeli law, the chief rabbinate, and much more. Over- until Chuppot came on the scene the rabbinate would not
well, and not to Israel’s benefit. whelmingly, the polls show the majority of Israelis to be allow these converts to marry “real Jews.”
Oy vey! social liberals even when they are political conservatives. This Catch-21 is finished. Chuppot has become the go-to
But wait. Listen to some of the most important words in Hiddush and Itim fight the chief rabbinate in court when agency for marriage when the rabbinate won’t accept you as
Israel’s Proclamation of Independence: it overreaches the boundaries of its authority. This occurs Jewish enough to be married by it.
The State of Israel “will foster the development of the when excessive demands are made of people who have to The majority of Israelis favor legislation that would
country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; it will be based prove their Jewish status in order to marry. This occurs again permit civil and pluralistic religious marriage. (That’s 67
on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets when people who converted with the rabbinate 15 years ago percent of the general Jewish population, according to a
of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and polit- find their conversions nullified, in contradiction of halachic Hiddush poll from 2018). This would allow the 300,000 to
ical rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race norms. The victory rate for both these organizations in their 400,000 Russian émigrés — some people estimate the real
or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, legal suits against the rabbinate is high. number is closer to 700,00 — to marry and register their
language, education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Polls show that most Israelis would not marry through marriages. Now the charedi-dominated Ministry of the Inte-
Places of all religions….” the rabbinate if they were to marry again, yet the chief rior considers them as “without religion.”
Of late, these high aspirations have fallen on hard times, rabbinate remains the only legal authority for contract- Yisrael Hofshi (Free Israel) is stirring up the masses and
but not for the first time in Israel’s history. Yet whenever ing a marriage or receiving a divorce in Israel. For the last pushing the civil and pluralistic marriage agenda. It even
it looks like these aspirations are about to turn into wisps five years the percentage of Jews marrying under the aus- got a first reading of a civil and religiously pluralistic mar-
being driven away by the storm clouds of the moment, pices of the chief rabbinate has decreased by 7 percent per riage law in the Knesset. The blockage of such legislation
quiet but persistent breezes blow them back to their proper annum. Who, if anyone, is performing or facilitating these can go on only so long in the face of Yisrael Hofshi’s ongoing
place in Israel’s consciousness. 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
The good news about Israel that we don’t get founded an organization called Chuppot. It caters specifi- civil or religiously pluralistic marriage in Israel. Research
Nobody likes to lose, especially when the stakes are cally to couples who do not want to marry through the chief shows the government-backed religious establishment to
high. So yes, I am disappointed about my party and rabbinate or cannot do so even though they are Jews with be the greatest promoter of halachic intermarriage in Israel.
W
hen I was growing up, we had watches, life), which I’ve done successfully a num- How refreshing that was. He had dis-
diapers, telephones, stores, mail, and ber of times over the years. This happened cussed a controversial and complex issue
milk. most recently just after Pesach, when the concerning conversion in Israel. In seri-
Now, with the advent of digital scholar-in-residence in our shul, Prof. Jef- ously analyzing that issue, though, not only
watches, disposable diapers, cell phones, online shop- frey Woolf, was a FB friend with whom I did he not dismiss one side with a sound
ping, email, and two percent milk, we have analog finally had the opportunity to speak face bite, he noted the strengths and weak-
watches, cloth diapers, landlines, brick and mortar to face, no books involved. nesses of each side of the matter.
stores, snail mail, and whole milk. Although we’ve often disagreed, in posts OTOH. We need two hands for so many
Don’t you just love retronyms and how they so vividly and comments, over theological, social, things: opening a bottle, buttoning a coat,
paint a picture of variety and change? and political matters, our encounter was Joseph C. tying shoes, playing baseball (yes, I know
Which brings me to friends (no, not the sitcom). extremely pleasant. And it was particularly Kaplan about Pete Gray and Jim Abbott, the excep-
I had lots of friends when I was growing up, each and so after shul (mea culpa, he sat behind me tions who prove the rule), applauding, and
every one of whom I met and interacted with personally. In during services and we actually chatted a playing guitar, for example. Well, thought-
fact, even 65 years later I still do so with some of the same bit then as well) when I told him (honestly) how much ful and meaningful argument and discussion is also a two-
ones, like I did this year over a Pesach lunch of matzah I enjoyed his sermon. And then I added: “I especially handed task, perhaps even more difficult than Pete field-
pizza, frittata, and memories. But with the proliferation liked your use of the magic words.” He gave me a puz- ing and throwing and Jim pitching.
of email and Facebook, we now have friends whom we’ve zled look; he knew he hadn’t said please, thank you, or OTOH helps us think; indeed, it often makes us think.
never met — hence, the retronym of real friends to distin- abracadabra. It was clear he had no idea what I meant, OTOH adds a richness that otherwise is missing; it fleshes
guish them from Facebook or email friends. so I explained: “‘On the other hand’; you made an argu- out issues, forcing us to question our own preconceived
One of the ways I try to merge the two is by making an ment and then you said ‘on the other hand’ and gave the notions. OTOH is the yellow light in a discussion, teaching
effort to meet Facebook friends, as they say, IRL (in real other side.” us to slow down a bit and take some more time before
32 JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019
Opinion
One of the greatest forces for gender equality in Israel is Over the summer, talking and camping together under America, the parent body of local Jewish federations. iREP
Mavoi Satum (“Dead End”). Mavoi Satum originally started the guidance of conflict resolution experts changed per- provides grants to many of the grassroots organizations I just
in order to help women and some men facing get refusal, ceptions and allowed for openness to the narratives of the described. Some of us have begun the process of introduc-
which prevented their remarriages because they could not Other as well as the reshaping of those narratives. ing iREP to our local federation, but it will take a grassroots
get a religious divorce. Mavoi Satum has extended its man- Now, older teens from many areas of conflict have joined groundswell of donors to bring our federation into the coa-
date to providing guidance to couples who want to marry the Seeds of Peace family. There are presently more than lition that voluntarily supports iREP with local federation
without benefit of clergy and who are prepared to protect 7000 ambassadors for peace who are Seeds of Peace grad- money. If you want more good news about Israel, iREP has
each other from the effects of get refusal. This is accom- uates. The organization keeps tabs on their alumni and the potential for making that good news happen.
plished by signing civilly recognized prenuptial agreements supports them in their work toward peaceful conflict res- There are grant-giving organizations that provide
that promote giving a get should a marriage fall apart. olution in many countries, but especially in Israel and the needed funds to progressive organizations in Israel. The
Details of how to draw up such a prenup and the legalese Palestinian Authority territory. New Israel Fund is a major source of this kind of fund-
that makes it binding have been published in a guide Mavoi As I write, the Alliance for Middle East Peace has arranged ing. If you want more good news from Israel, consider
Satum recently published and circulated to the public. a joint Israeli-Gazan Palestinian bike ride and marathon for supporting the NIF’s work.
peace, with facilitation by Kibbutz Beeri. It was supposed to There is a magnificent Vision Statement for a Jewish and
Peace, coexistence, and human rights take place on May 16 but was postponed due to excessive Democratic State of Israel. Written by an American Ortho-
How many of us here in the States know the stories of Neve heat. It will happen as soon as the weather cools down. Per- dox rabbi and an Israeli Reform rabbi, it has been signed by
Shalom, Yad B’yad Schools, Seeds of Peace, Shorashim/ haps other things will cool down because of this effort as well. more than 1,300 supporters from all over the world and by
Jurud/Roots, the Rana Choir of Jaffa, Machsom Watch and 21 organizations representing thousands more. Go on line
many other co-existence organizations and human rights The Kotel, religious pluralism, and renewal to rrfei.org/petitions/vision-israel-jewish-democratic-state/
protections organizations in Israel? Some of these, like Last Friday night, 400 people came for a joyous and mov- and see what the Statement has to say about what Israel
Yad B’yad Schools and the Rana Choir, bring Israeli Jews ing Masorti/Conservative movement Kabbalat Shabbat ser- might look like. If you agree with the Vision Statement,
and Arabs together in cooperative cultural, educational, vice at Azarat Yisrael, the much-disputed egalitarian prayer become a signatory. The more world Jewry supports the
and social ventures. You can hear the Rana Choir of Jaffa area at the Kotel. The plan is to make such events ongo- Vision Statement, the more its supporters can present it as
on YouTube with Jews and Arabs singing Chad Gadya ing until the promised building of a dignified and beauti- a unifying mission statement for those Israelis and Israeli
together, each in their own language and then in each oth- ful egalitarian prayer space becomes a reality. The Masorti organizations who desire their homeland to be Jewish in
er’s tongues. You can find out about the Yad B’yad Schools, and Yahadut Mitkademet movements, once mainly Israeli terms of ethical principles and democratic in practice.
which teach Jewish and Israeli Arab children in the same Anglo, now are overwhelmingly home to native-born Israe- Involvement with grassroots Israel and its organizations
classrooms in a bilingual and bicultural setting. These are lis. These, along with Tefillah Yisraelit, an organization that will open your eyes to another side of Israel’s story. If you
the sources of my tikvah, my hope for Israel. brings 600 to 800 Israelis to Tel Aviv’s shores for Kabbalat stand behind and strongly support these projects and
The tendency to blame everything “wrong” with Israel Shabbat services, are helping thousands of Israelis to re-es- movements, you can be a catalyst for changing the per-
on the settlement movement is based on not knowing tablish their ties to Judaism in a way that is meaningful to ceived face of today’s Israel from a grimace to a smile.
about Shorashim/Jurud/Roots. This organization brings them. These movements need your support. “Od lo avdah tikvati”—”I have not yet lost my hope.” And
together peace-seeking Jewish settlers (yes, they exist!) and Such efforts — and there are many more that I have not though you and I may not perfectly complete the work of
their next-door peace-seeking Palestinian neighbors (yes, listed — do not make it into the Anglo-Jewish press, let alone creating an ideal Israel, we are not free to cease trying.
they exist!) to figure out how they can know each other bet- the New York Times. And that’s a pity.
ter, make peace with one another, and create a better real- Rabbi Dr. Michael Chernick and his wife, Miriam Stern, live
ity and future for themselves and their children. What we can do in Teaneck. He received his doctorate from the Bernard Revel
You will have more faith in the future of Israel and what So, here are few suggestions about what you can do to Graduate School and rabbinic ordination from the Rabbi
someday may be Palestine when you become au courant make better news come from Israel: Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. He holds the Deutsch
with the work of Seeds of Peace. Originally, Seeds of Peace You can press our local federation to provide an alloca- Family Chair in Jewish Jurisprudence and Social Justice at
brought Palestinian and Israeli young people from Israel tion to iREP, the Israel Religious Equality Platform, which was the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New
to Maine, away from scenes of conflict into neutral space. created and supported by the Jewish Federations of North York; his area of expertise is the Talmud.
we get to where we think we want to go or, sometimes, systems in other countries, as the article noted, are (In thinking about my own columns, I realize I was,
where we end up going — not always the same place. there no serious problems with the health care insur- at times, also probably guilty of ignoring OTOH. Can’t
This is true in writing as well as preaching. I recently ance in America? Is there no OTOH that almost 30 mil- change history, but I’ll try to do better in the future.)
read a column in the Jewish Standard arguing that a lion people in the United States have no health insur- I’m sure some of my doctor friends will have answers
single-payer health care system is a terrible one, which ance at all? Or that many people with high deductibles to certain of my OTOH’s. And that’s fine. We can and
would be catastrophic for the United States to adopt. Per- policies cannot afford to pay for, and thus must forgo, should discuss them. Maybe I’ll realize some of the prob-
haps. While I don’t really know quite enough to have a necessary medical care? Or that there’s no transpar- lems I see aren’t as real as I think they are; maybe they’ll
definitive opinion, my initial inclination is that such an ency about the cost of medical care and thus a complete realize that some problems they minimize are truly seri-
abrupt change in our health care insurance system would inability to do comparison shopping? ous ones. Or maybe we’ll still disagree — while of course
not be the best way to deal with what is a serious national Is there no OTOH that drug companies can, and some- remaining IRL friends. But at least we’ll have had a seri-
problem that grows as our current system continues to be times do, double and triple the price of life-saving drugs ous discussion of the issues rather than a Potemkin village
undermined by harmful legislation and lawsuits. without rhyme or reason (other than profits) resulting view of a difficult problem.
I was bothered by the article. Not necessarily by its con- in deaths? Or that there are too many medical expenses I don’t know how I’d vote on instituting a single payer
clusions, though I thought they were vastly overstated, bankruptcies (no matter what the actual number is)? system. And I don’t know exactly where I come out on
particularly its claim that such a system would be espe- Or, or, or. Such a complicated issue cries out for some the conversion issue Prof. Woolf discussed from the
cially bad for the Jews. Really? It’s a Jewish issue now? OTOH. All we were given, though, was one hand clapping. pulpit. But I do know I’d want to get my head and my
More importantly, though, my major difficulty was the Of course, I didn’t expect the column to include all hands around those issues before I decide. One head
complete lack of any OTOH. these arguments. I certainly understand that the pri- but both hands.
There are certainly serious issues with a single payer mary view of a column is the point of view and the opin-
system, though, as I have said before, my personal expe- ion of its writer. And I also understand about word lim- Joseph C. Kaplan, a regular columnist, is a long-time
rience is that the very best health insurance I ever had in itations from editors (thank you Word for having word resident of Teaneck. His work also has appeared in various
several decades is Medicare, the single payer system for counts appear automatically in the newest version). publications including Sh’ma magazine, the New York
those over 65. But completely ignoring the other hand weakens, not Jewish Week, the Baltimore Jewish Times, and, as letters to
But just as there may be problems with single payer strengthens, the argument. the editor, the New York Times.
JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019 33
Letters
Pascrell on radicalized hate household names in literary, political, and business circles. worshippers at the synagogue shooting — at the National
The spate of deadly domestic extremist violence against Arthur Miller, Norman Lear, Moss Hart, Paul Goodman, Bob Day of Prayer at the White House on May 2nd. I realize that
houses of worship and nonprofit institutions is a growing Treuhaft, Andrew Goodman (founder of Bergdorf Good- perhaps your paper was already “at press” and the story
threat to virtually every corner of the United States. It is man), to name just a few. Herman was immersed at the time took place after printing, but why the pronounced silence
imperative that elected officials like myself do everything in “Youngblood Hawke,” secluding himself in the Virgin and omission in the following week’s (May 10) paper? While
in our power to combat this weaponized hatred whenever Islands so as to devote full concentration to his novel. Unable Rabbi Goldstein was not originally included in the roster of
it rears its hideous head. to appear at the reunion, Herman made a poignant audio- speakers, President Trump, who previously and personally
To that end, I recently helped lead bipartisan legislation tape recounting his camp memories. My mother brought called and spoke with Rabbi Goldstein for 20 minutes, spon-
that would authorize a security grant program for religious scissors with her, and out of respect for Herman’s sensitiv- taneously called upon him to speak, and share his message
institutions and non-profits. I’ve also worked to increase fed- ity she cut the cassette tape immediately after it was played. of hope, pride and positivism in the face of evil and dark-
eral funding for the Federal Non-Profit Security Grant Pro- The room stood still, as the former campers listened closely ness. Rabbi Goldstein quoted from the Rebbe, Rabbi Men-
gram from $13 million to $60 million, and we are requesting to Herman’s reflections on his camp days: stories, commen- achem M. Schneerson, that the way to react to darkness is
$75 million in the next budget. Through letters and conver- taries, and humor about life among an oasis of trees for a with light, and in the early 1980s, shortly after the assassina-
sation, I am working closely with my colleagues to fully fund Jewish boy growing up in the Bronx. Many will say Herman, tion attempt on President Reagan, the Rebbe urged making
these critical programs so that religious communities can an extraordinarily gifted Pulitzer Prize winning novelist, was a daily moment of silence as a standard practice in public
have the security they deserve. As the Old Testament tells “larger than life.” My late mother would say, if she were here schools. Rabbi Goldstein, in drawing tears from the White
us, silence is consent. In the face of this new wave of radical- today, that Herman was someone who clearly showed signs House gathering, remarked that the Rebbe taught him, that
ized hate, I promise that I will never be silent. of “greatness” as a young lad even before he ever took pen to as a Jew, you are a soldier of God, and you need to stand
Bill Pascrell, Jr., Member of Congress (D — NJ Dist. 9) hand to write his first novel! tall and stand fast, to do what it takes to change the world.
Amy Neustein, Ph.D., Fort Lee These words— urging all to increase in acts of goodness and
kindness — visibly touched and drew tears from those at
Remembering Herman Wouk Trash bin of history the gathering, with the president thanking the rabbi for his
My late mother, Shirley Friedberg Neustein, was a child- After reading the opinion piece by Rabbi Dr. Fine in the May courage, grace and devotion in touching every heart and
hood friend of Herman Wouk, who attended the boys divi- 10 issue (“Why I am keeping my subscription to the New soul in America. This was truly a “Kiddush Hashem.”
sion of a Zionist camp (Keeyuma/Carmelia) in the 1920s and York Times”), I could understand where the term “off the William Z. Shulman, Esq., Union City
30s. The camp was picturesquely situated on Lake Cham- rails” stems from.
plain in Milton, Vermont. My mother and Herman kept up His inclusion and comparison of the Times to the Torah Anti-Semitism from the left
with each other until my mother died in 2001. is at best misguided and at worst sickening. What makes it “Normalization of Bias” (May 10, 2019) speaks of the sta-
I gathered bits and pieces of Herman’s personal side, his even worse he is a rabbi. I don’t care what denomination he tistics and insight that show a trend toward increasing
banter, humor, zest for living in spite of personal tragedy, belongs to, but his comparisons belong in the trash bin not anti-Semitism. I disagree with Mr. Abe Foxman when he
from the anecdotes my mother shared with me. Beginning a Jewish newspaper. I am not even mentioning his defense says: “The good news is that anti-Semitism is latent...” Latent
with the camp days, where the boys and girls who were of the Times history and their apologies towards Israel and means underdeveloped, hidden, or concealed. It is not. In
separated during the week would come together for Friday Jews. Those apologies had to be squeezed out of the news- the article, Mr. Foxman says: “Taboos have been destroyed
night Shabbat prayer service, my mother was very much paper and are not worthy of of serious thought. Proof is by Trumpism and by politics.” The article speaks about
intrigued with Herman, a couple of years her senior. She viv- that the next day they ran a cartoon of Netanyahu with tab- right-wing extremism but stops short and doesn’t include
idly described how during short breaks in the prayer service lets coming down from a mountain. What religious signifi- the progressive left and the “woke” culture that has brought
he would suddenly lift his head from the siddur, canvassing cance does Bibi and the government have today. None, but the mainstreaming of anti-Semitism to the Congressional
the room with penetrating eyes. She would often tell me the Times thinks that is the thrust of Israel’s government. halls. We are almost deaf to the progressive left assaults after
she could see “the wheels of his mind” turning as he scru- Sad that a rabbi believes their “new approach” and even living for years with blatant (not latent) anti-Semitism on the
pulously examined every fellow camper in the prayer hall. sadder that he uses the Torah to compare it to. university and college campuses around the country.
They all wore white shorts for the Sabbath, as was required Marc Aron, Teaneck For many years there existed a debate as to whether
by the camp director. Yet behind the banality of clothing, anti-Zionism was really anti-Semitism. At this point in time
Herman saw the richness of color in each fellow camper. Rabbi Goldstein’s heroism most Jews would agree that it is, as it has shown itself more
He soon became friends with my mother, and when he Your coverage of the Poway shooting in your May 3rd edi- openly anti-Jewish. The historian Victor Davis Hanson writes
invented the character “Shirley” in “Marjorie Morningstar” tion was informative and well done — although I am puz- about this topic, most recently in his article “Why Progres-
he called my mother to apologize profusely, swearing she zled why it was relegated to pages 30-32, and needlessly sive Anti-Semitism — and Why Now?” in the National Review.
was nothing at all like the protagonist in his book! Though included a photo of a Moslem girl in the crowd of partic- American Jews are living in the midst of increased and
he did concede he consciously used her name because of ipants in the post-shooting vigil. However, what is more mainstreaming anti-Semitism. At the very least it behooves
his friendship with my mother, another “Shirley.” In May glaring, is the omission in either the May 3rd or May 10th our Jewish leaders be more open about all the places it is
1962, my mother put together a monumental camp reunion, paper of the moving and heartfelt speech of Rabbi Yisroel coming from.
bringing together the young Zionists who had now become Goldstein — who lost one of his fingers in protecting other Varda Hager, Teaneck
enemy as being anything from tyrannical to Amalek, promise to you who lie here: we will not do that. We
Sermons is certain to upset many congregants; still, it is the task will join hands with Britain, China, Russia in peace,
FROM PAGE 31
of the rabbi to address this spiritual matter that tran- even as we have in war, to build the kind of world for
5 December, 1805, a “Day of General Thanksgiving for the scends politics. The Rabbis of the Talmud declare God which you have died.” (It is interesting to note that the
success of his majesty’s fleet under Lord Nelson, off Tra- as having compassion on the Egyptians at the splitting last sentence was edited out of the official version on
falgar” was observed throughout both the churches and of the sea. Can we not manage the same? record with the United States Army Chaplain Center
the synagogues of England. On all such occasions, Jews Finally, the grimmest task facing any rabbi is to eulogize and School.)
gathered in their synagogues at the same time that their the death of children, which all soldiers are. How inspi- The upcoming Memorial Day is a time for religion to give
Christian neighbors assembled in their churches; a special rational, therefore, is the sermon Rabbi Ronald B. Gittel- honor to the fallen and comfort to the bereaved, and to
liturgy was followed, and the chief rabbi delivered a ser- sohn gave at the U.S. Marine Corps cemetery at Iwo Jima in bring its bright and critical light to bear on all sides of our
mon explicating the meaning of the events celebrated. On March 1945. In it he pleads that the opportunity presented many conflicts. As our prophets and rabbinic leaders have
this occasion, Rabbi Solomon Hirschel departs from the by the sacrifices of The Great War not be wasted. done for millennia, and as these shining examples from the
general vilification of the enemy found in the sermons of I quote from his sermon: “This war, with all its fright- modern rabbinate have modeled for us, let us remember
his fellow clergymen, instead devoting considerable atten- ful heartache and suffering, is but the beginning of our clearly the tragedy of war, the responsibility to seek univer-
tion to whether it is proper to rejoice at the victory of one’s generation’s struggle for democracy. When the last bat- sal peace, the ever-present need for a careful and probing
own nation when this victory entails suffering and death tle has been won, there will be those at home, as there examination of the motives towards war on all sides.
among the enemy. were last time, who will want us to turn our backs in This much we owe to the memory of our fallen, to the
I can say from experience that compassion for an selfish isolation on the rest of organized humanity, and victims of war — combatants and civilians — and to the dic-
enemy in war, when the general tone describes that thus to sabotage the very peace for which we fight. We tates not of politics but of our religion.
34 JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019
The Frazzled Housewife Kosher Crossword
“LET’S GET PHYSICAL” BY YONI GLATT
[email protected]
DIFFICULTY LEVEL: MEDIUM
I
love taking pictures. And then came the digital camera. You
Even when I was younger, I could take pictures and then see what
always had whatever camera they looked like so you could decide if
was in style. Remember Pola- you wanted to retake the picture. Tech-
roids? You took a picture, it magically nology is amazing! You can see the pic-
came out instantly, and then you could ture before you develop it! Woweeee!
watch it develop. It was truly miracu- I loved this little silver device. When it
lous. Of course if you put your fingers broke, I paid to fix it because I loved it
on it accidentally the so much. Unfortunately, in
whole thing got ruined the two weeks it took to get
and it was really cool to my precious camera back,
dissect the actual picture out came the iPhone. And
to see what was going as you all know, life as we
on — though they were knew it would never ever
a little on the expensive be the same. The iPhone
side, so you tried to be as was great. You could call
careful as possible. If you people, you could text
are wondering why that people, you could take pic-
technological marvel no Banji tures of people, you could
longer exits, it is proba- Ganchrow video people, all in one
bly because the camera handy dandy product.
weighed about 12 pounds As some of you know, it
and didn’t really fit into anything to took me a while to give in to the iPhone
make it easier to shlep it around. trend. It isn’t that I thought it wouldn’t
For my eighth-grade graduation, my last, I was just afraid to become a part
aunt and uncle got me a Nikon camera. of the culture. But once my boys got it
That one was totally awesome because for me, I said goodbye to all of my cam- Across Down
I had to install the film myself — hook it eras. I apologized for having to break up 1. Moses wore one for the last third of 1. Queens Mr.
his life 2. Pulls off
up, roll it through — it was a very com- with them. I told them how easy it was
5. Meshuggah 3. Parve dessert option
plicated process, and I felt very mature going to be for me to take pictures. The 10. Police-alert letters 4. Laker often referenced by his first
and intelligent when I got the thing to quality of the pictures was better, the 13. Mahktesh bounce-back name
work. I also had to use the lens to focus ease it took to take the pictures…it was 14. Sarai’s husband 5. Move one’s tail, as a dog
so the picture wouldn’t be fuzzy. Of all wonderful. 15. Sea eggs 6. Superior of Maria in “The Sound of
course, when you take pictures with a Except for one crucial thing. I had 16. Sodom’s destruction, to one lis- Music”
tening? 7. Most 5-Across
camera like that, it takes a tad bit lon- and still have no idea how to develop
18. “Flags of ___ Fathers” 8. Charles Foster and Erica
ger. OK, it takes a lot longer to get the them. Any of them. There are hun- 19. Burns up 9. “Heavens!” to a texter
picture in focus, and you have to hope dreds and hundreds of pictures on 20. Sleep-___ (night-time tablet) 10. Near by
everyone has enough patience to get my phone. Three years worth of pic- 21. Bean for Creed on “The Office” 11. Spring upon
the shot. And after you use the whole tures. Son #3 has started shaving and 22. Black History Mo. 12. MP Luciana who resigned from the
roll of film, you pray that you forwarded grown five inches since I have been 23. What the Bielski brothers were Labour Party in protest of Jeremy
known for? Corbin
the film enough that when you open taking pictures on my phone, and I
26. Many Monopoly props. 17. Land of Acre: Abbr.
the camera, you don’t expose it and still can’t figure out how to develop 28. Monogram of 1948 Nobel winner 21. Tom ___ Riddle
ruin the whole roll. It was always hit or them. I don’t even know where to for literature 22. Like Eglon, in Judges
miss and I probably hit and missed an start, or how much it will end up cost- 29. Word with tall or short 24. Director Cohen, and others
equal amount. ing to develop 700 pictures. And then 30. ___ gedola (separated produce) 25. Some bags
Then you brought the film in and 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
waited a week to 10 days to get your no space left in my camera and I have
34. Tzitzit speculation? 33. Grand Canyon, for one
pictures back. And then you have those to start deleting some pictures. Which 38. Former soccer org. 35. The world over
memories forever. ones do I delete?? I can’t delete them 39. Like Choni HaMa’agel for 70 years 36. Not inert
My next camera had a cool red case yet. I don’t have them in an album and 41. Bad Boko 37. Party founded by Yair Lapid
and it was programmed to do every- I can’t get them in an album because I 44. Takes too much, for short 40. Org. in education
thing, so I just popped the film in the 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
back and closed it. Fantastic. It was so So you see my problem…
“The BFG”, e.g.? 42. Observes Yom Kippur, perhaps
high tech that the date of the picture Maybe I will ask Alexa what to do, or 50. “Ching” preceder 43. Many a movie rating, nowadays
appeared on the bottom of the actual Siri…at least they won’t laugh at me. 51. Particle of dust 45. Give a little tzedakah
picture. Of course I could never figure Say Cheese!!!!! 52. “And Esau ___ to meet him” 48. Carl ___ aka Absorbing Man (Lee/
out how to put the correct date in so (Genesis 33:4) Kirby creation)
I have a whole bunch of albums filled Banji Ganchrow of Teaneck is still 53. Spy Hari 49. Dietitian’s stat
55. Unwelcomed Sukkah guest 54. Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov
with pictures that have the wrong date in denial that son #3’s high school
56. Physics aspect pertaining to the 56. They go from town to town: Abbr.
on them. Oh well. At least the pictures graduation is in two weeks. But will mishpacha? 57. Oozy stuff
are all in focus. 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
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.
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5 p.m., she will discuss
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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
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(201) 836-6210 or the Six Day War” at
bethaaron.org. Congregation Bnai
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Monday Teaneck Orthodox
Retiree Association
may 27 (TORA). Lunch at
noon, talk at 12:45 p.m.
641 West Englewood
Ave. bnaiyeshurun.org/
tora.
Calendar
and Bruria Singer, Kedar concludes minyan that begins Jewish texts at the
Shabbat in Closter:
10:30 a.m. A holistic
workout that stretches
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.
the mind and body may 30 Middle East,” for the on Jewish tradition Widzer and Cantor 34 Montebello Road,
while connecting CSI Scholar Fund and mental health. 8 Elizabeth Goldmann Montebello, N.Y.
spiritually with Torah of the JCC of Fort Independence Ave., lead services with the (845) 357-2430 or
teachings, song, and Lee/Congregation Orangeburg, N.Y. Unplugged Band and montebellojc.org.
prayer. 180 Piermont Gesher Shalom (845) 359-5920 or offering a blessing
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seniors, 7:30 p.m., 221
or templeemanu-el. The discussion will
Schraalenburgh Road. Singles
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Friday (201) 768-5112 or tbenv.
Fighting scammers:
The Jewish Federation
Problems in the Middle
East?” Refreshments,
May 31 org.
Sunday
of Northern New 12:15 p.m.; speaker at Shabbat in Monday June 2
Jersey and the Bergen Rabbi Meeka Simerly 12:45. 1449 Anderson Orangeburg: Pride
County Prosecutor’s Ave. (201) 947 1735. Month kicks off at the
June 3 Singles meet in
Office offer an Morning study in Orangetown Jewish Caldwell: New Jersey
intergenerational Wayne: Rabbi Meeka Ellis Island Center with Pride Golf/tennis/cards in Jewish Singles 45+
seminar, “Fight Simerly holds a presentation: Senior Shabbat services, Alpine: The Jewish meets at Congregation
the Scammers,” at study session “The Source welcomes 7 p.m., and Shabbat Home Foundation Agudath Israel with
JFNNJ headquarters, Writings — Megillot, veteran stage actor morning at 9 a.m. 8 hosts its 25th annual a surprise performer,
6:30 p.m. 50 Song of Songs, Mark Simmons for a Independence Ave., outing with golf, 2:30 p.m. Program
Eisenhower Drive, Psalms,” at Temple one-man presentation, Orangeburg, N.Y. tennis, and cards at includes a sing-along,
Paramus. JFNNJ.org/ Beth Tikvah, 11 a.m. “Ellis Island: Passage (845) 359-5920, the Montammy Golf joke telling, food,
fightthescammers or Coffee. Also June 27. to All Things Possible,” [email protected], Club, rain or shine. The fun, mingling, and
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Chabad Jewish Floor, Hackensack. Hebrew Center hosts Lunch and learn: agudath.org.
Center of begins a Reservations, a “meet and mingle” Rabbi Joshua
new six-week course, (201) 342-0962 or open house with Finkelstein explores
“With All My Heart,” seniorsourcenj.org. Tot Shabbat, 5 p.m.;
exploring the art of barbecue with music
prayer and spirituality, Healing/harmony/ by NHC’s Temple Announce your events
by the Rohr Jewish and learning in Dudes, 5:30; and We welcome announcements of upcoming events. An-
Learning Institute, Orangeburg: Rabbi services at 6:30. 411 nouncements are free. Accompanying photos must be high
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Road, Suffern, N.Y. Mordechai Kedar Amichai Margolis lead off Exit 10 of the in advance. Not every release will be published. Include a
(845) 368-1889 or visit Courtesy JCC of Fort Lee a spring service of Palisades Parkway, New daytime telephone number and send to:
JewishSuffern.com. healing and harmony at City, NY. (845) 708-9181
The Middle East: the Orangetown Jewish or nanuethc.org. [email protected] • 201-837-8818 x 110
Scholar Mordechai Center, 6:30 p.m. After
The Friendship Circle of Rockland’s food, and entertainment, follows. [email protected]. RCBI
Friendship 1K walk is on Sunday, June The day raises crucial funds and meets in Temple Israel & JCC.
2, at the Eugene Levy Fieldhouse at community awareness for the Friend-
Rockland Community College, Suf- ship Circle, a nonprofit organization
fern. Registration and T-shirt pickup is for people with special needs. The
at 12:30 p.m.; the Hoop Wizard show at college is at 145 College Road. For
1; the opening ceremony and walk are information, call (845) 368-1889 or go
at 1:30, and the Friendship Fair, with to RocklandFriendshipWalk.com, or
inflatables, rides, train, games, crafts, email [email protected].
Calendar
Photo provided
and the CEO of the Coca-Cola Com- ling” on Wednesday, Forces. He has answered
pany, Muhtar Kent. June 5. Rabbi Swift was thousands of questions
The medal is awarded to one-hun- the rabbi emeritus of on AsktheRabbi.org and
dred Americans, both native-born and Congregation Ahavath Rabbi Mordechai presents a Talmud class,
naturalized, whose accomplishments Wendy Federman Torah in Englewood and Becher “Dimensions of the Daf,”
in their fields and inspired service to a founder of the Moriah on cable television with
the nation are worthy of commen- and the generosity of her time in her School and the Frisch Academy. The the Jewish Broadcasting Service. Rabbi
dation. The medals recognize peo- many philanthropic causes related to lecture, co-sponsored by Ahavath Torah Becher’s latest book, “Gateway to Juda-
ple who have made it their mission her profession. She has spent count- and the Rabbi Isaac L. Swift Chair of ism,” is in its ninth printing. His wife,
to share with those less fortunate less hours throughout her career men- Judaic Studies at the Kaplen JCC on the Chavy, is a graduate of Bryn Mawr Col-
their wealth of knowledge, indomita- toring aspiring producers, actors and Palisades, is at the Englewood shul, 240 lege and Hebrew University, and three of
ble courage, boundless compassion, writers. Ms. Federman is a member of Broad Ave., after 8 p.m. Mincha. his sons have served in combat units of
unique talents, and selfless generosity. the John F. Kennedy Center’s National Rabbi Mordechai Becher, originally the IDF. For more information, call (201)
The group of accomplished Amer- Committee for the Performing Arts. from Australia, is senior lecturer of the 568-1315.
icans gathered in Ellis Island’s Great She also has been a trustee on many
Hall, the original registry room that boards, including Bergen Performing
served as the gateway for 12 million Arts Center in Englewood, Gilda’s Club
immigrants to the U.S., for the annual Northern New Jersey, Foundation for
Ellis Island Medals of Honor black-tie
gala, where they received and cele-
Gender Equality, and Penguin Reper-
tory Theater in Rockland County.
Sisterhoods are busy bees
brated their award in the light of the Since the medal was founded in
Statue of Liberty. 1986, the Ellis Island Honor Society
Ms. Federman also has received has honored distinguished and diverse
an Olivier award, seven Drama Desk Americans, including seven presi-
awards, 10 Outer Critics Circle awards, dents of the United States, and Nobel
and 11 Drama League awards for some Prize laureates Elie Wiesel and Malala
of her nearly 80 co-productions. She Yousafzai. The U.S. Senate and House
was nominated for six Tony Awards of Representatives have officially rec-
this year and was recognized for her ognized the Ellis Island Medals of
own extraordinary professional career Honor, and each year the recipients
and the inspiration she provides for are listed in the Congressional Record.
others. In addition, she was honored To see the full list of 2019 recipients,
for her commitment to the theater arts go to EIHonors.org. At a recent Glen Rock Jewish Center sisterhood meeting, members learned
how to create beautiful beaded head coverings. Courtesy GRJC
Local/Calendar
Vaxx wars
refuse, we ask them kindly to go some- Penguin Rep Theatre upgrades
FrOM PaGe 9
where else.
“The recommended routing sched-
sound, lighting, and safety
many other reasons, “there are doc- ule for the MRR vaccine has been the The Penguin Rep Theatre in Stony Point, Penguin Rep Theatre, an award-win-
tors here who may not realize how first one at 1 and the second at 4.” N.Y., has been updated with assistive listen- ning professional theater, opened its
much at risk this community is,” she Of course, children with medical ing devices, new lighting and sound equip- 42nd season on May 19 with a revival
said. “They don’t realize that their exemptions do not get vaccinated, but ment, handrails, and more, according to of “Art,” Yasmina Reza’s international
patients are going to a wedding in there are very few such exemptions. its founding artistic director, Joe Brancato. hit play, 20 years after its successful
Borough Park or in Lakewood, or Sometimes the practice gives the “Thanks to the assistance of State Sen- Broadway run. The 108-seat theater, at
going to Rockland to go shopping.” vaccine early. Babies cannot get it until ator James Skoufis, Penguin received a 7 Crickettown Road in Stony Point, is a
The parents almost definitely have they are six months old, but if they are $57,000 grant from New York State repurposed 1880s hay barn that has bee
been vaccinated, but they might between six as 12 months and about to to install sound amplification equip- updated with air conditioning and heat-
need a booster. “The average secu- go to a high-risk area, such as Israel, ment to accommodate the hearing-im- ing and wheelchair accessible entrances.
lar or Reform or Conservative Jew in they can get it then. That means that paired and handrails for easier and safe Parking is free.
town reads the newspaper, goes to they’ll eventually have to get two more, access to seating, as well as to replace This season, sponsored by Orange and
a non-Jewish doctor, and it doesn’t because a vaccine administered before and upgrade outdated equipment,” Mr. Rockland Utilities, also is supported by
even occur to them that they are at a baby is about 1 doesn’t have the same Brancato said. There is also new seat- the New York State Council on the Arts
risk,” she added. long-term benefits. ing outside the theater, including café with the support of Governor Andrew
Dr. Maury Buchalter is a pediatrician “It is very important to know that the tables, chairs, and picnic tables near the Cuomo and the Legislature, Rockland
at Tenafly Pediatrics; he works in the MRR vaccine is very safe,” Dr. Buchal- organic garden. County, the town of Stony Point, the
Fort Lee and Clifton offices. ter said. “It is a very good vaccine, and According to its executive director, Shubert Foundation, the Cory and Bob
“Based on our recent outbreak, we measles is potentially a very dangerous Andrew Horn, “there are eight infrared Donnalley Charitable Foundation, and
decided to enforce the pro-vaccination disease. devices, similar to those in Broadway donations from Joseph Grosso, Barry
status of our practice,” he said. “So we “I have heard that some parents theaters, which will be available without and Helene Lewis, and Morton Wol-
informed our patients by email and who don’t vaccinate — particularly in charge on a first-come, first-served basis kowitz. For more information, go to
newsletter that we are insisting that Rockland — are doing measles parties.” before each performance.” penguinrep.org or call (845) 786-2873.
they get the MRR vaccine on time. That’s when parents bring their chil-
“In the past, we have let patients dren to spend time with a child who has
defer it up to a point, say for example been diagnosed with the disease, hop-
someone wanted to get it at 2 instead ing that they’ll catch it then, and get it
of at 1, we said that as long as it was over with. (As bad as it is for children to
prior to school entrance, that was get communicable childhood disease,
okay. But we have stopped doing that. it’s often even worse if they get them as
Now we insist that patients get their adults.)
vaccine on time, which is one year “That is a very dangerous thing to
of age for the initial one. If parents do,” Dr. Buchalter said.
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 Phish performs on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” on October 10, 2016. The band members are, from left,
2009, and Stein was more than ready to Page McConnell on keyboard, Trey Anastasio on guitar, Jon Fishman (barely pictured) on drums, and Mike Gordon
see them live. He traveled from New York on bass. ANDREW LIPOVSKY/NBC/NBCU PHOTO BANK
to see three consecutive reunion shows in
Hampton, Virginia, and over the next few and Phish” — alludes to the Helping specific experience of attending Phish community to understand what’s going
years he estimates he saw it play over 60 Friendly Book, which appears in the concerts — filled a spiritual void that on [during a service].”
times. Since 2009, in total, Stein has been story of Gamehendge, the fictional set- began to open up in that younger Jew- Phish has even helped Jews feel and
to more than 100 Phish concerts. ting of many Phish songs. Gamehendge ish generation. That was certainly the become more Jewish, as documented
Stein was brought up Orthodox, and is inhabited by a race of people called case for Aimee Weiss, a 33-year-old who in articles Ladon came across in his
he still keeps a kosher home, observes Lizards and doubles as a nice encap- works for a private grantmaking orga- research and his own study. The most
most Jewish holidays, and has a Shab- sulation of the wacky humor evident nization in New York City. Like many of well-known example is the reggae rap-
bat dinner on Friday nights. But he throughout the band’s catalog. her peers, she first heard Phish at Jew- per Matisyahu, who went through an
describes the live experience of a Phish One of the scholars who probed the ish summer camp. She doesn’t know intense Phish phase before becoming
concert as equally transcendent, if not connections between Jews and Phish exactly how many Phish shows she has Orthodox, seeing around 50 of its con-
more so, than any religious experience on Sunday was Oren Kroll-Zeldin, an seen, but guesses “under three figures.” certs. Ladon said some of his respon-
he’s ever had. assistant professor of Jewish studies and “For a time (pre-my Phish days), dents said they became modern Ortho-
“There are many of those moments other subjects at the University of San more traditional Jewish infrastructure dox rabbis in at least some small part
during a show when you just close your Francisco. He lays out a series of factors and practices brought me safety, medi- because of Phish’s influence on their
eyes and you just feel like you’re where that brought the two worlds together tation, mental healing, etc. My relation- spirituality. One even became charedi.
you’re supposed to be with the people over time. The first tangible cultural ship with Judaism has changed of late,” Two members of the band — bassist
you’re supposed to be with, and I think nexus was hippieish summer camps that she said in an email. “In the absence of Mike Gordon and drummer Jon Fish-
that music takes you to that place,” Stein were permeated by Phish and its music deeply meaningful and more traditional man, whose surname inspired the band
said. “Phish is basically my religion, through the late 1980s and ‘90s. Kro- Jewish spaces, I sought to fill the spiri- name — are Jewish. Gordon went to a
more than anything else.” ll-Zeldin notes that a large percentage tual vacuum. When the setting and your Solomon Schechter Jewish day school in
Stein is far from alone. of American Jews have formative expe- headspace are just right, a show fulfills Newton, Massachusetts, and his father
Phish, which formed at the University riences at Jewish summer camps, from what I used to go to shul for.” was a leader in the Boston Jewish com-
of Vermont in 1983, has cultivated one of which Jewish social networks — they are Rabbi Josh Ladon, the West Coast munity, notably with local groups that
the most dedicated rock fan bases in the more tightly knit than many realize — education director for the Shalom Hart- supported the Soviet Jewry movement.
world, thanks in part to its virtuosic live disseminate a specific culture. man Institute of North America, who In a possible nod to their Jewish fan
improvisation — like the Grateful Dead, Then there are the liberal arts colleges was part of the conference panel with base, the band is known for playing
Phish is known for its extensive instru- and universities in the Northeast where Kroll-Zeldin, conducted a study of Jew- live versions of “Avinu Malkeinu” and
mental jams and never playing the same Phish also thrived at that time — and ish clergy who say Phish has influenced “Yerushalayim Shel Zahav.”
show twice. There’s a grassroots “Phish- where Jews also are represented in dis- their sense of Jewish spirituality or For Ladon, Jewish Phish fandom is an
head” subculture that revels in bootleg proportionate numbers. community. Among the 340 responses, important manifestation and represen-
concert recordings (the band encour- But more generally, Kroll-Zeldin many pointed to Phish’s live improvisa- tation of modern Jewish American life
ages fans to record their shows), show points to the broader disillusionment tion in addressing the spiritual quality — and it’s not the only place that Jewish
set lists, and band merchandise. Many with mainstream Jewish institutions that of their concerts. Improvisation takes scholars should be looking to in order
fans regularly follow the band across young Jews began showing in the ‘80s agency and creativity, Ladon said — con- to explore contemporary Judaism. He
parts of the country, essentially “tour- and ‘90s — citing multiple Pew Center cepts that respondents brought back to points to the huge Kabbalat Shabbat
ing” with them, seeing several of its surveys on Jewish culture. their Jewish religious lives. held at the annual Burning Man festival
shows in a row. “I think the key finding of my research “They’re projecting and saying this in Nevada, for example.
It’s also widely known — at least is that Phish is one of many vehicles improv is really important to my spiritual “Jews in America are living their lives
within the Jewish community — that through which Jewish fans connect on a life because it requires me when I’m lis- as part of a broader culture, and so to
Jews are very overrepresented among meaningful level with their cultural Jew- tening to be mindful … it requires me to understand deep notions of Jewish
the faithful. ish identity,” Kroll-Zeldin said. “Phish take seriously the possibility of things not spirituality, you have to look at not just
So over the weekend, at the inaugural provides an alternative venue to build working out the way they were intended,” sources constructed by Jews who are
academic conference on Phish culture, Jewish community and Phish shows Ladon said. “There is something about rabbis and inside the Jewish world, but
which took place at Oregon State Univer- become a site where fans can have when you go to a Phish show, many also see how the spiritual experiences of
sity, there was a panel dedicated to Jews meaningful Jewish experiences outside people know what’s going on, and peo- broader modern American culture can
and Phish. The full title — “People of the the confines of traditional Jewish life.” ple [in the survey] write about that feel- influence it,” he said.
(Helping Friendly) Book: Jews, Judaism Phish fandom — and for many, the ing of wanting to have their synagogue JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY
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(67 unfavorable/33 favorable) and healthcare (69 unfa- dents listing it as “one of the most important.” Combat-
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General Studies, 2019-2020 percent favorable. Trump has downplayed the threat that, gun safety laws came in at 50 percent, combating
[email protected]
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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
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Ctr Tchr for General Studies (PM) Jewish Democrats said the survey validated their con- “Interviews were conducted online through a ran-
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Exceptional Results Five Star Professional 2016-2017
Direct: 201-294-1844
25 Washington Street • Tenafly, NJ 07670
[email protected] • www.ayelethurvitz.com
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om JEWISH STANDARD MAY 24, 2019 47
Shavuos Made
CH-EASY at Cedar Market
Place your orders!
OVEN READY DISHES SPECIALTY DISHES
*Family Size Available *Family Size Available
__Mac 'N Cheese Dairy* __Low Fat Eggplant Parmesan
__Baked Ziti Dairy* __Mac N’ Cheese Balls Dairy* __Tuna Croquettes Parve
__Penne Ala Vodka Dairy*
Dairy*
__Mozzarella Sticks Dairy* __Low Fat Tuna Croquettes Parve
__Eggplant in Marinara Sauce __Zucchini Sticks Parve
__Lasagna Dairy Parve
__Eggplant Parmesan Dairy*
QUICHES
READY TO EAT HOMEMADE Dairy, 6 inch
DISHES BLINTZES __Spinach Quiche __Mushroom Qu
iche
Dairy, 6 Pack __Broccoli Quiche
__Linguini in Garlic Sauce Par
ve
__Cheese __Pizza
__Grilled Vegetables Parve __Cheese Pancakes
__Potato
HERRING 8 oz
HOMEMADE PIZZA
__Herring in Cream Sauce Dairy __Matjas in Wine Sauce Parve
Dairy __Herring in Cream Sauce Parve __Matjas with Jalapeno Parve
__Plain 10” & 15” __Gluten Free __Jalapeno Herring in Cream Sauce Parve __Pickled Lox Parve
__Whole Wheat __Garlic Knots __Stiglitz Herring Parve __Pickled Lox in Cream Sauce Dairy
__Vegetable 12 Pack
__Schmaltz Herring Parve __Spicy Herring Parve
__Spinach __Matjas Herring in Oil Parve